Daughter and Father leading worship at Trinity

A daughter and father first at Trinity yesterday. Daughter, Esther Woollgar led family worship in the morning, and her father, Revd Richard Miller, led the evening service.

Esther Woollgar spoke on Romans 12 1-8. In a number of places Paul used the metaphor that we are members of one body, the church. Esther said, if we are currently acting as an eye or hand of the body we should not take this metaphor too far. We are people and can have many gifts and aspire to do more for God in the church. We may have failed once at prophesying or healing but can pray to God to provide us the faith to do something we aspire towards. He gives gifts generously.

Revd Miller spoke on Paul's wise words to the Greeks in Acts 17 when Paul did not condemn the "Men of Athens!" for their many gods. On finding an alter 'To an Unknown God,' Paul said "now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you..." Revd Miller challenged us to speak wisely like Paul, and repeated a number of time the verse 1 Peter 3 v 15 "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."

My Song is Love unknown

My song is Love Unknown
My Saviour’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.

I remember somebody singing a solo of the first verse of this hymn here at Trinity some years ago, and finding it very moving. As part of our Songs of Praise service led by members I introduced this hymn. Christine sang the first verse as a solo then all of us, the congregation, joined in.

Nowadays this hymn is sung to a tune called 'Love Unknown'. The tune was written three hundred years after the words by the composer John Ireland at the request of a friend who wanted to include this rediscovered hymn in a hymn book he was compiling.

This hymn was written by Samuel Crossman in 1664 as part of "The Young Man’s Meditation, or Some Few Sacred Poems upon Select Subjects, and Scriptures."

He had been meditating on Chapter 6 and verse 14 of Paul's letter to the Galations ... 'But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.'

The opening line could be the start of an unrequited love song.
My song is Love Unknown.

 But then the next line reveals
My Saviour's love to me.

It is God's love that is unrequited. As the second verse of the hymn reveals
He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know:

Ken and Lin

Ken and Lin, married 4th Feb 1967, shared cake and celebration chocolates with everybody at church this morning to celebrate 50 years of marriage.

Bridge Building

There was a parade service this morning and so the congregation was swelled by young people in the uniformed groups, and their parents.

The service began with flags being brought to the front and stood alongside the alter.

There was a story of a bridge builder who brought two feuding brothers back together.

The young people, in uniform, made a bridge with cardboard over a void between two chairs on the platform at the front.

We also heard the story of Zacchaeus, and had it re-enacted with puppets. Zacchaeus as a tax collector was ostracised by his community. He wanted to see Jesus and climbed a tree to see Jesus pass. Jesus reached out to him and went to his home to eat with him. Jesus built the bridge, and Zacchaeus' life was transformed.

Heating back on

Last week the heating was not working and people were shivering in church and Ruth Dams got through the service in 45 minutes. This week it was warmer. I was people's steward so welcomed people and stayed in the welcome area during the service. 3 children joined Lindsey drawing and writing and doing puzzles in the welcome area. Lindsey started by re-reading the children's story the preacher had brought through. The preacher read it first in church but now they could see the pictures. It was about Jesus the star maker.

Suzanne Clarke died on Jan 3rd. She is the blond New Zealand lady with rid lips who started up the Trinity toddler groups about thirty years ago.

There have been a few sad losses recently at Trinity. Peter Foskett had a heard attack while out doing what he loved - rambling. Sheila Garratt also died at the end of last year.

Bless the Lord, O my soul

The service this Sunday was led by Revd Ian Griffiths and wife Tabith Griffiths, and they both gave a talk. Tabitha spoke on Psalm 103:1-8.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (...)

I read the reading from the lectern.

Then later in the day by chance I picked up the book of the life of Mary Densham, our adopted Grandmother, who brought up five children on her own after her husband died, and became an anchor for many others, like us. In the book was printed Psalm 103. It was very important to her. I re-read the Psalm again.

Order of Importance

Michael Howlett led the service this morning. In his family / children's talk he got people to pick up a persons name. The asked them to arrange themselves in order a importance:

• A child
• Nicola Blackwood MP
• Revd Ian Griffiths
• The Coffee Maker after the service
• David Beckham
• ...

His sermon was on the story where there was a banquet and people sat in order of importance.

Jesus transformed convention.