Napier Baptist

I'm up at Carey Baptist College for the next 2 weeks spending some focussed time on a BTh (Hons) dissertation that I'm writing on Baptistic Ecclesiology in the Context of Being a Missional Church. I won't hijack the blog with the details. Great to see Weeza has made it into the blogging world despite being 'computerically challenged'. Perhaps BAndy could be of some help? To any who wanted to know, I've gotten over my illness from Sunday. Preaching with food poisioning is no fun at all! I hope to put up some more photos of the Baptisms soon.

Now, go and check out Lauren Roche's website. Go now and do it! Lauren is a member of our church and was among the 6 awesome people we baptised last Sunday. She is a frequent visitor and commentor to this blog (Lauren, if you're keen to write posts on this blog - let me know). She has written two amazing books on her life and is a truly inspirational person. Lauren's books, so far, are Bent not Broken and Life on the Line - they are inspirational. On the one hand they are an incredibly harrowing read (many parts brought me to tears) because Lauren has been through hell, on the other hand they are an incredibly inspiring and hopeful read (and many of these parts brought me to tears) because Lauren is such a brave and courageous woman that not even hell itself could hold her down. I haven't asked Lauren if this is true, and if you think it isn't Lauren, then please correct me. I wonder if somewhere and somehow in the midst of Lauren's life, God's hand and God's resurrecting power was at work - even when she didn't know it? I have given Lauren's book to a person trying to turn their life around, because Lauren refuses to shrink from being truthful about the ugliness and evil that exists in life while at the same time refusing to give up on hope. This person found her books very inspiring and planned to come to her baptism (having never been in a church for 10 or more years) but at the last minute couldn't make it because of family reasons. Lauren's courage to write about her life from drug abusing teen stripper and protitute to medical doctor helped to give hope to this person's, and many other people's lives and futures.

I love Lauren's excitement for life, her strength, her hope and the ribbon of steel that runs through her that won't compromise on love and hope. Already (see comments on last post), Lauren has reminded us of the significance of staying focussed on the heart of the Christian faith - "Let's not be Christians who tell the world what we are against, but show everyone what we stand for. Rather than shutting down other faiths, let's live The Word and have others say 'I want what they're having'. I'm new to this - perhaps it's all been said a zillion times before. I have a freshness of Faith to believe we can do it. Who wants to start?"

Wow! Who's inspired by this? I certainly am! So who's in? Lauren, and all the people at Napier Baptist, please help to keep us focussed on the main thing and if you ever think I'm shrinking or chickening out of showing the depth and breadth of God's love in Christ, then feel free to give me a swift kick up the bum and get me back on track to keep the main thing the main thing!

Let me not forget to mention Lauren's wonderful husband Murray, who is also a treasured part of Napier Baptist.