New Albums from Paul Oakley and Stuart Townend

And Jules Burt has sung in one, and heard the other! Lucky.

I wonder if, as I suspect with Terry Virgo's new book, the aim is that they are both available at the Mobilise in July?

This is what she says about Stuart Townend's album (this was in February!):

"last night sung in vocal group for Townend's new album (below) which was a good laugh. Is sounding very Beatlesque/Rufus Wainwright."

And on Paul Oakley's (I'm a bit more up to speed on this one, it was only written yesterday!):

"We did get a cheeky listen to the first mixes of the new album though and it's quality! He keeps churning out the goods!"

Remember to keep looking out for the Harrison Ford movie which uses Paul Oakely's music! There are lots of xanga bloggers from CCK, you should go and have a look!

Attribute 28: He is the capstone

Another Question: Is Jesus really the capstone?

Your feedback and wisdom welcomed again on this post! The last time I asked for input, I was pleased to get answers from two people for whom I have great respect, but who are nevertheless quite different in approach and outlook: Dan Bowen and Richard Collins.

Maybe this is a more obvious question, but is Jesus really the capstone? Most interpretations today seem to move straight to the teaching that He is the cornerstone, providing a foundation and alignment for the Church. This is certainly the primary teaching I have had over the years, with little or nothing said about whether He is in fact the capstone. I always assumed that this was because the word which is translated "capstone" 'should' be translated "cornerstone" instead. Is this your understanding?

I found this interesting article on the subject; what do you make of it? Is Jesus the capstone of the Church or not?

Attribute 27: He is the cornerstone

Jesus is the head of the Church. It is because of Him that we are the Church, and it is from Him that the Church draws its life and direction. It's only Him that makes it all worhtwhile. That's important for people like me to remember; it's possible to become so enveloped in the glorious mission and task of the Church andof local churches that that easily becomes your focus.

I do believe that the 'goal' of history, and the purpose of everything that's gone before, is the establishment of the church of Jesus Christ. Even in Jesus' own death and ressurection, the aim was the establishment of His Church. But we should never forget that Jesus is the cornerstone of the Church, He is our leader and my love for the church should lead to an increasing passion for Christ. If it's not, my feelings for the Church are misguided and unhelpful.

Because without Him, the church isn't glorious, indeed it wouldn't even exist. So it's important to keep seeing Him as the cornerstone of our lives together as church.

Attribute 26: He is the fundamental doctrine of theology

The fundamental difference between Christianity and other religions is all wrapped up in the truth about who Jesus is. He is the one who has conquered death on our behalf. As God, He paid the price owed to God for our sins so that we can enjoy that relationship with Him.

That is why it's so important for each of us to stay Christ-centred in the way we live our lives and build our churches. Without this amazing truth, without this fundamental point of our faith, we have nothing to celebrate!

But it's also why you or I are likely to be considered considerably more offensive if we talk about Jesus rather than "God". Often, people would be much more likely to listen to us if we took His name out of the way we talk about God. But our faith loses its power if we do this! Dave Bish highlights a quote from Amy Orr-Ewing about how Christianity is "intellectually robust and existentially satisfying". If we start to avoid referring to Jesus we find that very quickly Christianity loses its intellectual-robustness!

This is why I love the fact that people haven't stopped using Jesus' name in an appropriate way. What better name for an evangelistic event than "Meet Jesus"?

On Reaching Students Series

1: Union
2: The Local Church
3: The Problem
4: One Possible Answer
5: Tim Suffield On The Nature Of CU
6: Excellent Parachurch

Which Theologian Are You?

You scored as Anselm. Anselm is the outstanding theologian of the medieval period.He sees man's primary problem as having failed to render unto God what we owe him, so God becomes man in Christ and gives God what he is due. You should read 'Cur Deus Homo?' Anselm 100% Karl Barth 87% John Calvin 73% Jonathan Edwards 67% J?Moltmann 60% Friedrich Schleiermacher 60% Martin Luther 53% Augustine 47% Charles Finney 33% Paul Tillich 13% Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Personal Update and This Weekend

After two weeks of nightmarish deadlines and exams, I am now faced with the prospect of only having one exam left, and two weeks to prepare for it. It almost feels like I'm on holiday compared to everything I've had to do over the last few weeks! Now I can feel like a student again, with a bit more spare time to do things like write on this site.

By the way, attempting to continue with the Attributes Series I've been looking at has been a great way to take focus of the boringness of revision and pressure of multiple deadlines to see what actually matters is not me or what I do, but Jesus.

Yesterday I met with the Director of Teaching in my department to talk about the future. It was quite helpful, but I'm going home on Sunday to spend the bank holiday with my family and to think about it and talk with them some more.

I will be travelling via London and having a late lunch with a friend from FP (my year out), and then going with her to ChristChurch which I can't wait to do. This will be my fourth time meeting with them, third since the church officially started and second since they moved to Vinopolis. My header says Southampton, Sheffield & Bournemouth, and I definitely have "homes" in the form of churches I love in each of these locations. On the grounds of feeling so at home at CCL however, maybe I should add London to that list.

On second thoughts, maybe not. It would make it sound even more cheesy than it already is!

The great news however, is that Kate Simmonds will be leading worship. Ordinarily this would be fantastic news. That fact that she is soon moving to Australia (and has already led for the last time at CCK) makes it even more exciting. I can't wait to be among these people again worshipping alongside someone who has such a pronounced and incredible worship gift.

In line with previous habit I will be posting "This is not a church review 3" I think!

Newfrontiers Central Southampton Church Plant

In April I was privlelged to discover that my church (Winchester Family Church) are planting into central Southampton. It's such an exciting move, and I've compiled a few Q&As about it:

Who's going?
About 20 people from Winchester Family Church, and we're hoping for about as many again from other parts of the Newfrontiers family. This is (obviously) a Newfrontiers church plant, so it will be really good to have people from other contexts come and join!

Who will be leading it?
Chris Kilby (currently an Elder at WFC) and his family are moving to Southampton as soon as their house in Winchester sells. They will be leading the church plant.

But there's already a Newfrontiers church in Southampton, isn't there?
King's Community Church is located on the outskirts of Southampton in a village/small town called Hedge End. Despite being in an "out-of-town" context, they have developed an impressively BIG vision, but their heart remains to stay in their current area. Our heart is to plant a City-based, City centre church established in Southampton.

But Luke Wood, your header says you're from Southampton; why don't you go to church if that's where you live?
I live in a wonderful place called Chandlers Ford which is equidistant to both Winchester and Southampton. Southampton does sprawl rather, and (despite Winchester being our country's former capitol) is better-known than Winchester, so to save the endless questions I just say I'm from Southampton. Plus, Winchester is where I went to college. Also, at the time when my parents were deciding where to go, Greg Haslam was the Senior Pastor. His was preaching not to be missed! See Southampton, Sheffield & Bournemouth to see some of my travels so far.

Are you or your family going?
As exciting as the plant sounds, neither my family nor I will be going. My parents feel a strong call to stay in Winchester, and I'm in Sheffield for the moment, and have quite strong ideas about where God wants me after uni! And that's all I'm saying on that one!

UPDATE (11/11/2006): Despite such a strong reaction to the thought that I might go and be part of this new church, God clearly spoke to me through events leading up to Mobilise 2006, culminating in the fact that I now AM going to be part of the new church. I think it's really funny that my "strong ideas about where God wants me" were completely blown away by God's plan for me. In June 2007 I will be moving the Southampton to be a part of this new adventure!

Attribute 25: He is the unavoidable problem in higher criticism

What is higher criticism?

Each of these attributes I will always need more and more help understanding. But this is the second which I have needed a lot of help to understand. There first was the word "august".

When I started this series I thought "this will be a nice opportunity to go over some basic things about Jesus and what He's like." On the contrary, more and more I am feeling inadequate to continue!

So rather than this post being my response to the truth in the above statement, it is a request for your understanding of "higher criticism". This is what Wikipedia has to say:

"Higher criticism in particular focuses on the sources of a document and tries to determine the authorship, date, and place of composition of the text. This term is used in contrast with lower criticism or textual criticism, which is the endeavour to establish the original version of a text."

At first glance this appears to simply be a variation on the difference between hermeneutics and exegesis, although other writings I found online seemed to imply that higher criticism was concerned with undermining the message of the Bible as evangelicals understand it.

Do you know anything about this? If you do, I would love to hear from you. I was tempted to write something about this subject anyway, but instead I am issuing a plea for help! What does "higher criticism" mean to you?

Attribute 24: He is the supreme subject in literature

Is there anyone in the world about whom more has been written than God, or more specifically, Jesus? Anyone at all?

A great deal has been written about Jesus, starting with scripture itself. This is the only book we can completely trust to tell us the truth about Jesus. In front of me are a number of books, many which are written by men I completely trust. And yet each of these, which have blessed me so much, are fallible. I may agree completely with their message, I may even feel that their only purpose is to explain the Bible itself - you couldn't do much more to make them submit to scripture - and yet they are still fallible.

Southampton, Sheffield & Bournemouth

Why Southampton, Sheffield & Bournemouth?

I am from Chandlers Ford, which is just outside Southampton, where my parents still live and I return there most holidays. Our church is Winchester Family Church.

I am an undergraduate at the University of Sheffield studying Structural Engineering with Architecural Studies. It's not a course I really enjoy or am particularly good at but thankfully I think God had more for me during my university years than just a degree.

The most formative year of my adult life so far (it hasn't been very long I know) was a year I spent working with Bournemouth Family Church. For a few years after I left, it was still the church I loved most in the world. Today, many of the people there are still the closest I have to family outside of my own flesh and blood. I spent the year on the Newfrontiers Frontier Project training course (now FP-Impact), living with the wonderful Lawrence family. In what was only 10 months really, God laid the foundations in my life for everything that has followed since.

So I arrived in Sheffield in September 2004 and since then it's been my privelege to be able to put lots of time into church life. I currently serve City Church by leading the student work with Becki Ring from CCK, Brighton. This has been an amazing opportunity, and one I'm continuing into my final year with much anticipation and excitement. God continues to amaze us, and I'm so thankful to Him for everything. Without a church family here in Sheffield, my time here would have been nothing other than completely dire; in fact I probably wouldn't still be here.

I have one more year to go before I move on from this place to go somewhere new... keep reading to find out where!

Glenn: "when aren't egalitarians in a fluster?"

This favourite subject of mine keeps coming up and here is quote from a hilarious post by Glenn from Hastings (who's going to Together On A Mission 06!) on the way that statement by the wonderful T4G men brought up all the same old issues:

"T4G caused a storm by adding one sentence at the end of their Conference Statement which got many egalitarians in a fluster, but then when aren't egalitarians in a fluster?
They seem surprised/indignant that anyone would have the temerity to point out that ignoring Gods clear teaching in the scriptures concerning the leadership of His church should be designated as potentially harming the witness of the Gospel.
They, as always, seem equally mortified that not everyone is falling in to line with their mis-interpretation, or outlandish (in a few cases) mis-reading, of scripture.
Wild claims are made about certain Greek words which, in their eyes, don't really mean what every one thought they did for the last 2000 years."

I love it! It's one of those things I wish I had the guts to say to people...

Attribute 23: He is the highest personality in psychology

In a world where psychology is primarily concerned with people's character deficiencies, Jesus has to be the highest personality. Most shrinks (at this point I'm probably making a mistake by confusing psychiatry with psychology... let's just call it "mind-study") would get frustrated with him (maybe not this one) in a very short space of time as they would have no flaws to feed off. Instead, it would be Him helping them. How amazing would that be!

And the great thing is as Christians, we have Jesus as close to us today and tomorrow and for the rest of lives, as He would be if we spent 20 minutes with him as our shrink. He is permanently available to us by the power of His Holy Spirit!

Simon Pettit: "Remember the poor"

"Whether it's the church in Africa, or in Harrow, we need to get an understanding that when we care for the needy, when we preach good news to the poor, when we seek to develop the God-given creativity of poor people, when we equip people with the skills they need so they can make godly choices for themselves and for their families, when we promote enterprise with financial help; those aren't just the work of aid agencies or the government, that's part of the apostolic calling of the church of Jesus Christ."

Brighton Leadership Conference, November 1998: "Changing the expression of Christianity across the world"

Attribute 22: He is the lofty idea in philosphy

His existence destroys wrong beliefs. It beckons the philosopher onwards to explore Himself more. Whether philosphy and philosphers accept the existence of God, the possibility that He may exist, makes Him the loftiest idea in philosophy.

And even when ideas are set up against the knowledge of God, He batters through them like a battering ram demolishing a piece of tracing paper. He flies over them like an olympic hurdler effortlessly gliding toward the finishing line.

As Christians, we have no need to feel threatened my ideas and concepts which challenge our beliefs. God can and will destroy them. One day, every eye will see and every tongue confess, because He has destroyed every alternative. So even with popular fiction which challenges the boundaries between fact and fiction, I would suggest the appropriate response, the response which most acknowledges God's infallibility and supremecy in all things, is effortless complacency. Not because we have the answer, but because He does. We should be informed so we can engage, but our hearts should not be troubled by "new evidence" in itself.

Our hearts should be troubled however, by the possibility of countless thousands, even millions of people being led astray by false teaching. But not out of a need to be proved right, but out of a loving compassion for their future. We should work to counter it, but not in a hysterical way.

Attribute 21: He is unshakable

Sometimes I get surprised at how even Christians, who are supposed to have an eternal perspective on life, have a wrong idea about life and God and everything in general, myself included. Tonight God reminded me of the part in Job (38:3-7) where it says:

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me if you have understanding.
Who determined its meansurements - surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning starts sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy? (ESV)

When we see ourselves in the perspective of God's story, the ins and outs of our lives seem so trivial by comparison. When we look at the earth around us, we often feel it is ours more than God's. When we say "this fallen world" do we therefore "make" planet earth our own territory, which God must somehow penetrate if He wants to be a part of? No, the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. He is the only one who was there from the beginning.

A perspective like this is doubly good as when our attentions return to the rawness and reality of life on earth, it is all the more astounding to us that God takes an active interest. If He is so far above and beyond our expectations, it is a pure bonus that He is interested in our lives, and sustains us on this planet of His. A gift.

This permanence, His being-there-from-the-beginning, His steadfastness, His unshakability is one of those qualities that should make us step back to realise just how big something has to be before it becomes unshakable.

"The Tide Is Turning" by Terry Virgo

This new book by Terry Virgo is currently in the process of being edited, and I am so excited at the prospect of another book from him! Terry says:

"We are living in extraordinary days! I have just written a book and given it to the publishers; I very recently got it back on my screen and am going through all the text again. It's called 'The Tide Is Turning', and I really believe the tide is turning in the land. One of the things the Daily Telegraph reported recently is that in the last seven years a thousand churches have opened in this country, and at the same time 450 Starbucks have opened."

Sounds like the tide is turning to me! This will definitely be on my must-buy list at the Brighton conference in the summer. It is so good to be able to catch the heart of your leaders and I am so grateful that the people I look to for leadership take time out to produce resources like books, CDs, DVDs and magazines.

Speaking of which, Dan has recently posted on one of the subjects of the most recent Newfrontiers magazine. The specific article is called "What's Wrong With Parachurch?" and I must say when I saw the title my heart leapt! Dan has written a typically thorough response, which I will read in full very soon. I recommend you give it a look! I am interested in this as I feel that "the CU issue" should be primarily placed in this category (ie. the church/parachurch question), rather than the unity category (as most people who are involved will try to play it). We should ask the parachurch questions first, and the unity questions second in my opinion.

I have temporarily drawn the attributes series to a halt due to excessive workload (tonight is an all nighter and I'm currently having a break!) but should be back soon, hopefully tomorrow.

Attribute 20: He is unsurpassed

Not only is He unparalleled and unprecedented, but also unsurpassed. There is no one and nothing that can trump who He is and what He has accomplished on our behalf. If you're looking for the best, He is it. That's it. No question.

Attributes Series Index

I am making a series of short posts based on a quote I heard by Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter. This is mainly for my own benefit, but I'm happy for others to read it too. There are over one hundred different posts I will be making in the series and so I am making this page in which I can reference each attribute covered, to make it easier to find each one.

The rationale behind doing this is not to teach anyone anything. It is the discipline of taking an attribute of Jesus, and reflecting on it which I hope will be helpful for me.

With such an unshamedly (and I believe, biblical) church-centered worldview, I believe it is essential for us to fix our eyes on Jesus, who has given us this glorious vision for the church. It originates from Him, so it is right for Him to be the object of all our adoration.

I often think of our passion for the church as our worldview, like a lens through which we see the world. But that lens must always be focused on Jesus. The purpose of it is to bring Him into visibility, so we can declare Him to the world. The purpose of the church is to be the agent of the Kingdom of God, the prime presenter of the gospel. I hope this series helps me to maintain a healthy balance.

1: He is enduringly strong
2: He is entirely sincere
3: He is eternally steadfast
4: He is immortally gracious
5: He is imperially powerful
6: He is impartially merciful
7: He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizons of the globe
8: He is God's Son
9: He is the sinner's saviour
10: He is the captive's ransom
11: He is the breath of life
12: He is the centrepiece of civilisation
13: He stands in the solitude of Himself
14: He is august
15: He is unique
16: He is unparalleled
17: He is unprecedented
18: He is undisputed
19: He is undefiled
20: He is unsurpassed
21: He is unshakable
22: He is the lofty idea in philosophy
23: He is the highest personality in psychology
24: He is the supreme subject in literature
25: He is the unavoidable problem in higher criticism
26: He is the fundamental doctrine of theology
27: He is the cornerstone
28: He is the capstone
29: He is the stumbling stone of all religion
30: He is the miracle of the ages
31: No means of measure can define His limitless love
32: No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply
33: No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings
34: He forgives
35: He forgets
36: He creates
37: He cleanses
38: He restores
39: He rebuilds
40: He heals
41: He helps
42: He reconciles
43: He redeems
44: He comforts
45: He carries
46: He lifts
47: He loves
48: He is the God of the second chance, the fat chance, the slim chance, the no chance
49: He discharges debtors
50: He delivers the captives
51: He defends the feeble
52: He blesses the young
53: He serves the unfortunate
54: He regards the aged
55: He rewards the diligent
56: He beautifies the meek
57: He is the key to knowledge
58: He is the fountain of life
59: He is the wellspring of joy
60: He is the storehouse of wisdom
61: He is the foundation of faith
62: He is the doorway of deliverance
63: He is the pathway to peace
64: He is the roadway of righteousness
65: He is the gateway to glory
66: He is the highway to happiness
67: He supplies strength to the weary
68: He increases power to the faint
69: He offers escape to the tempted
70: He sympathises with the hurting
71: He saves the hopeless
72: He shields the helpless
73: He sustains the homeless
74: He gives purpose to the aimless
75: He gives reason to our meaninglessness
76: He gives fulfilment to our emptiness
77: He gives light in the darkness
78: He gives comfort in the lonliness
79: He gives fruit in the barrenness
80: He gives future to the hopeless
81: He gives life to the lifeless
82: He guards the young
83: He seeks the stray
84: He finds the lost
85: He guides the faithful
86: He rights the wronged
87: He avenges the abused
88: He defends the weak
89: He comforts the oppressed
90: He welcomes the prodigal
91: He heals the sick
92: He cleanses the dirty
93: He beautifies the meek
94: He restores the failure
95: He mends the broken
96: He blesses the poor
97: He fills the empty
98: He clothes the naked
99: He satisfies the hungry
100: He elevates the humble
101: He forgives the sinner
102: He raises the dead
103: His office is manifold
104: His promise is sure
105: His life is matchless
106: His goodness is limitless
107: His mercy is enough
108: His grace is sufficient
109: His reign is righteous
110: His yoke is easy
111: His burden is light
112: He is indestructible
113: He is indescribable
114: He is incomprehensible
115: He is inescapable
116: He is invinsible
117: He is irresistible
118: He is irrefutable
119: I can't get Him out of my mind
120: I can't get Him out of my heart
121: I can't outlive Him
122: I can't live without Him
123: The pharisees couldn't stand Him found found they couldn't stop Him
124: Satan tried to tempt Him but found he couldn't trip Him
125: Pilate examined Him on trial but found no fault in Him
126: Romans crucified Him but couldn't take His life
127: Death couldn't handle Him
128: The grave couldn't hold Him
129: He had no predecessor
130: He will have no successor
131: He is the lion
132: He is the lamb
133: He is God
134: He is man
135: He is the seven-way King
136: He's the King of the Jews - that's a ratial King
137: He's the King of Israel - that's a national King
138: He's the King of righteousness - that's a moral King
139: He's the King of the ages - that's an eternal King
140: He's the King of heaven - that's a universal King
141: He's the King of glory - that's a celestial King
142: He's the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords

Just Give Me Jesus!

Attribute 19: He is undefiled

His life on Earth was totally flawless. He kept every law he was required to as a Jewish man, and fulfilled everything He was intended to. A fulfillment whose extents were so wide that we are still feeling the results today. It affected the past, present and future.

Though some legalists felt Jesus was defiling himself by the company He kept or the day He did things on, He was entirely pure in all that He did: holy.

Attribute 18: He is undisputed

Reminds me of: the line in the song "Be still and know that I am God", "from London down to Cape Town, from LA to Beijing, My Son shall reign the undisputed King"

Not that people haven't disputed Him, but that there can never be any real dispute over His kingship. Bearing in mind that He is completely powerful how could this ever happen? Sometimes it may seem silly to make a statement like that when someone could so clearly, in our human eyes dispute His existence, and many regularly do.

And yet the spirit of the phrase is saying something which every Christian knows in their heart: there is no disputing Him. Some may not quite see it, but one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess Him as Lord. He is undisputed.

Attribute 17: He is unprecedented

Never before has a person like this been known to us. Never before has a single man changed the course of universal history forever. Never before have we known a love such as His.

Until He came along, we had not experienced or known many things. Now He has set the precedent, the highest precedent and we are to view the rest of creation in light of that. Some call it a worldview, but whatever it is, we must always interpret life based on the highest precedent in existence: Jesus, who He is and what He's done.

Attribute 16: He is unparalleled

If He is unique, there is no parallel that can be drawn to explain Him, or make Him more understandable. I once had a lecture on the trinity, including teaching on the many different heresies concerning it. At the end, we students spent half an hour throwing all our childhood analogies at this man, asking why they weren't accurate. And guess what, each one was classified as one of the hersies we had been taught! It is good to know that our kids grow up believing heresy about the nature of God...

The point being that we could find no parallel to explain it. Neither can we do it with Jesus, who is after all a member of the trinity. It is impossible. Sometimes we can find individual analogies which might help explain one or two facets of Jesus... but nothing that ever comes close to helping us understand the whole truth about Him. He truly is unparalleled.

Attribute 15: He is unique

Throughout history there has been no one like Jesus. No one even comes close. If you take first of all His identity as God's son, we realise that there has never been or ever will be anyone who can rightly claim to be both fully God and fully man. He is both. At the same time. Think about it for a minute. Impossible? No, amazing.

And then, when you think about the way He lived, you realise that there are very few people who can claim the things that Jesus did, or perform the miracles He performed. And even if they think they can, they're wrong. He is entirely unique. This again reflects His other-than-ness, His set-apart-ness, His holiness.

But then when we think of the present, there is no one else who is alive today and by His Spirit gives us life, frees us from the things that hold us back and releases us in to a life of fulfilling relationship with Him. He is entirely unique.

Attribute 14: He is august

Okay, so I didn't know what this word meant until I heard it on this recording! Here is what the Oxford Dictionary said:

august: inspiring respect and admiration
origin: Latin augustus "consecrated, venerable"

When we see a glimpse of who God is, His holiness, how can it not inspire "respect and admiration"? A moment with Him shows us something of who He truly is, and helps us realise the depth of response which is appropriate.

Times of drawing near to God are essential in this respect. Not only can we draw personal strength from times of prayer when the Holy Spirit is present, but it shows us again how naturally very different we are to Him. But thanks to His grace and mercy, and by His power we are made co-heirs with Jesus.

So my prayer for this week's prayer and fasting (for Newfrontiers leaders) is that God comes and meets with our leaders, that they would be personally built up and receive powerful promises from Him. And in the process, that they will see something again of His august nature, and pass it on to us when they return! That through the growth of the church, the healing of the sick and through the quiet witness of the Holy Spirit we would see His august nature afresh.

Attribute 13: He stands in the solitude of Himself

My first impression of Jesus is not that that He was a man of solitude. After all, we talk about God himself being community by the trinity, and of how in salvation we are not only individually saved, but planted into a living body: community.

But compared to all other men that ever walked the plant, Jesus does stand in solitude. Not in the solitude of necessity or rejection, nor the solitude of aloofness and self-elevation, but in the solitude of himself. Just being Him makes us find Him standing in the solitude of Himself. And why is that?

The Bible calls set-apartness holiness. In Revelation we hear all kinds of created beings wroshipping and saying "holy, holy, holy!" In a sense this is Jesus' primary distinctive from mankind, that He is and always has been holy, and that mankind is sinful. He is set-apart in every way from us, and yet in a magnificent display of power, grace and mercy He saved us out of our sin and made us co-heirs with Him. For Christians, we are no longer sinners, we are saints! We share in His holiness. And nothing we have done needs to be an obstacle for that!

The email I was hoping not to get...

... despite strongly suspecting for about a year, and recent confirmation on Dan's site, I was still hoping it would not happen. But it has, and today the email finally arrived:

"This is a message from www.katesimmonds.com to update you with some exciting news. After much prayer, Kate and Miles Simmonds feel that God is calling them to the South Pacific! In a few months` time, they will be making the move to Sydney, Australia, to be part of New Frontiers` work in that part of the world. They are very peaceful and excited about the decision, and look forward to a great adventure!

This means, of course, that Kate`s imminent concerts in May will be her last ones in the UK for the foreseeable future! If you are able to join us, we would love to see you in Sidcup (May 12), Bristol (May 14), Wimbledon Park, London (May 19) and Brighton (May 21). All the details are on the live dates section of the website - please come along if you can, we hope to see you there!

The vocal days Kate has lined up through to the autumn will also be her last ones in the UK. If you would like to benefit from a vocal training day, then check out the live dates section for full details of locations and contacts. Dates are lined up all over the country, so hopefully there will be one near you. This really will be your only opportunity to attend one this year, so sign up quick, and we hope to see you there."

Although it is tremendously exciting that people from all parts of Newfrontiers, in many different types of role are up-and-going to the nations, it is at great loss to the United Kingdom! Personally, I have always been particularly blessed by Kate's worship-leading gift. More than any other "big name" leader, she has consistently been faithful in leading thousands into the presence of God to adore Him.

I took part in the second Worship School run by Church of Christ the King in which Kate naturally played a big part. Her sessions on preparing times of worship were particularly well-received by friends of mine, and I benefited enormously from catching her heart for worship. It was also (by the way) an amazing opportunity to be exposed on a monthly basis to the core vision and values of CCK as a church, and to have to opportunity to worship with them, led by their many talented and gifted bands. It was an incredible opportunity and Kate was a big part of the blessing I received through it.

Not to mention the many times of worship at Stoneleigh. By the final year of the conference, as a teenager I abandoned the re.vive meetings not only to hear the amazing teaching going on in the big shed, but also to live in the good of a time of worship facilitated by Kate. There has also been the Brighton conferences (this year is my fifth - yes I know I'm only 21 and that technically maybe I shouldn't have been going at such an age, but that is another story!) which have been consistently magnificent, and the Does The Future Have A Church weekends, again amazing.

Basically, I'm going to miss her a whole lot! Thank you, Kate for your faithfulness in exercising the gift God has given you.

(PS. It does make me glad that I'm registered on this conference by the way - phew! plug opportunity not missed!)

Attribute 12: He is the centrepiece of civilisation

Even when hearing a statement which I would say is more poetic than theological in its content, we experience a holy, Spirit-filled resonance in the core of our very being. He has created the entire cosmos to reflect His own glory and to reveal himself to us. There is no part of the whole of creation which is not built around Him and His desire to bring glory to Himself.

This is the joy of Christianity: it is not just about our own lives being transformed, as wonderful as that is. In saving us, without losing the sense of each life being precious, Jesus lifts our heads to see the bigger picture of how amazing He is, to see that we are part of an entire creation whose purpose is to glorify God.

This is why it is important to continually expose ourselves to people who will help us see the bigger picture. It costs something. Money, resources, time, effort, energy. But our spiritual lives become that much the richer for it. This is, after all the reality of what we are caught up in: a universe praising God, a Kingdom which will never fade and a glorious global church!

Attribute 11: He is the breath of life

When the stifling air of this world clogs our lungs, only the breath of life can cleanse the dirt away. When we feel polluted by the worldly things we feed on, only when we remember to feed on the breath of life will we feel clean. When we're feeling lethargic, breathing His air envigorates us to our full potential, shows us the standard we can attain in Him and helps us get there.

Attribute 10: He is the captive's ransom

By our very nature we came into this world in captivity; the captivity of our own sinful nature, of the sin of others and a blindness to the truth which Satan seeks to perpetuate. And we had no way to get out, no way to free ourselves. Any ransom price that was set would have been infinitely too large for us to meet, after all we were helpless captives!

But what if someone else, who could afford the ransom price paid it on our behalf? And what if that ransom price was the very life of another person? That is what Jesus has done for each of us. But just think: if the price was so high for you to be free, how did He manage to free others too? That shows us something of His amazing power and abundance, that He could die not only for me or you, but for mankind.

Attribute 9: He is the sinner's saviour

He is the only one who can transform human lives. Though some turn to psychology, sport, hypnotism, false religion, or even just "moral atheism", none of these will fundamentally transform.

When we were blind to the truth, he helped us see. When we were lost, he rescued us. When we were trapped, he set us free. When we were sick with sin, he brought us into health with Him.

He came for sinners. Not for a group of pompous legalist rule keepers, he came for all who are hopeless. That was his primary purpose; not to live a good "moral life" or to give some "fascinating teaching" but to SAVE SINNERS!

Attribute 8: He is God's Son

A member of the wonderful trinity, the defining point of Christianity. Many from other religions would be happy with the attributes I've been writing about, but not this one. This is one of the most disputed truths about our God. He is God's Son, fully man and fully God.

All that Christians know and experience of God would not be possible without this