God continues to wag his finger at me

....in a smiley loving way.

Something to further increase my humility and to convince me that my pomposity (probably NOT a word) makes God snigger.

I am always a bit suspicious of people who see God everywhere. Not the people who see him in Nature etc but those who say things like "God has used that pork sausage to bless me" You know the kind of thing. I am a bit old fashioned - in many ways. Indeed you should see my wardrobe. I feel comfy if a revelation from God is from scripture, backed up with preaching or a prophetic word and if possible followed by a cosmic sign - rainbow, finger pointing from heaven, audible voice that makes people fall to the ground in fear - that kind of thing.

So when someone told me this week that something a nurse had said to them this week, just in passing, had been a word from God, I was a bit sceptical. I didn't point and laugh in their face or anything. Just a bit underwhelmed. Later on, while walking the pooch, I remembered something.

A few years ago, I had a job I hated.I felt bullied by the boss. My self confidence was at rock bottom.  Every day as I went to work, I felt my stomach tighten. I felt under so much pressure. However, we had bills to pay and a family to support and HOH was hanging in there in his job too,  so I kept going. (While looking for something else) I remember one day being almost in total despair and saying to God. "You cannot care for me the way you say you do. I feel totally alone and abandoned. Have I failed you in some way that has made you leave?" and lots of other self pitying stuff. In my defence though. I really did feel that I had been abandoned and had "lost" the love of God in some way. The place I worked had a radio and they played a song by Plain White Ts. It had the line...

"Oh what you do to me.... what you do to me."

I think you had to be there to understand but I knew, it was God. No really. I knew. God could not get to me any other way so he used a cutesy little pop song to tell me how he felt about me. I went outside into the car park and cried like a baby. Not long after that I found something else.

I may smile uncertainly at people who count the number of times their dog barks in the night as a sign that they are to lead the singing in the worship but I think once again, I am aware that I don't know it all.

Really not too old

This is one of my favourite films of all time. It is one of the films that HOH and I fell in love to. I am not going to go through my favourite bits as we would be here all day. Just one bit leads on to what I wanted to say. There is a scene where Steve Martin is trying to impress astronomer and super brain Daryl Hannah with his scientific knowledge (Why am I so afraid of her? It's not as if she is a rocket scientist or anything.Reply.. Actually she IS a rocket scientist.) Anyway after mouthing off for a few minutes he has to admit he doesn't know the answer to a question. She smiles and graciously replies "Well we don't know everything then do we?"

Sometimes I feel like I do know everything. Not in a big me up kind of way but in a jaded sort of way. When you have been a Christian for a long time, you can sometimes feel that there is nothing new under the sun. Almost like you are too old to learn anything (and not in a good way) So God kicked my butt a couple of times this weekend (In a majestic, Godlike kind of way) and I thought I would tell you things I had learnt and not noticed before.

Firstly have started reading Pen Wilcock's The Road of Blessing. One chapter in and loving it. Will talk about bit more when I have finished. But one line really made me think. She talks about the feeding of the five thousand and casually says that the miracle was actually done by the disciples. Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes so obviously there is the God bit but the disciples gave it all out. They were the people who made it happen. As they did as Jesus said and began to give the bread out they will have felt and seen the miracle happen between their own fingers. Challenges me a bit about my role in making God's will happen. AM I spending too much time whinging and not enough time asking God what he wants me to DO about it. 

Secondly, at church on Sunday, Andy spoke on The Last Supper - specifically about the washing of feet. After some rather unsavoury talk about verrucas and fungal infections, he pointed out that Judas was invited to the supper and, as he didn't leave until later on, Jesus would have washed his feet. Knowing what he knew - Jesus still did that. I never noticed that before. I dunno what was going on here. Jesus giving Judas one last chance, even though he knew what was in his heart? Jesus' humility being shown as an example. Or as a lesson to us about judging? Jesus still prepared to serve someone who was a betrayer, a sinner. Not to cast him out but to accept him with all the others? 

All this has made me quite cheery. I am aware that I don't have it all sorted but I love that fact that there is still loads of help out there for me and that God still shows people things that they need.  Anyone who knows me knows that I can do with all the help I can get.

Seriously?

There are sooooo many times when I am proud to be a Christian - in a non sinful humble sort of way obvs. Everything about Jesus makes me pleased and yes proud to have my name associated with his. Yet sometimes Christians make me go "Really?" 

You have probably heard of Vicky Beeching. You will almost certainly have sung her songs including "Yesterday, Today and Forever". These days she is probably better known as a social commentator with a strong stance on women in the church (Or anywhere really - she would describe herself as a feminist) and same sex marriage which she is in favour of.

I know very little about Ms Beeching as a person or a Christian. I follow her on Twitter though and I find her approach to her Christianity both thoughtful and graceful. I may or may not agree with everything she says but ultimately that is irrelevant because we worship the same God and we should be gentle and caring to one another.

Why then does someone who calls themselves a Christian feel it is ok to send her this photo when she has expressed her views about controversial subjects

It will not do you know, it will not do at all. It is disgusting cheap bullying. I thought long and hard about even reproducing this but these people need calling out. Just stop for a moment and imagine Jesus with a roll of gaffer tape. Unrolling a strip, biting it off and sticking to a person's face. struggling with that image? You should be - it is the very antithesis of all that Jesus came for.

In my more generous moments I am thinking that these people think that they are upholding Christian principles. But these generous moments pass pretty quickly. We should be different, full of grace, preferring the other person, slow to wound and quick to bless. These are the standards we uphold. These are the principles that should govern us. Twitter is full of anonymous bullies. But not the Children of God surely? 

Colossians 3:12

The Message (MSG)

12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Shoppy Saturday

I usually avoid Plymouth city centre like the plague on Saturday but this weekend there was a vintage thing on at the Guildhall so we wandered over to have a look. I'm hoping that any vintage fans aren't too upset by this but the whole morning did my head in. First of all it was packed. Lots of ladies of a certain age and income bracket with their elbows held high - all the better to give you a nasty shove in the ribs if you were about to get to a stall before them. Then, well I found it a bit expensive. I spent most of the morning picking things up and thinking how much cheaper they would be at a car boot. Mind you, these people have a living to make like anyone else so, if you want the stuff, I suppose you should pay a fair price for it. I found that I didn't really want it enough. Also, I would have thought that there was a limit to how many chintzy, tea cups anyone needs - especially at £3.50 a pop. Lastly, I found it all a bit - knowing or self referential. Pretentious was the word HOH used. I'm all for re-purposing and frugality and also for promoting crafts but the whole thing seemed to have its head up its bottom as we say up north.

FOW2 had come with us but she left at the first whiff of "In the Mood" from the speakers. (Actually, I quite like In the Mood, especially the version by the chicken) So HOH and I wandered out into Plymouth Town Centre. Man, it's crazy out there on a Saturday. We though about a quick lunch in MacDonald's but that looked like a Hieronymous Bosch painting so we gave it a miss. So HOH and I wandered about like two old people at an exhibition about the history of rap or something until FOW2 texted us and we could go home. There comes a time when you are just too old you know and there is no shame in it. At all.

The reason we had agreed to trip out was that FOW2 is awash with money because she turned 18 this week! Hurrah! We are now officially redundant as parents. Until someone wants a lift. Happy Birthday Elle!

Ooooh. Just a ps. Am I the only one still in therapy after the end of Endeavour last week? Good Grief - didn't see that coming.

Noah

So, I have had a few days to think about what I think about Noah. First thing to say is that this is not a review -  because I have no qualification to review anything really. Also reviews tend not to include spoilers AND HERE BE SPOILERS so leave now if you would prefer.

I have to say that it is good to see someone taking this fantastic story seriously enough to throw money at it and do it properly. I have seen enough low budget Christian movies in my time to leave me with a permanently tightened bottom and a dis-inclination to watch anymore. ( I saw something about the Second Coming once that was so excruciating, I genuinely thought that they were playing it for laughs.) 
You can certainly see where the money went. The special effects are great, the animals, the ark, the flood sequences are all suitably epic. Acting wise, well I rather like Russell Crowe. Noah was a complicated man and if the portrayal sometimes tips into completely raving mad, then I'm not sure it is his fault. Although I think he was more into portraying the getting slaughtered on wine and then getting naked more that the essential greatness of the man to do what he did.  Emma Watson plays Emma Watson very prettily. Douglas Booth plays her love interest (Possibly Shem - I got a bit mixed up.) He has outstanding lips. Jennifer Connelly as Noah's wife/partner/rubbing rag is great. She gives it heart. She made me cry.
Don't come to this expecting a direct Biblical account. Someone somewhere lost their nerve I think and there is a lot of preposterous flimflam about The Creator (cue wooey-wooey spooky music) But I did like the ecological view about man messing up a beautiful earth. 

For me there were three main problems. 

1. I suppose because it is a 12A certificate you are a bit limited in showing the extent of the fall of man that led God to wipe them out. Consequently, it seems that God did what he did because man turned away from vegetarianism and Ray Winstone was a bit free and easy with a pointy axe when it came to people's heads.
2. BIG SPOILER. Ray Winstone sneaking onto the Ark. Noooooo! Unacceptable. No. The shutting of the ark door signalled the end of the old world. Bridge too far for me.
3. By trying so hard not to put too much God into it, the film has lost its heart, it's centre. The Noah story is about God as well. God's relationship with his people. And it is a relationship. The lack of God is really a big hole and I don't mean that as a Christian thing. It is a story with the absence of its main character.

Despite all this, I did like it quite a lot. It is a bit weird really but immense in scope and it is what it is. Suspend your sensible thinking and give it a go.