lent2010

Chocolate!

lent2009 — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:13:26 +0000

It’s Easter Sunday and I’m sure you have just eaten some chocolate. In this short post I just wanted to talk about chocolate.

Chocolate is made using dry, pretty much dead plant parts. These cocoa beans are magically transformed into the utterly delectable stuff that we know as chocolate. They go from dead, sour tasting beans to the full of life and taste chocolate. Now just remember that Jesus was dead, and that now he is risen and that he did all of that for us. Remember this every time you have some chocolate (i know it’s a strange comparison but it’s the best i can think of)

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!

Matt

One more day!

lent2009 — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:50:09 +0000

Ok, I really wasn’t sure what to write on this so I guess I will blabber on about how we have one more day until Easter, ok sure we are all looking forward to the chocolate eggs and the Sunday roast but what people really need to start thinking about is the fact that Jesus will have risen tomorrow! We can all talk about Easter but Its not very often you bump into people and start talking about Jesus rising,but maybe this Easter we should all try and being up Jesus in our Easter conversations and not just ‘my fave egg was the creme egg’ or ‘i’ve already eaten 3 of mine!’
I hope you all have an amazing Easter! Remember to think about Jesus in your day!
God bless.

It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Coming

lent2009 — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:00:35 +0000

We watched this video at the weekend away, and it’s a perfect video for the blog today.

Matt

Looking at the face of Jesus

lent2009 — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:14:23 +0000

Playing for Change

lent2009 — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:00:39 +0000

I got this from a friend this week, he suggested that perhaps it sums up some of Jesus’ thoughts during Holy Week. It’s also a great project, you can check out their website here.

Lewis

Today in London

lent2009 — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:28:37 +0000

Today, I went along to St Helens Bishopsgate for their Easter service. Throughout the year, they hold services twice a week, and I try to get along as often as I can. Unfortunately, this is less frequently than I would like.

I find it really helpful to have a mid-week top-up, but it is also great to walk into a church in the middle of the city of London and find it packed. Given the reputation of the City this is not something that you would expect, and although I have been going there over a period of some years, I am still surprised.

If I could share a couple of verses from songs that were sung today, that resonated with me:

Oh, to see my name

written in the wounds,

for through your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death,

life is mine to live,

won through your selfless love.

Jesus, friend of sinners,

loved me ere I knew him.

Drew me with his cords of love,

tightly bound me to him.

‘Round my heart still closely twined,

the ties that none can sever.

For I am his and he is mine,

forever and forever.

lent2009 — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:56:48 +0000

Just a quick one…. Probably one of the most important verses for me, from “In Christ Alone”

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

listen to the whole song here

Sammy

A Thought on Holy Week

lent2009 — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:55:47 +0000

Life is full of contrasts, especially in Lent, as we come into Holy Week and consider Christ’s passion. There is a contrast of the attitude of the crowd that welcomed Jesus on Palm Sunday as he rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on the donkey. “Hosanna, Hosanna, to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” they exclaimed rejoicingly. Compare this with the crowd on Good Friday shouting out “Crucify him-crucify him! We have no king but Caesar.”

Let us consider Peter and his fluctuating allegiance to Jesus. “You are the Messiah – the Son of the living God” he declares, and later affirms, “I am willing to go to prison with you or even die for you.” Yet within hours he is denying his knowledge of Jesus, for when questioned regarding Jesus he says, “I tell you the truth, I do not know the man,” and according to Jesus’ prophesy the cock crows. Jesus turns and looks at Peter and he goes out and weeps bitterly as he remembers his earlier affirmation to stand by him, come what may. We know beforehand that Judas is going to betray Jesus, and so does Jesus, of course, so that the joy of the Passover meal is tinged with sadness as Jesus declares, “One of you is going to betray me.” As Jesus reveals who the betrayer is Judas leaves Jesus and the other disciples at the Last Supper. We read the telling phrase ‘and it was night.’ Judas was just on his way to betray Jesus ‘the Light of the world.’ It was physically dark, but what darkness was in his soul that night as he pursued his fateful errand? Even greater was the darkness of the realisation that after he betrayed Jesus, with a kiss, in the Garden of Gethsemane, there was no way back, no way to save Jesus, the Saviour of the World. “He saved others – he can’t save himself.” What a paradox! In despair and remorse Judas takes the 30 pieces of silver, ‘the blood money’, the cost of Jesus’ betrayal, and throws them down in the temple and goes and hangs himself. As someone said, “What a pity he didn’t wait till Sunday,” for he would have seen Jesus’ ultimate victory over sin and death, and his willingness and ability to forgive.

Peter has that opportunity for, after Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday he asks Peter three times “Do you love me?” “Yes Lord, you know I love you” affirms Peter three times and receives Jesus’ reply “Feed my lambs,” “Feed my sheep,” “Feed my sheep” thus reinstating Peter and recommissioning him for greater service in the future.

As the light and the joy of Palm Sunday turn to the darkness and sorrow of Good Friday, especially as Jesus hangs on the cross and experiences the sense of abandonment of his heavenly Father, as he bears the full weight of the sins of the whole world Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” There was an uncanny darkness from mid-day until three o’clock in the afternoon. Had God turned his face away from Jesus? No! It was the awfulness of sin that caused the separation. And, in that darkness, as Jesus dies, he proclaims “It is finished (accomplished). Father, into your hands I command my spirit.” Jesus has faithfully fulfilled his Father’s will in the salvation of the world. Jesus, the Light of the World, has overcome the darkness of sin and death. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Jenny

where?

lent2009 — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:45:59 +0000

Do you have a “place” where you usually do most of your thinking/reflecting about God?

As much as it drives me a bit crazy, public transport is generally the place where I think about God. When I get on the bus to work, I plug in my ipod and can end up in a world of my own, asking God questions and reflecting on things which I’ve seen/heard over the last few days. The train is also another of my favourite places to do this when I get the chance to go on one.

I guess my question for you is, where is your thinking place? Everyone needs a thinking place. If you don’t have one, maybe you should find one.

Sammy

Cloudy Days

lent2009 — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:30:07 +0000

Have you ever had one of those weeks? Caroline has! A week of new implementations and hassle at work. It all seemed to be going wrong; too tired to relate properly to other people; no end of issues; bosses couldn’t resolve anything or help; up until 1 and 2 in the morning to take phone calls. And of course, girls brigade on Tuesday (and planning), Charlotte’s birthday on Wednesday, Charlotte’s birthday sleepovers at the weekend and a visit from the God Son on Sunday… The weekend arrived and the sleepover girls were great but can’t they talk… for hours… and hours… and hours… Hence, even more tired, ok – exhausted – and a quick run round with the hoover before the God Son’s visit…

Caroline and David are old friends – and they have two stunning twins, Alexandra and Jonathan. Caroline was over the moon to be asked to be a God Mother to Jonathan. They arrived at 5:00 and Alexandra and Jonathan proudly displayed the tee-shirt that proclaimed a happy fifteenth birthday to Charlotte. Seven year old Jonathan had a mischievous twinkle in his eye, was desperate to play and wanted Caroline’s love and attention. Suddenly the world flipped and God’s perspective ruled: Surely, this is what is really important – love shared and beauty in a child’s demands and laughter. Caroline played football in the garden and made appropriate appreciative noises at the depth of Jonathan’s knowledge of football and laughed at the twin’s cheekiness in asking for extra chocolate and finding lost money under the sofa… The rest of the week receded into the background and seemed to become somehow unimportant.

What an honour! To be asked to be a God Parent and to have a share in someone else’s children. What a lesson! To be shown how we can frequently get our priorities wrong in the chaos and business of our lives today.

Did you know (morning telly!) that children laugh on average over two hundred times a day and adults only fifteen…. The joy and simple outlook of a child is something we should all strive for.

‘And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt 18:3)

… and God works in mysterious ways. As we were thinking about this blog, a song came on the telly playing in the background. Johnny Nash – have a listen. (We think you’ll need QuickTime or ITunes to play this). God speaking to us through the telly? Whatever next!

18 I Can See Clearly Now (Single Ver

Love in Christ – Caroline and Tim