Monday 18 August 2008

16 Steps from Rome

I have a new project. On the advice of Eugene Peterson (of The Message fame) I'm going to try and tap into my creative side by writing some poetry. I'm reading Romans at the moment so I've decided to try and write a poem inspired by each chapter and see what the end result looks like. Here goes with the first offering...

No excuses.
Power so great that the world cannot keep the secret;
Naturally divine.
God-stained landscapes, God-stained seas, God-stained skies but top story - the God-man
The I.d. badge says 'David's'
He knew different and mercifully so now do we.
Good news, then, to start.

No excuses.
Truth known, Way and Life seen and accepted
We're good to go, right? I've got work to do, a name to make
God's frame; my fame. He'd like that I'm sure
Time for the clay to shine.

Taken for a ride by a local dealer and what an exchange rate!
Creator for created; Clarity for confusion; the Man upstairs for the boy next door
The loose change provides no comfort:
Soiled remnants that stain the pockets and spread like a disease.
So it's his fault why I'm like this!
Critcism rings hollow on thoughts of how I'd have responded.

Bad news, then, as it stands.

Saturday 9 August 2008

Goals

I thought it would be a good idea to sit down and work out some goals for my internship; not so I can give myself a mark out of 10 at the end, but so that I can focus in on what (I think) I'm supposed to be doing and make the most out of my time.

Here goes..

1. To serve: God, the church, our students - to practically live out the knowledge that my life should be a living sacrifice and that next to knowing (and therefore responding to) Christ, I can count all else as loss. I want to be living exclusively for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

2. To encourage all our students to be closer to God and live lives of radical discipleship.

3. To see an increase in 'unchurched' students across the city getting to know Jesus.

4. To develop my gifts as a leader through practical experience, observation of other leaders and in commitment to the leadership training material.

5. To have a stronger and more intimate personal relationship with God; one that is not sacrificed on account of doing too much 'church stuff'.

6. To 'see what the father is doing' and go and do it!


"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" - Galatians 3:3

I know it's only through the power of the Holy Spirit that any of this is going to happen. And I also know that when it's God's way, I can be sure that it's going to be 'immeasurably more than I could even ask or imagine, because of his power that is at work within me.' (Eph. 3:20) Bring it on!

Off and running.

I threatened to do it, and now I have. The blog is here.

I can't wait to get going properly. Summer so far has been one of preparation and I'm itching to get stuck into everything God's got for me back in Manchester.

I hope this blog will be useful for me - to help clarify my thoughts and focus in on things I might otherwise neglect. I also hope that if anyone does actually read this, they would enjoy it and be encouraged by hearing about what I'm up to.

And so in keeping with the current Olympic vibe - let the games begin!