Cursillo Lincs

November 2019

Well this is my first Lay Directors report, and as I haven’t been in post very long it probably will not be very long. Many thanks go to Sandra for stepping into the breach and continuing with the LD, as well as everything else she does and thank you for the wonderful work you did Sandra during your term of LD.

We had a really good Autumn Ultreya, with the Rev. John Leach preaching and continuing after lunch with an excellent talk on Wisdom. We had returned to our old haunt at the Old School in Nettleham, please let me know your thoughts on this building for events, bearing in mind to holds a maximum of 50 people.

Cursillo #35 next year’s weekend is oddly enough not at the weekend, but is Monday 22nd to Thursday 25th June 2020. Please pray and encourage anyone you know who may wish to attend, we know that anyone attending Cursillo does it in God’s time not ours so please pray.

I Have not long come back from Iona which was organised by Jacqui Morton. It was a won-derful week if at times wet and windy. I personally came back spiritually refreshed ready for whatever comes my way. Although tired by the long journey home we had while we were there wonderful walks, prayers and pilgrimages and lovely company. Thank you to all those who were there.

With love and prayers

Marilyn

LAY DIRECTOR REPORT

Prayer

Father God,

Thank You for the people You have divinely placed in my life who speak holy truth, love and words of wisdom. Give me a heart of discernment to know when You are using someone to speak instruction into my heart and my circumstances, and give me the strength and cour-age to follow through with that advice, even when it’s hard. Fill me with peace in knowing that even if I take a wrong turn, Your purpose will prevail. In Jesus’ Name.

Amen.

SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR REPORT

Are you a ‘glass half full’ or a ‘glass half empty person’? I usually reckon to be the former, but the news both locally, nationally and internationally recently has been particularly depressing – what sort of world are we living in? It’s easy to get bogged down in all of this, but as Christians we surely need to see the world with God’s eyes. The world Jesus came into was not a place of love and peace – but He came to change all that, and He assures us that ‘the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near’. (Mark 1.15). That is as true today as it was as Jesus began his ministry. We were disappointed that our planned weekend in June was cancelled, but it gave us the opportunity to spend time together at our gathering, and since then things are definitely looking up. God is moving in Lincoln! A number of us spent a week on Iona at the beginning of September, and while we were there I received an email from David Simcox telling us that Tony Tucker, a member of BACC council, had moved into the diocese as rural dean and had spoken to Bishop David about Cursillo. He is the second member of council to arrive, following Stephen Bowring, the National Spiritual Director, and several other clergy Cursillistas have also come into the Diocese. As George McLeod would have said, ‘if you think that is a coincidence, you have a very sad life!’ On Iona we met some other guests, and several of them were also Cursillistas. Another ‘God-incidence’! Two of them, from Ely Diocese, have agreed to lead our winter event – date still to be agreed, so watch this space! Marilyn and I are planning to meet with Bishop David in the next few weeks to build on the positive response that John Leach had to the recent Ultreya at Nettleham. Watch this space too! Cleopas and his companion were so bound up in their despair at recent events that they failed to recognise Christ as he walked beside them. Let us open our eyes to the Christ who is there with us, in our parishes, in Lincoln Cursillo, in our world, and let us trust in him for the future. With Him beside us our cup is more than half full! Ultreya!

Reverend Jacqui Morton

Autumn Ultreya!

Seeking Wisdom By Reverend John Leach What is Wisdom?

Is it intelligence? Is it cleverness? Or perhaps it is Savoir Faire—knowing what is the best thing to do?

Wisdom in the Old Testament There are 3 types of material: 1) Wisdom stories e.g. Joseph and his brothers 2) Wisdom psalms e.g. psalm 1 3) Wisdom books (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes) John related each of the books to a picture.

Proverbs: Building your house Proverbs is about how to build your house e.g. do this because it's the right thing to do and by doing the right things life will go well.

Ecclesiastes: When your house gets old and decrepit

What kind of wisdom do we need? Where will we find it? In a temple or synagogue? We learn about wisdom, mainly from God’s Word, and how God’s people have gathered in basically two different ways – Temple and Synagogue. The Temple model is were people sit and watch while the professionals up front do it all for them, while the Synagogue model is a small group of people gathering around God’s Word to learn how to live better. In a Church which is so bowed down with keeping expensive buildings going, maybe we need to rediscover some-thing of the Synagogue, with small groups of people meeting, outside of expensive buildings, simply to learn from God’s word and to become better disciples. I wondered whether Cursillo was one manifestation of people trying to do this, and maybe the rest of the Diocese has a lot to learn from you.

Job: When lightning strikes your house He spoke about how even when we do the right things lightning can still strike! Remember God focuses on what is really important.

Diary Dates

Lincoln Cursillo #35 22nd-25th June 2020

At Bishop Grosseteste College, Lincoln

11th January 9:30 for 10:00-12:30 Secretariat Bailgate Methodist

15th February Old School Nettleham Winter Event

7th March 9:30 for 10:00-12:30 Secretariat Bailgate Methodist

21st March AGM

9:30am-4pm Old School Nettleham

HOLY LAND AND PETRA PILGRIMAGE 2021 Canon Chris Lilley will be leading another pilgrimage to the Holy Land on 9th -15th February 2021 with an optional extension to the Dead Sea, Masada and, in Jordan, Petra and Mount Nebo 15th-18th February. We visit many biblical sites in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem. In each place we pause, read the bible, reflect and sing. We take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and cable cars up the Mount of Temptation in Jericho and Masada. We can float in the Dead Sea and ride a camel, donkey or horse at Petra, the “rose red city half as old as time.” We cele-brate the eucharist by the Sea of Galilee and at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem and share our thoughts in informal worship each evening. Contact Revd Canon Chris on 01507 440039 or c.lilley@btinternet.com for more details and a booking form.

SECRETARIAT

GROUP CONVENERS

PALANCA

The following Weekends have been sent a Palanca Poster from Lincoln Cursillo. Please support them with Palanca prayer.

CLOTHING

Please order through Janet Shephardson. 7, Saddle Close, Goxhill, N. Lincs. DN19 7GB. Tel. 01469 530896. Email to janetshephardson217@btinternet.com for an order form or Go to http://lincolncursillo.btck.co.uk/Downloads

Prayers

Let’s pray for: • The secretariat

• All cursillistas

• The cursillistas who do not attend our reunion groups or those that rarely do

• Finances • Cursillo #35 • For the reunion groups that are struggling at the moment

**************************************************************************** A note from the Publicity Representative Just a little reminder please can you check all posters that advertise Cursillo are in a good condition and have the relevant and up to date contact details on them. Also, I would appreciate it if you could take the time to drop me a line or two after events or write a short reflection which could be used in articles. It will help us promote Cursillo and see us grow!