Free Track

Hi everyone, I don't normally do freebies but I really want to highlight Human Trafficking, it is something I have been reading a lot about recently and I feel strongly that it is sub human abuse of all that God has given us. I will do a longer blog post on this in the future but for now this will have to do.

Currently Matt Redman and L27 have written a great single which is aiming to help highlight this. Please consider downloading from here:

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/twenty-seven-million-single/id500399945

I am prepared to buy 3 copies of the song from Itunes for the first 3 who reply to this post (Not sure how that will work but I can figure it out).

The campaign is A21 here is a link:

http://www.thea21campaign.org/

The 21 things you can do is great idea.

You may not like Matt Redman, you may think this is just a bunch of Bible bashers, a cheap promotion and a way to make money but please consider doing this.

Blessings

Paul

A funny(peculiar) conversation

Just had an interesting conversation it went something like this:

The greatest cancer that there is, is loneliness. Man's [sic] imagination if it cannot find satisfaction in a personal relationship with someone looks for it elsewhere. Which is where religion comes into being, it is the imagination looking beyond itself for meaning and companionship so it projects the other, someone outside of ourself.

Religion then to him is all the power of the imagination. He went on to talk about how in a relationship you are meant to make the person happy, this is the purpose of our existience each of us is to make others happy and this is how we are fulfilled. It is all about happiness, one person can make you happy. If in a relationship someone is bowing down to another that is their god. He said that being a vicar then is the same, to make people happy that is the power of imagination and religion is a construct of this. It is good news to me that I am not called to make people happy but to proclaim Christ.

In the discussion I said for me it all comes down to Jesus, if he is who he says he is then he calls us to know him and obey him.

He said whenever people are loving and caring, then this is what they are meant to do the purpose for which the imagination finds. The more I think about his argument the more it keeps coming back to God. God is Love (1 John 4.8), the author of love, so once more it seems to me that we worship that which is created, looking for love can be an idol just as much as a carved statue. I also asked: is happiness the ultimate goal in life?

If happiness is the ultimate purpose should we be kind and just exterminate those who aren't happy, put them out of their misery? Doesn't joy have something far more eternal and fulfilling than something that is momentary and fleeting. People let each other down...


When questioned about what he believes about evil, he says it is those who want attention and happiness who don't have it. I don't think for a moment he was suggesting to give them a hug! I said the church exisits because it was first loved and forgiven and it now welcomes all to meet with Jesus. I believe as people encounter Christ they will be transformed.


James 1.27 [NRSV]- "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world"

The joint emphasis of God is that we care for those in distress out of a heart that keeps Jesus at the centre and a heart that stays pure in the face of the temptation to be just like everyone else or  those who just ignore it.

Mission

A short reflection on Mission, based upon my immediate thoughts, something I want to reflect upon, feel free to share yout thoughts too:

John 20.21-23

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20.21-23 [NIV]).

Mission starts with Peace, so in mission we are called to be bringers of peace. We look to Jesus just as he looked to the Father and only did the things the Father did. This means we look to him for leading and guidance and always keep in mind that first it is his mission we particpate in. He who has sent us is faithful.

I have a lawn full of dandelions but I am fascinated with the beauty of the seed head, it is designed to be sent to the rest of the world when it is blown on. So to for Christians, we are breathed upon, which sends us out to do that for which he has called us, equiped us and filled us.

I am then reminded of the link with forgiveness, if we do not forgive we give people a shiney juicy apple to bite into with a rotten core. The gospel is not a life enhancement but transformational let's not give a rotten alternative. Context wise, this passage belongs with encountering the risen Christ, which is at once both disconcerting and awesome.

To my mind then mission is bringing people to an encounter with the risen Christ. As those engaged with mission we are called to be agents of peace and forgiveness filled with the Holy Spirit leading people to Jesus. When we encounter Jesus it is not necessarily comforting but it is always transformational.