An Interview with Martin Smith
Let’s talk about sexAngels & Demons
Fantastic prizes to be won
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www.emergingculture.co.uk
Bothered about poverty right here in the UK?
Wondering how to bea radical disciple and keep your career?
The Eden Network is a missional
movement passionate to see
forgotten places become places of hope.
We recruit teams of people to relocate
into England’s toughest urban communities
taking their light into dark places
letting it shine for the long haul.
Through running activities for local young people and their
families, by being a great friend and neighbour and simply by
holding down a normal job Eden teams live as salt and light
sharing the good news of the Gospel through their daily lives.
Could you bring hope to a kid just getting involved with a gang
or to a single mum with an alcohol problem?
The Bible says that ‘the Word became flesh and blood
and moved into the neighbourhood.’ John 1:14
Eden takes its example straight from the master.
He was prepared to get his hands dirty
… are you?
Email us for
an information pack
www.eden-network.org
This Autumn issue of /thoughts is packed full
of great articles and interviews from people like Martin
Smith, Siku, Phillippa Hanna and more. Make sure you have a good read
and let us know what you think. Better yet, why not send us some of your
own work for the /afterthoughts blog?
Keep in touch with Emerging Culture... Why not find out how our FRESH leadership
course is going, or to find out where the team are speaking - go to
www.emergingculture.co.uk. Even better… why not go to the Chatter
section to become one of our Facebook and Twitter friends.
If you’re off to uni, we hope you have an amazing time
and wish you all the best in whatever
you’re doing!
/thoughtsWelcome to
magazine
Get your own!Did someone give you this magazine?
If so, then get your own! Turn to page 30 and sign up
to receive /thoughts magazines, and be entered into a
brilliant prize draw from Emerging Culture.
/autumn ’09
WWW.eMerGINGCULtUre.CO.UK
MOBILISE MISSION JUSTICE
5,4,3,2,1... arGh!
The tension was mounting, my knees were shaking. They
were counting down… 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… argh! All of a sudden
I’m swooshing down a zip wire at a million miles an hour,
over a river and through the trees.
Another countdown, but this time I’m prepared, my water
gun is full and ready for action… 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. There are
about 40 of us all in a field having a massive water fight;
needless to say, I was so wet by the end I looked like I’d
been swimming fully clothed.
There’s no countdown this time, instead there’s a
lemon costume! You may have seen us at Soul Survivor
where loads of the Emerging Culture team and friends
wandered around looking like a lemon; big yellow
jumper, green leggings and a yellow hat. Oh yes, we
looked awesome! (Check out some photos on the
website, www.emergingculture.co.uk/summer)
These are just a few of the many great stories of the
Emerging Culture team this summer. Whether we were
making badges on the Soul Survivor stand, speaking at
events, doing missions or generally hanging out, Emerging
Culture’s summer of 2009 was one to remember.
As we look to the next year, with FRESH (our leadership
course for 15-21 year olds), more /thoughts magazines,
missions and events, we are really blessed to have a
couple of additions to the Emerging Culture team. You
can meet one of them (James) on page 20. So with a
growing team, more interns and a new intake of
FRESH-ers, we are looking forward to a great year.
I’ve been with Emerging Culture for a year now and I
have seen God do some really awesome and amazing
things through the team, from chatting to people about
the fact that God exists and wants a relationship with
them, to equipping young people throughout the UK
for leadership, to seeing people become Christians and
getting involved with local churches everywhere. We are
poised and ready for this next year, expecting that God
will do amazing things, and continue to show people who
He is and what He’s about.
Are you ready for the next year? What are you expecting?
How does God feature in it? God really wants to be a
major part of your life and all the aspects of it. Whether
you believe in God or not, He is so interested in
everything you do, from your coursework, to your social
life, to your family. Why not take some time out to think
about what this means, and how it could impact your life.
I hope you have a great year this year and that we can
continue on the Emerging Culture adventure together.
Keep in touch and let us know about what you’re up to.
See you next time!
Dot Tyler
eMerGING CULtUre
Bring Conkers out of the woods
and back into fashion.
Summer may seem like a distant memory, but Autumn
is back with its rich colour and style. So why not get
together with your mates, enjoy the crispy air, and a
game of conkers in the park.
Running After You
Ben Cantelon
Woah-oah, Woh-oh-oh! We
love it! This is Ben’s debut
full-length album. In Ben’s
words: ‘Running After You
links in with the idea of being desperate to follow and connect
with God’. This is a fantastic album with songs that are
great, both at worship events and in your bedroom.
Fireworks
This bonfire night, get online to find your
nearest firework display and head out with
your family and friends armed with scarves,
hats and sparklers for a night to remember.
Don’t forget to treat yourself to a scrummy
toffee apples or some chewy treacle sweets.
What is your fave firework?!
Catherine Wheel
Roman Candle
Rocket
Sparklers (ok so not a firework but essential we think!)
Tell us your favourite on the Emerging Culture Blog!
WWW.eMerGINGCULtUre.CO.UK/BLOG
See page 30
6
5 guys, 17 years, 15 albums, loads of tours, thousands of gigs and it’s all coming to a close. /thoughts got to chat with Martin Smith about his past with Delirious? and his future without.
makers and Delirious? is only a framework and the God
who is in us lives on, so hopefully we’re all going to go on
to bigger and better things. Who knows, Delirious? may
play again in the future but watch this space.
/t: Do you think that your relationship with God has
changed as a result of making the decision
to stop Delirious?
MS: Undoubtedly. I think it’s about surrender. I think it’s
about saying that life’s not just a brand or a band; there
are other things that are more important; family and
ultimately God. It’s God we serve, not a band. I think it’s
good to put things in their right place. It’s been a step
of discovery for all of us in this last year about having
to have more faith in God and not just in what we do.
There were nights where we could go out on stage and
do what we do with our eyes closed, but there is a sense
now of going back to Sunday School and learning what
it is to live again.
/t: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
MS: I’d like to be involved in lots of people’s lives,
particularly up-and-coming musicians, worship leaders
and artists. I would love to be a part of their discovery
and spend time with them in the studio, recording and
hanging out. I could see more of that happening, and
hopefully more songs and more music. I don’t really
/thoughts: What are you guys up to at the moment?
Martin Smith: We’re in Hershey, Pennsylvania right
now for another Joyce Meyer concert. So we start tonight
if we can stay awake, I’m feeling a bit jet-lagged! It’s
actually a very short trip, we got here last night and we’re
back in the UK in 3 days.
/t: What is your best memory of Delirious?
MS: The camaraderie. It has been amazing and really
extraordinary, for 5 guys to stick together over so many
years and be friends and brothers. It doesn’t mean that
everything’s been perfect but it means we’ve stuck
it out, which has been great, and even though we’re
ending together on 29th November, we know that the
relationships are good and that means that the future
can have anything in it. As long as the relationships are
good, that’s the main thing.
/t: So, do you think that you guys will all stay in touch?
MS: Well yeah, we’re all still in the same church, so
there’s no getting away from each other! I think that a
couple of the guys might move to America for a stint and
do some stuff there, which I think would be great. That’ll
all unfold in time but for now we’re focused on ending
this season really well because it’s really important to
hand on what God gave us and to do that well.
/t: A bit of a standard question; what are your reasons
for stopping Delirious?
MS: I guess there are many reasons. It’s been 17 fantastic
years, but it’s been a lot of time away, a lot of time on the
road and there’s been a price for that. We’ve all got kids
and I for one felt that it was time for me to be at home
more in this next season. I’ve got 6 small kids at home and
there comes a time when it’s more important for me to be
a dad. Everything’s good, but they’re just wise decisions.
/t: Are you sad to be leaving behind such a massive
part of your life?
MS: Yeah, of course. We love it. It’s been an
extraordinary and very unique part of my life, and I don’t
think there’ll be anything like it again in that sense. We
weren’t just a band, we were family, we were definitely
all for one and one for all, so I think that, yeah of course
it’s sad. We’ve been singing for years about being history
AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN SMITH
7
know how to answer that yet because I’m not in that
season yet but I’m sure it will unravel.
/t: Over the last few years, you have become a person
of influence, you have become a leader, how are you
planning to use this over the next few years?
MS: The Royal National Lifeboat Institute has a great
slogan and it says “Train one and save many”. I think
that’s part of the future. It’s all about finding people who
will carry on that legacy of pioneering music. As well as
that, I’ve got lots more music to make but alongside that,
I want to spend time with people and mentor people.
You can get lost along on the journey, but I’m excited
about the next step, and my wife being involved in
everything, it’s going to be good.
/t: What would you like to be remembered for?
MS: I think, hopefully that I put God first.
See page 30
8
Alien Abduction & Bogeymen /lifestyle
Carrie is the Training Programme Manager for ALOVE
UK, The Salvation Army for a new generation, and
runs Essential1, a gap year programme. She lives in
Wimbledon with her husband and likes to daydream!
Carrie Knuckey
Fear is a funny word. It can mean so many different things, from a fear of being different, to a fear of being alone, or a fear of not having enough, a fear of not being enough, or even a fear of the bogeyman…
I have a vivid imagination which, although it keeps me
amused, it also leaves me susceptible to being over-
ridden by fear of the most ridiculous things at times.
No jokes, I once got stuck upside down between the
wall and my bed while I was checking for
Doberman dogs hiding under the
bed; another time when half way
through driving home one night,
the car doors started opening
whilst the lights flashed and
the car beeped seemingly
uncontrollably… I was
utterly convinced that I
was being abducted
by aliens. It’s funny
now looking
back on these
situations,
but the
reality for many people is that fear can grip us to such
an extent that it starts to strangle us. This may be fear
of failing, or fear of being unloved, even fear of being
noticed or quite literally fear of the bogeyman.
Whatever fear it is, it isn’t truth. It may have come from
horrible experiences in life, or from believing lies, or
quite simply from an overactive imagination. Whatever
it comes from, it is not from God and it prevents us from
living in all that God intends for us.
Once we get trapped in fear it’s very hard to get out of
it. So what do we do? The first step is to call it what it
is. In my late teens I genuinely had a fear that an alien
inhabited my teddy bear! I had to recognise that this was
simply a fear and nothing else - it clearly wasn’t truth.
Then we have to give our fear to God. When I fear that
nobody likes me or that I’m a failure, I need to give this
to God and trust that He loves me unconditionally. Get
Biblical! Hold onto a few verses that speak truth to you
and stick them on your wall or in your pocket. The Psalms
are a great place to look for these verses.
Finally, face your fear full on. I used to hate public
speaking; when I had to give a presentation at school,
half way through the inevitable would happen and I
would choke up - in front of all my classmates I would
be completely speechless. After school, somehow I kept
finding myself in situations where I had to speak in front
of random groups of people; instead of letting fear rob
me of these opportunities I forced myself to do it. Bit by
bit I learnt to control my fear; now I find public speaking
part of my job and can manage to do it without wanting
the ground to swallow me up.
Through conversations with other people I found that I
wasn’t the only one that had spent half my life struggling
with fear. Most people I know have at least one fear that
they really struggle with, whether it’s the ridiculous fears
of aliens in teddy bears, to the painful fears of not being
loved, they exist.
Don’t let fear stop you from all that God has intended
you to be - choose to live in freedom.
9
Pod is Head of Communications at UCCF. He enjoys
loud guitar music and Pro-Evolution Soccer on the
PS2! For more information on getting stuck into
CUs or if you need advice on what to do at uni, visit
www.uccf.org.uk/freshers
The idiots’ guide to starting uni /engage Pod Bhogal
If you’re heading off to university then a whole bundle of changes await you. All of a sudden, you’ll find you have new friends, a new routine, new freedom and new responsibilities.
The first thing to do at uni is move into halls. The people you’re
living with will be the first ones you should get to know.
The next stop is the Freshers’ Fair. Go along and you’ll
be amazed because whatever your niche is, whether it’s
chess or lacrosse, cheerleading or juggling, you will find
like-minded people at the Freshers’ Fair. Join clubs and
societies, get involved, and meet new people. If you’ve
always thought about surfing but have never had the
time; if you’ve always wanted to have a go at wine-
tasting but have not been able to afford it, now is the
time for that to all change.
There are some warnings... make sure you decide beforehand
how much you’re going to spend. Money has been wasted
on membership of the Tofu Appreciation Society on a
realisation at the second meeting that you hate tofu. It
may be quite true that you want to try your hand at skiing,
develop an interest in theatre and make a commitment to
your course society, but you won’t have time to do them all. A
better idea is to choose a few and then get stuck in properly.
Student life presents an almost endless list of challenges,
from finding your first lecture room to finding friends, to
managing your student loan and studying the idiots’ guide
to microwave cooking. There’s a lot to get your head around!
UCAS is a distant memory, your bags are packed and the
excitement is mounting; but there’s still one nagging
doubt about this whole university thing: “What if I don’t
make any friends and have an entirely miserable, lonely
time?” It’s true it may take time to settle in, and it may
take time to form the kind of deep relationships that
you’re used to, but you will make friends. Indeed, by the
end of university, there will be at least one or two people
who will continue as close friends for the rest of your life.
Finally there’s your course. Make sure that in your first
week, you get your timetable, work out where your
lectures are and get yourself over to the bookshop to get
all your text books for the year.
For Christians there are added challenges: finding a
church, finding other Christians at university and not
abusing new-found freedoms. But don’t think of life as a
Christian at university an ongoing struggle to survive in
an unknown environment. For help getting stuck in; find
out what’s going on with the CU in Freshers’ Week and
pop along to an event.
Whatever you do, enjoy Uni, it will change your life!
11
Philippa Hanna is based in the lovely Sheffield and
she bounced into the music scene in 2007.
Her latest album Taste is available to buy now,
alternatively check out page 30 to be in with a
chance of winning a copy.
“You’ll be a star one day” /lifestyle
As a full-time singer-songwriter I feel truly blessed to be doing my dream job. Music has been my life-long passion. However, it’s been a real roller-coaster ride getting to this point.
Even going back as far as my toddler bath-times, making
up songs about wash products, I’ve been passionate
about music. But like many young people my dream has
often felt desperately out of reach. It can be devastating
to have a deep sense of destiny about something, yet to
hit brick walls with every attempt to reach your goals.
I was born into a very musical, completely non-religious
family. My earliest memory is of seeing Dad on stage,
holding the audience in the palm of his hand with a
breath-taking vocal talent. I don’t remember making the
decision that I wanted to be a singer too, it just seemed
to be inside me from the start. I recall gathering the
family up to hear me belt out ‘’The Greatest Love of All’
when I was barely out of nappies. They were so excited!
People began to say things like, “you were born to do
this”, and “you’re going to be a star one day”, and I always
believed them. But as I hit those glorious teen years
things got tough.
As I tried to find my place in school I made huge
compromises in order to make friends. I went ‘off the
rails’ and became a self-confessed ‘bad girl’. It had its fun
moments but after a while I realised I was squandering
precious opportunities and causing myself and my family
a lot of hurt.
My music dream was always there
beneath the drama. I saw it as my
shot at redemption in the big
wide world. But as I left school
I realised ‘making it’ wasn’t
going to be that easy. I
spent years working
on projects with a
string of producers. I
did backing vocals on
pop records and sang
in smoky pubs where
people brushed past
me mid-song to get
to the bar. I secured a
publishing deal for my songs at the age of eighteen. But
I struggled to find a ‘niche’ as a writer or the necessary
confidence to be myself, something that an artist needs
the most!
It all changed when some of my friends started chatting
to me about God and Jesus. I met these friends through
music but knew there was something different about
them. I gradually became more open to what they had to
say and decided to give the God thing a go.
After years of feeling lost, I became inspired and realised
that I’m loved regardless of talent or success. Now I sing
and write songs to share God’s life-transforming power
and I pray that my music impacts people’s hearts to
discover it for themselves. What I’ve learned is that when
we give our lives and our gifts back to God He can work
through us in ways we never dreamed!
Philippa Hanna
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Untitled-1 1 21/9/09 16:09:07
Ministers or Mini-stars is a 20-track project, which carries
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mentalities. Part autobiographical, he reflects on his old life
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Collaborations include guest appearances from artists
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13
Sarah is an intern with Share Creative. As well as
being a graphic designer she loves creativity in the
form of music and books. She’s also quite partial to
tea and polka dots and spent a lot of her university
days eating cheese toasties.
Sarah BurnettYou are not a robot /creative
We have been made in the image of God - the ultimate
Designer, Musician, Artist and Writer. Even if you
would never call yourself ‘creative’, you’ve been given
an imagination, a mind capable of coming up with
incredible ideas and inventing new things. Robots are
blank, just given instructions and left to get on with it.
Your head has been filled with a richness of potential.
How are you going to make the most of it?
14
Steven is the student worker at St Thomas’ Church
Philadelphia in Sheffield.
www.becomestudentchurch.co.uk
He loves business, people, wine and travelling! He is
also engaged to be married!
Get out more! /engage Steven Cotton
If you’re young, a Christian and wanting to keep on loving Jesus then you should never go to a club. Even if you intend to stay sober, the alcohol will grab and grip you, take over your mind and poison your blood stream.
In addition it is impossible to spend an evening in a club
without finding yourself in a compromising and indecent
situation with a member of the opposite sex. You will
become an alcoholic and maybe even pregnant by the
end of the night.
Is that view a little extreme? Do you find yourself
disagreeing with it? If I’m honest I find it quite funny.
Maybe I shouldn’t, but as a student worker I’m just
imagining the look of disdain and the mass exodus that
such a speech would cause.
The question that I’ve been thinking through is: should
Christians go clubbing? Clubs and bars can be some of
the darkest places our generation hang out. People have
described clubs as the devil’s playground. This may seem
dramatic but let’s be honest, if you want to drink a lot,
enjoy other mind altering substances and find easy sex,
clubs are the places to go.
From a different perspective clubs are also the places
where you’ll find some of the loneliest, isolated,
dissatisfied and desperate people our generation has to
offer. Not everybody in a club is in that state but having
done a fair bit of club mission I can assure you that clubs
do attract people who are struggling with life a fair bit.
So what do we do? Do we leave people to just get on
with life and distance ourselves from their reality? Do we
create more Christian subcultures to detach us from the
things in life that aren’t pleasant? I’m not convinced that
is the best approach.
Disclaimer: If you find clubs too difficult then I can fully
appreciate why you should steer clear. If it’s not your
sort of thing then that’s all good, but more importantly
if relating to the opposite sex and drink is a big issue that
is stretched to the limit in those places then just don’t
make life harder for yourself. It’s not worth the feeling
you’ll have the morning after.
I want to talk to those of us who are pretty keen on
going out for a bit of a dance with mates and find club
culture easy to connect with. If you’re that sort of person
then I’m sure you’ll appreciate that not everything
you’ll find in a club is sordid, evil and challenging to
your relationship with Jesus. Maybe you love the music,
perhaps you love dancing and appreciate spending time
with friends.
For you, I’d say go for it and have fun. My perspective is
that God loves every person in that building and He is
especially keen on showing some love to the ones who
are in a mess. Maybe He’s given you a love for music and
dancing for a reason.
This comment may get me into trouble but I would love
to see more Christians going clubbing. I’d love to see
more of us hanging out in the places where the normal
world plays. If we’re called to be salt and light then
what’s the point in us hanging out in a salt factory or a
light shop?
Theology b Theology, Music & Worship b Theology & Counselling b CertHE DipHE BA Hons b Postgraduate Degrees MA MTh MPhil PhD b Open Learning
London School of Theology b Green Lane b Northwood b HA6 2UWt 01923 456000 e [email protected] w www.lst.ac.uk Registered Charity No. 312778
GO DEEPER IN THE WORD MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE WORLD
Open DaySaturday 14 November 2009more information on our website
www.lst.ac.uk
Has your quiet time hit a brick wall? You can break through by using WordLive.org – an online multimedia Bible experience. Try it today!
www.wordlive.orgOn your PC • MP3 Player • Mobile/PDA • Visual meditations Podcasts • Creative prayer • Group studies • Worship songs
16
The Bible never tries to prove the existence of God. It would be like a math textbook proving that 1+1=2, or a historian trying to show that there was such a thing as the past - there would be no point.
Does God Exist? /deeper
seems to be present in every civilization we have ever
discovered. Often the explanations provided for these
facts are so ridiculous that they call into question the
worldview itself (like the ways atheists try to explain
Jesus’ empty tomb). Denying the existence of God
creates many more problems than it solves.
The Biblical perspective, on the other hand, accounts
for the unbelief of other people in terms of sin. Look
at Paul’s argument in Romans 1:18–20: For the wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness
suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is
plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His
invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine
nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation
of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are
without excuse.
To the Bible writers, God’s existence is foundational,
essential, and startlingly obvious. So anyone who does
not believe in God, the psalmist says, is quite simply a
fool. Lots of clever people since then have come up with
ways of proving God’s existence, and some of these can
be useful. But it is interesting that - in a book spanning
two thousand years of history and with stories about
all sorts of people who don’t believe in Him - the Bible
never presents an argument for God’s existence. It is so
obvious, it doesn’t need to be argued for.
Many people today think the opposite. Lots of people
believe that non-belief in God is the default view, and
science has removed the need to add God into the
picture. People take it for granted that God doesn’t
exist, and if you say He does, they will want you to prove
it scientifically. If you ask them to prove scientifically
what they believe, of course, they are very unlikely to be
able to - but mostly, they will not see this as a problem,
because it seems that the majority agree with them.
There are two problems with this. One, the majority
is often dangerously wrong. The majority of German
officers in the 1930s agreed with persecuting Jews; the
majority of nineteenth-century Europeans thought
black people were second-class citizens; the majority of
medieval scientists thought the world was flat. But also,
lots of beliefs we hold - often, the most important ones! -
are just not provable scientifically.
Take the statement: “For something to be true, it must
be provable scientifically.” Can that statement be proved
scientifically? Can you do an experiment in a lab to
demonstrate that it is true? Or how about, “My daughter
loves me”? How can that very important statement ever
be proven? The fact is, we believe things because they
make sense of the world as we see it, not because some
outside authority (like scientific proof) says they are true.
So the real question is: How does belief or non-belief in
God make sense of the world around us?
You see, every view of the world has to provide an
explanation for every fact there is. People who do not
believe in God still have to account for beauty, the fact
that the world came into being in the first place, the
occurrence of miracles, the awareness in people that
there is such a thing as evil, the existence of things like
conscience and emotions, and the sense of God that
17
Andrew is a Youth and Children’s Worker for a
church in Eastbourne. He enjoys running training
programmes and taking seminars all over the world.
He is married to Rachel and is also the author of
God Stories.
Andrew Wilson
People don’t believe in God because they suppress the
truth. They want to be independent of God, without
accountability for their actions, and so they don’t
want there to be a God. As Thomas Nagel, professor
of philosophy and law at New York University, wrote
recently, “It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and,
naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope
that there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I
don’t want the universe to be like that.”
It is simply foolishness and sin that lead people to
deny that God exists. The Bible never argues for God’s
existence, but titles it as the foundation stone of all
thinking and living, because God’s character is so
clearly evident in creation. From morality to mercy, from
miracles to mountains, God’s existence is displayed in all
things. Only the fool denies it.
• Servethepoor• Playfootballwith anorphan• Beabigbrother orsister• Letyourlife countforGod
ContaCt: PO Box 201, Mold, CH7 9DR,
North Wales UK.
Tel. 01244 549167
Email: [email protected]
When: Summer 2010 (8-10 day trips)
Where: Ukraine•Armenia Kosovo•MiddleEast (apply for more info) One Year Courses, BA & BA (Hons) in Applied Theology,
MA in Applied TheologyChristian Leadership, Youth Work, Community & Family Studies,
Children & Schools, Pastoral, Evangelism and Cross Cultural Studies
www.moorlands.ac.ukMoorlands College, Sopley, Christchurch, BH23 7AT
Tel: 01425 675000 e-mail: [email protected]
relationalspiritual | practical academic| |
19
Answer with Authority /deeper
OK. You’re at work/college/the pub/elsewhere (delete as applicable) and someone says to you: “You go to church, that means you believe in heaven and hell, don’t you?” or “You’re a Christian, does that mean you are against abortion?” or “As a Christian, what do you think about the conflict in Afghanistan?”
Piers is Director of Evangelism at Cliff College,
Derbyshire (www.cliffcollege.ac.uk). He likes
Cornershop’s new album and would like to buy an
old Vespa.
Or maybe you’re firing the questions at yourself: “Does it
really matter if I drink too much tonight?” or “How much
money should I spend on myself and how much should I
give to my church?” or “Why am I so rubbish?” This is a bit
of a random selection of questions but how you answer
them indicates an answer to another question, namely
‘What authority has the Bible got in how I see the world/
others/myself?’
That is a vital question for people living as people who
follow Jesus today. If the Bible has authority in our lives
then we will have a reference point when we are making
moral or ethical or lifestyle choices. Without a reference
point, we’re making choices based on our own limited
understanding. It’s as though we’re at sea, being blown
about by the prevailing wind, sometimes getting it right,
and other times getting it hopelessly wrong.
At the end of the day, what we base our choices and
decisions on is all about authority; whether we see
ourselves as being the one who makes the rules, or
submitting to the rules which have been made by the
One who made us.
I know authority is not a popular word. But Christians
choose to submit to the authority of the author. If you
notice, the clue is in the word authority. The authority of
the Bible is not a cold, legalistic authority, but one which
comes from the heart of the Author, a God who longs for
us to avoid falling into holes or traps and instead wants us
to walk safely along a path that has been laid out for us.
The only way we can know anything about God, the
Bible and the reference point for our choices is because
God chooses to reveal it. This revelation is a mark of love,
a generous act, which is made for all people, everywhere.
God shows His love in so many ways, and one of those
ways is through inspiring people to write the words
of the Bible. When Christians choose to submit to the
Bible they’re not submitting to other people’s thoughts
or opinions, they’re submitting to the thoughts and
guidance of the Creator of the universe. The Bible says
that, ‘prophets, though humans, spoke from God as
they were carried along by the Holy Spirit’. It is God who
is speaking through people; the Author of all things,
writing His story for everyone to read.
Next time you’re asked a question about... well just about
anything, stop and think where your answer is coming
from. Unless you can answer with confidence that God’s
Word is not being compromised, then perhaps you need
to think about where you’re submitting your authority.
Piers Lane
20
James is the brand new local youthwork
co-ordinator at Emerging Culture. He loves going to
the cinema and eating chinese food. He is looking
forward to seeing the lives of people he works with
changed as they get to know Jesus.
Last year I did a gap year with Ichthus Christian Fellowship
which was great. I loved every moment of it. I laughed, I
cried and it changed my life. I was supposed to go back to
Scotland at the end of this year but God seemed to have
other ideas. Whenever I thought about home or about my
future I kept having this strong sense and pull to stay in
London. A week before I was supposed to leave the course
and go on holiday for a month my lecturer invited me
to his house for tea. “James” he said, “I don’t think you’re
ready to go home yet. I think you need to stay in London
for longer and get some more training.”
My heart sank; I had made all the arrangements and I was
all set to go home. I knew my lecturer was right, he was
only confirming the quiet voice in the back of my mind.
The reality of this new decision wasn’t just a shock to my
system but a total nightmare. I was moving out of the
halls I was staying in, I had no job and no money.
At this point I did what any rational normal human being
would do…I panicked. I had two weeks to go and I had
nothing, and I needed the answers! So I prayed and
prayed and then prayed some more. Something had to
change in my situation and I was certain the only one
that could change my situation was God. The next day
after I prayed my heart out I felt like I should check my
emails, so I did. In my inbox was an e-mail from a friend
of mine who knew I was looking for a job in London, he
had sent me the application for Emerging Culture.
I emailed Dot on the off chance that the job might still be
open for application. I filled out the form, sent it off and
an hour later I got a phone call. They were asking me to
come for an interview.
Two weeks later I was in a job and I had a flat. There are
loads more miracles in this story, of how I got to and
from Heathrow and Central London and how I got to
my interview. All of this has shown me that God really
provides and He always answers prayer; it might not be
straight away but he will answer and meet our needs.
Have you ever been in one of those situations where everything just seems impossible? You know the kind of situation; no money, no work and nowhere to stay.
James Palmer
Reality Hits:God Provides… Doesn’t He?
21
Pete leads ‘Onelife’ with his wife Sarah, an organisation
committed to raising up transformational leaders and
also works at St Andrews, Chorleywood. When he’s
not busy with all that, he plays plenty of sport and gets
away to Cornwall as much as possible!
Pete Wynter
We are becoming more and more aware of people’s
situations all around the world; we’re buying more
Fairtrade and recycling more than ever. This need to
speak and act about injustice isn’t new, God’s been
speaking about it for millennia, unfortunately we haven’t
always heard.
In our day, the Church is being challenged to be at the
centre of the world’s response to injustice, and that’s exactly
where it should be. If Christians don’t get hold of this issue
and become pioneering in bringing transformation, the
Church will increasingly slip down the slide of irrelevance in
a world that desperately needs change.
I remember someone droning on about injustice, the
plight of the poor and environmental issues when I was
in youth group. It didn’t grab me or change me and all
I really wanted to do was write the next worship song
or go to the next big event. I couldn’t see how it related
to my desire to encounter God and change the world I
lived in.
I still encounter too many Christians who are busy playing
church or so immersed in our culture that they have no
time to live a life characterised by justice. It can’t be an
optional extra to our faith; it has to be central because it’s
all to do with loving God and loving our neighbour – even
the neighbours we don’t find easy to love. What’s more
I’ve found that my desire to encounter God has been met
in the midst of the poor, where His power at work in me
has chipped away at transforming communities.
How can you let justice flow in your life? Get active while
making sure you are cultivating a deeper relationship
with God. Don’t just stand for justice, stand also for
righteousness – that’s what will mark Christians out as
different to the countless others who do good but don’t
carry the message of the Kingdom, and at the end of the
day it is God’s Kingdom breaking in that will bring lasting
and eternal change.
It’s time for all of us to fulfil the words in the Bible (Amos)
‘let justice flow’. A daily choice to live a different way. A
daily choice to get out of our own worlds for a few minutes
and spend ourselves for the sake of those around us
who struggle in their worlds. A daily choice that doesn’t
throw the odd bit of charity in someone’s direction, but
grows a lifestyle committed to building true equality of
relationship with countless forgotten people who need to
encounter the grace and love of God.
Don’t stand back now, wake up and make the daily
choice. Talk to someone, find out the needs in your area,
get information on the internet, open
your Bible, pray and let justice flow!
The Justice generation is on the move. More than ever before people are responding to the increasing needs of a world we all know is not perfect.
Irrelevant Injustice? /engage
22
Chris Frost
Chris loves cheese burgers, Starbucks’ frappuccinos
and using different accents in shops to make his
wife Jo laugh. He currently works for Gateway
Church in Leeds.
I had only been a Christian for a year. There was nothing that had qualified me for what I was about to witness, I’ll never forget it.
“Can you see it? Can you see it?” my friend hushed
excitedly with eyes wide open after a time of prayer. “Up
there...its...there’s... an angel!” Following several sceptical
seconds of trying to match my eye-line to where his
finger pointed (this guy had a history of practical jokes),
suddenly I saw it. It was high in the sky, but I could
clearly see a large bright angel running round and round
throwing something invisible out from a pot under
its arm. I looked away and back again over and over in
disbelief yet it remained there for well over 30 minutes.
It was so encouraging for me to see that Jesus was
already on with answering our prayers using an angel
and it has been a continual encouragement to pray for
several years now.
I was slightly hesitant about retelling the story above, in
fact I think it is the first time I have told any more than a few
people. Will people think I’m a Looney tune? Or worse, some
sort of self-appointed, super-spiritual Star Wars figure?
Often in our Western and materialistic world-view,
suggestions that things exist that we can’t prove or feel
are laughed at. The term ‘Angels and Demons’ is reserved
for a fictional thriller featuring Tom Hanks; fun but fake.
Are angels real? The Bible resounds: yes. It says that
angels were created by God; they continually praise
Him, and are used to do some of His works. Angelical
interaction with humans is also Biblical; take a look at
characters like Mary, Philip, Cornelius, Peter, Paul and
even Jesus himself to see what they do.
Recently I stumbled on a pile of books about angels
in my local bookshop, detailing how to use them for
guidance or healing. I had to restrain myself from
jumping up and down on these books that are a
distraction and distortion of truth. It’s vital that we keep
Jesus our focus; it’s Him that can guide and heal and it’s
Him that we should long for, not angels.
It’s important that we can think clearly about demons
too. These are Biblical too; we learn that they were once
angels but sinned against God and now partner with the
Devil against the work of God. Where God uses angels
to speak His word, demons try to twist it. Where God
uses angels to strengthen faith, demons try to weaken it.
Demonic activity is normally more subtle than foaming
mouths and red eyes so it’s important we are ready to
stand strong by soaking ourselves in truth and keeping
our relationship with Jesus tight. Remember also that
demons are limited by God’s control, have limited power, and
all Christians have the authority to command them to leave.
It’s encouraging to remember that greater than the
threat of demons, even greater than the assurance of
angelic protection, we can know that Jesus is always with
us, right by our side.
Angels and Demons /engage
www.wordlive.orgOn your PC • MP3 Player • Mobile/PDA • Visual meditations Podcasts • Creative prayer • Group studies • Worship songs
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24
Crying, for men, has always been looked upon as a soft option. Instead of letting the tears flow, biting your bottom lip and making sure you do not embarrass yourself by doing the ‘womanly thing’ is priority.
Big Boys Don’t Cry /engage
From an early age most boys are told to stop crying and
to grow up. From a young age, crying has been frowned
upon: it’s not what ‘real men’ do.
Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson has written a couple of
articles slating men for crying. He said: “Men are very
confused at the moment, it is simply not normal for a
man to cry.” He is not happy that men are seen to be
crying in public, and calls for this ridiculous
behaviour to stop.
Why is it that men are embarrassed about crying? Do we
not want to appear weak? Well, consider this: crying is
not a sign of weakness, but of strength.
At the age of 15 my life was to change forever. I was given
the dream opportunity to have a two-week football trial
with a professional club. Things were going really well
until the third day; the first team players and I were lying
on the playing field recovering from some sprinting
when it happened. The player coach came up to me
and grabbed my testicles. He did not say anything and
neither did the players who saw this. I was totally
confused and angry so I just told him to
**** off and at the end of the training
session got changed without getting a
shower and never went back, pretending
to my friends that I failed the trial.
The anger from this incident continued to
build up for the next ten years and would
manifest itself whenever I played football
or rugby. As I continued carrying this hurt
around I was determined that no one was
going to hurt me again and that I was
never going to cry about it or tell anyone
what happened.
25
Baz leads a church in Sheffield and has written two
books - ‘Dead Men Walking’ and ‘Cut to the Chase’.
To find out more about Baz and to read a bit more
visit www.crossrhythms.co.uk
If you have more questions following reading this
article, get in touch with the Emerging Culture
office - [email protected]
Baz Gasgoine
When I was 17 I thought I was in love and when the girl
of my dreams ended our relationship at a party, I was
devastated. So I got drunk, went to the bathroom and
began punching the bathroom wall and crying. Angry
and drunk I left the party thinking ‘everyone is out to get
what they can to make them happy no matter who they
hurt’ and I was exactly the same.
Deciding that life stinks I took an overdose of pills and
drink and ended up in hospital having my stomach
pumped. After I discharged myself, I tried to get on with
life and do the manly thing - fill my life with stuff rather
than facing the problems head on. However the anger
now had other ingredients to add to the mix: depression,
isolation, misunderstanding and embarrassment. All
blended together making one mixed up man.
Six months later God ambushed my life in an amazing
way. I discovered Jesus was real, not a myth, and His life,
death and resurrection could and would turn my whole
life upside down as I began to follow Him. I continued
journeying with God in my new life but was never sure if
He was interested in the areas of my life that really hurt.
So I didn’t tell anyone what happened when I was 15.
This went on until I was 26 at a conference in Sheffield.
During this conference God amazed me again. One of
the conference team came to me and said “when you
were 15 you were sexually interfered with, and God
wants to heal you of the pain that this caused.” I tried to
show no emotion and just said “I’m sorry you’re wrong.”
He humbly apologised and left. ‘What the hell was
that?’ I thought. ‘Who’s been talking to him?’ The next
day he came up to me again, saying the same thing and
apologising for any discomfort this may be causing me
but urging me to talk to someone I trust as this could be
the beginning of knowing real freedom and healing.
That night I decided to take a risk and tell my mate
Steve what had happened when I was 15. Thoughts of
rejection were spinning around my head. After what
seemed an age I told him and his wife. I sat there waiting
for him to reply. The silence was deafening. Steve came
over to me and hugged me. Something broke and the
floodgates opened. I cried like a little lost child, weeping
uncontrollably. Tears and snot began to run loosely out
onto his shirt but he still hugged me. A huge dam had
burst and there was no turning back.
In the Bible we read that ‘Jesus wept’ when he heard
about his close friend Lazarus’ death. The dictionary says
weeping means to: cry, sob, moan, lament, wail, bawl,
blubber, snivel, and whimper. To express intense, usually
painful, emotions by shedding tears.
As men we find it difficult to express openly the pain we
feel and allow ourselves to be vulnerable. We need to
realise that crying brings healing from things that have
caused us so much pain.
‘There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a time to
be sad and a time to dance.’ Ecclesiastes 3 verse 4
Why not begin to allow yourself the time for tears and
laughter as you begin to allow yourself to break the lie:
‘big boys don’t cry’!
WORD
GOT WHAT IT TAKES?'I said, "Here I am, send me' ISAIAH 6:8
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Are you one of those people who’s always sticking their hand in the air, volunteering, saying ‘pick me, pick me’ a bit like the donkey in Shrek? Are you saying to God, ‘Send me’? Before you do, check out these three key ‘Cs’ for leading and succeeding for God: 1) Commitment: Real leaders don’t quit; even if they want to. Have you ever started tidying your room, and it gets messier before it gets better? It’d be easy to give up halfway through, thinking you’d failed, but that’d be a disaster! Just like leadership, you have to see it through to the end to get good results, to see the tidy room. You can’t quit halfway through, even if it gets tough. With God’s strength, you’ll be able to handle the demands of people, pressures and problems that come your way
2) Creativity: Just before the birth of Jesus a Roman poet called Horace wrote: ‘Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant’ - which can be put simply as, problems unlock creativity. Wise leaders look for a solution to every problem, then act on it. 3) Compassion: What moves you? What gets you excited? If you’re going to lead, you need to love - and you can’t always pick and choosewho you’ll be leading. So before you say ‘Lord, send me’, ask yourself; are you ready, and do you have what it takes?
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the Bible,the Word of God.
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28
Genetik Revolution. The band was meant to be part of the
Hope ’08 stuff going on, so it was only supposed to be for
six months. During that time The Message said that they
really wanted a third band to help going into schools so
we became Twelve24.
/t: How did you become a Christian?
C: It started when I saw a change in my sister; she’d
become a Christian. She seemed so peaceful and I thought
‘there’s something different about her, what is it?’ I wanted
to be peaceful; I wanted to be a better person.
She told me that she had met Jesus. When she told me
this I’d thought I’d check it out. I had experienced church
when I was younger but thought it was boring and that’s
probably why I wasn’t interested in church or Christianity.
When I went to her church I was blown away, people were
jumping around and clapping. I thought, “WOAH what’s
going on?” but at the same time I loved it. When you
love someone you put your whole heart into it and these
people clearly loved Jesus. I kept going back until I
really understood why they love Jesus. And one day,
when I was 19 I gave my life to Jesus. I realised that
this is what I wanted and needed.
/t: How did this affect your life?
C: It wasn’t an easy process for me. It wasn’t as though,
one day I was doing all these crazy things, and the next
day I’m not going to do them anymore; it was a massive
change for me. If you were raised to do one thing, or
follow a culture that does something, it’s very difficult to
change. I had to learn how to live the life of a Christian.
Did I make mistakes? Yes! I’m still making mistakes but
God is teaching me loads.
/t: What is the best aspect of your job?
C: Going into schools! It’s so cool getting to meet
so many people. It’s not about the fame of people
recognizing you, but it’s about them remembering who
you represent, and that’s Jesus. Often we go into schools
and they don’t understand why we’re Christians, they
think we’re too cool to believe in Jesus but I love being
able to show them that Jesus is cool and changes lives.
/t: Who influences you to do what you do?
C: Can I be really cheesy and say Jesus? The first person
is Jesus, because of the change He makes in my life. After
Him, I also look up to my pastor back home in Milton
Keynes and my pastor here in Manchester. People who
are close to me really influence my life because I get to
see the way they live their lives.
We caught up with Christina, a member of the hip-hop/R&B band, Twelve24. Want to know more? www.twelve24.co.uk
10 minutes with Christina Otoo-Anakwa /interview
/thoughts: What do you do?
Christina: I work for a Christian organisation called The
Message Trust and we go into schools, communities and prisons
and teach about Christianity. I’m part of a band called Twelve24.
/t: How did Twelve24 start?
C: I was on a training course in Manchester called Genetik.
When the course was coming to
an end the Message asked
us to apply to be in
a band called
29
Carina is heading up release:potential, the youth
stream of Release International. She loves shoes, the
colour coral and she has just got engaged!
Carina Morton
Me and my boyfriend made a decision not to get involved physically in our relationship. I know, we’re really, really great and really, really holy, but can I let you in on something? It is not easy. It’s not easy at all.
Let’s talk about sex /lifestyle
When we began our relationship the ‘holding-hands
stage’ was great, it gave me butterflies to be close to him.
The hand-holding slowly progressed to hugging...which
in turn became longer hugging which soon became
kissing and then... STOP! Brakes on. God says no. I mean,
kissing is fine as long as it’s not long kisses right? And
hugging is cool if you don’t get too close right? ... Right?
Wrong. We’d already started crossing boundaries that
weren’t supposed to be explored yet, and they weren’t
easy to pull back from. Have you ever driven at 60mph
and then tried to stop quickly? It’s uncomfortable. So we
decided we had to pull-up and take a good look at how
our actions were affecting our relationship.
It’s easy to think you’re emotionally closer to someone
than you really are because of physical closeness and
we didn’t want to get those two things confused. “If this
is the man I’m supposed to be with” I thought “I need
to know that this relationship goes deeper and further
than just physical intimacy”. Thankfully God had been
speaking to him about the same thing so we were able to
share our thoughts openly and honestly.
When we were speaking about our decision my
boyfriend put it like this “It’s like fasting, each time we
feel the urge to be close physically we need to pray and
ask God for the strength to resist temptation”. I liked
that. I feel like I’m storing up little treasures each time I
don’t give in to what I want. In Song of Songs it says “Do
not arouse or awaken love until it so desires”, this basically
means don’t “see-how-far-you-can-get-before-you’re-
tempted”. Don’t start something that cannot be finished.
God’s plan was always for sexual union to be within the
protection and safety of marriage. Not because ‘it’s the
rules’ but because it’s the best way. The plan was for it to
be enjoyed by two people who intend to be with each
other for life, to share such an intimate connection that
would bring them even closer to each other.
God loves sex! I mean for real, He designed it. He designed
it to be pleasurable and enjoyed and anticipated and
treasured by a man and wife. It’s not a dirty word, or a
subject that should be avoided; it’s amazing.
I’d love to be able to kiss and hug my boyfriend all the
time, but I know that would be starting something that
could not be finished and that would not be honouring
the God who brought us to each other in the first place.
So now when we walk together down the street and
he gently nudges me or my hand brushes past his, it’s
electric. It’s a reassurance that this time of abstaining will
reap rewards later.
/thoughts magazineeMerGING CULtUre
The Church, Tolverne Road, Raynes Park, London, SW20 8RA
020 8781 1734 / [email protected]
WWW.eMerGINGCULtUre.CO.UK
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Dot Tyler: [email protected]
Assistant Editor:
Lindsey Macfarlane: [email protected]
Artwork Design:
Share Creative: www.sharecreative.co.uk
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For advertising opportunities for your organisation
or project contact Dot on 020 8781 1734.
/thoughts founders
Andy Frost: [email protected]
Huw Tyler: [email protected]
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Youthwork the conference is a Spring Harvest event, in collaboration with ALOVE (The Salvation Army), Oasis, schoolswork.co.uk, Soul Survivor, Youth for Christ and Youthwork Magazine and delivered by Essential Event Management.
Inspirational speakers include Jim Wallis, Maeve Sherlock, Jill Garrett, Jason Gardner, Pete Greig, Jenny Baker, Ruth Valerio, Ruth Hassall, Rachel Gardner and Worship from Ben Cantelon and Vicky Beeching.
20-22 November 2009Eastbourne
knowing the word knowing the world
youthworkconference.co,uk
A5land-filler-ad_2009.indd 1 17/06/2009 12:08:22
Think again!
Think there’s nothing you can do about
HIV and AIDS?
Why not do something impactful with your churchor youth group in the run-up to World AIDS Day
(December 1st). Order your FREE resources –including challenges, games, Bible notes and much
more – at www.positiveimpact.org.ukEngland & Wales Charity No 1001349 Scottish Charity No SC039251
9708 PI Thoughts Ad AW.indd 1 25/8/09 15:07:17