New Year, New Term,”New” Cafe Church

Cafe Church has had a little change over the last few month. You will have heard about the addition of our month praise service Cafe Church: Connect an inclusive time of worship lead by Roisin on guitar, and time of reflecting on God’s Word sometimes a sermonett, sometimes questions to ponder, and sometimes something else…

We began this term with a difficult question, ‘What is the future of Cafe Church?’ Over the last year numbers have dropped and due to commitments and pressures there are occasions when no one is able to gather. This is a challenge for us and for new people (being the only person there is a big possibility sometimes). So… to give space to pray, to think and to listen to God and to the university community we are going to meet less often as we seek to know how best to continue to minister and share in our faith exploration.

We do all of this with a thankful heart of all that has gone before, for the community that has been and continues to be Cafe Church for so many people. This is not the end, but the on going journey of what it means to be church on a university campus.

The first Cafe Church Connect

Cafe Church Connect has landed! For our first time together we had some great musical worship from a scratch band, plus reflective reading of the Bible, thoughts on gender and women in the Bible, time for prayer, and of course coffee, conversation and cake. Next week we’ll continue exploring the theme, as we think together about the Biblical character Esther.

For anyone wondering if cafe church is for them, our ethos can probably be summed up with words from the opening and closing songs we used during this evening: Gather us in – all peoples together, and, all are welcome. Come and join us next time!

October to December

We have been rather quiet recently, but hope to change that! Last Sunday we met for the first time since Summer. Accompanied by Lemon Drizzle cake and an array of tea we set our minds to the term ahead and discussed what we would like to explore. Our theme is WOMEN IN THE BIBLE other than suggesting whose story we might focus on the rest is up for inspiration as to what we might explore.

You may also have notice we have Cafe Church: Connect a new point of connection each month. After listening to the various voices across campus and of Cafe Church, we wanted to try something  a little different. Connect is designed to be something which feels and looks a little more traditional in its worship style with a simple liturgy, singing, prayers and a talk or open discussion which is front led. We wanted to keep the essences of Cafe Church: Original by being fully inclusive, but removing the uncertainty of what might happen from week to week, which for some people causes anxiety and uncertainty. Cafe Church: Connect is also committed to happening the first Sunday of the month regardless of term dates.

As always there is will plenty of cake, tea and coffee 5-7pm in the Emmanuel Centre. 

 

Cafe Church New Year

Firstly, sorry for the silence recently – although quiet on here, things have been happening on a Sunday evening. Following our Christmas break we met in the New Year to discuss a plan for the next couple of months.

Ta da…

We contiue to meet for fellowship with cake, coffee and a variety of tea.

This week Emily led us in the practice of Lectio Divina, we listened for the Word of God to us in the story of the Road to Emmaus. We were invited to focus on a word or phrase which stuck with us in our listening and to allow our thoughts to develop as we listened to the same reading a number to times, to see where that word or phrase took us or to hear something new each time.

We then spent some time with God exploring what God was saying to us during our listening, through descriptive writting, drawing or just quiet contemplation.

Our evening ended, as we came back togethered and shared what struck us most this evening, shairing which phrase or word stuck with us and what that might be saying to us.

Unexpected encounters

This week we explored the story of Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8.26-39). An unexpected encounter on a dessert road.

We began our time together with tea, coffee and some fresh scones, and an invitation to recall a time when we have had a unexpected encounter. When we had bumped into a friend, or passed someone famous when least expected.

Holding on to our memories, we turned to our passage from Acts – Philip and the Ethiopian.

Philip (a follower of Christ) is called by an angel of the Lord to go on a journey, to take the dessert road, an abandoned road (?), a road less traveled (?) a road best avoided with its dangers of muggers, snakes and wild beasts (?) A road which lead from Jerusalem to Gaza.

Philip soon found he was not the only one on this road.

An Ethiopian man was travelling home in his chariot, after attending worship in Jerusalem. The angel of the Lord lead Philip to journey alongside the chariot where the man was reading from the book of Isaiah.

This unexpected encounter leads to Philip telling the man the good news.

In the chapel was the prayer labyrinth and an open invitation to reflect on Philip’s and the Ethiopian’s story, to think of those who we had encountered so far on our own faith journeys.

 

With sand to write in, stones to hold, water to renew and light to guide.

Maybe you want to take a couple of minutes now and recall who God has placed in your path, who have been apart of your faith journey? who has opened up scripture, helped you to understand what God might be saying or has simply shared the Good News of the Gospel with you?

And then…  maybe think about whose path God has placed you in, a time when you have shared the Good News of the Gospel…

 

 

Rahab

This week we were looking at Samuel 2, and the strange meeting between Rahab and the Israelite spies. We read Rahab’s story and then discussed how this encounter changed Rahab’s life and the lives of those around her. Looking from the different perspectives of the characters in the story we able to appreciate how God can enter into every kind of situation, and that even those who’s lives seem insignificant can end up being the most important in God’s plans.

There was also a short reflection, with strands of ribbon representing the scarlet chord that Rahab tied to her window. After the session, we each took some ribbon away with us, as a reminder that there are times when we all need rescuing, and God will always remain faithful.

Pentecost

Over the past couple of months, we have been exploring the idea of change, and looking at how the disciples managed change from Jesus Resurrection to Pentecost.

This week we reached Pentecost, having explored the idea of uncertainty and trepidation last week while playing ‘Exploding Kittens’ (a game over for the brave), we reached joy and excitement, or so we thought.

Wei guided us through our session. Beginning with the passage from Act 2.1-15 and offering discussion questions. We tried to put ourselves in the disciple’s shoes – how would be have reacted? Was it a time of joy and excitement? or do we just see it that way now looking back?

We were then invited to make doves and flames, symbols representing the Spirit.

It was interesting how our conversation developed around the idea of the Spirit of peace, we often thinking of God’s Spirit as peaceful, but it is not always the serene peace we expect, but one of empowerment. We mused over how the disciples must have been uncertain of what was going to happen, maybe even fearful, but when the Spirit came upon them, their fears where ‘dulled’ and they found voice to share the gospel, to step into the unknown and be.

It doesn’t mean to say our fears disappear or change becomes easy, but God’s spirit can give us the strength we need to hold that fear, to take on the challenge of change, to dip our toe into the unknow and see what happens.

 

Like lambs among wolves

After chatting over coffee and the excellent cake that Emma had made we were introduced to the evening by Bethany.

To start with on our tables were a series of questions for discussion. We read Luke 10:1-11, the sending out of the 70 and then turned to the questions.

• Which verse stood out for you?
• What was the reason for sending out the 70 before Jesus?
• Why was it important for them to travel in pairs?
• Why do you think the Jesus tells them not to move around from house to house?
• Why are they told to tell people “the kingdom of God has come near” in towns that accept and reject their message?

 

For the second part of the evening we moved into the other room where there was a whole collection of craft material. Bethany explained how to make felt and set us off. We spent the next 45 minutes enthusiastically pushing a pin through wool to slowly transform it into felt.

As we were doing this we were given some question to think about:

• In what ways have I been sent out by God in the past?
• Who was it that I was travelling with?
• Where could I be sent next, and what challenges might I face?

Gradually the wool transformed into felt and we then tried to use other colours to put features into the shapes – to make lambs.

This was harder than it first appeared. Finally we attached key rings to our felt shapes so that each time we used our keys we are reminded that God is sending us out.

Jesus calms the storm

Emma had set up a labyrinth in the chapel space and we were encouraged to go and spend some time walking it when we’d eaten enough cake.

Around the labyrinth were a series of short bible passages along with questions to help reflection. The passages led through the story of Jesus calming the storm.

That day when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”

In what ways is Jesus calling you to go outside your comfort zone? When have you done something unexpected because of your faith?

Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with hi. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 

What storms are you experiencing? How do you react when you’re feeling overwhelmed?

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Why was Jesus sleeping when his friends were in danger and afraid? Have you ever felt like Jesus was absent?

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves. “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Why was Jesus reluctant to use his power over the storm until his disciples asked him? Why do you think Jesus doesn’t always calm our storms immediately?

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

What is your biggest fear? Does fear or faith dictate most of your decisions?

They were terrified and asked each other, “who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Who is Jesus to you? What experiences have shaped the way you see Him or your relationship with God?

At the centre of the labyrinth was a craft activity (It was Emma leading after all!). There were instructions for folding an origami boat. It wasn’t the easiest folding, but it offered space to reflect as you followed the instructions. Most of us managed to make a boat that resembled the picture on the instructions!

 

We retraced our path out of the labyrinth and back to more coffee and cake and a great discussion about the various things we had reflected upon.

Lord now let your servant depart in peace…

Our journey through epiphany is rapidly bringing us to the feast of the presentation of Christ in the temple (candlemas). Josh invited us to read Simeon’s prayer  – the canticle we are familiar with as the Nunc Dimittis and spend some time reflecting on it. We were then invited to try to write our own song of praise.

It is a really rich prayer, that in a few lines celebrates so much of God’s promises. Promises to the people of Israel. Promises to those who were beyond the nation is Israel. Personal promises to Simeon.

Some found it harder than others to know how to express the hope and joy they find in Christ. Some of us produced simple prayers of praise. Some of us spent time simply reflecting on the texts and on some reflections that others has written around it (the lines ‘Let the Infant, the still unspeaking and unspoken Word, Grant Israel’s consolation To one who has eighty years and no to-morrow.‘ from T.S Elliot’s poem A Song for Simeon really connected for some).

Josh then invited us into the Chapel where he had set up a series of images of Simeon in the temple with Jesus. We watched the images and listed to some recordings of Simeon’s song