Exploration of Church Thought

I think I need to think about this thought a bit longer, but I was mulling over in mind this evening why there are so many different types of Christianity and at times so extreme.

For example, Catholic, C of E, Vineyard, Baptist, Methodist to name those familiar to me, are all as I understand dealing with the concept of worshiping the same God. Yet - all have a different feel, and even within those denominations there is a wide berth of variety.

I am not going to say this is bad, and I suspect it is good. But what hope does the normal human that has had no contact with church at any level meant to understand. If they see that there is such a wide choice and with varying themes and concepts then could this possibly be disabling instead of enabling them to come to a place where they could explore what they want about God?

I wonder if the diversity of churches really reflect a selfish nature / tendancy in us to simply say - not happy with this I am going to do what I want to do and set up something I want to setup.

The thought, was at least in some way, interesting.

PS - this doesn't mean I am against church multiplication both of type, style and variety.

Football

Naturally today I went to see Norwich play (although i can't on Tuesday because I am rehearsing.
None the less it was in the end a lousy performance.

However, in amongst all the boos, shouting and the calls for heads to roll I did smile. I was chatting with the guy next to me and we were remembering about the 4-4 against Middlesborough last season, and the win against man utd, and I cannot forget Norwich beating the toon either. It was fantastic.

Then there was the dissapointment of sitting watching us give up and die at Fulham.

But why was I smiling - I guess in the end its only football. This is my third year as a season ticket holder (although my first year was only eight games that led to the championship). I smiled because I went through the promotion and championship phase - celebrated out premiership scalps ad sighed at out losses and eventual demotion. I now see last years hope fading into a tirade against the directors.

But thats football. I don't think it would be such a beautiful game without the two sides of the game. If you never experience both sides its a shallow game that your following. By experiencing both sides I am sure it makes the successes more sweater and the failures even harder.

This is the true reason why I am a season ticket holder I think. Because you can have such a rally of emotions but short terms and long term that that in alone is enough for the money.

Its fantastic - cmon city!

God is seen....

I really liked this little piece of writing / prayer that I found in my Mother in Laws St John the Baptiste Herald parish magazine:

Only where God is seen
Does life truly begin.
Only when we meet
the living God in Christ
do we know what Life is.
We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution.
Each of us is the result of the thought of God.
Each of us is willed.
Each of us is loved.
Each of us is nescessary.
There is nothing more beautiful
than to be surprised by the Gospel,
by the encounter with Christ.
There is nothing more beautiful
than to know Him
and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.

Pope Benedict XVI

Top Ten Things that make me smile / be happy

Top Ten Things that make me smile / be happy

1. My son saying “I love you” and giving me a “big hug”.
2. My wife doing the same
3. Beautiful sunsets
4. Being relaxed and doing exactly what I want to do.
5. Making someone else happy.
6. Having a really hot shower when there is no rush to be anywhere.
7. Nice food.
8. Having a funny dream that I can remember.
9. Spending time and being real with my friends.
10. Leading worship in church.
11. Great beer / port / wine.
12. Knowing that I am loved and liked.
13. Good music / moving film.
14. Recalling a funny event with close friends that we laugh about.
15. Baking a cake and eating it fresh.

Eggs and Frogs

In my random thinking today I have been struck about the way God made certain things on earth. For example, such things as tadpoles turning into Frogs, or Catterpillas turning into butterflys. I am sure that there are loads of these examples around.

It just caught me that its amazing how one thing can be transformed into something else and look completley different. Now this is not a post about how Jesus transforms us from something into something else but I guess the analogy could be used. I just find it fascinating that certain species clearly have two very different guises.

The other thought was about eggs. I was cooking eggs the other day and it struck me that these egg shells are an animal biproduct. I forget that the shell has been formed and developed inside a bird. Probably obvious - but I think that by the nature that we crack eggs and empty the contents, so we think of the egg being the content and the shell the delivery package.

Probably makes no sense but thats what I was thinking.

Jack and the Beanstalk

I didn't actually mean to write all the stuff below, it just came out. The purpose of the posting really was to talk about the story.

Basically, when I was reading the real story to max of Jack etc, I suddenly realised that the story's main theme is Jack stealing the harp, money and chicken for himself. It is infered somehow that the Giant is bad and its ok to take it from him. I know its only a story and quite an obscure one - but it does make me think about what we feed our kids mentally without us realising it too much.

There is another book he reads that makes me think exactly the same but for the moment I cannot recall it.

Jack and the Beanstalk (Revisited)

OK - maybe not "wrong" but reading Jack and the Beanstalk to him earlier this week got me thinking. If you don't know the story - I am amazed but will recount it in an adult fashion...

A young chap and his single mother from a an inner city background is finding it hard to get buy on benefits and life is a bit tough going. So the mother sends Jack down to Cash Converters to trade in the family playstation.

On the way to cash converters, a friend of Jack offers to trade his playstation for some magic beans. Jacks aware of his mothers drug addiction so he decides to do the deal. Chirpily he returns to his inner city local authority council house and shows his mother what he got.

His mother is furious that he has come back with what appear to be painted kidney beans. So she looses her temper and throws them out of the 8 floor flat and sends jack to his room to watch TV and 18 rated videos as punishment.

Next morning Jack wakes up to find a great big tree going canny high. He decides to have a wander up the tree where he finds a castle and a giant. The giant is fast asleep and is beside some money, golden harp and a chicken that lays golden eggs. At this point, Jack is thinking that maybe he ate the magic beans but remembers he didn't. He decides to take all of these things, but the harp gets a bit miffed at being manhandled. So the giant wakes up and chases Jack.

Jack runs down the ladder and gets the machete he keeps to cut down the big tree (some imagination really is needed here). He does so, tree falls down and giant cannot catch him. Jack and his mother live a prosperous life with plenty of bling.

Ameobi! Ameobi!

Doesn't get any better in the season than this:

http://www.nufc.com/2005-06html/2005-10-23mackems-h.html

Wont say a word - 3 goals speaks enough. Thats because the last post tells me I need to be polite about....

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYIPEEEEEEEE

Its true - I am one of the politest people in the UK

Loved this story and confirms what I already new - although my experience of brummies is a great bunch of friendly people though............. courtesy of Sky news......


Is Mr Rude A Brummie?

Brummies are the rudest people in Britain, a survey has revealed.
And contrary to their aggressive image, Geordies are the politest, closely followed by Scousers.
Researchers went undercover to measure the civility of residents in eight cities around the country, subjecting them to a series of "courtesy tests".
They checked whether shop assistants said please and thank you, and whether people going into public buildings held the door for those behind them.

Drivers were observed to see if they thanked those who let them into rush-hour traffic from side roads, while passers by were assessed for their willingness to stop and help someone who had dropped their shopping.
The research for Readers Digest magazine found that Britons overall were polite 59% of the time, but that in Newcastle the figure was 77%.
Liverpool came second with 70%, while Birmingham came bottom with residents managing common courtesy on just 43% of occasions.
The other cities tested were Exeter, Cardiff, London, Southampton and Edinburgh.
The north emerged as politer than the south in the tests, each of which was carried out ten times in each city.
Regional courtesy ratings:
1. Newcastle 77%
2. Liverpool 70%
3. Exeter 63%
4. Cardiff 61%
5. London 54%
6. Southampton 53%
7. Edinburgh 48%
8. Birmingham 43%

Blicking Park

Out of sight out of mind....

We arrived at Blicking Hall today and we parked up. We put the car stereo into his black case and Emma put it in the unlockable glove box. I said to her why are we putting in there and she said "Well, out of sight, out of mind".

I just accepted this but then started wondering how many car burglaries occur by somebody just casually mulling around looking in peoples cars for fun and then go "oooh - there is a radio in its storage case, I will have that". I suspect, but quite happy to be wrong, that some may just break in and check the glove box to see whats in there anyway and are doing because that day they needed to get something to make some money.

Just another silly thought by myself.

Gentlemen Shadup [Shut up]

Max made me laugh to the point of crying today twice. One of them is from the line from Oklahoma where the guy says to the farmers "Gentlemen - Shutup" with shut up being said in an american deep south accent.

All though Emma dissaproved wholeheartedly, to my great amusement me and max just sat in the car saying to each other "Shadup", "Shadup", "Shadup".....

I look forward to his Nursery reports this week where it will say, "Max's vocabulary is coming on leaps and bounds, although he is telling everyone to Shadup all the time".

I that point I will probably get a clip around the ear as well. Other important pre-school words he can say:

"Wey aye"
"Champion"
"Shearer, Shearer"

Indeed - king of English Scholars he will no doubt become.

Back To The Future

One of my favourite films is Back To The Future. I always wanted the Jeep Marty gets at the end (the girl would have been a bonus), but that was then and now I have a fantastic wife and a fiesta (thats a small ford car that doesn't do all terrain).

The reason I am thinking about it was because I have just bought it off a mate for 3 quid on DVD and I have always liked the play on words used in the films title. But I always thought it was great way of desribing how as a Christian we often live life.

Imagine you're walking your Christian life - isn't it easier when you have an idea of where you going. So how much harder must it be when we try and walk backwards to the place where we are going. We turn our backs to the future and become blinded by the past and by things that "should have been". Instead of living life with our backs to the future, we should turn around and move on as easy and best we can.

Silly though, just got me thinking.

Cromer Pier

Today I took Max on a Choo Choo train to Cromer today. Although to be honest there was nothing happening there at all. Anyway, we bought some lunch and he fell asleep. We then walked down and sat in what I can only describe as little shelters.

It was great. I had some nice food, I was warm and was sheltered. Max was asleep and I started to fall asleep too. I hope that the young couple to my right and the older couple to my left didn't leave because I was snoring too loud - I am sure not. But I could have stayed there all day if Max wasn't there. All that I needed was some fish and chips but alas Max woke up in time for lunch.

Still, a very pleasant day out all in all. On our return we made tweenie cakes. Natually, one packet wasn't going to be enough for two fully - nearly fully - grown boys, so we made twice as many. Fantastic......

Air Crash Investigators

There has been a series on Sky Travel (yes indeed sometimes I do watch something more than Sky News and CBeebies on Sky).

The series is all about the Air Crash Investigators and has been thoroughly entertaining. That notion in itself raises questions about whether we should be "entertained", should it be the right word, at such a loss of life. That being true, we would never go to see some films then, like Titanic etc - which is an amazing film.

Anyway, my point being that all along the way they are talking about how immediatley after a crash investigators are sent to start working out what went wrong, why it went wrong and what needs to be fixed. In most of the disasters they have documented they have explained what has happened to the airline industry etc to ensure it is prevented / reduced in the future. This got me thinking on two levels.

First is that its amazing that it takes some traumitised event for something to happen. For example, the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster that left over 190 people dead when the bow doors were left open. The result of which led to numerous saftey and process changes. Why is it that something so obvious didn't cause people to question it. Was it ignored or simply unseen in the past.

The other level it got me thinking on is why the same is not applied to cars etc. Although I appreciate of late there has been ever increasing push to get cars crash test approved, I am convinced that more could be done for the safety and security of the passengers. I understand that a plane is going to lead to a great loss of life if failure occurs - but surely car causes more deaths than a plane in general. If you hear of 300 people that were killed in a plane crash on one day, you forget about the 200 or so that may have died in road traffic accidents for that one year alone.
I also wonder how much pressure insurance companies put on car manufacturers in order to "frig" the insurance market - I don't know but just a thought.

Probably a bit of a random thought for the day but there ya go.

Top Ten Things that annoy me….. (more likely a few more than ten).

Many a person has said there are plenty of things that annoy me.

Therefore since I have plenty of time on the this train journey I am on, I thought I would compile a list - some of which I have seen today:

1. Tailgaters – People who drive up your backside in your car.
2. Fag Ends – People who just throw cigarette butts on the floor.
3. Chewing Gum – Standing on chewing gum on the street.
4. Cold callers my front door who don’t get it that I am happy with my gas, electric etc etc etc.
5. When Sky+ fails to record the one programme I really wanted to watch.
6. When someone deletes a programme I really wanted to watch.
7. Any sort of medical drama.
8. Making a nice cup of tea to find there is no milk left.
9. Peoples stereo turned up too loud on the train so I can hear it.
10. People who throw rubbish out of car windows whilst driving ( or not ).
11. The guy in front of me tapping his hands to the music I can hear on his stereo.
12. DIY
13. Getting dirty whilst walking.
14. My computer not working for no apparent reason.
15. The guy in front tapping his hands even harder.
16. Not being able to remember the name of a song or how it goes.
17. Grinding of teeth – oooooh that does make me annoyed.
18. Forgetting my key for house and not being able to get in.

Visualisation

I tend to be a person that is stimulated by images etc and today I noticed to things that are similarly related.

At work today I noticed a rainbow. Apart from their religious relationship I find rainbows just beautiful things to watch. Furthermore, I am led to believe that rainbows can only occur at certain times of the day because it is dependant on the angle on the sun. The first thing that it reminded me was a long standing thought I have had about the circumference of a rainbow. Let me explain....... Once - I was flying from Heathrow to Newcastle and we had just started out descent. The sun was to my right on the right hand side of the plane, and I was on the left. As I looked out I could see a silhouette of the plane on the clouds below.

There is nothing special about that apart from the fact that the silhouette was a rainbow silhouette. That is, the outline of the plane was defined with colours from the rainbow. Anyway, ever since then I wondered if the rainbows we see are the same but the equivalent of a silhouette of the earth. That is, if you continued the rainbow around in a full circle would it end up being ratio of the size of the earth against the distance of the sun....... Next time you see a rainbow, imagine the rainbow just making a full circle and you might get what I mean.

The other image that I amazed me (I don't know why it does) was the view of Carrow Road Football Ground from my window. Norwich reserves were playing Leciester tonight (0 - 0) and the floodlights were on. Most of the evening it was pretty dark until it started to pour down with rain and it was as if the football grounds lights had been turned up. Clearly it was the floodlights reflecting of the rain as it falled but it was amazing to see how much the reflective light of the rain created such a bright effect......

Simple things amaze me as you see.....

Baby Big Brother

I read the following on Sky News today and really cannot make my mind up about it:
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1199496,00.html

The story is also below:

A woman has given birth in front of the cameras on the Dutch version of Big Brother.
Tanja - a contestant on the reality TV programme - gave birth to a healthy daughter.

She is hoping the footage will boost her chances of winning the programme's 400,000 euros prize. The birth will be allowed to be shown on TV after talks between the producers and the Social Affairs Ministry.
"It will not show any explicit scenes," said Stephanie Dekker, from the Talpa network.
She said medical and educational TV programmes had shown more graphic footage of births.
The government has also set down guidelines for producers to abide by in televising the new baby.
This includes only showing the baby on air for a maximum of eight hours over the duration of the show, which ends on December 22. She must also stay in a room where cameras are not allowed, and where her mother and grandparents may be with her in private.

I cannot work out if this is sheer depravity in our society or an embracing of something beautiful displayed for all to see. I do know one thing - if there are other housemates which I am in no doubt there are, this little new contestant isn't going to half annoy them.

Seriously though - I cannot believe that we are living in a society where someone would be prepared to do such a thing and go through such a thing for the sake of money. Maybe the whole thing is very clever as it is getting people like me talking about it and consequently publisising the show.

I guess the little fella (or in this cause little lady) is immediatley put into the media spotlight and probably hasn't even learned to feed properly yet. That cannot be good can it?

Leaves

I love this time of year.
Yesterday I was walking to collect Max from Nursery and I noticed that along one street all the leaves had started to turn and some had fallen on the ground. Yet the air was not cold but warm and damp.

It started me thinking that if God is a creative God and he has made the world where it changes, is God like that? I know that I have sung / read / hear somewhere the line You are the same, You never change. I think in many ways this is true but in others it might not be.

If God creates a world where things change and look different, maybe God changes. Maybe God has seasons about his character. Dunno - just an interesting thought (probably only to me).

Dreams

I was looking through some outlook notes today and was reminded of this phrase which I love from Million Dollar Baby....... It is refering to living out dreams I believe:

"Its the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you."

Great line I thought.........

Tiptree

Currently my favourite jam choice (they do marmalade but that is the devils poo in reality).....

tiptree

The plum is nice.........

Sliding

My little boy is pictured on the right about to take flight down the slide.

This is pretty much a posting for me to try out pictures etc, and if it works can put up a few more along the way.

Champion.........

Journey

I read in a recent T3 magazine an advert for satnav that said "Life is a Journey". It reminded me about the words of a song on the Journey Home by Nigel Briggs, words are below:

Sometimes I feel like Im Falling
Sometimes I feel higher than the stars
Sometimes I can hear You calling
Sometimes I feel lost.
But then I lift my eyes up
I see where I belong

Sometimes I feel weighed down by this treasure
When I think of all Youve done just for me
Sometimes there so much to discover
Sometimes I see the cost
But when I lift my eyes up
I see where I belong

Life is just a journey home
Then I will be with You
Life is just a journey home
Then I will rest with You
Life is just a way back home, to be with You

Oh, what a perfect day itll be; no more tears, no more misery

Life is a journey (4x)

Just loved the words really. It conjures up thoughts like "are we there yet" in truth, most of us still have such a long way to go - thats another song but I won't put it here - yet.

Weekend Is Here

Weekend Is Here!

This week has been a tiring week but enjoyable. Having to travel to Ipswich then catch an hours bus ride, study on a course and return is tiring enough. To combine that with rehearsals for Oklahoma! on the Tuesday and Friday is just as bad.

Anyway, that’s over now and I have a bottle of wine in the fridge chilling while I type this up.

I was listening to a song on my iriver player today by Tim Hughes (from his album When the Tears Fall). Generally this album is a lot better than the first and I think his song writing eclipses Matt Redman now in many ways. But the words are just great:

I've had questions, without answers
I've known sorrow, I have known pain
But there's one thing, that I'll cling to
You are faithful, Jesus You're true

When hope is lost, I'll call You saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

In the lone hour of my sorrow
Through the darkest night of my soul
You surround me and sustain me
My defender, forevermore

I will praise You, I will praise YouW
hen the tears fall, still I will sing to You
I will praise You, Jesus praise You
Through the suffering still I will sing
© Tim Hughes

I can’t say I have ever been through the darkest night of my soul in my life – indeed there have been moments of sadness, but nothing has heavy as this. I have never lost something or someone so close to me to bring me to that point – but I am sure it will happen.

However, I do know that I have questions, and often never have the answers. Or, could it simply be that I never hear the answer I expect and therefore effects my perception of receiving answers.

I do know though that God is full of Grace since he bothers to sustain little old me.

A big Champion to that one…. Off to retrieve my wine before its frozen………. Slushy Puppy I do not want.

Starting ...... again .........

Starting again……….

Weekend Wahooos

Well,  I keep posting things on my this website but I am not quite sure as to what to write so I will try and write a bit about what I am doing at the moment. Maybe I will feel inspired to write stuff…..

This week I have been travelling between Norwich and Ipswich to attend a Java course. Its been particularly tiring as I have not been going to bed late at night and getting up early is just a struggle – still I am trying to learn something new.

This weekend I am looking forward to though in particular for three reasons. First is that Norwich are playing at home and is always good fun, secondly and thirdly I am leading worship at Norwich Vineyard with a great bunch of people.