My nostalgic side has been over stimulated recently.
There has been an interesting TV series “Back in time for the weekend” which started with the 1950’s through to the present. It showed how much technology has changed our lives over a few decades.
The speaker at our church a few weeks ago began his talk by apologising to “those listening to the tape” for having a cold, concerned that they would hear him ok.
No one will be “listening to the tape”.
(Our talks are uploaded as a podcast which can be played using iTunes or via our church website. We have not used tapes for years).
I recently watched an old Bond film where James and Q used a computer to create an identikit picture of one of the baddies. They started by loading a large reel of computer tape.
I remember arranging for data to be written to similar computer tape reel, to be flown out to Sweden, where it was transferred to an 8 inch computer cassette tape and then flown back, so I could load it on to a telephone exchange.
As well as punched cards and computer tapes, I remember using various sizes of floppy disks.
These disks, like tapes are no longer used. It is now rare that I use a CD or DVD.
If we want to save information, the symbol used is an image of an obsolete computer Disk.
We have just had a new washing machine – made by a company better known for its smart phones and TVs.
To start our clothes washing, you press the “Play” button.

Our latest technology is using the familiar symbols of some of our oldest technology.
The symbols that were used on the big mechanical buttons of reel to reel tape recorders are still in use on anything where were we need to press play including our new washing machine.
People are using devices and applications which use symbols based on real things they have never seen.
What lessons can we learn from my nostalgic ramblings?
• The principles and purpose of things does not change but how we access it does.
• We need to keep up to date – our language and communication needs to be current and relevant if we wish to engage with younger generations.
There is one thing that does not change…

There should be a consistency that runs through us all.
For Jesus doesn’t change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he’s always totally himself.
Don’t be lured away from him by the latest speculations about him. The grace of Christ is the only good ground for life.
Hebrews 13 8-9 MSG

If you have any school connections you will be aware that school reports usually indicate what level the student is working at.
This has a number of undesired effects:

• The level acts as a label.
• Those with a low level will be convinced that they can never achieve more than their level and may give up before even trying.
• Those with a high level will pat themselves on the back, reassured that they are ok and will not challenge themselves any further.
• Students will quickly learn how to do just enough to get by without getting into trouble.
• They will work to achieve what is expected of them – the level they have been labelled with rather than the best they could be.

The challenge the teaching profession currently have is that they have been told to stop using levels but not told what to replace them with.
This is a cunning move as they are having to use the same principles – they have to come up with methods of marking and reporting that are intrinsically without levels.
I think this has an application to our Christian walk as well – it is very easy to compare ourselves to others and settle for less than God wants us to be.

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The challenge is that we should be always learning and growing.

Philippians 3:12 (NIV)
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Part of the briefing I received on life without levels suggested that the key is having the right mindset.

Philippians 2:5 (NIV)
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…

The good news is our mindset can be transformed.

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Getting older or retirement does not mean we stop learning or growing – there is more for each one of us.
Image Credit: Reid Wilson

It’s always been understood that a shed is a man’s domain…
But now there is the “She Shed” – to read more about this alarming phenomenon
At my church we have a group called Pass-it-On where some of our ladies demonstrate how to do particular things to other ladies.
This group has resulted in a number of ladies coming to faith; so we are now discussing how we can take this concept and apply it to men.
One difference is that we would probably call it “The Shed”.
Why do it?
Sheds are in the news at the moment – in the secular context they are about getting men together to make things, this helps friendships form and reduce the issues of loneliness.
In the church context, it is also about developing friendships, but with a higher purpose:
Rick Warren posted an article on his Facebook Page called “Why I do what I do” which was summarised as a life-long call to “Reach one more for Jesus”. He explained his approach:

“My definition of “Reaching one more for Jesus” is this: You build a bridge of love between your heart and theirs, then you let Jesus walk across. You cannot bring enemies to Jesus. They must become your friends first. Before people trust Jesus they want to know if YOU can be trusted”.

Another really good reason is that there are not enough men in church – there are ladies who would love to be able to find a Christian partner. Some of us would like our daughters to find a Christian partner!
I am also aware of the need for some of our younger men to learn some practical skills.
Many have not had a father figure to show them how to put up wallpaper, a shelf or change a plug.
Last year I saw someone take over 2 hours to light a barbecue!
Format
Essentially it is about doing “stuff” together – how to do things.Some men cannot cook a meal, so we could help them impress without resorting to a takeaway or tin opener.There is also technical stuff, for example what Barclays do with their digital eagles program.Having invited guests from inside and outside of the church to talk about their hobbies and interests, e.g. photography, music, gardening, video games…
There needs to be a fun element to it, so it should include trips out, games nights, film nights etc.
There is no shortage of things that could be “passed on”.
Getting Started
You will need a small team to start off, these need to be people who can build genuine friendships – in line with Rick Warrens approach.
I suggest beginning with an evening once a fortnight or month. This does not need to be at your church premises, but you may need to have the facilities to do stuff.
I have another suggestion – the Men’s Shed could alternate with a “She Shed” for the ladies. Those with young families can take turns with baby-sitting and the ladies will benefit from the pass-it-on concept.
I hope to be able to report before too long on how we get on with our shed group.

What are you going to do?
By Roger Leitch
I have lost count of how many times I have been asked this question since my retirement became known and in the weeks that followed my last day of paid work.
To be honest, I have been asking myself the same question.
Finishing work after 43 years was an emotional roller coaster.
I know people say “you will be missed” when you leave but the truth is that work will continue without us.
What I did not expect was that those well-meaning messages would get to me the way they did.
I have even received a long service award certificate signed by Sir Michael himself.
I suspect that many people who leave work find they have a gap in their lives – we miss work, not the other way around!.
So what am I doing?
I have made enquiries about working with a charity, but not heard anything yet.
I have plenty of stuff to sort out, several long delayed “projects” to complete and others that should have been started a while back.
When Jesus spoke about us doing greater things than Him, I suspect He was not referring to using a power saw.
I have a growing number of “to do lists” I am working through until I have a better idea of what I am going to do, but there is no rush into anything.
I am beginning to realise that all those retired people who said they wondered how they found time to go to work may have had a point.
So far I have not had time to watch any day time TV – fortunately that is not on any of my to do lists.
The main thing I am realising is that work was really only a part of my life – it consumed less than 1/3 of my waking hours.
Nobody has ever asked what I was going to do with the 2/3rds of the time I was not working!
If you are employed then you do usually have to be at work for a good part of several days of every week, but that still leaves you with a significant amount of time that you can choose to use in different ways. For family, for yourself, for others or for God’s Kingdom.
So whether you are employed or retired – what are you going to do?

Recently Rick Warren posted an article on his Facebook Page called “Why I do what I do” which was summarised as a life-long call to “Reach one more for Jesus”. He explained his approach:
“My definition of “Reaching one more for Jesus” is this: You build a bridge of love between your heart and theirs, then you let Jesus walk across. You cannot bring enemies to Jesus. They must become your friends first. Before people trust Jesus they want to know if YOU can be trusted”.
Even if your friends do not become followers of Jesus, having friends is still a good thing, for you and them. However making new friends is a real challenge for most of us.
The following is a transcript from a Friday night comedy chat show – “The Last Leg” screened 15 August on channel 4 with guest star Carrie Fisher, who is best known for her role in Star Wars..
This conversation was prompted by a report published by the charity Relate where 1 in 10 people answered a survey saying they did not have a friend.
[suggested by-line:10% of people have no friends].
Adam: “Sometimes it is hard as a bloke, to meet other blokes, especially at a certain age when you think you’ve met all the blokes you’re ever going to meet.”
Josh: “Where’s this chat going Adam?”
Alex: “It is quite weird, as you get older … if you meet a bloke that you like, you don’t kind of go…”
“So, when can I see you again?” “Would you like to do this again, sometime?”
Carrie: “What do you do, though?”
Alex: “I don’t know. I just…hide. It’s weird isn’t it“.
This somewhat awkward discussion on live TV highlights the challenge that men face in making friends. A lot of us only have friends who are the partners of our wives friends or work colleagues.
Our male culture simply lacks the language and social protocols to indicate you would appreciate becoming friends with someone.
So how do we go about making friends?
My observations on this subject are:
– You gain friends by being a friend.
– You gain friends by spending time together, by regular contact over a period of time, working together on something or having a shared interest or project.
– You cross the line to being friend by helping or doing something for someone.
– Men don’t usually ask for help or directions, so you may need to ask for help or be first to offer assistance – use what you have – loan tools, books etc.
– Have fun – laughter and shared memories build friendships.
You also need to be friendly – no one wants to friends with a miserable old git, or worse a miserable religious old git who is against everything, especially fun.
Why put ourselves through this potentially daunting process?
Firstly, for our personal well-being. We all need friendships and social interaction.
Secondly, to reach men with the gospel.
That said, our friendships must be genuine, not a means to an end.
I recommend “Just Walk Across the Room” by Bill Hybels – this shows us a cringe free way to share our faith. He also states that it is ok to have friends who never come to faith.
I have just finished work after 43 years and my one of my new goals is to gain new friends to replace the interactions I had through work.
(I may join a local photography group or volunteer for a non-Christian charity?)
So over to you…
How do you make new friends?
What works and what doesn’t work?
Please contribute by replying in the comments section below as we need all the help we can get.

Alan Scott is the Lead Pastor at Causeway Coast Vineyard who has written an article called “We are losing a Generation” I recommend reading the whole article (link at bottom), because Alan challenges us to not only look to the young in our churches but also to the older generation.
The following is an extract from his article:

“What if God wanted to use those who are elderly to reach those who are emerging?”

Toms Story
“Most of us have heard the “toms” story; a young entrepreneur had a dream to awaken social conscience through the brilliant business idea of “toms” shoes, one for one, where people in underdeveloped countries can have free shoes. It caught our imagination and fuelled great compassion and innovation. It justifiably gains attention. It’s a brilliant story/movement.
I also love the other Tom’s story. I am talking about Tom in our community who came to faith less than two years ago. He encountered the Kingdom as God healed his body. It was enough to recalibrate his heart, and at the age of 81, Tom believed.
A year later Tom applied for our Encounter school of mission. When I heard he had applied I was surprised. The course is specifically designed to create a climate of risk. Upon reflection I realised that although it was a little late for a gap year, Tom was perfectly positioned to live a life of risk. Aged 81 there weren’t many people who didn’t know Tom in our town. He had already established a fine reputation. He had a lot to lose. Yet he embraced the risk and at 82 years old stepped into learning again.
He started the course in September with one goal: to lead someone to Jesus.
In February 2014 God granted Tom the desire of his heart. As I write, Tom has now led 11 people to Jesus, many of whom are part of the emerging generation who we are desperately creating programs and tinkering with theology in an effort to reach. And I wonder if while we keep searching for methods to engage a generation, God might have His women and men, like Tom, already in place to bring life across all generations.
I can’t help wondering whether the young are tired of the advertisers and the media, tuning out the voice of their fathers, but still open to the voice of grandfathers like Tom. It may well be a romantic notion, yet what if God wanted to use those who are elderly to reach those who are emerging? What if God was turning the hearts of the Fathers towards the children? What if those who have gone before us are carrying something for those who come after us?
[Alan brings his article to a close with these words:]
“And to my friends and mentors who are journeying faith in their old age…
Please don’t pass on the baton just yet. Your race is not yet run and we need your voice now more than ever. You are alive at a time of unprecedented amounts of people living longer because God wants to reveal his salvation to the old as well as the young.
Please don’t bury your promise with you.
We are losing a generation but we don’t have to, and it was never meant to be that way.

How much do you think you are worth?
Every year I get a pension statement showing how much I have paid in and how much I should get when I retire. It also states how much will get paid out should I die while working.
Also every year I get a benefit statement, which says what pay I get and allowances such as health care and how much the included life insurance will pay out should I die while working.

Twice a year I am reminded that I am worth more dead than alive.

I have recently applied for redundancy, which will probably have come through by the time this is published, so my value to my employer is currently being assessed: Am I more valuable to them being employed vs Achieving the target for reduction in headcount and salary savings.
Recently through the wonder that is Twitter I came across this article concerning men and suicide. Made more even significant by the recent suicide of Robin Williams.
The research seems to suggest a combination of 3 factors:
1) A sense of not belonging, of being alone
2) A sense of not contributing, of being a burden
3) A capability for suicide, not being afraid to die.
All three of these motivations or preconditions must be in place before someone will attempt suicide. Although women, too, can take their own lives when they suffer at the intersection of “feeling alone, feeling a burden, and not being afraid to die,” this is clearly a more male phenomenon.Throughout our lives males take more risks and invite injury more often. We are taught that “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” and “no pain, no gain.” We often invest so much of our lives in our work, when we lose our jobs or retire we feel worthless, unable to contribute. It’s a short step to feeling we are a burden on those we love.
We also put less effort into developing and maintaining friendships so we can come to feel more and more alone. Read more here
Applying for redundancy is effectively the start of my retirement. Which means according to this article I am approaching a time of my life when men are 6 times more likely to commit suicide. This is an alarming.
How can this statistic be changed?
I suggest 2 ways:
Firstly – Understanding your true value – its not found on a pension or benefit statement. Graham Kendrick wrote a song – “Paid on the nail” which asks the question “How much do you think you are worth? The answer is that our lives have been already been valued and a great price has been paid. Also see Matthew 6 v 25-34
Secondly there is some good suggestions here…
So when I finish work, my rough plan is to get more exercise (making up for 8 hours stuck behind a desk every day) and to get involved with something significant, exactly what I have yet to discover.
What about you?
You need to “belong” and “contribute” for your own well being.
Are you involved in a CVM group? If not then why not? If there isn’t one near you then get together with some guys and start one.

A few years back you could buy paint in a range of colours, but there was only ever one white and that was brilliant!
Then a well known paint company – famous for its old English sheep dog – brought out four new whites with names like barley white and apple white.
Looking on their website today a search for white resulted in a display of exactly 50 different shades of white.
When I was younger, many things were either right or wrong, black or white and the only shades of grey were battleship and elephant.
These days things are not so clear cut, perhaps in part due to our “post modern society”, where everyone can have a valid opinion and almost nothing is actually wrong, it’s just another view.
I would like to think that the truth is that I am not just older but also a little wiser – not only do I know more than before, I also know how much I do not know.
The awareness that there is much more to know means that there are more wonders and amazing things to discover and experience. This is exciting!
This also means that things I was certain of before I am less certain of now.
Yes there are core truths and values which I consider to be unchangeable – such as the eternal truths of salvation through faith.
Then there are the other things I learnt on the way, usually repeated from a pulpit, that are less convincing when subjected the rigour of research, analysis and common sense.
We used to hear sayings such as “Doctor knows best”, “Carrots help you see in the dark” and “Science says bumble bees cannot fly”.
However the UK’s worst serial killer was a doctor, eating carrots was wartime propaganda to hide the use of radar and a misquote about bees from 1930 still turns up as a sermon illustration.
Today there are people fully convinced that they are right and that others are therefore wrong. However they are not prepared to discuss or debate things – perhaps afraid there may be another side to the truth they missed.
The recent copy of Sorted (great read by the way) came with a leaflet to give away – OMG. This contains a quote by Edward DeBono

“If you never change your mind, what’s the point in having one?”

It is ok to ask questions and to change your mind.
The key thoughts I want to leave you with are:

1. Your loving someone does not mean you condone or affirm their life choices. Compassion, grace and love are way more important than being absolutely right.
2. Often our choices are not between right and wrong but between several right choices.
3. Exciting news – there are always new things to discover and learn.
4. Be an old dog that can learn new tricks.
5. God has blessed us with an infinite number of colours.

Earlier this week I went to bed to find our cat “Meta” curled up halfway down the duvet, clearly not wishing to be disturbed, after all he was there first.
I successfully got into bed and gradually claimed the quilt back. Meta did not complain and leave as usual but insisted on snuggling up to me, half inside the quilt.
This reminded me of a time when we still had our dog, a Stafford-beagle cross called Arnold.
I had gone for a lie down on the bed because I was not feeling too well.
I dozed off and woke up to find Arnold snuggled in to my back and Meta in to my front – I was the filling in a dog and cat sandwich.
I said to myself “What’s going on here?” instantly the answer came to me – “You are loved”.
My Heavenly Father was using my pets to tell me that he loved me.
A couple of weeks ago we watched a film – About Time, written by Richard Curtiss.

At the age of 21, Tim is told an incredible family secret by his father: all the men in his family have the ability to relive their past. He can revisit any moment in his life to try things differently until he gets them perfectly right…

…In the end, he finds that making the most of love and life will mean giving up the past and living for the moment.

One of the moments that stuck with me from this film was when the slightly potty Uncle referred to the best day of his life – it was the day when his brother-in-law told him during a wedding speech that he was loved.
[A word of caution:  While I enjoyed the film, some people may find the language used and some scenes not to their taste, it is not a “Christian” film].
From Biblegateway.com:

How do you know you’re loved?
On a basic level, we know we’re loved when someone tells us, or when they show it through their actions.
When Jesus came to this earth, he was showing an incalculable amount of love for us.
He loved us so much that he was willing to die for us.

 John 3:16

“God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.”

As you go about your daily life this week, remember that the truth is that you are loved.
 

I must have rolled over in bed and the pain had woken me.
Whichever way I moved the pain was so intense that I fully expected to need to go to hospital, with the added indignity of needing to be carried out of bed by an ambulance crew, with me only wearing a pair of striped shorts.
I was thinking gas and air would be really good right now –after all, it helps when having babies, which must be almost as bad as this.
After a while, I slowly and carefully made it on to my stomach, after a bit more effort I moved my legs so I was kneeling at the side of the bed.
I reached for my phone and Googled “back pain”, “kidney problems” and tried to work out what it could be – in other words did I need an ambulance or not?
Slowly I pushed myself up. To my surprise if found I could move around on my knees. Using the radiator I pulled myself up – I was standing and I could walk.
After a careful visit to the bathroom (probably why I had stirred in the first place). I rubbed in some pain gel and headed down stairs.
I was able to take some pain killers and carefully walked around and stretched my back until it eased.
Not relishing the challenge of trying to get out of bed again, I made myself comfortable on the sofa and managed to sleep sitting up.
I made it through to the morning and the drama of an ambulance at 2am had been avoided. The simple thought struck me. “Not all of our problems and pains are visible”.
Only I knew how bad the pain in my back was, there were no outward signs apart from the expressions on my face and strange noises I made as I attempt to move.
There are many people who are in all kinds of pain. We cannot see what is wrong, but the problems, agonies, pain and embarrassment are just as real as my back pain.
The good news is that the treatment is similar: medication, rest, exercise, support, prayer and a bit of sympathy.