Actions Speak louder than words

It’s been an amazing few weeks I don’t think I have ever travelled to London so many times in a short period of my life.

I have driven, taken the train, the tube, the bus, and walked on the street.

London for me has so many memories tied up in it from where I have lived and worked and served. God always seems to speak to me in all the busyness.

I have walked in the park, talked in the park and had lunch in the park.

Last week some friend’s three lots of very special friends cared for our son.

The last lot had him for the longest and because they were out of work we decided to pay them a decent rate for babysitting only have it refused and told how much of a pleasure it was to help.

That is love in action.

Quality time that you give to people even when you have your own needs is love

Serving our greatest need is something that money cannot buy or pay for in anyway, it is called love

I believe Jesus is calling on his church to start loving its community again and standing by the principles of loving the lost whoever they are.

Beccles Salvation Army I am hoping will be standing with other Christians in the gap and being the love the glues the world together.

I am hoping we will be a church that will do anything for love, to share it and receive it.

Because to be honest.

We are failing our communities.

We spend so much on our churches making them look so nice, and spend less time looking for ways to make those in the community look nice. Just like what the early Salvation Army did.

They went out onto the street and took with them the tears, sweat and blood of Jesus and said here is someone who is love to me, and wants to be love to you also.

We served peoples needs.

That was love in action

We fed them and clothed them.

Them.

Them I suppose because it’s not about us, sometimes it feels like it is about us and Jesus and no one else.

William Booth said”“We must wake ourselves up! Or somebody else will take our place, and bear our cross, and thereby rob us of our crown.”

While women weep as they do now, I'll fight; While little children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight; While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, I'll fight; While there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!

Where is this Salvation Church?

Since arriving in Beccles I have been met with people who thought the Salvation Army closed in Beccles years ago....the only way to show them it has not is serve them, as actions always speak louder than words

Light at the end of the Tunnel

Sorry it has been ages since my last post.

I moved last year from a small Scottish island back to a small rural town in Suffolk East Anglia to take on the leadership of an established church.

It has been much harder work than I thought it would be.

And on top of this I am doing a part time degree in Environmental Studies with a university so find myself often working into the night just to complete church admin and catching up with friends never mind having the time to keep up with my blog.

However, I now travel to London once a month, as I have been seconded to help plan National Men’s Conferences for the organisation I work for. And travelling on the train gives me time to think and consider like again.

Last week I travelled on two different express trains and was lucky to travel in first class for some of the way.

All my trains were severely delayed because of a track side fire.

I ended up travel about 100 miles out of my way in order to get another train to London.

What interested me is that I started up conversations with two men which started because of the delays, and we began sharing our experiences of travel, how early we had got up in the morning, and what we thought of the train service.

It is often the way you can sit in the same train carriage with 75 other people and until the train is delayed you have nothing in common to share with them. In our lives we become so caught up in our own issues, chores and roles that we cease the desire to share our experiences with people.

The two others guys and I had a few different conversations but on arrival at our destination were lost in the crowd as we ran to our various tube trains.

The church becomes like this also, so entrenched with its own issues it becomes a thing and forgets to be alive, I came by this story in my notes earlier today, still makes me smile!

One day in a small village near Edinburgh a priest was walking around his parish with his clerical clothes on.

There were two boys stood around two bikes and they called out to the priest “Oi don’t suppose you could stop being a priest for 5 minutes and give us a hand could you said the boys”. The priest crossed the street.

When he arrived he found the chain and broken on one of the bikes and needed to be fixed.

So he knelt on the pavement and found the problem, much to the amazement of the two kids and repaired the chain.

When he finished they apologised to him that he now had black oil all over his hands. The priest said its ok I can fix that, he picked up some dirt and scrubbed it all over his hands, then addressed the boys and said do you know where I can find some water?

Yeah said the boys we live round the corner come with us they said.

So the three of them marched right into the kitchen of the house to the surprise of their mum, who was asked to mind out the way so the priest could wash his hands.

The priest thanked them for letting him wash his hands in their home, he turned to leave as the water had restored his hands to spotless purity.

Then the boy’s mother asked the priest if he would like to stay for tea.

We are living in a culture at the moment which doesn’t feel that the church has anything to offer it except when we stop doing church the way we have been doing it, “Oi don’t suppose you could stop being a priest for 5 minutes and give us a hand could you”

People who don’t believe in God are not coming over to our side of the street “the Christian side”.

Unless the church, my new church included finds a way to bridge the gap, then we may as well stop catching the trains and stay at home, and block up the windows, as the light comes in for a reason

Turning Points

Turning points what do they mean to you?

I know where I used to live......many of the roads ended in a dead ends, but at the end of a single track road there was always a turning point for large vehicles or cars which had either not meant to go down that road or needed to come back.

The two words turning point are used in warfare to mark a particular point in history where within a war enough has happened for one side to obtain enough of a foothold or bridge head to launch their operations and go on to win the fight.

It could also mean a boyfriend and girlfriend reaching a point in their relationship where it is seen to be a good idea to continue or the right time to slip away.

What does it mean to you?

I know I have not written recently, and that is due to many reasons, mostly lack of time and tiredness, I have seen many things and thought a great deal about them but attending the needs of my family or a recently bereaved widow have got to come first.

Since making the move from Shetland to Beccles, I have been thwart with mixed emotions. Truly I have been bereaved of a way of life that meant so much to me, that I could truly relate to and where I experienced unbeatable joys but hellish lows.

It has been almost like having a soul tie with the Island.

Where deep friendships were born and live.

Where the survival of life continues against the weather and isolation.

Where music was made, and melody of the heart was scored.

And yet

And yet

I often tell others of the God I believe in, to be one who moves.

Who gives and takes away.

Who brings changes necessary to growth and fulfilment.

Who asks his people to try a new way or sing a new song.

And yet....

I had become to enjoy this life, this place this people.

Who would not.

When you have found comfort why bother to move on to something that does not caress the notes of your soul?

I worship and live by a saviour who I have often told others has their best interests at heart, and with that he might he choose the next melody on the manuscript of life.

Now then (Yorkshire Phrase)

I had not forgotten that, and I had asked to move. I had forgotten about my Saviour who moves.

There was another thing..... I could not work with my boss, I could not serve him any longer with integrity knowing that there is no way I could respect him and his views.

My Doctor said move or resign, you do not deserve this.

Moving meant the risk of being sent somewhere we could be harmed again.

I cannot work with people who cannot take risks.

I struggle with people who I cannot follow.

I also struggle with people that I gladly follow.

And so

And so.....

I am sat in a church last Sunday and I listen to friends sharing their hearts, their experience of change and their amazing faith in their Saviour that they serve with love.

And I hear this person say “Did you know, it is us who decides when we are afraid or excited about something...adrenaline is released and we decide to fight or flight”

I sit there in silence for a moment.

I realise the gift around me that God has so richly blessed me with.

I see the saviour who I gave my life over to.

I see the saviour who is the cornerstone of the church his bride.

I see my saviour who I have often told others has their best interests at heart, but may choose the next melody on the manuscript of life with his ideas of structure and not mine.

And here I understand the reason of leaving Shetland.

I had become comfortable in my poverty.

I had done everything I could for my saviour in that place.

And now.

And now........

Jesus was asking me to change to a new melody, perhaps with the same soprano line and bass line, but a different tenor.

Jesus started to speak to me.

He tells me,

I will not take away your memories.

I will not dissolve your friendships.

You can still go back and see that place, but I now want you somewhere else.

Where you can be my hands and my feet.

I want you somewhere which is good for you, and good for them.

The other thing I heard someone say is this “If you never try you will never no”.

The person who said those things of course was me.

Last Sunday was my turning point.

There is still ground to be won, battles to be fought, planting and healing to take place, but the corner is turned and there is much work to be done.

On top of all this I had a phone call today from an lady I know, it was her that inspired me to join serve others needs, and her that helped me find a job working for the homeless. She showed me His hands and His feet also.

She told me she had been praying for the right place for when we left the Islands.

This reminded me of a great friend who told me before we knew where we were going that God had something very special for us.

Last Sunday God showed me just how special.

Although there will still be tough days ahead I have some good people to start the next movement of melody with and the promise that the scribe has my best interests at heart.

There is still ground to be won, but the corner is turned. And I am where he wants me to be, and I will settle into this new country with his help.

A very Happy New year to you all, I hope to write more regularly this year

Old mates

Just a quick post tonight to say i have not forgotten the blog, just writing some stuff up for publishing this week

Struggling with my Identity

My post today is some ramblings going on in my mind, they may make sense or not

I am currently on holiday in the North Yorkshire Moors one of the national parks within Britain. The scenery is breathtaking, mists rising from the forests, the moorland, cows holding up the traffic walking to the milking sheds, a rich tapestry of colour in the hedgerows, pheasants, bunnies, the berries on trees and the fruits of a year that nature could be proud of.

Before I went on holiday my wife and son moved 870 miles from a small island called Shetland to a small Community in Suffolk England to minister to a new community. It is a town which doesnt appear very unified between churches (might be wrong mind) which is such a shame, but it is a town that from the outside looks posh, lovely and without problems. And yet under the surface there are cracks, people hurting, people crying out for healing, people trying to find is anyone cares for them, and a question I keep asking myself and others is how accessible is the church, and is the church what God wants for his people (those who don’t know him yet)?

Or has the church got confused and is mostly being an end to itself lining its own pockets?


I am not saying this is my church or any church in particular but how do we show people the real love that Jesus has for them, the one that does not condemn or hate or gossip.....and you know I am still working through what I think that means...and to do that comes from knowing our identity of who we really are.


Many Christians or people who call themselves Christians judge others harshly because they don’t understand the full reality of being a child of God’s. They don’t understand and are still trying to compute what truth and love really means. And the reason I know that is that was me several years ago forgetting the in this world of darkness the light spreads where it is shown not where it is spoken about.


This holiday has been really fun, slightly expensive on fuel but good to see friends, to see family, to meet new people as well as meet up with the old, to yarn (chat for a while) and think about life as it was in the past and what we have learnt from it.
A part from the days out on steam trains, coffee walking in the rain I have been wondering about life and thinking about things.


Before we went...a friend of mine rang to tell me he had got a job I have always wanted...an RAF Chaplain I was quite distraught about the whole thing, but over the days and weeks as I have reflected on it I have realised why I am never going to be picked for something like that. I struggle to follow the simplest of orders at times, and my church would be worried that i might say something out of place, but as I went on I realised there is something deeper here, God is asking me to go for a walk with him, a walk that is personal between the good he has set aside me for already and that I am willing to give up for him.

It is only when we start to work through some of life’s issues that are hitting at our cores that we start to see who we are and where our place is, and that each of us is on a deeply spiritual journey, but in order to keep moving we must work with the guide to uncover how the next steps feel and what they are. If I eat more humbly I could save money for those who cannot afford food at all, but this means giving up something that I will feel the punch of.
Lastly I have realised that in order to understand and change the church from a judgemental institution to the bride of Christ then the transformation and transparency needs to start with me, I need to stop being worried about what others might think and worry what God will think

The Coming of Age....

What sort of images come to mind when we think of "Coming of Age"

21st Birthday?

16 years old....allowed to get married?

18 years old...allowed to drink alcohol?

25 years old...cheaper car insurance?

I am sure yours will be different to mine

This last year this line "The Coming of Age...." has been masked by another word...responsibility.

Responsibility is about something that we do when we reach a level in our lives that we have the skills and knowledge to be accountable for something.

Most adults hate the word as they remember their parents saying "Grow up and take some responsibility"!

When Jesus says this
Luke 9:23

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

To me I felt Jesus lead me to those words and say coming of age as a christian, yes is responsibility but a practical example is denying yourself and taking up your cross and following me.

It is so easy to hide behind life and not realise that when we understand our committment to Jesus He epects some maturity from us, stop moaning and start walking.

If you dont understand your committment then you need to get someone to pray with you and you need to revist the cross otherwise picking up your cross is going to be something you will not be able to sustain. It means that you will never come of age as a Chritian and experience the highs, lows and miricles of being a follower of the king. You will just be stuck in one massive low which will wear you down till you quit.

My son is asleep on my shoulder, and am typing with one finger however the coming of age doesnt mean going alone, without those needed times of embrace, like sleeping on dad, a phrase I heard this week really fits in here...... It was from a man who was telling me the secret of a long and happy marriage, he said "I had to learn to start thinking 'WE' not 'ME'.

Jesus wants to live in us, for us around us, but its not all him and no us, he wants friends, people he can trust and know they love him as much in return.

Coming of Age....coming of an age where Jesus starts working through you in ways you had only dreamed could be possible

The men are coming tomorrow

Well there is last minute packing going on today as the removal chaps are coming tomorrow so its all systems go.

Hair cuts this afternoon and another flippin uni essay