“Where was God?†This is a question which is commonly asked during times of tragedy. At times this may come across with an unintentional irony, with people who have constantly lived their lives to exclude God suddenly wondering why their wish seems to have been fulfilled.
However, it can also be the cry of the faithful. Those who are patiently waiting upon the Lord, and wonder where He is, in a time of tragedy, in a time of bereavement or as they are left picking up the pieces of broken dreams.
Christmas is a reminder that God is so often found at work at the margins, amongst the poor, the vulnerable and the weak. Christmas is a reminder that the life of faith is often a life of waiting, and trusting in the Lord even when faced with situations that we cannot understand.
As Christians we confess God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As we wait for Christmas we will be reflecting in the coming weeks on the Father who sends at Christmas, the Son who is present at Christmas and the Holy Spirit who empowers at Christmas.
Saturday, 1 December 2012
November 25
The issue of women bishops has been a major news item this week. Now, it is not my intention to criticise another denomination, and as a Baptist I am more likely to be opposed to male bishops than supporting women bishops, but I believe it is a good opportunity to indicate the main reasons why Baptist churches endorse the full ministry and leadership of women.
It is biblical. The Bible narrates women doing all the activities which we expect from leaders. Leading worship: Myriam. Leading men: Deborah. Preaching: The many prophetesses of the Old Testament. Teaching: Priscilla. There is even a woman, Junia described as being “notable among the apostles.†Why should we stand in the way of women doing today, what they were allowed to do in Biblical times?
It is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has called and gifted many women for service, why should we stand in the way of His work?
Some do point, however, to 1 Timothy 2:10-15 to oppose female leadership. In context, as leading New Testament scholar NT Wright indicates, this passage is probably urging that women be given full opportunity to learn and study Scriptures in submission to God so that they will not be deceived as Eve was. They should not exert unhealthy leadership over men as was common in the Diana cult in Ephesus. In contrast, Paul was willing to endorse healthy forms of female leadership in many other churches, which include all the roles and actions carried out by our pastors, deacons and other leaders.
It is biblical. The Bible narrates women doing all the activities which we expect from leaders. Leading worship: Myriam. Leading men: Deborah. Preaching: The many prophetesses of the Old Testament. Teaching: Priscilla. There is even a woman, Junia described as being “notable among the apostles.†Why should we stand in the way of women doing today, what they were allowed to do in Biblical times?
It is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has called and gifted many women for service, why should we stand in the way of His work?
Some do point, however, to 1 Timothy 2:10-15 to oppose female leadership. In context, as leading New Testament scholar NT Wright indicates, this passage is probably urging that women be given full opportunity to learn and study Scriptures in submission to God so that they will not be deceived as Eve was. They should not exert unhealthy leadership over men as was common in the Diana cult in Ephesus. In contrast, Paul was willing to endorse healthy forms of female leadership in many other churches, which include all the roles and actions carried out by our pastors, deacons and other leaders.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
November 4th
A colleague of mine once remarked that when at Bible College she went to a lecture on holiness and noticed it was poorly attended. The following week she went to a lecture on evil spirits and demons and the venue was packed out.
As the growing fascination with Halloween shows, there is something seductively attractive about the power of evil. Yet this morning's reading reminds us that this attraction is deceptive, for evil has a devastating effect on people and communities. It also reminds us that above all, our focus should be on Jesus, the one who has defeated all evil.
As the growing fascination with Halloween shows, there is something seductively attractive about the power of evil. Yet this morning's reading reminds us that this attraction is deceptive, for evil has a devastating effect on people and communities. It also reminds us that above all, our focus should be on Jesus, the one who has defeated all evil.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
October 28
Imagine you are travelling on a long distance plane journey, and the announcement comes, "Welcome abroad our flight, this is Captain Jones, this is my first ever flight so let's hope that everything works out all right." Would you find it easy to rest and relax during the flight?
In this morning's passage we read about how Jesus and his disciples went on a boat in the Sea of Galilee and how, despite the storm which was surrounding them, Jesus was asleep. Jesus was able to sleep, not due to a callous almost suicidal indifference as was the case of Jonah, but simply because of His confidence in the power of God working through His ministry.
The promise of the Christian faith is not that we will never face storms and difficulties in our lives. It is certainly not that terrible things will never happen to us. It is simply that through all the difficult moments we can trust in the power of God at work in our lives, leading us to the fulfilment of his purposes.
In this morning's passage we read about how Jesus and his disciples went on a boat in the Sea of Galilee and how, despite the storm which was surrounding them, Jesus was asleep. Jesus was able to sleep, not due to a callous almost suicidal indifference as was the case of Jonah, but simply because of His confidence in the power of God working through His ministry.
The promise of the Christian faith is not that we will never face storms and difficulties in our lives. It is certainly not that terrible things will never happen to us. It is simply that through all the difficult moments we can trust in the power of God at work in our lives, leading us to the fulfilment of his purposes.
Friday, 19 October 2012
Sunday October 21st
Felix Baumgartner had a rather busy ten minutes last Sunday. Finding himself 24 miles above the earth in a balloon, he decided to hurl himself to the ground. In the process he reached a maximum speed of 833.9 mph, breaking the sound barrier, but fortunately he remembered to open his parachute before hitting the floor.
Inspired by Mr. Baumgartner's foolishness courage, others have also been challenged into daring escapades. For example, this week I decided to strap myself to a piece of metal and hurl myself along the perils of Stanhope Road at the breathtaking speed of 18.5 mph. To be honest I still do not understand the enjoyment that some derive from driving but at least my instructor and I were able to come to a halt still alive.
When Jesus called his first disciples, they had no idea what the future would hold. Yet, attracted by God's own son, they were willing to take the risk of stepping away from all that was familiar and gave them comfort and follow Jesus.
As much as we value our sense of security and stability it is important to remember the wise words of William Carey that if we are wanting to expect great things from God we should be willing to attempt great things for God.
Inspired by Mr. Baumgartner's foolishness courage, others have also been challenged into daring escapades. For example, this week I decided to strap myself to a piece of metal and hurl myself along the perils of Stanhope Road at the breathtaking speed of 18.5 mph. To be honest I still do not understand the enjoyment that some derive from driving but at least my instructor and I were able to come to a halt still alive.
When Jesus called his first disciples, they had no idea what the future would hold. Yet, attracted by God's own son, they were willing to take the risk of stepping away from all that was familiar and gave them comfort and follow Jesus.
As much as we value our sense of security and stability it is important to remember the wise words of William Carey that if we are wanting to expect great things from God we should be willing to attempt great things for God.
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Sunday October 14th
"Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." (Matthew 5:6-7)
If Jesus makes a stark warning against those who through false teaching would lead children, and those new in the faith, to sin, imagine his response to those who would deliberately harm children and vulnerable people. In the last few weeks we have seen how for a long time key institutions such as the BBC, the Police, Hospital trusts and others did not take seriously enough allegations of abuse against children. Without prejudging the guilt or innocence of those who are now being accused, it is at least worthwhile to lament the fact that they did not heed the warning that Jesus made.
Yet for the church the challenge is greater than simply providing a safe and healthy environment for children. As we prepare for a Light Party, as we prepare to work in partnership with the Hang10 team to reach out to the young people in our community, the challenge is to be prepared to welcome each one of them, in Jesus' name, as we would welcome Jesus. This may lead us to have to put up with uncomfortable moments, this may even require changing the way we do things, but life is much more enjoyable when we don't have a millstone hanging round our necks.
If Jesus makes a stark warning against those who through false teaching would lead children, and those new in the faith, to sin, imagine his response to those who would deliberately harm children and vulnerable people. In the last few weeks we have seen how for a long time key institutions such as the BBC, the Police, Hospital trusts and others did not take seriously enough allegations of abuse against children. Without prejudging the guilt or innocence of those who are now being accused, it is at least worthwhile to lament the fact that they did not heed the warning that Jesus made.
Yet for the church the challenge is greater than simply providing a safe and healthy environment for children. As we prepare for a Light Party, as we prepare to work in partnership with the Hang10 team to reach out to the young people in our community, the challenge is to be prepared to welcome each one of them, in Jesus' name, as we would welcome Jesus. This may lead us to have to put up with uncomfortable moments, this may even require changing the way we do things, but life is much more enjoyable when we don't have a millstone hanging round our necks.
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