MCC BLOG

I often wonder why all of a sudden on halloween Christians become all concerned and scared and wondering what they should do to combat Halloween celebrations etc etc. You see the thing is that this sort of thing goes on all year round it only comes to our attention on Halloween. The occult is very strong in most areas of Britain and is drawing the curiosity and interest of many, actually about 1 in 4 people, all year round. The sad thing is that it is very subtle in a lot of areas and is portrayed as a bit of fun and just some scary stuff that will give you a buzz. Look at the success of the Harry Potter books for example. We as Christians though, should not be going around critizing people for getting involved in such things, because people are searching. We need to show them the alternative, and let them know that it is much more exciting to have our lives filled with light, and freedom and hope, rather than darkness, captivity and death. Look at the series on Saturday night prime-time TV ‘Afterlife’ it is drawing loads of veiwers as they are very interesting in what happens to us after we die. Instead of critising people for watching such programmes, watch it yourself and see what it is that attracts people and show them that there is an alternative. Be courageous Christians, you’re not going to get demon possesed for watching a programme to find out what it is that draws people to it. People love the spookiness of Halloween but they don’t understand the realities of the powers of darkness, we do but we don’t need to be scared by them because we know that Jesus has won over all the powers of darkness on the Cross. We just need to pray that people start looking to the Light of the World for the answers to lifes questions and when people look to darkness don’t critise just be courageous enough to steer them into the light. This should be all year round though not just at Halloween. We have a powerful weapon called prayer so lets get to our knees for all those searching people out there and be light in all these dark places.

Trace

It was great fun we had this week giving our local nursery and Scout Hut a lick of paint. I am sure that all at ‘Kingsway playgroup’ will be pleased and truely blessed by it. We really felt that it was what God wanted us to do, and it is so important that the church is reaching out to the community in a practical way and making a difference. The playgroup really needed it and when God tells you to do something you do it and He blesses it, so watch this space!! I must admit though that I am rather sick of the colour green, and our Amy still can’t get the gloss out of her hair. A great big thank you to all that got involved hands on, and to those who contributed with the ‘pennies’ GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!

I find it quite amazing the way the media is putting fear into people about the bird flu. Why does the media try and put fear into people. I think we need to really get this all thing about the bird flu into prespective and look at the facts. The current H5N1 flu virus has not mutated into a form that can easily effect humans, and the 60 people who died have done so not because the bug is on the road to mutation, but because millions of birds are infected in Asia and the occasional bird handler has become infected. Are you a bird handler? Are MILLIONS of birds infected in Britain? Well why are thousands, if not millions of Britons now terrified that they are going to die of the bird flu? I don’t know why the media has to put fear into people. Well I guess I wouldn’t sleep at night if I didn’t have God to take all my cares and worries to, but sometimes we just need to look at the bare facts!! ‘Cast all you anxieties on Him for he cares for you’ 1Peter 5:7 (The Bible)

Tracy

It’s quite simple really people think that church is full of boring old funny duddies who sit through totally irrelevant church services, and then forget about it for the rest of the week. I don’t think they are far wrong either. Of course there are some brilliant churches around that this is not true of, Abundant Life in Bradford, Hillsongs in London are just 2 of many. How do we let people know though that they can come to church and get their lifes questions answers, they can come and have a great time, build new friendships and find answers to some of their problems. That they can have a brand new exciting life and a great relationship with God. He gives us life and life to the full, so why do we not see this in action in so many churches? Can someone tell me cause I don’t get it!! Anyway I hope no-one feels like that when they come to our church. We need to know more about what people out there really need and meet people where they are at. I guess it’s very important to ask them why they don’t come to church too. Please let us know if you have any question about christianity or Christians or more importantly God.

In our attempt to be a 21st century church, we have to realise and think about how the every day tom, dick and Mary on the street sees us. I get the feeling most of the time that most people think that Christians are just bunch of weirdos. Why do you think that is? I think, to be honest, it’s because some of them are. Also it’s the way the media portrays Christians too. I mean take Dot Cotton on Eastenders for example. Also usually when you see a documentary of telly about Christians or a church they always have to take the extremes. Either people are falling all over the place being ’slain in the spirit’ or they are dressed in long robs singing out of tune hymns from 1778. Why does the media never portray us as just normal people with normal every day problems just like anyone else, with needs just like anyone else and doubts and even fears sometimes. The only difference between Christians and non-Christians (as we call them) is that we have found God, and all that he has to offer us. We have this great treasure that God has given us and a whole new horizon has opened up, but basically we are still human. It does not mean that we seize to relate to the every day man on the street, how are we supposed to tell them and convince them that being a Christian is a great and amazing thing, when we end up being a unapproachable weirdo. Jesus wasn’t and he attrached people, crowds of them in fact. We need to be real as Christians, so that we can help a world out there with real problems. Let’s be honest we’re no better than anyone else!!

I find the X factor very addictive and I guess that is because of my great interest in people, and that I like people to suceed. I also find it very demoralising for certain people who are entering just to be torn apart on national TV. I got to thinking the other day that this competition is really only for the chosen few and what happens to all the other people who didn’t get through. Do they end up with even lower selfesteems than ever or do some of them feel encouraged. The fact is that these many other people who don’t make it, only don’t have the X factor in the eyes of Simon, Lois and Sharon, I’m sure there mothers think they are wonderful. Simon, Lois and Sharon don’t even know these people and, of course, they are only really looking at the outward appearance and weather they can sing. Thank God for the verse in the Bible in Samuel (Old Testament) which say ‘ The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. God’s the one that can be the real judge as to wether we have the X factor or not after all he created it!!