Church

Why Retreat?

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Mar 182010
 

I always associate “retreat” with an army running for it’s life in however a dignified fashion. To be honest, this last week I felt the need to run for my life away from Cottesloe, away from church, away from people, towards the friend whose load is lite and burden is easy. I don’t like being that way – loaded up, empty of inner resource. Like an old battery that doesn’t hold it’s charge any more – just one crank and it’s dead again. I’m a slow charge. I need chunks of empty space and time to recharge. What about you? I seek a life where what I do comes from the inner rest with God that is my normal state of being. I’m not too bad at this but sometimes the out flow is greater than the input. So, coming away empty and needy is the right thing to do.

A troubling truth

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Jan 232010
 

This magazine add disturbed me. I started reading it and just felt heavier and heavier. The power of words, especially ill considered negative words. Have you noticed how parents in public places often berate kids who have gotten lost or done something that draws attention to them? It’s usually that they feel embarrassed. We attack when we feel threatened. We even attack those we are supposed to protect. School can be so dangerous for kids. Give a thought before launching in – as someone said to me recently, “Don’t react, reframe what’s happened and do something useful.”

Energised

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Jan 232010
 

Had a terrific meeting with Trevor Parry this morning discussing the talks in church leading to Easter.
Read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as this will form the basis of what we talk about.
We are often very uncertain about who God is, what he’s done and especially what he thinks of us. Paul addresses these things and so will we. It’s actually very hard to believe that everything God is and has he gives to us – everything. Not just for our self fulfilment but to come into a deep, fruitful relationship with him. When this happens everything we are and do takes on a significance and purpose. We fit in the womblike security of God and live out of our significance rather than striving in all manner of places for what we feel we lack.
I pray the weeks leading to Easter 2010 will bring us all new freedom.

Where do you go to think?

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Jan 222010
 

This is one place I come to on my day off. What I do is read and think. Cheryl is reading a fascinating book by an advertising guru called The Culture Code. This guy says,”We are all puppets and our best hope for even partial liberation is to try to decipher the logic of the puppeteer”. Codes are the operating system of our culture. Why does a TV add “work”? Because the creator has accessed the code that unlocks your motivations and wallet. In the US the code for luxury is military stripes; for family its inner circle; disturbingly, the code for sex is violence! From a Christian perspective what are the God codes that unlock us to enter fully into the freedom for which Christ has set us free? The Culture Code points strongly to human’s basic instincts as motivators. Do Christians in any way transcend these basic instincts? Should we? What’s the motivation? There’s a lot to think about sitting under a tree.

Preaching to myself

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Jan 092010
 

When preachers speak they are usually speaking to themselves.
I was speaking before Christmas and was struck by all the things I say I should do but don’t do. I want to, I want to be neighbourly but don’t do anything to make it happen. Last year I listened to my own talk, approached a neighbour with the best verge in our street and we had a street gathering. It was very simple, purposely not “churchy” and a roaring success. Like the shoe company says, Just Do It! And God gives us a big tick.

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