Rick Warren first sermon since his tragic loss

I must say I admire his courage and his determination to remove the stigma of mental illness that is still present in society see here

Casting Crowns video City on a Hill

Thought this was very powerful and judging from comments afterwards so did others at church

Somr thoughts from Nigel Wright on the blessing of same sex partnerships

Read   here  Fresh Streams website

Thoughts on Fathers Day -Radio Shropshire Pause for Thought

Up early today to get to the studios and appear on Mike Georges show here is my script for today

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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"

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.

So today is Father’s Day.

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.

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.

And yet …I will also think today about  those who have not got a dad (or perhaps have never even known their dad).

 Those dads who've lost children, or lost touch with their children - those men who would love to have had children but for whatever reason - have not.  And I also think of those whose relationships with their dad was poor.

There is a wonderful story Jesus told called the Prodigal Son.

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.

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!

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.

The power of a story

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
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
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

You can hear Sandra's short,simple but moving story by pressing here Sandra's story

Steve Barnwell's induction at Oakham Baptist

Yesterday I was present at Steve Barnwells induction as Pastor of Oakham Baptist Church
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 here  and here
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 
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 

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 
I also found the covenant promises that minister and church made to each other deeply meaningful 
After the service we shared food and memories together before leaving for home. 
I am sure that over the next months and years we will hear about good things
happening at Oakham

A Mike Frost story from his book- Exiles

This 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 here ,and also the Christian Associates conference which I wrote about here.

As part of our reflection I read this story from Mike Frost's excellent book Exiles see here

" I remember meeting Shaun Tunstall, from the city of Brisbane on the east coast of Australia, who, in his mid twenties and living with dyslexia and ADD, finally decided he would stop attending church. He couldn't sit still during church services, and he wasn't wired to take in information from half-hour sermons. He wasn't getting anything out of the meetings, even though he had been attending church weekly since he was born.

Now, flushed with frustration and early adult rebellious energy, he decided to stop going to church. Instead, Shaun decided that he would take his power-boat out on Brisbane's Pine River and go water skiing on Sunday mornings. He gathered a group of friends, some Christian, some not, and headed off to the river for a relaxing day of water skiing. But after reversing the trailer down the boat ramp and edging the craft into the water, he became wracked by guilt. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and every week of his life he had been in church. Now here he was about to go water skiing. He expected one of God's vengeful lightning bolts to burst from the clear blue sky and sink his boat at any minute. So, in an attempt to salve his conscience, he grabbed a pocket Bible from his car and announced to his friends that he would like to mark the day by reading a short passage of Scripture. You can imagine his friends' surprise. After reading the shortest psalm he could find, he reflected briefly about the beauty of God's grace and then asked the guys if there was anything they'd like him to pray about. Stunned by these proceedings, his friends, especially the non-Christian ones, eventually offered up needs they had that Shaun could pray about. Then they went water skiing all day.

Next week, twice as many people turned up. Shaun read a brief passage, shared a few thoughts about it, and asked for prayer points. He did this for weeks. The numbers kept increasing, and soon he had a community of over fifty people who would meet by the river, share a short devotion, pray together, and enjoy God's creation. Soon, people started becoming Christians. After a while, they started breaking for lunch at some picnic tables by the Pine River, where they would break bread and drink wine and remember Jesus' sacrificial love. 

They shared a meal together and took up a collection each week and gave the money to the poor.

They took it upon themselves to become the "chaplains" to the general river community. Now they are known as the people who tow broken-down boats back to the boat ramp. They provide free parts and repairs for other boats that have given up the ghost. They eat together, they serve the poor, they share Jesus with others, they celebrate the Lord's Supper, they serve their general community. 

And all along, Shaun's parents and church friends are hoping that he'll come to his senses and start attending church again."

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 withReading the story certainly encouraged a lively and helpful discussion about what church really is and what it means to be church