iGod

Christmas Olympics

A dear friend of ours Helene from All Souls, Twickenham, always manages to raise a smile with her creative Christmas cards. Thought it worth posting to share the Christmas love wider.

Hope you are all well into the Christmas by now. I know we are are at SVV.

ASD

Nice topical cartoon by the talented Dave Waker

I have to admit to opening 'the handbook' the other night in HOME group before making a decision. By that I mean the World Cup timetable booklet. Well, there is sometimes no point testing people's loyalties to whether they would prefer to come a church meeting than watch England play their third game, is there?

Thanks for the chuckle, Dave.

ASD

White Christmas or Christmas blues?

My family and I visited a Christmas craft fair recently, we do it every year. We go there to buy our tree. Out comes Bing singing "White Christmas" and we are in the zone!

While at the craft fair I came across a poster which read, "If Christmas did not exist it would have to be invented."

For some, Christ is the reason, but for many others He is the excuse. I cannot blame people for wanting to piggyback on one of the two greatest Christian festivals of the year. It has been a difficult year for many families. Jobs have been lost, homes repossessed, unsecured debt hugely increased. Christmas is a timely gift when we can have some respite from the harshest recession in living memory. God bless all those who are struggling.

But I pray the excuse will turn to a reason, because we all need hope beyond ourselves. Hope beyond our own personal predicaments. These are places where the state system can't touch or voluntary organisations get near.

However remarkable we are as human beings, and we are, I believe it is because we were made to be remarkable by a remarkable God. Lest we believe our own press that we are so good that we don't need divine help. That would appear to me to be arrogant and, let's be honest, a bit short-sighted.

 I like Dave Hayward's cartoon, because finding space for the son of God is not always convenient, especially when so much of the lives are filled up with worries of work, our children and the future. And that's just us in the church!

More wider, of course, the world struggles to find room to accommodate the coming of salvation. Our spiritual condition just does not get priority. Talk about putting the cart before the donkey.

Yet, somehow Jesus' birth still manages to be celebrated each year. For some, it will be in a grand cathedral in a prominent well-heeled part of a city. For others, it will be in a non-descript business unit on an industrial estate in South-east London. All expressions are loved by God.

For ourselves, it will be in Sudbury Town Hall on Christmas Eve at 7.00 pm.

A Christmas carol written by Christina Rosetti:

Angels and archangel

May have gathered there

Cherubim and seraphim

Throng'd the air

But only his mother

In her maiden bliss

Worshipped the Beloved

With a kiss.

Have a peaceful and joyful Christmas. God bless.

ASD

A thought for the weekend, if that's okay?

Image courtesy of my favourite subversive cartoonist AsboJesus.

As you'll know from the previous post, I have been at Hayling Island on the south coast. I am now back exhausted, but refreshed from a stimulating week with fellow Vineyard leaders. And what a lovely bunch they are too.

I always appreciate catching up with what's going on around the nation, as well as hearing about heart-warming stuff from overseas. Through the many food and drink breaks, which there were in abundance, I had a chance to discuss a variety of theological, philosophical and sociological views.

Although we may have differed at odd times it was all in good spirit and with much love and respect for each other.  That is what I love about my movement. We don't have to leave our brains at the door, but can continue to worship with our heart, soul and mind.

It gave me fresh gratitude to God for the way we personally 'do church' in our small family of churches.

I am as ever committed to the Kingdom of God and to working with like-minded Christians because, after all, we are richer for the experience. God loves unity. And, of course, we can get more done. We won't ever stop being who we are and what we are called to be. We're enjoying ourselves far too much for that!

The 'Body of Christ' is at its most attractive when it celebrates diversity within unity. To partly quote Anslem, 'faith seeks understanding' through different expressions of worship and practice.

I would go so far as to say that all denominations or parachurch organisations are better for celebrating each other's values rather than trying to create ways to conform them through awkwardly shared ministries and activities.  In my experience there are always value clashes. I would rather we come together as friends and let the task come out of that, led by the Holy Spirit whispering in our ears.

I love the fact that our people have different views to one another. It shows we are trusting and have huge respect for each other. 

Anyway, just a thought for the weekend. 

ASD

Putting our own lives into a little perspective

Just catching up with Asbo Jesus and came across this little gem.

ASD

Christian Guilt by Association

Can I be honest?

Sometimes I find it is hard to associate myself with other Christians when I hear of some of the things they do and say.

I have just watched part of a sermon which has, quite frankly, left me slack-jawed in its particular interpretation of an Old Testament passage to do with 'God's view' on manhood and toilet habits. Not only was it bad hermeneutics (the approach to interpreting the Bible), but offensive in its application. It was judgemental, loveless and downright scary. I spare you the details, but it made me embarrassed to be part of the Church.

It's occasions like this that finds me wanting to explain to people what kind of Christian I am, so they think I am alright, one of the good guys!  Heaven forbid that I should be associated with the wrong sort of Christian!

I recognise that this has a lot to do with my vanity. I would like to think I am better than them, more educated and more sorted, but who am I kidding? This attitude can be just as scary. No-one likes a pompous, self-righteous know-it-all. At least that's what the wife tells me.

I guess I have to take the rough with the smooth and work through my own issues at the same time. which means not just putting up with each other's imperfections, but loving all regardless. That doesn't mean we have to necessarily agree with one another, but neither does it give us a right to disassociate ourselves either. Hmm...tough call this Christianity.

Just thought you should know what kind of pastor I am.

Cartoon by ASBO Jesus.

ASD

Certainty and Monday morning stuff

Love this cartoon from Naked Pastor over in Canada. Again, he makes us think, at times uncomfortably, about the realities of living the Christian life. 

Why is it sometimes we can have the faith of Elijah and other times the faith of an absolute beginner?

I have been reflecting a lot on something recently that Rick Warren said over at Saddleback, 'The church does not grow by leaps and bounds, but ups and downs' .

How true. The church should reflect our true humanity. We are not automatons who deny what it is to be real people, we carry around doubts. This is totally consistent with the biblical picture of the people of God we read about al through the Old and New Testaments.

For instance, for the triumphalistic Christian, the Book of Psalms can be a troublesome place to put your thumb. You can go for long lengths without hearing anything to cheerful. Yet in the midst of these dark times, somehow, faith is renewed through testing.  Somehow the faithfulness of God shines through.

When I come across the tough life certain people have my heart just goes out to them.  I really want God to show up and do something amazing for them.

I once saw a painting hanging in someone's office which showed Jesus kneeling by a rock praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (the night he was betrayed and handed over the authorities). The title of the painting was called, 'The struggle before the victory'. 

This morning I woke up and pulled back the bedroom curtains and saw the high winds and heavy rains lashing against the windows on the backdrop of a dark grey sky. Then on the way to work I unexpectedly got a glimpse of the Sun - a small but faith-building reminder that God is there going through the uncertainties of life with us and is never far away.

ASD

Happy Christmas from the Grinch and me!

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!"

The Grinch, Dr Suess

Have a great Christmas and a peaceful New Year. God's blessings.

ASD

A little perspective on suffering

No comment really necessary.

Asbo Jesus

ASD