Kiss your feet

Notes: John Groves - What is Spiritual Maturity? - from Leading People (pt 2/3)

2012-02-13T22:48:00.005Z

John Groves

Leading People (pt 2) section 2

What is Spiritual Maturity? - from Leading People (pt 2/3)

headlines

'Mere Infants' yet lacking no gifts - Paul addressed the Corinthians.
'Milk' - second hand food pre-digested by the mother, then fed to the baby.
Reactions under difficult situations can tell us how far we have come.
Mature people grow beyond self-interest, become self-forgettful, and then denying-self.
Signs of maturity ... a greater concern about holiness than happiness - happiness the by-product of holiness

1a. What spiritual maturity isn't

Not an ageing process.

Not instantaneous

Hebrews - let us go on to maturity.
Need to be mature before we can reproduce ourselves.

Never final and once and for all.

Phil 3:12-13 - to that I already attained this … but I press on … I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it … straining toward what is ahead.

Not automatic

not just through reading your bible
not just through receiving prayer

Not a possession of spiritual gifts

can be gifted but immature.
1 Cor 1 - they had no lack of spiritual gifts but then Paul continues in 3:1 - I could not address you as spiritual .. mere infants in Christ.

1b. Signs of Immaturity

Eph 4, Heb 5

Eph 4 - signs of immaturity - not knowing your own mind, easily deceived.

Heb 5:12-14 - stuck in the elementary - not able to discern good from evil.

1 Cor - Don't act like 'a mere man'! Not mere men - we are God's people, born again!

N.B. Reactions under difficult situations can tell us how far we have come.

'Only wanting milk':

What does that mean? Second hand food - pre-digested by the mother and then fed to the baby.

We mustn't be satisfied with receiving only what is the result of others handwork.

"An immature Christian is not prepared to pay the price of receiving God's word firsthand."

Emotional instability:

Being blown around. Heb 5:12-14.

The spiritual question is not does this please me, but does this please God?

There are deeper things that will direct a mature Christian.

Contentiousness:

"We are what we choose, but not what we feel." Our will, not our feelings, is the big thing.

Insensitive to evil:

Not able to discriminate between good and evil.

wrong question - what is the harm in it? right question - what is the good in it?

Self-centred:

Mature love is undemanding, immature love is demanding

Mature people grow beyond self-interest and become self-forgettful, and then denying-self.

2a. What spiritual maturity is

Gal 5:22-23

Fruit grows, rather than being instantly obtained.

We are able to move in a sprit it of love, joy, and peace - showing patience, kindness, goodness,

there is a faithfulness to our words, and a gentleness that is not to be despised.

gentle - not soft, pathetic, but not using power in an abusive way, 'gentlemen'

2b. Signs of Maturity:

Knowing God. A desire to know God better - a concern for his glory and his purposes

Holiness before happiness. A greater concern about holiness than happiness - happiness the by-product of holiness

Beyond Milk. not satisfied with milk - feed self on the word of God.

Pleasing God. Driven by a desire to obey God and find out what pleases him

Serving. A love for serving others.

Giving. A giver more than a receiver in almost every aspect of life

Authority. An ability to accept authority increasingly as someone exercising authority

Cross. Understands the cross and it's impact on their lives

Responsibility. Not frightened of responsibility, growing in love for both God and man.

Notes: John Groves - Leading People (pt 2/3)

2012-02-12T22:57:00.034Z

John Groves

Leading People (pt 2)

First part (we covered a lot tonight!) of notes from John's second of three, teaching sessions on Leading People.

listen [when published]

headlines

Good Christian leaders usually feel out of their depth and dependent on God - "A day late and a dollar short" - John Wimber.
The spiritual question is not does this please me, but does this please God?
We can be interested in what do you know, biblical leadership is about who you are & what you do.
Mature character wants to receive God's word firsthand.

3 passages

1 Tim 3: v1-14
Titus 1: v6-9
1 Peter 5: v1-3

3 lessons

Qualifications for leaders in the N.T. are 90% character.
Key goal of leadership - to develop others in their Christian life and gifting
Professional mentality in church leadership leads to positionally minded leaders.

1. Wrong views on leadership:
Mt 23

they do not practice what they preach

everything they do is done for men to see

they want the place of honour at banquets

They love status and position, and people acknowledging their role.

Jesus's teaching:

you aren't to be called rabbi - you have one Lord,

you aren't to be called teacher as you have one teacher in Christ

whoever humbles himself will be exalted, and whoever exalts himself will be humbled.

We can be interested in what you know but biblical leadership is about who you are and what you do.

2. Unhelpful terms - clergy and laity

Acts 4:13, John 7:15

Jesus and the Apostles were in a category the world would call 'laity'!

Acts 4:13 - "When they realised they were 'laymen'".
John 7:15 - "how did this man [Jesus] get such learning seeing as he is a 'laymen'".

Biblical?

Clergy, laity - a clear divide in the modern church.
N.T. perspective describes all saints together, each with a role - but a single body.

When we get the wrong view we get positionally minded people coming into authority.

3. How the early church chose their leaders?

They chose leaders based on who was already serving with some anointing and character.

The power to recognise some forms of leadership founded upon present service.

4. What does God look for in leaders

1 Peter 5

be shepherds of God's flock under your care,

serving by overseeing,

not because you must but because you are wiling,

not lording it over those entrusted to you.

be an example to the flock and when the chief shepherd appears you will receive a crown of glory that will never go away.

List of attributes show 90% character

Notes: John Groves - Leading People (pt 1/3)

2012-01-22T21:06:00.015Z

John Groves

Leading People (pt 1)

Notes from John's first of three, teaching sessions on Leading People.

listen to John's preach here titled 'Leading People #1: The Heart Of The Matter'

headlines

The saving change of a leaders life - [comparing Saul and David] his heart was devastated when he sinned against the Lord. - 2 Sam 12
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
Jesus to Peter - what was the question before the commission to serve "…Do you love me more than these? …. Feed my sheep."

Intro

Biblical principles of leadership which apply to secular and church roles.
John's experience of leadership - youth leader, Crusader's leader, Christian Union, School Teacher (10 yrs), Elder in church 32 yrs, Lead Elder, 22 yrs, Married 35 yrs, Father 33 yrs, helping other churches (20 yrs).

3 verses

Mt 12:33-35 - what you say will essentially come from what is in your heart.
1 Sam 16:7 - 'the Lord looks at the heart'
Prov 4:23 - Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.

3 lessons

No. 1 priority -the heart.
God judges the heart, not by the externals.
the heart determines the purity of the source.

heart - 839 references in the bible.

heart = mind + emotion + will

Others may judge us superficially, but God can handle our failures if he has our heart.

Fruit grows as a result of the root that is planted within us.

8 characteristics of a good leader

1. a heart to serve

phil 2: 3-7

leadership is fundamentally a form of service

'minister' also means 'servant'
If the heart's desire is for kudos then 'it will all go south' in church, and probably in work also.
to be more occupied with pleasure that a goal was reached, to not be disappointed that my own contribution towards that goal was not recognised.
Leadership is always responsible even if not empowered to immediately resolve an issue - to take responsibility. Feel responsible for things.
Leaders should be prepared to lay down their lives for those they are leading.

2. a heart for people

mt 9:36 - "…he had compassion on them, because they were harasses and helpless like sheep without a shepherd"

1 thess 5:14 - "…warn those who are idle, encourage the time help the weak, be patient with everyone."

Not everybody is the same - people need differing responses - see 1 Thess.
Admonish - to call attention to.
Addressing difficult people, not to asset yourself, but understanding the impact they are having and seeking to resolve this for the better.
Encouragement
Help the weak - helping those who have a vulnerability through teaching and other means.
Patience -
Confront - on a platform of care

take what we know about people and consider how best to serve them.

3. a heart for work

col 3:23

for at it with all your heart as though working for the Lord not men.

delegation is not getting rid of it - monitoring, holding accountable.
sitting back and not doing anything and 'see what God does' - take example of not doing anything with a garden and seeing what God will do - it will become a complete mess.
a leader cannot be lazy.

4. a loyal heart

phil 4:3 - "… loyal yokes fellow, help these women who have contended at my side …"

2 Tim 2:2 - "… to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others".

loyalty does not equal 'yes' man.
loyalty does mean where I have a problem, I take it to the person with whom i have the problem.
Keep the circle as narrow as possible for as long as possible.
Only bring in people who are part of the problem or part of the answer - bringing others in is disloyal.
Be very careful to not become a sympathetic ear to moans about the leaders. Can be flattering as people confide their gripes in us.

5. a willing heart.

judges 5:2 - "When the princes in Israel take the lead then the people willingly offer themselves - praise the Lord."

a time when leaders are called to serve people by leading.
a leaders blessing - "if someone's got to give a lead - I'll give a lead."
a good leader will choose to step into a breach even if it isn't his favourite place or something which they have a lot of knowledge about.
a willing hearted leader will often do things they might not choose to do, which in turn brings about a willingness in others to then lead.
no good asking others to do something which I am not prepared to do myself - willingness to take a lead and be an example.

6. an open heart

acts 16: 6-10 - this is the historic moment when the gospel comes to Europe rather than Asia.

Firm in principles but flexible in practice.

as leaders we can feel we have to get it right all the time - but in this passage we see Paul and his team arriving somewhere and realising it's not right to progress, so they stop, and check where they should be going.
this model contrasts with the style of a leader who 'goes up the mountain returns with the decree', ascends the mountain returns with another decree' - more step-by-step than that.
this is the historic moment when the gospel comes to Europe rather than Asia.
Open to the Holy Spirit, Flexible, risking criticism.
Open hearted leaders are exciting, as they are open to what others are thinking and consider their thoughts intelligently.

7. a disciplined heart

psalm 90:12 - teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a hear of wisdom.

know the measure of yourself.
know your own vulnerability.
time with God is vital. Jesus must have a place in our time and in our heart. A discipline that gives time to God.
Q. how do you get time?
A. you have to pluck time out somehow.
prove 16:9 - in his heart a man plans his course.
be alert to the fact of the shortness of your life. be aware of what factors shape my time and life - mustn't be fear of what will happen if *this* doesn't get done.

8. a heart for God

1 sam 13:14 - "the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."

Saul started well but soon crumbled, the flaws in his character showed under pressure, and he didn't put God first in his heart.
Samuel says - God wants a man after his own heart.

both fail, both sin, David comes through, Saul falls.
1 Sam 15 - Saul full of self-justification, and self-protection.
2 Sam 12, Psalm 51 - David is devastated before God when he has sinned. 'I have sinned against the Lord'
Insecurity can be a major issue foe leaders, and can create high-achievers in work. But those who lead in a godly manner must be secure.
Don't think too highly of yourself - remember that we deserved nothing, but received everything - the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

John 21:15-17

"…Do you love me more than these …. Feed my sheep."

a time for joy, a time for tears

2011-10-11T13:49:00.006+01:00

In a week in which we could be blessed with the birth of a daughter, we will also ache at the recent death of her Grandma.

For the Christian there is a deep and profound joy in the hope which both events signify.

In the birth of new life I see not only the lost-for-words made-in-his-image creative beauty of God, I also remember new life in Jesus, hope for life that never dies, and hope for life that really lives.

In the death of a life, I see the horrible horrible destructive echo of the power of our rebellion to God. Stuff in this world just stopped working properly when we decided we knew best, when we didn't.

I'm then reminded of the horrible and wonderful sight of the perfect Son on of God on the cross taking the blame for me, so if I would only ask and trust in him, then I could be forgiven and walk into the open arms of God.

Nothing to add, nothing to do, only to trust, and then relying on his strength ... to follow.

Death was ultimately my fault, Life is ultimately his gift. He died so I could live. Seems ugly to some. To me it seems like a mind-blowing exchange.

For those who suffer, for those who grieve, for those who rejoice, God is very near. He has promised us that if we draw near to him he will draw near to us. That's what he is like - he is always near.

I want to encourage everyone I know to take a few weeks of your life and see if Jesus is real, what he is like, and what he has to say to you.

This is the most important thing you will ever do with your life. Here are a few ideas ...

find a church with people who seem honest and impressed with God and whose lives seem to be a bit different - I can personally recommend these places (though of course there are many others) ... New Frontiers in Bedford HTB in London, HTB in Brighton New Frontiers in Winchester New Frontiers in Central London
maybe consider finding and doing an Alpha course
pray while you are doing the washing up or driving and ask God to speak to you 'if he's real'
read a bit of a gospel in the Bible in a translation like this

I wouldn't have given my life to God unless he totally won me over, neither would my Mum.

I'm going to see my Mum again in heaven.

I'd like to be sure of seeing you there too.

:-)

/Tom

The object of the heart and lasting fulfillment

2011-08-05T11:26:00.002+01:00

I was directed to this passage through a PJ Smyth lecture on the 3DL course from Godfirst church. The passage is written by a guy called Thomas Chalmers and has really stuck with me. I think it offers a lot of wisdom about the human heart and how & where real lasting satisfaction is to be found in life.

What I took away from this passage:

The only way to cast off a sinful nature is to receive a pure one.

It is seldom that any of our sins can be made to vanish by a mere process of reasoning, mental determination, or natural extinction. The heart is never left without an object of worship.

Whilst behaviour might be changed for a short time, the true object of the heart’s affections will again shape and colour everything we do and say - as we have said earlier, from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

So Chalmers teaches us that the idolatrous object of worship must be displaced by God, and that we must actively use any legitimate means available to us to encourage our hearts to be fixated on Jesus - primarily through receiving his extravagant grace for us - our hearts, as Paul teaches us - as those reborn in Christ, we will immediately cry Abba Father, and we will know we belong to God and our hearts will be changed as we look at him.

An extract from the passage itself:

"the only way to dispossess it of an old affection, is by the expulsive power of a new one … in the Gospel do we so behold God, as that we may love God. It is there, and there only, where God stands revealed as an object of confidence to sinners and where our desire after Him is not chilled into apathy, by that barrier of human guilt which intercepts every approach that is not made to Him through the appointed Mediator. It is the bringing in of this better hope, whereby we draw nigh unto God - and to live without hope, is to live without God; and if the heart be without God, then world will then have all the ascendancy."

Reference for the passage: Thomas Chalmers, "THE EXPULSIVE POWER OF A NEW AFFECTION | http://www.newble.co.uk/chalmers/comm9.html

Christian culture is crazy if it's lazy

2010-12-03T11:41:00.003Z

I'm sat in a coffee shop in Winchester working.

I don't work from home much anymore - recent contracts have declined this freedom for me, but thanks to the snow and ice here I am.

I find *I work* when I'm sat coffee shops next to my local Winchester-ites drinking fine coffee, with my headphones feeding glorious tunes into my ears. This is the place where things click for me.

For example you may think I'm not working at all - since I'm writing this, but I've just created a presentation in 1 hr which I wouldn't have come close to doing in 1 day in the office. I'm happy. I'm thinking. I'm thinking about last night's local meeting with people in our church who live in the same area, and my mind is whirring and I'm depositing this train of thought on you. It's the only train running you know.

If you read it, I hope you take something away from it. If not ... I am working honestly.

Christian culture - doesn't it drive you crazy? Shouldn't we all just be working out what it means to follow Jesus in our own lives in our own worlds … on our own?

All it's insular music, festivals, books, name-dropping, conferences, in-jokes, million-pound buildings hiding us away from the community, buzz-words and bees-in-the-bonnet that seem to be living in a different world to the rest of the world - with whom we are to engage, bless, and proclaim (another one of those funny words) Jesus to!

That's how I often hear the line go with believers who have a different vision to the status-quo, or (or have become) frustrated or disconnected from the 'movement'. (I sympathise, I empathise, I've been there, I often come-by for a day when I've taken a wrong turning).

But I wonder if we've just never gone far enough, corporately enough, and shaken off some of the naff stuff along-the-way. I wonder if we've settled for stuff we didn't like because we were too lazy to keep going down this road to find the gold.

What about a Christian culture that is obsessed with studying the Bible, that it moves beyond semi-motivational preaches of the same passages and quotes into setting up local centres to teach on all the big issues of the day to help believers live like Jesus did?

What about scary generosity that eclipses the building project (or even side-steps it), and builds local community centres that we worship in and then run for the good of the community building contact day-by-day with whoever is on our door step.

What about moving beyond views that sometimes have more to do with protecting our own interests, into being so out-spoken on local issues and national-issues (with believers actually having a deep conviction caused by the God the Holy Spirit about these things) that local towns and cities find groups of 500 people campaigning for acts of justice, mercy, and kindness in whatever form they take on our door-step?

What about moving beyond just a focus on 1 'church' building and into having such a close local network that homes actually become known as 'church homes' where the Christians meet, what about these places having sections given to serving food and drink at set-times during the day for the hungry, the lonely, the local. That would make explaining the difference between going to 'church', the 'church' (building), and being the 'church' a little easier to a 4 year old.

What about moving beyond the once-a-year-invite-the-prophectic=speaker/well-known-worship-leader-meeting to being people who are filled with, dependent-on, and wait-until, the Holy Spirit fills-them that our relationship and perspective of who Jesus is outweighs every other consideration? A people who have a happiness about them that cannot be stolen.

What about it? We'd need to adjust in so many ways, but what about a culture like that?

I think that sounds like the church. I think the church is the ultimate expression of the wisdom of the God here on the earth. I want to be re-gripped by the beauty of the mercy, kindness, love, and deep-delight that the church has as she is changed as she beholds the glory of the one Holy God in the face of God revealed born in the dirt of an out-house - our hope-bringing life-changing loving Saviour … Jesus Christ.

We are part of a fantastic local church, with great people and leaders who serve. This isn't an agenda from outside that, but within it. We look like watchman on the city-wall to see where God is taking us, and praying for his kingdom to come.

The news tonight

2010-10-29T22:25:00.001+01:00

What does Jesus make of the news tonight? 3 yr old children dying of malaria because they don't have enough to eat, whilst the west are pleased that the US economy grows by 2% as people are buying needless consumer products in high street stores. And here I am sat living in Winchester with my beautiful and healthy family. So much to be thankful for, and such love leads us on 'love will look you in the eye, love won't leave you here to die'

Strong enough

2010-10-18T15:10:00.001+01:00

See me falling down ... Devil you're not gonna win

Stare The Monster Down

One thing I have pondered
Is how the mighty fall
I've sung the songs of heaven
Just to lose it all
See me falling down
See me falling down

Another day in paradise
Another day to die
The writing's on the wall again
And the future's asking why
Why we turned away
Why we turn away

Is there,
Is there a place in your arms of love
Strong enough
Will you carry us
Carry us through

Eighteen weeks of chemo
Six doses of hell
A family bucket of pills a day
To make my father well
Stare the monster down
Stare the monster down

Devil you're not gonna win

Written by Delirious? �2008 Curious? Music UK

the guilty and the guiltless

2010-08-15T09:09:00.001+01:00

Luke 23: 1-25

the guiltless and the guilty, the sick and the healer

arrested, questioned, facing to the cross imminently, Pilate sends Jesus to Herod who had 'long desired to see him' because he hoped Jesus would 'perform some signs'.

when questioned by Herod we are told that Jesus 'made no answer', so they 'treated him with contempt and mocked him'. This act by Herod restored his friendship with Pilate.

Now both Herod and Pilate were agreed in their judgement over Jesus 'I did not find this man guilt of any charges … Look nothing deserving death has been done by him' … but the crowd kept shouting 'Crucify, crucify him'.

"Because the sinless saviour died, my sinful soul is counted free For God the just is satisfied to look on him and pardon me" - Charitie Lees Smith Bancroft

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He did not come for those considering themselves 'well' or already 'found', but to those who needed a doctor - the sick. Jesus himself is guiltless, 'spotless' as Isaiah put it, and when mocked and condemned he gave no answer - again as Isaiah tells us - 'as a sheep silent before the shearers'.

This week a friend of mine ended his life. A short memory of him his here. Those ending their own lives are evidently those aware they are sick, but have they met the Healer? The poor, rejected, marginalised, lonely, troubled. Have we shown them the gospel as Jesus did? This is what he has called us to do -

‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’

Even shortly before his final death and already lifted up on the cross, Jesus was fulfilling this mandate by bringing grace hope and forgiveness to the guilty:

'Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

- for whose sake did he do this? I remind myself - 'he is so loved the world'.
- what happened again I ask myself? 'For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.'

We exchanged the truth of God for a lie, he exchanged the glory of heaven for the cross.

Leadership #1

2010-08-12T12:33:00.000+01:00

Luke 22 - Jesus & Peter

At a time when he was facing the cross, Jesus knew that Satan wanted to seriously screw up Simon Peter.

His response was that at the most pressured agonising time in his life, he was giving himself in prayer for Simon Peter - that his faith would not fail, and then commissioned him with a word of knowledge - "once you have turned (back to me) again strengthen your brothers. Amazing leadership.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, [4] that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter [5] said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus [6] said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

the life of the congregation gets squeezed out

2010-07-13T09:09:00.002+01:00

I'm reading and so far enjoying a book called The Passion of Life: A Messianic Lifestyle by Jurgen Moltmann.

I heard his name via an theological conference hosted at Holy Trinity Brompton earlier this year.

The book is highly quotable!

This excerpt is actually not from Moltmann, but rather from Douglas Meeks who writes the Introduction.

I'll wait until I've read at least 50% of the book before I comment, but this passage in particular strikes home.

"What we in Europe and North America glibly call 'congregations' often have no resemblance to what the reformation originally envisioned as the congregated people of God. During the last 450 years the Protestant churches have nearly destroyed one of the principal realities at which the Reformation was aiming, namely the congregation. There is nothing wrong in principle with structures, organisation, authority, and offices in the church. They are all necessary. What is wrong is the way in which all of these have come to be understood and practiced in an over- clericized, authoritarian, and statically structured church. The problem with such a church is that the life of the congregation gets squeezed out. When the vitality of the congregation atrophies and disappears the church becomes nothing but an empty shell and there is nothing to embody and bear the liberating mission of God in this world."

(M. Douglas Meeks, in the Introduction to Moltmann's The Passion of Life: A Messianic Lifestyle).

I'm also reading Rawls: 'Justice as Fairness: a restatement', courtesy of Google Books. Anyone read any Rawls before? Interested in learning more about some of the underlying values and principles that shape the debate.

Called

2010-07-06T19:18:00.005+01:00

I recently posted this facebook status udpate:

"had long chat with Marianne last night about how to respond to Calling, time, finances, if you have any wisdom please get in touch!"

a friend and elder who used to live in Bristol replied "Go on ..."

So on my train home today, I did go on, and the text below is what I went onto. This is as much for me trying to get my head clear as it is for anyone else.

I feel called.

When I was 12 years old, sat on the floor in a worship time over a weekend youth camp type thing, and I told my youth leader that God told me he was sending revival. When another leader approached me and asked for more information about the prophecy God has given me I had no idea what he was talking about - I had never heard of 'prophecy'.

When I was 13 years old, I climbed the steps of a baptismal pool, in which I was to be baptised. As I stepped down, stood between 2 elders, for the first time in my life I felt suddenly overwhelmed by the love of God as I felt his love and approval almost literally flooding me - I recall that along with this awareness came 2 things, I began to weep and I sensed the presence and intimacy with God as my Father on a level I had never known previously.

When I was 16 years old, I was stood in our church building on a Sunday evening, it was the season of the 'Toronto' blessing. Shortly into the worship time I began to experience a sense of tremendous power on me, my body began to almost hum with electricity, I recall my feet involuntary shuffling around. As I stood in what was a new sense of power and intimacy with my Father in heaven, one the elders stood on the stage pointed at me, and said "Tom Foster - you are called to be a prophet to this nation!" Subsequent words were then given to me from others, most notably the captain of our football team in which I played, a wonderful and prophetically gifted man named Morgan Lewis, then shared Jeremiah 1 with me and said he felt God had called me to be an iron pillar to stand in this nation.

Finally I was stood waiting for a bus a hundred metres from my parents house I very clearly felt God speak to me - 'Tom, I have called you to be a messenger for me'. It has stuck.

These are some of the words I have received over the years.

At 18 years old I went to university and focussed on my studies, learned lessons of life in living away from home and began dating and later at 20 years old, married my wife Marianne.

Looking back I felt my 20's have been a time of being a husband and father, applying myself to work, serving in the church, and learning some tough lessons about humility, service, love, and realising I really am "…empty handed but alive in his hands". At least 4 years of my 20's have for me been a clear 'Joseph' kind of time in which I made horrible mistakes and learned to ponder and pray over dreams rather than immediately speak them. It's been painful! I have served in worship leading 400 people, and then led none. I have begun to preach on a rota in my local church, and then preached once in 6 years in our new church. The last 3 years of my 20's I feel have been mostly about loving my wife and serving our family. Learning and living in Ephesians 5 - a passage which was burned on my heart by the Holy Spirit during our wedding day, has been my greatest lesson and joy.

The last 18 months have begun to feel like a wake-up time for me. Reflection and conviction in what God has called me to be in terms of his church, the prophetic and intercession. This has begun to weigh on me with almost equal measure of joy and uncomfortableness. In my self I am beginning to sense that I need to make time for what God has called me to be and to do. I find the prophetic gift in me most stirred when I study his word and read books, and pray - what I would call a 'sense of a message' is fairly quickly changed, when I give myself to prayer and study, into a burden of a message that I sense I have been equipped to speak into God's people. The dreams and visions come more often in this place.

Over the last 18 months I have also been awakened in the political aspects of our country through a series of divinely opened up situations which are summarised here - but again I feel a passion and hunger to consider these in prayer and study and preaching. I also want to see the local church equipped to move in greater prophetic gifting, with less elitism and more 'body'.

The heritage God has given me through my parents is primarily a vision for a Godly marriage, God-centred family, to be a Holy Spirit filled pople and fed on God's word ... to be a New Testament people that live by faith and change the world by being a people confirmed to the image of Jesus, living unashamed with integrity, always dependent on and looking to God. It is a hunger to be God's people and shine to the world.

To me it seems clear that there is now a second generation of believers who must refuse the trappings of religion, and again claim back the path of abandon and extravagance in our relationship with God and then one-another. It is this context of the world and the church, which I feel drawn to be obedient to the calling I feel God has given me - and with it a realistic and practical re-evaluation of how I spend my time, money, and the house in which I live, in order to submit myself to God and this vision.

I sense a growing gift of leadership in me, but a very different way of thinking than i had 10 years ago about that gift. Responding to a prophetic word I felt God bring to me I now help lead a Soup Service to the homeless in Winchester but am surrounded by an amazing team - I have no desire to lead this team long term - but with that lack of desire to lead the team I also a sense of personal relief that I am responding to responsibility a bit differently than I remember doing in years past!

How do I support my wife and my family?  Working 3 or 4 days per week will pay less than working 5! Will it pay the bills? This is perhaps the greatest challenge to my thinking on how I respond.

As a father of 3 sons, I am so happy!  They are wonderful, they are challenging.  I have said to Marianne more than once that I never hear God as quickly and as clearly as I do when I pray for my sons.

Providing for and loving my wife is another joy.  Before we married I remember saying to a friend how much I looked forward to providing for my wife.  He didn't really get it then .. and on one level neither did I - it is even more of a pleasure than I had imagined.

When I speak of my feelings at the moment to friends regarding the sense of calling I feel from God, they can looked almost disturbed. They remind me that I have a young family to which I must give my time and money and love. I agree with all that they say. When I talk to Marianne about all this she too reminds me of our young family and then smiles and speaks of how many others long for God in our city and how the gifts God has given me are ones by which people in Winchester would be blessed. She is a conservative and an antagonist at the same time.

I need God's grace to know how to step forward.

Leadership

2010-06-01T00:03:00.001+01:00

Interesting quote from Driscoll

"In the church, elders, members, deacons are equal but the elders are supposed to lead. In a community group, everybody's equal, but the community group leader is supposed to lead."

(http://theresurgence.com/series/11-leadership-lessons-from-12-disciples)

I'm not sure, with my understanding of it, that I agree that eldership denotes leadership on the level Driscoll suggests here (how does this relate to Ephesians 4 gifts and team model). I also think that in 'community group' the role of leader is theoretically very different to that of the leader of a group using the 'cell' church model, yet I know of several examples where the church has drifted from one model to the other without any recognition, re-training, or change of personnel reflecting the different kinds of leader and necessary skills required to support these models.

Run don't Plod, the presence of God leads his people on

2010-05-05T21:20:00.007+01:00

Dear friends of mine have tweeted that this article is great. I cannot agree. I must respond. Other friends read my original response and said they have read the article in different ways with different meanings. For the sake of my respect for them, and my desire to not be unhelpful, I have 'toned' this down a bit. But reading again today, I am still putting it up the amended version (for the 6 readers who come here). God please help us. God please help me.

This is one of the most concerning blog entries I have read. I do not know the author, none of this is intended as comment on him, only what I have read and the approval my friends have placed upon it.

"It’s sexy among young people — my generation — to talk about ditching institutional religion and starting a revolution of real Christ-followers living in real community without the confines of church. Besides being unbiblical, such notions of churchless Christianity are unrealistic. It’s immaturity actually,"

I greatly dislike institution and religion, it's control and it's spirit of authoritarian manipulation reap a very different fruit to that of a grace filled body of Jesus here on earth. Institution and religion is alien to almost everything I have experienced as a Christian in a local church born of love, grace, faith, vision, and daily discipleship. But this opening of the article seems to approve of it.

I love Jesus and want to follow him. He changes everything. I want to be a Jesus follower a heck of a lot more than a member of an institution!

The comment on community again confuses and concerns me. There is no other way to live as a follower of Jesus than in a community - so what are the confines of the church to which he refers? What is his biblical frame of reference for this?

There is much in this article I can agree with - the daily walk with God, the absolute commitment to God's local church, a biblical vision of God building his church and us serving in it, the resistance to rely only on emotion and be people of action, truth, and God-centred obedience. Yet I personally sense an underlying tone here that suggests something very very far away from what reflects my reading of scripture and experience as a Christian. It smells more than a little to me of control and manipulation.

I can enjoy some of this:

"Daily discipleship is not a new revolution each morning or an agent of global transformation every evening; it’s a long obedience in the same direction."

but the position that this life is not about revolution suggests we should all drop our expectations a bit and get on with the drudgery of daily life as a Christian. Where, I then ask myself, is the understanding of the fallen heart born again - surely this is indeed a global transformation each day? That we live by the same power that raised Christ from the dead. It is a daily wonder, a daily miracle, each day to depend on the mercy of God. We must not forget his benefits, his life, his mercies everyday - what a mystery. If we forget this, we have no reason to rise and pray, we have reduced the mystery hid for the ages to a the same level as buying 'the same groceries at the store'.

of this ...

"It’s possible the church needs to change. Certainly in some areas it does. But it’s also possible we’ve changed — and not for the better."

I am looking please to understand how the 'we've' and the 'church' are here described as separate entities. Does he refer to the established church independent of it's members? I believe history and scripture lays plain great dangers ahead on this road. To take our eyes of Jesus who inflames expectation which permeates the mundane. Are we now overlooking this?

I am honestly lost for words at generalisations such as this:

"My generation in particular is prone to radicalism without followthrough. We have dreams of changing the world, and the world should take notice accordingly. But we’ve not proved faithful in much of anything yet. We haven’t held a steady job or raised godly kids or done our time in VBS or, in some cases, even moved off the parental dole. We want global change and expect a few more dollars to the ONE campaign or Habitat for Humanity chapter to just about wrap things up."

For whom does he speak? I am not claiming my generation has changed the world. Indeed, there is a great weight many of us are feeling to see our generation honour God, love him, and be used to bring glory to his name. But I am disturbed by this kind of approach - to what end will the advance of God's kingdom, by the presence of the Holy Spirit with the wonderfully life bringing radical agenda of Jesus, be focussed by this kind of statement? Scripture leads us to look to Jesus, lift our eyes. I ask then, living in daily obedience, to see if you can resist the urge to speak, to sense the presence of the Spirit begin to work through you and confront, challenge, love, serve, and advance the kingdom of God! Revival is coming, the first fruits are beginning to be seen, culture is being changed, initiatives are being born, the name of Jesus is being heard and felt.

Why do my peers unquestionably recommend this article? What are the people in the churches they lead to take from their recommendation?

If you accept and advocate unquestionably this article without any caution, then it seems to me that you should refrain from reading the Psalms to your people, not speak of the history of the people of faith who by their God saw nations changed, do not speak on Gideon or Caleb, or read Acts, do not read any N.T Wright, do not dwell on the great commission, do not read Isaiah 61, and certainly don't pause for a moment in your meeting unless the Spirit of God begin to speak through the body and remind us all that we serve the Living God! If you do not remind them of these things, they may well settle in, "become part of the crowd", put up their feet, let you offer the service, pay the wages, and use the lingo.

Shine don't shout!

2010-05-05T16:14:00.021+01:00

This week it is the task of all good Christian bloggers to post a comment on the Philippa Stroud discussion kicked off by this Guardian article. Here is mine

For readers who want intelligent comment the following blog articles are better than mine:

Stevie Smith

Al Shaw:

Matthew Hosier:

I began to comment on Steve's article and found I had stopped commenting on his words and started offering my own comments, which is a bit rude and unnecessary given how good his article is. So my few words are below.

--------------------------------------------------

I read nothing in the original article which I felt was factually incorrect, but the word 'cure' was obviously value laden, invested with meaning, shaped the tone of subsequent discussion, and intended to cause alarm, and it did.

We need a cure if something has gone wrong and needs to be fixed. Is this interpretation of the word unbiblical in this instance? I don't think so, Romans 1 tells me that this is simply wrong in people having sex with those of the same sex. In fact Genesis 3 tells me that we all need a cure. So we need clarification on the terms if 'cure' is an unhelpful term. We also need to find out how to put some context on the discussion - issues of identity deserve a lot more thought and comment than I have given above.

If 'cure' is a word which doesn't really reflect the stance we want to take on this issue, then what does? Philippa makes no response on this. If she had, the issue would have got much much bigger. I am praying for her to walk in God's love and receive wisdom in these things. I don't envy her the challenge of articulating belief in way which isn't manipulated by the media - they are very good at manipulation!

What this situation more importantly did, it seems to me, was to put many believers on the back-foot in what we think and how we articulate it.

Many believers suddenly became aware that on a highly sensitive issue we were really very at odds with the prevailing acceptable view, and then weren't quite sure how to say what we believe without casting ourselves as horrible loveless nutters. Many of us have gay friends, so how do we then articulate a biblical perspective on homosexuality whether someone is in a relationship or not?

Yet it is beyond a single issue - already a bit unsteady on our feet Philippa's trail blazing has got us into even more trouble!

Opinions are not left back at home in the local church, she is inevitably taking them with her - to be worked out differently of course, but nevertheless they are there and they will influence decisions. Horah we shout - 'we are being salt and light', 'Foul' cry many others - they are imposing their horribly offensive views upon us and infringing our rights. (If you cannot continue a tradition of prayer in council meetings,* do believers really expect to articulate views on this in public without arousing a great response?)

By her very presence in politics, she is provoking another question - what is the role of the belief in the context of the state based policy making, what is the role of the church in the state? Do we have a theology for the Church & Society?

Rather than cry 'foul' and 'hate' I hope we find courage (and time) to form and articulate an honest biblical view which speaks the truth about the world - so we *really* know God (in part by our bibles which I don't believe many of us do particularly well). Less of Hillsongs, a bit more of J.I. Packer* ;-)

In doing so, I hope we remember that alongside words, that it is by our conduct with one another that the world will know who we will belong to, through a community - a family - which welcomes the least, seeks out and welcomes inquiring unbelievers, and is unwilling to recant when confronted by even greater forces than 1 article in the Guardian.

The age of the professional ministry is going. As beliefs become more and more unpalatable to our culture, those who say they follow Jesus will be pressed on all sides - the questions will be posed at us all not only leaders. We all must have real substantial meaty faith - faith that comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Brothers we are not professionals, we all must look to the living God to give us strength and courage to shine not shout.

* I like much Hillsongs music, and only occasionally read the Daily Mail when staying at my parents' house.

Just what the Doctor ordered

2010-05-04T15:35:00.004+01:00

Honestly, I was looking for a Lloyd-Jones sermon on the righteousness of Christ.

These last few weeks have been a murky affair for my thought process as I've read and engaged with politics.

Of course, I don't regret that - I do want to engage with politics, but only as I submit to Christ. One without the other is absolute disaster for my family, my sleep, and my daily happiness in knowing Jesus. But as long as I try to engage with politics and don't submit to Jesus, then it all gets rather horrible.

One more thing (long pre-blog bit nearly done) - I do feel God has led me to engage with politics and previous blogs can bear witness to that ... and the fact that I am learning that political engagement can take many forms, some of them less likely to win Christian-in-politic-badges than others... anyway there we have it.

So there I am reading my Lloyd-Jones sermon, feeling a bit more in the zone, remembering and dwelling on the character of Jesus, the character of his body on earth (his church), and I am hit upon without request by the good Doctor making suggestions on political engagement, and very much I enjoyed them. A long excerpt here for those with a few minutes - the url for those with 10 minutes.

"The Apostle says that in this way he has been prepared and equipped and called in order that he might preach among the Gentiles ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’. What a phrase! what a profound, what a sublime statement! But it is also a statement that tests us and examines us. I do not hesitate to assert that the test of all preaching is its conformity to this definition of the message, and to this standard. The business of any man who claims to have been called to be a minister of the gospel is to preach ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’.

Let us look at this task and calling of the minister, first of all negatively. He is not simply to preach about current events. There are those who would criticize the spending of our time Sunday by Sunday in this examination of Ephesians 3, because of the world situation and the many pressing international, political, industrial and economic problems. They feel that preaching, to be relevant, should deal directly with such matters. But is that the business of the Christian minister? Is it his business to express his view as to what the Government should have done last week or what it

should not have done? Is it the business of the Church to be sending perpetual resolutions to governments and statesmen, and proffering their detailed advice on many specific issues? My answer is that I do not claim that I know any more about the international situation than any other church member. I do not have all the facts before me; so for me to express an opinion would be an impertinence. I have my views, as we all have, but I am in no position to stand and address a company of Christian people as to whether I think the Government has acted rightly or wrongly. That, I repeat, is not the primary business of the Christian minister. And I have a feeling that it is because the Church has so often done that kind of thing that not only is the Church as she is, but the world is as it is today. There is very powerful evidence to suggest that it was the action of the ‘Church’, and certain people in the Church in particular in the 1930s, that directly led to the war of 1939-1945. An impression was given to Hitler and others in Germany that his country had gone completely pacifist and would on no account engage in another war. It is dangerous for ministers, whether their position in the Church be exalted or otherwise, to express their opinions on these matters. The Christian minister is called to preach ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’.

But again, it is not the business of the Christian Church to preach patriotism. It has often done so. The Church has often been nothing but a recruiting agency, a recruiting station in times of war. That is a travesty of the Christian ministry. The world was in great trouble when Paul wrote these things; the world has always been in trouble; but the peculiar business and task of the Church and its ministers is to do what the Apostle tells us here. Far too often Christian ministers have been nothing but some kind of Court Chaplain, mouthing vague generalities.

Neither is it the business of preaching simply to preach and to inculcate a general public morality or some general ethic. There has been much of this during the last hundred years, and the ministry has become less and less prophetic. Christianity has become more and more diluted and consequently ineffective. The business of Christianity is not to produce ‘perfect little gentlemen’. The world can preach morality and ethics, and it has done so in various ways. The philosophers can do so and have done so. The Jews of the first century A.D. were teaching morality; and the pagan philosophers had been preaching morality before Paul was ever called into the ministry. But Paul was called to preach ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’.

Yet further, the business of the preacher of the gospel is not merely to preach religion. Not even religion! Not even godliness in general! Judaism had been preaching the importance of religion and the vital importance of godliness. Let me go further. It is not the primary business of the preacher of the gospel even to tell people to pray and to conform to certain standards and to discipline themselves. Mohammedanism does that, and does so very effectively indeed. It preaches a very stern discipline. It preaches a worship of God. But that is not Christianity. In a sense you can have godliness without Christianity. It is a false godliness, I know, but it is a kind of godliness. Likewise you can have religion, and be very zealous in it. But that is not what Paul had been called to preach. He had been doing all that as a Pharisee.

I go one step further; it is not the primary business of Christian ministers to teach and to preach even the teaching of Christ with regard to certain specific matters. There are men who seem to reduce ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’ to nothing more than pacifism. They preach it every Sunday: war is the absolute sin, and if we only

behaved in a nice way to other people, and refused to fight about anything we would be much happier. To them that is the sum total of Christianity. All these things fall hopelessly short of this great wondrous definition of the gospel which is given here by the Apostle. Think of all the pompous pronouncements upon the international situation which are made by ministers Sunday by Sunday. Where do ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’ come in? Think of all the ethical moral appeals, and appeals in the name of the country so regularly repeated. Where does Christ and His unsearchable riches come into it all? It is a travesty of the gospel; it is a waste of time. It is an abnegation of the duty and the task given to us.

What then does Paul preach? What are we to preach? Primarily and essentially, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The riches are ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’! The essence of the gospel is Christ and what He gives to us. Not what we do, not what He asks us to do. That comes later. The obvious beginning and essence of the gospel is what He gives us, what we receive from Him. Paul is thrilled at the very thought of this. He says in effect: I was given this great privilege of coming to you, and I have given you the good news, the marvellous and thrilling good news concerning the riches of Christ, what Christ has given to you, and what He can, and what He will give to you, ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’. The first message, then, is about the gift of God, before there is any call to us to do anything."

Click here for the full sermon

Bonhoeffer - Life Together

2010-04-22T17:24:00.001+01:00

Just read this on the Amazon site. Contained within a review of Bonhoefgfer's book 'Life Together'

"In Bonhoeffer's words, `Christian community means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. There is no Christian community that is more than this, and none that is less than this...Christian community is solely this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.' He explains this statement with three points:
1. `Christians are persons who no longer seek their salvation, their deliverance, their justification in themselves, but in Jesus Christ alone.'
2. `A Christian comes to others only through Jesus Christ. Among human beings there is strife. "He is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14)'
3. `When God's Son took on flesh, he truly and bodily, out of pure grace, took on our being, our nature, ourselves. This was the eternal decree of the triune God. Now we are in him."

and this

"The chapter on 'Confession and the Lord's Supper' may be surprising to American protestants, as it recommends something very close to the Catholic sacrament of confession. `Confession in the presence of another believer is the most profound kind of humiliation. It hurts, makes one feel small; it deals a terrible blow to one's pride....but our community with Jesus Christ shatters all pride. We cannot find the cross of Jesus if we are afraid of go in to the place where Jesus can be found, to the public death of the sinner.'"

I think I need to read this book.

the vestibule area

2010-04-22T08:52:00.000+01:00

I opened my computer this morning, and it gave me no answers,
I read the blogs, the twitter feeds, my mails, and my DM's,
but they offered no life,
so I'm sat on the floor against the toilet door in the vestibule area looking for life
contrite in strife, oh I wish I was, but it's strife that finds me in disarray.

there's nothing left to do but pray
and the old truths say
until my help comes

He doesn't change. I say it to myself again, he doesn't change

2010-04-20T15:15:00.000+01:00

following the previous post,

I'm listening to some older albums today - including the Cutting Edge stuff. It's good for me to remind myself of God's faithfulness in our past, and remember how that felt, the intimacy, the happiness, the lightness.

He doesn't change. I say it to myself again, he doesn't change. His love remains, he is still the rock, abounding in love, showing grace to the humble. He remains. Houses may come houses may go, jobs go up and down, my attention be diverted by doing rather than being. But he remains. He remains my Father in heaven, Jesus remains my saviour and Captain of the Army, the Holy Spirit remains bringing a revelation of holiness, beauty and power. He remains and his kingdom is advancing. He remains, he always remains. What a friend I have found.

This song is a good song for a time like this ....

"I'm shaken up I'm fallen down
I'm feeling like the rug's been pulled
Beneath my feet there's shifting ground
I'm reaching out I need Your hand
I'm waiting here in my living room
I'll play for You and I'll yell like a madman
Come sing to me like a father would
And still my heart with Your melodies
I'm calling out to You
Embrace me again
I'm crying out to You
Come meet me again
I'll suffocate won't You let me out
I'm asking You where's the treasure now
Oh You have my heart, only You can know
I'm searching more now than I've ever searched before"

busy going bust

2010-04-20T09:25:00.002+01:00

busy going bust.

There has been quite a bit on in the last few months - planning for future of soup service, handing some things over to others in the team, creating a forum for other ideas to be discussed, leading a new small group, planning a training day in the Summer for the church on serving the poor, thinking about leading worship again for the first time in 6 years, organising and meeting up with friends to discuss politics & society & the church, meeting and running a workshop with a Theological think tank, and doing the day job ... I'm a bit a done-in I think.

My bible reading has lapsed, my prayer time has run dry, my family been ill. I have become too occupied with doing, and let the love and joy be squeezed out. Tempers fray, sadness creeps in, dreams become fraught.

I'm not quite sure how, but I need to find myself in God again. Enjoy his presence without rushing on, spend some time in the word and feed. I feel a deep cry in me to be with my father again and a lingering thought that he still loves me even though I've wandered off yet again.

As one of Martin Smith's most beautiful songs says ...

"When all around has fallen, your castle has been burned, you used to be a king here, now no one knows your name, Come, come, lay your weary head, be still my friend, come rise with me."

and another says ...

" ... and I love to be found in you, and I love to be one with you."

Lord Jesus, you are the Lord of all the earth, and the Lord of my heart, please help me, please draw me to your side again.

what a day to walk with Jesus

2010-03-16T16:17:00.002Z

About 3 weeks ago I finally met an old friend who I hadn't seen for about 12 years.

We had been discussing the idea of getting together for about 3 years, and despite working in the same city we had not managed to take things further than email. So it was lovely to find myself sat down with him over lunch catching up. He now works in the House of Commons for the Labour party as a senior parliamentary adviser, looking to become a PPC.

I had initially been prompted to make contact with Matt a few years ago, as I had started to become more interested in politics, social justice, and the church, and I knew Matt worked in 'politics'.

Over those 3 years, I had done a lot of thinking, some reading, and started with a few practical actions gaining a Postgrad Cert in Social Science, setting up a soup service, volunteering at a local drop-in centre, and writing proposals for a few different initiatives - the soup proposal being the one gaining the most traction in our church.

So over lunch we were not only reminiscing about the last 12 years, but talking in an animated fashion about our common interests and the near future.

Matt is an exceptionally clever guy, although this can be slightly disguised since he is kinder than he is clever. It was wonderful to be with him, and ask a variety of questions about the reality of engaging with the world as a follower of Jesus.

Having met Matt at 12.30 for what we planned to be just a lunchtime appointment, the hours passed as we talked, ate, listened to debate in the Commons, and finally sat down in the Atrium for a coffee.

Taking a call on his phone he informed me that a friend of his ('a Tory - but a good Tory') would be joining us. His friend approached, and Mat introduced to me to 'Dom' as 'Tom' - an old friend from Brighton.

We looked at each other, Dom spoke first ' not Tom Foster'. I replied 'yes', then remembered the email I received the previous week from a mutual friend who had invited me to a conference in Bedford taking place in a weeks time. I recalled Dom's name from the email. A fortnight after I had met Dom, I will be spending 2 days with him at a prophetic training conference in Bedford. How cool is that?

On Fridays I try and work from home, and last Friday was no exception. At lunchtime, I made my way to pop into our church's Friday lunchtime cafe where I sometimes meet guests from our Thursday night soup service for a game of draughts and a chat.

As I neared the door of the church a man approached me ' Are you Tom?'. I confirmed his suspicions. He introduced himself as 'Ian' - the surname rang a bell, and he told me that he recognised me from Brighton (although I didn't really remember him). We talked about mutual friends, and he even remembered the name of my girlfriend (now my wife of over 10 years).

He came into the church for a coffee and we began to chat more freely. Ian was visiting Winchester for a job role in Birmingham. What are the odds? I'm tempted to throw in a political joke here to look clever but I restrain myself. As he spoke I couldn't help laughing - Ian couldn't stop speaking about politics, social justice, lobbying, the church, and following Jesus.

Ian, spoke about his passion for politics and the church. 8 years previously he had stood as a PPC in London, an active member of the Labour Party. He spoke about the church lobbying parliament, and engaging with the issues of the age. It turned out that Matt (my friend from London), was a great friend of his. Dave, a friend and elder at our churh joined us, and we spent an hour talking about politics, social justice, and incarnational church. How cool is that?

Today, I found myself with another colleague, a Christian who goes by the name of Toby, sat in a very positive chat with the Director of Theos - a public theological think tank with a focus on offering research and advice to those in Government on matters of the Christian faith and its relationship to how we live. This was an opening made possible by the fact Paul is a friend of Matt, the 25 years digital communications experience between Toby and myself, and the unintentionally exquisite timing of an email I had sent to Paul asking if we might be of help to Theos.

Looking back, Matt has a been a consistent link in my story!

The meeting went very well, and we are now forming our response to an invitation to run an initial workshop with the team, interview some users, and offer a proposal on how to respond. How cool is that?

This is a new day.

What a day to walk with Jesus.

exploring 'set-apart'

2010-03-15T16:17:00.000Z

do we live like a trader getting rich by peddling the wealth of a country to which he doesn't belong.

do we live in the land, to the good of the land, invoking a governance foreign to the land bought at great cost to redeem the land, with diligence to care, tend, grow, and love?

Notes from a preach - God of the Second chance

2010-03-15T11:42:00.000Z

Just reading my notesade on Sunday whilst listening to John Groves
preach. A fantastic preach, God gives second, third, and fourth
chances if we will only humble ourselves.

Something is really changing at Wincheater Family Church. The
presence of God in our meetings recently has been apprehending.

Notes below might offer some encouragement, but bette still - download
the preach from the Winfam.org website!

1 kings 21
14/03/10

Elijah

Had a big moment on the mountain about 5 years previously. The people
didn't change. He gets very depressed, suicidal at one point. But
here we find him restored.

Clean, filled and ready for service.

Vs 17 and 18 - Then the word comes again to get up and go.

Ahab

Is confronted by truth by Elijah, and given an opportunity to repent.
This truth brings the opportunity to bring hope and change.

Luke 24: 46-47 - we are all sinners.

The gospel states the truth of the situation and then brings hope.
Hope!

The gospel is not the problem, the bible is not the problem, the enemy
is the problem lying that there is no problem - the deception of the
age. The broad road leads to destruction.

The truth is that God will judge all, but gave his Son.

God gives Ahab a second chance. Ahab - a terrible man. This is
almost unbelievable. Grace is offensive. God surely is nieve! Vs
27-29. Ahab seems to humble himself and God loves humility.

Get humble and be lifted up. Not fair. Offensive. This is grace,
this is God's dealing with people.

Rev 3:19-20. God is knocking to come in and eat with us - God is a God
of mercy and grace.

The End.

Sent from my iPhone

Noel Piper article

2010-03-03T10:40:00.002Z

Marianne sent this article to me last week - I just got around to reading it this morning.

It's very helpful, and includes a number of the themes of discussion that Marianne and I have had over the last 6 years as we have considered how to approach Sunday mornings with the boys. Noel's article has given me more food for thought, and some immediate actions - like finding out the likely text for the Sunday sermon and reading it to the boys during the week.

Here is the article in full - credits and requirements for sharing the article are at the bottom:

The Family: Together in God's Presence

By John and Noël Piper

God-centered worship is supremely important in the life of our church. We approach the Sunday morning worship hour with great seriousness and earnestness and expectancy. We try to banish all that is flippant or trivial or chatty.

Not all services are this way. Sunday morning is the Mount of Transfiguration—the awesome place of glory and speechlessness. Sunday or Wednesday evening is the Mount of Olives— the familiar spot for conversation with the Lord and each other.

In this article, we hope to do two things: 1) demonstrate that parents (or some responsible adult) should bring little children to the Sunday morning worship service rather than send them to a "children's church"; 2) give some practical advice about how to do it.

We don't claim that our way of worshiping is the only valid way. Not all our ideas may fit with the way another church does it.

For example, we don't have a children's sermon as part of our Sunday morning service. It would be fun for the children, but in the long run would weaken the spiritual intensity of our worship. To everything there is a season. And we believe that, for at least one hour a week, we should sustain a maximum intensity of moving reverence.

The Biggest Stumbling Block

There are several reasons why we urge parents to bring their children to worship. But these arguments will not carry much weight with parents who do not love to worship God.

The greatest stumbling block for children in worship is that their parents do not cherish the hour. Children can feel the difference between duty and delight. Therefore, the first and most important job of a parent is to fall in love with the worship of God. You can't impart what you don't possess.

Togetherness

Worshiping together counters the contemporary fragmentation of families. Hectic American life leaves little time for significant togetherness. It is hard to overestimate the good influence of families doing valuable things together week in and week out, year in and year out.

Worship is the most valuable thing a human can do. The cumulative effect of 650 worship services spent with Mom and Dad between the ages of 4 and 17 is incalculable.

Catch the Spirit

Parents have the responsibility to teach their children by their own example the meaning and value of worship. Therefore, parents should want their children with them in worship so the children can catch the spirit and form of their parents' worship.

Children should see how Mom and Dad bow their heads in earnest prayer during the prelude and other non-directed times. They should see how Mom and Dad sing praise to God with joy in their faces, and how they listen hungrily to His Word. They should catch the spirit of their parents meeting the living God.

Something seems wrong when parents want to take their children in the formative years and put them with other children and other adults to form their attitude and behavior in worship. Parents should be jealous to model for their children the tremendous value they put on reverence in the presence of Almighty God.

Not an Excessive Expectation

To sit still and be quiet for an hour or two on Sunday is not an excessive expectation for a healthy 6-year-old who has been taught to obey his parents. It requires a measure of discipline, but that is precisely what we want to encourage parents to impart to their children in the first five years.

Thus the desire to have children in the worship service is part of a broader concern that children be reared so that they are "submissive and respectful in every way" (1 Timothy 3:4).

Children can be taught in the first five years of life to obey their father and mother when they say, "Sit still and be quiet." Parents' helplessness to control their children should not be solved by alternative services but by a renewal of discipline in the home.

Not Everything Goes Over Their Heads

Children absorb a tremendous amount that is of value. And this is true even if they say they are bored.

Music and words become familiar. The message of the music starts to sink in. The form of the service comes to feel natural. The choir makes a special impression with a kind of music the children may hear at no other time. Even if most of the sermon goes over their heads, experience shows that children hear and remember remarkable things.

The content of the prayers and songs and sermon gives parents unparalleled opportunities to teach their children the great truths of our faith. If parents would only learn to query their children after the service and then explain things, the children's capacity to participate would soar.

Not everything children experience has to be put on their level in order to do them good. Some things must be. But not everything.

For example, to learn a new language you can go step by step from alphabet to vocabulary to grammar to syntax. Or you can take a course where you dive in over your head, and all you hear is the language you don't know. Most language teachers would agree that the latter is by far the most effective.

Sunday worship service is not useless to children just because much of it goes over their heads. They can and will grow into this new language faster than we think—if positive and happy attitudes are fostered by the parents.

A Sense of Awe

There is a sense of solemnity and awe which children should experience in the presence of God. This is not likely to happen in children's church. Is there such a thing as children's thunder or children's lightning or the crashing of the sea "for children"?

A deep sense of the unknown and the mysterious can rise in the soul of a sensitive child in solemn worship—if his parents are going hard after God themselves. A deep moving of the magnificence of God can come to the young, tender heart through certain moments of great hymns or "loud silence" or authoritative preaching. These are of immeasurable value in the cultivation of a heart that fears and loves God.

We do not believe that children who have been in children's church for several years between the ages of 6 and 12 will be more inclined or better trained to enjoy worship than if they had spent those years at the side of their parents. In fact, the opposite is probably the case.

It will probably be harder to acclimate a 10– or 12-year-old to a new worship service than a 5– or 6-year-old. The cement is much less wet, and vast possibilities of shaping the impulses of the heart are gone.

Some Practical Suggestions from Noël

When our four sons grew to be young men, we assumed that the worship-training chapter of our life had ended. But God has wonderful surprises. Our youngest son was 12 when we adopted our daughter, who was just a couple of months old. So our experience with young children in the pew started more than twenty years ago and will continue a while longer.

Getting Started Step by Step

We discovered that the very earliest "school" for worship is in the home—when we help a baby be quiet for just a moment while we ask God's blessing on our meal; when a toddler is sitting still to listen to a Bible story book; when a child is learning to pay attention to God's Word and to pray during family devotional times.

At church, even while our children were still nursery-aged, I began to help them take steps toward eventual regular attendance in Sunday morning worship service. I used other gatherings as a training ground—baptisms, choir concerts, missionary videos or other special events that would grab the attention of a 3-year-old. I'd "promote" these to the child as something exciting and grown-up. The occasional special attendance gradually developed into regular evening attendance, while at the same time we were beginning to attempt Sunday mornings more and more regularly.

I've chosen not to use the church's child care as an escape route when the service becomes long or the child gets restless. I don't want to communicate that you go to a service as long as it seems interesting, and then you can go play. And I wanted to avoid a pattern that might reinforce the idea that all of the service is good, up until the preaching of God's Word—then you can leave.

Of course, there are times when a child gets restless or noisy, despite a parent's best efforts. I pray for the understanding of the people around me, and try to deal with the problem unobtrusively. But if the child won't be quiet or still, I take him or her out—for the sake of quick discipline and for the sake of the other worshipers. Then I have to decide whether we'll slip back into service or stay in the area reserved for parents with young children. It depends on how responsive the child seems and whether there's an appropriate moment in the flow of the service. If we stay in the "family area" outside the sanctuary, I help my child sit quietly as if we were still in the sanctuary.

By the time they are four years old, our children assume that they'll be at all the regular weekly services with us.

Preparation All Week Long

Your anticipation and conversation before and after service and during the week will be important in helping your child learn to love worship and to behave well in service.

Help your children become acquainted with your pastor. Let them shake hands with him at the door and be greeted by him. Talk about who the worship leaders are; call them by name. Suggest that your child's Sunday School teacher invite the pastor to spend a few minutes with the children if your church's Sunday morning schedule allows for that.

If you know what the Scripture passage will be for the coming Sunday, read it together several times during the week. A little one's face really lights up when he hears familiar words from the pulpit.

Talk about what is "special" this week: a trumpet solo, a friend singing, a missionary speaker from a country you have been praying for.

Sometimes you can take the regular elements of the service and make them part of the anticipation. "We've been reading about Joseph. What do you think the pastor will say about him?" "What might the choir be singing this morning?" "Maybe we can sit next to our handicapped friend and help him with his hymnbook so he can worship better too."

There are two additional and important pre-service preparations for us: a pen and notepad for "Sunday notes" and a trip to the rest room (leaving the service is highly discouraged).

What Happens During Service?

First, I let a child who wants a worship folder have one—it helps a child feel like a participant in the service. And quietly, before service begins, I may point to the different parts of the service listed in the folder.

During service, we all sit or stand along with rest of the congregation. I share my Bible or hymnal or worship folder with my little one, because use of these is an important part of the service.

The beginning of the sermon is the signal for "notetaking" to begin. (I want a child's activities to be related to the service. So we don't bring library books to read. I do let a very young child look at pictures in his Bible, if he can do it quietly.) Notetaking doesn't mean just scribbling, but "taking notes" on a special pad used just for service.

"Taking notes" grows up as the child does. At first he draws pictures of what he hears in the sermon. Individual words or names trigger individual pictures. You might pick out a word that will be used frequently in the sermon; have the child listen carefully and make a check mark in his "notes" each time he hears the word.

Later he may want to copy letters or words from the Scripture passage for the morning. When spelling comes easier, he will write words and then phrases he hears in the sermon. Before you might expect it, he will probably be outlining the sermon and noting whole concepts.

Goals and Requirements

My training for worship has three main goals:

That children learn early and as well as they can to worship God heartily.
That parents be able to worship.
That families cause no distraction to the people around them.

So there are certain expectations that I teach the young ones and expect of the older ones:

* Sit or stand or close eyes when the service calls for it.

* Sit up straight and still—not lounging or fidgeting or crawling around, but respectful toward God and the worshipers around you.

* Keep bulletin papers and Bible and hymnal pages as quiet as possible.

* Stay awake. Taking notes helps. (I did allow the smallest ones to sleep, but they usually didn't need to!)

* Look toward the worship leaders in the front. No people-gazing or clock-watching.

* If you can read fast enough, sing along with the printed words. At least keep your eyes on the words and try to think them. If you can't read yet, listen very hard.

Creating an Environment in the Pew

For my part, I try to create an environment in our pew that makes worship easier. In past years, I would sit between whichever two were having the most trouble with each other that day. We choose seats where we can see the front better (while seated, not kneeling on the pew; kneeling leads to squirming and blocks the view of others).

Each child has a Bible, offering money and worship folder at hand, so he doesn't have to scramble and dig during the worship time. During the prelude, if I notice in the bulletin something unusual for which we need to be prepared (a responsive reading or congregational prayers, for example), I quietly point it out to a child who is old enough to participate.

Afterward

When the service has ended, my first words are praise to the child who has behaved well. In addition to the praise, I might also mention one or two things that we both hope will be better next time.

But what if there has been disregard of our established expectations and little attempt to behave? The first thing that happens following the service is a silent and immediate trip to the most private place we can find. Then the deserved words are spoken and consequences administered or promised.

Closeness and Warmth

On the rare occasions when my pastor-husband can sit with the rest of us, the youngest one climbs right into his lap—and is more attentive and still than usual. What a wonderful thing for a young mind to closely associate the closeness and warmth of a parent's lap with special God-times.

A child gets almost the same feeling from being next to his parent or from an arm around the shoulder or an affectionate hand on the knee.

The setting of the tight family circle focusing toward God will be a nonverbal picture growing richer and richer in the child's mind and heart as he matures in appreciation for his family and in awe at the greatness of God.

© Bethlehem Baptist Church. You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author, (2) any modifications are clearly marked, (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, (4) you do not make more than 1,000 copies. (5) you include DGM's toll-free number (888.346-4700) and web site address ( www.desiringGOD.org) on the copied resource. For placing this material on the web, a link to the document on DGM's web site is preferred. If your intended use is other than that outlined above, please contact Desiring God Ministries, 720 13th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415. 612.3388611, mail@desiringGOD.org.

It's National Marriage Week don't you know?

2010-02-12T08:14:00.006Z

It's National Marriage Week don't you know?

Well you probably didn't - the closest I came to it in the media was the following article under the heading 'Marriage in crisis as weddings hit record low' in today's Metro.

Whilst the balance of the article is pretty good, I was relieved to find my weekly dose of the Friday Five, from Jonathan Tame, part of relationshipsglobal, arrive on my iPhone with the header of 'February 12th 2010: marking National Marriage Week' . I was already feeling a bit more positive on this grey and cold Friday morning.

The Friday Five is a weekly article to 'Stimulating Relational Thinking' using;

1. a quote

2. a relational news comment

3. further reading

4. a relational action

5. a Bible verse

Marianne and I have been married for 12 years on September 5th. I've had the opportunity to preach once in the last 6 years, and my chosen topic was marriage in Ephesians 5. This is something I care about deeply. I love marriage for what it is there to ultimately show, how it is so good for me, and the fact that God gave me such a wonderful wife whom I love.

So, I commend the Friday Five to you for sake of balance, encouragement, and your own stimulated relational thinking.

Here is the bit from item 2. above:

"Marriage is frequently in the news; behind the headlines of celebrity affairs by Tiger Woods and John Terry, or the battle over legality of same-sex marriages, or the debate over the extent of damage caused by divorce, there lies the dilemma over whether marriage is a public or private issue.

A UK government green paper recently stated ‘marriage is a personal and private decision for responsible adults with which politicians should not interfere.’ In response, Michael Trend, our colleague at the Relationships Foundation, said: ‘It is cohabitation that is a personal and private decision... But marriage, by its very nature, is a public decision that confers both privileges and obligations.

Private choices have public consequences. Government has, in recent years, been ready to influence what was considered previously to be private individual behaviour in many areas. The health consequences of smoking are deemed to justify influencing people's choices, yet the fact that the longevity effect of marriage may even offset the consequences of smoking is ignored.

Since marriage is beneficial for society, not just for individuals, then the challenge for government is two-fold: how to promote marriage as an attainable ideal, in place of marginalising it and thus “normalising” cohabitation and divorce; and secondly, how to deliver the right kind of support so that couples find it easier to get married and stay married."

To receive Friday Five, send an email with “subscribe” in the subject line to fridayfive@relationshipsglobal.net

Dreaming in Helsinki

2010-02-05T09:14:00.007Z

Had a good time in Finland. Productive work day yesterday, and manage to get a bit of time last night to wander around Helsinki centre.

Had the fantastic news yesterday that the school to which we wanted to send Joseph have created an additional 12 places which means he is now in! Last week we discovered, although his brother attends, that Joseph had not got a place due to admissions policy. It is a wonderful school, we are so happy that Ben and Joseph will be there together, and that Marianne is saved from the ridiculous life of sending and fetching children from schools at different sides of our city.

Missed the soup service last night for the first time due to travel. Bob L did a great job and has already shared a report with me at my request!

I dreamt last night about 1 of the rough sleepers we serve on a Thursday night - he was painfully thin and weak. I hardly ever have dreams I can remember! How did this topic ever get so on my mind?

Haiti, objections to my last post, and an attempt at a reply

2010-01-15T17:56:00.005Z

Hello,

Having posted a brief article about Haiti (see previous article on this blog), one reader replied privately with the below objections. I chose to send a private reply to what I thought were interesting if not particularly new objections, and post it here. The objectors reply was that they didn't have enough time to read it! They may have had a point ...

1. this tragedy was due to a design fault by God is allowing tectonic plated to create this kind of disaster. Christians love to reference aspects of creation such as childbirth as speaking of how amazing God is, but we neglect to mention the terrible things which happen as a result of this world's make-up.

2. the western media is simply spinning the story as long as it suits them, and won't care to report or even be aware of this in 12 months time, implying this is something to therefore shun.

3. Haiti is in such a state because of governmental corruption over a number of years, and this is a country largely run by gangs through crime"

-------------------------------------------------------------

Tom's Reply

Thanks for your email. It's always nice to get a reply.

Beware that my reply is even longer. I am sorry about that - if I had longer I would try and condense it, but my time has run out.

I don't find your thoughts particularly controversial! You seem to say that pain is God's fault, the world is corrupt, and the media's attention is limited to whatever gets the most web site hits or paper sales. But my mind is racing with ideas about how to respond to your email! I can't fully respond to your email, because it was take too long, take too many words, and I don't have all the answers... but I begin.

Obviously whilst I do agree that the tragedy we are seeing on our screens in Haiti has been caused by the worst earthquake for 200 years there, I don't agree that this should be considered a design defect by a creator God.

There are many things in this world which bring tragedy, sadness, and despair - the events in Haiti are more prominent for a time (I think the 'years time' you mention is probably generous), but I don't believe that was the way things were initially created by God, and I do believe that man's rejection of God has brought about many issues.

There are many sort-of indirect consequences for our rejection of God's plan:

- it was only after Adam and eve rejected God's way in the garden of Eden that Eve was told she would suffer pain in childbirth,

- Adam was only told after the 'fall' that working the land to produce harvest would be hampered by reduced quality and weeds in the soil.

There are however many more examples of the direct consequences of man's actions directly producing pain and sadness and grief.

- 'By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down'.

- read Proverbs 28 to see what God thinks about the rich hoarding wealth and closing their eyes to the poor.

This leads to your second point - the 'knee jerk driven media'. It is terribly sad but no doubt true. These images of peoples lives desperately effected will drive people to view web pages (as they did me), and sell papers.

So is media attention entirely bad? Well, the media often uses stories and images about the mundane and transitory - big brother scandals etc - there is really very little human value in these raked up stories, less tragic and more self absorbed in all it's ugly western superficiality.

However, it seems to me that where the media does report on an event with huge human value, it is to be welcomed and utilised as a means to enable that positive human virtue of compassion and resulting action.

Surely a huge part of something like Amensty International's agenda is to demand that the media reports on the less glamourous but more news worthy issues in the world? I don't think either of us would consider Amnesty to be doing a bad job.

So is the transitory attention a reason to not engage? We don't need to wait for another Haiti - there are certainly already terrible events taking this place which are barely, if at all, reported, but we can find out about them and act if we so choose - and commit to them for a longer period of time. Organisations like Amnesty, Compassionart, Compassion UK, and are all working to this end, and all things which as a family we are supporting in our own small way. I think of other situations such as Human Trafficking - do you know that there are currently more people in slavery through the organisation of human trafficking than were enslaved during the period we know as the 'Slave Trade'? The terrible and avoidable situation of Malaria, HIV, and literacy in Africa also comes to mind - we have friends who live in Africa now serving a local community, and other friends who have been out to use their skills to serve people in these places.

The choice of whether something be transitory or permanent is ultimately ours. However, for the masses, organisations like Oxfam and ChristianAid have made engagement and action very easy for those willing. So the 2 steps of becoming Aware, and then committing ourselves to Act are decisions we make make. So then, of the many who have been shocked by the reports from Haiti go onto engage in longer term action? Not many, but at least some, so I think the mass media has served as a useful tool, at least until something better comes along - perhaps Twitter? ;-)

I know you are someone very aware of and engaged with many social issues. This is not meant to be informing you of anything you didn't know.. But I hope it does go some way to explaining my own thoughts on this, and my belief that it is the role of the church to engage with and serve those in difficulty - especially the poor. If this means giving money to organisations, raising the profile of issues, serving in places ourselves, lobbying governments on bills which smack of injustice, then that is what I must do and advocate on their behalf.

In a country where 50% of the population live in less than 60p per day, a place considered to be the poorest in the western hemisphere, it can be no wonder that building construction has been poor. The mind then of course races to why this is the case - then to the thoughts on government - then to the distribution of wealth ... and then finally corruption. But as people blessed with the capacity to experience compassion and feel outrage at blatant injustice, we have the sensibilities which give us the capacity to make a difference. The longer we take action, and the more involved we become, the greater the impact we might together make.

So I look to the perfect example in loving, engaging with, and giving himself for others and I choose to follow him - the one by whom this world was perfectly made, the one who man utterly rejected choosing his own wisdom, and the world to whom this creator then came to die to restore and redeem that which was broken back to him - beauty for ashes, death to life. `

Thanks,

/Tom

Haiti

2010-01-13T20:07:00.006Z

Donate to Haiti at Christianaid.org.uk

or from one of the charities listed here by Abraham Piper.

I just looked at some images of this online - goto here.

As I look at these images I feel grieved. This isn't easy to pray about, but prayer and giving is what we can do. God show mercy and let your kingdom come.

The back history here of badly built buildings, and propensity to collapse is something I think I will be dwelling on. Why? Is there not enough money, knowledge, or will? The worst quake there in 200 years though.

This is the prayer from the Christian aid website. Helping, stirring, saddening, but there is hope.

Loving God of creation,
at this time of devastation
we hold before you the people of Haiti.
When the damage is unimaginable,
and the suffering seems overwhelming,
remind us that every person affected
is loved, honoured and precious in your sight.
We remember all those who have been hurt;
all who have lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones.
Work through us to bring healing
to broken and distorted lives,
peace to those who have been thrown into despair,
light to those in darkness,
and hope to those who fear.
We ask this in the name of Jesus
in whom all life and grace is found.

This is so terrible. My thoughts turn to our upcoming church gift day to finish paying off our nice new church building, and then my thoughts are taken to my own nice house which I am living in and paying off - the accusations come easily, the answers less so, but we can and we must act....

God of grace, showing such love and grace to me, makes me a means of grace to others, and change me to be more like your wonderful Son, the Light of the world.

Heavy Clouds | Shane Beales

2010-01-06T11:44:00.001Z

I've been listening to this EP for a few months, after I found it via a Stu G (ex Delirious lead-guitarist) tweet. Really very worth a listen - and free to download!

Heavy Clouds | Shane Beales: "Heavy Clouds. The new EP from Shane Beales"

| Study Notes | The Gospel to the Poor - John Wimber

2010-01-04T11:54:00.006Z

I'm planning on continuing a study book I began in July 2008. It's called The Gospel to the Poor and was written by John Wimber. I'm just taking a look at my notes from the first 2 days of the study...

Day
1

The Gospel to the Poor - John Wimber

/IMOW

Paul wrote to the Galatians following the Council of Jerusalem. In his letter we find the expected reference to the question of the controversy discussed, but we also find an addition not recorded in the Acts 15 account. Regarding certain key members of the council Paul records "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do". (Gal 2:10)

To ask:

/Why is it significant that they asked Paul to remember the poor?

The perception of the council was that it was a place of division, with some inferring that the key theme is Paul jockying for position with Peter. Gal 2:10 teaches us that they were all in agreement regarding the poor - a matter of compassion not assertion.

/What significance does this have for Christians today?

Wealth is inreasingly gathered in the hands of the few. Poverty is passed down generationally showing it's effects through crime, addiction, abuse, and violence. The poor are often not seen, for example in Winchester, and we forget there is any problem. Furthermore the policies of our governments assert capitalist behaviour following disasters when people are disorientated and are grateful for any seemingly ordered plan - however again in this model wealth is gathered into the hands of the few, with the overriding objective to increase wealth is their overiding concern, rather than the service of people.

To meditate on

/Acts 4:34 - there were no needy persons among them.

I wonder how big their community was, was there a big pot from which the poor took, or was the care of the poor the responsibility of larger but still family based households? How did they know there were no poor - relationally how did this happen - they must have cared and known each others lives very well, and wanted to know each other very well.

/Acts 9:36 - Tabitha was always doing good and helping the poor.

At a time of life when everything seems so busy, I think that Tabitha's schedule must have been determined over a period of time by her love and desire to care for people. This is a challenge for me. To choose inglorious hidden loving service of others as a conscious vocation.

/Acts 24:17

"I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings."

I wonder what kind of gifts these were - what were their needs? Food, clothing, or more? What gifts and offerings could I bring to someone like Steve Whittington as he serves the poor in Hull? What are the needs of people in his church? I must ask him.

/Romans 15:26

Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

I don't know the geography, but this seems to imply that they gave beyond their immediate location. I wonder what the connection was - relationships?

To ponder

/In what ways can we remember the poor?

Be aware of the facts - who are poor, in what way are they poor, where do they live, why are they poor - what has happened, and in light of all this, what is the best way to help them - what gifts and offerings could we bring, and how could this be brought. Awareness in a materialistic society...

reading books, reading papers, doing research, being involved in caring for the poor, giving to the care of the poor, doing bible studies on what God says and does about the poor and how Jesus spoke and behaved towards the poor.

/What is your church doing in each of these areas?

I don't know. I am not aware of anything. I must ask.

Action - email to Mark.

Hi Mark. I hope you are well. I would be very grateful of your help on two points.

I am currently doing a study book called 'Gospel for the Poor' and I have a question about what my local church is going to care the poor - please can you help me understand what it is we do?

Many Thanks,

/Tom

Food for Thought

/Begin a research project into:

a) the needs among your community. (You can do this by gathering information from your local newspaper and through your own observation).

b) how these needs are being met (You could ing or write to any local charities and your local council to find out what programmes are running).

c) Compare your information Is there a gap between the needs and the programmes? Begin to think about what you or your church could do about it.

Quote

/Bias to the poor sounds like a statement of political preference My experience has been that some of the most central teachings of Orthodox Christianity lead me to this position. (David Sheppard).

Study Notes first written on 28th July 2008.

FW // Delirious Gig 18th Oct 2008

2010-01-03T00:46:00.000Z

// Saturday 2nd January.

Just found this as a note I'd written for facebook. I've been
thinking again about the role of blessing our areas as we live in them
and see his kingdom come, or lodge in them as those without even
transitory concern. Feeling pretty nervous about start of Soup service
for roughsleepers this Thurs night. If you read this, please pray. //

I booked my tickets last weekend and to my dismay only found space in
the 'balcony section'. Arriving today, my worst fears were confirmed,
atmosphere limited, jumping unlikely. I managed to talk a staff
member into getting me in downstairs where everything suddenly felt
better! The gig was great, part of their Kingdom of Comfort tour,
although I did feel a bit old! At one point Martin Smith picked out a
guy on the front row and asked him his age - 14. Martin replied that
the song they were about to play was written when the guy was 1. He
joked that the guys parents where probably there at the first play,
and were most likely a little further back in the crowd tonight. All
a bit too close for comfort for me!

Thoughts below...

What happens when a man finds a message which outgrows him? Suddenly
a simple song is not enough and yet at the same time a simple song is
all we have, but knowing that beyond the simple song we may be a
people, his body, through which he changes the shape of lives across
the earth.

I think they've found a song for us, that means the end of this kind
of singing, and the beginning of a new tune sent up heavenward -
"those who love to dance, begin to dance upon his injustice" - only
now are we beginning to work out what that might mean, and how this
has all grown! - from a monthly Sunday night event, to a something
affecting each family, work, personal, and church decision. It's
going to take some effort. Now may not be a time of rest - that will
probably have to wait.

But it's the closeness of Jesus that is worth any cost - at those
worship events in years past it was like oil, these days he seems
evermore like a friend in the battle just helping me know the next 2
steps, but his friendship is worth more than anything this earth can
offer, and we still have those moments of worship together as his
people - you just never know which way it will go ... a jumping mass
or a teary eyed crowd - we're really and happily at his disposal if
you know what I mean.

This song isn't perfect, but its the day by day sound of the friction
of our lives in contact with this earth - are we robbing the earth or
rubbing against it with a sound of grace?

Martin Smith read this out from Isaiah 58

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of
injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace,free the
oppressed, cancel debts. What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into
your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available
to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your
lives will turn around at once.

The lights will turn on. We need the lights to turn on. This is a
prophectic message to the church, and riches are to be found if we
respond to God's challenge - and as Martin once sang -

"I've searched for gold, I've longed for the silver, I've climbed the
mountain for once glance of a jewel, I won't be satisfied 'till I find
what I come for, I won't be satisfied till I meet with you."

Liberated Worship is only to be truly known when the church is full of
liberated freed souls singing out his name.

Bonhoeffer - a timely read?

2009-12-22T23:38:00.001Z

Bonhoeffer seems to have come up in some conversations I've had recently. Just read this on Wikipedia. I think this might be a good time to read something from him ...

"At this time, Bonhoeffer witnessed social chaos and decline of traditional values amid international financial crisis and became critical of the church as being insensitive to evident needs of the world around it and instead burying Christ in the heap of religiosity."

Any tips on an opening book for a Bonhoeffer newcomer? Even better, would be an online article I could access without waiting for delivery!

An open letter about Copenhagen

2009-12-16T15:57:00.002Z

Hi Amy,

thanks for the email about the sign-up for the summit. I've signed up!

I think the Copenhagen summit is a tough thing to watch. it really does show, when it comes to the crunch, what we as a people are about.

The developing countries will lose not just revenue but lives if the agreement on the drop in CO2 levels by 2020 isn't agreed.

This isn't ultimately about the planet for me, but about the lives which this planet supports - and there is really nothing more important than that.

I both understood and hated a line by Tony Blair about finding a compromise on the targets as reported in the paper on Monday night - 'let's not let the good be the enemy of the best' - if we are talking about lives of millions and the sake of the poorer nations who typically have a rather quieter voice than the richer nations, then the best is the only thing we can responsibly offer if we are to live with ourselves.

Take care,

/Tom

Jackie goes all Manga

2009-12-07T14:22:00.005Z

Looking forward to this Manga version of a very popular book - 'Chasing the Dragon' by Jackie Pullinger.

After 2 announcements about serving the poor, I have had about 5 times more people interested than I think I can accommodate for in the current plans (Soup Service).

I plan to spend the next few days researching other realistic first steps we might take to ensure we engage all who have been stirred about this, and then go back with revised proposals.

Looking at Stop the Traffik now.

Please provoke, suggest, and direct as you are able.

Thanks,

/Tom

One Sonic Society and Death

2009-12-01T10:06:00.001Z

Check out http://www.onesonicsociety.com/

The new brain child of Garrard and Thatcher (ex Delirious) and a couple of new friends who I am sure I will learn more about over time.

Great lyrics! 'in you death has lost it's sting'

I went to my Grandma's funeral last week. She loved Jesus. It was an amazing time to be together - sad, but the 'riches of his love' means happiness and sadness get blurred as both are touched by his love for us. My uncle gave an amazing address, and as I left I kept thinking about 1 Cor 15

... "It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three?sin, guilt, death?are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!"

I mentioned it SUnday night when I led worship as we sang Tim Hughes song - 'Nothings gonna hold me back'. Part of the lyrics say 'free forever'. that is literally true for those who love Jesus.

How could he do this for me? Nothing compares to his embrace.

A proposal to serve hot soup for 1 hour per week for the next 3 months, to people who might otherwise go cold and hungry.

2009-11-24T22:24:00.003Z

Hi any readers!

Here follows a proposal created for the elders in my church following an encouraging meeting about a week ago. We hope to share with our church at the next family night and begin to talk with people who are interested in serving here.

I have many questions, and some doubts about the practicalities - how to deal with guys who have been drinking heavily etc, but I think this is a good first step on this journey. Any wisdom or insights from readers is very welcome - more than welcome - needed. Please pray for me and us!

Thanks,

/Tom

A proposal to serve hot soup for 1 hour per week for the next 3 months, to people who might otherwise go cold and hungry.

Overview

Why: Serving soup to those who otherwise might go hungry is another step towards being obedient to our God’s command to ‘Love the Poor’, (Gal 2:10), recognition that in loving the poor we love Jesus (Matt 11:35-36), and step of faith that in loving the poor (as those who already love and receive the mercy and grace of Jesus) the church will shine more brightly with his glory as God tells us in his word:

"What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. … Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness; your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.” (Isaiah 58, The Message Translation)

What: Winchester Family Church will serve people with soup, buttered bread, and tea and coffee for 1 hour per week for the next 3 (rather cold) months. Clothes or clothing vouchers for the Basics Bank will also be distributed depending on supplies.

Where: The service will be provided using the kitchenette attached to the Middle Brook Centre (MBC).

When: A day and time will be agreed soon, following consultation with users and staff of the Night shelter, and Trinity Centre, both in Winchester. Consultation is taking place to avoid duplication with other existing services, and to ensure that existing local knowledge is taken into account.

How: Preparation and delivery of the food will require 4 Community Groups volunteers to provide soup and bread once a month for 3 months. Service of the food will require 2 Community Groups to volunteer on a fortnightly basis for a period of 3 months with a minimum of 3 men per group required each week. Clothes may be brought to the MBC each Sunday 9.45 and 9.55 each week and left at the welcome desk. For the initial 3 month period Tom or Marianne Foster will serve each week.

Timing:

7.30 – pickup key to kitchenette from supplier.

7.30 – 7.45: arrive and setup

7.45 – 8.00: prayer

8.00 – 9.00: serve

9.00 – 9.15: tidy up, lockup and leave

Service details

The Winfam soup service from the users perspective will include the following:

1: aware

How will users become aware of this service?

Poster:

Users may become aware of the service through posters showing a picture of the MBC, a map clearly showing the location of the MBC, a time and day when the service will be available, and a brief explanation of what the service will offer. These posters may be seen at:

o Trinity Centre

o Winchester Night Shelter

o Front door of the MBC

Word of Mouth:

Users may become aware of the service as people walking around the Winchester high street area explain it to them.
Users may become aware of the service my workers at the Trinity Centre and Night shelter.

2: engage

How will people identify that the service is open, and that they are welcome?

Visual

Awning: The awning will be lowered as a visible cue that the service is open, and chairs will be set out.
Lighting: The immediate vicinity outside the MBC will be lit.
Greeters: Those with the task of Greeting & Talking will stand and welcome any interested service users.

Audio

Music: Music will be played on a small sound system.

3: use

Users of the service may ask for soup, bread, and tea or coffee. They may sit or stand as they wish.
Users will not be allowed to step inside the kitchenette.
The service will close at 9pm.

‘How’ in detail: Delivering this service

Preparation pt 1

Who will make the food and drink?

Materials:

2 loaves of buttered bread
3 large thermos of soup (approx 4-6 litres).

Resource:

Suggest 4 Community Groups volunteers to take turns in providing the above materials, on a once every 4 weeks.

Preparation pt 2

Directions on delivering the food and drink.

Directions:

The cell group should collect thermos flasks on the Sunday morning prior to their ‘turn’.
The above food and drink should be delivered to the MBC serving hatch 30 minutes prior to the service opening.
The soup should be delivered within the thermos flasks and not require warming-up.
The bread should be provided in bags or on disposable plates that do not require returning to the owners.

Resource:

The food should be delivered by the same CG who have prepared the food for that week.

Serve the food and drink:

What will the service will involve, and what are it's composite activities, resource requirements?

Serving: 2-3 people.

Soup and drinks will require between 2 and 3 people who may remain behind the hatch in the kitchenette. At least one of those serving here should be a man. Servers should arrive 20 minutes before the service begins.

Greeting & Talking: 2-3 people.

Key activities are to ask questions, listen, and offer friendship and food. The following areas offer a an indication on how conversation might develop:

o User needs – this is an excellent opportunity for those serving to ask questions and listen to users share about their needs.

o Friendship – we would seek to make this service carry an atmosphere of service and friendship, developing the capability to engage people in meaningful dialogue about their lives.

o Local services – to learn more about local services from those using this service, but also to see those serving develop a ‘working knowledge’ of local services, which can be shared where useful.

o Prayer – where discussion and friendship develops, to offer to pray with service users about any needs – whether material, emotional, or physical.

Resource:

Tom/Marianne Foster will attend every week for the first 3 months.
Suggest 2 Community Groups volunteer to take turns in serving the food and drink on a fortnightly basis for a period of 3 months. A minimum of 3 men per group will be required to attend as part of a team of 6 or more people each week.

Clothes:

Shoes, coats, and jumpers can be delivered to the MBC on a Sunday morning between 9.45 and 9.55am prior to the start of the meeting.
Clothes will be distributed to users of the soup service as need determines.

Homelessness in Winchester

2009-10-30T12:41:00.003Z

Hi - I try not to publish the same articles on this and another blog to which I contribute, but this is quite central to some of the previous themes on this blog - so on this occasion I will make an exception :-)

Homelessness meeting at the Trinity Centre (Bradbury House, Durngate Place).

a. the meeting

I met Jan and Pauline (Dix) outside the police station at 6.45 - clearly Jan has persuaded them to let her out early for good behaviour. We walked for a couple of minutes until we reached the Trinity Centre.

The purpose of the evening was for the 3 represented charities to explain what it was that they did.

b. the Charities

The Trinity Centre

The Trinity Centre is a newly refurbished building (costing in excess of 2 million I am told), which functions as a drop in centre for the homeless and those suffering from mental or physical abuse. Their clients are the long term homeless, those with housing problems and women suffering domestic abuse. They offer food (breakfast and lunch), physical health care (Pauline Grant from church does a day or so a week as GP), advice/ support with benefits, accom, sign posting to mental health and alcohol services etc. One (of the very few) staff members commented that often people come in for just a drink, but as they sit and become comfortable, they begin to share about other needs they may have. Approximately 60 visitors per day are to be expected, who have access to some I.T. training, assistance with C.V.'s the opportunity to bathe or shower, and get professional advice on the various issues which seem common amongst those dropping in.

Emmaus

The idea of a French Catholic priest following WW2; the premise is that the residents become 'companions' (to other residents), committing to working a 40 hours week, relinquishing all right to benefits - only the housing benefit being claimed directly by Emmaus. The residents may stay in the house for life, but seldom do. Although a world wide movement, each Emmaus is run as a local charity, whose aim is to quickly become financially self sufficient through their shop sales. The shop is on the Emmaus campus (next to the recycling centre), and sells the goods brought in by you and I. This includes, dining room furniture, sofas, small electrical goods. There are 22 beds. They are all full. They have had 96 referrals since March 09.

The Winchester Churches Nightshelter

Open at 6pm, providing a bed, dinner, and breakfast for up to 15 people per night. They give out blankets to those who they cannot accommodate. The nightshelter is unable to open without volunteers. A no drugs and no drink environment, breathalysing on the door against the drink-drive limits. They charge a £2 fee to enter, to encourage those wishing to stay so save a small part of their benefits, and take some responsibility for their welfare. Regularly turning people away.

c. the issues

Funding:

The annual costs of running the Trinity Centre are 500k, of which currently 150k is provided by the local council - this means approx. 70% of the income is generated by applications to charities/ lottery grants etc. The Winchester Churches Nightshelter seems to run on both donations and grants - the nature of the donations includes financial, to clothes, blankets, and hot food. The Nightshelter will be reapplying for grants within the next year, with no certain assurance that these will be granted. The contribution from the Council has decreased over the last year. Trinity too has seen a drop in the number of funding applications which go on to be successful. At one point, 1 in 4 or 5 were successful, now the number is nearer 20. This inevitably means that there are less staff (redundancies were made recently), spending longer on administrative work in order to gain the same or less funding. Emmaus aims to be self sufficient within 12 months, but clearly benefitting from substantial initial investment in order to provide the building.

Volunteers:

The Trinity Centre will on occasion have to 'shut' to clients due to lack of staff. It seemed that there were 2 administrative staff usually in the building, and a few part time key workers - one of whom works with families in particular. However, there is a desperate need for more volunteers to help - the hours between 10 and 2pm seemed particularly challenging for them.

d. the opportunities

The Trinity and the nightshelter are wanting volunteers; Nightshelter needs people from 6pm, particularly those willing to sleep over (as two people are needed on site for health and saftey purposes). The Trinity needs volunteers in the day time, particularly between 10am and 2pm. This could be for one day a week or more regularly; the role would be 'befriending', support, etc.

The nightshelter also needs the ongoing support from local churches of regular meals (these are heated up on site).

Emmaus were asking that people donate to their shop, visit the shop and use their coffee shop.

There were a few homeless people at the meeting; a request was made that services worked together to provide hot drinks to those who don't make it into the nightshelter. People often sleep in the Friasgate car park - just opposite the MBC.

The manager of Winchester Churches Nightshelter (can't remember her name) is sound - would be wise to run past any bright ideas with her for advice.

e. comment

Key themes of the evening included the rooms appreciation at the amazing work done by the charities, the appreciation of the charities for the amazing volunteers, and the councils disagreement that there was any significant problem. having never attended a meeting like this, I found this initially odd although towards the end of the evening this increasingly became rather darkly comic. I also found that out of the many councillors present, only 1 seemed to speak with any coherent meaning.

I found that people who began a question with 'as an elected member' didn't get to a question and usually caused people to heckle or laugh - neither responses being positive. I personally felt stirred with faith about the opportunity for the church to be generous in resource, volunteers, financial giving, and use the amazing people in our churches to help with the various big and complex multifaceted issues such as - how do you help people get back into work? I felt angry about the apparent lack of genuine engagement and concern by those elected.

I think any action will feel like hard work, because it will be. I also think it will be laced with the Holy Spirit, and see the beginning of revival in Winchester and the fulfilment of the prophetic words we have received as a church regarding worship. This will principally be because as the poor are counted amongst those who join the song of thanks to God, we will become a more complete body, and that God will pour out his blessing on a his people as they go 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' going in his name to make disciples. Fundamentally I think God will love this, and that he won't be able to withhold his extravagant blessing on something which reflects his Son so brightly.

Angel? A strangers encouragement when running on empty.

2009-10-25T20:22:00.010Z

We have stayed long enough at this mountain - stories 3/4

this is a song I wrote a number of months ago, it comes to mind again as I write this stuff.

Wow, so much is happening! I believe these are the days we will look back at and begin to see the first answers to the prophetic words he has been stirring in our hearts.

God is moving, he is speaking to us about his compassion, his love, and his justice. It is to affect every aspect of our lives, and every ounce of it is for his glory.

I have a few short blogs to share over the next few days - please do leave comments if you have any view!

I get tired talking and thinking about social justice and God's love - it can be a bit draining. Inevitably, at the point I can speak with passion, others often will need as long as I did to begin for a sense a conviction about this to take hold.

We have begun to take our own steps as a family in responding to the Holy Spirit's voice, but I feel the call to be also be messenger to the church when he sometimes speaks to me about stuff. This is something I first heard God speak to me about by a bus stop when I was 14.

It means that at times I feel quite a weight to see others carry the convictions which God has laid on my heart, and begin to live out his calling. It is amazing. But it can be quite hard. Sometimes because it highlights my own hypocrisy when I am failing to walk the walk, but other times simply experiencing the love of the Father for his people to fall more in love with him and submit to his agenda, can become a prayerful preoccupation that mixes pain with the grace of God to achieve it! You see a glorious future for God's people, and groan for it be here now.

For me, it means sometimes I ache with weary legs. In part my response must be to consider how the training and preparation could be improved on! But very often it just means I've become aware of my own weakness, and need to be again reminded of his incredible strength.

His word, his power, for his glory!

I found again recently, that as we seek to keep moving, keep the vision, call on God for his help, his provision, he always comes to us. It is most often when I'm drained and empty that God comes to me most tangibly.

About a week ago I was walking through London - just around the steps leading down from Waterloo station to the Southbank area. A big guy was walking towards me. He suddenly stopped, stood back, took a second look at me, smiled, and said 'Don't give up - keep going'.

As he passed, my heart was suddenly full of the father's love for me. I was reminded of moments in Israel at the end of business trip. Our hosts took us to Jersaleum, and we spent the afternoon being shown special places by the guide - many churches and statues. As we walked around, all I could see in my mind was the streets where he fell carrying the cross, the places he loved and trained his disciples, the religiosity he offended as he loved the outcast and spoke with venom against the religion of the day which totally missed the point. And how did he begin his ministry? As we can read, he started with this:

The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.

Prophet or angel? I don't know. I watched him pass on and walk across the bridge, he spoke to no one else. I have never met that man.

What I do know is that our God is great, and his plans will not be stopped. His kingdom is coming, and the very gates of hell shall not prevail - as Martin Smith sings - "Devil - you're not going to win."

He is our Father in heaven.

He sustains us.

He loves us.

He loves the lost.

He wants them all.

Citizens with a secret in our hands

2009-10-21T22:21:00.002+01:00

Citizens with a secret in our hands
That could ignite our shadow lands
Light it up and let it go
Let it shine with love and grace and a redesign
A ray of hope for the common man
Light it up and let it go

Oh, oh, oh,
We've got to give it away
And there's a price to pay
When we give it away

Break the silence, break the silence,
Cross ever boundary that divides us, divides us
Break the silence, break the silence,
Cross ever border that divides us, oh, unite us

We turn the page, to a future just begun
If heaven is real then let our heaven become
Peace on earth, let it flow.
We raise our voice where the colours all but gone
Paint the world with redemption songs
Stir it up let it flow

From the song 'Break the Silence' on the album 'Kingdom of Comfort' by Delirious

My son prophesied that!

2009-10-21T22:15:00.003+01:00

We have stayed long enough at this mountain - stories 2/4

this is a song I wrote a number of months ago, it comes to mind again as I write this stuff.

Wow, so much is happening! I believe these are the days we will look back at and begin to see the first answers to the prophetic words he has been stirring in our hearts.

God is moving, he is speaking to us about his compassion, his love, and his justice. It is to affect every aspect of our lives, and every ounce of it is for his glory.

I have a few short blogs to share over the next few days - please do leave comments if you have any view!

On Sunday night, Marianne attended a Winchester churches together meeting. She came back telling me it was the best meeting she had been to in 15 yrs! Speaking at this session was Mark Stibbe. He preached about what he felt God was doing with his church.

Two key themes came through

a. In the future we will see far more geographical gatherings of God's people in an area rather than being defined more by 'streams' or 'denominations'.

b. That God was raising up leaders who were going to live in a place in which the previously distinct ministries of 'mercy' and 'miraculous' would become one.

Marianne couldn't stop smiling as she tried to put her keys in the lock - looking through the glass door at her face, I knew something was up. She told me that I should have been there not her - that it was exactly the kind of thing I had been talking about. I just thought of the prophetic words about God taking us into the next stage of life, together.

She said that he spoke of a new generation being like Robin Hood's taking from the unrighteous rich and giving to the poor. This very weak my 6 year old son as much prophesied this himself!

Ben has developed a small but growing desire to go to Africa and "give money to the poor people", and we have started sponsoring a child in support of this vision. Her picture is on his wall. He is thinking about saving some of his pocket money to give to her for Christmas.

When he heard about the bad people in these countries who withhold the money, he simply revised his desired job description as going to African countries and getting that money back and giving it to the poor. God's spirit is on him.

At his parents evening, one of his teachers, who although he attends where many teachers are believers we don't think is a Christian, remarked there was something different about him - that he seemed so 'spiritual'. She said had recently had the whole class silent when they studied at the creation story, and he talked to them about God making each thing.

He is a very 'normal' boy, he is not perfect, yesterday we had very frank words, but he has another Father who is with him, speaking through him, developing his heart. As his father, I cannot imagine anything greater.

I have the growing thrill that my own father had - of seeing God work out his plans in a new generation. This time, I want even more for the generations to work together, love God together, and see our Father's kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

We have stayed long enough at this mountain - stories 1/4

2009-10-19T18:32:00.006+01:00

We have stayed long enough at this mountain - stories 1/4

this is a song I wrote a number of months ago, it comes to mind again as I write this stuff.

Wow, so much is happening! I believe these are the days we will look back at and begin to see the first answers to the prophetic words he has been stirring in our hearts.

God is moving, he is speaking to us about his compassion, his love, and his justice. It is to affect every aspect of our lives, and every ounce of it is for his glory.

I have a few short blogs to share over the next few days - please do leave comments if you have any view!

1. On Sunday morning, I was playing piano at church but almost missed the start of the meeting as I found myself talking to 4 homeless guys who had sat down at the back of the meeting! I have been praying about this for a while - below is a excerpt from the Followers of Jesus I wrote a while ago and have blogged about:

"The previous weeks I had spent time reading the prophets and listening to an album by some Christian musicians who were giving all the proceeds to social justice related charities. As I opened my eyes I began to see many people filling the empty seats – not actual people – but in my imagination they were there. I was drawn to the multicolored wisdom of God in Ephesians, and I felt God speaking to me that his glory would be shown as these people took their seats – not just the financially poor, but the rejected, the depressed, the hurt, and the sick (Isaiah 61 ran through my mind)."

I have never seen these homeless guys before, although I think they may have come before - I really don't know. I couldn't quite believe my eyes though. It really isn't an environment I would expect them to feel invited into or accepted in (can I say that?!) It's so professional and clean, and well spoken - an odd although not necessarily contradictory statement, since as I spoke to these guys, they were kind, articulate, clearly intelligent, and warmly shook my hand.

I said Hi, and slightly foolishly asked them where they were from - 'we're homeless, we're from here' was their response. I feel a bit silly. Fortunately the little I have become aware of over the last year or so enabled the conversation to continue. I mentioned that some of the guys I spoke to say that a lot of people stay in the car park at the bottom of town. We talked about other locations where people can stay, and what their current place was like - the 'Nightshelter' run by churches in Winchester. One guys said it wasn't good and started to complain about it, the other guys quietened him down, and said it was fine - I got the impression that the truth was somewhere in the middle. The aggravator started to tell me about a meeting coming up in which complaints would be heard - it was at this point that Mark tapped me on the shoulder and said they needed me on the stage to play piano so they could start the meeting. Having told them why I had to go, they wished me the best and said they would watch out for me on the stage - I told them not too - and if possible not to listen to me either, they smiled. That day at church we were having a meal to celebrate a new elder joining the church, I wasn't sure whether I could ask them back, it didn't seem right, looking back it should have seemed perfect. What was I thinking?

We recently heard the stories of guys like this who stay at the night shelter since Phil, a guy in our church, has been helping there for the last year. The majority are men like me, except they had a really bad 'run of it', ended up without their family, without their home, and without a job - 6 weeks in a life-location like that can take years to get out of - this was the feeling I got from these guys, not unlike me, but pretty much entrenched.

It doesn't take long for confidence to go, drinking to begin, and hope to evaporate. Yet God is not only their help if they turn to him, he is their caller - in the bible he seems to shout their names, and commissions his church to go to them in his name - to be sheep and not goats. This is what God is like. He hates injustice and poverty as it touched the lives of those he made in his own image.

The churches song is the song of the redeemed. As the poor become rich, the prisoners are set free, the captives are released, the song is louder, it is sweeter, the church is brighter, because we his sheep reflect his glory more brightly.

a few more to follow this week :-)

U2 Mission and Music

2009-10-05T22:15:00.003+01:00

A couple of Bono/U2 articles have caught my eye recently ....

Bono seems to give a really great summary of why the gospel is the gospel 'good news'. This article is entitled Bono: Grace over Karma

"I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep s---. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity."

The rest of this article is really fantastic - have a read

Jim Wallis article on attending a U2 concert with his 11 year old son

"In fact, what I love about a U2 concert, headlined by the Irish tenor with the sun glasses, is how it achieves such a powerful combination of art and social justice, music and message; and all with such fun. The New York Times titled its review of the opening concert in Giants stadium as “Fun With a Mission.”

As always on nights with U2, activism for human rights and democracy was lifted up. “Walk On” was dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate under house arrest in Burma/Myanmar. “How long has she been under house arrest,” asked Luke. “20 years” I said, and watched the look of concern and indignation on the face of a pre-teenager—at a rock concert. Luke also got to see a short video of a beamingDesmond Tutu, another Nobel Peace Prize winner, talk about “the kind of people” who make a difference in this world, and invited us all to join the One Campaign."

Full article from: http://blog.sojo.net/2009/10/01/music-with-a-mission-my-kids-first-rock-concert/

Money 2

2009-10-02T18:31:00.004+01:00

Some time ago I blogged about money. not the lack of it, but my misuse of it(see the tag 'money' on the right hand column!).

The journey back from debt is continuing, progressing, but still painful, and very much incomplete!

In the process of cutting my personal debt, I took a lot out of my business. Late in the final payment for my corporation tax, Monday was the deadline before assets began to be seized. Today I made the final payment. Thank you God.

This is all so imperfect, so laden with mistakes, the history of bad choices coming into the present - 'consequences' is what I think it is called. A fool ignores them. I did. But God's grace does not deal with me as I deserve, 'by grace I have been saved, not by works, that none may boast'.

This has been a personal area of weakness for me - finances. It is humiliating and a brings a sense of shame. Words often come to my mind telling me' I am a joke', but I want to develop character and not give up. He sustains me, his love doesn't dim. He reminds me I am his treasured posession and he has plans to prosper me. Imperfect, reaping the only consequences that my decisions were going to bring, even now he is wish me, strengthening me. Never forsaking me.

Changes in decision making will only come by both a change in the values underpinning the motives driving them, and developed discipline. I am beginning the journey in both respects with regard to this area of my life.

I am sharing this because I think the process of change is an interesting thing, and it perhaps reveals the goodness of God to men who have screwed up.

Everything will be revealed, so better it be revealed now so I can enjoy his grace (even if financially I was to totally fall apart for a time) and be changed, and live a closer walk with Jesus. Such a King, such a revolutionary, such a saviour.

APTAT

2009-09-13T12:09:00.005+01:00

I have just read John Piper's 'The Supremacy of God in Preaching'.

Such an excellent book. Feels somehow similar to Packer's Knowing God - each sentence rooted in scripture, quoting scripture, with a insightful and applying comment. Just 110 pages long, but each of them fantastic.

Having preached recently for the first time in 5 years, I was encouraged by his open honesty about the process of preaching, and of course his actual preaching which must be some of the best stuff around.

His opening preface really does set the tone for the book - people need to know God is real, that he is glorious:

'People are starving for the greatness of God'

It's a good opening sentence!

His passion is challenging and a bit contagious. It is easy to see the similarities between people like Piper and Sam Storms once I read Desiring God and One Thing.

There is a exultation in who God is, that doesn't start with the self. It is very God-centred, deep, and doesn't shy away from wrath, holiness, love, death, sin, grace, or judgement, because each of them reveal the glory of God and are therefore deserving of our attention.

They begin with God, not narrowing the scope of study from the outset according to what might be palatable at any point in time, or to a particular group of listeners.

Late in the book he comments that a lecturer of his suggested he read and become an expert on one preacher he liked, could feed on, and then as his reading deepened could have theoretically conversations with as an aid to working out his own thoughts.

I wonder who mine might be - I read widely, but not deeply with any particular author - maybe one or two books each. I think of Terry Virgo's reading of and Lloyd-Jones, or Piper on J. Edwards, or Driscoll on Spurgeon. I am thinking who I might study and meditate upon.

A favourite part of this book from Piper was his APTAT acronym for preaching! (pg 45)

APTAT

Admit (Jn 15:5),

Pray (Ps 50:15),

Trust (Ps 40:17),

Act (1 Thess 2:13b),

Thanks (express gratitude),

His commendation to young preachers to always quote the scriptures from which they are teaching was so helpful.

Piper says that many young preachers assume the listener can jump from a verse reference to the point they go onto make - he encourages us to quote the verses in detail, all of them. A recommendation that might also make sure the preacher is actually preaching form the bible!

This point reminded me of Terry Virgo - I love listening to him as he makes a point, comments, then quotes verbatim passages of scripture to support it, his preaching is a narrative richly woven with quoted scripture.

It is a style that brings me close to God, anchors me in scripture, helps me remember scripture for myself, and has authority as it is based in scripture.

But you can only preach like that if you read, study, and meditate upon scripture, so Piper's quote of Edwards might be the best thing to close with:

"Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same."

Books and Music and Doors

2009-09-10T08:22:00.003+01:00

First week back at work after about 10 days holiday, I'm flagging!

I may be either ...

1. needing to reengage my sense of being called to work where I work to the glory of God.

2. needing to find something to do alongside my day job which allows me to be more active in the areas in which I am stirred.

OR Both.

... but am definitely

in need of spending some time with God in the presence of God the Holy Spirit.

Have begun to pray that God leads me to a place where I can work in a setting which engages more of the things on my heart. Have a few thoughts about how I can reduce time spent in some areas and free it up to spend on other activities. God, please open some new doors!

Definitely need to spend some time with a few guys who encourage and inspire me. Considering going to the next conference at the Kings Arms church in Bedford.

Currently

reading ...

Practical Theology for Women by Wendy Alsup

"Many Christians in today's churches seem much more convinced of the reality of their problems than the reality of God. Our cell phone bill, the transmission in our car, or the coworker in the next cubicle consumes our thoughts. Whether we are single or married, stay-at-home moms or working women we tend to get so tied up in the minutiae of life that we miss the biggest thing, the ultimate reality. God must be big in our minds". pg 33.

listening to ...

album called 'Consumed' by a band from Bethel church called Jesus Culture

paneled houses

2009-08-26T16:01:00.004+01:00

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? (Haggai 1:4)

Reading Haggai about a month ago I was struck but this verse. It's one of those things that takes me a long time to process. I sense there is something a bit deep about this one. An underlying challenge to how I have tended to think. God's glory is not yet fully on display to the nations. The temple has not been restored to either it's former glory, or as Hag goes onto say, the glory he has prepared for it to inherit which is greater than anything previously displayed to the nations. So comes the question, why are you making your own lovely houses even lovelier, when the temple is destroyed and strewn about?

Is this a time to be be considering en-suite bathrooms and beautiful conservatives for those living in a southerly aspect rear-facing garden, or time to consider whether the glory of God (including the justice, the compassion, the mercy, the love of God who is love), is laid plain before the nations, the cross our only boast, and signs and wonders visible to any who would spend time with us. Given the choice between making plain this hope as Stephen did in Acts 7, or laying a nice new oak flooring (as I did recently), which would we take?

This verse hit me as I prepared to preach on marriage. I gave an example of loving my wife (I gave others less favorable to my conduct) as I told the story of me working hard and taking risks to refurbish our house so that it would be a place my wife loved to be, that we would together enjoy raising our sons in, and in which it would be our pleasure to entertain our guests. Did I mention that I love my wife.

I take none of the previous paragraph back. The verse nevertheless continues to hit me hard. It is one of those which seems a surface challenge, and then the more you read it and think about, it, it inverts the value systems we live by and the rules by which I make decisions. The sense in which consider myself part of a whole and in which I am destined to have identity as part of a corporately divinely designed body and bride, demonstrating to all of heaven and earth, the glory of God.

When I was young I had a narrower interpretation of Paul's command to lay aside that which so easily entangles. Now it is beginning to have a broader emphasis, and the need for me to retain and gain a bigger view of the glory of God and the summing up of all things in Christ, is greater than ever.

Isolated stimulation to polished exhibitionism?

2009-08-19T16:44:00.015+01:00

In reading the following 2 articles, tweeted by my good friend Al, I began to tweet a comment. It became too unwieldy for the given limit so I've dropped it in here.

Just a few thoughts.

Article 1: NT Wright on blogging 'Is social media 'a type of social masturbation'?

It is interesting, but so dependent on the individual and levels of consumption as to only provide a vague warning. The phrase 'social masturbation' is pretty insightful though! I think it may become a re-used term for other kinds of individual action, if people are brave enough!

Article 2: Theologian Benjamin Myers visits Hillsongs

The Hillsongs article is very alarming at the start

“The Bible isn’t a book about God’s love for man; it’s a book about man’s love for God.”

- did he actually say that during his preach! I bet he cringes looking back at that! I certainly hope he does. I look forward to the next article in response to this from Benjamin Myers (I think posted some time ago).

Having never been to Hillsongs, I have no idea whether the meeting was typical or the description balanced, so I have no more universal statements to make about Hillsongs, other than I probably wouldn't choose to go there myself on the basis of this article!

Some of the issues do seem cultural - DVD's, albums, books, and clothes are all doing a good trade in many churches, so the $14.99 doesn't worry me, even if it does seem a bit of a rip off, when you can get free downloads of Terry Virgo from the newfrontiers website!

Anyway, the level of screen based interaction is less a concern for me per se. It is the extent to which it, and other contributory factors borrowing from a more audience/performer model...

'such as the man with a torch and walkie-talkie who met us at the door and briskly ushered us to our seats; the dimly lit auditorium with its brightly coloured stage'

... draws attention and adulation to any person other than God which is to be avoided!

I think we are becoming lazy in our commitment to congregational and charasmatic worship, in which God may speak to anybody, frequently does, in a great variety of ways, and it's subsequent replacement by the 'accessible' performance which puts on a highly polished show whilst seemingly startlingly in tune with culture.

One of the losses I have experienced is the absence of those wonderfully awkward moments in meetings when you have no idea what God is going to say, through whom, in what manner, or using what gift - but you certainly know you are know you are going no where until he does, because his voice and presence are just about all you want.

A couple of practicalities.

In big meetings people can often only see the back of the person in fronts head, or a very blandly decorated building. If we are going to have a 'church building' in the form of a large auditorium and if we opt for a stage for the meeting, begin meetings by announcing who's in charge ('worship leader'), and get everyone to look in one direction at the back of each others heads, then I think you might as well have a big screen so people can actually work out what is going on - both believer and unbeliever.

In Matt Redmans DVD 'Facedown' the words appear on the screen along with sympathetic visuals - I don't think there are any faces on display. This can bring a wonderfully creative response to God into our corporate meetings. I'm a fan of this, I've often wondered whether we could alongside the song words, display visuals and bible verses to help bring a corporate focus on God.

So I suppose my questions might be these:

a. can people work out what is going on in the meeting - this may require a big screen if you have the kind of environment I have described above, and

b. is the screen used to draw people into worship and focus on God or on an individual.

c. are we responding to God in a suitably creative way given the manner in which he has made us?

I look forward to speaking to some the youth guys in our church in October. I want to encourage them to meet God for themselves, then contribute in meetings even if it might seem disruptive - my experience is that some leaders feel at a loss on how to reign in the passivity, and dissatisfied by the limited volume and kind of contributions often brought. It can mystify them why the coming together of the church is accompanied by such a passive atmosphere. I want to encourage the youth to hear God, speak, be obedience to God - the leaders will be relieved! I want to encourage them to read their bible honestly, in a sense to challenge it, question it, find out what it actually says, who said it, and with what effect, and then read Ephesians 1 about a billion times until they are drunk in the Holy Spirit, full of faith, and deeply in love with Jesus. They will then see the sick healed, and the lost saved.

I want to encourage them, even provoke them, to not settle to be observers or the audience - the show as far as I can see just isn't that good. ;-)

SONG: Once I thought I was my own

2009-08-12T22:36:00.004+01:00

The roughest recording I have ever shared! and yes I know it is pretty much the same in quality as the others ;-)

Get the music from here.

Playing on Monday and I stuck on the recorder on my laptop for a few minutes and this was there at the end :-) The vaguely Dylan inflection at the beginning was admittedly self conscious, but on reflection may have been better left alone - or maybe just needs some more practice!

I am reading a lot about marriage, and have been stuck in the verse “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” in Ephesians 5. Obviously the last bit is Tim Hughes song Happy Day.

Lyrics (although they change a bit in the second time around!).

once I thought I was my own,

a dead mans boast in his heart of stone,

your love it seemed so far away,

it was my sin that made it that way,

and then I heard your voice

a voice that terrified

holy holy God

I was terrified

but your love

it drew me through

this holy voice

that terrified

called from a cross

from which you were crucified

"father forgive them

they don't know what it is they do"

Followers of Jesus - defined better than me

2009-08-12T21:50:00.003+01:00

Still pursuing a context for the Followers of Jesus proposal made earlier in this blog, I wonder if I might have more success using this article from Brian McClaren! Excellent, unnerving, and exciting.

Excerpt below:

"I think we all can agree, have a special calling – to increasingly harmonize our lives (including our lives as citizens) with the teaching and example of Jesus. My concern is that many of my sisters and brothers, without realizing it, have begun seeing Jesus and the faith through the lens of a neo-conservative political framework, thus reducing their vision of Jesus and his essential message of the kingdom of God. As a result, too many of us are becoming more and more zealous conservatives, but less and less Christ-like Christians, and many don’t seem to notice the difference."

McClaren brings focus to the health care debate currently taking place in the U.S., but I expect I will spend the next few days again reading the papers through the lens, again, of what it means to be a Follower of Jesus in this world, at this time, for someone living in Winchester, Hampshire.

For the full article go here

Marriage - part 4

2009-08-07T23:50:00.007+01:00

In preparation for a talk on Eph 5, I am slowly processing some notes, stories, and quotes...

We all have needs.

perceived needs, or unmet needs, or tough patches, or life's very tough patches,

Often men like me, are tempted to use 'my needs' to evade my responsibility as a husband to love my wife.

However in 1 Cor 13:13 the bible assures me that there is no excuse!

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

So then, whether felt needs, real needs, weaknesses, failures, tough patches, very touch patches in life as a whole, we can be confident on this: in the power of the Holy Spirit God provides a solution to every need, and his word provides examples and instruction for every situation.

In reality, the fundamental problem with my behaviour has never been the difficulties presented by a particular situation. I love this quote from C.J. Mahaney's excellent series on marriage:

"The message of the bible is as fresh today - sinful men who disobey the law of God still find that God's message of forgiveness in scripture is the only answer to this life’s most fundamental problem." C.J. Mahaney

C.J. goes on to add, that as Paul addresses the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians, he uses the example of the Jews in the day of Moses, when writing to a Gentile church in Corinth, who had, on the surface, very different problems. He continues ...

"We may have unique features, but beneath these, the problems of the Jews in the wilderness, the temptations of the Corinthians in the Roman Empire, the frustrations of modern day Americans are not significantly different. God has not changed, his commandments are not altered, man in is still sinful and stand in the same relationship to one-another and to God as in previous times.”

God has not changed, I have not changed. God's once and for all sacrifice is unchanged is its effectiveness, his grace and mercy are unchanged in their depths, and his forgiveness remains inexhaustible, and his the might of his strength at work in me - it is unchanged. He is unchanged in deserving all glory - the primary purpose for which marriage was created.

In the face of this reminder, as a husband, I am reminded that I cannot lead my wife, unless I am being led by Christ. In receiving the love and grace of God, I am positioning myself to become like Christ, and love as God loves, and in turn love my wife as Christ loved the church.

It has struck me again and again, that the most suitable song to sing after a preach on marriage is probably a song about the cross. As Christ gave himself up for me at the cross. At the cross where my deepest issues and needs were dealt with, at the cross with my contribution is seen for what it is, and at the cross where the love vast as the ocean, loving kindness the flood come to me.

Matt Redmans song The Cross has said it all, is a good news morning devotional song for husbands everywhere as we pray for our wives and families!

What a contrast to the multitude of self-help books, focused on self-esteem, focussed on my needs. What an irony that books pertaining to help men like me fighting to love our wives would deceive us and lead us to focus on our selves - the very root of the problem! Such books often seeking to reassure us that the issue is not our current position, but how we negotiate our way out of it, leading us to duck and evade exposure of our difficulties.

If asked what the cause of so many marriage break-downs would anybody suggest that the cause was clearly a lack of books about self-help?

This is not a cultural issue, this is a spiritual issue. God is the answer. 'Only you can meet my deepest longing, only you can breath in me new life". We need God's life if we are do stop evading responsibility and become like Christ - as he gave himself up". What a saviour.

Marriage - part 3

2009-08-07T09:35:00.002+01:00

In preparation for a talk on Eph 5, I am slowly processing some notes, stories, and quotes...

Looking back right to the beginning, our wedding day, I was feeling sick, feeling faint, I saw Marianne arrive in the car outside the church.

A fleeting glimpse of the white dress, I was struggling to keep control. It seemed like an age before the room fell silent, over 300 hundred heads turned to see first the brides maids enter, the music probably the most emotionally charged piece I have ever heard began.

The pause in the music came, and she entered the room. Beautiful, on her fathers arm, she slowly began to pace towards me.

My first thought was her dress, in the business of the previous month, the dress had not even crossed my mind, but now I was lost for words, as she turned to begin walking down the aisle, I was in tears, cramping-up trying to simply stay on my feet, and God spoke to me!

Christ and the church, this is how I love my church; this is how you are to love your wife. It was beautiful, spectacular, consuming, I think that was the revelation I felt God gave me, of what was separate, coming together through a divine design to become one in covenant spiritual and physical love.

We would be consumed - used up and given out completely to one-another. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, given only to you to the exclusion of all others, this was glorious, but as I could continue, I am talking Christ and the church. It is the realization of the extent and extravagance of God’s love for me, that becomes the means of grace by which I can love my wife.

Kiss your feet

Notes: John Groves - What is Spiritual Maturity? - from Leading People (pt 2/3)

Notes: John Groves - Leading People (pt 2/3)

Notes: John Groves - Leading People (pt 1/3)

a time for joy, a time for tears

The object of the heart and lasting fulfillment

Christian culture is crazy if it's lazy

The news tonight

Strong enough

the guilty and the guiltless

Leadership #1

the life of the congregation gets squeezed out

Called

Leadership

Run don't Plod, the presence of God leads his people on

Shine don't shout!

Just what the Doctor ordered

Bonhoeffer - Life Together

the vestibule area

He doesn't change. I say it to myself again, he doesn't change

busy going bust

what a day to walk with Jesus

exploring 'set-apart'

Notes from a preach - God of the Second chance

Noel Piper article

It's National Marriage Week don't you know?

Dreaming in Helsinki

Haiti, objections to my last post, and an attempt at a reply

Haiti

Heavy Clouds | Shane Beales

| Study Notes | The Gospel to the Poor - John Wimber

I'm planning on continuing a study book I began in July 2008. It's called The Gospel to the Poor and was written by John Wimber. I'm just taking a look at my notes from the first 2 days of the study...

I'm planning on continuing a study book I began in July 2008. It's called The Gospel to the Poor and was written by John Wimber. I'm just taking a look at my notes from the first 2 days of the study...

Day1

FW // Delirious Gig 18th Oct 2008

Bonhoeffer - a timely read?

An open letter about Copenhagen

Jackie goes all Manga

One Sonic Society and Death

A proposal to serve hot soup for 1 hour per week for the next 3 months, to people who might otherwise go cold and hungry.

Homelessness in Winchester

Angel? A strangers encouragement when running on empty.

Citizens with a secret in our hands

My son prophesied that!

We have stayed long enough at this mountain - stories 1/4

U2 Mission and Music

Money 2

APTAT

Books and Music and Doors

paneled houses

Isolated stimulation to polished exhibitionism?

SONG: Once I thought I was my own

Followers of Jesus - defined better than me

Marriage - part 4

Marriage - part 3

Day
1