Be Provocative about our Joy

Last night we shared a simply brilliant evening as an Explore group (our name for small groups in X1). The intimacy and unity we shared as 12 people was sublime. At X1 we push this area of church community almost relentlessly - sadly it flies in the face of both a consumerist and individualistic mindset so the message is ignored in many quarters - because of moments like last night. Sunday mornings and just having dinner with one other or another couple you "like" do not offer what we shared last night.

We're going through the X1:01 content as a group; content we are hoping as a leadership will introduce people to X1's ethos, vision, mission, and philosophy of ministry. Some of it is purposefully provocative and a brief paragraph in last night's topic, "How Can I Live for Jesus?" was precisely that. Here it is:

"It is critical that a new believer who has recently come to faith in Christ understands that this is life as humanity was intended to live. Jesus promised that He came to grant abundant life to his followers. He stated that rivers of living water would flow within them. He also declared that as we live a life of obedience, inspired by the wonderful intimacy with God that is ours as a Christian, He would abide with us and cause us to live a fruitful, joy-filled life."

Why is this paragraph even in X1:01? Well it is there for three reasons really

1) Joy-filled, abundant-life faith is the sole message of Christ regarding his followers.
2) Sadly few believers are portraying this reality. I think this is primarily due to the contemporary Christian misinterpretation of the context of joy. We think it should be my devoid of sorrow, pain & suffering but the biblical picture is that it is joy in the midst of sorrow, pain & suffering.
3) Joy is contagious, freeing and powerfully evangelistic.

So, what does your 'living for Jesus' look like? You may retort that I do not know the pain which you suffer, to which I simply allow the author of Hebrews speak, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross ..." (Hebrews 12:2) Speaks powerfully.

A Little More on 'Paradox'

This past Sunday while taking time to speak to the people of X1 after a week filled with the sorrow, awakening, and reality of one of our dear saints I felt it necessary to attack a heresy that I feel plagues contemporary Christianity.

I quoted one of my fantastic professors from the University of Nottingham called Conor Cunningham - a man I stated has "a mind the size of Nottingham", one of those individuals whom you encounter at an intellectual level and have to use the words of Wayne and Garth (Wayne's World), "You big, me small!" - who noted that, "All heresy is birthed from an inability to live with paradox."

One of the legends at our church felt it necessary to ask me to further explain paradox after the sermon. So here's a quick help for all I hope.

The definition of Paradox is thus: A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
The primary paradoxes of the Christian faith are Christological (fully God, fully man in one being) or Trinitarian (Three persons in one) and the major heresies in Christian history are offshoots of these two - there are of course many more.
But the heresy I was highlighting is that of a demand for the "yet to be realised" promises of glory for Christian saints to be absolutely necessary and realised in our everyday life now.
This comes from an inability to live with the paradox of the "now and not yet" (this may not in fact strictly be a paradox by definition but I considered it one for the sake of the message) reality of life as followers of Jesus today.

The context was that the godliest among us suffer and die, those most worthy of long life die at a young age, those most unworthy of death are those attacked by this venomous foe with complete effect in a totally untimely manner.
We must live with paradox. O yes, and we must be those willing enough to live with it that we shout down the pathetic heresies that may be mouthed by those nearest to us who have bought into some quasi-truth without measuring it against the absolute truth of biblical revelation.

Simon

Death: 'Sting' and 'Effect'

Today is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the day in which we in the United Kingdom are to experience the greatest amount of light in a twenty four hour period. Although for a precious family whom, like me, are from the Southern Hemisphere this day will most certainly be long, very long, but there will be not much light in their life. Why, you might ask. Today the Chemabus family lost their daddy, husband and friend. Today the darkness of death descended upon such a light-filled family. This dear man and his family were unequivocally the most God-loving family I have had the joy to encounter. His life radiated the love of God and was permeated by an 'aura' of one who was Enoch-like in his being constantly with the Lord.

You may rightfully question the apparent gloom with which I have written above. The often accusative finger would point out that surely we Christians are those who should be most full of hope when one whom we love has passed. Can I respond by saying a resounding "yes and Amen" to that! I, his lovely wife, my wife, my co-elder and the beautiful X1 church family will boldly proclaim with valiant assurance that our dear friend is resting in peace indescribable, and is filled with joy unimaginable in the presence of his dearest friend and most loving brother the lord Jesus Christ. NO ONE else has this hope, hope is Christianity's sole prerogative and we will stand in that. Death for us followers of Christ has "lost its sting." But...

Death has not lost its effect. One whom we embraced, one who always charged us to pray, who was an ever-present at every occasion in the life of this family of God's people, one who encouraged many with relentless energy, one who brought immense joy and strength to his wife and family is no longer with us. This rests with rightful sombreness upon us. I think we can often kid ourselves that we deserve in some sense that pain and sorrow and loss shall never come our way because we 'love Jesus.' But that, if I may be forthright, is downright stupid, shallow and in no way reflects truth. Hope is the mighty measure of our faith precisely because we live in a world which is real, broken, and saturated with pain within which we need such hope.

So we rest in hope - the sting of death is hopelessness, apathy, end - but we grieve, we reflect, we contemplate and, and what, we pray and love with deed not just word.

Rest in Peace my dear brother Humphrey Chemabus, I wait with great expectancy till the day we shall meet again. Until then I will seek to be as prayerful and Godly as you, because you were always a model of that to me!

Simon

New Home

So the LJ family have finally moved into their own home. That is not necessarily true I feel I need to state to all, "You need to own a home to be somewhat human" fanatics, as the bank certainly owns a more significant portion of it than my wife and I. But we are now actually paying off a mortgage which apparently is a good state in which to be in the UK.

I've not ever been a homebuyer type of guy and in fact it has been a major part of the marriage narrative between my wife and I that I've had the view that I've had. I think growing up somewhere like Zimbabwe and leaving your home with a couple of suitcases and some cash - twice! (I left America the same way) - causes you to place minimal emphasis on owning your own property. One is delighted with 'having a ceiling over your head' rather than actually owning said ceiling. But, there is a state of peace that has come upon us as a family even in these early days that is different to what I've felt before and I must admit I enjoy it.

There is always the latent 'concern' in my heart that having such an investment will in someway hinder a radical openness to the total-life-giving call of God, but I guess I need to trust that my love for Him, inspired by His great love for me will serve to powerfully undermine even a 'love' for something as significant as my own home. I hope so.

Back to Blogging

So, as you most likely would have guessed I have taken a totally unacceptable extended break from blogging of late. Multiple factors have contributed to this aside from the laziness of which you are rightfully accusing me.

Firstly, is the transition from two to three children - wow! Several people had informed us that this transition would make a significant impact to our lives and whoa were they spot on. It doesn't help in any way whatsoever that our 11 month old is as energetic, life-filled and active as the older two. Two kids were something we seemed to be able to handle individually as husband or wife quite well on our own but three seems to have pushed us over some organisational cliff-edge and we are still adapting 11 months in. Secondly, we've moved about three times in 12 months, not fun, unsettling and certainly quite demanding. Thirdly, is that I have been putting a HUGE number of reading hours into a Masters Degree in Theology, Philosophy and Literature at the University of Nottingham - more of the fruit of that to come I assure you. Finally, is the demands of leading a church all the while longing to be a faithful, time-giving husband and dad. That balance is an ongoing transition for me and some of the things I was able to incorporate early on I've not given the time I've wanted to in order to focus on my one and my three.

I hope to be back on now, and I hope to really get to putting stuff up here that will be a blessing, challenge, inspiration and insight to all that dare to give it the time.

Blessings
Simon

Balance

First week of a New Year so, like many, I am thinking about the year ahead and what that would hold for me as an individual. I don't think that we as Christians should be individuals that start each year with half-hearted resolutions that only last the first days of the year. But the dawning of a new year is certainly a time where we can take stock and decide upon the areas of our lives that need adaption in some way in order to be more Christ-like - that is the overarching goal of our Faith! To be so much more like Christ in every way in our closing days then in the beginning. If there is a change in the opposite direction we can be sure that there is an area of our life that is not under submission to His Lordship and not being led by the inner working of His Spirit.

In the early years of my faith I would focus on one of the key fruit of the Spirit or a spiritual habit as an underlying theme for my focus on the year. Prayer, Humility or others, sure you know what I mean. This year I have really just lingered on the concept of balanced living. My thoughts on this have always been governed by several things:

1) The impetus of the Wisdom literature towards this concept
2) An Edwardian awareness of the inherent link between our Spiritual health & our mental, physical, or 'soul' health.
3) Personal maturity as a man heading towards mid thirties.

I see that a balanced life submitted to the Lordship of life avoids so many unhelpful extremes - inferior, impure sub-standard Spirituality or the other superior, self-righteous, legalistic super spirituality. Extremism is a mark of spiritual immaturity (don't sit there saying, "Well what about extreme devotion, extreme love?" You know what I mean).
We must balance every area of life - I laugh as I recall a recent comment by a leader I truly respect. He said, "Sometimes an hour of body-refreshing nap is better for me than an hour of prayer, if you know what I mean." I know exactly what he means and have seen the detrimental overflow of many who would never admit this or even dare embody this.

balance, I'm going to give it a go...
Simon

For those who haven't seen her yet!

The wife is off running, yeah I do feel guilty but keep it down would you, Malachi is swimming with his uncle so I decided to bring the new LJ down to the office to watch me as I work. I am preparing a document for those who are being Baptized at X1 to read through and to discuss in a group tonight- so excited about that.

But I know a ton of you good friends out there are moaning at me for not getting a picture of Madison Shae out there for you to see, so here is a humble attempt. Excuse the old bloke.

SImon

Contentment Redefined

March 24th 2009 and my understanding of 'contentment' was redefined. I got the phone call at 12.56AM. They said don't rush, AS IF! I jumped in the car, gave a quick call to the Mother in Law to say, "It's on!" Got to the hospital at 1.12AM and there was more than enough evidence that things were going crazy- my wife's pain contorted face. Yip, my second little child was finally (my wife was already 12 days overdue, this little one loved it where it is all nice and warm and cosy) deciding upon making an appearance for mum and dad.

The next 3 hours (yes ladies who have had children, three hours, have a go at her not me) are, I believe, the biggest journey into understanding, or having a glimpse of, the sublime that contemporary humanity may still have. The delivery, and all that surrounds it, of a new born baby. It is an unbelievable experience.

I could not confine my joy when I realized that the glorious creator God had blessed me with a daughter. It was a huge surprise and a moment that will mark me for ever. I now have a beautiful baby boy and a stunning little girl and I just cannot come to grips with the contentment I feel.

Contentment, for me has been redefined.

Thank you Gracious King!

Simon

A Dash of the Poet In Me!

Turmoil arises, the soul squirms;
Tossed inwardly by a veiled winter gale.
Flowers fail to bud when scorched,
Scorched by the sun within a dark sky.
Nakedness clings like a coat of fur;
Barrenness baring fruit like spring harvest.
Lock the door opening into the grey room,
Cobwebs suspended, amidst the dust.
Eyes open only to discover blindness;
A raging battle fought by unnamed enemies.
The smog of past fires choking breath,
A deadness within more alive than death!

Genesis

Life seems to be all about beginnings. This is a beginning for me- the beginning of presenting my thoughts to a world that really may not want to know. This seems to be a risk that very few fear today. It may be that they think a lot of their musings, a kind of 'Of course the world wants to know' attitude. There are thoughts that count, thoughts that really count and then there are the thoughts of the one who really counts.
These are the thoughts of the one who thought before the word thought came into existence. In fact it was the speaking out of His thoughts that was Genesis- The Beginning. This is the one who possesses being within His very essence, unlike all of us who throw our thoughts on to this internet thingy who are all created, all with our own beginnings and ends while Him who lives without a Genesis of His own will have no end.
Anyway, there has been another beginning for me and this one of the most glorious ones I could ever be a part of. The beginning of fatherhood. Unto me a son was born some 6 Weeks ago- Malachi Jude a little 'Warrior prophet.'
This is something that I want to blog on often. For now the brith itself...
This may be one of the only remaining truly sublime experiences left to us as mankind. There are a lot of false ones, those presented by our modern consumeristic world, but they all fall short of this one that stands with purity in a category known as miraculous.
What a wonderful thing, a range of emotions that virtually leave you shattered, without anything 'left in the tank' so to speak. The joy, sorrow, pain, anger, frustration, wonder, excitement, love, concern, desire, expectation, and so much more. There is a thorough immersing in the event but also a radical disconnect as you do not get to be fully involved until that moment that the little one appears. Fragility, life, weakness, need, beauty, person appears and the heart is extended so to speak it gives birth itself to a whole new realm of love, an overpowering one as you and your beloved have a whole new avenue of expression as a couple extended towards this life that is from you. What a truly marvelous Genesis. Beginnings, rooted in Him who has no beginning. What a joy to participate and live life within His glorious reality and have beginnings of our own submitted to His glory and given by His startling grace!