“One Thing” from Johannesburg

Our Every Nation church in Johannesburg (called “His People”)  are launching their first worship CD called “One Thing” – What I love about this church is how multicultural, multigenerational, and missional it is. The leadership team there has also always stood out to me as one of the finest examples I know of a church eldership functioning effectively with vision, strength and humility (I’ve been privileged to have most of them spend some time and invest with us here in London). 

Check out this promo video and catch some of that spirit – if you can get your hands on a copy, I know that it will hugely bless you because of the heart it comes from:

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” – Psalm 150

FatBoys…

For the past few years I’ve been heading over to FatBoys Cafe every second Saturday for some early morning grease-up with friends (and leaders in various areas at EN London) Alex, Dan, Dan, Charles, Chuck, Jon, and Steve… here’s how Steve experienced it last week:

Prayer and sausages (A look on the lighter side of faith by Steve Morris)

Was it the half-eaten sausage or the little island of scrambled egg that did it? Perhaps it was the lagoon of left-over tomato. Whatever it was it wasn’t going away.

It’s a Saturday morning and I’m with a group of Christian “fat boys” eating breakfast, chatting about our lives and praying for each other. I hate the term accountability group because it somehow strips the joy out of everything doesn’t it? It’s hard to imagine Jesus’ group of motley followers labelling themselves an accountability group. So we don’t call ourselves that. Were just a bunch of guys at a caf eating a breakfast and travelling together.

And at the end of each session we pray. Good manly prayers. Prayers about our temptations and hopes and fears and committing to travel together.

But today I’m having problems with the prayers. It isn’t that they’re not stirring and empowering and all that, but I’ve spotted the uncleared breakfast plates all around us. We’re talking to the God most high, most glorious. We’re bearing our souls and I’ve just put my elbow into the leftovers.

I shouldn’t have opened my eyes because now I can’t concentrate on the prayer and a laugh is building up from some unforgiveable place within. Dan’s praying for peace or something and I notice a half-eaten sausage on his plate pointing forlornly to the heavens. Chuck’s plate is even worse. The scrambled egg is sitting in a beautiful sea of tomato sauce and he’s left one mushroom like a small boat on a dangerous sea. Mel’s plate is a warzone. He’s over from the Philippines and has never experienced an full-English fry-up before. His plate looks like the Battle of the Somme. The tomato sauce the result of a bloody explosion somewhere in no-man’s land.

Oh no it’s out. I’ve tittered. The guys manfully carry on.

How easily am I distracted in prayer. How seriously do we take ourselves? I’m struck by the fact that the resurrected Jesus sat and made his disciples breakfast. Perhaps they too prayed  among the left-over fishbones and bread. Perhaps they chatted and laughed and shared a joke.

I once listened to a wise old vicar who told us about his conversion. He told us that it wasn’t a great road to Damascus experience, but that it happened around his breakfast table in Wimbledon. He met God amid the cornflakes and the toast and the nice cup of tea.

A bit like us really.

Wolfi: Thanks Steve… I wouldnt want to be on this journey without FatBoys.

 

 

You’re invited at 6pm…on Sundays

I attended the launch of our new 6pm service this past Sunday – it was so cool I thought I’d send you an invite… pass it on to your younger friends if you’re old…

Well done to Simon Bardone and the awesome team leading this!

Slough congregation launched!

Every Nation Slough is launched! We had a solid service today with over 35 adults attending, which included a good bunch of first-timers to Every Nation.  I’m so proud of Trevor & Yvette and our team which has been building up for this for a few years now through Bible Studies and Connect Groups.  Here’s a very short video clip to give you a glimpse of the service launch…

Watch this space for Jesus building a great church!

Slough & SixPM Launching this week!

Our London Expand Goals 2009 move into high gear this Sunday as we launch our third congregation in Slough as well as our new Hammersmith evening “6 PM” service (all details here).  

We declare that “You shall expand to the left and the right… make desolate cities inhabited…inherit nations…”  (From Isaiah 54:2-3)

What do you have in your own life right now over which you need to make a faith-filled “you shall expand” declaration?  Don’t let the spirit of the time cause you to shrink back into a cave of self-preservation & survival. Move in the opposite spirit and hear His voice calling you out today… EXPAND!

Poetry from IGNITE…

Last weekend we had what was probably our best ever yet mens IGNITE weekend here at Every Nation London, with over 100 guys having an awesome time out at Henley-on-Thames. We’ll have some great photo’s up on our website soon, but one highlight was a couple of poems written over the weekend by Wayne Lurcook to express the journey…

 

Take His yoke… (My title) – (No not this type of yoke Rick! ….

 

 

You who feel weary

Forlorn and down

You carry your burdens

All through the towns

 

You’re tired of life

And what it might bring

You’ve given up hope

Not willing to sing

 

I’ll give you my yoke

It’s easy and light

It’s something you can carry

Throughout your life

 

It will teach you to be humble

And comfort your soul

It will never be heavy

But it will make you whole

 

You have an inheritance

That is all your own

A promise from God

That’s cut into stone

 

You can use it wisely

To do great deeds

Or squander it all

On your own personal needs

 

What ever you do

You must realise

That God is always present

By your side

 

He won’t let you wander

He won’t let you stray

He knows your heart

In every way

 

  

In the fire… (my title)

 

I’ve come to the crossroads in life Lord

From which there is no turning back

 

 

 

I have got some choices to make Lord

To keep me on the right track

 

The choices I have seem quite simple

For those who really understand

One is to give into the Devil

The other to stand like a man

 

To give into the Devil is easy

For sin is right there in your face

But to stand with God as your master

Is hardest when running life’s race

 

So the choice I have made is not that simple

But its one that has to be done

I’ve put all my sins in the fire

And placed my trust in Gods Son.