The Long Wait - no quick fix

Happy Christmas everyone!

After long years of waiting, God kept his many promises, made through Abraham, the prophets and many others, and sent Jesus, in whom all the promises of God find their fulfilment, 'For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.' (2 Corinthians 1.20)

It is wonderful, today and every day, to know that God is a God we can trust in all circumstances - whatever the outward setting.

But this does not mean that with Jesus we get a quick fix.

The child born in Bethlehem had to grow for 30 years before he started his public ministry. And faithful people had to learn to wait a bit longer.

And in his death & resurrection, we see the foretaste of future consummation. 

Sadly, many have not realised that we all need patience and perseverance, and so they lose faith in God-  because he hasn't delivered everything now.

But we are those who live in hope, trusting Him to bring us all safely home.

May we all grow to know Jesus better in the days that lie ahead.

Every blessing,

Richard

Good News!

Good News comes in many stories.

After moving to Banbury nearly 10 weeks ago, I managed to clear the garage (final resting place for the stuff which doesn't fit anywhere in the house) sufficiently, on Saturday afternoon, so that our car was able to spend one night inside! It is a small thing, but a significant marker on the journey of getting settled. Good News!

But much better news is that God has chosen to step into our world of mess and muddle, with all its junk and rubbish, and items of beauty and preciousness.

It is wonderful that God didn't take 'No room'! as the end of the story, because I know that many are times when I have made no room for Jesus. Yet, in his loving and gentle patience, the God who made the universe has beckoned me to join him on the journey.

Yesterday afternoon, having missed listening to Desert Island Discs in the morning, Betty & I listened to it on the BBC iPlayer, as Archbishop Justin Welby was interviewed by Kirsty Young. 

It was brilliant, and it did our souls a lot of good. Archbishop Justin spoke so compellingly of how Jesus has changed his life. If you haven't heard the programme, click on this link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vd69f

In a nutshell, the Good News can be summed up in these famous words from John's Gospel. 

' He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.' (John 1.10-13)

It is wonderful to know that God calls us into his family, to become his children by adoption and grace. In the midst of all else that happens at Christmas, I want to keep looking at the Good news.

Best wishes,

Richard

Mother Mary

Mothers have a tough time. 

From the start of a pregnancy, they face sickness and many worries about what may be happening to them, and concerns about an unknown future. Then the pain of childbirth, and from then on, a lifetime of concern for the well-being of their child. Their job is never over, and on top of that, many mothers blame themselves for whatever happens in their child's life.

And this is the life that Mary was facing.

We know there were added complications for her - becoming pregnant before being married, and much else. So, following Gabriel's startling declaration about her pregnancy and the prospects for the child, she comes out with words of active participation in what was coming.

'Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.' (Luke 1.38)

Mary's desire that Gabriel's words, as part of the eternal plan of Almighty God, would be fulfilled in and through her active partnership, show me again what trusting God looks like.

None of us is called to take on Mary's role, but we are called to discern what is God's desire for us, whatever our situation and opportunity. This is a journey we all share with one another. 

When Mary went to visit her elderly relative, Elizabeth, who was also miraculously pregnant, they had three months to discuss and wonder at the ways of God. Elizabeth could discern that Mary was fully on board with God's plan for her life, and comes out with a wonderful description. 'You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” (Luke 1.45)

At various stages in my own life, I have been challenged to follow Mary's example, as described by Elizabeth. Trusting that God will do what he has said is at the root of our life of faithful following, whatever our age, opportunities and setting. 

I am praying that Jesus will help me to be like his Mother Mary.

Best wishes,

Richard

Darkness and Light

How deep is the darkness in the hearts of the Taliban murderers. Their wickedness reveals a terrible truth. Human beings like us can become prisoners within a darkness of our own creating. 

Killing 132 school children is astonishing., and we shall see whether the politicians and military in Pakistan can unite to deal effectively with the Taliban threats.

In September 2013, two Taliban suicide bombers attacked a Church in Peshawar, killing at least 80 members of the congregation. No one knows the final death toll from that attack, as so many bodies were blown to pieces.

That attack brought many ordinary Muslims to support the threatened Christian community in wonderful ways. But still the darkness threatens all in Pakistan.

Sydney's siege is over, and questions are asked about how these events can happen. We can understand the sense of horror and vulnerability that such events generate.

John's Gospel famously reminds us of the battle between darkness and light, and we do well do recall these words.

'The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.' (John 1.4-9)

As we recall over the Christmas season, Jesus brings light into our dark world. Both He and his cousin, John, paid with their lives for the costly business of bringing light into our dark world.

But John reminds us of a deeper truth - the darkness can never extinguish it.

So today, while we may be more aware of how deep is the darkness, we can also recall that after the darkness of Good Friday, there comes that glorious morning, when the light shone brightly again, and when we often sing, 'See what a morning, gloriously bright!' 

In that hope, we invite all to come and see the humble entry of the Light of the World into our darkness.

Best wishes,

Richard

Stress Tests!

Christmas is coming, and the stress levels are rising!

The Coop Bank has failed the Bank of England stress test, showing that it might not survive another financial crisis. Lloyds and RBS didn't do very much better.

The Russian economy looks to be struggling, as the value of the rouble has plunged, and their interest rates have jumped up to 17%. That will produce stress.

The UK Footsie 100 index is sliding downwards, having lost 7.5% value in just over a week. 

As Christmas is looming, for many families struggling with 'normal life', the extra expectations to spend money they haven't got on presents and food they do not need will mean stress levels will rise. 

And then there are all the Christmas parties, with too much drink, and the temptations to behave disgracefully, and then the consequences! 

The season of Advent reminds us that there are bigger issues to address. The special Advent prayer takes us back to look at deeper matters. 

'Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armour of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.'

The basis for this prayer comes from Paul's letter to his friends in Rome.

'Time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armour of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.' (Romans 13.9-14)

Paul addresses many of this week's stress issues. 

As we think ahead to the coming of Jesus - both his first coming in great humility, and his second coming in glorious majesty - we can see that our lives could be different from the way of the world. We must do what we must do - remove the dark deeds, and put on the presence of Jesus.

That would make a difference for all we meet these days.

Best wishes,

Richard

'Just Following Orders!'

News from the Lindt cafe in Sydney will bring a sense of terror to many. 

'If it could happen there, where can we be safe?' may be the questions lurking in many minds. That is why we call the people who do such things 'terrorists', because their behaviour brings terror. 

In order to overcome the threats, real and imagined, posed by such people, some will propose any response, and initiate many sorts of counter-terrorism measures. The US Senate's recent report on the covert activities of the CIA, following the 9/11 attacks, has revealed the extent to which torture of many sorts was used, as a justified weapon against those who may have been involved in planning further acts of terror.

We shall see how much action is taken to address these evils, on both sides of the Atlantic.

After the end of the Second World War, when the victorious Allies set up the Nuremburg War Trials, the judges did not accept the defence statement, made by many German prisoners, that 'I was just following orders'.

Both the terrorists and torturers could make the same claim. 'I was just following orders.'

This then leads me to ask who is it that is giving the orders, and will they be held to account.

I recall that Jesus taught his followers to pray that God's will might be implemented on earth, just as it is in heaven.

'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.' (Matthew 6.9-10)

As we relentlessly pray that our wills may be brought into line with Our Heavenly Father's will, we will then be 'just following orders', that bring his love and mercy, joy and courage, hope and life to those around us. We will be Good News people, bringing a little bit of heaven to the patch of earth that we are in.

How different from the terrorists and torturers who blight the lives of so many.

Best wishes,

Richard

Promises, Promises, Promises!

Politicians do it all the time! 

They make bold and attractive promises - 'we will limit immigration', 'we will put more money into the NHS', 'we will build lots more roads' - and then we wait to see what happens. The answer is that they usually deliver much less than promised.

Advertisers do it all the time too!

Black Friday (and every other shopping day to Christmas) makes the same sort of promises - 'buy this (bargain that you cannot afford and do not really need), and your life will be suddenly wonderful'. And then people discover that shopping is just like another addictive drug, and you need more and more to end up with another hangover.

And God makes promises too. But His are of a different order. 

Hundreds of years before Jesus was even a twinkle in Mary's eye, God had been promising to send a Shepherd King, who would right wrongs and rescue people from their own folly.

'Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord.
    He will not judge by appearance
    nor make a decision based on hearsay.
He will give justice to the poor
    and make fair decisions for the exploited.' (Isaiah 11.1-4)

And of course, I could find plenty more such promises.

In the coming of Jesus, God showed himself to be faithful and true, loving and merciful. On these sorts of promises, we could build lives of stability and hope, because we would know for sure that we are never alone, and never abandoned to our own fate.

As we look forward to the annual reminder of the coming of Jesus - what an astonishing story it is - angels singing, shepherds hearing, Mary & Joseph wondering, and so much more - we would do well to make time to reflect on God's life-bringing promises made to us and our neighbours. 

While we may look forward to celebrating God's faithfulness, many around us will look forward to yet another bleak and 'broken promises' future, because without Jesus, we are all LOST! The promises that we so much value could transform the lives of the poor (rich) people around us, if we can find a way to share the good news. Wouldn't that be great?!

Best wishes,

Richard