So I'm now reading Punk Monk by Andy Freeman and Pete Greig.
Just awesome when we're thinking of starting a community based around prayer with the cellar as the new designated prayer room.
Please pray for wisdom in setting this up...
Also I have a dream of there being a separate entrance to the room so people can enter without coming into the house. There is space for this, but not the couple of £1000's!
I then have this thought that maybe, just maybe, people coming through the house is the best thing... open-ness, hospitality, hmm.
Anyway, lets be challenged by Tozer again.
O God, inspire me, take every power within me and quicken, enliven, increase it,
not for me, but so I can take hold of eternal, spiritual things.
Open the eyes of my heart so I can see;
give me acute spiritual perception;
Let me actually taste and see/know that You are good.
Make heaven more real to me than anything on earth has ever been.
Amen
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
part 3 Tom, Steph and Eve
Lord, your ways are excellent,
mine are dark, devious and messed up.
Show us how to die, in order to be raised to life to the full.
Lord rip apart the curtain over my self-life from the top down,
just like the curtain was ripped in the temple.
We want to draw near in certainty of faith.
We want our daily experience of life on earth to be so full of You
that we are prepared for Your glory when we're with You in heaven.
In Jesus name
Amen
So we've just said goodbye to Tom, Steph (and Eve.)
The chances are that we are going to live in community in this house.
Sharing life and mission and prayer. Real 'Acts' style communion.
They have some big decisions over their house and we have made a date to start talking about finance and putting our money together.
But despite all the detail to work through, it's so easy to be with them. We've now met them 4 times(!!!!) but i'm sure about this. I feel so relaxed around them, the heart thing is settled.
But this prayer today is so spot on. The veil is going to be removed, this family, who are becoming my family will see me as I am. I have so much selfishness and pride that will be assaulted by the whole challenge of community living.
It's exciting/scary.
Caroline had a great picture of us all holding hands and spinning in a circle in a really fun child-like way, and the circle moved faster and we all leaned back more and the speed increased until it became a tornado that had huge impact on the area around it.
I love that! I want that, I'd love prayers for that.
I really like the leaning back thing, the trust of each other to rely on each other holding us up and to rely on oneself to not let go... just great.
one for the anglicans
mine are dark, devious and messed up.
Show us how to die, in order to be raised to life to the full.
Lord rip apart the curtain over my self-life from the top down,
just like the curtain was ripped in the temple.
We want to draw near in certainty of faith.
We want our daily experience of life on earth to be so full of You
that we are prepared for Your glory when we're with You in heaven.
In Jesus name
Amen
So we've just said goodbye to Tom, Steph (and Eve.)
The chances are that we are going to live in community in this house.
Sharing life and mission and prayer. Real 'Acts' style communion.
They have some big decisions over their house and we have made a date to start talking about finance and putting our money together.
But despite all the detail to work through, it's so easy to be with them. We've now met them 4 times(!!!!) but i'm sure about this. I feel so relaxed around them, the heart thing is settled.
But this prayer today is so spot on. The veil is going to be removed, this family, who are becoming my family will see me as I am. I have so much selfishness and pride that will be assaulted by the whole challenge of community living.
It's exciting/scary.
Caroline had a great picture of us all holding hands and spinning in a circle in a really fun child-like way, and the circle moved faster and we all leaned back more and the speed increased until it became a tornado that had huge impact on the area around it.
I love that! I want that, I'd love prayers for that.
I really like the leaning back thing, the trust of each other to rely on each other holding us up and to rely on oneself to not let go... just great.
one for the anglicans
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Tozer 2 + a request
Father, I want to know you,
but my messed up, selfish heart is scared to give up it's favourite toys.
I can't part with these things without the operation causing me pain
and I can't hide from You how much losing them scares me.
I come trembling, but I do come,
Please search out all the things in my heart that I have enjoyed for so long that they are now a part of my being. Clear them out so that You can come and live in my heart without any rival.
Then You can make the place your feet touch glorious,
Then my heart will have no need of the sun to shine in it,
for You will be the light and heat source,
and there will never be dark or cold again.
In Jesus Name Amen
2 prayer requests:
1. This Monday is our vision/planning day for kids church.
6 of us including a great consultant from Harrogate (pray for the lovely Rachel who is doing this for nothing) spending a day seeking God and pulling together a plan.
2. Generally as a church we're struggling money wise. We have decent reserves but don't cover our running costs with our giving. Yes, we need money, but more than that we need wisdom.
I ask for prayers for wisdom and blessing for our treasurer, Brillo and for the whole leadership whenever we discuss these issues.
but my messed up, selfish heart is scared to give up it's favourite toys.
I can't part with these things without the operation causing me pain
and I can't hide from You how much losing them scares me.
I come trembling, but I do come,
Please search out all the things in my heart that I have enjoyed for so long that they are now a part of my being. Clear them out so that You can come and live in my heart without any rival.
Then You can make the place your feet touch glorious,
Then my heart will have no need of the sun to shine in it,
for You will be the light and heat source,
and there will never be dark or cold again.
In Jesus Name Amen
2 prayer requests:
1. This Monday is our vision/planning day for kids church.
6 of us including a great consultant from Harrogate (pray for the lovely Rachel who is doing this for nothing) spending a day seeking God and pulling together a plan.
2. Generally as a church we're struggling money wise. We have decent reserves but don't cover our running costs with our giving. Yes, we need money, but more than that we need wisdom.
I ask for prayers for wisdom and blessing for our treasurer, Brillo and for the whole leadership whenever we discuss these issues.
Monday, 23 February 2009
Oscillating on the river
Thought I'd try out a long word!
Thanks to all who have recently started reading and emailng me to say you're there. (try commenting, it's safe and easy!)
muchos appreciated.
Had a good prayer time Sunday morning, normally Sunday morning around 7am is HEELLLPPP prayer time. God give me answers/inspiration/love/energy.
A mate had a word on Friday night... It's through INTIMACY that we INTIMIDATE the enemy.
just loved that, so Sunday morning I told God I didn't want to talk about the service I wanted Him.
Turns out that was a great idea.
We enjoyed each others company for a while and then I felt Him bring a book to mind (I'm in a reading season it seems, oh and try Land of Hope and Glory by Bruce Atkinson, v. inspiring) which is now on the panel to the left, Tozer ends each chapter with a prayer. I'm going to paraphrase each one as my own each day for as long as it takes to run out.
Join in! for me and you.
O God,
I have tasted and seen how good you are.
I am satisfied but I'm thirsty for more!
I'm in pain over my continuing need for your grace.
I'm ashamed of my lack of passion and desire.
God, Father, Jesus, Spirit,
I want to want you.
I long for longing to overcome me,
I thirst to be thirstier,
Show me your Glory so that I can see you more and know you more.
Be merciful to me and begin in me a new work of love in me.
I need to hear in my soul the words, "arise my fair one and come away."
Then I can rise from this misty wasteland where I have wasted too much time.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Thanks to all who have recently started reading and emailng me to say you're there. (try commenting, it's safe and easy!)
muchos appreciated.
Had a good prayer time Sunday morning, normally Sunday morning around 7am is HEELLLPPP prayer time. God give me answers/inspiration/love/energy.
A mate had a word on Friday night... It's through INTIMACY that we INTIMIDATE the enemy.
just loved that, so Sunday morning I told God I didn't want to talk about the service I wanted Him.
Turns out that was a great idea.
We enjoyed each others company for a while and then I felt Him bring a book to mind (I'm in a reading season it seems, oh and try Land of Hope and Glory by Bruce Atkinson, v. inspiring) which is now on the panel to the left, Tozer ends each chapter with a prayer. I'm going to paraphrase each one as my own each day for as long as it takes to run out.
Join in! for me and you.
O God,
I have tasted and seen how good you are.
I am satisfied but I'm thirsty for more!
I'm in pain over my continuing need for your grace.
I'm ashamed of my lack of passion and desire.
God, Father, Jesus, Spirit,
I want to want you.
I long for longing to overcome me,
I thirst to be thirstier,
Show me your Glory so that I can see you more and know you more.
Be merciful to me and begin in me a new work of love in me.
I need to hear in my soul the words, "arise my fair one and come away."
Then I can rise from this misty wasteland where I have wasted too much time.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Prayer Needs
As I wrote yesterday a big, general list of prayer needs...
1. The fledgling Church plant, for Katie and Mary, Caroline and Marsha.
protection and support for new Christians and wisdom for leaders.
2. Protection
We're feeling safe here physically but the spiritual battle is fierce so protection over the house, church and all the work going on. Prayer for the destruction of the strongholds of Apathy, Fear and Addiction.
3. Community
We're praying with a couple who are looking at moving in with us and sharing life in community (Acts 2 style). They are praying and fasting on Saturday, so pray with them. We're almost finished on having the cellar transformed into a prayer room. We hope to fill the two houses on the site with other committed members of a mission team in a new monastic way sharing life and a rhythm of prayer, going out into the Meadows on mission together. In the distant future we'd love a to house a rehab place, a health centre, youth and kids hang outs etc etc... but thats a long way off!
4. Lindon and Marie
This couple lost there 5 week old baby before Christmas but there oldest daughter is a Christian and i'm praying and working for them to be saved. join in!
5.Kids Church
We're planning a kids church to start from Easter. Pray for the planning/vision team. For kids to come and meet Jesus. For our children's worker, Helen. We're hoping this will be a space for kids to become radical Spirit-filled missionaries!
5a. Kids Clubs, we have great clubs that attract loads of kids. Pray that they will be increasingly about Jesus and evangelism. Pray for our great leaders, for more kids and for their future and how that works with kids church.
6.Dan
Pray for our little man. He seems to be the one the enemy picks on most. protection, better parenting, strength, wisdom... all the good stuff. Bring it on!
7.Gap year project
Please pray for our partnership with St Nic's (in the city centre) and St Christopher's Sneinton, for Steve and Ruth their leaders. St Nic's is beginning a gap year program from September for over 21's and the boys will be housed here in the Meadows and the girls in Sneinton. They'll worship at St Nic's and work across the churches. pray that many and the right people will be called.
8. Provision of a fundraiser/admin person
The big one. I need admin support and gifted person to do fundraising. the combined job could be a reasonable wage.
pray for God's provision and wisdom to know who that is.
Also for funds for the admin bit!
9. A house for duty youth worker
we want one!
10. Wisdom, leadership ability, strength, motivation, more love, deeper relationship with God.
All the things you'd like your church leader to have, pray for me!
11. inspiration/transformation for members
Lastly and hugely.
Our wonderful church family, small, tired battered but standing firm.
Our hearts cry is to see them fully armed and dangerous, strong in the Lord, deep in prayer, full of the Spirit, steeped in confession, free from all that holds them back.
I want to see them all raised up as church planters.
Ok, thanks for praying, anything else? add it on.
May God add to you 100 fold all that you pray for us.
1. The fledgling Church plant, for Katie and Mary, Caroline and Marsha.
protection and support for new Christians and wisdom for leaders.
2. Protection
We're feeling safe here physically but the spiritual battle is fierce so protection over the house, church and all the work going on. Prayer for the destruction of the strongholds of Apathy, Fear and Addiction.
3. Community
We're praying with a couple who are looking at moving in with us and sharing life in community (Acts 2 style). They are praying and fasting on Saturday, so pray with them. We're almost finished on having the cellar transformed into a prayer room. We hope to fill the two houses on the site with other committed members of a mission team in a new monastic way sharing life and a rhythm of prayer, going out into the Meadows on mission together. In the distant future we'd love a to house a rehab place, a health centre, youth and kids hang outs etc etc... but thats a long way off!
4. Lindon and Marie
This couple lost there 5 week old baby before Christmas but there oldest daughter is a Christian and i'm praying and working for them to be saved. join in!
5.Kids Church
We're planning a kids church to start from Easter. Pray for the planning/vision team. For kids to come and meet Jesus. For our children's worker, Helen. We're hoping this will be a space for kids to become radical Spirit-filled missionaries!
5a. Kids Clubs, we have great clubs that attract loads of kids. Pray that they will be increasingly about Jesus and evangelism. Pray for our great leaders, for more kids and for their future and how that works with kids church.
6.Dan
Pray for our little man. He seems to be the one the enemy picks on most. protection, better parenting, strength, wisdom... all the good stuff. Bring it on!
7.Gap year project
Please pray for our partnership with St Nic's (in the city centre) and St Christopher's Sneinton, for Steve and Ruth their leaders. St Nic's is beginning a gap year program from September for over 21's and the boys will be housed here in the Meadows and the girls in Sneinton. They'll worship at St Nic's and work across the churches. pray that many and the right people will be called.
8. Provision of a fundraiser/admin person
The big one. I need admin support and gifted person to do fundraising. the combined job could be a reasonable wage.
pray for God's provision and wisdom to know who that is.
Also for funds for the admin bit!
9. A house for duty youth worker
we want one!
10. Wisdom, leadership ability, strength, motivation, more love, deeper relationship with God.
All the things you'd like your church leader to have, pray for me!
11. inspiration/transformation for members
Lastly and hugely.
Our wonderful church family, small, tired battered but standing firm.
Our hearts cry is to see them fully armed and dangerous, strong in the Lord, deep in prayer, full of the Spirit, steeped in confession, free from all that holds them back.
I want to see them all raised up as church planters.
Ok, thanks for praying, anything else? add it on.
May God add to you 100 fold all that you pray for us.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
A Week's Fight
Ok, so I find I'm shattered.
Too early in the week to be shattered? Well, yes but the truth is that it's been a bit of a week.
last Sunday night Dan went off his food, we thought little of it, Monday morning he was sick, oh dear, never mind... he didn't keep food or drink down all day, Monday evening in A&E, Monday night, he's admitted to a 'short stay ward' (anyone else know they existed?) Tuesday aft, he and Caroline come home, got a bit better...
Then he got worse again, diarrhoea begins alongside, Thursday Caroline gets ill, Friday I get ill.
Saturday night I wake up itching from head to toe (since had two more episodes of strange brief all over rashes), Sunday back to emergency doctors, on way to pharmacy Caroline's traps her finger in the car door really badly...
Sunday night feel like the dark night of the soul! Dan still bad as ever, all in pain, weak, struggling... faith not exactly on top form!
Didn't get to do either service I wanted to on Sunday, all-age baptism and a really great plan I had for the evening around a bonfire and confession.
Only on Tuesday did I tentatively get back to work.
Sunday before this started we cast a demon out of a woman and her physical and emotional healing followed. Since we've arrived here in the Meadows the experience of spiritual battle has be seriously intense. (which is a good sign.)
BUT, I had lost my prayer intensity, my focus on fasting, my working out of relationship.
Caroline was toiling in prayer but without my leadership as church and home spiritual leader allied to that somehow we became vulnerable.
I've allowed my hope to be deferred in our work here, I've been missing time with God for increasing admin and this despite prophetic words brought to me.
I'm repenting and moving on... but there's some changes to make:
1) This blog is primarily now for prayer.
I'm hoping that I can get people to check it weekly and use it for prayer updates.
2) Return to working out of God's Presence.
prayer, first, last and foremost.
3) The enemy's running scared.
He was forced to reveal himself and be cast out.
He's doing all he can to hem us in, so we're dangerous!
Armour on, take some ground. I need to be on the streets, in homes, etc. more and more.
Please partner us in prayer, tomorrow morning I write the basic list of prayer requests.
Too early in the week to be shattered? Well, yes but the truth is that it's been a bit of a week.
last Sunday night Dan went off his food, we thought little of it, Monday morning he was sick, oh dear, never mind... he didn't keep food or drink down all day, Monday evening in A&E, Monday night, he's admitted to a 'short stay ward' (anyone else know they existed?) Tuesday aft, he and Caroline come home, got a bit better...
Then he got worse again, diarrhoea begins alongside, Thursday Caroline gets ill, Friday I get ill.
Saturday night I wake up itching from head to toe (since had two more episodes of strange brief all over rashes), Sunday back to emergency doctors, on way to pharmacy Caroline's traps her finger in the car door really badly...
Sunday night feel like the dark night of the soul! Dan still bad as ever, all in pain, weak, struggling... faith not exactly on top form!
Didn't get to do either service I wanted to on Sunday, all-age baptism and a really great plan I had for the evening around a bonfire and confession.
Only on Tuesday did I tentatively get back to work.
Sunday before this started we cast a demon out of a woman and her physical and emotional healing followed. Since we've arrived here in the Meadows the experience of spiritual battle has be seriously intense. (which is a good sign.)
BUT, I had lost my prayer intensity, my focus on fasting, my working out of relationship.
Caroline was toiling in prayer but without my leadership as church and home spiritual leader allied to that somehow we became vulnerable.
I've allowed my hope to be deferred in our work here, I've been missing time with God for increasing admin and this despite prophetic words brought to me.
I'm repenting and moving on... but there's some changes to make:
1) This blog is primarily now for prayer.
I'm hoping that I can get people to check it weekly and use it for prayer updates.
2) Return to working out of God's Presence.
prayer, first, last and foremost.
3) The enemy's running scared.
He was forced to reveal himself and be cast out.
He's doing all he can to hem us in, so we're dangerous!
Armour on, take some ground. I need to be on the streets, in homes, etc. more and more.
Please partner us in prayer, tomorrow morning I write the basic list of prayer requests.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Review
Ok so i feel like it's time to work out what we've done and where we're going...
In 5 months, we have 2 new Christians, 1 demon cast out, one (tiny) house church planted, one new home group. We've moved the Sunday meetings into a hall, dispensed with up front preaching led services and made them interactive and started the journey into questioning what church is. Our continuing monthly all age worship service is now averaging 50 attendees.
There's another potential hose church on the cards, with a couple who are extremely open if not actually there yet. Tonight we're having a meal with two couples to discuss living in community and sharing life. One of the guys is a potential house for duty youth worker. (But all that is totally hypothetical, could easily go belly up.)
We are looking as changing the youth&kids worker role(16 hours) into a children's minister/evangelist and planting a kids church some point around Easter.
Lots of church members are enthused by the journey's into the Spirit they're taking, listening to and hearing God is becoming more normal, one guy prays for healings in Homebase where he works and saw a witch's neck healed!
Things are moving on, chickens are on the way, veg and herbs in the pipeline, we're renovating the cottage and looking at getting some gap year workers, there's possible vicar college students to come...
I prayed for a random guy on the streets for healing yesterday (pray for Loveday) and am looking at how to make that more regular across the church. We have a prayer room under construction in our cellar by our wonderful churchwarden/handyman. This will be the hub for a shared rhythm of life and prayer for a community based round the vicarage/church and open to the whole of the church/meadows community.
This sounds like a lot but I feel like I could have worked harder and done more. Apathy is the big battle and this whole work feels like a huge spiritual battle at the mo. Battling fatigue and ill-health all over the church and in our family. (Dan has been in and out of hospital and is still sick with something gastrorental) Battling all kinds of weird events that hold us back. There's people unhappy iwth changes, there's annoyance that we've cut back youth work, there's much less involvement from me in committees, we're a bit worried about money, admin isn't being done the best... oh well...
We're still in huge need of a fund-raiser, an admin type person, a youth-worker... oh another few thousand saved, but 5 months in, God's at work.
Caroline is flying in faith, just going deeper and i'm loving that, she's out praying/on the streets every Tuesday with a mate, She's planning a pampering evening for single mums at ours and a toddlers group weekly in few weeks time... she only works for church 5 hours a week!
anyway, thats an update for all interested parties... PRAYER PLEASE!
In 5 months, we have 2 new Christians, 1 demon cast out, one (tiny) house church planted, one new home group. We've moved the Sunday meetings into a hall, dispensed with up front preaching led services and made them interactive and started the journey into questioning what church is. Our continuing monthly all age worship service is now averaging 50 attendees.
There's another potential hose church on the cards, with a couple who are extremely open if not actually there yet. Tonight we're having a meal with two couples to discuss living in community and sharing life. One of the guys is a potential house for duty youth worker. (But all that is totally hypothetical, could easily go belly up.)
We are looking as changing the youth&kids worker role(16 hours) into a children's minister/evangelist and planting a kids church some point around Easter.
Lots of church members are enthused by the journey's into the Spirit they're taking, listening to and hearing God is becoming more normal, one guy prays for healings in Homebase where he works and saw a witch's neck healed!
Things are moving on, chickens are on the way, veg and herbs in the pipeline, we're renovating the cottage and looking at getting some gap year workers, there's possible vicar college students to come...
I prayed for a random guy on the streets for healing yesterday (pray for Loveday) and am looking at how to make that more regular across the church. We have a prayer room under construction in our cellar by our wonderful churchwarden/handyman. This will be the hub for a shared rhythm of life and prayer for a community based round the vicarage/church and open to the whole of the church/meadows community.
This sounds like a lot but I feel like I could have worked harder and done more. Apathy is the big battle and this whole work feels like a huge spiritual battle at the mo. Battling fatigue and ill-health all over the church and in our family. (Dan has been in and out of hospital and is still sick with something gastrorental) Battling all kinds of weird events that hold us back. There's people unhappy iwth changes, there's annoyance that we've cut back youth work, there's much less involvement from me in committees, we're a bit worried about money, admin isn't being done the best... oh well...
We're still in huge need of a fund-raiser, an admin type person, a youth-worker... oh another few thousand saved, but 5 months in, God's at work.
Caroline is flying in faith, just going deeper and i'm loving that, she's out praying/on the streets every Tuesday with a mate, She's planning a pampering evening for single mums at ours and a toddlers group weekly in few weeks time... she only works for church 5 hours a week!
anyway, thats an update for all interested parties... PRAYER PLEASE!
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Picking on my weakness
I've been getting back into cricket.
Bizarrely going to nets for a church team at the church where i applied for the vicar's job but didn't get it, which led to us finding the meadows, but anyway...
There's a lot God's teaching me there, but todays point is this:
In my first net the guys, who were all new to me commented on my ability to punish anything on the legside. In the bath afterwards I was reminded of a moment when only 14 or so when our coach at school took me out of the nets where i was batting and told me that i was missing every scoring opportunity that came my way. for the uninitiated, if the ball goes down your leg-side it is virtually impossible for you to out bowled or lbw so its a free hit. He then proceeded to through tennis balls at my leg-side for 10 minutes until i was hammering then round the sports hall. He then put me back in the net and told all the bowlers to bowl at my legs for 10 minutes. he repeated this for the next three practices. By the end of this time my strength was on my legs whereas before bowlers could bowl badly there without any punishment.
This really spoke to me as we've encountered a stronghold spirit of apathy in the meadows and one of my constant battles is over motivation and distraction. I could be inclined to moan and ask God why he brought me into a place where my area of weakness is allied to the local area of attack. Or i could see my loving Father as a great coach who wants me to overcome and be released.
I'm going with the latter.
Bizarrely going to nets for a church team at the church where i applied for the vicar's job but didn't get it, which led to us finding the meadows, but anyway...
There's a lot God's teaching me there, but todays point is this:
In my first net the guys, who were all new to me commented on my ability to punish anything on the legside. In the bath afterwards I was reminded of a moment when only 14 or so when our coach at school took me out of the nets where i was batting and told me that i was missing every scoring opportunity that came my way. for the uninitiated, if the ball goes down your leg-side it is virtually impossible for you to out bowled or lbw so its a free hit. He then proceeded to through tennis balls at my leg-side for 10 minutes until i was hammering then round the sports hall. He then put me back in the net and told all the bowlers to bowl at my legs for 10 minutes. he repeated this for the next three practices. By the end of this time my strength was on my legs whereas before bowlers could bowl badly there without any punishment.
This really spoke to me as we've encountered a stronghold spirit of apathy in the meadows and one of my constant battles is over motivation and distraction. I could be inclined to moan and ask God why he brought me into a place where my area of weakness is allied to the local area of attack. Or i could see my loving Father as a great coach who wants me to overcome and be released.
I'm going with the latter.
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