The best paid plans...

Sue and I have been big Strictly Come Dancing fans for several years now, and so I was delighted to receive an e-mail from Leicester's De Montfort Hall (DMH) last week with the news that Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, two former Strictly professional dancers, will be coming to DMH in April 2016 to perform their show The Last Tango.  Our tickets are booked and we are already looking forward to the show, even though it is a year away!

I must admit to being the kind of person who likes to plan things well in advance where posible.  The advantage of doing so is that I can then look forward to whatever has been planned.  For example, I find that a large part of the fun of a holiday is the anticipation before the event.  

Yet the truth is that our plans don't always work out as we had expected.  The well know saying, "The best laid plans of mice and men..." comes from a poem, 'To A Mouse' written by Robert Burns back on 1786.  It tells of how he, while ploughing a field, upturned a mouse's nest. The resulting poem is an apology to the mouse:

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane [you aren't alone]
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley, [often go awry]
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy.

The Biblical letter of James brings home in a very forceful way the pitfalls of making our own plans and assuming that they will automatically come to fruition:

'Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, stay there a year, and open up a profitable business.” How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog - now you see it; soon it is gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.”' (James 4:13-15)

This was brought home to me in a very forceful way when, on the same day I booked the tickets for the show at DMH in a year's time, I received the shocking news that my younger brother, Phil (who is the baby of the family, being the youngest of 6 children), had been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, and medically speaking the outlook is very bleak.  We are, of course, praying for God to intervene in a miraculous way in Phil's situation, but nevertheless I was suddenly brought face-to-face with the reality of the frailty of human life.

There is, I suppose, nothing wrong with making plans as such, and sometimes it's very helpful.  However, as James reminds us in his letter, none of us knows for certain what will happen tomorrow!  We need to understand that we are not complete masters of our own destiny.  There are so many thoughts going round in my head at the moment, but just a few bullet points will suffice for now.

• Never take life for granted, but value each new day;
• Appreciate every moment spent with friends and family;
• Don't hold back on expressing love to those dear to you;
• Understand that most of the things we argue about don't really matter;
• Never put off until tomorrow what you need to do today, for tomorrow may never come;
• Try to recognise those things in life which are of real value (e.g. relationships, not possessions);
• Put your plans into God's hands, and recognise that he is in control;
• God's promise to us is, 'I will never leave you, I will never forsake you' (Hebrews 13:5).
• Our time here on earth is temporary, but if our faith is in Jesus our eternal destiny is secure.

If you are a praying person, please pray for Phil, his wife Monika, and their two children Mike and Emily.

Why go to church?

There's an old tale of a conversation which goes something like this:

Mum: "Come on son, it's time to get up and go to church."
Son: "But mum, I don't want to go to church!"
Mum: "Why don't you want to go to church, son?"
Son: "Because I don't like going to church; it's boring, there are some very strange people there, and what's more, nobody there likes me."
Mum: "But son, I'm afraid you have to go to church."
Son: "Why do I have to go to church, mum?"
Mum: "Because you're the vicar!"

That story came to mind because I have been thinking this week about the statement which I have heard a few times over the years, "I don't need to go to church to be a Christian."  And of course, in a literal sense that must be true, for some Christians find themselves unable to attend church due to illness or infirmity.  There are also some who live in countries where Christians are forbidden to gather together to worship.

Yet there are still some people who claim to be Christian believers who could, if they so chose, be part of a local church, but have decided not to be so.  There may be a number of reasons for their choice, but there are those who would say that they are quite happy living their Christian lives without the need for involvement with church.  So are they right?

My mind has been prompted along this line of thought through reading Henry Blackaby's book, 'Experiencing God Together.'  This is a follow-on to his previous book, 'Experiencing God.'  In the book Blackaby addresses the issue of what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the context of a local Christian community (i.e. the church).  He makes the point that the life of Christian discipleship was never intended by God to be lived in isolation from others.  Christians are called to help, encourage and support one another, something which we cannot do if we never meet together or get to know one another. We have been studying the book in fellowship groups in one of my churches.  I was particularly struck by one paragraph in Blackaby's book:

'A church is not just a place where you can go to be comforted, but also a place where you can give comfort and support for others who are hurting.  Some have told me, "I don't need others' support."  But let me ask you this, "Do others need your support?"'

A good question indeed!

To hurt or to heal?

It hardly seems possible that it’s not too long now before I am due to reach my 60^th birthday.  Where have all the years gone?  “Time flies” as the saying goes.  As I ponder what society was like in my childhood, it seems in so many ways to be light years away from where we are today.  Some aspects of modern society could hardly have been imagined back in the mid-1950s.

One of the significant elements of modern life is the use of social media such as Twitter, Facebook etc.  For many, the use of social media has become a vital part of everyday life, and an important means of communication.  Of course there are inherent dangers of which we do need to be aware, and there are many instances of social media being abused and causing real harm.  On the other hand, it can be used in positive ways.  Social media is not harmful in itself, its effects depend on how it is used.  It’s about choice.

Of course I am a user of social media myself.  One of the things I like to do is to tweet short sayings or phrases which I come across which I find helpful or thought-provoking.  A saying which I came across recently was the following from Louie Giglio:

‘Words are free. You can freely build others at no cost to you. Or freely tear them down at great cost to them. Speak well.’

A great point made well.  The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” is, as we all know, absolute rubbish.  Bones will mend in due course, but the immense damage which words can cause sometimes takes a very long time to heal.  The writer of the Biblical book of Proverbs tells us, ‘What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words’ (Proverbs 18:21).

Do we choose to build people up or to tear them down?  Do we use our words to encourage or to discourage?  It’s not always easy to keep our tongue under control (I know that I fail at times), but how much better the world would be if more of us made an effort to do so.

Touching the depths

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, a day when Christians remember particularly the occasion when Jesus rode into Jerusalem in a donkey. It was a significant event, not least because Jesus knew that in a few days' time he would be arrested, beaten, and sentenced to death.  One of the potential problems with having 'special' days in the Church year is that as we observe them over a period of years, we can become so familiar with them that we almost take them for granted, and their true significance can lose its place in our hearts and minds.

Sometimes, however, we catch a real depth of insight and emotional connection with a biblical event.  Yesterday evening was one such occasion, when I found myself deeply moved during our Palm Sunday evening service.  The service was at Markfield Methodist Church, one of the 3 churches of which I am privileged to be Minister.  The Markfield choir took a significant part in the service.  Although it was Palm Sunday, much of our focus was on the cross, and the sacrifice which Jesus made.

There was a very real sense of God's presence with us, and many in the congregation felt themselves touched at a very deep level.  The reality and significance of the events of Holy Week were brought home to us.  For a number of people at the service, and certainly for me, the most moving part was when the choir sang Steiner's wonderful piece, "God so loved the world."  There can't have been too many dry eyes after that!  Something indefinable happened as our hearts were led to focus on the depths of God's amazing love for this broken world.

I have listened to a number online recordings today.  Although I haven't been able to quite recapture the emotions of yesterday evening, I can't help thinking that this is one of the most inspirational compositions ever written.  God so loved the world - including me and you!

You might like to ponder on that wonderful truth as you listen here.

Beware the pointing finger

For a long time now, stories have been regularly appearing in the media relating to misdemeanours apparently committed by politicians.  As the 2015 General Election draws ever nearer, it seems that no stone is being left unturned in a bid to find those elusive skeletons which are hidden away in the cupboards of current or prospective MPs.  Indeed, it seems to be acceptable to do whatever needs to be done, using fair means or foul, to reveal any indiscretion.  Once something is discovered, it immediately becomes headline news, whatever the rights or wrongs of the case.  If the person concerned is ultimately found to be innocent of the charges, well it's just their hard luck.

I accept that a person seeking public office should expect a level of scrutiny, and I believe that the principle of integrity should be highly valued and lived out by our public figures such as politicians.  At the same time, I do think that there is an element of hypocrisy in all this condemnation and accusation which is flying around (after all, sections of the media haven't exactly covered themselves in glory by their behaviour in recent times).  Let me give another case in point.

Much has been made in recent years about those people (and companies) which seek to pay as little tax as possible by certain tax-avoidance schemes.  Whilst many of these tax avoidance schemes are not illegal as such, nevertheless many feel (and I am inclined to agree) that there is a moral and societal imperative that those who earn big money should pay their fair share of tax (assuming that we can agree what that fair share is!)  Politicians of all sides are recognising this to be an important issue and will no doubt included pledges to cut down on tax avoidance in their manifestos.

And yet, I wonder whether many of the same people who shout so loudly against the "tax dodgers" are those who seem content to go along with tax dodging schemes when it goes to their advantage.  I am sure that most, if not all of those reading this blog have come across situations where someone doing some work for them (a builder, double-glazing installer, plumber, electrician etc.) has offered them a cheaper deal if they pay by cash (which allows the tradesman/woman to avoid putting the transaction through the books and paying tax on it).  Many seem happy to go along with such suggestions.  But just because the amounts are smaller does that make it any the less tax dodging?  How can I rail against tax dodging if I am happy to facilitate it when it is to my personal benefit?

It's easy to point a finger at others, but maybe we would do well to examine our own lives first?

A tale of two Bens

You may have noticed that I have called this blog entry “A tale of two Bens”.  The first Ben is my young grandson.   He is a smashing little boy (most of the time), with a very endearing grin.  He is also a pointer.  Whenever something, or someone, attracts his attention he will point in that direction.  Last Sunday morning I was leading a Mothering Sunday service at one of my churches.  Ben, along with his brother and two cousins were at the service.  When I stood up to introduce the service, Ben noticed me, pointed his finger, and toddled down the aisle towards me.  When he got close, he lifted his arms in my direction, and I couldn’t resist gathering him in my arms.  He’s a very cuddly little boy!

Later in the service we watched a video clip which related the time when some children were brought to Jesus (you can watch it here).  Jesus’ disciples, thinking that Jesus wouldn’t want to be bothered with little children, tried to usher them away.  But Jesus welcomed the children.  The gospels tell us that he ‘took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them’ (Mark 10:16).  What an amazing picture of God’s love for us all.  As I held Ben in my arms I perhaps caught a glimpse of how God feels when we stretch out our arms to him and allow him to gather us to himself.

The other Ben is someone I met a couple of years ago.  My brother, Phil, came over from New Zealand (where he lives) to a conference in the UK, and brought with him a friend, Ben, who is from Vanuatu.  Ben is a lovely, gentle man who overflows with the love and grace of God, and it was a privilege to get to know him.  It was his first visit to the UK and I think that he found it a bit of a culture shock at first.  He loved his first experience of snow, although he didn’t appreciate the sub-zero temperatures!  I was fascinated to read later that a survey suggested although most of the people of Vanuatu have very little by way of material possessions, they are nevertheless amongst the happiest and most contented people on earth.

I was greatly saddened to hear of the devastation caused to Vanuatu by the recent visit of ‘Cyclone Pam’.  Not surprisingly, Phil has not yet been able to make contact with Ben.  Ben is often on my mind at the moment; he and his family and the people of Vanuatu are very much in my thoughts and prayers.  I hope and pray that relief efforts will be swift and effective, and that the people of Vanuatu will feel supported by the international community.  I am sure that Ben and many others will be finding strength in God’s presence, even in the midst of such devastation, and encouraging others to do so too.

God and the scrap metal merchant

I was walking home from church yesterday morning when a rather strange sight caught my attention.  On the pavement, leaning against a garden wall, was a central heating radiator. Sadly, its purpose for being there wasn't to give warmth to passers-by on what was a rather chilly day!  The sight reminded of a lesson I learned not long after our arrival in Leicester.

I was planning to cut the lawn at the manse and looked in the garage for the lawnmower (Methodist manses are supposed to be equipped with a lawnmower).  In fact there were two!  One was a rather flimsy Flymo, the other a more substantial but somewhat older metal mower.  The latter looked more promising but I soon discovered that it didn't work any longer.  I was considering how we might best dispose of the lawnmower when someone suggested leaving it on the pavement in front of the house.  I thought it was rather strange advice, but nevertheless I did as suggested, and was surprised to discover that the following day it had disappeared.

I soon learned that, at least in our part of Leicester, there are scrap metal merchants who regularly tour the area looking for unwanted metal which they quickly load on their van.  Since that early experience we have managed to get rid of several unwanted and often bulky metal items in this way.  No doubt that was why the radiator had been put out on the pavement (the next time I passed that area there was no sight of the radiator).

As a preacher I can't resist a good illustration, and the thought came to me that this incident could perhaps be used to help describe the way God deals with our sin.  I love the verse on the Psalms which states, 'As far as the east is from the west, so far does God remove our sins from us.'  Perhaps the psalmist's use of east and west is significant.  If he had written, 'as far as the north is from the south' then that would have been a defined, measurable distance (we know how far the north pole is from the south pole).  But there is no east or west pole.  God removes our sin infinitely far from us.

Of course our friends the scrap metal merchants do not generally take things unless we decide that the items need to be got rid of and put them out in full view.  In the same way, God does not take away (forgive) our sins or wrongdoings until we make the decision to confess what we have done wrong (i.e. put them out in God's full view) and receive his offer of forgiveness.

Through Jesus, God has made the way by which our sins can be forgiven.  The offer is made.  He longs to set us free from the penalty of sin.  But we need to respond to the offer.  I'm sure that I will think of that next time I see a large metal object in the street!

PS Not sure what happend to the image - maybe it's gone to the scrappers!