The Gathering  

0 comments Posted by Andrew

I'm off to Baptist Assembly today and back Sunday afternoon. It's a good chance to catch up with mates and hear what God is doing in churches around the country. I was encouraged by some of the hints Rodney Macaan gave in his annual report after his first year as National Leader of the NZ Baptist Churches. Rodney's major question for churches is "what of our character/conscience?" Studies on the character of Christians today suggest there's little discernable difference between Christians and anyone else. Rodney suggests this is exemplified by the phenomenon of consumer church:

"(Recently I have been interviewed twice about the phenomena of Christians on the move between churches, looking for the next best thing, the ultimate Christian product. It was suggested there could be 10,000 in Auckland alone [!!!]). I believe we have a vision and there is an encouragement to be adventurous but our [NZ Baptist] statistics over recent years show that most of our growth is because Christians like our brand and why shouldn't they - we're great wuth children, have fine youth work, we're reasonably contemporary (in our own way) but what about our character?
Were not bad at meeting our culture but what about the places where we stand against our culture and say through the way we live - 'this is what it means to be a follower of Jesus' and let me hasten to add I don't mean that we stand on street corners and heap judgement on unengaged passers-by, but rather we reflect a true biblical world view which will almost always mean surprising those who don't know Jesus with our capacity to love."
I'm looking forward to hearing what it might look like for us to surprise people who don't know Jesus with our capacity to love - any thoughts...?


BERLIN (Reuters) - German police had to round up a cluster of crayfish after the crustaceans broke out of an Asian food shop and scuttled down the street, police in the southwestern city of Stuttgart said on Monday.
A surprised pedestrian notified authorities after seeing the crayfish crawling down the road early on Sunday, a local police spokeswoman said.
They had escaped by squeezing through gaps in the grating on their tanks and leaving by the store's front door, which had been left ajar.
I think that this story (and of course the design of his other weird and wonderful creatures - including humans) proves that God must laugh a lot . What do you think?


If tomorrow there was absolute, incontrovertible proof that Jesus was not the son of God, just a great man who lived a long time ago, would you still follow Him?
Would you stick to his ideals of truth, grace, peace and love if there were no eternal reward for doing so?
I have been reading some Philip Yancey, and one of the men he quoted pondered this same question.
After much consideration I feel such deep and overwhelming love for Jesus that I would follow Him.
Would you want to join us???

Context  

4 comments Posted by Andrew


On Sunday I'm preaching from 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. It's a bit of a contentious passage for some. I've found Bruce Winter hugely helpful for understanding some of the context for the passage. He gives a lecture on it here (go down to access the files). BAndy, if you're interested in learning more about the historical context of the New Testament, Bruce Winter would be well worth listening to...

God stuff  

4 comments Posted by Clairey

So, theres been 2 things that have really spoken to me lately and i thought i'd share them with you.....................
As some of you will know i am soon starting my new job after 6months of 'hanging in there' at my old one, and I had felt kind of guilty for celebrating my new job and thanking God for it, cos lets be honest, i didnt exactly 'rejoice in all circumstances' when things werent great, so what right did i have in rejoicing when they were good? Well i was listening to The Lads song "Call my name" and in the middle Mark reads out Romans 8:38 about how nothing can separate us from Gods love that is in Christ Jesus, and it was like God was saying, 'Not even your lack of trust or not seeing my hand at work will separate you from me or the fact i still love you and you can still rejoice.' Its cool to know that literally nothing will separate us from God and his love.

Before youth group last week I was feeling a little burned out, and really wished i could stay at home, pretty much feeling sorry for myself, but of course i had to go anyway, and when we got to Thirsty Worship there was a song with the line that goes "Im taking up my cross, I'm laying down my life, all for the glory of your name...." and since im on this new 'Think about what im singing instead of just getting caught up in the atmosphere etc' buzz, i was thinking what that would actually look like, in real life, today, like what does that mean for me, and God was like 'Duh, you being here tonight when you dont feel like it, when you'd rather be somewhere else, when you feel like you're not having an impact, that's taking up your cross and laying down your life for me, right there. When you put me or something/one else infront of yourself thats what it looks like.' (Not meant to come across as self righteous as it did, sorry! Just meant to be an encouragement to people in the same situation)

So at Young Adults the other night, Hannah and I were discussing the impact that cultural issues of the day have on the bible. Unfortunately, Dad overheard us and challenged me to lead a thing on it one study. Hannah said she would give me a hand, but after about 2 seconds, we realised that it was a enormous undertaking with a crazy amount of things we could go into. So what better place to ask for help than the Internet; the best source of truth in the universe*!

Anyone have any suggestions for specific things we could look at and talk about that won't take the rest of the term/a team of rocket scientists to get something out of? Maybe a book I (Hannah) could read to get some sweet tips?

I realise that this might be a topic we leave for later (or never) but still, even if it was just for personal reading or thinking, input would be appreciated.

* NOT!! (hat tip: Borat)

Luke 10 vs 15  

9 comments Posted by ~Josie~

I was reminded of a verse the other day. I hope Andy P doesn’t mind me saying this, but his daughter, Olivia really opened my eyes to something.
On Sunday afternoons a group of people from church play netball at the Indoor sports centre, and I look after the kids while the parents play. Olivia and some of the other girls were playing this pretend game. I really don’t know what was going on – Micah and Kiana were Olivia’s dogs and they were in the audience at a show Livs was putting on. I think it may have actually been at church…..I really don’t know!
So, Anyway – In the middle of the indoor sports centre, Olivia started belting out one of the songs we sing at childrens church... “Jesus is the way –WAY! Jesus is the truth – TRUTH! Jesus is the life – LIFE!” She was doing the actions and everything for this ‘show’ she was putting on for her ‘dogs’.People were all around us – some of them were watching. Olivia’s little 6 year old mind didn’t care about who was watching. In fact, I doubt she really noticed anything going on around her. With a huge smile on her face, she continued to dance and sing, and her ‘dogs’ applauded her.

I sat there watching this, amazed. I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself, because something in me was embarrassed of Livs. I would never have the guts to sing that song with such gusto in a public place…And yet every Sunday I help teach that song to the kids.
I realised what Jesus meant in Luke 10 vs 15, when he said “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”


If there was more G and T in the world there would be...
  • more love
  • peace in abundance
  • less violence
  • happier communities
  • heaven on earth

There once was a man sent from God, and born a Palestinian Jew.

As Christians we bear His name.

He was full of G and T - Grace and Truth - exactly what the world needs now :-)


I'm glad to be in Auckland after using the pulpit to rib John (a South African in our church) about how they were going to lose to us in the final! How many readers of this blog weren't born when the All Blacks last won the World Cup (1987)?


With French ancestory (Picard is very French) I say GO THE FRENCH!!


Ok, so some people have asked me what my essay is all about. I'll try to tell you without it sounding like a cure for insomniacs. Basically it's about how the church can be faithful in mission today from a Baptist point of view.

I thought I'd post some interesting quotes from what I'm reading. I'm aware that what's interesting to me could well be the cure for the above stated condition, so I will tread with care!

This is the benediction I was trying to remember on Sunday but basically forgot it and made something up... We had a family forum on how we are called to make the kingdom of God visible and how we cold be more outward focussed as a church. The benediction I wanted my tired little brain to remember was this one from Keith Jones (a Baptist theological lecturer):

"In my view, the very best worship services do not end with a blessing "Sit down you faithful community, enjoy your rest". Rather, with a word of dismissal - 'The feast has ended, the world is waiting. Go in peace to love and serve the world.'" - I really like that...

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