Number One for Easter

What is Number One for Easter?

There is a campaign to get a Christian song at Number One in the charts for Easter. And I can't fault the idea - it is the most important time of the year, and it would be great to get some more Christian songs on 'main-stream' radio (Although I did hear Mary Mary - Praise You playing on Burton's Radio the other day).

Invade The Airwaves is a online campaign to have a Christian number one at Easter.


The campaign is run by Alistair Kent and consists of growth strategies in three main areas: Facebook, Churches and Wider Media.

The song is called ‘History Makers’ by Delirious? and Delirious? are donating all their profits from the UK downloads to charity projects supported by Martin Smith’s CompassionArt – Creating Freedom from Poverty.

You can get more information on the campaign from Invade the Airwaves
 
They have details of a range of sites where you can download the single here
 
Play.com seem to have the single at the lowest cost (65p).

A good story

This is a good story, it is worth looking at the video.





It comes from Christian Vision for Men.

Other links that are worth looking at

http://www.rejesus.co.uk/

Christian Enquiry Agency

Talk - the importance of pausing

I have recently given this short talk a couple of time. People have seemed to like it, so I thought I would pop it on here in case anybody wanted to read it, or use parts of it.

The importance of pausing.

Life seems to be going faster and faster. Adverts tell us that we need it bigger, faster, quicker, sooner. Internet connections are always on, we are always contactable, mobiles, e-mail, text, Twitter, broadband and mobile broadband. Coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi. I was on a bus the other day that had free Wi-Fi. We are not important unless our calendars are full – if I can make time today to see you today I can not be important.

But what is missing?
As we get more, the whole of society seems to be searching. Something is missing. Depression is still prevalent. We have more than people have ever had in the history of the world, yet we are less content than ever.

Who gets pushed out when we allow this to happen? Because we sacrifice something when we wish for another hour in the day, or another day in the week, or we seek the magic wand, or the time machine – just in order to get things done. Or we say 'Yes' to something but really don't have the time to do it.

Well, I have found that I need regular pauses. Just pausing. P A U S E

Its like a moment out, touching base. Somebody said that the lack of peace is a sure sign of the presence of sin. Yet pausing gives me the chance to see God's hand at
work, whether it is in the clouds in the sky, the beauty of a blade of grass or the love of Jesus shining from somebody else. It gives me some peace. I hear the inner – quiet – voice. I let Christ take the initiative. 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you' (John 14:27) He said.


Now I am not saying, for one minute, that a moments of peace – three minute retreats – is a replacement for Bible Study, regular prayer or holy communion. More, a top up throughout the day. It gets me from prayer to Bible study.

And it is not the same as a quiet day or a retreat. But a moments peace, I see, is a bit like drinking enough water throughout the day. We are told we should drink two litres of water a day and when we drink enough, we cope better. Yet drinking it all at
the start of the day would not be as good as has having a drink throughout the day. So it is with pausing. I can and do pray at any time – going to a meeting, coming out a meeting – in the middle of a meeting. Yet the pause is special – I don't seem to have changed, yet I am made new.

Mark suggests Jesus did the same. 'Everybody is looking for you.' led Jesus to say 'Lets go somewhere else' (Mark 1:35-39).

The importance of my pauses are that they don't have a purpose related to what I am doing. It is not a time to reflect on what I should do next, or to contemplate the outcome of a meeting, or preparation for worship. It is not about completing jobs, or ticking boxes on to do lists.

But it is an intentional break, a slow down. It does have a purpose – to re connect me with God. I maybe sat in an office, the front room at home or out on the patio staring up at the night sky. I might be looking at the chickens, stroking the cat or watching my kids play. I am trying to ensure that I see God, and the beauty of His creation, in everything I do and everywhere I go.

If you like quizes, try this one about Pausing. And you might like this book (ask me if you want to borrow my copy).

Google Street View - now in Kibworth

View Larger Map

Google's Street View now covers most of southern Leicestershire, including the main streets in Kibworth. You can move around the village and explore the main roads. Most people's faces seem to have been blurred out - although I think you can still recognise a few people.

Thanks to Simon Harvey for the 'heads up'.

Frank Skinner says 'Persecute me I'm after the Brownie points' | Times Online

This is a fascinating read - brilliant, funny, witty and incisive

Persecute me I'm after the Brownie points | Frank Skinner - Times Online

RIP - Percy the Peacock

For as long as I have lived in Kibworth, a Peacock - called Percy - has wandered up and down the High Street. Unfortunately, I heard he died the other day. A sad loss to the village.