Life Can be Tough

I seem to be getting an increasing number of desperate requests for prayer coming through the website from the US, and they're to do with people struggling to pay their rent or mortgage. A quick look on Google came up with what seem to me to be frightening statistics:

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, estimates that there will be 1.8 million foreclosed homes in the United States this year, and that the numbers will be even higher in 2011. Moody's estimates that foreclosures should peak next year at 2.1 million, Zandi said...

Now I know the US is a big place, but 2 million individuals or families losing their home each year is a figure I find hard to comprehend, because of course it's not only the losing of a home, it's the debt that has built up and cannot be repaid, the depression and family stresses at this upheaval... the list goes on. It's not just a problem in the US of course, but the figures are proportionally higher there.

And mostly because the banks were too eager to lend for profit, too irresponsible in not checking out people's ability to pay for these debts, and people were greedy enough to tell the banks 'No problem, I can afford those monthly repayments!'


But that's human nature, I guess!

Lord, be with those who are desperate
Desperate to save their homes
Desperate to save their marriages
Desperate to save their jobs
Desperate to save their sanity
Desperate to save their pride
Bring them hope
Bring them help
Bring them comfort
and bring them peace

The Essential Gospel - Bible Study on Mark

William Barclay says of Mark's Gospel ''It would not be unfair to call Mark the essential gospel. We will do well to study with loving care the earliest gospel we possess, the gospel where we hear again the preaching of Peter himself.'

 

Written well before the end of the first century, Mark offers us a real insight into Jesus' life, as most commentators see Peter as the source of the material - Mark having been Peter's secretary in Rome.

The Bible Studies follow the story through, with commentary and discussion questions, and are aimed particularly at those who do not have detailed knowledge of the Scriptures.

Contents

So who was Mark

Preparing the Way

The Galilean Ministry

The Northern Journey

The Journey to Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Ministry

The Final Days

Death and Resurrection

Check out the Bible Study

The Canticle of the Sun

 

Beautiful frosty morning as I take the dog for a walk. Before me the almost full moon is sinking toward the horizon, as behind the pastel coloured sun rises above the hills. The water I walk beside is frozen once again, and to my left horses in the fields are searching for goodness within the trampled grass.

The first thought that went through my mind was about the beautiful order of the natural laws. That for thousands of years humankind has marvelled at the dependability of day and night and the forces that keep the planets and moons in their orbits - no sign of chaos here!

Then I was reminded of something I recently read from the writings of Francis of Assisi called the Canticle of the Sun, an extract of which is below - some interesting theology but a real appreciation of the wonder of nature.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water;
she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten the night.
He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth,
who feeds us and rules us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

St John and the Militant Atheists

I've been revisiting the opening of John's Gospel these last few days and looking at it particularly in the light of comments by Richard Dawkins and his fundamentalist atheist pals regarding their view of the Christian God. In his eyes we worship some kind of megalomaniac, violent, vengeful and selfish god who is responsible for all the bad things that humankind do in the name of religion.

Put that idea together with some Christians who look at how God is described in the Old and New Testament and almost see two different Gods and how do we get to the truth? Do we worship the god  described by Dawkins - after all, the Old Testament is full of blood, warfare, slaughter and oppression? Why is there this apparent difference between the God of the Old and New?

John's Gospel maybe holds a key. In the opening passage we read:

John 1

 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.....
 ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him....
¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth......
¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. 

Taking John's meaning of Jesus as 'the word' this passage can possibly help us to connect with the militant atheist, by showing that God does not change, only our understanding of God.
Jesus was there at the beginning of all beginnings, at one with the Creator, the One who can actually show us what God is like. The Word (Jesus/God) became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

If you want to know what God is really like then look at Jesus, his life and words.

The Old Testament prophets and kings knew God in part but it was an incomplete knowledge because it would only be when God stepped into human history as Jesus that humankind could more fully know him.

Prior to this the Jews reacted to all that happened to them and either thanked or blamed their God depending on whether it was a good or bad thing. They feared God because they did not know him in the same way that we can. 

Understanding the Scriptures in this way, we see them as a whole as a gradual revelation of the knowledge of God, finally revealed in the person of Jesus. I know that this is probably not a satisfactory explanation for conservative evangelicals, but it makes sense to me!

It may also help those who struggle to counter the arguments of non-believers.