Virtual Methodist

In times of crisis many people turn to the Book of Psalms which is essentially a spiritual songbook for almost every aspect of human existence. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve repeatedly used the Psalm in the Daily Lectionary as the prompt for the #LentArt that I have posted because it has resonated with the situation we find ourselves in.  There are others who at such times race straight to the Book of Revelation and other apocalyptic literature within the Bible. Today’s painting, the “Seventh Trumpet” by #LentArt based on the Daily Lectionary Day 31 "Seventh trumpet" by Austino Obi Okafor was prompted by the reading from Revelation 11:15-19  The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:  “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”  And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and wor...

I offer this dialogue in the light of tonight's event in the Agape Centre as part of the 4 Corners Festival, where we are exploring the question "Is Christ Divided in this City?" through the stories of 4 church leaders from different corners of this city. I originally wrote a version of this dialogue nearly 14 years ago for New Irish Arts and Evangelical Alliance and an event called "Healing of the Nations" based around the Book of Revelation. Sadly, after all these years it is still pertinent, indeed, I had to rewrite part of it regarding our welcome to others and hostility to ourselves, because recently we have demonstrated that our welcome to others is not as all embracing as it might be. The ultimate question is, what vision do we have for our city? One shaped by doom, misery and despair? Or one shaped by the hope that we have in Christ?   John:            And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and h...

Yesterday was our Anniversary Service, and in the morning, Des Bain was preaching from Revelation 21. So I wrote this short piece as an introduction... I was waiting… it seemed like an eternity… I was waiting for her to arrive… I wasn’t nervous, as such… I knew she would be there… But I was excited… I just couldn’t wait… My whole life had led up to that moment… There were those who said she would let me down… some said she wasn’t good enough for me… But I knew different… I loved her and that was all that mattered… and the time had come for that love to be made known… That I was hers and she was mine forever… The waiting was over… The music struck up, and there she was… radiant with beauty… Now everyone could see her the way I always saw her… Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed ...

My family and I did the big rickety wheel last weekend... Belfast's miniature London Eye... We'd been talking about doing it since before Christmas, so it's a good job it didn't roll on elsewhere at the end of March as was apparently the original plan. Anyway, it's great, you should try it. Even Sally enjoyed it and she usually gets vertigo putting on high heels! But enough of the advert, while I was up at the top of the wheel I realised how much has changed over the past 10 years in this city I call home, and I also remembered this exerpt from the show "Healing of the Nations" based on the book of Revelation that I wrote for New Irish Arts and Evangelical Alliance back in 2002... I considered re-writing it and taking the top of the big rickety wheel as the viewpoint... But then I thought, perhaps I should leave well alone. John: And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of h...