An amazing day....

Last week I had the real joy of visiting the Church Army Valley of Hope project in Aberdare in the Welsh Rhondda. This project works across the welsh valleys with people facing all kinds of difficulties. The project helps people with records of substance and alcohol abuse. It was just amazing to see how Church Army is helping these folk escape these addictions and build a new life.

I am pictured here outside the church hall after I had a privilege of speaking about Christmas to the clients and friends gathered. The folk I am pictured with are all clients of the Valley of Hope.

One of the people in the picture told me without this project he would have no hope. During the dinner, one client shared her story of how Valley of Hope had changed her life. It was so moving and I was deeply impacted by meeting these folks. One other client asked if I believed in heaven and hell. She said she believed in heaven, it was her hope- as for hell it was down here, what she was facing each day. Sobering stuff indeed, and yet what a privilege for us to serve these guys.

Christmas is a time of hope and joy - yet I think the term "happy Christmas" conjures up a view we have to be smiley faced all day - for many people Christmas can be a total nightmare. They are missing loved ones, they have family breakdown, or in the case of these guys they are facing really tough and challenging situations. In Marylebone Church Army's homeless project, Christmas is a painful time and many face loneliness. Some of the people I met in Aberdare will be on their own this Christmas....a society that tells you you should be happy only adds to the misery.

Christmas is not so much about being happy, as being hopeful.

I am so proud that Church Army is working in places like Aberdare, helping people get a hand up and not just a hand out - bringing hope to those who need it most. Valley of Hope works with folk with substance abuse, helps with debt counselling, provides practical help to people, advice with housing, and just meets people where they are in a community where employment and housing are scarce. In addtion the project has a small community shop which sells cheap clothing,and is a source of employment and work experience. I encourage you to to visit the Valley of Hope website HERE

I salute my colleague Ralph Upton and his whole team, this is the real work of the Gospel, bringing freedom to the captive, bringing life, and showing God's love to those in real need.

We are Tenants not Owners in this world....

I have to say I am disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change. We have an agreement brokered by President Obama between the USA, Brazil, South Africa, India and China. The "agreement" is not legally binding, apparently commits the signatories to keeping the earth's temperature rise to 2c, without actually spelling out the levels of CO2 reductions required to make it happen. I have to say I think this agreement is not worth the paper it is printed on, or the trees spent to provide it's paper. In international deals, you always know the deal is effectively useless when someone says it is better than no deal, which is exactly what the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said.

I totally understand why we are in this mess, it is because the major industrial world is not prepared to change. The real tragedy is the American President personally would have wanted to go much further, but is aware that unless he can get his Congress to back a deal it will fall. Obama remembers the former US Vice President Al Gore going to Kyoto and making all kinds of committments only to have the Senate throw them out. Just earlier this year I was talking to an american man who told me he didnt believe in global warming! So at least Barack Obama showed up at the summit, it was more than George W Bush would have done. But the President needs to lead a major debate in the USA that they cannot continue to contribute as much CO2 into the atmosphere. The Sudanese delegate said this deal would condemn many more Africans to death, that is the reality of the lack of consensus here.

So what will make us change? The desolation of a major western city from flood? A tidal wave in New York or London? Clearly the storm that hit New Orleans didnt have the effect of galvanising the USA to see the reality of global warming, I guess the residents there had the wrong skin colour.

Our "leaders" bottled it, they above all fail to recognise we are only tenants in this world, we do not own it. We are condemining future generations to misery and pain, because we are not prepared to change now.

We need leaders to lead, not follow public opinion on global warming. I am disappointed and disillusioned today. I guess most of all with myself, for being naive enough to think our leaders could actualy be bold.

To pray or not to pray, that is the question....

I had the pleasure of attending a Christmas Tea for Christian leaders at Number 10 Downing Street last week, and had a chance to speak to the Prime Minister about the work that Church Army does across the UK and Ireland.

It was an interesing afternoon, to meet colleagues from other denominations and hear about their work. The Prime Minister spoke about the contribution of Christians across the land who work tirelessly to make the world a better place. He spoke about the need to inspire people with vision for change. He spoke about the potential of each and every person and how Christianity had a proud record of trying to release potential.

During the tea, Stephen Timms MP, the Labour Party Vice Chair responsible for liasising with Faith Communities asked Nicky Gumbel, the Vicar of HTB to lead a prayer for the Prime Minister. Now asking Christian leaders to pause for a moment at a Christian Tea and ask them to pray.... sounds a pretty normal thing to do. You would think so, I was gobsmacked to see a story in the Daily Mail. Apparently someone said "Everybody there had some connection with Christian churches and maybe some members of the more evangelical, Pentecostal churches were comfortable with it. But a lot of traditional church people found it deeply awkward and inappropriate."

Now what was inappropriate? Inappropriate to pray? Inappropriate to pray at a Christian Reception? Inappropriate to pray for the Prime Minister? Or inappropriate that it was Nicky Gumbel who was asked and not them? I have a hunch it might have been the latter, in which case I hope whoever gave that quote to the Mail, is ashamed of themselves. Inapproprate to pray..what next!

Reality TV v Reality life

I read today in the press that Olly Murs, the young man taking part in the Semi Finals of the Xfactor this Saturday, is not being allowed to attend his twin brother's wedding also taking place on Saturday.

The wedding is due to take place in Chelmsford at 3pm, and Xfactor is being filmed in North London. Apparently Olly will miss the dress rehearsal if he is at the wedding, and apparently Xfactor say it was always understood that if he got this far in the competition he couldn't go to the wedding.

Whilst I understand the Xfactor's position, I think it is remarkably hard hearted. Olly was to be best man at his twin brother's wedding, and he is reported to be "gutted" about missing the wedding. Surely, the Xfactor could have organised for him to be able to attend the ceremony and be back in good time for the show?

Xfactor is of course a huge show, and the outcome of the show could have major implications for any of the contestants and their futures, but surely your family and significant milestones in their lives are more important? To miss your brother's wedding is a fairly big deal, particularly when he is your twin. I'm sure his brother will have told him not to worry and it is all ok, but deep down it must hurt them both deeply.

Has reality TV gone too far when it mucks up real life? Moot point.....

Gosh November...

Dorothy, a wonderful Church Army Evangelist came up to me at a recent meeting in London and said "you are working too hard". I said, how do you know? She said "your blog is quiet!". She was dead right. November was one of the busiest months I have ever had. Too many meetings, too much travelling, and too many speaking engagements. Yet all of them a huge privilege.

Its now December and I realised how exhausted I had made myself. I think I need to learn to say No a little more often.... Too much doing and not enough being is not good for me!

So sorry if you kept checking my blog and finding it quiet. I am back now I promise :)

What a drama

I am not a big fan of drama in church, because usually it is done so appallingly! Monotone voices, and bad timing coupled with ill thought out scipts, mean I usually end up cringing! Yesterday I was the guest speaker at Chapel Service at the London School of Theology, and they performed a version of this drama that quite honestly moved me to tears and blew my socks off. It is to a song called "everything" by a group called Lifehouse.

This is Advent when we celebrate that God entered our world as a litlte baby boy. Can I encourage you to take a few moments, watch this short video, and reflect on how God entered the mess of our humanity and changed history for each of us.

What is Benedict up to????

To say I was stunned by the announcement from the Vatican this week was an understatement. As the Church of England tries to navigate our way through the complex issues we face, we suddenly get landed with the news that Pope Benedict has provided for an Apostolic Constitution to allow disaffected Anglicans to move to the Roman Catholic Church but keep distinctive anglican identity within what are interestingly called "Personal Ordinariates". This means I assume they could have married priests and anglican prayer books within Roman Catholicism. Yet Rome doesn't even recognise our sacraments or ordinations as valid. So I assume any clergy taking up this offer will need to be re-ordained.

From from I can see, this was landed on Lambeth Palace with little or no heads up, and/or consultation. One wonders what our so called ecumenical instruments have actually delivered when it seems the Vatican will do what it likes when it likes. From all I have read Rowan Williams looked distinctively uncomfortable in the joint press conference with the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Vincent Nicholls.

I am a little confused why the Archbishop of Canterbury did a joint press conference which would seem to the world to show that he was in agreement with this move, when clearly he was only told of the move shortly before the announcement. I am not sure if I were the Archbishop of Canterbury that I would have held that press conference, and certainly not at the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church in London.

In fact on the Lambeth Palace website his letter to anglican bishops says “I am sorry that there has been no opportunity to alert you earlier to this. I was informed of the planned announcement at a very late stage"

This move by the Vatican is a bold and shocking move. It is an attempt by Rome to poach disaffected anglicans in England, who will now hold a gun to the head of the General Synod that unless they get their way on women's ordination as bishops they will leave en masse to Rome. It is a vehicle for blackmail, and as one commentator put it, it seems the Pope has put his tanks on the lawn of Lambeth Palace.

I do accept a huge swathe of common ground between Roman Catholicsm and Anglicanism, but there are huge differences in our understanding of our faith. I am an evangelical, and I believe in the salvation of people by faith alone. The cross has said it all. And in addition I cannot accept the role of the Bishop of Rome as infallable and all powerful. Anglicanism is as the Archbishop of York often says both "catholic and reformed". We are reformed, and we need to hold to our distinctive uniqueness. But this move by Pope Benedict looks like a predatory move.

More inspiration in Australia!!!!

I wrote a few days ago about three amazing Church Army people in the rural bush in Australia. Lynn Bullard, and Ray and Di Flint. Well on Sunday I met another legend in Church Army Australia - the amazing Wayne Pickford.

Wayne has planted a church in a tough suburb south of Sydney called Berkeley. The project is only in its third year and Wayne has pioneered a host of ministries serving the local community in practical ways. Central to the work is the service called "Berkeley Life Centre" which I had the privilege of preaching at on Sunday. about 50 people were there, people who would never darken the door of an anglican church as we know it. People alive in Christ, and sharing their faith with the community. Wayne has created an idea called "adoptablock" where people from the church share their faith practically and help out each week on their block of houses.

The Sunday I was there, Wayne announced that he had secured a former supermarket to be a new community centre for the church. Wayne and I are pictured together next to the building. This building is pregnant with possibilites for mission and outreach. Wayne Pickford says I am the real deal..but trust me he is even more the real deal !! Berkeley shows what happens when the Christian faith actually interacts with a community and does the stuff. Transformation happens.

I told Wayne that I have preached in many churches and cathedrals all over the world, but the honesty and reality I met in Berkeley was unparalelled in my experience. I found the visit a deeply moving experience. I saw God alive and at work in people, I saw a fledging fresh expression changing people and a community, I saw the ruach of God breathing new life into a tough area. Berkeley will stay in my heart for a long time to come. My PA Sam Follett, served his Church Army Gap Year in Berkeley....and he warned me that I would fall in love with these amazing people. He was right, as he always is, that is exactly what happened to me!!

I cannot wait to go back !!!

Meeting a hero....

I had the privilege this week of speaking at a Fresh Expressions Conference in Canberra Australia alongside Brian McLaren. I have been a fan of Brian's for many years and his books have inspired, challenged and just spoken with such sense into the jumbled mess of the church.

He powerfully argues that the Church is an agent of hope to change our world, and that we need to refocus our energy and vision to share Jesus love with others, and make a difference to the poor and the planet. He is a thinker, theologian, writer and speaker. He is a gift to the Church, and he speaks with prophetic urgency of the need to change how Christians live out their faith in our world. He speaks of the crisis our planet faces, and asks how and what can the Christian faith do to make the lives of others better.

It was a privilege to meet this amazing man, and to find that up close, he oozes integrity and reality.

Two superstars in Forbes....

Yesterday and today I had the privilege of going to Forbes, a small town in the Bush, about 5 hours drive west of Sydney. I met two amazing Church Army Evangelists, Lynne and Ray. They are doing amazing work. Together they have pioneered a really creative fresh expression of church that operates in a big covered yard in a school in the north part of Forbes, in an area of immense social need where hardly anyone made it to the anglican church in the town centre.

They now reach over 100 people, most of whom never would enter a church building. They run a creative and dynamic programme of ministry helping people with their education, helping people off addictions, and helping young people from dysfunctional families. I had the privilege of speaking to the team who run "Church in the Schoolyard or CITS" as it is known.

Lynne and Ray are two of the most amazing people I have ever met, their committment and dedication to their work was simply inspirational. As I have been throughout my trip to Australia, I have been deeply proud to belong to Church Army, and meet my brothers and sisters in this great land who possess the same DNA as my amazing colleagues in the UK and Ireland.

Rent a friend...

Tim and I were driving to the Sydney Airport area a few days ago to attend a church planting meeting with the Diocese of Sydney, when we were listening to a news report on ABC news. Apparently in Japan, you can rent a friend for those important social occasions you need to have a friend present. Maybe for a date, or a party, or even a best man required. The reporter interviewed someone who is a professional rent a friend, who for a fee will show up and pretent to have known you all your life. They will read out pre-prepared best men speeches with all your childhood stories and pet names etc. I spent most of the rest of the day pondering what a world we live in. I was freaked out at first, then I was just so sorry for those folk who find themselves in this sitation. We have more money and less satisfaction, more possessions and less pleasing us, more friends and less relationships. The Japanese rent a friend agency tells us something about our modern world that the Church needs to reflect on carefully.

Church working well, can provide a place to belong, a place to be , a community. I often say in my sermons not since celtic times has the unit of faith itself been one of the most important evangelistic tools. We need to help our churches be more friendly, more welcoming, more accessible, to help people find meaningful relationships with God and each other.