Man and God

This is a great editorial in the Times today

Well worth a read.

Tony Blair “converts” to Catholicism

Tony Blair hasn’t “converted” to a different religion (Anglican to Catholic) - he’s joined another denomination of Christianity.

I think we need to remember that outward allegiance to a denomination does not make someone a Christian. Only God can judge a person’s heart. What happens inside us is something that only God and the individual can determine. A Christian is a follower of Christ – an active thing. None of the first disciples became “followers of Jesus” but stayed where they were. They changed (but didn’t become perfect). They made mistakes (Peter cut off someones ear).

Finally, I hope that the Catholic church is where Tony Blair finds his spiritual home. I hope I meet him in eternity.

Ricky Gervais and the Archbishop of Canterbury

Very interesting listening/watching. If the Youtube video doesn’t work go the the Radio 5 website to listen to it.

I think it is ESSENTIAL that those of us who call ourselves Christians engage in conversations with those outside of our faith. You can call it evangelism if you like, but we are to “give a reason for the hope within us”. I can’t debate to the level of Rowan Williams or Richard Dawkins, but I need stretching. I also need to learn to listen to what those who aren’t Christians or who aren’t sure are saying.

Christians are far too good at answering the questions that no-one else is asking.

When you mess up…

Get right back up and get going

If we say we never get it wrong we are liars and hypocrites. If we are willing to admit our mistakes before the God of the Universe, He’ll bend down, pick us up, dust us down and clean our hearts. Completely. Utterly. (1 John  1:8-9)

Nothing we do will make Him love us less or more

Following the stars

The Visit of the Magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 
 ” ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, 
     are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
   for out of you will come a ruler
      who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

As a youth worker, one of the most common questions that I get asked by young people is “How do I know what God wants me to do with my life?” If I told them to follow the stars they wouldn’t be too impressed.

The Magi were watching the stars, expecting something to happen. And they noticed when it did. Many of us don’t know what God wants to do with our lives because we aren’t watching Him – we’re just trying to survive the hour/day/week/month/year. We are so caught up in the day to day stuff… and at Christmas this can get even worse. A good friend said to me recently that the thing he hated the most about Christmas was that he didn’t have time to THINK about it. This year by complete accident he managed to get an hour or so at our church to take part in the “Experience Christmas” event. He had time to reflect and think. Time to hear God speak.

The Magi saw the star and got moving… they didn’t know all the details, they just knew this was important.

We need to watch the stars… what is God saying to us? Perhaps we really need to attend to our soul? Perhaps we need to sort out a broken relationship? Perhaps we just need to pay God more attention?

Wonder

The Shepherds and the Angels

 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ”Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

So many people I know tell me that they are sick of Christmas. They’ve seen the decorations up in the shops since mid October (latest early November); they resent spending the obscene amounts of money on food, drink and presents that are expected; they feel like Christmas has lost its soul.

We’ve lost the wonder of Christmas…

Mary (the teenager) meets the angel and discovers her destiny. She is full of awe and wonder.

The shepherds see an army of angels and meet the baby… and they are full of awe and wonder.

If you’ve got Christmas sickness… let the living Christ fill you with wonder.  

Best Christmas films ever

I am a H U G E fan of the Simon Mayo show on Radio 5 Live, and especially the Mark Kermode Film Review. Here are the top 10 Christmas films… the Fozzy Bear impression makes this worth watching alone.

Why we haven’t got an English England manager

The good contenders don’t want the job (Curbishley and Allardyce)

The rest AREN’T good enough.

No top club will take a risk on English managers BECAUSE they aren’t good enough. Capello wins leagues in his first season in charge in different countries. So does Mourinho. Why? Because they are better trained and better equipped to do the job than Curbishley or McClaren. They had to earn their way up  the ladder. We give jobs to half decent players (Robson and Southgate are 2 examples) who aren’t proven or ready to manage.

English managers need to learn better management and coaching skills from our friends abroad. They need to learn more languages. They need to not be in such a rush to get top jobs and earn their apprenticeship properly – see Martin O’Neil for an example as he was at Wycombe and Leicester for over a decade.

We need to radically change how we train and teach our coaches, and our players. I’m sick to death of people moaning about having a foreign this and that. The fact that we haven’t got anyone good enough should make us rethink.

THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES ON.

Fabio Capello

I think he’s a good choice (now that Jose isn’t coming). He’s talked about as the hard man in football, unafraid to make difficult decisions, a winner, and a disciplinarian.

No wonder Terry and Lampard are already bigging him up in the press…

Be afraid…

Cell group last night

Our church splits up into “cell” groups in the week (small groups of us that meet to pray together, read the Bible together and hang out). Nell leads our group and its a great little group based around the road we live in (when we aren’t flooded!). Last night we took a bottle of wine, card and some chocolate money all expertly wrapped up (not by me clearly) to all the houses down our street that had flooded last July.

I felt a bit nervous.

I don’t know why it got to me, but I was hoping that no-one would answer the door and that I could just leave them on the porch. Why did it bother me so much? It was a good idea to give these gifts. It wasn’t cringey or religious. It involved wine and chocolate so you couldn’t really go wrong! And the response from pretty much everyone was really positive. Yet I felt bothered by it.

I think that I stick to the unspoken rule that because we are British we shouldn’t be extravagant or generous, and we definitely shouldn’t knock on people’s doors to give them a gift that they weren’t expecting.

Jesus would have definitely broken that rule.

I’m going to find some more to break as well… whether I like it or not.

Politics

Saw this article on Nai T’s blog (am about to add her to my blogroll). She articulates my thoughts precisely… here’s a snippet to whet your appetite:

I’m sure the logical people of the time would have said “why don’t you choose from the temple party, they have the most Christian values” and Jesus may have replied yes, but they are also the most conceited, arrogant un-teachable bunch of people going, so I choose this person because I find in them a humble heart. 

Worcester University Christian Union

I had the privilege tonight to go and speak at the Worcester Uni Christian Union… its the second time that I’ve been (always a good sign when you are a visiting speaker). I really enjoyed it – they’ve been looking at Ecclesiastes for the last term (not a book that Christians often dig into) and I was supposed to finish it off.

Aside from the speaking bit it was great to see what they are doing there… doing a carol service with the RAG guys, serving tea and toast to students every Weds evening, growing a great community etc. I’m also really proud because Sam who leads the CU at the moment used to be a member of my youth group. It is one of the biggest highlights that I get as a youth worker – seeing the teens that caused havoc (sorry Sam) in different groups taking on the challenge of leadership. And hes a great leader too.

Ecclesiastes is a great book… well worth a read. Do it in one go and it’ll make more sense.

C

World AIDS day

Today is World AIDS day… seems to have gone out of fashion to talk about HIV/AIDS at the moment  – I only realised when I opened Google today. But it is killing people, orphaning children, and destroying nations… silently.

Click on this link to find out what you can do.

Most of the victims don’t choose to be affected. Most of the victims of AIDS are orphans. Don’t get high and mighty. GETSTUCKIN.