Easter Sunday: What if it really happened?

If it did, then in Jesus…

…Death loses, life wins.

…Darkness loses, light wins.

…Sorrow loses, joy wins.

…Pain loses, pleasure wins.

…Lies lose, promises win.

…Sin loses, forgiveness wins.

…Ugliness loses, beauty wins.

…Cold loses, warmth wins.

…Silence loses, singing wins.

…Despair loses, hope wins.

…Disappointment loses, fulfillment wins.

…Hatred loses, love wins.

…Betrayal loses, faithfulness wins.

…Evil loses, goodness wins.

In Jesus, if Easter Sunday happened, a great victory has been won.

Jesus wins. And his victory is my victory. Hallelujah!

Please add your own below!

Snapshots of the past few weeks

Here’s a few snapshots of the term, mostly for the benefit of the wonderful, faithful people all around the country who support me in prayer, encouragement and financially. These guys give, pray, support the work that the CUs are doing, but rarely get to see what it looks like “on the ground”. I hope these brief glimpses encourage you and help you to know that the Lord is at work.

A University of Birmingham CU evening event during Focus Week – they catered for 100, but 130 turned up to hear the gospel. Throughout the week, we understand that 17 people became Christians. 70 or so asked to find out more, some of whom are on an Alpha course now.

The Tea Tent: at the very centre of campus, where every single student can see it, the marquee where Adrian Holloway spoke at lunchtimes. Some lovely Aston students came and helped on a couple of days, ahead of their own Mission Week which is coming up this month.

Big questions: Students flyered and advertised with signs like this, ushering folks in to hear a talk on the big question of the day.

See for yourself: Hundreds of Uncover Gospels were given out, giving students the chance to “see for themselves” in Luke’s gospel.

Joey and the Jammers: Three musicians entertain 60 students, around 35 of whom were non-believers, at Wolves CU’s “Why Jesus isn’t for the religious” Acoustic Night. A superb evening in the Student Union Bar. The SU Activities officer called this: “By far the best event a society has run this whole academic year”.

Jesus isn’t for the religious: I spoke from Luke 7 about how Jesus is for anyone who will come to him for forgiveness. Having a fairly long gospel talk at an event was a scary thing for us at Wolves, but the guys were bold in deciding to go for it, and it seemed to work. A friend of a CU leader said on the feedback form that they wanted to hear more. This is something we could see more regularly, which would be wonderful!

Five books I found helpful last year…

Do you ever think: “Reading a Christian book sounds like a good idea”?

Do you ever think: “I want to know Jesus more and grow in my walk with him, and God seems to have used reading Christian books in the lives of those I admire and want to follow”? Do you ever think: “Reading what a wiser Christian has to say on an aspect of the gospel or of the Christian life is a no-brainer”?

I do. And yet with the wealth of resources out there, it’s very hard to know which book to pick. How are you meant to know which ones will be helpful? There’s just so many.

Well, wiser folk than I have recently been helpfully sharing their top books of the last year (Matthew Weston, Tim Challies, Cat Caird, Kevin DeYoung). This has given me lots of new books on new topics which I can trust will be decent, having had a recommendation.

I’ve been really helped and guided by people doing such lists, so here’s one of my own. It’s considerably more limited, but might offer one or two people just one or two places to start. So here’s my top reads of 2012.

1. The Good God, by Mike Reeves

Some of you (if you’re students) will have heard me talk about this book a whole lot, but I think with good reason! It changed my entire view of God, and therefore my view of everything… and many others say the same (check out this review from Newfrontiers-er Andrew Wilson - it’s excellent reading in itself! – who called it “the best Christian book I have ever read”)

This book is short, funny, quick and easy to read, but none of that is why you should read it. The reason you should read it is because it’s a book all about God… not the dictator god that atheism rejects (rightly), not the headmaster god, the grumpy god, the resentful god, the unhappy god, but the Good God – the Trinity, a Father who loves a Son, the outgoing, bustling, life-giving, exploding-with-love God of the Bible. He really is that good – and Mike Reeves helped me see that more clearly than ever before. Buy it, read it, read it again, give it away to your mate, and then begin that cycle all over again.

2. A Meal with Jesus, by Tim Chester

First a book on the Trinity, and now a book on how Jesus ate his food… I can hear you saying it already… “You’re really scraping the barrel now Rich!”

No! This wonderful book helped me see the beauty of the gospel of grace (meaning I wanted to share it), and helped me see the ease and simplicity of sharing this gospel (enabling me to do it!). No secret formula… just you, some non-believers, some good food, some good wine, and see what happens.

This book is the book I’ve recommended to friends and churchies most frequently this year, the book that most surprised me (I read it with my supervisor last year and I thought I’d hate it!), and the book that has most transformed the way I think about sharing the gospel. It’s also a book I’m enjoying re-reading with Relay Rob and some of his really engaging students at Aston CU. Tim Chester tracks Jesus through Luke’s gospel in six excellent chapters, allowing us a seat at the table with the Lord as he ate at six different meals.

Seeing just how shocking Jesus was in choosing to eat – in THAT culture – with tax collectors and sinners drew me to love the love of Jesus, and long to share it with my family and my pals.

Chester argues that if we love Jesus, and we eat meals with people (nothing more complicated than that, and we do it 21 times a week anyway…) then we will be doing mission. We tend to make it evangelism very complicated, but “The Son of Man came eating and drinking”. Simples.

3. Dealing with Depression, by Sarah Collins and Jane Haynes

This lovely little book is small enough to fit in your back pocket but was profoundly helpful for me and many others I know this year. It’s not a brand new book, and it’s certainly not handling a brand new topic, but this is one of the most sensitive and robustly Christian introductions to the topic of depression that I’ve read. I gladly recommend it!

It’s no quick-fix, self-help tripe, so look elsewhere if that’s what you’re into. No, it’s boldly realistic, confidently Christian, appropriately careful, and it oozes sensitivity, gentleness and love – something that, amazingly and sadly, books on depression often lack. This helped me and numerous friends a great deal throughout 2012, and though it is very much only an introduction to the issue, it is my recommended starting place.

4. Knowing God, by Jim Packer

First given a copy of this by my Staff Worker while at Uni, I was nudged to finally read this by Brum student Ben McNeely, and we’re now reading it as a group of guys in Birmingham CU on a Tuesday morning over a fry-up! This is somewhat a Christian classic, that has shaped the lives of Christians for years, and it’s been doing the same for us. Packer beautifully unpacks different aspects of God’s character, from his love to his grace to his justice to his glory in such a way as to draw the reader to not be content with being puffed up with head knowledge, but in a way that informs the mind and thrills the heart! I love God more because of this book, and am enjoying sitting at Packer’s feet with some brothers at Brum. Read it! A chapter a night would take 20 minutes… it would be an excellent month!

5. A Praying Life, by Paul Miller

This was on the staff study programme and is the best book on prayer I’ve read. So gospel-centered, the first section speaks little of prayer and just helps you see just how much God has done in saving us! We really are his children! The implications of that are that we can pray!!! Not waiting til we feel more holy, but right now! In the thick of the mess and the dirt and the chaos, our Father enjoys even the thought of hearing us speak to him! And the implications of this are that we should plan to pray more often, more boldly, more honestly, and the book finishes with a few chapters of really practical tips on prayer diaries, prayer cards, when to pray… some of which hasn’t really worked for me, but some of which is still helping me now to enjoy prayer as a child of God. Get it!

Reflections on joy in a term of ups and downs

With one day of work left before a Christmas break, I’ve been reflecting on where I’ve found my joy in a term and a year of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, successes and failures.

Often, it’s been in “things going well”. In work, there have been plenty of things to be thankful for! What about for you? For me they were numerous – when three Christian Unions with lots to do and many things to think about took the time to welcome me. When a number of individuals passed from death to life by receiving Jesus for the first time. When events at all three Unis that nobody (including me) thought would go that well attracted record numbers of non-believers to hear the gospel. When church leaders were patient with me, the new boy, and generous in their support of mission. When I remember the fact that I have employers and colleagues who don’t just tolerate my faith, but take time out every day to seek to deepen my love for Jesus. When strangers became friends. When those I new a bit became dear brothers and sisters. Hundreds and hundreds of CU members who’ve been wonderful to me. Stories of people sharing Jesus with their mates through Luke’s gospel, and of those friends being drawn to him. So many joys.

And outside work, too, I have had so much to be thankful for. A beautiful, loving wife who has been patient with me in my stumbling first steps as a husband, who works tirelessly in difficult circumstances and has stuck with me. A house to live in, feeling more and more like home as Christmas cards come and we anticipate hosting our first Christmas Day! A church family and four elders who have loved us both and been gracious as we’ve sought to acclimatise to marriage and two new jobs. The friendship of numerous kind people, not least my supervisor from last year who has continued to look after me. Wider family that have wanted to be involved in our lives, and who, again, have been patient with us as we acclimatise. The delightful news of a new baby born in my family, and news of a baby neice or nephew en route next year. Much to be thankful for. And for me, it turns out, so many places to put my joy – things on which to hang my happiness.

The thing is, there’s also been difficulties, for you no doubt, and for me and those around me. Hard and heart-breaking times with one Christian Union. A month or so where I felt like a different person – quiet, subdued and teary every day. An awareness of sin and the consequences of it. Circumstances which I’ve leaned on for my joy, but in which no joy can be found.

In the wider world, the same can be said. The year has brought the excitement of the Olympics, a truly great and memorable time in our country. A time when the country felt happy, full of joy! It’s also brought the brutal and heartless murder of 20 tiny children in the States. In the last couple of days, my pastor’s dad – a faithful and much-loved Christian – tragically died, quite suddenly. One friend’s auto-immune disease continues to cause problems, another friend awaits a diagnosis. Ruth faces the daily reality of sick and dying patients on her ward. There are times where life on earth feels rather tragic, actually. Unfair. Inexpressibly sad. Depending on the circumstance, joy can flood our lives, or drain away and leave us thirsty and defeated.

And it’s on the basis of this reflection – of the astonishing highs and lows of life – that I am driven to a bit of a conclusion – a conclusion I’ve reached before and will need to reach again every day; that joy, happiness and peace are not to be found in circumstances, not even the most wonderful and delightful circumstances. Because in a week, a month, a term and a year, circumstances change more times than any of us can count.

No. Joy, happiness and peace is to be found in a person, The Person – he whose arrival was announced as an event of “great joy”, the “Prince of peace” – the baby in the manger, Jesus Christ.

He came to save me, to bring me to the Father, to join me to himself so I’d be firmly in the Father’s love – as secure in that love as Christ himself. In joys and in sorrows, with my hope in Christ, and Christ alone, I have a joy, a peace, a happiness that is eternal. My joy has a solid foundation, a rock on which to stand, an unchanging, eternal, glorious reality, outside of myself, outside of the peaks and troughs of life, fixed and certain. Somewhere that no accusation, or illness or gunman can get at it. In Christ.

In ups – I’m in Christ, filled by the Spirit, loved by the Father, drawn into the loving life of the Trinity. In downs – I’m in Christ, filled by the Spirit, loved by the Father, drawn into the loving life of the Trinity.

Every single thing can be taken from me, except Christ. Everything else can and will change, except Christ. It is there, then, in HIM, that I can find a joy that stands firm, even through tears, as tragedy hits, or injustice rages, or apathy creeps in once again. Not by being blind to the pains, but by seeing the Saviour. My Saviour. My life. My joy. Christ!

2-minute interview – Rich Bowpitt from Birmingham Uni

This Saturday, students from right across the Midlands are gathering for the first ever Midlands Transformission – a day of worship, of cherishing Jesus and of being equipped to share him with our friends!

U.S evangelist and lovely lady Becky Manley-Pippert is coming all the way to Nottingham to train us and inspire us. It’s completely free. It seems a no brainer…

But, I know what you’re thinking. Term is busy, money is short, the last thing I need is another Christian “thing”. So, perhaps you’re still making your mind up about whether to come. That’s okay!

If that’s you, then some different CU members from across the Midlands have offered to share their 2-minute thoughts on some of the themes of the conference and why they are going, and why they want you to join us! The other day, we heard from Rachael from Wolverhampton Uni. Today we hear from the tech-tastic Rich Bowpitt from Birmingham Uni. Thanks both for your words.

Rich Bowpitt! What’s the hardest thing about sharing Jesus with your friends?
“I would probably say that it’s when there’s a conversation which really relates to something I believe strongly in as a Christian, bringing Jesus in without sounding threatening or “preachy”, and being able to talk openly and honestly about Jesus.”

And what’s the most exciting thing?!
“Seeing people come to know Him themselves; absolutely the best thing ever!”

Now, you’ve heard Becky Pippert speak before, yes? What can people expect?
“Becky is an absolutely top notch speaker, and a genuinely lovely person to boot. I’m a big fan because she’s so practical on ways to live a lifestyle that can lead others to knowing Jesus, but does it in a thoroughly engaging and inspiring way.”

And finally, what would you say to folks in CUs who are a bit unsure about going on Saturday?!
“I sometimes find with training to do with “Mission” or “Evangelism” that I get scared off by the title; imagining that I’m going to be told that the only way to share my faith is by getting up on a box and shouting at people in the street. Really, I’m not too keen on that, and luckily, it’s not what this is about at all – this is about getting equipped and encouraged to share our faith meaningfully with those we care about.”

So encouraging to hear, isn’t it, when people have similar fears to us? Nobody wants to sound preachy with their mates, but we long for them to come and know Jesus. Can you relate? Then why not come along…

Birmingham Uni CU? Click here!

Wolverhampton Uni CU? Click here!

Aston,Newman, Worcester, BCU – click here! (And speak to Gabriella, Kristi or Gareth!)

2 minute interview on Transformission – Rachael from Wolverhampton

This Saturday, students from right across the Midlands are gathering for the first ever Midlands Transformission – a day of worship, of cherishing Jesus and of being equipped to share him with our friends! See here!

American speaker and general legend Becky Manley-Pippert is coming all the way to Nottingham JUST FOR US (!!), so it’s all very exciting! It’s completely free, and I’m going to go. What about you?

To whet your appetite, this week, four different CU members from across the Midlands are sharing their quick reflections on some of the themes of the conference! Today we kick things off with Rachael from Wolverhampton Uni. Can you relate to her answers? How would you answer the same questions? Why not come along on Saturday and join in the fun?!

Rachael, what’s the hardest thing about sharing Jesus with your friends?

“The hardest thing about sharing Jesus with my friends is that fact that they might judge me for what I say, or that our friendship might be ruined if I said anything that they didn’t agree with.“

And what’s the most exciting thing about it?!

“The most exciting thing has to be that one day I might be able to spend eternity with them in heaven!!”

Amen! You’ve heard Becky speak before, right? What was she like?

“Becky is amazing, I love her accent!! She is a genuinely nice person. I’ve heard her speak many times and I’ve amazingly been able to concentrate through her whole talk!! I also love the stories and examples she uses in the talks.”

So finally, what would you say to anyone who is deciding whether to come to Transformission on Saturday?

“Why not come! It will be a day of banter, from the train journey there (to probably getting lost in Notthingham!), and then learning about how to reach out to our friends with the amazing grace that God showed us by sending his son to die and rise again for us!”

So there you have it.

Like me, Rachael finds it tough to share Jesus, and fears the shunning of her pals. But like me, she longs for her pals to spend eternity with Jesus! And like me, she’s heading to Nottingham this Saturday to learn more about how we can do this on campus.

See you there!

- UBCU contact: Leah

- Aston contact: Gabriella

- Wolverhampton contact: Rachael

- BCU contact: Gareth

- Newman contact: Kristi

- Worcester contact: Kristi

A thought on suffering

As a Christian, by far and away the most common question I get and the most common question I have myself is this: What about all the suffering?

This week a dear friend of mine lost their uncle. Recently some friends lost their baby. Just a few days ago a wonderful friend of ours heard her sister had been hit by a lorry. Life can be full of joy. But life can be quite the opposite too.

What are we to do with this? How are we to cope? What can we say to those who suffer?

Well, the answers are not quick. They are certainly not easy. Thus, we think, perhaps by taking God out of the equation, we can face it head on and get on with our lives? Well, here are some quotes I heard this week.  Take God out of the picture, and here’s where we go. Ready?

“The human race is just a chemical scum on a moderate-sized planet” (Stephen Hawking).

“Human beings are absolutely insignificant. We’re a cosmic joke” (Claire Rayner OBE).

“Some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice…[the Universe has] no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference” (Richard Dawkins).

What answer does atheism give me when my uncle dies, my baby dies, my sister gets hit by a lorry? “You’re scum. You’re insignificant. And while we’re at it, so are your friends and family. Some people get hurt. There’s no evil or good, just indifference, and you’re nothing more than a cosmic joke.”

Comforting.

Are you really going to say that to your suffering friend? Your family who have lost a baby? The car crash victim? The widow? Do you really, REALLY, believe that it’s all indifferent?

Take God out of the equation and you still have suffering. You still have pain. All that’s changed is that you can longer complain about it.

If you’re reading this as an atheist, I’m not saying you believe that your loved ones are cosmic scum. Honestly, I’m not. I’m saying you’re not really an atheist. Because if you hate suffering, if you feel the pain of tragedy and know it to be awful and wrong, then as far as Dawkins and Hawking are concerned, you’re illogical. You’re betraying your atheism.

The Christian has to think long and hard about these questions. Why does God let it happen? Doesn’t he love us? Is he not able to stop it? These questions are not easy. But atheism finds itself on no high ground here.

And so whatever you believe… we are left asking, what is the alternative?

Imagine… just for a second… imagine. What if…

What if you’re not insignificant. Imagine that the bubbling, fiery, inner hatred of suffering and pain that is in your very being is not illogical or stupid. What if suffering in your life is not “indifferent”?

What if God was not only real, but that he knew what it was to suffer? What if there was a God who didn’t say “unlucky” or stay far away on a cloud, unaware of our plight, but who came to earth as flesh and blood to be mocked, homeless, ignored, whipped and killed, to share in our suffering? And just imagine for a second, if this God showed himself as the one person who has not only suffered, but has BEATEN it, by rising from death?

What if he said to you: “Despite the way you’ve rejected me, I suffered for you. I know what it’s like. And more than that, I have paid for your rejection, and now I offer you, instead of death, LIFE. Life forever, with me, free from suffering, with the God who made you and loves you.”

Whether you believe it or not…Wouldn’t you want that to be true?

If you’re not a Christian, and you hate suffering, why not look into Jesus? Why not see if the claims of Christianity are not just wonderful but are actually true? Why not speak to a Christian friend. Why not?

And if you’re a Christian… we have a beautiful gospel. Far better than the alternatives. Won’t you share it?

Books for those “heading home for the holidays”

This is primarily just to point those who were at UBCU’s Summer Training seminar this morning to three books I mentioned and used heavily thinking about how to witness to non-Christian family. If that’s not you, then I really recommend them for the summer anyway! In terms of growing to love God, live life and reach our friends and family, these have been key for me.

The Good God – Mike Reeves

In the seminar, we looked at how it is our heart that determines how we will speak of Jesus over the holidays (Luke 6:45). Thus, the key is to have a heart that loves him. But we can’t just choose to love him, that’s not how our affections work. Take a good film, for example, we don’t decide that it’s going to be our favourite, it simply becomes our favourite. We see it, and we love it. We simply look, and we find that we do love!

This book is one place that God shines brightly, warmly. Mike looks deeply at who God is and why he is “good”. If we look at this good God, we will be drawn to love him. Please, please don’t read this book ’cause I told you. Read it ’cause you want to be warmed by the sunshine of the Gospel.

Maximum Life – Julian Hardyman

We also saw today how far from packinging a heaven v hell message into every conversation, we can be liberated by realising the scope of the gospel. The breadth of it. Isn’t it frustrating that our family and friends aren’t interested in Alpha courses and weak squash? If only they were interested in the things Jesus is interested in…

Well, we saw that through the “good” and “very good”-ness of the good God’s creation, everything in life bares the DNA of it’s creator, the one that breathed it out. This includes skiing, snooker, samba, music, maths, Mario Kart, the vast wide sweep of all of life comes from God and thus is GOOD!

Thus, there’s really no excuse for being a boring, hobby-less Christian. This book stirs our excitement, breaks our narrow view of “godliness” and opens the door to a godly life filled with much more than our “Christian” things, because it shows all things to be fundamentally Christian!

Do your friends think you’re dull? Do your family hint that they think you lock yourself away and don’t “have fun anymore”? Well this summer, this could be a book to help you greatly, as it is helping me. Plus, knowing that everything comes from Jesus, our evangelism becomes a broader, much more engaging thing as we realise that therefore everything points to Jesus!

Bringing the Gospel Home – Randy Newman

This is a great book for those specifically in non-Christian families. It’s a really helpful sweep of some of the ideas in the seminar and much, much more. Very practical. Really, really encouraging for those of us who struggle with this! Very helpful.

“We have discovered that…

“We have discovered that abandoning the Bible puts our lives in peril. We have discovered that the Bible is the Book of truth and the Book of life. It feeds us, it challenges us, it guides us, it comforts us. But more than anything else, the Bible points us beyond itself to its author, God. To put it bluntly it’s very hard to get to know God without reading the Bible.”

Mike Pilivachi and Andy Croft on the place of the Bible in coming to know God, in “Storylines”

Reasons I loved Forum as a student #4

I’m blogging through reasons I loved Forum as a student when I went for the first time in 2009.

Book here for the 2012 event!

Reason #4 – It made my year easier!

Now how’s that for a selfish reason? Don’t tell my staff worker…

But as odd as it sounds, I think this could be the key reason that I loved Forum (and grew to be thankful for it and love it more and more as my year on exec went on!!!).

For strangely enough…

…shock horror…

…take a deep breath…

…wait for it…

…after one term of leading a CU, I didn’t know everything!

There, I’ve said it! I didn’t know everything there was to know about Christian Unions and reaching my campus! Surprise surprise! I’d run a CU for all of eight weeks and I didn’t know everything!

But I loved Forum 2009 because I left knowing a little bit more than I did when I arrived! I needed help with this task, and Forum helped me! Forum made my year easier!

Not easy.

But easier!

Hall group leader who lacks confidence? That’s okay. Why not come to Forum? It helps!

A president who secretly feels overwhelmed? That’s okay too. Why not come to Forum? It helps!

A president who wants the CU to thrive but whose exec isn’t coming yet? Whose hall group leaders aren’t coming yet? That’s okay, it’s hard motivating people. Why not give it another go? Bring them to Forum! It helps!

For me, who didn’t know everything, did Forum solve all my problems? Nope! Was the year problem free upon leaving the Quinta? Nope! Did Forum make leading my CU easy? Nope!

Did it make it easier? Yes.

Guys, you’ve never done this before! You don’t know everything!! And you’re not meant to!!

Do yourself a favour! Come and be helped! Book here.