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...