Today, the Insurance Industry will make a statement about whether they will continue to offer insurance against flooding to those many home in the UK which are in serious danger of being flooded. Residents in Staines, Laleham and so on will be wondering what their future might hold.
Of course, in Woking, we have seen the massive improvements in the Hoe Bridge area, and residents there will be thankful for the work done, in spite of the inconvenience.
The Bible is alert to the dangers of flooding both real (remember Noah?) and metaphorical. One of Jesus' most famous short parables is on exactly this topic.
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the flood-waters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7.24-27)
The difference between disaster and deliverance comes down to our reaction to Jesus and his teaching. Do we listen to his teaching and follow it, or do we refuse to obey what we hear? It might seem an academic question, and to many it is thought an irrelevance. But Jesus claims that our response to him and his words has practical, spiritual and eternal consequences.
Of course, if we know this to be true, we are in the favoured position of being able to help others to find the Flood Insurance they need. Let us use every opportunity to point to these important issues.
Best wishes,
Richard
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Monday, 30 January 2012
What Price?
What price should we expect to pay for good work?
Many will be relieved that Stephen Hester has decided not to take his annual bonus of nearly £1million. Their reasons may vary, and there will be much debate as to his reasons for this welcome decision too.
It makes me ask 'what price for a fair day's work?'
But what price should be paid for a good police force? Teresa May will make a statement today about many issues relating to the Police, including issues of pay and expenses.
But there is another story in today's news, about what price the police charge for assorted services. It may be one thing to charge HM Government for protecting the Houses of Parliament, but it seems quite another to offer to large organisations, such as Virgin Media, the possibility of investigating crimes more diligently, if they are paid! It reminds me of the t-shirt slogan, from the States, in the wake of yet another policing scandal, 'LAPD - the best that money can buy'.
What price should be paid for good work and what rewards should people expect from their work?
Jesus addressed this sort of issue, which relates to our culture and our expectations as to what is right.
'Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10.43-45)
His radical call to his followers cuts right across our greed-driven culture's desire for ever-increasing rewards and lifestyle options. If the credit crunch has had any message, it is surely that we have all been living beyond our means. More of the same is not the answer. Living more simply, and following Jesus more closely is the price we should be paying.
Do you agree? Why not comment on the blog?
Best wishes,
Richard
Many will be relieved that Stephen Hester has decided not to take his annual bonus of nearly £1million. Their reasons may vary, and there will be much debate as to his reasons for this welcome decision too.
It makes me ask 'what price for a fair day's work?'
But what price should be paid for a good police force? Teresa May will make a statement today about many issues relating to the Police, including issues of pay and expenses.
But there is another story in today's news, about what price the police charge for assorted services. It may be one thing to charge HM Government for protecting the Houses of Parliament, but it seems quite another to offer to large organisations, such as Virgin Media, the possibility of investigating crimes more diligently, if they are paid! It reminds me of the t-shirt slogan, from the States, in the wake of yet another policing scandal, 'LAPD - the best that money can buy'.
What price should be paid for good work and what rewards should people expect from their work?
Jesus addressed this sort of issue, which relates to our culture and our expectations as to what is right.
'Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10.43-45)
His radical call to his followers cuts right across our greed-driven culture's desire for ever-increasing rewards and lifestyle options. If the credit crunch has had any message, it is surely that we have all been living beyond our means. More of the same is not the answer. Living more simply, and following Jesus more closely is the price we should be paying.
Do you agree? Why not comment on the blog?
Best wishes,
Richard
Friday, 27 January 2012
Good News!
The other day, a friend told me some exciting news, that would be interesting to keen bird watchers.
So, yesterday, Betty and I enjoyed a glorious walk and topped it off by watching assorted owls flying low over the meadows near Send, as the sun was dropping into the west. It was most exciting, and revealed to us our ignorance of owl recognition skills. But the experts told us what we had been seeing, and we came home satisfied.
Sharing good news is often quite easy, especially if there is a shared interest between the giver and receiver of the news. For instance, if another friend had told me of the exciting news from the Big Brother house, I would not have been very interested!
So, St. Paul tells us some vital aspect of our 'Good News sharing' ministry. 'For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?' (Romans 10.13-15)
Paul's basic position is that behind our sharing Good News is the hand of the Lord, who send and equips us to tell the story of what God has done for us in Jesus. Not all are interested to know what we are talking about, but some will be ready and open. s Paul observes, 'But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “LORD, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.' (Romans 10.16-17)
Often, we may say something one day, and perhaps weeks or years later, the person who heard the Good News responds. Leaving the outcomes to the Lord is part of our partnership with Him.
I find that I have to ask myself, "What Good News have you got to share today?"
Best wishes,
Richard
So, yesterday, Betty and I enjoyed a glorious walk and topped it off by watching assorted owls flying low over the meadows near Send, as the sun was dropping into the west. It was most exciting, and revealed to us our ignorance of owl recognition skills. But the experts told us what we had been seeing, and we came home satisfied.
Sharing good news is often quite easy, especially if there is a shared interest between the giver and receiver of the news. For instance, if another friend had told me of the exciting news from the Big Brother house, I would not have been very interested!
So, St. Paul tells us some vital aspect of our 'Good News sharing' ministry. 'For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?' (Romans 10.13-15)
Paul's basic position is that behind our sharing Good News is the hand of the Lord, who send and equips us to tell the story of what God has done for us in Jesus. Not all are interested to know what we are talking about, but some will be ready and open. s Paul observes, 'But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “LORD, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.' (Romans 10.16-17)
Often, we may say something one day, and perhaps weeks or years later, the person who heard the Good News responds. Leaving the outcomes to the Lord is part of our partnership with Him.
I find that I have to ask myself, "What Good News have you got to share today?"
Best wishes,
Richard
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Down or Up?
Discussions in Davos, amongst the rich & famous, may not be very different from what happens in pubs up & down thee land. 'Things may be looking bad, but maybe things will get better', is possibly how many feel. Others will be much more gloomy. Are things going down or up?
As we look to the future, none of knows for sure how the details will work out. That is worrying for many, who are used to being in control.
Does being a Christian affect how we face the future?
It certainly made a difference for St. Paul.
In writing to his awkward friends in Corinth, he tells them of the troubles he has faced. 'We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.' (2 Corinthians 4.8-9)
His troubles were not economic, but much more basic - physical attacks, imprisonment and relentless opposition from people inside and outside the Christian community.
Paul had many reasons to be hopeless and gloomy. But he is ever hopeful, because he knows that Jesus can be trusted. His conclusion is startling. 'That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.' (2 Corinthians 4.16-18)
It is clear from this that our degree of hope is determined by the direction of our gaze. If we spend our time looking at the troubles, we will be hopeless! But if we fix our gaze on Jesus, and his victorious love for us, then we will never give up, looking at what really matters.
What a lesson for us all. Which way will you look today - down or up?
Best wishes,
Richard
As we look to the future, none of knows for sure how the details will work out. That is worrying for many, who are used to being in control.
Does being a Christian affect how we face the future?
It certainly made a difference for St. Paul.
In writing to his awkward friends in Corinth, he tells them of the troubles he has faced. 'We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.' (2 Corinthians 4.8-9)
His troubles were not economic, but much more basic - physical attacks, imprisonment and relentless opposition from people inside and outside the Christian community.
Paul had many reasons to be hopeless and gloomy. But he is ever hopeful, because he knows that Jesus can be trusted. His conclusion is startling. 'That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.' (2 Corinthians 4.16-18)
It is clear from this that our degree of hope is determined by the direction of our gaze. If we spend our time looking at the troubles, we will be hopeless! But if we fix our gaze on Jesus, and his victorious love for us, then we will never give up, looking at what really matters.
What a lesson for us all. Which way will you look today - down or up?
Best wishes,
Richard
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Friends and Family
The famous BT adverts, with Bob Hoskins, promoted the idea that we might get a cheaper rate of phone charges if we identified to BT who were our 'Friends and Family'. This little exclusive group could be phoned at great length without too much cost. But that was a long time ago!
The whole social networking revolution has blown apart the idea of a select group of people with whom we may wish to keep in contact. The virtual world is challenging how the real world may behave.
But in the real world, we often have our special circle of 'friends and family', that may or may not be linked to blood relatives. 'You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose you family' is often quoted, with sad resignation.
Jesus was confronted by this issue, and his response is very instructive. 'Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”
Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3.31-35)
Jesus tells us that his family is not one based on human connections, but on our response to the call of God on our lives. Instead of being exclusive and selective in our relationships with each other, we can learn to be changed by Jesus into becoming a welcoming and inclusive community. That would be good!
Best wishes,
Richard
The whole social networking revolution has blown apart the idea of a select group of people with whom we may wish to keep in contact. The virtual world is challenging how the real world may behave.
But in the real world, we often have our special circle of 'friends and family', that may or may not be linked to blood relatives. 'You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose you family' is often quoted, with sad resignation.
Jesus was confronted by this issue, and his response is very instructive. 'Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”
Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3.31-35)
Jesus tells us that his family is not one based on human connections, but on our response to the call of God on our lives. Instead of being exclusive and selective in our relationships with each other, we can learn to be changed by Jesus into becoming a welcoming and inclusive community. That would be good!
Best wishes,
Richard
Monday, 23 January 2012
Manifesto of Hope
The Chinese New Year starts today.
The Year of the Dragon is seen by many Chinese as very hopeful, because the dragon, in Chinese mythology, is the creature that protects the vulnerable and needy. (How different from most European views of dragons!)
For those unable to help themselves, hope and rescue comes from a powerful creature who does for us what cannot be hoped for from 'normal' agents. In European thinking, such an agent was describes a 'deus ex machina', a god outside of normal human operation.
These days, some expect that politicians can be that figure - a Superman, able to sort out the mess. But we have mostly lost hope in politicians of all sorts, because our problems seem too deep for them.
When Jesus started his public ministry, he presented an amazing Manifesto of Hope, drawn from the prophet Isaiah. '“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, and that the time of the LORD’s favour has come.' (Luke 4.18-19)
I am reminded again that we are all in need of the help of Jesus. His life's work was to bring hope and change to those trapped by forces that are beyond their powers to deal with. Only this Saviour can rescue and redeem us. I need Him today as much as ever.
But so does everyone else that you or I meet today. May we have opportunity to point others to Jesus today.
Best wishes,
Richard
The Year of the Dragon is seen by many Chinese as very hopeful, because the dragon, in Chinese mythology, is the creature that protects the vulnerable and needy. (How different from most European views of dragons!)
For those unable to help themselves, hope and rescue comes from a powerful creature who does for us what cannot be hoped for from 'normal' agents. In European thinking, such an agent was describes a 'deus ex machina', a god outside of normal human operation.
These days, some expect that politicians can be that figure - a Superman, able to sort out the mess. But we have mostly lost hope in politicians of all sorts, because our problems seem too deep for them.
When Jesus started his public ministry, he presented an amazing Manifesto of Hope, drawn from the prophet Isaiah. '“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, and that the time of the LORD’s favour has come.' (Luke 4.18-19)
I am reminded again that we are all in need of the help of Jesus. His life's work was to bring hope and change to those trapped by forces that are beyond their powers to deal with. Only this Saviour can rescue and redeem us. I need Him today as much as ever.
But so does everyone else that you or I meet today. May we have opportunity to point others to Jesus today.
Best wishes,
Richard
Friday, 20 January 2012
Seasons and Growth
Earlier in the week, we had 'proper cold'. Yesterday was warm, windy and wet. Now it is cooler again. But most trees are dormant, and it is not the time to sit in the garden! But the strong winds of three weeks ago uprooted several trees locally, and many around the country. This is the sort of thing to observe in winter.
But we know that later in the year, it would be normal to expect trees and plants to grow and be fruitful. That is unless their roots are so shallow that they are easily blown over!
Future growth depends of the present roots being healthy and fed.
Which makes me ask the question about how we are nourishing the roots of our own spiritual lives. Such a process will also help us to weather the storms of life - and it will be too late if we leave attention to root-deepening to when life gets tougher.
The Psalmist was shrewd observer of life's struggles.
'Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the LORD,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do. (Psalm 1.1-3)
It takes time to grow deep roots and develop life habits. The time to start is NOW, and all of us have the time we need. The Psalmist had noted that when people choose not to waste their time with following the advice of the wicked, or standing around with sinners, or joining in with mockers, there was something more substantial about their lives. That substance was the result of what they did do with their time - meditating on God's word.
We have to choose not to waste our precious time with trivia, so that we too can grow deeply in God's word.
Many say it is too difficult or too problematic. Is that a reason or an excuse?
There are excellent resources available to help us, so that we can become stable and fruitful. Then we will be blessed in lives with eternal consequences.
Best wishes,
Richard
But we know that later in the year, it would be normal to expect trees and plants to grow and be fruitful. That is unless their roots are so shallow that they are easily blown over!
Future growth depends of the present roots being healthy and fed.
Which makes me ask the question about how we are nourishing the roots of our own spiritual lives. Such a process will also help us to weather the storms of life - and it will be too late if we leave attention to root-deepening to when life gets tougher.
The Psalmist was shrewd observer of life's struggles.
'Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the LORD,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do. (Psalm 1.1-3)
It takes time to grow deep roots and develop life habits. The time to start is NOW, and all of us have the time we need. The Psalmist had noted that when people choose not to waste their time with following the advice of the wicked, or standing around with sinners, or joining in with mockers, there was something more substantial about their lives. That substance was the result of what they did do with their time - meditating on God's word.
We have to choose not to waste our precious time with trivia, so that we too can grow deeply in God's word.
Many say it is too difficult or too problematic. Is that a reason or an excuse?
There are excellent resources available to help us, so that we can become stable and fruitful. Then we will be blessed in lives with eternal consequences.
Best wishes,
Richard
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