This morning as I headed out my door to the office I could sense the light rain before I felt it land on my recently gelled hair. I looked up at the sky to see the offending cloud but the sky was blue.

As I rounded the corner a beautiful rainbow streaked across the sky rising out of the tops of the flats opposite my road.

It got me thinking about God’s promises. It’s struck me a lot recently as I’ve been engaging pastorally with people how often we believe the lies Satan pumps out. And we believe them so easily. The lie that man is to be feared. The lie that I am in control, or when I find that I am not, the lie that I should be in control. The lie that life and satisfaction is to be found in lust.

But we see the desctructiveness of these lies over and over again. Stress indicates to us that all is not well when we seek to be in control. And yet we indulge the stress, we talk about it as if it is just what I am going through right now and that the remedy is running from the problem – on holiday, or to bed, or to solitude.

We would do well to look at a rainbow from time to time and remember God’s promises. His promises that he is in control, that he is to be feared – not man, his promise to give us life – to the full! But that life is found in losing our lives.

I preached an evangelistic message on Sunday from Revelation 12:7-12. There Satan has no place accusing us anymore before God. But that’s not because we’ve been successful in keeping God’s law. It’s not because we’re moral and good. It’s not because we’ve found excuses for why we have failed (like the classic ‘I was tired’). It’s because of the blood of the lamb and a changed life where we no longer live for self, but testify about our lord and are willing to give up our lives (Rev 12:11).

That is freedom – being able to give up our lives at any moment for our Lord and for others. And freedom is found in believing God’s promises.

Just check out that rainbow…

I’ve just set up a new website that not only sells Doc Brown tracks, CD’s and tickets for gigs, but will also be selling the new Crowded House CD.

No, sadly we’ve not done a deal with the award-winning New Zealand band. In fact, to avoid copyright issues we will have to call the band on the CD something different.

We’re in the process of recording various songs written by people in the Crowded House network of churches, including Tim Chester, Rob Spink, myself and Del Delahoyde. We use these songs in public ‘worship’ and thought it was about time we got them done on record. So, the ‘House Band’ is putting together versions of these songs, aiming to have them ready for the Total Church conference in February 2010.

Anyway – you can go and have a look now, and come back to check in Feb 2010 to get your copy of the new CD.

A number of people ask me what a ‘Gospel Community’ is about – how it differs from a small group or a home group.

Well, last night I had the best experience of what a Gospel Community is about and it may give you a glimpse of what I’m talking about…

A bunch of us set-up for our monthly music cafe ‘Live @ 215′ and a non-Christian, ‘Y’ was there with us. Afterwards we went to get chips and then back to a house where 3 people from our GC live where we sat around chatting and eating.

One of the girls, Laura then raised the question that she raised on a internet discussion board we have – what is forgiveness. It meant we got talking about the Bible – relaxed, down-to-earth, bible-centred, applicable discussion. Nothing forced, nothing weird – we just talked about the struggles of life and what the Bible says about it.

Y then joined in. She raised her struggle of essentially fearing that people will hurt her – so her question was how do you choose friends who won’t hurt you. I then told her about what Jesus says about the subject – there were lots of people who wanted to hurt him, but he was able to love them and forgive them because he always followed his father.

Y then said ‘was Jesus happy?’ She had noticed that on crucifixes Jesus’ head is always hung down, so she figured he must be sad. She then said ‘I think that maybe he did that so other people could be happy – that really impress me’.

What a great way of putting it! Y seemed to grasp Jesus doing something in our place, for us and the pain he went through – and she sees that and says basically ‘what a guy’!

She then talked about how she tries to be like that, to be selfless. So I said that we can try hard, but we’ll never be able to do it on our own. But Jesus says if we follow him and say he is our king, then he gives us his spirit – Jesus actually comes to live in us – and he helps us to be like him. I said to her that if she wants Jesus to be her king she can have that too.

And then we all prayed – about all sorts of things – for non-xians, thanking God for friends, for Jesus, praying for people…

That in a nut-shell is what Gospel Community is about – a community serving others (here it was through live @ 215); normal conversation that was full of the gospel; a non-christian hearing that and being challenged by what she heard; non-christians being called to follow Jesus; a people who are ready to talk to their father about anything and everything.

Probably not all of this will go on in one night, but that’s not a problem – its about this being the mark of who we are throughout the week. It’s great to see Jesus at work among his people.

When I was at university I was very much in the ‘two ways to live’ mold of evangelism. I have nothing against Two Ways to Live (except their lack of mention of the people of God) and have used it many times in sharing the gospel and it still is there in my mind as I have conversations with people. It helps give a framework from which to bring the gospel to where the person is at.

As a result of this, though, I remember taking issue with people who had a ‘let me tell you what Jesus has done in my life’ approach to evanglism.

What dawned on me this evening was that I think now I probably would take a ‘let me tell you about Jesus in my life’, but perhaps from a different angle than those I took issue with at University…

As i grew up, and this has only really changed in the last few years, I knew the gospel should impact every area of my life, but I couldn’t work out how. I think this is why I took issue with the aforementioned ‘approach’ to evangelism. Often the ‘let me tell you what Jesus has done in my life’ can be very shallow, touchy-feely and there’s not a whiff of the lamb’s blood about it.

But over the past few years I’ve come to understand the gospel story a lot better (I think). Whereas before I couldn’t see how the gospel could impact all of my life, now that my understanding of what it is to be a Christian is a lot less about ‘me-and-Jesus’ and a lot more about ‘me-as-part-of-the-people-of-God-and-Jesus’, the gospel imperatives to be the people of God start to impact every single part of my life. The blood that Jesus shed was to rescue a people who would be like him and display what he had achieved in reconciliation and forgiveness to the world by what they said and how they lived. The whole of life now becomes shaped by that story (the gospel) – the good news that God is rescuing a people through his son.

Thus I think my approach to evangelism has changed. I’m much more willing to talk about ‘what Jesus has done in my life’ or perhaps it’d be better to say ‘what Jesus is doing in helping me be a fitting citizen with his people’. Why? Because that conversation should now be full of the gospel. The reconciliation and grace that comes through the cross, shapes the whole of my life – so for instance if we’re talking about so-called injustices (i.e. people thinking bad of me) that we brits like to talk about quite a lot, the conversation can now be full of the gospel. God calls me, as part of his people, to live a life of reconciliation, not grumbling and grudge bearing. The way I deal with that person won’t be to get justice, but will be all about them as I am called to love God and love others. I will be seeking to help them understand why they were unjust and seek to help them to believe in grace, that their identity should be in Jesus not in being top-dog (or whatever reason it was for them being unjust). I will be seeking to help them serve God rather than serve themselves… and – oh – I’m talking about the gospel!

Evangelism then becomes something that is so much more part of normal life because it is as I talk about normal life that I talk about the cross, and implicit in this (and at times needs to explicit) is a call to follow this king who has died and risen again. It moves ‘evangelism’ out of the realm of strategy and picture boxes, to a much more relaxed, personal (in the right way) and everyday realm. And as we do evanglism in this way then people should be able to see and relate to the difference it makes being part of the people of God.

It justs get better and better…

You can now buy our CD’s on line at www.docbrown.yolasite.com

Plus – we’re doing a special deal at the moment – normally the EP costs £6 (which includes p&p), and the album costs £11 (incl p&p)… but if you buy them both, you can have them for just £14! (which includes p&p anywhere in the world)

Can’t say fairer than that, can you?

Hi all

My band are bringing out a new album, ‘In Our Backyard’ next Tuesday. Its a live album of 10 live tracks, plus a bonus studio track.

You can hear samples from the album at www.myspace.com/ukdocbrown and if you want a copy just e-mail me at ukdocbrown@hotmail.com and we’ll sort you out with one (£10 + £1p&p).

You can also get the bonus track for free if you join out mailing list at http://www.reverbnation.com/docbrownandthedeloriansofsound (or there’s a link on the myspace page). You can then download ‘Breathe’. Just remember to put in your city when you sign up and then you won’t get a load of e-mails about gigs not in your area.

It’s probably worth saying that we’re not a ‘Christian band’ – 3 of the band are Christian, 3 are not. However, because I write most of the lyrics, they’re inevitably shaped by what I believe. For instance the song ‘My Dear’ I wrote few years ago when, one evening, it was very obvious what a rubbish husband I am! So I sat down and wrote a song about it. And the song finishes pointing my wife to the husband. Also ‘When Everything will be made new (Part I and II)’ is about seeing suffering, struggling with suffering, but it pointing me to the day when everything will be made new…

There’s also some more lighthearted songs, like Monkfish – our ode to 70’s cop drama’s…

Hope you enjoy it!

I’m just listening to a talk by Dave Betts. He asks a very interesting question…

What’s the fruit of an apple tree? Think about it for a moment…

You’re all thinking the fruit of an apple tree is an apple, right?

Well, the fruit of an apple tree is actually another apple tree.

An apple tree doesn’t produce apples so people can simply eat them. They produce apple trees so other apple trees can grow.

Here’s another question – what’s the fruit of a family? Lots of kids?

The fruit of a family is actually other families. The aim is to kick your kids out one day to start families of their own.

The problem is, says Betts, is that alot of our churches are actually orphanages – lots of kids, lots of guardians and loads of rules.  We need to be doing church in such a way that the result is more churches! We want to send the kids out there to start new families. The question is – are our structures and activities geared towards that?

We often talk about missionaries seeking to do themselves out of a job – i.e. the people in the area will one day take on the church and start new ones. But do we have that mentality with our churches at home? Are we doing ourselves out of a job? Are we making disciples who make disciples?

On my ‘Songs’ page I’ve posted the lyrics to another of my songs for congregational use.

We haven’t done printed music yet, but that will come – and hopefully soon we’ll have a recording available for purchase. If you want something sooner, or would like to hear how it goes, let me know and I’ll send you something.

Cheers

by Kara McLaughlin

“Don’t be bitter. It leads to Botox.”

The Women is a remake of the film, originally produced in 1939 towards the end of the Great Depression. Originally written as a satirical portrait of the wealthy ‘society ladies’.
The plot centres around Mary Heins (Meg Ryan), a clothing designer, who has  ‘everything’ any women could dream of;  a fancy country house,  rich husband, cute daughter, a maid, a nanny and even good looks (although according to her friends she is neglecting her appearance).

As the story develops Mary’s ‘world’ begins to collapse all around her. Her daughter complains that she is too busy organising charity lunches and the alike, her father fires her from his clothing design business and she discovers that her husband is having an affair with a ‘Spritzer girl ‘(perfume sales woman).

In the midst of grappling with her newly shattered life, Mary goes away to a self help camp. It is here that she meets the ‘Countess,’ a five time divorcee (Bette Midler). Late one night, while they are smoking a joint, the Countess gives Mary some advice that becomes the ‘turning point’ for her character. The Countess’ advice is simple, people say it is bad to be selfish, but it is not. Mary is advised to do things for herself.

This advice seems to awaken something within her and Mary’s transformation begins. She starts her own clothing design business and begins taking care of her appearance. Her relationship with her daughter is still on tender hooks, but when her daughter sees her fashion show, reconciliation and admiration begins. Her husband even comes crawling back, but by the end of the film (via a phone conversation) Mary makes it clear that he can only come back on her terms.

The film has a typically stereotypical ‘Hollywood-esque’ plot and characterisation. However, I watched this film shortly after we had been discussing the beasts of our culture at Sharrow Vale; specifically individualism (fulfilment is realised by living for yourself), materialism (life is defined by what you possess), hedonism (the pursuit of pleasure) and consumerism (meaning is in our ability to purchase).

What struck me most about this film was its solution to Mary’s problem. As you were watching the film, the Countess’ advice appears to be the truth. Mary becomes a success, she is now living for herself. Isn’t that what was missing after all?  She seems to get what she wanted and it looks like she is going to live happily ever after.

It comes subtly, ‘fulfilment is realised by living for yourself,’ our culture whispers. We need to continually compare the solutions of the ‘beast’ with the truth of the Lamb, ‘If anyone wants to come after me, he has to deny himself and take up his cross.’