All Categories

Building the New Realm, Democratically

13/5/2017

Unless you are very disciplined about avoiding the news, you must have noticed that we are approaching another General Election, in just under a month's time. Perhaps you've been getting election leaflets through the door, or reading manifestos, or doing your best to avoid the whole thing.

One of the many themes of the New Testament letters is that of Christians trying to find their place in the world, caught between the reality of the resurrection and the new realm to come, and the harder truth of a difficult political regime that stood against their values. The writer to the Colossians wrote of the impact of Christ's resurrection after receiving the death penalty for political rebellion,

[Christ] disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. - Colossians 3:15

Meaning, although there are powers on earth that we are bound to respect, our respect need not be limitless and we can also be governed by the role that the Holy Spirit plays in our lives and the example of Christ.

This does not mean that we can disregard the impact of earthly powers, of course. In the book of Acts we read repeatedly that Peter, Paul, Silas, and many others stood against injustice and prejudice as part of their role in spreading the Gospel. They understood that repression or persecution of any one person is contrary to the message of Christ.

As we go to the polls in a few weeks, many people will try to determine the "Christian" way to vote and claim it for their own political gain. It can be easy to be blindsided by people who claim Christ for their own purposes - it is tempting to do so ourselves - but instead of focusing on the narratives that surround us we should go to the polls in prayer. Take time with the Gospels to look at who Jesus supported and see how that reflects in the people seeking your vote. Pray deeply and listen carefully. It is our job to build the new realm of God on earth, and the opportunity to decide who governs us is a part of that; it is vital that we engage.

Blessings
Kate

Founding the Faith

6/5/2017

Our theme for the season of Easter this year is, "Founding the Faith", as we continue to think about who we are as a church whilst the Pastoral Search Committee work towards finding our next Pastor, and as we reflect on the past 25 years and the role each of us has played in it.

The founders of the early church did not know what they were building. Many, including Paul. believe they were bringing believers into the faith in the certain expectation that Christ would return within their lifetime. Their exhortations have a feeling of urgency to them, and I find it hard to imagine what Paul and his followers would have made of the idea that nearly 2,000 years after his lifetime we would be such a diverse and global community, and still awaiting the coming of God's new Jerusalem.

By the same token, could Troy Perry have imagined what an MCC in Newcastle-upon-Tyne would look like when 12 people first met in his living room? Or a major MCC conference taking place in Brazil? Did those of you who met in November 1991 have any idea what your group could become, and the lives it would change?

In Philippians 3, Paul writes that we have a goal to strive towards - that of building the New Realm of God - whatever else we face. Let us remember this in our times together in worship, and also as we go about the business of daily life; working, voting, and socialising. As we work to the glory of God, our work will not be in vain.

Blessings
Kate

Love Your Chechen Neighbour

27/4/2017

This weekend, I will have the privilege of blessing Vanessa and Sheryl's marriage and it's made me very aware of how things have changed for LGBTQ+ people since MCC started, 49 years ago. At least, they have changed in the UK and many other countries.

At the same time, we are witnessing one of the worst humanitarian crises affecting LGBTQ+ people for at least half a century, taking place in Chechnya. The details are horrifying, but, if you can face them they are worth reading. (This article in the New York Times is one of the best sources available at the moment.)

It is a stark reminder of the reasons that the work of UFMCC and the Global Justice Institute is still incredibly important. I often hear comments - even from other queer people - assuming that the progress we have made in the UK and other countries means that we no longer need to be activists. We can't afford to take our rights for granted, and we have no right to claim to love our neighbour if we turn a blind eye when people beyond our line of sight are suffering.

In addition to signing and sharing the petition circulated in last week's Rainbow News, you can donate to an organisation working in the region, such as Amnesty International or the Global Justice Institute. Even by continuing to support NL MCC you are helping us to regularly give to the GLobal Justice Institute, and to run Rainbow Home to support LGBTQ+ asylum seekers living in the North East.

I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ - Matthew 25:36-40

Blessings
Kate

God Will Use Me as I am

22/4/2017

In all honesty, though I’m one for commitment on many ways, I have not been quite so eager to take responsibility. I can be flaky and flighty, and tend to talk myself down out of fear of failure shortly after making an initial decision. It’s something that's held me back for a long time.

Last Sunday I came into membership – a decision a couple of years in the making, and one I’m glad I’ve made. It's an auspicious time; not only Easter but near the beginning of my first year striking out on my own, away from home. I’m in a position where I am in full control of my life for the first time. The phrase “today is the first day of the rest of your life” comes to mind, and no matter where my life takes me, I have decided that I want to make that walk with God. I already decided that a few years ago, but after prayer, I felt the need to make that commitment more tangible. I wanted to not only show my commitment to God in a public way but to take responsibility while doing so by offering to serve the church which has brought me closer to Them than ever.

I will fall short. I will almost certainly be late for things, I will make mistakes, I will not always be able – or willing – to give my all, but I know that that is human, and that God will use me as I am. I have chosen to refuse to let the fear of what I cannot do keep me from doing what I can, and I will hold onto that choice and let God lead me wherever They will in the years to come. I’m deeply thankful for all of you for supporting me in getting this far.

God bless,
Isaac

Weaknesses turned into Strengths

13/4/2017

Two of my favourite questions to ask at interviews (after “What 3 words would your friends use to describe you?”) are,
“What are 3 of your strengths?” followed by,
“What are 3 of your weaknesses?”.

I’m always surprised when the people I am interviewing have to really think about their answers as I consider these to be standard interview questions and so would expect people to come prepared with answers. It makes me feel that they have not done their preparation and therefore if they haven’t prepared for this what else haven’t they prepared for and how serious are they about the job?

One of the objectives of the Pastoral Search Committee is to do the ground work in preparing what we are looking for in a Pastor, hence the recent survey that many of you completed. As part of the review of the answers Lily did her magic with the computer and came up with a “Word Cloud”. You can see this on the right (click to enlarge). There are some great words coming out of this, one’s which show who we are as Northern Lights MCC, as well as what we want to see in our Pastor.
At the same time we need to be preparing ourselves for what a new Pastor may come in and do. We need to be answering the question “What are our Strengths and what are our weaknesses?” Or maybe we want to answer the question “How would our friends describe us?”

Without blowing our own trumpet we are indeed “Fabulous and Beautiful” and we certainly know how to eat well, we enjoy being together both in worship and socially but what else are we good at? What are we not so good at, where are we currently struggling, what do we need some help with? There is nothing to be ashamed of in our weakness because as we are told in 2 Corinthians “My [God’s] grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

As come to Easter Sunday and remember how we have been given new life via the death and resurrection of Jesus let’s celebrate how Northern Lights MCC can be given new life and see our weaknesses turned into strengths.

Amen.

Charlotte W.

Palm Sunday and Holy Week

8/4/2017

It is definitely spring around our house today. The birds are out in force making a joyful noise, and Mrs. Evadne Cake (our pet cat) is sunning herself on a garden bench. It feels as if everyone is waking up. Even people around the city centre seem more cheerful and relaxed. Families are off on the Easter break, and there are three bank holiday weekends coming up in the next five weeks. It finally feels as though the long winter is behind us.

Spring is one of my favourite times of year, and I think the coincidence of Spring with Easter is a glorious one. Whilst the date of Christmas was set to bring it alongside an existing festival in the Roman world and to help Christianity to be an integral part of the Empire, Easter is a movable feast whose date is set according to John's Gospel account of the crucifixion which times it to coincide with Passover. (The feast of Passover this year begins at sunset on Monday (10th) and ends on Easter Sunday.)

At Passover, Jewish people around the world remember their liberation by God from the slavery in which they were held by the Egyptian rulers. It was this festival that Jesus was celebrating when he entered Jerusalem, and for which he held a celebratory dinner with his closest friends and disciples on the night before he was betrayed. The Eucharist seems to be based to some extent on the Seder meal at the heart of the Passover celebrarions.

As we gather for the feast of our redemption, we are in solidarity with the Jewish communities celebrating Passover and we remember together that it is God who sets God's people free.

Blessings
Kate

Trans* Day of Visibility

31/3/2017

Today is Trans* Day of Visibility, when we celebrate our trans siblings in the fullness of their identities. Transgender identities include people who identify beyond the traditional male/female binary, and / or don't identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. They might be agender (not identifying within any gender), or fluid (shifting gender identities), or gender queer. Trans people might change their name, or seek medical intervention, or they may not. Those of us who are cisgender (not trans) have a responsibility to be open to hearing people's experiences of their gender - however they present today, and when it might differ from yesterday.

MCC has always sought to be a home for trans* and gender-non-conforming people, since we have historically shared a persecution. It was a trans woman of colour who probably threw a shoe at the police outside the Stonewall Inn, starting the 1969 Stonewall Riot in New York. Nearly fifty years later, trans women of colour are still more likely than almost any other social group to be the victims of sexual crimes, or killed for their identity. I was reminded of Isaac's powerful words on the blog for Trans Day of Remembrance, back in November.

I’ve spoken to many trans people in the past few years – primarily those living in the United States and here. Though things are somewhat safer for us in these places than in many other countries, persecution still weighs heavily on us. I’ve had to comfort and reassure more people than I can count. Trans people, especially women, and of them especially trans women of colour, are disproportionately threatened with and suffer from transphobic violence, and the present and predicted rise in hate crimes has affected us already.

To learn more about MCC's trans ministries, and hear Angel Collie from the Governing Board tell some of their story, visit mccchurch.org/ministries/transgender.

Blessings
Kate

Tempted in the Wilderness

25/3/2017

Like many of you, I watched events unfold in Westminster earlier this week with some anxiety. When I lived in London, I would go to Westminster Bridge to think, to look out over the river and to watch people passing. It is a funny thing to see your 'safe place' breached. Parliament in the Palaces of Westminster has been for centuries a symbol of democracy, and an act of violence on its doorstep was understandably a frightening thing.

In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted three times. First, to break his fast by turning stones into bread. Then, to jump from the pinnacle of the temple to demonstrate the love of God. Finally, to take possession of the earth's dominions by worshipping his tempter. These temptations have in common that they are designed to tempt Jesus into demonstrating his power even at the cost of the law of God he holds dear.

Jesus could be tempted because he was fully human as well as fully divine. He could be tempted because he was isolated and hungry. He could be tempted, because we can all be tempted. This week, we are scared. Temptation comes easily when people are scared. It would be easy to be tempted to mistrust, especially as the newspapers and websites we read continue to recycle the same lines about "conversion to Islam", "radicalism", and "identity crisis". It would be easy to succumb to the voice of the tempter that repeats these lines until they apply not only to this one man but to anyone who looks like him, prays like him, or shares his heritage.

It is tempting to prevail on the power we have at our disposal (our elected representatives, for example) to challenge or hurt other people because we have been hurt. It is tempting to turn against refugees, economic migrants, or imprisoned criminals. But Christ who modelled resistance to temptation tells us only to serve the law of God, and the law of God tells us to love our neighbour (from wherever they came) as ourselves, and to forgive those who harm us seventy-times-seven times.

As we approach the time when we are invited to remember the persecution of Christ at the hands of powerful people who accused him of threatening their power, we recall our own temptation to turn from enthusiastic supporters of Christ to the people who condemn him. We have a choice whether to succumb to the temptation to cast our blame far and wide, or to forgive the attacker and care for his victims and their families. Let us pray to follow the path of Christ this Lent.

Blessings
Kate

Step off the Treadmill

16/3/2017

As today draws to an end, it will soon be time for bed, I often wonder what I have done with the day and especially the evenings. As well as doing this blog tonight I had hoped to write up two sets of minutes, reply to some emails and sort out a pile of filing. Unfortunately although I will get this done and some of the emails I can’t see me getting either sets of minutes done or any of the paperwork sorted.

A few years ago I would probably have managed to do more but as I get older life often seems to slow down. Actually I’m not sure if I’m slowing down or time is passing more quickly! Whichever is the case there never seem to be enough hours in the day or in-fact in the week.

In this period of Lent we often hear about using the time to stop, pause, review life etc. Lent reminds us of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert before he started his ministry, before the 3 years of his ministry that ended with Passover in Jerusalem, his arrest, whilst once again he was spending time praying and preparing for what was to come, and death on the cross.

When life seems so busy and there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done isn’t it so easy to actually stop doing the one thing that could recharge the batteries, could make it easier to do the things that need doing, to stop spending time with God being filled up again with their energy? This is true, not just at this time of Lent, but at any time in the year. Life is too busy, we are too tired, there just aren’t enough hours in the day so to free up more time we stop spending time with God.

It seems to me that this then becomes a vicious circle, we don’t spend time with God, so less gets done and we feel busier and busier as we need to get more done in a shorter time so we have even less time to spend with God!

Maybe for you, like me, it’s time to step off this treadmill, spend some time telling God how little time you feel you have, how busy you seem to be, letting go of all the business and worries and instead of being a human “doing” once again become a human “being” in God’s presence.

Amen.

Charlotte

Esther's Bravery

10/3/2017

The Jewish festival of Purim begins at sunset tomorrow (Saturday 11th March). Purim commemorates the intervention of Queen Esther to prevent the mass murder of Jewish people under the rule of the Persian king Xerxes. The king's vizier, Haman, required complete subservience from subjects under Persian rule and objected to Esther's uncle Mordecai's refusal to prostrate himself before Haman. As a result, Haman persuaded the king to grant permission for him to exterminate the local Jewish population.

Esther used her role as queen to intervene with Xerxes - she risked her life by approaching the king without his express invitation or permission. She persuaded him to recognise the loyalty of her uncle Mordecai and question his vizier's motives, and as a result of her intervention the local Jewish population was spared massacre; Haman was hanged from the gallows he constructed in order to execute Mordecai.

The full poetic justice of the story of Esther is contained in the Book of Esther, and is worth reading in full. It is an adventure story, a story of conquest, outrage, and xenophobia. Amongst the Jewish traditions for Purim are hecking over the name of Haman when the scripture is read in the Synagogue, and eating pastries known as Hamantaschen ("Haman's ears"), to dishonour him for his racism and violence. At the same time, Jewish families send food parcels to friends and increase their charitable giving to remind themselves that their survival is not guaranteed and that it's vital to stand alongside those who might not. And then, they celebrate with bright costumes (or fancy dress) and rejoice in a time in history when the Jewish people triumphed. (Want to try your own Hamantaschen? Here's a recipe.)

The story of Esther reminds me of all the times Christian leaders have stood on the side of Haman throughout our shared history; through expulsions, propaganda, or collaboration. I also know that Jewish communities are not the only ones whom we as a church have demonised and feared. As we travel through Lent it points to a particular form of human frailty; our tendency to fear people who are not like us. In the story of Esther I find a challenge to stand up for oppressed peoples everywhere.

Esther stood alone because the Jewish people were isolated from power; let's seek out where Esther stands alone today, and seek to amplify her voice and stand alongside her.

Blessings
Kate

About us

Who We Are
What We Believe
What We Do
Whats On?

Follow, tweet and talk to us!

Worship with us Sunday 6.30pm
ONLINE VIA FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE

Email: contact@northernlightsmcc.org.uk
Phone: 07770543407

Social Media Contribution Guidance

Registered Charity Number 1093009

Website designed by Carly Steven

Logo and branding designed by Naomi Neilson