timbrellstar

I’m sure the title of this post will have absolutely nothing to do with the content.

So currently:

• I am pretty tired
• I’m looking forward to my brothers wedding on Friday
• I need to finish writing my best man’s speech
• I need to finish painting the baby’s room
• I actually need to make a list of things I need to do

Last night Natalie and I prayed together about our future son or daughter. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, even though I’ve seen scans and felt the baby move. It’s just like something that’s happening to my wife.

We’re having a 4D scan Saturday, so that will be amazing to see our baby in that much detail.

It’s such a weighty thing to become a parent. I feel that, but not enough. I want to be a great father, which is a humbling thought, because there’s so many ways to screw it up! I’m thankful that there are so many other couples in church at the moment who are going to become parents this year. It feels like God is really doing something through us all being in the same situation.

So that’s good.

OK, Dave, I have blogged. I need to blog more. So, what should I blog about?

I have a number of things on my mind:

• Becoming a daddy in October, and how to be a good husband now, and then
• Two Stag days to sort out
• Making time to read my bible
• Writing two best man speeches
• The lack of house work I’ve been doing
• Buying a TomTom, which one should I get?
• How to get an iPhone without waiting for my Orange contract to expire
• Updating various websites
• How to trick myself into eating more fruit

I am tired.

Tonight, the wife and I are going to her sisters house to play Wii Sports. Actually it’s her sisters birthday, but that’s just a side issue really, we will be playing Wii Sports.

I like the Wii, and Wii Sports is good. Bowling for example is actually a pretty close approximation to real bowling, which seems crazy, but I would actually think twice about going to a real live bowling place because it’s so expensive these days, when we can play it on the Wii for free. I wonder if one day all of life will be like this.

I would like a decent games console, but on the other hand, maybe it’s not a good idea. I spend too much time on computers as it is. But even worse than that, I fear largely it’s actually just another way to waste your life.

Life is short, and I believe that it’s about Jesus and being satisfied in Him. The problem is there are just so many other things on offer trying to win our attention, offering a promise of satisfaction. They all without exception fail to bring us satisfaction, especially compared to the complete satisfaction that only the creator can offer to the one whom He created.

Games are great, computer games, even better. This is my geek talking. I have grown up with computers, and games. I will always have some affection for 8bit computers, and less than perfect graphics. However, my affection for this needs to pail in comparison to my affection to God, otherwise I am missing the whole point of life.

Missing the whole point of life, and even worse, wasting that life is not something that anyone should wish to do.

Of course it’s not just computer games, it can be anything that we are putting in the place of glory in our lives, and so that’s what has been on my mind the last couple of days.

God needs to be God in my life. We all worship something, that’s how we are made. We were made to worship God. The thing is, if we don’t worship God, we will worship something else, and that is idolatry.

Examine yourself and see what things you count as valuable in your life, when I even begin to do this I realise that often, God is a little way down the list.

I am praying that God gives us grace as we seek to put Him first, and honour Him above everything else.

And Lord, as I play Wii Sports, let it be for you!

It’s the weekend.

Make it a good one, people! Rest, laugh, go to church, enjoy God, enjoy each other, and watch less t.v. Eat well too, healthy like, right?

I have lots of things to do, many many things. You wouldn’t even believe it. Actually it’s probably not as bad as that, but I do have a few things I need to get done.

I’ve just updated my diary and stuck a bunch of post-it notes all over it, with all the things I need to do. Things tonight, things tomorrow, etc and so forth. I’ll let you know how that goes! I’m sure you’re very interested.

Anyway, I really should be getting off home to my lovely wife.

While reading a church website this morning about how they planted a new church community I read the following wonderful words:

The rush for this adventurous community was in getting to be the Church – not just attend it. It was clear church was experienced best when we were in living it, not simply watching it happen. ROCKHARBOR had been marked by a heart of passionate involvement.

If you’re watching something happen, then you’re not really part of it. You’re not engaged in it, it’s not costing you anything.

I read something else yesterday about the 80/20 rule, which is about 80% of the work in a church being done by 20% of the people, or members. It’s a common problem. The article was saying that in many ways the way we structure church, the way we set it up actually results in this 80/20 situation. When the focal point of church is a Sunday meeting(s) where a smaller group of people are creating a time of ministry/worship/teaching, then it stands to reason that the rest of the people gathered are spectators to some degree.

I’m not sure how valid that is in every context. There are people in church who are there because they’re seeking, people who need healing and rest and teaching, but then there are a lot of Christians sitting in church each Sunday who come and go, and don’t actually take part in what church is about at all.

I think there’s room to think about how we are best to function as a church.  What is important is truth, and I’ll come back to that in a future post. Community is important.  Contextualising Gospel truth into the culture(s) we live in is important. Doing everything we do for King Jesus and His Glory is of uppermost importance.

I certainly want to be part of a local church where we can say ‘ The rush for this adventurous community was in getting to be the Church!‘.