Monday 28 December 2009

That's what friends are for!

One of the joys of the letters that we have in the New Testament is the personal information that they give us. 2 Timothy is a case in pont. Paul is in prison awaiting his execution and yet the one thing that is on his mind is his friends, either passing on greetings from them, or wanting to see them before he dies. We even find him remembering where he lost his coat and asking for it back!
It's the details such as this which make the New Testament come alive with REAL people (most of these characters can be cross-referenced to Acts and other NT books)
Read these last words from Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and get a real feel for the extended fellowship that existed then (and also the fact that there was also division and those acting in their own best interests - nothing changes!)
Paul’s Final Words
 9 Timothy, please come as soon as you can. 10 Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done. 15 Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said.
 16 The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. 18 Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
Paul’s Final Greetings
 19 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living in the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.
(NIV)

Tuesday 22 December 2009

What is it about Christmas?

Today was such a day of contrasts. Spent the morning fighting our way through the supermarket throng to pick up a few things for later in the week, and for someone who hates crowds it was a bit of a nightmare. It always amazes me not only how much busier the supermarkets are but how much people buy, considering that they are only closed on Christmas Day. Experience told me a long time ago that we eat far too much at this time, and end up throwing good food away - which is terrible when there's so many in this world who will go without.
This afternoon I took the dog for a walk by our local estuary and there was just me, Tan, the setting sun over the sea and lots of sea birds chattering to each other..........shear bliss!
I do wish we could get the Christmas celebrations into focus a little more. Yes, it's good to have family around us and put on a few good meals, but there's so much more to it than that!

Wednesday 16 December 2009

"Do you really think I’d be better if I became a Christian?"

CS Lewis wrote a brilliant essay on the question 'Can you lead a good life without believing in Christianity?', called 'Man or Rabbit' which is well worth searching out. I quote a little of what he had to say on the matter below, which is talking about a supplementary quastion 'Do you really think I’d be better if I became a Christian?'

'.....But still...........I hear someone whimpering on with this question, "Will it help me? Will it make me happy? Do you really think I’d be better if I became a Christian?" Well, if you must have it, my answer is "Yes." But I don’t like giving an answer at all at this stage. Here is a door, behind which, according to some people, the secret of the universe is waiting for you. Either that’s true, or it isn’t. And if it isn’t, then what the door really conceals is simply the greatest fraud, the most colossal "sell" on record. Isn’t it obviously the job of every man (that is a man and not a rabbit) to try to find out which, and then to devote his full energies either to serving this tremendous secret or to exposing and destroying this gigantic humbug?

Faced with such an issue, can you really remain wholly absorbed in your own blessed "moral development"? All right, Christianity will do you good—a great deal more good than you ever wanted or expected. And the first bit of good it will do you is to hammer into your head (you won’t enjoy that!) the fact that what you have hitherto called "good"—all that about "leading a decent life" and "being kind"—isn’t quite the magnificent and all-important affair you supposed. It will teach you that in fact you can’t be "good" (not for twenty-four hours) on your own moral efforts. And then it will teach you that even if you were, you still wouldn’t have achieved the purpose for which you were created. Mere morality is not the end of life. You were made for something quite different from that.

J. S. Mill and Confucius (Socrates was much nearer the reality) simply didn’t know what life is about The people who keep on asking if they can’t lead a decent life without Christ, don’t know what life is about; if they did they would know that "a decent life" is mere machinery compared with the thing we men are really made for. Morality is indispensable; but the Divine Life, which gives itself to us and which calls us to be gods, intends for us something in which morality will be swallowed up. We are to be re-made. All the rabbit in us is to disappear-the worried, conscientious, ethical rabbit as well as the cowardly and sensual rabbit. We shall bleed and squeal as the handfuls of fur come out; and then, surprisingly, we shall End underneath it all a thing we have never yet imagined: a real Man, an ageless god, a son of God, strong, radiant, wise, beautiful, and drenched in joy.

"When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." The idea of reaching "a good life" without Christ is based on a double error. Firstly, we cannot do it; and secondly, in setting up "a good life" as our final goal, we have missed the very point of our existence. Morality is a mountain which we cannot climb by our own efforts; and if we could we should only perish in the ice and unbreathable air of the summit, lacking those wings with which the rest of the journey has to be accomplished. For it is from there that the real ascent y begins. The ropes and axes are "done away" and the rest is a matter of flying.

(C. S. Lewis, in God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics)

Sunday 13 December 2009

The trouble with Afghanistan

Heard an interesting talk this evening about Afghanistan, from someone who had lived and worked there in recent years. In the back of my mind I sort of knew that that the current problems there were in some way as a result of the interference of our governments (US and UK mainly) over the past 100 years, but I hadn't realised the scale of our past sins.
I knew that the CIA had funded the Afghan resistance to the Soviet Union when they were in the country, supplying arms and training, but wasn't aware that this involved the setting up of the very training camps for Al Qaeda and the Mujahideen that they are now a) trying to destroy and b) telling us that the threat to our own country comes from!
Praying for this country is not easy. The people are poor, life expectancy is terrible, health and sanitation third world, average wage $1/day, and they have lived with constant war for 30 years.
The west has spent $billions on waging a proxy war in this country, the Soviet Union did likewise - where are the winners, because the ordinary Afghan people are certianly the losers!

A moment of peace

It was so nice yesterday to visit the small  town of Saundersfoot, which for those of you who don't know is a small South Wales harbour town with a nice beach, a few pubs and cafes and just a handful of shops.
It was nice, for us, because the population and almost everyone else in the country seemed to have headed for the main shopping towns to continue the frenzy of buying 'stuff' for Christmas. The place was almost deserted, it was peaceful, the sun was shining on the sea and 'all seemed well with the world!'
It's so easy to be drawn into the hustle and bustle of the commercial Christmas and fail to stop and consider the real gift that was at the centre of the whole story. Take time out in the next few days and just relax in the presence of God to recharge the batteries!

Friday 11 December 2009

A prayer to start the day!

I awaken to your world
I listen to your world
I gaze at your world
I breathe in your world
I feel your world
I rejoice in your world

Wednesday 9 December 2009

Time for a spiritual medical?

Listening to a podcast from Timberline Church in the US this morning and there was a good example presented which I could relate to.

Every now and then we make our way down to the doctors for a medical examination, and the first thing that happens is that we are weighed and our pulse and blood pressure taken. There might follow an ECG and almost certainly blood tests for cholesterol, liver and kidney function and so on -  to give the doctor a picture of our current state of health. The doctor is looking at our vital signs and various indicators that might point to potential problems either in the near or more distant future.

Would we all benefit from a spiritual medical now and then? To check what our state of spiritual health is, whether the vital signs of our faith are still good - or if there are potential threats that need addressing?
If we do, then we need turn no further than our heavenly Father who is very good at examining the heart and mind!
It's a thought, anyhow!

Test me, O LORD, and try me,
       examine my heart and my mind (Psalm 26:2)

Tuesday 8 December 2009

Listening to Whispers - A Celtic Spirituality Away Day Resource




The purpose of this guide is to enable a small group to make a spiritual journey, one which might make connections with the lives of early Christians from the first centuries AD in our land, often described as Celtic Christians, who met together to break bread, share their joys and fears, pray and sing in a country which was very different from that which we see today, where solitude was much easier to find and indeed sought out – a place and time to connect with their Creator.

The format of the study is to allow for a day where a group or church can gather together in fellowship for study, share a meal and maybe join together over a sharing of the bread and wine of the Eucarist.

There are 4 studies/workshops and associated resources, including leader's notes and a form of liturgy for opening and closing the day to help you get the most out of the experience. The material is presented as a .pdf in A4 format to allow for ease of photocopying.
Format of the day is as follows:
Opening Worship
Session 1 - A sense of place
Session 2 - A sense of space
Fellowship Meal
Session 3 - A sense of connection
Session 4 - A sense of journeying
Closing Worship
(Leader's notes are enclosed for the sessions)

The study is only available as a download ebook, and because you are free to photocopy the resource you only need one copy per group!

Cost is £3.99 (or $6.49) and for more info follow this link


Creative God, breath of all life

Creative God, breath of all life
through whom all things
are created and sustained;
all sons and daughters
flocks and herds,
all birds of the air
and fish of the sea
You walked this earth
as child and Creator
You touched the soil
quenched your thirst
embraced this world
brought life and light
love and laughter
into dark and death-filled lives
Creative God, breath of all life
through whom all things
are created and sustained
we bring to you our sacrifice
of a contrite and willing heart

Monday 7 December 2009

As we forgive

I had my preaching hat on yesterday and talking about forgiveness. Usually a sermon on forgiveness concentrated on our need for it, but I looked also of our need to forgive and the problems we heap upon ourselves if we are unable to forgive others.

If you are harbouring resentment then it is like a chain around your soul, weighing you down. Sometimes we like to hold onto grudges, thinking that in some strange way that grudge/resentment is affecting the other person adversely. But If the person who is the focus of that resentment appears in the same room, then it is you that suffer, not them. It is your blood pressure that rises, it is you who become irritable or depressed, it is you who loses concentration, it is you who has a miserable day.

If you don’t forgive then it you who suffer, you end up in punishing yourselves for the sins of others. You become churned up by re-living the events that caused the problem; you may well become so bitter that you start turning others against the one who you are targeting your resentment at, spreading rumours, openly criticising. You start doing all the things that you know as Christians are wrong... you find ourselves guilty of sinning and in need of forgiveness again!

What started as a unforgiving spirit has now turned into something that not only affects your personal relationships but is starting to drive a wedge between yourself and God.

Forgiveness is not always easy, it can be painful, but again and again we come back to what Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:31-2;

31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Thursday 3 December 2009

They look like trees walking around

I like the story a Jesus healing the blind man in Mark 8:22-9:1. It is in some ways strange in that Jesus heals him in stages...

When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
 24He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
 25Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored.

Have you ever asked yourself why Jesus didn't just heal the man at the first attempt?

Perhaps it had something to do with Peter, who was with Jesus when this healing took place. Because Jesus goes on to ask the disciples 'Who do people say I am?' and Peter, ever the impetuous one shouts out "You are the Christ."

But he didn't understand, did he? He couldn't take the fact that the Jesus he was following would have to suffer, be rejected and killed before rising again. Peter saw Jesus, but like the blind man he only saw the reality of who Jesus was faintly and blurred - he knew the words to say but didn't understand their significance.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

How do we see Jesus?

Wednesday 2 December 2009

Doing the obedience thing!

I've been thinking a lot about Mary, mother of Jesus in the run up to Christmas, and her response to God's amazing call on her life. After all, she was just an ordinary country girl, probably average intelligence, in fact like most of us I guess. Then I looked back at Moses and his response to God at the burning bush and there are some similarities. Mary was initially unsure of her capabilities (bearing in mind her age and lack of a husband) and so was Moses, who couldn't think of a more unlikely person than himself to declare the word of the Lord to the Pharoah.

But in each case God was gracious enough to answer their fears, give them the strength and courage to do his will and the rest is history (as they say)

I wonder how many of us only get as far as the listening to God's call and deciding it's not for us? We fail to even get back to him and say with surprise 'Surely not me, God?'  assuming that he'll find someone else who's got a bit more free time and enthusiasm. Because the truth about God's purpose is that he chooses the right people, in the right place and at the right time, so our failure to respond is not only disobedience, it must also grieve God who is there waiting to empower us to do his will, and become the people he wants us to be.

Just a thought!

Tuesday 1 December 2009

Our Greatest Need

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator;
If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist;
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist;
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer;
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.

Source unknown

A good illustration about the incarnation


 A little bit twee perhaps, but I like this illustration on the need for the incarnation (God coming to earth as a human baby)


There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.
 
One snowy  eve, his wife was taking their children to  a
service in the farm community in which they lived.  They were to talk about Jesus' birth. She asked him to come, but he refused.  "That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That's ridiculous!"

So she and the children left, and he stayed home. A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet.

When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm.

So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch on.

Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe. "Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?"

He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud. Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn--and one-by-one, the other geese followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: "If only I were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"  Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese--blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us.

As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought.  Suddenly he understood why Christ had come.  Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:  "Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm.

Bread from Heaven!

I was listening to a podcast sermon from Mark Meynell of All Souls, Langham Place, London (and I recommend subscribing to their sermon series on iplayer) and he made one of those blindingly obvious observations which had slipped me by.
He was looking at the fact that there have always been people who hate Jesus, and often that's because they can't figure out who he was and is. Looking at the feeding of the 4000 (who were mainly Gentiles) he compared Jesus' actions with that of God the Creator. Jesus gave the people literally bread from heaven, just as God the Father had done for the people of Israel wandering through the wilderness!
So here was Jesus, the Creator!
Well, I thought it was a wonderful picture!
Incidentally, if you are interested in God and Creation I have a series of Bible studies which look at this area, and from a Celtic Christianity angle. It's called Connexions and is available as a downloadable ebook.
There is background reading included (with an overview of Celtic Christianity), leader's notes, and each study can be printed off onto 3 sides of A4 (permission is given to print for study).
The studies include an image to focus the mind, notes to stimulate thought, and some often challenging questions to generate discussion. Also included are prayers/meditations for the close of a meeting.

Monday 30 November 2009

An Advent Prayer

Circle us, Lord
Circle us with the light of your presence, bright within this dark word
Enable us to be overcomers of fear and temptation
Enable us to be victors over sin and despair
Enable us to become that which you would desire
(Silent prayer)
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle us with the light of your presence
Circle us, Lord
Circle our family within the shelter of your outstretched arms
Protect them in each moment of their daily lives
Protect them in the decisions that they face
Protect their homes and relationships
(Silent prayer)
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle our families with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord
Circle this nation with Advent love and hope
Create a desire to listen to the Advent message
Create a willingness to understand and respond
Create a need to reach out to the Christ Child
(Silent prayer)
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle our nation with the light of your presence
Circle us, Lord
Circle this world with the joy of your Salvation
Where there is sickness and disease bring healing
Where there is hunger and despair bring hope
Where there is torture and oppression bring release
(Silent prayer)
Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle this world with the light of your presence

Starting to get some Advent thoughts going!


For some reason, our church is out of step with the lectionary, and this week we're looking at Mary and the visitation. I think the theme is going to be about obedience, and I just like the idea that throughout the Bible, both Old and New Testaments we find not the greatest intellects in the world but  pretty much a ragbag of individuals, shepherds, fishermen, and of course a young country girl who get asked by God to do something rather scary and awe-inspiring. And they don't all suddenly drop everything, one or two actually start arguing with God!

'You can't mean me!' 'I'm no public orator, what am I going to say?!'How can this be?!'

But God's too persuasive to let a little indecision get in the way of his purposes. He knows that in one sense he's asking the impossible (in human terms) but then that's his prerogative, because he is God! There is always a reason why God calls individuals - and in my limited experience it's often because they are the right person in the right place at the right time, so next time you start thinking 'Why has God put me in this situation/place?' consider that you might just be the right person, whatever you might think of your own capabilities.

I also came across something interesting for a children's talk, and it's about the significance of names (seeing as how we'll be looking at the instruction to name Mary's child Jesus. This is not really original, but it's sort of adapted because of my sense of humour!

One of the most exciting times in any couple's life is when they find out that they are going to have a baby. There are many things that must be done to prepare for the birth of a new baby, but none is more important than choosing a name for the baby. A baby's name is chosen very carefully because the baby will live with that name for the rest of his or her life.

Some embarrassing names have been uncovered by researchers from parenting group TheBabyWebsite.com, There are people trying to lead normal lives despite being named Stan Still, Mary Christmas, Paige Turner, Chris Cross and Barry Cade. It might also be worth thanking your lucky stars you're not called Sonny Day, Rose Bush, Pearl Button or Hazel Nutt. What about Max Power and a man called Doug Hole. Teresa Green, Terry Bull, Helen Back, Lee King, Jo King and Ray Gunn also cropped up on the of 'The Most Unfortunate Names in Britain'.

Wider afield America as you'd expect is a haven of weird and wonderful names including Anna Prentice, Annette Curtain, Bill Board and Carrie Oakey

When Mary and Joseph found out that they were going to have a baby, they didn't go to the bookstore and get a book to help them choose a name for Mary's baby. In fact, they didn't choose the baby's name at all! God chose it for them! God sent an angel to tell Mary what to name her baby. The angel said to Mary, "You will have a son, and you will call his name Jesus" You see, the name Jesus means "the Lord saves." Was it important for Mary's baby to be named Jesus? Yes it was, because the Bible tells us that there is no other name that can save us from our sin. (Acts 4:12)

Dear Father, thank you for sending your Son. During this season when we celebrate his birth, help us to remember that there is salvation in the name of Jesus. Amen.