Words from Bede Circuit

Dear Friends,

I have never been good at art. However, I would regard myself as creative.

This was evident when working as a lighting designer and technician in the theatre.

I want to take you back to the first week of my training whilst studying for a degree in lighting design at drama school.

As we arrived on just our 3rd day together, we were given a piece of charcoal, told to set up an easel and told attach a piece of paper to it.

You can imagine the looks around the room as we had not signed up for the set design course but lighting design.

I want you to draw what you see in front of you said the tutor, but I also want you to look for the things that others do not see, the light, the shadow, the perspective as you see it. This will make the piece of work uniquely yours.

Lucy, you can come in now said the tutor. In walked Lucy, who I would later learn was a year 3 acting student. Lucy took up a position on a stool in the centre of the room.

It was at this point, that Lucy took off her silk robe and sat naked on the stool!

I have never heard a room of students be so silent. Where do I look, what do I draw, why am I doing this, were all thoughts that I am sure we were all having.

This is out of your comfort zone said the tutor, I know that, but see things in a new way, do not worry about what is in front of you, but use the shapes, the angles, light and dark to create something new and wonderful. What I did create was different! However, the longer we got into the session, the more comfortable we became in doing the task we had been assigned.

As the church, we have lived through a year that has been like no other. We have been taken out of our comfort zone, and we have been asked to do things differently. We have had to be creative, as we have sought to be the people of God in the Bede Circuit. At times this has not always been easy, and we may have found ourselves silently shuffling and having feelings of discomfort, with our unfamiliarity at what has been going on. However, the task of building the kingdom of God and sharing the love of God has remained the same.

It is my prayer for each of us, that as we journey on as the people of God, that we will pause and see the wonder of what we are doing. That we will see the shapes, the light and dark and the new perspectives that we have been able to find in trying to build the kingdom of God during Lockdown.

I also pray, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be open to God continuing to do new things in us, shaping and reshaping us, so that we bear the hallmarks of our wonderful creator, even if that means we are taken to places where we see things differently, and intentionally change our perspective to see the wonders that occur when God is at work.

As a circuit we would like you to be made aware of some free phone lines that are available from the Methodist Church. You can listen to a prayer on 0808 281 2514 which is updated every Thursday. You can listen to a pastoral message from the President and vice President conference on 0808 281 2695 which his updated every Monday. Or alternatively listen to the Methodist podcast on 0808 281 2478 which is updated on the 1st and 3rd Thursday in each month. These will be especially useful for those not on-line so please pass these on to those you may feel will benefit from this.

  • Sunday worship continues on Zoom at 10.30am

  • Zoom Bible studies looking at the Book of Proverbs on Monday evenings at 7.00pm and Thursday mornings at 10.30am

  • Zoom Wednesday Morning prayers are at 10am

  • There are also Sunday services using Whypay telephone conferencing and a Sunday worship sheet.

  • Please contact the Senior Church Steward (Brenda Wallace) for more details: wesleymemchurch.pr@gmail.com

With good wishes and prayers on behalf of the Bede Circuit staff team,

Rev Matt Sheard


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Words from Bede Circuit