The slow nature of Christian ministry
As we head towards the close of 2010, we are ever conscious of the meaning of Jesus' parable: his kingdom looks like a mustard seed. Nothing. Yet we hold on to the truth that it will be seen to be biggest thing of all.
Like our snow-covered garden, our church's progress may seem so slow and quiet. Illnesses, setbacks, people drifting (as well as those coming, and growing), frustrations, disappointments... The world around us carries on in its wreckless complacency towards Almighty God. Jesus is now forgotton from Christmas. The people we want to reach out to are so ingrained in godless ways it's hard to know where to start.
Yet Jesus says to us, 'Take heart! I have overcome the world.' (John 16:33) Paul says, 'Therefore we do not lose heart.' (2 Corinthians 4:16) We look ahead to 2011 with fresh hope and energy, knowing Christ will build his church. We remain joyful, faithful, delighted by the gospel of Jesus, trusting in his providence over all, pressing on energetically with visible results or not.
Church planting the African way
Check this out: it's James Lagos Alexander, a bishop from Sudan. And here's how they do church planting.
So what do we learn from this? It's right to pray for many people to turn to Christ and be rescued by him. It's right to pray for church growth. But we should never expect that to be glorifying to us! Church growth is something God brings about, and if it happens, it won't make 'Wellfield' look good. It won't be so that we can feel nice about it. With growth comes pain. So if we're going to pray for it, we need to know we're praying for God's glory, not our comfort.
As some of us read in Torrey on Friday morning: "Many pray for revival... but many prayers for revivals are purely selfish. The churches desire revivals in order that the membership may be increased, in order that the church may have a position of more power and influence in the community, in order that the church treasury may be filled, in order that a good report may be made at the presbytery or conference or association. For such low purposes as these, churches and ministers oftentimes are praying for a revival, and oftentimes too God does not answer the prayer. Why should we pray for a revival? For the glory of God..."
We've got a lot to learn from the church in Sudan. True greatness is humility, that thinks not of ourselves but the wonderful kingdom of God.
God loves a nobody
Devoted to... the Fellowship
1 Church, 4 Congregations
St Andrew's has changed its slogan. It was there on St Andrew's literature last Sunday, and people immediately asked, 'Ooh [yes, they did], is Wellfield no longer part of St Andrew's?' Well, the aim is to help clarify things for us. Now that Buckshaw Village Church exists, the idea is that St Andrew's is now '1 Church, 4 Congregations, and 2 Cousin Congregations'... but that's a bit of a mouthful. However, it is an opportunity to answer the question, What exactly is our relationship to St Andrew's?
12 ways to make the most of Christmas
[1] Get to know your neighbours. Maybe you’ve been on ‘hello’ terms for years with the people on the street. Why not get them round for mulled wine and mince pies? I bet they’d come!
[2] Give you neighbours an invitation. Knocking on doors? No thanks! But at Christmas, it’s somehow natural: ‘Hello, I’m from no. 39 - we're involved in St Andrew's at Wellfield, and we're inviting people to come at Christmas...'
[3] Bring people to a Christmas service. Many people who don’t come to church love to come at Christmas - but they just want a friend to invite them. Could you be that friend?
[4] Chat to people. If you’re stuck in a shop queue for half an hour, don’t be sour-faced and miserable like everyone else - give the person behind a bit of the Christmas spirit!
[5] Invite people for Christmas day. Why should it be the same closed family group every year? Encourage someone from church by inviting them to join you!
[6] Enjoy the long evenings. They’re not something to moan about - they’re an opportunity to socialise! Don’t sit alone with the telly in December: have people round for food, drinks, games, films …
[7] Give real presents. Instead of indulging in the greedy materialism of our age, give something that counts: a Christian book, an offer of help, a financial gift to a Christian charity.
[8] Visit someone. Christmas can be a lonely time for some. Bring some cheer by taking time out of the busyness for a visit.
[9] Read a good book. Get something off '10 of those.com' that you’ll really enjoy, and have ‘Telly-free evenings’!
[10] Go to the staff parties. Spend time with colleagues … but stand out as different!
[11] Talk about Jesus … not Santa. Traditions can be fun. But don’t blur truth and lies! And show children the true wonder of Christmas, rather than ‘What are you getting…’
[12] Read your bible. Those accounts of Jesus birth in Matthew and Luke take our breath away. Why not read them afresh, and be thrilled all over again with Jesus?
Remembrance Day
He said, ‘Sarg - is this what it’s all about? I’ve lost two friends now. Is this what we do?’ And the Sergeant said (in a kind voice), ‘We just get up, and we get on with it. I’m going to give you 5 minutes to get yourself together, and get over there with the rest of us. But yes, we just get on and do what we do.’
I know he had to say that. And they were the words of a leader. And I understand that the Royal Marines is a hard living, hard drinking culture. And I am full of admiration for them, for what they do. But I want to say to all the lads like that, ‘We can do better! There is more!’ We can do better than train hard, work hard, and drown our sorrows. There is more to it: because there is a God, who has power over all.
I want to say to every person who feels that emptiness and worthlessness: - come back to God! With him, in the midst of death there is life. Why try and handle life without him, when we can’t? Why try and handle life without him, when what he holds out to us is so good? - Forgiveness; life; a future with no war. Why fight against him, when we could live life with him? Why settle for the pain of this world, when he holds out the gift of perfect everlasting life with him?
“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
In a world that seems meaningless, uncertain, even disastrous sometimes - let’s remember that we find hope in the true God.
Humility and Helpfulness
We saw in Romans ch.3 on Sunday how a right view of our sin leads to humility. I've been reading on, and in ch.12 the point is made that humility affects how we relate to one another: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought ... each member belongs to all the others." (12:3-5)
What we do affects all the other people in church. Therefore we need to think carefully before every decision and whatever we say.
- If I spout off against another church member, I'll damage the relationship between the ones I'm speaking to and about.
- If I'm negative about some activity we're doing, I'll stop others being involved.
What may seem to me like a casual conversation piece can have a big effect on someone. So let's make sure the effect we have is to build up, enthuse, serve their spiritual good - not drag them down. How could you do that at growth group tonight?
Pudding recipes
Double Chocolate Cheesecake
Serves 8, Prep 20 mins Plus chilling
175g digestive biscuits
50g butter , melted
300g cream cheese
200g mascarpone
300g milk chocolate , melted
100g dark chocolate , melted
Crush the biscuits and mix with the melted butter. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a 20cm springform tin. Mix the cream cheese with the mascarpone. Fold the milk chocolate into the cream cheese mix and then stir in the dark chocolate so that it looks streaky.
Spoon into the tin, level the top and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
Mary's Mum's Wholewheat apple cake
4 fresh diced apples
2 cups sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essense
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups wholewheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)
Place diced apples in a bowl
Add sugar, oil, vanilla essence, soda, salt and eggs and mix thoroughly
Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture
Pour into greased pan (23cm x 35cm)
Bake at 175degC for about 30 minutes
Cream cheese topping
2 cups icing sugar
½ cup butter
100g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
Who's the key member of your family?
It is often said that a healthy adult relationship with the opposite sex results from a healthy childhood relationship with the opposite sex parent. This is obviously true for girls (Dr. James Dobson "Bringing up girls") where self-esteem is key to coping in the adult world relating to men. Self-esteem is something on which a father's love and affection has huge effect in girls.
How is this true for boys and how does it work? Dr. Nicolosi says that it used to be thought that GID in boys was caused by an unhealthy "symbiotic" bond between mother and son. But new observations and research shows that closeness between mother and son is fine, as long as dad is in the mix and does not withdraw. It is dad who teaches the son the appropriate level of interaction with the female world at the pre-pubescent stage, and also teaches how to relate to women in a loving, protective way. So- Dad is essential to creating a healthy relationship between mum and boy, with all the life-long consequences that gives.
This has whacked me in the brain this evening. Kirsten Birkett writes in "The essence of family", that modern culture puts mum as the lynchpin of family life, but Biblical study actually shows that dad is the key family member around which all others will gather. It's the pattern of loving patriarchy, and it's healthy.
This means that the challenge for single mums and widows with young kids is a big one. In some sense, it's right to feel like "a family without an anchor". The loss for the family is huge. And the consequences for our society of "chucking dad out with the rubbish" are more serious than I first thought, for ongoing generations.
worry and beauty!
For the past few weeks the trees have been green and I marvelled at how God had made so many beautiful things which I never really look at like the leaves on the trees. Each one is individual and beautiful in its own way and God made them, each one, just because He could, just because that is who He is. This morning as I looked out though, the leaves were brown, and orange, and red and we just as beautiful as when they were green. They are in a different stage of their life but still just as beautiful. Again I was reminded of our great God and how he looks after and cares for his world.
I'm reading through Luke in my quiet time and a verse comes to mind 'Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.' Luke 12:27. This is Jesus speaking and He goes on to say that therefore we should not worry, if God cares for each individual lily, on each individual leaf, whether it's new and green or old and brown, God will take care of us.
Too often I find myself worrying about what to wear, or wishing that I had the money to buy new things but there are more important things in life to worry about. 'For the... world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.' Luke 12:30-31
Do we really want a 'new creation'?
Happy to Serve
It never comes naturally to serve others, because we all think our needs are greater, and that our time is more precious than others'. But the funny thing is, the more we learn joyful service, the more we find we've got more time and more energy. Try it this week!
God, the Bible and Homosexuality
Harry Brown: Jesus gone wrong!
Devoted to ... the apostle's teaching
I believe in a God of love!
See, if you really believed in a God of love, you'd adore him and entrust everything to him; he'd be your passion and your life. The truth is, we generally believe the same lie that Eve fell for in the garden: that God is not being good to us. He doesn't have our best interests at heart. The truth more often is, 'I believe in a spoilsport God, a cruel God.'
Even as Christians, whenever we do our thing, instead of obeying God, we're doing the same thing: we're saying we don't believe God is good. Even after he's proved his love by sending his Son to die for us, we still hold back from him. What a bunch of eegits.
Wish I could have a chat with Russell Brand
Just watched Russell Brand on Newsnight, and, although his high-energy speeches and unnecessary use of long words become tedious, it was fascinating to hear him say that he believes in God, is scared of death, and wants to make himself a better person but isn't finding it very easy.
It made me really want to have the chance to chat to him. He's reaching out for something greater than himself, but he doesn't know where to look. I am so grateful that I don't have to reach out into the darkness and find nothing to grab onto. Various people showed me, all those years ago, how I could meet God and be confident in the face of life and death. Where do we meet God? Only in the person of Jesus.
It is life. No guilt or slavery to my own weaknesses. No sting in death. Jesus said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
Tony Curtis - what a legend!
It really shocked me to see pictures of him as an old man. Just brings it home, that we are not long for this world, and whatever we have now (health, youth, family, money, strength) is not ours to keep. I don't know if Tony was ready to meet God, but I'm trusting Jesus to make me ready.
How is it POSS?
We don't believe we're so impressive or attractive that people will flock to us. We not going to stand on the street corners and shout about it, or do much knocking on people's doors. No real objection to those things - we just don't think it gets the message across very well. (And understandably puts some people off!) We just want to keep telling people we know and meet. Not in a scary intense way. But we pray for people; organise our social lives; actually socialise; and, as opportunity arises, speak. (And listen, too!)
Book review: "Bringing up Boys" - James Dobson
Some quotes from chapter 5 of "Bringing up Boys":
"Historically, when the family begins to unravel in a given culture, everything from the effectiveness of government to the general welfare of the people is adversely impacted.....the future of Western civilisation depends on how we handle this present crisis...Nations that are populated largely by immature, immoral, weak-willed, cowardly, and self-indulgent men cannot and will not long endure."
"We must make the necessary investment to counter these influences and to build within our boys lasting qualities of character, self-discipline, respect for authority, commitment to the truth, a belief in the work ethic, and an unshakeable love for Jesus Christ."
Very helpful. We know the challenges of our particular culture, and we know the challenges of our particular children! Perhaps we don't apreciate the likely consequences of our efforts with them now. An encouragement to all christian parents to keep at it, and to those whose kids are boys, a challenge in the face of a huge social attack on manhood and masulinity, to nurture healthy character in our sons.
ten in two
I really, really want you to have a read. It's short.
Here's the link to the post. Go on, read it now - I'll be here when you get back.
Good isn't it?
I think he's summed up pretty clearly what were trying to do at Wellfield. His challenge is to help ten people get to know Jesus and become Christians and his timescale for doing that is two years.
Do you remember at growth group when we were talking about where we'd like to be when Wellfield is five years old? That's two years off, almost exactly.
Who is up for the challenge?
I think having 'ten in two' as our main goal (both as individuals and as a Church) would absolutely transform Wellfield. It would totally change our priorities, wouldn't it?
We will have to rethink how we use our time, our service, our homes. Our prayer lives will change. It will affect the choices we make for our kids and our friendships.
But we'll be in it together - You get to know my mates, I get to know yours and we share Jesus together.
So, each of us aiming at ten people in two years? Are you up for it?
I'll post again later in the week with some ideas for how we could do it and with some encouragement if, like me, you read this challenge and felt like hiding for the next two years instead.
Godly saints and old hags
There are two types of old lady, aren't there? The lovely type... and the other. If you want to end up as the lovely, godly type, start practising now! Olive Bell, whose funeral was this week, was one of the first type. She was lovely. I remember her talking about when she and Ray had their son, how they lived in one room, with a curtain to pull across after the baby went to bed! It was one of her many fond memories!
Her granddaughter asked her to write answers to a load of questionsin her old age. One of the questions was this: "what's the best advice you could give to a younger person?", and her answer was this: "always be optimistic; look on the bright side; the Lord will provide and be with us always."
That's a lesson to our whinging generation. One for me anyway.
The Pope, Humanism and Hitler
This is the conclusion of Pope Benedict XVI's speech today, with which the British Humanist Society has been so offended. Nice to have the boot on the other foot, and use the "intolerance" card to show the aggressive atheist and secular agenda for what it is. The Pope knows about the Nazis. He was in the Hitler Youth, and deserted from the army of the 3rd Reich towards the end of the war.
As Mark washed the dishes and I sat on the sofa reading about all this, Mark made the point that people only ever (try to) get rid of God so that they can do evil. So, although no papist myself, it is great to have someone with such a platform pointing these things out. Nice one, Benedict old man.
Dog Blog
Now, I like dogs. At least, some dogs. And I like it that people have them at pets, and I'm happy for them to like them. But really, who thinks the world wants to know about their dog? Are these people dyslexic or something? Surely the world wants to know about God, not their Dog.
The order of things as laid out in the Bible is: God, people, animals. So in Genesis 3, as sin enters the world, it is seen in the order being turned upside down. The serpent leads the woman, who leads the man, who both disobey God. It's nice to have pets. But our obsession with pets as a society is a sign of rebellion against God. We care more for flea-ridden muts than we do about the glorious creator of all and giver of life.
Jennifer Aniston on families
Holiday of a lifetime?
quiet times - help!
Time to share some ideas and encouragements for quiet times!
When we chatted about regular Bible reading and prayer a few months ago, most of us said that holiday time is difficult and it's at this sort of time that our routine wobbles, wavers or goes out of the window entirely.
I know I'm finding it hard!
But September is coming, and along with it, the urge to buy new pens. It's a good time for a fresh start. So leave a comment with a recommendation of something worth reading or tell us what you're planning to read when September comes or share a tip for prayer. Any ideas and encouragements will be a real help!
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (Psalm 5:3)
Longing for home
Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:1-6)
talking and walking
I think this is the biggest and best part of teaching our children about Jesus. It's a big challenge to those of us who are parents of young children. As fun and important as ‘Bible times’ are, there is nothing like just getting in the groove of chatting naturally with our kids about Jesus. I think that’s a big step for most of us: we often find it hard to talk about Jesus with our close Christian friends and it can feel even more strange and peculiar talking to a 2 year old about God!These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
Don't worry, be ... sleepy!
Near the end of Paton!
The blessing of birthdays
God's zoo
There were information signs up everywhere saying how much people are just the same as animals and stuff like that; why can't we just enjoy them for what they are?