Wednesday, 14 October 2015 Home Publications Safeguarding Contact Us Login Privacy Policy About Us Faith & Life Church Admin Education Mission Resources News & Events WW1 Welcome to the Diocese of Derby News ChurchLive is Live! + The Church of England is partnering with Twitter UK to broadcast services across the world using mobile technology. ChurchLive, was created in conjunction with Twitter UK as a way of showcasing a broad range of live church services to global audiences simply and accessibly through use of a smartphone. ChurchLive could be the first taste… Read More 1 2 3 4 5 › ‹ Migrant Summit Read More More information about Human Trafficking Read More Derby Cathedral Read More derbyshirechurches.org Read More 1 2 3 › ‹ The Age of Resonance Bishop Alastair writes... Good Vibrations We live in what has been called an Age of Resonance. ‘Only connect’ is the great theme, or Good Vibrations as the Beach Boys proclaimed in the last century. As we claim more and more space and priority for our own personal preferences, we are guided by the messages and experiences that seem to connect, encourage or sustain us best. The key sound is the buzz or resonance of our phone, iPad or other device through which we organise relationships and the unfolding of our time. Our favourite feeling is that of affirmation, seeing that our hopes and dreams are coming true. The Melody of Ministry Jesus offered ministry to this need in human beings. He offered moments of encounter, a buzz for an individual, group or whole crowd. A sign of hope, healing, wholeness – dreams coming true, a pleasing melody. Much of our mission and ministry falls into this category – seeking to offer resonance, a buzz of connection to the views and values of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as guide and template for the unfolding of human lives. It is no coincidence that mission is often linked with music groups! From Passing to Permanence The problem with resonance is its momentary nature. As soon as we have answered a text or call we move onto the next. Tweeting and Instagram reinforce life as a series of moments of connection. But what does all this hyper-activity and hyper-connectivity mean? An Age of Resonance requires an understanding of substance – of solid, enduring, dependable values, patterns of behaviour or structures of belief. More than moments we need a sense of being held, secure, confident for whatever comes. Meaning in Ministry In a time that can easily notice, and often appreciate, the moments of grace and goodness to which Jesus calls, it is easy to forget that his ministry of resonance came out of serious substance. The solidity of the Temple. The discipline of synagogue and personal prayer in the ‘wilderness’. Appreciation of the Law. These elements of substance provided a structure of values and behaviour within which to understand our desire for connection and development. The two belong together. Resonance without substance is like spray disconnected from the ocean – short lived and meaningless. Mission Means.....Money The challenge for our witness to substance in our age of resonance is not just to value the corporate life and teaching of the Church as essential context for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. More, it is to invest in the substance – the structuring for Good News – with our time, our study, our service and our money. Without each of these things, substance will fade and so will the quality of our witness. And the most important of these investments will be money – the most challenging sacrament of seriousness, about not just making connections, but about guaranteeing the means to sustain them. Turning earthly moments into the meaning of eternity: the resonance of ministry into the mission of God. Stewardship has an important role to play in salvation, particularly in turning resonance into the substance of the Kingdom of Heaven. Find a Church Parish Events Submit your event October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 Today we pray for the clergy, readers and wardens Marlpool, All Saints #Derbyprayers Diocese of Derby Today we pray for the clergy, readers and wardens Loscoe, St Luke #Derbyprayers Diocese of Derby Today we pray for Gujurat Silvan S Christian #Derbyprayers Diocese of Derby Today we pray for the clergy, readers and wardens Langley Mill, St Andrew #Derbyprayers Diocese of Derby Diocese of Derby View Larger Map Contact Us Derby Church House Full Street, Derby DE1 3DR 01332 388650 (reception) Church House reception: enquiries@derby.anglican.org Home Publications Safeguarding Contact Us Login Privacy Policy Built with HTML5 and CSS3 Powered by MATCHWEBDESIGN.com