Great and Marvellous featuring Lucy Stimpson and The Mustard Seed Girls’ Choir recorded live at the Millennium Concert, Crofton Community Centre, Stubbington

Michael was the Vicar of Holy Rood who led the Alpha course during which I became a Christian on February 22nd 1997. See blogs http://www.risen.org.uk/?p=85 and http://www.risen.org.uk/?p=90
Merilyn, Michael’s wife was also incredibly supportive when I began to compose Christian songs – please see blog http://www.risen.org.uk/?p=250
I received a wonderful message from them this Christmas that I have great pleasure in sharing:
Recently we have been watching “Universe” with Brian Cox which shares Hubble telescope glimpses of the Milky Way and beyond, revealing immeasurably extents, immense time scales and the ultimate burn out of our sun. In contemplating it all Brian Cox said “We don’t need to invent imaginary gods to explain the universe- we can replace them with the real thing.”
I wanted to say to him what I said to Richard Dawkins over 50 years ago! (I had a small part in a student mission, a speaker had fallen out and I was asked to second a motion, something like “Is God there?” which Richard Dawkins opposed.) He was not yet a star in the atheistic firmament but I was nervous and inexpert and can’t remember the details, however I did get coffee with speakers afterwards. I said to RD “You look at the universe as if it is a closed system of cause and effect, but it is bigger than you think – your view is too limited! … So is Brian Cox’s!
Genesis 1.1 In the beginning God created … He is outside the box, He made it. He is outside the system, outside all the immeasurables and unimaginables, the wonderful causes and effects that have been discovered. We don’t believe in God in spite of scientific discoveries. We don’t believe in God because of scientific discoveries. We believe because of revelation. We are not inventing something that is not there, but responding to someone who is real beyond imagining, beyond measuring. While creation itself is evidence for God, He is more fully revealed as we celebrate Christmas, In the beginning was the Word … the Word became flesh and dwelt among us – inviting us to give our lives to Him.
And I would add my Amen to that !

Quote of the week