SPLLING THE BLESSING

I was recently asked to speak at a Lent Lunch.  The text on which I was asked to speak is Romans 15:13. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  As I pondered on the text and started to plan the outline for the talk, I was surprised that I had not thought deeply about is previously.

The outline was easy, and the talk went well.  I began by speaking about the nature of Christian hope.  I explained that this is not about wishful thinking, or the kind of optimism Mr Micawber exercised (“Something will turn up”).  It is about something not yet experienced but about which we can be confident.  I suggested that since hope is more commonly used for wishful thinking or uncertainty, we could do with a better English word to express what it means for Christians.  For me it is about eager anticipation.

The second point that the text suggested to me is, ‘the source of our hope’.  Paul prays that the God of hope would fill them with peace and joy and cause their hope to overflow.  It seems to me that he is stating that our hope as Christians comes from God.  But is God the source of our hope, or the object of our hope.  The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament, keen to encourage confidence talks about “two immutable (unchangeable) things” (Hebrews 6:18).  As Christians, our hope is based on the promises God has made to us.  His promises will never fail, and he supports this with his own unchanging nature.

Some people worry that their faith is not strong enough.  But the real issue is not the strength of our faith but where we place our faith.  If you are trying to skate on ice that is paper thin, you can believe as hard as you like but you will still get wet!  You would do far better to tentatively trust yourself to ice that is many inches thick.

Trusting promises is not something new to most of us.  We often visit shops where we exchange a small piece of paper for a basket load of shopping.  Of course, it would be ridiculous if we thought a piece of paper was of equal value to a basket of shopping.  It is not the value of the paper, or even the quality of the printing that that gives it value.  It is the words “I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of £20” and the signature of the Governor of the Bank of England.  We put our trust in the person making the promise, backed up by the resources of the Bank of England.

But what particularly grabbed my attention in this verse from Romans 15:13 were the words “fill” and “overflow”. Paul prays that as the Christians in Rome placed their trust in the one who has given us precious promises of eternal life with him in glory, that they would find God filling them with joy and peace. Note that he adds the word “all” to that joy and peace.  No doubt we could all do with a little more joy and peace, but what is on offer is a total or absolute experience of it!  I don’t want to settle for less.

These blessings come from our trusting in God.  In a world that casts dark shadows across our lives from time to time, we can experience joy and peace instead of dread and anxiety, simply by trusting in an unchanging God and his unchanging promises. But note, there is one more thing to experience.

Paul’s prayer, or his aspiration for the Christians in Rome, was that their hope in God would be an overflowing experience.  The hope, peace and joy available from the God of hope, does not come by the glassful, nor even the bottle full, not even on draught.  It comes from everlasting source that is God himself.  The Greek word used here means to have something in abundance – above and beyond.  It means much more than is needed.

So intrigued was I with this concept that I looked to see where else overflowing was mentioned in the epistles in the New International Version of the Bible. Remans 5:15 speaks of grace that overflows. 2Corinthians 4:15 speaks of an experience of grace that cause overflowing thanksgiving.  2Corinthians 8:2 speaks of overflowing joy during severe trials.  There are two other references to overflowing thankfulness. 1Thessalonians 3:12 speaks of our love for one another and everyone else, increasing and overflowing.

I have personal experiences of overflowing.  You may be aware that I have an inherited problem of what is called an essential tremor.  My hands shake: sometimes slightly, sometimes more noticeably.  Under stress, or in cold weather, or having carried anything heavy it is very noticeable.  At such times, if I have a cup of coffee in my hands, it is as well not to stand too close!  I usually ask for cups not to be filled as this will reduce the risk of spillages.

Imagine a church where every Christian was so filled to overflowing with hope and consequential joy and peace, that it was constantly spilled, so that the overflow touched the lives of others around.  Are you filled and overflowing?  Who, then, is feeling the effect of your overflowing by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  God grant that we may be so filled and overflowing that increasing numbers experience the splashes!  Let’s be spilling the blessing and not spoiling the blessing.  Amen?

Barry Osborne - 03 March 2018

From the Diary

Despite the cold, snow and icy weather of the past few days I have been able to get out and bout and share God’s word in schools and various meeting.  We give thanks for the privilege of bring God’s word to others, and for the obvious blessing it has brought.

Please pray for safe travelling and God’s blessing on his precious word over the coming days this week.

We rejoice that someone has shown interest in developing some aspects of our vision for ministry to and with young people.  Please pray for Gordon Banks and me as we meet this Wednesday with Joy to explore this further.

Please pray for the Churches Group for Evangelization meeting in London on Thursday.  Unfortunately, I have had to send my apologies this week because of personal circumstances.  I will miss the fellowship with good friends who share my passion for evangelism, and I pray that it will prove very helpful.  They will bring me up to date afterwards with what God is doing across the churches.

Better Business Meetings

You know what they say about business meetings: “They take minutes but waste hours”! You know what they say about a camel: “It was a horse designed by committee”!  Did you know that at some time in the past, often Africans named their children to honour visiting missionaries and their work.  One poor child was called “Committee”.  But enough already!  I have met more people stumbled in their faith because of badly managed Church Meetings and I would like to try to do something about that.

Here then are a few lessons that I have learned over the years.

Before you jump into the business meeting (PCC, Church meeting, Kirk Session, etc) take a few moments for some social interaction.  You might find it helps to start with refreshments.  You could have an open sharing time – perhaps asking someone to briefly share their holiday experience.  Ease into the meeting.  Five minutes spent in this way could save you a lot of time and tears later.

I’m a firm believer in the value of setting a context of worship.  This could be a short reading (perhaps a suitable Psalm – but not one about smiting enemies!), perhaps a hymn could be sung, and certainly a prayer should be said.  The prayer should major on worship and thanksgiving, before commending the meeting to God.  This will also provide an opportunity for someone other than the person in the Chair to give a lead.  It’s a way of expressing that everyone is valued.

Plan the agenda sensibly.  Usually, minutes need to be approved and apologies given.  Try to keep this really brief.  Never put a controversial or contentious item near the top of the agenda.  Enjoy some time of happy agreement if possible.

Know your colleagues and help them contribute to the discussions and decisions in a sensible way.  Watch out for those who become passionate in argument, those who seem to have difficulty stopping speaking, and who hog the time, and those who just sit silent (or even worse sullen and silent).  Try to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Remind yourself that while there might be some enthusiasts in the meeting, raring to go on a new project, there will also be some who need time to think before they commit.  Silence is not always a sign of agreement.  If you are in the Chair try to encourage those more quiet to share their thoughts, but don’t pounce on them.  That would be the last thing they want.

A wonderful way of enabling everyone to fully share in decision making, and ensure that decisions are made in a healthy way, was explained to me when I was doing a management degree course.  It is an ideal way to deal with those awkward topics that can cause upset, or to which people come with loaded agendas.  Such preformed opinions are not always personal.  Sometimes Christians will take up a strong and stubborn position simply because of their concern for someone else. So, here’s the scheme I was taught and have put into practise when dealing with sticky topics.

First the ground rules.  No one is allowed to express their opinion until the process is complete.  Even then they only do it through a vote.  So, no one says, “In my opinion…” or similar.  Some might find this hard, so assure them that they will be able to express their opinion later.

Sometimes I have found that an innocent practice session helps, if you have the time.  This could be based on a light-hearted proposal, such as proposing to double the minister’s stipend!  The practice and the actual difficult topic will be handled in the same way.

First, the Chairperson announces that we are going to focus on what might be an unhelpful outcome if the proposal is passed.  Each person present is asked to take a moment to think about what might be an unhelpful comment.  Then, in turn, each person is asked to contribute one negative point.  They should do this in an objective and dispassionate way.  Remember, the idea is not that anyone is arguing to support their opinion.  Those in favour of the proposal must be prepared to help identify possible negative outcomes.  Once everyone has had an opportunity, repeat the process by growing to each person in turn until you are satisfied that all the negative points have been mentioned.  It really helps if these can be written down either on a flipchart or large piece of paper.  This should then be displayed.

The process is then repeated, but this time, exploring what would be good or positive if the proposal is passed. Again, comments should be captured and the results displayed.  Remember that those who might be against what is being proposed must help identify all the possible good outcomes.

When the two exercises have been completed and everyone can see displayed the possible positive and negative outcomes, a moment of quiet prayer should be held before a vote is taken.

There is no guarantee that this will result in harmony and agreement but it is a better way to decision making than heated argument.  Some prayer after the vote might be wise.

Marginal decisions are not good decisions.  There will be too many people disaffected.  If agreement cannot be reached, it might be better to defer the item to another day or drop it altogether.

Go for quality and gracious conversation.  No one should leave the meeting, offended and hurt.  Be careful of the “God has shown me what we should do” approach, even if he has done.  Everyone should be valued in the decision-making process or you might as well not hold church business meetings.  Wouldn’t it be great if these meetings which, far too often, are the most unattractive aspect of church life, became times of spiritual enrichment and blessing?  Better business meetings; not bitter business meetings.

From the Diary

Give thanks for the webinar held earlier today.  Pray for those who attended who will be considering how to implement some of the ideas.

Give thanks for the excellent trustees meeting.  Several interesting decisions were made, and a new trustee welcomed.

Give thanks for some new promised financial support.  We are still a long way short of what is needed, but God is good.

Please pray as we hold discussions with some denominational bodies about how we might invest resources into their children’s work to reach young people in villages more effectively.

Give thanks for the Salvation Army’s Safeguarding Course on which I taught this week.  Those present at Malvern, Worcs. Were very responsive.

Please pray as I face a busy week, with significant activities each day from Monday to Friday, and sometimes several on the same day.  Please pray that each day I will be spiritually refreshed, walk close to the Lord, and be a blessing to others.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Barry

The Missing Peace

Many of you will have grieved as I have grieved over the breakdown in the peace talks in Geneva.  Yet I was not surprised by the tactics of the government supported as it is by Russia.  Going into peace talks while launching violent attacks on those who oppose them is not new; it is just tragic.  It brought to my mind the verses in Jeremiah 6 and again in chapter 8 where false prophets are condemned for proclaiming, “Peace, peace when there is no peace”.  In that situation God, through Jeremiah complained against the practice of putting sticking plaster on a wound that needed serious attention (symbolically).

I try to avoid political comment in these letters and the blog.  My situation is somewhat compromised by the fact that I have Armenian Christian friends in the city of Aleppo in Syria – the one in the news at this time.  They are biased towards the government which, for many years, protected the Christians in Syria.  For them, against that background, the alternative must look bleak indeed.  I wonder how many of them might be among the tens of thousands fleeing the city as the government forces supported by the Russians press their attack.

It is only a few years ago that there seemed to be peace in Syria.  In the main the government and the President were popular.  Investment in hospitals and education seemed to be a priority.  All seemed well.  Even the impact of the “Arab Spring” was fairly modest, and I was encouraged by President Assad’s immediate offer to moderate the work of internal security forces and move towards democracy.  But that lasted only a few hours and was replaced by the warning of extreme bloodshed if those who opposed him failed to back down.  How dreadfully his prophecy has been fulfilled.

The presence of IS and various violent forces that have since mingled with the more moderate opposition has brought carnage.  Clearly, terrible things have been done by both sides and the cost of Russia’s intervention seems to be unspeakably dreadful.  There seems little prospect of peace.  The action on the ground (especially in Aleppo) while envoys talked peace is a cruel jest.

As always, there is more than one opinion in such situations.  My Armenian Christian friends in Syria might not agree with my view of the matter; I do not know.  But the clock cannot be turned back and nothing will ever be the same again in that country.  I wonder how similar the situation there has been to what happened in Jerusalem when a sticking plaster was offered to cover up a deep and festering wound.  Perhaps, after the conflict that Jeremiah foretold, Jerusalem looked much as Aleppo does today.

And does God weep? Weeping over the hatred and the carnage.  Weeping over the thousands that flee the country, leaving all that was once precious to them? I believe the heart of God must be deeply moved.  Oh, for a revolution of love and real lasting peace!  May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as in heaven!

Jesus shows that the pathway to peace is not violence but loving sacrifice, commending his love to us in that while we were his enemies he gave his life for us (Romans 5: 6-8).  A Hindu friend witnessed some unloving behaviour between professing Christians recently and, genuinely perplexed, asked me to explain how that could be.  It made me think of Ghandi’s famous comment, “I’d be a Christian if it were not for Christians”.

While there is much that divides Christians, there is much more that makes us one.  My own Christian tradition has no bishops but I rejoice over the planned meeting between the Pope and the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.  It’s a great symbol.   I rejoice more that, in the town where I live, Christian leaders and people express their appreciation and love for one another by working together for the glory of God.  We are not seeking uniformity, but are living out the unity that is God’s gift and the consequence of receiving the same Spirit.

Against the background of Christ’s example and such practical fellowship as I have just described the failure of some Christians to live in peace hurts me when I see it.  Jesus allowed for our fallen human nature when he said, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:24-3,24).

If my life were the only ‘book on Christianity’ I wonder how many might be attracted to Jesus, and how many might have been discouraged?
 
A missing piece
In my last letter I encouraged people to click a link to send an email so that I would know that you had read it.  But there was no such link!  Many sent an email anyway, so thank you.  Here is the link this time. This will open an email and all you need to do is send it.  Thanks.
 
Seeking a new Children and Families Worker
Rural Mission Solutions is currently in discussion with someone and believe that she might be the right person to enable us to start re-building our work to encourage and enable rural churches to establish and maintain programmes for children where they can come to know Jesus and grow in faith.  Please pray for guidance.
 
A Missing Chaplain
We are short one full time Anglican Chaplain at HMP Gartree where I also work as a part time voluntary chaplain.  I work with a choir most Tuesday afternoons and lead some services occasionally on Sunday and Thursday mornings.  This summer we shall also be losing our sessional Methodist Chaplain.  My forthcoming retirement for the ministry at Yelvertoft was not so that I could do more at prison, but so I could do more in rural mission.  However, we are facing a crisis.  The post has been advertised several times.  Please pray that whoever is God’s chosen person will hear the call!
 
Yelvertoft faces up to my departure
The church at Yelvertoft is currently considering a possible way forward.  This looks very interesting and I ask your prayers please over the next three weeks.

Reminder of Seminar on Personal Evangelism
Online Seminar on personal evangelism is repeated this coming Monday evening (8th).  If you missed the last one, click here to register.  It will take place at 7.30pm and you can attend from the comfort of your home and for free.  If you are not already confident in sharing your faith with others please book in.  Please also encourage others to register.

From the diary
Sunday 7^th Feb - 10.45 Yelvertoft; 6.00 Newton, near Rugby
Monday 8^th Feb - sharing in the Fresh Expressions Rural Round Table in London.  In the evening I will be running the presentation on personal evangelism.
Tuesday 9^th Feb – HMP Gartree in the afternoon.
Thursday 11^th Feb – Start of Lent study series on the letters to the churches in Revelation.
Saturday 13^th Feb – sharing in an East Midlands Area Executive meeting with several mission projects on the agenda.
Sunday 14^th Feb – 9.15 HMP Gartree; 10.45 Yelvertoft.

Final Reflection
Could you be a missing piece in God’s plan somewhere?  When did you last offer yourself to God’s purposes?  Is there a missing peace in your relations somewhere?  What do you need to do about that?

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support.

Barry          

Trusting through Knoiwing

I recently found myself pondering the words of the apostle Paul writing to Timothy while experiencing imprisonment because of his faith. As he reflects on his circumstances he encourages Timothy to stir up the gift that God had given him, not to be ashamed of the gospel, and to be ready to suffer himself if necessary for the sake of the gospel.  As far as his own circumstances are concerned he states. “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (2Timothy 1:12)  No doubt his circumstances were not those he would have chosen, but he clearly felt incredible security.

The next day I found myself associating this verse with the way in which my colleague and friend, Monica Cook, has accepted the news that she has a brain tumour.  As those who have visited her and those who know her best can testify she has clearly a very real peace while fully understanding the seriousness of her situation.

There are three parts to this verse to which I draw your attention.  The first of these is the phrase, “I… am convinced” or as the KJV puts it “I…am persuaded”.  The meaning behind the original Greek and the English translations is that the state of Paul’s mind has been influenced into an attitude of certainty.  We therefore need to dig a little more to find what has brought about such confidence.

So we come to “have believed”.  The tense in Greek grammar refers to something that has been completed.  But although it is something completed before hand, it has subsequent effect.  Paul’s solid confidence in the Lord’s ability guard what he has committed to him (i.e. his eternal future) is on the grounds of having placed his trust in Jesus.  Trusting has brought about quiet confidence.

Working backwards we come to the third phrase “I know”.  The sense here is of a knowledge that has developed – it is about coming to know or to understand.  In this case he has “come to know Jesus” and, indeed is still discovering more about him.

So Paul is saying he is totally confident about his eternal security because he has been, and still is, trusting Jesus because he has developed an understanding of Jesus and his character.

We might not find ourselves in chains like Paul, or facing serious illness, but you can be sure that life will contain tough times.  So if we want that wonderful confidence that all will be well, we had better so know Jesus that we cannot but place our entire trust in him. Coming to know him leads to trusting him which leads to confidence that all is well whatever our circumstance.

Monica Cook

Last week Monica was discharged from the hospital at Haywards Heath to home where she is now waiting a course of radiotherapy at Maidstone Hospital.  Most readers will know that Monica has been a good friend and colleague in rural mission for many years, and that she was diagnosed with a brain tumour recently.

I have spent much of the last few weeks working with her local supportive network to ensure she is being looked after well and that work responsibilities are lifted from her at this time.  Please see the regularnews posted on our website.

From the Diary

Other than activities relating to Monica most of last week’s other activities relate to our work at Yelvertoft, Northants.  A planned school assembly was cancelled because of a heating system failure in the school.  Our Lent series, “Faith through Other Eyes”, has proved very effective and popular. Last Thursday we had a visit from a leading person from the Jewish community in Leicester.  These meetings have improved understanding and helped to focus our own convictions.  Details are on this website. On Saturday we held another Messy Church event which focused on the Easter story.

Sunday 22^nd – The Sunday Meeting “The Surprising Jesus”

Tuesday 23^rd – School Assembly planning meeting in the morning and the regular ministry in HMP Gartree in the afternoon

Wednesday 25^th – Free Churches Group Meeting in London

Thursday 26^th – Final Lenten Meeting in Yelvertoft

Sunday 29^th (Palm Sunday) – HMP Gartree Service followed by a Joint Service and Procession at Yelvertoft.

Thank you once again for your fellowship,

Barry

Peace At Any Price?

Over recent weeks I have touched on the issue of disagreement between Christians and the biblical pattern for correction.  On this occasion I want to address a similar issue and share some of the random thoughts that have been passing through my mind.  But I will try not to repeat things I have written before.

Part of the responsibilities I carry is as the Convenor of the Congregational Federation's Inter-Church Board.  The Board carries the shared responsibility for representing the Federation in ecumenical contexts, meeting with people from other Christian traditions, and sometimes even other faiths.  Many years ago I joined a Christian mission organisation that claimed to work with and for 'anyone who loved the Lord Jesus Christ' (a kind of qualified ecumenism).  In the context of my ministry as a prison chaplain I also interact with chaplains and prisoners of other faiths, and when it comes to Christian denominations prison cannot afford much space to indulge every shade of Christianity.

In all these situations I have never felt that I have had to compromise my personal theological views nor have I ever been asked to do anything I might be ashamed or even embarrassed about (though some might find  some things slightly strange).  What is more important I feel that I have been able to express the love of God I feel filling my heart and to stay in tune with the Lord.  I recall that when Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment he did not respond by, for example, by stating a policy on baptism or suggest it was to do with the inerrancy of scripture.  I am not suggesting that doctrine is not important, but I am saddened when we find our attitude prevents our discovering God at work in places we might find strange.

We know that Peter struggled with the idea of entering into a gentile's home and had to quickly rethink his theological ideas when the Holy Spirit came upon the gentiles in the home of Cornelius (Acts 10).  God will not allow himself to be limited by a commitment to a creed or doctrinal statement.  I have sometimes found God's presence and power at work in places that some Christians I know would feel he should never have attended!  What this does not mean is that I have to embrace everything that others believe or practise.  It does mean that I have to ensure I have an open heart and mind and that I am ready to seek God for how he wants me to respond when i see him at work in places I might think of as 'strange'.

But it isn't just doctrinal or ecclesial differences that cause disunity.  Both Matthew 18:15-17 and 2 Corinthians 2:8-11, and 1 Timothy 5:1,2 indicate situations where there is some division because of behaviour.  In the Matthew passage we see the steps that are taken top try to resolve a problem.  In the Corinthian situation there is concern for healing and restoration, and in Timothy it is about disciple that shows love and respect.  Our unity in Christ is a precious trust from God that we are to nurture.  Where conduct has caused a problem we dare not rely on secular wisdom and processes to sort it out.  In the kingdom of God we should always do things God's way.

Managing differences God's way is not easy but is vital for it is where we dwell together in unity that God commands the blessing (Psalm 133).  One of my sad memories goes back 50 years to a country church that had two organists in the congregation.  It seemed that whichever one was not playing had a critical spirit towards the one that was playing.  Perhaps the non-player felt it was too fast or too slow.  I have no idea who was right - or if either of them was right, but I remember that you could sometimes cut the atmosphere with a knife.  That was so painful for all concerned.  Clearly there was hurt that needed a gentle spirit to enable all to be blessed.

When I was a young minister in a team situation two splendid young people who were engaged to be married came to tell me that she had become pregnant.  It was the shared 'wisdom' of the team that we had to remove them both from their positions of leadership among the youth to show that the church disapproved of pre-marital intercourse.  They were also suspended from taking any public part in services for six months.  You might feel that this was appropriate, or you may feel it to have been harsh.  But the far greater tragedy, in my opinion, was that there was no public reassurance of love and fellowship as the passage in 2 Corinthians suggests.  I deeply regret that failure to show love and oneness in Christ.  We let them down, we let the church down, and we let God down.

In the real world division and difference will happen.  The New Testament records such division within the early Christians but that does not free us from the responsibility to seek unity whenever we can.  If some separation of pathways becomes necessary then we should show the same love that Abraham showed to Lot.  He allowed Lot to have the apparently better pathway and expressed a hope that there would be no conflict between them or their respective servants (Genesis 13:8,9).

Is there a division that needs to be healed?  Are you able to take any steps to bring about that healing?  Is it possible that a lack of unity in your church or between churches might be grieving God? We do not need to paper over cracks or force others to see things the way we do.  If we open ourselves to the Spirit of Jesus we should find a unity that can accept difference.  That's not 'peace at any price'; it is peace at the price of the cross.

From the Diary

•  I had a blessed and profitable time meeting with leaders from other rural mission organisations last Thursday.
• The prison choir concert was fantastic - a real 'good news' event.  When I took the service in prison this morning it was still buzzing!  We also had an excellent service this morning with over 50 men attending. Please pray for M, one of the choir who has just been released.  Chaplaincy has put him in touch with a local church.
• Last week's school assembly I talked about the Christian adventure and used the story of Gladys Aylward in summary form.  Afterwards a boy from year 6 asked to borrow the book of her life.  Please pray for W as he reads this story.
• This evening I am taking the service at Husbands Bosworth Methodist Church and will also include a testimony by one of our young adults from Yelvertoft.  Doreen and i are also taking an older Christian lady who used to work in the National Childrens' Home in Hastings when I used to visit school friends for tea!
• A different school assembly this Monday.  Pray for wisdom and inspiration.
• Tuesday afternoon - back to prison and expecting even more to join the choir. 
• Wednesday evening - CF Area staff support meeting.  Please pray for wisdom.
• Thursday morning - Bible Discussion Meeting at Yelvertoft.
• Saturday afternoon I am preaching at an induction service at a Leicestershire rural church.
• Sunday - ministry at Yelvertoft

As ever, thank you for your prayers and practical support.  Why not look me up on Facebook?

Barry

Through the Storm

I am writing this as, according to the UK weather forecast, we are about to be battered by a storm possibly as strong as the 1987 hurricane.  How well I remember that.  I awoke in the night with the three storey terraced house which was our home vibrating at the force of the wind.  The next morning revealed the many millions of pounds of damage in Hastings alone.  The roof of our Mission headquarters (one of the largest buildings in the town and prominent above the seafront) had lost a section of its roof.  What remained had been lifted off, twisted round and set down at a crazy angle.  I am hoping that this coming storm will not be as bad and that no lives will be lost on land or sea.

There are four familiar storm stories in the Bible.  Jonah experienced a storm at sea when he sought to run away from God's purposes in his life. Once he realised the reason for the storm and took a sacrificial step of faith, the storm ceased, he was saved, men worshipped God, and he was soon back on the right course for his life.  This passage of scripture was used by God to speak to me during an emotional and spiritual storm through 1987 and into 1988.  It took a perfect storm to get me to take a leap of faith in which I discovered God's purposes for my life at that time.

The gospels record two storm events.  In one the disciples are own their own in the middle of the night when Jesus comes to them, walking on the water.  They discover that what they feared might overwhelm them was under his feet.  On another occasion the disciples waken a sleeping Jesus during a storm on the lake.  "Don't you care that we could be perishing?" they ask.  Jesus rebuked the storm and rebuked them for their lack of trust. Another lesson learned.

The final storm at sea was experienced by Paul and others because someone chose to take his counsel from man rather than God.  But thanks to divine wisdom, no one lost their life, though the ship and possessions were lost.  Sometimes we pass through stormy periods in our lives as a result of our own failure to surrender to God's will.  Sometimes, like Paul, we experience stormy situations because of the foolishness of others.  But God promises to be with us through the storm, so we should never lose our trust and rest in him.

It is two weeks since my last Praise & Prayer blog.  The first of these started with the Sunday morning meeting at Yelvertoft and a journey to Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire that evening.  After a night in a country B and B I was off to London for a Sunrise Ministries trustees meeting.  It was good to meet again with the team of trustees.  Monica Cook and I are grateful for their support.  An encouraging and useful meeting completed and I was off back to Hoddesdon to meet with colleagues in the Churches Group for Evangelisation at the High Leigh Conference Centre. I slipped away a little early from the CRG meeting on Tuesday morning to travel back to Herstmonceux in East Sussex and the church where I was minister for 15 years.  The reason fore the trip was to share in a service of thanksgiving and celebration for the life of Desmond Luck, a wonderful Christian who I had come to know in one of my first evangelistic missions at the age of 17.  It was a joy to see so many good friends.

On Wednesday morning I met with leaders from other rural missions and followed this with a ministry in song and word at the Senior Circle meeting in Yelvertoft.  Thursday saw Doreen and me back in Yelvertoft for our regular Bible Discussion meeting.  These prove so rewarding as the group enjoy drawing treasures out of studying Isaiah.On Friday I joined many thousands of others at an all night prayer meeting in London at which Hope14 was officially launched.  I left before midnight to get a few hours sleep before returning to Market Harborough and then on to Yelvertoft again for a great Pudding Festival.

The Pudding Festival was a fund raiser for the local Air Ambulance Service but it brought a good number into the church that had never been to an event there before.  It was a fantastic evening and photos of the puddings and their recipes will be appearing in a book.  Once sold and the funds added to the donations on the night we might find our fund raising effort moving towards a thousand pounds!  The spirit of generosity that evening was like being bathed in the gospel.  Please pray for those who attended and sampled grace.

Sundays at Yelvertoft have been proving exciting as we are currently using them to explore various parts of the Bible as we seek to build up the big picture.  So much blessing is coming as God speaks through his word and into the lives of the congregation. You might like to take a look at the booklet written to introduce people to the treasure that is the Bible.  You can find it at www.yelvertoftchurch.org.uk.  This Sunday evening I also took the service at the Church of the Good Shepherd in the village of Newton, near Rugby.  I had not realised it was Bible Sunday when I planned to speak on Esther.  The service caused a real buzz as people thrilled to the Bible story retold with contemporary illustrations. "What a wonderful evening we have had" one lady repeated several times.

Last Monday was the first day of re-engaging with the university research project studying rural evangelism. The plan is to set aside every Monday for this project as far as possible. On Tuesday it was back to work with the choir in HMP Gartree.  On Wednesday I chaired the Churches Rural Group meeting at the Arthur Rank Centre in Warwickshire.  On Thursday it was Bible Discussion again with more treasures from Isaiah, followed by a journey to Peterborough to take the handover from our Area Children and Families Worker as she starts maternity leave.  Finally, Saturday afternoon was a planning meeting for "Get Messy for Christmas", which we hope will be the launch of a monthly "Messy" event in Yelvertoft.  This has been the subject of prayer for over a year so it is great to see it taking shape.

It has been an exciting two weeks but mostly because of the evidence of God at work changing people's lives, including mine.  This week, immediately after the regular time in Gartree Prison, Doreen and I are heading for North Wales for a week's break.  There hasn't been much opportunity for recreation in this very busy year.  we are hoping the storm will have blown itself out and that we will get a few clear days to enable a trip up Snowdon. Though we will not have any engagements until Tuesday 5th November please keep us in your prayers.  We have truly felt the impact of answered prayers in so many ways during recent months.

In a recent Sunday morning at Yelvertoft our Bible exploration took us to Joshua and included the battle at Rephidim (Exodus 17).  While Joshua's skills and strength were needed in the fight, the vital work was done on the mountain as hands were held up to the Lord.  We know that "It is not by might, nor by power, but by God's Spirit" as Zechariah prophesied (Zech 4:6). Please pray as we recharge our batteries.  Your prayers are being answered.

Thank you.

Barry