Today myself and my colleague went from Coventry to Nuneaton to collect and old cooker that had been kindly donated to the Jesus Centre. Prior to collecting it I had inadvertantly parked the car across someones drive. I had just been focussing on finding the address and so on, and simply failed to notice I was parked across a drive. We collected the cooker and when we came out with it (only a few minutes from when we had arrived) an angry young man, indeed the owner of the car shouted at us. It just so happened that the vehicle we were driving had the word "Jesus" quite prominent on the side. I did not hear exactly what the guy said but Jesus' name featured somewhere. I immediately said I was sorry and went to move the vehicle straight away. The young man said something else also which I did not fully catch, but one of the words he used began with "F" and I caught that loud and clear so I gues it was abuse. I said "I apologise" and went on to move the car. The young man and his partner drove off.
10/10 for the right response, why then did I feel so upset and angry afterwards? Why did I imagine various bad things happening to that couple today? As I thought about it I realised that actually the guy had slagged off Jesus so it could be counted as persecution for the sake of righteousness so I should be rejoicing. I don't find that easy in these situations. Having said that I hope that some conviction, or change will come about because of my turning the other cheek. If the commands of Jesus don't work for good then we are all in trouble.
Monday 3 December 2012
Thursday 20 September 2012
Servant of everyone
Jesus said that the greatest among you must be a servant. What does this mean? Possibly in Jesus time it meant slave. Someone with no rights owned by another. Being a servant could be great subject matter for a sermon but what does it actually involve?
One of my friends is in a very senior leadership role in our Church with massive responsibility. I had to go to the place he lives in for a meeting a few days ago. He met me at the door where he was chatting to someone else, went with me into the house made me a cup of tea and we had a chat before our meeting. He also has responsibility to care for one of the community minibuses and regularly cleans it out. He could quite reasonable claim he is too busy and noone would object. He has the habit of a servant.
Some people (even some leaders) use serving as a strategic tool so when there is a task to be done that is "in the public eye" they will get involved but it can be the equivalent of the Pharisees giving alms or praying on street corners and maybe "they have their reward". I would be concerned about following such a leader, he may serve, sometimes, but he isn't a servant. As soon as it's not convenient or he's stressed out or feeling like he needs a break his service drops away.
I feel that there is a danger of church leaders becoming "Guru's" who have lots of wisdom but when it comes to the application of the commands of Jesus in the heart fall short. Jesus said "I am among you as one who serves", that carries a sense of continuation, of habit.
Think about the old time servant (I am sure that T.V. programmes like "Downton Abbey" have glamourised it somewhat). They work long hours, have no voice, often weary. Most of them I am sure had they the opportunity would have got out into an easier life. Jesus advocates, nay, commands that we should become servants (with all that would have involved in his day). Is that a radical solution for a church looking for advance?
One of my friends is in a very senior leadership role in our Church with massive responsibility. I had to go to the place he lives in for a meeting a few days ago. He met me at the door where he was chatting to someone else, went with me into the house made me a cup of tea and we had a chat before our meeting. He also has responsibility to care for one of the community minibuses and regularly cleans it out. He could quite reasonable claim he is too busy and noone would object. He has the habit of a servant.
Some people (even some leaders) use serving as a strategic tool so when there is a task to be done that is "in the public eye" they will get involved but it can be the equivalent of the Pharisees giving alms or praying on street corners and maybe "they have their reward". I would be concerned about following such a leader, he may serve, sometimes, but he isn't a servant. As soon as it's not convenient or he's stressed out or feeling like he needs a break his service drops away.
I feel that there is a danger of church leaders becoming "Guru's" who have lots of wisdom but when it comes to the application of the commands of Jesus in the heart fall short. Jesus said "I am among you as one who serves", that carries a sense of continuation, of habit.
Think about the old time servant (I am sure that T.V. programmes like "Downton Abbey" have glamourised it somewhat). They work long hours, have no voice, often weary. Most of them I am sure had they the opportunity would have got out into an easier life. Jesus advocates, nay, commands that we should become servants (with all that would have involved in his day). Is that a radical solution for a church looking for advance?
Friday 17 August 2012
Ifs
The word "If" counjours up two pieces of writing. The first is the famous poem by Rudyard Kipling "If you can dio this that and the other without it bothering you then you'll be a man my son" or words to that effect. The other is a collection of sayings by Amy Carmichael gathered into a small book saying things like "If the ultimate, the highest cannot be asked of me, if my fellows hesitate and ask another, then I know nothing of calvary love" again or words to that effect. There is a similarity between the two. I used to have the little Amy Carmichael book and it was one of my prized possessions, I used to regularly beat myself up psychologically after reading it.
These days I treat such writings with a great deal of suspicion. They seem now to be a bit self righteous; an unreachable bar. I know Amy Carmichael spent a lot of time bedridden in the days before T.V. I guess you have got to occupy youself somehow. She is a person I greatly admire, don't get me wrong, but her writings didn't do me much good as an intense young christian wanting to be holy. As a not particularly macho bloke Rudyard Kipling's "If" just left me feeling inadequate.
What I believe defines a person is not the gritty determination to overcome all obstacles but the failures, the skin of the teeth escapes. The lucky goal that goes in off your backside. None of us are good enough that's why we need Jesus.
These days I treat such writings with a great deal of suspicion. They seem now to be a bit self righteous; an unreachable bar. I know Amy Carmichael spent a lot of time bedridden in the days before T.V. I guess you have got to occupy youself somehow. She is a person I greatly admire, don't get me wrong, but her writings didn't do me much good as an intense young christian wanting to be holy. As a not particularly macho bloke Rudyard Kipling's "If" just left me feeling inadequate.
What I believe defines a person is not the gritty determination to overcome all obstacles but the failures, the skin of the teeth escapes. The lucky goal that goes in off your backside. None of us are good enough that's why we need Jesus.
Thursday 16 August 2012
Dentists waiting rooms
When I sit in the waiting area of my dentist there are two watercoulour pictures on the wall opposite. They are obviously by the same artist and on the face of it of the same scene. the scene is a large white house with several sections with different roof heights on top of a hill. Surrounding the house is grassland and some wooded areas. Although the pictures appear to be of the same building they are drawn from a different place. One of the things I try to do is work out by looking at one picture where the artist was located when he drew the other one. I think I have it worked out but it is not conclusive.
In life what we see depends a lot on where we are looking from. That is why two people describing the same thing sometimes differ massively in what they describe. I don't think it is possible to really climb into someone elses shoes; however, the recognition that there are other veiws than our own which can be accurate, if different from ours is one step down the road towards unity.
In life what we see depends a lot on where we are looking from. That is why two people describing the same thing sometimes differ massively in what they describe. I don't think it is possible to really climb into someone elses shoes; however, the recognition that there are other veiws than our own which can be accurate, if different from ours is one step down the road towards unity.
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Nuclear power and other random thoughts.
I was driving to work today thinking about the environment (like you do). If only you could harness the power of nature somehow so that you could create clean energy. As I thought about it I realised that that is what has happened with nuclear power. Scientists have done that. Unfortunately the result is - a bomb - bad. I have read about all this radioactive waste stored underground in the U.S. and it worries me. Nuclear power is like a very gradual explosion, its not going to blow you apart straight away but it is only a matter of time before it does. One thing is certain we are all going to die sometime so maybe the best thing is to do the best with the life we've got.
Changing the subject, I had a tinnitus free day yesterday. It's back today, but yesterday was wonderful and I am grateful for it. Maybe it will go altogether; I have experienced a few noise free times recently (but never a complete day). Even if it doesn't, yesterday stands as a great day because of it. I have been praying of course and will continue to do so.
Changing the subject, I had a tinnitus free day yesterday. It's back today, but yesterday was wonderful and I am grateful for it. Maybe it will go altogether; I have experienced a few noise free times recently (but never a complete day). Even if it doesn't, yesterday stands as a great day because of it. I have been praying of course and will continue to do so.
Wednesday 7 March 2012
Revision to new song
This is kind of final version, I have taken advice and replaced some weak or cliched words.
In him we live, the Lord of all creation
Who spoke his life into our hearts of stone
Filled with the breath of his own Holy Spirit
Jesus our source, our saviour and our home
He is the light who scatters all our darkness
Dispelling doubt and vanquishing our fear
He’s our abundance, life is overflowing
In him we live and walk, our way made clear.
In him we move, whose hands restored the broken
Changing forever those who dared believe
Commanded storms to cease with his authority
We’re by his side; his courage we receive
And by his Spirit we defeat dark powers
The sick are healed, the good news we proclaim
Jesus is Lord! This is our shout of triumph
In him we move, his is the highest name.
In him we are, his nature our inheritance
Our strivings quelled, our anxious voices stilled
The God of peace enriching our identity
Creating calm, with Sabbath rest we’re filled
And on that day when we shall stand before him
Perfect and whole, transformed, secure and free
The shadows gone, the earthly grave behind us
In him to live and move and ever be.
Tuesday 6 March 2012
New song
Wrote a hymn today, having been encouraged to get the creative juices flowing. Have not written the tune yet, at the moment it's "Danny Boy". Here it is
In him we live, the Lord of all creation
Who spoke his life into our hearts of stone
Filled with the breath of his dear Holy Spirit
Jesus our source, our saviour and our home
He is the light who scatters all our darkness
Dispelling doubt and vanquishing our fear
He’s our abundance, full to overflowing
In him we live and walk, our way made clear.
In him we move, whose hands restored the broken
Who raised the dead, spread hope throughout the land
Commanded storms to cease with his authority
We’re by his side; we’re walking hand in hand
And by his Spirit we defeat dark powers
The sick are healed, the good news we proclaim
Jesus is Lord! This is our shout of triumph
In him we move, his is the highest name.
In him we are, his nature our inheritance
Our strivings quelled, our anxious voices stilled
The God of peace moving in our identity
Creating calm, with Sabbath rest we’re filled
And on that day when we shall stand before him
Perfect and whole, complete, secure and free
The shadows gone, the earthly grave behind us
In him to live and move and ever be.
Thursday 16 February 2012
Aging
Well I have passed another birthday since my last blog; 59 now. Apart form the strange face that looks at me from the other side of the mirror I don't feel OLD as such. Aging is both an expanding and a contracting experience. Physically there is a shrinking both in capability and size but the wisdom is greater and its tend to improve output. In terms of attitude it seems one becomes both more tolerant and less tolerant at the same time more big hearted particularly towards younger people but suffering fools less gladly.
I think I prefer being older although I imagine I will find it more and more frustrating dragging my body around as I really get old, for now the balance is good.
I think I prefer being older although I imagine I will find it more and more frustrating dragging my body around as I really get old, for now the balance is good.
Saturday 14 January 2012
No respecter of persons
As a practising christian it never ceases to amaze me how much more there is to discover, not through reserarch or exploration but through the illumination that God brings. Life in general (I mean a persons interaction with the rest of humanity) tends to be fairly limited, we have our own circle and can be suspicious of those who are not like us. In the Church, which is God's social circle if you like, he brings in people from every possible background and social grouping to be a demonstration of his unbiased approach to himanity which can be summed up in the following three words "God so loved".
I struggle sometimes and I know that many do with coping with others who's experience of God's life - changing power does not seem to have irradicated their annoying traits, weaknesses, personality failings and even sinful habits. I ask myself the question "is this person truly born again of the spirit?"( I even wonder that about myself when I seem to recognise a strong bias towards selfishness and sin). Because of attitudes like mine the Church is in danger of replicating the societies and groupings of the world which tend to split up, fall out, go broke or at the best hold themselves together through a controlling hand at the top. That is not to say there is not goodness, self sacrificing, achievement and fulfillment in thaose societies and groupings, it's just that they are human, the Church is part of God's kingdom and should (in theory) have a more secure hope.
The secret as I see it to moving away from the worm - like towards soaring like eagles is to have the love that God has which cannot be gained through education, exploration, personal effort and certainly cannot be brought. Lately I have been remembering often those words of my friend Paul Martin on the occasion of the Holy Spirit coming to a group of us whilst on holiday. Against the backdrop of his former attitude to me which was one of forbearance (not always patient). He said simply (their was nothing weird or sinister about this) "I love you". We never spoke about it again and he has now died so I can't ask him but I reckon that when he saw that God had chosen to love me and it was manifest then he was able to change his attitude towards me. My ability to love as God loves is so paramount to my own wellbeing that to be baptised in that love over and over again has to be my goal, without it I am poor, pitiable, blind and naked.
I struggle sometimes and I know that many do with coping with others who's experience of God's life - changing power does not seem to have irradicated their annoying traits, weaknesses, personality failings and even sinful habits. I ask myself the question "is this person truly born again of the spirit?"( I even wonder that about myself when I seem to recognise a strong bias towards selfishness and sin). Because of attitudes like mine the Church is in danger of replicating the societies and groupings of the world which tend to split up, fall out, go broke or at the best hold themselves together through a controlling hand at the top. That is not to say there is not goodness, self sacrificing, achievement and fulfillment in thaose societies and groupings, it's just that they are human, the Church is part of God's kingdom and should (in theory) have a more secure hope.
The secret as I see it to moving away from the worm - like towards soaring like eagles is to have the love that God has which cannot be gained through education, exploration, personal effort and certainly cannot be brought. Lately I have been remembering often those words of my friend Paul Martin on the occasion of the Holy Spirit coming to a group of us whilst on holiday. Against the backdrop of his former attitude to me which was one of forbearance (not always patient). He said simply (their was nothing weird or sinister about this) "I love you". We never spoke about it again and he has now died so I can't ask him but I reckon that when he saw that God had chosen to love me and it was manifest then he was able to change his attitude towards me. My ability to love as God loves is so paramount to my own wellbeing that to be baptised in that love over and over again has to be my goal, without it I am poor, pitiable, blind and naked.
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