On Sunday 3rd November we were visited by Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s country director for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Poppy shared stories of her life and work in DRC, the challenges she, her family and her team have faced, and how they have experienced God’s goodness in the midst of difficulty. The reading is John 1:1-5. You can listen here or using the player below. You can find out more about Tearfund’s work in DRC here.
At Kairos’ 14th birthday celebration, Ben shared some sabbatical news, updates on current church projects (first 9 minutes of the talk), and a sense of where God is leading us for the next season. In a fearful, complex and conflicted world, God invites us to go deeper, no longer paddling on the beach but embarking on a journey to explore the ocean depths of God’s love. Not settling for being close to God’s kingdom, are we willing to step into it? We will continue to learn and discuss what it means to put this into practice, but a first way of saying ‘yes’ to God’s invitation is to learn how to pray “in a way that connects you with God and allows you to start to process what you see around you in the natural on a slightly different level, that allows you to access God’s presence, provision and care.”
God welcomes us to “deeper life in a world of fragmentation; deeper church in a world of polarisation; deeper faith in a world of uncertainty… Take another step, there’s an ocean to explore, there are wonders of the deep. Will you come?”
Readings are Mark 12:28-34 and Ephesians 3:14-18. You can listen to the talk here or using the player below.
On 6th October, we read Acts 28:1-16 as Paul and others arrive on the island of Malta after their shipwreck. Jude Smith asked us, what is your Kingdom ambition? What is it that God invites you into? Sometimes our ambitions are ‘shipwrecked’ as Paul was, but that isn’t the end of our story. How can we welcome people who have been disappointed and hold them in their pain? We continue by prayer and intention, maintaining integrity, sometimes waiting and resting, sometimes spotting the Kingdom activity that happens in the unexpected diversion. You can listen here or using the player below.
Reflecting on the story of Paul’s shipwreck from Acts 27:21-44, Sarah asks, ‘Whose voice do we trust in a storm?’ God is with us in every difficulty, not sparing us or giving us an escape route but present alongside us. Trusting in God’s presence and friendship is the foundation for our prayers, actions and courage. We may see God’s blessing extend beyond us to those around us. You can listen here or using the player below.
Jemima explains how care for creation is an important part of our discipleship and why climate change is an urgent problem. She references some resources to help us understand God’s love for creation and how we can make changes to our way of life to reduce our impact on the environment: Take the Jump and ‘Jesus died to save the planet’ from LICC which you can read here.
You can listen to her talk here or using the player below.
Image credit: Ben Goode ‘Changing Environment’
Mandy visited Kairos on 4th August and spoke to us about Saul’s conversion story recorded in Acts 9:1-19. Are we viewing the world, our circumstances and other people from God’s perspective? Do we need to change? Empowered by God’s Spirit and with the support and encouragement of the Christian community, change is possible. You can listen here or using the player below.
Kairos supports the work of International Justice Mission (IJM), a Christian charity which exists to bring an end to modern slavery, human trafficking and violence. On Sunday 7th July, we welcomed local IJM ambassadors Colin and Judith Ashurst who shared with us about the work of IJM. Judith read the story of God’s call to Moses to lead the people of Israel to freedom (Exodus 2:23-3:17) and spoke to us about God’s concern for all who are enslaved and abused. You can listen here or using the player below.
If you would like to find out more about the work of IJM and how you can support them, you can visit their website here.
Continuing our series on friendship with God and other people, Ben reflects on the courage of Peter and John in Acts 4:1-21. They have healed a man in Jesus’ name and now they are facing criticism from the religious authorities, trusting in Jesus’ promise that they will be given the words they need in the face of hostility. Ben explores how we can allow God to cultivate this sort of courage in us as individuals and in community, helping us to overcome the temptation to fight or run away (even when that seems like a sensible option) and instead accept God’s invitation to live in freedom in troubling times, perceiving more clearly what God is doing, and ‘weaving a canopy of trust under which other people can find shelter’ (Elizabeth Oldfield, ‘Fully Alive’).
What do you need courage for? Who might God be inviting you to stand with? How might God grow courage in you?
You can listen here or using the player below.
Jen reads the story of the first outpouring of God’s Spirit as the Church began (Acts 2:1-21;40-41). She invites us to consider how we have experienced the Spirit at work in our lives and our readiness to receive more as God continues to give this gift, then to share with our friends and neighbours in a spiritually hungry society. God’s gift of the Spirit is the true source of satisfaction for those who search for fulfilment in all sorts of places. You can listen here or using the player below.
“We are to be flung out across communities, across the nation and the world, mingling and sparkling like God’s glitter, sparkling amongst ordinary life to show that God’s love is not so ordinary but is something radical and life-changing.” – Dennis Ashley
On Sunday 5th May, we were visited by Mark Burgess, one of our mission partners from Oikos Peru who shared stories about his work and calling then spoke about Acts 1:1-11, Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples before his ascension. Mark encouraged us in our waiting for God’s calling to come to fruition in our lives and invited us to receive God’s Spirit to transform and equip us to fulfil God’s call. You can listen here or using the player below.
The image is a statue of Christ the protector in Cusco, Peru.
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