Category Archives: witness

Doing God’s will..

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“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work…”

(Jn 4.34)

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified…. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.”

(Jn 12.23-26)

Jesus took the twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.

(Lk 18.31)

Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

(1Cor 15.58)

Then they asked [Jesus], “What must we do to do the works that God requires? Jesus answered, “The work of God is this; to believe in the one he has sent.”

(Jn 6.28-29)

All four gospel narratives clearly reveal a man on a mission: Jesus knew from his early years that he had a particular task to fulfill, and when he finally embarked upon his earthly ministry, he spoke again and again of his ‘work’. We see that this work was to announce the kingdom of God, and ultimately to suffer, die and rise again in order to inaugurate that kingdom and defeat the evil power which until then had held all humankind in bondage.

Within this context however, we also see a man whose days appear to drift by with little structure, and who was continually responding to ‘interruptions’ and unforseen circumstances. How do we reconcile this with the idea of doing God’s work? Perhaps the answer lies in a different understanding of what it is to live for God in this world? Jesus knew exactly who he was, and why he was here. Jesus identity was secure and his purpose inflexible, and he knew that God would fulfill that purpose in his (God’s) good time. Within that overarching direction however, there was a sense of freedom and an expectation that each day would bring exactly what God planned across Jesus’ path. What looked to his disciples like unfortunate distractions and delays were met in Jesus with a peaceful, focussed attention – he believed that God was working in all the circumstances, and was ready to be used in any way that his Father ordained.

Is this not a liberating principle that we can also apply to our lives? As followers of Jesus, the Way, we look to his example and direction for our lives. We see that God has an overarching purpose for us – to believe in the one whom God has sent, that is, Jesus – and we trust that his power within is sufficient to enable us to do that until we are taken home and made new. Within that purpose, each of us has different callings at different seasons of life – a job, a family, a hobby which uses God’s gifting to us and celebrates his goodness – and in each of these, we must believe in Jesus. That is, we must live in those situations and activities as redeemed sinners, with an overflowing abundance of love to share in God’s name for people who need to hear it. ‘Belief’ which does not affect how we live is not belief, it is only a theory or casual notion which we can ignore when it suits us. If we claim to believe in the one whom God sent, and yet will not bear witness by our words and deeds, by the way we use our resources, and the choices we make, then we do not believe in the way Christ calls us to.

I am excited to think that my life as a believer is not a matter of rigid scheduling of ‘religious’ activities, but is a pattern woven by my Father according to his purposes, where he asks for my yielding, my desire to be attuned to his promptings, my availability to be ‘interrupted’ and to recognise in the smallest event some sign that God is at work and asking me to share it.

Heavenly Father, thank you that while you ask me to be prudent and to steward the hours and days, the strength and resources you give me, yet you also call me to hold all my schemes and plans lightly, recognising your authority over my life, and your place as the great weaver by whose skill your kingdom is being built and all things are working together for your plans. Today I release my life afresh into your keeping and for your directing. Let me meet what you send with the strength you will supply, and with glad confidence that you are working through all that comes. In the name of Jesus, who showed me what this looks like, Amen.

Undivided loyalty… to whom?

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This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down…. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.

(Jer 29.4&7)

.. the administrators.. tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”..[Daniel] went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just has he had done before.

(Dan 6.4,5&10)

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

(Eph 6.5-7)

The story of Daniel, the young man taken into exile and put to serve in the administration of the all-conquering Babylonian empire, is a most encouraging one for all who follow Jesus in these ‘in-between’ days. Our Lord will come again, and meantime, we are called to live as those in exile from their homeland, to live in a broken world, whose values are contrary to the kingdom to which we belong. Daniel personifies faithfulness to God, loyalty to the true king, in a foreign land. And Daniel’s faithfulness and loyalty do not take the form of isolation, or rejection of the community to which he has been brought. Neither does he spend his life trying to create rebellion, or undermining the regime which has brought destruction to his land.

Daniel recognises the hand of God in all that is happening – exile itself is the direct result of Israel’s chronic failure to keep the God’s covenant, and Daniel has faith and wisdom to discern the truth that God’s love and faithfulness to his people means that although exiled, they are by no means forgotten or abandoned. And so Daniel does exactly what God commanded the exiles – through Jeremiah the prophet – in committing themselves to seek the good of their new communities. To be loyal and obedient to God, as an exile, meant being the very best citizen of Babylon that he could be, serving with all his strength and integrity… and that without adopting the religion of Babylon, or letting anything else take God’s place as Lord.

Daniel shows us it can be done, that to faithfully follow our Lord as exiles means being fully committed to the welfare of our fellow human beings; putting all our resources to work in their service; being fully present in this broken world, while remaining entirely loyal to God. This calls for trust, that God is at work to fulfill his promises; it calls for discernment to know when to stand for God’s ways in the face of persecution – and then for courage to go on obeying God as Daniel did in continuing to pray when it had been prohibited by the king. May we have wisdom in our own lives to recognise those places where God’s authority in our lives is being undermined or challenged; may we have courage to stand firm in obedience and in loyalty to our God at those times. It is fascinating to see that Daniel and his fellow Israelites – Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego – didn’t go looking for fights, they had wisdom to know what really mattered, and then to stand firm – and how courteous and peaceful is their resistance!

But I also find it very encouraging to see that Daniel lived a fruitful and godly life as an exile, knowing and walking with God, enjoying his favour over long decades of service to pagan rulers. Daniel was able to witness to God down the years, to a succession of rulers, and only in glory will we discover just how many citizens of Babylon came to living faith in the God of Israel because of the testimony and life of his loyal servant. Isn’t that encouraging to us?! May God sustain our faith and keep us loyal to him in our own exile; may we also find that our service of God bears fruit in blessing those around us; and may we also continue faithful in prayer and dependence on the goodness of God from day to day.

Hope…

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Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”

That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterise us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next….. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do!…. Isaiah’s word: ‘There’s the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree-tall, tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!’ 

Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!

(Rom 15.1-13 – selection: The Message)

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

(1Pet 3.13-16)

Jesus commissioned his disciples – and thus all those who would follow him – to go and make disciples, to proclaim that God’s kingdom was near and to call people to saving faith. Do you do that often? I don’t. I am scared of causing offence by speaking about Jesus and his unique position, his claim to be the only means by which we must be saved. I don’t know how to present the need for salvation to people who don’t have any concept of sin. I am scared of getting into arguments and of upsetting those whom I wish to love in Jesus name… I avoid the challenge to be a witness. I am in very real danger of succumbing to the temptation to abandon what God has revealed in scripture about himself and humanity, in order to make the gospel acceptable and attractive.

When it is written down like this, it is clear that this is disobedience to Jesus’ Great Commission; it is to fail in our calling as the Church. And yet, don’t we see it all around us? The pressure to abandon the culturally uncomfortable bits of the bible’s teaching is enormous; the argument that if we just ditch certain doctrines, then the gospel will become madly attractive is insidious… We must resist it, and yet the temptation persists.

In this context, I am encouraged by Paul’s prayer for the believers in Rome – quoted above – and by the picture of human lives so filled to overflowing with divine joy and hope that they shine like lights in the darkness and draw people like moths to a flame. I want that kind of life! I want to be so bright for Jesus that people will ask for a reason for the hope that is within me – not least because if they have asked, then I have full permission to share my own experience of Jesus, my own faith-story, no matter how weird it may sound to their ears! Who knows what God may then do with that story…

This is the hope that drives loving mission, compassionate service, and sustains believers in every trial of life. This is hope in Christ, not in human abilities or innate goodness; it is not arrogant, but humble because it is all Christ’s work which has achieved the solid ground of security we have as believers. It is not mere human optimism, or resilience, but an otherworldly certainty which informs all our choices and values.

O Father God, thank you that you know my weakness and fear; thank you that in Christ, I am strong and when you call me to serve, to witness, to live for you, I can be sure you will enable me in each situation. I pray that you will indeed so fill me with a fire-bright hope that I might shine for Christ my Lord; may I be a channel through which you draw people to consider the claims of Jesus to be the Saviour of the world. In humility, with honesty and also with childlike trust in you, may I live to glorify my Lord and to bear faithful witness to him. Amen.

On being gagged…

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But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: people knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life.

(Rom 1.18-22)

“I’ve made myself available to those who haven’t bothered to ask. I’m here, ready to be found by those who haven’t bothered to look. I kept saying, ‘I’m here, I’m right here’ to a nation that ignored me. I reached out day after day to a people who turned their backs on me. People who make wrong turns, who insist on doing things their own way…

(Isa 65.1-2)

Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost . He’s giving everyone space and time to change.

(2Pet 3.8-9)

If our message is obscure to anyone, it’s not because we’re holding back in any way. No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention.. They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get.

(2 Cor 4.3-4)

Jesus commissions his followers to go and make disciples, to share the good news to the ends of the earth and bring glory to God as the kingdom is established. And we know it is the best news that could possible be given! We know how desperately humanity needs to find hope, peace and forgiveness; to find its place in God’s great purposes and to know the deep satisfaction of being fully what we are made to be – God’s people, made in his image to know and delight in him and what he has done for us!

But what do we do when faced with friends and family and colleagues whose lives are without Christ, and who appear unaware of sin, confident in humanity’s potential to improve and overcome challenges, or else despairing of anything beyond this mortal sphere and sure there is no eternity to consider in their life-choices? We remain silent, we defer to their preferences and speak platitudes – why? Because they have made it abundantly clear that they will not even consider the possibility of the gospel being true, or that God exists and has revealed himself in Christ. Their determined assumptions act like a gag, and we are silenced by their confidence.

In this frustrated silence, we surely gain some insight into the grief of God as it is expressed in Isaiah’s prophecy – the inexpressible pain of the rejected parent, watching precious children embrace folly with all its bitter consequences because they will not hear the parental voice of love calling them to safety and hope. And how are we to react? It is not for us to let anger dictate our actions, but love, that love which is to desire the best for the other – God’s sacrificial and bold love which paid the highest price for our salvation. To love those who do not want to hear is to be humble, patient and persevering; to be loyal, and respect their opinions even though we do not agree; to be true friends and to speak honestly of God’s care for them, as the basis for all we do and say. It is only by God’s power at work in their lives that people come to faith in Christ – and we cannot persuade or cajole them into accepting him. What we can do is to speak gently and persistently of our own faith, of God’s work in our lives, of our belief that he is working in the world and powerful to fulfill his purposes which are good.

Heavenly Father, thank you for letting us share in small measure the grief which is yours over the determination of so many people to have nothing to do with your love, to reject Christ in all his glory, and to do life their own way – with all its dark consequences. Let this grief not drive us to despair, but rather to persistent prayer and humble, trusting faith. You call us to bear witness in word and deed; Lord help us to obey and to leave the consequences in your hands. Let us never become numb to the pain of unbelief in others, but let it keep us tender-hearted, and dependent on your Spirit to direct our service. Let us be generous in sharing our faith, and genuine in valuing each individual as your precious child, known and loved and welcome if they will only receive the gift you offer so freely in Christ. For his name’s sake we pray, Amen.

Letting it go…

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Some.. from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabus to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

(Acts 11.19-23)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position, Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone…. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

(Rom 12.9-21)

If, like me, you grew happily into faith in a christian home and congregation, it may well be that – again like myself – you are especially fond of certain songs and hymns, and find particular styles of service more comfortable than others. This is natural, and the inevitable result of such an up-bringing. Our hearts return to those things which remind us of those who loved and led us, and of precious days which are gone.

Equally, we may look back on previous generations in our churches when the buildings were full, and when society as a whole seemed much more attuned to the principles of the gospel, and in line with God’s commands. How wonderful, we tell ourselves, if such times could return. Our traditions of church life, and the place which faith used to play in national life are not an illusion, and we do right to remember and honour all who have gone before in the Lord’s service in this land.

However, like all good things, these traditions and precious memories can become idols and a means by which we are deceived into making wrong decisions, trapped into time- and energy- sapping distractions from the real work of sharing the good news about Jesus with our neighbours in this day and generation. To build on what has gone before does not necessarily mean repeating the same structures and patterns as our forbears used! To build on their faith should simply mean that we honour their endeavours by seeking what God would have us do with what he has given us now – even as they did in their day.

When Barnabus arrived in Antioch to investigate the first widespread conversion of non-Jewish people to faith in Jesus, he could have insisted on the imposition of all the traditions by which the Jewish converts to Christ were living – the trappings of Judaism. But he did not. He commended them, encouraged them and simply begged them to remain true to the Lord. He imposed no more regulations on them than Paul did when writing earnestly to the church in Rome, where all his exhortations were to do with their conduct and witness as transformed people in their culture. These two men were devout Jews, but they both recognised that it was time for the precious traditions of their past to be set aside, in order for the gospel to spread around the world as God had always intended it should.

I am warned by the example of these two great leaders of the early church that I too must sit as lightly as possible to my own particular tradition. What possible excuse do I have for insisting on any form of worship; the preservation of a building or any other part of the past (no matter how precious to me personally in my faith journey), if it impedes the work of the gospel today, presents a barrier to witness, or drains resources which could be used in other ways? Am I prepared to assert in God’s presence that my own preferences matter more than the eternal destiny of those around me?

Almighty God, whose desire it is that none should perish, but all come to faith in Jesus Christ, deliver me from selfishness in holding onto anything which might be a distraction from the work to which I am called today. Let me sit lightly to the past, and honour all that has gone before by imitating the faith and bold endeavours which your people have undertaken in your name. Amen

Love.. is

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God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature…”

(Gen 1.26. the Message)

Jesus said,”.. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!…. to see me is to see the Father”

(Jn 14.7&9. The Message)

Love from the centre of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. .. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got in in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other… When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.

(Romans 12.9-19, 13.8&10. The Message)

By his son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the son at the end. This son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature.

(Heb 1.2&3. The Message)

What are we here for? What is our purpose, and the reason for being human with all that means? The very first words of the Hebrew Scriptures give us the fundamental answer from which an infinite variety of paths will flow – we are here in order to be like God! That doesn’t sound very practical… so let me unpack a little.

God is revealed as the Maker, the great Artist and source of all creative energies. To be like Him therefore is to reflect his creativity, delight in beauty, to share in his care for creation. That overwhelming abundance of good things is made to glorify God and reflect his nature, his generosity; it is an expression of a love that delights to give.

The little word ‘us’ indicates to the reader that God exists in community; beyond time and created space, our Almighty and infinite Maker is in loving relationship, enjoying and sharing at the very heart of deity. To be like God then, is to be made for community, for mutual appreciation and affection, for shared life.

Let’s think in particular, of how to be like God is to love –  how does God love? I believe that all of scripture is a revelation of love in action. From the codes of law which God gave as an expression of love, through the admonitions of the prophets against the lovelessness of God’s people, and ultimately in Jesus life, death and resurrection that love is demonstrated and expressed. This is not a soft, indulgent love; this is a never-quenched flame which burns to achieve the best possible outcomes for the beloved – guarding them against danger, calling them back from the ways of folly and rebellion, providing for them what they most need and cannot achieve for themselves.

We, as the creatures of this loving God, are not called to do all that He does. But in Jesus we have a clear example of what it means to be “like God” as mere human beings. Jesus claimed to be God, to be revealing God to humanity in a perfect way. So Jesus shows us what it is like for a human being to love as God loves.

As you read the wonderfully rich list of love-in-action in Romans, consider how Jesus did all these things during his time walking among us. Rejoice that none of these things is out of our reach! We are not being called to an impossibility but to the fullest kind of life, one which is our calling, that perfectly fits what we are designed for – to love, because God first loved us.

We have this one shared purpose, and there will be as many expressions of it as there are human beings – no two people will live for and with God in the same way, but each may know what it is to love God and others with all that they are. Love, is to offer up all that God has given us in his service, generously sharing his gifts and our own experiences of his goodness in that unique path to which we are assigned by his grace.

Being realistic, not afraid..

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Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come… he will come to save you.”.. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way… But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

(Isa 35.3&4, 8&10)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…  Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted… It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as his children…. he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

(Heb 12.1-3,7,10-13)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”.

(Jn 16.33)

He never said it would be easy….. but how quickly we react against our Lord when life presents us with painful and challenging situations. Being a follower of Jesus does not somehow exempt us from the experience of humanity – our bodies are mortal, subject to injury, disease, disability of every kind. We are as likely as anyone else to suffer from flu, cancer, unemployment, depression, untimely bereavement, and every other woe which afflicts our species on this beautiful but broken planet. It is absolutely crucial for our perseverance in faith that we understand and accept this truth – accepting it over and over as each new struggle or challenge presents itself. It can be very hard to do, but the bible is quite clear that for as long as we resist and resent God’s providence, we will fail to derive from it the blessings which He has prepared for us – depriving both ourselves and those around us as a result.

“If life’s adversities, and God’s use of them in discipline produce in the end both inward peace and moral uprightness, we cannot possibly have suffered in vain.” (Brown p235, Christ Above All – The Message of Hebrews. IVP 1982)

Please, please believe that I do not mean in any way to minimise or disregard the depth of pain, loss and weariness which some experiences can produce. I do not wish to imply in writing this that it is easy to persevere in faith when life has been blighted – it is not. BUT, I do think it is worth reminding myself of this truth regularly, when small difficulties arise, so that when the big things happen, I have some understanding of God’s ways and am accustomed to turning first to him for help. It is also good to remember this when we pray for others who are facing life-changing, irreversible trials – that they in turn will be given grace to accept and mercy when they doubt, and persevere in faith.

God calls his children to persevere when their families have been shattered by broken relationships, or by illness and disability; when their own lives have become severely limited or their employment prospects permanently blighted. These “weights” are cripplingly heavy, and only Christ can ease their burden upon us and enable us to keep walking in his ways. It is in this continual turning, dependance, humble acceptance and valiant expectation that God is with us, working for our good and his glory THROUGH what is happening, that we find ourselves journeying each day nearer to the glorious city where all sorrow is ended. As we walk thus, we can be free from fear of what may come to us in the days ahead, because we are always in the care of our loving Heavenly Father, whose purposes for us cannot fail to be fulfilled.

Dear Lord, take all of this life’s adversities and use them for our blessing and your glory – enable us to accept them from your hand. We are called to live with all the evils which beset this broken world, and it is only with your help that we can do so in ways which honour you. Lord, lead us by springs of fresh water, and sustain us on the journey, that we might not faint by the way…

It’s not too late…

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Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did..”

(Ps 95.6-9)

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit…. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

(Jn 3.3-6&16)

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.

(Heb 4.1&2)

We live in a culture which is obsessed with youth, and with preserving it at whatever cost in terms of investment of time, energy and money. To become old is to fail, to disappear from public consciousness, to let others down by acknowledging human mortality and the inevitability of death. I am very aware that now I am white haired, I have become largely invisible, having joined the undistinguished mass of ‘old’ people, who are not relevant to a culture devoted to denying ageing.

This is not God’s plan for us, not his way of looking at us, and he certainly does not write people off after they reach a certain age – Moses and Abraham, Simeon and Anna, Samuel, John on Patmos – all of these served God and powerfully witnessed to him in their later years. The bible speaks of the dignity which comes with age – to have many years is to have received God’s blessing, and to be an asset to one’s community. Is this something which our churches today need to remember too? It is right that we seek to reach young people – children, teenagers, young adults – but not at the expense of respecting and valuing our middle-aged, and older communities!

Age is neither a barrier to faith, nor to active, joyful and fruitful service in God’s kingdom. While it may be true that age brings a settled pattern of thinking, an apparent resistance to the gospel, we need not give up hope since we have a God who is powerful to save, and whose Spirit is at work in lives all around us to stir up a hunger for the only true Bread, the living water. The need for forgiveness, for peace and deliverance from guilt; the desire to have hope as we face infirmity and death – these things do not diminish as we get older, but grow stronger! This means that as we love and reach out to the older members of our communities we have good reason to be confident. We have good news for them, for their circumstances.

Heavenly Father, we pray today for your children in our communities who are older, perhaps feeling invisible and unwanted; perhaps feeling that they have got life sorted! We pray for the work of your Spirit in their lives to stir up hunger for more, for hope, for assurance in the face of death. We pray against the indifference which comes with years; against the defences which were put up after some historic event which hurt them or put them off church; we pray against lethargy and against the fear that it is too late to find salvation.

Help us, as your light and witness in our communities, to demonstrate the love of Christ – to respect and cherish each and every one; to offer hope in his name and to speak of the power of your Spirit to transform. May those of us who are already aware of being older not give up serving you with gladness, but rather grow in confidence since we can look back on the years and see your goodness to us. Make us fruitful in the kingdom, and may we reach out to our peers, bringing them to meet our beloved and beautiful Lord that they might find life, hope and peace. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.

Why do I write?

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A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures for ever.”

(Isa 40.6-8)

Ten years ago, I began to write. I found my voice, as a follower of Jesus and one whose delight it is to know and learn to know him better. I found that writing each week helped me to grasp the truth, as I wrestled with words and found relief in articulating what was encouraging or troubling me. The discipline of weekly writing has been an unmitigated blessing to me, and by God’s providence and grace, has proved a blessing to others too. It seems that often my words help others in turn to find their voices – how I thank God for this manifestation of the ministry of all believers, as the gifts of each one finds a place in serving others!

The years have seen changes, in my family and in my circumstances, and the world has known great griefs and upheavals. But through it all, the word of our God stands, and there I place my hope. I have proved the sweet faithfulness of my Saviour, the greatness of my Father’s heart, the reviving power of the Spirit. I have not learnt and put into practice everything that I have written – sadly it seems that very little has changed in my essential nature – but I believe that the process of writing and sharing week by week has been nourishing and correcting, a means by which God has spoken to me and sustained me through these ten years. For the moment then, I commit myself to continuing to write, and trust that as I ask, seek and knock, my gracious and generous God will answer, will direct and will open the doors according to his good purposes for my life within his great and growing kingdom.

These are the words with which this endeavour began. They remain a true statement of my desires in writing, and I share them again with you today. All glory to God, who in Jesus has set us free to know and love him, and to live ever more in his presence!

August 31st, 2014….

So what do I forget, all too often? I forget who I am, and forget what is true about the world I live in and the One who made and sustains it.

I forget that in the end, all human achievement and glory will count for nothing, and that the praise and admiration of men is not where true peace and satisfaction come from.

I forget that it is not my own busy-ness which dictates my worth as a person, and my possessions are not the source of my identity and security.

I need to take time to remember the truth, the truth that sets me free to live in the light of eternity.

I accept my insignificance and transience, because the word of my God stands for ever, and that word tells me that I am a beloved daughter, one for whose freedom a great price has been paid, and who can never be torn from her Father’s side.

I take time to remember that the glory of the grass and flowers is the faintest echo of the glory that awaits God’s beloved children in the future he has prepared for us.

I remember that all my longings and desires are known to Him who loves me more than I will ever truly understand, and that He knows best how to fulfill those desires.

In remembering, may we find rest for our souls. May they be anchored in the truth of the word, so that no dazzle or distraction can take our peace away. In Christ, we are now and always, beloved, accepted and sustained. Let us walk the days with him.

Turning and re-turning..

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Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season…

(Ps 1.1-3)

…the word of God came to John.. He went through all the region of the Jordan, announcing a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This is what is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

‘A voice shouting in the wilderness: get ready a path for the Lord, make the roads straight for him! Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill shall be flattened, the twisted paths will be straightened out, and the rough roads smoothed off, and all that lives shall see God’s rescue.’

‘You brood of  vipers,’ John used to say to the crowds.. ‘Who told you to escape from God’s coming anger? You’d better prove your repentance by bearing the proper fruit! Don’t start saying to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father”; let me tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! The axe is already standing by the roots of the tree – so every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.’

(Lk 3.2-9, NT Wright translation, 2001)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work….

(Col 1.9&10)

The words of John the Baptist to his intrigued audience are brutal – he doesn’t congratulate them for coming, but rather castigates them! His mission is to alert the nation of Israel to its desperate need for change – and not merely a political or social change, but a radical heart-transformation which would see them ready to enter into the kingdom of God. John is warning a people steeped in religious tradition that mere ethnic or nominal ‘belonging’ to the children of Abraham would mean nothing, giving no protection from the judgement which will surely come.

John is not saying anything new, but echoing the prophets who had gone before – telling the people over and over that unless they lived out their faith, embracing their calling to be a light to the nations by letting God’s word transform their lives, then they could not expect the receive the blessings of God’s promises.. lip service counts for nothing; going through the motions of ritual observance is fruitless when the heart is far from God.

It takes little imagination to see how this warning continues to apply to God’s people today… the mere fact of having been baptised is meaningless, unless our lives bear the marks of being submitted to God’s word. Having Christian parents guarantees nothing until the child embraces Christ as Lord for themselves in due time, and bears fruit – in turning away from sin, and turning towards God, a continual reorientation throughout their life. Even scrupulous observance of spiritual habits may cloak a heart and mind which remain wedded to the values of the world – remember the rich young man to whom the call to put Jesus before his wealth proved an impossibility?

What am I prioritising ahead of Jesus? What do I hug to myself jealously, fearful lest God should challenge me to set it aside? If John were to come to me today, what would he point out that is hindering my obedience to Jesus, and holding me back from bearing fruit?

Heavenly Father, I confess again that my heart is deceitful and that I need your Spirit to reveal to me my secret sins, my pride, my complacency.  I confess that personal comfort and social acceptance are precious to me.

I desire to bear fruit which will demonstrate your power at work to transform my life; I desire to honour Jesus and glorify him.

May your power work in me to keep me flexible, keeping me sensitive to sin and eager to turn away from it in repentance. Thank you that your power is at work in me to make me fruitful; help me to persevere and to keep re-turning to you in devotion and thankful dependence. For Jesus’ sake I pray, Amen.