Simon's Blog

Comments and thoughts from our senior minister, Simon Harris

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The summer can be a time to take stock

Margin is a fantastic four part teaching series shedding fresh light on old struggles. I highly recommend them.

Earlier this year I found Craig Groeschel’s teaching series Margin extremely helpful. I recommend them to you. Follow the link and you can watch or listen in a host of formats. The first part of four looks at creating margin with our time.

Busyness is one of the curses of our modern age; it robs us of relationships and much of what is most important. But how do you slow down when there is so much to do? How do your prioritize when everything seems so important?

I guess if some of our busyness was on bad things, then it would be easy. We could cut out the bad, leaving more room for the good. Like you, I’m sure, I feel I am busy and it’s all good stuff; all worthwhile and profitable. Into this conundrum the story of Mary & Martha has spoken to me in fresh ways. Often we think of Martha as being told off by Jesus for not doing something good. How far from the truth. Martha was pulling all the stops out to make sure that everything was just right for the greatest visitor she could ever welcome. Was Martha doing a good thing? Yes, certainly! What Jesus actually said though was not that Martha was doing something wrong, but that Mary had chosen something better.

Luke 10:42 ⁴²but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Am I so caught up in the good things that I miss the best thing? If you get a break, or are able to pause this summer, why not ask yourself that question. Remember Jesus saw it clearly and he can help us see it clearly too.

Posted Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:33:48 +0000 - View in WordPress

Prayer Room: over or just beginning?

It has been an amazing ten days. Originally we set aside four days and three nights to pray 24/7. By the second day it was clear that people wanted to continue and so we opened the prayer room for twelve hours each day for the whole of the following week. That in itself was amazing, but there’s much more. The stories that people are telling and the things that people are writing after their visit to the prayer room have been fantastic. Some have heard God speak, others have found a new freedom in prayer and some have been deeply touched by His presence. Alongside all this, many prayers have been prayed – drawn, written and acted – crying out to God for friends, family and others around the world.

The book of testimonies is a wonderful read. Here is what two people wrote after their time in the prayer room.

I can hardly believe it – I danced before the Lord in praise and thanksgiving. I moved in spite of all the physical limitations and self-imposed inhibitions. I felt the incredible gift of freedom, as though our all-seeing, all-knowing God was drawing something out from deep within my spirit and inviting me to risk the experience of His liberating power. Thank you, Jesus. There was yet more – as I lay beneath the net (where the labels hung with the names of people we were praying for, who didn’t yet know Jesus), I saw the twinkling lights as angels of the Lord, penetrating the darkness, and saying, ‘it’s all right – all these dear ones are known to us, and we are watching over them.’ Thank you Jesus.

I have been so pleased to come into this peaceful and cosy space for a second time. I was apprehensive when I was making my first hour, not sure what to expect or how I would feel, but it was amazing. So peaceful, so timeless, a space to lose yourself, no distractions, and no one to hinder me from being in God’s presence. I don’t want this room to disappear; I want to be able to come always, whenever I want. I’m thinking I will need to find a corner at home, a chair, somewhere I can retreat to so that I can be renewed. Thank you to all who have made this possible and for the commitment of many for keeping it going into this week. Awesome, amazing, brilliant, just don’t want it to end.

So, is it over? Well, yes for a while at least. Will we have a prayer room again? Almost certainly. Make sure you don;t miss it! But what of now? In truth, many of us have discovered a new connection with God that we have longed for. Jesus talked about us having our own prayer room (or space):

Matthew 6:6 (NIV) ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Why not put some thought into creating your own prayer space? Take the things that you most appreciated and bring them to your space. If you were blessed by the visual things, then create something visual. If by drawing or painting, then gather the things to draw and paint. Maybe it’s as simple as some paper to write a letter or a list of truths about God for you to focus on.

Is it over? Hardly. It’s just beginning.

Posted Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:42:15 +0000 - View in WordPress

Prayer Room: It’s started!

This afternoon the first person spent an hour in the prayer room with God. We are one of 75 groups across 22 countries that are currently praying 24-7.

Ephesians 3:20 – 21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Posted Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:33:55 +0000 - View in WordPress

Prayer Room – almost ready (24 hours to go)

It is 24 hours to go till the start of our Prayer Room and it’s nearly ready!

Exodus 40:34 (NIV) ³⁴Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Posted Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:44:36 +0000 - View in WordPress

Prayer Room: 48 hours to go

It is 48 hours to go till the start of our Prayer Room. The old vestibule is cleared and Claire, Heather & Julie have been busy today getting it ready. Can’t wait!

Mark 11:17 ¹⁷And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?

It’s not too late to sign up. Contact us

Posted Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:03:08 +0000 - View in WordPress

I loved the church weekend 2010

Last weekend we were at Vauxhall Farm just outside Ipswich for our church weekend. Here are a few things that I loved about it:

I loved the fact that so many from our church community were able to be part of some or all of the weekend.
I loved the fact that the children were able to play & roam together free from the constraints we normally place on them in today’s society.
I loved the way Jonathan Oloyede spoke about doing always coming out of being and you cannot do in order to be.
I loved the way the teenagers were often late for meals because they were caught up in worship and hearing God speak.
I loved the way God healed Dan – before our very eyes – so he could continue to lead the children’s ministry for the rest of the weekend.
I loved the way faith tangibly rose when Liz Beaten talked about all that God had been doing through Ipswich in Prayer.
I loved the way people were so willing to serve: setting up, setting down, serving meals … a plethora of saints that just got on with things that needed doing
I loved the way we prayed: out-loud, altogether
I loved the sight of all the men up the front – with wives and children praying for us on Father’s Day. There were loads of us and God spoke to me: ”It’s time for the men to rise up!”
I loved the sight of huddles of people praying for each other as we shared communion around the room.
I loved the fact that people could laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time) and it was fine because we are family
I loved the way that people met to read their Bibles together and hear God speak and He did speak.
I loved the way the Prayer Room slots filled up and we had to extend it to another day
I loved the way we had a “pay what you can afford policy” and the gifts matched the need of those unable to pay the full cost
I loved the way Jonathan and his team spoke of Burlington being in the vanguard of what God wants to do in Ipswich
I loved the way the children spoke of special times in God’s presence, and were so engaged by it all.
I loved the fact that so many people in different ways heard God speak into their lives

Must stop … got work to do it!

Basically, I loved it!

Posted Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:34:26 +0000 - View in WordPress

We welcome Jonathan Oloyede to our church weekend

Tomorrow we will welcome Jonathan Oloyede to our church weekend. Amongst other things, Jonathan heads up London Global Day of Prayer. It was their main prayer event last Saturday and my friend Peter Wooding compiled this report.

Posted Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:32:07 +0000 - View in WordPress

Preparing for the Prayer Room

Last night, at our Church Meeting, as we prepared for the launch of our Prayer Room the weekend after next, we were invited to meditate on the following verse and then write our own prayer based upon it. Here is the verse and what I wrote.

Deuteronomy 6:5 – 7 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Dear Lord

I love you and I want to love you more – with all of my heart – with all my being – with all my actions. I want to express that by having your commands instinctively, naturally on my heart and in my life. I want to enthuse them to my children. For them to be naturally, ordinarily part of our everyday conversation – at home, in life – and for your commands to be the defining mark of our life together.

Please God. Amen.

Nearly all the slots for our Prayer Room are filled so we are already making plans to extend it beyond the Sunday morning and into the following week. Can’t wait.

www.burlingtonbaptist.org.uk/prayerroom

Posted Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:06:51 +0000 - View in WordPress

10 days till our Prayer Room starts ….

11 years ago a prayer room started in a local church in Chichester. The goal was to see if they could prayer for a whole month. It never stopped!

Glimpse the story in the following film, and be apart of it at Burlington in ten days time. Please sign up for YOUR 1 hour with God in the foyer or over the Church Weekend 2010.