Words last year from a 93 year old lady who we bury tomorrow- wisdom comes with age

"Even though your work in the community seems slow to materialise, it really will make a difference.
Even small things are remembered for many years to come, helping in so many ways.
One will never know the extent of your Ministry."

written in a card to R.

So on friday I met the Queen, thanks to you!

This last Friday the Queen came to Harold Hill to open the new academy on the Hill.

The Academy opened 2 years ago, but the the key staff have been working on the Hill for the last three years. I was privileged to be invited to have lunch with the Queen, which I thought would mean I be in a room with around 100 others have a bit of grub! This was in fact the case, but the real surprise for me was that I was part of group of people invited to be introduced to her personally in the school staff room. There were five groups- school governors, some of the school staff, people from the local authority, the local primary heads and the builders/ architects of the new buildings.( I was placed with the local head teachers). I informed the Queen that we had done parenting courses and such in the school. I also informed her that my three children wanted me to tell her that they thought she was a wonderful Queen. ( Caleb asked me to say this and Alison and the kids saw her outside the school.) Over all it was an amazing experience and I'm very grateful to the staff at Drapers for the opportunity.

I could write so much more, but the point of writing this in a blog was not to brag, but  to say thank you.

Thank you for your support because I believe I was invited not because I was a local Minister- but because of the way we have worked with the school, and we have worked in this way because others have supported and released us and believed in us and our calling from God to be/live in this way.

When we think about the way we have worked with the school it has been marked out by being relational, willing to work with those families who others have, will to work long term, willing to be openly Christian but not forceful, willing to ask how are you and too listen.

Meeting the queen was amazing, but in a difficult week, it was such an encouragement to realise that the invitation to do so was an outcome of us trying to follow Jesus and live out the lifestyle values he has called us to live out.  Thank you for the support and encouragement to live in this way.

PS- I must say Steve T did loads of work in the school while he was part of the team, so it did feel a little like stealing his glory meeting her, but hey I'm not complaining.

PPS, I think I would call myself a royalist and Her Majesty was amazing, but i'm still a baptist- The church and state should be separated for a number of reasons, but I didn't think friday was the time to bring this up!!!

PPPS yes I did wear a suit and tie!

Thank you for helping us offer an alternative

To be honest i'm not often sure what we're up here on the Hill is making a big difference or not! ( cup half empty kind of week from me!) But you have those moments of realisation that actually some of what we are doing is massive, not because it's clever or 'new', but because it's offering an alternative.
A couple of moments from last week  highlighted this for me.  The main one must be the Ladies pamper night Alison hosts in our home, it's a alternative place for people to come into a place of peace/welcome/ acceptance. This alternative is a gift which Alison offers the Ladies and i believe does not go unnoticed. Jesus was often, if not always offering alternatives to all people, sometimes that alternative coursed great discomfort because it challenged sin and injustice. Other times it must have bought great comfort and hope- the God was with us and near.

I hope your week is a week of offering Kingdom building alternative to those around you.

If the Paralympics changed our perceptions & language around disability, what will change our language and perception of the poor?

So we had the as a family the privilege of attending several sessions at the Olympics and several sessions at the Paralympics. Both were mind blowing and incredibly challenging for all sorts of different reasons. It is now well documented and commented on how the Paralympics  have changed and inspired people to consider their views on disability, understanding what is to be human and who we interact and treat one another disabled or not.

We should not patronise disabled people, and see them only as nice needy people, who will always need help.  The Paralympics have surely reminded us that to just view someone through the lens of their disability is to restrict your understanding of what an incredible human being that person is and their potential and what resource they are for the rest of humanity.

The week after we had been to the Paralympics I had the privilege of attending a significant event on Harold Hill(which for obvious reasons I'm not going to say what was).

The language and attitude of many ( including local political leaders) towards people from Harold Hill was in many ways I think similar to "pre Paralympic" ( very simplistic but you understand what i mean) Caring, compassionate, full of pity, but lacked a sense of Harold Hill people have value and can make healthy positive contributions now. It felt to me as if people were saying they need to been fixed with our methods and understanding of what it is to be human.  We need to rescue them and make them like us. ( again very much generalisation of the views, but still representative i think. )

Last weeks bible passage from James 2 surely reminds us that the poor are rich in faith and many other ways. I personally can say that i'm a better husband, dad and church leader because if what i've learnt from my friends on Harold Hill.

 I would also say if rescuing people means fully integrating them into a capitalist society then I'm not sure that is actually rescuing anyone.

The nameless event was not at a church, but i wonder how different the mainstream view of the poor really in within the church too, it is pre or post Paralympic ?

would you pray this daily for us?

 We hope your looking forward to what Sept has in stall for your church, for those of us on the Hill we can't wait to see how God continues to shapes the little community here, but we need workers( Steve and Lauren left in July). So every day in sept we're praying the following prayer, will you join us in praying it daily with us?

"Father we thank You for Your call to those who serve Your kingdom on Harold Hill. You have given them so many opportunities to share the good news of Your Son, and yet they feel their hands are full to overflowing. We ask that Your Spirit nudge, speak and encourage others to join them and share in this kingdom work."

Mr Grey!

So it seems to me everyone and i mean everyone is reading Mr Grey and most of my mates on Harold Hill are seems to be enjoying the experience (Female mates that is!)
So as a follower if Jesus what should my response be? I did ask the question by twitter, but no one seem interested or had an answer.

So for what it's worth here are some thoughts from someone who has only read the 'contract' part of the book, but has had tons of banter with people who have!

• This is not new, earlier generations had mills and boon! 
• Is this a challenge to men to be engaging in sex that listens to what a woman wants?
• God loves sex, he made it and so I think Jesus would have an opinion on this. 
• The contract part of the book ( the contract is basically about the man owning the woman for sex as he wants it and when he wants it, without relationship or true commitment) made me think that this mirrors the unhealthy way so many men view their relationship with women, just without the contract.  
• Relationship based on this sort of one side contract, could work, but can't be healthy. It seems to my that most of the bible is about us understanding who God is and how to be in relationship with Him and the others around us, these relationships are based on giving for the benefit of the other, not just about taking. I'm not sure Mr Grey is in this for anyone other then himself. 
• It has been suggested to me that Mr Gray is teaching this lady what she really wants and maybe she(and those reading about their sex) are learning about sex, but can you really learn about the wonder of Sex without being in an truly commitment relationship? 
• Most worryingly is this book encouraging a view of sex which is not about sex but about victimising and violence towards women. I'd probably need to read it which i'm not going to do to be able to explained on this point more, but if it is about the abuse of women, even subtly then it's not healthy, women were made by God to mirror who He is not to be 'objects' owned by men!

Note to church leader types! 

• Why is the church so quiet about this book- we don't think sex is bad and our silence about a cultural event shows that yet again we're running behind the real lives of those we would love to know about Jesus and the hope He breathes into our relationships. And if this book is endorsing violence  against women then surely we should be speaking up! 

Kids pamper

Today we have a kids pamper party- letting kids know loved and made by God( while having fun) .