I thought I'd share a few thoughts from my trip to Şiria, Romania. I was there for about 6 days, getting to know people who are part of a missions team called Networks, and getting to see some of what they do. There are around 50 people there, some long term staff and others who are part of a missions training program.
Firstly, it was amazing just to spend time with some of these people, who are all so passionate about following Jesus and seeing His Kingdom come - I felt so at home among them. I took part in a couple of classes with people doing missions training, which I really enjoyed. They are very intentional about discipleship, and there seemed to be an atmosphere of real openness and learning. It was great getting to know some people there, and I was pretty inspired and challenged by the way they live.
I spent one day with one group visiting an area called Alfa. The residents of the area are Roma people, and they live in 'huts' made of whatever materials are around, which is pretty crazy considering how cold it was. A few of us went to visit a guy who they'd given a guitar to a few weeks before. He was a really amazing guitarist, but hadn't owned a guitar for some time. I got to spend some time playing music with him, which was really cool. The group also gave out flour to people, and we got to pray for one lady, who had lung problems, and apparently she felt God touch her as we prayed. It was pretty eye-opening to be there, as I've maybe only been in that sort of environment once before (in Macedonia this summer).
During the week there I got to worship with people a number of times, including at their Sunday gathering. I love getting to worship and pray with people - somehow you see their hearts. And getting the chance to inspire people in worship is such a privilege. I also got to go up this mountain (or big hill) nearby, where there's ruins of a 13th century castle, and I prayed and worshiped up there (which was great).
So, overall, I had a wonderful time, and I'm pretty sure I'll be back at some point. It seems God's put something in my heart for the Balkans, we'll see what plans He has for the future...
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Off to Romania...
On Monday I'm flying from Helsinki to Budapest, then getting a train to Arad, Romania. I'll be spending a week there, visiting some friends I met this summer at the 24/7 Balkan gathering in Ohrid, Macedonia. They are part of a charity called Networks that "are involved in helping the poorest of the poor in northwest Romania." For more on the work, visit http://networks.org.ro/
I'm going mainly to connect with people there, find out more about their work, and spend time worshiping and praying with them. This will be my first visit to Romania, and I'm pretty excited about it.
Feel free to pray into the trip - for provision, traveling mercies, and that God plans for the trip would fully come to pass.
I'm going mainly to connect with people there, find out more about their work, and spend time worshiping and praying with them. This will be my first visit to Romania, and I'm pretty excited about it.
Feel free to pray into the trip - for provision, traveling mercies, and that God plans for the trip would fully come to pass.
Monday, November 7, 2011
To love God with my mind
I'm currently planning to do a degree in 'biblical and missional theology' - see here for more details on the actual course. My plan is to start the course in January, although I'm trying to sort out some of the practical and funding details at the moment. I would be part of an organisation called ICY, who facilitate this course in Europe.
So why would I want to do this course? Well, firstly I feel that it will give me a lot of skills I will need in the future, in particular in terms of leadership, mission and building communities. Although I don't have a very clear picture of my future, I'm quite sure it will involve these things. I've also realised that I'm quite passionate about getting deeper in my understanding of Who God is, the Bible, mission, and the Church. The idea of doing courses such as "Pioneering Leadership for the Missional Church" seems pretty exciting to me. These subjects are all so linked, and there's so much to explore - as many have said, our Christology should shape our missiology, which should in turn shape our ecclesiology.
I've been reading "What Saint Paul Really Said" by N.T. Wright recently, and it's been challenging my thinking on a range of different subjects, such as Saul's agenda before his conversion, the message of the gospel, who Paul believed Jesus is, the righteousness of God, justification and more. But one line in particular stood out to me a few weeks ago - "The language of theology, properly understood, gives birth to the language of love." Studying theology for me is about going deeper in the knowledge of God, both in my intellect and in my heart. I want to know God, Who is love.
"Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence."
Matt 22:37 (the Message)
So why would I want to do this course? Well, firstly I feel that it will give me a lot of skills I will need in the future, in particular in terms of leadership, mission and building communities. Although I don't have a very clear picture of my future, I'm quite sure it will involve these things. I've also realised that I'm quite passionate about getting deeper in my understanding of Who God is, the Bible, mission, and the Church. The idea of doing courses such as "Pioneering Leadership for the Missional Church" seems pretty exciting to me. These subjects are all so linked, and there's so much to explore - as many have said, our Christology should shape our missiology, which should in turn shape our ecclesiology.
I've been reading "What Saint Paul Really Said" by N.T. Wright recently, and it's been challenging my thinking on a range of different subjects, such as Saul's agenda before his conversion, the message of the gospel, who Paul believed Jesus is, the righteousness of God, justification and more. But one line in particular stood out to me a few weeks ago - "The language of theology, properly understood, gives birth to the language of love." Studying theology for me is about going deeper in the knowledge of God, both in my intellect and in my heart. I want to know God, Who is love.
"Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence."
Matt 22:37 (the Message)
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Spontaneous trip to Joensuu
A week ago I was part of a workshop on 24/7 Prayer at a mission-themed conference in Helsinki. While there, I met a guy called Janne from Joensuu (around a 6 hour drive north-east of Helsinki), who is part of a community of young people there. A couple of days later they were starting their first prayer week. I mentioned that it would be cool to visit them some time, and in response Janne offered that I could get a lift with them the next day on their way back to Joensuu. I figured that I could potentially do it, so I asked God if I should go. His response was a pretty clear "Yes". I also asked what day to come back, and God suggested Thursday.
So, on Sunday morning, myself and Jenni (who's also part of our Jakomäki community) went to Joensuu. Jenni stayed until Tuesday morning, and I left on Thursday afternoon. We kinda just joined in with the life of the community there. Essentially, it's a group of friends from a few different parts of the Church in Joensuu. Some are involved with a 'media team', which has a house where they make music, videos and various other stuff (and Janne also lives there). Some of the community are also involved with running a youth cafe for the young people in the city. One room in the youth cafe building was used as the prayer room for the week.
So, we spent time getting to know some people from the community, eating, seeing some of Joensuu and just hanging out there. In addition to all this, we were privileged to take part in their first prayer week. It was so great to be there for the first couple of hours in the prayer room with around 10 others, aware that God is really up to something here. I filled in some open slots, maybe an hour or two each day. It was wonderful to see the room fill up with artwork and written prayers, and to see people really enthusiastic about getting to spend time in the prayer room. It seems quite clear that this won't be the last prayer week they host.
I really enjoyed being there, getting to spend time praying for Joensuu and the community, and getting to connect with people there. I also got to record one of my songs in the Media house's studio with Janne - you can hear it here: http://soundcloud.com/john-allison/john-allison-the-boat-song So all in all it was a great 5 days.
So, on Sunday morning, myself and Jenni (who's also part of our Jakomäki community) went to Joensuu. Jenni stayed until Tuesday morning, and I left on Thursday afternoon. We kinda just joined in with the life of the community there. Essentially, it's a group of friends from a few different parts of the Church in Joensuu. Some are involved with a 'media team', which has a house where they make music, videos and various other stuff (and Janne also lives there). Some of the community are also involved with running a youth cafe for the young people in the city. One room in the youth cafe building was used as the prayer room for the week.
So, we spent time getting to know some people from the community, eating, seeing some of Joensuu and just hanging out there. In addition to all this, we were privileged to take part in their first prayer week. It was so great to be there for the first couple of hours in the prayer room with around 10 others, aware that God is really up to something here. I filled in some open slots, maybe an hour or two each day. It was wonderful to see the room fill up with artwork and written prayers, and to see people really enthusiastic about getting to spend time in the prayer room. It seems quite clear that this won't be the last prayer week they host.
I really enjoyed being there, getting to spend time praying for Joensuu and the community, and getting to connect with people there. I also got to record one of my songs in the Media house's studio with Janne - you can hear it here: http://soundcloud.com/john-allison/john-allison-the-boat-song So all in all it was a great 5 days.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Stand up
From the sixth to the ninth of October, people from all over Europe gathered in Frankfurt for 24/7 Prayer's Eurogathering, and I was privileged to be there. It was a truly wonderful time of worship, prayer, sharing vision and inspiration, and meeting family.
I arrived in the hall at the beginning of the first meeting, and it was full of people on their knees, silently listening to God. As I quickly joined in, I felt God say that He had brought me here to show me that there is hope for Europe, and that the people in this hall would become family to me.
By the end of the gathering, I'd heard many stories of different communities across Europe who are praying, reaching out, and living to see their cities, nations, continent and world transformed. Truly, I could see that there is still hope for Europe, and that these people, ordinary yet set-apart people, are truly family to me. After meeting many amazing people, and knowing that there were many more I didn't get a chance to talk with, I know that these are people I want to walk with and learn from.
The gathering was called 'Aufstehen' ('stand up' in German), and I was both inspired and challenged by the call to stand up. Hearing from people in places like Greece and Spain, where there is a great deal of pressure right now, was pretty inspiring. I was also very inspired by hearing about various 'Boiler Room communities' across Europe, and also attending a seminar on building communities. There is so much to learn, and I guess most of it really has to be learned in practice. It really challenged my thinking about the developing community here in Jakomäki, and I'm looking forward to how things will develop.
I also had the privilege of being part of the worship team in the main sessions, made up several different nations, most of whom had never played together. The 3 worship leaders were from Macedonia, Spain and Greece, and getting to be part of it all was so much fun. Some of the leaders of 24/7 Prayer in Europe also shared during the main sessions, and it was really inspiring and challenging stuff. I was particularly challenged by Brian Heasley, who's lived and worked and prayed in Ibiza for several years.
Amongst it all, there was time to just chat and get to know people, which was really great. Meeting people who are so real and 'down-to-earth' and yet so passionately following Jesus was wonderful.
Ultimately, I left Frankfurt longing to see change - in myself, in Jakomäki, in Finland, in Europe and across the world. And I pray that this longing will again draw me into prayer and action, into careful listening and wholehearted obedience. We need to stand up.
I arrived in the hall at the beginning of the first meeting, and it was full of people on their knees, silently listening to God. As I quickly joined in, I felt God say that He had brought me here to show me that there is hope for Europe, and that the people in this hall would become family to me.
By the end of the gathering, I'd heard many stories of different communities across Europe who are praying, reaching out, and living to see their cities, nations, continent and world transformed. Truly, I could see that there is still hope for Europe, and that these people, ordinary yet set-apart people, are truly family to me. After meeting many amazing people, and knowing that there were many more I didn't get a chance to talk with, I know that these are people I want to walk with and learn from.
The gathering was called 'Aufstehen' ('stand up' in German), and I was both inspired and challenged by the call to stand up. Hearing from people in places like Greece and Spain, where there is a great deal of pressure right now, was pretty inspiring. I was also very inspired by hearing about various 'Boiler Room communities' across Europe, and also attending a seminar on building communities. There is so much to learn, and I guess most of it really has to be learned in practice. It really challenged my thinking about the developing community here in Jakomäki, and I'm looking forward to how things will develop.
I also had the privilege of being part of the worship team in the main sessions, made up several different nations, most of whom had never played together. The 3 worship leaders were from Macedonia, Spain and Greece, and getting to be part of it all was so much fun. Some of the leaders of 24/7 Prayer in Europe also shared during the main sessions, and it was really inspiring and challenging stuff. I was particularly challenged by Brian Heasley, who's lived and worked and prayed in Ibiza for several years.
Amongst it all, there was time to just chat and get to know people, which was really great. Meeting people who are so real and 'down-to-earth' and yet so passionately following Jesus was wonderful.
Ultimately, I left Frankfurt longing to see change - in myself, in Jakomäki, in Finland, in Europe and across the world. And I pray that this longing will again draw me into prayer and action, into careful listening and wholehearted obedience. We need to stand up.
Svendborg, Denmark
In the evening of Thursday 29th September, I was flying back from Copenhagen to Helsinki, looking back on the previous 4 days. I'd traveled to Svendborg that Monday to do some teaching at a YWAM DTS, and it was one of my first real experiences of that sort of teaching. In the weeks beforehand I'd taken some time to prepare for the teaching on the subject of worship. It's a subject very close to my heart, and I was aware that more than sharing merely concepts or ideas, I wanted to share my heart.
So, after a brief time of getting to know each other and a bit of an introduction on the first evening, the next morning it dawned on me just how much of a challenge this was. That day I had roughly 6 hours in which to share with the 5 students, and I was pretty daunted. Then I felt God speak to me from Jeremiah 1:5-9 that He would put the words in my mouth, and I simply had to share what He gave me to share.
So, on my journey home, several things were pretty clear in my mind.
Firstly, I loved getting to share my heart with the students, and being able to interact with them around God's Word and various concepts. Getting to share about something I'm passionate about and see it inspire and challenge them was really great.
Secondly, just meeting members of this wonderful family of God was great. I feel like I also learned a lot from just being around the staff and students there, and it was inspiring to see what God is doing in people in our generation.
Finally, I am overwhelmed at the privilege of it all - to share my heart and talk about worship and ultimately God, to speak into people's lives, to be able to bless and encourage and inspire people. I'm really looking forward to the opportunities God has for me in the future.
So, after a brief time of getting to know each other and a bit of an introduction on the first evening, the next morning it dawned on me just how much of a challenge this was. That day I had roughly 6 hours in which to share with the 5 students, and I was pretty daunted. Then I felt God speak to me from Jeremiah 1:5-9 that He would put the words in my mouth, and I simply had to share what He gave me to share.
So, on my journey home, several things were pretty clear in my mind.
Firstly, I loved getting to share my heart with the students, and being able to interact with them around God's Word and various concepts. Getting to share about something I'm passionate about and see it inspire and challenge them was really great.
Secondly, just meeting members of this wonderful family of God was great. I feel like I also learned a lot from just being around the staff and students there, and it was inspiring to see what God is doing in people in our generation.
Finally, I am overwhelmed at the privilege of it all - to share my heart and talk about worship and ultimately God, to speak into people's lives, to be able to bless and encourage and inspire people. I'm really looking forward to the opportunities God has for me in the future.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Imitating Daddy
God's been talking to me a lot about childlikeness recently, and it has amazed me how it affects so many areas of life. I've recently read a book called "Dangerous Wonder" by Michael Yaconelli, and in the book he addresses many different ways in which we must "become like little children". This book has provoked me to really look into how I can learn to live like this, and I'd really recommend it.
Anyway, today this verse really jumped out at me - "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." (Eph 5:1) It made me think about how little children naturally imitate their parents, and so much of their learning is done by imitation. Now obviously this takes humility - too easily I think I know how to do everything and that my way is best. So I must become like a little child, humbly observe what my Father does, and simply imitate.
After reading the verse, I pictured in my mind a man digging a hole in the garden, while his small son is crouching down next to him with a small spade digging a little hole too. The man includes his son in digging, and although it's clear to anyone else that the boy isn't moving much soil, that isn't what's really important.
I think this is a pretty similar to how we are to live with our Heavenly Father. Sure the hole we dig may not seem very impressive, but our Father is so proud of our attempts. And as we continue to imitate Him, we will learn to better imitate Him. Jesus, our example, said, "The Son can't independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing." (John 5:19, MSG)
I read this on my friend Ella's blog today from the Message version of Matt. 11:28-30 (see http://pellavasmith.blogspot.com/ for more)
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Anyway, today this verse really jumped out at me - "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." (Eph 5:1) It made me think about how little children naturally imitate their parents, and so much of their learning is done by imitation. Now obviously this takes humility - too easily I think I know how to do everything and that my way is best. So I must become like a little child, humbly observe what my Father does, and simply imitate.
After reading the verse, I pictured in my mind a man digging a hole in the garden, while his small son is crouching down next to him with a small spade digging a little hole too. The man includes his son in digging, and although it's clear to anyone else that the boy isn't moving much soil, that isn't what's really important.
I think this is a pretty similar to how we are to live with our Heavenly Father. Sure the hole we dig may not seem very impressive, but our Father is so proud of our attempts. And as we continue to imitate Him, we will learn to better imitate Him. Jesus, our example, said, "The Son can't independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing." (John 5:19, MSG)
I read this on my friend Ella's blog today from the Message version of Matt. 11:28-30 (see http://pellavasmith.blogspot.com/ for more)
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Thursday, August 11, 2011
BURN Tour 2011
Looking back at the 9 days of the tour, I'm pretty amazed at what happened. Before getting on to any of the ministry we did, the team itself, which grew to about 22 people during the trip, was such a living representation of God's family. There was such care, love, forgiveness and unity among the group which had a wide range of ages, personalities and giftings, and God seemed to have placed each person in the right role for them. I believe that this atmosphere of joy, love, freedom and family that we carried as a group had an impact on the places we visited.
The meetings that we held in each place were marked by these things as well. There were people who led worship and did teaching, but beyond that in each meeting different members of the team would step forward with what they sensed God wanted to do. There was such an ebb and flow about team - people could freely move from playing music to prayer ministry to releasing prophetic words.
Personally, the chance to travel around Finland, worshiping God and interceding for the nation, with a family of people with the same heart was simply amazing. This stuff is a big part of what I was made to do. Of course there were challenges involved, and it was also a learning experience. I feel like I'm gonna be involved with these sorts of tours more in the future, so this was an invaluable experience, being surrounded by people who I could learn so much from.
It was also such a privilege to see more of what God is doing in Finland, and I really feel there is so much more to come. Throughout the tour we saw that God is releasing joy, freedom and healing to Finland, restoring men to their place and uniting men and women, and restoring families and the Church as His family. We were able to glimpse something of this, and we look forward with expectancy to what is to come.
For other people's stories from the tour, check out http://burntourfinland.blogspot.com/
The meetings that we held in each place were marked by these things as well. There were people who led worship and did teaching, but beyond that in each meeting different members of the team would step forward with what they sensed God wanted to do. There was such an ebb and flow about team - people could freely move from playing music to prayer ministry to releasing prophetic words.
Personally, the chance to travel around Finland, worshiping God and interceding for the nation, with a family of people with the same heart was simply amazing. This stuff is a big part of what I was made to do. Of course there were challenges involved, and it was also a learning experience. I feel like I'm gonna be involved with these sorts of tours more in the future, so this was an invaluable experience, being surrounded by people who I could learn so much from.
It was also such a privilege to see more of what God is doing in Finland, and I really feel there is so much more to come. Throughout the tour we saw that God is releasing joy, freedom and healing to Finland, restoring men to their place and uniting men and women, and restoring families and the Church as His family. We were able to glimpse something of this, and we look forward with expectancy to what is to come.
For other people's stories from the tour, check out http://burntourfinland.blogspot.com/
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Tour starts tomorrow...
Tomorrow, on 24/7, a group of 18 of us will begin an 8-day tour of five places in Finland, with another team member meeting us in Tampere, our first stop. It seems crazy that it's starting tomorrow - it's been on my list of things coming up for nearly a year now. I'm really excited about the tour - we have an amazing group of people, and the tour is focused on prophetic worship and intercession, which i'm pretty passionate about. It's such a privilege to be part of this tour and to be part of what God is doing here.
Your prayers for the tour would be more than welcome, as we will be leading a number of gatherings and the logistics of moving 19 people around Finland, feeding them and giving them a place to stay are not simple!
We have a blog for the tour - http://burntourfinland.blogspot.com/ and it'll probably have a mixture of Finnish and English posts.
Your prayers for the tour would be more than welcome, as we will be leading a number of gatherings and the logistics of moving 19 people around Finland, feeding them and giving them a place to stay are not simple!
We have a blog for the tour - http://burntourfinland.blogspot.com/ and it'll probably have a mixture of Finnish and English posts.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The epic roadtrip
It's now a few weeks since we returned from our Eastern European journey. The trip was truly amazing - so many sights, sounds, experiences and encounters. I thought I'd just share a few thoughts and stories from the trip.
On the very first day of the trip in Tartu, Estonia, we spent a couple of hours worshiping and praying with some local Christians. At some point we began praying for the city and the nation, and then it suddenly hit me that we'd have to opportunity to do that in every place we would visit. I felt so privileged. And throughout the trip we worshiped and prayed in so many places, including while in the van on the road.
One of my favourite stories was from Kaunas, Lithuania. We were singing and worshiping together in a park, and a lady and her son (called Tomas) came and listened. The lady asked if they could stay and listen, as Tomas (who was blind) loved music. So we continued worshiping, and ended up praying for Tomas and his mum. Then we asked if Tomas would like to play my guitar. So I formed the chord shapes, and Tomas strummed the guitar, and he was so happy. After a while, Tomas began to sing as he played the guitar. It was a truly beautiful moment.
We met so many amazing people on the trip. Despite not sharing a common language with many of them, we were really able to connect with them. This included a group of older people in Hungary at the place we stayed, and kids at a pre-school run for Roma children in Skopje, Macedonia. And at the Balkans Connect gathering in Ohrid, we met loads of people with such similar hearts to ours. It was awesome to stand with them in praying for their nations and for the Balkans region.
Perhaps the best part for me was the community traveling together. It was so great to travel with such an amazing group of people. We spent lots of time praying together (whether for each other or the places we visited) and worshiping together (including ukulele worship in Toivo - our van). And of course we ate together, spent hours and hours in the van together, and went through the odd stressful moment getting lost. It was an intense time, but really good, learning to love each other even when we see each other's weaknesses.
I really loved Eastern Europe, and I hope I'll be back there again soon.
On the very first day of the trip in Tartu, Estonia, we spent a couple of hours worshiping and praying with some local Christians. At some point we began praying for the city and the nation, and then it suddenly hit me that we'd have to opportunity to do that in every place we would visit. I felt so privileged. And throughout the trip we worshiped and prayed in so many places, including while in the van on the road.
One of my favourite stories was from Kaunas, Lithuania. We were singing and worshiping together in a park, and a lady and her son (called Tomas) came and listened. The lady asked if they could stay and listen, as Tomas (who was blind) loved music. So we continued worshiping, and ended up praying for Tomas and his mum. Then we asked if Tomas would like to play my guitar. So I formed the chord shapes, and Tomas strummed the guitar, and he was so happy. After a while, Tomas began to sing as he played the guitar. It was a truly beautiful moment.
We met so many amazing people on the trip. Despite not sharing a common language with many of them, we were really able to connect with them. This included a group of older people in Hungary at the place we stayed, and kids at a pre-school run for Roma children in Skopje, Macedonia. And at the Balkans Connect gathering in Ohrid, we met loads of people with such similar hearts to ours. It was awesome to stand with them in praying for their nations and for the Balkans region.
Perhaps the best part for me was the community traveling together. It was so great to travel with such an amazing group of people. We spent lots of time praying together (whether for each other or the places we visited) and worshiping together (including ukulele worship in Toivo - our van). And of course we ate together, spent hours and hours in the van together, and went through the odd stressful moment getting lost. It was an intense time, but really good, learning to love each other even when we see each other's weaknesses.
I really loved Eastern Europe, and I hope I'll be back there again soon.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Road-trip anticipation
This Sunday (5th June), the group of 7 of us will start our road trip to Macedonia. I can't quite believe it's so soon. I've never visited any of the countries we will be visiting, and I'm pretty excited about seeing lots of new places. God seems to have especially placed Europe on my heart, and I feel sure that this trip will be significant.
On our way to Macedonia we will be stopping and staying a couple of days in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Hungary. Our journey back to Finland will include visiting Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia, Poland again (probably including visiting Auschwitz), Latvia, and finally back to Finland via the ferry from Estonia.
Between all this traveling we'll be spending a few days in Skopje, Macedonia, and then in Ohrid, where we'll be part of 24/7 Prayer Balkan gathering. There will be people from over 10 countries, and we'll be worshiping, sharing our hearts, and just spending time together.
Psalm 84 seems very relevant at the moment - "Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." I think a major theme of this Psalm is that God's presence is our home, that we can choose to dwell in His house. His presence is where we belong.
One the things I'm most excited about is the chance to travel together as a group, to worship and pray together, and see what God has planned for us in each place we visit. I'm sure there will be challenging moments, but I know there's a lot God wants to do in each of our hearts through the experience.
We have a blog for the trip, so you can follow what's going on along the way - http://joyinthevan.blogspot.com/
Bring it on!
On our way to Macedonia we will be stopping and staying a couple of days in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Hungary. Our journey back to Finland will include visiting Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia, Poland again (probably including visiting Auschwitz), Latvia, and finally back to Finland via the ferry from Estonia.
Between all this traveling we'll be spending a few days in Skopje, Macedonia, and then in Ohrid, where we'll be part of 24/7 Prayer Balkan gathering. There will be people from over 10 countries, and we'll be worshiping, sharing our hearts, and just spending time together.
Psalm 84 seems very relevant at the moment - "Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." I think a major theme of this Psalm is that God's presence is our home, that we can choose to dwell in His house. His presence is where we belong.
One the things I'm most excited about is the chance to travel together as a group, to worship and pray together, and see what God has planned for us in each place we visit. I'm sure there will be challenging moments, but I know there's a lot God wants to do in each of our hearts through the experience.
We have a blog for the trip, so you can follow what's going on along the way - http://joyinthevan.blogspot.com/
Bring it on!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A future shaped by the hands that formed the universe...
Recently, while praying with someone, God showed me this picture. I thought it summed things up so well that I'd share it with you.
There was a lump of clay on a wheel that God was shaping. As I was watching, I suddenly thought I'd figured out what God was making. Hastily I pushed in front of Him and tried to form what I thought He was making. Pretty soon, however, I was just left with a bit of a mess.
Two things became very clear (1) I have a very poor understanding of exactly what God is making and (2) even if I knew exactly what God is forming, I am completely incapable of producing that result.
This really highlighted for me that trying to plan the future and make things happen in my strength is really pretty futile. God's plans are so much more beautiful than what I can imagine, and full of so many intricate details that I could never come up with.
I guess, as with so many things, it comes down to trust. Am I willing to leave the clay in God's infinitely skillful hands and amazingly creative imagination? Do I really trust that His plans for me are really perfect, designed with total knowledge of what I really need? Am I ready to let go of control, and allow the Creator to form my life into what He has always dreamed it could be?
There was a lump of clay on a wheel that God was shaping. As I was watching, I suddenly thought I'd figured out what God was making. Hastily I pushed in front of Him and tried to form what I thought He was making. Pretty soon, however, I was just left with a bit of a mess.
Two things became very clear (1) I have a very poor understanding of exactly what God is making and (2) even if I knew exactly what God is forming, I am completely incapable of producing that result.
This really highlighted for me that trying to plan the future and make things happen in my strength is really pretty futile. God's plans are so much more beautiful than what I can imagine, and full of so many intricate details that I could never come up with.
I guess, as with so many things, it comes down to trust. Am I willing to leave the clay in God's infinitely skillful hands and amazingly creative imagination? Do I really trust that His plans for me are really perfect, designed with total knowledge of what I really need? Am I ready to let go of control, and allow the Creator to form my life into what He has always dreamed it could be?
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Dancing
A few weeks ago someone told me that God wants me to know that He loves it when I dance for Him. While I probably kinda knew that deep down, it was still pretty amazing to hear. Now to be clear, I'm pretty sure I don't have a lot of natural talent for dancing. But I do really enjoy worshiping God with dance, although that hasn't always been the case.
It all really started about a year and a half ago while I was in Oklahoma. I was at a 24-hour BURN in - essentially 24 hours of worship. After about 4 or 5 hours of just worshiping, I felt God tell me to dance, and I knew He meant 'floaty' dancing, that kinda 'un-cool' sort of dancing. I had little intention of doing that, so I tried to dismiss the thought. The thought just kept coming though, along with reminders of times I'd told God I'd do anything for Him and even one time I'd told God He could even take my dignity! I was at the front of the church building, and I knew I was about to look like an idiot.
Eventually I saw I was fighting a losing battle, so I gave in and made up about 10 seconds of generic 'floaty' dancing, finishing nicely on my knees. God then told me to dance some more, so I got up and danced again for maybe 30 seconds. One more time God said the same thing, so I then just completely surrendered and danced freely for about 5 minutes or so. I've rarely felt that free, it was an amazing feeling. So since then every so often I've had the opportunity to dance in worship, and sometimes I've lost the battle with my self-consciousness, and other times won.
Now clearly I love to worship with music - it's probably how I express myself best, and it can be so much fun to play and sing. But there's something about dancing for me that is a little bit different. I guess it could be because when I dance, it's completely for God, I really don't dance apart from to worship Him. And when I play music, others may enjoy that, but I'm fairly sure my dancing isn't great to watch. David's example in 2 Samuel 6 inspires me, where he said “It was before the LORD". He simply didn't care what anyone else was thinking of him.
So now sometimes in the prayer room here in Jakomäki I put on a cd and dance before God, knowing that He loves it when I dance for Him. Recently I've been dancing along to 'JOY' from IHOP Awakenings, and yes, it is great fun. But I'm dancing in adoration for the Eternal King who delights in me, why shouldn't that be fun?
This is the first song from that album
It all really started about a year and a half ago while I was in Oklahoma. I was at a 24-hour BURN in - essentially 24 hours of worship. After about 4 or 5 hours of just worshiping, I felt God tell me to dance, and I knew He meant 'floaty' dancing, that kinda 'un-cool' sort of dancing. I had little intention of doing that, so I tried to dismiss the thought. The thought just kept coming though, along with reminders of times I'd told God I'd do anything for Him and even one time I'd told God He could even take my dignity! I was at the front of the church building, and I knew I was about to look like an idiot.
Eventually I saw I was fighting a losing battle, so I gave in and made up about 10 seconds of generic 'floaty' dancing, finishing nicely on my knees. God then told me to dance some more, so I got up and danced again for maybe 30 seconds. One more time God said the same thing, so I then just completely surrendered and danced freely for about 5 minutes or so. I've rarely felt that free, it was an amazing feeling. So since then every so often I've had the opportunity to dance in worship, and sometimes I've lost the battle with my self-consciousness, and other times won.
Now clearly I love to worship with music - it's probably how I express myself best, and it can be so much fun to play and sing. But there's something about dancing for me that is a little bit different. I guess it could be because when I dance, it's completely for God, I really don't dance apart from to worship Him. And when I play music, others may enjoy that, but I'm fairly sure my dancing isn't great to watch. David's example in 2 Samuel 6 inspires me, where he said “It was before the LORD". He simply didn't care what anyone else was thinking of him.
So now sometimes in the prayer room here in Jakomäki I put on a cd and dance before God, knowing that He loves it when I dance for Him. Recently I've been dancing along to 'JOY' from IHOP Awakenings, and yes, it is great fun. But I'm dancing in adoration for the Eternal King who delights in me, why shouldn't that be fun?
This is the first song from that album
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Week in Ruurikkala
A couple of weeks ago I was at Ruurikkala, a YWAM base in Evijärvi, which is about 5 or 6 hours north of Helsinki. I was there for a 5-day conference over the Easter weekend called 'Going Deeper', having been invited by my friends up there who run the YWAM base. I arrived a couple of days early just to spend some time there and find out about the plan for the gathering. Ruurikkala is a guest house set in pretty beautiful surroundings, right next to a lake, and it's one of those places where God seems to speak very clearly through His creation.
The conference itself was pretty awesome. There were about 90 people there, pretty much all aged between 20 and 30, and from all over Finland. The 5 days consisted of worship, some really great teaching, great food and time getting to know each other. I was helping to facilitate our times of corporate worship (in a combination of Finnish and English), which was really great. It was amazing to see how people became so much more free in worship over the course of the 5 days, some of whom clearly weren't familiar with a more 'free-flow' approach to worship.
We had some wonderful teaching, on stuff like identity in Christ and living in the rest of faith. Over the five days God did so much in people's lives, especially inner healing. Many people shared stories at the end of the gathering of how God had brought healing to some area of their heart. God's really given me a love for Finnish people, so seeing what God was doing in these people's lives was really amazing.
Another highlight of the time for me was getting to meet and get to know a number of really cool people. I've found that Finns, once they open up to you, will be completely open, which makes it quite easy to connect on a deeper level with them. I also enjoyed to talking to people who didn't speak much English, forcing me to use my Finnish. It seems I've got to the point where I don't worry too much about making mistakes and just try to talk, which obviously is quite important in learning a language.
So yeah, I had a great week there, and can't wait to see more of what God is clearly doing in this nation.
The conference itself was pretty awesome. There were about 90 people there, pretty much all aged between 20 and 30, and from all over Finland. The 5 days consisted of worship, some really great teaching, great food and time getting to know each other. I was helping to facilitate our times of corporate worship (in a combination of Finnish and English), which was really great. It was amazing to see how people became so much more free in worship over the course of the 5 days, some of whom clearly weren't familiar with a more 'free-flow' approach to worship.
We had some wonderful teaching, on stuff like identity in Christ and living in the rest of faith. Over the five days God did so much in people's lives, especially inner healing. Many people shared stories at the end of the gathering of how God had brought healing to some area of their heart. God's really given me a love for Finnish people, so seeing what God was doing in these people's lives was really amazing.
Another highlight of the time for me was getting to meet and get to know a number of really cool people. I've found that Finns, once they open up to you, will be completely open, which makes it quite easy to connect on a deeper level with them. I also enjoyed to talking to people who didn't speak much English, forcing me to use my Finnish. It seems I've got to the point where I don't worry too much about making mistakes and just try to talk, which obviously is quite important in learning a language.
So yeah, I had a great week there, and can't wait to see more of what God is clearly doing in this nation.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Media and discernment
Over the past week a lot has been made of Finland's election results, given its possible implications for Portugal's bail out by the E.U. The 'True Finns' party, who oppose EU membership and mass-migration, made pretty huge gains. Much of the media has over-emphasized the 'anti-imigration' stance and written them off as racists (although anyone who even discusses immigration seems to be labelled the same way). To be honest it was hard before the elections to get much media coverage of it in English. And due to the media portrayal I absorbed, I wasn't a big fan of the party.
However, many Christians I met seemed to see them in a slightly different light, which interested me. After the elections I some time with some people praying for Finland who clearly weren't against 'True Finns'. They began to explain to me why they believed the election results could be a positive thing, and it gave me more light on the subject. Then we spent time praying for the new parliament and the nation.
While praying, it dawned on me that I'd simply accepted the media's views without asking God about the situation. I know that there's a lot of stuff in the media that you really can't take at face value (the whole Middle East subject being one of them). I had to repent to God for my pride and thinking that by being 'well-informed' I therefore understand things (although it turns out I'd only got half the picture).
I'm still not a fan of some of True Finns' policies, but my eyes were opened again to the fact that politics and the media are governed by a different system. We need discernment from God to really find out what's really going on and what His purposes are for our nations. I believe there is so much more going on in our world under the surface than what the media is telling us. We need our spiritual eyes to be open and to be listening to what the Spirit is saying in these days.
However, many Christians I met seemed to see them in a slightly different light, which interested me. After the elections I some time with some people praying for Finland who clearly weren't against 'True Finns'. They began to explain to me why they believed the election results could be a positive thing, and it gave me more light on the subject. Then we spent time praying for the new parliament and the nation.
While praying, it dawned on me that I'd simply accepted the media's views without asking God about the situation. I know that there's a lot of stuff in the media that you really can't take at face value (the whole Middle East subject being one of them). I had to repent to God for my pride and thinking that by being 'well-informed' I therefore understand things (although it turns out I'd only got half the picture).
I'm still not a fan of some of True Finns' policies, but my eyes were opened again to the fact that politics and the media are governed by a different system. We need discernment from God to really find out what's really going on and what His purposes are for our nations. I believe there is so much more going on in our world under the surface than what the media is telling us. We need our spiritual eyes to be open and to be listening to what the Spirit is saying in these days.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Jealous Love
I've sung the song "How He Loves" so many times, in England, Finland, America and Israel, and also at my sister's wedding. I've heard the Jesus Culture recording, the David Crowder Band recording, the Glorious Unseen recording, John Mark McMillan's original recording of the song, and many other worship leaders' versions. The song has something powerful in it that our generation (and every generation) needs to know. It tells of the jealousy in God's love, the deep, unrelenting passion in God's heart for us.
He wants me, all of me - my weakness, my brokenness, my gifts, my talents, my time, my trust, my wholehearted devotion. I am Jesus' inheritance, His purchased possession, and there is something in me that longs to be completely, wholeheartedly His. Now I know this is a process will take my whole life, but what a life that will be. Yes, there will be many times of testing, times of weakness and times of sheer frustration. But I am determined that Jesus will receive the fullness of His inheritance in me.
So, I saw this video last week, and it's basically John Mark McMillan telling the story behind this song. I've watched it a few times already, and it is truly amazing. I think it also gives some idea of why the song has captured the heart of people around the world.
He wants me, all of me - my weakness, my brokenness, my gifts, my talents, my time, my trust, my wholehearted devotion. I am Jesus' inheritance, His purchased possession, and there is something in me that longs to be completely, wholeheartedly His. Now I know this is a process will take my whole life, but what a life that will be. Yes, there will be many times of testing, times of weakness and times of sheer frustration. But I am determined that Jesus will receive the fullness of His inheritance in me.
So, I saw this video last week, and it's basically John Mark McMillan telling the story behind this song. I've watched it a few times already, and it is truly amazing. I think it also gives some idea of why the song has captured the heart of people around the world.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
24/7 Prayer Finland 'Yhteyspäivä'
A couple of weeks ago, we had a 24/7 Prayer Finland gathering in Helsinki. About 50 people came along, some more directly involved with 24/7 in Finland and others keen to find out more. Despite the range of different people there, the overall feeling of the day was one of togetherness and family.
During the morning, various people involved with 24/7 in Finland shared something of what God has been doing where they are. It was really amazing to hear about prayer going on in prayer rooms, schools, day care centres, and Lutheran churches, in different places across this nation. Seeing people of different ages and from different church backgrounds share was pretty great, and helped me see that what God is doing here is so much bigger than the boxes we put ourselves in.
Both Susanna Rychiger, who heads up 24/7 in Switzerland, and Ian Nicholson, who is part of 24-7 Prayer's International Leadership Team, came to Finland for the weekend, and they both taught and shared with us some stories from their lives related to prayer.
These stories inspired, encouraged and challenged me, and throughout the day I got more and more passion to see prayer raised up across Finland. Our simple prayers, spoken and lived out in our everyday lives, can really change things.
One other highlight for me was towards the end of the day, when we spent some time praying all together for the relationship between the generations. There was repentance and humility on all sides, as well as love and reconciliation. It was really amazing to see God bringing unity between the different generations, which goes so much against today's Western culture, and i think particularly today's Finnish culture.
So overall, it was a pretty great day, and I'm excited to see more of what God is doing in Finland and the part 24/7 has to play in that.
During the morning, various people involved with 24/7 in Finland shared something of what God has been doing where they are. It was really amazing to hear about prayer going on in prayer rooms, schools, day care centres, and Lutheran churches, in different places across this nation. Seeing people of different ages and from different church backgrounds share was pretty great, and helped me see that what God is doing here is so much bigger than the boxes we put ourselves in.
Both Susanna Rychiger, who heads up 24/7 in Switzerland, and Ian Nicholson, who is part of 24-7 Prayer's International Leadership Team, came to Finland for the weekend, and they both taught and shared with us some stories from their lives related to prayer.
These stories inspired, encouraged and challenged me, and throughout the day I got more and more passion to see prayer raised up across Finland. Our simple prayers, spoken and lived out in our everyday lives, can really change things.
One other highlight for me was towards the end of the day, when we spent some time praying all together for the relationship between the generations. There was repentance and humility on all sides, as well as love and reconciliation. It was really amazing to see God bringing unity between the different generations, which goes so much against today's Western culture, and i think particularly today's Finnish culture.
So overall, it was a pretty great day, and I'm excited to see more of what God is doing in Finland and the part 24/7 has to play in that.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Come&Live!
A friend sent this video to me recently, and it is just so amazingly inspiring. It's done by an amazing bunch of people called Come&Live!, I'd recommend you check it out.
I'm helping to organise a nine-day-long 'worship and prayer tour' in Finland this July, visiting five different places. Our heart is very similar to the video below, and I've started to get a bit excited about it having just seen the video.
Enjoy
I'm helping to organise a nine-day-long 'worship and prayer tour' in Finland this July, visiting five different places. Our heart is very similar to the video below, and I've started to get a bit excited about it having just seen the video.
Enjoy
NEW ZEALAND {Our Story} | A Come&Live! Documentary from Come&Live! on Vimeo.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Not only meek and mild...
In C.S. Lewis' 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe', Mr Beaver, talking about Aslan, says to Lucy, ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king I tell you’.
We often have a pretty clear picture of Jesus' gentleness, humility and servant heart; we see pretty clearly the 'Lamb' aspect of Jesus' nature. But as my friend Aki said on Saturday, we in the Church have often emphasised this, leaving another side of Jesus' character overlooked. Jesus is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
What I'm referring to isn't only important in terms of rediscovering what it is for us to be a man and follower of Jesus. This has been the focus of a number of books and teaching series, and is very important. But our understanding of 'Who Jesus truly is' must be central to everything.
I've recently been kinda fascinated by Jesus as presented in Revelation. In chapter 1, verses 12 to 18, we get a picture of the ascended Jesus, glorious and powerful. Eyes like a flame of fire, voice like the sound of rushing waters, out of his mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword, etc. This picture of Jesus is fascinating and awesome, and I really feel that it is something we really need to re-discover.
If you want some stuff on this passage in more detail, Mike Bickle's notes on Revelation 1 are pretty amazing, see them here
We often have a pretty clear picture of Jesus' gentleness, humility and servant heart; we see pretty clearly the 'Lamb' aspect of Jesus' nature. But as my friend Aki said on Saturday, we in the Church have often emphasised this, leaving another side of Jesus' character overlooked. Jesus is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
What I'm referring to isn't only important in terms of rediscovering what it is for us to be a man and follower of Jesus. This has been the focus of a number of books and teaching series, and is very important. But our understanding of 'Who Jesus truly is' must be central to everything.
I've recently been kinda fascinated by Jesus as presented in Revelation. In chapter 1, verses 12 to 18, we get a picture of the ascended Jesus, glorious and powerful. Eyes like a flame of fire, voice like the sound of rushing waters, out of his mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword, etc. This picture of Jesus is fascinating and awesome, and I really feel that it is something we really need to re-discover.
If you want some stuff on this passage in more detail, Mike Bickle's notes on Revelation 1 are pretty amazing, see them here
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Only to sit and think of God
A while ago while reading "Celebration of Discipline", one particular passage really struck me. In the chapter on meditation, Richard Foster quotes this verse from a hymn by Frederick W. Faber:
"Only to sit and think of God,
Oh, what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name,
Earth has no higher bliss."
This idea is something I've been trying to work into times of corporate worship, particularly at the beginning. Many people have said that we must begin with 'seeing' God, and then worship is a natural response to that revelation. So what I've done is simply to leave space at the beginning of a time of corporate worship for people to give their thoughts, the stresses and worries of life to God, and simply to meditate on Who God is.
It's very easy to rush into worship with lots of words, and at times that may mean that people aren't really 'engaged' in worship until the second or third song. For myself there are times when I remember half-way through the first song Who it is I'm singing to. The unfortunate reality is that our lives are lived often without a constant awareness of God. So we need to take the time to really focus on Him, and yes, that may mean we don't get through all the songs on our list (if any of them). But I would question whether our priority is to get through a song list, or simply to encounter the living God.
Spending time simply meditating on God's character and qualities causes praise and adoration to flow out. This may simply mean silently encountering God within us, or it may involve meditating on Scripture which tells of Who God is. Then we may be ready to sing together, knowing clearly Who it is we are worshiping.
"Only to sit and think of God,
Oh, what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name,
Earth has no higher bliss."
This idea is something I've been trying to work into times of corporate worship, particularly at the beginning. Many people have said that we must begin with 'seeing' God, and then worship is a natural response to that revelation. So what I've done is simply to leave space at the beginning of a time of corporate worship for people to give their thoughts, the stresses and worries of life to God, and simply to meditate on Who God is.
It's very easy to rush into worship with lots of words, and at times that may mean that people aren't really 'engaged' in worship until the second or third song. For myself there are times when I remember half-way through the first song Who it is I'm singing to. The unfortunate reality is that our lives are lived often without a constant awareness of God. So we need to take the time to really focus on Him, and yes, that may mean we don't get through all the songs on our list (if any of them). But I would question whether our priority is to get through a song list, or simply to encounter the living God.
Spending time simply meditating on God's character and qualities causes praise and adoration to flow out. This may simply mean silently encountering God within us, or it may involve meditating on Scripture which tells of Who God is. Then we may be ready to sing together, knowing clearly Who it is we are worshiping.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A recent adventure in central Helsinki
A few weeks ago, I was making my way to a meeting about an upcoming trip to Macedonia. I'd just come from a prayer weekend where I'd helped lead worship. As I was walking through Sörnäinen metro station (in Helsinki), I saw a man right in front of me who was stood there asking people something. As I got closer to him I asked him to repeat what he was saying. It turned he wanted 1 euro so he could go and get some lunch. The man had a crutch in one hand and his other arm was in a sling. So I gave him 2 euros, and then asked if I could pray for him. He said it was ok, so I prayed for him. Afterwards I asked if I could go and eat lunch with him, which he again agreed to. He was going to a particular place, where people in need can get cheap meals.
So we waited for tram, and then took the tram to this place. It turned out this man had visited England years ago, and spoke fairly good English. So on the journey I asked him lots of questions and got to know him a bit. We talked about everything from places he'd been to in England, to his favourite books, to his family and even at some point about Disney films. We then got off the tram and he lead me to our destination. When I walked in the place, I was pretty shocked. There were lots of people just sitting or lying down, all of them looking completely without hope. There were some in wheelchairs, and others who clearly had mental illnesses.
So I walked into the cafeteria with my new friend and he bought food for himself and me (he insisted on spending the extra euro I'd given him on me). We sat down and continued talking while we ate. Then at some point, the man kinda just wandered off, and apparently went to the smoking room. After that I didn't see him again there.
So there I was, sat in this place not quite sure what to do next. Pretty soon I overheard some guys speaking in English, so I got up, went over to the table where they were sat and started talking to them. There was one guy from Tunisia, another guy from Bosnia and then a Finnish guy. They were very friendly, and I spent a while getting to know them a bit and hear how they'd ended up here. The guy from Bosnia had left at the end of the war there. His words stayed with me: "I came to Finland for a better life - I don't think I found it."
After a while of talking to them, I asked if I could play them some of my songs (I had my guitar with me). They agreed, although one guy was very clear that he was a Muslim and I couldn't sing songs about Jesus (I had mentioned I was a Christian). Pretty much all of my songs are about God, so I sang a couple of songs that didn't mention Jesus by name. Then I just continued playing guitar for a while, and at times just sang melodies. I could feel God's presence in that place, and the whole room was silent while I played. I could see tears in the eyes of some of the people there.
At some point soon after this I left, and said I wanted to come back and visit again. While I was there I began to dream about what the Kingdom of God would look like in that place. I could see how the community that existed there could be transformed by Jesus. The whole experience was pretty challenging, being surrounded by people with very little to live for, knowing that Jesus in me is the only thing I have to offer them.
Somehow it's already been a few weeks since I was there, and I managed to forget their names. But I'm planning on going back there tomorrow and visiting more regularly.
So we waited for tram, and then took the tram to this place. It turned out this man had visited England years ago, and spoke fairly good English. So on the journey I asked him lots of questions and got to know him a bit. We talked about everything from places he'd been to in England, to his favourite books, to his family and even at some point about Disney films. We then got off the tram and he lead me to our destination. When I walked in the place, I was pretty shocked. There were lots of people just sitting or lying down, all of them looking completely without hope. There were some in wheelchairs, and others who clearly had mental illnesses.
So I walked into the cafeteria with my new friend and he bought food for himself and me (he insisted on spending the extra euro I'd given him on me). We sat down and continued talking while we ate. Then at some point, the man kinda just wandered off, and apparently went to the smoking room. After that I didn't see him again there.
So there I was, sat in this place not quite sure what to do next. Pretty soon I overheard some guys speaking in English, so I got up, went over to the table where they were sat and started talking to them. There was one guy from Tunisia, another guy from Bosnia and then a Finnish guy. They were very friendly, and I spent a while getting to know them a bit and hear how they'd ended up here. The guy from Bosnia had left at the end of the war there. His words stayed with me: "I came to Finland for a better life - I don't think I found it."
After a while of talking to them, I asked if I could play them some of my songs (I had my guitar with me). They agreed, although one guy was very clear that he was a Muslim and I couldn't sing songs about Jesus (I had mentioned I was a Christian). Pretty much all of my songs are about God, so I sang a couple of songs that didn't mention Jesus by name. Then I just continued playing guitar for a while, and at times just sang melodies. I could feel God's presence in that place, and the whole room was silent while I played. I could see tears in the eyes of some of the people there.
At some point soon after this I left, and said I wanted to come back and visit again. While I was there I began to dream about what the Kingdom of God would look like in that place. I could see how the community that existed there could be transformed by Jesus. The whole experience was pretty challenging, being surrounded by people with very little to live for, knowing that Jesus in me is the only thing I have to offer them.
Somehow it's already been a few weeks since I was there, and I managed to forget their names. But I'm planning on going back there tomorrow and visiting more regularly.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Trust and childlikeness
So, to finish off writing about trust for a while, I wanted to just mention a bit about 'childlikeness'.
God has been speaking to me about learning to trust like a child. Now first off, I think it's pretty clear that in many families today, children don't grow up in a safe, stable environment, and thus their ability to trust is damaged. However, when I'm referring to childlike trust, I'm referring to a child in a family who is secure in the knowledge that he is loved and safe.
So what does this kind of trust look like? Well, a child trusts his parents to provide. He doesn't need to know how his parents will provide, but he simply believes they will. A child realises that he doesn't know everything, and doesn't pretend that he has it all figured out. A child believes that his parents will protect him and look after him. And of course, there are so many other ways in which trust plays out in a child's life.
I think the key here is simplicity. The child's actions reveal a deep trust that his parents are good. In the same way, as we grow deeper in the belief that our Father is good, our lives will display that trust.
Jesus spoke pretty clearly about us needing to become like children to embrace the kingdom of God. Now, I don't think this is so much about throwing out wisdom or even intellect, but rather that we put them in the right place. As Psalm 37:5 says, we aren't meant to lean on our own understanding. In fact, when I try to, I usually find that there are things I don't understand.
Childlikeness isn't always considered a good thing in our culture. But it's a big part of Christianity, especially in terms of mystery. I can accept that I don't fully grasp how the Trinity works, or what God is really like. But "is my god really God if he fits inside my head?" God is a lovely mystery, and I want to search Him out.
Youth culture especially seems to mock the joyful innocence and simple amazement of children. But recently I've been seeing that I really must become like a little child in many ways. There is such joy in being set free from fear and doubt and trusting like a child, and I really want to taste more of that joy.
I've also been discovering the power of being amazed, especially by creation. There are so many amazing things around us, but so often I just accept them as normal. Something that's been messing with my head is the tree. Now, here in Finland there are lots of trees. But the idea came to me that God, during creation, came up with the idea of a tree - there had never been one, and He thought it up. A tree is made up of various parts, each with different textures and colours. And then contained within a tree is the power to make a whole forest - trees are amazing!
I guess it's all to do with perspective. Birds too have been amazing me recently. They can sing (birds are probably my favourite worship leaders at the moment), they can fly, and then so much more. But of course you can accept them as normal, and see them with that cynicism that comes all too easily.
A few weeks ago I read this blog post about childlikeness, and that God is restoring it to the Church in these days - you can read the whole thing here: http://burn24-7.com/2011/childlikeness-is-upon-us/
One verse that he talks about is Psalm 89:15-16 (in NASB):
“How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of your countenance, In your name they rejoice all the day, And by your righteousness they are exalted.”
I thought that was pretty great.
Bless you, and hope you were inspired by these posts on trust.
God has been speaking to me about learning to trust like a child. Now first off, I think it's pretty clear that in many families today, children don't grow up in a safe, stable environment, and thus their ability to trust is damaged. However, when I'm referring to childlike trust, I'm referring to a child in a family who is secure in the knowledge that he is loved and safe.
So what does this kind of trust look like? Well, a child trusts his parents to provide. He doesn't need to know how his parents will provide, but he simply believes they will. A child realises that he doesn't know everything, and doesn't pretend that he has it all figured out. A child believes that his parents will protect him and look after him. And of course, there are so many other ways in which trust plays out in a child's life.
I think the key here is simplicity. The child's actions reveal a deep trust that his parents are good. In the same way, as we grow deeper in the belief that our Father is good, our lives will display that trust.
Jesus spoke pretty clearly about us needing to become like children to embrace the kingdom of God. Now, I don't think this is so much about throwing out wisdom or even intellect, but rather that we put them in the right place. As Psalm 37:5 says, we aren't meant to lean on our own understanding. In fact, when I try to, I usually find that there are things I don't understand.
Childlikeness isn't always considered a good thing in our culture. But it's a big part of Christianity, especially in terms of mystery. I can accept that I don't fully grasp how the Trinity works, or what God is really like. But "is my god really God if he fits inside my head?" God is a lovely mystery, and I want to search Him out.
Youth culture especially seems to mock the joyful innocence and simple amazement of children. But recently I've been seeing that I really must become like a little child in many ways. There is such joy in being set free from fear and doubt and trusting like a child, and I really want to taste more of that joy.
I've also been discovering the power of being amazed, especially by creation. There are so many amazing things around us, but so often I just accept them as normal. Something that's been messing with my head is the tree. Now, here in Finland there are lots of trees. But the idea came to me that God, during creation, came up with the idea of a tree - there had never been one, and He thought it up. A tree is made up of various parts, each with different textures and colours. And then contained within a tree is the power to make a whole forest - trees are amazing!
I guess it's all to do with perspective. Birds too have been amazing me recently. They can sing (birds are probably my favourite worship leaders at the moment), they can fly, and then so much more. But of course you can accept them as normal, and see them with that cynicism that comes all too easily.
A few weeks ago I read this blog post about childlikeness, and that God is restoring it to the Church in these days - you can read the whole thing here: http://burn24-7.com/2011/childlikeness-is-upon-us/
One verse that he talks about is Psalm 89:15-16 (in NASB):
“How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of your countenance, In your name they rejoice all the day, And by your righteousness they are exalted.”
I thought that was pretty great.
Bless you, and hope you were inspired by these posts on trust.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Trust - part 2
I recently saw a good illustration of how we often act, in Genesis chapter 50. Jacob has just died, and Joseph's brothers begin to panic - maybe Joseph hadn't forgiven them, but was just waiting for their dad to die before he got his revenge. They still can't fully trust him and they still haven't fully dealt with their guilt, even though Joseph had repeatedly told them that God had used their betrayal to save many lives, including their own, and that he forgave them.
When the message begging for forgiveness arrives to Joseph, he begins to weep. He goes to them and reassures them again that he has forgiven them, and 'speaks kindly to them'.
As Rob Bell says in 'Velvet Elvis' the amazing thing is that not only did the the stories of the Bible really happen, but they also still happen. This same situation has happened in our lives. Something happens, maybe a tragedy or disappointment, and we think that maybe God has changed His mind. Our fear and guilt over past sins resurface, and we plead with God to have mercy. This surely makes God weep, that despite all He's done for us, that despite His great demonstration of love in the cross, we still don't trust Him. Yet He continues to gently reassure us that His love hasn't changed, and that He is still good.
The cross clearly has a lot to teach us about God's love. Jesus took on Himself our sin, and took the punishment for that sin - it's pretty easy to say it, but that is pretty full on. The cross is truly love in action.
Recently, while reading 'He Loves Me' by Wayne Jacobsen, a few things jumped out at me related to the cross and trust. The first thing was about the sentence, "Father,into Your hands I commit my spirit." Now I'm sure we've all read the phrase, and know that Jesus said it before He died on the cross. But I'd never really appreciated the power of that verse. Here is Jesus on the cross, with the full weight of sin upon Him. He has previously prayed (from Psalm 22) "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Many theologians have given their views of this question. But in this book, the author suggests that perhaps there is a difference here between reality and Jesus' perception. Perhaps, under the weight of sin, Jesus was unable to feel His Father's presence with Him. In this context then, Jesus' choice to commit His spirit into His Father's hands is an amazing picture of trust. He knows so deeply that His Father is always good and always knows best. In the darkest moment, feeling completely separated from His Father, Jesus chooses to places His life in His Father's hands.
So how does this apply to us? Well, later in the same chapter of this book, the author takes us to Galatians 2:20, particularly the end of the verse. The majority of translations say "The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God." However, according to the author and some more 'literal' translations, it should be "I live by the faith of the Son of God." Here, the key is that it is not my faith that I make happen, but rather I allow Jesus' faith to flow through me. In those times when I can't feel God's presence and I'm completely overwhelmed, I can ask Jesus to fill me with the trust He has in the Father. And Jesus was able to trust the Father in the very darkest moment.
Jesus, empower us by Your Holy Spirit to trust Father like You trust Father, that in those moments when we feel alone and confused, we would choose to trust. May we be so rooted and grounded in Your love that nothing can shake our trust. May we know so deeply that You are always good, and your love never ends. Amen
When the message begging for forgiveness arrives to Joseph, he begins to weep. He goes to them and reassures them again that he has forgiven them, and 'speaks kindly to them'.
As Rob Bell says in 'Velvet Elvis' the amazing thing is that not only did the the stories of the Bible really happen, but they also still happen. This same situation has happened in our lives. Something happens, maybe a tragedy or disappointment, and we think that maybe God has changed His mind. Our fear and guilt over past sins resurface, and we plead with God to have mercy. This surely makes God weep, that despite all He's done for us, that despite His great demonstration of love in the cross, we still don't trust Him. Yet He continues to gently reassure us that His love hasn't changed, and that He is still good.
The cross clearly has a lot to teach us about God's love. Jesus took on Himself our sin, and took the punishment for that sin - it's pretty easy to say it, but that is pretty full on. The cross is truly love in action.
Recently, while reading 'He Loves Me' by Wayne Jacobsen, a few things jumped out at me related to the cross and trust. The first thing was about the sentence, "Father,into Your hands I commit my spirit." Now I'm sure we've all read the phrase, and know that Jesus said it before He died on the cross. But I'd never really appreciated the power of that verse. Here is Jesus on the cross, with the full weight of sin upon Him. He has previously prayed (from Psalm 22) "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Many theologians have given their views of this question. But in this book, the author suggests that perhaps there is a difference here between reality and Jesus' perception. Perhaps, under the weight of sin, Jesus was unable to feel His Father's presence with Him. In this context then, Jesus' choice to commit His spirit into His Father's hands is an amazing picture of trust. He knows so deeply that His Father is always good and always knows best. In the darkest moment, feeling completely separated from His Father, Jesus chooses to places His life in His Father's hands.
So how does this apply to us? Well, later in the same chapter of this book, the author takes us to Galatians 2:20, particularly the end of the verse. The majority of translations say "The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God." However, according to the author and some more 'literal' translations, it should be "I live by the faith of the Son of God." Here, the key is that it is not my faith that I make happen, but rather I allow Jesus' faith to flow through me. In those times when I can't feel God's presence and I'm completely overwhelmed, I can ask Jesus to fill me with the trust He has in the Father. And Jesus was able to trust the Father in the very darkest moment.
Jesus, empower us by Your Holy Spirit to trust Father like You trust Father, that in those moments when we feel alone and confused, we would choose to trust. May we be so rooted and grounded in Your love that nothing can shake our trust. May we know so deeply that You are always good, and your love never ends. Amen
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Trust - part 1
This idea came into my head today: Choosing to trust God in my daily life is an act of worship - it is my response to revelation of God's goodness and faithfulness. I kinda like that.
Recently God has been speaking to me a lot about trust. I thought I'd try to write a few blog posts on the subject. This is such a vast subject, and I don't pretend to be any kind of expert on this. But I thought I'd share some ideas, feel free to comment with thoughts, questions, etc. In fact I'd love this to be more of a conversation than a monologue.
So, lets begin. Firstly, i guess you could replace the word trust with faith, because trust and faith are pretty synonymous (the same thing). But in a recent conversation with some friends in a sauna in Lapland, one guy said that he liked to use the word 'trust' rather than 'faith'. His reasons were partly related to the way 'faith' has become part of our spiritual jargon. 'Faith' has been used by some as a kind of magical substance, and if you somehow get enough of it, then God will grant you your 'wishes'. 'Faith' has also been used as a term for religion or beliefs, and therefore your 'faith' can be an abstract collection of strongly held opinions. Finally, the word 'trust' seems to suggest more clearly that there is some kind of relationship involved. I'm not saying we can't use the word 'faith' and I will continue to use it; however, I feel 'trust' communicates the idea better, and is also easier to understand for those who aren't insiders on our religious terms.
So, on to my actual subject. Trust is a pretty foundational part of what it is to follow Jesus. It is not really possible to walk through the ups and downs of following Him without some level of trust. On my journey with Jesus I've had some pretty full on experiences of having to trust God. When I lost my suitcase, got stuck in Israeli security, and then spent the night on a bench in Jerusalem I had to choose several times to trust that God would look after me (for more on that see http://john-allison.blogspot.com/2010/02/getting-to-israel.html).
Matt 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:6-7 both talk about choosing not to worry, but instead pray and trust God. Psalm 37:5-8 also talks about the same thing. But this isn't always easy, especially for those of you who aren't so 'laid back'.
So, how do we grow in trust? This was a question I was asking before I went to America, with no idea how I'd get there. I was finding it hard to trust that God could make it happen. Then this idea came into my head: you can't really trust someone you don't know. So, if I wanted to trust God, I'd have to get to know God better.
As with so many areas, intimacy with God is the key. When we really know that God is always good and that His love never ends, it's a whole lot easier to trust Him. But it does involve a long (probably life-long) process.
Recently I was looking out of the window at a tree while praying. It occurred to me that a huge amount of the tree you can't see, and in fact this is the part that gives life, sustenance, strength and stability. The phrase 'rooted and grounded in love' (Eph 3:17) has been a recurrent theme recently, and it says it so perfectly. We must be rooted and grounded in the Father's love - that will give us life, sustenance, strength and stability throughout whatever comes. This love from God will then stir up love for God and then for others (a phrase borrowed from Mike Bickle).
Roots take their time growing into the ground. Also, in a storm, a tree is either pulled out, or its roots are strengthened by the process. So in those tough times, our roots are strengthened as we are forced to press into God.
The journey of learning to trust God isn't always easy, but I'm certain that it is well worth the struggle.
Here's a song that sums it up pretty well
Recently God has been speaking to me a lot about trust. I thought I'd try to write a few blog posts on the subject. This is such a vast subject, and I don't pretend to be any kind of expert on this. But I thought I'd share some ideas, feel free to comment with thoughts, questions, etc. In fact I'd love this to be more of a conversation than a monologue.
So, lets begin. Firstly, i guess you could replace the word trust with faith, because trust and faith are pretty synonymous (the same thing). But in a recent conversation with some friends in a sauna in Lapland, one guy said that he liked to use the word 'trust' rather than 'faith'. His reasons were partly related to the way 'faith' has become part of our spiritual jargon. 'Faith' has been used by some as a kind of magical substance, and if you somehow get enough of it, then God will grant you your 'wishes'. 'Faith' has also been used as a term for religion or beliefs, and therefore your 'faith' can be an abstract collection of strongly held opinions. Finally, the word 'trust' seems to suggest more clearly that there is some kind of relationship involved. I'm not saying we can't use the word 'faith' and I will continue to use it; however, I feel 'trust' communicates the idea better, and is also easier to understand for those who aren't insiders on our religious terms.
So, on to my actual subject. Trust is a pretty foundational part of what it is to follow Jesus. It is not really possible to walk through the ups and downs of following Him without some level of trust. On my journey with Jesus I've had some pretty full on experiences of having to trust God. When I lost my suitcase, got stuck in Israeli security, and then spent the night on a bench in Jerusalem I had to choose several times to trust that God would look after me (for more on that see http://john-allison.blogspot.com/2010/02/getting-to-israel.html).
Matt 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:6-7 both talk about choosing not to worry, but instead pray and trust God. Psalm 37:5-8 also talks about the same thing. But this isn't always easy, especially for those of you who aren't so 'laid back'.
So, how do we grow in trust? This was a question I was asking before I went to America, with no idea how I'd get there. I was finding it hard to trust that God could make it happen. Then this idea came into my head: you can't really trust someone you don't know. So, if I wanted to trust God, I'd have to get to know God better.
As with so many areas, intimacy with God is the key. When we really know that God is always good and that His love never ends, it's a whole lot easier to trust Him. But it does involve a long (probably life-long) process.
Recently I was looking out of the window at a tree while praying. It occurred to me that a huge amount of the tree you can't see, and in fact this is the part that gives life, sustenance, strength and stability. The phrase 'rooted and grounded in love' (Eph 3:17) has been a recurrent theme recently, and it says it so perfectly. We must be rooted and grounded in the Father's love - that will give us life, sustenance, strength and stability throughout whatever comes. This love from God will then stir up love for God and then for others (a phrase borrowed from Mike Bickle).
Roots take their time growing into the ground. Also, in a storm, a tree is either pulled out, or its roots are strengthened by the process. So in those tough times, our roots are strengthened as we are forced to press into God.
The journey of learning to trust God isn't always easy, but I'm certain that it is well worth the struggle.
Here's a song that sums it up pretty well
Monday, February 21, 2011
Lapland pilgrimage and prayer for revival
Last week was my first trip to Lapland, and it was really special. The nature there is simply stunning, and I'm sure I'll be back there again.
While there, I spent some time reading a thesis someone had found online, written about the Lapland revival that started in about 1845 through a guy called Lars Levi Lestadius (or triple-L to some of his friends), among the native Sami people and also the settlers. It was amazing to read about the transformation that happened in one area and spread right across the Sami people in Finland, Sweden and Norway.
The thesis was fairly epic (60 pages or so), but I also found this shorter summary that gives a pretty good picture of it. http://northwestanglican.blogspot.com/2007/07/apostolic-lutheranism-lars-levi.html
On Wednesday the 16th of February, eight of us again got into cars and drove about 2 hours north from Ylläs to Karesuvanto, where the Lapland revival started. The village is half in Finland and half in Sweden, and the church building is on the Swedish side - my first visit to Sweden, yay! We prayed beforehand for clues from God of people He wanted to bless throughout the day, and the journeys there and back included stopping to meet various different people and to see reindeer and stunning views.
The major focus of this little pilgrimage was to visit the church building (since rebuilt) where the revival began and pray there. We spent about an hour praying in the building - it was pretty awesome. I played piano for a while there and we worshiped, and then we sat in a circle and prayed for Lapland together. It was a really powerful time, and some of us were slightly 'out-of-it' in the Spirit for a while. God gave me something of His heart for Lapland, and it was so amazing to pray for revival to break out once again in the place where the previous revival started.
Today is in fact the 150th anniversary of Lestadius's death, and we're praying that the seeds of revival planted all those years ago would continue to bear fruit today.
While there, I spent some time reading a thesis someone had found online, written about the Lapland revival that started in about 1845 through a guy called Lars Levi Lestadius (or triple-L to some of his friends), among the native Sami people and also the settlers. It was amazing to read about the transformation that happened in one area and spread right across the Sami people in Finland, Sweden and Norway.
The thesis was fairly epic (60 pages or so), but I also found this shorter summary that gives a pretty good picture of it. http://northwestanglican.blogspot.com/2007/07/apostolic-lutheranism-lars-levi.html
On Wednesday the 16th of February, eight of us again got into cars and drove about 2 hours north from Ylläs to Karesuvanto, where the Lapland revival started. The village is half in Finland and half in Sweden, and the church building is on the Swedish side - my first visit to Sweden, yay! We prayed beforehand for clues from God of people He wanted to bless throughout the day, and the journeys there and back included stopping to meet various different people and to see reindeer and stunning views.
The major focus of this little pilgrimage was to visit the church building (since rebuilt) where the revival began and pray there. We spent about an hour praying in the building - it was pretty awesome. I played piano for a while there and we worshiped, and then we sat in a circle and prayed for Lapland together. It was a really powerful time, and some of us were slightly 'out-of-it' in the Spirit for a while. God gave me something of His heart for Lapland, and it was so amazing to pray for revival to break out once again in the place where the previous revival started.
Today is in fact the 150th anniversary of Lestadius's death, and we're praying that the seeds of revival planted all those years ago would continue to bear fruit today.
Ylläs
Early in the morning of the 12th of February, eight people (three English and five Finnish) set out from Helsinki on a journey that lasted about 14 hours. We were traveling to a place called Ylläs in Lapland, which is well within the Arctic Circle. Ylläs is a fell (a kind of mountain), and is the second largest ski resort in Lapland. We stayed in Ylläsjärvi, a nearby village.
When we finally arrived at our destination, some people were there already, and others came the next day. Some of us knew each other well, while others had never met, and together we stayed in a fairly large wooden cabin.
The week was basically a prayer-focused holiday. We had one room as a dedicated prayer room, and we each took slots (about 2 hours each per day) and filled most of the week with prayer. We also gathered each morning and evening to pray and worship together. This was particularly great, and it really created a rhythm of prayer throughout the week. Some evenings had particular themes of prayer, including praying for Finland, for Lapland, or for each other. Some of us also went on a pilgrimage to the starting place of the Lapland revival (more detail on that in the next blog post).
The week was also a holiday, and most of our group went skiing (either downhill or cross-country) a few times in the week. I personally didn't - balance and sliding aren't really my thing. But I was part of a group of us that went snow-shoe walking down the fell of Ylläs. The views from the top were pretty spectacular, and, in the quietness of Lapland, nature seems to cry out it's praise to God especially loudly. My lack of preparation meant that I wasn't wearing warm enough shoes and socks, so my feet were fairly frozen by the end of it.
We did spend a lot of time just relaxing together, eating really well, having saunas, and playing games. We were able to take time to share our hearts, our dreams and our stories with each other. The community aspect of the week was really cool, especially getting to know each other around prayer, food and fun. It was great to spend the week aware of God's presence with us in whatever we did.
To sum it up, the week was an amazing mix of a relaxing holiday, joyful community and purposeful prayer.
When we finally arrived at our destination, some people were there already, and others came the next day. Some of us knew each other well, while others had never met, and together we stayed in a fairly large wooden cabin.
The week was basically a prayer-focused holiday. We had one room as a dedicated prayer room, and we each took slots (about 2 hours each per day) and filled most of the week with prayer. We also gathered each morning and evening to pray and worship together. This was particularly great, and it really created a rhythm of prayer throughout the week. Some evenings had particular themes of prayer, including praying for Finland, for Lapland, or for each other. Some of us also went on a pilgrimage to the starting place of the Lapland revival (more detail on that in the next blog post).
The week was also a holiday, and most of our group went skiing (either downhill or cross-country) a few times in the week. I personally didn't - balance and sliding aren't really my thing. But I was part of a group of us that went snow-shoe walking down the fell of Ylläs. The views from the top were pretty spectacular, and, in the quietness of Lapland, nature seems to cry out it's praise to God especially loudly. My lack of preparation meant that I wasn't wearing warm enough shoes and socks, so my feet were fairly frozen by the end of it.
We did spend a lot of time just relaxing together, eating really well, having saunas, and playing games. We were able to take time to share our hearts, our dreams and our stories with each other. The community aspect of the week was really cool, especially getting to know each other around prayer, food and fun. It was great to spend the week aware of God's presence with us in whatever we did.
To sum it up, the week was an amazing mix of a relaxing holiday, joyful community and purposeful prayer.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Random collection of thoughts
Been living over a week in Jakomäki now - getting to know new family, getting over my fear of speaking Finnish, learning about spiritual atmosphere (have to reject the spirit of heaviness and put on garments of praise) ...
I've also been reading some books recently:
- "The Forgotten Ways" by Alan Hirsch (half way through) - really good but challenging (both to actually read and in content), about the dna of missional church, for example how for 1700 years our methods of doing church were based on the idea that everyone in Europe was 'Christian' (hence little need for mission).
- "Praying the Bible" by Wesley and Stacey Campbell (started and finished in the last 2 days, couldn't put it down)- inspiring stuff, examining how people throughout the Bible and Church History have prayed, basically they prayed Scripture (usually aloud) in a regular, disciplined way (seems simple, but somehow I'd pretty much missed this fact)
- "The Bible" - just a couple of random things that I've noticed recently: Joseph learned to be leader first as a slave (Gen 39:3-4), then as a prisoner (39:21-23), and finally as a prime minister (41:39-42) - I'd never noticed that he was given leadership in the prison.
Mark 5:1-20 - just questions really... Why do the demons want to go into the pigs? Why does Jesus agree? Why do the people beg Him to leave without asking for an explanation of the whole bizarre incident? Will write if I get any revelation on this.
Off to Ylläs (in Lapland) on Saturday for a week - prayer, chillaxing, maybe sledging, getting to know new friends ...
Haven't been to Lapland before, so I'm quite excited.
I want to leave you with this truly amazing song (yeah, again by Sufjan Stevens)
The lyrics are pretty genius (and reminiscent of bits of Psalm 139)
I've also been reading some books recently:
- "The Forgotten Ways" by Alan Hirsch (half way through) - really good but challenging (both to actually read and in content), about the dna of missional church, for example how for 1700 years our methods of doing church were based on the idea that everyone in Europe was 'Christian' (hence little need for mission).
- "Praying the Bible" by Wesley and Stacey Campbell (started and finished in the last 2 days, couldn't put it down)- inspiring stuff, examining how people throughout the Bible and Church History have prayed, basically they prayed Scripture (usually aloud) in a regular, disciplined way (seems simple, but somehow I'd pretty much missed this fact)
- "The Bible" - just a couple of random things that I've noticed recently: Joseph learned to be leader first as a slave (Gen 39:3-4), then as a prisoner (39:21-23), and finally as a prime minister (41:39-42) - I'd never noticed that he was given leadership in the prison.
Mark 5:1-20 - just questions really... Why do the demons want to go into the pigs? Why does Jesus agree? Why do the people beg Him to leave without asking for an explanation of the whole bizarre incident? Will write if I get any revelation on this.
Off to Ylläs (in Lapland) on Saturday for a week - prayer, chillaxing, maybe sledging, getting to know new friends ...
Haven't been to Lapland before, so I'm quite excited.
I want to leave you with this truly amazing song (yeah, again by Sufjan Stevens)
The lyrics are pretty genius (and reminiscent of bits of Psalm 139)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The whole earth is full of His glory
Now, to be honest, I've often struggled to see how the environment is an important issue. With all the other justice issues involving people in suffering, I've been pretty cynical about people who devote years to saving endangered species. There are so many injustices in our world, so surely we have to choose where to focus our efforts?
Last week at our Justice prayer week, i was at a talk some people were doing on the environment and why we should care and pray about it. The talk got me thinking, and I've since read a book on the subject which has challenged me greatly. The book is called 'Planet Wise - Dare to care for God's world' and it's written by Dave Bookless (pretty ironic name for an author), and I'd highly recommend it if you want a Biblical study of environmentalism.
As I began to look at this subject, I realised that a large part of my thinking was based on the idea that the spiritual world is the important one, and therefore the physical world is fairly irrelevant. However, as I read chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis, I began to see that I've often only really focused on the point when humans enter the scene. Then as I saw in Genesis 3 the curse placed on humanity and the earth after the entry of sin, it became clear that there is a certain level of interdependence between us and the earth.
God was interested in saving animals from the Flood, not just humans. The Law given to Israel is full of instructions that concern the land and the animals. The Psalms are full of references to creation and how, even in a fallen world, creation declares the glory of God. God's response to Job in Job 38 - 41 is completely full of references to creation. Many of Jesus' parables refer to the creation that He was an integral part of designing, and creation obeyed Him. At the time of Jesus' death there was an earthquake and the rocks were split.
And then to salvation - could it be that Jesus wants to bring redemption to the earth He created?
Romans 8:19-21 - "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."
Obviously, there's loads more to this subject, and many other people could say a whole lot more than me.
I know that I'm only beginning a process of discovery, but God has already begun speaking to me through things I've seen in creation. There's so much God wants to teach us through what He's made.
If I am alive this time next year,
will I have arrived in time to share?
And mine is about as good this far.
And I'm still applied to what you are.
And I am joining all my thoughts to you.
And I'm preparing every part for you.
And I heard from the trees a great parade.
And I heard from the hills a band was made.
And will I be invited to the sound?
And will I be a part of what you've made?
And I am throwing all my thoughts away.
And I'm destroying every bet I've made.
And I am joining all my thoughts to you.
And I'm preparing every part for you
Last week at our Justice prayer week, i was at a talk some people were doing on the environment and why we should care and pray about it. The talk got me thinking, and I've since read a book on the subject which has challenged me greatly. The book is called 'Planet Wise - Dare to care for God's world' and it's written by Dave Bookless (pretty ironic name for an author), and I'd highly recommend it if you want a Biblical study of environmentalism.
As I began to look at this subject, I realised that a large part of my thinking was based on the idea that the spiritual world is the important one, and therefore the physical world is fairly irrelevant. However, as I read chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis, I began to see that I've often only really focused on the point when humans enter the scene. Then as I saw in Genesis 3 the curse placed on humanity and the earth after the entry of sin, it became clear that there is a certain level of interdependence between us and the earth.
God was interested in saving animals from the Flood, not just humans. The Law given to Israel is full of instructions that concern the land and the animals. The Psalms are full of references to creation and how, even in a fallen world, creation declares the glory of God. God's response to Job in Job 38 - 41 is completely full of references to creation. Many of Jesus' parables refer to the creation that He was an integral part of designing, and creation obeyed Him. At the time of Jesus' death there was an earthquake and the rocks were split.
And then to salvation - could it be that Jesus wants to bring redemption to the earth He created?
Romans 8:19-21 - "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."
Obviously, there's loads more to this subject, and many other people could say a whole lot more than me.
I know that I'm only beginning a process of discovery, but God has already begun speaking to me through things I've seen in creation. There's so much God wants to teach us through what He's made.
If I am alive this time next year,
will I have arrived in time to share?
And mine is about as good this far.
And I'm still applied to what you are.
And I am joining all my thoughts to you.
And I'm preparing every part for you.
And I heard from the trees a great parade.
And I heard from the hills a band was made.
And will I be invited to the sound?
And will I be a part of what you've made?
And I am throwing all my thoughts away.
And I'm destroying every bet I've made.
And I am joining all my thoughts to you.
And I'm preparing every part for you
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Justice prayer room
Eight days ago in downtown Helsinki, a group of us gathered together to decorate/re-arrange the meeting hall of a Christian student organisation with material, rugs, paper, books, and lots of other stuff. We were preparing the place for a 24/7 Prayer week on the theme of Justice. For a few hours the room was a blur of chaos and creativity as people were hard at work. But when the time came for the first prayer slot at midnight, the place was transformed.
The first area was focused on the question "What is justice?", and written below that question were many parts of the Bible that deal with the subject. You don't have search very hard in the Bible to find out that God is passionate about justice, and seeing these verses written on the walls helped me see that this is something we can't ignore. We had several different areas in the room which focused on a variety of subjects.
One section focused on praying for the nations with a world map and facts about different injustices that plague our world. Written about this was the line - Jesus, Hope of the Nations. As you hear more about the injustices in the world, you can very easily end up depressed and hopeless. But Jesus is the hope that never fades; He is the only complete solution. I have been learning that these heartbreaking stories of injustice must not paralyze us, but must drive us into prayer, into crying out for God to intervene.
Other areas included: prayer for children (who are so often the innocent victims of injustice), prayer for our cities and areas in particular need, a wall of fame with the names of heroes of the faith who inspire us (especially in justice issues), praying for those who cause injustice (human traffickers, dictators, etc), that God would bring his love and transformation to them, and then prayer for the environment. On a few evenings we also had people sharing about some justice issues, such as abortion, immigration and emigration, human trafficking, and the environment, and one evening we had a worship and intercession gathering.
Yesterday, while taking taking down paper from the walls and returning the room to something like its original state, I was reflecting on a week well spent. The whole week was filled with people praying, and, looking through the paintings and phrases written on the walls, you could see that many people had been impacted by the time. I know God has also challenged and encouraged me through the week. The challenge now is not to leave these as simply memories, but to allow them to change our hearts and actions as we continue our daily lives.
At this point I'd like to direct you to my Myspace page, where I recently put a basic recording of a song I wrote based on Isaiah 61. I wrote it a few months ago, and I figure it fits pretty well with this theme of justice.
Listen to it at: http://www.myspace.com/bonoa
The first area was focused on the question "What is justice?", and written below that question were many parts of the Bible that deal with the subject. You don't have search very hard in the Bible to find out that God is passionate about justice, and seeing these verses written on the walls helped me see that this is something we can't ignore. We had several different areas in the room which focused on a variety of subjects.
One section focused on praying for the nations with a world map and facts about different injustices that plague our world. Written about this was the line - Jesus, Hope of the Nations. As you hear more about the injustices in the world, you can very easily end up depressed and hopeless. But Jesus is the hope that never fades; He is the only complete solution. I have been learning that these heartbreaking stories of injustice must not paralyze us, but must drive us into prayer, into crying out for God to intervene.
Other areas included: prayer for children (who are so often the innocent victims of injustice), prayer for our cities and areas in particular need, a wall of fame with the names of heroes of the faith who inspire us (especially in justice issues), praying for those who cause injustice (human traffickers, dictators, etc), that God would bring his love and transformation to them, and then prayer for the environment. On a few evenings we also had people sharing about some justice issues, such as abortion, immigration and emigration, human trafficking, and the environment, and one evening we had a worship and intercession gathering.
Yesterday, while taking taking down paper from the walls and returning the room to something like its original state, I was reflecting on a week well spent. The whole week was filled with people praying, and, looking through the paintings and phrases written on the walls, you could see that many people had been impacted by the time. I know God has also challenged and encouraged me through the week. The challenge now is not to leave these as simply memories, but to allow them to change our hearts and actions as we continue our daily lives.
At this point I'd like to direct you to my Myspace page, where I recently put a basic recording of a song I wrote based on Isaiah 61. I wrote it a few months ago, and I figure it fits pretty well with this theme of justice.
Listen to it at: http://www.myspace.com/bonoa
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
What I'm doing these days
This is basically an update to let you know what I'm doing these days. I realise it's pretty long, but hopefully it is fairly informative.
So firstly, things seem to be moving towards Jakomäki. This is the area that I lived in for a year, and it's very much on my heart. Silmu (the housechurch I'm part of) has a base in Jakomäki, a pretty small place which serves as a prayer room and an office. Since August people (including myself) have been praying there on and off, but we've felt that now is the time to take it up a level. So we're starting to organise much more regular worship and prayer there, and from this week I'll be taking at least 8 hours a week there.
About a month ago the business in a building very close to us moved. Some of us have visited that place, and we're praying into God's plans for that place. We feel that it could be God's plan for us to have it. It's lots bigger than our current place, and could be used as some kind of 'community living room'.
Also, a family in Jakomäki have offered me a room to rent in their apartment. They were part of the Alpha course in Jakomäki that I helped at in the autumn, and their son was one of the boys I played football with each week during the discussion part of the Alpha course. So, I've agreed to move there at the beginning of February, and I guess it could be fairly long term. Their apartment building is actually right next to the building I was living in when I lived in Jakomäki before. It's a real blessing to find somewhere to stay in Jakomäki, and it will hopefully be good for my Finnish language skills (their son doesn't speak English). Plus it's only a 5 minute walk to the prayer room. It is a bit of a leap of faith, as I've been living mainly on people's generosity so far. But I feel pretty sure that God orchestrated this opportunity, and He is more than able to provide, whether that's a job or some other means.
For more on Jakomäki, see this blog post from August: http://john-allison.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-make-beautiul-things.html
Another part of what I'm doing is stuff with Network4youth. I've been involved with Network4youth since 2004, the first time I came to Finland. For the past 9 years Network4youth has organised annual youth gatherings, called GearUp. This year's GearUp happened over New Year's, from 30th December to 2nd January. I was part of the planning team for it, and organised the worship. It was an amazing time; God was really at work. He spoke to me about being part of raising up communities of young people in Finland, and how my life since I first came in 2004 had been leading up to this point. To read more about this year's GearUp, see my blog post:http://john-allison.blogspot.com/2011/01/gearup.html or see the website: http://network4youth.net/cms/english/about/
On Saturday, a group of us young people (connected to Network4youth) from the Helsinki area met together to eat, worship, pray and discuss about regularly gathering in a similar way. What came out of that was the idea to have a weekly 'Sabbath Meal' on Friday evenings. This is something that our friends in Guildford have been doing for a while, and the basic idea is to remember what God has done the previous week, celebrate His goodness, and dedicate the coming week to Him, all around a meal. The first of these will be on 28th January, and we're all pretty excited about it.
Another part of what I'm doing here is working with 24/7 Prayer, as part of the group of people who want to see 24/7 prayer rooms happen in Finland. This week we are running a 24/7 Prayer week on the theme of 'Justice' close to downtown Helsinki. I'm taking a few slots, including an open evening of worship and intercession, and it's been amazing to see the week fill up with people wanting to pray. In a couple of weeks, some of us from the 24/7 team are going to a youth event to talk about prayer, and hopefully more opportunities like this will open up.
In mid-February, I'm going to Ylläs (in Lapland) for a week with some friends from the 24/7 team and others. The basic aim is to pray together, eat together, and just spend time together. I'm really looking forward to it, as I haven't been to Lapland before.
I'm also planning to go to a conference in Sweden in March with Eva Sarsa (who is a spiritual mother to me, and is also involved in pretty much all the things I've written about so far). It's run by International Christian Youthworks (http://www.icy.org.uk/), who sent me to Finland to do voluntary work in August '08. We're going to re-connect and to explore the possibility of me working and studying with them in the future. Beyond March, I'm responsible for planning a worship and prayer tour of Finland with Burn 24/7 at some point this summer, currently trying to find the best time for it.
Thank you to all of you who have prayed for me over the past years, it is very much appreciated.
So, a few things to pray for:
- General guidance as to the next steps in being here and where to focus my efforts and time
- Jakomäki - that God would change the area, and give us more opportunities for contact with people there
- That God would really form a missional community out of the group of young people that are beginning to meet regularly
- Provision of a job/finances - for rent for the room in Jakomäki, transport and travel, and other things
- Help with learning more Finnish - that I'd be able to learn the language fairly quickly
- Longer term idea of studying and working with ICY - that I'd have clear guidance about that
Bless you
John
So firstly, things seem to be moving towards Jakomäki. This is the area that I lived in for a year, and it's very much on my heart. Silmu (the housechurch I'm part of) has a base in Jakomäki, a pretty small place which serves as a prayer room and an office. Since August people (including myself) have been praying there on and off, but we've felt that now is the time to take it up a level. So we're starting to organise much more regular worship and prayer there, and from this week I'll be taking at least 8 hours a week there.
About a month ago the business in a building very close to us moved. Some of us have visited that place, and we're praying into God's plans for that place. We feel that it could be God's plan for us to have it. It's lots bigger than our current place, and could be used as some kind of 'community living room'.
Also, a family in Jakomäki have offered me a room to rent in their apartment. They were part of the Alpha course in Jakomäki that I helped at in the autumn, and their son was one of the boys I played football with each week during the discussion part of the Alpha course. So, I've agreed to move there at the beginning of February, and I guess it could be fairly long term. Their apartment building is actually right next to the building I was living in when I lived in Jakomäki before. It's a real blessing to find somewhere to stay in Jakomäki, and it will hopefully be good for my Finnish language skills (their son doesn't speak English). Plus it's only a 5 minute walk to the prayer room. It is a bit of a leap of faith, as I've been living mainly on people's generosity so far. But I feel pretty sure that God orchestrated this opportunity, and He is more than able to provide, whether that's a job or some other means.
For more on Jakomäki, see this blog post from August: http://john-allison.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-make-beautiul-things.html
Another part of what I'm doing is stuff with Network4youth. I've been involved with Network4youth since 2004, the first time I came to Finland. For the past 9 years Network4youth has organised annual youth gatherings, called GearUp. This year's GearUp happened over New Year's, from 30th December to 2nd January. I was part of the planning team for it, and organised the worship. It was an amazing time; God was really at work. He spoke to me about being part of raising up communities of young people in Finland, and how my life since I first came in 2004 had been leading up to this point. To read more about this year's GearUp, see my blog post:http://john-allison.blogspot.com/2011/01/gearup.html or see the website: http://network4youth.net/cms/english/about/
On Saturday, a group of us young people (connected to Network4youth) from the Helsinki area met together to eat, worship, pray and discuss about regularly gathering in a similar way. What came out of that was the idea to have a weekly 'Sabbath Meal' on Friday evenings. This is something that our friends in Guildford have been doing for a while, and the basic idea is to remember what God has done the previous week, celebrate His goodness, and dedicate the coming week to Him, all around a meal. The first of these will be on 28th January, and we're all pretty excited about it.
Another part of what I'm doing here is working with 24/7 Prayer, as part of the group of people who want to see 24/7 prayer rooms happen in Finland. This week we are running a 24/7 Prayer week on the theme of 'Justice' close to downtown Helsinki. I'm taking a few slots, including an open evening of worship and intercession, and it's been amazing to see the week fill up with people wanting to pray. In a couple of weeks, some of us from the 24/7 team are going to a youth event to talk about prayer, and hopefully more opportunities like this will open up.
In mid-February, I'm going to Ylläs (in Lapland) for a week with some friends from the 24/7 team and others. The basic aim is to pray together, eat together, and just spend time together. I'm really looking forward to it, as I haven't been to Lapland before.
I'm also planning to go to a conference in Sweden in March with Eva Sarsa (who is a spiritual mother to me, and is also involved in pretty much all the things I've written about so far). It's run by International Christian Youthworks (http://www.icy.org.uk/), who sent me to Finland to do voluntary work in August '08. We're going to re-connect and to explore the possibility of me working and studying with them in the future. Beyond March, I'm responsible for planning a worship and prayer tour of Finland with Burn 24/7 at some point this summer, currently trying to find the best time for it.
Thank you to all of you who have prayed for me over the past years, it is very much appreciated.
So, a few things to pray for:
- General guidance as to the next steps in being here and where to focus my efforts and time
- Jakomäki - that God would change the area, and give us more opportunities for contact with people there
- That God would really form a missional community out of the group of young people that are beginning to meet regularly
- Provision of a job/finances - for rent for the room in Jakomäki, transport and travel, and other things
- Help with learning more Finnish - that I'd be able to learn the language fairly quickly
- Longer term idea of studying and working with ICY - that I'd have clear guidance about that
Bless you
John
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
GearUp
So i thought i'd just write a bit about the youth gathering (called GearUp) held over New Year's in Greater Helsinki. I was part of the planning team, which was good, although slightly stressful at times, as some of the stuff we made up (or rather felt God leading) as we went along. But I think I learned quite a bit from the experience.
The gathering involved 40(ish) team members from Finland, England and Holland, and then another 40(ish) people from Finland. It was an amazing bunch of people, and by the end we really did feel like a big family. We spent time worshiping and praying, eating, doing practical work and just being together. There was little or no division between the 'leaders' and everyone else, which was truly wonderful.
One of my favourite things about the gathering was that we spent lots of time praying for each other. At many points during the morning and evening sessions we listened to God for each other and prayed into each other's lives. But what really struck me was that whatever was going on, there usually seemed to be people praying for each other. In the prayer room, every night people were praying and prophesying over each other, and God was bringing healing to hearts and transforming people. The Holy Spirit seemed particularly keen on us experiencing His joy and freedom.
One night i was up until about 4am praying with people. Sometimes I've found praying for people a bit daunting, having to hear from God and be bold enough to say what He says to me. But more and more I'm finding that it's a joy, and I can be at peace while I pray and not striving to hear God. It's amazing to see God do deep work in people's lives, and to be able to serve my brothers and sisters in this way is really great.
New Year's Eve was another big highlight for me. Going into GearUp, we'd had lots of prayer and discussion about what the night of New Year's Eve should look like, as we wanted to be sure to make the right statement and not just go with what our cultures tell us to do. So the planning for it wasn't finished until the lunchtime of New Year's Eve. But what resulted was truly amazing.
We took as a basis for the evening: remembering the last year (wow, my 2010 was pretty crazy), celebrating God and what He did last year, and dedicating the new year to Him.
The evening involved a whole series of things, including a meal, sharing testimonies, amazing music and dancing in God's presence, symbolically leaving things from the last year at the foot of the cross, writing a letter to Jesus about our hopes and dreams for the next year, a prayer tunnel, communion, prayer for each other, and lots more.
It was far better than we'd even hoped, and a perfect way to end one year and begin the next.
The gathering involved 40(ish) team members from Finland, England and Holland, and then another 40(ish) people from Finland. It was an amazing bunch of people, and by the end we really did feel like a big family. We spent time worshiping and praying, eating, doing practical work and just being together. There was little or no division between the 'leaders' and everyone else, which was truly wonderful.
One of my favourite things about the gathering was that we spent lots of time praying for each other. At many points during the morning and evening sessions we listened to God for each other and prayed into each other's lives. But what really struck me was that whatever was going on, there usually seemed to be people praying for each other. In the prayer room, every night people were praying and prophesying over each other, and God was bringing healing to hearts and transforming people. The Holy Spirit seemed particularly keen on us experiencing His joy and freedom.
One night i was up until about 4am praying with people. Sometimes I've found praying for people a bit daunting, having to hear from God and be bold enough to say what He says to me. But more and more I'm finding that it's a joy, and I can be at peace while I pray and not striving to hear God. It's amazing to see God do deep work in people's lives, and to be able to serve my brothers and sisters in this way is really great.
New Year's Eve was another big highlight for me. Going into GearUp, we'd had lots of prayer and discussion about what the night of New Year's Eve should look like, as we wanted to be sure to make the right statement and not just go with what our cultures tell us to do. So the planning for it wasn't finished until the lunchtime of New Year's Eve. But what resulted was truly amazing.
We took as a basis for the evening: remembering the last year (wow, my 2010 was pretty crazy), celebrating God and what He did last year, and dedicating the new year to Him.
The evening involved a whole series of things, including a meal, sharing testimonies, amazing music and dancing in God's presence, symbolically leaving things from the last year at the foot of the cross, writing a letter to Jesus about our hopes and dreams for the next year, a prayer tunnel, communion, prayer for each other, and lots more.
It was far better than we'd even hoped, and a perfect way to end one year and begin the next.
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