Jesus the good tipper and what people really think when they invite you to church: The news you might have missed

It’s the first week of December, and Christmas is upon us. We’re starting to think about 2014 and we’re taking stock of the year that’s been. None more so than blogger Claire van Ryn in Launceston, who, in a very honest blog post this week, declared she’s had a crap year (and, she says, Christians shouldn’t be afraid to say that). “It’s been a crap year and my faith doesn’t mean next year will be any better.  My faith means I know that God will equip me and carry me and teach me, just as he did this year.” Read more from Claire, here.

Screen shot 2013-12-06 at 4.34.10 PMSome whose years are sure to be looking up are recipients of ‘tips for Jesus’. In the US this week, an anonymous diner has been leaving gigantic tips for service staff—anywhere from $500 to $10,000! Signing each credit card receipt with ‘Tips for Jesus’, the tipper also has an instagram account (@tipsforjesus, ‘Doing the Lord’s work, one tip at a time’). He’s caused a stir among restaurant owners, many of whom have been sceptical. But to date, the tips have cleared. Check out the generosity, here.

Speaking of generosity, we’ve seeing so many parents sharing great ideas on how to keep the real meaning of Christmas in your households this year. The Useful Box blogger, Julie, has been popping all over my newsfeed, with friends and friends of friends sharing ideas they’ve discovered for advent calendars, Christmas activities and craft ideas to get the home conversations flowing about Jesus and the nativity story. Need some inspiration? We’d suggest a look, here.

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Poetry being inspiration for the soul, we’ve been struck this week by a beautiful poem by John Piper, made alive in a new video. A beautiful illustration of the everyday life of a believer. One to be watched, read and savoured. Watch it below.

But, if you share one thing this week, we reckon it should be this one. It’s Christmas time, and we’re thinking about our church events and services. And then there are all those people who declare Christmas as the one time they might consider coming to church. Thousands of Christians will be inviting their friends and family to come along this year. This piece by Angela Jamene in The Huffington Post gives an insight for non-Christians as to why we so desperately want them to come along. If only we could show the love she communicates so blatantly in our everyday interactions before an invitation to church even arises. 

The Calvinist from Desiring God on Vimeo.