Sunday

CHRIS SAILING DROP OFF
Sunday morning started dropping Chris at BGS at 7am for a morning sailing.  The school busses the kids down to Manly and back again at around 1pm



On the way home I stopped off at Sherwood to set up some lights in the church.

We had what I think is currently called "Blended Worship".  Megan had a big part in this service.  Our supply minister Judith did communion.

The theme involved light - The light of God.  Showing the way for us etc.

The church was deliberately made dark and gloomy as people arrived.
We had some bright spot lights that were turned on with the lights at one stage.
Then we pointed the lights down to make pools of light as there was a reference in the bible reading to standing in the light.

Joel did a great sermon with info for the kids and also for the adults.  While we was engaged in adult speak, the kids were given OHT plastic and pens and created drawings that were stuck to a piece of paper with light shining through.








Actually I find this service to be the hardest thing to organise at Sherwood.  Flashpoint is easy and I think that is because we have a very defined objective there.  But here we are trying to bring together a number of possibly conflicting or contradictory ??? things.

We are trying to involve kids and yet when that is done, some adults find it distracting.
We are operating in a formal space.
Some people feel that one should behave in a certain quiet and reverend fashion in a "church" and so when one runs a casual childrens service then they feel that is wrong.
On sunday, I wandered around an switched the spot lights on and off.  Some oldies objected to the light shining in their eyes and we could come up with a religeous anaology here.  Others objected to me wandering around.

I wonder whether we have forgotton the message of Jesus in all of this.  We want to make a nice comfortable church that 'just works'.  Where everything is organised and orderly and comfortable and there are no challenges and no suprises.  There is no stress and nothing changes.

On the other hand the message I take from the gospels is one of love and challenging the status quo.  A message of inclusion and being aware of the world around.  Of dynamic and reaction.