Deviation

Last week Lisbeth and I together with the rest of our team went for a New Wine conference. It has nothing to do with Wine, apart from the kind you cannot pour into old wineskins. It is a renewal network primarily in the Anglican Church, but not excluded to it. I had stumbled over the network while looking for partners to the Transforming Churches process NCD UK is hoping to launch next year and when I read they had a leaders' conference under the title of Kingdom Ministry Training Day and with a speaker from the Vineyard in Ohio I decided I wanted to go.

Did not know what to expect, but certainly came with expectations. Just the chance to sit and listen, to be in an environment where there is an expectation of the Holy Spirit's ministry and maybe even to experience a bit of His touch oneself, these were some of the thoughts I came with, but I was in no way prepared for what I did experience.

The conference was in Stockport, where we live, but in a part where we never have been. We told Jane to take us straight to the church, but for once she let us down and took us down a quite street where there were lots of houses, but unless it was an underground church we were looking for, certainly no church (Jane is the voice in our navigation system, just in case you are wondering). Unfortunately I had only written the postcode down, not the address, so it took us a while, but we finally arrived at the right church, late, but not too much. The worship had started, but Lizzy, our youth leader, had arrived on time and secured us places towards the back so we could slip in without making a nuisance of ourselves.

It was not during the worship, nor during the ministry time later, that I had this new experience. It was actually during the first teaching session. The teaching was good, not revolutionary, but good and interesting. The first session was about how we should not aim for either/or but both/and and was especially about evangelism and/or social action. I couldn't help thinking how it would make the teaching perfect if put into a Trinitarian understanding, so it was not a matter of keeping balance between evangelism and social action, but of aiming for radical balance between evangelism, social action and spiritual power. The teacher actually meant that. With his background in Vineyard evangelism is understood as what John Wimber coined Power Evangelism. It was implied, but not said explicit and therefore, unless you understood the background, not comprehensive.

Sitting listening to the teaching, delivered with some degree of humour, I let my eyes pass over the congregation of a couple of hundred people and there I beheld it, a practice which was unusual, I would even consider calling it unbiblical. You have to understand I am fairly open minded to spiritual manifestations, a bit of laughing or crying, falling or shaking can not in any way upset me, but this was more than that. I know during the height of the Toronto Blessing people would be roaring as lions or barking as dogs, but this was more than that; this was.......a dog!

Sitting just across the aisle was a man who had brought his dog to the conference and not only his dog, but a dog basket as well for it to sleep in. I have to say it was a very well behaved dog. It did not say a word (which of course would have been very strange) or make any other noises at all during the whole day (It did stand up for worship and even wanted to go forward for ministry, but was stopped by a foot on its leash). It might be well behaved, but it was still strange. It was not a guide dog, just a normal, medium sized black dog. Nothing strange about the dog, apart from bringing it to a conference in a church. There was only one so I did not feel like the Psalmist (Ps. 22:16), but still it was not right. Did Jesus himself not say we should not give what is sacred to the dogs? And Revelation 22:15 clearly states that the dogs shall be outside. And yet there it was, in the middle of the aisle, it was strange, but as it is written at least better than a dead lion (Eccl. 9:4).

After reflecting over it I decided there was nothing spiritual or un-biblical about it, just another proof of the eccentricity of the English!

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Obviation

I have decided to aim for 50 posts for this year, so I have to blog now, but didn't really have the inspiration to write. I decided to obviate the need for inspiration by changing the lay-out of the blog and thus still have a reason to post something.

I could of course write about the conference we went to today. Have been around a lot, but today I experienced something I never ever had in a conference before...but I will do that tomorrow or another day.

Now it is time for bed.

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Prolongation

Yesterday Lukas finally would receive the results from the MR scan on his hand. It is 6 weeks ago since he injured it, which means 6 weeks with a wrist splint, 6 weeks of difficulties writing in school and much more important and serious: 6 weeks without any real football.

Already after 2 weeks, when we came for the first check up they told us they were 95% sure nothing was broken, but just to be sure they wanted a scan (2 weeks of waiting for the scan followed by 2 weeks of waiting for the results).

Yesterday finally we could see the end of this process. That is until the doctor told Lukas there actually was a fracture. Not where they first had suspected it, but in the wrist, where he had been complaining it still was painful. The good news was that it was healing nicely and no new treatment was needed, he could even take of the wrist splint. That was really good news, until, almost as a side remark he said "and then just keep away from contact sports for 6 weeks or so, and you should be ok".

6 weeks! That is a total of 12 weeks not being able to play football or participate in PE in school. That is torture. Especially when one just have got new football boots for a birthday, but have had no chance of using them yet. At the rate he is growing just now he might have outgrown the boots in 6 weeks.

Lukas was not too happy walking away from the hospital. Think we will have to go an kick a ball around in the part during the next couple of weeks, as long as we don't get too physical. No pushing or tackling. The only advantage for Lukas is he will have an excuse for not going in goal – which he prefers not to anyway.

So this year Lukas is looking forward to Christmas more than usually, he already knows the best gift he will get: He will be back on the pitch. Wonder if there is a sermon somewhere in all of this?

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Evaporation

I don't think I, or anyone else for that matter, ever have believed or claimed that I am a great singer. On the other hand, I don't think I am the worst singer around, can usually carry the tune and even sing in harmony, but preferably if someone else close to me is singing the same part.



Saturday we had arranged a Music School in a Day in our Division, and since few men had joined the vocal "track" I decided to support them (also acknowledging the fact that my lip would be gone in less than 30 minutes if I joined the band!). No big deal – or so I thought. I knew that from playing the cornet that if you don't do it regularly (I have never ever played it daily), then you lose your lip (can't spell embouchure), but I quickly realised it also goes for singing. I have not sung for years, probably 3-4, apart from in services etc, but not in harmony etc. It wasn't that the songs were that difficult, I just struggled to find my pitch, did not really have a feel for where a "C" was (or any other note) and could not even sing up 10 ladies or so, which really should not have been a challenge.

Use it or lose it – that was the lesson learned. I thought I could, but because I hadn't for such a long time, I had lost what little I ever had had. It doesn't only go for singing. What about Spiritual gifts? I don't think God takes them away from us if we don't use them, but we certainly lose the effectiveness we were intended to have. I don't think I ever have preached or prayed for people less than what I have done for the last couple of years and so when I do it just doesn't come as natural as it used to. There is not the same inspiration or sudden insights. Use it or lose it.

What about faith? Faith is a muscle, and when it is not used it loses its strength and so it just isn't there when mountains needs to be moved or seas parted. Use it or lose it.

The list could go on for a long time. Whatever God has given us, he has given for us to use it for his glory. If we don't we lose it or rather lose the ability to use it. Was this what Paul was thinking when he wrote to young Timothy: "I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands". Is this what Jesus thought of when telling the story about the talents and the severe critique of the servant who had buried his talent? Use it or lose it.

Although it is stretching the verse a bit we can take comfort that Jesus came "to seek and save that which is lost". We might have lost it in the sense of having lost the ability to freely use it, but Jesus is in the business of saving or restoring that which is lost to its intended purpose. What we have to do is dig it up from the ground, start flexing the muscle and then, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, it shall be restored – not for our, but for his glory. Not for our sake, but for his and for others, who God can touch, comfort, heal and restore through what he already has given to us.

That is good news. But the question remains:

Are you losing or using?

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Celebration

Yesterday a new teenager arrived in the Andersen household. Of course Lukas has been here for quite a while, but never as a teenager.



Maria had come home for the celebrations, which more or less followed the normal Andersen traditions. The presents were not that many and we told Lukas that from now on he would get one less a year ending up with 1 at 18 and then no more. Grandmother is keen to see Lukas does not forget he is Danish, so among the presents were a Danish football shirt, which he straight away tried on and had no intention of taking off again.

As we were walking towards Nando's, where we had our meal, we discussed whether Lukas finally had overtaken Maria in height. It certainly looked so, but Maria's argument was that Lukas was wearing shoes and so would loose some height if he took them off. Good argument, but a strange one in the car park at the Trafford Centre where you usually wear shoes, including Maria at this incident!

Keeping our traditions we had brought a Danish flag on a small pole (app 40 cm high) which was placed on the table while we were eating. Lisbeth had to leave for a Songster practice, so Lukas, Maria and I were going to hang out at the Trafford Centre for an hour or so until Lisbeth would come and pick us up. On our way out of the restaurant Maria realised we had forgot the flag and ran back for it. Problem was that Lisbeth had left and so for the next hour, in a shopping centre full of people, I had to carry the Danish flag around on a pole. I contemplated lining the kids up behind me and marching with the flag in front, all singing the national anthem, but for some reason I could not get a majority vote for that idea. At one time, while Lukas was queuing in a shop, we found a free bench to sit on. We straight away planted the flag in the middle of the bench and claimed it as Danish territory.

Lukas is still wearing a wrist splint. He went for a MR scan last week and next week he will finally get the results. Hopefully the scan will show everything is OK and will finally be able to play football again (has not done so for 6 weeks). Lisbeth and Lukas went to Latvia for half term; I unfortunately had to stay in England to go to a Directors' Conference. Not a lot to say about that, apart from they chose the good part!

Andreas has finally relocated from Oxford to London, or rather outside London close to Staines. After completing the first year of Sound Technology and Digital Music he decided it was not the right study for him and decided to take a break from studying and began looking for a job in or around London. He has now for almost 3 weeks been working as Cafe supervisor at Wentworth Country Club. Apparently it is the home of one of the best golf courses in England and a club for the rich and famous. When I mentioned where he was working to a colleague, who is a golf fanatic, he almost dropped to his knees, begging me to get him onto the course. Not slow to see an opportunity I asked what he would do for me in return and he answered: Anything! You can check the place out at http://www.wentworthclub.com/.

This autumn has been busy, as is shown by the lack of blogging for the last month or so. On top of work Lisbeth had several essays to complete in the beginning of autumn and even I managed to finish my first essay on how to lead a church toward growth and revitalisation. I am not reading up on small groups, which is my next topic. Tomorrow we are having a Music School in a Day in the division. We have never tried it before, so a bit interesting to see how it goes. People can just turn up on the day, so we have no idea of many will come. On the horizon is also the annual Carol Concert. Looks like tickets are going very well. We might break the 1000 barrier, which would be good as it also is fundraising exercise for our Children and Youth work in the division. If you want to come you can book a ticket at http://www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk/.

This was a long waffle, but at least I have got blogging again. Hopefully it will not be another month before I return, unless I should wait till I have something to write about, then it might be a long while.

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