the red pill

Tim Judson - Yad Vashem

2012-01-27T11:39:00.000Z

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day.

Tim Judson, singer/songwriter, member at Tab, created this. I pray it will inspire your thoughts, prayers, attitudes and actions.

Blue Christmas 2011

2011-12-14T20:23:00.000Z

This year, alongside the usual Nativity plays and candlelit carol services we are again offering something different. For those who have experienced bereavement, redundancy or loss there is the opportunity to join with others at a “Blue Christmas” church service. Using seasonal music, prayers, reflection and stillness there will be a chance to seek comfort and hope together. There will also be a time to light candles as we remember loved ones, or difficult situations that have caused pain over this last year. For many people 2011 has been a tough year, and 2012 is looking hard too. We wanted to give people a chance to be honest about how they are feeling this Christmas, and also to reach out for hope and comfort. And we also want to remember that the Christmas story is not just a happy one, it’s about a child being born in difficult circumstances, and into a family that had to flee persecution. It’s a story that has something to say to those of us struggling with difficulty today

Great concert coming up in Wolverhampton!

2011-11-24T13:46:00.000Z

Machine Gun Preacher, my review

2011-11-01T17:16:00.000Z

An Anthem to the Myth of Redemptive Violence

Gerard Butler stars in (and perhaps equally importantly Exec. Produces) the movie based upon the real life story of Pastor Sam Childers, a drug-addicted biker who finds sobriety and hope by putting his faith in Jesus. Childers, after a mission trip to Uganda where he witnesses some of the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army, becomes involved in fighting for the freedom and safety of orphans and freed child soldiers.

Sam Childers is a real man, but the comments I make here are about the Sam Childers portrayed in the film. I know very little of the story of the real Sam, and so I want to be clear that my response is to the movie, not the man or his ministry. If, however, the real and the realised Sams are one and the same, then, as we say here, if the cap fits...

So, a story about a terrible sinner who has a wonderful conversion, and who then develops a heart for church planting and mission, what’s not to like? Well, quite a lot. You see the gospel that Sam has grasped, that he preaches, and that he models, is no gospel at all. Yes, new life begins with Jesus, as he says, but it is clear that it continues with us alone. With our actions, our best ideas, our violence, yes violence, and lots of it. How does Sam save kids? By killing the bad guys, and the film makes it fairly clear that that’s a good thing. The one character in the film who challenges the notion of redemptive violence is portrayed later as being saved by it – not very subtle. The idea that the gospel might challenge the violence in Sam’s past seems totally absent, as is any sense of how the New Testament has shaped his thinking or action as a believer, a pastor, a missionary. This is a gospel of works, and one where we get to decide what’s best, no matter whose blood gets spilled.

There are positives. The cinematography is wonderful, the soundtrack spot on, and several performances - including Butler’s - are tremendous. There are several well-crafted, truly poignant scenes where the horrific realities of drug addiction, or life for a child in conflict-ridden parts of Africa are presented with a powerful emotional force. But on the whole the film lacks nuance, it lacks a questioning, and the few times that appears, the answers are soulless, and violent, instead of loving and life-affirming. And whereas there may have been some love and concern at the start of his mission, towards the end of this portrayal it has become about something else, about him, his mission, his ability, his guns, his willingness to kill.

I took a friend along with me to see this, who is also a pastor. We talked on the journey home about the lack of accountability, about the easy way Sam began the work on his own, and continued in a solitary way, of how the mission became more important that his own soul, or the children he had set out to help.

In his own words, at the very end of the film Sam asks “if a madman broke into your home and took your kids, and I told you I could get them back, would you really care how I did it?” I’d like to think I would care. And so, what could have been the movie equivalent of a song of praise for the great acts of God, or a deeply moving outpouring of worship for the love of God that extends our concern beyond the borders of our own family, people and nation ultimately became an anthem, one dedicated to the myth that violence is the way to win peace.

London Baptist Association announce new Regional Minister (Team Leader)

2011-09-28T16:18:00.000+01:00

For a couple of years I was part of LBA, and appreciated immensely the wisdom and leadership of the then team leader of the regional ministry team, Pat Took. She is an outstanding lady, and an amazing ambassador for Jesus, and for Baptist Christians. Her skills, talents and giftings fitted well the needs of the Baptist family in our capital city.

Her retirement created a special opening in the life of our union of churches, and I guess many of who had any kind of interest had been watching to see who might be asked to fill those shoes.

Today the LBA website is announcing the news that Geoffrey Andrews from Perry Rise Baptist Church will be the name brought for consideration at a special assembly of the association early next month.

God who calls and equips,
who leads and inspires
may your Spirit rest on Geoffrey, the LBA
and your people in that great city, Amen.

Gungor "God is not a white Man"

2011-09-21T10:31:00.000+01:00

Loving this video, surreal, trippy, joyful, and a wonderful counter to the dour folks who seem convinced that God hates us!

Your cross is too small

2011-09-20T09:09:00.000+01:00

Ok, sorry, I need to get this off my chest.

Listen, you, quit nagging me. You keep telling me to preach The Cross, and that would be great, except when you say that what you really mean is that I should preach your own, quite limited understanding of it.

You see, the problem is this: your cross is too small.

If you look at the world and see only nameless souls that need to repent, your cross is too small.

If you see people trapped in destructive patterns of behaviour, and think that if they’d only try harder they’d be free, your cross is too small.

If you think it is human activity that impresses the perfectly holy God, your cross is too small.

If you think the life, teaching, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus can be summed up into a message that says “Come to Jesus or burn in hell”, your cross is too small.

If you look at social exclusion, and think all would be well if only they would repent, but otherwise it’s none of your business, your cross is too small.

If you look at enmity between people groups who are divided by ethnicity, age, access to resources, class, colour or creed and have no idea that the Gospel of Jesus speaks to this directly, your cross is too small.

If your preaching tells women or children that they are second class citizens in the kingdom of God, your cross is too small.

If you consider the broken relationships in your life, and the lives of those around you and merely look forward to the day that you’re in heaven and all will be well, your cross is too small.

If you see spiritual oppression and darkness and wish there was more the church could do, your cross is too small.

If you think freedom and increasing holiness are mere wishful thinking, your cross is too small.

If you think you have to live with that curse, your cross is too small.

If death seems like the end, your cross is too small.

If serving the kingdom, and placing your time and resources at God’s disposal seems like too much bother, your cross is too small.

If you think it’s great to be a servant of God, but there’s no way you could be His child, your cross is too small.

If you think that that societal change and individual repentance are mutually exclusive, or even competing agendas, your cross is too small.

If you think you have no choice but to live with that anxiety, that habit, that awful secret, then your cross is too small.

And if you think that other believers in Jesus who hold a view different from your own narrow one are somehow weaker, less intelligent, less godly or are spiritually poorer than you, your cross is way way too small.

Thanks for listening.

Out of Darkness Cometh Light

2011-08-10T19:44:00.000+01:00

That’s the motto of the City of Wolverhampton, and we caught a glimpse of the reality of that today as people responded to last night’s riots.

I have long believed that people of the light overcome darkness by living in the opposite spirit. So, even though I can understand why, I struggle with those who resort to anger, violence, prejudice as a reaction to what we’ve seen in our streets, neighbourhoods, cities, nation.

So, how to live in the opposite spirit? Well, if riots are about violence, we live in a way that brings healing. If looting is about theft and destruction then we live in generosity and set about rebuilding. If the anger and violence is anything at all to do with anguish and a lack of meaning and purpose, then we live as those who have hope in our hearts, and work towards seeing our vision of a better society become a reality.

About 2,500 years ago a wise man, a prophet even, said “seek the peace and prosperity of the city...because if it prospers, you too will prosper”. That's what we did this morning as around 100 people, including our elected representatives and council officials, gathered in solidarity, and in practical action to help shop owners affected by last nights disturbances.

500 years later Jesus taught about living in the opposite spirit. He talked about a kind of godly defiance. “if someone hits your right cheek offer them the left, if they take your outer garments, give them your underwear too, if they make you carry a pack one mile, walk two”. It’s not weakness, it’s a sign of strength, a surge of the free spirit that turns the act of darkness on its head, and provides a space for light to shine.

Last night, a group of people showed their disdain of our city with hammers and kicks, with destruction and theft. This morning a group of people showed their love with brooms and gloves, with healing, generosity and love.

Out of darkness cometh light? Hell yeah! LoveWolves.

Baptist Union of Great Britain President calls for prayers for London and our cities

2011-08-09T14:56:00.000+01:00

Pray for the peace of the city, may peace be within your homes and security on your streets.

Will you join me please in praying for the peace of our cities, and especially for the people of Tottenham.

Pray for the family and friends of Mark Duggan as they absorb the shock of his violent and premature death- pray that the circumstances of his death may become clear for everyone to see and that those who loved him will have confidence that justice has been done.

Pray for everyone who has been traumatised by the events of the weekend- the policemen who have been injured, and their families- those who have lost homes and businesses- those who have lost their sense of living in a friendly and safe place.

Pray for our police, that there will be among them exceptional men and women, able to understand the hopes and fears of all the different individuals and groups they deal with, able to uphold the law with wisdom, integrity and discretion, able to step over prejudice, their own and other people's.

Pray for entrepreneurs and business people with drive and energy to create sustainable, worthwhile jobs for folk living in Tottenham, and across our country...

Pray for mothers and fathers to stand steady and faithful at the heart of their families, and offer the disciplines of love, truth and example. May they model how to seek justice without violence.

Pray for the young, that they will listen to the voices calling them to live courageously and freely, and will turn away from those influences calling them to alienation and victimhood.

Pray for the churches of Tottenham, and especially our church in the High Road and its minister, Peter George - may they be communities of hope and reconciliation, outposts of God's Kingdom that is coming.

Pray for the future when resources may be scarce, jobs and homes hard to come by, May we be those who demonstrate a genuine concern for our neighbours, the salt that resists the tendency to care only for ourselves, the light that reveals all the many dimensions of well being that do not depend on affluence.

For the sake of my family and my friends I will say, "peace be within you". Amen

Pat Took, President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain

These prayers were written before last night's violence. They will also appear in this week's The Baptist Times

Please pray these prayers for the city of Wolverhampton too. Last night the police station near our church building was attacked and vandalised, and one of the officers cars smashed up. Locally there are many precautions being taken, and rumours about about possible upset later. Please pray for peace in our cities. - JS

This Sunday's text

2011-05-04T14:58:00.000+01:00

March of Hope

2011-04-26T12:08:00.000+01:00

Here's some footage of the March of Hope in Wolverhampton last weekend.

Approximately 800 (300 more than last year) people gathered and marched from West Park, through the city centre and into St Peter's Square.

There was an atmosphere of exuberance, joy, love and unity.

In this clip you'll see the march arriving into St Peter's Square. The video is nearly 5 mins long because that's how long it took for the marchers to make their way in!

World Book Night, One million Book Giveaway

2011-03-05T20:03:00.001Z

So, it's the first World Book Night tonight, and the organisation aims to give away one million books. There are 25 titles being given away, and folks wanted to be part of the process were invited to make contact a few months ago, indicating which book they'd like to give away and why.

I applied, and asked to distribute the book "One Day" by David Nicholls. I'd picked up a copy whilst on holiday a couple of months ago, a friend had suggested it, and said there would be a particular reason I'd like it.

It's a book that is set on July 15th, St Swithin's Day, my birthday, and follows the relationship of two very different kind of people. It wasn't the usual kind of book I'd read, but I found it terrifically moving, very funny, and quite insightful about human relationships, life, and slowly growing older. Here's the blurb from the World Book Night site:

I can imagine you at forty,’ she said, a hint of malice in her voice. ‘I can picture it right now.’

He smiled without opening his eyes. ‘Go on then.’

15 July 1988. On their last day at Edinburgh University, Emma Morley wakes up next to Dexter Mayhew. She prides herself on her social commitment. He prides himself on his ability to extricate himself from one-night stands.

This time, however, things get more complicated. They decide to spend the day together. They are completely mismatched. The timing is all wrong. They’re better off as friends. But from that one day grows a complicated friendship; a strange and tangled love story that weaves their disparate lives together.
So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that?

Every year on 15 July we spend a day with Emma and Dexter. From these snapshots we build up a collage of two flawed people, struggling to find their place in the world and working out what they mean to each other.

One Day is a funny/sad love story spanning twenty years, a book about growing up – how we change, how we stay the same…

Well, I have collected my books, and have 48 to give away. A few folks got wind of this earlier and have bagged a copy, but that means I have at least 45 copies to give away. If you want one then comment on this blog, and include an email address if you don't think I'll have yours. Preference will be given to folks local to Wolverhampton, or those I'll see in the immanent future.

Happy reading!

Shahbaz bhatti, the murdered Pakistani minister for minorities issues ex...

2011-03-02T22:24:00.000Z

Today the terrifically sad news came through that Mr Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's Minister for Minorities, a passionate advocate of reform of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, and the only Christian in the cabinet of Pakistan's government has been assassinated.

The video here was recorded recently, and was sent to the BBC to be released in the event of his death.

Tertullian may well have taught that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, and I pray it's true, however I find myself thinking of the voices of those slain for proclaiming their faith mentioned in Revelation 6 as they cry "How long, O Lord.."

Here's a hero of the Church, I ask you to join me in praying for his family, his church and his nation.

The Big Response in Wolverhampton

2011-02-17T11:37:00.000Z

I've been posting this information almost everywhere, and have missed my own blog! Ooops...

Please do pray for us tomorrow as more than 70 leaders from across the city and region gather to think of how we might respond to the Big Society agenda.

Leaving aside the politics - and how I feel about the cuts - whatever happens, churches are uniquely placed and may end up picking up the pieces, and caring for the marginalised folks who'll slip through the gaps.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T10:41:00.000Z

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play.
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of Peace on earth, good will to men.

Peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of Peace on earth, good will to men.

Peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair, I bowed my head:
'There is no peace on earth,' I said,
'For hate is strong and mocks the song,
Of Peace on earth, good will to men.'

Peace on earth, good will to men.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep;
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With Peace on earth, good will to men'.

Peace on earth, good will to men.

For so long now my default “go to” carol over advent has been “O come o come Emmanuel”. I’ve appreciated its element of lament, the great theology in it, the cry of the hurting human heart “O come!”, and the reply of heaven, “Rejoice, Emmanuel shall come”.

However, just recently I’ve been turning to this HW Longfellow poem that has been set to a variety of tunes, but I first encountered performed by John Gorka.

Longfellow wrote this on Christmas Day 1864, a few years after the tragic death of his much beloved wife, Frances, and a few months after the terrible maiming of his son, Charles, who fought in the American civil war.

On first reading it can seem quite simplistic, with its pithy response that the wrong shall fail and the right prevail. That sounds a lot like the kind of things I tell my five year old son, to reassure him, to shelter him from the harsher realities of life as it’s experienced.

And yet, as simple as it sounds, it’s the truth. And for Longfellow, writing in the midst of pain and loss, it speaks of the hope that we’re looking forward to receiving afresh at Christmas, even though sometimes we receive that hope from a distance. It’s a declaration of faith. It’s part of the meaning and message that we’re celebrating tomorrow. Because of this baby, justice will be done; because of this baby, peace becomes a possibility; because even though this baby gently sleeps, God never sleeps.

This Christmas eve, we’re waiting. Waiting for news, waiting for the celebration, waiting for it all to be over, waiting to finish work finally, waiting to see friends, waiting to see if we can make it through, waiting for a clear sound from a pealing bell that will preach the message again. God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.

However this waiting day finds you, I pray that when you hear the bells, you’ll hear the angel afresh, Peace on earth, good will to all people.

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

2010-12-14T15:50:00.000Z

I hope you enjoy this as ,much as I did, an early Christmas pressie!

Blue Christmas, 21st December

2010-12-13T14:48:00.000Z

This year we're adding an extra service in to our Advent programme.

Blue Christmas is a time and space to explore the reality that for some people Christmas is a tough time.

Family breakdown, redundancy, bereavement, illness, loneliness and other pains of life can leave us feeling quite "blue" whilst everyone else seems to be having a jolly old time.

On December 21st (the longest night of the year) we'll be meeting for an hour to pray together, sing some appropriate songs, listen to and respond to some scriptures and share communion.

It'll be a time to be real, to remember, and to reach out for comfort and hope.

If you'd like a quiet and prayerful space to reflect on the pain of life this Advent, then you are most welcome, whether you have faith or not.

New blog added: Baptileaks

2010-12-09T16:44:00.000Z

A couple of days ago I was sent a link to a new blog. It looks promising, so I thought I'd give you a heads up.

I'm not entirely sure who's behind it, but I have a good idea...

Take a look at Baptileaks

Please bless Wolverhampton

2010-12-05T16:11:00.000Z

A Wolverhampton school has made it through to the final of Berol's Win a Minibus competition. Now they need to get as many votes as they can. Please, click on this link to Berol's site. Find the August entry, which is from Dunstall Hill Primary School, Wolverhampton (next door to our church building) and vote for it. It will only take a moment, no registering needed or anything like that.

Sunday Nights @ Broad Street

2010-11-26T15:58:00.000Z

We've begun our series of seeker events on Sunday evenings, where we're partnering with Saltmine and the Church @ Broad Street. This week Jon Turner from Saltmine will be speaking on Expectation and Surprise in the Christmas story. Jon Bruton playing guitar, and joined by some talented vocalists from Broad Street. We're starting at 7pm, finishing around 8pm then having refreshments. Do come if you're around.

Partnership with Saltmine and Church @ Broad Street

2010-11-21T08:47:00.000Z

Last night saw the formal beginning of the partnership of Church @ Broad Street, Saltmine and Tabernacle Baptist Church, Wolverhampton. We're working together to ensure the continuance of Christian ministry at Broad Street. Here are the words we used last night, closely sourced from Gathering for Worship.

Introduction

We have gathered to mark the beginning of a new phase in the life and witness of the Church at Broad Street, Tabernacle Baptist Church and Saltmine. We come to affirm our belief that these churches and organisations have been led by the Spirit as they have explored the possibilities of shared ministry together here in Wolverhampton. Because of that, we make this mutual commitment to each other, and to the city.

Today we have come to witness the beginning of a season of collaboration and exploration, of hope, of challenge and of renewed commitment to Christ, and his growing Kingdom. As representatives of Church at Broad Street, Tabernacle Baptist Church and Saltmine, we’ve come to declare our intention to share our strengths, our possessions, our prayers, our skills and our time together, in order that the Kingdom of God might come more fully in our city.

Together representatives from Saltmine, Church @ Broad Street and Tabernacle Baptist Church said:

Today we stand with each other,

recognizing Christ in our midst,

affirming our faith in the God who loves us

with a love that transforms us,

and who calls us to work for a transformed world.

Today we stand with each other,

recognizing Christ in each other, and in the churches and organizations we lead,

affirming the calling of the Spirit

who has brought us together this day.

Today we bring ourselves and the gifts we have, so that together we can serve and encourage our churches and community:

We commit to respect and care for each other,

to journey together,

to take responsibility together,

to seek God together,

to listen to God together,

and to work together to be Christ in this world.

The congregation responded:

Today we bring ourselves and the gifts we have,

and we also commit to serve and encourage

our churches and community:

to respect and care for each other,

to take responsibility for the people we are

and the people we hope to be in Christ,

and to seek God’s Kingdom as we make this journey together.

Africa United Trailer - Africa United Movie Trailer

2010-10-06T15:16:00.000+01:00

So, here's the trailer for Africa United, it's on general release in the UK from 22nd October. See you there?

Taking a minute

2010-09-27T21:00:00.000+01:00

A Pastor from Beverley, East Yorkshire, a membership of 155, deacons meetings agendas that include issues around the timing of Sunday evening services, provision for elderly members, the needs to engage with the local community in both mission and evangelism. Excitement about growth, questions about the suitability of the current building, the needs of young people rising up the agenda, and structures being changed to make the most of opportunities given to Tabernacle Baptist Church. Sounds familiar? This is us today.

But not just today.

I’ve had the pleasure of looking through some of our archived minutes today, and in 1952 this was a picture of where the church was at.

It’s a discovery that has had me smiling (what are the chances I’d not be the first pastor from Beverley here?), delighted there have been some great moves forward (a stipend of £350 wouldn’t quite work) and also questioning why we’re dealing with such similar issues today. Maybe it’s because every generation has to deal with these, maybe it’s because fifty-odd years later we’re still searching for the best answers.

Whatever the reason, it’s been a good reminder, at the end of my first sabbatical, that I stand in a long line of pastors, and hopefully (until Jesus returns) a long line to come. That’s humbling, and it’s reassuring. It’s not my job to build the church, it’s not my glory to take when things go well, it’s not my empire, it’s His kingdom.

So we’re going to spend some time over the next few months looking at the values of the Kingdom, making sure we’re keeping in step with the morality of the maker, we’re holding fast to the values of the victorious Christ.

I’d love to think that in 50 years time someone will read the minutes of our meetings with thankfulness, and I pray we’ll have sorted seniors ministry out by then!

John Boy's response to burning questions

2010-09-09T11:38:00.002+01:00

I remember an episode of “The Waltons” that had quite an affect on my then rapidly developing sense of justice and morality. It was set in the late 1930’s and the local reverend had arranged a good old book burning, telling folks to bring all their German books for the fire, it would be an act of rejecting that evil Nazi philosophy, of cleansing a community from the very words that would lead to such dreadful warfare.

I remember John Boy protesting, and the crowd shouting him down, until he pulled a book from the fire that hadn’t caught yet and asked if anyone spoke German. A little elderly lady steps forward, a German immigrant if I remember, a woman who’d been ostracised by the town. She reads the beginning of the book in German, then translates it; “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth...”

This scene impressed itself upon me, and is probably what formed in me lasting unease about censorship, and a sense (not unquestioned) that free speech, access to literature and freedom of the press are good countermeasures against dictatorships both evil and benevolent.

So when I look at the contemporary story of a pastor in a small church, planning to burn copies of a book that 1,500,000,000 people consider to be sacred I’m worried, and confused.

I’m worried because I think it’s an approach that achieves little but division and enmity. I’m worried because it adds fuel to another fire, the fire that philosophical and theological liberals regularly stoke against those of us who’d lay some claim the word Evangelical. I’m worried that members of other faiths may consider that this action in some way speaks for more than the few who attend that church.

And I’m confused. I’m confused as to which Bible this pastor has been reading. I’m confused about how anyone can want to ally themselves to Jesus, have read his teaching and then perform an act like this. I’m confused as to why anyone who’d consider themselves a shepherd would lead their people into such a blind and dark place, and I’m confused about why the media are hyping this up so much, that they themselves are (metaphorically) buying the petrol to get the blaze going.

I’m an Evangelical.

I believe the Bible is the only book that can lay claim to be the utterly dependable revelation of God’s will to us.

I believe in Jesus, and that in him alone I find peace with God, that in him alone I am set free from all that hurts God, others and myself, and that in him alone I find hope, meaning and life in all it’s fullness.

I believe that God breathes the Holy Spirit into his followers, enabling them to live like Christ in this world.

I believe that people of other faiths may well be reaching out towards God, journeying towards truth, a truth I think can only be found in Jesus.

I believe that every human being was given life by God, was created by God, is loved by God and has the potential to be truly united with God.

I therefore believe that every human being is worthy of respect, is to be loved as Jesus loved, and is to be welcomed as Jesus welcomed.

This is why I won’t be burning books, and this is why I urge you to do all you can to welcome your Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and Atheist neighbours as warmly as Jesus would.

World Cup 2010 Football Song - There May Be Glory

2010-06-10T13:27:00.000+01:00

Loving this - my personal choice for World Cup Anthem.

We want another star on the shirt!

Tuesday 27th April, a day of prayer and fasting

2010-04-26T22:34:00.001+01:00

We’ve taken the unusual step of calling the church to a day of prayer and fasting on behalf of the leadership team in the church. The reason for this is that a significant number of the leaders have been struggling and suffering recently (indeed a number of people in the church have been struggling greatly).

I wouldn’t normally rush to a conclusion that we’re under some kind of spiritual attack, however there have been just such a large number of the team who have affected recently that we are made more mindful of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (TNIV)

What does this attack look like? For some it is the recurrence of chronic and painful illness, for others it’s a sense of being overwhelmed by the pressures of life, for others it is close friends and family members who’ve been taken seriously ill. We recognise that this is the stuff of life, and that everyone experiences these things, however we are seeing such a powerful, sudden and large number of these issues amongst the leaders that we felt there is more going on here than simple coincidence. In an effort to express our current experience one member of the team turned to this scripture: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 (TNIV)

So with this in mind, we are inviting people to pray for each member of the leadership team. They are:

Christina B – Deacon for Pastoral Care

Jon B – Deacon for Music, Arts and Creativity

Phil C – Deacon for World Mission and International Issues

Denise D - Deacon for Children's Ministries

Richard E – Deacon for Youth and Young Adults

Dianne H – Deacon for Fellowship and Social Activities

Phil M-S – Deacon for Nurture and Small Groups

Merylen P – Deacon for Pastoral Care

Edwin S – Deacon for Prayer

John T – Deacon for Administration

Simon P – Finance Manager

Jonathan Somerville – Senior Pastor

Some of the scriptures that have been mentioned to us include:

2 Chronicles 20:17 & Exodus 14:13, verses which speak of standing firm.

Psalm 27, a Psalm of praise for God’s deliverance.

Please pray for each team member by name, asking for God’s peace, protection, leadership, wisdom, rest, healing, wholeness.

Please pray for strength as they seek to stand firm under the enemy’s onslaught, and for their families and friends as they too need strength to simply stand.

Pray that God would use this to develop perseverance, faith and empathy for others in the church who’re facing similar situation.

Pray for others who exercise leadership in the church, housegroup leaders, Sunday School teachers, prayer teams, etc.

Pray for the wider church, just this weekend Carolyn, a senior leader in an international mission agency has been hospitalised, and the volunteer who provides much of her PA cover, Ann, was suddenly taken ill whilst visiting her, initially thought to be suffering a stroke, but now looking less like that.

Finally, pray that the work of building God’s kingdom wouldn’t be hindered. There are a number of strategic developments we’re in the middle of planning and delivering, that we hope will see many people come into a deep appreciation that Jesus is the Christ, bringing the fullness of His love and life into their lives.

Thank you for praying. If you can join us at 7am or 1 pm at the church building that would be a blessing, otherwise, reply here and let us know you’re praying with us. Grace and peace, Jonathan

Nowrūz Mobarak

2010-03-25T14:02:00.002Z

Every week I lead a class for small group of people who are recent followers of Jesus. We use some excellent material from All Nations college (SEAN Courses) that I highly recommend.

The group meets at the home of an Iranian family, who are part of our church, and this week, instead of our usual study, we celebrated together the Iranian New Year (Nowruz).

Part of this celebration is to look at the Haft Sin table, a place where seven items that begin with the letter S (Sin in Farsi) and have symbolic meaning are placed.

Here is their Haft Sin table:

On this table you can see several items, each with a symbolic meaning. For the Christian couple these are used prayerfully at the start of the year to ask God's blessing in key areas.

The traditional Haft Sīn items are:

sabzeh - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth
samanu - a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence
senjed - the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love
sīr - garlic - symbolizing medicine
sīb - apples - symbolizing beauty and health
somaq - sumac berries - symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
serkeh - vinegar - symbolizing age and patience

Alongside these items (all here except the sabzeh and the samanu) are candles with a prayer for enlightenment, eggs (much the same symbolism as an Easter egg), a goldfish (which is released into freedom at the end of the 13 days of festivities), and a Bible.

National poets are read, especially the Divan of Hafez and Rumi. Rumi and Hafez are famous poets, I'm a little embarrassed to write that this was the first time I'd read them.

It was a lovely relaxed couple of hours, with us learning more in one evening about Iranian culture than we had done in the ten weeks of class preceding it. What spoke to me most was the idea of placing our prayers in a prominent place, these symbols of things to be prayed for, a constant physical reminder during that new year period. So much more interactive (and tasty) than a list on a piece of paper - so much more present the hopes and dreams for the year ahead. I think this December/January we as a church might be exploring this a way of praying into the New Year.

David Kerrigan reflects on Baptists and Women in ministry

2010-03-20T00:08:00.009Z

The following article is reproduced with kind permission of David Kerrigan from his blog Thinking Mission. David is General Director of BMS World Mission, and I reproduce this as I consider it an excellent statement and reflection from a Baptist leader.

the limits of dissent
[A personal view - not an official account - of one aspect of Baptist Union Council this week.]

I returned from BU Council on Wednesday, feeling that this had been three days well spent. Recent Councils have been excellent in grappling with substantial issues in ways that restore your confidence in the principle of the gathered community discerning the mind of Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I commented on this in relation to last November’s Council here.

These last three days have had a major focus on “Women in Leadership among the churches of the Baptist Union of Great Britain”. This wasn’t a debate about whether women can exercise ministerial leadership. That was established back in the 1920s and affirmed many times since. Nonetheless we were ably led by both women and men into an understanding of some of the attitudes women encounter when they explore a leadership calling, not least to pastoral ministry itself. And we engaged with a wise, theological understanding of Paul’s overarching ‘grand vision’ as exemplified by Galatians 3:28 as well as his need to attend to immediate realities occasioned, for instance, by hitherto uneducated women speaking up in worshipping communities.

As you would expect, there were a range of views expressed, though with the vast majority supportive of the Union’s long-held support for women in leadership in all roles.

But it wasn’t theological pressure that brought this issue to Council but the continuing discrimination experienced by women exploring or undertaking leadership roles, especially as ministers. And so, fittingly, it was the pain of women’s experiences brought into the open by their story-telling that shaped the character of Council’s listening. Their stories at times made me ashamed to be a man knowing that men in our churches could be so offensive, so hurtful and at times so misogynistic.

And so Council, it seemed to me, was clearly of a mind to say enough is enough. Things must change. And that is a challenge to all of us, not least those of us in denominational leadership.

But then comes the question of how we handle those who dissent, some out of biblical conviction, others out of ignorance, some out of prejudice.

Whilst Baptists would never wish to stifle dissent, nor act punitively towards those who do so, there was a courageous recognition that whilst there is a place for conscientious dissent, this must never, ever occasion the kind of hurts that were recounted this week. Further,prejudice masquerading as dissent could no longer be tolerated.

And how is prejudice to be distinguished from principled dissent? Blind prejudice is when someone says to a woman in ministerial training that she shouldn’t expect a salary because her husband has a good job. Blind prejudice is when women have to tolerate comments about their shape, their weight or parts of their body. Blind prejudice is when a woman is told that ‘I hope you’ll never preach while menstruating’. And there were many other stories besides.

There was a tacit understanding that as a Baptist people we have made our position clear. Our forebears believed they had discerned the mind of Christ on this matter many years ago (at a time when women’s justice was hardly a popular cause). That conviction has been reaffirmed over the years and now again in March 2010. There should be no barriers to women exercising leadership in our churches.

It follows therefore that even those who dissent on grounds of biblical conviction have to understand that they do so over and against the conviction of the gathered community. Of course, there are examples in history where the majority have been wrong, and this mantra will be trotted out. But this is significantly deeper than ‘a mere majority vote.’ This is men and women from our Baptist family, over many generations, set apart for a purpose, devoting themselves to listening, praying and discerning, and together we have again and again arrived at the same position.

Enough really is enough therefore.

Those who dissent on biblical grounds must understand that this is not the position of the family of which they are a part.

And anyone exhibiting the kind of ‘blind prejudice’ illustrated above is behaving in a way that, let it be understood, is completely unacceptable among us.

No woman within our Baptist family, called and gifted for leadership, should have that calling stifled.

David Kerrigan

Book Review; Building a Multi-Ethnic Church by Linbert Spencer

2010-03-15T14:36:00.002Z

Following recent European election wins for the BNP, the mini-pogrom against Romanian immigrants in Northern Ireland last year, and concerns about immigration issues and the increased appearance of the BNP this comes as a timely read.

This book is accessible and comprehensive. Beginning with a biblical reflection on diversity in the Church, Spencer argues a strongly biblical and missiological case in favour of multi-ethnic congregations. He then very helpfully goes on to give an analysis of the current situation, and the patterns of migration that have led to where we are now. Something very valuable in dealing with and defining both a distinctively Christian, and positively truthful response to many of the claims and lies made around this subject.

This is also a very practical book, with a section on terminology that will be helpful to many, and with chapters offering valuable advice on developing diverse memberships, and planning mission in multi-ethnic contexts. From here in Wolverhampton it's particularly useful reading, and ought to lead to some ways of doing church and engaging in mission conversations that lead to a greater level of diversity in our churches, rather than what we have now, which is a few truly diverse churches amongst a far greater number of churches that have primarily got just one ethnic group in attendance.

World mission is now possible in our own towns and cities, this book is a helpful tool in making the most of those opportunities.

Published by SPCK

ISBN: 978-0-281-05905-8

Bible for Spiritual Seekers

2010-03-05T14:32:00.003Z

John Drane (over on 2churchmice's blog) has linked to this excellent online resource. It's called "Awaken the Spirit" and is being released over a period of time. It's a great way of exploring and entering into the scriptures, and well worth a look.

Retreating or conferring?

2010-02-09T18:36:00.002Z

I'm not sure which it is I'm meant to be doing, so I'll just do both...

I’m currently staying at Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick and attending the Heart of England Baptist Association’s (HEBA) annual Ministers’ conference.

Some things have changed since I was last here, such as the breakfast (which used to be a highly unsatisfactory affair) which has improved tremendously, as has all the food. It’s such a shame I’m on a diet! The other thing that has changed is the layout, it’s been modernised in the downstairs of the main hose, and looks all the better for it.

So, what does one do at a Ministers’ Conference? Well, I arrived yesterday evening (after conducting the funeral service of our oldest member, may she rest in peace and rise in glory) just in time to hear Elaine Storkey speaking on 1 Peter. She was good, as always, mixing both the theological study and the very practical application, something she continued this morning in our worship and teaching time. I also listened to Mike Coley share about the work of BCUIM, the industrial mission agency in the Black Country. He spoke well, sharing both his heart and his theology of industrial chaplaincy. Alongside these formal sessions (of which there are several more to come) there is what I guess is just as fruitful an activity, networking and catching up. I’ve been having some inspired conversations about shared mission, networking leaders of larger churches, the way HEBA supports missions, new activities all across the HEBA patch, what God’s been up to in churches, communities and individuals.

Will it change anything, my being here? Well yes, I think it will, and I think new mission opportunities, and a fresh sense of the scale of work to which I / We are called to will shape some of what lies ahead for us in the years to come.

Failing

2010-01-24T08:36:00.003Z

So, Let's be gracious with each other.

Thanks to Jon @ ASBO Jesus for this

Haiti Earthquake, make a gift

2010-01-15T10:28:00.006Z

The Two agencies I'd like to point you to for making a donation are the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and Baptist World Alliance. Clicking on the picture for each agency ought to take you to thier site.

The DEC is a coalition of 13 humanitarian aid agencies: ActionAid, British red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision.

Baptist World Aid (BWAid), the relief and development arm of the BWA, is mobilizing search, rescue, and relief teams. A team from BWAid Rescue24, the search and rescue arm of the international Baptist aid organization is in Florida in the United States awaiting clearance to fly into Port-au-Prince, or to travel via the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Negotiations are under way to have another BWAid Rescue24 team of 12 persons, who are experts in search and rescue missions, to travel from Hungary to Haiti. They are expected to travel with dogs and special equipment that can detect and find persons who may still be alive but are buried underneath the rubble.

BWAid has pledged an initial sum of US$20,000 for the relief efforts in Haiti, and is accepting other donations from Baptists throughout the world. Baptists in India, Taiwan, Panama, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom have already made enquiries on possible assistance. The Jamaica Baptist Union, which partners with four Baptist churches and several schools in Haiti, including in Port-au-Prince, is positioning itself to offer assistance.

Haiti Earthquake, a Christian response

2010-01-15T10:20:00.003Z

Over on the God's Politics Blog, Jim Wallis written a thoughtful piece about the current crisis in Haiti. I'm republishing here, but if you look at the original article, you'll find the comments as well.

Haiti: God Is Suffering With Those Who Are Suffering

by Jim Wallis 01-14-2010

There are times when events make everything else pale in comparison. I’m in Los Angeles today on my book tour, but the news of Tuesday’s 7.0-magnitude earthquake hitting Haiti is one of those times. Over the past few hours, I haven’t been able to take my eyes off CNN. The tragedy in Haiti is unbelievable — the pictures of the pain and destruction are haunting. My heart breaks for the families and the victims of this tragedy.

Information continues to develop, but what we already know staggers the imagination. Both the Haitian prime minister and consul general to the U.N. have said that as many as 100,000 people are likely to have died. The International Red Cross estimates that one-third of Haitians — about 3 million people — were affected by the earthquake. The Catholic archbishop of Port-au-Prince is known to be dead, and the chief of the U.N. mission in Haiti remains missing.

In a heart-rending story, the The New York Times reported on the scene in Port-au-Prince:

The tiny bodies of children lay in piles next to the ruins of their collapsed school. People with faces covered by white dust and the blood of open wounds roamed the streets. Frantic doctors wrapped heads and stitched up sliced limbs in a hotel parking lot.

The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, still struggling to recover from the relentless strikes of four catastrophic storms in 2008, was a picture of heartbreaking devastation Wednesday after a magnitude-7 earthquake.

In response, the world is mobilizing. President Obama, in a statement, said:

I have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives. The people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States in the urgent effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble, and to deliver the humanitarian relief — the food, water and medicine — that Haitians will need in the coming days. In that effort, our government, especially USAID and the Departments of State and Defense are working closely together and with our partners in Haiti, the region, and around the world.

The U.S. has sent Agency for International Development helicopter search-and-rescue teams, a U.S. Navy amphibious ship with medical capabilities, and is sending the USNS Comfort hospital ship. Other military and civilian aid teams are also on the way. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has canceled the remainder of her trip in Asia to return to Washington to help direct the relief efforts. Canada, European nations, and countries across Latin America have mobilized supplies and aid.

As always, in this kind of natural disaster, it is almost always the poorest who suffer the most — those who have the least to lose are often those who lose the most. Life is always hard for poor people — living on the edge is insecure and full of risk. Natural disasters make it worse. Yet even in normal times, poverty is hidden and not reported by the media. In times of disaster, there continues to be little coverage of the excessive impact on the poor.

Tragic moments like this bring out the best in global citizens, as we put aside our differences and unite in support of the victims and their families. Haiti is no stranger to hardship, poverty, or sorrow. As Katrina revealed in New Orleans, this earthquake will once again unmask the unbelievable poverty that exists in countries like Haiti. Nearly 80 percent of Haiti’s population lives in abject poverty. I pray that this is not simply another tragic event we see on TV as we channel surf, but I hope it reminds us of our brothers and sisters around the world and down the street, who suffer not only from tragic events — but who suffer every day.

I also want to say a word about God and evil. Pat Robertson said that Haiti’s earthquake was caused because of the country’s “pact with the devil.” I don’t even know what he means, nor do I care. But I want to say this: My God does not cause evil. God is not a vengeful and retributive being, waiting to strike us down; instead, God is in the very midst of this tragedy, suffering with those who are suffering. When evil strikes, it’s easy to ask, where is God? The answer is simple: God is suffering with those who are suffering.

Let us all keep the people of Haiti in our prayers. And let us all give what we can to help in the relief efforts. Sojourners readers are posting recommended ways of responding to the Haiti earthquake on our Facebook page. Please click here to post your suggestions there or to find ways to help.

Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street — A Moral Compass for the New Economy, CEO of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.

Touching Heaven, Changing Earth, Wednesday evening

2010-01-06T17:03:00.002Z

Tonight we'll be praying about the small groups and nurture that takes place at Tab, and so topics we'll pray for include:

The current HouseGroups (Claregate 1, Claregate 2, Dorcus, Lower Penn, Parkfields, Virtual HouseGroup, Whitmore reans, Wolverhampton North)
The Nurture Group
Future groups (a youth housegroup? A Finchfield / Penn 2 housegroup?)
Other smaller groups in the church

The meditative / reflective space will be available again, and we look forward to seeing as many of you as can be there, but recognice that the snow might put a few off, so do please pray at home.

Touching Heaven, Changing Earth, Wednesday lunchtime

2010-01-06T11:20:00.001Z

John, our Deacon for Administration, will be leading the lunchtime session today, and will be focussing our prayers on the administration of the church, and for some the wider networks to which we belong. Topics for prayer will include:

Admin support for the Pastor
Deacons' elections in 2010, when we'll be seeking new deacons for Maintenance, Pastoral Care
Looking forward to 2011 when we'l be looking to appoint a new Deacon for Administration
Baptist Association relationships - Heart of England Baptist Association (HEBA) & the Baptist union (BU)
The Charity Registration process we are currently involved in.

Tonight we'll be praying for nurture and small groups in the church, I'll post topics later today.

Touching Heaven, Changing Earth, Tuesday night

2010-01-05T19:04:00.001Z

The snow is falling once again, so if you decide not to come to the prayer meeting, or if you're unable to but would like to join others in prayer, then these are some of the topics we'll be covering this evening:

The power of God’s Holy Spirit to enable, inspire and embolden us in evangelism
That we make the most of opportunities we currently have (Stay and Play, Unity1, Contact, Mayday Festival, Football Car Parking)
That people grow in confidence in sharing faith
That we’d have wisdom about the right next steps in evangelism for the whole church
For the creation of a team to work alongside Christina, Deacon for Evangelism
For wisdom in choosing the right introduction to Christianity course (Alpha, Christianity Explored, Essence, Journeys etc)
The use of the church website, and other possible online ways of doing evangelism
Another evangelism course for church members this year (Contagious Christianity, or Just Walk Across the Room)

Alongside this you may want to read Joel 2:28-32 and Acts chapter 2

Touching Heaven, Changing Earth, Tuesday

2010-01-05T12:31:00.002Z

Well, the snow has stopped falling, and the roads seem to be clearing, so if you're able to join us then we'll be praying from 13.00-14.00 today around the theme of Community Development. Topics we'll cover will include:

To be ready in love and action to minister the gospel
Being clothed with the armour of God
Local & wider Community
Integration within the community
Good partnerships with other agencies
Mayday festival & other outside events
Those who utilise the church building for events
The marginalised
Those with addictions
Cross Cultural mission
Schools
Vulnerable adults
Older generation

Tonight, from 19.30-21.00 we'll be meeting to pray about the evangelistic life of the church, as well as having the reflective / meditative prayer space open once more. I'll post prayer points later for those who are unable to join us.

Touching Heaven, Changing Earth

2010-01-04T11:30:00.003Z

Our Week of Prayer is here, with themes of confession, repentance, renewal, revival. We're referring to 2 Chronicles 7, and using that great reply of God as a basis for much of what we share, as well as praying over the wide range of activities and interests of the church here.

This morning we had 10 hardy souls brave the very icy conditions for a time built around Morning Prayer from the Northumbria Community.

Today at 13.00-14.00 we'll be focussing on prayer for our Children's ministries. Included in the topics we pray for will be:

Thanksgiving for growth in numbers and spiritual growth in all sections of Children's work on Sundays (Bubbles, JAM and Sprouts)
Prayers for expansion of our outreach i.e Stay and Play, Messy church, a possible youth house group, links to local schools etc.
Prayer for leaders, especially those starting this term and for new leaders to be called to work in Sprouts and new areas of work.

This evening we'll be meeting from 19.30-21.00 with a focus on the music, arts and creative ministries within the church. Alongside some interactive prayer stations we'll also be praying together for:

Music group: sustained/deepened relationships, new members
Notice board/display: volunteers to present displays/generate ideas
Use of poetry, prose writing in gathered (and personal) worship
Drama in gathered worship
Special occasions: Choir(s) Leaders and volunteers.
Openness to God speaking/leading in gathered worship
Website: For the designers and those who make contributions.
Visual/3D art/media in gathered worship and around the church building

If you can join us, then please do, if you're unable then please pray for us anyway, we'd really appreciate it.

cartoon: ode to cart

2009-12-23T09:53:00.002Z

cartoon: ode to cart

Posted using ShareThis

With a hat tip to The Naked Pastor, loving this image and ode..

[Hold:: this space] has a new look

2009-10-25T06:59:00.002Z

One of the people who I am linked with via the YouthMultiMedia group on Yahoo is Cheryl Lawrie, an artist / minster / creative thinker / writer / poet etc etc based in Melbourne, Australia.

Her blog and website have been redesigned and put in a new location - if you've saved this to favourites in the past, you'll need to reset your link to this on [Hold::this space]

The site is beautiful, and as a place to share her insights and ideas it works well. Go take a look and see espcially how Church, the arts and public spaces might come together in profound ways.

The wrong questions at the wrong time

2009-10-23T16:16:00.005+01:00

Last night the BBC chose to include Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National party, in it's weekly politics panel discussion “Question Time”.

I guess it's the watercooler subject today, and I wanted to comment on it too.

I thought Griffin did pretty much what any of us might have expected, he dodged difficult questions, smirked, and gave a far less than impressive performance. If the problem were him alone we'd have little to worry about. A man who can make amazing statements, like the one about the leader of a Ku Klux Klan group that was “an almost totally non-violent”is a joke. Isn't that like “Almost a virgin”, or “almost sterile”?

After the show, on the “This Week” programme Kelvin Mackenzie said "I've never seen a television show in which you felt your stomach turning over. The guy was basically lying his head off to create an image that he was basically a conservative who just had very strong views about immigration."

Given the circumstances Chris Huhne and Jack Straw were particularly impressive, Baroness Warsi was on the money when she said his understanding of Islam was as much a perversion as his claim to be Christian, Bonnie Grier was a somewhat strange choice I thought, and seemed a bit at a loss.

And here for me lies the bigger problem, the way the whole thing was set up, pushed in the media as a story, and ultimately handing Griffin and the BNP what they most wanted, a chance to sit alongside serious politicians in a serious political show. I think the BBC would be right to find some way of having Griffin answer his questioners, but not this. Ultimately the show became about Griffin, rather than the questions of the day, and about the BNP. In a small way this was good, it gave at least one forum to push him to answer, which he simply refused to do, but this wasn't the right place, the right show, or the right time.

The BNP are marginal, and by publicly vilifying them in this way they become the de-facto protest vote. Griffin leaves the show, not giving a good performance, not answering questions, but with a sense that he's been included in the mainstream of political life.

Matthew Paris in today's Times has it right when he states , “that "nobody dared try what, if it could have been done, would have been the most devastating tactic of all [...]: to brush him aside as a small man, enlarged by the anger of his enemies"

Def Jam Poetry - Daniel Beaty "Knock Knock"

2009-10-15T16:48:00.001+01:00

Well, I hope you are in a place to sit for a moment at think after watching this. He's a very powerful performance poet, and I was moved by hearing this. Grace and peace.

A Black Country Gathering

2009-09-23T14:23:00.005+01:00

With David Coffey, President of the Baptist World Alliance
Sunday 11th October 2009
6.30pm Tabernacle Baptist Church, Wolverhampton

An evening of celebration, encouragement and ministry for churches all across the Black Country.

Tabernacle Baptist Church is on the corner of Dunstall Road and Stavely Road, Wolverhampton, the postcode is WV6 0NJ.

For more information:
Tel:(01902)428962
Email: tabbaptist@btinternet.com

Baptist World Congress 2010

2009-09-09T16:34:00.001+01:00

Well, it looks like a wonderful location - the event in 2005 was truly awesome, and a real privilege to be involved with.

Since then our family's grown and the flights will be far too expensive, so although we can't go, I do want to encourage you to be praying, even now, for this gathering next year.

Signs & Wonders in Disneyland

2009-09-06T22:37:00.002+01:00

I've been having probs linking to a youtube clip on this blog today - I'm not sure if there's a blogspot glitch, and it maybe that come tomorrow morning there will be the same vid posted three times.

Anyway, here's the clip I mentioned in church this morning. Set aside the cynicism, as well cultivated as it may be, and see some astounding things happen.

I long for the day when the church leaves the building, and when teenagers queue up to have believers bless them.

See the video on youtube here.

Inspired. Danny MacAskill

2009-07-08T09:00:00.001+01:00

I think this is about to go viral - at the time of posting this it had 7,125 views.

Just how awesome is this?

And, why am I posting it here? Because I think it has something to say about following the inspiration to go off the beaten track, to attempt the seemingly impossible and to rewrite the rules.

Imagine the kind of church this guy would plant.

Imagine a community that did amazing feats just for the sheer joy of seeing barriers of expectation being broken down, and who aren't put off by the words "but you can't..."

Wolverhampton Highlights 1

2009-05-21T14:44:00.004+01:00

Wolverhampton's a great place to live, and a wonderful city to be a minister in. From time to time I'm going to include reviews of places that stand out in this city.

For Mrs S's Birthday this week we went to Cataldo's Restaurant on the corner of School Street and Fold Street. We'd tried to get in on our wedding anniversary but they were full, and when we asked for a table for Mother's Day we discovered they don't open on Sundays – and I'm not going to complain about that!

So, for this special birthday I got in early and booked us a table.

The atmosphere was relaxed, the seating comfortable and the waiting staff quiet, polite and very pleasant.

We spent a while perusing a very full menu, a great variety of pasta dishes, along with a good selection of chicken, meat and fish meals too. Cataldo's is a place that clearly believes in giving plenty of choice.

I'm not a restaurant reviewer, so I won't offer a description of what we had, other than to say that we were presented with delicious food, beautifully prepared, with a mix of great flavours that left us both with big smiles and wider waistlines.

If we had a criticism at all it was that service was too efficient! The main meal came quite quickly after we'd finished our starters, and so although we didn't quite feel rushed we did have to make a conscious effort to linger and enjoy the moment, rather than be sped along with the service. When we were offered desserts we had coffee first to give ourselves a little time to breathe between the courses.

Wolverhampton has places to shout about, this is one of them. If you're looking for a good place to eat a celebratory meal, with wonderful friendly service and excellent food – then Cataldo's might be just the place.

Why, thank YOU Coldplay!

2009-05-17T07:42:00.001+01:00

I just downloaded Coldplay's latest album for free from thier website - you can too by clicking on this link.

Still Alive

2009-04-14T17:17:00.002+01:00

Someone contacted me recently concerned that I hadn't blogged for a while.

I'll write a longer update soon, but have been overwhelmed with life and ministry here (which has been very encouraging) and the process of getting the new manse ready to move into (which ought to happen next week).

Thanks for the concern!

DEC Gaza Crisis Appeal

2009-01-26T22:26:00.001Z

Here's ITN's Disasters Emergency Committee appeal on behalf of the people of Gaza.
The debate over the BBC's decision not to screen an appeal still rages, and indicates that people are divided over the issue. Whatever your feelings about this, I'd want to encourage you to give, all monies are channelled directly through the 13 aid agencies: ActionAid, British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund, World Vision. These agencies buy what is needed and distribute it, many of them are already in operation in Gaza, have been there many years, and know the local situation intimately.

MovieChurch

2009-01-26T21:59:00.003Z

Next month sees the start of MovieChurch @ Tab.
A few people have asked about the thinking behind this, so here's some of my reasoning. It's brief, and owes something to the thoughts of Steve Taylor at emergentkiwi.

I begin with scripture, it seems a good place for a Jesus-follower to start! Reading the gospels Jesus is revealed as seeking to draw people into the Kingdom of God, identifying his role as to seek and save the lost, and giving his followers instructions to do the same. In Acts we see how the disciples carried this mission on, the growth of the faith community, and the expansion of the church beyond the realm of Jewish sect to faith for people of any people group / culture.

By the time we get to Acts 17 Paul has been on missionary travels, calling people to follow Jesus, inviting them to become part of the kingdom. The second part of Acts 17 sees Paul in Athens, where he uses elements of the Athenian culture as a springboard for talking about faith, indeed he quotes from their own poets as something that contains God-truths.

Part of what Paul was doing was revealing Christ from within their own cultural framework. I wonder what parts of our culture might be used to reveal Jesus, what might illuminate, explain, or provide a springboard to begin discussing our faith?

And so I turn to movies. I think movies are the stories that our culture tells about itself. I also think that movies involve and move the viewer in ways other artforms don't. As the USA has a kind of cultural Christianity at its heart, it's not surprising that spiritual themes appear in films so often, and even when they are not overtly spiritual there are still themes of redemption, forgiveness, grace, hope, salvation and love regularly present.

Churches and Christians have often ignored or misunderstood films, seeing them as moving wallpaper, or having little merit other than as a form of escapism. More and more recently practical theologians and pastors have been discovering the usefulness of movies, not merely as a way of illustrating a sermon point (and showing off our great technology), but as a way of exploring faith themes, and even as a way of engaging in mission activity.

So, with this in mind, we're starting MovieChurch. It'll happen on the last Sunday each month, when we'll watch a whole movie together, break for refreshments then facilitate a discussion on the film's themes and ideas.

My hopes for this include a desire that our congregation gets used to “reading” and talking about films, so that they become more equipped to respond to topical films, as well as beginning to use films as a means of faith-sharing themselves (inviting a friend to go to the cinema then talking about it afterwards) as well as using movies as a way of exploring their own faith. I also hope that by using films instead of a sermon we might find ourselves discussing themes that might otherwise be ignored. It will also create an opportunity within the life of the church that people might feel more able to invite friends. It could be accessed like a book club, only with a film.
So, watch here for updates, I'll be blogging after each one, and looking for feedback from participants to be included here too.

Church, Gaza, and all that jazz

2009-01-16T14:38:00.001Z

Last weekend we celebrated the birthday of my son. It fell on Sunday, a day when Daddy is tied up, so we had a day out on Saturday before having a special lunch with friends on Sunday.

As he's interested in trains and all things that move, we took him on the tram from Wolverhampton to Birmingham, and then went to the National Sealife Centre.

When we left the aquarium, we walked back to the tram station via the International Conference Centre and were delighted by one of life's serendipitous moments. A band was playing a free Jazz concert in one of the bar areas, so we made our way to the back of the audience and caught a little glimpse of something wonderful. Here was a group of people, of mixed ages and ethnicities, playing together a blend of the most wonderful sounds. As we watched and listened I realised that the band were being led by the two elderly gentlemen in the middle of the room, both with large saxophones (I later discovered that the band were Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes, and that the saxophones were probably tenor or baritones).

They were getting towards the end of a set, and as they played we noticed that one by one they were all playing a kind of solo, amidst the other instruments. I first noticed that the pianist was doodling away as the others played gently and smiled at him, then the older saxophonist pointed his horn to the younger man on the bongo drums, and the other instruments became quieter as he played a solo that sounded like ten people playing at once, then the other drummer came in, and played, then the guitarist took over, then the bass player then the two saxophones together. It was wonderful, young and old player, deferring to each other, giving each other space to express themselves, yet the whole thing being held together by a shared melody, rhythm and joy in what they were doing.

As a spectator, it was mesmerising, and more than that, made me want to join in. It looked like fun, it looked so positive, and joyful. But alas, I don't play an instrument, yet.

Of course, it made me think of church. I wondered whether it was possible to create a way of doing church that saw each person allowing each other to express their own sound, and also finding the courage to take a breath and summon the courage to make their own contribution, a place where people of diversity could be so united in playing a tune, where whichever spectators there were found themselves longing to be a part.

And then we walked on, and almost immediately found ourselves walking into Victoria Square, met by a rank of police officers and 150-200 angry people protesting about the situation in Gaza. Just as we arrived there was a rush as the crowd surged towards the police line. We found a quick way out of danger and headed for the tram station. As we walked I was just saying to myself “oh well, back to the real world with a bump!” when I realised that what we had experienced in the ICC was just as real, just as possible, just as true as the anger of the protest, as the feeling of fear, frustration and of powerless that those people felt and expressed as they looked at the absence of harmony, the hatred between ethnic groups, and the lack of a uniting tune.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians uses a powerful image of the cross smashing down the walls that divide people groups. I wonder how its power is made manifest in our day?

So, farewell 2008

2008-12-31T10:39:00.003Z

For the last few years I've used a montage to help churches reflect on the year past, and here is this year's.

It's an easier one than in years gone by, the stories this year seem to have been written in marker pen on billboards, rather than in pencil in the margins.

A small prize to the first person to corectly identify each person or story here.

My prayer for you in this year ahead is that you'd know true prosperity; that you'd have enough to meet your needs, and the needs of those God puts in your way.

In the midst of the darkness

2008-12-25T09:47:00.001Z

Our prayer for last night's midnight service, as we watched and waited for the light to break forth in darkness:

We pray with and for those who this night await the Saviour of the world to be revealed.

Lord, in the midst of the darkness, Let your light shine.

We pray for the children who will be born this night, in conditions that are hostile, inhospitable, uncomfortable and temporary.

We pray for the women and men, whose children will be born in an alien land, in a place they seek refuge, hope, peace.

Lord, in the midst of the darkness, Let your light shine.

We pray for those who this night undertake jobs unseen by others, who in the midst of their toil and labour, in the humdrum of their everyday life, need a revelation of the divine, and an assurance that they are not forgotten, not overlooked.

We pray for those who have no work, who face redundancy, or whose work and financial future seem uncertain and insecure.

Lord, in the midst of the darkness, Let your light shine.

We pray for those who hold authority to govern and judge, and for the police forces who enforce the laws of the land, who seek to keep peace.

We pray for those who are tempted to use their authority, power and influence to abuse others, or promote themselves. We pray for people who are victims of the wilful neglect or persecution of hostile governments.

Lord, in the midst of the darkness, Let your light shine.

We pray for people of other faiths, remembering that you spoke to star-gazers, and revealed the birth of your son to them. We pray that they may find the true light that gives light to all men, and come to worship him.

Lord, in the midst of the darkness, Let your light shine.

Lord we pray for ourselves, sometimes confused, often conflicted and seemingly too content. As we wait for a fresh revelation of Jesus to ignite faith in our hearts, and to reawaken passion in our mission.

Lord, in the midst of the darkness, Let your light shine.

For whose benefit?

2008-12-22T21:37:00.002Z

John & Olive on 2churchmice's blog posted a thought provoking article today. Some readers may know that churches are now required to register as charitees (something many of us have not needed to do until now) and the Charity Commissioners are working aplan to get all churches registered by 2012 (starting with those who have an income of over £100,000 and then working down).

One of the areas of concern for many churches has been the need to demonstrate that they have some public benefit, a necessary condition for charitable status.

Well, the Commission has published its report into the matter and you can download the .pdf here.

John & Olive write (in the midst of a longer and brilliant post):

Now the report is out, it looks as if the Charity Commission has more confidence in the transformational power of the Gospel than some Christians, as they clearly state that ‘Charities whose aims include advancing religion do not have to undertake secular activities in addition to their religious activities in order to meet the public-benefit requirement’.

More interesting still is the fact that missional activities are specifically singled out as a key way in which Christians might demonstrate their care for their fellow citizens – by reaching out to others and sharing the good news.

I posted the comment below, and I'd be interested to hear your views:

I can’t really begin to count the number of times I’ve been encouraged to write, pray, complain, or be fearful about some piece of government legislation or other that was going to restrict the Church’s ability to be the kind of Christ-centred, loving, missional and generous community we’re called to be.

I wonder if we need to feel targetted and oppressed, as this gives us an excuse for not living up to the freedom that is, in reality, ours?

If we shrink away, and proclaim that we’re not actually doing that badly given all the oppression we’re under, and that it’s no wonder we’re in decline with the government, the culture, the media and everyone against us, then we have a ready explanation for the decline we experience.

If we come face to face with the reality that we are free, that society doesn’t hate us, that faith is not only welcome but encouraged in our culture, then we have to ask some very scary questions about what we’re doing. Challenging-everything kinda scary. Questioning what pastors have been doing scary. Shining a light on where we use resources kinda scary. And questioning the validity or understanding of most people’s faith kinda scary.

Far easier to hide under this oppressive rock…Don’t shine the light…

stuff

2008-12-10T14:48:00.003Z

So, it's been a while since I posted (holidays, church and advent busyness etc.), so today I'll post twice.

Below is the results of a couple of evening services reflecting on Habakkuk, and here I'll bring you up to speed with a few things.

I have finally got around to watching "Constantine", the Keanu Reeves movie. I thought it was fun, some cool ideas and reflections on heaven, hell, the nature of angelic creatures (Gabriel was brilliantly re-imagined). Keanu is Keanu, he only has one style, but it really did suit this film I thought. I disagree with just about all the theology in it, but love the way that faith stories and ideas can be fodder for a mainstream movie, that there was a lot of theology in it at all was a cool thing.

I watched that film on my iPod, the first time I have, and it worked well, I watched it over the space of a couple of days, wherever I could catch 5-10 mins, so in coffee times and those occasional slack moments. The screen amazed my with the sharpness of the image, so much so that I am currently downloading Hellboy to watch next.

I also read Toby Young's "How to lose Friends and Alienate People" (yes I know with both of these I am a few years behind..) and thought it was an excellent holiday read, even if he does cop out by giving himself a happy ending. Lot's of bad language in it thought that felt quite unnecessary to the telling of an already quite funny story.

Amongst other things I'm reading now is Nigel Wright's book "A Theology of the Dark Side - putting evil in its place" I'm doing this alongside a couple of other pastors in the city, and we'll join together in January/February next year to discuss what the book is saying to us in our situations. It's interesting to read his thoughts whilst newspaper headlines are full of people being described as "pure evil".

I've been delighted to discover that John and Olive Drane have started blogging, you can find them over on 2churchmice's blog. These are two wise, inspiring and gentle people who have shaped my thinking about church, family and mission greatly.

As a family we're continuing to explore and get to know this new city, ministry in the church seems well appreciated, and we can see the signs of deeper levels of commitment from the existing church folk, as well as a visitors staying, and old friends returning.

A Habakkuk Psalm

2008-12-10T14:37:00.002Z

A few weeks ago I led a 2-part series on Habakkuk in our evening services. The first week was a kind of bird's eye view, looking at the setting in the minor prophets - what they were, why they're often ignored, and why it's important to grapple with them - the situation Habakkuk was writing into, and a brief overview of the book. In the second week we looked at how Habakkuk raises questions about God's compassion, his presence and his judgement. And we saw how God dealt with these questions. Habakkuk's response to the situation he saw with his own eyes, and the conversation he has with God is to write an outpouring of praise, a psalm, meant to be read with passion.

Our response to the message, as a congreagation, was to write our won psalm, with people being invited to submit a line, or comment, or scripture. What follows below is a copy of those comments, arranged a little, and is the reult of our reflection on Habakkuk, the world we find ourselves in, and what we perceive of God's ministry in our lives.

Lord, you are the creator of all things, you hold the universe in your hands, thank you that you care for me

I know you hold the future, because you have held it in the past

Even if you slay me I will still trust you

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my saviour

I will lean not on my own understanding for your thoughts are not my thoughts

Lord, I stand in awe of you when I consider what you have done for me

The mystery of the Lord is a wonderful thing. His ways are not of this world, hallelujah!

I cast all my care on you for you care for me

Speak O Lord, I long to hear, your words that take away my fear. Those words that speak to me of love and lead me to my home above.

Lord, how marvellous are your works, continue to work in your people

Lord, I rejoice in your love me, bring the prodigals I know and love back into that place of joy, back to the place of joyful obedience to you.

Looking at the world, it is hard, but that thank you that Jesus came to heal and save, help me to trust more and rejoice

Although I am low, I will rejoice

You have come that I might have life, and have it in all fullness

Woe to my work colleagues, who trust only in their own strength, yet may they hear of your fame and trust in your Son

Open my eyes that I might see beyond the limits of human sight – give me the eyes of faith

O Lord my God, though many have turned away. Give me strength that I may hold on to you and walk in your ways

What I can't see, what I don't know, what I can't change, what I can't do: these O Lord where I trust in you

You are so faithful, your love never changes.

Disasters Emergency Appeal for the Democratic Republic of Congo

2008-11-20T22:33:00.002Z

Please support this latest appeal by the DEC, phone the number above or click on this link.

Please, just do it now.

You can find out more here.

Review of "The Shack"

2008-11-19T10:35:00.005Z

*Spoiler Alert - I will reveal some of the plot in this post*

I was loaned a copy of The Shack by William P Young recently.

Over the course of the last few weeks I've been reading it as spare time allows, and finished it this week.

So, what to make of it, and it's popularity? Well, in reply to a friend who asked for a quick response I penned this:

It's not entirely without merit, and there were some interesting thoughts that caused a few moments reflection. I did, however, find it quite sentimental.

I guess if you imagine putting "The Road Less Travelled", "The Celestine Prophecy", "The Search for Significance" and "A New Kind of Christian" into a blender and whizzed "The Shack" is what might result.

It's a good story, and it does involve and pull the reader in and along, but I'm not sure it's saying anything that an up-to-date reader of contemporary Christian thinking would have read better elsewhere.

Oh, and it has, in my opinion, a few quite dubious theological assertions.

But simply because so many folks in churches are reading it, it's worth the read so I could comment.

I'm not sure that does complete justice to the book, and I've had a few more days to reflect on it since.

One of the things I think the book does well, is take a reader on a journey from a fairly traditional understanding of God's nature towards something more open, gracious, generous even. And so, if it counters a popular image of the stern rule-maker looking for reasons to smite sinners that can only be good.

I enjoyed the personification of God the Father as a black woman, however, felt that the explanation of the inter-relatedness of trinity missed the mark. It's the difficulty of reconciling one God and three persons - they were, simply, too independant, like three individual beings who had chosen to be together, rather than one being. Maybe I'm making too much of that.

I also disliked the sentimentality that the book is shot through with, the first time I read "I'm especially fond of him" I smiled, but the continued use just felt awkward and obvious.

Then onto more difficult issues. The tragedy of the daughter was, to be frank, a crude use of human emotion - it didn't work for me as a journey through pain with the help of a loving Father, and went nowhere near offering an explanation for the events. It was there only to evoke emotion. And in the most base and clumsy way. It seemed to me that Young's portrayal of God was prepared to bend over backwards to make Mac have a clearer understanding of everything in the universe (literally at one point opening up a new view on creation) yet this God never dealt with the one key issue that Mac had, instead making the pain simply disappear. A theological hurdle too far perhaps?

I'm not expecting a novel to answer the problem of human suffering - far from it. But this novel seemed to want to - then didn't, and in its portrayal of a God who seemed to want to reveal so much - this was a very obvious gap. Young might have been better to have tried to explain less, and then leaving this one obvious area unanswered would have stood out less perhaps.

I'd also want to ask questions about a few other things. Does God really have no expectations of us? Micah 6:8, Isaiah 58 and Matthew chapters 5-7 and 25 might suggest otherwise.

Lastly, the bridging of an unbridgeable chasm - contact between the living and the dead - raises other issues about the underlying theologies present here. It works very neatly in the book - quite a tear-jerker of a moment - but where does it leave the book theologically, or lead the reader spiritually?

So, all in all, worth the read? Well, it's a good story, if a little too sentimental for this reader's tastes, and so many are reading and talking about it that it makes it worth borrowing a copy to read for oneself (and thankfully takes a lot less time than a similar exercise with The Da Vinci Code). But the reader ought to not cast off critical thought and reflection before re-shaping any thoughts about God, his purposes and dealings with human beings.

Christian Falk Ft Robyn - Dream On (Released 17/11/08)

2008-11-12T16:53:00.001Z

A great, haunting and moving sound, with a vid that plays with expectations and prejudice - I'm wondering if there's a place to use this over Advent.

Cutting through the stereotypes

2008-11-02T08:12:00.002Z

As I watch coverage of the US election I am continually alarmed at the way the american public is stereotyped as middle-class liberals who support Obama, or big business and working class patriots supporting McCain. Add to this mix perceptions around sex and race, and this campaign has at times revealed an ugly underbelly of people's perceptions (as well as the reality) around voting motivations.

This morning I found this article from the BBC's website.

Matthew Price has been following the McCain campaign and came across "Cupcake" an "unusual" Obama supporter.

May God use videos like this to prevent us from falling into the trap of assuming we know about people by the way they look or sound!

Dear Mark Brewer

2008-10-13T11:30:00.002+01:00

I'm copying below the contents of a letter sent on behalf of a group of bloggers (of which I am part), who are concerned at the treatment of David Walker. It's an issue that raises many questions about free speech, fair comment, and the censorship of blogs, bloggers everywhere ought to be concerned. Here's a quote from the group's facebook page outling things briefly.

On 22nd July cartoonist Dave Walker was issued with a 'cease and desist' notice from SSG, giving him just a few hours to remove all posts about SPCK/SSG from his Cartoon Church blog, or face libel action. Dave complied with the request, though the posts contained nothing libellous.

2 other bloggers were issued with 'Cease and Desist' notices: one on the same day as Dave (Phil Grooms SSG/SPCK blog), another the day after for republishing some of Dave's posts (Sam Norton). Both have disputed the claims in the letters, and have not taken down any blog posts.

So far, the threatened response from SSG has not materialised. In the meantime, the attempt to censor blogging has resulted in even more scrutiny upon SSG, and Mark and Phil Brewer, who run it.

You can read more at The Wardman Wire

Dear Mr. Brewer

We are writing on behalf of 498 supporters of cartoonist and blogger Dave Walker, a group which includes bishops, national journalists in the UK and US, lawyers, clergy, and concerned members of the public.

We would like to ask you please to contact Dave Walker and withdraw the demands made in the 'Cease and Desist' letter which you sent him in July. Your letter, as far as we know, instructed Dave to remove all his posts about the recent history of SPCK bookshops or face action for libel. With the pressures of the impending Lambeth conference, and a very short deadline given by yourself, Dave complied. He commented at the time: “I have therefore removed all of the SPCK/SSG posts on this blog, as, although I believe I have not done anything wrong I do not have the money to face a legal battle. The removal of these posts is in no way an admission of guilt.”

Many of us have read the posts concerned, and are surprised, to say the least, that they could be called libelous. Indeed, the first three posts make no mention at all of yourself, the Society of St. Stephen the Great, or anyone associated with you. The 4th post reports your takeover of the bookshops with the comment “this is splendid news.” Another post is a simple link to your SSG video on YouTube. Other items include verbatim reports of your own statements, and in the simple post on the death of Steve Jeynes, dozens of people used the comments to expressed their grief and condolences to Steve’s family.

Dave is a reasonable man, and if all critics were as fair as he is the world would be a better place. If you were able to reconsider, and point out specific statements and claims you were unhappy with, we are sure Dave would be happy to correct them where appropriate. This is the normal process of debate on the internet, and in real life, and follows the strong tradition of free speech for which our countries stand and are rightly proud.

So this is a polite request from all of us: please contact Dave Walker, advise him that your ‘cease and desist’ communication no longer stands, and let him report freely.

Yours sincerely

8 signatories representing the ‘We Support Dave Walker’ group

ASBO Jesus hits the nail on the head

2008-10-06T14:01:00.001+01:00

Check out the link to The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus on the left there...

Brilliant stuff Jon, and I'm pleased to reproduce it here.

Immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine

2008-09-28T21:23:00.002+01:00

This evening we've reached chapter 3 in our evening series on Ephesians, a letter from Paul that I love, that excites me about church, and that I think is foundational in building a church that intends to fulfil its destiny in Christ.

At the end of the chapter Paul writes down his prayer for his reader/hearers, and it ends with these words,
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen!" (TNIV)

as a response to this, we spent some time writing prayers, spreading them out around the edge of the meeting space, and then walking around, pausing, praying, kneeling, standing, weeping and allowing faith to rise, that God might indeed want to answer our prayers, in ways that will bring glory and honour to his name.

I promised the folks there that I'd make a note here of the prayer requests, so that others who weren't with us can join us in prayer, and that we might be reminded for our own prayers.

The topics were:
To become more Christlike.
Complete healing for our daughter Elizabeth.
That all our church might become a loving, approachable family.
Strengthen me with power through your spirit in my inner being.
The Local Community - the homeless, the friendless, the old and the young.
To be rooted and established in love.
Bring back the prodigals to church.
To be more of a prisoner for Christ, and to know more of Christ.
May I know his glorious riches, and may I be strengthened.
For those who have "lost" their way.
Pray that Ruth and Joe will start going to a church in Leicester, and that Joe will come to know Jesus.
To strengthen my inner being to grow confident for God's purposes.
For the lost and the prodigals.
That the Father would strengthen me with power, through His Spirit, in my inner being, that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith.
That Jo will have courage to witness at work and that the Holy Spirit will inspire what to say.
For unity
For the children and families who will this year receive the shoeboxes.
The church building bridges.
That the whole fellowship will be so united in love for Jesus and each other that Whitmore Reans will notice the difference.
That Tues evening might exceed my expectations.
Strength for Brinford team to show the lads God's huge love for them by how we love them.
That whatever role we have in life, we can do it under the influence of Christ and with his power.
For marriages within the church.
Stregthen my inner being.
The manse situation.
That we may increasingly see Jesus bringing healing to people in the church, but also to those outside the church.
That our children and grandchildren will turn to the Lord.

Amen, and amen!

Mission in Ramadan

2008-09-23T08:58:00.003+01:00

I came across a news item this morning, and had mixed responses to it: News article from the BBC

A church in Indonesia is preparing and then selling evening meals for their Muslim neighbours to break fast. They serve them in the church, and invite a local imam to come and say the fast-breaking prayers.

Could this (should this) translate into the UK, or is the current lack of sensible discussion and understanding too much of a hindrance? One of the things that challenged me most, and where I guess I'd need convincing would be inviting the imam in to say prayers.

I've been reading and reflecting on the story of Jesus feeding the 5000+ and loving that there was no theology check before that particular communion.

What thoughts and reactions do you have to this story?

3 full weeks

2008-09-21T21:39:00.002+01:00

After many months of praying, talking and preparing, we are now in Wolverhampton.

The last Sunday in August saw us bidding farewell to the church in Bromley, it was a good ending, and we left feeling that the church were praying for us. The highlight for me in that day was the prayer during the Later Service – a time of intimacy and intensity.

Gifts, prayers and warm wishes were gratefully received, and we were sent into a week of final packing and getting things together for the house move the following week.

We moved here on Monday 8th, with our belongings packed into a removals truck, and some delivered to the house, some to the church and the rest to storage, awaiting the day when the manse situation is resolved (the church is currently selling one, renting another and looking to buy a new one) all this in the midst of a difficult housing market, and great financial uncertainty.

One of the passages of scripture that (although completely out of context) has given us some encouragement is 2 Corinthians 5:7 “We walk by faith, not by sight”.

And so yesterday, the 20th, was the day of the induction service.

Just as we were concerned to end well in Bromley, so too we wanted to start well here. And we did. We were thrilled to have friends from our times in Lancaster, Northampton and Bromley join with the church here, as well as members of our family. Ray Gill, who'd moderated the church here during the time of pastoral vacancy led the service with humour, warmth and understanding. He literally handed me a baton, symbolising the passing of the care of the church, it was a moving moment; the music group, who play so well week by week were just superb, and the building was filled with the most wonderful singing; Kate Coleman was on fire, challenging us as a church, and us as a family, to “step out of the boat” like Peter, and become extraordinary followers of Jesus; the covenant pattern of induction we used from “Gathering for Worship” worked really well, and Keith Judson led us through it with skill and humility; friends from Northampton, Bromley, Wolverhampton and Birmingham prayed for us, and faith rose as we called upon God for his leadership, guidance and protection; finally we had a number of greetings from local churches, who I'll enjoy getting to know better in the weeks ahead.

And so we begin, with faith that God is up to something, with a desire to put mission at the heart of this church, and with an assurance that participating in building the Kingdom is better than anything else in the world.

LibraryThing

2008-08-27T19:53:00.004+01:00

So, three strands came together in my mind, and led to an idea.

First, a friend of mine had a very successful book sale recently - and he used the LibraryThing website to do it. He catalogued them all, and people could examine his library and make offers.

Secondly, in the process of getting ready to move, one of the removal company reps asked, "if there was a fire and all your books were lost, would you know what they all were?" As I'd never catalogued them I figured I ought to do that as I packed them, and so I also got a LibraryThing account and have begun adding them, just over 200 done, maybe another 800 to go (not as many as I thought). I've added a link to my library at the bottom of the left hand column here.

Thirdly, reading "Jesus for President" reminded me of some values my wife and I held dear a few years ago, that have not been forgotten, but have been less at the forefront of our lives. And one of those values is holding things in common, sharing.

My idea is this - why don't a number of us pool our book collections? We could form a book sharing community, and post books to each other as we had need or interest in them? We could use any of the online archiving sites that would allow us to keep track of where books are, should another person need them. I am not interested in selling my collection, but I will share it. What do you think? Could it work? If you want in on this, or if you want to give me the reasons why it will or won't work let me know in the comments section.

The Worship Industry

2008-08-21T15:24:00.001+01:00

I guess it's not surprising to many that I like Brian McLaren's writing and teaching.

I don't agree with everything he writes and says, but his openness to a questioning, searching, real faith is appealing to me.

This video comes from "The Work of the People" and a hat tip to the BU's E-Sweep today for pointing me to it. Go look and explore, the address will be in my links soon.

Bromley, Wolverhampton - let's listen to the message of this little video and covenant to know and express what is real.

Amongst other things, I am not my father

2008-07-21T21:17:00.000+01:00

It was my birthday last week, and I bought myself a pressie – an iPod nano – and very lovely it is too!

My family bought me a very very cool bedside digital radio / alarm / docking station thing which I’m enjoying playing with, and loving the huge assortment of stations now available to me.

One of the reasons I wanted an iPod was to listen to some teaching when I’m walking the dog and going to and from the church building. So I’ve been downloading some samples of teaching, there’s a great choice of free stuff on itunes alone.

So far I have listened to Walter Brueggemann give an overview of the whole of Isaiah, a surprisingly good podcast of Rick Warren sitting with some church leaders and chatting about ministering in an urban context, and most helpful of all Paul Scanlon preaching a message entitled “I am not my father”, which I found helpful, moving and healing.

If, like me, your own experience of being fathered wasn’t great, then I want to highly recommend you listen to this teaching, which is both an introduction to a book he’s written (on order, I’ll review it once I’ve finished it) and a stand alone message of hope and encouragement that we’re not doomed to repeat the patterns of our parents, but free, as followers of Jesus, to live a new life. He has some interesting things to say about generational cursing too, which I found quite sensible.

I’d only heard the briefest teaching by Paul Scanlon before, and I confess that I didn’t expect to enjoy the message, but his humility, brokenness and faith shine through.

I’m also reading “Jesus for President” by Shane Clairbourne at the same time as “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama – it’s fascinating to read these two as companion texts, and it’s given me some faith to pray for America in a new way.

Moving again!

2008-06-30T15:58:00.001+01:00

If you follow this blog, or if you’ve read it through from the start, you’ll know that when my family and I moved to London it was in order for us to take on a newly-created role in a suburban Baptist Church. My hope had been that it would be a place where we’d be able to spend a significant amount of time exploring the emerging church agenda, as well as helping the church identify and resolve some weaknesses in its ministry amongst 13-30 year olds.

Towards the end of last year (following on from the anniversary of my arrival here) I’ve been reflecting with colleagues and other wise friends about the way the role has actually panned out, and have become convinced that what we hoped for here just hasn’t been possible. So since the start of this year, my name has been available to churches that have been seeking a new minister, and this process has culminated in my accepting a call to be the new Senior Minister at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Wolverhampton (The Tab).

My wife and I are thrilled at the way we’ve perceived God’s leadership and direction in this decision-making time, for us as a family, and for the folks at The Tab. It will, of course, be very difficult and sad for us to leave the folks here. We’ve made a few good friends, and there will undoubtedly be some questioning and soul-searching about what the last few years have been about. We don’t feel we got it wrong, but rather that there was a God-possibility here that for a variety of reasons wasn’t able to be realised. Like the Murphy’s, I’m not bitter, and I hope the folks here aren’t either. It was an interesting experiment, and like all good experiments we learnt a lot doing it, as well as from the results we got so far.

We’ve shared the news with the church here, and the leadership took the wise decision to write to each member immediately to explain the situation. This meant that everyone knew quickly precisely what was happening. There have been those who expressed disappointment and shock, and plenty of others who could see that I was in the wrong post here, and that it was likely I was about to move on.

I realise it’s been a while since I last blogged. My colleague’s sabbatical and my own holidays have meant I’ve had little time. I’ll blog more later about holidays and the process of moving from one church to another. Let me just say that the last afternoon of my holiday was spent with my family and the Cheeky Girls (for real…), which was rather nice.

Revival loot

2008-05-22T19:41:00.002+01:00

So, if you go to a revival meeting and get gold dust, or a heavenly gem, or a promise of oodles of cash, here is a (fairly graphic) video that might give you some idea of why God made you wealthy.

I'm serious, collect that gold dust up and sell it - God's people need the money.

And a ht to Lev for the link.

An outpouring on outpourings

2008-05-21T10:17:00.000+01:00

I guess many of us will have been looking with a mix of interest, curiosity, hope, bewilderment and maybe amusement at the events taking place in a conference centre in Lakeland, Florida, USA.

For a few of weeks now, nightly “Revival” meetings have been taking place there, led by Todd Bentley. A google or youtube search on “Florida Outpouring” will give you a flavour of what's been happening.

There are now reports of a “Dudley Outpouring” as well as others around the globe as leaders who have seen what’s been happening (normally on godtv.com or the God Channel on satellite) go to Florida and bring back what they have “caught”, and impart it to the folks at home.

So, what to make of this?

I’ve been asked for my reflections by a few folks, possibly because when the Toronto Blessing movement was at its height in the UK I was involved with a ministry (that I deeply appreciate and love) that sought to introduce people to what God might have been doing in that time. As I reflect on those times of prolonged sung worship, teaching, prayer and expectation there are a number of things I’m sure of, and some I’m less sure of.

Right off the bat, I’m unsure of the lasting effects. For some individuals there was a renewed sense of faith, a fresh wonder at God’s power, a deeper conviction of God’s love and concern for them as individuals, and perhaps an awakening of a sense of purpose and mission for their life. There were accounts of miracles, some I saw with my own eyes, and it’s hard to doubt that evidence, but I genuinely have no evidence in the long-term for any of them.

There were others though, who left the church, became more cynical, hated the underbelly of money-grabbing, showmanship, heresy, flakey teachings and practises and the hyper-emotionality of the whole thing.

I think God was doing something, and I’m convinced that often our responses to that were tainted by our own desires, lusts, longings and pre-conceived notions. And I find myself asking “How much of this has to be God for us to affirm it?” knowing that anything we’re involved with instantly becomes less than perfect.

Toronto spawned a movement that led to more conferences, more books, new songs, great excitement, and new subjects for us to argue over or chase after. I wonder if the first century Jesus followers had our access to transport and communications they would have chased around Corinth, Ephesus, Antioch seeking a blessing? Probably.

And so I look at what’s happening now with a set of questions and experiences, shaped by having done more reading and study, and having been a (very small) part of a previous movement. And what I see is just as mixed.

I see leaders who teach a real mix of good old-fashioned Pentecostalism, latter-rain teaching, some weird angelology (is that a word?), good stuff about following Jesus, and then times of no teaching at all. I see sung worship that is clearly well-prepared, and that folks respond to in ways that at time seem genuinely moving, and at other times seems emotionally controlling (how often have we misunderstood a well timed key-change for a move of God?).

In the middle of all of this, are church folks, tired of the humdrum, trained by the media to look out for the next big story, seeking more and more the outlandish, unusual and downright “channel 5 documentary” type of occurrence. Perhaps what God is doing is responding (sometimes despite what’s going on on the platform) to the reaching out of the faithful who are seeking to know and follow Him more.

But still, I guess I question the whole “next big thing” mentality. And perhaps that’s because I’ve come to agree with others who see that the kingdom might be more strongly established in the lives of individual believers through movements like this, but it actually extends through a series of very small actions.

The kingdom grows as we offer the guy next door who’s been gardening hard a glass of iced water, as we choose to send that ten pounds not to some rich preacher but to the Disaster’s Emergency Committee, invite the Big Issue seller to join us for a picnic in the nearby park, visit our friend in hospital, then share a few minutes with the woman in the next bed who we’ve not met before.. as we respond to the issue of a violent teen culture by joining the chaplaincy team in the local nick, and as we go through our wardrobes and give half of the clothes we own to the nearest charity shop.

I hate being presented with only two choices, so I’m not sure it has to be a choice between filling stadiums, or meeting one person's needs, so why does it often feel like one?

I’ve started writing this post twenty times, and it never reads quite how I want it to, it still doesn’t. So, please feel free to push me for clarity.

Baptist Assembly 2008, Blackpool

2008-05-03T09:18:00.004+01:00

I'm in Blackpool for the long weekend. It's the annual Baptist Assembly, where the Baptist Union of Great Britian and BMS World Mission gather together for a time of celebration, encouragement, sharing news and making decisions about our future together.

I love the Assembly. It's a chance to catch up with old friends, remind ourselves of why we do what we do, and for me it's a place to have a bit of fun. This year I'm co-hosting a late-night chat show with a friend, Juliet Kilpin. Last night's show was a good start, despite some sound and light issues that we hope will be resolved today.

We had some good guests being interviewed, introduced our mascot, Embly the Bapist Ass (see what we did there...) and had ELVIS!!! It was a very Blackpool start to the shows.

teenage song

2008-04-29T12:40:00.001+01:00

Came across this on the Pumphouse in my Good Blog Almighty list. Loving it!

Day of celebrating

2008-04-28T21:45:00.004+01:00

Yesterday was a day of celebrations.

in the morning i led a service for the Boys' Brigade here. Each year the local battalion gathers at one of the churches to join in a service, and to be together for a time of sung worship and celebration. The nearby URC church hosted us, and 130+ people from the Brigade joined with the usual congregation of 25 or so - it looked like a coup!

We had a fun hour together, reflecting a little on how God has been using the Brigade as a tool for discipleship in the lives of young men, before considering what we might all do as we wait for the appearance of Christ again (this being the time between Easter and Ascension, then Pentecost - a great season to think about waiting).

I had fun, folks enjoyed it, and people went away thinking about how they might grasp God's passion for them and the world, God's power to live in a way that is distinctively that of a Christ-follower, and to know and be God's presence in thier own homes, workplaces, schools, colleges and neighbourhoods.

In the afternoon the celebratins intensified. As little while ago we had a number of offers of organisations wanting to come and do something with us, it reminded me a lot of the Festival of the Nations I'd organised during the Baptist World Alliance centenary congress in Birmingham. So we invited them all to come on the same afternoon / evening in order for us to celebrate the (limited-but-there) diversity in our church family.

We began with a performance from the African KidZing Choir Project from South Africa. A vibrant, moving, humbling and joyful explosion of colour, song, movement and life.

We had a good crowd of all ages (from 11 weeks old to very senior citizens) who seemed to enjoy themselves, and they also enjoyed the tasy international snacks we were generously given by folk from Friends International. I particularly enjoyed the tilapi fish, cooked to an african recipe, a reminder of good times eating together in Mount Pleasant.

After a chance to sample some wonderful fruit drinks from Fruto del Espiritu we settled down to hear from the wonderful singer-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones.

In between the two sets, which were drawn largely from Gareth's latest CD Water & Light, we heard about the vision and purpose behind Fruto del Espiritu. I commend them to you, and urge you to consider how you might partner with them in helping columbian farmers out of the trap of growing coca leaves for the drugs lords and into growing healthy produce all year round that would provide them a better life.

A long day, but one that left a good taste in the mouth in more ways than one!

Remembering Dr King

2008-04-04T09:25:00.009+01:00

Today is the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Revd Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, and this is the last in a short series of posts that have sought to share something of his message, in places particularly timely for the situation we find ourselves in.

In meditating on his words these past days I’ve been acutely aware that often the words we read about and the descriptions of Dr King come from others. So today I share with you a quotation from “The Drum Major’s Instinct”; a sermon King preached at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia on the 4th February 1968, just two months before he was killed. Here we see how King understood himself, his faith, and his position as one seeking to see the kingdom of God - a kingdom of justice and love - established, strengthened and extended.

From “The Drum Major’s Instinct”,

Every now and then I guess we all think realistically (Yes, sir) about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.
If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. (Yes) And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. (Yes)
I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. (Yes)
I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. (Amen)
I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. (Yes)
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. (Yes)
I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. (Lord)
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. (Yes)
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.
If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,
If I can spread the message as the master taught,
Then my living will not be in vain.
Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.

Remembering King, part 5

2008-04-03T15:13:00.003+01:00

This is part five of a series of postings reflecting on the life and message of Revd Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, in the days leading up to the 40th anniversary of his assassination on 4th April 1968.
Today I post two quotations from his final speech, the world famous “I have been to the Mountaintop” speech, giving us insight into the mind and faith of King as he reflects on the struggle for freedom, and as he is painfully aware of the threats against his health and security. These words were spoken on 3rd April 1968, the eve of His death.

Something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee -- the cry is always the same: "We want to be
free."
And another reason that I'm happy to live in this period is that we have been forced to a point where we are going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demands didn't force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them. Men, for years now, have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence. That is where we are today.And also in the human rights revolution, if something isn't done, and done in a hurry, to bring the colored peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. Now, I'm just happy that God has allowed me to live in this period to see what is unfolding. And I'm happy that He's allowed me to be in Memphis.

Dr King’s final message ended thus:

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

Remembering King, part 4

2008-04-02T14:33:00.004+01:00

This is number four in a series marking the martyrdom of Revd Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, the 40th anniversary of which falls this coming Friday, April 4th.

The struggle for equality in Alabama continued and on March 25th 1965 a great march from Selma to Montgomery was organised.

Speaking to the crowd at the end of the march King addresses the question of “How long?” that hung in the air. Today’s quotation comes from that speech, and as I read it I have in mind the struggle to end extreme poverty, as well as injustices like Darfur, Palestine, Guantanamo Bay and some of our own detention policies.

I know you are asking today, “How long will it take?” I come to say to you this afternoon however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because truth pressed to earth will rise again.

How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.
How long? Not long, because you still reap what you sow.
How long? Not long, because the arm of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

How long? Not long, because mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpets that shall never call retreat. He is lifting up the hearts of men before His judgement seat. Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him. Be jubilant, my feet. Our God is marching on.

Remembering King, part 3

2008-04-01T14:24:00.004+01:00

This is part 3 of a special series this week, in memory of Revd Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, who was killed by men of hate forty years ago this Friday.

I guess the most well known of Dr King’s teachings come from three places, the I have a dream speech, the Mountain Top message and the Letter from Birmingham Jail. It would be incomplete to have this series without some of those great inspiring words, so today’s quotation comes from part of the Letter from Birmingham Jail.

On April 12th 1963 – Good Friday that year - King and some colleagues were arrested for staging protest marches in Birmingham, Alabama.

That same morning, several white ministers had written an open letter to King that had been printed in the local newspaper, calling on him to end the protests, and labelling him an anarchist, an extremist and a lawbreaker.

King's reply, a few days later on the 16th April 1963, from his cell in Birmingham Jail, was to pen the now-famous Letter from Birmingham Jail.

It is a calm and measured response, that speaks highly of King’s humility, dignity and love. Instead of unleashing a torrent of justified rage and anger at the lack of support from the white churches, he issues a plea for understanding, fellowship and support.

In the middle of the letter he writes,

In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the Church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the Church. How could I do otherwise? I am in the rather unique position of being the son, grandson, and great grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the Church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and fear of being nonconformists.

There was a time when the church was very powerful – in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians of being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators.” But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were “a colony of heaven”, called to obey God rather than man. Small in number they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be “astronomically intimidated.” By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests.

Things are different now. So often the contemporary Church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an arch-defender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the Church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the Church’s silent – and often even vocal – sanction of things as they are.

Remembering King, part 2

2008-03-31T09:18:00.006+01:00

This is part two of a series this week, remembering Revd. Dr Martin Luther King. Part one is below. I invite your comments on the tone of King’s message, and whether it has resonance today.

At the end of the Montgomery bus boycott, when the Supreme Court issued a bus desegregation order, King stood before a large gathering in order to give final instructions before people started using the buses once again.

Aware they had won a great victory, King is keen that they win not only in the law courts, but in the individual court of each person’s heart,

Our experience and growth during this past year of united non-violent protest has been of such that we must respond to the decision with an understanding of those who have oppressed us and with an appreciation of the new adjustments that the court order poses for them. We must be able to face up honestly to our own shortcomings. We must act in such a way as to make possible a coming together of white people and colored people on the basis of a real harmony of interests and understanding. We seek an integration based on mutual respect.

This is the time we must evince calm dignity and wise restraint. Emotions must not run wild. Violence must not come from any of us, for if we become victimized with violent intents, we will have walked in vain, and our twelve months of glorious dignity will be transformed into an eve of gloomy catastrophe. As we go back to the buses let us be loving enough to turn an enemy into a friend. We must now move from protest to reconciliation. It is my form conviction that God is working in Montgomery. Let all men of goodwill, both Negro and white, continue to work with Him. With this dedication we will be able to emerge from the bleak and desolate midnight of man’s inhumanity to man to the bright and glittering daybreak of freedom and justice.

Remembering King, part 1

2008-03-30T09:17:00.005+01:00

This coming Friday (April 4th) sees the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom of Revd. Dr Martin Luther King Jnr.

Today and each day this week I’ll be posting a quote from him, and I invite you to comment on the relevance of parts of his message to contemporary people.

In 1964 Revd. Dr King was awarded the Nobel peace prize. In his acceptance speech he said,

I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life which surrounds him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight or racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I believe that even amid today’s mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centred men have torn down, other-centred men can build up.

A belated Easter thought

2008-03-28T13:37:00.003Z

I had wanted to blog about this pic just before Easter…ah well…

On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, as a family we were out at a local outdoor play area, and as we left I looked back and saw this sprayed on the wall. I’ve no idea who did it, nor what their motivations might be. I don’t know who the “weak” are that it is referring to. And yet, as I saw it, I was instantly reminded, in that mysterious and holy of times, that it is the weak that God has chosen to shame the strong, and the foolish to shame the wise.

This Easter, in preparing to lead people in reflecting on the story, in watching the very excellent “The Passion” on the BBC, and in personal prayers, I have seen afresh just how inconspicuous much of what Jesus did really was. On Palm Sunday, according to Matthew’s account, the inhabitants of Jerusalem had no idea who Jesus was, it was the people from the north who knew him, who cheered as he entered as king. And whatever the scale of the event, it wasn’t enough to warrant interference from the rather touchy Roman occupiers.

In Matthew’s gospel it isn’t the turning of the money-changers tables over in the courtyard of the temple that arouses their interest and anger, but the acceptance of children’s praise later on.

Jesus, often unnoticed, gets on with establishing, strengthening and extending the kingdom of God wherever he is, and then, weak, battered and alone is raised on a cross.

Truly, the weak become heroes.

Here is Hope

2008-02-11T13:32:00.001Z

Last Friday, my wife gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Hope.

Thanks for all your prayers, she delivered at home, in a birthing pool, and both of them are doing really well, if very sleepy.

Our son is adjusting well to the presence of an even littler one, and is going to be a wonderful big brother.

I'm taking a couple of weeks paternity leave, so won't be around churchworld much, but there are some reflections I want to share about midwives as a picture of church, and about the appropriateness of a baptist minister's daughter being born into water!

The details...7lb 13oz, born at 10.05am, labour lasted 14 hours. And here's a pic of some skin-to-skin time we enjoyed last night.

The Later Service

2008-02-07T13:56:00.000Z

Here's the postcard we're using to advertise the Later Service - any comments?

Repentance

2008-02-07T13:50:00.000Z

Time to tip the cap to ASBO Jesus once more.

Things are a little busy in our house, with the very immanent arrival of our second child, so I missed this yesterday, but am copying it here for your edification. Wonderful 'toons, take a look if you haven't yet.

Experiments

2008-02-03T12:44:00.000Z

Yesterday I was with 90 other people sharing together in a Café Church training day. It was a good time to meet some old friends, and to make a few new ones. The aim of the day was to equip and inspire churches to plant congregations into coffee shops in their localities. On the whole it was a good day.

Juliet Kilpin led a session on connecting with the wider community, and with her blend of humour, passion and compassion challenged us about a number of things, including the way that churches have hindered, rather than helped, people make meaningful relationships outside the context of churchworld. Worrying stuff.

I’ve written elsewhere about the need for church to be more experimental, and today sees some of that working out in Bromley. We switch (for the next 3 months at least) from having a pattern of two services (10.30 & 18.30) to having three (10.30, 16.45 & 19.00). The 16.45 “Sunday Break” will be a classic-style service, for those who appreciate a more traditional flavour, and the 19.00 “Later Service” will be more experimental, drawing in elements of the Café Church experience of the last few years as well as AWE in Northampton, and some more “emergent” type stuff.

My hope is that we, as a church, will discover ministries that have been waiting for us to get our act together. I’m convinced there are a large number of people - mainly but not only those in their senior years - who have struggled with the changes in church life, and need a place that will be more predictable and what they might think of as normal. We’ve had no place that’s been specifically geared for them until now. My prayer is that Sunday Break would grow quickly, as it ministers to a needy section of society. The experience of Mount Pleasant in Northampton was that this service grew and became the one with the highest proportion of those who were visitors.

In the same way, I hope and pray that those in our communities who are turned off, or find totally alien, the tradition service, will find space to explore their spiritual life in new ways at the Later Service. Somewhere in the mix here I think we’re moving towards a model of church that we may see happening in many places, church that finds a way to meet people where they are, but encourages them into the same place - a growing relationship with Jesus who loves, encourages, challenges and changes.

2007 in pictures

2008-01-04T13:45:00.000Z

Following on from last year's montage, here's to 2007, the goodness, the badness, and the downright ugliness demonstrated in actions and words. A small prize goes to whoever can name every pic or story represented.

Looking back, looking forward

2008-01-01T22:13:00.000Z

Over on his thought-provoking blog, Leaving Munster, a friend of mine, Graham, has challenged folks to reflect on good things that happened in 2007 and their hopes for 2008, he asks in his post Three from last year, three for the next

What three things from 2007 are you most thankful for?
What 3 things do you hope/intend to do or not do in 2008?

I'm going to answer here, and I'd love to hear your responses.

So, from 2007, what would be the top three things I'm thankful for?

Firstly, it would be the successful fertility treatment that has resulted in a baby due in February. We've had three goes at treatment, and have had two pregnancies. Given that we reduce our chances of success greatly by the method we choose, I'm grateful to God for a precious gift of life.

Secondly, I'm grateful to be in a place in my life and ministry where I'm able to spend some time reflecting and researching bigger picture issues, as well as being involved in day-to-day ministry. To do this in a context where financial and practical support are given is a humbling thing, and I'm always aware that it is the generosity and sacrifice of God's people that enables this to be so.

Thirdly, it's family again. My wife puts up with me, with my erratic work life, and my times of stress and pressure. That she does this with grace and with love is God's most precious gift. My son continues to delight and has grown in so many ways. He really is a wonderful little chap. When i think of all the fears we had when he was born prematurely, it's even more amazing.

My hopes/intentions in 2008?
Well I'm not normally in the habit of making resolutions, and this comes dangerously close, however...

Firstly, following my mother's heart attack, and my fathers continued ill health, i want to do something to get fitter. I'm sure this will mean using the bike, and getting my lardy backside in the gym, but I'm determined to be able to actively parent both my kids for a long time.

Secondly, I haven't been watching enough films, or listening to enough music, or visiting enough galleries. So it's my intention to increase my artistic exposure in 2008. I figure I ought to do one of these each week.

Thirdly, I want to make it to this time next year sane, having figured out why God has us where he has us, and to see something of the emerging become a reality this year.

So, what's yours?

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T22:00:00.000Z

May the God of peace
who through the blood of the eternal covenant
brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ
that great shepherd of the sheep
equip you with everything good for doing his will
and may he work in us what is pleasing to him
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever
amen

Christmas messages

2007-12-29T17:22:00.000Z

I have taken some time the last few days, following the Christmas activities, to read some of the messages friends and family have sent in their greetings cards. I love the messages we send each other at Christmas.

I love too that we remember that we serve and have fellowship with a God who communicates with us. John uses his language carefully as he writes the gospel, “in the beginning was the word, and the word was God…and the word became incarnated and lived amongst us…”

God sends a maessage, a word, his word, the word. And that message? Well, it seems to me we’ve gotten a bit confused about it. Some have mistaken it as bad news “You’re in big trouble with God!” or an offer of fire insurance “heading for hell? Depend on Jesus…”. Some think the message is about rules, regulations, committees, structures, abstract concepts and remote ideals.

The message was and is more simple. God’s word to us at Christmas was and is “I love you”.

I love you.

I love you just as you are, but far too much to leave you that way.

I love you so much that I want to tell you in person, not just through prophets and ancient writers.

I love you so much I want you to know real peace, joy, hope, purpose.

I love you.

So, when someone sends you a message like that, what do you do? And when the gospel begins with that message, rather than the fallen state of humanity, what does that do?

Unwrapping

2007-12-11T14:07:00.000Z

Christmas

Crackers and cards

Reindeer and robins

Snowmen and Santa

Decorations and duckling

Legs of turkey and laden trees

Tacky baubles and tinkling bells

Dodgy telly and dodgier tummies

Cranberry sauce and carol singing

Shepherds and stars, angels and animals

Incense and innkeepers, myrrh and mangers

Gifts of gold and Gabriel’s song, Magi’s worship and Mary’s wonder

Joseph’s heart jumps at baby’s first cry, a child has been born and a crowd has been drawn.

Then from Bethlem’s crib to a cruel cross, from a virgin womb to a borrowed tomb

From babe’s first cry to blood’s last drop, from the child’s laugh to the dying man’s gasp

From the wronged to the loved comes the gift of forever

The babe is then wrapped in the leftover paper

The box is stashed with the tinsel and lights

The love of the Father awaits rediscovery

In the unexplored package

Left in the cupboard

Christmas

U2 - Wave Of Sorrow

2007-11-29T11:54:00.001Z

I am so looking forward to the rerelease of U2’s The Joshua Tree. Like so many people, it was the album that first turned me on to them.

It looks like some extra material that wasn’t on the original recording is going to make it into this one, and I came across a short film (8 mins or so) where Bono is talking about one of these songs and its meaning.

I'm posting this clip because I found it moving, but more than that because it's a very intimate little film that gives us an insight into the creative process and theological craft of Bono.

I hope you enjoy it, and find it as inspirational as I did.

Check out ASBO Jesus

2007-11-21T20:27:00.001Z

If you haven't clicked on the link in my blogroll to The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus you really should.

I love the simplicity of the message and the medium, this cartoon recently spoke heaps to me.

Check it out today.

What's wrong with this picture?

2007-11-14T20:04:00.001Z

I saw this poster recently, in fact there were quite a few of them, dotted around, near the exits of our local shopping mall.

I had to do a double-take, wondering if I'd really seen what I thought I had.

Just in case you can't quite work it out, the poster asks first if a person has a spare room, then informs that this agency gives £380 per child per week. It's in the smaller print that we learn that the agency is a care and foster agency.

Isn't the message here a bit off key? When did we, as a community, start seeing foster care primarily as a financial issue? Isn't it odd that the recruitment doesn't mention a caring attitude to children, or a desire to help?

Is foster care in our capital city just a business transaction?

Isn't this hugely offensive, or am I over-reacting?

I'm sure that the agency would do proper training and checking of suitability, but it's just mad that the basis of the appeal for more foster carers is that it's a money-spinner. Are cared-for kids just a means to a healthier bank balance for some?

Sorted

2007-11-13T11:39:00.000Z

From time to time I recommend books and magazines, and I’ve come across a new mag I want to encourage you to get hold of.

A few years ago, some friends and I started an organisation called Geezers for Jesus, we wanted to do a few things, one was to provide an online resource for guys to talk about the realities of living as both a Christian and a man in today’s world with all the challenges that entails (a quest for an understanding of what might be called a masculine spirituality), the other was to facilitate men’s gatherings around the country to be more relevant in their approach to men’s’ ministry.

Well, the first part, the online resource has existed for a quite a while http://www.geezersforjesus.org.uk/ , the second part has been slower coming.

With my Geezers for Jesus hat on I was delighted to find that Wesley Owen are stocking the new magazine Sorted, solidly geared towards Christian men, and british men at that! – rather like The Blokes’ Bible, this is real, accessible and relevant, not dodging tough issues. It’s got a good diversity of writers, and subjects and it’s quite cheap (£2.50).

Get to your local Christian bookshop and buy a copy, for you or the men in your life, and if they’re not stocking it yet, get them to. See also http://www.sortedmag.org.uk/

To wear a poppy?

2007-11-07T20:35:00.000Z

Over on his excellent and thought provoking blog Leaving Munster, Graham has been writing about his attitudes and response to the wearing of a red poppy.

It's a subject that I have often wrestled with and so I replied to his posting there, but also thought I'd like to hear your points of view. Essentially Graham argues that the wearing of the red poppy, coupled with a nationwide act of remembrance where every soldier who died is lumped together as valiant and noble perpetuates the myth that war solves things, and glorifies the sacrifice of armed service personnel.

Here's my response - what do you think?

It's a great and powerful post, thanks Graham.

And yet, I do feel conflicted. On the one hand I hate that war occurs and I hate that people die. On the other, I live in relative freedom, one that in all truth I doubt I'd live in if certainly the second world war had been lost.

I also feel torn that there are people who - whether I like it or not - fight in my name. I'm not relinquishing my British citizenship anytime soon.

And when the Govt doesn't support ex-service personnel well (regardless of whether they saw active service or not) the wearing of a red poppy might at least make a small donation, and show support for the charity, not necessarily the wars that were fought. It seems in many ways to be an anti-war statement to wear one, if the true meaning is understood. We wear the poppy because people die in wars, ergo, war is a bad thing.

I'm sure that I am totally biased, I grew up in a military household, and both my grandfather and father saw active service, my brother who serves still has spent time in the Gulf.

So, what do we do with that? The work and the intent of the Royal British Legion (as much as we might wish that the govt would - if it's going to wage wars - take care of people and thus make them redundant) is to be applauded and supported, no?

So, I hate war.

This Sunday I'll be teaching a little about St Martin. Since the 4th Century sections of the Church have remembered him on 11th November. He was converted to Christianity in late childhood, and was forced to join the cavalry in the Roman army aged 15.The famous part of his story is that upon seeing a beggar at the gates to Amiens he cut his cloak in half, giving half to the beggar. His had a dream that night, where he pictured Jesus wearing the half cloak, and saying "I have been cloaked by Martin, the Roman soldier". Martin asked to leave the army, convinced that it conflicted with his faith, and was accused of being a coward. He offered to go ahead of the army, unarmed, to prove the issue was not one of bravery. He never had to as they enemy made peace, and he was discharged. He is probably the earliest recorded Christian conscientious objector.

As I speak, I'll be wearing a red poppy.

UK; Saudi visit.

2007-10-31T16:54:00.001Z

There are occasions when I'm not so proud to be British. The way that the establishment rolls out the red carpet to leaders of oppresive regimes sickens me.

I really hope that someone, somewhere had chosen the music to accompany the arrival of the Saudi royal at Buckingham Palace as a kind of comment.

Remembering the saints

2007-10-31T14:13:00.000Z

It's a strange day.

20 years ago today I had the encounter with an evangelist that would go on to reshape my life completely, and all because of a dear old saint who prayed.

Alma was one of those easily-overlooked-on- earth heaven shakers. Alma prayed and things happened.

It being Halloween, and Alma being what some would describe as a prayer warrior, intercessor, spiritually attuned (pick your favourite term, or tell me of a better one), she was certainly going to be at the prayer meeting in church that night, to pray for God to touch the lives of young people especially, and to ask his protection for those who might be opening themselves up to less than helpful spiritual experiences that night.

That early evening as she waited for her bus she spotted some graffiti, left by a local gang, a list of names and tags. Alma, being Alma, took out a notepad and wrote down the names as best she could, struggling to make out what some of them were, but knowing that God knew anyway.

At 7.30 the prayer meeting started with some sung worship, followed by a chance for people to share prayer requests. Alma, got out her list, and spoke about how she wanted the meeting to pray for young people especially, and how she'd seen a list of names, so could we pray for those people.

Earlier that day I had been with a group of friends, a small gang who called themselves "The Rejects", a name that pretty much summed up how we felt about ourselves. We had been at the bus stop, it was newly painted, no-one else had tagged it yet, so we decided to list our names, and claim it as our own.

Later that evening, some time between 7.30 and 8pm we were on our way to a field where we intended to have a kind of firework fight, launching them at each other across the grass in the dark.

As we walked we passed a church hall, and, hearing some singing, looked in to see people with their hands in the air, singing, and one person even playing a tambourine!

It was simply too tempting.

We began to search for the right rockets to let off in their meeting, going through our bags, laughing, joking, building up the bravado to actually do it. The people inside stopped singing, they sat and talked and we had no idea what they were speaking about, our laughter became more raucous, and just as we were about to fire off some small rockets, out came a man called Dave with a warm smile, and a very pretty 18 year old girl called Michelle who seemed quite interested in talking with us, not merely shooing us away.

20 years before then, Alma had begun praying for a young man named Dave, who she was convinced God was calling to be some kind of an evangelist, even though he wasn't then a Jesus-follower...

Alma died in the mid-1990's and her funeral was a place of celebration, as the large congregation of the people she had prayed for worshipped the God who inspired her, and thanked him for ministry in our lives.

I thank God this time of year, every year, for the elderly ladies who pray, who are open to the nudges of the Holy Spirit, who share the love of the Father, and who point to the Son.

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2007-10-18T14:01:00.001+01:00