Jason's Story
I became a Christian aged 17, after never being in a church, with a dramatic conversion experience. I visited a local church that was helping my mother after my father had walked out, and I had two brothers, one aged 15 the other, 1 year old.It was my first experience of a place full of worship, life, and talk about relationship with Jesus. Given that the violence and abuse in my home, when the youth pastor told me becoming a Christian might make life more difficult, he gave me a hard sell.

But I was invited into a life meaning, adventure and purpose, with something to live for and something to die for. I gave my life to Jesus on the spot, when I heard that.Then I knew everything had to change, that my life was His, and my future plans were now His to direct.

I ended up working for a bank, then doing a theology degree, then working as an investment broker in London whilst helping plant churches, and started my family during this time, having met my wife at seminary.

Carl was a huge part of my story. I wouldn't have planted a church if it wasn't for one particular meeting in Brighton, that he was involved in, that allowed me to step out within my denomination.
Then in the midst of planting, I had a full nervous breakdown in 1999, overwork, my drug of choice, instead of my parent and siblings use of alcohol.
Very few people were there during that time outside my church, finding mental health hard to get involved with.

But Carl was, I remember his phone call to me, and the relief in knowing someone had been through something similar, and he helped me find hope and connection to Jesus.  So several years later, I'm still in ministry, still trying to keep it real, as I know lecture and teach at seminaries, and have found that Jesus had an academic as well as church planting journey for me.

Jason Clark

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Friday
May052006

Worship

Years ago I received as a gift the book A Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster. In the chapter on worship which is worth purchasing the book for alone, the chapter begins with the following quote:
Worship
To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God
To feed the mind with the truth of God
To purge the imagination by the beauty of God
To open the heart to the love of God
To devote the will to the purpose of God
William Temple, late Archbishop of Cantebury

I have always felt it is the most concise and content laden definition I have ever read. At some point I will unpack it as I understand it on this blog, but I just wanted to put it out there for others to ponder.

I just unpacked this statement in a message at the Gilber Vineyard and will make the cd available through my website. If you have the time think through this statement, it is rich and I think meditating on it will benifit you.

Reader Comments (3)

Carl:

It is a fair distance from Yorba Linda for many of us. Drop me a note.

Gordon Crow

June 1, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

Carl:

It is a fair distance from Yorba Linda for many of us. Drop me a note.

Gordon Crow

June 1, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

You should find the time to unpack this sometime in book form, including your experiences. May i recommend a wonderfully insightful book? I just finished enjoying Barbara Brown Taylor’s book “Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith” It is highly accessible, brilliantly written, encouragingly honest and abundant with wisdom gleaned from good things and difficult things.

as ever, ~rich

September 20, 2006 | Unregistered Commenterrich braley

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