Werrington Parish Church

George

PAUSE OR RUSH?
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God."

"On a cold winter's morning in January 2008, an experiment was carried out in a Washington metro station to assess the behaviour of commuters. The idea was to analyse people's reactions to a busker playing the violin. Variables such as the beauty of the music and commuter time constraints were focused on to assess levels of musical appreciation. The big deal with this particular experiment was the person playing the violin. It was the famous violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, who only three days before had sold out the Boston Symphony Hall, playing to more than 10,000 people. Now sitting on the floor in the lobby of the metro, he used his 1713 Stradivarius, valued at several million dollars, and played six of his most beautiful pieces of music.
When preparing for the experiment, the metro management thought they might have to draft in extra security to cope with the crowds but a strange thing happened. Out of context, Bell became invisible. A few commuters and a couple of children paused, but the majority of people rushed ahead into their morning, unaware of the treasure in their midst.
It's so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life that we miss the beauty and the blessings of God. We can be so overwhelmed by all the noise bombarding us that we miss his gentle whisper. So Erwin McManus asks, "Will you refuse to be nothing more than an echo in a world full of meaningless noise?" Instead of "Thank God It's Friday", the new TGIF is Twitter, Google, iPhone, Facebook -- and it's a culture that enables us to stay in touch, stay on top, stay informed, stay current 24/7 but also makes it almost impossible to encounter deep peace and quiet.
God is speaking all the time. He's a whole lot better and more worth listening to than Joshua Bell on his Stradivarius. Will you just rush on by today?

Lord, help me pause, wait, slow down, and listen attentively to you today. Amen!"

'Choose Life 365 Readings for Radical Disciples' by Simon Guillebaud.
Are you able to, pause and listen to God or do you just Rush on by due to pressures of life? What do you think you are missing when you rush on by? Ask Jesus to quicken your spirit by His Holy Spirit when He wants you to pause and Listen!!! ... See more

Niteblessings

May you be given the gift of reflection. The ability to consider where you have come from, where you are, and where you may be going. May you pause in the present and ponder. May you take time to think deeply, to notice the longings in your soul, to discover something new about who you are and who God is calling you to be #niteblessing ... See more

George

ME OR WE?
Romans 12:5 "So in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others."

"An anthropologist proposed a game to a group of children in rural Botswana. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree, and then got them to line up. When he gave the signal, they could all run and see who got to the basket first. The fastest would win all the sweet fruits. When he told them to run, he was shocked by what happened: they all took each other's hands and ran together. They then sat down together sharing and enjoying their treats. When he asked them why they had run like that as one could have had all the fruits for himself, they said in unison, "Ubuntu! How can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?"
"Ubuntu" is a word used throughout Southern Africa in slightly different ways, but the most accepted understanding of the term is "I am because we are". It's not a biblical term but it is a biblical value. In Western culture we tend to think as individuals first before we consider our group identity, but in this regard we're in danger of deviating from God's blueprint for humanity. The culture of heaven is a collective one: all of us equal in the eyes of our Father. Heaven's culture says "we" not "me". Interestingly, the most popular version of the open-source computer operating system Linux is called "Ubuntu"!
As a younger sportsman I won trophies in both individual and team sports. You might think that there'd be more joy in the individual triumphs because all the glory and attention is focused on you; in fact, shared team triumphs were always more enjoyable. "We" triumphs over "me". Meaning, purpose, fulfilment, and joy are ultimately found in community rather than individualism.
Take a reality check on your own life. Is it too much about me? How can it become more we?

Lord, help "me" join up with others so that "we" can do life together beautifully. Amen!"

'Choose Life 365 Readings for Radical Disciples' by Simon Guillebaud.
Are you me focused or we focused? Ask Jesus how he wants you to do life in preparation for the Kingdom of Heaven!!! ... See more

George

ACT OR WAVER?
Romans 4:20 "Yet Abraham did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith."

"Wrinkly old childless Abraham received an amazing promise in Genesis 12 about leaving his comfort zone and in due time becoming a blessing to all nations through his progeny. He obeyed immediately, not procrastinating, dithering, or wavering. He acted on what God had told him.
In 1964, a 28-year-old woman called Kitty Genovece was attacked in a residential area of New York. She screamed for help for a full thirty minutes before dying from multiple stab wounds. Thirty-eight people heard her cries for help, some even looking out of the window and watched the attack take place, but none of them did anything to intervene, presuming someone else would. The term "bystander apathy" was born from this event.
I wonder what bystander apathy there is in my life. What horrific injustice am I standing by, passively observing, expecting someone else to intervene and rectify? Action must trump apathy or else our faith is deeply flawed. Something needs to be done. William Barclay wrote, "The more often you experience the emotion of doing something without the action of doing something, the less likely that something will ever happen for you." We can meet in groups to discuss doing something, and that experience in itself can be so stimulating that it creates the emotions that we have done something--but we haven't, and it's very likely that we won't do anything. It's like we're waiting for God to do something while he's waiting for us to do something.
As in Kitty's case, lives are at stake and we can't afford the luxury of being held back by past hurt, pride, apathy, or embarrassment. I don't think I've ever regretted responding to that sudden inner prompting of the Spirit to intervene in a given situation, even when the outcome wasn't dramatic or extraordinary. But plenty of times I've regretted dithering and disobeying his voice. How about you?

Lord, today I resolve to be alert to your voice and to act on what you say. Amen!"

'Choose Life 365 Readings for Radical Disciples' by Simon Guillebaud.
Are you one who acts or dithers? Have you in the past felt the prompting of God and not acted? Ask Jesus how he wants you to respond and then obey His promptings!!!!! ... See more

George

GEM OR JUNK?
Matthew 13:45,46 "The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

"Mrs Shirley Martin went to the local Salvation Army thrift store in Vancouver and bought a box of buttons for one dollar. Her husband, a postman, was fast asleep one evening as she rummaged through the box. Among the many buttons, something sparkled. It looked like a diamond. She rushed through to the bedroom and woke her husband. "Darling, I think I've found a diamond!" "Oh, come on, dear, you're always having these crazy ideas," he replied, and nodded off again. Mrs Martin took the gem to twelve different jewellers. Some dismissed it as junk (one said it was worth forty-nine cents"), but others shook with excitement when they held it. Hans Reymer gave the gem a valuation of $19,300. Mrs Martin had accidentally come across a precious stone for just one dollar!
What's it worth to follow Jesus all the way? In the above verse, Jesus is showing it makes complete sense to give up everything in order to purchase the fine pearl. The merchant realizes the incredible value of the discovery he has made, and urgently tries to buy it as soon as possible at whatever the cost. Clearly he's not agonizing over the price -- no, he knows that what he's discovered is of such immeasurable value that, however long it takes, whatever the effort, whatever the cost, it will be worth it. Consequently his worry isn't the sacrifice he'll have to make to get it, but rather whether someone else will get there first and he'll miss out on such a life-transforming and life-enhancing gift. He does it joyfully, knowing he has more than hit the jackpot. What's it worth? Anything and everything.
Take stock today of the pearl you've found, and your priorities as a result.

Lord, there's so much to be grateful for. I choose to give my all to you today. Amen!"

'Choose Life 365 Readings for Radical Disciples' by Simon Guillebaud.
Have you found the Pearl of great price(Jesus) and what are you doing about it? What are you willing to sacrifice for Him? ... See more

Niteblessings

‪May you recognise the season you are in and find its beauty. If Autumn, may you let those things fall that need to be released. If Winter, may your roots go deeper. If Spring, may you notice signs of new life. If Summer, may you celebrate the fruitfulness around you #niteblessing‬ ... See more

George

PHONY FARCE OR CONSISTENT CREED?
1 Thessalonians 2:8 "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

"Graham Cyster was a South African evangelical Christian who was smuggled one night several decades ago into an underground communist cell of young people fighting apartheid. The leader spoke, "Tell us about the gospel of Jesus Christ." At this critical stage of their spiritual development, they seemed to be half hoping for an alternative to the violent communist strategy they were about to embrace. Cyster gave a clear, powerful presentation of the gospel. He showed how personal faith in Christ wonderfully transforms people and creates one new body of believers where there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, rich nor poor, black nor white.
The group listened avidly until he finished his talk. Then one seventeen-year-old exclaimed, "That is wonderful! Show me where I can see that happening." Graham's face fell as he sadly responded that he couldn't think of anywhere in the whole of South Africa where Christians were truly living out the message of the gospel. "Then the whole thing is a piece of sh---!" the young man spat out angrily. Within a month he had left the country to join the armed struggle against apartheid -- and eventually paid for it with his life.
That young man was right. How can we claim our faith is alive if we fail to live in a way consistent with our creed? As George Barna reflects, "Christianity has largely failed since the middle of the twentieth century because Jesus' modern-day disciples do not act like Jesus."
Ouch! Well what might we do? Instead of always hanging out with people similar to ourselves, how about actively seeking to befriend a Muslim, someone from a different race, or from a different socio-economic background? And then -- and this is an even bigger challenge -- invite them into your life such that the above verse is true for you. Now we're talking!

Lord, help me live out what I profess to believe today. Amen!"

'Choose Life 365 Readings for Radical Disciples' by Simon Guillebaud.

Are you living your life consistent with what you believe and profess? Are you part of a community that is living in that same way? Ask Jesus how he would have you honour him with your life and lifestyle!!!!! ... See more

Niteblessings

May you embrace each day as a gift. It is not simply the last 24 hours on repeat. May you enter each moment thankfully, freed from the anxiety of tomorrow and liberated from the regret of yesterday. May you learn to cherish the gift of each minute. Time is precious #niteblessing ... See more