I know that the church frowns upon Hallowe'en and discourages doorstep trick or treating, but I would like to offer an alternative viewpoint.
At a recent Sunday service Mark asked the question, "What is sin?" and I suggested one answer is that it is what separates us from God. Looking at the story of Adam and Eve in the Good News Bible, I noticed that it wasn't so much the sin that separated them from God - it was fear. I thought about how Paul reached the unbelievers by meeting with them where they were at. How often do we get non-Christians knocking on our door in the hoping of receiving a gift? Can I suggest that as Christ's body, we shouldn't be turning those people away with nothing - that we take a loving look at those that come knocking and offer them something special?
How's this for a suggestion: we create some sort of 'token' along with an invitation to the inaugural meeting of the Beacon in the new sports hall at Kings - invite them to come along to that service where they will be able to redeem their token for a gift. (The gift could be a goody bag which includes a tract - plus information about Kids' Club, Kids' Church etc. - maybe the bags could be age appropriate). Then any church members that wish to take part, hand out these 'tokens' and invitations to the 4th November service to any trick or treaters knocking at the door on Wednesday night.
I realise we haven't got much time to organise something like this but feel that it is achievable nonetheless!
As I've been cataloguing books for the Beacon Library, I happen to have a Good News Bible that was amongst the books donated by Trish McQ, which she in turn had received from someone else. I picked it up this morning to re-read the verse where Adam and Eve first hide from God, and came across a bookmark which says: "God longs to do good things for us. So few experience His goodness because so few believe in it". I took this as encouragement that we should use our best endeavours to spread the word of God's goodness. This seems like a way to do it and to capitalise on the opportunity of having unbelievers coming to our very doorstep.
Saturday 27 October 2007
Monday 22 October 2007
Sunday 21stOctober 2007: Mark's preaching on Joshua 10:29-43 – A response
The passage is titled, 'Southern cities conquered'. This is the story of Joshua on the offensive. It makes uncomfortable reading to modern-day readers. It tells of what would be referred to nowadays as 'ethnic cleansing'. Every moral fibre of our body cries out against each 'conquest'. With eloquent understatement, Mark described it as a 'difficult' passage from which to preach. Last summer as the sermon series followed the book of Acts, we encountered something similar: Saul persecuting the 'followers of the Way', seeking them out with murderous intent. Mark characterised the Saul of that time as a 'baddie', yet Joshua is generally regarded to be one of the heroes of the house of Israel. From where did he get his mandate for what he did? We are told he was doing all that Moses had commanded, all that Moses had left undone, in accordance with the commandment Moses had from the Lord. Non-believers aren't afraid to ask the question: how does this fit the picture of a benevolent and loving God? I think it's a valid question. Can we doubt that these violent acts were really commanded by God? Let's have a look at some other scriptures.
Psalm 40:6 tells us 'sacrifice and offering you did not desire'.
Hosea 6:6 'For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.'
Matthew 9:13 'But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 12:7 "If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent."
Hebrews 10:8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them"
and from Isaiah 66:2 "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit …"
In the light of these words, were Joshua's actions pleasing to a Lord who desires no sacrifice except that of our pride?
The prophet laments (Jeremiah 17:9) 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?' and immediately we have the response: "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind,
I would like to suggest something quite controversial. I would like to suggest that human beings (including the heroes of the Old Testament) are prone to error – sometimes we get it wrong. When we look at the world, we're looking at it with many preconceived notions. The experiences we have, we interpret according to our thoughts. If our thinking is flawed, so will be the conclusions we draw from our experiences. Those flawed conclusions will then affect our behaviour and decisions. Psychologists talk about projection. Here is an example of how it works: if I'm inclined to take what belongs to other people, it is likely that I will make the assumption that other people will take what belongs to me: to project my own faults onto others. Thus I will fear encounters, and be defensive when meeting others. If in my defensive state I misinterpret something, I may then go on the offensive. The problem is then compounded because this is likely to put others on the defensive – driven by their own fears.
The 'heart' (the core of our beliefs – the body of conclusions we've drawn from our life experience to date – all that affects our response to each encounter) may be deceitful above all things, but not beyond cure. That is why Jesus came. The Israelites had had the law for generations, but they were misinterpreting it, missing the point. Jesus came and taught that the real meaning of the law was only seen when interpreted with love: love for God, love for our 'neighbour' (which in the story of the Good Samaritan, he made it clear was defined as anyone whom we encounter on our journey) and love for ourselves. He modelled the way of love, every word and action motivated not by fear but by love. Then he went home and sent out his Spirit to search our 'hearts', to test our thoughts and to provide guidance and good counsel so that as we read and absorb the story of the Israelites and reflect upon it in the light of Jesus' teaching, we will be able to use it as a mirror and to check our own 'hearts'. When we spot something out of alignment with the image of a benevolent and loving God (as modelled by Jesus), we can 'take every thought captive to Christ' – confess our wrong thinking to each other and pray for each other. As we bring it to the light, the Spirit will be able to cure our 'hearts'. When we learn to embrace Jesus as the atonement, when we learn to extend the Kingdom of Heaven (where love reigns eternal) to our neighbour, to love as we are loved, then God's name will no longer be held in disrepute by non-believers.
This morning as I re-read the passage, my mind went off at a seeming tangent. I thought about the internet world – specifically about 'Usenet' or newsgroups, as they are called, where people (called 'posters') from all over the world are able to gather together in the virtual sense and have a conversation. In my early days on Usenet I would occasionally come across the word 'kerplunk'. I soon learnt that this was used by a poster to indicate that they had 'killfiled' another poster. A kill file was a way of ensuring that any conversational gambit written by the 'killfiled' poster would not be seen by the person making the kill file. In other words, it was a way of saying, "May it be as though you are dead to me". We may not go around putting a sword to every person or group of people we consider to be 'not one of us' (at least I hope we don't!), but do we walk the extra mile as Jesus asks – do we endeavour to listen to those whose words we may find offensive and look into the mirror with Christ's help to allow him to search our hearts and minds and purify them, refine them, so that every encounter becomes a testimony to God's love, bringing truth, justice, mercy, forgiveness, grace and healing to our world?
Our God is a God of relationships and calls us into relationship. If those relationships are flawed and not fully subject to the rule of love, I believe He wants to assist us in setting them right. He is, after all, the God of redemption.
Psalm 40:6 tells us 'sacrifice and offering you did not desire'.
Hosea 6:6 'For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.'
Matthew 9:13 'But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 12:7 "If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent."
Hebrews 10:8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them"
and from Isaiah 66:2 "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit …"
In the light of these words, were Joshua's actions pleasing to a Lord who desires no sacrifice except that of our pride?
The prophet laments (Jeremiah 17:9) 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?' and immediately we have the response: "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind,
I would like to suggest something quite controversial. I would like to suggest that human beings (including the heroes of the Old Testament) are prone to error – sometimes we get it wrong. When we look at the world, we're looking at it with many preconceived notions. The experiences we have, we interpret according to our thoughts. If our thinking is flawed, so will be the conclusions we draw from our experiences. Those flawed conclusions will then affect our behaviour and decisions. Psychologists talk about projection. Here is an example of how it works: if I'm inclined to take what belongs to other people, it is likely that I will make the assumption that other people will take what belongs to me: to project my own faults onto others. Thus I will fear encounters, and be defensive when meeting others. If in my defensive state I misinterpret something, I may then go on the offensive. The problem is then compounded because this is likely to put others on the defensive – driven by their own fears.
The 'heart' (the core of our beliefs – the body of conclusions we've drawn from our life experience to date – all that affects our response to each encounter) may be deceitful above all things, but not beyond cure. That is why Jesus came. The Israelites had had the law for generations, but they were misinterpreting it, missing the point. Jesus came and taught that the real meaning of the law was only seen when interpreted with love: love for God, love for our 'neighbour' (which in the story of the Good Samaritan, he made it clear was defined as anyone whom we encounter on our journey) and love for ourselves. He modelled the way of love, every word and action motivated not by fear but by love. Then he went home and sent out his Spirit to search our 'hearts', to test our thoughts and to provide guidance and good counsel so that as we read and absorb the story of the Israelites and reflect upon it in the light of Jesus' teaching, we will be able to use it as a mirror and to check our own 'hearts'. When we spot something out of alignment with the image of a benevolent and loving God (as modelled by Jesus), we can 'take every thought captive to Christ' – confess our wrong thinking to each other and pray for each other. As we bring it to the light, the Spirit will be able to cure our 'hearts'. When we learn to embrace Jesus as the atonement, when we learn to extend the Kingdom of Heaven (where love reigns eternal) to our neighbour, to love as we are loved, then God's name will no longer be held in disrepute by non-believers.
This morning as I re-read the passage, my mind went off at a seeming tangent. I thought about the internet world – specifically about 'Usenet' or newsgroups, as they are called, where people (called 'posters') from all over the world are able to gather together in the virtual sense and have a conversation. In my early days on Usenet I would occasionally come across the word 'kerplunk'. I soon learnt that this was used by a poster to indicate that they had 'killfiled' another poster. A kill file was a way of ensuring that any conversational gambit written by the 'killfiled' poster would not be seen by the person making the kill file. In other words, it was a way of saying, "May it be as though you are dead to me". We may not go around putting a sword to every person or group of people we consider to be 'not one of us' (at least I hope we don't!), but do we walk the extra mile as Jesus asks – do we endeavour to listen to those whose words we may find offensive and look into the mirror with Christ's help to allow him to search our hearts and minds and purify them, refine them, so that every encounter becomes a testimony to God's love, bringing truth, justice, mercy, forgiveness, grace and healing to our world?
Our God is a God of relationships and calls us into relationship. If those relationships are flawed and not fully subject to the rule of love, I believe He wants to assist us in setting them right. He is, after all, the God of redemption.
Monday 1 October 2007
'From my notebook': Power & Creativity
Power
We give some people power over us
- if we respect someone and trust their judgement, we give them the power to influence us (or alternatively, they win the power to influence us by gaining our respect).
- if we love someone, we give them power over us
- if we are afraid of someone, that allows them to have power over us
- authority vested from outside (eg. boss to subordinate relationship).
Creativity
'The bible reading today was about memories - how we try to suppress the bad ones, but they pop up at times to drag us down. As I meditated on what I had learned (and asked healing for my own painful memories), I came to a full realisation that LOVE INSPIRES CREATIVITY (whether the creation might be an artistic work, or sometimes it might be something more ethereal, like the success we make of our lives). When we love, it inspires us to greater heights (eg. Hazel's current artistic embroidery of the dove). Also led me on to ask whether the great creative geniuses had a greater capacity for love. Would be interesting to find out whether they were particularly inspired by love. Love is a reaching out to others - just as creativity is. Where is the joy in creating something if we are the only ones to experience it - if we have no audience to appreciate it. We seek the appreciation of those we love for the things we do that we are proud of. One discouraging word about our creation from someone we love is more powerful than paeons of praise from someone for whom we feel no respect/love.
God created the world. His creation was perfect and beautiful. He wants His children (whom He loves) to love Him and to appreciate the beauty of His creation.
From my notebook: 15th April 1987
We give some people power over us
- if we respect someone and trust their judgement, we give them the power to influence us (or alternatively, they win the power to influence us by gaining our respect).
- if we love someone, we give them power over us
- if we are afraid of someone, that allows them to have power over us
- authority vested from outside (eg. boss to subordinate relationship).
Creativity
'The bible reading today was about memories - how we try to suppress the bad ones, but they pop up at times to drag us down. As I meditated on what I had learned (and asked healing for my own painful memories), I came to a full realisation that LOVE INSPIRES CREATIVITY (whether the creation might be an artistic work, or sometimes it might be something more ethereal, like the success we make of our lives). When we love, it inspires us to greater heights (eg. Hazel's current artistic embroidery of the dove). Also led me on to ask whether the great creative geniuses had a greater capacity for love. Would be interesting to find out whether they were particularly inspired by love. Love is a reaching out to others - just as creativity is. Where is the joy in creating something if we are the only ones to experience it - if we have no audience to appreciate it. We seek the appreciation of those we love for the things we do that we are proud of. One discouraging word about our creation from someone we love is more powerful than paeons of praise from someone for whom we feel no respect/love.
God created the world. His creation was perfect and beautiful. He wants His children (whom He loves) to love Him and to appreciate the beauty of His creation.
From my notebook: 15th April 1987
'From my notebook': 7 April 1987
(Notes from a Seminar, supplemented by my own notes)
Low self-esteem is the devil's greatest tool
- WHY?
Why is this the devil's greatest weapon?
Self image = an important factor in determining the course of our life, very influential (second only to our concept of God).
'Psycho-cybernetics' - "Steering your mind to a productive, useful goal .... so you can reach the greatest port in the world ... peace of mind." (Dr. Maxwell Maltz)
New faces = new futures - book of case histories showing amazing changes which can take place
BUT: some failures - even after plastic surgery, some people don't change their self-image. New faces do not automatically change self-image
- possible to change the picture they have of themselves. Reconstruct and remove old emotional scars.
Self-image is the key to change, and the key to relationships.
1) Sense of belongingness - of being loved, wanted, accepted, enjoyed, etc. (believed to begin before birth!)
2) Sense of worth and being
3) Being comptetent - able to cope
These three combine to give triad of feelings. Where do these concepts come from?
(Evolutionary -v- Child of God? 'Clever animal' -v- 'super system' (like a computer)?
What are the things of Christian life that help us to build up in these three areas, of belonging, of sense of worth, of being able to cope?
Caught up into God's family - and also learn we have part to play in God's plan. Cross + doctrine of redemption - covenant relationship - BOUGHT us by his blood.
The doctrine of Grace + irrespective of education, etc., we take our place within the church - no distinctions of status, or of powerlessness, all under grace.
How can church give people this feeling of intrinsic value and worth?
- show real love in concern for them, sharing, etc.; take interest in what is going on in their lives (even the most 'difficult' people to deal with may meet love in the church to build up sense of worth).
- recognising God-given gifts
- allowing people to contribute in any way they can; each job IS important
How can church give people this feeling of competence?
- Apostle Paul: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". God gives the strength - he enables us to do the jobs he has called us to;
- people may need to be helped to recognise that things or gifts God has given are God-given and important (may require an act of Faith - stepping out in belief that God will be able to uphold us)
Factors affecting concept of self:
1) Outer world: inheritance, birth, infancy, experiences to date - how were we treated in early years?
2) Inner world
3) Satan & forces of evil
4) God
Formative years = most important
'Looking glass self' - in childhood we see ourselves by how others relate to us ('Now we see in a mirror dimly ...') . Part of maturity is gaining a fuller understanding.
We begin to take on the shape of the person we see reflected in the way our parents see us - how they treat us. What if their view of us is distorted by their own experiences? That distorted perception can distort us.
Our feelings of inadequacy stop us being our best for Jesus.
Being neglected in our formative years; cut-downs, syrupy, make-believe love: these lead to hurts and emotional scars that can last a lifetime. [USEFUL TO GAIN INSIGHT, BUT NOT TO APPORTION BLAME]
Here ends the notes from the seminar. The following comments were thoughts triggered by the seminar:
LET'S NOT CRIPPLE OUR CHILDREN WITH OUR OWN INADEQUACIES!
Vicious circle - if parents are not themselves emotionally mature, how can they successfully bring children to this maturity? If the tools for self-determination are not placed firmly in the hands of young adults, can they ever break the cycle? How does society help to make young adults feel they belong - foster a sense of worth, of being comptetent and able to cope? What sense of worth does a widow raising young children feel? If we take money as a measure of value - how much do we value our housewives and mothers and widows? What importance is placed on these roles in our society? They have the tremendous responsibility of raising the future generation, yet how much do they get paid for doing it?
Mothers are constantly under attack - ie. their self-esteem negatively influenced by insidious powers of modern society - ad-man's image of perfect house, perfect mum - gourmet cook, career woman and home-maker par excellence. If they don't match up to these impossible ideals, they experience feelings of failure.
This, plus their own emotional scars and clutter, adversely affects their ability to deal in a detached way, yet with loving involvement, with their children. Our own negative experiences cause us to react negatively to our children. We repeat our own childhood patterns of discipline - follow the imperfect examples our own parents set - UNLESS the circle can be broken.
Low self-esteem is the devil's greatest tool
- WHY?
Why is this the devil's greatest weapon?
Self image = an important factor in determining the course of our life, very influential (second only to our concept of God).
'Psycho-cybernetics' - "Steering your mind to a productive, useful goal .... so you can reach the greatest port in the world ... peace of mind." (Dr. Maxwell Maltz)
New faces = new futures - book of case histories showing amazing changes which can take place
BUT: some failures - even after plastic surgery, some people don't change their self-image. New faces do not automatically change self-image
- possible to change the picture they have of themselves. Reconstruct and remove old emotional scars.
Self-image is the key to change, and the key to relationships.
1) Sense of belongingness - of being loved, wanted, accepted, enjoyed, etc. (believed to begin before birth!)
2) Sense of worth and being
3) Being comptetent - able to cope
These three combine to give triad of feelings. Where do these concepts come from?
(Evolutionary -v- Child of God? 'Clever animal' -v- 'super system' (like a computer)?
What are the things of Christian life that help us to build up in these three areas, of belonging, of sense of worth, of being able to cope?
Caught up into God's family - and also learn we have part to play in God's plan. Cross + doctrine of redemption - covenant relationship - BOUGHT us by his blood.
The doctrine of Grace + irrespective of education, etc., we take our place within the church - no distinctions of status, or of powerlessness, all under grace.
How can church give people this feeling of intrinsic value and worth?
- show real love in concern for them, sharing, etc.; take interest in what is going on in their lives (even the most 'difficult' people to deal with may meet love in the church to build up sense of worth).
- recognising God-given gifts
- allowing people to contribute in any way they can; each job IS important
How can church give people this feeling of competence?
- Apostle Paul: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". God gives the strength - he enables us to do the jobs he has called us to;
- people may need to be helped to recognise that things or gifts God has given are God-given and important (may require an act of Faith - stepping out in belief that God will be able to uphold us)
Factors affecting concept of self:
1) Outer world: inheritance, birth, infancy, experiences to date - how were we treated in early years?
2) Inner world
3) Satan & forces of evil
4) God
Formative years = most important
'Looking glass self' - in childhood we see ourselves by how others relate to us ('Now we see in a mirror dimly ...') . Part of maturity is gaining a fuller understanding.
We begin to take on the shape of the person we see reflected in the way our parents see us - how they treat us. What if their view of us is distorted by their own experiences? That distorted perception can distort us.
Our feelings of inadequacy stop us being our best for Jesus.
Being neglected in our formative years; cut-downs, syrupy, make-believe love: these lead to hurts and emotional scars that can last a lifetime. [USEFUL TO GAIN INSIGHT, BUT NOT TO APPORTION BLAME]
Here ends the notes from the seminar. The following comments were thoughts triggered by the seminar:
LET'S NOT CRIPPLE OUR CHILDREN WITH OUR OWN INADEQUACIES!
Vicious circle - if parents are not themselves emotionally mature, how can they successfully bring children to this maturity? If the tools for self-determination are not placed firmly in the hands of young adults, can they ever break the cycle? How does society help to make young adults feel they belong - foster a sense of worth, of being comptetent and able to cope? What sense of worth does a widow raising young children feel? If we take money as a measure of value - how much do we value our housewives and mothers and widows? What importance is placed on these roles in our society? They have the tremendous responsibility of raising the future generation, yet how much do they get paid for doing it?
Mothers are constantly under attack - ie. their self-esteem negatively influenced by insidious powers of modern society - ad-man's image of perfect house, perfect mum - gourmet cook, career woman and home-maker par excellence. If they don't match up to these impossible ideals, they experience feelings of failure.
This, plus their own emotional scars and clutter, adversely affects their ability to deal in a detached way, yet with loving involvement, with their children. Our own negative experiences cause us to react negatively to our children. We repeat our own childhood patterns of discipline - follow the imperfect examples our own parents set - UNLESS the circle can be broken.
'From my notebook': Joke
"As He reigns in Heaven, so shall He reign on earth - for ever and ever, Amen." concluded the vicar. A little boy turned anxiously to consult his father,
"Does it rain ALL the time in Heaven, Daddy?"
"Does it rain ALL the time in Heaven, Daddy?"
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