this morning we spoke about values. what values do we hold? what values does the church hold? and what values would we look for in a church if we were to look for a new one?
within a church we agreed that it is good to have set values and aims so that everyone who goes to that church are aiiming for the same thing, plus it also gives the people some values that the can make their own, for example, i have taken on the values of the 5 i's, and one that has grown throughout the year was inclusion, and how far i should take that.
within ourselves, it is ok not to have a set of solid values. but it is good to have some that your more sure about, some that you can live out. and then you can begin to form the others as you move through life, also some values change, or progress as you learn more about them or more about how to live them out.
we also talked about change and if it is a good thing in the church. i think change is very healthy in a church, without it, a church would become repetative, and would not then be able to have out outlet when they can continue to bless people. change is good, but you want to have some consistacy as well. eg, you dont want everything to change at once, otherwise you may loose a lot of people.
we also spoke about th change we are about to go through. thinking about the next few months, and beginning uni, i think i am ready for this change as i have known this is where i am going from the beginning. my year was about taking me from college to uni whilst changing my mindset, and learnng more about myslef. this has happened more than i could imagine, so i am ready to move on to the next part of my life at uni.
Monday, 20 July 2009
Monday, 1 June 2009
Life by the Spirit
Galations 5
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Monday, 25 May 2009
The difference
I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day
I has so much to accomplish
That I didn’t have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me
And heavier came each task.
‘Why doesn’t God help me?’
I wondered
He answered. ‘You didn’t ask.’
I wanted to see joy and beauty
But the day rolled on, grey and bleak
I wondered why God didn’t show me
He said, ‘You didn’t seek.’
I tried to come into God’s presence
I used all my keys at the lock
God gently and lovingly said
‘My child, you didn’t knock.’
I woke up early this morning
And paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.
And rushed right into the day
I has so much to accomplish
That I didn’t have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me
And heavier came each task.
‘Why doesn’t God help me?’
I wondered
He answered. ‘You didn’t ask.’
I wanted to see joy and beauty
But the day rolled on, grey and bleak
I wondered why God didn’t show me
He said, ‘You didn’t seek.’
I tried to come into God’s presence
I used all my keys at the lock
God gently and lovingly said
‘My child, you didn’t knock.’
I woke up early this morning
And paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
spiritual health
in our training this week we spoke about spiritual health. what does it mean to be spiritually healthy and what does it look like.
we discussed what qualities we value and respect in people who we feel are spiritually healthy.
we decided that it is not enough just to go to church, read the bible, pray, etc that make you 'look' good and 'look' spiritually healthy, but rather that you need to be praticing other qualities such as:
humility, integrity, a larger vision/a goal, and a passion. we need to be living these things out in our lives and by doing so, we encourage others to live them out in their lives.
we discussed what qualities we value and respect in people who we feel are spiritually healthy.
we decided that it is not enough just to go to church, read the bible, pray, etc that make you 'look' good and 'look' spiritually healthy, but rather that you need to be praticing other qualities such as:
humility, integrity, a larger vision/a goal, and a passion. we need to be living these things out in our lives and by doing so, we encourage others to live them out in their lives.
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
The world could show nothing to me
The neon lights in bars
And headlights from the cars
Have started a symphony
Surrounding Me
The things I left behind
Have melted in my mind
And now there's a purity
Inside of me
Are you listening?
My week has been good, but very tiring. I’m now learning to play the piano, which is really cool. I hope the discipline needed in learning the piano will help me in other areas of life.
Jo is leaving on Sunday. This makes me a little sad, as she is a very lovely person. I’m going to Salford on Thursday. I’m so excited! I really cannot wait!
If I were to set up a church the three most important aspects that I would have included would be:
1) Good Relationships
==> I think relationships in a church are very important. I believe you cannot have church without good relationships. The pastor should be respected, but shouldn’t be put above everyone else; they are still an equal person. Every new visitor should be welcomed at the door, and welcomed by people of the congregation, accepted into the church regardless of circumstances and included in the things the church does.
2) Varied worship
==> Worship will definitely be included in the church as worship is a way of life. There will be a time of singing as this is how many people can connect with God, but I also think meditation should be involved, as well as many other ways such as drawing, moving around the room, etc.
3) Community outreach
==> I don’t think a church is fulfilling its purpose if it is not outreaching into the community around them. Many people think church is where Christians get fed from the bible, and yes this is true, but it is not the whole story. To be a church is to be a place of help for the community, not necessarily to evangelise, but to simply help and love.
Do come and visit, your presence will be appreciated, and I hope you will be welcomed well.
And headlights from the cars
Have started a symphony
Surrounding Me
The things I left behind
Have melted in my mind
And now there's a purity
Inside of me
Are you listening?
My week has been good, but very tiring. I’m now learning to play the piano, which is really cool. I hope the discipline needed in learning the piano will help me in other areas of life.
Jo is leaving on Sunday. This makes me a little sad, as she is a very lovely person. I’m going to Salford on Thursday. I’m so excited! I really cannot wait!
If I were to set up a church the three most important aspects that I would have included would be:
1) Good Relationships
==> I think relationships in a church are very important. I believe you cannot have church without good relationships. The pastor should be respected, but shouldn’t be put above everyone else; they are still an equal person. Every new visitor should be welcomed at the door, and welcomed by people of the congregation, accepted into the church regardless of circumstances and included in the things the church does.
2) Varied worship
==> Worship will definitely be included in the church as worship is a way of life. There will be a time of singing as this is how many people can connect with God, but I also think meditation should be involved, as well as many other ways such as drawing, moving around the room, etc.
3) Community outreach
==> I don’t think a church is fulfilling its purpose if it is not outreaching into the community around them. Many people think church is where Christians get fed from the bible, and yes this is true, but it is not the whole story. To be a church is to be a place of help for the community, not necessarily to evangelise, but to simply help and love.
Do come and visit, your presence will be appreciated, and I hope you will be welcomed well.
Monday, 2 March 2009
Monday, 23 February 2009
Lent.
So we spoke about lent today. As well as a few other things.
We split lent into 3 sections: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
We looked at what we would need to pray for if we were going on a long journey, and we wrote a prayer to pray each day over the next few weeks.
We had a small talk on what we were doing. Im giving up facebook. Crazy I know. But im on it way too much.
Also, I thought about how im entering a whole new part of my life. a part where it is just me. As me. Since before Christmas I haven’t just been me. Ive been me with kerry, then I was me without kerry, then I was me with candy. But now its just me. Andd im scared, but excited about my journey. Im ready
We split lent into 3 sections: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
We looked at what we would need to pray for if we were going on a long journey, and we wrote a prayer to pray each day over the next few weeks.
We had a small talk on what we were doing. Im giving up facebook. Crazy I know. But im on it way too much.
Also, I thought about how im entering a whole new part of my life. a part where it is just me. As me. Since before Christmas I haven’t just been me. Ive been me with kerry, then I was me without kerry, then I was me with candy. But now its just me. Andd im scared, but excited about my journey. Im ready
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Monday, 16 February 2009
since september
this morning josh, jo, Fiona, sarah and I went out for our Monday training. We went to café nero to have a coffee, but ended up walking for half hour before we actually got there to sit down. It was really strange going out somewhere again because it felt like it was the beginning of the year again. In September/October we used to go out to places to chat. It also felt like the beginning of the year because of how everyone acted. Josh lead the way as always, jo, Fiona and sarah were chatting and laughing, and I was walking alone contributing an odd coment every now and then, but generally being ignored. I didn’t mind too much because I wasn’t up for chatting and Im feeling quite ill, but it was interesting to be in that situation again.
Once we got our drinks and we sat down, we were asked to map out our threesixty journey so far. Like a timeline of events that meant things to us. When I thought about it hard, I was able to put down much more than I thought I would be able to. Things like when I went for breakfast with pete brierley and we just chatted and got to know each other before he left. And a recent one was that last Thursday I opened up the studio without dom which I never thought I would ever be able to do. I was able to set it all up and everything.
And the biggest thing that impacted me last term was kerry. She really hurt me. And yet thinking about her now, there are parts of me that still miss her. Or maybe the idea of her. That fact that she was my first real long term girlfriend. The weird thing is that I don’t want to know her now. She isn’t the person I thought she was. But anyway, im going off topic.
We were then asked to look over the some of the things we put down and see what impact they had on us, then once that was done, we looked to see if there were any threads or patterns that ran through the year so far. To see if there was anything that God was working on in us.
The first thing I found was strength and trust in God. Last term I really needed to know God was there for me. If I wasn’t able to trust God, then I wouldn’t have gotten my strength from Him, and I would definitely not be where I am today.
I also found that my confidence rose dramatically since beginning the year. At the beginning of the year I would struggle to talk in front of josh and the other guys, but I can do that easily now, and I can open up and run the studio without Dom being there!
I have had one wild ride since September. There have been some amazing ups, and some ridiculously hurtful downs. But the one main thing I know through all of this, is that God is stronger than I can ever imagine. And I would not be writing this quite the same if I hadn’t trusted God fully and relied on his strength.
Once we got our drinks and we sat down, we were asked to map out our threesixty journey so far. Like a timeline of events that meant things to us. When I thought about it hard, I was able to put down much more than I thought I would be able to. Things like when I went for breakfast with pete brierley and we just chatted and got to know each other before he left. And a recent one was that last Thursday I opened up the studio without dom which I never thought I would ever be able to do. I was able to set it all up and everything.
And the biggest thing that impacted me last term was kerry. She really hurt me. And yet thinking about her now, there are parts of me that still miss her. Or maybe the idea of her. That fact that she was my first real long term girlfriend. The weird thing is that I don’t want to know her now. She isn’t the person I thought she was. But anyway, im going off topic.
We were then asked to look over the some of the things we put down and see what impact they had on us, then once that was done, we looked to see if there were any threads or patterns that ran through the year so far. To see if there was anything that God was working on in us.
The first thing I found was strength and trust in God. Last term I really needed to know God was there for me. If I wasn’t able to trust God, then I wouldn’t have gotten my strength from Him, and I would definitely not be where I am today.
I also found that my confidence rose dramatically since beginning the year. At the beginning of the year I would struggle to talk in front of josh and the other guys, but I can do that easily now, and I can open up and run the studio without Dom being there!
I have had one wild ride since September. There have been some amazing ups, and some ridiculously hurtful downs. But the one main thing I know through all of this, is that God is stronger than I can ever imagine. And I would not be writing this quite the same if I hadn’t trusted God fully and relied on his strength.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Goodness! Has it really been 3 weeks!
quick info fill in...
i am more involved in the studio
i am opening the studio til 9 on tuesdays
i am now 19
this term is going really well
i have now been on the london eye
it snowed on my birthday!!!!!!!
i am involved with making a new southside magazine
i am thinking of moving my room around tomorrow
i am doing youth church on sunday and its gonna be great
that is all for now
laters
i am more involved in the studio
i am opening the studio til 9 on tuesdays
i am now 19
this term is going really well
i have now been on the london eye
it snowed on my birthday!!!!!!!
i am involved with making a new southside magazine
i am thinking of moving my room around tomorrow
i am doing youth church on sunday and its gonna be great
that is all for now
laters
Friday, 23 January 2009
Monday, 12 January 2009
Faith.
‘The way of the heart’
In our Monday training, Josh took me and the others through chapter two of a book I cant quite remember the name of! The chapter was called ‘faith – the way of the heart.’
The chapter spoke about how faith in our generation has become a way of the head. Like we have a set of checkboxes that people have to tick before they are a ‘Christian’. And each church denomination has a different set of checkboxes.
An easy one for example would be that one church denomination would say that you have to believe in child baptism to be a ‘Christian’, whereas another would say that you must believe in adult baptism.
After talking on this, the author comes to the ‘Four meanings of faith’.
Faith as Assensus.
Faith as Fiducia.
Faith as Fidelitas.
Faith as Visio.
Assensus.
This part of faith is to believe that a claim or statement is true. This is what is most thought of when people today think about faith. It is ‘head matter’, not heart matter. To know something is true, or false. Though this in itself is not everything. You can believe all the right things, and yet still be in bondage of all the things that tie you up. You can believe all the right things, and still be miserable. You can believe all the right things, and still be relatively unchanged. So, however important Assensus is, it is not everything in itself, we need the other three meanings of faith.
Fiducia.
Fiducia is faith as trust. It does not mean trusting in the truth of a set of statements about God; it means trusting in God.
Faith as trust is like floating in an ocean. If you thrash about, you will sink, but if you relax, you float. Like peter when he walked on water, he was trusting in Jesus, so he was able to walk on the water. We need to be trusting in the buoyancy of God.
Fidelitas.
Faith is faithfulness. In any relationship, we need to be faithful. We are faithful, or not, to our spouses, and so we also need to be faithful to God. The opposite of this is being unfaithful to God, and to use a biblical metaphor, being unfaithful is adultery. But not within human sexual relationships, rather not following the laws of God. So faith as Fidelitas is to be faithful to all of God’s Laws.
Visio.
This is faith as seeing the ‘whole’. Faith as visio is seeing reality as gracious. The opposite would be to see reality as hostile, threatening, or as indifferent. Trust and visio go together. Trust in God and we see his plans, and the bigger picture of our lives.
Hebrews 11v1 in the NIV says:
‘Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’
The message version says this:
‘The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.’
We do not just believe, we do not just trust, we are not just faithful and we do not just see the whole.
We have faith.
In our Monday training, Josh took me and the others through chapter two of a book I cant quite remember the name of! The chapter was called ‘faith – the way of the heart.’
The chapter spoke about how faith in our generation has become a way of the head. Like we have a set of checkboxes that people have to tick before they are a ‘Christian’. And each church denomination has a different set of checkboxes.
An easy one for example would be that one church denomination would say that you have to believe in child baptism to be a ‘Christian’, whereas another would say that you must believe in adult baptism.
After talking on this, the author comes to the ‘Four meanings of faith’.
Faith as Assensus.
Faith as Fiducia.
Faith as Fidelitas.
Faith as Visio.
Assensus.
This part of faith is to believe that a claim or statement is true. This is what is most thought of when people today think about faith. It is ‘head matter’, not heart matter. To know something is true, or false. Though this in itself is not everything. You can believe all the right things, and yet still be in bondage of all the things that tie you up. You can believe all the right things, and still be miserable. You can believe all the right things, and still be relatively unchanged. So, however important Assensus is, it is not everything in itself, we need the other three meanings of faith.
Fiducia.
Fiducia is faith as trust. It does not mean trusting in the truth of a set of statements about God; it means trusting in God.
Faith as trust is like floating in an ocean. If you thrash about, you will sink, but if you relax, you float. Like peter when he walked on water, he was trusting in Jesus, so he was able to walk on the water. We need to be trusting in the buoyancy of God.
Fidelitas.
Faith is faithfulness. In any relationship, we need to be faithful. We are faithful, or not, to our spouses, and so we also need to be faithful to God. The opposite of this is being unfaithful to God, and to use a biblical metaphor, being unfaithful is adultery. But not within human sexual relationships, rather not following the laws of God. So faith as Fidelitas is to be faithful to all of God’s Laws.
Visio.
This is faith as seeing the ‘whole’. Faith as visio is seeing reality as gracious. The opposite would be to see reality as hostile, threatening, or as indifferent. Trust and visio go together. Trust in God and we see his plans, and the bigger picture of our lives.
Hebrews 11v1 in the NIV says:
‘Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’
The message version says this:
‘The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.’
We do not just believe, we do not just trust, we are not just faithful and we do not just see the whole.
We have faith.
The Bible is a metaphor!!!!!
Josh, Jo, Fiona, Sarah and I were taking this morning about the two paradigms of Christian beliefs that are within the world at the moment.
One paradigm is the earlier paradigm as it is the one that was believed first. This paradigm interprets the bible literally. Either everything in the Bible is literal and God did make the earth in exactly seven days, and Jesus was raised from the dead, or the important parts of the bible are literal, but the less important things can be thought of as metaphor, like God made the earth in seven days (time periods), but Jesus was definitely raised from the dead
The other paradigm is the emerging paradigm. This paradigm says that more recently, more and more of the bible is being taken as a metaphor, and not literally, but keeping the truth within it.
So, can the bible still mean the same to me if it is a metaphor, is the truth still there? Would it still change my life?
If the bible is a metaphor, then my core belief that Jesus saved me by dying for me and rising from the dead did not actually happen. Yes, the truth that Jesus has still saved me may still be there, but it does not have the impact to my life as the fact has. The fact that Jesus humbled himself and made himself man and came to this earth and lived in pain to save me means more to me than just the fact that he saved me.
And so, maybe, if the bible was a metaphor, it could still change my life. The truth that is behind what it says is still there, and so my life would not change that much, but I believe that the bible is literal. Because my life has more meaning to me believing in a God that has done everything that is written in the bible.
One paradigm is the earlier paradigm as it is the one that was believed first. This paradigm interprets the bible literally. Either everything in the Bible is literal and God did make the earth in exactly seven days, and Jesus was raised from the dead, or the important parts of the bible are literal, but the less important things can be thought of as metaphor, like God made the earth in seven days (time periods), but Jesus was definitely raised from the dead
The other paradigm is the emerging paradigm. This paradigm says that more recently, more and more of the bible is being taken as a metaphor, and not literally, but keeping the truth within it.
So, can the bible still mean the same to me if it is a metaphor, is the truth still there? Would it still change my life?
If the bible is a metaphor, then my core belief that Jesus saved me by dying for me and rising from the dead did not actually happen. Yes, the truth that Jesus has still saved me may still be there, but it does not have the impact to my life as the fact has. The fact that Jesus humbled himself and made himself man and came to this earth and lived in pain to save me means more to me than just the fact that he saved me.
And so, maybe, if the bible was a metaphor, it could still change my life. The truth that is behind what it says is still there, and so my life would not change that much, but I believe that the bible is literal. Because my life has more meaning to me believing in a God that has done everything that is written in the bible.
Joy........
ok, so my mentor and I were talking about joy last Friday. and it was very interesting how the conversation developed, and our perception of what joy is may have changed. since Friday, many people have used the word joy, and I have carefully noted the way people mean joy, or what they mean by the word joy.
most people use joy in place of happiness. perhaps it is because, they were more happy than they would be normally so they needed that extra word other then happy to describe the feeling.
my mentor and I were talking about where we think joy comes from. is joy an emotion, like happiness or anger, or is it something else? is it something that is given to us?
I asked my sister what she thought joy was, and she said ‘it’s happiness. it’s contentment.’ joy is what you feel when you are content. when you are happy with what you have. but then if joy is only when you are content, then you cannot be joyful all the time.
in 1 Thessalonians 5 it says ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
the part Im focusing on is ‘be joyful always.’ how can we be joyful always?
I have always thought joy was an emotion that we felt. but I don’t think we can have one constant emotion whilst others emotions change. and so what IS joy, and where does it come from?
is joy something we have? or something we are given?
in nehamiah it says ‘the joy of the lord is our strength.’ which say to me that the joy belongs to the lord and it is that which is our strength. and so is it given to us? do we need to accept the joy from the lord to be able to be joyful always?
as I asked even more people, one person said that they think joy is a discipline. that makes sense to me. there are many disciplines that we need to do as Christians and so joy could be one of them. it makes sense because it takes a lot of work to be able to be joyful always and we have to trust in and rely on God for his help and provision.
This is just the beginning of my interest into what joy is, so please if you have something to add, please comment, i want to know what you think :)
most people use joy in place of happiness. perhaps it is because, they were more happy than they would be normally so they needed that extra word other then happy to describe the feeling.
my mentor and I were talking about where we think joy comes from. is joy an emotion, like happiness or anger, or is it something else? is it something that is given to us?
I asked my sister what she thought joy was, and she said ‘it’s happiness. it’s contentment.’ joy is what you feel when you are content. when you are happy with what you have. but then if joy is only when you are content, then you cannot be joyful all the time.
in 1 Thessalonians 5 it says ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
the part Im focusing on is ‘be joyful always.’ how can we be joyful always?
I have always thought joy was an emotion that we felt. but I don’t think we can have one constant emotion whilst others emotions change. and so what IS joy, and where does it come from?
is joy something we have? or something we are given?
in nehamiah it says ‘the joy of the lord is our strength.’ which say to me that the joy belongs to the lord and it is that which is our strength. and so is it given to us? do we need to accept the joy from the lord to be able to be joyful always?
as I asked even more people, one person said that they think joy is a discipline. that makes sense to me. there are many disciplines that we need to do as Christians and so joy could be one of them. it makes sense because it takes a lot of work to be able to be joyful always and we have to trust in and rely on God for his help and provision.
This is just the beginning of my interest into what joy is, so please if you have something to add, please comment, i want to know what you think :)
Sunday, 4 January 2009
First post of the new year...
First of all, Happy new year!
Hope you all entered the new year with fun and games and with the people you care about most!
I am leaving Worthing today, in about two hours to go back to London. I woke up this morning nervous as I was talking in church today. That went fine, and i spoke well and clearly which i am happy with :), but the nerves are still there...
i am not sure why i am nervous about going back to london, but for some reason i am.
Perhaps it is because it is a new beginning. A new term. With a new perspective on things.
The term in which all things began is over, the term in which the pain of an ended relationship happened is over. and i have been able to reflect whilst home over christmas.
this is a term of new beginnings. new youth workers, new relationships, renewed friendships, new focuses and new aims.
well, best stop going on....
Here goes term two..!
see you on the other side!
Hope you all entered the new year with fun and games and with the people you care about most!
I am leaving Worthing today, in about two hours to go back to London. I woke up this morning nervous as I was talking in church today. That went fine, and i spoke well and clearly which i am happy with :), but the nerves are still there...
i am not sure why i am nervous about going back to london, but for some reason i am.
Perhaps it is because it is a new beginning. A new term. With a new perspective on things.
The term in which all things began is over, the term in which the pain of an ended relationship happened is over. and i have been able to reflect whilst home over christmas.
this is a term of new beginnings. new youth workers, new relationships, renewed friendships, new focuses and new aims.
well, best stop going on....
Here goes term two..!
see you on the other side!
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