Falling off the wagon

So I fell of the wagon yesterday. No that's not strictly true I felt the time had come to jump off.

When we started conversations I decided that at least for the initial period I would fast something important to me and pray instead. So I gave up coffee. I figured this was one of the most important things in the world to me (sad I know) so up I gave it.

It was hard. I didn't really get headaches or anything, but the smell of coffee when I was ordering a fruit juice or Darjeeling was so tempting. I don't have a great sense of smell due to rugby related activities but I could always smell coffee.

I have had to learn some lessons though. I believed that by fasting in this way that it would help me to seek God and pray, and in turn God would guide my prayers and I would see His answers. Not in a trying to bribe God way more in a dedicating something to him.

The thing that this has taught me is that I should have this attitude in more places than just Starbuck's. What if my whole faith was about giving or receiving things that are not my first choice but in someway give God honour. I think this is something I should perceive.

I need a new wagon. I think it might be crips this time. We'll see.

Café Church - Make mine a Latty

I found this article about Café Church and the Costa Coffee.

Check out the Rev Cid's Surname. Said in a Northern Irish accent his surname sounds a little like an order at Costa. Nice one.

Click here to read.

Cambodia

August is looking like it's going to be pretty busy. We leave for Cambodia on Sunday. I can't believe it has crept up so quickly. We are going to Poipet (Paoy Pet on google earth) a town on the Thai border that began life as a refugee camp. This area has got severe problems with prostituion and child and women trafficking.

We are going to work with Cambodian Hope Organisation a local NGO started and ran by this man.
There will be six of us on team, two GP's a midwife, a nurse and two pastoral workers. I will be 20 hours of teaching in 4 or 5 days with the aid of a translator. We will be teaching on cell groups, youth ministry, prayer ministry, prophetic ministry, evangelistic strategy and mentoring young adults.

Going to be very intense and all that happens in very humid 40 degree temperatures. Sweat city!!

If you're into prayer, please pray for us. We're back the 16th. Check out www.stmichaelsyork.org
as I will try and blog on there on behalf of the team when we are away.

The man in front is a fraud

I got the opportunity to speak about my book at New Wine North in Newark this week. Luke Smith (G2 and Fusion) was doing a seminar entitled; "Reaching the De-churched." Luke was brilliant. His love for the Church (big C) was obvious but his desire to see those who are disconnecting from church having a chance to connect was what was really driving him.

Luke felt that my book speaks into this situation. In some ways I am de-churched but yet I exist in church most of the time both for work and socially. However, despite my disconnectedness I am still somewhat connected. Despite that fact that sometimes our meetings and behaviours confuse me if not completely bore me or even sometimes anger me, I am still in a very mainstream church, that I love to be a part of.

I got up to do my bit and out of my mouth came the illustration of a version of myself who walks about a foot in front of me. It's that guy who goes to church. That guy sins less than I do, is more confident, enjoys the worship, likes the preaching, loves the unlovely and rarely doubts, rarely questions and rarely feels jaded by it all.

In the meantimes the real me cracked and imperfect stands behind the fake me and allows him to do the talking.

The thing is I am sure we are all like this, all but a few of us fake our way through (church) life. It's like we are always on a first date with the church. We aren't confident enough in the relationship in order to be ourselves, we are still showing our best side. Avoiding conversations that will show our flaws and exaggerating our manners and sense of humour. I am still dating the church, still trying to impress her and hoping that she will like the me I present and scared senseless that she finds out who I really I am and rejects me.

So if you meet a "nice, perfectly, rounded Christian" version of me, I'll be the guy about a foot behind him. The guy in front is a fraud.

Mike Yaconelli - Legend

About 8 years ago I was on my way to dropping out of youth work and a chance meeting with this guy completely turned me around. What a legend. Mike Yaconelli.

The End of FUSE Café

Today we began the joyful task of dismantling FUSE Café. This might be one of the most depressing things I have had to do. Seeing all the effort and hope and acheivements come to an end was quite sad. Anyway onwards and upwards. Here's what FUSE Café looked like an hour into dismantling it.

We have seen hundreds of young people come along and had some amazing conversations about Jesus in this place. Let's hope God has a new venue just around the corner. It would be such a shame to lose it forever.

Although it's not all bad. I do probably have the best view in the city from my office. York Minster is amazing.

Here's the evidence...

Window One

Window Two

I felt like I was working at Disney Land today...

Here's why...