A Fathers justice

So this is the last day of our Live below the Line challenge. If you're not sure what the challenge is please read my earlier post this week entitled 'Give me joy in my heart'. The challenge has been an interesting one and a time of serious reflection for myself and Sara about how we use our money, how we oppress others without even thinking about it and how much God has blessed us. There have been times were the lack of food and boring water have simply become normal and times were the challenge was almost unbearable. Yesterday was definitely a day of the unbearable.

I had an important meeting to discuss some youth work challenges we are facing and this meeting occurred in Starbucks for a total of 3 hours. The coffee, the muffins, the panini's, the fruit toast, oh man was it hard. The glass of iced water all of a sudden felt like I was drinking crude oil. Those I was meeting with all had their selection of cappuccino's, lattes and espresso's banded around the table and when lunch time came my rice with carrot and broccoli was more like a mouthful of sawdust. It was hard and it was also tempting.

I found myself in this meeting thinking only of myself, self indulging in my own fantasies of what it would be like to taste that caramel shortbread with a hot perfectly made cappuccino after a mozzarella.. and.. meat ball.... panini... mmmmm (Let's pause a second whilst I salivate on that thought which will not aid my current hunger in the slightest),

Anyway, back in the hungry world, what I found myself doing was I was becoming self obsessed in this place of hunger, and this got me thinking. If my son was doing the live below the line challenge (he's 2 years old and enjoying the ball pool currently at home), would I be so obsessed with my own hunger? You see I can't help but feel that I would be filled with concern, worry, anger and frustration if my son was living off £1 per day. I have chosen to undertake this challenge, as a 2 year old he wouldn't have chosen this challenge and we would have been placing this feeling of hunger, uncomfort, tiredness and oppression on him. I would be angry that he couldn't eat his usual crumpets, that he would not be able to dive into the varied choices we have in our world, that he could not experience a full stomach and know that we have provided for him.

And this is where my thoughts have taken me during this week. God is a loving Father who gets concerned, angry and frustrated at the oppression his children are forced into. There is no need to look into scripture regarding God's provision, as the sheer amount of food discarded on a weekly, if not daily basis is enough proof that provision of food is there. We also only need to look at the distribution of wealth and resources in the world to see that once again provision for everyone is there, just not distributed fairly. We know this stuff, and we've known it for years, yet still we seem to not act, to not consider our actions and our part in the problem. Our lives become so embroiled in ourselves, in what we get to eat, in how we can get by and how 'poor' we are that we fail to hear the justice cry of a loving and concerned Father for his 1.4 billion children, who have less than what we spend on a trashy burger from the golden arches.

Another aspect I have found in this place of self indulgence is that we justify. As the wealthy in comparison to the majority of the world we justify our spending, our extravagant yet pointless use of money on takeaways, clothes we don't need, or films we 'must see'. As martin smith,  in the song 'our God reigns', sings "but still my Chinese takeaway could pay for someones [medical] drugs'. I found myself in the midst of this challenge justifying our spending with phrases like 'we deserve a treat sometimes', 'it's all relative' and 'we're not as bad as some'.

Now this isn't about wallowing in a place of self guilt and self flagellation but is about a recognition that we, as the church, are called to make a difference, to stand up, to act. To receive the blessings bestowed on us with a thankful heart that loves our neighbours who live in extreme poverty, both in thoughts and actions, whether that is down the road or on another continent. This is the cry in Isaiah 58 and Matthew 25. Our Father in Heaven is their Father in Heaven and he is about justice for all. He stands up for the poor and oppressed not because he favours them above others but because they are treated unjustly and he is about justice. And this justice is to be displayed in this world, in the practical outworking of life not just the eternal destination of the soul.

As a Father I want my son to be treated justly, I want him to have enough food to grow, to realise he is blessed and to accept that blessing with a thankful heart. Our Father wants all his children to have enough food to grow, to realise we are blessed and to receive that with a truly thankful loving heart. If we are to take up the call to follow Jesus, to become his disciples, we have to take up his Father's call for Justice in our hearts, to stand up for the oppressed not contribute to it, to speak for the voiceless not mute our hearts, to feed the hungry not keep their food and to clothe the naked not indulge in our fashion.

God is not about guilt tripping, the love of the father and son on the cross proves that he is not a guilt tripping God. He is a God of action, a God of Justice and a God of love. After this week I for one am going to start being a father of justice and strive that my life reflects this choice, my prayer is that all his followers will choose that too and that with this call for justice our world will finally begin to move towards being a world of justice.

Give me joy in my heart...

As I write the title I'm singing the well known and worn out children's song 'Give me oil in my lamp'. Now obviously this isn't being done in the open plan office I currently sit in, it is in my head and there it will remain for the foreseeable, if not distant, future. But joy is what I've been thinking through over the last couple of days and more potently realising I do not have in abundance.

Myself and Sara have undertaken the live below the line challenge (for more info on this click here). This challenge is to live off £1 per day for all our food and drink needs in order to raise sponsorship and awareness for the 1.4 billion people around the world, who also live off £1 per day but do not have a choice about it. It's been an interesting journey so far and hunger has become as normal a feeling as breathing currently, with the temptation to have that 'sneaky treat no one will know about' almost at an unbearable level.

I came into work this morning to pray with our DHQ team to be greeted by bagels, jams, marmalade, toast and filter coffee. I settled for a water, grrrr. It may seem easy to do , live off £1per day for a week, but it's not. Simply because you cannot choose, you do not have a vast array of tasty treats to choose from, or enjoy the debate about what to eat this evening. You eat what you have, and you do not eat lots of it. The oppression you feel is quite daunting and tiring and is obviously nothing in comparison to those who are locked into this way of life with no choice for most probably their entire life.

In this process of rice, pasta, apples and digestive biscuits I noticed I had become rather cranky (not the crane from Thomas as Malachi would have you believe). My fuse had shortened, my politeness had wained and Mr Hyde surfaced regularly informing me of my true colours. They say that when we are tired and hungry that is when we are most likely to get annoyed, frustrated and angry. Well I'm tired and hungry.

So what has 'give me oil in my lamp', which, by the way, I'm now singing again in my head , got to do with hunger and tiredness?

When I consider those brothers and sisters of faith who live in these places of extreme poverty I do not think or see in them frustration or anger, in fact often we witness joy. My wife visited Zambia one year on a mission trip and regularly says the joy evident in the Christians within these poverty stricken communities was a real challenge to her. So this is the question I'm challenged on in this LBL challenge. Do I have this kingdom joy in my heart or is my joy dependant on sky+ recording my shows, food on my table that I enjoy and a nice warm bed?

Reading Luke 6:20-26 I'm challenged about what brings me Joy and how I interact with my wealth. Because if I am truly reflective, even from a worldly perspective I am rich beyond imagination. I have a two story home with 3 bedrooms, gas, clean water and electricity on supply, Cupboards with food to last us for a month, most of which we will probably throw away at some point. My life is rich compared to at least 1.4 Billion people. Yet in all this wealth am I missing something, in all these well fed stomach's are we missing something.

This kingdom Joy is one that rejoices when oppressed for Christ, that is content with hunger, can last the night without a home, can live in extreme poverty yet will be generous, loving, polite, hospitable and accommodating to others. Again if we truly reflect this kind of joy surely is treasure from heaven? This kind of joy we would all want, this kind of kingdom we would all desire to be a part of. To be happy and loved even when everything worldly went wrong.

To finish this blog brings me to where I'm at right this moment to understanding this joy. To gain this joy, to partake in this kingdom, to really get how to live life in all it's fullness we have to let go of the wealth, to not depend on those things which stop us receiving this joy because they show us a false sense of security in ready made meals, fast food outlets and flat screen TV's. It isn't about beating ourselves up, but about letting ourselves go in order that we will embrace God's way of living. Realising that in the west we are incredibly blessed in order to bless, it's about being people of joy whether there;'s food on the table or not.

My Prayer in this LBL challenge: "Please Lord, give me Joy in my heart" - Let the singing commence!!

Can you hear the Music?

In my life as a DYO i get to visit many places both in and outside of Anglia. On Sunday I was in Sudbury attending one of their youth fellowship evenings and being made to feel old because I don't know the latest Bruno Mars song (the woeful rendition of 'More than words' by INXS didn't help either, with raised eyebrows from the 'yuf' whilst parents nodded in appreciation). Last week I drove to Bourne on Monday, across to Cambridge on Wednesday and down to Ipswich on Thursday. Truth of the matter is, I spend a lot of time in my car.

However, despite this fact that i drive more miles than I would care to count, I have a very small selection of CD's in my car and with Radio 1 determined to play no more than three songs the musical entertainment is somewhat lacking. This isn't helped by my forgetfulness to change the CD before I embark on another marathon trek across the death defying roads that are the fens. For example, I have had the same CD playing over and over and over and over and over again for at least three weeks. To make matters worse this CD is a BONUS CD that you find in your Soul Survivor Live album and only consists of 6 very short songs totalling a massive 20 minutes!!! So as I drive to Ipswich this CD repeats 4 times, as I drive to Bourne this repeats 8 times. Safe to say I know the songs, I know the music, I'm bored of the music, the music no longer bothers me, in fact I don't even recognise it exists.

It was on one of my many journey's last week that something about this struck me. As this monotone CD with it's now predictable choruses and (un)improvised melodies played over me I thought 'can I hear the music?'. Sure I know I can 'hear' the music but do I hear the melodies, the words? Am I enjoying and immersed in times of worship with these songs which are sung over me? The words sung by the worship leaders at this recording of 'momentum' week are words of truth, power and love. The music that acommpanies these words communicate passion, purpose and promise (yes I thought hard about making sure they all began with a P, I'm a youth worker afterall). Yet these songs of praise to Christ hadn't lost any of these traits in the never ending repetition that is my car, somehow I had lost the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

The world is a numbing place, we misplace our wonder in becoming more 'mature', we lose sight of miracles through 'becoming aware', we dumb down the sacrifice through 'fashionising the cross', we forget God's will through planning (and sometimes controlling) his kingdom. I look at Malachi, my 2 year old son, and wish to dwell in his world, were bugs are not pests but a new creature to play and run away from, were planes are magical creatures flying in the sky, were God is seen in the blossoming flower, the game of football, the 'nemo' fish. You may think this is ignorance, I would say it is bliss.

Repetition can be a dangerous thing. The more life plays over us, the more we forget life is designed for us to play in. Food isn't something that just appears in our refrigerated supermarkets for consumption but is, as Elton John eloquently puts it, part of the circle of life. The wonderful design of creation which Genesis 1 vs26 points out we are to take part in, both in looking after the world and reaping (not abusing) the goodness of creation given by God. 



When did Iphones become more exciting??



It is not only the practical elements of creation we begin to overlook either as we struggle to hear the music. Prayer meetings become places where you would rather do something else, band practices become about ensuring this song or piece is played right rather than God is present and partaking in our worship, planning events becomes about our strategy and clever thoughts rather than hearing God's voice speaking into HIS will for HIS kingdom. In short, God is squeezed out as we numb our ears and eyes to the music of his glory playing constantly over us and around us. Jesus sums this up in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 vs 14-15 in which he explains his use of parables and poignantly says;

"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes"

I'll finish by telling you about where I was going on that journey. I was meeting up with a friend for some advice and guidance on some challenges I am facing. In our conversations over bad coffee he followed up God's challenge to me (which he knew nothing about) and challenged me to see Christ in everything I do. To stop knowing this information with my head but to see it with my heart that I am God's co-worker and that Christ goes before me, is behind me and is with me. I was challenged to hear the music.

On the way home from that meeting I turned up this repetivitve monotone predicatable CD to the Tinchie Stryder level of volume and worshipped as if I had only just encountered the music and my God for the first time. In that moment of abandonment in the car, looking slightly obscure and crazed to my fellow drivers, I heard, I saw and I smiled. God's music is wonderful and all around us, if we'll only open our ears and hear.

'To be a Gleek, or not to be a Gleek'; Is that really the question?



In my travels visiting the varying degrees of life in this part of the Church called The Salvation Army I have not found something more polarising of people's views other than the topic of Glee. Glee: TV gold or popular trash, musical genius or cheesy outdated anthems. It appears no matter who you are, Glee very much has the Marmite factor attached to it, which has resulted in a powerful and determined faction of society now affectionately labelled 'Gleeks'! Rejoiced by those who are and mocked and scorned by those who aren't.

Therefore to Gleek or not to Gleek was certainly my question some 18 -24 months ago when Sue Sylvester's Adidas track suit wearing scouse fashion sense first hit my TV screen. Now to make the Gleek journey more interesting I must point out that I hate musicals. There is something about watching grown men and women dealing with the tragedies and dilemmas of life before breaking into song in one seamless continuum that just doesn't sit right with me. In my mind, sing or act, pick one not both. But with Glee it was different, for some reason the use of popular anthems, which reminded me of my childhood growing up in the 80's, just worked alongside the bizarre yet hilarious humour. To others it was pointless, boring and g(l)eeky, to me it was brilliant, entertaining and cool. After a few weeks of uncertainty and 'conversion' I was hooked, I had become a Gleek.

So why on Earth am I telling you this seemingly pointless aspect of my life. Well lets just rewind  to yesterday. Myself and Sara had been away all weekend working at The Salvation Army's Roots Conference. There we were challenged about our voice being a voice of hope and transformation, seeing God in every aspect of our lives. We returned home to our Sky+ player filled with TV goodness, one of which was of course Glee. As we settled into our sofa with our Gleek mugs (losers I know), I was suddenly challenged with one question. Am I ashamed of our Saviour?

You see I encounter people who will mock, scorn and berate me for my Gleekiness (if that is even a word) and I will respond with a defence of my glee friends, the humour, the music. I will defend that which I believe is one of the best TV shows ever!! (Big statement I know). I also realised that I am not a gleek by saying I am, I am a gleek because I watch every week expectantly, I own the albums, I'm engaged in the humour, I want to know if Mr Schuster and the Miss Pillsbury will finally get together. I am a gleek in deeds not just in words.

The big question is am I as committed to my Saviour as I am to Glee?

Do I surround myself only with those who believe in Jesus so I don't have to stand with him (and love with him) in a society that ever increasingly rejects him? Do I truly heed his words that I should expect to be mocked, scorned and berated for my faith (John 15:20)? Do I strive to ensure my life is alive with him, for him? That I am Christian not because I say I am but because my actions and commitment to the cause show that I am (James 2). Do I read scripture expectantly? Do I worship him unreservedly? Do I want to know what he has planned for me next and how this life will pan out for me with his Spirit guiding me?

Jesus said "Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9: 26

I am not ashamed to be a Gleek, but am I more willing to defend that position and live out that position when compared to my life with Christ? The heart of this question may be relevant to more of us if we were to honestly reflect on areas of our life. I believe the reason for this juxtaposed dilemma is simply that living out our faith results in transformation, which from experience, is challenging, difficult and hard. Defending a TV programme doesn't. Living out and standing beside, and with Christ, in this world changes our core being, it shines light in the dark places of our existence we believe we only know. Not being ashamed of Christ is less about speaking out in the world for Christ and more about allowing Christ to speak into our own world.

Glee doesn't change me, I move towards it's value for cheesy 80's pop and strange humour so that I will defend it's greatness. The beauty of the Gospel is that Christ moved alongside us (John 1) and fights for our position, that we may be transformed into his likeness and have life in all it's fullness (John 10:10). We don't go to him but he comes to us.

Why is it easier to defend my gleekiness? Because it doesn't affect me or ultimately matter. Christ's Love, Sacrifice and Resurrection is a much more worthy part of my life to defend and align myself to.

"To be a gleek, or not to be a gleek?"; that really isn't the question... 'To follow or not to follow?' now that really is...