Thursday, July 14, 2016

Bits and bobs

1. Interesting piece in the Guardian about the Conservatives doing God again.

2. A review of 'Why vote leave' which new Tory cabinet ministers will probably all have on their bedside tables.

3. May's mission

4. We had a great word at 'The Sanctuary' (our monthly prayer night) on 'Come to me all you who are burdened'. This post on 'The spirituality of vacation' is worth a read.

5. A week until a crowd of us head off to Focus

6. I am preaching on spiritual gifts in a series inspired by reading 'Jesus continued'. This quote is included in Sunday's message.

"Whatever you are good at, do it well for the glory of God- and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God " (p. 129)

7. Ian Paul on Synod's shared conversations. This post 'Where the difference lies' also caught my eye quoting Ruth Gledhill suggesting that sexuality issues have at their root the role of Biblical authority.

8. I learnt yesterday about Pokemon go

9. This photo made me smile.

10. I chatted with a mum today about video games and a particular incident her child had faced relating to 'Grand theft auto'. Driscoll was asked recently 'Should a Christian play video games'. I have in the past found his three categories: Receive, Reject or Redeem quite helpful when thinking about cultural engagement.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Disciples

I sometimes dose through sermons that I put on in the very early morning. This morning, I was dosing through 'The Glory of God as the ground of the minds certainty and the goal of the Soul's satisfaction' ( now that title positively trips of the tongue) and one statement shook me into being fully awake.

This was it:

'If you don't want God more than anything else- you're not a Christian'

This is a deep and long talk but is worth 1 hr 7 mins and I have been mulling on that one sentence all day since I heard it. Mulling and praying.

I have also been considering what it means to be 'a disciple' and have spent some time asking how we, as a church, are doing on our desire to be a people who 'make disciples'. I came across this talk by a chap called Ron Edmondson who gave these eight marks of a disciple he got from a book called 'Growing up':

1. Bible engagement
2. Obeying God and denying self
3. Serve God and others
4. Sharing Christ
5. Exercising faith
6. Seeking God
7. Building relationships
8. Unashamed transparency.

It was the last one 'unashamed transparency' that jumped out at me and I rather like it as a marker of discipleship.

We are planning to go from one to two services in the morning from September and have a great logo to communicate as much. I do know we may need more than a logo i.e plenty of prayer needed over the summer and we've also planned a preaching series entitled 'Invited'.

Indeed, you are, and bring friends.....

Disciples

I sometimes dose through sermons that I put on in the very early morning. This morning, I was dosing through 'The Glory of God as the ground of the minds certainty and the goal of the Soul's satisfaction' ( now that title positively trips of the tongue) and one statement shook me into being fully awake.

This was it:

'If you don't want God more than anything else- you're not a Christian'

This is a deep and long talk but is worth 1 hr 7 mins and I have been mulling on that one sentence all day since I heard it. Mulling and praying.

I have also been considering what it means to be 'a disciple' and have spent some time asking how we, as a church, are doing on our desire to be a people who 'make disciples'. I came across this talk by a chap called Ron Edmondson who gave these eight marks of a disciple he got from a book called 'Growing up':

1. Bible engagement
2. Obeying God and denying self
3. Serve God and others
4. Sharing Christ
5. Exercising faith
6. Seeking God
7. Building relationships
8. Unashamed transparency.

It was the last one 'unashamed transparency' that jumped out at me and I rather like it as a marker of discipleship.

We are planning to go from one to two services in the morning from September and have a great logo to communicate as much. Plenty of prayer needed over the summer and we've also planned a preaching series entitled 'Invited'.

Indeed you are and bring friends.....

Monday, July 11, 2016

Monday musing

1. I haven't read the book but love the idea of 'Moving towards the mess'

2. Marriage takes constant work and I found this short post called 'The Silent Marriage Killer' a blessing. Last year Mrs C and I did 'The Marriage Course' which I would recommend to anyone wanting to put some good habits and foundations into a marriage.

3. In 'The Prayer Course' Pete Greig talks about '...praying the Bible'. I can commend 'A call to spiritual reformation' as a way to help you do that.

4. A while back I really enjoyed watching 'The History of Christianity'.  MacCullough has a new book out called 'All things new'

5. Andrew Jones (TSK) sadly reports the death of his wife.

6. A mega-church pastor falls foul of the drink.

7. I was blessed by this little clip about praying in Jesus name and the power of his word.

Thursday, July 07, 2016

An unseen revolution

Jonathan Martin, author of the book I am currently reading called 'How to survive a shipwreck' included this quote in his recent post 'Hey preacher'.

From Herbert McCabe’s Love, Law and Language:   “The Christian minister is meant to be neither the pillar of an established quasi-feudal order, as conservative Christians are inclined to think, nor is he the democratic representative of a quasi-bourgeois society as the progressives seem to suggest; he is a revolutionary leader whose job is the subversion of the world through the preaching of the gospel.  He exercises authority amongst his people not as maintaining an established structure; he is the leader of his people in a movement towards a new community.  He is representative of his people not necessarily in the sense of being their elected spokesman; he may represent them in the way a revolutionary leader does, a way that is not obvious to them and only becomes clear when the revolution is achieved.”

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

The little room

Rev Gary Jenkins in this post offered up a fascinating Churchill quote (source Robert Harris in the Sunday Times)

"Late one night in 1917, at the height of the First World War, Winston Churchill beckoned to a fellow Liberal MP to join him for a final look inside the deserted Commons chamber. Everyone else had gone home. “All was darkness,” wrote the MP in his diary. “We could dimly see the table, but walls and roof were invisible. ‘Look at it,’ he said. ‘This little place is what makes the difference between us and Germany. It is in virtue of this that we shall muddle through to success & for lack of this Germany’s brilliant efficiency leads her to final disaster. This little room is the shrine of the world’s liberties.’”

Monday, July 04, 2016

Monday musing

1. I was reminded yesterday by Will's sermon of grace He started a six-week series inspired by 'Jesus continued'.

2. The current UK leadership vacuum reminds us all of the need for some sort of plan. Michael Hyatt wrote a book called 'Living Forward' which we could have done with a bit of recently.

3. Eric Metaxas has a new book out. In this review, my interest peaked at the mention of a James K A Smith book called 'You are what you love: The spiritual power of habit' which has reviews packed with theological debate. I lingered a while reading them.

4. Interesting reflections on Ian Paul's blog about 'priestly ministry'.

5. I am still enjoying Jonathan Martin's 'How to survive a shipwreck' which I would recommend to anyone who wants to dig deep below your own surface waters.

6. I have rediscovered Piper talks in the early and sleep-interrupted hours and listened to this one called 'The bondage of the will'.

7. The BiOY has been such a blessing recently.

8. Andrea Leadsom was very composed until Marr caught her napping at the end with a blinding question about her tax returns.

9. Tim Challies mentions a few new and notable books.

10. Brexit and social divisions.

Saturday, July 02, 2016

The King

'I have this picture in my head of being part of a village, once an enemy of the King. But the King conquered us and we knew he now controlled our fate. Fear overwhelmed us. But then a messenger brought news of the King. And the message was good news. He not only forgave us but promised us he would fight for us now and give us all we needed. We knew we deserved punishment but instead we receive grace and mercy. I keep that picture in my head all the time.'

These beautioful words of Matt Redmond spoke to my heart today @ Echoes and Stars

Saturday blog-sweep

3 elements to your calling via Dash House

Brexit basics and an updated Basics 2

True leaders are teachable

The poor and Brexit

The Book of Jeremiah

Centenary of the Battle of the Somme

Why praying the prayer is not enough

Brexit, Hate Crime and Fear: What's the Christian response?

A history of the sinners prayer

The awkward love story of Trump and American evangelicals

The Conservative party at prayer

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