Making any resolutions this year?

We've reached that time of the year when people make New Year's Resolutions - many of which, statistically speaking, will have totally unravelled by the middle of January.

I expect for many Christians, the opportunity to pause and reflect generates a potentially guilt-ridden experience. We think about what we've done over the past year, we think about what we've not done over the past year and we know that we could have done so much better. We could have read the Bible more. We could have prayed more. We could have memorised more verses. We could have witnessed more. We could have given more.

One of the problems with this kind of reflection is that it focuses on us and what we've done - rather than on God: who he is and what he has done. Therefore it can very easily generate a spiral of failure and guilt and disappointment. I failed last year, so to make up for that, I'll set even more ambitious goals this year.  The trouble is that often, come the second week in January ...

Another problem with this kind of approach is that it focuses on the things that we do rather than the people that we are. It sees Spiritual Disciplines as an end in themselves rather than the means to a totally different end. The measure of a 'good' Christian is someone who reads their Bible and prays for x minutes every day or gives y percent of their income to the church...

Part of our Vision here at CBC is that we are seeking to become more like Jesus - therefore in terms of our 'doing' - we do those things that will help us towards this goal and we don't do those things that will pull us away from this goal. And when it comes to looking back and reflecting, the guide by which we measure our progress is not the amount of stuff that we have done, but whether or not we are a bit more like Jesus than we were before. And whilst we know that Bible reading and prayer (for example) are disciplines that will help us on this journey, we also know, from experience, that the struggles and hardships that we've been through in the past twelve months may have also shaped us on this journey too.

Those of you who know me will know that I'm the kind of person who likes tick boxes and spreadsheets. I also like routine. And therefore there is always the danger that any Bible reading programme (for example) becomes a habit that is done in order to tick off today's box, rather than being something that I do in order to spend time with God, which in turn will help me be a little bit more like Jesus. The danger is that as long as the box is ticked the job is done. A 'successful' year is one in which all 1189 boxes on the Bible reading plan are ticked by 31 December regardless of the impact that any of those chapters made in shaping me to be a little bit more like Jesus.

I do believe that it is good to stop and pause and reflect - to spend time thinking about what God has done in me and through me - we just need to be careful what we're looking for and how we measure 'success'. We also should be thinking and praying about what God wants to do now - in me and through me. It is also good to be thinking about the big objectives (e.g. to be more like Jesus) and to reflect on how God might want that to happen in the next 3, 6, 9 or 12 months: to invite the Holy Spirit to challenge us on how our practice of the Spiritual Disciplines is helping or hindering that big objective. We also need to remember that it is not primarily about what we do - it is God who works in us - and therefore we should not underestimate or overlook the way that God is moulding us through the circumstances that he has allowed us to go through.

For the last few years, I have followed a Bible in a Year reading programme. These have been great. They provide a good overview of the whole Bible story, but they also help to show how the whole thing fits together. Most BiaY programmes typically have you read a couple of Old Testament chapters, a Psalm and a passage from the New Testament each day and so you are able to start making these links. But it is a lot of reading each day and once you get a day or two behind it can be hard to catch up, and as I said earlier, for someone like me, there is the danger that it just becomes an exercise in box ticking. There are similar programmes that cover just the New Testament; or the whole Bible, but in two or three years rather than just one. But - even a Bible in a Year programme will only require about 20-25 minutes reading a day, which might seem a lot when compared to how much we're reading now, but not so much when we consider the other things that we spend far more than 20-25 minutes doing each day.

Spiritual Disciplines, such as Bible reading and prayer, are a key part in our journey of faith. But it is possible that the doing of these disciplines has no more benefit than the not doing. So as we look back over the past year it is important not to miss the hidden things that God has been doing in us to make us more like Jesus - but it is also important not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the things that we have done and ticked off, but which have had no real impact on us. Things that have just become a habit.

If you have been thinking about how you want to read the Bible in 2018 you haven't got long left to make up your mind. Whatever approach you go for remember that it's not about the reading for reading's sake - it's about spending time with God, meeting him in the pages and hearing his voice.

And if you're wanting to read the Bible through in a year - go for it. 

You'll find lots of Bible Apps that will help you in your journey.





This video is from a great resource that I used a couple of years ago put together by the guys over at Join the Bible Project. Once you sign up they'll email you encouragement on a regular basis as well as having some really helpful short videos that will make reading Leviticus a whole lot more rewarding. There are videos for every book of the Bible as well as videos on key themes that you'll come across. Click this link to take a look at their website - scroll down towards the bottom of the page to sign up for the Read the Bible in One Year.

Other places you might look for useful resources are the Bible Society, Scripture Union's WordLive or Bible Gateway's different reading plans.

Another thing I have found is that this sort of adventure is a lot easier when you're doing it with someone. Not that you necessarily read together, but you chat about what you've read, what's been encouraging, what's been difficult to understand, what's challenged you. Also you keep each other on track and accountable. This may be someone that you physically meet with or it may be by email or on social media.

Meet the Nativity

Just in case you missed this year's Christmas offering from the guys over at Speak Life here are all four episodes of 'Meet the Nativity'.

You'll find more on Youtube and Facebook.

Meet the Nativity 1: The boyfriend



Meet the Nativity 2: The girlfriend



Meet the Nativity 3: The stepmother



Meet the Nativity 4: The father

Saul comes to a sticky end

This Sunday we finished our series in 1 Samuel and as a few people were away, because of the weather, here is the audio recording alongside the slides I used. I've split it into three parts for convenience.



I've not included the recording of the reading but you'll find the text of 1 Samuel 28 here.

We didn't read 1 Samuel 31, but it's only a short chapter and you can find it here.

Also here is the Poster from the guys at the Bible Project - which you can download for yourself here.

Here's the last part.



If you want to have a look at the home group notes this week you'll find them here.

Advent - wait for it

How good are you at waiting for things?

This morning I was taking a whole school assembly (primary) on the theme of Advent and exploring this idea of waiting.

When we think about waiting, in relation to Advent, I expect that most people, if they think anything at all, think about it as a time of waiting and preparation for Christmas. Most of the children had no difficulty at all identifying an Advent Calendar - and even several of the staff put up their hands to say that they had one on the go.

Christmas is only 18 days away now - I got one of the children to hold up my iPad with a countdown timer on it - days, hours, minutes and seconds...



Whilst it can be quite hard waiting for Christmas - at least we know how long we have to wait.

It's a bit like the new style bus shelters with the little screens that inform you of how long it is until the next bus comes. It might be 15 minutes away, but at least you know that and that makes the waiting a little easier. Having worked in Kenya and Pakistan I have spent many times waiting beside roads for lifts that may or may not turn up, and you certainly have no idea how long you are going to have to wait.

But Advent is also about this second kind of waiting - waiting for something when you don't know how long you are going to have to wait. Because Advent is not primarily about waiting for Christmas. It is about remembering that the one who came as a baby over 2000 years ago has promised that he will come back again. During his time on earth, Jesus told his friends and disciples that although no one knows when that will be we are to make sure that we are ready.

Advent is so much more than simply eating a chocolate a day as you look forward to opening presents - rather it is a time of sober reflection and preparation as we remember Jesus' challenge to be ready for his second coming.