Tapton Church Blog

Leader :  Pat Moseley    Readings :  Psalm 121   Mark  6   45-52

It is not possible to value the peace of God.    The sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills and these funnel wind down into the lake and cause sudden storms.  but when there are no storms this is is very peaceful place  and once seen can never be forgotten.   Jesus had gone into the hills to pray when the sudden storm arose on the lake and his disciples were having difficulty with the boat  and he walked out to them on the water and calmed the storm.  He still can come to us when a storm rises in our lives.  But if we remember Psalm 121  “I will lift my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help” Much nearer to home is the Hope Valley with its hills   and if we can get into the hills we can be close to God and be at peace  without all the distractions of city life.   Psalm 23  “Th Lord is my shepherd” is also related to the hills and  sheep grazing   and as the shepherares for his sheep  so our God cares for us.

Leader:  Kinder Kalsi  – Church army

Readings :  Colossians 2  6-20  Luke 11                                                                                                           Why are we here   what are we expecting to take away with us ???                                                     Kinder told us a little about himself.    He was born in London in a Seikh family buat moved to Sheffield where he met his wife   In London he had to conform to many different rules but in Sheffield it was a different life  he had to learn many new things –  he found God and was baptized as a christian.  His work in the Church Army takes him into various parts of the community.   He asks  “Why is Christ important?”  We are on a journey through life,  we have to learn as we go along    We were shown a video of the work of the Church Army formed by Thomas  Carlile to help the underprivilaged and this work has expanded but is still carried on.     What do you do for Christ ? God loves everyone   do you?

An enjoyable evening shared with our friends from Hillsborough Tabernacle at the home of our shared minister Rev Suzanne Nockels.

A great big thank you to Suzanne, Keith, Joe and Issac for putting on a fabulous feast of Sicilian food.

Led by Rev Suzanne Nockels

Readings: Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11

Suzanne suggested a number of reasons peas are grown in pods, amongst them: – protection, growth and security.

She continued by considering how nuts, pregnancy and letters in an envelope all contain hidden content.

Colossians: 3:2-5

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

We are joined to Christ in an intimate way and we join him in his crucifixion and Resurrection.

Do we like to be hidden? Surely we;d rather be noticed, to be seen and not to lose our identity.  In Christ we may be hidden but can find ourselves.

Luke 12: 13-21

Does the Parable of the rich fool relate to a greedy farmer? No, but if not about greed what is it about?

Jesus is not embarrassed by wealth and at this time the crowd would have Deuteronomy 30 in their minds = to be abundantly fruitful (children, land and property)

This article is about I, I, I a monologue about himself to himself, answering his own questions. He cannot see beyond his own fields and appears immune to the joys of others. The man has no neighbour and has no need for God. Jesus called him a fool because of his inward views.

Where the heart lies is where the treasure is. Doing as I want is not a road to satisfaction. Ultimate satisfaction in God cannot be forced.

Suzanne set two challenges:

When making decisions we should talk to other people and not only like minded people, widen our conversations.

In financial matters pray to God. Set us free and bring joy in the things of God.