Saturday blog-sweep

The political magic of C S Lewis

Kevin de Young's Best books of 2018 and TGC Awards and CT 2019 Book Awards and Trevin Wax and A Smaller Collection of Books of the Year

The Unexpected Friendship

If they weren't taking notes how did the disciples remember the teaching of Jesus?

The Book of Comfort for those in sickness

Tuesday thoughts

1.  I listened to a talk Forgiveness brings liberty by Bill Johnson who, while not my man on quite a few things, I appreciate from time to time. The first ten minutes stuck with me- then I fell asleep so I can't speak for the rest of it.

2.  I have been praying for a door to open for six years and yesterday it swung ajar a bit and let in a shard of light.

3. Eugene Peterson has told me over and over again, particularly in his memoir, that you have try to stay as a Pastor in a place and with a people for the long haul. I generally think that over time in one place you can connect up the kingdom dots with more clarity.

4. It's hard not to catch a bit of 'Tis the season too by jolly' when you hang out with a 3 year old.

5. Darryl has posted his list of 'Best books of 2018'

6. A clicked about a bit on this set of 2018 links.

7. I have loved preaching on Ephesians.

8. We are going to be walking through Judges in the New Year. This quote starts off one of the commentaries I am reading:

'Whatever controls us really is our god....The person who seeks power is controlled by power. The person who seeks acceptance is controlled by the people he or she wants to please. We do not control ourselves. We are controlled by the lord of our life'

Rebecca Manley Pippert, Out of the Saltshaker, page 48-49

9.  Someone today told me of an elderly Godly politically well-read man in a local church near us who said on the day of the referendum result: 'They'll never let it happen'. Quite who 'they' are is one for you to speculate on but that statement looks more likely than it did two years ago when the PM said categorically 'Leave means leave'. We'll see if he's right.

10. The Calvin quote on page 18 of this is blessing and strengthening me.

A War of Loves

This is a book that's being talked about quite a bit.

Monday musings

1. Mrs C went to an Advent service last night while I baby sat.  She was struck by the reading, which was Isaiah 52, and it provided an answer to our 3 year old's question of the day before which was: 'What does Jesus look like?'

2. As you know, I enjoy the book lists at this time of year and here are a couple. Andrew Wilson's Books of 2018 at Think Theology and Tony Reinke's Books of 2018.

3. I am greatly enjoying Peter Marshall's book 'Heretics and Believers' on the English Reformation so I was struck by David Starkey's piece in the Telegraph drawing parallels between Brexit and the Reformation. This is obviously not the first time this has been noted, but as I am immersed in the detailed goings-on during this period it is now on my radar as I read.  What has not yet emerged in our current era is who will take the part of Thomas Cranmer.

4. I drew a number a pals attention to Rod Liddle's article 'Sex is fine but keep the Christians out' about the hoo ha at Derby Cathedral.

5. When I was 'exploring my vocation' I was given a set of tapes by Jack Deere about 'Hearing God's Voice'. It won't surprise you to learn that its wasn't my DDO who put me on to them. I never did establish what exactly my DDO did make of the idea of God's voice but that's another story. One of the talks was about dreams and, in my simple way, I suggested to God that if he really was in the business of guiding by dreams then now would be quite a good time to do it. He answered my prayer in a quite remarkable way which has always left me thankful for Jack Deere. I mention this because I have recently come across his life story which it seems has been marked by darkness and tragedy called 'Even in our darkness'. Ann Voskamp says of it:

'Every once in a while, a gripping book comes along that is profoundly unmasked, unsettling and unforgettable. I couldn't put this down: This is one devastating, though-provoking, and needful read  that will change the landscape of your soul'  

6. I enjoyed David Keen's post on the Signs

7.  This piece posted by my pal Darryl is interesting. 'You don't go to church you are the church...But are you?'

8. It was fun to discover that J I Packer likes mystery novels.

9. Since turning 50 I am finding more things to be grumpy about. The latest thing I've decided I don't like are trendy crisps. All I want is a pack of crisps and I don't need you to make them out of a root vegetable or a poppadom or sprinkle the whole of Mary Berry's herb cupboard on them. Walkers Salt and Vinegar will do nicely thanks.

10. I watched 12 Strong on my own and it moved me.

A Saltless Salt

'No one will listen to our gospel if we aren't living it. We cannot influence or infect society with something that has not yet infected us. A saltless salt cannot savor and flavor. The church cannot light a fire if she is not on fire. And so, faced with a society in crisis, in wickedness, it is time for judgement, repentance, holiness to begin in the family of God (1 Peter 4:17). We need a reformation, a revival- and holiness will be at the heart of it. The church must again find and follow Jesus- not as a doctrine to be believed but as a Lord to be served and a life to be lived. Only then can we speak with integrity and expect to be heard.'

In Pursuit of the Holy, Simon Ponsonby, p.14

A Piper Book list

I enjoy a good read. At the moment, I am captivated by 'Heretics and Believers' which is brilliant but you wouldn't want to drop it on your toe....

Here is an interesting Piper post on 25 books.

C of E 2017 Stats

As ever, I am grateful to David Keen who has done 'An analysis of 2017 C of E Stats'.  Did I mention that some time ago now I wrote a post entitled 'Why plant churches?'

Monday musing

1. My silence has been complained about and this coincides with the first sense of clear water I've had in while. Another pal say it's never a good sign when I don't blog.

2. I spent a day with Tim Keller and this sermon as I may have already said is the best I've heard on Dark Times. I preached at the weekend on marriage from Ephesians 5 and found 'The Meaning of Marriage' such a help. I also found 'God Marriage and Family' to be a deep well of wisdom and Bible. I am not sure secular Barnes was quite ready to hear about husbands who take a gospel lead in their families and when I said the word 'submission' I know everyone was listening. Kathy Keller's chapter was informative for me on that one her being a wife n'all.

3. I have been reading Parenting by Paul Tripp recommended by a pal who has a teenager who isn't that keen on church. It's a compelling (expensive) read and doesn't contain any specific advice which is both brilliant and unusual for a parenting book. Francis Chan wishes he'd read it 20 years ago.

4.  I went to a day run by a lady called Rachel Turner about parenting clergy kids ('PK's' as they are known over the pond). It was the best thing (a day's course) my wife and I have done in ages.  Rachel runs a website called 'Parenting for faith' and has written a couple of really interesting books. Her next one is about clergy kids.

5. We've been listening to Hallelujah Hear Below a bit.

6. Mrs C is reading Redeeming Love and can't put it down. 

7. Reading Eugene Peterson since he has died reminds me that when you write your voice lives on.

8. Leading a church is, at times, as hard as it looks. I heard recently of a Vicar I know who is now off with stress so it's a good corrective from time to time to attend to soul care, family, sabbath and right perspective.  I have been re-reading 'Emotionally Healthy Leadership' and am just starting 'Mosaic Leadership'. 

9. I look at every one chasing the 'new idea' rainbow and settle back down with my not very new idea that it's my job to preach Christ and him crucified.  It worked for Charles Spurgeon. 

10. I had an amazing afternoon on the Isle of Dogs praying with some fellow-travelers. I think we're planning to do the same thing monthly for 7 years. 

Eugene

Eugene Peterson died last week. I didn't know it was possible to mourn and be so upset about someone you've never met. Yet I am.

Here's a quote of his I have been pondering:

“Busyness is the enemy of spirituality.  It is essentially laziness.  It is doing the easy thing instead of the hard thing.  It is filling our time with our own actions instead of paying attentions to God’s actions.  It is taking charge.”

Saturday blog-sweep

Four ways to love a disappointing church

Hillsong and the Music Industry

7 reasons to stop claiming American's support Roe vs Wade

In praise of mediocrity

Pastors and email

Bishops and the civil partnership policy

Joyfully tough progress

“My pastor used to say you’re either coming out of a tough season, in the middle of a tough season, or heading into a tough season.” 

Craig Groeschel, Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are

Tuesday thoughts

1.  Of all the talks that were given at Focus it was Pastor Agu's on 'Prayer and church planting' that resonated most with me. Sadly they are not  putting it up on line.

2. I spent the weekend with John Eldredge at his 'Wild at Heart Bootcamp' in Wales with about 450 men. Everyone probably has a view on both the man and his books but all I can tell you is that it was a blessing to me in so many ways. I feel both reminded and inflamed afresh by the gospel and encouraged about the things that lie ahead.   Four days, no family (who I missed terribly), lots of silence and reflection, prayer, deep conversation and moving testimony, no mobile phone, my Bible and journal and some amazing men of God. We shared a cabin with a wonderful bunch of students from a church plant in Sheffield and simply being with these young lads who love Jesus and are so passionate about him truly warmed my soul. The last words of our time together are still with me:

"If I don't see you on the battlefield I'll see you at the banquet"

3. I haven't read a leadership book for 12 months- I've been fasting them. However, my fast is over and I have just started 'Mosaic Leadership'. It's profound stuff.

4. I was reminded over the weekend about that passage about hitting the ground in 2 Kings. As a result I am re-listening to this Furtick talk from LC13.

5. This book 'Bad Girl, Good God' caught my eye.

6. I was struck as I read Psalm 119 by how many times it mentions the heart.

7. One of our Connect Groups is spending the term listening to and reflecting upon Simon's 'Jesus' Glorious Commissions to the Church'. I listened to them driving around in August in the car and they so blessed me. Listen to them as a church staff, for yourself or with a group of friends. I can't think of a better way to spend £9.99.

8.  'The question is not what we intend ourselves to be, but what He intended us to be when he made us' C S Lewis

9. I have been reflecting much on Spiritual warfare and am revisiting William Gurnell's 'Chirstian in complete armour'

10. If you want another brilliant treatise on spiritual warfare, the first section of 'Walking with God through pain and suffering is worth spending some time in.

Monday musing

1. Lucy has written a good piece on 'Why charismatics need to read theology'

2. I do enjoy the sermons of a Baptist preacher called Johnny Hunt and I listened to this one on Psalm 71 called 'Psalms we need to sing'

3. I was at an event that happens in our church recently and looked across the room and thought if I just spent my time making disciples of those in the room (and they of me) that would probably be time well spent. Jesus spent his time with a very small number of folk and the rest is history. With the help of the Holy Spirit (for more read Holy Fire)

4. We started our new series on Ephesians and I showed this film as an intro.

5. I have returned to using Robert Murray McCheyne's Bible Reading Method

MY DEAR FLOCK, -- The approach of another year stirs up within me new desires for your salvation, and for the growth of those of you who are saved. "God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ." What the coming year is to bring forth who can tell? There is plainly a weight lying on the spirits of all good men, and a looking for some strange work of judgment upon this land. There is a need now to ask that solemn question -- "If in the land of peace wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" Those believers will stand firmest who have no dependence upon self or upon creatures, but upon Jehovah our Righteousness. We must be driven more to our Bibles, and to the mercy-seat, if we are to stand in the evil day. Then we shall be able to say, like David – “The proud have had me greatly in derision, yet have I not declined from Thy law.” “Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart standeth in awe of Thy word.”

6. Someone I pastor has been visited by deep fear. I have recommended some time reading 'Surprised by God'.

7.  I didn't know Luther was into journalling.

It’s not about us

1.  A friend I was at Vicar Factory said “....if you are going to read one book over the next decade make it ‘Surprised by God’ by Chris Green”. 

‘We need to grasp- or better, be grasped by- a vision of the divine nature and character. We have to come to know as fully as possible with life-determining force what God is really like’

P.3

2. I think I have already said this but ‘The man who made infinity’ made me cry even with my C in O-level maths. 

3. I was reminded at the weekend that it is the gospel that saves not us. It really is ...’power unto salvation’ 

4. The life of a missionary called Robert Morrison has gripped my heart. 

5. I have revisited Simon Walker who taught such a helpful course at college. His reflections on ‘Undefended leaders’ should be embibed by all who aspire to oversight of the local church. 

....’a leader is someone who takes responsibility for someone else’

‘Leading out of who you are’  p.17

6. Someone recommended a book to me called ‘Give up your small ambitions’ by Griffiths. 

7. ‘Child of God you cost Christ too much for him to forget you’ C H Spurgeon 

8. I told someone today, worrying about going on a difficult planting adventure, that the most invaluable experience of church I have ever had was in a church plant on an estate that never grew larger that 20 people. It’s not always about the numbers and on my reading of the NT letters they very frustratingly don’t tell me how many people came to which church......

9. I had a Holy Ghost experience in my local Tesco. 

10. I said in a sermon on Romans 10 at the weekend that the saddest words an unbeliever could ever utter might be ‘No one told me.’ 

The Relational Pastor

Over the last few months I have been reading a book slowly and underlining most of it. I often have a few books on the go and this one was recommended by a wise retired Vicar who also happens to be my friend’s dad. As she said ‘Dad and his retired Vicar friends are suggesting it to young leaders as an essential and timely corrective to a wrong and increasingly seductive mode of operating they observe in church leadership today’ 

This among many quotes struck me:

“....the great temptation of power is control, and the great consequence of control is lack of relationship. The reason that intimacy is so difficult in ministry is you’re not in control- you’re in relationship. You have to enter a person’s life and they have to enter yours. The minute you start becoming obsessed with control, you lose relationship. Sadly, pastors can get really good at seeming relational, but they are being manipulative. They know how to play the emotional angles. I think that probably the leading characteristic of successful pastors today is their control’. 

The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb, p. 136

Tim Keller on Secular drift

I was struck by a piece on the BBC news app about 'Humanist Chaplains'. It has made me think a bit about the consequences of severing our Christian foundations which as been much aided by Tim Keller's talk to the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast. There is so much in this talk that it deserves to be shared far and wide.

Saturday blog-sweep

1. I have been pondering Mike Frost's  'Pastoring in a post-Hybels world'.

2. Someone gave me 'Holy Fire' by R T Kendall which was response to John MacArthur's 'Strange fire'.  It makes a compelling and fascinating read. Measured, biblical and inspiring and one reviewer called it 'A landmark book'. I tend to agree. It's lit something afresh in me.

3. This is all truly horrific.

4. Interesting on 'a neutral state'.

5. Scripture before phone

6. Not every church service needs to be epic

7. The wise do not always weigh in

Moulded by him

‘God did not make others as I would have made them. God did not give them to me so that I could control them, but so that I might find the Creator by means of them.  Now other people, in the freedom with which they were created, become an occasion for me to rejoice, whereas before they were only a nuisance and trouble for me. God does not want to mould others into image that seems good to me, that is, into my own image’

Dietrich Bonhoeffer quoted in ‘The way of the dragon or the way of the lamb’, p. 117

Silent but moving forward

Sorry I have not blogged and I am sure the two readers I have have long since departed.

1.  I have just bought ‘Heretics and believers’ by Peter Marshall. 

2. Mary Kissell, who is part of our church, has just written ‘Before the days draw in’. I am loving it and it’s a wonderful potted history of a life of ministry. It’s also an account of the Charismatic Movement from the early ‘60’s. Superb. 

3. I have been reminded of Watchman Nee’s book called ‘Spiritual Authority’ recommended to me at a conference I attended in Tacoma over a decade ago. I bought it but never read it. 21 reviews and 4.5 stars on Amazon. 

4. A bunch of church leader pals and I have committed to pray together monthly for the next 7 years for the Revival of this land. Granted, those committed to this are small in number currently but there is something brewing I pray. We met today. Sweet time. 

5. I watched and read about George Carey and Peter Ball and it made me so angry having read this Guardian article. Lost for words. 

6. Peterson is selling out the O2 night. He is a voice for our time. 

7. I look at the saints we are gathering at Focus and what God has done our chruch makes me cry.

8. If you don’t have a mentor/ friend as a leader then get one. I wouldn’t be here without mine. 

9. I told a pal to read all three books Eugene Peterson wrote in critique of ‘CEO’ as pastor.

There is a biblical fact that there are no successful churches. There are , instead, communities of sinners, gathered before God week after week in towns and villages all over the world. The Holy Spirit gathers them and does his work in them. In these communities of sinners, one of the sinners is called pastor and given a designated responsibility in the community. The pastor's responsibility is to keep the community attentive to God. It is this responsibility that is being abandoned in spades'

Working the Angles, p.2  

10. I love curry.  

Five fold ministry

This made me chuckle particularly on 'pastors'....