Quiet Day (Re arranged date)

January snow in Parson Cross park

The Quiet Day which was postponed from 18th January because of snow – will now take place on 2nd February.

It will still be led by Rev Judith Jessop and will be around the theme of “My God – Our image of God”

Do you see God as some stern old wo/man demanding our very best at all times on pains of punishment and withdrawal of love ….. or maybe as some kind of “Fairy” Godmother/father who just waits in the wings ready to grant your every wish. Or maybe you see God very differently …..

As how we see God shapes how we develop and grow in faith the question of what God is like is an important one for all believers.

Quiet Day – Our Image of God

Think about God …..   what images come into mind?

How we see God is really important when it comes to  deepening our faith and relationship with God. Our first  Quiet Day of 2013 this Saturday (18th January) led by Rev Judith Jessop will help you to explore your image of God.

WEATHER WARNING:

As the forecast for this weekend is for significant amounts of snowfall it will be worth ringing Judith on Friday evening to check if the Quiet Day is running or not ….. she can be contacted on 0114 2313518

Get Ready ….

Tomorrow is the start of Advent , a time which about preparing ourselves for God, getting ready not just for Christmas and celebration of the birth of Jesus, but getting ready to meet with him each and every day ….

At The Cross at Yew Lane as well as our regular Sunday worship times during Advent, we’ve got a series of themed Advent reflections led once again by Rev Judith Jessop.

 30th November:Advent Prayers. 7 for 7.30pm (Finishes 8.30pm)

The Angel at the Ritz - part of the Advent street art project in Parson Cross

7th December: Advent Prayers. 1.30 for 2.00pm (Finishes 3.00pm)

12th December: Advent Prayers. 7 for 7.30pm (Finishes 8.30pm)

19th December: Advent Prayers. 1.30 for 2.00pm (Finishes 3.00pm)

Elsewhere on the estate PXI and local Methodists are celebrating Advent in a various ways, from the Street Art project with Ric Stottto the “Big Christmas Sing” at Mount Tabor on the 8th December (6-8pm) where there’ll be a chance to sing all your favourite Christmas carols and songs and raise money for Christian Aid and Chaucer schools Ubunye project.

Nearer Christmas PXI (Space to Grow) will be organising cakes and Carols on the allotments at Parson Cross Park and LEAF on Herries Road.

Starting it all off tomorrow is the Advent Youth event at Tabor “Get Ready …. Christmas is coming” with live band, art activities, free food and a chance to bring your instruments and play with the band.

Hopefully there’s something for everyone there and so we hope to see you and together share in this special Advent time …….

Oh yes ….. if you’re up early tomorrow tune into BBC Radio Sheffield at around 7.20am and listen to PXIs Nick Waterfield as he discusses Advent with Sarah Major.

Harvest Time

This Sunday sees the celebration of Harvest Festival by the congregation at The Cross on Yew Lane (see diary page for details), this year the official collection from the church will support the work of the local PXI – Food Bank project based at Mount Tabor.

Boxes of Lord Lambourne apples harvested locally today.

That said, church members, and local Abundance volunteers have been out and about today bringing in their own local harvest of apples (Lord Lambournes to be specific) grown in one of the houses round Creswick area. The apples that have been harvested are now safely stored at Mount Tabor. This year already Abundance (in North Sheffield) has gathered in around 400llbs of apples and pears from the area, all of which will be put to good use.In the next few weeks it will be distributed to local groups, and for use in local events for making apple juice and chutney, and of course numerous pies and crumbles.

Obviously we’d like to thank Jean for the offering of her trees into this years harvest, and to everyone who helped today, but as it harvest time lets also take a moment out to give a special thanks to God.

 

Work and Rest Day

I’ve recently agreed to be a volunteer “master composter” and have been learning about ways of composting. All this recent composting chat though got me thinking about life and the way God can turn all the rubbish in our lives into something that is good and life giving. To make good compost you need to treat the “rubbish” and waste in different ways depending on what it is.

Good compost needs a mix of organic waste “greens and browns” as they are called. The “greens” include things like potato peelings, apple cores, eggshells and so on, “browns” things like hedge clippings, and even the contents of your vacuum cleaner with all the carpet muck (mainly made up of dropped hairs, tiny pieces of dead skin and the soil from outside we carry in on our shoes and feet), all things that have had life but have had there time and have just been cast off and of no personal use to us anymore. But this “waste” combines and is broken down over time to create wonderful rich compost ….. in a similar way God can take the “rubbish” of our lives, the hurts and pain from the past (some of which may have had a use at some time), old habits that have outlived their usefulness (if they ever were useful), and from them make a new life that is filled with
life and goodness.

The Space to Grow -“Work and Rest day” on 10th September will spend time looking at some of these ideas as well as carrying out specific tasks in the Quiet Garden. We’ll start first thing with some personal prayer and reflection time, before heading out into the garden.
The day starts at 10am and will be over by 3pm. Please bring a packed lunch if you want one as well as suitable gardening clothes.