Hearts and Minds

Hearts and minds is the phrase they use about what the troops are trying to accomplish in Afghanistan. Sometimes winning minds is easy, winning hearts is a very different thing.

Jeremiah 17:9 (The Message)

^9-10"The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
not as they pretend to be."

When Jesus was moved with compassion he was not just moved intellectually but with compassion through his heart, the core of his being. Will we allow God to transform our heart nature?

Hebrews 4:12 (New American Standard Bible)

¹²For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

If you feel hard hearted don't worry God is the best heart surgeon around in Ezekiel 36 God says this

^24-28 "'For here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I'll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed. I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You'll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You'll be my people! I'll be your God!

It's the day after the night before

Sunday was great and today is now monday. How much of sunday have you brought into the week with you? George Verwer used to talk about submarine Christians - they surfaced on Sunday and went back below the surface for the rest of the week before coming up the next Sunday. It was great to hear about foodbank and the idea of living on rations for lent, the idea probably isn't so appealing in the cold light of Monday morning. It is great to be known for carrying out your convictions. In my christian tradition it is rare to recite the creeds but it is so important to know who we are and what life is all about.

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

It is essential to build ourselves up in faith, David the psalmist regularly spoke to his soul and reminded himself of the amazing majesty of God despite the fact that it was probably the day after the night before. We are given great advice in the book of Jude

²⁰But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. ²¹Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

²²Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

²⁴To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— ²⁵to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Feasting on Foodbank

Feasting on Foodbank - We launched the Foodbank Concept to our Church today - plans for opening are well underway in an effort to meet peoples needs. Jesus was quite clear in Matthew 25 that the Church out to care for the needy, and the oppressed. Foodbank is a way to do this

^34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

Foodbank Orpington will soon open its doors. This isn't an opportunity for our Church to kingdom build or give ourselves a pat on the back it is a chance for Christians and others to work together and meet peoples needs where they are. There are many ways people will be able to help with the project, and we hope many other churches will take the opportunity to hear about foodbank and get involved and make real social change possible in our area.

Church is more than just having a holy huddle, and congratulating each other on another week survived. The book of James talks of the necessity of faith needing actions to match. In Isaiah 58 God tells the people he is not interest in half heartedness or self serving in his kingdom,

^6-9"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.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

^9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.

It is time to stop whining about how communities are needing change, and starting to become the agents of change. If you want to know more my email is at the top of the page. There is also a link to Foodbank's website to the right hand side.

How Lovely on the Mountains

Well I am very excited about tomorrow, it feels like christmas morning and waiting for children to get up and open a present. I believe God has given us a real gift to share tomorrow - Foodbank is Good News. Proverbs says good news is like water to a weary soul. In a week full of headlines about Haiti, or brothers sadistically torturing other children it is easy for our souls to become weary.

Proverbs 25:25

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land.

It is easy to spread soul weariness around, it is also easy to spread good news. Which messenger will you be recieving tomorrow?

Isaiah 52:7-10 (The Message)

^7-10How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,
Breaking the news that all's well,
proclaiming good times, announcing salvation,
telling Zion, "Your God reigns!"
Voices! Listen! Your scouts are shouting, thunderclap shouts,
shouting in joyful unison.
They see with their own eyes
God coming back to Zion.
Break into song! Boom it out, ruins of Jerusalem:
"God has comforted his people!
He's redeemed Jerusalem!"
God has rolled up his sleeves.
All the nations can see his holy, muscled arm.
Everyone, from one end of the earth to the other,
sees him at work, doing his salvation work.

Who Am I?

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I am yours..
I am yours..
(Casting Crowns)

And the pieces fit....

I am in the middle of a sea of paper making up some stencils to try and do some artwork. When you see a white page with the cuts taken out of the paper, if you looked at it you would probably think a primary school child was having difficulty making a paper snowflake. It's only when I add the paint that a picture will become apparent. Sometimes we struggle to make sense of all the things that happen in our life. Its only in realising that we are a masterpiece being made by God that things make sense. Ephesians 2:10 calls us God's workmanship, his poem - carefully crafted to fulfill his purposes.

Ephesians 2:10

^7-10Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Considering Lilly wrote a song called and the pieces fit it helps us remember God's place in completing our lives

I was like a Jigsaw with pieces missing, square peg and round hole
I'd try to climb a ladder but always slipping, high jump short pole
I was stained till he came and cleansed me,
I was torn till he came to mend me
It was a match made in heaven from the moment we connected

His grace for my shame
His death for my blame
His stripes for my pain,
And the pieces fit
His joy for my grief
His hurt my relief
My doubt his belief
And the pieces fit
And the pieces fit

I was like a story without an ending, a mystery with no clue
A maze where each direction is deceiving, with no one to lead you
I was confused till his answers reached me
Unaware till he came to teach me
It was a match made in heaven from the moment we connected

Its no wonder I've been made whole
since I surrendered my heart and my soul
with pieces missing, square peg and round hole
I'd try to climb a ladder but always slipping, high jump short pole
I was stained till he came and cleansed me,
I was torn till he came to mend me
It was a match made in heaven from the moment we connected

I was like a story without an ending, a mystery with no clue
A maze where each direction is deceiving, with no one to lead you
I was confused till his answers reached me
Unaware till he came to teach me
It was a match made in heaven from the moment we connected

His grace for my shame
His death for my blame
His stripes for my pain
And the pieces fit
His joy for my grief
His hurt my relief
My doubt his belief
And the pieces fit

Its no wonder I've been made whole
since I surrendered my heart and my soul

Backing up my files!

¹Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ²By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.(1 Cor15)


My computer is in some serious need of some loving the cd drive has given up the ghost and you start to worry if it crashes will it ever reload windows. With 10 years of photos stored on there taking up 15GB its time to make sure I can hold on to the photos that i have recieved. The best way to make sure I do is to hold onto them firmly by backing them up on a seperate drive.

It is taking me quite some time to copy them all over. Sometimes we need to spend quite some time backing up the gospel that has been preached to us, and making sure we hold onto the word. How much time have we spent backing up this weeks sermon so we can make sure we have a firm hold on it. I can tell you it is probably less time than I am spending backing up photos.

Much as I would hate to lose my photos, I would be devasted to lose God's word

When it's all been said and done

Coming to the end of the kid's I work with and their time in school, I get to thinking about whether I have done all I can to help them succeed and meet their potential. Sometimes you just get tired and wonder whether what you have done is worthwhile. At the end of a day full of times when you feel that you may as well have tried to nail jelly to a wall, you just need to trust that all the effort and advice and work you have put in and timethat you have invested will pay dividends. It's often easier to throw ourself into our jobs and vocations and strive to be the best we can be in our given profession than to throw ourself into our faith. Jim Cowan wrote this song about faith, can we live life to meet its challenge?


When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth?
Did I live my life for you?

When it's all been said and done
All my treasures will mean nothing
Only what I have done
For love's rewards
Will stand the test of time

Lord, your mercy is so great
That you look beyond our weakness
That you found purest gold in miry clay
Turning sinners into saints

I will always sing your praise
Here on earth and in heaven after
For you've joined me at my true home
When it's all been said and done
You're my life when life is gone...

Chilli's are hot and burn your face

Just cooked a chilli, I have my own chilli plant and its bright red offspring are a tad on the spicy side, in fact if Genghis Khan were a chilli these babies would own him with their tendrils tied behind their back. Cooking lesson - WASH HANDS AFTER HANDLING A CHILLI. If you dont you may be in for a painful lesson.


As my chilli was cooking my eyes were streaming my cat's eyes were streaming, if the walls had eyes they would have been weeping. Anyway I did not heed my own important advice as detailed above and rubbed the side of my nose just under my eye before washing my hands after handling chilli's. I know have a red burn that is trying currently to eat it's way through my flesh, my eye is watery and my eye feels like it is swelling shut.

Chilli is a bit like sin, they cause you harm, if you have sinned you need to wash the influence of sin away. 1 John 1 tells us

⁸If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So we need to confess our sin to God, and we will be forgiven, how do we remind ourselves not to sin and to keep ourselves holy we must look to the bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) Ephesians 5 tells us:

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Sin like Chilli's burn -

1Timothy 4:1-2 ¹But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, ²by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

If we do not deal with sin in our life it sears our conscience. When the enemy attacks our life it is likened to fiery arrows (Ephesians 6)

¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

Remember my lesson learned today from handling chilli's, when you sin get yourself clean before you suffer its effects. Turn to God for forgiveness and have a bath in his healing word.

I shall teach you the Torah while you stand on one foot

Rabbi Hillel was famous for his tolerant approach, his grandson was Gamaliel the Pharisee who's advice about whether to persecute the early church is recorded in

Acts 5 ³⁸"So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; ³⁹but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God."

There is a story about the Rabbi's Hilliel and Shammai who were the two major teachers of theology in Jerusalem. A gentile came to Shammai, and cried:

"Your Torah, your wonderful Torah--I can learn it while I stand on one foot. Rabbi Shammai, you teach it to me while I stand on one foot."

Rabbi Shammai took a stick and shouted angrily:"Get out of here, you scoffer I Do you think I havetime to waste on people who mock our holy Torah?" The heathen ran away. He thought he would go to Hillel and see what Hillel would do.

All out of breath, he came to Hillel's home. Hillel thought the man had come for something very important. So Hillel said:"What is the matter, my good man?" And the heathen answered: "Teach me the Torah while I stand on one foot."

Hillel, calmly and patiently said: "You want to learn a great deal quickly, don't you? Very well, I shall teach you the Torah while you stand on one foot. This is our Holy Torah: 'What is hateful to you, do not do unto others.'"

The heathen forgot that he had come only to jeer. "Does it mean that the heathens and the Jews and all of us are brothers? Does it mean that we must be kind to one another like brothers?" asked the heathen, wonderingly.

"That's it, my son. That's the meaning of the whole Torah. All the rest is only an explanation of that. Go, go, my son. Go and study it," said Hillel kindly.

Very often we can make things a real chore when people come seeking after God. They may ask us questions that we would just brush off.Hillel understood what Jesus later explained when he said that the most important commandment was

^37-40 'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

People are looking to be loved, the church need to love them as much as we love our theology our church and ourselves - this is why a key to our mission statement is to impact our community with the love of God

If this was your last day...

To each one fortunate enough to live out 2010, God will have given 365 days broken into 8,760 hours. Of these hours, 2,920 will have been spent in sleep, and about the same number at work. An equal number has been given us to spend in reverent preparation for the moment when days and years shall cease and time shall be no more. What prayer could be more spiritually appropriate than that of Moses, the man of God: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).

It is important that we remember that all our days come to us out of the sheer mercy of God, unearned, undeserved and, I fear, mostly unappreciated. By sin our lives stand under forfeit; God owes us nothing. The bell that tolls the death of the passing year might as justly toll for us. Only by God's infinite goodness are we yet alive to see each other's face. Each year is a gift of grace and each day an unearned bonus.

I think it is typical of us that we take our days for granted. We say at the start of each year, "This may be the last," and resolve to amend our lives; but before many days have passed we forget our resolutions and grow bold and arrogant again, deceived by the apparent prodigality with which our days are given to us, heaped up, shaken together and running over. But all things have an end. The pitcher goes once too often to the well; the old tree braves one too many storms and comes down with a great crash upon the hill; the strongest heart weakens at last and sputters to a stop. AW TOZER(the warfare of the spirit chapter 32)(Year Changed from 1959 to 2010)

Barnabas wasn't just a friend of Paul

We know about Barnabas mostly through the Book of Acts and a few other books in the New Testament. The first time we see him in action (Acts 4:36-7), he sells his property so that the money could be shared with anyone in need. This little incident reveals a glimpse of his generous character.

Perhaps, the deepest insight into his character comes from the name given to him by the Apostles. His original name was Joseph, a Jewish name. But the Apostles gave him a new name, Barnabas, with means "Son of Encouragement."

I have been really blessed today, more than one person has said what an impact the blogging that Norm, Trevor and I has been having, and that is really encouraging :)

Even more encouraging is watching people step up to the mark and bat spiritual balls out of the arena in a firework display of blazing sixes! Our oldest Kid's Club leader was so on form tonight he got an ovation from the kids - Well done Mr Curtis!

Often getting people to do the talk at kid's club you either have the few who are always up for it or others who aren't sure if they have anything worthwhile to give.

Encouragement can also come in the way of a kick up the jacksie. Paul said to another young man

⁶For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2Tim1:6)

So all you out there feeling like you are too old to cut it, kindle afresh the gift of God. I got a Chiminea for Christmas and when the kindling is alight boy do you get a roaring fire. Get out the matches and get ablaze for God.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed

^{2Corinthians 4
7}But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; ⁸we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Been one of those days today, you know the ones where you just want to curl up and go back to sleep! The sort of day that everything you plan just seems to be frustrated. You sink into a bath of suds to relax and you release a sigh and the phone rings.... an hour later the bath isn't worth having. Even when we have difficult days, God is in the middle of them with us.

David (the kingly one not the grungey one) was a great one to take lessons from, he used to talk to himself when he had had a bad day at the office Why are you so sad my soul why so disturbed within me... he answered himself ....Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him my saviour and my God. Too often we don't question the fug of a bad day and easily slip into a mini spiritual decline. If you have had a bad day perk up you are not crushed, despairing, forsaken or destroyed.

The Psalms also say Though the sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning. Put the day down give it back to God and recieve his joy.

The Orpington is a breed of Chicken

The Orpington is a breed of chicken named after the village of Orpington in Kent county England Which was made famous in part by this breed. Belonging to the English class of chickens, it was bred to be an excellent layer with good meat quality. Their large size and soft appearance together with their rich color and gentle contours make them very attractive, and as such its popularity has grown as a show bird rather than a utility breed. Being rather heavy, they are unable to fly, so they work well as backyard birds. Due to their build they do well in very cold climates. The fluff of their feathers allow rain water to penetrate their feathers, so they must be kept out of the rain.

How like a chicken we can be, I recognise myself there... large size and soft appearance, rich colours and gentle countours, being rather heavy, does well in cold climates...... but they sound like right sissy's they must be kept out of the rain, and work well as backyard birds. You know God doesn't care how soft our appearance, how gentle our contours, or even our weight, he does care about whether we restrict ourself in our mission. The Church wasn't bred to stay in it's own back yard but to go into all the world and make disciples of all men. The Church wasn't bred to be fair weather friends only popping out our heads when the situation seems right and safe we are to be ready both in and out of season.

We often refer to people being 'chicken' I was called chicken throughout school for refusing to get involved in fights. It takes a strength to be different, and strength to let others know you are different. The quality of our faith will be shown in the care the Church has for each other - getting ourselves out there in the wet and the muck, grieving with those who grieve and reminding the world that joy comes in the morning.

What's that coming over the hill?

There was a great song last year by The Automatic, it really got into your head, and you would find yourself merrily chanting the lyrics at the most inane of times.

'What's that coming over the hill, Is it a Monster? Is it a Monster?'

We can spend so much time worried about what is in the future, around the bend, or just over the hill. What is over the hill? Is it a monster, and if it is does it matter anyway?

God has a plan for his peoples contentment whatever is around the corner. I'm currently in a state of manic excitement about what is around the corner. There are probably a few monsters that need to be slain. We can so often be held captive by our fears and reservations, by the words and agendas of others we need to hold on to the fact that God has plans for us to give us a hope and a future.

2 Corinthians 10: 3-6

^3-6The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

Life's not Fair!

I'm not sure if this is just urban legend, this is supposedly the distilled wisdom of Bill Gates to a High school - he gave them 11 points that they wouldn't learn from school. they are worth repeating I think!

Rule 1 Life is not fair - Get used to it!

Rule 2 The world won't care about your self esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 You will not make $60000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger-flipping they called it opportunity.

Rule 6 If you mess up it's not your parents fault , so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8 Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time...

Rule 10 Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 Be nice to nerds. Chances are you will end up working for one.

Hopefully none of us fit this model and remember our mission statement to be a vibrant and authentic expression of Christ and impacting our community with the love of God

Davy Davy How Contrary

I went to school today it was a bit like the Mary Celeste. The school was evoid of students and the staff were hermitted in their classrooms. We have often said wouldn't school be great without children and it dawned on me that instead of enjoying what has often been wished for, my thoughts were why do I have to be here? I was like Goldilocks tasting porridge first one was too hot, second too cold... stamping my feet and having a hissy fit

It occurred to me how contrary and childlike we can be. I was observing a toddler the other day yammering incesantly about wanting something, immediately they had it they put it down and want something else. How often we act in just the same way.

It makes me remember someone that came to Church one day seeking the 'Toronto Blessing' they were told swiftly that we had it last week but it wasn't here this week. What a shame the person didn't come to church to look for Jesus.

In all our striving we must learn to be content, whether we are experience blessing or testing. We must remember a test is merely an unfulfilled testimony.

Paul had learnt the secret of contentment in Philippians 4 he tells us 'I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry both of having abundance and having need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'

Make the Paths Straight

Church was great this morning, arrived to find slippy paths so got the old shovel out to clear a pathway along the pavement that was safe to walk on. I put the shovel away and watched a couple walk into church along the cleared path, walking with them on the icy smush was someone else from church who promptly decided to test the hardness of the pavement with their backside.

You can clear a path, but you can't make someone walk on it. The cleared path made a difference to some people this morning, but to others not a bit.

I reflected on my making the path straight when I was younger - I got telling people what I thought they needed to hear, pretty much turn or burn... I thought I was making a path in the wilderness. In Isaiah 40 it talks about ....

³ A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD ;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40 starts off by telling us to Comfort people...... turn or burn is not a very comforting message. Our job is to facilitate peoples ability to come to Jesus to experience him exalting the low areas in their life and reducing the hills producing a landscape where people can see.

A cleared path is a practical way to make a path straight and clear, however people may not take advantage but we should not cease from clearing the way for people to meet Jesus

I think I can I think I can... I know I can I Know I can

Out with the other leaders today for our annual get away day at a local convent. Snow was falling all around, people playing having fun, you can fill in the rest for yourself. The room we were meeting in was at the top of a longish snow covered hill, very beautiful and picturesque.

I don't know how many of you have watched Dumbo the Disney film, theres a bit in it with the train that carries all the circus animals trying to get up a hill. He puffs as he makes his way up the hill I think I can, I think I can, I think I can - and with extreme effort when he reaches the top and is able to roll down the other side chuffs I know I can I know I can.

Anyway, I drive an automatic car, not some great SUV or anything but a glorified hairdryer engine placed in an upturned skip painted jauntily in blue and decorated with pink flowers. Some of you might know but automatics aren't the best things to drive in the snow they are a little difficult to control a little akin to watching a drunken giraffe getting to grips with Ice Skating.

There was the snowy hill all waiting for me, I could have parked at the bottom and walked up but I kind of like the skaty slidy feeling you get driving an auto in the snow and I thought to myself I'm going to drive up that hill.... I think I can I think I can

Sure enough it was a little slippy and slidy and fun but I drove up the hill. It isn't the only daunting physical or metaphorical hill I will climb this year. I had belief that I could handle my car up that hill - others might think it was silly or too much effort but the hill was there!

I think it was Hillary who was asked why he climbed everest and replied because it was there.
I'ts amazing what a little belief will do for you. Even if people think you are mad you will have the exhilaration of reaching the summit and knowing that you have succeeded.

Philipians 4:13 says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

If we just left that at I can do all things it would seem like supreme arrogance, the same sort of attitude of the men who built the tower of Babel. The key to climbing our metaphorical mountains is we have the power that comes from knowing Christ.

There is a huge difference. It is one thing for someone to say, "I can do all things." It is quite different to say "I can do all things through Christ."Jesus said to His disciples "without Me you can do nothing," (John. 15:5).

As we approach a new year full of metaphorical mountains lets climb them knowing we can with the strength that comes from knowing christ.

Ploughing through the snow

Back at school today to surprisingly soft snow. I had assumed it would have a hard icy crust but no it was wonderful powdery perfection. Perfect for snowballs, perfect for snowmen. The whole playing field was laid open like a white blanket, the astro turf like a bride in white pure unspoilt. I spent the day astride the playground like a colossus bellowing barking and cajoling the students to fight their nature and leave the snow alone. All through the day the kid's wanted to revel in the snow, to snowball and sledge and build snowmen, to write their names in words ten feet tall, yet relentlessly they were kept from the snow.

It got me to reflecting, not literally although the sun was bright about the beautiful snow, it had turned the school into a very picture of beauty - you couldn't see the ruts that had been driven into the grass turning the edge of the field into a quagmire - all you could see was snow.

In Isaiah it talks about the snow - 'Come now let us reason together,' Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson they will be white like wool'

I protected that snow covered field and astroturf and all the mud and mire and whatever remained covered in a blanket of white - yet something was missing.

At 3:10 the kids poured out of school and into the streets and rejoiced and exulted in snow, sledging and sliding and snowballing towards their homes.

Our sins have been covered, and though they were are red as scarlet they have been made as white as snow, how much do we rejoice and exult in the salvation we have found in Jesus? In Colossians it talks about - Christ in you the hope of glory what a thing to rejoice and exult in!

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine

Off school for a snow day today so I decided to try and fix the lights in my living room. I don't know if you have ever tried to rewire a ring lighting circuit before, double switches and two sets of lights means lots of wires, I had red wires and black wires, blue wires and brown wires, yellow and green wires.

Until today I had managed to get things so I could switch one set of lights on or off, but have a little dark corner where the other lights were. The alternative I had managed was to have two sets of lights permanantly on!


It was a bit like the old mastermind game trying various combinations of colours, it took over an hour but eventually I got both sets of lights working and I can turn them off or on together or independantly, I feel oddly proud funnily enough.

It got me to thinking about control, and who has it. I am now in perfect control of my living room lights, I can plunge a room into darkness or cause an almost atomic glow with the 6 light bulbs up there.

I am equally responsible for the light I let be seen in my life, I can let it shine outwardly or hide it away and cover it up under a million and one facets of my life or character. As christians we are called to let our light shine before men. With my lights at home I flick a switch and the light comes on, in life my actions either illuminate Christ or hide him.



Theres a saying that you can't see the wood for the trees, I think it was petra who had a lyric about not being able to see Jesus for all of the christians. We should remember:

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your father who is in heaven

To blog or not to blog that is the question?

It all gets just gets so confusing what is my status? do i have a space face? have I written on my twitterbook? How many virtual friends have I collected, how many people have I accidentally forgotten to add? Can I have the biggest virtual farm or fullest fishtank? Whats it all really about.

I thought all the internet space would create an open vista of free expression and instead find it a limiting constricting at times voyeuristic prison entrapping time in fruitless pursuits of highest scores. Its like an addiction - We probably send out so many requests to be my neighbour on this or that farm program so we can get the latest spangled cow that's on offer.

I have meant to start a blog or journal for ages and at times have attempted to in my notes on facebook. The whole concept of neighbours on these games on facebook made me start thinking who are my neighbours?

I have just moved and came home early because of the snow, I decided to clear my path before I ended up with huge piles of frozen snow tommorrow - Pretty futile with snow still coming down, but I wanted to do something. I cleared the path and outside the house, and outside the neighbours house and the neighbours neighbours house and the ... until I got to the end of the path. The snow has covered up all the evidence so why bother? Well because I could.

We live in a society that doesn't spare a thought for others if we can possibly help it. I was talking to Norman and Mary on Sunday about the passage in Judges 17:6 ⁶In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.
I often deal with people who can only see things from their own perspective without considering the impact or feelings of other people their actions have involved?

God gives us the perogative of Judges 17:6 - we can do what we want, we can serve ourselves, Joshua forsaw what would happen and made a declaration of intent in Joshua 24
¹⁴"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

In the story of the good samaritan, the priest and levite were to full of their own preoccupation to meet the needs right in front of their eyes. The samaritan didn't wait around at the inn to recieve a reward or a civic honour but carried about his business. Yes we have free will to please and entertain ourselves, but a little time serving others and finding our real neighbours is something we could probably all do. We don't need a reward, I think one person saw me clearing the path, the snow has now covered it, the reward is in doing it in the first place, tomorrow the frozen snow outside our houses will be a little less thick.

God said this in Isaiah
⁶"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
⁷"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸"Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
⁹"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
¹⁰And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
¹¹"And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
¹²"Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

Does our neighbour really need a strawberry cow or a limited edition piece of topiary?