Very ‘umble’ servants of God

I wonder if you remember the character of Uriah Heep in David Copperfield, written by Charles Dickens. He epitomises the sort of insincere humility that could really annoy other people. Humility is a virtue to be cultivated by Christians. It was demonstrated by Jesus when he washed his disciples’ feet. The kind of humility expected is not at all like that of Uriah Heep but is sincere and is not secretly self-seeking as Uriah was.

To learn more read on. What follows is the reflection from the 2pm SLT service on Tuesday. The readings were Psalm 37:3-5, 30-32, Titus 2:1-8, 11-14, Luke 17:7-10.

 

Sacrifice – our response

In many parts of the world, this weekend has been one to remember those who have fallen in war. Perhaps part of the challenge and the opportunity of being church in Second Life is that our traditions are not all the same in our real life churches and nations. Celebrating Remembrance Sunday might have seemed odd to some for whom this is not their normal tradition. However, people from around the world attended and read at the two Remembrance services which we held, one at 10pm SLT on Saturday for the Pacific Rim (and insomniacs elsewhere!) and one at noon SLT on Sunday for the UK, Europe and America. Many took the opportunity to wear a poppy on their lapel and to light a candle as a sign of their response to the sacrifice of many for our sakes. However unusual the service might have been for some, comments suggested that it spoke to many of those there in a very personal way and gave them food for thought. There is definitely value in sharing and learning from the traditions of others.

The readings were Psalm 62:5-end, Hebrews 9:24-end, Mark 1:14-20. The reflection follows.

 

A very personal God

It’s possible to see the wonders of creation and acknowledge the existence of a Creator. The vastness of creation and the mystery of God can make us feel small and insignificant. We may find that we hold God at arm’s length as a result. However, Christians believe that God is a personal God and that in order to relate to us with understanding, he came in the person of Jesus Christ to live a human life and to die for us. The fact that God cares for each one of us so much that he is prepared to seek us out  is staggering but true.

The readings at the 2pm SLT service on Thursday were Psalm 8, Romans 14:7-12, Luke 15:1-10.

 

Thanks and a welcome

When Rev Mark Brown stepped down as priest-in-charge of Anglicans of Second Life at the end of June, he had built a team to take the ministry forward. One of his last actions was to find someone to lead the Pacific Rim service which was proving popular. LouiB Serendipity took on this daunting task, having to learn the ropes very quickly indeed. She has been supported by others from that area of the world as she got to grips with the requirements.

The Leadership Team has just been informed that, due to personal circumstances, LouiB can no longer lead the Pacific Rim Service. We are very grateful for all that she has done and hope that she will remain a member of our community.

The service, which recently changed time to 10pm SLT, will continue to take place. For the time being I shall lead it with help from the various regular attenders. It is the hope of the Leadership Team that a new leader for this service will be found in time. I do hope you will support this service and encourage others who can make it to come along and worship. This week the theme will be ‘Remembrance’ as it is Remembrance Sunday in the UK and some other parts of the world, and Veterans Day coming up in the US.

While saying goodbye to LouiB as service leader, we are able to welcome a new member of our Prayer Team. ZoeRose Eiren has now joined the Team. Members of the Prayer Team are able to be paged from outside the Cathedral and will be happy to pray with you if you have any needs. This is a confidential ministry; whatever you  share will not be divulged to others. We all need support sometimes and the community at Epiphany is happy to offer this prayer ministry to any who need it.

If you need more information do contact me in-world or email ailsa [at] ailsa-wright.net. Any member of the Prayer Team would be happy to tell you more also.

 

The founder of Anglicanism

Richard Hooker lived in a period of history when the church was struggling to find its way forward in England. The Protestants and Catholics had been brought together to worship by law, what was called The Elizabethan Settlement. Richard Hooker wrote an 8 volume work called ‘Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity’ in which he explored the way the Church should be governed. It was he who gave the Church the theological method of finding its way which used Scripture, Reason and Tradition. He brought together Catholic and Reformed thought.

The Anglican Church is struggling now to move forward as a whole with a huge diversity of opinion being held. Also, within the Anglican group in Second Life we have members from all traditions in the Anglican Church and those who belong to other denominations and none. Richard Hooker might not understand Second Life, but he would probably understand the challenges of being church in these circumstances.

On Tuesday at the 2pm SLT service, I talked about Richard Hooker and what he gave the Church, which resulted in his being called the ‘founder of Anglicanism’.

The readings were Sirach 44:10-15, Psalm 119:97-104 and John 16:12-15.

 

All Souls Day services

This weekend, services at the Anglican Cathedral in SL will commemorate All Souls Day, when we remember those who have departed from this life.  If you are not familiar with this holiday, there is a wonderful article on this, and the associated All Saints Day at the Full Homely Divinity website.

If you would like to have someone in particular remembered during these services, I encourage you to let us know.  You can either leave a prayer request in the the cathedral prayerbox (next to the votive candle stand), or email your request to Helene at ailsa [at] ailsa-wright.net.

 

And the times change yet again…

Ok, now for the latest installment of “As the times change…”  Sit up and pay attention, because this change will affect just about everyone.  On Sunday morning, November 1, the US will move from Daylight to Standard time.  Which means that Second Life Time will move back one hour relative to where you are, if you are not in the US.  And if you ARE in the US, don’t forget to change your clocks before you go to bed on Saturday!

Our midweek services will return to their normal times – Cathedral services at 2pm SLT, Morning Prayer at midnight SLT, and Evening Prayer at noon SLT.  All of the other services will remain at their regular SLT times.

 

A hymn of security

St Paul travelled widely, spreading the Gospel message and starting churches. In the process he suffered beatings,  he was shipwrecked, stoned, often in danger from robbers and others, hungry, thirsty, sleepless. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27) Despite all his suffering, Paul was able to focus on the wonder of the security believers have in the love of God, a love that is always there for them. In Romans 8:31-39 he pours out his thoughts on this wonderful truth and it was this which I concentrated on in my reflection.

The readings for the 3pm SLT service were Romans 8:31-end, Psalm 109:20-26, 29-30, Luke 13:31-end. The reflection follows.

 

Small beginnings

When you know the end of a story it’s so much easier to understand the events leading up to it. We have that advantage when we read the Gospels. We know how it all turns out, we know what happened in the years after Jesus ascended into heaven, we are living proof that his message spread from one small part of the Roman Empire to the whole of the world.

For the disciples things were more difficult. They had the ideas about the Messiah which were prevalent in their culture at the time. Jesus simply didn’t fit with preconceived ideas. Perhaps one of the challenges for the disciples was to see how such a seemingly insignificant ministry as that of Jesus, could have such a huge impact. To help them, Jesus gave them two pictures – a mustard seed and a small lump of leaven. Those pictures can help us too.

The readings at the 3pm SLT service on Tuesday were Romans 8:18-25, Psalm 126, Luke 13:18-21. The reflection follows.

 

Bible Sunday

At the Sunday noon SLT service Bible Sunday was observed. For many the Bible may appear irrelevant or out of date or confusing. For those who trust it, the result can be a transformed life. Trusting God’s word is not easy for anyone, as the people of Israel found at the time of Isaiah. It’s often only when it is proved to be true that trust grows.

The readings on Sunday were Isaiah 55:1-11, Psalm 19:7-14, John 5:36b-end. The reflection follows an outline provided on the Bible Society website and the prayer poem at the end of it is also from that source. Some of the prayers used in the service were also from the Bible Society site.