At the start of 2009 the one thing I was sure about was that this year would bring much Challenge and Change. At the beginning of this new term yet more Challenge and Change looms large: the challenge of the new Beacon building and the outstanding finances required (the builders quotes have come back at around £1.3m); the challenge of a Gift Day; the challenge of moving the church staff and ministries to the Roman Catholic Church in Camberley for the 50 week build; the challenge of a reduced staff with Will and Sarah having moved on to university and Frimley Park Hospital respectively and Adrian having to take on less with his ongoing health challenges whilst still remaining on the Pastoral Team; plus the challenge of remaining in faith for these and other personal challenges that will likely come our way.
With this in mind it seems appropriate that we should begin the new term with a Week of Prayer commencing on Sunday. Before we are thrown into the frenetic activity of the new term let's come before God as individuals and together to seek Him, worship Him and re-centre our lives upon Him.
Monday, 31 August 2009
Saturday, 29 August 2009
What is love ...?
2 weddings and a lot of love.
Today is another first in the life of The Beacon Church as we have 2 weddings. Luke and Danielle plus Abagail and Dave have chosen 29th August as their wedding day. One wedding is at 2.00pm and the other at 4.00pm.
In thinking about both couples and their obvious love for each other I am struck again by God's amazing love and how much The Bible has to say about love:
"The greatest commandment (said Jesus) is to love God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength. The second is to love your neighbour as yourself."
"let us love one another for love comes from God."
"God is love."
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as a sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4)
We also have arguably the best description ever of love written in a letter in The Bible (St. Paul to the church in Corinth) in which he says:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs...".
Fantastic stuff and how different would our relationships, marriages, families, society be if we lived by this kind of love?
Today is another first in the life of The Beacon Church as we have 2 weddings. Luke and Danielle plus Abagail and Dave have chosen 29th August as their wedding day. One wedding is at 2.00pm and the other at 4.00pm.
In thinking about both couples and their obvious love for each other I am struck again by God's amazing love and how much The Bible has to say about love:
"The greatest commandment (said Jesus) is to love God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength. The second is to love your neighbour as yourself."
"let us love one another for love comes from God."
"God is love."
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as a sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4)
We also have arguably the best description ever of love written in a letter in The Bible (St. Paul to the church in Corinth) in which he says:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs...".
Fantastic stuff and how different would our relationships, marriages, families, society be if we lived by this kind of love?
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Time to rest
Back from holiday
We got back from our holiday in Itlay last night after having had a wonderful time together away as a family by Lake Garda. In fact there were 31 of us altogether!
I am a firm believer in working hard and in the sabbath principal - taking time off to rest and reflect. I enjoyed uninterupted time with Bev and the family, time by the lake, swimming, reading, relaxing, visiting Venice and Verona and especially being warm all the time. I enjoyed learning a little more about Italian history and culture and enjoyed Lake Garda so much that I would happily go there again.
Friday, 7 August 2009
Will Smith plagued by guilt
How to overcome guilt.
Bev and I watched a good film the other night: Will Smith in "Seven Pounds". A friend said we should watch it. Now I should point out that finding a film that we both like is troublesome. Bev likes period dramas and romantic movies. I like a good car chase, explosions, well-choreographed fight sequences. "Seven Pounds" is unlike any other movie I have seen. Without giving away the story or shocking ending, Will Smith plays a character plagued by guilt who sets about doing some good for others as a means to assuage his own guilt. It is heart-rending, warm and thought-provoking.
Away from Hollywood however - without the cross of Christ there is no way to truly deal with guilt, find forgiveness and peace. We need a Saviour who has taken our punishment, our sins, our guilt - thus we are saved, rescued from those things.
Bev and I watched a good film the other night: Will Smith in "Seven Pounds". A friend said we should watch it. Now I should point out that finding a film that we both like is troublesome. Bev likes period dramas and romantic movies. I like a good car chase, explosions, well-choreographed fight sequences. "Seven Pounds" is unlike any other movie I have seen. Without giving away the story or shocking ending, Will Smith plays a character plagued by guilt who sets about doing some good for others as a means to assuage his own guilt. It is heart-rending, warm and thought-provoking.
Away from Hollywood however - without the cross of Christ there is no way to truly deal with guilt, find forgiveness and peace. We need a Saviour who has taken our punishment, our sins, our guilt - thus we are saved, rescued from those things.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
The Youth of Newday
Waving off the coach.
Today Bev and I waved off the children who are going to New Day for the week. New day is a Youth Camp in Norwich in the East of England where 6,000 young people will gather for the week. They will worship God, hear great teaching, be inspired by what God is doing in the nations and have lots of fun. You can find out more on http://www.newday.xtn.org/
You can also see some of New Day on the BBC website:
news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_place.../8176434.stm
During the week I met with some of our young people in the Students Small Group. I was so impressed by their friendships, their openness, their decisions to live uncompromising lives for Jesus and the manner in which they prayed for one another. I was very humbled and returned home knowing that I had touched something very holy that night - a Holy God and His young people.
Today Bev and I waved off the children who are going to New Day for the week. New day is a Youth Camp in Norwich in the East of England where 6,000 young people will gather for the week. They will worship God, hear great teaching, be inspired by what God is doing in the nations and have lots of fun. You can find out more on http://www.newday.xtn.org/
You can also see some of New Day on the BBC website:
news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_place.../8176434.stm
During the week I met with some of our young people in the Students Small Group. I was so impressed by their friendships, their openness, their decisions to live uncompromising lives for Jesus and the manner in which they prayed for one another. I was very humbled and returned home knowing that I had touched something very holy that night - a Holy God and His young people.
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