Start:Stop - Steer us through storms

Bible reading

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:35-41)

Meditation

Jesus' reaction to the storm (to sleep) and his response to his disciples after the stilling of the storm ("Why are you frightened? Have you still no faith?") suggest that he had expected the disciples to ride out the storm both by acting as responsible sailors and trusting in God to see them through. Jesus is able to sleep because he trusts his disciples to get him safely to the other side of Lake Galilee, even in the midst of a storm. After all, many of them are fishermen, experienced sailors, while he is, as a carpenter, a landlubber. The disciples know boats and they know the lake, it makes sense that he would trust them to sail safely from one side of the lake to the other. He trusts them enough that he can catch up on some sleep while they get on with doing what they are actually very good at doing. The disciples have skills and knowledge of sailing and Jesus expects them to use these and trusts that they will use them well.

Instead, they are panicked by the storm, forget to do the things that sailors should do in a storm and, as a result, come close to going under. The problem comes, of course, when they don’t use their skills and knowledge well. The strength of the storm is such that they panic and don’t take actions (like taking down the sail, bailing out the water, and steering against the storm rather than with it) which would have enabled them to ride out the storm and get to the other side of the lake. They made the situation worse by panicking and it was their panic which could have got them killed.

This, I think, is why they are rebuked by Jesus for lack of faith. Essentially, he was saying, “If you had trusted in God to see you through the storm, you would have done the sensible things that would have enabled you to survive. But, because you didn’t trust in God to see you through, you panicked, didn’t take sensible actions, nearly got us all drowned, and needed me to intervene to save you.”

This seems a saluatory tale for us in the unanticipated storms of life – whether, the credit crunch and the recession it caused or more personal storms such as ill health or redundancy. Instead of panicking and looking for a miraculous instant solution to the storm in which we find ourselves, the faithful thing is to act responsibly, securing what can be secured and steering our way through the storm, trusting that we will come through, battered and blown, but alive nevertheless.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help us respond to the challenge of your question to the disciples as we face the storm of this time of austerity. May we trust, and in our trust, take the responsible and sensible decisions that will secure our futures and those of others, both those we support and those who depend on us.

Steer us through storms, as we trust in the skills and experience you have given.

Lord Jesus, guide us as we make decisions in difficult times – the storms of life. Enable us to take the long view as we decide rather than acting only in the short-term, enable us to act in the wider interests of others – the common good – rather than thinking and acting primarily in our own self-interest.

Steer us through storms, as we trust in the skills and experience you have given.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving each of us skills and experience. We pray that these will not be negated by a sense of panic in times of storm and difficulty but that we will trust enough in all you have given us to believe that if we use our skills and knowledge well, we will come through.

Steer us through storms, as we trust in the skills and experience you have given.

Blessing

Trust in God, trust in God’s leading, trust in responsible actions, trust in the skills and experience God has given, trust in the midst of storms and difficulties. May those blessings of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

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Belle and Sebastian - The Ghost Of Rockschool.

Start:Stop - Working in the Spirit

Bible reading

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1. 26 - 28)

Meditation

Today's meditation used reflections from UCB's Word for Today - click here and here to read the meditation.

Prayer

Creator God, we thank you for those moments when we experience flow: when we’re immersed in a significant task that’s challenging, which matches up well to our highest abilities; when we’re so caught up in an activity that time somehow seems to be altered; when our attention is fully focused without our having to work at it; when we’re deeply aware, without being self-conscious; when we’re being stretched and challenged, but without a sense of stress or worry; when we have a sense of engagement or oneness with what we are doing; when we’re swept up by something outside ourselves. We pray for more of these moments and for more of these moments this week.

May we experience flow in our work this week and know that we are being swept up by your Spirit.

We pray that the work we do this week will in some way create value on the earth. Show us how to invest our abilities to plant and build and write and organise and heal and invent ways that bless people and cause God’s kingdom to flourish here on earth. May we also share this great spiritual act of service by asking those with whom we work whether they are experiencing flow in their work, and by helping them experience it even more.

May we experience flow in our work this week and know that we are being swept up by your Spirit.

Give us the attitude that whatever we do, we do it with a thankful heart, as though You were our boss. Bring us alive, as we work with that attitude. May we recognise that when each of us is doing what You designed and called us to do, the world around us is enriched. May we acknowledge that all skill is God-given, and that you invite us to live in conscious interaction with the Holy Spirit as we work, so that we can develop the skills You give us.

May we experience flow in our work this week and know that we are being swept up by your Spirit.

Blessing

Planting, building, writing, organising, healing, inventing ways that bless people and cause God’s kingdom to flourish here on earth. May those blessings of almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

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Moby - Saints.

East London Three Faiths Forum Tour of the Holy Land: Day 4 (2)

While on the boat crossing Lake Galilee, I shared the following reflections based on the story of Jesus sleeping in a boat during a storm on Galilee (Matthew 8. 23 - 27):

Jesus is able to sleep because he trusts his disciples to get him safely to the other side of Lake Galilee, even in the midst of a storm. After all, many of them are fishermen, experienced sailors, while he is, as a carpenter, a landlubber. The disciples know boats and they know the lake, it makes sense that he would trust them to sail safely from one side of the lake to the other. He trusts them enough that he can catch up on some sleep while they get on with doing what they are actually very good at doing. The disciples have skills and knowledge of sailing and Jesus expects them to use these and trusts that they will use them well.

The problem comes, of course, when they don’t use their skills and knowledge well. The strength of the storm is such that they panic and don’t take actions (like taking down the sail, bailing out the water, and steering against the storm rather than with it) which would have enabled them to ride out the storm and get to the other side of the lake. They made the situation worse by panicking and it was their panic which could have got them killed.

This, I think, is why they are rebuked by Jesus for lack of faith. Essentially, he was saying, “If you had trusted in God to see you through the storm, you would have done the sensible things that would have enabled you to survive. But, because you didn’t trust in God to see you through, you panicked, didn’t take sensible actions, nearly got us all drowned, and needed me to intervene to save you.”

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Gerry & The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone.

Coming soon - the Seven Kings Time Bank

Sophia Hubs is based in Seven Kings as a pilot for a national project to create local hubs that help to build a thriving local economy and a rich community life.   We are running training courses, a weekly enterprise club with local speakers, business mentoring and more.  Our aim is to harness the wide and amazing wisdom, skills, resources, expertise and ideas that are already here in the community.  We are helping to inspire and kick start new social enterprises to meet the needs of Seven Kings/Ilford/Redbridge community.

Our next step is the Seven Kings time bank.  A time bank is a skills exchange network.  It will be a way for local people in Seven Kings and the surrounding areas to help each other, build relationships and be recognised for the help that they give. A time bank is a great way to get the services you need without the need for money plus to increase your confidence in the help you can give others with your own skills. 

Time banks are running all over the country. Individuals join as members and then for every hour’s help you give to another (e.g. Spanish lesson, guttering mending, web design) you receive one time credit which you can then spend on receiving help from another member (leg waxing, bike fixing, horrible internet connection problem solving).  The exchanges won’t have to be a give-take scenario between two people; time banking is a cycle of exchanges that continues on with many time bank members.

Sophia Hubs sees this as an important tool and resource to help our new entrepreneurs try out and develop their business offers and develop their customer base.  It is also a good way of increasing the relationships and networks in a neighbourhood.  The time bank broker (that’s me!) will be on hand to help you work out what you need, what you can offer and help to get you started.

The official launch will be announced soon through Redbridge CVS but in the meantime please register your interest at Sevenkingstimebank@sophiahubs.com or ring 020 8590 2568.  If you want to find out more about our training courses or enterprise club please ring or email me on ros.southern@sophiahubs.com.

In the meantime there is also an exciting and fast growing time bank for organisations (rather than individuals) in East London which we advise all Redbridge groups and businesses to join.  Find out more at ECHO:  http://economyofhours.com/.  This is an experienced time bank organisation that is helping us with the final plans for the Seven Kings time bank that is coming soon.

Ros Southern

Time bank broker, Sophia Hubs

(based at St John’s Church & Centre, St Johns Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, Essex IG2 7BB)

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Live - Run To The Water.

SKNPRA AGM: Volunteering and achievements

These are my Chairman's remarks at tonight's Seven Kings & Newbury Park Resident's Association AGM, based on http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/resources/how-to-guides/volunteer/doc/benefits-of-volunteering.html:

Getting involved in the work of SKNPRA can make a real difference to your own life and the lives of those around you. Getting involved offers the chance to give something back to the community or make a difference to the people around you. It also provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience and knowledge. Regardless of your motivation, getting involved will be challenging and rewarding.

Here are some reasons to volunteer:

Learn or develop a new skill 

Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever.” It is never too late to learn new skills and there is no reason why you should ever stop adding to your knowledge. Planning and implementing a campaign on a local issue can, for example, develop goal setting, planning and budgeting skills. These are examples of skills that can enhance a career but you don’t have to develop skills with the intention of facilitating your career. The possibilities for developing and using new skills are many.  

Be part of your community

No man or woman is an island. We sometimes take for granted the community that we live in. People and societies co-depend on each other for survival but growth of such things as commercialism are seeing traditional values being disregarded. Communities are suffering due to the growth of selfishness in society but we can bridge that expanding gap through volunteering. Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and having an impact on people’s wellbeing. What better way is there to connect with your community and give a little back? As a volunteer with SKNPRA, you certainly return to society some of the benefits that society gives you. 

Motivation and sense of achievement

Fundamentally, volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely.  Unlike many things in life there is choice involved in volunteering. As a volunteer you have made a decision to help on your own accord, free from pressure to act from others.  Volunteers predominantly express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is ultimately generated from your desire and enthusiasm to help. Sometimes volunteers are regarded as do-gooders and those that hold that view also assume that one person can never make a difference. It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better.

Boost your career options

A survey carried out by TimeBank through Reed Executive showed that among 200 of the UK’s leading businesses:

·       73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without

·        94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills

·        94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted

Also, if you are thinking of a career change then volunteering is a perfect way to explore new fields.

New interests and hobbies

Sometimes we do get locked into the “rat-race” of life and volunteering can give that escape to everyday routine and create a balance in our lives. Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing. The energy and sense of fulfilment can carry over to a work situation and sometimes helps to relieve tensions and foster new perspectives for old situations. Sometimes a volunteer experience can lead you to something you never even thought about or help you discover a hobby or interest you were unaware of. You can strengthen your personal/professional mission and vision by exploring opportunities and expanding your horizons. 

New experiences

Volunteering is a brilliant way to get life experience. Whatever your involvement with us, you will be experiencing the real world through hands-on work.

Meeting a diverse range of people

Volunteering brings together a diverse range of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Both the recipients of your volunteer efforts and your co-workers can be a rich source of inspiration and an excellent way to develop your interpersonal skills.  Volunteering also offers an incredible networking opportunity. Not only will you develop lasting personal and professional relationships but it is also a great way to learn about people from all walks of life, different environments, and new industries. Networking is an exciting benefit of volunteering and you can never tell who you will meet or what new information you will learn and what impact this could have on your life.

Send a signal to your employer, teachers, friends and family…

People pay attention to your life outside the environment in which they have direct contact with you. For example, your employer would be interested in the activities that gives you a good work-life balance, just as academic institutions are interested in your extra-curricular activities. Volunteering reflects and supports a complete picture of you, and gives real examples of your commitment, dedication and interests. Show people what you are passionate about and maybe you will inspire them too!

Last year Peter Robinson volunteered to join the SKNPRA committee. As a result, this year we are able to tell you about the campaign for step-free access at Newbury Park Station which Peter is running. We could run that campaign without his volunteering. If you are prepared to get involved as he has done, there will be other campaigns and other issues that we can tackle which would simply not have been possible without you. So, for all these reasons when we come to elect our committee do please think seriously about volunteering.

Audrey Shorer, our Secretary, reported on our achievements in 2012/13:

Our biggest success last year was to get the public toilets in Seven Kings Park re-opened. They will be managed and maintained by Redbridge Vision and should be open 7 days a week. We are aware that some Sundays they have not been open but this has been brought to the notice of Vision and will be closely monitored. They are closed at the moment because the hot water boiler failed and is being replaced.

In September, the new park bench was installed in Seven Kings Park near the bridge  at a cost of £480.00 plus an engraved Traffolyte plate at £15.  The bench is made of very durable recycled polystyrene.  Redbridge Vision installed it free of charge. The Ilford Recorder did a photo shoot of the event.

In November we organised a protest meeting outside the park gate at Beddington Road against Redbridge Council’s decision to leave the park open at night. This has since been rescinded and the gates are now locked at seasonal closing times.

Our Chairman has attended meetings of the Seven Kings Ward Panel to report problems of drug dealing in Norfolk & Elgin Roads,  He has also spoken at Area 5 meetings to speak on a variety of issues on behalf of the residents.

I have reported to our Community Ward Police, problems of car repairs in Farnham Road which was dealt with. I also reported to the Cleansing Department, pallets and rubbish dumped in Seven Kings Water which was cleared.  Also reported on line via Redbridge i several incidents of fly tipping, litter and dog fouling all of which have been dealt with promptly by Redbridge Council.

The £100.00 which you voted to donate to Seven Kings Park Users Group was a great help with the initial setting up of the group towards the cost of postage, stationary and a Laminator.  The Chairman David Wynne-Fitzgerald thanked our Association for their generosity.

The Community Day on 18^th May in St John's garden was a great success with several new members signing up. We would certainly like to repeat this next year.

And finally I would like to thank all those people who help with delivering the Newsletter which cuts the cost of postage.

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King Crimson - Epitaph.

Fearfully and wonderfully made

Today I gave a funeral address based on aspects of creativity and making:

There’s a song called ‘Lights’ by one of my favourite singers, Victoria Williams, in which she reflects on the experience of making things. Whatever you are making, she sings, “you wanna make something good,” something that you can look on that will give you lots of pleasure. But then she reflects on what happens when this thing you’ve made turns out wrong in some way, not quite perfect, and she says that you still love it just the same because it is some thing that you made.

Those of us who make things ourselves – whether it’s dresses or rocking horses or whatever – will probably know that feeling. The maker knows where the flaws are in the things she or he has made. Others might not be able to spot them but we know and it bothers us but what we’ve made may well be wonderful nevertheless.

In the song, Victoria Williams likens this experience to that of God and his creation, human beings. Psalm 139 tells us that we are created by God, fearfully and wonderfully made, and we are wonderful as a result.

That was true of ____ and you loved the wonderful person – fearfully and wonderfully made – that she was. In our prayers, we have been thanking God for making her the way he did; for giving her the gifts and talents that he did – her needlework skills in particular but, more so even than those, the way in which she showed her love for each one of you.

The reading from Wisdom 11. 24 - 25 then reminds, like Victoria Williams’ song, that God loves everything – everyone – that he has made. As a result, the Christian hope is that, in God, all he has made lasts and endures and continues. That is the hope that I wish to share with you today. Just as you will always treasure the wedding dresses ____ made or the rocking horses ________ has made, so God also keeps and treasures those he has made, including ____.

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Victoria Williams - Lights.