Sunday 1st June

Last Sunday I was not very well and so did not get to church - my usual problems of the guts! However, a visit to the consultant that week did reveal (at last) a possible cause for much of my troubles. They need to do some more tests though before we they can be sure which treatment might be best for me.

But on Sunday 1st June I was better and went to All Saints Totley where my friend David Rhodes is vicar. Their main Sunday morning service this week was a Family Communion with a children in the service rather than attending their classes as it was part of the school holidays. There were a lot of children there, quite a few young ones and some older.

Our singing was lead by David's wife Sally who plays their fine sounding electric piano and she was accompanied by two girls who used microphones, the more traditional hymn Sally played on the organ.

It's all very high tech at Totley! The hymns and songs were projected onto screens, as were the few parts of the communions service we used, which I think was only the communion prayer. The rest of the service was a mix of songs, a bible reading, a talk from Sue Hope and prayers led by a member of the congregation. (They do have a more formal service in the afternoon).

The service had a relaxed and friendly feel, though I found myself designing a few simple alterations in my mind that could really make a great difference. The considering reordering and I feel it would make a great difference. The chairs they have are not very comfortable and are held in rows by wooden slats. There were a lot of people squashed together one side of the chancel screen and no-one the other side!

People at St Paul's may remember Sue from the day she led for us in the autumn of 2006. As ever she had powerful things to say! She was speaking as part of their series of sermons about the Lord's Prayer and her title was 'Give us today our daily bread'. Sue encouraged us to ask God for what we need, but to be careful that we actually need it! The subtitle she was given was 'need versus greed'. What struck me most powerfully was they was she encouraged us to find God's 'enough' and to rejoice in and celebrate that 'enough'. We live in a world which is always seeking more and consequently is never satisfied. As followers of Jesus we can learn to glory in the good things we do have.

Sue was not speaking from a position of wealth. By a strange turn of events she finds herself currently unemployed (she had move on from her post as Diocesan Missioner in between). She is now living on job seekers allowance, so there were many things she said she would like but could not have, yet still she is learning to delight in God's 'enough'.