Mr. Potato Head with a well earned cup of coffee.
Thursday 25 June 2009
Mr. Potato Head - Part One
Have you ever wondered where the apostle Paul got all his inspiration in the numerous letters he wrote. At our church weekend away, this weekend, we will be revealing the undeniable impact of Mr. Potato Head on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. If you're not going to be there - come back here next week for part two.
Mr. Potato Head with a well earned cup of coffee.
Mr. Potato Head with a well earned cup of coffee.
Logos Hope
Today I visited the OM ship Logos Hope which is in London for a few more days. The ship is docked at South Quay, Canary Wharf and is open to the public 10am-10pm until Saturday, and then 2-10pm on Sunday. The ship will be closed Monday, and sails on Tuesday.
To read more of what the ship does around the world click here.
But here are a few photos.
This is your first sight of the ship if you're coming from the Canary Wharf underground station - just a few minutes away.
It's quite a size for a floating bookshop!
The ship stocks a mix of Christian and educational books. In many parts of the world sets of books will be delivered to local schools, churches and libraries, for the benefit of local communities.
If you sign up for a guided tour you get to see more of the ship, as well as learn a bit more about its work etc. This hall can be used as a 300 seater conference hall, as well as many other functions. The first thing you notice? The smell of freshly baked biscuits - the galley is right next door.
Out on deck.
This is the bridge. The captain wanted this job from the age of 8.
The view from the bridge - it's a long way down to the water!
To read more of what the ship does around the world click here.
But here are a few photos.
This is your first sight of the ship if you're coming from the Canary Wharf underground station - just a few minutes away.
It's quite a size for a floating bookshop!
The ship stocks a mix of Christian and educational books. In many parts of the world sets of books will be delivered to local schools, churches and libraries, for the benefit of local communities.
If you sign up for a guided tour you get to see more of the ship, as well as learn a bit more about its work etc. This hall can be used as a 300 seater conference hall, as well as many other functions. The first thing you notice? The smell of freshly baked biscuits - the galley is right next door.
Out on deck.
This is the bridge. The captain wanted this job from the age of 8.
The view from the bridge - it's a long way down to the water!
Monday 22 June 2009
Marriage
There are some bits of the Bible that cause a strong reaction in us. This is often because of our past experience. Yesterday morning we looked at 1 Peter 3:1-7, a passage which like Ephesians 5:21-33 and Colossians 3:18-19 gives teaching on Christian marriage. But there is a lot there to turn people off and cause a strong negative reaction.
For a start there are many today who see marriage as an irrelevance, something that is out of date, and un-necessary.
Any mention of 'wives...submit to your husbands' and reference to wives as 'the weaker partner' will cause others to blow a fuse!
So is it possible to promote New Testament (NT) teaching on marriage is a way that will engage with people today?
Peter's context is that he is speaking to people who are already disciples of Jesus. People who have come to see that they are not defined by their colour, their class, their status in society, their gender, their role in the home - instead they are defined by the fact that they are chosen by God, called by God, loved by God, a part of the people of God...
And when we see ourselves in this light, the instruction to submit (which is not just confined in the NT to wives or women - see for example Ephesians 5:21), is not so daunting. When we have insecurities about who we are, we react badly when anyone tries to tell us what to do - we feel we have to be stronger than them - this is often what is going on with the workplace bully for example. But when we are secure that we are a child of God, it makes no difference whether I am at the top or the bottom, because my identity is secure in Jesus.
Also as a follower of Jesus we follow the one who took on the role of a servant and washed his disciples' feet (John 13) and who in obedience to his Father went all the way to the cross. Jesus calls us to a life of service. And this is as true for husbands as it is for wives. So within a Christian marriage we look to serve each other, and to put the needs of each other first. Surely one of the reasons so many relationships break down is because each partner is putting their own needs first, rather than looking for every opportunity to serve.
Finally as a follower of Jesus one of my priorities is to make sure that his reputation is not damaged by my actions. When the NT teaches on marriage there is of course a cultural angle - it was written within first century Greek and Roman culture. And the concern of people like Peter and Paul was that a Christian household should not bring un-necessary harm to the reputation and name of Jesus. So whilst there are things in the culture that need to be challenged and addressed (the mis-treatment of women for example), there are other things that need to be maintained (appropriate forms of dress and hairstyles for example) so as not to bring un-necessary bad publicity to the church and to Jesus. This is something that we all need to bear in mind, not just in our marriages, but in the work place, in the home and in the church.
For a start there are many today who see marriage as an irrelevance, something that is out of date, and un-necessary.
Any mention of 'wives...submit to your husbands' and reference to wives as 'the weaker partner' will cause others to blow a fuse!
So is it possible to promote New Testament (NT) teaching on marriage is a way that will engage with people today?
Peter's context is that he is speaking to people who are already disciples of Jesus. People who have come to see that they are not defined by their colour, their class, their status in society, their gender, their role in the home - instead they are defined by the fact that they are chosen by God, called by God, loved by God, a part of the people of God...
And when we see ourselves in this light, the instruction to submit (which is not just confined in the NT to wives or women - see for example Ephesians 5:21), is not so daunting. When we have insecurities about who we are, we react badly when anyone tries to tell us what to do - we feel we have to be stronger than them - this is often what is going on with the workplace bully for example. But when we are secure that we are a child of God, it makes no difference whether I am at the top or the bottom, because my identity is secure in Jesus.
Also as a follower of Jesus we follow the one who took on the role of a servant and washed his disciples' feet (John 13) and who in obedience to his Father went all the way to the cross. Jesus calls us to a life of service. And this is as true for husbands as it is for wives. So within a Christian marriage we look to serve each other, and to put the needs of each other first. Surely one of the reasons so many relationships break down is because each partner is putting their own needs first, rather than looking for every opportunity to serve.
Finally as a follower of Jesus one of my priorities is to make sure that his reputation is not damaged by my actions. When the NT teaches on marriage there is of course a cultural angle - it was written within first century Greek and Roman culture. And the concern of people like Peter and Paul was that a Christian household should not bring un-necessary harm to the reputation and name of Jesus. So whilst there are things in the culture that need to be challenged and addressed (the mis-treatment of women for example), there are other things that need to be maintained (appropriate forms of dress and hairstyles for example) so as not to bring un-necessary bad publicity to the church and to Jesus. This is something that we all need to bear in mind, not just in our marriages, but in the work place, in the home and in the church.
Saturday 20 June 2009
Father's Day
Couldn't decide which of these two clips to use on Sunday morning as we celebrate Father's Day.
In the end I went with the first one. But you can enjoy them both here.
In the end I went with the first one. But you can enjoy them both here.
Friday 19 June 2009
A Mighty Fortress
For those of you who like to keep up with some of the new Christian worship songs that are available can I recommend you visit www.worshiptogether.com
Each week a new song is featured. You can listen to the song, watch a short video in which the writer talks about some of the thoughts behind the words, and musicians talk us through the chords etc. and if you sign up for free you can also download the sheet music for free.
Some weeks I don't listen beyond the first few bars - but other weeks there is something really good.
Here is this week's track from Christy Nockels - A Mighty Fortress.
Each week a new song is featured. You can listen to the song, watch a short video in which the writer talks about some of the thoughts behind the words, and musicians talk us through the chords etc. and if you sign up for free you can also download the sheet music for free.
Some weeks I don't listen beyond the first few bars - but other weeks there is something really good.
Here is this week's track from Christy Nockels - A Mighty Fortress.
Saturday 6 June 2009
Hearing God
This Sunday at our all age service we are thinking about how we hear God through the Bible. I'm fairly confident that most people in our churches would say that the Bible is the 'Word of God' and that therefore when we read it God can speak to us. The problem is that statistics show that many people attending church rarely read the Bible outside of a Sunday morning church service. So if we believe that the Bible is the word of God and that God speaks to us when we read the Bible, why don't more people read it regularly?
Maybe it is because we have tried and we've not heard anything - instead we've been confused by things we don't understand, or bored by lists of names and then more names. Or maybe we've read things that seem irrelevant. Maybe we thought it was just a case of read it and do it. Which is fine with a verse like 'Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive each other' (Leviticus 19:11). But what do we make of a verse that tells us that it is wrong to wear a shirt made from polyester and cotton (Leviticus 19:19)? Why do some parts of the Bible still apply and others don't - and who decides which bits are which?
In Acts 8:26-40 God sends Philip to help someone who is reading a part of the Bible, but doesn't understand it. Today, in our individualised world, we think that reading and applying the Bible is something that we do on our own - but God has put us in communities of disciples (churches), so that there are others to help us, and so that there are others for us to help.
So when we read the Bible we should:
1) Pray. Ask God to speak to us, and to help us understand and apply His word - through the Holy Spirit.
2) Don't read alone - get the help of others. A group from our church are following the Cover to Cover Complete Bible reading programme, and we get together once a month to discuss what we've been reading - to ask questions and to hear what God has been saying to others. Small group Bible studies are another way in which we can help each other.
3) Bible reading helps. We might agree that it is important to read the Bible regularly, but how - where do you start, how much to read, what does it mean, what difference does it make? Scripture Union is just one organisation that produces material to help Christians read, make sense of, and apply the Bible. You can take a look and 'test drive' some of their resources here.
WordLive is an online Bible reading resource - www.wordlive.org
Closer to God
Daily Bread
Encounter with God
There are also reading guides for young people to use and for children to use with their parents. These include Snapshots and Submerge.
Maybe it is because we have tried and we've not heard anything - instead we've been confused by things we don't understand, or bored by lists of names and then more names. Or maybe we've read things that seem irrelevant. Maybe we thought it was just a case of read it and do it. Which is fine with a verse like 'Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive each other' (Leviticus 19:11). But what do we make of a verse that tells us that it is wrong to wear a shirt made from polyester and cotton (Leviticus 19:19)? Why do some parts of the Bible still apply and others don't - and who decides which bits are which?
In Acts 8:26-40 God sends Philip to help someone who is reading a part of the Bible, but doesn't understand it. Today, in our individualised world, we think that reading and applying the Bible is something that we do on our own - but God has put us in communities of disciples (churches), so that there are others to help us, and so that there are others for us to help.
So when we read the Bible we should:
1) Pray. Ask God to speak to us, and to help us understand and apply His word - through the Holy Spirit.
2) Don't read alone - get the help of others. A group from our church are following the Cover to Cover Complete Bible reading programme, and we get together once a month to discuss what we've been reading - to ask questions and to hear what God has been saying to others. Small group Bible studies are another way in which we can help each other.
3) Bible reading helps. We might agree that it is important to read the Bible regularly, but how - where do you start, how much to read, what does it mean, what difference does it make? Scripture Union is just one organisation that produces material to help Christians read, make sense of, and apply the Bible. You can take a look and 'test drive' some of their resources here.
WordLive is an online Bible reading resource - www.wordlive.org
Closer to God
Closer To God is for anyone who longs to hear God's voice in today's noisy world. If you believe or hope that God speaks to ordinary people; loving, freeing, changing and healing them, then Closer To God is for you.
There's a Bible reading with notes for every day of the week, but each weekly section is designed so that if you miss up to two days you still won't get behind. And there's plenty of room for prayer, praise and reflection too.
Daily Bread
Daily Bread helps people explore, understand and enjoy the Bible - and work it out in everyday life. Daily Bread gives you:
- a Bible reading for each day;
- easy-to-understand, practical comments which relate the Bible to everyday life;
- a special Talkabout section for individuals and small groups.
Encounter with God
Encounter with God is designed for readers who want a thoughtful, in-depth approach to systematic Bible reading. It contains:
- daily consecutive Bible readings;
- exposition by experienced Bible teachers;
- introduction and review articles for each consecutive series, enabling further study, reflection and response;
- feature articles addressing contemporary issues;
- a dual programme, covering the Bible in either one or six years.
There are also reading guides for young people to use and for children to use with their parents. These include Snapshots and Submerge.
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