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June 2023 Gathering

June 13th

Alex welcomed everyone to our last session before the summer break.

We began with prayer and worship songs accompanied by our musicians, including “Make me a Channel of your Peace” whilst the display on the carpet was mostly fabric, with flowers and lots of birds, a clue to today’s theme based around

St Francis of Assisi.

 

Jan Kear in a new role, then began to unfold the life of St. Francis, Patron Saint of animals and the environment, and his inspiration and achievements. What an interesting and eventful life he had. [1182-1226]

Sue then introduced the activities available.

The bird feeder table led by Lyn and Clive was immediately very popular with different designs of feeder in different materials. Some assembly was required and was a challenge without instructions! The results were very professional and the birds will love them.

The clay plaque making of a model of St. Francis was tackled in different ways and there was much discussion. The results were wonderful, an inspired idea from Alison, who was there to help.

There was writing inspired by the theme of nature and God’s world.

To see this month’s creative writing, click here.

The ongoing project for book making with colourful covers and glued and stitched pages, with some completing a new Zig Zag book which opened like a concertina. We were guided by Sue who was on hand to assist and advise.

The colouring activity was popular and aided lively conversation.

 

The prayerful knitting was available as usual, which is a very calming and meditative activity with time to rest and pray.

Coffee and biscuits were available throughout the morning. Thank you, Carolyn and all who rallied around.

Finally, there was the opportunity to exhibit and share our art work before the prayer and the blessing. The gift of a special card with the prayer of St Francis was given to everyone who came.

St Francis of Assisi Prayer. [1182-1226]
You are Holy Lord;
the only God and your deeds are wonderful.
You are love, you are wisdom, you are humility,
you are endurance you are rest, you are peace.
You are joy and gladness, you are all riches and you suffice for us.
You are beauty, you are gentleness,
you are our protector, you are our guardian and defender.
You are courage, you are our haven and hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation,
you are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord,
God Almighty, merciful Saviour.
Amen

There was a slight delay as we rearranged for the picnic as, amazingly, it was just too hot to sit outside. What a wonderful spread! sandwiches, sausage rolls and many other delicious savoury items and lovely strawberries and cream as well as mini Pavlovas and cheesecake.

Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday September 12th starting at 10.00am with coffee from 9.30.

A warm Kingdom Arts welcome awaits all.

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May 2023 Gathering

May 9th

Normally, our sessions are led by Alex and Sue, but Alex was unable to attend because of illness, so Sue introduced today’s theme

The clue to today’s ‘Heroes of Faith’ was the display on the carpet: – emblems of a flag, a badge, photographs, quotations and tambourines.

This month’s “Heroes of Faith” was William and Catherine Booth, founders of the Salvation Army.

We began with a short period of worship which included singing and prayer. Then Barbara told the story of the amazing lives of William and Catherine Booth and the foundation of the Salvation Army and explained the symbolism of their emblem. Many of us were not aware of the important role Catherine had. It was a very interesting talk and you might like to search the internet to find out more for yourselves. If you search for ‘William and Catherine Booth’, you will find a wealth of information.

The morning’s activities included making family tree banners. This was prompted by the ‘Family tracing’ service offered by the Salvation Army’ and attracted several people. There was some inventive gluing rather than stitching and plenty of discussion.

The ongoing project for book making with colourful covers and glued and stitched pages was guided by Sue who was on hand to assist and advise, with some completing their book with inside pages which was so satisfying.

The colouring activity was popular and aided mindfulness and great concentration.

There was also much debating at the writing table.

The prayerful knitting was available as usual, which is very calming and meditative activity with time to rest and pray.

Coffee and cake were available throughout the morning. Thank you, Margaret and Carolyn.

Finally, there was the opportunity to exhibit and share our art work before we sang with an unusual accordion and tambourine accompaniment “I’ll go in the strength of the Lord.”

The prayer and the blessing completed our morning and we moved to the Magdalene room for Jan’s home-made soup, where we were offered a choice of tomato and apple, or spinach, with bread and cheese, cake and fruit. They were, as usual, delicious.

We all wish Alex a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her soon.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday June 13th starting at 10.00am with coffee from 9.30, and a shared picnic lunch.
We pray for a fine day so that we are able to gather in the garden.

A warm Kingdom Arts welcome awaits all.

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March writing 2023

Your Word

Your Word
Your work is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path
It draws me
Embraces me with a warmth that
sets my heart aglow. Ever since I heard it.
A treasure in my darkness….

It’s the spark that fuels my day
And set my cold feet on the long path to gain a copy of my own.

A set of words – the Bible-
and I heard, I listened even hungered after it.
Fills my often-empty belly with nourishment.
I have found I can’t live without it.

My mind dreams of your word,
Passages surface from the deep within and brings me joy —
Others need to hear, to know the truth to share —

As your word rumbles from the bowels deep within me,
A vision is born
and I find myself walking for miles across rough terrain,
Challenged, yet a fire burns within,
that others can also have copy of your word – to feed on,
when nothing satisfies ……

How many miles will you travel a similar path to complete the vision??

© Shefali

Weaving Threads

We weave our threads of life into the tapestry of life
We don’t see it as we weave
But he sees it in all its glory punctuated with jewels
Those experiences of a thin place, of sacred space, of silence
But also of pain, suffering hardships.
And bring us a depth to our faith a purpose of drawing near.
Of a lesson learned at his knee, a sharing of a Christ’s love
A love that is extended to us, that a love that is extended to us
that weaves the jewels of sapphires, emeralds and diamonds into our living tapestry.
Weave with joy,
Weave with hope,
Weave the healing we need into our life’s tapestry.
All glorifying to his name.

© Jenny English

Mary Jones and Her Bible

I remember well young Mary. How she longed to own God’s word.
As a child I read her book And my heart within was stirred.
I walked that journey with her And shared her trust in God,
I felt the loneliness within, Call out from the self-same sod.
A lonely little Welsh girl Whose father had passed on,
Spent many hours all alone, Wondering – “What went wrong?”
I could not understand the pain, The hopeless cry for hope.
Why was I so alone, so sad? I needed a way to cope.
And I knew that Mary’s faith in God Had kept her all along.
Had paved the way, fulfilled her dreams. Her life had become a song.
I read her book in Nanna’s home and silently cried out,
“Can you do the same for me?” “My child,” He said. “Don’t doubt.”
So I began to trust Him, Put my life into His hands.
Twists and turns awaited me Unveiling life’s greater plans.
But Mary and her simple walk of trust that led the way,
Remained a beacon in my life, and still inspires today.

So Thank you Kingdom Arts, For this hero from the past,
Reviving childhood memories of finding faith which lasts.

© Ruth Campsell

 

 

 

March 2023 Gathering

March 14th

This month’s activities were inspired by the life of

Mary Jones (1794-1864)

who lived in Abergynolwyn, Wales. As a young girl, her desire to possess a bible of her own caused her to save for 6 years, walk 26 miles barefoot to meet the only individual in the area who sold Bibles – the Reverend Thomas Charles.

He was so impressed by Mary’s visit, he proposed the formation of a society to supply reasonably priced Bibles to the people of Wales, eventually leading to the ‘The British and Foreign Bible Society’ – now ‘The Bible Society’.

An array of Bibles was displayed, [the oldest dated from 1611] with Welsh symbols of fabric, flags and daffodils, not forgetting leeks and a photograph of Mary Jones.

They indicated that the theme would reflect the passion of this amazing young woman and her barefoot walk to buy a bible.

As usual, we began our morning with a short time of worship including song and prayer.

Jan B gave a very heart-warming talk about Mary Jones and others who were so desperate to have a bible and to use it. The story of a young Ugandan boy who Jan and her husband had visited, to take him a bible which was what he really wanted and was delighted to receive, was the most touching.

CREATIVE WRITING
The theme certainly inspired some wonderful and deeply thoughtful writing.

To see this month’s creative writing, click here.

All manner of other creative activities was on offer this morning, including an ongoing project for book making with colourful covers and glued and stitched pages this was guided by guided by Sue and Karen.

 

RAG RUGGING TABLE WORKSHOP
We were shown how to make Welsh Daffodil and Easter Cross cards using a rag rugging technique by prodding strips of coloured material into small squares of hessian . The hessian was then mounted onto a folded card.

WELSH DAFFODIL SUNCATCHERS
Painting some suncatchers with acrylic paint to hang in the windows at home.

BIBLE SOCIETY
The “6 Beats One Story” was played during the morning. This is a journey through the Bible in spoken word poetry. Beat 1 “Origins” was watched which was the first 3 Chapters of Genesis.
We hope to bring a different “beat” each month.

You can watch and listen to this presentation on The Bible Society website.

The link below will take you to the correct page (please note if you click the link, you will leave the Kingdom Arts website), then you just need to scroll down to find “Beat 1 – Origins”

Click here >> Bible Society : Six Beats One Story

The prayerful knitting was available as usual, which is very calming and meditative activity with time to rest and pray.

Coffee and biscuits were available throughout the morning. Thank you, Pam and Carolyn.

Finally, there was the opportunity to exhibit and share our art work, and talk about how the activities made us feel.

Sue enthralled us as she played the harp and filled the church with music and we finished with the Lord’s Prayer in Welsh (a recording as no one present could speak Welsh!), and a blessing.

Jan’s home-made soup offered a choice of red pepper or pea and mint. They were flavoursome and warming. The selection of cake was also much enjoyed, with the addition of home-made Welsh cakes especially made for the occasion. Thank you, Christine.

Unfortunately, the meeting on April 18th has had to be cancelled.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday May 9th starting at 10.00am with coffee from 9.30.  The theme of Heroes of Faith continues and the ever-popular soup lunch and a warm Kingdom Arts welcome awaits all.

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February writing 2023

Onward

The Holy Christmas Light
has shone its message
of love, peace and hope
over the World once more,
amidst all the difficulties
and tears of pain and joy.
Now we must travel onward,
believing in God’s purifying, endless
LOVE.
Feeling worthy to be part of that
MESSAGE.
Learning to love one another.
Searching, and using, our God-given gifts.
Finding strength to break up unploughed Earth,
and moving prayerfully into life ahead.

© Helen McNicholl

The Jug of Tulips.

Tightly closed they rise to a pointed tip as if hiding a secret.
Petals enfolding petals like Christ’s love wrapping around us.
Is faith like these tulips?
Does faith grow as slowly as the petals?
Carefully, cautiously opening.
Taking time
Until our inner selves are revealed like the stamens?
Affirmation that only now, like the tulips, we bow to his will
By dropping our petals at his feet.

© Barbara Rolison

Tulips

A land conquering tides
And building dykes and wind mills
To let the water flow
In tune with man and God
As lowing cattle grow
And bulbs of every hue.

The canals like ribbons
Alive with boats, flowers and ducks
Beneath an open sky
A backdrop for Gods glory
Feasts of cheese and pickled eels
Armies of bicycles
Tandems challenge
Who’s in charge?
May God lead the way
Across this land of scents and beauty.

© Helen McNicholl

Why worry?

Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow
It empties today of its strength.
So why worry?
Worry is my way of anticipating the worst scenario.
A self-protecting shield against disaster
No better than a reassuring plaster.
A fret that picks my brain not to forget that happiness is not a given.
But it shuts me off from Heaven.

Self-concern that seeks to stand apart
A little lost sheep bleating in my heart
I weaken and I writhe inside
It makes me want to run away and hide
Alarmed and caught in a thorn bush of my own making.
I see my shepherd, staff in hand He’s coming.
He is goodness and mercy overwhelming
What a relief as he speaks love for me
Such love, such truth, such strength and security.

© Chris Graham

A Million Tears

As distant on-lookers
what can we say,
what can we do?
We are horror-struck.
Even from afar
our senses are numb and shaken.
Sights beyond our understanding.

Help us Lord
to feel their plight,
their anguish,
their brutal pain.
Torn families,
shattered homes,
the penetrating cold.

But our Lord understands.
He lives with every soul,
Alive or risen.
Strengthening every helping hand,
driven by love for humankind.
Blessing heart-felt gifts
from far and wide.

He knows our prayers.
Oh Lord, let them feel your balm:
Nightmares calmed,
Healing tears shed
Hope kept alive,
Fears quietened.
Comfort them Lord
With Your unfailing love.

© Helen McNicholl

 

February 2023 Gathering

February 14th

A Dutch theme was evident this morning with clogs, tulips and delft patterns on display alongside an array of handmade books.
Alex offered a warm welcome to all and we gathered to sing “Christ be our Light “and “Such Love”.

 

Alison G gave a talk about

Corrie Ten Boon

a brave Christian, and watchmaker, who hid Jews in her house in Holland during the war as part of an escape route, until she and her sister were arrested and taken to a series of concentration camps. Following that experience Corrie continued her long life as a Christian speaker and writer.

A time of prayer and reflection followed, where we prayed for the earthquake victims, survivors and aid agencies.
All of the creative activities centred around the Dutch theme.

Cherry led a group in Origami where the task was to fold the paper into a tulip. It transpired that this was “open to interpretation” and some of the group’s tulips had a slightly different design.

There was a table for book making with colourful covers and glued and stitched pages and this will be an ongoing process with more to learn each month guided by Sue.

The free art table gave opportunities to experiment with the Delft pottery palate of blue and white.

The card making with Alison G featured cogs and wheels to reflect the work of our Hero. The designs were imaginative and the card could be used to write a memorable phrase or a message.

The prayerful knitting was available as usual, which is very calming and meditative activity with time to rest and pray.

For those who wished to express themselves in writing, there was the creative writing table, a jug of tulips to provide inspiration and jog memories.

To see this month’s creative writing, click here.

Coffee and biscuits were available throughout the morning. Thank you, Pam.

Finally, there was the opportunity to exhibit and share our art work, talk about how the activities made us feel and finish with a blessing
The home-made soup offered a choice of sweet potato or broccoli soup, with optional additions of peanuts or Spring onions. They were pronounced delicious! The selection of cake was also much enjoyed, the lemon drizzle was moist and yummy!

Our next meeting is on Tuesday March 14th starting from 10.00am with coffee from 9.30. The theme of Heroes of Faith continues and the ever-popular soup lunch and a warm Kingdom Arts welcome to all.

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January 2023 Gathering

January 10th

Our first meeting of 2023 started off with a very ‘buzzy’ feeling as we had new people and many old friends who came. There was even a queue for refreshments (many thanks to Pam and Carolyn) before we started.

The life and work of
Gladys Aylward
in China

 

Following our theme of ‘heroes of faith’, we reflected on the life of Gladys Aylward, the British missionary who went to China. Jan K. gave us a lively overview of her life and pointed out some of the discrepancies between it and as depicted in the film of her life ‘The Inn of the 6th Happiness’.

As she helped to stop the practice of binding the feet of little girls in China we used shoes as our prayer focus and imagined what it would be like to walk in the shoes of others. It was a ‘pass the shoe’ prayer time which gave us an opportunity to reflect on the lives of others through footwear.

We had a wonderful choice of Chinese themed activities to participate in including ‘willow’ art with Karen,

making Chinese lanterns and concertinaed dragons with Alison,

Chinese characters and cutting out

Chinese symbols organised by Sue.

When we gathered together we shared what we’d done and heard some wonderful creative writing inspired by our reflection on Gladys.

Shafali shared memories of hearing Gladys speak when she was at school and how hearing about her had inspired her in later life.

The soup, as usual, was delicious. An old favourite, leek and potato, and tomato and basil. It was very welcome and warming. We also had some delicious cakes to finish off.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday, 14th February starting from 10.00am with coffee from 9.30. A warm Kingdom Arts welcome awaits you all. We look forward to seeing you then.

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