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.
Friday, 4 December 2015
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
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.
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.
Monday, 30 November 2015
Advent - week 1
Yesterday morning at CBC we lit the first candle on our 'Advent wreath'.
For those of you who were not there yesterday - this photo looks nothing like our 'wreath'. It's more of a five pronged candle holder. But as I grew up in churches that hardly acknowledged Advent at all - this is clearly progress!
Given that I have no history with Advent it is perhaps ironic that this past week I spoke at a mixed group of Baptists, Anglicans and Catholics on the subject of Advent and will be taking an Advent assembly next week at a local C of E primary school.
So what is Advent?
Advent is traditionally a time of waiting and preparation for Christmas. It is recognising and identifying with God's people of old who waited for the coming of the Messiah - and it is also a recognition of the fact that as God's people today we wait for the Second Coming - and we prepare our hearts in the light of this truth.
Many of these Old Testament prophesies looking forward to the birth of Jesus are providing hope for a better future - things will not always be the way they currently are. God is going to intervene in history. He is going to rescue his people. But there were still hundreds of years of waiting.
In many church traditions the first candle on the Advent wreath is the candle of hope and is linked to the OT prophets.
For hundreds of years the faithful lived in hope that God was going to intervene - and then he did - in a totally unexpected and surprising way.
And we continue to live in this sense of expectation. For although we have the promise that God is with us now, and that we do experience God working now, and that lives are being transformed now - there is also this longing, this expectation, this hope that things are not always going to be the way they are.
There were many times in Israel's history when they were comfortable and therefore there was no need to look ahead to a better future. These were often the times when the people turned their backs on God and went their own way. During Jesus' life he repeatedly came up against those who wanted to maintain the status quo rather than embrace a new future.
As we wait for Christmas are we filled with a longing and an expectation and a hope for the future?
Yesterday morning our young people did a great job of taking the service and one of the songs that we sang was new to me a few months ago but is rapidly becoming one of my all time favourites (i.e. songs that are on the list to be sung at my funeral).
I believe in the resurrection - that we will rise again - for I believe in the name of Jesus.
For those of you who were not there yesterday - this photo looks nothing like our 'wreath'. It's more of a five pronged candle holder. But as I grew up in churches that hardly acknowledged Advent at all - this is clearly progress!
Given that I have no history with Advent it is perhaps ironic that this past week I spoke at a mixed group of Baptists, Anglicans and Catholics on the subject of Advent and will be taking an Advent assembly next week at a local C of E primary school.
So what is Advent?
Advent is traditionally a time of waiting and preparation for Christmas. It is recognising and identifying with God's people of old who waited for the coming of the Messiah - and it is also a recognition of the fact that as God's people today we wait for the Second Coming - and we prepare our hearts in the light of this truth.
Many of these Old Testament prophesies looking forward to the birth of Jesus are providing hope for a better future - things will not always be the way they currently are. God is going to intervene in history. He is going to rescue his people. But there were still hundreds of years of waiting.
In many church traditions the first candle on the Advent wreath is the candle of hope and is linked to the OT prophets.
For hundreds of years the faithful lived in hope that God was going to intervene - and then he did - in a totally unexpected and surprising way.
And we continue to live in this sense of expectation. For although we have the promise that God is with us now, and that we do experience God working now, and that lives are being transformed now - there is also this longing, this expectation, this hope that things are not always going to be the way they are.
There were many times in Israel's history when they were comfortable and therefore there was no need to look ahead to a better future. These were often the times when the people turned their backs on God and went their own way. During Jesus' life he repeatedly came up against those who wanted to maintain the status quo rather than embrace a new future.
As we wait for Christmas are we filled with a longing and an expectation and a hope for the future?
Yesterday morning our young people did a great job of taking the service and one of the songs that we sang was new to me a few months ago but is rapidly becoming one of my all time favourites (i.e. songs that are on the list to be sung at my funeral).
I believe in the resurrection - that we will rise again - for I believe in the name of Jesus.
Sunday, 29 November 2015
The Joint Service
Last Sunday around 400+ local Christians came together to meet, to pray, to sing, to listen... About 20 churches in the area west of Cambridge closed their doors and joined together at Comberton Leisure for a combined morning service - officially known as the West of Cambridge Ecumenical Service - unofficially knows as the Joint Service.
This is the second of these annual services that I have been to and once again it was a brilliant experience. There is something significant about doing things together with other Christians and other churches. The New Testament has a lot to say on unity and working together. This is particularly relevant in small rural villages where working together enhances our witness of God's love for us.
Planning the service takes a number of meetings throughout the year as representatives from Baptist, Anglican, Catholic, LEP (Baptist, Anglican, Methodist, URC) and independent churches seek to shape a service that will have some points of familiarity for everyone but will also bring something new from other traditions in a way that does not exclude anyone from taking part.
This year our guest speaker was Rowan Williams who had chosen to speak on the topic of 'Engaging with Post Christian Britain'. He was great and here is my summary of what he said.
Engaging with anyone can only properly happen after we have engaged with God. If we're not engaged with God there is no point trying to engage with anyone else.
Rather than thinking about post-Christian Britain we should be thinking about a Britain that half remembers - and this brings with it both positives and negatives. We have a story to tell - the story of Jesus. And as you read the gospels, whatever else this story may or may not be it certainly isn't boring. So how has the church managed, so often, to make this story seem boring? How do we try and communicate with the world?
Bigger or Smaller?
When we talk about our Christian faith does it come across as something that makes the world bigger or smaller? Because our faith should make the world bigger. Our faith enables us to see more, to love more, to rejoice more, to make us more human. It enables us to see the thing in us that needs to be dealt with.
The tragedy is that so often our presentation of the gospel makes the world smaller. We want a faith that defends us from the real world, that keeps us safe. But Jesus says that reality is grounded in God - and therefore we need to move into a bigger world. Being a Christian gives you more resources to look at and make sense of life.
Beginning or Ending?
Hearing and responding to the gospel is a beginning and not an ending. It is the beginning of a new life, it is not something that now achieved marks a conclusion. But sometimes the church can think of it as an ending - all our effort is focused on getting someone to that point and then there is nothing else. But there is a whole life ahead and so much to be done. The NT talks about new creation and new life. It's about being released into something, from something into something new. Being release into a world where we discover and grow. It's an endless pilgrimage towards God - not an endless loop. Do we present the faith as a beginning or as an end?
Harder or Easier?
The world often thinks that we have a faith because it makes things easier. But the truth is that the gospel makes things harder. If you're after anything for an easier life - then don't start to follow Jesus! The gospel is not about an easier life. Jesus says follow me and take risks. Take up your cross and follow. It's hard and it hurts to let go of the things that we need to let go of if we're going to follow Jesus. Rather than a comfort blanket our faith is a call to take risks.
Jesus gives people a bigger view of the world, he gives them a new beginning, he tells us that it is going to be hard but he promises to work with us and be with us.
In our presentation of the gospel and our engagement with the world do we find the stories and the faces that bring this to life?
This is what faith looks like...
We all need good stories to tell of our faith. We need to be able to point to lives that show what Christianity looks like. These lives will not be boring they will not be small.
When we know these stories then we have something to talk about. We point to Jesus and the fullness of life that the gospel points to.
When engaging with post Christian Britain it is good to remember what kind of book the Bible is. It's not a book of strategy or theory. We start with the story. The act of God in opening up and transforming life. That's the Bible we've got. The Bible we need to be sharing. The strategy matters in its place etc but the lever that starts a shift in a person's life is the story.
Let us be alert to the lives where this makes a difference - and learn to share these stories.
This is the second of these annual services that I have been to and once again it was a brilliant experience. There is something significant about doing things together with other Christians and other churches. The New Testament has a lot to say on unity and working together. This is particularly relevant in small rural villages where working together enhances our witness of God's love for us.
Planning the service takes a number of meetings throughout the year as representatives from Baptist, Anglican, Catholic, LEP (Baptist, Anglican, Methodist, URC) and independent churches seek to shape a service that will have some points of familiarity for everyone but will also bring something new from other traditions in a way that does not exclude anyone from taking part.
This year our guest speaker was Rowan Williams who had chosen to speak on the topic of 'Engaging with Post Christian Britain'. He was great and here is my summary of what he said.
Engaging with anyone can only properly happen after we have engaged with God. If we're not engaged with God there is no point trying to engage with anyone else.
Rather than thinking about post-Christian Britain we should be thinking about a Britain that half remembers - and this brings with it both positives and negatives. We have a story to tell - the story of Jesus. And as you read the gospels, whatever else this story may or may not be it certainly isn't boring. So how has the church managed, so often, to make this story seem boring? How do we try and communicate with the world?
Bigger or Smaller?
When we talk about our Christian faith does it come across as something that makes the world bigger or smaller? Because our faith should make the world bigger. Our faith enables us to see more, to love more, to rejoice more, to make us more human. It enables us to see the thing in us that needs to be dealt with.
The tragedy is that so often our presentation of the gospel makes the world smaller. We want a faith that defends us from the real world, that keeps us safe. But Jesus says that reality is grounded in God - and therefore we need to move into a bigger world. Being a Christian gives you more resources to look at and make sense of life.
Beginning or Ending?
Hearing and responding to the gospel is a beginning and not an ending. It is the beginning of a new life, it is not something that now achieved marks a conclusion. But sometimes the church can think of it as an ending - all our effort is focused on getting someone to that point and then there is nothing else. But there is a whole life ahead and so much to be done. The NT talks about new creation and new life. It's about being released into something, from something into something new. Being release into a world where we discover and grow. It's an endless pilgrimage towards God - not an endless loop. Do we present the faith as a beginning or as an end?
Harder or Easier?
The world often thinks that we have a faith because it makes things easier. But the truth is that the gospel makes things harder. If you're after anything for an easier life - then don't start to follow Jesus! The gospel is not about an easier life. Jesus says follow me and take risks. Take up your cross and follow. It's hard and it hurts to let go of the things that we need to let go of if we're going to follow Jesus. Rather than a comfort blanket our faith is a call to take risks.
Jesus gives people a bigger view of the world, he gives them a new beginning, he tells us that it is going to be hard but he promises to work with us and be with us.
In our presentation of the gospel and our engagement with the world do we find the stories and the faces that bring this to life?
This is what faith looks like...
We all need good stories to tell of our faith. We need to be able to point to lives that show what Christianity looks like. These lives will not be boring they will not be small.
When we know these stories then we have something to talk about. We point to Jesus and the fullness of life that the gospel points to.
When engaging with post Christian Britain it is good to remember what kind of book the Bible is. It's not a book of strategy or theory. We start with the story. The act of God in opening up and transforming life. That's the Bible we've got. The Bible we need to be sharing. The strategy matters in its place etc but the lever that starts a shift in a person's life is the story.
Let us be alert to the lives where this makes a difference - and learn to share these stories.
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