This week will be the last of our The Gospel According to Hollywood worship series (click here to catch up if you have missed it!). This Sunday’s film will be Some Like it Hot starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe.
 
It is 50 years since Marilyn Monroe died and yet people are
still fascinated by her.

What is it about some people that we are captivated by them? Beauty, charm, mystique, charisma – all these words spring to mind, before we even perhaps start on talent or virtues such as kindness or generosity. Think about the famous people that you admire  – what is about them
that you value?

One of the Bible stories that always intrigues me is the
story of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a tax collector and was also rather short in stature. When Jesus came through his area of Jericho, the crowds gathered around him. Zacchaeus was too short to see Jesus amidst all the people, so he climbed a tree to get a better view. Jesus spotted him up the tree and invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house for the day. The crowd was very disapproving of Jesus’ choice of company. As a tax collector, Zacchaeus would have been viewed as siding with the enemy, the Romans, and had probably made himself quite rich by pocketing some of the taxes that he collected!

What was it about Jesus that made Zacchaeus want to climb the tree that day? What had Zacchaeus heard? Was he hoping to see a miracle happen or see someone be healed? Was he just curious? It must have been quite some motivation to get him to climb high up into a tree.

Perhaps the answer comes in the dialogue between Jesus and Zacchaeus once he is down from the tree. Zacchaeus says Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.  (Luke 19:8)

We might still be talking about Marilyn 50 years on, but we are still following Jesus over 2000 years after his death. Zacchaeus was certainly onto something! Being recognised,
accepted and forgiven are all great gifts.

Who would you climb up a tree to see and why?

God bless,

Cecilia

My brother and his wife celebrate 25 years of marriage this weekend. So much to remember over that time - the joys and challenges of everyday life, all the changes that have taken place, children being born, growing up and becoming
adults themselves.  It will be a great party, with a chance to catch up with family and friends. It will be wonderful for us all to celebrate with them and share their happiness.

In our congregation, Ernie and his partner Geoffrey have been together for over 45 years. For most of that time, this
longstanding and loving relationship was not recognised by the state and, in fact, would have been illegal. We thank God that times have changed. Ernie and Geoffrey were the 4th couple to have their Civil Partnership registered at Newcastle Civic Centre, once their relationship was finally
recognised in law.  Now we are discussing equal marriage and the United Reformed Church (that host so many MCC congregations in the UK) are in talks with the Government about allowing Civil Partnerships to take place in their church buildings.

Change can sometimes take a very long time and it can be hard to fight for a cause when the odds seem so stacked against us. Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi, Emily Pankhurst, Troy Perry are all people who are famous because they continued to campaign and struggle, even when equality and justice seemed impossible goals. Although we may know these names, there are millions of people around the world who are trying to make a  difference every day. Many of these are people draw upon their faith – whatever religion – to challenge injustice and fight poverty.

Our Worship theme for September will be “Yesterday, Today, Forever”, as we look at some of the minor prophets of the Old Testament. One of the most famous quotes from one of
these, Micah, is:

“And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”

We are called to make a difference, so that we all have something to celebrate in life. I invite you do one thing this week that will improve life for another person.

God bless,

Cecilia

In case you’ve been living on Mars and have just returned, the Olympics are here. I went to see a couple of women’s football matches at St James’s Park and the atmosphere was really great. There were supporters and followers of the
different teams, but also neutrals, like me, who decided to support one side or the other.

After the match, the players spent time chatting with fans
and having their photos taken. There was no place for celebrity divas. It was refreshing to see the enthusiasm of the players who clearly appreciated the supporters and were glad to be part of the whole thing – whether they won or lost. Watching these players giving all they had and striving to win was a powerful experience. They were “in their fullness” – totally focussed, fully using their talents and absorbed in what they were doing.

The apostle Paul tells us that “in Christ you have been brought to fullness” (Colossians 2: 10). Just like the football players, sometimes we will feel like winners – everything is going well and life is sweet. At other times, life is difficult,
stressful and one bad thing seems to follow another.

All we can do is fully engage with each moment – living our lives completely, living in fullness. When we do this, even in the bad times, then we are experiencing the richness of
the life that God has given us. It also helps to appreciate the good times, which are also there for us.

As many of you know, I believe wholeheartedly that each and every single person has gifts and skills, given to
them by God. When we use these gifts, this also adds to our sense of living life in fullness and growth. We may not be Olympic gold medal winners, but we can each make a difference by being fully ourselves.

This week, I invite you to notice what gives you great joy and a sense of completeness.

God Bless,

 Cecilia