Alison Mitchell's Blog

Census sense

2011-03-28T17:38:00.006+01:00

Here in the UK, yesterday was census day - filling in the 32-page document cataloguing how our lives have changed since ten years ago. There's been the usual furore about what questions are/aren't asked, with the government defending its position. But they're in charge, so had the last say.

Skip back 2000 years, to a different government. The rulers of the Roman Empire would have scoffed at the idea that they were being controlled by someone else. It was their idea to take a census - decreed by Caesar Augustus himself (Luke 2 v 1). They were in charge.

Or were they?

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel… (Micah 5 v 2)

The Lord had decreed that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem - and so the mighty Romans meekly did His bidding.

Passed...

2011-03-02T14:36:00.003Z

Spotted this link on the BBC news website: "Kinky Granny among those who passed". Of course "Kinky Granny" grabs attention - but what caught my eye was "passed". Passed what? Her driving test? The citizenship exam? Her 100th birthday? No - it was a link to the monthly review of lesser-known people who've recently died.

But I still want to know what "passed" means. Is it short for "passed on" or "passed away"? If so, where to? Some pleasant place where the deceased meet loved ones and look down benevolently on this world as in The Lovely Bones? Or have they "passed" some kind of entrance exam, proving themselves good enough for "heaven"? Or is it simply that their lives have passed - been used up, finished, no longer existing?

If the BBC mean any of the above, it can only be because they don't believe Jesus' words:

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5 v 24

Kindling an old flame

2011-03-01T21:39:00.003Z

A two-week holiday - no books - just a Kindle.

Pros
• No heavy books to carry
• No need to guess how many books you'll read while away
• The Kindle sits flat on your lap or props easily (eg: on a fold-down tray on a plane/train) - much easier than trying to get a new book to stay open at your page
• There's a built-in dictionary - fantastic for checking obscure words without losing the thread
• Variable text size is a boon for my aging vision - no need to hunt out my reading glasses!
• For new titles, e-books are cheaper than real books
• The Kindle opens at the page you were last reading
• You can add notes (eg: to highlight a quote that could be the basis of a blog)
• Great battery life (two weeks' reading used about half), and quick to recharge from computer or mains

Cons
• A Kindle isn't that light - about the same as a thick paperback
• I have around a thousand books at home, so don't want to pay again for e-versions
• It's harder to assess an unread book - one was far more violent than I had expected
• Many of the free books available are erotica - difficult to avoid when scrolling lists of popular titles (a problem I've rarely faced when browsing in a bookshop)
• It's unwieldy if juggling two books at once (eg: flicking between a Christian book and the Bible passage it's unpacking)

Conclusion
If I hadn't been collecting books for 30 years, I'd seriously consider a Kindle as a way to build a library that takes no space. But I still love the feel, smell and tangibility of "real" books.

Selling marriage

2011-02-27T18:13:00.003Z

Statistics show that marriage is at an all-time low in the UK, so SHE magazine challenged four top ad agencies to “sell” marriage. Here’s the pitch each agency came up with:

Agency: BBH
“The concept came from the idea that it’s the small things that make a marriage. The ad shows a couple looking back on a marriage – at 20, 30, 40 years – and all the little moments that they always remember.”

Agency: KK Outlet
“To illustrate the benefits of marriage, they created ads spelling out the words ‘Better sex’ and ‘Live longer’ in lingerie and funeral wreaths respectively.”

Agency: Publicis Dialog and Publicis Blueprint
“Our idea was to turn that tired cliché [that marriage is an act of conformity and conventionality] on its head and present marriage as the ultimate act of rebellion. When you get married, there’s a real sense of two people against the world. It’s the moment you create a nation of two, completely self-sufficient and not reliant on anyone else. So we wanted to make married couples and those intending to marry ‘the defiant ones’. The thing about being married, which is different from just living together, is that you stand up in front of friends and family and say, ‘I want to do this... We’re doing this because we’re that proud of our commitment and we’re telling the world about it’.”

Agency: Ogilvy
“There’s really no reason to get married. There’s nothing you can do when you’re married that you can’t do when you’re not married. There’s no good reason... There’s no good time; it’s just to do with love and sentiment.”

Hmm... if marriage is a picture of a Christian's relationship with God, I'm not sure any of these hit the mark...

Ignoring the warning

2011-02-16T21:11:00.003Z

I was underground, at Earls Court tube station, when the alarms went off. Then there was a recorded message: loud, forceful, attention-grabbing: "Due to an incident, all passengers must vacate the station immediately". For a moment there was silence. Then one elderly lady stood up from her seat and began to make her away along the platform to the exit. No one else moved - including me.

A few seconds later: "That was a test of our fire-alarm system. We apologise for any inconvenience". This time the announcement was much quieter - so much so that the old lady didn't hear it. Another passenger stopped her, and explained that she didn't need to leave after all - after which we all watched her make her way slowly back to her seat.

Why didn't I move? My first thought was: "Oh no, now I'll miss my flight", followed swiftly by: "I'll wait a moment to see if it's real or not". I didn't believe the warning - and my guess is that's why no one else moved either. Our default position was disbelief.

I wondered if that's true for people when they hear the warning message of the gospel. No matter how loud or clear it is - how forcefully proclaimed - their default position is disbelief. Maybe I need to pray that people will be like that elderly lady: that they will hear the warning, and respond to it.

Why pray to a motorbike?

2011-02-08T13:43:00.003Z

A Royal Enfield 350 Bullet has become an unlikely shrine. The motorbike’s rider fatally crashed into a tree. Now both bike and tree form a thriving shrine in the Indian village of Chotila. Visitors pray to the bike, pour libations of alcohol, and tie red thread round the tree – all in the belief that doing so will ensure them a safe journey.

My first thought? It makes no sense to choose a bike someone died on as a talisman against unsafe travel.

But then I thought about the cross:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1 v 18)

Both the bike and the cross were instruments of death. But we can look at the cross with certainty and hope – Jesus has beaten death, and is the source of life for all who trust in Him. I won’t be praying to any motorbikes. But I will be thanking God for the cross.

To Kindle or not to Kindle

2011-02-05T21:19:00.003Z

Having met my first Kindle this week - and hearing that Amazon now sell more e-books than "real" books - I thought I'd find out more. Discovered two things:

1. If you search the Kindle store for bestsellers it doesn't take long to come across plenty of erotica. I guess an e-reader is an easy way to order porn in secret, and not have anyone else knowing what you're reading (no cover to hide). Maybe that's one reason the e-sales are so high?

2. In reaction to the above I looked to see if the Bible is available. It is, in various versions, including the ESV study Bible for less than £9. My favourite though is...

Holy Bible (Kindle edition) by at el. God (author)

I'm so glad Amazon know who the Author is!

Hearing the King speak

2011-02-04T13:14:00.002Z

In the aftermath to the widely-acclaimed film The King’s Speech, an interesting side story has appeared. A 94-year-old retired policeman who served at the Sandringham Estate during the Second World War has a story to tell. While patrolling around the royal residence, he heard the king, George VI, through a window. The king was repeating the same words again and again, practicing his Christmas speech for the following morning.

It’s exciting to hear from an eye-witness (or maybe that should be an ear-witness?) to an important event. The UK press have picked up the story, as it gives personal interest to the events many have seen unfolding on the big screen. You can read it here.

It got me reflecting on other royal eye-witnesses – but this time to the King of Kings:

“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” (Acts 10:39-41)

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4)

Peter was an eye-witness to Jesus’ words and actions. Luke investigated carefully to be sure that everything he wrote was accurate. And we have the confidence that the eye-witness records are accurate, because the Holy Spirit made sure they were:

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26).

Wonderful!

Recipe for happy marriage: never forgive, never forget

2011-01-31T17:58:00.002Z

The above was a newspaper heading at the weekend. Apparently a study has shown that if a spouse is too forgiving, the other partner will take advantage and continue or escalate their wrongdoing.

It made me so thankful that my bridegroom, the Lord Jesus, doesn't treat me like that.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1 v 9)

The Bible-Centred Youthworker

2011-01-28T17:10:00.003Z

Came back last night from a four-day conference we run each year - The Bible-Centred Youthworker. It was challenging, refreshing, inspiring, humbling - and for me personally, as administrator of the conference, exhausting! Highlights included:

• Brilliant Bible talks from Phil Moon taken from Revelation 1-5. Heaven is God's throne room. Jesus is the Lion... who is a Lamb. So good to have our focus renewed.

• Seeing photos from a holiday club where 100% of the children came from Muslim families.

• Meeting so many children's and youth workers who are gospel-hearted, Bible-centred, and passionate about sharing the good news about Christ to their groups. I get so excited on behalf of the children and young people who have these godly men and women caring for them.

Recordings from the conference will be available soon as free downloads from our website. In the meantime, you can get a flavour for what we did on the conference blog here.

One woman's testimony

2011-01-12T21:29:00.003Z

Last week I read a fascinating story of one woman's conversion. She talks openly about her search for faith, the appeal of the community she would be joining, and the huge changes there have been in her lifestyle. At first glance this was like many testimonies I've heard from young adults who have come to faith in Christ.

But this woman hasn't become a Christian - she has converted to Islam.

I was struck by the seeming similarities, so I looked again a bit closer. Yes, many of the personal and lifestyle comments rang bells, but then I noticed what was missing. There's no mention anywhere of God. Her conversion is based on a community to join and a way of life to embrace.

How different to a new Christian, who has discovered the joy of forgiveness through Jesus, and the privilege of knowing God as their loving Father, and being a brother or sister of Christ.

A _____ is for life, not just for Christmas

2010-11-30T14:39:00.003Z

While waiting at Heathrow Terminal 5 last night for a late missionary (delayed, not deceased), I decided to draft a blog on my iPad (ie: a pad of paper I own). You know those bumper stickers that say "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas"? I've realised that the same is true for hot-cross buns!

The shops are currently heaving with trees, decorations, stockings and cards - which will all disappear after Dec 25th. But the hot-cross buns that came out for Easter are still with us. They've become an all-year treat.

Wouldn't it be great if the same was true for people's view of Jesus. He's not just for Christmas (a baby in a manger) but for Easter (a man on a cross) and for all of life (the King who rules). Jesus is for life, not just for Christmas.

The undeserving poor

2010-11-19T15:32:00.002Z

Lots of discussion in the news at the moment about "the undeserving poor". Are there some people who don't deserve help and should be "getting on their bikes" to help themselves instead? How do we weed out the scroungers from the truly deserving?

The thing that struck me was the assumption that "the undeserving poor" is a label that people don't want - either because of the insult, or because it might mean they don't get anything.

How different it is for Christians. Because we know that we are the undeserving poor:

Undeserving: I'm just finishing off some sessions that I will be leading tomorrow at a training day on Grace. Our summary is that Grace is "an undeserved gift". God, in His mercy, doesn't treat as as we deserve. Instead, He accepts rotten sinners like me because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - an undeserved gift to all who put their trust in Jesus.

Poor: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5 v 3

It's great to be one of the undeserving poor.

Making generalisations about the generations

2010-11-11T22:14:00.004Z

At the end of a blustery four-hour journey today, back from holiday, I squashed onto a packed commuter train; then gained great popularity by squeezing in a rucksac, suitcase and giant box of Lego with me. (More about the Lego in another blog...) As the train pottered along, people got off at each spot while others vied for their seats. Eventually there was only me left standing - my precarious pile of luggage wedged vertical(ish) with my knee - and that's when I saw them.

A twenty-something, who had been sitting for a while, saw a space open up opposite. She called to her boyfriend to come and sit down, but he didn't hear her - engrossed as he was in his iPhone. He was about ten feet away - but neither heard nor saw her beckoning signals. So what did she do? Shout louder? Pop over and get him? No, she sent him a text to tell him about the spare seat.

My initial thought was: "Isn't that just typical of the younger generation - too lazy to walk ten feet to speak to someone. There must be some deep moral there." But then I tried looking at it from another angle. Faced with a problem, the young woman had come up with an effective answer. She spotted where the bloke's attention was focused, and used it to her advantage. She wasn't being lazy - but ingenious. And I berated myself for making generalisations about the younger generation.

So taken with this scenario was I - and my thoughts on the implications - that I almost forgot to get off at my own stop. Which, of course, is just typical of my generation!

Why?

2010-10-22T14:25:00.002+01:00

I love the free catalogues that you find tucked inside magazines. It's such fun seeing the stuff that other people buy! But one of them has me stumped. The motorised coin sorter. You throw your coins in the top, and it sorts them out for you, and tells you how much they're worth.

I've just done an experiment—emptied my purse, sorted and counted the contents. The coins add up to £9.33. It took me 19 seconds.

So who spends £30 on a machine to do it for them? And why?

Apparently it's a catalogue bestseller. I can only think that it must be men who need them…

The advent of…

2010-10-18T14:56:00.002+01:00

I spotted two Playmobil Advent Calendars in a toyshop window. Great fun. Nicely made. A new figure or object to add to the 3D model each day of Advent.

One of them built Santa's Grotto. Ah well, a secular product, I guess you can't expect too much.

The other built a stable. Ah, that's better - even though a stable isn't actually mentioned in Matthew or Luke (Jesus was probably born in the animal's section of someone's house) - but at least we're in the zone of the biblical account.

Oops. No we're not. Great stable - lots of glowing horses and grooms to take care of them. Stalls for each animal. Plenty of tack. Even riding helmets (a 21st century nativity scene). But… no baby.

I always thought that Advent was about the coming of Christ: looking back to the time when He was born as a human being; looking forward to His return as King over all. But I must have got that wrong. To the delight of little girls everywhere, it's actually the advent of a riding school.

A ritual black tie

2010-10-06T16:04:00.002+01:00

I was struck by this recent quote from the historian David Starkey:

Ritual is necessary. You want something to stand between you and the rawness of death. I'm a ritualised athesit; the big moments need marking.

I like the modern approach to funerals that sees them as a celebration of a life; an opportunity to look back fondly and with gratitude. But when it comes to "something to stand between you and the rawness of death", I don't want a ritual - I want a Saviour.

Sadness is normal

2010-09-29T13:07:00.003+01:00

I've just read this BBC news article about regaining the variety of terms we can use for sadness, rather than overusing "depressed" for all of them. I do think we lose something by using umbrella terms - and that people are more able to understand and empathise if we are specific: grieving, bereft, discouraged, diminished, empty...

But sadly I can't agree with the underlying premise that depression no longer carries a stigma. One person commentating on the article says:

It annoys me when people think the stigma is being broken. You try dropping it into normal conversation and see the room act like you have just dropped a massive fart.

This is my experience as well: either an embarrassed silence, a few muttered platitudes, or someone who has also suffered from depression wanting to confide in you their every experience. Friends and colleagues - once they know and understand - have been fantastic. But I still fear "coming out" as a depressive to anyone new. The stigma is alive and well.

Unanswerable questions

2010-09-22T17:40:00.003+01:00

The search engine "Ask Jeeves" has done a survey of the top ten "unanswerable" questions. Here they are, along with my suggested answers:

1. What is the meaning of life? To know the God who made us and loves us, and to have a right relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
2. Is there a God? Yes! All creation points to Him (Romans 1 v 20) and all Christians should be pointing to Him too.
3. Do blondes have more fun? I don't know, but I've certainly had more people smiling at me since my hair went purple!
4. What is the best diet? Use up more energy than you eat.
5. Is there anybody out there? I'm a SciFi fan - but have to say that the most important person "out there" is God.
6. Who is the most famous person in the world? I don't know how "famous" is judged, but I believe that Jesus is the person who's had the most impact on the world, right down to the fact that we date our history from His birth.
7. What is love? "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." (1 John 3 v 16)
8. What is the secret to happiness? Peanut butter. (Or Philippians 4 v 12 if you prefer.)
9. Did Tony Soprano die? Dunno - but even if he did, it was probably just a dream someone had in the shower.
10. How long will I live? I don't know, but the Lord does (Psalm 139 v 16), so I try to live for Him and look forward to the day when I will see Him face-to-face.

I'm certain you can come up with some better answers though. Do please add them as comments - I'd find them helpful and I'm sure others will too.

The last "sin-eater"

2010-09-20T18:02:00.002+01:00

I have to admit I'd never heard of a sin-eater until reading about them here. Apparently they were paid to eat bread and drink beer or wine over a dead body in the belief that they would take on the sins of that person. It sounds a worrying process to me: what if they skulked off early before eating enough, or all that beer made them sick? I'd much rather put my confidence in someone more trustworthy:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1 v 9

The triumphal entry

2010-09-14T12:15:00.003+01:00

After years of waiting, the moment is nearly here - the arrival of the promised religious leader. His destination is known, published in advance, and his mode of travel as well. The faithful will flock to welcome him, shouting his praises and waving whatever comes to hand. For many, this long-awaited moment will be one to treasure and look back on fondly for years to come. The culmination of all their hopes. Maybe this is the man to bring a troubled country back to God.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9 v 9

Oh, sorry - did you think I meant the Pope?

Knowing temptation

2010-09-10T20:28:00.002+01:00

Came across a great quote this week by C.S. Lewis, where he points out that only people who try to resist temptation can know how strong it is.

A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it; and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

The root of anger

2010-09-02T18:43:00.002+01:00

I've spent today doing a final proofread and corrections for Tim Chester's book Delighting in the Trinity (available soon from The Good Book Company). Along the way I came across this brilliant quote:

Let’s suppose I have a problem with my temper. Put me under pressure and I blow; I lose it; I fly off the handle. What would you say to me? Count to ten? Bite your tongue? It is good advice, but on its own it will not bring lasting change to my behaviour. We need to think what drives my temper. Maybe I need to feel in control and temper is how I exert control on a situation.

If so, then I need to be reminded that God is sovereign and He rules in love. Or maybe I feel insecure. If someone in my team at work fails, then I worry what others will think of me and so I blow. If so, then I need to be reminded that God in Christ accepts me through His grace. I do not need to justify myself because God has justified me. I do not need to fear others because God is the one I should fear. In both cases I have made an idol of myself. I want to control my world. I want to be in charge. But God is one. There is no place for other gods—especially not one like me!

Tim Chester, Delighting in the Trinity , p. 34-35

Sunday service

2010-08-28T14:25:00.004+01:00

I enjoyed seeing this sign outside the pub at the top of my street. Someone there has a good sense of humour.

I can't help wondering, though, how they would react if a group from my church turned up with hymn books in tow and decided to sing a four-part-harmony grace...

What would your sign say?

2010-08-20T15:25:00.004+01:00

I've walked past two churches today, both with big new posters hanging up:

The local Catholic Church:

"Pope Benedict XVI
We welcome you to the UK"

though I don't think he's planning on walking down our street…

The local Baptist Church:

"Building today for tomorrow"

plus an invitation to join them for services at a local school while their building is being rebuilt.

It made me wonder what signs we would hang up outside our children's or youth group.

"Everyone welcome" ?
"Meet the real Jesus" ?
"High-octane, action-packed, Bible-busting fun" ?
"Closed for the holidays" ???

Advice from the P_______therapist

2010-08-18T13:10:00.003+01:00

PHYSIO-therapist: Cycling is good for your back, it stretches out the bits that get cramped and painful.

PSCI-FI-therapist: So long as you don't watch more than three episodes a night you're not addicted to sci-fi - just "enthusiastic".

PSEUDO-therapist: Just buy my book for £100 and all your problems will melt away.

PSORIASIS-therapist: You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

PSYCHIC-therapist: I see a definite aura rising from your blog - it appears to be purple.

PHOTO-therapist: Just give me a few minutes with Photoshop and you can lose those extra four stone.

PSYCHO-therapist: Why do you say "my specialist" or "my consultant" when you really mean psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist? A mental-health condition is nothing to be ashamed of.

And yet - I find it easier to admit to having a Sci-Fi addiction, than to being mentally ill. Even after seven years...

Assembly line

2010-08-12T20:42:00.007+01:00

Ok, so I'm a sci-fi fan - I admit it. (But I don't go to conventions, or own a Star Trek uniform, so that's OK.) And not only do I watch the films, but all the DVD extras as well. Yes, I know. Which is how come I've just seen how ILM (Industrial Light and Magic, for any of you non-Spielberg fans out there) used computer imagery to create a human body. They started by generating a precise 3D computer model of a human skeleton and built it up from there, adding muscles, attaching them correctly, and so on. The result is that you can see every bone rotate, muscle flex and sinew twist as the body moves. As one of the CGI specialists said: "We just followed the assembly guide".

Of course this took months of hard work, thousands of man hours, and gadzillions of computing power. And in the end, they didn't have enough computer power to make it perfect, so had to go for something that would "look perfect" on screen.

I couldn't help thinking of the author of that "assembly guide":

For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139 v 14)

And of course, the Lord does it all without any computers…

Dirty-looking pebbles

2010-08-07T18:12:00.006+01:00

What do young people aspire to be? Pop star? Footballer? Or maybe a supermodel...

Naomi Campbell is in the news this week giving testimony at the war crimes tribunal of Charles Taylor, ex-dictator of Liberia. I guess that's what happens when you mix with the rich and famous. Initially she denied everything. Then tried to avoid being a witness. Now, in court, she has admitted being given three "dirty-looking pebbles" but says she didn't know who they were from (a statement likely to be contradicted by other witnesses next week).

I guess not so many are aspiring to be her right now. But what really caught my eye was a comment in today's Times:

...I say, laugh not at Naomi, for you laugh at yourself. Inside all of us is a good side ... but we know it's really just a thin facade. Because underneath there is our secret self, the one we hope no one will discover: the side that is childish, petulant and self-absorbed. (The Times, 7/8/2010, p21)

Hmm... If those "dirty-looking pebbles" were cut and polished they'd reveal themselves to be sparkling diamonds inside. But if our hearts are cut open - our "secret self" revealed - the opposite is true. The Times columnist may not know it, but Jesus said it first, and much better:

...from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. (Mark 7 v 21-22)

If that was the end of the story, we'd be wretched people indeed., for "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3 v 23) BUT, as Romans 3 goes straight on to say, "and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3 v 24)

Without Christ, we are the opposite of those diamonds. Our hearts show what we're really like, the bits we hope no one will ever know about. But through Christ, we can have the joy of forgiveness. If we trust in Jesus, God looks at us and sees the purity and perfection of His Son. And one day He will welcome us into the new creation. Now that's really something to aspire to.

Name Game

2010-08-04T13:38:00.005+01:00

I've just found a great new website to play with. It's from the National Trust and will show you the geographical spread (in the UK) of your surname in either 1881 or 1998. I already knew that Mitchell was a Scottish name - courtesy of my Scots dad - and the map bears out that it was common where I was born and bred even in the 1880s. But it's also strong in Yorkshire, where my mum grew up, and Devon and Cornwall, where most of my relatives live. So maybe Mum was predisposed to fancy a Mitchell!

There's no deep thought behind this blog - or a moral to draw out - I just thought it was fun. You can join in the fun for yourself here.

Purple prose

2010-08-01T15:38:00.004+01:00

For three years this blog page has been black - chosen, I thought at the time, for its striking impact. Having just returned to blogging after a long gap, I realised how very... black... it looked. As black as my mood. Black as my thoughts. Black as the daily battle with depression. So...

I've gone PURPLE! :0)

Not that the depression is over - it's not, the battle rages on. But no matter how gloomy things get, the Lord is sovereign still and I can trust in His goodness. And that feels purple to me, not black.

And don't worry, I won't be blogging about depression all the time. Sometimes, yes, since people tell me it helps them understand those of us bonded to the black dog. But also odd musings, thoughts on children's and youth work, and stuff I couldn't help noticing. Starting with…

Three bits of post arrived together this week. A bank I no longer bank with told me details of their new overdraft limits (which I'd never used). A building society I do bank with offered me a loan (which I've never had or wanted). An electricity company told me how much I'd save by using direct debit, but based it on a family of four in a large house, rather than my minimal usage in my solitary flat. My reaction to all three was that these people hadn't bothered to find out anything about me, though they all had the information - so the letters went in the bin. And then I started wondering…

Do we do that with our Christian literature or events? Do we give girly tracts to women who hate shopping? Do we invite a neighbour to hear a Christian sportsman when they prefer gardening? Do we tell a bereaved friend about God's justice, when what they need right now is compassion? I was struck by how angry I was that those three institutions didn't bother to check who I was first. And challenged not to do the same when reaching out with the good news about Christ.

PS Yes, the photo IS deliberate!

Thank the Lord for winter

2008-10-01T16:41:00.006+01:00

I'm reading a cracking book at the moment: Grace People by Michael Baughen. In it he traces God's covenants from Genesis right through Scripture. So I've recently been thinking about the 'Creation covenant' in Genesis 8 v 22:

'As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.'

I've always loved the seasons, because they're such a physical reminder of God's faithfulness. They also mean that Harvest and Christmas and Easter keep coming round again, like old friends, with all the fantastic opportunities they provide to thank God and tell others about Him.

But it suddenly occurred to me this week that God's creation covenant means I should also be thankful for the nights getting longer, evenings darker and clocks soon to change. This is a tricky time of year for me, especially since my depression is back in deep measure (which is why this is my first blog for two months). As winter comes, I and many other depressives fear that our minds will grow darker too. But the coming darkness can be a reminder as well - that God is keeping His promise to all creation. Until that wonderful day when Jesus returns, 'summer and winter, day and night will never cease'. How good to be reminded of the faithfulness of our God!

Mirror, mirror

2008-07-22T15:49:00.004+01:00

What does it mean to be made 'in the image of God'? (Genesis 1 v 27) I recently read that this means that God's people are to be like mirrors, reflecting God's image to the world around us.

* What is God like? - look at His people to see His reflection.
* How does God feel about poverty, or greed, or injustice? - look to see how Christians react.
* What matters most to God? - look to see how His people spend their time and money.

In children's and youth work, I'm always trying to help people to be Bible-centred - to teach God's Word faithfully, and to allow it to shape the way we work with young people. But our 'teaching' must be matched by our 'reflecting'. Paul taught this to a young leader nearly 2000 years ago:

'Watch your life and doctrine closely.' 1 Timothy 4 v 16

It's just as true today. What kind of mirror are you? What kind of mirror am I?

Character building

2008-07-11T13:04:00.006+01:00

There's an interesting article on the BBC news website at the moment about whether it's possible to build character. You can read it here.

The assumption of the article goes as follows:

'What makes people do the right thing rather than the wrong one? What makes us bad or good? The answer is a mixture of our genes, our parents and our peers - these are the ingredients of our character.'

Hmm... Doesn't that imply that we are not responsible for any flaws we may exhibit? It's not our fault - it's our genes, parents, friends... The Bible says otherwise. My pride, selfishness and laziness all grow from my sinful nature. But wonderfully, God is at work in His people, by His Spirit, to make them more like His Son.

'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.' Galatians 5 v 22-23

Now that's what I call character building!

The three groanings

2008-06-16T18:29:00.005+01:00

I've just been doing some typesetting for Explore Bible reading notes. I found the following comments on Romans 8 v 18-27 so inspiring, that I had to copy them here!

Paul is inviting believers to stop concentrating on present problems and fix their sights instead on future glory. That’s where the three groanings come in—they are not grumbling kind of groanings, but longing-for-glory groanings.

CREATION GROANS (v19-22)
The creation around us is in a terrible state. Man’s sin has ruined what was created perfect. It is groaning in pain, like a woman in childbirth (v 22). But why is it groaning like this? Because it is longing for the future. Even the creation is straining its neck, eager for the time of freedom and glory for the sons of God (v 19, 21). The groans are evidence that glory is ahead!

BELIEVERS GROAN (v23-25)
Of course we aren’t perfectly happy yet. We’re not yet in full possession of the salvation that is ours! We must wait patiently, expectantly, confidently (that’s what ‘hope’ means, v 24). Christians have the ‘firstfruits’ (v 23)—the Holy Spirit in us is the down payment of the full harvest; but we groan in painful longing to know the full glory and freedom of sons of God.

HOLY SPIRIT GROANS (v26-27)
In struggling we’re actually in tune with the Spirit of God! If we think we should be on cloud nine all the time we’ve got it wrong—the Holy Spirit is groaning along with us as we struggle in prayer, hardly knowing how to cope and what to pray in our sin-soaked environment. He understands, He helps us, He secures God’s approval of our feeble cries. But it won’t be too hard—pray through v 18 until you agree!

Isn't that brilliant - and SO encouraging! You can find out more about Explore Bible-reading notes here.

A new identity

2008-06-03T17:46:00.004+01:00

Today I got a new computer. A MAC Mini - very yum. The good news is that it came with different software than I've used before - and suddenly I can do exciting things like adding bold or italics to my blogs (my previous machine didn't let me do this for some reason).

But sadly, although my Mini MAC is new to me, it's not really new. One of my colleagues has been using it for months. And (again for a reason I don't fully grasp) we can't change the identity on it. So... every time I log in... instead of logging in as Alison, I now have to log in as Andre!

Hmm... It makes me glad that my identity in Christ isn't so fickle.

'Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.' 2 Corinthians 1 v 21-22

So... I guess I may have to get used to being called 'Andre' - but I'm thrilled that my relationship with God through Christ is certain and sure for all time.

Curse or cure?

2008-05-19T17:22:00.004+01:00

This may be a well-worn way of explaining Jesus' death on the cross - but I came across it the other day, and hadn't heard it before, so thought it might be new to you, too.

When Jesus died on the cross, He was cursed:
'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." ' Galatians 3 v 13

But we can get rid of the 'S' from curse, because Jesus defeated 'S'atan and dealt with 'S'in. As a result, Jesus becomes our cure. If we put our trust in Jesus, He makes it possible for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be friends with God.

The name 'Jesus' is often used as a swear word, a curse. But He came to die, to cure us from the results of our sin.
What is Jesus for you? Curse or cure?

How (not) to be me

2008-05-08T17:48:00.005+01:00

I'm currently preparing a training seminar on 'How to be a great team member'. Unfortunately, when I tried to save my work on my trusty computer, it decided that this was too long a title to save - so it changed it to 'How to be a great team me'! After I'd stopped chortling, it struck me that this new title summed up exactly what I do NOT want to say:

• The danger when training is to unintentionally give the impression that people need to be just like me if they want to be great children's workers. If someone goes away thinking, 'I'll never be as good a storyteller as Alison', then I've failed.
• The great thing about teams is that everyone is different. Between us we bring a wide range of gifts and experience, that no one leader can have.

So here's a question to ponder (whether you're a team leader, team member, or both):
? What are some of the things that a team member can do, that a team leader can't?
Then take your answers and use them to thank and encourage anyone who works in a team with you.

A chat about coffins

2008-04-25T13:15:00.007+01:00

Have you designed your coffin yet? An article from this week's BBC News magazine looks at the latest options for personalised coffins - bright colours, stickers, photos or even a bespoke coffin in the shape of your favourite thing (tram? plane? piano?). The article is fascinating - and so are the reader's comments afterwards. Most focus on the here and now, and how a personalised coffin can help turn a funeral into a celebration of someone's life. Only a couple raise the question of what happens after death.

This could be a great discussion starter - with your youth group, or maybe just over a coffee with your mates. What do they think of the idea of decorating coffins? Would they do it, and if so what designs or shapes would they choose? What would they want their coffin to say about the life they have lived? You could print out some of the reader's comments, and ask if they agree or not, and why? Why do they think almost all the comments focus on here and now, rather than what happens after death? Whether you then leave the subject open, for people to muse on, or choose to develop it further is up to you. Christians have a certain hope that death is not the end, and that we have a wonderful future in the new creation to look forward to. Maybe a chat about coffins will give you an opportunity to explain this further.

You can read the article, and reader's comments, here.

Changing Sunday School - Mission Impossible?

2008-04-18T14:11:00.006+01:00

God has created us to have imagination, curiosity and the ability to learn new things - so why are we so resistent to CHANGE??!!

• I met with a youthworker yesterday who is struggling to fit growing groups into a church building that stubbornly refuses to get any bigger. It's a problem that needs creative thinking, and a willingness by all involved to consider new ways of doing Sunday School. But the biggest problem isn't the building - it's leaders who don't want to change.

• I get regular phone calls from ministers wanting help in choosing teaching material for their church's children's work. I can make suggestions of good material to look at, but as the discussion progresses it usually turns out that at least one leader is refusing to consider using anything new.

• Today I was recommended a book by Doug Field. While checking out his website, I came across his comments about changing Sunday School, and they certainly rang a bell. As he says, 'Most youth workers couldn't change the format of Sunday School if they brought a written note from Jesus himself.'

Why are we so scared of change? Sometimes the problem is fear - as with the children's worker who doesn't want to move to a smaller room because he's scared his group will get bored if he can't play running around games with them. Sometimes the problem is time and energy - changing to different teaching material may mean more time in preparation, at least initially. Sometimes we're just stuck in a rut, doing things the way they've always been done. (I was once involved with a Sunday School that set out a table at the front every week, with two candles and a faded picture of Jesus - it was like a mini altar! They'd done it that way for the past 30 years (maybe the picture was bright when they started) and flatly refused to change.)

Change can be both good and bad. Changing things for the sake of it may just waste time and resources better used elsewhere. But we must always be ready to change for the sake of our ministry with young people. We must be willing to change plenty - the venue, the name, the timing, the programme, the age range, the music - if those changes help us to teach God's Word faithfully and reach out to those who don't know Him. We must also be ready to refuse to change - when we're pressurised to drop the Bible-study and replace it with games. Our priority should be to teach God's Word faithfully, to the Christians and non-Christians in our groups; to show God's love and care to them; to model in our own lives what it is to live wholeheartedly for Christ; and to pray fervently for the children and young people in our care. These things we should stick to like supaglue. All else is open to change.

Brushing up on your Bible reading

2008-04-04T17:01:00.011+01:00

I once heard a speaker say that reading your Bible every day is like brushing your teeth - you don't always feel like it, but you do it because you know it's good for you. Do you agree? Or does this dismiss Bible reading as mundane and boring?

Should we be bored when we read God's Word? Not at all. This is the Living Word of the Creator God, through which He reveals Himself to us. That's awesome!

Are we sometimes bored, though? Most of us, if we're honest, would have to say Yes. Daily Bible reading is a discipline many of us struggle with. Which is why I find the brushing teeth analogy helpful, because I know it's good for me to do it daily. If you don't brush, your teeth rot. If you don't read your Bible, your spiritual life starts to rot, too.

BUT
I've found the answer to boring battles with the toothbrush. I now have an electric toothbrush which rotates, vibrates and even tells me when my two minutes are up. Brushing my teeth has become FUN!!! :)

So... the question is... what's the Bible-reading equivalent of an electric toothbrush? If we truly believe spending time daily in God's Word is vital, but we struggle to actually do it, are there things that can help? Here are a few I've tried:
1. There's a wide range of Bible-reading notes out there, so I like to try something new occasionally - but do look for something that will help you engage with the Bible text, rather than just share a few thoughts.
2. Reading big chunks at a time. (This is easiest in a lighter translation such as The Message, rather than the ESV!) I prefer to read through whole Bible books anyway, to get the full picture of what that book is saying.
3. Try using children's or family notes. (Yes, I'm serious!) If the notes handle the Bible well, they'll still point you to the main point of the passage, and you'll certainly have fun! When I do this, I like to also use it as a prompt to pray for any children and/or families I know who are using the same material. I do this every year with the Advent Packs we produce at Good Book, and pray for the families in the UK and beyond who are doing the same.
4. If you're up for a challenge, why not commit yourself to reading through the whole Bible in a year? (Are there parts of the Bible you've never read??) In my own experience, the best way to do this is to get others involved too - either a group of you all committing to the same thing, or asking others to check up on you. I once told 400 people in a New Year service that I was going to read the whole Bible that year, and asked them to check I did it. That worked a treat!
5. Read it with someone else, rather than just on your own, and then discuss and pray about what you've read.
6. Instead of an electric toothbrush, how about an electronic Bible? If the fun of reading a passage online, via your PC or on a palm pilot will help you keep doing it, then go for it. You can get lots of electronic Bible helps too, with maps, dictionaries etc.
7. Be honest with God that's you're finding it hard, and ask Him to help. He will.
8. Read it while cleaning your teeth. (OK, I haven't really done that one - I was just checking to see if you'd read to the end of the blog.)

Mystery mnemonic

2008-03-20T16:57:00.007Z

My boss decided to while away a few moments yesterday - this was the result:
Being faithful, God freed captive believers hardening low-down Pharaoh.

What is it you ask??? Yes, that is indeed the question! It's designed to be a helpful mnemonic - but can you work out what it's supposed to help you remember?
.
.
.
.
.
Need a clue?
Which crucial Bible event does it refer to?
.
.
.
.
.
Need another clue?
There are ten words in the phrase. Can you think of ten cataclysmic things linked with this Bible event?
.
.
.
.
.
Want the answer?
It's a way of remember the Ten Plagues in order:
Being Faithful, God Freed Captive Believers Hardening Low-Down Pharaoh.
=
Blood, Frogs, Gnats, Flies, Cattle, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Passover.

Aren't you glad you know that?!

News at Teen

2008-03-13T13:10:00.006Z

If you're a youth or children's leader, stop for a moment and think of three words that sum up your group...

Now compare those words with the ways young people are increasingly represented in the news:
'A study published recently by Brunel University analysed how youngsters appeared in more than 2,000 television news programmes over a month and found a very bizarre picture. In 82% of news stories featuring young people, they appeared either as the perpetrators or the victims of crime, usually involving violence. For the non-crime stories, the most typical reason for showing a young person was as a celebrity.'

I wonder if you came up with 'thug', 'victim' or 'celebrity'. No? But that's how most young people are portrayed these days.

The quote above comes from a BBC News report , which goes on to say:
'The author and social commentator, Frank Furedi, sees this anxiety-ridden depiction of teenagers as a sign of deeper fault lines in society ... When all other adults and other people's children are seen as a threat, he says it means that the adult generation withdraws from any contact with young people - and bringing up children is "privatised" to the parents. Without any communication between the generations, adults become fearful and distant towards the youngsters hanging around, he says. In return, young people grow up starved of the influence of adults. "It means that adults are leaving the life of children. It's completely unnatural." '

If young people are increasingly growing up 'starved of the influence of adults', that makes our role as youth and children's leaders so important. I see two challenges here - to ourselves as leaders, in a position to 'influence' young people and with a resonsibility to do this well, and also to find ways to introduce other adults in our church or neighbourhood to the young people we know and love, so that they can see that they're not all thugs, victims or celebrities!

Eggciting

2008-03-06T17:52:00.006Z

The following is an Easter idea I was given by a schools worker years ago. It works well with children, but could also be easily adpated for use with teens. You need an eggbox with six Kinder eggs in it (the plastic clip-together inserts – you can eat the chocolate!). The eggs are hidden around the room. You ask the children to find one egg at a time, at which point you open it and find what’s hidden inside it – then put the egg in the eggbox. I no longer have the original list of contents, so here’s one I’ve made up (I’ve suggested more than six, so that you can choose the ones you prefer):

• Nails (Jesus was nailed to a cross of wood and left there to die)
• Strip of cloth (The cloth that was wrapped round His body)
• Empty (A reminder of the empty tomb)
• 'Happy Easter’ sticker (The resurrection and why we celebrate it)
• Sad face (How Jesus’ friends and families felt on Good Friday)
• Crown (Jesus was God’s promised King, but He wore a crown of thorns)
• Dice (The soldiers played dice to get the cloth Jesus wore)
• Mini Scroll (These things happened exactly as God has said they would)

You don’t know which order the eggs will be found in, so you adlib accordingly. Then show all the eggs again at the end, in a helpful order, to summarise what you’ve been teaching. The eggs and contents will be quite small of course – if you have a large group, maybe you could use an OHP to throw up the silhouettes of what you’ve found so that the children can see/guess what they are.

Show and tell

2008-02-29T17:33:00.005Z

Do you like browsing for good ideas? Do you have material of your own that you think others might like to use, too? If so, the Show and Tell website is a good place to look. It's a place where people who are committed to teaching the Bible faithfully to children and young people send their ideas and teaching material so that the rest of us can grab them. The site is run by very busy volunteers - so it's not updated as often as they'd like - but there's some cracking stuff there. Do check it out.

Heard any good talks recently?

2008-02-15T17:34:00.006Z

If not, there are some cracking ones available from our latest Bible-Centred Youthworker Conference. There's Mark Ashton on Romans 1 - 3; Trevor Pearce on learning from the life of Paul; and a host of terrific seminars for both children's and youth leaders. You can download them all from here. Enjoy!

Mapping it all out

2008-02-07T15:26:00.000Z

When we teach Bible stories, we want the children and young people to know that they are historical truth - about real people who lived in real places at a real time. That's why I'm a great fan of using Bible timelines to help young people see WHEN a story happened, and Bible maps to show WHERE it happened. Maps can also be of great help to us as we prepare a passage - often helping us to understand the flow of a narrative. So I was delighted a couple of weeks ago when a colleague told me about a new web tool, that uses Google Maps and Google Earth to help us explore the geography of the Bible. There's masses of fun stuff you can do, like zooming in on the details, plotting the distances between cities to find out the length of Paul's missionary journeys or overlaying modern satelite images with ancient maps. And it's all free! You can find out all about it here. Have fun!

Food for thought

2008-01-31T15:21:00.000Z

Sorry I didn't write a blog last week - I was off having fun on our annual Bible-Centred Youthworker Conference. This week one of the guys from that conference sent me his newsletter. He has kindly allowed me to quote two chunks from it - thanks Matt! I won't add any comments to them. I found his thoughts very stimulating - and hope you will too.

'How does one pursue a career in which a central quality is meekness of spirit? How does one be ambitious about a calling which asks us to die to self? How does one be a leader of men when one's motive should be motivated by servant-hood? How can one strive for success in a field where complete dependence on God is required? Actually these statements should and do apply to everyone who considers themselves a follower of Jesus. We are all called to minister with our lives no matter our occupation. However, these questions are particularly applicable and difficult for me who finds himself called to ministry in the traditional sense. How much should my current activities be motivated by a desire to be qualified and successful? We live in a world where employers look just as hard at the resume-CV of those aspiring to be pastors as to medical doctors. Every resume expert will tell you to speak as glowingly as you can about yourself without actually lying. They will say to use exciting adjectives such as: passionate, motivated, creative, enthusiastic, imaginative, organized, dynamic, inspirational, bursting with ideas, exceptional. And if you think this doesn't apply to pastors, these adjectives were all taken directly from advertisements for ministry-workers at the back of a Christian magazine I looked at recently.'

and...

'It's amazing how long someone can be a Christian, how many times one can have read the Bible, and how many classes one can have taken, and yet still be at a quite elementary level faith-wise. My guess is that much that looks like the growth of a Christian is really more growth into the culture of Christianity, or growth into deeper head-knowledge of your particular church's beliefs, rather than actually growing closer to God and growing to trust Him more moment by moment.'

Our Father knows us

2008-01-14T18:49:00.000Z

Yesterday morning, the leader of our service took an unusual approach to a classic youth activity. Have you ever played the game where five or six young people line up behind a blanket, with just one foot poking out below the blanket - and someone has to guess who each foot belongs to? This was the same idea, but with slits cut in a sheet so that hands could be poked through. The lovely thing was that the leader then asked for half a dozen Dads to come up with their children. The Dads lined up nervously, while their children hid behind the sheet and each popped through one small hand. Could each Dad recognise their own child's hand? Would anyone get it wrong? It was a tense moment...

Thankfully, each Dad spotted his own child and all was well - but two of them looked mightily relieved! The service leader then made a link between human Dads and our heavenly Father - how He knows and cares for each one of us.

It was a great activity. One I shall doubtless 'borrow' at some point. You may like to as well. And what a lovely reminder that, even if a Dad had felt that one little hand looked much like another, that our heavenly Father made us, knows us, loves us. 'Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head (and hand!) are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.' Luke 12v6-7

The curious incident of the wasp in the night-time

2008-01-08T17:18:00.000Z

A few nights ago - at exactly one minute past midnight - my bed was dive-bombed by a large, loud wasp, seemingly unaware that it shouldn't be awake in early January. Half an hour, and a variety of implements, later, the wasp was still refusing to leave my bedroom. It attached itself firmly to a rug hanging on the wall, and wouldn't budge. I ended up lifting the rug off the wall, carrying it out of my flat, down two flights of stairs and into the road - where I then had to beat it for several more minutes before the wasp deigned to fly off. (I was beating the rug, not the wasp!).

The thing that struck me was what an impact this wasp had on me. It was late, dark and cold - I was tired and in bed - but I sprang into action. I never considered giving up - I knew I couldn't go back to sleep while the wasp was still above my bed.

In my years as a Schools' Worker, as I visited up to 20 schools a week, I noticed a definite trend in January. Many of the teachers had come back to school tired. The Christmas term had been long, the Christmas 'holiday' was hardly restful, and there were bugs aplenty waiting to be caught. As a result, schools were full of tired and stressed teachers. Maybe that's how you're feeling too? The pre-Christmas rush of special events and evangelistic opportunities is fantastic - but also draining. Maybe you then had a busy, family-filled, non restful Christmas - plus a wee bug to keep you company! Now you're starting a new term, but feeling tired and perhaps struggling to find your full enthusiasm for your ministry.

It might be that you genuinely need more rest, in which case see if you can build in a couple of days off. But otherwise, ask God to show you what would help stir you into action. (What's your 'wasp'??) Meeting up with others to plan an upcoming session, rather than doing it on your own? Inviting someone for coffee and to pray for each member of your group? Reading a challenging, encouraging book? Downloading a talk* that will spark your thinking? For me, it was praying with the rest of the team just before leading our group on Sunday morning - that's what sparked me back to full enthusiam for the children we were about to serve. As people who 'hope in the Lord', let us ask God to help us to 'run and not grow weary' (Isaiah 41v31).

* One suggestion for helpful listening would be the main talks and seminars from last year's Bible-Centred Youthworker Conference. These are all available for free download here.

Look back in wonder

2007-12-31T14:02:00.000Z

I'm writing this on New Year's Eve. As a good Scot that means I've been desperately tidying up ready for Hogmanay (tidying being something I do very little of on the other 364 days!). I'm not planning any New Year's resolutions - although I can tell you a grand way to keep them, if you're interested (see below).* Instead of looking ahead to my soon-to-be-broken and wildly unrealistic resolutions (anything involving a tidy flat or desk), I'd rather look back on the never-broken faithfulness of our wonderful Lord God. In our last church homegroup meeting of 2007, we had a prayer time where it was suggested that we each thank God for one thing during the past year. We prayed... and prayed... and prayed... No one was able to restrict themselves to just one thing - there was SO much to thank God for! For myself, one of the highlights was the time spent with Christian brothers and sisters in South Africa - being thrilled by their enthusiasm for serving God, and encouraged by their faithfulness to Him. Looking further back, I was privileged during the travels on my sabbattical to meet many Godly people - separated by thousands of miles, but joined by a mutual trust in the Lord Jesus. Many of them are also joined by a common desire to teach God's Word faithfully to children and young people. My prayer for them, and for you, and for myself, is that we will all be able to look back in wonder as we see how God has worked in the lives of the young people we serve, and then look forward in trust to all that He will do in the coming year.

Happy New Year to you all!

* I once resolved to read the whole Bible during the year. I then admitted this resolution to 400 people at an all-age service, and asked them to check up on me. I can confirm that this is a very effective way to stick to a resolution!!

'Such a great guy'

2007-12-21T14:36:00.000Z

Recently I have been creating lists galore in preparation for our next Bible-Centred Youthworker Conference in January. As I've poured over the names of those coming - 130 so far - I've caught myself thinking (and sometimes saying out loud!), 'Oh, he's such a great guy', 'She's so lovely', 'He's a terrific bloke', 'He's so nice', 'I'm so pleased she's coming back' and so on... I got to the end of the list of 130 and realised that I'd thought something nice about every one of them. This isn't because I'm a sweet person who loves everyone (!), but because the children's and youth workers I've got to know over the past few years are such a terrific bunch. So, if you're one of them, thank you - it's a joy and privilege to know you.

Puzzled by Pullman?

2007-12-11T13:39:00.000Z

I haven't seen the film yet, and it's years since I read the book - but I HAVE already had a number of circular emails from concerned Christians recommending boycotting 'The Golden Compass'. I'm always wary of mass boycotts. It's true that there are some books and films whose content means we want to warn our young people against them - but given that most of our children and young people are likely to be swept up in the razzmatazz of this film, aren't we better to engage with the issues rather than avoid them? There is a very helpful article on this in the December issue of Youthwork magazine, written by Dr Mark Stibbe (pages 8 & 9). It should soon be possible to get a copy of 'How Golden is Pullman's Compass?' from Mark Stibbe's website. If it's anything like his article, this talk should be good - I'm certainly planning to hear it as soon as it's available.

Is Christmas about Christ?

2007-12-04T13:44:00.000Z

In a Sunday Telegraph survey of 100 schools, only one in five is opting to stage some kind of nativity play. One in three will stage a religion-free Christmas play or have no event at all. Why? 'To avoid upsetting pupils (and parents?) of other faiths.' The Telegraph article seemed quite balanced to me - you can read it here.

It's the readers comments about it I found fascinating:

• In 78 added comments, only three mention 'Christ' (and one of those is as a swear word!) and none mention 'Jesus'
• Most people assume that scrapping school nativity plays is an attack - but not on Christian belief. They see it as an attack on our national identity.
• Many of the writers assume that it is people of other faiths who are pushing to get nativity plays banned - and sadly some go on to say that these 'immigrants' should go back to their own countries and stop interfering in ours.
• The assumption made by nearly all is that the nativity play is all about tradition.

Where does this leave us, as we aim to teach the Bible's fantastic message about Jesus this Christmas? Since most people believe that we should continue to have nativity plays, let's grab that opportunity in any way we can - and then use it to help them see that the Christmas story isn't about tradition, it's about Jesus Christ, our wonderful, loving, rescuing King.

Teaching Narrative (again...)

2007-11-27T17:36:00.000Z

I was discussing Bible narrative with a college lecturer at the weekend, and he told me his current approach. He gets his audience into a story by directing them to the narrator and his art:

'Can you see how he has grabbed their attention by making a shocking opening statement?'
'Notice how the storyteller is using his surroundings as pictures for his story.'
'Did you spot the cliff-hanger at the beginning? Now the audience will be hanging on every word waiting to see what happens next...'

This approach would be too complex for younger children, who need a simple, clear story. But for older children and teens this can be an engaging way to get them into the passage. It also helps them to see that the Bible writers chose which narrative to include, where to put it and how to tell it - all great clues pointing to the main point they are making.

The Harry Potter Effect

2007-11-20T18:03:00.000Z

A few years ago a flurry of books came out giving a Christian response to Harry Potter. Some were extreme. Others lacked depth. Having read a few, I was most convinced by 'A closer look at Harry Potter' by John Houghton. He gave by far the most balanced and biblical view of the four books that had been written at that point. Now that the series of seven is complete, plus five films so far, John Houghton has taken a closer look at the complete series. Here are two quotes from his latest book, 'The Harry Potter effect':

'Harry Potter's world, while outwardly set in the context of Greco-Roman medieval paganism, is modern. It is important to understand this both in terms of the wizarding society and the spells that they perform, and that is why to suggest that Rowling is seducing children into the occult is so misleading. A much more powerful argument would be to suggest that, if anything, she is leading them into a humanistic self-reliance on their own choices, exercise of will, and technological ability - in short, a life that has neither recognition of God nor his grace.' (p84)

'As cultural gatekeepers we must know when to exercise caution and when to make an outright ban. Some material will never be appropriate because it is implicitly evil in intent and in content. Other material may depend upon the age and sensibility of the individual child. The fact that something is considered to be entertaining or 'everyone's reading it' is not in itself a sufficient justification for letting children participate.' (p114)

Do you consider yourself a 'cultural gatekeeper' for the children and young people in your care? Do you want to help their parents think through these issues and apply them biblically? If so, this book will stretch your thinking way beyond simple concerns about glamourising witches and magic. You may not agree with everything it says, but it will help you see the underlying issues and think through whether or not they need addressing in your group, family or church.

'The Harry Potter effect' by John Houghton is published by David C Cook. ISBN: 978-1-842913-62-8

Image imagination

2007-11-13T17:19:00.000Z

I'm currently reading John Houghton's newly revised book about the Harry Potter series. More on that when I've finished it - but I was struck by a comment John makes early on. While discussing the concern some Christians feels about the use of imagination, he points out that we are made 'in the image of an imaginative God'. That got me thinking...

We only need to explore our world a little to see the exuberance of God's imagination at work. (How else can you explain the duck billed platypus? Or the fact that we've been given five senses to experience our world through?) I'm so grateful that our world reflects the ingenuity of our Creator. But what does it mean for US to reflect His imaginative nature? If we are designed to be imaginative - and so are the young people we work with - what impact does that have on what we do with them? CS Lewis imagined Narnia, and then used it to portray some aspects of Christian truth. Most of us don't have a series of best-selling books hiding away inside us* - but maybe there are other ways, which we haven't tried yet, of using our imagination to faithfully teach God's living Word?

* If I'm wrong, and you do have a series of best-selling books hovering in your head, please let me know!

Christian counter-culture

2007-11-05T16:04:00.000Z

I was chatting to someone in the summer about shopping for clothes. (A favourite subject for us girls!) She'd been spending her birthday money in Next and Gap, and was dressed head-to-toe in her new purchases. Even her bag was new (and seriously gorgeous!). But before you blokes switch off completely from this exceptionally girly blog, let me point out the sting in the tail. The girl I was chatting to was six - and the birthday money from her Granny was £150.

This same girl - a regular member of a Sunday morning church group - has recently told her leaders that she no longer believes in God. I can't help wondering if the two are connected. When a six-year-old girl is given £150 to spend on clothes, what 'need' does she have of God? When she comes from a loving family, has a full network of friends, and is in the top section of her class at school, how is she to understand that she is actually helpless and hopeless unless she puts her trust in Jesus?

Those of us who work with younger children constantly face this challenge - how do we help children to understand spiritual truth in concrete terms they can relate to? Especially when the culture that surrounds them seems to show, in such tangible ways, the exact opposite. Yes, we need to teach God's Word faithfully. Yes, we need to put the time into finding ways to illustrate God's truth that will be clear and understandable to those we teach. But, whatever age we work with, we cannot change a young person's heart. So we also need to pray for the Holy Spirit to open up their hearts to their real need, and to open their eyes to see beyond the culture that surrounds them.

The Star Trek solution

2007-10-22T17:59:00.000+01:00

It's no secret that I'm a bit of a Star Trek fan (but don't worry - I've never attended a convention, and I don't speak much Klingon.) Usually, if a Star Trek episode gets my Christian radar fizzing it's because of its humanist worldview (Gene Rodenbery based the whole franchise on humanist principles). But this weekend I was watching an Enterprise DVD which left me shouting quite loudly at the screen...

(Quick summary of plot needed here - sorry!) In Season 3 of Enterprise, we see Captain Archer on a long mission to save earth from total destruction. In his need to 'do whatever it takes' to save the planet we watch him sacrifice his principles one after another. His wide-eyed naivety at captaining the first ever star ship is replaced by a hard ruthlessness as he fights, cheats and even tortures his way to success. Interesting to watch - and probably quite fun to act. At the beginning of Season 4, Archer is back on the newly saved earth, but struggling to come to terms with the way he achieved his mission. He hasn't lived up to his own principles. He can't reconcile himself to what he has become, and neither can he change himself back to who he was. This inner turmoil is producing emotions he can't control, and bursting out in self-destructive acts.

In Christian terms, Archer has come face-to-face with his own sinfulness. And his inability to do anything about it. Fascinating. How was a humanistic show going to handle this? Usually, the starting premise is that human beings have it within themselves to solve their problems - but Archer seemed to be failing on that one. So... How did it end? (This is going to be the spoiler - so don't read on if you're now desperate to watch the show!)

Archer went mountain climbing. (To find the hidden strength within himself? - if so, it didn't work.) But he wasn't alone. Another starship captain joined him - a woman. Archer is angry. Archer is having nightmares. Archer can't solve his problems. Until... He and she sleep together at the top of the mountain. And suddenly everything is allright! It was just a one-mountain fling - no permanent relationship here - but it has wiped away all of Archer's problems.

I know I shouldn't have been shocked. This is a common worldview for many, of course. But this was STAR TREK!! It left me wanting to talk to about it (hence this blog). And wanting to use it as a discussion starter. It's not appropriate for my current group (they're 5-8s!), but I'd love to discuss this with a group of teens: What impact does our sinful nature have on us? What solutions does the world offer? What does the gospel of grace say? You and I may not have tortured anyone in a bid to save our planet - but what joy to know that our own sinfulness has been wiped clean, totally forgiven, by our wonderful, gracious Lord. And surely we want our young people to know this joy too.

Seeker-friendly or seeker-focused?

2007-10-16T18:05:00.000+01:00

I was talking to a minister recently about his approach to preaching. He knows there will always be non-Christians at the morning service, so he keeps them in mind when preparing. His view is that these non-believers won't 'get it' - ie: they won't grasp the gospel of grace in one hearing - but that everything they hear must be understandable. However, the morning service is also when the church comes together to thank and praise God and learn together from His Word. For that reason, this minister plans talks and services that are 'seeker-friendly' but not 'seeker-focused'.

This got me thinking about our children's and youth groups. Are they seeker-focused - with an opportunity to 'pray the prayer' every week or so? Or seeker-friendly, but with plenty of teaching for the believers too? If your group is like the ones I've had over the years, you'll have three kinds of youngsters:
• The ones who seem to show genuine faith, in whom you rejoice as you see them grow.
• The ones who seem far from God, with little grasp of His goodness and grace towards them.
• The ones you haven't a clue about!

If we take a Bible-centred approach, we will want to keep God's Word central to all that we do with our group. The great news is that when we teach the Bible, a passage means the same whether we are teaching a believer, a non-believer or an 'unknown'. We still teach the Bible. We still teach the same main point (it doesn't change according to the beliefs, understanding or age of our group members). And we still apply it faithfully. However, we need to ensure that this application suits our hearers, which may well mean making separate applications for seekers and believers. And we pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of any seekers. This is the only way they are going to 'get it'.

So, teaching the Bible is still central, whether we have believers, seekers or a mix. But I do find myself wondering about my own sessions. Do I tend to be too seeker-focused, and not build in enough to help the believing children in my group to grow? I'm currently planning sessions for the next two Sundays. I may look again at those plans...

Pleasing God

2007-10-09T18:00:00.000+01:00

'God will be pleased with me if I'm good.'
If a young person said that to you, how would you respond? Would you agree? Or disagree? And why?

YES: Living the way God wants me to live pleases Him. And as a Christian I want to please God.

NO: Many of us say 'pleased with me' when we really means 'accepts me'. But God does not accept us on the basis of our goodness (none of us are good enough). We are accepted on the basis of Christ's goodness alone.

So it's not 'God will accept me if I live a good life'. Instead, it's 'Because God has accepted me (through Christ), I want to live His way.' In many cases the actions may be the same - 'being good' - but the heart is different, the motivation is different.

The consequences of disobedience are different, too. If we believe that God only accepts us if we're good - but then we mess up - that leads to despair. But if we believe that God accepts us through Christ - and then we mess up - we repent and move on. We know that God has forgiven us and we still want to live His way.

These are issues I'm currently pondering ready for the first of our series of Big Issue training days around the country. This year's theme is 'Grace & Law', so I've been thinking about how children and young people can misunderstand these things. I long for the young people I work with to understand God's grace - and to understand the freedom this gives them. Not freedom to do whatever they feel like - but freedom to follow Christ and live His way. If you have any thoughts on the above, that might help me teach this more clearly - I'd love to hear them.

Friends and heroes

2007-10-01T10:13:00.000+01:00

Last week, after two recommendations of the new BBC2 series 'Friends and Heroes', Tim and I decided to check it out.

The first challenge - could we find the Good Book telly?
• We eventually unearthed it from a cupboard.

The second challenge - where to put it?
• The desk was too cluttered
• The filing cabinet was too far from a plug
• An old table base was perfect but, oops, was that the sound of breaking glass? (Alas, poor vase - I knew it well.)

At last all was set, and we sat down to be impressed...

'Friends and Heroes' is in the same style as a previous animated series called 'The Storykeepers'. In both cases, the main story is based in the First Century, with the heroes experiencing life under the Romon occupation. They have adventures - but they also tell each other stories from the Old and New Testaments. As a concept it's an interesting one, and has potential for us as children's and youth workers.

Sadly, despite the recommendations, both Tim and I were disappointed. The animation quality was good - but the storytelling was slow to get going. Each episode includes two Bible stories, chosen to link with the theme of that episode. The one we watched was about two children - one Jewish and one Roman - who were prejudiced against each other. So one of the chosen Bible stories was Peter and Cornelius from Acts 10. It's certainly true that the vision God sent to Peter was designed to challenge Peter's view of 'unclean' Gentiles. Indeed, Peter would not have gone to see Cornelius otherwise, as he himself explains in v28-29. But this vision wasn't merely about friendship - it was opening Peter's eyes to the astounding truth (for him) that the wonderful gospel message about Jesus was for all people, not just the Jews. When Peter met with Cornelius, he spoke to him about Jesus - and all those listening became believers and were filled with God's Spirit. It was a pivotal moment in the expansion of the gospel and the growth of the early church.

When this story is used in Friends and Heroes, the animators have selected which parts of the story to include. Nothing is left in about the gospel - instead it's all about friendship, and specifically that Jews and Romans should be friends. As a result, the two children in the main story agree that they will be friends too. A gospel-centred event has been turned into a moralistic one.

Interestingly, if you check out the website linked with the TV series, there is a lot of emphasis on historical accuracy. The artefacts are drawn to be as near to accurate as possible, and the historical background is mainly based on the writings of Josephus. Much is made of this attention to detail - and I'm glad that it's there. However, when it comes to handling the Bible stories themselves, far less concern has been given to maintaining the full flow of the story or the main point behind it. This is disappointing.

The series is available on DVD, and I would still use clips from it with a group. But I'd either select very short examples where the Bible handling manages to be accurate - or I'd use it in a different way alltogether. I think this could form the basis of a very interesting discussion with older children and teens about how we understand Bible stories and apply them to our own lives. I'd love to sit down with a group - watch the episode I saw last week - compare it with the Bible account in Acts 10, and use that as a basis for a discussion. It could be a creative way to help young people think about understanding and applying the Bible for themslves - as well as thinking critically about the things they see and hear.

Do check out the programmes for yourself. They're currently shown on BBC2 at 10.45 on Tuesday mornings. You can also find out more from their website.

Start how you want to go on

2007-09-24T18:11:00.000+01:00

Two days ago I was running a training event for a church that's about to start new children's groups at a morning service that currently doesn't have any. They are in the unusual situation of starting something brand new but with known numbers of children (rather a lot of them!). I was encouraging them to see this as a strength, and to START AS THEY WANT TO GO ON by thinking strategically about the principles on which their groups will run.

Most of us aren't in this situation. It's far more likely that we have 'inherited' our groups - along with an interesting collection of traditions. (I once worked for a church which set up a kind of altar at the front of their 5-7s group - with a framed painting of Jesus and several candles - because they'd 'always done it that way'.) Even so, it's good to reassess our principles now and then, and see if we need to do a rethink.

Just two suggestions to get that process going:

ONE—we are in a partnership with parents (since the Bible tells us that parents have the primary responsibility for the spiritual eduction of children). We have their children for an hour or so - they have them for life. So ask whether your group is set up to develop that partnership, and support parents in their role. A simple starting point is to review how you communicate with parents, and whether you encourage them to follow up at home what you've been doing with their child this week.

TWO-what are your team commiting themselves to (and do they know?). I encouraged these new leaders to commit themselves to always arriving early enough to be completely prepared before any of the young people turn up, to praying together as a team before a session starts, and to meet up regularly as a team to encourage each other and do some team training together.

Our role as children's and youth leaders is to be Bible teachers. Thinking through these kind of issues strategically, and being intentional about how we lead our groups and work together, will support us in that Bible-teaching role.

Quality control

2007-09-17T07:31:00.000+01:00

Once a year, my parents like to visit the Scottish island of Islay. My dad is a whisky connoisseur - and particularly fond of the Islay single malts - so he jokes that it is their annual quality control visit! Of course, one visit a year makes no real difference to the quality. But it's a fun excuse to visit a gorgeous island, and enjoy its produce!

As children's and youth workers, we have a concern for quality, too. We teach God's living Word. It's a fantastic privilege - but also a responsibility. We want to teach it faithfully and effectively - and put together the best sessions we possibly can. (If you're not sure about this, check out the blog from August 6th on 'excellence' - and the helpful comments people have added to it.)

While I was in Sydney, I met a children's worker who was particularly stimulating to talk to, because she is so intentional about the way she works. What is the single most effective thing she has done to make a difference to the quality of the sessions her team leads? She pulled back from weekly teaching herself - and instead became a non-teaching co-ordinator.

I must admit that I blinked when she said that. It felt more like a retrograde step. But it turned out that she is very specific in her purpose. She is still with a group every week, but now she is there to train and develop her leaders. Some weeks she will sit in on their session, and then give feedback afterwards. At other times, she leads the session herself, with the intention of modelling good practise. Alternatively, she might help a new leader with their preparation, and then join in to give support and help.

She told me that this decision to become a non-teaching co-ordinator made a huge difference to the quality of the sessions being run in the various groups. She already did regular training with her team - and hosted team meetings - but it was this intentional approach to improving what happens week by week that made the big difference. Not so much 'quality control' as a huge quality boost. If that's the kind of boost you've been looking to see in your own groups, maybe this is a model that's worth considering?

Get ready to be imitated

2007-08-31T15:28:00.000+01:00

I have been reading Hebrews in the mornings, and was struck by these words:

'Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.' (Hebrews 13 v 7–8)

My 5-8s group starts again next week - I'd guess many of your groups do, too - which makes it a good time to be thinking about the Autumn term. The children and young people in our groups will watch us as well as listen to us. They will notice whether our lives back up what we say. They will watch how we relate to each other. And, if we are parents, they will watch how we relate to our children, too. They may not be consciously checking up on us - but they'll soon notice if we say one thing but do another.

The writer of Hebrews encouraged his readers to remember their leaders and imitate them. Don't we long that the young people we serve will 'imitate our faith'? - that they will put their faith in Jesus, as we have done, and aim to serve Him wholeheartedly. Hebrews then goes on to remind us that Jesus doesn't change. The Jesus we teach about in our groups is the same Jesus we read about in the Gospels, the same Jesus we see at the creation of all things (John 1 v 1-3, Colossians 1 v 16) and the same Jesus we look forward to praising throughout eternity. Jesus is constant - always faithful, always true.

Paul knew the importance of imitation. He wrote: 'Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.' (1 Corinthians 11 v 1). As we start a new term, maybe this is a good time to prayerfully think through what kind of example we are giving to our children and young people - to ask God to point out areas that need to change - and to pray for God's help in living lives that will honour Him, and reflect the truth of what we teach.

Are we ready to be imitated?

And... I saw all these animals, too

2007-08-26T06:59:00.000+01:00

A few more photos from last weekend's safari. For some reason, every time I tried to upload these vertical photos from the laptop I was using in Joburg, they either came out sideways or crashed the computer!

So... they're a bit late, but I hope you enjoy them.

Yes, I really saw all these on Saturday!

2007-08-23T20:07:00.000+01:00

What a fantastic treat - not only to be in South Africa, but to visit a game park. A friend took me to Pilanesberg National Park on Saturday. The painful bit was leaving at 5.00am (ouch) - but it was worth every minute of missed sleep. These photos were all taken by my friend during the visit on Saturday - and are just a few of the animals and birds we saw. Isn't God's creation brilliant!!

Brothers and sisters in Christ

2007-08-20T11:13:00.001+01:00

I have just had a fantastic time with the students from Johannesburg Bible College (JBC). They start each day of teaching with a morning devotional. What a delight to pray, sing and read the Bible with brothers and sisters in Christ. The fact that I had flown for ten hours to the bottom of Africa to meet them made no difference - we were all part of God's one family. It was very moving to be with them.

Most of the guys in this morning's session are not directly involved in children's work. (I tried to encourage them to do some, of course!) So we looked at ways that they can make a difference to the children in their church. How can they help parents to take up their responsibility for the spiritual education of their children? How can they support and equip children's workers in their crucial role as Bible teachers? And of course we discussed my favourite proposition:

'Teaching the Bible to children is the same as teaching it to adults - but harder!'

They didn't all agree with me (I didn't expect them to) but we had a great discussion, and hopefuly it raised their awareness of the importance of children's work, and encouraged them to see children's leaders as Bible teachers.

On Thursday I'll be spending the morning with the members of the Women's and Children's Work course. After the fab time this morning, I can't wait to be with them! I'm also hoping to meet up with a few individual children's workers while I'm here. I'm hoping that I can be of encouragement to them - but also anticipating that they will have much to say to me that will prompt my thinking, and stimulate my own ideas on teaching the Bible to children. What a joy, that we all share the privilege of teaching God's living Word to children.

The same - but harder

2007-08-13T09:27:00.001+01:00

'Teaching the Bible to children is the same as teaching it to adults - but harder!'

I like to pop this proposition in front of people and get them to discuss it (especially if they're NOT in children's and youth work). I don't actually mind whether they agree with me or not - I just want them to consider the possibility. Because, if I'm right, that has implications in a church, and should hopefully mean that children's workers are viewed differently.

I'm going to use this as a discussion starter next week at the Bible College in Johannesburg. It will be interesting to find out whether they agree with me or not.

Do you?

Excellence

2007-08-06T07:15:00.000+01:00

I watched the National Youth Orchestra perform in one of the Proms on Friday evening (on my parents' TV). Back in January I had the joy of seeing them live, performing Britten's War Requiem. Both concerts were fantastic. During the interval, the BBC showed an interview with the conductor, talking about the intensive rehearsing they had done all day, every day, for the eight days before the concert. Why did they work so hard? To achieve excellence.

I'm currently reading 'The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School' by Aaron Reynolds, who used to be the artistic director for Promiseland (the children's ministry of Willow Creek Community Church in the States). I know that one of Willow Creek's key values is excellence, so I was interested to see how that plays out in Aaron's view of Sunday School. In part 1 of his book, it means memorisation and rehearsal. Aaron's view is that whoever is leading the session should memorise everything they are doing - not just what comes next, but the actual script. This leaves you free on the day to focus on how you are communicating with the children, and how they are responding, rather than trying to work out what to say. He also sees rehearsal as non-negotiable. Everyone involved with the session - the leaders, musicians, actors, technical team - does a complete run-through beforehand, usually either on a mid-week evening or on Saturday.

You can see, from the list of people involved, that Aaron is writing about a different scale of children's group to anything most of us experience. (I don't have a 'technical team'!) He also comes from a background where they will repeat this Sunday School programme three times in one day, to run alongside three adult services. It would, therefore, be easy to dismiss his views as less relevant for the UK scene - as well as being unrealistic for most teams of leaders. But are they?

I met an author during my trip who told me that 'excellence leads to inclusiveness'. We were talking about the quality of writing and illustrations in children's books, at the time - but doesn't the same principle apply? If a non-Christian family pops in to our church on Sunday morning, and the children's and youth groups are a bit below par that day, does it make it less likely that they'll come back? But if they sit in with their children, and see a session that oozes excellence, will that draw them back the following week? Does 'excellence lead to inclusiveness' - by including and drawing in those who are not Christians? Should memorisation and rehearsal be the norm we all aspire to? Is this a way of showing that teaching God's Word to children and young people is the most important thing we do all week? Or is it just applying secular values (and gloss?) to Christian areas of service, rather than remembering that it is the Holy Spirit who draws people to God?

'Excellence attracts people. Excellence inspire kids. Excellence honours God.' That's what Aaron Reynolds says. What do you think?

Good children's material?

2007-08-01T18:17:00.000+01:00

Friends of mine founded the Johannesburg Bible College three years ago. This year they have begun a Women's and Children's Work course - and have asked me to do some teaching on it. I go in two weeks' time. (Both exciting and terrifying!) Two of the sessions they have asked for are: 'what to look for in good children's material' and 'how to write and produce good children's material'. I've been pondering about how these sessions might look different as a result of teaching them in South Africa, rather than the UK.

When I write children's material for the 5-8s at my own church, I can tailor it specifically for the group size, venue, timing etc. I also know the children, what their needs are and something about their spiritual understanding, all of which shapes what I write. When I write or edit material for publication, it needs to be much more flexible, to allow for a wide variety of groups using it. But even so, having spoken to a lot of children's leaders over the years, I do have a feel for what the variables might be in UK churches. But what about South African churches? Some of what I know here in the UK will translate across the water - but other things will be very different. I'll need to ask lots of questions, and be prepared to adapt according to what I find.

BUT one thing will be the same. For teaching material to be 'good', it must be Bible-centred. Not just based on the Bible - but shaped by it. And it must help children to engage with the Bible for themselves, and come to know God better through His Word.

I know that there is a shortage of South African material written in local languages (rather than English). Please pray for the students currently studying on this course - that God will equip them to write material that is faithful to Him and His Word, and that will be used by Him in many young lives. And please do pray that my contribution will be both encouraging and helpful. Thank you.

Here's my research...

2007-07-26T09:11:00.000+01:00

This blog was started to chart my sabbatical, and the research I did while travelling. It ended up including far less research, and far more odd thoughts, than I expected - but that's OK. I've now written up my conclusions about retelling Bible stories to children. If you'd like to know what they are, please open up the pages above. (You can do this by clicking each page.)

By the way - this seems a very messy way of adding an article to my blog, but I haven't been able to find a better one. If you'd prefer a Word copy of the article, please let me know. And if I discover a way of adding a Word document to this blog, I will do so...

Loss

2007-07-20T17:29:00.000+01:00

I lost my 'cello teacher this week. (Sounds a bit careless doesn't it?) Having wanted to play the 'cello since I was 10, I eventually made it 31 years later. An inheritance from my much-loved Granny paid for an instrument and a few lessons. I had no idea it could take so long just to play in TUNE (!) - but two and a half years later, I still love learning.

But now K, my 'cello teacher, is leaving. I heard this week that we only have one more lesson together. In truth, I'm gutted. I've really enjoyed her lessons. But it's more than that. At the time I started, I was really quite ill. I'd had to pull out of most of my church commitments, which meant a plethora of free evenings. Probably for the first time in my adult life, I truly had the time to learn an instrument and practise it each day. My 'cello playing has accompanied my gradual move from sickness to health, and K has been alongside me throughout. So losing her is a bit of a shock. I'm feeling a little bereft.

K isn't my only loss this summer. Just before my trip, I had my last meeting with M, my counsellor. While K was accompanying my painful screechings on the 'cello, M was accompanying an even more painful experience, as I ploughed my way through the horrors of deep depression. My current health is largely a tribute to M's wisdom, skill and kindness. There is much to celebrate in regaining my health, but it was still very difficult to say goodbye.

So, I've lost two significant people in two months - people I have seen weekly for over two years. And it's got me thinking. Relationships matter so much to us - and much more, of course, when they are close family or friends. Loss is a regular part of our lives. But the loss of these two relationships made me think of THE relationship. The loss of two people who have been important in my life, points me back to the ONE who is all-important. In John 6 v 39, Jesus says this: 'This is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day.'

My wonderful Saviour will never lose me. That perfect relationship is secure for eternity. We experience loss now - and it hurts - but there's no need to fear losing my Lord and Saviour. My hope is Him is certain.

Different... but the same

2007-07-11T16:21:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm back. It was a l-o-n-g journey, made perfect by spending 51 minutes waiting at the baggage carousel at Heathrow. (Yes, I am that sad person who times how long she spends at carousels. I'd like to blame it on jetlag, but it wouldn't really be true.) I then spent the weekend mostly comatose, trying to adjust to my fourth shift of time zone in six weeks. The general consensus since reappearing from my cocoon is that I look rested and refreshed. The photo was taken yesterday, so you can decide whether you agree.

Am I glad to be back. Oh Yes! Did it live up to my longings? Not really. Towards the end of my trip, I was longing for home, and especially the peace and space that go with it. But the peaceful, spacious flat I craved turned out to be cramped, cluttered and a bit claustrophobic. Maybe it's because I've been staying in a series of large homes. Maybe distance made the hearth grow bigger (!). Even though it's been great to catch up with family and friends, I have to confess that my homecoming was a bit of a let-down.

BUT it's got me thinking about the perspectives I've gained from my trip. It's easy to get ensnared by the novelty of other countries and the allure of foreign fields. However, one thing I've learned this trip is that many things are different, but actually the same. The country and culture may be different, but 'doing life' is still the same. Ministry may have a different flavour, but essentially it's still the same. The children we work with have different accents (and deeper sun tans!) but we teach them the same Bible and introduce them to the same Lord. And as I wander round creation - Yes, I relish seeing different delights I haven't met before, but they still point me to the same Creator.

I enjoyed an early-morning stroll along a nearby stream. I've never been there at 6.30 am before - definitely a plus-point of jetlag! The birds were in full throat. Less raucous than their Aussie cousins (although I did actually have a small flock of parakeets wheeling overhead!) The walk was great, and gave me a chance to reassess my feelings of disappointment at feeling so crowded and quashed at home. I can never admire creation without looking to the Creator. This time, He reminded me again that my home isn't in Surbiton. It's with Him. And when I finally see Him face to face in the new creation, there's no risk at all of feeling let down. Thank You, Father!

The funnest thing you can do on water?

2007-07-04T12:49:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was easily the funnest day of my trip! After an early meeting (not the fun bit!), my god-daughter and I caught a train (I love the Sydney double-decker trains!) down to Circular Quay and went jet-boating. Lots of screaming. Lots of being thrown around. Lots of getting wet. It was the funnest, coolest, wettest joyride you can imagine. :D

After a lazy lunch, overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, we then mosied on to the cinema, for a lazy afternoon with the Fantastic Four, lounging on the most comfortable cinema seats I've ever met. Then we wandered back home, for a special meal with some very good friends (accompanied by some very, very good Shiraz.) :D

I head home tomorrow - and I'm still really looking forward to being home - but it's been lovely to have such a yummy day at the end of my trip. :D

Longing for home

2007-07-01T10:52:00.000+01:00

I flew out of Heathrow five weeks ago today. I am SO ready to go home!! I love Sydney. I loved New York and Vancouver, too. But I'm now longing for home. It's not that Surbiton is that exciting - it's not in danger of winning any favourite town awards! The first photo shows Berrylands railway station - which is only three doors away from my flat. You can see what a picturesque area I live in! The second photo is Sydney Opera House, where I enjoyed a performance of Othello on Thursday night, and which was declared, that very day, a world heritage sight. Surbiton or Sydney? There's no contest really.

BUT Sydney isn't home. I miss home. I miss my friends. I miss my family. I miss work (honestly!). But most of all I miss the peace and quiet of my own home. For the past five weeks I've been with people all the time. I've stayed with great people - all of them - who've been welcoming, kind and generous. Really terrific. But I am SO ready to have some time on my own - my own space, and no noise. It's the PEACE and SPACE I can't wait to get back to...

I was reminded in this evening's sermon that followers of Jesus are all living away from home. Our home isn't in Sydney. Or even Surbiton. It's with Jesus, in the new creation. One of my favourite books is Philippians. In 4 v 20-21 it says this:

'Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.'

New bodies - a new creation - and seeing our Lord face to face. I really am longing to get back to Surbiton - but, oh, what a wonderful future home I have to look forward to!

More thoughts on why God made trees

2007-07-01T07:52:00.000+01:00

I met up with a friend this week, who told me about a book he's been reading - Cat and Dog Theology by Bob Sjogren. I haven't read it yet, but I'd like to. The title is based on an old joke:

A dog says, 'You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, you must be God.' A cat says, 'You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, I must be God.'

My friend mentioned the book, because we'd been discussing my musings on why God made trees. He pointed out that we can tend towards a cat-like view of creation - that it was created for us and our pleasure - rather than a dog-like view - that God created it for Himself, for His pleasure and glory.

Hmm... I was out walking again this afternoon, and pondering this as I walked. Why did God create wonders in the ocean depths, which people will never see? Why did God make the whole of the Great Barrier Reef a stunning jewel of delight, rather than just the bit that the tourists visit? It can't be for us! (Although my realisation a few years ago that the majority of the barrier reef would never be seen by humans, led me to an increased wonder at the lavish creativity of God, simply because I couldn't see it for myself.)

Romans 1 v 20 tells us that 'since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made'. Psalm 19 v 1 says that 'The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands'. Creation points us to God and His glory. That suggests to me that creation is made for God - but also for us. And it's wonderful. I'm so glad we're able to share it.

Knocked out by training day

2007-06-27T14:43:00.000+01:00

Why was this delegate flattened at a recent training day for children's leaders? Answers on a postcard to... (or add your suggestions to this blog)

My mystery bird

2007-06-24T13:18:00.000+01:00

Here it is - it's an Australian White Ibis, and they're BIG. I was excited to see such an exotic-looking bird on my travels - but apparently they're a bit of a pest. As are possums, even ones that have just alighted from the Parramatta train. They're still cool, though!

Snatched time and growling playgrounds

2007-06-22T13:11:00.000+01:00

It was back to my beloved trees today - Australian ones this time, rather than Canadian. Having worked extra hours yesterday, I unexpectedly had free time this afternoon. There's something delightful about snatched time - freedom when you weren't expecting it - that makes you walk tall and breathe deep. Bliss! My walk took me to the depths of Flat Rock Creek, scrambling over rocks to reach the bottom of the gully. At one point I veered off the path, through the undergrowth, to reach a spot of dappled sunlight I hoped would photograph well. Suddenly, I remembered this was Aussie undergrowth I was invading, and that most of the creatures in it could probably kill me. I still took my photo, but didn't hang around for too long afterwards...

On my way back from the creek, I explored a delightful children's park. It had slides built into the rocks, mini roadways and bridges, a water pump to create your own creek and rocks carved into the shapes of jungle animals, which growled as you passed them. How cool is that! It made me want to borrow someone's toddler so that I had an excuse to do it all again. In a field next to the park, there was a large wading bird digging for its afternoon tea. (It was wading in the grass, not the water.) It had a white body, black tail, and a small black head with extremely long, curved bill for filleting out tasty morsels. I've no idea what it was - maybe the twitcher I met in New York could tell me. At the same time, two red and green parrots were circling and squawking overhead. Not a sight I see regularly in Surbiton!

Which reminds me - two days ago, while walking back from the station, I followed a possum along the pavement. I think he'd just got off the 17.54 to Parramatta. This is a great country!

Pure joy

2007-06-21T11:29:00.000+01:00

Stop for a moment, and ask yourself when you last felt joyful? Where and when - and what were you rejoicing in?

Since I'm in the land of Oz, my mind inevitably goes back four years to a wonderful day snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. I'd never snorkelled before. Never seen a reef. Never been face to face with such amphibious marvels. Never worn a lycra bodysuit before, either!! Apart from the lycra, the experience was wonderful, inspirational, enthralling, and has a special place in my memory. It was pure joy.

But I was ill at the time. Became more so later. And ended up in a psychiatrist's chair trying to establish just how deep my depression had become. When he asked me, that wonderful visit to the reef was the only happy memory I could think of during the whole of the previous year.

A subsequent training series on the Sovereignty of God meant wrestling deeply with my understanding of my illness. When things go pear-shaped, it's easy to doubt either God's sovereignty, or His goodness. But the Bible clearly shows that God is both good and in charge. So I ended up understanding that my illness was God's loving gift to me, and that He had brought it into my life because He knew it was the best way to help me to grow, and become more like Jesus.

What does all this have to do with joy? I heard a cracking sermon on Sunday (thanks Graham) from James 1. Verses 2-4 say this: 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence. Perseverence must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' I find that both encouraging and challenging. God works in us, through many kinds of trials, to bring us to maturity. We're in good hands! But what does it mean to 'consider it pure joy'? Is it a choice to view things in a particular way? Is it an action - a way of responding? Is it an emotional response? These are things I'm still pondering on...

A limey down under

2007-06-19T12:20:00.000+01:00

Greetings from Down Under - where we're about to be lashed with gale-force winds. Anyone who thinks Australia is the land of never-ending sun should have been here for the past four days. Perpetual rain would be nearer the mark...

It's great to be here, though. I fell in love with Sydney six years ago, and it's still my favourite city. Today I took a day off (from preparing training material for Saturday) and hopped onto one of Sydney's fab double-decker trains. I ended up at Darling harbour ('all those boats, darling') and the Maritime Museum. I clambered over, under and through four ships (wishing I was a foot shorter) which bobbed ever more gamely as the impending gales drew nearer.

The replica of Cook's Endeavor is fascinating. They built in an extra floor to accommodate civilian scientists, with the result that you stoop through a four-foot-high deck reminiscent of the mezzanine floor in 'Being John Malkovich'. I also enjoyed a 19th century 3-masted barque, a naval destroyer and a sub (sadly, not yellow). I expected the sub to be the most cramped - but the Endeavor wins that battle with ease.

And why am I a limey? The title comes from the habit in the 19th century of British sailors being given lime juice to combat scurvey. On the Endeavor, they used sauerkraut for the same purpose. So, which would you rather be named? A limey (green and sharp) or sauerkraut (green and sour). What a sweet choice...

PS
If you're still wondering why one of my Thursdays went missing - see the comments on my previous blog. It's something to do with 80 days' worth of fairy dust!

One of my Thursdays is missing...

2007-06-13T18:13:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was my last full day in Vancouver, mostly spent at Granville Island, as shown in the photo (meeting M, the nephew of a family friend).

Today, I jump on a plane to Sydney. I leave on Wednesday afternoon, nip over the date line, and land on Friday morning. But where's Thursday?

My trip lasts for 41 days - from Sun 27th May, to Fri 6th July. But I'm only going to experience 40 days. One of my Thursdays is missing! Has it gone for a picnic? Did it join Wallace & Gromit on the moon? Is it sulking somewhere? Is there an International Thursday Convention this week?

I know I've had the same number of hours, minutes, seconds as everyone else - but there's something solid and satisfying about experiencing a full day. I unaccountably feel cheated...

Giving in to temptation

2007-06-13T00:11:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I wrote about one of my passions - trees. My guess is that a number of you agreed my views on that one.

Today, I gave in to another passion - but suspect you'll be less convinced...

I met up this morning with the nephew of an old friend of the family. He happens to live at Granville Island, in Vancouver. When I was here two years ago, Granville Island was my top priority for a visit. Was it for the famous market? No. Was it the craft shops? No. Was it the waterfront and views? No. It was...

Granville Island Model Trains Museum!

I'm sorry. I know most of you now have me cast off as a hopeless, sad member of the human race - but I have to confess that one of my passions is model railways. So when I found I had an hour to spare, I gave in to temptation, and went back to see the trains. It was a delight! :) And I found myself yet again wandering if I can somehow squeeze a layout into my small flat...

For those of you who are unimpressed - sorry - hopefully you'll find my next blog rather more erudite.
For anyone who is a fellow enthusiast - you can find out more here.

Why did God make trees?

2007-06-12T06:32:00.000+01:00

This blog has been wriggling around in my head for days now. This is my first chance to access a computer and set it free...

My question is this: Why did God make trees?
He didn't have to. He could have created our world with just low foliage - or none at all - so why trees?

I've been in Vancouver for a week, and have managed three visits so far to my favourite woods. When I was here two years ago, I wasn't at all well. These woods were where I started to heal. So I headed back to them just as soon as I could. And found myself asking that question - why did God make trees?

• Is it because their height makes us look up?
• Is it the shade they give from the sun?
• Or the protection from wind and rain?
• Were they designed specifically to create those sparkling dapples of light, as it oozes through their leaves?
• Does their variety and beauty exist to point us to the creativity of the One who invented them?

For myself, I cannot wander under their boughs without my thoughts turning to the loving Creator they point to. They help me to look at things from His point of view, and regain His perspective when I have lost it. (I guess that's the opposite of 'not being able to see the wood for the trees'!)

Why did God make trees? I don't know - but I'm so glad He did.

Kindness and grace

2007-06-05T01:25:00.001+01:00

I've been thinking about kindness recently - mainly because I've been shown so much.

* Some of it has been funny - like the man who helped me to escape when I got trapped on the wrong side of the barriers in the New York subway! (I had to crawl out...)

* Some of it has been very moving - I had a meeting with S, a children's author, who made a very kind comment about the personal cost of writing, and how we may be surprised by what God is most pleased with when we see Him face-to-face. (I'm still pondering on that one.)

* Some of it was so generous and unlooked for - my delightful hosts, T & C, in Connecticut were SO kind, SO generous, SO welcoming. It struck me that they had no reason for their kindness - they'd never met me before - it was purely graceful kindness.

My favourite definition of GRACE is that it is God's HUGE kindness to people who don't deserve it. I feel that I've seen little images of that grace this week - something I've greatly appreciated, and which has pointed me back to our wonderful God of all grace. What joy - as people who know we are undeserving - if we can say with confidence that, because of Jesus, we know God's grace and have the privilege of calling Him our Father.

Being surreal in Connecticut

2007-06-02T22:16:00.000+01:00

It's fun being in the States. SO many new experiences:

* Staying in a Condominium (with my delightful hosts)
* Going to a clambake (clam chowder, followed by swashbuckling swordfish)
* Baking in the 90+ heat of the day
* Baking even more under the stage lights for our concert rehearsal
* Spotting wild turkeys (big) and chipmunks (small)

BUT my abiding memory will be the clambake, in a small hall on the beach, surrounded by windows. We were treated to a fantastic storm, with lightning flashes all round. Two choirs together, after a couple of hours of munching and drinking, inevitably started a sing-song. Hence I found myself standing in an open doorway, with the rain on my face, the lightning dazzling me from all sides, while behind me came a succession of rousing show tunes! Surreal...

Why is my head in the cupboard?

2007-05-31T12:40:00.000+01:00

I could make today's blog an NY travelogue:
* The subway (fun)
* Staten Island ferry (glide past the Statue of Liberty, for FREE!!!)
* Times Square (not square at all)
* Grand Central Station (oh, so grand)
* Rockefeller Tower (stupendous views from the top)
* Fifth Avenue (window-shopping at Tiffany's)
* Metropolitan Opera House (for ballet, not opera - Puck was outrageously athletic)
And all this in one day.

BUT, what you all want to know is...
why was my head in the cupboard???

My hotel room is a homage to the art of being compact. It has what you need - a bed, a closet, an air-conditioner (sticking out the window like all the best movies) - but little else. The restroom (spot the NY lingo) is amazingly similar in size to the one on the plane - including a shower. But my greatest delight is the sink. Like all else, this is small. No problem - sinks don't need to be large. Above the sink is a small, mirrored cupboard. Very useful, I hear you think. Mmm... yes... except...

The sink is about twelve inches deep. The cupboard above it is eight inches deep. That leaves four inches of leeway to get your head above the sink while cleaning your teeth. My head is bigger than four inches!

Can I twist my head sideways to fit? No.
Can I duck under the cupboard, while imitating Quasimodo? No.
Can I miss the sink, and dribble over my toes instead? Definitely.

Two days on, I found the solution: if I open the cupboard door, and stick my head (diagonally) into the cupboard, squeezing between two shelves, I gain almost three inches. Just enough to save my toes.

I shall have lasting memories of New York - but one of the most vivid will be sticking my head in a cupboard...

The real thing

2007-05-30T03:03:00.000+01:00

Today, I enjoyed the best burger I have ever tasted. Courtesy of 'Big Nicks' burger bar on Broadway, made and cooked to my specifications - it was succulent, flavoursome, huge(!) and truly scrumptious. If bliss could be summed up as a burger - this one was it!

And yet... with such a treasury of delight to choose from (there were over 40 burgers on the menu) - people still go to McDonalds. Why??!!

* Is it that they've never tasted the real thing, and genuinely don't know how good a burger can be?
* Is it that they've tried both, and actually prefer a Big Mac?
* Is it that they feel comfortable among the crowds, knowing that their McDonalds cheeseburger will taste the same in any country in the world?
* Or is it - as an American suggested to me tonight - simply that McDonalds is cheap, and just round the corner?

I wonder if the same is true for Christianity? I know so many people who have never tasted genuine, biblical Christianity. They think religion is about rules, not a relationship. Their picture of God, if they think He exists at all, is either that He is grumpy and judgemental, or well-meaning but impotent. They've never tasted the real thing - the God of grace, who is truly good and wholly sovereign.

I suppose there really are some people out there who have eaten at both McDonalds and Big Nicks - and honestly prefer McDonalds. But my guess is that the majority of Bic Mac fans have simply never tasted the real thing. I suspect, sadly, that the same is true of most non-Christians.

Twitchers and Turtles

2007-05-28T22:43:00.001+01:00

At the end of 48 hours in sticky Manhattan I've discovered that New Yorkers are friendly, and that Central Park doesn't have proper names for its lakes. I've been on my own since arriving here - and wondered how that would be in a city I've only seen in news bulletins and movies. Would I be safe? Would I get lost? (The answer to both questions is Yes!)

* Stuck at JFK, with no idea how to phone the people I should have met, an incredibly helpful staff member showed my how to buy a Sprint phone card, and even dialled the number for me. Thanks Tara!
* Having discovered the people I was meeting had gone on without me, I caught my first Yellow Cab. In the movies, cab drivers either chat non-stop, or turn out to be villains in disguise. This one preferred the ball game...
* A walk into Central Park in the morning brought me to 'The lake'. (The park also houses 'The pond', 'The pool', 'The reservoir' and 'The loch'!) Great views, and an unexpected sighting of a melee of turtles squeezed together on twin rocks. Later, I went to Belvedere Lake, which seemed a rare exception in having a proper name - only to discover that it's now called Turtle Pond. (With an absence of turtles...)
* Back at The Lake, I met a delightful bird-watcher, who was at great pains to clarify that he was NOT a 'Twitcher' as we Brits like to say, but a serious bird-watcher. I learnt how big his patch is in the park, the precise start and end times of his daily bird-watching stroll, and how to recognise an American Robin (much bigger than ours, with an orange breast and white rings round its eyes - I've met several today). This is the most I will ever want to know about bird-watching - but he was a joy to talk to.
* Later, on my way to 'The reservoir', I stopped to bask in the cool, smooth tones of a Mississippi jazz band. Their CD is my first official souvenir of my trip. Hey man! After which, a hot dog felt like the NY thing to do.
* Foot-sore, but content, I ended up in the Guggenheim Museum. This Frank Lloyd Wright marvel is swathed in scaffolding - but still a wonder to behold. I loved the building - and the art - and my Scottish genes loved the reduced entrance fee! Inside, another friendly American chatted knowledgeably about Japanese art - slightly bizarrely, we were in the Neo-Impressionist section at the time!
* After the l-o-n-g trek back to my hotel, it's now 6.15pm. But my body clock knows it's really gone 11! I hope I'll feel more awake for our first choir concert tomorrow night - or my singing may be rather random...

Too complicated?

2007-05-21T18:52:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend I listened to a recording of a training session for children's leaders. The content was good. The Bible-handling tools were helpful. And the trainer encouraged his listeners to be wholehearted about their preparation. All of which I agreed with. But it left me wondering - as I often do after my own training sessions as well - whether it was just too complicated...

Last year, I led a training morning on Biblical Storytelling. We spent half the time working on how we understand a Bible passage, and the rest on using storytelling techniques that will support the main teaching point of the passage, rather than distract from it (or change it!). Afterwards, someone came up to me and said it had felt like redoing his English GCSE!

I don't remember doing any literary criticism at school (although I guess we must have done). I honestly had no idea that the tools I use to understand the Bible could also be applied to Dickens! If they are good tools, that's fine - but it concerns me that 'correctly handling the word of truth' (2 Tim 2v15) can feel like swatting for exams...

I don't want to put children's leaders off by giving the impression they have to be a literary experts to understand the Bible - but at the same time I want to encourage them to be serious about teaching God's fantastic Word faithfully. I shall keep pondering about the best way to do this...

Behind the times?

2007-05-17T18:14:00.000+01:00

Last year I had the privilege of editing a book called FAQs. We did some research at the Big Issue training days we run for children's and youth leaders, where we asked them which youthwork questions they most wanted answers to. We then collected the top ten Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and asked a range of experienced children's and youth leaders to answer them. FAQs is the result.
The book is reviewed in the latest issue of Youthworks magazine. I think it's a helpful and thought-provoking review. There are some quotes you would expect me to like, such as:
'this brilliant book brings many a biblical insight to both children's and youth work'
and
'every chapter is rooted in theology and yet maintains a practical approach'.
My thanks to the reviewer!

However, the quote that really got me thinking was this:
'while the authors convey some significant truths about this work, their perspectives all seem behind the times of today's youth ministry'.

Hmm... Do I agree that the perspectives in FAQs are behind the times? It's certainly true that none of our contributors reflect the newer expressions of church and youth work that are being tried by some youth workers. But is that a lapse? Or a choice? One of the questions that we all have to face, whenever a new approach to youthwork comes along, is whether we will embrace it or stand back from it. The view of 'Bible-centred youthwork' that is explained and encouraged in FAQs may well seem a little old-fashioned. But we believe wholeheartedly that we are first and foremost Bible teachers, and that teaching God's Word and helping young people engage with it for themselves, should be at the heart of what we do. Personally, I don't think that's being behind the times - but if it is, I suspect that I'm going to stay there!

The flavours of God

2007-05-14T07:02:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, while visiting my parents' church, we were encouraged to taste the flavours of God. I'm currently teaching an overview of the Old Testament to two classes of 9 & 10 year olds in a local school - so it got me thinking about some of the flavours they would see through Old Testament eyes. One of the (many!) reasons I love exploring the Old T with children is that God's faithfulness shines through so clearly. They see that God is both Promise-Maker and Promise-Keeper. His people are often faithLESS, but the Lord is always faithFUL. The Old T also introduces us to many kings and rulers - some of them, like Pharaoh, with extraordinary levels of power. BUT, no one can stand against the Lord. He is the Real King (another of my favourite titles for God).

Our wonderful God is the Promise-Maker, the Promise-Keeper and the Real King. Strong positive concepts - shown by thrilling Old T stories, that capture children's imagination. But, I've also been spending time in Psalm 103 recently, so here are some more flavours to savour:

• He 'forgives all your sins' (v3)
• He 'redeems your life from the pit' (v4)
• 'He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities' (v10)
• 'As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him' (v11)
• 'As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him' (v13)
• 'The Lord has extablished His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all' (v19)

You can see why I get so excited about exploring the Old T with children. I long for them to meet the Real King, who makes and keeps amazing promises, and who is 'compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love' (v8). Such wonderful flavours...

May to December

2007-05-11T16:08:00.000+01:00

Happy Christmas! Yes, I know it's only May... but I'm currently writing the booklet for an Advent Calendar pack, so my thoughts are nestling snugly in December. I have been thinking about the 'stable' in the middle of the Christmas story. When I was a Schools' Worker, I used to do a True-False quiz about the Christmas story - where 'True' meant it came from the Bible narrative, and 'False' meant it had been added to the traditional story. Added bits included things like, 'Mary rode on a donkey', 'Three kings came to visit Jesus', and 'The kings were called Melchior, Balthazzar and Caspar'. (No donkey is mentioned; the visitors were Magi, not kings; and we aren't told their number or their names.)

But what about the 'stable'? One of my aims in creating this blog is to think through some of the issues related to teaching the Bible faithfully to children. How much can we leave out when 'simplifying' for young children? How do we decide what stays and what goes? And are there guidelines for the use of imagination in storytelling, so that the finished story remains true to God's perfect Word?

So... what about the stable? Traditionally, the nativity centers round a stable, preferably with a rabble of animals keeping watch. But the Bible doesn't mention a stable anywhere. It simply tells us the building Jesus was NOT born in (the inn) and that His first bed was actually an animal's food box (Luke 2 v 7). So, one of my 'False' statements in the above quiz was 'Jesus was born in a stable'.

My understanding of likely housing in Bethlehem at the time is that many homes would have a section where they kept the animals at night - effectively the animal's part of the house, complete with a manger with some fodder in it. Jesus COULD have been born in a separate stable, but it's more likely that He was born in the animal's part of someone's home.

My question is, does it matter?
• IF we're helping children to see that the Bible is God's book, which is always true, and is the place to find the facts about God's actions in history - then it matters that we don't blithely tell stories about stables that are never mentioned.
• IF the key teaching point we are making is that God's Son was born in Bethlehem as the promised Messiah, in perfect accord with God's wonderful rescue plan - then while His birth in obscure, rough circumstances is a relevant part of that event, maybe the exact location (stable or house) isn't.

What do you think? I'd love to know...

Creating a blog...

2007-05-07T15:30:00.001+01:00

Well, I've just created my first (and only?) blog. NOT a quick process! Back in the dark ages - 1980 really - I did a Computer Science degree. The first computer I worked on filled a whole room. Within three years, every Primary School in the country had at least one microcomputer - mostly the fabulous BBC Micro, with 32K of memory in total!! (A great machine - I once helped write a program for controlling a robot arm via a BBC micro. It may have been small, but it was amazingly versatile.)

In those early days of microcomputers, one of my jobs was to write booklets explaining to people how to use a new piece of software. I discovered then that most manuals were written by people who already knew how a system worked, and therefore didn't explain it very well. Having just created my first blog, I can confirm that nothing much has changed. I got here in the end, but with a lot of frustrating trail and error along the way...

It was FUN though!

Untidy photo

2007-05-07T15:00:00.000+01:00

This is me at work - showing how carefully I file pieces of A4, visual aids, Ribena-berries, and so on. A children's worker keeps everything, just in case - that's my excuse anyway!