tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66081876831602557832024-03-13T06:37:34.808-07:00thoughts and reflections -The church and changeThoughts on the church ,change and other stuff!Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.comBlogger502125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-56033501267491834772015-05-10T22:14:00.001-07:002015-05-10T22:14:20.770-07:00Pause for Thought May 2015<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB"> Many years ago during a general election campaign every bit as close
as the one that has just finished I saw
an old car driving down the High
St, in Wem, with a sticker on the back
window “ It read; Don’t vote it only encourages them!"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">But <b>we
have voted</b> and I stayed up as late
as I could to watch the results
because I just love the drama of election night when we see
raw human emotions displayed for all to
see- those candidates so excited at
victory ,they pump their fists with sheer
elation and hug their supporters at the count
– those trying hard to conceal their bitter disappointment at their loss - that so much
effort and toil has come to nothing-
those who simply can’t hide their despair
and bury their heads in their hands to conceal the tears rolling down
their cheeks . What human drama ! Behind
the rosettes of whatever colour there are living, breathing, emotional human
beings</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">It reminds me of that other drama played out so publically at this time of
year - the end of the football season as the hopes and dreams of your favourite
team are either realised or shattered in a 1000 pieces </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Politics like football is intensely tribal
but although some will disagree it really is more important </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">So what do I look for in a new
Government? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Well the bible doesn’t say much about
political parties but it says masses
about the qualities of great leaders
and so </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-GB">I
hope for a government that has a servant heart <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">In the Bible </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The mother of the disciples James and John
asked Jesus to promise that they would sit in the top positions at his right
and left hand in glory. Jesus said ,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles
lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to
become great among you must be your servant For Jesus the greatest ruler is the
greatest servant </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-GB">I
hope for a government that is wise;</span></u></b><span lang="EN-GB"> that has the wisdom not just to seek the
party interest but has the wisdom to see the bigger picture ,serve the common
good and make the right decisions in a competent way </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-GB">I
hope for a government that cares about justice</span></u><span lang="EN-GB"> because
God cares about Justice <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">As the book of Proverbs says </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a
driving rain that leaves no crops.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-GB">I
hope for a Government that is compassionate <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">God cares for the poor and needy and the
Bible lists some of those He cares for; the fatherless ,the widows , the sick
the aliens, the prisoner It is not
always popular to care for these people but God calls us to do so, for like the politicians themselves
these are real human beings made in the
image of God Himself </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">So the posters will shortly come down, the
long period of electioneering has now ceased , the people have spoken but it’s worth remembering that God too has
spoken and though Governments come and go and
parties rise and flourish and then decline and disappear God is watching <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">He looks for us to serve people, to act
wisely, to be just, and compassionate </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">In what ways will you demonstrate those
qualities today?</span></div>
Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-74451226547819952022015-02-01T01:09:00.002-08:002015-02-01T01:09:33.494-08:00Pause for Thought 1st Feb Radio Shropshire<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USHsBkYajt0/TH53C2dvMqI/AAAAAAAAAf8/XpB4HfmQeHw/s1600/malvern%2B124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 26.6666660308838px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USHsBkYajt0/TH53C2dvMqI/AAAAAAAAAf8/XpB4HfmQeHw/s1600/malvern%2B124.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>The building looked just the same as when I had last seen it some 10 years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Inside it was painted the same colour had the same green chairs, the
same carpet -Everything was as I remembered and so very familiar … except the people.. I had
not seen many of them for 10 years or more they had more grey hair, more
wrinkles many of them were now frail. More than once people came up to me and asked” Do you know who I am ? and the
truth was I often recognised the slightly changed face but could not get the
name…. but then I am getting older too<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As is so often the case with reunions, we were gathered in chapel for a
funeral …Pats funeral<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">When I was a young man Pat an older minister had been my mentor. He was
generous with his time, wise with his advice, unstinting with his encouragement
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Over the years we had become friends. Now I had come to this familiar
chapel in the countryside to say goodbye <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The hymns chosen by Pat before he died were well known - the ones I
would have expected him to have chosen by the hymn writers I knew he
appreciated most, but it was the words that were said that astonished me .<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> Now I knew Pat was a dynamic
minister a man of great vision,I knew that many years ago he had received an
MBE for services to the church and community. I knew that he had once even
persuaded Cliff Richard to come to the
chapel to do a fundraising concert for charity, but I listened to the speaker
that day talking about Pats life I realised I did not know the sheer breadth ,and indeed the
depth of the work he had undertaken both at home and overseas <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A man who had left school at 14 had blessed a surprising amount of
people in a huge variety of ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">When the service had ended with John Rutter’s magnificent benediction
the Lord Bless you and Keep you,we mingled over sandwiches and tea and cake and
person after person came up and shared how Pat had helped them, encouraged them
through some tough time or other .How much his life had blessed their life <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What a legacy he left in the lives of those he met.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We often measure greatness in human beings by the things they have or by
the awards they have received, or the qualifications they have gained, or the
wealth they have accumulated, or the family they have been born into <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Jesus defines greatness very differently <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">On one occasion He took a towel and a basin and redefined greatness by
washing the disciples’ feet. The Lord of all becomes the servant of all <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In that one act Jesus demonstrates that in the topsy turvy world of The
Kingdom of God the greatest person is the greatest servant <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">By that definition Pat Goodland was a great human being <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As we drove down the A 49 heading through the darkness, on familiar
roads towards <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Shrewsbury</st1:city></st1:place>
I wondered what my legacy would be when my turn comes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This Sunday you may like to ask yourself the same question.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-54101807433120074122014-12-23T01:18:00.001-08:002014-12-23T01:19:23.291-08:00Christmas carol service 2014 message <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not many more
shopping days to go <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My hope for you all
is that you have an amazing Christmas filled with love and joy and peace That
you will experience The Good will towards human beings on whom Gods favour
rests <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My prayer too is
that blessed as we may be we will Be given grace to
remember the hungry ,the lonely ,the sad,the bereaved the suffering the
prisoner this Christmas<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our world appears
to be on the edge of a cliff Ebola ,ISIS, famine war disease and disaster fill
our news papers and dominate our news bulletins this very week people have been
murdered in a coffee shop in Sydney and The Taliban have massacred
innocents in a school in Pakistan <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For people not
least in the middle east and in the lands Jesus walked in his time on earth
there is constant bloodshed and violence <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With austerity
still biting hard and all the lonely people we do not remain untouched by
sadness in The UK <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes there is much
to be thankful for here in Monkmoor the work of good local schools ,the passion
of Monkmoor friends the scouts and many other people of goodwill
Christian and otherwise who long to build a great community here <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course there are
profound problems but there are some great people who have been blessed
with the gift of tears which they shed with those who are hurting and
hearts and hands with which they bless others <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What has all this
got to do with Christmas ? A time of light and peace joy and if your lucky
great parties <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The answer is more
than we may think <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Travel back with me
to that first Christmas God sent His Son into the world God is a lavish Giver !
He gave His best for us and it was not easy <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes there were
angels and stars there were Shepherds and wise men <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
there was also
genocide ,mass murder on theorders of a tyrant King Herod a man who would kill
his wives his children,his friends had no qualms at all at killing little
babies <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is into this
dark and dangerous world that Jesus is born Instead of making himself great He
makes himself vulnerable He empties himself BECOMES
DOWNWARDLY MOBILE<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As one translation
puts it he set aside the privileges of God ,took on the status of a slave
became human and moved into the community<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Herod begins his
killing spree Jesus and his family become refugees in Egypt yes there
were angels and stars Shepherds and wise man that first Christmas but also
suffering and pain and death <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suffering pain and
death marked the arrival of a vulnerable baby the prince of peace born into a world of pain<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pain is still a
reality for many people and many people here this evening too and that sense of
pain is magnified at Christmas time<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So Christmas tells
us that God understands our suffering <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the baby born in the middle of mass murder <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hunted down so he
has to flee to Egypt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
grows up to be a
man who is persecuted mercilessly by religiouscpeople more interested in form
and structure and ritual and power than faith ands truth and love and at 33 years old having been betrayed by a
follower and denied by a friend he is put to death on a cross for
challenging the status quo <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He understands your
suffering your sadness your pain your loneliness considerJesus as each of these things – vulnerable,
poor and on-the-run – speaks to me of a God who desperately wanted to
experience the very worst of what this world has to offer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A God who desires more than anything to be able to relate
to us in our own poverty, brokenness and times of despair.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A God who is not distant but desires to be near. To walk
amongst us as one who has been through everything, that we might go to Him with
anything, so that He might be our counsellor, comforter, saviour and friend.
God who is not only with us but for us <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pPJRP2b2Ly0/VJkzKHF4lNI/AAAAAAAACDI/k-tzMGAyQ7I/s1600/DSC_0633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pPJRP2b2Ly0/VJkzKHF4lNI/AAAAAAAACDI/k-tzMGAyQ7I/s1600/DSC_0633.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second thing
Christmas tells us is that you are loved <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many of us feel
unloveable perhaps we feel unworthy ,unwanted alone <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the Christian
message is this that God is love God is love God is Love <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus is the image
of the invisible God if you want to know what God is like look at Jesus <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Christina Rosetti
wrote <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love came down at
Christmas love all lovely love divine love was born at Christmas<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so he was Jesus
values people he cared for those no one else cared for <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He accepted those
society rejected<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He welcomed those
the religious leaders despised the poor the vulnerable the rejected the
bereaved ,the ill ,those with special needs and yes He loves you you are
loved you are so so loved <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Christmas shows
that love wins <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bible says the
light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not put it out <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This Christmas the
light is shining in the darkness <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Things are not
hopeless one day good will overcome evil life will overcome death <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Indeed I see hope
now <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope in the
people the communities that open their hearts to the weak and the rejected<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
those who refuse to
surrender to hate and violence hope will one day crush despair light shines
in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good Friday is
followed by Easter Sunday <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Life overcomes
death<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The baby born in
the manger died for us on a cross but is Risen and Is
alive today <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The winter makes me
sad I ts not dramatic but I have a few down days every year at this time
bit one thing that helps me is that in the winter I feed the birds so I head
across in the autumn to the cheapest place i know to stock up on bird
seed hint ?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I bring it back and
fill the feeders when I get a spare moment I sit amd watch
the birds coming to the table all are welcome all come and feed there is
room at the table for them all they didn't buy the food they just have to eat
it to receive it it is a gift<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To all who received
Him by faith Jesus we are told gives he right to become chidden of
God you don't have to earn this recieve it just to accept Jesus into your
heart <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have a blessed
Christmas have fun remember the vulnerable and remember the baby born in a
stable is The Saviour
of the whole world ! Amen<o:p></o:p></div>
Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-58037059625985382672014-10-29T09:14:00.001-07:002014-10-29T09:14:09.465-07:00Reflections for leaders, and lessons to learn after Mark Driscolls resigantion<a href="http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/176842-joseph-mattera-lessons-learned-from-the-resignation-of-mark-driscoll.html?p=2">see here </a>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-24465687018083816122014-04-19T01:17:00.002-07:002014-04-19T01:17:32.039-07:00Good Friday VideoWe showed in church this morning<br />
I think it is powerful<br />
Press <a href="http://vimeo.com/39463474">here</a>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-3958065162375532172014-03-21T07:59:00.001-07:002014-03-23T15:24:44.838-07:00New Wine Leadership Harrogate 2014 <div class="MsoNormal">
Just back from the New Wine Leaders Conference 2014
in Harrogate<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was the second time I had been to this conference and
like the first I came back grateful for the opportunity to be there<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were things that I struggled with and things that I
was blessed by and this post is about those things<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>7 great things about New Wine 2014</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">There is a passion for Jesus that is evident
everywhere from the worship to the teaching they really do desire to put Jesus
front and centre of everything</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">2</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The teaching of John Tyson from New York, I had
never heard of him before but he was a very clear expositor of the Bible text
and also applied it to our context</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The seminar programme was very helpful and
stimulated lots of ideas as we think about our next steps as a church in
Shrewsbury .There was also an excellent seminar on the impact of Fresh
Expressions</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The chance to chat together with other church
leaders in a relaxed environment including and indeed especially those from our
own church</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The encouragement and affirmation of the
ministry of women</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The worship band were again wonderful and
introduced some beautiful songs</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The missional focus of many of the
speakers. I am not sure New Wine were first to the missional party but they have
certainly arrived</span></li>
</ol>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Things I struggled with</b> (note I am not saying these are
wrong just that I did not find them helpful personally)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The endless appeals to go to the front for a
whole myriad of reasons –I don’t ever get the impression that quiet reflection
is a New Wine value ! At one session I personally felt the need to leave before
the message was appealed out of me Sometimes it is enough just to allow
the Holy Spirit to do His work</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->The fact that after a healing meeting when
scores of people claimed they had been healed ,there was no follow up or
mention of individual cases in the following days that I heard It would have
been good to hear those stories <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->I don’t think New
Wine has yet decided finally whether it is the charismatic wing of the Anglican
church or a trans- denominational movement. It claims to be the latter but
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Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-5432411618783775272014-01-20T00:26:00.001-08:002014-01-20T00:26:23.106-08:00The need to changeI think there is a lot the church can learn from this story<br />
<a href="http://see%20here/">see here</a>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-45116696308750703532014-01-07T02:28:00.002-08:002014-01-07T02:28:49.829-08:00Everyone Complete in Christ I came across this very powerful blog post that should challenge the way we treat people with special needs <a href="http://rosbunneywriting.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/everyone-complete-in-christ/">press here</a><br />
I think it is well worth readingCharleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-77704043839709236042013-11-29T10:57:00.002-08:002013-11-29T14:50:51.213-08:00Kahaila Cafe London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-57hstllxyAE/UpjixnffQvI/AAAAAAAACCc/6DKQCxRu5Co/s1600/IMG_5913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-57hstllxyAE/UpjixnffQvI/AAAAAAAACCc/6DKQCxRu5Co/s320/IMG_5913.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Great coffee and scrumptious cake is a wonderful recipe for a busy ,profitable and very friendly coffee shop in Brick Lane in London </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kahaila is not just a coffee shop though ,it is also a small church planted primarily to reach the twenty's and thirty's age group.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This very new church not only runs a coffee shop,it also supports a mission to prostitutes and is in the process of gathering money and materials to open a safe house in the area for the victims of trafficking.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The whole enterprise is about blessing the community</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6HKi2QkX3i8/UpjgZDDArCI/AAAAAAAACCI/Dsv_2VPixd4/s1600/IMG_5908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6HKi2QkX3i8/UpjgZDDArCI/AAAAAAAACCI/Dsv_2VPixd4/s320/IMG_5908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A group of us from church met with the pastor and leader ,a guy called Paul Unsworth who has carried the vision for Kahaila over the last few years .</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">His passion to share good news relevant to his local community was very evident and a huge priority is given to relationships </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is summed up on Kahaila's website</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"We are a church, but not church as you might understand it. We do not see ourselves as religious we see our selves as being relational. We live in relationship with God and with each other, therefore we see ourselves as a family rather than as an institution. We are a group of people who aim to live life in all of its fullness, understanding that the teaching of Jesus Christ brings that fullness. We are people on a journey, we are not perfect, so we would ask you not to judge us before you get to know us and we promise not to judge you<i>."</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were there on a Wednesday night for the churches weekly time of prayer and worship together which takes place in the cafe and which in this occasion brought together about 20 young people (and the 5 of us not so very young people)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The simple,but meaningful worship began with a time of singing beautifully led by a woman from the church and this was followed by bible teaching on Ephesians 4 and 5 delivered with humour, but also with real passion by Paul Unsworth who clearly wants to relate the bible in a relevant way so that the young people present understand more clearly what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What we saw and learned at Kahaila will inspire us as we think about the next stage of the journey at Shrewsbury and we need time to think through the lessons we learned and to see how they might apply in our very different situation.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paul and his team had the courage not only to do something very different but to dare to do something very bold They have taken what Hybels calls big,hairy audacious steps of faith and God has honoured them again and again</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Following the teaching we gathered in small groups around the coffee tables to chat and attempt to earth the teaching we had heard in to our daily lives.we then prayed ,talked said our good byes and left with so much to think about </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QaKb3BA6Cvk/Upjfm1ZLJAI/AAAAAAAACB0/xLYGZ7lIxWg/s1600/IMG_5912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QaKb3BA6Cvk/Upjfm1ZLJAI/AAAAAAAACB0/xLYGZ7lIxWg/s320/IMG_5912.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> There really is nothing to stop us doing the same!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">More on Kahaila <a href="http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/stories/kahaila">here</a></span></h2>
Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-90387134946932524792013-11-10T06:12:00.000-08:002013-11-10T06:20:21.154-08:00Radio Shropshire Remembrance Sunday<div style="background: white; line-height: 12.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">95 years ago today</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> in 1918, at the 11th hour of
the 11th day of the 11th month - the First World War came to an end.. It is
thought that about 9 million soldiers lost their lives, and about 27 million
were wounded - many of them permanently disabled<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So today we mark Remembrance Sunday a
day to stop reflect and in the case of many people to give thanks to God for
those who have given their lives not just in the 2 great wars of the last
century, but in many other conflicts as well including most
recently Iraq and Afghanistan, and Today I wear the poppy not with pride
but with a deep humility as I think about the awful loss of life and the
continuing suffering and the deep pain of those left behind and I will
pray for peace with justice to come to the earth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I am also deeply thankful for the
continuing committed indeed heroic work of The Royal British Legion who produce
the red poppy that so many millions wear <span style="color: navy;">-</span>an
appropriate symbol because a poppy grows so well in disturbed earth
ripped open by war and was one of the few things that would grow in the
barren battlefields of The Somme and Ypres<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In fact next year marks the 100th
anniversary of the start of the Great War and the government has announced this
centenary is to be marked by a four year programme of events that will
commemorate that war<span style="color: navy;">-</span> <span style="color: navy;">T</span>he
events range from church services to educational visits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Many have questioned how appropriate
this commemoration is In fact I heard this being discussed on the Jim Hawkins
show last <span style="color: #1f497d;">Monday</span> morning <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Some feel it is an unnecessary
glorification of war <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Others that it is a colossal waste of
money<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Others that in 2013 it is simply
irrelevant to how we live today<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now anyone who celebrates war is plain
daft to put it very mildly but I have no problem with commemoration
because we <span style="color: #1f497d;">s</span>hould never forget <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The words at the going down of the sun
and in the morning we will remember them have authentic power <span style="color: #1f497d;">,</span>for as someone once said If we fail to learn the
lessons of the past we will be condemned to repeat them <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A few years ago I visited the grave of
a man I had never met His name was Fred Watson he was actually my mother’s
uncle as a young man Fred had emigrated to Canada from the family home in
Scotland but at the outbreak of war he had out of a sense of duty come back to
fight<span style="color: navy;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">in 1916 he was killed near Sanctuary
Wood and unusually his grave is in <st1:placename w:st="on">Zillebecke</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Parish</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype>
near <st1:place w:st="on">Ypres</st1:place> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Today I will remember Fred and his
brother Stan who died at Loos and whose body was never found and I will think
of my dad who survived the Second World War but was forever changed by it <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And thousands of you will have similar
memories and some of your memories will be much more recent and far
more personal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But even if you don’t have personal memories of those who gave their lives
their names are around wherever you are in <st1:place w:st="on">Shropshire</st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> if today
you should you pass a war memorial whether in Tilstock or <st1:place w:st="on">Telford</st1:place> ,Condover or Clun select one of the names
engraved on those memorials and remember they too had hopes and dreams
ambitions and desires before their
lives were cut so tragically short <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The writer Rudyard
Kipling author of The Jungle Book was enthusiastic about the outbreak of
war and wrote pamphlets encouraging young men to join up and fight he
used his influence to get his own son John into the army despite the fact that
John was severely short sighted and had failed the medicals </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">on more than one occasion </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tragically John too was
killed at Loos and Johns body was never found and Kipling’s attitude to war was
changed forever It is Kip</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">l</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ing
who composed the words on every war memorial where the body of the deceased
could not be identified the inscription contains just 3 words Known un</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">o God <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background-color: white;">As a Christian I believe every human being is Known unto G</span><span style="color: navy;">od made
in His image we should all seek to live a life that brings Gods
love and peace to the people we come into contact with day by day<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-75521381252631529212013-09-09T04:21:00.001-07:002013-09-09T04:21:05.671-07:00Leaders away day Cloverly Hall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Friday afternoon the church leaders headed to Cloverly Hall near Whitchurch <br />
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It is a place we had been before set ,in lovely countryside with great food and facilities.<br />
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It was great in the middle of busy lives to put 24 hours apart to be together.There is something about eating,sharing, talking,praying,walking and even "wasting time" together away from some of the normal pressures of life<br />
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Sometimes leaders meetings can get crowded out by stuff that needs to be talked about and decisions that need to be made .</div>
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The urgent however is not always the most important though, and it was good at Cloverly to step back, and to build our relationships as leaders, to take time to think about our vision and how we present it ,to talk honestly about our personal spiritual lives,to share our joys and sorrows </div>
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Much of our discussion was based around Bill Hybels " Courageous Leadership" which we had all read before we went and formed at least the starting point and the background for our sessions, </div>
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We came away with some fairly concise thoughts & ideas about future direction and areas we need to concentrate on.We we will work on these and share them more widely but perhaps even more valuable was the fellowship and deeper relationships that resulted as we built team together </div>
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we must do it again soon!</div>
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Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-65261080801788023542013-08-01T23:52:00.001-07:002013-08-01T23:54:38.607-07:00Rick Warren first sermon since his tragic lossI must say I admire his courage and his determination to remove the stigma of mental illness that is still present in society <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2013/july/rick-warren-first-sermon-since-suicide-mental-health-pledge.html"> see here</a>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-65366374342337242702013-07-21T10:36:00.000-07:002013-07-21T10:36:21.596-07:00Casting Crowns video City on a HillThought this was very powerful and judging from comments afterwards so did others at church<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XJ5R08xDC6c?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-59792901704980891072013-06-20T07:34:00.002-07:002013-06-20T07:34:12.505-07:00Somr thoughts from Nigel Wright on the blessing of same sex partnershipsRead here <a href="http://www.freshstreams.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Nigel-Wright-The-blessing-of-civil-partnerships.pdf">Fresh Streams website</a>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-48399601705147390612013-06-16T13:00:00.002-07:002013-06-16T13:00:50.260-07:00Thoughts on Fathers Day -Radio Shropshire Pause for Thought<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Up early today to get to the studios and appear on Mike Georges show here is my script for today</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
picked up the phone the voice at the other end told me that dad who had
been in and out of hospital for months, and in failing health somewhat longer
than that, was now dying.It was not unexpected news and yet I was surprised to
find myself feeling strangely shocked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It
was a hot July day, my heart beating faster than usual I dashed over to
the hospice hoping that I would be in time <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
journey took less than 15 minutes but when I arrived I was greeted with the
news that he had died,minutes before Even though I had seen him very recently I
felt distraught If only I had been there a short time earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On
reflection, I guess that’s how dad would have wanted it to be. We had said
our goodbyes I had told him that I loved him and the truth is He never did like
fuss especially when it came to his health. I can hear him say it now There is
nothing more boring for me to talk about and for you to hear than the story of
my illness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
still have a self portrait he painted - in oil - grey hair ,casual jumper,
glasses on a face full of lines and character. I look at that
painting often and every time I do my heart aches a little.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
had very different personalities. we had different beliefs, different
philosophies of life. When I was nineteen and told him I'd become a Christian
he said "Don't worry I was a communist for 6 months at your age"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
didn't agree on very much but he was the only dad I will ever have and I loved
him and I guess I love him still.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So
today is Father’s Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For
many people it's quite rightly a day of celebration, with cards addressed to
the best dad in the world, presents of socks, ties, and aftershave.
Lunches and meals out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">At
our church we're having a brunch to celebrate Father’s day.. and why wouldn't
we? It’s worth celebrating our dads just as much as Mothering Sunday celebrates
our mums.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And
yet …I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> will also think today about those who have not
got a dad (or perhaps have never even known their dad). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Those dads
who've lost children, or lost </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">touch </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">with their children - those men who
would love to have </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">had </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">children but for whatever reason - have not.
And I also think of those whose relationships with their dad was poor.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There is a
wonderful story Jesus told called the Prodigal Son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It is a story
of a son who demands his inheritance, while his dad is still alive, takes the
money moves away from his family wastes it all ,ends up feeding the pigs
eventually he swallows his pride decides to go home to see his dad expecting he
will never really be forgiven or accepted for what he has done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But unbeknown
to the prodigal his dad has been searching for him every day he has been away,
and when he spots him a long way off he uninhibitedly runs towards
him throws his arm around him welcomes him home and then throws a great
party in celebration that his son has been found!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I don't know what your relationship with your dad is,
or was like, brilliant or bitter, I don't know whether Father’s day makes you
full of joy or makes you feel deeply sad, but I do know that each of us
has a Father in Heaven who loves us with a fierce and never ending love and
whoever we are and whatever is always there for us.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-18429840398549301682013-06-03T07:30:00.002-07:002013-06-03T13:59:11.989-07:00The power of a story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
There is nothing quite so powerful or so moving as a Christian saying what it is that God has done for them and how He has changed their lives<br />
Yesterday Sandra was baptised and as part of what was a wonderful and emotional service she clearly stated what it was that God had done for her and how it was that others,including her husband Mike, helped her towards her step of faith<br />
I promise you that Sandra was not the only one in tears as her story came to an end ,but as she said they were tears of joy and not sadness<br />
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You can hear Sandra's short,simple but moving story by pressing here <a href="http://shrewsburybaptistchurch.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/listen-to-sandras-story/">Sandra's story</a><br />
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<br />Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-26126672692384439602013-05-19T09:12:00.005-07:002013-05-19T09:12:51.258-07:00Steve Barnwell's induction at Oakham Baptist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nkJjG5BKS3E/UZj1-A_LzCI/AAAAAAAAB_M/zEmb3PUFeJM/s1600/IMG_4176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nkJjG5BKS3E/UZj1-A_LzCI/AAAAAAAAB_M/zEmb3PUFeJM/s320/IMG_4176.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Yesterday I was present at Steve Barnwells induction as Pastor of Oakham Baptist Church</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">It was the third induction I had attended and taken part in , in the last 12 months, and was as enjoyable and meaningful as the other two, which you can read about <a href="http://charles-thoughtsandreflections.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/persistent-call.html">here</a> and <a href="http://charles-thoughtsandreflections.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/induction-jon-edwards-middlesbrough.html">here</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">There is something very moving about a minister committing themselves to a church, and a church committing themselves to a minister as they promise to journey together into Gods future </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Steve had done a very good job in Shrewsbury and is missed but after yesterday and watching him interact easily with the people he is now called to minister to , I am convinced that he and the folk at Oakham have made the right decision and will grow the Kingdom together </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kaNPzoE8370/UZj2S4QodrI/AAAAAAAAB_U/O236MyVKBvQ/s1600/IMG_4185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kaNPzoE8370/UZj2S4QodrI/AAAAAAAAB_U/O236MyVKBvQ/s200/IMG_4185.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Roger Sutton spoke powerfully basing his thoughts around Luke 5 and speaking to folk from our church this morning ,his message had challenged them to see things things not as they are but as by the grace of God they could be </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I also found the covenant promises that minister and church made to each other deeply meaningful </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">After the service we shared food and memories together before leaving for home. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I am sure that over the next months and years we will hear about good things</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">happening at Oakham</span>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-23255530664980044572013-05-11T05:26:00.000-07:002013-05-11T08:52:24.513-07:00 A Mike Frost story from his book- ExilesThis morning some of us had breakfast together at Central, and reflected together on both Spring Harvest 2013 which a group from church went to; I have blogged about it before <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6608187683160255783#editor/target=post;postID=435973417192278808;onPublishedMenu=template;onClosedMenu=template;postNum=1;src=postname">here</a> ,and also the Christian Associates conference which I wrote about <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6608187683160255783#editor/target=post;postID=8290867972893330274;onPublishedMenu=template;onClosedMenu=template;postNum=2;src=postname">here</a>.<br />
<br />
As part of our reflection I read this story from Mike Frost's excellent book Exiles see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Living-Missionally-Post-Christian-Culture/dp/0801046270">here</a><br />
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<h4>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">" I remember meeting Shaun Tunstall, from
the city of Brisbane on the</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
east coast of Australia, who, in his mid twenties and living with dyslexia and</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
ADD, finally decided he would stop attending church. He couldn't sit still</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
during church services, and he wasn't wired to take in information from</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
half-hour sermons. He wasn't getting anything out of the meetings, even though</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
he had been attending church weekly since he was born.</span></h4>
<h4>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
Now, flushed with frustration and early adult rebellious energy, he decided to</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
stop going to church. Instead, Shaun decided that he would take his power-boat</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
out on Brisbane's Pine River and go water skiing on Sunday mornings. He gathered</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
a group of friends, some Christian, some not, and headed off to the river for a</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
relaxing day of water skiing. But after reversing the trailer down the boat ramp</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
and edging the craft into the water, he became wracked by guilt. It was a</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
beautiful Sunday morning, and every week of his life he had been in church. Now</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
here he was about to go water skiing. He expected one of God's vengeful
lightning</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
bolts to burst from the clear blue sky and sink his boat at any minute. So, in</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
an attempt to salve his conscience, he grabbed a pocket Bible from his car and</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
announced to his friends that he would like to mark the day by reading a short</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
passage of Scripture. You can imagine his friends' surprise. After reading the</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
shortest psalm he could find, he reflected briefly about the beauty of God's</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
grace and then asked the guys if there was anything they'd like him to pray</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
about. Stunned by these proceedings, his friends, especially the non-Christian</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
ones, eventually offered up needs they had that Shaun could pray about. Then</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
they went water skiing all day.</span></h4>
<h4>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
Next week, twice as many people turned up. Shaun read a brief passage, shared a</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
few thoughts about it, and asked for prayer points. He did this for weeks. The</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
numbers kept increasing, and soon he had a community of over fifty people who</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
would meet by the river, share a short devotion, pray together, and enjoy God's</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
creation. Soon, people started becoming Christians. After a while, they started</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
breaking for lunch at some picnic tables by the Pine River, where they would</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
break bread and drink wine and remember Jesus' sacrificial love. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">They shared a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">meal together and took up a collection each week and gave the money to the
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They took it upon themselves to become the "chaplains" to the general
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the boat ramp. They provide free parts and repairs for other boats that have</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
given up the ghost. They eat together, they serve the poor, they share Jesus</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
with others, they celebrate the Lord's Supper, they serve their general</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
community. </span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And all along, Shaun's parents and church friends are hoping that</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
he'll come to his senses and start attending church again."</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I really love this story.It is one of my favourites about accidental church planting, but it also has a great deal to teach us about what church is, and the importance of being culturally relevant to the people we are trying to serve,love and reach and share Jesus with</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Reading the story certainly encouraged a lively and helpful discussion about what church really is and what it means to be church</span></span><br />
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<br />Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-85122871373344408322013-05-02T07:35:00.001-07:002013-05-02T07:36:43.305-07:00A trip to Ludlow <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you read this blog you will know that we are on a journey to becoming a more missional church.<br />
It can be a tough journey at times as Simon Jones points out in an excellent blog post <a href="http://bromleyboy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/wondering-where-tornado-left-us.html">here</a> .<br />
The journey does however has its joys, and many of these are to be found, as we engage with our local community, and as we seek to discover what God is doing and enthusiastically join in.<br />
Since Central opened we have had wonderful opportunities to do that and we have been blessed and by the grace of God I believe we have been a blessing.<br />
The coming few months look extraordinarily busy and very exciting<br />
One of the things we are doing is playing a small part in the first ever Shrewsbury Food Festival website <a href="http://shrewsburyfoodfestival.co.uk/">here</a> which is coming up towards the end of June.<br />
Our small, but exciting (and probably fattening!) role is to have a pudding tasting event at Central<br />
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It is not something I trained for at college, so Liz, Jude and I set of for Ludlow today to learn how they do it for The Ludlow Food festival<br />
We had a wonderful time meeting the 2 women who had started the pudding tasting event at the Methodist Church in Ludlow and they were incredibly helpful.<br />
Their vision and energy ,their desire to serve and to bless their community and help us was awesome and inspiring<br />
We came away with lots of ideas,lots of things we should do and should not do, and other things we need to think carefully about<br />
What inspired us most though was the sheer energy and enthusiasm of these 2 people( who I think it is fair to say are not in the first flush of youth) and the way they want to use their gift to serve and bless people<br />
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God grant me their enthusiasm at their age<br />
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<br />Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-4359734171922788082013-04-15T02:55:00.000-07:002013-04-15T02:57:57.789-07:00Spring Harvest 2013 -a few thoughts<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;">I am feeling physically tired but spiritually refreshed after my second </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">Christian</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">conference</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> in as many weeks.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> I wrote about the great time we had with Christian Associates <a href="http://charles-thoughtsandreflections.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/christian-associates-summit-leadership.html">here</a> and last week I was at Spring Harvest in Minehead.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> It was the first time we had been for well over 20 years, and much was very familiar </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;">Here are some of the things I especially enjoyed:</span></span><br />
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<b style="line-height: 1.38;">The morning family worship </b></div>
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This was half an hour all age worship and it was very well done.the time included prayer ,bible reading,drama,dance and great use of technology<br />
<b>The missional tone of the event.</b><br />
There was a real encouragement throughout the week for Christians to engage with their local communities<br />
<span style="line-height: 1.38;">Spring Harvest have not led this trend but it is great to see they are reflecting it </span></div>
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<b>Spring Harvest is great at technology</b> and use it as well as any conference I have ever been at; but it was used well to illustrate rather than to overwhelm</div>
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<b>The facilities for those with Special Needs</b> there was signing at all the major meetings during he week ,a good area for those in wheelchairs with very helpful and well trained stewards, all in all very positive, though it would have been good to see at least one wheelchair user speak on the main stage during the week ,so there are still areas to work on!</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 1.38;">The chance to spend quality time with people from church.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;">It is true it would have been good to do more of this, but that is not always easy in a </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">conference</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> with so much going on all </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">the</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> time, but we still managed to eat together, celebrate a couple of </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">birthdays</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> together, and have some important conversations,which all helps to build relationships. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;"><b>The chance to meet old friends again </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;">In our case Claire and </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">Derek</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> and their family. Claire used to run the youth work with us in Ross many many years ago and it was amazing to see them again </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;">It was also great to bump into Tim and Marlene.We had seen them more recently, but it was good to catch up with their news</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;"><b>The after hours entertainment </b>It included Tim Vine and John Archer -need I say more !</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;">There were other moments I enjoyed and were helped by , and any list like this is very personal, but all in all it was a good and helpful time</span></span></div>
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Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-82908679728933302742013-04-08T06:27:00.000-07:002013-04-08T06:37:39.870-07:00Christian Associates- Summit Leadership Conference -A visitors view.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">I am just back from a Christian Associates Leadership Summit at High Leigh Conference Centre website <a href="http://christianassociates.org/">here</a></span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QTg91Y78cQQ/UWJ41jVSlOI/AAAAAAAAB88/ZWLeyuD4jcU/s1600/IMG_3789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QTg91Y78cQQ/UWJ41jVSlOI/AAAAAAAAB88/ZWLeyuD4jcU/s200/IMG_3789.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">One always worries a bit when heading to a smallish conference where we knew very few people,and they mostly know each other fairly well but we were made very welcome and came away both encouraged and inspired by the people we met and the stories we heard.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Indeed it was also affirming to all that we are seeking to do in Shrewsbury.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">My highlights included:</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Seeing Dudley Callison again and meeting his wife Laura</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I first met Dudley in 1989 when he came for a mission trip to Ross on Wye and Gorsley and I have no doubt he will make a highly effective leader of Christian Associates as they move forward into a new era. In my opinion he has exactly the gifts that are needed. Dudley is an excellent communicator with a wide experience of cross cultural mission and a passion to see missional churches share Jesus.Combine all that with an ability to relate to people and a strategic mind and my guess is that CA have got the right person at the right time</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Another highlight was the the teaching of Kim Hammond from Forge</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Kim is another great communicator who spoke with honesty, humour and knowledge on the subject of" multiplication-reproducing local leaders and churches" there were some great one liners such as" radical people inspire ordinary people to do radical things" but above all it was the wisdom he shared that was so inspiring . I only wish the talks had been recorded and it is encouraging that Forge are looking to work more in Europe in the future</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">It was also great to meet some wonderful people from all over the world who told encouraging,indeed amazing stories of Gods work from the person planting vegetables in Haiti to the woman sharing food and faith with prostitutes and the guys sharing faith in Russian orphanages.</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d-MMeWzO_wo/UWJ5WLu3_EI/AAAAAAAAB9M/lCuCO3ZcN9A/s1600/IMG_3790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d-MMeWzO_wo/UWJ5WLu3_EI/AAAAAAAAB9M/lCuCO3ZcN9A/s200/IMG_3790.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">We were also able to make connections, which we hope and pray will help us as we seek to partner with Christian Associates in bringing Phillip and Christina to work with us in Shrewsbury</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">As much as anything though we were encouraged by the healthy culture of Christian Associates which is accepting,permission giving ,creative, respective of local cultures and people, and above all passionate about Jesus</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">i will try hard to remember all we were reminded of but above al</span><b>l 3 things :</b><br />
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Firstly, that Gods grace is prevenient. In other words God is at work in lives long before</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"> we get there and will be at work long after we have left,but we can by Gods grace be links in the chain</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">To be even bolder and more faithful in seeking to show and share Gods love in innovative ways to people made in His image</span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">We hope to keep in touch with CA</span></span><br />
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Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-10030619086261065442013-03-31T09:40:00.002-07:002013-04-01T01:26:55.188-07:00Easter Sunday 2013Like many churches we had a wonderful turn out to our Easter Sunday morning service .<br />
It really is one of my favourite days of the year as it really is such a powerful message, that because Christ is Risen -Everything is different ! <br />
One of the blessings of leading services these days, is that there is so much good stuff you can show on the video/projector, and when we lost the services of Liz due to illness, who was going to do our children's talk, we were able instead to use a very powerful bit from The Miracle Maker series.<br />
I love the Easter songs, both old and new .(and we sung a variety!) At the end of the sermon I gave people a chance to reflect again on the difference Easter makes and as they did so ,played this video,which a number of people commented on ,so I said I would link to it on this blog;so here it is .Happy Easter! He is Risen!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IExdrZGQVeI?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-25351458326384834852013-03-29T08:52:00.001-07:002013-03-29T08:53:34.817-07:00Good Friday 2013 at Central <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QRED0HQmX7I/UVW1j4FUjhI/AAAAAAAAB8I/xF4ll5XT4JU/s1600/IMG_3660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QRED0HQmX7I/UVW1j4FUjhI/AAAAAAAAB8I/xF4ll5XT4JU/s320/IMG_3660.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Over a 100 people came to our Good Friday Service at Central.<br />
We wanted to give people an opportunity both to reflect on the events, and respond to the message of the first Good Friday.<br />
We provided this opportunity in most of the usual ways through the bible readings and through the songs we sung (both ancient and modern), & through use of the video projector and we shared communion together giving people the chance to be prayed for individually ,or as families as they came forward to receive <span style="text-align: center;">the bread and the wine.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"> I always find this point in the service moving as having been around for a while now in Shrewsbury I know both the joys and the struggles many of our people have. </span><br />
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Beryl<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GGNwyJVIsZU/UVW2Ypv3MEI/AAAAAAAAB8M/uf1SCY7ZWtE/s1600/IMG_3665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GGNwyJVIsZU/UVW2Ypv3MEI/AAAAAAAAB8M/uf1SCY7ZWtE/s320/IMG_3665.JPG" width="320" /></a>Alan</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Instead of a sermon Beryl shared a story she had written imagining what it would have been like to have been the centurion in charge of the execution of Jesus Beryl has a real gift for these stories and brings out many of the parts of the story that are in the Bible but which we often miss</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">(I have offered to put her Lent series on this blog but she is going to publish them in a book so look out for it!)</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">We concluded with the wonderful and powerful hymn "And can it be " before sharing the grace together</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">We then took chocolate and hot cross buns out onto the local streets together with an invitation to join us on Easter Sunday </span><br />
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Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-19079929080468464032013-03-19T01:50:00.002-07:002013-05-19T23:38:23.300-07:00Induction Jon Edwards MiddlesbroughI had a long journey but a wonderful day in Middlesbrough,where I spoke at the induction of Jon Edwards<br />
at South Bank Baptist Church.The church is not placed in an easy situation but it does have enormous potential, and by Gods Grace will grow .The people were very warm and welcoming and as usual there was a huge amount of food afterwards ! I thought I would put the notes for my sermon on the blog<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-apw6XtRiS5g/UUctmqa97HI/AAAAAAAAB70/cUtVhtibPQ4/s1600/IMG_3582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-apw6XtRiS5g/UUctmqa97HI/AAAAAAAAB70/cUtVhtibPQ4/s320/IMG_3582.JPG" width="240" /></a>Jon Speaking</div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">It has been a
long journey here and it will be a long journey back but let me tell you a
secret <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">We would not
have missed this occasion for the world<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">It is a joy to
be here!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I have known
Jon longer than he has known Liz <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I have known
Liz longer than she has known Jon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I admire them
both enormously <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">They are not
perfect but they are deeply committed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">They have exercised
a committed servant ministry and they will be deeply missed in Ludlow and
indeed in Shropshire<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Indeed such was
the shock at their leaving that the Walls of Ludlow castle collapsed;) and the pope
resigned<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Today I want </span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">want to say some things to both John and Liz and the
church <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Don’t be a kind
of miserable religious club<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Be the chosen
people ,the royal priesthood the holy nation you belong to God <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The local Church is not a
building full of people it is a people full of God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The church is the people of
God called to display his goodness of His reign to the world <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The church is the bride of
Christ brought into being by Jesus death on the cross<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The church is a community of
grace energised and empowered by The Holy Spirit <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">And my challenge to you today
as you begin a new phase in your churches life is to become
who you are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Don’t be a
religious club <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Yes I know you have had a
long interregnum,that some of you are probably tired that you may be worrying
about money that the building may not be in great shape that the mission field
is tough but Southbank become who you are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">You are a living cell in the
Body of Christ Southbank /Jon and Liz we charge you on this special
day become Who you are <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Do not consume time and
energy trying to recreate a past that was no doubt good- perhaps at times very good, but is also long gone <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Be
the people of God here today right here and right now <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Now Peter was
writing to Christians on the margins of their culture<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">He was writing
to people to took a bit of abuse for their faith in Jesus <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">He was writing
at a time when most people in the society would never have dreamt of going to
church <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">This is a
missionary document<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">He was writing
to a society a bit like ours!There may have been a time when all you had to do
was to ring the bell of the parish church and the faithful (and let’s be
honest not so faithful) would flock to church That day has long gone <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Read v 9-12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Now the word church is first
used of the people of God on Mount Sinai the people of God gathered
around Mount Sinai are to live in such a way that they commend the Living God
to the Nations <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">In these verses as Peters
readers would have instantly understood Peter is
recalling them to Mount Sinai to the place of intimate encounter with God that
is where all ministry must begin I often thinking churches including the one I
lead could do with less meeting and more encounters for apart from
anything else you will never attract people to Jesus unless you are passionate
about Jesus yourself <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I have sat in
meetings where the things people have got passionate about are what colour
should we paint the church doors , should we have a basket or a bag to take up
the offering, and should there or should there not be a cross on the church
building<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">How about some
passion for following Jesus rather than for club issues <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Give Jon the
time the space so he can encounter God He is the source for all ministry Jon
you need to make sure you have a Passion for Jesus <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">and having
encountered The Living God the church is to live in such a way that they commend
God to the Nations by their lives </span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I have never
been here before but I can speak for Shropshire and Herefordshire and I can
speak for Glasgow where I spent 8 years and in my experience in our society
very few people are argued into The Kingdom of God they are usually
loved into The Kingdom of God <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">It doesn’t mean
we don’t have to speak the gospel but it does mean that our life in the the
community outside the building and indeed the quality of our relationships are
to give substance to our words They are to underpin the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We are to be people that everyone would love to have as their neighbours A
people who bless others<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">This is an
austere world for many people I know the North East is not exempt from that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">We are to live
in tough times so that others will ask the reason for our hope<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Nor if you are
a Christian this has huge implications for how you spend your days how
you use your time <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I used to think
my task was to invite people to evangelistic events I am learning that my life
is to be an evangelistic event<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Mark Greene
makes a point we church leaders would do well to listen to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">He said tells
the story of a teacher who said to Him I spend one hour a week teaching
Sunday school and my Church hauls me up the front to pray for me I spend
the rest of the week being a full time teacher and my church has never prayed
for me ..That says it all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">So Jon part of
your task is to equip and disciple others to live for Jesus wherever they are
but I want to make a point to the church too and it is this <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Don’t keep Jon
too busy to build quality relationships here Governors <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Give Jon the
time ,the space, the permission to put down deep roots in this community,
as he did in Ludlow support him ,encourage him as he shares his
life with the least ,the last ,the lost <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Better
still join him in that ministry</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> indeed it is essential that you do for as The African
proverb says” If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with
others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">There is a
great deal of criticism and scepticism around these days I<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">In the early
centuries of the church Christianity grew not because they build big buildings
or because they had great conferences or worship bands Christianity grew
because Christians cared for the poor ,the widow ,the terminally ill those in
prison and even those condemned to death<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">In times of
plague when pagans fled Christians stayed sometimes at the cost of their
own lives No wonder pagan priests spent a lot of time whinging about the
good reputations Christians had <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">How do you
measure a great church The size of its congregation ,the size of it offering
the quality of its worship band ,how many services it has ,how many young
people it has how good the preacher is.How big the building is?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">That’s all
great but we need to change the scorecard for the church<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">For Jesus
judges a church by how good our lives are ,how much we bless others in His name =How much we show His love to a pain-filled and hurting world How well we serve
others<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I know Jon and
Liz are passionate about these things ,they have demonstrated that in powerful
ways in Ludlow and elsewhere support them in their passion for people<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Indeed I am
confident you will <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I am not sure
if there is such a thing as an average Baptist Minister but if there is let me
tell you Jon is not it<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">But we have heard you have felt led to call him here and he and Liz have
felt strongly called to come and I am looking forward to hearing great stories
of God working here</span>Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608187683160255783.post-88464899611998064272013-03-17T01:56:00.002-07:002013-03-18T10:10:33.695-07:00Radio Shropshire Pause for Thought March 17th 2013It is a few decades ago that, as a spotty teenager, I used to go the Saturday night dances at the old Wem Town Hall<br />
<br />
<br />
I kidded myself that I looked like Marc Bolan, but on reflection I probably looked more like a youthful Mr Bean<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago though I put on my best pair of jeans and a comfy t shirt and I went dancing again <br />
<br />
The music was amazing all the old favourites were played, Dancing Queen ,ymca, etc etc alongside the incredible gangham dance<br />
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The DJ was superb but what really made the evening was not the music or the DJ or the lighting but the company.<br />
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Some of the dancers were in wheel chairs ,others had Down’s Syndrome ,or epilepsy ,cerebral palsy or autism but my goodness they knew how to have fun in joyful and uninhibited ways …to use a dancing metaphor……. they were having a ball<br />
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In the middle of this joyful ,noisy musical chaos ; my attention was drawn to a man who I knew could not speak, and who obviously found communication very difficult. I watched as he walked slowly from one side of the room to the other , over to the most damaged child at the disco ,a child confined in a wheel chair with severe and profound learning difficulties, and with a caring look on his face, that man took the child’s hand and held on tight .<br />
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I have to tell you I learned something about love that night ..it was for me a Holy moment 2 damaged human beings sharing love, and I can only marvel, and as one of your colleagues puts it Mike ,Take my hat off to humanity<br />
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I have been desperately sad to read stories about what happened not far away at Stafford Hospital or at Winterbourne View ,or stories of abuse in church ,or of killings in Syria stories of the inhumanity human beings are capable of showing each other<br />
This is wrong<br />
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The very first book of the bible – Genesis – declares that every man and every woman bears God’s image; that the whole of humankind enjoys this indelible privilege and responsibility. That is a very radical thought <br />
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Everybody, every human being is made in God’s image and therefore every human being is of infinite value to God and therefore every human being has value and we should treat each other well<br />
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The strange thing is that as my experience at the disco proved very often the people society would regard as damaged have understood and indeed celebrated this profound truth in a way that more intellectual and more powerful people often fail to do. <br />
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As someone put it we are in danger of moving from a society that values people and uses things to becoming a society that uses people and values things<br />
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We can change that if only we will learn the lessons my friends at the disco were teaching me <br />
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Whatever you are doing today <br />
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Whether your shopping or playing football ,spending time at home or walking in the countryside How will you treat your fellow human beings ?<br />
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<br />Charleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968654263482623689noreply@blogger.com5