Shepherd Song

This past Sunday, the fourth in Advent, our service took on a musical theme. We had special music from the choir augmented by trumpets and drums, a wonderful anthem by the hand-bells and a Calypso Carol for childrens time. My own contribution was the Shepherd song … a version of which can be found here.

In the midst of all the music one of our elders read from the King James version of the Bible the account of the angels and the shepherds. He had e-mailed me earlier in the week to say that he would prefer to read the traditional version rather than the version in our NRSV pew bibles. There is just something about familiar words that communicates the Christmas story in a special way!

He also shared how he was reading from a bible that had been presented to him in 1942 by one of his great-grandparents. After the service another member shared how they had been praying about whether to give their own great grandchildren and grandchildren the gift of a Bible for Christmas. The experience of hearing somebody share how precious such a gift had been to them, answered their prayer.

One of the themes of the Advent season is that ‘The Word’ becomes flesh. We are blessed when during worship we get a sense that God is at work in ways we had never anticipated and through actions that are very human.

Throughout this Christmas season may we continue to have experiences of the Holy Spirit that are truly ‘incarnational’… a theological term for God becoming flesh and hope being born into the midst of our everyday world.

Prayer ‘Lord, help us in this holy season to seek for Your love to be born in the midst of our celebrating. We thank You for this joyous season, and pray for all those we know of who are finding it hard to celebrate because of their life circumstances. Continue to shine the light that removes all darkness. Amen.’

Prisoners of Hope

Our lesson for the third Sunday in Advent focused on John the Baptist and his situation in prison. The sermon can be found here.

The majority of us have those times in our lives when we seriously question the validity of our faith. If Christianity is such good news, how come our world is still so full of bad news? If Jesus came to be the savior, how come so many seem to be on a path to nowhere? When we are going through a dark patch in our personal lives such questions can be particularly imprisoning.

In the darkness of his prison cell John found encouragement through Jesus quoting to him Isaiah’s words about the ‘blind receiving sight, lame walking and good news being proclaimed to the poor.’ Those words bid John look beyond the confines of his immediate circumstances and see a bigger picture. Not easy to do, for sure!

But whoever said the journey of faith was meant to be easy? Whoever said there wouldn’t be days of darkness and doubt and struggle? Such were certainly a feature of Jesus own spiritual journey. At various times we see Him weeping, angry, and sweating blood as He struggled with God’s will. On the cross He declares He feels forsaken by God.

Despite the struggle, to paraphrase John’s gospel, “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it”. It’s O.K. when we have doubts and our faith is more struggle than it is victory. It seems to be all part and parcel of what makes faith a reality rather than a fairy tale.

It’s partly what can make Christmas such a meaningful celebration. There is nothing particularly attractive about taxes, census taking and fleeing persecution. Having nowhere to stay and being forced to give birth in a stable is a desperate situation to be in. None of us would describe a life driven by visions of angels and vivid dreams ‘normal’.

Yet the eye of faith sees in these events the hope of redemption and dares to proclaim that through Jesus Christ we can all be prisoners of hope!

Prayer: “Lord in this Christmas season, guide us through our struggles to places where the light breaks through. Through Your Holy Spirit, be born in our hearts afresh and imprison us with Advent hope. Amen.”

Advent Sundays

During Advent our sanctuary is filled with the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. We have a number of special programs in worship … children sing, instrumentalists accompany the choir, families light the candles each Sunday. We also have a number of special collections. Mittens adorn the Christmas trees. There are boxes of food in the porch that will be distributed to local pantries. We receive a Christmas Joy Offering. And of course we still do all the regular stuff like confessing, preaching and praying!

We have a number of added programs. The Deacons provide a coffee hour after worship. Our Sunday School offers us an annual play after which we sit down together for Christmas Dinner. We have a special Jazz concert by one of our members. We visit some local homes carol singing after which one of our families opens up their own home for fellowship.

On Christmas Eve we have two services, one at 5 p.m. for families, then at 11 p.m. we meet for a service of Carols, Communion and Candlelight that extends into Christmas morning.

It is a good thing that we have these opportunities to remind ourselves of the Christian meaning of the season.

An Advent Prayer
Lord, as we travel through these crazy days of Christmas keep us in mind of the deeper meanings of the season. Take us to the hillside to hear the angels song. Help us to marvel at the wonder of Jesus birth. May we join with the Wise travelers who journeyed to Bethlehem. In a world often desperate for hope, may we fix our hopes in your love. Amen.

Feasting on Hope

This past Sunday being the first Sunday of Advent we focused on lectionary passages that were about the coming Kingdom of God. The sermon can be found here.

The motif of ‘surprise’ in the Matthew reading (Matthew 24:36-44) is the one that always fascinates me. Whilst telling us in no uncertain terms that the day of the Lord will come, we are cautioned not to speculate about when such an event may take place.

Rather our call is to work at the kind of things that bring the Kingdom closer. If we want to see a hope filled world then we are invited to offer some hope. If we wish to see war at an end then we are called to support initiatives towards peace. If we want to see the poor lifted up, then we are called to do some serious sharing from out of the abundance God has blessed us with.

The surprise seems to come when our small and seemingly insignificant actions are shown to have made a difference to somebody and opened a little window of hope into their lives. ‘One day’ the prophets declare “All will be well”. In the meantime do the little things that turn out to be the big things.

Prayer: Lord, in this Advent season we seek that our lives may be a source of hope for others. We dare to believe that You have all things under control and one day its all going to turn out right. But until that time help us to carry on trusting that our actions make a difference. Amen.

The Living Difference

In our sermon this past Sunday we were thinking about the Sadducees and their doubts about resurrection. The sermon can be found here.

How can belief in the resurrection make a difference to our daily lives?

Belief in the Resurrection offers a fresh perspective on justice.
Many times we hear the complaint that “Life is not Fair”. There was nothing ‘fair’ or ‘just’ about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Yet God was able to turn the ultimate catastrophe into the ultimate victory through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Belief in the resurrection grants to us the hope that God can take the most unjust and desperate situations and use them for some good and eternal purpose.

Belief in the Resurrection places life into a larger framework.
If we believe our actions have an eternal significance then we are less likely to make hasty decisions or invest ourselves in activities that benefit only ourselves. We will take seriously the invitation of Jesus to find Him in the most needy of those around us. As our lives are transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit we seek to help others experience His living love.

Belief in the Resurrection offers a hopeful perspective on death.
If death is the end, then death is the ultimate catastrophe. However if death is a doorway into something greater, then death is nothing to fear. As St Paul wrote to the Philippian church, “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”.

Prayer: Lord, we ask that belief in the power of Your love to overcome death may transform our lives. Help us through Your Holy Spirit to be resurrection people with ‘Hallelujah’ as our song!” Amen.

Get out of that Tree

Zacchaeus was the little guy who climbed up the sycamore tree to see Jesus pass by. But Jesus didn’t pass by. He stopped in His tracks, looked up into the tree, called his name and told him to ‘Come down’ as He was coming to his house that day. A sermon on Zacchaeus can be found here.

Zacchaeus is a fascinating character. His name means "pure," yet the Bible tells us he was anything but. He was a chief tax collector in Jericho, the city where the walls had fallen down. Jesus was passing through the city on His way to Jerusalem. Zacchaeus was hated by the Jews not so much because he was a tax collector but because he had intimate contact with Gentiles.

Jesus told Zacchaeus to hurry down out of the tree: Jesus was going to spend the day at his house. Jesus was spending more and more time with people who were "undesirable" and He explained His reasons for associating with them; the Son of Man had come to seek and to save those who were lost.

Jesus cared about Zacchaeus just as He cared about everyone, no matter their profession. Zacchaeus was truly a changed man after he met Jesus. He repented of all the wrong things he had done. He understood what Jesus said about "turning around" and following in His ways. He promised Jesus that he would pay back the people from whom he had taken too much in taxes according to the laws of Moses -- fourfold.

Jesus told Zacchaeus that his faith had caused him to be counted among God's people. Anyone, in fact, who comes to Jesus in faith and believes in Him is saved by his or her faith. If Zacchaeus had a chance, so do we!

Prayer: Lord, it is good to know that whoever we are and whatever we have done, You still come seeking after us. You always offer us the chance to make amends and start over again. May we welcome Your love into our daily routines this week. Amen.

The Jonah Syndrome

A question I’m often asked is “Why did you come to America?” Something resembling an account of the events that led me to this beautiful and spacious land can be found in this past week’s sermon…. which can be found here.

In the sermon I reflect on the way Jonah resisted the call of God and remained unimpressed by God’s grace towards the sinners of Ninevah, even when they repented. I suspect there remains in each of us something of ‘The Jonah Syndrome’. Do you recognize any of these Jonah symptoms in yourself?

When you hear of trouble, you say ‘Somebody should do something about that!’ By ‘somebody’ you mean ‘somebody other than yourself’. When you sing the hymn ‘Here I am Lord’ you are actually thinking ‘There they are, Lord”

When you sense God’s call to deal with injustice, you want to hide? I mean, after all, Ninevites are not nice people. Unpredictable. Threatening. Scary. Why would anybody want to help them? It was their own fault they were in such a mess! I admit it. I find some homeless people scary. I worry about getting involved in certain peoples situations because I’m afraid where it may lead. I don’t like being ‘not in control’

When it comes to a whole host of dilemmas, from immigration to welfare reform, from helping the poor to housing the homeless, there is a part of my that wants to ignore the issues and pursue different directions.

When things turn out good for your opponents, you get a little sulky. It’s hard to rejoice about others well being, particularly if they are people you don’t particularly like! You would much rather see them brought low and get what you believe they deserve. Jonah thought that ‘The blasting of the Ninevites’ would have made a great fireworks show. Why did they have to go and repent? And why on earth would God show mercy to them?

How easily we forget that we are all in the same boat when it comes to being ‘sinners who fall short of the glory of God’. Were it not for the grace of God, we’d all be lost! Who do we think we are presuming upon who and whom not the grace of God should fall upon. Who made us judge and jury?

As I say… I suspect we all fall victims of Jonah syndrome!

Prayer: Lord, thank goodness You don’t treat us the way we treat each other. Help us to see others as being Your much loved and special children. May that particularly be so with those we find it hard to get along with! May our lives reflect your mercy and our ways reflect your loving kindness. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN.

Go Forth…

As part of a series reflecting on some of my own experiences I preached this past Sunday about sensing a call to ordained ministry. That sermon can be found here.

One of the Scriptures referenced in the sermon was Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you”. Consider the following things about Abram’s calling …

Abram left a lot behind. In the kind of patriarchal world in which Abram dwelt leaving the house of your relatives and your father was a radical move. The extended family was his entire support network. Family ties were not the sort of thing you messed with! It is hard to leave that which we love and have grown accustomed to. Yet such is the journey of faith Jesus calls each of us to make. Declaring Him as ‘Lord’ pushes all other relationships (even our closest ones) into the shade.

Abram didn’t have a destination. Some where “I will show you” is not a physical address. He heard God’s call and followed not knowing where the journey would actually take him. The only assurance he has is that because God is leading him, it would turn out to be somewhere good. God never seems to show us the whole map of our lives at one time. All we hear is ‘Follow”.

Abram was obedient. He followed. He sensed God’s call. He, no doubt, had a head full of questions. But he put all of that behind him and moved forward into God’s promises. Our journey of faith is a one step at a time process. We don’t know where it will take us. We don’t need to know. Our motivation can simply be that we know that our God is with us!

Prayer: Lord, You call us to ‘Go forward’. Yet so often we cling to what we know rather than taking those risky steps of faith. Remind us that wherever it is we are called to go, we have the promise that You go with us. We don’t need all the details. What we need is Your love. Amen.

Called to Be Free

Since moving to my current church a number of questions have been re-occurring. “How did you become a Christian? “ “What made you want to be a minister? “Why did you move from your home in Great Britain to the USA?” To answer those questions I’m preaching a series of sermons (This is my Story, this is my Song) the first of which can be found here.

In the sermon I reflect on a verse from Galatians 5:13; “You were call to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature. Rather serve one another in love.” Note from this verse these things about freedom;

Freedom is a Calling. God calls us to come out of lives that are self-seeking, self-satisfied and self motivated and discover that seeking the Kingdom of God is the true path of freedom. This involves us making some hard choices and definite decisions. We choose to listen for God’s direction through scripture. We decide that the pressures of this world will not mould our existence, but rather the prompting of God’s love.

Freedom is not self-indulgence. We have this warped notion that freedom is doing whatever we want to do. In reality following such a path leads to nothing but ingrained habits, addictions and the inability to make realistic choices. Jesus invites us to make His love the center of our being, a love we can know and experience through the Holy Spirit.

We are set free to serve. As we allow ourselves to be inspired by the Holy Spirit our focus shifts from ourselves to others. The two great commandments about “Loving God” and “Loving our neighbor” take on a sharper focus. We find ourselves not only wanting to help make a positive difference in peoples’ lives, but greatly enjoying it!

Prayer: Lord, You call us to freedom. But freedom is not what we always think it is. True freedom can only be found as we surrender to the influence of Your love. Help us to find our center in You. Amen.

World Communion Sunday

This past Sunday was ‘World Communion Sunday’ and as we gathered around the World Wide Table we reminded ourselves that our family of faith is much larger than just our local church. The sermon for the day can be found here.

We also received a special Peacemaking offering, indicative of our hope that peace may yet come to our fractured world.

After 2000 years of history, Christianity can be found in many different forms and guises. Though Scripture talks of us as being ‘One Body’ we also sadly have to acknowledge that some of our bones are broken, some of us are ‘out of joint’ with each other and the picture we present to the world is not one of unity.

One of the places that healing can take place is around a shared table. Regretfully, because theologians can’t agree about a mystery, our differing traditions are not always welcoming of ‘outsiders’ to sit with them. But ‘times they are a changing’ and we can but hope and pray that our divisions may yet be healed in order that we can more realistically embody hopes for the peace of all.

So today I lift up the work of all those agencies that are seeking to bring our churches together. We all have so much to learn from other traditions! Our local organization is the Long Island Council of Churches. I’m sure you have similar organizations in your own neighborhood and would encourage you to support them in whatever way you can.

Prayer: Lord we are not a united church. We do not witness well to our world through our divisions. Increase our love for those who are different from us. Break the hardness of hearts that cannot see beyond their own limited perspective. Amen.

Lessons from Lazarus

This past Sunday we approached the parable Jesus told in Luke 16:19-31, about the rich man and Lazarus, as a play in 3 Acts. Discover the drama for yourself here.

During our Childrens Time we thought about Paul’s word to his young friend Timothy that ‘’the love of money was the root of all kinds of evil”. It may well pay dividends to reflect further on the wealth issue! We can note the following things:-

Wealth is transitory. The rich man’s wealth is gone in Hades (16:23). Last Sunday we looked at a crooked manager who suddenly faced bleak prospects (16:3). Elsewhere in Luke Jesus tells us of a farmer whose retirement savings goes to others on the night he dies (12:20). The point is clear. Money, possessions, and the good life that they bring with them are temporary in character and in the end completely untrustworthy.

Wealth obscures moral vision. The rich man knows Lazarus by name, but he looks past him day after day. As long as he is wealthy and self-sufficient, he has eyes only for himself and cares nothing for the welfare of others. Our comfortable situations can blind us to those less fortunate.

Wealth creates chasms between people. Wealth can be an impassable barrier that separates people one from another and prohibits meaningful interaction. The rich man’s moral blindness toward Lazarus during his lifetime isolates him from human contact and comfort in his own time of need.

The problem is not in wealth itself, but in the power of money to become an idol that completely controls our lives. Whenever we allow our money… or even our lack of it… to determine our joy, then we are allowing the values of this world, rather than God’s Kingdom, to determine how we live our lives.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be satisfied with what we have and use all that we are to help others discover the joy of Your Kingdom. In this way our lives will truly be rich. Amen.

Tony Malonely

‘Tony Malonley’ is an imaginary character I created this past Sunday to illustrate the parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16:1-13. You can enjoy the sermon for yourself here.

To set our meditations in a slightly different direction, commentators note that Luke has a number of parables in which people of status are brought low and need help from those in a less fortunate position.

A traveler on the road who is set upon by thieves receives help, not from his Jewish contemporaries, but from a Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37). A son who squanders his inheritance begs to become as one of the hired hands. (Luke 15:11-32). In our parable a manager of dubious character seeks help from his debtors.

Elsewhere scriptures teach us to be modest in our self-apraisal and to ‘Humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord”. Jesus suggests that it is better to be engaged in taking the plank out of our own eye, than seeking to take the speck out of the eye of another.

Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary
comments “Perhaps this is why the Lord praises the corrupt manager. The manager's sagacity lies in his ability to discern his own situation. He may be "ashamed to beg" (16:3), but he is prudent enough to recognize when his status has evaporated”

Our traditional denominations no longer occupy the lofty role they once played in society. As we seek to discern our own situations, there is a lesson here for us. The old ways of doing and being just don’t work in todays world. As individuals the same can also apply. It’s not so much about who we were. It is who we are seeking to be in the current moment that will define our future.

Prayer: Lord, we confess our tendency to cling to our status and hold onto that which we know best. Changing days call for changing ways. Help us have humble hearts eager to be directed by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lost without Knowing it

I was traveling down the road, so busy talking to the person sitting in the passenger seat that I failed to notice that there was an intersection. The road I wanted went one way, the way I went was the other way. It was only when we came upon a shopping mall and a set of traffic lights that I realized our error. I had become so preoccupied that I had become ‘lost without knowing it.’

As we reflected on Luke 15: 1-10 and the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin this past Sunday we thought about the dangers involved in being lost! That sermon can be found here.

What are some strategies we can turn to when we feel lost?

Look at a map.
The Scriptures can be a great guide to help us through our problems. As we read of how different bible characters dealt with the issues of their day, we can often find guidance for ourselves. Some of the greatest sayings of Scripture can give a framework in which to find the way. ‘Treat others in the way you would like them to treat you’ ‘Pray for your enemies’, ‘Be Patient’… these little nuggets can help us navigate many moral dilemmas.

Ask Directions.
I know what they say…. real men never ask for directions! Yet Christian doctrine has always insisted that Jesus was a ‘real man’. And He found it very necessary to carve out a place in His life for prayer. So have His disciples across the centuries. When we are feeling lost, we seek God for direction.

Help others.
Becoming involved in a cause outside of ourselves can often bring answers to questions we didn’t even realize we were asking. Seeing things from another persons perspective. Maybe walking a while in their shoes. Such experiences can provide the sort of purpose and meaning that we may be missing in our day to day routines!

Prayer: Lord, when we are feeling lost help us to find our way through Your Holy Spirit being our guide. Guide us as we listen. Guide us as we serve. Guide us as we pray. Guide us through the Scriptures. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

The Call and the Cross

As we met around the communion Table this past Sunday we considered the topic of our calling of Jesus to take up our own Cross and follow Him. The text of the sermon can be found here.

In a world were we like to take things easy… why on earth would we willingly take on the kind of commitment that Jesus asks of us?

All is not well with our world. Whilst we enjoy the benefits of freedom, health and bountiful resources, we are the fortunate ones. The same cannot be said for many with whom we share our planet. It seems not simply a religious principle, but a humanitarian one, that we who have much should not rest easy whilst many have so little.

History teaches that progress rarely happens without struggle. The great freedoms we enjoy are not accidental. Laying behind our privileges are the historical acts of those who selflessly pursued higher goals… often to the point of surrendering their own lives. Struggles against slavery, for equal rights for women, for just labor practices… the list goes on and on.

We seek a higher goal. If we dare take the name ‘Christian’ then we intimate that we are taking on the mantle of Christ-like living. We state our belief that His way of doing things is the ‘WAY’, that His life represents what ‘LIFE’ should be, that His truth is the ‘TRUTH’ regarding what really counts for something.

Prayer: Lord, we hear Your call to take up a Cross and follow. We may not want to hear it… but You keep calling. Help us to recognize that You call us to bring positive change to this world we share with so many others less fortunate than ourselves. Amen.

Calling

Our summer series on “Repeating themes” concluded by looking at the theme of “Calling”. The text of the final sermon can be found here.

Matthew 4:17-22 gives us the account of Jesus calling fishermen as His first disciples, redirecting their fisher skills to be used in service of the Good News.

What skills have you accumulated over the years? We are all different, working in different places, gathering differing skills. Have you ever sat down and thought about what you fill your days with? It can be a valuable thing to take some time out and take a personal skills inventory. It can also be quite surprising!

How can your skills be used to promote good news? Jesus took fisher skills and harnessed them for the work of the Kingdom. Such is a calling He invites us all to embrace… namely using ‘who we are’, for the purpose of extending to others His loving invitation to encounter God. The greatest tool God can use is our willingness to be the people God intends for us to be!

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am Your unique creation, different to any other. You have led my life thus far and equipped me with many skills. Help me to allow You to use who I am to share the message of Your love with others. Amen.

Living

In Worship this past week we looked at the theme of living. The sermon for the day can be found here. Biblically speaking… what is life? An all to brief survey follows. Life is….

The breath that is God breathed into every soul.
Symbolized by a Tree of life
Saved in Noah.
Restored by Elisha.

The path of blessing for the righteous.
Praised in the Psalms... as God redeems, guides, protects,
... a fountain, a joy, a blessing.
The reward for humility (Proverbs)

In the prophets, a way to pursue.
Become as a 'watered garden'
A covenant of life and well-being.
A river that flows through the temple.

For Jesus...
Something God will take care of. Don't worry.
Something defined by more than life on earth.

For John...
In Christ is life
Whoever believes has eternal life
John 3:16!
Jesus is the Bread of life... to be consumed.

In Acts
Jesus is the author of life.
Repentance leads to life.

In Romans
Seeking brings life
We are saved by His life... to walk in newness of life.
All die in Adam, all live in Christ.

In Corinthians
The Spirit gives life.
Life is at work in us.
Our true life hidden in Christ.

In Titus
We are encouraged to take hold of life

In 1 John
Life is manifest in the love we have for God and each other.

In Revelation
We eat from the Tree of Life
Our names are in the Book of life.
We drink from the Water of life
And the Spirit and Bride say “Come”…

Prayer: Lord Our God we thank You for the gift of life. Teach us this day to embrace the abundant life that Jesus offers to us. As we glimpse Your purposes in our daily lives may we be renewed to serve one another. Amen.

Dying

In our summer worship services we’ve been examining reoccurring themes that weave in and out of the Bible’s 66 books. This past week we looked at the theme of dying. The sermon for the day can be found here.

As Christians we should not be afraid to talk about death. We are mortal and somewhere along the line death will be our destiny. We confess to believing that death is not the end but part of a process that leads us home. On what grounds dare we make such bold assertions?

We first and foremost have the witness of Jesus Christ. It is a pillar of our faith that “He died and He rose again”. The work of Jesus began long before He was born and will continue long after we have gone. He raised Lazarus from the tomb. He spoke about eternal life as a fact. He demonstrated to His disciples both in His resurrection appearances and through His ascension that the boundaries we place upon life do not apply. God raised Him from the dead!

We have the witness of countless saints who across the centuries died in the hope of Christ. The first Christian martyr, Stephen, declared in his dying moments; “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts7: 56). The conviction that this life is not all that there is has led many to stand firm as intimidators threatened to take their lives. They have glimpsed something beyond the boundaries death seeks to contain us within.

We have the witness of Scripture. Paul writes in Romans 6:8 “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.” Spiritual growth involves dying to our self and living for Christ. As we share in His death, so we are promised we will share in His life (both in the now and beyond the now).

Through our faith in Jesus Christ we are given an opportunity to glimpse beyond the barriers of space and time, and invited to believe that “we ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Prayer: Lord, help me to see death as part of Your plan for our lives. Let us not be fearful of its power nor be in dread of its inevitability. Remind us that there is more to life than life on earth. Help us not to live only for alone but live everyday in the light of eternity. Amen.

Covenanting

We have been looking in our summer worship services at reoccurring themes that flow through the Scriptures. This past Sunday we spoke about covenanting. A sermon on that very topic can be found here.

One of the things we touch on in the sermon is the idea that to covenant with God means agreeing that God knows best! How can we build that notion into our daily lives? (This may well be an exercise in ‘back to basics’ but it is good to remind our selves of simple things!)

Seek God through prayer. Prayer is not about getting God to do what we want, but getting ourselves to do what God wants. Spending some time each day with God in prayer is therefore an important part of keeping covenant with God.

Seek God through Scripture. We see throughout scripture people who both disagree and agree with Gods actions in their lives. It goes without saying that things usually turn out best for the ones who agree with God. Scripture informs our faith journey in so many ways!

Seek God through worship. Being part of a community of faith is important. Christianity has little room for lone rangers. God does not want us to go it alone. We can do so much more together than we can ever accomplish on our own.

Prayer. "Lord; help us to be people of new covenant faith, who know Your ways because of time spent in Your presence. Help us to live lives that show they agree that Your way is the best way! Amen."

Creating

A reoccurring theme that flows through the 66 books of the Bible is that of ‘Creating’. Such was our meditation during Sunday worship this past weekend. The sermon can be found here.

One of the verses we reflected upon was 2 Corinthians 5:17 ”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Note the following things.

Creating is in Christ. The biblical notion of creating involves the work of God. Sometimes people ‘take a break’ or try and ‘get away from it all’ in their quest for renewal. Christian renewal is not getting away from anything, but immersing our selves deeper into the love of Christ. Without the action of the Holy Spirit the creating process is incomplete.


Creating brings change. Paul simply says that ‘the old is gone’. So often we put up with the same old ways. The creating work Paul has in mind is of a different level altogether. It involves a break with our past. We can struggle with that because we resist change! We must bear in mind then that this a change that we are called to make ‘In Christ’. That Christ died to set us free from sin and bring about a change in us!

Creating is in the here and now. ‘The New has come’. The work of creating is happening. We don’t have to wait to for the program to start. Rather we are called to cooperate with the action of God in the now! In practice that means prayerfully seeking where the Holy Spirit is at work within us and around us.

Prayer: Lord God, You are the creator of all that it is good. In Christ You have created the way for us to be free from sin and live creative lives. Renew us through the work of Your Holy Spirit and help us to discover new ways of being faithful. Amen.

Now… about the Bible

Our worship service this past Sunday focused on the central documents of the Christian faith contained within the Bible. The sermon can be found here.

Here are some helpful hints to guide our scripture reading.

Pray. If there is a God, and that God inspired the people who wrote down their experiences in the pages of scripture, then it is going to be helpful to tune into that God as we approach a time of reading and contemplating!

Be methodical. In order to get a view of the overall message of such a huge collection of writings then a little organization is required. There are things such as reading plans and ‘Through the Bible’ resources available all over the internet. There may even be one in the back of your bible.

Be random. The many books of the Bible make awesome material just to dive into and read whatever you find. And if you are involved in prayerful diving it may even be that the Holy Spirit will guide you to exactly what you need to be hearing right now!

Be serious. Seriously! Intentional application always brings awesome results.

Move on. If you are bogged down in a particular section… then don’t be. Move on. It’s O.K not to understand the relationship between Aaron’s priestly robes and some random verse from a book you find it hard to pronounce! If you make your bible reading a life long journey… you’ll get there one day.

Enjoy. Scripture is meant to give us life not a headache. Meditation should offer joy not frustration. It’s only when we admit we’re floundering that we start to float. And swimming is better than sinking.

Prayer “Lord, Thank You for the books of the Bible. Help me to discover each day truth that will guide me and words that inspire me. Amen”

The Real Thing

In John 6:55 we hear Jesus saying “For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.” Last Sunday’s sermon focused on this verse and can be found here.

The sixth chapter of John is a meaty theological discourse. It begins with Jesus miraculously feeding the crowds with literal bread before walking on water, moves onto Him speaking of Himself as ‘Bread from heaven’ and concludes with words about who will betray Him. There are so many images and themes interwoven into the narrative that one could pursue an endless series of reflections. Hence the need to isolate a verse.

So I am sticking with the flesh as ‘true food’ and the blood as ‘true drink’. And whilst images of communion naturally spring to mind maybe there are other ways to consider this verse.

True Food
Good food is the sort of food that truly brings us nourishment and growth. There are endless amounts of folk who tell us what we should and shouldn’t be eating. Sometimes we take notice. Other times we go our own way.

Likewise in our spiritual journeys. There are practices that help us grow. There are many advisers offering us their insights, and some of it works for us and some of it leaves us cold.

By speaking of Himself as true food the implication is that to truly grow spiritually we must feast on the teachings that Jesus came (in the flesh) to offer us. Putting it ever so simply … Jesus offers good teaching that can make us whole.

True Drink
Connoisseurs of fine wine know the difference between a mature full-bodied vintage and a bottle of cheap plonk from the supermarket. That difference will be reflected in the price tag.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our salvation, the shedding of His blood on the Cross of Calvary that we may live free and forgiven! To truly drink in what God has done for us in Christ is a life-changing experience. As we come to appreciate the significance of what God has done, so we seek to be channels of God’s love to others.

Prayer: “Lord, help us to feast our lives upon the love You offer to us through the Holy Spirit. May we know Your teaching as the authentic pattern by which to order our lives. May we carry with us the awareness that Jesus died for us so as we can live for others. Amen.”

The Perils of Procrastination

In our sermon based on Luke 9:51-62 we identified three unwelcome characters who have a habit of hindering our spiritual progress, ‘Mr. Knowitall’, ‘Ms. Promise’ and ‘Uncle Hangon’. To discover more about them you’ll have to read the sermon found here.

To take things a little further I wanted to consider what Jesus says in verse 62 “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Why is ‘looking back’ such a hindrance to discipleship?


Looking back focuses us on what we may lose rather than what we may gain.
We hear something that sounds worth pursuing. But then we get back into our usual routine and we look around and start with the ’But what if?’ and the “But I’m not so sure” questions. And there are plenty of visionless souls around us to confirm all our fears for us! The vision fades and procrastination takes over.


Looking back binds us to responsibilities we may need to let go!
The image of ‘plowing’ is an image of hard graft. Jesus asks some hard things of us. ‘Take up your cross” isn’t exactly a party invitation. “Let the dead bury the dead” doesn’t roll easily off the tongue. We reach points in our spiritual journeys that are really tough! Do we take this course (which is hard) or do we take this one (which will be even harder)? But we cannot take on the responsibility of building God’s Kingdom till we let go of our own little empires.


Looking back causes us indecision rather than prompting us to action.
“‘Let me say my good-byes first” is one of the responses made to the invitation to follow Jesus. To put it another way… ‘Before I can follow you I need to put everything else in order so that there is no element of risk involved in my faith journey.’ If we are seeking order and clarity then we are not hearing what Jesus is asking of us. Faith is a risky business. It can be a messy business. The positive side is that through faith we discover that God is able to do greater things for us than we ever dared imagine!

Prayer: “Lord, I confess my indecision. You called. I said “Hold On”. Teach me not to look back to the comfortable places but look forward to the great adventures. Amen.”

Dealing with Demons

Luke 8:26-39 was the scripture for our service this past Sunday. It is a passage that deals with a confrontation between Jesus and a man known as ‘Legion’ because he was possessed by so many demons. A sermon on the passage can be found here.

Thankfully most of us have not become so overwhelmed by the evil in our world that we are in the situation of the unfortunate man whom Jesus delivered. But I suspect we all wrestle our own demons… though we may not call them by such a name. We may prefer terms like habits, compulsions or addictions. We may see them as illnesses of mind or body or simply human failings. Yet like the demons that possessed the unfortunate man in the graveyard, they haunt us and could destroy us unless we are delivered from them.

The Good News in the passage is that Jesus is the One who can deliver us. It is worth noticing the process by which deliverance takes place.

Confrontation. When the light of Christ’s presence falls upon the man his need is revealed. As through worship and prayer we open our lives to God, the dark places of our own lives can be revealed. We may not like what we see. We may feel like the man that such places are left well alone! But Christian growth involves dealing with those parts of life we’d rather forget about as well as functioning from our strong places.

Naming. Jesus is quite specific in seeking to identify the mans problem. “What is your name?” he asks the demons. So we need to be specific when dealing with things that threaten our spiritual growth. Name them and claim Christs victory over them. We try and work with God as we seek for the Holy Spirit to recreate what is currently in chaos! If our problem is ‘lust’, then we call it what it is. If its ‘avoidance’ then we acknowledge that when faced with our problems we try and run from them rather than deal with them! We name it so God can deal with it!

Sharing. The chances are that whatever we battle others are having the same battles. The existence and success of such groups as Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous testify that we oftentimes can best fight our demons in the company of others. The man Jesus delivers is invited to ‘tell others what God has done’. Christian life is meant to be communal. We are encouraged to bear one and others burdens!

Prayer: “Lord, we don’t like to consider ourselves as possessed of demons, yet we see in our lives habits and practices that seem to control us. We pray for Your deliverance from all that would hinder our spiritual growth and prevent us sharing Your love with others. Amen.”

Footnote – At F.P.C. Baldwin groups for both AA and GA are in operation. Further information can be found at the following web sites.
A.A.
Camblers Anonymous

Breaking Bread amidst the Storm

As we came to the communion table this past Sunday we looked at a passage in Acts 27:27-44 where Paul is threatened with shipwreck, but encourages his fellow travelers to break bread with him and be encouraged. The sermon for the day can be found here.

Here’s some further thoughts on how communion can encourage us amidst the storms of life.

Sharing communion during stormy days reminds we are not alone.
The whole thing about the word ‘communion’ is that involves more than one. It’s not just about us. At the very least it involves two parties… God and ourselves! As we break bread and drink wine we do so at the invitation of Jesus… an invitation that is offered with the words, “Do this in remembrance of me”. Whatever may come our way today let us try and remember we do not face it alone.

Breaking Bread reminds us that we are all broken.
We have this inbuilt tendency in the the midst of storms to look out only for ourselves. The person who falls overboard doesn’t cry out ‘Help us!’ but ‘Help Me!’. Scripture teaches that we are all sinners who fall short of God’s glory, or to put it another way, we are all drowning in our own false notion of self sufficiency. We all need God’s help and mercy, and that grace comes to us through Jesus Christ, who at the Cross totally identifies with our brokenness! As we face today's problems let us recall that we are all broken!

Sharing wine reminds us that God love is poured out for us all.
God’s love pours out of an empty tomb. Death is revealed to be a loser. The last word is not defeat but victory. We are saved by grace through faith. Paul broke bread amidst the storm and all were encouraged. Let us seek this week to allow the peace of Christ to carry us through!

Prayer: “Lord, it can be a mad mad world that brings many storms our way. In the midst of the confusion help us to find Your peace and so be an encouragement to our fellow travelers!” Amen.

Trinity Sunday

I find the doctrine of the trinity one of the most baffling yet somehow ‘seemingly right’ aspects of Christian theology. ‘Baffling’ because no matter how we try and fathom it we never really get our heads around it. ‘Seemingly Right’ because it crystalizes the New Testament disciples experience of God into a simple formula.

They had understood God as Father yet come to see how in Jesus that God stood with them. They felt the presence of Christ within them and around them through the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke of His inter-relation both with the Father and the Spirit. There is a wonderful sense of community and understanding and relationship tied up with the whole thing that is at the same time mysterious and beautiful.

Understanding with our minds and actually living out our faith are of course two different things. My reflections for Trinity Sunday can be found in a sermon titled ‘Living the Trinity’ here.

A prayer: “Lord God, our Creator and Father, help us live in a way that reflects the wonder of Your creative genius! Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer, help us to seek always to live in the light of Your teaching; Holy Spirit, inspirer, comforter and guide, create within us both the will and the strength to be a part of Your work of transformation! Amen!”

Transformation

The breakout of Christianity from its Jewish roots was a momentous occurence. The earliest disciples were not convinced that embracing all the world was God’s plan. But the actions of the Holy Spirit convinced them otherwise. (See Acts 11:1-18). A sermon on just such a topic can be found here.

Consider the experience of Peter.
It was against everything Peter had been brought up to believe to go to the house of a Gentile and eat with him without going through all the rituals that were expected of a Jewish believer. But God had called Peter to embrace a more inclusive way of being, one that pushed him beyond his comfort zone. Who are we excluding? Who are the ‘untouchables’ in our experience? Whom may God be calling us to reach out to who is not currently on our radar?

Consider the experience of Cornelieus.
He was not a Jew. He was not familiar with the ways of the Jews or the conceptions of a Messiah. He believed in his God in his own way. Yet God heard his prayer and pushed him beyond his comfort zone. There would be a steep learning curve ahead! Where are the unfamiliar areas in our own spiritual walk? What will the learning curve look like if we are to enter into a better understanding of our faith? And how do we attack that curve?

Consider the experience of the Council.
For a church body to accept such radical change… without a lengthy process of meetings and discussions… was truly a miracle. It meant a total refocus. But such was the change they allowed the Holy Spirit to work amongst them. And the results were… to say the least… spectacular. As we consider our own church structures there is certainly something to chew on right here!

Prayer: "Lord, we need Your Holy Spirit to change our focus. Like Peter You call us to embrace those we have dismissed. Like Cornelius You call us to be listeners and learners. Like the council in Jerusalem You call us to allow our structures to be transformed that we might embody the mission incentive of going into all the world with Your gospel. Transform us Lord! Amen"!

Peter’s Prayer

In Acts 9:36-43 Peter offers prayer for a disciple named Tabitha who has died. A miracle takes place and her life is restored. The miracle is a prelude to an even greater miracle… the church recasting her mission to include Gentiles as well as Jewish believers. A sermon including such musings (as well as some reflections on the prayer life of John Knox… as it was preached on Tartan Sunday) can be found here.


Some further reflections on prayer.


1. Prayer restores life. In the case of Tabitha that seems to have a literal application! But beyond that exceptional setting it remains true that active involvement in the discipline of prayer animates our spiritual life. Through prayer we tune our lives towards God’s will. The more in tune with God we become, the greater our ability to do the things to which God calls us.


2. The outcome of prayer can never be predicted. It is not my impression that Peter entered into the situation with the awareness that a life was going to be restored and the mission to the Gentiles was about to be launched. He just enters into the situation and places it into God’s hands. Prayer is never about getting God to do what we think we would do if we were gods. Rather it is allowing God to be God!

3. Prayer brings joy where there was previously only grief. The outward circumstances may often stay the same. That illness may continue. That death may still happen. But prayer changes the focus from being upon the situation towards the One who walks with us through the differing scenes of our life journey. Prayer brings confidence where there has previously been fear and hope where hopelessness has been the dominant theme.

Prayer: Lord, we ask as Your disciples of old asked… ‘Teach us to pray’. Encourage us to share our hearts deepest fears that they may be conquered by Your love. Instruct us in the ways of listening and understanding. Speak to us in our imagining, dreaming and serving that our whole selves may be energized by Your purposes. Amen.

His Way

Acts 9:1-6 gives us the account of the conversion of Saul. He is changed from being a man intent on destroying the church into one of Christianity’s greatest advocates. A Sermon on this passage can be found here.

What can we learn about the process of change from this account?

Firstly… Changing from doing things our way to doing them God’s way takes time. Whilst the flashing light and voice from the sky were things that happened in a moment, the time leading up to the decision was one that took many twists and turns. It was the influence of many of those he persecuted that helped change Saul. Scripture mentions the martyrdom of Steven as being one of the events that Saul witnessed.

A similar story holds true for many if us. We can’t all point to dramatic moments of decision but many of us are aware that the call of God had been consistently pursuing us over the years… as much through our mistakes as through our triumphs.

Secondly… Notice how personal the call is. Jesus calls his name. “Saul, Saul!” In a similar way the call of God is one that demands our personal response. Belonging to a church, attending services of worship, going through the religious motions… all these are important aspects of belonging to a religious community. But we can do all those things without realizing that there is also an intensely personal dimension to being a disciple. We are called to a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. One of the marks of that relationship will be the realization that God knows who we are… and calls us by name.

Thirdly… To follow God’s way means turning from doing everything our own way! This may be stating the obvious. But we cannot go on doing the things the way we’ve always done them and claim that we are following the new way of Christ. If change is to come to our world, it has to begin with us! The spiritual journey is one of putting away the old and embracing the new.

Prayer: Lord, help me to pursue the new life of Your Spirit. Teach me this week to find Your way amidst the many ways that will seek my attention!

OBEDIENCE

Obedience is not a word we always use in relation to spirituality. It comes into play when we have to make a choice, between what we perceive is God’s way and what we suspect is against God. That was the kind of choice that Peter had to make when the Sanhedrin forbade him to carry on ministering in Jesus name. A sermon based on that passage from Acts 5:27-32 can be found here.

Some additional thoughts on OBEDIENCE.

1. People are quick to notice when they perceive disobedience in the life of Christian leaders. Abuse scandals, money scandals and dramatic falls from grace easily attract the headlines. The kind of thing that never gets reported is the everyday faithful lives of so many Christian folk. Ask them why they pursue certain standards and they may not be able to put it into words. It’s part of who they are. It’s just being obedient to God.

2. Obedience to God is not so much a duty as it is a joy. The desire to do things God’s way grows out of our love for God. Our love for God grows out of the notion that it is a love we are returning, not a love we are earning. In that sense obedience is neither tedious or burdensome but a faithful act of devotion.

3. Obedience is not easy… because we are all rebels at heart. If we encounter something that looks O.K. to us… but somebody says “Stay Away”… we question their advice. As we read scripture we may discover insights that we question. It is at those times that obedience becomes a challenge.

Prayer: “Teach me Lord to do Your will. When my desire is lacking, send Your Holy Spirit to inspire. Help me to live in a way that brings glory to my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen”

Three Crosses

Luke’s gospel gives us the account of three men who die on crosses. (Luke 23: 33-43). A sermon for Passion Sunday can be found here.

The first man dies hurling insults at Jesus. He sees nothing redemptive in the acts that are taking place. He is embittered and hardened to the fact that the Savior of the world was right at His side. “Save others? He can’t even save Himself!” It is a fact that the message of Holy Week will be lost on so many who have no appreciation of who Jesus is and what He can do for them.

The second man has an understanding of the significance of Jesus. He realizes that Jesus had done nothing deserving crucifixion. He senses that something significant is taking place. He asks “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom!” Such faith is rewarded by a promise “Today you will be with me in paradise”. This Holy Week is an opportunity to reconsider the significance of the life and death of Jesus and figure out how the events all those years ago apply to our lives today.

The third man is the Savior Himself. He offers prayer for those who persecute Him. “Forgive them Father for they do not know what they are doing”. As we go through our “Not knowing what we are doing” lives we should rejoice that our failures and sins meet their match in the love of God. The grace of God is sufficient to meet our deepest needs.

Prayer: “Lord, during this week leading towards Easter help us to be those who receive Your Spirit and are made new. Help us to hear Your rich promises and grant to us a deeper understanding of the death of our Savior” Amen.

Lotion Devotion

In John 12:1-8 the actions of Judas and Mary are in stark contrast. Mary overflows with devotion. Judas is revealed to be less than graceful. A sermon on just such a theme can be found here.

For myself the passage challenges me to consider the nature of our relationship with God. For Judas, it appears he is possessed by an attitude that afflicts so many of us… “What’s in it for me?”.

When Judas observes Mary unashamedly anointing the feet of Jesus and kissing His feet, he is offended. Such outward shows of devotion were uncalled for! And what a waste of good perfume. That money could be put to better use. It could, for example, be given to the poor. However John comments that Judas was not in the least concerned about the poor, but rather consumed with self interest.

For Mary the question is one of love. Her life has been touched by the grace of God and she gives thanks in the best way she knows how. She does not care an iota what others may think, either of her actions or the way she chooses to spend her limited income. She loves Jesus and expresses that love in a personal and powerful way. Jesus approves of Mary actions.

What of our love for God? Are we like Judas who is constantly on his guard, wondering how much discipleship may cost? Or are we like Mary? Giving of our best because we know our lives are blessed beyond measure by God’s overflowing grace?

Prayer: “Lord, help us to turn aside from selfish concern as we consider the way Jesus gave Himself, heart and soul, to the world. As we reflect on the price He paid for our salvation, may our response become one of overflowing love. Amen.”

Beware of the Trees

I was out walking in the woods when the wind stated to blow. As I made my way home the weather grew worse. Suddenly, with a loud crash, a tree fell to the ground, narrowly missing me. I was a little shaken! Pondering the experience later in the day I reflected on those times when the unexpected happens. A sermonizing of such thoughts can be found here.

In Luke 13:1-9 the disciples are asking Jesus the ‘Why?’ question. A group of Galileans have been slaughtered by Pilate. A tower in Siloam has collapsed and killed a number of people. Why did these things happen? Were the people worse sinners than the rest of us? Was it a case of ‘What goes around, comes around?”

Jesus uses the event as a teaching moment. Life is very fragile. Any moment we could be transported to eternity where we will stand before God. His words seem harsh; “I tell you; unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did” (Luke 13:3).

I am reminded that our salvation is by the grace of God alone. Every day we enjoy life on this earth is a gift. Every time we wake up to greet a new day is a miracle. Not because we are good (or because we are bad) but because life is a great mystery and none of us truly know why we are here or when our time may come to depart. There may well be a tree in the forest with our name on it. Or not.

Make the most of the moment! There is great wisdom in the quote “‘Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody’s watching.’ We never know what tomorrow brings so we best live a faithful life today.

Prayer: “Lord, Your words call us to remember that nothing in life is certain except the depth of Your love for us. When we are full of questions that find no answer help us to cast all our cares on You and then… get on with living each day to the fullest! Amen.”

Foxes, Hens and Chickens.

In Luke 13:31-35 Jesus proclaims “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under wings, and you would not have it !” He also describes Herod as a fox. A sermon reflecting on Foxes, Hens and Chickens can be found here.

Foxes
Foxes are not favorably inclined towards chickens other than as a food source. Scripture warns us that Satan is not a fox, but a ‘roaring lion’ out to frustrate all those who seek the path of discipleship. However we view such images the lesson remains the same… the spiritual road is fraught with dangers. There are things that can destroy our faith and sap our desire to follow. We need to take care that our pride doesn’t blind us to our fragility.

Hens
The imagery of God as the mother hen who wishes to gather up her flock in her wings is one of the most tender in all of scripture. Though there are dangers on the road, God desires to shield us and protect us. To hold us close and reassure us. When life gets crazy it can be a healing thing to take in a deep breath and imagine God wrapping warm wings of protection around our lives.

Chickens
Chickens are the brood that the hen seeks to protect. Unfortunately the chickens are headed away from the hen and towards the dangers that can destroy them. We have that same tendency in our selves. Sure we know what Scripture teaches… but we’ll try things our way instead! And then we complain that things haven’t turned out as we expected. The good news is that God still desires our ingathering!

Prayer. “Lord we confess that we have stupid chicken days. We know we should turn to You but we carry on as if there were no dangers to disrupt our calm or destroy our faith. Help us to see that Your desire is to bless us and protect us. Restore to us a rightful mind! Amen.”

Temptation

In Luke 4:1-13 Jesus is led into the desert and faces a number of temptations. A sermon on that passage can be found here.

Dealing with temptation

"Turn the Bread into Stones". In other words ‘solve all your problems with a quick-fix’. Be it world hunger or personal diet there are offered to us endless solutions. ‘Send money here’. ‘Buy this’. Global poverty issues canot be solved by throwing money at them any more than our waistlines can be trimmed down by puchasing the latest keep fit DVD course. There are no quick fix options for discipleship. It's the long haul that brings results and builds solid commitment.

“It’s all yours”. Satan offers Jesus dominion over all creation and peoples. Of course it comes at the expense of compromising His beliefs. How many times have we heard that voice? “Forget your convictions for a moment, take a short cut, it will get you what you want”. In so many areas of life we are fooled into believing that the end… namely our personal influence and power… justifies us using means that are less than godly. We foolishly compromise on what we believe rather than allowing God's Word and the inner voice of the Holy Spirit be our guide.

“Jump of the Roof… God will catch you!” Of course God loves us! But that doesn’t mean that we can live however we please. We are invited to return that love… not strain it to breaking point. ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test” comes the voice of Jesus. The danger is that if we persistently refuse to learn, refuse to see and refuse to hear…then we become a person who has not learnt, nor can see, nor can hear anymore the loving call of Jesus saying, "Come to me and be made new".

Prayer: Lord, Scripture teaches us that You truly understand the temptations we face in our lives. The desire for things we shouldn’t have. The search for instant answers for our complex and deep rooted problems. Our tendancy to be presumptious of Your love. Forgive us. Renew us. Strenghten us through the power of Your Holy Spirit. ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.’ Amen. “

Don’t Blame Peter

“Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" - not knowing what he said.” (Luke 9:33)

Luke 9:28-36 gives us the account of an event known as the Transfiguration. It’s an awesome moment. Jesus is transfigured by the glory of God and seen communing with two great figures of the Old Testament, Moses (representing the 'Law') and Elijah (representing the 'Prophets'). Peter is in awe! A sermon on this passage can be found here.

Peter should have kept silent but instead he speaks out. At other times in his life, when he should of spoken out, he kept silent. Don’t blame Peter. We are all guilty of acting just like him. I’m sure you can think of things you wished you had never said and actions that you now regret having taken.

One wonderful thing about this story is that although Jesus corrects Peter, Jesus doesn’t disown Peter. It’s not a comfortable thing to have your faults exposed. Yet until they are, spiritual growth is unlikely.

It is for us to take our whole lives and apply to them the scrutiny of the love of God. Seek for God to show us our faults, and God will do so. But be aware… this may be a humiliating process. Not because God is in anyway unkind, but because our own faults are hard to face. We quickly turn the spotlight on other people’s shortcomings, but if we ourselves wish to be transfigured by the glory of God, then we need to shine the light of God’s love upon ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, I’m hesitant to invite You to shine Your light into the darkest corners of my life. Remind me that healing will not come to those places until I’m prepared to let You in to heal the hurt. Thank You for the renewing power of Your love in forgiving the failings we hesitate to name. Amen.

Super Bowl Disciples

Only a small number of people ever get to play in a Super Bowl game. The demands placed on the players are incredible. Win or lose, they have to give their all to their game.

Jesus calls us to be disciples with a high level of commitment. A sermon reflecting on that theme can be found here.

In common with disciples of all times and all places following Jesus involves leaving something behind. In the first fisherman's case it was their work and home. For our selves it can be our habits and ways of thinking that need changing. What kind of things might Jesus be calling you to leave behind at this point in your spiritual journey?

Discipleship also involves taking on something new. The first disciples had to become "Fishers of men". Allowing our lives to be embraced by God’s love adds a new dimension to our daily life. Are there any ‘new things’ that God is calling you to embrace this year?

For the first disciples following Jesus meant they had to go somewhere else. They had to move beyond the comfort zone of their familiar surroundings. Where met God be inviting you to reach beyond your comfort zones?

To succeed at any venture takes not only inspiration but also determination. Be it NFL success or spiritual maturity … the call is to press forward with all that we are.

Prayer: “Lord help me to respond to Your love with determination and allow Your love to change me. And when I fail, pick me up again and remind me that Your love is stronger than my weakness. Amen. “

Misplaced Pride

Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us.
(Jane Austen)

When Jesus preaches in His hometown the people are not impressed. After all isn’t He just Joseph’s son? A sermon reflecting on the story can be found here.

Misplaced pride can be a tremendous barrier to spiritual growth. There is a right sort of pride to have in ones self or ones community. The sort of pride that comes from thankfulness and from rejoicing in whatever good has taken place.

Misplaced pride is the sort of pride that sees only the positives and ignores the negatives. It is ‘rose-tinted glasses’ pride. It refuses to acknowledge that there can be room for improvement or any need of change. Most disastrously of all it blocks out grace from having free reign in our lives.

We must caution ourselves against being so proud that we fail to recognize the potential in the familiar. When Jesus sought to work wonders the home-town crowd just couldn’t accept that wonderful things were meant to happen in their ordinary day to day to experience of people and places. And the result? Nothing happened!

Do not join them in their unbelief. Do not allow misplaced pride to prevent your spiritual growth. Believe.

Prayer: Lord I believe. Help thou my unbelief! Help not to exclude my daily, familiar and routine life from the sphere of Your blessings. Amen.”

What’s it all about?

In the first sermon recorded by Luke, Jesus gives us His mission manifesto.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord"

A sermon on this text can be found here.

Central to this proclomation is the idea that Christ’s coming was the dawning of the time of the Lords favor. The poor would have some good news. The struggling ones would find release. The ones who couldn’t see would receive vision. The ones who felt like they were being walked all over would walk free.

We can apply this text to our own lives. Where do we feel in poverty? What are we seeking to be released from? In what areas do we feel life is trampling all over us? Where in in our life are we seeking direction?

To believe that Jesus Christ is a Saviour means allowing Him to save us! To preyerfully seek His perspective on the struggles of our lives. To seek to apply the scripturs teaching to our daily dilemmas.

The promise remains the same. The Holy Spirit is still the Counsellor, Comforter and Guide. Christ’s living love has not lost any of it’s power to renew and refresh our lives.

Prayer: “Lord help me today to apply Your love to the situations I am struggling through. Remind me when I give up on myself that You never give up on me. May this day be a day of the Lords favor! Amen.”

Annual Sports Fest

Sunday, January 31st, 2:30-6:30 p.m. the Church is having its Annual SportsFest . . . Fun and Games Afternoon. There will be bowling for all who are interested (cost for bowling is $8.00 for 2 games and shoe rental) at the Baldwin Bowling Alley on Grand Avenue.

If you don’t bowl, there will be bridge, scrabble and other board games for adults at the Church. All activities followed by a Pizza Supper in Beyer Hall. All are welcome to this fun-filled event!

DID YOU SEE THAT?

John 2:1-11 records for us the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine. As you read through the account you become aware that a lot of the people present at the wedding feast missed out on the fact that any miracle had taken place. All they knew was that for some reason the host had saved the best till last. We can so easily miss out on what God is doing around our lives. Miracles can happen and we miss them.

A sermon on that theme can be found here.

Sometimes we sing a hymn or hear a piece of music and we may think ‘Well that’s nice". But so often there is a story behind a song that can take our appreciation to a new level.

Consider a hymn such as Frances Ridley Havergal’s ‘Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to Thee’. Frances was the daughter of a rector in Worcester, England… who was in his day one of the finest church musicians around. She, like her father, was exceptionally gifted but prone to periods of doubt and depression. Though constantly in a religious atmosphere she struggled for many years to accept herself as a child of God. It took a real act of surrender for her to allow Christ to take His rightful place in her life. Having struggled personally to break through into a living faith she was anxious to share her journey with others.

The hymn ‘Take my Life" came out of an experience she had staying with a family where religion was on the back boiler. Aware of her hosts low spiritual expectations when she arrived she prayed "Lord, give me all in this house". Over a period of five days she led every member of the household into a deeper faith with the exception of two daughters.

Retiring to her bed on the last night she was awoken by the governess who told her the daughters were in great distress. She counseled them and led them to faith in Christ. When she returned to her room she was too excited to sleep. She records in her diary ‘I passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own conscecration, and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart one after another …"

She speaks elsewhere in her diaries of how writing for her was praying. Rather like she had, as a child, asked her Father when composing a poem "What do you think I should say next?", so her hymns came out of her relationship with God who gave her, in her own words; ‘not merely thoughts and power, but also every word, even the very rhymes. Very often I have a most distinct and happy consciousness of direct answers."

It’s easy to sing a hymn with the mindset of those who saw no miracle at the wedding feast when Jesus turned water into wine. It is only human to think… well that’s a nice tune or pleasant little rhyme… without realizing that behind the words are often some wonderful stories of the grace and love of God.

As we go through our lives it easy to take so much for granted and miss out on daily miracles taking place all around us. It is the work of God to take the common place and make it into a special place of blessing and wonder. Keep the eyes of your heart open because you don’t want to miss a thing!

Prayer: "Lord forgive me for my low expectations. Help me to be awake to the daily miracles all around my life. Amen"

BE PRAYERFUL

There’s a little detail in the account of the baptism of Jesus that is easily missed. The Holy Spirit did not alight upon Jesus the moment He was baptized, but the heavens opened as He was praying. Luke 3:21 reads; "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven opened".

A sermon reflecting on the timing of the praying and the coming of the Holy Spirit may be found here.

In religious life there things we need to do together and things we can only experience for our selves… on a one-to-one with God basis.

Baptism is one of the together things. So are Communion and Corporate Worship. There are many mission adventures that we cannot embark upon alone. From the start ‘Church’ has been all about community.

But there is also a very personal side. On a personal level we need to develop a living faith in Jesus Christ that is energized through prayer. Time and time again Jesus withdraws to lonely places to recharge His spiritual batteries one on one with God. If such a practice was necessary for Him, how much more so for us!

A wonderful New Year resolution to make is "BE PRAYERFUL". It is as we pray the Holy Spirit transforms our life journeys. It was when Jesus prayed that the Spirit came and empowered Him for the journey ahead. To repeat some words from our sermon…

"If you want to be a real treasure to your church, to your family, to those you love, to your community, and you value your own personal growth and your own well being, then let 2010 be a prayerful year.

This is a win-win resolution to make. You are not being asked to give anything up. You are being invited to deepen your relationship with God. You are being invited to deeper fellowship with God and a deeper experience of God’s love."

Prayer: Lord, help me to make 2010 a year of prayerful journeying. Amen.

A NEW YEAR PERSPECTIVE

Paul writes from the confines of a prison to his friends in the Phillipian Church : "I forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead" (Phillipians 3:13). As we begin a New Year his perspective of leaving the past behind and pushing forward to the future is a great attitude to embrace.

A sermon on that very thought can be found here.

What sort of things might Paul have been leaving behind him?

Resentments: Being in prison does not appear to be the best strategy for launching a world wide mission. Paul could have complained about his lot, even given up on the idea that Christianity had anything worthwhile to offer the world. Yet instead of cradling his hurts, he allows God’s Spirit to put it all behind him.

Worries: There was a lot Paul had to worry about. But that’s not the choice he makes. Instead he simply trusts in God. He has faith and trust in God over and above his worries. He believes God’s love is strong enough to hold his life in His care.

Failures: Paul had been a one-time enemy of Christ. He had stood by and held the coats when Stephen was stoned to death. He had caused a lot of pain and created a lot of enmity towards the church. But that was then and this was now. Yes… he had failed. But now he lived in the freedom of the forgiving grace of Jesus Christ.

What things keep Paul moving forward?

He realizes he is only human. He speaks of doing his best. He doesn’t sit back and wallow in self-pity. He does not regard grace as a cheap commodity without implications. He actively pursues a higher goal.

He finds his strength in Jesus Christ. Elsewhere Paul complains that in his human nature he lacks the power to move on. He rejoices that God’s Holy Spirit grants him a power to travel beyond his own limited resources and achieve things that otherwise would not be possible.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter into a New Year help us to put all our resentments, worries and failures behind us. Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to move forward in faith and in the knowledge that You will walk with us throughout the coming days. Amen.