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Around 10 or 11 years ago, Sue and I were invited along to a youth weekend which was being run by youth leaders from a group of churches in the Doncaster area. We happily responded to the invitation, particularly because the weekend was to take place in Scarborough, which is one of my favourite destinations.
I seem to remember that it was fairly early in our time in Doncaster. Sue and I were really at the youth weekend to offer what support we could, get to know everyone a bit better, and join in the various activities. The youth leaders had arranged that on the two mornings we were away, there would be optional pre-breakfast devotions, and I was asked to lead the devotions on the Sunday morning.
Sue and I were up in good time on the Sunday morning, and headed to the room were the devotions were due to take place. We were a little surprised to find ourselves the first people there, but decided that early rising on Sunday mornings was not a natural activity for young people. We were sure that some would come along eventually. We waited for 5 minutes, then 10, then 15. By then it was clear that no-one was coming to join us. I felt a bit cheesed off that I had gone to the trouble of preparing devotions only for no-one to be there, and I must confess that in my thoughts I poured scorn on the spiritual commitment and discipline of the youngsters and their leaders.
We decided to cut our losses and head to the dining room for breakfast. We walked downstairs and into the dining room, only to discover that the dining tables hadn't even been laid for breakfast. We struggled to understand what was going on, until at last the penny dropped. It was the weekend when the clocks were put back an hour, and we had forgotten! Sue certainly wasn't best pleased that she'd lost out on an extra hour in bed. I was reminded by that incident how easy it is to jump to conclusions, to point the finger at others.
When, at the correct time, some of the young people and youth leaders did turn up for early morning devotions, I owned up to what had happened, much to the amusement of the others. I was sorry that I had stood in judgement on them, when in fact it was me who had made the mistake.
In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, Jesus warns us against standing in judgement on others: 'Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged.' He then goes on the give an amusing illustration to ram home the point:
'Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the log in your own eye? How dare you say to your brother, "Please, let me take that speck out of your eye," when you have a log in your own eye? You
hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be
able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.'
The truth is that when we point a finger at someone else, we find that three fingers point back at us! It's so easy to criticise others, to stand in judgement and point a finger. But we must always beware of the danger in going so. It really is not ours to judge, for ultimately God is the judge of us all.
By the way, sad to relate that I apparently didn't learn my lesson from all those years ago: I got up an hour early again yesterday!
I have been a big fan of Doctor Who ever since the series was first shown on BBC TV back in the mid-60s. When it was my 40th birthday (not all that long ago!), Sue presented me with a Tardis. One of our church members was very gifted at making things, and Sue asked him to create a Tardis for me. It was one of the best birthday presents I've ever had, but although I really appreciate having my own Tardis, sadly it doesn't enable me to travel in space and time!
I've often thought how wonderful it would be to be able to travel back in time and witness first-hand how things were in days gone by. Over the years I have developed something of a fascination with the past. Obviously I am never going to be able to travel back in time in the way in which Doctor Who can. Nevertheless, there is a sense in which one can make a connection with a bygone era, and that is through objects from the past. One of my favourite hobbies is browsing antique shops and antiquarian bookshops. When I hold an object in my hand which could be several hundred years old, there is a kind of connection, and I wonder, sometimes, what stories that object might relate if it could speak.
In readiness for our forthcoming house move, I have been sorting through some of my old books. I must admit that I have been rather surprised at how many books I have collected over the years, and have managed to full several boxes in readiness for a trip to a charity shop! One book in particular took my attention (which I plan to hang on to for the time being). It is a book which was written at the beginning of the last century, called "Under The King's Banner", subtitled "Stories of the Soldiers of Christ in All Ages." It relates many accounts of how, through the centuries, followers of Jesus have remained faithful to him, despite the subsequent great cost which many have paid (sometimes with their lives). It's not a particularly valuable book in financial terms, but there is something unique about it which intrigued me.
Inside the book is a Sunday School presentation label, dated 1912, to a boy called Alex Workman. The book was perhaps given at an annual Sunday School prize-giving. As I examined the book further, I came across a poignant and moving hand-written message from Alex's mother, dated 1918. The message is to a friend of Alex as "a parting gift". Mrs Workman writes of Alex that he:
'...laid down his life in the great Battle of 1914-1918; his dear body is laid to rest somewhere in France but his soul has returned to God who gave it. Let us all try to meet him again.'
Out of what must have been a time of desperate sadness, a bereaved mother found time to think of her son's friend. I hope that the friend treasured the book. What's more, I hope that he took on board the message from his friend's mother. For all of us, the reality is that one day our earthly life will come to an end. But the good news is, as Mrs Workman knew, that if our faith is in Jesus Christ our eternal destiny is secure. The past may be fascinating, but the future is glorious for those who follow Jesus!
I grew up in the small East Yorkshire village of Keyingham, where my dad ran the village post office. I feel greatly blessed that the vast majority of my childhood memories are positive. One not so positive memory, however, is my first day at school: I cried all the way there! Having spent 4 or 5 blissfully happy years at home, I didn't fancy going to this strange, alien place called school. As it happened, I soon settled into the routine of life in the local village school and made some good friends. It was only a small school, and over a period I became very comfortable with school life.
The time came, of course, to leave my village school and move to "the big school" at Withernsea. As an eleven-year-old (still in short trousers!), arriving Withernsea High School was a massive shock to the system. It seemed such a large school, so confusing and not a little frightening. From being a relatively big fish in the village school 'pool' I suddenly became a very tiny fish in a huge new school pool. Once again, however, I gradually got used to the routine of life in the big school (in the event, my time there lasted only just over 3 years, but that's another story).
One of the experiences which life in the new school brought was swimming lessons. For a period of time we were marched each week down to the local open air swimming pool, where a teacher attempted to teach us the art of swimming. Perhaps the water temperature got to me, but I never did become a confident swimmer. Even now, I have little self-confidence when I find myself out of my depth in water, and much prefer to be near the sides of a swimming pool!
I suppose this train of thought arose because I was pondering recently how often during my years as a Methodist Minister I have felt myself 'out of my depth' in a metaphorical sense. Next year will see the 25th anniversary of the year when I left theological college and began life as a Methodist Minister, but that 'I'm out of my depth' feeling is something which I still regularly experience. There is absolutely no way I could undertake this role using my human abilities alone. There have been many times, over the years, when I have felt totally unable, in my own strength, to fulfil my calling.
I am comforted by some words which St Paul wrote, when he relates what he felt God say to him when Paul was struggling: 'My power works best in weakness' (2 Corinthians 12:9). It is often only when we accept that our human strength is not enough that we realise how much we need God's power and presence. Another encouraging verse from the Bible comes in Isaiah 43:2, when God says, 'When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.'
It is my experience that if we make the decision to follow Jesus, there will be many times when he calls us to take steps of faith, to go into deep waters, to experience that feeling of being out of our depth and beyond our own capabilities. If we are willing to take those steps of faith, we find that God is faithful to help us and be with us. There is a part of me which longs for a more comfortable life, one in which the tasks I face are well within my capabilities. But I know that if I chose that kind of life I would miss out on God's plans and purposes for me. As John Ortberg said in his great book, "If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of the Boat." The deep end may not be the most comfortable place to be, but it's certainly the most exciting!
Former TV newsreader Martin Lewis caused a certain amount of controversy a few years ago when he stated his belief that television should feature more "good news." There can be little argument that our TV news bulletins seem to be focused on "bad news" stories. A glance at today's BBC online news page, for example, includes stories about the advance of ISIS in Syria, a murder trial in South Africa, politicians criticising one another, stormy weather hitting power supplies, and a well know personality suffering from cancer. All-in-all, not exactly uplifting!
In the midst of this plethora of negative news stories, which can become depressing, to hear good news stories can be immensely encouraging and can lift our spirits. Most of us love good news: a birth in the family, a successful job application, an examination passed, a marriage proposal accepted, a really enjoyable holiday - the list could go on. And when good news comes across our path, our first instinct is to share it! It's a natural response. Yet there seems to be an exception, at least amongst Christians.
There are a number of English translations of the Bible. One of the more recent translations is The Good News Bible. What a great title! Mark's gospel begins with these words, 'The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.' The story of Jesus is the best good news story ever! Indeed, the whole Bible is the story of God's amazing love for human beings, and how, despite our continual rebellion against God's ways, he still pours out his love on us. John puts it like this in his gospel:
'God loved the world
so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
may not die but have eternal life.' (John 3:16)
When we disobey God (sin) a dividing wall separates us from God and destroys our relationship with him. The good news is that by Jesus' death on the cross he paid the price for our sin; through faith in him, our sins are forgiven and our relationship with our heavenly Father is restored. What's more, our eternal destiny is secure in him. The best news ever!
And yet, and I'm not quite sure why this is, many of us Christians seem so reluctant to talk about our faith, to share the Good News of God's love in Christ. We need to recover our confidence in the gospel, recognising the Jesus is good news for every person. We don't need a theological degree, or even to go on a training course on evangelism (a word which many seem scared of, but which simply means sharing good news). The first step is to be ready to share the story of what God has done in our own lives. Who knows where that might lead!
I have been interested to learn, since we arrived in Leicester a couple of years ago, that a significant number of those who are church members here have lived in the locality for many years. In fact, there are a surprising number of people who have lived here all their lives. I guess that fact says something about the area itself, given that people are content enough to spend the whole of their lives in the same community.
It seems to me that, generally speaking, we live in a much more mobile age, when people are more likely to move around from place to place over the years. The days when extended families tended to be situated fairly close to one another have, by and large, long gone; generally speaking, people seem to be less likely to put down long-lasting roots in one place. Sue and I are in our 8th home since we were married in 1978. What's more, we are shortly to be on the move again!
No, we haven't got fed up with Leicester already and decided to move on (we really like it here!) Rather, we are (if everything goes to plan) moving to a different house which is much more suitable as a manse and is situated in a better position than the current manse, in terms of being more in the centre of the local community. Of course, one of the implications of moving home is having to pack up, and the challenge of deciding what items to take. I think that Sue and I both tend to be hoarders by nature, but we may have to make some hard decisions about what we really need and what can be disposed of.
This issue relates in my mind to something which I was talking about in yesterday's church services. We were focusing on the passage in John chapter 15 where Jesus describes himself as being "The True Vine". He speaks of his followers as being branches connected to the Vine. The purpose of the branch is to bear fruit. Jesus makes the point that, God the Father (the gardener) 'prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.'
Modern life can be very hectic, and full of all sorts of activity. Some of that activity, however, might in reality not be fruitful, or may even prevent or reduce fruitfulness in other areas of our life. Sometimes God may want to 'prune' some elements of our lives so that our lives can become more fruitful in his service. Any gardener understands the benefit of pruning. Pruning can be painful, but it leads to greater fruitfulness.
When I set out on life as a Methodist Minister back in 1990 I understood that I was to lead an itinerant life. In other words, Methodist Ministers know that after a period in one place they will move on to somewhere new. Since leaving theological college, we have lived in Stoke-on-Trent, Sheffield, Doncaster and Leicester. Despite having moved several times over the years, I still retain an affection for the people in the churches in which I served as Minister, and like to keep in touch with news from my former churches.
I was sad to hear recently that a couple I knew in one of my previous churches had lost their son to cancer. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose one's offspring. I decided to write a note to the couple concerned. Having sorted through the cards in my possession, I selected a card with an appropriate Bible verse on the front. I wrote a message expressing my sadness and condolences, and assuring the couple of our love and prayers.
It wasn't until I had a closer look at the whole card that I was shocked to discover that inside the card was printed the message: "Happy Birthday"!! Fortunately I was able to use my scissors to cut the card in half, keeping the front, with the Bible message, and also my own hand-written message, and removing the inappropriate "Happy Birthday" greeting.
Writing the card took only a few minutes, but I hope that it brought at least a little comfort in a time of great sadness. The Bible tells us that we should 'Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep' (Romans 12:5). In other words, part of our responsibility as followers of Jesus is to be there for each other, whether in times of joy or sadness. There are lots of ways in which we can do this, writing a note is just one. It is only a small act, but can mean a great deal.
I was reminded of this when I returned from my three month sabbatical earlier in the year. As my sabbatical ended, I received in the post a personally created "Welcome Back" card from someone in one of my churches. Only a simple thing, but it meant a great deal to me (and I still have it in my office!) Sometimes a small act of thoughtfulness can have a big impact.
A few days ago I attended a Christian Day Conference designed specifically for men. The speaker was Mark Melluish, who is a church leader based in the London area. He spoke with passion, humour and eloquence, and presented a message which was both challenging and inspiring. He was talking about the importance of making our lives count, and challenging us to consider what impression our lives are making on those around us. One of the quotes he related was from Mark Twain, who apparently said,
'Live your life in such a way that when you die even the undertaker is sorry.'
That's some challenge!
There were so many thoughts to take away from the day and ponder, but one personal story in particular which Mark told certainly struck a chord with me. He related how on a certain occasion he was due to take the wedding of a close family friend. The big day arrived, and Mark was making last minute preparations. The wedding ceremony went well. As guests assembled for the reception, one of Mark's sons noticed that his youngest brother was missing, and went to look for him. To cut a long and dramatic story very short, Mark's youngest son had fallen from a balcony onto concrete. For quite some time his life hung in the balance, at times by the thinnest of threads.
The aspect of the story which really struck me was when Mark said that as he and his wife sat by their son's bedside in the hospital, not knowing whether he would recover from his injuries, what kept going through Mark's mind was that on the morning of the wedding, his young son had three times asked Mark to have a game of football with him. Three times Mark has said "no" because he was too busy preparing for the wedding. Although there was good reason for Mark to have said no to his son, looking back he very much regretted having done so.
As I heard that story, I thought back to a time a few years ago when a friend invited me to a round of golf. The date was set, but on the morning we were due to play the weather was rather wet, and I rang up to cancel. I still regret doing so, as my friend developed an illness from which he subsequently died, and I never did get the chance to play that round of golf with him.
How important it is that we spend our time on what matters most. We should be immensely careful to make the most of opportunities to cultivate friendships and spend precious time with family and friends. Each opportunity we pass by is an opportunity lost. As Rob Parsons has said, no-one every said on his/her deathbed, "I wish I'd spent more time in the office." But I'm sure that many of us will regret opportunities we scorn to spend more time with family and friends.
