Is it just me, or are others finding Blogger has become incredibly slow and more prone to failing over the last 2 weeks? Is this the classic case of taking on too many people without the infratructure to support them? I really hope not as I’m tight and don’t want to have to pay to keep blogging. My frustration, though,is causing me to think a move to a paid account like typepad is inevitable unless things get better.

I have been doing a bit of thinking over the Easter break. The CofE is, some say, in a time of crisis and accelerating to schism. Some people are acting in certain ways, some in others, most in direct opposition and all convinced personally that they are right in the eyes of God.

As someone who can see both sides of the situation, and as someone who is passionate about people being able to connect with God relevantly, I find it hard to understand how we have got to this situation. How have we, as a church, ended up as each others throats.

It would seem to come down to our belief. When we say we have orthodox beliefs I find myself asking; ‘yes, but does that mean we just believe the correct stuff, or is it not more about doing the right stuff?’ There is my question, and the issue I find myself struggling with at the moment.

Is it more important to believe the right things, or is it more important to do the right things? It is a question that has my mind whirring.

I think of the Pharisees that have been in my mind over Easter. They certainly knew all the rules. They were ‘orthodox’ in their beliefs and observed every rule that was there. The did not seem, though, to be able to grasp the reality of God’s love and got extremely angry with a Jesus who tried to point this out to them. Their lack of compassion for others prevented them from experiencing the reality of God’s love for them.

Today, do we get too bound up in believing the right thing? Has the evangelical world become so scared of making a mistake that we have to ensure we believe all the right things before we go out and do the right things.

My mind also goes to the disciples. They were so confused a lot of the time! Even right at the centre of Easter we see them in utter chaos and confusion, they do not know what they believe, yet they still manage to do the right things!

I ask myself if I am becoming stagnated due to my thoughts over my beliefs when I should be getting the message of love out there. Certainly, my church, again, seems to be allowing itself to be deflected from its mission yet again which I find incredibly frustrating.

So, what is the answer … to believe or do, as it does not seem possible to be able to do both in everyone’s eyes at the moment?

Read this morning:

‘Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love’
1 John 4:8

It’s not what we give of ourselves, or the sacrifices we make, that is an indication of how we love; but what we know we hold back from doing.

It’s been a great few days for a holiday.

Today was a great day out at Scotney Castle where we followed and Easter egg hunt. AS we were wandering around I was amazed at the artistic knowledge of my children.

On our trip we came across this beautiful sculpture and immediately Tom and Beth said ‘That’s a Henry Moore sculpture’. Sarah and I looked at each other in amazement – was it? Well, the website agrees with my kids – so where did that great bit of information and recognition come from?

Being a parent is flipping hard work, but its always great and quite often you just get amazing insights into what they are learning and growing with each day. Hey … I was proud the other day with swimming badges and stuff – today I am proud because my kids recognise who sculpted a fine piece of art.

Other highlights of the few days have been buyng a new bike with Tom, spending Easter Day with Andrew and Sarah … and experiencing my son genuinely beating me at pool. I really tried, and he really won – that does not help with the feelings of realisation associated with the fast approaching 40!!

Yesterday in church we had a bit of an experiment. Well, actually the experiment happened on Good Friday and the results were seen in church on Easter morning.

For years we have done a 3 hours at the foot of the cross event on Good Friday. This year we went for something different and different people ran different workshops on the Friday for people to take part in knowing that what they ‘produced’ would be used on Sunday morning.

We had art groups, drama groups, dance group, cooking, people responsibe for decorating the church and so on. This was a real family event with everything brought as a kind of offering on Sunday morning.

Myself, Sarah and Andrew took on the task of developing the porch. We wanted to achieve a ‘cold’ tomb feel for people to walk through before they entered the joyful interior of the worship space. We were trying to achieve a death to new life feel.

We use cold drapes to lower the roof. Covered the floor in rubble (thanks to the builder working on my extension!). WE covered a few chairs in deep blue cloth to give an appearance of a tomb with blood stained bandages hanging from it. Behind the scenes we burned some incense and played a quiet chill track. Our final piece to add was two great young ladies, Amber and Deborah, dressed as angels asking people why they were looking lost/worried/here in the tomb for Jesus because … He had risen!!!

WE enjoyed working together and the finished product seemed to work – not necessarily because it was good, but because it was a different use of the space and so it gave opportunity for people literally to stop, take it all in and think before they started to worship God.

This really was a family service as the whole family had a part in the event.

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains which he endured, Alleluia!
our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
now above the sky he’s King, Alleluia!
where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Thankyou

… in 1989 I married my first wife.

She was, and still is, a beautiful woman and I’m glad that she has remained my only wife.

16 years have flown by – bring on the next 16!

Today I remember the Last Supper. The last night Jesus spent with the disciples before he was crucified. The time when he must have had the agony of the next few hours on his mind. This was the whole point of his time on earth. His total mission. What strikes me most is what he chooses to do on this last night:
to eat with his friends
to wash their feet
to pray

I have mulled this and see this as a kind of ‘trinity of identity’.

Through the eating of the meal I see Jesus the human. The man who had needs, the man who got hungry, the man who had friends. The man who chose, on his last night, to invest just that little bit more of himself in that small group of disciples. The human Jesus putting friendships first. The human Jesus needing the presence of his friends around him.

Through the washing of his disciples feet I see Jesus the servant. The man who wanted to show others how much they were worth. The man who chose to humble himself in their presence. The man who sees the comfort and needs of others as priorities to be catered for. The main who simply came to serve.

Later, in the garden, he prays. When he is tired, when the strain is so great that he sweats blood he does not rest but he worships God. He does not give up, he gives himself back to God. He does not moan, he places himself totally in God’s hands. The man whose identity is totally dependent on his relationship with the Creator.

Jesus the human, Jesus the servant, and Jesus the son of God.

Hull YFC are being featured prominantly on Nailing the Cross on BBC1, Good Friday at 10am. Look out for it or set the VCR!