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  • Lent 2019

    Lent 2019

    Over the weeks of Lent this year we went through the Gospel of Luke at our Chapel on Tuesday nights, watching the Lumo Project videos and following the narrative in our bibles.  We also watched the version of the Gospel of Mark during our café church. Viewing both provided a different perspective on some events.  Sometimes watching the Gospel’s (the video series use the NIV version) allows us to recognise things that were not immediately obvious to us; we can pick up on visual clues as much as audible clues. This certainly became evident during our discussions after watching where we could see emotion expressed through the video.

    Our church has the DVD’s but you can find them on Youtube and on bible.com too:

    The Gospel of Luke

    The Gospel of Mark

    One of the things we picked up on in discussion is that Luke’s Gospel includes a lot about the humanity of things, such as when Mary went to see Elizabeth.  I suppose with being a physician, it is appropriate for him to write about the reaction of John in Elizabeth’s womb to the sound of Mary’s voice; he takes a similar approach in other parts of the narrative where he brings out the human nature of things. It is a very human experience, two mothers to be getting together, supporting each other, but at the same time we have John’s reaction; unrestricted, without physical boundaries, he shows clearly how joyful our spirit can be, through family, through Mary, through Jesus.,

    Mark’s Gospel was dynamic, and quick at first, it had to be for the intended Roman audience, but he slows the pace during the last days of Jesus’s mission among the people of Israel to bring out the ‘drama’, and I would guess to emphasise the importance of it all. It provided a nice contrast of narrative styles, with plenty of crossover but also some elements set apart between the Gospel narratives, and the narrative of Mary and Elizabeth is one you’ll find in Luke but not in Mark.

    Luke 1:39-45 New International Version (NIV)

    Mary Visits Elizabeth

    39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!”

    We can have great joy in knowing Jesus, as John the Baptist did, and like Mary, we can ponder all it brings within our hearts.

  • The First and the Last Vine

    The First and the Last Vine

    This is the first vine.

    One day a seed was planted in good soil, and a great vine grew tall and strong upon the earth. It grew stronger with each year and bore healthy fruit.

    One day, some men were passing and saw the vine and said to themselves “we like this vine, we will take a cutting from it and replant this vine in our own land” and so they took a cutting off the branches of the vine and replanted it in their own lands. The cutting grew roots and started to grow into a strong vine but it was not as great as the vine they had seen; its fruit was not as plentiful, however they were pleased with what they had grown and were happy for the new vine to remain. They kept the fruit and the seeds of this new vine to themselves.

    It is not the first vine.

    On yet another day, someone else was passing this new vine and decided to take some of the seeds, and yet another took a cutting, and so new vines grew strong in other land, but they were not as strong even though the fruit was good. Some did not keep the seed for themselves and shared it with others, but the vines that grew from the seed were not strong and had weak roots. So this continued with people taking cuttings from the first vine or growing vines from cuttings or from seed not of the first vine.

    These are not the first vine.

    Some people decided they would not take cuttings or plant seeds, but were jealous of the vines other people had planted, so they made their own from materials such as stone, brick, gold or silver. They tried to build larger than the first vine but were not able to match the growth of the vine which was tall and had many branches.

    These are not vines.

    As time progressed, some vines withered and died because they did not have the same strength as the first vine, and the vines made from other materials weathered away; Yet other vines died through the effort of men. Men had became competitive, glorifying their vines saying “my vine is better than yours, it’s fruit is sweeter, is more abundant and does not rot before it is consumed.”

    The first vine was forgotten.

    Eventually all the men started to argue more about whose vine was greater, war and famine ensued and the first vines growth started to suffer as man attempted to cast shadows over all the vines to spite their neighbours. Many vines withered and died, the fruit of the first vine did not appear.

    Time passed.

    Eventually someone walked by the first vine and noticed it was strong with deep roots and many branches, but was without fruit. They wondered what the fruit of the vine would be like. So they decided to nurture the vine and each season they would fertilise the soil around it, prune the dead wood and encourage new growth. All of their efforts were rewarded with time, and the vine bore fruit again. They shared the fruit with others who left their vines to wither to dust so they might benefit from the first vine. Everyone rejoiced in how lucky they were to have such a vine.

    It is the true vine.
    This is the last vine.

  • Trust in God

    Trust in God

    This week I went to the dentist and it occurred to me when I was going that we place a certain amount of trust in those who care for us whenever we visit, we become vulnerable, but we often only place that trust in them when we are there.

    Whereas, as Children of God, we place our trust in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost every minute and every second of every day; so too must we become vulnerable to open ourselves up for His place in our lives. The trust we place in Him is far greater than any trust we place in individuals and I know I have fallen short of that at times.

    I often need to remind myself that it is I, and not God, that is the source of any fear and doubt when I lack trust and that I must do my best to repay His trust in me because His trust never falters.  It will never vanish off the face of this earth and it is an eternal trust we receive, a parental trust and something so far greater than anything anyone could possibly return.  But return it we do, whenever and wherever we can, in prayer, in honesty, in who we are, for it is in and through Jesus that we find our salvation, by being like him, by learning from him, in seeing Him in ourselves and in each other, in loving God our Father and in loving our neighbour as we do ourselves.

    Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
    Matthew 26:39 NIV

    This weekend we will hear and read about the events that took place in and around Jerusalem so many years ago.  Jesus placed all of his trust in his Father, in our Father.  Even when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was at his most vulnerable his trust in his Father remained steadfast, and his resolve to complete the most glorious gift we can ever receive remained strong, and he completed it through faith, through trust, and through love.

    God bless you all this Easter.

  • Kingdom, power and glory

    Kingdom, power and glory

    Have you ever wondered where the words

    “For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever”

    in the Lords Prayer, the Our Father, originate?

    I did up until recently.  I was puzzled as to why it is different from the Bible and during a recent bible study through the Pilgrim course I found out why.

    It turns out the early church added the words after the prayer Jesus taught became more widely used.  The context is the end of David’s life after the preparation of everything for the building of the temple.

    David’s Praise to God

    10 Then David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly; David said: ‘Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, for ever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Riches and honour come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name.

    14 ‘But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to make this freewill-offering? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

    1 Chronicles 29:10-14 New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

    There’s a couple of things to take note of in this verse too:

    • ‘All the assembly’ refers to all of the gathered people of God in the temple – everyone was there!
    • ‘Blessed are you O Lord’ is an ancient Jewish way of beginning prayer, which is still used today in many prayers.

    I discovered a deeper understanding and attachment to the Lords Prayer throughout the time we studied it.

    Take some time and look at each line of the prayer, what does it mean to you?

    Which part of the Our Father stands out the most or is most relevant to your right now?

  • The Lords Prayer in the Bible

    The Lords Prayer in the Bible

    The Lords Prayer, as Jesus taught us to pray, is found in two of the Gospels in the New Testament. It appears in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.

    First the appearance in the Gospel of Matthew:

    Matthew 6:9-13 New International Version (NIV)

    9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
    “‘Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name,
    10 your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
        on earth as it is in heaven.
    11 Give us today our daily bread.
    12 And forgive us our debts,
        as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
        but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

    And the appearance in the Gospel of Luke:

    Luke 11:2-4 New International Version (NIV)

    2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:“‘Father,[a]
    hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come.[b]
    3 Give us each day our daily bread.
    4 Forgive us our sins,
        for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c]
    And lead us not into temptation.[d]’”

    Footnotes
    [a] Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts Our Father in heaven
    [b] Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
    [c]Luke 11:4 Greek everyone who is indebted to us
    [d] Luke 11:4 Some manuscripts temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

     

     

  • The Lords Prayer

    The Lords Prayer

    We restarted our weekly bible study at cafe church following on from the busy Christmas period with the second instalment of the Pilgrim course – the Lords Prayer.

    To start, here are the two versions that you come across in a worship service, use at home, in work or elsewhere.

    Traditional Version

    Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name;
    thy kingdom come;
    thy will be done;
    on earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us.
    And lead us not into temptation;
    but deliver us from evil.
    For thine is the kingdom,
    the power and the glory,
    for ever and ever. Amen

    Contemporary Version

    Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on  earth as in heaven.
    Give us today our daily bread.
    Forgive us our sins
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
    Lead us not into temptation
    but delivery us from evil.
    For the kingdom, the power,
    and the glory are yours
    now and for ever. Amen

    I grew up to learn and use the traditional language version of The Lords Prayer. It always makes me giggle a bit when, if I’m in a prayer group, either myself or someone else forgets we’re reading the contemporary version and slots in thy or says trespass instead of sin. Years of use makes me switch automatically into the traditional version without batting an eyelid, and it’s made me feel extremely conscious of which version is being used, especially in church or in groups. I have become more accustomed to the contemporary version over time, and I feel comfortable with it these days, it is just that habits are learnt and difficult to break and we have a tendency to revert, or if you like, run back to the things we feel more comfortable with.

    [I will attempt to catch up with my blog to ensure I get all my thoughts together for future use and to create the writing habit that needs reviving.]

  • Lean on me

    Lean on me

    I was listening to the radio this week on the way home from work, and they were playing Bill Withers ‘Lean On Me.’

    It’s been a while since I’ve listened to the song, but it occurred to me that I’d never actually listened to the lyrics before, just letting the song wash over me.

    The chorus is fantastic of course:

    “Lean on me, when you’re not strong
    And I’ll be your friend
    I’ll help you carry on
    For it won’t be long
    ‘Til I’m gonna need
    Somebody to lean on.”

    Everybody at some point in their lives needs somebody to lean on, someone they trust, who will hold them up and support them, who will brighten their day in dark times, who will not criticise, never disappoint, will hold confidences, sympathise and wrap you in warmth and comfort.

    Sounds nice, doesn’t it!

    A shoulder that is reliable, constantly there if we need it, and yet we do not have to rely on physical shoulders.  There is a massive amount of comfort to be held in spiritual support, and there’s only one thing we need to do to receive it, open our hearts to God, pray through Jesus and release the Holy Spirit that resides within us all.  Pray as often as we can and read the bible.  There’s a huge amount of support to be found in scripture, but you won’t find it if you don’t know that it’s there.  The Gideon NT, and most Bibles these days have references to scripture for various times of life; Pinterest is full of them.

    I thank God that I can lean on Him whenever I struggle with life.  I disappoint myself that I sometimes forget to do this, but in times of reflection (usually after the fact), I recognise that I should be putting God first in situations, asking for His guidance and support beforehand, and not afterwards.

    I thank God that when other people lean on us, He helps us support them, whatever weight we place on Him He provides support, we cannot fall; if we do it is through our negligence, but God is always there to pick us up.

    We will always have Jesus by our side to lean on because when others lean on anyone who has given their heart to Christ, they too are leaning on Him, whether they know it or not.

    People need others to lean on.  When they are walking through dark times, through the shadows of doubt, fear, sickness and sorrow, but out of the pit of darkness, we all provide the support and strength that others are lacking as they walk this part of their path.  Everyone can provide a light to brighten the path; we help hold them up when they are falling, He helps us all do that; we are their comfort in their sorrow, and we rejoice as much as they do when they can.

    People lean on us, so it is important that we lean on God so that they also lean on Him, we do so through the words and life of Jesus, through recognising and accepting His gifts within us, and by utilising the Holy Spirit to bring Gods will upon this earth into fruition.

  • Strength in adversity

    Strength in adversity

    But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
    2 Corinthians 12:9 NIVUK
    https://bible.com/bible/113/2co.12.9.NIVUK

  • Not a number

    This may be finished, it may be not,
    I’ve yet to get past the wording clot
    so in the meantime enjoy my rhyme
    and I will be writing another time…

    Oh, my Lord, He loves us all,
    I beg thee see the truth
    and answer to Gods open call
    to live with love and youth.
    He grants us life, to do His will
    upon this Earth so bleak.
    I wonder while I tread this mill
    if I am seen as meek?

    To walk the path of good is hard,
    it’s often less well travelled.
    So many temptations, be on your guard
    or else be cruelly unravelled.
    Wear Gods armour, pray each day
    and turn yourself from evil,
    for the devil and his hunters prey
    upon the soul primaeval.

    I pity those who wake, to die,
    and envy those who will
    sleep peacefully, as a baby, aye
    so calm, and very still.
    I lie here till my Lord doth come
    to wake me from my slumber
    and on that day rejoice, it’s done,
    I am no more a number.

    This is my ‘verse of today’ :)

    Father, God in Heaven,
    we thank you from the bottom of our hearts
    for everything that is good in our lives.
    Thank you for allowing us to share in your love,
    for being a vessel to share that love with others,
    and granting us the opportunity
    to see the joy that it brings to others.
    We often do not spend enough time with you,
    but are thankful that you are always here with us,
    despite our inadequacies,
    Help us to become better disciples,
    through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
    who resides with you, and intercedes on our behalf.

    Amen

  • Pilgrim IV: Belief in the Holy Spirit

    Pilgrim IV: Belief in the Holy Spirit

    I enjoy talking about the Holy Spirit at church, there are many varied experiences and views of how it has had an effect on people and influences our lives.  Before looking at the well-known passage below, we were all encouraged to share how or when we have experienced the presence of God in our lives.

    This section of the Pilgrim course focused on Acts 2:1-4

    The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

    2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

    Footnotes:

    1. Acts 2:4 Or languages; also in verse 11

    Reflection included:

    • What comes to mind when you hear the words Holy  Spirit?
    • Why do you think it was so important to early Christians?
    • Do you experience the presence of God today? Would you call on the Holy Spirit?

    This, of course, is not the first time we’ve looked at the Holy Spirit during Bite Nites, and certainly not the first time we’ve looked at what happened during Pentecost in relation to it.

    To put it into context, we’re in the middle of one of the largest celebrations (if not one of the longest running festivals of all time).  People are arriving from many different places and countries, and there are many different languages and dialects being spoken among the people. in situations like that, we’re all too aware that misunderstandings are easy to arise.  It is not only the language but also the cultural differences, expression, slang, mannerisms among others that cause us problems when we communicate.

    The marvellous event to follow, happened to all of the disciples gathered in the room; not just a chosen few. Imagine their delight when they realised that what they were saying was being understood by people who previously could not understand them.  There must have been so many problems communicating before this, taking a long time for understanding to be communicated and at times missed altogether.

    Now that they were able to communicate across the language barrier with ease, that everything they’d had difficulty in expressing in other languages can suddenly be expressed simply because the person hearing them can understand them, must have been an exhilarating experience.  You can almost sense the joy and happiness radiating from their very core.  It’s no wonder some of the onlookers thought they were drunk; they would have been under the influence of extreme happiness with not a drop of alcohol in sight.

    There were other opinions too, people who refused to believe their eyes or their ears, and those who thought it was magic at work, or a trick to deceive them; but for those who trust in what they were seeing, and in what they were hearing this is truly miraculous and will have changed their lives forever.  Imagine being there, witnessing this for yourself; how could you refuse to believe in the love of God, His word, His son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit.

    I have to admit that I have admiration for anyone who is multilingual.  I am attempting to learn a few languages myself and I can appreciate how much effort you will have put into learning to be fluent in more than one language.  I was enormously pleased with being able to use the Hebrew phrase Ze Beseder in work today; one of my colleagues told me he’d had some ginger biscuits from the tin on my desk; I believe it was an appropriate way of saying it’s ok and it made me pleased too as he told me I said it correctly (despite my pause to mentally rehearse saying it).

    It’s good to talk :)

    Dear Father, God in Heaven,
    We thank you for providing us with skills,
    with an ability to communicate
    and with patience to learn.
    Assist us in using those skills
    to cross the walls we surround ourselves with.
    Help us to break down all our barriers,
    to use your gifts so that we too can share your word
    and demonstrate your work among us.
    Grant us a bridge over our cultural differences,
    that we might find peace in all our lives
    and make all that is built by mankind good in your eyes.
    Let us see past the limits that we put on ourselves,
    and help us to recognise your Holy Spirit residing within each of us
    and truly see the gifts you bestow on us all;
    that we may serve you faithfully,
    in truth, with all our heart,
    with all our mind
    and with all our body.
    This we pray, guided by your Holy Spirit
    and in the name of Jesus Christ,
    your son,     our saviour and Lord

    Amen