A Facebook Christmas

Joy to the World

Christmas adverts

I expect that many of you will already have seen this Christmas advert, but just in case you haven't...



I don't work for the company - I just love this advert.

Filling Shoe Boxes

Some of you may already know of the work of Samaritan's Purse, and their Operation Christmas Child campaign. Essentially, millions of people fill a shoe box with gifts for a child, they drop their box off at a 'drop off point', and then these boxes find their way into the hands of needy children right across the planet.



As a church we started filling shoe boxes a few years ago. Then two years ago we became a drop off point - somewhere were local people and schools could bring their boxes - and these would then be collected to be taken to a warehouse for the next part of the process.

This year, for the first time, we have become a satellite warehouse. For the past two weeks, and for the next two weeks, the church has become a warehouse during the week.

Boxes are delivered by the hundred.

A team of volunteers then process each box. This involves carefully checking the contents to make sure that unsuitable items have not been included.

Unsuitable items would include things like war toys (many boxes go to places affected by conflict), plastic snakes or biscuits. Other items, such as a tube of toothpaste, need to be wrapped in clingfilm to ensure that if they were to leak on their long journey the rest of the box will not be damaged.

If possible volunteers try to leave boxes just as they were when they were originally packed.

Once checked, the boxes are sealed with tape, and then boxed into cartons - about 10 or 11 shoe boxes per carton - each carton for a specific group: boy/girl aged 2-4/5-9/10-14.

80 cartons will fill a lorry - and these are then taken to a nearby storage facility, where 800 cartons will be loaded onto a container ready for shipping.

The first container will be leaving on Saturday, heading for Mozambique.

So far we have processed about 1300 shoe boxes, and we anticipate doing another 3000 before the end of the month.

To find out more about Operation Christmas Child click here.

£7 challenge - a review

As we look back on last week's £7 challenge - first of all I want to say a big 'well done' to all of you who completed the challenge. About half of those who started at church made it to the end of the week, and although it was hard, I think we're all glad we did it. So what will we take away with us?

Everyone is agreed that we have so much to be thankful to God for, and so much that we take for granted. I think generally speaking, we have no idea just how fortunate we are.

It was also good to see just how little you can live off. We have already made some changes to our shopping/eating/cooking habits, in the light of this experience, and think that this week's shop (general supermarket shop including food, washing products etc etc), for the five of us, is probably about £30 less than normal. Even if it was only half that amount, that would still work out at about £800 saving over a year.

When it comes to awareness of the issues related to world poverty this was a very beneficial exercise. It has highlighted the significance of some of the issues in a way that straight statistics never could. For example, when we hear of rises in food prices, this is a slight concern for us, as strained budgets might be strained a little more - but it is rarely a potential matter of life and death. But when every penny has to be careful accounted for, if wheat or rice, for example go up in price, then something else has to be sacrificed - and that something might be vegetables. Alternatively if health care is needed then maybe what that increase in the food price means is that the family can't eat today.

Also whilst I rarely felt hungry during the challenge, especially after we bought a third loaf of bread, the numbers show that it wasn't a balanced diet. As I've mentioned there was little fruit or veg. although plenty of rice, bread and lentils. Throughout the week I kept a nutrition spreadsheet - which is a lot easier to do when everything you eat can be kept in a medium size plastic box, and is basically the same thing each day. The figures below are my daily average, with the figures in brackets being the recommended daily amount, and the percentage I managed.

Energy in kC...1805...(2500...72%)
Protein in g...59...(55...108%)
Carbs in g...265...(300...88%)
Fat in g...58...(95...62%)
Fibre in g...32...(25...129%)

Although protein and fibre were high, with energy and fat being well down it is not surprising that everyone who took part lost weight - some as much as 2 to 3 pounds (if you take into consideration exercise which added an average of 430kC per day to my total required - that then gives an energy percentage of 62%).

Obviously eating this diet over a long period of time would have health implications. But eating the right foods can make a big difference. Peanut butter on toast was probably one of my best buys of the week. One slice of toast, no marg. or butter, and 20g peanut butter provides about 6% of daily energy, carbs and fat, but just over 10% of protein and fibre. On the days I ran I had six slices. Porridge was also very good as were kidney beans and rice.

Again this shows that little changes to diet can have a big impact. Schemes that allow people to grow their own veg., or improve the quality and quantity of what they grow are great. As are schemes that provide a goat, a chicken or a cow. Little things that have a big impact.

One of the biggest dangers of all this is that we are so overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, and so aware of the 'smallness' and insignificance of our efforts to change things and make a difference, that we end up doing nothing. But small changes really can have a life changing impact on one person or one community. Let's play our part.

£7 challenge - day seven

Today was the final day of the £7 challenge, although it was not a whole day. This evening, at 7pm, we ended the challenge with a meal at church followed by a talk from a Tear Fund representative. Today, thanks to careful planning, and careful measuring of everything (including every helping of peanut butter) our final pieces of bread were toasted and covered with the final scrapings of peanut butter/lemon curd. The final cups of coffee were drunk at lunch time. The final orange was shared. All we have left is about 200g of porridge and 60g of rice - everything else has gone - but we do still have 6p left from our combined total of £14.

As this coming week is going to be a normal week, shopping had to be done. Nine apples for 65p - couldn't find them at that price last week - and there were some other great bargains too. With a slight change in habits we have probably saved about £30 on our normal weekly shop for the coming week, and if you take just the food, for all five of us, then we have probably not spent much over £2 per person per day.

Of course the purpose of this exercise wasn't primarily about saving money. What long term changes will it lead to? Changes that will have a meaningful impact on the lives of those who do live off $1 a day? Or maybe a less daunting question, a better question - what changes can I make that will have a real impact on one person who currently lives off less than $1 a day?

What's with the chocolate coated apples? That was this afternoon's activity with our girls, in preparation for this evening's meal. Probably the hardest few hours of the challenge so far, especially when they started licking the spoons!

Come back tomorrow for some final reflections.

£7 challenge - day six

Today is the final full day of the £7 challenge, as tomorrow evening we end the experiment with a meal at church and a talk from a representative of Tear Fund. Those of you who have been taking part, well done for getting this far - the end is in sight.

Yesterday we finished the lentils, today we all but finished the rice, the curry powder has gone as are all the vegetables, stock cubes, kidney beans and oil. We have just enough coffee left for a couple of cups each tomorrow.

Apart from the first few days I have not really felt hungry - although I am always ready to eat when it is meal time. I think that third loaf of bread, reduced to 35p made the difference, as it meant something to eat before bed, and a bit more throughout the day.

Breakfast and lunch today were as for most of the week, although as it was also a running day I had an extra (large) bowl of porridge and two slices of toast straight after my 10.5 mile run, to try and make up for the 1200 kC used up in exercise. Then this evening we had curried rice and bean burgers, with rice.

During this week we have kept most of our food in plastic box on the kitchen worktop, the veg. and milk in the fridge, with the bread in the freezer, just taking out the right amount for each day to make sure there was no risk of it going mouldy. Vegetable peelings have been boiled to make stock, carrots have been eaten without being peeled. All meals have been eaten and bowls scrapped. Very little has been thrown away.

It is estimated that 1 billion hungry people could be fed with the food that is thrown away in the UK, the US and Europe. And whilst supermarkets are partly responsible most of the food thrown away in this country is thrown away by normal households. Too much has been prepared, use by dates have been exceeded, food has not been stored properly, people don't know what to do with leftovers. And all that waste food needed to be grown, made, transported, packaged...Once again it is a case of those of us at the top of the pile using more than our fair share of the world's resources.

But what difference will it really make if I use a little less, and throw away less? That's always the question. What difference does it make if I recycle - but massive nations do nothing to reduce factory emissions? What difference will it make if I choose to only eat meat once or twice a week? But I just don't think we can afford to think that way. I need to do what I can - and one thing I can do is to waste less food, and encourage others to do the same.


Some comments by others taking part in the £7 challenge have been left on 'Get Planning'.

£7 challenge - day five

Today was a lentil day so see Sunday and Tuesday for food details. There was no homemade rice pudding today, but we did have a delicious homemade rice and vegetable soup for lunch, to supplement a peanut butter sandwich and half an orange. The soup was made with 80g of rice, a stock cube, 1 carrot, a tiny bit of parsnip, and a little bit of swede, a slice of onion, and a clove of garlic - and water.

Jilly left a comment on 'Get Planning' in which she mentioned using homegrown vegetables. Having the self imposed responsibility as the maker of the rules, I have previously said 'no' to the use of homegrown veg. My thinking is that many of those who are living on $1 or $2 a day do not have access to growing their own veg. But some of them will. So the fact that Jilly is able to grow her own veg. is a real benefit to her diet, and if she also had her own chickens, pigs, cows etc. no doubt she could enjoy free eggs, milk and bacon - as long as they were free range/free grazing and didn't need feeding.

Which brings me on to the point I want to make, and that is about making a difference. One thought I have repeatedly had is that it is all very well doing this challenge for a week, but what difference will it actually make? What changes can I actually make here in the UK to my lifestyle, that will make a difference to someone who only has £1 a day to spend, not just on their food, but on rent, transport, medicine, schooling...?

And the point that Jilly raises is an important one. If I had received an extra few pounds, or a red cross parcel (as someone offered to send us when they heard what we were up to this week) I might have eaten a little more this week, or been able to afford some luxury items such as a bag of apples, some peppers or a courgette, but next week I'd be back on £1 a day.

But if I was provided with quality seeds; composting skills or a worm composting kit - improving the quality of poor soil; training to grow crops vertically making use of every spare inch of space; education on which vegetables are able to provide the right vitamins and minerals. Or if I was provided with a chicken, a goat, fish or even (in, say, Peru) a guinea pig, this would make a real difference as eggs and milk would make valuable additions to my diet, animals could breed to be sold, and the meat would be a valuable source of protein.

Sending a fish or a goat to a remote village in Africa might not seem all that easy - especially if you want it to get there alive. It won't easily fit in an envelope and you won't be allowed to take it in your hand luggage - but fortunately there are a number of aid and relief agencies that do the hard work. Many mission organisations, like BMS World Mission support agricultural work in places such as refugee camps on the Thai/Burma border or in flood hit villages in Peru. Organisations like Tearfund and Christian Aid use funds raised to create and support sustainable projects that improve people's diet and therefore their health, and over time allow people to escape hunger and poverty.

Many of those who live off less than $2 a day will not even be able to afford the few vegetables we have eaten this week, and so the ability to grow a few fresh vegetables would make a real difference. I can see how supporting this kind of agricultural work could make a  world of difference.

£7 challenge - day four

We've now past the half way point in our £7 challenge. In terms of what we've eaten it's pretty much the same as Monday, but with a bit more rice, an extra carrot, 1/4 of a swede, and two extra slices of bread.

Today's highlight was the surprise of a banana, a lovely present from my wonderful wife. This cost us 9p, which along with another 4 pints of milk, takes our total weekly spend to £13.94, so still another 6p left to spend. 3/4 of a banana (I did share it) was just what I needed after a 6 mile run.

One of the things that made today a little harder for both of us we being in close proximity to food that we were unable to eat. I had a meeting this evening with a tasty looking buffet, and my wife first of all made some chocolate treats for a school party tomorrow, and then iced a cake for an icing demo she's doing on Friday. Our children have not been taking part in the challenge, and a nightly temptation is to finish off the food left on their plates.

In many places wealth and poverty exist in close proximity. Those who have alongside those who do not. Those with more than enough to eat next to those with nothing.

Sometimes we are physically reminded that we have so much and others have so little. At other times it can be easy to forget that we are at the top of the pile.

The UN Committee on World Food Security have been meeting this week in Rome, and on Monday Ban Ki-moon sent a message in which he reminded delegates that "There is more than enough food on the planet to feed everyone, yet today nearly 1 billion people will go hungry because food is unavailable or unaffordable.  This is the context in which you meet." If help is going to reach those at the bottom, something will have to change in those of us who are at the top.

£7 challenge - day three

The highlight of today was this evening's three course meal. Breakfast and lunch were much the same as yesterday although half an orange was substituted for the banana. But this evening...the first course was a glass of clean drinking water; the main course was a delicious red lentil curry - as on Monday but with no stock cube, an extra carrot and 1/4 swede - with a slice of bread as a side dish; dessert was homemade rice pudding made from 100g rice, 1/4 pint of milk, and some water - topped off with half an orange.

In terms of nutrition today's totals, including the piece of toast with peanut butter I will be having later, come to:

Calories: 1500 kC (2500)
Protein: 54g (55)
Carbos: 216g (300)
Fat: 49g (95)
Fibre: 27g (25)

So pretty good for protein, but still not a lot of fruit and veg - only 1/4 onion, 1 carrot, 1/8 swede, a bit of garlic, and an orange.

By mid afternoon I was feeling quite hungry today, but caught myself saying, 'I'm starving'. Clearly we're not starving - you only need to look at the photos of our evening meals to know that that is not the case. Yes, we're a bit hungry because we are eating less than normal, and when we get a bit peckish there are no biscuits or crisps to eat - and whilst we could have an extra slice of bread, if we eat it now, it won't be there at the end of the week - but we're not starving.

Billions of people have about £1 to spend a day, and that's not just for their food - that's all they have to spend. And so if medication is needed, or some other emergency expense, they literally go hungry. People on our planet continue to starve, going days without food, and I'm complaining about feeling a little hungry, but knowing that I have a red lentil curry to look forward to, and come Sunday this little experiement comes to an end.

£7 challenge - day two

I never thought I would be so pleased to see a swede and a parsnip. Today we spent a further £1.35 on a loaf of bread (35p), 6 oranges (50p) and a 'stew vegetable pack' consisting of 3 carrots, a swede and a parsnip, for the amazing price of 50p. And we still have £1.15 left of our £14 - although this is in reserve for more milk.

One of the things that was clear as I made my first cup of coffee of the day, to go with my porridge, was that we had used too much milk and too much coffee yesterday - so now I am rationing my coffee intake to the two cups that go with breakfast, and maybe one more before lunch.

As I went for a 7 mile run today, which apparently used almost 800 kC, I had an extra bowl of porridge and one piece of toast with peanut butter, straight after my run. Then two more slices of toast and peanut butter and a whole banana for lunch - that's the end of the week's bananas. And it's only Monday.

This evening's meal was a vegetable and bean curry with rice. We have plenty of rice and now a few more vegetables, so we could include 1/2 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 of the swede, 1/3 parsnip, a whole carrot, a tin of kidney beans, 9g tomato puree, 30ml olive oil, 15g curry powder with 240g of rice (uncooked). No stock cube required as we made vegetable stock from the vegetable peelings - the stock cube is being saved for a potential vegetable soup later in the week.

With the extra loaf of bread we can look forward to a slice of toast before bedtime.

The bread was reduced (from 69p to 35p) because it had to be sold by today, and as we have a freezer we can put it in there, and only take out slices as and when we need them. Of course without a freezer we would not be able to make the most of such deals, and without a fridge we would be even worse off in terms of not being able to store food. Of course most of those who are living off $1 or $2 a day, every day, for real, don't have the luxury of fridges and freezers - making their lives even harder. We really do have so much to be thankful for.

The extra porridge and bread and the rice have boosted the amount of food we were able to eat today.

Calories............1800kC...(2500)..72% (54% if run included)
Protein..............52g..........(55)......95%
Carbohydrates.....280g.........(300)...93%
Fat....................55g...........(95)....58%
Fibre.................31g...........(25)....124%

Back to lentils tomorrow. Check back for some lessons that we're learning...

£7 challenge - day one

Today was the first day of the £7 challenge, living for a week with a £7 budget for all food and drink. To find out more and read why we're doing this read this post.

So today I had porridge with water and two cups of coffee for breakfast. A normal breakfast would be something like 2 weetabix with milk, home made yogurt, an apple and a banana, and maybe a kiwi fruit. Again there would have been two cups of coffee - but not instant!

Sunday lunch consisted of a red lentil curry. The recipe for two is:

30ml olive oil (a lot more than we'd normally use)
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
15g curry powder
1 carrot
166g lentils
1 stock cube
8g tomato puree

This is not a lot different from what we might normally eat although it would probably have contained a whole onion as well as courgettes, mushrooms, tinned tomatoes and a couple of peppers; there would probably have been a nan bread on the side, and there would have been a dessert of some form or other.

Before church this evening I had a piece of toast with 15g peanut butter, and a cup of coffee, and then our evening meal consisted of 2 pieces of toast and peanut butter and a whole banana. We were only going to have half a banana each, but they are already starting to go black, so we splurged and had a whole banana each.

Already it is obvious that we are going to need more milk (£1 of our remaining £2.50). Once the bananas are gone we will try to get some apples. And then spend the rest on whatever vegetables we can get cheaply.

Although lunch tasted fantastic, I could have done with seconds, and that nan bread as well as dessert. It's only 10.30pm and I am hungry - no weetabix before bed tonight. We have food to eat, but not enough, and not enough fruit and vegetables.

In terms of nutritional value I worked it all out earlier. The approximate totals for the whole day are given below with the figures in brackets being the daily recommended amount per day.

Calories...................1450 kCal.......(2500).......58% of RDA
Protein....................49g.............(55)...........89% of RDA
Carbohydrates.............172g...........(300).........57% of RDA
Fat.........................66g............(95)...........69% of RDA
Fibre......................24g.............(25)...........96% of RDA

In terms of weight loss potential for the week - looking likely. If you're familiar with the weight watchers points system today's total comes in at 35 points (even with the 15g of olive oil) - but this is still in the weight loss region. Tomorrow will see a little variety in that we are alternating the lentil curry with rice and beans - and as we have 1.5kg of rice larger portions will be available. But tomorrow I have a 7 mile run scheduled! I have a half marathon in two week's time and training and the lack of calories and carbs doesn't look a good combination.

Check back tomorrow to see how we're getting on.

Let the challenge begin

So, it is time for the £7 challenge to begin. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about read back for a few posts...but here's our food for the next week.

As I'm doing this challenge with my wife we have £14 to spend, and so far I'm not sure what we've actually spent - so let's work it out now. It is actually cheaper to buy cheap bread than flour, yeast and salt to make your own - although it won't taste anywhere near as good

Curry powder £0.39
1kg rice £0.40
1.5kg porridge oats £1.09
Lemon Curd £0.22
250 ml olive oil £1.00
500g Lentils £0.88
Stock Cubes £0.65
Coffee (Instant and Fairtrade) £1.89
3 onions £0.63
6 carrots £0.30
Garlic £0.30
4 fairtrade bananas £0.40
4pts milk £1.00
2 loaves of bread £1.10
3 tins of kidney beans £0.48
Peanut butter £0.52
1 tin tomato puree £0.25

And the grand total so far is...£11.50. So that leaves us with £2.50 to spend later in the week. But we might need some more milk, and we will need some more fruit, so probably won't be spending it all on a skinny latte!

Doing without...

How's the planning for the £7 challenge going? We've decided that it's porridge for breakfast, a lemon curd or peanut butter sandwich for lunch - or maybe poached egg on toast for a couple of the days, and then either lentils or rice for the evening meal. We'll have coffee and water to drink. (As there are two of us doing it together we have a total allowance of £14.)

So far our shopping list consists of:

Yeast £0.82
Curry powder £0.39
Rice £0.40
Porridge oats £1.09
Flour £1.02
Lemon Curd £0.22
Oil £1.00
Lentils £0.88
Stock Cubes £0.65
Coffee (Instant and Fairtrade) £1.89

So that lot comes to £8.36, leaving the two of us £5.64. With this we need to get:

4 pints of milk £1.00
Salt (about) £0.20 - this will be for the bread - it might be cheaper to buy bread depending on what offers are around on Saturday!
Peanut butter £0.52
Garlic £0.30
Onions £1.20
Bananas £1.39
Eggs £0.69
3 tins Kidney beans £0.48

So that lot comes to £5.78

Which is too much and obviously leaves no money to buy the carrots (£0.50), mushrooms (£1.00), cabbage (£0.90) and some other fruit (kiwi fruit (£1.00), apples (£1.00)) that we'd hoped for...

So back to the drawing board with the planning...

Probably get two loaves of bread for less than £1.20 - so that would save about £0.80.
Forget the eggs - saving £0.69.
No peanut butter - saving £0.52.

Total now stands at: £12.13 meaning we could afford mushrooms and carrots...need to visit the shops and see what special offers are available.

What difference can I make?

We are often overwhelmed with a sense of need and feel that our individual contribution is so insignificant and meaningless that we end up doing nothing. How can filling one shoe box with a few items make a difference in the life of a child who is faced with poverty or famine or war?

This short video will show you just how much difference that one shoe box makes.



If you want to be a part of this year's Operation Christmas Child campaign, which runs from 1-18 November, and want to know what to do, or where to drop of your completed box, you'll find everything you need by clicking here.

Get Planning

If you are going to be taking part in the £7 challenge next week then now is the time to start planning your meals and shopping list. With only £7 to spend per person for all your food and drink for the whole week careful preparation is going to be needed if you are not going to run out of food half way through, or find that although you have a whole box of sugar puffs to eat you have no milk left to eat them with.

Also, you don't want to forget those items such as cooking oil, coffee/tea, milk, herbs, salt, sugar, spices...remember the £7 per person is to cover everything that you will use in your cooking and everything that you will eat and drink.

So far the cheapest option for oil I have found is £1 for 250ml of olive oil - but I can't remember if that was from Sainsburys or Morrisons.

In terms of drinks probably going to go with a reasonable own label instant (caffeinated) coffee, and then go without tea, and drink water for the rest of the day.

As I am doing this challenge with my wife we have £14 to spend between us which does allow for a bit more variety - in that we can afford both rice and lentils. We can also afford flour and yeast so will be able to make our own bread. Fresh fruit and veg is a challenge so will probably have to do with one piece of fruit a day. Protein will mainly be coming from kidney beans, which we have found for 16p a tin.

Probably go for an own brand jar of lemon curd, and peanut butter - and go without margarine/butter.

Breakfast is going to be porridge - so have to get up a bit earlier as it takes a bit longer to prepare, and a lot longer to wash up afterwards! I think we've got 1kg of porridge for £1.09 which will do about 25 portions - and by the end of the week we may have got used to eating it made with water instead of milk, and without salt, sugar or syrup.

Where we come from

This morning my eldest daughter (Year 2) did a class assembly based on this half-term's geography project 'Where we come from'. One of the great things about living in this part of London is that there are so many people from so many different parts of the world. I'll no doubt forget some of the countries represented in this class assembly (with 30 children) but I can remember: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, England, Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Sweden, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Portugal, Albania, Bangladesh, Somalia.

One of my responsibilities as a school governor is to ensure that the school's equalities policy is implemented and it was great to see all these children recognising that they are unique and that they are special, and taking the time to celebrate each other's culture. Hopefully as this class goes through the school together their multi-cultural friendships will grow and they will leave school free from the stereo-types and prejudices that we fall into when we start seeing groups of people as 'them' and 'us'.

Unfortunately, but understandably, the school's photography policy means that although we could take photos we can't put them on the internet.

Something for you to try at home...

If you were at our harvest service today, and enjoyed hearing about the work of BMS World Mission in Peru, here are some Peruvian recipe ideas for you to try at home.


Harvest 2011 - Cooking from BMS World Mission on Vimeo.

Introducing the £7 challenge

If you've been following the last few posts you may have picked up a common thread. Last Sunday we looked at some statistics - such as, 1.1 billion people live on less that $1 a day, and about 3 billion live on less than $2 a day. For those of you in the UK that is about 65p and £1.30.

I guess if you are living on that kind of money, you probably don't have a bank account or credit card - so essentially if there is money in your pocket you can eat - but if there isn't then you'll go hungry, won't be able to afford medicines...

I wonder how many of us really think about the food that we eat? In a couple of week's time a number of people from church are going to take up the £7 challenge. That is - you have a budget of £7 to cover all of your food and drink for a week. If there are two of you then you have £14 for the week...

Everything you eat and drink must come out of that £7. Suddenly a jar of coffee at £2.50 becomes a bit of a luxury - and don't forget the milk and sugar - a skinny latte from Starbucks is certainly out of the question.

Unlike billions of people in the world you will continue to have access to clean drinking water. So during the coffee break at work - when you can't have coffee/milk/sugar/biscuits (unless it is out of your £7) you can drink water - and when someone asks what you're doing it will be a great opportunity to raise awareness. [Maybe you could even get your friends to sponsor you for the week and donate the money to someone like Tearfund].

You cannot simply eat at your friend's house every evening - that's definitely cheating.

I'm pretty much making up the 'rules' as I go along. But I think that buying in bulk and calculating price depending on how much you use is NOT allowed. Many people in the majority world simply don't have the means to bulk buy and store. [What I mean is that you can't buy 1 litre of cooking oil for £1, but only plan on using 100ml during the week, and therefore say that your oil only costs 10p]. Although if you wanted to get together with a number of friends and club your money together, and then divide your shopping up at the start of the week, or even cook together, that would be allowed. Communities in the majority world benefit hugely from coming together and forming corporations etc. This has a big impact on both purchasing power but also selling power. It also has benefits in terms of forming community.

I've already started to think about a week's shopping for £7, and it's a lot harder than you might think - but I guess that's the point. Once the money has gone that's it. You can't just nip round the corner for a pint of milk.

More to follow...and if you want to join in let me know by adding a comment below.

[A note on comments: when you comment it won't appear straight away, it has to be approved. I don't do this so that I can weed out comments I don't agree with. I do it because spammers comment and hide links to unsuitable websites in their messages.]

What would you do with £50

Last Sunday we were looking at our response to Global Poverty. One of the things that we said, as mentioned in my last post, was that most of us, if not all of us, in church last week come in the top few percent of the global rich list whilst there are billions of people who live on about £1 a day. It is therefore a logical conclusion, given that the world's resources are finite, that those of us at the top of the pile are going to have to get used to living with less, if those at the bottom of the pile are going to have a fair share.

And it is up to each of us to work out what this more simple lifestyle might look like for us. We know, for example, that the world cannot sustain a population who want to eat meat every day. So, whilst you may not want to make the total switch to becoming vegan or vegetarian (immediately) - how about giving up meat for five days a week? With recipes like butternut squash risotto, vegetarian pilau rice, and mixed bean curry you won't miss your meat, you'll feel more healthy, and you'll save money.



Yesterday evening I went to a very interesting session on Love Food Hate Waste, which although presented from an environmental view point ties in with the idea of being good stewards of what God has given us. The campaign itself has shifted its emphasis from the environmental - we can't keep throwing food into landfill - to the financial - the average household throws away about £50 worth of edible food every month. This waste is due to a number of factors such as:

• not understanding the difference between sell by, use by, best before dates etc, 
• not planning properly, so having food going off in the back of the fridge, 
• not storing food properly (e.g. not freezing left overs which could be used in a few week's time),
• cooking too much,
• not making use of leftovers.

And it is not all the fault of the supermarkets and restaurants. Family households throw away the largest percentage of food waste. The problem is at the back of my fridge and your cupboards!

The organisation has a really good website with lots of useful tips and ideas addressing each of the above factors and more - click on the green logo above. Let's become even better stewards of what we have, and stop throwing away perfectly good food. If nothing else motivates you - just think what you could do with the extra cash!

Responding to Global Poverty

If you look at the flag counter at the side of this blog you will see that it gets read in many different places - and depending on where you are reading, and your particular context in that place - you may have a very different perspective on the issue of Global Poverty. Although statistics can be used to prove almost anything they can be a useful tool. On Sunday we looked at some statistics on global poverty. Statistics like the richest 20% of the world's population receive 75% of the world's income whilst the poorest 40% get only 5%. Like statistics that show that most, if not all of the people sat in our church on Sunday were probably in the top 5% in a global rich list. We are not a particularly wealthy church, a lot of people are really feeling the squeeze in the current economic climate, some people are concerned for their jobs - just an average church really, full of normal people... but about half the people in the world live on less than £1.30 a day; just over 1.1 billion people live on less than 65 pence a day...and in that context however poor and powerless we may feel, the global reality is that there are billions of people who have so much less.

But how do we respond to such need? Often we do nothing. Sometimes we doing something, but have a nagging feeling that it wasn't enough. We text 'donate' to some cause or other in response to some disaster or other - sending £5 of aid shooting across the world, and then we get on with our evening meal within the comfort of our own home. Sometimes it just doesn't seem right.

However we practically respond as a Christian our motive needs to be love and compassion - not guilt, or because we feel we should etc. We respond because we want to. Jesus saw needs and felt compassion and then did something. And so if we are growing as a disciple we will want to respond out of love and compassion for those in need.

We also need to recognise that we can't do everything - we can't change the whole world, but we can make a real difference for one person or one community. Therefore I think we need to understand what the need is that God has put on our heart. Are you passionate about Fairtrade, or a primary school is Uganda, or a project for the blind in Brazil? Is Tearfund your thing? Or Christan Aid? Or BMS? But whatever it is I think we need to be passionate about that thing: that means giving, praying, raising awareness, writing to your MP, sometimes it even means going. But it must not be something that we forget about - a flash in the pan. We need to see it through to completion, whilst recognising that the person sat next to us in church might be passionate about something else and therefore can't give their time etc. to 'your cause'.

We also need to appreciate that we are only able to give out of what we have, and not out of what we don't have. If I had £1 million I could do a great deal of good - but I don't. But what about what I do have? And not just in terms of the money in my wallet. Can I use my interests and hobbies in a creative way to raise awareness or money?

Come back in a couple of days to read about the £7 challenge.

How do I find God's will for my life?

A couple of weeks ago at church we looked at the question of making decisions and the will of God. Although there are always going to be exceptions I expect that most Christians believe that part of what it means to be a Christian is that you want to do what God wants - even if we don't always agree on what that is.

So if we want to do what God wants it is necessary to find out what that looks like - not just in a general sense, such as the kind of character we should develop (love, joy, peace, patience...), but also in the sense of what to do with my life, where to live, who to marry etc etc. And I expect that that is where many of us get stuck - because although there are passages in the Bible (such as 2 Samuel 5) where God seems to direct people very specifically and clearly - our experience is often not so specific or clear.

So how does God guide us? I think that there are broadly speaking, four ways in which Christians think about God's guidance.

1) God has a plan for my life (Destination A) and therefore for every decision I take there is a right and a wrong option - if I make a wrong choice at some point this will result in having to move to Plan B - and missing out on the best God has for my life.

2) God has a plan for my life (Destination A) but if I make a mistake God is able to work things out so that I can get back on track and still reach 'A', although it might take a little longer.

3) God has a plan for my life (Destination A) but at a series of points along my life's journey God presents me with a variety of options - all of which are acceptable to God and all of which will still lead to destination A.

4) God has a plan for my life but there are a number of final destinations that are equally acceptable to God, depending on what choices I make at various points in life.

[What (4) is not saying is that we can do whatever we like and make whatever choices we like. It is also allowing that there will be some decisions we face where there is clearly a 'right' choice, in terms of the will of God.]

I'm sure that many of us would like to know exactly what God would have us do - because it takes the responsibility and pressure off us to make a decision. We pray - God tells us.

Romans 12:2, and other verses, makes it clear that doing the right thing comes out of a life that is lived the right way. It follows from having a mind that has been transformed in the way you think about everything - and that transformation comes about through spiritual disciplines such as time in prayer and Bible study - things we find hard to maintain. So there really are no easy answers...

But when we are facing difficult decisions (whether to do X or not) here are a few points to help us determine what God might be saying:

• Have I prayed that God will show me his will?
• Does the Bible allow/forbid me to do X?
• If I do X will God be glorified?
• Will doing X allow me to grow spiritually - or will it hinder my spiritual growth?
• Do I really want to do what God wants?
• Have I spoken to some mature, wise Christians, who I trust?
• Has God given me a peace about doing X?
• Am I trusting God?

Why Christians should not wear polyester

Between now and Christmas we're going to be looking at a range of issues/topics/questions on Sunday mornings that people have raised and expressed an interest in. Some of these issues come out of our Bible reading - such as The End Times; others come out of our daily lives - such as Work or Relationships (two separate topics - not a choice that has to be made!)

Because we are going to be tackling these questions from a Christian perspective we are going to be using the Bible - but that raises a whole range of other questions.

It is not simply a case of reading the Bible and doing what it says. Because there are some things in the Bible that we do obey - such as the command not to lie or steal in Leviticus 19. But there are other things that we are largely agreed on no longer apply - such as the command not to wear clothes made of two different types of material, which is also in Leviticus 19. But who gets to say what things apply and what things don't? When do we allow growing trends within society to challenge an 'out-of-date' teaching - such as slavery or the role of women in the church?

And how/what do we think about the Bible? What kind of book is it? What do we mean when we say that the Bible has authority?

I don't think we read the Bible in order to find verses to give easy answers to the questions we wrestle with. Rather we immerse ourselves in the story about God, in order that we encounter God in the story, and through engaging with that story, we learn how to live in the present - in a way that is innovative and yet consistent with what we find there.

Our first topic, for next week, is Decision Making and the Will of God.

That was lucky

Last Sunday we held our annual church picnic, and due to some unseasonably wet weather this had to be held indoors. Earlier in the morning we had looked at three of the picnics/packed lunches that we read of in the Bible.

In Ruth chapter 2, Ruth has gone out into the area around Bethlehem, to find a field where she will be able to tag along after the harvesters and pick up any left over grain, in order that she might make some food for herself and her mother-in-law Naomi. At this point in the story Naomi and Ruth have nothing - and Naomi is of the view that even God has turned against them.

And yet the narrator of the story alerts us to the possibility of better days ahead by introducing the reader to Boaz, who is a relative of Naomi. And in Ruth 2:3 we read that Ruth ends up working in a field that just happens to belong to Boaz. Some people might want to translate this verse something like: ...luckily for Ruth... or ...by chance... And as the story unfolds Boaz invites Ruth to join his workers and to share their packed lunch - and then to cut to the end of story (SPOILER ALERT!) Ruth and Boaz get married, and will then become the great grandparents of King David.

Clearly this was not a chance encounter, it was not simply lucky, it was not a coincidence. Here we see God working in the background to provide and care for Naomi and Ruth. Here we see God working out his plans and purposes for Ruth and Naomi - even though everything seemed hopeless.

Holiday 2011

So having answered some of your camping FAQs in my last post, let me tell you a bit about what we did on our camping holiday in Much Wenlock, Shropshire.

The village of Much Wenlock is only a short walk from the Sytche Camp site - either along the road or through the woods, and depending on your interests and the time of year it could keep you entertained for a while. Claiming to be the birth place of the modern Olympics there is the Olympian Trail to be followed around the village, highlighting points and places of interested.

If you enjoy walking, or cycling or running there are plenty of tracks to be explored. The Shropshire way heads out of Much Wenlock on a disused railway towards the Severn Valley in one direction. The National Trust owns much of the land along Wenlock Edge in the other direction and there are some great forest trails to be found there - and if this was my sister's blog, at this point there would be pictures of insects, rare flowers, birds, and dew drops on leaves. But as I didn't carry a camera on the 50 miles of trails I explored whilst running you'll just have to take my word for it. Oh yes - there were also hills - it's not called Wenlock Edge for nothing.

Just a few miles away is the Iron Bridge gorge, along with the various museums that bring the past to life. You can get a Passport that allows unlimited access to all museums for a whole year and is well worth it, especially if you get them with your Tesco vouchers!

As I mentioned in my last post, dressing up as Victorians was required on more than one occasion, and was something that the girls really enjoyed.

One of their favourite museums was the Blists Hill Victorian Village. The second time we visited was an Alice in Wonderland themed day, and whilst sheltering from one of the very few rain showers we experienced the whole time we were there, we bumped into the King and Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit and Alice.

Another favourite activity was swimming, with the Much Wenlock leisure centre being only a few minutes walk away. One final highlight I will share with you was bat watching - something that we were able to do most evenings on the camp site as three bats would come out at dusk and swoop around the camp site sometimes coming to within a metre or two as we sat outside the tent.
If you've never visited this part of the UK we can certainly recommend it. I haven't mentioned other great days out including visits to RAF Cosford and Warwick Castle - although Warwick was probably a little too far away - almost half way home! We had a lovely time.

Camping - FAQ

I know from conversations that I sometimes have that there are people who think we are totally mad to contemplate living in a tent for two weeks - and who see no way that this could be remotely enjoyable and certainly not constitute a holiday. But as the conversation and the questions develop it becomes clear that these same people actually have no idea what camping is really like - in fact they picture the five of us, squashed into a one man tent, out on the moors with no facilities within 10 miles. But having just got back from a brilliant two weeks in Shropshire let me try to whet your appetite...

If you're going to spend two weeks camping you need a big enough tent. We have a Vango Monte Verde 700, which can sleep 7, but we have it set up for 5 (with sleeping compartments at the rear 1/4, living space in the middle 1/2, and kitchen at the front). If you're looking for a recommendation - we think it's great. It takes about 45 mins to a hour to put up with two people, and won't fit into your rucksac!

With three children it is good to be able to keep the kitchen area zipped up, so even if they get up in the night they can't get out of the tent or start fiddling with the cooker.

Talking of kitchens - some of you wonder what we eat for two weeks whilst camping - do you picture us on dried rations or something? We have a two ring gas cooker, and so eat the same sorts of things that we might at home - tuna pasta bake, vegetarian pilau rice, spaghetti bolognese etc - as well as the occasional BBQ or Fish and Chips.

The weather this year was great, but you have to be prepared for bad weather if camping in the UK. The middle section of our tent gives the girls plenty of space to amuse themselves if they can't get outside, and what with the two sleeping compartments it means that they can all be put in separate rooms if necessary! The girls quickly made friends with some of the other children on the site and so it is good that there is also space for them to invite their friends round. And yes - that is a carpet on the floor.

Another great concern is the question of showers and toilets etc. We stayed at a great little campsite called Sythche Caravan and Camping on the edge of Much Wenlock. There were showers and toilets, plus washing up facilities and a small freezer for ice blocks. The staff were friendly and helpful. Would we go back again? Certainly - although we'd probably avoid busy/noisy bank holiday weekends.

So what is there to do in and around Much Wenlock? Loads. I'll write some more on what we did later, but here are a couple more pictures - as you can see dressing up as a Victorian was a recurring theme.

Doing what comes naturally

How well do you respond in a crisis? What would you do if you were flying an Airbus full of passengers over a populated city when you lost both your engines?



Most of us would simply panic - resulting in disaster. But that is because we have no training and no experience. When an experienced pilot gets into difficulty often their training kicks in and they simply do what comes naturally.

The best sports people in the world often respond instinctively and effortlessly to situations, making brilliant catches, scoring goals or runs, or kicking conversions. But the reality is that thousands of hours of practise lies behind the instinct and intuition. In the heat of the moment they do what comes naturally - but they have worked for years to ensure that what comes naturally is the very thing that will bring success.

Last Sunday, at church, we were thinking about how the Bible plays an important role in forming our Christian character, so that in the heat of the moment, we instinctively know what to do - we naturally do the thing that will bring glory to God. And what goes on in our minds is so important. Our thinking affects our behaving.

Therefore it is essential that we spend time reading and reflecting on God's word - but also get into the habit and discipline of memorising Bible verses - something that has gone out of fashion in recent years.

If you want somewhere to start, Psalm 119:11 says 'I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you'. Write it down - on a small card that will fit in your pocket, and on a post-it note stuck to your fridge, mirror, computer screen...Repeat it often - including the reference. Think about it. Ask the 'so what?' question.

When we get God's word into our minds and hearts, when it affects us, when we allow it to change us, we will find that what comes naturally is pleasing to God.

Responding to the Riots

Yesterday was the one month anniversary of my last post - so I thought it was about time I wrote something.

Those of you living in the UK, and many of you living across the world, will have seen images from the riots that occurred this week in London, and in several other major English cities. Following the consecutive nights of rioting, which saw groups of people involved in battles with the police, burning properties and cars, large scale looting, and tragically several killings, the focus has now shifted to the clear up and the analysis of what happened and why. There are many different opinions and much has been written in many blogs over the past week.

As different opinions are put forward in television interviews I find myself agreeing with some and getting really annoyed at others. As I have been reflecting on the events over the last few days and wondering whether to blog - and then what to blog - my thoughts have gone round in circles, and off on tangents: clearly there are no easy answers. And one thought seems to lead to another, which leads to another.

Certainly it is true that there were large numbers of people involved who were just out for a fight with the police, out to cause trouble and destruction, out to get their hands on a new mobile, a pair of trainers, or a flatscreen TV. Why did they get involved? Some simply got caught up in the events as they happened - and many probably thought that because of the numbers involved that they could get away with it.

I wonder how much of our behaviour is governed not by an absolute sense of what is right and wrong - but governed by the thought: will I get caught?

A feeling of hopelessness, anger, of being disconnected from society, of not having a voice - these are other reasons that have been put forward as so why things reached the scale they did. With parts of our society so on the margins, some are not at all surprised by the riots, declaring them to have been inevitable sooner or later. And whilst there are undoubtedly those in our society who despair at ever getting a job, who can't pay the bills on benefits, who see no escape, no way out, who have no hope, who have been let down by the education system...(and these are the people who Jesus spent time with)...they don't all turn to violence as the only way to get heard. One does not have to lead to the other.

Of course there are parts of the world where we (or at least our government on our behalf) have encouraged civil uprising and unrest against the authorities. Where we have armed those who have no voice in order to allow them to topple 'unjust' regimes. Is there a link?

There is so much more that has been said, and there is so much more that could be said. But where should the church be in all this? We pray for peace. We pray for those who have lost homes, jobs, family members. We pray for the authorities. And we continue to seek to be God's agents for change, bringing hope and faith and love in the places where God has called us to be, alongside people, who just like us, have been created in the image of a creative rather than destructive God.

Don't get bogged down in the detail

This coming Sunday we are going to complete our E100 journey through the Bible by taking a quick look at the whole of the book of Revelation. Although to many modern day readers large parts of this book are difficult to understand and confusing to apply it is a great mistake to get bogged down in the images that John creates.

When we get bogged down and try to unravel the mysteries of the beast, the dragon, the tribulation, the rapture, the millennium, the European community and barcodes we surely miss the whole point. Surely one key focus of this book is worship - worship that is rightly focused on God.

All the songs that we will sing on Sunday will be firmly based in the key themes of the book of Revelation, so that even if you have not read Revelation before, and even before we come to explore the book together (briefly) we will have already started to respond to the God that we encounter there.

One song that we will be singing will be new to most of us. It is called 'You alone are worthy' by Al Gordon, Luke Hellebronth and Hanif Williams. You might want to listen to it a few times ahead of Sunday.



We may also sing Chris Tomlin's 'I will rise'. If you need to remind yourself how that one goes click here to go to a previous post.

Parable of a Runner (2)

Last Friday I took my own advice (from Tuesday) and dragged myself out of the door - on the basis that a few miles were better than none. As is generally the case, my headache soon cleared, and I started to enjoy running so took a couple of left turns (leading away from my start/stop point rather than back towards it) and ended up doing 10 miles.

But that is not what I want to tell you about. After a couple of miles, I was running briefly along a high street and a gentleman, who, judging from his appearance, may not have exercised in quite a while, shouted out, as I approached him, 'Do one for me, mate'.

That started me thinking. Just imagine if you could transfer the benefits of exercise from one person to another. A definite marketing opportunity. No doubt there would be those who would pay for others to do their exercise for them; and for those of us who enjoy exercise but are not the best in the world, suddenly we could become professionals!

We know the benefits of exercise - but it is a discipline - and it takes effort. Imagine if I could stay in and phone for a pizza whilst someone else ran 12 miles - with all the benefits being transferred to my body. Or for those with busy lives who can't take 90 minutes out for the gym - instead leave work, pick up the children, cook their tea, and put them to bed, whilst someone else is pounding out the miles on the treadmill, and working up a sweat on the rowing machine.

And I guess it is no different with our spiritual lives. There are spiritual disciples that we know are good for us - but wouldn't it be great if someone else could put in the hard work, but we get all the benefits.

But whether someone is out running, at the gym, memorising Bible verses, studying the Bible, or praying, shouting 'Do one for me mate' just doesn't work.

Parable of a Runner (1)

Jesus loved to tell stories, based on everyday situations; stories which could be appreciated on a number of different levels - depending on how deep the listener was prepared to dig. And it wasn't just Jesus - there are other examples in the New Testament where the everyday has been taken to teach about something deeper.

I enjoy running, and try to run 4 times a week, totalling about 30 miles a week. Although not always the case - it is certainly true for the vast majority of runs - that when I get back I'm glad I went - I feel better for the experience.

But even so, come the next day, it can be a real act of the will to get out there again - it is easier to stay at home. At the moment the sun is shining and it is warm and sunny and a lot of my running can be done on grass - yet it can still be hard to motivate myself to actually get out of the door. Imagine what it's like in the winter when it's dark, and raining and just a few degrees one side or other of freezing.

But even in the winter, I still feel better for having been out for a run - but it takes even more effort not to stay in the warm and dry!

And once you miss a couple of days, it becomes harder and harder to get out there again.

In our walk as followers of Jesus there are disciplines that we know are good for us, and our experience is that we benefit every time we do them - but every single morning it seems like a battle of the will to actually 'put on the trainers and get out the front door'.

My experience from running is just get on and do it. You know it will be worth it in the end.

Virtue Reborn Chapter Four

Some of you will be aware that I am currently, and slowly, reading Tom Wright's Virtue Reborn. So far I have commented on chapters 1-3, and for an index of where to find those comments click here.

The title of chapter four is 'The kingdom coming and the people prepared'. Already we have seen, that part of what the Christian is supposed to be about (between believing and dying) is related to the final goal, the kingdom of God. A kingdom that is not just future, but can already be practised in the present.

In terms of character formation and right behaviour I have found the images of learning a musical instrument or a foreign language helpful - in that you practise and practise and practise, but at some point you discover that those things you've practised have become second nature.

In chapter 4 Wright looks at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and in particular the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11). What is its purpose? Are these rules to be followed? Targets to aim for? Or are they a declaration of what life in the kingdom of God is like, with the understanding that that life, which seemed so distant and remote is in the process of coming true on earth.

And when the kingdom of God comes finally in its fulness some of the virtues we read of in the Beatitudes (humility, meekness...) will shine through all the more powerfully. But other virtues will no longer be relevant - such as those related to mourning or persecution.

The virtues of the Sermon on the Mount are not be understood as, 1) if you live this way you will be rewarded, or 2) now that you believe in me this is how you must behave; but rather 3) these are the habits of heart which anticipate the new world here and now. They are the signs of the new life that Jesus came to bring.

In terms of the importance of being true to yourself - being authentic - Wright strongly makes the case that the Christian life is not about doing what comes naturally. If the authenticity that matters is living in accordance with the genuine human being God is calling us to become, then this sort of authenticity will start to happen as we follow Jesus. It will be hard work - but it is within reach. There will be signs of life - as green shoots grow through concrete - faith, hope and love; as there is the development of character formed by overflowing generous love.

So the Christian is not just a person who has received the love and forgiveness of God and new life - but they are an agent of it in the world. And so those who have had their hearts changed by God become heart changers themselves.

Wright points out that we are not to read the gospels with the aim of reading about a Jesus who says to us, 'this is how it's done; copy me'. Rather we read about a Jesus who says, 'God's kingdom is coming; take up your cross and follow me'. Jesus' example is not so much about how to do it - but what to do - love, forgiveness, self giving...

As I look back over chapter 4 there is so much that I have not covered ... see you in a few weeks.

Reasonable Reason

A Risky Business

A couple of Sundays ago was Pentecost - the day when Christians celebrate God sending the Holy Spirit, as recorded in Acts 2. This reading was a part of our E100 Bible reading programme a few weeks ago, and was followed by two weeks in the book of Acts reading stories of persecution, evangelism, church planting and church growth, wrestling with issues, escape from prison...

They were indeed exciting times - and I wonder if we ever read Acts and wish things were just a little more exciting these days. But surely they could be. Could we even say that they should be. The Spirit that came upon the disciples in Acts 2 is the same Spirit that God promises to believers today.

I was listening to a long term missionary speaking on Sunday evening. One of the things he said in response to a question asked about why mission organisations are seeing a drop in long term mission personnel is that we, as Christians in the west, have become comfortable and risk averse.

Part of being risk averse is that we never willingly put ourselves anywhere near a situation where we are going to be out of our depth or beyond our resources.

The trouble is that those are the very places where our faith will be strengthened, and we will have to rely on God rather than on ourselves. Those are the places where we will see the Spirit at work, because we can't do it for ourselves. Those are the exciting places.

We don't need to join a long term mission team canoeing up the Amazon to put ourselves beyond our own resources. If you're a Christian reading this then I'm sure there is something that comes to mind when asked the question, what is it that God is asking you to do - that you haven't done yet?

Thy will be gun

If you get offended at being offended, or would never visit my blog again if I included a video clip that contained the F word then please stop reading, ignore this post, and come back next week - and whatever you do, do not play the following video.

A friend of mine on Facebook had a link to this clip - with similar warnings to the ones above. It is a short extract from an American TV programme 'Real Time with Bill Maher' on HBO. It is a thought provoking (and potentially offensive) reaction, by someone who is not a Christian, to the reaction of some Christians to the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

If you are offended - sorry - but you have been warned.

International Sunday

I am still here! Just a bit behind with the posts.

Today was our International Sunday at church - a day when we celebrate the diversity of our multi-cultural congregation. At the beginning of the Bible we read that humans are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and at the end of the Bible we read of John's vision of heaven where people from every nation, tribe and language are involved in the worship of God (Revelation 7:9). So it is good to get in some practice by praising God together, now.

This morning we had 20 nationalities represented, with a colourful range of clothing and a delicious lunch on offer. With 20 nationalities there are of course more cultures - as countries are made up of different ethnic, language and tribal groups. Which gives plenty of scope for misunderstandings. For example a friendly gesture or an acceptable form of greeting in one culture may be quite offensive in another.

In Acts 10 and 11 we read how the early Jewish Christians struggled to come to terms with the truth that the church was a place for everyone from every nation, and not just for a select few. And that transition was not an easy one and it was one that took time. And it is something that we still get wrong.

As we celebrate our diversity and unity we look back to the beginning of the story in Genesis, we look ahead to the end of the story in Revelation, but we recognise that right at the centre is the cross. Whoever we are, wherever we come from - we fall short of what God expects and yet God still loves us, and Jesus still died for us. And as his disciples Jesus commands us to love one another as he has loved us. That means that we seek to see the best in others. It means that we are quick to forgive. It means that we are gracious and compassionate and merciful. It means that whatever offence I cause you through some cultural misunderstanding we can still sit down and eat together.

Christian Aid

Every morning 12 year old Etebane Jemal sets off on a four km walk to collect clean water for her family. It's a journey she makes twice a day, carrying 10 litres of water on her back. That's 16 km a day - and it's a trek that puts her at risk of abduction and rape.

Thanks to Christian Aid partner Water Action, Etebane's community have been able to dig trenches and lay pipes so that clean water now flows right into their village.

This Sunday is the start of Christian Aid week.

Virtue Reborn Index

Regular visitors to this blog will know that I have started to review Tom Wright's Virtue Reborn. They will also know that this is likely to take a long time with chapter reviews spread all over the place, spanning months if not years! So here is an index of where to find each chapter - and I will update it as I go along.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Virtue Reborn Chapter Three

On the 10 March I promised that I would be back in a few weeks with my review of the third chapter in Tom Wright's Virtue Reborn - so here I am, nearly nine weeks later. At this rate I should finish the book in about a years time.

[An index of all other posts relating to this book can be found by clicking here]

In the previous chapter we saw how part of what the Christian is supposed to be about, between the point at which they believe and the point they die is preparing for their place in God's new creation. In this chapter Tom Wright takes it one step further and starts to reveal what that role is to involve. Using various Bible passages including Revelation 22 and 1 Peter 2 Wright argues that the Christian's goal is worshipping and reigning - priests and kings - a royal priesthood. And if that is to be the ultimate destiny then that will be anticipated in the present time - so life here, now, will be a preparation for the future a bit at a time. And so what the Christian is to be about is 'bringing the presence of God to the wider world, carrying forward the mission of declaring God's powerful and rescuing acts and beginning the work of implementing the messianic rule of Jesus in all the world' [page 75].

Wright is quick to note the sort of behaviours that last point does not mean. It is a life that involves submission and persecution - it is not about lording it over anyone, or the abuse of power... In all the discussion so far Wright is keen to ensure that the language of reigning and ruling etc. is not misunderstood.

Wright then moves into a discussion from Romans 5-8. When someone like Tom Wright unpacks a passage of Scripture that he refers to as dense then you know you're in real trouble. So I'll just pick out a few highlights. [By which I mean the one or two sentences I could understand.]

Wright argues that Paul too, in this passage, is assuming that present behaviour is shaped by the future goal. And so in the present we should be learning habits of mind and heart that will point us in the direction of the eventual 'reign', and these are characterised by holiness and prayer. If our future goal is to involve reigning and judging the whole of creation then in the present we should be in control of...our own bodies - not being a slave to sin, but replacing slave habits of mind, heart and body with freedom habits.

This is anticipated in the present through prayer - the priestly role of groaning with the pain of the world as that pain is brought into the presence of God.

See you again in a couple of months...

A Right Royal Weekend in Blackpool

Whilst the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool might not be everyone's first choice venue for a Royal Wedding Bank Holiday Weekend, when it comes to venues for the annual Baptist Assembly it can't be beaten. With three young children to think about this venue offers everything you need without having to leave the building - and when the sun shines all weekend as it did this year - the beach is just over the road.

The theme for this year's Baptist Assembly was 'Your Kingdom Come'. This theme was explored on the main stage through some excellent teaching by Pat Took, Wale Hudson-Roberts, Jeff Lucas, Julie Pennington-Russell, Lynn Green and Jonathan Edwards. And the message that came through clearly again and again was that whatever this kingdom might look like it is to be an inclusive kingdom; a place where all are made to feel welcome regardless of who they are.

Sunday morning's communion service was a particular highlight, during which the question of the inclusion of children within the communion service was tackled creatively. Two children provided a great running commentary on what was happening from a child's perspective and concluded with the two children serving the servers, who were then to serve the assembly.

It was perhaps a bit ironic that these were the only children present - all the others were being brilliantly catered for elsewhere in the building by Arise Ministries. In the past I remember at least one of the main sessions - possibly the final one on the Monday morning - being all age - I think this changed last year. What conclusion has assembly come to? That we want to include children as long as they are somewhere else on the premises where they can't be seen or heard? There was certainly a fair amount of 'tutting' going on during the Royal Wedding on Friday, which we watched on a big screen in the hotel as various children behaved like children during the ceremony - although apparently it is ok for adults to comment on 'the dress', hats, no hats...

Over all we had a great assembly, probably one of our best yet. The children loved their clubs, and were sad when they had to leave. The theme and the speakers were thought provoking and challenging. The worship was engaging with well known songs, new songs, interesting arrangements, some slightly off the wall choices that somehow worked and even the odd Christmas Carol thrown in. The commissioning of newly accredited ministers and BMS missionaries was moving.

Assembly 2012, in London, has a lot to live up to. Hopefully it will be as accessible with three small children as the Norbreck.