Prayer Night

Way back on the 9th we had a prayer night at ours. Jo arrived with 'three bags full' of wood and chopped up Christmas tree, so we decided to try and build the biggest indoor (fireplace) fire known to man! Before we knew it the fireplace was roaring! Just as we were thinking of praying Ros dad knocked on the door and offered to tow our broken down car to the garage...So our prayer was delayed for a little while! Those left waiting in our house watched a program about Free Range chicken, which brought up much good discussion when we arrived back. We then...finally...prayed! we prayed for each other and the different situations we were facing. We could feel Gods' peace enter the room as we sat in silence afterwards.

Secret Message

"Jesus' secret message in word and deed makes clear that the kingdom of God will be radically, scandalously inclusive. As we've seen, Jesus enjoys table fellowship with prostitutes and drunks, seeming to shift the locus of spirituality from the temple (which he says will be destroyed) to the table of fellowship and reconciliation."

"Yes, Jesus hid his message in parables: 'The kingdom of God is like a man who planted a seed... it's like a man who had two sons... it's like a woman who put some yeast in some dough.' But his message took root (like that seed), precipitated reconciliation (like that father and his younger son), and began infiltrating and transforming humanity (like yeast). And as a result, if you asked Paul, 'What is the kingdom of God like?' he didn't need to repeat Jesus' parables. Instead I have a hunch about what he would have said.

'Let me tell you a story about my dear friend Onesimus... Or better yet, 'Come with me to Colossae, and I'll introduce you to a community that includes two friends of mine, Onesimus and Philemon. I want you to get to know them and hear their story. Then you'll know what the kingdom of God is like.'

Is this beginning to make sense? Can you see how the secret message of Jesus is meant not just to be heard or read but to be seen in human lives, in radically inclusive reconciling communities, written not on pages in a book but in the lives and hearts of friends? Can you see how the kingdom, originally hidden in parables, began to be hidden in new places - in the stories of real people... Can you imagine yourself and your community of faith as a living parable where the secret message of Jesus could be hidden today."

Brian MacLaren's The Secret Message Of Jesus

Community Meal 2008!

Happy New Year!

Our first community Meal at the Newmans & Togwells' community house!
It was Megans Birthday and we all celebrated with an amazing birthday cake made by Emma!
After a great meal we broke bread and and shared wine together and took the oppertunity to finally pray for the Togwells and Newmans. It was my first time in he house at 'daytime' and the beautiful sunlight was shining in from the park view extending from their garden. We then prayed over all the rooms in the house. It was great to walk up the stairs and see people hidden in various rooms, scattered and praying all over the place in this truely beautiful house. So excited for what God has done, and its only just begun!
Megan, Poppy, Angel, Emma, Phil, Ian, Helen, Esme, Lewis bless you guys!
Amen!
J0N

New Years Eve House Crawl!

The 'Crawl' began at Jo's, with a huge feast beautifully decorated with candles and drapes!













Then it was on to Dewi & Sarahs...











...where magically we found ourselves in CUBA sipping margaritas and having salsa lessons from Dewi & Sarah...who also gave us a special salsa performace!











Lastly the party moved on to Dan's for more dancing, lots of balloons and the big
00:00!!

Games Night (27th DEC)

Dewi & Sarah hosted their second, (annual) games night! The evening began with Richard defending his title as world champion of 'Scene it', followed by 'Articulate', and then a poker game that took us long into the night, finishing at 3am with Gell claiming the victory by an 11 high card! :)
Great to see Hannah & Niall (below). Big thankyou to Dewi&Sarah!!
J0N

Togwells&Newmans House Warming Party! 22nd DEC!

The Big Christmas House Warming Party lasted all day from 11am till late/early where the Togwells and Newmans entertained 114 guests throughout the day in their new home! Heres yet another little extract from Toggietales...



"Pete and Alma (above) live a few doors away. When they arrived, Pete handed me a bottle of wine as a house-warming gift... I almost dropped it when I read the label - ACACIA HILL. "Why did you buy this wine?" I demanded, probably a little too crazily. Pete muttered something in reply, as I hurriedly explained... "We're thinking of calling our house 'acacia' - it's incredible that you would buy this wine... one, I admit, I've never heard of.""

...go here http://toggietales.typepad.com/toggie_tales/2007/12/christmas-house.html#more to read more!

I personally enjoyed the huge amounts of chilli con carne, and the whisky Phil offered us that came from the House of Lords! Also, a few things I descovered... a whole day of washing up without rubber gloves on can make your knuckles bleed, as I noticed with Phils!?! Also... Gell knows a thing or to about polotics and Dewi knows a lot about Cuban cigars! :)