Virtual Methodist

The following is the blessing I used at the conclusion of our Harvest Service last night at which Alan Carson spoke about the work of Storehouse in seeking to address the needs of the poor in Belfast. I adapted this from a prayer I previously pointed out in one of my Saturday Supplements , but when I went back to check it out on the original website, it is mysteriously suspended "for billing reasons." It was listed there as a Fourfold Franciscan blessing, but is to be found elsewhere as a Benedictine blessing . Wherever it emanated from, this Wesleyan thought it worthwhile posting here in my amended form: May God bless you with discomfort. Discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger. Anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen May God bless you with tears. Tears to shed for those who suffer fro...

This morning I'm off to a meeting with mixed feelings... It breaks my heart that I have to go to it at all, but it is  also a wee ray of hope against a fairly bleak background. The background is created by an economic environment where people are facing mounting debts and are facing the choice of feeding or clothing their families, or heating their homes, and where small charities that have been seeking to help such people, such as our own Dundonald Family and Community Initiative, are having to fold due to lack of sustainable funding. So much for the BIG society... The ray of hope comes in the form of community food pantries... I first came across such ventures in the US on various fact-finding tours including one 5 years ago with a group of church leaders and civil servants under the auspices of CCWA, where we visited programmes in Pittsburgh and Washington DC. Many of us were impressed with what we saw but roundly dismissed the need for such ventures in the UK with our much va...