I met with James Packman, Vicar of Frant, this morning to pray together. It was a great encouragement (he's a godly evangelical).
If you're not in a prayer triplet or pair, why not find someone to pray with?
Spend 10-15 mins sharing prayer needs, read a Psalm and pray for 20 mins or so: total 45 mins max.
A great start to the day!
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Friday 23 October 2009
Extremes
It's been a week of extremes:
What a messed-up world we live in!
Thank God we have the Bible to explain this crazy, wicked, mad, mad, mad, mad world. And thank God for his solution to such greed, selfishness, godlessness, racism and conflict - by which I mean the gospel and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
If I had to live without these, I don't know how I'd cope. How does the world make any sense at all to a godless person? Surely the only escape is to pursue money and pleasure. And that's what everyone does. And the vicious circle goes round again...
- We're in the worst recession since the war, but bankers pay themselves £6bn of tax-payers' money in bonuses.
- Ed Tomlinson's (I can't call him 'Father') writes about modern funerals on his blog and it's reported on the World Service and the national press (I'd better be careful what I say!).
- Nick Griffin appears on Newsnight and people break in to the BBC to protests against him (fortunately he came across about as badly as he could have done - and is now complaining to the BBC - apparently it's all their fault!!).
- Royal Mail managers want modernisation and the postal workers go on strike in the run-up to Christmas.
What a messed-up world we live in!
Thank God we have the Bible to explain this crazy, wicked, mad, mad, mad, mad world. And thank God for his solution to such greed, selfishness, godlessness, racism and conflict - by which I mean the gospel and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
If I had to live without these, I don't know how I'd cope. How does the world make any sense at all to a godless person? Surely the only escape is to pursue money and pleasure. And that's what everyone does. And the vicious circle goes round again...
Monday 19 October 2009
Diocesan Synod
So, having finished 4 hours of lecturing for the Diocesan Reader & Pastoral Assistant training course on Saturday morning, I headed off to my first Rochester Diocesan Synod (the 'parliament' of the Church of England in N & W Kent & S E London).
There are 193 benefices (i.e. a church or a group of churches with a clergyman) in the Diocese, and, as I arrived at Synod, the Diocese was proposing a budget of £4.9m (an average of over £25k per benefice!). I detected a note of unrest at this - it seemed as though parishes had finally had enough of ever-increasing centralisation and its spiralling costs which are paid for by the parishes (and therefore by church members). I caught the end of the last two or three brief speeches and then the vote. It was a close vote. But I was delighted that my first vote in synod contributed to a narrow victory for common sense and the priority of the local church - the budget was defeated by 4 votes, and 2010 begins with the same budget as 2009.
Then business moved on to the green agenda. A motion was put to the Synod that every church & school in the diocese should use a green energy supplier, install micro-generation equipment and save energy. The lady from Church in Society (which has a budget of £255k) had a nice PowerPoint presentation which showed all the usual statistics, and then had some pretty pictures of windmills, solar panels, energy saving light bulbs & electric cars. The Archdeacon wanted to set up a committee to look at this further (another talking shop, another carbon footprint...). Experts said it was a waste of time, and that some of her ideas probably caused more polution than they saved.
Eventually common sense prevailed, and an heavily abbreviated and amended motion was passed. It's typical of the diocese - jumping on the popularist bandwagon, doing something countless other organisations are already doing, and expecting parishes to pay more. Why, oh why does the Diocese not get off our backs, stop foisting on us the cost of committees & courses we don't want, and support us in proclaiming Christ and him crucified?
There are 193 benefices (i.e. a church or a group of churches with a clergyman) in the Diocese, and, as I arrived at Synod, the Diocese was proposing a budget of £4.9m (an average of over £25k per benefice!). I detected a note of unrest at this - it seemed as though parishes had finally had enough of ever-increasing centralisation and its spiralling costs which are paid for by the parishes (and therefore by church members). I caught the end of the last two or three brief speeches and then the vote. It was a close vote. But I was delighted that my first vote in synod contributed to a narrow victory for common sense and the priority of the local church - the budget was defeated by 4 votes, and 2010 begins with the same budget as 2009.
Then business moved on to the green agenda. A motion was put to the Synod that every church & school in the diocese should use a green energy supplier, install micro-generation equipment and save energy. The lady from Church in Society (which has a budget of £255k) had a nice PowerPoint presentation which showed all the usual statistics, and then had some pretty pictures of windmills, solar panels, energy saving light bulbs & electric cars. The Archdeacon wanted to set up a committee to look at this further (another talking shop, another carbon footprint...). Experts said it was a waste of time, and that some of her ideas probably caused more polution than they saved.
Eventually common sense prevailed, and an heavily abbreviated and amended motion was passed. It's typical of the diocese - jumping on the popularist bandwagon, doing something countless other organisations are already doing, and expecting parishes to pay more. Why, oh why does the Diocese not get off our backs, stop foisting on us the cost of committees & courses we don't want, and support us in proclaiming Christ and him crucified?
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Temptation
Christianity is not about obeying rules, but about following a person - the Lord Jesus. We know that, and yet, when we want to become 'better Christians' - i.e. more like Jesus - we say to ourselves, 'I must not do that again'; 'I must try harder'; 'I ought to do this'. We make ourselves rules to follow! And then, when we fail again, we feel guilty, useless, a failure, and we end up in a dark and depressing place.
And so, when we read about the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Mat 4; Luk 4), we remember that old sermon which concluded, 'If only you would read & learn your Bible, then you'd be able to quote it at the Devil and overcome temptation just like Jesus.' But we don't. And we know we never will. We fail. And we end up burdened by guilt.
But what if, rather than asking, 'What does this passage tell me to do/not to do?' we ask, 'What does this passage tell me about Jesus?' Well, it tells me that though he faced the same temptations I face, he did not succumb. He did not sin. He did what I cannot do. He did what Israel always failed to do. He is (Mat 4:2) God's faithful Son.
And so, having been crucified as an innocent man (Mat 27:19 & 23) he is raised by God from death. Because he resisted temptation, he is able to deal with our failure, our sin, our guilt when he dies on the cross and is raised to new life.
So the temptation of Jesus is not a stick to beat us with - 'You must learn you Bible' - but wonderful news about Jesus - 'He does what you cannot do, and frees you from your failure. He wins for you a new resurrection life.'
But still we want to make progress in godliness. We can't just carry on in our sin and say, 'Never mind Jesus died to forgive me.' So how do we make progress if it's not by obeying rules? We follow a person. Jesus, and when we fail, we thank God for Jesus. We praise him that there is an alternative to selfishness and sin. We remember that to follow Christ is pure joy, but to follow sin is destruction and death. We recall that we are resurrection people, filled with the Holy Spirit. We remember, 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.'
And then, with this gloriously positive vision before us, we make progress. Gratitude, praise, and remembrance. They are the tools to progress, not rules and guilt.
And so, when we read about the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Mat 4; Luk 4), we remember that old sermon which concluded, 'If only you would read & learn your Bible, then you'd be able to quote it at the Devil and overcome temptation just like Jesus.' But we don't. And we know we never will. We fail. And we end up burdened by guilt.
But what if, rather than asking, 'What does this passage tell me to do/not to do?' we ask, 'What does this passage tell me about Jesus?' Well, it tells me that though he faced the same temptations I face, he did not succumb. He did not sin. He did what I cannot do. He did what Israel always failed to do. He is (Mat 4:2) God's faithful Son.
And so, having been crucified as an innocent man (Mat 27:19 & 23) he is raised by God from death. Because he resisted temptation, he is able to deal with our failure, our sin, our guilt when he dies on the cross and is raised to new life.
So the temptation of Jesus is not a stick to beat us with - 'You must learn you Bible' - but wonderful news about Jesus - 'He does what you cannot do, and frees you from your failure. He wins for you a new resurrection life.'
But still we want to make progress in godliness. We can't just carry on in our sin and say, 'Never mind Jesus died to forgive me.' So how do we make progress if it's not by obeying rules? We follow a person. Jesus, and when we fail, we thank God for Jesus. We praise him that there is an alternative to selfishness and sin. We remember that to follow Christ is pure joy, but to follow sin is destruction and death. We recall that we are resurrection people, filled with the Holy Spirit. We remember, 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.'
And then, with this gloriously positive vision before us, we make progress. Gratitude, praise, and remembrance. They are the tools to progress, not rules and guilt.
Wednesday 7 October 2009
Mysticism
Someone asked me yesterday about mysticism (the use of candles, stones, icons, smells etc. to get closer to God) - what does the Bible say?
Well, I pointed her to Jim Packer's great chapter in 'Knowing God' which explains the Bible's teaching. And then, this morning, I read this in Hosea,
And this is completely in tune with the rest of the Bible. We come to God through the cross of Christ always acknowledging our dependence on his grace and mercy - and we do this in words. So the prayer books are right when they dictate that our services should normally begin with a confession, and continue with praise.
The rest of Hosea 14 is a list of wonderful metaphors for the blessings we receive from God when we come to him with words of contrition:
In the same way, God has chosen to communicate with us by speaking through his word. It's not hard to pick up your Bible and read, hear God speak, and speak to him in response. Why do we think this is insufficient? Why do we also need candles and icons and incense? Generally it's because we want some kind of 'spiritual experience', but what greater experience of God is there than hearing him speak?
Well, I pointed her to Jim Packer's great chapter in 'Knowing God' which explains the Bible's teaching. And then, this morning, I read this in Hosea,
Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God.God's word tells us to approach God with words! Words of sorrow and repentance. Words of praise ('the fruit of our lips').
Your sins have been your downfall!
Take words with you
and return to the LORD.
Say to him, 'Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously
that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
And this is completely in tune with the rest of the Bible. We come to God through the cross of Christ always acknowledging our dependence on his grace and mercy - and we do this in words. So the prayer books are right when they dictate that our services should normally begin with a confession, and continue with praise.
The rest of Hosea 14 is a list of wonderful metaphors for the blessings we receive from God when we come to him with words of contrition:
I will be like the dew to Israel,But does all this preclude the use of candles, icons etc? Well yes. In Hosea, one of God's main complaints is the way Israel constantly used idols. And idols are more subtle than we think. In Exodus, when Israel made the golden calf, Aaron said, 'This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt... tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.' And they presented offerings to the calf. But notice - as far as they were concerned, they were worshipping the LORD. But the LORD himself did not take it that way. How insulting to represent Almighty God as a cow - even a gold cow!
he will blossom like a lily.
Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;
his young shoots will grow.
His splendour will be like an olive tree;
his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
Men will dwell in his shade.
He will flourish like the corn.
He will blossom like a vine,
and his frame will be like the wine from Lebanon.
In the same way, God has chosen to communicate with us by speaking through his word. It's not hard to pick up your Bible and read, hear God speak, and speak to him in response. Why do we think this is insufficient? Why do we also need candles and icons and incense? Generally it's because we want some kind of 'spiritual experience', but what greater experience of God is there than hearing him speak?
Friday 2 October 2009
Wrath & mercy
One mention of God punishing mankind (let alone that four letter word H***) and people object, 'I thought God was supposed to be loving.'
Hosea 11 paints a delightful picture of God's wrath & mercy in perfect harmony:
1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
God simply cannot give up on his people - his son.
Ultimately, of course, v1 is applied to Jesus in Matthew 2:15. He is God's faithful, obedient Son. What Israel could not do, Jesus does. But not only is Jesus what we're not, he removes both our failure and God's wrath.
The cross is indeed the place where wrath and mercy meet.
Hosea 11 paints a delightful picture of God's wrath & mercy in perfect harmony:
1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 But the more I called Israel,
the further they went from me. ...
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them.
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love;
I lifted the yoke from their neck
and bent down to feed them....
7 My people are determined to turn from me. ...
8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel? ...
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused.
9 I will not carry out my fierce anger,
nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.
For I am God, and not man—
the Holy One among you.
I will not come in wrath.
10 They will follow the LORD;
he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
his children will come trembling from the west.
11 They will come trembling
like birds from Egypt,
like doves from Assyria.
I will settle them in their homes,"
declares the LORD.
God simply cannot give up on his people - his son.
Ultimately, of course, v1 is applied to Jesus in Matthew 2:15. He is God's faithful, obedient Son. What Israel could not do, Jesus does. But not only is Jesus what we're not, he removes both our failure and God's wrath.
The cross is indeed the place where wrath and mercy meet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)