Sunday, March 28, 2010

Lord, I how does my failing come across to you? When I am lazy, angry, selfish or deliberatly forgetful are you disappointed?
Forgiveness I know can be sought and refreshment gained, but am I just to unaware to realise what is at stake?
Lord Open My Eyes and help me to see
Open my Ears and help me to hear
Open my heart and help me to feel
Open my mind and help me to understand.

Amen.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I have often thought that mission is God's Job not ours. But now I am beginning to read this from official sources it is not as exciting as I thought. Let me share my thoughts and see where it goes.

I feel that mission is Gods job. He is the one who created us, made us who we are, enables us to be where we are and has a plan for what we do. So then our direction comes from God and is for God. It is like being part of a football team. They see our potential and invest and train and then set us in the game, but they tell us the plan of action and as a team we work together to win the game.

So when I think of mission of course I think of God and listen watch and wait.

It is also Gods reputation on the line so i expect God to do something. If there is nothin then usually a gentle step by step approach to things is good as doors open and close. I have found that the Holy Spirit is not like a resounding gong - i suppose he would not be as love comes right in there. So then I need to be sensitive and delicate as I pray and recognise what and where God is working and where I should be doing my thing!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Yesturday I went to a home of a Christian who works with youth. I had unknowingly met his wife the day before when dropping our son off for a youth camp he was attending. I was amazed that he lived in a home which I pass every day and am drawn to with a sense of 'homeliness'. it is a small end of terrace asthetically nothing to write home about but something draws me so often to think 'what a lovely home'. How suprised was I to discover who lives there.

Later I read
Richard Baxter notes 'The world is better able to read the nature of religion in a man's life than in the Bible'.

'When people brush against the holy they are never quite the same afterwards. Perhaps it is only in a fleeting encounter, but htey have met someone who stands for another world, a different set of values that are strangely compelling. They have sensed another way of ordering life and, for a moment everything seemed to make sense, to fit into place. In this person something of the divine could be sensed, and it felt good to be in touch with such deep reserves of affirmation and love.'

(Being A Priest Today, Christopher Cocksworth and Rosalind Brown)

If this is what happened when I passed Steves homes then it was something of the something of the divine which drew me. If the worship of God can make and impact through the home as I pass in the car, if the love and worship of God can enlightened the world somehow even from a home then how much more must it be true from us humans. When we meet with God that grace shines out and is there to be experienced by others.

I read this to Asher and told him which encouraged him to make sure we had our family Bible study. Which was a reading from John 19: 1-11. The comment was 'When someone has higher values do we join in with others and laugh at them or do we stand with them and join them in doing right and turning to God'.

I do love it when things all seem to point to a daily dose of God pointing something out.

Peter Do You Love Me? Yes, Then Feed My Sheep.

We all have the ministry of being holy, Luther stressed that holiness is lived out in ordinary life, doing ordinary things. Rowan Williams writes 'A human being is holy, not because he or she triumphs by will power over chaos and guilt and leads a flawless life, but because that life shows the victory of God's faithfulness in the midst of disorder and imperfection.' (A Ray of Darkness, p114-115)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I have just discovered Expresso.

Sounds crazy really, but I have resisted expresso imagining it to be far too strong and far too small! but this morning I wanted both a hot chocolate and a coffee and could not face two cups of liquid and I did not want them adulterated by mixing them!

So I risked letting the coffee perculate in the single cup coffee strainer with a tiny amount of hot water and then when I was ready I went back and added a large dash of milk, I think they call it a macchiato. I added one teaspoon of brown sugar and ...

... ohhh the smoothness and richness is divine. To be honest it made me realise that the coffee i usually make is nothing in comparison.

The obvious conclusion here is that if we have a watered down relationship with Christ it is very much like this experience I had this morning, but I wont do that honest!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

this is such an amazing text:

Ephesians 2:
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision"
[...]

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

I was recently asked what is your gospel message. I wonder if the passages that God has directed my thoughts toward are coming together to simply give me an understanding of the gospel.

I keep meditating on John 2:12-25; john 3

Saturday, March 13, 2010

unexpected opportunities

psalm 120, 121, 122
Exodus 1:22-2:10; Hebrews 8

I can imagine the Princes standing by the waters edge. Her reaching out and takng holdof this gift from the gods. It is considered that this princess was Hatshepsut the daughter of Raamses the 2nd and wife to Thutmose the 2nd. She was unable to have children so her husband had taken another wife who bore a son.

There are so many opportunities that come our way unexpectantly we need to be ready to take them and trust God will guide our way and be with us.

The Psalm is beautiful
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Son did really well at school and loves it. I am really glad that he is settling and has been accepted to this school. Thank you God for blessing us so much.

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

My Son starts school on thursday.

I am not worried really about it as I know he will cope being so strong of mind. I am concerned that he will meet good friends and pray that he gets into the right set.

Monday, March 01, 2010

rethinking mission doc

1 Mission lies in the nature and work of God
“All our mission springs from the action and self-revelation of God in Jesus Christ... our call to mission and evangelism [is] grounded in the very nature of the God who is revealed to us”.


2 Centrality of Jesus
'We look to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to see how God is saving his world, calling us to respond and to join with him. Our response is not so much church-sponsored programmes to increase the number of Christians and / or to change the world, but more to be drawn into that life, death and resurrection of Jesus so that we become part of what God is doing. This, through the work of the Holy Spirit, then informs the direction and gives us the passion to speak and to act.'
“As Anglicans we are called to participate in God’s mission in the world, by embracing respectful evangelism, loving service and prophetic witness. As we do so in all our varied contexts, we bear witness to and follow Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Saviour”, says TEAC, the Theological Education in the Anglican Communion working group. iv