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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Christ is Risen!

Have a blessed Easter, all of you.
I've used this painting before, but love it, so you are getting another dose!

Feeling thankful because, although I would prefer Easter to be the biggest celebration of our church and it's not, today we have been able to organize for many people to participate in the service.

Especially thankful to have got the teens involved - working the computer, reading texts with several voices, playing music....



Praise the Lord, this Easter morning we will have 'real' music: here is Claire practising with Bernard. There will be a piano, 2 or 3 flutes, a guitar and me on tambourine!!!


Last night we had a youth group - not as many turned up as hoped, but a visiting pastor spoke about Heaven - what the Bible says about heaven and hell, the last judgement, what it will be like, what we will do in Heaven. It lead to some deep discussions and a couple of teens who are really searching had a chance to develop the subject.

We are feeling more encouraged - thank you for holding up this ministry in prayer.



Friday, March 29, 2013

Good Friday - thanks to Bronwyn for this


AND A GOOD FRIDAY WAS HAD BY ALL 

 

You man there keep those women back
and God Almighty he laid down
on the crossed timber and old Silenus
my offsider looked at me as if to say
nice work for soldiers, your mind's not your own
once you sign that dotted line Ave Caesar
and all that malarkey Imperator Rex

well this Nazarene
didn't make it any easier
really - not like the ones
who kick up a fuss so you can
do your block and take it out on them
Silenus
held the spike steady and I let fly
with the sledge-hammer, not looking
on the downswing trying hard not to hear
over the women's wailing the bones give way
the iron shocking the dumb wood.

Orders is orders, I said after it was over
nothing personal you understand - we had a
drill-sergeant once thought he was God but he wasn't
a patch on you
then we hauled on the ropes
and he rose in the hot air
like a diver just leaving the springboard, arms spread
so it seemed
over the whole damned creation
over the big men who must have had it in for him
and the curious ones who'll anything if it's free
with only the usual women caring anywhere
and a blind man in tears.


Bruce Dawe

Australian Poet - 1964




Monday, March 18, 2013

Meetings, meetings, meetings

In the last 10 days I've had the following meetings:
Fri- the SIM France Director and Personnel Manager came to visit us in our 'natural surroundings'! We shared our frustrations and our sense of loneliness in this country ministry. Pascal had written his Moral Report for the church's Annual General Meeting so we had concrete things to discuss.

We aren't alone, but at present that's how we feel.

That evening I attended the launch of the next issue of a new magazine created by a dynamic group of women here in Lamastre. A great collegial effort, creative, united, respectful of each other's differences and qualities, encouraging, beautiful, wise. They had 2 guys there to slam taking words provided by the audience. It happened to be the International Women's Day. That's the sort of dynamic I'd love to see in our church. We are so far from that, although there are aspects which could lead to that if people would only let it happen.

Sunday afternoon, the church AGM. Just reports, but some discussion on the financial situation. We really need to see the sale of the former chapel and manse at the other village. Unfortunately, there wasn't much opportunity to discuss why we are not reaching other people outside of the church. No volunteers either for the Synod. One very significant confirmation this week of the people's lack of vision or understanding of what is church: Pascal asked them why they thought they were elected on to the Church Council and what a council's job was. No one had a real answer. The main one being: because someone has to do the daily admin business of church. Basically like it was a club.

Monday - a young couple and a new convert for lunch.

Tuesday - a day-long meeting at Valence with our Regional pastors. One pastor forced to end his ministry for lack of compatibility. I arrived at that meeting in tears - the aftershock of the AGM and all the scenarios going through my mind. I guess it was my pastoral crisis time. The good news is that there are great things happening in other churches, mainly bigger cities. Unfortunately, we also learned that someone from 10 km away from us had applied to the Valence church for membership! That's the drawing power of a big dynamic church.

Wednes - my RDV with my counsellor. More tears.
             - afternoon with G and C who helped me prepare for the next church service - a little theatrical presentation of 2 Samuel 12 and Luc 19: 1-10
             - that evening the AGM of Femmes 2000 south-east held in Montélimar. A positive time of reviewing the year's activities and updating on future projects which are looking good, including Hope For Europe congress for Women in Leadership the first week of April.

Thurs - I drive back from Montélimar in time to quickly prepare my ladies' group for the afternoon, which should have been followed by the first Spring term after-school English class. No-one turned up (I found out they had forgotten, but are definitely interested) so will turn up in 10 days for the next date.

 Fri - went to wisit someone in the country whom I'm counselling.
       - big rest the afternoon, then housework, emails, and tried to get my head around the rest of my preparation for leading Sunday's church service. Pascal leaves for Lyon and his other church with its AGM

Sat - shopping, finish planning service with M and C's help. Youth group that evening, but my colleague is leading it, so I go to the Catholic church for a jazz concert! All alone! Bliss - sense of freedom and the music was a call back to life and joy, even with a gospel song!

Sun - lead the service, incorporating several changes - still very aware of appealing to the teens who are grumbling away and whom we risk losing. Very grateful to all those whom I enrolled to help - went well and felt God had been very much part of the whole process.
      - slept the afternoon away with a quite a bit of telly!

Mon - this morning spent in a follow-up meeting for the World Day of Prayer. Globally very positive and a special bonus in being an ecumenical group of women. We have our differences, but we work well together.

So yes, busy. My questions are always: is this leading somewhere positive? Is it part of building up God's Kingdom? Do I really need to be part of this? How is God leading?

That was the World Day of Prayer

My workshop with Vito (Italy), Marie (Belgium),
Claire & Marc (Franco-australian)
The kids chose questions from a box and asked our 'foreigners' about their experiences in coming to France.
ex. 'What are the difficult aspects of arriving in a new country?'; 'What do you miss the most from your home country?'How do you would  like people to treat you?'



 
I had the task of leading the first part








The kids define the word 'foreigner'

The first celebration Friday with Sylvie, our coordinator(L), Tatyana who spoke of being a foreigner, Philippe and Claire-Lise (who composed a song especially for the day), Henriette, our former coordinator. Took place in our church.

Pascal greets people for the beginning of the afternoon service.

The symbolic gesture - joining together multi-coloured scarves to show unity inspite of our differences
We had smaller numbers this year - was it because it was the school holidays? or because it was France? Pascal thinks it could be because the novelty has worn off.

31 kids for the Wednesday programme
38 in the afternoon service
56 with only 3 children in the evening service

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Pray for France

objectiffrance.fr

PRAY FOR FRANCE!   The Campaign is under way - join us to make a difference!

See the web site - CCFOF or Impact France

And read the following -

This week (March 10-16) we are praising "The God of Inheritances" as we celebrate how God has used his people in France and how He is still blessing them and making them a blessing today!

Below you will find the major themes for each day (as translated from Objectif France's prayer guide)!

Prayer Topics

Sunday, March 10: Martyrs - Witnesses

Monday, March 11: Martin de Tours - Intimacy

Tuesday, March 12: The Huguenots - Prophecy

Wednesday, March 13: Destined to be a voice

Thursday, March 14: Hesitant destiny

Friday, March 15: Human and humanitarian rights

Saturday, March 16: Love and relationships


Virtually praying


This past Sunday, we tried something new to bring our community together in a way we'd never tried before with a virtual prayer group. Please "like" us on Facebook to see how to join us for the next two Sundays of the campaign at 7:00 PM Eastern here in the United States. There may be other "spontaneous" times of prayer that will be announced on our Facebook page during these next few weeks, so don't miss out!


May you be blessed again this week as you go forth in prayer and intercession for France!

In Christ,
signature
David Broussard
President, Impact France

The French and the Vatican

Just heard yet another news item on what's happening at the Vatican on French National radio.

Ever since Benedict announced his resignation, the French press, TV, radios and newspapers have been reporting on what's happening.

For a country which has wanted to ignore religious beliefs in the public domain for so long, this is getting a bit ridiculous. Only 8% of the population consider themselves to be practising Catholics, although nearly 60% would say they are Catholic because they were baptized as babies in the Catholic church.

It's also interesting to see what and how the press are reporting on events. A few weeks ago (only!) they were full on about the the legislation on "Marriage for All" (the right for homosexual couples to get married and the question of adoption in homosexual couples) and very strongly supporting the bill being debated in Parliament. They minimized all opposition and tried to ridiculize those who spoke out against homosexual marriage especially in the huge demonstrations organised by religious groups - the main work and support base was done by Catholics and the Catholic Church tried to make its voice heard in a serious, valid manner.

Now, we have daily snippets of information which don't tell us anything major: apart from the main news about the resignation and the information that it's the first since 1400s;  the Cardinals all arrived the other day: they will soon lock them in; the fire has been lit. This mornings news was about the crowds in the Vatican square coming to see, wanting to be part of the action.

It's significant the way they talk about religious facts: the crowds were multinational and the cacophony of different languages spoken compared to those in the TOWER OF BABEL! What's the implication ? That these people are all waiting for the judgement of God and for the Tower (The Vatican) to be knocked down? What's the attitude of the reporter in this? Is he just trying to show off a minimal knowledge of Biblical history? Is he anti-Catholic (hoping they will be judged???) Why didn't he at least give them credit for being believers and use the image of Pentecost??? That would at least have been a proper Christian image and relevant to the beginnings of the Christian church.

Even if the Catholic Church has deviated from the vision God first had of building up His people, there are real believers in their midst. Many in those crowds are there to pray and not just to all the Saints and Mary Mother of God, but to their Creator God who made it possible for all of us to enter His Kingdom through the faithful actions of His Son Jesus Christ.