needed: some kind of love August 9, 2009
Posted by rickhill in Thoughts.Tags: belonging, duke special, lyrics, some kind of love
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finding inspiration in all sorts of places at the moment. dug out an old, old song of duke special’s that he recorded live over 5 years ago at CFC Church in Belfast. it’s called ’some kind of love’ and has some really powerful lyrics.
“i’m like a creature who’s living underground
i squint at the light
pushing up the dirt with my hands
trying to get into the light
i’m tired tonight
and i need to find some kind of love
i’m not a star, just an ordinary man
just broken and foolish like everyone else
and i’m looking for something that’s true
warm is the sun as it bleaches the sky
Jesus i need to find love to get by
i need to feel something now”
really touches upon the needs of a generation. can we provide this kind of love?
(for those looking for the song, check out iTunes and you might get it. recorded in Revival in Belfast II album. and boy does it have a revival cry about it in a very deep sense…)
church: gym or football team?? August 8, 2009
Posted by rickhill in Thoughts.Tags: accountability, church, community, corporate, individual
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gym
• it’s individual
• all about my own goals and achievements
• little interaction or accountability
• no one knows where each other is at as they just get on with their own routines and programs
football team
• you have to contribute to it
• its bigger than any one person
• has to be a team effort
• everyone has their own role or part to play, no matter how small
• accountability after a bad performance or lack of effort in training
walk this world: charlie hall August 6, 2009
Posted by rickhill in Thoughts.Tags: charlie hall, church, living communion, walk this world
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been thinking a lot about it recently and its been filling my conversations, so might continue the wee theme of church in this blog over the next month. took a month off blogging which was good. didn’t really have much to say i felt anyway. but a break has been positive.
so to continue the series, have a listen to what this song is saying. for me, it grabs the essence of church. letting our lives be the bread and wine. lifting up our lives and show the body and blood of Jesus as we walk through this world. all about being a living communion.
i’ve used the lyrics version rather than the live video feed as the words are really significant in this song. charlie hall is a legend. he’s a real wordsmith and his music is creative and unique.
enjoy.
church: signpost or destination? August 5, 2009
Posted by rickhill in Thoughts.Tags: belonging, church, community, signposts, spiritual journeys
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had a great discussion with some fantastic young people down in a wee place called raffrey tonight on the other side of belfast. our conversation focused around not just ‘going to church’ but ‘being the church’. some fascinating insights and powerful moments in our chat.
one of the questions i posed was based around whether church should be more of a signpost rather than a destination. the thing about a destination is that whenever we get there we relax and remain static. because we’ve now get to where we are supposed to be, we stop looking and searching, content with where we are at. and perhaps, most interestingly of all, we remain at the destination waiting for everyone else to arrive, rather than being active in helping others reach the destination.
is this our view of church? our experience of it? that so often the main thing is to get in the door and tick that box so much that our senses are immediately dulled and we don’t look or search for more around us? and do we often act like its up to others to arrive at the destination, instead of standing somewhere along the route, walking alongside those who are still journeying.
for me, the signpost is a rich metaphor for what the church should look like. the signpost screams to us that we aren’t there yet. it urges us to keep going while assuring us that were on the right road. its useful information points us in the right way as we continue our journey and acts as a guide to others along the path.
the signpost is my story. i need the signposts that the church have put up for me since birth. informing. pointing. guiding. urging. yet all the while reminding me that i’ve still so far to go.
and shouldn’t we be signposts in our lives as well? rather than congratulating ourselves for arriving at a destination, reminding ourselves that we still have more to learn and lots to do in our quest of becoming more like Jesus. receiving help from others on the same journey. celebrating with those who make steps forward. and helping along those who have slowed, stumbled or become static.
conversation: how can the church practically become more of a signpost and less of a destination?
