Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Ash Wednesday to Mission Shaped Church

after several months of silence i am back in the land of the living - last month I was priested and two weeks ago i started at Blenhiem Church of the Nativty as assistant Priest. This morning I was asked to lead communion at our Ash Wednesday morning service - loved it, I love Ash Wednesday the black smudge on the forehead from the ashes really speaks to me. As part of communion i gave the following as a blessing -
May the Christ who calls you to take up your cross,
give you strength to bear one another’s burdens
And the blessing of God almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you forever.
AMEN

It makes me tingly, more so becuase we are using lent to focus on becomming a Mission Shaped Church. Lenten studies looking at doing a mission audit of our selves, Sunday evening focusing on the values of a Mission Shaped Church and Sunday morning looking at the Spirituality of a Mission Shaped Church. Ash Wednesday as well as being a time to look inward will for our church be a time to look outward too....

1 comment:

Keith said...

Hi,

I've two queries for you. The CofE has produced "The mission shaped church" which seems to be an endorcement of just about anything coming under the anglican umbrella.

Are you happy with that?

Second do you think a view of liturgy as the servant of the body of christ both present in a church & all those outside of it who could potenteially be in it ... which sees the necessity of chopping or emphasising, throwing out or embracing, adapting or using any part of the book of common prayer in services as being compatable with vocation (my own) to serve in the anglican church ...?