Contemplative

Don’t Expect Perfection

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It would have been so easy for the writers of Scripture to ‘airbrush’ out the faults of key biblical figures. In our western culture, we almost expect people to do that. Yet because of those ancient writers, we know the characters of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.. in fact pretty much everyone in Scripture, ‘warts and all’.  We see their strengths, but we also see their weaknesses and faults. They all had shortcomings, and those are often what turns these characters into real people. It makes their stories real and sometimes gritty.

Moses had his faults, but God still gifted and used him. David made dreadful mistakes, but God honoured him.

‘Solomon (son of David) showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given to him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.’ (1 Kings 3:3) (emphasis mine).

The mistakes of the followers of Jesus are all there in the New Testament story. They were all good people. They had good intentions. They aimed high, and God blessed them when they did, but they didn’t always completely get it right.

There have been times when I’ve messed up.  So all this gives me hope. Like you and me, every one of these people fell short of God’s standard and stood in need of His forgiveness – yet God blessed them when they repented. He blessed them when they aimed high. And He will bless you too.

In the same way that the deep blue of outer space emphasises the brightness of the moon, so the weakness of character of these giants of Scripture emphasises and throws into greater clarity the purity of Christ – the one who was tempted and persecuted, yet never fell short.

Don’t expect perfection in others. Don’t expect it in yourself. When you fall short, take responsibility – and move on.

Keep on praying.

 

Personal

Fathers and Sons – A personal story

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I’m really privileged that my son and I occasionally go out together for a drink or a meal. Every one of those meetings is incredibly special. I always enjoy his company, and it’s particularly important to me because I never really had the opportunity to do that with my Dad. My Dad died several years before my son was born, so he never met his Grandad.

My father died around 40 years ago. If he had still been alive, tomorrow would have been his 100th birthday. A few days ago I was able to visit the Church yard where there is a small memorial to him. Years ago, I planted a small euonymous bush behind his memorial. It was important at the time because it was actually a cutting which I took from a plant which my Mum and Dad had given me when my wife and I moved into our first home. It was a special visit. It was worth the trip.

There were three special surprises. Firstly, the euonymous was still there, and it is flourishing. Second, the memorial is still there, looking pretty much as it did around 40 years ago. Thirdly, I realised that I still miss my Dad.

It turns out that there is no protocol to direct how we deal with a significant birthday for someone special who died so long time ago. Tomorrow, there won’t be a 100th birthday party. No celebration. I will remember him quietly. I suppose nowdays we might say I’ll be mindful of him.

Tonight happens to be one of those nights when I’m meeting my son for a drink. The timing has never been more special. I’m going to cherish this moment. Father and son. And probably, I’ll raise a glass to my Dad.

Contemplative

‘I am the LORD your God’

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‘I am the Lord your God.’

We read these words a number of times in Scripture. I wonder whether you have ever really stopped to think about what that short sentence actually means. It’s so easy to overlook the extraordinary power and majesty which they describe.

I have been leading worship for years. A lot of years. I have something of an itinerant ministry, which means that when I turn up at a Church to preach, I will also have the guitar ready to lead at least part of the service with music.

So a couple of nights ago, I turned up at a meeting, it was quite normal for me to be asked to start with a song and a prayer. It wasn’t a huge meeting, but it was a public meeting. No problem.

So there we were, gathered together, ready to start.

We started with a prayer. I brought a verse of Scripture. Exodus 20:1-2. The verse contains the words, ‘I am the LORD your God.’ I spoke a few words. Then, we were silent before the Lord.

Then, I started singing. The people joined me, praising God, singing a familiar song.

I noticed two things. First, I had started us off in the wrong key. It wasn’t wildly out. It was ok for most of the ladies, but a struggle for the men. As the worship leader I had accidentally set myself a huge challenge. The second thing I realised was that in the heat of a summers evening, my guitar had become horribly out of tune.

We kept going. I used the guitar as little as possible, and did my best. But there’s no question. I hadn’t prepared properly. I hadn’t checked the guitar properly. I should have done better. Much better.

Later, I reflected on what had happened. It was as if God was saying to me, ‘Don’t be over confident – don’t forget that this is not about you. It’s about me.’

It’s only now, a few days on, that I have been reminded of those six words.

‘I am the LORD your God.’

I praise you for who you are. You are the LORD my God.
Lord, forgive me for the times when I do things in my own strength.
The times when I forget to rely on you.
Forgive me for the moments when I don’t use the gifts which you have given me as well as I should. Forgive me when I forget who you are.
Forgive me for the moments when I act as if it’s all about me.
Thank you for the guiding touch of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for allowing me to draw close to you.
More than a friend. More than a brother.
You are the LORD my God.

Contemplative

Everyone’s Gotta Be Somewhere!

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In Episode 163 of The Goon Show, the highly esteemed BBC radio comedy from the 1950s, Neddy Seagoon happens across the childlike Eccles in a dark, damp, coal cellar. “What are you doing here?”, asks Seagoon. Eccles replies: “Everybody’s gotta be somewhere.”[i]

Eccles, it seems to me, had a point. It is a simple matter of the laws of physics and of common sense that all of us, at any point in our lives, have to be somewhere. The fact that we are somewhere, means we cannot simultaneously be anywhere else. I am sitting in the shade in my daughter’s back garden in Bristol. I cannot simultaneously be sitting on the terrace of my apartment in Horsham.

Eccles was right. “Everybody’s gotta be somewhere.”

The same is not true of God.

John 4:24 summarises a truth which permeates Scripture. ‘God is Spirit.’ From the first verses of Genesis at the beginning of the Bible through to the closing verses of Revelation Scripture makes clear that God is not constrained by the laws of science. He is not limited by geographical or political boundaries. He is global. He is universal. Our God is the creator of all things and is present by His Spirit throughout His creation (Isaiah 40:28). 

Unlike us, God can, by His Spirit, be everywhere at the same time.

We have a tendency to ‘compartmentalise’ our lives. We can easily start to see our work life as distinctly separate from our home life. Our behaviour during time spent with our friends can be very different from time spent with our family. Our expectations of our own behviour Saturday evening can be wildly different from our expectations of our behaviour on Sunday morning. Our attitude when driving our car can be completely different from our behaviour when visiting our Grandparents or our Grandchildren.

And yet another truth which permeates Scripture is the closeness of God. Wherever we go, regardless of our circumstances, God is always there.

23 Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? 24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NRSVUE))

Where, asks the Psalmist, can I go to get away from your Spirit?

Where can I go from your spirit?  Or where can I flee from your presence? (Psalm 139:7)                

The answer, ultimately, is ‘nowhere’. A God who is fills his creation with the Presence of His Spirit is everywhere. His presence extends to us as individuals.

Always ‘remember’, says Jesus to His followers, ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28: 20).

A God who is Spirit, who fills His creation, and is always present. When we’re facing an exam, or a hospital appointment, or a relationship breakdown, that can be a real comfort. When we’re dealing with bereavement, or anxiety about the future, or deep seated depression, that can be a lifeline.

God, we know, ‘is near to the broken hearted,  and saves the crushed in spirit.’ (Psalm 34:18)

But of course a God who is Spirit, who fills His creation, and is always present, creates a huge responsibility for all of us. A God who watches over us and never sleeps sees everything we do (Psalm 121, 3-4), and knows every word we say, even before we say it (Psalm 139:4). Nothing, but nothing is hidden from Him. We can compartmentalise our lives as much as we like. We can make excuses for our less than appropriate behaviour in dark corners of our life, but we can never hide our activities, even our thoughts, from Him.

A God who is Spirit, who fills His creation, who is always present, who is all knowing. This can feel burdensome, even overpowering. It can feel as if we are constantly on show. As if every error we make is being seen and noted. Yet this is balanced by the sense of His loving presence supporting, encouraging and blessing us at every point as we walk through life with Christ alongside us.

As followers of Jesus, we need to remind ourselves that the sense of burden which comes with our recognition of that ‘responsibility’, only kicks in if we are doing things which we know we should probably not be doing. The burden becomes heavier still, if we try to compartmentalise our lives in such a way that there are areas of our life which we would prefer that God did not see. Dark recesses where we hope that the light of His presence will not shine. Yet we have just reminded ourselves that such a ‘hidden’ place cannot – does not – exist. Scripture says that however hard we try to do that, we simply can’t hide ourselves from Him.

My point is that it starts to look a bit like this. If we’re doing the right thing, His presence is a comfort, an inspiration and a joy. If we’re not doing the right thing, His presence is a burden

When I drive to the shops, I can stick to my responsibility by driving at or below the speed limit. It might take me a minute or two longer to get to my destination than I would have liked, but I will arrive in one piece and by driving gently I will probably be calm and relaxed when I arrive. Alternatively, I can disregard my responsibilities to observe the rules by driving at excessive speed. I may get to the shop a couple of minutes earlier, but I am likely to feel slightly hyped up by the drive, and probably annoyed by the slower drivers who were in my way and slowing my progress. Driving at speed increases the chances of my involvement in an accident. An accident is damaging and can easily be harmful, even life changing, for me and for others. And of course, if I’m having a really bad day, I’ll have a speeding ticket as a souvenir. 

If I’m observing my responsibilities –if I’m doing the right thing – the Presence of God is an awesome thing. If I’m disregarding my responsibilities – going my own way – doing the wrong thing – His presence is something to be hidden from. Doing the right thing means that I can enjoy life to the full in His Presence. Deliberately doing the wrong thing creates a sense of anxiety and the desire to keep things hidden from God.

Adam and Eve tried to hide in the Garden of Eden. Jonah tried running away to escape from God. They all discovered that you simply can’t hide from God.

So, here’s the thing. Eccles was right. Everybody really has gotta be somewhere.

If you’re following Jesus, the teaching of Scripture is clear. Wherever that ‘somewhere’ may be, God will be there. You can try to hide. Or you can celebrate His presence. The choice is yours. If you are a follower of Jesus – you decide.

Contemplative

Do not despise the small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10)

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I was reminded this week that we sometimes need to look back to recognise how far we have come. Yet there are times when progress is slow. There are occasions when you look back and realise that you have not come as far as you hoped. You worked hard. You were focused. You have given your all. You are exhausted. Yet relatively little has been achieved.

Don’t despair. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have been doing it wrong. It sometimes means that you have done it right.

‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin….’

Zechariah 4:10

Contemplative

Easter 2023 (1 Corinthians 15:14)

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So, this is Easter Sunday. Easter is the point in the Christian calendar where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection from the dead. Jesus died. Jesus was buried. Jesus rose again. The empty cross. Game changer. (1 Corinthians 15:14)

As a brother of two sisters, a husband, and as the father of two very intelligent daughters, it saddens me more than I can say that in the 21st Century, too many people continue to be ready to think of  women as sort of second class. Actually, it makes me angry.

I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised. World history and culture are mainly patriarchal. In spite of some small steps forwards, misogyny has been, and sadly remains, deeply embedded in our culture and society. Progress is painful and slow. It doesn’t make it any easier, and it certainly doesn’t justify the issue, that this is actually a universal, global, and institutional problem.

Of course, I have always tried to value women in my life. My family. My friends. My colleagues. But I am a man.  There have been lots of times when I could, and should, have done better.  Times when I should have done things differently. I can’t get away from the fact that there have been times when I have almost certainly perpetuated the culture.  Even today, I am a work in progress.

The real sadness is that this is still a big issue in lots of UK Churches. Too often,  women are sidelined. Their activities are controlled.  There are jobs which they are expected to do. There are jobs which they are not expected to do. Within a few miles from my office there are several Churches where women would not be allowed to speak openly, and certainly not to preach or lead worship. There is at least one Church where a woman could not lead a Bible study. There are Churches where the female voice is not encouraged.

For most of her career, my wife was a Christian Children’s worker and Director, working with Churches of many denominations and has been invited to preach in many Churches.  Our local Anglican Church is led by a Rector who is a mother, leader and teacher. The Church is in a corner of the Diocese where the Bishop is a  strong and influential woman. A few years ago that would have been unthinkable. These small steps have been hard won over generations, and there is still so far to go.

To some people (men),  it might sound like I’m on some kind of feminist rant. Relax.  By most definitions, I am genetically prohibited from being a feminist.  So perhaps you might describe it as some kind of guilt trip. A personal apology for my own already confessed contribution to male dominance in our society. It’s not that either.

Here’s what is actually going on.

Like lots of people, I read the Easter story in all four Gospels this morning. As ever, I hoped that God would speak to me through His Word. He often does. The thing that hit me powerfully this morning was that in each account,  as with the news of his pending birth, the first people to recognise what was going on were women. That was no accident. That was deliberate.

I look at the Church, which has had huge historical impact in establishing our cultural norms across society, and I look at the place of women in our world, and as  Christian, I wonder how we ever got to where we are. Generations of Christian men have, after all, taught that Jesus is the example we should follow.

So, this is Easter. And here I am reflecting on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The moment when everything changed. Here I am recognising that in His life, and in His resurrection, Jesus demonstrated that He valued women every bit as much as men. Possibly even more.  Game changer.

Contemplative

Trust (Psalm 20:7)

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I’m in a cafe in York. Outside it’s cold and raining. In here it’s warm, dry and familiar. 

I’m reflecting on a recent conversation with my elderly mother. 

My Mum has an old coat. It’s a lightweight, comfortable sort of coat. When I was a kid people would have called it a windcheater.  Nowadays people would just call it a rather lightweight coat. In the right circumstances it’s a great coat. Sort of warm, dry and familiar. On a spring afternoon, my Mum can depend on it.

One winters day, when the temperature was around zero, I had called round to take her out for a trip. When I arrived, she was ready. There she was wearing her rather lightweight coat. “Mum,” I said, “it’s really cold out today. Why don’t we get your winter coat.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “This is a good coat.”

“It really is cold outside, Mum. You will need a thicker coat.”

“I will not be changing my coat.” She said, “This one is perfectly adequate. I’ll have you know that a few years ago I wore this coat at the North Pole.”

The lady was not for changing her coat. We ventured outside. After a few minutes my Mum was complaining about the cold. The rather lightweight coat might have been cheating the wind but it was no protection against the cold. I didn’t mention her trip to the North Pole.

As I’m sitting here reflecting on that conversation with my mother and her readiness to rely on an old windcheater, I’m reminded that we need to be careful about where we place our trust. We need to make sure that we put our trust in something which is worthy of it. 

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the LORD our God.

My Mum is 93 years old. She suffers from dementia. She has never been to the North Pole.

Contemplative

The Signpost (Matthew 7:24-27)

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Matthew 7:24-27

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Close to where I live, there is an old fashioned signpost. You probably know the sort I mean. A sort of black and white ‘finger post’. It tells the traveller the direction for Southwater, Horsham or Barns Green. When it was first set in place, these were quiet country lanes, with occasional visitors using horse drawn vehicles. Back then, we would have been reliant on this kind of signpost to help us to find our way to places. Now, of course, the roads are much busier with fast moving cars and delivery vans. Even if they are unfamiliar with the area, most drivers rely on SatNav to help them get to where they want to go. The signpost seems to belong to a different time. It’s a relic of times passed. It’s largely ignored. But it’s still there. And interestingly, it’s still accurate.

The point is that we have a tendency to overlook ‘old things’ which have, in our minds at least, been overtaken by events, time and technology. Map books. Signposts. They belong to a different era. They seem irrelevant. We take no particular interest in them even if they’re still there.

And that’s fine, except gadgets and technology are not infallible. Occasionally, SatNav lets us down. Sometimes we lose signal. There are moments when we need to make a decision and there is simply no app to help us out. We need to look somewhere else for wisdom and direction to give us the reassurance we need. There are moments when we wish we still had a ‘road atlas’. Sometimes we wish there was a signpost at the next junction to give us a clue.

Scripture is fairly old. Abraham lived about 4000 years ago, and it’s around 2000 years since Jesus started His ministry. It’s easy to think that the things of faith belong to a different time. A different era. We’re modern people with gadgets and technology. Apart from passing curiosity, what can Scripture possibly have to do with us.

Scripture is a bit like that ancient sign post. It was put in place ages ago, when the world was a very different place. The world has changed beyond recognition, yet like the Southwater signpost, the Bible still tells the truth. It still points us in the direction we should be going, and spells out where the alternative path leads.

Just noticing the Bible is there, even just reading the Bible isn’t enough. Our response to what we have read is what matters.

‘Signposts don’t walk in the direction they point. It is we humble mortals who must choose which way to go. The signpost is not responsible for our decision.’

John le Carre, Agent Running in the Field, Penguin, 2019, p.231

Contemplative

So, here’s the plan

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A few short months ago, I felt good. I was ahead of the game. Christmas was approaching. I had published my Advent posts. My Christmas blog post was drafted and pretty much ready to go. I had my New Year’s blog post sort of worked out in my mind.

One of the reasons I was getting prepared was because I was taking the first week of January off. I was excited. It’s a long time since I took a week off, and I’ve never done it at New Year. We made last minute plans to spend Christmas with my daughter in Bristol, and then to spend that precious first week of January in York. It had been a very busy few weeks. I was mentally clinging on for the break, and it was good to have my blog planned and mostly sorted.

Then, stuff happened. Family stuff. Most of it was small stuff, but some of it was massive. Someone really important to me was taken ill, and then sadly died. You get the picture. Christmas was not what I planned, and the New Year was a very muted affair. Some of the family live around 350 miles away. In the average year, I drive around 6,000 miles. By the 18th January this year I had already driven 2000 miles. My wife and I are physically and emotionally exhausted.

So much for my plans.

Of course, the Bible says that my plans are not actually what matters. It says that God has a plan for my life.

 Jeremiah 29:6 I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you..

He has a plan. It’s a good plan. It’s a plan which will do me good, not harm me.  So why, when for the first time in ages I had planned some proper sabbath style downtime, does a good and gracious God throw in a bunch of unexpected and very heavily weighted curved balls and leave me floundering at the start of this new year in an exhausted muddle.

The point is that it often seems that my plan, your plan, our plan, doesn’t always tie in with His. That can be disappointing. That can be frustrating. That can make us angry. But it shouldn’t. It really, really shouldn’t. That’s exactly how He said it would be.

In fact, it just emphasizes the risk of taking one verse out of context and imagining that it’s the whole story. Of course, the verse is true. If you are in Christ, God’s plan for you is perfect. And it is good. It’s very good. But it has more to do with your whole life than with the things you were planning to do next week. God looks at our lives from a very different perspective. He sees whole life differently. His plan for you is eternal. And it is awesome. God gives us the freedom to make our own plans – we’re designed to be able to use our own initiative – but you see nowhere in the Bible does He give me the right to make my own plans and expect them to always work out. That’s not how it works.

I can plan as much as I like, but He will always have the masterplan.

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

So, right now I’m exhausted. I’m a bit low. I’m mourning, and I’m hurting for some of my relatives who are really in pain and experiencing loss right now.

But I’m trusting the Christ who said he would always be with me. I’m trusting a God who will not let me down.

Psalm 138:8: The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. 

So, you might ask. If I had been so far ahead, where is my well carefully crafted Christmas message? What are my sparkling philosophical reflections for the New Year?

As I said, they’re drafted and ready to go. I’ll publish them next Christmas. I really am ahead of the game!