{"id":9717,"date":"2022-01-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-01T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/?p=9717"},"modified":"2021-11-16T10:55:52","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T10:55:52","slug":"get-creative-get-closer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/get-creative-get-closer\/","title":{"rendered":"Get creative, get closer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Happy New Year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me retell a story, perhaps one of my favourites found in Mark 2.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Huge crowds had gathered around Jesus, so many people that there just wasn\u2019t any space left as Jesus was teaching truth and healing the sick.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The house he was in must have been heaving, with people filling every space, and outside the same thing, crowds pushing and standing, filling the immediate area.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A group of mates arrived, four of them carrying their friend who was paralyzed. Having looked around they soon realised there was no way to get this bloke and themselves past the crowd, into the house and in front of Jesus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone in the group must have had the idea, \u2018The roof! Right lads, let\u2019s get up there, dig a hole the size of this stretcher and lower Terry down\u2019, and that\u2019s what they did.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pulling away at the roof until the space had been made, I can only imagine Jesus looking up as he was talking and small bits of roof debris falling to the floor. Faces looking through the hole to check they have the right spot and them digging on almost in desperation to get their friend to Jesus\u2019 feet. Desperation!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the hole achieved, perhaps a very angry home owner and a crowd of onlookers, the man is lowered in front of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>When Jesus saw their faith, he said \u201cSon, your sins are forgiven.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mark 2:1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This moment was epic. Jesus forgives the man\u2019s sins, challenges the mindset of the teachers of law in the room, displays his authority to forgive sins, and then goes on to heal the bloke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot happened after a few blokes decided that they had to get their mate as close to Jesus as they could. I like that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My challenge this year is &#8211; let\u2019s continue to be those men. To feel something of that urgency and desperation to be creative, with integrity and authenticity, to get our mates closer to the Jesus that has set us free.<\/p>\n<div class=\"linkwithin_hook\" id=\"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/get-creative-get-closer\/\"><\/div><script>\n<!-- \/\/LinkWithinCodeStart\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 897245;\nvar linkwithin_div_class = \"linkwithin_hook\";\n\/\/LinkWithinCodeEnd -->\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/widget.js\"><\/script>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.linkwithin.com\/pixel.png?w=750\" alt=\"Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...\" style=\"border: 0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Happy New Year.&nbsp; Let me retell a story, perhaps one of my favourites found in Mark 2.&nbsp; Huge crowds had gathered around Jesus, so many people that there just wasn\u2019t any space left as Jesus was teaching truth and healing the sick.&nbsp; The house he was in must have been heaving, with people filling every [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<script>\n<!-- \/\/LinkWithinCodeStart\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 897245;\nvar linkwithin_div_class = \"linkwithin_hook\";\n\/\/LinkWithinCodeEnd -->\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/widget.js\"><\/script>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/\"><img src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/pixel.png\" alt=\"Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...\" style=\"border: 0\" \/><\/a>","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":9718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[555,1245,110,1980,859],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/stretcherBLOG.jpg?fit=610%2C291&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7PoLK-2wJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8412,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/an-unstoppable-movement-of-men\/","url_meta":{"origin":9717,"position":0},"title":"An Unstoppable Movement of Men","date":"19 March 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"There is very much a pioneering dynamic to the work of CVM Cymru. We are a small ministry here in Wales, and much of what needs to be done right now is simply raising awareness of the need for men\u2019s outreach ministry amongst local churches. Sometimes we find ourselves falling\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/praying-e1570782283512.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9782,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/why-bother-with-a-mens-group-part-5-of-5\/","url_meta":{"origin":9717,"position":1},"title":"Why bother with a men\u2019s group? (Part 5 of 5)","date":"23 February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"So here at CVM we have been long-time supporters of encouraging men into men\u2019s groups, and I thought that now would be a great time to just write a few blogs about it: why we are so focussed on it and how you and your mates can benefit from them.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Smaller-Image-Part-5.jpg?fit=610%2C291&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2793,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/say-hello-to-the-demolition-squad\/","url_meta":{"origin":9717,"position":2},"title":"Say Hello to the Demolition Squad","date":"15 August 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever heard a friend say, \"I'd like to believe in Jesus but \u2026\"? Perhaps you're at the pub with your mates or having lunch with a colleague. The conversation turns to you and your faith and suddenly it feels like something a little deeper. You share a little\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Demolition Squad&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/team-CVM-blog-640x360.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6158,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/the-workplace-telling-your-work-mates-about-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":9717,"position":3},"title":"The Workplace \u2013 Telling Your Work Mates About Jesus","date":"21 July 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I am constantly being asked \u201cHow can I tell the guys at work about Jesus?\u201d I am asked this question so often that you would be forgiven for thinking that it should have been the first blog in this series of blogs and not the last. It wasn\u2019t a mistake\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/work-stations-plus-espresso.jpg?fit=600%2C411&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9770,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/why-bother-with-a-mens-group-part-1-of-5\/","url_meta":{"origin":9717,"position":4},"title":"Why bother with a men\u2019s group? 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