A shoe box full of joy

This morning (Wednesday) representatives from Operation Christmas Child came and collected 120 shoe boxes from church. These boxes will eventually find their way into the hands of needy children in South America, Africa, Asia or Europe. Many different people in the church have been involved in packing boxes. Some of the boxes came from the children in our local primary school. Some boxes came from other churches and some from members of the public. We pray that God will touch lives through these boxes. [On Sunday morning when the above photo was taken there were only about 60 boxes.]

Dealing with Differences

In Philippians 4:2 we read of two Christians, who, once upon a time, had worked alongside the apostle Paul in his church planting ministry, but who now have had a very public falling out with each other - and everyone knows about it. In fact, we still know about it today, 2000 years later! Just imagine how they'd feel, just imagine how you'd feel, if you knew that the only thing you'd be known for in 2000 years was the fact that you had a falling out with someone else in your church.

But these things happen, even in churches - because churches are not made up of super-spiritual people - they are made up of ordinary people like you and me, who are loved by God and who are trying to follow Jesus. But as we mature in our faith we should learn how to better handle our differences.

The cross is central to our faith, and as Christians we must keep coming back to the cross - that's why we have communion/breaking of bread/Eucharist. It is at the cross that we are reminded that Jesus gave up everything, even his life, because of his love for us. It is because of the cross that I can know the forgiveness of God. And therefore if I am claiming to follow Jesus - who gave up everything even though he was God - how can I demand my rights? If I accept God's love and forgiveness how can I refuse to forgive others for what they have done to me?

This attitude will help to put our differences in perspective. And these points may also help.

• Pray
• Talk to a mature, trusted, Christian friend who will be able to help us work through our side of the issue.
• Consider your motives - why do you think this - is it your pride speaking?
• Talk to the person involved, but

1. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume the best rather than the worst of them.
2. Be gracious and compassionate and forgiving and loving.
3. Keep your mind open and your mouth closed!
4. If necessary involve a trusted, mature Christian friend in your discussions.

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It's not what you know but who you know

On Sunday it was a real privilege to be able to invite one of my tutors from college, to speak at our morning service. Richard Harvey teaches Hebrew Bible, Hebrew language and Jewish Studies at All Nations Christian College. Richard tackled the next passage in our series through Philippians - 3:1-14, allowing his own experiences as a Messianic Jew to bring the passage to life.

This is such a rich passage that a life time of sermons will not unpack it all, certainly not a short blog! But there is this central theme of knowing Jesus. In comparison with knowing Jesus everything else is rubbish, worthless, and will count for nothing. No matter what our heritage, history and hopes unless we know Jesus they all count for nothing.

Someone said to me yesterday in passing - "it's not what you know but who you know that matters". That was in the context of getting hold of empty shoe boxes - and how much more true that is of Jesus. Unless we know Jesus what we know, who we are, what we've done...it all counts for nothing.

And so as disciples of Jesus our desire, our ambition, the thing that gets us out of bed in the morning should be this passion to know Jesus better, and so to become more like him (which involves suffering too!). For the glory of God.

Thank you Richard - I've had people asking when you're coming back again! I'll be in touch.

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Map, Route Finder or Sat-Nav?

I wonder what preachers did in the days before Sat-Nav illustrations? Those of you who follow this blog will know that I have written about Sat-Nav systems on more than one occasion, and yesterday I was on holiday in a church listening to a children's talk using a Sat-Nav as the illustration. Which got me thinking off on a tangent...

Many Christians have questions, at some point or another, about guidance. We believe that God has a plan for us - the question is whether I know what that is. Am I doing what I should be doing? What should I be doing? What happens if I get it wrong?

One of the good things about Sat-Nav is that if you take a wrong turning you either get told to turn around, or a new route is calculated. Also you are not stuck to a fixed route. Coming back from holiday yesterday afternoon and being stuck on the M5 in traffic around Bristol, we had a brief stop in a service station and then drove off into the country, away from the motorway and towards Bristol using a mixture of A and B roads, before meeting up with the M4 at Junction 19. It may have taken a bit longer but it was a much more interesting drive.

So where is all this going?

I have heard illustrations that describe the Bible as a map - it shows us the way to live. But a map gives the big picture. You can see the whole country - every road. Life is not always like that. Rarely, if ever, do we see the big picture. God certainly sees the big picture but we rarely do.

Before Sat-Nav I used to use the AA website to print off directions from one postcode to another. The trouble with this system is that if you take a wrong turn you are totally lost without hope unless you can get back to the point at which you went wrong. I think some people see guidance this way - there is only route and if I ever take a wrong turn there is no hope, I've messed up, and if I can't get back to where I was then things are never going to work out as they should. And such a fear of making a wrong turn can paralyse people into making no decisions at all.

But I think the Sat-Nav is more like the way things are with us and God. I know where I am, and I know what I need to do next (turn left in 2.35 miles). God knows the rest. And as long as I follow the instructions I should get to where I am going. But if I make a mistake it is not the end of the world. Sometimes I will have to turn around, but at other times an alternative route will get me to where I am going - as long as I follow the new instructions. And sometimes I believe that God gives us the choice to make up our own mind. "You know where you are, you know where you want to be. Any of these three roads will take you there. One is quicker than the others. One is shorter. One is more scenic." All I have to do is start driving down one of those roads, follow the instructions, and enjoy the ride.