Malcolm Potts October 15th 2017 ~ Worth-ship

Musings are whatever is on the mind of one of the staff team here at St Philips.  We write one every week.As I write this,  I am sitting outside in the sun in amongst the playgroup mums and kids. I am also thinking about all the visitors to our church today!I wonder how many of you have been to a church recently?  I wonder what you find yourself thinking as you come here this morning supporting Charlie, Venetia and little Hugo? You’re here for a baptism.  Do you know what baptism is all about, what it signifies and what we are asking of God as we celebrate Hugo’s baptism? James will explain some of this in his talk. But if you’re more of a TV type, you can watch some very short videos on the St Philips Cottesloe website that explain baptism simply but a bit more thoroughly.Anyway, I want to welcome you into this community for Hugo’s baptism, as you spend an hour or so with God’s people while we worship God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.Churches can be very diverse things, from smoke-filled cathedrals to almost rock concerts.  None is right or wrong.  There are many ways to gather as what the bible calls “the people of God”.  At St Philips we are up to all sorts of things; faith-building, practical help, caring for people, training, mentoring, even being a genuine family for some. These activities cross all ages.  You will hear from Graham what we are up to in Africa.  James may mention what he is up to in Palmyra. But what are we trying to do as we gather this morning? We are fundamentally a community of worship on Sundays.  Worship carries the idea of ‘Worth-ship’.  We know that God is worthy of our love, thanks, even praise and this time is when we seek to express that.  Why?  Because God has first loved us and made us for friendship with him.We are celebrating with thanks the goodness of God, as well as celebrating what God has done for us, to bring us into relationship with himself - which baptism symbolises and James will talk about. But for us here at St Philips it is a time to celebrate and give thanks for what God is doing in us and through us, in all manner of ways, not just in here but out there: caring things, teaching things, training things, faith-building things, welfare things and many more.It’s fantastic to have you to share in this Christian community at ‘worth-ship’ today.BlessingsMalcolm