To some it's just getting wet, to others a boring, irrelevant religious act, but to me it is something that brings new life. Baptism. Even the word sounds impressive. We had a great weekend where we gave people the opportunity to be baptized in all three of our services. We had 15 people take hold of that! The thing that was most important for me was to see what it meant to those who stepped up. There was a real sense of the presence of God and an anointing is present as people show their obedience to God's commands. It's interesting how a simple act of obedience opens up heaven.

I went into a restaurant last night where there was no one to greet us and no one to help us into a seat. Those working the place were on the opposite side of the restaurant and made no effort to help us or seat us. I thought it was a scene out of a movie. Anyway rather than stay and make an awkward moment worse we decided to find another restaurant. The restaurant we went to next rushed to help us and seat us. They were welcoming, friendly and served with a great attitude. There were tons of people in this restaurant, enjoying the food and chatting away.

It’s amazing how time flies. Jo and I were reminiscing over our early married years and we were reminded that next year will be 15 years. Our dog is 13 in October and our kids are at 10 and 9. The years are rolling along and it is a harsh reminder that time waits for no one. In some ways we have been in a bubble here in Somerset West and it seems like time has stood still. We have amazing memories of friends and church. We have memories of many God encounters and seasons of God’s provision. I know now more than ever that I would not have wanted to do anything else with my life than serve God.

While we were in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney, Jo and I decided to take in the sights. In a small town called Katooma there is a tourist attraction which lets you see the beauty of the Blue Mountains through a place called Scenic World. At Scenic World they have three main attractions: the railway descent into the valley, the cable car out of the valley and the skyway that takes you from one gorge to another with a view of a waterfall. We were up for all three and very excited to be there. It was a clear crisp morning and we had arrived early so that we wouldn’t be smothered by crowds.

It’s funny how we always see our views as a cause and the views of others as attitude. When we speak we believe in what we are saying, when others speak they are displaying their ignorance. The bible tells us we should listen twice as much as we speak. It’s so hard though. We spend a lot of our conversation time planning our response. I often ask the question, is anyone listening at all? As we speak we think, ‘wow that is so profound’ and when others speak we think, ‘is that the best they can come up with?’.

We read in the book of Malachi in the 13th verse of the 3rd chapter that God says we have said terrible things against Him. In the next verse mankind replies, and says, “What have we said against You?” In the next two verses, the Lord lays out our offense. He says that we have said, “What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying His commands or by trying to show the Lord that we are sorry for our sins? From now on, we will call the arrogant blessed, for those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.”

Dave preached a great message on Sunday night, if you weren’t there you missed out. Using Craig Groeschel’s book: Christian Atheist for some of our evening services has really been inspirational and Dave did a great job on “When you don’t think God is Fair” I was reminded of how much God has done for me and how my sins deserve punishment but through Christ we have grace. As Dave was reading from the first chapter of JOB there was a verse that really stood out for me. Verse 22 of Chapter 1 says “In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.” This verse leapt out of the page.

In the book of Ezra we are told that the congregation stood up as he began to read the book of law. It was important enough to show respect by standing. I don’t think that we have to stand every time we read the Bible, but I do think there should be anticipation and respect when we do. Tradition unfortunately becomes just that and people forget why they are doing what they are doing in the first place. They become dependent on the tradition and honour the tradition way more than they honour the reason for the tradition.

I don’t know if you are anything like me but there are times when I just don’t feel like I’m enough. There are moments where I feel at the top of my game but those are rare fleeting moments, moments where everything fits. Where it seems like all of heaven is saying, “You go boy!”. These moments are wonderful because you feel at peace, like you are fulfilling your purpose on the planet. This past weekend we had a family weekend and there were many moments where I felt like the best dad in the world, I cant say that this is always true.

One of the things that I like about church life is that it is ever changing. One of the things I dislike about church life is that it is ever changing. Change is inevitable. There are some changes that are better than others… Let’s face it, some changes downright hurt. Others excite and invigorate. You say goodbye to some things that you desperately want to hold on to and you say hello to things you haven’t even realised are going to change your world. My hope is that God will teach me to let go of that which I must and embrace what I need to quicker.