Soul Purpose Christmas

I get the feeling God is speaking to me about Soul Purpose Christmas. I'm reading a book from Lent 2006, so not Christmas at all. Here's what I've read:

"Let's return for a moment to Christmas giving. I described it earlier as a feast of mutual delight in exchange of gifts within the circle of family or friends. But there is something very one-sided about celebrating Christmas only by ritually enacting a community of joyous giving and receiving. Though such a loving community is an earthly good on par with any other, in a world of massive and unrelenting need, it's positively sinful for such communities to remain turned inward. The gifts should not just circulate within the community to delight its members. They should also flow to outsiders to alleviate their needs...

...It [Christmas] should be a feast of giving to those outside the circle, a small contribution helping to align the world of sin and need with the coming world of love...Gifts should therefore chiefly flow out to the needy; they shouldn't largely circulate among friends." (emphasis mine)

From Miroslav Volf's 'Free of Charge' p 73-75

More pictures

Updated the photo album - see links to the right. Thanks to the Rev Salmon for those!

Soul Purpose Monday Worship

This was the recording from BBC Radio Shropshire's recording of our Monday morning worship. It's well edited from over an hour to 23 minutes. It's first up, listen here (you'll need the BBC iPlayer)

How Christians live....

"It is the Christians, O Emperor, who have sought and found the truth, for they acknowledge God. They do not keep for themselves the goods entrusted to them. They do not covet what belongs to others. They show love to their neighbours. They do not do to another what they would not wish to have done to themselves. They speak gently to those who oppress them, and in this way they make them their friends. It has become their passion to do good to their enemies. They live in the awareness of their smallness. Every one of them who has anything gives ungrudgingly to the one who has nothing. If they see a travelling stranger, they bring him under their roof. They rejoice over him as over a real brother, for they do not call one another brothers after the flesh, but they know they are brothers in the Spirit and in God. If they hear that one of them is imprisoned or oppressed for the sake of Christ, they take care of all his needs. If possible they set him free. If anyone among them is poor or comes into want while they themselves have nothing to spare, they fast two or three days for him. In this way they can supply any poor man with the food he needs. This, O Emperor, is the rule of life of the Christians, and this is their manner of life."

- Aristides 137 AD, taken from Jesus for President, by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haws, p232

Soul Purpose Christmas

During Soul Purpose Sunday, we floated an idea to host a big Christmas Day bash and invite people who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day to come along. So far the idea has met with positive response. Today in the book I'm reading, I read this:

"Every culture has particular ways of eating. Some folks eat with chopsticks: others sit on the floor. In India we ate with our right hands. How do Christians eat? Christians eat with poor folks, with the outcast, the marginalized, and the excluded - all who were never invited to anyone else's party."

From 'Jesus for President' by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haws, p241

Soul Purpose: Day 3

Confession: This is written the afternoon following the morning after the night before....

Soul Purpose has finished for a...I was about to write another year, but as Soul Purpose Christmas may yet happen I should be careful. The morning worship was recorded by BBC Radio Shropshire (I'll add the link when it's on the net) and led by Verity Lowe and Fi Iddon. Maggie Kelly spoke clearly and thoughtfully on sharing hope with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

The weather was much better than on Day2 and the afternoon projects went down a storm, more gardens cleared, more rubbish removed, more fun days and drop ins held, and the gross things discovered was 'only' a fridge full of mouldy chips and some mossy girls pants.

The evening was incredible, including the 110 delegates and the 50 or so helpers and leaders, there were over 400 people at the Church of the Holy Spirit! It was packed with so many families having a really good time, the atmosphere was great and there were 50-60 young people outside having a crazy game of football and hanging around chatting and chilling out.

It was spoilt somewhat at the end by a group of young people refusing to move on from the church grounds and then going to a near car pack and vandalising the car of one our helpers. Windscreen smashed and damaged. It was great to then 'pray for those who persecute you'.

It was humbling to receive along with the rest of the steering group a standing ovation from 100+ young people who we admire and respect SO highly. We were speechless.

So, there were some challenges and there are some things to think about it and learn and improve on for next year, as I guess there always will be. But so far the verdict seems clear: This was the best Soul Purpose ever!

Soul Purpose: Day 2

Perhaps 11.21pm is not the best time to write a brief account of the day, but what a day. I've already posted Joel Preston's outstanding talk from this morning on this blog, the service was great. Gareth LeLong-McKean and band led us in worship well, Joel spoke compellingly, we were ready for the afternoon.

The weather was pretty poor all day, with constant rain but every team was impeccable in their attitude and approach. They worked hard, made great progress in their projects and continued to have an impact on a watching community. Conversations with old school friends, thank you cards, another great teenage drop in, gross things found (and kissed Mick Claes!). It never ceases to amaze me how resilient the spirit is when you know you're doing the right thing.

However that spirit was tested in the evening, it was disruptive - but we ploughed on. It was a learning experience but the amazing thing was, that God moved and we'll see what happens tomorrow as the dust settles and we hear all that has happened, but it seems some lives were impacted by what was heard and that was what it was all about.

Roll on Day 3...