Blowing someone's trumpet... if I did that more anyone I know they'd probably curl up and die of embarrassment; I'm fairly sure I would (even if secretly I was pleased to be mentioned).  And how do I choose one person rather than another?  Hmm.  And the third challenge, well I'm hardly going to do that publicly am I!!

Oh dear, this one will need some careful thinking about...

We’re turning bragging on its head. This act is about blowing someone else’s trumpet and telling others how great they are. It’s the generous antidote to gossip and criticism – talking up someone’s good points and letting others know what you appreciate about them. Think about who adds a spark to your life just by being uniquely them. Got someone in mind? Great, now go shout to the world about them.

ACKNOWLEDGE:

This one can be done in the simplest of ways and still have a huge impact. Declare their brilliance through a quick tweet, post a knockout photo of them in a (slightly) mushy instagram post, casually mention in conversation at work how brilliant another member of staff is. Simple but effective. #bestiebrag

UTILISE:

Maybe they would be perfect for an upcoming position at work or in church. Maybe they've achieved something recently that deserves to be publicly declared. If you can think of even the smallest specific reason why bragging about this person could lead to greater things, then don’t hold that information back.

OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE:

It's easy to spot ten ways in which your bestie is brilliant, but what about the people you find it a little harder to gel with? What's great about them? We can guarantee you can find something. Take time to really consider this, and then be as brave and bold as possible and let this person and those around them know.

Using this beautiful tear-jerker in our final Lent study this evening.

"To love another person is to see the face of God"

This week is one of very mixed emotions as I have a wedding, an All Age service for Palm Sunday, a funeral, and a traditional Easter Service all whirling in my brain along with the last Lent Study, meetings with professional advisers, pastoral meetings and all the usual trappings of ministerial life.

My first job today was to pick up the emailed music for Saturday's wedding which included the wonderful song 'Sunshine on Leith' which somehow blesses me in the midst of it all...

Jesus said that God makes the sun to shine on the righteous and unrighteous alike - I'd like to extend that to claim a promise of sunshine for those who are glad and those who are sad, those who rest, those who are busy...

Thanking the Chief for sunshine on Leith, and Glasgow and anyhwere it is needed.

Anyway, enjoy:

The 'persecuted church' is one of those phrases that trips quite lightly from the tongues of Christians, usually in contexts where the worst that will happen is someone laughs at our faith or assumes the media stereotypes are correct.  We kind of feel we ought to be concerned and ought to do something whilst mostly doing and thinking not a lot. 

Or maybe it's just me - I 'did' my presecuted church stuff in the 1980s/90s, praying for walls to come down, borders to open and so on.  And it happened.  It's just not the area I feel especially called to support these days - I'd rather include anyone persecuted for their faith or worldview, not 'just' Christians.

Anyway, here is the thirty-first challenge - we are now in the final countdown!!

It takes incredible bravery to stand up for what you believe in. Millions of Christians throughout the world face extreme persecution simply for following Jesus. Just because you’re here and they’re over there, doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. Your support and encouragement is vital. Today’s act is all about being generous in encouraging the persecuted church.

PRAY:

If you’ve got five minutes, pray. It’s the most powerful weapon we’ve got in the middle of darkness. Pray for justice, peace and mercy for all those experiencing persecution because of their beliefs.

WRITE:

Did you know you can write to a persecuted Christian? Here’s a great template to get you started. Alternatively, write to your local MP to make sure the issue is kept on the government’s agenda.

CAMPAIGN:

Start a fundraising campaign for a charity that directly assists with persecuted Christians. Not sure who to choose? Take a look at this list.

Three quarters of the way there!  It is fairly racing by, at least from where I stand!

Today's challenge is about volunteering.  Most of my readers (if not all) will already do lots of volunteering, so I hope they won't feel obliged to pick up new things.  I love the volunteering I do outside of church life, it enriches my life, allows me to learn transferrable skills (hopefully my phone manner is better than it used to be!!) and makes a small difference, which for some people can, in that moment, be all the difference in the world.

There are probably very few scenarios where we ought to push for ‘first’. One is the Olympics. The other is volunteering. The thing is, if you wait for someone else to put their hand up before you, you miss the opportunity to make a generous difference. It might be a tiny ripple or a mighty wave of change. Today, be willing to put the hard work in when nobody else wants to. Be first to raise your hand.

SMALL IDEAS BIG IMPACT:

Offer to do the tea/coffee run at work, or wash up everyone’s mugs at the end of the day. Offer to pray for someone – don’t wait for that ‘more spiritual person’ to step up. Say ‘yes’ to that difficult task announced at the PTA meeting. You get the idea … run with it!

MAKE SOME WAVES:

Got a local soup kitchen? Maybe a social action project attached to your church? Go ahead and phone up the organisers today and offer your time.

CHANGE THE WORLD (probably):

Make a quick list of the things you’ve volunteered for in the past. Is there a theme? In other words, what are your passions? Be inspired by today’s blog, and then spend an hour thinking about what you would do to make your world better if you knew you couldn’t fail. Pray over it. Then raise your hand and put that plan into action.