Culmination of Things

So much to say, so little time as Take 6 once put it. In many ways it is the culmination of a number of strands that have been buzzing around in the atmosphere for the last two years or so. I would love to be able to write at length, but time does not afford me to do that at this time.

Here’s what is going on in nutshell. Throughout 2009 there have been a number of developments through each quarter of the year that got me seriously thinking about some of the things God has been bringing to my attention.

In the first quarter of this calendar year (Jan-Mar) there was the big deal about moving from COG Phase 1 to Phase 2, which was a pressured and stressful time for me and me family.

In the second quarter of the calendar year (Apr-Jun) we as a family moved house to a more spacious location, but as you know I hate moving and the process itself was pressured and stressful.

In the third quarter of the year I moved the location of work from the main hub of accommodation activity to the COG Centre which held lots of promise of space to do stuff, but that process was also pressured and stressful taking place at a particularly pressured and stressful time in me life for a number of reasons that maybe God will grant me the grace to share at a later time should the return of His Son permit.

Now you don’t have to be Columbo to know that there’s a common thread in the activities of the year thus far. In the light of that I reflected on some of the thoughts I was having earlier on in the year about being in my element for my season and really moving away from being a misfit that doesn’t fit towards fitting exactly where God would have me to be.

Part of the pressured and stressful element of my life was grappling with enacting some serious decisions to do with that and as I approached the final quarter of the year I enquired of God what would be next to complete the set. Moving church building, moving home, moving work place location – what next? Could it be moving church? How about moving from work altogether? What of moving home? I was prepared for one of the three in the light of the grief that I’d gone through in the year.

As it turned out, God had it mind to do all three. Hence the lack of blogs lately – that and as you know the failing IT situation, which is till ongoing, I’m typing this on a proper desktop computer!!! Can you believe that?? Yes indeed as things would turn out there was a call to move on from church (local expression), from the job and from Stoke-on-Trent and in the last month or two it’s been about working on enacting those decisions.

These are not light decisions as you can appreciate and indeed they have taken the previous stressful and pressured situation through the roof, leading to some most unfortunate scenarios including personal illness, disappointing work performances and strained relations. Still in it all God has remained faithful and in accordance with His Word has allowed me to experience His peace as long as my mind has been stayed on Him. I’m not doing these things on a whim or because of personal issues or general discontentment; this is part of being obedient to what He calls of me in line with the ethos of Psalm 1:3.

So at present we’ve just completed a move from the house we only moved into in April to our new home in Greater Manchester. Just working through the work deal but to all intents and purposes the North Staffs YMCA season in my life is over for the time being. As for the church situation … watch this space for more interesting details on that.

Hopefully an IT solution will emerge in the next week or so in order that I’ll resume regular service especially in the run up to the end of the year.

Indeed as He leads me it really is as if He reads my mind and prepares me in advance for the stuff that’s coming my way and assures me that He is in control however pressured and stressful the situation may be. This is a most comforting thought and will need to be so for the challenges and excitement ahead. Keep praying for me and the family as we enter unchartered territory and see what God has in store for us there.

For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd

What Is It About The Teaching On The Mount?

It’s fair to say what is often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount has not always captured my imagination.

Indeed I got a bit bored with people taking snippets from it and having them as poster campaigns for their own agendas. Like the ‘Judge not lest ye be judged’ mob that defiantly went about telling others they couldn’t be judged as only God could judge them. Or the ‘golden rule’ crew who just went about thinking it was a decent ethos to go about saying do to others as you’d have done to you. I was brought up in a church was a bit of a stickler for getting the Word right.

Not that we got the Word right ourselves, after all our church hardly grew out, in, up or down – that’s not a slight, more of a general fact. In any case as a stickler for the Word it wasn’t always cool seeing people nick these bits and pieces without getting the whole thing. Not that I ever thought about getting the whole thing myself.

That changed in 2006 though. I’ve yet to write about how significant a year that was in my own spiritual development but it was a renaissance period for me in a number of ways. One of those ways was to go back to basics again checking what it was to love God – for who He revealed Himself to be in His Word rather than the faith of my father or the doctrine of the church in which I was brought/dragged up.

One of those fundamental building blocks was an appreciation all over again of the Beatitudes. You’ll know it’s something when I committed them all to memory and let it soak in me especially the fourth one that focussed on hungering and thirsting after righteousness. I got in major deep into that section of scripture and realised just how much I had to start from the beginning in cultivating a living relationship with God through His Son. As you can imagine it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. More on that in a future blog I hope.

That as you may have calculated was three years ago and since then I’ve had my fancy taken with other scriptures and theological concepts. In the background however has always been especially that Beatitude and the issues that spring from that, for example a definition of righteousness that doesn’t capitulate to having right this or right that – a bit too tautological for my liking.

Anyway along life’s journey since then I’ve come across a book or two on what I prefer to refer to as the Teaching on the Mount. (After all at the start it says he taught and at the end people were amazed at what he taught, it occurred to me that perhaps calling it a teaching might be a tad more accurate. Having said that it’s obviously later scholars who referred to it as a sermon just as some bright spark referred to the first part as Beatitudes.) As this year has proceeded I was drawn again to the theme of this tremendous teaching.

A friend of mine came across a dude who majored on the piece of scripture and that caught my interest and I began to be a lot more interested in seeing the Beatitude in its context. As love would have it then just as I was skirting round the edges the whole topic became the subject of our recent 13-week study. So now I get the chance to mix life, business and pleasure and share what I love about it as I study it and reflect on how I put it in practice and how it convicts of the areas that still are in need of better practice.

On reading it as regularly as I am at the moment the thing that catches my eye about this brilliant monologue is how Jesus is not just outlining and clarifying how the law was fulfilled when it was a part of our hearts turning us into the character of our Father, but how He Himself typifies all that we talk of. The point of worship is to show love for God and that is first expressed in the profession of faith in Jesus and here He outlines what that faith means for our heart’s attitude to God and to others.

Also as I read it, the thing becomes ever clearer to me in terms of how it should be read as one. Not just a collection of random thoughts by Jesus as to what would Kingdom life be like, but one coherent piece pointing people not just to the Kingdom or Kingdom living, but to the King Himself and how He stands as an example for us to follow. I’m drawn by the counter-intuitive and counter-cultural quality of this teaching. I’m drawn to how it challenges me to be light and salt not by conforming but by being distinctive and a clear beacon to others of who God is. I’m excited by the power of the secret life of prayer, fasting and giving and how that helps us to get priorities straight in not worrying about temporal worldly stuff, but getting caught up with the things that matter.

I love the areas that remain a bit mysterious – what the pearls and swine bit all about really? I’m sobered up pretty quickly by the definition of a hard way through a narrow gate. I’m particularly made sharp by the reality of professing Christians being called workers of lawlessness because Jesus does not know them as evident particularly from their fruits. I don’t just read, I envisage Jesus teaching it whilst using word imagery to get people’s heads grasping what He’s saying. I get caught up with the flow of the piece and am brought to a sombre yet stimulating close by the house analogy. I can easily see why people get carried away with it, it is a brilliant piece of work. As I explore further I hope to share some of the things that come to me and let it settle with you.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

September Update

Do you think I enjoy these gaps? Really? I mean back in the day when I wasn’t so fussed about getting stuff done on the blog it wasn’t such an issue. Now, in the light of a good run in July and August I was all set for September to continue the trend. Yet with a number of pressing assignments and engagements I’ve not even had the opportunity to make as many notes as I’ve been used to making anyway.

With that in mind there have been a few thoughts brewing to blog about. There were some that I could have considered blogging about like – what is the difference between Christians and non-Christians in an age where the behaviour of both doesn’t differ that much? What would a church look like if people knew what it was to be submissive to each other? How has America affected the way we live?

I finished reading the Diana Ross biography on Friday and it made for fascinating reading. Today in fact I was all caught up her most memorable song of my lifetime; the Barry Gibb inspired Chain Reaction. I’m Coming Out has also been in my head for the majority of the day today. I know it’s been adopted by the non-heterosexual community to express their freedom of sexuality. I hear it in a completely different way where it is actually the emergence of the finished product from the cocoon state. From a theocentric perspective it is good to be in the position where after so many years of living within yourself you’re able to discover what you’re meant to be and flourish in expressing it.

Currently the books I’m working through are an analytical view on Hugh Hefner that I’ve had from the library for at least three months now and I haven’t got round to making my way through it, the Oona King diaries and of most interest to me is Stuart Murray’s Post-Christendom. What Murray proposes really has some serious implications for our perspective on life as Christians today. I am looking forward to making a more detailed review of the book on completing it.

Still, just a short one for today to let you know I miss you and I’m glad I’ve posted today.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

500 Up, 500 Down

Farewell August and hello September.

When I was at university I was introduced to radio and b that I mean actually having a go on radio. I had never considered it before although I did enjoy listening to radio growing up at home. I remember especially Saturday nights with the radio on and listening to smooth tunes in the night. I also remember listening to Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman’s Pick of the Pops.

I am so grateful for Lloyd Clarke. He was the first person I met at university and I knocked around with him quite a bit in the first year. He took me to the university radio station as he had a show on it getting to play the tunes that he was so obsessed about at the time as well as develop his love for music. I went along with him and eventually was allowed to talk on it to provide a few links from one track to another.

Before I knew it I was really into the whole radio thing. Not so much the music side, although that was a great education, but the production values and creative opportunities radio provided. I absolutely loved it – all that preparation, research and thinking on your feet involved with it. I eventually got to produce and present my own programme on a weekly basis and I think I had a daily show as well. Absolutely loved it – what should go in it, what regular features, what thing to say in between, who to have on it, what creative pieces to include in terms of sound effects and the like.

I don’t pretend to be any great radio genius although with a name like Chris and the success of Chris Morris, Chris Evans and Chris Moyles I’m sure I was supposed to be good! I liked the whole concept of ensuring there was enough to keep a programme going keeping people informed and the like without ever lagging or becoming boring. Never got brilliant at it, but loved practising it. So much so that it’s still a desire today to be doing radio shows – not music based but with music in it.

All that to say that sometimes when I consider blogging, it’s the nearest I get textually to a radio show – again like the radio, not that I’m brilliant at it, but I like the challenge of putting something together, maybe on one subject maybe on more than one that will at least keep the reader interested.

This is poignant as this is the 500^th post that I’ve blogged on this my first ever blog. Now when I say it’s the 500^th that doesn’t mean there’s only been 500 that I’ve ever posted, it means that there’s been 500 that’s made it online. There have been a fair few drafts that stayed in draft mode and eventually got deleted and a couple of posts that stayed for a bit but eventually got deleted. For all of that I am so grateful to make it to such a significant landmark. I mean if you would have told me back when I wrote that first post in 2005 that I’d stick at it over the next four years and 500 posts I would have been mildly surprised. Yet here we are having covered personal, spiritual and whimsical issues covering the ups and downs of life as well as the issues that have been pestering me. Sure, I’d like to have been more consistent over that time and perhaps would have hit this landmark earlier, but I’m sure you’d agree that this year in particular business has picked up in terms of regularity and I’m hoping to hit the big 200 posts for the year before the end of the month which can be seen as progress.

What matters, though, is not just hitting targets, but being committed to doing what that radio experience was all about so long ago. That is having ideas, exercising the passion for words and communicating ideas and thoughts for people to consider. Not is it an issue of doing that, but doing it to the glory of God from whatever angle and concerning whatever issue.

Thanks for reading this blog – whether new or old. I hope it has made some impression on the thoughts running through your head wherever you are in life. In the meantime my heart’s desire is to get better at this blogging gig, and hopefully a bit more consistent. Here’s to 500 down and who’s to say there’ll be 500 more at a quicker rate? Only time …

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Getting To Know Me Part 4

So here it is the final part of the series of questions of getting to know me and I must point out that these are questions that were already being asked of me. I didn’t bother to take the time to make new questions with one or two minor exceptions. The irony is that I’d love to be able to do interviews and the such like and indeed have done them before and would not ask these questions. Maybe I should have done a questionnaire with questions I’d ask others. Maybe not. Not to worry – on with this final part in the series!

38. Coffee or tea?

You know I’ve never been the biggest fan of hot beverages. By the time I went to university I gave them a miss completely. Only later on did I see the merits of herbal tea like peppermint tea and especially lemon and ginger. Even then I don’t really have it that often at all. So technically I’d vote tea but only of the herbal variety. Not been bothered with coffee at all.

39. When was the last time you cried?

I find myself crying quite frequently when in a session of prayer, especially corporate prayer. I believe the last time I cried was on Sunday evening at a prayer meeting when we were praying and I was getting something on the importance of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob especially the God bit of it and its extension to the God of this that and the other. Remind me to tell you that whole story about the ministry of tears.

40. What is under your bed?

The floor.

41. What did you do last night?

I went to a particular location to take part in a particular corporate prayer session about a particular development that the corporate body is undergoing of significant proposals. Then I had the great pleasure of getting lost and taking my time to be redirected back on track. (Now when I see I, you should know that as a non-driver I’m obviously referring to my wife, but in the best interests of covering her errors, I’ll take it on.) Got home, did some blogging which was good and watched the highlights of the League Cup matches before retiring to bed after 1am.

42. What are you afraid of?

Failing God. Funny thing that really because I fail Him every day in sinning, but there’s a great fear that I’ll not fulfil all that He’s called me to fulfil. I’m only just learning to enjoy God by His grace and allow Him to do what He has called me to do. It’s taking time, but I’m getting there by His grace. Other than that I don’t go for the usual fears. That’s not to say I have no other fears, it’s just that I cannot remember them at this time.

43. Salty or sweet?

Sweet for real.

44. How many keys on your key ring?

Two – one for the house front door and another for the back door … probably, never tried it.

45. How many years at your current job?

Three. The longest time of employment in a single job at a single organisation – I am so thankful to God for that. How long I’ll stay is up in the air, though.

46. Favourite day of the week?

Thursday. Sure I’m learning to love Sabbath, but on a techinicality that covers two of the days in our calendar week and until we live by a Jewish calendar with Jewish days I have to take that as it is. Thursday is my favourite day because historically it was the day my Mum went shopping which meant getting goodies – like the sweets. Since then I’ve kind of loved that day and even though my pay comes in on a different day and shopping is not a priority to me I love Thursdays. I love the day especially as a precursor before the mayhem and disillusionment of the weekend and the pressures of the working week.

47. What are you going to do when you finish this?

Finish watching the q&a that I’m watching. Perhaps I’ll go to bed. Maybe. Who can say? Waddaya mean I can? Oh alright, I’ll probably do some more reading.

48. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends?

I love it. I find people fascinating and I take a great interest in getting to know them and share life together and so I love finding out all this and even more important stuff about my friends like what makes them tick, what broke their heart, etc. That’s what friends are for as well as the helping, sharing and laughter.

Thanks for the questions and onto more blogging on other issues – but don’t be surprised if some other autobiographical stuff pops out of the woodwork.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Getting To Know Me Part 3

Yeah I mentioned someone calling me a friend recently and also made the scandalous suggestion that retirement only happens at death? Now I promised more and this is the penultimate in the series so check these babies out!

26. What are you listening to now?

Don Carson and John Piper talking about pastoral ministry and being a scholar. That’s just the kind of guy I am.

27. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?

To be honest the next significant date in the calendar is June 15^th 2010. I don’t make a fuss over my birthday and although my daughters’ birthdays are important, I tend to celebrate their birth every time I get to look at them. The wedding anniversary is the most important date only in as much as a reminder of the date of the most significant responsibility I have knowingly taken. The following of Jesus is one that covers a number of dates, but the biggest human relational engagement undertaken in my lifetime is the biggie. Other than that – whatever comes I’m happy to celebrate.

28. What was the last thing you ate?

Get this. White rice generously sprinkled with grated carrots and sweet corn on which is amassed a substantial amount of veggie chilli and kidney beans with some tomatoes quarterly sliced. In a big ol’ plate. What a way to finish her cooking time with us as a family. My mother shall be missed. Now she’s gone I’ll have to get back in the habit of cooking for myself. Ho hum – keep praying for me.

29. Do you wish on stars?

Not in any shape or form.

30. If you were a footballer, what position would you play?

You know I cannot believe I don’t have an electronic note of this. Still, here goes. For ages now I thought to myself that the way I continue the legacy of my dad is to play in the same position he would have played had he been a footballer. I think in as much as I am useful as a holding midfielder or even as a sweeper, the best position for me on a football pitch would be right back. (No not that joke of being right back in the dressing room.) I guess I fit here because it’s one of those unassuming roles that doesn’t get much attention but is useful and functional in supporting moves from the back forward as well as ensuring the tricky attacks of the left winger can be thwarted by keeping focussed on retaining possession and allowing the progressive players to progress and should the attacking midfielder require overlapping I can provide that. There’s more to that than just a football point, but you’ll have to wait to get the full meaning.

31. How is the weather right now?

Dark and cold, but that’s usually the case in the night.

32. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

I think it was my dear friend Joyce. No hold on it’s my dear friend Deon. That however was a brief chat. I don’t have many long chats with people on the phone. No reason why, I guess I don’t make the time for that sort of thing as I’d prefer to converse face to face whenever I can.

33. Favourite soft drink?

It fluctuates from time to time but undoubtedly always in the running is ginger beer. What a beverage that is and what a gift it is to humanity!

34. Favourite restaurant?

Now this is a toughie cos we’re regulars at Venus which does a great deal on chips and veggie burger with water (all for £2.50). Edging it however because of the ability to eat indoors on tables and chairs is the Seafarer. I love going there with my friend(s) to enjoy their delicacies.

35. Favourite toy as a child?

Remember the remote control car? Ah how short lived it was, but that’s the favourite one I can recall, although I’m sure there was a teddy bear that grabbed my affections.

36. Summer or winter?

Winter. Love having to hibernate and keep in from the cold and regard the outside world from the warmth of indoors with people and reading and writing. Love the short days and the long nights. I absolutely love it.

37. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Tell me you’re not seriously asking that question. Do you know that for vanilla to even be in the same sentence is a privilege for vanilla? Chocolate is undoubtedly one of my favourite foods to digest. I am to cut down from time to time, but a lot of the time I enjoy feeding on it whether in chocolate bar form or in chocolate ice-cream form. I’ve never been that much into chocolate tea, but other than that I be a chocolate man! Love it!

Nearly done now – one more post on this bad boy and we are done. Don’t miss it!

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Getting To Know Me Part 2

Have I mentioned someone calling me a friend recently? So without further ado onto more questions

13. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Scotland. I’ve not been that ambitious a travelling man. I would have said USA on previous occasions, but I’m not so keen and up on going there as before, especially seeing as though with the amount of stuff that comes from there, they are as good as here anyway. Not ruling it out though, with family members being there and all. The Scotland thing is because I’ve been to Wales and I’ve always been fascinated with what goes on north of the border. I like the thought of exploring these British Isles more than anywhere at present. Thankfully, however, I’m married to a woman who has a passion for travel so inevitably somewhere down the line I may pop over to those places far afield.

14. Are you an organised person?

You want to read something funny? I’m not all that organised unless it’s on the laptop. There’s something about having folders here that means most of my files are put in a specific location in which I’m able to recover it relatively quickly. I’m into that level of organisation. Other than that, I’m not really fussed about organisation other than in my hand – i.e. it may not look like a mess, but I know where what I need is.

15. Where would you retire to?

The grave. My concept of retirement is death and even that is temporary if you get what I’m saying. As long as my faculties are functioning I’d like to think I’d still write and read and that is the basis of my working life – all I ever do is rooted in my reading and writing. I’ve not really got it into my head to think of a time where I’m ‘retired’. Retired from what? Of course that is not a solo decision so I’m sure the wife might want to settle down elsewhere, but as far as I’m concerned as long as it has space to read and write and I feel relatively comfortable in the environment I’ll flex with her desire. Don’t tell her that, though, it might give her ideas.

16. What was one of your most memorable birthdays?

Never been that big on birthdays at all over my brief sojourn on planet Earth. The one I remember most is the one when I was around 5 or 6. Living in Minerva Way, there was something of a gathering and I believe I got a remote controlled car for my birthday. Another one of those significant sacrifices by my mother. The only reason why it was memorable was because of the gift and the fact that it didn’t take me long to wreck the present. Pity, that, but it is the thought that counts.

17. Do you make friends easily?

Well I can read this question however I wish. My definition of friend is not light or shallow and I find a number of people seemed to prepared to deal only at that level. I can be an awkward case at times, what with thinking all the time and all. So I’d say I don’t make friends easily, but I’d like to think I make friends deeply and I enjoy it when I do make a friend.

18. What’s your favourite pastime activity?

Have I mentioned reading and writing?

19. When is your birthday?

21^st November 1977

20. Morning person or a night person?

I’m a funny one where that’s concerned. Some of my most productive hours have been in the early hours of the morning, where others have been into the night. I’m just funny that way.

21. What is your shoe size?

12 – at times I’ve been accused of being like a penguin with me big feet, but I is happy with what I have.

22. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?

None whatsoever … at this time … to share … with you … yet

23. What did you want to be when you were little?

Bigger. I believe my job dreams were journalist and lawyer. I might have wanted to be a detective as well, but that didn’t last long. The main ones were those first two.

24. How are you today?

I am in fair spirits. It has been a weird day today involving many different emotions and sentiments, but I sit here at 22:00 listening to some good preaching about the miraculous work of God in making a new creation out of that which was dead and I am grateful that He would extend such a grace to me.

25. What is your favourite flower?

This question always sounds better spoken that written cos then I can crop up with the quip of plain or self-raising! In any case I’m not really fussed about flowers. I don’t have a particular favourite and will not be tasked with the challenge of plumbing the depths of my head and flower-kind to discover what I like in that area.

Right enough of that for now – more on the way in a blog entry coming to you soon. Cos the more you get to know me, the less you can say you don’t know me – and that’s a good thing, right? Right?

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Will He Find Faith?

I could have left the blogging to that this evening, but there was a bugging issue that I made a note of, that I thought would be well leaving as a note on a blog like this.

You ever have those times when you’re reading a scripture and you’re asking the question, ‘Why is God asking that question?’

"Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:6-8)

I’d like to hear what Jesus is meaning by this rather awkward question. For here He is talking about persistent prayer and how the God of all justice will speedily execute justice on behalf of those He has chosen. The issue is not the character of God, the issue is the character of those who claim to follow Him, those who claim to believe in Him and believe Him.

The immediate context would not suggest that Jesus has any desire to answer that question and leave it hanging there almost as a challenge to believers as to whether or not they will persist in prayer for the things of God.

The reason for this note in particular, is because during prayer this evening this song ‘These Are They’ popped up to put things in the larger perspective of why we do what we do. I then considered how our lives are measured by the standard of Christ – Old Testament being about the Jesus to come, Gospels being about the Jesus come and the rest of time being about the wait of the Jesus to come. In the light of that then, the issue for me as a believer is whether or not I’ll be in a position of eager expectation for His return.

Will I be about the business for which He’s called me – proclaiming and demonstrating the Kingdom come and will done on earth as the heavenly pattern dictates? Will I be passionate about seeing people dedicate their lives to the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world?

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Getting To Know Me Part 1

Someone called me a friend in an email I read recently. Yeah, honestly, me – a friend. I was surprised too. So this was one of those emails that ask loads of questions about things to find out about you. At first I was going to reply to the email … then I thought, nah. Then I thought … better still why don’t I blog my answers. So having not had a third thought since then here is the beginning of the answers to those questions. There were quite a few of them, so it didn’t make sense to place them all here, especially as though some of my answers reflect my usual approach to making a story out of a sentence!

1. What time did you get up this morning?

8.35am. My usual waking up time is earlier and ideally I’d even prefer to get up at about around 6 or 7am. I would be up around that time when the children get back to school, but for now, with the transition at work and other factors that is the time I got up today.

2. Watches or Rings?

Watches. Although to be fair I have a ring, but no watch! That’s only because it’s the ring I got when I got married. Not really been fussed for jewellery really. Never saw the need – still don’t to a large extent, whereas a watch has a function!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

G.I. Joe. Disappointing, very disappointing.

4. What is your favourite TV show?

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (the ones with Goren and Eames especially). I’ve written about them elsewhere. Other than that I’m not really a television man – only because I got my quota in when I was a lot younger!

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?

Fresh Air. I’ve not got into the discipline of having a slap-up breakfast until recently with me Mum and all. When she goes I’m not sure if I’ll get into the discipline, but I do see it’s merits, as I’ve written before.

6. What is your nick name?

Don't have one really, only me wife calls me CD from time to time, not that I answer to it all the time, you understand.

7. What food do you dislike?

Egg and cheese in particular. I would have started a society against especially cheese but because of the harassment I would have received, death threats, persecution, rejection and sponsorship by Edam I just thought it was not worth my while. But be in not doubt, I am still a cheese-hater!

8. What is your favourite CD at the moment?

CD? As in that thing from which you can often receive audio entertainment? Man, I don’t use a CD no more? Why when most of my music is on me laptop which is the only source from which I get me music and I can set up playlists that will last a lot longer than what a CD would manage. Sure I have to endure my wife’s impression of good music when I’m in the car, but that’s the Lord teaching patience and endurance and exhibiting gifts of the Spirit. Nah, man, CD is so not me at the moment.

9. What kind of car do you drive?

I have not learned to drive. I have not taken the theory test or practiced for it. I have no intention of doing so either at this time. However, the car I would have driven ideally had I bothered would have been a five-door black Golf GTI. Recently I’ve also been interested in driving a Ford Focus – black as well obviously … and five door as well, obviously.

10. Favourite sandwich?

Sandwiches? Seriously. Man what kind of questionnaire is this? I am not into sandwiches friends, I find them to be pathetic efforts at satiating the craven ravenous hungers of a man like meself, especially those limp pieces of dry bread between which are put in an assortment of equally pathetic condiments. However, I have been convinced of the power of Subway and they have proper filling ‘sandwiches’. As you may have gathered by now I can be an awkward so and so, but when I’m at Subway, despite the extortionate prices, I enjoy indulging in a 12” Veggie Pattie with corn, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and a Thousand Island dressing. Typing that reminds me of how long it’s been since I last had it. That should be some indication of two things – how busy I am and how much money I have – remember those (three figure plus) donations by cheque should be made payable to Mr. Christopher Dryden. All donations will be graciously received.

11. What characteristic do you despise?

There is a good question. Wilful ignorance is one I’m put off by. Bullying superiority complexes are also a particular pain in the neck.

12. Favourite item of clothing?

A recently purchased pair of black jeans. I’m not really fussed about my clothing as the fashion police have pointed out to me on a number of occasions, but I did need a new pair of jeans and having waited so long for it I was overjoyed to be getting my mitts on it. I have been a blue jeans man of late, but I felt it was time for a change and so plumped for the black look. It turned out to be an inspired choice for once and has made the ever growing frame that bit svelter and that cannot be a bad thing can it?

OK more questions and answers in the next entry where among other things you can find out when my birthday is, my most memorable birthday (and when you say it, it can sound like you’re mumbling!), and whether I make friends easily! That and some actual stuff worth knowing about me in a blog to come soon!

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Have You Checked Yourself Recently

Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong-- then guide me on the road to eternal life. (Psalm 139:23, 24 MSG)

Have you had a good look at yourself lately? I mean really? Recently I was reminded of the power and importance of praise. Praise allows me to start any conversation from a perspective beyond myself. I do not claim to have divine insight, but what I do have is acknowledgement of the divine as the basis for my behaviour. Linking praise with fasting is natural because as we’ve seen fasting is desperately seeking God and one way to express that desperation is reminding yourself of who He is as revealed in His Word. This reminds us that despite our best efforts we are always scratching the surface of knowing the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal and loving One. That desire though is ultimately fulfilling as nothing else can be as we engage with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

The splendour of engaging in relationship with God and learning more about Him is how He highlights issues about us. The nature of these revelations is not for shame and embarrassment but for realisation of some very real things about us and out complete dependency on God to define us. Sometimes for as much as I love God He desires holiness in me and so uses opportunity after opportunity to uncover some real dark issues about my character. That goes back to the question of whether you’ve checked yourself lately.

You know I used to console myself that although there were one or two faults I wasn’t that bad. Jesus loved me and that’s all that mattered. The issue of holiness puts things in a different light. Even recently I saw just how my character is in desperate need of God’s love. My capacity for being judgemental and having a proud approach to situations and people is disgusting but acceptable because it’s done in a sophisticated style. It’s done through sarcasm or biting quips and one-liners. It’s done through behaving in a way that gives others the impression that they are stupid or of little value. It’s done by believing when I get angry and annoyed that people no longer have the worth they did. It’s especially expressed when I feel hard done by. I can sympathise with Paul who expressed how wretched he was because of the struggle that goes on inside.

The best example in which the uglier aspects of my character are seen is in the issue of forgiveness. When I feel as though someone has slighted me that’s something that I can get over, but when someone offends me the hardest thing in the world is to forgive them. It is so easy to remember the wrong they did, the immaturity they showed, the carelessness, the stupidity, the hurt and pain, loss and at times perceived personal devastation. That sense of betrayal hits at the core of my being. In that very transaction I become everything that I loathe the most to justify my feeling of injustice.

I am good at recounting all the evidence in my favour and against the guilty party and how that then makes it only fitting that they pay for the greatest crime of all – hurting me to such an effect. As I get wrapped up in myself room for the character of grace and mercy is scant and that means little room for God. Little room for God is every room for the other guy and before you know it things get ugly and whenever I think of the person and the incident the vile, bile upsurges from the gut. Now that would be bad enough but it also disfigures my personality.

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:33, 34)

This is where the character of God comes into His own and the deliverance aspect of His personality comes to the rescue. This is where the cross becomes all important. In the cross I am reminded I have no right to be offended. Now of course just because I don’t have the right doesn’t mean I cannot do it, it just means I do not have the right. I do not have the right, because when the one Man who would have every right to be offended had His opportunity to be offended His response spoke of forgiveness. His response spoke of mercy. His response spoke of reconciliation proving once and for all that love conquers all. I am a recipient of that love because if anyone has the right to be offended He does every time I betray Him in sinning. Every time I hurt the relationship in the betrayal of sin and self-seeking rather than honouring the relationship we have. He has the right to be offended, but He continues to express those same traits of mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Not only does He express it, but then He enables me to be able to express that to those who have wronged me. Despite my efforts at justifying holding a grudge and staying offended, despite me having the file that shows how right I am and how wrong they are, in the name of love I have to destroy that file and rather look to retrieve whatever I can from the relationship. What is more important my sense of being right or my sense of restoring relationship?

This is not about excusing wrong or failing to challenge dangerous behaviour. What it is about is choosing moments to help people grow and doing it from a position of mercy and grace rather than the heavy-high-handed position of piety that it’s easy to take especially when I’ve been bruised and hurt.

Now this takes time, the hurts are real, the pain is great, but God’s grace and forgiveness of me is greater. There is nothing that any individual could do to me that the accumulated sins of humanity could do to the Son of God and what I do in sinning. Releasing them in forgiveness works in a smaller way to the effect Jesus gives all the time in being true to His promise that if I confess He is faithful to forgive and cleanse. Now even if the wounding party is oblivious to their position, it is my responsibility to follow the Way of the Master.

It is a responsibility I am able to exercise only because the Son has given His Spirit and as I am filled with Him, I am able to exercise His gifts and produce His fruit of which are qualities that give no room for such bitter, negative things as keeping offense. That is thus the prayer I have as God shines His light in my character and replaces the dross with His Son’s righteousness and takes me along the paths of character formation that reflects His own.

In all this the truth is, Jesus loves me and that’s all that matters.

(See also Matthew 18:21-35)

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd