God won’t save us from climate change

Climate change is clearly happening.

When we see the growing intensity of storms like Cyclone Idai or the monstrous tornado that hit in Alabama recently or the hottest ever winter days in the UK during February 2019 it makes the reality of climate change that bit more real. I’m not here to debate the cause of climate change, but it is a fact that by reducing our consumption we can help to reduce the rising temperatures.

The Episcopalian Church are trying to mobilize 1000 signatures of people committed to Care for Creation by Easter Day. The focus is on loving (sharing stories of how climate changes is affecting us and other communities around the world), Liberating (standing with those affected by climate change) and Life-giving (committing to actions that make a real impact on creation).

You might not be an Episcopalian  – that’s ok, ask what your denomination is doing to care for the planet and commit to that.

You might think God won’t let climate change destroy our civilization, let me remind you why the Jews were exiled, according to Ezra,

“You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. ³⁴‘Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. ³⁵‘All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it.”

We are clearly not allowing our land its sabbaths.

We need to commit to changing that and we can start this Lent.

Find out more about the Pledge to Care For Creation here. And look out for some ideas about swaps and changes you can make this Lent that can help.

This month – links about singleness

Some of us HATE it! Some of us don’t mind and see it as a passing phase. Others may actually be fighting a calling to devote their lives to God alone.

Either way – why not investigate what the blogosphere has to offer in the way of illumination….

Called to Singleness? – The first of two articles from Boundless. Take a different view.

Being Single is a great time to serve God – Sonya C Triggs asks What’s a Single Christian to do?

Christian Dating Tips – Think positively about online dating.

How far is too far? – Ways of thinking.

10 years and counting for the soundest Ship on the interweb

The best Christian humour site on the web is 10 years old! Ship of Fools has been making God-fearing souls laugh for a whole decade and in honour of that they have redesigned the site and done a run-down of all the great things they have been doing to shake up Christians the world over for the last 10 years.

Including Mystery Worship and Gadgets for God just the tup of the ice berg.

Check it out!

Christmas Shopping

Make Christmas easy and Christian with these marvellous online emporiums…

Oxfam Shop – Get your lovely fair-trade chocolate coins here!
Oxfam Unwrapped -More unusual fair benefitting others through innovative gift giving

Eden.co.uk – Christian books for the more learned giftee
Crownbooks – Get down with the home kids with the best in Christian Music

People Tree – Dress yourself and your loved ones, stylishly and ethically.

Green and Easy – Energy saving light bulbs! And almost anything else you can imagine.

Greenbelt glorious greenbelt

Greenbelt takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse every August bank Holiday. It’s a long running Christian arts festival which is more ecumenical and alternative than others, for instance Spring Harvest.

One of the Ordinary Eve team’s particular favourites this year was Beer and Hymns in The Jesus Arms an organic beer tent on site. If you missed it or if you caught it but just want to be reminded of the glory then here it is.

http://www.jamessalter.me.uk/personal/videos/

Much praising – much joy. If you feel uncomfortable then remember the wedding at Cana and consider the volume of wine that God provided when the guests were already half way through the feast…

Christian mysticism

Maybe you would value a new approach to Christianity or maybe you have had a “mystical” experience of God and have no idea where to go with that, having no Church to turn to or no one in Church who understands. Perhaps you have friends who claim to have had different faith experiences to you and you are wondering what to do with it all.

Fear not, Rev. Brian Robertson runs a blog called christianmystics.com which can explain what Christian mysticism i, how it relates to traditions (such as evangelical, protestant, catholic etc) and how you can find out about the mystical tradition in Christianity – which has a long and beautiful tradition.

Why not start with this great podcast he has also done. God bless you.

Prayer on t’interweb

The 24/7 prayer web site is an interesting place to visit. The movement hs been referred to as ‘modern day monasticism’, but its purpose is highly specific. It aims to turn the tide of youth culture back to Christ through creating a linked prayer movement. Groups commit to pray continuously for a period of time and then pass on the “baton” to other groups across the globe.

You can post prayer equests and you can also add your own groups or simply pick up prayer requests from others.

www.24-7.com 

Questions for atheists

Maybe it’s time that atheists started to answer some of our questions, after all this is supposed to be a dialogue isn’t it? Maybe I got that wrong.

Anyway, this guy has some really though provoking ones. He doesn’t ask anyone for proof but he is clear and challenging. check it out! 

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/questions-for-atheists-p1.php

What’s your spiritual style?

Appreciating your spiritual style, and appreciating how  that might be different from other people not only gives you a way of understanding others’ differences but also allows you to see what makes you special to God and how you might serve him in new ways.

But how to work out what your style is? Fear not! We have been intrepidly searching the internet and come up with this this tool!

The Sacred Pathways Worship Style Assessment.

Go for it.

The Devil has all the best music…

Ok, maybe he doesn’t, but there’s certainly a lot of great music out that that’s not specifically Christian (Jerusalem aside).

So I would like to recommend to you this marvellous site/experience – Musicovery. Find some new music in a beautifully visual wa, and hear some random old favourites you had forgotten.

http://www.musicovery.com