Reaping consequences

Christmas is just about my favourite time of the year. It's a very busy time for me, with lots of special Christmas services and events, but it's a time I love. This is not least because of happy childhood memories of Christmases past. I love the Christmas lights on dark nights, the carols and special events, the Christmas meals, the time to spend with friends and family, and, of course, the amazing story which lies at the heart of Christmas: God stepping into our world through his Son, Jesus.

For many years we have welcomed Sue's mum to stay with us for a few days over Christmas. She generally stays 3 or 4 days, but then likes to get back home to her cat! This year, Sue was due to pick her up a couple of days before Christmas day. The weather had been very cold and icy, and Sue's mum, no longer a spring chicken, was warned not to venture out on the snow in case she had an accident. Of course there are some folk who think they know better! She did go out, slipped on the ice, and quite badly hurt her right arm.

By the time she arrived at our house the arm was quite bruised. Our future son-in-law Matt, a doctor, advised that we take mum to A&E for an x-ray. The x-ray indicated a broken humerus (not funny!) Her arm was given a temporary pot, and a further appointment was made for the following day. On the following day the hospital decided that mum required a pin inserting in her arm to aid the healing process. The latest news from the hospital is that the operation may be on Tuesday (two days' time). Mum was originally due to return home today, so she is somewhat concerned. Happily she has a good neighbour who is taking care of the cat.

Fortunately my mother-in-law doesn't have a computer or internet access (like my own mum, she probably doesn't have very much idea of what the internet is). She won't, therefore, mind me using her as an example of someone reaping the consequences of her actions. Although she had been advised not to venture out in the snow, she ignored the advice, and now she is reaping the consequences.

The Bible often talks about human responsibility for the consequences of our own actions. It also tells us that when we don't live in the way God has shown us, there will be consequences. The truth is that the vast majority of problems and suffering in our world today are caused by disobedience to God's will. Just think, for example, of the transformation which would take place in our society and world today if people lived by the ten commandments! The Bible calls disobedience to God's will sin. Sin has consequences - separation from God, our relationship with him is broken. The good news of Christmas is that through faith in Jesus, that broken relationship can be restored, and we can receive forgiveness. As the apostle John puts it, "This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." Thank God for Jesus! And as the angels said to the shepherds, it's good news for ALL people!

Christmas cards and the personal touch

How many Christmas cards have you sent this year? Another question: do you know the year in which the first Christmas card was sent, and who sent it? Find the answer here. Each year, many millions of Christmas cards are sent and received in the UK. In recent years some people have decided that, rather than send Christmas cards to their friends at church, they would send a general greeting though the church magazine, and then make a donation to charity corresponding to the amount of money they have saved on Christmas cards. I can see the logic, and no doubt the charities concerned are very grateful.

There is, however, another side to this issue. I was talking recently to a lady who told me that she intended to continue sending Christmas cards. The reason was that she really appreciated receiving Christmas cards herself; she therefore wanted to bless others in the way that she herself was blessed.

I find that receiving Christmas cards, especially when they come from people who I have not seen for some time, often brings back memories, and certainly gives a prompt to pray for God's blessing on the people concerned.

Last year a friend of mine, who is also a Methodist Minister, decided to personally deliver Christmas cards to all his church members. In a mad moment, I decided that this year I would try to do the same: quite a tall order when I am Minister of two churches with a combined membership of approaching 200 people! I wrote and addressed the cards, and started delivering them on 1 December, wondering how it would go.

Having now reached 19 December, I still have quite a few cards left to deliver, but I am just about on target to get them all delivered by Christmas Eve. It has been quite a task, and I have had to use my days off to get on with the deliveries, but it has certainly been worthwhile. Even though I have not been able to stay long in each home, the mere fact that I have taken the time to call with the card has been very much appreciated. The personal touch means a lot. (Thankfully, some people have been out when I have called, otherwise I would never have got all the cards delivered!)

So I think it's good to send cards. It's also a great thing to receive them. I thank God for all those who have taken time to write and address cards to me and Sue, and I thank God for the inspiration and opportunity to deliver lots of Christmas cards this year. Most of all I thank God for Jesus - the heart of Christmas, "the reason for the season."

Out with the old and in with the new

For quite some time it has been apparent that we need a new kitchen. The current one was installed about 30 years ago, and it has certainly seen much better days. Some of the drawer ends had fallen off, and a few cupboard doors were hanging on only loosely! After much thinking, discussion and planning, the work on installing a new one finally began last Monday. The men came in and started to remove all the existing units, as well as all the kitchen equipment. Actually, the work had started a few days earlier, because the contents of all the kitchen cupboards had to be removed: our dining room is now fairly full of kitchen cupboard contents!

When the men began to remove the kitchen units, lots of the plaster fell off the walls, and it became clear that all the remaining loose plaster would have to be removed. By the time they had finished, quite a bit of the wall area was back to bare brick. It really was a case of "back to basics". Since then, the walls and ceiling have been re-plastered, and we now have two dehumidifiers working hard to remove all the moisture, so that the walls can be painted and the new kitchen units installed. It's been quite interesting having to manage without a cooker this week! The house really is rather upside down, but I am sure that by the time the work is finished, all the mess and inconvenience will have been worth it. Whether the kitchen will be finished in time for Christmas is another matter!

On Wednesday of this week we attended a carol service at Doncaster Minster. It was a great occasion, with over 1000 people in attendance. The service was designed to be something to invite family, friends, colleagues etc. to, and the guest speaker was J John. Towards the end of the service, J John invited people to respond to the message, and a number of people gave their lives to Jesus. I am reminded of some words of Paul writing to the church in Corinth, 'Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come!'

When we become a follower of Jesus, we are changed. The old way of living, where we live to please ourselves, is gone. Instead, we live to please God. Just as with our kitchen, the old is taken away, and is replaced by the new. So God wants to do a work in our lives, to make us new, so that our lives will reflect the light of his love. Of course it doesn't all happen overnight; in fact, it is a lifetime's process. As someone once said, "Be patient with me, God hasn't finished with me yet!" The important thing is that all those who are followers of Jesus are open to his ongoing work of transformation in their lives.

Dealing with disappointment

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" wrote Robert Burns (or at least that's the Anglicised version of his actual words!) And he was absolutely right! A while ago I had planned something for today, and had been really looking forward to it. Then, almost at the last minute, something happened which meant that my plans had to completely change; what I had so looked forward to never actually happened! It can be hard when cherished plans do not come to fruition, but it's part of how life sometimes is. It has got me to thinking about how to best deal with disappointment, and those situations when things don't work out as we might have hoped.

As I began to consider the question, another well known quote came to mind: "It's no use crying over spilt milk". One website I came cross gave the following note: "This idiom means that getting upset after something has gone wrong is pointless; it can't be changed so it should be accepted." Maybe not always that easy to put into practice, but it is nonetheless true! To sulk, moan, or complain may be a natural reaction, but we all know that it doesn't do much (if anything) to help, and may indeed hinder our path to recovery from the disappointment.

When I write a blog entry I always look for an image to go with it. Sometimes it's obvious, at other times I have to search. The image I've used to go with this blog entry was found through using the Google image search facility. I found the image fascinating: not so much the image itself (a person staring into an empty box), but the words which accompany the image: DISAPPOINTMENT The greatest Gift of All. Wow! What an interesting discussion starter!

I guess that the point being made is that if we react to disappointment in a more positive way, it can become something which spurs us on to greater things! Think of Peter, the disciple of Jesus. The lowest point in his life came when he failed Jesus in a big way by denying that he knew him. The gospels tell us that he "wept bitterly" at his own failure - what a disappointment Peter was to himself. Yet out of that failure and disappointment Peter learned the way of humility. In due course he was forgiven and restored by Jesus and became a great leader in the early church. The Bible tells us that God can work every situation for good!

So, as I look back on the day, I still feel an element of disappointment, but I do thank God that I was able to get things done today which I would otherwise not have been done. And perhaps it's made me a little better equipped to deal with disappointment in the future!

With Jesus at the dentist's

My last blog centred on the fact that a visit to the dentist was my "Room 101" experience. This morning I returned for the 3 fillings and other minor work. It was an truly amazing experience! During my time in the dentist's chair I had such a tremendous sense of the presence of Jesus with me that the procedure itself caused me hardly any discomfort. I believe that there were two main reasons for such a sense of the nearness of Jesus.

The first was the knowledge that lots of people were praying for me at the time. Quite a few people, both family and church friends, knew the time of my appointment and had promised to pray for me. Their prayers were certainly answered.

The second reason for my sense of Jesus' presence will take a little longer to explain. Last week I was talking with a fellow church leader who is a former dentist. I was sharing with him my nervousness about visits to the dentist. He told me about a meditation technique which he said might help me. It has to do with recalling a Bible story, and then imagining yourself as one of the characters in the story (I guess that this will work especially well with a story from the gospels, which will almost inevitably include the person of Jesus).

The story I chose was that of the anointing of Jesus by the sinful woman (Luke 7.36-56) I tried to imagine myself in the role of the woman, and I saw that she was probably at least as nervous about entering the house and approaching Jesus and the others as I was entering the dentist's surgery! Everyone present at the meal would have known about this woman's "sinful life"; no doubt many eyes were on her as she entered the room. Most of those in the room would have looked at her in judgement, perhaps wondering how she had the gall to show her face amongst them. But for the woman, the only person whose response she cared about was Jesus. How would he react to her presence?

There is no record of Jesus speaking to her on this occasion - we just don't know whether he did or not. But I am sure that he looked at her. As the woman slowly lifted her head and her eyes met the eyes of Jesus, she was absolotely broken by the pure love and grace which she saw. She began to weep. How can Jesus love me? Doesn't he know about my sinful past? She was overwhelmed by the love of Jesus, the acceptance, the sense that she was precious and valued. She responded in the only way she could, and poured out the sweet smelling perfume on his feet; an act of great devotion from a woman who was broken and yet restored.

As I sat in the dentist's chair, and began to feel something of that same loving presence of Jesus, my heart responded in praise and worship. If my mouth hadn't been full of dental equipment I might even have burst into song! Thank you, Lord, that you met me in the dentist's chair; thank you that in your presence all fear disappears.

Now I'm almost looking forward to my next check-up in 6 months' time!!

Overcoming the fear of Room 101

One of George Orwell's most famous novels was Nineteen Eighty-Four. Written in 1949, the novel describes a totalitarian regime run by The Party. Every citizen is under the watchful eye of Big Brother, and anyone who steps out of line in any way faces the dreaded prospect of Room 101. In Room 101, a person is forced to face his or her biggest nightmare, fear or phobia. In other words, a person must face up to what, in normal circumstances, they would do their level best to avoid. What would be in my Room 101? Almost certainly a dentist's chair!

I suppose that my rather irrational desire to avoid visiting the dentist must relate back to some unpleasant childhood experiences. Whatever the cause, and however much I try to tell myself to stop being so stupid, I have often found that the mere sight of a dentist approaching has turned me into a jellied wreck!

I have managed to avoid the experience for around 8 years. Until, that is, this week. A few days ago, part of a tooth disappeared, and I realised that I could put off the dreaded event no longer. I managed to find a local N.H.S. dentist (rather rare, these days), and went meekly along yesterday. As I was waiting for my appointment, I noticed on the wall in the reception 3 framed certificates. It certainly didn't help my nerves to discover that they were certificates awarded from a course in cardiac recovery (or something similar). I had visions of my heart giving up altogether!

As it happened, I coped rather well with the appointment, and I was very pleased with myself. I was probably in the chair for only about 1 minute. That's the good news. The bad news is that I have to return next week for 3 fillings! Just now the prospect doesn't seem to bad, but I am sure that it will loom larger as the time approaches.

Fear is a natural reaction to danger; it helps us to protect ourselves. The person without any fear would be in very great danger. However, when we allow fear to rule our lives it becomes debilitating and ruins our quality of life. I have heard it said (though haven't checked it out) that the phrase "do not be afraid" appears 366 times in the Bible. That's once for each day of the year, including leap year. God says to us, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' When we truly trust in him, then even the dentist's chair will lose it's threat. I'll try it next week!

Reflections on Remembrance Sunday

Early this morning I watched part of a Remembrance Sunday service taking place at Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It was a moving occasion, as the men and women currently serving in the armed forces there remembered friends and colleagues who had either died or been injured in conflict.

I have been thinking back to my own childhood memories of Remembrance Sunday. I lived in the village of Keyingham, which lies on the A1033 main road from Hull to Withernsea. My family and I attended the local Methodist Chapel, but on Remembrance Sunday we joined with the Anglicans in standing around the cenotaph for the two minutes' silence. I remember that the crowd of us spilled out onto the main road, but any cars drivers who happened to come along were very respectful, and more than happy to wait until the ceremony was completed.

Over the ensuing years, I had the feeling that Remembrance Day was not taken quite as seriously, as the generation who actually fought in, or remembered, the world wars were gradually dying off. Then, of course, came conflicts in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan. Sadly, we are now very used to regularly hearing of further casualties of war.

It is hard to imagine how the families and friends of those who have died or been seriously injured must be feeling at this time. Most members of the public hear the names of people who have died, and may be sad for their loved ones, but then they move on with our lives. For the bereaved, the pain never fully goes away. Their loss cannot be forgotten.

To give one's life for others is the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus himself said, 'greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.' In the midst of this time of great sadness we can remember that Jesus willingly gave his life for us, and for all mankind. Not only did he die for us, but he rose again, to show that death has been overcome. Through faith in him we can have the assurance of eternal life! Yes, when we lose a loved one it is a time of deep sadness. But for those whose faith is in Jesus, death is not the end, but a doorway to a new life in the very presence of God.

Giving thanks in the dark

I found myself in the dark this week - literally! During the 9 years or so we have lived in our house, we have had occasional power cuts, when the electricity supply has suddenly failed. Usually the power returns within a fairly short time. One annoying aspect of this eventuality is that we keep having to reset the alarm clock. It happened twice this week; the second occurrence came late afternoon as the light was rapidly fading. I found myself hurriedly searching for some other light source before the sunlight disappeared completely. Fortunately, I managed to locate two candles and a box of matches. As I was on my own at home, I sat in the front room and wondered what to do next! No TV, no computer, no kettle, no microwave, insufficient light for reading, no heating, etc. etc.

The whole event led me to consider how easily we can take for granted many aspects of our lives. Certainly, sitting on my own in the dark made me realise what a wonderful resource electricity is. I then thought about all those who are involved in the various processes which enable our house to receive electricity, and gave thanks for whoever sorted out the problem and reconnected the supply in time for me to make my tea!

One thought often leads to another, and I began to consider the various industrial disputes currently taking place: Royal Mail, the Fire Service, First buses, refuse collectors in Leeds etc. I don't have an insight into the disputes, and I certainly don't know who is in the right. I do find it fascinating that whenever I hear either management or unions speak, I feel some sympathy for them. No doubt, as with most of these disputes, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. It does seem a shame that they can't sit down and work out a solution before getting to the point of taking strike action.

Yet as I was thinking about these disputes, I came to realise how much I do appreciate the work done by those who deliver the mail, operate the fire engines (or "pumps" as they are know), drive the buses, and empty our wheelie bins week by week. How much we would miss them if they weren't there!

In St Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians he writes, 'give thanks in all circumstances' The reality is, that even in the most difficult times of life, if we take a moment to consider, there is still so much for which we ought to give thanks. Not least to God for his many blessings!

Communication is the key

When I started this blog a few months ago, I intended to do my best to update it approximately one each week. I have more or less kept to the schedule, apart from the period when I had my fortnight's summer holiday. Usually when it is time to sit down to write the blog, some subject comes to mind. This time, however, I have been waiting for a couple of days for the inspiration!

Tomorrow I am due to take a wedding. Generally I really enjoy taking weddings; it is a great privilege to lead a service in which a couple willingly exchange vows and make what amounts to one of the biggest commitments a person can make in life.

Yet, as anyone who has experienced marriage knows, it's one thing to make the vows, and sometimes quite another to keep them! There are several ingredients which go towards making a successful marriage, and one of the most important is good communication. Taking time to communicate, to be open and honest, and to genuinely listen is so important in any relationship, but especially in marriage. One article on the subject suggested that, “Most couples engage in meaningful conversation less than 15 minutes per week.” No wonder that this can lead to major problems!

A few weeks ago my brother moved to New Zealand. With modern communication methods, it doesn't so far seem much different from when he was in Liverpool; we can still communicate regularly through email and facebook etc. Yet it's ironic that in the modern communication age, we human beings still seem to have so much to learn when it comes to personal, face to face, communication. The current round of industrial strife suggests that management and unions alike could do better with their communication.

Of course, communication is two-way. At our Alpha course this week the subject was prayer. What a privilege we have been given in the gift of prayer. At any time and in any place we can offer our prayers to God, knowing that he listens to us. But prayer, also, is two-way. We need to give times in our prayers when we shut up and allow God to speak. I constantly ask God to help me be a better listener. Come to think of it, my wife would probably say “amen” to that!

Cliff & The Shadows, eBay, fraud and Emma

It is rather a shame that I have the time this evening to write my blog. Why? Because Sue and I should have been enjoying an evening at the Sheffield Arena, watching Cliff and The Shadows in their farewell concert tour. It is an evening we have long been looking forward to, but sadly it was not to be. Let me explain...

It was quite some time ago when I heard about the tour. We decided that if we could get some tickets we would like to go to one of the tour venues. By the time we started looking for tickets, many had already been sold. Being a long-time eBayer, I naturally looked on eBay, and found two seemingly ideal tickets for the evening in Sheffield, our most convenient tour venue.

So, back in February I won and paid for two tickets. They weren't cheap, but I thought that it was worth the money, especially as we rarely go out to similar events. I realised that buying these type of tickets on eBay, especially well in advance of an event, does involve an element of risk. However, the seller had (and has) a good eBay feedback rating and so I felt able to trust them. The seller informed me that the tickets would be sent to me a couple of weeks before the event, when s/he had received them. There did not seem anything unusual about this. All I could do was wait!

As the event drew closer, I attempted to contact the seller to check that I would be receiving the tickets. It now appears that I was victim of a fraud. I have received no tickets and have received no reply to any of my recent emails. So, here are two very disappointed people, out of pocket and out of the Sheffield Arena! I don't feel angry, just sad at a missed opportunity and sad at the fact that people like this particular eBay seller feels that it's OK to con people out of their hard earned money.

I guess that all of us find ourselves let down on occasions, sometimes even by those close to us on whom we thought we could rely. I am so grateful that I know Jesus, the one who is an ever faithful friend. When we trust in him, we are never let down.

So how did Sue and I spend the evening? We went out for a meal at our local pub, then came home and watched a recording of Sunday's episode of Emma. Not quite Cliff and The Shadows, but very enjoyable nevertheless!

Look what I found!

Sue and I recently had the opportunity to visit an Antique and Collectors' Fair at the Lincolnshire Showground. I love to look at items from a bygone era; I often wonder what tales they could tell if only they could speak! I particularly enjoy browsing stalls which have lots of small and interesting items.

On one stall I came across a very unusual old wedding greeting card. Although it was rather worn and grubby, I found it fascinating, and as it was only 50p I decided to buy it! It appears to have been handpainted. On the back is written "From your workmates at Lewis' all the best on your forthcoming wedding". The front of the card states "The undermentioned wish Miss E Jones the Best of Health and Every Happiness". Then are listed over 40 names. There is also an image of what I take to be the department store where Miss Jones and her colleagues worked. I assume that this is the famous Lewis' store in Liverpool.

I'll probably end up listing it on eBay, but the attraction to me is not in its monetary value. It raised all sorts of questions in my mind. Who was Miss E Jones? Did she have a long and happy marriage? Is she is alive, and if not, did she leave children? I find it a little sad that this item, which Miss Jones must surely have treasured, ended up in a tatty old box along with lots of other items at a collectors' fair. I'll almost certainly never find out the answers to my questions. But one thing I am sure of – God knows. God loved Miss Jones, and my hope and prayer is that she knew and loved him.

Most of us live fairly ordinary lives. We will never hit the headlines, and never become a celebrity. But we can still be assured that we are known and loved by God.

As I said, I'll probably never find out if Miss Jones had a happy marriage. But I did read this week of the death of Frank Milford, who died recently at the age of 101. As he died he was holding the hand of his dear wife, Anita, also aged 101. They celebrated their 81st wedding anniversary in June and, at the time, were Britain's longest married couple. They said that the secret to their long marriage was 'give and take' and making up after rows with a kiss and a cuddle. Not bad advice!

Big name hidden meaning

At the start of a new season, the hopes and expectations of football supporters up and down the country are raised. Although we are now only a few weeks into the 2009/10 season, it seems that already some teams are facing an uphill battle to achieve success. When things aren't going quite right, supporters often want new and betters players to be signed to improve the team's performance. Sometimes the supporters express the desire for a "big named player" to be signed (meaning a well known player with a good reputation and proven track record). The team which I have supported since childhood, Hull City (yes, I know they're doing very badly so far, but there's time for improvement!) signed a player with a very big name - Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. His name might suggest that he comes from a region called Hesselink. However, the true explanation is rather different:

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's name derives from the 17th century, when two farming families in the Enschede area of the Netherlands intermarried. Both the Vennegoor and Hesselink names carried equal social weight, and so, rather than choose between them, they chose to use both. "Of" in Dutch translates to "or" in English, which would mean that a strict translation of his name would read 'Jan Vennegoor or Hesselink'. This could be considered as having the same effect as the double-barrelling of English surnames.

In England, the tradition has been that generally speaking, when a couple are married the wife will take on the husband's family name. The traditional in Holland, however, was that the family name which carried the higher social standing would be used!

For many people, even today, social status is something to be sought after. I suppose that we are all tempted in some way to avoid anything which would lower our status in the eyes of others. It has probably always been so. There is a passage in the New Testament when Jesus overhears the disciples arguing amongst themselves who is the greatest (shades of Muhammad Ali!) In response, Jesus instructed them, 'The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves'.

I love the way in which Jesus so often turned conventional wisdom on its head. In effect, he says, the greatest in God's eyes is the one who is willing to serve, and take the lowest place. Jesus certainly knows how to lay down a challenge!

The blessing of sisters

In my Dad's early working days he worked as a gardener. One of the places he worked was Burton Agnes Hall, which is perhaps not surprising as he was born and brought up in the village. By the time I was born he had left behind the time of being employed as a gardener, but he never lost his love of gardening. In the early years of my marriage, whenever we moved house Dad would come and set to work on our garden. It was great to see how soon he could knock it into shape. The challenge for me then was to keep it at that standard!

Though I quite enjoy gardening, I am nothing like as skilled at it as my dad was. We have been at out current house for just over 9 years now, and I've not really come close to getting on top of the garden. Every now and then I have a bit of a spurt, and parts of it are ok, but I know that Dad would have much to do if he were still alive and able to offer his help!

One of the big problems I face is shortage of time to actually spend in the garden. I was delighted, then, when two of my sisters very kindly offered to come and spend a couple of days with us and do some work in our back garden. Christine and Mary worked really hard, and I'm only sorry that I didn't manage to take a "before" photo to remind me of what the garden was like before their efforts. The back garden has been transformed. We took several car loads of garden waste to the tip, and there's still more waiting to be taken.

Apart from anything else, it's reminded me of how we human beings need each other. It was John Donne who famously wrote, 'No man is an island, entire of itself'. Part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus is to be ready to support, encourage and help others by allowing God's love to flow through us. Jesus calls us to follow his example of servanthood. We also need to be gracious enough to accept the offer of help from others when we are struggling. One of the big problems we face as a society is the fact that there seem to be so many people who feel alone, with no one to help or care. Right now I say a big thank you to God for my two sisters who gave so much to us, and I just hope that it's given me the incentive to carry on the good work!

A funny thing happened on the way to Synod

It's hard to believe that I'm now into my 20th year as a Methodist Minister! It seems such a long time since I had a "proper job" as an accountant (not all accountants are of the boring grey-suited variety!). One of the things I miss most of my former way of life is that I no longer have the traditional weekend break. I used to really enjoy weekends, giving as they did time to spend with the family and to do those jobs around the house and in the garden which I struggle to make time for these days. I also used to enjoy Sundays and attending church. That's not to say that I don't enjoy attending church these days, but it tends to be quite a busy and tiring day.

In theory, Saturday is my day off, though it doesn't always work out that way. Last Saturday, for example, I had to attend Synod in Sheffield. A friend who was not familiar with the term Synod recently asked me what it was. This is the definition I gave her: "It's a meeting which Ministers have to attend every so often where one listens to boring speeches, falls asleep, and then goes home again!" Perhaps a little harsh, but it's hard to pluck up much enthusiasm for Synod, especially when it happens on my day off. Last Saturday I decided that it would be best to take public transport, which meant catching the 7.30am bus into town, then the train to Sheffield. To be honest I don't often use the bus, so I was a bit nervous about whether I'd catch the right one, and whether I would arrive at the train station in time.

I worked out which number bus I needed, and I soon saw it approaching the bus stop. I jumped on, and was surprised to find myself the sole passenger. The driver then explained that someone has taken HIS bus, and that he was chasing after him to regain control of his bus! We spend off down the road and soon caught the bus in question. The miscreant driver, together with all his passengers, were soon transferred to my bus, and the original driver was overjoyed to have his own bus back!

To cut a long story short, I arrived in Sheffield on time and made my way to the Victoria Hall, where Synod was being held. As expected, much of it was fairly boring and I struggled to discern much point to it all. There was, however, one highlight, and that was an address given by the Bishop of Sheffield. I was very interested in and encouraged by what he said. His stated that the biggest challenge facing today's church, and every individual Christian, is to "be more like Jesus". I am sure the he is absolutely right. What our society desperately needs is for those of us who follow Jesus to live more like him. In the New Testament, the apostle John writes, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." Quite a challenge.

Choices - or the wonders of Saltburn

Sue and I spent most of last weekend in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, a small coastal town in the north east of England. I had been invited by Doncaster Baptist Church to lead their church weekend. They are a lovely bunch of people, and we had lots of laughs together. It was a privilege to share the weekend with the folk from D.B.C. Our theme for the weekend was "True Worship", and our focus was on the fact that true worship isn't what we might do in a church building for an hour or two on a Sunday, but rather it is the offering of our whole lives to God. I love the Message translation of Romans 12.1, 'So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering.' Not a bad summary of what true worship is all about!

Saltburn is a rather unique place - I've never been anywhere like it! Last weekend was only the second time I'd ever visited Saltburn. It is such a quiet place; walk down the high street and you wonder where everybody is! It's certainly not your average "identikit" street which you find in so many places around the UK; there are some quaint, local shops. But if you see more than about a dozen or so people around it's getting busy!

Despite his, I quite like the place. Certainly having spent a whole weekend there, I'm more taken with it than at our first fleeting visit some years ago. One of the strangest sights of the weekend was finding a sheep tethered and grazing on the lawn of the local Anglican church - at least it saves having to get the mower out, and also provides free fertilizer.

On the Saturday afternoon we had some free time. Sue and I walked down to the pier; it was great to be able to walk out along the pier and watch the surfers. It was quite a steep climb back to the hotel, and many folk were taking the cliff lift (see image above). The cost for a one way trip was 70p. Sue didn't fancy walking, but she had no money with her. Eventually she managed to persuade me to hand over the required 70p so that she could use the lift, whilst I decided to walk. Then, to my surprise, she changed her mind (woman's prerogative!) and decided to walk with me. We did have several stops on the way, but we eventually made it back to the hotel, though I never did get my 70p back!

Just as we had a choice about using the lift or walking, so true or false worship is based on a choice. False worship occurs when we just go through the motions; true worship happens when we make the choice to devote our whole lives to God.

Giving Thanks

I recently returned from a great two weeks' holiday. The first week was spent near Honiton, in Devon, in a converted farm property. I sharing the holiday with not only my immediate family, but overall around 35 members of my wider family (4 sisters and a brother and their families). It was some gathering, following in the tradition of 5-yearly family holidays begun by my Dad when he retired in 1984! This family holiday was made rather poignant by the fact that only a week or so after the end of the holiday my brother, Phil, set off to begin a new job in New Zealand!

The second holiday week was spent in the tiny hamlet of Buckland in the Cotswolds (a rather smaller gathering this, with just Sue and I and our two daughters, Caz & Steph). I find the Cotswolds such a fascinating place to visit. Each village and town seems to have its own unique identity. And I love to browse the many antique centres and second hand bookshops. We did quite well with the weather, only one really wet day, which isn't bad for a fortnight in the UK, even if it is supposed to be summertime.

My overall feeling right now is one of thanksgiving. I am grateful for the opportunity to have a couple of weeks away from the normal routine, to relax, enjoy visiting new places, and recharge the batteries. I am also very thankful for the great family I belong to. Of course, we don't choose the family we are born into, but I couldn't have chosen a better one! So I say thank you to God for all the many ways he has blessed me.

"Thank You" are two very important words. I feel sure that they are not said often enough. After all, it costs nothing to say thank you, but it can mean an awful lot to the person to whom we speak the words. I try to make it a habit to say thank you as much as possible, and to let people know how much I appreciate them and what they do. It's not a bad habit to cultivate.

Where Mars got it right

One of my pet hates is TV adverts. It really annoys me when they seem to crop up every five minutes, and especially when the same old adverts are repeated time after time. I went round to watch some test match cricket at a friend's house a while ago (yes, it was on Sky, so most people couldn't watch it!) Every two overs there was an ad break, which kind of spoiled the match!

To be honest, some adverts are really inventive, and quite enjoyable the first few times. There are some which have become classics over the years. One which stands out in my memory is the old Mars bar advert, with the strapline, "A Mars A Day Helps You Work, Rest and Play."

I love my work, but I also look forward to times of "rest and play". I will shortly be going on holiday, and I'm really looking forward to it, especially as this year I will be spending it with more than 30 other members of my wider family! The fact is that when God created us, he created us to fit in with the rhythm of life. We are not machines which can run forever with no break; we were never made to be so. God created us with the rhythm of work and rest.

It's good to work, and it's good to rest. The problem comes when we get the two out of balance. It seems that many people are so stressed and pressurised at work that they have little time for anything or anyone else. On the other hand, we can be tempted to avoid work as much as possible, and that, too, can be bad for our health and wellbeing.

I guess that getting the right balance is the key. Work hard, put your best effort into it. But don't let it take over your life. Remember the old saying, "No one ever said on his deathbed, 'I wish I'd spent more time in the office'". Make sure that you get your rest times, time to switch off, to enjoy being with family and friends, or time for yourself. And don't forget the One who blessed you with the gift of life.

Blessed are the poor

I have just finished reading a remarkable book. I found it both greatly inspiring and deeply challenging. The book's title is "There Is Always Enough", and it was written by Rolland and Heidi Baker. Some years ago (1995) they felt God's call to move to Mozambique and serve the people of that country. Out of that grew Iris Ministries. The Iris Ministries website states that, "Iris Ministries has expanded to over 5,000 churches all over Mozambique and into neighboring countries. The disastrous flooding of 2000/2001 catalyzed an overwhelming hunger for the things of God in the refugee camps where we ministered, and the Gospel continues to spread like wildfire. We now care for almost 2,000 children at our centers, and our churches are taking in orphans as well. Jesus is revealing Himself through signs and wonders, visions and dreams, and we have never seen such a harvest before us. May the Lord of the harvest send us workers!"

So many aspects of the book were both challenging and thought-provoking. I was reminded, for example, that though we in this country may be suffering to some extent from the effects of the recession, we are, by the standards of Mozambique, immensely wealthy. Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world, and has suffered greatly in recent years from both war and natural disasters. The book chronicles the terrible floods which hit the country around the turn of the millennium, and the vast suffering which ensued. For many people, even the little they had was lost.

Of course there will have been those in the West who will have asked the question, "If there is a God, why did he allow such suffering to happen?" Only a fool would suggest there there are easy answers to such questions. Yet the book relates the amazing fact that at the time of the floods and devastation, there arose in the hearts of the people of Mozambique a deep hunger and thirst for God. Often when the Iris Ministries team took food and clothing supplies to those in great need, though the people were very grateful for the supplies, what they wanted even more was to hear about and experience the love of God!

Jesus said, "it is easier for a camel to get though the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God." The truth is that our material wealth and possessions can actually turn us away from God. But when, like many of the people of Mozambique, a person has almost nothing in terms of material possessions, it is easier for them to see where true and lasting wealth can be found - in God alone.

God and satnav

One of the privileges I have is being chaplain to Doncaster Rovers FC. I will soon be starting my third season with the Rovers, and it has been a real pleasure to see a football club from the inside, and get to know both the players and the other staff at the club.

I am a member of the sports chaplains organisation, SCORE. Every few months we have a regional meeting. A couple of weeks ago we had such a meeting at Valley Parade, the home of Bradford City FC. Having arrived safely, a few of us were extolling the virtues of satellite navigation systems. One of our number made a comment which I can wholeheartedly agree with, namely that his satnav had cut down considerably on the number of arguments he has with his wife in the car! I can think back to many times over the years when Sue and I got a bit hot under the collar when we were trying to work out a route.

The first satnav we owned had a rather shrill female voice. "She" reminded me of an old fashioned school teacher - very bossy. On those occasions when I failed to obey her instructions, she cried out "recalculating!" in a very accusing manner. I was almost made to feel as if I'd committed a grave offence which was causing her much inconvenience.

Our current satnav is much more gentle. I have selected the male voice, but I think it would be the same whichever the gender of the voice. With this satnav, when I make a mistake and don't follow his instructions, there is no accusing cry, he simply and quietly recalculates the route and provides the revised instructions.

One of my colleagues at the SCORE meeting pointed out how this reminds him of how God deals with us. God has a plan for our lives. However, there are times when we mess up, either by mistake or by deliberate disobedience, and travel down a wrong route. In those times, God doesn't shout at us or wag his finger in an accusing way. Rather, he is able to work even our wrongdoing for good. If we come back to him and admit the error of our ways, he gently and lovingly guides us back onto the right path, so that we can accomplish his purpose. What an amazing and gracious God we have!

A perspective on wealth and poverty

One of life's little ironies is that as the number of TV channels has increased dramatically over the years, so there seem to have become fewer and fewer TV programmes which I enjoy watching. I don't have all that much time to watch TV, but there are a few programmes which I like to catch if I can. One of those programmes is Dragon's Den. Aspiring entrepreneurs make their pitch, hoping that one of more of the Dragons will buy into their idea. A few are successful, most leave empty handed.

With a new series of the programme starting last week, the 5 Dragons who feature were interviewed in the Radio Times. Each of the Dragons are very wealthy people, so, perhaps not unnaturally, one of the questions they were asked was to do with their most expensive purchases. Peter Jones, one of the 5, admitted that the cuff links he was wearing cost £14,000, and that he had once spent £100,000 on a watch. He went on to add, "That only comes out for special occasions. The one I'm wearing today is more of an everyday watch. Cost me about seven grand." To a mere mortal like me, those kind of figures are staggering!

A day or so after reading the Radio Times article I came across an email which I received some months ago from a friend who was then living in Kenya and had been helping at a clinic in a large slum area on the outskirts of Nairobi. The following comments come from the e-mail, and certainly made me think....

Seeing such a place as this clinic has made me even more aware of the gulf between life in the UK and Africa. The people of the slum do their best to live from day to day in difficult circumstances and yet are uncomplaining. How much do we really appreciate ALL that we have and yet don’t hesitate to moan or complain when things are not as we want them to be? Take a moment to think about the person who lives in a roughly built one roomed tin shack without electricity or running water, who shares pit latrines with 100s of others and who, when they are sick, can not even raise the 10 pence it costs to see the nurse at the clinic. Next time you are tempted to grumble, THINK about these people and be THANKFUL for what you do have, PRAY and be PROACTIVE in seeing how YOU can make a difference to the world we live in.

Kind of puts things into perspective, doesn't it?

When Why? doesn't have an answer

Two or three weeks ago I was able to spend three days in Scarborough with my wife, Sue. Fortunately the weather was fairly good, and we enjoyed quite a bit of sunshine. One day, however, one of Scarborough's famous sea frets rolled in off the sea; it was a bit like something out of Doctor Who. Parts of the town were in bright sunshine, whilst others were obscured by a thick, misty fog. It certainly produced a rather weird atmosphere.

All this got me to thinking about those times in life when we can't see things clearly. Perhaps something has happened and we just can't understand why God would have allowed it, or a plan we had made didn't work out as we expected, and we don't understand why.

I found it interesting to discover that the word "why" appears around 500 times in the Bible! Towards the beginning of the "Christianity Explored" course, participants are invited to consider one question they would ask God if they had the opportunity. I guess that for a large number, the question might begin with "why....?"

In times when we struggle to see clearly, when we can't understand why things have happened in a certain way, we are faced with a choice. We can either believe that God has got it wrong, or we can trust that St Paul was right when he said that ultimately God works all things for the good of those who trust him. As for me, I believe that we need to listen to God's words through the prophet Isaiah, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

There have been a number of times in my life when I really didn't understand why God had allowed certain things to happen; times when I have been really hurt by the way things have worked out. In the end, though, I have hung on to the knowledge that God knows best, and that he is faithful. I have to trust him - the alternative is too awful to contemplate.

Farrah and the feeting glitter of fame

I originally wrote this blog a little while ago, but for some reason it was never published. It may be a little out of date in some ways, but I thought that I'd publish it anyway!

The death on 25 June of pop icon Michael Jackson was headline news for several days. Even now, conjecture over the events and circumstances surrounding his death rumble on. It was not until a few days later that I learned that another person who had experienced a level of fame had died on the same day as Jackson, namely Farrah Fawcett. A few days ago my brother made the point that Farrah Fawcett had seemed to be a much more significant part of his youth than Michael Jackson - a viewpoint I would certainly agree with!

She is probably best known for her appearance in the popular TV series Charlie's Angels which began in 1976. She was a beautiful lady with a gorgeous smile, and became a pin-up for males the world over! Her acting career post Charlie's Angels never managed to reach the same heights, and I guess that for many of her former fans and admirers, she became a forgotten lady. Certainly her fame and profile gradually diminished over the years.

Around 3 years ago she learned that she had contracted cancer, a disease which eventually claimed her life. The images above show Farrah both at the height of her fame and beauty, and more recently when she was showing the effects of age and illness. It is a poignant reminder that external beauty is temporary. What really matters is beauty of character.

And her death is another reminder of the fragile nature of human life. Fame comes and fame goes. Earthly life doesn't last forever. Yet in God there is hope beyond this earthly life. The writer of Psalm 103 makes the point when he writes, "The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone – as though we had never been here. But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!" The reason Jesus came into our world was that through faith in him we might have the assurance of his living presence with us now and into eternity.

Michael Jackson, fame and mortality

The big news story at the moment is the death of Michael Jackson at the relatively young age of 50. The death of any well known personality, especially if it comes unexpectedly, brings with it the sharp reminder of our human mortality. It was Benjamin Franklin who famously wrote, "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

Personally I was never a big Michael Jackson fan, though it is clear that his influence on the music scene was enormous. At the height of his fame he was a global phenomenon, and one of the most well known personalities in the world. One vivid memory was when, in June 1995, Sony launched $30 million dollar promotional campaign for the album HIStory by floating a huge statue of Michael Jackson down the River Thames. There were a total of nine statues throughout Europe. Each statue was 10 metres tall, 2,100 kilograms in weight and made from steel and fibreglass. It seems to me at the time that is was almost as if Jackson was being given a god-like status.

But of course the later part of Jackson's life brought with it many troubles. It seems like Michael Jackson, despite all that the world had offered him in terms of fame and fortune, was a sad and rather lonely figure. I feel sorry for him, and hope that he got his relationship with God sorted out before he died.

Six months ago I officiated at the burial of ashes ceremony for one of my former church members. Her ashes were carried on that occasions by her husband, who had been widowed after over 50 years of marriage. Little did we know then that just six months later I would be officiating (today) at the burial of the ashes of the husband. As we shared in the short ceremony, we met a lady who had come to replace the flowers on the grave of her deceased 27 year old daughter. Life is fragile. Life is precious.

Lessons from a "long distance" runner

I must start by offering an admission. I did manage to complete the Leeds 10K "Run For All" today, but 10K probably can't truly be classified as a "long distance", and the speed at which I covered the course couldn't realistically be classified as running - more like a gentle (and at time rather laboured) jog! Thus the title of this blog entry could be said to be a little misleading. Nevertheless, I did learn a few lessons along the way.

The first is that if I am ever going to achieve my ambition of running the 10K in under one hour I need to be a bit more serious about my training regime. Having said that, my training was a bit hampered this year with calf problems, though thankfully they didn't cause any problems during the run today.

One of the mistakes which some athletes make is in setting off at too fast a pace. They then pay for it by struggling to find the energy to get to the end of the race. Far better to pace oneself. I decided to pick out a runner ahead who was going at roughly the same pace as I wanted to go, and try to stick fairly close to them. I soon spotted someone who seemed to fit into that category, and all was going well until, about 2K into the race, she suddenly pulled up and started walking! That reminded me how important it is, when we are choosing people whose example we might want to follow in life, that we choose the right kind of people!

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the event. Having said that, there were a few times along the way (usually on the uphill sections) when my body was telling me in no uncertain terms that I ought to stop jogging and take a breather. The temptation to stop was almost overwhelming at times, but thankfully I managed to keep plodding. Looking back over my Christian life, I know that there have been times when I have really struggled, and it has been hard to keep going. But thank God that with his help, and with the support of Christian friends, I have kept going! What's more, God's promise is to those who keep going to the end there will be waiting for them the "crown of life" (James 1.12).

The truth is, I almost certainly wouldn't have completed the 10K run if I had been on my own. But I was running with thousands of others, and many more were cheering along the way. We all need those who will support and encourage us, and journey with us. And we all need to be encouragers to others.

I'm really pleased that I completed the run today. What chances for under an hour next year? We shall see!

Want to meet Jesus?

If you could chose to meet one person from history who had died, who would it be? A recent poll was undertaken asking people that very question. I was fascinated to read that the person who came out number one in the poll was Jesus. Ironically, John Lennon (of The Beatles fame), who once claimed that the group were "more famous than Jesus", didn't even make the top ten!

There's little doubt that, on the whole, the majority of people in the UK seem turned off by religion and church. We could spend a long time asking why that is the case, but it wouldn't change the reality. Yet this survey reminds us that, even if people are no longer particularly interested in church, many people do still recognise a spiritual hunger within themselves, and have a real desire to learn more about Jesus.

All this presents an interesting challenge for those of us who are followers of Jesus and part of his church. Perhaps it's high time we asked ourselves whether we've spent far too much time trying to encourage people to "come to church", when what we should be doing is seeking to introduce them to Jesus. I have no doubt that if those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus lived our lives a bit more like him (in other words, if people could see something of Jesus in us), then more of our family/friends/work colleagues would be interested in finding out more about Jesus.

I have just been looking at a website, LookingforGod.com, which has a useful section asking the question, "Who is Jesus?" Anyone who is interested in finding out the answer to that question would find the website useful. There are a number of useful resources which are available to help people discover more about Jesus. But best of all is when people see Jesus in the lives of his followers.

One final thought. In case you think that I've been a bit harsh on "church", it appears that at least some churches have managed to throw of the old, fusty, out-of-touch image. To hear a fascinating conversation about church on the Chris Moyles radio show, click here.

Is Christiano Ronaldo really worth £80m?

Christiano Ronaldo is one of those people who divides opinion. Some love him (usually the supporters of the team he's playing for); others hate him. Perhaps many don't take to him because at times he appears to be an arrogant, showy type of person, full of his own self-importance. Of course he may be a really nice guy, but that's not his public persona. The one thing which surely not even the most blinkered observer can argue with is that he's a fantastic footballer. The truth is that just about every football supporter, whatever they think of Ronaldo as a person, would love to have him in their team.

His imminent transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid has raised a few eyebrows and made a few people think. Even though football transfer fees have risen considerably over recent years, to pay £80m for one player seems a bit over the top, especially in these recessionary days! Can it really be that a sportsman, however talented, is worth that amount of money? And it's not just footballers. If Andy Murray fulfills our dreams and wins Wimbledon he will collect a cheque for over £3/4m, and if Tiger Woods completes his comeback from injury by winning this months' U.S. Open golf championship he stands to win over £1m.

Compare all that with the following horrific statistics from the charity Clean Water For The World:

According to the World Health Organization, 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to clean water—that’s approximately one in six people on earth.

• Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related diseases.

• 1.8 million children die each year from diarrhea – 4,900 deaths each day.

• For children under age five, water-related diseases are the leading cause of death.

• At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.

• Close to half of all people in developing countries are suffering at any given time from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits.

• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.

I love sport, and I love football. But sometimes I wonder if we human beings have our priorities wrong.

Message from a coke can

Sue and I have recently returned from a superb week's holiday in the Trossachs area of Scotland. It must be almost 30 years since we last crossed the border to venture into Scotland, but from our experience this time, it certainly won't be as long again before we return!

Almost without exception, the who people served us in shops and cafes etc. were really friendly, polite and welcoming. One sometimes hears talk of the animosity which some Scots people feel towards the English, but we didn't come across it during our holiday.

Some of the scenery was amazing. We felt that it was a privilege to be there, surrounded by such natural beauty. The place we stayed in was almost on the edge of a loch, and was surrounded by hills which were covered in a rich variety of vegetation. Even the fact that our mobile phones couldn't get a signal was something of a blessing! In a place of such beauty we didn't find it hard to turn our thoughts to the One who brought it all into being: in the wonder of creation we see the hand of the Creator.

There were, of course, a few of the infamous Scottish midges around, though fortunately for me they preferred Sue, so I got off reasonably lightly!

We didn't do a lot of travelling around while we were there. The main purpose of our holiday was to rest and relax, and we took a supply of books to read. We were fortunate in that the place where we were staying had very good sports & leisure facilities, so we had several games of tennis, and Sue made good use of the indoor swimming pool.

On a few occasions we ventured out to explore the countryside, both on foot and in the car. I carried my camera with me when we went out, though it seems to me that however good photographs turn out, they never seem to capture the intensity and raw beauty of the real thing. On one occasion I stopped the car to take a few photos of the area we were passing though. Just as I was putting my camera away and was about to walk back to the car, I glanced down and saw something which was not at all in keeping with the beauty and remoteness of that scene - a coke can!

I must admit that people throwing litter about is one of my pet hates - but especially so in a place of such outstanding beauty! How little we sometimes care about the world around us, how little we sometimes appreciate the beauty and wonder of God's creation.

Thank you, Scotland, for a great week. Thank you God, for your amazing creation. Help us all to appreciate and take care of it.

Why has the Church changed what Jesus said?

A few days ago, Sue and I shared a meal with some friends. We hadn't seen them for quite some time, and it was great to catch up with news and to renew a long standing friendship. Our conversations during the evening covered a whole range if issues - politics, football, family, mutual acquaintances, work, and matters of faith. One thing which our friend, Ray, said has been going over in my mind ever since. He was talking about some words which Jesus said to his disciples not long before he left them. His words come at the end of Matthew's gospel, and are often called "The Great Commission". Jesus said to his disciples, 'go into all the world and make disciples.' The command seems clear enough - GO. The problem is, said Ray, that the Church has turned the command on its head and changed it to "COME".

The more I thought about it, the more I realised that he is absolutely right. We in the Church are so often talking about how we can encourage people to come and join us, when in fact Jesus never said anything about that. Instead, he talked about his disciples making a difference in their daily lives in the world as they live for him and demonstrate his love. Instead of keeping hidden in our buildings, we are called to be out in the world shining with the light of God's love!

One of the new ventures which I have been privileged to be involved in recently is "Prayer4Healing" or "Healing on the Streets". There are a number of groups around the country which are regularly engaged in this form of ministry. On the last Saturday morning of each month, Christians from 3 Doncaster churches, including my own, come together to offer prayer for healing for members of our town centre community. What we tell people is that there is no cost, and they have nothing to lose and lots to gain! We have only been going for 4 or 5 sessions so far, but already we have been able to pray with a good number of people. Above all, we are trying to let people know how much God loves them.

It's time that we as Church remembered what Jesus actually said. Hopefully as we do live out the kind of life to which Jesus calls us in our daily lives, this will encourage people to want to come and join us. But it has to start with "Go", not "Come"!!