“Who inspires you?” That was a question that I had to answer recently. It was quite a difficult one to answer, as there are many people who inspire me in different
ways. When I was a child, the person who inspired me to want to preach and celebrate communion was our parish priest, Father Puttman.  Over the years, I have been inspired by amazing leaders within MCC, including our Founder, Troy
Perry, our Moderator, Nancy Wilson, and Elders such as Don Eastman, Arlene Ackerman, Darlene Garner and Lillie Brock.

In church every Sunday, I am inspired by so many people in our congregation at MCC Newcastle, who are faithful, committed and amazingly talented. Yet, my experience is that if I tell any of you how inspiring you are, most respond with a rather embarrassed British shrug.

As part of our series on the Psalms “Honest to God”, we recently read together the response “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” from Psalm 139. Charlotte, our preacher reminded us of how difficult we often find it to accept this, even though as a church, one of our core values is
“We value the fabulous and beautiful in each of us”.
 
From 21st September to 23rd December, there is a portrait exhibition at the Hatton Gallery, which is part of Newcastle University. The exhibition celebrates the lives of women associated with the North East who have made a difference.
“Inspirational Women of the North East” (www.iwne.org) includes historical figures, such as suffragette Emily Dickinson and famous names, such as Mo Mowlam and Catherine Cookson. Alongside these amazing icons, there are women who are alive today, and just doing what they do. I am deeply humbled and actually very chuffed to find
that I have been included in this exhibition. If you go on the website, you can nominate other women, who are an inspiration to you and there is also a photography exhibition to enter.

God does not call us to be anyone other than who God created us to be. Then all God asks is that we live our life to its fullest. That does not mean it will be pain-free life, or an easy life always. However, it does mean that we are open to all that God has for us and wants us to be. Being fully ourselves, at home, in work, with family and friends, means that we will inspire others, because each of us is “fabulous and beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made”. 

Perhaps you could tell someone this week that they inspire you.

God bless,

Cecilia
 

We have started our new worship theme “Honest to God”, which takes us on a journey through the Psalms. How easy is it for us to be “honest to God?” Sometimes, I forget that God knows me through and through, knows my resting and my rising. I try and hide a bit of myself or only give half the story in my prayer time. Of course, I end up laughing at myself and assume that God is laughing too.  I remember that I can’t hide anything from the Divine, and just trying to show my best bits is an exercise in futility. God knows me through and through and loves me anyway. 
 
Being honest with myself is perhaps what I need to work harder on. I turned 50 on my last birthday and this has been a significant event for me. Life still has all sorts of adventures to offer and yet I can only reach out and enjoy these if I am
realistic about what I can and cannot do. (If I choose to train for the Great North run, I can do, but I doubt that I will come in first!)  I also need to really decide what I really want to do. (probably not train for the Great North Run!)

What does it mean to be fully honest with ourselves and with God? Acknowledging all our good points, strengths, gifts and talents. Loving our bodies – we are each only given one. Acknowledging all our weaknesses, frailties, patterns of unhealthy behaviour. Once we have named and acknowledged all of these things, we can ask God what we are to do with them. How are we to use our gifts and our strengths to live well in God? How are we to be kind to ourselves in our weaknesses and avoid the situations that activate our own harmful behaviour?

Recently I have been rediscovering things that I used to love and had forgotten about. All through my childhood, I spent time on the Derbyshire moors. A couple of weekends
ago I drove up to Edinburgh through the Northumbrian countryside and rediscovered the beauty of that wild type of landscape.  Now I plan to spend some time walking in those hills, recapturing that love of being in nature.

This week, let us try being honest to God and honest with ourselves – we are held in Divine Love, so we have nothing to lose.

 God bless,

Cecilia