Making sense of Leviticus

We've now almost finished our series on Leviticus, just a couple more Sundays to go - and I think most people have found it surprisingly interesting and relevant. I guess for a lot of Christians our only experience of Leviticus is the book we get to when our 'I'm going to read the Bible in a year - this year - yes, I really am, honest' intention comes unstuck. That will be a mix of initial enthusiasm wearing off combined with some accounts that seem to be neither inspiring or relevant.

I also guess that a lot of Christians approach the Bible with the attitude that it is the word of God, that it is inspired by God, and that it should be teaching me something - it should be making a difference. The trouble is: how do you make sense of a passage on what to do when you find mildew in your house - it doesn't seem to teach us very much at all. If you go and tell the local vicar that you have mildew she probably won't be that interested - and no one is going to knock your house down because of mildew. Also there are large sections that relate directly to the sacrificial system that is no longer a part of our lives as Christians in 2012.

So how do you make sense of Leviticus?

I guess the first thing to remember is that none of the Bible was specifically written with you in mind - and therefore we should never simply read something and think that it automatically applies to us. The trouble is that that is often how we treat large parts of it - and then we come unstuck when we come across a part that clearly doesn't apply.

We'll have a look at this over the next couple of weeks - but basically we read the Bible and ask what the text actually says; then we ask what the text meant - to it's first hearers or readers; and then we ask that if that's what it meant then - what does it mean for us today.

Take it out

We're now into our third week of processing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child and have sent off around 2,700 shoe boxes so far. Part of the reason the boxes need checking is to make sure that people have followed the rules on what is and isn't allowed in a box. Certain things, such as food items, are not allowed in because of import/export rules. Some things are not allowed in because they would be dangerous - such as marbles in a box for 2-4 year olds. Some things are taken out because they have the potential to spoil a whole box, or a whole carton if they were to leak - such as a large bottle of shampoo.

So what do we do with all the things that we take out? If something is broken or in a poor condition it will get thrown away. If there are cuddly toys that are just a bit grubby then they will go through the washing machine and get cleaned up before heading off to Swaziland. Most other things will be sold and we use the money from these sales to purchase new items to use as 'fillers'. Fillers are used to top up boxes that are not full.

Chocolate, shampoo, toy guns and novels - some of the items taken out of shoe boxes this year

Crates of fillers ready to top up boxes as needed

Blood on the door frames

Every now and again something happens in our lives that can be described as a 'defining moment'. Something that happens that changes everything. An event that changes how we see ourselves; changes how others view us. Changes how we view the world. Maybe a series illness or accident leaves us unable to do some of the things we once took for granted. Maybe after years of being told we're no good we gain a diploma or a degree - and we start to believe in ourselves for the first time. Maybe we get married or have our first child. 

For the people of Israel in the Old Testament a key defining moment in their history was the Exodus - the day that God brought them out of Egypt, out of slavery. God and Pharaoh had been in a battle over these people, and finally God had won, and Pharaoh let the people go, in order that they might go into the desert to worship God.

The story of the rescue is told in Exodus 12, and the people are instructed in Leviticus 23:4-8 to remember the story every year. The Israelites were to kill a lamb at twilight on a specific day, and paint the blood on the door frame of their houses. Then when God passed through the land he would pass-over any house where the blood was on the door post - but any house where there was no blood the first born in that house would die - people and animals. This final act of judgement was too much for Pharaoh and he allowed the people to leave.

In the previous nine plagues God had no trouble distinguishing between Israelite and Egyptian - so why the need for the blood on the door frames now?

In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul refers to Jesus as our Passover lamb who has been sacrificed. Only the blood of this sacrifice is able to save us from the judgement of God. Nothing else will do it.

But the Passover and the Exodus was not simply about being saved from something - it was about being saved from slavery in order to worship God. And for the Christian we are saved to worship God. To do what God wants us to be doing. To be serving God.

Just as Israel looked back to the Passover every year, to remember where they'd come from and who had rescued them; so as Christians we look back to the cross where Jesus died and we understand ourselves, we define ourselves in the light of the events of the cross. Everything changes when a person decides to follow Jesus.

Blowing your own Trumpet

There is one remaining festival that we have not looked at over the last few weeks. If you read back you'll see that at church we're currently looking at the Old Testament book of Leviticus and a few weeks ago we looked at the Feasts of Israel listed in Leviticus 23.

The Feast of Trumpets takes place on the first day of the seventh month with the Day of Atonement occurring on the tenth day. This ten day period is a time of preparation and repentance and may involve fasting and study of the Torah. This year Rosh Hashanah was celebrated on 17 September and Yom Kippur on 26 September.

If you read this blog on a regular basis you might have picked up that I occasionally run. On one of my September runs, back from a local park, I noticed a group of people gathered beside a lake reading from a book. Given their location and their dress it was obvious that they were Jewish.

It was not until a few weeks later when I was preparing for Leviticus that I came across a paragraph that explained that on or around Rosh Hashanah it is customary to visit a body of water containing fish and recite a specific prayer - in which the people symbolically cast away their sins in order to start the new year anew (Rosh Hashanah is Jewish New Year). This recalls God's promise in Micah 7:9 that God will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea.

In preparing for this talk I began to think about Lent - which is for Christians traditionally a time of reflection and preparation in the run up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday - remembering the death of Jesus and celebrating the resurrection. But it is a tradition that is more evident in some parts of the church. The Bible does not talk about Lent and therefore it has no place in some church traditions. But in doing away with Lent I wonder if we've not thrown the baby out with the bath water. Anyway - that's something I'm thinking about at the moment. What do you do for Lent?

It's the Cycling Santa

Today we had a visit from Mark, the cycling Santa - travelling around visiting all of the various centres helping out with Operation Christmas Child. Yesterday was a bit wet; today was a bit windy.

Then this afternoon it was off to the local Warehouse to help packing the container which is now on its way to Swaziland with nearly 8000 shoeboxes on board.

150 days to go

My countdown calendar tells me that it is only 150 days until the London Marathon 2013.

The trouble with big problems is that they often seem so big that we can't imagine how we can possibly make any difference. As a result we often end up feeling powerless and doing nothing. The statistics relating to world poverty can be totally overwhelming. And yet in the light of this situation Christian Aid has a vision - to end poverty.

Rather than being overwhelmed by the situation Christian Aid looks to work with its partners across the world to help people out of poverty, with long term solutions. These solutions are often creative and imaginative. They provide people with the resources they need to help themselves. They are often quite simple - but have an incredible impact. It's about breaking the problem down into manageable bits. About taking a global problem and looking to tackle it at not just the global - but also the individual level. Making a difference one person and one community at a time.




On 21 April I am going to be running the London Marathon for Christian Aid and I would love your support. Together we can make a difference. Whether you give £10, £25 or a £100 your kindness and support will allow Christian Aid to make a difference in the lives of some of the poorest people on the planet.

The easiest way to sponsor me is to head over to my Virgin Money Giving page by clicking here. 

Otherwise you can simply get in touch by leaving a message below.

There are 150 days to go until the marathon so I will keep you posted each week - I'll let you know how my training is going, as well as post news and videos from Christian Aid

Motivation - Part Two

A few weeks ago I blogged about Motivation - if you missed it you can catch up here. And the question I ended that post with was about what is it that gets me out of bed to run. This morning it was dark and it was wet - although not particularly cold - when I left the house at 5.15am for a 5 mile run. And when the alarm clock goes off in the morning quite a few of the motivating factors I discussed last time probably don't apply. 

When it comes to my running I think there are two main motivating factors that get me out the door in the early morning - there are a lot more that apply on a warm sunny summer afternoon whilst on holiday in the countryside.

The first is a goal or a target. For example, a race that has been paid for and is in the diary. My competitive personality will then ensure that I train for that race. When there is nothing to aim for it is a lot easier to stay in bed. Running becomes a lot more hit and miss. But when there is a date in the diary, a start line to aim at, then it is a lot easier to drag myself out the door in the mornings.

The second motivating factor is accountability. When you're doing something with other people it is a lot easier because you encourage each other - but you also check up on each other. I haven't joined an actual running club - but that is a great way to get and stay motivated. Instead I have joined an online running club - the various groups and forums on there provide the necessary motivation not to skip a run. I receive virtual cake at the end of each month for running 100+ miles a month. Then there is the longer term target of a total of 1,500 miles during 2012 - being done with a whole group of people aiming at the same target. Sharing how we're getting on, encouraging each other back after injury, sending smiley faces to those who have already reached the goal, and virtual hugs to those who are going to miss out for one reason or another. There are words of advice - a virtual kick out the door for those who are just being lazy; and advice to see the bigger picture for those who need time to recover from injury.

There's more to this than just running though - part three: coming soon

World Toilet Day

You may not be aware, but today is officially World Toilet Day. Why, you may be asking, do we need a World Toilet Day?

Can you imagine not having a toilet? Can you imagine not having privacy when you need to relieve yourself? Although unthinkable for those living in wealthy parts of the world, this is a harsh reality for many. One in three people in world does not have access to a toilet - that's about 2.5 billion people.

The health risks of poor or no sanitation are obvious - but we might not be aware of the deadly consequences. Diarrhoea, for example, kills one child every 20 seconds - that's more that HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

There are also issues of dignity and safety. Poverty and poor sanitation are closely linked. Improving sanitation often leads to a move out of poverty - as people get healthier they are able to work more, children are able to stay in school ... 

Many charities are working with communities across the world to improve sanitation and build toilets.

That's why we have a World Toilet Day.

Let's have a party

I'm sure we all like a good celebration. The skies around here have been full of fireworks over the last week as the local Hindu community celebrates Diwali. I was talking to a dad outside school on Wednesday - he was off to Toys-R-Us to get Diwali presents for his children and complaining that they are abusing the system as they are expecting Christmas presents as well.

I'm sure that within every culture there are celebrations or ceremonies that take place at points during the year - events that are significant in helping those communities tell and remember their story.

The Old Testament people of Israel were no different. Each year they celebrated seven annual feasts. These feasts were ordained by God and God had told them when to celebrate and how to celebrate. Last Sunday, we looked at four of those feasts as we continue our journey through the book of Leviticus. The instructions are laid out in Leviticus 23.

[We looked at the Day of Atonement a few weeks ago and we're looking at Passover and Unleavened Bread next week.]

The feasts of Firstfruits, Weeks and Tabernacles are directly linked to the harvest. In Israel there were two harvests each year - the barley harvest in the spring and the wheat harvest in the autumn.

The Feast of Firstfruits happens right at the beginning of the barley harvest - the very first thing that is done with the first sheaf that is harvested is that it is offered to God by the priest. It is a thank you to God for the firstfruits and also an anticipation of the harvest still to come. The firstfruits are a sign and a promise of what is to follow over the coming weeks of hard work and labour.

This feast is a reminder to us to be thankful for all that we have, and to give back to God out of the first and best that we have. Not to wait until everything else is taken care of and then give to God out of what is left.

A Bible without verses or chapters

This blog covers a whole range of topics from running to geocaching to shoe boxes to understanding and applying the Bible. Earlier this week I went to a great presentation by Stephen Cage from an organisation called Biblica.

As you will see from the following couple of clips, one of their concerns is how people are engaging with the Bible - or how they are not engaging with it to be more specific. In many countries we have more access to the Bible then ever before. We have multiple translations at home, we have it on our computers, we can access it on our phones, we get it emailed in daily chunks...but are we really engaging with it? Are we getting into it and is it getting into us? And if not, why not?







The observant among you will have noticed that I wrote a blog a few days ago about Motivation (part 1) and you're probably wondering when part 2 is coming. It's in the pipeline! But I'm sure most of us are motivated by doing something with others - which is what makes the community aspect of this project so exciting.

At the moment I'm thinking about how we might use this resource in the new year as a whole church. Let me know what you think...

First Boxes off to Borehamwood

The first 138 shoeboxes have been checked and are now on their way to Borehamwood.

The boxes will be stored there in a large warehouse, until there are enough to fill a container lorry. Once that number is reached the container is filled and begins its 28 day journey to Swaziland.

Check a shoe-box

Tomorrow morning we begin processing shoe boxes at the church for Operation Christmas Child. The first batch of boxes arrived over the weekend, with more coming in regularly over the next few weeks. So after church this morning we removed the chairs, and we brought in the tables, cages, boxes, cartons, fillers, tape, etc etc so that the church now looks more like a warehouse than a church. 

Fillers ready to be added to boxes that need filling

Checklist Poster - what can and can't go in a box

Unchecked boxes in cages down the side. Flat cartons at the back.

A number of volunteers will be coming in to check boxes over the next 2-3 weeks. Here's a video to show you what it is all about. If you want to come and help out then please make sure you watch this video first. All the boxes from this part of North London will be going to Swaziland.

First Shoeboxes Arrive

This morning I was at the local primary school talking about Operation Christmas Child's Shoebox Appeal. Each class is hoping to do at least one box for a boy and one box for a girl. Next week I have a couple more assemblies, one primary and one in the local secondary school for year 7 and 8 pupils.

Then early afternoon we took arrival of our first batch of boxes for processing. I reckon there are about 400 boxes, and another 400 are scheduled to arrive tomorrow evening.

After church on Sunday morning we will transform the church into something more resembling a warehouse and as long as we have boxes people will be in processing them throughout the next three weeks. 

Motivation - Part One

Why do we do the things we do? What is it that motivates us?

I run. But why do I run? 

Well there are all kinds of reasons. I run because I enjoy it. Because I feel better after a run than before (about 95% of the time). I like being outside. It's a good chance to escape the pavements and get out into the 'countryside' - or the local park at least. It gives me time by myself. It keeps me fit. It helps to maintain a healthy weight. 

Then there are the reasons that are more to do with preparation for something else. One of the things I enjoy doing on holiday, when we escape the city, is going for long runs - along the river; along the coast; through the woods; exploring new places. But to be able to do that I need to be fit to run - and that means putting in the miles on the pavements of N London.

Then there is the preparation for a race. One of the first things that new runners are encouraged to do is to enter a race. This focuses the mind and focuses the training. It gives you something to aim for. Going further. Going faster.


But what is it that gets me out of bed at 4.30am when it is dark, cold and wet, so that I can get in some miles before breakfast?

Because in that moment - when the alarm clock goes off - I'm enjoying the warmth of the duvet a lot more than the prospect of feeling good after a 5 or 6 mile run! After all, what harm can it do if I miss just one session? I know I'll feel better for having run - and I know I'll feel guilty if I stay in bed. But the darker, wetter and colder it gets the more often the duvet wins...so what is it that motivates us?

Playing the Blame Game

Last week Chelsea beat Manchester United 5-4 in the League Cup, the game going into extra-time with the score at 3-3 at the end of 90 minutes. So with 120 minutes of football and 9 goals it's unlikely that there was only one United player at fault. Yet the United manager singled out the experienced player Nani for the blame. 

The match was already into injury time, and United were leading 3-2. Only seconds to go and the Manchester side would have won. All that was needed was sensible and safe play. What you don't want is someone trying something clever and getting it horribly wrong. What happened next? Well to quote Alex Ferguson, “But Nani decided to try and beat a player, lost the ball and they got a penalty kick against us.” That penalty brought the scores to 3-3, took the match into extra time and the rest, as they say, is history.

How often, when things go wrong, do we look for someone to blame? There is an inbuilt instinct to look for a scapegoat. Shifting the blame from us on to someone else.

The term 'scapegoat' originates in Leviticus 16 where God gives Israel the regulations regarding the Day of Atonement. The 'scapegoat' was a live goat, that was selected and brought to the centre of the camp. 

The High Priest placed his hands on the goat's head and confessed the sins of the people - and in this way the sins were somehow transferred to the goat. This goat was then led out through the camp and into the wilderness where it was released - carrying the sins of the people away to a remote place - where they could not be found and from where they would not return. This was a very visual and dramatic demonstration to the people of what was happening to their sins.

When we come into the New Testament we discover that part of what was going on when Jesus died on the cross was that he had become the ultimate scapegoat. Although totally innocent, our sins were transferred onto him. As a result it is as if those sins have been carried away to a remote place and we can know forgiveness instead of guilt. 

In Psalm 103:12 it says, 'as far as the east is from the west, so far has [God] removed our sins from us'. Micah 7:19 it says, '[God] will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea'.

Sometimes we find that hard to believe. We struggle to accept that Jesus' death can totally deal with my sin. Maybe the next time you're at the beach you need to find a pebble, lay your hands on it, and throw it as far into the sea as you can - and thank God that we can know full forgiveness.

We can all make a difference

Hide and Seek

If you read through my post about geocaching a few days ago and thought, 'why would anyone want to waste their time doing something like that?' then probably best to stop reading now...because today I'm going to tell you a little more.

Some caches are very small - like the magnetic nanos in the pictures a few days ago. Others are 'micro' caches - often old 35mm film canisters. Obviously there is little room in these caches for anything other than the log - in these cases: a small roll of paper. As caches increase in size, from small Tupperware style boxes, to old metal ammo boxes there is more and more room for them to contain other items. The general rule is that if you take something out you must put something of similar value in - a game of swaps that makes geocaching an ideal family activity.

In addition to swaps, a cache may contain a 'trackable'; typically a travel bug or a geo-coin - each with its own unique reference number. Both of these items function in the same way. They are registered by their owner on the game website, and then their owner places them in a cache. Once they are found by another player they are removed from the first cache, and then moved on to another cache within a few days. These actions are also logged on the website. Some trackables simply move from cache to cache - others have specific tasks such as to visit every country in Europe, or to be photographed in every football league ground. The progress of a trackable can be followed on the website, where it is possible to view photos of its travels, to see the distance travelled, and to see its progress on a world map.

A travel bug is a metal dog tag - and owners often attach a small item of significance or relevance to the task. 

So far I have released one trackable.

I have called it 'Find your Ps and Qs' and its task is to travel to caches whose name starts with either a P or a Q - or failing that to visit a list of caches whose first letters cover the whole alphabet. I should have mentioned that all caches are named. So far my travel bug has travelled over 300 miles and visited 16 caches. Currently it is in a cache called 'Riverside Park Jewellery Box', north of Southampton.

During the recent half-term we found a couple of travel bugs and one geo-coin. Here the girls are helping to find a new cache for a geo-coin called 'Rosie' - a 32 point compass.

It was a bit muddy underfoot, and would soon start to rain. But the views were great.