Cippenham Baptist Church

What we said at our Church Meeting Day on 21st Feb

_

Jesus commissioned each of us to become involved in loving and discipling the whole world!

The basis of this is our personal relationship with God: yet God did not design us to be isolated units. Supporting each other on our journey is vital.

We recently heard Marcus Borg suggest that when people see us “yearning for God” it’s a powerful means of evangelism.

Statistics also prove that most new Christians come in through personal invitation from a friend.

So are there key levels of relating to one another which might make it easier to further our own spiritual yearning and also to provide opportunities to engage the interest of our friends?

_

_

In our presentation on Sunday we suggested that:

Cell

we might need a group of 2 or 3 trusted people with whom we can share our lives, dreams and prayers; and have a deep commitment and “accountability” to each other.

Cluster

we might need groupings of 12-16- people committed to creatively developing their spiritual life and engaging their friends and contacts. Strategically the Cluster would the base unit of “church” .

Congregation

we might need a larger setting where we can celebrate together, have presentations and teaching, and share some of what we’ve been doing at the other levels. We might resource wider projects through relating at this level.

Things You Said

Is anyone else doing this? Is there any proof it will work? What are we trying to achieve – greater numbers or deeper lives? We’re doing some of it already in informal relationship and home groups! What if some people can’t see the point?

What Other Thought Do You Have

Let’s have as much discussion and feedback as possible on this. You can use the tear-off slip on the paper leaflet available in the church and put it in the “Suggestions and Comments” box. You can talk round it in groups. You can contribute here by leaving a comment below (click on “Leave a comment” if you can’t see the comments box)

Partly because it’s funny, partly because it’s a little political,  and partly because it’s relevant to some of us at CBC …

..i think it’s worth looking at the HSE website to see the collection of health and safety myths that are propagated by the media/everyone which in fact have nothing to do with any official government recommendations whatsoever.
 http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/2009.htm

The phenomenon of the culturally relevant Christian musical performance group has reached a new high.

Californian ministry “The Fathers House” have put on a gangster-rap style performance, advocating the “Christian Side-Hug”, which avoids the sinful “Front-Hug”.

Is there an inconsistancy in promoting a type of hug that avoids sin, while being dressed up as gangsters -  associated with violence and agression?  Judge for yourself.

The video follows.  I tried to find the lyrics but couldn’t, so I have extracted them myself, purely for my own education.  They are below the video.  I’m not sure if they are all right, I welcome any  corrections.

Enjoy while you can because I think the police are after them and they might be shot …

CHRISTIAN SIDE-HUG LYRICS

Gimme that Christian side-hug, that Christian side-hug

Gimme that Christian side-hug, that Christian side-hug

I’m a rough-rider, filled up with Christ’s love

Gimme that Christian side-hug, that Christian side-hug

The are the easy rules so, pay attention its essential

This aint no front-hug zone, you aint that fly you aint my Jones

Stop and listen, no front-hugs and no kissin’

I ain’t that scared to call yo momma, you’ll be ridin’ home in a coma

I got my crew, you aint got nothin’

Follow these rules, ‘cos we aint bluffin’

You aint no Rabbi, you aint no Priest

So rise up off me, like the shoulder with no geese

Don’t use that front-hug boy, that messes hardcore

That’s inappropriate you back up off her ‘cos we

Wanna keep our mind pure, wanna keep away from sin

That means it’s you too girl, only one arm around him

Repeat chorus

We be walkin’ like, we be talkin’ like

We be side-huggin’, every day and night

It’s how we do, boo, this ain’t no club

So don’t be hatin’ know me, when I show no love

We livin’ holy, it aint no thing

So put your hand in the air, and let that shoulder hang

I’m goin’ global, ‘cos you don’t know me

I’m buyin’ babies, like Angelina Jolie

So quit that huggin’, and slow down mama

And hit my fist, like President Obama

Democratic shift in the congress

Democratic shift in the congress

Democratic shift in the congress

OHHHHHHH!!

Repeat chorus

I’m a married man; you know I can both hands

Front-hug all day long, with no other demands

But as for all of you, until you say “I do”

No front-huggin or PDA, or your EG time is through but

Some of y’all is slick, tryin’ to pull this trick

Your hug starts from the side but, soon it turns the chick

So if you end up here, then go ahead and scream it

When I hug people, I leave room for the Holy Spirit

If a girl walks up, with her arms spread wide

And she’s front-hug down, with that look in her eye

You better turn to the side, pat her on the back

Jesus never hugged anybody like that

Repeat chorus

..movie of  bacteria “viruses”

http://gizmodo.com/5400443

“Europe, at least the indigenous population of Europe, is dying.” says Lord Sacks, the Chief Rabbi, leader of Britain’s Jewish community, on the Telegraph website on Wednesday.

I remember hearing this quite a few years ago, and I’ve never forgotten it because it tells you something very important about people and society.

That is that somewhere out there, there is an automatic mechanism for controlling the nature of people on earth, and the kind of people that are interested in themselves to the extent that they don’t “want children” because they are concerned for their careers or having “enough money” are destined to be a minority.

There are so many benefits to modern society – healthcare, welfare, and care for the underprivileged. However accompanying that is an expectation of convenience and a lack of social responsibility.

Many economic migrants coming into this country to work don’t have the laziness, lack of responsibility, and need for trinkets and perks that many people brought up here have inherited. These migrants are accused of stealing “our” jobs, but they are there for the taking, they simply don’t pay enough for a culture that demands more money, more gadgets, or better cars.

We have more and more of a multicultural society, nobody planned this, no politician made the decision, and there is no conspiracy. It’s simply the natural ebb and flow of the culture of the world. It means that if this (or any other) country has collectively amassed so much wealth by having a free and open society that they simply don’t need to work, then there are plenty of people in the world who are willing to take a slice of the pie, and happily, because they are used to much poorer working conditions, and much less money.

The long-term outcome of this situation is, I think, as the rabbi says. A person can live in relative luxury (compared to the rest of the world), perhaps a few, perhaps millions of people for years and years. But a self-indulgent culture must be ultimately self-destructive if it doesn’t pro-create!

Hands up who knew there was a Cockney Bible?

Yep. Mike Coles has translated some of the bible into Cockney – isn’t that great! Here is the Lord’s Prayer in Cockney:

Hello, Dad, up there in good ol’ Heaven,

Your name is well great and holy, and we respect you, Guv.

We hope we can all ‘ave a butcher’s at Heaven and be there as soon as possible: and we want to make you happy, Guv, and do what you want ‘ere on earth, just like what you do in Heaven.

Guv, please give us some Uncle Fred, and enough grub and stuff to keep us going today, and we hope you’ll forgive us when we cock things up, just like we’re supposed to forgive them who annoy us and do dodgy stuff to us.

There’s a lot of dodgy people around, Guv; please don’t let us get tempted to do bad things.

Help keep us away from all the nasty, evil stuff, and keep that dodgy Satan away from us, ‘cos you’re much stronger than ‘im.

Your the Boss, God, and will be for ever, innit?

Cheers, Amen.

And here’s the story where Jesus calms a storm:

One evening, Jesus said to his chinas, “Let’s go to the other side of this ‘ere lake.”

So they left all the people, and the disciples got into the nanny and set orf. There were quite a few other nannies there too.

And then, would you Adam and Eve it, a huge wind started to blow up, and the waves got so bloomin’ big that they began to spill into the nanny. It got to the stage where the nanny was almost gonna fill up with fisherman’s.

Despite all this, Jesus was at the back of the nanny ‘aving a feather, lying there with his loaf on a pillow. The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher, we’re about to die. Don’t you care?”

Jesus got up from his little feather and shouted at the wind, “Oi, be quiet!” and he said to the waves, “Oi, be still!” The wind suddenly died dahn, and it became really calm. Jesus then said to his chinas, “What is it with you lot? Why were you all so frightened? Do you still not have faith?”

But the disciples were in a right ol’ two and eight.

Whatever next eh?

My new house

Deforestation in Brazil

Turkish toilets

The amount of water and air on earth

Tulips in Holland

This article on the telegraph website leads with the following strapline …

Muslims, Jewish and Hindu crime victims could be given the right to request a police officer of their own religion under a scheme being trialled in the Sikh community.

Ridiculous?  That’s the easy reaction to make to this.  How about this? …

Black people and homosexuals may also be entitled to ask for an officer of the same ethnicity or sexuality.

Again that seems ridiculous, and like it will cause more problems that it would solve.

However there’s little point even thinking about it if the only action is to say “that’s political correctness gone mad”, and then rant a bit, so let’s try to look a little deeper.

The Minority View

From the telegraph article …

Palbinder Singh, chairman of the MPSA, said Sikh crime victims have been neglected in the past and their cases ignored because white police officers do not understand the “peculiarities” of Punjabi culture.

“Anglo Saxon culture does not involve honour killings or forced marriage, which is to its credit,” he said.

“But there are these peculiarities of Sikh and Punjabi culture that Anglo Saxon police officers just can’t get to grips with.

“These are real issues but they are being ignored, which is why we are providing Sikh police officers to help make sure these criminals are not allowed to slip through the net.”

I find it quite easy to understand that it would be helpful to victims of crime to have someone who knows about the situation to deal with it, and perhaps more importantly, empathise.

Political Correctness Gone Mad

But however great that might sound, perhaps the police (whoever they might happen to be) should be trained to deal with every situation no matter what it might be.

What about the problems that might cause in the future, having to have specific types of police to deal with specific minorities.

And would there ever be such a thing as Christian police officers to deal with Christian crimes? (e.g. tithing under 10%, not having a quiet time). *

How about another quote from the Talagraph article to put it another way …

Peter Smythe, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, called the scheme “stupid” and said it would harm an already overstretched force.

He said: “What are we going to do when we can’t deliver it? What if we haven’t got a Sikh officer available? I just think it’s political correctness gone mad. The whole thing is nonsense.

“Maybe if someone burned somebody’s turban I wouldn’t be against getting a Sikh police officer to deal with it, but otherwise no.

Eloquantly put.

Whichever way you see it it’s an interesting topic.  I can certainly see the need for police officers to be more understanding in all situations.  The question is what’s the best way to go about it?

* I’m joking here

If you are going to watch a film in the next few months, do not miss Gran Torino.

Funny and dramatic, it is also hugely thoughtful. Ideas about race, revenge, friendship, age, “America” to mention a few. Plus, for me, some thought provoking questions about the role of a “Christian” in relating to people.

Really good film, and if you are a fan of Clint Eastwood, then an absolute must.