… click here to read more

23
DECEMBER 2011

COMMENT FROM THE EDITOR

Not long till the big
day.

In the midst of the
activities may you find some time and space for peace and a quiet joy.

THOUGHT

Our last in a few
snippets from the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar reflecting on the
incarnation.

Christianity makes the claim to be the ultimate
expression of God and consequently his final self-giving and
self-revelation.  This cannot be
transcended because God, who is ‘all things’, here out of love goes not only
into that which is other than him,
into the creature, but also that which is contrary
to him as he gathers up the sin and the lostness and the abandonment, gathers
it up and transforms it.  God does not
thereby… click here to read more

7 OCTOBER 2011

COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR

Brrrrrr….autumn is here most convincingly.

So, what better to curl up by a warm computer,

grab a cup of coffee,

and let the pixels do the talking!!

THOUGHT

The abbot was in a mellow mood and the monks were inquisitive.

‘Do you ever feel depressed?’,  they asked.

He said he did.

‘Isn’t it also true that you are in a continual state of thanks and thus appreciation and happiness?’, they persisted.

He said it was.

‘What is your secret?’, they wanted to know.

click here to read more

9 SEPTEMBER 2011

COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR

Lots of things to convey to you on this late summer Friday.

So, let’s move on to the usual: a thought, the order of worship for Sunday, events in and around the church, and a joke.

All to keep you posted on the life and worship of your church.

JOKE

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps,  “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely.

“The front row please,” she answered.

“You really don’t want to do that,” the usher said “The pastor is really boring.”

“Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired. “No.” he said. “I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked.… click here to read more

ST. PHILIP’S E-NEWSLETTER

19 AUGUST 2011

COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the St. P’s e-newsletter: insightful, informative and, depending on the joke du jour, as entertaining as the Edinburgh Festival!

Indeed, a slice of the Edinburgh Art Festival will be at St. Philip’s from 28 August to 2 September.

See the announcement below.

Bring along flowers on Sat. 27^th!

And volunteer stewards warmly welcome!!!

THOUGHT

A young man was considering a life of contemplation but first he wanted assurance from a learned and wise monk.

‘Can you teach me the goal of human life?’
‘No, I cannot.’

‘Can you at least teach me its meaning?’
‘I cannot.’

‘Can you… click here to read more

12 AUGUST 2011

COMMENT FROM THE EDITOR

After a two week break back to the newsroom, rested, relaxed and raring to go for another round of information, thoughts and jokes, just to keep you posted on all that’s happening in and around St. P’s.

And, two special plugs…

Coffee Morning: Sat. 13 August 10-12.  Catch up with each other about all our summer activities!!!

Palestinian Artist Faten Nastas Mitwasi: Sunday 14 August 7.30pm in the Sanctuary.  An excellent chance to hear about a Palestinian Christian’s use of art for the sake of community.  Here’s a quote from one of her communications:

“The Palestinian is a human being first before being a cause. The human identity for the Palestinian precedes… click here to read more

3 JUNE 2011

COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR

We’re beginning to slide towards summer weather after winds and stormy blasts.  So your editor is perched on the beach with his iPad and slaving away with the waves washing up at his feet.

Is that suncream I smell?

THOUGHT

Your editor recently read a description of different types of worship services and attempts to weave alternative styles together.  Within the article is a reference to a book by Gary Thomas called ‘Sacred Pathways’.  He suggests different pathways to God for different personalities.

Naturalists: Loving God out of doors

Sensates: Loving God with the senses

Traditionalists: Loving God through ritual and symbol

Ascetics: Loving God in solitude and simplicity

Activists: Loving God through confrontation

Caregivers: Loving God by loving others

Enthusiasts: Loving God with mystery and celebration

Contemplatives: Loving God through… click here to read more

28 JANUARY 2011

COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR

Your weekly missive to keep you posted on worship and events at St. Philip’s.  Using the e-community to foster the faith community; ethereal contact to encourage face-to-face friendship.

THOUGHT

At the start of a meeting this week the chair mentioned a course recently attended at which the speaker referred to a famous prayer attributed to Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  A means for us to gather ourselves before discussion.  Here it is, as a means to gather ourselves before the weekend:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centred. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere… click here to read more

21 JANUARY 2011

COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR

Your editor came upon this classic poem from Wordsworth only a few days ago and it is definitely worth saving.  Not just as a reminder of the warmer weather that will (soon?) be coming but the importance of taking moments out of the everyday in order to forge rich memories.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in… click here to read more

14 JANUARY 2011

COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR

It feels a bit like hibernation has come to a (temporary?) end.
Most of the snow is gone and so is the chill in the wind.
Snowdrops and daffodils to come?

THOUGHT

Your editor recently read a reference to Margaret Nussbaum, who teaches classics at Brown University in Rhode Island.  Because your editor’s knowledge of the Roman world in which Jesus lived is sketchy at best, he decided to chase it up.

In her book ‘The Therapy of Desire’, Nussbaum looks at how Aristotelians, Epicureans, Skeptics and Stoics used medical analogies to think about and respond to emotions.  She especially focuses on the most powerful emotions: love, fear, anger, pity.

The Stoics felt that in the pursuit of human flourishing and health all passions should be extirpated.  Here is a fascinating description of… click here to read more