Lessons

Read this this week:

Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

I would say that life is pretty boring once you stop learning from it and church is no different. I can honesty say that I am currently learning a lot about myself, leadership, fatherhood and church. I can't say that I understand it or that I am any good at all of them but I know I am better than I was this time last year. For example; I am learning what the various cries Katherine makes and what they mean (i.e hungry, nappy change, sleep and just grumpy!).

I am discovering that to be a good leader, I must learn at every opportunity. When things go well, take the credit but don't forget to look at what could have been done better or differently. When things go badly, don't be afraid to hold up your hands and say "I could have done that differently." There is no weakness in admitting you got things wrong but there is danger in ignoring it. I have learnt that when you lead you have will always get things wrong but its how you respond and react that limits the impact of your mistakes.

I don't believe God asks for perfection but for a willingness that as we seek to live we seek to learn.

Matt

Is death the answer?

Whilst listening to 5 live on the way to church the other morning, I heard a disturbing comment made by a caller. The phone in was regarding what themes are people thinking about in the run up to the election. She made the point that prisons were to comfortable and that capital punishment should be brought back. People are in titled to their opinions and thoughts but I should tell you that at the beginning of her call she boldly told Nicky Campbell she was a christian.


For me this doesn't fit. No one deserves to have their life taken by another, even by law. The death penalty and my faith do not sit together in any way. When I was sharing this at band practice (on the Wednesday after Easter), Sam piped up with "Jesus died by execution, didn't he." Interesting observation. Jesus not only came as a baby, grew up as a teenage and learnt a trade but also was put to death by the most inhuman form of execution available to humanity.

People wonder about the sense in God's plan in sending Jesus as a human in to the world but then to be put to death by humanity as well.

Thank God this wasn't the end of the plan.

Matt

Living it out

Having failed to blog in a while, I have found a bit of time at the end of a brilliant Easter weekend. This Easter has been on of the best for a few years for a number of reasons. The whole week has been busy, so much to sort out at church, things to plan, meetings to attend and clearing out cupboards for good measure. Today has been a great day for our church, there was breakfast, an Easter egg hunt, messy worship, roast dinner, sung worship and then a service at a local resident home. It was a busy day but a day full of fun, laughter, and most of all life. This was the first of our Family and Community Sundays where we meet for family friendly worship and then seek to engage with our community in various ways. It was a great start and people entered into the spirit of the day.

If there is one thing I am discovering at the moment, it is that the church should be the ultimate expression of the creative life of God. God loves a resourceful church who are willing not only to think outside the box but live outside of it. The church must seek to be as creative as possible in order to take hope to its community. This is not about gimmicks but genuine interaction and mission.

In the experience of His resurrection we must seek to live our lives for Him and make sure that as many people are touch by our journey as possible. Today may have been Easter Sunday where we focus on the life giving resurrection but we live in the same power tomorrow. Faith is best lived out in the reality of life and can't be contained on one day of the week or certain time of year.

Go raised His son to bring us life so lets live it.

Matt