As we approach Christmas, my thoughts often turn to the normal stuff we do at Christmas, what did we do last year? What did we do in 2010? 1984? What did our forebears do in 1876 .. family traditions .. love ‘em. I guess you all have some …
The Royal Navy is rammed full of traditions, most of which have their roots in something Nelson did, even the way the RN salute is different to the Army and RAF as (apparently) the senior officers / big wigs did not want to see filthy hands so the palm was turned towards the fore-head .. no idea if its true but its certainly a tradition that has become the norm.
One of the traditions that is still practised is the daily ceremonies of Colours and Sunset. This is basically where we raise the Ensign in the morning and lower it again at sunset (or as we used to say lets go and say good night to the Queen). There is a whole ceremony involving marching / saluting / specific commands etc. When alongside in a port this is overseen and conducted by the Officer Of The Day (OOD). Very often the Captain will come to the flight deck and stand behind the OOD and it better be done correctly, spot on time or the OOD will be summoned to the Captains cabin on completion! Its taken very seriously.
One day in Plymouth I was OOD. All was ready, the rest of the team were in their correct places, I was stood at ease facing the empty ensign staff, flag ready to be hoisted. I felt rather than heard the Captain come onto the Flight Deck and stand behind me. Part of the ceremony is to ring the ships bell 8 times with a slight pause between each pair ‘ding ding … ding ding … ding ding … ding ding’ . The Leading Seaman who was to the ring the bell marched out to me and said ‘Sir, we have a problem’ ‘What?’ ‘Someone’s nicked the clapper out of the bell’. ‘Just sort it Leader’ replies I. A minute later after the Command ‘Make it so’ from me I heard the Leading Seaman shout in a gruff voice ‘dinger dinger … dinger dinger … ‘ I thought he may use a screwdriver or something. No. He said dinger dinger 4 times. Lets just say I was summoned to the Captains Cabin.
Thing with traditions is that they can actually become the main thing, the tradition itself becomes so important that we lose sight of what we are actually doing it for. It’s like that at Christmas isn’t it ? We always open our presents before church .. we always have a turkey .. Grandad always has a whisky before dinner … Aunt Mabel always has a sherry whilst cooking lunch .. we always watch the Queens Speech. There is nothing wrong with these things per se, but when they become more important than the whole story of Christmas, the message of hope come to earth in the form of a baby, then somethings come wrong somewhere!
So with a few weeks to go before Christmas (its called ‘advent’ of course) it’s the perfect time to look again at traditions and routines that we may have and put them into a right perspective with the whole message of the Christmas story … Jesus born that he may save us from our selves. Did it really matter that the Leading Seamen said ‘dnger dinger’? No, it didn’t, the ship still functioned that day, it did not effect our capability in any way … it was just a tradition.

Image Credit: Nikola Jelenkovic

This is my first blog, so please be patient as I navigate my way through this new skill! Writing a blog is a great way to share our journeys in life and to keep folks informed on what’s going on, the good and the not so good!
I am the father of 5 beautiful kids and for this I am truly blessed, they are all so different and totally unique. Let me tell you a bit about them …

Firstly my gorgeous wife Joanne, who is the cornerstone of our family, she is simply a rock and a wonderful mother.
Katie is the eldest child, who keeps reminding us that she is the Law in the household. The reason she says this is that she is a Police Officer. Katie wanted to join the Police from a young age, so for her to achieve her dream makes us very proud as parents.
Then comes Hannah who is a hairdresser and loves to be glamorous. She is a beautiful girl both inside and out. Talented in whatever she does she has the ability to put people at ease then work her magic and they leave feeling amazing.  She is so much fun to be around and has the most amazing singing voice.
Daughter number 3 is Rebecca, or Becks, who wants to become a firefighter. A gifted person who brings laughter into our lives, she has just got her exam results and did very well.  She is going into 5th year, so hoping she does well in her Highers.
Then comes Rachel, daughter number 4 (yup, 4 daughters), who is so different to her older sisters. She loves her sport and is a gifted football player playing for Donside Girls. She also loves music and plays the drums, and has a most amazing singing voice, but keeps this firmly under wraps.
Finally there is Samuel, the boy in the household. He is a warrior in every way. Courageous, (well he has to be with 4 older sisters) and intelligent, Samuel loves his football and is a promising young player. Joanne and I say the intelligence must have skipped a generation …..
So, where is all this going? Firstly I love my wife, she is one amazing lady and I am so thankful that she is my soul partner.
Then secondly my kids are all wonderful, and I will give my all for them until the day I leave this world, and here is the point … I have the father`s heart. Like me when I was young, my kids will (and have already!), made some crazy choices in their young lives. I made so many crazy choices, and at the age of 48 will go on and make many more not so wise choices. My Dad was certainly not perfect, but he loved me and in his own way forgave those silly choices of youth.
In the Bible there is the parable of the lost (or prodigal) son. It is found in Luke chapter 15, verses 11-32. The main character in the parable, the forgiving father, whose character remains constant throughout the story, is a picture of God. In telling the story, Jesus identifies Himself with God in His loving attitude to the lost. The younger son symbolizes the lost (the tax collectors and sinners of that day, Luke 15:1), and the elder brother represents the self-righteous (the Pharisees and teachers of the law of that day, Luke 15:2). The major theme of this parable seems not to be so much the conversion of the sinner, as in the previous two parables of Luke 15, but rather the restoration of a believer into fellowship with the Father. In the first two parables, the owner went out to look for what was lost (Luke 15:1-10), whereas in this story the father waits and watches eagerly for his son’s return. We see a progression through the three parables from the relationship of one in a hundred (Luke 15:1-7), to one in ten (Luke 15:8-10), to one in one (Luke 15:11-32), demonstrating God’s love for each individual and His personal attentiveness towards all humanity. We see in this story the graciousness of the father overshadowing the sinfulness of the son, as it is the memory of the father’s goodness that brings the prodigal son to repentance (Romans 2:4).
What I love about this parable is the heart of the Father, that he loved his youngest son unconditionally, when he saw his son in the distance, he ran to him, to embrace him and give total forgiveness.
God is our Father and his love for us is beyond our human minds, it’s what is called perfect love, the Greek word is Agape.
This word agape is often translated “love” in the New Testament. How is “agape love” different from other types of love? The essence of agape love is goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. Unlike our English word love, agape is not used in the New Testament to refer to romantic or sexual love. Nor does it refer to close friendship or brotherly love, for which the Greek word philia is used. Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will. It is distinguished from the other types of love by its lofty moral nature and strong character. Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13.
So my first Blog is about the Father`s heart, for me as a Father, I love my kids, and will always be there for them but I am not perfect and will make mistakes.
But my Heavenly Father is agape love, his love is perfect – no mistakes, and that is why he sent his only son, Jesus into the world, that we could see perfect love in action.

Image Credit: Caleb Jones

I am remembering Ian. Ian was a mate who I served with in the Royal Navy. Ian died on 25 May 1982 when HMS Coventry was bombed and sunk during the Falklands conflict. Ian was 21, Ian and I had been ‘run ashore oppos’ for a couple of years going to rock gigs in Portsmouth and Southampton on his motorbike. I was 6 months ahead of him in my RN career, so I had left my ship by the time the Falklands conflict happened, but he was still at sea, and ‘is still on patrol’. Subsequently I have twice laid wreaths over the wreck of the Coventry and yes there was a sense of guilt that his body lay at the bottom of the sea and I was continuing my life (the last time I laid a wreath was some 26 years after his death, but it was no easier … I’m not convinced that ‘time is a healer’). I will be remembering Ian.
Maybe it’s a grandfather, or great uncle killed in the 2nd WW, or Korea or any one of the dozens of conflicts and wars that the British military have been involved in since the end of WW2. Some of these conflicts have been controversial (Iraq, Ireland, and Afghanistan for example), and that brings different challenges thinking about why it happened at all. Who are you remembering?
Or maybe you don’t actually know anyone personally who has been killed in conflict. Then how about friends who have served and are suffering with PTSD? We recently watched the Invictus games and were proud to see an ex RN Medic competing, who had been part of our housegroup. Whilst serving in Afghanistan with the Royal Marines she had been called to treat two Commandos who had been involved in an IED explosion. Neither survived. She was wracked with guilt and Invictus is helping her on the road to recovery. Who are you remembering? I will be remembering Ian … and Faith.
Or maybe it’s a wife or children of someone serving today who is left on their own for months at a time … that too is sacrifice. A widow or child left orphaned … that too is sacrifice. Who are you remembering?
Maybe it’s a member of your church, or the old fella who nurses a pint in the pub who served and has nothing but memories. Maybe it’s a doctor who has served in Afghanistan and now works in your GP surgery. Maybe it’s the homeless guy who sells the Big Issue, torn apart with survivor guilt after his patrol was blown up in Afghanistan. Who are you remembering?
Maybe it’s the policeman who suffers from flashbacks, or the paramedic who saw horrific things at an RTA … one of my shipmates Barry was killed in an RTA on the way home from the ship one evening, that does not make his sacrifice any less than others. I will be remembering Ian, and Faith and Barry …
Remembrance day is about remembering those who have made sacrifices for their country, in times of war and peace. Yes the focus is on those who paid the ultimate sacrifice but I am sure we all know someone who has made or is still making sacrifices for others. Who will you be remembering?
If you just can’t think of anyone personally … then remember Jesus. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice … for all of us when he died on the cross.
Greater love has no one than this – than to lay down his life for his friends.
Who will you be remembering? I am remembering Ian, Faith, Barry and …
Image Credit: James Harris

We made it, it has been almost 2 months, if you are still with me on this journey, thank you.
Let’s do it, No.1.

01.   And so, dear brothers and sisters I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

OK, here is my number 1 section of the bible (at the moment.)
However, it is a bit of weird one to choose and unravel. The idea of a sacrifice and it being me is all a bit weird really. So what does it mean? Well a sacrifice like this is like saying something is dedicated to and set aside for this cause. This is not however like the radicalised expression we see in the world today where a person’s ‘dedication and sacrifice’ means the loss of life for others. It is totally the opposite.
Eyes not lusting, tongue not cursing, hands not creating wrong, feet not walking us into sin and away from God. Instead your hands can build for good and help others, your ears can listen to the hurt in the lives of others and your mouth can speak blessing, encouragement and life.
The point of this for me is that we don’t copy the pattern of this world and how it behaves, it’s customs and expectations that are all around us. The ‘me first’ mentality, stepping on people to get to the top, buying more whatever the cost, grabbing a bargain at someone else’s expense. We should not be focused on getting but trying to give, leaning on grace, forgiveness and truth rather than un-forgiveness, suspicion and lies.
In our lives there will always be choices and we can chose to respond, act and behave how the world would expect us to. If someone hurts you the expectation is you hurt them back. If someone forgets to invoice you for that thing you bought, the expectation is to not tell them and get a free item. If someone breaks your trust you need to not trust them again it goes on. The thing is, I believe Jesus calls us to be transformed in the way that we think about this stuff. If the world goes one way, chances are we need to be looking and asking the question ‘what does it mean to go the other way?’
Do you bless when everyone expects you to curse? Do you love when everyone calls for hate? Do you forgive when the world would seek revenge? This has been my number 1 for a while now, what’s yours?

Here we are at No.2 in my top 10 Bible verses. I agonised a lot over this, there are so many sections in the bible that speak so clearly about the impact, scale and earth shattering implications of Jesus’ death on the cross, but I went for this. It just had to be this.

02.   “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. John 19:30

A man lived a simple a life, a carpenter by trade, skilled worker from a local community and family. He had no exceptional physical beauty that would attract anyone to him, no possessions, wealth or even a place to call his own. He studied, worked and remained a single man in the company of just a few close friends.
He began to travel when he turned 30, a message had burned itself into his heart and a mission that had been waiting in secret was finally being revealed.
When this man spoke, he had authority, when he taught he had unfathomable wisdom. The crowds gathered as this man began to show his full authority, even over the elements in life that we struggle to master: the spiritual world and its ugliness, the natural world and its raging seas and the physical world with life’s ailments and infirmities.
This simple man, with no physical beauty to attract us to him, no place to lay his head captivated the lives of thousands. He showed radical generosity, compassion and mercy alongside indignation at the corruption and manipulation of people.
This man spoke in parables, earthly stories with some sort of heavenly meaning, talked of a future to come of absolutes and a place that he knew of that wouldn’t ever spoil or fade. His closest friends heard even more about the meaning of these stories and started to write them down and record this man’s life and teaching.
He also said he could forgive sin, the mistakes and mess that for centuries only animal sacrifice could dissolve. But if he could forgive sin, that would mean he was God and God was unreachable not here on earth amongst us, flesh and blood. ‘This man can’t be allowed to go on living’ was the whisper that turned into a chant in the hearts of so many.
They took the man, not by force, because he didn’t fight or defend himself at all. They flogged him, beat him and dressed him as a fake god. Surrounded by ridicule and a jeering crowd, their whispers of death had been realised as this man was nailed to the cross. Lifted for all to see this man’s life draining away in the afternoon sun.
“It is finished” he cried, and with that HE released his spirit and died.
Fellas, this leaves you and me with a question. What was it he finished?
On that day that one man defeated death, it took 3 days for the world to see it, but it happened, death lost its sting and sin is no longer your master, Jesus is!

HERE. WE. GO! The top 3. It is normally at this point at CVM events we would throw in a ridiculous curve ball to create anarchy. I won’t’ do that here…..ok, here is what I wanted to use.
‘As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.’ Proverbs 26:11.
(I was also going to Songs of Solomon, but thought I had better leave it there.)

03.  Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Zechariah 4:6

Old Testament this time and a word of great encouragement spoken to a bloke called Zerubbabel. He was tasked with rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem after a group of Israelites captives had started to make a return from Babylonia.
Zerubbabel was greatly discouraged, disheartened and struggling against the scale of the task at hand and how it would be accomplished. It was in this moment of despair that he gets an amazing word from God.
What has this got to do with us today thousands of years on?
I think there is a tendency for us fellas to get ourselves stuck in lots of different situations in life, mistakes or challenges that take us into deeper water than we expected to be in. When we are in these places we tend to do a few things, use all the effort, fight and energy we can to sort it out, then when that runs dry, we pray and surrender it to God.
I have done this so many times in my own life, wrestled with stuff and ended up exhausted, disheartened and frustrated. It is always at this point I stop and surrender, pray and invite the Holy Spirit to get involved. What I have seen in this pattern is that when I realise this fight isn’t won by my own strength, power and force, but by a move and work of the Holy Spirit, the battle changes, for the best.
On one occasion, I was speaking at a men’s event, turned up and the bloke I was chatting to said ‘oh yeah, heard you speak before, love your jokes and the accent, brilliant.’ Whilst it was a kind compliment, it troubled me. I wasn’t seeing anyone come to faith when I was speaking, just blokes laughing at the jokes. I realised that whilst the gags are funny, really funny, I wanted more than that, not by power, force or jokes, but by the spirit!
This changed things for me, one of the first things I do now is yield to the Holy Spirit, then start to move and work. Yield first, invite the Holy Spirit to direct and speak and then we move.

OK, we are almost into the top 3 in this definitive list of my favourite bible verses. Of course, there are more and I could have made a top 100 but I think you may have got bored and stopped reading this blog series, maybe you have already….. hello?

04.  We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7

In this bible passage the apostle Paul is exploring some amazing theology about who God is and how God has set himself in the heart and lives of those who believe and follow him. In doing this, we are, incredibly, able to see something of the glory of God, the same wonder and glory that is seen in Christ.
Incredibly He has chosen to ‘dwell’ on us and in us. The presence and power of God, the glory and light of God in us; we can see it at work and be part of something incredible.
Here is where the verse I have put as my number 4 comes in. This presence of God is a treasure beyond human value, and it’s kept inside a jar of clay or in my case an old mug! That’s me, the mug, and inside is this treasure, incredible light and glory, put there by God when I gave my life to him and was born again and filled by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Still with me? Bit heavy this one.
I remember reading a quote from a Chinese Christian who suffered false imprisonment and who sadly died in prison, Watchman Nee. He said (something like) this. ‘The church doesn’t need more vessels; it needs to see more of the treasure that’s within!’
That made me laugh because he was right, the vessel isn’t what people need to see more of, not more of Nathan and all he can do, it is the treasure within they need to see, that is what will set people free. When our lives allow the glory of God to shine brightly through, I think it is then that we will see people encounter more of Jesus.
Does that mean the vessel is useless and without value? No, not at all, after all God has chosen to dwell there, a place of great value and significance. But, the vessel must be yielded to the treasure within and not the vessel controlling and hiding the treasure!
OK, I need to read all that again, was a wee bit heavy.

We are half way through the ultimate top ten list of bible verses that have impacted and spoken the loudest to me. I would love to hear your top ten, tweet me or email CVM.

05.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16

This is from a passage where Jesus is teaching on a mountainside and it has become a favourite amongst loads of Christian speakers and writers.
Jesus sets the bar high and shows just how incredible God’s ideas are when it comes to how we live and why we are living. Talk about a culture of the opposite spirit! If someone curses you bless them; those who are humble will inherit the earth; God blesses mercy; he delights in pure hearts and blesses the people who are persecuted.
I remember sitting in Harlow, Essex (oh Harlow how I miss you), I was 20 years old and living at home. I was invited to go to Brazil on a church trip for 6 weeks. A few weeks before we went the team started to get to know each other, I got a letter from one of the team members. It was like the lost letter that the apostle Paul had written, deep theology, beautifully written and full of God stuff that left me feeling seriously out of my depth.
After reading that I wasn’t sure I should even be going let alone calling myself a Christian, so I had a few days of feeling stressed then decided to read the bible. I opened it around this section and when I was reading this verse (Matthew 5:16) I felt the Holy Spirit bring an incredible comfort to my spirit.
It was like this: “Be who and what you are Nathan, a son, and a follow of the Christ. Focus your life on that and the rest will sort itself out.”
I am not sure why but it just made sense, I was ok with that. I needed to not try and measure my life against someone else, gauge my spirituality against another persons. The point of a relationship with Jesus is that it is your relationship, unique and not to be compared or held up against persons.
Twist in this story? When we got to Brazil the bloke who wrote the lost letter of Paul was the one person who ended up creating more chaos and upset than you could imagine.

Let’s try a doxology for this weeks blog and next top ten bible verse. If you are new to the world of doxologies, don’t worry. It’s nothing you will need cream for from the chemist, it’s just a posh word for an awesome section of prayer and praise that we can find in the bible.

06. Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. Jude 24-25

When I was working for a church in Essex this would be my go to section in the bible to end a service. There is always that awkward bit after the final song when people just stood looking at me. I was never sure what to say so it seemed right to finish with a prayer.
I am not always that fluent in the moment with prayer and so I go to the bible to find prayers that have already been written that express a clear heart for God. In essence, these are doxologies.
A good mate of mine who sadly passed away in his 40’s was the vicar at the Church of England in the area where I was working as a pastor. He got me into set prayers and sections of the bible like this one, it helped loads.
Sometimes if we are honest we just don’t have the right words. Maybe the situation is so stressful you just don’t know what to say, or words have lost their weight and you’ve got nothing left. That happens sometimes in life.
This section from Jude is amazing because it keeps the main thing the main thing. All glory, majesty, power and authority are his, they have been, will be and always will be.
I don’t know about you but when words fail and you just need to find a prayer the Bible is the place to go. It has the lot, and here we can be without doubt, God is in control even if we can’t see how, when or why things are how they are. He is still in control.

Slight curve ball this week, we are digging around in the Psalms. If you are finding your way around the bible for the first time, the Psalms are a great place to start. Real life stories of individuals and communities learning to live in a relationship with God. The highs, the lows, the battles and the failures. It is all here and makes for incredible reading.

07. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5

I have read the bible from front to back and have been following Jesus for about 30 years but only last month did a mate show me this verse and it was like I had never seen it before.
If you are anything like me you have messed up your life in a few ways and found yourself dealing with the consequences of those actions. Of course, the way we mess up and the scale of the impact will vary greatly and scar and mark our lives accordingly.
However, I think one of the things that lingers and sticks to us all, regardless of what the mistake was, when it was or who it hurt, is that guilt can fuse itself to us and not let go.
Guilt over that action, the people who were hurt and the person you had become can shape our lives in the most drastic ways, but they don’t need too.
I have read so many times that I am a free man and my relationship with Jesus means that I can know that forgiveness and freedom now, fully. But do I experience that freedom? Or does the guilt strangle and choke it out of me before it even becomes a reality?
Here is the thing, David, the bloke who wrote this Psalm messed up, but he found freedom from guilt and this is important. He took his sin and mistakes to God, without mask or veneer and God forgave him, for the mistake and the guilt.
David found freedom from the guilt of his sin and mistakes, he found freedom!
We are not supposed to be slaves to sin or trapped in guilt and the web of lies that it so often creates around us. That doesn’t change the reality of the mistake, its impact and devastation, but it can bring healing. Maybe this verse should be a lot higher than number 7 but all the same, here it is. Free men!

Image Credit: Aaron Burden