I need to blow off some steam about something that happened at work tonight. I work as a support worker with people who are homeless, rootless or at risk of becoming so. This entails working with addicts, alcoholics, people with mental health issues and those working the streets. It is an absolute passion of mine to help these people and although I have not been employed to do this for long I know what does and does not work with this client group.
So tonight while working on our soup run four people in bright fluorescent jackets rocked up to my soup run asking who we are and what we do. It turned out that these people were from a local church who had recently begun doing outreach for the homeless on a Wednesday night offering hot drinks to the homeless and street beggars. This in itself is not a bad thing, anything that helps people in these situations can only be a good thing my issue lies in the fact that these guys are the new kids on the block rocking up to an established service attempting to poach service users is not in the best interest of said service users. My biggest bug bear is that they were actively attempting to coax my clients to their service, but they are not offering them anything past a hot drink and maybe a listening ear. Normally this is not a bad thing, the charity I work for believes strongly in service user led relationships and building relationships with service users by giving them time and not pushing an agenda. However when this takes a service user out of a situation where they are accessing a support service where they receive support that is available every day of the week and try to supplant this with just a one night a week service which only provides a hot drink this is doing harm.
What I see happening is a Church who have had the right idea but they have not followed it through properly. They have not looked at service provision already provided and looked to fill a need that exists, they have just simply had an idea and gone and done it. This for me is a massive waste of volunteer time, resources and funding that could have been utilised to do much more good in a different way. If they had looked at service provision they would have seen the nights when there is no provision and been able to set up a useful service. As it is they are providing nothing new and potentially causing harm to people who could be receiving practical help and assistance.
This is not the first time I have seen this happen, a Church sets up a scheme or program to help "the needy" but quickly burns out because they are replicating services and not providing anything of use. Like I said I have no objection to what these people are doing, helping these guys is fantastic, however by not researching the situation they are not helping they are potentially causing harm which is in no ones best interest.
One thing that I found didn't sit well with me was the need of these four to talk about God constantly. Ok, you are from a Church we get that, you want to help those who have a need, we get that too but why are you trying to convert people before you help them? Why are you presenting yourself with the unwritten proviso that by being Christian you are going to receive more help? It shouldn't be about trying to convert these people, we shouldn't be telling them that we will help them but fist we will pray about it. In time it may be that these people want to know about God, want to know why we do what we do, but it should never be something we require them to do. Help should never be provided on a basis of conversion, help should be freely given. We should be acting in a Christlike way, we should be helping these people but to do so on a basis of them listening to us sermonising is in my eyes wrong. Preach by your actions by all means, but to force your religion on someone when they don't want it is not going to win any souls.
For me the most telling part of the night was a quote from one service user who said to the Church group;
"This guy is my support worker, he looks out for me and has my back and for that I have his back. When I need help he is always there, he knows me and my situation and knows how to help. He's not just about a cup of coffee he is there when I'm rattling for drink and drugs and never judges me. I don't come here for the coffee or soup, I come here because I know he will be here and I know I can come tell him my problems and tomorrow morning he will be there to help sort them out. And any way I have enough problems as it is without you guys giving me more"
I know some people out there will disagree with me, but I am a Christian, I have a calling and a passion to help the homeless and the social outcasts, yes I want to win souls for Christ, yes I would love them to attend a Church but I am never going to force my religion on someone as recourse for providing help and I don't believe anyone else should either. If Churches are to do this sort of work they need to think about who it is they are really helping, are they doing this to ease their conscience or are they trying to help those who need it. If they are really there to help those who need it are they really providing the right kind of help or could the money be better used by professionals out there day after day providing the help these people need and really making a difference.
Showing posts with label Anger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anger. Show all posts
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Falling
A number of years ago at my home Church there was a controversy. Exactly what it was is not important except that the minister was involved. This minister had come in to our Church and done some fantastic things. Life in the Church was becoming better, more unified. The Church was growing and all seemed to be going well. Each week there would be powerful preaching from the pulpit with teachings that benefited many people.
One thing that sticks out in my memory is that this minister would frequently preach on morality, unity and relationships. How to act amongst each other, how to act in the world and how to act like Jesus. Yet in the end this minister did something that was not moral, caused upset and discord and caused fractures. The repercussions still rock our Church to this day and has impacted many lives in a negative way.
At the time I was shocked, horrified and disappointed. But most of all I felt let down. I felt that this person who had taught me so much about the faith had tore the foundations out from under me. I allowed their actions to affect my relationship with God.
I had fallen into a trap that many Christians do, we raise our ministers, preachers and leaders on to pedestals. We make them into semi-idols who we look up to and try to emulate. But only disaster lies down this path. Any Church leader is only human and as such as prone to mistakes, sin and falling as anyone else. By putting them on a pedestal we are setting them up to fall, and to fall further. These people are no better than us, there is nothing special about them except that they have been called to God's service. Being called as a minister does not make you a better Christian, it does not make you immune to sin.
All people are going to let you down at some point, that is part of life we have to deal with. We can not control other people's actions but our own reactions to events are under our control. We should remember the teachings of Jesus, to love each other and to be tough on sin but gentle with the sinner. We should do everything we can to help those who sin, those who fall short, because we don not know when it is that we may need the same help from them.
One thing that sticks out in my memory is that this minister would frequently preach on morality, unity and relationships. How to act amongst each other, how to act in the world and how to act like Jesus. Yet in the end this minister did something that was not moral, caused upset and discord and caused fractures. The repercussions still rock our Church to this day and has impacted many lives in a negative way.
At the time I was shocked, horrified and disappointed. But most of all I felt let down. I felt that this person who had taught me so much about the faith had tore the foundations out from under me. I allowed their actions to affect my relationship with God.
I had fallen into a trap that many Christians do, we raise our ministers, preachers and leaders on to pedestals. We make them into semi-idols who we look up to and try to emulate. But only disaster lies down this path. Any Church leader is only human and as such as prone to mistakes, sin and falling as anyone else. By putting them on a pedestal we are setting them up to fall, and to fall further. These people are no better than us, there is nothing special about them except that they have been called to God's service. Being called as a minister does not make you a better Christian, it does not make you immune to sin.
All people are going to let you down at some point, that is part of life we have to deal with. We can not control other people's actions but our own reactions to events are under our control. We should remember the teachings of Jesus, to love each other and to be tough on sin but gentle with the sinner. We should do everything we can to help those who sin, those who fall short, because we don not know when it is that we may need the same help from them.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Mid all the traffic
’Mid all the traffic of the ways,
Turmoils without, within,
Make in my heart a quiet place,
And come and dwell therein.
A little shrine of quietness,
All sacred to Thyself,
Where Thou shalt all my soul possess,
And I may find myself.
A little shelter from life’s stress,
Where I may lay me prone,
And bare my soul in loneliness,
And know as I am known.
A little place of mystic grace,
Of self and sin swept bare,
Where I may look upon Thy face,
And talk with Thee in prayer.
Turmoils without, within,
Make in my heart a quiet place,
And come and dwell therein.
A little shrine of quietness,
All sacred to Thyself,
Where Thou shalt all my soul possess,
And I may find myself.
A little shelter from life’s stress,
Where I may lay me prone,
And bare my soul in loneliness,
And know as I am known.
A little place of mystic grace,
Of self and sin swept bare,
Where I may look upon Thy face,
And talk with Thee in prayer.
(William Dunkerley)
Ok, I had prepared another post for this morning but that has been moved back to this evening now. The reason is that this morning I have a horrible commute ahead of me. My mum woke me this morning with the happy news that the City centre where I work is closed down. I have no idea why and there is no information on the news except it is a major police incident. What makes matters worse is I checked out the traffic news to work out how long my commute will be and I found out that the motorway is also backed up, Joy!
So why this post? Well I was sat there feeling quite annoyed and getting myself quite wound up that my day was ruined before I began when I thought, stop and pray. I know I have issues that cause me to get wound up quite easily and that it is something I need to keep a handle on. But why should I be doing this on my own, ask God for some help.
And that is what I did, I spent a quick few minutes in quiet prayer with God and almost instantly felt calmer. In this time a tune I often play in the band I play with came to mind. The lyrics are above and they are quite moving. If you have or have had a rough journey today remember these lyrics and ask God to calm your soul too.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Leagalism
Ok, I apologise in advance about this post as I am slightly wound up as I write it. I know my attitude right now is not what it should be as a Christian as I know that I am far from perfect myself. But I need to get this off my chest and hope that I can make a useful point at the same time.
So tomorrow I will not be going to my normal Church. The reason for this is that we have guest preachers at our Church tomorrow. Obviously this is not the reason for my non attendance, but who the guest speakers are is. These ministers have connections to both my Church and my family, specifically connected to a distant cousin of mine. This cousin of mine has recently had a baby and has expressed the desire to have him dedicated back to the Church. The visiting preachers are her paternal aunt and uncle and she had thought it may be nice for them to conduct this service of dedication. When they were asked if they would be able to do this they decided that due to the child being born out of wedlock they could not conduct the service due to the rules and regulations in our Church.
Now for me this seems wrong, surely this has nothing to do about the parents. Surely the child has done nothing wrong, why should he be prevented from being dedicated in to God's family.
Matthew 19:14
But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these."
Surely preventing a child from being accepted into a Church for any reason is wrong. How can any organisation claiming to be for Christ prevent a child from being brought back to Him. Fair enough the child was not born in to a marriage, but he was born to two Christians who due to circumstances have not be able to marry yet but who intend to do so when it is possible. This does not excuse them the fact that child was born out of wedlock, but how can it be right to prevent this innocent child from being dedicated to God.
The next part of the saga is one that upsets me most. Despite the fact that these ministers are the mothers aunt and uncle they did not refuse her directly. Instead they contacted her father, who then phoned her mother to ask her to inform her that they would not do the service. For me this says one thing and one thing only, they can not defend their decision. Surely if they knew the decision was the right one they would have been honest enough to refuse directly. This is a case where someone has followed a rule or regulation despite knowing it is wrong. How did we get to this point where as a Church we can do things we know to be wrong, that scripture tells us is wrong but carry on doing so because our rules say so. This mornings post by God's inspiration has already mentioned the rules Jesus told us to follow, the two He told us were the most important. I don't think this decision is in line with those rules Jesus commanded us to follow.
Further to this I attended a meeting by these ministers today, and bearing in mind the story so far I will tell you the core of the sermon preached.
Matthew 18:5
What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.
Now as I already said bearing in mind the story so far is this really a suitable verse to preach on. Have they read this verse themselves. Because surely if this is true then refusing a child is like refusing Christ, and these people are supposed to be ministers for Christ. Not only this but surely preaching on this verse is unnecessarily inflammatory. I don't know whether this is a series of bad judgement calls, lack of thought or if it has been done intentionally. But whatever it is I struggle to understand how this can happen in a Church, the supposed body of Christ.
So tomorrow I am choosing not to attend my usual Church. One of my friends did ask me would it not be better for me to go and confront them about this situation. In an idea world yes this would probably be the best course of action. I however have a notoriously bad temper at times, it is something I am aware of and working on. However knowing I am already angered by this situation I feel it is better for me to remove myself from it to prevent me saying or doing anything unchristian or to make it worse. So instead I will be going to visit my friend in a nearby city and attend Church with them. This will not only get me out of this situation but also allow me to enjoy Church tomorrow. In addition to this I always enjoy attending different Churches to see how other people worship.
Again I apologise for the tone and content of this blog especially if it has upset anyone, that was not the intention of this post. This post is mainly just a way for me to blow off some steam and express my feelings on this subject. However legalism in the Church is something I will hopefully be able to post on soon so watch this space. Check back tomorrow for the update on the Soldier's Challenge.
So tomorrow I will not be going to my normal Church. The reason for this is that we have guest preachers at our Church tomorrow. Obviously this is not the reason for my non attendance, but who the guest speakers are is. These ministers have connections to both my Church and my family, specifically connected to a distant cousin of mine. This cousin of mine has recently had a baby and has expressed the desire to have him dedicated back to the Church. The visiting preachers are her paternal aunt and uncle and she had thought it may be nice for them to conduct this service of dedication. When they were asked if they would be able to do this they decided that due to the child being born out of wedlock they could not conduct the service due to the rules and regulations in our Church.
Now for me this seems wrong, surely this has nothing to do about the parents. Surely the child has done nothing wrong, why should he be prevented from being dedicated in to God's family.
Matthew 19:14
But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these."
Surely preventing a child from being accepted into a Church for any reason is wrong. How can any organisation claiming to be for Christ prevent a child from being brought back to Him. Fair enough the child was not born in to a marriage, but he was born to two Christians who due to circumstances have not be able to marry yet but who intend to do so when it is possible. This does not excuse them the fact that child was born out of wedlock, but how can it be right to prevent this innocent child from being dedicated to God.
The next part of the saga is one that upsets me most. Despite the fact that these ministers are the mothers aunt and uncle they did not refuse her directly. Instead they contacted her father, who then phoned her mother to ask her to inform her that they would not do the service. For me this says one thing and one thing only, they can not defend their decision. Surely if they knew the decision was the right one they would have been honest enough to refuse directly. This is a case where someone has followed a rule or regulation despite knowing it is wrong. How did we get to this point where as a Church we can do things we know to be wrong, that scripture tells us is wrong but carry on doing so because our rules say so. This mornings post by God's inspiration has already mentioned the rules Jesus told us to follow, the two He told us were the most important. I don't think this decision is in line with those rules Jesus commanded us to follow.
Further to this I attended a meeting by these ministers today, and bearing in mind the story so far I will tell you the core of the sermon preached.
Matthew 18:5
What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.
Now as I already said bearing in mind the story so far is this really a suitable verse to preach on. Have they read this verse themselves. Because surely if this is true then refusing a child is like refusing Christ, and these people are supposed to be ministers for Christ. Not only this but surely preaching on this verse is unnecessarily inflammatory. I don't know whether this is a series of bad judgement calls, lack of thought or if it has been done intentionally. But whatever it is I struggle to understand how this can happen in a Church, the supposed body of Christ.
So tomorrow I am choosing not to attend my usual Church. One of my friends did ask me would it not be better for me to go and confront them about this situation. In an idea world yes this would probably be the best course of action. I however have a notoriously bad temper at times, it is something I am aware of and working on. However knowing I am already angered by this situation I feel it is better for me to remove myself from it to prevent me saying or doing anything unchristian or to make it worse. So instead I will be going to visit my friend in a nearby city and attend Church with them. This will not only get me out of this situation but also allow me to enjoy Church tomorrow. In addition to this I always enjoy attending different Churches to see how other people worship.
Again I apologise for the tone and content of this blog especially if it has upset anyone, that was not the intention of this post. This post is mainly just a way for me to blow off some steam and express my feelings on this subject. However legalism in the Church is something I will hopefully be able to post on soon so watch this space. Check back tomorrow for the update on the Soldier's Challenge.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Complacent Christianity
This is on of the big traps that many Christians fall in to. I am as guilty of it as the next person. We have a life changing experience with God, we meet Jesus for the first time or in a new way and we start doing things differently. We pray more ardently, we read our Bibles frequently and generally live our lives in the way that we have been shown. However as time goes on we become comfortable with the way we are doing things, then slowly over time life erodes our resolve. One day we pray a little less due to time constraints, or we skip reading the bible because we have a headache or another similar excuse. Whatever it is we become complacent over time to the point where we think that because we are doing some things well its ok if we skip one day, we can have a day off because we are a good Christian and we deserve it.
Complacency does not make us a bad Christian, but it does lead us away from the path we should be walking. We are all going to struggle to do everything we should all the time, that is because we are human. Jesus died so that we could be forgiven for our sins and short comings. Even so we still need to work hard to do all that we should do. We should be aware that complacency is going to be something we will come across many times in life. We should be aware that many times due to it we are going to come up short, fail and act in unchristian ways. By being aware of this we can combat its effects in our lives. We are never going to be able to erase it from our lives but we can work hard to minimise its effects.
The reason I decided to post on this is because I have been so busy recently that many things I should have been doing have fallen by the wayside. I have reasoned to myself that due to the reason for my business is my working hard to follow God's plans in my life I am being a good Christian. When the truth is that I am missing out some of the things that should be core to my life, my Bible study has dwindled and my time alone with God has been reduced significantly. The times I have "spent" with God have been shoehorned in while doing other things like driving to work. As a result of this I am again feeling stressed and angry in a way I have not for months. The peace God had brought to my life is beginning to evaporate. I know what the problems are and I know how to fix them. Having realised where my problems lie I can tackle them head on.
Complacent Christianity is something we are all going to suffer from at times, but knowing this gives us a much better chance of spotting it and fixing it quickly. I would never accuse anyone of suffering from it, but I would like to say I believe it is worth us all checking ourself for the signs regularly.
Complacency does not make us a bad Christian, but it does lead us away from the path we should be walking. We are all going to struggle to do everything we should all the time, that is because we are human. Jesus died so that we could be forgiven for our sins and short comings. Even so we still need to work hard to do all that we should do. We should be aware that complacency is going to be something we will come across many times in life. We should be aware that many times due to it we are going to come up short, fail and act in unchristian ways. By being aware of this we can combat its effects in our lives. We are never going to be able to erase it from our lives but we can work hard to minimise its effects.
The reason I decided to post on this is because I have been so busy recently that many things I should have been doing have fallen by the wayside. I have reasoned to myself that due to the reason for my business is my working hard to follow God's plans in my life I am being a good Christian. When the truth is that I am missing out some of the things that should be core to my life, my Bible study has dwindled and my time alone with God has been reduced significantly. The times I have "spent" with God have been shoehorned in while doing other things like driving to work. As a result of this I am again feeling stressed and angry in a way I have not for months. The peace God had brought to my life is beginning to evaporate. I know what the problems are and I know how to fix them. Having realised where my problems lie I can tackle them head on.
Complacent Christianity is something we are all going to suffer from at times, but knowing this gives us a much better chance of spotting it and fixing it quickly. I would never accuse anyone of suffering from it, but I would like to say I believe it is worth us all checking ourself for the signs regularly.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Disappointment
As I write this I don't' actually think I could feel worse. Last night I was full of energy from an amazing weekend with a group of amazing young Christians. Over this past weekend I have made a huge decision that has made me feel so calm about the future. I have talked to a number of people this weekend who are strong powerful and experienced Christians who have listened to me and been available for me to talk my worries out with. Through these discussions I have had a clearness of mind and a clarity of vision brought to me.
All of this sounds good, so why am I feeling so bad? The reason is that there is one step I need to take, one thing I need to do that will confirm I am ready to accept what it is I am supposed to do. It sounds very easy, all I need to do is tell one person the plan. The problem is that it is one particular person I need to tell, my Dad. The very thought terrifies me, it had me physically trembling last night just at the thought of it. Everyone who knows me will tell you that I am very rarely quiet, unless I am eating, yet last night I could barely string two words together. I arrived home last night so full of energy, so full of fire and determination to do what I needed to. Yet when it came down to it I sat shaking unable to say a word.
I tried looking in the Bible for verses to bolster my courage hoping that it would inspire me to go do what I need to do. While the verses I found did not instantly swell my chest and send me marching to do my set task they have helped build me up a little and I'm hoping they will resonate within me growing my courage until I can stand in front of the world (and my Dad) and announce the plans I intend to follow. The verses were;
Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you."
Joshua 1:9
Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take."
Daniel 10:19
He said, 'Don't be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.'
"Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, 'Go ahead, let my master speak. You've given me courage
The step I need to take will begin a new life for me, it will take me down a route I have for years tried to avoid. I know that it is what I will do, of that I have no doubt, but when seems to be the issue. I know that this step will put me further into the Fathers hands and that the enemy will not like that, and that the enemy will do everything he can to prevent this from happening. I need the Lords help, and if you are willing, your prayerful support. It is fear that is holding me back, not fear of the future or fear of the plan. But fear of disappointing my Dad, the man who has supported me for my whole life both financially and emotionally. Everyone I have spoken to has told me that my Dad will be happy and supportive of the plan, yet fear still grips me.
At the end of this blog I feel so much better than I did when I began writing. Seeing it all on my screen written down in front of me brings me comfort as I know that at least some of the people reading this will have been through similar trials and know how I feel. I know that there are prayers being said for me about this issue and that fills me with a sense of loving support. I know this will be resolved in the right way, and soon, but getting there has been and is a trial like non I have been through before. I am going to leave you with one of my favourite verses written by Paul, it's humble simplicity is something we should all aim for.
Ephesians 6:19
And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time
Please pray for me, that I may have the courage to do what the Lord asks of me, that I may be everything He wants me to be. I pray that I find the strength and courage soon to follow God wherever He leads, whenever He calls.
All of this sounds good, so why am I feeling so bad? The reason is that there is one step I need to take, one thing I need to do that will confirm I am ready to accept what it is I am supposed to do. It sounds very easy, all I need to do is tell one person the plan. The problem is that it is one particular person I need to tell, my Dad. The very thought terrifies me, it had me physically trembling last night just at the thought of it. Everyone who knows me will tell you that I am very rarely quiet, unless I am eating, yet last night I could barely string two words together. I arrived home last night so full of energy, so full of fire and determination to do what I needed to. Yet when it came down to it I sat shaking unable to say a word.
I tried looking in the Bible for verses to bolster my courage hoping that it would inspire me to go do what I need to do. While the verses I found did not instantly swell my chest and send me marching to do my set task they have helped build me up a little and I'm hoping they will resonate within me growing my courage until I can stand in front of the world (and my Dad) and announce the plans I intend to follow. The verses were;
Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you."
Joshua 1:9
Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take."
Daniel 10:19
He said, 'Don't be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.'
"Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, 'Go ahead, let my master speak. You've given me courage
The step I need to take will begin a new life for me, it will take me down a route I have for years tried to avoid. I know that it is what I will do, of that I have no doubt, but when seems to be the issue. I know that this step will put me further into the Fathers hands and that the enemy will not like that, and that the enemy will do everything he can to prevent this from happening. I need the Lords help, and if you are willing, your prayerful support. It is fear that is holding me back, not fear of the future or fear of the plan. But fear of disappointing my Dad, the man who has supported me for my whole life both financially and emotionally. Everyone I have spoken to has told me that my Dad will be happy and supportive of the plan, yet fear still grips me.
At the end of this blog I feel so much better than I did when I began writing. Seeing it all on my screen written down in front of me brings me comfort as I know that at least some of the people reading this will have been through similar trials and know how I feel. I know that there are prayers being said for me about this issue and that fills me with a sense of loving support. I know this will be resolved in the right way, and soon, but getting there has been and is a trial like non I have been through before. I am going to leave you with one of my favourite verses written by Paul, it's humble simplicity is something we should all aim for.
Ephesians 6:19
And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time
Please pray for me, that I may have the courage to do what the Lord asks of me, that I may be everything He wants me to be. I pray that I find the strength and courage soon to follow God wherever He leads, whenever He calls.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Crisis
Well as I am writing this I am user as to which post I am going to put up today, it is a choice of two. If you are reading this post then it is good news, I am continuing my blog. Last night I had a huge crisis over whether or not to continue blogging or not. There is a very good reason for this which I may share in the future but for now I will just say an event caused me to question the wisdom of my writing so openly on here. If this post is the one I decide to upload then I have decided that this outlet for me to pour out my thought and feelings is too valuable for me to give up on. I have used this blog at times to express some very personal issues that I can not share with anyone in person, a way to get thoughts out of my head to be discussed later with anyone with thoughts on the matter. I am not great with relationships at the best of times and struggle to express my feelings at time, yet I can say anything on here I want to.
Daniel 9:4
I poured out my heart, baring my soul to God, my God:
" 'O Master, great and august God. You never waver in your covenant commitment, never give up on those who love you and do what you say.
Not only am I baring my soul online to you guys reading this, but this is also part of my life with God, it is part of my prayer life and Bible study. If we want God to never give up on us then surely we can at least try to do the same for Him. Part of starting this blog was to increase the amount of Bible study I did, and it has worked. I have been reading the Bible in ways I would never have done before, I have learned things I would not have learned if not for this blog. I am thankful for this blog, its followers and anyone who reads it in passing. Without realising it you guys are helping me on a day by day basis grow in my faith and progress on my journey with our Father. Trials will be sent our way and the enemy will test us at every opportunity, how we react is a sign of our Christian life, when we are struggling it will be hard and we may act in unchristian ways. When we notice these signs that we are struggling we need to increase our contact time with God, ask for increased help and give Him increased access to out hearts, minds and lives.
I do enjoy writing this blog, which is why I post so regularly, and I hope some people enjoy reading it. I hope to continue writing for the long term future to share more with you guys and hopefully hear more from you too. It may be significant that this event occurred while I decided to look at the story of Job, a man who suffered greatly. But as I have said before, God never misses an opportunity to teach us a lesson. If you are reading this there is therefore more good news, or possibly bad if you dislike the longer blog posts, the second instalment of my Job series should be posted at 6 pm GMT. Once again thanks for reading, it is great to have you here, please feel free to comment or send me a mail at jerrathorn@gmail.com.
Daniel 9:4
I poured out my heart, baring my soul to God, my God:
" 'O Master, great and august God. You never waver in your covenant commitment, never give up on those who love you and do what you say.
Not only am I baring my soul online to you guys reading this, but this is also part of my life with God, it is part of my prayer life and Bible study. If we want God to never give up on us then surely we can at least try to do the same for Him. Part of starting this blog was to increase the amount of Bible study I did, and it has worked. I have been reading the Bible in ways I would never have done before, I have learned things I would not have learned if not for this blog. I am thankful for this blog, its followers and anyone who reads it in passing. Without realising it you guys are helping me on a day by day basis grow in my faith and progress on my journey with our Father. Trials will be sent our way and the enemy will test us at every opportunity, how we react is a sign of our Christian life, when we are struggling it will be hard and we may act in unchristian ways. When we notice these signs that we are struggling we need to increase our contact time with God, ask for increased help and give Him increased access to out hearts, minds and lives.
I do enjoy writing this blog, which is why I post so regularly, and I hope some people enjoy reading it. I hope to continue writing for the long term future to share more with you guys and hopefully hear more from you too. It may be significant that this event occurred while I decided to look at the story of Job, a man who suffered greatly. But as I have said before, God never misses an opportunity to teach us a lesson. If you are reading this there is therefore more good news, or possibly bad if you dislike the longer blog posts, the second instalment of my Job series should be posted at 6 pm GMT. Once again thanks for reading, it is great to have you here, please feel free to comment or send me a mail at jerrathorn@gmail.com.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A story of a flat tyre
So last weekend I borrowed my Dad's little car to go away with friends for the weekend. The weekend went really well, we all had a great time and didn't want it to end. But after a road trip of well over 500 miles I finally arrived back home and went to bed for a well needed sleep. The next day my Dad and I for a run to the shops decided to use the little car instead of his usual one, when I noticed the rear tyre was flat. Then started the shouting and the accusations because of course since this tyre was flat the world was about to end and it was all my fault. But then I had used the car, it had happened on my watch, what could I say. So I listened to him shout and bit my lip not to retort. So we filled the tyre and it seemed to be fine, so we drove it to the shops and decided to keep an eye on it to see if it stayed up. Well this morning it was flat again, cue more shouting, and I was told to change the tyre. Not a difficult job so off I went with the jack in hand to put the spare wheel on the car. Half way through Dad decides to come "help" giving orders and telling me how uselessly useless I am at practical things because I am an academic. Again biting my lip so as not to say anything to make the situation worse. Once the tyre was off Dad had a look at it to see if he could find the problem, what damage could have caused the air leak. Lo and behold there was a whacking great nail in the tread hidden from view while on the car but shining away now the wheel was off. With the normal attitude of my Dad, with no apology for the last week of grief he said, hey maybe this nail made the tyre go flat. And with that he went back into the house. Now if ever I needed grace to handle any task it has been this week with my Dad. I have something huge to tell him and every time I see him there is a huge wall in the way that I can see no way past. Sometimes me and my Dad can be kind of close, in the way that men where I live are mutually respectful of each other. But recently our relationship has been strained. I am hoping that I can make the break through soon as I am fast running out of time to talk to my Dad about this and know I need to do it soon. But I don't want to tell him in a situation that is going to turn it into a confrontation. Hoping that with God's help I can find an opportunity to tell him soon.
In other news, the second linked Bible study with Caron should hopefully be ready to post on Monday. We have had a short chat about it and hope to make it a fortnightly thing. Let me know your thoughts on its success or failure and if you have any suggestions for future Bible studies let me know on jerrathorn@gmail.com and we will hopefully get to look at them at some point.
In other news, the second linked Bible study with Caron should hopefully be ready to post on Monday. We have had a short chat about it and hope to make it a fortnightly thing. Let me know your thoughts on its success or failure and if you have any suggestions for future Bible studies let me know on jerrathorn@gmail.com and we will hopefully get to look at them at some point.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Anger
There is a lot going on in my life right now which I have yet to talk about on here and which very few people know about anyway. This coupled with living at home with my parents and next door to a very unpleasant family with unsocial tendencies has led to me harbouring a lot of anger and negative feelings recently. Because of this I decided to look at how Jesus reacted if and when he became angry to try and learn how to react in a Christian way. I know there are situations in the Bible where Jesus lost his temper such as in the temple, Matthew 21:12-17. But is our anger the same? The anger I am feeling currently is due to other people and the faults I perceive them to have. In these situations it is not Christlike to feel anger, but to try and forgive. It is very hard and I know with my personality it is something I am likely to struggle with for the rest of my life. But the scriptures do help; Ephesians 4:26 Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry-but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. And also; James 1:19-20 Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger.
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