As many of you will know our Minister Rev Andy Renshaw with his family are taking some sabbatical time out for refreshment to have time to just read their bible and get to spend more time with God without the distraction of the day to day responsibility of running a church full-time.

Andy is also a committed family man and this break gives him time to spend with his wife and children.  However at the same time he will be carrying out some research for a PhD study he is completing.

WOW That sounds like a full time job in itself  I hope he does manage to get in some relaxation as well.

He is however also committed to the people that make up his church so will sending us all messages on a fairly regular basis so come back and read how things are going for him and discover what prayer support he would welcome. You can also send him messages of support by going to any of the posts and completing the comments box.  Although your message will not be published immediately online he will be able to see it when he next comes online.

Remember to keep him and his family in your prayers every day.  Thank you all!

I shall post some reflections in the next few days.

Andy, Jan and the girls.

Yes – you read that right. We were in the Farme Auberge and we decided to return to the U.K. there are a whole host of reasons for this. Namely:-

1. My mum is still in hospital and will be for weeks and I prefer to be in the U.K.
2. The car developed a leak on the gasket behind the water pump and although this is now fixed (by some addition of some liquid) it gave us a little bit of a scare and explaining to a French garage was not easy.
3. Prices in France are sky high. We have been paying 50 euros per night for campsites – which we had planned for anyway in July. However, this seems to be the norm except for the very cheap campsites (which we found).
4. The price of food in France is in a poor state. I spoke with many French people and inflation and prices are escalating out of control. It was costing us at least £40 to £50 per day to eat from the Supermarche. This was not eating out but simply eating basic food. Bacon, eggs, tinned tuna, pasta, cheese. We managed to only eat out in a restaurant three times as it was averaging about £10 for the children and maybe £20 per adult just for a main course, forget anything else.
5. Fuel in many areas is now on a par or even more expensive than in the U.K. With such vast distances in France this has an affect.

I was speaking to one of the elders in Joinville and it seems the credit crunch (world financial crisis would be a better description) has hit hard in France. To find a job is almost impossible, even with qualifications and experience.

Tax on goods was reduced recently by the French government to try and stimulate their economy, although, I saw little evidence this was the case. I suspect from my limited observations the U.K. is in a better state than France. House prices in France have dropped between 40 to 60%. I looked at houses that were maybe £45,000 for a four bedroomed house. 

The auberge St Malo at Etrigny was for sale. I looked at what it consisted of:

Chateau – maybe 10 bedrooms

Working farm –  Several miles of land

2 vineyards

Campsite

All for the princely sum of 95,000 Euros (I reckon about 83 – 85,000 sterling).  It has been for sale for months. No one is interested.

So we are going to stay in Dover for a few days and then explore the South Coast ending up in Cornwall,then to camp and the back up the country to Peterhead in Mid August.

We will miss France but it was the right thing to return after five weeks. 

Blessings

Andy,Jan and the girls

Secondly, I now know my mum is going to be in hospital for a number of weeks with her broken leg. Pray that she gets better quickly. I did consider flying home.

Blessings

Andy, Jan and the girls

Last night we had an experience that I am still trying to process. It was 6 p.m. and we had visited another expensive supermarket. Roughly food prices are double what they are in Peterhead. About £4.50 for a 1lb of sausages.  Fruit is very cheap as it is mainly sourced locally, meat is very very expensive.

So at 6 p.m. I saw the sign again for Taize.  Well I have sung some of the chants and I have heard about it. So we drove 17 kilometres and arrived at this huge monastery with about 2000 people.  The people were mainly between 18 and 25 and from every nationality I could think of. It seems it was a Conference about spreading the word 2009.  We wondered if we could find any details about when services were on. We were confronted by two young people at reception that was at best hostile. Could they help us – what were we doing? I was struggling to understand their broken English and suddenly arms were up and they were looking at us demanding what we wanted. The young woman at this point took charge as I explained that we wanted to come and worship God. The young swiss woman was very helpful and pointed out where the church was and the children’ club. She offered to take us to the church, the guy at reception who was obviously in charge said he would not allow her to help us any further and we needed to find the church ourselves. I felt about as welcome as a dog in a cattery.  I had mentioned I was a Pastor and I got the impression this did not please him!!!!! The next service was 8:30 p.m. and it was now 8 p.m.  There was a children’s club for the 30 minutes the service was on and I was told a strict 7 minute silence that had to be observed.  

Huge signs outside the church (wooden building with huge mushrooms with crosses on it that look decidedly unlike a church, maybe a school hall!!!) announced silence. So we went and sat crosslegged with about 2000ish young people. The interior of the church is unusual.  A number of icons and then at the front (a long way away from where I was sitting and I think most people can sit) was a red and yellow curtain with dozens of candles and a huge icon of Jesus on the side. I have no problem with icons as they can be an aid to worship for people. Certainly they were a useful focus when people could not read or write.

The bells stopped and the brothers arrived (about 20 of them) in white gowns. Suddenly there was a huge amount of activity from everyone around as the song number was put on a small LCD screen.  We chanted in English, French, German, had a reading from John’s Gospel  then had our seven minutes silence. At the end of the seven minutes another bell rung and we were back to the LCD screen. I suspect though that this form of service has not changed in hundreds of years (except for the LCD screen)

I looked around and realised that the majority of the young people were not singing, not paying attention, they looked thoroughly bored. 

As I left the service I reflected on it. It was fantastic singing and chanting, very peaceful and well structured.  However,  each reading, song, hymn, etc was delivered in a the same careful structured monotone.  Only the  brothers led the service, no one else.  I am sure there were lots of people in that service who engaged with God. However, for me I came away thinking it was an experience, but nothing else.  I would not want to return.  No one welcomed us at any point, enquired about us or chatted.  There was no greeting or anyone at the end who said , “hi”.

As we had not found a church that was open on Sunday I was really looking forward to it.

I have now visited several churches in the area (all catholic and very old) and the reoccurring theme is that they are closed or used maybe once a month – if that. I stopped at Lavies on Sunday and asked what time the church service was on. I was told the nearest church service was 100 kilometres away.  There are villages filled with people, Tournus is a huge town and has no active church. I have not seen even any Protestant Churches. 

I did wander around the Church in Tournus, a huge massive building that is certainly Pre-Reformation. However, it rarely has a service and is in a sad state of disrepair. It is very bleak and lacking in much except a marble table and a few icons.

I managed a few days ago to get the key to Etrigny Church from the caretaker. I suspect the church dates from about the 12^th Century.  It is very colourful and has three altars (obviously pointing to a time when the church was full). It has a huge central pulpit, a font, let me pause, all of the fonts I have encountered carry either a picture of a skull or the devil. Triumph over death and satan by baptism.  Each of the ancient pews have a number on and very surprisingly at the side of the church a shrine (commemoration) to the first president of France.  

I am sending this from McDonalds in Chalone Sur Saone. Hey ages since seen anything resembling modern. We love it though.

I caught my first cat fish two days ago – COOL.

So tomorrow we venture to Brittany, it will take us two days.

Bless you all – You can leave comments on this blog – please do.

Andy, Jan and the girls

We got lost two days ago and have ended up at a Camping on a farm. It is cheap and only has water, showers and electricity. It is absolutely gorgeous though. Perefect countryside and a massive amount of wildlife. Internet is non existent (almost).

Will write tomorrow.

Bonjour Andy, Jan  and the girls

I knelt before the pastor and was prayed for and I know now why I came here.

This morning we all went to church as a family. It was a special day today as the church was having 8 baptisms.  It was such a privilege to see the 8 people right from about 80 to 12. I was welcomed again with great enthusiasm, testimony went on for about an hour and the actual normal church service was two and a half hours (then we began the communion service and baptism  service.. After an hour and a half the pastor (William) asked me to pray for the sick and afflicted.  Jan and I began to pray and I began to move in discernment as I rarely have before. A woman came up bent and angry. I discerned a spirit and Jan said she thought it was to do with mediums, (this young Christian we found out later went to them many times). I began to stir up the evil spirit and I saw the evil in her eyes, I bound it and suddenly her whole face and body changed. She smiled. What a privilege to be a vessel to set someone free.

When we had come to worship I saw a spirit oppressing one of the men in the church. I felt I and the pastor needed to pray for him. I saw the weight on him and as we began to pray he was set free.

In all we prayed for over a dozen people and saw some weeping and a release of the power of God.

As we worshipped (Oh it was amazing, the French can worship, the words were so simple, only one guitar and music on CD but the Holy Spirit came and it was the throne room of heaven) God spoke to me about being the New Testament Church in Acts. Miracles and wonders were the norm.  We heard the testimonies of those who were to be baptised, drugs, depression, alcoholism,  immense sadness and bereavement and they testified Jesus had changed them. 

Ordinary people who were loving one another and from different walks of life but they had a passion for Jesus. They loved and cared for each other.

I will be beginning a series of sermons from Acts in September about being the church God wants us to be.

At the end of the service I felt I needed a blessing from the pastor and he prayed for me – what power went through me.

Then we began the baptism service which I was asked to help with and I and the pastor baptised the 8 people. I was so moved. After eating together and enjoying such fellowship the service finished at 4 p.m. Let me underline that it started at 10:30 a.m. and finished at 4 p.m. No one went home, everyone laughed, sung, praised God and saw the power of God, Hardly anyone wore a watch. This was not in Africa but in France .

It was not a inconvenience that the car broke down and we had to stay here – but the design of God. He needed to show us what we came to France for.

PRAISE GOD

Andy, Jan and the girls.

Today we had horrendous storms – lightening and torrential rain for about 4 hours, I fixed the car either side of the storm. Most of the area lost electricity – thankfully we didn’t. We have nearly been here three weeks and we have had to make some decisions about where we go from here. We wondered about the Ardeche and them Montepellier. However, that adds on about 800 miles to the trip. So we are going to drive down the Loire Valley and then explore Brittany for three weeks. This should mean that we can be fairly relaxed.

I need you to say a few prayers – my mum who is 77 has had a fall and broken her leg below the knee, she is in hospital. I thought I was going to have to come back, but my sister reckons she is comfortable and okay. I am a little concerned (a lot really). Please pray for her.

Blessings Andy and the girls.

However, a friend (a new friend from Motherwell, Tom and Lynda) took us to the Supermarche and so we have some provisions. There is nothing like wild boar bacon.

ALL THINGS DANGEROUS!!!!! I have been laughing each time I go to the Supermarche. Any terrorist cell in the UK does not need to go on a booze cruise to France, but a bomb cruise. They seem to sell everything in the Supermarche. There is an aisle of industrial chemicals, Sulphuric, Nitric, Hydochloric Acid, Acetone, concentrated ammonia, the list goes on. I wanted to ask in Aldi which aisle was the petrol bombs on. If I had been a boy in France with all these chemicals, there would have been some interesting holidays. You can even buy banned Chinese fireworks (how do I get them through customs??). I was amused in the Peche (fishing shop) the other day. They sell guns, rifles, with silencers and telescopic sights. Now as far as I understand they have changed the system for a firearms licence. You used to go in with ID, declare your intention and all the details went to the French Police, they checked you out for seven days and if you were okay (not a known bank robber etc) you got a gun licence. Now that system is seen as too cumbersome. Now you go into the shop – ask to buy a gun (you no longer need ID). They sell you your gun and they write down the details you give, seven days later they send you a gun licence if you are okay to have one. Come on!!! You intend to rob a bank, you give false details and you have robbed the bank before the Police find you have given false details. Surely everyone will always be truthful???

 We wandered to Joinville on Saturday before the car died. On the street market they sold everything, including lots of weapons, spears, penangs, machetes etc. I was also accosted by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they backed off when I said, “Pastor Protestant Eglise”. Back to the plot, surely they do not think that huge spears will be always stuck on a wall or that martial arts stars or knuckle dusters will be used on a mantelpiece. (reminds me of a guy I knew who was stopped on the Mauritanian border with a flare gun, the customs confiscated it as a dangerous weapon. At the next town he saw a stall selling Klashnikovs, grenades, surface to air missiles and every other weaponary you could think of. Obviously Surface to air missiles are used for Eagle shooting!!!) .

I am praying for you as it is the Circuit Meeting on Saturday and I want to pray a special blessing on my good friend Ken. Also I want to hold Louise in prayer as she prepares for the Holiday Clubs.

Every blessing Andy and the girls.

I would love to say the part for the Land Rover has arrived but it hasn’t. So we are going to stay here another week. As after 16 days we get five free days.  Hannah stayed at the owners daughters house (Bethany who is seven also) last night.   We also have an invite from them to stay in their chateau.

I have been following the UCB notes over the last few days – for those of you who have, I think there is going to be a few sermons out of it.

I want you to pause though: I want to put everything here about the last few days on UCB, reflect on these thoughts.

Blessings Andy and the girls :-

MON JUNE 15

‘…Let each one of you speak truth…’ Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

Rules for handling anger (1)

Two forceful personalities in a relationship are like two rivers flowing into one; there’s going to be a strong current. Anger can be instant like a flash of lightning, or prolonged like the rumble of thunder. Sometimes we clash painfully, other times we distance and silently abandon the relationship. But anger handled the right way doesn’t have to destroy. Here are God’s rules for handling your anger.

            Rule 1: Keep it honest. ‘Stop telling lies. Let us tell…the truth…don’t sin by letting anger control you…’ (Ephesians 4:25-26 NLT). When you’re angry don’t deny it. Anger can be constructive. We’re right to get angry when people are mistreated and wrongs are not made right. Saying, ‘I’ve been feeling angry and because I value our relationship I’d like to talk about it,’ is honest, non-threatening and invites resolution. Observe: a) ignoring, stifling, suppressing, or pretending you’re not angry is basically dishonest b) another form of lying when you’re angry is exaggeration. ‘You never listen to what I say.’ ‘You always ignore my wishes.’ ‘Nobody does anything around here except me.’ Such generalisations are untrue and serve only to aggravate and polarise, guaranteeing the real problem gets obscured and goes unsolved c) another way to lie when you’re angry is blaming. ‘If you’d arrive on time I wouldn’t have to nag you,’ or ‘If you’d quit nagging so much, maybe I’d start being on time.’ Blaming is a way of evading your own responsibility while pointing the finger at others. It angers others, perpetuates your own anger and never produces the result you want. God’s way is, ‘Let each one of you speak truth,’ and it works when you do it in love.

TUE JUNE 16

‘…Let each one of you speak truth….’ Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

Rules for handling anger (2)

Rule 2: Keep it non-lethal. Paul writes: ‘In your anger do not sin…’ (Ephesians 4:26 NIV). What do Paul’s words mean? Don’t let your anger escalate to the point of doing damage. Don’t use your words as a weapon or a control mechanism. It’s okay to express your emotions in a healthy way, but keep them in check. Your goal must be to resolve the problem and strengthen the relationship, not ’sound off’ and wound the other person. Is this easy to do? No. You’ll need a good strong dose of grace to do it. Words spoken in jest, sarcasm, self-righteousness or ‘righteous indignation’ wound people, sometimes permanently. ‘…Perverseness [of the tongue] breaks the spirit.’ (Proverbs 15:4 NKJV). ‘…A crushed spirit who can bear?’ (Proverbs 18:14 NIV). ‘The tongue can bring death…’ (Proverbs 18:21 NLT). Angry words, once unleashed, can: ‘…Go down into a man’s inmost parts’ (Proverbs 26:22 NIV). Your words can live in the heart and memory of a person and go all the way to the grave with them. We say, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me,’ but it’s not true. A person can die of a crushed spirit, and the one who spoke the words can live to regret the damage they inflicted and never get a chance to undo it. On the other hand, anger properly handled never needs to be repented of. So learn to differentiate between the anger you feel and the words you speak. Anger carefully thought through, can reveal important information about needed changes. Focus on that, and ask God to show you what needs changing in the other person; and you!

WED JUNE 17

‘…Let each one of you speak truth….’ Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

Rules for handling anger (3)

Rule 3: Keep it current. Storing anger in your hard drive only hurts you. When you download old resentments you start to rehearse them and grow bitter. ‘The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks’ (Luke 6:45 NIV).

            When you’re angry deal with it quickly. Don’t passively allow time to decide your options, or sit around hoping the other person will see the light and apologise. ‘If your brother sins against you, go [to] him…’ (Matthew 18:15 NIV). Try to resolve it and restore the relationship. When you repress it you add one more skeleton to your closet. Sooner or later, doctors say, it’ll be at your stomach lining, attack your immune system, predispose you to heart problems, cancers and other physical, social and emotional disorders. Meantime, it’ll preoccupy you, dissipate your energy, cripple your creativity, hinder your fellowship with God, your friends and fellow believers; not to mention that it denies the offender the opportunity to clear their conscience, repent and get right with God and you. Stop dragging up the past, trying to blackmail the guilty by hauling skeletons out of closets at ‘auspicious’ moments, plotting revenge, and passing down resentments for the next generation to carry. Ask God for the humility and courage to deal with today’s problems – today. When your head hits the pillow tonight, know that your issues are current, up to date with God and everyone else, and sleep well!

THUR JUNE 18

‘…Let each one of you speak truth…’ Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

Rules for handling anger (4)

Rule 4: Keep it solution-focused. Someone has said that fellowship is like two fellows in a ship: one can’t sink the other without sinking himself. By seeking to gain the upper hand you both lose. By seeking to save and strengthen the relationship you both win. So when you speak, be sure it’s ‘…helpful for building others up according to their needs…’ (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). Try to understand what the other person needs. Don’t bring up previously confessed offenses; don’t drag in other people; don’t use wisecracks about people’s weight, height, colour, IQ, physical, mental and emotional limitations; don’t bring up unrelated things that cloud the issue and keep you from finding a solution. And don’t raise the volume in order to intimidate and manipulate. God made you with a capacity for anger because when handled the right way it’s the fuel that brings needed change and the medicine that heals. So:  a) Seek a solution, not a ‘victory.’ Name-calling and ‘diagnosing’ others only makes things worse. Your focus should not be on what they did, but on what you can do together to resolve it b) admit your own flaws and ask for forgiveness. Since it takes two to tango, acknowledging your own imperfections makes it easier for someone else to acknowledge theirs c) every time you take a ’swing’ at someone, offer them a positive ’stroke.’ ‘…If there be any virtue…think on these things’ (Philippians 4:8). For each of the difficulties you address, give a compliment. ‘I’m sure this wasn’t easy for you to hear. Thanks for listening to me so graciously.’ Being solution-focused gives people something positive to live up to, not down to!

FRI JUNE 19

‘…Let each one of you speak truth…’ Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

Rules for handling anger (5)

Rule 5: Keep it in the laundry room. ‘Don’t treat each other with malice’ [ill will, spite] (Ephesians 4: 31 NIV). When you’re angry, spreading gossip is hard to resist. But malicious talk is like wildfire; it consumes those who spread it and those who listen to it. Don’t display your dirty wash; keep it in the laundry room. Dirty laundry gets aired in two ways: 1) Open embarrassment. You say it where you know others are going to hear it. 2) Subtlety. You make jokes about their figure, family members and friends, etc., in order to belittle them. This results in embarrassment for the person you’re angry at, widens the gap between you and makes reconciliation impossible. Solomon writes: ‘…He that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter’ (Proverbs 11:13), and ‘…Love covereth all sins’ (Proverbs 10:12). Paul writes: ‘…In malice be babes, but in understanding be mature’ (1Corinthians 14:20 NKJV).

            Rule 6: Be part of the clean-up crew. We say, ‘They brought it on themselves. Let them get over it.’ They may have deserved it, but we can’t walk away and leave open wounds to become infected. We ‘…forgive, even as Christ…has forgiven’ us (Ephesians 4: 32). How did Christ forgive us? After we’d acknowledged, confessed and repented of our sins? No. ‘…When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son…’ (Romans 5:10). God took the initiative, so forgive, before the other person asks for forgiveness. And should they remain your enemy for life, forgive them anyhow. That’s mopping up after the war. Only then are you yourself forgiven, the wounds you inflicted healed, and your record before God expunged!