Monday 23 November 2015

Field of Dreams

A fearful look from the window at home said it all, as I watched the torrential rain falling and the noise of the deafening wind whistling in my ears on a cold November night.  The Stadium of light beckoned for Dick and myself heading for the Centrepoint charity Sleepout.  From St. Andrew's church to Houghall College, Beamish Museum to the Aircraft Museum,and now this was to be the fifth sleepout I had been to.

It was good to meet up with those who worked with the charity. Not least to talk to the North East Regional Manager who I first met at St. Andrew's more than five years ago as we hosted the first ever such event in the north east. Compliments of thankfulness from that time which gave them a springboard to bigger and better events in the years to come. A sense of thankfulness of the appreciation of the hospitality the church showed them  on that occasion.

It was also a deep sense of thankfulness, as on arriving I realised we would be sleeping on the concourse of the stadium. At least shielded from the rain but not the cold and the wind. A night of fitful sleep not least a time to reflect on the impact Centrepoint has made since setting up its north east base in Sunderland. One of those God coincidence moments as their centre was set up in the parish in Dundas Street and a new centre opened across the town recently.
Gazing across the football pitch covered by lights and heaters to make the grass grow, and the field of dreams of hoped for victories in the future left one pondering on the dreams for the future being fulfilled in the many young people being helped by the charity. Practical help and training that sets them off on the right path in life for the many disadvantaged and sometimes homeless young people.
Dick and I survived the night and following a bacon butty and a cup of tea at 7 a.m. it was time to depart and back to normal life. Well you could see in the photo that Dick was wearing his survival suit! I say normal but in fact such an event impacts on our own life journey. But also a further opportunity for the church building its relationship with community. A night of discomfort but a small price to pay for the gospel values by which we live. The field of our Christian dreams united with these young people in building a society for the future.

May I take this opportunity to thank all in the parish who sponsored us in the vital work of the Centrepoint charity.

                                                                                                John Pattinson  
 

Saturday 24 October 2015

A Busy Few Weeks!

Over the last few weeks our intrepid Reader John Pattinson has been busy photographing some of the events that have taken place. Here's a few highlights!

On September 26th a merry band of congregation members took a prayer walk around the boundary of the parish.


St Peter's was the beginning & the end of the journey
Praying at Bede's cross



Four-legged friends kept us company


Finding spots to cast our eyes over the wonderful Parish of Monkwearmouth





























































The 10th October brought esteemed company to St. Andrew's Priestman Hall as the Mayor & Mayoress of Sunderland, Barry & Carol Curran, attended our Coffee Morning held in aid of our "Turn Up The Heat!" boiler appeal. The event raised over £300, and giving forms are available from the back of St. Andrew's Church or from the Parish Office on request.

A lively Priestman Hall

The Mayor of Sunderland & the Team Rector enjoy a brew






























On 11th October we welcomed an old friend back to St. Andrew's - our William Morris carpet, now freshly cleaned thanks to the generosity of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation - read the original article about it's departure here.


St. Andrew's wonderful William Morris carpet in it's restored glory
Last but not least, on 11th October St. Andrew's held it's Community Harvest Celebration. Many of our uniformed organisations were present, and everyone had a great time learning of God's love for His creation. Check out the amazing potato people - every one a winner!



The calm before the service

Creation unfolds...

Potatoes arriving



Prize-winning Potato People!


Don't forget to Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @MonkwearmouthCE to stay up-to-date with all the latest from the Parish!
 




Friday 7 August 2015

School's Out For Summer

The Curate writes...
 
Summertime, and the living is easy. Warm days, light nights, the kids are off school and the sound of their playing drifts through the streets – although, as the late Terry Pratchett once wrote,
“It was nice to hear the voices of little children at play, provided you took care to be far enough away not to hear what they were actually saying.”
Which raises an interesting question. How often do we listen to what kids are actually saying? I know from experience with my little tribe that most of the time it’s not hard to hear them – as amazing as my kids are, there are times when I feel we could stand them on Roker seafront and use them in place of the foghorns - but there’s a difference between hearing and listening.

The old adage of children being “seen and not heard” is no longer seen as the ideal way of relating to the younger generation. But actually a look through the Bible shows us this was probably never the best way of helping young bairns grow into the men & women they were created to be. Jesus Himself reminded us, his disciples, of the importance of letting children come to Him, and many other passages of scripture show God regards children as worthy of His calling, commissions, healing, blessing, life and salvation.
 
Jesus also reminded us that we can learn much from children.
 
"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

 
When He said this He wasn’t encouraging naivety. Children aren’t held back by the cynicism that pervades our ‘grown-up’ world. Children ask the questions adults don’t dare, children throw themselves into things wholeheartedly and, in the right climate, find joy and excitement in the simplest of things. And it is worth remembering we are all God’s children. We are told to call God ‘Father,’ to come to Him with all our concerns and fears like a child to a trusted parent, to be challenged and inspired to grow into who He created us to be and ultimately rest in His love.
 
So this summer and beyond, hold on to the idea that the children you encounter are fellow pilgrims on the way to eternal life, with as much to teach as to learn. Pray for them, pray with them. After all, the only thing worse than the sound of children in church…is the sound of no children in church.

Tuesday 28 July 2015

"Good Game, Good Game!"


Guardians of Ancora is a new digital environment for 8 to 11-year-olds that combines the excitement and creativity of a high-spec online game with an immersive experience of Bible content and faith formation. Delivered via app and free of charge, Guardians of Ancora aims to provide a fun and positive social space where children can explore their relationship with God and the Bible.

The game includes two interactive Bible quests, quizzes and challenges, access to videos, space to reflect on the experience. More Bible quests and other content will be released regularly throughout the summer.

What’s great is the game meets children where they are at with their interests, and is instinctively compelling for them, offering the wealth of God’s Word freely, and potentially opening a doorway into a life with him forever.


We asked three ‘game’ volunteers – Daisy (6), Poppy (8) and Caroline (old enough to know better!) to test the app and tell us what they thought. Here’s their reviews…

Daisy: “It’s OK but quite difficult to control, which makes me frustrated!”

Poppy: “If they can sort out a few of the glitches and it will be good. I like the adventures you can have and I’ve learned things from the Bible.”

Caroline: “A good game but they do need to sort some minor glitches out. It’s very addictive and very informative - as soon as you’ve learned the controls, you can travel through the different stories of the Bible.....and passing these, you get points which link with other stories and create a timeline. Overall it’s a really good game for ages 8+ because of the controls.”


Guardians of Ancora is available to download for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play and the Kindle Fire Store.


Book Review: More TV Vicar?



Bryony Taylor’s More TV Vicar?
Christians on the Telly: The Good, the Bad and the Quirky
We as a nation love our telly. From the days of gathering as a family around he set, waiting for it to warm up and the fuzz to clear, to the modern obsession with on-demand box sets of popular shows, available instantly via the internet, we Brits spend on average four hours a day watching television. I don’t get to watch so much these days, (and when I do it’s mostly CBeebies with 4 kids in the house), but I have fond memories of programmes watched through the years and do try & keep up to date with the shows people are talking about. As a Christian, I’m also fascinated to see how my faith is portrayed in programmes – which is why I found the idea behind Rev’d Bryony Taylor’s new book More TV Vicar? Christians on the Telly: The Good, the Bad and the Quirky to be a hugely compelling one.

In the book Bryony takes us on a whistle stop tour through the portrayal of Christians across many years of TV, and assess them as they were created to be seen – the good guys, those made to be loveable endearing leaders of the faith; the bad ‘uns who bring comic effect from being exactly what you wouldn’t expect from a Christian; and the ‘quirky,’ those who don’t fit into any real box but bring eccentricity, and at times great heart, to the mix.

The beauty of this book is its style – it is written in an easy, relaxed manner, akin to chatting to a friend about old TV shows over a cold glass or steaming mug of something or other. Each character is introduced by a handy box laying out a bit about who they are, and rated out of 100% on attributes such as Longevity, Offence & Realism. Add to that the research that has gone into the book – for example, the revelation that Richard Curtis, creator of The Vicar of Dibley, took quotes he had heard at the debates over women priests at the Church of England’s General Synod and put them in the mouths of his characters - and suddenly you have an informative and thought provoking piece of work.

But perhaps the jewel in the crown is the little section at the back, entitled “What Would Jesus Watch.” Each section concludes with Bryony’s reflections on the thought process of writers & directors when it comes to making polarised Christian characters, how we tend to relate to them & the range of emotions we can feel when we encounter them as people of faith. But the conclusion looks at the life of Jesus and how this should inform our viewing habits, pointing out how far ahead of many modern comedians and writers Jesus Himself was. His use of storytelling to teach those around Him is well known, but it is easy to miss the humour He employed – from satire to stand-up and all in-between – to really make an impression on those He encountered.

In the introduction Bryony expresses a hope that the book will take us on a ‘pilgrimage’ of sorts, leaving us “a little bit more worldly wise and refreshed in our outlook on life.” In my humble opinion, with its balance of wit, style and theological reflection More TV Vicar? achieves this with ease.

“More TV Vicar? Christians on the Telly: The Good, the Bad and the Quirky!” is available now from all good bookstores, including Eden & Amazon.

Sunday 26 July 2015

St. Peter's Medieval Weekend 2015

Here's a selection of pictures from St. Peter's Medieval Festival, held as part of the celebrations surrounding the launch of the new church grounds.

Click the links to read reports from the Sunderland Echo and Sunderland City Council, and find more pictures on our Facebook page.

Enjoy!