It's the last week in December and the pleasant, familiar end of year routine is under way. I am staying with friends in the south Midlands. These kind people started out as church members in one of my churches in the Banbury area and eventually became my adopted family.
When my mother died in 1997 they let me use the flat attached to their farmhouse. This then became home from home and I have had many happy stays there, particularly each year once Christmas duties were over in whatever church I was pastoring at the time. The family members have their pleasant Christmas traditions and have willingly included me in these.
So all is agreeably familiar, even down to the annual Christmas cold. More often than not I go down with one germ or another not long before Christmas Day. It makes me sound chesty and bunged up but doesn't quite manage to spoil the festivities.
However this year there is a new twist. I have been identified as having a number of medical problems, particularly bladder and prostate. These have taken me into unfamiliar territory. Though never very robust, I have not been used to beating a path to surgeries, clinics and hospital departments. Usually when there I meet with compassion, helpfulness and efficiency. But this does not change the fact that I am on an unknown and disturbing journey.
The new year will bring more investigations and preparations and, sooner or later, surgery. I am prepared to leave the outcome with God and, under Him, the medical people. They are His instruments, whether they acknowledge Him or not. Some friends wonder that I don't ask more questions. But knowing all the details is not the same as being cured. In any case, physical cure only postpones the far more important issue of what happens to me in eternity. As long as I know Christ and the forgiveness of sins and the power of His resurrection, that is the main question answered and friendly light on future paths.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:4-6 ESV).
Wednesday 28 December 2011
Thursday 8 December 2011
The winter test
Eight days into December and I am getting used to my first winter up north. The wind is very wild and there has been the occasional dusting of something between hail and slush. It's been chilly - but not unusually so for this time of year. All in all, the weather is far less severe than in Scotland and probably not much different from some central and southern parts. If this is a standard northern winter, I'll do fine.
My thoughts go back to the beginning of my ministry in the West Country. A new resident that I came across was sadly caught out by an illusion. She and her husband had been visiting that part of the world on their holidays for twenty years. The summer sun had shone and they had enjoyed the peace and the beautiful scenery. They had resolved to make their home in their favourite spot on retirement. The big event came and, at a time of year when the weather was kind, they purchased their dream bungalow in its dream setting. Regrettably the husband died, a victim of the shock of moving while in poor health. The widow now faced her first winter on her own, hundreds of miles from her nearest relatives. Little had she expected that West Country winters can be very bleak affairs. Social Services had many like that lady on their books. No doubt these hapless people now regretted their choice, but it was too late to unmake it. No doubt the only answer to this problem is to urge people to consider the cost of following their dream.
In Luke 14 and verse 27 Jesus warns His followers in very stark terms not to imagine that being His disciple is easy. There may be pressure - even from within your own family. Those in countries dominated by other religions know that well. But you need to set something against that: the cost of not being Jesus' disciple. What a tragedy to miss our way on this one: to miss picking up our cross and then exchanging it one day for a crown!
Sit down and count the cost. But remember, following Jesus to the end is one venture which cannot result in disappointment.
My thoughts go back to the beginning of my ministry in the West Country. A new resident that I came across was sadly caught out by an illusion. She and her husband had been visiting that part of the world on their holidays for twenty years. The summer sun had shone and they had enjoyed the peace and the beautiful scenery. They had resolved to make their home in their favourite spot on retirement. The big event came and, at a time of year when the weather was kind, they purchased their dream bungalow in its dream setting. Regrettably the husband died, a victim of the shock of moving while in poor health. The widow now faced her first winter on her own, hundreds of miles from her nearest relatives. Little had she expected that West Country winters can be very bleak affairs. Social Services had many like that lady on their books. No doubt these hapless people now regretted their choice, but it was too late to unmake it. No doubt the only answer to this problem is to urge people to consider the cost of following their dream.
In Luke 14 and verse 27 Jesus warns His followers in very stark terms not to imagine that being His disciple is easy. There may be pressure - even from within your own family. Those in countries dominated by other religions know that well. But you need to set something against that: the cost of not being Jesus' disciple. What a tragedy to miss our way on this one: to miss picking up our cross and then exchanging it one day for a crown!
Sit down and count the cost. But remember, following Jesus to the end is one venture which cannot result in disappointment.
Saturday 19 November 2011
No Delay
Whenever I wish God would hurry up over something, I console myself with the Bible teaching that God will not delay once He’s ready.
The main verse that helps me with this is Habakkuk 2:3. It reads: “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
Habakkuk lived in a day when one evil empire would take over from another, and neither would be good for God’s people. His prophecy assures us that God’s plans mature slowly, but that He is in full control.
The coming of Jesus into this world illustrates this well. For centuries God’s people had been longing for the voice of God to ring out clearly once again. After Malachi’s prophecies ended, shortly before 400 BC, there had been little or nothing. But God chose the right moment for His Son to be born into the world, God’s definitive word to humankind. The Bible faithfully records this and sets out its meaning for us.
Thank God we are free to read the Bible, with the precious comfort and promises which it gives! This year has been the 400th anniversary of the publication of that great landmark in English literature, the Authorised or King James Version. We have thought about the events leading up to its production: the people who had to suffer and die because the country’s rulers suppressed translations into English. William Tyndale, on whose work the King James Bible is largely based, was put to death by strangling and burning in 1536. His last words were, “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes.” Within four years, four translations of the Bible, all based on his work, were circulating with King Henry’s permission. This started a series of translations which led King James to order an authoritative version in 1604. The care that was taken over this is shown by the fact that it was seven years in the making.
The Puritan poet John Milton was a leading literary light shortly after those days. I cherish a hymn of his. Here are two verses from it:
The Lord will come, and not be slow,
His footsteps cannot err;
before Him righteousness shall go,
His royal harbinger.
Surely to such as do Him fear
salvation is at hand;
and glory shall ere long appear
to dwell within our land.
The main verse that helps me with this is Habakkuk 2:3. It reads: “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
Habakkuk lived in a day when one evil empire would take over from another, and neither would be good for God’s people. His prophecy assures us that God’s plans mature slowly, but that He is in full control.
The coming of Jesus into this world illustrates this well. For centuries God’s people had been longing for the voice of God to ring out clearly once again. After Malachi’s prophecies ended, shortly before 400 BC, there had been little or nothing. But God chose the right moment for His Son to be born into the world, God’s definitive word to humankind. The Bible faithfully records this and sets out its meaning for us.
Thank God we are free to read the Bible, with the precious comfort and promises which it gives! This year has been the 400th anniversary of the publication of that great landmark in English literature, the Authorised or King James Version. We have thought about the events leading up to its production: the people who had to suffer and die because the country’s rulers suppressed translations into English. William Tyndale, on whose work the King James Bible is largely based, was put to death by strangling and burning in 1536. His last words were, “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes.” Within four years, four translations of the Bible, all based on his work, were circulating with King Henry’s permission. This started a series of translations which led King James to order an authoritative version in 1604. The care that was taken over this is shown by the fact that it was seven years in the making.
The Puritan poet John Milton was a leading literary light shortly after those days. I cherish a hymn of his. Here are two verses from it:
The Lord will come, and not be slow,
His footsteps cannot err;
before Him righteousness shall go,
His royal harbinger.
Surely to such as do Him fear
salvation is at hand;
and glory shall ere long appear
to dwell within our land.
Saturday 12 November 2011
Over-protected?
As I fiddled with the key of the padlock to my garden gate for the umpteenth time, I thought how much simpler life would be if I could just lift the latch and walk through. Voices from the past run through my head: "We never thought of locking even our front doors in the old days." But I take these precautions because this is a different day. I am aware of possible intruders close at hand. There are children around who would think nothing of barging through my front door uninvited if I left it unlocked and my attention was somewhere else.
It is the same with the telephone. More often than not, when it rings, my space is being invaded by some stranger trying to get me to sign up for something. I find myself picking up the receiver in a wary and apprehensive frame of mind.
Yet with this mindset there comes a sense of guilt. As a church pastor, am I not supposed to be open to all types of people? Folk expect hermits and oddballs to pull up the drawbridge when someone approaches, but surely not a minister of a church!
To quote the catchphrase from an outreach campaign in time past, "What would Jesus do?" He certainly gained a reputation for approaching social misfits whom others shied away from. Centuries-old taboos around lepers, non-Jews and tax-gatherers meant nothing to Him. He proclaimed salvation to those with whom nobody else would spend time.
Even for Him, though, there were limits. In Matthew 7:6 He advises, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."
The Son of Man who had "nowhere to lay His head" still felt the need to give Himself space, to put a distance between Himself and time-wasters. We are right to protect our own interests. Even so, we should be on the lookout for someone, at least, who is by-passed in society yet who can benefit from a kind deed or a thoughtful word from us as Christians.
It is the same with the telephone. More often than not, when it rings, my space is being invaded by some stranger trying to get me to sign up for something. I find myself picking up the receiver in a wary and apprehensive frame of mind.
Yet with this mindset there comes a sense of guilt. As a church pastor, am I not supposed to be open to all types of people? Folk expect hermits and oddballs to pull up the drawbridge when someone approaches, but surely not a minister of a church!
To quote the catchphrase from an outreach campaign in time past, "What would Jesus do?" He certainly gained a reputation for approaching social misfits whom others shied away from. Centuries-old taboos around lepers, non-Jews and tax-gatherers meant nothing to Him. He proclaimed salvation to those with whom nobody else would spend time.
Even for Him, though, there were limits. In Matthew 7:6 He advises, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."
The Son of Man who had "nowhere to lay His head" still felt the need to give Himself space, to put a distance between Himself and time-wasters. We are right to protect our own interests. Even so, we should be on the lookout for someone, at least, who is by-passed in society yet who can benefit from a kind deed or a thoughtful word from us as Christians.
Monday 31 October 2011
Out of context
I don't know about you, but until I get to know people well I only recognise them in places where I am used to seeing them. Sometimes a person appears in an unfamiliar context and is surprised when I don't greet him or her. "I'm really sorry," I explain with embarrassment, "but, seeing you out of context, I just didn't make the connection."
Today's entry in my favourite Our Daily Bread notes struck a chord. It is entitled "Surprise" and reminds us to be on the lookout for God at work when we least expect!
"A writer for The Washington Post conducted an experiment to test people’s perception. He asked a famous violinist to perform incognito at a train station in the nation’s capital one January morning. Thousands of people walked by as he played, but only a few stopped to listen. After 45 minutes, just $32 had been dropped into the virtuoso’s open violin case. Two days earlier, this man—Joshua Bell—had used the same $3.5 million Stradivarius for a sold-out concert where people paid $100 a seat to hear him perform.
"The idea of a person not being recognized for his greatness isn’t new. It happened to Jesus. “He was in the world,” John said, “. . . and the world did not know Him” (John 1:10). Why did people who had been expecting the Messiah give Jesus such a cold reception? One reason is that they were surprised. Just as people today don’t expect famous musicians to play in railway stations, the people in Jesus’ day didn’t expect Messiah to be born in a stable. They also expected Him to be a political king—not the head of a spiritual kingdom.
"The people in the first century were blinded to God’s purpose in sending Jesus to this world. He came to save people from their sins (John 1:29). Receive God’s surprising gift of salvation that He offers freely to you today.
"Amazing thought! that God in flesh
Would take my place and bear my sin;
That I, a guilty, death-doomed soul,
Eternal life might win! —Anon.
"God broke into human history to offer us the gift of eternal life."
Today's entry in my favourite Our Daily Bread notes struck a chord. It is entitled "Surprise" and reminds us to be on the lookout for God at work when we least expect!
"A writer for The Washington Post conducted an experiment to test people’s perception. He asked a famous violinist to perform incognito at a train station in the nation’s capital one January morning. Thousands of people walked by as he played, but only a few stopped to listen. After 45 minutes, just $32 had been dropped into the virtuoso’s open violin case. Two days earlier, this man—Joshua Bell—had used the same $3.5 million Stradivarius for a sold-out concert where people paid $100 a seat to hear him perform.
"The idea of a person not being recognized for his greatness isn’t new. It happened to Jesus. “He was in the world,” John said, “. . . and the world did not know Him” (John 1:10). Why did people who had been expecting the Messiah give Jesus such a cold reception? One reason is that they were surprised. Just as people today don’t expect famous musicians to play in railway stations, the people in Jesus’ day didn’t expect Messiah to be born in a stable. They also expected Him to be a political king—not the head of a spiritual kingdom.
"The people in the first century were blinded to God’s purpose in sending Jesus to this world. He came to save people from their sins (John 1:29). Receive God’s surprising gift of salvation that He offers freely to you today.
"Amazing thought! that God in flesh
Would take my place and bear my sin;
That I, a guilty, death-doomed soul,
Eternal life might win! —Anon.
"God broke into human history to offer us the gift of eternal life."
Saturday 15 October 2011
Coincidences
Someone once said that there are no coincidences, only God-incidences. On one level, nothing indeed happens without God overseeing it. As an old children's hymn once put it,
He sees the meanest sparrow fall
unnoticed in the street.
Since He is God, He can also bring together two separate events to make a point. Sometimes the connection is totally obscure unless revealed by the Holy Spirit. I think of the strange linkage of Bible verses which pointed towards Judas returning the money the chief priests gave him for betraying Jesus:
"Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 'They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me'" (Matthew 27:9-10, NIV).
This is an amazing mix of two apparently tiny events that happened in Jeremiah 19 and Zechariah 11. Yet together they shone a spotlight on what Judas did hundreds of years later.
I have known people to look for divinely-ordered comings together of events at every turn of the road. It seems a very touching use of the eye of faith, but after a while it becomes tedious. You feel that God has better things to do than make us work out an inner meaning for everything that happens. But clearly He does at times bring events together to produce a strong and compelling message.
In Acts 10 a Roman centurion called Cornelius had a vision of an angel telling him to ask for a man called Peter to come to his house. The very next day Peter, too, saw a vision. In it he learned that, despite the religious taboos he had been brought up with, he must not call anything "unclean" once God had declared it clean. Non-Jews were thought to be unclean! So God paved the way for Peter to receive Cornelius' invitation and preach the gospel to him. This God-incidence was the start of the spread of Christianity throughout the world.
Just before Harvest Festival I had prepared a short talk on how unexpected things can be used as foods - including heather! How surprised I was to see heather in abundance in the church along with the harvest produce that morning. That coincidence was, I guess, the smile of God, and a great blessing at the time. Other coincidences may carry much more urgent and weighty messages from God to you and me.
He sees the meanest sparrow fall
unnoticed in the street.
Since He is God, He can also bring together two separate events to make a point. Sometimes the connection is totally obscure unless revealed by the Holy Spirit. I think of the strange linkage of Bible verses which pointed towards Judas returning the money the chief priests gave him for betraying Jesus:
"Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 'They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me'" (Matthew 27:9-10, NIV).
This is an amazing mix of two apparently tiny events that happened in Jeremiah 19 and Zechariah 11. Yet together they shone a spotlight on what Judas did hundreds of years later.
I have known people to look for divinely-ordered comings together of events at every turn of the road. It seems a very touching use of the eye of faith, but after a while it becomes tedious. You feel that God has better things to do than make us work out an inner meaning for everything that happens. But clearly He does at times bring events together to produce a strong and compelling message.
In Acts 10 a Roman centurion called Cornelius had a vision of an angel telling him to ask for a man called Peter to come to his house. The very next day Peter, too, saw a vision. In it he learned that, despite the religious taboos he had been brought up with, he must not call anything "unclean" once God had declared it clean. Non-Jews were thought to be unclean! So God paved the way for Peter to receive Cornelius' invitation and preach the gospel to him. This God-incidence was the start of the spread of Christianity throughout the world.
Just before Harvest Festival I had prepared a short talk on how unexpected things can be used as foods - including heather! How surprised I was to see heather in abundance in the church along with the harvest produce that morning. That coincidence was, I guess, the smile of God, and a great blessing at the time. Other coincidences may carry much more urgent and weighty messages from God to you and me.
Monday 19 September 2011
Gospel in the Harvest
As Harvest Festival comes, my thoughts turn to the hymns that are traditionally used in churches at various times of the year. Harvest is one example. Christmas is another.
Sometimes these hymns have hardly anything that is Christian about them. A friend of mine takes a carefully chosen song book to Christmas carol events. If anyone requests “The holly and the ivy”, with its partly pagan and partly folk-religion content, he simply replies, “We can’t sing that – it’s not in the book!”
Festival hymns are not all like that. There are some good meaty Christmas hymns. “Hark! The herald angels sing” has sound scripture content. A real gospel hymn to sing at harvest time is “Come, ye thankful people, come”. The second verse takes us from harvest thanksgiving to the fact that the whole human race is meant to be a harvest for God: “All the world is God’s own field/fruit unto His praise to yield”. The rest of the hymn is inspired by Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30). The wheat and the weeds (weeds meaning unbelievers) cannot be separated while they are growing. But the decisive moment of the harvest arrives, and the wheat is stored and the weeds burned.
Some writers have heavily criticised this hymn. Erik Routley writes: “Can one sing so blithely about the fearful implications of the last judgement? Ought one to attempt to do so on a cheerful creaturely festival like Harvest or Thanksgiving?”
Surely we should welcome a hymn that brings this reality home. Harvest is a pivotal time. In olden days a good harvest meant full stomachs over the winter, while a bad one meant that the spectre of starvation haunted the home for months. The run-up to the harvest of the last judgment is equally a time of decision for humankind. Do I belong to Christ or don’t I? Will I see eternal gain or eternal loss? The hymn invites us to make up our minds in good time.
Sometimes these hymns have hardly anything that is Christian about them. A friend of mine takes a carefully chosen song book to Christmas carol events. If anyone requests “The holly and the ivy”, with its partly pagan and partly folk-religion content, he simply replies, “We can’t sing that – it’s not in the book!”
Festival hymns are not all like that. There are some good meaty Christmas hymns. “Hark! The herald angels sing” has sound scripture content. A real gospel hymn to sing at harvest time is “Come, ye thankful people, come”. The second verse takes us from harvest thanksgiving to the fact that the whole human race is meant to be a harvest for God: “All the world is God’s own field/fruit unto His praise to yield”. The rest of the hymn is inspired by Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30). The wheat and the weeds (weeds meaning unbelievers) cannot be separated while they are growing. But the decisive moment of the harvest arrives, and the wheat is stored and the weeds burned.
Some writers have heavily criticised this hymn. Erik Routley writes: “Can one sing so blithely about the fearful implications of the last judgement? Ought one to attempt to do so on a cheerful creaturely festival like Harvest or Thanksgiving?”
Surely we should welcome a hymn that brings this reality home. Harvest is a pivotal time. In olden days a good harvest meant full stomachs over the winter, while a bad one meant that the spectre of starvation haunted the home for months. The run-up to the harvest of the last judgment is equally a time of decision for humankind. Do I belong to Christ or don’t I? Will I see eternal gain or eternal loss? The hymn invites us to make up our minds in good time.
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Half way
The walk from my home to church is a bit over a mile and takes me around 25 minutes. It cheers me along my way when I pass by landmarks I have picked out. I can then say that I have reached a certain point on my journey and have only so far to go.
About half way along the route I pass two churches. One, the local parish church, is on the right as I head for work and the other is just beyond it on the left. Once those are behind me, I feel encouraged that I am now on the home straight. However, another, darker thought comes into my mind. Often loyal church members in poorly supported churches will complain along these lines: "So-and-so passes by our church and two others to get to his place of worship further down the road!"
The implication is that you should support your local cause rather than travel long distances to attend one that suits your taste better. To some extent I sympathise with that view; in fact I've used the same argument myself in the past. On the other hand, everybody needs a good spiritual diet. A clearly Bible-based, Christ-centred church is more likely to offer this than one that isn't. Sadly a great many churches of all different types leave those who go to them poorly nourished.
Often the congregations just don't notice that they are not being well fed. They take it for granted that the diet they are offered is all there is. The writer of Hebrews warns his readers, "Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14).
I'm making a general point, of course, and not saying anything against the two churches I pass on my journey to work! If you find yourself passing by a church regularly, it may be good to say hello and make yourself known, and even join in some activities from time to time if you can do so with a good conscience. Courtesy costs nothing and does no harm.
About half way along the route I pass two churches. One, the local parish church, is on the right as I head for work and the other is just beyond it on the left. Once those are behind me, I feel encouraged that I am now on the home straight. However, another, darker thought comes into my mind. Often loyal church members in poorly supported churches will complain along these lines: "So-and-so passes by our church and two others to get to his place of worship further down the road!"
The implication is that you should support your local cause rather than travel long distances to attend one that suits your taste better. To some extent I sympathise with that view; in fact I've used the same argument myself in the past. On the other hand, everybody needs a good spiritual diet. A clearly Bible-based, Christ-centred church is more likely to offer this than one that isn't. Sadly a great many churches of all different types leave those who go to them poorly nourished.
Often the congregations just don't notice that they are not being well fed. They take it for granted that the diet they are offered is all there is. The writer of Hebrews warns his readers, "Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14).
I'm making a general point, of course, and not saying anything against the two churches I pass on my journey to work! If you find yourself passing by a church regularly, it may be good to say hello and make yourself known, and even join in some activities from time to time if you can do so with a good conscience. Courtesy costs nothing and does no harm.
Monday 22 August 2011
Distorted values
After the recent riots a number of people amazingly sympathised with the rioters. They approved of the lawless element that had caused wanton destruction and misery to countless innocent victims. They seemed quite happy to stand in front of microphones, take the moral high ground and defend these outrageous acts. They appeared to have a distorted idea of what was right and what was wrong.
In the course of a ministry you meet many social misfits and hear their stories. If you check out the facts, these stories often turn out to be far from the truth. I hesitate to call it "lying" because often the misfit is simply totally confused. The boundaries between true and false, right and wrong, have become completely blurred. In his twisted mind, he may believe he is telling you the honest truth.
But the problem is not confined to those who are at the margins of society. I once had to bear the anger of a neighbouring couple, a respectable pair. They had done me a good turn. Somehow they believed that gave them the right to park their vehicle on my drive when my back was turned! Naturally I protested and asked for it to be removed. To my astonishment and frustration they took great offence.
The apostle Paul fearlessly exposes the process of untruth that sets in when humankind refuses to acknowledge God. "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. … therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts …" (Romans 1:21-24).
Keep close to God in Christ. This will help you see clearly how to distinguish between right and wrong.
In the course of a ministry you meet many social misfits and hear their stories. If you check out the facts, these stories often turn out to be far from the truth. I hesitate to call it "lying" because often the misfit is simply totally confused. The boundaries between true and false, right and wrong, have become completely blurred. In his twisted mind, he may believe he is telling you the honest truth.
But the problem is not confined to those who are at the margins of society. I once had to bear the anger of a neighbouring couple, a respectable pair. They had done me a good turn. Somehow they believed that gave them the right to park their vehicle on my drive when my back was turned! Naturally I protested and asked for it to be removed. To my astonishment and frustration they took great offence.
The apostle Paul fearlessly exposes the process of untruth that sets in when humankind refuses to acknowledge God. "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. … therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts …" (Romans 1:21-24).
Keep close to God in Christ. This will help you see clearly how to distinguish between right and wrong.
Sunday 14 August 2011
Trivial?
As the rioting situation began to develop in the capital, I was attending a local neighbourhood forum here in Lancashire. The subjects under discussion were a world away from what was happening in Tottenham: traveller camps, flower displays, pharmacy opening hours and so on.
Many would feel exasperated by time spent on such issues at the moment. Words like "narrow" and "parochial" would be bandied about. Yet are we right to get hot under the collar when small matters arouse big passions?
I attended a training college where there was a huge range of views among the students. Often there were discussions and debates and strong disagreements. There was a tactic which students would often resort to in order to put each other down. They would complain, "Why waste time on that? It's not important. The church should spend its time dealing with much more pressing matters."
Of course, it was frustrating to have that said to you, because to your way of thinking the truth you held was important. The other person was putting you down, making you seem petty and foolish.
But should we really stop caring about getting small things right? To my mind it would be very worrying if every time someone had a local concern they were silenced. "Compared to the riots, your concern is nothing, and you should simply live with it."
No! Decent citizens should be given a respectful hearing when something local upsets them. Jesus listened patiently to a woman by a well while she mused about the differences between Jews and Samaritans about worship. Finally He used her concern to lead her to the important point: "True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).
We may well be in a fight to save this country from social breakdown and its streets and people from loss and destruction. But if that means that our eyes are taken off the local, day to day, quality of life issues that concern our citizens, the rioters will have won.
Many would feel exasperated by time spent on such issues at the moment. Words like "narrow" and "parochial" would be bandied about. Yet are we right to get hot under the collar when small matters arouse big passions?
I attended a training college where there was a huge range of views among the students. Often there were discussions and debates and strong disagreements. There was a tactic which students would often resort to in order to put each other down. They would complain, "Why waste time on that? It's not important. The church should spend its time dealing with much more pressing matters."
Of course, it was frustrating to have that said to you, because to your way of thinking the truth you held was important. The other person was putting you down, making you seem petty and foolish.
But should we really stop caring about getting small things right? To my mind it would be very worrying if every time someone had a local concern they were silenced. "Compared to the riots, your concern is nothing, and you should simply live with it."
No! Decent citizens should be given a respectful hearing when something local upsets them. Jesus listened patiently to a woman by a well while she mused about the differences between Jews and Samaritans about worship. Finally He used her concern to lead her to the important point: "True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).
We may well be in a fight to save this country from social breakdown and its streets and people from loss and destruction. But if that means that our eyes are taken off the local, day to day, quality of life issues that concern our citizens, the rioters will have won.
Sunday 31 July 2011
Finishing well
The march of time put a wonderful Christian lady to the test and she emerged triumphant.
It was around 1978 that I last saw Dr Helen Roseveare in action. She had been a missionary in the Congo. She had been captured by soldiers while there and had suffered outrageous treatment at their hands.
Yet there she was, the appointed speaker at a special Christian Union evening in Cambridge to encourage the students to consider missionary service. Her total dedication came across like a clear shining light. Whatever she had endured, she remained convinced that the great mission field of the world needed more people to go and reach out to the lost.
She spoke with love, power and passion. For all she knew, some she was persuading to go abroad might suffer the way she did, but it was all worth it because of Jesus' sacrifice for us.
Until a couple of weeks ago, I had not seen her again. Some kind friends from my new church offered to take me up to the Keswick Convention to hear her once more. She is now in her mid-eighties. It was a remarkable experience. Despite the passage of some 33 years, her enthusiasm for recruiting missionaries was undiminished. The audience, of mixed ages, took her into their hearts immediately. Keswick staff were surprised by the numbers coming forward to dedicate their lives wholly to God's service in response to her message. An appeal went out for more pastors and counsellors to help.
There is something very moving about a Christian worker still fighting the good fight in the eventide of life. I see Helen Roseveare as a role model. My long career in the ministry may not have been crowned with obvious success, and I have often felt discouraged. But it remains my ambition to keep going and, God helping me, simply to finish well.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
It was around 1978 that I last saw Dr Helen Roseveare in action. She had been a missionary in the Congo. She had been captured by soldiers while there and had suffered outrageous treatment at their hands.
Yet there she was, the appointed speaker at a special Christian Union evening in Cambridge to encourage the students to consider missionary service. Her total dedication came across like a clear shining light. Whatever she had endured, she remained convinced that the great mission field of the world needed more people to go and reach out to the lost.
She spoke with love, power and passion. For all she knew, some she was persuading to go abroad might suffer the way she did, but it was all worth it because of Jesus' sacrifice for us.
Until a couple of weeks ago, I had not seen her again. Some kind friends from my new church offered to take me up to the Keswick Convention to hear her once more. She is now in her mid-eighties. It was a remarkable experience. Despite the passage of some 33 years, her enthusiasm for recruiting missionaries was undiminished. The audience, of mixed ages, took her into their hearts immediately. Keswick staff were surprised by the numbers coming forward to dedicate their lives wholly to God's service in response to her message. An appeal went out for more pastors and counsellors to help.
There is something very moving about a Christian worker still fighting the good fight in the eventide of life. I see Helen Roseveare as a role model. My long career in the ministry may not have been crowned with obvious success, and I have often felt discouraged. But it remains my ambition to keep going and, God helping me, simply to finish well.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Tumbledown Landmarks
Owing to some blind spot I can't explain, I struggle to find my way anywhere. Even helpful maps or patient people giving directions don't ensure that I will head the right way, however simple the route is. And even if I succeed once in getting to my destination I may still get lost the next time ... and the next ... and the next. It is very frustrating. It is something I just have to live with.
One thing I find helpful is a landmark. If there is some outstanding feature along the road near where I am going, I home in on that, and it stops me overshooting and having to turn back. Even though the last couple of turns before I reach home are now familiar to me, the old red telephone box at the corner is a big help.
It was obviously a survivor from the days when they introduced the new style phone boxes. I remember the controversy that surrounded these. People in many towns and villages campaigned hard to keep the old red ones. They said they were a familiar sight and part of the English landscape and should not be changed. At the time I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. To me, it made sense to have the new type, as they blended in better where the red ones stuck out like sore thumbs.
Now, I'm glad of our cheery local red box. It reminds me of passages in the Bible which talk about landmarks. Deuteronomy 19:14 says, "Do not move your neighbour's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess." Boundary markers were sacred because they defined the allotted portion belonging to God's people in God's land. If they were stolen or neglected or misused, a serious situation arose. Someone might no longer know where his God-given stretch of land ended and another's began.
I say our local box is red. In fact it has faded to a pink colour and looks much the worse for wear. If it continues to be neglected it may in the end no longer be of any use in pointing the way.
Jesus is the landmark for all those who want to know the way to the Father. In fact, He is the way to the Father (John 14:6). Beware of thinking you know the way so well you no longer need the landmark!
One thing I find helpful is a landmark. If there is some outstanding feature along the road near where I am going, I home in on that, and it stops me overshooting and having to turn back. Even though the last couple of turns before I reach home are now familiar to me, the old red telephone box at the corner is a big help.
It was obviously a survivor from the days when they introduced the new style phone boxes. I remember the controversy that surrounded these. People in many towns and villages campaigned hard to keep the old red ones. They said they were a familiar sight and part of the English landscape and should not be changed. At the time I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. To me, it made sense to have the new type, as they blended in better where the red ones stuck out like sore thumbs.
Now, I'm glad of our cheery local red box. It reminds me of passages in the Bible which talk about landmarks. Deuteronomy 19:14 says, "Do not move your neighbour's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess." Boundary markers were sacred because they defined the allotted portion belonging to God's people in God's land. If they were stolen or neglected or misused, a serious situation arose. Someone might no longer know where his God-given stretch of land ended and another's began.
I say our local box is red. In fact it has faded to a pink colour and looks much the worse for wear. If it continues to be neglected it may in the end no longer be of any use in pointing the way.
Jesus is the landmark for all those who want to know the way to the Father. In fact, He is the way to the Father (John 14:6). Beware of thinking you know the way so well you no longer need the landmark!
Friday 24 June 2011
On the Borderline
Living in Lowton, a community of three townships extending out from Leigh in the direction of Newton-le-Willows, I am discovering that I'm on the borderline between several
different authorities. My post town is Warrington, but my local authority is Wigan Borough. Talking to local Church of England
clergy, I found that not only am I in a different parish from people living in Leigh,
I am actually “under” a different bishop! (Lowton comes under the Diocese of Liverpool, apparently.)
It seems strange to be on the edge of so many demarcation lines. However, it is a picture of where we are as Christians. We are inhabitants of this earth and have to abide by the laws of the country we happen to live in. Yet at the same time we are citizens of heaven. Once a person comes to Christ, he or she has dual citizenship.
The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 looks almost impossible to live up to. Yet Jesus is saying that is how to live life wherever the rules of the Kingdom of Heaven apply. It will come naturally when we are with God in the Kingdom, but right now there is tension. That’s because we are in this world but not of this world.
Many churchgoers are confused because they think that once popular attitudes to moral questions change, they should change their way of thinking too. This isn’t true. As the moral climate gets worse, Bible-believing Christians may find they are more and more in conflict with the way their neighbours think. But God in Jesus has already foreseen that and made provision for it. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (John 15: 18-19).
This is a great comfort. If you belong to Jesus Christ as a believer, you are chosen. No wind of change can take from you the right to live and believe as a citizen of heaven.
It seems strange to be on the edge of so many demarcation lines. However, it is a picture of where we are as Christians. We are inhabitants of this earth and have to abide by the laws of the country we happen to live in. Yet at the same time we are citizens of heaven. Once a person comes to Christ, he or she has dual citizenship.
The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 looks almost impossible to live up to. Yet Jesus is saying that is how to live life wherever the rules of the Kingdom of Heaven apply. It will come naturally when we are with God in the Kingdom, but right now there is tension. That’s because we are in this world but not of this world.
Many churchgoers are confused because they think that once popular attitudes to moral questions change, they should change their way of thinking too. This isn’t true. As the moral climate gets worse, Bible-believing Christians may find they are more and more in conflict with the way their neighbours think. But God in Jesus has already foreseen that and made provision for it. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (John 15: 18-19).
This is a great comfort. If you belong to Jesus Christ as a believer, you are chosen. No wind of change can take from you the right to live and believe as a citizen of heaven.
Saturday 11 June 2011
Holy lively
While preparing for Holy Spirit Day (Pentecost or Whitsun) I made a fascinating discovery. We think of the Spirit as being full of living power. But so is holiness. The two go well together.
In Isaiah chapter 6 God reaches the prophet Isaiah with intense holy energy. He is exalted on His throne and His royal garments fill the Temple. There are fearsome beings around Him praising Him as "Holy, holy, holy" and "Almighty" and announcing that the whole earth is full of His glory. The entrances to the Temple shake and the building is filled with smoke. Isaiah cowers in terror and one of the beings touches his mouth with a burning coal! Isaiah comes to no harm. In fact good comes out of it, because his guilt is taken away and his sin dealt with. God says He will have to be just as drastic in dealing with Isaiah's people. They will have to be pruned like a tree being cut down to a stump.
Many Christians don't remember often enough that the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. You cannot meet Him in all His righteous power without feeling small. It is only when you have that reverence for Him and for His saving work in Jesus that He can do you good.
I've now almost completed my first month as Pastor of Bethany Evangelical Church in Leigh. I rejoice in God's saving mercy and His equipping of me, and not only me but also many gifted people at the church. With a sense of encouragement and gratitude, I praise God for His holiness and faithfulness.
In Isaiah chapter 6 God reaches the prophet Isaiah with intense holy energy. He is exalted on His throne and His royal garments fill the Temple. There are fearsome beings around Him praising Him as "Holy, holy, holy" and "Almighty" and announcing that the whole earth is full of His glory. The entrances to the Temple shake and the building is filled with smoke. Isaiah cowers in terror and one of the beings touches his mouth with a burning coal! Isaiah comes to no harm. In fact good comes out of it, because his guilt is taken away and his sin dealt with. God says He will have to be just as drastic in dealing with Isaiah's people. They will have to be pruned like a tree being cut down to a stump.
Many Christians don't remember often enough that the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. You cannot meet Him in all His righteous power without feeling small. It is only when you have that reverence for Him and for His saving work in Jesus that He can do you good.
I've now almost completed my first month as Pastor of Bethany Evangelical Church in Leigh. I rejoice in God's saving mercy and His equipping of me, and not only me but also many gifted people at the church. With a sense of encouragement and gratitude, I praise God for His holiness and faithfulness.
Saturday 28 May 2011
New place, old dependence
Just when God's people seemed most settled, God made them live in temporary accommodation! This is the challenge of the Feast of Tabernacles.
The gathering in of the harvest in Old Testament times was marked by a seven-day festival. It was the glad celebration of the fact that the Israelites were now in the land God had promised them. No more wandering as nomads from place to place, pasture to pasture. They were now in their own land. They could till the ground to their heart's content and expect to be around to benefit from the crops it produced.
In the midst of this very celebration came God's instruction: "Live in booths for seven days … so that your descendants will know that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 23:42-43).
This taught the Israelites always to remember that they were dependent on God – an important lesson for all of us to learn. I've learned it afresh as I have migrated from Worcester to Leigh to take up my role as pastor at Bethany. I have had to depend on a number of people for practical help. To my relief, and to their credit, they have given this readily and cheerfully.
People ask, "Are you beginning to feel settled?" The answer is, happily, yes – I am beginning to feel settled already. But I should never become too settled. I am a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus tells His disciples to follow Him – not stop with Him in one place, but follow where He leads. Typically, disciples would fall in behind their chosen rabbi as he moved from place to place, listening carefully, picking up the pearls of wisdom that he uttered.
Maybe the disciples were not always sure where Jesus was going, but they followed Him anyway: He had words of eternal life to share with them (John 6:68). In the end it became very clear that He was heading for Jerusalem, a scene of crisis where He would die and rise again. Still they followed. They would not regret it.
Thank you for your interest in my progress as I move to a new chapter in my life's heavenward journey. I look forward to it. Right now I have just one question for you:
Are you ready to follow?
The gathering in of the harvest in Old Testament times was marked by a seven-day festival. It was the glad celebration of the fact that the Israelites were now in the land God had promised them. No more wandering as nomads from place to place, pasture to pasture. They were now in their own land. They could till the ground to their heart's content and expect to be around to benefit from the crops it produced.
In the midst of this very celebration came God's instruction: "Live in booths for seven days … so that your descendants will know that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 23:42-43).
This taught the Israelites always to remember that they were dependent on God – an important lesson for all of us to learn. I've learned it afresh as I have migrated from Worcester to Leigh to take up my role as pastor at Bethany. I have had to depend on a number of people for practical help. To my relief, and to their credit, they have given this readily and cheerfully.
People ask, "Are you beginning to feel settled?" The answer is, happily, yes – I am beginning to feel settled already. But I should never become too settled. I am a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus tells His disciples to follow Him – not stop with Him in one place, but follow where He leads. Typically, disciples would fall in behind their chosen rabbi as he moved from place to place, listening carefully, picking up the pearls of wisdom that he uttered.
Maybe the disciples were not always sure where Jesus was going, but they followed Him anyway: He had words of eternal life to share with them (John 6:68). In the end it became very clear that He was heading for Jerusalem, a scene of crisis where He would die and rise again. Still they followed. They would not regret it.
Thank you for your interest in my progress as I move to a new chapter in my life's heavenward journey. I look forward to it. Right now I have just one question for you:
Are you ready to follow?
Monday 9 May 2011
An irrational thought
This morning I had a completely irrational thought. Here I am on Monday, with a virtually empty diary for the next 3 days. Moving day is Thursday. I shall be on the go from early Thursday morning till late in the evening. If only I could spread the hectic activity of Thursday over four days instead of one, to make it less manic!
Of course, that is totally silly. Moving day is moving day. The van is booked for that day. The keys get collected that day. My squad of kind helpers and the letting agents have that day, and no other, in their diaries. I cannot do half the move one day and half the next - at least, not without putting a lot of people to unnecessary trouble.
In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 we read, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven". One day is right for being born and another is right for dying. One day is right for planting and another for uprooting, and so on. Someone once spoke on the radio about Indian weddings. In the West people plan, prepare and make bookings months in advance. In the Indian culture nothing happens for ages. Then suddenly everyone decides that the right time has come. Everything falls into place in a frantic last-minute rush. It can be a disaster, but most of the time it works out wonderfully well!
In the gospels we read that Jesus would not do certain things because His time had not yet come. Then "just at the right time ... Christ died for the ungodly". If Jesus was wise about the timing of such an important event, I must be wise in accepting the right timing for my move and the longed for start at my new church, Bethany Evangelical Church in Leigh. Thursday, and not before, is moving day. Saturday, and not before, is my induction and a week today, and not before, is the starting day of my employment. Let me not even think of stretching or squeezing time.
Of course, that is totally silly. Moving day is moving day. The van is booked for that day. The keys get collected that day. My squad of kind helpers and the letting agents have that day, and no other, in their diaries. I cannot do half the move one day and half the next - at least, not without putting a lot of people to unnecessary trouble.
In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 we read, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven". One day is right for being born and another is right for dying. One day is right for planting and another for uprooting, and so on. Someone once spoke on the radio about Indian weddings. In the West people plan, prepare and make bookings months in advance. In the Indian culture nothing happens for ages. Then suddenly everyone decides that the right time has come. Everything falls into place in a frantic last-minute rush. It can be a disaster, but most of the time it works out wonderfully well!
In the gospels we read that Jesus would not do certain things because His time had not yet come. Then "just at the right time ... Christ died for the ungodly". If Jesus was wise about the timing of such an important event, I must be wise in accepting the right timing for my move and the longed for start at my new church, Bethany Evangelical Church in Leigh. Thursday, and not before, is moving day. Saturday, and not before, is my induction and a week today, and not before, is the starting day of my employment. Let me not even think of stretching or squeezing time.
Saturday 23 April 2011
Joy cometh in the morning
Yesterday, Good Friday, I was attending a special service at the church in Malvern which I have been attending. Someone quoted from Psalm 30 verse 5: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning". I thought how fitting this was. The apparent temporary setback of Good Friday's crucifixion is followed by the joy of Easter's resurrection.
The Christian has some reasons to weep. The state of the world is an obvious one. But he or she has many more reasons to be glad. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy" (Psalm 126:5).
Of course, we can't expect to feel in our spirits all the time the joy that Christ gives. We do a disservice to fellow Christians if we tell them they must always look happy. Sure, it is perhaps easier for me to be happy now than when I was stuck not knowing what the future would hold. It is exciting now to be planning my move up north and the start of a new pastorate. But that doesn't make me immune to downbeat moments if things go wrong at times.
When I was at school we used to sing a children's hymn by Lizette Reese, "Glad that I live am I". It put in simple words what life is like from a child's point of view. One verse went,
After the sun the rain,
after the rain the sun,
this is the way of life,
till the work be done.
That, I would suggest, is half the story. Life on earth is indeed a series of ups and downs. Without Christ it is just rain followed by sun followed by rain followed by sun and, in the end, no more sun. But if you receive new, resurrection life with Christ, this earth's ups and downs turn out to be just the curtain-raiser to a glorious life of joy and peace.
The Christian has some reasons to weep. The state of the world is an obvious one. But he or she has many more reasons to be glad. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy" (Psalm 126:5).
Of course, we can't expect to feel in our spirits all the time the joy that Christ gives. We do a disservice to fellow Christians if we tell them they must always look happy. Sure, it is perhaps easier for me to be happy now than when I was stuck not knowing what the future would hold. It is exciting now to be planning my move up north and the start of a new pastorate. But that doesn't make me immune to downbeat moments if things go wrong at times.
When I was at school we used to sing a children's hymn by Lizette Reese, "Glad that I live am I". It put in simple words what life is like from a child's point of view. One verse went,
After the sun the rain,
after the rain the sun,
this is the way of life,
till the work be done.
That, I would suggest, is half the story. Life on earth is indeed a series of ups and downs. Without Christ it is just rain followed by sun followed by rain followed by sun and, in the end, no more sun. But if you receive new, resurrection life with Christ, this earth's ups and downs turn out to be just the curtain-raiser to a glorious life of joy and peace.
Tuesday 5 April 2011
"Someone's hired me at last!"
During the Middle Ages, a German troubadour finally found a wealthy patron to give him a steady income after waiting in vain for possible sponsors. He wrote a poem in celebration. The first line, roughly translated, went:
"Someone's hired me at last, O all the world, someone's hired me at last!"
It wasn't a very poetic thing for a poet to write. It isn't a very spiritual thing for a pastor to say. Yet it expresses the sense of joy and relief that the waiting is over. A week ago today, Bethany Evangelical Church in Leigh, Greater Manchester, found reasons to take me on as pastor where others had found reasons to brush me aside. Many would expect my response to be a solemn religious phrase like "I accept the call". Yet all I can say is how thrilled I am at seeing God's sheer grace at work!
Soon, God willing, I will have a new status. I shall need to alter my details on this blog. No longer shall I be "freelance", but a serving pastor in an actual church setting. My address, my employment position and much else besides will be different.
It remains to be seen whether the experiences of recent months and years will cause me to approach the work differently from the way I did it in the past. Every true pastor, indeed every genuine Christian, hopes to learn and grow. We are the sum total of our past experiences but are also affected by the brand new things that God is doing in and through us. The voice from God's throne declares, "Behold, I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5 ESV). May new things rejoice the heart of the church where I am appointed, too.
"Someone's hired me at last, O all the world, someone's hired me at last!"
It wasn't a very poetic thing for a poet to write. It isn't a very spiritual thing for a pastor to say. Yet it expresses the sense of joy and relief that the waiting is over. A week ago today, Bethany Evangelical Church in Leigh, Greater Manchester, found reasons to take me on as pastor where others had found reasons to brush me aside. Many would expect my response to be a solemn religious phrase like "I accept the call". Yet all I can say is how thrilled I am at seeing God's sheer grace at work!
Soon, God willing, I will have a new status. I shall need to alter my details on this blog. No longer shall I be "freelance", but a serving pastor in an actual church setting. My address, my employment position and much else besides will be different.
It remains to be seen whether the experiences of recent months and years will cause me to approach the work differently from the way I did it in the past. Every true pastor, indeed every genuine Christian, hopes to learn and grow. We are the sum total of our past experiences but are also affected by the brand new things that God is doing in and through us. The voice from God's throne declares, "Behold, I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5 ESV). May new things rejoice the heart of the church where I am appointed, too.
Friday 25 March 2011
Right on cue
In idle moments I spend time admiring the way a computer can predict the rising and setting of sun, moon and planets. I have several programs which perform this feat. You simply tell the program where you are in the world and ask it when and where the sun will set at your location. It gives a time of day and a point on the compass. Lo and behold, the sun sets - at the right place and right on cue. What a well-ordered solar system we live in!
You can also make the program predict events in the skies hundreds of years in the future, or back-track to the past. The writers warn you that, the further away you get in time, the less accurate the program will be, since things happen which change the maths. A huge earthquake such as the recent one in Japan, or a massive volcanic eruption, can slow the earth's spin by a fraction of a second. This can put the calculations out considerably over the course of time.
With all man's cleverness, he cannot predict or control the unexpected. It is time to admit our limits. God challenged Job in ancient times about the starry heavens:
"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?" (Job 38:31-33 NIV)
The most we can do is to think God's thoughts after Him. After all, who could ever predict that He would send His own Son, His very self, to die for sins that we had done and rise again to give us life?
You can also make the program predict events in the skies hundreds of years in the future, or back-track to the past. The writers warn you that, the further away you get in time, the less accurate the program will be, since things happen which change the maths. A huge earthquake such as the recent one in Japan, or a massive volcanic eruption, can slow the earth's spin by a fraction of a second. This can put the calculations out considerably over the course of time.
With all man's cleverness, he cannot predict or control the unexpected. It is time to admit our limits. God challenged Job in ancient times about the starry heavens:
"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?" (Job 38:31-33 NIV)
The most we can do is to think God's thoughts after Him. After all, who could ever predict that He would send His own Son, His very self, to die for sins that we had done and rise again to give us life?
Friday 11 March 2011
Goodbyes
This morning an experience came upon me suddenly and found me little prepared: the first of what will doubtless be many goodbyes. I visited my dentist and realised that by the time of my next routine appointment I shall almost certainly not be in this area any more. (My immediate destination is not yet clear.)
Kind words and good wishes were exchanged and I left the surgery with an emotional pang. Sure, I am as keen as mustard to move on to new beginnings. Yet it still comes hard when you put a distance between yourself and folks who have proved friendly, encouraging, supportive.
One benefit of living with a family is that you can go home and tell someone straight away how you are feeling. My kind host remarked helpfully, "You may have said 'goodbye' to some people, but soon you will be saying 'hello' to others." He talked about a country he knows well where there is a strong tradition of hospitality and guests are always well looked after. When it is time to go, the custom is that you say your farewells and depart without a backward glance. There is always some new household somewhere that will soon give you the same generous welcome.
How touched I was! This reminds me of Jesus' teaching about the preparations going on in heaven to say "hello" to us.
"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3 NIV). The last and perhaps most difficult farewell is when we say goodbye to this life. But for those who trust in Jesus and whose real home is heaven, there are preparations already going on and people gathering, just waiting to say "hello".
Kind words and good wishes were exchanged and I left the surgery with an emotional pang. Sure, I am as keen as mustard to move on to new beginnings. Yet it still comes hard when you put a distance between yourself and folks who have proved friendly, encouraging, supportive.
One benefit of living with a family is that you can go home and tell someone straight away how you are feeling. My kind host remarked helpfully, "You may have said 'goodbye' to some people, but soon you will be saying 'hello' to others." He talked about a country he knows well where there is a strong tradition of hospitality and guests are always well looked after. When it is time to go, the custom is that you say your farewells and depart without a backward glance. There is always some new household somewhere that will soon give you the same generous welcome.
How touched I was! This reminds me of Jesus' teaching about the preparations going on in heaven to say "hello" to us.
"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3 NIV). The last and perhaps most difficult farewell is when we say goodbye to this life. But for those who trust in Jesus and whose real home is heaven, there are preparations already going on and people gathering, just waiting to say "hello".
Friday 25 February 2011
Time
As someone busy about God's work I have often become impatient with delays and hold-ups of various kinds. "Here I am in God's service," I have thought. "The King's business requires haste, and this trivial problem is holding me up!"
Often this is the lower nature getting the better of me. It is all too easy to think the world should stop for me when I am on pastoral duties, especially when I am behind schedule.
Recently I have caught myself becoming impatient even when at a loose end, when there is nothing to rush for. Something has delayed me and I have become really cross. Then I ask myself, "This rush of emotional energy is completely pointless! I have no deadlines to meet today!"
God's work is urgent, of course. Jesus taught His disciples that there were only so many hours in the day, and He and they must keep working while daylight lasted (John 9:4). It grieves me to see many churches and church leaders self-indulgent in the extreme and lacking in urgency. Yet we look for a day when the march of time will no longer be allowed to dictate our lives:
Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
- Frances Ridley Havergal
Often this is the lower nature getting the better of me. It is all too easy to think the world should stop for me when I am on pastoral duties, especially when I am behind schedule.
Recently I have caught myself becoming impatient even when at a loose end, when there is nothing to rush for. Something has delayed me and I have become really cross. Then I ask myself, "This rush of emotional energy is completely pointless! I have no deadlines to meet today!"
God's work is urgent, of course. Jesus taught His disciples that there were only so many hours in the day, and He and they must keep working while daylight lasted (John 9:4). It grieves me to see many churches and church leaders self-indulgent in the extreme and lacking in urgency. Yet we look for a day when the march of time will no longer be allowed to dictate our lives:
Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
- Frances Ridley Havergal
Tuesday 15 February 2011
Choices revisited
Back in October last year I reflected on choices. Since then one door slammed firmly shut in my search for a pastorate, but I again find myself with two churches in different parts of the country seriously considering me.
Circumstances outside my control may again narrow the choice down at any time. But the present happy position leads me to reflect once more on the Christian view of choice.
In the affluent West we are spoiled for choice. The supermarkets are brim full of options. For almost every commodity there are at least two alternatives. People have become used to picking and mixing, even demanding it as a right. It gives them a glowing feeling of being in control.
Towards the end of his career as leader of Israel, Joshua challenged the Israelites, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve". He mentioned a selection of alternative gods, but in reality the choice was simple: Jehovah, God of Israel, or the rest. To choose Jehovah God was to choose service with dignity. To choose any other god was to opt for slavery. The choice for the Christian is: do as you like, and suffer spiritually as a result, or serve the interests of the living God and grow tall.
It is possible to make a genuine mistake in choosing between two alternatives. I guess I've done that many times in the past. However, as a friend said, "God does not punish anyone for making a mistake". Please pray with me that God will make the way ahead crystal clear. That way I can serve Him confidently for the rest of my working life, in thankfulness for all that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, did for me.
Circumstances outside my control may again narrow the choice down at any time. But the present happy position leads me to reflect once more on the Christian view of choice.
In the affluent West we are spoiled for choice. The supermarkets are brim full of options. For almost every commodity there are at least two alternatives. People have become used to picking and mixing, even demanding it as a right. It gives them a glowing feeling of being in control.
Towards the end of his career as leader of Israel, Joshua challenged the Israelites, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve". He mentioned a selection of alternative gods, but in reality the choice was simple: Jehovah, God of Israel, or the rest. To choose Jehovah God was to choose service with dignity. To choose any other god was to opt for slavery. The choice for the Christian is: do as you like, and suffer spiritually as a result, or serve the interests of the living God and grow tall.
It is possible to make a genuine mistake in choosing between two alternatives. I guess I've done that many times in the past. However, as a friend said, "God does not punish anyone for making a mistake". Please pray with me that God will make the way ahead crystal clear. That way I can serve Him confidently for the rest of my working life, in thankfulness for all that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, did for me.
Monday 31 January 2011
Focus
When little is happening in your life some days, it is important to have a focus for each day. Otherwise a sense of drift and aimlessness takes over.
Your quiet time with God is a key element in that focus: Bible reading and prayer. All sorts of thoughts may have been floating around in your head, some of them having little to do with reality. The Bible deals with real life and helps bring you back - I nearly said "back down to earth", but that's only part of it: it brings you back "up to heaven" as well! Having read the Bible passages, you can turn to God in prayer in a "real" frame of mind.
I love the importance prayer times had for Daniel of old, when he was under pressure from envious colleagues who wanted to get rid of him. A decree had gone out that no prayer was to be offered except to the king for thirty days - unacceptable to Daniel. We are told that Daniel simply and deliberately opened an upstairs window facing towards Jerusalem, and three times a day he knelt down and prayed. What a wonderful habit of life to have when he could have spent his days frantic with despair! What a great focus those prayer times must have been each day! In his prayers he gave thanks to his God, which shows us that it wasn't just an exercise for his own benefit, to calm him down. We read the Bible and pray because God means us to.
Believe it or not, even Jesus needed to pray. It was a focus for His day too.
On the lone mountain side,
before the morning's light,
the Man of Sorrows wept and cried,
and rose refreshed with might.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Your quiet time with God is a key element in that focus: Bible reading and prayer. All sorts of thoughts may have been floating around in your head, some of them having little to do with reality. The Bible deals with real life and helps bring you back - I nearly said "back down to earth", but that's only part of it: it brings you back "up to heaven" as well! Having read the Bible passages, you can turn to God in prayer in a "real" frame of mind.
I love the importance prayer times had for Daniel of old, when he was under pressure from envious colleagues who wanted to get rid of him. A decree had gone out that no prayer was to be offered except to the king for thirty days - unacceptable to Daniel. We are told that Daniel simply and deliberately opened an upstairs window facing towards Jerusalem, and three times a day he knelt down and prayed. What a wonderful habit of life to have when he could have spent his days frantic with despair! What a great focus those prayer times must have been each day! In his prayers he gave thanks to his God, which shows us that it wasn't just an exercise for his own benefit, to calm him down. We read the Bible and pray because God means us to.
Believe it or not, even Jesus needed to pray. It was a focus for His day too.
On the lone mountain side,
before the morning's light,
the Man of Sorrows wept and cried,
and rose refreshed with might.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Monday 17 January 2011
Headlights
My way ahead is as yet unclear, and I need the Psalm-writer's words in Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path".
I have been following Our Daily Bread daily Bible notes (produced by Radio Bible Class) for many years. Often the writer has put in something which I needed that day.
Today's offering came from Joe Stowell: "God usually doesn’t show us where He is taking us. He just asks us to trust Him. It’s like driving a car at night. Our headlights never shine all the way to our destination; they illuminate only about 160 feet ahead. But that doesn’t deter us from moving forward. We trust our headlights. All we really need is enough light to keep moving forward. God’s Word is like headlights in dark times."
160 feet is next to nothing in a car travelling at any speed. Yet, 160 feet at a time, I can keep going. I have as much light as I need until the future becomes plainer.
Meanwhile small delights are indicators, however tiny, of a providing God. I was out walking and hoping to see an historical feature in the landscape. Given my lack of skill with map reading and interpretation, I was almost guaranteed to miss it. Yet I met a lady walking her dog who knew the feature and could describe every bend in the road leading up to it. Happily I went straight to it. A mere nothing, you might say, but to me at this time everything that goes right is a boost.
I have been following Our Daily Bread daily Bible notes (produced by Radio Bible Class) for many years. Often the writer has put in something which I needed that day.
Today's offering came from Joe Stowell: "God usually doesn’t show us where He is taking us. He just asks us to trust Him. It’s like driving a car at night. Our headlights never shine all the way to our destination; they illuminate only about 160 feet ahead. But that doesn’t deter us from moving forward. We trust our headlights. All we really need is enough light to keep moving forward. God’s Word is like headlights in dark times."
160 feet is next to nothing in a car travelling at any speed. Yet, 160 feet at a time, I can keep going. I have as much light as I need until the future becomes plainer.
Meanwhile small delights are indicators, however tiny, of a providing God. I was out walking and hoping to see an historical feature in the landscape. Given my lack of skill with map reading and interpretation, I was almost guaranteed to miss it. Yet I met a lady walking her dog who knew the feature and could describe every bend in the road leading up to it. Happily I went straight to it. A mere nothing, you might say, but to me at this time everything that goes right is a boost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)