Sin: an old fashioned term?

It’s not often that a Methodist minister makes headline news, but Rev Paul Flowers managed just that a few months ago.  Flowers was for a time chairman of the troubled Co-operative Bank.  He relinquished that role last year amidst both the Bank’s ongoing troubles and certain allegations which were made against him.

I was interested to watch a recent Newsnight interview of Paul Flowers by Jeremy Paxman (for whatever reason, Paxman seemed to be very gentle during the interview and not at all the dogged interrogator which we have come to expect!)  At one point in the interview Paxman posed the following question: “Given your religious background, do you think you have sinned?”

In his response Paul Flowers commented: “Of course I have sinned, in that old fashioned term which I would rarely use, I have to say.  I’m like everyone else, I’m frail.”  Is sin really an “old fashioned term?”  I’m not so sure.  Perhaps the term is not used as much today as it once was (though rugby supporters are very used to the term “sin bin” where a player is sent from the pitch for violating a rule!)  The word sin does seem to be still in common usage (e.g. in the phrase “for my sins”)

So what is sin?  In simple terms, the Bible describes sin as anything in a person’s life which is not in alignment with God’s will and purpose.  One thing is clear, it’s often far easier to see sin in another person’s life than in our own!  A few days ago Sue and I watched a dvd of “How Green Was My Valley” a film which tells the story of a 19^th century Welsh mining family.  There is one scene where the elders of the local chapel publicly denounce a young unmarried mother.  The Pharisaic vindictiveness of the church elders made me shudder.

In the same scene in the film another woman stands against the elders and reminds them of the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery.  A remarkable story, not least in the challenge which Jesus issues to those waiting to stone the woman for her actions: ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’  He forced them to look into their own hearts and see that none of them were without blame.  Jesus did not condemn the woman, but he did say to her, ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’  (I have no desire to comment specifically on the Paul Flowers situation, as I have no knowledge of the facts.  I do wonder, however, how those who have been quick to vociferously condemn him would react in circumstances similar to the story of the woman caught in adultery!)

The Bible makes it clear that sin causes a separation between us human beings and God (‘the wages of sin is death’, says the Apostle Paul).  Of course, none of us likes to be thought of as a sinner.  Yet Paul Flowers is absolutely right when he says that ALL of us are frail, ALL of us have said and done things which we bitterly regret.  But the good news of the gospel is that Jesus on the cross took on himself the penalty for our sin, so that through faith in him we might be forgiven and reconciled to God.  Yes, ‘the wages of sin is death’, but Paul also goes on to state, ‘but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.’  Sin is just as real and just as big a problem in the world as ever it was.  But the remedy is just as affective!

Life-changing encounters

As I write this blog entry I have just two weeks left of my three month sabbatical.  I can look back with real gratitude for the rich and varied experiences which I have encountered during my sabbatical thus far.  In some ways it is difficult to put unto words the blessings of the past two-and-a-half months.  I have benefited in so many ways.

One of my aims at the beginning of my sabbatical was to experience different forms of Sunday worship.  With that in mind I have visited a number of different churches over the period.  Worship styles have ranged from high Anglican "bells and smells" type to what could be called "wild and wacky" charismatic style worship.  Although some of the worship styles I encountered were not the type I would choose as my weekly worship diet, I have to say that in all the different styles I encountered God's presence.  God is certainly not confined to churches with particular worship styles.  More important, I think, is the attitude of the worshipper.  When our hearts are open, and our desire is to give our best to God, he responds.

Yesterday Sue and I attended Holy Trinity, which is an Anglican church in the centre of Leicester.  The church holds some special memories for us because our son Chris married his wife, Megan, there.  Having said that, we had never previously attended a Sunday service at the church.  It so happened that during yesterday's morning service five adults were baptised by "full immersion".  A baptismal pool had been set up at the front of church.  I always find that this form of baptism (where the person being baptised goes right under the water) is a powerful symbol of how we die to the old way of life and rise to new life in Christ Jesus.

Each of the five people being baptised were invited to share something of their story, relating how they met with God and came to the point of being baptised.  I found their testimonies both tremendously encouraging and extremely inspiring.  We live in an age of social media, so I thought that I'd Facebook my immediate response.  This is what I wrote:

Baptism testimonies: not religion but relationship; transformed lives; excitement; amazing God-encounters; every story different, but each discovered the life-changing love of Jesus. Wow!

It was wonderful to hear how the lives of five very different people, from very different backgrounds, had been impacted by the touch of God.  One spoke of having been through a time of terrible depression, another of a period when he was hooked onto drugs and alcohol.  A third spoke of how he was brought up in a Christian family but his view of Christianity was all about rules and regulations, until he discovered that the heart of Christianity is not religion but a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ.

The baptisms were a public statement by the five people of the transforming love of Jesus which they had experienced.  It was an important step on their faith journey.  I am so pleased that I was there to witness their baptisms and I pray for God's blessing to be with them into the future.  It was a wonderful reminder of how God is at work in so many different ways in people's lives, and how he treats each person as a unique individual.  Meeting with Jesus is truly life-changing!

So much more

It's strange how a recurring phrase or thought can jump into one's mind at odd moments over the course of time.  A phrase which has come to me on a number of occasions over the years is, "so much more."

My sabbatical has given me lots of opportunity for reflection, and I recently found myself looking back to an event which changed my life when I was just 5 years of age.  I was tremendously shy as a child, and although I did ok at school there was certainly nothing about me to make me stand out from the crowd.  In fact my parents once went to a school parents' evening and some of my teachers didn't know who I was - I was one of those quiet pupils who hid at the back of the class!  Yet for some reason, God had his eye on me and at the tender age of 5, I committed my life to following Jesus.

Although I didn't suddenly become an extrovert or develop great confidence overnight, I knew that Jesus was my constant companion, and he has been the solid rock on which my life has been built.  I've made plenty of mistakes over the years, and still find myself doing and saying things which I regret.  Yet God has been so gracious, and I can look back in amazement at what has happened in my life, not least that God called me to be a church leader.  He has given me the courage and abilities I needed to accomplish what I couldn't do in my own strength.

And yet, that phrase "so much more" has kept dropping into my mind.  What I believe it means is that whatever I have so far experienced of God's love, grace and power in my life, and even though I have grown so much in my personal relationship with God, there is "so much more" yet to be experienced.

I was reminded of this recently as I re-read a book I bought some years ago.  It was written by Argentinian evangelist and pastor, Claudio Freidzon, entitled "Holy Spirit, I am Hungry For You."  The book was written during the great spiritual revival in Argentina in the 1990s.  In the book he writes,

'Imagine for a moment that you approach the ocean nearest your home and that with a little cup you pick up a small amount of water.  Such is the distance that exists between what we know of God and what he himself is.  A small amount in a great ocean.' 

I find that thought both tremendously challenging and enormously exciting.  I do feel that I have grown so much in my relationship with and understanding of God, and I have experienced his love, grace and power over the years in many different situations.  And yet I know that I have barely scratched the surface!  The big question I must ask is, am I really hungry for more of God?  Am I truly committed to discovering more of the untapped riches of God?

Whoever we are, whether we have known and walked with God for many years, or whether we hardly know him at all, the phrase "so much more" calls out as a challenge to all of us.  And we have the encouragement of Jesus' words,

'Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened.'

I don't know about you, but I long to experience the "so much more" of God.

All Through The Night

Sue and I spent a few days in Scarborough recently.  Not far from our flat is a small art gallery and antique shop.  In order to attract some custom, the proprietor puts a trolley outside the shop, with a tray containing small, inexpensive items.  I imagine that the idea is to draw people's attention so that they will want to enter the shop to explore further.

As we walked past the shop a few days ago, the tray of goodies attracted my attention and I paused to examine the various items.  One item took my particular attention.  It was a horse brass, at the centre of which was what appears to be a miner's lamp, and engraved on it were the words, ARHYD-Y-NOS.  I soon discovered from our daughter, Caz (who lives in Wales), that the English translation of those words is "All Through The Night".

The image of the lamp giving light throughout the night is clear, but my mind soon led me to thinking about a spiritual application.

Nighttime and darkness can be, for some, a difficult period, bringing fear and anxiety.  It is regularly said by those experiencing times of illness or bereavement that nighttime can be a very tough time for all sorts of reasons, not least because the darkness can seem to emphasise one's feeling of isolation.  Some who find sleep difficult to come by often feel that nighttime appears to pass extremely slowly.

I have recently come across a song by Don Moen, entitled, "God is good all the time", which contains the phrase, 'God is good all the time, through the darkest night his light will shine.'  Now of course there is always a danger of such statements being made in a rather trite and superficial manner, but I believe that Moen's words are based in a wonderful truth.

Generally over the course of my life I have enjoyed good health, and I have rarely had trouble sleeping (in fact there have been occasions when sleep has overtaken me at rather inopportune moments!)  However, there have been times when I have experience periods of illness, and occasions when sleep hasn't come easily, and I admit that I have sometimes struggled on those occasions.   Indeed, I woke up in the early hours of this morning and found myself lying awake for a long time before eventually dropping off to sleep.  What I try to focus on when that happens is the presence of God with me (I am not alone!) I find it such a comfort to know that he is with me in these situations, and if I can make my thoughts "God-thoughts", it can make a real difference.  God promises in the Bible: 'I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.'  He is God of the day AND of the night!

God never promised that life will always be easy.  Sometimes our lives might be really tough, and we may feel that nighttime and darkness seem never-ending.  But we can always look to Jesus, who is himself 'The Light of the World.'  Even if we cannot always see it or feel it, we can know that the light of his loving presence is with us All Through The Night.

I decided to buy the horse brass (a bargain at £1).  I think I'll go and put it up on the wall in my bedroom to remind me of God's promise!

The lie of insignificance

One of the most devastating and debilitating feelings a person can have is that their life is of no significance or value.  When those kinds of feelings inhabit a person's heart and mind it often leaves them feeling isolated and depressed, and can rob them of vision and purpose for the way ahead.

Feelings of insignificance can attack us through many different channels.  Sometimes they come through words which are said to us, perhaps a parent repeatedly telling a child, "you're no good" (I remember hearing about a pupil who achieved 99% in an exam and all their parents wanted to concentrate on was the 1% which was wrong!)  Perhaps when a person loses their job, or a relationship breaks down, they are led into feelings of failure and despondency.  It may be that this feeling of insignificance lies behind many of the alarming number of suicides in the UK each year.  I really wonder how many people struggle with this whole question - does my life matter?  The desperately sad thing is that this sense of insignificance is based on a totally false premise!

It seems that scientists are discovering more and more about the amazing universe in which we live.  I am grateful to a friend, Anne, who pointed out a link to a web-page which highlights a relatively recent discovery made via the Hubble Space Telescope.  The telescope picked out what appears to be thousands of galaxies which scientists calculate to be over 13 billion light years distance from earth: the most distant objects ever photographed!  The figures are absolutely mind-boggling.  What particularly caught my eye, however, was the headline on the web-page: 'Proof That We Really Are Insignificant.'

But is that really what these amazing images suggest?  My friend Anne responded as follows: "What's even more staggering is that in this whole incredible universe, God considers us to be totally significant and the object of his love!"  Absolutely!!  Of course, in comparison with the vastness of the universe (and there is so much of it which humankind hasn't yet discovered!), even this beautiful planet on which we live can be seen to be a relatively insignificant speck of dust.  Yet human beings are made absolutely significant because we are the objects of God's love.  The Creator loves his creation!

Whenever you are assailed by feelings of insignificance, remember that in God's eyes you are precious.  Let the words of Graham Kendrick's simple yet profound song soak into your being:

I’m special because God has loved me,
For he gave the best thing that he had to save me;
His own Son Jesus, crucified to take the blame
For all the bad things I have done.
Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord,
For loving me so much.
I know I don’t deserve anything.
Help me feel your love right now,
To know deep in my heart
That I’m your special friend.

Or watch it here.

Never believe the lie of insignificance!

Look to the Coach

I spent last week in my favourite place: Scarborough.  I guess that my love of the town goes back to childhood family holidays.  For some years Sue and I have owned a little flat in Scarborough, which has been a great blessing as a bolt-hole for us to use when opportunities arise.  Being currently on sabbatical, I decided that a week on my own in Scarborough would give me a great opportunity for reading, prayer, walking and reflecting.

When I was planning my sabbatical I decided that I would like to do some deeper thinking about a book written by Bill Johnson called 'Hosting the Presence.'  In the book Bill Johnson examines what it means for the Christian to host the very presence of God.  What I really wanted to grapple with is the question of how we can live our lives in a moment-by-moment awareness of the Holy Spirit (as Jesus himself did).

As I was pondering this question one day last week, into my mind came the image which can often be seen during a tennis tournament: that of a tennis player on court in the middle of a match looking to his/her coach for inspiration. When Andy Murray won Wimbledon last year he gave a great deal of credit to his coach, Ivan Lendl.  

Although this is an illustration which can't be taken too far, and has a number of flaws, it seems to me that it does give a picture of how we can seek to live our lives with greater awareness of the Holy Spirit.  There are times in life when we can find ourselves becoming so bogged down by busyness, pressures and activity that we take our eyes completely from God.  I believe that it is so important that as much as possible we look to him, whatever is going on around us; surely that will help us to keep things in their true perspective (think, for example, of the story of Peter in the storm).

Some years ago I read a book called 'Grace Outpouring' which described the beginnings of a wonderful move of God at Ffald-y-Brenin, a remote Christian House of Prayer and Retreat Centre in South West Wales.  I found the book to be so inspiring, and ever since then I have longed for the opportunity to visit Ffald-y-Brenin.  Thank God, the opportunity has now arisen and this week Sue and I will be spending some time there.  I am excited by the prospect of being in this special place and of deepening my understanding and experience of 'hosting God's presence.'  I know that I am very much a learner but I am eager to develop.  How wonderful it is to realise that the God who created all things desires to enter into a relationship with each one of us!

About Time

I have been thinking a lot about the subject of 'time' recently.  Undoubtedly time is a most precious commodity, and how easy it can be to waste it!  If you want to understand the things which are priorities in a person's life, a good way is to examine how they use their time.

I am now entering the second month of my three month sabbatical.  Most of the first month was taken up with a wonderful trip to visit family in New Zealand, spending a few days in Singapore on the way.  Sue and I have memories which will stay with us for a lifetime.  Since arriving back we have been caching up with our family here in the UK, including attending my sister Mary's 70th birthday meal and spending time with our 3 wonderful grandchildren.  We have been reminded how precious it is to be part of a loving family.

One event which brought with it very mixed emotions was attending a Thanksgiving Service for the life of a man called Gilbert Wall.  Gilbert was a much loved and respected member of one of the churches of which I was formerly minister in Doncaster.  I felt very privileged to be able to take part in the Service.  Gilbert was a man of deep Christian faith.  One of the many strengths of his character was that he was always willing to give time to anyone he met, whether that person was someone in high office or was a person begging in the street.  It seems to me that giving another person some of our time is one of the most valuable things we can give.

When we were in New Zealand, my nephew Michael recommended a film he had seen, called 'About Time.'  The film features a young man, Tim, who at the age of 21 discovers that he can travel back in time along his own timeline and change what has taken place.  It just so happened that this film was one of the options available to watch on our Singapore Airlines flight back to the UK, and so I took the opportunity to watch it.  It raises some fascinating issues about how we might want to go back and change certain events, and also about the whole matter of our use of time.  Ultimately it leaves the challenge of how we can best use and appreciate whatever time we are given.

When I was planning my sabbatical I decided to focus particularly on my relationship with God.  The gospels reveal that Jesus made his relationship with God the Father his absolute priority.  He often went off to quiet places to pray and be alone with God.  It is clear that if we want to grow in any relationship we have to devote time to it.  If I want my relationship with God to deepen I need to spend some quality time alone with him.  Tomorrow I head off to Scarborough for a week to do just that: to have some focussed "God time".

What I really want to understand more, however, is how to live in that closeness of relationship with God not just when I devote time to be alone with him, but when I am living my everyday life.  In other words, when I am in the busyness of day-to-day life, how can I maintain that sense and awareness of God's presence, and an ability to hear him speak even in the hustle and bustle of life?  I have thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from the first month of my sabbatical, but I also look forward with great anticipation to what lies ahead.