What's God's view of Amy Winehouse???

So this weekend was a little crazy. Dreadfully tragic events in Norway, Liverpool got hammered by Hull City 3-0, I had a weekend off and the musical genius Amy Winehouse was found dead at her home after a suspected drug overdose. Only two of the above were news worthy, thankfully Liverpool's poor showing was nowhere in sight and will be confined to the folder 'one of those days' for the boys in red. The events in Norway and the demise of Ms Winehouse however were, and still are, very much in our headlines.

Much has been made of the comparison of the two already. How news of the death of a drug addict and out of control singer knocked the tragedy of nearly 100 innocent people losing their lives from the main news story stage. I have even heard many Christians comment negatively on the demise of Ms Winehouse whilst speaking of God's obvious heartbreak to the tragedy in Norway. As myself and Sara reflected on the crazy goings on this weekend we asked the question. What's God's view of Ms Winehouse?

Whilst we read all sorts of stuff on facebook, twitter and the uncontrollable 'free speech' world of the Web, I was struck that the overarching opinion was one of 'well what do you expect?' towards Amy Winehouse, most of which came from my Christian friends. So that spun me thinking, 'Is that really what God thinks?'. No christian, or possibly person, would deny God's breaking heart at the tragedy that unfolded on a small island in Norway, but does God's breaking heart not extend to a drug addict who had lost her way? And therefore should our hearts as Christians also not do the same?

To be honest I was appalled at those believers who had so quickly forgotten of the grace afforded to them, the forgiveness the Father had showered on them in their times of weakness and need, of addiction and lack of self control. Scripture tells me that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). ALL!!!!! that's you, me, Rob Bell, Nicky Gumbel, Tim Hughes, David Cameron, Dr Rowan Williams, the Pope and Amy Winehouse. All have fallen short, all are in need. As followers of Christ, we are not above others, we are not morally appropriate and able to cast down judgments to those who aren't. We are loved, we are forgiven, we are to forgive and lift others up and we are about loving those who are in need.

So what does God think of Amy Winehouse? My opinion is that as Amy died God wept and whispered over her the things she could have been, that God loved Amy as much as he does you and me and that if she had / has accepted his grace he would have welcomed her with a loving fathers embrace (Luke 15). So today I again recognise and accept God's grace in my life and weep with him for those killed in Norway and for a Lady, a little younger than me, that gave the world great music but could have given so much more.

Enjoy being enjoyed

If you're not aware yet I have a Son called Malachi. He's 2 1/2 years old and swings quite easily from adorable toddler to unbearable child. Currently he's going through a bit of a boundary pushing stage and I now know why my parents used to go mad when I said "don't know" to everything they asked. "Would you like to get out of bed?", "don't know!". How can you not know if you want to get up or not? You either do or you don't. As a parent I also see myself dwelling in two camps, one of the loving parent who looks on with pride and joy and then the other parent who is constantly telling his children off or feeling embarrassed by them.

I have to admit however, the thing that sustains me and makes me realise that this journey of parenthood is worthwhile is in the joy moments. In the moments of Malachi giving a cheeky grin to try and get out of eating his dinner, or the times in which he kicks a football and pretends to fall over as if he's been fouled. Those moments that make me laugh and fall in love with my Son all over again far outweigh the moments of frustration and discipline.

Couple of weeks ago we were attending a wedding of a family member. Malachi was dressed in his waist coat and tie and was pretty much perfect all day. His excitement boiled over into the evening party when the music started playing and dancing was on the menu. Malachi loves dancing and was on the dance floor at every song, not caring what people thought of him, he simply enjoyed being. Jumping, running and wiggling his arms in a fashion you could only get away with as a toddler. Malachi was in his world, enjoying the things laid before him. I was looking on from the crowd and found myself enjoying watching Malachi enjoying. As a father watching his child enjoy the life he has was deeply fulfilling. And at this wedding, in this loud music and crazy 2 year old dance moves, God spoke.

I suddenly got a glimpse of our Father who enjoys when we enjoy. Who sometimes looks on without us knowing, when we've forgotten to pray, or not called in on him in a while he looks on as a Father and enjoys as we live our lives. As we dance to the beat of life, as we enjoy the food he's provided or spend time with the people he created, God looks on and enjoys our life with us. Too often as Christians we are serious, we frown at those that enjoy life, who enjoy spontaneity and don't attend church every week, who are friends with all sorts of party goers and clubbers whilst eating banquets, but who also love God profoundly and see the gift of life he has given us.

Jesus himself was the sort of guy we, struggle with, as did the pharisee's. His life consisted of parties, people, spontaneity and an understanding from his father, and in himself as God, that life is a gift. Jesus states:

The thief [Pharisees/ Religious Leaders]comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:10

This isn't only spiritual fullness but an enjoyment of all that has been given to us, that in that enjoyment we grow closer to God and recognise all we have. True enjoyment blesses others and invites everyone to the party. True enjoyment is not gluttony, greed and lust but blessings, sharing and love. As I looked on at my son doing moves not seen since Boy George in the 80's I realised that often I don't think or see God, but he is always looking on at me smiling and enjoying the life I enjoy from him. In them moments we grow closer and more in love.

Don't be scared to enjoy life, just recognise who this life you enjoy comes from...

Simplicity - Stop getting so complicated!!

Spoke to a friend of mine the other day who has been keeping tabs on my blogs and musings. I'm always keen to hear what people are thinking and to enter into a conversation about stuff that matters rather than the redundant "how are you (although I don't really care)?" sentiments. So when we got onto my blog and if he had any thoughts he gave me some incredible feedback. He told me that my thoughts and blogs were great but often he found them a too long.

After I got over my immeadiate rage and thoughts of "how dare you!!" I began to reflect on my sometimes wordy, long over complicated thoughts. Yes I believe it is important stuff I want to dialogue about, the gospels are about life and death after all, but, was I over complicating a simple God?

A scripture immeadiately came to mind and it is this scripture that all of our questions, answers, complicated theologies and intrisic philosophical frameworks need to be born out of. It is this scripture that all of life, justice, hope and faith comes from. It is this scripture that all our understandings, whether they be grand or more impressively childlike, about God need to flow from. And this scripture??

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" 1 John 4:8

I desire so much to get into the compexities of God being love and what that means but i'm not going to. Instead I'm going to choose to know him and therefore know love. We all crave simplicity in our lives and we have a God who is simply LOVE. God bless you all.

The God in the corner

I was in Peterborough again yesterday. I'm starting to feel like Queensgate shopping centre is my second home after the countless times I have been there over the last month. Part of my job is to facilitate summer residential camps and this year we are joining with East Midlands division to create a joint school. Therefore Peterborough is the half way point for myself and DYO Andy Whitehouse to meet. Yesterday we spent 6 Hours in Starbucks planning the residential camp. Now I like Starbucks, I have a Starbucks card, I like the free refills, I like the scrumptious BLT sandwiches. But 6 HOURS!!! there is only so much whirring of the grinding machine and milk frother one can take. By the end of the meeting I felt like I had gone 1 round with Mike Tyson (could have put the cliched 13 rounds statement, but lets be honest, one round is generous to me and my breakable frame). The meeting however opened some new insights for me and was definitely worth the fatigue.

During our marathon, caffeine fuelled, meeting, myself and Andy were discussing this years bible studies for the small groups at our residential camp. We got into quite a deep conversation about where God often speaks and celebrates with us and whether that is where we look for him. It came about as we were discussing Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3) and the grand gesture in a quiet corner of the desert.

I see often in our journey with the church and as the church that we are continually looking at ways to bring God into the limelight, to bring him into a place of the X Factor final, Royal Variety Show or O2 Arena. We create church services that look like west end musicals or a coldplay concert, we have celebrity worship leaders and speakers who sign our bibles and we strive to emulate the numbers of the football stadia and night clubs around the globe. We have a grand Saviour in Christ who deserves to be given a place of prestige and honour, that I can agree with. But there is a huge however looming over us that I see in scripture.

No christian would deny the titles of King of Kings and Lord of Lords that Jesus is attributed with. We would rightly bow our heads and fall prostrate on the floor before him. We acknowledge his throne and wish that others would too. But what are the actions of this prestige saviour, how does he respond to the public proclamations? As myself and Andy chatted away about this stuff I was struck with a characteristic of Christ I knew of but had never really taken hold of. Jesus operated in the corners of society, in the places of the loner, the places not even fit for beggars let alone the King of Kings. He was born in a stable, He was homeless, His friendship circles were not the political powers or smooth talkers but the despised, hated and spat on by all in society. He was not liked by everyone, He did not win the phone vote for Israel's Messiah factor and He was not understood. On the surface he was not, what even today we understand to be, the king of kings. If Prince William is not allowed to laugh in public during certain occasions then the King of Kings was acting very below par indeed.

Run scripture back to Moses and Exodus 3 again. The burning bush was not for all to see, it was not in front of all the Midianite people, or the Egyptian people. It was in a quiet corner of a desert and only for Moses. In that moment the wheels of redemption began turning for the Israelites in Egypt. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is on his own up a mountain and meets with the Lord not in the grand and the powerful but in the quiet whisper in the corner of a mountain, as he comes down from the Mountain he anoints another great prophet in Elisha, Elijah's eventual successor. In Genesis 40 it is in the corner of a prison cell that Joseph listens to God and explains the dreams which leads to his redemption. It is in the prostitute Rahab in Joshua 2 that the Lord is proclaimed and her family are redeemed in a small house in the corner of a great city. In Matthew 6 Jesus encourages his followers to pray, fast and give in secret, in the quiet corner of your heart. Although there is equally occasions where God is glorified in Public, on the stage we might say. In reading the breadth of scripture we witness a God who operates in the corners, who often is not seen and missed because we're looking at the stage or the lighting rig or the PA.

In the Salvation Army, and indeed often in the wider church, we Love events. We rejoice in mass gatherings whether it's the ISB120, ROOTS, Soul Survivor or Congress. In conversations over coffee yesterday God challenged me that whilst these events are brilliant, whilst these events can often fortify our faith we can often miss what God is rejoicing about. Luke 15:10 says:

"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents"

It is conceivable that at all these "Christian" events we attend, that all those attending are also believers. The sober thing is that should there be a forgotten, young, normal, lonely woman, sitting on her bed all alone in her tiny box bedroom because she has no friends and her family are unconcerned about her, who declares to God " I believe", Heaven bursts with more rejoicing over that one woman than the 1000 listening and worshipping to music and watching the lighting display. That's the God in the corner, who is infinitely more worthy and powerful, and rightfully will take his place on the throne as described in Revelation. But for now he is off his throne operating in the quiet corners of our lives that we might know him and be loved by him. I'm simply glad my God found my corner and that Starbucks do good coffee.