Monday, October 30, 2006

I stand up but i get knocked down again,


its only been one week, but it could have been a year or maybe longer, not so much spiritual growth as explosion.

church now involves falling over laughing, which is pure brilliant, there is a sort of mad simplicity to Christianity out here.

Jesus loves you, all thats going on in the world is a little to much for comprehension, so simple trust in God and enjoying Him is all that is required. Compared to the stern nonsense of much of my attitude to faith, its a total breath of fresh air.

I went on outreach last wknd, which involved packing up a truck of westerners mozambiquen pastors, a sound system, projector and generator, driving two hours into the bush and getting involved. it was a truly humbling experience to live alongside those in absolute poverty even if for only 48hours, seeing women pound millet for half an hour to get a crap rice substitue which, will not even nourish her 5 or 6 kids. The ground so dry and hard, the people so beautiful yet desperate, i ended up crying my eyes out, broken. but then that night when we showed the video and people understood that jesus loved them and that that meant he could heal them. A bold statement from a western perspective, not so bold as you watch an old man touching his toes to try out his newly healed back, or you watch a man could fingers from his 10 minutes earlier blind eye. Yes miracles happen, I have seen it with my own eyes, you and can see it with yours. Not everyone was healed and it was hard to understand why, but the healing is Jesus business, all we do is pray and the longer i am here the less understanding seems to matter, only trusting.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

mozambique pt 1

alright the world
just landed in pemba after a bit of a monster journey
its all good out hear, just how i like it sunny, no running water for the last three days, eating rice and beans with my hands, carrying blocks and meeting new ppl
seriously but more pastors graduated from their school than have probably trained in ireland in about 10years, then there were about 10 batisms, then feeding the local communitythen distributing food to widows. its pretty immense but in a very normal way, met some cool people, a dude who sold his house to buy a plane to be a missionary,talking to a guy from norway who the last time he was flying through dubai (where i flew threw) was to smuggle bibles ;)its like a world select of hardcore christians out here.
but yeah all is good, its a bit of a mission to get to internet so might be a while before i do this again....

Friday, October 13, 2006

chineese with mista jam, dj hix, pete and oliva





last night at about 3am i went for chilly fried squid with misterjam (radio 1 xtra dj) hix (an AMAZINF local hip hop /rnb dj - and you know he's good for me to apprciate those tunes) pete ( a super hero who introducted me to hix and this night) and olivia (who was running the front of house with pete) it was after my first gig in my new vj residency (YOOO) at a night called vibe in the sugar rooms at the pothouse.

it was all a bit short notice - i was only back from london on sat and heard on sun, and had major complications from my vj laptop being the one that got stroked in london, but it was alright on the night and i definately played my best set to date, it was another 3hr marathon but i generally lloved it :) so get down there on a thurs if you are in the 'fast

althogh i wont be there again for two months cause im off to Mozambique next friday, awesome.
its a training school with iris ministries who generally roll like Jesus, miracles, loving the poorests of the world and all. i imagine it will be quite a trip, physically mentally and big time spiritually. i cant wait.

thats about all except to say that my profile photo is a lie and i now have hair longer than most girls, which when it isnt getting in my eyes is also most excellent and i would recommend it to all guys who have the opportunity

Sunday, September 24, 2006

isaiah 40 revisited

come close,
come close to my friends
says your God

talk gently to belfast,
and tell her the hard days are over,
the selfishness and violence has been paid for,
double the price has been paid,

it was on tv last night
in the countryside, in the sticks
get a road ready for the Lord,
make it wide and smooth,
and motorway for our God

the valleys will be filled in
and the mountain flattened off
the marsh land drained
and the bracken cleared

then the brilliance and mystery of the Lord
will be clear for all to see
God has spoken

someone said shout out, protest,
i said "whats the point"
"what difference can i make?"
"whats just one lifetime"

things move on everytime i look around
there are new buildings and old ones knocked down
new shopping centres and different places
nothing stays the same

only God is constant his words last through everthing

artists, musicans, dancers, promoters and organisers
you who bring a good time to belfast
put on the greatest show on earth,
perform you hearts out, showing everyone
"God lives and loves you"

He looks out for each one of us,
He's got out backs and we can
always rely on him

He picks us up and carries us
in his arms, gentle taking care
of teenagers and kids

Who is like Him?
can anyone hold the ocean in their hands?
who can measure the universe in the span of their hand?
who could hold all the bricks of a city?
who has put skyscrapers on their bathroom scales?

who understands everything?
or know how to comfort us in every situation?

who taught God what he knows?
who showed Him wrong from right?
who explained destiny or purpose to Him?

everything is nothing beside God,
everything we know, see, make and strive for,
humanity is nothing
compared to the scale of God

as for celebrities, the rich and famous,
manisions and limos, diamonds,
private jets, tv series, private islands,
of just the simple things we save up for
and look up to holidays, cars, houses

dont you realise,
havent you know since you were a kid?

He sits above it all, people a like little ants
scurring around, he spoke this planet into existence
he birthed the universe and spins the earth round the sun

he turns movies stars milkmen,
brings rules of this world into line

no sooner than they're elected,
no sooner than they're at number one
they are turned out by their people,
and cameras have swung somewhere else

who is there like God?
who would you put up to him?
who equals him?

look up at the night sky sometime
who put those massive burning gas balls
millions of light years away to twinkle nicely as stars?
they are not just random either he knows each one by name
because He is God they are always shining down

who do you say "no one cares about me"
"nobody knows what im going through"
do you think this might God could get tired?
do you think he would fail to love you?

he built you from cells up, bones, blood, nerves,
eyes, ears, he knows how many hairs are on your head
and you think he is going to get tired?

no chance, just look to him,
he gives you a pick up when your down,
gives you the strength you need,
the poor and weak he loves to help

even the young people get tired,
they make mistakes and hit rock bottom

but if you look to God, hope in Him,
then its on, chill with Him and you
will be soaring like an eagle,
unstopable no matter what life throws at you

in london at the moment working for a friend, the hotel room we're staying in got robbed lost laptop, phone, money, but above is what matters not that crap

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

holding back from the full embrace

I have been thinking a bit about the darker side to my character, and not so much about trying to ignore it or deny it, but to understand it and embrace it. In an understnading of my weakness and imperfection, there is a freedom. I have often heard people laying the guilt trip to allow God into all our lives and not hold anything back. But I think its the opposite if you hug someone halfheartly you will never feel the fullness of their embrace. Instead of worrying about the dark parts of our character and how God mite not like them, we instead need to trust him when he says He loves all of us and abandon ourselves to the full embrace.