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

A Brief Note On The Gospel: When A Plan Comes Together

It gives me great pleasure and I glorify God that with this post this year’s blog postings already exceeds the posts put up in the entirety of last year! It’s not even half way through February yet and God has allowed me to be faithful in this note-taking ministry. I trust that this is just the beginning of even greater consistency in posting insights as I get them and better ones as well as I co-operate with God through His Spirit.

I love the phrase ‘practicing Christian’. It suggests so much. It suggests that you’re actually putting things together for a proper performance. Secondly there is the element of actually like a doctor doing what you’re there to do – be a Christian. There’s a lot of timidity in some circles from professing being a follower of Christ. That’s understandable because it does come across as rather arrogant and proud to suggest that you are indeed a disciple of Christ. Yet for all that I profess to follow Jesus Christ. I fail often, but His grace allows me to eventually get over it and get back on the path for His Name’s Sake.

Part of that following sees me being given great opportunities to share and facilitate sessions to explore what it is to follow Jesus. We’re currently going through a 26 week series looking at the basics of belief and in that overall series we’re doing a trilogy on the tragedy to triumph story of the bigger picture of God’s plan of salvation. Last week as you know we looked at the bad news which left us on tenterhooks with just how bad the situation is. I’m a bit concerned by portrayals of Christianity that neglect the bad news. I’m not convinced by the ultra optimistic view of humanity that says that we’re alright really. The mission of Christ to humanity doesn’t make sense in that way of thinking.

I don’t need to make too much of the bad news – the reality of the world outside paints the picture so easily for me. The real delight is in the midst of that to present the good news. This is what we’ll be looking at tomorrow should God spare our lives and I’m getting really excited about it. I’ve had it in mind ever since the series began because it links with the theme of my heart for the last three years which has been about what is the gospel. I hope to post some of the notes and slides from the presentation at some point tomorrow evening, all being well.

What I wanted to do is share some of the very brief points that I’ve made that have formed the basis for the session – a basic outline of the plan of salvation. These notes are in line with my cultural connection which on this occasion is the 80’s cult classic – The A-Team where Hannibal Smith’s catchphrase was so appropriate – “I love it when a plan comes together.”

How the plan comes together

Father creates perfectly – culminating in Man created to reflect Him

Man disobeys and falls into sin, corruption and death – meriting the wrath of God

Father sends Son to live blamelessly – reflecting initial perfect image bearer

Son offers His life as the ransom/payment for sin – taking on God’s wrath

Father raises Jesus from dead by His Spirit

That Spirit is given to men to raise them from death to life by faith and repentance

That which was initially created perfect and corrupted, is seen as perfect again as it is processed to fulfil this picture of perfection

This is such an amazing and glorious picture of the real love of God that this is why He rejoices for every lost one who comes home and why we too should love for the joy of others returning and being shaped into the image of the loving, forgiving, redeeming, restoring, sanctifying and glorifying God. It’s good news to me and I trust it will be good news to you.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd