Welcome to my new blog!

I started writing a book a year ago; for those people who wish to know God in some way, but do not wish to be involved in church, Christianity or religion. The book is nearly finished and just needs a little more work, but as I speak to people about the idea, I see more and more people getting excited about it. People seem to be fed up with religion, but many have a deep spirituality. Many also would love to know God in some way that is right for them; but they would never want to set foot inside a church; many don't have the time nor the patience for religious services! I also don't believe we know what 'God' is; although I reckon there is evidence from all sorts of places that a God-being of some sort exists - we will be exploring that too.

Many Christians are also getting slightly fed up by having to perform all the religious duties that begin involved in church or Christianity seems to demand of them. I know on many occasions i've spent a morning in a church service - often slightly bored or frustrated, and come outside and it's a beautiful day! I often have wished I could have spent the morning walking in the hills, swimming in the sea... But no, we feel we have to express our faith by attending church and doing all the things that 'Christians' do. It is as if God and church or religion are inseparable.

I'm beginning to question what this is all about, and I know others are too. As I explored this subject for my book, I discovered that many of the things that define Christianity - define faith, are man-made. So everything from our religious buildings to the content of our services, and even the bible, when you examine the roots and how these things came to be, it's just that some bloke decided that's how it should be; and many of these man-made creations have come to define faith and Christianity ever since. But there is one glaring question; if they are created by people over the ages, does God need them in order to meet with us? In order to change our lives? And do we need them in order to meet with God? As we examine them, I think the answer may be no, and that in fact it is just as valuable to go meet God on the beaches and in the hills as it is to go to church.

There are millions of stories from across the world and from every culture of people encountering 'God,' and having an experience that changes their lives, gives them a new hope and brings healing to hurts they have endured. It seems these experiences are what knowing God is all about, not the religious extras that have been insisted upon; the things those over the ages have said we must do if we want to know God.

I met a lovely lady just yesterday, who when I told her about my book, said she had lost her faith when her mother died. She did not like the way the church and the ministers had treated her. When we talked, the idea that she could know God without needing to go to church or be involved in any religion came to her; she was excited. When I told her a couple of stories about people who have had the most incredible experiences of God and she was amazed, and said she would love to hear those stories and encounter God herself. The good news is she can. We all can. We can all encounter God in the most incredible ways that will forever change our lives and make us whole, and we don't need to anything except just ask God to meet with us; wherever we are, whatever we are doing.

We're going to try and strip God of the religious extras that hide God from us.

We're going to find God again together.