The Chaplain’s Blog

Tony LeFevre

The Way of the Cross

Link to the PowerPoint Presentation of the whole Stations text and pictures

The Way of the Cross small

Link to the PDF File of the whole Stations text and pictures

The Way of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and
those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 16.24,25

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of
Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down
the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.
Ephesians 2.13,14

Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son
our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross: grant
that we may follow the example of his patience and humility, and also be made partakers of his
resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.

First Station: Jesus in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane

Second Station: Jesus betrayed by Judas and arrested

Third Station: Jesus condemned by the Sanhedrin

Fourth Station: Peter denies Jesus

Fifth Station: Jesus judged by Pilate

Sixth Station: Jesus scourged and crowned with thorns

Seventh Station: Jesus carries the cross

Eighth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross

Ninth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Tenth Station: Jesus is crucified

Eleventh Station: Jesus promises the kingdom to the penitent thief

Twelfth Station: Jesus on the cross; his mother and his friend

Thirteenth Station: Jesus dies on the cross

Fourteenth Station: Jesus laid in the tomb

Fifteenth Station: Jesus risen from the dead

Zoom – getting started / basics

April 2020

 

There are various ways to join a zoom meeting.

 

  1. The easiest method for you to use if you are only ATTENDING a meeting and not creating a meeting invite yourselves is to click on the link that will be provided for you in the meeting invitation before the meeting is due to start. Then follow the steps below:

 

  • Once you have clicked on the link, you will be taken automatically to the zoom application in order to access the meeting

 

  • There will be a pop up window on screen saying “this site is trying to open zoom meetings,” click “open”

 

  • You should then see a pop up window – click on “join with video” if your computer has a camera and another prompt to click on “join with computer audio”

 

  • You should then be in the meeting. You can choose to disable/enable your camera (you will see a camera icon at the bottom of your screen to click on.)  And there will be an icon and option at the top right hand corner to enter full screen mode, speaker mode or gallery mode (the latter shows a selection of participants – as many as can fit on the screen).

 

Mute / unmute your microphone

 

  • Muting cancels out unnecessary background noise making it easier to hear the speaker more clearly, you may be muted automatically at the beginning of meetings
  • Click or tap on the mute button to mute yourself and on the unmute button to speak when invited by the host, although the host can also control this function for everyone.

 

  • Please note, if you have a very old computer that does not have a microphone built in then it is likely you will be unable to join the meeting from your computer. If this is the case and you have a smart phone we advise you access the meeting using the same link on your phone.
  • If your Wi-Fi signal is not very strong or consistent you may find it easier to join with audio only and not video
  1. Or you can Register for a free Zoom account

 

Go to https://zoom.us/ and follow the sign-up steps (this step is only required if you need to create meetings rather than just attend)

 

 

  1. Or Download the free Zoom client/app

 

 

  • Join your meeting proper
  • A link will be emailed to you, sign-in to your account, click the link and join the meeting

 

  1. Suggestion – to familiarise yourselves with zoom if it’s new. Set-up a trial meeting with friends/family to test it out

 

  • log-in to your account, select schedule and follow the steps to generate your meeting link which you can then copy/paste and email or text to people
  • in the meeting – ensure your audio/video is working – if you get stuck, it might help to get Google to help with your issue, there is likely to be advice online and tutorials on YouTube, or you could get in touch with a more tech savvy relative
  • if you find that you have slow internet, reduce the amount of devices connected to the internet in your household temporarily and/or run as audio only, having the most up to date version of the app will help to reduce any glitches

The Way of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and
those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

Tony LeFevre has a Super Way of the Cross Journey you may like… 

Beatitudes for A Global Pandemic. (Link to Her Blog) 

Beatitudes for a global pandemic. Found on Twitter – Jayne @TheWomanfredi

Blessed are those who stay indoors for they have protected others.
Blessed are the unemployed and the self-employed, for their need of God is great.
Blessed are the corner shopkeepers, for they are the purveyors of scarce things.
Blessed are the delivery drivers and the postal workers, for they are the bringers of essential things.
Blessed are the hospital workers; the ambulance crews, the doctors, the nurses, the care assistants, and the cleaners, for they stand between us and the grave, and the Kingdom of Heaven is surely theirs.
Blessed are the checkout workers, for they have patience and fortitude in the face of overwork and frustration.
Blessed are the refuse collectors, for they will see God despite the mountains of waste.
Blessed are the teachers, for they remain steadfast and constant in disturbing times.
Blessed are the church workers; the deacons, priests and bishops, for they are a comforting presence in a hurting world as they continue to signpost towards God.
Blessed are the single parents, for they are coping alone with their responsibilities and there is no respite.
Blessed are those who are alone, for they are children of God and with Him they will never be lonely.
Blessed are the bereaved, for whom the worst has already happened. They shall be comforted.
Blessed are those who are isolated with their abusers, for one day – we pray – they will know safety.
Blessed are all during this time who have pure hearts; all who still hunger and thirst for justice; all who work for peace and who model mercy. May you know comfort. May you know calm. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all. Amen.

 

  • William’s brainstorm of ideas following the last blog……
  • How are we coping with the change in church life? Some more ideas…
  •  SPWD – Sermon Preparation WithdrawalDisorder….
  •  Technology. Meetings by Skype or Zoom…Fear or delight….How is it for you or for others…
  •  Social media…thoughts for the day…
  •  Virtual worship…its many forms…
  •  The new style of funeral…limited service…supporting families in other ways…
  •  The new funeral regime is about to come into fruition. Not sure how it will work…
  •  Pastoral work remotely…
  •  Not offering to write anything; but ideas!!!

Joy Gunter sent me this Spiritual Communion

Spiritual Communion

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Lord I cannot seek Thee on Thine altar throne

Yet may I receive Thee weary and alone; 

When before Thy altar crowds adoring kneel,

there in very essence, Thou dost come to heal.

 Far from priest and altar Christ to Thee I cry,

come to me in spirit, let me feel Thee nigh.

 In my silent worship, Let me share the feast,

Be Thy love the altar Be Thyself the priest.

 

Act of faith

O most loving Jesus I believe that Thou art really present in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar. Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief.

Act of Hope

I hope O Jesus by the virtue of this Sacrifice to overcome all my sins to persevere in goodness, to die in Thy favour; and to rise glorious at the last day.

Act of charity

O that I could love Thee dear Lord as Thy blessed mother and all thy saints have loved Thee! O that I could praise Thee as they praised Thee on earth and now praise Thee in heaven.

 

From the Centenary Prayer Book 1948

Don McQuillen-Wright came across this interesting version of the Passion narrative.

Dear All

Below these musings there are a few possibly useful prayers!

Roy Cooper, a Reader in Training due to be licensed in October is doing some weekly Sunday Scribblings and I have made a page for his collected thoughts  – https://www.readers-chaplain.org.uk/roys-sunday-scribblings/ 

Lez and I have been socially distancing for almost a fortnight though I have braved the Co-op first thing in the morning for some essentials! Luckily our children are shopping for us in the main! I am sure many of you are in the same situation with much more serious health issues than ours but we dont want to be part of the problem for our wonderful front line key-worker staff. 

With my school work gone and grandchild contact only virtual amongst other things , I have been in a state of what I can only describe as bereavement.  So many of my ex pupils and their parents are in the thick of it at the moment that my prayer is pretty much constant as is the need to do something positive. 

The positive thing was to help those parents stuck at home and the volunteers at schools looking after key worker children doing their favourite school songs and stories. These I have published on this site… see the link in the menu to Jim’s Stories! Some things might be useful or at least give you a laugh. 

The rainbows in the picture are appearing as a symbol of hope drawn by children so that those passing can see them. 

We have hope – thank God. 

 

Keep safe – Jim

 

The Prayers we sent to our Church family  – you might find them useful (based on some in  John Pritchard Intercessions Handbook )

Here are some prayers for use tomorrow and in the coming week.  You might like to have a candle ready to light – there is one mentioned in the prayers.

Attached is the Celtic Blessing sung by Dhiworth an Gollon – our dwarves!

 

We’re most stretched in our intercessions when some terrible tragedy has occurred and it’s hard to know how to pray without sounding banal. Perhaps the most important need is to be honest; hence the response in this intercession, ‘O God, why?’

 

Our prayers today are making a time for honest emotion before God. We can’t  tidy up tragedy in neat prayers. Perhaps questioning our impotence is the most effective way of identifying with the depth of sorrow felt by so many.

Lord, we’ve seen the pictures, and felt the shock.  It seems so tragic, so pointless and so desperate. We’ve heard the stories, the little cameos of grief, and we feel so helpless. Sometimes we rage against this kind of event, and sometimes we feel a sense of dull fatalism that ‘this is the way the world is’.

And so we say, O God, why?

In the meantime our prayers seem futile, like stones in our mouths. Words of any kind seem trivial and clumsy. How can we pray in these situations? How can we frame anything worth saying? How did Mary pray at the crucifixion?

And so we say, O God, why?

We believe you’re somehow there in the mess of it all. At least that’s what our faith tells us. But just at the moment that doesn’t feel to be enough. We know you’re helping the helpless, as well as

helping the helpers, but the point is — it all seems too late.

And so we say, O God, why?

We’ll do our best to clear up the mess, and we’ll move on. But there are many who won’t be able to move on because they’ll have been too much changed by this event, and too traumatized.

We know you’ll stay with them every step of the way, and you’ll be at full stretch to bring them healing but still we say, O God, why?

All we can do is light a candle in the darkness to represent our fragile prayer and our battered faith. And as it burns, let it be for us a sign of your love and grace, shining in our present darkness.

Make us impatient for that day when the whole creation shall be renewed and we have a new heaven and a new earth, and we shall no longer say, ‘O God, why?’

Amen, Lord, so be it.

a fifteen minute story written originally for children…

A story that affirms however useless we may feel in our current state - God has a use for us.

Sometimes we are taught stuff we don’t really understand but it might just be the thing we need that helps us get home.

A tale of empty shelves

Princess Ellie & the Cakes

When my grandaughter Ellie was about two years old she was living with us because Mum who was expecting little brother Patrick was not very well.  One day Ellie and I were in the park when she asked for a story……. a story about a Princess called Ellie…. and some cake.  This is the story- but an apt one in these times when our supermaket shelves seem empty. 

Watch Now

A Story for Strange Times

The first in a series of stories, some for adults and some for children. This one is for adults. 

Watch Now

Continuing Professional Development and Ministerial Development Review

 

CMD & MDR – Don’t you just love a good acronym?

Last week I attended a working group about CMD (Continuing ministerial development) at Epiphany House. Readers were well represented and the group led by Sally Piper (a reader herself) in the place of Rebecca who was unfortunately able to come because her son was unwell.

We had a a fruitful morning talking about what made a good course and what made a bad one as well as discussing in general terms practical matters such as location, time of day, housekeeping arrangements and so on.  The second, and probably last meeting will look at content, duration and geography! 

More thoughts on MDR and how it should affect CPD  (and Reader Licensing!) in due course.

 

Important news items:

1, Chaplain’s Coffee and Conversation on second Mondays in Redruth has now been cancelled until the current crisis abates.

2. Reader Day has been cancelled for this year.

3. Transforming Ministry – (The old Central Readers Website)

The CRC website is no longer active – it is now Transforming Ministry – www.transformingministry.co.uk

 

 

Richard Roh’s Meditation and wise words for today….. (click the picture!) 

 Love Alone Overcomes Fear 

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Important news item: Chaplain’s Coffee and Conversation on second Mondays in Redruth has now been cancelled until the current crisis abates.

Reader Day has also been cancelled for this year.

The picture is the lounge at the Penventon Hotel – we tend to meet in that far corner – cosy, quiet and good for conversation. Join us when it restarts in…… perhaps June.