Whom shall I fear

You may know that I am a Chris Tomlin fan - and am therefore looking forward to his new album, Burning Lights which comes out in January 2013. Here's a little taster of what is to come: Whom Shall I Fear



Although the album isn't out until next year, this track can already be purchased on iTunes, if you're interested.

If you have to ask why...

There are some things that people do, and our first response is 'why?' Things like climbing a mountain - why? - because it's there. Sky diving from 23 miles up - why? - because it's never been done before. Running a marathon - why? - now that is a good question! But I guess there is a sense in which if we have to ask 'why?' we simply don't understand what makes that other person tick.

I enjoy geocaching. Geocaching is basically a treasure hunt. A cache varies in size from a nano-cache which could be no bigger than 1cm in any direction, to a box the size of a large packed lunch. Nano-caches are so small they can be hidden in plain sight and most people will not realise they are there - and even when you're looking for them they can be hard to spot.

This nano-cache is magnetic and is stuck to a metal ring

Can you spot the nano-cache?

Larger caches are usually well hidden out of sight, under rocks, in holes ...

Other caches will be designed to look like stones, snails, fir cones and logs etc

A cache will contain a logbook - this may be a note book or a roll of paper - for visitors to sign as they find the cache. It may also contain a pen or pencil, and other items that may be swapped. The cache is then hidden somewhere on the planet and it is recorded on an official geocaching website (such as www.geocaching.com) - along with co-ordinates and maybe a clue.

To find a cache you need to note down the co-ordinates, and enter these into a GPS enabled device - either one specially designed for the purpose or on a smart phone etc. These co-ordinates will take you to within a few feet of the cache, and you then have to use the clue and your searching skills to find the cache.

Once you've found a cache you log it on line.

I guess, if you've read this far, and you have to ask 'why?' then geocaching probably isn't for you. But if you like the idea of hunting for small plastic boxes, or even hiding your own caches then maybe give it a go. I have visited so many different locations, even within a few miles of my home, simply because I am looking for a cache.

If you're still interested then come back in a few days time and I'll tell you a bit about travel bugs and geo-coins.

What do we really mean when we say 'I'll pray for you'?

Standing in the gap can be hard work - sometimes it seems as if you're being pulled in two directions at the same time. Last week we were thinking how followers of Jesus have taken on the role of the Old Testament priests and bridge the gap between God and the world. This means getting involved in the world and bringing people's hurt and pain to God in prayer.

In Romans 12:15 it says that we should 'rejoice with those who rejoice; and mourn with those who mourn'. Often it's easy to rejoice with those who have good news. But when we hear bad news in someones life often the easy thing is to say that we'll pray for them. And so we change Paul's message to 'rejoice with those who rejoice; and pray for those who mourn'!

Of course praying for people is good - and it is right that we should do that. But sometimes do we say that we'll pray for people because we don't want to get too involved ourselves? Our offer to pray keeps them at arms length.

Being a priest in the Old Testament was a messy business - you can't sacrifice a bull or a sheep or a goat without getting a bit messy. One thing I have found is that however clean and tidy a person's life may look on the surface - often those lives are quite messy under the surface. And if we're going to stand alongside people in their times of difficulty - if we're going to bring them to God - if we're going to allow God to reveal himself to them through us - then we need to be prepared to get messy. It will take time. It won't be easy. Messy Church has nothing to do with children's craft - church is messy because life is messy.

We can't do everything, and we can't be involved in everyone's life, otherwise we will simply burn out. But are there people that you're praying for, when really God wants you to get a bit more involved?

Is there another way?

I'm not sure which annoys me more: the fact that energy prices keep on going up, or that people seem surprised that this is the case. 

Rises in gas prices have once again been in the news recently and once again we have interview after interview with members of the public who seem to be under the impression that fuel companies (whether gas, electric, petrol...) are there to provide a service rather than to make money.

When you take the decision to privatise something - energy providers, railways, schools, hospitals - you have made a shift in terms of priorities. Now it is the shareholders who are more important than the consumer. You are now about maximising profit - not providing a service.

Now of course in the free market you might argue that if you don't provide a good service which gives value for money then you will lose customers - and therefore it is in the interests of the shareholders to provide a good service.

There has been comment made recently about changes in education and a move to make governing bodies smaller and to pay governors for their work. 

But what does all this say? Are we saying that as a society people only give of their best when they're paid for it? That the main driver, the main motivation, is greed?

I know the issues are complicated, that's why I don't often make political comment. But sometimes I wonder whether there has to be a different way, a better way. A way in which we put the interests of others first. A way in which money isn't the most important thing and people aren't driven by greed...

Mind the Gap

Last weekend, as we continued our journey through that much loved Old Testament book of Leviticus we looked at the work of the Priests. The priests worked in the Tabernacle.

They acted as a bridge between God and the people. They would guide people through the sacrifice of their animals, they would perform the appropriate rituals - without the priests the whole sacrificial system would grind to a halt.

In the New Testament 1 Peter 2:5, 9 makes it clear that all followers of Jesus are now priests. And this ties in well with what we have already seen, in the way that the Tabernacle, the Offerings and now the Priests are all fulfilled in Jesus and then fulfilled in the church (see chart below).

So as priests, Jesus' followers are called to be those who bridge the gap between God and the world. We make God known to the world as we share what God is doing in our lives with those we live and work with. As we share in the world we become aware of its hurt and pain and we share in this and turn this into prayer. Often we are then the answer to our prayers as God sends us into the world as an offering, to serve the world.

To better understand our role as 'church' we need to think in terms of Tabernacle, offering and priesthood.

What	Significance	Fulfilled by Jesus (?)	Fulfilled in the Church (?)	So what?
Tabernacle	The place where God dwelt with his people	Yes – God dwelt with his people in Jesus	Yes – God now dwells in his people	People should see God in us
Offerings & Sacrifices	Sin and Guilt offering for atonement Other offerings – free will thank/worship	Jesus' death brings atonement. Fulfilled all offerings	We are to offer our lives as living sacrifices	Am I offering all I have to God?
High Priest	Bridge between God and the people. Offered Sacrifices	Offered perfect sacrifice, once and for all, doing away with sin once and for all. He is in heaven interceding on our behalf	-	Because sin is dealt with we are able to come into the presence of God with confidence (Heb. 10:19)
Priests	As above	-	Standing in the gap. Making God known to the world and praying for the world	Making disciples. Acts of service. Prayer.

What I like about Autumn

Some of you who know me, may have seen that title, 'What I like about autumn' and imagined that this would be a blank post. Summer is my preferred season - I enjoy it sunny, warm and dry. Although given the summer just gone you may wonder why I equate 'summer' with sunny, warm and dry as opposed to wet, cold and windy.

Summer has now left and autumn is most definitely here. And however much I might like summer, it would be a waste to spend the whole time looking back to last summer, or simply waiting for next summer. Instead it is good to enjoy autumn and to look for the good in it.

Of course you don't need to look very hard to find the good in autumn. I live in a city but still get to run in a number of local parks and at this time of year some of the scenery is simply breathtaking. The amazing colours of the trees for example.

Then there are those morning runs in the park just after the sun has come up where a finger of mist hangs just above the ground creating an atmosphere of calm and quiet - well, it's either that or something out of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Although I enjoy sunshine and heat there is something special about a long muddy run. 

It's not just Peppa Pig who finds jumping in muddy puddles therapeutic. Sometimes there is nothing better than putting on the trail shoes (as opposed to the road shoes - which are white with not a lot of grip) and going in search of some mud.

Psalm 104 is just one Psalm that looks at the wonders of the creation around us and gives thanks to God for his great works.

I love the summer, but when we walk around, at this time of year, with our eyes open, there are so many things to be amazed by.

Picture reproduced with permission of Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

What would you do?

Even if you are not a cycling fan you are likely to know the name Lance Armstrong. His name has been all over the news this week as revelation and accusation about drug taking in cycling has gone from one unbelievable level to the next. But not everyone in cycling was taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Many of those who did spoke about their initial shock at the scale of what was going on and a determination not to get involved. But pressure from team mates, conversations with team doctors, and the frustration of getting beaten by people who you knew were not as good as you led many to take the wrong fork in the road. One cyclist talked about this turn coming for many after about 1000 days - 1000 days of resistance and saying 'no' - but in the end it was just too much.

But one cyclist from that era stands out - Christophe Bassons. He did not take drugs and he spoke out against drugs in cycling and he paid the price. 

He talks about being offered a contract: stay clean and sign a deal for about 4,000 euros a year; take EPO and sign the deal for about 47,000 euros. What would you do? Many took the second option, but not Bassons. Shunned by team mates and criticised by those we now know were taking drugs Bassons eventually retired from cycling. He paid a price for doing the right thing.

Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times. Bassons was hounded out of cycling.

In an interview with the Observer Bassons reflects and said: 

I don't feel bitter at all. I think if you were to compare the situations today of both Lance Armstrong and myself you might ask who is the happiest, who is the most content, who feels the best about themselves and what they did? I certainly don't have any regrets...Lance Armstrong cannot be feeling very comfortable today.

Life is all about choices. We face choices every single day. Many of them are routine with insignificant consequences - whether to have Sugar Puffs or Cornflakes for breakfast - but every now and again we come across a major fork in the road. Sometimes we know it's coming, and we have time to prepare for it - exploring different career options, for example. But other times we are hit with a situation out of the blue and we have to react on the spot. What do we do? 

Part of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus is that we seek to be obedient to God in every decision we take. This means developing a Christian character so that when we are faced with that on the spot decision we are more likely to do the right thing than do the wrong thing. Being a disciple of Jesus means that we realise that there will be a cost involved - doing the right thing means that often the easy options are not available.

Putting the cart before the horse

It has been said that we are human beings and not human doings - making the point that who we are is more important than what we do. And whilst this is of course true we can't separate who we are from what we do. The Bible tells us that we will know what is inside people by the 'fruit' that we see on the outside.

But we need to be careful that we get these things the right way round. We don't do the outward stuff in order to change what is going on on the inside. No. It is the things that are going on on in the inside that will affect the way things are on the outside. God is always more interested on the inside - if that's not right then the outward stuff counts for nothing.

And so when it comes to thinking about offerings and sacrifices (as we were last time - see last post) the things that we offer to God must always be our response to everything that God has already done for us. We don't 'do things for God' in order to earn his love or forgiveness or because of a guilty conscience. Sin has already been dealt with by Jesus' death on the cross. The only offerings left available to us are those voluntary offerings that are offered as worship in response to God's love for us.

So what kind of things do we offer? Not animal sacrifices. Romans 12:1 talks about offering our whole lives as a living sacrifice. The answer then is 'everything'. In line with Leviticus 1-7  - some of the offerings were offered to God alone, and these were burnt up, some were partly offered to God and partly to the priests, some were for God, the priest and the offerer.

So it is right that some of our time and some of our resources are sacrificially given over to God - e.g. giving up 3 hours a week to help out at a church run community toddler group, or regularly giving a percentage of your income to the local church and other charities. But we should also see all the stuff that we keep for ourselves as being an offering to God and use it wisely in ways that will bring glory to Him.

A bit more later...

It won't come out of the carpet

It's not always easy to see the significance of what we read in the Bible. As I've said before, one of the most important questions you can ask as you read the Bible is 'so what?' If it's not going to make any difference to the way I live my life, then what's the point?

As we continue our Sunday morning series on the book of Leviticus this question remains very much at the front of my mind. These passages are, on first glance, so out of date and from a totally different age, what can they possible have to say to us today?

This week we were looking at Leviticus 1-7 which deals with the rules and regulations of what and how to offer sacrifices that are acceptable to God. Should you offer a goat, sheep, bird or cow? Should it be male or female? Do you burn the whole thing or offer some and eat the rest? What do you do with the blood? Pour it out, sprinkle it around, wipe it on the horns of the altar, take it inside the tabernacle?

None of the above is going to make you very popular when you go to church on Sunday. In fact it is unlikely that your animal of choice will make it through the front door. But even if you do get your pet goat to the front of the church it is unlikely that any minister or vicar is going to slaughter the thing in front of the children in the pews - the blood would almost certainly ruin the carpet - and no one wants a visit from the fabric committee. So what is the point?

In the New Testament we read that these things were only ever a shadow of the real thing. When Jesus died on the cross that sacrifice dealt with the problem of sin once and for all. Everything that we then seek to do is our response to God's love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. In the words of Romans 12:1 we present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice - no longer looking to do what we want, but looking to be obedient to God.

I'll have some more thoughts on our offerings later in the week.

Jump Highlights

Just in case you missed Felix's jump from 24 miles above the earth that I was talking about in my last post here are the video highlights.

It's a long way down

Yesterday I watched online as Felix Baumgartner's balloon and capsule rose higher and higher and higher. Unfortunately I was only able to see about 90 minutes of the ascent - which went on for a total of about 2 1/2 hours. And I missed the whole of the 10 minute descent although I have since seen the highlights. Felix stepped out onto the ledge the size of a skateboard, at a height of 24 miles above the earth, and after a short pause he jumped and fell towards the earth reaching a speed of over 800 mph.

Of course this was not the first time Felix had jumped off of anything quite high. He used to fall off buildings, and then just continued falling further and further. Now he holds a number of world records.

In a parable in Luke 19:17 we see that God gives us something small to do. When we do that well, we are trusted with something bigger. Then something bigger still. The important thing is not to despise the small thing that God is asking us to do; instead we should obediently do it well. One small jump at a time.

What makes someone think that jumping out of a capsule 24 miles above the earth is a good idea? Because it's never been done? To break records? To be famous?

What motivates us to do the things that we do? Is it obedience to God? A desire to do what he wants? Or is it something else?

As he stood on the ledge Felix said 'let me tell you - when I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble'.

In Psalm 8:3-4 David is trying to get his head round the fact that God is the one who created the moon and the stars and yet he is still interested in us, he still cares for us. In the New Testament we see just how much God loves us as Jesus dies on the cross.

Of course Felix couldn't have done this on his own. There are all the engineers who built the balloon and capsule and special suit. There were those we saw yesterday in the mission control room. It was very much a team effort.

Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us that the Christian life is not a solo effort - but we are part of a team. We're there to help each other, to encourage each other, to spur each other on. Who is encouraging you? Who are you encouraging?

Shoebox Time

It's nearly that time of year when thousands of people in the UK and indeed across the world will be filling shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for children that they don't know and children that they will never meet. Why do we do it? Because God loves us, and because God wants to show his love for the world through us.

Once again this year we will be a processing centre for boxes at the church. Somewhere between 3000-4000 boxes will pass through the church in a couple of weeks, and these boxes will then make their way to Swaziland. Once there thousands of children and thousands of families will get a box - a message that you are not on your own, you are not forgotten, you are loved.

Just a Number?

Earlier on today I came across the photograph below.

It is a picture of quadruplets in south China. The boys are so alike that their parents say that even they can't tell them apart. And so to make life easier for the boys' teachers the parents decided to shave their heads into these distinctive hair styles. Their mum says, 'Teachers and classmates can't get confused with the big marks on their head'. Hopefully the boys are still called by their names rather than by a number.

We have a God who knows us by name. Out of all the people alive on the planet - God knows your name. Sometimes we feel invisible, unimportant, unloved, forgotten, lonely. But God knows us by name.

Psalm 139 tells us that God knows everything about us. It tells us that there is no where we can go that is beyond God's presence. God knows you. He knows what you're going through. He cares for you. You're not on your own. You're not just a number.

The Dream came True

Last time I mentioned that one of the things that BMS had been involved in in Haiti was getting the first ever team of Haitian athletes to the Paralympics in London.

One of the team only arrived in London the day before the games started.

You'll find lots of information, additional links and news videos (including ITV) by clicking here for the BMS website.

Thirsty

Our harvest thanksgiving service this week was an opportunity to say thank you to God for many of the things that we so often take for granted. Even with something as simple as a glass a water - for so many people across our world this is something they can only dream of.

In Leviticus 19 there is a commandment that when you harvest your crops you should not go right to the edge of the field and anything that you miss or drop, you are not to go back for it - you are to leave it for the poor and those in the community who otherwise would have nothing to eat. That's what's going on in Ruth 2. Boaz, although a wealthy land owner, knows that what he has is a gift from God and it comes with a responsibility to care for the poor - because God cares for the poor.

This harvest it is good to be able to support the work that BMS World Mission are doing in Haiti. To get an idea of this work you can watch the following video.



BMS have been involved in Haiti in other ways too. They were instrumental in bringing a team of three athletes to the Paralympic games in London this summer - the first time Haiti has sent a team to the Paralympics. But more of that story later in the week.

A new fence

Over the summer we had a new fence put up at church. The old, very old, broken wooden one has been replaced with a new metal fence. It is a huge improvement. And so many people have commented on how much better it looks - from people just passing by as the work was being done, to parents in the playground at the girls' school. We've even had people from the local allotments provide us with plants for the flowerbeds as these are now much more visible with the thinner fencing.

The local community have noticed the new fence. Presumably they noticed the old fence too - but were too polite to comment.

Last Sunday we started our autumn preaching series. Between now and Christmas we're going to be looking at Leviticus. But we started in Exodus 40 with Moses setting up the Tabernacle.

The Tabernacle was the tent where God met with his people. The word 'tabernacle means 'dwelling'. In Exodus 40:34 we read that after Moses had set it all up as instructed the glory of God filled the Tabernacle. Later the Tabernacle was replaced by the Temple in Jerusalem, and in 2 Chronicles 7:1 we read the same thing - that the glory of God filled the Temple.

So when John speaks about Jesus in John 1:14 and says that the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and that we have seen his glory John is letting us know that God now dwells with his people in the person of Jesus.

If we then skip forward a few more years to Acts 2 we read that after Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension the disciples were together when there was the sound like a strong wind and fire came to rested on each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. God no longer dwells in the tabernacle, or the temple. God no longer makes his presence known on earth in the person of Jesus. Now the presence of God is experienced in the disciples as they meet together through the Holy Spirit.

What has that got to do with a new fence?

Although God cannot be limited in any way, he often chooses to make his presence known through the local church (the people rather than the building). People will experience God through the local church. Whether that is on a Sunday morning, or through the care shown at a parent and toddler group, through a meal served at a homeless shelter, through a Christmas shoebox gift, through... through... through...

People notice a new fence. I wonder what else people notice about their local church. Do they see the glory of God? Do they experience the presence of God as he meets with his people?