Sunday, February 21, 2010

In a pit with a lion on a snowy day

A friend Pete complained that he knows a famous blogger who never posts about him after he has him round for lunch -he hopes one day he might warrant a mention in a post. Well my friend who, so he says, is a shy type, told me today that he once went to a fancy dress party dressed as Hattie Jacques which I must say is quite an image to conjure and is certainly worthy of a post!

A while ago, a girl visited our church from NCC and was a great encouragement to me. You can tell a lot about a church from the people who act as its ambassadors and this visitor really did her church proud. Since that time, I have followed her pastors blog called Evotional and recently have been enjoying his excellent book called 'In a pit with a lion on a snowy day'.

The book has lots to commend it, not least that it launches itself from a verse I must have read a few times but had never noticed before (2 Samuel 23: 20-21). This is a book about risk and courage and is written engagingly in a 'get you burning again for Jesus' kind of way. I think every now and then this sort of read is a good kick up the backside to take some risks and trust our God afresh. My friend Jo is doing that each day as she faces off cancer. Marie is doing that on her YWAM project in Lesotho and my friend Mark on his adventure to Australia. As Batterson wrote in his journal in Ethiopia, "Don't accumulate possessions, accumulate experiences" [Page 43].

At one point he says this: "I have a simple definition of success. Do the best you can with what you have where you are" I liked that.

I am preaching this evening on Acts 3 and have been challenged once again to find the faith and courage to pray for those who do not yet believe. Not pray in a 'sit in a church prayer meeting with coffee and buns' kind of way but on the streets and in faith and with expectation. I have yet to be refused when I do it-I just need to do it more. The disciples and Jesus did this all the time and oddly enough it made something of an impact.

So there you have it, Snowy lions and Peter and John at the gate Beautiful have got me fired up once again. A great, challenging, easy and engaging read that I commend to you.

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Saturday blog-sweep

 Some interesting books for pastors The State we're in Attack at dawn Joseph Scriven Joy comes with the morning When small is beautiful