Virtual Methodist

It's been a while since I posted one of these, but here is an excerpt from the Psalm in the lectionary readings for tomorrow, adapted as a call to worship: I will lift up the name of the Lord at all times; Words of praise will constantly pour from my lips. My soul swells in admiration of the Lord; May all the oppressed and afflicted hear and be happy. Come and glorify God with me: let us lift up his name together. Psalm 34:1-3 Hallelujah

A short responsive call to worship, that we will be using this morning in Dundonald Methodist Church. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day when Christ rose from the dead. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the time of God’s favour, this is the day of salvation. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Shalom

Didn't actually use a Psalm in worship this morning, but have been lax in posting them the past few weeks, so I have a few in reserve. Here is a paraphrased excerpt from Psalm 43 that we used as our call to worship last Sunday morning: Send forth your light and your truth; let them guide me, O Lord my God. May they bring me to your holy house, to the place where your people worship. Then I will come to the mercy seat of God, to God, my joy and my delight. There I will praise you with stringed instruments, I will put my hope in you, O God my Saviour. From Psalm 43:3-5 Selah

A responsive Psalm we're using at worship in DMC this morning, based (very roughly) on Psalm 34. I will bless the LORD every chance I get; his praise will always pour from my lips. My soul will boast about what the LORD has done Let those who face troubles hear me and rejoice. Glorify God with me: let us lift up his name together. I looked for the LORD, and he didn’t let me down; he freed me from all that I feared. Those who seek him will smile in the end; All sense of shame will be removed from their faces. The helpless and hopeless call on him, and the LORD hears their cry; he saves them from their troubles. Taste and see! The LORD is good; Happy are those who hide themselves in him. Turn from evil and do what is right; seek peace and pursue it. The LORD looks out for the righteous his ears are attentive to their cry; The LORD is close to the broken-hearted He saves those who are crushed in spirit. So let us glorify God our refuge: let us lift up his name together. From Psalms 34...

This post actually started out as a facebook status update... But it got so ridiculously long that I thought I'd write it up here instead... According to those who know about such things (like producers of daytime chatshows on TV and radio) this is "blue Monday"... the unhappiest day of the year, thanks to weather, bills from Christmas, family tensions that have been boiling up over the holiday incarceration with the family etc. According to Ben Goldacre, the author of Bad Science , back in 2006, it's all a piece of spurious maths prompted by Sky Travel , but the story still keeps rolling out year after year regardless. I, however, am quite happy to buck the supposed trend towards doom, misery, hopelessness and despair today... Despite some sad news from a friend yesterday, this is the best day of the year so far for me... After weeks of physical ailments, including a chest infection and more recently food poisoning, I'm feeling relatively healthy this morning (de...

As I said yesterday, I am not here, if by here I mean at my desk in Belfast doing my usual last minute preparations for worship in Dundonald tomorrow. Instead I'm in London and going to sit anonymously in a pew with my wife tomorrow. But by the miracle that is scheduled posts, I thought I would share this gem by Kim Fabricius over on Connexions . He posted it a while back and I've been trying to think of an appropriate time to link to it or post it... This is as good a time as any Why are we here? We are not here to “do a bunk” from the world. We are not here to “get in touch with our ‘inner selves’”. We are not here to “recharge our batteries”. And God help us if we are here to “make a deal” with God: “Lord, if you do this for me, then I’ll do that for you.” Why are we here? We are here because the world is not right, because we are not right, and because we are angry about injustice, sad about suffering, and ashamed of ourselves. Why are we here? We are here because God so lo...