Big Grace

I've just been reading through another blog and in the middle of describing a troubled period of life, the writer included this phrase,

"I was getting a vision of a very big Jesus with a very big grace for sinners from them."

This got me thinking about how I present the message of Jesus to those around me. When I get the opportunity to preach, do I urge people to live better lives or do I point them to the one who can help them to lead better lives? Do I preach about the condemnation of sinners, or do I preach about the one who gave his all to save those same sinners?

And if I think about this too long, I find myself wishing I could go back through the last 20 years, apologise to some churches for what I have preached and instead urge these people to hold on to Jesus Christ. But I can't go back. (Not that I intentionally misled people. I just fear I have missed the main point too often. Forgive me?)

So, I want to give a vision of a very big Jesus with a very big grace for sinners. And I hope the Church can do the same - but that's another topic all together.

If you want to read the blog I refer to you can find it here: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/gospeldrivenchurch/2013/05/15/john-piper-and-mark-driscoll-talked-me-off-the-bridge/

I know nothing about the writer other than what he has recorded in this blog.

Wedding Rehearsal

Tonight I took party in a wedding rehearsal. I didn't have a big part to play,  just playing my bass. But it isn't about me. It is about two young adults who love each other and want to make that relationship formal and lifelong.
The songs and venue also reflect another love - a love for Jesus and a love for the Church. And when a couple love each other, and they both love Jesus, and they love to be in the Church, it provides a solid foundation and the materials for a solid building.
So I wonder what the future will hold for them.  I don't know, but I'm confident it will be good.
And I'm looking forward to Saturday.

Hospital Sitting

There's nothing quite like sitting next to a hospital bed. The person you are visiting often can't get involved in a conversation; there is always other noise around you; and the nurses keep coming in.
But for all that,  most of us know that this is where you need to be.
This week I feel like I have spent so much time in hospital just sitting. So much work is waiting for my attention and has been neglected. There are so many things I could have been doing.
And none of that matters.
This is where I need to be.

More sitting

I'm once again sitting in the emergency room of our local hospital in the wee hours of the morning waiting for my darling wife to see a doctor. The real disappointment here it's that she had been home from hospital for around 13 hours before we needed to come back.
Am I really disappointed though? Not really. 
Around the world there are millions of people who cannot get the medical attention we will receive.
So we might be tired (exhausted actually) but still glad to be here.

My first blog post! How exciting!!

Why "Sit and Wonder"? This is part of a song by Deep Purple called "Soon Forgotten" from their album "Purpendicular". It's not my favourite song by any means, but the opening line is something that is often on my mind:

Sometimes I sit and wonder; sometimes I just sit.

This phrase sums up how I feel sometimes. And it just seemed a good title for a blog.

But will anyone read it? Who knows!