Blog Notes and Reader Reflections

Here are some things I’ve noted from what I’ve seen around the web today.

In the season of leadership it’s refreshing to see this particular approach in the classic I don’t want to tell you something that I am going to tell you so I am going to tell you.

This is a good message for those who take bible reading lightly. I am obviously in complete agreement to the findings.

Tim Chester finds the time to lead a church, lead a family, blog regularly and write another book. So you see what I’m aiming for, eh? Well at least in terms of writing a book … and blogging regularly.

So we’re looking to be a church in the city, but what about the church of the city. Of course I’m talking more than a single denomination or expression dominating things. I’m talking about engaging with the conversation that Alan talks about here with the trans-congregational church. Along with the multi-cultural community of grace this is a pursuit worth going on in as much as it can be explored.

The Simple Pastor has an interesting web-site because he’s managed to get it to do quite a lot of things for a blogger account. He also asks the intriguing question of the blogs followed with something like Google Reader. So it’s worth making a record of what I read:

6 News feeds – five are from BBC News
29 Missional Feeds – some overlap between them (i.e. Driscoll, Mars Hill and Resurgence)
13 Media Feeds
54 Gospel Feeds
42 Football Feeds – including some overlap like Sky Sports and BBC Football
24 Church Feeds

Giving a total of 168 feeds. Reminds me of the episodes of how many hours of television we watch in a week. I obviously skim over most of the blog entries, but tend to make a note and link to outstanding entries.

Being still relatively new to it I’m not on top of the blog sorting yet. When I was younger so much younger than today and didn’t need anybody’s help in anyway it turned out that I could do with quite a bit of help actually. Our English class did an exercise where we all calculated how many hours of television was viewed in a week. Various answers came from the friends around me – 12, 7, 6, 5, one person obviously didn’t have a television and then there was the spectacular 20 hours. Mug that I was and a sad one at that (in hindsight) I had noting better to do with my time and so having calculated it on a number of occasions it came up the same answer. I watched 36 hours of television a week. Unsurprisingly I’m not so much of a big fan of television these days and have got it under control to a large degree. Obviously this is because of the advent of the Internet, laptop and Google Reader which now takes up a considerable part of my time. I’m currently subscribed to 168 feeds ranging from topics like media, gospel, football, church, news and mission.

For all that, what prevents me from being glued to the laptop catching up on the latest from Mark Driscoll, Marvel Comics, John Piper, Liverpool Football Club, Dave Bish, Dr. Who, Adrian Warnock, BBC News, Prodigal Jon and The Simple Pastor, et. al. is that I have a wife who needs a husband, children who need a father, a church that needs a brother, an employer who needs an employee and a Saviour that calls me to follow Him. So there are good checks and balances in place to let me know when I get over the top and is always willing to bring me back to some of the other valuable investments in my life. Living life to the full for me includes catching up on why Liverpool won’t win the league and how amazing the love and grace of the Father is to me online. It also includes sharing this life to the full with others in the flesh and sharing some of the findings online with human touch relationships. It’s by no means a perfect balance as yet, but I sometimes reflect on how pointless it would be to have godly men positively influencing me to follow Christ only to idolise a gift given to benefit the process of following Christ. So I try to keep a good measure on things – but that’s the whole reason why I endeavour to seek God’s wisdom to give me a good balance in life.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

Proverbs 3 - The Wonders of Wisdom in Women

Here are some brief notes through the chapter

Verses 1-4 – Reiteration of the need to retain at the deepest core of our being the wise instructions of the father to benefit from life.

Verses 5-8 – The basis of the advice is complete dependence on God with 100% focus on Him and His way so as to ensure health is a reality for us all over.

Verse 9, 10 – Expressing that trust and dependence by giving Him the very best of what we have accrued and thus ensuring the reciprocation and multiplication principle.

Verses 11, 12 – This is a theme that would be repeated in Hebrews that discipline is not something to be bitter about, but should be recognised for what it is, the heartfelt expressing of compassion and care for the child that only a loving Father can express.

Verses 13-18 – Lady Wisdom highlighted as someone to doggedly chase after more than anything else because of that which she has to offer which is priceless in value

Verses 19, 20 – The vaunted position of Lady Wisdom saw her at the very creation shaping that which is.

Verse 21-26 – Due acknowledgement and acceptance of this track record will stop sleepless nights and assure safe journeys in the right direction

Verses 27-31 – Due acknowledgement also wards you away from the negative behaviour and influences that can steer you away from doing good towards a more devious approach

Verse 32-35 – The summary points again bears out how God will sort out those who seek Him but will devastatingly sort out those who go the other way. The phrase ‘the devious person is an abomination to the Lord’ had me thinking about what else was an abomination to Him. It also had me reflecting on God’s grace to me because I would be classed in that category before. Thank God for Jesus and the life that comes through Him.

And here are some expanded thoughts.

I have admired women since I could admire anything. The significant figures in my upbringing were mostly women. The dominant characters in my upbringing were mostly women. My mother and sister played critical parts in my formative years. When I got a rebuff from the first approach I made to a girl at the age of 12, the rejection set so deeply that I never asked another girl out until the woman that turned out to be my wife almost ten years later.

In the interim period the fail-safe mechanism meant that I could approach friendships with women free from any fanciful notions that it could be anything more than friends and that meant I could spend time just listening to them and expressing admiration and encouragement to them. That meant a lot of time was spent looking for and celebrating admirable qualities in women.

I’m not saying I was completely pure especially in the troublesome later years where certain incidents led to certain undesirable experiences. Yet for all those experiences my stance with engaging with women was as much as possible respectful and courteous. My dad had a similar charming approach to women which made him easy in their company whilst remaining secure in his marriage. When he left Wellingborough and England the sadness in the church sisters was palpable – a great testimony in itself to the integrity and compassionate service he gave to his church community. I’ve endeavoured to take a leaf from his book in that regard.

These thoughts spring to mind when I particular reflect on Proverbs 3:11-18. In was just looking at the depiction of wisdom as a lady. Here she is far more precious than anything material and whose benefits are so enriching they are worth pursuing wholeheartedly for the rest of life’s days. I can testify that in the short time I’ve been married (five and a half years) the best times have come when I’ve sought to pursue Authrine as the precious person she is and the positive Christ-like qualities that shine through her. When that happens, the pleasantness and peace associated with wisdom herself are real benefits that I receive.

Not in anyway deifying my wife to the status of wisdom incarnate, but recognising that I benefit when I see her as someone embodying wisdom herself in her connection with Christ. This takes the desire and attraction to her from the physical and heightens it to the spiritual. When she practices this more often through encouragement good things ensue. This beats viewing and treating women as objects of lust or caterers of various menial pleasures.

I am blessed to get on with a number of women and I see this in them and for those who are single it is a crying shame that men miss these qualities and they search the elusive all-inclusive package not appreciating that when you can identify and celebrate these qualities as well as pursue them faithfully and honourably then they can benefit in ways beyond their comprehension.

This pursuit of course goes beyond the relationships between men and women and extends to the human pursuit for real life. If they only moved away from the material and sought after the eternal it would so enrich their appreciation of the material whilst treating these as lightly as they should be.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

Proverbs 2, Sir Fred Goodwin and the Devil’s Dilemma

Here is just a thought about the Sir Fred Goodwin situation.

I still think it is absolutely ridiculous that a man responsible for leading a bank as it spiralled out of control to the point of having to be taken over by the government gets a whopping huge pension. That is morally wrong. However, if those are the terms of the contractual arrangement that has been made, who can justifiably intervene in that case? Can the government really back up their case of forcing the brother to hand back the money? Is that even right?

The concern I have is that this could set a dangerous precedent based on the government taking it upon themselves to selectively be the moral arbitrator in such situations. The danger of that is who are the government to behave in such a manner? That’s why if there are issues with the exorbitant amount fat cats get it should be addressed by the proper structures within the company and the culture of the business world that allows such excesses to happen in the first place.

I am not convinced that there is any way in which the government can sort an issue without addressing the root of the problems. It appears to me that this is the case and because the heart of the matter is not being addressed or even being seen to be addressed then this witch-hunt of Goodwin is another cynical political ploy to win political points. That’s just a thought. (I write this note later because it so happens that I come across this article which would make it appear as though Mr. Brown is back-tracking somewhat.)

Today is Proverbs 2 and I’m fascinated by the opening rejoinder by the writer. I was reading the ESV and noted the following:

Verses 1-4: Receive words; treasure commandments; making ear attentive; inkling heart; call out; raise voice; seek like silver; search as for hidden treasure. The quest for wisdom knowledge and understanding has to be taken very seriously indeed.

Verses 5-8: Benefit A of the quest – fear and knowledge of God; He is the source of wisdom, knowledge and understanding; it’s all there waiting for those who want it and protecting those who follow it

Verse 9-11: Key life values (righteousness, justice, equity (I wonder what this word is meant to mean), right direction) understood properly as you get them and enjoy them and their protection

Verse 12-15: The protective mechanisms are put in the light of the various predators that would seek to dismantle the individual – like those who neglect these ways and promote opposing values.

Verse 16-19: The protection given by wisdom is highlighted against the adulteress whose ways are so bad that whoever is ensnared in her ways are doomed.

Verse 20-22: Like Psalm 1 this is a summary point of the benefit of following wisdom when we really pursue it and the devastating end of those who oppose it.

Finally for the blog today here is a marvellous portrayal of the devil’s dilemma.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

The Lord's Prayer

I can't say I'm always focussed on the task at hand. Sometimes I am distracted and put off by other concerns and pressing matters that seem to dominate. That's why prayer is so important to me - as conversation with God and actively engaging in a way that allows me to clear all the clutter and just focus on Him. This significant prayer puts everything into its perspective and reflects love for God and others as the vital foundation on which life is based for the glory of His great name and to see His kingdom come.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

How Can I Manage?

I’ll probably be in a better position to give a review of February after tomorrow, when I intend to prayerfully look back on what kind of month it’s been and the lesson learnt.

For now I want to point out the new series beginning on me other blog as well as a brief update on future developments for the blogging and other e-activities. As you would have noticed there have been one or two changes in me blogging portfolio but here are some explanations. First of all, February saw the beginning of Life Journey Notes taking over where Daily Thoughts left off.

Where Among Friends is concerned I am slowly transitioning from Blogger to WordPress. I am grateful for Blogger especially in starting me off on the whole buzz so long ago. I’ve been viewing WordPress for some time and as you know I’ve been a bit more active with the StokeCOG blog. I am impressed with what features and functions are on there and now I’m seriously considering what that could mean for the other blogs. This is a work in review and updates will be given as and when possible. There maybe some significant changes by the end of the month.

I was really pleased with the number of inputs over the month of February which built well on the start to the year in January. I trust that March will continue the theme as I intend to make the most of the opportunities to write and develop the craft.

Over on LJN I’m starting a new series based on journeying through the book after Psalms over this month. Titled March Through Proverbs every day is looking at each chapter in this book on wisdom to get just that – wisdom. Wisdom is becoming all the more critical in my life at present. I am noticing that I’m not managing everything well and feel that to be effective and productive in all aspects of my life good management is key. Good management comes from being able to know what to do and when. Being able to know what to do and when based on information at your disposal and a good understanding at any given time is a good definition of wisdom. James later on gives the assurance that if I’m lacking in wisdom then I can ask God who is only too willing to generously download a substantial portion. I need it – I’m asking for it and as life would have it God has given this opportune time to go through this book and reconnect with Him to be wise in the ways of the world.

In a world where management is a hot topic especially in the arena of my favourite sport – football – the parallels with my life are only too apparent. I have time, skills, money, relationships, responsibilities and other resources that I must use properly in order to bring out the desired outcome for the benefit of many and importantly the glory of God. I recognise some aspects could do with more prayer and more considered and proactive applications. So it won’t be just a case of writing the posts, but monitoring the different incremental changes that I go through in life to manage things better, like my time and my priorities.

My life cannot be a case of the tail wagging the dog and with various pulls on my life it can often feel the case, but a new day has dawned and the God of all wisdom is waiting to lead me to a better way of doing things.

I use this chance to mention I’m actually happy about Manchester United winning the League Cup. Neither am I surprised that Liverpool have actually lost a League match for the first time since November seriously denting their chances of winning the league and promptly being overtaken on goal difference by Chelsea. I look at the league table now and feel that it makes more sense – it’s a lot more realistic. The race for 4th place is looking interesting and I hope Aston Villa can hold on despite the recent result.

The reason why I’m happy for Manchester United is because it is only right that the best team win the trophies if they are able to do so. I’m not convinced that this United side or squad is the best in their history, but they are definitely ahead of their domestic rivals. I don’t mind if they become the first side to do the domestic treble. I doubt if they will do the quintuple, because the result against Inter actually did the Italian side a favour more than United. If they had scored an away goal they would have the upper hand. Now Inter go back and play at United, knowing they can afford to play a tight game at Old Trafford, and should they score an away goal it would put the cat amongst the pigeons. It is by no means a foregone conclusion and even if they dispatch of the Serie A leaders there are far too many quality sides still left in the competition.

Although Liverpool is seriously underachieving in the League, Rafa knows his way around the Champions League and we would pose more of a threat. As for the league, I’m not downhearted at all because it is something I was expecting. To hear Rafa talk about not scoring enough goals and that being a problem is so daft an observation by a man whose system of football and team selections and formations never convinced anyone of scoring tons of goals. We will flatter to deceive again this season because of his obstinate take on team selection.

That’s life and bad management though, and it’s for me to learn from these errors and make sure whether it’s with a team that I’m a part of or in my own private life I similarly don’t mess up in terms of making the right selections. Back round to the whole need for wisdom.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd