The View from Here

Lent Bible Study ebooks for download

2012-01-18T09:23:00.000Z

There are currently three Bible Studies for Lent available for download on www.faithandworship.com, and each one offers 5 studies based on different themes.

New for 2012 is 'Then Sings my Soul' based upon the all trime favourite hymn 'How Great Thou Art' (Ideal for Lent but can be used at any time of the year)

(Did you know this hymn has been recorded over 1700 times, including ones by Elvis Presley, Tenessee Ernie Ford, Roy Rogers and George Beverly Shea.)

Then there's 'Amazing Love' based upon the Isaac Watt's hymn
'When I survey the wondrous Cross' (Again, did you know This was one of the first English-language hymns to use the word ‘I’ and have at its core personal religious experience.)

Last, but not least, is 'Toward the Sunrise' which is not based on a hymn (!) but takes as its text the post resurrection appearances of Jesus as related by Luke in his Gospel. We focus on the disciples and their journey of faith from confusion to conviction, and walk with them along the Emmaus Rd as they encounter the risen Lord.

You can find more details and sample pages from all these studies by CLICKING HERE

On seeing Spring flowers coming up in January

2012-01-11T23:27:00.000Z

Springtime
Your message of hope
to a world tiring of winter’s starkness
longing for that first crocus
to push through snow’s icy blanket
and spread its leaves
like arms outstretched
to its creator
Springtime
Our yearly reminder, if we needed one
that to a world that was dark and cold
a world devoid of love’s sweet warmth
you sent your Son
to break through sin’s icy blanket
and, arms outstretched
on a cross
he brought us
hope
Thank you

New Year - New Beginnings

2012-01-05T18:05:00.000Z

At the start of this new year I offer you the Methodist Covenant Prayer, which will be said at all Methodist Churches in January.

It is a chance to dedicate ourselves once again to God in service.

New Year's resolutions are mainly about giving up, this is about doing something new for God!

'I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you,
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you,
or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.'

So what about Halloween?

2011-11-02T16:22:00.000Z

So what about Halloween?

You can't really celebrate All Saints Day without confronting All Hallows' Eve or Halloween which is technically the night before. What are we to make of it, and what has it to do with anything Christian? When I went into the temple of Tescos last week I was confronted with stacks of large sweet tubs all costing around £5, produced with the sole purpose of being given out to little kids in ghost and skeleton costumes, or the lazier ones who have jumped on the 'trick or treat' bandwagon.

The origins of Halloween go back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhein (pronounced sow-in) which was a celebration of the end of autumn, a time for stock-taking and preparation for the cold winter months ahead, a time often associated with human death in those pre-central heating days. There was also a feeling that at this time of the year the physical and supernatural worlds were at their closest, when the spirits of those who died in the preceding year roamed the earth. To ward off these spirits, bonfires were lit and people danced around in costumes.

If we skip a few centuries, past the Romans and into the Middle Ages, we find that when local people converted to Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church often merged Christian festivals into versions of older religious traditions in order to win converts. This was a process that Popes had been encouraging for many years. So it was that the Church eventually replaced Samhein with All Souls' Day.

All Souls' Day is an opportunity, mainly in Roman Catholics and Anglo-Catholic churches to commemorate the recently departed. All Saints Day is slightly different, where we have an opportunity for believers to remember all saints and martyrs, known and unknown, throughout Christian history, and also consider what it is to be 'a saint'.

So where does that leave us as Christians? Can we reclaim anything from the commercial Halloween and its fascination with witches and ghosts?

I think we can confront it, by on the one hand warning that our children should not be dabbling in anything that glorifies ghouls and ghosts and the murkier side of the spiritual world, but that at Halloween, or All Souls' Day we celebrate the life of all who we have loved and lost through death, and also celebrate God's eternal protection, provision and purpose for our lives, where good has triumphed over evil, and over the centuries many have given their lives as martyrs to that truth.

Religion or Superstition?

2011-11-01T21:37:00.000Z

We've recently been on holiday in Italy, and as we walked around the villages surrounding our hotel I was interested to see how many houses had images of Jesus or the Madonna and child inset in their front wall or nearby.
Now I know that Italy is a predominently Catholic country (which is to be expected!) but I did not see that many actually attending church on Sunday, so I wonder if these 'shrines' or whatever you would call them are in fact of deep religious significance, or more to do with superstition - the inclusion of one as a hope for good fortune.
Am I being unkind? I hope so, but in an increasingly secular society I fear not, which is a shame.

I came back with a collection of photos of these shrines, small and large. To me they are of some cultural significance, but they also remind us of a Christian heritage that survives in one form or another!

A New Advent Bible Study

2011-09-19T08:15:00.000+01:00

Read the News is a slightly different Advent Bible Study presented in a newspaper front page format.

Follow the Christmas story through short story soundbites and snippits of background information which helps to bring the context of the story to life as we look at life in the times of Jesus' birth.

There's an opening discussion question to get the chat going, a short Bible study and some more searching questions to get folk talking around the issues raised each week.

The Advent study is in A4 format, and each week's study can be printed on 2 double sided sheets.

Permission is given for a church to photocopy these resources, so only 1 copy is needed per group!

More info at www.faithandworship.com/Advent_Bible_Study_Guide.htm

New Book - A God of Compassion

2011-07-07T08:22:00.000+01:00

Over 100 prayers on a theme of healing and wholeness - for the individual and also for many situations and natural disasters which affect us and others in this world.

This has been a labour of love, as I believe that we have a God who heals, not only for individuals and their particular ailments, but in nations, situations of war and conflict, and at times of disaster.

This book is offered as a collection of prayers about healing. For many that means healing from the various ailments and diseases that afflict so many of us. But healing has a much broader meaning when we are thinking about our prayer life.

We might pray for the healing of physical and spiritual relationships that have broken down. In the wider context we can pray for reconciliation between peoples and nations and for healing of the earth and its people after natural or man-made disaster.

A Word in Time

2011-07-05T14:28:00.000+01:00

This week I get to write the Word in Time Bible study for the Methodist Church website - how cool is that!

This one is Tuesdays' posting - catch the rest at http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.bibleStudy

Ezekiel 12:21-28

"Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the world that I speak will be fulfilled, declares the Lord God." (v. 28)

Background

Ezekiel would have grown up expecting to serve in the temple in Jerusalem, as he came from a priestly family. But he was in exile in Babylon along with the Judeans taken there by Nebuchadnezzar in 597BC. Called by God, Ezekiel was a man of vision, who prophesied the eventual destruction of the temple because of the idolatrous worship that had been introduced within its walls. His message was that this period of exile was from the hand of God as judgement against the people's sin, that they might repent and turn back to him.

One of the problems that prophets face is that of opposition. There are always going to be scoffers who make fun of a prophetic word. So it was that God's word comes to Ezekiel against the saying of the day that "every vision comes to nothing" (v. 21)!

But that is a dangerous attitude to take. A long term view of God's dealings with people shows that God's promises and judgements do come to fruition, albeit in God's time not ours.

The problem was rather like that of the people of Jesus' day, who had become indifferent to God. They knew in their hearts that their behaviour was wrong and they were guilty of breaking the laws which Moses had brought to them, but they were still convinced that they had got away with it. "It hasn’t happened yet, therefore it's not going to happen!" they might have said.

But that attitude is as sensible as someone living in California's earthquake zone saying the same. The 'Big One' will happen; it's just a question of time. That's the urgency of the gospel message, of course. The call to repentance is always 'Now!' but so many put it off on the basis that it can wait until they are ready!

"You think I don't act?" says God through Ezekiel. "Watch this space!"

for more go to http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.bibleStudy

A Prayer for the World

2011-06-10T20:06:00.000+01:00

When oppression
cruelty and fear
are all that is known
and suffering the daily experience
When famine
hunger and thirst
greet every morning
denying basic sustenance
how easy to say
there is no God
to turn aside
and label you an irrelevance
You who are
living water
bread of life
the one who offers deliverance
who suffered
died and rose
bringing hope
that there is more to life than this
Bless all those
who in despair
and dark places
look to you for assurance
Bring comfort
peace and where
there is nothing
bring to them abundance

Pentecost

2011-06-09T20:28:00.000+01:00

I've been preparing a sermon on the theme of Pentecost, and as always when Sundays like this come around, you are faced with the same problem - what can I say that people haven't heard before!

This year I found myself thinking about the link between Pentecost and mission, and comparing this wonderful event with another, that of the Welsh Revival of 1904. There are some interesting parallels.

It took time and patience for revival to come to Wales. The hope was there for centuries. It took obedience from a handful of people, and God’s timing when everything and everyone was in place to bring it to fruition. The process was not unlike that described in Acts with just a few obedient followers of Christ doing what they knew they had to do to prepare the way. Their preparation was good, God did the rest.

The challenge is also to look at what our churches are for. I would suggest that top of the list is mission, because that was the instruction Jesus gave to his disciples. It was certainly at the top of the list for the disciples post-Pentecost.

It is not to be self-centred, tied up time and effort-wise with the problems of survival and raising funds (important though this might be for the fabric) but to have a concern for the spiritual health of your town and nation and be open for God to use this building you use as church and the people within it for His mission, to touch the lives of all those who are on the outside.

You see, he can only do that through our obedience, because he uses us to be his hands, his voice, his compassion and love in this world. He can only do that if, like the disciples of the first and the eighteenth century we have a passion to spread the Gospel, a patience to see God work in his time not ours, and an obedience to God’s word.

Read more here

2011-06-09T20:16:00.000+01:00

1 Corinthians 10:12-13
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. (NIV)

This world tempts us
with bright lights
city streets,
tempting sights
and sounds.

This world tempts us
with objects
of desire,
raises us up
knocks us down.

This world tempts us
to believe
its lies,
challenges us
to live them.

This world tempts us
to reject
our God,
accuses us
and hates us.

This world tempts us
to disbelieve
the truth
that nothing can
defeat us.

As I adventure with you today

2011-05-20T09:18:00.000+01:00

There's a new book being written, albeit slowly because of the subject matter - prayers that encompass the broad area of 'Times of Trouble', which can be times when our faith seems lacking, our health is poor or we just want to cry out to God over injustice. It's about healing and wholeness.

This one was written yesterday - I like the whole picture of our faith as journeying with God, through good times and bad, but always to a destination and never wandering randomly!

As I adventure with you today
be the compass that guides me
the light that shines on my path
the only one I follow.

As I adventure with you today
be the word that encourages
the hand that reaches out
each time I stumble

As I adventure with you today
let me glimpse our destination
and appreciate the places
through which you lead me

As I adventure with you today
be the strength I need to follow
and as the day draws to a close
let me rest in your embrace.

I call to you Lord

2011-05-17T14:22:00.000+01:00

I call to you, Lord
at the dawn of this new day,
place into your hands
family and friends,
work to be done,
decisions I shall make,
obstacles I encounter,
strangers who pass my way,
the service I shall offer.

I call to you, Lord
at the dawn of this new day,
my rock and my fortress,
my strength and deliverer,
for all I am is yours,
each moment of this day
gifted to me by grace,
and offered in your name,
my offering of praise.

Life is a struggle, Lord

2011-05-03T09:14:00.000+01:00

I look after my mother who has dementia, and in this prayer I have tried to see life from her perspective.

“For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” (Psalm 22:24 )

Life is a struggle, Lord.
Time plays its tricks
on body, mind and spirit.
Simple tasks that in my youth
would have taken minutes
now consume
my waking moments,
exhausting,
frustrating,
depressing.

Life is a struggle, Lord.
Technology confuses,
so little now makes sense.
Age strips the brain of sharpness
that once would have found words
appropriate
but now struggles,
understanding,
responding,
coping.

Life is a struggle, Lord.
You alone are my constancy,
all I cling to.
Accept my mustard seed of faith,
and the simple words I offer,
my sacrifice of prayer.

Prayer banned for being too Christian!

2011-04-12T14:56:00.001+01:00

A Hospital Chaplain (who will remain nameless!) asked if it was OK to use the prayer of mine pasted below as part of a general chaplaincy leaflet, but was then told not to use it by the hospital 'powers-that-be' as it was too Christian!

Don't you just love political correctness! Make up your own mind.........

I prayed
"Please Lord,
my life is a mess,
let your love flow through me
and bring healing."
And like a river,
cool refreshing water,
you flowed through me.
Not as a gentle stream,
a rivulet of hope,
but a torrent,
sweeping debris away.
All those broken branches,
rust-encrusted items
and accumulated debris
which were holding back the flow,
swept aside in a torrent of love,
flooding through my veins,
pouring into my heart,
filling my life.
This is healing.
Thank you, Lord

Uncluttering Lives

2011-04-05T10:43:00.002+01:00

Matthew 6
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Unclutter our lives, Lord,
we have too much,
consume too much,
expect too much.

Grant us perspective;
to see this world
through others’ eyes
than just our own.

Grant us compassion;
where there is need
to play our part
not turn aside.

Grant us gratitude
for what we have,
our daily bread,
the gift of life.

Unclutter our lives, Lord,
give us space,
simplicity
thankful hearts.

May the whisper

2011-03-31T10:49:00.000+01:00

May the whisper
of the Father
be the one that wakens you;
the open hand
of the Son
be the one that raises you;
the prompting
of the Spirit
be the one that sends you,
this morning
and all mornings,
and leads you safely home.

Who are we?

2011-03-28T16:07:00.000+01:00

1 John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (NIV)

Who are we?
Imperfect
reaching for Perfection
Created
reaching for Creator
Mortal
reaching for Immortal.
Who are we
who can ask of God
that which is on our hearts
and know
that he will hear our prayer?
We are those
loved beyond loving,
focus of our Creator’s heart.
We are children
of a heavenly Father,
who takes
the burdens of our heart
and substitutes
a peace that brings release,
who knows our needs
before we ask
yet loves to hear our voice.
Who are we?
Blessed and grateful
to a God who loves each one of us
as if there were but one to love.
Halleluia!

Create in me

2011-03-16T23:23:00.000Z

‘Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.’
(Psalm 51:10-12 NIV)

In my heart I have known
such intimacy with you Lord,
known you are always within my reach.
I have heard your glorious whisper
breaking through the clamour
of the world in which I move,
spent time in silent worship
in places of tranquillity and peace.
But there are moments
when deep in my soul
you seem so far away,
when the moments of my day
are consumed by my own self-interest
ambition and pride,
when my heart judges
and declares my guilt.
Draw me close again,
restore the love I first knew
that I might worship you
in spirit and truth
not only with my lips
but with each moment of my day.

Wind of the Spirit

2011-03-03T23:09:00.001Z

Many of us have lost touch with the world upon which we walk. Living and working in towns and cities, it is easy to become so familiar with concrete and tarmac that contact with open spaces and countryside can actually make us feel uncomfortable, unable to relax, and longing to return to the security of the familiar!

That was not the experience of the early Christians in Britain and Ireland. Those early Celtic Christians realized something that is more difficult to grasp in our technological age; that we are intimately connected with creation. Their lives were affected by the vagaries of the seasons and natural forces beyond their control. These impacted upon the food they had to eat, the animals they cared for, the comfort in which they lived and the dangers they faced in travelling.

It matters not whether we can claim Celtic roots or not, it is within the scope of all of us to look at the landscape with spiritual as well as physical eyes, appreciate it for what it is and for the way that it influences our understanding both of ourselves and our Creator. A growing passion for the beauty of the world in which we work can lead to a renewal in our attitudes toward the mundane tasks that we face day be day.

The individual studies contain a variety of discussion questions, as well as lots of information to digest and talk about. The final one is based around a fellowship meal and a time of prayer and worship based upon the form of prayer handed down from the early Christians.

Lord, Thou art my island; in Thy bosom I rest.
Thou art the calm of the sea; in that peace I stay.
Thou art the deep waves of the shining ocean.
With their eternal sound I sing.
Thou art the song of the birds; in that tune is my joy.
Thou art the smooth white strand of the shore; in Thee is no gloom.
Thou art the breaking of the waves on the rock;
Thy praise is echoed in the swell.
Thou art the Lord of my life.

(Prayer of St. Columban of Iona)

Find out more at www.faithandworship.com

A Prayer of St Francis

2011-02-17T08:25:00.000Z

Here's a great prayer of praise to start the day off with, from St. Francis

The Praises of God

Lord God:
you alone are holy,
you who work wonders!
You are strong, you are great,
you are the Most High,
you are the almighty King,
you, holy Father, King of heaven and earth.

Lord God: you are Three and you are One,
you are goodness, all goodness,
you are the higest Good,
Lord God, living and true.

You are love and charity, you are wisdom,
you are humility, you are patience,
you are beauty, you are sweetness,
you are sefety, you are rest, you are joy,
you are our hope
and our delight,
you are justice, you are moderation
you are all our wealth
and riches overflowing.

You are beauty, you are gentleness,
you are our shelter, our guard
and our defender,
you are strength, you are refreshment,
you are our hope.
you are our faith.
you are our love,
you are our complete consolation,
you are our life everlasting,
great and wonderful Lord,
all powerful God, merciful Savior!

Amen.

Life Can be Tough

2011-01-28T08:57:00.000Z

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

2011-01-23T22:16:00.000Z

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

2011-01-21T08:34:00.000Z

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

2011-01-05T22:33:00.000Z

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.

He cares for you!

2010-12-16T14:14:00.000Z

Just bought the new album from Lou Fellingham which I heartily recommend, and wanted to share the lyrics from one of the songs which I found particularly moving.

My God cares

Lifeʼs not always as it seems
A different route from A to B
And the plans youʼve made come tumbling down
When youʼre questioning the why
And itʼs hard to see the light
And youʼre praying for the wind to change

And though the pain is strong
And itʼs hard to carry on
I know that this is true
My God cares for you
All hope has disappeared
And youʼre running out of tears
I can tell you He is near
For my God cares for you
Yes He cares for you

When no answers can be found
As the waves come crashing round
And you find youʼre driven to your knees
When youʼre overwhelmed with fear
And it feels like itʼs been years
Youʼve been asking God please rescue me

Donʼt you know that His arms are strong enough to carry you
Lift you up in the safety of his love
Just hold on, He will come, the Lord our God will comfort you
Give you strength enough to see you through the storm

Lou and Nathan Fellingham and Gary Sadler
Copyright © 2009 Thankyou Music & Paintbrush Music/

Is our God safe?

2010-12-15T16:34:00.000Z

I came across this passage somewhere when I was writing a sermon, and it's worth thinking about:

There is a scene in C. S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe where the children, learning that Aslan is not a man but a lion are not only startled but down right alarmed.
"Is he – quite safe?" Susan asks. "I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," replies Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" Lucy asks, to which Mr. Beaver responds, "Safe? Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

"Course he isn’t safe." says Mr Beaver.

Is our God safe?

An odd word, and maybe I ought to say ‘Is our God predictable? Can he be taken for granted? Can we ignore him and hope we won’t be noticed? You can’t do that with a Lion, I’m not sure you can with God either!

“Therefore keep watch,” says Jesus. “Because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

Mark's View

2010-12-08T13:21:00.001Z

Started writing a new Bible study this week, on Mark's Gospel. In a sense it's an odd one to begin in Advent because Mark doesn't give us the nativity narrative!

However, all the elements are there to show who Jesus is. There might not be lists of ancestors that Matthew gives us to prove Jesus' Royal lineage, or angels appearing to Mary and the Shepherds, but from the opening words we see that this is going to be the story of the Son of God.

Not only this but we find that John the Baptist is already looking for the One who is to come, as prophecised in the Scriptures. And John's message is at the heart of Jesus' own words - that humankind needs to understand the need for repentance, a change of heart and mind and to be reconciled to God.

Within the first few paragraphs we see more evidence for the Sonship of Jesus when he enters the Jordan in a symbolic offering for baptism - and both Spirit and Father appear to him, confirming what Mark has already revealed.

And all this within the first twelve verses!

Mark doesn't hang about - he's got a story to tell. It's a story that began a long time ago in the mind of God, spoken through the prophets, identified in the message of John and finally revealed in the person of Jesus!

When Earth's last picture is painted

2010-12-02T08:30:00.000Z

Came across this very evocotive poem by Kipling the other day and wanted to share it:

When Earth's last picture is painted
And the tubes are twisted and dried
When the oldest colors have faded
And the youngest critic has died
We shall rest, and faith, we shall need it
Lie down for an aeon or two
'Till the Master of all good workmen
Shall put us to work anew

And those that were good shall be happy
They'll sit in a golden chair
They'll splash at a ten league canvas
With brushes of comet's hair
They'll find real saints to draw from
Magdalene, Peter, and Paul
They'll work for an age at a sitting
And never be tired at all.

And only the Master shall praise us.
And only the Master shall blame.
And no one will work for the money.
No one will work for the fame.
But each for the joy of the working,
And each, in his separate star,
Will draw the thing as he sees it.
For the God of things as they are!

Painting with Fire!

2010-11-23T23:15:00.000Z

You know, most times I think God paints with pastel colours because they are calming, peaceful and harmonious tones. Having lived almost 25 years in Wales, both north and south, and dabbled a little in painting and photography I have developed a real love of the variety of colour in the everyday scenes that I come across. How many shades of green are there in the Artist's pallette? Drive around the hills in south-west Wales through the year and try counting them!

But God is a God of surprises and sometimes he paints with a more vivid pallette of colours - This morning he was painting with fire as I wandered alongside the canal with the dog, and it was wonderful to see the dark waters of the canal start to sparkle with the reflected fire of the rising sun!

In the fading of the summer sun,
the shortening of days, cooling breeze,
swallows' flight and moonlight rays
we see the creator's hand

In the browning of leaves once green,
morning mists, autumn chill,
fruit that falls, frost's first kiss
we see the creator's hand

Creator God, forgive our moments of ingratitude,
the spiritual blindness that prevents us
from appreciating the wonder that is this world,
the endless cycle of nature,
of life and death and rebirth.
Forgive us for taking without giving
reaping without sowing.
Open our eyes to see
our lips to praise
our hands to share
and may our feet tread lightly on the path we travel.

The Prodigal and Dad

2010-11-18T20:48:00.000Z

One of the great truths of the Bible is that humankind can never be all that they could be as long as they are away from God. It’s all there in the Scriptures from Genesis through to Revelation. That’s precisely the reason that Jesus walked this earth as the Good Shepherd, to bring humankind back into a relationship with God.

One of the privileges of parenthood, and it can be both a joy and a cause of sadness, is letting go when a child grows up and reaches that stage when they leave home and start to find their way in the world. But fortunately, for most of us it’s not (as with the prodigal son) a case of ‘Give me my inheritance, I’m off!’ but more likely the arrangement of a standing order to keep them solvent while they go off to university. I’d like to think it stopped there, but experience tells me that for some children the expense just keeps on going years after they leave home!

Part of leaving home is the experience of learning the hard way that things don’t happen automatically, money doesn’t grow on trees, things have to be earned and paid for. Letting go can be difficult for both parent and child!

This story of the prodigal son must be one of the most well known stories in the Bible, so what can it tell us that we don’t know already?

Well, first off who is the story really about? Is it a story about a son who runs away from home with his inheritance burning a hole in his pocket, hits hard times and goes back home with his tail tucked between his legs? Or is it a story about a loving father who allows his son the freedom to go, weeps when he hears how low he has fallen and then accepts him back into his arms again, despite what he’s done?

After all, what does it tell us about that father? Would he just have let the son go and not tried to keep tabs on him? Chances are that he would have known just what sort of life his son had sunk into. He must have been hoping against hope that at some point in time his son would realise how low he had sunk and realise that he would still be accepted back home because his father loved him.

The story is very much about the forgiveness of God, of course, and as such it’s right that Luke places it together with the other stories about the Shepherd and the woman and her lost coin. It tells that that God allows humankind freedom, to walk with him or go their own way. It’s a learning process and many of us have been on it, gone our own way just to see what the scenery is like, and having found that it’s not very nice at all, have been welcomed back.

When the son walked back over the hill and down toward his home, there was no recrimination, no ‘told you so!’ No punishment, simply forgiveness and rejoicing at a relationship restored. Just like the shepherd and the lost sheep!

That’s how God treats us, and again, it is counter-intuitive.

So we learn that the love and forgiveness of God extends beyond the foolishness of humankind, beyond the tempting voices of the world and even the reckless rebellion of the young!

Looking at Leaves Falling

2010-11-04T09:55:00.000Z

So many shades of gold
Autumn
Another miracle we take for granted
Another expression of the artist's vision
The blending of the autumn hues
with the setting sun
Warm
Comforting
Perfect
Thank you for autumn, Lord

Wherever I might go

2010-10-26T21:03:00.000+01:00

We have been exploring a new part of the country this week, staying with family near Eastbourne. We've seen a glorious sunset, the awesome chalk cliffs of East Sussex, the rolling downlands, ancient villages and towns of this area and experienced slightly drier conditions than we're used to in Wales!

It is different, certainly busier and definitely wealthier. But we have learned over the years that wherever we go, be it somewhere exotic or within the UK there are always things of wonder to gaze at, countryside to stand within and feel at peace, monuments created by human hands that cause us to praise the skills of ancient craftsmen.

This is a wonderful world to walk upon on our journey through life!

Yours, Lord is the Glory
in everything I see;
a country scene,
mountain stream,
sunrise, sunset, rain and snow.

Yours, Lord is the Glory
wherever I might go

Yours, Lord is the Glory
in everything I hear;
a roaring sea,
bumblebee,
laughter, loving, a tender poem.

Yours, Lord is the Glory
wherever I might go

Yours, Lord is the Glory
in everything I feel;
a special place,
warm embrace,
accepted, helped to become whole

Autumn Leaves

2010-10-21T15:44:00.000+01:00

I was enjoying a walk through the grounds of a country house at the weekend, which at this end of the year means walking over a carpet of fallen leaves of all shapes and colours (you can play 'spot the tree' above with the photograph I took!)

One of the wonders of nature is the way that deciduous trees shed their golden brown leaves in Autumn (or Fall), to be replaced in Spring by the vibrant green of new growth. In a very real sense, something has to die in order that new life can follow. But not only die, of course, for the leaves that fall will break down in the soil and provide nutrients for the tree to feed on through the year to come.

It's all part of the rich cycle of life.

It's a short jump in logic from thinking about trees to considering God and ourselves. On the Cross Jesus shouted 'It is finished!' before dying. Like the leaves that fall to the ground his task was completed. He had nourished those who were his followers, provided food for those who were in need of sustenance, and given the authorities much to chew over. Now he was to die, and rise again that all might know new life in the Springtime of his Kingdom.

And for ourselves? We live our three score years and ten (plus a few hopefully!) and leave this world with whatever impact we have had on it, for better or worse. For Christians hopefully this has involved the feeding of others, the sharing of love and truth, things that will live on and nourish another generation.

It's all part of the rich cycle of spiritual life!

And of course, leaves that grow old take on a beauty all of their own :¬)

A prayer for this night

2010-10-16T21:11:00.003+01:00

Through the dark hours of this night
protect and surround us
Father, Son and Spirit, Three

Forgive the ill that we have done
Forgive the pride that we have shown
Forgive the words that have caused harm
that we might sleep peaceably
and rise refreshed to do your will

Through the dark hours of this night
protect and surround us
Father, Son and Spirit, Three

A Morning Sunrise Moment

2010-10-13T12:55:00.000+01:00

I arise to-day :
might of Heaven
brightness of Sun
whiteness of Snow
splendour of Fire
speed of Light
swiftness of Wind
depth of Sea
stability of Earth
firmness of Rock.

I arise to-day :
Might of God
Power of God
Wisdom of God
Eye of God
Ear of God
Word of God
Hand of God
Path of God
Shield of God
Host of God

(from The Book of Cerne, 9th C)

Harvesting Thoughts

2010-10-10T15:31:00.001+01:00

Took a harvest service this morning which was themed on 'God's Abundance', and used resources provided by the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF), particularly relating to Cambodia.

What came across were two main points, I hope! Firstly that God provides for our needs, but also provides that we might share, not hoard (nb Israelites and the Manna in the desert). Secondly, that it doesn't take a lot to make a difference. Just as a small amount of yeast can make a loaf rise, so a small gift can be multiplied.

6 chickens given to a Cambodian farmer can be grown, bred, eggs sold, seed bought, crops grown and the initial gift passed on to someone else such that a whole community can benefit.

It doesn't cost a lot to make a difference!

Bit Choppy Today!

2010-10-09T19:28:00.003+01:00

Although today was beautiful, with warm sun filtering through misty cloud and wind blowing out to sea, the incoming tide in Pembrokeshire was awesome. I guess it was scenes like this that attracted the early Christian saints such as David to establish themselves and their followers at this end of God's world - they were continually reminded of the power of the Creator in the countryside within which they eked out a living from the land, served their God and spread the Word.

Today we seem to have lost a sense of awe about the world we inhabit. We have also become ignorant about it. Our knowledge of science can sometimes blind us to the spiritual, and we fail to see God’s hand in the natural laws that govern this world. J Wallace Hamilton, writing in ‘Who Goes there? What and where is God?’ says ‘An amazing thing has happened in our way of thinking. In a world that could not for one moment exist without the activity of God, we have conditioned our minds to a way of thinking that leaves no room for him. So many of our wants are provided by what seem to be natural and impersonal forces that we have lost sight of the great provider in the midst of providence… if you ask a child where milk comes from, he won’t think of saying “From a cow.” He will say “From a container.”’

Early Christian monks in Ireland had no such problems and were still well connected to the God who provided for all their needs. They were quite taken with stories of the Desert Fathers (who found a spiritual solitude in often remote and harsh countryside) and looked for a similar wilderness where they could give themselves over to God. A lack of real desert did not put them off. Certain boggy areas were set aside for prayer (some place names still have the element 'disert' in them), and they turned to the one wilderness that they had in abundance – the Atlantic Ocean – and set off in flimsy leather and wickerwork boats in search of ‘the desert in the ocean’

They were looking for land where they could settle; land which could supply them with water and food; land where they could be alone with their God, and hundreds of monks set out on the potentially perilous journey across the ocean trusting not in navigational skills but God to keep them safe.

I watched a man in a kayak ride the waves today and thought.........'Rather you than me, mate!'

Some quotes here from a Bible Study I wrote a while ago called 'ConneXions' which has a Celtic theme running through it...

The Rhythm of Life

2010-10-08T18:56:00.001+01:00

Today was apparently the second highest tide of the century here at Kidwelly. I went down to the quay hoping that there would be a stiff breeze giving a great picture, only to find that it was as calm as.... calm can be, which truth be told is actually good. A high tide and high wind is bad news for a lot of people living close to the valley which feeds into the estuary here.

But it did remind me of the natural rhythms of nature and life in general - the tides, the seasons, the migration of birds, night and day, our own body's rhythms - they are at the centre of what we are and the world we live in.

Christine Sine, in her new book (Click Here) 'Light for the Journey - Morning and Evening Prayers for Living into God’s World' reminds us that rhythm should also be at the centre of our spiritual life as we commit ourselves to regularly spending time in prayer, Bible study, meditation and listening to God. This is a habit that has got lost amidst the rush of everyday life, but that was appreciated by the early Christians in our land.

The Patience of Love

2010-10-07T15:39:00.000+01:00

I've been revisiting that lovely passage from 1 Corinthians 13, and stayed awhile on verse 4

'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.'

The Greek word used for 'patience' in the New Testament refers to people rather than to circumstances. It describes someone who maybe has it within them to be angry and want some form of revenge against someone who has wronged them, but yet will not do it.

It is used of God's relationship with humankind, so that must be our model - we must have the same degree of patience with people as God does with us.

Ouch!

But what that also tells us is that it is not a sign of weakness to refuse to be provoked, but rather a sign of strength that shows love victorious over that which challenges it.

Love is patient, it endures, it loves, it triumphs.

It troubles me....... Creation Science

2010-10-01T20:57:00.000+01:00

This is an attempt by scientists, mainly in the US, to redefine scientific thinking by stating that creation as depicted in Genesis is an accurate scientific model. It troubles me not only because I believe that Genesis is not science, but because it is divisive – driving Christians to different poles of opinion, and also driving seekers away from the church because they can see neither sense nor reason in such an approach.

I just want to make a couple of observations, because there's plenty of learned discussion on the web. Let me start by quoting the ancient writer Origen, an early Christian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Christian Church. He said this of the Creation story in Genesis,

“What man of intelligence, I ask, will consider that the first and second and the third day, in which there are said to be both morning and evening, existed without sun and moon and stars, while the first day was even without a heaven? And who could be found so silly as to believe that God, after the manner of a farmer 'planted trees in a paradise eastward in Eden' ... I do not think anyone will doubt that these are figurative expressions which indicate certain mysteries through a semblance of history.”

Origen, writing at the end of the first century suggests the pictures within the creation story are not to be read as straightforward history but as symbolic stories which express 'mysteries through a semblance of history'. Great thinkers such as Augustine, Calvin and Galileo are united in seeing the main purpose of the creation story in Genesis 1:1-2:4a as theological, not scientific.

Its main purpose was to set out the Hebrew understanding of creation over against the ideas that were prevalent in the cultures among whom the Hebrews lived. It was a picture that the ordinary man or woman in the street could relate to, and one that reflected a monotheistic culture.

In the ancient word there were many creation stories, and the prevalent culture in the region was one of polytheism, or many gods, and their creation stories tend to begin with the origin of the gods, one of whom brings the universe into being.

In Genesis there is one God, creator of all that exists. The existence of God is assumed. Genesis is essentially about purpose rather than science. An understanding of God’s purpose in creating the world and its creatures. An understanding of the purpose of humankind in the mind of God and their place in the bigger picture.

To treat the creation story as science is confusing and unhelpful. It also assumes that you accept the universe to exist as in the picture above, which would have been the understanding of the writer of Genesis. I'm guessing that not many creation science folk hold to that view?!

What a Gift!

2010-09-30T19:01:00.001+01:00

Ah well, another child let loose into the world! It's really strange how similar it is when you finish a book and allow it to wander off alone into the vastness of the interweb! Somehow it seems sad to say goodbye, and yet you know it has to go....... well, I think that's taken that analogy about as far as it can go!

Four Advent studies look at the themes of Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh and Journeying, and their spiritual significance for the Christ child, as within them we begin to hear a whisper of the Easter to come - Gold for a King, frankincense for a High Priest and myrrh for sorrow.

In researching the study for Myrrh (which pictures Jesus' future suffering) I came across this lovely quote from Watchman Nee,

"The Alabaster Box
‘The breaking of the alabaster box and the anointing of the Lord filled the house with the odor, with the sweetest odor. Everyone could smell it. Whenever you meet someone who has really suffered; been limited, gone through things for the Lord, willing to be imprisoned by the Lord, just being satisfied with Him and nothing else, immediately you scent the fragrance. There is a savor of the Lord. Something has been crushed, something has been broken, and there is a resulting odor of sweetness.’

There are leader's notes and background material and lots of questions to stimulate discussion. Also included are prayers to open and close a meeting.

The Advent study is in A4 format, and each week's study can be printed on 2 double sided sheets, allowing space for note taking.

Permission is given for a church to photocopy these resources, so only 1 copy is needed per group!

More info and a sample study - Click Here

What Troubles Us?

2010-09-27T18:40:00.001+01:00

I'm thinking of preaching on the theme of a Tom Jones' song from his latest album of Gospel songs 'Praise and Blame' which has some great songs on it. The one in question is 'Does Trouble Me' and it raises a few questions that are worthy of thinking about.

1) How does God speak to this generation?

2) What do we do when God speaks to us?

It worries me that the Church seems to have written off the role of prophet in these New Testament times. It was encouraging recently to see the Pope in the UK challenging the country over the rise of militant secularism and atheism. It got to the newspaper front pages, which Christianity normally doesn't, unless it includes stories of abuse or scientists trying to disprove the existence of God.

I believe God speaks to us through our conscience - a uniquely gifted part of what makes us 'us' - and challenges us daily about this world in which we live, the people who inhabit it, and the dangerous direction that our society is heading in.

I also believe that, in general, we are hesitant as Christians to put our head above the parapet and say something when our conscience is pierced.

So ask yourselves this question. If you don't say 'That's wrong!' when your conscience tells you to say something, then who will?

If you don't go to the help of your brother in Christ, or a stranger in need when your conscience troubles you, then who will?

It'll be interesting to see in which direction the sermon goes - and whether I avoid mentioning the things that trouble me, in which case I might upset a few folk!!

An evening prayer

2010-09-23T18:21:00.000+01:00

A prayer for this evening!

I lay my head to rest
and in doing so
lay at your feet
the faces I have seen
the voices I have heard
the words I have spoken
the hands I have shaken
the service I have given
the joys I have shared
the sorrows revealed
I lay them at your feet
and in doing so
lay my head to rest

more like this at www.faithandworship.com

Fresh Insights

2010-09-13T23:16:00.000+01:00

Watched the film 'Afghan Star' last night, which is a documentary about an X-Factor competition in Afghanistan to discover a new singing star.

It followed the fortunes of a handful of those who had done well in preliminary rounds and were now to be broadcast on TV as finalists. Among the finalists were two young women, which in itself was quite a surprise for an Islamic country. There was also a good ethnic mix from the country.

All was going well until one of the girls got a little carried away in her performance and danced along with her song. It was graceful and fitting, but universally hated by the watching public who (both young and old) considered that she had gone far beyond what could be considered as decent in an Islamic country.

The scene then shifted to clerics meeting and despairing at how the young were being corrrupted by the airing of such programmes.

The girl in question received death threats and had to go into hiding!

More than anything else, what came across was the gulf that exists between cultures. To me in the West this seemed such a trivial thing. To a strict Moslem it was beyong the pail.

The young people need their music and TV (which was banned under the Taliban) but they also respect the religious traditions of the country.

There is little room for the rebel to survive!

And yet here we are as a nation, in Afghanistan, trying to introduce democracy in a country that we understand so little about. Should we really be imposing our Western ideals?

I recommend the film, should you be able to find it - a real insight into another culture!

On Messing Up!

2010-09-08T10:42:00.001+01:00

I've just finished writing a week's Bible study notes for the IBRA, which is something I do every year, This time the theme was 'Missing the Mark' which is more or less what Paul meant by sin in Romans 3:23 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'.

I'm not sure that 'missing the mark' has the same impact and meaning as 'sin' but if that's what Paul meant then who am I to argue! Dr Tom Wright in a recent interview talked of society 'messing up' which I suppose is a similar metaphor.

What interested me was that each day's study looks at a Biblical character and the point at which they mess up. The list is quite impressive, incluing Moses, Aaron, Solomon, Samson, Jonah and Jeroboam as well as Paul's 'everybody!'

Personally I like Paul's use of the word 'All' because it infers that there is a level playing field upon which we are all capable of messing up, and that is quite reassuring! And of course God uses ordinary people to do his work and be his voice in the world, so accepts us as we are, vulnerable, flawed and perfectly capable of making mistakes, missing the mark, sinning, messing up..... however you want to define the act of falling short of God's glory or standard.

The good news is that God's forgiving love is bigger than our faults.

The bad new is that so many people are unwilling to admit their faults, and accept the forgiveness that God offers.

An Autumn Spring Clean

2010-09-06T22:01:00.002+01:00

I have a confession! We are having a new kitchen installed after 15 years, and as the clearing has progressed and cupboards pulled out, I have discovered a lot of small corners which were less than wholesome, having been missed by the casual wipe around with a damp cloth over the years.

I guess that probably mirrors my life. I know that there are small corners which are only known to me and God, things that I am not so happy about, that are in need of Spring Cleaning whatever the season might be!

How often it takes a major upheaval to expose that which has been left undone, when regular attention would have been preferable. How often we hang on to our past, rather than hand that all over to God and accept his forgiveness and cleansing.

The Worship Leader's Little Helper

2010-08-27T22:43:00.001+01:00

There's another new ebook available on FaithandWorship.com, designed to help the Leader of worship with the opening prayers within a service. I've written over 20 complete sets of prayers (including 5 for Advent) alongside some other bits and pieces which might be of help.

The prayers are designed to be printed off on a single sheet of A4 and are set out for ease of use.

The ebook (a PDF download) is £3.99 (or $5.75 if you prefer!) and I hope will prove useful to lots of people who occasionally get asked to lead prayers, as well as the more experienced Worship Leader.

Find out more, and see sample page - CLICK HERE

Priorities

2010-08-21T12:06:00.002+01:00

There was an interesting interview on the radio this morning. A woman who, as a girl had inherited the equivalent today of a couple of million pounds, and how she decided at an early age that she would be happier giving it away and earning her daily keep, than living off the interest. OK, she's been sensible and left herself and the family with enough for their old age, and to give their children a bit to start them off in life, but she's given away a good percentage of what she inherited to individuals, whose lives have been changed by her actions.

Yes, this is newsworthy today because of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett who are challenging the mega-rich to give half their fortunes to good causes.

Very Biblical, and to be heartily commended........ Nice one, Bill!

But of course the Bible also tells us that the widow's mite is just as pleasing to God. We don't need to be mega-rich to consider the poor and needy, and do our bit to spread a little of God's love around. We might not be able to set up a foundation to eradicate malaria in the world, but we can be there if someone is in need.

God knows our hearts, and blesses both giver and receiver.

A Strange Day

2010-08-16T09:19:00.001+01:00

I went to church twice yesterday, as usual. The morning service was a united service in a local Presbyterian church. The best description I could come up with for the Minister of that church is that his presentational style sucked the will to live out of me! He was difficult to understand, monotone in delivery and when he was preaching there was no sense of excitement over God's Word, no enthusiasm. It was dreadful. It was worse than dreadful, it was embarrassing!

In the evening I went to our usual fellowship meeting. The worship was wonderful, and the preacher, Hugh Waddell, overflowed with enthusiasm, excitement and a real sense of wonder about the God he was talking about. It was if God was putting back all that had been lost in the morning!

As preachers we have a responsibility to those we share God's Word with. God's Word is exciting, challenging, life changing. It should never be boring!

Prayer

2010-08-12T15:14:00.002+01:00

When you start thinking too deeply about prayer it can pose some difficult questions. If God has the whole of history - past, present and future - laid out in front of him, then the events and happenings of our lives must be mapped out on the master-plan somewhere.

And if life is all mapped out, then there must be a degree of inflexibility should the need arise to ask God to change something (healing, job, relationship, problem etc) unless that is already 'in the system' and marked for change. Imagine God as CEO and occasionally asking 'Gabriel, bring me Mr Birch's file file!'

I quite like C S Lewis' approach in his book 'Letters to Malcolm - Chiefly on Prayer'in which he says this:

'One of the purposes for which God instituted prayer may have been to bear witness that the course of events is not governed like a state but created like a work of art to which every being makes its contribution and (in prayer) a conscious contribution'

Theologically there may be difficulties in this idea, but I like the idea that rather than God's will being rather inflexible as he holds the whole of history in his hands, that what he has created is a work of art which in a sense is always complete and yet continually being contributed toward.

Prayer can work in such a system, as can creativity. It gives a sense and purpose to our lives and our concerns for the world that we might bring to him in prayer.

Precious

2010-08-10T18:38:00.001+01:00

In Lord of the Rings, Gollum has a ring which he calls 'his Precious'

I sometimes think that Christians view their ancient churches with the same sentiments. Recently we visited some of our more elderly Cathedrals and churches. Winchester is a case in point. Over the centuries it has been in a constant state of change, as it was built / rebuilt / added and subtracted to. Why? To accommodate the needs of the local and religious community in that place. I don't know what decision processes were gone through each time, but I guess that current need was foremost in their minds.

Could it be changed now? What if someone suggested a modern addition to the structure, maybe in glass and stainless steel??

I wonder how that would go down? Not too well, I guess!

How 'precious' is the building to a 21st century custodian?

Chichester Cathedral is slightly different. Although I guess that the structure is very much considered 'precious' these days, the inclusion of modern tapestries and windows adds the impression that this is still a living place for worship.

Should we really be so precious about our church buildings? After all, they were originally built to serve a worshipping community in a contemporary manner. Are they still able to do that with their rigid formality?

Are we guilty of preserving in aspic our Christian heritage, rather than building upon it?

A lesson in patience

2010-08-04T09:23:00.002+01:00

Spent a morning assembling a climbing frame for the grandchildren. It looked straightforward, the instructions were plain, and it should have been a two person job.

Unfortunately it turned out to need three of us, parts did not fit easily together, and at 5 minute intervals through the morning one or both of the kids (ages 3 and 5) would sweetly enquire 'Is it ready yet?'

I realised that patience was needed on both sides. The outcome was good, we got it up and running, and the kids love it. I think I'm sometimes like that with God though, continually asking 'when?, rather than waiting for His timing to work out.

Seize the moment!

2010-07-28T07:36:00.004+01:00

My mother, who lives with us, suffers from dementia. The main problem is that her memory is shot, unable to remember what she did just a couple of hours ago. Life gets very confusing when that happens.

She copes well, keeps quite positive, but you can sense inner frustration.

One thing she can appreciate is the world around her. She loves trips out, and the beauty of flowers and the countryside. Each trip, even if to familiar places is a new adventure!

She has to live moment by moment because that is all she has. And she gets all that she can out of that moment, even if the memory fades so quickly.

In our Christian lives we too often dwell on the past and forget to make the most of 'the moment'

Seize each moment as precious, and use it wisely. Enjoy it for what it is, a gift from God!

Adoration and thanksiving

2010-07-22T23:20:00.003+01:00

I've been writing prayers for some time now, and as a worship leader and user of prayers have sometimes struggled with the difference between a prayer of adoration and one of thanksgiving - particularly as I like the ACTS acronym for prayers in worship (adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.)

Now I find myself writing an ebook which covers the ACT prayers, and have had to think harder about the difference, if one exists.

I have come to conclusion that there is a difference, but also crossover. Adoration focuses on who God is, thanksgiving on what he has done. But of course the crossover is that God couldn't do what he does unless he is what he is!

So there's an element of thanksgiving in both prayers, and one of acknowledging His majesty and greatness in both!

There you go....clear as mud!

Technology

2010-07-20T21:58:00.001+01:00

I fell out with technology today. My Epson printer informed me that in its humble opinion, a part had reached the end of its useful life, and therefore it would not work until I had taken it for a service.

In the good old days printers would keep going until they died - mine seems to want early retirement!

The cost of a new printer makes servicing uneconomic, so I will buy a new one. This seems such a waste of resources.

But isn't this just symptomatic of the world we live in? We live in a disposable world and therefore must expect things like this to happen.

And across the world are millions struggling to fetch water, wondering where their neext meal is coming from.

Others have no roof over their head, or are raiding rubbish dumps to find anything they can recycle to earn pennies.

It saddens me to dump a printer because it refuses to work, rather than simply breaking down. It saddens me more that

I am part of a throwaway society within a work of want and need.

*sigh*

One God?

2010-07-16T23:18:00.002+01:00

Interesting article by Steve Chalke in this month's Christianity mag, answering the question 'Is Allah, the Muslim god just another name for yahweh, the God of the Bible?'

I'm not going to go through his arguement, which centres on Abraham, but he makes the following points:

1) Islam honours the first five books of the Bible among its sacred texts, including the Shema, and draws heavily on them.

2) Muslims consider them to be the word of God given to Moses.

3) Allah is the term used for God in Arabic. hundreds of years before being used by Muslims it was used by Arabic speaking Christians as they worshipped Yahweh.

Chalke concludes by suggesting that Allah is not so much a false god so much as a partially known God, as Yahweh is fully and finally revealed through Jesus alone. He points to Paul who built from, rather than ignored the worship of the 'unknown God' when he dealt with the people in Athens in Acts 17, and suggests that this should be our approach.

Food for thought, anyway!

The Wild Geese

2010-07-08T18:48:00.001+01:00

We live a couple of miles from the sea, in fact near an estuary which is designated a site of special scientific interest. It is a breeding ground and feeding place for a wide range of wildfowl, some resident and others just passing through. But it is the geese that are so noticeable, as they take to the air in their distinctive ‘V’ formation. Awkward on the ground, in flight they are transformed to a thing of beauty, if a little noisy!

For the Celtic folk of Ireland and Scotland the wild goose is also a spiritual symbol of the Holy Spirit. Doves are docile but a goose is unpredictable, noisy, free and seemingly always on the move. What a lovely image of God’s Spirit; unconstrained, not always predictable and free to move where he wills.

I find it a great comfort to look at the world in which I live and see images that remind me of the divine. They keep me connected, because in a busy world it is easy to forget about God and become totally self-centred. As someone who can be prone to bouts of introspection and self-doubt I need to keep the God connection open and running.

I look at a small mountain stream and consider that by the time its water has emptied into the sea it has carried much debris away with it, just as God’s cleansing Spirit works in our own spiritual lives. I can stand at the ocean’s edge and see within the crashing waves echoes of God wearing away my own rough edges and moulding me into something new!

If your life is full to capacity with activities and demands on your time; if you feel that life is just so full of noise and distraction that you are losing the plot then take time, find space, stand still and open your eyes and your heart to allow God to reveal himself.

As the poem by William Henry Davies says
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare…”

God of mystery

2010-06-29T13:56:00.001+01:00

Some years ago we lived on a North Wales hillside overlooking the Irish Sea. It was a beautiful and peaceful place in the summer months, but desolate in winter when icy winds blew hard off the sea, making it almost impossible to stand upright, and driving rain forced its way through the walls and into the house.

It was a period in our lives when we had very little money, could not afford to fix leaking walls and were struggling to meet bills for heating and basics. We questioned the decisions that we had made and the actions taken which had led us to this place.

However, there was one moment of magic that no amount of money could buy. It happened on clear autumn nights when the sun was about to set.

We would stand in our garden, gazing out to sea, and as the blood-red sun made its journey to the edge of the sea and beyond it would suddenly throw up an image of the Wicklow Hills on the horizon. This image would last for a few minutes and then fade, as light levels fell.

Believe me, you had to be there to appreciate it!

Now, the Wicklow Hills are in County Wicklow in Ireland, lying well beyond sight from that part of Wales. What we saw each autumn was nothing more or less than an optical illusion, explained by the laws of physics.

To us however it was the Creator putting on a rather special light show just for us, a little entertainment prior to the miseries of winter!

Sometimes it can be difficult to see anything good in the way life is treating you. The struggle to put food on the table and cater for the needs of a growing family can take every ounce of effort and ingenuity. It makes it difficult to stand back and appreciate anything good in the world.

Sometimes though you just have to be still and trust, that not only is God the creator of this world, he is also the one who can lead us out of despair and into a better place. That illusion of the hills thrown up onto the edge of the sea reminded us that this world is a place of beauty and mystery, and the God who is in control is the same God who would lead us out of our ‘captivity’ into a better place, which he did!

The fragrance of God

2010-06-10T11:15:00.001+01:00

'Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.' (John 12:3)

'But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.'(2 Cor 2:14)

I have always been interested in this idea that we are 'the fragrance' of God in thsi world. The earlier story of Mary pouring the expensive ointment on Jesus' feet is easy for us to relate to - after all, the room would surely have smelt of that perfume for days afterwards. After Jesus left, the memory of his visit would be there in the scent that remained.

But how are we 'a fragrance'?

On holiday recently in France we walked through a pine forest on particularly hot day, and remarked that the air was filled with the beautiful scent of the pine resin. Not only was the day a beautiful one, filled with the song of birds and the discovery of new and exciting wildlife but so was the scent of the air that we breathed in. The interesting thing is that having come home and having nothing but photographs to remind myself of that walk, I can still remember the fragrance of the pine, even after the memories of the scenery fade.

What effect do we have on the people among whom we walk and work day by day? What do they remember us for, if anything at all?

Is it what we wear that makes us stand out, or what we say and do that make the difference? Is it the simple act of kindness, the word of comfort and reassurance, the shoulder to lean on - is it these that linger in the mind as a thing of beauty?. Is this our witness to the world, the bringing into someone's life the fragrance of the love that Jesus showed to the world as he hung on the cruel cross?

When all roads do not lead to Rome!

2010-06-07T13:58:00.000+01:00

There is a certain satisfaction in completing a way-marked circular ramble in unfamiliar surroundings. It’s as much to do with trust as it is with one’s own capabilities – the thought that someone has walked this way before and placed signs for others to follow. That last stretch at the end of a long walk in beautiful countryside is something to savour, recognition that you have achieved something to be proud of.

But what happens if you get to the end and it is not where you started? What if you take a wrong turn and end up lost? That happened to us in France. Two walks, both way-marked in yellow. We followed one, and thought we had completed it, but in fact had taken a wrong turn and ended up somewhere on walk number two. We could not find our car and more importantly could not understand where we had gone wrong. We stood at the junction of two roads, route map in hand, totally perplexed.

There is an unsaid prayer which accompanies such moments, and it says ‘Oh God, what now?!’

The answer in our case came from a battered old Renault which pulled up, the driver enquiring, in French, if we were lost. There then followed a slightly surreal fifteen minutes where the driver, a slightly drunk farmer who couldn’t speak English or read maps offered to drive us to our car. By this he meant driving at break-neck speed down tiny country lanes in the vain hope that we might spot where we started. Eventually, more by luck than judgement we stumbled upon our car, looking rather forlorn in the corner of its isolated parking place. We thanked our rescuer profusely, wished him well and continued on our way.

Two questions come to mind. How does God answer prayer? Is it in a blinding flash of divine inspiration or via a slightly drunk French farmer? Secondly, how easy is it for us to convince ourselves that we are on the right road, when all along we have taken a wrong turn which will lead us to real uncertainty? What do we do in such circumstances? Do we convince ourselves that we are right and all we need to do is continue down the road we’re currently walking, or do we stop and acknowledge that we are in need of rescue?

And having acknowledged that we need help, how ready are we to accept it from unexpected places? Do we wait for divine revelation, or accept the assistance of someone who, though they could quite easily drive past, stops and asks if we require assistance, even of they are not the obvious choice we would make for a knight in shining armour?

Jesus told a parable of a Good Samaritan who did just that. More importantly is the Bible’s insistence that, in times of crisis ‘Our help cometh from the Lord!’

Out of control

2010-04-22T10:57:00.000+01:00

There have been a couple of occasions recently where for some people life has taken a sudden turn for the worse and they've been left wondering what on earth has gone wrong. Suddenly they are not in control of a situation - and begin to feel vulnarable.

Firstly there was the first election debate in the UK. The two main parties thought it was a two horse race and they could quite happily concentrate on countering their perceived enamy whilst ignoring the third party. But then it all went horribly wrong as Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats came out on top. They'd also thought that this debate would have little impact on national poll trends..........but it had a massive effect, and now the main parties are on the back foot, not totally in control despite their massive election budgets.

Then there was the confusion over the Icelandic dust cloud over Europe. Holiday makers stranded all over the world making heroic and sometimes very expensive attempts to get home without air travel, whilst governments struggled to work out if it was safe to fly through this volcanic dust cloud. No one seemed to know the answer, no one was in control!

It was the fear of the unknown and the fear of making a decision that could cost lives if it all went wrong. Now with planes in the air again there follows the recriminations and the debates as to what went wrong and why it was allowed to go wrong for so long.

In times of uncertainty it is good to have One who we can rely on!

Cornerstone and stumbling stone

2010-03-28T22:48:00.001+01:00

Palm Sunday today and I was preaching on Luke's retelling of the story, which ends with Jesus saying that if his disciples didn't shout out 'Halleluia!' then the stones they were walking upon certainly would.

Thoughts then turned to Psalm 118 which talks of the stone the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone, and a theme started emerging - Jesus is the cornerstone, of our faith and of the church. But, says Peter, Jesus is not only the cornerstone, he's also a stumbling stone!

Jesus a stumbling stone or block - how can that be?

1 Peter 2:4-6 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for."

Because Jesus, the cornerstone, is still a stumbling block to many and not just outside of the church. Even within our churches there are many who still struggle with the idea of Jesus as Messiah, Saviour. They struggle with the whole idea of sin and the need for God to go through this incredible process of coming to earth as flesh and blood and enduring suffering and death so that we (and that’s the whole of humanity) might be made right with him again, as it was in the beginning, to be made righteous, forgiven and receive the promise of eternal life. If that sounds a bit heavy and theological then I don’t apologise because that’s the core of Christianity. We are the prodigals; God is the loving father who welcomes us home!

The problem is that many people have a distorted view of God, that he is somehow distant and remote. That he set the world in motion and then stepped back and let it get on with life; that he doesn’t get involved in the day to day of existence, in the nitty-gritty of everyday life. They have a distorted view of what being a Christian is all about, in the sense that it’s more about me than anyone else – what benefit, what comfort can I get from it? And they have a distorted view of what God expects from us – what can I do to make God love me more, or what could I do that would make God love me less?

Does that sound a bit severe an assessment? It’s actually the way a lot of people who call themselves Christians live out their faith. Every time you say to yourself ‘I don’t like those modern hymns or songs!’ or ‘God wouldn’t be interested in my problems’ or ‘I ought to be a better human being if I expect God to bless me!’ you’re in danger of tripping over that stumbling stone, rejecting the one who rode into Jerusalem to the sound of people’s praise, and so soon afterwards died for you and I.

Jesus rode into town as the King of Peace, he suffered rejection and humiliation at the hands of people like you and I and died the death of a common criminal. Why? So that you and I might open our eyes and see that God so loved the world so much, so loved you and I and those sat next to us and the whole of humanity that he was prepared to become flesh and blood and poor out that blood on a cruel cross to show you how much he wants to be a part of your life.

A new ebook!

2010-03-28T22:05:00.001+01:00

This book has been on the go for some time, and I'm really pleased with the outcome!

Still very much influenced by the prayers of the early Christians in this country, I've given this one a basic theme of journeying with God through the day from waking to sleep

This time, not all the prayers are on the website, so you'll need to get the book to find those!

The book also contains some photographs to enhance the prayers

Check out the details on http://www.faithandworship.com/shop.htm

Packages

2010-03-15T17:50:00.000Z

I came across this quote yesterday via my Google Home page! I think it's quite a wise insight, and if nothing else seems to agree with the notion that man was not intended to be alone - he (and she!) was created for fellowship, for a sharing of the world and life, and for love - for giving and receiving.

When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.
- John Ruskin

A young (at heart) man's thoughts turn to Spring

2010-03-09T18:26:00.002Z

A sleeping world emerges to new possibilities
Weakening winter's icy grip
And birdsong and bleating lamb
Announce to all the promise
That in due season
Creation bursts into life
And whilst leaves that fell in winter
Lie upon the ground
Soon to feed the earth
In nature's wondrous cycle
Of death and rebirth
Within the tree is a stirring of new growth

Do we get the god we deserve?

2010-03-08T23:02:00.000Z

I was talking with a friend today and as always happens the conversation turned to religion and his apparent search to mould the God of the Bible into the sort of god that he could believe in. This is a constant battle that he has, and it leads to a lot of heartache and blind corners. Yes, there's no reason at all why you shouldn't create your own god - men and women have been doing that for millenia. Make him/her/it in your own image by all means, but don't try and confuse that god with the God of the Bible, because you are going to be disappointed.
Part of the problem that Christians have these days is that they spend too much time trying to make God fit into the culture of today rather than helping the culture relate to God as he is, timeless, unchangeable, creator and sustainer.

Religious freedom

2010-03-04T08:39:00.000Z

In an ideal world all people would be free to practice the religion of their choice and conviction, but of course this is not an ideal world. In the West there is a general tolerance to all and no faiths, but that is unfortunately not the case in strict Islamic states. The following comes from the Barnabasfund website.

You can convert to Islam but you are not allowed to convert from Islam. All schools of Islamic law, shari‘a, agree on this rule and specify the death sentence for an adult male Muslim who chooses to leave his Islamic faith. Most also impose the death penalty on women apostates. The rule was established many centuries ago by Islamic scholars, but even today most Islamic religious leaders and many ordinary Muslim people agree with it.

The death penalty is rarely put into practice, but the existence of this “apostasy law” is so well known amongst Muslims that it generates strong hostility towards apostates, whether from family or community, from religious or secular leaders, from police or judiciary. So it is normal for converts from Islam to face persecution and violence. They may be arrested, either for apostasy or on a pretext. They may be attacked, beaten or even murdered by their own relatives. And those who commit the violence will probably not be punished for it.

As a Christian I obviously would like to feel that all are free to belong to the Christian family, whilst respecting the right of a Moslim to practice his or her own faith. I only wish it were so in all countries!

On the subject of wilderness

2010-02-25T15:20:00.000Z

Lent begins in a wilderness, and ends in a desolate place. Over these past few weeks I can't say that I have been in a wilderness, but could argue that I've been taming a wilderness. A small patch of land, about 60 sq m which is hopefully going to grow our vegetables for the coming year. It was part of a field covered with grass, nettles, brambles, docks and no doubt many other exciting varieties of weeds (sorry, wild flowers) that I have yet to discover. It has never, to my knowledge ever grown a crop worth eating, unless you count dandelions.
It has been hard work, and will continue to be so because many of the weeds will re-grow from the small pieces of root which we have been unable to remove, and they will do this throughout the seasons unless we continue to bend down and remove them. We would like to garden organically, and that it going to make the going even tougher, but if we percevere then we shall win the battle, and from a task which at the start seemed soul destroying we shall harvest something beautiful (I am an eternal optimist!) and I shall be fitter!
Most wilderness times in our lives can seem like a constant and soul destroying battle, but working through them, rather than sinking into them, can enable us to grow stronger and rise victorious from a dark and lonely place.

Fog

2010-02-20T19:59:00.000Z

This last week we had a few days 1000ft up a hillside in South Yorkshire where relatives have a dairy farm. We were greeted by a fog so thick we could see no further than a few metres. I knew that beyond the stone wall in front of the farmhouse there was a glorious view over open countryside but it was impossible to see because of the fog. It was only on the morning that were were about to leave that the air cleared and allowed us to view and appreciate the snow covered panorama stretching around us.

Do you ever view your faith like that? You know God is all around, about and above you but for some reason you are engulfed by a fog of doubt or unbelief that threatens to overwhelm? There's nothing wrong with you - life is sometimes like that for many of us, and at times like that we have to hold on to the truth that we know.

Just like I knew the glorious view was there beyond the fog, I had to be patient until I could once again see it and thank God for it. And when life seems engulfed in a thick fog then we do the same. We remind ourselves of the goodness of God, our knowledge of his love in our lives and his many blessings... and gradually the fog clears and we see him once again.

Worship and song

2010-02-12T19:01:00.000Z

I find myself every now and then thinking about the story of Matt Redmond's church and how, at a particular moment in its development it seemed right to stop singing, and just wait on God until it seemed right to start again.
How frustrating that must have been at the start?!
It is so easy to fall into the 'vain repetitions' that Jesus talked about with prayer, when we sing both favourite and less familiar hymns and songs. Do we love the words or concentrate on the tune or harmony? Are we thinking about the theology and truth behind it as we sing or are we just going through the motions. Admitedly we might struggle with the language if it is an old one (or the poor poetry of a new one!) but hands up if in the last few weeks you've got to the end of a hymn and not really connected with the thought behind it?
How many of us would be brave enough to suggest having a worship service without and singing, just concentrating on God's word and prayer?
Would it help? Concentrate the mind a little? Remind us that worship is more than a catchy song or two from our favourite worship leaders or hymn writers?

The Lord's Prayer

2010-01-29T13:45:00.001Z

We all know the Lord's prayer, and I guess that for most of us it forms part of every service that we attend, either said or sung.

But there is a tendency to take it just as that 'A prayer' rather than as a way in which to pray, which is what I think Jesus had in mind when he was teaching his disciples. And when you look at it in this light it opens up the possibilities of our private and corporate prayer life.

Our prayers tend to concentrate on the things that concern us most 'Please God, do this...' 'Please God, look after.....' 'Please God, heal.....'

In fact, so often our prayers are just an explosion of words as we try hard not to let God get a word in edgeways! And Jesus has something to say about that 'And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans'

In fact, if we look at the Lord's prayer we find that the material, those things that affect us daily, are not be the prime focus of our thoughts.

Jesus suggests this form for our prayers

1) Start with God, reminding yourself who is the focus of our prayer. He is our heavenly Father, he knows our needs, he deserves our praise. What do we look for? We look for God's kingdom to spread throughout this world, the kingdom that we now see in part and look forward at some point to seeing in all its glory..

2) We know that God knows our needs, but he wants to know that what is on our hearts is in keeping with his will for our lives and the lives of those who are dear to us. We're not to ask for the ridiculous - for riches, fame, glory! We come to him in humility, acknowledging that we are sinners in continual need of God's Grace.
God deals with our present needs (our daily bread) and our present condition (forgive us our debts)

3) And we look to the future, for our heavenly Father to keep us close to him both now and always. We are aware that without him we shall fail, but that in his loving arms we are secure (lead us not into temptation).

⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹"This, then, is how you should pray:
   " 'Our Father in heaven,
   hallowed be your name,
¹⁰your kingdom come,
   your will be done
      on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today our daily bread.
¹²Forgive us our debts,
      as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.
(Matthew 6)

Just a thought on forcing God's will

2010-01-22T16:39:00.001Z

When people are looking for God's will for their lives, maybe in applying for a job, or a house move, how often do you hear the phrase 'I'm just knocking on a few doors to see which opens!'
Well, how about this quote on the subject - I gave an 'ouch!' when I read it.

If you can't pray a door open, don't pry it open.
(Lyell Rader)

What is it with Lent?

2010-01-21T13:25:00.000Z

It will soon be Lent, and I've been busy writing prayers and material for the season. But it did make me think yesterday 'Just what does the average churchgoer actually think the season of Lent is for?'
No doubt most folk would place Lent before Easter and rightly surmise that the two were connected. They might think it's about temptations (particularly those of Jesus) as there is the tradition of giving something up we enjoy for Lent. But is that all it's about - temptation and giving up?
It was when I was listening to a sermon podcast this morning while taking the dog for a walk (!) that it reminded me that Lent should be about a whole lot more - much deeper and more serious than giving up chocolate for a few weeks.
The preacher, at Mars Hill Bible Church (check them out on iPlayer) had as his text Matthew 5 and those two headings of Murder and Adultery - not the most comfortable of subjects for a preacher to share with a congregation, but he could get away with it because he was visiting!
His point, and here I precis a 35 minute sermon, was that we are all murderers and adulterers. Maybe I precis his words a little too well, and need to expand a little!
What he said was that every time we are angry with someone, every time we pass judgement on someone's actions or words, every time we look at a pornographic image, every time we lust after anything (even pushing our own ambitions and dreams of success onto the lives of our children, and taking them into places that they are not happy or comfortable) then we are guilty as charged by Jesus' own words.
OK, there's a bit of Jewish hyperbole (deliberate exageration) in Jesus' words to emphasise his point, and the preacher was doing the same, but it certainly focussed my mind on what is at the heart of Lent, as far as I am concerned, and that is not so much the problems that Jesus had with temptation but simply the state of the human heart.
That's a problem that's been around since the dawn of civilisation and has been at the centre of God's revealing plan of salvation ever since. It is why Jesus walked this earth and journeyed to the cross and beyond - so that our evident guilt might be forgiven and we be brought back into fellowship with God. Put yourself in the place of the Prodigal Son who led a wild and sordid life in the city before his downfall and eventual return home to his Father. Are we any better?
Lent should be a time to focus our minds on the Easter story, but it should also be a time to examine our hearts.

Christian Unity

2010-01-19T14:37:00.000Z

This is the week of prayer for Christian unity, and it got me thinking about what this unity is all about. I live in an area of Wales where there are many churches, a duplication because of the language - so even within the Anglican system there are both Welsh and English parish churches. So many churches/chapels and generally small congregations does cause a problem when it comes to working together, but in essense that's not what unity is about.
Christian unity is more about what we believe than where we worship. I might disagree with my Catholic friends about some of their beliefs - the perpetual virginity of Mary, the understanding of the elements in Holy Comunion etc.. On the other side of the divide I might disagree with some of my conservative evangelical friends about their strict literal interpretation of the Bible, particularly Genesis and Revelation.
But if my Christian friends agree with the basic core doctrinal beliefs of Christians, particularly where they centre on God's plan of Salvation, the nature of Jesus Christ and that we are saved by Grace not works, then I am more than happy to worship with them and count them as my Christian brothers and sisters.
We might have a discussion or two about the side issues, but these are not the important matters that should divide us. Paul was quite clear on this point - that there are lots of little things that we can disagree with, but we should rather be looking at the things that we can agree on. Yes, there are boundaries beyond which we cannot and should not agree or compromise, but our aim should be the unity of the Church - for then the world will see God's love working within us and reaching out to them.

Lent Bible Study

2010-01-18T23:04:00.001Z

I've always loved the Isaac Watts' hymn 'When I survey the Wondrous Cross'. It encompasses the whole Lent season as it asks us to look, or survey the wonder of the cross - but not only the wonder, he vividly paints the colour of Christ's agony and death on the cross.

This was one of the first English-language hymns to use the word ‘I’ and have at its core personal religious experience. The hymn is also an example of how Isaac Watts, who has been called the father of English hymnody, enlarged the boundaries of English hymn writing beyond the metrical psalms to include freer verse that readily lent itself to new musical settings.

Isaac Watts lived in turbulent times, and as we look at his life, and the words that he has written, it is easy to see the parallels with contemporary society. Most importantly for Christians, he wrote for the masses in words that they could understand. In the preface to Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707) he wrote: ‘I have aimed at ease of numbers and smoothness of sound, and endeavoured to make the sense plain and obvious; if the verse appears so gentle and flowing as to incur the Censure of Feebleness, I may honestly affirm that sometimes it has cost me labour to make it so.’

So it inspired me to write a Lent Bible study around each of this hymn's verses. It's written with the intention that only one copy is needed per group, and permission given to photocopy. There are questions from discussion and lots of background information for the leader.

Check out http://www.faithandworship.com/Amazing_Love.htm for more information

in search of certainty

2010-01-13T09:24:00.000Z

The weather in the UK has been bad of late, much snow and ice which has caused a lot of difficulty for many folk. Children have not known from one day to the next whether their school will be open for lessons or even exams, and emergency services have been struggling to cope in some areas. Small businesses who reply on couriers to deliver their goods have backlogs of orders, and shops in small villages have no stock to sell, as locals have cleared the shelves and fresh deliveries are hard to get through the blocked roads.
Hopefully the end is in sight now, as temperatures are expected to rise before the weekend, but it is interesting to see how frustrating the uncertainty of weather conditions can become.
So it is good to know that above and beyond all this temporary distraction, we have a God who we can be certain of, who is not influenced by daily fluctuations in weather systems and poor logistical decisions made by local polititians over ordering salt and grit. Beyond the ups and downs of all our lives is a constant love and concern, a constant source of strength and comfort, that can overcome all that the world throws at us on a daily basis.

I arise to-day :
might of Heaven
brightness of Sun
whiteness of Snow
splendour of Fire
speed of Light
swiftness of Wind
depth of Sea
stability of Earth
firmness of Rock.
I arise to-day :
Might of God
Power of God
Wisdom of God
Eye of God
Ear of God
Word of God
Hand of God
Path of God
Shield of God
Host of God

(from The Book of Cerne, 9th C)

Christianity and Islam - is there a point of dialogue?

2010-01-08T19:45:00.001Z

I've been reading an interesting book over Christmas, and that is Alister McGrath's recent book 'Heresy' and alongside a general discussion on the origins of heresy he has some interesting things to say about the subject of dialogue between Christianity and Islam.
There seems to be a general understanding among Christians (as it seems to me) that although Islam recognises that Abrahamic connections between the two faiths, that when it comes to the New Testament, and particularly the person of Jesus, then everything falls apart.
McGrath makes much more sense of the whole situation. He looks at the Islamic view of the Trinity, which is generally understood to be that Christians worship three persons - God, Jesus and Mary.
Where does this strange viewpoint come from?
Well, apparently it hails from a heretical viewpoint that was influential in Arabia at that time (the Collyridian sect which flourished in the Middle East.) One of its characteristics was to treat Mary as a godess.
The situation is similar in Islam's understanding of Jesus. Christian orthodoxy was slow to find its way into Arabia, and early heresies seem to have prevailed. Particularly here we must consider the Sethian Gnosticism (sorry!) which insisted that Jesus did not die on the cross, but was substituted at the last minute by Simon of Cyrene.
It seems inreasingly clear that Qur'anic interpretation of the Gospel is heavily influenced by encounters with the form of Christianity that was prevalent in Arabia at the time of Muhammad - and that these would be regarded in retrospect as heretical rather than orthodox belief.
So, with regard to conversations between these two faiths, it would seem that we have a point at which we can agree with our Moslem friends. As McGrath says 'Christians would concur in criticizing such beliefs as they are presented in the Qur'an. Muhammad may well have been correct in identifying unacceptable Christian view about Jesus and God - they were based upon views which would have been deemed as unorthodox and heretical by the Church a a whole.
That's not a critisism of Islam, but rather an appreciation that at that time, Christianity was really struggling to achieve a degree of conformity in what it believed about Jesus and the nature of the Godhead.

Last thoughts on Christmas

2010-01-04T23:10:00.000Z

There's a lot of giving and receiving at Christmas, some of it well thought out, and some based upon the premise that 'it's the thought that counts', but it struck me markedly this year that God's gift to the world was the right one at the right time, and deserves a response, a gift in return. But what do you give to the one who not only has everything but created everything!?

And then I was reminded of that wonderful old carol 'In the bleak midwinter' which is strangely apt this year with the weather in the UK!

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

God's timing

2010-01-01T18:41:00.000Z

In thinking about the arrival of the Magi to the Christmas story (albeit sometime after the shepherds paid their visit) I got to thinking what the importance of these folk from the East actually was, and came to the conclusion that it was all about the fact that with the arrival of Jesus on the scene, God was ready to bring the whole world back into fellowship with Himself - all of history had been working up to this point, and now God was ready. Up until now it had all been about the People of Israel, now the net was cast far and wide!

And unsurprisingly the world was also ready. I'm grateful for William Barclay for this information, but it so fits in with my musings -

When Jesus was born the jigsaw was almost complete

All the known world spoke Greek. It was the language of trade and literature – if you were going to take part in public life you had to know Greek, and that meant that the early missionaries had no problems with spreading the Good News if they could speak Greek.

If we go abroad then we have to make sure that the paperwork is right, and for many countries we need a passport or visa to cross the border and gain entry. But at the time that Jesus was born wherever you went you were probably travelling through the Roman Empire and that made life much simpler. A missionary would be able to travel freely from one end of the known world to the other.

And if you were travelling then what better time to travel than when the Romans had covered the land with serviceable roads and more or less rid the seas of pirates.

This was surprisingly also a time of relative peace within the known world, and you could travel within the vast Roman Empire in safety.

Add to all that the fact that at this particular time there was a real searching for salvation. There was a real feeling in the air that people had needs that wanted fulfilling. The time was right for people to listen and respond to the Good News that would be brought to them.

Jesus came to the world when he did because it was the right time, God’s time! The world was ready!

That's what friends are for!

2009-12-28T16:41:00.001Z

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)

What is it about Christmas?

2009-12-22T17:09:00.000Z

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!

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

2009-12-16T08:54:00.000Z

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)

The trouble with Afghanistan

2009-12-13T22:22:00.000Z

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

2009-12-13T16:03:00.000Z

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!

A prayer to start the day!

2009-12-11T08:42:00.002Z

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

Time for a spiritual medical?

2009-12-09T13:34:00.000Z

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)

Listening to Whispers - A Celtic Spirituality Away Day Resource

2009-12-08T10:35:00.001Z

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

2009-12-08T10:29:00.000Z

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

As we forgive

2009-12-07T15:34:00.000Z

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.

They look like trees walking around

2009-12-03T08:22:00.000Z

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?

Doing the obedience thing!

2009-12-02T08:57:00.000Z

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!

Our Greatest Need

2009-12-01T16:00:00.002Z

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

2009-12-01T15:45:00.001Z

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!

2009-12-01T08:39:00.000Z

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.

An Advent Prayer

2009-11-30T18:26:00.000Z

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!

2009-11-30T18:14:00.000Z

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.