The Heisenberg Unpleasantness Principle

I'm doomemed. It’s Simone’s fault. Or mine, for talking too much. Somebody with so much to say is an easy victim.

So now I have to find ten things that make me happy, and in the process feel less happy about it. Frankly, I’m surprised. This is a form where you fill in your own numbers. She should have known better!

1. That God consistently deflates my ego. And doesn’t mind spending an eternity doing it.

2. Those times, once every few years, when the kids sleep through the night, and I wake up before them, having slept late. Small miracles are still miracles.

3. Thinking. I’m obsessive about it. I’m not claiming anything profound here – just that I can be having a conversation while the analytical corner of my brain is performing some kind of combinatorics exercise. Without distracting me too much.

4. Genuine time off – no chores to do, just completely discretionary time. Particularly if it’s enough to…

5. See  a movie. It needn’t be fantastic, but it’s nice to inhabit a different world for a couple of hours. But the best kind are by…

6. Alfred Hitchcock. Because he’s never boring.

7. Competing. Board games, trivia, anything that requires no genuine ability below the neck.

8. The totally novel, as in never-before-in-my-life, idea that it might be possible to increase my general fitness and wellbeing while exercising, and enjoy it. Courtesy of the new bike that I bought for Father’s/birth/Christmas/anniversary Day last week. It goes really fast. Even with me on it. And not just due to the effects of gravity when falling over.

9. Cheesy pop music. Not all of it, thankfully. But a strong keyboard, or a ballad, or Bono…and I’m a goner.

10. Reading the Bible, and finding once again something new, thereby demonstrating that God is not just cool but also eternally satisfying. And far better than Hitchcock!

 

Not too painful, then. That means I can tag people with a clear conscience. Well, the only active readers here that I’m aware of are Byron and Rach. Though I doubt Rach will be adding to that particular blog… And I’ll tag Andrew too, seeing as Simone didn’t!

An Affair to Remember

A couple of years ago, Moore College did their School of Theology on the book of Exodus. The book version is a cracker, with some wonderful and original work. This series arises from Richard Gibson’s ideas about preaching Exodus.

 

July 18 • Exodus 1-2

God Looked On

Even before Israel was a nation, they faced a crisis of faith: if God was watching, why was he waiting? Should a God who’s on the sidelines be sidelined?

July 25 • Exodus 3-4

Is It Not I?

Prophecy has in inauspicious birth—but there are other ominous signs of oncoming disaster. ‘For love is as strong as death…’

August 1 • Exodus 5-11

The Ruler of Egypt

‘…Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away…’ There can be only one ruler of Egypt, and he will rule through his minions. But what sacrifice will he demand?

August 8 • Exodus 12-13

Total Recall

God remembered his covenant with Abraham; his people were to remember this day. ‘In days to come, when your son asks you, “What does this mean?” say to him’ … what?

August 15 • Exodus 13-18

Road Trip

‘Come away, my lover…’ We follow Israel as they travel between a hard place and a rock, with God drawing them to the place where they will meet.

August 22 • Exodus 19-24

The Pre-Nup

‘Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover?’ It has happened: God has brought his people to himself. The question now is whose people they will be?

August 29 • Exodus 25-40

Home Beautiful

‘…If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned…’ The interior decorations in this place are simply divine!

September 5 • Exodus 32-34

The Green-Eyed Master

‘…Its jealousy unyielding as the grave…’ We know that God told Moses his name—but do we know what it means?

 

Yep, Father’s Day for the last one. And we’re reading 1 Peter with Exodus, reaching chapter 3 just in time…

The ♥ of the Gospel

I’ve preached this series before (well, planned it and shared it with a few others), and this time around I’m even less convinced of the sermon titles. But, for what it’s worth…

June 13 • Ephesians 1:1-14

Bank On It

The gospel finds its origin in the extraordinary generosity of God, and in this generosity lies a security that goes beyond the financial realm…

June 20 • Ephesians 1:15-23

Seeing Some Interest

…but God’s investment in us is ongoing; we are a term deposit that continues to grow until we reach maturity…

June 27 • Ephesians 2:1-10

From Out of Bankruptcy

…for God has paid out our debt, and we are his…

July 4 • Ephesians 2:11-22

The Merger

…and not us alone, for God is at work all over the world, building a company of richly diverse yet complementary assets…

July 11 • Ephesians 3

Whose Profit?

…until finally, the glory of God’s grand design is revealed, and we fall at his feet in praise and thanksgiving!