Dec 23
Nov 04
0
Fireworks
…last weekend I had the privilege of attending an early fireworks event that turned out to be the best fireworks event I have ever been to. As I stood watching the fireworks illuminate the darkness continuously taking my breath away I was struck with a thought…
…a thought of how Jesus describes anyone who puts their trust in His life death and resurection, that they are light.
As I stood there watching the fireworks I began to contemplate what it meant to be light, that it is…
…about illuminating darkness
…about revealing what light
…exceptionally attractive to look at
It was this last aspect that particularly grabbed my attention.
I know in my call to be light is a definite need to reveal that there is darkness as well as to point to the one who is light, Jesus, however I was struck that along with these two aspects I and we must not forget the aspect that light is incredibly attractive to look at!
As I watched the firworks burst in there vibrant colours and patterns I was struck by the multicoloured wonder of God’s love I get to reveal demonstrated through who Jesus is and what he has done…
…and the privilege that I and you get to expereince and reveal it.
I hope you have a great fireworks weekend!
Oct 07
0
Steve Job’s legacy…
…it was with sadness that I heard of Steve’s death early yesterday morning and I know that there will many exceptional tributes to his life that sort to combine style and substance so excently through the products he developed. I however came across a transcript of an address that he gave at Stamford University in 2005 that I have found very thought provoking.
Within his address Steve outline three principles to live one’s life by and the final one seems somewhat poignant…death
Steve states “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
As I read these words I was struck by the legacy his own death brings us of the uncomfortable reminder that we will all die, however rather than being immobilised by this reality to use it to embrace life…
…to not keep putting off to tomorrow what truly matters
…do not allow fear to dictate what we do
…to ask the big questions of life…as life is worth exploring
Sep 23
0
Space…
…it is amazing that it is nearly 4 weeks since we officially moved in to the new Oasis space. I have to keep refering to it as ’space’ as it is the only way to show it more than offices. However refering to the bulding as ’space’ has been helpful as it has inturn has provided space…
…space to adjust to being in the building
…space to thank God
…space to get it ready
…space to start to think through what next
The space for me has reminded me of how I and we as a community are to live both in respect to the new building we have but also through the rest of our lives individually and together and that is to be pioneering inhabiters.
You see…
If I and we simply pioneer we will keep going to new places but live with a very real danger of leaving no tangible change where we have been.
If I and we live as just inhabiters we live with the danger of settling and not seeking to impact more of the lives and city around us.
Rather a better way is live is to inhabitant all that we have and at the same time seeking to pioneer in to the new.
My hope is as the ’space’ we now have takes shape it will demonstrate this desire to be pioneering inhabiters.
Sep 09
0
9/11…
Over the past week I have been thinking a lot about the 10th anniversary this Sunday of an event that has changed the world we live in. There are so many thoughts and questions that come to mind as to what led to 9/11 and all that has happened subsequently, in some ways it can feel easier to avoid commenting on it but this just doesn’t seem satisfactory. You see although I know there is a little I can say or do make sense of all that has happened I am still left with a deep desire to do something.
As I have pondered this question I have reflected on the last 10 years and in the most simple terms how the events of 9/11 have effected myself and those around me. Though this seems quite a self-absorbed way to start it seems the only way to begin to make a difference…
…you see as I’ve thought about it I’ve come to a conclusion the impact has been FEAR
Fear of the unknown, of possible threats, of people not like me, of nations I’ve never visited.
Fear is ugly as it only ever leads to you feeling imprisoned with no escape.
But there is another way, there is a way out. The bible give an answer to fear a remedy to the havoc it can reap in our lives and that is love, a love that can banish fear.At the heart of my faith is an invitation to enjoy God’s love which banishes fear which in turn means that I can love rather than fear.
For me on Sunday I want to use the day as a marker to choose to love rather than fear. To love all those I know and don’t, to love those like me and not…knowing as I do fear fades.
How about you?
Aug 17
0
Riots – is why the right question…
…it is now over a week since the riots that have shaken our cities and our nation, leaving families and communities mourning have passed. The question that seems to be continually on the the lips of politicians and the media is ‘why?’. However though this is an important question I have been left wondering whether this is the right question to asking. It is important to understand ‘why’ however there is a danger that this question is unanswerable and leads us down dead ends. I have been left wondering whether instead of asking ‘why’ we need to be asking ‘what’…
…what can I do, what can we do in light of all that has happened?
…what can I do, what can we do to prevent it happeneing again?
I has the privilege of gathering with hundreds of others who were seeking to start to answer this question of ‘what’ last Sunday at an event to honour the three men who died in the riots in Birmingham. the event was called ‘one city one voice for peace’. The event gathered people from the breadth of the muli-cultured wonder that is Birmingham, in far greater numbers than those involved in rioting, who were standing together to take action for peace. We left with a challenge to live out this message.
For me the answer to the question of ‘what’, is in how I am seeking to offer comfort, support, love, acceptance, hope, prayer and a willingness to give myself to building a better city.
How about you?
Jul 03
0
Who you travel with: Enjoying the journey 2
“Life is like a journey, the question is how do we ensure that we don’t just survive it or endure it but rather get to ‘enjoy the journey’?”
In any journey who you travel with can both make or break a journey. The right travel companions can bring support, encouragement, security and even confidence regardless of how the journey goes the wrong ones can leave you vulnerable, discouraged and alone.
Within the highs and lows our lives can take we are invited to have the greatest travel companion…one who promises to be ‘with’ us no matter what.
We discover this announcement of this travel companion at the birth of Jesus, where we are told that he will be called Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’ and then the pronouncement as Jesus left the earth that he would be ‘with’ us until He returns.
The ‘with’ makes all the difference without it there is just
God and us.
Adding the ‘with’ we are promised the ultimate travel companion as it bridges the gap between God and us.
‘God with us’ promises that we can know…
…we are never alone, that we are known, valued, loved, secure which gives us confidence.
Do we know God is with us?
Jun 30
0
Destination: Enjoying the journey 1
“Life is like a journey, the question is how do we ensure that we don’t just survive it or endure it but rather get to ‘enjoy the journey’?”
In the film ‘Forest Gump’ there is a moment that due to life circumstances he just starts running, running with no destination in mind. Then after 3 years, 2 months 14 days and 16 hours he just stop running with no explanation, other than he is tired, leaving those who have joined him in his run despondent. If we are not careful our lives can feel a lot like this, that we are running however we are unsure where are running is taking us and why.
Life, if we are not careful can feel more like a tread mill than a journey.
Joy can be found as we understand where we are going and why, however to ask this question can sometimes leave us uncomfortable with the answer.
At the heart of the Christian faith is a promise of a destination…a destination where death is not the end but where God ultimately restores everything and the world will be how it was always designed to be. A place where there is no more pain, suffering, death and where God is visibly known and present.
Joy then can be found in the journey in both remembering the destination and revealing the destination as we get to…
…feed the hungry
…house the homeless
…comfort the distressed
…seek peace rather than conflict
…seek justice where there is exploitation
…house the homeless
…the comfort the distressed
…seeking peace where there is conflict
...justice being sought where there is exploitation
The question is do we know this is our destination?
If yes, then are we seeking to remember and reveal?
If no, is it worth examining?
Jun 16
0
A.R.K
As a family we really enjoy watching the film ‘Evan Almighty’ a modern take on some of the Noah story. Probably my favorite moment of the film is towards the end when God (played by Morgan Freeman) talks to Evan as to what the Ark he had built revealed…
This Sunday as we get to play a part in the Edgbaston Cricket Ground Fun day, let’s see it for what it is, A.R.K moments, Acts of Random Kindness that can change the world…
…not because Hollywood tells us but because it allows to reveal a far greater act of kindness that has been done that was not random. The act of God giving of His Son motivated by His love.
Our A.R.K moments this Sunday therefore become a statement of what we are always about of loving God and loving people and allow a moment within all that is going on this Sunday for God’s love to be encountered.
May 05
0
Body matters…
…as it reminds us we belong.
Last Sunday we got to look at probably my favourite depiction of what the church is meant to be as we looked at Paul’s likening of the church to a body…the church as a body speaks of diversity, unity, and purpose as it reminds us ultimately whose body it is, Jesus’, and how we therefore get to reveal Him together.
This is the body we get to belong to.
I was struck again today whilst praying with others from Oasis of the immense privilege, freedom and security that this brings.
Belonging to the body means we are not alone, we are joined to others. Joined in a way that means we all have value as we together make up the body…
…this surely brings security. Security to be who I am and to allow others to be who they are…
…freedom therefore to run with others not out of competition but in celebration of the fact we are about the same thing. A freedom that allows us celebrate in one another’s success knowing it is all of our success and to carry one another when we are suffering.
It means I have the privilege to belong to a community where I can run with others in revealing this Jesus knowing sometimes it means I get to push them forward as I hear of their success and sometimes they get to do likewise to me and sometimes I get be to carried as I am suffering as well as sometimes I get to carry others. It therefore means I need to be mindful of others committing to be one who is looking around for those who need to be pushed forward and those who need to be carried as well as also seeking to allow others to do the same for me.
The question we are therefore left with is, do we know we belong to the body?
If no then may it is worth looking into how we can belong.
If yes then maybe we need to give ourselves to running like this.
