Switching off for Lent

We’ve been thinking about Lent, and what the things are that we are dependent on. And top of many of our lists was the permanant connectivity that we now take for granted. Email, Facebook, Twitter, TV, iPod, Radio are all amazing tools, but when we become dependent on them they are noise which drowns out who we really are. This Lent we are disconnecting. 40 days of limiting the ways we use media, to rediscover what we have to say, to connect in older ways, or just to be silent. You might want to record your experiences in some way – write, draw, photograph; let us know how it unfolds for you.

UPDATE We developed this further in our 2012 Disconnect project

 

Happy New Year

I hope you had a joyful and restful Christmas. Church is back on Sunday 2nd, and we hit the ground running.
It is the first week of the Night Shelter, and at Church we will be celebrating the Epiphany – the strange and wonderful story of the journey of the Magi, and reflect on the gifts that we each bring to the party that is the Kingdom of God. If you have a moment – listen to T.S. Elliot read his poem on the theme.

And then the following week we will begin our series for the term – looking at the Gospel of St John, many people’s favourite of the the Gospel accounts, tracing the story all the way to Easter.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.


It is going to be another busy term, so pray now in these last few days of quiet for energy and dedication for all of us looking forward to a new year.

starting from zero

Becky Garrison is a NY based religious journalist who is exploring new forms of church. Her work is particularly aimed at the US scene, arguing that effective church dosen’t have to be large scale, and mega budget (and may in fact be better if it isn’t). She visited COTC last year, and there is a good chapter about us in the book, along with lots of other stories of innovative and creative churches and communities, including SafeSpace in Telford. Well worth a read.

Advent Daily Prayer 2010

Each year at Church on the Corner we mark Advent together, and this year we are exploring prayer. Advent is a really important season in the church year, often lost in the the run up to Christmas. Advent means ‘the coming’ it is the solomn fast before the great feast of Christmas, and it is a time to look forward to the joy ahead of us.

While there is much we do well at Church on the Corner, Prayer is often something we struggle with, and all too often it becomes a burden and a source of guilt, when it should be life giving, refreshing and nourishing. But while prayer will always require decision and discipline there are many patterns of prayer which are rich and wise. Often we have grown up in just one tradition, and this Advent we are intending to explore some older patterns together.

We make this commitment, before God and one another to pray each day throughout the season, and when we fail to get up and start again. There are three different patterns, which are well worth trying out, but once you find one that works well for you, try to commit to it.

Find the site here

St Pauls Public Debates

This autumn St Paul’s Cathedral are holding a series of public debates on themes such as Love, happiness, suffering and death, and inviting heavyweights like Stanley Hauerwas and Oliver James to contribute. It is one of the great privileges of living in London that this stuff happens around us, and it is all too easy to miss because there is so much going on. But this is well worth making time for. You can find out more here and the leaflets will be available at church.

Greenbelt 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ush/4932583477/in/set-72157624682283435/
What a delightful bank holiday weekend. Greenbelt was much more mellow than last year (probably helped by the fact that we weren’t doing a major slot) and a fantastic collection of speakers and acts. My highlights were a bit cerebral – Stanley Hauerwas and Richard Rohr both amazing. Everyone got very excited about Mr & Mrs Vicarage from Rev being there. But perhaps my most enduring memory will be our girls playing in the sunshine on the deep grass of the racecourse on a beautiful late afternoon.

I come away from Greenbelt every year with a deep sense of peace, optimism and refreshment. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I used twitter to record some of my favourite quotes from the festival. Here are my top 5:Continue reading “Greenbelt 2010”

Youth Minister

One of the major parts of our church life is our commitment to our local parish. And one of the most important ways this is expressed is through the Parish wide Youth and Children’s Ministry.

We are in the process of putting in place the next piece of the picture, in the form of a new Youth Minister for 11-18 year olds. If this is you, or someone you know, please get in touch

UPDATE. We are pleased to welcome Rachel Anderson as our new Youth Minister

 

London Churches Football Tournament ’10

We’re gearing up for this years football tournament. If you haven’t heard, for the last 6 years we have been running a tournament which has grown and grown (it is now the biggest amateur event in the UK). Churches from across London compete in the different categories, in the beautiful surroundings of Regents Park. You can find out more, and enter your men’s, women’s or youth team at the site www.LCFT.org.uk

Lent 2010

Tom writes:

Lent starts on Wednesday. For those of you feeling slightly nervous about the prospect of feeling duty bound to give up chocolate or pork pies (or another vital food stuff), let me remind of you of what some of us did last year – we embarked upon reading the whole of the New Testament over 40 days.

As Mrs Crease will testify, for me chocolatelessness = not good, so I will be taking up this reading challenge once again. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it last year and am looking forward to doing the same this year. If you are interested in doing the same, I attach a reading plan for Lent 2010. There is a decent amount to read each day, but if you get a bit behind, the plan allows for Sundays to catch up.

Happy reading – I pray that you will find something new about yourselves, about your walk with Christ and about God’s Word during this Lenten period.

The New Testament in 40 Days Reading plan

Church on the Corner Photography Prize 2009

i_lift_my_eyes_up_front

22nd and 23rd October

Taking a picture makes us look at the things around us in a different way; seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, or capturing the essence of a beautiful place. Have you had a moment where you’ve lifted your eyes up from the daily grind and captured a unique or surprising image? Enter your photographs exploring the theme ‘I lift my eyes up’ to be displayed in a gallery at Church on the Corner on 22nd and 23rd October

First Prize: £250, plus have your photo framed up to the value of £100 at ‘The Only Place for Pictures’

competition rules

photography entry form

Church Weekend Away


ironbridge_shropshire_thomas_telfordThis Weekend we are heading out to the wilds (of shropshire) for a weekend away together. Time to think & pray, to hang out with old friends and meet new ones. To eat, rest and play. These are always fantastic events. Don’t miss it. If you have booked in see you there, if not talk to Bee and book your place.

Our Speaker is a friend of mine called Mark Berry. Find his blog here, and more about the theme of the weekend here.