Discipline and Discipleship - It's all about forgiveness.

Recently, for reasons that do not concern anyone outside my local church, I preached a sermon on Discipleship and Discipline. It was part of a series on 2 Corinthians and I had been assigned 2 Cor. 2:5 - 11. On these few verses I hung an overview of the disciplines that Paul would have taught the Corinthians plus what God reveals elsewhere e.g. Revelation.

It is serious stuff and is not to be preached lightly. God always makes sure that if a sermon is not part of a preacher's experience, it soon will be! Budding preachers take note!

God is returning discipline and discipleship to His True Church because He would have her a pure and spotless Bride. Those who resist these things declare their true allegiance, unless they should repent and seek His forgiveness - but it is all about forgiveness. God is merciful. 

Why I haven't posted for ages - I've been counting blessings

I used to have some regular readers and there are still people viewing assorted posts. I have had to put much aside whilst I fulfilled an assignment. I have this crazy dream of being ordained and I had to write my life story. However, I am not twenty-something and a lot has happened in my life.  I was very reluctant to write the story anyway as I belong to that generation where boasting is frowned upon. The idea of telling anyone why I think I would make a good vicar is anathema to me.

In the end I had to do it. I missed a great deal out otherwise it would have been much longer and I tried to show what God has been doing in my life. The interesting thing is just how much He has done. 

Whether or not I'll ever post some of it, I don't know, but it has been useful. It exmplifies what the old chorus taught us:

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

And it did too. I hoping it will surprise a few other people as well, not least the Dioscesan Director of Ordinands - and the vicar!


This was the best version, in my opinion, that I could find.

You can get the lyrics here.

Here is a picture of the author of the lyrics, Johnson Oatman Jnr.