#BigRead13 Thoughts

Really grateful to those who have stuck with this through the whole process, has been some real little encouragements, as we think about Easter … and the year ahead – what difference has engaging with the various online materials for Lent made to our lives? Dealing with the subject of death is always a difficult one, but this is such a lovely picture in The Last Battle:

But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

The Hebrews verse calls for us to recognise that we are aliens in this earth… but clearly that that doesn’t mean that we are not part of this earth whilst on it! What would we like to be written on our cover page/gravestone? I still think mine would be “She lived life to the full.” 

… and still deeply encouraged by everything shared by #digidisciple – continuously working to add coherence, etc.. whilst maintaining individual voices… what’s on their cover pages?

A little weary this afternoon after getting up for sunrise service, but that was something special… about to disappear off for a nap though after my first session this morning…

#BigRead13 Thoughts

Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.

Looking forward to heaven some point (no more weary, shattered old mind/body), on a more earthly plane I’m looking forward to catching up with @onlinepraise later.

The final theme for #lentphotos is “loss” – and here’s something that caught my attention outside the Methodist Church in Minehead earlier today:

#BigRead13 Thoughts

Well, there’s a challenge for those of us who feel time poor from ‘The Screwtape Letters’ … and our attitude to time – we feel we own 24 hours day, begrudge the time we give to work and view:

as a generous donation that further portion which he allows to religious duties.

Psalm 39:4-5 (New Living Translation)

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
⁵ You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”

It has become a standing (sigh) joke in my life that I’m always busy, never knowing when to slow down – even trying to do ‘I’m not busy” for Lent -which is TEN MINUTES a day has not worked every day … although I am spending time gradually sorting out processes that should create space in the long term.  IT’S MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE – AND WE LOSE AN HOUR TONIGHT!

@40Acts

That’s a really encouraging point to finish on – all of our stories are important – and just because of our media saturated culture we should not value to dramatic ‘conversation’ over the slow-burn brought up in a Christian family story – amen! I have found it encouraging when in sessions about ‘sharing your testimony’ when people share what God has been doing recently – it’s not all about the conversation testimony – though that’s a time of great joy!

Brian Draper: Lent 40

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

So #LentPhotos today is ‘The Last Supper’ – we clearly need more interpretations, pictures, etc on Seed Resources – my favourite is this Stained Glass window (plenty of colour, although I’m sure there’s more ‘art-things’ I could say about it…

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/last-supper-window

#BigRead13 Thoughts

Ah… being ‘imprisoned in the mind’… Romans 12:2 obviously sprang to mind as I was preparing today’s reflection (along with Joyce Meyer, though I’ve only ever read one of her books!) – I like the New Living Translation:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. New Living Translation (©2007)

The extract from The Last Battle may come from the scene where those who believe in Aslan have gone through into the Shed and found themselves in an amazing, fertile land… but those who have been pushed in and don’t believe sit playing games because they think they are restricted by the walls of the shed (all a bit Matrix!). It brings to mind debates about facts/science, etc… I totally see no incompatibility between science/faith, but I have spoken to some who if they can’t engage with it with one of the 5 physical senses, or see proof of it – can’t conceive of it … that seems sad. As Michael Ward said yesterday on the webinar  - God is bigger than us, he created us – if we could fully comprehend him then that wouldn’t make sense…. we are finite and he is infinite.

This leads me to a bit of thinking about what does it mean to ‘transform’ – and I like this first definition on Wordnik “To change markedly the appearance or form” … is it noticeable that we are in a relationship with Jesus?

@40Acts

As I’ve been preparing for Spring Harvest over the past few days, along the theme of ‘reconnecting with ‘The Source’ – Jesus & his words, then learning to “be”, then “say”, then “do”, I’m going to emphasise quite heavily the idea that – particularly in the online spaces – it’s about “BEING’ – living the Christian life 24/7 so that people can see… but that does also mean that we need to be prepared for our testimony. I used to give my conversion testimony regularly as an Oak Hall leader, but there are also what’s God doing right here/right now to be aware of… and am I prepared if someone asked me NOW … me being me I’d want to check my notes.

Bekah Legg gives some helpful advice…

• Know the core elements of your story, the important parts – rather than a script
• Be prepared for the ‘movie trailer’ version, and someone wanting more detail
• Don’t slip into Christianese…
• And most importantly  – LISTEN – the person sat with you is more important than anything you have to say.

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Carl Jung: “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”

I guess this is like ‘actions speak louder than words’, although as Brian says – we are more than our actions.

Archbishop Oscar Romero:

We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realising this.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

Can we sum up our Lent journey in 6 words - coming to my mind is “Busy. Stop. Busy. Think. Busy. Be”?

#LentPhotos

Today’s #LentPhotos is ‘The Road Travelled’ – for which I decided to go to my TripAdvisor pins and screenshot them (taking out the many ‘I still wish to go to’ pins:

#BigRead13 Thoughts

So, we’re onto the last book in the Narnia series today The Last Battle, in which Aslan was found by those who sought him… combined with the simple – but powerful – verse:

New International Version (©2011) (Matthew 7:7)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Which does come accompanied by questions about do we have to seek, what about those who don’t know how to seek, etc (seen many of those on my travels) .. what does it mean to “seek” – we are encouraged that it’s active prayer/Bible reading, etc. but I’ve been challenged more about taking time out/space to “be” so that God can speak in the silence (not v. good at it mind!)

@40Acts

A challenge today to think about how we engage those with learning disabilities in the church … do many of our practices/policies (unintentionally) discriminate – when groups such as Prospects can offer much more involvement – and someone in the comments has suggested more church families getting involved in ‘Shared Lives‘…

Brain Draper: Lent 40

Are we able to articulate our dreams, or are they limited by our imagination/language. A poem to help:

God’s Dream

I myself will dream a dream within you,
Good dreams comes from me, you know.
My dreams may seem impossible,
not too practical
not for the cautious man or woman;
a little risky sometimes,
a trifle brash perhaps.

Some of my friends prefer
to rest more comfortably,
in sounder sleep
with visionless eyes.
But from those who share my dreams
I ask a little patience,
a little humor,
some small courage,
and a listening heart –
I will do the rest.

Then they will risk
and wonder at their daring;
run, and marvel at their speed;
build, and stand in awe
at the beauty of their building.

You will meet me often as you work -
in your companions who share the risk,
in your friends who believe in you enough
to lend their own dreams,
their own hands,
their own hearts
to your building.
In the people who will stand in your doorway,
stay awhile,
And walk away knowing that they too can find a dream.

There will be sun-filled days
and sometimes it will rain –
a little variety both come from me.

So come now, be content.
It is my dream you dream,
my house you build,
my caring you witness;
my love you share,
and this is the heart of the matter.

Charles Peguy

#NotBusy

A reminder, and one to rethink… I definitely do use my smartphone as an alarm, but I know that Bryony has challenged herself to not look at her phone til 9am, and finding a difference in her mindset for the day..

#LentPhotos

The word for today is “hope”- and this one tickled me – if you’re like me, surrounded still by several days of freezing snow, but noticing the flowers trying to come out (and hoping they won’t be killed off):

#BigRead13 Thoughts

We’ve been feeling rather Narnian over the past week – ‘Always Winter, Never Christmas’:

But when Father Christmas does appear:

“I’ve come at last,” said he. “She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last. Aslan is on the move. The witch’s magic is weakening.”

I have a real love for colour – I was thinking about setting up a coaching business re ‘colourful lives’ at some point (polymaths – we have lots of ideas) … and I collect a few particularly beautiful images on Pinterest. At various times in my own coaching/discussions (and kinda now) … I talk about my head being like mixed up balls of wool – which need to take time to detangle – but these are always bright colours, and not miserable… so I have much going on in my life – enjoying most of it, but often so tired not enjoying in a more healthy way… God came to give us life to the full – not to be miserable… here’s some verses identified on that topic (and always interesting to see what topics Google throws up – there’s a CBT course for those who are depressed to ‘live life to the full’)

Today’s passage in #BigRead13 – if we spend too much time worrying rules/must haves, etc. we are not living life to the full, we are living a dull, shadowed life (C.S.Lewis referred to this world as the shadowlands, as it is but a shadow of the world to come) – blinded to the possibilities:

English Standard Version (©2001)
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor 4:4)

@40Acts

One of my favourite kind of posts about prayer – take the time, part of real conversation with your group/your God – developed out of natural relationships – the Mums in Ruth’s group had seen her struggling with kids in the supermarket, etc. – they knew her conversation about what it’s like to be as a Mum was real, so were more open to understanding that her thoughts about prayer were ‘real’. Amen!

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Today, Brian uses a narrative from a novel to give an idea of what hunger in a desert would feel like… and encourages us to think about fasting for a day/a meal before Easter, to think about the time that we’re going into – and in particular to pray for those who are unable to eat as they have no food… or for those who have eating disorders. To take time to rethink where we’re going on this journey of life… what do we want to take away from Lent?

#LentPhotos

Today’s is “a necessity” – so let’s see what @seedresources gives us today… well, nothing been tagged with that, so I let myself think for a bit… and.. water:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/drrriiiip

Without water there’s not a lot else (and reminding me of an explanation of the trinity – which I do know some people find not quite on target theologically – but the trinity as ice, water and steam… all water but in different states of being).

#BigRead13 Thoughts

I love this verse – always reminds me of things that used to come round in the local church newsletters…

I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.

Going online to see if anyone had written more on this – I like this post – here’s a bit about the Green Witch in The Silver Chair:

She uses her evil enchantments to persuade the foursome that all the things they know, love, and believe in–sun, sky, the land of Narnia, the children’s own world, and even the great Lion Aslan–are nothing more than a dream, a game of the imagination, a children’s story, while her cold, lightless, joyless kingdom of Underland is the only real world.

Really well put, and I think interesting in a world where I spend a lot of my time saying that the online space is part of “reality”, and that those who can’t see that are missing out on some amazing stuff… people are prepared to spend hours watching/discussing the latest soap episode, or ‘boy band’ who have been constructed for a particular ‘brand’ – you may also know that I have a particular thing with ‘authenticity’ – which doesn’t mean “spilling it all out”, but I do find it difficult engaging with people who think so much about how their brand is perceived there’s little space for the real person to engage… With my love of coaching, I’m keen for people to understand what their passions are, and persue those/live those … and for Christians to be open (but not Bible bashing) about the ‘play-world’ that God offers us…

1 Corinthians 15 – I went over to check out The Message translation

Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection?

If there’s no resurrection, “We eat, we drink, the next day we die,” and that’s all there is to it.

What a depressing thought if our busy lives are all there is too it (and there’s another whole topic, why are we all so busy/driven?).

@40Acts

Another interesting challenge – the phrase ‘stand up, stand out’ stood out for me, as well as the idea that therefore the rest of the church must be sitting … and what does it mean to collaborate … moving on from competition to collaboration.

Simple challenge (except for finding the ‘right’ people): peer for accountability, someone younger to mentor, someone older to be mentored by… And how does that look online – will quite often use online to say that am going off to do a piece of work, then chatting online is the reward!! Short bursts, rather than taking a big chunk of time out… although that’s also important!!

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Another interesting tie-in with today’s Narnia read – what will our eternal home look like … and how do we make the most of the home we’ve been given here:

There’s the home we continue to ‘make’ throughout our life. People enter, people leave, but it’s home, even if it’s ever changing, or broken, or not quite what we’d dreamed of.

We are challenged today to savour a memory of our childhood – be thankful for it, even if there were few good memories; look at your house, and pray if there’s a way you can make it more of a home; imagine that you have moved out and are being nostalgic about your home… what will you remember about it?

I love making a house a home.. getting my curtains up would be a big step forward.. now, what about #notbusy today…

Picture Credit: Seed Resources

#BigRead13 Thoughts

Similarly to the other day when we were told ‘there is no other stream’ - Mere Christianity echoes that … we are taught so much in our culture to ‘pursue happiness’, the ‘happiness index’ .. although it does seem that the emphasis is (having to) change from happiness being equated to how much money, and seeking other more ‘whole life’ perspectives…

That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.

But we don’t have to do it alone, or wait for heaven:

English Standard Version (©2001) (2 Cor 5:5)He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

A good reminder that we have much to smile about..

Today on #lentphotos we’re looking for #strength … this one appealed as though it may be rusty (as our faith can be // am I trying too hard for analogies?) it’s still strong & supportive – whatever we worry about!

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/girder

#BigRead13 Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading The Screwtape Letters – with the perspective of the devil talking – how does he try and wheedle his way in and mess our lives up – including taking up our energies in worrying… I love looking up a good quote online - so I thought I’d check out what was there about ‘Worry’:

If I had my life to live over, I would perhaps have more actual troubles but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.  ~Don Herold

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.  ~Leo Buscaglia

If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying.  It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.  ~Dale Carnegie

If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.  ~E. Joseph Cossman

People gather bundles of sticks to build bridges they never cross.  ~Author Unknown

Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due.  ~William Ralph Inge

Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.  ~Glenn Turner

Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.  ~Swedish Proverb

We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday’s burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it. ~John Newton

My life has been full of terrible misfortunes most of which never happened. ~Michel de Montaigne

There’s an interesting range of worldviews and spiritual beliefs presented, but although no Bible verses, there’s some encouraging ones from the Christian perspective…

Do not be afraid of tomorrow; for God is already there.  ~Author Unknown

[A]ny concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.  ~Corrie Ten Boom, Clippings from My Notebook

Every evening I turn my worries over to God.  He’s going to be up all night anyway.  ~Mary C. Crowley

Fear can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow.  ~Philip Gullet

Matthew 6:34: “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? … has always been one of my favourite verses on this, whilst my t-shirt quotes Phil 4:6 “Keep Calm and Pray On”!

@40Acts

So I was a bit worried that I would be asked to plant a tree – but that is really just given as an example of community engagement, especially with regard to taking care for the natural environment around us. If your school is interested I can highly recommend Mary Jackson for making the most of your outdoor space.

Brian Draper: Lent 40

So often we are burdened down with worry and we just don’t see – open our ears and our eyes..

(now the ears of my ears awake
and now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

ee cummings

Today’s #lentphotos is on waiting… I liked this one from @seedresources which highlights a little boy waiting for his train to come in … quite cheerfully I think. We’re often so impatient when we’re waiting…

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/ticket-to-ride

#BigRead13 Thoughts

I’ve just checked out The Message translation of today’s verses (Hebrews 9:13-15):

He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all.If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior, think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.

In The Silver Chair Aslan voluntarily offers his blood into the stream, resurrecting King Caspian ready for his life in the ‘new Narnia’ … The misery stops, we are ‘cleansed’ … As someone who suffers from depression, the idea of this in heaven (though we are in heaven on earth, right, we still have to deal with human ailments) is something to truly look forward to!

@40Acts

A great challenge today – to think about ‘stewarding’ any influence you may have online – how do we move away from ‘self-promotion’ – especially if we have the numbers – and think about how we use the attention that you may have with a blog/Twitter following. Use the skills that you have (e.g. the example given is a socialite party which raised huge amounts of money – so don’t feel it has to be a sackcloth and ashes moment) – and remember that Jesus had “12 followers” (although I’m thinking of the countless others who listened out for him – until he became someone to be disassociated from!) – and that “Every chance he got, he embodied truth, love, justice, mercy and humility.” – and now has 1/3 of the world as his ‘followers’.

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Brian today gives the example of Roger Bannister who was told the sub-4 minute mile wasn’t possible and said “I don’t listen to that kind of talk” – and once he’d broken it, others started to do so as the belief was there that it could be done [I'm thinking back to previous #bigread13 post where the horses in The Horse and His Boy thought they were going as fast as they can - til they realised the lion was behind them.] – especially as Bono [who we all know is a favourite of Brian's] is now applying that analogy to removing world poverty.

What ‘limiting beliefs’ have sunk into your feet over the years? “I won’t ever change” / “I’m no good at that” / “I’m not creative” / “It’s OK for other people but not for me” / “I don’t have the will power” / “I’m not that spiritual” / “I always mess up in the end” …

Identify a limiting belief you hold, and determine not to let it hold you back any longer. Write it down and cross it out, throw darts at it, rip it up, burn it, whatever you want to do: but resolve to leave it on the path, this side of Easter.

Brian encourages us to think about the learning that we’ve taken from Lent can affect our lives afterwards.

Pam’s Perambulations

This is echoed as Pam comes to the end of Stephen Cottrell’s book – for Jesus

His time in the wilderness was not the end, but the beginning of his ministry, a time of equipping – from which he then had to go out and be with.  To show people God’s love, God’s life, in the special times, but more in the ordinary times.

Remember also that

God is everywhere and in  everything. He is not kept in a box for special occasions, or only in certain special places.

Today’s #lentphotos is #renewal – and there were options for new life in spring, urban renewal, but the biggest form of renewal that I never seem to get enough of is sleep so…:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/sleeping-lion

#BigRead13 Thoughts

See also ‘adventures‘, and ‘no growth‘.Today’s reading – where the disciples leave what they are doing and follow Jesus is always a big challenge – how much are we caught up in what we are doing and therefore not ‘living life to the full’, have the ‘adventures’ that God wants us to have – are we so worn down by doing, that we’re not listening/following? (Challenge to self!)… Meantime, I have set aside today/tomorrow to work on my book, and this is my last task before I go quiet for (most of) the day…

@40Acts

Another challenge from A Rocha to think about the earth that we live in, and how we care for it – and that maybe we can’t solve the biggest problems (ourselves), but we can make an individual stand – and if enough of us make a small stand… Today’s is to think about our use of plastic – reuse bags, beware packaging, careful with plastic cups, etc… I am getting much better at remembering to take bags in for my shopping (and using all the charity bags that come through the door as rubbish bags … I don’t really have anything left to give away – everything I’ve kept I have a use for.. or I take them to the shop itself!)

Brian Draper: Lent 40

“Let your words be few” … Jesus’ words were often few, but we feel the need to fill the spaces with words/conversation – how do we ensure that our words are more weighted. Thinking today on the phrase “I am…” as we’re working on this with Lindisfarne video…

and at some point take that 10 mins out from my books to be #notbusy! Although taking time out to read my books from the deluge of online information is inspired by #notbusy itself…

Today’s #lentphotos is #moretemptation .. I thought this image from @seedresources was interesting – often when we talk about Jesus in the desert is about the Devil tempting Jesus… here he’s tempted to ask for the burden to be taken away … often have that debate about “oh, he was God so he didn’t really suffer as he knew what was after”, but he was ‘fully human’ and went through it all…

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/father-is-there-no-other-way

#BigRead13 Thoughts

We’ve been preparing material to celebrate The Lindisfarne Gospels around the series of “I am” statements – and on Holy Island – there is “The Pilgrim’s Way” – where you can – when the tide is right – follow the footsteps of Cuthbert (whose feast day it is today). In many ways, for that route, there is also “no other way”, and it’s not without risk (as can be seen by the ‘rescue points’ on the path/road that are the only places to rest if swimming back is too much).

We had a bit of a discussion about this at housegroup the other day as I mentioned that in Uganda we had a Christian service led by a Muslim who said “we all serve the same God” as we wondered if God is bigger than our human intelligence, but also this passage – both Biblical and in C.S.Lewis is clear that “there is only one way”. I know it’s a big question, but ofttimes I feel that I can but take responsibility for my own way of living/understanding, and that any ‘evangelism’ as such has to come from others who may want to open the questions – and then I should ‘be prepared to answer’ (which I don’t always feel BTW!)…

@40Acts

‘Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.’ James 1:19

Bearing in mind the tweet that @pmphillips sent me yesterday about a book opening more conversations (than a Kindle, for which the cover can’t be seen) … and indeed on the train the other week I got talking to a lady who saw the book I was reading on #digitalparenting – led to a conversation – her colleague investigates cyberbullying, and we’re now in touch, I thought this section was interesting:

The lady sitting next to me on the bus yesterday said. ‘This is a God-incidence.’ She pulled out of her Mary-Poppins-type bag a book on the Christian faith and found it amazing that she had sat next to a follower of the very person she was searching for.

The rest of today’s post emphasises the need to listen (which I interpret as: to truly listen, not “uh-huh” whilst we wait for our own turn to speak) – and that’s something I often emphasise in social media training – when tweeting it’s not about broadcasting out information, but about listening to what people want and seeking to respond to that. But I also like his idea that you ask the person who serves you coffee – and be interested in the answer (assuming of course that it’s not so busy that you won’t just stress them out!). I always remember when I worked for Oak Hall that was one of the reasons that despite there being a DVD player on the coaches, they weren’t used as the (long!) coach journey gave people – some of whom had come on their own – a chance to chat and get to know each  other before spending a week together.

Brian Draper: Lent 40

The need to have gratitude – look out for the song ‘Hallelujah’ and really listen to the words… then seek things to which you can say the (less pious) ‘Hurrah’

‘Hurrah’ probably derives from a Norse term meaning ‘on to paradise’, according to Dave. ‘Every experience of real delight and happiness is in its own way a taste of paradise,’ he concludes, a foretaste of heaven.’

Today’s #lentphotos is Jesus – this is quite a striking one from @seedresources

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/jesus-weeps-over-jerusalem

#BigRead13 Thoughts

New Living Translation (©2007)So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. (John 1:14)

The other day Brian Draper encouraged us to ‘look for God in the ordinary’ – and today we are encouraged to see God in the details and the bigger picture of our world – to recognise that he infuses our world – and that we just often aren’t looking so don’t see. He came to earth (rather than us going to Narnia?) so that we could know him a little…

@40Acts

Knowing about the new ‘FAB‘ campaign, I knew this one was coming. Super-happy to promote the ideas (and should double-check that I ticked the right box on my driving licence for organ donation) … but I’ve been told by the nurse who’s done blood tests to please not give blood … veins are rubbish/blood moves too slow! Hope each of us can find the right way to give appropriately..

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Love this… :

You may have simply come to life as you felt a few rays of sunshine on your face. Remember that the love of God shines on us all, then – friend and stranger - and resolve to show some loving kindness to a person you don’t even know.

Today’s #lentphotos is “Spirit” – so I went over to Seed Resources, and found this pic I’d taken on the Scilly Isles – decided that was my choice for today:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/quotable

#BigRead13 Thoughts

I just love this thought – though God starts his transformative work with us when we agree to let him in – he doesn’t force us to change – we remain imperfect humans, and he walks alongside us as “the cure has begun”. If we had a quirky sense of humour before – we probably still have one, along with any annoying habits … and some may be appropriate to change – other bits of it are related to ‘who we are’…. as we move from baby food to something more substantial!

@40Acts

A challenge to have a ‘car-free day’ each week – as someone who’s had a car for 4-5 years now, and only has added about 12,000 miles to the clock – including a couple of big North/South drives … not sure this is so much for me, although I do try and think before I get the car out… sometimes I think the half-mile to the gym – but to be honest – it’s more important that I get there at the moment!!

Brian Draper: Lent 40

‘Keep nothing back,’ suggests CS Lewis in Mere Christianity. ‘Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours.’

What do we ‘hold onto’ that we could more freely give to the world… making me think – includes our talents …

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/love-2

#BigRead13 Thoughts

how could you hate what a man did and not hate the man? But years later it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life — namely myself.

from Mere Christianity - an interesting one in which C.S.Lewis indicates that we continue to love ourselves despite what we do – reminds me of ‘speck in brothers eye’ … but also makes me wonder as I often think I’m hardest on myself – I will often say to others “you are as you are, and you can only start from where you are” … although maybe with that comes an expectation that people will be “trying” to “improve” themselves…

#NotBusy

Wittgenstein said that philosophers should greet each other with the phrase “take your time”. #NOTBUSY 

#LentPhotos for today is “support” … ignoring the image of “a bra” that keeps creeping into my mind, I nip off to Seed Resources again – and find this image of the pillars that hold up many Cathedrals – always amazed by the architecture in these places – before so many of the things that make modern construction possible were in place:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/pillar-of-support

#BigRead13: Thoughts

I always remember those little leaflets, with the big gap, and Jesus’ cross laid across the gap as the bridge builder – the epitomy of the verse in today’s Bible verses.

Really useful to be reminded about whether the way may be long or short, there is a clear way – just wish I could see it more clearly sometimes.

Writing this late after an exhausting couple of days – just seen this on Facebook: 

a teenager who described the pits of depression, not as a waste of time where you cease to be of any use to anybody and your mind swirls into darker realms, but as a pit stop, a place to rejuvenate, ready to go onwards after getting sorted

@40Acts

Present buying – well that can be a challenge for many people. I had a reputation for often making good, personal choices – and I spent a lot of time doing that – then I get caught up in work, I’m running late, and I’ve not seen whoever it is for a while, and I don’t know what to get – though I often work on the basis that with most of my friends you can’t go wrong with a bottle of wine – hopefully remembering the right colour, etc. of people’s drinks! Nice idea to make personalised cards though, one of my friends does, and it always makes me smile!

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Beautifully simple today – to take time to savour things – e.g. making a cup of tea – don’t be rushing to fill the time whilst waiting for the kettle to boil (or whatever else you enjoy doing), but take time to stop, and savour … as does #notbusy!

Today’s #lentphotos theme is Wisdom .. and I just love this picture from @goannatree at #GB11:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/wisdom

#BigRead13 Thoughts

Today’s thoughts about Eustace becoming a dragon, because he has spent time amongst dragonish things, and the verses of Proverbs 12:26 which encourage us to be wise in who we choose as our friends are both good reminders. If you’ve met me you’ll know that I’m pretty friendly, and I got into all chats expecting that we’ll get on well, etc. Some friendships stand the test of time more than others, and some of my thinking is defined by coaching training – be careful in how much time you spend with those who drain you. If people are down, they can bring you down with them (especially if you have a tendency to get ‘down’) … but how does that fit with the message to care for all of those around us – including those who might otherwise be hard to love? Difficult one … and I think the verses are often used to encourage us to stick to our Christian ‘cliques’, and e.g. Christian music, etc. rather than being part of the world (though not of the world … or as I read recently – being distinctive rather than separated!) – a big topic – one that until yesterday I thought I’d be talking about on Sunday on The Big Questions - but that particular story was dropped … suspect the Pope may have had something to do with that!

@40Acts

“Jesus highly valued his friends and put time and effort into his relationships. We need to create the lives, and the family lives, that we want, and not what has been inflicted or creeps up on us.”

I like the idea of having screen-free time (I do it regularly – which always confuses people when they try and get hold of me at the last minute), and the idea of putting time into relationships, but I don’t see the that lack of screen time will change the other – a lot of my time building relationships comes through the screen – whether arranging to meet, or sharing photos, etc. with my friends/family who live a long way away (I don’t have kids to worry about mind you, and currently writing a book on kids/the internet – fascinating – and encouraging to see how much good is coming out of some of the things they do online.)

Brian Draper: Lent 40

You remember that joke …

Sunday School: “What’s this?”

Child: “Well it looks like an elephant but I know the answer should be Jesus”

Today Brian encourages us to be listening out for the questions – and then taking the time to listen out for answers too:

Good questions form a crucial part of our spiritual development. But let’s not always look for the answer we think is ‘right’, or necessarily ‘spiritual’. Sometimes there’s no answer at all, course – the question is all we need. And often, if one arrives, the answer that rings true is much simpler and more practical than we might expect. Something that was there, before our eyes, from the start. An answer, an insight, a realisation that leaves us with that curious feeling that we have known it all along; that we have simply rememberedsomething deeper down about who we are, and how we can live, and where we are going.

Today’s #lentphotos asks for a photo on #nutrition … having eaten crisps (and nothing else yet) this evening (and I do have a load of salad in the fridge) good to be reminded that there’s plenty of good nutrition options:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/customers-at-fruit-and-vegetable-market-tewkesbury-uk_1

#BigRead13 Thoughts

There’s a number of imaginative interpretations on @bigbible – but one whose I particularly look out for are those from Kate Bruce – and particularly thinking back to this post - where she took time to sit and think in what guise God would appear to her (in this case a woman gardener)

I love the way that C.S.Lewis describes Eustace in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – “He thought of course that they were making it all up; and as he was far too stupid to make anything up himself, he did not approve of that.”” In a world where ‘fact’ has been raised to such a high status it’s great to celebrate creativity and imagination!

Reminded me of the quote attributed to Winston Churchill when asked to cut arts funding in the war “then what are we fighting for?” – apparently fictitious – shame – great (and I think true) sentiment!

Though my brain struggles to imagine heaven … beyond my thinking – what about you?!

@40Acts

Genesis 21:6 - God has brought us laughter. Oh yeah…

Share a joke.. :

A jump-lead walks into a bar. The barman says “I’ll serve you, but don’t start anything.”

Pam’s Perambulations

Love this:

We find our way to God, not by who we are, or what we’ve done, but simply by believing in Jesus.  He accepts us just as we are, there is no test, no criteria to meet, no right background to come from – believing in him is enough.

So #lentphotos today on ‘Orientation’:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/gethsemane-choices

#BigRead13 Thoughts

In our celebrity/achievement driven culture – it’s good to be reminded

“Good,’ said Aslan. ‘If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been proof that you were not.””

Further to the Bible verse on the post, this also reminds me of:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I certainly know that I spend far too much time relying on myself, and there’s plenty of discussions had about how to slow down for me, and often end up thinking – do I think that God “needs” me to be doing all this, and wants me this tired… unlikely!

@40Acts

One of my favourite evenings on LICC Culturewatch was midway through the week, when we went to the cinema, and then, over pizza, discussed the film it’s enjoyableness/how we understood it/theological insights, etc. (if I say we saw Atonement, does that date it somewhat?) – so today’s challenge from Krish Kandiah to encourage others to visit the cinema (much less intimidating than inviting them to church right?) is a great one!

See reviews of films by Damaris Culturewatch

Brian Draper: Lent 40

So today, there’s an encouragement from Brian to walk – as Jesus did:

So today, let’s try walking. Here are a few ideas. You could walk instead of drive somewhere. You could take a slow walk – walking slower than normal, preferably in a busy street somewhere. You could try walking a different route than usual. You could try walking without knowing where you are going. You could try walking in order to become aware, looking, listening, smelling, noticing. You could imagine you are walking step by step with Jesus (using the words from John as a meditation). You could take a short walk ‘barefoot’. You could walk more slowly than usual around your house or office or wherever you are, today.

Interesting, especially as been talking about the joy of walking allowing space for fresh air, getting space for thoughts, etc. (though I have to admit that I still drive the half-mile to the gym – maybe over the summer I’ll change that!)…

Have I been #notbusy - well, I went to the pub with the Cranmer/WSC crew, rather than coming home to complete this blog… Still not particularly ‘sitting still’!!

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/glory

So, this is an interesting experience. Because of #TFBLoggers trip to Uganda, I missed the first 2 weeks of #BigRead13 at housegroup, but they seem to have been enjoying it (particularly because it gives a lot of scope for the leader to pick & choose)…. although they did say that the videos are a bit quiet, and that they hadn’t worked out how to download the book chapters – so considerations for another time with that I think!

Anyway, last night we did Week 3: Not a Tame Lion – unlike my previous housegroup I didn’t take notes in the sessions, just participated! I’m still keen to try and online housegroup via Google + or some such – maybe I’ll try that first later in the year with some material that I’ve not written… (though to be fair, it’s a while a go that these were written, so in some ways like coming at it new – though I’m leading next week!)

Nibbles

“Discuss what injustices have made you angry this week, or angry for a long-time. We’re thinking of local and global happenings, rather than a moan-fest about your job, or your family!”

Suzie provided newspapers to help us think about what’s in the news, and we discussed Huhne, footballer’s pay, University fees, ‘the cult of celebrity’, the NHS, the overuse of antibiotics meaning there are things that are uncurable, and Bishop Justin leading the campaign on benefits, etc.. we thought about what made us angry, and how we react to that – do we just “write a nice letter to the Independent” rather than getting actively involved?

Main

Luke 19:45-48, The Lion’s World pages 57-60

We then discussed Alan Wilson’s reflection – although the thought of Jesus in a bathrobe distracted us for a while! We spent some time discussing the different worship styles, and how we engage differently, and how we react when we feel that others are intruding upon our worship space, or voicing their dissastisfaction – are they ‘a pain’ or are they ‘prophets’ – with me – always up to date with the film references – the story of Sarah Connor in The Terminator – she was warning about a ‘real’ future, but was put away as mad… We spent quite some time talking about the meaning of the words ‘nice’, ‘safe’ and ‘tame’, and what they mean for us – are all Christians too ‘nice’ – but actually simmering inside – do we have to find some more healthy ways of letting people know if something is affecting us (in the coaching “you make me feel” way?) – rather than waiting til we’re so angry that we just ‘burst’ out in the wrong time/space/context, or take it in on ourselves and become ill with frustration… And what is the good side of ‘nice’ … what does it mean to describe someone as ‘nice’ – does it mean that we’ve got no other word to describe that person?

We discussed for so long (some not appropriate to share here) that we finished with “What would a more honest and emotionally engaged way of life look like? What is stopping you engaging in this?” as we talked through some of the things we’d said made us angry and how we could tackle things, and move beyond superficial engagements – understanding that we may upset people in the process … including the balance between giving people space to participate (even if not super-skilled) in church – and the over-professionalisation of e.g. music groups – as if church is a concert?

Prayers:

To finish with: “Lord, we pray that we would be prepared to take risky steps in pursuit of faith, and that we would seek to turn our anger into something positive.”

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/proverbs-5-6

World English Bible
He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

C.S.Lewis Mere Christianity

Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams.

See whole post

So – what am I thinking – in many ways this seems to be similar to yesterday – get lost in God, so that we become more whole in the process… and that we can trust God in the process. It seems demanding, but I guess if we don’t give the whole, we don’t get the whole (in a non-consumerist way …)

Written 10th March – I had half this written in my head yesterday – including the fact that the previous week I’d been bouncing across Ugandan roads in 34+ degree heat, but decided to leave my computer behind for much of the day – aside from reading many wonderful birthday messages  

#LentPhotos

Focus is on “bettering yourself” … I was thinking learning, self-development – so I thought I’d put listening (to Pete) at #cnmac10 … look out for #cnmac13 later this year:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/pete-phillips-speaking-at-cnmac10

#BigRead13 Thoughts

I was playing with the combination of The Screwtape Letters, where it seems we are encouraged to ‘lose ourselves’ so much … but in the process that the uniqueness that God has created in each of us becomes more a part of us? This seemed to tie in entirely with Matthew 16:24 – where each of us is called to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus – where he wants to take us (even if that’s up north ) We spend so much time trying to conform into what this world expects of us, but we can be freed to be ourselves …

@40Acts

A simple action in anticipation of Mothering Sunday – and a great explanation:

“There are two common misconceptions regarding Mothering Sunday.

The first error is to call it Mother’s Day. It is not. Mother’s Day is a fine tradition but its roots are completely different, invented as it was in the US by Anna Jarvis in 1908, and falling on the second Sunday in May. Mothering Sunday is ours, and goes back to the sixteenth century.

The second, more understandable perhaps, is that it primarily exists to celebrate motherhood. Not so. ‘A-mothering’ meant visiting your mother church.

When apprentices and those in service were given the day off for this Christian obligation, to go home to their own churches, they would pick the new spring flowers on the way and give them to their mothers – a secondary thank you.”

Brian Draper: Lent 40

‘A Christian is one who is on the way, though not necessarily very far along it, and who has at least some dim and half-baked idea of who to thank.’

Frederich Buechner

Today on #lentphotos, the theme is ‘help’ – and here’s a great photo from Seed Resources:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/hand-reaching-out-to-another

#BigRead13 Thoughts

Although it doesn’t particularly feel like it, it’s my birthday tomorrow… so interesting conversation between Aslan/Lucy – that every year we will find Aslan/God bigger – I often approached my birthday thinking of all the things I haven’t done – I think I’ve got better about that, though I have spent quite a lot of today sorting a few things out so that I feel ready to go into “the new year” … and ensuring that I went for a swim!

When I was pulling this material together (and in no way realising that it would be ‘Birthday Eve’ – this verse seemed to jump out… sometimes I say I don’t want to grow up, and I never want to lose a sense of play, but as an “achiever” – always great to look back and see where developments have been…

Bible Reading: New Living Translation (©2007)When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. (1 Cor 13:11)

@40Acts

Letter, Email, Tweet – whatever – great – say thank you to others – recognise that they’ve all contributed to your everyday journey…

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Mother Teresa said this:

‘Silence of the heart is necessary so you can hear God everywhere – in the closing of the door, in the person who needs you, in the birds that sing, in the flowers, in the animals.’

Todays #lentphotos is “a reflection”, and here’s a picture I took at Mottisfont Abbey as I was having a day of reflection, and a bit of time out (needed again soon, I think – wonder where’s best up north!):

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/swan-1

#BigRead13 Thoughts

So we move onto Prince Caspian, and in this Lucy is left wondering “if” she had pushed, whether things would have turned out differently – she didn’t, and that option is now closed – she will never know what would have happened, and will only know what will happen now if she tries. This reminds me of Susan Jeffers – who said there is no wrong path, just different paths [though that's making me think about previous posts about "there is no other stream"] – different types of paths maybe?!], but anyway – no point dwelling on what might have been – we, as I am often heard to say in training courses, start from where we are – there’s no other place that we can start from!

New Living Translation (©2007)No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (Phillipians 3:13)

I remember, in my degree spending a bit of time in “What If” history (or Alternate History), and wondering – when there’s so much unstudied history, we were focusing on this, but as the purpose of history is often ‘sold’ as ensuring we don’t make the mistakes of the past – which means understanding what could have happened differently, and how to ensure things happen differently in the future.

Thinking about free will, steering of decisions (which sometimes still don’t always reconcile in my head) – always makes me think of Adrian Plass (A-Z), and his mention of “doors” – those things that always curiously seem to be opening and shutting for Christians in spiritual ways … can be a helpful notion – God’s big enough to cope with our stupid decisions and get us back on the path?!

@40Acts

This generally sums up an excellent post from Anna Drew today:

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Was it easier for Jesus? I’m not so sure. Take time: he died at 33. Just when most of us are trying to climb a ladder, he was descending into hell. How many years’ advantage do we already have on him? Yet how often do we catch ourselves thinking, ‘When things quieten down, I’ll…” Or, “When I retire, I’ll …” Or, “When the kids get a bit older, I’ll…”

and remember: “Before every action, today, wait a little – so that what you do is intentional, not reactive.”

Other

#Do1NiceThing Lent Challenge for today: Give a drink to a homeless person (u could also donate to a local foodbank / community lunch)

Thursday’s #livelent action BE MORE PEACEFUL Listen to music that makes you feel relaxed

If you want to waste a lot of time efficiently, run a meeting badly. You can waste many people’?s time all at once. #NOTBUSY

Today’s #lentphotos = “a wild animal” – well, here’s one from the/a source of the Nile from Sunday!!

#BigRead13 Thoughts

It’s a really simple quote today ““Come, live with me and you’ll know me.”, but very profound… it’s such a simple command, but one that we add so many extra instructions to … we make it so difficult for ourselves… I certainly know that I do! We’re often so busy doing, that we’re too busy to “be” … God wants us to slow down, he doesn’t want us wearing ourselves out for him….

Today’s Bible Verse:

GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me. (John 15:4)

@40Acts

Love today’s – it’s not about the big things, it’s about being intentional to make others day better … I certainly enjoyed today – my Winchester dentist always makes me smile – in both ways (why I still go to Winchester for the dentist, despite moving to Durham!), then I met a number of colleagues from my previous workplace, had brief chats – then met a friend for lunch and another for coffee before best part of 6 hours on a train with 2 novels! Much needed encouragement despite short time frame

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Another challenging piece from Brian as he encourages us to ‘strip the layers away’ – in looking not only at who we are (self), but whose we are (God/community) – and then truly being able to understand ‘love others as yourself’:

Not that it’s our job to be all things to everyone. We end up becoming little but an act, a collection of disposable personae, if we’re not careful. (And who wants just a persona from you? Can you imagine Jesus offering that?) But when we are willing to find our true self, in order to give it truly, this is the act of truly selfless love.

Pam’s Perambulations:

In the depths of fear, deep in the wilderness, caught up in anger and pain, we may not feel that, but it remains a truth to cling to – sometimes all we can cling to.

#Do1NiceThing #Lent Challenge for today – Commit to collect used stamps for The Leprosy Mission -and I guess I spent quite some time staring out of the train window for #notbusy

I gave myself 24 hours off from blogging today, so this was written 6th March, in a slightly jetlagged fashion!

Accessing wifi at the airport

So, I planned that I was going to write this at the airport, as there was wifi – but it would only log in on my phone, and not on the laptop – so …

#BigRead13 Thoughts

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“The Christian is in a different position from other people who are trying to be good. They hope, by being good, to please God if there is one; or — if they think there is not — at least they hope to deserve approval from good men. But the Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it.”

Bible: Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

http://biblia.com/bible/nlt/Eph2.10

Think: How much are you driven by the need to do ‘good works’? How can God encourage you to rest in him.

This piece really makes me think every time, as I’ve spent so much time thinking about what I need to do to be accepted, chasing qualifications, seeking to make others happy, trying to DO things, but several years ago on an Oak Hall trip “Grace” finally made sense to me, but it’s an everyday journey to remember that it’s about grace… and tie that in with the desire to act…

Pray: Lord, we thank you that you accept us as we are, with all our fears and failures, but that you have big visions of what is possible for us.

Action: Check out the latest activity on #God52 http://god52.wordpress.com/.

All about peacemaking today… As someone who naturally likes to keep the peace…

Today’s #lentphotos is ‘navigation’ so I thought I’d use the picture of the map of the road we took Entebbe-Kampala-Jinga-Mbale-Soroti:

#BigRead13 Thoughts

I love the quote about ‘not a tame lion’, or ‘not a safe lion’ as said here – and Hosea 11:10 seemed a natural Bible focus. It’s so easy for us in the world to think that God is ‘our puppet’ (as last week’s housegroup material focused upon) – but as this week’s housegroup focus reminds us that God is not a tame lion – he loves us, cares for us, he is strong and powerful as a Lion is, but he is also dangerous is treated the wrong way.

@40Acts

Having watched Ugandans grouping around the well today, this seems particularly apt. There seemed to be lots of conversation going on as people gathered together and chatted. Our UK water coolers seem to be both the physical ones in the office, but also digital watercoolers, and isn’t it so much fun double-screening for TV programmes!

Brian Draper/#NotBusy/Pam Webster

A beautiful selection that all tie into the idea of slowing down, having a rest, etc..

“Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11

With a really helpful idea that we should lift up a heavy weight and watch as it gets heavier, and know that this is the kind of pressure that we put on ourselves.

I’ve had plenty of opportunity to ‘do nothing’ today, in the van (although travel is tiring in its own way), and love this thought from Pam:

Perhaps lent is a time to practice doing nothing.  To put aside busyness and ponder.  To literally take time to smell the roses.  To slow down and appreciate all that God has made and give to us to enjoy.  To focus on the moment, rather than rushing off to the next thing.  For in that moment, we may meet God in a new way.

And finally, a nice thought to complete on return to home from #do1nicething:

Write a letter to a local emergency service and thank them for the work they do #do1nicething

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/foundational-words

As I am most likely in the air most of today, I thought I would just reshare this quote from today:

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

It’s been a tumultuous few years, and I’ve definitely been reshaped in many ways – never imagining that I would be doing half the things I’m now doing – but starting to see how some of the trials of the past have shaped me for now… I’m yet to see how the trials of the present are coming into shape in the future… but I do remember saying I was never going to work in academia again, was destined for secular work, and never wanted to move as far north as Manchester again….

So why worry (the verses from Luke today), as God clearly has others ideas, she says working for ‘Centre for Christian Communication in a Digital Age’, up north in Durham, at the University of Durham…

From @SeedResources

# BigRead13 Thoughts

I love the way that The Screwtape Letters speak from the perspective of the devil, and how we can see just how gently (that slow & gentle slope we spoke about the other day) things start to bug us, until they are really big things (typical passive-aggressive behaviour we think? – I think I’ve got better at speaking up before it gets annoying!) that ‘explode’ – not particularly:

Bring fully into the consciousness of your patient that particular lift of his mother’s eyebrows which he learned to dislike in the nursery, and let him think how much he dislikes it.

So the passage from Ephesians – partly produced here from The Message I really like – mend fences before they are broken beyond repair ..

And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. (Eph 4:1-3)

Although one thing I’ve had to learn over recent years is that you can want to mend fences, but it’s a 2-way street and both need to help put it up (pushing the analogy there?!). But back to the small things that C.S.Lewis talks about… we all have quirks – we’re human – of course we’ll all do things that are annoying, and one thing that life coaching really taught me is that we all have to accept each other as we are – we all start where we are and there’s no other place to start…

That doesn’t mean we can all just behave as we like… but think about the consequences of our actions on others.

@40Acts

Nice idea – invite your neighbours round for a cuppa .. which reminds me – must text mine to say I’ve gone as they’re going to look after my place whilst I’m away … nice little community I’m living in (geographically) – but also a part of many different communities – the Cranmer Hall/Wesley Study Centre at St John’s is amazing – and there’s Chris & Sian giving me lunch/lift to the station today, lots of encouragement from people in my online community, and about to ‘grab a cuppa’ with @Vicky_Walker once I get to London – a long overdue catchup!!

Brian Draper: Lent 40

Nice quote from Julian of Norwich, which I remember people saying to me as I was deciding whether to move to Durham

‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.’*

Combined with a poem which is a great reminder that the choices we have made are the choices we have made, and that there’s no point wondering what might have been different (I believe this may come up from Aslan somewhere too )

Pam’s Perambulations

Really like this quote in the light of this week/some of the posts we’ve had this week:

The desert is hard work, can be painful, soul-destroying – but ultimately,and this in not something you can see while you are there, it can be a place of fruitfulness and of life.  Because when everything has been stripped away, you become sure of what you can rely on.  What your basis is, and from their you can build.  From starkness and desolation comes life and growth.

 #Do1NiceThing

Well that’s nice and straightforward… do that every day – in some way I think – any need to be more intentional?

Lent challenge today is spread the love on Facebook & Twitter – be nice & compliment people! #othersrworthit

Just leaves me to sit back on the train for 10 mins and be #notbusy!!

So today’s #lentphotos is ‘foodforthought’ – immediately my brain thought of recipe books, or pile of inspiring books, etc. but putting the term ‘thought’ into @seedresources – I liked this one, as it fits with #notbusy (which I have done today, brain was trying not to whizz over everything I need to do before Uganda!!) and @briandraperuk stuff:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/mindfulness-is-being-still-becoming-aware-living-fully-in-the-present-moment

#BigRead13 Thoughts

As someone who is fighting back the black blur of depression, this Bible verse certainly rings true – especially this week. And this is where we truly emphasise that ‘depression’ is not related to “life” … had an excellence training session yesterday,  off to Uganda on Sunday,  but just comes from nowhere

I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.

Fascinating trigger word for #lentphotos today: “Focus” – love seeing the interesting twists – a journey in a Ford Focus, and a building that should be the ‘Focus’ of community, but I like this little photo I took of us focusing on some cows on the Isles of Scilly:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/cows-in-focus

Was reminded of God’s focus upon us in these thoughts from @pamjweb:

With Jesus taking such careful interest in wild flowers, how much more we can be assured he takes a careful interest in our lives.  He is not far off, admiring from a distance, but crouched down among us, absorbed and attentive – noticing, caring, loving. You and me.

#BigRead13 Thoughts

Really interesting to see Rich’s thoughts from yesterday - what causes some to bow at the name of Jesus (is is respect), and how many use NO thought with the words?

Meantime, today, we’re looking at another effect that Aslan has (in poetic form):

At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more

Combined powerfully with Revelation 21:4 (thanks Jenn Riddlestone)

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain

This sounds amazing (do I mention here that my brain fights not to quote the TV ad “totes amaze balls”) – having experienced a range of such feelings – imagine what life would be like with total summer (with a ski slope if that’s our thing, surely). How can we breathe the sound of his roar into the lives of others on this earth – as Leanne has pointed out on Facebook – we don’t keep pointing people towards heaven when everything will be sorted and they have to live with the rubbish now – we can make people’s lives on earth less sorrowful also… hence all the social justice movements, and the current #IF campaign.

@40Acts

Good challenge – to seek to “invest” in others, and especially to think about how we cross the generations – can we hang out with those who are older/younger than us – and intentionally seek to make a difference in their lives. Me – I’ll make friends with anyone – whatever age!

#Do1NiceThing

I think this links quite nicely – double the encouragement!

Email / write / tweet a local charity you think does a great work and thank them and those who volunteer - #OthersRWorthIt

Brian Draper: 40 Acts

Quote smacks in the eye today:

“If you are too obsessed with success,” writes Thomas Merton, “you will forget to live. If you have learned only how to be a success, your life has probably been wasted.”

Am I pursuing success? I like to think not, that I’m seeking to do work well, hopefully make a difference in the world, etc. but I have never-ever worked out the balance thing – not going to say work-life balance, because I happen to be fortunate enough to do work that I enjoy, so the edges tend to be blurred!

I’ve just been reading in Reform Magazine article about David Livingstone by Stephen Tomkins:

“Yes, Livingstone turned out to be a lousy missionary himself, but he found a different way to contribute to mission…. we are not called to succeed, only to play our part. Livingstone never saw success for his mission, but died believing that it was in God’s hands, and that that was the best place for it.”

Brian then encourages us to hold something with our name on it in our hands and contemplate it – reflect upon something that is evidence of God’s divine beauty within you.

Today’s #lentphotos is on ‘Quiet’:

http://www.seedresources.com/view/images/psalm-23-2

#BigRead13 Thoughts

What a lovely quote today – what did everyone hear as the name of Aslan was spoken?:

And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of Summer.

John 20:31 was chosen as the verse (and yes, I chose everything, but it was a while ago, so it’s like coming to all this new!) because of the idea of ‘living life to the full’, and schooltime summer holidays were certainly a chance to go out and enjoy the world (I was a farmgirl) … time for something different, exciting and fun… I like the way each child hears something different according to what their relationship is with Aslan (God!). This reminded me then of the Love Potion in Harry Potter, where each student smelt something different:

reminding each person of the things that they find most attractive, even if the person themselves doesn’t acknowledge or is unaware of their fondness for the object of their affection.

I think something along these lines must have triggered the prayer I also wrote:

Pray: We thank you that life with you can be ‘too lovely to put into words’, and that you are with us, even in incredibly difficult times.

Sometimes we can’t put things into words, so we describe with visuals, photos, scents of things we love. I’m curious to know what sensations/smells you might associate with God – a deep sense of relaxation, a sense that we’re not doing enough? If you want to think about the images of God that you carry about – check out this blog post by Kate Bruce – a lovely creative/visual exercise to see what God looks like for you…

And talking of names… I was christened Rebecca, my parents still call me that/introduce me to others as that. At University people said that was too long and shortened to Bex. My first publication was as Rebecca, then we decided everyone knows me as Bex so that’s where I’ll appear on everything bar official documents. And just remember, I have chosen my short form … and no Becky is not on the list!!

Brian Draper: Lent 40

A quote from the wonderful Angie Smith today, encouraging us to accept ourselves fully:

“There is someone I love, even though I don’t approve of what he does.
There is someone I accept, though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me.
There is someone I forgive, though he hurts the people I love the most.
“That person is me.”

This is something that, as Brian says, so many of us struggle with, although I’ve been working on aspects of this with life coaching, and working with FindMyStyle re body image stuff (so much more than just what you wear – finding out who you are and ensuring that what you wear is consistent with your authentic self, so you feel comfortable in it and can engage authentically!

@40Acts

Well, today we’re being encouraged to go to the pub. That’s OK, I can do that – going there for lunch shortly! Seriously, it’s about taking time to engage with your local community, and to look for expressions of church e.g. in the pub – in the environments that people are comfortable in, rather than expecting them to come into that unfamiliar building of the church.. I’ve just submitted an article on a similar topic, but with the idea that the digital spaces are spaces people are familiar with!

Others

I’ve also look at #Do1NiceThing, which calls for us to be calm drivers today (I’m not driving anywhere) – and I think I might be doing #notbusy on the train, although I have booked First Class in order to get a substantial amount of work done – so praying that the train disruptions today will still allow me to do that … I’m happy to sit on the train for an extra hour or 2 so long as I have seat/table/wifi/socket & food! National Rail still saying don’t travel if possible… but also says my train is running on time!