No weddings and a funeral.

Found out this week that a wedding we were hoping to be catering for as part of serving our community has been cancelled. This is a bit of a disappointment as they are a lovely couple and I was really looking forward to sharing the special day with them, but on the other hand it may have been a task and a half to find half a dozen people able to take the time out on a Saturday Afternoon to help with the serving. Sometimes it's difficult to find the right balance between doing too much that people need space and time away and doing too little that people get frustrated, board and complain that there is nothing for them where they are.

I received news on Wednesday morning that the father of my Mum's partner (Graeme) passed away on Tuesday morning. I think it has hit my Mum and Graeme as a bit of a shock. He had been unwell, but I think it was quite sudden. Wattie leaves behind his wife Evelyn, who may or may not know what is happening as she is currently in dementia care.

The Funeral is Today, it kinda puts a cloud on the rugby tonight, but it's only a game after all.

Bring on the Spring Clean tomorrow! But more importantly, bring on the Super Hero's party at the flat!!

The Spam finally got too much...

Since I started writing the second blog today, three spam comments have appeared on my site. This has forced me to make a wee change to the way comments are left (providing there are still people who comment...) There will be a word verification needed to leave a comment, I trust this will not be a barrier (except for that nasty piece of #$&*# who thought I needed to visit a web-site for pregnant women, you can go get stuffed!)

The Spam finally got too much...

Since I started writing the second blog today, three spam comments have appeared on my site. This has forced me to make a wee change to the way comments are left (providing there are still people who comment...) There will be a word verification needed to leave a comment, I trust this will not be a barrier (except for that nasty piece of #$&*# who thought I needed to visit a web-site for pregnant women, you can go get stuffed!)

Gym Update!

Some of you may be wondering what has happened to the regular Gym Photo's I have been posting. Some of you may be extremely relieved that there hasn't been any recent updates as the nature of the photo's has gotten all too much to take! The answer is that I will no longer be putting any photo's on the net as I would like to create a more of an "Impact" on the final day thus with a more of an extreme makeover feel to it.

I realize this could be quite a dangerous thing to do in case there is no real difference, but I'm willing to take the gamble...

Walking in a winter wonderland!

doesn't Christchurch look special with a wee dusting of snow! Yesterday was spent with a slight tummy bug which opened up the sluices at both ends, but I couldn't help but admire the speed at which the snow covered our street. I woke up at 7am for a mercy dash to the great white telephone and there was a light snow shower, nothing to get too excited about and I crawled back to bed. When I next arose at about 11am, the street was covered!! At this stage I wasn't feeling like any more sleep so I sat up to watch the weather. And what a show it was!

Why I love Mondays...

Sunday was a long day for me, Sundays usually are. This past Sunday started with preparing a Salad for the Christchurch Gumball 500 which was held as a social, run by Warwick and Rebecca. Then it was to Church by 9am. Preparing a Benediction for the morning service, I decided to adopt on which I had read previously, To send people out into the week:

"To all of God's Children
Continue your journey walking in love,
Care for one another
Serve one another
Care for God's earth
Seek grace and make peace.

Let us bless and keep one another
let kindness rule in our hearts
and compassion in our lives
As God goes before us all
into the week ahead
Amen"

With Church finished, it was onto the Rally with some late minute recruiting for "Team Mount Panorama" and also making sure all the food was in the fridge and ready to be cooked.

Driving for 2 1/4 hours was not the best way to unwind on a Sunday Avo, going through my mind at the time were details of the evening service, "What have I forgotten...?" would have been the recurring thought.

With a resounding win in the bag for "Team Mount Panorama", I set to work on the BBQ. Wonderful balls of fire were shooting out the back of the BBQ, threatening to set the nearby trees alight!!

With the BBQ done and the fires in the stomachs stoked, it was straight onto setting up for Digestion.

Steve and Aaron needed 6 different visual effects T'd up for the service; Live video feed, Opawa portraits on a PPT, Fingerprints on another PPT with scripture over top, Pink's "Don't let me get me." as a backing track for different Opawa portraits, a PPT of Da Vinci's "Human" drawing and a Slide projector of an old man's face on another wall.

Steve and Aa spoke on our uniqueness and how we all are part of God's masterful creation. We all put our unique mark on a piece of Paper and recognized God's love for being uniquely created.

Also getting the Auditorium set up for the service, (Thanks Steve and Aa for your help) and finally finishing off the service with notices and offering.

I coasted to BK for about half an hour, (probably less time than Jamiee had her cell phone glued to her ear...) I finally arrived home at 9pm

Monday I woke up at about 11am.

I love Mondays

Digestion

Our evening services here at Opawa are a highlight for me. Like blogging, they are an opportunity to hear a greater voice of God than the 'lone preacher'. In the book "Church Next" Gibbs and Coffey write:

"According to analysis, [research shows] church professionals represent 2% of church membership, and a further 18% consist sof the 'Church Laity', who are needed to assist in running the church ministries. If this is so, what about the remaining 80% 'worldly laity'? [This researcher] argues that the task of the 20% should be to provide resources for the 80% for their ministry in the world."

how exciting to see more of the 'Church Laity' (i.e. not the Ministry team) having a voice in Digestion. This week Aaron Stewart and Steve Jaeger will be sharing, followed by Anne McMahon, Sylvia Koppes and Summer Stewart next week.

I believe God speaks to His church through the voices of all His people, from the centre to the margins. God's Spirit lives in us and through us to see his purposes done and the more we can motivate and empower His 'body' to act out the gifts He has placed within us, the greater the picture of God's kingdom we will share on our Journeys.

Go hard Aa and Steve, looking forwart to Sunday Night!

Will the real Jas King please stand up...

It seems I've been living a double life. In one of my lives I'm Jason King, mild mannered minister at Opawa Baptist, enjoys casually working out at the Gym and generally minds his own business.

The other is Jas King, who in his spare time doubles as a F1 driver, body builder extraordinaire and an undercover Nun!

These were images used on Sunday evening for illustrations of my personal journey, hopefully helping others to reflect on their own journey, which they symbolized in a roadsign and pasted it upon the great Snakes and Ladders board of life.

Of course you are... 2

Thank you Candy for all you help so far! Looking forward to the next 4 weeks!

Go the Fat Boy!!!

It's that time of week again, the fat boy strikes back! Feast your eyes on this wonderful specimen of a cross between a Sea Elephant and a Yeti!

Spot the difference!!!

Snakes and ladders??

What does a giant game of snakes and ladders have to do with Church? Maybe we'll find out on Sunday night... maybe...

Alllleee-oop!

A champion jockey is about to enter an important race on a new horse. The horse's trainer meets him before the race and says, "All you have to remember with this horse is that every time you approach a jump, you have to shout, 'ALLLLEEE OOOP!' really loudly in the horse's ear. Providing you do that, you'll be fine."

The jockey thinks the trainer is mad but promises to shout the command. The race begins and they approach the first hurdle. The jockey ignores the trainer's ridiculous advice and the horse crashes straight through the center of the jump.

They carry on and approach the second hurdle. The jockey, somewhat embarrassed, whispers 'Aleeee ooop' in the horse's ear. The same thing happens--the horse crashes straight through the center of the jump. At the third hurdle, the jockey thinks, "It's no good, I'll have to do it," and yells, "ALLLEEE OOOP!" really loudly. Sure enough, the horse sails over the jump with no problems. This continues for the rest of the race, but due to the earlier problems the horse only finishes third.

The trainer is fuming and asks the jockey what went wrong. The jockey replies, "Nothing is wrong with me - it's this horse. What is he - deaf or something?"

The trainer replies, "Deaf?? DEAF?? He's not deaf--he's BLIND!"

Frank thought that was funny!