Barry Osborne's Reflections

Divine Guidance?

2011-12-03T02:30:00.001-08:00

One of the lessons preachers have to learn is that God often tests us on what we teach others. Sadly, we don't always pass those tests!

On Sunday 27th November 2011 I took the subject of divine guidance as the theme for a meeting at Theddingworth Congregational Church. It was a precious time of fellowship and we explored the subject in several ways.

We sang hymns and songs on the theme.
We shared in a dramatised and fun version of the time Gideon used a fleece to explore God's guidance.
We shared some of our own experiences of guidance.
We discussed why, when and how God guides us
And we did a quick Bible study of the story of Philip and the Ethiopian official.

When discussing why, when and how God guides we reflected that sometimes God intervenes and guides us when there is something he wants us to do for him. As to how God guides we covered a lot of ground and concluded that God speaks in many ways to us.

The following day I travelled by train to London for a meeting. Before leaving I put £30 in my wallet for emergencies and I had a few coins in my pocket. On arrival I had just a few minutes to get something to eat so I visited Macdonalds near St Pancras Station and bought a cheeseburger using one of the £5 notes.

After the meeting I made my way back to St Pancras Station and was walking briskly along the upper concourse and caught up with a man using his mobile phone. "Hi" he said to the person on the other end and then went on to ask if he could possibly lend him £25 as he was short of cash and needed to get to Sheffield to visit his mother who had been taken ill. From the part of the conversation I was able to hear it sounded as if his enquiry was unfruitful.

Now the £25 in my wallet seemed a trifle heavy. But was this genuine or was I being conned? I checked out my own train time and then discreetly looked for the man. The area was crowded but I found him alone, looking worried and toying with his mobile phone. I prayed and watched him some more. He seemed genuine. After a few minutes I approached him and asked him outright if he lived locally and if so where. He seemed surprised but gave me the information I sought. I then told him that if he had anything on him with his address I would give him £25. Now he looked shocked.

He immediately produced a business card which I exchanged for one of mine and the £25 that emptied my wallet. He immediately emailed me a receipt from his mobile and I noticed a few minutes later that I had received the email. I now had his address, mobile phone number and email address. It looked genuine.

Seeing from my card that I was ordained he said he thought all reverends wore dog collars, so I put him right on that. My train was about to depart so I wished him well and left him on the concourse.

I can't afford to give away £25 but I had to make a decision as to whether overhearing that conversation was guidance from God who wanted me to share with this man what was not really mine - but his.

What do you think? Was it a con? Was he genuine? Today I will email Chris (his name) and ask after his mother. Whether he managed to get enough money to get to Sheffield I don't know. I had thought of the £25 as a loan but afterwards decided I should think of it as a gift.

No doubt you know the story of the Good Samaritan (No, I know I'm not in the same league!). Have you ever noticed that Jesus speaks of those that came across the man who had fallen among thieves as being there 'by chance'? Yet the implication is that the priest and the Levite should have acted compassionately. Have you ever reflected on all that the Samaritan did? He put himself at risk, he took on a responsibility voluntarily. He probably stayed up much of the night with them man he helped. He gave the landlord enough money for the man to stay two months and on top of that offered to pay any extra costs! Obviously, Jesus was using exaggeration to make the point.

I remember a simple Sunday School lesson on this story in which the man who fell among thieves thought "What's mine is mine and I'm going to keep it". The thieves thought, "What's yours is mine and I'm going to take it". But the Samaritan thought, "What's mine is really God's and he would want me to share it with you".

I guess that God will not mind if I gave away £25 of his resources if I was being conned. On the other hand I wonder if God is also speaking to a London glass blower who had fallen on hard times and found himself in a crisis. Sometimes it is better to act on how we believe God is guiding us, risking getting it wrong, rather than passing by on the other side.

What is Speaking with Tongues

2011-09-26T04:31:00.001-07:00

As I set out to write this post my intention is to try to keep it as simple as possible. What I write is informed by both scripture and experience. I have many good Christian friends some of whom make statements about speaking in tongues that I know to be inaccurate. Sometimes this is because although they read the Bible they cannot understand what it states about speaking in tongues through their own experience, and sometimes because it is entirely experientially understood but not supported by biblical text. Both situations make me sad as this is a wonderful and important gift that the Holy Spirit gives to some Christians, and a balanced understanding is bound to prove helpful.

The first biblical reference to this is Luke's account of the experience the disciples of Jesus had on the Day of Pentecost. It is probable, in my opinion, that around 120 people were regularly meeting in a large upper room (or gust chamber) in Jerusalem. Jesus had told them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them to give them power (not ability) to be his witnesses (Acts 1: 4-8). Luke goes on to tell us in verses 12 to 14 of those specifically named as gathering in the upper room. But he then tells us of a gathering numbering 120 people (verse 15). This appears to be the total number of believers in Jerusalem at that time. Acts 2 begins by telling us they were all together when the Holy Spirit came. Clearly, over the ten days between the ascension of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost there may have been some coming and going. But events in that upper room were to become such that it would have been exceedingly noisy, so much so that it quickly attracted a large crowd.

One of the things that happened that morning was that as the Holy Spirit came upon those there they began to speak in other tongues - or languages - as they were enabled by the Holy Spirit. The text goes on to tell us that some of those in the crowd attracted by the noise were able to recognise some of the languages as those spoken in their (the listeners) native country. Those who could understand the assorted languages describe this as 'declaring the wonders of God'. What is not described here is any kind of communication to them. It is as if they are listening in. They are amazed and perplexed by what they hear and see. It is irrational such that they conclude they must be drunk. Such a conclusion would not be made if what was happening (as some suggest) was multi-lingual gospel preaching.

The phenomenon of speaking in tongues occurs in other places in Acts usually when the Holy Spirit comes upon people for the first time (though it is not mentioned specifically on every occasion).

We need to go to 1Corinthians 12 - 14 to build up our understanding. It is listed as one of the twelve gifts of the Spirit. In 1Cor. 12:10 it is mentioned alongside another gift of "interpretation of tongues'. Later in verse 30 Paul asks a question that implies that not everyone has the gift of speaking in tongues.

We then need to go to chapter 14 for more information. The first 25 verses cover speaking in tongues and contrasts this with prophecy. Both these gifts of the spirit are about inspired utterances but is important to emphasise that a person speaking in tongues or prophesying is not 'taken over'. They remain totally in control of themselves, which is why Paul later in this chapter writes about things being done in order.

Note in verse 2 that someone speaking in tongues is speaking TO God. So there is no such thing as 'a message in tongues'. Paul tells us in verse 14 that speaking in tongues can be praying. Note here that when a person speaks in tongues he or she does not understand what is being said; this is spiritual communication from the believer to God enabled by the Holy Spirit. In verse 16 it is described as 'thanksgiving'.

So what do we know so far. People that spoke in tongues were described by those who understood them as declaring the wonders of God. It is a communication from a believer to God. So it could be praise, prayer or thanksgiving.

In the first part of chapter 14 Paul compares speaking in tongues publicly (i.e. at a church gathering) to prophecy (i.e. an immediately understandable inspired utterance communicating 'to men and women' see verse 3). The point that Paul makes in this chapter is strictly about the benefit these gifts have in a gathering or meeting of a church. He points out that if someone speaks in tongues and nobody understands what is said the only person to benefit is the person doing the speaking, who is edified (built up) by the experience. On the other hand is someone prophesies then everyone can benefit.

The only way someone speaking in tongues can benefit a meeting is if there is an interpretation. While verse 5 and verse 13 seem to imply that interpreting your own utterance in a tongue is acceptable, verses 27 and 28 seem to suggest otherwise. What is clear is that verses 27 and 28 is speaking about the actual practise of speaking in tongues in a meeting but that verse 5 and 13 is talking about who brings greater benefit to a meeting. Paul argues clearly that a person who prophesies is of greater benefit in a meeting situation.

For this reason I discourage self-interpretation. On the other hand I have heard amazing interpretations that have revealed wonderful and sometimes profound expressions of praise and worship. If a so-called interpretation is God speaking to man then it clearly cannot be a true interpretation. It could, of course, be a prophecy.

So what is the point of speaking in tongues? It is for personal edification. It can be for a sign to unbelievers but note verse 23 as hearing people speaking in tongues can create a misunderstanding. Paul values his gift of speaking in tongues (verse 18) and states that speaking in tongues should not be forbidden (verse 39). This is a precious and wonderful gift he longs that everyone should have (verse 5). Obviously the primary purpose of this gift is for its use in private and personal devotion, though Paul states that provided it is exercised with discipline and interpreted it has its place in public worship (verse 26).

Many years ago the Holy Spirit was moving in a Kent village. Conversions were taking place and some Christians were being baptised in the Spirit and had spoken with tongues. This was an area where Strict and Particular Baptists were prominent and some who had spoken in tongues were from families well known in those circles. A concerned group of Strict Baptists arranged a meeting to try to understand this. They were uncomfortable that the gospel was being preached with an open invitation for people to come to Christ, as they felt that this was presumption and one should always leave it entirely to the Spirit to convince people that they were being called to salvation. However, they could not deny that people were being saved. But what is this about speaking in tongues.

We had an interesting discussion. Part way through one of the Strict Baptists who was a greatly respected preacher suddenly spoke up. "Brothers, you have all said at times how my preaching has been used of God". They all expressed agreement to this. "You may also have noticed", he went on, "That it is my practise that during the hymn before the sermon I bow in prayer in the pulpit". Again they all expressed agreement. He then let loose his bombshell: "During that hymn I quietly pray in tongues"!

Nothing more needed to be said. Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit. As such it should not be despised, demeaned or criticised. Who would dare to do that to a gift that a loving generous God gives. Those who have this gift and who use it in their personal devotions know of its value. It enables a quality of communication with God that can never otherwise be experienced. The speaker feels strengthened. Used correctly in a church meeting, together with interpretation it can also be a blessing just as a hymn of praise can be.

But it was not given to enable the gospel to be proclaimed or as a means of bringing messages from God. I was drawn back to God in my teens, having strayed away from him. At that time the gospel engaged with my heart as well as my head and I gladly surrendered my life to the Lord. A year or so later, while sitting in a church in north Kent I was overwhelmed by the Spirit while listening to a sermon and can only describe this as being baptised in the Holy Spirit. I could not stop praising God and my legs had turned to jelly, and fountains of spiritual joy were erupting from deep within me. I was as one drunk. I did not speak in tongues, though after the service people laid hands on me and sought to encourage me to speak in tongues. It was perhaps a week or so later in the privacy of my bedroom as i knelt in prayer and praise that I found some strange words forming in my mouth instead of the English I had been using. It is a gift often used since that day which, like Paul and my Strict Baptist friend, I value and for which I thank God.

I hope these notes have proved helpful.

Beyond the Town

2011-07-30T05:07:00.000-07:00

Beyond the Town

The following was published on the Revive Rugby website. I convene a rural group within this mission orientated ecumenical group of churches. You can find out more at www.reviverugby.net.

Revive Rugby includes many churches that are outside the town boundaries where God is also at work. Approximately one person in six now lives in the rural areas of the UK. Uniquely in the world there continues to be inward migration into rural areas. While there is a fairly stable core population in most villages, there is also a substantial amount of change that takes place producing special challenges for rural churches.

Both ministry and mission in rural areas are very different to towns and cities and call for special training. Because the issues are so distinct Revive has a Rural Group and the leaders of the rural churches meet four to six times a year. Most rural congregations are small so to be effective the style of worship has to change. Where it is more informal, intimate and engaging it not only works better it also enables better spiritual growth individually and collectively. It is sometimes better to think of worship in small numbers as requiring a style more usual to a home group.

In a village most people are known; there is no anonymity and mistakes have to be lived with – sometimes for a long time. These are just some of the factors that make evangelism difficult. But it is not impossible and there are many creative activities going on at this time.

Rural churches have high impact in their communities. It is not unusual to have 5% of a community attending a church. Imagine that happening in the town! Furthermore special festivals, weddings, baptisms, funerals, and Remembrance Sunday can engage with the majority of the village community. So rural churches have opportunities for mission that would be unimaginable in a town. Recent research revealed that the churches in rural areas contribute 70% of the social capital (that which enables communities to stick together).

Of course rural communities have their problems but they are often more hidden and demand a discreet response. Rural churches also have problems. High on the list is the maintenance of what is often an inappropriate, old and expensive building.

Those of us who work with small rural churches often use a catch phrase, "Tangerines are not small oranges". A small village church is not a failed urban church. It is different. Tangerines are preferred by many. They are usually sweet, easy to get into, and great for sharing.

Rural communities are becoming more suburban in many ways but they retain some unique features that call for appropriate enculturation on the part of those that minister the gospel there, and their message and ministry needs appropriate contextualisation. When we get it right it is an exciting place to be. But whether or not things are going well rural church leaders need to fellowship and network with others in similar situations, and Revive Rural Group offers that possibility.

Barry Osborne, 30/07/2011

Throwing Stones

2011-07-09T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here's the monthly article for the August edition of our local Parish magazine.

I am writing this at the time when the News of the World affair has been dominating the news. The newspaper has been closed, Andy Coulson arrested, the judgement of the Prime Minister called into question, and an outraged public are crying out for Rebekah Brooks’ resignation. I am aware that by the time you are reading this there may be further developments to shock us or it is just possible that we might have forgotten the current hue and cry.

While indignation over alleged gross illegal misconduct is understandable, and it is right for offenders to be held to account there does appear to be a level of self-righteousness and some opportunism among the voices baying for blood.

It reminds me of the time when a crowd brought to Jesus a woman caught in an act of adultery. Under the Law of Moses this was a capital offence and the punishment was stoning. The witnesses to the offence were required to be the first to throw stones (literally). Jesus takes time to write in the dusty ground. Some surmise that he might have listed other sins. When he spoke he simply said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. The crowd gradually left, from the eldest to the youngest. Her sin was not excused, but it was forgiven and she was told never to sin again.

It seems to me that there is something dangerous within the current atmosphere – a human weakness that is quick to join the mob and condemn, but slow to admit our own faults. The way in which we judge others will be the standard by which we will be judged ourselves.
The Bible is not soft on crime; just strong on putting right the causes. That seems a better way; and one worth exploring.

1 divided by 3 = 1?

2011-05-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

The following is an article from the June 2011 issue Parish News for the villages of Clay Coton, Elkington, Lilbourne and Yelvertoft.

The month of June contains two religious festivals that often cause confusion. The first of these on June 12^th is Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday). The second is Trinity Sunday on June 19^th. If the concept of the Trinity is confusing to you, know that you are not alone. The reason for this is the uniqueness of God. We have nothing that we can compare to God, and the idea of three persons that are essentially one is bound to be confusing.

Once when Jesus was talking with his disciples he spoke of “the Father”. Understanding God in this way was not new. There are a couple of Old Testament references to God as Father. Also Jesus had taught them how to pray to their “Father in Heaven”. But on this occasion one of his disciples said what a wonderful thing it would be to see the Father. To this Jesus replied that if anyone knew him [Jesus] then they knew the Father, for they were one. He then went on to tell them that although he would be leaving them another (similar) person would be with them – the Holy Spirit.

In other words the presence of the Holy Spirit would be just the same as having the physical presence of Jesus with them, and knowing what Jesus was like was like meeting the Father.

Confused still? Not surprising. The only real way to understand this is to experience a relationship with God. After Jesus had died, risen again and 40 days later ascended to be his Father, the promised gift of the Holy Spirit was received by 120 disciples (men and women) who had gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. They were ecstatic with joy and found a new boldness to share their faith with others. Now the wonder of knowing the presence of Jesus with them had become an even more wonderful intimate personal experience.

When a crowd was attracted by the noise of the believers praising God and revelling in their experience they listened as Peter explained who Jesus really is and what they had experienced. The crowd asked what they should do and were told they should turn from sin and be baptised. This would then enable them to receive the same promised gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise, they were told, was for all throughout the future who would repent and believe.

I don’t drink alcohol but I guess that to really understand the flavour and the effect of a good wine you would have to drink it. As the Scots say, “Some things are better felt than telt!” The Holy Spirit is the person of God through whom all God’s blessings come into our lives. We might never fully understand it here on earth but we can certainly enjoy experiencing it. And that is not limited to one or two days a year.

I know just how you feel!

2011-05-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be interesting to some if I post my monthly letter in the Yelvertoft Parish Magazine. Here is the latest; I'll look through some of the past ones where the content might not be dated.

I think that one of the most annoying things that can be said to anyone going through a tough time is, “I know just how you feel”, when you know very well they have absolutely no idea. What’s worse is when they proceed to list all their troubles!

Usually when people go through tough times they pray – even if they’re not sure they believe in God. It might not be in church, and it probably won’t be on their knees, but at some time or other they are likely to utter, “Oh God, help me”. Of course if we had a God who had no idea what it was like to lose a loved one, to be badly let down by people you thought were your friends, to be in fear of death, to feel at life’s extremity, to know extreme temptation, to be in financial difficulty, to be the victim of slander and lies, to suffer exhaustion or hunger – if we had a God like that how could he truly empathise with us in our hour of need.

But because God stepped into this world, bringing his divine nature into union with our human nature in the extraordinary person of Jesus, he does know what all of those conditions (and more) are like. Not only that, but he spent his ministry responding with compassion to people on the margins of society. Some suffered from dreadful illnesses, some had just been bereaved, and some were considered socially unacceptable for a range of reasons. All experienced the wonder that this very special person cared about them and, because his love is matched by his power, their lives were transformed by that contact with him.

No other religion can offer anything approaching such a God. Last month we thought afresh about the arms of Jesus stretched out upon a cross. I want you to imagine those arms now stretched out to welcome you – if you will turn to him and come to him. He promised never to turn anyone away who comes to him. And if you do that you will also come to know those same arms lovingly wrapped around you – holding you safely through the toughest times of this life.

The King James Version Anniversary

2011-01-03T02:46:00.000-08:00

I find myself with mixed feeling (or as they say in the States "conflicted") regarding the growing hype over the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James version or Authorised Version of the Bible. I do feel that this is an occasion that should be marked but I wonder whether some of the things that have already been said and written by Christian leaders might actually be shooting ourselves in the foot.

So far all that I have heard has been exalting it as a piece of literature - howbeit a special piece of literature. Could this be actually doing two negative things.

For many people Christianity is already seen as anachronistic and out of touch with today's society. Others are put off by the "wordy" nature of Christianity with its Bible, hymns and sermons. Thrusting a 400 year old version of God's word at them might just be reinforcing that negativity.

God's word is not confined to the text that codifies it. The Bible is a vital and unique collection of Scripture through which God is revealed and can be understood and discovered in a personal relationship. It is not enough to know that he is holy, almighty, merciful, just, etc; what is needed is to engage with those qualities - to come to know him.

Bible translations that communicate this revelation can help or hinder (though God will graciously use the most inept tool at times). Surely what we need to do is to use this anniversary occasion when a translation of significance was published to encourage people to read the Bible today in a version that uses the vernacular, which was one of the purposes 400 years ago.

I am occasionally asked which version of the Bible is the "best one for today". The problem with such a question is that I then want to ask what do you want to use it for? Some translations are the product of a scholarly committee. These tend to be very correct but can also use language that is less engaging. Some translations are the work of an individual scholar or a team taking different books of the Bible between them. These tend to be more engaging but personal prejudice might creep in. For serious study one translation might be better than others, while for personal reflection another might be more suitable. My default response to the question, "Which translation of the Bible is the best?" is to say that you should be reading a version through which God is speaking into your life today.

If God's word is hindered by the language or style of a translation then it is not serving his purposes.

For anyone who might be interested in thinking about how this anniversary can be used to advance the kingdom of God then I recommend you read the article at http://ruralevangelism.net/resources/Biblefresh+ideas.pdf. Other ideas might well appear on this website in coming weeks.

It remains my personal view that to simply extol the virtue of the KJV as a piece of literature could be to fall short of the mark. Some will revel in its language and some may hear God speak to them as they do so. For many more it would be more helpful to read or hear God's word in their own language.

Pope Benedict and all that

2010-12-24T01:24:00.000-08:00

So this morning history was made with the Pope giving the "Thought for the Day" on Radio 4 after which John Humphries quizzed a leading English Catholic, Archbishop Bernard Longley, with an emphasis on the issue of "change". It was, of course, inevitable that if a Christian speaks out then there is likely to be some criticism following. But i think it is worth reflecting a little on what was said, and I do this from my own theological understanding.

A few months ago the Pope visited the UK. While I respect the view of the Roman Catholic Church regarding priestly ministry and the authority of the Pope it is not an opinion that I hold. Indeed I hold one that is strongly opposed to both concepts, but one aspect of my ministry is to engage in dialogue with the RC church (and other traditions) and I do so expecting that dialogue to lead to change where change is needed (in me and my tradition as well as theirs).

One aspect that most - possibly all - reading this blog will not know is that ahead of the Pope's visit we received an exhortation from his office stating that when he came to the UK he hoped to share something of the message of the gospel and hoped that other Churches would be ready to exploit any interest that might be stirred through his visit. This message was conveyed to me personally at an ecumenical meeting concerned for the evangelization of the people of the UK.

For me the outstanding feature of the Pope's visit was the biblical content of his talks and his encouragement that all people should seek a relationship with God in Christ. Social and political issues he touched on were never divorced from that central message. By contrast an other Christian leader made hardly any reference to scripture or the gospel beyond his comments on social issues in which there was no overt connection with the gospel.

This seamed to me to set out the Pope's position as one who clearly placed biblical authority above his own. Again, for me, this was an interesting and encouraging revelation.

In today's "Thought for the Day" the Pope again asserted the biblical record of what Christmas is about and why Christ came into this world - it was for us and our salvation. Since he had proclaimed the old traditional message of Christianity it was not surprising that in the interview that followed John Humphries brought up the opinion that the Catholic Church needed to change with regard to such matters as homosexuality, contraception and women in the priesthood.

In response Bernard Longley asserted that the Catholic Church had changed and was changing, citing two examples. He firstly spoke of the Catholic Church's ecumenical dialogue and attitude to other traditions. As one who has had a small part to play in that I can confirm that this has been interesting. For example when at a meeting of Churches together in Britain and Ireland I was called on to present the case for "Lay Presidency at the Eucharist" at ecumenical gatherings (the Congregational view that anyone authorised by the local church can preside at a Communion Service) a Roman Catholic Archbishop was first to his feet supporting what I had said. The second to his feet in support was a senior Orthodox cleric. Ecumenical dialogue does produce change - or at least moderates attitudes.

The second defence that Bernard Longley drew upon was the Beatification of John Henry Newman. He pointed out that (a) Newman sought to develop theology within the social context of his day, and (b) that Newman believed in hearing the voice of the laity. Here there are two interesting parallel's with my own tradition as a Congregationalist.

The first of these relates to a developing theology rather than one that is set in stone. On the departure of the Pilgrim Fathers, Pastor John Robinson commented that "God has yet more light and truth to break forth from his holy word". Some significant early influences in my Christian life held a more fundamentalist and fixed view but I am grateful that my own journey has brought me to an experience of developing theology. The journey has been exciting and has made me more passionate about scripture, and delighted by those moments of the breaking of light and truth previously unrealised by me. It has also made me unhappy to be identified by any label other than Christian (i.e. I do not want to be labelled as "conservative", or "liberal", or "charismatic" etc).

As to the second point relating to John Henry Newman since I do not recognise priesthood other than that of all believers and especially that of Jesus Christ in heaven, I believe strongly that all Christians are part of the laos (the Greek word meaning people) and play a part in the mediation of the understanding of truth. But this is not the same thing as political democracy nor is it saying that what the Church should believe and stand for should be determined by the whims of secular society. The abandonment of an understanding of the importance of scripture is a recipe for anarchy.

As Christians we have a duty to be careful about declaring what we hold to be true. For me the scripture (OT and NT) has the important place but truth has to be exgeted (drawn out) from it. Inevitably, we will do this from our various cultural and historical contexts and this will result in different opinions and understandings, each of which should always be considered alongside our own. After all truth is something far greater than my mind can completely comprehend right now.

While there are some aspects of Roman Catholic teaching with which I wholly dissociate myself, I find myself not uncomfortable with people who wish to assert the central message of the gospel, that Christ came to save us and reconcile us to God, and who do not believe we should be blown about by every wind of opinion of unregenerate minds.

I welcome your comments.

The Weekly News

2010-12-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

For a quiet week it has been very interesting.

Last weekend focused on events to support the work in Malawi of Torch Trust for the Blind, for which Doreen works as a volunteer two mornings a week. The YP fund raising event on Saturday was amazing and we had a fairly full chapel on the Sunday afternoon and a very happy time of fellowship.

On Tuesday I was single handed at the prison for our final choir practice. It went well. On Wednesday the prison faith Centre was full with visitors and inmates plus governor and staff. This was the annual Christmas Concert with Kettering Salvation Army Band and Songsters, traditional readings, carols etc. My group of prisoners put on a playlet and a carol (sung to an old Roger Whittiker tune). The lads were superb and afterwards I was inundated by people singing the praises of our choir. I kept referring them on to the lads - many of who were glowing!

On Friday we managed to do carol singing around Theddingworth - well it's a small village.

To finish off the week I have been sending out my Christmas cards (not quite at the deadline) and running off copies of the new CD of "Treasured Gospel Songs". These are mainly golden oldies. If you don't get one in the post and would like one please let me know. I will add a few more of these to the website at http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=1126380 as this will give you some idea of what is on the CD.

A friend tweeted me this week. No one ever did that before! Later the same friend sent a tweet with a link to a marvelous video on Youtube. It really is great and I commend it to you shamelessly! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgtnNc1Zplc

This Sunday I am at Yelvertoft in the morning and singing at Theddingworth in the evening. On Monday I will be a well known fictional character giving out presents at a local school. I hope the beard doesn't scratch as much this year. The burning question is, "Will any of the children know it is me?"

Then final preparation for the weekend and a few days of rest.

Happy Christmas!

Barry

Sign or Story?

2010-12-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

As someone who has been active in rural ministry and mission all my life I am well aware that many rural Christians – including clergy – find engaging in evangelism within their village challenging. Time and again I hear people saying things like, “Our lives are a witness” or “People know what we stand for”. I have even heard a conference speaker state that the silent witness of church buildings is sufficient evangelism. While our lives and possibly the buildings where we meet might well be an important sign of our faith, sign without story is never enough.

In Luke 2: 8-20 we read the story of the shepherds hearing about the birth of Jesus. It begins with the shepherds getting on with what shepherds do at night in the fields. They then see the angel of the Lord who tells them a story about a saviour and gives them information about a sign that will support the story he has told them. Then comes the choir of angels with words about blessing that comes through God showing grace or favour.

They immediately determine to check it out for themselves, and find it exactly as they had been told. (You can forget about them taking sheep with them or offering lambs; sheep would have slowed them down and they were in a hurry.)

Three things then follow:

Firstly, they went and told others the story as they had been told it, causing many people to be amazed.

Secondly, what they told Mary got her thinking too. I guess it confirmed all she had been told previously.

Thirdly, they went on their way (apparently back to the sheep) thrilled and praising God for what “they had been told”.

When Francis of Assisi said "preach the gospel always, use words if necessary" it was an exhortation to ensure that our lives provide adequate proof of the good news about Jesus. But there are many people of faith – or even of no faith – whose lives are every bit as good as any Christian. So sign will never be enough unless people also hear the story from our lips.

Please ponder the story of the Shepherds this Christmas and see how it relates to our lives today. They heard a story and believed – saw the sign – and passed on the story with such enthusiasm that they too became a sign. We have good news to share – God’s story that he wants your friends and family to hear. Please share the story; live the sign.

Condemning burning the Koran

2010-09-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Some 47 year ago as God broke into my life I was happy to define myself as “evangelical”. Now, though my core beliefs have not changed it is not a label I feel comfortable with. Among the factors that have caused that change is people who are bigoted, like Terry Jones, the pastor of a small church in the

USA

whose offensive attitude has won him a spotlight over the last few days.

I have no hesitation in condemning what he proposes to do on September 11^th and stating that, in my view, he presents a distorted understanding of Christianity as set out within the Scriptures. And that is the irony for by defining himself and his local church as “evangelical” he takes a position that affirms that the Bible is authoritative, and the guide for what he believes and how he behaves. It makes me wonder whether he has read it carefully recently. A further irony is that what he seeks to condemn by burning copies of the Koran is to condemn what most Islamic scholars would define as actions informed by a distorted understanding of the content of the Koran.

An Anglican bishop I knew once said that if the Carpenter of Nazareth would seem strangely out of place in the midst of all you plan to do, then all you plan to do has got nothing to do with God.

Towards the end of the eighties Doreen and I made my first journey to Turkey. This was my first engagement with Muslims. I found them kind, generous, and very open. From the start and over the passing years I have engaged in conversations about the Christian faith, often at their initiative. I have even been invited into a mosque by the Imam to talk with children about Jesus Christ. One school I had visited to assist with English lessons once asked me to provide an example of a Christian song we used in worship. The following year as I walked through the gates of the school scholars greeted me by singing that song!

Our contemporary culture has benefited historically from Islam, as many Islamic countries have benefited from some aspects of Christianity. In the UK today almost all of us enjoy good relationships and can engage in a healthy dialogue without compromising our beliefs in any way. Throughout the Muslim world (most of which is moderate) there are indigenous Christians and indigenous Christian churches. A few years ago in one such country Christians were invited onto a TV programme to talk about their faith. That day an American website stupidly, wrongly and offensively put an image of that country’s flag with the Islamic crescent changed to a Christian cross. That one act seriously set back the gospel and impacted on the lives of thousands of Christians. My fear is that Terry Jones is seriously undoing years of patient progress in his blind ignorance.

I hope that Terry might discover – or rediscover – the Jesus of Scripture and become a true disciple. If he does he will renounce his intentions.

The sin of sitting on the fence

2010-05-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

I recently spoke on the phone with an elder in a church where I had formally been a pastor. He now provides much of the leadership of this Independent Church. In the course of our discussion he mentioned a now frail and elderly lady who had been a staunch member of the congregation. I wished to be remembered to her but was conscious that I was probably not a favourite person to her. I made reference to this and to the cause of our loss of fellowship - the discovery that a ministry colleague in the church had been serially sexually abusing young men. The lady concerned, as far as I was aware, had stubbornly refused to accept the truth despite the testimony of many other people, including one of her sons. Instead, as I was the one who had "blown the whistle" on the Christian leader she idolised, she treated me as an enemy.

The elder with whom I was speaking commented that he had been careful "not to take sides". He said it as if sitting on the fence was a virtue. But it left me angry. When I first heard the allegation of abuse back in 1989 I discovered how abusers find collusion within churches and the victims get ostracised. The consequences of holding a proper investigation into the allegations was too painful for most in the leadership at that time. I already knew of one other person who had been a victim of abuse but who had "forgiven" the abuser because he thought it the right thing to do. Over the following days I learned of one man who when just sixteen had been obliged to strip naked and share a bed with this man who fumbled for his genitals. I also heard of another who testified to being locked in a room, threatened with a cudgel and raped.

I was frustrated by a church leadership team that would not address the concerns and the trustees of an evangelistic mission in which the abuser was both founder and director that refused to do the same. It was not until I co-wrote "Time for Action" some twelve years later that I realised that I had to do something, even if no one else would. I reported the matter to the police. With greater understanding, personally and within society today, I realise that step should have been taken straight away. The police investigated and the CPS brought the man to trial. He pleaded not guilty, alleging that his victims had actually requested sexual activity with him, and so forcing two of his victims to relate the sordid details in open court. He was found guilty and sent to prison, but he has never acknowledged culpability or apologised to those he hurt.

With less understanding in 1989 when the leaders of the church refused to take action I was faced with three possibilities. I could over-rule my colleagues and proclaim the allegation publicly from the pulpit. But by then the young man who was the victim had denied suffering this offence having been put under pressure by the abuser who had extremely good manipulative skills. That, it seemed to me, would only create a horrendous mess with possibly no good outcome. The second possibility would be for me to carry on at the church regardless. That would have meant sharing a platform with the abuser and jointly administering communion. I could not stomach that. The remaining course of action was for me to leave the church immediately. I had been a minister in the church for twenty one years; it seemed probable that someone might come and ask me why. I provided a letter to the Church Secretary explaining the cause of this sudden development.

I suspect the contents of that letter were never read. Not one church member made contact with me. I dread to think what spin might have been put on my departure for it to apparently become accepted without one enquiring. As I had handed in my church keys on that day, the elder to whom I was now speaking had wept. Now it was my turn to weep. I could understand back in 1989 why some felt powerless and confused, uncertain what to do. But in the light of a police investigation, several witnesses, a trial and subsequent prison sentence surely there could only be one position for any responsible Christian to take. That could not be on a fence!

The prophet Micah tells us what the Lord requires of us. It is to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. All three have to be held in tension. Where mercy denies the possibility of justice to the victims, or where the cries for justice drown out any possibility of mercy then we are not walking humbly with a God who calls us all to account for our sins, and only offers mercy where there is true repentance.

I am angry. Angry at the abuser for what he did. Angry for those whose lives have been messed up with the long dark shadow of sexual abuse cast over them. Angry at Christian leaders who, like those in the church at Corinth fuss over the little things but fail to act justly against sexual sin. I am angry because the same church leaders publicly disciplined two young Christians who were engaged and confessed that they had slept together before marriage, but when it comes to disciplining one of there own failed.

I am not so angry that I will attack my friend on the phone for what left me speechless at the time. I do not want to create a problem for him. The question is, if I fail to do so am I then failing him just as much as he is failing both the victims whom he should vindicate and the abuser whom he should judge?

Waitrose - Duty of care to customers?

2010-03-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

In my previous posting about the exploding bottle of orange juice I carefully omitted the name of the company that made and sold the offending product that violently exploded in my car while I was travelling at 70mph on the M6 recently. I wrote to them as soon afterwards as was possible urging them to reconsider their labelling, because in my opinion this was very inadequate. Waitrose chose instead to deny any liability (that was expected) for the costs incurred and to say they hoped I would continue to be a customer! Now I think your opinion would be welcome.
The section of the label that carries storage and use information is 25mm wide and 15mm high. In this space they have squeezed 202 characters as follows: Keep refrigerated. Once opened keep refrigerated below 5° C and consume within 1 day. Shake well, this is a natural product and may separate on standing for display until and use by date see top of cap.
I tried to squeeze this amount of wording into the same size and ended up with a font around 4pt! The type size is too small for me to read with glasses in normal light. If I improve the light or use a magnifying glass I can read it.

I could easily have been killed in this incident. Even though I was at fault in that I had failed to follow the instructions I could not read and assumed that fresh orange juice should keep refrigerated for a week, some warning regarding possible fermentation and its consequences should be on the bottle. A loud bang would have been scary enough but the additional loss of forward visibility while driving at 70mph on a busy road is no joke.

So for failing to read my letter carefully, and ignoring my encouragement to take customer care seriously I say "Waitrose - Shame on you!"

Breaking the Rules

2010-03-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

A senior MP commenting on the revelation that a significant number of MPs have disregarded parliamentary rules regarding free trips and similar benefits from foreign governments commented that they did not need the rules to be changed what they needed was for MPs' attitudes to be changed.

That made my ears prick up. We live in a society in the UK where many regard rules as something of an optional matter. We are also much more concerned that others keep the rules than that we are made to obey them. If you drive a car you will almost certainly know what I mean! So long as no one gets hurt (as far as we know) and we get away with it then it's OK. But is it? Having such a light attitude towards regulation is being one step away from anarchy.

"What we need is for people to change their attitude", he insisted. Now that's interesting because that was exactly the message that Jesus proclaimed - especially to the hypocritical religious and civic leaders of his day who thought that they could "bend the rules to suit themselves". The Greek word used in the first editions of the New Testament is "metanoia", which means a change of attitude. It is still usually translated into an old English word - repent. That carries some baggage that sadly gets in the way. But the message is as needed in our society today as in the society into which Jesus was born.

If we want to be a part of a better society maybe we could all do with a bit more honest change of attitude. What do you think?

Beware the Orange Bomb!

2010-03-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

The day went with a bang - well, at least part of it did. It was loud, unexpected and with terrifying consequences. I was on my way from Market Harborough to a small village in Shropshire where I was to lead the afternoon session in a kind of day conference for a Congregational church. I was keen to get there as early as possible and get a "feel" of how the day was going, and so I set of around 8.30 this morning expecting to arrive by 10.30.

My route took onto the M6 within about 30 minutes. It was a clear day with a motorway to match. I guess I had been driving for about 45 minutes since leaving home and was close to Coventry when a really loud explosion sounded very close. In the nanosecond that followed I guessed a tyre had burst. But my mind changed a nanosecond later as the view out of the windscreen largely disappeared behind streams of sticky ooze, and orange juice dripped all over me from the roof of the car. A bottle of natural orange juice that had been lying innocently on the passenger seat next to me had exploded.

The offending product had been purchased from a reputable company the previous week. I had taken just one small drink and the bottle had been resealed and kept in a fridge. Yes, the sell by date was 7th March and today was the 13th, but Doreen (my wife) thought it was a healthy drink and had been kept in the fridge and should be OK. Obviously the brief time it had been opened was enough to start a fermentation process resulting in the explosion and my being soaked in the stuff and the front half of the car being liberally sprayed. It's amazing just how far 500ml of orange juice will go. It had soaked the steering wheel, my mobile phone, my sat nav, the gear stick and brake, the carpet, the roof the inside of the windows, the mirror and my glasses.

It was too big a disaster to sort out on the hard shoulder and I reasoned the most sensible thing was to make it to the Service Station which was only a couple of miles further on. Strangely the Service Station had the same retailer as the garage where I had purchased the exploding bottle. The manager, a lovely young lady called Krystle, showed considerable sympathy and helped clean up the mess after taking photos. I then had to head back down the Motorway to a branch of Tescos where I was able to purchase the much needed replacements for almost all the clothes I was wearing, which were well soaked, stained and smelly strongly of oranges.

Just as well I had started out early as I finally arrived just in time for the lunch break and 55 minutes before my session. Happily the journey home later that day was uneventful. The car is a mess inside still and will need total valeting. It smells strongly of oranges. I'm just grateful it wasn't worse. I could have had a sticky end!

Mothering Sunday - what the Bible says about women

2010-03-14T00:36:00.000-08:00

The following notes are some reflections on Mothering Sunday from back in 2003. Understanding and attitudes evolve over time. Much of my early Christian attitudes were influenced by a poor attitude towards women that made them subordinate to men. But reading the Bible changed that view and I found myself a little angry when I come across such attitudes today. This is not a masterly piece of writing on the subject but it might be worth sharing.

Today millions of people around the country are celebrating Mothers’ Day or Mothering Sunday. It is not a Christian festival but many churches will also be marking this occasion in various ways. Many will use it as an opportunity for outreach through family services. Some will use it as an opportunity to advocate traditional family life and the value of motherhood within that structure. Still others may take this opportunity to explore theologically the role of women within the totality of the church and the kingdom of God. We are going to endeavour to follow that last course, though we may not want to abandon any other position entirely.

Probably the worst thing that could be done by a church on Mothering Sunday is to use the occasion to be patronising to women in general and mothers in particular, and to follow the well-worn paths that lead to the subjugation of women and girls within our society. The gospel is about nothing if it is not about freedom, and we expect to find ample evidence for the absolute emancipation of women as we seek to exegete the scriptures.

The problem that we have when we seek for truth in scripture is remembering to leave off the spectacles of prejudice, which so easily distort our view. There are two kinds of prejudice that I want to warn about today. The first of these is the prejudice of a traditional view. There are neat stereotypical images of the role of women and the nature of motherhood that have more to do with societal history than biblical exegesis. However, churches and preachers have colluded to reinforce these images. In the process some scripture becomes used selectively and some scripture is ignored as we start with our received understanding of what should be and then seek to support that view from scripture.

Theological reflection is a discipline that should mark every area of our beliefs and practises. What we need to do is not start from a fixed position and look for support, but rather expose our opinions to critical examination in the light of scripture. That may be uncomfortable and unsettling for those who have never experienced the glorious liberating and illuminating that it can bring.

The second kind of prejudice is that kind of radical attitude that reacts to the conservative in an extreme way. Feminism is no longer something that is new. The reaction of women both within and without the churches to oppressive regimes is immediately understandable. Sadly the churches tend to adopt a conservative position and are therefore slow to catch up. However, very many churches and biblical scholars have had to acknowledge that sometimes truth dawns more quickly outside the walls of the churches. We should not be afraid to say so when it does. But extreme feminism that reacts to such conservatism is in some ways as great a danger in terms of prejudicing sound exegesis as the conservatism against which it reacts. On the other hand it is often only because extreme attitudes are expressed that people are nudged out of the rut.

We need at this stage to say something about the relationship between motherhood and the role of women in society and the church in general. It seems to me that they are inextricably bound together since both society and the church have tended to present the role of women as finding fulfilment in marriage and motherhood.

This idealistic view might be a consequence of the tyranny of patriarchy, whether deliberate or careless; what we can say is that it has been very oppressive of both unmarried women and childless women, as if they were somehow incomplete.

Such a view is oppressive and tyrannical and as such contrary to the gospel of Christ.

So we will endeavour to leave aside prejudice and, as best we can, seek to explore the truth. We seek for that truth through the scriptures, which we believe to be the Word of God. We are going to do this in three stages. The first of these will be to look both at the nature of God and of humankind within his created order. The second will be to note the development of the role of women throughout the Old Testament. Then thirdly to look at the role of women through the teaching and actions of Jesus and his apostles.

The Nature of God and the created order.

Scripture reveals a God who is one yet three. Each person of the trinity is complete and whole yet co-dependent and fully a part of the others so that we have three persons that are essentially one. This is a mystery that is hard for us to grasp completely. We could say that there is a single plural complementarity!

Sex and gender are a part of the created order. In every plant and creature there is both male and female versions or parts – that which is capable of bearing offspring and that which is capable of fertilising. There is complementarity and co-dependency in nature. This is true, though in a different way, for that which is androgynous or hermaphrodite where the complementary parts are found within single creature.

We get into difficulties when we try to define or describe God from that which he has created. The Bible speaks of God as having eyes, ears, hands, and arms, but these are the attempts of human beings to understand and describe the divine. They should not be taken literally. Similarly we have problems if we try to define God by gender. Usually we think of God as male. The Bible reveals him as a heavenly father. But it also attributes feminine qualities to him.

Isaiah 42:14 describes God as a woman in childbirth. Isaiah 49:15 describes God like a mother unable to forget the child she bore. Isaiah 66:13 describes God as a comforting mother. In Psalm 131 David describes his relationship with God as a young child in the arms of its mother. In Matthew 23 and Luke 13 we have the words of Jesus as he laments over Jerusalem and describes himself as a hen gathering its chicks under its wing. All of these are powerful female images. Jesus told parables to teach spiritual truths. In one of these he depicts God as a woman seeking a lost coin (Luke 15:8).

For many people one of the most difficult things to accept is the use of the Hebrew word “ruach” to define the Spirit of God. This word has feminine gender. So in the Spirit of God hovering over the waters and bringing to birth creation out of chaos God is defined by the language of the OT writer as female.

We cannot conclude from scripture that God is absolutely male, no more than we can say that scripture leads us to believe that God is female. We do better to infer that we cannot define God in terms of gender. That has implications on the words we use in worship. While I am personally very comfortable with addressing God as Father, I do understand those that have difficulty and even find this a barrier, either because of bad experience of fathers, or because they feel that it contributes to their subjugation and oppression.

We have two accounts of the creation of humankind. The first of these in Genesis 1 shows both male and female created together in the image of God – both male and female. They share an equal status in the created order with neither as superior to the other. Here the word “man” (Hebrew “adam”) is used for both the male and the female as a generic term. In Genesis 2 we have Adam formed first and Eve formed out of Adam. Adam is shown is incomplete and being made whole by the provision of a suitable helper who is made out of his side. That she came out of his side, and not his head or feet, may well have significance in symbolism. The difference in order in Genesis 2 is the only difference from chapter 1. There is no sign of superiority or inferiority here. The image of God is seen in both the male and female humans.

The role of women in the Old Testament

As part of the punishment of Eve following the fall, she is to be dependent upon her husband, and he will exercise dominion over her. This is not the original plan; it is the consequence of sin entering human nature.

The law reinforces this change in status. The law is clearly given to man, and his wife is defined as part of his possessions within the Ten Commandments. A woman giving birth to a female child is considered more “unclean” than when giving birth to a male child. In many other ways the position of women as subject to men is affirmed.

There are some interesting women – occasionally in powerful positions – in the Old Testament. Deborah was appointed a national leader of Israel, something the nation was adamant about. Many women are singled out for their significance in the outworking of God’s redemptive purposes. These include the mother of Jacob whose actions were significant in establishing the line of promise. The mother of Moses ensured that the redeemer of Israel, and type of Christ, survived the annihilation. Rahab played a significant part in the entry into the Promised Land. Hannah’s deep grief brought us Samuel, and his significant ministry. Ruth, an alien woman is a significant ancestor of Jesus. Esther rises to power during the exile and saves her people.

So in the Old Testament, time and again, it is women who save the day, despite their general humiliation within a patriarchal society that excludes them in temple worship and from priestly ministry.

The teaching and actions of Jesus and his apostles

No reader of the gospels can fail to note that there is a radical shift in the way that women are treated. Society treats them as second class, but not Jesus. Luke 8:1-3 records the women helpers that travelled with Jesus. Women – even those with an unhealthy past – are honoured by Jesus. Deep spiritual truths are revealed to them (John 4 and John 11). It is a woman who evangelises the city of Sychar effectively. Despite Martha’s protestations that Mary’s place should be with her in the kitchen, Jesus affirms her right to be a disciple. Ironically it was to women that Jesus first revealed himself as risen from the dead. Those who because of their gender could not give evidence in a court of law were chosen by God as the primary witnesses of this great event.

As he hung upon the cross, where each breath cost him agony, Jesus spoke three times words of comfort or compassion. Once to the thief beside him, once for the soldiers gambling at his feet, and once for the welfare of his mother.

The coming of Jesus heralded in the beginning of the kingdom of God. One of the things that Jesus made clear by his teaching, attitude and actions is that women shared an equal part in this kingdom.

Acts 1:20 makes clear that women were included in the first church in Jerusalem. They were part of the 120 in the Upper Room. They would have shared in receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and the fulfilling of Joel’s prophecy: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”

Priscilla shared equally with her husband Aquilla in their ministry, recorded in Acts 18, just as Sapphira bore equal responsibility with Ananias for their act of robbery and deceit. Later she is described by Paul as a “fellow worker”, and a church meets in their home. Lydia, the first convert at Philippi clearly became a leader in the church there (Acts 16). Phoebe is highly commended by Paul in Romans 16 as a minister in the church at Cenchrea.

Phoebe is highly significant not only because of the way in which Paul describes her but because Cenchrea is a Corinthian port.

Paul’s obvious respect for women should temper our understanding of his writing on the role of women in the church. There is a strong case to be made that Paul is referring to female deacons in 1Timothy 3:11. His comments about women keeping silent in 1Corinthins 14:34 are about maintaining a sense of order in church meetings. A similar thought is expressed in 1Timothy 2:12 where he is clearly seeking to avoid a situation where a woman takes “authority” over a man. The Timothy passage speaks of the woman being silent but the Greek word hear means quiet and refers more to character. It does not imply gagging. We should also note that this is Paul’s practise that is being described not God’s word that is being prescribed.

The early church was emerging from a strongly patriarchal society, yet it shows considerable liberality towards the role of women. How they developed their theology and how they conducted themselves inevitably reflected something of the culture in which they existed. Perhaps the most significant comment is to be found in Galatians 3:26 – 29 “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

In a secular society where women are accorded equal rights with men by law, how much more should the churches express that oneness described by Paul. It is time to reaffirm that we are under a New Covenant. The old order has passed away and in the kingdom of God women recover their status of equality with men. Here we learn to submit to one another, to love one another as Christ loved the church and to honour one another in the Lord.

So this Mothering Sunday let it mean something as a result of our theological reflection. Let us affirm not only our gratitude for the role of our mothers in giving us life, and for most of us, as those who nurtured us, but let us affirm every woman in their personhood in the image of God and honour him by honouring them.

Barry Osborne – Herstmonceux - Sunday 30^th March 2003

Values versus Doctrine

2010-02-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

You might have picked up something of this in another part of my Facebook presence. Some churches - especially those that are evangelical - seem to like to define themselves by the doctrines they hold. These are often displayed in the entrance area of the church. These mean little or nothing to almost everyone outside evangelical church traditions.

In the church where I am a minister we recently decided we would rather be defined by our values than by doctrines. Of course the values are informed by what we read in scripture.

We value all individuals, young and old, male and female, regardless of wealth, ability, or standing in society. We value communities in which individuals care for one another. We value the kind of love that puts other people’s needs before our own.

We value justice for all people and long for a world where there is greater fairness and equality. We value truth. We value kindness and compassion. We value deeds more than empty words.

We value the peace that comes from respect for other people who might be different from us in some way. We value the kind of unity that can also celebrate diversity. In other words we value the kind of world about which Jesus taught and for which he gave his life.

Do you think that publicly publicising values rather than doctrines makes more sense for the wider public?

Not offending non-Christians

2010-02-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

It's a long time since I posted anything on my "reflections" blog. When I started this blogging it was with a view to providing an occasional comment from a Christian perspective - and I was responding to the encouragement of a Malayan Pastor. There is an automatic link to my Facebook page, so anything I blog about gets posted as a "Note" on Facebook.

Here's the problem: Among my Facebook "friends" are many Christians but also many others who I know in various capacity, and who do not share my Christian faith and values. I don't want to offend them by constantly writing religious stuff (it would certainly be likely to be irrelevant at the least). On the other hand, there are various diary type jottings that some Christians might be glad to read but I don't then write it as I don't want to offend!

So I'm exploring adding a blogspot - or changing the blog I use now. If you read this and have any comments, advice, suggestions, please let me have them.

Mission21 final reflections

2009-11-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

If you have been following this blog you will know that the organisers of a Church Planting Conference this week invited us to blog or twitter on the event. Here's my overall reflection.

I met some wonderful people for the first time and met up with other wonderful people I haven't seen for some time. The four main sessions were very well prepared (apart from one where someone had to stand in at the last moment). All gave us much to think about as well as being challenging and inspiring.

I was part of a small group looking at Cross Cultural Church Planting. After the first session I wasn't sure how much value these would prove to be but by the end of the conference I think that these highly interactive sessions stimulated helpful thinking. For me there was little that was new (after all I have been relating to church planting since 1966!) but it helped me focus on some important issues.

The one hour given for specialist topics, where I led a session on rural church planting, was rather frustrating as far as I am concerned. I could have used the time more effectively I think. However, most of those attending commented that it was helpful But it could have been more helpful if I had not felt so limited in time.

I was very glad to be there. They worked us hard - days started at 9.00 and ended twelve hours later. It was well planned (apart from the one hour only specialist time) and deserving of twice the number attending. Would I do it again? YOU BET!

Mission21 Day 2 Rural Focus

2009-11-18T11:22:00.000-08:00

We discovered something very interesting today. I was leading a specialist session on church planting in rural areas. As part of this I spoke of a project where a small church plant in Cumbria has inspired the whole village to engage in a mission project in Congo. Now they have more people wanting to go to Congo - despite danger and hardship - than they have room for. They are busy fundraising as a community and have recently had a special day that was featured on regional TV!!!

As soon as I mentioned this I discovered two others in our small gathering at the conference group who were also running with similar schemes.

I believe that this could be a process by which people can find their way to a personal relationship with Christ. I think that this is a "programme" worth exploring.
Any comments?

Church Planting Conference - Unconditional acts of service

2009-11-17T16:12:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting argument we had today in our "stream". It related to the debate on social action. I stated that I could not recall a single time when Jesus responded to a need conditionally.

Our stream leader seemed to think that if Jesus never made a condition before he always made one afterwards! Of course I think I'm right! The question is whether we engage in good works ONLY if we offer our service with a slice of gospel proclamation. I'm all for passing on the gospel message but I am unhappy about insisting that acts of genuine love must only be undertaken on condition that we can share the story.

Any comments?

Church Planting Conference Day 1

2009-11-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm attending the Mission21 Conference in Bath for three days this week and have just finished day 1 (running 14.00 to 21.00 with a 2 hour break for evening meal). Its a mixed bunch of people drawn from all kinds of churches and I hope I will be able to learn from those from other traditions and those who are working in other contexts that "rural" (my area of expertise).

As part of this programme we are spending much of the time in "Streams" and I opted for "Cross Cultural Church Planting". My thinking was that most villages are microcosms of multi culturalism, but I suspect we will steadily see people from ethnic minorities moving into British villages in increasing numbers so we need the debate.

Much time in our evening session revolved around how we might measure "success" and that led to a debate on churches that are genuinely agencies for transformation because of social action engagement. The group leader placed his emphasis on numerical growth through conversions. I found myself sitting in the middle but I'd be grateful for some comments on the following please:

In 1Peter 3:15 we read "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," and it was suggested that if we live Christian lives marked by appropriate good deeds people will ask us about our faith. My concern about this is that most rural Christians do live lives of loving service to others, but I am yet to hear of a single instance in a rural context where this has led to anyone asking "for the reason for the hope". It seems to me that people expect us to be nice and helpful but I'm not sure how often this leads to anyone then asking us to explain the gospel.

So if any reader can enlighten me otherwise - and remember it has to be a rural context - I would be delighted to hear from you. Meanhile, I'm off to bed!

The Al-Megrahi Controversy

2009-08-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

I want to start this post by stating that I applaud the decision taken by Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary for Scotland. Of course the welcome back to Libya was wholly inappropriate and distasteful but that should not influence our view of the stand taken. When we act in a morally appropriate way we can have no control over how someone else might respond but that should never be a determining factor. When we are asked to turn the other cheek it is with the expectation of an inappropriate response. But that is how we are asked to act.

When we put someone into prison we do it for a number of reasons. Let's consider these.

We do so in order to keep safe those who might otherwise come to harm if the person was not incarcerated. Mr Al-Megrahi no longer poses a threat so that criteria is now irrelevant.

We do so to make a statement to the public that crime does not pay. He remains a guilty and sentenced man, but as has been pointed out a now higher sentence has been passed and that is irrevocable. So that criteria continues and is inescapable.

We do so as a punishment imposed upon the criminal. The immediately previous sentence addresses the core issue. The sentence he now awaits supersedes anything prison would do to him.

Finally, we do so in the hope of rehabilitation and remedial influence. Well, it's far too late in his case. So that too is irrelevant.

On all moral grounds for incarcerating anyone for a crime there is now clearly no justification for his spending the relatively last few days in a Scottish prison. Long ago we exercised the "lock them up and throw away the key" or the "leave them to rot" attitude. But we have grown up a little since then. No matter how great our anger or bitterness might be regarding what happened in the skies above Lockerbie, and the ongoing suffering of those who lost so much, that is no justification for acting inhumanly.

The prophet Micah asked a question, "What does the Lord require of us?" The answer is to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

The commendable thing about the proper outcome of the legal situation in Scotland is that the compassion and mercy reflects the values of the Kingdom of God. He is not excused for what he has done. The tragedy is that other nations, less influenced by the values that come from faith, might well have taken a different view.

If you share my opinion then I hope that you will take opportunity to explain to others why. Where would we all stand if the righteous judgement of ourselves was not tempered with mercy?

Is the Bible less significant

2009-08-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine lent me a book he has written lamenting what he sees as a loss of respect for and personal use of the Bible in the lives of Christians today. He is writing, of course from an English perspective. I found myself largely in sympathy with much that he had written. The following comes from mt letter on returning the book.

Recently I heard it suggested that the emphasis on “professional ministry” had led to the decline in scripture knowledge and I think that might be partly true but it is far from the whole truth. I would blame the emphasis on professional ministry for disabling Christians generally but that is another matter.

Like many my age I grew up with the benefit of a structured Sunday School where the Bible was taught. In that hall there was a slogan left by a visiting missionary. It stated “Find a time and a place to pray, and read your Bible every day”. I was also made to take the annual Sunday School Union Scripture Examination and we were drilled on this for several weeks. Consequently before I became a committed Christian I had a good knowledge of what the Bible was about, how it was compiled, the main characters etc. It was like having been to Bible College!

Today we have what I consider generally the benefit of having various versions of the scriptures. The aim has been to make the Bible more accessible. While to some extent that aim has succeeded it has not obviously led to a general increase in personal Bible study, which is where I would like to see greater emphasis. There are some great exceptions and I am always delighted when I see teenagers carrying Bibles to church – often where the adults do not do so.

I feel that there are probably three areas of weakness:

The first of these is the loss of the “family alter”. There is nothing like being introduced to the great stories of scripture from an early age.

The second is a weakness within many theological and Bible colleges, where, it seems, the values of scripture reading (public and private) seems not to have a high profile. If students learned how to engage with the scriptures in a dynamic way during the time of their training they would bring that into their ministry.

The third is in the area of public worship. Here I would place the blame not so much on the absence or limits of scripture reading, but more on the way that it is done. In most churches that I go to it sounds boring. Saying either before or afterwards anything about hearing the Word of God will do little if it is not then communicated appropriately. Even in evangelical churches I have heard the Bible read as if reading from a text book or a car manual. Boring!

Much that is in the Bible is drama but that is so often lost. So I would urge having sessions where people learn to read the scriptures with more expression, with pauses, and appropriate emphasis. A ministry colleague of mine always ensures that when she reads the Bible she makes it live. She has sometimes done this by creating a dialogue, or by allowing someone (prepared) to make interjections or ask questions. It really makes people sit up and listen.

Other good ideas include ensuring that other elements in a service complement the scripture readings, or by providing some way of “spotlighting” the scripture reading to aid that focus to what it actually said. Reading the gospel from within the congregation and having everyone stand to listen can be useful, but not so much when done every Sunday, as it then becomes too familiar. I rather like the custom of a URC minister known to me who concludes the Bible reading by holding the book aloft and towards the congregation and saying, “The Word of God for the People of God”, to which the congregation is expected to respond, “Thanks be to God”.

In conclusion I return to the issue of personal Bible reading through the week. I think we could come up with more creative ways of encouraging this. On a purely personal level I have found using hymns and worship songs and scripture together to be helpful. Sometimes I sit and read through a hymn carefully and thoughtfully and then turn to the scriptures it brings to mind. Sometimes the scriptures then bring another hymn to mind, and so we go on. This is very much akin to Brethren and earlier Pentecostal morning meetings.

And a PS would be to remind myself that if I expect others to be inspired to read God’s Word and be blessed by it then I must ensure that my own experience is a good one and that my life is being informed and excited by reading God’s precious word.

Any one of them could have done it

2009-07-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

Any one of them could have done it. It needed to be done and the resources were all there. It wasn’t as if it called for special skills. It wasn’t as if the task was especially difficult. And it wasn’t as if any of them had anything more important to do just at that moment.

Of course, that phrase, “Anything more important” is an interesting one. What is it that makes one task more important than another? What determines “importance”? Surely it has to do with what is needed rather than those tasks that draw attention to the person undertaking them, or those tasks that can only be done by a few with special ability or experience.

Take, for instance, that time in Jerusalem when they had walked through the area surrounding the pool where all the sick and infirmed lay hoping to be the first to get into the water when it was mysteriously stirred, and hoping that by doing so they would find their healing. What was important there was getting into that pool as quickly as you could. And the words of that man that day had been pitiful: “Sir, I have no one to help me”. For 38 years he had been crippled and for much of that time he had waited in hope that he might manage to get into the pool in time. All he needed was a friend.

Yes, what is important depends on what is actually needed at the time. It might not seem that important to others, of course. It might not bring any status or fame. But if there’s a need to be met, and especially if it a matter of urgency….

38 years waiting for a friend to turn up!

Anyone could have done it. All the resources were there just waiting for someone to take advantage of them. Everything that was needed was right there all the time staring them in the face. And no one had taken them up.

Of course if someone had been specifically asked to do it then he might have been willing to do it, but no one was actually asked. It just needed to be done and any one of them could have done it.

One way of dealing with it might have been to have introduced more organisation into the situation. To have planned things better. To have had a rota for such tasks. That way the work could have been shared between them. They could have worked out their different strengths and weaknesses, explored their skill portfolios and worked out who would be the most appropriate for the task. After all that’s the way to get things done isn’t it?

But on this occasion it was something that any of them could have done. The resources were there. All that was needed was someone to get up and do it. And, frankly, it wasn’t as if they had anything more important to do just at that time. There’s that word “important” again. They had been discussing that subject – “Who was the most important?”

That was when he got up. They did not notice at first. Then they saw him take off his outer garment. As he wrapped the towel around his waist they all fell silent. And in that silence the sound of water being poured into the basin seemed amplified. And one by one he lifted the dusty feet of the others that were there and gently – washed them.

Any one of them could have done it – but HE did it. It wasn’t his task but he did it. Unasked, he saw the need and did something about it. Wasn’t that always the way with him? But this – washing feet – that was a task for a servant not a leader.

And one by one as they felt his gentle hands apply the water and the towel they knew. They knew that any one of them COULD have done it.

And after that evening - and after the events of the following days - they began to understand what it meant and what it would mean to “follow him”. What he meant when he said once, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Any one of them could have done it.

Get Me Out of Here!

2009-05-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

A recent incident caused me to remember a piece of good advice I was once given: "What you pray yourself into you do not normally have to pray yourself out of!" The incident was almost getting my car stuck in a river!

My satellite navigation system (Navman F20) has served me very well - until today. I was travelling from Harrogate to a Yorkshire village called Harden. The journey had already taken longer than the time that friends had suggested and we should have been at our destination (the church) five minute ago when the voice from the navigation system instructed me to turn left. I checked the diagram on the screen and there was no doubt I was to take the turn immediately before the river. I turned and the satellite system confirmed that was the correct turning. But a few yards further on and what was a road turned into a very narrow single track lane with high walls on either side. Again the screen illustrated that we were perfectly on track.

Moments later I braked to a halt a few feet from a shallow river with the lane we were travelling on clearly continuing from the far side. There was nowhere to turn but two young men and a dog were handy and assured my passengers and me that provided we could get across the water we were on course for Harden.

So, always up for a challenge, and having come such a long way down this narrow lane, and being already late, I decided to have a go. The first half was OK but then the bow wave (I really wasn't going fast!) washed over the bonnet, something clonked underneath and the car refused to mount the extremely steep exit from the river. I tried again but frankly I knew that a 14 year old Vauxhall Astra is not designed to move from the horizontal to the almost vertical without at least some kind of a run at it!

There was nothing for it but to either do a three point turn in the river or reverse. The latter seemed to be the best solution. I had kept the revs high in the hope of avoiding water up the exhaust pipe but backing was bound to be a challenge both to the engine and my driving skills.

Moments later we were out of the river and up the steep incline we had previously driven down, though now a large amount of steam was billowing from under the bonnet (did I say this car is not diesel which made the exercise all the more dodgy!).

Happily a few more yards of reversing with the stone walls of the lane mere inches from either side and I was able to turn in the driveway of a house. Annoyingly, as we emerged from the lane at the far end my satellite system immediately offered an alternative route and we turned up at church 15 minutes late.

As we drove out of the lane I was reflecting on how amazing it was that we had got into and out of a mess without any apparent damage, with the engine still running perfectly and without the passengers becoming hysterical. It was then that Janet murmured from the back seat, "Well I was praying rather hard".

Later today I recalled that I had deliberately - and possibly carelessly - programmed the navigation system to include rough lanes. If only!

Of course it could have been a different story and we might have all got wet feet and worse. A little more care in venturing forward would have been wise. We can be so easily and confidently led down a path into problems where more care earlier would avoid it. Or as my friend so wisely said, "What you pray yourself into you do not normally have to pray yourself out of"!

What is the Main Purpose of a Church?

2009-05-04T03:14:00.000-07:00

"The main purpose of a church is not worship" was the rather sweeping statement I made recently at a gathering on eleven churches in the Midlands. Afterwards someone described this as “putting the cat among the pigeons”. I suggested instead that evangelism was the main purpose of the church; a subject known to ruffle a few feathers. Was my assertion wrong?

When one asks a question about the main purpose of a church, people seem to drag up from their memories something that comes from the Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1647 which states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him for ever”. Even though the use of this catechism is not something common to all Christian traditions it is often quoted and we all tend to pick up on it. But those who are familiar with the catechism know that this is only the first of 107 points. The remaining 106 points largely qualify what is meant by the first.

The second emphasises the importance of scripture, and the third emphasises the importance of obedience to its teachings. Thus it implies that to glorify God means to live in harmony with God’s character and his purposes as revealed in scripture.

At the end of his ministry Jesus left behind a band of disciples whom he tasked with the duty to be his witnesses, to take the gospel throughout the world, and to make disciples among all nations (or peoples). He made it clear that in his agenda this was “the main thing”. It is to be hoped that all Christians value the mission of Jesus that brought about his life and ministry on earth, his death and resurrection. Those first disciples had to continue the outworking of that mission, and indeed we in turn have to today.

But for many Christians we have substituted other things for that mission such as attending worship services and maintaining ecclesial systems and buildings. No matter how laudable these things may be the main thing is to ensure that the main thing remains the main thing.

King Saul’s excuse for his disobedience was his desire to offer worship to God (1 Samuel 15:15). But the prophet’s response was “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” Psalm 51 also emphasises the worthlessness of worship from a life that fails to be in line with God’s expectations. The prophecy of Malachi seems to be God’s disappointment in a people who go through the motions of worship but have compromised on obedience.

To these examples from the Hebrew Scriptures we could draw on what we often call the Lord’s Prayer. The first aspiration is for the Lord’s name to be hallowed, but we cannot divorce that from the following petitions relating to the coming of God’s kingdom and obedience to his will.

I find myself wondering what God thinks about our offerings of prayers and hymns and worship when we live in disobedience whether by deliberate acts or simple neglect. Just what value does God place on worship that is unsupported by genuine discipleship?

Pentecost is not a Birthday Party

2009-05-04T03:09:00.000-07:00

While I suspect that in some ways I might have become a little bit of a “grumpy old man” I believe that there are a few things where popular teaching in churches has strayed from what the Bible actual says, and where it is important that we take care not to mix fancy with the truth.

Recently I wrote to a major, well known educational body that is promoting a children’s teaching programme on Pentecost as a party to celebrate the birthday of the church. I politely pointed out that this is not only an error but that by doing so we are in danger of trivialising the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The reply I received saddened me immensely. Instead of either agreeing or seeking to refute the theological and biblical argument from scripture, they merely quoted other contemporary sources that also refer to Pentecost as the “Birthday of the Church”. What are we to do when major Christian educational bodies rely on popular opinion rather than careful biblical interpretation?

My concern is not just about whether or not there is such a thing as the birthday of the Church and if so when it took place. I am concerned that we grasp the significance of Pentecost and earnestly seek the person and power of the Holy Spirit so that we might faithfully and effectively witness to Jesus Christ in the world of which we are a part today. I am desperate for the winning of men and women for Christ and to see God’s kingdom of peace and justice advance. To that end I believe that we need to be far more serious (but certainly not miserable) about what and how we believe.

Pentecost is, of course, a Jewish festival related to harvest time. Jesus had told his disciples that they needed to wait in Jerusalem until they received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that would enable them to start out on this incredible journey of witnessing to Christ throughout the world. That empowerment first happened on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, and a new kind of harvest was celebrated that day. The book of Acts then records several other occasions when churches and individuals also experienced their own “Day of Pentecost”. It also reveals the need for an ongoing experience of the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

We are living at a time when we need a genuine and profound revival. My Christian awakening began at a time just prior to the beginnings of the charismatic movement. At that time I met people for whom a Pentecostal experience would mean exclusion from mainstream denominations. These were people who were passionate about the gospel and full of praise to God. Their meetings were marked with an almost tangible sense of God’s presence and conversions to Christ were common. In one church I delivered two young colleagues to lead a Sunday School meeting and arrived to find well over 50 young children who had met for prayer half an hour before Sunday School began! As I opened the door you could feel the wind of the Holy Spirit.

We need His presence like that today; not an excuse for balloons and party poppers in church. We need to be teaching why the Day of Pentecost was important then and relevant now. Please take care in your church this Pentecost not to trivialise something so precious.

Seeing is believing

2009-03-28T02:19:00.000-07:00

An Easter reflection. One of the interesting things revealed through the Easter stories in scripture is how personal faith develops as the story unfolds and the facts become clear. The reason this is important in my view is that it teaches us something we need to grasp about faith.

For many people, faith is an issue of the intellect. It is for this reason that some struggle with some of the amazing stories in scripture that go beyond what is humanly possible. They therefore get stuck because they cannot believe it.

For Mary, and probably the other women that morning, the logical explanation for the empty tomb was that someone had come in the night and stolen the body. But even as she grieved about her loss, hearing his voice and holding onto him led to believing.

For Peter and John the testimony of the women was not enough and they ran to the tomb to check it out for themselves. Peter saw the empty tomb and was overwhelmed by what appeared a tragedy, but something about the evidence of the grave cloths enabled John to believe Jesus was alive.

The two walking to Emmaus came to believe partly through what they saw but also because of the conversation that had made their hearts burn within them. In some ways, faith came by hearing scripture.

Thomas wanted the experience of seeing and touching the wounds before he could believe, but confronted with the person of the risen Jesus he fell to his knees and confessed that Jesus was in fact God.

For all these people some kind of engagement preceded their ability to believe. For me back in 1962 it was an invitation to “try out” the invitation to engage with Christ that really started my faith journey. The writer to the Hebrews states that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. While I know that to be true, it seems to me that for most, if not all of us, there needs to be some kind of evidence. That might be seeing or hearing what God has done in the life of someone whose testimony we are inclined to believe. That brings a challenge to Christians.

A story about someone coming alive again after so public and undeniable a death will never be grasped intellectually unless, like those early disciples, we too have engaged with the person of the risen Saviour. He does not invite us to believe on nothing. The invitation to us is to open up our lives, to invite him into our lives so that we might experience the reality of his love and forgiveness and all that comes in with that.

In the moment that we respond to that invitation most people do not immediately experience anything dramatic, though some do. It is in keeping the door open to him that lives begin to be changed and faith grows in the light of experience.

Today, wounded hands reach out as Jesus repeats, “Whoever comes to me I will never turn away”.

Does God get confused?

2009-02-02T01:15:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine in France wrote recently, "I trust that this year will be a time when you ... will experience the Lord's presence and enabling in every situation. That seems to me much more realistic than simply writing "blessing", which often seems to me a word which is so vague no-one knows precisely what it means".

I agree totally with his comment and have often wondered what God does when we vaguely pray for his blessing on a person or on a particular meeting.I have wondered whether he ever ponders upon what exactly we might want him to do. Or perhaps he has a list of possible blessings in mind and pulls out one at random. Actually, to be honest, most times I think the request is so unspecific that that is precisely what we get as an answer- something unspecific!

Take a church service or meeting as an example. What would happen if instead of asking God to "bless our meeting" we asked God to so speak into our meeting that our lives will be transformed by the experience, or that Mrs Smith will finally open her heart to Jesus, or that the youth will dedicate the rest of their lives to God's service, or that Mr. Jones persistent cough will be healed?

Are millions of Christians missing out in prayer simply because we are to vague in what we pray for? I suspect we are.

Credit Crunch 2450 years ago

2009-02-01T05:25:00.000-08:00

It is often said that there is nothing new under the sun. I was intrigued to notice an event recorded in the Bible very similar to today's financial crisis. It is also interesting what they did about it.

The story can be tread in Nehemiah chapter 5. Nehemiah was a pretty single minded person focused sharply on the task in hand (rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem). It seemed that nothing could distract him. He had enemies who wanted him to fail. They tried threats, slander, and all manner of things but Nehemiah would not be distracted. That is until he heard about a financial crisis that was hurting some people acutely.

Because of a food shortage prices were ridiculously high as people sought to profit out of this opportunity. Consequently as ready cash ran out people had no alternative than to mortgage their homes and any land they had. But that only increased the debts and on top of that there were taxes that had to be paid to the Persian Empire at that time. But there were people then willing to lend money to people already saddled with debt. But interest rates charged by those exploiting the needy were disturbing, and the debt spiral just got worse. The only remaining remedy was to sell members of the family into a form of slavery in lieu of repayments and just to make ends meet.

It all sounds strangely familiar with recent events where countries have run on a debt economy and banks have sold "solutions" to the poor that only exacerbated the problems. How did Nehemiah deal with this?

Firstly he made dealing with the injustice and delivering people from the poverty trap his number one target.

Secondly, he addressed those who were exploiting the situation to satisfy their own greed, and so he put a stop to it.

Thirdly, he cancelled his own "bonus" entitlement. This was also a fiscal strategy that would have lightened the taxation burden.

The he ensured that people could be fed by opening up his own home each day ton 150 people and ensuring that they could have a decent meal. In other words he set a personal example of generosity.

It is sure that the global financial problems are unlikely to be solved without the adoption of similar renunciation of greed, the condemnation of those who exploit, and the exercise of generosity. The fact that the problem has become global just emphasises that the price of greed is the impoverishing of others, and that what goes around comes around.

SPACE AMONG THE CLUTTER

2009-01-18T01:15:00.000-08:00

Those who know me well know that I can be exsparating, but I also exasparate myself. This is particularly true when it comes to the room in my home that serves as my office. The desk is littered with papers and there are several piles of papers on the floor. So you will imagine that from time to time important items seem to disappear and – worse still – might even get overlooked. This could include a cheque that should have been banked, a letter that should have been acknowledged, or a form that should have been sent off.

Of course, I know the solution and I have promised myself that each day I will endeavour to put away (or throw away) more items than the number I add daily to the piles. But, frankly, I’m not too sure that I will succeed in keeping that promise, even though I know full well the value of doing so.

Of course, some who read this will take comfort as they too have cluttered homes. But the real reason I am baring my soul to you is that far too many of us have lives so cluttered with unimportant things that there is no space to find the things that really matter. Sadly some of these will remain overlooked and neglected among the piles of lesser things or even among the rubbish of life.

But what might these more important things be whose cry for attention is stifled by the trivial? It might be the giving of quality time to family members, friends and neighbours. It might be the need to express our appreciation for the gift that is themselves as part of our lives. It will almost certainly be the need to give God a chance to speak into our lives and to respond to his wisdom.

Occasionally I find among the papers that clutter my desk something that I wish with all my heart that I had responded to long before. But I hope that I will never regret overlooking time with God among the things that clutter my life.

Imagine the emotions of turning up on judgement day only to discover that you left, ignored among the clutter of your life, God's gracious invitation to sort out your life.

The Bible does not say so

2008-12-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

This is a Christmas reflection in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. Last year I became acutely aware how much myth has crept into church presentations of the story. I felt that if we allow ourselves to stray beyond the text of scripture then our story of the birth of Christ might have more in common with stories of Santa than me might want.

Of course this could be "grumpy old man" syndrome, but its isn't just that we sanitize the story each year; we really include non-biblical imagery and story aspects. In a story so important surely this should not be so. At a time when, according to a poll this Christmas, many do not believe the biblical story of the birth of Christ, surely we owe it to the world (and our congregations) to tell it as it is.

Let's start with that donkey. Where did he come from? No reference to him in the scriptures. The journey from Nazareth could be around 80 miles (130 km) and the route was difficult and the road would have been poor. Mary is heavily pregnant. I'm not sure that riding a donkey would have been the best option and a cart would have been an alternative. Anyway, since the donkey does not get a mention in scripture let's stop putting him into our version.

It would have taken several days and it looks as if Mary and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem well after others had got there, as we get the "no room at the inn" aspect. So in nativity plays a little boy in a brown dressing gown and a tea towel round his head confronts numerous pub landlords only to be repeatedly told that there is "no room". Now while we do know that some kind of hospitality facility existed (Luke tells us about that in the story of the Good Samaritan) it is unlikely that these were plentiful or that they had much in common either with English pubs or hotels. But the scripture text has much more to tell us.

The only reference to the situation where Jesus was born comes from Luke. Chapter 2 verse 7 tells us that Jesus was laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn. Later Luke tells us that when the shepherds visit they found Jesus lying in a manger.We'll come back to the manger in a moment but the only reference to an inn is that one brief comment in chapter 2. The word in the New Testament Greek is kataluma and Luke uses this word twice in his gospel and Mark uses it once. It is not found in John or Matthew. Apart from this one occasion in Luke 2 the other occasions translate it as guestchamber (AV) - the place where the last supper was held. Since both Mary and Joseph hailed from Bethlehem it would not be unreasonable to suppose that they might have made a beeline for a relatives house, especially in her condition.

Possibly also of significance is that when Luke tells the story of the Good Samaritan the man who fell among thieves is taken not to a kataluma but to a pandocheion. So in the Greek text in which the gospel was originally written Luke makes a distinction. But the translators of the King James Bible exceptionally wrote "inn". This anomaly has also led to the myth of a landlord providing a stable round the back.

Is there evidence for a stable? Early Christian tradition suggests a cave, but what does the Bible tell us? Nothing! The only evidence is a "manger". This was a rack used for holding hay and may well have been wall-mounted as is common around the world today. It certainly could not have been anything like the twee thing you see on Christmas cards and all too often in our churches! What animals might eat from a manger? Certainly not sheep. Pigs would have also been out of the question. It would have to be larger animals such as donkeys or oxen, and a larger wall mounted manger would therefore have been more appropriate.

So that pretty wooden stable and the pretty little trough are very unlikely. In many houses in that part of the world it would not have been uncommon then (and indeed it is not now in rural areas) to live upstairs above an area where animals might be kept at times and where hay and wheat might have been stored. My guess is that upstairs guest room was already bursting at the seems and they ended up downstairs.

Moving on we read about the visit of the shepherds who had heard the news from an angel. I love this part of the story. These men (socially insignificant) are living out in the fields and were keeping an eye on their sheep when an angel appears and the glory of the Lord shines around them. Then a "heavenly host" appears speaking words of praise to God. No reference here to creatures with wings suspended in mid air and singing!

You might have thought that this experience was something worth telling. "Hey you'll never guess but we have just been visited by angels"! But instead it is the message they received that impacts them so they go to check it out as fast as they can. Here we get another glimpse into the birthplace of Jesus. But wait a minute they went in a hurry the scripture said so they certainly would not have travelled with sheep as that can take ages! So no sheep and no reference to the presence of angels, oxen, asses or robins then! No reference here to a star a few feet over a wooden stable either.

It is Matthew who tells us about the Magi. There is no reference to three "kings" and even calling them "wise men" might not be exactly helpful. They were some kind of astrologers but nowhere does it say how many came on that journey. We know from the text that there were at least two of them. The fact that there were three kinds of gifts does not necessarily imply three of them. So the picture of three kings in their crowns each holding a distinctly different gift is not part of the textual account either!

It is worth noting that the Magi found Jesus and Mary in a "house" and not that wooden stable thing on the Christmas card. Could it be that some relatives have already gone home and they had at last been able to move upstairs? Of course, Mary might still have been in the downstairs part of the house as that would also fit the text, but then rule out completely the cave as well as a stable.

The exact timing of this visit is a mystery. We can assume that it would have been after Mary and Joseph had taken Jesus to the temple to "present him to the Lord" and make a sacrifice. So this would have been at least 40 days after the birth as Mary was ceremonially unclean until that time.

The fact that Herod had children under two years old killed does not necessarily imply that the Magi arrived two years after the birth, of course.

So let's take stock. We've lost that donkey and assorted animals. We have no chain of inns, we have no twee little trough. We do have angels but not necessarily with wings or suspended from the sky. We have no kings just an unknown number of astrologers coming to a house.

Much more important is that when we strip away all the unbiblical Christmas card images we are left as the shepherds were with the heart of the story. Remember what excited them was not being visited by angels but what they had been told. Luke tells us that after they had seen the evidence for themselves what they told others was what they had been told: "A Saviour has been born to you - Christ the Lord".

Let's not lose sight of the real value of the present within the wrapping paper.

Don't Justs Stand There! Pray Something!

2008-12-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

Like most people I occasionally have strange dreams that I cannot associate with anything that has been going on in my mind during the day. Today I awoke following one of these dreams and as I sought to understand it it has stimulated prayer.

In the dream I found myself making a pastoral visit to a young man who i found stuck in bed, physically incapacitated (apparently the consequence of a serious injury), and in a room not large enough to swing that proverbial cat. Also with him was a female care worker or therapist of some kind. With me was a young assistant learning to do pastoral visiting.

As we entered this space my associate greeted the young man heartily in an unnaturally loud voice. This immediately provoked a negative response and all his anger and frustration just boiled over. I tried to smooth the situation over by pointing out that often people feel a little insecure and uncertain on such occasions and, without thinking, raise their voices as if this will somehow improve the communication. But of course the man angrily pointed out that he wasn't deaf it was his ***** legs that wouldn't work!

He was so angry and frustrated that my gentle words and proffered hand were totally ignored. As I stood there looking at him, and the embarrassed and helpless look on the face of the care worker, I felt my own sense of helplessness in the situation. My sympathetic words and offered handshake were as equally useless as my associate's nervous greeting that had sparked off this scene.

As the man grew quiet I tried to respond to my new awareness of just how frustrated and angry this young man was by his incapacity. I sensed that boredom was a factor so I inquired whether they had any board games such as monopoly, adding quickly that I was only trying to understand the problem and not just offering stupid suggestions. The care worker assured me that they had plenty of such resources but that was not what was really needed.

It was then that I awoke with my brain still trying to come up with a solution that would ease that anger and frustration. As my consciousness increased I then began to reflect on the dream and to ponder whether there was any wider relevance or meaning to it. What came into my mind next really surprised me, for I found myself suddenly praying for Gordon Brown, our Prime Minister!

Here is a man whose expectations have been frustrated by events largely beyond his control that have incapacitated him. There is no obvious sure solution to his situation, and various financial and fiscal strategies so far suggested and implemented are about as helpful (at least at present) as a game of monopoly would be for the frustrated young man in my dream.

In my dream my reinforced understanding of the frustration and anger resulting from the incident that had rendered the man helpless and hopeless also left me aware that I had nothing that I could offer that was of myself. The only thing that I could do was offer prayers from a heart of faith that believed that God had the wisdom and the power to actually do something helpful.

So it was that I found myself praying for the Prime Minister and his government caught up in a global financial crisis, the impact of which is seriously affecting the lives of millions of people already and shaking whole political and economic systems in the world. I share this experience with anyone who reads this blog who, like me, has a relationship with God and knows the efficacy of prayer. At a time when we have no wisdom or power to change the situation that afflicts the world and incapacitates those in leadership let us use the resources available to us and pray. For the one who could really get us out of the mess is God himself and we really need that help.

Getting out of debt

2008-12-20T02:21:00.000-08:00

There must be many people struggling with debt at the present who would find part of the book of Nehemiah (Old Testament of the Bible) uncannily relevant. The passage demonstrates how easy it is for debt to mount up and the need for fair and just solutions. Do read on...

The story of Nehemiah focuses on the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem many years after the people had been conquered by the Babylonians and most taken into exile. This task was not only of practical value, it was also highly symbolic. Nehemiah's single-minded approach to this task for which he appears not to possess any natural ability is exceptional. The whole work is accomplished in just 52 days by mobilising and inspiring a work force. Yet in the middle of the task Nehemiah appears to take time out to address a major social issue - debt.

It is possible that the initial cause of the problem was a famine that had affected the area, pushing up the cost of food. But as so many have found today, it is all too easy to be caught in a debt spiral. In order to purchase food many had mortgaged their homes and land. But the cost of food was not the only problem. There were also taxes that had to be paid to the Babylonian empire. The only solution was taking out loans and it appears that there were plenty of loan sharks around charging high rates of interest. When all else failed the only way in which the poor could keep going was essentially to sell themselves into bonded service - a form of slavery. So the rich got richer and the poor got steadily poorer.

The first thing that Nehemiah did about this was to point out the immorality of the situation, and to shame the exploiters into appropriate action. The second thing he did was to stop the exorbitant interest charging on loans. The third thing he did was to take fiscal action and he immediately stopped claiming income to which he was entitled as the local governor. All of that would have been good but he went one stage further and opened up his home as a place of hospitality for others - a kind of early soup kitchen, only better!

When people get into financial difficulties they need help to get out of the mess, not help to get deeper into it. So I am encouraged by the many programmes that Christians and churches are engaging with in order to help those struggling with debt and money supply problems. Two are worth specific mention. They are "Christians Against Poverty" (www.capuk.org) and Credit Unions (www.abcul.org).

Credit Unions are not exclusively Christian but it is a movement with its roots in the Christian churches and many churches are involved. These are a source of well managed loans for people who would have difficulty borrowing from elsewhere and could become victims of loan sharks. They are properly managed and supervised by the FSA. Interest rates are charged but these are lower than elsewhere. Christians are encouraged to become savers with their local Credit Union. You can still earn some interest but know that you are helping others. Local Credit Unions often also welcome volunteers from churches.

Christians Against Poverty will provide immediate help for people already in trouble. They can help in a number of ways to stop the debts from spiralling and help people to manage their own way out of difficulty. Branches of CAP can be found all over the country run through local churches.

Jesus is in the business of setting people free, and that is just what he would want his people to do too. Both CAP and the CUs have responsible programmes for doing just that and every Christian could do something with either or both to make a real difference to someone today like those we read about in Nehemiah chapter 5. Whatever other priorities we may have (just as Nehemiah had) there are some issues that cannot be ignored.

Why tell three stories when one would do?

2008-12-01T04:59:00.000-08:00

No one could argue against the fact that Jesus was a great story teller. But he was unlikely to waste words. Why then did he tell three almost identical stories in quick succession to make a single point? Read on for my reflections on this.

The three stories I refer to are all recorded in Luke 15. Each is about something that was lost but later found, followed by much celebration. The first is about a sheep that has strayed (part of a flock of 100). The shepherd leaves the 99 in safety and goes of searching until he finds the one that was lost. The second story is about a coin that was lost. Bible commentators suggest that this might have been an ornament with important sentimental vale. Again a thorough search ensues until it is found. The third story is about a son who cannot wait for his father to die so he could inherit riches, so he persuades his father to give him the money now. When the money, the "friends" and the fun run out he eventually comes to his senses and realising his stupidity and immoral actions he returns to find his father looking at for him. The father runs out to meet him long before he gets back home.

All three stories contain much that is the same except the cause of the "lostness". The coin had done nothing and was a victim of other causes. The sheep seems to have just strayed. The son deliberately chose the wrong path. The reason for the stories was the criticism of the self-righteous religious leaders who condemned Jesus because he kept company with people of bad reputation - "sinners". In my previous posting I explained that there are three different concepts to Hebrew and Greek understanding of what sin is. The main concept is just a basic human inherited characteristic. No one other than Jesus has ever lived a perfect life. Like the coin our problem in many ways is the consequence of another's actions. But a second concept is waywardness - the tendency to stray off the right path like the sheep. The third concept is about a deliberate choice to commit sin - like the son.

It seems to me that Jesus is saying that God cares about us passionately whether we have strayed a little, deliberately chosen the wrong way, or just can't help being the way we are. He will never give up on any one of us until he can rejoice in what was lost being found. If you are not living in a dynamic fulfilling relationship with God that brings deep peace and lasting joy then I guess that must mean he's still looking for you. Do you want to be found?

Problems with "sin"

2008-11-28T01:32:00.000-08:00

Most of us would have no difficulty with condemning what has been done recently in Mumbai, or a man repeatedly raping his two daughters, also in the news recently. But the nature of wickedness is a mystery to many. Both are expressions of what the Bible calls sin but there is more to it than that.

For many the word "sin" is unhelpful as it often carries images of self-righteous people condemning others. Yet the same people would readily accept that a characteristic that all humankind seem to share is the ability to mess things up. None of us are perfect, and sin is simply one way of defining that.

In both Hebrew and Greek thinking (the two main languages of scripture) there are three different ways of understanding sin. I find them helpful and I also find the fact that I can illustrate them from the experience of every motorist in the UK is helpful too.

Our national speed limit is 70 mph. Most built up areas limit speed to 30 mph and there are various other limits. Despite careful searching I have yet to find one driver who can honestly say that they have not exceeded the speed limit at some time. In fact many would say (in their defence) that you just can't help it sometimes. This introduces us to the main concept of sin which is simply a failure to meet an expected standard.

Sometimes the speed limit is exceeded almost accidentally. We might be aware that we have come into an area where the speed is limited to 30 or 40 mph, for example, but a lack of concentration has led to driving too fast. We have drifted over the limit unintentionally. This is what is meant by the Hebrew and Greek words that are translated as "iniquity". It means a tendency to go off track. We have trolleys in supermarkets that do that!

The third concept is usually translated as "transgression". Staying with the driving analogy this would be those occasions when we are in a hurry - perhaps because we are late. If we cannot see a police car, or a speed camera, and it seems safe to do so, we put our foot down and deliberately break the speed limit. Literally transgression is about crossing a line when we know that do so is wrong.

There was a time when I accepted as true the common comment that if everyone driving in London observed the speed limit everything would grind to a halt. But learning of someone who picked up several fines and seventeen points on her licence recently in a single day's driving in London has made me think again! It seems that rules are not flexible.

We know that the speed limits are set in law for the common good and the safety of all. I'm not sure that a policeman catching me speeding would be impressed by any argument that I might put forward suggesting that it is a matter of relativity rather than absolutes. But often I hear arguments that sin is a matter of relativity. "What if no one is hurt by what we do?" Of course we tend to be blind to the consequences of our sin on other people, on society in general, or even on our own personality.

Sooner or later anyone who persistently exceeds the speed limit will either get caught by the authorities or worse still might seriously hurt someone in an accident. The latter is much more likely to happen when we persistently "get away with it". You may have heard the story about the man who fell from a very tall building and was heard to say "So far so good" as he passed each floor on his way to the pavement.

I have got away with it on occasions and I recently wondered what my bank balance would look like if I voluntarily paid the equivalent of a fine for each occasion. Putting right the consequences of our moral sins is absolutely impossible, but the Divine Authority offers to wipe the record clean when we are truly sorry.

Saying Sorry

2008-11-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

Over recent days in the UK we have been deeply affected by the death of a very young child known simply as "Baby P". Appalled by what we have seen and heard we have speculated (and some have pronounced) on who is to blame beyond those that battered this poor child. It seems that the system or those working the system failed. How could any child, having been seen sixty times by officials not have been taken into care?

We can only hope that the enquiry will explain the failure and that appropriate steps will be taken. Social workers have been quick to blame overwork and bureaucracy that prevents in depth meetings with clients. Senior officials have defended themselves with statements such as "doing everything by the book". Those within the system must feel threatened as public concern has been expressed so strongly.

Possibly fear of litigation or the political fallout may also contribute to the apparent clamour of "It wasn't my fault!"

But this current denial of responsibility is so typical of one of our societal problems today: the inability to say "sorry, it was my fault". Tragically, some of the hurting people I find myself counselling would be able to move on with their life if only there was a greater readiness on the part of the abusers to say sorry. The truth and justice experience in South Africa provides an encouraging model. Acceptance of responsibility enables the blessings of forgiveness that are otherwise denied even if offered.

Science and Faith

2008-11-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

I've just been watching two fascinating DVDs that I bought from Evangelical Films. Both are science based and very well made. They are well presented and well reasoned and do not include the usual creationist polemic that tends to offend non-Christians.

I am delighted to commend both. They are The Privileges Planet and Unlocking the Mystery of Life. Both last about an hour and would be great for helping Christians who need to know that faith and good science are not in conflict. They can also be used with non-Christians in my opinion.

If you have seen either of these please leave a comment.

Now that's Church!

2008-11-11T02:33:00.000-08:00

I was invited to speak at a small celebration event in Essex recently. It was organised by rural folk for people primarily from rural churches and people from about 5 or 6 churches were present. I had been asked to say something to encourage and inspire them in rural mission. It was to be be Bible based.

Anyone reading this blog who is not familiar with rural churches might not realise that they are often small congregations seeking to witness to their local communities but often feeling that they are burdened with maintaining ancient buildings and ecclesiastical structures. Often there is a sense of just surviving!

The celebration started at 4.00pm on a Sunday. Worship was led with a guitar and a keyboard and the songs were contemporary. These were interspersed with extempore praise and prayer. One of the local church leaders felt moved to give an exhortation within this time as well. Then I spoke and prayed. We sang one more song and then had the opportunity to enjoy informal fellowship while eating a two course meal (Shepherds Pie or Potato Cheese Bake with beans or peas) which we ate standing up. This was followed by cheese cakes or gateaux, tea or coffee.

As I drove away afterward I felt that I had just experienced church as God intends it to be. In the space of two hours we had worshipped, prayed, listened to God's word, and shared a fellowship meal together. It was good company and felt just the kind of event Jesus would have been at home at. Actually, I think he was!

Change is here to stay?

2008-11-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

The Obama campaign used the need for change as its main appeal. It was therefore a little ironic to hear a Republican commentator stating that as he looked around the Republican's final gathering that night he could not help noticing that the average age was high and that he could not see one black face. "If we are to survive," he said, "We will have to change".

That has so many echoes for UK inherited churches in rural areas. The appeal (in as much as it does actually appeal to anyone) is usually to an older white person. Of course, minority ethnic groups are not to be found in great numbers in rural areas, but the mono-culture nature of so many of our churches and high average age should cause concern. Added to that, the average size is small, many have been seriously declining, and the cost of maintaining buildings and ministry is now a heavy burden. But is there readiness to change?

Someone once said that the only people group that always welcomes change is wet babies! That might be funny but it expresses an important aspect regarding change: it is far easier for change to happen once the status quo has become uncomfortable. My fear is that rather like lobsters in a slowly warming pot of hot water, we are already soporific and fail to be awakened to the need for change.

Do add your comments.

Taking Risks - Steps of Faith (part 2)

2008-11-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

In yesterday's post on this blog I referred to risks for Formula1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton and the England cricket team. Now, after both events it is interesting to reflect on these. Did you see how narrowly Lewis Hamilton become the champion. In the final seconds he passed Glock and robbed Massa of a double victory. And it all hinged on how hard it was raining, what tyres were on the cars and when they were put on them. It was all very risky - a matter of chance.

I smiled at the comment from the captain of the England team who blamed their losing upon being distracted by matters relating to the one million dollars prize money for each member of the winning team. "We should have just focused on the game", he said. Well that's the risk you take when you pursue the wrong prize!

I think that the apostle Paul got it right when he said that there was only one prize worth striving for. The strange thing is that this prize - which is the greatest treasure anyone can receive, and which lasts for ever - doesn't come from taking risks, but simply by taking a step of faith. All we have to do is to recognise that before a holy God our very best efforts leave us coming up short, so we take hold of his offer of mercy and forgiveness and invite Jesus Christ into our lives.

What do you think?

Taking Risks - Steps of Faith

2008-11-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years the Charity Commission in England and Wales has emphasised the importance for charity trustees to carry out a proper risk assessment for their organisations. This is to ensure good governance and preparedness for possible difficulties. We also live at a time when Health and Safety Regulations also encourage awareness of risks in the workplace, and even on such activities as holidays for young people.

Today, Lewis Hamilton was involved in time trials for position on the starting grid for the F1 race at Sao Paulo. He must finish within the first five in the subsequent race if he is to win the championship but this is a highly competitive race and he will have to balance any desire to win the race against gaining the championship. One corner taken too fast or one badly timed move to overtake any of the cars that are starting in the three places ahead could prove very costly. It's all about risk management.

Then there's the Twenty20 cricket match in the Caribbean where, in the hope of winning one million pounds risks are being taken with historic test cricket. Not to mention the risks involved in the match when the prize of one million pounds for each member of the winning team is put at risk with every ball bowled or fielded, and every stroke of the bat.

Some might say that taking steps of faith is also risky. After all walking is about losing your balance if you are ever to take a forward step. For many Christians during the last 24 hours their very survival would be a matter of taking a step of faith. The only difference between taking steps of faith and running risks is that, for a Christian, faith is based upon the character and promise of God, whereas risks depend upon human skill and chance.

I guess that most of us take some risk almost every day. You would think that since , by contrast, taking steps of faith based on God's Word is utterly reliable, more people would be willing to do that.

Who's that speaking?

2008-10-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

I heard an interesting story on Radio4 today that made me smile. It was actually the funniest thing I have heard in the last 24 hours. Here in the UK we have had a lot of news about two entertainers whose conduct on air has been far from funny. So something to make me smile was a pleasant change!

Apparantly a well known American ventriloquist called Paul Winchell (born in 1922) was offered an opportunity on prime time TV in the USA in the 1950s. However when they tried things out for a test the sound engineer reported a problem. Apparantly the sound on Paul's normal voice was coming through perfectly but there were problems when he made the dummy speak. Was it some kind of problem with microphone technology back in the 50s?

What it turned out to be was that each time it was supposed to be the ventriloquists dummy that was talking the sound engineer moved the directional microphone boom so that it pointed to the dummy's mouth because it was the dummy's lips that were moving! Unbelievable!

It made me think about a time when God called young Samuel in the night. Three times Samuel got up and went to Eli, convinced that it had to be Eli's voice he was hearing. After all that was what he would naturally expect. The fourth time he heard his name called he followed Eli's advice and engaged in coversation with God. Of course Samuel's mistake was understandable as he had no experience of hearing God speak to him before. It was an easier mistake than the sound engineer's!

But it makes me wonder how well might we realise it when God is speaking to us. The sound may appear to be coming from somewhere or someone else, but could it be that God is speaking to me and I fail to recognise it. Or maybe, like the sound engineer, we are failing to get the message simply because we are looking in the wrong place?

The Bible as a Jigsaw

2008-10-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

As you may know there are 66 books that make up the Bible. These were probably written by around 40 different people at different times over a period of 1500 years. But together they make up one big picture or meta narrative. Each of these books plays a part in making up the big picture in much the same way that individual pieces of a jigsaw puzzle enables the big picture to be seen.

Over the years in which I have been teaching from the scriptures I have delighted in looking at complete books and drawing out their main theme or themes so that we can see just why each book is in the Bible. This is much the same as identifying the corner pieces, borders, or key sections of a jigsaw puzzle. But I have never done this systematically working through from Genesis to Revelation.

That's why I am enjoying a series that I am running at Yelvertoft Congregational Church just now. We started a few weeks ago with Genesis and tommorrow I am dealing with Judges. What has been great is to see the way in which those attending (even mature Christians) are gaining a fresh appreciation of this most marvelous and important of books. It is also good to see Christians appreciating the Hebrew scriptures - so often neglected in favour of the New Testament.

Yet Jesus said these books testify of him, and on the road to Emmaus he went right back into the books of Moses as well as the prophets to help two disciples understand "the big picture". As Christians we have a special place of honour for Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. But it is the Hebrew scriptures that enable us to understand exactly who he is. That's why every one of the 66 books in the library is important.

If anyone is interested in the notes I could post them here. They are only simple outline explanations.

Blogging in a busy life!

2008-10-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Despite being an IT enthusiast almost from the time that computers became personal there are some IT aspects that I have been slow to engage with. I have promoted the use of IT with all the various Christian organisations and churches with which i have worked, and make use of it in almost every working day.

However over the last two weeks I boldly stepped into the world of Facebook and have a growing network of friends - some Christians and some not. And this is my first ever blog!

To be honest my life is very full and I have feared that I might not keep the blog going. But each day there are usually either interesting things that happen or the occasional original thought!

So here goes - please watch this space!