Mars, Snickers or Cadbury's Buttons.

If you had to choose just one of these?

Hi

I've spent my lifetime listening to people in churches telling me I need to follow Jesus,  as well as what to do and what not to do. 

I've done my own share of telling others.

But telling doesn't do it.   Telling generally just makes people feel guilty.  

I want people around me who will SHOW me how to follow Jesus and live a changed life.  People who won't just tell me "Do this" or "Don't do that" but actually show me how to live in a way that delights God.  Show me:

• how to stop being chained to stuff that just gets in the way
• how to be a better husband, father and friend
• how to manage money better 
• what to do when faced with hard situations

I want to learn how to follow Jesus by watching and listening to you as you follow Jesus.  And maybe you can do the same by watching and listening to me.  I think this is a large bit of what church is here for.

Ivan

[PS all this is in the Bible  - 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 1  - check it out ]

Do you ever day-dream?  Wonder how things might turn out in, say, a few years time?   People sometimes dismiss 'dreamers', as though they haven't got their feet firmly enough on the ground.  

Interestingly, the Bible has quite a few dreamers in it.  Early-on in the Bible, the king of Egypt had a dream about fat cows and thin cows and God put Joseph (yes, the Technicolor Dreamcoat guy) there to explain what it meant.  Joseph's dad, Jacob, dreamed of a ladder going up into the sky - the original stairway to heaven.  When Jesus was born, God used a dream to warn the wise men not to go back to nasty king Herod.

Anyways - what's he on about? (I hear you ask!)  OK.  This Sunday, the church leadership team of Alex, Barry, Dave, John, Tim, Peter and me are going to spend a day together asking God to share some of His dreams for the future of Church from Scratch with us.  The kind of dreams where you have to listen hard and keep checking with the Bible and one another that you have heard correctly.  

We would really like you to pray for us as we go off and listen to God.  Sunday, 9.45am to 4pm. 

And if we hear something that we agree upon together, we will share it with the whole church at one of our monthly gatherings.

Thanks   :)

Does anyone have an external DVD drive I might borrow for a day?

I'd be glad to hear from anyone who has one.

Thanks

At the gathering on Sunday we started to learn a song called "God is good, all the time".

It has a fun melody (oh yes it does) and I predict that some of you have been singing it since Sunday.   It contains some key words: ""Though I may not understand all the plans you have for me, my life is in your hands and through the eyes of faith I can clearly see that God is good."

Here it is on Youtube.  Cut and paste the following link into your browser and turn your speakers on......   :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl06RN5zRxk

Quite a few people have now told Peter or myself that, for them, God seemed to 'turn-up' at the gathering on Sunday.  They came away having felt God talking to them about following Him.   

One thing we did together was to rip up an Ordnance Survey map and hand out the pieces to one another, as a sign that God doesnt usually give us much advance warning of the road map of our lives.  One friend showed me that he has put his scrap of map in his glasses case, so that he sees it and is reminded every time he reaches for his specs. 

One verse from the bible that we read aloud also seems to have stuck in people's minds.  It was from Luke's gospel chapter 9, verse 23: 

Then he [Jesus] told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat—I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how."

Over the next weeks and months, we will see that Jesus has many things to say that might well unsettle, irritate or even disturb us.  We will try to work out together what he is telling us.  But even though what he says may trouble us, one thing is for sure:  he loves us completely and everything he teaches is for our good.

Maybe you also have some things to share about verses we heard on Sunday - why not add your thoughts below?

At tonight's church gathering, we had an attractive ribboned present.  There was enough curiosity about it to persuade people to 'bid' money to buy it.  Or perhaps it was Oliver's professional patter that made us dig deep into our pockets?  Anyways, I think the Freeman family's bid was the highest at a (purely notional) £32 for the unseen contents  of the brightly wrapped parcel.  Hana kindly unwrapped it for us all, revealing [long drum roll.......] a Mars Duo bar.  Some would say treasure indeed!  But £32 worth?  Not many of us would buy something unseen and unknown at such a price.

Jesus never sold Himself as an attractive proposition. He didnt promise us an automatic right to health, wealth or privilege.  He didn't plead with people to join His club.  Like His first team of disciples, He offers us a cross and the invitation to follow Him.  There is no road map (we tore that up to demonstrate this).  Just following one step at a time in His way.

Once you start down the way of following Jesus, some things start to make sense that would have seemed daft before.   You begin to discover that things that seemed importsnt before now take their true place.  People you hated can now be forgiven.  Changes that would have been impossible on your own are possible in His company.  But that doesn't change the fact that all He asks - all He offers  to start with - is "Follow me".

Peter and I, with help from some others, are preparing the teaching programme for the period between now and Summer.  We are calling this "The Way".  It will take some of the plain - even disturbing - things that Jesus said and week by week we will see how we might live out the truth behind them.  It doesn't promise to be easy and there is a health warning that Jesus can seriously change your life.  But we believe it should help us all to do more of what Jesus asks:  "follow me".

I really enjoyed being at the monday cluster last night - and not just because of the turkey, roast spuds, sprouts and stuffing (all very good, btw).  There was just such a great sense of celebrating Christmas together as people for whom Jesus has made - and is making - a real difference.

So,  thanks to all who made this such a good evening.  And I'm looking forward to my first CFS Christingle on Christmas Eve.

Christmas seems to start earlier each year.  I saw my first seasonal advert on the TV at the tail end of October.  The shops have had their Christmas displays up for weeks and the town centre lights are now on.  Houses have decorated trees in the windows, festooned with tinsel and lights.  I have even seen a house with snowmen in the front garden - given yesterday's sprinkling of snow, that's clever.

Yet a recent survey showed that most people are unaware of the meaning of Christmas.  There was a report in this week's papers that lots of school nativity plays now replace the baby Jesus with a lamb, to avoid any awkward questions.  We go to so much trouble to celebrate an event which most people dont know about.  We decorate trees, send cards to relatives; we cook and eat way too much food.  We fight our way through the crowds to buy gifts. Doesnt anyone ask "why?"

I think there is much more to celebrate about Christmas than tinsel and trees, presents and pudding (though Christmas Pud is ace!)  For God chose to send His precious Child to live as one of us, to save us from fear and  our mistakes  and to show a different way for us to live.  His present to us is freedom from the past and a future with hope. 

So often, the gift of God’s Son is the only present left unopened after Christmas.  So, while you arrange the presents under your tree this year, take time to think about Jesus:  God’s presence with you and me.

A while back I asked about films and had a nil response.  Zilch.  Nada. But I know that some of you do like films.  I've discovered that Sally is into good Science Fiction and is off to see Avatar soon.  Not sure that John likes SF (prefers the popcorn at the cinema maybe?!). Well SF is fine with the King Family (Star Wars originals a big favourite;  Star Trek, etc, etc), as well as many others.  I learned my management style from Clint Eastwood.

SO.....if you are shy about films, what about music?  What was the best music album you heard in 2009 and what was good about it?  Would you recommend it to others to listen to?

Some responses, please......