Sunday 17th April 'Shepherd and Sheep'

   I said on Sunday that I'd probably get myself into trouble somehow that despite the theme for the day I reckoned there are way better metaphors for us and God, Jesus and us and well, models of leadership, power and mission. At the same time, Paul Ricoeur as usual offers the framework for understanding how the idea made sense in it's listening audience context and then gave us a starting point for ours. I also took the invitation of the commentator who suggested "if you ever preach on Psalm 23, do it today." The reason being it's too easy to leave the Psalm to Funerals as the "go to" for so many people. The invitation revolves around the NRSV words "my whole life long" and I think I heard the collective gulp when I invited us all not to leave our deliberations, faith or response to our Funeral but to understand God's hopes and love for us "our whole lives long".... something like that anyhow...

It was hard for some to hear and had a sense of heaviness in parts...

We sang, we used percussion for "God Has Spoken to His People, hallelujah!"

It's everyone's go but I keep reminding people we are all different and I contend it helps you focus on the words as you try to get the tune and keep banging away in time...

We watched a combined effort video to use an already creative combo and overcome a corrupted file

Thanks David McGregor and Chris MacNaught and 'The Work of the People'

We sang this song too...

Regulars know how little I relate to in singing... 

love hearing others sing meaningful contemporary stuff mind you 

and to this end, what fine words...

"Holy Spirit, go before us" TIS 420

1. Holy Spirit, go before us,

every mind and heart prepare

for good news of life in Jesus,

for the joyful hope we share.

gently lead the lost to safety,

gently teach them Wisdom's way,

till they come to seek you gladly,

till we find the words to say.

2. Holy Spirit, come and help us,

give us words to speak of Christ.

teach us how to tell all people:

deepest darkness can be light!

help us tell how faithful God is,

and how Jesus sets us free;

take our words, and make them gospel,

so that many may believe.

3. Holy Spirit, stay to show us

how to serve as Christ served us.

May our words of love be grounded

in love's actions, first and last.

Your good news is news of justice,

and the strong befriend the weak

in your service, till compassion

builds the peace the nations seek

Elizabeth J. Smith 1956 –

Kids in for the holidays were good value and I hope found something in the freedom and permission of the space, to make it OK to come along again!!

I had a great clip about 'power' that didn't end up being the focus...