During the worship, members of the congregation brought scriptures and words from God, including one on how God wants to build character in us – face testing circumstances but trust God and He will bring strong character out in us as He helps us to overcome.
Continuing the sermon series in Mark, Pete H_ spoke on Mark 3:7 – 30
1) Great multitudes travelled from miles around to see Jesus
2) The ordinary was made extraordinary by Jesus
3) There is only one way to salvation: Jesus
1) The passage says 'a great multitude' (a multitude is 'a great number' so a great multitude …?) came from miles around – if you check out a map, one of the places people are reported to have travelled from is Idumea, which was probably up to 100 miles away. Bear in mind they would have taken days to reach Jesus without our modern modes of transport. Consider the reasons they came – the passage mentions those who were sick, and he healed them. Word had evidently got out that Jesus healed people – news of His miracles had spread far and wide. Pete asked us to consider the question 'Am I leading people to Jesus or distracting them away?'
2) The ordinary made extraordinary.
Pete put up some pictures – Spiderman, Superman and Batman – and asked us to suggest what factors makes one of these superheroes different from the other two. Answers included their origins: Superman was from another planet, and had super powers from birth; Spiderman only had special powers after being bitten by a spider, and Batman had no special powers but was super-rich and a life-changing event made him choose to adopt his Super-hero persona. The 12 disciples Jesus chose were ordinary guys when he called them. They responded to Jesus' call – they said 'Yes' when he called them to follow him, and Jesus gave them power and authority to carry out the mission he gave them. They still didn't have all the answers – still had questions – but they were chosen by Jesus, they responded when he called them, and he equipped them and sent them out to do extraordinary things.
3) Jesus is the only way to salvation, the only answer to sin.
Some people call this passage 'the unforgiveable sin' – and may get hung up on the idea that they have committed an unpardonable offence. Pete offered the reassurance that if you fear you may have committed an unpardonable sin, the chances are you haven't. The Bible is clear that Jesus' work of atonement is the answer to all sin – you only need to acknowledge that you've sinned and ask forgiveness, put your trust in Jesus and you are forgiven and redeemed, your sin atoned for. Just as in the story of the prodigal son, where the father sees the son a long way off and runs to meet him, God's father heart is already inclined to receive you the moment you turn back to Him.
John F_ invited people to respond, to come forward if they wanted to respond to Jesus' call for the first time, if they wanted prayer for healing, or if they wanted to become extraordinary for God.
Sunday 24 February 2008
Saturday 23 February 2008
'He aids us against the Enemy'
I had one of those 'Aha!' moments this week when a deep spiritual truth suddenly came into full, clear focus (a bit like when you're focussing binoculars). Now comes the difficult part - trying to recapture that momentary understanding in words.
To put it into context, I was at the home of John & Jenny R_. Jenny is my prayer partner. As she was praying for me, she spoke of 'the enemy'. Into my mind came Jesus' teaching: 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' (Matt 5:44); Paul's teaching: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" (Romans 12:14); Solomon's teaching: 'If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. ' I realised that inwardly I had asked and instantaneously received an answer to a very fine theological point - the purpose of an enemy. An enemy is a call for love.
I thought about Jesus at his most vulnerable: at the start of his ministry, after fasting for forty days, he was physically hungry. We're told he was tempted by the devil - he responded by quoting Scripture - in other words, he offered spiritual bread to 'the enemy'. He didn't ignore the temptation, he acknowledged it and shared what he had with his tempter. He saw the temptation as a call for love and responded. At the end of his ministry, on the cross, he prayed for those below, "Father, forgive them ..."
I'll expound the point further.
Amongst the other words for 'enemy' you'll find 'antagonist'. In creative writing, the protagonist, the hero, contends with the antagonist – generally a villain. It is in fighting the enemy that the hero's heroic qualities are demonstrated. Resistance builds strength (whether resistance training in sports to build physical strength, or self-control in the face of temptation to build character strength). Thus the antagonist serves a purpose. In medical terms, an antagonist is a drug that counteracts, blocks or abolishes the action of another drug. In physiology, muscles are usually paired, so that they act antagonistically, one reversing or opposing the other. That's how they work, and in some cases the antagonistic action ensures muscles aren't over-stretched to the point of breaking.
I understood somewhere deep within that the purpose of the enemy is to draw out the best in us. I thought of one of the figures of speech Jesus used to describe himself - that of 'the good shepherd', and recalled an illustration I had come across before, that if Jesus is the good shepherd and we are his flock, Satan is the name of his sheepdog or his shepherd's crook.
Here are some more scripture references to 'the enemy':
1 Samuel 24:19 [Saul to David, after David has spared his life]When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today.
Proverbs 24:17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
That last quote is a very interesting one, don't you think? I'll publish this so far and possibly come and pick it up again later.
To put it into context, I was at the home of John & Jenny R_. Jenny is my prayer partner. As she was praying for me, she spoke of 'the enemy'. Into my mind came Jesus' teaching: 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' (Matt 5:44); Paul's teaching: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" (Romans 12:14); Solomon's teaching: 'If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. ' I realised that inwardly I had asked and instantaneously received an answer to a very fine theological point - the purpose of an enemy. An enemy is a call for love.
I thought about Jesus at his most vulnerable: at the start of his ministry, after fasting for forty days, he was physically hungry. We're told he was tempted by the devil - he responded by quoting Scripture - in other words, he offered spiritual bread to 'the enemy'. He didn't ignore the temptation, he acknowledged it and shared what he had with his tempter. He saw the temptation as a call for love and responded. At the end of his ministry, on the cross, he prayed for those below, "Father, forgive them ..."
I'll expound the point further.
Amongst the other words for 'enemy' you'll find 'antagonist'. In creative writing, the protagonist, the hero, contends with the antagonist – generally a villain. It is in fighting the enemy that the hero's heroic qualities are demonstrated. Resistance builds strength (whether resistance training in sports to build physical strength, or self-control in the face of temptation to build character strength). Thus the antagonist serves a purpose. In medical terms, an antagonist is a drug that counteracts, blocks or abolishes the action of another drug. In physiology, muscles are usually paired, so that they act antagonistically, one reversing or opposing the other. That's how they work, and in some cases the antagonistic action ensures muscles aren't over-stretched to the point of breaking.
I understood somewhere deep within that the purpose of the enemy is to draw out the best in us. I thought of one of the figures of speech Jesus used to describe himself - that of 'the good shepherd', and recalled an illustration I had come across before, that if Jesus is the good shepherd and we are his flock, Satan is the name of his sheepdog or his shepherd's crook.
Here are some more scripture references to 'the enemy':
1 Samuel 24:19 [Saul to David, after David has spared his life]When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today.
Proverbs 24:17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
That last quote is a very interesting one, don't you think? I'll publish this so far and possibly come and pick it up again later.
Thursday 14 February 2008
A modern parable
This is something a friend sent me... hope it blesses you as it did me
WET PANTS
Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. 'You've done enough, you klutz!'
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'
May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good.
Remember.....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.
Each and everyone one of us is going through tough times right now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can. Keep the faith.
This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.
The Prayer:
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. Amen.
WET PANTS
Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. 'You've done enough, you klutz!'
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'
May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good.
Remember.....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.
Each and everyone one of us is going through tough times right now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can. Keep the faith.
This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.
The Prayer:
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. Amen.
Thursday 7 February 2008
Tracking the trajectory
Cell group: February 6th. We talked a little about Peter's preaching then moved on to consider the reading from a different angle. We picked out the various questions put to Jesus or his disciples and considered where they were coming from - what might the question reveal about the heart and mind behind it?
In verse 16 we have the question "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?". This question was put to Jesus' disciples by the teachers of the law who were Pharisees, or by the scribes of the Pharisees (depending on which version you read). We talked about who was asking this question and why. Nowadays 'Pharisees' is perhaps seen to be synonymous with 'hypocrits' but in those days the Pharisees saw themselves to be upholders of the law, made righteous by their obedience to the finest details of the law as they understood it. They strove to maintain their holiness, believing that by keeping to the law they were made clean. Tax collectors were hated people, not only because they took money off you but because they were seen to be collaborators with the Romans. The Pharisees would not have wanted to be identified with tax collectors, nor made ritually unclean by rubbing shoulders with sinners. Jesus was breaking all conventions of what a 'holy man' would do. The question might indicate that the Pharisees were really mystified by this behaviour, or it could be that they were trying to instil doubt in the minds of Jesus' disciples, to stir up dissension and cause division. It might even be that the Pharisees were jealous - how could Jesus choose to eat with tax collectors and sinners instead of them? Why were sinners being rewarded by his presence and attention and the Pharisees slighted? We talked about this - how would we feel if Jesus came to our town and chose to go to the Mormon church or the Spiritualist church rather than ours? Jesus' answer should comfort us if ever we find ourselves feeling jealous of another's experience of spiritual blessing. It also reveals a deep truth about God's attitude to 'sin' being similar to a doctor's attitude to disease - His holiness is for the cure of sin, not to condemn the sinner.
In verse 18 we have a question put to Jesus: 'Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"' Again we contemplated who might have been asking this question and what lay behind it. There was something different about these followers of Jesus - was this new teacher overturning the old order of fasting? It perhaps shows that Jesus and his followers were closely watched, that comparisons were being made, that people wanted to know what was behind the differences. Jesus' answer begins with a question - it must have given them something to think about!
In verse 24 the Pharisees pick on the disciples, drawing Jesus' attention to what they considered unlawful behaviour. "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" In his sermon, Peter had pointed out that OT law permitted you to eat a few heads of grain as you passed through a field of crops, but the Pharisees would have debated the finer points of law and drawn up the agreed interpretation and definitions. In Cell we talked about what could have been behind the question - what did the Pharisees hope to achieve by putting this question to Jesus about his disciples? Could it have been an attempt to undermine the unity of the group? To catch Jesus out? Or even an acknowledgment of Jesus' authority on the law and a sincere attempt to understand? Once again Jesus answers with a question, pointing the Pharisees to the example of that heroic figure, David.
In kindness to the Pharisees, we can also look at the questions and try to understand the passage and what we learn about God if we consider that God is author and perfector of our Faith, that He works in mysterious ways and that we often learn best in situations which get our interest and attention by being something out of the ordinary. What would God, in prompting the questions in this passage, have wanted to make known to every seeker of the truth who diligently searches the scriptures since?
In verse 16 we have the question "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?". This question was put to Jesus' disciples by the teachers of the law who were Pharisees, or by the scribes of the Pharisees (depending on which version you read). We talked about who was asking this question and why. Nowadays 'Pharisees' is perhaps seen to be synonymous with 'hypocrits' but in those days the Pharisees saw themselves to be upholders of the law, made righteous by their obedience to the finest details of the law as they understood it. They strove to maintain their holiness, believing that by keeping to the law they were made clean. Tax collectors were hated people, not only because they took money off you but because they were seen to be collaborators with the Romans. The Pharisees would not have wanted to be identified with tax collectors, nor made ritually unclean by rubbing shoulders with sinners. Jesus was breaking all conventions of what a 'holy man' would do. The question might indicate that the Pharisees were really mystified by this behaviour, or it could be that they were trying to instil doubt in the minds of Jesus' disciples, to stir up dissension and cause division. It might even be that the Pharisees were jealous - how could Jesus choose to eat with tax collectors and sinners instead of them? Why were sinners being rewarded by his presence and attention and the Pharisees slighted? We talked about this - how would we feel if Jesus came to our town and chose to go to the Mormon church or the Spiritualist church rather than ours? Jesus' answer should comfort us if ever we find ourselves feeling jealous of another's experience of spiritual blessing. It also reveals a deep truth about God's attitude to 'sin' being similar to a doctor's attitude to disease - His holiness is for the cure of sin, not to condemn the sinner.
In verse 18 we have a question put to Jesus: 'Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"' Again we contemplated who might have been asking this question and what lay behind it. There was something different about these followers of Jesus - was this new teacher overturning the old order of fasting? It perhaps shows that Jesus and his followers were closely watched, that comparisons were being made, that people wanted to know what was behind the differences. Jesus' answer begins with a question - it must have given them something to think about!
In verse 24 the Pharisees pick on the disciples, drawing Jesus' attention to what they considered unlawful behaviour. "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" In his sermon, Peter had pointed out that OT law permitted you to eat a few heads of grain as you passed through a field of crops, but the Pharisees would have debated the finer points of law and drawn up the agreed interpretation and definitions. In Cell we talked about what could have been behind the question - what did the Pharisees hope to achieve by putting this question to Jesus about his disciples? Could it have been an attempt to undermine the unity of the group? To catch Jesus out? Or even an acknowledgment of Jesus' authority on the law and a sincere attempt to understand? Once again Jesus answers with a question, pointing the Pharisees to the example of that heroic figure, David.
In kindness to the Pharisees, we can also look at the questions and try to understand the passage and what we learn about God if we consider that God is author and perfector of our Faith, that He works in mysterious ways and that we often learn best in situations which get our interest and attention by being something out of the ordinary. What would God, in prompting the questions in this passage, have wanted to make known to every seeker of the truth who diligently searches the scriptures since?
Sunday 3 February 2008
Mark 2:13 - 3:6 Sabbath - blessing or burden?
This morning Peter W_ was preaching from Mark 2:13 - 3:6.
He spoke about the meaning of the word 'Sabbath' - from Hebrew word meaning to cease; to rest, and about how the blessing of the Sabbath pre-dated the Jewish written law, being mentioned right back in the beginning when God had done His work of creating the world and was pleased with it, saw that it was good, then rested. Peter pointed out that God approves work as well as rest. We have a need for rest provided we meet our need for work. If we don't work, we may begin to feel worthless or purposeless. On the other hand there is no need to feel guilty when we're resting as this has God's approval, too.
Did the Pharisees layer their own thoughts on top of God's principle of Sabbath rest, asked Peter, and went on to explain how they may have debated and discussed the principle and tried to define the boundaries, defining what constituted work and pinning down the 'shoulds and shouldn'ts' - setting rules that robbed of God's grace what had been intended as a blessing. By the rules the Pharisees introduced, someone who didn't obey could become a sinner, whereas the initial intent of God's provision of the Sabbath was to bless his beloved family.
In the passage, Jesus challenged the Pharisees, trying to get them to recognise and acknowledge how they had turned God's intended positive blessing into a burden. Peter speculated on the Pharisees' motives as they watched Jesus accusingly, refusing to acknowledge or concede the point he was making. Isn't it so human that if we have been working in a job for a long time and a newcomer joins who seems instantly to be so much better than ourselves, we will find it very hard to be pleased about it? How hard to welcome this newcomer, this gifted individual ... instead we might harbour some jealousy or bitterness rather than being able to rejoice and feel grateful.
Peter also picked out the point that if the Pharisees couldn't find fault with Jesus, they looked at his disciples and found fault with them. In the world outside church, people are likely to look at us when they want to find fault with God. As ambassadors for God, we need to be clear in our own lives that we are living in obedience to the Spirit and the Word, in obedience to the Christ, and then let them pick away as much as they like - God's mantle is over us.
The Pharisees wanted to be right rather than righteous. To be justified by their adherence to man-made rules rather than by faith in God's goodness, mercy and love.
Since the meeting I've been pondering on this thought.
What are the issues in these present times where man-made rules and expectations lead us to judge one another?
There has been a lot on TV recently about modern farming methods with regards poultry: the organic free-range -v- battery farming methods debate. How do we decide which to buy? Budget or conscience? Is this so different to the dilemma disciples faced in the days when Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the freedom of believers: Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. (1 Cor 10: 25 -27)
I can remember when I was going through a particularly tough time mentally & emotionally, standing in Sainsbury's and really struggling with how to make a choice about a particular product - should I be paying more for Fairtrade goods because we happened to be in a position to do so, and thus incur Vic's disapproval (who perceived a cheaper, 'unethically-sourced' product to be of better quality and therefore the best choice)? Happily the Lord helped me - inwardly I 'heard' a kindly voice giving me the answer I needed to release me from that moment of frozen confusion.
Tonight as Peter spoke about the church building plans, somebody put to him a question about environmental considerations - for example, would we have solar panels on the roof to provide environmentally-friendly power? I recognised in the way the question was put something of the attitude of the Pharisees trying to catch Jesus out - and acknowledged my own Pharisaic tendency (as the same question had occurred to me)! Peter answered firmly along the lines that decisions about the building would be made on the basis of what's best for the church and for God's kingdom-building.
According to Genesis we were created to rule over all the earth, and to subdue all the creatures. We were also forewarned that the earth would 'wear out like a garment' (Isaiah 51:6), but assured that God's salvation will be forever. How do we reconcile living as wise stewards of this earth with the kingdom-thinking that reassures us our real home lies elsewhere?
**************************************************
It was good to have John F_ back in our midst this week. Last week we heard how the rains in Malawi had washed away some of the mud huts of the community whilst John and Jill were visiting out there, and we were invited to respond to the crisis. The whip-round, taken up after the normal offering, raised over £3,000 which reached the bank account of the local church out there early in the week. £250 will build a new house over there - not a mud hut but something better with a concrete foundation and a tin roof which will withstand the rains - and the building materials are available. John shared how good it was to see that the heart-warming response to the appeal will make a real difference to the lives of those who had watched their homes being washed away. The community recognised that this church in Camberley had responded with a generosity prompted by God, not because we could afford to but because we want to share God's love in a practical way.
He spoke about the meaning of the word 'Sabbath' - from Hebrew word meaning to cease; to rest, and about how the blessing of the Sabbath pre-dated the Jewish written law, being mentioned right back in the beginning when God had done His work of creating the world and was pleased with it, saw that it was good, then rested. Peter pointed out that God approves work as well as rest. We have a need for rest provided we meet our need for work. If we don't work, we may begin to feel worthless or purposeless. On the other hand there is no need to feel guilty when we're resting as this has God's approval, too.
Did the Pharisees layer their own thoughts on top of God's principle of Sabbath rest, asked Peter, and went on to explain how they may have debated and discussed the principle and tried to define the boundaries, defining what constituted work and pinning down the 'shoulds and shouldn'ts' - setting rules that robbed of God's grace what had been intended as a blessing. By the rules the Pharisees introduced, someone who didn't obey could become a sinner, whereas the initial intent of God's provision of the Sabbath was to bless his beloved family.
In the passage, Jesus challenged the Pharisees, trying to get them to recognise and acknowledge how they had turned God's intended positive blessing into a burden. Peter speculated on the Pharisees' motives as they watched Jesus accusingly, refusing to acknowledge or concede the point he was making. Isn't it so human that if we have been working in a job for a long time and a newcomer joins who seems instantly to be so much better than ourselves, we will find it very hard to be pleased about it? How hard to welcome this newcomer, this gifted individual ... instead we might harbour some jealousy or bitterness rather than being able to rejoice and feel grateful.
Peter also picked out the point that if the Pharisees couldn't find fault with Jesus, they looked at his disciples and found fault with them. In the world outside church, people are likely to look at us when they want to find fault with God. As ambassadors for God, we need to be clear in our own lives that we are living in obedience to the Spirit and the Word, in obedience to the Christ, and then let them pick away as much as they like - God's mantle is over us.
The Pharisees wanted to be right rather than righteous. To be justified by their adherence to man-made rules rather than by faith in God's goodness, mercy and love.
Since the meeting I've been pondering on this thought.
What are the issues in these present times where man-made rules and expectations lead us to judge one another?
There has been a lot on TV recently about modern farming methods with regards poultry: the organic free-range -v- battery farming methods debate. How do we decide which to buy? Budget or conscience? Is this so different to the dilemma disciples faced in the days when Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the freedom of believers: Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. (1 Cor 10: 25 -27)
I can remember when I was going through a particularly tough time mentally & emotionally, standing in Sainsbury's and really struggling with how to make a choice about a particular product - should I be paying more for Fairtrade goods because we happened to be in a position to do so, and thus incur Vic's disapproval (who perceived a cheaper, 'unethically-sourced' product to be of better quality and therefore the best choice)? Happily the Lord helped me - inwardly I 'heard' a kindly voice giving me the answer I needed to release me from that moment of frozen confusion.
Tonight as Peter spoke about the church building plans, somebody put to him a question about environmental considerations - for example, would we have solar panels on the roof to provide environmentally-friendly power? I recognised in the way the question was put something of the attitude of the Pharisees trying to catch Jesus out - and acknowledged my own Pharisaic tendency (as the same question had occurred to me)! Peter answered firmly along the lines that decisions about the building would be made on the basis of what's best for the church and for God's kingdom-building.
According to Genesis we were created to rule over all the earth, and to subdue all the creatures. We were also forewarned that the earth would 'wear out like a garment' (Isaiah 51:6), but assured that God's salvation will be forever. How do we reconcile living as wise stewards of this earth with the kingdom-thinking that reassures us our real home lies elsewhere?
**************************************************
It was good to have John F_ back in our midst this week. Last week we heard how the rains in Malawi had washed away some of the mud huts of the community whilst John and Jill were visiting out there, and we were invited to respond to the crisis. The whip-round, taken up after the normal offering, raised over £3,000 which reached the bank account of the local church out there early in the week. £250 will build a new house over there - not a mud hut but something better with a concrete foundation and a tin roof which will withstand the rains - and the building materials are available. John shared how good it was to see that the heart-warming response to the appeal will make a real difference to the lives of those who had watched their homes being washed away. The community recognised that this church in Camberley had responded with a generosity prompted by God, not because we could afford to but because we want to share God's love in a practical way.
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