invitation to the party

I heard this story years ago and i recently came accross it again i hope it will inspire you too.

In the opening of his book, The Kingdom of God is a Party, Tony Compolo tells of a trip to Hawaii. When you travel from the east coast to Honolulu, your biological clock runs wild for a day or so, and the first night there, Compolo was both hungry and awake at 3:00 a.m. He went off to find an open restaurant., but the only thing open was a greasy spoon diner run by a guy named Harry. So he sat down and ordered a donut.As he was beginning to eat, a group of prostitutes entered the diner and sat at the counter, trapping Compolo among them. One of the prostitutes mentioned to her friend that the next day was her birthday. Her friend said cynically, “Why are you telling me? Do you want a party and cake; is that what you want?” The first prostitute, named Agnes, said, “Why do you have to be so nasty? I was just telling you. No, I don't expect a cake and a party; I've never have had a birthday cake in my life!” There was something about this woman that touched Compolo. After they left, he asked Harry if these girls came in every night. When he found out that they did, Compolo and Harry decided to give Agnes a party. Harry did the cake, Compolo did the decorations and Harry's wife got the word out.The next morning at 3:15 there were crepe-paper decorations, a huge birthday cake and about thirty prostitutes and street people in the diner. When Agnes walked in, everybody yelled “Surprise” and they sang happy birthday. Agnes almost collapsed, and she began to cry uncontrollably. She was at her very first birthday party, and the party was for her! She didn't even want to cut the cake; she took it back to her apartment so she could look at it for a couple of days.After Agnes left to take her cake home, something just prompted Compolo to say, “What do you say; let's have a prayer for Agnes.” It just seemed like the thing to do at the time. After the prayer, Harry said, “Hey, you didn't tell us you were a preacher. Why kind of church do you belong to anyway?” In one of those flashes of inspiration where you to say exactly the right thing at the right time, Compolo answered, “I belong to a church that throws parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning!” But it was Harry who told the punch line to this story; he said, “No you don't. There are no churches like that. If there was, I'd join. I’d want to be a part of a church like that!” You know, who wouldn't?Who was it with whom Jesus spent his time? Why was Jesus criticized by the religious establishment in Luke 15:2? He ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus wasn’t refined or discriminating enough in his selection of companions. He threw parties for prostitutes (metaphorically if not literally). Has the church become too refined and sophisticated to walk where Jesus walked? Maybe we need to throw a few more parties for people who have never been to the party.

Heart 2 Heart

I have many favourite bible verses, one of them is found in the book of proverbs: Proverbs 4:23Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. another version says, keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life.
the original language talks about a military garrison, thats how we are to guard it with diligence, intent and purpose. One commentator described our hearts as "the citadel of man" and "the seat of his treasure" in other words our very essence and fibre.

We need to know our hearts in order to guard them. Its not that we are to focus on our weaknesess and allow them to make us feel bad. We must however be aware of them, if we are aware we can put armour in our weakest places in order to protect ourselves. Our enemy is ruthless we too must be ruthless too in protecting ourselves, never allowing hearts to be unprotected. We don't fight in our own strenght we have Gods powerful Holy Spirit with us and he is fighting for us and with us.

So My prayer is Lord help me to keep clean hands and pure heart.

Please Pray

Hi just a quick note to ask you all to pray for a young girl called Kelsey who is nine years old she is linked to our church, as she used to come to a toddler group and we know her parents. Kelsey has cancer and has had Chemo-therapy in the past which made her go blind for a time. Anyway she was nominated by a west midlands health authority to recieve a prize because she has been so brave. she, amongst other kids was given an all expenses paid trip to disney land florida. unfortunatly she became ill on the day of the flight and the doctors that were there took the decision that she was to ill to fly. she is suffering from shingles, please pray that she would be healed and that would be a witness to her and her family. none of which are christians yet. please pray that Sue our family worker will have the right words to say as she continues to support this family. thanks

in thee oh Lord will i put my trust

The big news in the Uk at the moment is the Economy. the Rejection by the house of representives on capitol hill yesterday is sending shock waves through financial markets in asia and Europe alike. World leaders appear to be at a lost as to what to do next and just this weekend the goverment nationalised the Bradford and bingley building society. its in times like this where many of those who have put there trust in the financial systems will be asking questions of themselves. maybe the same question the alpha course advert asks "whats it all about".
Maybe as a Christian you are worried about your Job or the sheer cost of living here in the worlds 4th richest economy. Now we live in this world and we cannot get away from that fact, however our dependance is not wall street or canary warf, our dependance is upon God.

I'm reminded of the widow in 2 kings 4 when the debt collectors came and threatened to take her sons as slaves, she cried to the prophet Elisha and through a step of faith God met all her needs. in the natural it was bad but God show this widow that he was a true source of dependance.

In the natural its not a great time to do anything that requires finance but in the supernatural there has never been a better time. because Gods economy is on the up!

ready for an adventure

i was prompted by an email i recieved to read the story of Gideon again. a story most us will know really well. but it reminded me that God saw something in Gideon that he could not see himself. God called him a mighty warrior or in a another version a man of valour! which is cool especially in the context of where Gideon was, he was hiding from the midianites in the winepress. A scared man hiding away from the enemy and then the angel tells him he is a mighty warrior. every now then when fears creep in and we are tempted just to hide away and let history just go on without us, God has the ability to remind us of who he has called us to be. not just that but he reminds us who he is and that its not about our strength but its what he can do with a life dedicated to him.

i needed that reminder today!

the provision of God

I was reading a great passage this morning and something jumped off the page and reminded me a great truth about God. in an exhortation at the end of the letter the writer to the Hebrews says (whom i believe to be Paul) may God equip you with EVERYTHING GOOD for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ. for me that exhortation/prayer served as a reminder that God wants to provide everything good for doing his will. the night i was ordained into the ministry i said in a speech the only reason i am here is because of his amazing grace. So i realise that if he has provided in the past he will also provide in the future and i must remember to thank him for everything he has given to me in my life up to this point. what an amazing God we serve he doesn't just call us he also equips us.

Special announcement

for the past 6 yrs i have had the plearsure to work in one of elims most thriving churches in Coventry, i have completely enjoyed my time in Coventry and have grown inmensley in every aspect including waist line.
So yesterday it was with sadness that announced to the Church that i would be leaving.
for around 5 yrs now i have been traveling to spain for ministry and holidays too, i first encountered Spain on a family holiday in 1999 and even then i was facinated by the spanish people and their love for fun and life. Over the last few years i have studied Spain through numerous books and joined the Elim focus group for western europe.
i suppose the first thing that people think of when you say the word Spain is holidays, sunshine etc. this is the case for many of course but it would wrong to give spain that label alone. Spain along with france is a country that has very few evangelical churches and those that are often made up of those from the international community. i have recently been to visit the elim church in benalmadena (family fellowship) and here i found a british family reaching out to expats and Spanish people.

i have been praying about Spain for at least the last 4 yrs now and i believe that God has shown me my next step. that is to be a support to the church in benalmadena (Andalucia region) and to play my part in all that God has for Spain and the church in Spain. the Church in Coventry are backing me 100 percent along with Elim as a whole and i take that as confirmation too.

I'm leaving the UK to live in Spain full time as an Elim missionary in february next year.

Please pray that God will continue to show me mercy and give me his wisdom. please pray that there will be those who catch the vision too and will partner me in prayer and also giving financially. i need to raise around 15.000 pounds for the first year through fund raisers and ongoing sponsership yikes!! Lord help!!
if you would like a copy of Spain and me (the story so far) i can email that and also sponsership forms and newsletters will be available shortly

thanks for your support and friendship.

Rev Dave Hodgson

Sandy Millar at the cathedral

Sometimes you pencil an event into your diary and you just go along because it is written in there, that is no reflection on the organizers its just that i didn't like leaving the flat the tv was calling me to have a night in . Being a member of the regional Hope 08 steering commitee i thought i'd better show my face.
well i never get amazed how God just speaks a word into your heart when you are not expecting him too.
Tonight the Rt Reverand Sandy Millar, from Holy Trinity Brompton was the guest speaker, Sandy is one of the founding members of the Alpha course. Sandy shared from his heart how the Uk had turned its back on God. he talked about how you are not superhuman when you become a christian infact you become more human. because to not be a christian would make you as the bible describes "lost". for me anyway i think i get accoustomed to people being lost maybe i don't see the real need as God sees it. i left Coventry Cathedral tonight saying God give me more love for the lost Lord help me to see them as you see them. Amen

i was also reminded that God speaks to you when you least expect him to sometimes.

i was just listening to....

I was just listening to an interview with Terry Pratchett the author of so many fictional books. He is quite stern in his atheistic beliefs, he said i don't believe in the God of the old testament. But as an avid star gazer he said he can't help but wander about the grand order of things. he mentioned looking at planets that can still be seen with certain telescopes in the middle of the day. who keeps them there he asked. if you have ever read any of Terry pratchett books you will realise that he has a weird and wonderful mind of imagination, he is a thinker. but i'm reminded about what Billy Graham said that everyone has God shaped hole in their lives and only God can fill it. As complex as he is i think even Terry was asking these questions. its encouraging to know that only God can fullfill that gap in our lives.

Gods Commitment

Earlier today i bumped into an older couple from our church at a carvery restaurant i know this couple from the church and have visited them on numerous occassions. One thing struck me this time was the commitment of her husband they are both in their eighties and her moblity is not what it was and she needs constant care. i know that her husband gives her around the clock care, i wandered whether he realised this was going to happen when he first commited to her. i find these things refreshing in a world where commitment is very rare these days.
I'm reminded that the most used promised in the Bible from God to us is "i will never leave you nor forsake you". i find it amazing that even if i'm faithless he is faithful, that God has commited himself to me even when my commitment to him is not as strong.

God has commited himself to our lives, infact he has invested so much more, his son. this reminds me that he has to be number one in my life beacuse we are the apple of his eye.

God's encouragement

I don't believe in pot luck scriptures dipping into promises when it suits, because that can be dangerous, we can take things out of context. every now then you need reasurrance that you are pleasing God and putting him first, i found an amazing scripture that is just so releasing. even though i had read it before it somehow mean't more to me now and God has a way of just speaking to you allowing you to hear his voice of encouragement. the context is David is concerned that whilst he is living in a palace the ark of God remains in a tent. Nathan the prophet just gives David a simple word "whatever you have in mind go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you". how releasing is that? for me reading that was a word in time from God, maybe today you need to hear those words too?