Despite the extra time I have had to think, read and so on, I am glad that this is my last night in the quiet house.
I will go to Detling tomorrow morning to help take tents down and then be able to see my loved ones again. I’ve kinda missed them!
Although it has been lonely towards the end of the day I have been reading and mulling over my relationship with Jesus and church and chritians in general really.
It hit me this morning how very extravagant Jesus was in the gospels and how this can contrast with both the charictature and reality of Christians. It just seems to be that we are so conservative, reserved and ‘British’ while Jesus encouraged the oppsite. I acknowledge he was in 1st century Jewish culture but even so …
Take for example the feeding of the 5000. Jesus did not just feed them – he massively over catered. Why was that? Didhe miscount? I don’t think Jesus can have made a mistake with the figures, but I do wonder why there were 12 full baskets left over! You could say what a waste and how insensitive when working with people who were struggling through poverty
I can just imagine the comments I would get after a church BBQ if I had so massively over-catered. There would be those who laughed, but I’m guessing (maybe wrongly) those that would frown on the wanton waste of good food. The extravagance would be frowned upon or questioned.
Or … take the wedding at Cana. Not just a little bit of wine there! 180 gallons of the stuff! This, too, was after they had been partying throughout the day already! And it was not any of your cheap plonk if the comments are anything to go by! I wish someone would invite me to a wedding like that! Surely, though this was inciting people to drink? How irresponsible of Jesus!!! I can hear the voices now!
Imagine bringing 180 gallons of good quality wine to a Christian party – what would people say? Would they welcome the gift or question and frown on the extravagance
Don’t get me wrong – I am not having a dig at others, because I think I would question and frown myself. It’s in our genes. It seems to be in the way we have brought up and been taught over the centuries. 
Check out the picture – do those jars look like they would carry 30 gallons as outlined in John ch 2?
It like that new Christian fad around where you are keen to share how little you paid for the new ‘thing’, or what a great bargain the shoes were. We think we are being counter-cultural as others outside Christianity are keen to share how they bought the biggest and most expensive! I don’t think we are being counter-cultural, we are trying to appease our guilt feelings because we do not think we should be extravagant. We should have what we need, not what we want!
I seem to be missing something here. I have been brought up in evangelical churches which talk about restraint, moderation, discipline … and here I see a Jesus who was radical, didn’t care what people thought, and incredibly incredibly extravagant. He certainly knew how to party! He didn’t just do it for others, he allowed personal extravagnace to himself – remember Mary and the very expensive perfume
Why this extravagance? Jesus rarely did stuff without a reason. What was he trying to say and teach us? We are told to follow Jesus, to use him as an example. Well lets get on out there and party and stop worrying about being so moderate
Maybe a genuine love for life and people in the extravagant style of Jesus is what will attract people to Him again
Tonight I met up with Sheena again and we went to see Spiderman2. I quite enjoyed the film but apparently it’s not as good as the first film. I wouldn’t know – I’ll have to start watching films in the right order one day! It’s all the fault of Star Wars starting with episode 4 – ruined my development years!
I can’t seem to just watch a film anymore though without drifting into a ‘Is God speaking through this’ or ‘How can I use this in my youth work’ mode. There were some usable quotes which I am sure others have used such as;
‘intelligence is a gift, a privilege, to be used for the benefit of mankind’
‘children today need a hero … everyone needs and loves a hero.’
‘with great power comes great responsibility’ (Have Blair and Bush seen this film?)
‘show me the respect to allow me to choose … I want to take that risk’
I am sure I have misquoted all of those – but it gives the general idea. Along with all that it was the general good vs evil story – amazing how that one crops up over and over again! Is there a message there?
Finally, I want to embarrass Sheena. It was great to see her – she is a cool and special person. Sheena was in mine and Sarah’s first ever youth group some 15 or so years ago I think! Maybe less. It’s a real privilege and exciting when you see young people grow, become friends and stay with God. It does not happen very often- over 15 years of youth ministry there are probably around 3 that we can talk of like that. Thanks Sheena – see you Saturday at the beautiful Priestfield ground.
Today one of my quests is over – I have finally found a diesel car at a reasonable price to get me around the country. It’s an ‘ok’ carwhich I hope will run well. I kinda wanted something nicer looking, but after a while thought ‘why?’ It’s an R reg Citroen Xsara for thoise that can’t make that out from the picture. Now I can start thinking about more important things again!
Just read Jonny’s Blog and found a great few, and free, opportunities to hear Archbishop Rowan in debate at St Pauls Cathedral on a few Wednesday evenings in a row. The first Wdnesday, 8th September, I am already due to meet Pauline during the day from SOLiD in Wandsworth as they look to become a Youth for Christ centre. In fact today is the day to pray for Pauline and her work.
Hopefully that means I can stay in London to hear Rowan Williams before I go home. The first seminar is described as:
How should the world be governed?
Dr Rowan Williams in dialogue with Lord Owen, former UK Foreign Secretary and Co-chair of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia, and Professor Philip Bobbitt, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Texas. Chaired by Sir Mark Tully
Anyone want to join me?
Well…my 3 goal prediction was correct!
Thanks Steve for the good wishes, I have never had those from a Watford fan before.
It was a great game and a pleasure to be able to sit next to both Tom and Sheena. I don’t think any of us will be ableto talk tomoirrow at work. In my case, that will make the team happy!
I’m starting to get excited. It’s lunchtime and soon Gillingham will kick off for our very first home game of the season against the mighty Leeds. I will be going to Detling to pick Tom up as we sit together.
It’s great having a season ticket – you sit with or near the same people each week. I like this part of the season when you see everyone again.
I just hope we can play well, 3-0 to Gillingham is my prediction! Yeah right!
People have been very busy over the summer and there is some excellent writing out there. If you have not come across them then go have a look at these writings in particular.
Lucy is writing some thought provoking stuff, particularly in her posts transforming power of the gospel and women.
Maggi has an interesting post on blogging which I think could go on for a while.
I found Gaping Void and the series on creativity is excellent.
Darren of Alternative Hymnal is blogging a Jesus Song a day. Sometimes a great way to start the day!
Jonny’s blog are just making me jealous that I can’t be at Greenbelt. I have never been, so maybe I should try to make that an aim for next year. The worship stuff looks varied and exciting.
Those are just the blogs I have had time to look at. But, finally if you want to do something worthwhile visit the Church Action on Poverty website. Here you can send an epostcard to Patricia Hewitt to support a campaign for a limit to be put on interest rates, ie cut out the loan sharks that pray on the poor and marginalised of our (civilised??!!) country. Apparantly other European countries do have a ceiling rate which would prevent the 177% APR and more that some have to pay just so they can make ends meet. Take 10 seconds out and go fill it out now!
It was the first day back at work today. Since waking up, I have felt quite empty today and that did concern me. It’s a difficult feeling to explain. It’s not that I do not feel that God is there, I feel he is! But … I feel empty inside and in relation to him and what is going on around me.
That concerned me!
So … I made use of the quiet house and spent some time reflecting and ‘chilling’ with God. As I was chilling I had a bizarre idea (maybe I should be bold enough to say God spoke?!) The idea was to dig out my notebook and go through notes from conferences of the past few years.
I don’t know if you relate to this. I go to conferences – I have to go to YFC staff conference every year. The speakers are excellent. I make notes. I mean to re-read them, but I never seem to have a chance to. (I even but the speaker cd’s that I then do not listen to!!!) Well tonight I took that opportunity and started to read through notes of old YFC conferences that I had been to.
A comment from staff conference in January 2002 which Janet Whitehead made as she preached one evening hit me. They must have hit me then, or I would not have written them down, but I forgot about them. ‘Sometimes emptiness is the greatest sign of hope’
Janet went on to back up this statement by using the image of the empty tomb. The tomb of Jesus, being empty, was and still is the greatest sign of hope for you and me, and everyone we know.
Isn’t that amazing – not just the comment, but the fact that on the day I feel empty I get an idea to read through old notes and I find thatone sentence from Janet. I actually found the comment within 2 minutes and knew I did not need to read any further. God had got his message across.
I find this really encouraging to think my emptiness could be a sign of hope for me. As you know, I start a new role with YFC on September 1st and there a a few things I need to sort such as hand over to Malcolm properly and buy a car that will travel around the country without breaking down. I can now go to sleep thinking my emptiness is not as bad as I feared. In fact, it could well be positive.
‘Sometimes emptiness is the greates sign of hope’.
Well we are all back from a fantastic holiday. Amazingly a few days away in the caravan witht he family and I have returned very relaxed. It is as if God turned 5 days into 10 … a miracle!
It’s also very quiet at home. We retuned on Friday and Sarah and the children went off to Revival Fire Conference at Detling. Sarah is there in her capacity as St Marks Church youth worker. I chose to stay at tome because, if I am honest, that big group loud worship, full on energy thing is not where I am at the moment and so would hate it.
There is no judgement in that statement. It’s great for people that can connect with God that way – and in family thats everyone apart from me – so I guess I’m the weirdo! Sometimes I do relate to God in that way, but at the moment I know I am in my quiet and reflective stage; and what better way to explore that than stay home alone and make good use of the quiet.
I do miss them though … its a weird kind of quiet in the house!
The Shiny Headed Prophet 