Wednesday 20 December 2006

It's been one of those mornings this mornings where if something can distract you, it will distract you! I just recieved an e-mail from a friend refering me to a web site (i pointed hom to last year!) with crazy Christmas lights. And it got me thinking how many more people are there out there that takes Christmas decoration to the nth degree?

So here's a selection of some of the best i found, or variations of the same houses!

More Crazy Christmas Lights


Watch Video
Christmas Lights 2


Watch Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w311cIwHkpY

http://media.putfile.com/Beethovens-5th-2005

What a night, what a game!!

Last night was a quality night, heading down to The Valley with over 4000 others from Wycombe to support the Wanderers as they took on Chalton in the Carling Cup. It was a great game, Wycombe on top from the word go, I know they are having a rough season but it was as if Chalton didn't turn up in the first half, Wycombe could have happily been two or three a head at half time. We had to settle for one, a fine 25 yard strike from Jermaine Easter on 35 min. Charton did turn up for the second half, but couldn't muster anything. Their best (and most comical) chance falling to their goalkeeper Scott Carson, in injury time, only for Jimmy-Floyd to get his head in the way, and then scream at Carson for putting him off! There is a full report of the game here, and reaction.

The game was quality, but to be honest, what was going on, on the pitch was only half of it. I don't think I've ever been to a game with such a great atmosphere. The Wycombe fans didn't cease singing and drumming the whole game. These big premiership clubs might have a massive fans base, but it is the true, loyal supporters of football that make it a game worth watching; fans who are committed to clubs not in the top flight. There were many fair weather fans there last night (i was one of them) singing and shouting as well, but it was very impressive to see the active commitment, love and enthusiasm that the obvious core committed fans had for the club.

Why can't we show God that a bit more?

Saturday 9 December 2006

Funny, spent this morning with a group of people from church (about 30 of us) carol singing in Wycombe town centre. Apart from it being extremely cold, it was really good fun. We were able to share together and join with one another praising God and hopefully bring something of true Christmas cheer to the shoppers.

Singing some of the carols was a real encouragement, some of the words must be some of the most powerful words of truth put to music, "Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth." What a phrase, what an awesome statement, what a song! But at the same time, why are some of the carols some of the wettest words we sing all year, what the heck is Ding dong! Merrily on high all about, I mean i-o, i-o, i-o, - sounds more like Old MacDonald than a way to worship God! And In the bleak mid-winter, where frosty wind made moan or See amid the winter's snow; your telling me Israel had a freak snow storm that year are you? Why at times do we Christians sing such rubbish and no one complain?

I love Christmas and I love a good carol, but lets actually celebrate the Lord's birth with truth and not fiction.

Saturday 2 December 2006

Yesterday was a definite day of contrast:

I realise that worship, as they would say at OASIS is "all of life and not just the singing", and that in everything we do we can worship God, but yesterday was very interesting reflection on worship. I spent most of the day on a retreat day, with other local youthworkers seeking God's face and will on a joined up project we are working on, and planning some of the work. The thing that really struck me was the use of silence as a way to worship, being that I was there with two Anglicans; we had a long period of silence to worship God. It was a communal, but yet very solitary space and time of worship, to be honest I felt that it focused more on me and God than it did the group seeking God's face about the project. We were four individuals worshiping God rather than a community standing together, worshipping him.

Then last night I went with a group from church to YFriday's Universal Tour gig in Maidenhead. It was billed as a gig, yet taking a step back and although performance focused, those attending still seemed to be worshipping God (you can worship God in everything and therefore even when others are performing - or so I came to realise). However the thing that struck me most, was that although they were standing together, singing together, their worship still seemed to be an isolated individual thing. People had their eyes closed, hands in the air, and shouting loudly, but yet it again had that 'me and God' feel.

so i was thinking; how can we enable true community in worship whether loud or quite? How when standing with others do we stop interacting with God on a one to one level and start interacting as one worshipping body?