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MoNoPolY!
We’ve all played Monopoly with those people who take it a little bit too seriously. They debate and exchange property as if their lives depend on it. They get very irritated when people form alliances and they’re likely to be the person who refuses to finish the game until everyone else is bankrupt and a winner has been declared.
The character of God is one of service, preferring other people’s needs and provoking the people around Him to greatness. Because of this I think God would either play Monopoly pretty poorly because He will not be selfish or put Himself above others, or He would be a completely radical player, who prefers other’s needs and wants the best for them.
I have a confession to make; I am one of those people. I can’t seem to help myself. Every time I sit down to play Monopoly, I have very good intentions to be pleasant, understanding and generally a nice person but then the Monopoly bug comes out.
Does this relate to normal life? I think if we’re honest, in life we all have the Monopoly bug. We want to be the best and we’re naturally a bit selfish. How would our lives change and our communities change if we really believed in a radical God, believed enough for it to change our lives?
Let me describe the symptoms of the Monopoly bug; the dominant symptom is a desperate need to win the game and the main side effect is selfishness. When I thought more about this Monopoly bug I realised that its key feature is about individual players being the greatest.
I really love Monopoly and will continue to play and enjoy the game but in my life I don’t want to be someone who has the Monopoly bug. I want to get to know this radical and extraordinary God more and more so that I become more like Him, with His tactics and strategies.
This really challenges me because I believe in and follow a God who, if He was playing Monopoly, would definitely not give in to the Monopoly bug. I wonder what it would be like to play Monopoly with God, what His tactics and strategy would be.
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/tHoUGHts oN toUR Every /thoughts edition goes on tour to loads of events and festivals. The Spring edition went to Big Church Day Out, Cliff College Festival, Spring Harvest, CU’s and Pentecost Festival (to name a few!). This edition will be at Soul Survivor, Momentum and Local Festivals around the UK.
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toM & ollY
Tom and Olly are prophets to the everyday, combining beautiful melodies with hard hitting lyrics. It’s an inspiring album that encourages the listener to look outside their own world and see what’s really going on. Well worth a listen. You can win this album on page 30.
10
facts this summer
How green is your uni? Students are asking uni’s to join 10:10. There are over 77,000 10:10ers, enough to fill Old Trafford. Show support: get a 10:10 tag made from a recycled bowing 747. David Cameron, Colin Firth and Sara Cox are signed up to 10:10 Daylight robbery: join the campaign to stop clocks changing. Every year, each person in the UK produces an estimated 14 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. 10:10 is a grass-routed initiative to cut carbon by 10% in 2010. Emerging Culture are committed to 10:10. Cutting carbon by 10% is achievable but it’s also meaningful. Sign up to 10:10, join the movement and get involved www.1010global.org
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6
tHEbANDWItHNoNAME /thoughts: Chip, it’s great to chat to you, you seem so busy at the moment! Chip Kendall: Yeah, we just got back from Slovakia and we’re about to go to Fuel festival in Ireland and Frenzy in Scotland so we’re running the festival circuit. We love it and we’re having a really good time. /t: We understand that thebandwithnoname will be going its separate ways later this year, why did you decide to move on? CK: There are lots of reasons. The people who started the band, Mark Pennells and Zarc Porter the directors of Innervation Trust, were the ones who made the call to end the band. I think the main thing for us is that music, particularly Christian music, is a totally different landscape now than when we started nine years ago. We also didn’t want to limit God from starting something new. There are a lot of new ways of doing things and we don’t see this as splitting up but finishing well. It’s like when you run a race and you speed up for the last lap and finish well. That’s what we’re doing and we really feel that God has got lots of great things in store. /t: Do you have any embarrassing stories about your time with the band? CK: There was one time I was on stage and we had a costume change. It was back in the era when we wore boiler suits, you know those suits that mechanics wear, I had one of those. I was wearing a long bicycle chain, which was really cool at the time! I ran off stage to do the costume
INtERVIEW
change, quickly threw my boiler suit on and ran back on stage. Without realising it my chain had come undone and it was dangling out of the crotch of the boiler suit. I looked down and the chain was just going up and down. Lots of embarrassing things happened all the time. /t: Over the years members of the group have changed. How did this affect your music? CK: We have always had a rolling line up and this is quite intentional because it’s been more of a mission than a band. We work making music that young people are into but making all the lyrics about God. Sometimes it was tough, I remember after the first line up finished we talked for a while about the band, I drew a picture of a telephone on a prayer wall in a little prayer room and said “Ok Lord, it’s your call”. It has all been about learning and trusting that God knows where our music and mission is going. /t: Where do you see yourself in five years? CK: Five years? That’s 2015! Maybe have more kids. I don’t know. I’ve written a solo E.P, we’re launching that soon and though we don’t really know where that’s going to take us, it will be an interesting start. I will be working two days a month in an organisation called Isrelate.com. My wife and I are doing a lot of writing, putting together a new youth Bible which will take a lot of time, prayer and work. There’s a lot coming up and we’ll see where it takes me.
/t: Do you think your relationship with God has changed as a result of the band finishing? CK: The last chapter of Exodus in the Bible talks about Moses finishing work on the tabernacle. They were supernaturally given the blueprint, the designs, the materials and all the artifacts to go inside the tabernacle and then it says ‘and Moses finished the work’ and after he finished the work God’s glory came in the tabernacle. I was reading that and thought that the end of thebandwithnoname is actually God‘s way of saying that it’s time for His glory to come in a new way. /t: If thebandwithnoname had one final thought to share with fans, what would it be? CK: I don’t think I can speak for everybody in the band but I can definitely speak for myself. I know that I’ve been in the band all along and I would say that no matter what country you’re from, no matter what God has given to you; your gifts, talents and abilities, I would say model them well. Model the idea of lifting Jesus up in a language that the people around you will understand. That would be my lasting thought. /t: And finally, what would you as an individual like to be remembered for? CK: I would like to be remembered as someone who had a heart of worship, somebody who had beautiful feet like in the Bible when it says “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news”. So someone with a heart of worship and feet that are on fire.
7
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8
cHANGING tHE WoRlD At 10 YEARs olD
ENGAGE
Everyone has the potential to be a world-changer. We’re not saying this flippantly as feel-good stuff, we’ve seen it become reality.
handing out £10 notes at events, challenging people to turn it into £100. Some called them brave, some called them stupid, but the result spoke for itself: over £2 million and in the year 2000, they founded the charity HOPEHIV.
In 1997, Phil Wall was on a trip to South Africa when he fell in love with a little girl called Zodwa who was living in an orphanage. Her mum, a sex worker, was dying of AIDS. Phil felt such a powerful connection with this little girl that he asked his wife Wendy whether they could adopt her, even though they already had two small children. Wendy was understandably anxious: how would they care for an HIV+ toddler? Yet she shared Phil’s belief that they were being called and, taking a giant leap of faith, agreed.
In April 2010, Phil and the team returned to Spring Harvest. They reported back on what had happened over the last 10 years: from supporting one little girl to now supporting 50,000 orphans and vulnerable children across sub-Saharan Africa each year. They went armed with £10 notes and a fresh 1010 Challenge. Already, we’ve received back an amazing £50,000 from bake sales, racing chickens and time management courses!
During the adoption process, Zodwa’s granny was found and was able to take her in. Undeterred, Phil and Wendy realised their hearts were being broken for a reason. They decided to do something to help other children like Zodwa. They cashed in the money they had been saving for a house deposit and started
Although huge progress has been made in the fight against AIDS in Africa, 13 million children have lost their parents to this disease. Teenagers are left to
NAtAlIE GEY VAN PIttIUs
Natalie is HOPeHiV’s COmmuNiCatiONs maNager. after uNiVersity, sHe sPeNt seVeral years liViNg iN sOutH afriCa aNd brOugHt baCk a HusbaNd!
provide for younger brothers and sisters and end up on the streets or are forced into early marriage or sex work. Many become young parents, and with high HIV infection rates, are repeating the cycle of poverty and orphanhood. As we enter our second decade, HOPEHIV wants to break this vicious circle. With support and opportunity, we’ve seen these young people use their potential to earn a decent living and give back to their communities. We’ve seen street kids find constructive ways to make a living and help other children go home. Unemployed teenagers in refugee camps have become skilled craftsmen who take on others as apprentices. We’re looking for a new wave of world-changers to help them on their way – if they can do it, so can you. This summer /thoughts would like to help HOPEHIV celebrate its tenth birthday. In our communities, schools and churches we can run Wii tournaments, bake sales etcetera and raise money to help change people’s worlds. Hundreds of people will be doing it and together, you’ll be changing the world, a little bit at a time. Go to www.hopehiv.org/my101010 to register.
“sIGA toDo REcto” I still remember it years after completing my Spanish GCSE. ‘Siga todo recto’, ‘go straight ahead.’ I can pronounce the short phrase like I am at home on the Mediterranean, but if I really think about it I’m not sure how useful the phrase is for my conversational Spanish! I wonder if ‘go straight ahead’ is the default for most of us in life, an inbuilt aversion to changing direction, or considering that a different direction may be out there. So we simply ‘siga todo recto’. As I failed to recall other words from my Spanish vocabulary tests I did think of two reasons why the best option is not always ‘go straight ahead’.
REAsoN 1: tHE MAP The world has changed so much in the last few years that the well worn paths and grooves that have been carved for us around education, career, the definition of success, significance and ambition may need questioning. Simply continuing to follow the maps that have been passed down to us negate the possibility that there are new avenues to explore or new maps to draw.
lIFEstYlE
Ghandi, when asked where Western society was heading, observed that it is “wealth without work, pleasure without consequence, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice and politics without principle.” Perhaps the routes we have inherited, followed and even aspire to, deny some of the Kingdom values that should reframe the horizon. In response to this maybe we could be the trailblazers who create new roads to explore that many others will follow behind us? Thomas Moore said; ‘What we do not change, we choose.’
REAsoN 2: VEHIclE MAINtENANcE When we focus solely on the journey it is possible that we fail to recognise the need to consider the vehicle we’re travelling in. The fuel gauge, tyre pressure and the scrapes and bumps to the bodywork can often go either ignored or unnoticed. What impact does our activity, ambition and drive have on our spiritual life and relationships with those around us? I have witnessed many people, including myself, who have been so committed to the next thing that they didn’t notice that their vehicle was in need of attention; their spiritual life needed an MOT. We must be on our guard against bumps and scrapes like inertia
DAVE NEWtoN
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and instead chase the values of our Kingdom destination; sacrifice, humility, servanthood and justice. As we ‘siga todo recto’ through life, let’s not miss the opportunities to follow diversions, to create detours and take off-road adventures that could lead us in the ultimate journey – the pursuit of God.
9
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HolY ANtIsEPtIc
DEEPER
cRIs RoGERs 11
I’m a salt on my chips kind of guy. I’m not too fond of vinegar or any of those weird ketchups but you can’t beat salt.
wasn’t for chips but was used for hygiene purposes and known as ‘salt from the earth’. It wasn’t expensive salt like that found in bath salts or refined like table salt but was the cheap salt found all over Israel in the Dead Sea area.
Salt is one of those day-to-day kinds of ingredients and has been used throughout history. It had very different uses other than merely putting it on food to make it taste nice. It was used in the preservation of meat products, mixing with donkey waste to make a cooking fuel and also used as an antiseptic for people’s poo!
Since these desert dwellers didn’t have any running water or toilets they would have to dig a hole to go to the loo and at the end they would put a spade full of salt on the filth to protect it from flies and help it to biodegrade. This salt was not only used as an antiseptic on the filth to stop the spread of germs but as a catalyst to change the filth into something new.
In fact it is still used in that way by some people today. A little while ago I was spending some time in the Middle East and I came across a group of Bedouin. They were shepherds who lived in small caves on the edge of the Judean desert. Right by their home was a large mound of salt. This salt
This idea of using salt as an antiseptic has been around for thousands of years and is nothing new. Therefore when Jesus turns to his followers and calls them “the salt of the earth” maybe instead of talking about flavouring food he was referring to the salt used as an antiseptic? Maybe Jesus wasn’t using a cooking reference but a more basic
tHis summer Cris aNd His family are mOViNg tO tHe east eNd Of lONdON tO PlaNt a CHurCH based arOuNd liViNg iN COmmuNity. He is tHe autHOr Of ‘PraCtisiNg resurreCtiON’, a sPeaker aNd Jesus mOVemeNt eNtHusiast.
image about what and where his followers should be. This is one of the many revolutionary, beautiful and brilliant images and ideas that Jesus passed on to His followers in the midst of a religious world that had become stale. In the Bible (1 Peter 1:15) we are told that the Church should be holy as God is holy. Our holiness acts like the salt making us into a holy antiseptic; a group of people ministering to a world that is broken and bruised. We find ourselves right in the midst of the filth and brokenness, loving things into something new and beautiful. An antiseptic-like church is a totally counter-cultural community; not running from the broken, the big issues or the pain, but placing ourselves right in the centre of it all and asking, “how do we be holy as God is holy right here, right now, in the pain, hurt and grime? How do we as the salt restore life?” That kind of church is beautiful!
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MAkE soME NoIsE
lIFEstYlE
June 1928. A woman is killed by a horse; trampled under it. It’s the horse of England’s King. And she’s dived right into its path. Perverse? Or passionate? When I put my X in the box and voted this year it was, in part, because of Emmeline – the lady who died under that horse.
I suspect the atmosphere in Sudan was electric. How did they feel that day? Perhaps voting is a bigger privilege than I realised.
I woke up full of anticipation that morning. I walked to my polling station, expecting to see a surge of people buzzing with the knowledge that they were right smack bang in the middle of choosing their next leader.
While we might feel weary of our country’s politics (or not even give a rats!), I’m suggesting we do something with our position. That we use our voices and make noise for those who can’t use theirs; for our brothers and sisters all around this incredible God-created world who are yet to live in full freedom and democracy.
The reality was not quite so energised. The polling station was deserted except for me, my hubby and the people behind the desk. I was gutted; gutted that it all felt a bit deflated. What did you do on 6 May 2010? Some of my more politically-minded friends camped out in front of the TV all night watching the results come in. Some felt unable to make a decision. Others believed their vote wouldn’t make any difference. Still more thought it wasn’t worth the effort The people of Sudan voted this year for the first time in 24 years. Wow! They’ve emerged out of two and a half decades embroiled in one of the deadliest wars of our time. It left 1.9 million people dead and forced over 4 million people from their homes. Now they’ve been given a voice.
We could easily mistake voting day as the closing moment but maybe it’s just the beginning. Unlike the people in Sudan or many other countries around the world, we have this mighty privilege to have our voice heard, not just on election day, but every day.
The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms to keep making a noise, “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of those being crushed. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!” (Proverbs 31) Let’s commit to gathering other radical disciples and raising the volume. Let’s ask our government to remember the poor and fight for justice. Let’s be up for what that will cost us, whether it’s an early morning rise to vote, or a letter to our MP asking them what they are doing about the poverty in our own community and around the globe.
kIERA PHYo
kiera siNgleHurst-PHyO Heads uP tHe tearfuNd yOutH aNd emergiNg geNeratiON team, aNd lOVes it! sHe lOVes CHattiNg tO PeOPle abOut Jesus aNd watCHiNg tHem fall iN lOVe witH a gOd wHO deePly lOVes tHe POOr. a bit Of HerOes, glee aNd a CuPPa tea aNd sHe’s all set!
Let’s be prepared to travel to get to a protest. Let’s be willing to spend time with someone whose life story is totally different to ours, so that we can represent them. Let’s not ignore, let’s not avoid, let’s not be jaded.
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WHAt’s YoUR stoRY? William Bausch said, ‘to be human is to have a story’. Have you ever noticed that same structure that shapes our lives beginning, middle, and end –also creates the foundation for stories and story-telling? We have a beginning; a past and a sense of where we came from, a middle; who we are now, and a future; what we aspire to become. Stories speak to us on a number of levels; firstly they provide an emotional connection with others’ stories and common experiences. We laugh when Michael McIntyre talks about the ‘man drawer’ because we can relate, we either have one or know someone who does. Secondly, they allow us to connect intellectually with one another and give evidence to support arguments. Exploring someone’s point of view can help us get to know both their opinion and our own. Finally, stories act as a link to the past, to the rich heritage that we share in. The story of Robin Hood, though exaggerated, gives us insight into the past and brings us together in a common history. There is a unique power in story-telling, when people connect with a story the true power of otherwise plain words is unlocked. Whether you’re a book worm; you love reading and escaping into a great book; or you only read books that your tutors put on the reading list, we are all impacted by stories everyday. Advertisers use stories to get us to engage with their brand or product and see that life would be better if we had whatever they’re selling. For example the current Vodafone advert tells a story where, if we have a Vodafone contract, we would have a great child– parent relationship like in the commercial.
ENGAGE
Our parents and teachers use stories to help us learn. Whether it’s a life experience that they have learned and want to pass on or it’s the story of Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone; stories capture our imagination and help us to learn in a more creative manner. When we really think about it, stories are everywhere, all the time. We are surrounded by them and intrinsically involved in them. They are a huge part of the way we as a society function and communicate. Stories make people laugh, help us to convey our deepest feelings and enable us to talk about the things that are most important to us. Through anecdotes we can portray and experience the full range of human emotion from laughter to tears. In recognising the importance and power of stories, does it, and indeed should it, affect how we communicate the values that are important to us?
AlI JoHNsoN 15
ali wOrks at Cliff COllege iN tHe beautiful rOlliNg Hills Of derbysHire. He is Very PassiONate abOut POrt Vale fOOtball CluN, films aNd beiNg silly!
If you’re reading this magazine and you love Jesus, does this affect how you will tell your God-shaped and God-inspired story? If you’re reading this and you’re not sure about God, then I would encourage you to check out some of the craziest stories ever told. Get your hands on a copy of Mark’s Gospel and prepare to be inspired and challenged.
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AN INtERVIEW WItH J. JoHN /thoughts: You’re on tour at the moment; tell us what it’s like. J.John: It’s really great! I’m enjoying seeing different places, communities, different people and seeing people getting transformed. That encourages me.
k tIME o o t E R cUltU tAlk AboUt G N I G R EME HN to ssAGE... o J . J H t oUt WI cHANGING ME A lIFE
/t: You have dedicated your life to telling people about Jesus. Why do you think this was important enough to commit to? J: For many people, their understanding of Christianity is a misunderstanding, so what we’re trying to do through this tour is put the record straight. I believe that our life here on Earth is a tiny ‘blip’ on the eternal screen and in the light of eternity it is really important that we think about our lives outside the ‘blip’ of life here and now. /t: What do you mean by misunderstandings? J: We pick up all sorts of beliefs and we rarely question them. Let me give you an example; I was getting my hair cut and a lady, Mary, was doing my hair. I
noticed on her keyring that she had a rabbit’s foot. I asked her “Mary, why do you have a rabbit’s foot on your keyring?” “Oh” she replied, “that’s to bring me good luck “, “But Mary the rabbit wasn’t lucky! So if the rabbit wasn’t lucky, how will it bring you good luck?” Where did Mary pick up the idea that a dead rabbit’s foot will bring her luck? Why do people think that reading their birth signs will give them direction in life? I think there is a lot of pick and mix spirituality that has affected us and we probably need to disentangle ourselves and search for truth. I think people have got a misconception that leads them to believe that Jesus will ruin their lives where in fact it’s the reverse. Jesus is authentic and has our interests at heart. /t: What is the key message of your tours and talks? J: As I mentioned earlier, a lot of people’s understanding of Christianity is actually a misunderstanding. Christianity is about a problem and a solution.
INtERVIEW
17
/t: Did it affect your life at all? J: Absolutely. Let me tell you a story… I was walking to university one morning and on the way I saw a homeless man and really felt for him and his situation. I thought that it might be a bit weird but I stopped, said hello and asked him whether he had eaten breakfast yet. He hadn’t, so I asked him if he wanted to join me for some breakfast.
A father was thinking of a fun activity to occupy his daughter, Annie, while he was busy. He flicked through a magazine, saw a map of the world and decided to make it into a jigsaw. He cut the map of the world into small squares, muddled them all over the floor and asked Annie to put the squares back together. “When you’ve done that, come and find me!” Two minutes later Annie shouts; “Daddy I’ve done it.” He couldn’t believe it, how could she have put each country in the right place? “Annie how did you know where to put the squares?” She answered “when you were cutting the map out, I looked on the other side and saw a picture of a man and a woman. I thought that if I could put the man and the woman back together, I could put the world back together again.”
Over bacon and eggs I asked him where he normally hung out and he told me that he always sits where I met him. I didn’t believe him so I kept asking. (My reason for being so inquisitive was because, if he was telling the truth, it meant that everyday, throughout September to December; I walked past without seeing him.)
Jesus looked at the root cause of the world’s problems and knew that in order to solve the problems He needed to solve the problem of the relationship between men, women and God. That’s exactly what He did 2,000 years ago and continues to do today.
I explained that I couldn’t afford to give him breakfast everyday but maybe once a week. He replied to say that he would love breakfast once a week! “Can I bring my
/t: At some point you heard the truth about Jesus and decided that you wanted to follow Him. How did that happen? J: I was a student in London and I was agnostic, I didn’t an dm en ts. ele ss co mm liv ing . know what I believed. I believed in girls,Tim gold and but les forgreed e. lif Cl ear ru or m you r wil l tra nsf at th s Law not God. I met a Christian who gave me a Bible and told me to read the life of Jesus. Over a period of seven months, working out what it all meant and chatting about it loads I realised that this stuff was absolutely true and needed a response.
speakers e Christian the most creativ e, and occupation. as one of race, cultur ng is regarded gender, age, spiritual meani to discover that transcends with an appeal lling helps people art of storyte ay life. His much-loved sense of everyd makes in a way that 347-6729-5
US $14.99 RELIGION Christian Life Spiritual Growth
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J. J O H N
people place unity where cted. action. A comm nized and respe guides every d where love e God is recog le Imagine a worl s. A place wher e themselve should be. Simp others befor for life as it Yet framework principles. revealed the our laws and of God s give n ago, datio of years the foun absolute truth Thousands g that provide essential guide, as these s for living livin truth daily less this values for im these time ly moving from can we recla How society is slow re. ctive cultu way to a subje in a modern world? God and those and apply them ionship with ant are as relev n for our relat perfect desig andments that the Bible’s r TEN comm TEN revisits l encounte Inside you’l s. around us. were given. they day profound truth now as the t with these . . Reconnec TEN faith of r your of the powe the wellspring life through Rediscover n for your God’s visio And reclaim
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friends?” We met up once a week as a group of six guys, ate breakfast and chatted and worked out what Jesus said and what it meant for our lives. /t: If you could pass on a piece of advice to teens, twenties and students in the UK, what would it be? J: I would say: discover what you value, what is important to you and don’t compromise. Sometimes we’re very black and white about life and decisions but actually most situations life presents us with are grey so I would encourage you to avoid the places where you might compromise the values that shape who you are.
FIGHtING cHANcE
lIFEstYlE
“SE15, SW9. Is that why people are dying, because of a couple of numbers, a couple of letters from the alphabet?”
somewhere that young people can feel they can belong and be protected. The gang becomes their family and the basis of their identity.
These words were spoken by Rachel, a 15-year-old schoolgirl. She had written an emotionally charged sketch about her friend Michael Dosunmu, shot in his bed in Camberwell by two gunmen who thought they were killing his older brother. I sat watching nervously; how would the audience, many of whom lived in these postcodes, receive this sketch? “It’s ironic”, Rachel continued, “us young people, everyone in this room, have the potential to change this world. But if we keep shooting each other, taking life as if we can give it back, what sort of future will we be?”
“The gangs I joined seemed the only people in the world to offer a kind of comfort and caring. The desire to feel wanted, in a world that seems to regard me as scum, was very powerful” Amy (former gang member)
The rising tide of gang culture has reached a critical point in the UK with the escalation of tragic teenage deaths and gang violence recounted in the media. What’s the real story behind the headlines? Who are the young people involved and why is being in a brutal gang appealing? What can be done? Listening to young people, parents, teachers, policemen, politicians and academics discussing the drivers behind gang culture, it seems to be a combination. Family breakdown, educational failure, emotional and financial poverty, and a lack of meaningful employment that often leads a young person to find a sense of belonging and future outside mainstream family, education and society. The gang provides a solution to coping with these problems: it is
Another gang member said to me, “a hopeful person doesn’t join a gang.” If the church is about anything it has got to be about Hope. At XLP we believe it’s about getting alongside young people in our inner cities and helping them see alternatives to what can seem a hopeless situation. We need to be committed for the long haul and encourage our young people to make wise lifestyle choices, and to realise their God-given potential. No single person or organisation can address issues like this alone. Only by coming together and
PAtRIck REGAN 19
PatriCk Has traVelled tO OVer tHirty COuNtries wOrkiNg witH sOme Of tHe POOrest COmmuNities. He fOuNded tHe CHarity, XlP aNd His New bOOk “figHtiNg CHaNCe” Has Just beeN released iN tHe uk.
standing with each other can we expect change, can we give the next generation a fighting chance. I’ve sat with parents whose children have been killed by gangs and it’s hard to convey how helpless you feel in the face of their suffering. For them it’s too late; the child they love is gone forever. “We must not let this teen knife crime take over our culture, I urge you, fight against it. Do not let your child, brother or sister become the next victim” – David Idowu. He was the next victim.
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PIRAtEs, WHIstlEs AND sHoUtING
REAlItY HIts
sARAH bURNEtt
It was a hot and sunny afternoon a couple of weeks ago that I suddenly found myself thrown into the midst of a ferocious battle. I stood open-mouthed as a gang of pirates mercilessly wrenched stolen treasure from helpless hands.
We stood outside Downing Street asking David Cameron to prioritise tackling slavery and then marched down Whitehall raising our voices on behalf of those who can’t. We blew whistles at Trafalgar Square to call an end to persecution and demonstrated to the people and authorities of London that injustice is unacceptable.
saraH lOVes beiNg a desigN iNterN witH sHare CreatiVe. wHeN sHe’s NOt desigNiNg, sHe eNJOys takiNg faNCy dress Parties far tOO seriOusly aNd COrreCtiNg OtHer PeOPle’s grammar (wHetHer tHey like it Or NOt).
It was a surprising thing to see in Central London to say the least, but what was more shocking is that the treasure was billions of pounds and the victims are the world’s poorest countries.
It’s rather difficult to ignore hundreds of loud and passionate people in the streets. Passers-by and tourists stopped, asking what was going on. Some supported us with applause, a few seemed mildly irritated at the noise but everyone witnessed that as young people we do care and are taking action. The excitement and vibrancy of the atmosphere peaked as we reached Trafalgar Square. As a crowd of curious onlookers gathered at the foot of Nelson’s Column we showed them God’s passion for the oppressed, bullied and persecuted. We showed them that we’re not a generation of apathy.
now?” The reality is that as I write this sentence there is someone being sold, someone tortured for having a faith, someone forced into poverty – but with this reminder we can encounter two problems. We struggle to engage with the unfairness of things that are so removed from our own lives and then we get overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem and don’t know where to begin. “What can I possibly do to change it?” we ask.
The pirates were part of Generate Justice, an activity-filled march in which I’d joined hundreds of other young people to grapple with global justice issues. Through the tug-of-war, plastic parrots and inflatable palm trees we saw how these poverty-stricken countries are being bullied out of money by the world powers. Outside HM Treasury we had the chance to show that we’re not happy about it.
Well, that was a couple of weeks ago. The T-shirts have been folded, whistles blown, banners rolled up and tucked away. Back in the flow of everyday normality it’s easy to be left thinking “what
Generate Justice reminded me of a piece of advice I’d once been given: whenever you don’t know where you should start, do the next right thing. This is the next right thing, this is where we start; we contact our MPs, encourage our new government, support those who are working to restore justice and shout “we care!” Let’s take it from there and see what happens.
REJEctIoN
REAlItY HIts
Last October, as I was doing my A2s at college, I started applying for university. I was pretty confident because I knew I would get the grades I needed, my work experience was sorted and everything was perfect. Even though I was applying for medicine, which is a really tough course to get into, everyone told me that I would be fine and that I had nothing to worry about. So imagine my surprise when the responses came through at the end of March. No. No. No. No. Four rejections, no interviews, nothing, I didn’t get in. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure anymore. What am I supposed to do now? Why didn’t I get in? Why has God let this happen?! Things like this happen in our lives all the time, whether on a big scale like not getting into university or on a small scale in our day to day lives. I got a job at a local nursing home, did some charity work in India for a month and I signed up for the ‘FRESH’ course with Emerging Culture which was one of the best things I did with my year out. I spent the year really questioning things, my decisions and God’s role in it all. Finding out that the plan I had for my future wasn’t going to happen the way I wanted was definitely not a walk in the park. Only now as I look back can I acknowledge that I wasn’t
WIll sHEPHERD 21
ready for university at the time, and that God wasn’t finished with me at home. I have learned so much about myself, who I am and who God is through this year out. I have gone through loads of emotions this year, from disappointment to hurt to hoping that everything will work out and then confusion about why it didn’t. My parents have put up with my moaning and complaining about the whole situation for a long time but one thing they have told me is this: “It’s better to know the one who holds the future, than to know only the future.” I believe in a God who can see the whole picture, who can see the whole jigsaw not just the individual pieces that I can see. I want to trust Jesus Christ more and more with each smaller step, without needing to plan out every detail according to what I want and know where I’m going in the big picture, because I trust Him with it all!
will is dOiNg a gaP year aNd tryiNg tO use tHe time well! He is PassiONate abOut gettiNg iNVOlVed iN His lOCal COmmuNity aNd sHariNg life witH PeOPle. will reCeNtly graduated frOm tHe fresH leadersHiP COurse aNd lOVed it!
Medical school is sorted now. I’ve got a place to start this September, which is brilliant! Looking back, I see how God has worked in me, and how important it was for me to pause at this stage and think about where I was going and why.
22
lEt JUstIcE FloW When I was at school I used to hang around with a mainly Asian crowd and being the only white girl I was often affectionately referred to as gori (which is Hindi for “white” or “fair”). A few years after I finished school I moved house, went to university and became a Christian (in that order). All my friends at school were Hindu so I assumed, quite innocently, that Mr Patel from round the corner was also a Hindu or a Muslim. He’d never spoken about religion to me but based on his culture and race I’d made an assumption. When I saw Mr Patel receiving communion at my church I got a swift wake-up call. There were Christian Asians? It may sound funny but I really hadn’t thought that anyone except old, white, middle-class, British people were Christians. Funnily enough, under those criteria I wouldn’t have “qualified” as I am definitely working class (and I hope not too old yet!). I suppose I’d never really given it much thought. As my knowledge of Jesus deepened so did my relationships with other Christians. I was suddenly aware that my social groups at work and at university seemed quite cliqued compared to the mix of classes, races, cultures and ages that were thrown together in a church building!
ENGAGE
As I learnt about the variety of people in churches I also learnt that in some countries there are just small pockets of Christian communities hidden away and even flourishing churches that have to operate ‘underground’. I was fascinated that there was a secret world that I was a part of; I was excited that I belonged to that same family. I know that God has a sense of humour because four years after I was baptised God placed me in a job working for the persecuted Church helping to raise awareness of other Christians around the world who are victimised and mistreated because of their faith. A few months into the job I went to Pakistan and learnt a lot about the suffering many Christians face. Pakistani Christians can come under attack from their communities simply because of their faith; this can result in physical violence, rioting and destroying of buildings or churches. They can also face attack through people abusing the legal system. Many Christians are falsely accused of breaking the country’s blasphemy laws, which can result in lengthy detention in prison.
cARINA MoRtoN
CariNa is wOrkiNg ON tHe ‘let JustiCe flOw’ CamPaigN wHiCH is HelPiNg tO raise awareNess iN tHe uk abOut iNJustiCe issues iN PakistaN tHat are OfteN NOt Heard abOut. add yOur Name tO Our PetitiON at www.releaseiNterNatiONal.Org
Let’s not assume that because we don’t know much about this injustice that affects people living hundreds of miles away, that we can’t do anything to help. In my job with Release International we are raising the profile of Pakistan with our campaign “Pakistan: Let Justice Flow” by highlighting these types of issues to you guys in the UK. The good news is there are things we can do about the injustice that is taking place. Why not have a look at www.releasepotential.org to find out ways that you can get involved with campaigns and prayer that will support Christians all over the world.
Rapper Jahaziel with stage make-up
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All tHE sINGlE lADIEs, lIFEstYlE All tHE sINGlE lADIEs… Do you join me in scoffing when you hear the words “Singleness is as much a blessing as marriage”?
who are married have just as much rubbish to deal with as everyone else, in fact probably more, because they don’t just have their own, they have their husband / wife’s drama too.
Find yourself increasingly embittered when yet another one of your friends produces a shiny rock on a finger and announces their engagement?
As a single woman in her late twenties who has come to the conclusion that this is what God wants for her life, I am learning to live in the freedom of it. My married friends are jealous of my jet set lifestyle; if God prompts me to go overseas, I can go at the drop of a hat! If I’m bored one day I can book a skydive for after lunch activities. I am free to lie in on a Saturday, stay out all night and change my plans at the last minute. I’m not tied to anything, I’m committed to no-one and free from the dull routine of life. I’m free to serve God fully, no limits.
Do you look at your diary over the next couple of months and find yourself faced with a summer full of weddings, none of which are your own?
Is singleness really a blessing? The problem is that we live in a society where the ‘norm’ is going to school, college, university, finding the person of our dreams, settling down, having kids and living happily ever after. This is a fantasy that is presented to us mainly by Hollywood films - Hitch, The Ugly Truth, Pretty Woman, Shrek … (feel free to add in here as appropriate). As a single person, we feel like we’re missing out on the ‘happy ever after’. As I look around I see couples genuinely happily married but I also see divorce, infidelity and pain over infertility. Does marriage really make you any more fulfilled? No. Does it make you happier? Maybe, but couples
It is really important that you take this next paragraph in and digest it properly. You are not single because you are unlovable! You are not single because you are ugly, high maintenance, ‘not there yet’ in your Christian walk, or just not good enough. You are single because God wants you all to Himself, even if just for a time. I have learnt over the last six years of singleness to consider God as my husband. I take him to weddings, on holidays and some days we just sit in Starbucks and share a Grande Latte.
cAtH lYDEN
CatH is a Pe teaCHer wOrkiNg iN Hull. sHe is a CHristiaN PassiONate abOut beiNg ‘real’ aNd HONest abOut tHe walk we all striVe tO fOllOw. sHe alsO used tO be a ClOwN sO Call Her Crazy daisy if yOu eVer meet Her.
I am His and He is the man in my life. Is it lonely? Yes. Is it hard? Yes, but as I look to my alternative and see blessings there, I also see hard times, and praise God I am single.
WHIsPERING MooN PHotoGRAPHY cREAtIVE
www.flickr.com/whisperingmoonphotography
kAtE lUscoMbE 25
wHisPeriNg mOON PHOtOgraPHy eXists tO eXPress CreatiVity, PrOVOke tHOugHt, tO CaPture tHOse uN-missable mOmeNts Of raw emOtiON aNd mOst imPOrtaNtly - tO Celebrate life. as well as PHOtOgraPHy, sHe is PassiONate abOut faitH, musiC, JustiCe aNd COmmuNity.
c/F
HIDDEN HAbIts
lIFEstYlE
There are countless men and women who watch pornography on a regular basis. I was one of them. There was a reason I stopped.
some could argue that this is natural for a guy, the way I was looking at women meant I missed their beauty and instead just saw lumps and curves. This in turn meant I struggled to be friends with girls without desiring a physical moment.
It’s funny how we believe people when they say that indulging in sexual promiscuity breeds freedom. From personal experience and from chatting with mates, this has not been the result. Even though it is justified as a biological act, I was left feeling like it wasn’t quite right. The problem is that people over time have separated the physical from the spiritual, as if one does not affect the other. False.
The porn that I watched meant I couldn’t focus on anything else. It was addictive; the images would haunt me day and night. I should not have seen what I saw. The more I tried to break free the lonelier I felt. I am a good man, but I became infatuated with images that could have ruined any future relationships. It was not until I got a room mate that I stopped.
At university, I remember nights sitting in on my own, clicking through websites watching, thinking and doing whatever I pleased. Is that freedom? Was I in a hedonistic dreamland? No, I was miserable. The porn that I watched changed my behaviour. Every time I looked at a woman, I would immediately see physical attributes. Although
I worked this through with God, and He has shown me that my identity is found in Him, not in whether I feel powerful as a man. I have become fearless about this topic, and am using this testimony to help as many people as I can. The true Church does not bring condemnation on this hidden habit it simply knows God’s heart for His people, and believe me, a miserable, isolated and hidden man is not God’s plan for anyone.
tobE bUtlER 27
tObe wOrks ON tHe leadersHiP team at all saiNts CHurCH iN PeCkHam. He is alsO abOut tO release His debut raP album straigHt fire lP. He reCeNtly gOt married tO HaNNaH, His PermaNeNt rOOm mate.
Whether you have a relationship with God or not, please hear me when I say that pornography brings emptiness, insecurities, and disappointment. Knowing God’s plan for His sons and daughters I made a decision to do everything I could to steer clear of it. A few helpful tips would include putting strict controls on your internet so even when you are tempted it is hard to gain access and talk to a mate about it and pray together. I pray you will be smarter than I was, not letting a subject which is taken far too lightly become a heavy burden you can’t lift.
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HolDING oUt FoR A FEW MIllIoN HERoEs My mate Jonnie saw how needlessly lives were lost in Haiti and has raised enough money to build a hospital that will serve a million people. My mate John was a climate activist long before any of us knew what one was and his influence has made hundreds of his mates think differently. Andy Herrick saw how poverty hurt the people he met in Zambia and hasn’t stopped campaigning since. These are my heroes: ordinary people who’ve seen something wrong in the world and who’ve committed themselves to living lives that put it right. People who, despite the overwhelming problems in our world and the cynicism of those around them, believe in a better world enough to start trying to build it. They’re my heroes because it’s their faith that makes them do it. Each of them has caught a glimpse of who God is and realised who they need to be as a result. If you believe there’s a God out there who created the world and called it good, and who plans to make it truly good again, that makes a big difference.
ENGAGE
We all want a fairer world and each of us wants to make a difference in bringing it about, but it’s a whole different ball game if you come to realise that your efforts are allied with the bloke who made it in the first place. We’re still ordinary people, but suddenly we’re part of something extraordinary. Suddenly, rather than telling ourselves that nothing can be done, or looking around for someone else to take a lead, we see injustice and take it as our cue to do our thing. There are more than a billion Christians worldwide. Imagine the impact if just one per cent of them understood that this is what they’re here for and began to live lives that brought justice to our world? And what would be the influence on a watching world as God’s plan became a reality around them? The injustices of our world cannot be addressed overnight. But neither could they withstand the raising up of a generation of people who choose, consistently and persistently, to live their lives for justice. Helen Keller once said that the world is moved along not only by the mighty shoves
ANDY clAsPER
aNdy is PassiONate abOut tHe rOle Of tHe CHurCH iN tHe wOrld, lOVes a gOOd CuP Of tea aNd Has tHe lOudest laugH iN HistOry. aNdy is tHe direCtOr Of miCaH CHalleNge uk.
of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker. You see the tiny push people are heroes too. Bonnie Tyler sang about holding out for a hero; I’m holding out for a few million of them.
Go cREAtE!
DEEPER
“Creative” is a verb that most of us shy away from using when describing ourselves. In fact we only use it to describe a few people. You know the ones, the crazy, arty types who wear weird colourful clothes and like flicking paint around. Part of the issue is that we have such a limited view of what the word means. Put simply, to be creative is to be imaginative; therefore creativity is not just about the ‘arts’ activities that we so often associate it with like drawing, dance and writing. Creativity is an original approach which can be applied to all areas of life; to thinking, business, teaching, media, worship, relationships, music, fashion, mathematics, decorating, engineering, spreadsheets, cooking, and so on. To create should be a natural outflow of our very existence. Unfortunately, our conservative British culture often squashes us, hiding the treasure within. We like to conform and fit in. We wear the same clothes, listen to the same music, decorate our bedrooms in the same ways, and avoid being seen as different or unusual. Earlier this year I had the privilege of scuba diving in the Andaman Islands. Once under the water I was exposed to the most amazing, vibrant, hidden world of colour and creatures. Sometimes I think we’re a bit like that when it comes to our
kIRstY HAllEtt 29
own creativity. On the surface it appears a bit bland and there’s not much to see, but once you plunge under there’s vibrant, colourful, life-inspiring creativity to be found. We cannot say to one person “you’re creative” and to another “you’re not creative”. Every single person is creative because they are made in the image of a creative God. Watching a Planet Earth programme gives just a small peak into the incredible diversity and beauty of our God’s creative talents. If we are made in the image of such a creative God it should not be a shock when it is suggested that all of us are ‘creative beings’. When we are fully released into being the creative people that we are created to be, we find fresh life and freedom. So I encourage you to expose and explore the creativity that you were made for. Step out and try something you’ve not tried before, leave behind the safe comfort of conformity. Take the risk of doing something that might not work and you’ll probably find it really does. Maybe flick a bit of paint around, you never know you just might like it!
kirsty liVes iN suNNy brigHtON wOrkiNg fOr City gate CHurCH. sHe lOVes wOrsHiPPiNg, liViNg by tHe sea, eXPlOriNg New COuNtries, beautiful tHiNgs, daNCiNg aNd eatiNg gOOd fOOd.
rrection
This book reawakens hope for our world, gives us a gracious kick on the behind and challenges us to be a part of the change we long to see. Mike Pilavachi Soul Survivor Ministries This book is for those who want to have their eyes opened to see the real Jesus and follow Him in the great adventure of living the resurrection life. David Westlake Tearfund My hope as you read this book is that some of Cris’s love for Jesus and the mission of his followers will rub off on you – as it has on me. Wendy Beech-Ward Director of Spring Harvest
rs around the thousands of reade nged is achalle passionate and devoted Adrian Plass and amusedCris Jeff Lucas and titles, author followerindivi dualA pastor, Having delighted, their of Jesus. spondence. years withand speaker, he is their desperate tote corre priva d to on world for many in rs reade a corner and force people fall in love with Jesus’ to let their see were pushed into are now ready emerge?’ letter, ‘Ifof we liberation. He is in his firstmessage kind of truth would whatand As Adrian says religi married twoon, children t ourwith ht abou read: funny, has been in church ministry be absolutely straig book is a joy to This tion. ques thatHe for tentoyears. is the author ers the answof Religion / Christian Life / Christian Living Naked Christianity You are holding honest.and A e all, ial and, abov Monkey’s Orientation. sad, controvers
JEF F
We’ll deliver your free /thoughts magazine. Sign up to be in a chance to win: Books by Cris Rogers, Adrian Plass & Jeff I laughed! Regan Lucas, Donald Miller, thebandwithnoname, Patrick until l measure! I cried get real ally astute in equa challenge us to ‘Raw and biblic ther Lucas & Plass ly and toge and J. John; Albums from Jesus Culture, Tom & Olly and Individual ’ faith. and about God, life hen Gaukroger Rev Stepplus thebandwithnoname tickets to their last ever gig as well as a Hope HIV T shirt! Don’t miss out!
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sIGN UP! tlemen, for the Ladies and gen one cover, we first time under ! SS and LUCAS give you – PLA
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EMERGING CULTURE The Church, Tolverne Road, Raynes Park, London, SW20 8RA 020 8781 1734 / team@emergingculture.co.uk
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Thousands of years ago, God revealed the framework for life as it should be. Simple values for daily living that provide the foundation of our laws and principles. Yet society is slowly moving from this essential guide, as these absolute truths give way to a subjective culture. How can we reclaim these timeless truths for living and apply them in a modern world?
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management but about the whole created order being restored and redeemed. Jesus died 2,000 years ago, but still today he invites us to join him in this mass resurrection project which involves following him to our death so that we might be resurrected in him. The church was never intended to be a group of people meeting to worship, but a living community of people all dying to themselves so that Jesus would be alive in them, and that they would then bring life to others Practising Resurrection looks at how the resurrection of Christ is played out in the world everyday. It is an encouragement and a hope that there is a redeeming power at work in the world today.
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inspiring communities before, during and after the london olympic and paralympic games
you could be running a community cafĂŠ, coaching sport, supporting the homeless, setting up a furniture exchange programme, organising church events, or getting alongside those in need. in fact you could be doing anything!
you’ve only got one life. use it.
full time volunteers needed. for a few weeks in summer 2012, london will be the focus of the world. beginning in september 2010 or January 2011 you will join local churches or organisations to help them capitalise on the excitement generated by the games, to serve and reach their communities.
it will be challenging, exciting, worthwhile and rewarding. your life and the lives of others will be changed. for more information www.timeforgod.org call 020 8883 1504 email office@timeforgod.org time for 2012
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