This week I’ve been reading ‘Scared to Death – from BSE to Global Warming; why scares are costing us the Earth.’ Quite a long title – and a lot of read at nearly 500 pages. Well worth it though – here’s what it says about itself: This book for the first time tells the inside story of each of the major scares of the past two decades, showing how they have followed a remarkably consistent pattern. It analyses the crucial role played in each case by scientists who have misread or manipulated the evidence; by the media and lobbyists who eagerly promote the scare without regard to the facts; and finally by the politicians and officials who come up with an absurdly disproportionate response, leaving us all to pay a colossal price, which may run into billions or even hundreds of billions of pounds. This book culminates in a chillingly detailed account of the story behind what it shows has become the greatest scare of them all: the belief that the world faces disaster through man-made global warming. Personally, I’m […]
Month: January 2008
big buts
Well, that’s the name of the course for ‘spiritual seekers’ we just started last night, rather than something I suggest you go looking for online. We looked last night about how Christianity specifically and religion generally has a bad press. People think it’s boring, untrue and irrelevant to daily life in the C21st. I said I used to think that was the case, but (obviously) some things have happened to change my mind. I ended up asking our discussion groups whether there were things people there used to believe but don’t any more or vice versa, things you used not to believe and now you do. When I was a kid I thought all the countries stacked one on top of the other somehow, it took me ages to work out that whole ‘the world isn’t flat’ thing. Some people would acquaint all theists with flat earthers! I’m happy to change my mind, if my mind needs changing. How about you?
Stewards R Us
God’s wisdom is easy to understand – but hard to APPLY. Biblical money management, God-honouring stewardship, is about wisdom and character more than income or education. It has to do with old-fashioned discipline. It’s more than 80% about choices. It’s not just hearing, it’s doing. I’ve begun to realise I really can be an encouragement to others, really honour God with this really important area of my finances, I can even give increasingly, joyfully and freely, more and more and more – if I can just get to control this idiot I shave with! When people in church tomorrow hear the word stewardship, many of them may switch off and just think I’m going to say, ‘Give the church more money!’ But stewardship, what the Bible says about that, is that stewardship is basically all about how you look after what belonged to another. It involves money, but encompasses much more – and I don’t want to talk about amount so much as attitude. The word comes out of KJV – written in the times of the feudal system.// Everyone […]
No possessions?
This coming Sunday I’ll be speaking on the line in Lennon’s Imagine when he said, “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, nothing to kill or die for, a brotherhood of man.” Is money the root of all evil (as the Bible is often misquoted as saying?). Are poor people in some sense better off? Would the world be better if they just gave everyone the same, whether a little or a lot? How long would that system last? One of my readings is the famous story of the ‘Rich Young Ruler.’ He appears in all three of the Synoptic gospels, went away from Jesus sad, because he had a lot of money. Does more make you miserable? Your thoughts and ideas appreciated, as I try to gather mine.
Our Vision
Can I share with you what the vision of our church is? The Bible says, “Without a vision the people perish.” If we can’t see where we’re going, we’re not going. We need a vision or we’re going nowhere. Here’s what we’re about. To extend the Kingdom of God one life at a time in West Horsley and the surrounding area by becoming more like Jesus Christ one day at a time The Kingdom of God is not seen in the Bible as a limited geographical area, like our little village of West Horsley. Instead the word Kingdom could be better rendered as ‘Kingship.’ The Kingdom of God is wherever God is King. Wherever he reigns and rules. He is God of the whole universe he created. That’s his right, that’s his position. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of Lords. But non of us are born his subjects. Like a friend of mine has recently rejoiced in becoming a citizen of this country, we have to accept his rule, and say, “My citizenship is in heaven.’ That’s […]