Wednesday 16 December 2009
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Further to my last post
...Neil Bennetts at HT Cheltenham posted as below. Resonates completely with where I think God is wanting us to go with our worship, our songs, and our responses.
http://thebabyandthebathwater.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/we-need-to-go-deeper/
Read and respond.
http://thebabyandthebathwater.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/we-need-to-go-deeper/
Read and respond.
Wednesday 16 September 2009
What we really need to remember...
"He" is not us.
He doesn't exist within the famework of our selves. He is His own. A life force, independent and moving of His own accord.
Why do we frame God?
God is other. He is not us. We need sometimes to go to where God is at, rather than continually bringing Him into our own reality. His reality goes so much further.
He doesn't exist within the famework of our selves. He is His own. A life force, independent and moving of His own accord.
Why do we frame God?
God is other. He is not us. We need sometimes to go to where God is at, rather than continually bringing Him into our own reality. His reality goes so much further.
Wednesday 29 July 2009
Souls, lies and videotape
How we live is based on what we believe. This can be based on two alternative perceptions of reality: the one offered to us by our surroundings ie what we see, perceive & learn; or the one which is engaged in a reality we haven't yet seen or perceived.
This is about living beyond potential. Becoming more than the world might let us become. Going beyond the videotape played out by life and into a new reality shaped in the realm that is not seen. One which is mystical and fuelled by life-changing miracles. There is more. But when we look only at what there is, we can't see or believe in 'the more'. More does not signify quantity or material abundance, rather fulfilment and destiny. A belief that there is more beyond life-as-we-know it must shape the life we're in. Otherwise there is no point in believing it at all. It becomes a set of rituals and traditions.
So instead we watch the videotape played out around us. Videotape - old, worn out and obselete. It tells us what should be important, exactly what we can achieve. The problem is that it can't record unrealised imagination, dreams, vision, and meaning. It can only document what already exists. We're rattled into each scene, given a script to play out, and then told that we're done.
What about if we wrote our own scripts. Wrote our own stories, fuelled by a spirit engaged in the pursuit of a truth that lies beyond the reality presented to us. A truth that can only enter our reality when we show the courage to introduce it through our actions, our lives. Or we can continue to play our part in the predictable presentation of life offered to us. This surely kills something in us. Living in the videotape is not truth, it distorts our vision of reality and our view of what is possible.
So dream. Talk to God. Allow dreams to take hold and become a part of reality. God will introduce His dreams to the world through us, if we'll pause the tape and look up for a while.
'When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, "Do you really believe I can do this?" They said "Why yes, Master!" He touches their eyes and said, "Become what you believe." It happened. They saw.' Matt 9 v 27-29
This is about living beyond potential. Becoming more than the world might let us become. Going beyond the videotape played out by life and into a new reality shaped in the realm that is not seen. One which is mystical and fuelled by life-changing miracles. There is more. But when we look only at what there is, we can't see or believe in 'the more'. More does not signify quantity or material abundance, rather fulfilment and destiny. A belief that there is more beyond life-as-we-know it must shape the life we're in. Otherwise there is no point in believing it at all. It becomes a set of rituals and traditions.
So instead we watch the videotape played out around us. Videotape - old, worn out and obselete. It tells us what should be important, exactly what we can achieve. The problem is that it can't record unrealised imagination, dreams, vision, and meaning. It can only document what already exists. We're rattled into each scene, given a script to play out, and then told that we're done.
What about if we wrote our own scripts. Wrote our own stories, fuelled by a spirit engaged in the pursuit of a truth that lies beyond the reality presented to us. A truth that can only enter our reality when we show the courage to introduce it through our actions, our lives. Or we can continue to play our part in the predictable presentation of life offered to us. This surely kills something in us. Living in the videotape is not truth, it distorts our vision of reality and our view of what is possible.
So dream. Talk to God. Allow dreams to take hold and become a part of reality. God will introduce His dreams to the world through us, if we'll pause the tape and look up for a while.
'When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, "Do you really believe I can do this?" They said "Why yes, Master!" He touches their eyes and said, "Become what you believe." It happened. They saw.' Matt 9 v 27-29
Friday 24 July 2009
While you slept
While you slept
The world moved on without you;
Whilst you couldn't decide
Others chose to move on.
While you waited for everyone else
They'd already changed beyond recognition;
You woke up
And things weren't the same.
Is this exactly what you wanted?
What you desire to become?
Are you now a product of destiny,
Or a by-product of other people's wrongs?
A mind was filled with revolution theory
But the theory remained inside.
Whilst you sat alone thinking it through,
Others got up and made the change.
It is right to live someone else's life,
If they're sleeping too?
Just wake up and take a look around,
Wake up and take a look around you.
Did you want to spectate or be in the centre?
What is your part in the game?
Are you leading the charge moving forward,
Or still in bed dreaming big dreams?
A day soon passes by, then a year.
A spirit is waiting, how patient He waits,
How long will you stay here, how long?
The world moved on without you;
Whilst you couldn't decide
Others chose to move on.
While you waited for everyone else
They'd already changed beyond recognition;
You woke up
And things weren't the same.
Is this exactly what you wanted?
What you desire to become?
Are you now a product of destiny,
Or a by-product of other people's wrongs?
You're the one who can change
You're the one who can change it all
You're the one who can change it all
But the theory remained inside.
Whilst you sat alone thinking it through,
Others got up and made the change.
It is right to live someone else's life,
If they're sleeping too?
Just wake up and take a look around,
Wake up and take a look around you.
Did you want to spectate or be in the centre?
What is your part in the game?
Are you leading the charge moving forward,
Or still in bed dreaming big dreams?
You're the one who can change
You're the one who can change it all
One more second becomes an hour too quickly,You're the one who can change it all
A day soon passes by, then a year.
A spirit is waiting, how patient He waits,
How long will you stay here, how long?
Thursday 2 July 2009
The Crucified
I've got a lot of respect for these guys, great skatecore and this biog really resonated with me.
Biography
We were there.
When the Crucified started out, no one was talking about money.
No one was talking about record deals. No one was talking about fashion or genre or marketability.
No one was talked about being “pioneers.”
There was no pretense.
There was a guitar. There was a bass. There was a set of drums. There was even a microphone.
(And occasionally, a P.A.!)
We practiced three times a week, because… why wouldn’t we?
Getting a show was terrifying. Getting a tour? Silliness.
Radio? Stop it you’re killing us!
With all that practicing, how we ever had time for the High School we met at or the Bible Study where we became friends is difficult to comprehend. And how did we find the time in all of that other stuff to fall in love with the music of everyone from Minor Threat to Metallica?
Funny what one can accomplish when surrounded by miles of... nothing.
All we were attempting to do was to create something we didn’t already have. That’s what we did. Necessity being the mother of invention and so forth, we needed some music we liked – but we hoped God would like it too.
So… we made it ourselves.
We were tired of sifting through entire albums for one song that would make us go crazy, so we wrote only those kinds of songs. We were tired of music we couldn’t play for our friends
(without cringing)
so we made our own. We were tired of t-shirts that looked like they were handed out after Sunday school, so we made our own. We were tired of going to shows where none of the bands were our kinds of bands, so we booked our own.
We were tired of hearing no good reason why
you can’t sing like that/look like that/wear that/listen to that
so we just… did what we liked and waited for someone to give us a good reason why we couldn’t.
They never did.
We talked a lot about Jesus.
We prayed before we did anything, because… why wouldn’t we?
It was simple and sincere – if a bit naïve – and it was fun.
It was fun before anyone bought “bulk rate postage.” It was fun before “zines” grew up to become magazines. It was fun when “merch” meant a t-shirt and a sticker. It was fun when no one cared what you were wearing as long as it wasn’t something you were told you had to wear. (For some of us, a little more attention to what was being worn might not have been a bad idea.) It was fun when there was Artwork to hold, study, dissect and interpret. It was fun when there were liner notes. It was fun before The Internet, before “Soundscan,” before Blogs and before Downloads. It was fun before there were tours or sponsors or cell phones or book deals.
It was fun when jumping off the stage or into the Pit was not only legal but
Expected. (And almost annoyingly commonplace.)
And it was fun when nobody knew we were doing any of it.
Eventually, some people found out. Then more. Then more and more.
Plans were planned, decisions we decided, but The Will of God is… reality.
Turns out, there’s more to Jesus than just talking about Him. Turns out, God is not mocked.(Who knew?)
Turns out, being Crucified with Christ isn’t just an anthem, but a life.
A life that requires respect for whatever He decides that life will be.
Turns out, He knows better than we.
Biography
We were there.
When the Crucified started out, no one was talking about money.
No one was talking about record deals. No one was talking about fashion or genre or marketability.
No one was talked about being “pioneers.”
There was no pretense.
There was a guitar. There was a bass. There was a set of drums. There was even a microphone.
(And occasionally, a P.A.!)
We practiced three times a week, because… why wouldn’t we?
Getting a show was terrifying. Getting a tour? Silliness.
Radio? Stop it you’re killing us!
With all that practicing, how we ever had time for the High School we met at or the Bible Study where we became friends is difficult to comprehend. And how did we find the time in all of that other stuff to fall in love with the music of everyone from Minor Threat to Metallica?
Funny what one can accomplish when surrounded by miles of... nothing.
All we were attempting to do was to create something we didn’t already have. That’s what we did. Necessity being the mother of invention and so forth, we needed some music we liked – but we hoped God would like it too.
So… we made it ourselves.
We were tired of sifting through entire albums for one song that would make us go crazy, so we wrote only those kinds of songs. We were tired of music we couldn’t play for our friends
(without cringing)
so we made our own. We were tired of t-shirts that looked like they were handed out after Sunday school, so we made our own. We were tired of going to shows where none of the bands were our kinds of bands, so we booked our own.
We were tired of hearing no good reason why
you can’t sing like that/look like that/wear that/listen to that
so we just… did what we liked and waited for someone to give us a good reason why we couldn’t.
They never did.
We talked a lot about Jesus.
We prayed before we did anything, because… why wouldn’t we?
It was simple and sincere – if a bit naïve – and it was fun.
It was fun before anyone bought “bulk rate postage.” It was fun before “zines” grew up to become magazines. It was fun when “merch” meant a t-shirt and a sticker. It was fun when no one cared what you were wearing as long as it wasn’t something you were told you had to wear. (For some of us, a little more attention to what was being worn might not have been a bad idea.) It was fun when there was Artwork to hold, study, dissect and interpret. It was fun when there were liner notes. It was fun before The Internet, before “Soundscan,” before Blogs and before Downloads. It was fun before there were tours or sponsors or cell phones or book deals.
It was fun when jumping off the stage or into the Pit was not only legal but
Expected. (And almost annoyingly commonplace.)
And it was fun when nobody knew we were doing any of it.
Eventually, some people found out. Then more. Then more and more.
Plans were planned, decisions we decided, but The Will of God is… reality.
Turns out, there’s more to Jesus than just talking about Him. Turns out, God is not mocked.(Who knew?)
Turns out, being Crucified with Christ isn’t just an anthem, but a life.
A life that requires respect for whatever He decides that life will be.
Turns out, He knows better than we.
It was something really special...
Jon Hopkins, live last night at Institute of Contemporary Arts...
Wow.
Wow.
Tuesday 12 May 2009
Problems #4
Problems occur when we blame "the system" or an outside force for our own lack of right-choosing and morality.
Thursday 26 February 2009
Saturday 21 February 2009
Problems #2
Problems occur when we look to God to fulfil a role that man is capable of doing himself.
Friday 20 February 2009
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Tuesday 27 January 2009
Finally
Have spent the past month or so getting a tune together which represents a vision I had of a pendulum. It's in the player on the sidebar. I'll share the vision at some point too!
Monday 26 January 2009
Friday 2 January 2009
Anger and Disobedience
So here's a tough post which for me sums up the walk of 2008. Since October this year, I've asked God clearly how he would wish me to see things as we approach 2009. Through at least 3 people and/or situations, He told us (Ellie and I)to look at Jonah.
Jonah?
But wasn't he the spoilt, disobedient brat with an anger problem, who was trying to second-guess God?
Yeah.
Ok, so this was always going to be a little too "honest" and close to the knuckle for me, but it will shape a future if it's God speaking.
I've spent a lot of time in 2009 feeling a dejected, angry and confused. I was really hoping for some things to move on, but apparently they didn't. What I failed to see however, was that I hadn't obeyed God on a key area of my own life, whilst I was busy telling Him how to deal with the "Ninevah's" I saw all around me.
"One day long ago, God's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get."
But God doesn't need to me to tell Him about those other things. He needs me to respond to His calls and direction on my life.
God said, "What do you have to be angry about?"
So really, I got angry due to my own disobedience and lack of covenant-keeping with God.
But as we enter 2009, my prayer is changing. I wish to remember God. I have now decided to forget resolutions, and make a covenant of obedience in one key area of my life. I'm calling out rom the belly of the whale!
"When my life was slipping away,
I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
walk away from their only true love.
But I'm worshiping you, God,
calling out in thanksgiving!
And I'll do what I promised I'd do!
Salvation belongs to God!"
Ellie and I are studying this book (Jonah) at the mo, and I'll post more as it pops up. But the key question for me remains.
"When we get angry at God, is it always because of what He has done / not done? Or are we sometimes ignoring our own responsibilities?"
Jonah?
But wasn't he the spoilt, disobedient brat with an anger problem, who was trying to second-guess God?
Yeah.
Ok, so this was always going to be a little too "honest" and close to the knuckle for me, but it will shape a future if it's God speaking.
I've spent a lot of time in 2009 feeling a dejected, angry and confused. I was really hoping for some things to move on, but apparently they didn't. What I failed to see however, was that I hadn't obeyed God on a key area of my own life, whilst I was busy telling Him how to deal with the "Ninevah's" I saw all around me.
"One day long ago, God's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get."
But God doesn't need to me to tell Him about those other things. He needs me to respond to His calls and direction on my life.
God said, "What do you have to be angry about?"
So really, I got angry due to my own disobedience and lack of covenant-keeping with God.
But as we enter 2009, my prayer is changing. I wish to remember God. I have now decided to forget resolutions, and make a covenant of obedience in one key area of my life. I'm calling out rom the belly of the whale!
"When my life was slipping away,
I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
walk away from their only true love.
But I'm worshiping you, God,
calling out in thanksgiving!
And I'll do what I promised I'd do!
Salvation belongs to God!"
Ellie and I are studying this book (Jonah) at the mo, and I'll post more as it pops up. But the key question for me remains.
"When we get angry at God, is it always because of what He has done / not done? Or are we sometimes ignoring our own responsibilities?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)