A Christian Ramadan

Oh dear, it's a long time since I have blogged and much has happened since.

Our daughter went to Bangladesh and is back later this week.
We have spent much of the last weeks with harvesting fruit and vegetables, foraging and food-processing. The freezer is full of frozen  berries, hubby has made several batches of jam (causing a debate whether strawberry jam or blackcurrant jam is the better one!) and several litres of elderflower cordial and elderflower champagne is done, with two gallons of sparkling elderflower wine on the go.

But there is time to blog about all that another time ...


Ramadan started on 8th July this year and, as in previous years, I am joining my Muslim friends in their Ramadan - well, after a fashion, that is.
Last year I adapted the Muslim prayer routine to fit verses from the Bible.
I found that so beneficial that I am doing it again this year. Except, I am veering even further from the Islamic practice (Please forgive me, my Muslim friends!) by not praying five times a day at set times, but by trying to go through the prayer routine once every hour.
Where that's not possible, I catch up with the missed prayers at a later time (for example, if I wake up at 6 am, I pray for the six hours which have already passed since midnight) - but I aim to pray hourly as much as possible and add my prayers to 24 times per day.

I have found this extremely calming and soothing.
Depending on your own belief system or world view, you might have different explanations for this.
Is it God at work in me?
Or Satan trying to deceive into straying from the right path?
Or simply my mind benefitting from taking regular time out from my daily routine and focus within?

I have my own thoughts and you probably have yours.

My Ramadan charity this year will be the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, which aims to provide a spiritual home, medical care and humanitarian relief as well as promoting reconciliation amongst different religious groups in Iraq in the face of great difficulties and hardship.

Wishing you a blessed Ramadan! May God work in us all and draw us closet to himself - whoever and wherever we are.

Wes' Advent Reflections

Yesterday marked the beginning of Advent, the time when Christians prepare for the coming of Jesus - remembering the story of his birth, but also being reminded that according to the Bible Jesus will come again.

I am looking forward to the Advent reflections by Wes Magruder, the Methodist pastor from the First Rowlett United Methodist Church in Rowlett in Texas who joined his Muslim friends during and reflected on Ramadan this year.

You can find his first Advent post here.

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry of lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching."

 Isaiah 42:1-4

May we all enjoy the journey!

Methodist pastor follows Ramadan fast

Before I leave Ramadan and Eid behind, here is a blog I have been following for most of Ramadan.
The wisdoms and reflections of Methodist pastor Wes Magrunder whilst joining his Muslim friends and neighbours through Ramadan.

It has certainly been an inspiration and encouragement to read. Thank you, pastor Wes!

Ramadan charity

Having spent the last month fasting with my Muslim friends, I have given some thought to which charity to use this Ramadan.

I wanted a charity which gives to people regardless of their religious affiliation. It is so important to care for our fellow human beings without letting enter into our heads any hearts any inkling of whether they are 'believing the right thing' or 'more or less worthy' of my giving than anybody else.

I am giving because I can. Because I am blessed. Because I want my gift to bless others in turn.

Spending all day without food and drink certainly acts as a reminder of what it is like to be really hungry.
Whilst eating the meal before the fast (Suhoor) and the meal which breaks the fast (Iftar) I often thought about those people in the world who do not ever get to eat enough to stem the hunger and fill their bellies, who are constantly and permanently hungry!

So it only seems right to choose a charity which feeds the hungry in the world.

So I chose the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), which encompasses charities such as Christian Aid, CAFOD and Islamic Relief and which provides relief across the world.

As I am writing this, a worsening food crisis is developing in the Sahel region of West Africa. There are more than 18 million people under threat in arid areas of Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso. Erratic rainfall has contributed to a lack of grazing for animals and below average harvests in some areas. This in turn has resulted in unseasonably high market prices for grain, putting staple foods increasingly out of reach for many people.

Be blessed!