Posted by: Mark Fletcher | May 17, 2012

Ascension

Today is the festival of the Ascension. In some christian traditions it is a big deal, but for us it rather passes by unnoticed.
But there is something really joyful about this little celebration – in embodies the hope and the calling that it laid before each one of us, and ties together lots of the themes we have been talking about at church and in home groups over recent weeks. It particularly strikes me that if we take seriously the idea that heaven is not far from each of us but just beyond our reach then the ascension of Jesus is simply a passing through the veil that separates us; he steps off the stage and stands backstage to allow the story to unfold.
And I like the moment at the end of the reading in Acts 1 where the angel pops up (like some kind of heavenly prompt) and says ‘why are you all standing around – get on with it!’

Acts 1:6-11 (Link)
Collect for Ascension Day
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ
to have ascended into the heavens,
so we in heart and mind may also ascend
and with him continually dwell;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | May 14, 2012

Summer 2012 – The Prayer that Jesus taught

Our familiarity with the Lord’s prayer often distracts us from its enormous significance. One of the key things which set Jesus apart was his prayerfulness, such that the disciples said to him teach us to pray like you. And his response was the prayer we know so well.

It is a remarkable point of unity – 2 billion christians across the world pray this prayer. And my conviction is that it is intended to be a prayer which we grow into, allowing it to form and frame our relationship with God. With our busy lives, prayer is all too often the thing which is missing. This term we are going to be carefully studying this prayer together, asking just as the first disciples did, that Jesus would teach us how to pray.

 

 

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | May 2, 2012

Into Great Silence

This evening we are watching the film ‘Into great Silence’. A remarkable piece of cinema, probably not an easy watch, but a telling a insight into the lives of the Carthusian Monks.

It sounds more like an endurance test than entertainment, yet this one-of-a-kind experience proves surprisingly immersive.

Read the reviews here on Rotten Tomatoes.

It will start at 7pm upstairs in the Chapel – if you are late, come in quietly!

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | March 21, 2012

Holy Week 2012

The events that make up the Easter Story are the most significant and dramatic in the Christian Year.  From the 5th-9th April we will join together with fellow pilgrims from our church, our parish and our city at a rich variety of events. Each distinct and beautiful in their own way, each marking one of the great events in the final days of Jesus earthly life. From the Last Supper, through the crucifixion to the amazing events of Easter Morning, join us in celebrating this greatest story ever told. Download the flyer below.

Maundy Thursday – The Last Supper. 7.30 @ All Saints Church
Good Friday – 11.45am Walk of Witness @ N1 Centre
7.30pm Service of Shadows @ Church on the Corner
Holy Saturday - 7pm The Easter Vigil @ St Pauls Cathedral
Easter Sunday 10.30am Family Services at All Saints and St Andrews

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | March 15, 2012

What is the point of the Resurrection?

Our homegroups are starting a new series of discussions based on the excellent book ‘Surprised by Hope’.

Tom Wright is the former Bishop of Durham, and a leading N.T. Scholar and his work on the implications of the Easter story, not just for the church but for the whole world, is inspiring. You can watch the first session below, and more information about our homegroups can be found here.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | February 29, 2012

Hang in there – Lent 2012

Discipline is remembering who you really are and what really matters.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | February 18, 2012

Ash Wednesday

Our Ash wednesday service marks the beginning of Lent. It is a solemn and beautiful service of reflection and contrition.
The ashes at the centre of the service are a traditional reminder of our mortality, referencing Genesis 3  ‘for dust you are and to dust you will return’.
It takes place on Wednesday 22nd February at 7.30pm at St Andrews the old parish church. (here)

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | February 17, 2012

Lent 2012

We love this fast paced hard wired digital world with its breathless rush of creativity, opinion, noise and ideas. But there are addictive qualities to it, when through the constant stimulus we are in danger of losing the ability to sit still, to be quiet, to listen, even to sleep.

For 40 days this lent at Church on the Corner we are exploring a digital discipline. Choosing to switch off some of the forms of media which demand our attention and switch on to things quieter and richer. And you are invited to join us.

[Read more...]

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | January 7, 2012

Poetic Wisdom

Starting this week at Church, we are going to be spending time looking at the riches of wisdom in the Psalms. All too often relegated to source material for worship songs, the Psalmists are actually responsible for some of the most honest and vulnerable writings in the whole bible, they explore the heights and plumb the depths of the human experience. They grant permission for us to look at ourselves a little more honestly, and recognise that our struggles and fears are not failings, but are an essential part of our humanity.

Sunday nights, 7pm. Church on the Corner.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | January 1, 2012

Classic Christian Books

Here is a good idea for the New Year. Some of the books which have had the biggest impact on the shape of contemporary Church are the first Christian books that people read. There is a real art to this kind of writing, aimed at those outside or on the threshold of faith. Their simplicity and clarity makes them great reading.

So the suggestion is that we make a New Years resolution to (re)read some of the classic introduction to Christianity books and aim to read them critically and yet humbly. We should be prepared to learn, but also alert to the errors they make, (for those mistakes tend to take root in the Church in disproportionate ways). Just reading a chapter a day  will help to root you (to use the language of Psalm 1) in streams of water that will sustain you through the days ahead.

Here are the top four recommendations;

Mere Christianity  (1952) – C.S. Lewis

Basic Christianity (1958) – John Stott

Simply Christian (2006) – Tom Wright

The Prodigal God (2008) – Tim Keller

You can find them on Amazon (often at very reasonable prices if you buy second hand) and we will run this as an online book group, so in time there with be a forum for each of these books to share your experiences and reflections. Get stuck in, and see this as a good spiritual discipline for the New Year.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | December 4, 2011

Carols by Candlelight

Great music, festive vibe, mulled wine and punchy preaching. Our Carol service is our biggest event of the year, and a great event to invite your friends and workmates to.

You can download the invitation here.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | December 1, 2011

Advent 2011

Our advent 2011 project is now live. Check back each morning for updates or follow by the magic of twitter.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | November 13, 2011

Images of Eternity

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
Our annual Advent project is now getting started. You can find out more here.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | October 5, 2011

School of Prayer

Most of us were never taught how to pray. We just picked it up along the way by listening to those more experienced in the faith. And often the problem is we only learn the outward expressions of prayer. Even for those who have been taught, we tend to have a rather narrow view of prayer, focussed more on asking for things than any real sense of communion with God.

William Wilberforce, the 18th Century social reformer was a man who knew about busyness; he sacrificed his life and his health for the sake of abolishing the slave trade. But he was also by necessity a man of prayer. And he recognised that prayer was not simply a means of achieving an end, it was the source of life. He wrote “The shortening of devotions starves the soul, it grows lean and faint.”  If prayer is nourishment for the soul, there is a danger that many of us are essentially malnourished.

Over the coming months we are going to be exploring the riches of prayer in the Christian tradition.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | September 1, 2011

New Term – Autumn 2011

There is something lovely about september. Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of the year, and I enjoy the sense of new beginnings, getting organised, making plans for the year..

It is a new term at Church on the Corner. We have been doing lots of work on the building, and the old place is looking spruce.

The new teaching programme will be on the book of Genesis. Thinking about minor themes such as the origins of the universe, the nature of God and the meaning of existence.

It all gets started this Sunday 4th September at 7pm.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | August 24, 2011

Greenbelt 2011

The Greenbelt Festival is, for many of us, the highlight of the summer and a good crowd from church will be attending. If you don’t have plans for the bank holiday I would highly recommend it. Church will be closed this sunday. We will be back for a new term on Sunday 4th September.

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | August 16, 2011

Goodbye Bee

Well it was quite a night, as we said goodbye to Bee before she heads off to vicar factory. We recreated our favourite old COTC picture, and we sent her off with songs, prayers, tears and a comissioning from the Ordinal which went a bit like this:

May you be diligent in prayer, in reading Holy Scripture, and in all studies that will deepen your faith and fit you to bear witness to the truth of the gospel.

May you lead Christ’s people in proclaiming his glorious gospel, so that the good news of salvation may be heard in every place.

May you faithfully minister the doctrine and sacraments of Christ so that the people committed to your charge may be defended against error and flourish in the faith.

May you, knowing yourself to be reconciled to God in Christ, strive to be an instrument of God’s peace in the Church and in the world.

May you endeavour to fashion your life to the way of Christ, that you may be a pattern and example to Christ’s people.

May you work with your fellow servants in the gospel for the sake of the kingdom of God.

May you in the strength of the Holy Spirit, continually stir up the gift of God that is in you, to make Christ known among all whom you serve.

 

A Blessing:

God who has called you is faithful.

May the Father, whose glory fills the heavens,
cleanse you by his holiness
and send you to proclaim his word.

May Christ, who has ascended to the heights,
pour upon you the riches of his grace.

May the Holy Spirit, the comforter,
equip you and strengthen you in your ministry.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always.

Amen.

 

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | August 9, 2011

Prayer for peace.

Gracious God,
We pray for peace in our communities this day.
We commit to you all who work for peace and an end to tensions,
And those who work to uphold law and justice.
We pray for an end to fear,
For comfort and support to those who suffer.
For calm in our streets and cities,
That people may go about their lives in safety and peace.
In your mercy, hear our prayers,
now and always.

Amen


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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | July 17, 2011

Philippians

O Lord God,
when thou call thy servants
to begin any great matter,
grant us to know that it is not the beginning,
but the continuing unto the end,
until it be thoroughly finished, which yields true glory;
through him who for the finishing of thy work
laid down his life, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
— after Francis Drake (c. 1540-1596)

We started our summer series on the epistle to the Philippians tonight. We will endeavour to record the sermons, and post additional material here.

Sermons can be found here:

17th July 2011- Philippians 1:1-11

24th July 2011 – Philippians 1:12-30

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted by: Mark Fletcher | July 3, 2011

John’s Gospel – Epilogue

We come to the end of our time in John’s Gospel tonight. It is the first time in 10 years that I have spent serious time studying this beautiful book, and I have found it a rich journey. There were some lovely moments when our passage tied in with something striking in the news, and i particularly enjoyed preaching the feeding of the 5000 during the uprising in Egypt. You can read the sermon here.

Then there is the video reflection on the theme of ‘life’ from our final John sermon which you can find here, and, below are my thoughts on the Chapter 21 question. I hope you have enjoyed your time in John’s gospel as much as I have.

Epilogue – the two endings of John? Read More…

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