Fruit Happens!!

Last night I hosted a 'Morph gathering extraudinaire'!! At the moment there are three Morph groups running at the Kerith and Irene from our group thought it would be a great idea for us all to gather together to share our experiences of 'Morph as we know it' so far!! It was a fun night and a thought provoking night as we shared lovely puddings and our thoughts, likes and dislikes about the Morph experience.

It got me thinking of when Wayne and I moved into our current house, and how I struggled with it. As I've shared in previous blogs, I'm from a very humble background, and although we never went without there was never too much spare cash for luxuries and we never owned our own property. So when the three of us moved into a nice four bedroom house, with a reasonable size garden and three toilets(!!) I felt a little overwhelmed to say the least.

I can remember sharing this at an all girls housegroup one night. They prayed for me that I would be at peace with it all, and that the house would not only be a blessing to us as a family, but that God would use it, and us to show His love, and share the gift of hospitality we have.

That was a long time ago and since then we've hosted many events, barbecues, Christmas barbecues and carols, seven years worth of leading a life group every week, and had lots of people to stay with us. I think that prayer has been answered many times over!! Blessed to be a blessing indeed.

One of the overwhelming feelings I got from last night was the sense of community and strong relationships that had been built through this Morph experience, and it was a privilege to host it.
I've recently listened to a talk by John Burke (funnily enough he leads Gateway church which is where Morph originated) which was about staying connected. He uses the phrase Stay Connected - Fruit Happens'. It relates to the bible verse about Jesus being the vine and us being the branches (John 15:5). It says if we remain in the vine and He remains in us, then we will bear much fruit. This is one of my favourite passages and one that draws me back to God on a regular basis.

Being part of a small group and connected to people as well as God has helped me to start bearing fruit again and I will be ever grateful for the Morph experience I've had.

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!!

One of the things I miss most about the first church I was part of is Easter Sunday morning traditions. We would meet at 8am for early morning communion which I always remember being sunny!!!!! Then as a church family we would share breakfast together, toast, cereal and of course boiled eggs! It was a true community affair and one I remember very fondly. Then after washing up and maybe a short walk we would gather for our 11am service and sing fantastic hymns like 'Praise my soul the King of Heaven' and 'Up from the grave He Arose' awesome words celebrating the awesome victory Christ had over death. Then it would be home to find all the Easter eggs my brother had hidden for me!!!!

As a child I think I looked forward to the eggs more than the early rise for breakfast but the memories will stay with me forever.

At the Kerith we don't have the same traditions, or the same hymns, and each year is different, but I know there will be a true sense of celebration. Celebrating Jesus blasting his way through death for you and me. Even though Death is painful for those who are left, I know that Jesus is Risen and my Mum and Dad and Gran and Grandad are all celebrating Easter together, with Jesus Himself. How awesome is that!!

Happy Easter everyone!!

Reflections

So often we think of Easter and look forward to the celebration of the resurrection and the happiness of Easter Day and Easter eggs. If you're like me and you've given up something for Lent, then the expectation of being able to have what you've been sacrificing for 40+ days is insurmountable. But today is Good Friday and time to reflect. In fact this week has been one of reflection for me. I've been very blessed to be able to take time out of my daily chores to spend time in quiet contemplation, and preparation for the celebrations on Sunday.

On Tuesday I joined with a group of ladies and attended Fourteen. It was the first of many days, I hope, where I will be given permission to just be. To take time out and enjoy God's creation and spend intimate time with Him. While I was sat in the wonderful grounds of the Barn House the word 'decadence' came to mind. I felt so truly blessed that it reminded me of the wonderful Michelin star meal I had at 'The Waterside' in Bray, a truly decadent meal and a memory I will always savour. It was an intimate meal the surroundings were wonderful and the atmosphere was heavenly, just like my retreat day on Tuesday. It was a special day and got me thinking about how I've prepared for Easter in the past.

When I was growing up, the lead up to Easter was always a special time and Palm Sunday Maundy Thursday and Good Friday were all special days in our calendar as a family. We'd come home from church on Palm Sunday with our very own palm cross. Maundy Thursday would be a special evening service, where we'd celebrate communion and learn more about the Jewish tradition of passover and the significance of the Last Supper. Then Good Friday morning would be a quiet contemplative service with readings, and time to reflect on the cross and the sacrifice Jesus made for you and me.

As I moved on and got involved with other churches I've celebrated these days in different ways. I've been involved with kids clubs the 'J Team' and 'Desert Detectives' spring to mind. All great ways to celebrate the Easter Story and keep it fun for the kids as well as teaching them the true meaning of Easter although much busier and not quite so contemplative!!

Today though I've spent a productive day in the garden and I'm about to go the Kerith for a contemplative hour entitled 'In the Shadow of the Cross'.
So however you've spent your Good Friday why not take a moment to contemplate why it might be called Good or maybe take some time out and book onto the next Fourteen gathering or something similar.