What Matters

God of the Wastelands

'In the desert they gave into their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test.' (Psalm 196:14)

On bringing the ark back to Jerusalem, David contrasts the enduring love and faithfulness of God with the transitory commitment of God's people.  This psalm bears stark testimony to the weak-willed nature of Israel's loyalty.  It seems it is particularly in times of challenge - large or small - that this loyalty is most at risk of giving flight like vapor in a breeze.  In the deserts, cravings are caved into, in the wastelands God is marginalised.

Too easily this can be my witness.  In the difficult and challenging moments of life I can dismiss, even forget God.  Paradoxically, however, this is when God's power and enduring love can be most readily seen and experienced.  Of course.

Prayer

Thank you Lord that you are with me in all and through all circumstances.  You are my rock, my fortress, my stronghold.  In my deserts and wastelands may it always be you I turn to, not push aside.

Irresistible Revolution - Inside Out/Upside Down

This is our second week in our series, The Irresistible Revolution.  This week we look at how Jesus' manifesto sees the world turn inside out and upside down.  The text is the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).  Towards the end of the sermon, one of our own 'revolutionaries', Pat Barron shares how she has signed up to usher in this new world...Download recording_23072006_104734.mp3

Irresistble Revolution - Signing Up

We've started a new series called 'The Irresistible Revolution'.  (See me review of the great book that I swiped this title from).  Our first week looked at the call of Simon and Andrew, James and John to follow Jesus - what it means to sign-up.    Download recording_16072006_104220.mp3

Mature Audiences Only - Gideon Part 3

Finally we finish our series on the life of Gideon.  This week we look at Judges 8 and in particular some leadership lessons we can learn from this remarakable story... Download mature_audiences_only_gideon_part_3.mp3

Mvume Dandala

What a privilege we shared yesterday, as Rev Dr Mvume Dandala was our special guest preacher in our morning services.  Mvume is the General Secretary of the All Africa Council of Churches, a fellowship representing over 120 million believers.  Mvume preached from Acts 3:1-8, and was brilliant.  Devastatingly, because of an unforeseen technical problem we did not record the sermon.  I am so sorry you won't have the opportunity to hear it, or hear it again.  Rest assured we are making sure this problem does not happen again.

God can handle our truth

'I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.' (Psalm 142:2)

Lament is almost a 'no-go' zone in church.  We Adore, Confess, Thank, Intercede - but we hardly ever lament.  It is as if we think God can't handle our whinging and whining.  But lament has a long and 'proud' history in the bible.  Job, David, the prophets - all of them were more than willing to tell God what they thought of him and his apparent inaction.

God can handle our truth.  God can handle the facts of our lives - our disappointments, depressions and disasters.  As we pour out our complaints, we do not do so to an empty heaven, but to a loving God who cares.  In fact, its not too much of a stretch to suggest that lament is perhaps the most faith-filled prayer we can offer.  We offer such prayer to God in, because and despite desperate circumstances, when the easier road is to dismiss God's existence all together.

Prayer

Lord, you can handle my whinging, my whining.  May I be faith-filled enough to offer it to you.

Kingdom Confrontation

'From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.' (Matthew 11:12)

The kingdom Jesus proclaimed advanced in and through confrontation.  There was confrontation with religious leaders, political leaders and unbelieving people.  There was confrontation with diseases and death.  There was confrontation with the economic orthodoxy of the day that said the poor deserved their circumstances.  Jesus, and John the Baptiser before him, had ample opportunity to back away from, or water down into more palatable form the message they proclaimed. 

The kingdom of God is advanced by forceful intent by people committed to its proclamation no matter the cost.  The kingdom of God is no namby-pamby, watered down, lowest common denominator Utopian ideal.  It is reality at its most fundamental.  Such reality will always confront the unreality of our world.

Prayer

Lord, too easily you can be dismissed as 'gentle Jesus, meek and mild' - when you are anything but.  may the conviction you and John shared burn deep within my heart and in some small but significant way be evident in my life.

Right Attitude

It's been a while since I added a new post - I've enjoyed a nice week-long holiday.  Last week Russell preached about Attitude.  A number of people have told me it was a ripper.  Ufortunately we had an unforseen technical hitch that means Russ's message was not recorded!  Sorry.