As I face a second stay in hospital, at least I have previous experience to go on. My first ever episode of hospitalisation, back in January, was both reassuring and disturbing. I had complications following a simple biopsy. Everyone loves to feel special, but to be the one person in 100 chosen to have a particular problem is a privilege I'd rather avoid!
At the same time, I know that I shall meet with kindness and courtesy and much practical love, help and support. As a resident of a friendly locality and pastor of a caring church, you may be reasonably confident of this both in hospital and in convalescence afterwards. The period of recovery will probably be rather lengthy and I may be quite dependent on others. I don't look forward to being a burden, but I know everyone will reassure me that I'm not one. There are also things which I shall handle differently because I have been through it all before. Perhaps I shall make a better fist of it this time, even though last time didn't go too badly.
Thinking about this experience question brings to mind those job adverts which flag up that previous experience of the work is "desirable" or "essential". Of course this is the bane of many a job-seeker's life. Employers don't seem to understand that you've got to start somewhere. An applicant longs for a sympathetic employer willing to look at his or her potential rather than a proven track record. Many, though, are hard-headed business people who don't see it that way and won't give a youngster a chance. It's a hard world.
The job market is all about life, however, and life can be hard. Sometimes doing things with no previous experience can bring disastrous results with lifelong bad consequences. Yet there is great comfort for the Christian. As a wise believing lady told me one day, "God never punishes anyone for making a mistake".
Old Job, in the Bible book of that name, found himself on the end of a torrent of challenging questions from God. He had experienced heavy losses for maybe the first time in his life, and had taken it all very hard. Somehow he managed to retain his integrity through it all, and did not curse God. When confronted, he was desperately sorry that he had been so bitter: "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). God praised Job up in the presence of Job's false comforters and blessed him more than he had been blessed before.
Thank God, coming to Him through the cross of Jesus is not a question of building up experience and getting it unfailingly right.
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Turning round
It doubtless
happens many times each day, though I had never remarked on it until
this particular occasion. A car heading one way up our road came
through the entrance into the church car park, turned round and left
again, moving off in the opposite direction. The driver was, quite
understandably, using our premises as a turning place.
We have no
problem with that. There are no plans to put up "No Turning"
notices. In fact this car turning round gave me pause for thought.
Our church is a place where, we hope, lives will be turned round.
This is what “repentance” means.
The word in
the original Bible language means literally that – to turn your
life around 180 degrees. (Not like the fashion photographer who told
his model to turn round 360 degrees – which would mean she ended up
facing the same way again!)
This radical
turnaround implies that a person’s stubborn set of mind is broken
down and they allow themselves to be guided into a different way. We
all need to examine which way we are taking. Proverbs reminds us
twice over, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the
end it leads to death” (14:12 and 16:25). The most frequent advice
the earliest Christians gave to those who wanted to join them was
“Repent!”
Today that
word “repent” is associated with glum Puritan preachers wagging a
finger at those they reckoned to be sinners and warning them harshly
to change their ways. Originally, though, it was a warm-hearted plea
to men and women who were heedlessly heading fast in the opposite
direction from God. Let them turn round and take the same route Jesus
took, the way of life – through a cross to a crown. It was also a
timely instruction to some who were already Christians. They had
somehow lost their way and gone cold (Revelation 2:5; 2:16; 2:21;
2:22; 3:3 and 3:19).
Yes, long
may our church serve as a place where lives are turned around. We
trust that our week of outreach to Leigh in August (5-12) will be a
time when people consider the claims of Jesus on their lives, perhaps
for the first time. And may it be a place where even experienced
Christians keep humbly realising they have some turning round left to
do.
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Meals and Walks
Recently I have been blessed by two types of event which are special for bringing people together and helping them to get to know each other: meals and walks. One event involved both a walk and a meal. Some individuals and families from church, plus guests, went on a scenic though hilly seven-and-a-half mile walk in the Macclesfield area. We returned home and met again in the evening at the home of one of the couples for a meal. It was really great for getting to know each other better. There were both deep conversations and lighter moments.
The children's sponsored walk at our local school was not on such a scale. However, volunteering for duty on the walk, I found I had more opportunity to talk with both children and staff than usual!
In the culture of Bible times and places, meal fellowship was highly regarded. Inviting someone for a meal was generally a sign that you valued that person and wanted to deepen friendship with him or her. It was also perfectly acceptable to invite yourself in to someone's house for a meal! In Luke 19 verse 5 Jesus spots the diminutive Zacchaeus in a tree and calls out, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today". So touched was Zacchaeus that the Saviour wanted to be a guest in his humble house that he became a changed man from that instant.
The communion meal is meant to have similar significance. Jesus clearly intended that the Passover meal He celebrated with His disciples on the last night of His earthly existence would be unforgettable. The sharing of bread and wine took on deep meaning. They represented the body and the blood He would soon give up so that our fallen race could find forgiveness and new life in Him. The meal fellowship between Jesus Christ and His followers on earth would be repeated in heaven, transformed - "I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom", Matthew 26:29 ESV.
Over the years I've been disappointed to see how many churches make this Last Supper a formal thing to be given fancy names and argued over. If only we could simply see it as one of those places where God does business with the people He has made for Himself! There are other such places, of course. Acts of humble service are of the number. The preaching of God's word is surely the most important. Walking is there too … but more of that another time, perhaps!
But finally to go back to real Christian meal fellowship and communion. A song by Robert J. Stamps, "O, welcome all ye noble saints of old", has a repeated line, "God and man at table are sat down". To me that sums it all up.
The children's sponsored walk at our local school was not on such a scale. However, volunteering for duty on the walk, I found I had more opportunity to talk with both children and staff than usual!
In the culture of Bible times and places, meal fellowship was highly regarded. Inviting someone for a meal was generally a sign that you valued that person and wanted to deepen friendship with him or her. It was also perfectly acceptable to invite yourself in to someone's house for a meal! In Luke 19 verse 5 Jesus spots the diminutive Zacchaeus in a tree and calls out, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today". So touched was Zacchaeus that the Saviour wanted to be a guest in his humble house that he became a changed man from that instant.
The communion meal is meant to have similar significance. Jesus clearly intended that the Passover meal He celebrated with His disciples on the last night of His earthly existence would be unforgettable. The sharing of bread and wine took on deep meaning. They represented the body and the blood He would soon give up so that our fallen race could find forgiveness and new life in Him. The meal fellowship between Jesus Christ and His followers on earth would be repeated in heaven, transformed - "I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom", Matthew 26:29 ESV.
Over the years I've been disappointed to see how many churches make this Last Supper a formal thing to be given fancy names and argued over. If only we could simply see it as one of those places where God does business with the people He has made for Himself! There are other such places, of course. Acts of humble service are of the number. The preaching of God's word is surely the most important. Walking is there too … but more of that another time, perhaps!
But finally to go back to real Christian meal fellowship and communion. A song by Robert J. Stamps, "O, welcome all ye noble saints of old", has a repeated line, "God and man at table are sat down". To me that sums it all up.
Monday, 14 May 2012
Only one reign
As
the Queen's Diamond Jubilee approaches, I find myself thinking about
the passage of time. I was born in coronation year. George VI had
died and Elizabeth II was officially reigning, though still five
months away from being crowned (you can do the sums). I have
therefore only "seen" the reign of one monarch. I have no
idea whether I shall ever see another. In earthly terms, I am content
to remain under the rule of this one.
Maybe
someone will calculate how many people so far have been born and have
died within the reign of this one Head of State. The story of many of
them would be regarded as tragic, because to die under sixty is to
live far less than the average lifespan today. When Queen Victoria's
corresponding Jubilee occurred in 1897, many would have lived out the
full expected span of their natural lives during the course of her
reign.
In
a way, you could say those who only live through one reign have
missed out. Others can boast, "I have seen two (or three or
four) monarchs come and go". But isn't it reassuring to have
stability? When a king or queen dies, there is a bleak period, a time
of uncertainty. At one time the government and all civil servants had
to give up office and be re-elected or re-employed, though this is no
longer the case.
It
is good to know that in the spiritual realm there is eternal
stability. There are no awkward gaps and questions about successors.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever"
(Hebrews 13:8).
There
is a little-known verse in Henry Francis Lyte's famous hymn "Praise,
my soul, the King of heaven" which goes like this:
Frail
as summer’s flower we flourish;
blows
the wind, and it is gone;
but
while mortals rise and perish
God
endures unchanging on.
Praise
Him! praise Him!
praise
the high eternal One.
But
if that makes us look disposable, ponder the previous more well-known
verse:
Father-like,
He tends and spares us,
well
our feeble frame He knows;
in
His hands He gently bears us,
rescues
us from all our foes:
Praise
Him! praise Him!
widely
as His mercy flows.
Jesus,
the unchanging One, showed love and care for those whom society
thought of as throw-away people. Call out to Him today in faith and
trust and He will turn His face to you.
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Human sympathy and divine care
At the moment there is in the media a crop of stories about people raising funds to help those who either live with adversity or die from it. Often sponsorship is involved. The person doing in the fund-raising may engage in some demanding feat of physical endurance.
In some high profile cases the situation touches the hearts of sympathisers on a grand scale. Hairdresser Claire Squires had raised just £500 for Samaritans before she ran in the London Marathon. She died tragically shortly before the finish. Her fundraising page has now raised more than a million pounds. Researchers tell us that there are two main triggers to giving: a sense of emotional involvement and the urge to donate in memory of somebody.
I wonder how much the average donor knows about Samaritans (formerly "The Samaritans")? They have some 17,000 volunteers who must submit to a rigorous training programme. They aim to offer a 24-hour service for those who are despairing (not necessarily suicidal). Many of the telephone calls come at the "unsocial" hours of 9pm to 2am each night. In one year (2007) Samaritans received 5,319,462 contacts. This work will benefit massively from the influx of funds from Claire's Just Giving appeal site. Samaritans wish to apply the money to aspects of the work which would be close to Claire's heart.
Countless thousands of lives will have been saved and prolonged by dedicated workers, volunteers or professionals in the realm of caring, supported by generous giving. But do we understand the detail of that care? Even more, do we understand the detail of God's care for those who struggle with adversity - and His wish that their souls as well as their bodies may prosper?
In Jesus' teaching we read these words from Luke 12:6-7. "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Jesus also remarked, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" (Luke 9:24-25 NIV).
O teach me what it meaneth,
that cross uplifted high,
with One, the Man of Sorrows,
condemned to bleed and die!
O teach me what it cost Thee
to make a sinner whole;
and teach me, Saviour,
teach me the value of a soul!
Lucy Ann Bennett, 1850-1927
I wonder how much the average donor knows about Samaritans (formerly "The Samaritans")? They have some 17,000 volunteers who must submit to a rigorous training programme. They aim to offer a 24-hour service for those who are despairing (not necessarily suicidal). Many of the telephone calls come at the "unsocial" hours of 9pm to 2am each night. In one year (2007) Samaritans received 5,319,462 contacts. This work will benefit massively from the influx of funds from Claire's Just Giving appeal site. Samaritans wish to apply the money to aspects of the work which would be close to Claire's heart.
Countless thousands of lives will have been saved and prolonged by dedicated workers, volunteers or professionals in the realm of caring, supported by generous giving. But do we understand the detail of that care? Even more, do we understand the detail of God's care for those who struggle with adversity - and His wish that their souls as well as their bodies may prosper?
In Jesus' teaching we read these words from Luke 12:6-7. "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Jesus also remarked, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" (Luke 9:24-25 NIV).
O teach me what it meaneth,
that cross uplifted high,
with One, the Man of Sorrows,
condemned to bleed and die!
O teach me what it cost Thee
to make a sinner whole;
and teach me, Saviour,
teach me the value of a soul!
Lucy Ann Bennett, 1850-1927
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Sudden change
Being fascinated by history, I am following the 100th anniversary remembrance of the Titanic disaster with interest. It isn't a question of ghoulish obsession with the fate of so many hundreds of passengers. Yet it is sobering to think of all those people setting out on a luxury cruise, excited maybe, but not suspecting any danger. They found their way to their berths and cabins, sorted out their luggage and established a new routine for the duration. A few days later there would be an abrupt change. All around them there would be chaos, cold and darkness. They would meet with death or, if they survived, their lives would never be the same again.
In more recent times there was a spate of terrorist hijackings of aircraft. On one occasion an observer saw people boarding a certain flight. The following day that flight made the news headlines because it was the subject of a particularly nasty hijack. A few passengers lost their lives. The rest were put through a terrifying ordeal lasting many long hours. Again, on boarding, their behaviour was ordinary and routine. They had no inkling of what was about to happen to them.
What is it like to live as though a life-changing event was only days or even hours away? We couldn't cope with living life that way all the time! Yet, as I read through the gospels again, Jesus constantly taught His followers that anything could be just round the corner.
"No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'" (Mark 13:32-37 NIV)
We are creatures of habit and regular routine is comforting for most of us. Some people learn to live with constant change and even welcome it, but that is not everyone's cup of tea. The Bible tells us that we can depend on the routine of day and night and the changing seasons. But if we have not made at least one change in our lives - the change of turning our lives round, receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour and preparing for His glorious return - a sudden and unpleasant reckoning faces us.
In more recent times there was a spate of terrorist hijackings of aircraft. On one occasion an observer saw people boarding a certain flight. The following day that flight made the news headlines because it was the subject of a particularly nasty hijack. A few passengers lost their lives. The rest were put through a terrifying ordeal lasting many long hours. Again, on boarding, their behaviour was ordinary and routine. They had no inkling of what was about to happen to them.
What is it like to live as though a life-changing event was only days or even hours away? We couldn't cope with living life that way all the time! Yet, as I read through the gospels again, Jesus constantly taught His followers that anything could be just round the corner.
"No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'" (Mark 13:32-37 NIV)
We are creatures of habit and regular routine is comforting for most of us. Some people learn to live with constant change and even welcome it, but that is not everyone's cup of tea. The Bible tells us that we can depend on the routine of day and night and the changing seasons. But if we have not made at least one change in our lives - the change of turning our lives round, receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour and preparing for His glorious return - a sudden and unpleasant reckoning faces us.
Saturday, 24 March 2012
The Eye of the Storm
We all know times when some troubles are past and we have a time of calm. We cannot yet say we are completely out of trouble. It may be just a breathing space. But it is very welcome even so.
These times are like the eye of the storm. This is a remarkable feature of tropical cyclones. It is a circular area 20-40 miles across where all is calm. Around the eye there may be ferocious winds. I certainly remember a time some years ago when the barometer reading dropped alarmingly low but we were not seeing the strong winds you would usually expect. They were in different parts of the country. We were in the eye of the storm. Of course, if the storm then blows towards you, you will soon be back in the thick of it.
Sometimes a Christian finds him- or herself in a time when some distressing trouble has passed. We never dare to feel that we are immune from more troubles. "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7 ESV). But we are grateful for God-given rest from worries and battles.
In 1 Samuel 7 the prophet Samuel was leader of God's people. At a place called Mizpah the people's army defeated the Philistines. They were subdued for a generation. Not for all time, though! They would be back. Samuel handed over power to Israel's first king, Saul. Saul came to a sticky end when the Philistines defeated him and his army and killed him. They were always a thorn in the flesh of the people of God. It is not for nothing that the Holy Land today is known as "Palestine" by the Arab population. "Palestine" is connected with "Philistines".
But there was one incident which should teach us to thank God for the eye of the storm. When Samuel had defeated the Philistines, he set up a stone. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the Lord helped us." We need to be mindful of the many times when God has helped us "thus far". It would not be right to expect no more trouble on this earth, but every "eye of the storm" is a sign of the rest and deliverance that God promises to those who trust Him. The death and rising again of Jesus Christ bring believers into this rest (Hebrews 4:3).
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Robert Robinson, 1735-90
These times are like the eye of the storm. This is a remarkable feature of tropical cyclones. It is a circular area 20-40 miles across where all is calm. Around the eye there may be ferocious winds. I certainly remember a time some years ago when the barometer reading dropped alarmingly low but we were not seeing the strong winds you would usually expect. They were in different parts of the country. We were in the eye of the storm. Of course, if the storm then blows towards you, you will soon be back in the thick of it.
Sometimes a Christian finds him- or herself in a time when some distressing trouble has passed. We never dare to feel that we are immune from more troubles. "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7 ESV). But we are grateful for God-given rest from worries and battles.
In 1 Samuel 7 the prophet Samuel was leader of God's people. At a place called Mizpah the people's army defeated the Philistines. They were subdued for a generation. Not for all time, though! They would be back. Samuel handed over power to Israel's first king, Saul. Saul came to a sticky end when the Philistines defeated him and his army and killed him. They were always a thorn in the flesh of the people of God. It is not for nothing that the Holy Land today is known as "Palestine" by the Arab population. "Palestine" is connected with "Philistines".
But there was one incident which should teach us to thank God for the eye of the storm. When Samuel had defeated the Philistines, he set up a stone. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the Lord helped us." We need to be mindful of the many times when God has helped us "thus far". It would not be right to expect no more trouble on this earth, but every "eye of the storm" is a sign of the rest and deliverance that God promises to those who trust Him. The death and rising again of Jesus Christ bring believers into this rest (Hebrews 4:3).
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Robert Robinson, 1735-90
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