Why suffering?

I was tremendously blessed this week to take part in a service of thanksgiving for the life of a church member called Agnes. Agnes was aged 87 when she died, but the crematorium was packed out. There was, quite literally, standing room only, as many came to give thanks for and celebrate Agnes’ life. One aspect of her life which was revealed was that her Christian faith developed considerably through attending an Alpha course. Alpha is a course which helps people look at aspects of Christian faith, and is used in many parts of the world.

One of the key elements of Alpha is the opportunity to ask questions. A book, called “Searching Issues” has been published which addresses 7 of the most commonly asked questions on Alpha course. Perhaps not surprisingly, the first chapter deals with the whole subject of suffering. Basically put, the question often goes something like this: “If there is a loving God, who is all-powerful, why does he allow suffering in the world?” This is not a new question, it’s been around for thousands of years (try reading the Old Testament book of Job, or some of the Psalms, for example). I guess that the recent horrific events in Haiti will have raised the question of suffering in many minds. So how can Christians begin to address the question?

I have taken the plunge and decided that I will preach on the issue of suffering this coming Sunday! Obviously I can’t relate everything I am going to say on Sunday here in this blog entry, but perhaps a few initial observations.

Firstly, a reminder of what Paul says in his first letter to the church in Corinth: ‘We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us.’ In other words, big questions like suffering will never be fully answered in this life.

Secondly, there is a danger of hypocrisy in our condemnation of God’s apparent inaction. I have read one estimate that the number of deaths in the Haitian earthquake may be as high as 200,000. Compare that, then with a UN report produced in 2003 which estimated that around 25,000 people die each day through starvation. Or the startling fact that some 5,000 children die each day because of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. If we are to start wagging our fingers at God, complaining about suffering caused by the Haitian earthquake, God might with good cause ask us how we are responding to the terrible suffering already taking place in the world.

The third point I would want to make arises out my personal experience of life as a Methodist minister over some 20 years. This is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a general observation. And that is that often the “why suffering” question is more to the forefront in the minds of those who observe suffering than in the minds of those who experience it. I have come across some amazing people over the years who have suffered greatly in many ways, not least physically, but whose lives and faith have been radiant. I remember, for example, a lady called Elsie, whose body was racked with pain, yet who never ceased to thank God for his continued blessings; a visit to Elsie always lifted my spirits!.

There are no easy answers to big questions like that of suffering. But I believe that there are some things we can say. The rest will have to wait until Sunday!

To snow or not to snow

We British traditionally love to talk about the weather, and there's certainly been plenty of weather to talk about these last few days! We certainly don't cope at all well with snow - a few inches and the whole country grinds to a halt. Personally, I quite enjoy snow: a good covering of the stuff transforms any landscape. When there's snow about it seems to change people's outlook somehow, and it can lifts people's spirits.

Of course there can be drawbacks. Broken limbs, accidents, closed schools, major traffic jams and, worst of all, postponed football matches! The snow we've had these past few days has provoked comparison with severe winters of years gone by. One particularly bad winter which has been mentioned was in 1963, and I remember it well. I was then 8 years old, living with my family in the small East Yorkshire village of Keyingham. We were cut off from the outside world for a few days, and it was great fun! The snow drifts went well above my height.

One of the benefits of the recent snow has been the great reduction in road traffic. Many people have chosen to either stay at home, walk, or use public transport. It's been so much quieter. One day this week I walked into town. My route took me across town fields, a lovely area of grassed open space nearby. It is a regular route into town, and usually there is a well-worn track caused by the regular pressure of steps. Not so this week, for the area was covered with snow.

By the time I walked across, it was clear that many people had already been on town fields. The one normally clear track was not to be seen; instead, there were very many tracks going in all sorts of directions. As I stood and looked at the scene (see pic - I had my camera with me!) I thought about the many different choices we face in life. There are so many voices out there telling us which way to go, which life choices to make.

When Jesus called his first disciples, he simply said 'follow me'. My prayer is that as I walk through this year, face choices, hear conflicting voices, and see all the possible tracks ahead, I will be able to hear clearly the voice of Jesus, walk in his way, and make choices which honour him. In a sometimes frightening world, the safest place to be is hand-in-hand with Jesus.

Glass half full or glass half empty?

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Or will it be? What do you feel as you look toward all that lies ahead in 2010?

I didn't manage to stay up to see the new year in this year (too tired!) One of my favourite new years was a few years ago when we were spending two or three days at our flat in Scarborough. On new year's eve the snow started to fall heavily, and by the time midnight arrived, the ground outside was covered with a few inches of snow. It was beautiful to step outside and walk crunchily to the Scarborough Esplanade as the snow flakes continued to descend. Images from that event will long remain in my memory.

I dropped into a deep sleep soon after my head hit the pillow last night. I was still sound asleep when the phone started ringing; the time on my bedside clock was around 2am. I don't know about you, but I'm not used to having phone calls at 2am in the morning! All sorts of things go through your mind, especially if you're still half asleep. A phone call at 2am in the morning is unlikely to be a "normal" sort of call, and into one's mind rushes the thought that the phone call will bring bad news. And we'd already had our fair share of that this Christmas!

Not only had Sue's mother, who was staying with us over Christmas, had to go into hospital for an operation on her broken arm, but our son Chris and his wife Megan were involved in a car accident whilst travelling up to us earlier this week. Their car was a write-off, and Megan was taken to hospital in an ambulance, but thank God they are both OK. They did manage to spend a few days with us, and travelled home yesterday. One of the thoughts which came into my head as I began to awake was the possibility that they had had another accident on the journey home.

I picked up the phone with a mixture of curiosity, drowsiness and anxiety. Who was it? One of our friends had decided to send a "Happy New Year" text message to our landline!! With friends like that, who needs enemies? On reflection, I value the sentiment, but I didn't value it very much at 2am this morning. What's more, it took me ages to get back to sleep! At least it wasn't the kind of bad news which it could have been, for which I am thankful.

All this has got me to thinking about how we view the future. Do we look forward with hope, optimism and faith, or with fear, anxiety and dread? The truth is, we don't know what the future will bring. We don't know exactly what 2010 has in store for us. But if we put our hand into the One who holds the future, we can walk with confidence, knowing that he will never leave us. God says to us in the Bible, "For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29.11). With a promise like that, we can be glass half full people!

Reaping consequences

Christmas is just about my favourite time of the year. It's a very busy time for me, with lots of special Christmas services and events, but it's a time I love. This is not least because of happy childhood memories of Christmases past. I love the Christmas lights on dark nights, the carols and special events, the Christmas meals, the time to spend with friends and family, and, of course, the amazing story which lies at the heart of Christmas: God stepping into our world through his Son, Jesus.

For many years we have welcomed Sue's mum to stay with us for a few days over Christmas. She generally stays 3 or 4 days, but then likes to get back home to her cat! This year, Sue was due to pick her up a couple of days before Christmas day. The weather had been very cold and icy, and Sue's mum, no longer a spring chicken, was warned not to venture out on the snow in case she had an accident. Of course there are some folk who think they know better! She did go out, slipped on the ice, and quite badly hurt her right arm.

By the time she arrived at our house the arm was quite bruised. Our future son-in-law Matt, a doctor, advised that we take mum to A&E for an x-ray. The x-ray indicated a broken humerus (not funny!) Her arm was given a temporary pot, and a further appointment was made for the following day. On the following day the hospital decided that mum required a pin inserting in her arm to aid the healing process. The latest news from the hospital is that the operation may be on Tuesday (two days' time). Mum was originally due to return home today, so she is somewhat concerned. Happily she has a good neighbour who is taking care of the cat.

Fortunately my mother-in-law doesn't have a computer or internet access (like my own mum, she probably doesn't have very much idea of what the internet is). She won't, therefore, mind me using her as an example of someone reaping the consequences of her actions. Although she had been advised not to venture out in the snow, she ignored the advice, and now she is reaping the consequences.

The Bible often talks about human responsibility for the consequences of our own actions. It also tells us that when we don't live in the way God has shown us, there will be consequences. The truth is that the vast majority of problems and suffering in our world today are caused by disobedience to God's will. Just think, for example, of the transformation which would take place in our society and world today if people lived by the ten commandments! The Bible calls disobedience to God's will sin. Sin has consequences - separation from God, our relationship with him is broken. The good news of Christmas is that through faith in Jesus, that broken relationship can be restored, and we can receive forgiveness. As the apostle John puts it, "This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." Thank God for Jesus! And as the angels said to the shepherds, it's good news for ALL people!

Christmas cards and the personal touch

How many Christmas cards have you sent this year? Another question: do you know the year in which the first Christmas card was sent, and who sent it? Find the answer here. Each year, many millions of Christmas cards are sent and received in the UK. In recent years some people have decided that, rather than send Christmas cards to their friends at church, they would send a general greeting though the church magazine, and then make a donation to charity corresponding to the amount of money they have saved on Christmas cards. I can see the logic, and no doubt the charities concerned are very grateful.

There is, however, another side to this issue. I was talking recently to a lady who told me that she intended to continue sending Christmas cards. The reason was that she really appreciated receiving Christmas cards herself; she therefore wanted to bless others in the way that she herself was blessed.

I find that receiving Christmas cards, especially when they come from people who I have not seen for some time, often brings back memories, and certainly gives a prompt to pray for God's blessing on the people concerned.

Last year a friend of mine, who is also a Methodist Minister, decided to personally deliver Christmas cards to all his church members. In a mad moment, I decided that this year I would try to do the same: quite a tall order when I am Minister of two churches with a combined membership of approaching 200 people! I wrote and addressed the cards, and started delivering them on 1 December, wondering how it would go.

Having now reached 19 December, I still have quite a few cards left to deliver, but I am just about on target to get them all delivered by Christmas Eve. It has been quite a task, and I have had to use my days off to get on with the deliveries, but it has certainly been worthwhile. Even though I have not been able to stay long in each home, the mere fact that I have taken the time to call with the card has been very much appreciated. The personal touch means a lot. (Thankfully, some people have been out when I have called, otherwise I would never have got all the cards delivered!)

So I think it's good to send cards. It's also a great thing to receive them. I thank God for all those who have taken time to write and address cards to me and Sue, and I thank God for the inspiration and opportunity to deliver lots of Christmas cards this year. Most of all I thank God for Jesus - the heart of Christmas, "the reason for the season."

Out with the old and in with the new

For quite some time it has been apparent that we need a new kitchen. The current one was installed about 30 years ago, and it has certainly seen much better days. Some of the drawer ends had fallen off, and a few cupboard doors were hanging on only loosely! After much thinking, discussion and planning, the work on installing a new one finally began last Monday. The men came in and started to remove all the existing units, as well as all the kitchen equipment. Actually, the work had started a few days earlier, because the contents of all the kitchen cupboards had to be removed: our dining room is now fairly full of kitchen cupboard contents!

When the men began to remove the kitchen units, lots of the plaster fell off the walls, and it became clear that all the remaining loose plaster would have to be removed. By the time they had finished, quite a bit of the wall area was back to bare brick. It really was a case of "back to basics". Since then, the walls and ceiling have been re-plastered, and we now have two dehumidifiers working hard to remove all the moisture, so that the walls can be painted and the new kitchen units installed. It's been quite interesting having to manage without a cooker this week! The house really is rather upside down, but I am sure that by the time the work is finished, all the mess and inconvenience will have been worth it. Whether the kitchen will be finished in time for Christmas is another matter!

On Wednesday of this week we attended a carol service at Doncaster Minster. It was a great occasion, with over 1000 people in attendance. The service was designed to be something to invite family, friends, colleagues etc. to, and the guest speaker was J John. Towards the end of the service, J John invited people to respond to the message, and a number of people gave their lives to Jesus. I am reminded of some words of Paul writing to the church in Corinth, 'Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come!'

When we become a follower of Jesus, we are changed. The old way of living, where we live to please ourselves, is gone. Instead, we live to please God. Just as with our kitchen, the old is taken away, and is replaced by the new. So God wants to do a work in our lives, to make us new, so that our lives will reflect the light of his love. Of course it doesn't all happen overnight; in fact, it is a lifetime's process. As someone once said, "Be patient with me, God hasn't finished with me yet!" The important thing is that all those who are followers of Jesus are open to his ongoing work of transformation in their lives.

Dealing with disappointment

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" wrote Robert Burns (or at least that's the Anglicised version of his actual words!) And he was absolutely right! A while ago I had planned something for today, and had been really looking forward to it. Then, almost at the last minute, something happened which meant that my plans had to completely change; what I had so looked forward to never actually happened! It can be hard when cherished plans do not come to fruition, but it's part of how life sometimes is. It has got me to thinking about how to best deal with disappointment, and those situations when things don't work out as we might have hoped.

As I began to consider the question, another well known quote came to mind: "It's no use crying over spilt milk". One website I came cross gave the following note: "This idiom means that getting upset after something has gone wrong is pointless; it can't be changed so it should be accepted." Maybe not always that easy to put into practice, but it is nonetheless true! To sulk, moan, or complain may be a natural reaction, but we all know that it doesn't do much (if anything) to help, and may indeed hinder our path to recovery from the disappointment.

When I write a blog entry I always look for an image to go with it. Sometimes it's obvious, at other times I have to search. The image I've used to go with this blog entry was found through using the Google image search facility. I found the image fascinating: not so much the image itself (a person staring into an empty box), but the words which accompany the image: DISAPPOINTMENT The greatest Gift of All. Wow! What an interesting discussion starter!

I guess that the point being made is that if we react to disappointment in a more positive way, it can become something which spurs us on to greater things! Think of Peter, the disciple of Jesus. The lowest point in his life came when he failed Jesus in a big way by denying that he knew him. The gospels tell us that he "wept bitterly" at his own failure - what a disappointment Peter was to himself. Yet out of that failure and disappointment Peter learned the way of humility. In due course he was forgiven and restored by Jesus and became a great leader in the early church. The Bible tells us that God can work every situation for good!

So, as I look back on the day, I still feel an element of disappointment, but I do thank God that I was able to get things done today which I would otherwise not have been done. And perhaps it's made me a little better equipped to deal with disappointment in the future!