This is the warcry, stories from the battle front about a modern warriors search for Knighthood, stories of an epic loved affair lived out on a raging battle field.

Remember

Monday, February 9th, 2009

I lost my keys, again, I need to be writing an essay, I need to go to the library, and I must hurry to get my kids, and I cannot find my keys. Frantically I look through the flat, no luck….

Hang on a minute, what good is it to be a friend of an omniscient ruler of the universe if He can’t help you locate the keys….

Father, I have lost the keys, please help me find them…. Then I do something strange, I don’t stop and listen, I keep looking I keep rummaging through the children’s toys, I am getting angry and sad. Why would God not help me, is he holding out on me? An hour later, I sigh in defeat. – I can’t do this! As I start working up courage to go tell Margret that I lost yet another set of keys, I feel a stirring in my spirit, my eyes focus and I am looking at my keys, right there on the kitchen counter, under a paper from Angelina’s school.

If I had only stopped and listened from the beginning. If I had only trusted in God’s heart.

I vow to myself, again, to remember that God answers prayer and that I must live that way.

09.02.2009 Christian life, Faith, OS, Patrik View Comments

Going to Latvia: Boothcamp II – Prologue

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

So today we fly of to Riga, to prepare for three days of Boothcamp, a National Latvian youth camp in the small town of Drusti. It is the second time we do this camp but a first for Hanna to speak at an event like this.

At the camp we will be teaching “Epic” and the four streams from “Waking the dead”, teaching people that there is a full life to be lived in Christ, where you can find your unique part in God’s story and walk an intimate walk with God, hearing him speak daily. We will also concentrate on Spiritual Warfare and naturally how all this will enable us to fight the Salvation War! Last time the all age meeting at the end of the camp was especially powerful where the older generation prayed for and blessed the younger generations to march to war.

The warfare has been getting fierce the closer we have gotten to the event. Our sleep has been interrupted (more than usual) and tempers have been flying high. The added pressures of Sunday placements at corps and essays at the college all colliding in  these last two weeks have not helped either. I am assuming that the enemy is not pleased with our plans to, through the power of God,  set hearts free in Latvia.

Please Pray for us, as much, and as hard as you can, we will need every bit of support we can get!

28.01.2009 Battle report, Hanna, Latvia, Patrik, Prayer requests, Salvation Army, Wild at heart, youth work View Comments

It’s MY IPod!

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

I have a brand new Macbook Pro, I had the older model that I bought just a few weeks before they released the new model. It was a great machine, great specs, great performance. But as the new model came out I got really sad. My machine was still a great machine but not as great as the new one. I called the store and they agreed to replace it and just as a bonus we where going to get the great deal with a free IPod Nano as well.

As this unfolds it turns out it took them two weeks for the macbooks to arrive at the store. And so we are no longer eligeble for the IPod deal. I go to the store disappointed and demand my IPod. The poor fellow in the store try to explain to me that it isn’t that he doesn’t want to give me an IPod, but he can not. I get flustered and in my mind I think I have a right to have a free IPod, after all didn’t everyone else who paid ridiculous amount of money for a mac get one. The Apple representative kindly reminds me that we are allready getting a £400 discount because we are students. I know he is right but I do not want to acknowledge it.

With the same attitude my youngest daughter has when she lies on the floor kicking and screaming to get ice cream just before dinner. I feel had. Why do I never get the good deal? Why do I never win the lottery (but you never play …. THAT’S NOT THE POINT)? I wan’t to scream out: IT’S NOT FAIR!

A quiet voice in my head reminds me of people starving in Africa and homeless people right outside this building of commercialism but the child within screams in outrage and then bargains. Yes, but I am getting a RED IPod that means at least some of the money is given to aids research.

At that outrageously ridiculous argument the card house in my mind crumbles and I let go. I am walking out of the store with a fantastic computer, the best one I have ever owned. Letting go of my silly notion of having my way frees me up to enjoy what I actually have. Letting go of what could have been, lets me just savor what is! Richard Foster calls this the freedom of submission and he states “In the discipline of Submission we are released to drop the matter, forget it. Frankly, most things in life are not nearly as important as we think they are.”1.

  1. Foster, Richard J. The Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco: Harper, 1998) p. 111 [↩]

06.11.2008 Chivalric values, Christian life, Discipline, Patrik, Techspeak, iPod View Comments

More Southwark adventures

Monday, September 8th, 2008

Our placement at Southwark continues and the last couple of Sundays (Before and after the week we had in Disney) I have been preaching, Both have been hard to prepare in different way. 

The first one was hard due to the subject (sex), which has been a taboo subject in the church so long that we have forgotten how to talk about it. You can listen to the podcast here.

The other sermon I struggled with because I just ran dry of inspiration. In the end I wrote a sermon that I didn’t like. So sunday morning I trashed my notes and preached without notes, the result is posted here.

08.09.2008 Christian life, Patrik, Southwark, preaching, worship Comments Off

What a faithful God have I

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

It is amazing how God deals with us. Today I was stood in the kitchen washing dishes when it came to me that God has truly been healing me the last week, the last month, but then I realized that it was not just healing it was forgiveness, and the healing that comes from realizing that you are forgiven.

I can feel a strength in my faith that I honestly have not felt in years. God has faithfully honoured every step that I have taken towards him over the last few months with that wich only God can give, the turning back of the clock, the rebirth of the Soul, the new grace producing new life making sure that today is a new day and with tomorrows sunrise it is a new brave world to be conquered.

Joy flooded my soul and all I could do was to sing: What a faithful God have I!

05.08.2008 Battle report, Christian life, Faith, Patrik, worship View Comments

You are not on your own

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Hanna preached on God’s promises when in depression today at Southwark and God showed up! It was a great day and God certainly spoke to me.

I have carried a wound with me since I was a little boy and I was moved from home to home (most of the time within the extended family). The message I have carried with me is “You are on your own” and today as I was praying about my own difficult times. God spoke and said “you are not on your own!”

At the fellowship after church i was talking to some of the squatters from the drop in. We where talking about the message I said to them “believeing in God is easy, it is beleiving that he believes in me…. that’s the hard part!”

To trust that God will be that perfect father, that it is truly true that he will never leave nor forsake me. To trust that he has forgiven me…. To trust that I am no longer on my own in this world; That is the hard bit.

21.07.2008 Christian life, Fatherhood, Hanna, Patrik, Podcasts, Salvation Army, Southwark, preaching View Comments

Beans, books and podcasts

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Beans on toast Today I was back at the drop in at Southwark. I had a great time chatting to the team and to the people showing up for beans and toast at Southwark.

Another thing going on right now is that I am plowing through Wild at heart and The way of the wild heart written by John Eldredge and Ransom heart ministries. These books must be among the best Spiritual formation books I have ever read for men. The books are however pushing a lot of issues from my childhood to the surface and I seem to be facing a lot of things I thought I had laid to rest once and for all.

Also my sermon from last Sunday is now available as a podcast here.

17.07.2008 Books, Patrik, Southwark View Comments

A good day!

Friday, July 11th, 2008

Today has been a good day. I started out early going to Saint Michaels. We spent seven hours doing talks on the Salvation army and chatting with the kids at the school. It was great. One of my favourite moments was when one of the boys after a really serious discussion on gang violence and gang culture asked “Do you watch Spungebob squarepants?” Naturally many serious questions was asked as well and we talked alot about Jesus and the transforming power of God.

Breakdancers at Elephant & CastleAngelina and Anja couldn’t wait to tell me about their day when I came back, they had been to the London aquarium and they had seen sharks, fishes and crabs (snap, snap).
After a good dinner and trying to have a short nap on the couch (it is hard to sleep with two wild girls bouncing on your head) I went back for a prayer evening at Southwark. On my way back I saw some break dancers doing their thing at the Elephant & Castle. I was struck with the grace and speed these dancers was moving. They where just a bunch of friends hanging out doing incredible stunts with their bodies, not showing off but truly enjoying what their bodies where capable of. For me it was awesome testament of God’s marvellous creation. I wish that every Christian could enjoy worship in the same way on a Sunday morning.

11.07.2008 Angelina, Anja, Christian life, Mission, Patrik, worship View Comments

First day of summer placement

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

Southwark Salvation ArmyYesterday was our last day of curriculum and today we went out into a brave new world. Our first day of summer placement. Through the torrents of rain we braved the streets of London and arrived at Southwark (as this has been our “home” corps while in training it wasn’t exactly new to us, but it was the first time we where going to be there and have any kind of responsability or leadership). Hanna spent the day going to different playgroups with the girls in preparation of her mission project while I went to the drop in. I had some fantastic chats with people there and tried beans on toast for the first time in my life. Now I have put the tired girls to sleep and Hanna is off for small group at the corps. Time to prep for my Speaking engagement at a school tomorrow morning and my sermon for Sunday.

09.07.2008 Hanna, OS, Patrik View Comments

Why do I need sword fighting?

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008


IMG_8545

Originally uploaded by gilbertdeschamps

Last week I was asked by one of my students, why do I need to sword fight? The question was asked with the implication: as a Christian, why should I spend my time on this.
The short answer was of course ‘You don’t!’ but as with everything, there is more to it than that. So Why do I need to sword fight?
I like it, it makes me a better person.

Physically, it keeps me fit. It helps me to develop and keep a healthy posture (Crucial for me as I have a bad back). I get to movce and work out, but since it is so much fun I forget that I am exercising.

Mentally, It is my outlet, my two hours a week where I do not have to think about essays and theological reflections.

Spiritually, the schola is the training ground and the testing ground for chivalric virtue. It functions as the crucible where impurities are forced to the surface and cleaned away. It is the mirror where I truly get to see if my life reflects truth, grace and justice in the microcosm of the martial art.

27.05.2008 Chivalric values, Christian life, Disciple Knight, Patrik, Schola St. George, WMA, knightschool, warrior code View Comments

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