skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Over recent weeks I have noticed that my laptop has been getting slower and slower in responding to commands. The screen has been regularly 'freezing' for short periods, which can be a little frustrating when I am trying to get some work done. It has seemed particularly slow at getting going when I first turn it on in the morning. Perhaps, like human beings, as computers age they find mornings increasingly difficult?
I am far from being a computer boffin. In fact, my relationship with my laptop is rather like the relationship I have with my car. I have learned how to drive them and make them do what I want them to do, but I have little or no idea how they work or what to do if something goes wrong. I decided to discover what I could do to try and solve the issue, and came across a helpful YouTube clip which gave a couple of pieces of advice, both of which I have tried, with encouraging results. As I have reflected on the two actions which were suggested, my 'preacher's mind' soon worked out how both can be applied to the Christian life!
The first piece of advice was to run a programme called 'Disc Cleanup.' This programme identifies files which are no longer of any use but which are still being stored on the system, and then gives you the opportunity to remove them, freeing up space. In effect, I suppose, it's like going through one's filing cabinet and getting rid of all the old paperwork which is out of date or irrelevant. Relating that to the Christian life, a passage in the New Testament book of Hebrews came to mind: '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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.' In the life of following Jesus we are called to be single-minded and devoted to living life in God's way. There is always the danger that some elements of our lives might divert is from our purpose, clog up the system, and slow us down in 'running the race.'
The second programme which was suggested was the Disc Defragmenter. As I understand it, over time various pieces of data get spread out over the hard drive (the data stored becomes fragmented). When this happens, it takes much longer to read the data. I guess that it's like having a book where the pages are in random order. It would be rather frustrating and time-consuming to have to be constantly searching through the book to find the next page! The Defragmenter programme sorts out all the various data files into an order, so that individual files can be much more easily accessed. Not only that, but it moves all the files to one part of the disc, thus creating a much larger area of free space for future use.
What is clear is that fragmentation slows down the whole system. Yesterday evening I attended a meeting at one of my churches, the purpose of which was to talk about our relationships with other churches in the local area and ask how we might be able to work together more effectively. I began our time together by reading some words of Jesus from Matthew's gospel, 'Any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart.' If as followers of Jesus we allow ourselves to become fragmented, not only do we deny our calling to be 'one in Christ Jesus', but we also undermine our witness to our community, and will certainly not be as fruitful in God's service as we could be. We see in society and the world around us the terrible consequences of fragmentation and division. Our call as followers of Jesus is to 'love one another' and to demonstrate that unity in diversity really is possible.
Apologies to my computer literate friends if I have made any technical errors in my descriptions above (perhaps ignorance really is bliss!)
.
For many years I nursed an unfulfilled desire to own a grandfather clock. Grandfather clocks always seemed to me to be rather stately pieces of furniture. The hope of one day having one in my home and enjoying its regular melodic chiming was something which I carried in my heart. Having said that, I couldn't see how the hope would ever be fulfilled, especially bearing in mind how much grandfather clocks can cost!
A few years ago Sue and I were in Scarborough, and we happened to call in at the local auction house. Standing proudly along one wall was a grandfather clock. It was just a fairly modern version, but I was drawn to it. Having received permission from my other half, I bid for the clock and managed to be successful in obtaining it for a very reasonable price. We managed to carefully transport it back to Doncaster, and after some minor attention from a clock repairer it served us well for several years. I loved to hear the Westminster chimes (though my children didn't share my appreciation and whenever they visited our house they tended to switch the clock to silent mode!)
Of course, clocks can be delicate instruments, especially large grandfather clocks. When the time came to leave Doncaster and move down to Leicester I was a little concerned about how the clock would react. When the removal men delivered the clock and set it in place on our new home it looked to be in good shape. However, since the day it arrived I have never been able to get it working properly! Whenever I have tried, it has ticked and tocked a few times and then lapsed into silence. It has still been an attractive piece of furniture but without fulfilling its intended purpose.
Earlier this week some friends came round, one of whom happened to have an interest in old clocks. I took the opportunity to ask him if he would have a look at our non-functioning grandfather clock. It took him just a couple of minutes to work out what the problem was. The clock was not level; the slight slope meant that the pendulum could not swing evenly, and this prevented the clock from working as it should. A couple of coasters positioned underneath one side of the clock soon put it back on the level, and off it merrily ticked and tocked! I was even able to listen to those wonderful chimes for the first time since our arrival in Leicester in 2012 (mind you, we have our elder daughter staying with us at the moment so I have had to turn them off for a time!)
When my friend was explaining the problem to me, he asked if I had a spirit-level so that we could check whether the clock was now in a true level. I was reminded of the passage in the Old Testament book of the prophet Amos where Amos has a vision of the LORD standing with a plumbline in his hand. God says to Amos of the plumbline, 'I am using it to show that my people are like a wall that is out of line.'
God had looked at the lives of his people and seen that they were not on a firm foundation; they were on the lean, like a wall that is out of line (or like my grandfather clock). Just as my grandfather clock could not function when it was not on the level, so we human beings cannot live the kind of lives for which we were created unless our lives are in line with God's plans and purposes for us. I had tried several times to get the clock working, but had failed to notice that it was off the level. It can be difficult for us to see when our own lives are out of line. Just as I relied on my friend to point out the problem, so we need to see our lives through God's eyes to see the true picture. So how do our lives line up when they stand against God's plumbline?
Sue and I have been married for over 36 years, hard as it seems to believe. Although we have had our ups and downs, and have experienced some rocky patches in our relationship, on the whole we have got along pretty well, and our partnership has grown and developed through the years. I guess that both of us have had some sharp edges knocked off our characters and have become more rounded personalities who fit together fairly well. We have grown in understanding and acceptance of each other's foibles, and have come to a common understanding in many areas of life. There is one subject, however, on which, barring a miracle, we will never see eye-to-eye: football!
From as early as I remember I have loved the game of football, and especially my home town team, Hull City. I cherish some very precious memories of a time in my young adulthood when I was a Hull City season ticket holder at their old Boothferry Park ground, along with my brother, my dad, and two uncles. Maybe I look back through rose tinted spectacles, but those were wonderful times (even if the standard of football was often pretty rubbish!) One memory which stands out from those days was when we played Manchester United in the Watney Cup, and the crowd cheered loudly whenever a City player got near enough to George Best to make a tackle!
Then in later years my daughter Steph and I were season ticket holders together for a few years as the club bade a tearful farewell to the much loved but sadly neglected Boothferry Park and moved to a brand new stadium. From near oblivion the club began a remarkable rise through the leagues until we finally made it to the summit and the Premiership for the first time in the club's history. Memories of a trip to Wembley to see City triumph in a dramatic Championship Play-off Final will stay with me forever (made even more special by the fact that I had also been at Wembley the previous day to see Doncaster Rovers, the team for which I was then chaplain, triumph in the League 1 Play-off Final!) Remarkable years, great memories.
All our three children are football supporters (though, sadly, Caz and Chris have chosen to support Port Vale and Norwich respectively, rather than Hull City). For more than 36 years I have tried to encourage Sue to take an interest in the game, with an utter lack of success. I think it was in our courting days that I took her to a game at Elland Road, Leeds, at a time when Leeds were in their pomp. When Leeds scored, the whole ground erupted. Apart, that is, from Sue, who remained oblivious to events, and continued to sit on her seat concentrating on her knitting! I've come to accept, I think, that football is an interest which Sue and I will never share (I am just thankful that here are lots of other interests which we can share and enjoy together).
The current season promises to be the greatest ever in Hull City's 108 year history. Not only does it look like the club have earned another year in the Premiership, but yesterday they beat Sheffield United in a dramatic game at Wembley to reach the F.A. Cup Final for the first time ever.
I was not able to be at Wembley yesterday (as it turns out, perhaps my sabbatical ended a week too early, as yesterday I had church services to lead!) Having said that, it was great to be back with the folk in my three churches yesterday, so I wasn't sad at missing the semi-final. Looking ahead, I won't be able to attend the F.A. Cup Final either, as I am due to attend a Church Leaders' Away-Day. In some ways I would have loved to have been there (there's every likelihood that this will be my first and only chance to see my team in an F.A. Cup Final) And yet I know that there are some things in life which are a lot more important than football.
Even if I was given a free choice about how to spend the day on 17 May, I would chose to be part of the Away-Day. I love my team, but I love my work much more, and ultimately I know that the work I do in God's service is of far greater significance than attending a football match, even the F.A. Cup Final. And I have faith that the Tigers can beat the mighty Arsenal even without my support!
I am approaching the final evening of my 3-month sabbatical. The idea of sabbaticals is to provide a period away from regular work-related activity for refreshment and renewal. As I look back over the last 3 months I am filled with gratitude for all that I have experienced. Our trip to Singapore and New Zealand towards the beginning of my sabbatical gave us memories which will last a lifetime. The sabbatical has allowed me time to read books which have envisioned and encouraged me, and given me a hunger to continue to discover more of the things of God. Sue and I have spent time away on retreat, travelled to a few different places, and we have been able to spend valued time with various family members. I have also spent periods away on my own, seeking time and space to focus on my personal relationship with God.
Indeed, at the heart of my aims for the sabbatical was desire to grow deeper in my relationship with God through his Holy Spirit. As mentioned earlier, one of the ways in which I have sought to grow in understanding is though reading about the experiences of others. I made some notes from my reading, and even re-reading my own notes causes excitement to rise in my heart!
Reflecting on what I have read and learnt over the last few months, one particular Bible verse stands out as being of particular significance:
Mark 3:14, 'Jesus appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.'
In that short verse lies the heart of what it is to be a follower of Jesus. Firstly, he called the disciples to him. He invites us into a relationship of love and trust. God created us to know him! The call of Jesus is to put our whole lives into his hands: 'follow me' is his challenge. So the first step in Christian discipleship is to answer Jesus' call to come to him. When we respond in faith to his call he fills us with his Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in us and helps us to grow in the things of God. But that is not the end of the story...
The Christian life is not some lovey-dovey warm fuzzy feeling! Jesus called the disciples to him, but then he gave them authority and sent them out to proclaim and demonstrate the good news of God's kingdom. We make a big mistake if we think that the Christian life is focussed on what we do in a church building. Yes, the Christian life begins with our response to Jesus and our growing in relationship with him, but from that growing relationship we are given his authority and sent out into the world, in the love and power of God's Holy Spirit. We carry with us the very presence of God. We are called to make a real difference in the world because God lives in us.
We cannot expect to accomplish God's purposes for our lives unless we dedicate ourselves to spending time in his presence and seeking to grow in our relationship with him (the Christian life is at heart very simple: stay close to Jesus, listen to what he ways, then do it!) But equally, unless we carry the fruit of that relationship with God out into our everyday lives we will never become the agents for transformation which is God's desire for us.
I have been a follower of Jesus for more than 50 years, but I know that I am very much still a learner. My sabbatical has certainly increased my desire to learn much more, and to put my learning into practice!
