Posts by Christine ONeill (Page 5)

July already!

The season of goodbyes and change. During the last twelve months, we’ve seen our football team go from hopeful celebration to disappointment and relegation. We’ve lost people we love and welcomed babies and new worshippers into our Church family. The world has become hotter, wars have started and continued, species have been lost and saved.…

Canon and MOP missiles

I will never stop being amazed at how God works! I had no idea what to write about this week and it’s got to middle morning on Wednesday – usually by now I’d got it sorted. I made myself a coffee and went out to feed the birds.  As I did so, Pachelbel’s Canon in…

What if?

There is a song sung by worship group ‘Casting Crowns’ that explores what might happen if God’s church really prayed. One verse says: ‘What if the church, for Heaven’s sakeFinally stepped up to the plateTook a stand upon God’s promiseAnd stormed Hell’s rusted gates?’ God promises to listen always. God’s promises are there to be…

A Nigerian prayer

I recently found a Nigerian prayer which begins like this: “God in Heaven, You have helped my life to grow like a tree. Now something has happened. Satan, like a bird, has carried in one twig of his own choosing after another.  Before I knew it, he had built a dwelling place and was living…

Waiting

You may be aware that all the churches in our Methodist circuit are involved in a review of what they are doing and how they are to move forward. Ascension Day was celebrated at the end of May – then there were ten days until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and the Church was…

There’s a hole in my bucket

Today is the 150th day of the year and it’s ‘There’s a hole in my bucket’ day. Remember the circular song in which Henry discovers a hole in his bucket, Lisa supplies solutions, Henry refutes them and it ends up with him needing water which he can’t get because of the hole? Sometimes we seem to…

Summer or winter?

‘Would you rather it always be winter or always be summer?’ was the question posed on a recent radio programme. It set me thinking. What were the advantages and disadvantages of each scenario – cold/heat; snow/sun; inside/outside; hot chocolate/ice cream; woolly jumpers/cotton tops; long nights/long days; grey/green; ………death/life?  Not sure that it’s that clear cut. …

Penguin lessons

You may already be aware that as a circuit we had a trip out to the cinema to watch the film ‘Penguin Lessons’. It was an amazing multi layered film and worked for me on many levels. Overall, I was most affected by the way the penguin appeared to actively listen to the characters. Each…

Learning from Lego!

Today, I’m starting with some definitions: Goel means a person, usually one’s nearest relative who has certain obligations to you eg to secure your freedom from slavery, avenge wrongdoing Gole means a clustered body of troops, ready for violent action Loge means a booth or stall, possibly an exclusive lush box at a theatre Ogle…

Mayday Mayday!

This year seems to be speeding by – here we are in May already! As I write this, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, spring flowers are open and the buds are breaking open on the trees. All seems pleasant and perfect. Until we turn on our screens and see what’s happening in…