The ‘Toy Story’ series of films has been part of my life for the past 24 years and the characters in these films have become like family to me. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Slinky Dog, Porky, Rex, Mr and Mrs Potatohead and Bo-Peep are all old friends, and just like with any family, new members were added to the family as the sequels appeared: Jessie, the aliens, Ken and Barbie, for example.. All were welcomed with wonder as the films opened our eyes to questions of friendship, loyalty, imagination and devotion.

Yesterday, I watched the latest instalment in the saga. I’m long past watching for my son’s sake – he is now an adult with children of his own and I very much hope they too will come to love the characters for themselves! I watch for my own sake, for these films touch our innermost being. This film takes up where ‘Toy Story 3’ left off, with the box of faithful toys now belonging to Bonnie, not Andy (how I cried my eyes out nine years ago at that scene as the poignancy of growing up and leaving childish things behind resonated with me as my son left home for university.) Bonnie is faced with the challenge of kindergarten (more tears for me as I anticipate my granddaughter’s first day at nursery), even as Andy wrestles with no longer being a favourite toy. He tries to make Bonnie’s first day at kindergarten more palatable by caring for her new creation ‘Forky’ (a decorated plastic spork with mismatched googly eyes and pipe cleaners for arms!) The film could be sub-titled ‘Woody’s Attempts to Save Forky From Danger’, and as usual, there is peril on the road trip as the toys are trapped in an antiques centre where a doll wants to wrest Woody’s voice box from him in order to cure her defects and earn the right to be loved by a child for herself (even the adversaries’ motives are unfolded for us!) There is also deep joy as Woody is reunited with his old friend, Bo Peep.

The film has many laugh-out-loud moments (the scenes where Forky keeps diving for the bin, believing he’s trash not a toy, or the toys takeover of driving the camper van to prevent Bonnie’s parents from driving on and leaving Woody and Forky behind are hilarious), but it also operates on a much deeper level than most children’s films, tugging at the heartstrings as it deals with fear, loss, identity and purpose, loyalty, choices and fresh starts. To be able to touch on mixed motives in such a film (Woody’s desire to help Bonnie is mingled with his own need for her approval and desire to be loved and useful; Gabby’s determination to get what she wants is seen as being the outworking of her desperate need to be loved) is a skill indeed; to tackle these deep questions of love, loyalty, hurt, fear and the pains and joys of relationships through the medium of animation shows a skill few films ever demonstrate.

So hurrah (once again) to the Toy Story geniuses. Thanks for letting me share this journey again.

Last night I had the privilege of attending a concert to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Barnsley Youth Choir. Founded in 2009 by Keith Norton and Mat Wright, the choir has grown to international fame and is a registered charity run by volunteers that seeks to provide outstanding opportunities for young people who live in Barnsley and has developed a reputation for excellence. The choir is ranked 5th in the World Rankings in its category and has won 8 first prizes in some of the biggest international competitions in the world. Barnsley Youth Choir were presented with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (MBE) in January 2018.

This tenth anniversary festival features four concerts over two days and last night’s concert involved choirs from Hungary and Sweden as well as songs from the National Youth Choir of Great Britain’s Fellowship scheme and soloist Paul Phoenix (former King’s Singer). To see the talent of these young people and to know the choir is giving such tremendous opportunities to children from the age of four was utterly mind-blowing. There aren’t enough adjectives to begin to describe the quality and sheer joy of these singers: suberb, stunning, spectacular are just a few. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside their accompanist, Gareth Taylor, for many years and to see some of my former pupils singing their hearts out was nothing short of amazing.

There are many Christians involved in the group, and the choir’s rendition of ‘John the Revelator’ (watch here for a version at a previous concert) made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! It was so awesome (and I don’t use that word lightly) to be at a concert attended by hundreds of people and hear the name of Jesus sung out with such passion by young people from our borough. Other choirs sang ‘Amazing Grace’ and other church choral work; one choir sang the words of Philippians 4:4, 7 to us, urging us to rejoice in the Lord always and to let the peace of God keep our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ. Song has always been one of the main ways we are urged to praise God, but it is truly humbling to hear His praise sung out in this way in a concert.

Even more exciting to my heart is the fact that last year the choir opened its Dearne section (Barnsley Youth Choir East) which meets every Wednesday at Astrea Academy Dearne, bringing the choir to our area for those aged 7-12. Last week during one of the mosaic workshops, the class at Sacred Heart sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to a pupil. One boy sang with such passion and skill that I asked if he belonged to a choir; sure enough, he sings with the BYC East! It’s wonderful to know another outlet for championing creativity in our area and to see the sense of unity, purpose, discipline, quality teaching and sheer joy that singing is bringing to these young people, who truly are ambassadors for our town. Those who feel there is nothing good in this area and that young people are ruining our town need to look long and hard at Barnsley Youth Choir, for they are champions in so many different areas and show us a wholly different story. If we have ears to hear, let us hear!

I’ve been involved in two more mosaic workshops this week. The first was with a WEA arts and crafts class, working with adults with additional learning needs at the wonderful Snap Tin Cafe in Goldthorpe, a community cafe with a real heart for people. It was especially lovely to work with my former school colleague Angie Wapples at this session. She is now a tutor with WEA and for me, it’s wonderful when God reunites us on projects like this!

Today’s session was at the Salvation Army, where we made a ‘Dearne Churches Together’ mosaic. It will be lovely after the arts’ festival to have this mosaic tour the local churches as a visible sign of our unity and commitment to work together.

The world has a saying ‘life begins at forty’, and if we look at some Biblical characters, we might agree! Forty seems to be a significant biblical number. Moses lived forty years in Egypt and forty years in the desert before God chose him to lead his people out of slavery. He spent forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai on two occasions (Ex 24:18, Ex 34:1-18). The Israelites were forty years wandering in the wilderness. Elijah went forty days without food or water at Mount Horeb and the prophet Ezekiel laid on his right side for forty days to symbolise Judah’s sins (Ezek 4:6). Jesus was forty days in the desert when he was tempted by Satan prior to the commencement of his ministry. So forty seems to be quite a significant number!

The lame man healed in Acts 3 was, we are told, ‘over forty years old.’ (Acts 4:22) Given that he was lame from birth (Acts 3:2), that was a significant amount of time to be crippled. It’s a vivid reminder, however, that what we have experienced for a long time does not have to last a lifetime. When God moves in power and might, things change. As Chris Tomlin puts it,

‘One word, and the walls start crumbling,

One word, and the blind will see.

One word, and the sinner’s forgiven,

‘Cause You do impossible things.’ (‘Impossible Things’, Chris Tomlin)

We need to have the faith to see that the long term can change when God steps into our situations. Long-term hurts, injuries, illnesses and situations can be turned around by a God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Eph 3:18-20).

For this man, it truly was as if life began at over forty. Suddenly he could walk and leap and praise God. Suddenly he was no longer a beggar, no longer dependent on others to carry him around, no longer an outcast of society. He wasn’t necessarily expecting life to change that day when he went to the temple as usual. But change it surely did… and life can change for us too when God steps into our situations.

To act in someone’s name means to act with their authority. An ambassador, for example, acts with the authority of the government of the country he or she represents; the ‘status’ and ‘authority’ of the ambassador is invested in him by someone greater than himself.

Peter’s response to the question ‘By what power or what name did you do this?’ (Acts 4:7) is unequivocal: ’It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.’ (Acts 4:10) When the religious leaders later command them NOT to preach in this name (Acts 4:18), Peter and John are adamant that they must obey God before men: ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ (Acts 4:19-20) The apostles acted not on their own authority but by all the authority invested in Jesus’ name – and therefore in Jesus Himself.

Peter was clear that the man’s healing had not resulted from his own goodness or power (Acts 3:12). He was acting in the name of Jesus, just as Jesus encouraged His disciples to pray in that name (John 14:12-14). When we do so, as Matt Slick says, ‘The action is accomplished by someone, but the power and the right to accomplish it is not one’s own. Instead, it is that which belongs to Christ and is associated with the individual who performs the action.’

Praying and acting in the name of Jesus (whether that involves healing, exorcism or forgiveness) depends on a relationship with Jesus and the infilling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8). It’s not a ‘magic mantra’ or phrase that can simply be tacked on to a prayer or action (see Acts 19:13-16).

For the Christian, everything we think, say, pray or do should be in Jesus’ name. Paul tells the Colossians, ‘whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Col 3:17) As we learn to do this, we can be confident that Jesus is with us. Jesus said, ‘all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me’ (Matt 28:18) and it is from that vantage point of Christ’s authority we are urged to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20). Peter and John had grasped something of the power and authority of the name of Jesus. Have we?