Do you ever sit down and watch the news or read a paper and hear stories about what is going on in the world and think - surely as a Christian I am supposed to do something about this? How can I sit here on the sofa, in the dry and the warm, with a coffee in my hand and hear about the suffering of Syrian refugees, the struggles of many in Afghanistan, the poverty in North Korea...as well as stories of hunger and hopelessness from within the UK - and not feel the need to respond. But so often the scale of the need seems so great - what difference can I make?
On Tuesday I had the privilege of hearing more about the work of BMS World Mission. BMS look to work amongst the neediest communities on the planet bringing emergency aid in a crisis; helping communities through agriculture, education and health care; providing training and employment for those escaping the sex trade; engaging in justice ministries for the dispossessed; church planting and sharing the love of Jesus in many other different and creative ways.
When I hear about the work BMS is involved in it never ceases to inspire me, and it is great to be able to support them and therefore be part of what they do. God has not yet called me to go and be personally involved in medical work in Chad, or community and church work in Peru, or legal work in Uganda - but he has called his people to go and make disciples to the ends of the earth, and to show love and care and compassion where they encounter need and despair and hopelessness. None of us can be everywhere and do everything, we can't physically respond to every need, but together, in partnership with organisations like BMS World Mission we can be a part of helping those in need in places like Syria. That's why I support BMS World Mission.
Why BMS? from BMS World Mission on Vimeo.
Friday 21 March 2014
Thursday 20 March 2014
True Worship
Do you ever have those moments where people look at you in such a way that you're left thinking, 'what have I just said?' or 'what have I done?'
I was recently talking to someone about what 'things' had to happen on a Sunday morning to make church church - as opposed to it being a club. We were talking about 'worship' and to clarify that what we were actually talking about was the bit on a Sunday morning when we sing songs I was talking about 'sung worship'. Unfortunately what this person heard me saying was 'sun worship'. Anyway - it was a misunderstanding that was quickly cleared up without me losing my job.
Last time we started thinking about the story in John 4 where Jesus meets a Samaritan woman by a well and asks her for a drink - to see that post click here. We've also seen from chapter 2 that Jesus has already started talking about himself as replacing the temple - the place where we encounter God on earth - find that post here.
And now in his conversation with this Samaritan woman he tells her that the time has come when people will no longer have to go to this special holy place to worship God or to that special holy place - but instead true worshippers will worship God in Spirit and in truth (4:23-24).
What does that mean? Does it mean that spontaneous singing with eyes closed and hands in the air is what God wants as opposed to singing 300 year old hymns from a dusty old book with a wheezy organ as accompaniment? No - I don't think it does.
First we need to get away from this idea that worship is about singing. Worship is much wider than that. Worship is everything we do in response to what God has already done for us - and if we are looking to obey God all the time, then it follows that everything we do is worship. Coming to church and singing songs is a part of our worship - but it is only a part. We should be worshipping God in everything we do - because everything we do is done in obedience to God.
So true worship is about a Monday morning and Friday evening life that is consistent with what we sing and say in church on a Sunday.
But true worship is only possible with the Holy Spirit - Jesus will identify the picture of living water with the Holy Spirit in a few chapters' time. Jesus started talking with Nicodemus about the Spirit in chapter 3, about being born again - through believing that Jesus is who he claims to be. When we believe this, God gives us His Spirit to help us live out this genuine and authentic life as a disciple of Jesus.
I was recently talking to someone about what 'things' had to happen on a Sunday morning to make church church - as opposed to it being a club. We were talking about 'worship' and to clarify that what we were actually talking about was the bit on a Sunday morning when we sing songs I was talking about 'sung worship'. Unfortunately what this person heard me saying was 'sun worship'. Anyway - it was a misunderstanding that was quickly cleared up without me losing my job.
Last time we started thinking about the story in John 4 where Jesus meets a Samaritan woman by a well and asks her for a drink - to see that post click here. We've also seen from chapter 2 that Jesus has already started talking about himself as replacing the temple - the place where we encounter God on earth - find that post here.
And now in his conversation with this Samaritan woman he tells her that the time has come when people will no longer have to go to this special holy place to worship God or to that special holy place - but instead true worshippers will worship God in Spirit and in truth (4:23-24).
What does that mean? Does it mean that spontaneous singing with eyes closed and hands in the air is what God wants as opposed to singing 300 year old hymns from a dusty old book with a wheezy organ as accompaniment? No - I don't think it does.
First we need to get away from this idea that worship is about singing. Worship is much wider than that. Worship is everything we do in response to what God has already done for us - and if we are looking to obey God all the time, then it follows that everything we do is worship. Coming to church and singing songs is a part of our worship - but it is only a part. We should be worshipping God in everything we do - because everything we do is done in obedience to God.
So true worship is about a Monday morning and Friday evening life that is consistent with what we sing and say in church on a Sunday.
But true worship is only possible with the Holy Spirit - Jesus will identify the picture of living water with the Holy Spirit in a few chapters' time. Jesus started talking with Nicodemus about the Spirit in chapter 3, about being born again - through believing that Jesus is who he claims to be. When we believe this, God gives us His Spirit to help us live out this genuine and authentic life as a disciple of Jesus.
Monday 17 March 2014
Time for a drink
Friendly rivalry and competition is a key part of sport.
Unfortunately sometimes the friendly rivalry starts to represent something that looks more like hatred.
The rivalry between the Jews and the Samaritans in the time of Jesus was much more outright hatred than anything friendly. Even though they shared part of their history and could be thought of as distant relatives these were two sets of relatives that would not be sitting down to share Christmas dinner together.
And so when Jesus decides to take the direct route from Jerusalem to Galilee - which is through Samaritan territory, he was doing so at a time when most religious Jews would have taken the longer route to the east that avoided Samaria. Contact with a Samaritan would impact your ritual purity. When you add to this that a Jewish man would not be seen talking in public with a woman - you start to get some idea of the shock that the story in John 4 would have created. Not only is Jesus talking with a Samaritan - this Samaritan is a woman - and this woman has a reputation. This was simply a conversation that should never have taken place, yet it does.
Jesus, by his actions, is continuing to dismantle the barriers that society has put in place - and to demonstrate that God's invitation to a new life is open to all. In chapter 3 it was a powerful, influential, (male) Jewish teacher. Now it is someone from the other end of the social spectrum.
Who are the people that we need to strike up a conversation with and what are the barriers that we need to be looking to break down this week?
Unfortunately sometimes the friendly rivalry starts to represent something that looks more like hatred.
The rivalry between the Jews and the Samaritans in the time of Jesus was much more outright hatred than anything friendly. Even though they shared part of their history and could be thought of as distant relatives these were two sets of relatives that would not be sitting down to share Christmas dinner together.
And so when Jesus decides to take the direct route from Jerusalem to Galilee - which is through Samaritan territory, he was doing so at a time when most religious Jews would have taken the longer route to the east that avoided Samaria. Contact with a Samaritan would impact your ritual purity. When you add to this that a Jewish man would not be seen talking in public with a woman - you start to get some idea of the shock that the story in John 4 would have created. Not only is Jesus talking with a Samaritan - this Samaritan is a woman - and this woman has a reputation. This was simply a conversation that should never have taken place, yet it does.
Jesus, by his actions, is continuing to dismantle the barriers that society has put in place - and to demonstrate that God's invitation to a new life is open to all. In chapter 3 it was a powerful, influential, (male) Jewish teacher. Now it is someone from the other end of the social spectrum.
Who are the people that we need to strike up a conversation with and what are the barriers that we need to be looking to break down this week?
Tuesday 11 March 2014
The power of words
This is great. Enjoy.
Which is your favourite? Which do you need to say more often?
Feel free to comment below...
Which is your favourite? Which do you need to say more often?
Feel free to comment below...
Thursday 6 March 2014
You are the temple
Last time we looked at how Jesus turned up in the Temple, threw out the money changers, chased away the sheep and the goats, released the pigeons and then declared that the temple was now obsolete because he was the real deal, and the temple was just a signpost.
The Temple was the place where God had chosen to dwell among his people and the place where you came in order to make sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. In our series from John's gospel, Jesus is being presented as God on earth (e.g. 1:14) and the perfect sacrifice (e.g. 1:29).
In the light of this progression from Tabernacle - Temple - Jesus, how does 1 Corinthians 3:16 fit: 'Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst...you together are that temple'?
This was one of the questions that we did not get time to look at on Sunday. So whilst Jesus remains the ultimate sacrifice and the one way to God, the place where people should be able to encounter God is in the church - in terms of the gathered people, rather than a physical building.
When Jesus walked into the Temple he found a whole range of things that would get in the way of people meeting God. That was one of the reasons he was so angry. But what about us as the local church? What are the things that hinder people coming to God? If God has chosen to dwell within the local church - are people aware of God's presence there? If not, why not?
The Temple was the place where God had chosen to dwell among his people and the place where you came in order to make sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. In our series from John's gospel, Jesus is being presented as God on earth (e.g. 1:14) and the perfect sacrifice (e.g. 1:29).
In the light of this progression from Tabernacle - Temple - Jesus, how does 1 Corinthians 3:16 fit: 'Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst...you together are that temple'?
This was one of the questions that we did not get time to look at on Sunday. So whilst Jesus remains the ultimate sacrifice and the one way to God, the place where people should be able to encounter God is in the church - in terms of the gathered people, rather than a physical building.
When Jesus walked into the Temple he found a whole range of things that would get in the way of people meeting God. That was one of the reasons he was so angry. But what about us as the local church? What are the things that hinder people coming to God? If God has chosen to dwell within the local church - are people aware of God's presence there? If not, why not?
Wednesday 5 March 2014
Where are you looking?
Where can you go to find God?
If you'd asked someone within Israel that question in the days of the Old Testament they may well have pointed you in the direction of the Tabernacle or the Temple (depending on which century you did your asking).
God gave Moses the plans for the Tabernacle in Exodus, and right at its heart was the 'Most Holy Place' which contained the Ark of the Covenant - a golden box above which God had promised to meet with the people (Exodus 25:22).
The Tabernacle was also the place where you came to bring your lamb/goat/pigeon etc to present to a priest who would then sacrifice the animal for you and for the forgiveness of sin.
So the Tabernacle was the place where God had chosen to dwell amongst the people and it was the place you came to in order to receive forgiveness.
In the 10th century BC the Tabernacle was replaced by a stone Temple built in Jerusalem by King Solomon. At its heart was still the Most Holy Place and the Ark. It was still the place where God met with his people and the place where sacrifice for sin was made.
By the time we arrive at Jesus, this temple had been destroyed and rebuilt and then was undergoing a major upgrade - it was now known as Herod's Temple. And in John 2:13-25 Jesus walks into the temple and essentially declares through his words and his actions that the temple and everything associated with it is obsolete - and it has been replaced by him. No wonder the temple authorities were wanting to get rid of Jesus - they were in danger of losing their position, their authority and their power.
John has already been using language that may have alerted us to what is coming. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...we have seen his glory...
God no longer chooses to dwell among his people above the Ark in the Most Holy Place at the centre of the Temple - he now meets with his people in a person - Jesus. The whole sacrificial system was a signpost pointing through the Old Testament to Jesus - the perfect sacrifice. It's now through Jesus' death that we can know forgiveness for sin.
So whether it's finding God, or experiencing forgiveness, the place to look is not a place, but a person - Jesus.
If you'd asked someone within Israel that question in the days of the Old Testament they may well have pointed you in the direction of the Tabernacle or the Temple (depending on which century you did your asking).
 |
| The Tabernacle |
God gave Moses the plans for the Tabernacle in Exodus, and right at its heart was the 'Most Holy Place' which contained the Ark of the Covenant - a golden box above which God had promised to meet with the people (Exodus 25:22).
The Tabernacle was also the place where you came to bring your lamb/goat/pigeon etc to present to a priest who would then sacrifice the animal for you and for the forgiveness of sin.
So the Tabernacle was the place where God had chosen to dwell amongst the people and it was the place you came to in order to receive forgiveness.
 |
| Solomon's Temple |
In the 10th century BC the Tabernacle was replaced by a stone Temple built in Jerusalem by King Solomon. At its heart was still the Most Holy Place and the Ark. It was still the place where God met with his people and the place where sacrifice for sin was made.
By the time we arrive at Jesus, this temple had been destroyed and rebuilt and then was undergoing a major upgrade - it was now known as Herod's Temple. And in John 2:13-25 Jesus walks into the temple and essentially declares through his words and his actions that the temple and everything associated with it is obsolete - and it has been replaced by him. No wonder the temple authorities were wanting to get rid of Jesus - they were in danger of losing their position, their authority and their power.
 |
| Herod's Temple |
John has already been using language that may have alerted us to what is coming. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...we have seen his glory...
God no longer chooses to dwell among his people above the Ark in the Most Holy Place at the centre of the Temple - he now meets with his people in a person - Jesus. The whole sacrificial system was a signpost pointing through the Old Testament to Jesus - the perfect sacrifice. It's now through Jesus' death that we can know forgiveness for sin.
So whether it's finding God, or experiencing forgiveness, the place to look is not a place, but a person - Jesus.
Monday 3 March 2014
What are you doing for Lent?
Today is Shrove Tuesday - pancake day, which means that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday: the first day of Lent - the time in the church calendar that runs from Ash Wednesday through to Easter. Traditionally Lent is the period of preparation in the run up to the events of Easter - the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. A time of reflection and repentance - which in certain church traditions is often accompanied by fasting.
Lent lasts for 40 days but if you've looked at a calendar you will have noticed that there are actually 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. That's because the six Sundays during this time do not count as days of fasting - Sundays are always a day of celebration as we remember the resurrection.
Your church background and the kind of church you attend will affect your view of Lent. Within some churches Lent is an important part of the year. In other churches it barely receives a mention.
So are you 'doing Lent'? Some people give up something for Lent - like chocolate or Facebook. Some people take something up. Some people give something up in order to create time to take something up. Some people won't have thought about it yet.
So if you haven't thought about it yet, but you want to do something, here are a few ideas.
Christian Aid is just one organisation that use a series of reflections throughout Lent to raise awareness of their various campaigns and encourage prayer and financial support for their work. You can visit their website by clicking here and downloading their Lent materials.
40 Acts - is a commitment to do Lent generously - so rather than giving something up it is a decision to 40 acts of generosity and kindness. To find out more and register click here.
On Sunday at CBC we were encouraged to either continue with or start the Scripture Union daily Bible readings for 2014. If you're not in the habit of reading your Bible regularly then maybe this Lent is your time to start. You can find all the daily readings, along with some helpful notes and thought provoking questions by clicking here.
Lent lasts for 40 days but if you've looked at a calendar you will have noticed that there are actually 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. That's because the six Sundays during this time do not count as days of fasting - Sundays are always a day of celebration as we remember the resurrection.
Your church background and the kind of church you attend will affect your view of Lent. Within some churches Lent is an important part of the year. In other churches it barely receives a mention.
So are you 'doing Lent'? Some people give up something for Lent - like chocolate or Facebook. Some people take something up. Some people give something up in order to create time to take something up. Some people won't have thought about it yet.
So if you haven't thought about it yet, but you want to do something, here are a few ideas.
Christian Aid is just one organisation that use a series of reflections throughout Lent to raise awareness of their various campaigns and encourage prayer and financial support for their work. You can visit their website by clicking here and downloading their Lent materials.
40 Acts - is a commitment to do Lent generously - so rather than giving something up it is a decision to 40 acts of generosity and kindness. To find out more and register click here.
On Sunday at CBC we were encouraged to either continue with or start the Scripture Union daily Bible readings for 2014. If you're not in the habit of reading your Bible regularly then maybe this Lent is your time to start. You can find all the daily readings, along with some helpful notes and thought provoking questions by clicking here.
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