Worship

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about worship.

(In this post, I will mainly be talking about sung worship, but the thoughts about attitude and approach to worship can cross into other forms of worship, and they are just as valid as sung worship. I’m just speaking from my own experience and personal worship style.)

At a recent Christian event I attended, the times of sung worship left me feeling frustrated after a few days.

Why?

Because we had only sung songs about what God had done for us and how he leads us out of dark times, heals us, does stuff for us.

There was nothing about how great God is, just because that’s who he is. There was nothing about how we should praise God just to praise him, because it’s demanded of us.

Don’t misunderstand me, there is nothing inherently wrong with singing songs about how God helps us in difficult times, but if that’s the only reason we’re worshipping God, then something’s gone wrong,

Singing too much about how God helped ‘me’, how ‘I’ am loved by God, etc. can affect our perception of God, and lead to us subconsciously thinking we deserve this love and assistance, either because we’re so great or that’s what God should do for those he loves.

One way to see if this falseness has entered your heart is, when things go wrong, do you get mad at God when he doesn’t instantly take everything bad away?

There was a song we used to sing when I was in Sunday School called ‘Have we made our God too small?’

God is deserving of praise and worship; not because of anything he’s done, but because he’s GOD. When we fail to worship him for who he is, we risk making him our personal genie or wishing well, and only thank him when he does something for us. We can forget he is the great I AM. The ‘I AM’ that created the universe. The ‘I AM’ that angels sing Holy, Holy, Holy before day and night. The ‘I AM’ that will one day recreate the heavens and the earth, and could easily blot us out of existence because there is no way we can be as holy as him.

We make him too small.

We still need the songs that remind us of what God has done for us, otherwise we are in danger of never coming to God because we fear he won’t care or intervene, but they need to be balanced.

Not all of us have a lot of say about the songs we sing in church on Sundays, but for those who do put the worship together, take some time to consider what message the songs you use put across to your congregation. You have a responsibility to your congregation; to ensure they are receiving good theology in every aspect of the service, not just from your sermon. Not everyone will listen to what you say, but they receive through the songs and other worship opportunities you provide. Make sure you’re clear in everything you lead.

And for those of us who don’t have a lot of say in the worship at our churches, you are responsible for how you worship during the week (yes, it’s more than a Sunday thing!). What worship songs do you listen to during the week? What Bible passages do you read? How do you worship? Take some time to consider where your heart is in worship, and whether you need to change anything.

It's time to rest. Pick up your phone

On Saturday, I attended the Youthwork Summit in Manchester. The Youthwork Summit is a one day event that features many great youth workers and Christians speaking for just 10-15 minutes on a topic (very similar to the TED conferences in USA).

For me, the most inspiring and though provoking topic was on helping young people find rest in a hyper connected culture from Sarah Percival.

With all the new ways of internet usage, how do we encourage people to find the rest God gave us in the Bible (Shabbat)?

Should we put our phones down, turn our computers off, and hide from the internet?

No.

During her talk, Sarah challenged us that instead of telling our young people to put their phones away and switch them off, to ask them how we can use them as part of our rest.

She explained how she had done this with her youth group. They opened the Bible to see what it said about rest at Exodus 20:8-11

 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” 

(NLT)

This passage demands 3 things from the Sabbath:

1.       Stop work

2.       Do it together

3.       Honour God.

There is no reason we can not do these 3 things on our phones.

Its about how we use them.

We need to get creative.

Sarah challenged us to take up our phones and explore Shabbat with our young people in this way. What new and exciting things may we discover about ourselves and God as we do?

There will still be moments when it is useful to switch our phones off, but have we missed something by ignoring the possibilities they present?

Share your ideas and take up the challenge of rest with your phone through the comments or the ALOVE Anglia facebook and twitter accounts.

My week #belowtheline

Last week, I completed the Live Below the Line challenge.

Over 1.2 billion people in our world live on less than £1 per day, and the live below the line challenge is about raising awareness and funds for various charities that work with these people to end the poverty.

Let me give you a summary of my week.

For the challenge, I went to Aldi and spent £4.82 on my food. This bought me:

•             1 kg porridge

•             2 tins of rice pudding

•             Jelly crystals

•             500g penne pasta

•             1kg frozen mixed veg 

•             1 loaf of white bread

•             1 pack of chocolate cookies

•             1 tin of tomato soup

•             2 jars of tomato and herb pasta sauce

•             500g of spaghetti

Then, starting Tuesday 6th May, I began my challenge.

Day 1 was not too difficult. I started with a bowl of porridge made from water (disgusting) and this kept me going fairly well. I did get peckish about 11.30 for a biscuit, but I think that was habit rather than real hunger. My lunch was half the soup, two slices

of dry toast, and two of the cookies. This was actually rather nice and I enjoyed it, although I didn’t really feel satisfied. Dinner was a big bowl of pasta with veg and the sauce followed by rice pudding. I also had 2 cookies a while after as I was feeling hungry again.

Day 2 I was at home all day, and I had very little appetite, making the challenge slightly easier. I had my porridge again, and for lunch I had four slices of dry toast. Dinner was the same, and I had 2 cookies during the day. I made up the jelly ready for tomorrow.

Day 3 was tough. I had my porridge with a side bowl of jelly (for that sweet kick), and then went to Starbucks in Peterborough for a meeting about Summer School. Being in there wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. I didn’t feel tempted by the coffee and didn’t look at the food so I couldn’t feel hungry. The problem came when the staff came round with samples of new sandwiches they have. Even though this wouldn’t ‘cost’ me anything, you cannot accept free food when living below the line. The smell was delicious and it took great effort to say ‘no thanks’. Those I was meeting with weren’t very supportive, and helped themselves! But I couldn’t really blame them. 

It was interesting to be in the city, passing café’s and shops, seeing the cost of things, and thinking how a sandwich would cost me a day or more’s worth of food. It was quite an eye-opener!

I kept focussing on eating my bread on the way home, and this got me through the meeting. When I got in, I hurriedly made my spaghetti, veg and sauce, and enjoyed this. I waited a while before having my rice pudding, but I still had a severe case of the munchies! I ended up devouring 8 (!) cookies before the end of the evening.

Day 4 began again with porridge and jelly. Lunch was the rest of the soup, two slices of toast, and two cookies, and dinner was spaghetti, veg and pasta again followed by the last of the rice pudding. A further 3 cookies were eaten.

Day 5 – I was so happy to have reached the last day! I couldn’t bear another bowl of watery, tasteless, gloop (porridge), so I started with a couple of cookies. I then had a further two cookies before lunch, which was pasta and veg, with no sauce as I was saving that for my dinner. Dinner was again pasta, veg, and sauce, followed by two cookies. I was craving fast food or a takeaway A LOT. But I had reached the end. And I was over the moon.

When Sunday dawned, I happily got up and made my first cup of tea for days and made my usual wheetabix with hot milk (MILK!).  It was bliss.

I am so grateful to have enough money to live and enjoy life, and Live Below the Line affected my thinking greatly over the 5 days.

My prayer now is that I remember the struggle, and that my thought process will remain the same when it comes to buying food.

I want to challenge you again to take the challenge for yourself. And if not, please sponsor me here.

Extravagant waste

I went to fill my car with petrol yesterday at the local Sainsburys petrol station. As normal, I presented my Nectar card to get my Nectar points.

I don’t know how much you know about ‘Nectar’ and Sainsburys, but when you swipe your Nectar card, you sometimes receive a voucher to use next time you visit the store which gives you extra points, or money off, etc.

Yesterday’s voucher promised me 200 bonus Nectar points if I spend more than £50 in Sainsburys by 7^th May.

Here are some facts for you:

·         I live alone
·         My average weekly shop costs less than £20
·         I’m away on The Big Adventure (Children’s Adventure camp ) this weekend
·         I start Live Below the Line on Tuesday (6^th May)

And yet, when I got the voucher, I immediately began thinking if I could possibly spend £50 before it ran out! It’s crazy! Never mind the fact I’m only meant to live off 10% of that next week for Live Below the Line.

And when I thought of that challenge, I was shocked at this behaviour.

How many people must spend more than they need to get extra ‘points’ or similar because they were given a voucher? 

How much additional ‘stuff’ do they buy that would otherwise not have been purchased? 

And how much of it ends up in the bin?

Although I have yet to start the Live Below the Line challenge, even signing up has made me reconsider my spending habits and realise how fortunate we are.

I do not need to spend £50 on a weekly shop, but I could manage it if I wanted to. I could spend it on clothes and games and chocolate and lots of other stuff I don’t need, and I could afford to do it too.

But there are 1.2 billion people who live on less than 10% of that.

God cares about each and every one of them.

And we can make a difference.

Once again, I ask you to join me for any 5 consecutive days before 30^th June and live below the line. You can sign up here and then search for ‘Anglia Division’ to join our team.

If you are unable to participate in the challenge, please donate here. Any donation, big or small, will make a difference.

Let's Dance

On Palm Sunday (13th April), the Anglia Youth Band led the meetings at Stowmarket Corps. This post contains the message I gave at the evening service.

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hail to the King of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.

Look, your King is coming,

    riding on a donkey’s colt.”

His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.

Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign.

John 12:12-18 (NLT)

Imagine Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. You’re heading to the city for the Passover. As you approach, you hear people shouting and singing, you see a crowd gathering along the road, waving palm leaves. You go over to investigate, and ask ‘What’s going on?’

“It’s Jesus!” someone replies. “Have you not heard of him? Have you not heard of all he’s done?! Only a few days ago he raised Lazarus from the dead – that guy over there! He’d been dead for FOUR DAYS! And this guy raised him! He must be the Messiah!”

How excited would that make you? You have been waiting centuries for the promised Messiah! Would you not also go and get Palm leaves and join with the crowd?

According to this passage in John, this is what happened at that first Palm Sunday. In verse 12, we read that ‘the news Jesus was on the way… swept through the city’, and verse 18 says ‘many went out to meet him because they had heard about this miraculous sign’ – which is referring to the resurrection of Lazarus. It is the good news of all Jesus has done that drew the crowds that day.

Most of the people in the crowd are unlikely to have had a personal experience of Jesus’ miracles, and yet they are there, cheering his arrival. Over the past 3 years, they must have heard so many stories, maybe even known someone who was at the feeding of the 5000, or one of his other miracles. They praised because someone had shared their good news.

How often is this still true today? Many people begin their journey towards God by hearing of what he has done for others, by hearing their personal experiences. They may never have experienced God in their own life yet, but they can get excited and be just as joyful as we are when they hear of the good things God is doing in our life.

By sharing our experiences of God, we are saying ‘Let’s dance’ to those around us. We’re inviting them to join in the experience themselves, and through rejoicing in our experience, they can come to experience God for themselves. When we talk of a dance, we don't just talk of physical dance and praise, but a dance is a relationship. As well as praising God, we are inviting those who do not know him into a relationship with him. 

And this isn’t just for those who don’t know God. Sharing our experiences and inviting each other to dance is just as important. It can encourage those of us who are downcast and remind us of how faithful God is.

When we dance in praise before God, he draws near to us, and he then begins to teach us how to dance his way, keeping in step with him. 

Let's Pray!

On Palm Sunday (13th April), the Anglia Youth Band led the meetings at Stowmarket Corps. This post, and the one that will follow tomorrow, contain the message I gave at the two meetings.

After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”

And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.

Luke 19:28-35 (NLT)

This may seem an unusual passage for talking about prayer, but hopefully I can uncover some new truths in a passage I am sure you have heard many times before.

In the passage, Jesus directs two of the disciples to go and fetch the colt for his ride into Jerusalem. This is not an unusual request by Jesus – he often asked the disciples to undertake strange tasks for him (e.g. casting fishing nets on a different side of the boat, feeding 5000 people with a packed lunch, etc.), and in verse 32 we see the disciples obeying this instruction. They go to the village, untie the colt and answer the owners as directed.

This immediate and obedient response from the disciples is a little out of character. Looking at just two other examples of Jesus’ requests to the disciples, you can see what I mean.

In Luke 5:4-5, we see Jesus instruct the disciples to throw their nets to the other side to catch fish, but Simon Peter’s response is “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again” – not exactly enthusiastic! It almost appears as if Simon Peter is just humouring Jesus at this point, not obeying out of faith.

Then in Luke 9:13, Jesus has just instructed the disciples to feed the 5000 men, not including women and children. What is their response? “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” Again, a mix of sarcasm and not much obedience!

I’m sure you can think of more times where Jesus gave instructions and the disciples were less than enthusiastic, or times where they missed the point of Jesus’ ministry.

In this passage, there is no record of what the two disciples said to Jesus after receiving their instructions. We are not even told which 2 disciples he sent, and therefore are unable to think of a possible response based on our knowledge of their personalities based on other passages. All that we have is simple obedience. Given the honest recording of the other incidents, maybe this time they really did just get on with it instead of talking back. After all, by this point, they had spent 3 years with Jesus. Their faith would have grown, as seen by this obedience.

But what about us?

How do we react to Jesus’ instructions?

How do we receive his instructions?

Are we like the disciples in this passage, or the other times?

As Christians, we are to follow Christ’s directions just as much as the disciples did. When we pray, when we read our Bibles, when we attend church services, we should be coming with hearts open to hearing God’s directions. And once we hear them, we should step out in faith like the disciples.

But this wasn’t an immediate faith and belief the disciples had. It was developed over time. We too must develop our faith by spending time with God. We can do this through our prayers, Bible reading, and sharing in fellowship with other Christians.

Pray, and step out in faith, like the disciples this Easter. And if you don't yet have that faith, spend more time with him and ask for your faith to be increased.

Live Below The Line Challenge – Join In!

First off – sorry for the absence! I was having technical difficulties with the blog editor but now, I’m back!  Expect posts to be appearing at their normal rate now!

It’s been a crazy few months, but I want to start my posting again with a personal challenge I have signed up to, and would encourage you to sign up to as well.

Live Below the Line.

Have you heard of it?

The challenge is to live for 5 days on £1 a day. £5, 5 days. For all food and water. Sounds impossible. But every year, thousands of people sign up and complete the challenge, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for their chosen charities.

Charities that aim to eradicate extreme poverty from our world – to help the 1.2 BILLION people that have to live daily on less than £1 a day.

The LBTL challenge is one I have seen other people do since it started in 2010, and I have always admired the people who complete it, and sponsor them as they work at it. But to me, it has always seemed impossible.

Great idea, but not for me.

I’ll wave the flag for you, give you money, pray for your efforts, but don’t expect ME to do it.

Then, the Divisional Youth Officer’s were challenged at FORGE (ALOVE’s Youth Worker Gathering) to set up divisional teams and ‘compete’ to raise the most money.

I could not leave my division in the lurch.

It was time to take the plunge.

I am going to live below the line.

And I am asking YOU to join me and the Anglia Division team to raise money to end extreme poverty.

For me, this is not about competing with the other Divisions. This is about finally stepping up to the plate (literally) and doing something to raise awareness other than giving money to other people and posting links to information.

We are so good at ‘supporting’ causes through social media and giving a ‘one-off’ donation. But surely we can afford to give more of ourselves, really commit to a cause and go further than we would normally go.

If you are sitting there now and thinking as I used to ‘Great, but not for me’, I want to personally challenge you now.

Why do you say that?

Is it because it will disrupt your comfort?

Is it because you don’t want the hassle?

Or is it for some other reason?

Ask God to reveal your heart and really consider taking the challenge. Push yourself.

And if you decide to take the challenge, join our team. You can sign up here: https://www.livebelowtheline.com/team/anglia-division

Please donate and share the pages of our team so we can raise money and awareness of extreme poverty if you are unable to undertake the challenge for any reason.

Please encourage others you know to join in too.

When I start the challenge, I will try and post daily updates of how its going, what I’ve eaten, what it cost me, and how I’m feeling.

Please support in any way you can.