Do we need songs to worship?

I can still feel my back hurting from mission week last week. It was an amazing week where we experienced something of God's passion for his church to be involve in the community. Not only that, I have realised that I was worshipping!

I would say that I understand that anything can be worship but usually my example would be sport. In this instant it has taken a week to reflect on the nearness in which I now realised God was with me as I dug, drank tea and chatted with Lou (the estate manager). The thing that struck me is that there was no order of service, songs to sing (apart from an impromptu rendition of O happy day), band, PowerPoint or even a congregation. As we prayed on the Saturday at the end of the week we all experience what I would describe as a "holy moment" a moment where we realised God had indeed been with us and would remain at Stepney Court.

What made the week even more significant is that we had our 12 week scan and all is well this time. Unfortunately, I missed it as parking was a nightmare. But I don't care because everything is good, in fact it is brrrrriiiilliant (in a high pitched Matt voice). It had been an anxious few weeks, after going through a miscarriage in March, but this time it is all going to plan. I am really excited about being a dad in February an keep praying that God will bless Lizzy over the coming months.

I don't need songs to give thanks and praise to a creator God who keeps his word. He isn't limited by them so neither should we.

Matt

Christian Mission

On Tuesday as part of the Mission Week we had a discussion evening about mission. One comment really challenged all of us. What would we be like if the Salvation Army had kept it's name as the Christian Mission? Obviously it is a bit of a "what if" question where we will never know and can't do anything about it.

But for me, It raised a whole host of question about the current state of the SA and it's mission. Have we become a irrelevant/cumbersome organisation? Are we more concerned with being an Army in our barracks rather than a group of missionaries? Are we now deeply bound by the trappings of the past that we will never break free to be the radical, passionate and transformational people that William Booth raised up?

I have been encourage this week by the 4 young people that have come on Mission Week. They have restored my hope for the future of the SA in Aspley and in Northampton. Ultimately, there is nothing in a name, it is up to it's members to discern the heart and desire of God for it and get on with it, which is what they have done.

I pray that I keep learning how to be a missionary in all I do.

Matt

Mission Week - Day Two

Not wanting to be out done by Andy on the blog front, I thought I had better blog while I have 5 mins.

I have always said that we should seek God and join in with what he is already doing. Today I have experienced that in a real way by digging out some grass to lay a patio.

We (Aspley SA) are hosting the East Midlands Divisional Mission Week and are doing a range of activities from Arts and Craft, sports and laying a patio.

This afternoon we have we have been digging out about 5 tonnes of soil ready for a patio to be laid on Thursday. This is a fantastic project that has been organised by a local council worker, funded by a counsellor and other organisations and we do the donkey work along side a guy called Darren. The local residents and estate manager are delighted we are doing this as they have been waiting 10 years for it.

So, where is God in all of this? He is in the hard graft of the 4 guys who have given up their week, in the conversations with Darren who is surprised we are doing this, in co-operative ways this has all come together and in the result that will bring joy to the residents.

Where will we see God tomorrow?

Matt