Overcoming in Christ

Quite a few people said they would like to have a few notes from the sermon I preached on Sunday put up on here to refer to, so here they are!

I began by saying we should be the Christmas People as much as the Easter People, because of the following quote from Meister Eckhart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meister_Eckhart):

Here in time we make holiday because the eternal birthwhich the Father bore and bears unceasingly in eternity is now born in time, in human nature. St Augustine says his birth is always happening. But if it happen not in me what does it profit me? What matters is that it shall happen in me… In this gloom which is not his own the heavenly Father’s Son is not born alone: thou too art born there a child of the same heavely Father.

(p.32 Spirituality in Season Ross Thompson http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Spirituality+in+Season+Ross+Thompson&x=15&y=19)

There are opposites to notice of joy verses gloom; John 10.10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. No wonder “the thief” comes to steal and destroy your joy, it’s one of the most effective things to steal to make you an ineffectual Christian! Neh 8.10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

I then offered 4 really practical ways that we overcome “The Gloom” (for which, read Depression, Stress, being heavy or down, Despair etc) and be a strong, faith-and-joy-filled Christian:

1. Celebrate the Successes - notice how far you’ve come, rather than stressing about how far you have to go. Note progress! This undercuts the tendency to “catastrophise”, and revolutionises your point of view.

2. Decide not to let Despair take over - Rom 1.17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” And NOT by feelings! Psalm 42.5+11, 43.5 - THREE TIMES the Psalmist says Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God , so it’s something you have to keep working at!

3. Confess/Recite the Word of God outloud - the Joy vs Gloom opposition is mirrored in the way we use our words rejoicing&thanksgiving vs complaining. We always “eat our words” - they come out of our mouths, go into our ears and drop into our souls. Phil 4.4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And 4.11a-13 I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

You need to fill yourself with the promises of God. A good bit for this is Eph 1.3-14 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. And John 1.6 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (Phew - a reference to the actual lectionary reading!)

It’s also revolutionary to be reassured of your identity in Christ. Look at http://www.ficm.org/whoiam.htm for an example list (NB - I don’t know who these guys are, so don’t take it as an endorsement of this ministry!)

This section is summed up by Romans 12.2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

4. Remember the Battle is the Lord’s - We do our part by addressing possible roots of our “gloom”, like dwelling on terrible things in our past, or suppressing them, rest/sleep, nutrition, medication and “talking therapies”, guilt (real or imagined). But we have to leave it all at the foot of the cross. Regularly! 1 John 4.4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. You’ld better go over or you’ll go under. Whatever doesn’t make you bitter makes you better!

Basically, that’s it! There are those who wake up and bless the dawn. I am not one of them. I hate them. I’ve been through medication and therapy and would go again if necessary. In the meantime, I overcome in Christ.

No matter what you’ve been through, or are going through; no matter how you feel, you too can have a Happy New Year!

Adventfest launched!

This Sunday Adventfest will be launched! This is a wee arts festival run by St James folk for ourselves and for the wider community.  It aims to put on some quality performances, as way of offering hospitality to those in our neighbourhood and our social networks.

This year we have scooped Mr McFall’s Chamber for our finale performance - a real treat in store - and along the way we have some more familiar performers who are no less accomplished in their own field.

There are 8 events in all over the weekend (27-29 Nov 2009) - something for every age and taste.

The website is now up and running, where you can see the full line up, and buy your tickets online. St James is a small venue, so book early to avoid disappointment!

See it all at www.adventfest.com

Duncan

Farewell to Laura

This Sunday was Laura’s last before moving south. Here she talks with Margaret about her time here, and what lies ahead.

Tell us a bit about your time in Edinburgh and how you came to St James…

I came to Edinburgh as a student and worshiped at the Cathedral for a couple of years. After graduating I moved to Leith, and St James was my local Episcopal church. At the time (end of 2002) I was working in a shop in Princes St, but got a job at the Traverse Theatre as Marketing Assistant shortly after. I worked there for a couple of years before moving to the Edinburgh International Festival as Communications Officer, which I’ve done for the last 4 years.

On my first visit to St James, I arrived 10 minutes before the 10.30 ‘start’ time (as I’d been brought up to do!), to find I was the only person there! But Steve Butler chatted with me and made me feel very welcome. Others also spoke to me that first week and were so friendly and welcoming; it felt very comfortable and homely. When I went back the next week people remembered my name – which was brilliant! It felt that people wanted to know me, and there was no pretence.

What have you valued about St James?

One of the things is the sense of community which it offers, which is particularly valuable in a city. In particular, I’ve appreciated the fact that it is a loving and nurturing community which holds together of a range of beliefs in an accepting way. We celebrate that we live out the reality of a shared journey, although we have our individual paths, but we are underpinned by our shared central belief.

Being the Lay Rep at Synod has shown me how broad the Episcopal church can be and how people’s experience of church can be very different – but that we are all part of the same body; St James makes this a living reality. One of my favourite songs at St James is ‘All are welcome in this place’.

I’ve also really valued the worship and the way that this involves the creative use of both liturgy and space; somehow this transports the liturgy to something beyond the words…. into a tangible reality.

But what I will miss most is the people; sharing this experience of community and worship brings you close to people in a very special way.

And what are you going on to do?

Although I’m very sorry to be leaving Edinburgh, now seems the right time for a change; I’m going to be the Marketing and Press Manager for the Arcola Theatre in London (www.arcolatheatre.com), starting in the middle of July.

What challenges do you face and what can we pray for you?

Facing change is always challenging, and this change is into a challenging job, a new place, new friendships…. lots of things changing at once! The work brings together lots of things that I have done before, but in a new way; I will be working more on my own and with less resource. It does feel like an adventure, but one in which I would really value your prayers – in particular for the first few months of settling into life there, and for being able to build a new sense of community.

Thank you Laura, we’ve valued your walk with us, and wish you God’s rich blessing on all that lies ahead.

Weekend away hits the target

Just a few wee pics of our weekend away at the end of May. Blessed with fabulous people and weather to match. So many highlights, I don’t know where to begin… the singing, the workshops, the activities, the ceilidh, the food, the company, the worship…

If you have pictures of your own, let’s see them! (If there are children pictured, remember to get permission from them and their parents before posting, and avoid revealing their names.) Duncan

Stephen takes the art of table-laying
to new heights of joy…

The mystery of community

I love going away with others for days out, or residential weekends. Something seems to happen on these occasions that somehow rarely happens during coffee after church. I get a sense of that wonderful, but elusive, entity we call community. One minute you are a bunch of people trying to find your way around a new place: an hour later, you begin to feel you belong to this group. You discover new and wonderful things about one another. You forget about the fact you left your wellies at home. You start to have fun.

Most attempts to create this sense of community - in my experience, anyway - seem to fail. Perhaps we never get off our best behaviour; or our sponteneity gets shoehorned into a perpetual ‘ice-breaker’, or someone tries to organise us into relationship. It never works. Plato is supposed to have said that you will find out more about a person in one hour of playing with them, than in a lifetime of conversation. There’s something about play that leaves us off-guard, and shows us up much more quickly, so that people can learn to like and trust us. Time out together does the same.

Tomorrow is the deadline for signing up for our church weekend away (and no, this is not an advert!) I’m looking forward to discovering new things about people; getting to know folk that little bit better. I’m also praying for something to happen that no carefully-designed programme could ever achieve. I’m hoping for the miracle of community to be born again within us. I won’t be able to point to it, and say, look, there it is; still less, capture it on camera. But we’ll know it when we see it. A familiar, a wonderful, gift from God.