Hi people! As many of you will know (some of whom because I met you there), I attended a conference a couple of weeks back on Christanity and social media. It followed an awards ceremony the previous day so the whole weekend was called ‘Christian New Media Awards & Conference 2011′, or more simply, CNMAC11. At the conference were several guest speakers from the Christian, digital and creative realms alike, speaking on many different issues around how we as Christians deal with the digital media, how it can impact our lives & culture and its power to change the world. There were seminars on how to navigate twitter, to write code for your blog, how to do handle self-promotion and balance that with being a Christian and pointing away from yourself, and about the importance of retaining a balance between interaction in the digital world and non-digtial world.

One thing that became crystal clear to me is that there no such thing as the ‘virtual’ and ‘real’ worlds, because the online space, the digital realm, is part of the real world – it’s just as real, although different, from physically interacting with someone – and that was abundantly clear by the number of ‘Twitter-friends’, who I’d only known online, that I met and felt like I’d known them for a long time.

There’s a lot to discuss coming from this conference and I have a lot more to share. But for now, I want to share with you a little audio recording I made whilst at the conference with Dr Bex Lewis of the Big Bible Project and #digidisciple (more on that in a future post!). There will be a link down the sidebar eventually but I wanted to share it with you here first, so listen (carefully, the beginning is a bit muffled!) and enjoy me talking about the conference!

Not long ago I was helping out at our local Foodbank. The Sutton Foodbank is made up of a group of people from local churches in Sutton (surprisingly enough), who have come together to meet the needs of the needy of our community, working in conjunction with local authorities and charities. We provide people with free food, donated to the Foodbank by local residents and churchgoers, for them and their family for three days.

It’s not much, but it’s something. And it does make a difference. On the surface, it’s something that is very much in tune with how Jesus wanted us to live and I’m proud to be involved with it. The vision is amazing, and I completely believe in it.

The thing is, like a lot of things, the reality is often a lot harder.

Recently a woman came in who was homeless. We sorted out the voucher and gave her some food, enough for three days. I sat down and talked to her, and a friend she had made who was in similar circumstances.

I sat there as she told me her story about how she had come to this situation, and about the reality of her homelessness.

Sleeping under trees, on buses, finding spare beds in hospitals.

It became clear we couldn’t just give this person the same food we always gave people. She had no place to cook food, no place to prepare food or make hot drinks.

Above all, she didn’t even have any cutlery or utensils to eat the food we were giving her.

She’d be eating with her hands effectively, unless we gave her something or she found something to eat with. (more…)

I seem to have developed a habit of wrestling with God.

It sounds like a ridiculous idea on paper, perfectly preposterous. A six foot tall marginally overweight man against the creator of the universe isn’t very good odds is it?

But I seem to be doing it a lot more lately. I have spoken about how we need to acknowledge the battle in order to grow in intimacy with God, and deal with the issues behind the battle. This post is more about going the process of beyond the battle into the reasons for it. You see this battle is not a one-off that happens and then it’s done. It’s an ongoing battle. But occasionally you have significant ones – and I’ve had one recently.

One habit I have developed over the years – and I’m not sure disclosing this is going to make me come across so well – is when I’m waiting for a train or bus, and away from the majority of people, I tend to pray under my breath. Not quite loud enough for anyone to hear clearly, but not quite enough that no one will hear. I have a conversation with God.

I’m pretty sure if I did it loud enough and often enough in front of the same people I’d soon be moved off to the local mental asylum, but I’m smart enough to keep it quiet so that people don’t hear too much – and of course often I play the new trick crazy people use, by sticking an earpiece in my ear so it looks like I’m talking on the phone to someone.

Which actually isn’t too far away from the truth, in all truth. I’m talking to God. Occasionally I give Him some space to reply, and open my mind up to hear what His response might be.

I might be the only person that does this, I don’t know. I’ve done this since I was a teenager. I’ve always been a bit of loner to be honest, very shy and content in my own company. (My good friends are laughing right now, wondering where that person has been all these years…).

In all seriousness though, when I was a teenager getting bullied at school and unable to talk to my parents about my problems, as they were too busy with theirs, God was actually the only person I could talk to. (more…)

“James, you look like you’re fighting against yourself all the time.”

I was told this once by a friend in my home group. I knew the moment he said it – and beforehand in all honesty – it was true. I seem to be fighting with myself a lot at the moment.

Someone said to me the other night that as I was a man I needed to learn to think more, especially when entertaining women, as her husband didn’t know the date of their wedding anniversary.

I argued back that not all men are bad at thinking. Some of us – like me – think way too much.

It’s not up for debate. Honestly, I have lost count of the number of times people have said to me I over-think things and I need to slow down and relax. Admittedly, I do need to slow down and relax sometimes – a sabbath for me definitely will involve no deep thinking, no writing and no stimulus to deep thinking – films like The Matrix are definitely out.

But one of the results of being a deep thinker is over-thinking, and being very self-aware. I notice that in my head I know all the right things, even the deeper arguments and the uncomfortable questions, beyond the normal, but that something in my gut is saying no, and not happy about what this means. Something in my gut is just not wanting to join in, is angry about how his life is and frustrated with God, and no great words are going to change that.

Because of this I have noticed in my journey with God I have often found myself fighting with myself – and with God, trying to come to some place of peace and wholeness. (more…)

Have you ever had one of those ‘eye-opening’ moments? Those moments where something that maybe you knew as head knowledge, or had heard from someone, but didn’t really get, became clear to you? When you suddenly got it.

I like to call them ‘oh yeah’ moments. Because whenever I see people have those moments they pause, and then go ‘oh yeah’, starting at a lower octave and then raising the pitch as they get into the yeah. It’s actually quite a funny thing to see, especially when you do get it and have done all along.

I suspect God must have a right laugh at us, seeing us finally get things which He’s known all along – and I mean that in a good way, you know the way you laugh at something in hindsight which you couldn’t at the time. I think that’s often how God laughs – with us, not at us, but He can laugh whilst those things are happening because He already knows the outcome.

Anyway, I had one of these moments the other day whilst reading my Bible and looking at some of the teachings and sayings of Jesus. It got me thinking about heaven & hell in a brand new way. (more…)

Whilst away at Greenbelt two issues that raised their heads were the issue of sabbath and its role in my life, and also social networking and worship. I went to a good discussion between four prominent Christian tweeters including @vickybeeching and @drbexl, and just today I was involved in a debate on Twitter, ironically enough, started up by @vickybeeching, on the role of Twitter and social networking in church, and whether it’s appropriate or not to Tweet in church.

I think the issue of social networking and how we engage and use this tool in our worship, as it becomes an increasingly big part of our daily lives, is one that desperately needs addressing and discussion. As ever, I don’t think any of us has a final answer, it’s a discussion that will go on for years to come with good arguments on every side.

To me it opens out bigger questions – what do we mean by church? What do we mean when we use the word worship? How do we see God – and how would Jesus use Twitter? These are all very important questions, which we need to be reflecting, and pondering on, which aren’t all going to get answered in a short blog post here. But it’s important to engage with the discussion and be part of it, it’s one of those balancing acts of faith, and we need to be participating in it, not standing on the sidelines, so here’s a little look from my own perspective and a few thoughts. (more…)

I’ve now been back from Greenbelt for three or four days, and had sufficient time to digest what happened over that weekend and what God was doing. Greenbelt was the first time I’d really been away on my own. Although whilst I was there I was blessed to meet loads of people I knew completely randomly – thanks God for the divine coincidences that I prayed for! – I travelled and went through the whole experience on my own, very deliberately. I have to confess there was a slight fear in doing that for the first time, but more the kind of fear which I knew I had to embrace, rather than one I was really scared of.

I have to say as I went around the site and heard such amazing speakers as Brian McClaren, Rob Bell, Peter Rollins and Phyllis Tickle, and experienced the whole Ikon experience on the Saturday evening – which was without doubt the most edgy, creative and innovative worship/liturgical experience I have had – I saw and experienced a freedom in God I had not felt before. I felt alive in new and fresh ways and saw God moving in dynamic, creative and energetic ways which I’d not seen before. There was real discussion about issues that mattered without any fear, even between people that disagreed, there was a sense that we were all participating in this big discussion, a bigger movement that was going on, and this was merely a marker point in that.

At Greenbelt it felt like the shackles of religion and ‘the church’ were down – and in its place we had real community, real freedom and real honest and frank discussion concerning faith and how it relates to the world we live in, and how God is a reality in the world we live in right now, rather than something separate from it.

To me that is how faith should always be – church is important and what we believe is too, but it needs to be about a God who is part of the whole of creation and active, participating in it, and has set us free through death & resurrection, not an imposed set of rules and structures which hold us down.

That freedom is what I experienced at Greenbelt. (more…)

I’m off to Greenbelt tomorrow, for the first time. If you don’t know, Greenbelt is essentially a Christian arts festival held at Cheltenham race course over the August Bank Holiday in the UK. Greenbelt’s slogan is “Where arts, faith & justice collide” and the theme this year is ‘Dreams of Home’, which is sure to be interesting. At Greenbelt there is a strong focus on issues of social justice, creativity, art, social media, theology and as such there are seminars and discussions on varying themes relating to this.

This year there is an amazing line up, with speakers such as Rob Bell, Shane Claiborne, Peter Rollins and Brian McClaren. My former life coach, worship leader/blogger/writer Vicky Beeching, is going to be there too.

But it’s not just speakers from the Christian world that they have on the agenda, there’s also an appearance this year by the likes of Billy Bragg. Greenbelt are well known for always pushing the boudnaries, which is something I love – there is a freedom of expression in faith, an openess to finding God wherever you look for Him.

In conjunction with the speakers they have several music acts/bands, such as Kate Rusby playing, show films and also have space to reflect, pray and receive spiritual direction. They also have a pub on site called the ‘Jesus Arms’, which will be worth a visit I’m sure.

It’s going to be a great experience for me and the first time I’ve been away this year. I’ve been praying and reflecting a lot on what’s to come and asking God to really speak to me and challenge me, and to be honest I just can’t wait to get there. If you are going, I hope you have an amazing weekend, if not, I’d definitely recommend it to you.

If you are going however it would be great to connect, so let me know via my Twitter or Facebook, or just with a reply below, with contact details, and it would be great to get together & connect.

In the meantime, here’s a message from a brother in Christ who’s also going to be there:

In 1974 a Frenchman called Philippe Petit, with the help of a few friends, got into the South Tower of the recently built World Trade Centre in New York City. The got to the roof and put a metal wire between the two buildings, secured the wire, and then Petit himself set foot on the wire, and for 40 minutes walked between the two Twin Towers. During the course of his walk he lay down on the wire, did little pirouette jumps, looked down and sat down on the wire.

All at 1,368 ft. (417 metres) up.

Without a safety net.

In 2008 a documentary, ‘Man on a Wire’ was made about the feat, with interviews with Petit and his crew as well as his girlfriend at the time, combined with footage of the event itself and the planning and aftermath. Here’s a quick look at the trailer:

Amazing isn’t it? It’s an excellent documentary, which won several awards, including the Bafta for Outstanding British Film. Recommended viewing for all I would say.

I’m always blown away by the sheer achievement of it. One false move remember, one accident or slip up, and Petit was dead. He even says during the film, when he first stepped on the wire ‘Death was very close’.

Petit had extensive experience of these kind of walks and had prepared for six years in advance, to be ready.

He knew all he could know about what he had set himself to do. He had practiced and practiced, and was as ready as he could be.

But still, the first step onto the wire, at that height, with that level of risk – still, there were nerves.

Still he had to trust that all the preparation would work out. He had to trust the conditions, that there wouldn’t be unexpected distractions or big gusts of wind.

He still had to do the walk. And the walk wasn’t easy. It was a balancing act, and no margin for error. But it was what he felt he had to do, he was compelled – almost called – to do it. When asked afterwards why he’d done what he’d done, he simply said ‘There is no why’.

There are lots of challenges and metaphors we can take from this story. But the one I want to focus on, is the balancing act of walking this life with God. (more…)

As some of you know, I occasionally write blog posts for other sites. Not long ago I was asked to write a blog post for Christine Sine on the theme of ‘Worshipping God in the real world’. I was struggling as to what to write and it was about the time for me to write it, and then we had the riots, looting and violence in London and the rest of the UK last week.

As I prayed and reflected on those events God really spoke to me and it became very clear precisely what I had to share. It also became clear it wouldn’t be easy to share.

So I wrote the post anyhow, and sent it off, and today is published a blog post on Christine’s site entitled ‘Worshipping God in the reality of riots’. It’s one of the most uncomfortable and challenging posts I think I’ve ever written, and I would love you all to read it.

Christine and her husband Tom live in Christian community in Seattle and head up an organisation called ‘Mustard Seed Associates’, and I’ve met them and heard them speak a number of times, their blog is worth a read in its own right. I would recommend to you all that you add it to your blogroll, they have so much to teach us about what it means to live intentionally before God, and a lot to contribute to the ongoing discussion of what means to follow Jesus in the everyday.

Anyhow, my blog post is now up on their site and you can find the post here, go have a look and reflect on it – and let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear your responses…