Provocational living!

Ok, so I have been through the absoring of the Xbox, made it through the other side and then disappeared to a youth worker retreat this week!

Peace



Only joking, but that does pretty much sum up the last fortnight for me. However, I want to discuss the retreat I was on...there was loads of stuff unpacked at it, and I would like to share a few things!

The key speaker was Tony Jones, who writes books and takes part in an emergent church! I honestly think he was class, but he seemed to provoke some negative reaction from some of the people there!

He spoke about spiritual practices, but the main controversy seemed to come from his views on church. He was asked on more than one occasion about his view of mainstream denominational church (it was Anglican and Methodist youth workers!) and he said his view should be fairly obvious, as he had already chosen to opt out of it by becoming part of an emergent community...smart guy!

This made me think about my own (and my colleagues) objectivity. At the end of the day, we are paid by the Church, and therefore can we claim to be objective about its negative things?! Maybe we can; however, we need to recognise that just as people like Tony don't have all the answers (indeed he doesn't claim to) neither to we!

There was one question I asked during one of the many times of open discussion that was picked up on by more than a few people who approached me about it (not in confrontational ways, but more to discuss) and it was this; 'Is the Church Christian?'. What do you think of this statement/question?

The return of an all conquering hero

I was away over the weekend visiting my wonderful girlfriend in Thornbury, Bristol. Unfortunately I had a bad case of cold and due to the crappiness of the weather over there, didn't actually get to do much. However, it was good spending time with Gail. Boy was it hard leaving to come home and I understand why people talk about long-distanced relationships in a negative way. That being said, I find that the distance isn't too much of an issue!

I was thinking last night about my erstwhile career as a rapper! In fact I blogged on my bebo band page about it, but since no one ever reads those blogs on bebo I might as well have tried to write it on the dark side of the moon. However, I realy got to thinking about getting back into writing some hip hop. So, maybe, just maybe, 2008 will see a return to that for me. I just need to find the time and the inspiration!

What else is going on? Well, I have a couple of important weeks coming up in work. These are all tied into the future, particularly what 2008 holds for youth work in our church. These will be an interesting, but challenging few weeks, and I am really looking forward to seeing what God can do. Perhaps closer to the new year I may share some of the plans (once they are made!).

So, my life as a social creature is about to end tomorrow (if Royal Mail can deliver on time!). I am looking forward to getting my copy of an eagerly awaited game; 'Mass Effect'. This game (I will not bore you with the details) will effectively see me lock myself away until I complete it 2 or 3 times. And if it is like any other RPGs (Role Playing Games) I have played that could take anywhere up to 100 hours of gameplay each!!! So, if you don't hear from me, then yes, it is because I have ceased to exist as Stuart Moles and have become absorbed into my Xbox 360!

Peace

God Is An Astronaut

I have really been enjoying listening to this band recently. The album 'All is violent, All is bright' has been a particular favourite (although I haven't really listened to much of their other work yet!). God is an Astronaut are a three piece from Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Their music is often referred to as being part of the post-rock genre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-rock). So, as a tribute to seagoe, I am going to put up a video of one of their songs. Enjoy

On a more serious note...

Ok, so its been quite a while since I produced a blog that was more serious in tone. But today, for those who wish an injection of seriousness (seriously?!), this one is for you!

I have been grappling a lot recently with the fact that our generation struggles when it comes to being serious about God. I mean, its easy to be serious about the Creator when you are in a hyped up worship atmosphere, or things are going well (in church, in life etc). However, in the boring, tough times, we seem more likely to turn to bebo, our blogs, ipods and games consoles. Why does it seem so hard for us to sit and pray or read our bibles. Now I know some of you who read this are very serious and passionate, so this probably ain't aimed at you. However, any advice/wisdom/tips you can give would be appreciated by the rest of us!

Let me get something straight; I suppose this is aimed more at me than anyone else. As a person, I find it soooo hard to concentrate! I just can't seem to focus on something for long (unless its playing Halo 3!). Is this an inherent fault in my genetic makeup? Do I need more discipline in my life? Maybe it's both! I mean, it is so frustrating-I want to read more, pray more, but it just seems such a struggle at times. Dare I say it-its boring!! I believe that in my life, church has made these things boring, but I totally recognise that I have an opportunity to do something about it. And if you are like me, someone who feels disconnected at times from prayer and bible study I would encourage you too! Lets start being more serious about God. Lets pray for our towns/cities/villages and the people in them. Lets study the bible more and gain some knowledge. This takes committment, and that is probably something our generation, with its consumeristic approach to life may find difficult. But with the power of God (was nearly gonna say Grayskull there!!), we can do anything! Are you up for it?

Handy!

The video below is rather sad, but at the same time very creative.



Like I said...creative. Amazing what people spend their time on; just gimme Halo anyday!!

I've been stuck in a nuclear bunker!

Well, not quite as the title suggests, but I have been out of touch with my old buddy the internet for a couple of weeks! For those who have been reading and eagerly anticipating any posts, I apologise (particularly you Wiggins!). I have been having a few technical difficulties, but hopefully now they are resolved...we shall see!

Anyway, whats been happening? Well Gail has made the move to Bristol three weeks ago, but that seems like ages ago...how will I survive the next year?! Halo 3 has also played a big part of my life the last month...man what a game. I will give a more indepth report on this later!!!

I have been working away in Church and lots of things are happening. I have been involved in a series of leadership development nights, the aim of which are to get together and learn things that we feel are useful to youth work and to life. I have also started a OCN course in youth work in Belfast and it seems like it could be very interesting!

Well, that was a very brief report, but gotta dash. Thanks for reading!

Faith Healing

I'm really just on a rant, so you have been warned [not that I think anyone wastes their time reading my blog]! I was away with a few people over the weekend from churches in the area I work in. We were all leaders in our respective churches trying to seek big G on some things. Anyway, a group decided on saturday to go into town as there was a healing ministry run by one of the churches local to the area. Long story short, one of the guys got healed of a back condition; his leg actually grew longer [which was apparently the reason for his back ache-different length legs]. Now this is an amazing story, and I'm sure many have a similar story or at least know of someone who has. However, what I am taking umbrage at isn't the incident itself [it was clearly a work of God] but the fact we use the phrase 'faith healing'!

Faith healing is such a bad word to use. It suggests that for it to work, one must have faith, and if there are no results, then maybe you didn't have enough faith, or God doesn't like you. And lets face it, there are many out there who have received healing when they didn't have much faith it could happen in the first place, whilst those faithful people who pray day in and day out for healing don't get it! I suppose it is a question that is often asked; why does God heal some and not others. I mean when we look at it, God heals people who have faith, and those who don't. And sometimes those who have enough faith to actually move a mountain don't get healing. Does it all depend on our faith? I'm not sure. Obviously faith can play an important part, but I think why having faith is so important is that it can bring hope to a situation where maybe all earthly means of hope have been exhausted.

Its late at night, I'm rambling and it probably doesn't make any sense at all. But please leave a comment if you feel the need. I think the only conclusion I have come to is that I don't have a conclusion. Other than I am gonna try and maybe, perhaps, possibly not use the word faith before healing. I just dunno...

Future proofing

It's been nearly a month since my last blog, but that doesn't mean nothing has been going on! It's been an interesting month, one full of planning for future and searching; my soul, my room, my dvd collection!! In all this has been a difficult but good process. As I look to the future I ask God where He wants me to be, what He wants me to do, who He wants me to be.

In the middle of all this I managed to get away for a few days with Gail. We just stayed in a caravan for a few days, and it was great to just get away. My mind was still on work, and that is something I need to work on-to really just get away for a while, but it still was a refreshing time nonetheless. Had a great time visiting the Bushmills Distillery (my first time there) and also went to Carrick-a-rede which was great (but nearly gave me a heart attack with the steep steps). Also saw a Eurofighter on my last day which flew right over the caravan sight-what a noise!!

Gail leaves for Bristol in a couple weeks for a year! What more can I say to that one? Other than I will miss her and it will be strange without her (nagging in my ear!!!).

Ok, so this was a very brief update, if you can even call it that! But before I go, let me leave you with this video. It's of Bono at the NAACP Awards about 6 months ago. Bono, as ever, gives a stirring call to action to help the oppressed and to bring justice.

Liberal?

Followed this link on a friends blog. Thought it might be fun to try. It's more American based, but I think you could get the point. Anyways, if you do/have done it, let me know so we can compare notes!

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 20% Conservative, 80% Liberal Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Defense and Crime: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Fluteboxing

This is pretty class. Many of you may know that I like to try my hand at a bit of beatboxing. I am rubbish, and set against this there is just NO competition. How talented is this guy?!

Thanks to Bag for showing me this. Sit back and enjoy for 3 minutes!!

Peace

Live the Questions

Ok, let me be frank (or maybe billy!)...right now I am at a place where I am really questioning this whole life thing. When I say life, I am actually talking about what Jesus gave me (in all its fullness). Don't get me wrong, I am not questioning in a sense of is it worth it (cos it is!), but recently I have found myself shifted into a place where I have more questions than answers! Is this a good thing? Well, I think it is. Some of the questions I have felt moved to ask could damage your faith, but I am holding up to it fairly well. Thats not to say I have better faith than most (far from it), but for some reason all this questioning seems...holy. I can't explain it! Most of our christian indoctrination (oops did I say that-slip of the tongue!) would seem to say that too many questions are bad, but I somehow seem to be able to connect with God more when I am asking Him questions. I suppose my reasoning on it is that the guy made the flipping universe; I reckon He can handle a few questions about 'Life, the Universe and Everything'.

I was at a gathering of some people the other week, and a lot of stuff was said (some of it not particularly relevant to me), but one thing that a guy said was all about questions. And he said to 'Live the Questions'! What does this mean exactly? Well I'm not too sure, but I think ours is an angry generation; too much bad stuff happens in the world and our only response is that 'God's ways are higher than ours'! Surely we can come up with better answers! Maybe not, but I'm still gonna keep asking God the hard questions. I reckon He can take it.

Oh, and if you want to know what some of the questions are, come and talk to me and we can have a discussion. I wont, for obvious reasons (i.e. fundamentals whose world might explode at the thought of a Christian asking God questions), repeat them here.

Keep the Faith...Thanks for listening

Update

Well, it's been a while since my last post! So I have decided to give a wee update on whats been going on in the life of Moles...

Firstly I am currently living in a non-Gail world as the lovely one has been in Moldova since the start of July, and wont be home until the 29th of July. Cue much moping about the last week or so!

Then, lets not forget the craziness that was Summer Madness/StreetReach! What can I say? In the aftermath of the car crash (see previous post for more info!), I was actually dunging myself as to how I would cope over Madness. I knew that lack of sleep wouldn't be good for the healing process, and I didn't even want to consider camping! For the first few nights, I was lucky enough to be offered a bed in a friends house, but during StreetReach I camped with the crew. It was...interesting. Many reading this will have experienced Summer Madness on some level in the past, so I wont bore you with details. Let me just say this; apart from lack of sleep and general umcomfortability/nuisance of living at the King's Hall for over a week, Summer Madness was great. Highlights for me had to be Bart Campolo whose message, in my mind, is key to our culture, Stan Fortunado, and all of StreetReach. I was very apprehesive about StreetReach, but really enjoyed it. And the march from city hall to King's Hall was one of the most amazing things I have ever participated in. I could say a lot more here, but will maybe leave it to another post, once all the buzz has died down and I have had a chance to process everything!

Next up, I had a week off. I did absolutley nothing but game and hang out with Bag and Emma. It was a tough week without Gail and a car, but my trusty Xbox helped me through it all.

So I am officially back to work now. I am currently in the process of organising our kids club week at the start of August, and also planning for the future (particularly come September). There is some change on the horizon, which is exciting, but also scary! So say a prayer for me and the youth leaders in Glenavy. As well as all this, there is the usual smattering of summer weddings, of which I will be attending one tomorrow actually. I am also looking forward to the missus getting home, just to spend some time with her before she goes to Bristol...for a year!!!

Anyway, thats all for now. Thanks for listening...

Crash!

If you are wondering whether I have taken up car body modification as a new hobby, then let me assure you, I haven't! This is my car after it had a tete a tete with another vehicle at 30 miles an hour!



So what happened? Without getting into to too much detail, I was coming home from the train station after picking my sister up and turned down the 'new road' (Millenium Way). As I was driving down (about 100 yards from the junction) a car attempted to turn into Tescos, cutting across the road, right in front of me. Needless to say, I dunged myself! Next thing I know, I'm slamming hard on the breaks and into the front of the oncoming car. It was kinda funny and scary-my glasses flew off my head, so I was practically blind, and I got out of the car, still blind. My sister was in the car too and had to be taken away in an ambulance, where she then went on to be a guest of Craigavon Area Hospital (good food, good beds!!!). I followed her out later on that night and managed to see a doctor after about two and a half hours. I was knackered when I finally got home!


One thing struck me about the whole thing though; I normally don't use that road when coming back from the train station, but for some reason I did use it last night. And I wasn't even going to pick me sister up, as i was supposed to be at Gail's house and was very close to telling my sister to get a taxi. But being a good Christian I decided to go pick her up. And she was supposed to walk home that night, but decided not to as it looked like rain. All these chance occurances make me wonder whether it was fate! Too many things clicked into place and I was definately in the wrong place at the wrong time...Or was I?

You see, whilst I was out at Craigavon, a patient came in, who was not in a good way. I don't know who it was, or what exactly happened, but it had sounded like a suicide attempt, and all I could hear was him crying and saying why was he still alive. That sound of hopelessness and despair prompted me to pray for that man. Will it do any good? I dunno, but at least last night, someone was in the same room as that desperately hopeless person praying for them. So maybe I was supposed to crash, maybe I wasn't...However, it is a good lesson in how God can always use a situation for good, regardless of what that situation may be.

P.S. Please pray for me and my sis-they kept her in overnight, with concerns for her neck, and I am feeling very sore, especially down my left side. I am going to Summer Madness with a group for 9 days this weekend, and Im not savouring the prospect of camping. So your prayers are very much appreciated.

So from a battered and bruised, but nonetheless happy, Molar; Peace

Bartlett for America!

The West Wing: possibly one of the greatest shows on earth! This is how government should look like-it ain't perfect, but boy, do you wish that Jed Barlett (Martin Sheen-who is, I hear studying at NUI Galway) was the real life president of the USA. Anyway, I have blasted through the final two seasons of the show (seasons 6 and 7), and I have finally finished them. Part of me wishes that they could continue with a new presidential storyline, but hey, all good things come to an end (also the title of the last Star Trek: The Next Generation episode!). It is sad when things end, but inevitably all things have an ending (except of course God). I am really resisting the temptation to go off on a really deep discourse about things ending and look at some of the theological implications of death; however, I wont! Especially since Leanne wants a short blog (so here it is Ladders!).

Anyway, just let me finish by saying; go out and buy the West Wing. Borrow, beg or steal if you can't afford to buy. It is a great show, with fast paced, witty dialogue, and it will make you wish we all had leaders like Jed Bartlett!!

A language of hypocrisy

Let me start this post by saying categorically 'I do NOT like or watch Big Brother as an avid fan'. However, that being said, I like many heard the news this afternoon whilst out driving that one contestant had been thrown out of the house. Somehow I found myself in front of the TV tonight (probably more to do with my lovely girlfriend than anything else) and saw the incident which resulted in the expulsion of Emily (said housemate).

For those who didn't see Big Brother (or didn't lower themselves to watch it!), said incident involved housemate Emily referring to another housemate (who is of Afican descent) as a n****r (clearly I do not wanna print the word because of fear of offending anyone, or having the PC Brigade crashing through my door!). I have to say, on first reaction I really did feel that Emily (who is white) meant no offence in the word she said, and was just a little bit silly. On further reflection, I still believe that it was a stupid comment and hope the poor girl doesn't get villified by the media or the public. However, I do believe that she has been made a scapegoat on the altar of hypocrisy! Let me explain...

Big Brother did not have to show the offensive comment. They could have dealt with it in a private manner, giving Emily a private slap on the wrist! Clearly, she meant no offense to Charlie, and unless Charlie wanted to pursue further action, it could have been resolved fairly amicably, and quietly! Now let me emphasise, I am not condoning racism in any way, but I do believe that in this case, Channel 4 used this incident for their own interest. It does add a fair bit of drama that someone had been thrown out of the house, and like myself, I am sure that many others switched on to see what it was all about. Part of their reason for throwing her out was that she made a comment that could offend viewers, but we the viewer did not have to see the incident if it wasn't for Channel 4 airing it.

However, my point doesn't just end there. This move is utter hypocrisy because culture is saturated with racism, bigotry and sexism, yet very liitle is done to stop it. Rap music is the perfect example; the N-word is used so much in rap music, that it is hard to tell when the insults end and the words begin. And rap music is one of the biggest selling art forms around at the moment. We make racist comments into a multi-million dollar industry. Also, Hip Hop's attitude to women is often times deplorable; they are almost treated as second class citizens! Surely this is hypocrisy in its ultimate-we will listen to, and purchase music that clearly is racist and derogatory, yet when a silly little girl makes a stupid comment, she is thrown off some stupid game that has no relevance for most of us who have half a brain (I am being a bigot towards people who like Big Brother!LOL).

I think this is truly sad. Clearly Big Brother's history of racism (Shilpa Shetty and Jade Goody) shows that action was needed. But I feel in showing this incident (which I would add, was nowhere near the seriousness of the last Celebrity BB) the only people who have gained is Big Brother themselves. However, maybe there is an opportunity here to discuss racism in all its forms, be it minor comments that we make, to clear racial hatred. It would be a shame if this discussion just stopped at a young girl in a gameshow. We need to really look at the almost institutionalisation of racism through such forms as Hip Hop. We cannot let one section of society get away with this, because rappers (as role models) then send out the message that it is ok to use such language, when in reality, many are offended by it!

Anyway, I really hope this is my first and last Big Brother related topic. I just felt that I needed to discuss this issue, becasue it just smacked of hypocrisy. Again, I emphasise at the end that I do not, repeat DO NOT, support racism in any form, and understand that words are powerful and we need to be careful in how we use them, as they can cause hurt and offense. So I invite comments, but ask you to be sensitive in what and how you say things.

Peace

Break........DANCE

Well, I'm away tomorrow for a much needed break with my lovely girlfriend! True to my style, we have nothing organised and are just gonna see where we can get ourselves booked into for a night (hopefully in Donegal or summit). To be honest, its about time I got away. My job doesn't really facilitate weekends away as most of my weekend is taken up with work (exceptions being most saturdays with the lads!). However, this is the first friday night I have been off in ages, and we just decided, lets go for it!

I'm hoping that I will be well rested (even though it only is for one night), as Summer Madness rapidly approaches, and there is much more to be done during summer. So i ask you, spare a thought for us poor youth workers who have much stress at this time of year.

Peace

All Creation groans

I'm sitting here trying to think of what to say, and I just keep coming back to how disappointed I am with life! Now this is not a suicide note; but I have to say, life at the moment seems to be a bit tedious. I think it's because like all of us, I sense that there is much more to the mundane life that this world offers us. This probably seems very obvious to those of you reading this, bit I think I just need to get this off my chest.

Is it just me or does life seem to have come to a halt. We were promised so much at the dawn of the 21st Century...until 9/11 changed that. We were promised so much by Live Aid...but it seems that nothing much has changed (sure individual communities benefit from this, and this is not to be underwritten-but where is the end to war, poverty, injustice etc). It seems we are further away from these things than we ever were in the 20th Century. At least then, we knew what was right and what was wrong; we were good and they were evil. Now we live in a world were there seems to be good and evil in every story. We were promised so much by our peace process, and it has taken 10 years to get something workable, and the success of that remains to be seen. And we were promised so much when we became a Christian, but for many of us, that life isn't really a fulfillment of that promise.

This all seems to be very negative, and maybe you are sitting there saying that I need to wise up; the glass is half full, silver lining and all that. There are people in this world who are in a much difficult situation than I am-starvation, loss of loved ones, persecution etc. I suppose what I am trying to articulate is that somewhere, deep within me, a groan of significant proportions is arising. I'm fed up with the promises...I want results. And maybe that starts with me. Do I believe that even in all the cynicism of this world, God works? Do I believe that the actions of a few can greatly benefit the many? I mean, all the examples I have given above haven't exactly been resounding failures; Live Aid helped feed countless millions, we do have peace in our country, the War on Terror has captured many 'terrorists' (who in reality are just like me; trying to fight for their cause!), and my Faith has helped me, guided me and shown me many wondrous things in the last 10 years.

But, it just doesn't seem enough...maybe I want too much! But maybe the greater crime is not wanting/needing/caring enough! Ok, so I am an optimist in a pessimists body (and quite a sexy one at that!!!!!). And what this blog boils down to is that even in all my frustration, squashed hopes and cynicism is the feeling that its gonna be ok; as long as I am never satisfied with what I have, God will use that to spure me (and hopefully others around me) on.

Sorry if this seems like a selfish blog; I needed to get this off my chest. I understand that my position in life is fairly comfortable when held up against other people's who have suffered tragedy. I don't mean to be ungrateful, or uncaring whatsoever. I hope that maybe some of what I have said can inspire you, the reader. If not, just ignore it, and pray for me and those around you.

Peace

When you speak does God listen?

Had an interesting discussion with a really good friend the other day which was challenging and completely out of the box of normal 'Christian' thought. I just want to share some of it with you, for no other reason than it has occupied my thoughts the last few days...

The conversation started because a friend who is not a christian raised an issue of whether it is wrong to partake in communion if you don't even believe in the bible-for you it is just a piece of bread and a sip of wine; nothing more or less. Then we discussed someone else who wouldn't call themselves a christian but who feels that they have a personal relationship with God-they pray and share things with God. However the point was raised; are these prayers effective in any way? Does God listen to the prayers of people who are not christians? Lets get into the theology a little bit-it is said that God cannot stand evil, and therefore does not have communion with sin. Therefore, to pay the price and allow us to have a relatioship with God, Christ died. Theologically speaking it can be said that God doesn't see us, but instead sees Christ as we stand before Him (if we are christians). However, if God cannot have communion with sin, then how do we even get saved?! And thats were the discussion seemed to stall for a while...

I don't know if I have an answer-I mean logically speaking, if God can't stand sin, and Christ takes our place, then for us to accept Christ, we have to come before God as sinners-it seems paradoxical. And the question I had to ask was that does God ignore us sinners, or does he lower his standards for a brief time so that we can approach him to seek forgiveness?

If you're still with me, could you explain this to me; if you are not, then don't worry about it!

Anyway, it seems to me that yes, God hates sin (righteous anger of course), and that the only way we can have a real relationship is to stand on the payment that Christ made. But does that mean that God just ignores those who haven't accepted Christ? It seems to make Christianity a little bit too transactional; that is, if you don't accept God, he wont listen, and furthermore, you're going to hell! It doesn't seem to fit with the view I have of an all loving God who sent his son!

So what did I conclude? Well, I suppose if you are a christian, its kinda like a marriage-when you marry someone (so I'm told) the relationship you have with that person is so much deeper than the one you have with your mates-there is more to it. So maybe God has 'friendship' with people who are not christians; he listens and sometimes will speak to them, but the relationship is limited because that person is not 'married' to God (which is in a sense scripturally correct wording-'bride and bridegroom!).

The lesson...get married to God. Fall in love with him, because it is the best relationship you will ever have...period!

Faith as doing

Another part of my personal journey over the last two years has been learning what true faith looks like. Now I am not talking about the faith that pays lip service to doctrine or organisation, but faith that is there because of the personal relationship you have with Jesus if you are a christian.

What I have discovered/learned/realised is that this true faith is all about actions. God brought me to James chapter 2 where he showed me that the faith that really matters is the faith that does!

What does this look like then? How do we live a faith that does? And do we really believe it matters?

In asking these questions, we would do well to remember the life of Jesus (you know, the guy we follow). Jesus spent time with people, building relationships. Granted, he didn't always have time for everyone (after all whilst on earth he was bound by temporal mechanics!), but he nevertheless was involved in some very deep, lasting relationships (his family, his friends the disciples, even some of the unloved!).

I believe that having a faith that does will look like that; relationships-not with everyone mind you, but with a small core of people, whether they be family, friends, christian or pagan. Some of these relationships could be the deepest of your life, or they could be built around a common thread, such as a love of football, or having a pint with a few old friends from school. And through these relationships you will have an opportunity to really show God's love through your actions.

And does it matter? You better believe it! Through interacting with people, we can show them a glimpse of heaven; not in our power of course, but by the power of the Spirit that lives within us. We carry God inside us, and in our actions, people are shown His love.

So its easy then...but it is also very tough!

Teaching a new dog old tricks!

So here goes my second entry to this heap of junk! I'm just gonna share a thought or two...maybe three, who knows.

The last year or so, I have been musing on what it means to be a real Christian; what is the shape of being a follower of Christ in the 21st century. This has been an up and down journey as I have realised that there is something radically modern (or post-modern if you are that way inclined) yet something very ancient about being a follower! If you think at all about any of this stuff you will realise that Church history has been an exercise in dilution-the faith that was originally given to the disciples has been watered down to suit our tastes! As we go forth into the 21st century, there then has been this movement of (mostly young) people who are really searching for a new way to do Christianity.

What I have realised is that this new way is just the old way rediscovered. For many who may read this blog, that statement may be as old as the hills, but if this is new to you in any way take a moment to ponder that; to really seek after and follow Christ, all we need to do is look at the actions of a few rogues, scoundrels and a pharisee from nearly 2000 years ago...

So having established that the new thing is just the old thing, I then ask, what exactly is the old thing?! Simply put, the old thing, i.e. the Kingdom life, is all about putting others before yourself. Yes we have attached a lot of doctrine to this (some good, some bad) but if you want to truly follow, then I believe your starting place is 'life laying down love' or prefering others over your own needs.

Which brings me to my final thought (in a Jerry Springer-esque way). I once told a friend that I was no longer a Christian. She looked at me with a mixture of shock, horror and confusion. I went on to explain that not only was I not a Christian, but that I had found a new God. Let me explain, as I explained to her...I am not a Christian, but a follower of Christ. And my new God is not religion, But God! Maybe your thinking that I am stating the obvious, but sometimes I think we get so caught up in Christianity and all its doctrines that we sometimes forget the man/God behind it all. I am probably being semantic about it all, but I think we may just have to rethink what being a Christian is. As Rob Bell puts it, 'Christian' is a good noun, but a really bad verb.

Sorry if this seems too much like a ramble/rant, but please feel free to comment.

Peace

Welcome

Just decided, after much thought (yeah right!) to set up a wee bloggy thingamajig. I had contemplated this a while ago, but then thought, why bother. But maybe now I can be bothered! Who knows?

Anyway, abandon hope ye who enter here!