Of Course!

Next week marks the end of another term.

For the first time since leaving university I've been measuring my life in terms. From September til December last year it was an Alpha Course for Rach and a Lifeshapes Course for me, since Jan its been Lifeshapes for Rach and The Marriage Course for both of us.

All these things have been great for us. Useful in guiding us along the new path we walk. We've learned about what Jesus did; about how we should follow Him and be like Him; about how we can develop our marital relationship, we've learned a lot. I'm grateful to our church for providing these learning opportunities and for those who've led and facilitated them - thanks for your servanthood.

What I take away from all this is a new look at myself and the way I want to live. I've learned to self-examine and bite my tongue, to focus my passion and be active in it, rather than just be passionate. The challenge and the discipline will be this: To use what I've been taught and put it into practice in my everyday life.

I'll miss the courses - I've enjoyed being a student and doing homework again, but everything has been about application and so any benefit I'm going to gain will come from making the paperwork real.

The Alpha Course
In short - a step by step introduction to Christianity. So good I did it twice! Useful in understanding Christians, even it you're not one.

Lifeshapes
Uses shapes as 'mnemonics' to detail and explain tenets of Jesus' teaching and ministry and how we can be disciples of His today.

The Marriage Course
We have to be taught to drive, cook, speak a foreign language, why not a relationship? The Marriage Course has really opened my eyes again as to how to communicate with Rach and understand and respond to her needs, whilst doing the same for me. We've been together for 10 years and it showed us two fundamental things - 1) We've done well so far on our own, naturally understanding and working at our reationship, and - 2) That if we'd had this knowlede before - we'd have probably done a lot better.

The Point Church - where if you live locally, you can sign up and try them out for yourself

What God wants me to do?

Over the past few months its become increasingly clear that God wants me (& Rach )to do something in His service, for His purpose.

However, I feel like I'm hidden in a swirling fog of confusion & I can't see my way through it. So I don't know what to do next that's in God's plan for me (us).

I revealed this to my Accountability Group on Saturday morning. They suggested that I pray directly to God about it and ask Him to show me what He wanted me to do / repent / etc?

On Saturday I prayed for a word. God gave me 'confirmation'
On Sunday I prayed for a sign and He gave me a last minute preach on Evangelism and a ready harvest.
On Monday I prayed for a piece of Scripture to guide me. He has 'given' me 2 Timothy.

I'm, watching this space (and continue to pray!)

God, I love singing!

This is just a thank you note really. To God, for giving me a gift in singing, to my parents in supporting and nurturing it and to The Welcome & the point (churches) for allowing me to sing with others.

I joined with some very talented musicians this evening and sang, worshipping and praising our Lord.

It was fun, joyful and sounded truly great. It was a privilege and an honour to be a part of it.

I loved it. Thank you!

Today's Slaves - Part 1

When someone says the word "Slave," what kind of an image does it conjure up? The blacks in America and the Civil War? Or the Greek & Roman civilisations, where slaves from conquered nations were kept by wealthy families. Maybe you think of today's sex trade and the people that are trafficked every day.

one definition of a slave, according to dictionary.com is this:
"A person who is the property of and wholly subject to another".

It is estimated that 12.3 million people are victims of forced labour worldwide. Of these 2.4 million are as a result of human trafficking. 600,000-800,000 men, women and children trafficked across international borders each year. Approximately 80 per cent are women and girls. Up to 50% are minors An estimated 1.2 million children trafficked each year

Trafficking is the fastest growing means by which people are caught in the trap of slavery
All these facts and much more information can be found on the Stop the Traffik website. Right now, stop the Traffik are campaigning the UN. They want to present a million signatures as a declaration to show that people want more done to stop trafficking and use it as an opportunity to set up a global fund to stop trafficking.

I encourage you, dear reader, to visit the website and sign up.Imagine having no rights, no choice: being used, abused and living in constant fear?

I hope and pray that their efforts bear fruit. I live in a prvileged society, where we take our freedom as read and have choice in our everyday lives. I believe that no man, woman or child should be the property of another.

Where am I?

I must be missing something.

I've been to a number of churches in the past two and a half years and I find that there's very few people like me. There are plenty of new Christians, there are many children, there are lots of "young people", there are lots of parents, there are... my list continues. And I love the fact that the Church has a young, exuberant, passionate populace but I keep looking for the late 20s, early 30s group who don't have kids.

Where are they? Its like the church has a "lost generation" - a missing demographic. But I know I exist and I know that there are plenty of people of my age and similar circumstances, they just don't seem to go to church.

Do they even need church? Why aren't they there? Where do they go? Do they have Faith but don't like the traditional forms that church has taken? What are they doing instead.

I'm part of a new social group. If I was my grandfather I would have been married, settled into a lifelong career, owned a house, have had children by now and my wife would not have worked. For my parents generation it was very similar, only they both worked. But what for us? "Partners" in opposition to marriage or marrying later. Being older and older before buying a house. Divorce. Equality in the workplace. Competition in the workplace from international workers. The likelihood of more than one career in a lifetime. No pensions. The degradation of community.

Western church attendance has reflected social change, generation after generation.

Are they missing something? I think so.

I'd like to be wrong, but whatever, I miss them.

I'll keep looking.

"Oh my tooth-fairy!"

Have you ever counted how many times you'll hear the phrase "Oh my God!" in a day?

I haven't. I'm not going to either. However, I have started to notice that it's used a lot, as is "Jesus!" (Jeeeezus!!)

Since coming to Faith, I've made a conscious effort not to take God's name in vain or use it as a curse. Why? Because it's disrespectful, dishonourable, disobedient and rude. It's like saying "Oh my (Insert Parent Name)!" only worse.

So, as I've used it less, I've begun to notice how many times I hear it said. Its like giving up smoking, as soon as you quit, you notice the smell - on clothes, in furniture etc. I've listened and noticed who says it. Those who believe in God don't tend to, its more commonly used by those who don't. At which point it can't have any meaning, surely? I mean, what's the point? It would be like saying, "Oh my tooth-fairy!", or "Santa!" ("Saaaantaa!") (Assuming you don't believe in either of these things of course.)

I'm not being judgemental, I'm just curious. Why do people who don't believe in God use His name so often as an expletive?

And the next time any of you Christian's out there allow something to come out of your mouth that you shouldn't (cos we all do - and I'm sadly too good at it), let something come out that's just as comparably ridiculous..."Oh my tooth-fairy!"

'Do-Gooder' is a swear word

I was sitting in church on Sunday listening to our Vicar preach, and then I stopped listening...

Sorry Will, it wasn't intentional, but my mind wandered to this, "'do-gooder' is a swear word!"

In the last two weeks, our church has started to study 1 Corinthians. We were being read through these verses when it hit me, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spritually discerned. The spritual man makes judgements about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgement. 'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ"

Now, this might be obvious to experienced and mature Christians, but I'm not one. You can't explain the Kingdom of God to those who don't believe in it. Simple. It was at this point my minor revelation came - 'Do-Gooder' is a swear word. Of course it is.

Those who aren't, use it towards those who are (carers etc). It denies those who aren't, any feelings of guilt for not being so and enables them to make those who are doing good sound like they are doing bad. How twisted is that? Which colour white is black?

I put my hands up now and apologise. I know its a swear word because I've used it as such. I may not have coined it, but I've used it as a taunt, jeering at those who are trying to give help and support to others when I was too stupid and selfish to do anything but think about myself.

Having Faith and becoming a Christian has made me look at this differently. It couldn't have happened otherwise. Thank you God for my Faith and my change of heart.

To those who commit themselves to love and care for others; in times when you are persecuted for your deeds, remember the passage above and be comforted by it.