Faith Goes Walkabout

Thoughts and reflections

Tag: gayton group of parishes

Robin Williams by his daughter Zelda

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On August 15, 2014

In pastoral

Robin Williams as Peter Pan in Hook – forever an inspiration and joy.

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“My family has always been private about our time spent together. It was our way of keeping one thing that was ours, with a man we shared with an entire world. But now that’s gone, and I feel stripped bare. My last day with him was his birthday, and I will be forever grateful that my brothers and I got to spend that time alone with him, sharing gifts and laughter.

He was always warm, even in his darkest moments. While I’ll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, there’s minor comfort in knowing our grief and loss, in some small way, is shared with millions. It doesn’t help the pain, but at least it’s a burden countless others now know we carry, and so many have offered to help lighten the load. Thank you for that.

To those he touched who are sending kind words, know that one of his favorite things in the world was to make you all laugh. As for those who are sending negativity, know that some small, giggling part of him is sending a flock of pigeons to your house to poop on your car. Right after you’ve had it washed. After all, he loved to laugh too…

Dad was, is and always will be one of the kindest, most generous, gentlest souls I’ve ever known, and while there are few things I know for certain right now, one of them is that not just my world, but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence. We’ll just have to work twice as hard to fill it back up again.”

Zelda Williams

Revd Sue Martin – Faithgoeswalkabout

I have a Dream…

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On September 1, 2013

In church seasons, Faith goes walkabout, theological

I have a dream…. That one day my children will be judged, not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character’.

Martin Luther King August 28th , 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington.

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Powerful stuff…. and this particular piece,etched in the memories of so many came from within, it was not scribed before.

Towards the end of Martin Luther King’s speech there was a voice from close by but in the crowd. The voice was from Mahalia Jackson who shouted,
‘Tell them about the dream, Martin’.

King had been preaching on dreams for sometime, since 1960, then called The Negro and the American Dream. King suggested that, ‘It may well be that the Negro is God’s instrument to save the soul of America.’

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was partly intended to show mass support for the civil rights legislation proposed by President Kennedy in June. King and others agreed to keep their speeches calm, and to avoid provoking civil disobedience,sometimes associated with the civil rights movement.

The speech went a long way to be linked with the Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation.

One of the interesting comments mentioned on Thought for the Day was that it was a dream, a vision, a hope, a wish……
Not a complaint, not a statement with issues, not an indictment to riot….

This week it would be good to just spend time to reflect how far we have gone and how far we have still to go.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Curate at Gayton Group of Parishes

www.faithgoeswalkabout.org

Lent 2013

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On February 14, 2013

In church seasons

Image 1Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (less Sundays).

The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus – his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death and resurrection.

The actual word means – to lengthen, and is marked by the lengthening of days as we enter the season of Spring.

Lent is a preparation for Easter and is often shown by giving up something, often foods that we especially like; chocolate, cakes and biscuits are good examples. But Lent can also be a time for real reflection.

There are many Lent courses and the two included are both good ways of exploring meanings and an understanding of life today and the role of Christianity.

The Norwich diocese course(as illustrated) is part of the Lent project with Uganda and can be downloaded for free. The material is written by Rev’d Dr Medad Birungi Zinomuhangi, President & Founder-World Shine Ministries.

The Church Urban Fund course looks at issues of poverty today in the UK and can be downloaded for free. Searching for the truth behind the news headlines and discovering realities for people who live on the edge.

Or try Christian Aid Count Your Blessings? Bite size pieces of daily thoughts on life’s issues in a gentle but real way.

So, let’s get going in Lent, wake up to life around us and the Easter story in 40 days time.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Curate in Gayton group of parishes.

A Great Teacher and Beyond…

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On November 4, 2012

In church seasons, Faith goes walkabout, theological

Jesus and crowds

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the hillside and sat down. His disciples came to him. He took a deep breath, and began his teaching.

What a start,wonderful news, The Beatitudes.
Blessed are the poor in spirit. The kingdom of heaven is yours!

And so he went on. Good news for all the people.

I love that beginning; He took a deep breath and began his teaching.
So, here we go then!!

But Jesus starts straight in, what a teacher!

Blessed are….the poor, the mourners, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted.

Good News for all!!

Blessed means wonderful news, the happy, the blessed. The Beatitudes, which these are often called comes from the Latin beatus.

Words as much for today as for the people at the time of Jesus.

This was the introduction to Jesus’ teaching, ‘listen to this everybody, this is going to turn your life upside down. No more are the rich and powerful going to be the ways to success and prosperity’ .

That is for this life only.

Good to remember and hang on to when we see fame and fortune being a real goal for many, that sadly just slips away into the night.

Readings from Matthew 5:1-12

Rev’d Sue Martin

Gayton Group of Parishes

Life is Not all Sunshine

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On November 1, 2012

In church seasons, theological

Life is not all sunshine!

The book of Job is largely concerned with an entirely just and righteous man and his relationship with God. It brings to mind important questions about suffering and divine justice!

In the courts of heaven God and Satan were having a conversation; Satan was saying he could easily persuade anybody to turn to him away from God. If he had the chance to inflict injury and sorrow then he could persuade the person to follow him and not God.

If you are ever tempted to say, when life gets tough… ‘Why me?’ then the story of Job is a good one to remember.

He loses all that he has and his wife and friends plead with him to give up believing in God. But he remains resolved and in the end, when he is covered in sores, does it finally get better. God renews his wealth, family and fortune.

A good story but not easy reading.

Go to Faithgoeswalkabout for some reflection on Job and Life is not all Sunshine at Last Sunday in Trinity.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Sitting on Top of the World

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On October 22, 2012

In church seasons, Faith goes walkabout, theological

Sitting on Top of the World

A huge step downwards...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian helicopter pilot had been lifted up by a helium balloon to over 128,000 ft above Mexico, sitting on top of the world.

From there he emerged from his capsule in a suit, similar to a space suit and fell back to earth at 833mph.

Wow!! You might say it was utter madness, a stunt for publicity, what a waste of money or many other things but actually… Wow!

Sitting on top of the world!

The beautiful blue planet of earth lay beneath him, at the edge of space.

There’s a very good song by Delta Goodrem called Sitting on top of the World, a real rousing song and full of ‘feel good’ factor. If you don’t mind all the glitz, you can view on Youtube!

But what could it have been like! Once having made the decision, there was no choice but to get down, if he had gone up and up into space all sorts of things would have happened,he would not have survived for long.

What did he think at that point? He said he felt small and very alone and just wanted to get down.

Feeling small, humbled…the enormity of space around him. Looking down on the world below… all very theological.

God looking down from the heavens…

In the video of Felix’s descent the only sound you can hear is of his breathing, no screams, no shouts of joy or fear just silence. When he landed on his feet he fell to his knees and gazed upwards, Mmmm.

A fuller sermon is under Trinity on Faithgoeswalkabout, interesting for reflection.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Sponsored Cycle Ride – 18 miles!

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On September 9, 2012

In church seasons, community, pastoral

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Sponsored Cycle Ride.

What a fantastic day! With the sun shining all day and the hills(there really are hills in Norfolk!), it felt more like rural France.

 

£107 was raised to be shared between All Saint’s Church, Ashwicken and The Norfolk Churches Trust. A real fun way to support one of our local churches and the Norfolk Churches Trust.

All Saint’s Ashwicken, is our church in the fields, and at a high point where you can gaze out towards the coast. There is always a place to sit and rest, outside and inside. A special place indeed.

The Norfolk Churches Trust makes grants to churches and chapels towards repair and restoration costs. Since it’s inception in 1976, it has given over £3.8 million.

Image 2In total, we cycled 18 miles and visited seven churches, Grimston,Congham, Little and Great Massingham, Gayton Thorpe,East Walton and Gayton.

Look forward to next year but hope to do more cycling in the next few months, as summer turns to autumn.

 

Rev’d Sue Martin

Faith Goes Walkabout

Curate at the Gayton Group of parishes

The Mustard Seed

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On June 21, 2012

In church seasons, Faith goes walkabout, pastoral, theological

The Mustard Seed 2nd Sunday after Trinity

mustard seed

The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.

I have to say that the world is a pretty big place.

The vastness of the oceans, the great continents and land masses, no-one could say that our world is small.

 

And the universe, well there is something that is so vast it the size is beyond our comprehension.
But is that really so?

A visit to Sydney Observatory, a close look at the craters of the moon through a very large telescope and a glance at the southern skies in the planetarium… how to find an emu in the black spaces or the winged fish in the southern cross.

This is quite a big universe we are part of.

But how big is the kingdom of heaven? Bigger than the widest ocean, taller than the highest mountain(to quote a children’s song). But yet it is as small as a mustard seed!

Our understanding of the size and dimensions of heaven can only ever be hinted at.

Jesus uses this story along with the other parables as a way of trying to makes sense to us and to the people he was talking to on the banks of the Sea of Galilee about the kingdom. A place for us all, so vast and yet no size at all or at least not as we know it.

Our world and creation is a wonderful place, but yet, is like a tiny part of that mustard seed.

Visit Trinity page on Faith Goes Walkabout.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Curate at Gayton Group of Parishes

Christmas and the shortest day

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On December 20, 2011

In church seasons, theological

nativity

 

 

Christmas is nearly here, 4 days to go! Still time for the last of the shopping to be done, still time for the last of the presents to be wrapped and put under the tree.

 

 

On my way to church today I passed a Dad and his son sawing off the bottom of the Christmas tree, making sure it fits inside the house.

And now we have arrived at the shortest day of the year, the darkness is nearly complete. Makes me feel like hibernating!

If you are outside in the evenings take a look at the stars.

Venus is brilliant in the west. The dark night sky is just perfect to think about the brilliance of the star that rested over Bethlehem to show where Jesus was born.

‘All out of darkness there came light, which made the angels sing that night.’

Revd Sue Martin

Curate at Gayton group of parishes

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