St Gilbert

I imagine many people will have heard of Benedictine monasteries and perhaps Cistercian ones. They continue to exist today around the world. What is less likely is to have heard of Gilbertine monasteries. St Gilbert started monasteries in England during the 12th Century when there was a move in Europe towards founding simpler establishments in contrast to the very rich and powerful monastic houses then in existence. 26 Gilbertine houses were founded and continued to live by the principle of simplicity. Sadly this did not protect them from suffering as other monasteries did during the dissolution of monasteries under Henry VIII of England. Whereas other monastic orders were eventually able to begin again, the Gilbertines were wiped out and did not revive at a later date. There are still some remains of the priories including Malton Priory where the church is now a parish church.

On Thursday 4th February we remembered St Gilbert in our lectionary. Read on to learn more.

 

When you run out of options

I suppose it’s only natural to do what we can to get through life by using our own resources. There are times, though, when we run out of options and have nowhere to turn. The Gospel for the day on 2nd Febraury was the well known story of the woman with chronic bleeding and Jairus’ daughter. Both the woman and Jairus had run out of human resources to solve their problems. Fortunately they knew that Jesus was someone who could make a difference even in the most difficult circumstances. They turned to him for help and were not disappointed. The same holds good for us today.

The readings for the day were Psalm 86:1-6 and Mark 5:21-end. My reflection follows:

 

Candlemas

On Sunday at the noon SLT we celebrated Candlemas. We could have waited until Tuesday, the exact date. February 2nd is 40 days after Christmas. It is also called a cross quarter day, being halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Pagans have celebrated such days for centuries. For Christians, Candlemas has many layers of meaning and at least four names. In my reflection I looked at the names of the day and what they tell us, particularly concentrating on the encounter of the Holy Family with Simeon and Anna.

The readings were Psalm 24, Malachi 3:1-5 and Luke 2:22-40. My reflection follows:

 

Use it or lose it

Sometimes the things Jesus said are hard to understand. They don’t seem to make any sense at first reading. The gospel reading for Thursday was a bit like that I would say. He suddenly started talking about hiding a lamp under a basket or under the bed. It’s an amusing picture but what is he trying to say? By looking at the context it’s possible to get a better idea. Jesus had been teaching the people using parables, specifically the parable of the sower just before the gospel for the day. His followers needed help to understand what he meant. Jesus then goes on to explain that the light he brings is not designed to be hidden but to give light to all. However, we have to do some work. As we work, as we exercise ourselves in a spiritual sense, we will understand more and more as God shows us more and more. If we choose not to try we will be left relying on our own resources.

The readings for the day were Psalm 132: 1-5, 11-15 and Mark 4:21-25. My reflection is given below:

 

Timothy and Titus

The person we now know as St Paul, writer of about a third of the New Testament, was once Saul, a Jew who was intent on wiping out Christianity. He was met by Jesus on the road to Damascus and became a Christian, a wonderful worker for God. Two of the great harvest of believers Paul reaped were Timothy and Titus who went on to be church leaders in their own right. There are things we can learn as individuals and as a ministry from what Paul did to develop these two leaders.

The readings at the Tuesday service were Psalm 100, 2 Timothy 2:1-8, Luke 10:1-9. The reflection from the service follows:

 

Agnes – child martyr

On 21st January the church remembers Agnes, a girl of about 13 years, who lost her life rather than deny her faith. She was a victim of the great persecution which took place under Emperor Diocletian for around two decades. Born of a pagan family, she is likely to have become a Christian as a result of having a Greek nurse-slave to educate her. Agnes’ faith was no mental assent only, but resulted in her dedicating her whole life to Jesus, her Saviour.

The readings were Psalm 23, Revelation 7:13-17, Matthew 18:1-7. Learn more about Agnes in her story given below.

 

Leadership Team meeting this Saturday

Hello all!

It’s been an exciting time to be part of the Leadership Team!  We are so pleased to have our five new members (ZoeRose Eiren, Charlie12string Lax, Patapon Monday, Joyous Schism and Able Shepherd) on board, and to have the opportunity to hear their input and ideas.

This Saturday we will hold our first Leadership Team meeting with our new members.  In addition to our bi-monthly meetings, the LT members have many group discussions by way of email, and we have been exploring how each members sees their role in the Team, and where their interests, talents and passions can best be utilized within our community.  We will continue this conversation at our meeting, and learn how we can support and complement each other’s efforts.

Other recent discussion items that will be brought to this meeting include:

• How can we enhance our relationships with other Christian groups in SL?
• How can we help promote our services and events to the wider SL community?
• Are there ways that we can develop the configuration of the area surrounding the Cathedral to enhance their use as a gathering place for the community?
• What sort of events and services would we like to plan for the upcoming Lenten and Easter seasons?

As always, we welcome your ideas!  Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions with us.  You can leave suggestions on our blog, contact any of us directly inworld, or by email using the contact information given on the Leadership Team page.  And of course, we invite your prayers for a productive and inspiring meeting!

Blessings,
Cady

 

Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester

On 19th January Wulfstan, an Anglo-Saxon bishop is remembered according to our lectionary. Wulfstan became a monk in Worcester, eventually becoming prior of the monastery,  and would probably have been happy to stay that way but was persuaded to become Bishop of Worcester in 1062. He managed to combine the role of superior of the monastery and bishop very successfully. He was also successful in surviving in turbulent political times. In 1066 the Anglo-Saxons came under the rule of William of Normandy who placed his own Norman people in positions of power. Wulfstan was the only Anglo-Saxon bishop to keep his position. This may have been due to his holiness entirely or he may have had some extra help, as a legend about his suggests. Wulfstan was very much ahead of his times in preaching against the slave trade which was conducted through Bristol at that time. He was successful  in stopping the trade for a long time. He died while washing the feet of the poor – a fitting example to us all.

The readings on Tuesday were Psalm 15, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5, Matthew 24:42-46. More about Wulfstan was given in my reflection which is reproduced below.

 

A sign of the age of grace

John’s Gospel focuses on the signs which Jesus did and what they show us about him. He performed his first sign at a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. He had been invited there with his disciples and his mother Mary was there too. Weddings at that time could last for a week, making catering difficult. Something went wrong and the wine ran out. It was not just a minor inconvenience; it was possible to be taken to court for not providing a feast of the required standard. Mary turned to Jesus for help and as a result we see his first sign – water turned into wonderful wine.

The readings at the 10.30pm Saturday and noon Sunday services were Psalm 36:5-10, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11. The reflection is given below.

 

Superstition and magic

Being superstitious is very common among sports men and women and also in the theatre. All sorts of behaviour is tried in order to ensure success and to avoid bad luck. Superstition can also enter into religion as happened to the Israelites. Having lost a battle they sought a way to ensure that their next battle was a success. In doing so they stepped outside what God had told them to do and made the Ark of the Covenant into some kind of magical object. The elders and the sons of the priest colluded with this behaviour. Of course, that was all a long time ago and we have learnt a lot more science and so on since then. Sadly that doesn’t necessarily prevent us from moving from faith to superstition.

On Thursday, at the 2pm SLT service, I gave a reflection about superstition and faith which is reproduced here. The readings were 1 Samuel 4:1-11, Psalm 44:10-15, 24-25, Mark 1:40-end.