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.
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Monday, 11 July 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
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.
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.
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