I can't. He did.

pre-s. Check out http://stp.cominneapolis.org/blog/ for more regular updates on what we are doing :)

This is the problem of not blogging for a while! There is so much to say I am not even sure where to start! Ok so let’s go by numbers...
1) There are many many many different words for American things than British ones. Highway, sneakers, sweater, store, cookies, tennis shoes, purse (handbag), swim suit, trunk, hood, soccer, parking lot, candy, trash.... it is so funny! ( I am frequently mocked because of what I say but it’s all fun... What people most like is I would say “half seven” instead of “seven thirty” and have decided to consciously start saying that!
2) We had a group social and it was called “Recess” (Break time) and all the people wore their shorts, t-shirts with tank tops on top, long socks pulled up to their knees, trainers .. crazy! (I am thankful I had a uniform now hehe) and they had little brown paper bags to put their lunches in (so did no one have lunch boxes as a child?) and then we played four square, kick ball, basketball and skipped! There were 120 “children” in the car park and when real children came up to us they seemed very confused. It was a lot of fun.
3) Grace. I don’t even know where to start! The point of Christianity is that it is over. It has been done. It is FINISHED. It’s not about us trying anymore, we can’t, Jesus did. Christianity is the celebration of a finished work, the saved are home before they started. The cost of our freedom from sin is not obedience, or doing God’s will, resolving to try harder (our best attempts to change make no difference) or pleasing God/ performing for God. The cost was the body of Jesus. We are to stop trying because we are accepted, and rejoice in this fact! But we don’t rejoice, we bring our own cost into it because we want to be God, we want to be the hero of the story. Our flesh wants God dead, I want to be God.
The truth of the matter is that the only thing I bring into this amazing story is sin. Jesus is the hero! And sets us free from God’s wrath – we are not punished for our sin any longer. Free from performance – we don’t have to impress God or anyone else. We are accepted because it is done. Free from fear of death, free from perfection – we have an advocate, when we mess up Jesus is there. Free from masks – trying to make people think we are something. Our greatest desire is to be known and accepted, through Jesus, this has happened! We are free to love because we can stop needing people! Need people less, love people more – because he fulfils all our needs. Free to admire (things beside myself)! Admire Christ, admire what he is doing in others. Stop competing so desperately – pushing others down or being threatened... it is for freedom that we have been set free.