Do spell-checkers make Freudian slips?

This might amuse you: I was typing a letter today inviting people to take up some free training as specialist mental health hospital visitors. I used the word 'befrienders' which the spell-checker objected to and underlined in red - when I checked the alternative the spell-checker was suggesting, it wanted to change befrienders to bartenders! Now there's an idea ...

Bonus blessings

The original inspiration for the idea of creating a Church library came from two people independently of each other recommending I read a particular book, but each having already loaned their copy to someone else when I asked to borrow it. Thus was born the idea of creating an online catalogue of the books on our private bookshelves and having a system for tracking loans. That was my starting point - and at that point I hadn't envisaged being responsible for managing a physical stock of books ... but then of course I learned of the large box of children's books which someone had kindly donated and having loved reading as a child, I was very keen to make these available to our kids. Then someone donated the library of Christian literature they had been given ... and it seemed only right to catalogue all the books lining the wall of the foyer at the Beacon building ... and then today I tried to resist when I was given yet another bag full of books but upon glancing in the bag, my resolve was undone. There they were, shining in pristine glory, looking 'as new' ... how could a bibliophile refuse?

So what are the 'bonus blessings' of this post's title?

As I've been cataloguing all the books, various charming bookmarks have dropped out. Here is the poem from one such:

The Power of Prayer

The day was long, the burden I had borne

Seemed heavier than I could longer bear,

And then it lifted - but I did not know

Someone had knelt in prayer;

Had taken me to God that very hour,

And asked the easing of the load, and He,

In infinite compassion, had stooped down

And taken it from me.

We cannot tell how often as we pray

For some bewildered one, hurt and distressed,

The answer comes, but many times those hearts

Find sudden peace and rest.

Someone had prayed, and Faith, a reaching hand,

Took hold of God, and brought Him down that day!

So many, many hearts have need of prayer:

Oh, let us pray!

And another bonus blessing: in that bag of books I received today is the very book that inspired the creation of the library. Praise the Lord :-)

All Hallows' Eve

I know that the church frowns upon Hallowe'en and discourages doorstep trick or treating, but I would like to offer an alternative viewpoint.

At a recent Sunday service Mark asked the question, "What is sin?" and I suggested one answer is that it is what separates us from God. Looking at the story of Adam and Eve in the Good News Bible, I noticed that it wasn't so much the sin that separated them from God - it was fear. I thought about how Paul reached the unbelievers by meeting with them where they were at. How often do we get non-Christians knocking on our door in the hoping of receiving a gift? Can I suggest that as Christ's body, we shouldn't be turning those people away with nothing - that we take a loving look at those that come knocking and offer them something special?

How's this for a suggestion: we create some sort of 'token' along with an invitation to the inaugural meeting of the Beacon in the new sports hall at Kings - invite them to come along to that service where they will be able to redeem their token for a gift. (The gift could be a goody bag which includes a tract - plus information about Kids' Club, Kids' Church etc. - maybe the bags could be age appropriate). Then any church members that wish to take part, hand out these 'tokens' and invitations to the 4th November service to any trick or treaters knocking at the door on Wednesday night.

I realise we haven't got much time to organise something like this but feel that it is achievable nonetheless!

As I've been cataloguing books for the Beacon Library, I happen to have a Good News Bible that was amongst the books donated by Trish McQ, which she in turn had received from someone else. I picked it up this morning to re-read the verse where Adam and Eve first hide from God, and came across a bookmark which says: "God longs to do good things for us. So few experience His goodness because so few believe in it". I took this as encouragement that we should use our best endeavours to spread the word of God's goodness. This seems like a way to do it and to capitalise on the opportunity of having unbelievers coming to our very doorstep.

Sunday 21stOctober 2007: Mark's preaching on Joshua 10:29-43 – A response

The passage is titled, 'Southern cities conquered'. This is the story of Joshua on the offensive. It makes uncomfortable reading to modern-day readers. It tells of what would be referred to nowadays as 'ethnic cleansing'. Every moral fibre of our body cries out against each 'conquest'. With eloquent understatement, Mark described it as a 'difficult' passage from which to preach. Last summer as the sermon series followed the book of Acts, we encountered something similar: Saul persecuting the 'followers of the Way', seeking them out with murderous intent. Mark characterised the Saul of that time as a 'baddie', yet Joshua is generally regarded to be one of the heroes of the house of Israel. From where did he get his mandate for what he did? We are told he was doing all that Moses had commanded, all that Moses had left undone, in accordance with the commandment Moses had from the Lord. Non-believers aren't afraid to ask the question: how does this fit the picture of a benevolent and loving God? I think it's a valid question. Can we doubt that these violent acts were really commanded by God? Let's have a look at some other scriptures.

Psalm 40:6 tells us 'sacrifice and offering you did not desire'.
Hosea 6:6 'For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.'
Matthew 9:13 'But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 12:7 "If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent."
Hebrews 10:8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them"
and from Isaiah 66:2 "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit …"

In the light of these words, were Joshua's actions pleasing to a Lord who desires no sacrifice except that of our pride?

The prophet laments (Jeremiah 17:9) 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?' and immediately we have the response: "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind,

I would like to suggest something quite controversial. I would like to suggest that human beings (including the heroes of the Old Testament) are prone to error – sometimes we get it wrong. When we look at the world, we're looking at it with many preconceived notions. The experiences we have, we interpret according to our thoughts. If our thinking is flawed, so will be the conclusions we draw from our experiences. Those flawed conclusions will then affect our behaviour and decisions. Psychologists talk about projection. Here is an example of how it works: if I'm inclined to take what belongs to other people, it is likely that I will make the assumption that other people will take what belongs to me: to project my own faults onto others. Thus I will fear encounters, and be defensive when meeting others. If in my defensive state I misinterpret something, I may then go on the offensive. The problem is then compounded because this is likely to put others on the defensive – driven by their own fears.

The 'heart' (the core of our beliefs – the body of conclusions we've drawn from our life experience to date – all that affects our response to each encounter) may be deceitful above all things, but not beyond cure. That is why Jesus came. The Israelites had had the law for generations, but they were misinterpreting it, missing the point. Jesus came and taught that the real meaning of the law was only seen when interpreted with love: love for God, love for our 'neighbour' (which in the story of the Good Samaritan, he made it clear was defined as anyone whom we encounter on our journey) and love for ourselves. He modelled the way of love, every word and action motivated not by fear but by love. Then he went home and sent out his Spirit to search our 'hearts', to test our thoughts and to provide guidance and good counsel so that as we read and absorb the story of the Israelites and reflect upon it in the light of Jesus' teaching, we will be able to use it as a mirror and to check our own 'hearts'. When we spot something out of alignment with the image of a benevolent and loving God (as modelled by Jesus), we can 'take every thought captive to Christ' – confess our wrong thinking to each other and pray for each other. As we bring it to the light, the Spirit will be able to cure our 'hearts'. When we learn to embrace Jesus as the atonement, when we learn to extend the Kingdom of Heaven (where love reigns eternal) to our neighbour, to love as we are loved, then God's name will no longer be held in disrepute by non-believers.

This morning as I re-read the passage, my mind went off at a seeming tangent. I thought about the internet world – specifically about 'Usenet' or newsgroups, as they are called, where people (called 'posters') from all over the world are able to gather together in the virtual sense and have a conversation. In my early days on Usenet I would occasionally come across the word 'kerplunk'. I soon learnt that this was used by a poster to indicate that they had 'killfiled' another poster. A kill file was a way of ensuring that any conversational gambit written by the 'killfiled' poster would not be seen by the person making the kill file. In other words, it was a way of saying, "May it be as though you are dead to me". We may not go around putting a sword to every person or group of people we consider to be 'not one of us' (at least I hope we don't!), but do we walk the extra mile as Jesus asks – do we endeavour to listen to those whose words we may find offensive and look into the mirror with Christ's help to allow him to search our hearts and minds and purify them, refine them, so that every encounter becomes a testimony to God's love, bringing truth, justice, mercy, forgiveness, grace and healing to our world?

Our God is a God of relationships and calls us into relationship. If those relationships are flawed and not fully subject to the rule of love, I believe He wants to assist us in setting them right. He is, after all, the God of redemption.

'From my notebook': Power & Creativity

Power

We give some people power over us
- if we respect someone and trust their judgement, we give them the power to influence us (or alternatively, they win the power to influence us by gaining our respect).
- if we love someone, we give them power over us
- if we are afraid of someone, that allows them to have power over us
- authority vested from outside (eg. boss to subordinate relationship).

Creativity

'The bible reading today was about memories - how we try to suppress the bad ones, but they pop up at times to drag us down. As I meditated on what I had learned (and asked healing for my own painful memories), I came to a full realisation that LOVE INSPIRES CREATIVITY (whether the creation might be an artistic work, or sometimes it might be something more ethereal, like the success we make of our lives). When we love, it inspires us to greater heights (eg. Hazel's current artistic embroidery of the dove). Also led me on to ask whether the great creative geniuses had a greater capacity for love. Would be interesting to find out whether they were particularly inspired by love. Love is a reaching out to others - just as creativity is. Where is the joy in creating something if we are the only ones to experience it - if we have no audience to appreciate it. We seek the appreciation of those we love for the things we do that we are proud of. One discouraging word about our creation from someone we love is more powerful than paeons of praise from someone for whom we feel no respect/love.

God created the world. His creation was perfect and beautiful. He wants His children (whom He loves) to love Him and to appreciate the beauty of His creation.

From my notebook: 15th April 1987

'From my notebook': 7 April 1987

(Notes from a Seminar, supplemented by my own notes)
Low self-esteem is the devil's greatest tool

- WHY?
Why is this the devil's greatest weapon?
Self image = an important factor in determining the course of our life, very influential (second only to our concept of God).

'Psycho-cybernetics' - "Steering your mind to a productive, useful goal .... so you can reach the greatest port in the world ... peace of mind." (Dr. Maxwell Maltz)
New faces = new futures - book of case histories showing amazing changes which can take place
BUT: some failures - even after plastic surgery, some people don't change their self-image. New faces do not automatically change self-image

- possible to change the picture they have of themselves. Reconstruct and remove old emotional scars.

Self-image is the key to change, and the key to relationships.

1) Sense of belongingness - of being loved, wanted, accepted, enjoyed, etc. (believed to begin before birth!)

2) Sense of worth and being

3) Being comptetent - able to cope

These three combine to give triad of feelings. Where do these concepts come from?
(Evolutionary -v- Child of God? 'Clever animal' -v- 'super system' (like a computer)?


What are the things of Christian life that help us to build up in these three areas, of belonging, of sense of worth, of being able to cope?

Caught up into God's family - and also learn we have part to play in God's plan. Cross + doctrine of redemption - covenant relationship - BOUGHT us by his blood.
The doctrine of Grace + irrespective of education, etc., we take our place within the church - no distinctions of status, or of powerlessness, all under grace.

How can church give people this feeling of intrinsic value and worth?
- show real love in concern for them, sharing, etc.; take interest in what is going on in their lives (even the most 'difficult' people to deal with may meet love in the church to build up sense of worth).
- recognising God-given gifts
- allowing people to contribute in any way they can; each job IS important

How can church give people this feeling of competence?
- Apostle Paul: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". God gives the strength - he enables us to do the jobs he has called us to;
- people may need to be helped to recognise that things or gifts God has given are God-given and important (may require an act of Faith - stepping out in belief that God will be able to uphold us)

Factors affecting concept of self:
1) Outer world: inheritance, birth, infancy, experiences to date - how were we treated in early years?
2) Inner world
3) Satan & forces of evil
4) God

Formative years = most important
'Looking glass self' - in childhood we see ourselves by how others relate to us ('Now we see in a mirror dimly ...') . Part of maturity is gaining a fuller understanding.
We begin to take on the shape of the person we see reflected in the way our parents see us - how they treat us. What if their view of us is distorted by their own experiences? That distorted perception can distort us.

Our feelings of inadequacy stop us being our best for Jesus.

Being neglected in our formative years; cut-downs, syrupy, make-believe love: these lead to hurts and emotional scars that can last a lifetime. [USEFUL TO GAIN INSIGHT, BUT NOT TO APPORTION BLAME]

Here ends the notes from the seminar. The following comments were thoughts triggered by the seminar:

LET'S NOT CRIPPLE OUR CHILDREN WITH OUR OWN INADEQUACIES!

Vicious circle - if parents are not themselves emotionally mature, how can they successfully bring children to this maturity? If the tools for self-determination are not placed firmly in the hands of young adults, can they ever break the cycle? How does society help to make young adults feel they belong - foster a sense of worth, of being comptetent and able to cope? What sense of worth does a widow raising young children feel? If we take money as a measure of value - how much do we value our housewives and mothers and widows? What importance is placed on these roles in our society? They have the tremendous responsibility of raising the future generation, yet how much do they get paid for doing it?

Mothers are constantly under attack - ie. their self-esteem negatively influenced by insidious powers of modern society - ad-man's image of perfect house, perfect mum - gourmet cook, career woman and home-maker par excellence. If they don't match up to these impossible ideals, they experience feelings of failure.

This, plus their own emotional scars and clutter, adversely affects their ability to deal in a detached way, yet with loving involvement, with their children. Our own negative experiences cause us to react negatively to our children. We repeat our own childhood patterns of discipline - follow the imperfect examples our own parents set - UNLESS the circle can be broken.

'From my notebook': Joke

"As He reigns in Heaven, so shall He reign on earth - for ever and ever, Amen." concluded the vicar. A little boy turned anxiously to consult his father,
"Does it rain ALL the time in Heaven, Daddy?"

Vinegar Tasters

I have a book about vinegar on my bookshelf. Vinegar, it tells me, has a 10,000 year history. It's mentioned in the bible several times. In Numbers 6: 2 – 4, Nazirites had to abstain from wine vinegar or vinegar made from other fermented drinks. (A Nazirite was a Jew who took a special vow which, after a period of time, made him or her 'holy unto the Lord' and qualified him/her to make three offerings: a burnt offering, a sin offering and a peace offering to God). In Ruth 2: 14, Boaz favours Ruth with an offer of bread dipped in wine vinegar. Psalm 69: 21 offers the prophetic words "They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst", and in each of the gospels there is mention of Jesus being offered wine vinegar to drink during the crucifixion. I've often wondered about this. What I didn't realise before is that the Romans had a custom of drinking Posca, 'a refreshing mixture of water and vinegar, as part of every meal and for its antiseptic properties'.*

Was it given by the soldiers, to mock him (as the Gospel of Luke indicates), or by his beloved followers in response to his words "I am thirsty" (as the verse in context in the Gospels of Mark and John suggests)? Talking of Jesus' followers, they weren't called Christians at first. They were known as followers of 'The Way'.

Tao (or Dao) is a Chinese character often translated as 'way' or 'path', and there are many parallels between the precepts taught by Lao-tse (or Lau Tsu), author of the oldest existing book on Taoism, and the teachings of the Bible eg:
The Tao of heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who do not have enough. Man’s way is different. He takes from those who do not have enough to give to those who already have too much.

But to get back to the subject of vinegar … please follow this link to read an excerpt from The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
http://www.taoism.net/sanctuary/books/vintaste.htm






*Vinegar – 1001 Practical Uses by Margaret Briggs

Article by Francis Frangipane

September 8, 2007
FRANCIS FRANGIPANE:
"A Word to the Women of God--You Were Created to Birth Breakthrough On the Earth"
"To possess a national awakening, the power God has placed in women must be released."
Before I begin this message, let me provide a short disclaimer: although I do encourage women to move freely within the order provided by God in their local churches, my goal is to exalt and release a primary grace that God has placed specifically within women, which the Lord Himself has used in past times to release revival.
The Genesis Distinctions
When the Lord created humankind, He placed unique graces in man and separate, but unique, graces in woman. He told Adam to name the species of life upon earth "and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name" (Genesis 2:19). This "naming" was much more than calling the dog, "Spot." Adam was created with an organizational, administrative capacity which enabled him to identify and define the world around him. By naming the living things, Adam not only brought them into his consciousness, but he introduced order and structure to the human experience. In effect, he defined reality.
Within the genetics of this original man, there also existed the powerful, but dormant, qualities of the woman. While Adam slept, the Spirit took from the man a rib. Fashioning it into a woman, the Lord created for Adam a companion who was not only suitable for him, but one who powerfully expanded man's creative capacities. Indeed, the woman brought many new graces into Adam's world that did not formerly exist: the foremost of which was the power to conceive and give birth.
It is important to remember: God created male and female in His image, according to His likeness (Genesis 1:26). Of course, in certain ways, both Adam and Eve as individuals possessed reflections of the divine nature. They each could think, speak, dream and create. However, it was in the union of Adam and Eve, in their mutual respect of one another's strengths and graces, that mankind would possess a more perfect expression of the fuller nature of God.
As Adam beheld this first female, he said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man" (Genesis 2:23). The term "woman" was a delineation used by Adam, identifying her as a unique variation in the species of man. My wife says, "Think of her as the upgrade." In some ways, she is right, for the nature of the woman was twice refined. Adam was created of earth; the woman, emerged not from the earth, but from the man. She is both more complex and emotionally sophisticated.
Soon Adam began to understand the greatest power of his counterpart, her ability to conceive and bring life into the world. Recognizing this quality, Adam named her "Eve," which meant "life." Eve would play an integral part in the unfolding of life's new beginnings. "She was the mother of all the living" (Genesis 3:20).
We Need Revival
The Lord gave Adam a primary ability to name and establish reality; He gave to woman the unique capacity to conceive and then birth reality. The primary strength of each gender is that man establishes, woman births. Remember, these qualities were not merely "human": they were reflections of the divine. Man's ability to bring order to one's world, to take what was random and give it definition and structure is a divine facility; woman's ability to conceive and incubate life, and then deliver life through birth is also an aspect of the divine nature.
Note also that Adam named the woman "Eve" (or "Life") before they had children. God gave the woman an ability not just to have babies, but to release life in a variety of its expressions. In fact, one translation says that Eve means to "enliven." Alone, Adam had been downcast; it was not good that Adam was alone. Eve enlivened Adam in ways no other creature on earth could. Adam could build a house; Eve made it a home. When Adam named Eve "Life," he was not only speaking prophetically of the first mother, but he spoke out of his own experience: Eve brought life into the structure of Adam's world.
While we are speaking in generalities, when we come into the spiritual realm, we see this same divine encoding replicated in the ministries of men and women. Jesus laid the foundation of the Church with twelve men, whom He called to be apostles. This didn't mean there would never be women in leadership, but that one of the better skills given man from God was, as stated, the ability to bring order and structure.
At the same time, prior to Christ's birth we find Anna, a prophetess, engaged in much prayer and fasting. In my opinion, it is quite possible that this woman was not alone in her intercession, but the leader of a prophetic prayer ministry that lived in anticipation of her times. Women excel in intercession, in spiritual sensitivity and the release of new beginnings. Again, this doesn't excuse men from prayer! For some of the Bible's best examples of intercessors are, indeed, men! We are speaking in generalities in reference to the spiritual tendencies of both genders. Neither distinction is more important than the other. Both are absolutely vital for the unfolding of God's will upon the earth.
Today, we are fighting the advance of satan in many arenas: whether in wars and terrorist attacks or with the ever increasing expansion of iniquity in our world. We need revival. To possess a national awakening, the power God has placed in women must be released. All the efforts of man to establish laws and govern righteously will not truly transform our culture; we need the presence of God poured out. I am talking about something that is greater than government and righteous laws. I am saying that God is raising up and anointing a prayer army of women, who are about to be given even greater power as they intercede before God for their nations.
My Mother's Prayers
I personally know the power of this prayer. In the late sixties, I was a very lost young man living in sin and rebellion. Judging from my appearance, I looked hopeless. Yet, in spite of my outward condition, my dear Catholic mother stood before God for me. Resist as I did, divine power, uniquely born of her prayers, began to hunt me down. Her cries were relentless and unceasing; often she would pray through the night for me. She was pregnant with prayer for her son. In 1970, God finally answered and during the Jesus Movement revival, I came to Christ.
Years later, I asked the Lord about this revival. As you may know, it has been part of my assignment to help engender citywide unity and establish prayer, things which precede revival. Yet, to my knowledge, no citywide unity or organized prayer fueled the Jesus Movement. So, I asked the Lord how could a revival occur without a prayer movement at its source? The Lord quickly corrected me saying that there was a great prayer movement: He had heard the prayers of a million praying mothers, each crying to Him for their children.
From all denominations, in a "unity of desperation," God heard the cries of believing mothers. His heart was touched and, as a result, multitudes of sinful kids found repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ. This is the army God desires to release again today, but now with more vision, more power from the Holy Spirit, and with the support of men as well!
Women of God, the fact is, Heaven needs you! You have been created by the Almighty to birth breakthroughs on planet earth! God has uniquely designed you with a latent ability to release life through your intercession. Together with you, we men can build and establish, and we are learning to pray, but you have a special grace to release new spiritual beginnings. Whether your prayer focus is for your husband or church leadership, whether you are interceding for your children, city or nation, you possess in your spirit the seed-realities that, through prayer, can release God's life into the world.
Yes, indeed, there is a battle; there still exists "enmity between (the serpent) and the woman" (Genesis 3:15). Satan especially hates you because it was your seed that bruised the serpent's head. It is amazing to me that God chose to bring His Son into the world, not through the Heavens nor even through a woman impregnated by man, but through a woman made pregnant by God! God Himself came to earth through the woman's power to give birth!
Today the Lord is giving women a new grace, a new confidence against the powers of hell. They are not rebelling against men, but praying for them. Through their intercession, these Godly women will prayer-birth powerful ministries on earth, both male and female. They will release new beginnings to the Body of Christ.
I also want to commend and thank ministries such as Women's Aglow, Lydia Fellowship and other women's prayer groups. There have been many, many times that I have suddenly been divinely protected or spiritual breakthroughs have unexpectedly been released to me. As I questioned the Lord, He said, "I'm answering the prayers of Women's Aglow" (or, the women from such and such ministry). To each of you, I say a special thank you. May the Lord multiply His grace toward you and give you the desires of your hearts!
Revelation 12 speaks of a "woman clothed with the sun." This word is not only talking about Israel or the Church. It also reveals how God sees spiritual women: they are honored and crowned with distinction; pure and clothed with the glory of God. With confidence, they tread upon the powers of night. Dear army of praying women, it is your inherent destiny to birth that which shall rule the nations.
Let's Pray: "Heavenly Father, we come in the name of Jesus. Lord, release the women of God. Release the power of prayer, the burden and travail of prayer, to its next levels. Father, terrorists from without and moral decadence from within seek to destroy our homeland. We need the prayer army to arise. Help us, O God, to pray until Your Heavenly purpose is birthed on earth as it is in Heaven! Amen!"
Francis Frangipane Ministries of Francis Frangipane Email: francis1@frangipane.org
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Thought-provoking Conversation

I'm currently reading a book called Conversation, by Theodore Zeldin. In it, Zeldin makes the point that conversation can change the way we perceive the world, and even change the world. It's a powerful supposition, don't you think? And here we are in an era where, more than any previous era, we have the resources to converse with people from well beyond our own community, nation or culture. As Zeldin puts it, "Conversation is a meeting of minds with different memories and habits. When minds meet, they don't just exchange facts: they transform them, reshape them, draw different implications from them, engage in new trains of thought. Conversation doesn't just reshuffle the cards: it creates new cards. That's the part that interests me. That's where I find the excitement. It's like a spark that two minds create."*

The following post is from a conversation in email correspondence between a friend, Andrew Wouldham, and myself. Andrew has given his permission to reproduce it here. Andrew's words are in blue. The conversation began with an email from Andrew attaching the first draft of his latest piece of thought-provoking creative writing entitled:


A CHILLING THOUGHT

Imagine you’re standing in an ice cream parlour and a well dressed young man walks up to you as you purchase your raspberry ripple.

“There is only one perfect flavour of ice cream and that is vanilla”. He says.

“Pardon”? You say.

“For your own sake you must eat no flavour other than vanilla”.

“What makes you say that”? You ask.

“Other flavours contain carcinogens; you risk a slow death should you eat them”.

“Why vanilla then”? You enquire.

“Vanilla ice cream is perfect and pure”.

“Why are you picking on me”? You puzzle.

“Your health is at risk and you must be saved”.

“Thanks for the warning but I’m happy with raspberry ripple”. You finish.

“Then I have no choice. You must not suffer a lingering death and you can not be allowed to poison the minds of others with your wilfully misplaced preferences”

He draws a gun and shoots you dead and then proceeds to execute anyone else in the parlour he finds eating flavours other than vanilla. For good measure he shoots the proprietor dead so that he may not sell anyone his tainted products.

Breaking news the following day details the horrific events at the ice cream parlour but ends with the good news that the perpetrator was detained. It subsequently comes out that he has been removed to a secure hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Imagine you’re minding your own business in a newsagent’s shop and a well dressed young man walks up to you as you browse the bottom shelf.

“There is only one true god and his name is Arthur”. He says.

“Pardon”? You say.

“For your own sake you must worship no god other than Arthur”.

“What makes you say that”? You ask.

“Your soul is at risk if you worship false gods”.

“Why Arthur then”? You enquire.

“Arthur is the one true god”.

“Why are you picking on me”? You puzzle.

“Your soul is at risk and you must be saved”.

“Thanks for the concern but I’m happy with my own beliefs”. You finish.

“Then I have no choice. Your soul must be saved and you can not be allowed to poison the minds of others with your wilfully misplaced beliefs”.

He draws a gun and shoots you dead and then proceeds to execute anyone else in the shop he finds who does not immediately convert to the worship of Arthur. For good measure he shoots the proprietor dead for selling literature that may lead the minds of others from the true faith.

Breaking news reports this as a terrorist incident perpetrated by a religious extremist. In later programming discussion is entered into regarding the dogma and interpretation of the Arthurian religion and how it may give rise to extremism.


Please consider: What similarities? What differences?

My response:

Hi Andrew

Yes, your piece certainly set me thinking.

When someone says something to us with the intent to change our behaviour, there are several questions to which we are likely to want an answer, amongst them being:

- what motivates this person?
- is what they are saying true?

If we don't know the answers to these questions, then it is likely that we will take a judgment based on various assumptions - and this judgment is going to be affected by our own experience of life, by our personality, by our own beliefs, interests, values, expectations, attitudes, prejudices, etc.

The fact that the young man is 'well dressed' would reassure most people initially - the opposite of the stereotypical 'nutter'

[When you introduce the 'well dressed young man', you don't state he is a stranger. The reader might picture someone they know ... and this might affect their reading, so for example if I imagined the well dressed young man was my son, with our long-standing history of me encouraging him to eat healthy foods and go easy on the unhealthy foods, then the opening paragraphs take on a whole different meaning (friendly, jokey) to being addressed thus by a stranger.]

You ask 'What similarities? What differences?'

Seems to me the similarities are in the crime and in the fact that both individuals described in your piece are in a state where the balance of the mind is disturbed. The normal inhibitions that prevent us going round killing people who don't conform to our thinking are inoperative in your two characters.

In your piece, the difference is in the response society makes to the crime and to the unhinged individual. In the first, there is understanding that the person is deranged and needs help - that his mental health is being attacked from within and psychiatric intervention is necessary. In the second, this understanding is not so apparent. Thinking about it, seems like you have a valid point. Would it be better in our society if religious fanaticism were 'treated'? Bearing in mind the results of the BBC Prison Study (in that magazine** you lent me), it struck me that maybe it gives a clue to the way to de-programme religious fanaticism - if a true adherent of the faith (as I understand it, all the major religions value human life) were to appear to be a fellow prisoner and worked through the faith's scriptures and true values of the religion, there would be a greater chance of achieving the sort of rapport that would enable the de-programming, for the benefit of the individual's mental health and for the benefit of society. Would it also be better for society if the 'religious extremism' point were not made - as it has that unfortunate effect of destabilising society and creating rancour against individuals who may be peaceful, healthy, well-adjusted members of society, good citizens, yet adherents to a faith being smeared by the actions of a few?

I mentioned above those questions - motivation and truth - and naturally I spent some time thinking about your own motivation in writing this piece and sending it with a request for specific feedback. Perhaps one of the unspoken questions in your mind concerns the similarities and differences in Christian evangelism.

One of the differences between the examples in your piece and Christian evangelism is that the Christian is seeking to share Good News - the news that there is a loving God who longs to have a relationship with us; that there is the freedom of forgiveness, there is love, peace, hope and joy awaiting those who turn to Christ and accept his offer to buy us back from our slavery to sin. Life in all its fullness - NOW! The Christian evangelist isn't seeking to sell a doctrine or dogma out of insecurity, or out of a need to win points to buy 'pie in the sky' - the Christian evangelist rather issues the invitation out of love: Come and meet Jesus - receive the free gift that he offers, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life to help you in all situations. The motivation is love - love for the other person - and the desire to see the whole of Creation set free from evil, to see honesty, truth, justice, righteousness and love triumph. To see the 'healing of the nations' become a reality.

The question about whether the Christian gospel is true demands more time than I shall give it in this email - which is why I keep trying to encourage you to join an Alpha course. However, I can testify to the transforming power of God's love since I invited Him into my life.

I used to feel very lonely at times as a child - but looking back, it was to do with feeling isolated, alienated, ostracized, ashamed, guilty ... ratherthan to do with being alone. It was about not feeling accepted, feeling unworthy, unloved, unloveable. For much of my adult life things weren't much better, even though on the surface things got better. Looking back at that, I can definitely recognize how the choices I made affected how lonely I felt. Being alone was a relief. Being with other people emphasised the feelings of loneliness, which I have been known to define as 'the distance between who I am and who others perceive me to be'. Can you understand that? The idea that the 'real me' is unacceptable and in order to receive the acceptance and approval of others, I have to pretend to be someone I'm not, someone that fits in with another person's view of what's ok? I'll give you a silly example - I had a friend who had very strong opinions on what was right and what was wrong, and at some point I can remember her saying to me in horror-struck tones, "You don't hoover your kitchen, do you?" and me immediately denying that I hoovered my kitchen even though I did, regularly, and didn't even begin tounderstand why she might consider it such a terrible thing to do! I had developed an unhealthy personal value system, not understanding that lying, stealing and cheating were having an adverse effect on the 'inner me', the 'real me'. Amazingly I still thought I was a 'good person' - after all, I hadn't murdered anyone, and so far as I was concerned, my 'good deeds' no doubt outweighed my bad. The turning point came when I finally acknowledged somewhere deep inside that I WASN'T a 'good' person, much as I might want to be. Only then was the transforming power of God's forgiveness able to reach into my life and set me free from the things that were keeping me in that lonely place, hiding away inside myself. Only then was the transforming power of God's love able to reach into my life and affirm the 'real' me, and lead me to a place where I have learned to enjoy the company of other people, learned to love them.

Trish

Trish, Thanks. The intent of the piece was to do with the state of balance in the mind of the individual. Though largly, I admit, triggered by the issues with Muslim fanatisism (since that seems to be running rampant at the moment) I was concerned with the state regardless of religious affiliation and was not 'having a go' at Christian Evangelism, or even Islam, specifically. The comments on 'stranger' were interesting it may be as well if I make that specific. But the real crux was beautifully described when you came to the differences. It was this I was wondering about. To my mind the incidents are in essence the same but we do treat them differently. The question is why? I was also wondering, as you indicated, if it would be better to ignore the context of the criminals beliefs and deal just with the crime itself. Would we have the current climate of Islamophobia if the terrorists were labelled terrorists and not Muslim terrorists? Taking it further, are over zealous political views similar? The second world war and the rise of Nazism spring to mind, with all the horrors that envoked.

Would I be being cynical if I said, 'emphasising these details sells newspapers'?

I concur that a true adherant would have a better chance of 'deprogramming' a fanatic. I suspect they would simply dismiss atheistic individuals as less than worthy of listening to.

As to the individual's motivation and the truth of what they say. Does it really matter if what they say is true? Do they have the right to impose their view on anyone else? Motivated they clearly are but is their direction correct?

'The distance between who I am and who others perceive me to be'. A wonderful description and I can relate to it greatly. A lot of my adult life has been about how others perceive me and presenting an acceptable front to the world. Playing the part of a constable didn't help, after all people have (or at least I believe people have) certain expectations of their police.

Thanks for your thoughts.


Andrew

Hi Andrew


No, I didn't think you were 'having a go' at Christian evangelism, but I thought the points worth making anyway.

Yes, when thinking about the emphasis the media may give to the context of the criminals' beliefs, the more I find myself questioning whether only evil is served by this. It may lead to stigmatizing a group unfairly. Plus I had the mental image of other terrrorists celebrating the publicity of the crime and maybe thus imprinting other impressionable minds that such atrocity is to be praised.

I think you've missed the point with regards whether something is true or not. Agreed, we have free will - the point is not about whether something is true or not giving one the right to impose it on another in this instance (although of course when you were a constable, that would have been a key point!!!), the point is more to do with responsibility and response.

Research has produced evidence that smoking is harmful to health. There is now a legal obligation upon the tobacco companies to make that truth known each time they sell a packet of cigarettes. A rational response upon learning that truth would be to consider whether one wanted to ignore that truth and smoke anyway. Worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth brings the Christian to the point where he or she is asked to consider that his or her body is a 'Temple of the Holy Spirit' - is it a loving response to my body to do things to it which are not in my body's best interests? I am called to love others as I love myself - and if I haven't understood how to love myself, it will make it difficult for me to love others.

In your two scenarios, on each occasion the conversation wobbles off a rational course with the childish question "Why are you picking on me?" Perhaps you are emphasising that we are all fallible human beings here, I'm not sure. It did remind me of the line from a song I often listen to describing mankind as 'rushing helter-skelter to destruction with his fingers in his ears'.***

So to look at the first scenario, you make the point that the young man is 'well dressed'. He then produces information that suggests that the product is harmful to health. There is no indication that the shopkeeper intervenes at this point to chase him out of the shop or indicate in any way that this young man does not have a right to approach customers and provide this health warning. What is an appropriate response when someone provides information which helps us make a healthy choice over an unhealthy choice? Perhaps "Thanks for that - tell me more. What are the statistics?" (In other words, 'give me more information so that I can better assess my choices') or alternatively in your scenario perhaps to appeal to the shopkeeper: "Is this true? Who is this guy?"

If we love others and we know a way that promises better quality of life, do we have a responsibility to offer the other person the information which will help them make a better informed choice?

If we love ourselves, don't we have a responsibility to consider our choices and seek further information to better ascertain to what extent something is true?

That was more what I was getting at when I indicated that a person's motives in saying something and whether it was true would be important questions to consider if someone is aiming to change our attitudes or behaviour.

Hope this helps.

Trish

* "Conversation" by Theodore Zeldin published by The Harvill Press p 14

**Scientific American Mind Issue Volume 18 number 4, article on The New Psychology of Leadership

***"Adam" by Don Francisco:
Unashamed and naked in a garden that has never seen the rain,
Rulers of a kingdom, full of joy -- never marred by any pain,
The morning all around them seems to celebrate the life they've just begun;
And in the majesty of innocence the king and queen come walking in the sun
But the master of deception now begins with his dissection of the Word
And with all his craft and subtlety the serpent twists the simple truth they've heard,
While hanging in the balance is a world that has been placed at their command
And all their unborn children die as both of them bow down to Satan's hand.
And just before the evening in the cool of the day,
They hear the voice of God as He is walking
But they can't abide His presence now,
so they try to hide away;
But still they hear the sound as He is calling:
"Adam, Adam, where are you?
Adam, Adam, where are you?
Adam, Adam, where are you?"
In the stifling heat of summer now the gardener and his wife are in the field
And it seems that thorns and thistles are the only crop his stuggles ever yield
He eats his meals in sorrow 'til he sinks in to the dust whence he came
But all down through the ages he can hear his Maker calling out his name.
"Adam, Adam, where are you?
Adam, Adam, where are you?"
And though the curse has long been broken
Adams' sons are still the prisoners of their fears
Rushing helter skelter to destruction with their fingers in their ears
While the Father's voice is calling with an urgency I've never heard before
"Won't you come in from the darkness now before it's time to finally close the door!"
"Adam, Adam, where are you?Adam, Adam, where are you?Adam, Adam, I love you!"

Poster spotted in office

All targets met

All systems working

All customers satisfied

All staff eager and enthusiastic

All pigs fed and ready to fly.

Image courtesy of: http://www.k-state.edu/udguidesite/gx/flying_pigs.jpg

"And pray in the Spirit ..."

One of the useful habits Selwyn Hughes encourages Christians to develop is to keep a notebook with your Bible and to jot down the questions that come to us as we read. Yesterday I made the following entry:
Eph. 6:18 "and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests ..." Wondering what that phrase, 'pray in the Spirit' means. Spirit is capitalized - does it therefore mean the Holy Spirit?

Today I was thinking about this again, and also about what it means to worship God 'in spirit and in truth'. I tried googling this phrase and came across an article by Mike Taylor of his teaching on this very subject as presented to NFI Walworth in February 2000.
http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/xian/worship.html

Heartened by this success, I then googled the phrase "and pray in the Spirit" and came across some more helpful teaching, suggesting that praying in the spirit doesn't necessarily mean praying in tongues (that interpretation had crossed my mind), but rather contrasts with 'praying in the flesh' - in other words, what is behind our prayers? Are we praying for show? Is it prompted by some sort of mindless religious habit? Or is our prayer prompted by the Holy Spirit, with our mind conformed to the Spirit of grace and truth, in all humility and sincerity?

It seems that praying in the Spirit might be in tongues or it might be in our own language, but it is prayer that is guided by the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our weakness. The Holy Spirit knows the issues in our lives, and knows our needs. He also knows God's perfect will for us and intercedes for us. When we sing praises to God and worship Him out loud, or invite the Holy Spirit to fill us and guide us in prayer and praise, we are drawing near to God and we are promised that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Prayer in the Spirit will be characterized by the joy and power of the Holy Spirit.

A wise man once said that before we open our mouths to speak, it is helpful to ask ourselves three questions:

1) Is what I am about to say true?
2) Am I going to say it in such a way that will build up and not tear down? This could relate to a situation or a person. (So often the language we use can be very destructive, and indeed the very way we use it helps create the 'meaning ' of what is going on).
3) If I am speaking about another person who is not present, would I be willing to say it in their presence?

I think these three questions are also pertinent when we are speaking to God.

The Presence of God

I picked up a handful of books to read on holiday, and began with "I dared to call Him Father" by Bilquis Sheikh, the true story of a Pakistani noblewoman who searched for God and was called through dreams by John the Baptist and Jesus into the Kingdom. Bilquis shares her journey, learning the delight of resting in God's presence and how to remain in His presence. This set the stage nicely for the next book I turned to, Selwyn Hughes' "Understanding the Presence of God". I can recommend both of these to anyone looking to deepen her discipleship. Meanwhile I continued to read through the New Testament. Sunday morning, the day of my journey home, I read Acts chapter 18, stopping when I reached verse 18: 'Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.' This last sentence particularly caught my attention and my curiosity. I thought about Jesus saying that we shouldn't swear but to let our yes be yes and our no to mean no. (Matthew 5:33-37). Ok, Paul probably hadn't been present in body at the Sermon on the Mount so hadn't physically heard Jesus speak these words, but nonetheless one gathers Jesus gave him a pretty thorough grounding in the Spirit – yet here was Paul making a vow which seemed important enough for the writer to include in the narrative, yet not so important we're told what the vow was. "So what was that all about, Lord?" I asked, and left the question with Him.

Sunday evening I went to the Prayer Meeting at the Beacon. Simon began by reading Psalm 76 and inviting everyone to say aloud what had caught their attention in the Psalm. For me, it was the first part of verse 11: 'Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfil them;' - I explained about my reading from Acts and the question I'd had. Mercedes' attention had also been drawn to this verse, and she brought some words of wisdom from Ecclesiastes 5:5: 'It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfil it.'

All this talk about vows set me wondering: had I made a vow and not kept it, perhaps? Was this a gentle reminder, a gentle prompting from the Spirit? Even as I asked the question inwardly, a rush of joy bubbled up and the memory came to mind of a time nearly 30 years ago when I promised God that if I could meet a man to whom I could imagine being married, then I would worship Him as He wanted to be worshipped. God had done His part within a year, but at last here I was, with a sincere heart worshipping God, and His Spirit was affirming to me that my vow was fulfilled. Into my mind came the words "Your healing is complete". Alleluia!

On a lighter note...

LOL credit here has run out so will blog the rest when I get home (unlessI really really want to and then I will get more credit!)

I will fear no evil...

I am reminded of Acts 5:15

Where people placed their sick ones in Peter's shadow, such was the power of God upon and in Peter that even his shadow was used by God!

When we are under the protection of a God such as this, we have no need to fear evil.

We musn't fear evil in man either:

Proverbs 29:25

Fear of man will prove to be a snare but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

I wrote a prayer in one of the most darkest periods of my life, I want to share it with you:

The darkness does not have the upper hand,
So, I will not avenge the darkness.
Instead, the vengence belongs to The Lord.

I have learnt that my vengeance is angry, is cruel, is selfish,
God's vengeance is righteous and pure.

I want to bring hurt and pain,
But God wants to cleanse from sin and bring peace.

My vengeance is dark - darkness cannot fight darkness, for they are on the same side,
God's vengeance brings light to darkness,
The darkness is powerless and has no where to hide,
Darkness is defeated by God's light.

I will trust in God's light,
I have a new life now and I will see it as exciting.

Lord Jesus, sometimes I feel that the darkness has the upper hand,
Sometimes I feel it's strong pull,
Sometimes I feel it calling me,
"Christina, Christina, look over here, look at the things you have lost. There is no hope for the future, you have too many ties to the past."

I ask you Jesus, quell that dark voice,
Deafen me to it's call,
Replace the anxiety it brings with peace.

I will remind the darkness that the blood of Jesus prevails over it.

I will remind the darkness that neither money nor possesions have any hold over me.

The truth is, I have no ties to the past,
For the past has been broken by the blood of Jesus.

I have no need to feel anxious,
I have hope in God,
In Jesus, my Lord.

My future is set before me,
My Jesus leads me,
I will not stumble,
Thought the ground may give way or the storms may gust.

My Lord Jesus upholds me and gives me strength.

I have lost nothing, but I have gained all I need.

But, the ground will not always give way and the storms will not always gust,
Therefore I do have hope for my future,
There is always hope found in Jesus.

Amen

Even though I walk through the shadow of death...

In Isaiah it reads:

'I would have perished under my affliction, if it wasn't for your law.'



God has a law - the law of life.



The universe lives by the law of life, it's a simple law; one law.



It speaks, 'Everything is under and by my authority,' Thus sayeth the Lord.



I look back to all I have been through. I know everyone has a story and one day I shall tell you mine. I think about the language used here and here are some thoughts.


'lived':

Learned, experienced, gained wisdom in, as a result of.

'Through':

Not left behind, no barrier or blockage but a steady way through, passing entrance and exit.

'Perish':

To be crushed under the weight of. To be worn out of use of. Exhausting a resource, to die, to exist no more.

It was by God's law of authority that I 'lived through' my afflictions. God authorised my journey with no detours, he allowed all that happened...

Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps

... and I am wiser, more able and mature as a result of this.

I regret nothing, only seeing how God turns all things round, for our good and his glory.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

' I would have perished under my afflictions, if it wasn't for your law.'

Thankyou God for your law.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his names sake...

The girls and I are having a marvelous time here on the Isle of Aphrodite!

It is just simply beautiful. It seems that without fail we quickly become friends with those we meet. We have been shopping along Nissi Avenue and found an Indian shop! Everyone knows how much I love India and someday would love visit.

Oh the smells! So exotic. Giorgos and his sisters Andrea and Aphrodite (nice name!) have quickly come to know us and we meet daily.

We have bought things in their shop but they keep giving us things! Expensive things too, incense, silk scarves and necklaces. I told the girls it's the blessing on our lives.

Thank you Jesus for your blessings, thank you that you are so wonderfully generous to us through people such as Giorgos and his sisters.

Thank you that I see your love for us daily, in your provision and in your company as you walk beside us...Praise and bless you my sweet Lord.

He restores my soul...

What does restoration mean?

To restore anything, is to make it as good as it was before. Before what? Before the fall.

How comforting and hopeful that God is able to restore our soul as good as it was before. Even in a world such as this. It is possible, God can do it. It's rare but it can be done.


We can be as perfect as before the fall - if he, The Lord Jesus restores us to our former glory. And that is a union of his will and our asking of it in prayer.

He leads me by still waters...

Water; without it, there is no life.

Still waters conjure up all kinds of images, beautiful sites like the Lake District perhaps? With the picturesque landscape reflecting in the mirror of fresh waters. Still, tranquil, rest, quiet, peace.

So at a guess, David found rest by such places. He was a shepherd before his kingdom days and this was no doubt one reasons how and why he related toGod as thee shepherd.

David the shepherd more than likely led his sheep to the waters to drink and himself too. As a result of all this nourishment and refreshment he may have found solice and peace.

However, although a quaint, idylic scene, we don't all find peace by still waters. I was in a bay of shallow waters, crystal clear, turquoise with blue fish swimming around. As it is part of the Meditereanen sea it is very warm. my feet resting on white sand with rather large waves lifting me, then a rushing of white as the crest of the waves broke over me. It wasn't quiet or peaceful, yet, I found peace here.

Where do you find peace? Is it in the quiet and calm or is it in the blood rushing activity of life?

We are all different, find your peace. Be at peace with God and drink the water of life such that you will not thirst.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me by still waters...

Well, I haven't been able to blog on here as the net has been down. It's 5am and I can't sleep as it is so hot. We have air con, but it's still too hot to sleep!

I have been looking at the Psalm 23 and I have asked God to show me a different perspective on this.

When we look at the verse above (made the title of this blog) we have an image of sheep and David having a rest after a long hot day perhaps.

I view these green pastures as a place of nourishment for the sheep. I see it as a metaphor for a place of nourishment for us. The important part of the verse here, is that it reads that God leads us to the place of nourishment. It is God who provides and leads us to spiritual nourishment. As our parent (and shepherd) God knows our need and when we have a need and what will quench that need.

Sheep need grass to exist and we need spiritual nourishment to exist. I find that even non-christians have a desire to seek spiritual nourishment, even though it is perhaps not in the way we do.

I'm not suggesting the non christian way is a good way or the best way, but even if we reject Christ, we, as humans, are spiritual beings desiring to seek spiritual fulfillment in some way.

Note: God leads us to good spiritual nourishment, he shows us the way to it - we can desire to accept it, or not.

What is your spiritual fulfillment?

It may not be rest as David who wrote the psalms found it. It's different for everyone. For me? Just being alone with Jesus, just me and him, that feeds me.

God knows each one of our spiritual thirsts, God knows our exact need. Ask him for it and you'll be satisfied.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want...

I truly thank Jesus, my Lord and my God for blessing me such that I can afford to take my family on holiday to Cyprus.

Woweee! What a beautiful place!

Why are you on the pc, I hear you say? Well, Iv'e already sunbathed for4 hours so I need to have a rest!LOL

I have been looking at the Psalm 23, I haven't really initiated this, as you may know, Ali (from Sweden) and Enriko are living in our home, taking care of it and feeding the cats (I hope! LOL).

Well, you see, before we left, they prayed over us and our home. One of the prayers was Psalm 23. So, although I am actually studying Genesis, I thought it would be nice to go through this popular and wonderful Prayer to God.

Firstly, when I read this prayer I looked at the term 'Lord'. I wondered if Jesus is only the shepherd to those who are 'his'?Or to those who consider Jesus as their Lord.

Then I looked back on my life and of those I know and I remembered that Jesus is always with us, with or without us calling him Lord.

You see Jesus loves all of us. Even if we turn from him, even if we never accept him; he loves us.

This is the beauty of the heart of God, his mercy and his unconditional love for us, his creation.

Let's say that no one accepted the sacrifice of Jesus, Jesus still would have been obedient to the call of his Father, if for whatever the reason God, the father, called the sacrifice to be.

I guess what was going through my mind was, perhaps, I have a God, a shepherd, someone who watches over me and... well... you don't!

After all, it does say 'The Lord' is my shepherd. You have to make him your Lord before 'it works'.

How arrogant can a christian be? As if the sheep chose Jesus as a shepherd, no, the sheep need a shepherd but it is the shepherd who owns the sheep.

I have wanted God to speak to me in a different way through this Psalm and not in the way we usually look at it.

Today I have learnt that Jesus was Lord at the beginning of time, is Lord now and will always be 'Lord'. The same yesterday, today and forever.

So if we read it like this: Jesus is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. It sounds different. Jesus will always be Jesus, The Lord will always be Lord. Regardless of yours or my opinions or decisions.

So, it's not that he is Lord because we make him Lord. It's because Jesus, God, 'The Lord' is just that, 'Lord' and that title remains whether we believe all not.

Whether a Christian or not God decides to shepherd us and how he does it is up to him. If we do find ourselves in lack, it's by his authority, as everything is under his authority anyway. Chances are, as a christian, we will not often be in lack unless it's character building.

However,God can choose, albeit occasionally, to provide just as well for a non christian too if he chooses too...he is 'Lord'.

Right, back to sunbathing :o)

The Prayer of Jabez

The Jabez Prayer

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,
"Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!"
So God granted him what he requested.
1 Chronicles 4:10

I've been reading a book by Bruce Wilkinson about this prayer, sub-titled 'Breaking through to the Blessed life'. He believes this prayer contains the key to a life of extraordinary favour with God, and encourages everyone to pray the prayer each and every day, then look for the results - a life beyond our own limits, fully dependent on God, fully supported by God and fully protected from evil. Sounds good, huh? Look out for this book in a library coming to a church near you soon!

The next scripture to learn!

Numbers 23:19

God is not man that he should lie
Nor the son a man that he should change his mind
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and then not fulfil?

This is all relevance to God's blessings for you. Sometimes we may think we are under a curse when things don't so go so well.

When the accuser accuses, we can use this scripture to use as a shield to bounce off the fire arrows.

When God blesses, he blesses.

When he speaks a blesing over you, he has not lied - it will come to pass.

When he promises something to you and time has stretched too long, he has not changed his mind - it will come to pass.

Trust in this, God is not a man and does not lie, he is not a son of a man that he would change his mind.

We can change God's mind if we are persistent enough, but I wonder if that's all part of his plan anyway?

However, when God decides to bless you, this, he won't change. Live in his promises.

Currently learning

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. After though, it brings a harvest of righteousness and peace by those who are trained by it.

Tithing

Quick question,

Should I tithe my child benefit and working tax credits?
I know its about a cheerful giver, I should take it to God in pray [I have] I wanna know you lot think - I know the bible sciptures on it too.

The Battlefield of the Mind

Following on from Roey's teaching on Ladies' Night re. The Battlefield of the Mind, here is my own recent experience:
I have the little 'Peace Pilgrim' card ...
'Watch your thoughts, for they become words
Watch your words, for they become actions
Watch your actions, for they become habits
Watch your habits, for they become character
Watch your character, for it becomes destiny'
... in front of the computer where I see it every day. Interestingly I've observed that where it says 'watch your thoughts, for they become words' - it isn't always me that voices my thoughts! I'm beginning to think that sometimes the Lord prompts someone else to say them for me, as a gentle way of letting me know "I know what you're thinking - I want you to bring your thoughts to me, bring them into the light, let me deal with them"

Let me tell you a story ...

Back in February I took on an allotment. It was a starter plot in very untidy condition and with some help it was fun to tame it and turn it into a productive plot. I enjoyed that so much that when the site manager approached me with the observation that I was 'running out of space' on my starter plot, I agreed and was very happy when offered a solution. I was shown another plot which had been abandoned mid-season and rapidly had become very overgrown with weeds. The deal was that I take on half the plot now, and a lady on the waiting list who was very keen to get started should take on the other half for the rest of the year, then at the end of the year we would swap so that the other lady would then have my original starter plot, and I would have sole tenancy of the full size plot.

We both set to with a will to try and get the plot weed free, working on our own half. Recently however, I haven't seen her over there and her half is returning to its original overgrown state. I began to turn over childish thoughts, like "That's not fair - she's not doing her 'bit'" and wondering about 'tit for tat' - maybe I shouldn't bother keeping up with maintenance on the other plot, the one that she would be taking on at the end of the year, if she wasn't going to bother with her half of what would be 'my plot'. I didn't say anything to anyone about these thoughts. Then today I was exchanging pleasantries with the man on the next plot and asked him if he had seen my neighbour recently, and he voiced my private thoughts for me, saying something like "It won't be fair if she doesn't hand the plot over in a tidy state". I changed the subject and afterwards in the privacy of my own mind repented of my attitude, asking the Lord to help me have His loving, forgiving thoughts and mind - and praise the Lord, He did - and suddenly it REALLY didn't matter what state the plot would be in because that wasn't what it was all about, it was about love for God being at the centre of everything and the joy that we know when we bring things faithfully back to him for him to transform us inwardly by the healing power of the Holy Spirit, bringing a complete change of heart and mind. How we view the circumstances of our lives affects how we feel about them. Sometimes the change that I'm seeking in the world needs to begin in me.

What's funnier than 3 cats sleeping inside the car on the parcel shelf?

3 cats sleeping on the dashboard of a neighbours car when they've left their windows open - especially funny as they hate cats!

11pm - Just as I'm going off to sleep, live mouse squeaking around my room followed by 3 cats diving under my bed and around the bed ends, down the stairs and back up and round for another lap!

3am - Fight breaks out over dead mouse, now on the frontroom mat!


5am - Thrush begins to chirp behind my unmovable wardrobe as sun breaks into dawn.

5:10am - Thrush thinks now is a good time for the dawn chorus, wakes up the birds who choose to live 'outside' now we are in full throws of Summer song

5:20am - 3 cats and Thrush battle it out over duvet, whilst Christina ignores them as this is now a common event!

5:30am - Christina, who by now can take no more, gets hold of Thrush along with cats and wrings their necks! Truth be known, Christina lets Thrush go free...

5:35am - Thrush plus mad blackbird and 3 cats going mental outside bedroom window.

5:36am - Christina shuts bedroom window and bedroom door!

One body, many parts: Putting our gifts to work

For those who couldn't be with us at Cell Group last night, we took the passage Mark preached from on Sunday: 1 Cor 12:12-31 and Bev underlined some of the points from Mark's sermon:

• Get connected (on this theme, it seems that the passage from Ezekiel on the valley of dry bones has been popping up in our individual lives recently, prompting the exciting thought that God is breathing life into the body);
• Give yourself to Jesus - live in his presence all the time, know his power in your daily walk with him;
• The health of your local church is affected by yours and my holiness
• Confront issues - get them out in the open with brothers and sisters;
• My cell is my extended family
• Have equal concern for each other - equal talents need using;
• DON'T FORGET YOU'RE CHRIST'S BODY! His hands, feet, to do his will in the world.

Paula commented on v.11: 'All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines' - it had struck her that the Spirit actually decides what gifts we'll get. This led into talk about God resourcing us for His plan, but also to remember the encouragement to eagerly desire the greater gifts.

We also looked at Romans 12:4-8 and then Mark posed the question "Do you feel any differently about yourself after reading these verses?"

Bev asked everyone to draw a spider diagram - put a circle in the middle of the paper and write in it the gifts that you have, then draw 'legs' off that and write down the various ways in which your gifts have been used within the church in the past, and the things you have a heart for doing now or in the future.

Bernie & Jools spoke about their heart for hospitality - in the church where they met, there was always someone designated to provide hospitality to anyone after the Sunday service who would be alone for lunch. Having both enjoyed that hospitality themselves, and having met through that ministry, when they got married they very much enjoyed providing that ministry to others (even though it meant on occasion cooking a meal for 14 using only two little camping gaz burners!). This opened hearts and we were led to recognize that there may be a lot of loneliness within the church that goes unrecognized - an unmet need. Paula spoke of her ministry to singles in a previous church.

There was discussion of the need for someone gifted in youth and children's work, and Paula shared how getting the 11 - 14 year olds involved in leading their own Kids' Club at a previous church really built those young people in their spiritual life and walk with Jesus. Those youngsters were so committed that they used to get up really early on a Saturday and spend two hours preparing a school gym for Kids' Club, and even after Paula withdrew, they continued running it successfully for the next two or three years. It seems those young people are the ones who have gone on to great things.

During the time of worship and prayer, Paula prayed about 'the sound of rustling in the leaves on the trees' and my mind filled in the rest of the words of the song:

I hear the sound of rustling in the leaves of the trees,
The Spirit of the Lord has come down on the earth.
The Church that seemed in slumber has now risen from its knees
And dry bones are responding with the fruits of new birth ...

... and there we were, back to that passage from Ezekiel.

Some of us (well, me for definite) were hoping to have the opportunity of hearing a recording of Christina singing her new song to the tune of Hotel California, but sadly we ran out of time for this. However, we have put a date in the calendar for a Cell Group Lunch at the Beacon building, Sunday 2nd September after church.

Harvesting

I was over the allotment on Wednesday to pick some peas for dinner. I had in mind the scripture which says ''the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few". Then I noticed that if I stood up and looked down on the plants, I couldn't see any pea pods ready for harvesting, but if I got down low and looked up, I could see plenty. I took it as a gentle reminder that when it comes to evangelism, I'll have a bigger harvest if I have an attitude of humility, looking up, rather than looking down from the giddy height of spiritual superiority.

Spiritual Gifts and other Blessings

First off it was truly joyful and unspeakably wonderful to welcome Jacob to his first Cell meeting! Thanks to Jenny, Dean and Megan for making the trip.

Here are the notes I made about spiritual gifts we recognized in each other:
Paula: the office of Prophet, plus other gifts including teaching and tongues;
Christina: office of Teacher, plus other gifts including leadership, speaking, singer, discernment, tongues;
Amanda: words of knowledge, interpretation of dreams, mercy, helps, discernment;
Noreen: intercessory prayer, serving, faith, hospitality, sewing & embroidery;
Carola: Welcome to the group, Carola! We don't know Carola well enough yet, but listened as she described her love of singing, of looking after animals, and possibly healing;
Freddy: administration, exhortation, prophecy, musician;
Chris: office of Pastor, plus other gifts including words of wisdom and knowledge, healing and encouragement; tongues (and interpretation of tongues?)
Roger: wisdom in leadership, in sense of getting people back on track and bringing them back to God's agenda, words of wisdom and knowledge, exhortation, tongues and interpretation of tongues);
Me: administration, writing, serving, words of wisdom and knowledge, encouragement, tongues;

At the meeting I mentioned an online test to help you recognize your own spiritual gifts, and here is the link if anyone else wanted to try it.
http://www.elca.org/evangelism/assessments/spiritgifts.html

I mentioned I might have the opportunity to do a spot of gentle evangelism today and Chris gave me the little 'Bridge to Life' booklet to help. I anticipated that the evangelistic opportunity might arise at the funeral I was attending of a former work colleague - I DID get to speak to someone and show them the booklet, but it wasn't at the funeral as anticipated. Please pray that the seeds sown today will be nurtured and will grow to fruition. Thanks everyone for your prayers - I felt surrounded and uplifted by that 'peace which passes all understanding' all day, and was able to be 'real' with former colleagues and speak about some of the healing work God has been doing in my life.

Update upate...

At 01.30 am Mitchelle woke the household up with cat vocal joy, telling us (in his own words) that he had hit again. This time, a very dosy sparrow, totally uninjured and so nt impressed. He must have taken it out straight from the nest!

I reckon if the bird could have spoken, it would have said, "Okay buddie! Showing your pet owner you love her by risking life and limb in your chase for the hunt is one thing, taking me from my sleep is quite another!"

The sparrow just looked at me as if to say, "If you put me back I'll say no more, it'll be like it never happened."

Then at 06:30 am We awoke to a very noisy screeching of a baby blackbird, I say baby, but it was big enough.

Set that one free!


Then at 22:31 pm Mitchell brings in a doormouse - now I'm impressed, he must have caught that one!


Well done Mitch and yes mummy lubs u very much!


Awwwww

Now, sometimes I leave my car windows open if its hot. Yesterday, I was at the back of my car talking to a mate when, just as I turned to say goodbye, I was startled by 3 pairs of eyes staring at me from the parcel shelf!

All three cats, Mitchelle, Pretty(who really should have known better, she usually thinks the others are beneath her) and Jennicat had only clambered into my car and had been kipping on the parcel shelf all day long!

Here is a tally for finely caught creatures of the McKenzie cats:

Feathers Mice Birds Gerbil Toads Frog Bird nest Moss


Mitchell:

Feathers 0

Mice 5

Birds 4

Gerbil 1

Toads 2

Frog 1

Bird nest 0

Moss 0


Jennicat:

Feathers 0

Mice 4

Birds 2

Gerbil 0

Toads 1

Frog 0

Bird nest1

Moss 2


Pretty:

Feather 1

Mice 0

Birds 0

Gerbil 0

Toads 0

Frogs 0

Birds nest0

Moss 0

Pretty was so proud of her feather!

Hearing The Voice of God - Guidance

A couple of weeks ago, Christina brought a book along to Cell that her family had finished with, and I borrowed it. The book is called 'Is that really you, God?" by Loren Cunningham with Janice Rogers. Loren Cunningham was the founder of YWAM (Youth with a Mission) and the book is easy to read, exciting, inspiring and has a lot to say and underline on the subject of receiving guidance from the Lord. I was going to go back through the book and extract the key points on receiving guidance, but then when I reached the end of the story, I discovered that the authors had already done that in a helpful section titled 'Twelve Points to Remember: Hearing the Voice of God'. I wrote to the publishers and asked permission to reproduce that section here, and I'm happy to say they have granted permission:

Twelve Points to Remember: Hearing the Voice of God
from "IS THAT REALLY YOU, GOD?" by Loren Cunningham with Janice Rogers
YWAM Publishing pp200 - 203

If you know the Lord, you have already heard His voice- it is that inner leading that brought you to Him in the first place. Jesus always checked with His Father (John 8:26-29), and so should we. Hearing the voice of the heavenly Father is a basic right of every child of God. In this book we have tried to describe a few of many ways of fine-tuning this experience. The discoveries are never just theory. They come out of our own adventures:
1. Don't make guidance complicated. It's actually hard not to hear God if you really want to please and obey Him! If you stay humble, He promises to guide you (Prov. 16:9).

Here are three simple steps that have helped us to hear God's voice:

• Submit to His lordship. Ask Him to help you silence your own thoughts and desires and the opinions of others that may be filling your mind (2 Cor. 10:5). Even though you have been given a good mind to use, right now you want to hear the thoughts of the Lord, who has the best mind (Prov. 3:5-6).
• Resist the enemy, in case he is trying to deceive you at this moment. Use the authority that Jesus Christ has given you to silence the voice of the enemy (James 4:7; Eph. 6:10-20).
• Expect an answer. After asking the question that is on your mind, wait for Him to answer. Expect your loving heavenly Father to speak to you. He will (John 10:27; Ps. 69:13; Exod. 33:11).

2. Allow God to speak to you in the way He chooses. Don't try to dictate to Him concerning the guidance methods you prefer. He is Lord - you are His servant (1 Sam. 3:9). Listen with a yielded heart; there is a direct link between yieldedness and hearing.

God may choose to speak to you through His Word: This could come in your daily reading, or He could guide you to a particular verse (Ps. 119:105); through an audible voice (Exod. 3:4); through dreams (Matt. 2) and visions (Isa. 6:1, Rev. 1:12-17). But probably the most common of all means is through the quiet inner voice (Isa. 30:21).

3. Confess any unforgiven sin. A clean heart is necessary if you want to hear God (Ps. 66:18).

4. Use the Axhead Principle - a term coined from the story in 2 Kings 6. If you seem to have lost your way, go back to the last time you knew the sharp, cutting edge of God's voice. Then obey. The key question is, Have you obeyed the last thing God told you to do?

5. Get your own leading. God will use others to confirm your guidance, but you should also hear from Him directly. It can be dangerous to rely on others to get the word of the Lord for you (1 Kings 13).

6. Don't talk about your guidance until God gives you permission to do so. Sometimes this happens immediately; at other times there is a delay. The main purpose of waiting is to avoid four pitfalls of guidance: (a) pride, because God has spoken something to you; (b) presumption, by speaking before you have full understanding; (c) missing God's timing and method; (d) bringing confusion to others; they, too, need prepared hearts (Luke 9:36; Eccles. 3:7; Mark 5:19).

7. Use the Wise Men Principle. Just as the three Wise Men individually followed the star and, in doing so, were all led to the same Christ, so God will often use two or more spiritually sensitive people to confirm what He is telling you (2 Cor. 13:1).

8. Beware of counterfeits. Have you ever heard of a counterfeit dollar bill? Yes, of course. But have you ever heard of a counterfeit paper bag? No. The reason is that only things of value are worth counterfeiting.

Satan has a counterfeit for everything of God that is possible for him to copy (Acts 8:9-11; Exod. 7:22). Counterfeit guidance comes, for example, through Ouija boards, séances, fortune-telling, and astrology (Lev. 20:6; 19:26; 2 Kings 21:6). The guidance of the Holy Spirit leads you closer to Jesus and into true freedom. Satan's guidance leads you away from God into bondage.

One key test for guidance: Does your leading follow principles of the Bible? The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Word of God.

9. Opposition of man is sometimes guidance from God (Acts 21:10-14). In our own story, we recognized much later that what seemed like blockage from our denomination was, in fact, God leading us into a broader scope of ministry. The important lesson here, again, is yieldedness to the Lord (Dan. 6:6-23; Acts 4:18-21). Rebellion is never of God, but sometimes He asks you to step away from your elders in a way that is not rebellion but part of His plan. Trust that He will show your heart the difference.

10. Every follower of Jesus has a unique ministry (1 Cor. 12; 1 Pet. 4:10-11; Rom. 12; Eph. 4). The more you seek to hear God's voice in detail, the more effective you will be in your own calling. Guidance is not a game - it is serious business where we learn what God wants us to do in ministry and how He wants us to do it. The will of God is doing and saying the right thing in the right place, with the right people, at the right time, and in the right sequence, under the right leadership, using the right method, with the right attitude of heart.

11. Practice hearing God's voice and it becomes easier. It's like picking up the phone and recognizing the voice of your best friend - you know his voice because you have heard it so much. Compare young Samuel with the older man Samuel (1 Sam. 3:4-7; 8:7-10; 12:11-18).

12. Relationship is the most important reason for hearing the voice of the Lord. God is not only infinite but also personal. If you don't have communication, you don't have a personal relationship with Him. True guidance, as Darlene pointed out, is getting closer to the Guide. We grow to know the Lord better as He speaks to us, and as we listen to Him and obey, we make His heart glad (Exod. 33:11; Matt. 7:24-27).

Cell Group - 4th July

Paula began the meeting with Psalm 98

1 Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.

Paula invited us to meditate on the words of the psalm whilst a worship song played. There were pens and paper to draw a picture if we received a picture or a word from the Lord as we meditated. Afterwards we went round the group sharing our pictures - Steve spoke about all creation praising the Lord, and we were reminded of Jesus saying that if the people kept quiet, the stones themselves would cry out (Luke 19:39-40).
Mark had been focusing on the words of the worship song. It was about revival.
Bev's picture was of gates being thrown open wide, that "It's NOT A SECRET" - we should be shouting the Good News aloud and throwing open the gates of our hearts/lives/homes/church to call people in to meet with God. Coincidentally, Bev had made a 'Sing to the Lord' card earlier in the day!
Chris's picture of the moutain peaks with successively higher summits, a river and a green valley below reminded us that sometimes we are called to rest in green pastures beside still waters, but other times we're called to climb the mountain to meet with God, where the view is open. Chris drew attention to the fact that the source of the river is up there, high up, and that Jesus is the source to which we must return time and again for refreshment.
Trish was in touch with joy and was reminded of the verses from Isaiah 56 about those who hold fast to God's covenant "these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer".
We took communion together. Roger spoke about the symbols of bread, wine and water - when Jesus was crucified and his side was pierced with a sword, water flowed out which was the evidence that Jesus was dead. God's power raised Jesus from the dead. That same power is available to God's children today.
Just as Jesus had a wilderness experience before his ministry began, Paula spoke of how many pastors and evangelists have gone through a time of dryness and humbling, being brought to repentance before revival breaks out around them. We felt encouraged to pray for revival, beginning with each one of us.
Chris spoke about the process of refining silver - how the ore is heated until it becomes molten, then the silversmith keeps skimming off the dross which rises to the surface until the test of the silver's purity is that he can see his own reflection - that God wants to refine us and keep skimming off the dross in our lives until our lives are a pure reflection of God's glory.
Steve had a question from the Lord for himself and the rest of us: "Are you ready to pay the price?"
We prayed for the Old Dean and Mark shared his vision of taking the church out into the open in line with Bev's picture - of staging a service in the Park.

Christina had a mental picture: "I saw complete darkness, and where we are going to impact is where this darkness is [now]. I then saw [like a procession] one behind the other, what seemed to be angels, I don't know if they were angels or the saints themselves, if angels they were to line the perimeter to resource us in battle. [still in darkness] The only light in the vision were the haloes and this was for a reason, firstly, so much is in darkness and secondly it 'was like' as a simile when young children hold the neon lights at bonfire night. The neon lights alone do not light the darkness because there aren't enough of them, however, the good thing is that little chidren see them and want them too. I felt that people are like little children and when they see the light of the neon lights or indeed the halo of the angels, even the Light of the World in us, they will desire it too."

Bev suggested maybe the service should be a concert in the open air in the dark and spoke about 'Miracle Street', a mission support team from Southampton who stage dramatic concerts and empower local churches in evangelism. Trish mentioned the 31st October, to 'reclaim' All Hallow's Eve for God*, and there was some talk around the 5th November as a possible date.

Rachel was very keen that we should not forget tonight and the things God has shown us.

*I spoke to Ivane last year shortly after Hallowe'en about the idea I'd had that next Hallowe'en, when 'trick or treaters' come knocking at our doors, we could each hand out a helium balloon [or other treat] with an invitation tied to it, inviting children to a praise party a few days later - now I'm thinking that the invitations could be to a Miracle Street concert for all ages on 5th November, ending with a firework display.
Trish

Communion

Synchronicity has the effect of focusing my attention, so when out of the blue a letter from my cousin arrived this morning offering his understanding of 'communion' hot on the heels of Mark's sermon yesterday on this topic, it didn't seem beyond the realms of possibility that God has something to say to me. My cousin is a Christian but not a Roman Catholic, so I was interested to find his letter quoting from Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter which speaks of the need to promote a spirituality of communion:
'A spirituality of communion indicates above all the heart's contemplation of the mystery of the Trinity dwelling in us, and whose light we must also be able to see shining on the face of the brothers and sisters around us. A spirituality of communion also means an ability to think of our brothers and sisters in faith within the profound unity of the Mystical Body, and therefore as "those who are a part of me". This makes us able to share their joys and sufferings, to sense their desires and attend to their needs, to offer them deep and genuine friendship. A spirituality of communion implies also the ability to see what is positive in others, to welcome it and prize it as a gift from God: not only as a gift for the brother or sister who has received it directly, but also as a "gift for me". A spirituality of communion means, finally, to know how to "make room" for our brothers and sisters, bearing "each other's burdens" (Gal 6:2) and resisting the selfish temptations which constantly beset us and provoke competition, careerism, distrust and jealousy. Let us have no illusions: unless we follow this spiritual path, external structures of communion will serve very little purpose. They would become mechanisms without a soul, "masks" of communion rather than its means of expression and growth.'

(That bit about us being able to see the light shining in the faces of our brothers and sisters seemed particularly apt as I commented to Julie M-F last night on the bright light of Jesus in her eyes.)

But getting back to yesterday's morning service, coming from an Anglican background, I was very glad Mark included the general confession before communion yesterday. I hadn't realised how much I was missing that! Plus it gave me the opportunity to confess my unfaithfulness in not reading out the scripture I felt I was being called to read - and I'll take this opportunity to give it here:

Isaiah 56 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
Isaiah 56
Salvation for Others 1 This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."
3 Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely exclude me from his people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree."
4 For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant-
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
8 The Sovereign LORD declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered."

It all sounds very encouraging, don't you think?