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.

The other side of young people

Last Saturday we held an Advent Quiet Day at Priory. Three of us had been talking, praying and planning for the day for some time. The idea was to offer an opportunity for people to step aside from their daily routines for a while and take time to be quiet, reflect and pray; a kind of antidote to the busyness and pressure of Christmas preparations.

The theme of the Quiet Day was "Stations of the Nativity". We set up about 8 "prayer stations" based on the story of the nativity, ultimately leading to the manger. At each prayer station there were ideas for personal prayer, reflection and response. I was very hopeful that many would want to come, and would greatly benefit from the experience. In reality, the turnout was about the most disappointing to any event I ever remember helping to organise!! Nevertheless, I think that the few who did come found the experience to be very moving and thought-provoking.

One of the prayer stations was on the theme of Rejection (based on the time when "there was no room at the inn" for Joseph and Mary and the baby). I had pinned up some images of people/groups in our society who are sometimes rejected (or at least feel rejected). People at the Quiet Day were invited to light a candle and pray for those who feel rejected in our society. One of the images was of a group of young people in hoodies.

The London riots earlier in the year are still very much in our consciousness. It appears that many of those involved were young people. The problem is that all young people tend to be tarred with the same brush. I was delighted, therefore, to read a report from the Youth For Christ (YFC) organisation, which revealed that a number of young people responded very positively in the aftermath of the riots. This is part of the YFC report:

In the aftermath [of the riots] many were quick to denounce England's young people as wholly self-centred, anti-social and opportunistic. But this was just one part of the picture. A counter movement saw groups of young people come together to clean up streets, help those in need and restore some normality to their communities.

The report goes on to say how teams of young people were on the streets offering help and assistance, and making a real difference in the terrible situations suffered by a number of communities. They helped clean up damaged shops, even offering to pray for those who worked there. In response, one shop assistant remarked, "that's restored my faith in people a bit. I might even go to church on Sunday." There are some truly wonderful young people around.

The prayer station after "Rejection" was "Acceptance and Inclusion". The message of the angels to the shepherds was of 'good news of great joy for all people'. God's love in Jesus is offered to all. He longs to forgive, and reveal his love to all people - including those involved in the riots!

The gifts that money can't buy

When it gets to this time of the year, there’s one thing I really don’t look forward to. It’s certainly not Christmas itself - from my childhood years, I have always loved Christmastime. Undoubtedly the many happy childhood Christmases I experienced will have influenced my outlook on the season. It was a real highlight of the year when, as a family, we gathered round the Christmas tree on Christmas Day morning and opened our presents. My parents weren’t rich, and I don’t suppose the presents we received were of great monetary value, but they were warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated.

I love lots of things about Christmas: the giving and receiving of presents, the time with family and friends, the special Christmas services, the lights, decorations, cards and shared meals. But the one thing I really don’t look forward to is trying to choose a present for my wife, Sue. If she doesn’t really appreciate a gift, she isn’t very good at hiding the fact - and most of the gifts which I have presented her with over the years seem to have fallen into that category! I’m still not sure what I will get her this year - any suggestions greatly welcomed! Come to think of it, maybe a book on “How to hide your true feelings!”

The media is full of stories of financial cutbacks, and how families and individuals are finding it hard to cope with financial pressures. A recent survey suggested that around 1 in 5 people in the UK expect to have to borrow money to pay for presents. I wonder whether we’ve missed something somewhere along the line. Is the amount of money we spend really the important thing?

Charles Swindoll, in his book “Growing Strong”, suggests that some gifts we can give this Christmas are beyond monetary value. Some of his suggestions: Mend a quarrel; dismiss suspicion; tell someone, "I love you"; give something away - anonymously; forgive someone who has treated you wrongly; turn away wrath with a soft answer; visit someone in a nursing home; apologise if you were wrong; be especially kind to someone with whom you work. He finishes by suggesting: Give as God gave to you in Christ, without obligation, or announcement, or reservation, or hypocrisy.

Often the most precious and appreciated things in life really are those which money can’t buy.

Why?

On my blog a few weeks ago I wrote about an occasion when the normally macho world of football gave way to some very human emotions; many were moved to tears at the news that the two day-old son of Doncaster Rovers striker Billy Sharp had died. I didn't think at the time that a similar wave of emotion would sweep the game again so soon.

I was deeply saddened to learn last Sunday that Garry Speed, the the 42 year-old Manager of the Wales national side, had died. He was found hanged in his home by his wife early last Sunday morning. Tragically, he leaves behind his wife and two young sons. Over the past few days I have heard many people who knew Garry well asking the same question, "why?" No-one seems to know the reason he took his own life, and perhaps the answer will never be known.

So what was it that lead Garry Speed to take his own life? First thoughts were that he might have been suffering from depression. I was in a shop in Scarborough earlier in the week, and two middle aged men entered. One began a conversation with the other, asking what his friend thought of the Garry Speed situation. "I don't know what he'd got to be depressed about!" he said.

The truth is, depression can potentially affect people from all sorts of backgrounds and personal situations. On the face of it, Garry Speed had so much: a lovely wife, two great children, a job he loved and was successful at, popularity and respect, financial security. From what many people have said in the days since news of Garry's death, he was greatly loved and respected by all those who knew him. A number of those who knew him have been in tears this week.

It is probably true to say that all of us have thoughts and feelings in the deep places of our hearts which we may not feel able to share, even with those who are closest to us. But there is One who knows and sees the things we can hide from everyone else. As the writer of Psalm 139 states,

'You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.'

We cannot hide anything from God! Perhaps that might seem a bit scary, but how wonderful that God knows everything about us, even the things we try to hide and the things of which we are ashamed; yet still he loves us, and still he calls us to draw near to him.

If you are a person of prayer, please remember in your prayers Garry Speed's widow, Louise, and their two sons Ed (14) and Tommy (13), as they try to come to terms with their personal tragedy. May they somehow know the loving presence of Father God.

Everyone needs some Time Out

Earlier today I had a meeting with Sue and Janet, two ladies from church. The purpose of the meeting was to continue planning for a "Quiet Day" which we are having at Priory on 17 December. After I had made tea/coffee for us (always the best was to start a meeting!) Sue produced out of her bag some Time Out chocolate bars. I must say that the chocolate went very nicely with my coffee.

The slogan on the wrapper was, "Everyone needs some Time Out". How appropriate, I thought, as we were meeting to plan a Quiet Day! The whole purpose of the Quiet Day is to give people the opportunity to take some time out from what can often be a hectic and very busy time in the run-up to Christmas. We are hoping to provide an oasis of quiet and reflection as a kind of antidote to the hussle and bussle of the season.

We are taking as our theme "Stations of the Nativity", and will be setting up a number of prayer stations where visitors can stop and reflect on elements of the nativity story. There will also be suggestions for practical responses and prayers. The final stage of the journey will be the manger itself. Just like the wise men, we will be given the opportunity to worship the Christ child. I am excited at the possibilities of the day, and how it might bless those who come.

To come back to the Time Out bar, there is, of course, a sense in which its slogan is a very Biblical one. Time out, or rest, is a God ordained element of life. There is an occasion recorded in the gospels when Jesus said to the disciples, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' We live in such a busy society, everyone rushing around, people in a hurry, no time for.... Even in the wonderful Christmas season we can become so tied down with planning and preparations that we don't allow ourselves any time to step aside from the rush, and focus on what really is the heart of Christmas - the birth of Jesus, God's Son.

We are not machines. We were not created to become workaholics. We need times out to rest and reflect.

The Lord works in mysterious ways..

In a recent blog ("Strength in weakness") I mentioned our current state of uncertainty in that we knew that in summer 2012 we will be leaving Doncaster, but we didn't then know where we would be going. Now we do!

For 4 days last week all the Methodist District Chairs (the Methodist equivalent of Bishops) met together to make decisions about my future and the future of about 120 of my ministerial colleagues. They had before them a list of Ministers who will be moving in 2012 and also a list of vacancies in churches around the UK. Mainly because of family considerations, we had asked that wherever we were sent it should be somewhere within 2 hours drive of Nottingham (we don't have any particular connection with Nottingham, but it seemed to be a fairly central part of the country!) Although that ruled out some vacancies, is still covered a large geographical area.

Sue and I, and many of our friends, were doing a lot of praying over those days, that ultimately we would be sent to the place where God wanted us to be. I didn't feel particularly anxious, but I was eager to discover the result of the deliberations. Last Thursday evening I received a phone call from our District Chair who informed me that I had been matched with the Leicester West Circuit [in Methodist parlance, a Circuit is a group of churches in a particular area]. The following morning we received a phone call inviting us to travel down to Leicester to meet the folk there and visit the churches. So on the Saturday we visited the Methodist churches at Glenfield, Markfield and New Parks. In each church we met some of the people there, asking and answering questions.

Over lunch we met the Circuit Superintendent (lead Minister), then went back to one of the churches for a final meeting, this time with representatives from the three churches and some of the Circuit leadership team. It was a long and rather tiring day, but we enjoyed meeting the people in Leicester and seeing the area. We left it that Sue and I would do some more thinking and praying about the situation, as would the folk in Leicester.

During the course of the following 24 hours, Sue and I had a growing sense that this was indeed the place to which God was calling us; I felt a very real sense of excitement and anticipation about the future. However, we didn't yet know what the Leicester people thought about the matter! On Sunday evening we received a phone call from the Circuit, inviting me to become Minister in the Leicester West Circuit, and of course I said yes!

I still think that the Methodist system of moving Ministers around is rather strange, and in one sense I'm amazed how it seems to work. At the same time, I know that God is in control, and I am convinced that we are going to the place he is preparing for us. And one very great added bonus is that our first grandchild, who is due to be born in early January 2012, will be living only about 15 minutes away from our new home in Leicester - thank you God!

Inevitably some of our thoughts over the next few months will be towards our future in Leicester. Yet we know that there is still a great deal for us to do here in Doncaster. We know also that when the time comes for us to leave the area, and the people who we have come to know and love, it will be very hard. Ultimately, though, the best place to be is always where God wants you to be.

That's For You, Son

For better or worse, I've been a football supporter for most of my life. I realise that there are people in the world who can't stand football (sadly, my wife is one of them!) Personally, I have found lots of enjoyment in football, though I do tend to agree with those who are of the opinion that football at the top level has lost some of its connection with ordinary supporters, not least through the vast amounts of money which the top players are paid.

In a sense, my football experience has been an image of life in general: there have been tremendous highs and lows over the years. As a lifelong supporter of Hull City I have lived through relegations, dismal performances, and a time when the club looked as through financial woes would drive it out of business. I have also had many times of celebration at wonderful performances, promotions and last minute winners.

Undoubtedly the highlight was the Wembley play-off final victory in 2008, a result which saw the Tigers achieve promotion to the Premiership for the first time in their history. What topped that weekend off (my first ever visit to Wembley) was that on the following day Doncaster Rovers (a team which I also support as the club chaplain) also achieved play-off final victory at Wembley. My best ever football weekend!

But I have to say that the emotion experienced at a recent Rovers' home match was deeper that anything I had previously experienced. One of Rovers' star players, Billy Sharp, had just experienced the tragedy of the death of his two day old son, Luey. It came as a great shock to everyone when Billy decided that, notwithstanding his personal tragedy, he wanted to play in the match.

Before the match kicked off, both sets of players stood in the centre of the pitch and, together with the supporters of both teams, offered a minutes' applause in Luey's memory. A hugely emotional moment. When Billy scored the opening goal of the match with a superb volley, there were great cheers and much celebration. Billy lifted up his football shirt to reveal a t-shirt underneath bearing the words, “That's For You Son”. It's a moment I will probably never forget. Even the national media took up this heartbreaking yet remarkable story.

At the centre of the Christian faith is a cross. A strange symbol, perhaps, as the cross was a place of suffering and death. It was on the cross that God's Son, Jesus, hung and died. God knows what it is like to suffer the death of his Son. Jesus died on a cross so that our sin could be dealt with. Through faith in him we know can know forgiveness, and have the assurance of eternal life. That's how much God loves us. When we look at the cross we discover God's message to us and to the world, “That's For You”

Good news is for sharing

I was privileged to be invited to attend and take part in the recent unveiling of a Memorial to honour the Aviators of the former Doncaster Aerodrome. The Doncaster Aerodrome first opened in 1934, and operated until its eventual enclosure in 1992. It was situated on the site of the current Lakeside development; it is now quite difficult to imagine what the landscape must have looked like when the aerodrome was in operation.

I found the ceremony quite moving. A number of people with current or past connections with the world of aviation were present. The event was arranged through the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, which is based in nearby Dakota Way. The arrangements for the day were that we were to meet at the museum, before being taken by vintage transport to the site of the unveiling. I must admit that, although I was aware of the Museum's existence, and had often walked by it on my way to the Keepmoat Stadium, I was very surprised by what I discovered. There is much more to the Museum than I imagined. I described it to one fellow attendee as being rather like the Tardis - a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside! Certainly worth a more leisurely visit.

On later reflection, I wondered whether the Aircraft Museum might be one of Doncaster's "hidden gems". Perhaps if it was more widely publicised, a greater number of the local population might go along and be as pleasantly surprised as I was?

As I continued to ponder this theme, into my mind came the words of Jesus to his disciples (part of the teaching known as "The Sermon on The Mount"), 'You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.' Good news is for sharing!

It's so sad when we Christians, who have been given the task of sharing the best news ever (of God's love in Christ), seem so often be reluctant to do so. We live in a world where many people are hurting, lonely and anxious. Bad news seems to bombard us all the time. As one Old Testament character once said, “We have good news, and we shouldn't keep it to ourselves!"

Strength in weakness

With most occupations, when someone feels that it might be time to move on to a new place of work, they usually commence the process by looking around for suitable vacancies. When they find such an opportunity, and are successful in applying for the job, they then give notice to their current employers, and in due course make the move. In general terms, this is how most new jobs happen. Not so within the Methodist Church!

For a start, all Methodist Ministers moving to a new place of ministry do so at the same time of the year (early August). Secondly, decisions about moving to pastures new have to be taken a very long time in advance (usually over a year before the move happens). And the third difference is that, to a large degree, the decision about where to move to is not taken by the Minister him/herself!

A while ago Sue and I came to the conclusion that God was saying to us that summer 2012 will be time for us to leave Doncaster. This means that we are currently in the process which will decide our future place of ministry. A list is produced of all the Ministers who expect to move in 2012, and all the Circuits [for non-Methodists, a Circuit is a group of churches in a particular area] which are looking for a new Minister at that time. Last week, Sue and I received a cd containing details of all the Circuits looking for a Minister. We have been reading through the info., hoping to find situations which appear suitable to what we hope to bring. And it ain't easy!

In a couple of week's time, the Chairs of all the Methodist Districts will get together and try to match up Ministers with vacancies. If things work out as hoped for, we should know within the next month where we will be moving to next summer!

It has been interesting reading through the profiles which have been put together by the Circuits. The profiles provide information about the churches etc., and also give an idea of the qualities which they are looking for in a prospective Minister. Reading some of the profiles, it appears that even the angel Gabriel might struggle to match the requirements! I am reminded of the time, many years ago now, when I first felt that God was calling me to the Methodist Ministry, and I kept asking myself (and God) how on earth I could be a Minister - I still wonder that sometimes!

I am encouraged by the words of St Paul, who wrote that God's words to him were, 'my power is made perfect in weakness.' The good news is that God isn't looking for supermen and superwomen. Indeed, he isn't interested so much in our ability as our availability. God looks for ordinary men and women who are willing to place themselves into his hands. Ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things through God's power at work in them. Thank God for that!

So as I continue to read through the profiles, and am tempted to ask "how can I do that?", I hear the voice of God saying, "in my strength". In some ways it's an uncertain period, not knowing where we will be in a year's time. On the other had, we firmly believe that God has our future in his hands. With him all things are possible!

Who do you think you are?

Just over two years ago my brother, Phil, left the UK to become National Director of Church Army New Zealand. They do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I was delighted when he told us a while ago that he was returning to the UK for a couple of weeks.

One day last week, Sue and I travelled across to Manchester Airport to collect him. To cut a very long story short, we eventually met up with him some two hours or so later than expected. He had missed one of his connections and had arrived in Manchester via an alternative route. After being a little bit anxious at his non-appearance (and having been given inaccurate information as to his wherabouts by British Airways staff), it was a relief to see him. The bad news was that his luggage didn't arrive for another 3 days!

From Manchester we drove straight to Scarborough, where we spent an enjoyable 24 hours before heading home to Doncaster. Our route to Doncaster took us through Burton Agnes, which is the village where our parents were born and brought up. We had been told that some of our ancestors were buried in the village graveyard, so we decided to stop and have a look around. We found the gravestones of some of our aunts & uncles, and were also pleased to find the gravestone of our paternal grandparents, who died in the 1940s, long before we were born.

One of my favourite TV programmes is "Who Do You Think You Are?", in which famous people trace their family history. It is noticeable how often the celebrities find the whole experience very moving, and on quite a few occasions there are tears, either of joy or sadness. It seems that there is within every human being a need to understand our roots, and where we have come from.

The set Psalm for this Sunday was Psalm 139, which includes these wonderful words, as the psalmist speaks to God:

'You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb... You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born.'

I really appreciate knowing about my human ancestry,and understanding something of my family roots. But far greater is the knowledge that I was created by Almighty God, who knew me before I was born and walks each day with me.

The Prodigal Returns

As I start to write this blog, I am conscious that in around 12 hours' time I will (God-willing) be at Manchester airport, where my brother, Phil, is due to arrive after a more-than 24 hour journey from New Zealand. It is around 2 years since he left the UK with his family to take up the role of National Director of Church Army New Zealand. Although we communicate regularly via facebook, e-mail and the occasional Skype conversation, it will be good to see him face-to-face, and catch up with things.

On Sunday morning coming, Phil is due to take the morning service at Priory (I thought that we'd better make him work for his keep!); 3 of my 4 sisters are coming over for the service, and the other one will join us for lunch afterwards. One of the blessings of my life has been that of being part of a close-knit family. I am really looking forward to us being together, and there will be other opportunities during the 2 weeks Phil is in the UK.

One of the saddest development in British society during my lifetime has been the breakdown in traditional family life. The security of my childhood experience, with Mum, Dad and siblings sharing normal family life together (eating, outings, church, holidays etc) is not the experience of many today. I am not suggesting that there is only one model of family life, but the truth is that there are so many lonely people around, many of whom are desperate for love and companionship.

One of the images of church used in the New Testament is that of family. Of course, no church is perfect, but over the years I have witnessed many people, who were going through really tough times, finding strength to carry on through being embraced by the love, support and encouragement of fellow Christians. I have often heard people say, "I don't know how I would manage without my church friends". I and my family have experienced the care and support of fellow Christians many times over the years, and despite its failings, I love being part of the church family.

A statement I hear on occasions is, "I don't need to go to church to be a Christian." Of course in a strict sense that is true, as Christians in some countries in the world today are not ALLOWED to attend church, and that doesn't stop them being Christians. My observation, however, is that by not meeting regularly with our fellow Christians we can miss out in such a big way. Not only do we absent ourselves from the love, support, and nurture we might receive from others, but we deny ourselves the opportunity to support and care for others. The Christian life is about giving as well as receiving. If we never meet up with our fellow Christians how can we serve them?

The warmth of an embrace

Within the past couple of days I have found myself embracing two ladies - neither of which were my wife! The situations in which these embraces occurred could hardly be more different.

The first lady had been seeking asylum in the UK for some years. Anyone who knows anything about the asylum system will understand that the application process can be long, tortuous and, at times, dispiriting. In most cases there are many ups and downs along the way, and there sometimes appears to be little compassion or understanding given to people who may have endured some harrowing experiences. In this case, the lady had been waiting for many months for the result of her appeal to be made know. When I saw her earlier in the week, the smile on her face gave me an indication that she was a herald of good news! When she told me that she had been given leave to stay in the UK, it felt natural to share in her joy with an embrace.

For the second lady, however, the word "joyful" would not be the first word one might think of when describing the situation she faced. After quite a lengthy period of increasing ill-health, her husband of more than 60 years had finally passed away. Again it felt natural to offer an embrace, but this time as an attempt to express empathy and love at a time of great loss.

I realise that not everyone is a "touchy-feely" type, but I firmly believe that in all sorts of different situations, an appropriate embrace can express far more than mere words.

One of the most well known of Jesus' parables is the parable of the lost (or "prodigal") son. The son demands his inheritance, and leaves the family home. He duly squanders the whole lot, and finds himself in desperate circumstances. Eventually he makes the journey home, unsure whether he will be forgiven by his father. However, we are told, 'When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.' The warmth of a father's embrace! The father was overjoyed, and welcomed his son back into the family with a party!

Jesus told that story to illustrate God's love for each of us. Whatever our past, whatever our background, whatever our failings, God longs to embrace us with his love. And the love he gives us is for us to give away. Is there someone you know who needs a hug?

A little cross

Back in 2004 a major movie, The Passion of the Christ, was released. Directed by Mel Gibson, and starring Jim Caviezel in the title role, the movie portrayed in a very graphic way the last 12 hours or so of the life of Jesus Christ leading up to his crucifixion. The violence was extreme, but probably not more than the actual reality of what happened around 2000 years ago.

Some time later, though I am not sure exactly when, I was in the Christian bookshop in Hull, and happened to notice a cross and chain which was one of the items being sold in connection to the movie. Having wanted a cross and chain for some time, I bought it. As I was walking down the street afterwards, I noticed something unusual about my purchase. Most often, when one buys a cross and chain, the chain will include a link which can be fastened and unfastened, allowing the wearer to put on and remove the item easily. However, I realised that there was no link in my chain - I just had to hope that it fitted over my head!

With a little bit of a struggle, I managed to put the cross and chain over my head, and it has hung around my neck ever since. Over the years it has become somewhat tarnished, but I have never thought about exchanging it for a new one. Yesterday I noticed that although the chain was still around my neck, the cross itself had disappeared! Presumably part of the metal of the cross had worn through, and it had fallen off. I may never know exactly what happened to it. What I now have is just an empty chain.

There is a danger in the church today, when talking about the Christian gospel, to stress the "nice" bits. We talk about things like the love of God, the peace and hope we have in Jesus, and the joy of Christian fellowship. But I wonder if sometimes we are guilty of avoiding the less easy bits. The suffering and crucifixion of Jesus lie at the very heart of our faith; if Jesus had not died on a cross, there would be no Christian faith. Yes, he rose from the dead, and is alive today, but there would have been no resurrection without the crucifixion. The amazing thing is that he died for us - so that we can be forgiven and know the assurance of eternal life.

And Jesus himself said that if we are to follow him we must first "count the cost". Yes, the blessings of following him are amazing, but the cost is great too - we must give our lives to him. The cross reminds us of how much God loves us. It also reminds us of the call for us to lay down our lives.

Keeping up Appearances

Keeping Up Appearances was a hugely popular 1990s BBC sitcom. It was centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket (who insisted that her surname was pronounced Bouquet!) Hyacinth's obsession in life was to present herself as a lady of refinement, who belonged quite clearly in the upper echelons of society. She desperately and continually looked for opportunities to climb the social ladder, despite being wedged in a working-class reality. Her attempts were regularly thwarted, not least by members of her own family who did not share her grand designs!

Last Saturday a few of us were involved in the Healing on the Streets ministry outside Priory in Doncaster's town centre. It happened to be the final day of the Doncaster St Leger festival. During our time outside Priory on Saturday morning, quite a number of people passed by who were obviously heading for their big day out at the races. Everyone seemed to have dressed up for the occasion; the women, especially, were resplendent in their outfits. The most noticeable element of their garb, however, was the massively tall high heels worn by some of the ladies. I do wonder how some of them managed to walk without doing themselves serious damage!

Why would someone wear shoes which were so obviously uncomfortable? I was talking this week with a friend who said that in her younger days her dad continually warned her about the dangers of high heels. She ignored his advice, and is now paying the price. Of course, it's all about appearances, something which our society seems to have become obsessed with. People spend small fortunes on trying to make themselves look good, not least through cosmetic surgery.

The reality is, of course, that the outward appearance of a person will never reveal who they really are. In the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, God says to the prophet Samuel, "The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Martin Luther King was absolutely right when he said that the right way to judge a person is not by the colour of their skin (ie their outward appearance) but by the content of their character.

View from above the clouds

I don't particularly enjoy flying (perhaps I ought to resist an attempt at humour by saying that it makes my arms rather tired!) Long flights, especially, can get rather wearisome, especially when I am not in an aisle seat and the leg room is restricted. Our recent flights to and from Spain weren't too bad, being only approx. 3 hours flying time each way. On the outward journey I was sitting in an aisle seat. Coming back, I found myself in the centre seat of 3. The benefit of this position was that I was nearer to the window, and therefore able to catch glimpses of the awesome sights from above the clouds.

The cloud formations were amazing in themselves. But flying above the clouds also has the advantage of remaining in the sunlight (unless it's night time, of course!) For most of our time in Spain we saw relatively few clouds. It was not surprising, however, that as we headed back to the UK the cloud formations began to make themselves known. As we flew over the clouds, I thought about those on the ground below. No doubt there were more than a few people complaining about the dull or rainy August weather! The perspective we had from above the clouds was completely different from what those on the ground were seeing.

I wonder whether there is something of a comparison to be made when we think of the human perspective in certain issues and how God sees them. There is no doubt that we all come up against difficult issues in life, situations and circumstances with which we grapple. Maybe we just can't understand why God would allow such a thing to happen.

I am reminded of a verse in the Bible, when God says, "For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9). I am convinced that there will be some things in life which we will never fully understand, because we don't see them from God's perspective. Ultimately, we have to recognise that God sees some things from a very different perspective, and so we need to trust that he knows best.

There will come a day, when we stand before God, when many things will become clear. St. Paul puts it this way, "Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." (1 Corinthians 13:12). I'm content to leave it there.

Spanish lesson

I recently returned from a fortnight's holiday in Spain. We stayed at a little place called Bena Vista, which is on the southern cost of Spain, situated between Marbella and Estapona. There were 7 of us in the party, and it was lovely to spend some quality family time together. The weather, naturally, was pretty much wall-to-wall sunshine, and the swimming pool was very well used! To be honest, I usually prefer to holiday in the UK, but the benefit of going to somewhere like the Costa del Sol is that the weather is generally much more predictable. We returned to clouds and rain in the UK!

It was a visit to the local supermarket that set off my train of thinking. I noticed as we walked round that a number of products had the word "SIN" in the title. I took my camera along and managed to get a picture of one example, some cheese, which was titled "SIN LACTOSA". This means, "without lactose".

I found it interesting that the Spanish word "sin" means "without". I thought about how this fits in with the word sin as used in the Bible. Basically, what the Bible calls sin is anything which goes against God's will and purpose. When we choose to take a course of action which disobeys God's commands, then we sin. More than that, the Bible states that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). In other words, sin separates us from God, creating a barrier between us and God, leaving us, in a very real sense, without the intimate, close relationship with God which is his desire and purpose for us.

The good news is that Romans 6:23 goes on to say, "...but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." On the cross, Jesus died to pay the price for our sin. By accepting his sacrifice, believing in him, and committing our lives into his control, we are set free from the law of sin and death. We can live a new life, empowered by his Spirit. No more separation, no more being "without", but drawn into loving relationship with him and discovering our true purpose and identity. It's strange the thoughts that can come from a packet of cheese!

Reflections on the riots

I have been deeply saddened by the events of the past few days. TV pictures of gangs of roaming the streets of London and other cities, ransacking properties, causing mindless damage, and setting properties on fire, have been very disturbing. Apart from the physical damage to properties, there has been deep psychological damage caused, not least to those who were innocently caught up in the violence. Many have lost jobs and homes. The consequences will be enormous.

Of course the media have been full of the story, and people have not been slow in coming forward with their solutions (often conflicting!); there has been no shortage of people willing to lay the blame. Those with wisdom, and any real understanding of the situation, however, realise that the issues are far from simple. It's easy to point fingers, but far less easy to come up with meaningful and lasting solutions.

It would appear from reports that many of those who have caused such problems in the past few days have been young people. What has happened in the lives of these young people which has led them to the point where they are willing to be part of such unprecedented violence and destruction? One very interesting and insightful question which was asked in a discussion in which I was involved was, "Where are the role models for young people in our society today?" Parents? I would imagine that the parents of many of those young people have been far from ideal role models. Football stars? Think about recent revelations concerning Giggs, Terry, Rooney etc. Royal Family? Consider the goings on over recent years, and one might consider that the Royal Family are not altogether the best role models. Politicians? Mmmm.. expenses scandals etc. might suggest otherwise. Media? News of the World revelations of recent times point in another direction. The Church? Sadly, even the church has so often failed to provide the kind of role model so desperately needed. Is there any wonder that young people are tempted to go astray when they see so very few examples of how to really live?

Someone said that "the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart". When a society dismissed God from its thinking the consequences become evident very soon. If only our nation would turn back to God and live in his way! I have been reading recently about the Welsh Revival of 1904/5 and how that nation was transformed in such a positive way. In God there is always hope for a better future in him. We as a Church must repent of the mistakes of the past and our bad example, and cry out to God to forgive us, restore us, and heal our land.

The Bible entreats us to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" Let us also work and pray for God's peace in our nation and local communities.

Do they know how much you them?

Last week I took two funeral services. Nothing out of the ordinary, perhaps, for a church minister. What did make me think, however, was that both the people concerned were men in their early 50s (both younger than me!) who had died very suddenly. Apparently healthy, their earthly lives had come to an end without warning. Perhaps it is harder to accept when a loved one dies without warning. On the other hand, the death of someone we love it is never easy to deal with, even when one is prepared. And many have said to me over the years that a quick death is better than a long, lingering one.

These funerals have certainly reminded me of my own mortality, and of the challenge to be grateful for and make the most of each day God gives. And how wonderful to know that if our faith is in Jesus Christ our eternal destiny is assured.

It is normal, when one has been bereaved, to receive condolence cards from family and friends. These often contain messages of care and support, and sometimes also reflections on, or memories of, the deceased person. The widow of one of the deceased men had written out some of the messages she had received from various friends of her late husband. He had obviously been very highly thought of. I must admit to thinking when I read them, "It would be great if things like this could be said about me!" I decided to read them out at the funeral service as part of the tribute to the deceased person.

My other thought with regard to these messages, was that I wonder if the deceased gentleman knew what others thought of him. Did he know how loved and respected he was by his family, friends and work colleagues? It was lovely that people took the trouble to write down these reflections on a card and send them to the man's widow. Perhaps even better if they'd taken the trouble to express the same thoughts to the man himself while there was still opportunity.

The destructive power of criticism

A friend and I experienced an enjoyable day of cricket at the Headingley ground in Leeds recently. Yorkshire were involved in a hard-fought Roses match against their old rivals, Lancashire. Honours after the morning's play went to Yorkshire, who took several Lancashire wickets. It looked for a while as though Yorkshire were placing themselves in a very handy position for victory.

The early part of the afternoon, however, saw a Lancashire fight-back, with Yorkshire struggling to take the final few Lancashire wickets. At a time when the relatively young Yorkshire team needed some encouragement, a chap sitting a few rows behind us began to moan and complain in a rather loud voice. He obviously felt that he knew far more about cricket tactics than the Yorkshire captain, and could bowl far better than most of the Yorkshire bowlers! On and on he droned.

My mind went back to a meeting earlier in the week, where we had been looking at a passage in the Old Testament book of Exodus. The first part of the book relates God's miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. But it didn't take very long for the people's joy to turn sour. The writer tells us, 'The whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron' (their leaders).

In our discussion on this passage we agreed that grumbling and complaining can be a very destructive force. It's so easy to be negative about things, but rarely does a complaining attitude bring about a positive outcome. I have experienced the destructive nature of such negativity on occasions over the years, and even, sadly, within the church. Yet we are told quite clearly in the New Testament letter of James, 'Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged'.

I playfully suggested that one way to reduce complaining would be to say that if anyone complains they should stand on one leg to do so! I think that might cut down the amount of complaining which goes on, though I'm not sure that the idea would catch on. Of course there are going to be times when we can quite rightly point out things we don't agree with, but I think that if we start by seeking out the positives, and try to be as encouraging as possible, it would make a great difference.

Sadly, Yorkshire ultimately lost a close match. Perhaps if my "friend" in the crowd had been a bit more encouraging to the players it might have helped them do better?

Triumphant Grace

Last weekend, Sue and I attended an antique and collectors' fair at Keddlestone Hall, Derbyshire. As I was browsing the contents of one of the stalls, I came across an old photo-postcard which has the image of "Alan Benson, Missionary to North China". The postcard had been signed by Alan Benson. There was a pin-prick at the top of the card, perhaps indicating that at one time a prayer supporter of the missionary had pinned it on a wall or board. I paid the requested £2 and determined that when I got home I would try to discover more about Alan Benson.

The internet was the obvious source for information, and I duly discovered a rather remarkable story...

Alan Benson did indeed serve as a missionary in China. In August 1940 he was arrested by the invading Japanese army, and accused of being a spy. He was presented with a written confession, but he refused to sign it as it was not true. He also knew that if he confessed to being a spy it would implicate others. Benson was therefore subjected by his captors to horrendous torture in order to try and extract a confession from him. He prayed for “grace and strength”; Psalm 71:1 became his constant prayer, 'In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.'

For seven weeks, twelve hours per day he was tortured, and suffered the most terrible abuse. Continually his captors would yell at him “confess, confess, confess!” Remarkably, he prayed for his torturers, telling them that he could not hate them, but that “I will pray for you each night that God will have mercy on you and pardon your sins and lead you to the Saviour.”

Even when he was not being tortured, he found it very difficult to sleep because of the pain he was suffering. On one occasion he asked God to remove the pain. When he rose from his knees he discovered that the pain had gone, and he danced around his cell in celebration!

After seven weeks, the torture came to and end. He was placed in a cell with some Chinese prisoners. They were all instructed to sit facing the wall and not to talk to each other. Nevertheless, Benson did get some opportunities to communicate with his fellow prisoners, and led several to Christ!

His wife had managed to get a Bible to him, and another verse which became special was Psalm 142:7, 'Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.' He was eventually freed, and he wrote a booklet, “Grace Triumphant”, in which he outlined his experiences. In summarising, he wrote, “Looking back over it all, I can truthfully say that it has been worth it all, and in and through it all God has surely been glorified and his 'triumphant grace' has carried me through every trial and testing.”

Alan Benson died in 1998. A remarkable man. I am so pleased that I discovered the postcard and thus revealed this fascinating and inspiring account.

The birth of a Nation

I write this on Friday 8 July, 2011. I wonder how many people in the world realise that tomorrow will see the birth of the world's newest nation state. After decades of civil war with its northern counterpart, and a January referendum in which its 8m inhabitants voted overwhelmingly to secede, Southern Sudan will become the Republic of South Sudan.

No doubt there will be great rejoicing and an amount of optimism as South Sudan takes its place as a nation. Yet at the same time the nation faces enormous problems. It will take a long time to recover from decades of conflict which have taken the lives of over 1.5 million people. As thousands of families have made their way from northern Sudan to the south, so this has put great strain on already meagre resources. Water, food and other resources are in short supply.

Only this week I received a communication from aid charity tearfund, which is launching an appeal to support the people of South Sudan. Amongst the startling statistics are the fact that only about one quarter of the population have access to clean drinking water; less than 10 percent have access to a latrine; perhaps most sobering fact of all is that South Sudan is currently at the bottom of international rankings in terms of infant mortality; tragically, one mother in seven dies during childbirth.

I have found all this deeply challenging, not least in terms of how I should respond. I could make a donation to the work which tearfund is doing in Southern Sudan. I could certainly pray, because prayer does make a difference. I could respond in some other way, perhaps by seeing if there is some way in which I can join others in pressing governments and organisations who can make a difference to do something about the underlying issues of world poverty. One thing I do know, that I can't just close my eyes to the need (like the priest and the Levite did in the Good Samaritan story) - for that is not the way of the follower of Jesus.

No Pain No Gain?

One of my birthday presents this year from my wife, Sue, was a "Sports Massage"! To be perfectly honest, I wasn't too enamoured with the idea when she first told me. I'm not too sure why I was so reluctant, but I was. Sue thought that after my exertions of running the Leeds 10K it would be good for me to have the massage.

The appointment was booked for this week, and I headed off in some trepidation. When the young man who was due to do the massage chatted with me beforehand, he seemed quite keen to let me know that a sports massage was unlike an ordinary massage, and could be "quite uncomfortable" at times. Those words didn't exactly put me at ease, but I obediently laid out and let him get to work!

I soon discovered what he meant, especially when he came to my calf muscles. It was all I could do not to jump up and run out of the room. When the man had finished, he gave me another warning that I would probably feel the after-effects for another couple of days! It certainly got me to thinking about the old saying, "No pain, no gain". I've said it myself many times over the years. I don't think that the saying is true in every situation, but it probably does have an element of truth about it. Certainly if I hadn't put myself through some fairly strict training (and some pain) over recent months I wouldn't have managed a P.B. in the Leeds 10K.

Maybe this gives us some insight into the apparently rather strange instructions of James in his letter in the New Testament: 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.' He knew very well that if life is always easy, a person's Christian faith can grow weak and flabby. It is in facing tough and difficult times, when a person's faith is tested and exercised, that faith grows stronger. Food for thought.

Not that I will be rushing back for another sports massage!