On Becoming A Boiler Room?

Phil posted some notes onto his Toggie Tales blog

As part of our ‘local journey’ - the slow realisation of who we are as a community of believers together, and what God has called us towards together - we invited 24-7’s Andy Freeman and Lucie Shuker to join with us for the evening on Tuesday.

They arrived (along with my office-friend Andrea Percy) just as Barack Obama was being sworn in as America’s 44th President. An historic day for America, and perhaps pivotal for the entire World. I hope that last night’s conversations with Andy and Lucie prove to be pivotal for our small mustard seed community.

Lucie kicked it off by asking us to discuss/explore three core questions in smaller groups;

1. Where have we come from?
(What is our back-story? What have the significant moments along that journey been?)

2. Where are we now?
(In what ways do we currently express our ‘life together’? What are our regular rhythms of life, our spiritual practices? What are our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats?)

3. Where are we going?
(What is our vision? What would we like to see in five year’s time... and how do we get there?)

As well as the community meals (where we often break bread and pray together, read scripture and sometimes sing together), we realised that we’ve begun to express our life-together in other ways too... in prayer times and story-telling, Bible and book-study, in parties and celebrations, in reaching out to others in different ways.

But in all of this, we realised that it is our relationships that sustain us. “Is this family?” Andy asked. “Is Jesus central? Is it centred around prayer? Can people who don’t know Jesus yet get involved with you? Would they find welcome among you?” When Andy asked what we’d say to someone who asked what we were about, Jon replied immediately; “I’d talk about my friends.”

Rosi; “It’s brought Romford alive for me. I’ve never seen Romford like this before... for me, our community life has opened up my heart for the wider community, and it’s extended into my work too.”

Jon: “I feel encouraged to do what I do better... inspired.”

Ian: “A lot of people talk about ‘going somewhere’ to church... sometimes it’s hard to explain that for me it’s just about life.”

When Andy asked how someone could get involved, I suggested that he ask Miranda, who’s recently ‘got involved’. After joking about my persistent emailing [grin], we agreed that there isn’t really anything to ‘join’ at the moment, but anyone was welcome to ‘join in’, whether they belonged to churches or not, whether they were believers or not.

“Would you call this church then?” Andy probed. And again, Jon was unhesitant. “All the time!”

Because of the mid-week time-pressure, we didn’t explore the third question much - Where are we going? What is our vision? But maybe this is something that we need to do ourselves over the next few weeks.

Phil.

Furry Happy Monsters

Happy Merry New Year!!

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Games Night 08!

Oh what a lovely life...Life is Wonderful...Its a Wonderful Life!

Christmas storytelling 08

Encouragement from South Africa

This is an email sent from Clive (Clive and Zoliswa from Rainbow).
You can read about the orphanage they are setting up in Africa on this page I found here Clive & Zoliswa in Africa
I thought I'd forward this on as I know they are finding it really tough with funding in the current credit crisis and so what Clive is saying meant that much more to me when I read it, so I thought I'd share it with you guys!
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hi everyone, the following is just something i, clive, felt God was saying to me, this is something that is challenging me and it seemed right to pass it on. sometimes in a storm we tend to live more by what seems reasonable than by faith. this is just a challenge to keep looking in the right direction.

A TIME TO CHANGE OUR THINKING?

Something has begun to happen in the world that is threatening some of the things we trust in. A storm has started that is affecting every nation on earth and no-one really knows how long it will last.
It struck me again recently when i read about the disciples in the storm with Jesus, that 4 of the disciples were fishermen. They were the experts , they knew what they were doing. Jesus was the one they trusted in, they had left everything to follow Him, but it was like they didn't need to look to him in this field. This was their field. They knew what they were doing. I can imagine them reassuring the other disciples ' hey its ok guys don't look so worried, we're just gonna adjust the sail - we can ride this one out.' But as the storm went on and the waves got bigger they too began to fear for their lives. Finally they turned to their sleeping friend in the back of the boat and woke Him. He immediately rebuked the storm and the wind and the waves died down. And the disciples said, ' Who is this who commands even the wind and the waves?'
First of all i can think of at least 4 or 5 times when Jesus surprised the fishermen, (James, John, Peter and Andrew) , with His intervention in their field of expertise. Twice instructing them to let down their nets for a big catch after they had caught nothing and twice in storms. (Also Jesus instructed Peter to go and look for a denarius in a fish's mouth!)
After this storm they asked of Jesus 'Who is this?' Jesus had been with them day and night for quite a while, He was their close friend and they knew He had power from God, but here in the storm they saw something they had not seen before. They began to see more of who Jesus was. They began to trust less in themselves and more in Him.
Was it good for them to go through the storm? It didn't feel like it at the time but it was very good. There is no greater treasure than a fuller revelation of Jesus. The word of God has power but we don't just digest these things about Him by reading them on a printed page. We discover the reality of Him by walking through real life with Him and experiencing Him for ourselves. We must ' taste and see that the Lord is good.' Maybe that is an encouragement the next time we go through a crisis. If we walk through it with Him we can find more of Him. As David said ' You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.'
The point i am making about the present financial crisis,is that we in the west have our own way of looking at money and we feel very sure of it and our approach to it. And that we in the church absorb much of that same thinking. Sometimes, especially in difficult times our approach to money can be more western than biblical. The things the world is trusting in are being shaken to the core and everyone who shares in its approach to money will feel the force of that shaking. It's not my purpose here to tell you what i believe the bible says, but to encourage everyone to go back to the bible and listen to what Jesus particularly says about money and our attitude to it for ourselves. LET'S LOOK FOR JESUS IN THE STORM.

Celebrating 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

I was part of Amnesty's Fire Up celebration in London on Saturday becoming part of the candle.


...and writing & sending greetings cards...



Amnesty sent out a short film called "You Are Powerful", which is in the post below. Very moving, I think - see what you think.

Rich

Protect The Human (You Are Powerful)

Frances Bardsley prayer room (Last Day)

I've been wondering all evening how to sum up the final day of our prayer room in Frances Bardsley School for Girls. For some of the students (and perhaps the staff too?) today has been a very special day... of fun and laughter, of much-needed peace... and for some, of tears. But maybe I should just let them sum it up?

Here are a few of the 6th former's end-of-week reflections... firstly, B (my favourite, just because it looks so beautiful [grin]);

...and R, who told me she wasn't really "religious or anything". She hung around, spent time in the Be Yourself and Be Still zones, then popped out and brought some friends back with her... and then, a couple of hours later, wrote this;


It was interesting to note the change in the atmosphere of the room over the week... it seemed to affect everyone who visited, and many of them commented on it. "It's so peaceful in here", "You can really feel the difference in here", "I don't want to leave... I feel so relaxed in here".

Most 24-7prayer rooms experience this same phenomenon. As the week progresses and the prayers of students and staff literally fill the room (check out the Prayer Wall pics below, and compare them to earlier in the week!), something else seems to linger in the room as well. A peaceful Presence. And his name, of course, is Jesus.

All this week, students and staff have been 'asking' and 'knocking' and 'seeking' after God in their struggles and circumstances, with silent prayers and words on post-it notes. It shouldn't be a surprise that some have found God... have felt God's presence with them in very real ways, even for the first time.

Because God wants to be found.

Read more from Phil at http://toggietales.typepad.com/toggie_tales/2008/11/frances-bardsley-prayer-room-day5.html#more

Frances Bardsley, Romford

Please pray for Megan's school, Frances Bardsley School for Girls... Phil will be there with Ruth and Jamie Poch from re:gen church all this week, hosting a creative prayer room in the 6th form block.

And pray for Romford.

Hope, Change

Ok, maybe this is just a promotional video, but I guess it can also be a prayer for change and hope across the globe. We pray for our world leaders Lord, bring equality and hope...and where there is greed and curruption, bring new ideas and fairer systems, bring justice for the poor! This is your world Lord!

The River

...a poem from our prayer room;

---The River---

"From a distance I can see the river
it looks as it has always looked
it never seems to alter.

The seasons come.

Spring brings new life,
a lightness in spirit, fragrance,
daffodils, crocuses, blossom, warmth from the sun.
But the river doesn’t change.

Summer – a flourish of green,
the trees are full and populated,
the sun is bright and life is carefree.
As I look at the river, it has shrunk back from its banks, but otherwise, just the same.

Autumn leaves begin to fall,
there’s beauty in their many colours – reds, oranges, yellows, golds, until eventually brown and crunchy leaves.
The winds pick up, birds fly away and I wrap up.
The river rises a little, leaves float on it’s surface, its appearance somehow static and sorry.

Winter brings with it coldness, grey skies, bleakness, and a transparency in natures stark unveiling.
The trees depict a monochrome existence, longing for springs delight.
Snows fall and in winters fleeting sun, there is a brightness and a hope.
Not so for the river, it does not change, it is indifferent.

And so I encounter the ups and downs of life’s seasons
but the river does nothing, it does not change or alter very much,
warmer, colder, deeper, shallower but otherwise unchanged in this shifting world.

Then one spring day, I decide to approach the river.
I have only ever looked at it from afar but I happen to wander closer.
As I do so, I realise that the river is not as still as I had once thought.

A new perspective is born in me,
I see the evidence before my eyes; over time it is the river that has changed the landscape by surging forward and pushing back the banks, twisting and turning, carrying, prevailing, seeking and finding.

The river I have witnessed season after season isn’t actually still, but always moving,
drawn by an unseen power – its current.
I was wrong, the river does respond, it does listen.
The current flows through the river, moving the waters on a journey that is continuous and infinite.

What a foolish mistake to believe that it was motionless, inactive, silent.
The waters keep their momentum, obedient to its current, listening, answering the call of the unseen power.
The river brings life, its waters offer hope, nourishment and will never stop affecting.
I see now that I must not trust in the appearance of things.

I am at the rivers edge, I know I must see more and experience what has been hidden from my inner being.
I put my hand in the river and I can not stop it’s flow, it will always find a way of moving onwards.
I can feel its strength, relentless in its purpose.
It is obvious to me now that there is life below its surface.
This river is far from passive, as I once thought, but instead a surging force constantly at work, season after season.

Spring, summer, autumn, winter
The river moves on and on and I know I want to stay close and journey too –
I want this current, this life to surge forth in me and so I begin to travel through life’s changes,
just as the river does.

I am no longer static, a spectator of a changing world, I am moved and empowered to change by a greater power, trusting now that things are not always as they seem.

No matter what the seasons bring, I will trust the river that lives, that hears, that shapes, that speaks, that answers, that is my constant, that keeps me moving in its flow."

Michaela Hyde

25 hours of prayer...

Our community of friends prayed from midday Saturday until midday Sunday - which was actually twenty-five hours of non-stop prayer. Rosi and Jon did the double 1-2am slot when the clocks went back. (Bizarrely, we also happened to pray overnight a few months ago when the clocks went forward.)

Tim talked about walking through Romford on Saturday and feeling discouraged by the vain 'perfectionism' expressed in people's appearance... he scrawled a big 'Romford, you are beautiful!' as his prayer.

Jon prayed about peace coming where there is violence and drunkeness in the town. The 'map' of Romford he'd drawn during our previous 24-1prayer weekend became a focal point for our praying this time around.

Mikki and Nick said they loved the extra 90 minutes beyond their hour-slot... Nick composed a song and Mikki wrote an amazing poem about God being like a river through all seasons (I'll see if I can post it up later?).

And the children joined in too. Little Abigail's prayers and pictures were scattered around the walls. And Megan had set up a kind of prayer-wall for our community. They all enjoyed it - I love that. I especially loved it when Poppy read her version of the Lord's Prayer just before we broke bread together a little later. Only a few years ago, Emma and I would never have dreamt that she would be able to do that...



And it was so good, once again, to share the prayer-journey with so many other friends. Thanks to everyone who joined in...
+ to Richy - I loved that thing you felt about Jesus washing your feet - wonderful...
+ to Sarah and Dewi...
+ to Clare and David, Thomas and Oscar...
+ to Abi, from Frances Bardsley School for Girls... it was so good to see you Abi, and yes, you can pop in to use the prayer room anytime...
+ to our community-housemates, Helen and Ian (who did some tough night-hours), Esme and Lewis...
+ to the wonderfully creative Rosi and Jon...
+ to Miranda, our long-time Kamoflahj-friend, who turned up at 12.50am after a night-out in London - it was great to have you join with us Miranda...
+ to Emma, Megan, Poppy and Angel...
+ to Jo...
+ to Anna and Tim, who clocked up quite a few hours between them...
+ and to Wild Goose Emma - who sang as I prayed.

Celebrating Birthdays! wa-hay

Thought I'd just post my thoughts about saying thanks on our birthdays as I didn't feel I communicated myself very well at our community meal today! I know it's random but there we are!

I was just reading something about celebrating birthdays and how we can think about getting a year older, but I guess I was struck by how, for each of us to get a year older, God shows Her/His faithfulness.

I guess being pregnant with a child is a miracle in itself, to carry your child each week further through it's development is another miracle, to then give birth and to have a healthy baby is yet another miracle, to then help your baby grow from one week, month to the next is another miracle. I know that I have been greatly blessed in having got pregnant twice and having 2 children. I know that many others aren't as blessed as Ian and me to varying degrees along that process.

And Then . . . God has not only blessed us with children but also provided for us, simply fed us, clothed us, given us rest and peace (again I others who don't have this), given us friends and family and fun, given us health. And much more than this.

And so I'll get to my point now! I think that our birthdays are an opportune moment for us to thank God for sustaining us, blessings us, being with us, showing us miracles . . . For us to have some healthy rhythms of prayer. We may be a year older but what a year of God showing Her/His favour and faithfulness.

Thanks Jesus, help us to be creative in recognising that You're with us.

Tom&Jo (Back From Malawi)

Jo and Tom are good friends... part of our extended community/family. They've been part of New Generation Church in Sidcup and of us (from back in our Kamoflahj days!) for a long time. And for the past year or so, they've been serving Jesus in Malawi.

Their aim was to set up a 'model farm' and to train local people in various agricultural techniques... to improve farming and diet and quality of life and wealth, etc. However, as we listened to their stories and saw their photos on Tuesday night, it was clear that Jo and Tom have become far more than 'farmers'... which is often Jesus' way. He makes us more than we are.

Huddled around Tom's new MacBook (a substitute 'baby' until their real one arrives! Ha ha), they told us their stories...
...of the poverty among some families and the relative wealth of others,
...of misplaced Aid, of hundreds of goat-gifts and other supplies, which often complicate and confuse the issues rather than solve them,
...of loneliness and unexpected friendships,
...of days spent at the crisis nursery, with abandoned/orphaned children,
...of bizarre confrontations with witches chanting outside their home night after night,
...and of the witch-doctor who brought 70 pregnant mothers to their HIV-awareness training sessions,
...of Malawian people whose names I cannot remember, but whose stories I won't forget,
...of giant spiders (Jo's favourites!) and other creepy crawlies, and their pet dogs,
...of a trip to see Malawi play Egypt at football,
...of visa troubles on the Zambian border,
...of a 600km journey in a bus with a broken windscreen being held in place by the driver,
...of their involvement with Flood Church and the new shape that this is bringing to their work in Malawi,
...of God's provision, of favour, of healing and hope amongst big challenges.

Phil.

Community Meal@David&Claires

David's New Job!

It's confirmed - I start my job at Network Rail on Monday 13th October! Yippee!!