Numbers

Today, for the first time ever, there will be 7 billion people living on Planet Earth!
Some will be like us, but the vast majority will be astonishingly different in their life expectancy and prospects. Apparently, an average child born in the USA will consume 9 times as many of the world's resources as an average child born in sub-Saharan Africa.
While the human population is increasing, the numbers of stars in our galaxy and universe are much greater. Within our own galaxy, the Milky Way, there are one hundred thousand million stars (100,000,000,000). And conveniently, there are about one hundred thousand million galaxies (100,000,000,000) in the universe as a whole! That makes a lot of stars!
And yet the Bible teaches us that the Lord God Almighty not only is the Creator of all we see, but that He knows the names of all!
The Prophet Isaiah, in a delightful passage that teaches so much about the nature of God, has a wonderful imaginative comment about God's personal involvement in his creative actions. 'Look up into the heavens.  Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. (Isaiah 40.26)If God knows the stars by name, how wonderful is that!
Jesus, in a much loved passage about the Good Shepherd, teaches that each of His flock are personally known and named. 'The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.' (John 10.2-4) Carrying on with this picture of being intimately known, Jesus then says, '“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.' (John 10.14-16)
In a world where so many feel unimportant and unappreciated by others and perhaps even by God, it is wonderful to know that because of Jesus, we are known and loved by the Lord God Almighty. We are not just a number. We have a name! That is very good news to share with all we meet today.
Best wishes,
Richard

Prophet & Loss

St. Paul's Cathedral is in the news for the wrong reasons!
The resignation of Giles Fraser, over how to respond to the Occupy London protests, has raised uncomfortable issues. On the one hand, Canon Fraser and others have appeared to speak with a prophetic voice, challenging the greed of our culture and the City which generates so much wealth. On the other hand, the cathedral authorities appear to have taken the side of the rich & powerful, and appear to be more worried about their own health & safety than wider issues.
I wonder what the prophets Amos or Micah might have said!
In our culture, everyone wants to be popular, and to win the public vote. It is striking how many popular TV programmes give 'the public' a chance to vote contestants or participants off the show. We like to feel our voice matters. But with whom do we want to be popular?
But Jesus gave us some stark warnings about what we should value. 'What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.' (Luke 6.26)
Those called by Jesus are called to value His opinion more highly than the fickle moods of the crowds. Trying to fit into the latest fashion will never lead to a God-shaped life. So which side should we take on these complex issues? How can we be in line with the way of Jesus, who cleansed the Temple, and attacked those whose highest value seemed to be making money? Are we prepared to be unfashionable, in order to walk in step with Jesus?
Best wishes,
Richard

Blocked

In spite of all the recent rain, one of our water butts is still mostly empty! Why? What is wrong? One brief look suggests that the gutter is so full of leaves, that the gutter is blocked! It lies under one of the oak trees, and I must get it cleared AGAIN! How annoying that having done a good clearing job 4 weeks ago, I have to repeat the process.
But most of our lives are made up of repeating basic processes - waking up, getting up, having breakfast, getting dressed and so on. (you can see how far I have got this morning)
I note that it is easy for us to find that some of our relationships and channels of communication get blocked - for any number of reasons. I am not sure what the equivalent of the overhanging oak tree might be (answers on a postcard, or by email!).
St. Paul knew how easy it was for relationships to go sour, and he gave wonderfully helpful advice about how we should sort things out. 'Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.' (Colossians 3.12-17)
There is so much wise common sense here - particularly Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Too often, we may feel offended by what has been said or not said by someone, and we easily jump to conclusions - often by our failure to listen carefully. All this leads to blocked relationships - and the simple and oft-repeated answer is to forgive, as the Lord has forgiven us.
I am going to work at this today, and trust the Lord to help me to get important relationships unblocked.
Best wishes,
Richard

Finished!

Alex Waters was running the Great Birmingham Run yesterday, all 13 miles! I hope he finished well! After all the training and time spent preparing, getting to the finish line would be a great achievement.
But 'finished!' can mean different things. For the French rugby players, yesterday's very close World Cup Final probably meant they were 'finished!' (and desolated) at the end. For the New Zealand players, their 'finished!' was triumphant.
The death of two members of St. Andrew's Church in recent days has reminded me of the race of faith in which we are involved.
Jean Harrison died peacefully in Woodbank Nursing home a week ago. The Thanksgiving Service for her life and faith is on Wednesday this week at 3pm. All are welcome.
Yesterday, we were told of the peaceful death of Eddie Bradley Feary, who has been declining slowly over the last months. We don't yet know when his Funeral will be.
In their different ways, both lived out their faith in Jesus, right to the end of their lives. They finished well.
St. Paul describes his own determination to finish in his life, in a Jesus glorifying way. 'As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.' (2 Timothy 4.6-8)
What strikes me from Paul, Jean & Eddie, is that how we live now determines whether we will be able to say, 'I have finished the race'. Today we must choose to live a life poured out as an offering to God. Unless today is a day of self-offering to Jesus, we may not finish well. That would be a terrible waste, and an eternal shame.
Which way are you living?
Best wishes,
Richard

Good News

Most people in Libya are celebrating the death of Colonel Gaddafi. Questions are being asked by some about the actual circumstances of his death. But for most, this is a 'Good News' event.
The decision of ETA, the violent Basque separatist organisation, to turn away from violence, once and for all, has been hailed by eh Spanish Government as very Good News.
But so far, there is no Good News on the economic front, as European leaders again meet to try to make progress.
The heart of the Christian story is the announcement of Good News. The angels, at the birth of Jesus, told the astonished shepherds. 'That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you Good News that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!' (Luke 2.8-11)
We know we don't have to wait till December 25th to celebrate this great event.
We too can be messengers bringing Good News to the broken and battered people around us. There is no other Good News available, which can have such an impact for time and eternity.
Best wishes,
Richard

Prisoner Release

The extraordinary exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas brings good news to a region long starved of that commodity. Hamas has handed over Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to Egyptian mediators after five years' captivity, and in exchange, 1000 Palestinians will be set free, and returned to their families.
Hamas may be hoping that this good will gesture will lead to their popularity increasing in the Gaza area. Whatever their hopes, for all concerned, the lives of hundreds of families are transformed.
In a context with some parallels, as an unpopular occupying force of Romans made life unbearable in many ways, especially for the poor, Jesus spoke of freedom for prisoners. 'The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Jesus. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
   He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.' (Luke 4.17-18) The whole of his ministry was spent in bringing freedom to captives, and changing lives.
We may not be incarcerated in an Israeli jail, or be held by an organisation like Hamas, but most in our society are captive to fashion, or held prisoners in bondage to destructive habits, addicted to drink, drugs, shopping, and much else. Our consumerist culture promises so much, and delivers debt and frustration.
But Jesus can set us and others free. That is wonderfully Good News. It is exciting to see people at Christianity Explored discovering this Good News, as they get to see who Jesus is.
Today, let us bring Good News to prisoners too.
Best wishes,
Richard

Friend or Foe?

"Halt! Who goes there? Friend or Foe?"
In the 'old days (whenever they were!), these questions would be asked to avoid killing the wrong people. Those asking these questions had to presume that those answering were telling the truth! And that might not be the case.
As Liam Fox has discovered, sometimes those who claim to be friends end up causing costly damage. But this is true in many situations. It is important to discover where the true friends are.
Many aspects of international relations are made much more complicated because politicians are uncertain about the answer to these questions. Is the US or the EU a friend or a foe?
Today, we will all wonder whether Jesus is friend or foe, if we face his call seriously.
Jesus was clear that he came to be friend and helper to those in need. 'When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Mark 2.17)
But at the same time, the demand that Jesus made on those of his day meant that some did not see him as a friend. 'As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“There is still one thing you haven’t done,” Jesus told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.' (Mark 10.17, 21b-22)
If the call from Jesus, to follow him with passion and integrity, is costly - and it is - we must always ask whether the call to treat him as foe is not more costly.  May we be found faithful today, however much it costs!
Best wishes,
Richard

Competition

It is good to hear that Ofgem, the energy regulator, is seeing whether consumers, like us, are getting good value for money from our energy suppliers. Competition in the market place has its value.
Many of us enjoy playing or watching one sort of sporting competition or another. My own favoured competition is against the clock, when I go swimming. The challenge to do better, or beat the other side, helps to raise the game.
But in our spiritual lives, we are not in competition with one another. 
Jesus told this wonderfully hopeful story. “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ (Luke 18.10-12)
The Pharisee thought that his spiritual life was one where he scored more points by being better than others. But all of us may find ourselves comparing ourselves with others in the way our lives are going.
But the heart of our relationship with Jesus is one of trust and love. We are not on a performance related benefit scheme, or being paid by commission for good works done. We can come to Him, as did the tax collector in Jesus' story. '“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18.13-14)
What a relief!
Best wishes,
Richard

Watching

What connects the following? A computer screen, people, sport, clouds, birds, Strictly ....!
The answer is that we all watch these  - in varying amounts each day or week. We spend a great deal of life watching people or events and much else.
How well do we watch? Do we watch for entertainment, information, as part of our work, or to make a difference in the world?
Jesus was clearly very observant about people and nature, and spent much of his teaching using illustrations for his observations. He was good at watching.
So was Jeremiah, the prophet in Jerusalem in about 600BC.
Soon after he receives his commission, we read of this fascinating exchange. 'Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?”
   And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
  And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”
  Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, “What do you see now?”
   And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.” (Jeremiah 1.11-13)
We may wonder what this is all about.
The footnotes tell us that the Hebrew for  'almond tree' sounds like 'watching'. The pot spilling from the north is more obvious.
But as Jeremiah saw and watched what was going on around him, so he learned that the Lord was watching too.
In our own day, we can be watching people and events, and asking the Lord to make things clear to us, so that we too can make sense of what we watch. Then, like Jeremiah or Jesus, we can speak and live in step with the Lord.
Best wishes with your watching today.
Richard

Very Revealing

The 4 biggest internet providers (BT, Sky, Virgin and TalkTalk) are going to make it possible for people to opt out of watching pornography on the internet. This will be hailed by some politicians as making a great change. But will it?
Following a report by the Mothers Union (a Church of England voluntary group), Bye Buy Childhood

http://www.themothersunion.org/byebuychildhood.aspx

, about the commercialisation and sexualisation of children, the Government promised to act. But these actions now promised are themselves very revealing, as they amount to little or no change at all.
The proportion of pornography on the internet is staggering. 125 of all websites contains pornography, and it is estimated that 90% of 8-16 year olds have accessed pornography while 'doing homework'.
There are steps we can all take, not relying on the help of internet providers.
Jesus warned us about the power of thoughts and images. 'I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.' (Matthew 5.28-29)
He also warned us about the responsibility we all share in caring for children. 'One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. So watch yourselves! (Luke 17.1-2)
My prayer is that we can live conspicuously different lives, by what we value and by how we behave. That would be very revealing.
Best wishes,
Richard

Partnership

In Government circles, talk of partnership brings mixed responses. They know they are in a coalition, but many might prefer to be one their own.
In many other situations, the problems of partnerships seem to outweigh the benefits. Watching the Europe's governments wonder how to address the financial problems of Greece and others shows how hard t is working with may partners.
But it seems to me that deeply embedded in the way the Lord works is partnership based.  Thus, as humans we are called to work in partnership with others, and most astonishingly, we are called to be partners with the Lord himself.
'Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28.18-20)
We may be so familiar with these verses that we are not shocked by what they say. But we might have expected the risen Jesus to say - All authority is mine, as I have single-handedly conquered sin & death. So I will now, single-handedly, go on to win the world'.
But he doesn't.
He calls us into partnership with Himself, to change the world, one person at a time. What a privilege!
Pray that he will help you with your partnership with Him and others today.
Best wishes,
Richard

Life & Death

The death of Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computers, and the man behind all the remarkably innovative iThings, has produced some astonishing responses. This is partly because of his own very public statements about his attitude towards his approaching death. Not many people are as candid nor as courageously wise about difference our certain death should make to our lives.
In a culture which prefers to talk of 'passing' or 'slipping away', his openness about death was refreshing. Much of this may have had its roots in his Buddhist faith and practices.
St. Paul had a pretty startling view of life and death too. 'For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.' (Philippians 1.21-24)
None of us knows how long we may live from today. We often think that 'one day' I will decide to make the good choices which will shape my life - but not yet! But unless we live for Jesus from today, deliberately and courageously, then we are wasting our lives and we will end up with regrets and sorrow. Today is the day to choose the right choices - because we may never have a better opportunity.
Best wishes,
Richard

Living Well

The Chief Executive of Sainsbury's was talking about their slogan - Live well for less - which is part of their response to the difficult times we all face. The Prime Minister will try to give a rallying call today to the nation (and his party) as we face tough times. he will tell us all to cut our debts, and learn to live responsibly!
Over the years, by contrast, we were encouraged to borrow  and spend (so that the banks could get rich at our expense!). Now we are told that we have to swallow the medicine that tries to address the disease of our own greed.
St. Paul has a different remedy to our greed and different recipe for living well. 'Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.' (Ephesians 4.21-24)
Paul describes someone changing their clothes - throw off your old nature and put on your new nature - which would have been symbolised in the way baptisms were carried out in those days. The newly baptised would emerge from the water and be given a new white robe or towel, marking the spiritual change that coming to Jesus had brought about.
Merely telling us that we should be living better doesn't help us. But with God's Spirit teaching us and giving us new thoughts and attitudes can help us to show our God-given new nature in living well. What a powerful message this is! I am asking the Lord to help me to live like this today.
Best wishes,
Richard

Guilty or not?

Amanda Knox prepares to fly home to the US after she and ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were cleared of murdering the British student Meredith Kercher. The court has declared her innocent of that crime. The Knox family are obviously delighted, while the Kercher family continue to mourn the death of their daughter.
There has been so much publicity around this case that it is hard to realise that this is not a TV drama, but real life.
At all levels of public life, questions are asked about the guilt of people, ranging from England's rugby players, Premier league footballers, and politicians, to bankers, tax exiles, Russian billionaires and so on. Many hours of discussion and debate ask where guilt or responsibility lies. It seems to matter to us to know what makes someone else guilty or innocent.
But most of us do not live under the scrutiny of the press, and so we may think that how we behave doesn't matter too much. We may happily apply less stringent standards to ourselves, often justifying our own bad behaviour by assuming we are the special case.
The Psalmist had a different view. He knows that none of us is innocent, yet he finds mercy from the God who made him. 'The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
  He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
  He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. (Psalm 103.8-10)
To know that I am guilty, but have been graciously forgiven, leads me to want to live a different sort of life - being generous and hopeful for all that I meet today.
Best wishes,
Richard

Dangerous Influences

Greece is having at startling effect on our lives - some we like and others we fear.
This astonishingly warm weather has its origins in the area of Greece & Turkey. We are enjoying this influence. But then Greek finances are appearing to drown the world's financial markets in despair, and the results are deeply dangerous to our chosen lifestyles.
Out difficulty is that we cannot pick and choose the influences to which we are subject. We can choose how to react to those influences. And in response, we can choose to build our lives on values and loyalties which have lasting significance.
Jesus illustrated this in his Sermon of the Mount. '“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?' (Matthew 6.25-26)
The winds of fashion blow all around us - influencing the way we think and behave. Watching an episode of the X factor over the weekend, again and again the contestants said - presumably set up by their interviewers - 'This is the most important day of my life. I really want this, as it will change my life for ever. If I fail, I will have to return to a terrible life.' All watching this deadly diet will find themselves believing the same drivel, and will be be increasingly driven by materialistic dream and hopes. But we can discover that our true value comes from being loved and nourished by our Father's care. What influences your life?
Thanks the Lord for his care for us.
Best wishes,
Richard