iGod

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

3rd Person Christian

I have come across a term this week: third person Christian. In essence, it means Christians who think a message is not for them, but for another. Now don't rush for your dictionaries because it is a made up expression, but I quite like it all the same. It kind of works.

Mark Batterson makes the point that when people hear something pertinent it is for them to give to someone else. How many of us, if we are honest, think this?

There are times when I have really felt a passage speak to me as a pastor and automatically think it is for another person or the whole church. However, when I have time to reflect I can realise it is actually for me! Can you believe that? This can be a hard thing to concede when you are not in the frame of mind to listen for yourself.

I think for those of us in leadership this is a hugely important thing to be aware of, especially when we are giving out all the time.  Of course, God wants to speak to us about our own character issues. He wants a one-to-one relationship with us first before we give out. How dense can we be?

So let me ask a couple of questions: do we always make a point of first reading the Bible for ourselves before others? Do we hear from God with a view of having a word for others or ourselves? Tough isn't it?

I find when I don't carve out personal devotional time to reflect, pray and worship I put myself in a precarious place. It takes humility and discipline to put it right.

In fact, I would have thought it is nigh impossible to lead others in the presence of God if we are not to be found already in that place ourselves hearing first hand.

ASD

The start of Advent

As many of you informed and smart people will know the period of Advent started on Sunday with, er, Advent Sunday. However, the Advent calendars won't start until 1 December. Why is that?

Anyhow, I came across this poem/prose from Breathe and thought it was worth sharing here.  For those of us who were at church on Sunday you will understand its pertinence.

Advent starts now

Not when the gifts were stuffed into shops in warm October.

Advent starts with a voice crying “Get Ready”

Not with the coos and calls of consumption.

Advent starts with hearts stripped bare, scaffolding down, empty and still…

Advent starts with a people humbled, desperate, dependent on Grace for the future unfolding.

It starts with a promise: God comes

The feast is not the goal; the feast is a promise:  

He will be with us 

So get ready

Advent starts today

Thanks, Damion.

ASD

New - Trent Burn Bright Live DVD & CD

I have in my laptop the new DVD/CD by Trent from Vineyard Records UK and really loving it. It's got four new numbers on it, along with popular songs such Love Divine, Hold On and Perfect Sacrifice (the latter being the title of the Spring Harvest 09 album). One new song that it instantly touched me was Jubilee. Absolute cracker.

This is a quality recording by a quality band.  Not jealous at all! 

Seriously, though, I just love their hearts and willingness to serve the Kingdom with their obvious giftedness. Such a blessing. 

There are some great extras too, including a film of Trent Vineyard's compassion ministry The Arches project in Nottingham.

it is also worth mentioned the two SongTeach videos for Burn Bright and Perfect Sacrifice with songwriter Nigel Briggs. As with all things in the Vineyard, Trent doesn't just showcase, but models it in an easy and accessible way.

Anyway, check out the trailer and make up your own mind. Enough shameless plugging!

Mine's a pint, guys!

ASD

Free webinar coming up with worship leader Tim Hughes

If you lead worship in your church small group or Sunday service or know someone else who does, I am sure you'd like to know about this webinar. I should also hasten to add that it is good for those leading churches to listen in too, as it is often in this area that little tensions can rise on a Sunday morning.

On Wednesday 15 July, 5-6.30 pm (GMT), Dan Wilt will be in discussion with UK worship leader Tim Hughes who will be talking on the subject: When servants lead: keeping your ego in check. Tim is painfully talented and is the author of beautiful songs such as Here I am to worship. He also ably heads up Worship Central, part of Alpha International (HTB).

Dan Wilt runs the inspirational The Insitute of Contemporay and Emerging Worship Studies at St Stephen's University, Canada, as well as cordinates Vineyard Music and blogs regularly. In fact, I don't know when he ever finds time to go to bed!

Anyway, this is a great opportunity to hear Tim chat with Dan. And having listened to the recent one with Irish Vineyard worship leader and pastor Kathryn Scott, I know this will be a delight.

Register here

ASD

What is success for a church leader? (6 Thoughts)

According to an online survey I did as part of reading Tom Rath’s book Strength Finders, I am apparently an 'Achiever', apart from other things.  I am told by the Gallup Poll author that people like me look for significance in doing things.  'Achievers need success'. At this point my wife and I are very different.  She is so much more sorted than me. She likes to be. I like to do!

It is easy for leaders to mark success with the obvious metrics such as Sunday attendance, number of small groups, paid staff or converts a year, but we all know the Kingdom throws everything on its head and the world’s values are not our values.

I remember hearing one pastor say when you haven’t got numbers you don’t talk about them, when you do you tell everyone (humbly, of course!) I have since met guys who run churches of over 1,000-6,000 people who would rather eat a monkey brain sandwich than talk about their stats.

So what does success look like for those leading in a church? Here are six thoughts that I have adapted from American theologian pastor and all round good egg, Peter Scazzero:

1. Walk in Integrity - with God, self, and others. This is reflected in a sense of peace, rest and a life filled with communion with Him.

2. Experience a joyful marriage where we serve our children and others out of a cup that overflows. 

3.  Provide leadership in short, mid and long range issues that is thoughtful, prudent, intentional and patient.

4.  Ensure leadership is unified around a common vision with common values. Each leader then leads from within out of their own unique inner journey.

5.  Lead in such a way that the organism of the church works well together (in our case that would include our core leaders and then to everyone else in our church

6.  Mentoring the next generation of leaders, transitioning power away from ourselves towards others who will take our own church forward into God’s purposes beyond us.

Well, it is a start. And certainly isn’t the end of the subject!

ASD

"Before All Things" - A Song for Easter

Dan Wilt has posted an Easter hymn on his blog, based on Colossians 1:15-20. He has also kindly included words and chords too.

Apart from a Sunday gathering I can also see this song working really well in a small group. It is a great meditative song and full of wonderful truths. Take time to watch it if you can.

ASD

Worship - Stumbling towards mystery

There is a good article worth checking out on why we need a theology of worship from Dan Wilt over in Canada.

"To formulate a rich and powerful theology of worship is to engage the most essential questions of humankind, the most vital revelations of human history, and the most practical activities of human experience. In short, to embrace that a clear theology of worship is not only helpful, but of highest human necessity, is to begin to see the full scope of the silver thread of worship that weaves throughout this magical universe."

There is a good analogy: analog and digital.

ASD

Trent DVD Live filming photos

You might remember that I posted news of Vineyard Records UK's live filming of Trent at Trent Vineyard back on Thursday 12 February. Though I couldn't personally made it, I hear it was a good occasion. Here are some nice pics taken. Look forward to seeing the DVD being in the shops.

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