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A Church Divided Over Leaders

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in

what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My

brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

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“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and

the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will

praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.

27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my

people be shamed.

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Isaiah 64 v1-4 Renewed, rejuvenated, reinvigorated. Celebrating what has gone before to encourage us

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Isaiah 64 v1-4 Renewed, rejuvenated, reinvigorated. Celebrating what has gone before to encourage us

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forward and to empower us further

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire

sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the

nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the

mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any

God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

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Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the

foe and the avenger.

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Psalm 9 v9-10 CoGS as a safe home for those in the community

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Psalm 9 v9-10 CoGS as a safe home for those in the community

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The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

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Zeus Lane significant breakthrough on this side of Crookhorn (Zeus = chief god)

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If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my

Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I

loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my

Father’s commands and remain in his love. You are my friends if you do what I command. This is my command:

Love each other.

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Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things

than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be

glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit “If you

love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be

with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But

you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who

loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them

and make our home with them But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach

you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

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THIS I KNOW, ALL FLESH WILL SEE HIS GLORY. HE WILL REAP THE HARVEST HE HAS SOWN. AND SO THE

SAVIOUR, SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD SHALL COME

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Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its

own.

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Hebrews 3 v13 Encourage one another daily as long as it is called today

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Hebrews 3 v13 Encourage one another daily as long as it is called today

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But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s

deceitfulness.

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Ezra 7 Ezra sent to restore word of God, but sent with authority / power / riches

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Ezra 7 Ezra sent to restore word of God, but sent with authority / power / riches

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Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of

Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of

Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of

Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law

of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of

the Lord his God was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple

servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth

month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and

he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had

devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of

the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel: Artaxerxes, king of

kings, To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. Now I decree that any of the Israelites

in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. You are sent by the

king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your

hand. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the

God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province

of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. With

this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and

sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance

with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of

your God. And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide

from the royal treasury. Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide

with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you— up to a

hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt

without limit. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of

heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? You are also to know that you have no

authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or

other workers at this house of God. And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess,

appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of

your God. And you are to teach any who do nWhoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king

must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. Praise be to the Lord, the

God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this

way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials.

Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

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You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to

a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to

them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be

stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have come to

Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of

angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God,

the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the

sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

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Have confidence in what the Lord wants to do through us at a personal level / as a church

PASS ON YOUR GIFTS (TEACH)

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Are we prepared for a lorry load of coal? It’s coming

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Are we prepared for a lorry load of coal? It’s coming

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God sees diamonds | Poems, God, Light quotes

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Apr 21, 2014 - Love all of Gerard Kelly ’s poems. This is a new one to me. Via .

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I

have overcome the world.”

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Colossians 1 v17-19 He is the head of the body the Church

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Colossians 1 v17-19 He is the head of the body the Church

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He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the

beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was

pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

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Isaiah 58 v6-12 you will be called repairer of broken walls, restorer of streets with dwellings

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Isaiah 58 v6-12 you will be called repairer of broken walls, restorer of streets with dwellings

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“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the

oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer

with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then

your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before

you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;  you will cry for

help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious

talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered

garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old

foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

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many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails

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Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their

ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave

you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of

the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be

afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

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- Murmuration of birds. Huge flock of birds rising up to the sky. Breaking up through the clouds into the

light of the sun (picture for us and revival) beautiful sight

Murmuration we will dance Your dance in unity

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without losing the good of the past

Help us to be discerning

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- Book of Acts – like revival, Paul and the Apostles were dynamic, Spirit led, constantly on the move, doing

new, different things ....

Let us embrace all that is good and new

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we should allow to shine and not cover up.

Let us not hide our light (in the building)

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Listen closely to our prayer. Hear our urgent prayer

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The Dedication of the Temple

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The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty.

‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

2 Chronicles 7 The Dedication of the Temple

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- You first – our priority

- One way! lead us along the path

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The Lord their God will save his people on that day  s a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like

jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful they will be!  Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine

the young women.

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Break us Lord (what’s new)

Paul’s treasure in clay pots –need to see the value in each individual, in our community and in ourselves

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Tea bowl, White Satsuma ware, Japan, Edo period, 17th century. Courtesy of Freer|Sackler, Smithsonian.

Some four or five centuries ago in Japan, a lavish technique emerged for repairing broken ceramics. Artisans began using lacquer and gold pigment to put shattered vessels back together. This tradition, known as kintsugi, meaning "golden seams" (or kintsukuroi, "golden repair"), is still going strong.

Recent international enthusiasm for kintsugi may well be due to the ongoing fervor for ceramics, aided in part by the accessibility of communal clay studios, a crop of contemporary artists taking on the medium in innovative ways, and a widespread thirst for hand-crafted objects. But the technique itself-traditionally performed by lacquer masters, though it's been adopted by ceramicists in modern times-has drummed up interest all its own. Not only has kintsugi been adopted and adapted by leading contemporary artists, these days, one can take kintsugi lessons and find self-help and wellness books that use it as a metaphor for embracing flaws and imperfections. In the beginning, however, kintsugi was just a practical-albeit beautiful-means of repair.

The origins of kintsugi are uncertain, but it's likely that the practice became commonplace in Japan during the late 16th or early 17th centuries, noted Louise Cort, curator of ceramics at the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C. Its beginnings are often associated with the famed tale of a 15th-century Japanese military ruler whose antique Chinese celadon-glazed bowl had broken. The story goes that he sent the bowl back to China for a replacement. He was told that the piece was so rare, there wasn't another one like it. The Chinese sent back the original bowl, repaired with metal staples (as was the Chinese fashion).

Through this story, Cort explained, we can infer that gold lacquer repairs weren't yet being performed in the 15th century. It's more likely that the tradition began in time with the rise of tea bowls-vessels used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, which flourished in the 16th century. Kintsugi's international reach is a modern phenomenon; it was historically only practiced in Japan, though the technique was used on imported ceramics from other parts of Asia, particularly China and Korea.

The first known reference to kintsugi, Cort offered, concerns a 17th-century Japanese warrior who was closely associated with fashionable tea drinking ceremonies of his day. "He was accused of influencing the market for tea bowls by buying boring, plain old bowls, breaking them, having them repaired with kintsugi, and earning good money for them," Cort explained.

"That seems to indicate that, by the beginning of the 17th century, kintsugi was a commonly used technique for repairing-and at the same time, ornamenting-ceramics for tea," she added. This was especially true of tea bowls, "which seem to have dropped with a fair amount of frequency," she laughed. (As further proof, the Freer | Sackler's esteemed Asian ceramics collection includes many a tea bowl mended with kintsugi.)

The artisans who would mend these broken tea bowls, as well as other ceramic vessels used in tea ceremonies, were Japanese lacquer masters who were trained in various techniques of the lacquer arts. In addition to kintsugi, their skills may have included maki-e, a technique for painting fine gold or silver florals and landscapes onto decorative objects, as well as crafting lacquer trays, boxes, and other designs.

Traditionally, the kintsugi process calls for a Japanese lacquer known as urushi, which is made from tree sap. This material has been used for some 9,000 years by Japanese lacquer masters as a glue, putty, or paint, explained Gen Saratani, a third-generation Japanese lacquer restorer and artist who now works in New York.

The traditional kintsugi method, Saratani said, begins by using the lacquer to glue the ceramic pieces back together. The lacquer is also used as a putty to fill in any gaps or holes where chips from the original vessel might be missing. This mending is the most difficult part, he explained, because the lacquer cannot be removed once it's dry, and the pieces must be put into place all at once, even if there are 20 different parts.

Bowl, Korea, Joseon period, beginning of 17th century. Courtesy of Freer|Sackler, Smithsonian.

Then, the lacquer must dry and harden-a process that can take weeks-before it is sanded down to lie flush with the rest of the vessel. Finally, the lacquer master will paint over the lacquer seams with gold. It's a common misconception, Saratani noted, that the entire mending process is done with gold; it's really just the surface. At times, Cort added, a piece might have been mended with silver for aesthetic purposes, but gold has long been preferred because it does not tarnish and is food-safe.

Saratani, who moved to New York to be a restorer in 2012, takes kintsugi commissions from clients, working with a range of metals beyond gold and silver, including platinum and copper. His repairs, depending on the difficulty, can run anywhere from $50 to $2,500 for a single piece, and can take several months to complete.

Now in his late thirties, Saratani learned the lacquer arts from his father around 25 years ago. Although he's found that kintsugi has been rather popular recently, both in the U.S. and Japan, he estimates that there are few lacquer masters working today, given that it takes over a decade of training. Saratani receives so many requests for kintsugi repairs that he can't accept them all, and a few years ago, he decided to begin teaching the technique to others. He regularly gives classes out of his New York studio, and his students generally either have something broken that they want to repair, or are simply curious to learn.

This process of mending has been inspirational for contemporary artists, as well (though few employ the traditional technique and materials). Notable among them are the Korean sculptor Yeesookyung, who creates impressive undulating sculptures from pieces of found dishes. British artist Paul Scott also uses the technique to combine (or, in his words, "collage") distinct pieces of found ceramics.

Scott learned about kintsugi through his interest in repair and mending, which traces back to working at the Knossos archaeological site in Crete in the early 1980s. Later, he taught himself a modern version of kintsugi, and it's now an integral part of his practice. He uses it to fuse antique ceramic plates of various origins-including Staffordshire transferware, pearlware, ironstone, and porcelain-which are covered in blue-and-white designs and landscapes. "Recent works have used the gold line [of kintsugi] to travel across artworks in gallery installations," Scott explained.

Striking, too, are the works of the Dutch-born, London-based artist Bouke de Vries, who first encountered the technique while studying to become a ceramics restorer some three decades ago. While he initially learned a variation on traditional kintsugi, he's since become proficient in the original process from a Japanese lacquer specialist.

"I use the technique as a away to enhance a particular piece I'm working on," de Vries explained. "The amazing thing about kintsugi is its durability; whereas other forms of restoration deteriorate, it can often lift a piece." He's used the technique in various ways, such as mending early Chinese pottery and building elaborate sculptures of birds and flowers from found pieces of ceramics. But he's also interpreted it conceptually, for example, in pieces that are held together by gold sellotape, "which references both the kintsugi and our modern way of holding something together," he said.

Ultimately, the modern-day fascination with kintsugi may have most to do with its associations with the Japanese philosophy of wabi -a historical term that dates back to the 16th century, which describes the beauty of imperfections.

Cort points out that, while there's no documentary or textual evidence about how people thought about kintsugi in the 16th and 17th centuries, "it can be imagined that it was part and parcel of this interest in imperfections, flaws, and accidents," she explained. "Especially in the contrast between the actual fact of the break and the use of this very precious material to emphasize the repair, it is in keeping with the kind of universal ideas that wabi points to."

While kintsugi has endured and fascinated for centuries, its longevity may be due to its tender embrace of accidents and mistakes.

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Kintsugi, The Japanese Art of Mending Broken Ceramics with Gold | Artsy

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The technique known as kintsugi, meaning "golden seams," was developed by lacquer masters as a practical-albeit beautiful-means of repair.