Connexions

A group of us were talking through Jesus’ saying that ‘Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted’ and wondering about Jesus’ meaning when he used the word ‘mourn’

Was he saying that those who lose a loved one will be comforted? - that in itself of course would not be a bad thing, as we can all think no doubt about friends or neighbours who we might have offered some comfort to in their loss.

Or is there more to it than that? I must confess that I think of the Beatitudes as reflecting the qualities of life that Jesus displayed, and that we also should aspire to, and in that sense this is an odd verse. Therefore I’m more taken by William Barclay’s suggestion that Jesus may have been talking about something slightly different - that blessed are those who are saddened by the burden of their sin and the sins and state of the whole world, because it is at that point that God can be so close, so close in fact that it is at this point that so many find their way to God in faith and accept Him.

Jesus mourned for the sins of this world, and longed for all to find comfort in the love and Grace of God. Isn’t that what our attitude should be for the world? If it is then we too shall find comfort in knowing that our thoughts and prayers are as one with His, and any acts of love and generosity that we do are done in His name.

A couple of months ago we had a touring holiday in Syria, looking at the cultural, historical and Christian sites (we walked the Street called Straight and visited Ananias’ house!) and found the country to be fascinating. Media reports tended to emphasise the hard-line Arab rule and anti-Israel stance of the government. What we found was somewhat different.

Firstly, the people are very freindly and the country is beautiful. There are more ancient sites than you could imagine, and some are awesome. But this is also a country where different cultures and religious backgrounds co-exist seemingly quite happily.

We went through conservative Moslim towns, Christian villages, Kurdish areas and there was no evidence at all of one sector profiting at the expense of another, no sense of persecution of minorities. In fact, Syria had willingly absorbed around 2 million Iraq citizens (many Christian) fleeing the problems in that country since the invasion, not to mention the 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in Damascus. Our Arab guide confessed that his best friend is a Jew!

It struck me that we might disagree with the political leadership of a country such as Syria, but on the ground where the population live out their daily lives, we actually have a lot to learn about tolerance and living together.

For those who bring hope
where there is none
love where there is hatred
peace where there is war
sustenance where there is hunger
water where there is drought
and comfort where there is sadness
bless them Lord Jesus
whether they be Christian, Muslim
no faith or any faith.
For all love has it’s source in You
and every act of selfless giving
brings a smile to your face.

I’m not going to use this space to express my own political views (which are fairly moderate!) but I must admit I was shocked to see on my TV screen last night a demonstration of the water torture used by the CIA to extract information from prisoners.

The question has to be asked as to whether torture can be justified at any time (especially a method like this which is quite barbaric) and if it can be morally justified then how can countries such as the US which use torture continue to criticise other nation states who behave less than honourably toward their citizens and prisoners?

I’m not passing judgement, just asking the question!

For those of you who are interested in Celtic Christianity, can I offer my book, heart2heart as an idea for Christmas presents - buy now and get it delivered in time!

There’s around 100 prayers and liturgies inspired by the rich heritage that we have received from the early Christians in Britain and Ireland, and some background material on Celtic Christianity.

An example of one of the prayers in the book below:

Creator God
on windswept beaches
your saints of old
held their hands up to you
in wonder and amazement
felt your power through the roar
of wind and surf, and
exposed to the elements
felt a unity
with the One
who had created all things.
This world does not often allow us
such intimacy, Father
we are crowded out
by circumstances of our own choosing
seeking fellowship with each other
rather than with you.
Forgive our unwillingness
to follow in the footsteps of your saints
to meet you in the solitude of your creation
Forgive our unwillingness
to get our feet wet

You can find the book at my website

Or if you are happier buying through Amazon then it is here

There are plenty of sermons preached at this time of the year about Advent being not just about that waiting period before Christmas and the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, but also about the waiting time before the Second Coming of Christ - and that’s all well and good, but rather irelevant for the 90% of Brits who don’t go to Church to hear those wise words.

I’m reminded, reading John’s Gospel and particularly Chapter 8 where Jesus is talking to some Jews, that it’s not the Second Coming that’s so important for the vast majority of this country’s population, but the first!

‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know I am the one I claim to be’ said Jesus to the unbelieving Jews, along with a warning that they were going to ‘die in their sin’, a very harsh assessment of their lives one might think. But it emphasised that there is a time, and a finite time for all men to come to that understanding of just who Jesus was and is, or alternatively shut themselves off from God forever.

It’s not a decision to put off until another day, for that opportunity might not come.

Advent is about making our minds up - Who is Jesus, and how does that affect my life?

«#Blogging Brits?»

Preached today on the theme of ‘The God of Surprises’ which seemed apt for Advent. What greater surprise for the world that Messiah would come not as some all-conquering superhero (which would have been convenient and fit in with expectations) but rather as a fragile and vulnerable baby.

God surprises us by his choice of people. His Prophets were a mixed bunch, often unwilling to do that which God asked of them, and I guess that’s often true today - we’re often making excuses when the call comes, surprised to be asked, wanting someone else to take our place!

Strangely, we seem to surprise Jesus! Or at least we read that at times he was both surprised by some people’s faith (the centurion) and other’s lack of faith (his own disciples for some!)

A greater surprise might of course be that despite all that we do to hurt Him, God still continues to love us!

If you look at the story in John 7:53-8:11 about Jesus and his conversation with the adulterous woman you see that he is God of the Second Chance.

Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘… Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’

God is interested in not just who we are and what we have been, but what our potential is - he wants us to become the people we could be. So he says to us, sometimes more often than we deserve, ‘OK, you messed up, and you know you did - but I’m giving you another chance to redeem yourself’

Of course, it doesn’t end like there, because that could be taken as an open invitation to keep on messing up without fear of any judgement at all. No, Jesus says to the woman, ‘I’m not going to judge you on this, go away and do something with your life, become the real you… BUT you’re going to have to make changes in your life, you’re going to have to stop doing all this wrong stuff.’

Jesus makes demands, but he knows human nature well enough to know what we’re capable of doing. He doesn’t come down hard and condemn us as sinners, he wants to inspire us to become saints, which we can be with his help.

Isn’t that how we ought to be treating other people as well?

Give thanks for the God of the Second Chance!

FaithAndWorship.com

Blogarama

An interesting thought popped into my head (it happens!) as I was reading the account in John’s Gospel about Jesus and the adulterous woman, and particularly the way in which he dealt with the challenge he’d been set by the Scribes and Pharisees (to either condemn the woman to death by stoning, as proscribed in the law, or offer forgiveness to her and defy the law)

They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
John 7:53-8:11 for the whole story

It’s the thing about Jesus writing in the sand. Some commentators suggest that what Jesus was actually doing was listing one by one the sins of those who were watching, and that, as much as his comment ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her’ was the reason they turned tail and walked away, tails between their legs.

I think that’s an interesting picture we ought maybe to carry around with us. When our conscience tells us that what we’re saying or doing doesn’t quite fit with the faith we profess, is that Jesus standing next to us, writing in the sand?

And what’s our response? To walk away and ignore his challenge, or to respond to Jesus’ reply to the woman… ‘Go away, AND FROM NOW ON do not sin again’

Be careful of the writing in the sand!

There’s a new set of Bible Studies with a Celtic theme on www.faithandworship.com/connexions_bible_study_notes.htm

Until today I have steadfastly refused to go down the route of blogging, because I consider it a time wasting activity - so what am I doing here?

Well, I host www.faithandworship.com

It’s home to a lot of Celtic inspired prayers, a new set of Bible Studies on a Celtic theme, and a few other articles and suchlike - Oh, and did I mention that there’s a Daily Prayer option for those that like such things, and a book ‘heart2heart’ which is for sale online. Well, I have now!

So it seemed a natural progression to go down the blogging route, of which this is Day One.

Just finished working my way through 1 John in my daily Bible study, and there’s some really relevant words about prayer in that short book. Take for example 1 John 5:14,15

14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.’

Couple of very important principles in this couple of verses. Firstly that GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS! That’s rather crucial if we’re to believe that prayer is important, and that it works outside of the pages of the Bible!

Secondly that anything we ask for in prayer must be in accordance with the will of God. That’s a trickier one to understand, until we look at Jesus’ words right at the end of his life on earth at Gethsemene (Matthew 26, 39-42)

39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
….My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

‘Your will be done’

‘Not as I will, but as you will’

That’s the secret of course - if we’re close enough to God in our walk of faith, if we’re in fellowship with him and listening to him as our Heavenly Father then we’re not going to ask for anything that we know would be against the way we know that God works in us and in the world.

As William Barclay says, we pray ‘Your will be done’ NOT ‘ Your will be changed’

Barclay also challenges us with this thought. We’re so apt to think that prayer is asking God for what we want, whereas true prayer is asking God for what he wants. It’s listening to God as well as talking to him.

That’s enough food for thought for one day!