18th November 2012.

Rhythms, rituals and routines. Jane used the Psalmist’s invitation to pray seven times a day to thank God from Psalm 119:57-64 and v 161-168 to explore how prayer becomes increasingly a lifestyle rather than an event. Where we can be creative and courageous in drawing on the “prayer wells” where other Christians have deeply discovered through prayer more of God from the throne of grace to live in the peace Jesus promised and evidence it. Within the Christian community the place of prayer and our call to pray for others. In pausing to remember God I will also remember who I am.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website.

11th November 2012.

This week Jane speaks to “Prayer: spirituality and remembering “from 2 Timothy 2:8-14 where Paul reminds us to “remember Jesus Christ who was raised from death.” It begins with looking at the act of remembering within the context of remembrance Sunday and what and how to profitably base the acts of remembering on and from. That remembering extends to welcoming stranger, those in prison and suffering, the needy and evolving a keen sense of history to give strength, understanding and meaning in the present.

We are particularly to remember the things that Jesus said and taught. That prayer too is a way of remembering. We need to be selective as to what we chose to remember and what we choose to forget. We learn patience through remembering what we have seen. Remembering too stops us going astray and repeating mistakes. We also have a responsibility to remind others, to be attentive to what the Holy spirit reminds us of and also to be forward thinking as we remember where we have come from and what God has done.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website.

4th November 2012.

Jane speaks to “Prayer & Spirituality: Imitation “from Ephesians 5: 1 - 20. If we are learning from and imitating Jesus then spirituality has to do with unlearning as well as learning. In the New Testament spirituality focuses not just on the individual’s relationship with God, but how the individual flourishes through the group and the group through the individual. We learn many things from our parents – some of this will be in line with what God our spiritual parent does and teaches and some will need to be unlearned if we are to please God. This is also true for church practice and tradition. The NT is clear that we are to follow/ to imitate Christ. We cannot, however, imitate what we do not see and know. The consequences, if we do not learn to imitate the behaviour and actions of Jesus, means we will have no response that is adequate to the current lostness of humanity, the darkness of the evil we face, the vastness of the suffering that is present in the world.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website.