It's nearly 2016

As 2015 comes to an end and we look ahead to the new year, one of the things that I'm excited about for 2016 is reading through the whole Bible. This is something that I have done a few times in the past and it has always been a really rewarding experience, especially when it is done with other people. Not only is there the incentive/encouragement to keep on going through Leviticus and Numbers because of accountability to one another, but there is also the benefit of informally sharing with others who have read the same part of the Bible that day.

In 2016 a few of us at CBC are going to be following The Bible Project's 'Read Scripture' daily reading programme. Again, one of the things that I'm looking forward to with this programme is reading/praying through the Psalms 2.5 times in the year. Then there are the short videos on YouTube that introduce every new book of the Bible and several key themes along the way.

If you've not yet had a look at what this programme is all about why not head over to their web page and sign up by clicking here.

You may have visited this page already and thought that it would be really helpful to have a single page print out of the whole year which you could stick in the back of your Bible which listed all the readings and when to watch the videos. Well, they've included one of those too in the last few days. You can download and print it by clicking here.

If you do want to read with others (either at CBC or online) then let me know and I'll add you to the group.

For those of you who are already signed up and can't wait to get started - then here's the first video for Genesis 1-11.

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas.

Handbags at dawn

Here's the video that I showed on Sunday at the Carol Service - the one with the hand bag.

Advent - week 4

Yesterday was the fourth and final Sunday in Advent - it was also our Carol Service here at CBC.

So far in this mini series of Advent posts we have briefly looked at the themes of hope, peace and joy. To complete the set we need to focus on love.

Certainly at Christmas time these are themes that are not exclusively linked to people of faith - they are seen as attainable seasonal ideals within our wider culture. You only need to watch a few Christmas adverts, or watch a few Christmas films to know that our society is looking for hope, joy, peace and love at this time of year.



And it expects to be able to find it. But as the wise men discovered - you won't find what you're looking for unless you're looking in the right place.

Presumably, this advert from John Lewis, is encouraging us to show someone that they are loved this Christmas by sending a gift - but the Man on the Moon is still alone at the end of the advert. He now knows that someone knows he exists - but he is still alone.

Part of the good news of great joy of Christmas is that we are no longer alone. Jesus was given the name Emmanuel - which means 'God with us'. And whilst sin separates us from God - Christmas reminds us that God came to earth to be born as a little baby, in order to make it possible for the divide between us and God to be bridged. 

God didn't just send a gift - he came himself. And he promises to be with us what ever it is that we're going through this Christmas. He doesn't just see it from far off - he walks the road with us. 


God demonstrates his love for us by coming to earth to live with us and ultimately to die for us - not by sending a gift to show us that he's thinking of us.

Reading the Bible in 2016

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about The Bible Project's 'Read Scripture' reading plan and video resources.

Here's another little video that they have released to explain what they're doing and why you might want to be involved.

If you want to find out how to download a printer friendly reading plan and sign up to their email alerts you'll need to click here.




One of our seven core values at CBC is that we are biblical. We will only encounter God in the pages of the Bible if we read it - which is one of the reasons it is so hard at times - the enemy will do anything to make sure that our Bibles stay closed. If you're looking for a Bible reading programme for the coming year, and want to read through the whole Bible, this looks a really good resource, and the videos are going to be a great help to understanding some of the more challenging books in the Bible as well as offering the occasional nudge and encouragement to keep going.

Another of our core values is that we are prayerful. One of the things that excites me most about this programme is the way it wants to develop the daily habit of praying through the Psalms. 

Our vision talks about becoming a ...community... My experience is that when I have taken part in a through the Bible reading programme in the past, I have benefited most when I have done it with other people. If you're a part of CBC and wanting to follow this programme I'd encourage you to sign up to do it with others. If you're not a part of CBC then find someone who lives near you to do it with - or get in touch and we can think about setting up a virtual group.

Which is the odd one out?

Which is the odd one out? That's the question I asked at this morning's school Carol Service.

Predictably most of the children, I reckon about 80%, went for Father Christmas - knowing that the big guy dressed in red probably didn't make an appearance in the Bible story, whereas the other five probably have something to do with the 'real' meaning of Christmas.

But the correct answer is not Father Christmas. The correct answer is the manger.

Of these six images only the manger is mentioned in the Bible account of the Christmas story. 

Surprising?

We then went on to talk about other surprises in the Christmas story.

Mary was a surprising choice for such an important role, a peasant girl in a small village.

The shepherds were a surprising choice as the first to hear about Jesus and the first to tell others. If you wanted a popular and reliable witness you certainly didn't ask a first century shepherd.

The 'wise men' - really they were astrologers and we don't know how many of them there were - were surprised. They turned up in the capital city at the palace looking for this new born king but found the young boy living about 5 miles away in poverty in a little house.

But the biggest surprise in the story? That it happened - that God came as a baby, to be born into poverty, to grow up and about thirty years later, to die - to demonstrate God's love for me. That's the biggest surprise in this story - that God loves us.

Feel free to stop reading at this point - that's a summary of the assembly - but if you're interested in knowing a bit more about the donkey or the stable then you might like to read on.

For some of us it might come as quite a surprise to find out that none of the other five are part of the original story. Father Christmas - obviously isn't. 

Most of us probably know that 25th December isn't Jesus' actual birthday but instead was chosen as the 3rd/4th century church took over a pagan festival. Depending on what you read you get different details about when and which festival but many have links to the winter solstice, to light, marking the shortest day in the year and the 'rebirth' of the sun. Given John's comments about Jesus being the 'light of the world', and 'the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it' this would seem a good choice. We have no idea as to Jesus' actual birthday - but not many peasant boys did back then. [It is also true that no where in the New Testament are we told to celebrate Jesus' birth - whereas we are told to remember and commemorate his death - but that's a whole different post.]

So the donkey - surely there was a donkey. How did Mary get to Bethlehem if not on a 'Little donkey, little donkey'? She may have gone by donkey, she may have had to walk. But walking 70 miles at 9 months pregnant? (I'm guessing 70 miles on the back of a donkey wouldn't be much fun either.) But where does it say that Mary gave birth within hours of arriving in Bethlehem, following a desperate search for somewhere to stay? They could have been there for weeks before Jesus was born. But there is no mention of a donkey.

But the stable and the inn keeper - surely they're a part of the story? Sorry - but not necessarily. 

If you have a modern translation of Luke 2:7 you'll see that there was no 'guest room' available for Mary and Joseph - rather than older translations which talk of there being no place at the 'inn'. The word translated guest room/inn is only used in one other context in the New Testament - to talk about the guest room where Jesus ate the last supper with his disciples. When the good Samaritan takes the injured man to an inn - that's a different word altogether. So Mary and Joseph were probably staying with relatives, but because there was no other available space in the house they were staying in the part of the house where the animals were kept during the night - hence the reason for the manger. The animals would have been kept inside the house at night in order to keep them safe from harm. 

But - there is a lot that we simply don't know about Jesus' birth - we are simply not told. And a lot that we think we do know comes from Christmas cards or Christmas Carols, rather than the New Testament.

But what we do know is that Jesus was born in order to save us from our sins. We know that God so loved the world that he sent Jesus. That's the real surprise of the story.

A re-newed vision

Back in the middle of October we began a period of praying and fasting at CBC specifically focusing on God's vision for his church here in this place. Then on Wednesday 25th November we came together as a church and shared the various thoughts that we had as we looked at three specific questions:

• Who is God calling us to be?
• Who is God calling us to reach?
• How does God want us to do this?

It was great to be able to present a new vision at the Members' Meeting last night - which draws from this time of prayer, conversations with different people, and the discussion and feedback from the 25th. If you weren't able to make the meeting yesterday then here's what you missed.

Our Vision

We are seeking to be an authentic community of disciples, becoming more like Jesus - walking in step with God, alongside each other and seeing lives transformed.

Our Values

Everything that we do and say is shaped by our seven core values:

• Loving
• Welcoming
• Missional
• Servant-hearted
• Biblical
• Spirit-led
• Prayerful

As we introduce this new vision over the next few months we will be explaining how this will impact what we do, and hopefully we will begin to see how we make choices and decisions based on our vision and values.

To help us to understand these statements a bit better I have added some notes below.

Unpacking Our Vision

Authentic - a place where genuine faith, characterised by an on-going relationship with Jesus, meets real life and recognises that often life is messy. We want to be a place where people can be themselves without the need for masks.

Community - a place where we learn together and where we support one another, where everyone feels welcome and has a place and a role, as we share our lives together.

Disciples - as disciples we are followers of Jesus and take discipleship seriously. This is a lifelong calling and requires a commitment to put Jesus first in all areas of our lives. We are called to make disciples and we recognise that genuine fulfilment can only be found in relationship with Jesus.

Becoming more like Jesus - this is our aim, to be more like Jesus.

Walking in step with God - on this journey of discipleship we need to follow where God leads, living in obedience to his calling, sensitive to the work of the Spirit, trusting that God has promised to walk with us.

Alongside each other - We are not called to this journey alone, but we are in community with others. On this journey we will learn from those ahead of us and we will encourage those behind us. We are also called to walk alongside those in our wider community sharing our life with them.

Seeing lives transformed - just as we experience the transforming presence of God’s Spirit in our lives we pray that as we share our lives with others they will be transformed too.



Unpacking our Values

Loving: Jesus commanded us to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and to love our neighbours as ourselves. On the cross Jesus demonstrated what genuine love looks like. We will be motivated in everything by our love for God and we will care for, listen to, and think the best of each other.

Welcoming: Jesus offered a welcome to everyone - particularly those on the fringes. We will be welcoming to all and will practice hospitality as individuals and as a church.

Missional: Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to make disciples as they shared their experience of Jesus with others. We will ensure our focus is outward and we will reach out to others with the love of God - locally, nationally and internationally.

Servant-hearted: Jesus came to serve and he calls us to be his servants and develop a servant heart. We will commit to discovering and using the gifts that God has given each of us, so that we are all serving where God wants us to be.

Biblical: Jesus knew how to use the Word of God and it is through its pages that we encounter God and discover this big story that we are now a part of. We will spend time reading the Bible and we put ourselves under God’s authority as revealed through the truths of Scripture.

Spirit-led: Jesus promised his disciples would be filled with the Spirit and without his presence we are nothing. We will welcome the work of the Spirit, and want to see his fruit and gifts in our lives.

Prayerful: Jesus was never too busy to spend time alone with God in prayer. Without God we can do nothing of genuine value. We will be committed to spending time in prayer expectantly waiting for God to speak to us.

Why you can't be a baptist and agree with Donald Trump on Muslims

Although I am a baptist minister I have not always been a baptist. And I am fairly sure that within our baptist churches today the majority of people would not see themselves primarily as baptists - by which I mean - if they were to move house they would look for a good local church - whether that be baptist or not. Their choice would probably be based on things like theological stance on certain issues, style of worship, quality of preaching and provision for children - but these things can be found in a whole range of 'type' of church.

By the same score I am fairly sure that there will be many people within our baptist churches who know very little baptist history. When I moved to take up a teaching post in Essex I started attending a baptist church because their notice board said they had a mid week badminton club - my choice had nothing to do four hundred years of history.

But sometimes it is good to remember that history, and to remember those things that were central to the first baptist congregations - those things that marked them out as being different. Because those things - some people might speak of 'our baptist DNA' - should shape the way we think and act today.

You have probably heard or read Donald Trump's recent comments about a ban on Muslims entering the United States. Amongst supporters of this rallying call there are unfortunately those who would claim to be within the baptist fold. 

Here's a great article written by Steven Holmes on why such a stance is un-baptist. 

Advent - week 3

Yesterday was the third Sunday in Advent and so today I want to explore the theme of 'joy'. [In week 1 we looked at hope, and last week we looked at peace.]

When the angels came and spoke to the shepherds they claimed to have good news of great joy for all the people - that a saviour had been born. Next week at our Carol Service we will be singing the traditional version of 'Joy to the world'. But one of my favourite versions of this song is Chris Tomlin's 'Unspeakable Joy' from the album 'Glory in the Highest'.



Last week I took a Carol Service and used a great piece of writing by Bob Hartman entitled 'A Christmas Eve service for those who don't feel like celebrating' in which various participants take offence or question the possibility of the peace or the joy of the shepherds' message and through which we are encouraged to recognise and to pray for those who don't feel like celebrating this Christmas - whilst at the same time acknowledging that hope, peace, joy and love are available because of the baby who was born.

Personally this Christmas is going to be different. Many of you will know that in the summer, my sister, Carol died after a long on-off battle with cancer. And this Christmas will be the first time that we are all together again as a family since Carol's funeral and thanksgiving service. And along with many many families this Christmas as we spend time together we will be acutely aware of those who are no longer here. And so in amongst the joy of the season there will be sadness and no doubt a few tears.

But the joy of Christmas that the angels spoke about isn't dependant on presents, or good food and a celebratory drink. It's not even about time together with family. It's about being right with God, and the promise that Jesus is coming again. It's the joy that comes from knowing new life now and the hope of the resurrection to come.

Want to read the Bible in 2016?

Although many of us are so busy getting ready for Christmas that we've not had a time to pause and think ahead to 2016, it will soon be that time of year when we are encouraged to do so. Are there habits we need to cut out of our lives in the new year? Are their things we want to bring in to our lives in the new year? And whilst we can make these changes at any point often the transition from 31 December to 1 January is an encouragement to change.

I know from my own experience and the experiences of many I talk to that when it comes to spiritual disciplines such as prayer and Bible reading such reflection often generates the response 'could do better' and an added encouragement to start again or start afresh on 1 January.

If you're looking for something new and challenging in 2016 here's a year long Bible reading programme from the people over at The Bible Project. I'll let them tell you all about it - they'll do a much better job at it than me.



As they acknowledge, reading through the whole Bible in a year is quite a challenge, but a worthwhile one. I'm sure their short videos and an understanding of the bigger picture will help and encourage people to keep going. But my experience is that when I have attempted something like this with other people I am most likely to make it through Leviticus and Lamentations and eventually arrive in Revelation.

It is also exciting that they are encouraging us to read the Psalms in the way they are supposed to be read - as the prayer book and the song book of God's people.

So if you are looking for a Bible reading scheme for next year - here's a great one. But can I also encourage you to go on that journey with others.

Watch again and catch up

A couple of weeks ago the young people led the service and showed a video on prayer. In case you missed it or want to catch it again here it is.

 


Here's one of the songs we sang on Sunday that I haven't been able to get out of my head...

Advent - week 2

This morning we will light the second candle on our Advent wreath as we continue this season of preparation, waiting and anticipation which many in the church know as Advent. [See last week's reflection here].

This week I will be taking an Advent assembly in a local Church of England primary school - so I have been swotting up on the various traditional themes for Advent - week 2 (relying on those ever reliable and accurate sources: Google and Wikipedia).

A common theme for the second week in Advent is 'Peace', which, given events over the past weeks seems very appropriate and much in need. As we read the papers, watch the television, browse the internet and listen to the radio, peace is one thing that seems in very short supply in our world. Whether it's civil war, terrorist atrocities, civilians caught up in a refugee crisis, laser guided bombing campaigns, domestic violence, stabbings or shooting on our streets - it seems as though peace is something we could all do with this Christmas.



This week, following on from events in Paris, the news here has been full of the decision taken by MPs to extend air strikes to sites within Syria. Much has been said and broadcast on both sides of the debate this week. But it seems to me that there are many who see the options as either bombing or doing nothing. As if the only response to what we've seen in Paris and in other cities around the world is a military option. And if you don't fight back you're you're accused of doing nothing or even worse - accused of being in sympathy with those who seek to bring fear through violence. It's as if everything we tell our children about their behaviour in the playground no longer applies when it comes to the world stage.

[If you want to think a bit more about how we should be thinking about our response to what's going on in Iraq and Syria here is a very interesting article written by Alan Storkey.] 

Advent reminds us that the good news didn't begin and end with the birth of a special baby. The story goes back much further than that, and it moves forward to involve the life of this baby who became a man. A man who suffered a violent death. But even his death, or resurrection, isn't the end of the story. Even a casual reading of this life, this story, opens up to us the possibility of an alternative to hostility. For Jesus was continually surprising his opponents (and his followers). Repeatedly his opponents engineered situations which they hoped would force Jesus into one of two responses - only for him to take an alternative they had not even thought of.

Whilst we may not personally find ourselves in a situation where we are having to consider and then vote on whether or not to drop bombs, we will certainly find ourselves in situations where we have choices to make which may or may not lead towards peace and reconciliation. Whether it's something we say or something we do - will our actions escalate or defuse? Let's ask God for his wisdom in knowing how to act so that we are peacemakers this week. May God also give us wisdom in knowing how to stand up and protest in ways that are non violent when we see inaction and injustice in our community and in our world.

...to be continued

This coming Sunday will be the final in our current series at CBC - 'From Sinai to the Promised Land'. These last two Sundays have been spent in the final chapters of Deuteronomy, the last book in the Torah.

Here's another great video from the brilliant people at 'The Bible Project'. If you get a chance to look at it before Sunday it will give you a good overview of the story so far, and the layout of Deuteronomy in particular.




As we finish this series we leave the People of Israel at the borders of the Promised Land - a place they had been once before. Moses is dead, Joshua is now leading the people... What will happen next?

We'll pick up the story again on Sunday 4th September - but before then we have an exciting series looking at the Kingdom of God coming up straight after Christmas.

Do not fear

On Sunday the young people did a great job of leading our service based on Deuteronomy 31:1-8, and thinking about God's desire for his people and for Joshua - that they are not afraid of what is to come, but instead put all their trust in God.

We offered our fears to God on pieces of paper and saw them burn up before our eyes - a visual representation of handing over those things that we worry about and then choosing not to have to worry about them any more - instead putting our trust in the God who has promised to be beside us.

And like so much of our new life as Christians this is probably going to be a daily struggle and choice. It is unlikely to be a once and for all choice - it would be great if it was. But for many of us I expect each day will bring its worries and we have to choose to trust God and ask him to graciously take away our fear.

There's a great story in the Old Testament about a man called Elisha. One day Elisha wakes up early and with his servant they look out and see that the city they are in is surrounded by enemy soldiers and chariots. The servant panics but Elisha tells him "don't be afraid - those who are with us are more than those who are with them". Then in response to Elisha's prayer God opens the eyes of Elisha's servant to see what Elisha can see - to catch a glimpse of the spiritual dimension. Then the servant looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around. You'll find the story in 2 Kings 6:8-23.