All Churched out?

Well, over Christmas, two families who are friends of mine & live next door in a friendly Close, got together with a neighbour on the other side and had Christmas carols and served hotdogs and punch & stuff to everyone else in the close + other friends (like me). It was SO nice and neighbourly - and representative of how they are with each other, always dropping in & helping look after each other's children spur of the moment and so on. It has really made an impression on me; I feel really glad to know these people. I've thought about this on & off since then - and started writing this blog because I realised - how unsual I perceive that to be.

So these people are really good neighbours to each other; so that's the kind of thing that I've got in the habit of thinking doesn't happen outside Church community any more.

So if that kind of community can happen outside church ... why, then, go to church? I think a lot of people are in it for the community; but if they could get that somewhere else, what is church for?

Some reasons I think people go to church...

Fellowship. But it's a flawed reason because it depends on the people who make up the church; churches are not immune to cliques or closed people who find it hard to reach out/make an effort. And in a small church you may end up having more to do with people who, at first reckoning, don't seem to have much else in common with you.

Also ... it depends on your attitude. Do you expect fellowship without reaching out for it? And some people need to be reached out to, or nurtured in some way, for ages before they can become those who reach out. Some people in the church will always seem to be 'takers'... though ideally, and realistically in many cases, they will become givers as well.

Good teaching - well, you're not going to get this everywhere. I know a church where the Holy Spirit is moving & inspiring/promting encouraging words and prophetic pictures etc. ... but the teaching is very hit & miss; and Christians there are just not getting 'fed' at the moment.


Good singing/worship - On the other hand, I know a big growing church, where the teaching is more consistently good but, standing at the back once I was really struck by how only 1 person was moving to the music; everyone else seemed to be playing musical statues, but all in the same pose ... head up to the OHP system & hands by sides. Also people don't pray out much, let alone get encourging or prophetic words; it seems there's not loads of room for the Spirit to move in services there. This is something pretty common in many churches I think.


To serve/be of use - but this church does great work in the community - it is growing - & it is bringing people into the 'body of Christ'! Not to be scoffed at!

Is the kind of thing I was seeing in that Close of neighbours what you would more likely associate with the early Church? Church has always been a mix of in people's homes & in a bigger meeting place (the Temple ... to hear Paul ... to hear Jesus) - As the author of the Radical Womanhood blogsite says (in the context of talking about a 'Godly Woman'...) "Her focus was not the house itself, but the people living in that house and those outside who were connected to them through the community. This idea continues in the New Testament. In the book of Acts, we see that the home was where the early church gathered"


I know people who's homes are like this. If that's the New Testament ideal ... and if a bigger church gathering doesn't always deliver good teaching, or worship, or whatever ... what is the real reason or need to go to church?

It is because, as followers of Jesus, we ARE the church.


Here are some pointers:
Ephesians 3:10 "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places"

1 Corinthians 1 v 2 "To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours"

1 Timothy 4 v 13 - 16"... Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."

1 Corinthians 12:28 - a place where we can use our gifts..."And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues... So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church"

Ephesians 5:27 "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Colossians 1:24 (Paul) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church"

Next time you wonder if there's any point going to church ... Just remember that it's you/us. We are the church.

Times Letter of the Year

(As follows came round in (one of the MANY) email forwards at work this week. )

THE TIMES - - Letter of the Year:

An elderly lady actually wrote this letter to her bank. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in The Times and this newspaper thanks him most sincerely.

Dear Sir,

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three 'nanoseconds' must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.

I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, re-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope.

Please find attached an Application Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must beaccompanied by documented proof.

In due course, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, pres buttons as follows:
1-- To make an appointment to see me.
2-- To query a missing payment.
3-- To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4-- To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5-- To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
6-- To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7-- To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the Authorized Contact.
8-- To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 8
9-- To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call. Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.

Your Humble Client

Addendum from The Editor: IMPORTANT to REMEMBER that this letter was written by a lady who is a 98 year old woman; DOESN'T SHE MAKE YOU PROUD!!!?

Guidance from Above

Well, been lacking motivation the last few days; it's been a while since I've felt like this. The only thing I'm feeling motivated for at present is blogging! I prefer writing them to reading them, for some reason. (Is that bad?) I had a couple of slow days last week at work & I turned to the internet in search of some meaty-yet-accessible reading. But only so much surfing through links & blogs can keep me going to be honest. It's only when I start thinking of one I can write that I really feel motivated & like I'm doing something worthwhile with my time & mental energy. (Also it takes me longer ... this one was composed throughout one - very slow - day at work.

Luckily though, the slow times are limited & when it's busy I feel happy and enjoy it. BUT I still wonder about that feeling when I started this job, that it might be only for a short time. And the same sense about being at the church.

So I needed to ask God whether that was me - or him. But He hasn't told me yet; & I still don't know.

Hearing from God for practical life, it's a minefield sometimes there's no doubt. With the big stuff I'm still needing to just be patient at the moment. And I'm waiting on God more again, following the Freedom in Christ guidelines & diagnosing long-held wrong beliefs etc. So I'm just so grateful that he's while continuing His healing work I've had a new environment etc.

I hope some people might be encouraged by the following - mostly small - & practical examples from myself & others - about God's guidance & the various ways He does this. Because sometimes we might think God is not speaking to - or interested in the little things or something; but we just need to be 'tuned in' as he is actually speaking to us in different ways all along.

a. An impression/a certainty about what action to take
I notice a kind of Godly guidance in my spirit about things, especially little decisions.
This 'guidance in my spirit' has totally come with experience. Getting it wrong included! Training from God on this has included a time when I was getting the bus to catch train to London to meet friends. While on the bus I really felt in my spirit that should not be going. I dismissed it ... it's just a night out Lord; must be my imagination! I got to T Wells (with bus pass) and then found I'd not got purse for trainfare etc. Which NEVER happens - I am o.t.t. about checking I've got purse & keys! I thought afterwards that the whole thing may have been to me to recognise & trust when God is speaking to me.

b. Unsettled spirit about something
Tithing - as mentioned in a previous blog. I know that God is gracious & knows my situation & I am not bound by law. But I just don't feel 'right' in my spirit about not giving at all, and recouping through that un-given money. I do feel that hospitality is a kind of giving. BUT I KNOW from experience as well as scripture, that if I take that step of faith to start tithing again (even if less for a while) I am obeying God. AND He will provide. I really love the way he gives over & above. The way I see it is - I can be OK cos I'm not giving .... or I can risk it & give; struggle a bit & have to turn to God to not panic... and then see God provide in abundance, as He has so much in the past. (An unexpected Saturday shift; free new washing machine; free nearly-new settee perfect for my flat ... so on & so forth!)

Appros of which ... I got TWO money boxes this birthday. Think someone's trying to tell me something? Admittedly, one is marked 'chocolate fund' and the other (from my neice) is made out of felt around a tin can, lots of little decorative stars and an elastic band & had some money in it too, apparently. But was of the chocolate kind & was discovered by her big sister & 'disappeared' before it reached me (!)

c. Common sense/experience/knowledge about ourselves
I struggle with prayer meetings. I definitely can not last more than an hour; even at my new church, where there can be more worship, which keeps me going for longer. But long experience has taught me it's better to take myself off rather than sit & struggle & not pray. Yes, of course there are times when discipline is needed & you can't 'give in to feelings'; but sometimes you just have to follow common sense. How often, I wonder, does false guilt or expectation get in the way & mis-direct us?

A friend remarked that the reason she didn't come to the last meeting, was because the previous one went on too long & she struggled cos she'd had enough. After an hour; like me. Guilt or expectation or whatever prevented her from leaving when she needed to.... and as a result, next time she didn't go at all.
(One less person praying there. Victory in that battle to Satan? She missed out on being blessed?) I hope the above testimony I told her will encourage her to go in the future.

d. Asking God to adjust our feelings/energies etc.
I was really tired, still lounging on settee etc. at 10 to 8... but I just asked God to show me if I should go, as he has done in the past, by reviving me a bit ... sure enough within a couple of minutes of that prayer I felt more alert & like I could manage. I was in time for some great worship & then to hear a sung-out word that related directly to my situation; Elder wisely asked people to put their hands up if it applied to them so they could get prayer from others - which we did and the Spirit was really physically moving in me. Then someone else had a verse, very specific to me & which was one of 4 God gave me nearly a year ago. Amazing.
(And I did pray for someone later as well ... it wasn't all 'take, take, take...!) So; glad I went. Even just for an hour.

e. Through other people's testimonies & comments
A couple of friends were saying how they worship better at church if they don't sit with their friends. Well I already knew that I'm always happy to sit 'wherever' but hadn't put my finger on the fact that sitting with people I know can affect my ability to worship properly. (Especially if I don't know them very well or feel comfortable with them) So stayed at the back at prayer meeting ... totally the best worship time I've had for ages.

f. Going against common sense (aka 'foolish faith - see Abraham's story!)

Well, in 2001, after fab 1-off trip around Europe for a month, I was living 'at home', temping & had 500 pounds savings left. And then a lady at church from Hong Kong who was heading back there - and who I had never spoken to - said God had 'told' her to invite me to stay with her there! So I booked the flight - using credit card that I had got specially as a safety-net for the Europe trip. (I'm NOT a credit card kind of girl usually &, interestingly, I couldn't have got one at the time, when temping) The 500 was used for spending there; so definitely out of pocket + a credit card bill as a result. BUT- although I can't blog specifics; one of the stand-out events was a church meeting in a tiny church of about 20 people, where about 1/3 of them each had a word of God for me. God started doing big stuff there. And I know why I needed to stay with her.

Here is a fab link on this topic to an article where a couple took much bigger step of faith!

Sometimes it's good to look back; to remember how God has looked after us before. And to remember that our God is a faithful God - and - however he talks to us - "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today & forever."

Justice v Love

I always remember saying to my dad once - when I was yet a teenager & a sad film really upset me; 'I am never going to watch or read anything sad ever again!' to which he replied 'well you'll miss out on lots of good films & books then'. (He was so right)

So anyway; I watched Last of the Mohicans the other day - again .... considering that the first time I saw it, at the cinema, I felt totally depressed, I seem to have ended up watching it every time it's on TV. And I always enjoy it and get something different from it (surely the mark of a good film?!)

I find it so moving & stirring when the (hitherto misguided) English Officer, who has caused some of the trouble they're in, redeems himself by his deliberate sacrifice for our hero. The passionate hero's offer of his life for the woman he loves, somehow pales into comparision.

But I've always found it hard to divorce these moments in films, from my faith; for e.g. I used to think ...even though it's wonderful that the tortured officer is put out of his pain by our hero when he's burning to death ... what about his last moments of repentance ?(!) (OK maybe I do take things way too seriously!) But I think I may be getting a bit calmer about these things in my old age! Because revenge in films are what used to get to me & make me worry about the people
watching it who, carried away by the emotion of the film, may be deceived & not realise how wrong it is to wreak revenge! (Yeh I definitely take these things too seriously....)!

But my reactions were more mixed up this time; when, at the end, the Last of the Mohicans' avenges the nasty death of his only son, it seems so right. Surely his death does have to be avenged. It's hot blooded & in the heat of the moment ... but justice has to be done. It's the very reason the wise old Indian Chief decides that our heroine must die. Someone has to die (for the wrong done by her father); justice has to be done.

A friend who is a much newer Christian remarked the other day, how great it is to be able to talk to God at any time. She had been married earlier in her life and really appreciates the friendship and closeness with her newly found Father God. It totally made me realise how much I take for granted my relationship with God - and kind of love God has for us that would overcome the need for justice by meeting it with the death of His son Jesus. A love that is not just sacrificial but daily renewing, befriending, fathering of us ...God's love in place of our deserved justice. That God should meet justice in the way he chooses... almost makes a mockery of the stirring, passionate yet human love that the media & film sells us.

Jeremiah 29 11 - 13 has recently regained my attention with it's amazing & powerful message .. in the context of the exile for the nation that refused to follow their rescuer.

It's the second part I really noticed this time; it reveals so much about God's heart for us.

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give your hope & a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart".

God's justice is almost confounded by his love for us, his creation; isn't it? He longs for us to be with him & come to him of our own accord. A verse I willturn to the next time Satan attacks with feelings of guilt (past or perceived) that he loads on us to stop us coming with open hearts to God.

Yes I may feel sometimes how unworthy I am of it. But this truth stands for everyone; you will find him when you seek him with all your hearts.

For anyone who might be interested ...

... these new photos - about to go on my site (to avoid any copyright/payment from my page being uploaded issues - even though most came from a forwarded email, I hasten to
add!) - are by me and therefore not as clear & professional looking, obviously; as the others. But as a blogsite is a fab form of self expression I think (as well as
being, in my computer-less case, a handy link to all the sites I like) & at least these photos really do reflect my own tastes & life.

(Hasn't the library scanner done a good job though? Tuh, modern technology; it's amazing!)

So ...1. These children were a big part of my life for 3 years (before being taken - with unnecessarily urgency & abruptness - from their ill mother, by a trainee SW in
cahoots with their father .... there is evil in this world in all sorts of places you know) ... This was the first time they'd ever been to or seen a bluebell wood.



2. Guernsey 4 years ago - luverly

3. Malta 4 years ago - I loved the contrast of the flowering colours against the dry background. Amazing country; African & European all combined in one.

4. Sheffield Park (Sussex) in Autumn. Wow! My scrummy cousin from Canada was visiting with his family and the colours came out at just the right time.

5. Two of my best friends; just cos they're not on my inspiration list doesn't mean they're not special & amazing & fab and everyone who knows them loves them.

And
you can't tell who they are from behind (unless you know) so posting them on www can't come back on me. (Not that they've seen my site. Outrageous but true! They
have no computer yet though; and busy & responsible jobs so can't blame them. Grace of God & all that!)

PS. Outrageous.... my current favourite word. Try saying it (in context, of course!) It's stupendously satisfying. E.g. (client, fairly recently at work) " What! I need to send in another (i.e. correct!) application for a parking badge? But I can't walk ... I'll have to get somebody to
go to the post office and post it for me; it's outRAGEous!" (Me - trying not to laugh): "is there someone that can do that for you?" (Client) "Yes, but ... it's outRAGEOUS!"

6. The balloon shadow you see is of the one I was in at the time I took the photo. What an amazing experience. Have some great photos too, as my sister snapped me in all the stages of lift-off & then I was trigger happy while in the sky. Floating over the most beautiful countryside in the world on a summer evening; I could have stayed there for ever.

(My mother was scared stiff about it & she wasn't even the one going up. She wasn't at all amused when the guy pointed out that if the wind blows us 'too far one
direction we'll be in Gatwick flight path; too far in the other & we'll be in the sea!)

Resiliant

(This is not a totally random beautiful picture by the way; it's an illustration of how resiliant I am ... top of mountain..? Never mind!...
... Oh my goodness; am in the library & someone's 'phone has just rung with 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word' as the ringtone! Well I'M sorry, but is that the worst tone I've ever heard?! Might well be!)

Anyway! Well where has January flippen gone?! I swear, that's the quickest that month has ever disappeared, and it's always quick.

Maybe it's because I've been so busy at work & it's really nice. So varied & such a nice lot of colleagues; I don't know if I've enjoyed work as much for a long long time. I only found myself getting upset once - the other week; it was because I thought that a colleague was lying about me & it triggered something which I just needed to cry out (my lovely neighbour was concerned and keen to cheer me up with lots of reassurance about how they all have bad days ... very sweet and I couldn't explain that I was OK really, and over-reacting in fact because something else was coming up!). And actually, that day there were 2 or 3 potential 'mistakes' ... but I was able to look at the cases with proper perspective, instead of that fear kicking in with ... 'oh no, I've got it wrong... I'm doing it wrong'. And after I had taken the other thing to God later I felt so good; in proportion; free. All in all, this job is showing me how increasingly resiliant I am becoming/have become.

The weekend was also busy & good too; a long looked forward to dinner 'party' at my flat...Saturday's teaching by the Freedom in Christ ministry team ('7 Steps to Freedom in Christ') was a well delivered & interesting day & will have a long term effect in different ways.And I well enjoyed my first 'Sunday Kids' week. Very different from my old church, more like Saturday club there in fact, with the numbers of children, non-church kids & worship style etc. (Some GREAT songs; the kids worker & children up front did the actions so well - & one of them was deaf-signing it was so lovely ... the kids were enjoing doing it so much ... (But I couldn't help myself, I just kept thinking how I could relay/teach it to my friends in Heathfield to aid them in their outreach! I must remember ... it's NOT my church any more!))

A long lasting visual impression has been left of the image of 2 heroic friends, who had collected, from Heathfield, the settee I've been given by a friend there; battling to try & get it into the narrow door of the building! Bless them; they were so cool ... RESILIANT in fact; they had both been at work all day but remained thoroughly good humoured & committed to the whole business though it entailed practically taking apart the item of furniture in question! Well, they certainly earned the meal they had come for ... even though it was supposed to be a thank you for moving me in the first place! But at least it meant there was more than my armchair to sit on.. quite handy seeing as 3 couples had been invited to my little flat.

The most important part of the weekend, though, in the end; was the Freedom in Christ training day; which took me back to God about a couple of essential things - it was clearly God's timing to hear it when I did.

My long & varied Christian experience has taught me to be wary of any kind of formulaic "method of healing" etc. ... and I resisted this a few months ago because I was already aware of the principles behind it, and had been to a healing retreat where they encourage you to go through forgiveness & 'stuff like that'. And I thought it was just too formulaic really. At the time I did 'go through' the principles again, but in an undisciplined kind of manner.

But I really realised this weekend how the FiC teaching is good because it basically summarises & targets biblical teaching through the power of the Holy Spirit.

All this time I've struggled to think how I could 'justify'/weigh up what I knew God had done in me ... with the teaching in the bible; which I knew was not contradicted but couldn't quite match up. But this ministry does that very thing ... forgivness, submitting to God & resisting the devil; focussing on & meditating on scripture that teaches us who we are in Christ ... recognising deception & spiritual warfare that is always going on. And - unlike the healing retreat - it teaches practially how to continue the ongoing process.

As soon as I'd gone through it - which only took a couple of hours as it was more a refresher (+ following their advised method of going through it all in one go) - I saw:
a. some healing; physical & emotional (I was literally so tired when I started, kind of lounging on my settee ... & by half way through I was all alert & raring to go!)
b. God's word came alive again (one of the things asked about is poor concentration ... but also difficulty when trying to read God's word; I hadn't even realised that was happening to me & that the two weren't the same thing!)
c. New enlightenment even than before; about how a tendency to resentment, still being dealt with; can be gone
d. the need to be more committed & regular in the follow-up 'claiming the ground ... what God has given me' bit; which is basically being committed & regular to quiet time with God!

So I am going to follow through for the next few weeks; it won't get boring because I can vary between the great verses at the end of the book about who we are in Christ; or the wonderful statements of truth; all truths of God's word that I can feel the power of as I say them.

I remember worrying about the steps when I first came across them; that maybe if I'd found them earlier I could have been healed before. But I know really, that God's timing is best ... and he reveals the next 'step' to us when we're ready. And that gradual but thorough inner healing is still occuring based on God's truth & his power; whatever the particular format. And I am becoming more & more resiliant.