Moving mountains vs being equipped for the climb

I have been thinking more about the idea of moving mountains and as I think back on the situations that I have faced in my life more often than not I have had to climb the mountain rather than it being moved out of the way or flattened. As I said on Sunday I believe God often wants us to see the view from the top but this does mean we have to go through a strenuos and sometimes scary climb. However, if we put our trust in him and we are prepared to use the strength of his Holy Spirit to help we will make it to the top and be able to enjoy the view and being with God

Micah 4:2 Come let us go up the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.

Being a pencil for God

Why not run through the powerpoint below and give us your thoughts on being a pencil!



Thanks to Anita for bringing this to our attention.

Jesus perspectives

Have had a busy week but am finally getting round to posting something about last Sunday's men's meeting in the Speckled Hen.

Had a good turnout (and the pub was busier than normal, a birthday party was going on and there was some tennis match or other on the TV) and some interesting discussion. Our guest, Andy Frost of Share Jesus International, used a set of intriguing photographs to provoke some discussion on how meanings can change when we look at things from different perspectives, naturally leading into discussion on our perceptions and images of Jesus (such as the stereotypical one in the corner!).

Andy referred to what Jesus said about himself in Luke 4 where he refers to the Spirit being upon him to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, release for the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord's favour and suggested from that the concept of Jesus the revolutionary.

I think that passage is pretty revolutionary and it offers Jesus' hope to those who have lost out in life, be it emotionally, spiritually, physically or materially. This hope was evidenced in Andy's accompanying friend Leon, who came with his family to this country as a Kosovan refugee fleeing violence and war, and now seeks to reach out to others here (and back in Kosovo) with God's love.

The challenge for the church is how we can embody that revolutionary spirit in our activities and engagement with the community. We did start to discuss a bit about how different ways of being church can help or hinder that revolution. Not a subject to properly cover in one night but hopefully we all got some inspiration and challenge whilst crowding round a table in a local pub!

Questions

Hi Sue

Thanks for the comment. The questions from last Sunday's talk were:

What would be our strap lines?
What runs our life?
What clues are there for our spiritual development?
What could we commit ourselves to?
What habit could we change in 21 days?

With the first question I suggested that the apostle Peter might have had the strap lines:

I will make you fishers of men
Feed my sheep
Do not call anything impure that God has made clean

The last question relates to a piece of research that I spoke about that concluded you can change a habit if you continue the change for 21 days. Intuitively I think that the research might be right (although you never know with these pieces of research) and if it is I found that very encouraging (so, I hope it is). It was in a book on happiness that went on to say.

Why not make happiness a habit in 21 days!!! Quite a challenge.

What is Your Treasure?

Nice to be back in Blog Land!!! I have just not quite made it for a few weeks and my photography course has always won. But that is finished now and the prodigal returns.

If you were at Ashley on Saturday (payer meeting) or Sunday (morning service) you would have heard that I met a man on train whose passion was carp fishing and I spent a happy hour learning about it. There is his picture cuddling up to his treasure.

I am fascinated but what makes a person have a passion for something and it always reminds me of Jesus and the parable of the treasure in field (Matthew 13: 44). The man sold all he had for the treasure.

Jesus seems to have always wanted people of passion around him. It is as though he can sort out the mistakes we make and the hang ups we have as long as there is passion there. Is that why he persevered with the apostle Peter? He was a fisherman too!!!

Passion gives us energy and is life giving.

I took a picture of these in St Albans Cathedral hanging over the bookshop area. I thought they were a good image of passion.

Scary but energising

A Passion for quotations

I have a bit of a passion for quotations. I really enjoy reading thoughtful and concise sentences that contain so much in so few words. Poems and song lyrics come into the same category. One of my favourite poems at the moment, by a poet called Hafiz is:

Now
That
All your worry
Has proved such an
Unlucrative
Business,
Why
Not
Find a better
Job.

For some strange reason I don't; I go over and over the same ground and it is clearly ridiculous. Reading things like this can bring me back to God because they are a bit of sanity when I am losing my perspective.

A smiling God

The Lord bless you and keep you:
the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

Thanks to Shaun C for the forwarding the photo