Pentecost!

Our final post is a contribution from Bishop Paul.

Many blessing on this Pentecost Sunday.

Love Yourself

I am constantly hearing of great stories of how staff are going above and beyond in supporting students and families from Bluecoat and Emmanuel during these unprecedented times. From delivering extra food supplies, helping families access their free school meal vouchers, to creating work packs and online work for students to continue their learning as much as possible. It is testament again to what a great school we get to be a part of and one that is always finding ways to serve others.

In Luke 10 verse 27 it says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love your neighbour as yourself.”

We are very good at loving others, at finding ways to serve others. I guess that’s why we all work in education because education in its very nature is a serving job. The question is: how are we doing with the loving ourselves bit?

We can only love others to the degree to which we love ourselves. “When you love yourself, you will find it easy to love others because you cannot give what you don’t have” – Philosopher Gift Gugu Mona

Self-care is not selfish it is essential. During this time when you are giving out a lot, can I encourage you to take time to invest in you. Do something you love, eat your favourite food, give yourself some time out. Investing in yourself benefits those you then serve. In a talk I did on wellbeing I used the analogy of a jug pouring out and reminded staff that we need to make sure we keep filling our jug so that we have enough to keep pouring out. Now more than ever we need to be mindful to make sure we are filling up.

Filling our heart with hope and love. Filling our soul with joy as we do activities we love. Maintaining our strength with good sleep, good food and doing walking/ exercise to stay healthy. Filling our mind with positivity.

As we do these things we will be more refreshed to love our neighbours (our staff, students, families, communities) wholeheartedly.

Challenge

Spend some time doing something you enjoy today. 

Prayer

Father God We thank you that you love us and you want to help us in all we do. During this time when the need seems great and the demands unending may you help us to find ways to look after ourselves, to show ourselves love so that we in turn can then love others.

Amen

Written by Nic Freeman

Assistant Lead of Christian Distinctiveness at Bluecoat Wollaton

Peace

In April 2015 I was lying on a beach in Malibu, California. The sand was white, the sea was clear blue and there was no one to be seen but me and my two friends! It was so peaceful. I remember saying to myself, 'this is what peace feels like'.

Recently with a lot of unsettlement in our world and with having a forced pause on life, I have come to realise that peace is not a destination but is a gift from God. When we are in  relationship with God we can even find peace through the storms of life! God won't always take us out  of our storms but he is with us through them and wants us to find peace with him. 

We need peace in our life, we weren't created to live stressed out lives full of worries, fears and trouble. The reality is, in life, troubles do come; life can be hard, but we weren't designed to always live in that. It's important we remember that God's peace can always be with us, whatever we are going through! As Jesus says in John 14:27, ' - “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

God gives us the gift of peace, we can pray to God about all our worries, fears and anxieties and I believe when we do, we can feel at peace because we leave the rest up to God! It is important we find peace within our lives and  live at peace with others! 

I know during lockdown finding peace with others may be more testing then ever before! But when we find peace within our own lives we can share that peace with others, as it is a fruit of the spirit within us. In Hebrews 12:14 it says, ' Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord'. We should ensure that we are not living with unforgiveness towards others and not responding with hurt towards other people. We can ask God to help us to have peace with those around us and ensure we are responding with grace and love to others just as Jesus did. 

How do we get peace? 

We get peace by asking God, we can pray to him and come to him with all of our worries. We can go to God whenever. I know for me I give all things to God, when I do I can feel at peace because I am putting my trust in him. Having a relationship with God helps me to love others, have grace for others and forgive others. 

Challenge

I want to challenge you to write all the things you are worried about down and give them to God by praying. Each day give everything to God, this will help you to find peace. 

You may need to retreat and find some quiet time, which is easier said then done but so important! Jesus often had to retreat to be with his father.

I also want to challenge you if you have unforgiveness for someone or find it hard to live in peace with those around you, ask God to help you to forgive them and to give you patience, kindness and love for them. 

Prayer

Dear God, 

I thank you that you are the God of peace and that we can come to you with all of our thoughts, feelings, questions and situations. I pray that you would help me to find peace in every situation and I pray that you would be with me in everything today. 

I pray that you would help me to have peace with myself and with those around me, I pray you would help me to show your love and grace in everything I do today. 

Amen

Written by Naomi Gordon

Youth worker at Bluecoat Aspley

What I have is Enough

I’ve found myself in recent weeks saying “I wish I felt stronger” “I wish I could help more” and battling an underlying fear of “Is what I’m doing enough?”

In 2 Kings 4 we read about a widow who was faced with a really difficult set of circumstances. Her husband had died and left her with debts to pay and the creditors were coming to take her two sons away as slaves. The prophet Elisha was chatting with her about her situation and asked her “Tell me what do you have in your house?” she replied “Your servant has nothing there at all, except a little oil”

The widow underestimated what she had and labelled it NOTHING but Elisha taught her that her NOTHING was actually SOMETHING and enough to change her situation around.

What happens as the story continues is as she pours this little bit of oil out, God causes it to multiply and it kept pouring and filling containers until they ran out of containers. The sale of this oil was enough to pay off her debts and stop her sons being taken.

This story reminds me of two things:

1- Not to underestimate the little things I do have. We can end up

focusing on all the things we CAN’T do at the moment and all

the skills we DON’T have but what if we focused on what we DO

have and CAN do and realised that is enough.

2- In the hands of God my little can be multiplied. Just like the 5

loaves and 2 fish in the hands of Jesus became enough to feed

5000 people. As I use what I do have and trust God to use me I

will see it multiply and bless many.

Our day to day jobs have changed drastically and the benchmarks from which we use to assess our achievements each day may have changed a lot. For some of you, you are now juggling home schooling children, looking after sick relatives and trying to fit in work around this.

Let’s be reminded this week that we all have something no matter how big or small that we can do. Let us know what we do is enough and it is making a difference.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can” Arthur Ashe

Challenge

Make a list of three things you want more of. For each one, write down three things you have and are grateful for today. 

Prayer

Father God, staff may be struggling with feeling like we are not enough I pray may you give us a fresh understanding of the significance of the things we are doing in our jobs. May you show us the impact it is having and may we be encouraged. Where we are feeling on empty and like we don’t have much left in our tanks to give may we be strengthened by you and as we give out of what we do have may we find ourselves refreshed and with more in return. Amen.

Written by Nic Freeman

Assistant Lead of Christian Distinctiveness at Bluecoat Wollaton 

Thank You

These two words ’Thank you’ are so simple and yet they can bring refreshment and life to someone who is feeling weary. It lets someone know they are appreciated, that the work they’ve done was worth it.

It was wonderful to see people engaging with the Mental Health Awareness week initiatives to show kindness to others as well as ourselves. It was also great to see many students engaging in the 'Thank a Teacher Day' and see some of the beautiful messages students sent. At Wollaton we also said our goodbyes to two faithful staff members and showered them with thank you’s for the incredible work they have done.

These were all important and great things to do and it made me think, why do we wait for specific initiatives or when someone leaves to tell people what a great job they are doing? What if we said thank you more often?

In the Bible in proverbs 11 verse 25 it says “Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Our words have the power to refresh others; bring new life and energy, to remind people why they do the job they do but it also refreshes us! As we are generous with our encouragements our heart is encouraged too.

This week who could you encourage with a thank you? Someone in your team. Someone you don’t work with but have observed the great job they do. It may be a quick email or a thoughtful card or gift. However you choose to express it let’s be quick to say thank you and know it’s making a difference.

Challenge

Aim to thank three people this week!

Prayer

Father God,

I thank you for the amazing staff we have in the Archway Trust, for the amazing work that every member of staff does to make school happen. I pray that you would inspire us to encourage one another. May every member of staff know they are appreciated. As we encourage others may we also be refreshed.

Amen

Written by Nic Freeman

Assistant Lead of Christian Distinctiveness at Bluecoat Wollaton

Working From Home

Last week, we celebrated the Ascension of Jesus. I saw a post on social media that explained this day very well. 

I found it quite funny to reflect on how skilled Jesus is at working from home, just as we are all getting used to it! Maybe I should have asked Jesus for more advice about Microsoft Teams and online learning after all!

The Ascension is a great day to reflect on. Many churches miss it out a little bit and I think that's a real shame. My church tends to go big on Ascension Day, but even there it acts as a bit of a prelude to the 'more important' event of Pentecost. So, I thought I'd reflect on the Ascension a bit in this blog. (Better late than never...)

On this day, Jesus gave three clear messages that needed to be followed by the disciples. These messages are messages that are still relevant for disciples today.

1. "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

2. "Teach[ing] them to obey everything I have commanded"

3. "I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Easy, yes? All you have to do to be a disciple is proclaim the Gospel, teach people to be like Jesus and remember, even when going through a global pandemic, Jesus is with us. 

This is difficult stuff. In fact, shortly after this, the disciples got it wrong (again) and went and locked themselves away, too scared to act on what Jesus had commanded. A locked room with no wi-fi is hardly the best place to spread the Gospel! We are all guilty of this sometimes, though, and no one can get it right all of the time. However, one thing I have taken great comfort in during this pandemic is point number three. God is with me. He's working from home and yet is still truly present in this world. 

Last week, on Ascension Day funnily enough, I had to have a difficult conversation about a project I'd put a lot of time and energy into. I came away from the conversation feeling deflated and a defeated, like the project wasn't worth the hassle anymore. After putting so much time and effort into something, constructive criticism feels like a crushing weight. Just as I was ready to give up on previous efforts, I received this through the door:   

On the very same day I had that conversation, I received this card from another colleague, thanking me for my effort and time. The weight I felt was lifted. The project must continue! My friend had already heard about my day and my concerns earlier that morning, and later, after reading this, I thanked her for it. What great timing! Her response was, "I'm so glad God prompted me to send it." There He goes again, working from home! 

I urge you to think about how God may be directing your steps and leading you during this time. In the monotony of staying at home so much, where is God? He wants to be in touch and He wants to remind us all that He is with us always "to the very end of the age."

Challenge

Using Jesus' directives to His disciples at the Ascension, let's see how you can respond to his great commission today. 

1. Share your testimony in some way; how is God working in your life at the moment.

"Go and make disciples of all nations..."

2. Post your favourite teaching from the Bible on to social media. "Teach[ing] them to obey everything I have commanded"

3. Look out for three signs this week that tell you God is here. 

"I am with you always"

Prayer

Father God, open our eyes to your presence in our lives. Help us to listen when you prompt us and be open to your call. We thank you that you are a loving God, present in our world and not distant. Thank you for guiding us through these difficult times and giving joy to those who need it. Help us to be like your Son today. 

Amen

Written by Kirsty Lacey

Dealing with Disappointment

Birthdays, Prom, Results day, new-born babies. These are all events that are now not able to look as we were expecting. For me it was my Wedding day. For each of us it will be something different.

Here are a few thoughts and tips on how I dealt with my disappointment.

Firstly, it's ok to be upset.

Disappointment does look different for each of us but that doesn’t mean that one is more important or upsetting than another. With so much happening in the world today it is easy to minimise our pain as we feel selfish because someone else is going through something worse. I’d encourage you at this time to take a moment to process any disappointment that you are facing. A bible verse that helped me through this is Jeremiah 29v11 “for I know the plans I have for you declares the lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a hope and a future!” this gives us hope and allows us to see past our point of pain.

Secondly, don’t let something bad stop everything good.

It is easy when we face disappointment to just cancel our plans and call the whole thing off. However, I would encourage you that we can’t let something bad stop everything good. There is still joy to be found in the pain. Why not get creative? Make a way to celebrate! Maybe you get a video call going with your friends and have a mini ‘stay at home prom’. Maybe you order some banners and balloons and have a ‘stay at home birthday’. Your day may not look as planned however a verse that helped me to be thankful for each day anyway is Psalm 118v24 it says, “This is the day that the lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Take the time to make memories and celebrate in any way possible!

Thirdly, think of others.

It is important to remember that you are not the only one facing disappointment at this time. Those around you may also be missing birthdays, anniversaries and graduations! Take time to be thoughtful and think about them. Something that really helped me to get through what should have been my wedding day was the kind words and generosity of those around me. You have the ability to make such a positive difference in someone else’s world... so use it!

Prayer

Thank you, God, that even on the toughest days we can find a reason to be joyful and celebrate. I pray that over the next few weeks you will help us to be thoughtful of other people’s disappointments. I pray that you will help us to be creative in helping us to think of ways that we can be glad each day and make those around us feel loved.

Amen.

Here’s a feel-good song to get you feeling thankful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8E6LDWsBJE

Challenge

Today I challenge you to celebrate someone who is facing disappointment! Maybe you could order a card to their house or make one yourself! Reach out and make someone feel thought about! It will do you good too!

Written by Harriet Raper

Learning support assistant, Nottingham Emmanuel school.

Lift Your Eyes

A friend asked me the other day, ‘Am I supposed to be sad all the time?  I watch the news and see all that is wrong with the world.  I get in touch with friends and listen as they pour out their worries and troubles.  I look on social media and read about people’s frustrations with their current situations.  I want to be understanding and supportive but it’s getting me down.’

This is a tricky question and one I have been reflecting on for myself too.

In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome he encourages the believers to ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.’ (Romans 12: 15&16)  Presumably, Paul took his cue from Jesus who celebrated with friends at a wedding in Cana and later wept with the relatives of Lazarus in front of his tomb before restoring him to life.  It feels right and appropriate to stand alongside others in the midst of their experiences and emotions.  However, if that just leaves us feeling low or even overwhelmed then we end up being no help to anyone not even ourselves.

Throughout the Old Testament we are exhorted to ‘look up… lift your eyes’ to the stars, to the heavens, to where your help comes from, to God.  I find this a helpful encouragement but how, practically, do I do it?

In Philippians, Paul writes:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  

Philippians 4:8

So, no, we don’t need to be sad all the time.  There is much to weep over as we look at the state of the world but if we also look for what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy we’ll also find much to be thankful for.  If you’re still struggling then try this challenge…

Challenge

Ask family, friends, colleagues to tell you something they are thankful for today.  I did this and here are some of the answers, which have made me smile and encouraged me to keep lifting my eyes to God.

·         I am thankful that I work with such amazing people.  The lockdown has made me realise how 'dear' to me the rest of the team are and I class them all as my 'other family.'

·         I'm thankful that I get to see more of my son.

·         It has been wonderful, in many ways, to be 'at home' with safety, warmth and comfort whilst having space but closeness to my family.

·         In the 8^th week of school being closed one of my students began his first piece of work.

·         I am thankful that I have still been able to connect with people.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for encouraging me to keep lifting my eyes to you.  Help me today to look beyond the mess, the sadness and brokenness; to recognise and celebrate the truth, the pure, the lovely and the excellent.  As I do so enable me to support and help others not in my own strength but in Yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Angela Mills

Learning Support Mentor, The Nottingham Emmanuel School

Let Your Light Shine

Hello everybody. So our key text is about letting our light shine. What does that actually mean and how can we put it into practice?

When Jesus talked about letting your light shine, he was talking to many people on a mountain as he said these words:

"In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Certainly we are living in very strange times. Things are far from normal and what the future “normal” may mean and look like, is yet to be determined. With such uncertainty it is probably even harder to see how ‘I’ as an individual can let my light shine…

To shine requires a positive mind-set; it involves being optimistic and relating to people in a healthy and supportive way. 

Each individual can decide to go that little bit further and shine or to just stick with the average.

Letting your light shine doesn’t have to be as big of a deal as attempting to climb Mount Everest with just your bare hands! It’s more about helping others, small acts of kindness – not shouting at your younger sibling if they enter your bedroom before knocking on the door, for instance - and doing things to lift the load for others.

Other things you can do to let your light shine could be things such as making a family member a cup of tea, washing the pots without being asked to, calling a friend to see if they are ok, or helping a sibling out who is struggling with homework.

Conveniently, some of the characteristics I would say help in creating that positive mind-set are enshrined in our school values of wisdom, community, dignity, and hope.

Treating others with dignity could involve how you relate to your family. Using wisdom could involve selecting the best choices in a situation such as thinking about how you phrase words in a message. Focusing on your household and seeing it as a mini community can reinforce shared values and a greater appreciation of all members. Hope can be about being excited for new things to come in the future.

Lockdown has imposed some heavy restrictions on how we live our lives on a day-to-day basis and could lead to you and me feeling that we have very little control. Whilst this is true to an extent, it is very important to remember you still have some control, even if at times it feels like we don’t. 

We can control how we respond and act in a given situation. And just like in our Bible verse, we can be that light to others.

You can make a real difference in small yet meaningful ways. Why not choose to be a beacon of hope to others by setting examples they will want to follow?  

I am going to do my best to let my light shine as far as possible. What will you do?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us gifts and talents that we can share with others. Let us be a light and brighten up the lives of others. Thank you for being the light of the world so that when we are in darkness, we can look to you to shine brighter.

In your name I pray,

Amen.

Challenge 

Spread that light…

Your challenge for this week is to do a random act of kindness for someone in your household. 

 

Written by Symonne Banton

School Chaplaincy Youth Worker & Head of Booth House at Emmanuel

Solid Ground

This season has brought with it lots of uncertainty and change. Our day to day job has changed, our routines have changed, our social lives have changed.

All this change can leave us feeling a bit unsettled because all the structures we usually live our lives by are no longer there.

I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie and before lock down I got to do the fastest zip line in the world. Flying across a large slate quarry 500m above the quarry lake at speeds of up to 100mph.

Why was I able to enjoy this experience and not just completely freak out? Because when they removed the ground from beneath me and released me to fly down the zip wire, I trusted the equipment that was holding me, the people who had attached me to the wire and I trusted the wire itself to hold me. I could enjoy the journey because I trusted in what was holding me steady even when winds blew us around a bit!! (ok I was a bit scared at this bit!!)

As I’ve reflected in this season and I’ve thought about my experience on the zip wire, it has got me thinking about my faith. How in the midst of all this change I can know and trust that God has got me safe and will get me safely to the other side.

Psalm 40 vs 2 says “He lifted me out of the slimy pit; out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” 

When everything around me feels like it is changing, it is reassuring to know that God gives me a firm place to stand. I can know that God is my constant, he is steadfast, always there for me, always got my back.

In the bible king David in the psalms refers to God as ‘my rock’ Psalm 18 vs 2 says  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge.”

Who and what is your rock? Who are the people you can rely upon and what are the things that have remained constant through this storm that you now can see are the true rocks of your life?

As we continue to face uncertainty about what the coming weeks will look like may we find comfort and strength in knowing the constant love of a God who holds us steady through the storm and will see us safely to the other side.

Challenge

Focus on the things that haven’t changed. Who/ what are the things that are your rock? Is it family, friends?  What has remained the same despite all this change? Be thankful for these things.

For those of faith, thank God for being your rock during this time and put a reminder up somewhere around your home to remind you on the days you feel shaken. 

Why not paint on a rock the things that are important to you and display it as a reminder of the things that are solid in your life.

Prayer

Father God, we thank you that in the midst of change you remain the same. You are our rock, the one on whom we can depend. Thank you for giving us a firm place to stand. That in a season of uncertainty we can find stability in you. May we find comfort in you and joy for the journey.

Amen

Written by Nic Freeman

Assistant Lead of Christian Distinctiveness at Bluecoat Wollaton Academy