Is that the time?

Well ... no ... that was the time we finished afternoon tea!  (This is a clock that projects the time onto the ceiling!  Fun!)  

My sister did "the works" with dainty sandwiches, gorgeous mini cakes and a Victoria Sponge!  Cups and saucers with pretty napkins and champagne jelly, cheese and biscuits ... must have forgotten half of it!  Scrumptious.

 The occasion was a family gathering just before my niece was baptised.  Eliot, of course, was around as well.

He "enjoys" the car journey ... if dogs "enjoy" things ... and I took a couple of pictures while we were waiting at traffic lights ... just pointed the camera into the back of the car and hoped for the best!

 Later on I managed to get him to sit for a few pictures ... and those who follow his adventures will understand that this is not the easiest thing to achieve!

There's a small plaque set into one of the flagstones at my sister's place ... I'd given it to her many, many years ago ... and now it has a permanent home.  It was beside it that Eliot posed ... he thought that he might be allowed into the house ... he was mistaken!

 It is always useful to know where you are!  So this leaves you in no doubt whatsoever.

As I said, the event we were celebrating was my niece's baptism ... so just a shot of the screen that enabled the congregation to see what was happening in the tank as the three candidates were immersed one after the other.

 A song chosen by the candidate was sung after their baptism ... my niece chose "Amazing grace".

This was a beautiful end to quite a long day with our own services in the morning at Saint Nicholas'.  Really enjoyed both of them as well.  

Now, the dog is curled up ready for bed ... and I guess that's where I ought to be too!

So in the threefold Name today
baptized in faith from all our sins,
we turn to Christ, our Truth and Way,
the Life in whom our life begins;
to Christ who saves and sets us free,
his followers and friends to be.

Church Hymnal 395 verse 5

Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926)

Harvest Thanksgiving 2011

 Saint Nicholas' is looking good for Harvest Thanksgiving services tomorrow.  10.15 am is Holy Communion and 7.00 pm a service of readings and harvest praise.

 The moment you go in to the church the fresh smells of fruit and flowers are all around.  Reminders, with the visual displays, of all God's goodness.  We live in a land of great plenty ... of far too much ... a land where there is waste and carelessness ... a land where little thought is given to the God who provides or the natins where there is insufficient. 

 These gifts will be distributed around the parish in the first few days of next week.  

 This decorative little gourd looks so pretty ... but I'm guessing is inedible?  I've spotted a few of them around.

 Everywhere you look in the building there are plants and arrangements of flowers.  I love the colours here. 

 Even on a very wet afternoon the building here is light and airy.  It is an easy place in which to worship.

 It would take a long time to show all the pictures that were taken this afternoon ... some more are on the Parish Website in the photographs section.

 The sunflowers are so striking ... whatever the weather ... indeed, whatever your mood, these exuberant heads have the power to make you smile!  Such extravagant beauty in those big yellow heads ... for sheer dramatic appeal they top my list of flowers I'd most like to have in the garden.  Sweet pea and roses are top for smell, cornflower for colour and then sunflowers for drama!  

 The flower arrangers have found a wonderful variety of blooms to make the building attractive.

 All of the windowsills have arrangements of fruit, plants and leaves which gather the whole display in a united presentation.  It's like a ring of harvest around the holy place.

While I was in Saint Nicholas' I lit the candle and remembered many who have asked for prayer ... some for themselves, others for their friends and neighbours and more who don't even need to ask, as their concerns are on our hearts already.

Forgive our careless use

of water, ore and soil - 

the plenty we abuse

supplied by others' toil;

save us from making self our creed,

turn us towards our neighbour's need.

Church Hymnal 49 verse 2

Ian M Fraser (born 1917)

2010:365:80 Sunday

This is where I'll be most Sundays in the year - probably not in August when I take holiday - but for the rest of the year Saint Nicholas' is my "home".  Today, for the spring equinox, the sun was shining and I got some good pictures between the early service and the main act of worship at 11.00 am.  

In the bad weather our numbers were at their lowest but now that the days are a bit warmer, brighter and frost free we're creeping back up to around sixty gathering week by week.  I'm looking forward to Easter Sunday when we'll have an outdoor service at 8.30 am followed by a cooked breakfast - the works - bacon, egg, sausage, tomato, fried bread....  If you're in the area do feel free to join us and then stay on for the main service at 10.30 am.  That's a half hour earlier than usual so that folk can get away in good time for family celebrations and egg rolling.

The morning I was in Saint Nicholas' and the afternoon in Saint Anne's, the cathedral in Belfast.  This was for the Mothers' Union Festival service and to see the crowds attending was very encouraging.  This congregation represented the churches in Connor Diocese and each branch had their banner which were processed in at the beginning of the service.

I had to take a picture of the Saint Nicholas' one, of course.  And I managed to find one of our members so snapped a few photographs of her as well.

There aren't any shots from the THIRD church I was in.  That's the neighbouring parish of Saint Thomas' and hosts a Bach Cantata every third Sunday.  

The organist of Saint Nicholas' is the conductor of the Consort and the evenings are always full of wonderful music - tonight was better than ever and although I was exhausted when the worship started by the end I was refreshed and ready to come home to write a blog!

It's been a good Sunday, if a busy one.  Now an early night because the incoming week is going to be unbelievably busy!  Already I'm looking forward to my hour of quiet in Saint Nicholas' tomorrow over lunch time when I look after the Open Church.  

Tonight we'll end with the lovely prayer of Saint Chrysostom which we had at Morning Prayer.

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting.  Amen. 

Book of Common Prayer

Morning/Evening Prayer

Publish Post

2010:365:40 Love is ... reflecting God's love.

Time for a new poster on the church notice board and this one seemed to suit the season.  It reminds me of a fun poem we used to say:

     Spring is sprung

     the grass is riz

     I wonder where

     the birdies is?

     Some say the bird is on the wing

     but that’s absurd.

     Surely the wing,

     is on the bird?

Spring is in the air and the bulbs are now well above ground level.  And love is in the air as well.  Shops are full of Valentine's cards and gifts; for it is the time of year when a "young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love" (Alfred Lord Tennyson).  

"God is Love" must be one of the most frequently quoted short texts from the Bible.  The divine being is love and from God's love we learn how to love.  Love for one's own self.  Love for one's neighbour.  And, hardest of all perhaps, love for one's enemies.  

After fixing the new poster it seemed to be a good idea to spend a while in Saint Nicholas'.  I never tire of taking pictures of the church in the changing light of the different seasons of the year.  (There is a complete set of beautiful Paul Dawson images if you use the link on the right.)  Today the sunshine was streaming in and filled the building.  

"God is Love" and constantly pours out that energy on us, and into us, so that we can go out to others and share the same gift with them.

From March until September the church building on the Lisburn Road is open over lunch time so that all who wish may come in and find an oasis of peace.  My prayer is that each person will experience God's love from the moment that they enter the building and for the rest of their lives.

Almighty God,

at the Last Supper your Son Jesus Christ

washed the disciples' feet

and commanded them to love one another.

Give us humility and obedience to be servants of others

as he was the servant of all;

who gave up his life and died for us,

yet is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.  Amen. 

Book of Common Prayer

Collect for Maundy Thursday

2010:365:31 Still blogging along after a month...

End of a day, end of a month, and ready for bed ... but not before the thirty first blog with photograph is posted!

The services in Saint Nicholas' were good this morning and people seemed to enjoy singing some of the "old favourites".  I don't know where the time went but maybe it just vanishes when folk are contented.  It felt like a good number in church - but that's hard to gauge and I forgot to check the book.  (For the non-Anglicans who read this, if there are any, we keep a register in which numbers attending worship are recorded and the book is signed by the person who reads the service and by the preacher.)

You'll have noticed that the photograph has nothing at all to do with church.  It is a Birthday non-Cake!  My niece, who must have had her twenty first birthday a few times by now, didn't want a big cake.  So, her Mum, my sister, listened to her wishes and made a pile of wee buns instead!  They were the cutest wee tiny morsels that you can imagine and very, very tasty!  

A long time ago I must have fulfilled my role very well as the "Big Sister" because both of my "Wee Sisters" are excellent cooks!  We had a beautiful meal and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon together.  

With the brighter evenings it is all too easy to forget the time - and that's maybe not a bad thing either.  So now I'm home to the rectory and ready to switch off the computer in preparation for a really early night!

Lord of all power and might,
the author and giver of all good things:
Graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Collect of the Seventh Sunday after Trinity

The Book of Common Prayer

2010:365:30 The house of the Lord

In a "fifth Sunday month" we're using a list of the parishioners' favourite hymns to guide the choice of music for the main service.  Tomorrow's selection includes: 

Angel voices, ever singing round thy throne of light... 

Amazing grace... 

What a friend we have in Jesus... 

O Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end... 

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side... 

Jesus calls us!  O'er the tumult of our life's wild restless sea...

The planned sermon will focus on "The house of the Lord".  

A verse from "Angel voices..." anticipates the response that is echoed in some of the other hymns:

In thy house, great God, we offer
of thine own to thee;
and for thine acceptance proffer,
all unworthily,
hearts and minds, and hands and voices,
in our choicest
psalmody.


Almighty God, 
whose only Son has opened for us 
a new and living way into your presence: 
Give us pure hearts and steadfast wills 
to worship you in spirit and in truth, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Collect of the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Book of Common Prayer

2010:365:20 Mistakes

Mistakes are a part of being human; not all are quite so obvious as this one!

The Parish Church of Saint Nicholas has stood on the Lisburn Road between Rathdrum Street and Rathgar Street since 1901.

"Rath" means a "circular fort".  "Drum" is the Irish word for a "ridge" or "long hill".  "Gar" can be translated "rough".  So the area would appear to have been a rough ring fort on a ridge.

However, a new street sign has appeared and the name has changed!  Now we have a ring fort with "Rum".  (While rum in English can be a warming tipple... in Irish is doesn't seem to have any meaning at all.)

Of course the name hasn't changed - just some dozer failed to run a spell check before printing off the new expensive sign!  Poor soul - to have your mistake displayed for all to see at the end of Rathdrum Street may be an embarrassing situation - or he/she may not even be aware (yet) of what has happened.

It makes you glad that not all mistakes are quite so public!

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

2010:365 Day Six. Blog Six. Photograph Six++

It has been a strange day....still cold and some heavy snow...but clear blue sky too. Having celebrated Holy Communion for the Feast of the Epiphany both in Saint Bartholomew's and then in Saint Nicholas' I headed off to a meeting in Church House. The light was beautiful when we came back onto the snow covered street and, with 2010:365 in mind and camera in pocket, a few photographs of Belfast seemed the obvious thing to do....

There was a warm glow from the setting sun on the facade of Saint Ann's as I headed back towards the city centre and so yet another picture was added to that particular collection. The insignificant spike is barely visible in this shot from ground level.... but strangely.... from the Big Wheel it really is quite a feature.

The decision to go on the Big Wheel was very much a last minute one as I trudged through the slush on Royal Avenue. Having been "grumpy" all day I thought that to do something "fun" would be just the cure I needed. Right at the edge of dusk the light was interesting... of course it would have been more useful to have had the bigger camera... but... the little one didn't do a bad job. Four times you get to go up and over the City Hall, four times you see Samson and Goliath beyond the dome of the Victoria Centre, four times the commentary tells you about the landmarks....

It wasn't hard to get a photograph for today.... harder to choose one of them more than another... and of course there were pictures of Eliot enjoying, or exploring, the fresh snow that had fallen just before lunch time. Maybe the warm glow on Saint Ann's is my favourite.

O God

from whom all holy desires

all good judgements

and all just works proceed:

Give to your servants

that peace which the world cannot give,

that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments,

and that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies,

may pass our time in rest and quietness;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect at Evening Prayer.

Covenant Sunday

Covenant Sunday - an opportunity to reflect again on our relationship with God. Here is a prayer from the Methodist Church that will be used in various adaptations in many churches today. This is the one we'll use in Saint Nicholas'.

I am no longer my own but yours.
Your will, not mine, be done in all things,
wherever you may place me,
in all that I do
and in all that I may endure;
when there is work for me
and when there is none;
when I am troubled
and when I am at peace.
Your will be done
when I am valued
and when I am disregarded;
when I find fulfilment
and when it is lacking;
when I have all things,
and when I have nothing.
I willingly offer
all I have and am
to serve you,
as and when you choose.
Glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
May it be so for ever.
Let this covenant now made on earth
be fulfilled in heaven.
Amen.

Annual Picnic at Saint Nicholas'

The forecast gave heavy showers...but they held off until the picnic ended. Then there was a spectacular downpour.

We'd had a very relaxed morning service - some might even suggest "chaotic" as an appropriate description. Though in it all we'd reflected on the Kingdom of God and our true home being in heaven with our heavenly Father.

(I must admit that while Gary was preaching about this my thoughts wandered for a moment or two to think about those who are now enjoying the place that Jesus has prepared for them there. And the families in Kilkeel, Annalong and Ballymartin are very much in my prayers these days.)

In church the young people received their Sunday Space prizes and we ended the worship time singing "We're marching in the light of God".

Meanwhile, out on the grass "Bounce Around" were setting up the assault course so, following the dismissal we threw open the French windows and the young folk poured out for an afternoon's exhausting fun.

Adults maintained a safe distance and sat in comfort around tables to enjoy picnic and conversation. People who often go home to empty houses enjoyed the fellowship and being part of the church family of all ages.

The very popular bubble machine (supplied by my Wee Sister) was a source of much innocent fun and laughter. What is it about running after those little rainbow reflecting globes? You can see from the shadows that we were enjoying glorious sunshine although the rain clouds were gathering beyond the Parish Halls.

It was a relaxing afternoon - even the glebewarden decided to test out the grass for comfort, with Barney at his side.

The photographs will be on display in the hall over the next few weeks so that we can reflect on the parish doing church together. We each have a part to play in the growth and development of Saint Nicholas' and in encouraging one another. The Annual Parish Picnic is one of those events that draws us closer to one another in fellowship. It is good for the young people to see the church family of all ages enjoying time together. It is good for more senior members to be encouraged by the life and energy of the young. It is good to be one of the people of God who worship in Saint Nicholas'!

Lunch, picnics and work...

One workman has been "abandoned" outside my rectory. His job is to keep the traffic flowing by use of his "stop/go" lollipop. All the rest - who assured me that there's a problem with my drains - have gone off for lunch. Not that I've noticed any problem - but they are concerned enough to dig a huge hole in the middle of the road and fence it around with bright orange barriers. Maybe I'll nip out and take a couple of photographs so that you can see for yourself!
Anyhow, it is lunch break just now and I've had complaints that the blog hasn't been updated. So, it seems a good idea to put down some kind of ramble, if only to keep the critics at bay!
Lunch was warm and eaten indoors. The country is basking in a hot Friday according to the weather forecasts. But not here. Not in Belfast. Sometimes the cloud thins, the light level is raised and hope springs up afresh. But then, 'as sure as eggs is eggs', the cloud darkens again and the electic lights are switched on. No chance of sitting in the garden although with almost two rain-free days I'll be able to cut the grass. Gardener has turned out to be a bit of a failure. Every three weeks he scythes his way through...not enough, my friend, not enough. Next year I'll be looking for an alternative - maybe a goat! Meanwhile I use the push mower to keep the top below knee level.
Perhaps the sun will grace us with a visit on Sunday next - the Day of Pentecost. I do hope so. There's a United Churches Picnic and Praise Service at Saint Nicholas' - or in the grounds of the halls if you're looking for us. People have been encouraged to bring along barbecues as well - and I'm not at all sure how they would work on the wooden floors of the Parish Halls! It might turn out to be a very warm Pentecost for all concerned. At least our location is good - right behind the Fire Station! Maybe I should do a few free burgers and invite the crew to join us?
I like the way the four churches do things together - we're Belfast South Methodist, Windsor and Ulsterville Presbyterian and Saint Nicholas' Church of Ireland. We'll do a few balloons too and attach our names to them so if any make their way to your house - please send the label back or telephone us to let us know where the balloon arrived!
Everyone is welcome to join us on Sunday at 5.00 pm. Bring your picnic or barbecue (with rugs, chairs and anything else you like) and come along to the grounds at the John Mercer Halls on Cadogan Park. There'll be games for children and a short worship service. We plan to have the service at 5.00 o'clock.
Now - off to take a picture or two and then head out for afternoon visits. Have a great Pentecost wherever you are!