Saturday 23 May 2009

Time for a change

The more observant readers of this blog will have noticed I have made a few changes - I have now grouped the blogs I read together and separated out other links into Local Preacher Related; Circuit, Church and District; and then others links. I have also added a verse for the day.
Hope you like the changes and who knows they may even be helpful.

Wednesday 20 May 2009

European Elections

This is most unusual a further post with a political theme. I was watching TV yesterday evening and there was an election broadcast on behalf of the Christian Party and I have to say I was extremely surprised because I had never heard of them and yet they have been around a few years.
I have had a look round their website and I was thinking that as someone who is pretty disillusioned with the other parties that this may be a reasonable alternative to some of the other smaller parties. In a conversation the other day someone said to me they were thinking of voting for a particular fringe party as a protest vote against the other parties - the trouble was they said is the party was a little right wing and wasn't really an ideal party to vote for.
I wonder if the Christian Party might be a viable alternative for those people who wish to vote but don't really want to vote for some of the other smaller parties. I would be interested to hear what readers think about this given that the party has candidates in all parts of the country according to their website.

Speaker Martin to go!

It is not often I make any comment on political issues but I have almost since he was appointed thought that Speaker Martin was not really the man for the job. When I have watched parliament programmes and he has been presiding he has always seemed to lack the presence of George Thomas or Betty Boothroyd. I am pleased he made the decision to step down rather than have the situation where he was removed from office (the first for three hundred years).
I note that the media are already looking at possible replacements and that the bookmakers are offering odds on them. Some of them I have never heard of but that doesn't mean they would not do a very good job and in fact it may be that one of the 'unknowns' (to me) could be an excellent speaker. I believe we need to pray for the whole situation in parliament and that whoever is appointed will restore some credibility to the Palace of Westminster.

Friday 15 May 2009

I'm Back!!!

Perhaps you hadn't noticed but I haven't posted for a few days well almost two weeks I think, but I haven't! I am now back and would have to say although I haven't been posting I have been keeping a watch on what has been going on with those blogs I read regularly and I have made the odd comment here and there - although after commenting on Connexions about the Methodist Church Website I was then not able to comment any further so not sure if someone had got to me! (only joking - I'm not really paranoid)

Anyway I was interested to read that Pam BG was encouraging us to be a bit more positive so here is a little something I want to share with readers that I think is encouraging.

I have spent the last few doing all the normal things that many of us do with home, family, work and church (not noted in order of importance by the way) and as well as all the normal stuff it has been both my pleasure and privilege to be assessing Local Preachers study material.

I am really encouraged by what I have seen again in this round of connexional assessment with some really good work, some very good sermons and excellent prayers that I would feel very comfortable using myself. I have as is normally the case found some thought provoking and interesting stuff among the submissions and there were some very good Mediations written by our Local Preachers in Training (on trial for the initiated).

I sensed there was a great deal of potential among the students whose work I have assessed and believe this augurs well for the future of Local Preaching in those circuits represented by the work I have seen.

I would just say to any On Trial Local Preachers to keep up the good work and I look forward to reading in the Methodist Recorder that all those I have assessed this last week or so have been accepted as fully accredited Local Preachers