Good things

Dark chocolate with lime is really good.
So is Pete Murray live.

What Adolf and I have in common

Drinks, Chinese food, ice cream, good friends, good family. What more could a guy ask for?

Note to self...

Note to self- don't have coffee past 8pm on a Saturday night...hello! Im still wide awake! And bouncing!

An Ideal World

In an ideal world there would only be love
and no hate.
In an ideal world happiness
would be the only fate.
In an ideal world there would be
no Kosovo or Rwanda or Iraq or Pol Pot.
Only heroes. Ones that fight crime and fly,
like Superman.
Except (of course) there would be no crime
in my ideal world.
In my ideal world
A heart would never break
or grieve or ache.
Your heart would only get
that butterfly feeling.
The kind you feel when you go down a rollercoaster,
only better.
Equations would not need parameters or constants.
K-values would be a thing of the past.
So would accusing and cheating and gossipping and lying and regretting.
And crying.
But the lessons learnt would be there.
In my ideal world
childhoods continue.
So would the 1950's.
You’d have the naivety of a 6 year old
and the wisdom of one who realises that
my ideal world is not here.
Yet.

Warning- Sermons in Progress

I've loved getting into Mark's gospel today to think about the resurrection. I don't think I appreciated enough how Mark sees that the resurrection of Jesus floods in the kingdom of God. From the start of Mark's gospel, the coming of the kingdom of God has been anticipated until the end. Mark wants us to see that the resurrection of Jesus signals a new era- the long anticipated time has arrived at last. The kingdom of God is here! And its so significant that the women leave the tomb screaming! That ending leaves me with my jaw hanging open. And I think Mark intends me to feel that way, because something momentous has just taken place. Wow.

I've also been thinking about the Garden of Gethsemane scene. Jesus is so overwhelmed by what is about to happen on the cross that it is killing him before his time. All because of our sin. And I get to preach on this tomorrow night in a local retirement village church service!

Apart from a day of trying to understand these accounts better so I can preach on them this Easter, I also went to visit an elderly retired minister who is coming to do Communion for us this Sunday. I always enjoy talking to men like him- an older man who has walked where I have, and who would have so much wisdom to offer me. Not only has this man been in ministry for much longer than me, but he was also in the war, and then finished Moore College in the late 40's. (This is a man I have heard who used to take suitable men away on weekends to talk to them about going into ministry- the original Club 5!) I found myself wishing I had more time to hear some of his stories and lessons about life in ministry. Perhaps that will make for a good afternoon tea one day soon.

Then, while in the village, I had lunch with my dear Nana. She's a sweety.

Day One- The New Church

Praise the Lord!!! Today was the public opening of the new congregation. To be perfectly honest with you (after all, its between you, me and the internet right?) I was a little nervous about how the new church would pan out. But it was SO exciting and I was pleasantly surprised when I got there that there were people there that I didn't recognise. (I arrive there late because I run 2 services on a Sunday morning.) People came to our new church! There were a few new adults (29 in all), as well as new kids (27), and most people I didn't recognise. God is good! Not that numbers are important, but its exciting to see it grow after a core group of only 13 adults. The weeks ahead will be telling, as I'm sure the numbers will settle down, but it has started off well.

The service has a nice casual feel to it. People appreciated being able to have a cup of coffee in hand while church is on. I quite like that too. It was mildly amusing when I got up to preach when I picked up the music stand and the whole top of it came off! Off to a great start. My sister came through with the goods again and played some wonderful songs for us. I wish I could sing like her. One woman even came with her pony, which was appropriate for Palm Sunday. The kids loved it.

Pray that the new families will come back and that more people will come for Easter. Pray that the sermons would be interesting, engaging, and most of all, Biblical. Pray that the families that come will know Christ. Pray that the familes who aren't saved will know Christ. Just pray, because God has answered so many of our prayers relating to this church so far, and so many are praying, and God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine! Pray, pray, pray!!! Because God is good and His work will continue, no matter what.

Intense Orange

Someone put a whole block of Lindt Dark Chocolate (Intense Orange!) in my letterbox today!!! How nice is that??!! In next week's sermon I am going to mention my passion for good quality chocolate ice-cream.

Dark Chocolate Snob

I admit it, I'm a chocolate snob. Allow me to describe to you my experience of eating fine quality Lindt dark chocolate. My fingers gently break peel off the cardboard cover. The foil crinkles. I break the thin layer with a gentle snap. As I smell the rich, sweet scent, my mouth begins to imagine the taste. So I take a little bite at first. The combination of rich tasting smooth flavour with just enough bitterness is matched by the sweetness of it all. I take a bigger bite- this time the flavour fills my whole mouth, with a combination of liquid and solid. The taste is gorgeous! And soon there is a chocolatey-taste left on my tongue, which I wash down with a mouthful of coffee. Now for the next bite.

This was the introduction to my sermon today on being passion driven for the gospel. (Thanks Adam for the idea!) As a result, someone told me that Aldy sells similar quality chocolate at a much lower price...