Us…. and them!

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I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic*church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen

(the Apostles’ creed: *signifies worldwide or universal)

I [therefore], a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

(Eph 4.1-6)

In the last week, I have worshipped in three very different contexts – a’reformed’ presbyterian church, an Anglican cathedral, and an Anglican church plant in a primary school. Three very different styles of building, of music, of clerical clothing; and in each one I was welcomed, spiritually nourished and refreshed, and glad to lift my voice with my neighbours in praise and in prayer. And then today I had a conversation with a dear friend who was expressing the sense of unease she feels in attending a church belonging to a denomination that appears to embrace and endorse a very wide spectrum of belief about God’s word, and as a result includes people who believe very different things from what she feels to be true. I get it; I am in that same denomination! But we were reflecting on the fact that Jesus never mentioned denominations! They are a human construct, and as such deeply flawed, reflecting humanity’s narrowness, judgemental tendencies, and fondness for defining itself by excluding others. There is no such thing as the perfect church…..

So what are we called to be as members of these flawed institutions? Paul makes it clear that our goal should remain the same – pursuing unity around the completed work of Christ who is our peace with God and with one another through his saving work and the forgiveness which he has achieved for us. We are to unite around the truth revealed in Scripture – that we worship one Lord, and belong to one body; we are animated by one Spirit, and share one faith.

The Apostles’ creed, which I have included in full above, is a tremendous aid to focussing our minds on that one faith – it sets out the core beliefs of the church down the centuries, and reminds us what really matters, and what must be held fast. There will inevitably be things which believers disagree about, but Paul is exhorting his readers to concentrate on the important things, and to sit lightly to the lesser ones. If a church – whether a local one, or an entire denomination – denies these core beliefs, that is a different matter, and must be challenged.

So as a believer in a local church in a messy denomination, where boundaries are unclear, I give thanks that this creed remains core to our identity, and I want to work as a member of my local church to help my fellow believers to grow in confidence in these core truths, and to share them with those who do not yet know Jesus in all his saving love and power. It is not fitting that we should spend all our energies judging and condemning those in other churches for not being like us! Our society is already sick of, and disillusioned by, the multiple divisions which have marred the church down the years, and it is dishonouring to Christ as Lord, and to the unifying energies of the Spirit to promote further division.

God, our Father Almighty, your children confess their judgemental and critical spirit with shame and contrition. We have dishonoured you, and broken the bond of peace which our Lord Jesus, your Son, won for us by his death.

Grant us the humility and gentleness to bear with one another in love; let us be so eager to love our brothers and sisters that we sit lightly to those things which we disagree on, and rejoice in the shared foundations of our faith. May we be slow to judge, and quick to forgive, remembering how you forgive us.

May we walk in a manner worthy of those for whom Jesus died, and rose again, and who will be raised in turn to share his glory – how surprised we will be to meet some people there whom we have dismissed – and how surprised they may be to see us!! In the name of Jesus, to whom we owe it all, Amen.

Is this ok Lord?

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But, because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions –… it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

(Eph 2.4, 5&8-10)

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.. May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(Heb 13.15,16,20&21)

We are saved to serve, not the other way around – good works are the fruit not the foundation of my salvation. I am on a path to glory, and the very act of walking daily along that way is a part of the means by which I am being changed – the daily choice to read the bible and to pray; the weekly choice to gather with others in worship; the willingness to respond to prompts to show love and care.. every small act of service is forming habits which are shaping attitudes, which – God willing – are resulting in lasting change.   

As believers, we are in the business of life-long learning, and it is God who is in charge of both the curriculum and the means by which it is delivered! Each of his children has their own unique path of learning and individual challenges to go through, each has a particular set of skills, strengths and weaknesses through which God – the ultimate teacher as well as the sovereign over all time and space – is bringing our lives into that pattern by which he works all things together for good, for the final revelation of his kingdom and our glorious future.

Perhaps, like me, you struggle with translating these great truths into the humdrum of daily life, and wonder whether you ought to be embarking upon some course of study/ some new discipline or good work, or pattern of life in order to become more mature in faith. We are all a work in progress, and rightly long to be finished! This is not an easy thing to settle; sometimes we are made uneasy in order to prompt us to change things! But I know for myself, all too often it is because I am comparing myself with other people that I feel this sense of lack, of needing to do/learn/perform in a different way. And I am not so sure that those impulses are from my Father. After all, we are human beings, not doings!

My very purpose in life – as the answer to the old catechism question puts it -is ‘to glorify God and enjoy him for ever’. That covers a great deal of ground, and surely leaves room for each and every unique child of God to be different in their own particular expression! It also leaves space for that expression to change in different seasons of our lives – after all, the busy and sleep deprived parents of young children are unlikely to have the energy and peace for prolonged seasons of intercessory prayer, or in-depth bible study! But they do have the task of parenting, of loving and raising children to know their Father in heaven, and to know what the gospel is and why it matters. Those of us in more peaceful seasons can help them by prayer, baby-sitting, and being involved in other practical ways!

We none of us have to do it all, or even be it all… we love, because he first loved us, and we look to take each day as his gift in which there will be good things prepared for us to do – and those might be as simple as noticing and rejoicing in colour, light and warmth; in the full-body joy of a running dog; or the deep-peace inducing sleep of a curled-up cat…

Dear Father, let us love you and be wise in what that looks like day by day. Deliver us from the curse of comparison, to look to you in delight and to give thanks for the abundance of your goodness to us – this is a good work! Let us rest in your sure work of transformation in us, as we live with you and as you work in us that which is pleasing to you – our likeness to Jesus, in whose name we pray, Amen.

All shall be well…

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This is the message we have heard from [the Word] and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness..

(1 Jn1.5-9)

Through the love of God our Saviour all will be well;
Free and changeless is his favour, all, all is well:
Precious is the blood that healed us; perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us; all must be well.

Though we pass through tribulation, all will be well;
Christ hath purchased full salvation, all, all is well:
Happy still in God confiding, fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy, through the Spirit’s guiding; all must be well.

We expect a bright tomorrow; all will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow, all, all is well:
On our Father’s love relying, Jesus every need supplying,
Then in living or in dying, all must be well.

(Mary Peters, 1813-56)

Sin is inevitable, but all shall be well and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

(Revelations of Divine Love, Ch 27 – Julian of Norwich)

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves..” I am so comforted by these words from the beloved apostle, John, as he writes to encourage believers in their faith, and in persevering through life’s trials. We DON’T need to pretend that we are perfect, we are invited rather to come as often and as freely to our Father for forgiveness as it takes – for all the days that remain to us. As Julian of Norwich puts it, “sin is inevitable but all shall be well”, and why? Because our God is in the business of grace and mercy; of transformation and re-creation; our God loves us with an irresistible love and He will surely and finally deliver us to dwell forever in the freedom and joy of perfect communion with one another, and above all with Him.

Our sin is met by God’s faithful justice – and because in Christ our sin is paid for, we are forgiven. In justice, God cannot require payment from us for the debt which Christ has paid already. Not only so, but in justice to the complete work of Christ – the defeat of all that had kept us dead in sin – God’s faithfulness and love move him to the work of purification, so that as we walk down the years, we turn more and more often in praise and thankfulness, and less and less often in confession of sin. We are being changed, and will ultimately reflect Christ in all his glory and purity, because that is the work to which God has committed himself. His power is in and for us in this transformation – we do not have to fight against the remnants of sin in our own strength, or face an unequal struggle against the powers of this world. We are enlisted on the Lord’s side, and the victory has already been won – we stand because he fights.

This glorious doubly effective work of God – to forgive AND to purify – is the foundation of our lives as believers, and the basis of our assurance that, whatever comes to us, all will be well. The hymn which I have quoted this week is a beautiful statement of that assurance, and all the more precious as it clearly has nothing to do with my feelings about my life, or the things that are happening around me! It is very, very good for us to have songs and hymns which focus on the character of God, on the completed work of Christ, and on the things which are eternally true. God-orientated songs help us to get a true perspective on our situations, and to realise afresh how great is the power, glory and majesty of the One whom we worship – how beyond worthy of all our praise, and how utterly amazing it is that we should matter to him!

Sisters and brothers, let us encourage one another, because truly, all must be well!

I asked… He answered

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I call with all my heart; answer me, O Lord, and I will obey your decrees.

I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your laws. Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.

Yet you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. Long ago I learned from your statues that you established them to last for ever.

(Ps 119.145-152)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

(Jas 1.2-5)

In facing our trials, we long for wisdom – and it is God’s delight as Father to provide all that we need. His purpose for us is to be mature and complete, as James says, lacking nothing that is required to make us Christ-like in every way. And his purpose is informed by his love, that compassionate, relentless, clear-sighted love which while grieving over our trials, yet rejoices in their effectiveness in shaping us.

When I find myself in a period of trial – and actually we are in this season most of the time in some way or another aren’t we?! – what I desire most is wisdom to know how I ought to be conducting myself, in order that the suffering might be fruitful and honouring to God. I don’t want to waste these things which – when fully surrendered to God – are for my transformation according to his will and for his glory. I want to remain teachable, humble, and hungry for the deep work of the Holy Spirit which will result in maturity of faith and fruitfulness in witness. And so I ask…. Lord, what do you want me to be doing in these days? What should I be thinking, reading, listening to?

I have found, time after time, that it is through his body, the church, that God answers this question most directly. As I share my situation, my fellow pilgrims share the ways that God has comforted and strengthened them; their own ‘go-to’ readings, or perhaps particular talks which  – by the miracles of technology – I may hear for myself many years after they were first delivered. I firmly believe that to deny my fellow believers the truth about my situation is to deny myself many opportunities for God to reach me with healing from his word! We know that our own physical bodies are a miracle of constant inter-communication, so that when all is going as it should, all the right resources are made available to any part in need of healing. Is not the church also a body, meant to function in this practical way? If I deny my need, keep it secret and think I must only tell my Father, then I deny others the opportunity to serve and bless me. I love to help others, why should I not then allow them to help me?!

Once again, it is my testimony that the church is pointing me to the Saviour, to the word, to the truth which alone can anchor and heal me. I need to grow in love, and the best way to do this is to make a choice about what I read, think and listen to – there are good things which of themselves are not helpful just now. In the same way as a patient might pursue a particular diet for a season, in order to aid healing and strength, so also I am required to discipline my actions and the influences to which I am exposed. Last Sunday, the song which concluded the morning service was a modern adaptation of an old favourite, and one which perfectly summed up this discipline. I quote a few lines here, and commend the full version to you!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
Jesus, our glory and our prize
We adore You, behold You, our Saviour ever true
Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You

Turn your eyes to the heavens
Our King will return for His own
Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout,
‘All glory to Jesus alone!’

(Sovereign Grace Music, 2019)

Honestly…?

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I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord; “Lord, save me!”

The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

(Ps 116.1-7)

One of [the Pharisees], an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment.

(Matt 22.36-38)

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

(1Tim 1:5)

I believe that we are called to be honest with one another as fellow pilgrims, and that by doing so, we actually support one another in our journey of faith through a life which will bring many challenges as well and joys. I know for myself that I desperately need to be honest in my relationships, and that where I feel I cannot share, I also feel I cannot truly love.

In this season, where I am floundering and failing, and unable to make a true judgement of my own thoughts, motives and actions, the opportunity to share, and to receive the loving acceptance and true observation of others is an anchor and a blessed comfort to me. Only my heavenly Father sees my heart, mind and deepest motivations, but my fellow pilgrims can tell me if they see obvious sin, rebellion and can also reassure me as to goodness. If others whom I know to be godly, mature and loving believers are able to recognise something of worth in me, then I may be comforted!

I am therefore so thankful for the blessed acceptance and kindness which I received recently from the fellowship of my bible study group – women who don’t really know me, but whose hearts are full of the love of Christ and who seek him.

I am profoundly thankful that I have the example of the psalmists in praying with complete honesty, in casting themselves completely and consistently upon the care of God – taking him at his word and claiming his love, compassion, provision, protection and all other good and necessary things. My Father knows, absolutely knows me, and longs for my honest surrender and offering up of all my confusion, distress and uncertainty.

I am profoundly relieved to know that I am secure upon the foundation which is Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour whose complete saving work for me is the only grounds of my security and hope. I could, and do, wish that after all the years of God’s investment in my life, I were a more worthy testament to his goodness.. instead of a building fit for a king, I remain a mere collection of rubble and bricks, with the faintest outline of a structure and no glory to speak of! But my foundation is Christ, and he will not fail me; I am his precious charge and will never be abandoned.

Oh Father, I don’t know what I need; I can’t trust my own understanding or discern the reality of my heart and motivation. I don’t want to stay stuck in this fruitless, stunted condition, a rebuke to the gospel and cause for shame. But I don’t know what to do. In your mercy, be my help and send me the aid that you know I need – let me recognise and embrace it, finding comfort, courage and growing in godliness.

It is only in being filled with love for you that I have any hope for meaning and purpose and joy in the life which remains to me. My zeal is so feeble, and my love so faint – it seems to have little power to hold me in the darkness, and I seem fruitless. I am afraid to ask to love you more, afraid that you might answer through more trials, through pain and suffering. I am ashamed of this fear, but it is very real.

Have mercy on your fearful child, she trembles to ask great things of you, fearing the cost. Forgive her fear, her doubt, and make her love you more – for Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Staying soft-hearted…

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It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night… For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord: I sing for joy at the work of your hands.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock and there is no wickedness in him.”

(Ps 92.1&2,4&5,12-15)

Anna, the daughter of Phanuel.. was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to [Mary and Joseph, with Jesus] at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

(Lk 2.36-38)

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: ”Write….”

(Rev 1.9-11)

What kind of older person am I going to be? I don’t have much control over my future health – beyond the sensible stewardship of my physical body which is my responsibility. I don’t have any control over the circumstances which will unfold around me in the coming years. But I do have the gift of God’s spirit within me, and that enables me to ask for wisdom and strength to make good choices about my mind and attitudes. I was deeply challenged recently by a message at church where the preacher warned against cynicism and caution – the natural fruits of long experience of living in a sin-sick world where we are hurt by those we love and trust; where we are disappointed and frustrated, and seem to be baffled in all our good endeavours. It is understandable that we become reluctant to enthuse, to expect, to hope – we find ourselves saying those faithless words, “we tried that before, it doesn’t work”. We become characterised by a bitter, world-weary quality and have the effect of quashing joy and enthusiasm in others. It is not good, not healthy for the body of the church, and also I believe, not necessarily the inevitable outcome of growing old in the Christian life.

Consider the apostle John, called as a teenager by Jesus, and living on into old age in exile on Patmos. Consider John’s letters, which breathe the love of God so eloquently and tenderly; consider this brief phrase – ‘on the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit..’ : in spite of his years, his long experience of persecution, John continued to walk in hope and faith, to expect great things of God. He was always available, and so God used him to speak to the church.

Consider Anna, long widowed and in that culture, that meant long past her usefulness and significance. Consider her faithfulness and hope, as she remained attentive in worship and devoted in prayer to God. In spite of her plight, she loved and trusted the Lord, and so when the infant Messiah was brought to the temple, she was there – there to praise and worship and to spread the word.

These two saints show us what it looks like to remain free from bitterness and cynicism; to bear fruit and remain green in old age. That is what I want to be like, and I know that means I need to pay attention to the roots of caution and cynicism which are so readily established in my mind and heart.

I think that pride is at the root of our cynical thoughts – we don’t want to get our hopes up again only to see them dashed when God fails to do what we want or expect. But who am I to dictate to the Almighty?! We cloak our cynical disbelief under the cover of ‘wise experience’, but actually it is faithlessness. Who am I to say that God is not at work in a particular place, or through a particular ministry? I may not see it, but that has nothing to do with what I am called to do!

Almighty and merciful Father, thank you for your patience with me and your compassion for my weakness. I confess today my ready recourse to cynical self-protection, and recognise it as sin. I confess that I fear to encounter dashed hopes, to see expectations unfulfilled. But I also confess again that you are sovereign, all-powerful to achieve your purposes, and that I am merely mortal, limited in vision and comprehension and as dust before you, my God.

Cleanse me from the roots of cynicism, soften my heart to remain fresh and hopeful in you, because your promises never fail and you will establish your kingdom. May I age with grace and growing confidence in you, being a blessing and not a hindrance to your people in their walk with you. All this I ask for the sake of my saviour, Jesus, that he might be glorified in me, Amen.

When you feel like… rubbish

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Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord: O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of wrongs, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning…

(Ps 130.1-6)

Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

(Ps 143.7-9)

…he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

(2 Cor 12.9)

The enemy of God’s children dearly loves to bring them down, to distract and convince them that God doesn’t really mean what he says, and can’t be trusted.. I have to remind myself of this regularly, especially when, after a recent blog post in which I chose to firmly assert the deeply accepting and affirming love of my heavenly Father, I find myself assailed and overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, failure and a very strong desire to give up…

I know that our feelings don’t tell the whole story, but, for myself, I find they dominate the narrative very loudly, and it can be hard to live in a godly way with them. The current wave of negativity has become quite overwhelming, and I am having to force myself to find external things to focus on. I am thankful for duties and commitments which require me to listen and engage with others and ignore the internal noise.  I pray and trust that the season will pass soon, but just now, I need to be honest with my Father since only he really sees and understands me, and with him I can share my distress confidently, knowing I am held in love and cherished. The psalms give us a wonderful template for such lamentation, and remind us that God has always invited his precious children to cast their cares upon him – what a blessing!

Father, your child is feeling so fed up of herself and all the ways she falls short of perfection – how ridiculous that sounds, but you understand! She sees wise, learned, godly people, full of grace, serene and confident in you, steady in counsel and always joyful in service… and she sees herself, so far from these things in spite of her years, your grace and the teaching and example of so many saints. Is it alright that she is not ‘that kind of christian’? Remind her of your faithfulness, your mercy and your tender love which delights in her – even when she cannot delight in what you have made her.

Father, your child is appalled by her own indifference and lack of motivation to apply herself to learning, to the disciplines of growing faith, to the business of working in your harvest field. She sees others labouring with energy, praying with passion, and she is ashamed at her own lack of belief in the possibility of changed lives, of kingdom-building. Remind her of your power, which IS at work all around us all the time, whether we see it or not, and of your purpose which will be fulfilled.

Father, your child sees the years ahead and cringes away from the prospect of ageing, of life-narrowing. It all looks so grim and miserable, and she has no appetite for living victoriously in the face of such challenges. She is ashamed of such negativity, ashamed that her story seems always to be that of the fearful pilgrim, expecting the worst, and stepping out so reluctantly. Remind her that you have always been faithful, and that it is your strength which is her security. Remind her that the weakest vessels display your power and grace most marvellously, and that she need not be ashamed or depressed at the prospect of being such a vessel!

Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

For the love of God is broader…

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The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

(Zeph. 3.17)

Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and for evermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

(Ps 103.1-6)

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

(Isaiah 55.6-9)

Do you ever let your mind wander over the incredible diversity of the church of Christ which – to his glory – exists all around our world today? Sometimes, I am filled with awe, worshipping and praising our God whose love and power to save is represented by all these people who call on Jesus as Lord. And sometimes, I am filled with shame, as I look at the deep, and often bitter, divisions which keep us apart from one another, and all the ways that we dishonour Christ by our judgemental attitudes – to our fellow believers as well as to those who do not know him.

How easily we fall into criticism, into doubt about another person’s faith just because their lives don’t quite fit the mould we have created as the ‘right’ one for a believer. Who am I to decide what faith looks like for anyone else? Have I forgotten that I too am a redeemed sinner, who will not be fully perfected until glory, and until then I will only be doing the best that I can day-by-day according to my circumstances, and the knowledge and ability which I have! No single denomination, nation, or individual has a monopoly on what it takes to make someone’s saving faith works itself out in their lives. All of us are needing, and depending entirely on, the grace and mercy of God.

It is astonishing to me that our holy, just and perfect God who sees and knows all things, should be willing to be associated with human beings at all – since even when we profess Jesus as Lord, we continue to behave in ways which do not reflect Jesus’ character. The story of God’s dealings with humankind as revealed in the pages of our bibles is that story – of perfection willingly engaging with imperfection; of purity deliberately associating itself with impurity. Our God has chosen to work out his purpose of salvation and re-creation through flawed and tainted creatures – what a marvel, what a mystery!

It is good therefore to be reminded that we do not, and cannot possibly comprehend our God; and that we do well to guard our own hearts and minds fiercely against a spirit of criticism and judgement of others, especially other believers. Each of us is accountable to God for how we live with the treasure of his gift of salvation and hope in Christ.  We are called to love one another for Jesus’ sake, to believe the best of one another, to grieve over sin in ourselves before hunting for it in the lives of others.

The words of this hymn have always spoken to me of this quality of mercy which I desire so much to see in myself towards others – and which helps me to leave myself and them in the care of the only good and perfect Judge. Sisters and brothers, let us love one another, and be humble before him.

 

 

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea:

There’s a kindness in his justice, which is more than liberty.

 

There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven:

There is no place where earth’s failings have such kindly judgement given.

 

For the love of God is broader than the measures of man’s mind’

And the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.

 

If our love were but more simple, we would take him at his word;

And our lives be filled with glory from the glory of the Lord.

(FW Faber 1814-63)

Do not strive…..

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Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall not be shaken. My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

(Ps 62.5-8)

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, yet you would have none of it….. Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

(Isa 30.15&18)

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father for this is what you were pleased to do….. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.

(Matt 11.25&26,28-30)

Rest… what does that word say to you today? Is it something positive? Or an admission of failure? From what we read in scripture, ‘rest’ should be a good thing, a sign of active trust in and dependence on God – both his provision for our needs, and his faithfulness to his own character, trusting God to BE God and therefore able to take and bear control of all things.

As I grow older, I find myself – like the people whom God rebukes through Isaiah – having ‘none of it’! My anxious thoughts, and fretful attitudes all speak clearly of a lack of trust in God and a failure to rest in him. I want to achieve, to know that I am ticking all the right boxes which are required to be a ‘good ‘christian. I fall easy prey to the comparison trap – looking at the lives of other believers and rebuking myself for not being like them in terms of bible knowledge, wisdom and serenity – and jump for solutions, more things that I ought to be not doing/reading/practising in order to be what God wants me to be. There is an ugly restlessness in my life which robs me of joy and of the rest which comes when I fully accept God’s grace as the only possible grounds of my identity and hope. That restlessness tells me that I am letting the reality of the sin which will cling about me until I die have too much power over me. I am right to be sensitive to it, but wrong to let it colour and distort my understanding of God’s love and acceptance – his actual delight – in me. My Father is not sitting with a clipboard, waiting for me to measure up! He is holding out his arms to me, calling to me to join him in the daily adventure of sharing life with him, joining in his work and enjoying all his good gifts.

Jesus speaks in the prayer which I quoted above, of how his Father has revealed as to little children the mystery of life in the kingdom – the reality which our children know full well… they are loved, they belong, they matter not because they continually strive to be worthy of their place in the family, but because they ARE family! If such security is possible even in the families of flawed human beings, then how much deeper and more secure is the sense of rest which should be mine as a child of the perfectly loving and ever-compassionate God.

Merciful and loving Father, how I long to be at rest in this life to which you call me day by day; to be delivered from fretfulness and to trust and depend on you to be who you say you are – my loving and good God.

Deliver me from the tyranny of performance-measurement and comparison with others; let me learn to accept that each of your children is learning in their own way and time, and that you delight in each one of us equally!

 

What are we doing with the gospel?

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After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said, “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

(Mk 1.14&15)

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you… Do to others as you would have them do to you.. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful…. give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

(Lk 6.27,28,31,35&36)

 All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work… and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. for he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

(Col 1.6-13)

We have heard good news, the kingdom of God is here, and we may enter and dwell in it now because in Jesus the power of death, sin and evil (which held us in bondage) is broken. What difference does this life in God’s kingdom make then? As those set free from the tyranny of sin, what should characterise our lives? If this good news only leads us into closed communities, where we hug our treasure and enjoy it together but it makes no difference to our wider community, then we are not obeying and honouring our merciful God.

Our salvation is not merely a personal thing, but should lead us in turn to be kingdom-callers, living signposts to freedom; to be blazing lights, clearly seen and identified by our likeness to Jesus in ministering to the poor, the needy, the weak in our world – in whatever way is possible for us. We are not called to hide from the darkness, to cower in fear and conceal our freedom, because we are no longer under its authority. Our Lord has defeated it, and we have nothing to fear, and all the best news to share! We share it by modelling, reflecting and living out the goodness, grace and power of God in our world. We are saved in order to serve – and not just our fellow believers, but our aching and broken neighbours.
Lives transformed by the gospel are lives that look like Jesus – abounding in generous forgiving love; seeing the poor, the needy and helpless and acting in compassion. We give and serve as Jesus did – expecting nothing in return. We don’t serve and care as some clever move to get conversions, we care because God cares for the godly and the ungodly – and we are to be like him.

We are called to fight against the dark-kingdom in our own place and time, with what resources and calling we have. The great prison reform, labour reform and slave abolition movements in the UK were driven by christian faith, by righteous anger against the effects of sin which produced appalling need, degradation and suffering. The reformers weren’t wanting to make converts, but to be God’s agents against the darkness, to call out evil and set people free from its effects.

It is God who brings faith to life, not us. We are called to bring the good news of our freedom into the open and live as those who are without fear – and it may be that by our work and witness, God moves, but that is not our primary goal. We may have the liveliest fellowship, the most engaging worship, the most stimulating study groups… but if there is nothing outward looking, then something is badly wrong. All these good things should be the source of our motivation to reach out, to live out the good news, to show people what God’s love looks like.

Almighty God, fill your people with a hunger to make a difference for you in our societies and communities – to minister love to the loveless, hope to the hopeless, comfort to the abandoned, and to confront injustice, discrimination and the many causes of human suffering.
As we consider Christ, our Lord and Saviour, may we be transformed into his likeness – showing mercy, compassion and abounding love to all. Let the gospel drive us out from our holy huddles, full of faith and trusting that You can use us for your glory, and in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.