New blog alert

Just a quick note to anyone that follows my blog. 

I have decided to create a new one about a journey that I've begun. 

If you want to look, it's at

http://unlikelyleader.blogspot.co.uk/

I will still be writing on this one but I will add a bit more often to the new one than I do on this. 

Hope you enjoy it. 

Why do bad things still happen to God's people?

John 11 v 33

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.”

John 11:33 NIV

http://bible.com/111/jhn.11.33.niv

Suffering is like the rain. Sometimes it's heavy. Sometimes it's light. Sometimes it stops for a while. But it falls on everyone. You can dodge about as much as you like, but it will still hit you. As soon as you step out into the world, there's a chance you'll get wet. So what do we do? Do we hide away and try to avoid it? No. We take that risk and we get out there with everyone else. 

When we first come to God, He doesn't say that it won't rain on you, but he hands you an umbrella. It's up to us if we want to stand under his love and grace. You will still get wet. You still will feel hurt and suffering, but nothing like as much as if you didn't have one.

And then, just as you get used to having the umbrella you become aware that some people don't have an umbrella. 

It's then that you have the choice. Do you keep yourself as dry as possible, or go to those without an umbrella and share yours?

Laugh with those who laugh but remember to weep with those who weep. 

Down but not out.

I'm writing this as I sit at the end of my daughter's hospital bed. She has suffered a burn to her neck following an ice pack being used to cool down an eczema flare up. It's interesting that the thing that was making her feel better was actually doing her the most harm. 

There are things in my life and maybe yours that although they give us comfort, actually make things worse. The phrase "how can it be bad when it feels this good" doesn't really work when reality kicks in. Something good for us may feel bad and vice versa. 

After an early start to bring her to the hospital delayed my bible reading till now and today's reading contained 

Psalm 34 v17-20

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted 
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles, 
    but the Lord delivers him from them all; 
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.

It was a difficult week with many trips to hospital, uncertainty about what was wrong with my child and, to top it all, my car breaking down. I must admit I sat in my car waiting to be rescued wondering what God was doing. Was the stress of an ill child not quite enough? I ended up telling God that although I had no idea what He was doing, I could carry on trusting Him and would just have to assume that there was something worse that perhaps He was saving me from. And I was thankful that I had family close by that could help with transport. 

Anyway, as I read theses verses I can picture myself sitting in my car or by my daughter's bed crying out to God and I am glad to say that although He doesn't stop us from having troubles, God does deliver us from them. My daughter's skin is healing better than expected and my car will be working again soon. 

When all is said and done God comes through and delivers the righteous from their troubles. 

Stephen Fry response

My response to a  link I was tagged in to a video where Stephen Fry explains his thoughts on God and what he'd say, should they meet. 

Hi John. 

I wouldn't normally respond to links like this from friends, but as you tagged me in it I thought I had better say something, else I might appear rude or not seem to have an answer. 

I like Stephen Fry. The man has an amazing way with words and very keen sense of humour. I also like the fact that he thinks about things and doesn't just give a glib answer to questions like this. I much prefer an negative comment about God from someone who has deemed it an important enough topic to warrant the time and energy to consider it, than an ambivalent or dismissive comment from someone who hasn't even thought about it. 

After all, the prospect of there being a Supreme Being that created all that is around us and wants a relationship with us individually, must rank pretty high on the list of things worth thinking about.

Stephen makes a few points, but the main opposition to God is that he is “not willing to accept God on His terms”.  Now, I would make the assertion than God made us in His image and yet we are constantly trying to make God in ours. We simply cannot compare God to us. He is everywhere all at the same time. He is outside of time. He has no beginning or end. These are all things that our brains with our limited experience can never truly understand. It's like comparing a pencil drawn landscape to the actual view itself. There are so many more dimensions than the pencil lines can convey. 

Why should God, who (as I believe) has existed before there was even a way to measure time, conform to the whims of the “enlightened” created beings that have collectively learning for the last 10,000 years and personally only been learning for the last 40, 50 years. 

We are a fickle breed. Our views on things change constantly. What, one year, is considered intolerable, is welcomed the next. One minute we are crying “Je suis Charlie” and marching to state that anyone should be able to say anything. The next we are saying that people who condone the outrageous acts in other countries should be forcibly removed from ours. Who are we to decide how God should behave?

I don't even start to understand why children start to get ill or why there are wasps, let alone insects that burrow into eyes. But we can't hold that up as an outrageous evil while we dismember unborn babies that are “inconvenient” or allow people to live in abject poverty while we throw away most of what we have. 

As for thinking that God wants us to constantly be on our knees before Him. That ignores why God created us in the first place (to walk with Him and a relationship) and why I believe He sent Jesus (to restore the broken relationship). There is a way that we must behave in the presence of Royalty, but that doesn't stop Mr Fry being good friends with Prince Charles. 

I would love to be able to explain the mysteries of this world, but I'm personally happy to trust God with what I don't understand and know that He sees the much bigger picture.

Hope you made it this far and if you don't agree with what I've said, that's fine. At least you've been thinking about something bigger than what colour to paint your lounge or where you'll go on holiday. 

All the best, Andy

Flood related worship songs

A comment was made on Sunday by a worship leader in my church that there were quite a lot of worship songs that may not be appropriate in the current situation.

For those that don't know, or for those looking back at these from sometime in the future, the South-East England and particularly Staines/Laleham/Shepperton (my area) are experiencing extraordinarily high water levels on the Thames, resulting in homes and gardens being flooded.

Now this got me thinking about how many worship songs would fall into this category. The thing is, the more I thought about it, the more came to mind.

It seems the rivers and water prove to be very popular themes when it come to writing worship songs

So, without wanting to belittle what has happened to some families, here is the start of a list of songs to be avoided at the moment (with offending lines in brackets where appropriate);

• Lord send the rain - Actually don't for a while
• It's rising up, from coast to coast - Well from the bottom of the garden, actually
• We rejoice for the river is here - Erm, do we?
• Water you turned in wine - Interesting idea, but would cause additional complications
• Find me in the river (find me on my knees) - Not a good idea due hygene issues
• Oceans (You call me out upon the waters)
• River wash over me
• Come to the water
• Rain down
• Come and Listen (come to the water's edge)
• Beneath the waters (I will rise)
• Over the mountains & the sea (your river runs with love for me)

Now there must be more than this, but it'd more fun to let others think of them.

Feel free to leave comments with any others you can think of.

My first 1,000th tweet.

I think about the posts I send

They're thought out, filtered & neat. 

But I'm wondering what to say now

For my first 1,000th tweet. 

Should it be a message to my wife?

Something romantic or sweet?

But there's my other followers

Who'll read my 1,000th tweet.

Maybe be self-deprecating. 

About my nose or feet. 

But that'll just make me a fisher

For my first 1,000th tweet. 

I could write a scathing critique 

Of a celeb I'll never meet. 

But it'll pander to that whole machine

When I send my 1,000th tweet. 

I could berate my culture,

Country, town or even street. 

But these issues will change not long

After my 1,000th tweet. 

I could speak of faith and of belief. 

Things that cause my heart to beat. 

And alienate half of the ones

Who'll see that 1,000th tweet. 

So I'll write wise words to those

Who read these words to beat. 

Try to make each post you send

Just like your 1,000th tweet. 

Prodigal

Prodigal

What have I become?
I'm ruined by your love and grace.
You took me, head bowed in despair
And lifted up my face.

Can it all be true?
All that heaven has to impart.
Is taken, wrapped and handed down
To an undeserving heart.

So I will run into your arms
Run into your arms
The prodigal returns
To the father's heart that yearns
Welcomed and safe from harm

So can this be grace?
My slate has been wiped clean.
No trace of past wrongs on my sheet.
No dark stains to be seen.

Can this all be fair?
This favor is so undeserved.
For a life that turn away from you.
There's no punishment reserved.


So I will run into your arms
Run into your arms
The prodigal returns
To the father's heart that yearns
Welcomed and safe from harm

So can I know hope?
Can this life still be used?
The rescued becomes the rescuer.
No seeking heart refused.

So what is to come?
Not sent out on my own.
But you with me along each step
Till I hear my welcome home.


So I will run into your arms
Run into your arms
The prodigal returns
To the father's heart that yearns
Welcomed and safe from harm