Man shall not live by video projector alone...

...nor shall he live by carpets, the removal of pews of the instigation of youth and Children's work!

Lots of people around me at the moment are finding out about their training posts in Churches around the country. I pray that this will be a fulfilling and rewarding time for all of them, but I have noticed that there is an odd correlation in the things that people say.

When asked about the Churches that they will be serving and served by people frequently reply with something akin to the following, "It's quite a traditional Church at the moment, but I know the minister wants to move things on. They are intending on installing a video projector soon." (Or for video projector you can substitute "start a youth group", "get rid of the pews", "install a sound system" etc.)

Other than the fact that it is not necessary for people to justify their choice of training opportunity to me I find it curous that a mark of life in a Church is not seen as a relationship with the Father, faith in Jesus or the moving of the Spirit. Instead of focusing on issues of the heart we appear to see life as a purely cosmetic issue.

I concede that a well ordered worship space, a vibrant youth and children's programme and a holistic mission to the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the community are, amoung other thing, indeed outward signs of a healthy Church. However, I don't know that health can be gained through achieving these things.

I imagine that it's rather like good hair or clear skin. I'm told that healthy people, people who eat well, exercise and look after their bodies, do have a resultant positive effect on their outward appearances. Many of us try and achieve this healthy look through cosmetics, in the run-up to Christmas television is swamped with adverts promising "healthy looking hair" and "smoother looking skin". Not wishing to get into a discussion on the virtues of cosmetics it does occur to me that these solutions will not deal with the problem but cover is up, they do not make us healthy they merely allow us to give the appearance of health.

There is a problem in many Churches today that is we are trying to look like the healthy Churches (or even those Churches that appear healthy), instead we as Christians need to grow in spiritual health and pray for the spiritual health of our Churches. Then out of this health we might see the signs of life returning to our communities in both familiar and unexpected ways.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Ps 51:10)

Are you sitting comfortably?

Visited a Church last night... don't think it's helpful to use the patented Rylett Five-Star review strategy on people's acts of worship, but I do (of course) have some questions and some opinions...

Gen asked me how it was when I got home and my one-word would be "comfortable". This has nagged at me ever since, and this morning I remembered the welcome offered to visitors: "We hope you will be comfy".

Comfy... does Jesus call us to be comfy? He is the God who comforts those who mourn but I don't believe that there is a biblical precedent to be comfy? So why is the aim of so many of our Church meetings that we might be comfortable? Were the disciples comfortable as they saw demons cast out and outcasts welcomed in? Were the Pharisees comfortable as Jesus challenged and rebuked them? Was Paul comfortable as he moved across the empire speaking of Jesus?

Those who lead our Churches need to stop inviting us to be comfortable and start preaching the life-changing, transforming, healing, challenging, comforting, but never comfortable word of God.

Anyways... I was able to worship the God who is due all my praise and I thank him for speaking to me last night during the word, as a result I have had a rather uncomfortable day and I will worship Him more as a result.

Jesus, Jesus who?

It occurred to me the other day that before we preach it would be helpful to ask ourselves who is the Jesus I'm preaching about today?

There are many facets to the character of Jesus that we can (and should) be preaching about, the victorious Christ, the Messiah, the humble King, the judge, the list goes on and on. The danger is that we can, if we are not careful, preach none of these or worse we can preach a different Jesus, the loser, the pushover, the irrelevant, the docile etc.

So before we preach lets look back on our notes and ask which Jesus the word we've prepared communicates, and if it is no Jesus or the wrong Jesus lets have the courage to start a fresh with the life giving Jesus.

One final word???

It's been a long time since I last blogged but I'm sure the best thing to do is just get back on the horse. Having said that, I'm not sure that there is much time left, I went onto the BBC website this morning to check the weather and this is what I saw...

BS31 (Forecast for Bristol)

5 Day Forecast

Next 24 Hours

Tuesday

Heavy Rain Shower

Max: 21°C (70°F)
Min: 14°C (57°F)
Wind: SW 7mph

Wednesday

Heavy Rain Shower

Max: 20°C (68°F)
Min: 13°C (55°F)
Wind: SSW 9mph

Thursday

Heavy Rain Shower

Max: 21°C (70°F)
Min: 12°C (54°F)
Wind: NNE 7mph

Friday

Sunny Intervals

Max: 20°C (68°F)
Min: 14°C (57°F)
Wind: N 3mph

Saturday

N/A

Max: N/A (N/A)
Min: N/A (N/A)
Wind: N/A N/A

Weather "not applicable" on Saturday? My only suggestion is that the Apocalypse is on its way and somehow the BBC have prior warning...

Hung or Hanged?

Well, it's taken five days of wrangling but the UK finally has a government and I don't mind betraying myself and saying that I am a little hopeful. I had expected the idea of having DC in No.10 to be utterly depressing and the notion of a Con-Lib Coalition as horrifying, but I am... pleased and hopeful.

I don't know if it's the fact that Cameron didn't win his outright majority, but I have found his statements to the press in the last few days to be without his now signature smarmy tones and public school arrogance, possibly even with a certain amount of humility that I think is essential for the job.

As for hopeful, I think that the idea of UK politicians having to listen to one another and come to a mutual understanding that benefits the whole nation rather than there own support-base is very exciting. I think that the two party system where every 10 years or so you get a completely polarised new government trying their hardest to have their way until they're ousted again has led to inefficiency in economics and public services.

I'm hoping that a coalition government will bring balance, fairness and stability to the UK, however I am realistic that the signs aren't all there. I am particularly concerned that the press has already begun to say that "it'll never work" and is publishing stories that appear aimed solely at driving a wedge between either the parties of the coalition or them and their supporters.

Come on UK, lets reject our national cynicism for a change and give hoping a little go!

iPhone, the phone Jesus would use!

Proof it it were ever needed that the iPhone is "of the Lord". First Holy point to the iPhone:

iPhone 1 - Blackberry 0

Kick-Ass

Honestly? When I saw the trailer for Kick-Ass I turned to my friend and said "No way!" The idea of another american faux parody filled me with about as much excitement as a night out with a Public School Rugby team, But the more I heard about it the better it sounded. British story, british writers, (mostly) british main cast and then there were the reviews, from a glutch of four and five star endorsements to the one stars of the FT and the Mail (who referred to it as "evil"!) So this afternoon the same friend and I popped to sunny Feltham and took the plunge.

The story goes that a teenage boy growing up in New York wonders why no-one has ever tried being a superhero - so he gives it a go and "Kick-Ass" is born. Unsurprisingly he turns out not to be very good at it and inevitably gets his ass kicked more often than not. But along the way he meets other un-Superheros, gets mistaken for a gay gentleman by a pretty lady and inspires a city in various ways.

Much has been said about the 12 year old girl dropping the C and F bombs, the knife and gun violence, the severed limbs and the 15 certificate (and I know a number of people to whom I will certainly not be recommending this film on those grounds). But, as a Father, the thing that I actually found most uncomfortable was the manipulations by Nicolas Cage's morally grey Father of said 12 year old daughter, and I think that the film spoke well into this, even if only briefly, and resolve the Father character well within the plot.

So... I enjoyed it. I laughed (a lot), I hid my eyes in nervous anticipation and didn't look at my watch once from start to finish! There is a good plot without excess fat, some great lines and visual gags, enjoyable action and a top sound track.

Rating: ★★★★★

Would I recommend it? Yes (request your personal recommendation)

Do I want to ever see it again? Yes

Watch the trailer: (But don't let it put you off!)

Who do you worship?

We were created by God as worshippers. So the question is never
'whether' you worship, but 'what' do you worship. You can either
Worship the God in whose image you were made, who lived and died
because he loves you and so that you might live a life of freedom in
relationship with Him. Or you could worship your possessions, your
job, your friends, your family the list goes on.

Want to answer the question for yourself? Well look at your life and
ask "what do I sacrifice things for?" because true worship involves
sacrifice. If you sacrifice relationships because you are 'too' busy
at work then you worship your job - that doesn't sound fulfilling?!

As I was walking in the rain with God this afternoon I saw this sign:

Worship is for God and God alone! We do not worship because of what we might receive but because he is worthy or all our praise, all our adoration and all our lives. That's what makes him God!

Pint anyone?

I've just been at the funeral and thanksgiving service of a long standing member of HT, someone I've known since I first arrived here nearly six years ago. I was struck by the tributes that were made to him and, in particular, how little I really knew about him. We weren't particularly close but I suppose I thought I had him pretty well pegged (through arrogance most likely).

It has made me wonder, how much do I actually know about the people in my life? How many people could I match to their tributes if they were laid out in front of me in some life-sized mix'n'match game?

I think it's probably time for me to repent on my arrogance and show some real interest in people rather than keeping them in their very neat pigeon holes. (In the words of my friend WIll) "I'm not gonna lie..." I think it'll be hard for me and I'll forget to do over and over again, but here's to starting another new adventure...

Pint anyone?

Do real men sing?

"The sight of men in their 30s with arms outstretched, baring their souls", if only this was the sight in our Churches across the UK? Alas it is not the description of Sunday Evening at Holy Trinity but that of a recent review of Noel Gallagher's first solo concert.

Time and time again people have said to me "Men just don't like to sing", "Men won't express emotion". "Rubbish", I cry "of course they do!" But where and when is interesting; in a football stadium, check; in the shower, check; at a rock concert, check. At Church... not on your nelly misses. But WHY? Why is it that once a man walks into a Church he leaves his emotions at the door? Or if that is not the case then why is it that as Church leaders we are so incapable of reaching the male emotions.

A friend posted this link on his blog some time back where the implication is that even Mr Redman has bought into the belief that men don't sing: http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-men-and-church-singing.html Oh Matt, they do, they do! But how are we going to release them, give them freedom to sing with the same "soul baring" fervour as they do at a Noel Gallagher gig or a football match?

If you want to read more about Noel's solo gig, go ahead I love this quote:

The sight of men in their 30s with arms outstretched, baring their souls as well as their paunches to the stage, is one that Noel Gallagher must be used to by now.

Shutter Island

The latest Martin Scorsese film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Leo plays a US Marshall sent to a secure psych hospital on a remote island to investigate the mysterious disappearance of an inmate. As you can imagine (and is telegraphed by the ominous music) things don't turn out to be straight forward in this "B-movie" style psychological thriller as the lines between good and bad as well as reality and delusion blur frequently.

Having watched it this afternoon, I have to admit, that my first reaction as I left the cinema was not a positive one. As a sucker for a happy ending I was left feeling that I had simply not enjoyed this film, on reflection though there are things that I admired. The frequent twists and blurring between reality and delusion kept me sucked in to the very end (even if it was only in the hope that reality would shine) as well as leaving me with an odd sense of questioning my own reality as I cycled home! Also, as I think back over the different set pieces in the movie, the subtleties on the plot have become more engaging to me, to the point where (after three hours in recovery) I feel inclined to watch it again to pick it to pieces as it goes.

The acting is good throughout if not appropriately hammy in places, the pictures and sound do a similar job of immersing you while always overstepping the line enough. I think it was a little long though, one twist too many?

Rating: ★★★★✩

Would I recommend it? Yes, as long as you like them fairly strong

Do I want to ever see it again? Yes, if only to redress my own naivety

Watch the trailer:

Coincidence?

I was going to write a post about the fashion sense of a homeless chap I met in Richmond on Tuesday. He had been sat at the adjacent table to ours at a cafe talking to an evangelist, after they had finished he received a Bible and an invitation to Kentucky Fried Chicken that Sunday. We started talking because he noticed my Superdry Jacket and wanted to know if it was good for winter because he had just bought one for £170 which he was very happy with... which seemed bizarre to me, but after our conversation my wife pointed out that it was perfectly in keeping with his designer hat, glasses, jeans and shoes! Even the homeless people in Richmond dress better than I do!

I was talking to a member of our Church this morning about a homeless man about 3 miles away from Richmond, whom he had shared his phone and a conversation with on Monday night and how he had prayed for him. As he recanted the tale Rob mentioned the man he met had just had a stroke... "funny", I said "I met a homeless chap yesterday who had just had a stoke. What did he look like?" "Well", replied Rob "he was wearing a Superdry Jacket"!

So? Was it just coincidence? Is it perfectly normal or the current trend for homeless people to pay more for coats than I do? Or did God, by his grace, do an amazing thing in Jason's life this week and give Rob and me a huge encouragement to boot? God did amazing things at HT this Sunday evening, over half the congregation were moved to come forward for prayer to intercede and be bold witnesses... then stuff like this happens in the next few days. I can't wait to hear what other coincidences have happened this week...

If you can't fix it with Gaffa tape, you haven't used enough!

Saw this in our flats today and it made me laugh... Another fine repair job from the boys at Richmond Housing Partnership.

Is Jesus Necessary?

I just want to stop and ask the question, "Is Jesus resurrection presence necessary at the Church meetings I lead?" The easy answer is "Yes", of course, but what I mean is if Jesus wasn't there, would it make any difference to us? I ask because the worrying thought is that maybe it wouldn't, we would worship, talk and pray but is that relationship or is that just form or religion?

Do we worship because he is there with us or is the fact that he is there incidental? What would be different if we knew that he was? When we speak do we speak of Jesus or do we speak of the things of Jesus? When we pray do we commune with the person and power of God or just fire them off in the hope that someone (or even something) might hear them and chose to do something about it?

I'm not sure that I have any answers at the moment; simply the passion and desire that Jesus is entirely necessary, but the nagging suspicion that in practice he is simply a desirable accessory to our forms of religion.

"Hello World"

My first post... The pressure to say something profound or at the very least not utterly boring is quite overwhelming, but it is that sense of being overwhelmed when I find myself in situations like this that has inspired me to give it a go. I am here to try and find my voice. I don't know if anyone else will want to listen to that voice, but that is not the point, I am here to try to learn to speak it.

I don't know what this will become, but let the adventure being...