Home Comforts

What is it about getting back home after you've been away. The words, "Ah it's great to be home," used to come off my folks' lips every time we returned from a holiday as I grew up and I can remember often thinking, "no it isn't I loved being on holiday in South Africa where you can get real sweets and awesome toys." Now I can fully identify with the root emotion that expressed those words all those years ago.

The LJ family have just returned from a simply lovely holiday in Brittany, France at a place called Moulin Begasse, near Meslan (click here for website). We were truly blessed to get the time away in a peaceful and idyllic setting encountering very little other than God's revelation of Himself both in nature and in personal communion (more on that in future blogs). But we're back and it is simply marvelous to be so. I don't fully get it but I felt it in a pronounced way as I prepared my morning cup of coffee.

As many know, and say, to my face actually, I am a rumoured 'coffee snob' - in other words I don't drink instant coffee and love to prepare filter coffee in a french press. Well I have a special and particular process of doing that which involves a particular mug, a defined amount of time heating that mug in the microwave prior to placing within the mug a certain number of sugar grains (I jest, but almost) and then after a well-worked-out-through-trial-and-error amount of time within my overused french press plunging the press and pouring the coffee. Yes, while doing this today I felt a surge of, "Ah it's great to be home."

I am sure there is something spiritual to it, and I would be the first to shout that I am a citizen of heaven and this is not my true home, but God seems to have instilled within us a longing for 'our place' where we know we are his definite 'under-shepherds' of that minimal, even minute, slice of His glorious creation.

Good to be back.

Simon

KISS & Preach

The family and I had the joy of traveling to the Isle of Wight for 6 days last week. We were blessed with the use of a Caravan belonging to a couple in the church. Oh, and when I say caravan, I mean something far more than the petty vehicles abused by Jeremy Clarkson and the boys on Top Gear. This was a fixed, three bedroom beast and it was very comfortable and accommodating.

Anyway, one of the essential elements of being away for me was to just be still and allow God to speak to me. I felt I needed it more at this time than I have on previous occasions as I think leading a work is more demanding than other roles I have had, so it leaves you a little emptied after 5 1/2 months. Time spent reading Martin Lloyd Jones on Preaching and Preachers, combined with good times in the two letters to Timothy in the NT drove home two vital things to me.

Firstly, preaching is unbelievably important and if one has the gift to use it to lead and feed Christ's people. I think I had begun to doubt the role of preaching in some very small manner. Maybe doubting my own gift and listening to too many voices instead of seeking to honor God by being His messenger of His truth to His people with His power and His anointing. I must invest in this more and not feel I am failing the people of God while I am investing in greater capacity and devotion in this area.

Secondly, K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. There are an infinite number of things that grab your attention and sap your energies as you lead a changing work. There are also a huge number of voices and opinions trying to inform you how to spend your time and what should be done. I felt the Lord just remind me to seek Him, to pursue my intimate relationship with Him and to listen to His voice. Also to flourish within my gifting and style and not to impersonate or deviate.

Make sure you give time to the voice of God, He does speak.

Simon