Winding Down

The shed was in mortal peril last week!  All that windiness made a tree fall down.  Well most of it anyway.  Thankfully, the tree found an angle that made it miss the shed.  And also next door's fence.
It can be quite difficult to discern intentionality.  As was explained to me by a vicar who shall remain nameross, if you're caught in an avalanche then that's just nature taking it's course.  But if you see a snowball rolling down a mountain toward you, which changes its course when you do - then someone is behind it.
Sometimes we just have to be thankful that things could have been a lot worse.
Wind is seemingly random, Spirit is purposeful.  It's ever so confusing that in both Hebrew and Greek, one word is used for both.  This makes it impossible to translate into English, as we have to decide which of two (or more) words better fits the bill.  Hence in Jesus' conversation (OK, monologue) with Nicodemus, the same word is translated differently by reading intentionality back into the sentences.  Shame.


John 3: (CEV)

4 Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?”

5 Jesus answered:

I tell you for certain that before you can get into God’s kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. 6 Humans give life to their children. Yet only God’s Spirit can change you into a child of God. 7 Don’t be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. 8 Only God’s Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.

Illumination

I thought I'd return to the blog this week as I have adorned the shed with pretty lights. 40 solar powered colour changing LEDs. I love the idea of solar lights, bringing light to darkness at no expense to the environment (if one chooses to ignore manufacturing and shipping them of course.)

Also had to revisit the old blog to reread the fascinating comments by the poster known as gospel. Lectionary text for tomorrow's sermons is John 14:1-14. I've preached on this more than any other, it being the reading of choice for funeral services. Still don't really understand it - especially the less preached verses (7-14). A lot hinges on whether you think the house of many rooms is temporary (as does NT Wright) or eternal (as does gospel). It could be that St John had in mind the temporary booths of the feast of tabernacles. Or not. Sheds or mansions? Wood or stone?

I've served my original license term of 7 years here now. Not sure if I'd have to leave the shed behind or whether it could come with me. How much of this world do we take into the next?



John 14 (CEV because I don't like v2 phrased as a question!)
Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father, too. But now you do know him, and you have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”

9 Jesus answered, “I have been with you a long time now. Do you still not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. So why do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you don’t come from me, but the Father lives in me and does his own work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles I have done. 12 I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you so that the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son. 14 If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.




Found an old unposted post too, so now it's posted.

Location:Shed

Annual

Almost a year since I last posted anything!
What's happened since? Err got a new iPhone. it's like the old one but a little bit longer. Whatever happened to innovation?

Anyway, Just had a holiday and a free Sunday.
Visited a church for an informal service. Tech problems abounded. I resisted the temptation to go sort it out.
The poor minister didn't have a screen to see, so didn't know the words weren't appearing. Hence a very unresponsive section of liturgy! Did well considering, though.
This made me think. The congregation was smallish. Or few. Hence not the largest A/V support team. In fact it was just one chap. But this church has a quite complicated set-up. It usually needs two people at the back.
So, assuming money isn't a problem, is it always best to get as much tech as you can? Or is it sometimes better not to? For instance if you don't have the people to run it, isn't it better to get just the kit that can be used and used well?
Shouldn't the tech fit the people rather than the people fit the tech?
This is of course a driver for the post-pc or rather post-desktop age.

I'm still quite happy with the simple setup we have at St Peter's. One laptop and a projector. The service leader can control it, or give the remote to someone else. It works pretty well.



Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Location:House