Sacrifice

Lent tends to be a time of sacrifice, when we give up things like chocolate, coffee or alcohol, whilst this is commendable we should consider giving something up that requires a sacrifice of our time, or more correctly releases some of out time that we can replace with a time of prayer or dedication. So why not think about giving up a meal and spending the time with God, or perhaps giving up a favourite TV program and doing the same. After all we do have iPlayer, recorders and other means by which we can capture these to feast on them some time in the future.

Brief thoughts on worship

Without musicians worship may be a struggle,
          Without song books or projected words worship may be a struggle,
                   Without a music leader worship may be a struggle,
                            Without a music group worship may be a struggle,
                                     Without electricity, musical instruments, computers, sound desks,                
                                              microphones, speakers we may find worship difficult.
                                      But without the people of God there is no worship,
                                               Without the Holy Spirit we can't worship,
                                                      And without God there is no point to our worship.
         

Forgiveness?

When we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us we pray "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us" or "Forgive us our trespasses...." Whatever version we are praying we are asking God to forgive promising that we will forgive others. Yet forgiveness is often something that is very difficult to do, we may even say the words but in our heart struggle to actually forgive. I believe this  is because we may misunderstand forgiveness.

We subconsciously think of forgiveness as:

- Releasing others from accepting the responsibility of their actions;

- Saying that what was done to us wasn't important;

- Having to forget everything as if it never happened;

- Restoring our relationship to what it formerly was;

- Something that is all about the other person.

A couple of years ago I took part in an ecumenical trip to the battlefields and graveyards of the First World War, it was entitled "Peace and Reconciliation Tour." One of the things I learnt from that tour is that forgiveness doesn't mean we must forget the transgression. It is only God who can put away our transgression completely "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103), even to the point of forgetting them “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25). For us it is different, we must not expect ourselves to forget otherwise we will never be able to forgive. I also learnt that forgiveness neither exonerates the guilty, nor restores a relationship to what it once was; out of forgiveness a different relationship needs to be allowed to grow. I don't normally like it when people say "you need to move on" but with forgiveness this is appropriate; moving on into a different relationship between the wronged and the wrong-doer.

In my own recent experiences I have learnt a lot about forgiveness, firstly I have learnt of the importance of forgiveness in the healing process; hurt can cause all types of wounds, wounds that although emotional make us experience physical pain. Yet unless we forgive we will never heal, in fact the wound may get worse. It is like when we fall over as a child and get dirt in the wound, we slap a plaster over the top and carry on, yet that dirt can cause the wound to become infected. If the wound is serious then that infection can effect our entire wellbeing. So we need to clean the metaphorical wound out first and the way we do that is with forgiveness.  Secondly, I have also learnt that forgiveness may seem as something we do to someone else but it is actually something we do to ourselves. We must think of forgiveness in terms of our own emotional and spiritual wellbeing, after all when there is unforgiveness in a relationship then aren't both parties affected by it?  Matthew 18:23-35 tells us that if we do not forgive people, we get turned over to the torturers. Forgiveness is about freeing ourselves as well as the other party! Finally, we don't need to go to the other person and say "I forgive you" because that may be  taken wrongly, indeed it is entirely unnecessary and unhelpful unless you are asked by someone to forgive them. We need to go to God.

So returning to the wisdom of the Lord's Prayer, when we forgive we need to think about our forgiveness in terms of our relationship with God and our own wellbeing. We need to see forgiveness as not forgetting, not wiping the slate clean, but of setting ourselves free, of healing our emotions and our spirit, and of creating an environment were a new, but different relationship may start to grow with the other person. Forgiveness isn't easy, but we owe it to ourselves and to God to make it happen. 

Boundaries or Barriers?

During my working life I had the pleasure to work, then live and work in the USA. This adventure exposed me to the truism "two countries separated by a common language": It is true that our language is similar, but I found our cultures to be vastly different, to the point that sometimes I thought I might be living on a different planet. I made a couple of close friends with whom I am still in contact with today some 20 years later, but most of the people I worked with, socialised with, even had Thanksgiving Day dinner with, were only ever acquaintances. This is because the middle-class conservative culture of the mid-West meant people were friendly, welcoming and very sociable, but as you drew closer you met with a barrier; their private lives were very private and it wasn't often through the formalities of socialising that you were invited in. To their culture this was a boundary, to me it often felt like a barrier especially being in a new country where things were much more different than I had expected, and making new friends was very important.

As a church, rather than trying to draw people into the building we are working out into the community to engage with people hoping to have the opportunity to share the love and light of Jesus with them. On the Ivy Estate the community has its fair share of vulnerable people, who through their life experience are used to others in authority doing things to them 'that are good for them' and because of this may struggle to trust a church with good intentions. The culture may be quite alien to some of you, the way people choose to live their lives may shock you, but it is a rich culture, one that I come from and one that I was raised in. Houses tend to be lively with friends and especially their children coming and going, friends that support each other and often share what little they have when you have nothing. People that journey with one another through good times and bad, through illness and celebration. Yes there may be a threatening undercurrent which demands that people respect each other and causes one to be careful that one is being taken advantage of, but the culture is rich, vibrant and fertile.

I am often accused of not having boundaries as I share my life and what I have with the people of the Ivy Estate, yes there are boundaries that we have to have with children and vulnerable adults, but we have to be very careful that those boundaries do not become barriers. If we are truly going to follow the path and example of Jesus we must make sure that we are not doing ministry but living ministry, that we are not on the Ivy Estate to do things that will make people come to Jesus, but to live our lives there and to let the people of Ivy Estate live their lives amongst us so that as we 'live a life worthy of the calling we have received' we expose people to the love and light of Jesus. Jesus made himself vulnerable, even to those authorities who eventually killed him, and countless missionaries have done the same over the centuries. We too must be prepared to surrender ourselves, to make ourselves vulnerable even to the point of making the ultimate sacrifice, so that we will be accepted, trusted and welcomed in the communities in which we are ministering. It is only then that people will not see barriers, but the love and the light of Jesus who "though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Radio Radio

Have you ever listened to the radio on a long journey and found yourself getting bored, irritated or disinterested by the news items that you have heard every half hour for the past few hours? Sometimes I get so irritated that I turn the radio off. 

When turning the radio off for that very reason today it got me thinking: when as a Minister we are delivering the same message time and time again how do we make sure people don't get bored, disinterested or even irritated. But more than that: when we are trying to spread the good news to our family, friends or acquaintances how do we ensure they don't turn off? And how do we do all that without changing the fundamental message of the gospel?

It's a challenge that many have failed at either by diluting the message so much that the good news is totally hidden, or being so dogmatic about it that people are just put off. How do we become contemporary with our message without making our message temporary or consumable, discarded when people think they don't need it any more like a half-eaten burger or sandwich?

I don't think there is any one answer but back to the radio analogy; the person speaking on the radio is a disembodied voice, when we speak we have the full gamut of senses to project our message. More than that; we have the shop window of the way we live our lives and how we treat others. We are not a disembodied voice but a living, breathing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our message is not some sound-bite on the radio, but the embodiment of Jesus as the word of God. So we need to examine ourself constantly with the foundation of Gods word and through the power of the Holy Spirit to ensure that our message, our own personal message of salvation, stays alive. That through Jesus death and resurrection, and our lives in Christ, bring life to others and not boredom, disinterest or irritation. 

The goose is getting fat

Throughout my life I have always had a gift for taking songs, poems and stories and changing them in the interest of my own particular silly, childish brand of humour: All things bright and beautiful sung to the Dad’s army theme is one of my favourite creations. I have also found it funny when others have done the same, such as changing the words of Christmas is Coming to:

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat,

Wrap it up in tinfoil and feed it to the cat.

Changing the lyrics from an appeal to people to give to the poor, into something that has no purpose except humour is one thing, but the first time I heard it the person changed the lyrics “the goose is” to “Simon’s.” From humour to insult.

This transformation from something real and earthy into something of no substance the purpose of which is to give people pleasure happens at Christmas on a grand scale.

Songs are sung that deify Christmas itself and not the one who deifies Christmas, that glorify the day and not the one who glorifies the day. We find Christmas carols that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas hidden amongst a plethora of secular songs: according to TimeOut magazine no carol makes the top 10 most popular Christmas songs and only one carol makes it in the top 25 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel at number 25.

If our choice of music is a reflection of how the Western world thinks then it would seem that Santa, flying reindeer, snow and Christmas trees are the true meaning of Christmas for most people. Personally I have no problem with any of these traditions and trappings, they are part of my culture and heritage and I enjoy them. If people don’t choose to believe the true story behind the fantasy of fat men in red suits and magical flying reindeer, then that’s their choice. But if we claim to believe in the one who is the story we must not allow ourselves to be sucked in completely to a secular Christmas and we must take every opportunity to profess our belief about Christmas to our family, friends and acquaintances. At a time when the entire country is focused on celebrating the event perhaps, just perhaps, they may be a little more open than usual to the true story of the birth of our Saviour.

The story hasn’t changed it has just been confused. The truth hasn’t changed it has merely been hidden. So this Christmas expose the truth and clarify the story behind the most amazing event humanity has ever witnessed.

Just before you go a new rendition of Christmas is Coming:

Christmas is coming, Santa’s getting fat,

Wrap him up in tinfoil and feed him to the cat.

Put down your sweets and presents,

On the special Christmas morn,

And take the time to celebrate

our saviour being born.

Not my best but hopefully yule get the message. 

Merry Christmas and a joyous and peaceful New Year to all my readers.

Unity in the body of Christ

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

Ephesians 4:1-6

When I was interviewed by Station Hill Baptist church back in 2013 concerning my potential appointment as Minister I mentioned that I believed my calling was all about unity. Indeed on several occasions since I have referred to this and still believe that this is what I am called to do at Station Hill Baptist Church. Ever since my appointment I have been investing some of my time building relationships with the other ministers in our town of Chippenham; meeting with three other ministers every Wednesday morning for prayer; meeting with ministers individually for a coffee and a chat; engaging with Chippenham Churches Together (CCT) and promoting the importance of this in our fellowship. I have also started a unilateral initiative of inviting other Ministers from the churches in our town to preach on a Sunday morning.

Last night (Thursday 8th October) I was asked to pray at the commencement of the CCT Annual General Meeting and I prayed for unity amongst our ministers, churches, and our community and read from Ephesians 4:1-6. I share the vision of several ministers in our town who see us all as Chippenham Church, rather than Chippenham churches and try to promote this amongst all the Christians I speak to in our town. However something struck me in the meeting last night that related to my calling concerning 'unity', a calling that I now believe is not purely about our fellowship at Station Hill Baptist Church, but about 'unity in the body of Christ' in its entirety.