I’m reading a book about stand up comedy. Really very good, it’s helping me think about how to connect better with those I’m speaking to, especially in church. I was thinking I might even try out at an ‘open mike’ session somewhere, some time. One good section was about hecklers, and various ways comedians deal with them. My favourite approach is Harry Hill’s, who says ‘he found suitably surreal ways of answering hecklers, like telling them, “You heckle me now, but I’m safe in the knowledge that when I get home, I’ve got a nice chicken in the oven.”‘ Made me laugh anyway. I don’t get ‘heckled’ much when I’m speaking, unless it’s street preaching where I’ve had a few people swear at me and shout out to put me off. At my home church up North we used to have a disturbed lady who’s undress in the middle of sermons (not mine). Reading through the gospels it’s interesting that we think of Jesus as a teacher, yet much of what he did was not didactic ‘sermon on the mount’ […]
HECKLERS
What’s so special about Jesus?
…except that a few good friends of mine this week committed themselves, on their knees, to follow him? More than 2000 years on, Jesus is still the Son of God – still changing lives! But would Jesus agree that he really was all that – and more? Would be be rolling in his grave to think that a religion based on him even existed? Wasn’t he just a teacher? A good man? Could he actually be God? Well what kind of God would you want God to be, to be called God? Theologians talk about various ATTRIBUTES of God, for God to really be called God, he’d have to fit the bill. God would have to be immutable (unchanging). The Bible says, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. You would think God – to be worthy of the epithet – would be eternal: he’d have no beginning and no end. Read the beginning of John’s gospel – Jesus fits that bill! Surely you’d want him omniscient – all knowing? Jesus certainly ‘grew in wisdom and stature,’ but […]
Punctures
Went out on my bike this morning, had all the stuff with me for if there was minor disaster, but ended up with a major blow-out and the whole tyre needing to be replaced (the one thing I didn’t have with me!). As God would have it, just at that ‘oh what a nightmare’ moment, the local police officer – who I happen to know, just happened to appear! He gave me and the bike a lift all the way home, and was able to warn me about a spate of burglaries locally as well as have a good chat generally, with him and another officer. I had been thinking earlier in the day that I need to start to redefine myself as a missionary to western culture rather than a church leader, in order to help people in our church and Christians with whom I come into contact to see a model. A great place for me to be able to befriend people and have contact for the gospel is through these police contacts, as the newly appointed chaplain […]
Exclusive Christianity?
We have this course going at the mo called ‘Big Buts.’ Tonight I’m speaking on “But what about all the other religions?” Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life, nobody comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6). Isn’t that very exclusive and intolerant? How can Christians believe that in a world where their adherents make up at best a third of the population (most of them nominal, see the pie up above? I’d slice it a lot thinner)? Some thoughts on that then. Firstly, Christianity is not the only religion that makes claims which are exclusive. 1.5 billion Muslims claim exclusivity, in a linguistic fashion for starters – the means of salvation is available through study of the Qur’an, for which you’d need a sophisticated understanding of Arabic. Buddhism was borne out of a rejection of the truth claims of Hinduism. Sikhism came as a challenge to both Hinduism and Buddhism. Of course there are atheists who believe (sic) there is no God, some of whom are keen to exclude the truth claims of […]
The end of the world as we know it?
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 […]
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.
Catalyst 2007 Francis Chan
I was at this conference. That’s me at the back somewhere. Why do I go all that way across the pond? Because of the fantastic teaching. Here’s one of the best bits from this year. It’s longish, but worth a watch. Thanks to http://floatingaxhead.com
A Baby New Year
Why is a baby the symbol for the New Year? Why will we very soon say goodbye to the OLD year, and welcome a new baby 2008? Well if there’s one thing you can say about babies that you can’t say as we get older – it’s that babies (especially in nappies) like changes! Someone said to me the other day they think 2008 will be a bad year. I think you get what you believe for. I think the new year is like that baby who’s just entered the world and I want to be ready to celebrate and live life anew. A New Year presents another chance to grow, to develop, to learn:How do feel as you look toward 2008? Will next year be better? What about you? Will you be a better version of you in 2008 than 2007?Sometimes adult children of God can think we’ve grown enough. Like when they measure Mary Poppins and it says, “Practically perfect in every way!” And we can make all kinds of excuses for stagnating…. An old man of 100 […]