A simple scale

Here's a great little clip to wish you a very Happy Christmas.

Which translation?

On Sunday at CBC we were looking at the story of Samson. This is quite a long story and takes up four chapters (Judges 13-16), so we didn't have time to read the whole thing. Hopefully, if you've not done so already, you'll get a chance to read the story through before home groups this week. But, be warned, it's another one of those stories that leave you wondering, 'what is this doing in the Bible?'

One of the themes of this story is to do with eyes. As with many of the stories in Judges this account begins with the comment 'Again Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord' (Judges 13:1). 

Then in chapter 14 we find Samson seeing and wanting a young Philistine woman - he orders his dad, 'get her for me as my wife'.

But the Philistines are the enemy and the people of Israel have been commanded not to intermarry with them (e.g. Deuteronomy 7:3-4). So Samson's parents try to discourage this match - but there's no telling Samson once his eyes have seen and he's set his heart on getting. And then there is a line which the NIV translates, 'she's the right one for me' (14:3).

The ESV's translation of this verse is much closer to the original, 'she is right in my eyes'. 

What's more important for Samson? Doing what is right in God's eyes - or doing what is right in his own eyes? It is not until the end of the story when Samson has actually lost his physical eyes that he begins to see things from God's perspective (16:28).

On Sunday we had time to explore this theme of which is more important - doing what is right in God's eyes or doing what looks right in my eyes. But we did not have time to explore potential questions raised about the different translations of this verse in the NIV and ESV. So as promised, here are a few thoughts.

If you want to know a lot more on this subject my go to book is 'How to read the Bible for all its worth' by Fee and Stuart - particularly chapter 2. (I currently have two copies if anyone wants to borrow them - assuming you live locally.)

Unless you can read Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic then you're going to need a Bible translated into a language you can read. When it comes to English Bibles there are lots to choose from - so which one is best?

Well, the answer to that question very much depends on what you want it for.

You might think that a literal, 'word for word' translation would be best. But if you've studied another language you will be aware that sentence structure and word order are not always the same as they are in English. Also, words do not always translate simply into another word. And figures of speech that were commonplace and understood in First Century Jerusalem simply make no sense to us today. So whilst such a translation might be faithful to the literal text it may be difficult to read (particularly out loud) and hard to understand.

Another approach taken to Bible translation is therefore 'thought for thought' rather than 'word for word'. This approach looks to communicate the meaning of the original but is not restricted to use the original words. These versions are often easier to read and understand, but sometimes mean that we miss links (such as the use of 'eye' in Judges 13:1 and 14:3).

(Sometimes 'word for word' and 'thought for thought' are called 'formal equivalence' and 'dynamic equivalence' respectively.)

At the opposite end of the spectrum to 'word for word' is the paraphrase. This is very much about telling the overarching story and takes 'thought for thought' to the extreme in that there is very little evidence of the original words or sentence structure in the text. You see this, for example, in the Message, where it is not possible to include verse numbers in the text because the meaning is communicated over a paragraph.

There are many different Bible translations in the English language and they will all fall somewhere on this spectrum. You'll find many charts and diagrams on the internet - here's one from the Olive Tree Blog.

The Bible that a person may choose is often a matter a personal preference and one that you grew up with. Personally, I use the NIV as my 'everyday' Bible. 

But, as was demonstrated above, with Judges 14:3, when it comes to Bible study - whether this is personal study (as opposed to devotional daily reading), or preparation for a Bible Study or sermon - it is good to use more than one version - each from a different part of the spectrum. 

These days, computer Bible software makes this approach even easier, being able to carry around several Bibles in your pocket, on your phone. This is a screen shot from my iPad on which I use Olive Tree Bible Software making it very easy to switch between and compare versions of the same passage - as well as having easy access to study notes and commentaries.

Another helpful resource is the website Biblegateway which allows you to choose your verse and version and takes you straight there.

Again, which Bibles you actually end up with will often be a matter of personal preference.

When it comes to Bible study, I tend to use the ESV from the more literal end of the spectrum, the NRSV and the NIV from nearer the middle, and the Good News or Message from the paraphrase end.

I hope that helps shed a little light on why there are so many different versions and which ones to use when.

Telling the story

One of the advantages of living in an increasingly multi-faith society is that it becomes increasingly more difficult to ignore matters of faith. Another is that there is a growing appreciation of the need to understand each other if we are going to be able to get along together.

This means that children in school will learn about the Christmas story and this last week I have had the opportunity of taking RE lessons for children in years 3-6 (aged 7-11) and exploring the Christmas story and why it is important to Christians. 

It seems to me that at this time of year we get the media coming up with some story about how this council or that local authority are wanting to ban Christmas. But we don't hear of the many stories that Christians get at this time of year (and again at Easter) to share the story of our faith.

Here's one of the great resources that I was able to use this week. It's a 7+ minute video that tells the Christmas story and explains why Christmas is important and how it links in with the Easter story.

Why-Christmas-v1.mp4

A Rocha

On Sunday 27 November, we will be holding our next ReFill event here at CBC. 

Our guest speaker will be Amy Ross from A Rocha UK. I am aware that, unlike some of our previous ReFill events, many of you will have no idea who or what A Rocha is. So the purpose of this post is to let you know and to encourage you to bring your friends along on the 27th.

A Rocha is a Christian charity working for the protection and restoration of the natural world.

A Rocha is responding to the biblical mandate to care for the earth and demonstrating the Christian hope for God’s world through:

– practical involvement in nature conservation projects and ecological research;

– campaigning on biodiversity issues;

– engaging with churches, schools, communities and individuals.

A Rocha UK is part of the worldwide family of A Rocha organisations committed to conservation action as an expression of Christian mission, working collaboratively with others who share our passion for the planet and our desire for its flourishing.

You can find out a lot more via the A Rocha website and we look forward to seeing you on the 27 November.

Making sense of Judges

Tomorrow, at CBC, we will be starting the second half of our autumn series 'Promises Kept and Promises Broken'. Last week we finished Joshua and now we're moving into Judges. If you thought that Joshua raised some tricky questions ('what about all the killing?' for example) then be prepared for more in this next book of the Old Testament.

If you want to get a bit of a head start before Sunday - when we're going to be looking at Judges 1:1-3:6 - then a great place to begin would be over with the guys at The Bible Project. Some of you, I know, have been following their daily read through the Bible programme, but we covered Judges a long time ago now (back in March), so you might want a refresher.

You can either head over to their website by clicking here and look around and see what else you can find. 

Or else you can watch the video below.



Here's the poster that goes with the book of Judges. You can also download this from their website - follow the link above.

Stopping before it's too late

Although we're moving from Joshua to Judges this coming Sunday at CBC I want to go back to the story of Achan in Joshua 7. You'll remember that before the battle for Jericho the people had been instructed by God that they were not to take anything for themselves as loot or bounty, but everything was to be devoted to God. But a guy called Achan had taken some things and as a result they'd lost the next battle - at a place called Ai. You can remind yourself of the story here.

When he was confronted with his sin, Achan confessed in Joshua 7:21-22. In his confession he stated that: I saw, I coveted, I took, I hid.

How often does our sin start with something that we see? Maybe, as in the case of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11), we see something that we shouldn't see in the first place  - because we're somewhere where we shouldn't have been. Or maybe it's something that we can't help seeing - as is the case here with Achan.

But after seeing our minds get to work. And rather than just shut the thought process down we let it run for a bit. We don't know what Achan thought but maybe he had already started spending the gold, maybe he imagined the robe would make a great Christmas present for his wife. But what he should have thought is - all this is to be devoted to the Lord.

No doubt a part of this thought process was about how he could conceal what he was doing and whether he was going to be able to get away with it.

Maybe he even tried to justify in his mind what he was doing. How it wasn't that serious, and that it wasn't really hurting anyone. What difference would a handful of things make in amongst such a vast horde?

Then eventually his run-away thoughts led him to action and he took. And then he tried to cover up what he had done.

And the serious consequences that followed occurred because Achan didn't shut his thought process down earlier - instead, he let it run. 

Last week on my Twitter feed an article from Care for the Family was highlighted. Although it specifically focuses on one area of life it does show how important it is to halt the see-think-do-conceal as quickly as possible so that we don't get to the 'do' stage. You can read the article here.

Why are you wearing trainers today?

Before moving to CBC we lived in a part of north west London where there was a large Jewish community and a number of synagogues. Today, in that part of London, and in many other parts of the world, you would have seen smartly dressed men and women walking along the road wearing trainers. I remember thinking that this was a bit strange the first time I saw it. It's not even like they were black trainers. Where were all the smart shoes to match the clothes?

Today (11-12 October 2016) is the most holy and solemn day within the Jewish year - Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement. It is a day of fasting and prayer, a day of asking for forgiveness for sin. It is a solemn day - a day of personal sacrifice. (Which is where the shoes come in - amongst other things Jews are not to wear leather on this most holy day.)

Regular visitors to this blog will know that last year we looked at the passages in Leviticus that dealt with God giving Moses the instructions for the Day of Atonement. You'll find these posts here and here.

Two Sundays ago at CBC we were looking at the story of Achan - see here. A story which reminds us of the seriousness of sin. The Day of Atonement speaks of that seriousness and God's provision for dealing with those consequences - a festival that ultimately points to Jesus' death on the cross. Putting things right between us and God once and for all.

Jesus steps in

Apparently sermons on sin and judgement are really unpopular. I'm guessing therefore that blog posts on these subjects are even more unpopular! At least when you're in church and the preacher announces the theme of his or her sermon you actually have to get up and physically leave - whereas when it comes to something on the internet something else is only a click away.

Last Sunday, as we continued our series on Joshua we came to the story of Achan. You'll find the full story in Joshua 7. But by way of summary:

When God had given the Israelites victory over the city of Jericho, one of God's instructions was that everything in the city was to be devoted to God. But Achan, it turns out, saw some things he wanted - and so he took them for himself and hid them in his tent. As a consequence of this sin God's anger 'burned against Israel' and when they went up against the next city Ai they were defeated.

It was revealed that someone had sinned and the following morning the people were called forward tribe by tribe, then clan by clan, then family by family. And so Achan was exposed and to cut the story short, Achan, his family and all his possessions were destroyed.

This story shows us various things about sin - one of which is the seriousness of sin. The consequences of his actions were drastic. 

When we come into the New Testament the seriousness of sin is demonstrated by the cross. God's love was demonstrated for us on the cross - as Jesus paid the price for our sin.

At that point where we were called forward tribe by tribe, then clan by clan, then family by family - as it came to our turn to step forward, Jesus steps in instead, and takes our punishment in order that we might live.

I don't know about you but I'm thankful for the cross and that I live in the light of the New Testament.

Syria's Forgotten Families

At our Members' Meeting on Wednesday we watched 'Syria's Forgotten Families' - a brief insight into the work that BMS World Mission are doing amongst Syrian refugees in Lebanon. 

If you weren't there don't worry - you can watch it here - right now.

Syria's Forgotten Families

This coming Sunday we're going to be celebrating Harvest at CBC - by both thanking God for what he has provided for us, but also remembering those who are not so fortunate. 

I am sure we've all seen many news stories over the last year about the refugee crisis. This week there has been much said on the future of the 'Jungle'. And I'm sure that many of us will have watched those reports and wondered what on earth we can do to help. The crisis seems so huge and complex - what difference can we possibly make?

BMS World Mission is making a difference in the lives of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. We're going to hear a bit about that difference on Sunday morning and learn how we can get involved too.


Avine's Story - Syria's Forgotten Families from BMS World Mission on Vimeo.

Also on Sunday we're going to be collecting food for our local Food Bank. Here's a list of the things they're currently in need of:

TINNED TOMATOES
TINNED PULSES
SMALL SALT (65 GRM)
SMALL PEPPER (35 GRM)
PASTA ‘N’ SAUCE MIX
SNACKS (NUTS, DRIED FRUIT ETC.)
SWEETS - ADULT & CHILD
INSTANT NOODLES
INSTANT CUSTARD MIX
SPONGE PUDDINGS - LONG LIFE
OTHER PUDDINGS
SHAMPOO

TOOTHPASTE - ADULT & CHILD

Are you sitting comfortably...

In a couple of days time Robert Harris' new novel 'Conclave' will be delivered to my Kindle. Many of Harris' books are a brilliant mix of historical fact and total fiction cleverly woven together into a gripping story. So I'm not reading 'Conclave' in order to get a real insight into the goings on that lead to the election of a Pope - I'm reading it because I love a good story.

Many of us love a good story. But I wonder how good we are at telling them?

Two Sunday's ago, as we continued our series 'Promises Kept & Promises Broken' - studies in Joshua and Judges, we looked at the story of the two spies who were hidden by Rahab in Joshua 2:1-24. 

Rahab protects the spies by spinning a story of how they're no longer there - but this is not the story that I'm interested in here. What is clear as this story unfolds is that Rahab, and everyone else too, has heard the stories of what God had done at the Red Sea and to Sihon and Og (verse 10). And as a result of hearing these stories their 'courage failed' and leads Rahab to make the confession, 'the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below'. 

The power of a story.

If you've been following the Read Scripture Bible reading plan, over the last week we've read Psalm 105 and 106 - which talk about 'making known among the nations what God has done', and 'proclaiming the mighty acts of God'.

But this isn't just about us knowing the stories of the Bible and being able to tell them, this is about being able to tell our story - what God is doing in our lives now.

Whilst people may be able to argue with you about the amount of killing in the book of Joshua or whether the resurrection really happened - they won't be able to argue with your story. And there is power in a story.

All that killing

This Sunday we continued our series in Joshua and Judges - 'Promises Kept & Promises Broken'. If you've had a chance to look at The Bible Project video mentioned in my last post you will already have a good overview of the book of Joshua. You will know that one of the issues the book throws up is about tackling the question of all that killing. This is a subject that we touched on briefly on Sunday so here are a few pointers - but essentially we have to conclude that there are not going to be any easy answers that will make us feel totally comfortable with what we're reading.

The primary reason that we feel uncomfortable with what we're reading - that Israel is commanded to conquer the land and totally destroy its inhabitants - is that it is totally at odds with the New Testament. In the New Testament we have the instruction to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us - Jesus forgives those involved in his execution. So how do we match the New Testament God of love, with the God of Joshua who commands that men, women and children be wiped out because of their ethnicity?

It's interesting to think that Jesus' original audience would not have had this internal struggle. They would have thought that Joshua had totally the right idea, and in fact they were waiting for the Messiah who would come and do just this sort of thing again - only this time it would be the Romans getting it in the neck.

The sort of mental shift needed for us to accept the killing in Joshua is exactly the sort of mental shift needed by Jesus' hearers to start accepting that they were to love their enemies. No wonder so many people failed to get it.

So, even though we're never going to find a totally satisfactory answer, how can we better understand all this violence and death.

Part of the answer is to remember that God is a God who will bring judgement - which in itself is an uncomfortable truth that we often downplay in favour of God's love and forgiveness. Certainly the conquest of Canaan is portrayed as God's judgement on a morally corrupt society - e.g. Leviticus 18:24-28. We should also note from this passage the warning that Israel will not escape a similar fate if she adopts the practises of those who currently live in the land. This is not a judgement on ethnicity but on a way of life that is lived in rebellion to God.

But surely not everyone was guilty and why was there no opportunity to repent?

Rahab and the Gibeonites are two examples (chapter 2 and 9) of those who escaped death because of their response to God's people. These appear to be the exception. In Joshua 9:1-2 we read of those who had heard what God had done and their response was to make war not peace.

We must remember that there is a huge cultural gap between when these accounts were written and us - and therefore we need to allow for the possibility of hyperbole and exaggeration - as a perfectly legitimate literary technique of the time in historical writing. And so when it talks about a whole city being totally destroyed we need to allow for the possibility that many had already fled ahead of Israel's arrival.

This still leaves us with questions about displaced people and refugees - which in today's climate is only slightly more acceptable than accusations of genocide!

It is also interesting to note that the Old Testament does not glory in this violence but often refers to driving the people out rather than wiping them out. These events are presented as a one off, as unique - not as something that is going to repeated again and again throughout Israel's history.

Although they still make uncomfortable reading some of these points will help us to start making some sense of all this violence.

If you want to follow this up more then you might find this article a good place to start - Old Testament Mass Killings by Paul Coulter on UCCF's bethinking website.

Making sense of Joshua

Last Sunday we started a new teaching series at CBC - 'Promises Kept & Promises Broken' - studies in Joshua & Judges. We're only going to be in Joshua for six weeks, so now, after chapter one, would be a great time to get an overview of the whole book.

If you were following this blog before the prolonged recent break you will already be familiar with the guys over at www.jointhebibleproject.com and their short videos that provide an overview and helpful tips on tackling each book of the Bible.

So why not have a look at their Joshua video below.

This Sunday we're going to be looking at the next three chapters as well as thinking about how we are supposed to make sense of all the killing and violence that we find in this book.

Head for heights?

What are you afraid of?

We'll all have different answers to that question. Some will be afraid of spiders, others will be afraid of the dark. And the 'level' of those fears will also vary from person to person. One person's fear of spiders means they run from the room screaming, another person's fear allows them to place a plastic cup over the eight legged culprit - as long as they can do it from arm's length.

During the last week of the summer holidays I remembered that I'm not overly keen on heights. I probably should have remembered this before agreeing to go to 'Clip and Climb'.

Even when you're securely clipped on and in a safe environment and have just seen children half your size conquer the 'stairway to heaven' - none of that stops your body and mind doing some strange things as you get further and further away from the floor!

This Sunday at CBC we began a new teaching series - Promises Kept & Promises Broken: Studies in Joshua & Judges. As Joshua succeeds Moses and looks to lead the people into the Promised Land God commands him to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid or discouraged - because God promises to be with him wherever he goes (Joshua 1:9).

September for many is a time of new beginnings - whether that's starting school, secondary school or going off to university, or starting a new job. And at such times verses like Joshua 1:9 or Philippians 4:6-7 give encouragement.

But they can also be a cause for concern - we face a new situation and we are anxious - what does that say about our faith?

I think that the reality is that most of us experience some level of anxiety when facing a new situation even if we also experience God's peace. But we're not alone. Nehemiah, the guy who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem after the return from the exile was 'very much afraid' in the presence of the king (Nehemiah 2:1-3). 

But the important thing was that Nehemiah's actions were not governed by his fear but by his knowledge of what was right in spite of his fear.

The last time the people of Israel were in this position (Numbers 13-14) their response was governed by their fear rather than what they knew God could do and had promised to do. This time round, whilst there may have been an element of fear in the people as they approached their first battle, they did not allow their fear to stop them doing what was right.

Whatever it is that we're anxious or fearful of at the moment - let's make sure that our actions aren't dictated by that fear but by our knowledge of who God is, what God has done and what God has promised.

Should I go or should I stay?

Last night, here at CBC, we looked at some of the issues around the EU Referendum. We tried to cut through some of the fear and the spin, and we also tried to think about how we come at this issue from a biblical perspective.

Thank you to Amanda who did a great job of presenting both sides of the debate.

Obviously there was a lot of information to take on board - most of which came from the BBC Reality Check. This is well worth a visit and you'll find lots of information about the many many issues involved.

Whilst the Bible says very little on whether or not the UK should leave the EU, it does say a lot about God and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Often the questions being asked in this debate are the wrong questions. So part of addressing this issue from a biblical perspective requires us to ask the right questions, rather than to try and mine the Bible for answers to the wrong questions. 

Is, for example, "How will I be better off?" ever the right question for a Christian to ask when making any decision?

Another helpful resource which takes a look at the main issues in the Referendum debate is "Think, Pray, Vote: EU referendum resources for churches". This 27 page resource outlines the main issues and then asks a series of questions for us to reflect on and consider. These are often not the questions the national media is asking. 

A couple of weeks ago I went to a very interesting lunchtime meeting organised by the Jubilee Centre in Cambridge. Again the approach was not to try and persuade Christians which way to vote but to offer comment and reflection on how to evaluate the issues and policy options from a biblical perspective. You will find more resources on their website by clicking here.

If you would like another look at yesterday's presentation you will find it here - the BBC Reality Check is the source for all of the data given.

Dangerous currents

I don't know if you've ever been caught in a current or a tide but I am sure that it can be a very frightening and dangerous experience.

One moment you're lying back on your inflatable enjoying the sun on your face and the sound of lapping waves, and the next moment when you look up you discover that you're no where near where you thought you were and you're moving further and further away from safety. You weren't aware it was happening but you've slowly been drifting away.

Or else you're rowing or swimming towards a point on the shore, and yet it seems as though you're never going to make it no matter how hard you try - you're either making no headway or you're constantly been blown off course and having to keep on adjusting where you're headed.

On Sunday at CBC we resumed our new series in the New Testament book of Hebrews where there is a warning to pay most careful attention to what we have heard (about Jesus) so that we do not drift away - Hebrews 2:1. 

The thing with drifting, certainly at the beginning, is that often we're not even aware that it is happening. And by the time that we do realise it can be too late.

Certainly when you're drifting at sea you only know it is happening if you've got some fixed reference point. If you're floating around with a group of friends on your inflatables you will have no idea whether you're drifting or not - because you'll all be drifting together. The only indication will be your position in relation to a fixed position over the course of time.

When we stop paying careful attention to what we have heard about Jesus it may not seem as though anything has changed, but there is a risk that we are slowly drifting away.

Live Q&A session tonight

Some of you have been reading through the Bible this year using the schedule from The Bible Project - and have been helped along the way with their book and theme videos.

Last week Jon and Tim did a live Q and A session on their Genesis 1-11 video and this week they're doing another session based on the Genesis 12-50 video.

Some of you are a bit nervous around technology, and may be wondering how this works.

Well, the live session is going to be tonight at 8pm (in the UK - they're based in the US so it's noon their time (PST)). You can watch live by clicking here at 8pm tonight. If you click on the link before or after the live session you will get a screen that tells you that the stream is offline - BUT you will also get the links to previous live sessions which you can click on and watch (a bit like watching something on iPlayer). Before 8pm tonight there will only be one previous video, by tomorrow there will be two...

You can watch the Genesis 12-50 video below.

Why bother praying?

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 Core Values: Loving, Welcoming, Missional, Servant-hearted, Biblical, Spirit-led and Prayerful.

At CBC our Vision helps us to understand where we are headed, and our seven Core Values shape everything that we do and say.


Today is the last in our series of Friday posts looking in more detail at each element of our Vision and Values. If you missed any of the series then click on the links above or to see the whole series at once use the Labels at the bottom of the page.

Today we're looking at what it means to be a prayerful community. As I have said before these values are not listed in any order of importance which may suggest that prayer is the least, or the most, important of our seven core values - but prayer is vital - in that without it we can't do anything.

Now, clearly that last statement is not true. There are plenty of people who do a lot of things without giving any time to prayer. And many of them will be successful at what they do. But there will be at least two reasons for this.

First, God is a gracious God who sometimes will work through us in spite of our efforts to do things in our strength. But we should not presume on this. Being humble and prayerful acknowledges that we can't do things in our strength without God; it acknowledges that we don't know best and that we need to listen to God for his guidance and wisdom; it acknowledges that all that we are and all that we have has come from God. We live with a constant battle against self and pride and a lack of prayer often reflects an attitude of self-reliance.

The second reason is to do with the way that we measure success. Being biblical requires us to see things within the overarching, big picture that spans from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22; to see things in terms of the Kingdom of God. Often we can fall into the trap of seeing things as successful because we're measuring them with the wrong measure. So if we want to ensure that what we do has eternal and kingdom value and consequences then prayer is vital.

Why do many of us find prayer so hard? I guess we've already touched on one answer to this question - we're proud and self-reliant. Another answer to this question is that prayer doesn't work. Prayer doesn't make a difference. I'm sure we've all been in situations where we've prayed for something to happen - someone to recover from a serious illness, to find work after a prolonged period of unemployment etc - and either nothing has happened or the situation has actually got worse. So what's the point in praying?

I guess if our understanding of prayer is - we ask God for something, God does it - then I'd have to agree: prayer doesn't work, so what's the point.

But is that what prayer really is? Certainly asking God for things is a part of prayer and is biblical. And there are those within CBC who can witness to the fact that sometimes God does answer our prayers in a supernatural and miraculous way. But prayer is much more than that. It is also about deliberately putting yourself in a place where you invite God to show you his perspective, to remind you of that big picture, to remind you of truths that sometimes we forget. I'm sure there will be a quote somewhere, by someone, along the lines of prayer not always changing the situation we're praying about, but changing us within the situation. Giving us peace or hope or strength or forgiveness or love in a situation where without God we would be anxious, despairing, tired, bitter or full of anger and hate and revenge...

So part of what it means to be prayerful as a church involves acknowledging that we can't do anything of true value without God. Acknowledging that we rely on God's wisdom and guidance and not on our own good ideas and abilities. It is also a commitment to seek God's perspective and to see the big picture. And this all means time - spending time, either as individuals, or pairs, or small groups, or as a whole church in prayer - talking to God and creating the space to listen to God too.

Getting your head round Hebrews

This morning at CBC we're starting a new series looking at the New Testament book of Hebrews. Although we're not told who wrote Hebrews and we're not told who it was written to, we do know enough to know that: it was probably written to Jewish Christians, maybe a house church in Rome, possibly around 64-68 AD, and these Christians were experiencing hardship and persecution because of their faith - and they were therefore tempted to turn back to their old religion or water down some of the truths about their new faith. The letter, which is really a long sermon, was written to remind them that Jesus was superior to all that had come before and that the rewards of remaining faithful, as well as the cost of turning away far outweighed the current hardships they were experiencing.

Hebrews is not an easy book to get our heads round - because we don't come from an Old Testament, Jewish background - the basis for so many of the author's arguments. 

Here's a great introductory video from the great people over at the Bible Project.

Being Spirit-led

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

At CBC our Vision helps us to understand where we are headed, and our seven Core Values shape everything that we do and say.

Last week we took a break from our series, but today we continue our more detailed look at our Core Values. If you have missed any of these posts then use the links to catch up - or use the labels at the bottom of the page.

Our Core Values: Loving, Welcoming, Missional, Servant-hearted, Biblical, Spirit-led and Prayerful.

Today we're going to think about what it means to be Spirit-led.

Isaiah 55:8-9 we read: 

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'

Later this year we're going to be looking at the book of Judges. There are some fairly horrific stories in Judges, the result of the people turning their backs on God and everyone doing 'as they saw fit'. But there are other stories in the Bible where we find people making what seem to be good decisions - but they do so without asking God - and it turns out they did the wrong thing - because God's ways are not our ways...

One of the things that came out of the Vision and Values process last year was a desire as a church to do what God wants. To listen to God's Spirit and to be led by the Spirit. Not to do the things that we think are good ideas, but to do what God wants. But how easy do we find it to separate out our good ideas from what God is really saying? 

This is part of the reason why we come together as a church meeting to listen to God - as God speaks through each of us. It's why we spend time in prayer - not just speaking but also listening. It's why we read the Bible - getting to know God and what he is like.

I'm sure many of us will have known what we thought was the prompting of the Spirit to do or to say something (usually something we didn't want to do) which we have then not done. Listening to the Spirit is something that we can learn. The more obedient we are, the more we get to know what the prompting of the Spirit feels like. The more we ignore the Spirit the less likely we are to know what the Spirit sounds like.

So the next time that you think that the Spirit is asking you to do something don't ignore him. If you're not sure ask the advice of a trusted mature Christian friend. And then step out in obedience and faith and see what God does.

Why you shouldn't do everything you read in the Bible

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

At CBC our Vision helps us understand where we are headed and our seven Core Values shape everything that we do and say.

We started to think a bit more about these Core Values a couple of weeks ago - if you missed these posts then use the links below to catch up.

Our Core Values: Loving, Welcoming, Missional, Servant-hearted, Biblical, Spirit-led and Prayerful

This week I want to think about what we mean when we say that we're biblical and what that looks like in practice.

Broadly speaking I guess most of us mean that we believe the Bible and that what we do is governed by what we read in the Bible. The trouble is is that it's not quite as simple as that. We don't do everything that's written in the Bible. 

There are parts of the Old Testament that we would say are cultural and therefore do not apply to us any longer - the question then becomes: how do you decide which bits apply and which bits don't and on what basis do you make that call?

So for example, there will be those who say that it is wrong for a Christian to have a tattoo - and they would base this on Leviticus 19:28. But these same people are happy to ignore another verse earlier in the same chapter verse 19 by wearing clothes that are made of mixed fibres.

And things are not always any easier in the New Testament. Here at CBC we have women in leadership, we have women preachers. Within the Baptist Union we have women ministers. The General Secretary of the Baptist Union is currently a woman. And yet doesn't Paul quite clearly say that this should not be the case in places like 1 Corinthians 14:34?

So what do we mean when we say that we are biblical?

Firstly we recognise that the Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and within its pages we read the story of God and his interaction with men and women throughout history. Therefore when we read the Bible we discover God and find out what he is like.

And although the Bible is divided into two main parts, as well as containing lots of smaller books, it contains one overarching story - and therefore all those smaller parts have to be read and understood within the context of the single overarching story.

At the heart of this story we find Jesus - and the events of the first Easter - the cross and the empty grave. And therefore we learn to read the rest of the story from the perspective of the cross and the empty grave - but also bearing in mind that this story has a beginning and it has an end.

We also appreciate that the times in which we now live are very different to the times when the Bible was written - and therefore all of the Bible is cultural (and not just bits about tattoos or wearing clothes made of two kinds of fibre). And therefore it is never simply the case that we do something because it is written in the Bible.

So when we read the Bible we need to understand first of all what it was saying then - and then ask God to help us answer the question, "if that's what it said then - what is it saying to me now?" So - why is it that Israel were not allowed tattoos? Is it something to do with the practices of the nations around them? And if so why did they have to be different? Are there any similar issues that apply today (which may or may not have anything to do with tattoos)?

Because the Bible is the story of God it is important that we read it. Not just in church on a Sunday but daily - asking God to speak to us as we do so. This is not always easy and there are all kinds of things that can easily get in the way of this discipline.


A number of us here at CBC have committed to reading through the whole of the Bible this year - following the Read Scripture plan from the great people at the Join the Bible Project. One of the great things about this scheme is that at the beginning of every new book, and at various other points along the way they have short (7-8 minute) videos that help explain the book, and provide pointers in understanding what you're reading. You can find out more by visiting their website here.

If you're looking for a book to help you understand and read the Bible I'd highly recommend these two:

How to read the Bible for all its worth and How to read the Bible book by book.

Happy Resurrection Day

It's Resurrection Day - Christ is risen - Hallelujah.

This morning at CBC we celebrated the resurrection by reflecting on how the cross - a symbol that represents death and horror and fear - an instrument of torture and execution - has come to be a symbol of hope and new life and forgiveness and peace.

It's because Jesus died, was buried and rose again.

At the Cross

Yesterday, at our Good Friday service we listened to a song called 'At the cross (Love ran red)'. If you had one of the printed song sheets you may have noticed that there was quite a lot of copyright information. In this following interview Chris Tomlin explains how the song came about through the collaboration of a number of different artists.




Here's the full version of the song with the whole band in the back ground.

Called to Serve

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

Having looked in more detail at our Vision we're now starting to think about our Core Values here at CBC. We have adopted seven Core Values which shape everything that we do and say.

We started to think a bit more about these Core Values three weeks ago - if you missed these posts then use the links below to catch up - or the Values label at the bottom of the page.

Our Core Values: Loving, Welcoming, Missional, Servant-hearted, Biblical, Spirit-led and Prayerful.

Last week, when we were thinking about what it meant to be Missional, I ended by saying that being missional is for the whole church - it is not something that is reserved for the 'professionals', or the 'elite', or the 'fundamentalist fringe'. It is not something that is the responsibility of someone else. As a disciple of Jesus, his expectation is that we will be fruitful, and will disciple others - first by introducing people to Jesus and then helping them to grow in their journey.

In the New Testament, Paul uses the image of a body to describe how the church should work - our mission is to be achieved as every 'part' functions as it should (e.g. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31). So, each person who makes up the church has a role to play, and the whole only works as it should when everyone is playing their part.

Each part is therefore important. But this also requires a servant heart - because we are called to serve. Service is costly and it requires sacrifice - because it requires us to do something that someone else wants us to do rather than what we might want to do ourselves. It means we put someone else's priorities before our own.

In the first century, as the New Testament was being written, servants and slaves were very much a part of life. As a slave you were not your own. You had no rights. You were owned by your master and he told you what to do. And this master-servant relationship is one that is used to describe our relationship to God - although God is portrayed as a good master - just as early Christians we encouraged to be good masters recognising that their servants were not property but people loved by God.

But a Christian is someone who has chosen to become a servant of God. At CBC, as in many Baptist Churches we have a team of 'deacons'. The word 'deacon' comes from a Greek word - diakoneo - which means to serve and is used as a noun 'servant' (e.g. John 2:5). It is interesting to note that many churches are replacing the term 'deacon' which is not really understood outside of the church, with the term 'leadership team', which is widely understood outside of the church - but is not often associated with the qualities of being a 'servant'.

But we are all called to serve - not just a few.

Someone was once asked, 'how will I know whether or not I have a servant heart?'

The answer came back, 'by how you react when you're treated like one.'

How do I react when I'm treated as a servant? When I'm taken for granted. When no one acknowledges my behind the scenes efforts. When I'm left to do it on my own...again. Our responses to these situations will often reveal whether or not we have a servant heart and whether we're serving God or looking for reward elsewhere.

It is appropriate that we look at this theme on Good Friday. Yesterday, we remembered the Last Supper and how Jesus washed his disciples' feet and instructed his disciples that they were to serve each other.

Today, on Good Friday we remember Jesus' death on a cross - obedience to God, even to the point of death.

We follow the one who even though he knew all authority was his, got up and wrapped a towel around his waist and took on the role of a servant to serve his disciples. The one who said to God, 'not my will but yours be done'.