“I came to the food bank, I still had my car and I was well dressed. As I entered the building I overheard people say – “what is she doing here?” That’s why it is so important to me that people don’t judge a book by its cover. We never know what is going on in someone’s life, behind closed doors.”
Category: Article
I recognised myself moving from orphan to son. People don’t think that they are worth something, worth anything. You can encounter poverty in so many places.
For John, prayer and kindness are at the heart of Christianity and his choice of Bible readings reflects that. John chose the book of Ruth from the Old Testament – a book he has come across recently as his church are reading through the Old Testament. He read it straight through in 20 minutes. He said: “I was really drawn to this book. I liked the way Ruth looked after her mother-in-law, Naomi. If someone hadn’t helped me I wouldn’t be here today.
Sometimes I thought that Jesus was so perfect that I couldn’t go to him with the stuff that had happened to me. But when you do, you find yourself literally set free.
‘When I was thinking about a Bible verse or story that I wanted to share there was one that kept popping into my mind. It is a verse that was very important to me about five years ago. At that point my marriage had ended traumatically and my husband had left me with nothing. I had lost my job, lost friends, and after many struggles and deeply troubling circumstances reached a place where I found myself with just £2 in my pocket.
I've heard a number of stories recently of deacons experiencing burnout, or whose situation is very challenging and exhausting. The church's pastoral care of deacons can be sadly lacking. And it's so easy for deacons to neglect themselves, especially when our work is demanding. Here are some practical and spiritual pointers for looking after our own needs as well as the needs of others.
So the Deacons’ Network Steering Group would like to invite you to take part in what we're calling 'Love your DDO 2023'. Taking into account just how busy our DDOs are, it may be helpful for us to offer to be resource people for them, on behalf of the diaconate.
Here are a few practical suggestions for your consideration: feel free to adopt or adapt, according to your situation!
A very blessed Christmas to you all, and a peaceful and hopeful new year.
I can do no better than offer you a poem of Ephrem, a deacon of the early church in Asia.
the Son of God teaches us that humility means not clinging to things, things that might even be ours by right. Therefore, for us who are baptized into the life of the Trinity and ordained into the servanthood of Christ, we must be similarly kenotic: no honor, glory, reputation, status.
I heard the call to rebuild the church…in a new way. To use my position as a male permanent deacon to advocate for the ordination of women as deacons. I now understand why Discerning Deacons does the work that they do, and I encourage you to get involved.
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 