Yes, yes we should.

I often find that when others are around I ask for advice in things that normally I can do without thinking about. For example, if a friend is over I would ask them if they thought food was cooked rather than trusting my own judgement like I would if it was only me. In the same way I get my boyfriend to check my blog before I publish it if he’s around, but sometimes I just post it without those checks!

I've been thinking a lot about rules and what we let people do. Yesterday I was with a group who are planning worship at their church. They want to do everything, they don't get why they can't do the sermon. And why can't they? I think since I've been on note/on trial as a local preacher I've understood more that we have to be careful who can have access to the pulpit, but maybe that is just because I'm in the 'in' club.

The keynote at Connecting Disciples gave me a lot to think about - all about worship and young people, but one thing he said was that he wasn't the expert of our contexts, and no one could tell us how to do our jobs. We are the experts of where we are. There are bigger thoughts of moving or staying, but that's another blog!

A big theme of the past couple of weeks has been communion.

• · The liturgy that the young people wrote (found below).
• · Communion as a means of Grace (a way to experience God's love).
• · Love feasts of bread and fish.
• · Meals and times of sharing, the best chats are often over food.
• · And not worry about back-stitch methods.

I'm not going to go into who has to be there to say the magic words - prayer of great thanksgiving, as I know people think different things on this.

But, let's show God's love, and share in fellowship with our brothers and sisters. Yes, yes we should.

Young People's Prayer of Thanksgiving (written on 3rd March 2012 by LMC and Ashton Circuit)

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to God.

We should give our thanks to God

Yes, yes we should.

Thank you epic God for being awesome. Thank you for being the best designer of our beautiful world. You made us like you.

So we will praise you, singing with all people everywhere

Holy holy (STF 10)

We respect you for sending Jesus.

Jesus shows us compassion, commitment and love.

Yes, yes he does.

When the time was right, Jesus chilled out with you, healed in your name, told amazing stories of Heaven on Earth, and fed lots of people, before turning his face to the journey to the cross.

At the last supper with his friends Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them saying ‘Take, eat. This is my body given for you, do this to remember me.’

Then after supper he took the cup, gave thanks and said ‘This is my blood, given to show you my love, for you and for all people.’

Dying, you destroyed our death.

Rising, you restored our life.

Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Send your holy spirit that this bread and wine may be for us the body and blood of Jesus.

We offer our lives, our gifts, our talents. All that we are. All that we could be. All that we will be. To live to tell your story.

Through, with and in Jesus’ name. Amen