Church? Why the heck would I wanna go there?

I was asked last night what came to mind when I heard the word 'church'. It's probably quite an emotive word. I know I have mixed feelings when I think about it.

Growing up it was a word that bored the living daylights out of me. It meant routine, rituals and readings. I don't really even know why we bothered with it so frequently because we weren't even Christians really back then. I'd have to sit in complete silence as my Dad said his prayers. Sunday mornings meant hard seats, old ladies and an obese Malaysian organist. If memory serves. Quite a peculiar scene if you take time to properly think about it.

Yes, the building was pretty nice. There was a certain ethereal, peaceful vibe to it. But bloody hell, it was dull.

I'd imagine most people encountered on the high street or Underground would describe a similar setting if they were asked to explain what a church looked like.

But luckily for me, I encountered something more vibrant later on. A newer and definitely truer version of it. Kids work which teaches children really how to understand God. Youth work that engages with the gritty topics of the playground and stick Jesus smack bang in the middle of the issue. Student work that highlight the joy found in HIM rather than at the bottom of a bottle or in someone else's bed. The list could go on...

It's Christ-centred community. It's the awesome expression of God's love. It's His 'Plan A' for changing the world today.

It's not a building with hard seats and a steeple.



Why the heck would you not wanna see what all the fuss is about!?

I believe in the lyrics of this song. I believe that one day Jesus will come back.

I was listening to a talk last night given by a mate of mine. He mentioned about how complicated some Christians make their prayers. All wordy and convoluted. It's something that Jesus warns us about. Keep it simple; don't get caught up on how it sounds and how perfectly phrased each point is. Pray as though you have an audience of One.

Later on, someone else remarked on a significant prayer they had once heard. It too was punchy but powerful; straightforward but sincere; heartfelt yet full of humility.

8 simple words. No great lengths.

'Jesus, thank you for radically changing my life.'

Maybe you struggle to get into prayer. Perhaps your prayer life goes through peaks and troughs. Reaching the heights when you want or need something from God. Scraping the barrel when you can't stump up the heart to even say sorry for something. Ring any bells?

I know it characterises my situation with painful accuracy.

Dunno about you, but I need to start each day from now on with those 8 compelling words. No excuses.

The Truth can be presented in all sorts of ways. Enjoy the work of this local lad (it's free too!)

Go to: www.rapzilla.com/rz/music/freemp3s/2590-serene-different-strokes-free-album

Not just any old tradesman

So, before the serious God-stuff kicked in at the age of thirty, we all know that Jesus was a carpenter. The son of God wielded a hammer and made tables and chairs for a living. Really doesn't add up does it!? Just in case leaving Heaven, crossing the cosmos to come to Earth and then being born in a stable wasn't humbling enough for him, he then had to graft his way through life in some dusty workshop no doubt. Calloused hands, splinters and lungs full of sawdust. Probably not something he had to worry about up in Heaven before that.

But, still...the beauty of it would have completely changed if he'd come down on a cloud with a thousand unicorns playing harps in front of him (or some similar picture!).

But I don't wanna focus on this not-so-regular-blue-collar guy. I want to tell you about another.

On Sunday night, the clients we are currently working for had a miscarriage. We have just started a month's work doing up their house, so to have their home in disarray as well, was probably the last thing they needed at a time like this. After hearing of their bad news, and lost for words, my boss offered to pray for them (as far as I know, they aren't Christians). They gratefully accepted his unusual offer. It's not the sort of thing you'd expect a grubby, paint-covered tradesman to respond with.

The kingdom of God is so alive; it's staggering and exciting. To think that many tradesmen pee on the seat, fail to use the doormat for their dirty shoes and swear profusely while on a job. And here this ordinary radical stands...praying for the people he is working for.

I've said it before, but i'll say it again...it's happening everywhere and it's amazing!

26.08.1918 - 19.10.2010

As read out by my Dad, on my behalf:

A few months back I told a white lie to my Gran. I telephoned to say that I was writing an assignment for a church project. In actual fact, I just wanted to chat to her about Christianity, because I was intrigued to know exactly what she believed in. By the time our conversation had finished, I put the phone down with tears in my eyes.

She had quite enthusiastically described to me how she couldn’t get through a day without speaking to Jesus; asking Him for wisdom, guidance and rest; she explained that she wouldn’t be able to function without Him in her life! This was pretty much the greatest possible response I could have prayed for and I was (and still am!) so grateful that her life had been impacted by this truth.

It changes absolutely everything.

I know with full assurance that this kind of faith has granted her eternal life – FOREVER! – in Heaven with Jesus. Her maker, redeemer and friend.

She also remarked on the fact that she didn’t quite know what to expect from Heaven. She knew it awaited her, but couldn’t imagine what it might look like. I don’t think any of us can to be honest. Something so perfect and peaceful yet so celebratory and captivating all at the same time. It boggles the mind. Well, not for Granny any longer. She stands in that place, face to face with her Jesus once and for all. Even if we could get her back, she wouldn’t want to come, I am sure of that.

I am more thankful for the salvation she and my Grandpa found than I could ever possibly describe. So I won’t try.

I’ll just wait to see them when I get there.

Let me finish with this Bible verse from 2 Corinthians. It has been a huge source of comfort these last few days:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)

When did you last step in to help?

Every so often at school a huge shout would erupt as a fight broke out. Hoards would encircle; even if the two lads didn't want to carry on, they'd no longer have a choice because of the hungry audience that had gathered. Never once did I step in. I used to love it as much as anyone. It was thrilling; assuming you weren't the underdog.

Read this excerpt from the gospel of Matthew and see how it makes you feel.

'Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.'

Well? Heartbreaking or no impact? Maybe it stops you in your tracks or maybe you skipped to this paragraph without even bothering to finish that last one. If these words don't kick you in the crotch then what about this:

When did you last stab a mate in the back? Watch porn? Belittle someone intentionally? Get wasted? Cheat? Or maybe squander your money on worthless things. The list could go on and on.

It's very easy to take the words of that passage very lightly. But all too often the 'Roman Guard' attitude catches us off-guard and we join in with those mockers and scoffers en route to Calvary. It's easy to join the crowd of spectators without even really realising it.

Re-read it and rethink your life's position on this. It's kind of a big deal.

I'm lost in wonder...

I've been lucky enough to get away for a few nights of camping in Devon. Yes, I was well aware that it was October. It's madness, I know, but it was a much needed break from what has been a seriously hectic half-term. Births, deaths and marriages have quite literally been the bread to a sandwich already jam packed with fillings, so it was refreshing to have some time away with some good friends.

Layered up to the eyeballs to fend off the freezing temperatures, I probably shouldn't have strayed so far from the stove and sleeping bag, but each night as I took a stroll outside, I was greeted with a cloudless sky overlooking the valley. Mouth open and head back, I couldn't quite fully take in the night sky above me. I love city living, don't get me wrong, but there isn't the same night sky as there is out there. Hundreds of thousands of street lights probably don't help that. Sirens instead of owl song.

But there I was, gawping like some country bumpkin in my wellies; star gazing. I couldn't help but wonder how the heck someone could doubt the existence of God. Thousands upon thousands of stars spread across that black expanse. And infinitely more await those visible from down here.

In a casual remark at the start of the Bible, the writer says: He also made the stars. (Genesis 1v16)

Don't let the hustle and bustle of urban life get the better of you. Take a trip to countryside once in a while and get lost in wonder.

When was the last time you took a step back and let your mind race at the sheer size and magnitude of this all? Because the same hands that flung those stars into space like glitter, hold the intricacies of your everyday life with as much love as well.

Step back. Look up. Wait.

2 Corinthians 4 v16-18

'Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.' (New International Version)


'So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.' (The Message)

Real men cry in church

I was speaking with a good friend last night. Earlier yesterday, I had seen him getting prayed for during our church meeting, with tears rolling down his face. A scene that I didn't want to leave without remarking on. He later commented that it was the first time he had cried for some time.

I was pretty clear with how I responded. I told him I was so glad to see him cry! It was so good to see it. Not because I'm some sick weirdo, but because I could see the Holy Spirit doing some serious work in his heart. He could have proudly stood there receiving some prayer, chest out, shoulders back, proud as anything. But that's not what Jesus wants. The world is completely filled with people who think they've got it all sussed. They walk seemingly filled with composure and self-assurance as the beautiful message of Jesus' gospel waits patiently for them to crack and realise it. But my friend didn't look like one of those people. He looked liked someone who had understood, and understood it pretty hard. Why else would a grown man stand in front of hundreds of people and cry his eyes out? Because the Holy Spirit was at work; remoulding him, sharpening him, and making him to be a little bit more like Jesus.

'Jesus wept.'

The shortest verse in the Bible. Don't be the kinda person who's too proud not to get broken by the work of Jesus. He was broken for it on our behalf. And He was the most bold and courageous of any man after all.

'I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron sceptre." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.' (from the Bible; Revelation 19 v11-16)




Doesn't sound much like the blond-haired, blue-eyed Jesus most people think of does it?

"It was very good. 5-stars" - God, The Creator

'First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.' Genesis 1v1 (The Message)

I was chatting to a mate last night. He isn't a Christian, but we were engaging in a light discussion about Creation. While it is a topic I am reasonably secure in my knowledge of, it isn't a subject I get too hung up upon either. He was asking me whether I thought God created all of this in 6 literal days; whether it was 6 periods of time; how Christians explain fossils millions of years old..and so on and so forth.

To be perfectly honest, I couldn't give full and precise answers. But one thing I have always felt secure in, is the relationship I have with Jesus. It is built upon a solid foundation that doesn't bring into dispute the who's the why's and the when's of this all. I see His hand upon all of creation and I believe His mark runs through every being like a stick of rock. It's all about a heart knowledge and not just a head knowledge. I am very content in the understanding that there is nothing created that will ever fathom the depths and riches of what God did and continues to do. Science does OK, but only serves to show us a little bit more carefully or awe-inspiringly how great God's creation is. A telescope shows another billion galaxies we didn't know were out there. A microscope reveals with a bit more clarity the intricacy of a human cell. And their search continues again.

Do I think science disproves God? Not at all. It helps show how amazing His creation really is.

To quote my friend last night: 'To be fair, if you can create the Earth in the first place, you could definitely do it in six days if you wanted to.'

Snowflakes, Elephants, The Mariana trench. Don't lose your wonder at it all just because the world tells you an answer is needed for everything. Some things we will just never being able to comprehend.

I was cooking dinner for some people this evening. Two of them said they had never been too keen on mushrooms, so I agreed to leave them out of the meal. It got me wondering though. How many people assume they still don't like mushrooms, just because they ate them in their youth, decided they weren't 'mushroom-people', and then resolved never to touch them again for as long as they lived!?! Probably loads of people, I reckon.

Well. How many people got told there was no God when they were children? How many atheistic parents talked down any of the truth of who Jesus was or what He accomplished? How much negativity towards the Bible, God, the cross, Heaven and Christian community is passed down from generation to generation and is imprinted on young hearts before they can even weigh it for themselves?


Maybe you hated mushrooms as a child?!
Maybe it's about time you forgot hand-me-down grievances towards Jesus and gave Him a chance in your adulthood!?!

Only the dead salmon goes with the current

'The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians. Who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.'

These words aren't straight from the Bible, but they are complete and utter truth in my opinion. Be very careful with what you say and do.

Most people won't be bothered about reading the Bible. To most, it is just a boring old book full of rules to make life dull. Which means if they're not going to read it for themselves, the only Bible they're likely to engage with is the life of the nearest Christians to them instead. What does your life look like? Faithful, upright and prayerful? Or tepid, easily influenced and worldly!?

Now I'm not trying to say the life of a Christian needs to always be full of smiles, hugs and perfect responses. That would just be annoying. But what I'm trying to say, is that if your peers have to see through your foul language, drunkenness, cheap joking and laziness, then something isn't right. In the gospel of Matthew (7v16) it says that you will be able to recognise them by their fruit. 'Them' being God's people; 'their fruit' meaning what their faith in Jesus amounts to in day to day living. Look around the different areas of your life - the friendships, the habits and the hurdles. Which patterns have you grown so accustomed to that you no longer recognise their ugliness? I bet there are loads.

We are to be the change we wish to see in the world. And that aint likely to take place if we're coming across as hypocritical or half-hearted. It's time to pull your socks up and start looking for the areas of life that are gonna bear the fruit.

Don't wimp out just cos it seems too much like hard work; there are lives at stake after all.

Coals or crowns. Kings or clowns.

'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.'
- Theodore Roosevelt



I agree Teddy. I'd rather be a nobody trying to tell everybody about a somebody, than be a nobody who is oblivious to the battle that rages, idly sitting on the couch, with my umpteenth lager, pot noodle and pay-per-view, as the trespasses pile on top without a second reflection.

Anything but 'Lukewarm', please!