Hmmm

Just to let you know, after I wrote the last post, I spoke to someone about the damage to the sign, very supportive, and everyone else has been as well, great eh?

I just read on another blog, a comment made, I believe it is a quote of Shane Claiborne's, although I could be way out. 'Jesus said it, so He must have meant it, so I'm going to live it.' Can't argue with that really, it does remind me of a Neitzsche quote I may also have out of context, and i may be reading it differently to others, but, here it is ' In truth, there was only one christian, and He died on the cross.' Jesus was the only true real deal.

Some of my other favourite quotes;

'Hate the sin, love the sinner' Gandhi
'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.' Also Gandhi
'Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, free at last.' Martin Luther King
'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' Shakespeare
' Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.' Dickens
'Its so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see one.' CS Lewis.

I could go on, I like quotes, the CS Lewis one is a new one for me, and there were some rude ones I like as well, but i won't publish them. Ho hum.

Last night

Youth cafe last night, went well, almost doubled last weeks numbers, must be doing something right, problem is, the church sign got broke, we are now Diss Christian Comnunity hu .

For me, accidents happen and we had well over 30 young people, about 20 of those having nothing to do with the church, as a church who has had no youth outreach for a long time, to be finally getting into the lives of young people in the town, is the point for me.

I am just a little worried about some peoples reaction and my planning, I was under staffed last night, and something of the church got damaged. I just find myself getting very defensive about this venture, nobody has said anything, I am doing what I usually do, letting things fester. I have noticed other people doing this lately.

I really feel this is one of the biggest dangers in churches, small groups, organisations, friendships and any ventures. Not dealing with issues, not being honest or big enough to speak up when you can and walking away, letting things fester, boil up inside, creating divides, bitterness, anger, hate and this is when people leave churches, etc....

Jesus talks about it, before coming to the altar, if you have a problem with your brother, go and deal with it. Jesus said it has to be done, understandable why.

Of course there are ways of doing this, assertively, honestly, with compassion, but do not let things fester.

Putting it down in black and white.

No picture today, sorry. Just wanted to put this down, throw this out there, tell a little story, of what is happening personally and with some people close to me at the moment. I feel this is being dragged out into the light right now, I need to start realising that God is doing something brilliant round here at the moment and there are some people being brought together in a real spirit driven way.

Let me explain myself more clearly, myself, my wife and several friends in our local church, have been really challenged as to how we are living our lives, there has been a couple of books doing the rounds, notably the irresistable revolution, our local church has just done a teaching series on the early church and very importantly, biblically we are finding Matthew 25: 31-46, the sheep and goats passage, the biggest challenge.

I suppose we are all asking how can we be there more for the needy, how can we live truer to His ways.

DC3 are taking this on as a church, we want to make this personal and real, as a group,( as I believe we are trying to do this as individuals anyway) so right now, we are looking at ways of throwing our lot in together, and approaching need and community, truly in non condemnational love, close to the early churches ways, being responsive to His ways as a community ourselves.

I don't exactly know what all that means right now, but I pray that God is in it, and He guides us in His ways.

Oh Well

Northern Ireland lost, thats ok, we did so much better than anyone ever anticipated, just as well as England in fact, and we had harder opposition.

Tanya asked me the other night if God likes football, I'm just wondering who He would support, I have come to the conclusion that if He does not support Northern Ireland, He does not support anyone, in all seriousness, He does not support anyone. The reason I write this, is because it opens up the whole issue of God supporting countries in other things they do, I mean generally war, does God support one country against another, do we ever have Gods support to kill, to wound, to hurt. No.

I read today that over 30million people in America last year did not have enough food at some point in that year, I know the president will be using his veto to stop the giving of free medical care to children to who cannot afford it, because it is against the principles of private health care. I wonder what God supports, war or the hungry, dispossessed, sick. You don't really have to wonder, do you.

Down

I have felt absolutely crap since Friday night, since the youth cafe kicked off, not physically, in the head, can't seem to get things right. Had a small group last night with some young people, went well, but I got really angry with them at one point, I mean they were really pushing it, but still, I recognise I am not in a great place, I've been a right gripe to live with as well.

I was speaking with Graham Blake on Monday night, He is the leader of DC3, I told him how I was feeling, he said that every time he speaks, and he feels it was a really good word, that got home, the next day, he feels really low. Just him telling me this, I felt a real burden being lifted, he said you are on a high, moving into enemy territory, making a difference for Jesus, the enemy does not like it.

So even though I got a bit angry last night, I am really starting to feel a lot better, I recognise how I have been, I am going to move forward in the name of Jesus, He is my strength, and I really thank him for the honesty of Graham and great friends, and the fact that I have the oppurtunity to work in His name and move into that territory.

Honesty and vulnerability really speak to people, knowing you are not the only one who struggles with an issue, knocks down strongholds, maybe I'll expand on this some other time.

Lastly, please pray for Northern Ireland tonight, if we beat Spain, and Latvia beat Sweden, please pray for Latvia too, Northern Ireland will qualify for euro2008.

HIJACKED

I have been wanting to write this post, or something like it, for a while now, I kept forgetting, or not having the time, well here goes.

I do not like the way the world has hijacked words and ways of life which are pure and of God, and made them into something dirty, I also am upset at sayings in the world, which even christians believe, but are not of God. I am about to give examples so I may be clearly understood.

'Lover, Christ is my lover'. How the world would twist that, I am sitting here feeling very vulnerable about writing that line, and feeling the need to explain what I mean, I'm not going to, the world has corrupted, I am not playing its games. The bonds of friendship between men and boys has become something that has been tainted, I see this in youth work, lads struggling to communicate with their peers, their friends, due to barriers that have been put up by the world.

On the other side of things, there are those sayings or ways of the world, that a lot of us have followed, and believe, which just are not true. The example of this I notice the most is the belief that there is someone for everyone, that we should all be married and bring up great and strong Christian families. This is not true, its not biblically true, it is not right to lie to our children, and put that pressure on them. It is ok to be single, forever, to follow God, can even be easier sometimes, Paul did it, so have countless others throughout history.

I just want to claim words and ways back for God, I want the truth to be His truth, not the worlds truth, His ways not my ways.

In reference to the picture, I feel like sounding a horn.

Friday night

Started the youth cafe on Friday night. It went great, a really good atmosphere, plenty of young people, mainly from outside of the church, which to be perfectly honest, I feel, is the point.

Its good that as a church, we can offer something else for the church youth, I feel we need to be saying to our youth, here is this full life, come and live it. In DC3, right now, we are getting to a point where the youth in our church, have so many options of things they can be involved in, we need to keep on pushing.

Obviously, the natural next step of this, is to say, what about all those young people, who do not have a clue about Jesus, or the church, or love?
The youth cafe that has started, I am praying is the start of letting the young people in Diss know we are here, we care, we are not here to judge, or sell, or preach, or brainwash.
We are going to show who we are, and we are going to let people know about the other things we do as a church, we do have a prayer request box, we are going to listen, befriend, care, share and try to help where we can.

I really pray the focus stays on jesus, thanks for your prayers, its been a great start, the building on that starts now.

Today

Starting tonight in Diss, Norfolk, the DC3 Youth Cafe, welcome.

I'm excited, and I feel really blessed and grateful, come what may, it may be slow to start, but its great to say to this town, now, we are here for your youth, its great to say to the youth, there is no reason to hang out freezing your bums off, come in we are here for you.

I have felt a real peace this week within myself, God has just had His hand on me, calming any storms. I read this week in my daily reading about the Israelites, as they were taken off into captivity, as Jerusalem lay in ruins, they sang, as it says in lamentations, 'because his compassions fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness', that has stuck with me, whatever happens, He is faithful, and every day He is ready with more compassion and love and blessing. Thankyou God.

When I was reading that word, it reminded me of the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness , some great words, 'all I hath needed thy hand hath provided', 'strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow' I love it, in the words of a more secular song, 'its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life, for me, and i'm feeling good.'

I know a God who gives me peace, but also lights a fire inside me.

To do list

This Friday night the youth cafe starts at our church, I'm busy.

I really wanted this to happen, I have pushed for it, planned for it, prayed for it, I really think this is important. I really want to be reaching out to the young people in this town, to let them know we are here.

That is the biggest thing, being there, letting people know we are there, for them.

I am going to have a busy week, I really want everything to be all right , I have people in place, I have tv's and music to check out, I have tuck to buy. I want people to turn up, I need to give out more fliers.

I really need God in this, I need Him to be there now and on Friday night. I really need Him to be in this and for this to be about Him and His will. Thanks God for the oppurtunity to do this, thankyou for the trust of your family, I really need their continued support, anyone reading, I would really appreciate your prayer.

fellowship

Had a really good day yesterday, a real day of fellowship. I went to church and spoke to some people I haven't spoke to in a while, had a really good time of worship, a real sense of God's presence. I then had to speak to the church about the youth cafe I'm starting, asking for volunteers and prayer, I got a really good response and should be able to cover the Friday nights I'm going to be running this on.

After church I was asked to play football, just 6 a side on a local astro turf pitch, hence the picture. If you don't know me I'm overweight, supposedly, an ex smoker, ex very heavy drinker, now just a heavy drinker ( only joking ), and generally I don't exercise, except for the fact of having 3 kids, my job and my church things, anyway I am so unfit, and how that was highlighted yesterday, it was only a small pitch, just a muck about, I can hardly move today, I really ache, I have to start exercising somehow.

A really good time of fellowship, a real good laugh, I probably lost about a stone in sweat, God is good.