What are you building with?

One of my better subjects at school (there weren't many!) was English Literature. I still enjoy reading, mainly biographies, but also a bit of fiction as well when I have time. I recently read Watership Down for the first time, despite it having been first published in the late 70s. I enjoyed it greatly, and have bought the dvd to watch!

Over the years I have toyed with the idea of writing a book myself. In fact, I did start one sometime in the 1990s. One of the reasons the project never came to fruition was the fact that I used my pc to write it, and backed up what I had written on disks which soon became out of date and unreadable by more modern pcs. I suppose there would have been a way round the problem, but somehow it never got done. I seem to think that I wrote about 3 chapters, but though they will never see the light of day, maybe it did me some good to write them.

I had decided to write a book based on part of the 3rd chapter of St Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth (v10-15). I find that passage extremely challenging. Paul uses the illustration of a builder to get his point over, and asks us to think about what we are "building" with our lives (or, specifically, what kind of materials we are using). He points out than when our life's work is tested by the "fire", the lesser materials will be destroyed, whilst the better materials will stand the test.

I was reminded about this recently when I was doing a bit of sorting out in my study at home. I came across my diaries for each of the years since we arrived here in Doncaster (they are simply desk diaries, not a personal record of my thoughts, so I'm not sure why I kept them!) As I looked back over the past 11 and a half years, and thought about all the things written in the diaries, and all the different experiences and activities they represent, it led me to ask the question, "What have I been building with?" "Will it survive the test of the fire?"

Ultimately, we are not to judge, but I believe that it's good to ask the question. After all, human history is littered with examples of what can go wrong when shoddy building materials are used!

The truth about love

Today being Valentine's Day, my thoughts naturally turn to the subject of love. Apparently there were 14 St Valentines, all of whom were martyred for their faith. The link with the modern remembrance of Valentine's Day seems to be somewhat unclear, to say the least, and is shrouded in traditions which cannot really be substantiated. However, the fact the St Valentine (whichever one is 'THE' one!) died for his faith in Christ is certainly not without significance. After all, Jesus said that the greatest love one person can have for another is to be willing to lay down his/her life for them (John's gospel, chapter 15 verse 13).

I guess that when most people think about love, they think about romantic love, the love a person has when they 'fall in love'. When I interview couple who wish to be married in church, and I ask them why they want to get married, they often talk about the love which they have for each other. The feeling of being in love can be overwhelming; when you are in love, you long to be with the one you love. What some couples fail to realise, however, is the fact that this intense feeling of love does not last, and it alone cannot sustain a lifelong partnership between husband and wife.

That's not to say, of course, that love itself doesn't last, it's just that it changes. I don't feel in love with Sue in exactly the same way as I did in our courting days. But I am sure that the love I have for her today is of a far deeper quality and strength than it was in our early married lives - I've got to love her for putting up with me all these years! (I admit that I still get things wrong, and don't always act in a loving way, but I haven't yet perfected the role of being a husband!)

We can express love in many different ways, but most important of all is that we express love through our actions. True love is practical, and shows itself in the way in which we live our lives and respond to the people around us. Love can be hard, and it runs the risk of being rejected and hurt. But love truly is what makes the world go around. If we know God's love in our hearts and lives, then he expects us to let that love flow out to others. I don't think that there has ever been a better description of true (Godly) love than we find in St Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth. It still stands as a great challenge to us all:

'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails ... And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'

The lost son

One evening this week I travelled with a friend to the K.C. Stadium in Hull to watch the Hull City v Doncaster Rovers football match. Being a lifelong Hull City fan, and also the chaplain to Doncaster Rovers, I found myself sitting uncomfortably on the fence! Both sides were in need of the points on offer, City to boost their chances of reaching the end of season play-offs, and Rovers to help avoid possible relegation. Despite the very cold temperature, the match was quite enjoyable, even though we didn't see any goals. City had more of the balance of play, but couldn't get the ball in the net. Probably the Rovers' manager was more satisfied with the point earned.

As my friend and I walked towards the stadium for the match, my friend was handed a leaflet. I imagined that it would be an invitation to a night club or similar venue. In fact it was a leaflet giving information about a young man who had gone missing in Hull city centre on the evening of 28 January. As we walked on, we noticed other (mainly young) people handing out similar leaflets. We then approached the entrance to the park in which the stadium is situated, and a middle aged gentleman offered us a leaflet. When we said that we already had one, he said of the man pictured on the leaflet, "he's my boy". I sensed a real feeling of sadness and anxiety in the man. He looked so alone and concerned. I wish now that I had taken time to stop and chat with him. I have certainly been praying for him, his family and friends, and his lost son.

As I have been thinking and praying about that family, the words of Jesus have come to me often. He said, "I have come to seek and save the lost". He told a story about a lost son, and how the father desperately longed for his son's return. When the son eventually did return, the father threw a party to celebrate! When Jesus spoke about the lost, he was talking about those people who have never experienced in a personal way the love of God their heavenly Father. God the Father longs that all people might know and experience his great love for them.

Last Tuesday, many family and friends of the lost young man were out on a very cold night, handing out leaflets which they hoped would turn up some information. They cared so much that they didn't mind getting cold. I wonder sometimes whether those of us in the Church have such a concern for those who are 'lost'.

A child's example

As I was preparing for this week’s lunchtime service at Priory, I came across a moving and heart-warming story from America. It concerns a young girl called Rachel Beckwith. From an early age, Rachel appears to have had a very generous spirit. At the age of 5, she learned at school about an organization called Locks of Love, which uses hair donations to make wigs for children who have lost their own hair because of cancer or other diseases. Rachel then asked to have her long hair shorn off and sent to Locks of Love. After the haircut, Rachel announced that she would grow her hair long again and donate it again after a few years to Locks of Love.

Then when she was 8 years old, her church began raising money to build wells in Africa through an organization called charity:water. Rachel was aghast when she learned that other children had no clean water, so she asked to skip having a ninth birthday party. In lieu of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity:water for water projects in Africa. Rachel set up a birthday page on the charity:water web site with a target of $300. She was a little disappointed that the total raised was only $220.

Then, on July 20 2011, Rachel and her family were involved in a serious motor accident. Although the rest of her family was unhurt, Rachel was left critically injured. Church members and friends, seeking some way of showing support, began donating on Rachel’s birthday page and donations surged past her $300 goal, and kept mounting.

When it was clear that Rachel would never regain consciousness, the family decided to remove life support. Her parents donated her hair a final time to Locks of Love, and her organs to other children. Word spread about Rachel’s last fund-raiser. Contributions poured in. One 5-year-old girl sent in the savings in her piggy bank of $2.27. When the donations page was finally closed, the total raised was a staggering $1,265,823, including donations from all around the world.

Scott Harrison, the founder of charity:water, commented: “What has been so inspiring about Rachel is that she has taught the adults. Adults are humbled by the unselfishness of this little girl.” And Rachel’s pastor stated: “Rachel wasn’t about words. She was about action. I think we could all learn from that. Small steps of loving sacrifice are the keys to unlocking big dreams.”

The Miracle of Life

A regular feature of Monday mornings at Priory is the senior ladies keep fit group. If I happen to be in the church office on a Monday morning I generally pop in at the end of the session to have a cuppa and a chat with the ladies. When I walked into the hall this morning I was greeted with a chorus of "hello grandad!" Some of the ladies knew that a week or so ago my first grandson was born.

Max Joshua Clark was born at 8.53am on Sunday 8 January; I received a text message from my son Chris informing me of the news just as I was about to set off for church. Later in the day, Sue and I hot-footed it down to Leicester to see Max (not to mention his parents, Chris & Megan). The image shown is of Max when he was less than 11 hours old! For a very newly born baby he seemed remarkably attentive.

Though I had witnessed the birth of our 3 children, when I held Max in my arms I was bowled over again by the miracle of human life. I thank God for his amazing gift of a grandson. A few days later I came cross a video clip on YouTube which highlights just what a miracle human life is. I would encourage you to watch the clip here. We serve an amazing Creator God!

Getting rid of the clutter

As the year 2012 arrived, the realisation began to hit home that in just a few months time we will be leaving Doncaster, when we move to a new place of ministry in Leicester. Although we are excited by all that lies ahead, it will seem very strange to leave a place and people we have come to love.

The experts say that moving home is one of the life experiences which can cause major stress. One element of house-moving which can be stressful is making decisions about which possessions (clutter?) we should take, and which can be disposed of in some way. I know that Sue and I don't always see eye to eye on such matters!

As I had a few days off this week, I did make a small start on preparations. I disposed of an old wardrobe (I took it apart and transported it to the tip), cleared a space in one of the bedrooms, and brought down a few boxes from the loft. I also began the process of sorting through some of the books which have been lining the bookshelves in my study. A number of them were brought when we arrived in Doncaster 11 and a half years ago, and have not been touched since. I have managed to fill 5 carrier bags full of books which I will be happy to give away!

One of the realities of modern life in the western world is the accumulation of "things", many of which we just don't need. If I can pass on some of my books to other people who might appreciate them, so much the better. In fact, one of my Christmas presents this year was a Kindle. This should mean that in the future I won't need to buy nearly so many books, I will simply be able to download an electronic version onto my Kindle - so not nearly so much shelf space required (nor luggage space when going on holiday).

As I have was thinking about all the items we have in our house which we don't really need, and could easily do without, into my mind came a verse from the New Testament book of Hebrews: 'let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.'

There are things which can bog us down in our Christian journey, and distract us from the path to which Christ has called us. Just as Sue and I will need to be fairly ruthless in deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, we, with God's help, need to lay aside anything which may be preventing us from living the full Christian life. Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea for a New Year's resolution!

Lord, forgive us

I shook my head in sorrow and disbelief as I read the following report earlier today on the BBC news website:

“Scuffles have broken out between rival groups of Greek Orthodox and Armenian Christian clerics over a turf war in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. Around a hundred priests fought with brooms as they cleaned the church in preparation for Orthodox Christmas. Palestinian police armed with batons and shields broke up the clashes.

Similar disputes have occurred in the past between different denominations in the church, built on the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born. "It was a trivial problem that ... occurs every year," Bethlehem police Lieutenant-Colonel Khaled al-Tamimi told Reuters. "No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God," he said.

Previous clashes between the denominations which share the administration of the church have been sparked by perceived encroachments on one group's territory by another.

Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, has also seen similar incidents.”

A few days ago we celebrated the birth of Jesus. God’s Son came into the world to bring the good news of God’s love for all humanity, and to reconcile us to God and to one another through his sacrificial death on the cross. Not long before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus said this to his disciples, ‘If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples’. In other words, the most important element of a Christian’s life is God’s love flowing through them to others.

Yet in the very church which commemorates the birth of Jesus (and also in the church where his death and resurrection are commemorated), the so-called holy men, the Christian priests, are falling out and squabbling over territorial issues. O Lord forgive us! How many people, over the years, have been turned away from Jesus because of the behaviour of those who claim to follow him?

The apostle John pointedly asks, in his first letter, ‘if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see?’ A very good question for us all.