6 reasons reading a library book is better than reading one of your own

1. There is so much more choice.
   They spend more on books in one year than your house or flat is worth (maybe).
   
2. You will actually read the books, rather than watching them sit on your shelfBorrowing library books comes with a deadline. If you haven't finished a book in three weeks, you're probably never going to read it, so why spend money on something which will sit on your shelf gathering dust?
   
3. You can finally get some space in your house or flat again
   How much space do your books take up? Not just the bookshelf but the pile of books next to your bedside, the dining table, and those waiting to be tidied away or go to the charity shop. I got rid of my bookcase and my lounge looked so much bigger! It was amazing, I was able to rearrange the furniture and I was able to enjoy all the space.
   
4. You'll read books you wouldn't otherwise
   Who wants to spend money on a book they might not like? We play it safe when we're buying books for ourself, yet when you wander around a library any book can jump out at you, and the range is so vast. I read a library book about the police, a science lab and classical music. I'd never have imagined reading that before.
   
5. You can share the experience with more people
   Like a book? You can still share good books with your friends. Just go to the library with them, or tell them to take it out too. And if they're not very good at returning books, it's not your problem, you've got nothing to fear by recommending they borrow the library's book.
   
6. It's better for the environment
   Reduce, re-use, recycle. You're reducing the number of trees which need to be cut down and made into books, the books are regularly being re-used as others take them out of the library. 

TV tokens

When I was a child there was a period of time when our family had "TV tokens". Each week we would get an allowance of how much TV we could watch, and we would cash in our tokens putting them into a jar when we watched TV.

As a family we used it to help us spend more time together rather than watching TV. At the moment I'm trying to work out how to read more, and remembering our use of TV tokens gave me an idea: my own TV tokens.

Rather than receiving a given allocation of TV tokens each week, I will get one TV token for each chapter of a book I read. (I might decide to tweak the ratio if the chapters get particularly long)

So far I've ready three chapters of the Irresistible revolution by Shane Claiborne and "spent" two of my tokens to watch one episode of Bad Habits, Holy Orders (that's a topic for another post).

Will it work? Will I keep reading? I don't know yet, but so far it's helping me to weigh my priorities. I can visually see my tokens collect and give myself an excuse why I can't watch TV and should read instead: "I don't have any TV tokens!"

Unreached

I'm currently reading Unreached: Growing churches in working–class and deprived areas by Tim Chester. I largely skipped over his blog posts on the "urban harvest" a few years when he was preparing to launch this book. Now that I have moved from a more gentrified part of town to a more deprived part, I decided to ordered the book and read it! This post covers the introduction and chapter one. I may post follow ups for later chapters.

The introduction sets the Christian context into which this book is written, with the middle classes making up a substantial proportion of the church.

The first things many middle class Christians see on council estates are the social problems. [...] But [...] what does God see? [...] Their fundamental problem is not social policy, but sin. And the solution is not gentrification but Jesus. (Page 17)

This first quote applies to council estates, but also wider society. One issue I want to learn more about this year is the balancing act between clear gospel proclamation and serving the nation. (Good news to the poor: The Gospel Through Social Involvement, also by Tim Chester, is on my reading list).

In fact, the introduction declares more strongly than this first quote the problem of focusing on social action.

Moreover, on its own, social action is like a signpost pointing nowhere. Or worse still, it points to our own good works, and so reinforces people's innate legalism. (Page 17)

The first chapter focuses on the situation on-the-ground, highlighting cultural differences, and how these cultural differences can cause artificial barriers to people coming to know Jesus, and coming into the church.

The gospel is still to be expressed in culturally diverse ways. The danger is that those of us who are from a dominant culture can - often unwittingly - impress their cultural norms on others. This means that we will often need to go out of our way to ensure that less dominant cultures are included, respected and expressed. (Page 31) 

It is not enough just to be aware of these differences, we need to actively change what we do to ensure that we do not inadvertently and unnecessarily require people to change their culture to be welcomed into the church, or feel welcomed by Christ. When people become Christians, and their friends comment "you've changed", that should be a purely positive thing, rather than also including needless cultural changes which only separate the new-Christian from their pre-existing friends.

The first chapter finishes with a challenge showing God's clear message to not put up barriers to those from different cultures, and the exciting growth that can happen as a result.

Before Cornelius could be converted, Peter had to be converted. Of course, he knew the gospel would go to the nations (Luke 24:45-47). But he assumed that the Gentiles would first have to become like the Jews. Jews becoming like Gentiles was unthinkable. 

Whose conversion involves the greatest struggle? Peter, the Christian, who argues with God three times, saying "Surely not, Lord!" Or by contrast, a whole room full of Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit as soon as they hear the message and offering themselves for baptism. Peter, representing the majority Christian culture, is most resistant to change. And this change, when it happens, results in criticism from his peers (Acts 11:1-3). 

For most of us in the UK, it is not the ethnic prejudices of a Peter that constrain our mission, but the prejudices of social class and race. Many of us who are middle class may need to be converted to culture-transcending mission before we can reach the unreached. Those of us who are working class may need to be converted to a culture-transcending church before we can work together in mission. Peter's prejudices were laid out on the sheet that was lowered from heaven. What would be laid out on your sheet? (Pages 40-41)

God, please change me.

So far I'm really enjoying the book, and plan to lend it to my brother and sister-in-law working in Everton, Liverpool. Posts on later chapters may be forthcoming.

Why I take notes in sermons

I take notes to keep awake!

Without writing notes I find it all too easy to get distracted.

Writing focuses my mind.

You could argue: "Don't take notes for knowledge, let the words affect your heart."

Yet writing notes helps me engage. It's only when I'm engaged that the words can pierce my heart.

How to learn like Buffet

(Based on content from farnam street blog)

Learn daily. Knowledge grows quicker if you have more knowledge.

Keep reading - and learn to take in the information. The more you read, the easier it will be to take in information.

Set time aside to learn. Learning is investing in yourself.

Can't afford to learn today? You'll work better tomorrow if you learn more today. Don't put it off.

A prayer

In the run up to easter my church sent out daily devotional emails. One of them (focusing on Peter, his denial and subsequent reinstatement (John 18:15-18, 18:25-27, 21:9, 21:15-17)) included a prayer I really liked. I've copied it below; I hope you find it useful.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your constant faithfulness and willingness to forgive. Thank you that you have a plan and purpose for my life. Help me, in my moments of pressure or temptation, not to give into fear. And when I fail or deny you, help me to be quick to seek restoration, knowing that you promise to forgive me, because my sin has been paid for at the cross. I ask, too, that you speak to me about the mission you have prepared for me, and that you equip me to serve you with my passions and skills.

God helps me

In the past I've got home from a long day at work, tired, having talked all day, and wanting to crash, yet knowing that in 60 short minutes I'll need to have got changed, tidied the flat, put on some music, cooked a meal, and be ready to socialise, make people feel welcome, and lead a lifegroup as friends arrive after great days, bad days, hearts broken, hearts on fire. So I pray. He helps. In those situations I'm not surprised.

Other times it's the end of a long week of work and some people are going to the pub. I know I should go and socialise, but maybe I don't want to. In those situations I haven't prayed. But why not?! God cares about those situations too.

Today was a lifegroup day (though not at my flat); he helped.
Next time a work thing happens, I'm sure he will too.

New and shiny

I'm gonna try to pick-up blogging again over on Tumblr!
It's easy, they'll be short, and lots of links to other things.
But it'll be a blog (of sorts).

Check it out

Stories not statistics

Stories are better than statistics. Disclaimer: I studied maths and work with numbers.

Today I read lots of statistics, and a story. The story stuck in my head.

Read these statistics from water.org:

• 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies
• 3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease
• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
• People living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.
• An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than a typical person in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.

Now compare that to this video of Justin Zoradi tellig his story of "These numbers have faces":

What stuck with me is the stories, the specifics.
To me the statement "one person will die because they can't even get access to clean drinking water in a city" is more powerful than if you change the number to one million.

We have to start by understanding a small problem well, by letting it affect us, by letting it change us.
Statistics don't change people. Stories do.

A statistic is one story affecting more than one person.

Verses that strike #001

"For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God."
Romans 2:28-29

A reminder to seek God and his favour, not man's.

Jonah and Jesus

Today I was reading Luke 11 and for the first time ever, I think, I understood that bit about Jonah: "for as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation."

Before I didn't have a clue what that meant; diddly-squat. How was Jesus like Jonah?

Jonah didn't really give any signs to the Ninevites (the whole fish thing was for Jonah not the Ninevites). They were an evil bunch, he came along and told them death was coming, and they repented. Simple. A simple warning from a foreigner changed the darkest city. So when the Ninevites hear that you heard the full blown Son of man talking, and still didn't repent, well... they'll condemn you. 'cos they were so much worse, and only heard Jonah, but you heard the Son of man.

Funky new (mobile) website

This website hasn't had a funky new update, but a few big mobile sites have. I'm gonna talk about: Facebook, Twitter and Tugenda Bible (I know it's not popular, but I made it so I get to advertise it).

1) The facebook mobile website wasn't very good. There was no way to access events, no way to view a wall-to-wall, and overall, a cut-down experience. Instead was using the official app (on my HTC Desire), but my phone has limited storage space, so I was forever having to delete app-data! With the updated website I don't use the app, instead using the website; it's great! On the main page I can see: 1) any new (and recent) notifications, 2) my news feed and 3) if I have any messages. All on one screen.

2) Twitter. I've only just seen it today, but they've changed the mobile website. It feels less like a mobile website and more like an app. It feels much faster, and it should have me using it more.

3) Tugenda Bible. Up until the weekend there was no mobile version of this website, and I was contemplating making an Andoid App (no doubt inspired by The Apprentice). Realising the steep learning curve required, I decided to stick with HTML in the browser, particularly with the growth in HTML5. So if you have a mobile, have a look at: m.bible.tugenda.com. There are still a few bugs, I want to make it more app-like, but it works, and gets rid of those verse numbers which so often get in the way when reading the bible!

What do you think? Seen any good mobile websites?

Reminders

Yesterday I was reminded by a friend of a dream I hadn't thought about for at least twelve months. It was great, yet I was shocked I'd forgotten about it for so long.

These two cycles overlap and stimulate one another:

• Share dreams --> talk about dreams --> remind each other about dreams --> ...
• Remember your dreams -->Fulfill your dreams --> ...

43 things is an online version of this. I've just remembered I have an account, and it hasn't helped much in fulfiilling them over the last few years (I haven't used it), but it has just reminded me about some of my dreams (/goals/plans).

Gospel "versus" miracles...

...and how my thinking has been changing.

Start uni: weak gospel with an interest in miracles.
Uni years one and two: stronger gospel with an interest in miracles.
Uni year three: getting annoyed at gospel, wondering if ignoring miracles too much.
End of uni: confused.
Now: read a friend's post called "Olive Branch" (read it) and thinking about the following quote from the post:

No one, not even any of the apostles, is on record as having done greater miracles than Christ; if they had done, it would prove they had a higher relationship with the Father than Christ himself. But telling others of Christ is far greater than miracles; it is greater in importance and greater in value.

In thousands of years of Christianity a lot of fights "A versus B", "C versus D" have developed. When discussing these with friends, we'll normally finish with an unsatisfying (for me) "well, it's somewhere in the middle isn't it?"

Where is the middle on this issue? Is there a middle, or should I embrace the gospel and not seek miracles of healing, supply, demonic powers and nature? Is it one versus the other, or can both sides be valid at the same time?

--
Update 3rd January 2011: Dave Bish has blogged on a somewhat related topic

Counting on God

My favourite song during second year of uni was Counting on God performed by New Life Worship / Desperation Band (Listen for free on Grooveshark). Over the last little while I've taken my eyes off the important things, and haven't been counting on God.

I'm off to count some of the good things he's done. See you tomorrow.

Where to look

This summer I spent two weeks in a tent camping in a different town each night. Without a usual place to put all my 'things' I often couldn't find them, much to my frustration!

After about 11 days I realised that things were almost always where I thought they were, only I hadn't looked quite hard enough. I would have a quick look in the right place, not find it, so look around the rest of the tent, and outside the tent, before finally returning to the place I thought they were and find them almost straight away!

Looking for longer in the place you think your keys are might help you get out on time this week, but I think the idea goes further too.

Too often I turn to God, nothing seems to be happening, so I search in other places around the tent (reading a Christian book, a blog, 'praying',...), and maybe even outside the tent (sin things), before eventually turning back to God and the bible, to find what I wanted all along.

Do you?

No breakfast today - why not try Honey's?

I don't have any breakfast treats today, but Marcus Honeysett wrote something I wanted to share straight away.

Go to his blog and eat your honey on toast: mission training 1.

Quackers Question Number 1

If you could only do one of these, which would completely exclude the other which would you do?

• Pray
• Read the bible

It might seem contrived and ridiculous (both are great), but the question remains.

Obey

"Obey". So often I don't; yet it's so much better if I do.

I've recently enjoyed seeing reflections of the gospel in every day life, but sometimes the gift isn't accepted. The offer of a biscuit or sweet to someone you know (or don't know) is a reflection of the gospel. Something undeserved, something good for free. Yet some people reject the offer.

I don't want to miss an opportunity to display a reflection of or infact the full gospel to people who don't see it; as I think about it now there are little opportunities dying everyday. I'm reminded of a passage a friend of mine quotes regularly.

[...] for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:12-16 (ESV)

Why not read some more of Romans? I will.

Recommend just One

This is where I recommend one person to follow on twitter, and one blog to subscribe to.

Blog: Christ the Truth

Twitter: Rick Warren

The reason is simple. They point me to God and to the bible.

If you only follow one person on Twitter, or read one blog, I'd recommend these.