What Stephen Hawking hasn't yet discovered

I was very interested to read about the forthcoming release of the film, ‘The Theory of Everything’, which details the relationship between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking and his first wife, Jane.  In the film, Hawking is shown as a young man who is sporty, witty and charming, and, of course, a genius.  But at the age of 21 he is diagnosed with a terminal illness which threatens to rob him of his faculties.  Jane is determined to stand by him as he faces this awesome struggle, despite the warnings of her father that, “this will not be a battle, Jane, this is going to be a very heavy defeat.”

Jane is apparently lady with a deeply held Christian faith.  Stephen, on the other hand, has been quoted as saying:

"We are such insignificant creatures on a minor planet of a very average star on the outer suburbs of one of a hundred thousand million galaxies.  So it is difficult to believe in a God that would care about us or even notice our existence."

And, of course, logic is on his side.  It is almost inconceivable that, should there be a God, he would deign to concern himself with humankind!  In fact, we find very similar thoughts in the words of David in Psalm 8:

‘When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?’

Yes, it truly is almost beyond belief that God should interest himself in our little planet.  Yet the wonderful, amazing, mind-boggling truth is that God, in his infinite love for human beings, came to planet earth as one of us through the birth of Jesus Christ!  As The Message translation puts it:

‘The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighbourhood.’  (John 1:14)

The creation which Stephen Hawking and others study is truly amazing.  But far, far more wonderful is the truth that the One who brought it all into being loves each one of us, and longs that we might know him and love him.

‘How silently, how silently

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of his heaven.

No ear may hear his coming;

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him, still

The dear Christ enters in.’

In danger of missing the point

With each passing year I find myself longing in ever greater measure to throw off many of the modern "trappings" of Christmas and return to the simplicity of celebration.

The run up to Christmas in our consumer society seems to be increasingly filled with busyness, activity, stress, and pressures of many kinds.  The Money Advice Service reckons that something like £26 billion will be spent in the UK on festive celebrations this year.  Companies do their very best to create TV adverts which will temps us to "spend, spend, spend."  The eBay ad, for example, tells us "When you're ready, come and get it.  It's a great big world and it can all be yours."  The truth is, it's an impossible, illusory and potentially dangerous dream.

I love this time of the year, but with so much else going on right now, I find myself struggling at times to focus on the message which lies at the heart of the Advent/Christmas season.  Someone recently asked Sue whether we are ready for Christmas and she replied that we don't even know for certain where we will be living on Christmas Day!  Our house move seems to be imminent but we don't yet have a date.  The house is currently full of boxes and we are living in semi-organised chaos, so we have no idea how Christmas will pan out if we are still here, with family visitors due to arrive!

Then, of course, we are having to handle the ongoing situation with our grandson Max having been in and out of hospital in recent weeks.  The deadline for sending Christmas cards will soon have passed.  Added to that are all the preparations for special Christmas services and events, and other matters which require attention.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, because I still feel tremendously blessed in so many ways, and I am still loving the Advent journey.  It's just that I find myself far too easily tempted to take my attention from the simple yet glorious heart of Christmas - the birth of God's Son, Jesus Christ.  That is why I love the advertising campaign from churchads.net which aims to remind people where Christmas really starts: with Christ.  I have watched this so many times to help me refocus:

Help us, O God, not to miss the point of this season, but to fix our hearts and minds on the One whose birth we celebrate.  May we know his peace in our hearts, now and always.  Amen.

All the lonely people...

One of the churches of which I am privileged to be Minister is New Parks Methodist Church.  The church building is situated on a large council estate.  Within the last year or so, a recognition arose that in some ways the church had become detached from the community which it sought to serve.  Rather than come up with some ‘great ideas’ which might not work, a decision was taken to meet regularly to pray and try to listen to what God was saying (always the best place to start!)

A number of members of the church family have met together week by week, committed to waiting until God gave them a clear vision of the way forward.  In the meantime, links were being made with various community groups.  After a number of months of praying and listening, a strongly held belief arose that God was challenging the church to address the needs of some of the lonely people in their community, and to offer opportunities for friendship to those who feel isolated. 

There is no doubt that loneliness is a huge issue in the UK. The following is an extract from an article in The Guardian:

...Three months ago we read that loneliness has become an epidemic among young adults. Now we learn that it is just as great an affliction of older people. A study by Independent Age shows that severe loneliness in England blights the lives of 700,000 men and 1.1m women over 50, and is rising with astonishing speed.

Social isolation is as potent a cause of early death as smoking 15 cigarettes a day; loneliness, research suggests, is twice as deadly as obesity. Dementia, high blood pressure, alcoholism and accidents - all these, like depression, paranoia, anxiety and suicide, become more prevalent when connections are cut. We cannot cope alone...

...A government study in June revealed that Britain is the loneliness capital of Europe. We are less likely than other Europeans to have close friends or to know our neighbours…

A desperately sad state of affairs.  As I pondered the issue, into my mind came the well-known Beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby”, which includes the haunting lyrics, “All the lonely people, where do they all come from?”  

I found and listened to a version of the song on YouTube.  As I listened, I read some of the comments which others had left.  One comment really struck me:

“I was listing to this song and looking through the comments and I have finally realised that I am all alone and I don't know where I belong.”

The New Parks project is still in its early stages, but I know it reflects God’s heart for those in desperate need of love and friendship.

My septimana horribilis

In November 1992 The Queen gave a speech at Guildhall to mark the 40th anniversary of her Accession.  In it, she referred to recent events as part of an 'annus horribilis' (a Latin phrase meaning ‘horrible year’).  Several events within her family that year had caused the Queen considerable anguish.  I failed miserably in my Latin exams at school, but I believe that aspects of the past seven days in my life could rightly lead me to describe the week as ‘septimana horribilis.’

Early last week we received news that our nearly 3-year-old grandson Max had been taken into hospital.  It was discovered that he had an extremely low platelet count, a condition which could be quite serious.  I visited him in hospital and prayed for him.  It seemed that he was making some progress, but then the following day his condition deteriorated.  His platelet count had dropped further, he was being very sick, and the medical staff were very concerned that he might be bleeding into his brain.  Of course, this could potentially be life-threatening.

Around the time this was all happening, I was working on my sermon for the following Sunday morning.  The theme was “Hope”, and the Bible reading was the account of the visit to Mary by the angel Gabriel in Luke1:26-38.  One element of the sermon was how this young girl, Mary, despite the shocking message given to her by the angel, was able to see hope for the future and reach out in faith to God, believing that the impossible would take place just as God had said.  She heard very clearly the angel’s words, ‘The Lord is with you.’

Mary had a choice, and she chose to trust God.  As I pondered her response, I found myself really challenged.  I had been into the hospital and prayed for Max, yet now he was getting worse and his young life seemed under threat.  I don’t mind admitting that I shed a few tears as I thought about the suffering of our beautiful little grandson.  When we are faced with really tough situations, we all have a choice.  We can give up on God, we can try managing in our own strength, or we can believe and trust God.  I knew all along that I couldn’t with any integrity preach what I didn’t believe, and I resolved to reach out to God in faith as Mary had done.  I thank God that Max is now home again, though his parents have been told to do what they can to keep him from hurting himself because of his condition (no easy task with an energetic youngster!)

The fact that later in the week I ended up in A&E myself, and had to have various tests, injections and scans, is another not very pleasant element to last week which I haven’t space to relate in full!  Thankfully I was ultimately given the all-clear.

Though in some respects last week was pretty horrible, I feel, nevertheless, tremendously blessed in many ways by the experience.  I have been reminded what an amazing family and very good friends I have, and that it is loving and supportive relationships which really matter in life.  I have been reminded also of the power of prayer; so many of our family members and friends stood by us during our difficult week, and we felt lifted on a wave of prayer.  And of course I have experienced again the love and faithfulness of God.  He doesn’t promise that life will always be easy or trouble-free, but he does promise in every situation we face, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’  And that makes all the difference in the world.

Never forget what really matters

I am currently in the process of reading a remarkable book by Kara Tippetts, 'The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life's Hard.'  Kara Tippetts, a wife and mother of four children, is facing a battle against cancer.  Yet in the book she reveals a steadfast trust in Jesus, and she testifies to the reality of God's love, even in the darkest of times.  Indeed, her battle with cancer isn't the only trying situation which she and her family have faced over the years.

One dramatic incident was when a raging fire threatened their home and they were given only a few minutes to pack what they could before having to abandon their house to the approaching fire.  She writes:

'I grabbed pictures, journals, childhood memories, and love letters.  It was all that had value to us when we were given minutes to decide what was most important.'

Ironically, they had only just moved into a new home.  As Kara describes how she and her family drove away from their home, she writes,

'Those endless things that filled our giant moving truck suddenly lost their value.  They became things, whereas the people next to me became my treasures.  The contents of the relationships in our car were the things that mattered ... The fire showed me the meaninglessness of stuff in a new way'

It was not long after this episode that Kara was diagnosed with breast cancer, and a long and painful journey began.  I look forward to reading the rest of this inspiring life-story.

One of the things which really hit me as I have been reading the book is how we can so easily fall into the trap of placing far too much value on our possessions, things which, in reality, are not all that important.  As Sue and I continue to pack ready for our impending house move, we are faced with the truth of how much "stuff" we have collected over the years.  When push comes to shove, the truth is that much of it is not of real value or importance.  If we had to manage without it, we could.  

A few days ago a very dear friend of ours lost her own battle with breast cancer.  Another reminder that Kara Tippetts is so right when she states that what really matters is not our possessions but our relationships with the ones we love.  Maybe we all need to refocus at times and adjust our priorities?  Never forget what really matters.

A different use for a birthing pool!

I've been thinking recently about an incident which happened a few years ago, which initially rather took me by surprise.  I was due to take an evening service at one of my churches in Doncaster.  As is my custom, I had arrived well in advance (I hate being late for anything!)  I was one of the first to arrive, and it was while there were only a few people in church that the incident happened.

I was standing at the front of the church, when in walked a middle-aged lady.  I didn't recognise her, but as soon as she saw me, a large smile came over her face and she headed speedily in my direction.  When she reached the spot where I saw standing, she threw her arms around me and gave me a hug.  Now I quite enjoy being hugged, but when the hug comes from someone you don't know it can be a little bemusing!

It was apparent that the lady concerned knew who I was, but, struggle as I might, I couldn't recall who she was.  As she began to speak, the situation was soon clarified.  It transpired that quite some years earlier, during the period when I was a Minister in Stoke-on-Trent, I had baptised her granddaughter.  The occasion had clearly been very important and memorable for the lady and her family, and it was good to hear news of how her granddaughter had progressed into her teenage years.

Baptism is one of the areas of Christian understanding where Christians have different perspectives.  Some Christian denominations (Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists, for example) believe that it can be appropriate to baptise babies.  Other denominations, such as Baptists and Pentecostals, believe that, based on what they see as the New Testament pattern, baptism is only for those who are old enough to have come to a personal faith in Jesus Christ.  I can't begin to deal with the issue in a blog!

Yesterday I had the privilege of conducting the baptism of a 'young man' of 10 years old.  I had earlier discussed the issue with him, and was satisfied that he believes in Jesus Christ and was serious about the desire to be baptised as a sign of his faith and his desire to follow Jesus.  I was a little surprised when he then said that he wanted to be baptised, not in the more usual way in Methodism (the sprinkling with water on the head), but by total immersion!

We decided that we could best facilitate this by borrowing our daughter's "birthing pool".  It did seem appropriate, as baptism is a sign of the new birth we have in Christ!  The pool was placed in the church, and we eventually managed to get sufficient water into it for our purpose.  I must confess that the water wasn't quite as warm as ideally it should have been, but this young man was determined!  I so admire his willingness to go through the waters of baptism in such a public way.  What a joy it was for those of us present to witness the baptism, and loud applause and cheers greeted him as he rose from the waters.  I felt immensely privileged to have taken part.  

Going right under the water in baptism is a powerful reminder that we are called to die to the old way of life (where we live to please ourselves) and rise to a new life where we live to please God.  Of course, baptism is an outward symbol of an inward move of God.  Whether a baptism is of a baby or someone who has developed their own faith, the most important thing is what comes afterwards.  Baptism is an important staging post on the journey of following Jesus, but it is not the end of the journey.

I will never forget you

The word Remembrance has been in great use in recent days.  Yesterday was Remembrance Sunday, when up and down the country and in many places around the world, people will have been attending church services and other events to commemorate the end of World War I and to acknowledge the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in that terrible conflict and in other conflicts down through the years.  Sadly, the "War to end all Wars" proved not to be so.

This year bears particular significance, being the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.  The poppy has become the symbol of remembrance, and the Installation which was created around the Tower of London is, by all accounts, very moving.  I have seen many photographic images of the installation, but I am sure that visiting the Tower of London in person and seeing the sight of the 888,246 ceramic poppies (each representing one of the British military deaths in WWI), much be a particularly moving and poignant experience.  Of the many images I have seen, the ones which stand out for me as being especially moving are those which feature a veteran, who, as they stand and look at the sea of poppies, must be remembering those colleagues in arms who lost their lives.  Though the years pass by, many of the memories remain.

In our Sunday evening church service yesterday, I took a slightly different slant on the word remember, selecting a few uses of the word in the Bible.  One of the verses I used came from the book of the Isaiah the prophet.  The people to whom Isaiah spoke had gone through a time of exile in a foreign land.  Although Isaiah encouraged them to rejoice at the prospect of a return to their homeland, the people were in no mood to celebrate, and cried out, 'The Lord has abandoned us!  He has forgotten us.'  They felt that they had been abandoned and forgotten by God.  God responds with these words,


'Can a woman forget her own baby
    and not love the child she bore?
Even if a mother should forget her child,
    I will never forget you.
I have written your name on the palms of my hands.'

What an encouragement to know that even in the darkest of times, when we feel totally alone, God watches over us and is with us; his love surrounds us always, even when we cannot feel it.  He will never forget us, our names are written (engraved) on the palms of his hands.