It’s been a long 12 months.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The roll out of vaccinations has meant that we can hope that relaxing the restrictions we have lived under will come to an end soon, even if we will have to accept that face masks will continue to be uncomfortable fashion accessories…
On Sunday we shared the news that we will be moving to St James, Eccles Old Road when we begin to meet again in person as a church.
Here’s some FAQs…
Church communities can be a haven for brittle, petty people. But they can also be beautiful signposts of the Kingdom of God.
What does it take to grow these beautiful places?
What can we do to make them a reality?
Throughout last year, we were encouraged to support the NHS. So children drew pictures to put in their windows, councils painted slogans on roads, we stood at doorsteps clapping week after week, we stayed away from the surgeries and A&E. And it was genuine – we were and are immensely grateful and proud of those who were in hospitals at a time when no one really knew how things would develop.
That’s why a 1% rise in pay became an issue last Wednesday.
Because it’s not enough to say that you are grateful, if your actions suggest something different…
The government wants us all to be healthier by 2040. They’ve measured how healthy our personal lives are, how healthy the public areas in our towns and cities are and what we are doing to stay healthy.
I’ve got bad news: Salford isn’t doing too well…
There’s a constant temptation to think that ‘real sinners’ are the others. Essentially, people not like us. We like to think that Jesus will sort ‘them’ out.
But what if He sees us, ‘the respectable sort’ and invites us to change? What would that set us free from? What would that make possible for us?
Jesus, the transforming guest offers us all that opportunity.
This Sunday we will read the story of a small man with a big reputation who found that he had to set an extra place at the table for Jesus. If you grew up in Sunday School, you sang about the man, acted the story out, coloured in the pictures. Once you’ve met him, you never forget Zachaeus
Have you ever wondered whether others are asking: What is s/he doing here? Who does s/he think s/he is?
It’s the feeling that maybe you don’t have the right to be in the conversation, or the experience to be in the team, or the skills to be used in a task.
Most of us have only got just-enough security, that it doesn’t take much for us to be destabilised. And the thought that people might be asking these questions can really rock us…
Jesus was regularly invited to meals. Some wanted to argue with him, others just wanted to get close to him.
Some folks were socially at ease with him. But some seemed to make a fuss – to such an extent that it could be embarrassing.
But Jesus didn’t seem fazed by it, In fact he seemed to enjoy it. Maybe it was because he knew that this is how grace feels to those starved of hope.
That’s still how it feels.
Excessive displays of adoration are always embarrassing for those watching on. It’s hard not to make a joke about it, or whisper some catty remark, or groan grumpily. After all, who wants to watch this emotional incontinence?
Salford Elim Church St. James Hope 3 Vicarage Close Salford M6 8EJ
07771 558 058
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Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance
Registered Charity 251549 (England & Wales) SC037754 (Scotland)
