Praying together five nights a week for five weeks, from Sunday 6th September 2020.
Learning: Caring for God's World
“The Christian message should offer us a lens through which we can view eternity and see the actions and decisions we take today as ripples on the lake of time which will reach the shores of future generations for good or ill.” - Michael Bates
No one knows it all, together we have a better idea. We dedicate time of extended learning together each month as a church. In 2020 we are following Simplicity, Love and Justice by James Odgers.
In the chapter Caring for God’s World we re-committed ourselves to:
consider our responsibility as Christians for the created world
be aware of the statistics which show how quickly the world is being degraded
consider how such statistics change our lifestyle
“I love God and I love His world…”
Watch this video from some members of our community on how they care for God’s world.
Instagram Quiz
Can you get four out of four?
Resources & Ideas
The Earth Shop, a one stop shop for plastic-free and cruelty-free household and beauty products. Founded in Stanford-le-Hope.
Hardie Park Terracycle, eliminating the idea of waste by recycling the non-recylcable, such as: crips packets, pet food pouches and toothpaste tubes.
Operation Noah, a Christian charity working with the Church to inspire action on the climate crisis.
Tearfund, over 50 years' experience of responding to disasters and crises. We serve the most vulnerable people and communities – wherever they are.
Virtual Prayer Walk: Stanford-le-Hope
Prayer walking is a little bit more difficult these days... we've tried to make it easier! Give 10 mins to pray with us for our town, Stanford-le-Hope.
Re-Learn: Time - Jani Rubery
“How we use our time is an expression of our values” - Jani Rubery
Right now you probably fit in one of two camps:
Gosh I have never been busier!
I am definitely running out of things to do…
Whichever place you find yourself, we encourage you to reflect on this teaching from Jani Rubery in February 2020. Jani is an executive coach by trade, and has written books and bible study on Time for CWR - find it here. We were grateful to have her return to pose some key questions that we had no idea would be quite as important and timely as they were.
Jani makes reference to the Somerset House exhibition 24/7 and some photos and videos she took there, see them below.
Virtual Prayer Walk: Corringham
Prayer walking is a little bit more difficult these days... we've tried to make it easier! Give 11 mins to pray with us for our town, Corringham.
Re-Learn: Exile - Lucy Hill
“Exile is the bleakest part of the story. I got the dark days. It’s the greatest catastrophe that has faced Israel to date.” - Lucy Hill
Do you feel disoriented?
I don’t blame you.
Uncertainty is more rife than ever before.
Exile was a time in the God Story that already felt familiar to us. Like we were lost, hopeless and abandoned. It’s become even more real now. In a time of social distancing, where even our ‘ruler’ has been removed through sickness, and every structure of life has been altered - maybe forever.
Lucy Hill, 24-7 Prayer Dublin, came to us on her birthday in June 2019. She brought a teaching on the Exile and Major Prophets, that is more potent than ever before. Be reassured, as much as Exile was “The bleakest part of the story” it also was “a defining moment… [setting] the scene for the next 500 years up until Jesus enters the story.”
Lucy explores the history and gives great context to what Exile really looked and felt like for Israel, to have their temples destroyed and kings forcefully removed. In this stretch of time we see Israel journey through the mess and confusion: orientation, to disorientation, to reorientation.
She also equips us with tools to cultivate hope. Allowing us to dare to imagine a better story being written. We can reoritentate ourselves around God by harnessing: dangerous critique, dangerous promises, dangerous memories, and dangerous songs.
“Genuine Hope is not blind optimism. It is hope with open eyes. Which sees the suffering and yet believes in the future.” - Jurgen Moltmann
Listen to the full teaching and others from our God Story Learning.