Pilgrim's Progress

Greenbelt Mullings

Had a great time at Greenbelt last weekend. Was there with the DREAM network from Liverpool running an event called "Out of the Darkness". Here's how it looked as people gathered ... the barbed-wire covered bathed in rich deep red light cross was quite moving.

I managed to find time earlier in the day to uncoil and take in the sights and sounds (my first time!). Will definitely be back.

One thing I loved was bumping into so many people I knew from so many different places, and having some great (and gritty) conversations.

It was a really good experience to be part of DREAM, in the conceiving, planning, and implementing of "Out of the Darkness" and the way we pulled together as a team. More, Lord!

P.S. I think the record for "most sightings at the Organic Beer Tent" goes to John Davies.

Greenbelt

Off to catch the second half of Greenbelt tomorrow. Oh I know you've been there since Friday but some of us have weddings, funerals and church services to conduct!

As part of the DREAM network in Liverpool, I'll be involved in running "Out of the Darkness" in New Forms 1 venue, Monday, 5:00pm.

Come and look us up, or see you there ... alternatively, if you're reading this afterwards, and came to the event, and would like to offer some comments or feedback, please leave a comment here or at the DREAM site. Thanks.

If I Could Only Change One Thing ...

If you could only have a significant impact on one thing in your lifetime, what would it be? What stirs you up more than anything else?

As I watched "Bad Lads Army" last night, with the very moving scenes of one of the lads being "broken down and rebuilt" by the hard but compassionate sergeant (pictured), and seeing this same sergeant becoming something of a father figure to this lad who never knew his real father, I began to sense what my own answer to that question was ...

If I can only significantly change one thing, it would be this ... to see men of all ages healed of their wounds, fathered into maturity, and released back into the world as men after God's heart, with lives laid down for his Kingdom.

Sure, I'd want to change other things too, but if I can only significantly affect one thing, that would be it.

What about you?

P.S. I have a funny feeling that all the breaking and rebuilding that God has been doing in my own life in recent years is all caught up within this calling and purpose ... time will tell!

The Offered Life #3

"Every morning

I lay out the pieces of my life

on your altar

and watch for fire to descend

...

But you’ll welcome us with open arms

when we run for cover to you.

You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers."

(from Psalm 5; The Message)

Simply wonderful. I'm still feeling carried along on the "bathos" (depth) of the "riches and wisdom and knowledge of God" that's followed me round since I began studying Romans 11:33-12:2 a week ago. It just goes down and down, deeper and deeper ...

If this is a little glimpse of the riches of an offered life, why would we want to live any other way?

The Offered Life #2

The latest arty offering. The more I look at it, the more I realise there are different things going on inside me, and as a result, in the picture too.

1. The call to return to God in daily surrender, as living sacrifices. Rom 12:1-2 is proving a rich vein of bible study at the moment.
2. The call to forsake all worthless idols, and worship the one true living God, the only one who gives light and life.
3. The call to worship a God we DO know (unlike the Athenians in Acts 17) ... one who calls us to return to him over and over again, and who pours his love all over us so we will want to offer ourselves completely to him.

It's an invitation to be extravagantly loved before it is a call to be completely surrendered.

Light Relief

Before returning to weightier matters, a brief interlude ... this occurred to me while playing around with the anti-tamper seal from a carton of fruit juice. What an ideal way to teach our children about "Heroes of the Faith"! What other household objects could be used to stimulate these little minds to learn from these great men and women of God?

Answers on a postcard :)

The Offered Life

"Therefore, brothers & sisters, as God's mercy enables you, I urge you to offer every moment of your day-to-day, physical, concrete existence as a living and holy sacrifice which gives great pleasure to God. Living this way is the most natural kind of worship." (Rom 12:1; my Tx)

I love that! Every tiny detail of the day can turn out to be an altar. The Benedictines and monastics (Brother Lawrence with his potato peeler!) are way ahead of the Charismatic church on this! Of course, the flipside is that other gods can be placed on those same altars.

I love this verse because it puts all of my related posts (The Unexamined Life, the Discipline of God etc) in context of God's great love and mercy poured out on us ... and reminds that moment-by-moment walking in loving submission and worshipful obedience is the backbone of faithful discipleship.

I enjoy the New Wine experience, and was greatly blessed this year, but now it's back to working it out, and keeping an eye out for the "roadside altars".