Its easier to get addicted to Coffee than reading the Bible!

I was initially a bit worried about using the word addiction to refer to the different ways we can maintain our relationship with God, since it has so many negative associations. Coffee, chocolate, cigarettes and the rest, very easy to get hooked on, very hard to give up.
I also had questions about “How do we get addicted? Or “How do we renew an addiction that we once had?” Since even though worship is important and powerful, Can I live without it?
However, if you peel away the outer layers of how we keep in touch with God, and get back to the person of Jesus, he gives the answer when he says "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (Jn4,13)
I am addicted to God like I am addicted to water. The amazing twist is that in meeting my need, unlike all other addictions which are inherently selfish, this water flows though me to others. Amazing!

Getting addicted to God

This weeks talk was focusing on how we can become more addicted to God and increase our experience of him. The important thing is not to feel guilty about what you don't do but to focus on how you do get back to God, whether it's an hour reading your bible or a walk in the coutryside experiencing God's creation.

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The unforced rhythms of grace

Matthew 11 from The Message

28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Football and Passion.

The Premiership is the most watched football league in the world in 2008, yet a complete mystery to many.“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” Bill Shankly knew it would be like this…….

In fact, to some, football is more of a religion than religion ever was. The similarities run deep: with weekly celebrations, after meeting drinks, passionate discussion, tithing, uncomfy seats, embarrassment when the person sitting behind you is a shouter, controversy over team selection, discussions about the quality of the building, and even a reason to live, for some perhaps.

Should we be surprised by the commitment and passion of players and fans? Players not, since 100 grand a week would make the most lethargic, 2 left footed person passionate, but fans perhaps yes…since what need is this actually meeting in them, what gives people the desire to support perpetually losing teams like Derby that can never stay up?

Victoria Beckham was asking to be mocked when she said “I don't know much about football. I know what a goal is, which is surely the main thing.” Imagine if she had said…..”I don't know much about Christianity, but I know who Jesus is which is surely the main thing.” Don't hear any mocking now.

Small is Beautiful

Seen at Ashley last Sunday

Raving in Picture form

Graeme made this electronic picture some time ago, and it always reminds me of my relationship with God; it is full of mystery, twists and turns, brighter flashes and dark bits. It is not a linear experience; some bits are decidedly knotty. Viewed from above though it is beautiful and I am confident that God sees us as beautiful despite the tangle our lives can look from our own perspectives.

A Rave with God

I thought we were very blessed by our young people this morning (I was anyway) as they led us in some lively and louder than usual worship. It was particularly good to see how well they performed together, supported each other and confidently led the rest of us. They also managed to transfer their energy into some of us 'older' ones to get us moving a bit. I think it's important to do things every now and then that take us out of our comfort zone and experience God in a different way and this morning will have taken some of us further out of our comfort zone than others.
It also got me thinking what it actually means to 'rave' with God so I looked up the definition of rave, here are some interesting results

• To speak wildly, irrationally, or incoherently.
• To speak or write with wild enthusiasm
• To roar; rage
• Praise enthusiastically

When we allow God's spirit takes hold of us I'm sure we're capable of all of the above and it reminded me how onlookers described the disciples at pentecost!

I hope you find time to 'rave' some more with God this week.

The process of change

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As someone who doesn't find change particularly easy I was challenged by Roy's talk today. I too find the scene from the passion where the disciples struggle to cope with the supposed loss of Jesus very enlightening and encouraging. They were real people who didn't really understand what was going on and where their Lord had gone (I'd recommend seeing the clip if you can). Out of this there was disagreement, disillusionment and disappointment and as Roy said a desire to return to something familiar. Often we can convince ourselves that it is better not to change and stick with what we know but sometimes it is through change that we can grow in our knowledge and understanding of God (even though He may decide we are to learn through not changing when we might want to!)
I suppose the key is to be prepared to wait for the right moment and listen to what God is saying/prompting and not to try and force the change or make it happen quicker/slower than it should.
What are your experiences of change or not change, if you have the time we would welcome your thoughts.

A day or two with Zechariah

At our Ashley prayer meeting on Saturday morning I was thinking about the way it is easy to feel we can do nothing and remembered the verse ”‘Not by might or power but my spirit’ says the Lord” but I couldn’t remember where it came from.

I went home and found it nestling in the book of Zechariah (chapter 4 v 6). I read around the history of the book a little and was struck by what an amazing book of hope it was at a time when the Jewish nation had seen the temple destroyed and many of the people deported to another land. How was the temple and city to be rebuilt by such a powerless group?

Zechariah had a vision of God telling him to get a measuring line (chapter 2) presumably to start the rebuilding as an act of faith. I just picture him standing in the rubble with a tape measure (or equivalent) and with faith and against all the odds acting out the hope by measuring for the new temple and city.

When we sometimes feel we are standing in rubble from our dreams and hopes this could be a book for us. We can rebuild not in our own strength but by God’s spirit working through us and our circumstances. No matter what there is always hope. Sometimes we just have to start rebuilding as an act of faith too

Zechariah is full of powerful images which portray the struggles between hope and despair, destruction and restoration, and good and evil with a strong message that there will always be a way that God’s spirit will overcome. It is easy to get too tied up in the imagery of the book and it is often better just to capture the spirit of what is being said.

The book of Zechariah might be worth a read this week.