More holiday reading

The book I mentioned in my previous blog I haven't finished. But I did finish a crime novel AND I finished a book that was in the 'library' at the hotel we were staying in Corfu. Among the usual range of novels there, I spotted John Stott's recent publication, The Living Church.

It was a good read. But I say that because I agree with what he says! However, it was still challenging. In other words I agree with what he says a living church should be, but how do we get there? How do we, at Laindon Baptist get there? I have some ideas, and I'll be sharing them with the deacons soon!

I also took away on holiday, The Green Bible, which is a version of the Bible where passages that speak about the environment are printed in green. It's interesting reading. Sometimes I think, "Why did they highlight that?" and at other times, "Why didn't they highlight that?"

But I found most interesting the "Green Subject Index" at the end. Looking at the passages in the Bible, for instance, that speak about pollution. It's obviously not about oil spillages or leaks of toxic chemicals. No, the ground is polluted by the spilling of blood on it. The ground is 'polluted' and does not grow crops as it should when there has been killing in the land.

In other words, when we sin, the land suffers. This is not surprising, as when Adam and Eve sinned, it didn't only mean their banishment from Eden, but the whole of creation was somehow affected (read about it in Genesis 3).

It therefore must mean that when we repent of sin, the land is also 'healed' of pollution. See 2 Chronicles 7:12 (which, oddly, isn't in green).

If you have seen the Transformations video, you may remember the town in Mexico (I think), where the harvests were transformed when many people turned to God.

It's a very interesting subject, which demands more study!

Holiday reading

I was reading a novel and it said something like, "a police car with siren wailing shot past the end of the cul-de-sac." My mind immediately pictured a police car tearing up a driveway from the garage of a house, across the front lawn of the house where the road ends, then down the drive of the next house.

And then I realised ... - but here's the question, Which 'end' of a cul-de-sac is the end and which is the beginning? To me the end is where the road ends and you can't get any further. Surely the police car shot past the beginning of the cul-de-sac?

Questions, questions!

By then I had lost my place in the book and lost the thread of the story. Maybe that's why I don't read many books.

A Moral Dilemma

I have a moral dilemma. When you go into a restaurant and order a tea or coffee and those little packets of sugar come, even though you don't take sugar, is it OK to pop them in your pocket and empty them into the sugar jar at home? Actually it's not a jar it's a plastic container with a snap-on lid - of course.

You see, I reckon you've paid for the sugar so you can do what you like with it. So why is it I wait until the waitress is nowhere to be seen and then surreptitiously place them in my pocket or pass them to my wife for her to slip into her handbag?

However I've worked out some reasoning. If the sugar packets come in the saucer, then I reckon I must have paid for them and I can pocket them if I like. But if they are in a dish on the table, it's questionable that I've paid for them, so I don't pocket any.

At the beginning of our holiday, however, things were sorted by my wife. It wasn't a moral answer to my dilemma. But when I was about to hand her a packet to slip into her handbag, she said, "We're not collecting more of those things!"

Problem solved.

Keeping up with the news ...

Even though we are abroad on holiday, I buy a newspaper to try to keep up with the news. In the paper yesterday I read that French women are turning their backs on sunbathing topless. Sales of monokinis (the bottom bit only of a bikini - I hadn't heard the word either!) are apparently falling.

The article harked back to 'French post 1968 society' where some insisted sunbathing topless was a woman's right, whereas "family groups claimed exposed nipples would scare children." Which is a bit odd seeing as their mother's nipples are one of the first things they actually see.

That is, unless they were bottle fed. A debate about that was featured in another article in the same paper.

It's good to keep up with the important news whilst on holiday!

Induction continued

Pictures now on blog entry two below!

To know Him is to love Him ...

I've blogged before about Christian discipleship, or "transformation" or "spiritual formation", or whatever term you like to use to talk about our growth in the Christian faith. It's an important subject and one that has had many books written about it; in the past and in the present.

I mentioned some while ago about what I call the three dimensions of spiritual growth - the inward, the upward and the outward. The inward dimension is learning more about God, the upward dimension is expressing our worship to God and the outward dimension is serving others for God.

There's an old hymn I like, one that has all but disappeared in recent times, We have not known Thee as we ought. This morning I was musing on the words and realised the author was talking about my three dimensions of growth. He writes about knowing, serving and loving God, which tie up with the inward, upward and outward.

And the point of this spiritual growth? As he says in the last verse, to prepare us to meet Jesus face to face one day!

This is the hymn:

We have not known Thee as we ought,
Nor learned Thy wisdom, grace, and power:
The things of earth have filled our thought,
And trifles of the passing hour:
Lord, give us light Thy truth to see,
And make us wise in knowing Thee.

We have not loved Thee as we ought,
Nor cared that we are loved by Thee:
Thy presence we have coldly sought,
And feebly longed Thy face to see:
Lord, give a pure and loving heart
To feel and know the love Thou art.

We have not served Thee as we ought;
Alas! the duties left undone,
The work with little fervour wrought,
The battles lost, or scarcely won!
Lord, give the zeal, and give the might,
For Thee to toil, for Thee to fight.

When shall we know Thee as we ought,
When shall we love and serve aright ?
When shall we, out of trial brought,
Be perfect in the land of light?
Lord, may we day by day prepare
To see Thy face, and serve Thee there.

T. B. Pollock, 1836-96.

Induction

I have been very remiss in that I have not blogged about my Induction last week to the pastorate of Laindon Baptist Church. It was a great morning with a good mixture of formality and informality. The church was brilliant in preparing the church with 50 extra chairs, kindly borrowed from the local Methodist Church and of course in preparing a feast for everyone afterwards.


My appreciation goes also to everyone who came, not just from Laindon, but also friends, going back from the three churches I have pastored, and even one family from the church we were at before God called me into the ministry. Also, thanks to family who came and supported me.

What's all that about?

The English cricket team are currently playing (and losing!) the first Ashes test in Cardiff. But hang on a minute! Cardiff is in WALES, not England! How does that work??

On a completely different subject, on BBC London News earlier this week Riz Lateef was interviewing someone about something. I don't remember what it was about because he was standing in front of Tower bridge, which was OPEN! As the interview went on, what looked like a Thames sailing barge went through and then the bridge started to close. I think I've only ever seen it open twice in my life!

But Riz completely ignored it! And, the camera angle moved so that they could put up a visual next to the person, and that blocked our view of the bridge closing!

Some things are more important than news, and you just have to pause your life to watch ...

It's off to work I go ...

On Wednesday 1 July I started my new job! And guess what, there was a traffic jam on the A127 that I use to get to work, because of an accident.

Actually the accident was on the other carriageway, which was closed for quite some time. The reason for our delay was what has become known as "rubbernecking". That is, people slowing down to see what has happened. This, as the term implies, is seen as a bad thing - people gawping at an accident.

But, wait a minute. What if everyone drove on without a second glance? How callous would that mean we as a nation had become?

If I see an accident like that I actually take the opportunity to pray for those involved, their family and those who will be helping them, whether that's medically, practically or spiritually.

I recommend you do it also - but, of course, if you're driving, you must pray with your eyes open!