CHRISTMAS IS COMING (3)

Q. What on earth do you buy somebody for Christmas when they are one of those people who already has everything they want?

A. Nothing!

Q. Why 'Nothing'?

A. 'Cos that's the one think that they won't have!

Seriously though, the question of what to buy for people becomes harder each year doesn't it. When I was a small boy, my presents, along with those of my brothers and sisters, were in neat piles on the curved window seat in my father's office, and we were not allowed to touch them until after breakfast. In fact, it was not a good idea to even attempt to go in and look to see how big your pile was! Now the word pile may well conjure up a picture of a large pile of gifts, teetering on the edge of falling down, but, dear reader, let me inform you otherwise. My pile in those austere days at the end of the last great War, consisted of (usually) the 'Beano' and 'Dandy' Annuals, a few farmyard animals --- these later disappeared after the scare of lead-based paints --- some socks, a few sweets and colouring book and pencil crayons. All in all, I guess that there was about seven or maybe eight items.

Of course, in the early of the morning, I had woken up to find a stocking (well actually it was just one of my socks!) which had been stuffed with goodies such as a tangerine, some nuts --- which you couldn't get to 'cos you couldn't crack them --- a comic and perhaps a small toy car. Somehow these few items seem to FILL the stocking up. The important thing about all this, however, is that I expected no more nor less than I got, and I was very grateful for it all. It never occurred to me to want more!

How different it all is nowadays in these times of plenty that we live in! With little thought about where the money is going to come from children, lured by the adverts on the TV, gaily request all sorts of HUGELY EXPENSIVE gifts, seeing them as some sort of right. Our 13-year old asked for a 32" Flat screen TV, pointing out ones in the adverts which were, after all, ONLY £345!!!

When simply everybody pointed out that it would be FAR TOO LARGE for his bedroom he disagreed with everybody.

Children point to all sorts of expensive things with no consideration as to how their parents might pay for them. But wait a minute . . . Whose fault is that? Surely, if there had been a bit of common sense applied from the earliest age then it would be different. The problem is that we live now in a very self-centred and materialistic society, and the way that many parents live, spending money they don't have as though there's no tomorrow, creates the lessons that the kids learn from.

We really need to move away from being so self-centred. Looking around quickly tells you that it's been a dreadful social experiment, one that has failed miserably when it comes to the real things that matter in life. One of the problems is that in wanting so much the little things tend to either be sneered at or simply discarded as worthless. Yet you can learn an interesting lesson in the true value of things when you give a small child an expensive toy which fits into a large cardboard box. Watch them unwrap it, see their eyes light up, and then watch them play with the box which, in their imagination has become a car, a fire-engine, a boat, a spaceship, or some other such thing!

Another aspect of this particular culture is what you get from your children, you know, those children who often have more disposable income than you do as a result of over indulgence by parents and grandparents. Turning once again to the far-off days when I was a boy, pocket-money had to be earned and yet we children still managed to buy or make presents for the rest of the family, and Oh! how they were generally appreciated! Nowadays, affluent teenagers will often have fat bank accounts and yet still expect Mum to buy the presents for them to give to everyone. If you succumb to this, what's the lesson in it?

It's time for a CHANGE!!!

Wouldn't it be great to get back to a time when other people mattered the most? We could do, but it's up to each of us to make the change. One thing I'm certain of, and that is that even though the transition may be painful, the result will be well worthwhile.

What do you think, dear reader?

Just Got Back --- On a HIGH!

I've just got back from a two-hour long service at Grace family Church in Liverpool, which I have to say was a truly inspiring experience. I went with a friend of mine who is involved with Voice Ministries, and from the moment we arrived we noticed the difference. First of all we were welcomed with such a warm welcome, not by one 'Greeter' but constantly by everyone we saw, right up to and after we were shown to our seats. There's certainly a lesson that many churches would benefit from learning there!

Lots of young people, but we certainly never felt like fish-out-of-water! The church is based in a revamped cinema building, and on a raised area where the screen once was, there were musicians and singers ready to lead the worship and praise. There were screens on which could be projected the words of the worship songs or brief clips of film. The church notices were given by means of a video of several of the young people announcing what was to be on in the following week, etc.

The message, delivered by a visiting pastor, was based on Matthew 24, and instead of the usual method of the preacher only speaking, there was an exchange between him and the congregation. A good learning experience for people. I was delighted to see that people had their Bibles with them, sadly not something that you see in the majority of our churches today. The things that I took away from the service were the welcome attitudes and a great sense of the joy of worship which was engendered there. I hope to have the opportunity to go there to another service in the future when I have another day off!

For a Change . . .

This is the last day of my holiday and so I plan to go to church in Liverpool for a change. One of the problems as a minister is that you are often so busy ministering to others that you don't get the blessing of being ministered to yourself. I sometimes joke that I don't often get the opportunity to go to church because I'm always working!

Anyway, today I plan to go to the Grace Family Church in Liverpool, which will be a great worship experience for me. They are a young, lively and vibrant church who praise the Lord with JOY! Sometimes it depresses me somewhat when I see the long faces of people on their way to the morning service at various churches (not that there are that many who do that any more, proportionately), and then, if you watch them coming out after the service, you can see even longer faces!!!

Now I think that to be able to join together and praise the Lord with your whole being is a thing of JOY! The true believer believes that where just two or three are gathered together Jesus is with them, and that's a wonderful blessing. What's to have a long face for then?

If people hear that some well-known personality is going to be in a certain place at a certain time, then they flock in their thousands to catch a glimpse. A lot of the pleasure will be derived simply from being in the same place as the personality. Yet at every Christian believer's service the Lord is there; the King of Kings whom you can meet and enjoy a personal relationship with! What could be greater than that!

So today I will be meeting with Jesus in Liverpool. But after that, as I leave to come home, I shall not leave Him behind, for I will continue to walk with Him the rest of the day and the rest of my life. I hope that you, dear reader, will have a truly blessed day with the Lord today, and that it will be a life-changing and life-improving day because of it.

Here's NUMBER 7!

Number 7 in my TOP TEN CRAZEE HOBBIES is:

'Counting Spots' on anything spotty!

As a beginner, the best thing to start with is something really easy like clothing with large spots.

Very soon the accomplished Spot Spotter will be able to graduate to far more difficult tasks such as small evenly spaced spots on umbrellas.

The real benefit of the hobby can only be really appreciated when you progress to a moving target, and what could be better than trying to count the spots on a basketful of spotted puppies? It's probable that only the most expert Spot Spotter will manage this task successfully, but it does allow you the opportunity to (waste) sorry, I meant to say spend several hours enjoying your hobby.

Does it make you a more interesting person? Well, only you can guess at the answer. Certainly you will be able to hold a long conversation on the benefits of spots over no spots, or what size spots are your favourites. Of course I can't promise you that you'll exactly hold your audience and enthrall them beyond belief, but you will certainly create a definite impression about yourself in their minds. If you want to avoid boring them then I suggest that you might consider spotting square spots as well as round ones, and even limiting your hobby to spots of certain colours.Another thing you could do is write about the hobby, much as I am here. Will it hold your readers enthralled? Only they know, and --- most of them at least --- will be far too kind and/or polite to tell you the innermost thoughts that they share about your interesting hobby. Perhaps, after all, that's the best thing anyway!

Have a great day!

Back Home!

I've just come back from Swansea where we had a wonderfully blessed Service last night, which was certainly Spirit-filled. It's always good when Christians get together to praise the Lord in song and through the Word. There was a good spread of age-groups there and the message that I delivered was based upon Acts 4:12. After the Service the folk from the Chapel had laid on a great spread of cakes etc., which went down well, so we had food for the soul and food for the body!

His Voice, not mine

As soon as I've written this morning's blog I shall be getting ready for my trip to South Wales --- Swansea to be precise --- where tonight I have the privilege of sharing the Word of God at a Crusade evening. I expect that there will be some people who travel quite a distance to get to the chapel concerned. The thing that I have to be very careful about is making sure that I don't fall ito the trap of believing that they come to hear what I have to say, for the truth is that they will come to hear what God has to say through me. It's very easy to fool yourself into thinking that you are special because you have been blessed with the opportunity to share the Word, but the truth is that we are all blessed with the same opportunity; it's just that the method of sharing is different according to what God wants.

The first thing that I do each day in my prayer time is to hand myself over anew to God for the whole day. That way I can be sure that what happens in my day is right with Him, and if it's right with Him then it's fine by me!

So, dear reader, please send up an arrow prayer for me as I prepare myself throughout today. I shall be speaking tonight at Tabernacle Chapel, Terrace Road, Swansea, at 6.30pm (GMT), and believe you me, I value your prayers! I'll let you know how it went in tomorrow's blog.

In Swansea there is a statue to the man who is recognised as one of Wales' greatest poets, Dylan Thomas. I'm a great admirer of his writing, and particularly love the imagery in his play, 'Under Milk Wood'. I have a recording of it on tape somewhere with the wonderful voice of the late Richard Burton.

More 'Thinking Ahead' . . .

We had an meeting of our Church Elders yesterday evening, and one of the subjects that was raised was getting the Christmas tree for the church. It set me thinking about the whole factor of having a Christmas tree in churches.

There are probably three schools of thought on the matter:

1. I think it's OK and they look lovely!
   
2. It's all a bit of a Pagan thing!
   
3. Bah! Humbug!

Some people have traced the Christmas tree back to the time of the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah, although the decorated Christmas tree that we all know today only caught on in the mid-19th century, and is largely a Victorian creation. The Prophet Jeremiah condemned as Pagan the ancient Middle Eastern practice of cutting down trees, bringing them into the home and decorating them. Of course, these were not really Christmas trees, because Jesus was not born until centuries later, and the use of Christmas trees was not introduced for many centuries after his birth. Apparently, in Jeremiah's time the "heathen" would cut down trees, carve or decorate them in the form of a god or goddess, and overlay it with precious metals. Some Christians feel that this Pagan practice was similar enough to our present use of Christmas trees that this passage from Jeremiah can be used to condemn both: Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." (KJV).

Opposition to the Christmas tree was strong in past centuries. In the 3rd Century, the early Christian Church strictly prohibited the decoration of their houses with evergreen boughs. Modern-day opposition continues: some condemn the Christmas tree because they believe it to be a Christian symbol; others condemn it because they believe -- quite wrongly as it happens -- that the custom of cutting down a tree, erecting it in the home and decorating it is a Pagan custom. In Europe, Pagans in the past did not cut down evergreen trees, bring them into their homes and decorate them. That would have been far too destructive of nature. But during the Roman celebration of the feast of Saturnalia, Pagans did decorate their houses with clippings of evergreen shrubs. They also decorated living trees with bits of metal and replicas of their God, Bacchus. Tertullian (circa 160 - 230), an early Christian leader and a prolific writer, complained that too many fellow-Christians had copied the Pagan practice of adorning their houses with lamps and with wreathes of laurel at Christmas time. For many people today, it's primarily seen as a secular symbol of hope for the New Year and the future return of warmth to the earth. Nevertheless, however the tree is viewed by some, its future is assured in spite of opposition.
The English Puritans condemned a number of customs associated with Christmas, such as the use of the Yule log, holly, mistletoe, etc. Oliver Cromwell preached against "the heathen traditions" of Christmas carols, decorated trees and any joyful expression that desecrated "that sacred event."

In America, the Pilgrim's second governor, William Bradford, a Puritan, tried hard to stamp out all "pagan mockery" at Christmas time. Christmas trees were not used by Puritans in colonial times, and would certainly have been forbidden had the practise been considered. In 1851, Pastor Henry Schwan of Cleveland, Ohio, is believed to have been the person responsible for decorating the first Christmas tree in an American church. His parishioners condemned the idea as a Pagan practice; some even threatened the pastor with harm. But objections soon dissipated.

Although many people think that the Christmas tree is out of place in churches, I think that it serves a good purpose apart from being great to look at. We all know that many more people attend church services over the Christmas period, and it's a recognised fact that many of those people only attend one such service, and that in all probability it's the only service that they attend all year --- apart, that is, from occasions such as baptisms, weddings or funerals. One of the things that gets these people into our churches is the manner in which the church is decorated, and that includes a really pretty tree, of course.

So, is it justified to decorate the church and have a tree in order to attract large numbers of people to a service? Of course it is! The reason they come to the service in the first place is not really important, after all; it's what they hear and the impressions they gain once they are there that really matter. It's up to the regular congregation members to be living witnesses, showing warmth and friendship to the visitors, and it's up to the Church Leaders to ensure that the Gospel message is preached, strongly and in love.

So what about the 'Bah! Humbug!' people? How easy it would be to just ignore them and hope that they'll go away and not come back, but the real answer lies in the Christian love and fellowship that every Christian is called on to demonstrate. Even the worst 'Scrooge' is a nut that, however tough a shell, can ultimately be broken!

At Christmas 2000, the city manager of Eugene OR ordered that Christmas trees could not be erected on city properties because he considered them Christian religious symbols. He felt that their presence would violate the principle of church and state. This is just one of countless conflicts that have surfaced at Christmas time over religious and quasi-religious observances. Some religious sects oppose the use of Christmas trees and even the celebration of Christmas for their members. These include the Jehovah's Witnesses (The Watchtower Society), and until recently, the Worldwide Church of God. Part of the opposition is because the custom of decorated trees originated in Paganism, but they also oppose the use of the trees because of a literal interpretation of the quotation from Jeremiah.

We shall have a tall tree in our church once again, decorated with baubles, tinsel and tree-lights, and the congregation will view it, along with all the other Seasonal decoration, and give a satisfied sigh or a contented murmur of appreciation. What we'll achieve is a bit of a 'feel-good' factor, and that cannot be bad. As for the Christmas Message, well we shall have our Christingle Service, our Nativity Service, our Carol Service with it's Nine Lessons, and of course a midnight Communion on Christmas Eve. We shall have our Advent Wreath and light the candles as the weeks go by, culminating on the lighting of the central candle at the Christmas morning service, representing Christ's birth. And through all of this we shall proclaim to all and sundry what it's all about as we share both the story of our Lord's humble yet wonderful entry into the world and the important message of New Life and Salvation that He came to deliver.

Below is a picture of the Christmas Tree at First Baptist Church, LaFayette. Why not check out their site for pictures from previous years.

Hank & Slim --- 2 of the BEST!

I'm on holiday for a few days this week, and so I'm catching up on a few things that seem to have got left behind, not least of all posting several items on eBay, something I've been intending to do for the past couple of weeks. The problem is that there never seems to be enough time to do these things, which can be quite time-consuming!

Anyway, at last I've got it done, so now I hope that all I have to do is to sit back and wait for the pennies to drop like dew from heaven! (Well, at least I can hope!)

As I'm working at the computer I'm listening to one of my favourite singers, the late GREAT Hank Snow. It's not easy to get Canadian-born Hank's Cd's over here in the UK, because there's not supposed to be enough demand for his style of Country music. However, my darling wife came to the rescue a couple of birthdays ago, and she searched the Internet and found a place to buy. No mean purchase, either, for she bought me a special boxed set of 12 Cd's. WOW! I was over the moon, and re-live my joy every time that I listen to them.

Hank Snow has been one of my favourites, along with the great Slim Whitman, since I was a boy, and that, I might add, is quite a long time!!! Back in the early '70s I went to a live performance at Bristol Hippodrome to see Hank. What great memories I have of that show. In mentioning Slim Whitman, my other singing hero --- 'cos I LOVE the sound of the steel guitar --- I went to see his last ever show in the UK a couple of years back, travelling over 200 miles to get to Norwich where the very last show of the tour was played to a packed house.

Actually, whilst these two singers are amongst my all-time favourites, I guess the thing is that I simply love music and singing. As many of you know, I write lyrics and also turn my hand to composing music on occasion. I'm told by those close to me that I'm 'usually making some noise or other', which means that I'm humming, singing or whistling, my way through the day, although it's not always appreciated!!!

Someone once told me that a love of music, paintings, and beauty, proves that you have a soul. So, as I like all of those things, I guess that's good news for me! Seriously though, all of the finer things feed the soul, though nothing feeds it quite like the Word of God which sustains us always. When it comes to feeding on the WORD, then I guess that I'm not ashamed to admit to being a regular GLUTTON!

A little bit of Honky Tonk!

This morning I got the sheet music to a new song sent to me by my co-writer Greg Sheer. He and I have written quite a large number of songs together, both Worship songs and secular songs such as love songs and country songs. This one definitely falls into the latter category! It's a real 'Honky Tonk' number. I hope you enjoy it! Do let me know what you think of it please.

If you want to download the sheet music then you will find it on the Sheer Joy Music website later today.

Thinking Ahead

I have one week's holiday this week which gives me a little more time to recover from my recent operation and, at the same time, an opportunity to get some of my Advent programmes for the church a little further on.

This is one time of the year when ministers and pastors, and priests and vicars --- in fact church leaders of all shapes and sizes --- are so busy planning the various Advent programme. Mind you, for some it's made easier by the fact that there are certain things that people like to remain the same, year after year. Things like this are labelled 'Tradition'. But is tradition always a good thing? Is there not a chance that the familiarity of the event in question will prevent people from really taking the message to heart? It's a difficult thing to do, but sometimes tradition has to be massaged a little, adding something new to the old in order to make people sit up and take notice.

Just imagine if we never did that! Why, the little girl who played the fairy in the Christmas Pageant and looked so cute when she was a when 5-year-old would not look quite so cute forty years down the line!

One of the things that I love about the Nativity narrative is that even though it's probably the oldest story that most of us remember, and of course goes back a little more than two thousand years, nevertheless there is always the opportunity for a new approach to the way that it's done. So we see a wide variety of styles which vary from the simplest approach by many Sunday Schools as they act the timeless story out in the Sunday Service, to the adventurous approach of taking the whole thing outside, using real animals gathered around a real manger. Some will even use a real baby.

The important thing is not the style of the nativity play but the sincerity with which it's performed and the Scriptural accuracy given to the whole event. In my Bible, which obviously differs from many a School Bible, there is no mention of Batman, Spiderman or the Ninja Turtles, when it comes to the Nativity story, yet all of these have featured somewhere in previous years ---and a lot of other characters too!

The problem for me is quite simple in all of this. You see, I believe the account in the Bible is an accurate record of the birth of our Lord, not simply a nice story, and so as soon as you start to add fictional characters to the Nativity play then it creates confusion in the minds of the children who fail to differentiate between the historical characters and facts, and the fantasy characters and fiction.

So I guess the whole issue comes down to this. Tell your children what the Bible says about our Lord's birth without adding to it. It's a beautiful and simple story as it is! As for Batman and Robin, well, of course they have their place in the storytelling world as well, but not as part of the record of Jesus' birth.

What do you think? Let me know!

Today we remember our fallen heroes.

Here in the UK it's Remembrance Sunday, the day when we remember the fallen from the wars of the past and also remember those who are involved in fighting the present day wars. I believe that war is always absolutely evil. Whatever our history, no Christian theology can glorify the experience of war. We can dress it up as a ‘crusade’; present it as a sanctified moral endeavour but violence will never be the chosen way of our God, or of his Son, Jesus Christ.It’s true that war can be justified by arguing that it’s the only way to preserve higher values such as the protection of our freedoms and our sovereignty from the assault of an aggressor.

Throughout the land there will be Services of Remembrance held at War Memorials such as the Cenotaph shown here, where wreaths in memory of the fallen will be laid by their comrades and by local dignitaries and representatives. Each service will be special, evoking many memories, painful, sad and proud, of friends and relatives who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Whenever I see such memorials I find myself checking out the names, and connecting with the sacrifice represented. I wonder in what circumstances did those concerned lay down their lives?

Today we also ask ourselves whether war is a justified response to potential threat, in order to pre-empt aggression. The question focuses especially on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the potential threat implied by Iran, although perhaps it’s an inevitable part of globalisation. What are our responses when alien ideologies and atrocities in other places seem to threaten here?

How we justify war has a direct impact on how we view the sacrifices we ask of people in military service. How do we justify the sacrifice we ask of such individuals and their families if we’re unsure of the basis of that sacrifice? It seems self-evident that if we devalue the moral principles which hold us back from war then we devalue the sacrifices which are made, and subsequently we devalue human society as a whole. This is not something which Christians, or indeed anyone else in our society, should easily ignore.

And here they are!

I thought to myself, how could I tell you about the wedding without letting you see a picture of the happy couple? So, here they are, pictured at yesterday's Blessing Service and looking very good indeed. Not only do they look great, but they are two of the nicest people that you could wish to meet as well.

We had a buffet in the evening and enjoyed the eats that were arrayed for our delight! All in all, a great day for us all.

A change from last week!

Yesterday afternoon I conducted a wedding in my church. Well, to be exact, it was in the vestry rather than the main Sanctuary, but as God is everywhere then the actual section of floor is not that relevant. Let me explain. The last wedding that I conducted in the church was in September 2003. Just a few months later the Sanctuary was closed due to the threat of the ceiling collapsing, and so no further weddings could take place in it. I actually had to cancel several weddings that were booked for the following eighteen months, as there was no knowing when the repairs would take place, or even what work might be undertaken.

Three-and-a-half years later, many committee meetings and deliberations having passed, and we now have finalised and approved plans for the complete refurbishment of the church, a job costing just over £400,000. All it waits for now is the final approval from the denominational Head Office. The fantastic news is that the only cost to the church is the cost of the Architect's fees which represent 9.5% of the total. The whole job is to be part of a partnership deal with the developer, with our input being a parcel of land on which the developer will build mews houses on. What a fantastic deal! Isn't God GREAT!!!

Last Friday, if you remember, I had the task of conducting the funeral of a 6-year old child, and so yesterday was a fantastic change in the opposite direction. It was also the oldest couple that I've ever been asked to marry, the groom being 72 and the bride 69. Believe you me, the look on their faces was all that I could wish for. Today I will be conducting a Blessing Service for them in a nearby church, loaned to us for the occasion, and that will be the Service which family and friends will be able to attend.

Life is full of opportunities, challenges and brickbats! So often we feel down when the brickbats come along, but what we should concentrate on are the wonderful opportunities that God blesses us with to celebrate His love for us. I always think that when we celebrate our love for one another, then it's also an opportunity to celebrate the source and creator of that love.

So, think of us at 4.00pm (GMT) this afternoon, and offer up a prayer of thanks for Ken and Margaret, asking God to shower their relationship with His blessings.

A GREAT read if you have any TEENAGERS!

TEENAGERS
by Rob Parsons
Published by Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN:
978-0340-86276-6
Price: £7.99 in UK

If you have any teenagers in the home --- and I know what that can be like 'cos I've got two --- then this book by Christian author Rob Parsons, (who is involved with Care for the Family), really is a must read.

I've reviewed it in the new issue of The Voice magazine, and this is what it says:

'If you either haven’t got one or had one, then you’ve certainly been one. A teenager, that is! Not only that, but you can’t help finding them in your lives somewhere along the line, even if they belong to someone else, and that alone is reason enough for you to read this book.

If the thought of parenting a teenager is a frightening thought, then just think what a terrifying pace the world of the teenager is to themselves. They don’t really understand what’s going on in their lives as they try to come to grips with growing up and changing from a child into an adult.
As the parent of a teenager you are suddenly faced with the problem of a non-communicative child, one who firmly believes that rather than bother them you should (a) know in advance of your question what the answer will be and act/supply accordingly, and (b) respect their right to decide whether or not they really want to speak to you anyway.

In this book, best-selling author Rob Parsons helps you through the minefield that represents the teenage years, and includes sections on all the problems that your teenager faces. Subjects such as dealing with bullying, self-esteem, drugs, internet chat-rooms and undesirable websites, plus the age-old problem of talking about sex, are all dealt with in an informative, easily absorbed way.
Learn how to reassure your teenage son or daughter ― or teenage grandchild ― and how to help them survive the problems and pressures of everything that life is determined to throw at them, helping to make your own life a little saner in the process. Rob Parsons offers practical strategies and solutions to help tame your particular teenage bundle of joy, helping them to survive peer pressure and the various pitfalls of life.

Of course, not every teenager faces a life of problems, only yours! For that reason alone, this is a book which is a must-read for everyone involved with teenagers. In helping you to understand them and deal with their mood-swings it will also go a long way in helping them to understand you and deal with your frustrations as well.'

Bed-time reading? Of course! And the rest of the time too!

Number 6 is HERE . . .!!!

Continuing on with our TOP TEN CRAZEE Hobbies and Interests, here's a suggestion for NUMBER 6:

Collecting Car Registration Numbers

After all, what do you do with them once you've collected them? You cannot use them for anything as far as I know. OK, so someone who collects them will probably tell me different, but that's not going to start me off on collecting them!

Scan & Fix!

One of the first jobs of the day when I turn on my computer is to run a scan for problems which, once it has completed the action, just needs one touch of a button to 'fix & repair'. It got me thinking. Wouldn't it be great if we could be plugged into something and scanned for problems? Then, once our scan was complete, just press a button to fix and repair us, making us as good as new once again.

Well, impossible as it may seem to some people, that's exactly what we can do! How? Well, when something you own, that has lots of moving parts, goes wrong, the best course of action is to go to the maker and get them to put it right. In some cases you'll find that there are things that you can do along the way to help ensure that minor problems get fixed without too much trouble. So, as human beings, when something goes wrong the best thing is to consult the Maker who always knows exactly how to fix the problem.

Of course, in our spiritual lives as in all others aspects, there is often the temptation to go for a quick fix that's being offered by some glitzy showman! The problem with this is the old story, If it sounds too good to be true then it usually is too good to be true! However impressed you are by the TV Evangelist and his/her team, (it's usually a 'him'!), when you search below the slick advertising, coloured lights and inevitable smokescreen, then all you find is someone who is in business for themselves.

One place you will always find the answers is down on your knees as you talk to and listen to your Maker. The pattern is simplicity itself. You need no flashing lights, no dry-ice, no slick suit, just a repentant attitude and a sincere request for forgiveness for a broken soul. I find that one of the things that demonstrates real repentance is the opening up of the heart's floodgates, and, as tears course down your cheeks, they seem to be washing away the dross that clogging up your works, opening up the channel between you and your Maker that's so important.

So often in this life we're led to seek physical wholeness and perfection, but whilst that might be a great thing, the thing that is really important in kingdom terms is attaining spiritual wholeness and perfection. Once our time on earth is over and we move on, then the thing that counts is our spiritual well-being. Neglect that in peril, for whilst earthly things are very transient, all that matters to us in spiritual terms is everlasting.

Make sure that you plug into your Maker on a daily basis for a scan. You can guarantee that He will always 'fix & repair' you as necessary!

Holy Cows and all that

As a minister, one of the things that I ponder upon and pray about, is the problem that faces so many churches, especially here in the UK, that of falling numbers. The situation is so desperate in many churches that there is a real danger of the church closing down.

It's a strange situation to be in, isn't it? We live in an Age where there is so much conflict in the world, where real world-threatening situations are occurring all the time, and yet it's also an Age where so many people reject the church, reject Christ and reject God. I think one of the prime causes of this is the problem created by wealth, and believe me, it is a very real problem. The world that so many of us live in has become so materialistic, nurtured by politicians who pander to the whims of people and their own selfish ambition rather than any genuine interest in their country. We read of footballers being paid millions of pounds for their skill at kicking a ball about; of city high-flyers who are paid millions of pounds in bonuses; of Chief Executives who are given millions of pounds in severance when they have run their company down and the Shareholders vote them out of office. In the UK certainly, the Government has created a Them & Us policy when it comes to matters like pensions, so that whilst the majority will look forward to struggling on their state pensions, this will not be the case if you are an MP, for their pensions are gilt-edged!

All these problems and yet, it seems, no answers. Yet if only we could live according to God's design, under His laws, we would live a much more Utopian ideal. As a Christian, I'm reliant on God every day of my life. Each day I give myself to Him anew, knowing that He will watch over me and guide me through everything that lies ahead in it. In the Bible we are taught that there is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3). Without doubt, it's beyond question that NOW is the time for us all to be turning to God. NOW is the time to banish the Holy Cows that distract us from our worship. NOW is the time for us all to seek the Lord in repentance for all that is wrong in our nations, our towns, our homes and our lives.

The Value of Time...
To realize the value of one year:

Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize the value of one month:

Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of one week:

Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of one hour:

Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of one minute:

Ask the person who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize the value of one second:

Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of one millisecond:

Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when you share it with someone special.

(author unknown)

I recently was sent a copy of the 'politically incorrect' prayer which Minister Joe Wright of Central Christian Church opened the recent session of the Kansas Senate with. Apart from applauding him for his courage to speak boldly for the Lord, there is nothing meaningful that I can add, save that it is a prayer that we could each pray, relating it to our own countries and situations.

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good,,"

but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We confess:
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.

We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography

and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers

and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today;

cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us

to the center of your will.

I ask it in the Name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Sam & the Fireworks

Sam definitely does not like the sound of fireworks! In fact, he doesn't really like any sudden noises and so barks when someone shouts or runs past our window or if a car-door suddenly slams shut too near to the house. So you can imagine the way he would be with the constant bans and whizzes of fireworks! Of course, as I wrote on Monday, November 5th was Bonfire Night, and so that meant that there was going to be a few HOURS of noises. This was definitely not the best thing for a peaceful evening for us, but then a friend told us about his dog, which sounded as though they faced the same problem. But he had a solution! He recommended some doggie tranquilisers, so we bought some and HEY PRESTO! we had a peaceful evening. Not that Sam was zonked out, just calmed down, and so although he barked a couple of times, in the main he ignored the bangs, whizzes and whirls.

He suffered no after effects, and didn't sulk about it (He's prone to sulk if he doesn't get his own way, or if we do something he doesn't like).

I like this!

How about you?

Why not take a look at the book for a bit of fun!

Just imagine . . .!

Just imagine if your keyboard lost the letter 'i' or 'I' and had to use an asterisk instead. You wouldn't even be able to write to complain about it, because your letter would have to be something like the following:

Dear S*r or Madam,
* have a problem w*th my keyboard. *t won't pr*nt out the letter *, and so *t *s *mposs*ble for me to wr*te any mean*ngful letters. * wonder whether you have any spare letter *'s that could be used to f*x the problem. *f you have, please send *t to me at the address you have on f*le for me.
Yours etc.

Just an idle thought . . .

No Man is an Island

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind...

This quotation from John Donne (1572-1631) appears in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII:
"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Using imagery that people can easily identify with, John Donne affirms that no man can exist on his own, without the benefits accrued from being part of society in general. Once isolated from others, human beings no longer thrive. There are no human islands, for we all have need of others at varying points in our lives, no matter how reclusive an individual may appear to the outside world. John Donne was a Christian, although this concept of the gregarious nature of human beings is ahared by other religions, and is found principally in Buddhism.

So, what has made me think about this quotation today? I was thinking mostly about how easily the word 'I' can dominate in thought, conversation and communication. How easy it is for 'I' to take over, ultimately, as far as the ear of the listener or the eye of the reader is concerned, reducing every achievement to symbolic ashes by claiming to have created or improved almost everything.

One important lesson that I learned a long time ago was that love is the glue that holds society together in one form or another. Whether love for one's country, one's family or for another, the thing that makes the difference is love. LOVE. Note that there's no 'I' in it! Those who put an 'I' into love are the ones who become boring through their egotistical attitudes. They promote self beyond all, peppering their conversations with their sentences being prefixed by the words 'I think . . .', 'I did . . .', 'I know . . .', and so on. They become so self-centred that there is no room for anyone else. In a sense they have made themselves into islands of self, yet in such isolation they will ultimately die.

The real truth is that we have been created by God; that our lives are fuller and richer because of the blessings we receive from God; that the greatest love ever shown has been demonstrated by God through Jesus Christ. Once we see and understand God's love for what it is then we begin to absorb it and to reflect it through our own lives. I guess that John 3:16 says it all!

Remember, remember, the 5th of November!

Thinking about bonfire night in the UK, which is tonight, I found this wonderful picture by the Wirral artist Jim Fleming. Jim kindly gave me permission to post the image on my blog today so that I could share it with you, dear reader.

Of course, even if I didn't know it at the time, my finding the image was all part of God's plan for my life today! I telephoned Jim to ask for permission, and discovered that he had a great love for the Lord, and so what could have been just a simple relatively anonymous phone call, turned out to be the beginning of a new friendship based on a mutual love of God. I look forward to meeting him before too long, which won't be too difficult as he only lives about 45 minutes or so from me.

We discussed the way that God blesses us with gifts that we can then use to His glory. I never cease to be amazed at the way God works to bring people together. I'm sure that Jim and I will be blessed by a good friendship because the foundation is strong, but I'm equally certain that it will be to God's benefit in kingdom terms, for I believe that He has a part for each of us to play when we turn our lives over to Him. Isn't God GREAT!

Anyway, back to Bonfire Night. It will probably rain at some point because it always seems to, but that will not be able to dampen people's enthusiasm too much. Nowadays the sale of fireworks is more carefully regulated and more people go to organised displays. This means that the maximum pleasure can be obtained in comparative safety, which ticks a couple of boxes as far as I'm concerned. As for Gill and I, we shall watch the display across the River Mersey from our bedroom window, so not only do we have the safety factor, but we'll also be snug in our own home too.

I've just been handed NUMBER 5!

Natalie, from Koinonia Community, writes about one collecting craze that went way OTT! She writes:

My husband is a hog farmer. So for years family and friends worked hard to establish a 'pig' collection for him. We had pigs everywhere! Pig Statues, pig pictures, pig pot holders, pig clothes - you name it, we had it. They grew tired of it though. Now we choose only to collect blessings.

I know what you mean, Natalie! A friend of mine has hundreds of 'piggy' things. A while ago I sent her a set of slat & pepper shakers shaped like pigs. She has wallpaper, towels, writing paper, plates, figurines, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!

I also knew someone who had loads of soft-toy type owls, owl plates, owl models, and so on in her house. "Oh", I said, "I didn't know you collected owls." Her reply was swift, "I don't! If only people realised that, then perhaps they would stop giving them to me!!!"

So I have decided that NUMBER 5 on my list of CRAZEE HOBBIES is:

Collecting things with animals, birds or fish on to a crazy degree.

What will number 6 be? You decide!

More CRAZEE Hobbies (Tongue-in-Cheek!)

4. I think that Commemorative Plate Collecting should be in our list because the variety of plates that are around seems to be absolutely ENDLESS! Of course, some people confine their collection to a particular theme such as horses or famous paintings, so that would limit the amount of wall/cabinet space needed to display them. I know that many of the plates are really beautiful, but the problem is that once you start on this hobby people never seem to realise that a gift can be anything else but another plate!


I once knew someone who collected tiny milk-jugs, and whose house eventually had them absolutely everywhere! Some of them were beautiful, but it was the sheer volume of them that hit you in the face when you entered the house! They were on every available ledge, on the fire-mantle, hanging down the side of the staircase, hanging from the walls, --- in fact, you name the place and there was probably a jug hanging there. Definitely OTT!!! Anyway, what do you do with them once you have them?


Of course the manufacturer's LOVE collectors, who, after all, keep them in business!

An IMPORTANT Note

I hope you realise that my list of CRAZEE Hobbies is very much a 'Fun List',

compiled somewhat tongue-in-cheek!

In other words:

Please don't be offended if your hobby is on the list!

Less TALKING means better SINGING!

This morning I need to keep quiet --- not always an easy thing for me! Why? Well, this afternoon we have a rehearsal for tonight's concert, at which the choir I belong to (Frodsham & District Choral Society), will be singing three works:

Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb

Vivaldi's Gloria

Zoltan Koda'ly's Missa Brevis

I'm still sore after my operation last week, so I hope that the standing doesn't aggravate matters. I just love to sing, and don't like to miss a concert if I can help it. So, dear reader, a few arrow prayers would be appreciated. I shall say Thank you in advance!

I wonder what the top non-sporting hobbies and interests are. Singing must be quite high up on the list, whether it's singing in a choir, barber-shop, duo or solo. Certainly, in terms of group activity, it must rank high. Yes, even solo singing, as long as there's an audience to hear it! What comes in the top ten? What do you enjoy? Let me know, I'm interested!

Of course many hobbies are solo and that can often mean that they are introspective as well. Some are quite crazy! What do you think would be the craziest ideas for a hobby or interest? We could try to make up a Top Ten List. I'll start it off and hope that you, dear reader, will help to extend it!

1. Watching paint dry

2. Collecting & cataloguing brown paper bags

3. Photographing aeroplane sky-trails


4. . . .

Hard Tasks

There are some tasks in the life of a minister that are particularly hard to do. Today I face one such task as I conduct the funeral of 6 year old Guy, who was killed last week as he crossed a motorway in the dark with his 7-year old friend. There is little that can make the task easier, save the knowledge that I am in God's hands and that He will be with me. Please send up a prayer that the words that I'm given to share will be words that bear witness to His love at the same time as bringing some measure of comfort to Guy's family, especially his mum Deborah who is pregnant.

I found the following poem. The words are great, so I'm sharing it with you so that in some small measure you might share my day with me.

God’s Lent Child

“I’ll lend you for a little while
A child of mine” God said –
For you to love the while he lives
and mourn for when he’s dead.
It may be six or seven years
or forty two or three
but will you, till I call him back,
take care of him for me?

He’ll bring his charms to gladden you
and, should his stay be brief,
you’ll have his nicest memories
as solace for his grief.
I cannot promise he will stay,
since all from earth return
but, there are lessons taught below,
I want this child to learn.

I’ve looked the whole world over,
in my search for teachers true,
and from the things that crowd life’s lane
I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love,
nor think the labour vain,
nor hate me when I come to take
this lent child back again?

I fancied that I heard them say,
“Dear Lord Thy Will Be Done”
for all the joys thy child will bring
the risk of grief will run.
We’ll shelter him with tenderness,
we’ll love him while we may,
and for the happiness we’ve known
forever grateful stay.

But, should thy Angels call for him
much sooner than we planned,
we’ll brave the grief that comes
and try to understand.
Anon/author unknown

Anyone But . . .

Take a look at Enjoy the Journey's site and check out the bumper sticker! What a great idea! If you follow this link it will take you to the store to see the other items. Worth a visit. Ok! I know that my UK readers won't necessarily get excited, BUT it does give you ideas to use over here, doesn't it!

A Pinch & A Punch

Today we celebrate the 1st of November! It will be a day that we can be especially thankful for. Why? Because every day that we have is a gift from God, and we should accept each day with shouts of joy for the blessing!

When I was a child at school it was a favourite thing to say the expression, A pinch and a punch, the first of the month! accompanied by a pinch and a punch which you had to be quick to avoid! I wondered what the origin of the expression was, and so I looked it up and found the following explanation: This saying originated from old England times when people thought that witches existed. People thought that salt would make a witch weak, so the pinch part is pinching of the salt, and the punch part was to banish the witch. The witch would be weak from the salt so the punch was to banish her. I don't know whether the origin is factual or whether anyone has a better one for it. I wonder what sayings you might know for the first day of a new month.