Church on the move

We are moving!

On Sunday we had the last service in the building as it is now. The Church has prayed for a couple of years now about either moving or altering the current building. We are doing the latter, as there seems to be no suitable plot or building available. The reason is we have simply outgrown the current building and our current facilities, to be frank, are pretty useless. Though a fairly small Church by US standards, over here it’s encouraging and a privilege to be part of a growing and thriving Church. A considerable amount of money has been collected to fund the project and this has involved some sacrificial giving in order to achieve the £900,000 approx that’s needed. At the current exchange rate for US readers that’s $1,373,485.97.

We are expecting to be out of the building for about 9 months. During this time we will be meeting at two venues across the city (Coventry). Hillfields Evangelical Church and Durbar Avenue Evangelical Church both offered their buildings for our use over the course of the alterations.

There’s no doubt it will be a challenging time for us all. The morning service(s) will take place at Hillfields with ministry being shared between our two Pastors and two Pastors from Hillfields. The majority of our people will gather at the 9.30 service and the lazy ones – I include students – will meet later at 11:15. From what I understand Hillfields have a different worship style and this could be problematic for some. Having said that, Hillfields are making a considerable sacrifice for the Gospel in order to accommodate us for the next 9 months and this act of fellowship and love in Christ is very much appreciated. Durbar Avenue normally meet in the afternoon and so our evening services will be as normal, albeit in a different location.

I’m hoping to post about our progress and should have some pictures. We have to clear the building, and we’ll be doing this over the next couple of weeks before handing it over to the builders. Part of our building is going to be demolished so I might even manage a bit of video.

To be continued….

 

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European Union Exit

European Union (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The US commented last week on the UK leaving the European Union. So this is just a brief comment to any American friends that may have wondered what this is – if it registered at all over there.

Look at it this way; how would American friends like all major American decisions to be made in Toronto or in Lima, Peru or some other city on the continent. I don’t think this would go down well. Well being governed by Brussels to a very large extent, and growing, might be a good comparison. Many of us want the promised referendum so we can say ‘no to the EU’ and get back to governing ourselves.

Since starting this post (last week) President Obama has weighed in on the issue and I was pleased to hear a member of the Question Time audience last night talk some sense. That is, get out. There is talk of ‘Drifting towards the exit’ or ‘Sleepwalking towards the exit’ but let’s ‘March towards the exit’.

Not sure we’ll be allowed to though.

Related articles

• US publicly voices concerns over Britain leaving EU (independent.ie)
• Cameron: UK could drift out of EU (bbc.co.uk)
• Ed Miliband fails to rule out EU referendum (telegraph.co.uk)

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Frozen Tree

Took this on the way to work this morning – beautiful!

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Behind a Frowning Providence / dangers of correlation!

Citroën C3 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Had a somewhat inconvenient situation this morning. A drive to Heathrow meant moving a couple of cars and I had to move my little Citroen C3 out of the garage. It’s the car I use for work. As I attempted to drive it out a terrible noise greeted me from somewhere under the front of the car. At first I thought it was a result of some work done on the car a few days ago. I took the car round to where the work was done and asked them to put it up on the ramp. The guys from Autolec couldn’t have been more helpful. This was after a 5 mph drive round the corner. Upon inspection both front springs had collapsed! O none side the spring had almost punctured the tyre and I could smell burning rubber as I limped along.

Parts of my suspension. The left spring exploded, taking all the bits with it.

I discovered this at 5.30 in the morning and it couldn’t have been more convenient to say the least. Though at the time I had no idea what the problem was. As it turns out the connection or correlation I made between the problem and the cause (previous work on the car) was entirely wrong. We need to be careful about jumping to wrong conclusions because of a false correlation.

The other thing I had reinforced upon my mind and spirit was that if this had happened while driving to work – as it so easily could have – I probably wouldn’t be writing this now. The accident it could have caused would most likely have been fatal.

Atheists and skeptics may scoff – I care not – but I see in this the hand of my heavenly Father who for reasons only known to Him preserved my life, and actually has done so on many occasions. Thank you Lord Jesus.

And so as William Cowper (1731 – 1800) writes:

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

Go Here for the full hymn.

BTW, I drove to Heathrow in another car.

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Rainbow Pictures from Wales

We just stopped off to pick a few things up from where my son and his family live and while in the house I heard the car horn honking. I thought what’s that. Went out the front door and my wife pointed across the fields. I grabbed my camera as quickly as possible and took these pictures before it faded. This is the view from their house across the valley.

View across the valley

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Any Questions

Waiting for the main event!

I was able to attend the latest BBC Radio 4 Any Questionsprogram last Friday (25th May). For those that have never heard of it, it’s a UK

‘Topical discussion in which a panel of personalities from the worlds of politics, media and elsewhere are posed questions by the audience. From a different location each week.’

To be honest the guests and the questions this week, to me, weren’t that inspiring, but it was a great evening and I was really glad to be there. There must have been hundreds of questions submitted and so given there were only 10 questions picked it was no surprise my two questions didn’t get selected.

I was very impressed with Jonathan Dimbleby. I do admire the ability of these people to handle vast amounts of complex information and have it to hand or head. The panel really do not know the questions beforehand.

For what it’s worth here’s my two rejected questions:

1) Will the re-alignment of marriage find the Bible in court?

2) Shouldn’t we speak plainly and call the abortion of millions of defenseless babies Genocide?

They didn’t get picked but they are out there as issues regardless.

It was a lovely evening and we were thanked for giving up a beautiful evening to spend it listening to a panel discussion. Pity the BBC with wealth enough to wine, dine & chauffeur the panel didn’t have the courtesy to provide us all with free bottles of water. We had to buy our own at 50p each!

Apologies for the poor quality picture and although it doesn’t show it by the time they started broadcasting the hall was packed. That was my first experience of a live radio broadcast. It was great fun.

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Drawing the line – ‘Somewhere’,

I couldn’t decide what to call this post, as it could so easily have been ‘you couldn’t make it up’. On Sunday morning while preparing the veg for dinner I normally listen to the tortuous  BBC Radio 4 Sunday broadcast. The purpose of listening is to have some sort of idea what’s going on in mainstream religion here in the UK.

It was shocking to find out about a shortage of Donkeys for Psalm Sunday services. What will we do! I jest. Here’s the story. The demand has increased for Donkeys to such an extent – BTW I’m really not making this up – that Llamas are being used instead of the sacred beast. The programme interviewed a woman who runs a Llama farm and we listened in to one of the phone calls – ‘no we don’t have a Llama with a cross on it’s back but I’m sure we can sort something out’.

They interviewed a minister who thought how dreadful this was. I’m paraphrasing but it was along the lines of ‘with all the liberalising of the church where will it stop, it will be bears next – we have to draw the line somewhere‘. I think you will find reverend that the line was crossed a long time ago. If his concern is over the donkey being usurped in a service of worship it only goes to show how far things have really gone.

 

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Dawkins Anger – an explanation

I have no idea if Richard Dawkins is an angry man all the time, but he seems to be when it comes to Christianity. I’d like to think that he’s actually a nice bloke – maybe he is. An idea popped into my head about why he seems to be particularly angry at Christians. This could be way off but here’s my explanation.

Richard would actually like to believe Christianity is true. And what makes him angry is that nobody has been able to convince him it’s true. Let’s face it if his world is really all about chance and time – lots of time – it doesn’t leave much room for hope. Richard has backed himself into a hopeless corner. He actually longs in his heart to be convinced but doesn’t find the Christian faith compelling and no-one has been able to convince him. That’s it.

Sadly, it’s not going to happen without the direct intervention of God. And it’s this way for everyone that comes to faith in Christ. Becoming a Christian really is a supernatural work of God. I’m actually glad no-one has been able to convince him because it means someone else could come along and convince him otherwise. Our faith doesn’t rest ultimately in someone arguing us into the Kingdom of God but because believers are ‘born again’ unto a living hope by the work of the Holy Spirit. Richard is looking to men when he needs to look to God – Salvation is of The Lord.

Until he is able to look up and outside of himself he’s going to remain angry with Christianity. He’s also going to stay hopeless.

Related articles

• Why Richard Dawkins is still an atheist – Paula Kirby – Washington Post On Faith (richarddawkins.net)

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Stayin’ Alive

Saw this on the news this evening and thought it worth posting – it might save your life! It’s the latest British Heart Foundation ad with Vinnie Jones.

I think it’s great, but was it emotional?

(TV Advert)

(Full Version)

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And Thy Years Shall not Fail – a Christmas Reflection – Mail Online – Peter Hitchens blog

And Thy Years Shall not Fail – a Christmas Reflection – Mail Online – Peter Hitchens blog.

It’s from a few days ago but still worth a read.

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Shopping for Religion

Took this picture in a well known supermarket. This is just one row of four. I noticed a magazine for just about anything. A bit like shopping for a religion. In fact there are probably more religions!

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Sunset Pictures

We have been away for a few day so here’s a few pictures to stop us getting too bogged down with all the heavy stuff. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them. The first picture is from the place – standing at the door – where we were staying just outside Aberystwyth, Wales. The next two are taken some 15 minutes later a lot further up the hill and from a ridge looking in the same direction.

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Van Til – Still Speaking

Image via Wikipedia

A very interesting occurrence took place today. I had to get a new exhaust section fitted to the car this morning. I don’t know how it is with you but it’s normal to take a book with me most places I go. Hmm, what to take. Ah ha, I’ll take ‘The Defence of the Faith’ by Cornelius Van Til as at least a half hour wait was expected. Your car is ready said the lady behind the counter.

As I paid for the exhaust she was looking at the book saying that looks heavy – I said it is heavy. I handed it over to her to have a look – she stood and read all the back cover (Oliphint edition) and said ‘I like the name Cornelius’.

She drives the car out of the workshop for me and I ask her if she’s interested. She says she is interested in faith and that sort of thing and how we have been put on the earth to be good people. There’s only one person that has done that I say – she knew who I meant (Jesus of course).  She says everyone should do good to one another and I say to her that something inside tells her ‘there’s more to it than that’. She looks at me and realises – I think – that something is missing. That something is God. I couldn’t say any more to her but I should go back and leave her something to read. That was my Van Til moment – quite unexpected. We should therefore always be ready to give a reason for the hope within us.

She really liked the name Cornelius and talked about naming her next child, if it’s a son, Cornelius.

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Peter Hitchens is Spot On

Image via Wikipedia

If you would like to see in an amazingly graphic way where the country stands morally – and specifically on the sexualisation of young girls. Then follow the link below and watch the video clip from BBC Question Time last evening. Peter Hitchens makes his point by telling it how it is – the audience and panel make it quite clear where they stand. Peter implies by deserting a Protestant Christian ethic the country has suffered from a moral collapse.

That isn’t the Gospel, but it ought to make people look for answers. The ONLY answer is ultimately found in Jesus Christ. And just for the record being a moral person will not make you right with God.

Question Time 09/06/2011

I wanted to put the full quote in the post but it’s a bit early for the BBC to make the transcript available.

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Lutterworth, Wycliffe Church & Naseby

Preparing for the Lecture

Nick Needham was due to lecture on the Monday evening (and had already preached on the Sunday) at Bulkington and so in the morning I picked him up from the Manse and headed off to Lutterworth complete with packed lunch. I’d just planned a brief stop in Lutterworth and then on to

Overlooking the fields of the Battle

Naseby to look at the battle site monuments.

As it happened we met one of the Bell Ringers that had been called out to make a repair to the St Marys Church clock. He was very knowledgable concerning all things Wycliffe and to do with the church. We were treated to an impromptu tour of the church and to my delight and surprise ended up in the bell tower and eventually up on the church roof. I asked our guide if they preached the same message as John Wycliffe but we didn’t get very far with that.

It’s great to renew fellowship with friends and so I trust Nick enjoyed the day as much as I did – we had a few laughs anyway. We headed off back to our place (via a garden centre coffee shop) for tea and then back over to Bulkington for the lecture. All in all a grand day.

Highest man in Lutterworth

Hope you  enjoy the pictures.

Nick takes in the view

Related Articles

• Church History – John Wycliffe (1320-1384) translated the first English language Bible (rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com)
• The First (1385) English Bible Translator – John Wycliffe’s Life – (Video) (rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com)

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