Its Church, but not as we know it!

Since officially leaving our church and finding ourselves 'between churches', we have been on a bit of a journey - cue X Factor style music! We aren't sure exactly what we are looking for, or even if we are looking for anything in particular, but we just know that there is a shift in the spirit when it comes to churches and how they run and what it means to be part of the church.  We can't really put our finger on what it is God has for us yet, but it is coming. 

With all this in mind, the other Saturday I suddenly announced that I thought we should go to the Sunday  service at Exeter Cathedral!  My lovely Husband is used to me making these sudden 'odd' announcements and made a sort of non-committal noise.  But not easily deterred on these things, I said again later that it might be really interesting to go.  So we checked times and began to learn a whole new language straight away; things like Mattins, Sung Eucharist and Mass.  I have been to many churches in my childhood, including Catholic and Church Of England but my Husband and children, who became Christians in a New Frontiers church, had never experienced the whole liturgy type thing!!  But we set off thinking a little more about what we were wearing than we might usually for a church meeting and secretly hoping it wasn't Communion as we didn't know how to do it formally!  On entering the Cathedral we were handed a lot of information and went and found some seats.  We decided sitting in the middle was good, so we could follow the people in front.  Exeter Cathedral is a really beautiful building so sitting there and looking around was a real pleasure and the first thing I read was how the Cathedral had been used for worship for 900 years!!  I was really taken aback by this and suddenly realised what a heritage we had in this place, I wondered what had taken place in the cathedral over the years and how the stones must resonate with worship after that length of time. 

The Service began and it is a little odd to repeat set words back in response to what the person at the front is saying, but the amazing thing about it was that the words were truly wonderful! We found the whole thing an amazing experience, the service covered every part of the Christian faith and when the words, which could be seen as religious, are read with the right heart and you truly mean what you are saying, it didn't matter that we were reading words from a page, as they were coming right from our hearts.  It was fantastic to hear them pray for the Monarchy and the Government and for the sick and it was excellent to read The Creed which is a fantastic declaration of who we are and what we believe! The other thing that I loved about the service and it being in the Cathedral was the reverence of it, I think with Charismatic churches we have 'thrown the baby out with the bath water' some what when it comes to reverence as I think the fear is that it will come across as religious and that is a label that we try to steer clear of.  But there was something amazing and almost heavenly being in this grand and amazing building with a feeling of holiness and grandeur that we don't usually experience.  God reminded me of the Throne Room and how this was akin, on a very small scale, to the regalness and all the ceremony which takes place there, a fantastic experience.

I should also say that taking communion wasn't as scary as we thought it would be, we just followed the people in front and held our hands out at the appropriate moment.  It was all quite user friendly really and both our kids enjoyed it, actually our Daughter loved it, I think she just really liked taking part in the service without pressure and being in such a historic building and enjoying the beauty of it all. 

I don't think I would like to go every week, but for an experience it was definitely up there with some of the best and an eye opener to the fact that being religious, or not being religious, is a matter of the heart - if you really mean with all your heart the words you are saying then it doesn't matter if you have said those same words over and over before; God sees your heart and that is the most important thing.

A change of perspective

I spent two hours this morning doing ironing for a lovely little old lady, I really enjoy doing it as I get to listen to her tell me all about her life and things that have happened to her and she is also very open for me to pray for her and has experienced a healing in her back as a result of prayer.  The other perk is, of course, that I get paid and in this economic climate every little helps as a big Supermarket says.  I put my wages in my back pocket as I always do and left to walk home which is 5 mins round the corner.  As soon as I got home I put my hand in my pocket and the money had gone - it didn't matter how many times I checked my pocket it was definitely gone!  I headed straight back out to retrace my footsteps and check that I hadn't left it at the ladies house but no, there was no sign of it at all despite praying and putting all my treasure hunting skills into action!  I came to the conclusion that it had been picked up by somebody and I prayed that they would be blessed by it.  I had to fight the urge to keep 'kicking myself' for losing the money, but in the end I let it go and I do believe that the person who found it probably needed it more than me.

I put this to the back of my mind as I was going out to meet a friend in town.  I met her and had a lovely chat and a bit of a shop and then headed home.  On my way home I was again aware of so many people who needed prayer but didn't quite take the step to approach them, feeling annoyed with myself I carried on home praying about it as I went.  As I got to Exe Bridges roundabout a guy who was walking across the roundabout (no mean feat!) approached me and asked me for some money as he hadn't got any money for food.  I don't usually give people money as I am aware that most of the time it is used for drink or drugs but this guy seemed different, and he asked really apologetically and politely.  I thought, why not, so I gave him a bit of money and then started to chat to him.  He said that he had only been homeless since October, when the job that he had at a Caravan Park came to an end.  His accommodation was included in the job so he lost his caravan as well!  Since then he had been on the streets and been trying to get work but couldn't get anything.  I listened for a bit and asked questions and then told him that I was a Christian and asked if I could pray for him.  He was so grateful and accepted eagerly, so I prayed for blessings in his life, a job and a house and for his two daughters that they would be blessed as well.  I asked him if he knew God and he said yes and that he prayed so I encouraged him to keep praying and told him how much he was loved by his Father in heaven.  He went on his way after warmly shaking me by the hand and saying thank you.

This encounter really put losing my money into perspective - this guy had lost his job, his house and his children in one go! I find that too huge to get my head around but I will keep praying for him and also keep my eye out for him so that I can catch up and see what God is doing in his life.  A prayer of blessing is a powerful thing!

Stepping out into God's love

I have been Treasure Hunting for a long time now and I love it, and most of the time find it quite easy to stop people and pray for them, but take me out of the Treasure Hunting scenario and it is a lot more difficult.

Whenever I am in town I see people all the time who are sick or in pain and need some prayer and I ignore the nudging of the Holy Spirit as it is to scary, and what would I say!  God has been talking to me about this a lot recently but I didn't really want to be put on the spot and have to do it - but I decided today would be the day that I would pray with determination to find the one person that God would have me pray for whilst in town.  I usually pray before I go out but always with a lack of any confidence that I would actually step out.  As I prayed I got a picture of an elderly lady in a pink coat sitting on bench, I even thought I knew where she would be.  I went to town and was quite scared really as I knew today would be the day, so after much too-ing and fro-ing I walked past the bench where I thought she would be and she wasn't there!  I was more than slightly relieved, but then I realised that there were plenty of people all over the place that needed God's healing power in their lives but sadly I couldn't bring myself to speak to any of them.  I was beginning to think that maybe this wasn't a calling in my life and that I was happy doing Treasure Hunting and that I couldn't be who I wasn't, when in front of me I saw an elderly lady in a pink coat with a walking stick! I would love to say that I ran over to her straight away and offered to pray for her but after walking past her and then following her for a bit I chickened out! Oh dear!

I went into Tesco and I felt bad and disappointed with myself but then I thought that wasn't the way I should be thinking and I thanked God that I had obviously heard from him correctly and that next time I would do it and if I were to see this lady again I would most definitely stop her and talk to her.  I thought this was a safe prayer as I thought she was heading to the Bus Stop! So I went on my way and did a bit more shopping and then went to meet my Husband, but who would walk round the corner towards me but the lady in the pink coat with the walking stick!  I couldn't believe it!! I nearly let the opportunity pass me by again as I am so goal orientated and I thought that I would be late to meet Steve but I just had to turn around and go after her.  She had stopped to catch her breath so I introduced myself and explained that I had seen her when I had been praying and could I pray for her for anything and she said yes straight away!  She told me all about herself and her ailments and wanted me to pray for a quick appointment for an MRI to check her arteries in her heart - so I offered to pray for her heart to be healed and the arteries clear.  She was thrilled to have me pray for her and then she went off with me having told her how much God loves her.

As I turned to walk down the road I saw a couple from Jubilee who came straight over to me as they had seem me praying for the lady and wanted to know what had happened! I explained that it was the first time that I had stepped out like that on my own and they were so encouraging, I felt like it was a heaven sent cheer squad! God is so good!!

Here's to the next time!

Back in the Saddle again and it was amazing fun!!!

Its been quite a while since I have been out Treasure Hunting and I was beginning to believe the lies that i was hearing that said it was really hard and I didnt really enjoy it etc, but the truth is that I love Treasure Hunting and it is such alot of fun even if a little scary, but in a good way! We met so many lovely Treasures, some who wanted prayer and to chat and those who didnt.  The one that stands out the most to me was a man called David, he was wearing an orange baseball cap, outside Sainsburys, when he looked at our maps he was quite blown away by how much matched up with him - he had a relative called Daphney and a friend called Lawrence, he had a painful lower back at times and his knees also caused him problems.  We asked if we could pray for him and he said we could, he didnt know if anything had happened as neither of the ailments hurt all the time but he will know in time. Before we left him we had the pleasure of telling him how much he is loved by God and as soon as we said those words he welled up and looked visibly moved.  I wish we had said more to him but sometimes my Englishness gets the better of me and I dont like to be too pushy. But I am now thinking that it wouldn't have been pushy to have asked him how hearing that God loved him had made him feel and offering to pray for him to experience the Fathers love.  But that is my prayer for him now and maybe we will see him again. We also met someone whos friend was Treasure! We stopped to talk to Janette as she was wearing a bright pink coat  and she was outside Sainsburys, when she looked at the map nothing much matched with her but she did have a friend called Daphney who was in alot of pain with a back problem.   She was a Christian and was thrilled to have us pray for her friend.

I cant wait to go out again and banish my Englishness, and be full of compassion for people and expect lives to be changed by the Father's love.

Margaret, Martin and Maggie!

Treasure Hunting is great but as was pointed out to me the other day, it would be great to have some follow up about the healings.  Once those people who are healed walk away from us, it is up to them if they make contact with me or the church and as of yet no one has!   But whilst I was out Treasure Hunting the other day I saw a lady who we had spoken to previously and who we had prayed for about her finger which was broken and slightly bent.  As we prayed I felt the finger move and straighten and when I asked her how it was she said that the pain had completely gone and she was really amazed! The full story is here!  I approached this lady again and as soon as she saw me she gave me a big smile and I didnt really have to explain who I was as she obviously remembered me.  I asked her about her finger and she said that she hadn't had any problem with it since we prayed - thank you Father!! We offered her prayer again but she said that she was fine but this time we gave her some details of who we are and Church details as well.  I was so pleased that she was genuinely pleased to see us and gave us a beaming smile and asked us our names before we left her. I shall keep praying for her and keep my eyes open for her again.

It was a very different Treasure Hunting trip but really good.  Before we went out we prayed a lot about seeing people coming to know Jesus and to be able to pray with people for this.  We had two amazing conversations, one with a man called Martin, who was a street worker ( he was sweeping the paths in Princesshay), he had a colleague called Alan who had been going through a hard time and through reading the bible had become a Christian. He was quite intrigued about this. We had a really long conversation with him about beliefs and God and he was really interested, we talked about peace and how we could live in the peace of God even when the world is seemingly going wrong around us and I asked him if he would like to  know that peace and he politely declined.  Sad for him, but a breakthrough for me as it was the closest I have got to asking someone if they want God to impact their life.  He than began to talk about Paranormal things and how he had seen a film about a girl with a demon who had gone through deliverance.  Amazingly before we had come out I had the clue Deliverance but I hadnt written it down as I was a bit worried to do so as I wasn't sure what we were going to encounter! I should learn and always write everything down! But it opened up a whole conversation about the supernatural which was exciting.  Before we left him we gave him a 'Why Jesus' and a card with contact details on it and seeing as he works in Princesshay I shall keep my eye out for him again.

The last lady we spoke to was called Margaret and we saw her outside the Post Office, just before we saw her we saw a lady with the longest, woolliest Doctor Who Scarf on, so we knew we were on the right track.  Margaret has a pink scarf on so we stopped her to see if we could pray for her.  She looked at the clues and Alan was her Neighbour, and her brother was dying of Cancer (a clue that both me and my friend had ). We talked to her for a long time about beliefs and her beliefs and all sorts of things and she was genuinely interested in what we were saying but she said that it wasnt for her.  So as we left her we gave her a 'Why Jesus' and she said that she would definately read it. 

In some ways this doesn't sound like an amazing trip out, but for me it really was.  I love to pray for healing and to see people healed but we want them healed and saved and this seemed to be a training trip for me, and it is lessons that I am happy and excited to learn.  Next time ..... healed and saved!

Bright Yellow Coat!

I went out Treasure Hunting the other week with a girl from my Church who had only been out Treasure Hunting once before, she was really excited and keen to have a go.  It is always exciting doing it with some for the first time as you can see the amazement on their faces when they find that they have really heard from God and how he has orchestrated for all the clues to come together.  To begin with it was very slow and nobody wanted to stop to talk, we even resorted to talking to the man holding up the Subway sign as he was a bit of a captive audience and we did have a good conversation with him.  One of the clues my friend had was Yellow, not a yellow anything specific but I have found with colour clues like that you definitely know when you find them!  As soon as we started out we saw a lady in the brightest yellow coat and debated as to wether to talk to her but we decided maybe not, little did we know, more about that later! We went down Ghandi Street and there were three work men in bright yellow High Visibility jackets surrounded by bright yellow barriers - never have I seen a yellower scene! But however much we tried to be brave to approach these men, we just couldnt find it in ourselves - what put me off was that one of them looked very official and looked like their boss and I really didnt want to stop them working when their boss was there! So despite passing them 3 times in the vain hope of being brave, we bottled it each time.  Its a good job that with our Father God that we have a billion chances!

So we went on looking, we were coming back through Princesshay and there in front of us was the same lady we had initially seen - there was no mistaking the yellow coat!  So we stopped her and she was lovely and looked at our clues.  Lots of the names meant something to her, Hilary was her Sister In Law, Adam was her Nephew and Fiona was her Niece.  We had the clues of Knees and hips and she had athritus in both of them but her knees were the worst and most painful. We offered to pray and she accepted and she was amazed and there was a big improvement in the pain, we prayed again and it improved again but not gone completely.  She then asked us about our Church and we told her where we met and she was amazed as she knew a couple who went there and they were her neighbours.  We asked who they were and she said Jon and Fi - I was blown away as not only did we know them but also that Fi/Fiona had been a clue!  It is such a small world when God is involved!

So many Plaits!!!

It seemed a very different experience Treasure Hunting today, not sure if it was just because it was freezing and nobody wanted to stop, or just that God was showing us new things!

One of my clues was Cowboy Hat! I really didn't think we would find it and just thought I had gone a bit loopy! But as we stood outside the Travel Agents and contemplated whether we should talk to the man in the green coat next to us, a man went steaming past us with a cowboy hat on !!!!  We had to run after him as he was going so fast, but we caught up with him in the end and he stopped to chat.  Lizzie and I both had Steve on our maps and he had known a Steve who had committed suicide a few years ago,  but nothing else matched up with him particularly so we offered to pray for him and he accepted, but then his bus appeared and he was gone! I was still amazed by the hat though!! A great clue - thank you Father!

Lizzie and I also both had plaits on our maps, Lizzie felt they would be red and I had blonde but both of them plaits.  When we first started Treasure Hunting Lizzie had had Plaits a couple of times and we had never found them on either occasion so we were both a bit dubious about putting them down again but never the less we did and after much searching and thinking we would never find this illusive hairstyle, along walked a girl with blondish hair with red highlights and low and behold a PLAIT!!! She and her friend were going at some pace again but we began to go after her and as we did another girl walked past us with two brown plaits! We were so amazed that we went to follow after her, but changed our minds and went back to the first girl but they were then busy trying on Boots in the warm, we lingered for a while but it didn't look like they were coming out.  We went back to where we had seen both girls and as we looked there was yet another girl with Plaits!  But again she was walking so quick and went into a shop and was intently looking at clothes.  Again we lingered but she wasn't leaving the shop so we went back again to 'Plait Corner' and as we looked, we nearly fell over, there was yet another girl with plaits coming towards us.  I cant remember why we didn't stop this 'plait' lady, maybe shock :-).  It was like a Plait blessing from God, I expect he was laughing in heaven as our amazement grew at each person! Perseverance really does pay off!

We stopped a couple of people who didn't seem to be on the maps, one man who, thinking about it now, had on a green jacket.  We asked him if there was anything we could pray about for him and he told us that he had a prosthetic leg and the bit of his leg which went into it was very sore, it was at the knee.  He was really pleased that we prayed for him and he said that he knew it would get better now.  I was really thrilled to talk to him as one of my dreams is to see a leg grow out from a stump. I didnt feel that I could offer to pray for that quite yet, but there will come a day and this just felt like God giving me a gentle nudge and a smile of encouragement.

The other lady we stopped who wasn't on our maps was a lady in a wheelchair, we offered to pray for her and she said that we could but it would probably do us more good than her and she sped off. Lizzie had begun to ask her before she left why it was she was in the wheelchair and she shouted over her shoulder 'Polio!'.  Lizzie looked shocked as she was going to put Polio down on her map but had thought that nobody had Polio these days so hadn't written it down!  What a shame - but a lesson learnt for us.  Always write things down, even if they are as odd as Mr Bloddy, and Sherlock Holmes which we didn't find today - there's always next time!

Oh yes and I saw yet another girl with Plaits on the way home! Amazing!!