Jude Smith

Check this out.. These guys sort out fair priced fair trade tea what poor people can afford like..

Its a funny old world! As many of you will know I recently did a three day thing where I was asked a whole bunch of questions to help work out what I should be doing with my life. Now I thought that was intense: until.. Yesterday I was welcoming people at the church door, when a guy walked in with his house. Now we're a town centre church so this happens quite a lot but not many people do what this guy did. He started to ask me questions: the usual stuff at first, what time does the service start? do you work here? After about ten minutes we had progressed considerably. Was Jesus married? If He is the great supreme being then where is He now? Is heaven here or somewhere else? Will there be room for us all in heaven? How do we get there? After 45 minutes the service started (we have coffee before), and our conversation stopped. I have to say I haven't felt so energised in ages: the questions stretched me more than many on my three day thing. Ministry Division: I fe...

After a pretty full on week, today was my chance to take my shoes off and feel the sand between my toes (metaphorically at least). I spent the morning chatting at church. Then headed over to Stevenage to catch Amazing Grace. I dithered about seeing the film as I worry about how we are looking back at the abolitionist do dah. And as the opening credits rolled my eyes filled with tears– Wilberforce acted because 11 million slaves had been sold over 300 years. Every year now, 12 million people are traded. Have we forgotten? The tears flowed pretty much throughout the film– resounding with Wilberforce as he remonstrated that the badges and petitions had been for nothing. I wept as John Newton struggled to live the famous words he had penned– finally coming through to grace as he allowed the demons to flow in ink onto a page. I finished reading Rob Bell's Sex God this afternoon too, and just about held my dignity as I read his final chapter. I caught maybe for the first time the b...

I just finished reading Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution. For a review click on my review site.. (hence the name).. One of the quirks of the book is Shane's use of footnotes (I think a consequence of judicious editing by Zondervan). As I made it through the first few pages I was reminded of a long ago friend– who when he wrote used to add in elongated footnotes which were hilarious. He toddled off to Oxford when I went to the other place... haven't seen him since.. So, Karl Smith, here's to you.. and your footnotes .. oh and read the book.. I think you'd like it!

Its been about four years since I’ve really “done” Easter at home. Normally I’m of doing Spring Harvest which is great in and of itself, but this year, staying in parish has really brought a new depth and understanding of Easter. On Maundy Thursday– we set up our act of worship for Friday. As I walked around our 11th century building, clambering round narrow winding staircases, I reflected on the disciples preparing an upper room. As dusk approached a strange sense of loneliness settled. Things were ready and yet the air seemed heavy. On a beautiful Good Friday morning, we gathered outside the North porch to plant a cross. As the supporting pegs were driven into the ground their sound echoed across space and time, reminding us of the all too physical sacrifice of Christ. Then a flood of people came into the building, taking time to reflect using the stations we had constructed. Families came, leaving covered in paint. Adults came, leaving reflective. Strangers came and found a...