Meeting with God Every Day
'What's it all about' Alfie?
What’s it all about Alfie?
"Alfie" was a song to promote the 1966 film Alfie. The song questions the meaning of life: 'what's it all about Alfie?’ The lyrics ask and answer some of the questions that many ask.
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The song lyrics say…
What's it all about Alfie
Is it just for the moment we live
Are we meant to take more than we give
Or are we meant to be kind?
As sure as I believe there's a heaven above
Alfie, I know there's something much more
Something even non-believers can believe in
I believe in love, Alfie
Without true love we just exist, Alfie
Until you find the love you've missed
You're nothing, Alfie
When you walk let your heart lead the way
And you'll find love any day Alfie, Alfie
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It's not unusual for people to question the meaning of life. To ask what it's all about. As Christians we believe that God through Jesus Christ has given us the answer.
Christianity is the world’s biggest religion, with about 2.2 billion followers worldwide. It’s based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land in the Middle East 2,000 years ago. Through its incredible missionary activity, Christianity has spread to just about every corner of the globe.
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If you are new to faith, or you have been away and are coming back, or you are just wanting to explore your faith the bible is a good place to start. It is full of interesting stories about love and hate, good and evil, sickness and healing, war and peace. It is made up of 66 books but don't feel you need to read it all in one go - you can read it in bits.
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Christians believe in one true God who lives eternally in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We see the Bible as the inspired Word of God – fully trustworthy for faith and instructing us on how we should live our lives. Christians believe that they have a personal relationship with Jesus and that this relationship is the centre point for our lives.
So, who is Jesus?
Christians are people who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and who follow his teachings and those of the Christian churches that grew after his death.
This video will give you a good summery of the bible and tell you about Jesus.
A Christian is not someone who is better than anyone else. A Christian is someone who has decided to follow Jesus Christ. They believe that through Jesus’ death on the cross they can find forgiveness of all sin, and therefore be reconciled with God. No one is disqualified by not being good enough. Jesus said (and upset many religious people by saying) “I have come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” To those who receive him, he then gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to support and equip the changed life he offers.This means he loves us so much that he accepts us just as we are, but he loves us too much to leave us exactly as we are.
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Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples to show everyone that he conquered death, that death is not the end, that there is another life with one eternal loving God, and life in all its fullness is available to us today, and for all eternity.
I believe...
What do Christians believe?
That is a very important question answered in prayer in the words of the Apostles' Creed.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
About Me
Through this website I will try to share my views and experiences of Meeting God in the Everyday.
I am a wife, sister, friend and in the past I have been a nurse in the NHS, an Acupuncturist and since 2014 I've been an ordained minister in the Church of England. At the moment I am the vicar of four rural parishes in South Warwickshire.
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In the Church of England there are only two sacraments, Baptism and the Eucharist, but the church honours confirmation, ordination, marriage, reconciliation of the penitent, and the anointing of the sick with holy (blessed) oil as important religious rites.
The Eucharist is at the heart of Christian worship. The Eucharist also known as Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper is celebrated by Christians around the world as a memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus, in response to his words at the final meal he shared with his disciples, 'Do this in remembrance of me.' It is a meal of bread and wine which represent the body and blood of Jesus sacrificed for the redemption of our sins.
At a christening a person is baptised with water and the Holy Spirit and joins the Christian family - is given a place among the Christian people of God. Whether you come as an adult or a baby, baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues for the rest of your life. It is a lifelong journey of faith as part of the local and worldwide Christian family.
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Confirmation is a special church service in which a person confirms the promises that were made when they were baptised. If you were baptised at a christening when you were a child, your parents and godparents made these promises on your behalf. At a confirmation service conducted by the Bishop, you affirm these promises for yourself and commit your life to following Jesus Christ. The Bishop lays hands on your head and ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you the strength and commitment to live God’s way for the rest of your life. Your friends and family as well as the local Christian community will be there to promise to support and pray for you.
Who's who in the church?
Church terminology explained
We have a mindset that church is a place we go to on Sundays and it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we aren’t just going to church; we are the church. The church which is often described as the body of Christ is made up of the congregation - the people of God. Just as our physical body is composed of many members: hands, feet, arms, legs, ears, eyes, etc. The church is made up of many people. It is the distinctiveness and the gifts of each member of the church that enables the body to function and to flourish.
There are numerous people involved in the running of a church and the majority of them are volunteers. They all have an important part to play in the life of the church from the cleaner, to the flower ladies, the treasure to the parish secretary, the organist to the choir leader. They are all valued and help to ensure the smooth running of the church.
Churchwarden
The churchwarden is an annually elected member of the church community - congregation. They are work with the parish priest and are generally responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the parish.
What is a P.C.C.
The Parochial Church Council, to give it’s full title, is the governing body of the church and is made up of the clergy and lay members from the congregation. Meetings are held 5 times each year and discuss finance, buildings and the many other matters involved in running the church. It is a rewarding role that provides an insight into how our church and the wider church is run.
The A.P.C.M.
The A.P.C.M. or Annual Parochial Council meeting to use its full name is held in April each year and is open to any person on the church Electoral Roll. At this the Annual Report of the proceedings of the parochial church council and the activities of the parish generally are presented along with the independently examined church accounts.
It is usual for every parish to have two churchwardens, who are senior lay people from the church community - congregation - elected annually at the A.P.C.M. They live within the parish or are on the Electoral Roll of the parish church. They are, ex officio (additional), members of the Parochial Church Council.
In co-operation with the parish priest (or, in cases of vacancy, the bishop), Churchwardens are generally responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the parish. These responsibilities include various aspects of administration, running and maintenance of the church. Their work is not just the maintenance of the church building, but helping the smooth running of the church. In this capacity, wardens are considered the leading lay member of the congregation, and may have varying duties and responsibilities according to the customs of the parish, the canons of the diocese to which the parish belongs, the desires of the priest, and the direction of the PCC and/or the congregation as a whole.
The church Electoral Roll
The church Electoral Roll is the basic list in every parish of all those entitled to vote on elections within the Church of England. Those entitled to have their names on this roll have to be 16 years of age or more and they must reside in the relevant parishor be regular worshippers in the church whose roll they wish to join. The roll is completely renewed every six years, at which point all members have to re-apply for membership or else their names will be deleted. By this means, the continuing validity of the roll is maintained.