Articles by Rev'd Charlene Smith
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Don’t Forget – Compline Tonight!!
Tonight is the first night of Compline with the Community of the Resurrection
NIGHT PRAYER – COMPLINE
With the Community of the Resurrection Mirfield
Let us please join together for this Lenten Pilgrimage:
Every Tuesday Evening during Lent starting 16th February 2016:
meeting at St Bartholomew’s Church Meltham at 8.30pm
travelling together to the Community of the Resurrection Mirfield
in time to join the brethren for Compline starting at 9.15pm.
Please let me know if you are interested, and if you would be willing to drive.
Revd. Charlene 01484 851334 charlene.smith1979@gmail.com
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
PLEASE PRAY FOR ME, FOR I TOO, AM A SINNER.
“But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him” Luke 15:20
None of us are strangers to the need for forgiveness. There are times in our lives when it becomes the only thing that matters to us, we can think of nothing else. Forgiveness of self is perhaps the most elusive of all; it can rob us of our peace and purpose.
It is of course, the forgiveness of God that alone will rescue and save us; through experiencing the mercy of God we can come to forgive ourselves. God is revealed to us through the life and ministry of Jesus his Son, God is our loving father who runs to embrace us and welcome us home.
It is through the Church’s sacrament of penitence and reconciliation (commonly known as confession) we are admitted to our own “tent of meeting” in which God speaks to us as he did to Moses “face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Ex.33.11) the role of the Priest is as go-between, a vessel, a faithful and reliable messenger, agents of transformation, midwives of a new birthing in the Spirit. As it is written in the words of the Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion “if you requireth further comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned minister of God’s word, and open his grief, that by the ministry of God’s word he may receive the benefit of absolution.”[1] The Priest is to be true friend, and confidant to the troubled penitent, whose fears we calm and whose hands we take. Priest and penitent meet as fellow pilgrims, for here the grace of God is breaking into our mutual brokenness.
In my own journey I did not discover this sacrament until my time at theological college. One Lenten morning with knees knocking, a wobbly stomach and full of uncertainty I dragged myself to the place of encounter and I clumsily stumbled upon the tender mercy and grace of God.
The sacrament of reconciliation is a central and important part of our Christian life and I long for others to find in it the grace and strength which I have found and discover the means of healing which God has provided for all people.
“There is a time in every life when the very act of looking back and taking stock becomes essential to going forward”.[2]
Lent is the 40 day penitential period leading up to our great celebration of Easter, during which the Christian Church prepares itself anew to walk with Jesus through his betrayal, execution and Resurrection. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the two chief solemn days when the sacrament of reconciliation can be offered. For those of you seeking this sacrament I would recommend that you make time in prayer to seek guidance and support by the Holy Spirit. This time of self-examination is to discern what calls for the forgiveness of God. I too will devote my time to discernment, prayer and spiritual preparation with loving attention towards Christ who has borne all sin.
Confidentiality
The sacrament of reconciliation requires that what is said in confession to a priest may not be disclosed. The ministry of reconciliation, as an extension of Jesus’ own ministry, lies at the heart of this vocation. There can be no disclosure of what is confessed to a priest. This principle holds even after the death of the penitent. The priest may not refer to what has been learnt in confession, even to the penitent.
The sacrament will be available in the morning of Ash Wednesday 10.30am -12.30pm and in the afternoon of Good Friday 1.30pm-3.30pm at St Bartholomew’s Church Meltham. I will also be available throughout Lent for you to either make your confession at a convenient time or if you would prefer to deepen your understanding of this sacrament then please do come and talk with me.
God’s Blessing: Revd Charlene: 01484 851334, charlene.smith1979@gmail.com
GO IN PEACE.
[1] 1662, Book of Common Prayer, The order for the administration of the Lord’s Supper
[2] Paula Gooder
Nicolas Stebbings CR
Richard Giles
Julia Gatta and Martin L. Smith
Common Worship, The Reconciliation of a Penitent
Night Prayer – Compline during Lent
Introduction
The Office of Night Prayer (Compline) is celebrated through the Church and forms part of the daily offices. It is the final formal prayer of the day and is celebrated before going to bed. The ancient office of Compline derives its name from a Latin word meaning “completion” (completorium). It is above all a service of quietness and reflection before rest at the end of the day. It is most effective when the ending is indeed an ending, without additions, conversation or noise.
Lent is the primary penitential season of the Christian year. It is made of sterner stuff than Advent, and provides us with the season when it is generally understood that we get down to some serious business. Lent builds on the Christian desire to enter into the wilderness experience of Jesus.
Therefore during our season of Lent I would encourage you to unite our Lenten pilgrimage in joining with the Community of the Resurrection in their office of Compline, as a wider Christian community in prayerful and disciplined preparation. This can be a simple way to enter into the Lenten journey week by week in the midst of our busy everyday lives; a real chance to slow down and spend time with God.
Keep our time sacred
“The time you would call Mine is to be the most holy, the most valuable, the most vital time of your day. It is the time when our love is replenished, requited, and renewed. It is the time when I draw your soul to Myself with a bond of love so strong that death itself will be unable to sever or end it.” Margo Coser
Let us please join together for this Lenten Pilgrimage.
Every Tuesday evening during Lent staring 16th February 2016: meeting at St Bartholomew’s Church Meltham at 8.30pm travelling together to the Community of the Resurrection Mirfield in time to join Compline starting at 9.15pm. Please let me know if you are interested, and if you would be willing to drive. Revd. Charlene 01484 851334 charlene.smith1979@gmail.com
5 Alive
5 Alive on 10th January 2016 focussed on Jesus’ Coming of Age
The two readings, one from Luke 2:39-3:14; were well known stories of Jesus at the Temple when his parents lost him – aged 12
Jesus was deeply curious, asking questions of scholars, and deeply thoughtful, giving wise answers to their questions. Seeking to take in and learn and not afraid to give out and teach. Both require vulnerability and risk taking. God loves inquisitive people!
After this the scripture says Jesus increased in wisdom and years and in divine and human favour. Jesus was unconventional in terms of his staying behind in Jerusalem against his parent’s wishes.
John the Baptist was unconventional demonstrating an alternative ritual cleansing that annoyed the religious and civic authorities. But the second reading in Luke3:21-22 told how Jesus went to John to be baptised. Despite the fact that John was very different God spoke out favourably when his Son was baptised by John
Being unconventional can cause tension in relationships. But God blessed both John and Jesus.
We posed a question for all those there– have you ever been in trouble for doing something you thought was the right thing to do?
We used DVD clips – from Home Alone, and of Jesus Baptism to illustrate the issues and as we prayed together we had Folded people – praying for individuals and their connections. We made Plasticine people to represent people we were praying for.
Jan and Catie Sambrook lead the music beautifully
Finally as 5 Alive is about everyone’s view being equally important and having discussions and learning together is crucial, we set out Brian McLaren five guidelines for discussion that seem to reflect some of Jesus’ approach.
1) Take part – Share your thoughts – use ‘I’ statements
2) Paying attention to others– Respecting different opinions – asking questions
3) Silence is OK
4) Accept one another – don’t have to agree
5) Keep it short
And we kept it short!
Chalking the Door: An Epiphany House Blessing 2016
The wider Church has a custom of blessing homes on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th). To ask God’s blessing on our homes and those who live or visit our homes. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows.
A traditional way of doing this is to use chalk blessed during our Epiphany liturgy earlier that day and write above the home’s doorway, 20 + C + M + B + 16. The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words “Christus mansionem benedicat”, “May Christ bless this house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 2016 is the year.
If you would like your home to be blessing this feast of Epiphany, please contact Revd Charlene 01484 851334 or email charlene.smith1979@gmail.com.
God’s Blessing
Charlene
