Sailing the Sea

 

Ever compared your life to sailing the sea? Maybe you’re familiar with this comparison, or maybe not. Let’s explore this in more detail: Where’s your current position on the sea of life? Where are you heading, is it easy to navigate and steer your vessel through the waters? How does your sailing boat look like? Is it big? Or small? Can it withstand storms, or heavy winds? How do you manage to go through a calm, to keep the course? Do you enjoy being in the midst of an ocean of possibilities, the deep sea, far away from shallow waters? Do you like being rocked and rolled by the waves? What about the fresh air, the sunrises and dawns, the twinkling of the stars in the nights?

Or do you miss a safe harbour, the seagulls’ greetings close to the coast? Under which flag are you sailing? When and where did you lift the anchor? Are you sailing alone? Or with a crew? No matter what kind of thoughts you get by comparing your life to sailing the sea, it’ll be nice to learn about your journey and experiences! Share your thoughts, don’t keep them for yourselves… Join up with other sailors, exchange your travel and logbook notes with others, for example, on the fellow’ship’ of international Christians here in Oulu. Come as you are, enter for free, there’s enough space. Welcome aboard!

(BF)

Without Comment

 

Or at least one: Easter Sunday, the Feast of Christ’s Resurrection… Thanks for coming, worshiping, singing, praying, and, of course, sharing the food ;-)
(BF)

What a Taste!

It’s Maundy Thursday evening. Passover.

A few international Christians have gathered at Pastor Patrick Dickson’s home.

The table is set for us, with three small loaves of unleavened bread, a bowl with herbs and another one with salt. In addition, there’s a cup of wine, or red juice, to be precise.

We read Bible verses from both the Old and New Testament. We sing a few hymns, and pray together.

Then Patrick breaks the bread, and passes it around. Each of us dips a piece of it in the bowl of herbs, and adds a pinch of salt.

I take a bite. The taste takes me back a few thousand years, to the times of Moses, when the Jewish people in Egypt experienced Passover. And back to the day when they first tasted bitter herbs and bread made without yeast (Exodus 12).

It’s a strange sensation, not very pleasant… I take another bite, just to get the taste, to sense all the flavours of bitterness.

And suddenly I can make “sense” of the Jewish people’s sufferings, that is, the many years of their enslavement in the land of the Pharaos.

There is silence in the room. The others are still chewing on their pieces of bread.

After a while the cup of wine makes its round.

It feels good to taste the sweetness of the red juice.

Another kind of taste. Yeah!

And now I’m able to understand why Passover marked the beginning of a new era for the Jewish people: Freedom from slavery. Oh, what a taste!

Passover – the night when God passed through Egypt and striked down every firstborn Egyptian, thereby sparing the Jewish babies, as their fathers had slaughtered lambs and put their blood on the doorframes of their homes.

Passover – the time when the Jews set out to leave Egypt for Israel, the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

But there’s more to Passover, when we celebrate it as Christians, as believers in Jesus:

Passover – the night when Jesus gathered His disciples to commemorate the ancient liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery, just as God had commanded them to do through Moses (Luke 22).

Passover – the time when Christ revealed to His followers –  in the breaking of the unleavened bread, and by sharing the cup of wine – that soon He would die as the “Lamb of God”, and thus mark mankind’s freedom from the slavery of sin.

(BF)

Easter Week Events

Tuesday and Wednesday, 18th and 19th of March
What? Elliots’ dance performance “He’s Alive”. Come and experience the Easter message through different dance genres, for example, modern, hip hop, classical. Elliots is a local Christian dance and theatre group, and they’re known for their creativity and inspiring performances!
When? At 18.30 pm, entrance 5/7 EUR
Where? Valve Culture Centre (Hallituskatu 7)

Maundy Thursday, 20th of March
What? Presentation & Gathering on the topic of “Holy Communion”, reflecting on the Last Supper of Christ.
When? At 18.00 pm, free entrance
Where? Home of Pastor Patrick Dickson (Koskitie 7 B 4)

Good Friday, 21st of March
What? Worship Service, commemorating the Passion and Death of Christ.
When? At 16.00 pm, free entrance
Where? St. Luke’s Chapel (Yliopistokatu 7)

Easter Sunday, 23rd of March
What? Worship Service & Potluck Dinner. Join in and celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of Christ, in an international atmosphere. Prepare and bring a dish from your home country, and enjoy food & company ;-) In the facilities of the congregation hall there’s a kitchen with ovens, microwave and a fridge. The room and table will be decorated in an Easter fashion.
When? At 16.00 pm, free entrance
Where? St. Luke’s Chapel & Congregation Hall of St. Luke (Yliopistokatu 7)

(BF)

God’s Gift

 

The local Christian dance and theatre group Elliots is performing the Easter Message and Story through different dance genres (modern, hip hop, classical…) this coming week.

Their performances have always been inspiring and I can recommend  going there as a good night out… performances are at Valve, the pink building that used to be called Nuku (Hallituskatu 7). Tickets can be brought from Valve at 5/7 euro.

Performance times are:
Sunday 16.3. at 16:00
Tuesday 18.3. at 18:30
Wednesday  19.3. at 18:30

Language is no barrier to watching dance. The name of the group,  Elliots means ‘God’s gift’…all the dance they do is for the glory of  God. (MP)