A New Week

Well it's another week, and it's still really sunny!

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with an old friend and hearing about what God is doing in the ministry that he's involved in.  And then I'm meeting up with some youth workers from the Bradwell area of the Chelmsford Diocese.  It's great to have a day of networking with the team, and although essex isn't huge we all have different things going on, different groups of young people and communities.

One thing that might come up and something that I've only just piked up on today is the 'Todd Bentley' revival.  If you've got God TV you may have heard so you probably know more than me.  It's happening in Lakeland, Florida and there seem to be some great things happening.

I've only just had a chance to read some stuff so I'll probably blog a bit more later in the week, I haven't made my mind up yet.

On reflection from last week.  Youth group was great and it continues to be a place where new people are feeling at home.  It's dawning on me that this above most of the stuff that I'm involved in at church is the thing that I'm gonna miss when I leave at the end of July.

Feeling Light Headed

I don't know what it is about the sun but it brings out the best in me.  We've nearly had a full 5 days of interrupted sunshine, and not just a bit of sun, although we'd go for anything after the wet winter we've had. It's been baking and it just seems to have revived things, people situations and vision.

There is a lightness in my spirit and a sense of things being achieved that in the past haven't been.  This may all be coincidence because I've been challenged on some areas my life that I'm still struggling with but there seems to be a rise of faith.  The fog has cleared and there seems to be more clarity than there was before.  I'm not sure what before was, but it wasn't a good place to be in but now, well I could climb a mountain, achieve anything

And not to sound warning bells already on my current state of mind and outlook, but I know that my mood and security is only rooted in Christ. The weather could change for the worse tomorrow but I'd still be here and the mission of God still goes on.

Humility is the key.  It's not about me or how I feel, except that I humble myself, pray and repent!   Repent seems such an old fashioned word, and maybe that's the problem, it's become unfashionable to say sorry and get ourselves sorted before God and in God!  It's been replaced with it's OK God loves you anyway no matter what you do.  Where is the good news in that?  We fool ourselves when we try to justify our sins and cover it with a God Blessing.

I've been made more aware this week that we are in a battle, it's a war that Jesus has won already only we don't know and we don't live in the victory.  As I battle I put myself in places of harm and if I'm not right with God then I am going to get chewed up and spat out by the one that holds no respect for Gods creation!  This is particularly important as Lou and I take the next steps in ministry, we've already felt the effects of declaring ourselves up for what God wants us to be doing and where he wants us to be going.

'Father we humble ourselves, we repent and pray for you to heal us and our land.

We pray not for ourselves but for all those that are harassed at every turn by the enemy

Who don't know who to cry out to and who put their hope and trust in the material.

May we be a shining light for you

May be a shining light always'

Amen

At the end of the day

It's been a scorcher, we've chilled out with friends,  enjoyed the sunshine, and most importantly we've been together.  It's nearly bed time... it's been a good, no GREAT day!

Am I looking forward to work, well thats a hard one to answer because work is really ministry and serving and not work at all.  I think that's why I'm going to enjoy not being employed to do this 'work' because really this is a lifestyle, a choice, a commission!

Either way it promises to be another day of great weather so we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Good week, bad week

In our school lunch time groups we have a great discussion starter called Good week Bad week. We share a good and bad thing about the week and then pray for each other...

Bad Week - 

As the end of July approaches things are getting tense at home because we don't know where we'll be serving or where we'll be living.  We are trying to be faithful but it's easier to doubt and fear what might happen, or in this case not happen.   So Lou and I are on short fuses at the moment, which isn't great for any of us.

Good Week - 

We did have a phone call which has shed some light on the future, it's not a fully open door, but the door is slightly ajar, a sense of what might be next.  

And I've been working from home a fair bit which has meant time with Lou and Jaden and seeing all the new things he's doing, and as the sun decided to make an appearance it's meant picnics in the park.

So how about you. Good Week, bad week?

In your face...

After the great night at church.co.uk I was confronted full in the face with what Shane had been talking about. I arrived at Liverpool St Station and was starving! So I made my way up to McDonalds and there she was sitting just out of the rain at the front door.

Somehow money didn't seem enough, what else could I give her, I racked my brain. Instead I asked her if I could buy her some food, she had just eaten no doubt someone else's generosity. I had my wallet in my hand now and I dug around for some change. I gave her the money but it still didn't seem enough. How could I demonstrate Jesus to her?... I asked if there was anything else I could do and she replied no, someone else came then and gave her some money and I just said take care as I walked inside to get my burger!

Was it enough, is there more I could have done? I'm still not convinced that I did the right thing. I probably won't see her again, in fact I'm sure I won't, but did I do enough. Was it enough for her to see Jesus. Am I hoping for to much, did I falter at the first challenge.

This gospel is dangerous, it is in your face, how much of Jesus' did she see, how much good news was there?

Dangerous

There is something about the gospel that is dangerous, it's dangerous to our 9-5's and our daily humdrum, it will turn you upside down, inside out. Thats what it means when we truly start to embody good news, to embody God's love and live in resurrection.

The word dangerous is a word that Shane used a lot wednesday night, and he would know. His passion to chase after all the things of God has seen him get arrested, have his car blown off the side of a road in Iraq, hang around with crack addicts and gang members. And yet when you read his book and you see him in person you see a gentle fire ball of faith!

Dangerous is a word that I've heard before. Some of you may be familiar with the 24-7 prayer movement, and part of the Vision is this:



Jesus is the vision, and I truly believe that as we embody everything that he was and live and operate in a place of being loved by God then we can live and love as ordinary radicals. Dreaming big and living small, those little acts of love that make more noise than me in a pulpit ever could.

If you want to check out the community that Shane lives and serves then check out
The Simple Way.

The day after the night before...

If your expecting a drunken rant then your gonna be dissapointed. Last night I went to hear Shane Claibourne speak at Church.co.uk in Lambeth. It was a joint Tearfund, Faithworks event and it was great!

If you've read his book, then you can't help to have been impacted hugely. I think Its always dangerous reading books like that because they shake things up, and I guess that's Shane's intention, I guess that's God's intention! Shane told a lot of stories last night that he's used in his book, but uit was good to hear it from the horses mouth. Just like when I read the book it's taking me time to digest and take in everything I heard last night so this is by way of saying stay tuned while I get my head round it and blog something of substance!