The Oddfellows Band - We are on a common journey

The Oddfellows Band

This morning I had the great privilege of taking the service for the Annual Movable Conference of #Oddfellows in #Southport.  The Oddfellows Band is excellent and they accompanied the singing of the hymns.  The reading was the choice of Matthias as a replacement apostle for Judas.  After the ascension of Jesus to heaven, the early church held a committee meeting to reorganise themselves.  It is an appropriate reading as the Conference meets with delegates from all over the country gathering to carry on the business of the society.

The criteria for choosing Matthias were that he had known Jesus personally and that he was a witness to the resurrection.  Today we still need to know Jesus personally.  The church is a gathering of individuals who are each on a personal pilgrimage of exploration and faith, in a relationship with Jesus and with each other.  The job of being a witness to the resurrection is to share good news with others.  The church is not a museum or a historical reenactment society; we are a body of folk who exist to bless others and help them to discover the Kingdom of God for themselves.  The Manchester Unity Friendly Society (Oddfellows) have a similar desire to help others and promote unity, and  a high proportion of members are also members of churches.  We are on a common journey.