The right kind of invasive species!

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Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

(Ps 1.1-3)

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means…  The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

(Matt 13.18,22&23)

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious; sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

(Gal 5.16-26)

The bible is full of horticultural imagery and we are familiar with trees of many kinds, vines, crops of barley and wheat – and the whole range of activities that go with those things – being used to explain important things that God wants his people to know. But last week at church, I had a fresh insight into a particularly familiar picture – the fruit of the Spirit as Paul describes it in his letter to the church in Galatia.

As believers in Jesus, we want to become like him, to reflect his glory and be his people in this world, for the building of his kingdom and for our blessing. This transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit, whose delight it is to remake us from within, steadily eliminating all that is unbecoming to a child of God. And now, thanks to that sermon, I can picture the Spirit’s work as being like a plant which has arrived in an unattractive spot, full of weeds, only to steadily grow and spread, gradually starving the competition of light and air and water, so that finally there is nothing to else to see except that Spirit-infused, fruitful and beautiful tree!  A powerfully invasive plant, in the right place, is a marvellous thing, and I find it most helpful as an image of what is happening, by God’s grace, in my life.

It is God’s planting, the indwelling Spirit of Jesus, which is transforming us as we keep asking God to change us, and guide us; as we receive the means of grace; as we read the bible and expect to find God speaking of his love and purpose to us. This is the life of Christ, Holy Spirit-planted, sending up shoots and flourishing so vigorously that other things are starved of light and nourishment and die – only divine love is powerful enough to drive out the lesser things.

In his parable of the sower, Jesus warned that some people might receive the good news of salvation in his name and yet find their hope squeezed out by care. We are thus advised to take care that we focus our attention on the planting of the Spirit – the good news and all it means for us. If I focus on what remains – the weeds – then I neglect what has come, and it will not thrive. BUT, as I depend on God and focus on what has been given, he will be faithful and I will become a place where his goodness can be seen, and my life can be a window into his grace for others.

I want to be that kind of person! To live under the leadership of the Spirit of Jesus, by faith being intimately connected to my Lord, becoming so drawn and motivated by his love that I long and delight to do his will in every situation.

Almighty God and everlasting Father, I rejoice to be one in whom the likeness of your Son, Jesus, is growing under the guidance and life-giving power of the Spirit. I delight to be the craftsmanship of the Trinity, and to know that your power in me cannot be thwarted, as I depend upon you day by day.

Let your planting in me flourish, spread and bear fruit, so that as time goes by, all that is unbecoming is starved out, and all that is Christ-like grows more vigorous. For the sake of my Lord I pray, and in his name, Amen.

Remember and know

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Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. Hear, O mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery, I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counselled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

(Mic 6.1-8)

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

(1Cor 11.23-26)

It is common to use the word “remember” in the sense of recalling events, people and information, either for the pleasure of recollection, or for some present purpose – like collecting shopping, or identifying a familiar face. But in the bible, the word is closely associated with the way that God works out his purposes in faithfulness to his own promises, his character and his love for his people. In this sense, remembering is a spur to action, it has obvious consequences, both for God in his actions, and for his people as they receive his care.

Many times, we are told in scripture that God remembers his covenant promises, and as a result he acts in certain ways. Over and over again, the psalmist will exhort himself and his listeners to remember God’s past faithfulness in order to renew current hope and future perseverance. The prophet Micah, in his words to a nation which was coming under judgement for its abandonment of God, its corruption and idolatry, appeals to the leaders to “remember your journey” (the long story of Israel’s formation as a nation, including Exodus). Why? Because an effective act of re-membering – of putting oneself into the heart of the story, applying it personally and identifying with the various parties – will inevitably result in some kind of response, even for fallen humanity. In Micah’s case, an effective remembrance would result in a renewed relationship of trust, profound repentance and national faithfulness to God.

When Jesus commanded us – through Paul’s beautiful instruction in the letter to Corinth – to “do this in remembrance of me” – he was not merely suggesting that we might like occasionally to recall the historical events of Passion week. It is a strong command – “do this” – and therefore something which is for our good under God’s sovereignty, no matter how peculiar it may seem. And having had to explain it to a young Sikh friend of our daughter, I can see just how peculiar it does seem to those who have not grown up with regular observance of communion or the Lord’s supper!

In the same way that the psalmist remembered God’s faithfulness, and took heart in the midst of trouble; in the same way that the people remembered God’s covenant, deliverance, establishing of the nation in the land, and repented of their idolatry in a renewal of loyal love – so today, believers in Jesus remember God’s great act of salvation, the foundation of our hope, life and every good thing which we receive, and respond in daily trust and ever deeper desire to glorify our Lord.

Remember… and know – not merely an academic exercise, but a personal identification with all that God has done, and a desire for a growing intimate relationship with him. These things are like our daily bread,  they are our spiritual food and give us what we need for each new day and situation. Their simplicity should encourage us – no matter what else is going on in life, we can ask God to help us remember in a way that makes a difference to our lives, restoring hope and bringing peace as we share life with him.

Heavenly Father, I rejoice today to remember what Jesus has done for me; to be delivered by him from death to life, to be part of your coming kingdom and to be on the victor’s side in the battle.

I praise again the grace which saved me, the mercy which delivered me, the love which so passionately pursues me and guards me through this life into the life of the age to come.

Let my acts of remembrance lead me into deeper knowing of you, so that I become more like my Saviour, and rest in your love and grace, bearing witness to you in all circumstances.

I pray this in the name of my Lord Jesus, whose eternal intercession for me I remember with such thankfulness, Amen.

Resting in grace

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Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” – and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

(Ps 32 1-7&11)

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but 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)

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

(Jer 6.16)

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…. 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 is light.”

(Matt 11.28-30)

Did you notice that little phrase, buried in the middle of the words from Isaiah? “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion” – there is the sense of a generous host, on the edge of their seat and longing for an opportunity to shower good things upon a welcome guest. But in our case, the host is beyond generous, and we are in many ways the most unlikely of guests! Nonetheless, the bible asserts time and again that the Lord Almighty, Creator of all things, and utterly beyond our imaginations to comprehend in his glory and greatness – THIS God – is so eager to be in a warm and loving relationship with his creatures (us!), that he will go to incredible lengths to remove every possible barrier that stands in the way. In sending Jesus to live, die and rise again for us, the ultimate price was paid and the world saw just what it meant that we should be loved by the Lord of heaven and earth.

As believers in Jesus, we are called to a life marked by repentance AND rest – the two should not be incompatible. David gives a graphic description of what happened when he failed to repent – his rest was destroyed, as he was not only at fault in relation to other people, but crucially, his relationship with God was deeply disturbed. Repentance then, was restoration of rest because it restored his relationship. To be in relationship with God as Father is to be at rest, and because Jesus has opened the way for us to enter in and call upon God as Father, we live at rest even now.

The grace of God – his generous loving forgiveness, transforming power, and his ‘parenting’ of us – is our security and the foundation of our lives. It is like the rock upon which our little habitations stand, and when the storms shake the walls, or even knock them down, yet still we find ourselves upon the rock. Grace will never fail us, because God keeps his promises and in Christ we are absolutely sure of receiving those promises. Therefore, I can say that I rest in grace, I cease to strive or be anxious about finding God’s favour, or earning my eternal home, or about my continued sins. I receive and rest in the goodness of God which has provided for all my needs, and will ensure my safe passage home to glory when the time comes.

Heavenly Father, what a glorious relief it is to know that I can live in the spacious freedom of grace – your abundant goodness to me in your son Jesus. What a joy to live as one who knows that her sin is covered, and her sins are forgiven; who receives daily gifts of love and the assurance that as she repents, there is provision and transformation continues. I thank and praise you today for this season of tranquility, and pray that it might bear fruit in deeper gratitude and trust in you for whatever lies ahead. How amazing is your grace to me in Jesus, in whose name I come, by whom I belong, in whom I rest – to him be all the praise, Amen!

Here’s looking at ….. my Father

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Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore them, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for the doing the creative best you have with your own life.

(Gal 6.1-5; Message)

One of the Pharisee scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show [Jesus] up: “Teacher, which command in God’s law is the most important?”

Jesus said, “’Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s law and the Prophets hangs from them”

(Matt 22.35-40; Message)

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what does God for you is the best thing you can do for him…..we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around… So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvellously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

(Rom 12.1,4-6; Message)

“Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others.”

I suspect that I may not be the only person on the planet for whom the latter of these two commands from Paul is much harder than the former! There is no reason why I should find myself continually falling into the comparison trap, yet it is my daily experience and a chronic problem. I see the self-possession of others who quietly accept themselves as God has made (and is making) them, and wonder at their peace and steadiness. If this is something which you enjoy, give thanks and rejoice greatly at the gift and pray for those around you for whom it is not the case! I think of the blinkers which horses often wear to keep them from distraction and focussed on the way ahead – what I want are spiritual blinkers, to keep me looking at my Father, and not at myself or those around me.

All of our lives as believers seems to consist of living as well as we can for our Father in the particular circumstances which He has appointed for us. For each one, it will be different, and no two people will share the same physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual journeys. Our responsibility is to our Father first and foremost, and it is from His faithful love, his adoption of us as his children, that we gain our security, purpose, identity and hope. We need to trust that what He plans and is working in us is enough; each one is uniquely precious, for their own sakes, as his child.

Perhaps this is something we can lovingly do for one another as believers, as members of one body – celebrate the uniqueness of our fellow pilgrims to help them rest in God’s plan and shaping of them, even when it is not looking very impressive! We need grace to accept that others may have gifts we admire and lack ourselves. We also need grace to accept that others may admire our own gifts, and to keep giving God the praise for the ways that he provides for and enables His church to flourish.

Jesus commanded us to love others as we love ourselves – to clothe, feed, honour, comfort and speak God’s love and truth to others, as we do to ourselves. I believe that helping one another to see and be glad of our uniqueness is a great way to love-in-action, to countering the comparison trap, and nurturing a proper pride in our God, who has loved each one and is transforming each one according to his good purposes.

Heavenly Father, help us, your children, to see with your eyes as we look at one another. Help us to take our worth from your love, your plans for us, your secure grasp of us. Help us to recognise the glory of your children which is being revealed as we grow in faith and Christ-likeness.

Deliver us from the comparison trap, that we might love without envy or pride in ourselves, and might serve you free from those bonds of dissatisfaction and arrogance. Let us love one another, as Christ loves us, in practical service and faithful presence, accepting one another in his name and for the building up of your kingdom in this world. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Graceful acceptance….

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Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

(Ps 16)

Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes – God takes pleasure in your pleasure!

Dress festively every morning, don’t skimp on colours and scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange for the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!

(Ecc 9.7-9; Message)

One of the most endearing traits of childhood is the complete absorption of the individual in the moment – whatever is happening to them completely fills their minds and nothing else matters. I see this in my own grandson as he reacts to new experiences and sensations with a stillness and attentiveness which speak of soaking in everything that is happening.

I believe that this childhood characteristic is one which our heavenly Father desires us to know too – and it is possible because we are so securely loved and provided for by Him. Our identity, security, salvation, eternal future are all in His hands, and our daily lives are sustained by Him on the planet, in the universe, which all continue to exist by His will alone. He has promised that no matter what happens in life, we are never beyond his loving presence and care – and the fact that this may be hard to understand in situations of tragedy, horror and suffering doesn’t detract from its truth. And in addition to these things, we also have all the joys of life on earth, among the beauty of the natural world, with so many things to give us pleasure and satisfaction as we accept them as God’s gifts to us.

I don’t want to miss this goodness! I want to find and celebrate every good thing which my Father has lovingly placed in my way today, resting deeply in the abundance and letting the beauty soak into my spirit, informing my praise and my trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness. I cannot possibly carry in my memory everything that happens, but I can choose to recognise each jewel-like gift with humble delight, and let the brightness and glory colour my thinking and fix my mind in an attitude of thanksgiving.

Heavenly Father, I am full of a deep and sparkling joy – like a river running golden with sunlight over many-hued stones, and murmuring contentedly as it goes. My path in these days is free from so many sources of anxiety and pain, and is so hemmed in by beauty and contentment that I am filled to overflowing with thankfulness.

I know that these days may not last; I know that many suffer around me; I know that I will know trials of many kinds and once day will face death. And yet, I know too that it would be churlish and stupid to fail to recognise and rest in your goodness to me. I thank you for making me able to see and receive so many gifts – for the senses which connect me to creation, for the relationships which connect me to your image-bearers, my fellow human beings; above all I thank you for the gift of your life in me, through faith in Jesus. Because I am your beloved, adopted, Spirit-inhabited daughter, I KNOW to whom I come with this huge burden of gratitude! I come to my Father, whose arms are wide open in welcome, and whose delight in my delight is unbounded.

Thank you for all your goodness, may I continue to have grace to accept it without qualification, receiving every single part of what you want to give me with childlike openness and attention. I pray and ask this in the name of Jesus, your son my Saviour, for his glory, Amen.

It doesn’t have to be complicated…

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Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren’t perfectly virtuous, Christ must be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was “trying to be good”, I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law” man so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine”, but is lived by faith in the Son of God, who love me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing relationship would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace.

(Gal 2.17-21: the Message)

My minister is currently teaching us from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Galatians, a time of preparation as our congregation enters into a period of disruption, challenge and opportunity through building and renovation works which will – God willing – create a more useful, welcoming, and mission-oriented space for the future. Paul’s overriding concern in this letter is to convince the churches in Galatia that they are in danger of falling into error – the error of depending on something other than or as well as, the saving life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the offer of salvation by faith in him alone. He passionately argues for the grace of God as the sole means by which we receive salvation, demonstrating to the church that to continue to observe the Old Testament laws and practices of Judaism is to say that Jesus is not enough.

The settling of this argument in the early days of the church was crucial in freeing the gospel to reach around the world, making disciples in every nation, and at the same time creating one body unified around faith in Christ. Our shared faith is what unites us, not our dress codes, modes of praise, order of public worship, use of musical instruments, types of seating or church architecture. In every land and in every age, the church needs to be alert to the very real danger of holding onto things which were good and valuable in their time, but are now obstacles to the gospel, keeping people at a distance.

Are there things in our church culture which make faith in Jesus look complicated? Are we talking and living in ways which make Christianity sound like a secret society with its own language? Are we so busy pleasing one another, and maintaining traditions which no longer serve the gospel that we have not noticed the mission field on our doorstep? And are we so besotted with our own ways of doing things that we would rather see our churches close than give them up?

Yes, it is painful to let go of traditions in our church which connect us to those who have gone before. Yes, it feels strange to do things differently, modernising our language and relaxing our dress codes. But think a moment… we as God’s people are called to go and find the lost in his name. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘if you love me, you will keep my commands..’ and then, ‘Go and make disciples’. What does it say about our love for Jesus, when our traditions matter to us more than taking his love to the world for which he died?

Our message, good news about Jesus Christ is not complicated – although it is profound in its implications! We have to share the love of God for his world, love which moved him to do for us what we desperately need, and are unable to do for ourselves. As we stop trying to please God, and instead accept that Jesus has provided the way for us to be with God, we enter the freedom which every human being is born to know.

Heavenly Father, hear our prayer as we confess that we so easily complicate and confuse the gospel with our own ways of doing things, and make it hard for people to see the truth. Simplify our thinking, so that we hold fast to grace, to your faithfulness, to the all-sufficient work of Christ. Help us to recognise and reject all those things which muddle and hold us back from proclaiming the gospel clearly. May we never be the cause of anyone failing to meet Jesus by our insistence on tradition or church culture.

Let us humbly and eagerly look to share Christ with your hurting world, for his glory, and in his name we pray, Amen.

Let my thanks be unconditional!

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Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Eph 5.19&20)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Phil 4.4-7)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

(Jas 1.17)

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you….. Love the Lord, all his saints!… Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

(Ps 31.19,23&24)

“I only deepen the wound of a hurting world when I neglect to give thanks.”

(Anne Voskamp: One Thousand Gifts, 2010, Zondervan)

Do you ever catch yourself quietly nit-picking God’s ways with you? That little internal conversation that looks at all the abundance of daily grace and says, ‘yes, that’s all very well but what about….?’

I realised recently that this regrettable and rebellious attitude had become strongly established in my own heart, and I am praying for discernment to recognise, and strength to repent and turn away from it. Faith does not pick holes in God’s goodness – for if what God reveals about himself, in his word and especially in Jesus, is true then there are no holes to be picked! Faith rather acknowledges the struggle and chooses to affirm in the face of doubt that God’s goodness is measureless, and that I will always have reason to give thanks. In  my own griefs and sorrows, I can trust the God who went to the cross for me in order to do me good – such love will never fail to do the right thing, and my lack of understanding can be overcome and quietened when I recall how clearly and completely that costly love is shown.

This inability to be unconditionally grateful goes way back to the beginning – remember that Eve was tempted to believe that God was holding back something really good? The same old story still works doesn’t it? We become determined that unless God gives us what we want – what we think is good – on our own terms, and timings, then we aren’t going to trust him, and all our thankfulness becomes polluted and qualified by criticism and a lack of true faith in his goodness. Who do I think I am to question the ways of the Almighty? – Job would certainly point out to me the folly of thinking along those lines!

Yes, there is a time and a place to bring to my Father all the burdens and questions of my heart – but in an attitude of expectation, not judgment and criticism. There is a time and a place for lamentation when my experience is bitter, when pain persists and there is no healing of the wounds and no resolution to the conflicts. And the psalmists have shown us how those laments are healthily handled – in the presence of the Almighty, in an attitude of openness to hearing his voice and a willingness to be reminded of his faithfulness and also his magnitude, his entire ‘otherness’, his transcendence.

He is God… and I am not. I am the creature of his loving hand, his adopted child, the object of his cosmic saving work, a precious jewel in his heart – can I not learn to trust his ways with greater constancy? I live in a world of wonders – from the intricacy of my own anatomy, to the measureless depths of the universes and galaxies beyond my world; I daily rise to breathe, move, give and receive love, experience beauty, and know joy. I have so much to give thanks for, and when I choose to reject the voice of criticism, to see it for sin and choose instead the loving, exulting acceptance which is proper to a cherished child, then I honour God aright.

Almighty and Loving Father, I confess as sin the ways that I resent and criticise your handling of my life, and of this world. I repent of my rebellion and recognise that you are God and I am not.

I ask the aid of your Spirit to soften my heart and change my thinking, so that my response to all your goodness becomes unconditional and unqualified. Let me choose to believe good of you always, and to trust you more fully when your ways are so far beyond me that I cannot see good in them. Let me remember that I can always give thanks, for I am forever your child, and you are forever faithful, true and good.

I can always rest in the loving presence of my Saviour, who showed me just how much I am loved, and how your power is always at work for good. Thank you that I pray in his name, and am heard for his sake, and for his glory I pray these things, Amen.

Rock solid… I fall, it holds me.

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Hail to the Lord’s anointed; great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free,
To take away transgressions, and rule in equity.

He comes, with succour* speedy, to those who suffer wrong:
To help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong:
To give them songs for sighing, their darkness turned to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying, were precious in His sight.

O’er every foe victorious, He on His throne shall rest;
From age to age more glorious, all blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never His covenant remove;
His name shall stand for ever His changeless name of love.

(J Montgomery, 1771-1854, * denotes comfort and help)

Hear my cry, O God: listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

I long to dwell in your tent for ever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

(Ps 61.1-5)

Faith.. is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods…. This rebellion of your moods against your real self is going to come anyway. That is why faith is such a necessary virtue; unless you teach your moods “Where they get off”, you can never be either a sound Christian or even a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering to and fro, with its beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of its digestion. Consequently one must train the habit of faith.

(CS Lewis, Mere Christianity, Ch 12, 1952: Geoffrey Bles)

I have written before about the challenge of dealing with the gulf between the truth of our state as God’s beloved, rescued and adopted children, and our daily life with all its challenges and the deafening noise of our physical world continually drowning out everything else. Well, these past few days have brought a renewed sense of that divide, to the point where I feel almost like two different people!

On the one hand, there is the person I am when I sit quietly with my bible, or manage to take time to walk and pray, sharing my thoughts and life, my concerns and joys with my Father; then there is the other person, whose self-centred thoughts and preoccupations are entirely fixated on personal matters, as if this life were all there is. The former knows in some small measure, that she matters and that she is loved, and that there is hope and peace in Jesus. The latter knows only that she is continually failing to be the person she ought to be – in relationships and in responsibilities – and every day begins with the dread recitation of what must be done, and the knowledge of her impending failure to do the right things as well as they should and could be done.

As Lewis would observe, I have not mastered the art of mastering my moods!! Instead, they master me, and especially the dominant torment of self-doubt, which takes the truth of my indwelling imperfection and sin, and magnifies it to a crippling burden.

In these painful days, my only sure refuge is the towering shadow of the cross, the sacrificial loving of my Saviour, and his promise to come again and make all things new. I must preach the gospel to myself, and beg for the aid of Christ by his Spirit, to deliver me from this nauseating self-centredness, to see and love others and above all to see and love Jesus more. For this reason, I was recently encouraged as I sang the great hymn which I have quoted in part above – it has nothing to do with my moods, and everything to do with truth, with the unchanging nature of God the Father of our Lord Jesus, and his purposes to make all things new, unifying and perfecting creation and the church. I am a small part of that purpose, and no matter how I may perceive what I do, the reality of what God IS doing does not change. I desperately need to get that truth in the front of my mind day-by-day, in order to master the moods which would otherwise master me.

Almighty God, Father of my Lord Jesus, have mercy on your children as we struggle to hold faithfully to the truth of what you are doing, and have made us. Help us to resist the enemy of our souls and to detect his lies even when they are clothed in piety and dusted with grains of truth. Deliver us and protect us from the evil one, who longs to bind us, powerless and fruitless, in our own dark thoughts and self-pity. Make us more worthy of your name, and more full of Jesus, for His name’s sake and for our blessing, Amen.

On being encouraged…

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It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living; part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this message of your salvation), found yourselves home free – signed, sealed and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you – every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask – ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory – to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him – endless energy, boundless strength!

(Eph 1.11-19; The Message translation)

One of the things which gives me great joy as I grow older and look to the generations following me in the life of the church, is to see how faithfully God is growing his people – in particular to see how those with whom I had the privilege of sharing life many years ago when they were just setting out, are going on steadily as mature adults, leading families and serving communities.

My recent trip to England brought me such opportunities, and what a joy it was! When we invested all those years ago into the lives of young believers – in our church, or through shared work like Christian residential events for children – we did so in obedience to God’s command to love one another, to share what we had and to build one another up. And the years come and go, we see one another rarely, and communication is sparse… what a pleasure then to be together again and to see the solid evidence of God’s faithfulness to these precious people as they have grown and walked with him. Life is no less fraught for them as believers than for others – their children face challenges, health and work bring real strains and crises, wider family and societal issues lay a burden upon them. But, in and through it all, there is a day-to-day reliance on the truth of the gospel, and in the faithful love of God. To see those whom we have loved – as children and young adults – now rich in those things which really matter, is an incredible blessing!

I think it is something like this joy which Paul is expressing here, as he opens his letter to the churches in the area around Ephesus, dwelling in his mind on the deep gladness which he experiences as he sees God at work steadily building THE church in that part of the world.

And being Paul, he goes further than merely giving thanks for what God has done, as he launches into one of the most stupendous prayers recorded for us in the bible, interceding and asking for his fellow believers and modelling for us how to pray for one another.

I am challenged by this and prompted to be more diligent in prayer for those whom I have known, and am getting to know now… Our God has given us a treasure beyond all description in Christ, our Lord, and we are continually invited to come deeper, to know him better, to become more and more wrapped up in him, so that our lives will reveal him to everyone around us, and bring glory to him.. This is something we can pray for ourselves and all those whom we love, regardless of what is happening in their lives at any time, for to know God personally, to delight in him, is to be desired above all things, and can be real in all situations.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Maker of all things, we pray today for your people, those whom Jesus died to save, who are sealed and marked out by the presence of your Holy Spirit in our lives: may we learn to know you better, to enjoy living with you from day to day.

May we see in one another the glorious inheritance which you are establishing – a people who know your love and power and who glorify and serve you. Grant us wisdom and discernment to see Christ, and all his ways, and by your Spirit enable us to follow that way with gladness, for his name’s sake we pray, Amen.

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.