Ministry

One of the highlights of this year for me was to work with the Year 8s, Kirsty Hansen and the team to do a Chapel based around their social justice project based learning unit called ‘Speak Out’. Students looked at social justice from a Biblical perspective and, using poetry, art and other forms, ‘spoke out’. The Chapel was amazing and some of the students' work can be seen in this issue of the Anchor. This was my contribution to the service.  

The Gospel Slammed  

You say things are bad and I have to agree,   

Stuff going on breaks my heart to see.  

People treating people like pieces of dirt,   

Too much pain, too much hurt. 

Why is it like this, how can it be?  

Enter Adam and Eve and one fateful tree.  

Humanity deceived, ignored our Creator,   

And now we are suffering all this time later.  

We broke God’s heart when we went our own way.   

Pain, suffering, separation still felt today.   

We are good and we’re broken, it so plain to see,   

We need something bigger to set us all free.  

The pain and the suffering, it's just got to end,  

We’ve tried it ourselves, but things just don’t mend.   

God saw our pain and he still sees its now,   

From the very beginning, to this very hour.  

He set up a plan that will fix it all,

The broken relationships, Sin and the Fall.   

He’s saving the world through the gift of one Man,  

Christmas, the beginning of his rescue plan.  

Enter a baby in a bed made of straw,  

Dirt and filth covered the floor.   

Here is a king, but not like we know,   

Born in conditions humble and low.  

But a young babe he would not remain,   

To save all creation,  that’s why he came.  

Quoting the prophets, he said I have come,   

To proclaim the good news to everyone.   

Healing the sick, sight for the blind,   

Freedom for all is what’s on my mind. 

He displayed God’s Kingdom for all to see,   

And for our sin, Died on a tree.   

Death could not beat him nor could the grave,   

In the power of the Spirit, Jesus was raised.   

Sin and death conquered, now we’re set free,   

But that’s not the end of the story for you or for me.

It’s not yet finished he will come again   

But in the meantime, his Spirit remains.  

Empowering his people, he calls you and me   

To be his light, join his mission and set this world free.

Jesus, he modelled, and the Apostle James said,

Faith without works is definitely dead.   

We are to stand forth and share the good news of His Word,

Living out our faith wherever its heard.  

Not just in speech but in how we all live,   

Through the Power of his Spirit, this is the gift we can give.  

 Us growing in Him, that is His plan,  

And as we do, doing all that we can,   

To change our world one step at a time,   

Restore all his creation back into line. 

We may be broken, and we may be small,   

But in His Spirit we can stand tall.  

Jesus said I am the way, truth and life,  

He’s the only answer to end all this strife.  

Saved by His Grace, in abundance we live,   

And to others that Grace is the gift we can give.  

This is my poem, it’s now at an end,  

So to finish I’ll say Thank God!! and AMEN.

Have a Blessed Christmas and a great start to 2021.

Jason Urquhart

Lay Chaplain