Jesus wants to save Christians

Here is another challenging read from Rob Bell and Don Golden - Jesus wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008).

This book traces the story of the Old Testament from Egypt to Sinai to Jerusalem to Babylon - a journey that we read of many times and a journey that Christians continue to make today - although of course not literally.

Egypt is that place of slavery - whether addiction, anger, hate, prejudice, ego, lust, dishonesty... And Salvation is what happens when we cry out in Egypt, the cry that leads to God's intervention, to rescue, to redemption, to grace.

And this takes us to Sinai, the place where we find purpose and identity, the place where we join the God of the oppressed in doing something for our broken world.

And then we come to Jerusalem, which raises questions. What will we do with our blessing? What will we do with all that God has given us? Will we remember Egypt, or will we lose the plot?

And on the times we lose the plot we end up in Babylon, in exile, an exile which sometimes is so subtle that we don't even realise we are there.

An exile which means that in a world where people are still slaves, still go to bed hungry, still commit suicide, still die of AIDS...the church is irrelevant.

This book is a challenge to recognise our exile and to cry out again, to once again join God in doing something for our broken world. It is a challenge to hear the cry of others and allow that cry to change everything, because then we're with God, the God who will say 'Go' - a going that will take a multitude of forms.

Hard things to accept

There are somethings that we find really hard to believe. There a God, it will be sunny this summer, Exeter City may get promotion again this year... But one of the hardest things many people find hard to believe is that God loves me as I am, and there is nothing that I can do that will make Him love me less.

This Sunday, we meet a woman (Luke 7:36-50), who met Jesus and accepted that everything in her past could be dealt with, and that God's love and forgiveness was for her. But where do we fit in this story? Do we identify with the Pharisee and because of our good deeds and self denial think that we're actually ok, and in no need of God's forgiveness? Do we identify with this un-named woman and joyfully accept God's love and forgiveness?

Or do we look on at this woman, and wish that that could be us, but when push comes to shove we do not believe that God can love and forgive us, because what we've done is just too bad. The good news is that there is nothing we can do that will make God love us less. There is nothing that we can ever do that alters the fact that God loved us so much that Jesus died for us so that we can know God's forgiveness. Rather than doubt God's love, let's embrace it and be totally overwhelmed by it - like the woman in this story.

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The nearest I'll get to a Ferrari

Watching Top Gear is probably the closest I'll get to owning a Ferrari. But when it comes to flashy red modes of transport our new buggy is great.



Here in baby and toddler mode...




And with a few cunning alterations - two toddler mode. Great. It even has tyres with air in!

Garden Update 1

I thought this year I would keep you posted on progress in the garden. Just a few days ago I transplanted some Raspberry canes from my parents' garden in Devon to our garden here in London. So far they are still alive - and I am looking forward to homemade raspberry flavoured frozen yogurt later in the year, made with homegrown raspberries and homemade yogurt.



Other plans for this year include sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, courgette and maybe rhubarb. I'll keep you posted with progress.