Asking the right questions June 22
Each day we have choices to make about how to use our resources, what to do with our time and talents, and how to relate to the people around us.The decisions we make depend very much on what questions we ask.
The pragmatist, for instance, will ask "What is the easiest and least costly thing to do?", while the more sentimental will ask "What will make everyone happy?" Both questions result in some dubious decisions.
The moralist prefers to ask "What is the right thing to do?" Their judgement as to what is right might be based on the Ten Commandments, humanist principles, or some other standard. But ultimately they've adopted the ethical system they're using because it's the one that best agrees with their own opinion of right and wrong. The fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil produces moralists as well as criminals.
The legalist asks a slightly different question: "How far can I go without breaking the law?" Again, the law might be God's law, or some other standard. It doesn't really matter - what matters to the legalist is staying within the law. Legalists hate situations where things are grey rather than black and white. If no law exists, they will invent one in order to keep within it.
Those who understand that being a Christian is about relationship with God try to avoid pragmatism and sentimentalism, moralism and legalism by asking "Lord, what is your will in this matter?". But then they must decide whether they'll accept God's will, or do things their own way. There are subtle and not so subtle ways of side-stepping God's will, such as not waiting for an answer to the question, accepting a favourable answer without testing it, refusing to accept that the answer which comes is from God, and refusing to make a decision at all.
Those who have truly accepted Jesus as Lord do something much more radical - they make their decision before asking any questions. "Lord, I will do whatever you want me to do" is their decision. "What do you want me to do?" is the question that follows. How they arrive at an answer to that question is less important than the fact their decision is made in the context of their relationship with Christ.
Stella
Our son's school newsletter this week had an article about one of their assessment strategies for students. A student's work is compiled in a portfolio and this is the basis for discussion during parent-teacher-student interviews. This idea, the newsletter explained, is "based on Development Assessment." This is what follows;
"Development assessment shifts the focus in assessment from the notion of 'passing' or 'failing' to the concept of ongoing growth; from an emphasis of comparing one individual with another to an emphasis on students' developing skills, knowledge and understanding."
I'm sure this is a good model for education. But it is an essential model for a Christian's growth in godliness.
How often do we compare one Christian against another, or ourselves against others? And the usual result is giving ourselves or others a 'pass' or 'fail' on being a Christian. But for those who are in Christ, we have all passed. God has accepted us in Christ, not because of our own performance, but because of Jesus' death and resurrection (Eph 2:1-10). Whether a son or daughter behaves well or badly, they are still a son or daughter. C.S. Lewis wrote about this tendency to compare ourselves with other people (with positive or negative results) and said it misses the point. It's better to compare ourselves with ourselves. What were we like ten years ago, twenty years ago etc? Are we changing to become more like Jesus? Paul's prayer for the Colossians was that "you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God," (Col 1:10) and Peter charged his readers to (grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," (2 Pet 3:18).
This requires conscious effort and desire. Every day we are to "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry," (Col 3:5), and to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Heb 12:1). Clearly we will have to deal with sin (again and again!). But the way forward is repentance, not comparisons with others that lead to pride or self-pity or excuses.
But as we do this, and whenever we take stock of ourselves (a healthy thing to do), let's keep in mind that the Christian life is one of growth not 'passing' or 'failing'. And the best part of this is that it is "… God, who makes things grow," (1 Cor 3:7).
Gordon.
HE IS SOVEREIGN, HE'S IN CONTROL June 8
Colin Buchanan sings a song for children that has these words;
"… He is sovereign, He's in control Nothing takes God by surprise.
In the good bits, the bad bits, through all of your life No matter what happens to you,
You can be sure God is always in it, And Jesus will carry you through."
Simple and catchy enough for children to sing. But can we believe it? And do we believe it?
I read a comment from a Christian minister last week who wrote, "God cannot be of infinite power, otherwise God is unwilling to take suffering away. What kind of God is that?"
It's a fairly well worn argument, either God is not all loving or he is not all powerful, how else can we explain suffering in His world? I find it sad that this old argument is being used by a Christian, because it is such an inadequate choice. It assumes that human suffering is the greatest evil and that it's presence somehow challenges the existence or presence of God. "What kind of God is that?"
But what kind of God is the one who is not all powerful? Surely he is something less than God! Why would I be praying to him? Why would I entrust my life and future to him? In the face of difficulty I would be better to make a deal with someone who could do something about it, maybe even the devil himself!! Of course, the foolishness of this reasoning shows where we are left with a God who is not in control of all things, whether good or bad. We may not be able to understand why God allows suffering, but to stop trusting him because of that leaves us in a worse position.
Our God is sovereign, he's in control. The vision of Jesus in Revelation 1 leaves us no doubt. John saw,
someone "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
And this awesome, majestic Lord had a word for John who was so terrified that he collapsed as though dead. And that word is the same to us who trust him, whether we are going through the good times or the bad;
"Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
Gordon
Reformed, Protestant, Evangelical Christian & Anglican! June 1
Someone has said, "If it goes without saying it must be said." It is possible to keep assuming that we all think or believe something, but in practice find ourselves forgetting, ignoring or point blank denying it. But as long as it "goes without saying", no one realises that we've moved.
The Anglican Church was born at a time of great change in the Christian world. It was one of the first 'Protestant'or 'Reformed' movements to define itself as distinct from the church in Rome. Those who drafted the theological foundations, paid for their reforms with their lives, such was their conviction of their beliefs.
Today we find ourselves in another time of change. Many who call themselves 'Anglican' are attempting to redefine Anglicanism. Basically this comes at the price of the foundational truths that people gave their lives for 450 years ago. And if what we believe 'goes without saying', we will find the goal posts well and truly moved, and our denomination no longer defined in terms consistent with biblical Christianity.
So we need to say again what we believe. At last week's AGM we did that with these words, agreed upon unanimously;
In keeping with the Constitution of the Anglican Church of Australia, the Anglican Parish of Highgate WA (St Alban's), affirms and adheres to the doctrine and principles of the Church of England as embodied in the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty Nine Articles, including the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for salvation.
And on the Constitution, the National Church Office says this;
The Anglican Church of Australia is established under a constitution which came into force in 1962. The first section of the constitution sets out the basic character of the faith of this church and the succeeding sections detail the way in which the church is organised and its life regulated. ... The essential character of the church can be seen from the first part of the constitution ... set out below.
1. The Anglican Church of Australia, being a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, holds the Christian Faith as professed by the Church of Christ from primitive times and in particular as set forth in the creeds known as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed.
2. This Church receives all the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as being the ultimate rule and standard of faith given by inspiration of God and containing all things necessary for salvation. ...
You can find this at www.anglican.org.au/intro.htm . A copy is also available on the back table, along with copies of the 39 Articles.
St Alban's is a Christian Church belonging to the Anglican denomination. Let's know what we believe, and keep repeating it. It doesn't go with out saying!
Gordon.
Being properly equipped is the best way to get things done. The men who have been painting our buildings have come with all the right equipment for the work. Imagine them trying to paint the cross bars in the hall ceiling using, say, our small tables stacked on top of each other instead of scaffolding!
There is a work that we are to be involved in. Paul describes it in Ephesians 4 as building Christ's body "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ." (Eph 4:13).
And see how God has equipped us for this task;
It was he [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers (v11).
God gifts churches with people able to teach his Word. But this, in itself, is not "the work". The work is what follows;
to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (v12)
The phrase "works of service" is in the singular, ie work of service, and "service" is the word usually translated "ministry". Although there are many 'ministries', ultimately they are all part of the one 'Ministry', building the body of Christ, and it is done by speaking his word;
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (v15)
The "truth" is the truth about God, the gospel, which we have been equipped with by those who have taught it to us.
We are all involved in this work, and are all required to participate if we are to do it properly. As Paul continues;
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (v16)
If each part does not do it's work, how will we be built properly? It's like having to paint ceilings without ladders or scaffolding &endash; the job might get done, but not properly.
Our Annual General Meeting today is a great time to be reminded of this corporate work that we are all involved in. Through the many people involved in many ways, each part doing its work, we are, through the power of God's word, building the body of Christ, both here and elsewhere.
Gordon.
The marriage service used to include the words "With my body I thee worship". To modern ears it seems a strange statement for one human being to make to another. Our concept of worship has changed so much that the idea of a man "worshipping" his wife, or vice versa, seems almost idolatrous (although it has its attractions!). Worship has come to be associated with speaking or singing words of praise and adoration to God, particularly when we meet together with other Christians.
What the words of the marriage service were meant to convey, however, was an attitude. The married person was to honor their spouse by loving them, serving them, and allowing no other person to take precedence in their lives. We have lost something important if we equate worship only with expressions of praise.
Praise is an important part of what we do when we worship together on Sunday. Reading the scriptures, listening to the sermon, putting our offering in the plate, confessing our sins, and sharing in Communion is also worship. And none of these things is worship if we do them without a heart set on honoring God as God.
But worship goes beyond what we do on Sunday. Worship is giving God what is due to him. When we admire a sunset, or a flower, or a new baby, and recognize God as its creator, we are worshipping. When we offer the things we do to God, whether it's ironing a shirt, talking to a patient, writing up a project or changing a tyre, we are worshipping. When we tell others about what God has done for us, we are not only witnessing, we are worshipping.
Many of those who lined the streets with palm branches and shouted "Hosanna" as Jesus entered Jerusalem were not worshippers. They were enthusiastic, they praised God, but they were willing to honor Jesus only so far as he was willing to fit in with their agenda. By Friday they were shouting "crucify him".
As Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees, God can cause stones to sing his praises if his disciples are silent. He loves us, but not because we have anything to offer him that he could not supply himself. We worship "in truth" when we recognize that we are utterly dependent on God and honor him with our hearts and lives as well as our voices.
Stella.
PRAISE GOD FOR HIS WORK - FAREWELL DALE & JOY April 13
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. (1 Thess 5:12-13a)
Commenting on this verse, John Calvin wrote;
"Now this work is the edification of the Church, the eternal salvation of souls, the restoration of the world, and in short the kingdom of God and Christ. The excellence and splendour of this work are beyond value. We are, therefore, to think highly of those whom God makes ministers of so great a task."
Today we farewell Dale and Joy Appleby and express our thanks for 14 years of faithful and diligent work. Some of us will remember Dale's commissioning service on December 11, 1988, while for others, Dale is the only rector they have known at St Alban's. Some have been converted through the ministry here while others came to St Alban's already Christians. Dale has certainly been one who has "worked hard among you", and all who have known Dale will have benefited from his faithful work.
As we farewell Dale and Joy we also give thanks to our great God for working through the Applebys these many years and for causing the growth from their labours (1 Cor 3:6-7).
We commit Dale and Joy into the Lord's care for this new work that lies ahead and trust that they will engage this work with the same energy and faithfulness we have seen here. As Paul charged Timothy as a minister of God's word, let us entrust to God in prayer Dale and Joy with the same mind;
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage&emdash;with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Tim 4:2)
Gordon.
How important is knowing the truth? Is it enough to get by with the cynicism of Pilate, "What is truth?" (John 18:38) or the casual acceptance of ignorance, usually justified with the old; "I have a simple faith and that's enough"? Surely not.
Truth matters, and so knowing the truth is important. During the week I read of a North American Bishop who claims that Jesus was a sinner and that he experienced forgiveness as anyone else. His motive might have been to encourage people that we all need (and can receive) forgiveness, but in what he wrote he completely contradicted the Bible's message and the fundamental necessity that for Jesus' death to be an effective substitute for sinners, he must himself be sinless.
But is this just squabbling over words? Does it matter whether the Bishop (or 2000 years of Christianity) are right or wrong so long as the main idea of forgiveness is communicated?
If we do not know and hold to the truth about God as he has revealed it, we will neither live the life that pleases God, nor indeed, know God in the first place. In Titus 1:1 Paul wrote of "the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness". Only truth leads to godliness. And in 2 Thess 2:14 he wrote, "God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth". Sanctification by God's Spirit, being made holy (including personal godliness) will involve our belief in the truth. No wonder Paul also wrote, "Test everything" in 1 Thessalonians 5:21. Reflecting on both letters to the Thessalonians, David Peterson wrote, "Paul is keen to point out … that belief in the truth is the key to profound moral and behavioural change."
Truth matters. Not as an end in itself, but as the way we know God and the way we are transformed into his likeness. It should not surprise us that the world will sneer at this and seek to relativise the truth (the polite way of rejecting it). But we ought not buy into that lie, nor allow ourselves to be indifferent to the truth, or to assume we 'know it all' or 'know enough' and can treat the truth casually. Let us seek to know our God more and more and to encourage each other to do the same. As Jesus said in John 8:31-32; "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Gordon.
On Tuesday, our Federal Government committed Australian troops to armed conflict in Iraq. On Thursday our troops entered the conflict. In his speeches, Prime Minister John Howard has repeated the plea, that if people disagree with this action, they take it out on him and his government and not the Australian troops.
This is constructive advice for all Australians in such a time.
But as Christians we are to do more. We have an obligation to serve and submit to those whom God places in authority over us.
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God… for the authorities are God's servants (Rom 13:1-6)
This means John Howard's plea is actually our obligation. If we agree with the decision, we need to keep praying for our leaders that they will be wise and measured, and pray that the conflict will be brief and decisive. If we disagree, we must be careful not to malign our government. Now more than ever they need our prayers
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Tim 2:1-2).
And any criticism must be constructive and directed towards the government (letters to local members etc) rather than fuel for fearful and complaint-laden conversations
Do everything without complaining or arguing, that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Phil 2:14-15).
And still we can pray for our soldiers and their families (among whom there are brothers and sisters in Christ), and pray for the people of Iraq, especially fellow Christians there.
There are other constructive ways we can respond to this current situation. Let's guard our minds, hearts and our tongues at this time and trust all the more in our Great God, the Sovereign Lord of Heaven and earth.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7)
Gordon
TRUSTING GOD IN A DANGEROUS WORLD March 16
This is an article written by the Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, and can be found at this address;
http://www.anglicanmedia.com.au/index.php/article/articleview/634/1/25
What's your immediate response to suffering? Mine is pretty consistent : I don't like it! (though I know it's not always a bad thing).
Now, what's your immediate response to suffering in someone else? Say, a child? Say, your child? It's one thing to suffer yourself, it's another to watch someone else, especially someone in our care. When a child is bullied, we want to protect them. When our son is hurt in the playground, we want to make sure it doesn't happen again. When our little girl is upset by lies told by a 'friend', we wish we could control all she hears and comes into contact with. And what about when children start to suffer because they are Christians?
To wish this sort of pain away might be our immediate response, but we must also allow the light of God's word to shape such responses. At last year's Men's Convention, the speaker (Ray Galea) was speaking on James 1:2ff, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…" and he raised this issue. And to comment on it, he quoted Don Carson from his book "How Long O Lord?" This is what Carson writes;
Sometimes we want to protect our children … from too many things. For instance, we sometimes try to protect them from the caustic scorn of peers who have little time for Christian values. After all, we console ourselves, the Bible says much about earning a good reputation with outsiders. But that reputation is for integrity, kindness, love; it is never to be won at the expense of silence. I look at my children, and wish for them enough opposition to make them strong, enough insults to make them choose, enough hard decisions to make them see that following Jesus brings with it a cost : a cost eminently worth it, but still a cost.
And Carson goes on to apply this to churches;
A church that is merely comfortable, that never evangelises, never encourages its people to stand on the front line, will never be strong, never be grateful, never be able to sort out profoundly Christian priorities.
Suffering is not always bad, in ourselves or our children. May we and our children suffer just enough to grow firm in our resolve to follow Christ and make his name known, "because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:3-4)
Gordon
"Do not be afraid". The words echo over and over, from Genesis, through the books of Law, history and prophecy, into the Gospels and on to Revelation. Sometimes they're used as gentle reassurance, as when the angel appeared to the startled Mary. More often they're a strong command. Do not be afraid! Do not fear!
But why shouldn't we be afraid? Fear is a natural, basic emotion. When a car hurtles towards us at 100 kph, fear gets us out of its way. Fear keep us away from the teeth of snarling dogs and venomous snakes.
When God says "Do not be afraid", it's not this reflex fear he's addressing, but can't-sleep-at-night, what's-to-become-of-me fear. The sort of fear that saps your energy and churns your stomach when you're facing the armies of Canaan, or the Jewish Sanhedrin, or terrorist threats. The sort of fear that makes you say "Why me?" when God calls you to lead his people out of Egypt, or be his prophet, or witness to a colleague. The fear that wonders if God really meant it when he said that he'd give you descendents, or bring you back from exile, or raise Jesus from the dead, or give you eternal life.
We're not to fear because God is our shield (Gen 15.7), our deliverer ( Ex 14.13), our redeemer (Isa 41.14). God is with us to help us fight our battles (2 Chron 32.7-8). He will never leave us or forsake us (Deut 31.6). Fear doesn't take God at his word. It makes him out to be a liar and untrustworthy. Fear gives greater honour to those we fear than to God. God alone is to be feared (Isa 8.12)
We're not to fear because what we fear is temporary and will pass, but God is eternal. Those we fear face a far worse peril than we do - they will perish if they don't turn to God. (Isa 51.7-8). Their power is limited to injuring our mortal bodies, but God has power over our immortal lives and theirs (Matt 10.28). Jesus holds the key to death and Hades (Rev 1.17).
We're not to fear because suffering for what is right brings a blessing (1 Pet 3.14) We've been promised a Kingdom worth far more than anything we possess in this life (Lk 12.32) And if Jesus suffered insult and persecution, why should we expect anything less? In the face of threats, we're told to go on proclaiming the Good News (Matt 10.24-26). Do not be afraid!
Stella
The Old Testament and Christ Feb 23
When Jesus opened the minds of the disciples to understand the scriptures, what scriptures might he have opened?
Here is a beginning selection for those who want to begin to explore some of the major themes of the Old Testament which find their fulfilment in Christ. I suggest you look up the cross references for each passage.
Genesis 3.15 - sometimes called the protoevangelium, the first advance promise of a rescue.
Genesis 12.1-3; 22.18 - This is the foundation promise of the covenant to Abraham which includes the promise that all the nations will be blessed through him. Make sure you study also Gal 3.8-14.
Deuteronomy 18.15-19 - the prophet like Moses
2 Samuel 7.4-17 - the Lord will establish a house for David and the son of David will build a house for the Lord
Psalm 2; Psalm 110; Psalm 118.22 - kingship Psalms
Psalm 16.9-11 - a Psalm of resurrection
Psalm 22
Psalm 23 - Ezek 34 - John 10 - the shepherd
Isaiah 9 - the child to reign on David's throne
Isaiah 11 - the ruler of David's line will also gather the nations
Isaiah 40 - the coming of the salvation of God
Isaiah 42.1-9; 44.1-5; 49.1-7; 50.4-952.13 - 53.12; - the servant songs
Isaiah 61.1-3 - the anointed one
Jeremiah 23.6; 33.16 - the LORD our righteousness
Jeremiah 31.31-34 - the new covenant
This is a start. Make sure you look up the cross references. You can also study the use of the OT in Acts 2; 4 and 13.
Dale
According to the National Church Life Survey figures, 60% of those attending church have not invited anyone to church during the previous year.
How did the church grow in the Book of Acts?
The Book of Acts records the continuing work of Jesus in the growth of his church. In chapter 1 we have 120 persons meeting together under the leadership of Peter (1:15). To this group were added 3,000 people on the Day of Pentecost (2:41). More and more were added daily to the church, until there were more than 5,000 without counting women and children (4:4)! Luke continues to record this trend of increasing numbers (6:1,7) despite opposition from without and difficulties from within (11:21,24). However, it was the Lord who was daily adding to their number "those who were being saved" (2:47). His method of building his church was by faithful proclamation and spontaneous testimony (3:9, 4:20-1).
The church that is built upon the apostolic confession is one that is being built by Jesus. It is not only being built up in numbers but also in maturity. For the church is the result of Jesus' own building plans (Matthew 16:18; cf. Hebrews 3:3). It is his church, not ours. Jesus' church is a living organism geared for growth quantitative as well as a qualitative. The church of God comprises all those gifted by the Spirit. Some are gifted teachers or evangelists, others have gifts of service, hospitality, generosity, encouragement, etc. There are a great variety of gifts in the body of Christ. However, all gifts are for building up the body of Christ to the glory of God. We all have a part to play in this goal of the church becoming mature, "attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13). Just as the early Christians went about praising God, so the praise of God should be upon our lips especially with those who do not yet know his love. Our partnership in the mission of Jesus is to bring the message of the gospel to all the world, so that the glory of God might cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).
Taken from a Bible Study on Mission by Bishop Glenn Davies
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light"
So Isaiah said about the child who would come to Galilee of the nations.
Light is a great help to people who are in the dark. Especially people who are in the dark about God. Some people think that they can light a fire (or use a torch) to find God in the darkness. But one might just as successfully use a torch to find the sun at midnight.
We may think that the light of God is provided so that we can find our way around. Perhaps that is because we think it is like sunlight which we have never been able to look at. But the Bible thinks it is the light itself which will be seen by the people in the dark. And the reason is so that they can see the light itself. So that God himself can be known by people who are spiritually in the dark.
But how can we be sure that Jesus is this light? How do we know whether what he said was really true? One way we can approach this is to look for some kind of proof that what he said is true, maybe some kind of logical, scientific or historical proof. But while logic, science, and history will give us strong confirmation of the truth of Jesus' claims, the truthfulness of his claims do not depend on these outside referees. There is no higher court of appeal than Jesus to which we could go in order to check out his claims. If we put our rationality above Jesus' own word, we have put ourselves above him.
This is a unique case because of Jesus' unique place. While the trustworthiness of the documents and the reasonableness of the message may support our belief our only authority is Jesus' word itself.
Faith is the key issue not proof. In this case faith means looking at the light. It means allowing the light to reveal God to us. We must not hide behind our many questions, but rather let into our minds what Jesus has said and done.
And so we have to urge people to look at the light himself. The gospel works because it is the power of God, not because we can stand above it and assure people it is OK to believe it.
Dale
"As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?" Eccles 5:11
A recent report by the Australia Institute (see www.tai.org.au/WhatsNew_Files/WhatsNew/DP49sum.pdf) offers a sobering look in to the lifestyles and aspirations of most Australians.
Although Australia is one of the richest countries in the world, with the average person enjoying an income three times higher than in the 1950's, 62% believe they can't afford everything they really need (this includes the wealthiest households). The majority of people, regardless of income, feel they need higher incomes. Most feel they spend 'nearly all their money on the basic necessities of life', and again this includes many in the highest income bracket.
While the majority of Australians bemoan their financial difficulties, when asked to specify what they are actually going without, it becomes clear that less than five percent of the population are truly facing serious hardship. The report goes on to comment that this is not the popular perception, with "Aussie battlers" in abundance; though most are really "middle-class battlers", who in fact "live lives of abundance". This myth only serves to deflect attention from those who are in genuine need.
Another thing noted is the trend towards larger homes and yet smaller families, leaving people with more than double the living area of only thirty years ago. And what do they use to 'fill' this living area? The report referred to "luxury fever", the trend of ordinary people aspiring to consume luxuries that previously only the wealthiest people could afford. It gave examples of manufacturers who make 'top of the range' items almost purely to make the 'entry level' items seem reasonable, though these themselves are still luxury items.
The report also cites overconsumption, rising debt, falling savings, and overworking as all related problems.
Of course, none of this is new. See the above quote from Ecclesiastes (or Prov 30:8-9; Mt 6:25ff; cf Phil 4:11-13).
What an opportunity Christians have to live differently. Chances are, we all struggle with the same aspirations as those around us, and perhaps we need to do some repenting in this area. But we know the God who supplies all our needs and we know the certainty of an eternity in which God has already "blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Eph 1:3). By the grace of God, we can be content with whatever he gives us now and get on with the business of being his people in a fallen world, offering others a hope far beyond mere consumerism, a treasure kept "where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."
Gordon.
It is wonderful that the ultimate destiny of humans was represented and foreshadowed at the beginning of their existence. Some people think their destiny is in their own hands. That they can change or effect their destiny.
But the first chapter of the Bible shows us that God's original purpose for us was to be in his image and to act as his image in the world. Humans corrupted this role by their independent attempt to go against what God had said. Some think that nevertheless the image of God is still apparent in the lives of human beings. While this may be the case, it obscures a greater truth.
That truth is that God's perfect image, his Son, later became a human himself. He did this so that those who had given up their place as God's image could still have the opportunity to be in his image once again.
In fact Jesus revealed that the image of God which was Adam had a destiny greater than Adam. Adam and his descendants, despite their rebellion, were destined to be like the Son himself. There are images and images and the Son "is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being". The image of God formed as Adam had a greater destiny ahead. And despite sin, God will still carry out his purpose.
Those who belong, this time not to Adam but to Christ have been destined to be conformed to the image of God's own Son.
God has a purpose for his people which is beyond our imagination and quite apart from anything we can accomplish as mere humans. He intends that we share his glory and exist as people who can have perfect fellowship with him.
Creating humans was not the end of the process. God created humans who began as his image, but who will end up transformed into the image of his very own Son. Our hope is not for a return to the perfection of Eden, but for a transformation to the life of heaven itself.
And while our rebellion and sin has intervened to destroy that hope, God has acted like a righteous rescuer to save us out of a self imposed destiny to death in order to bring us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
That is a destiny worth enjoying.
Dale
Both Paul and Peter exhorted wives to submit to their husbands. But what does it mean to be submitted, in practical terms? What does a "submitted" wife look like? What does she do?
The woman of Proverbs 31.10 is described as virtuous (KJV), of noble character (NIV) an excellent wife (NASB). Her husband trusts her from his heart and values her above jewels. We could safely assume, then, that she is submitted to him. Yet she seems to be a strong, capable, confident lady, not at all the meek doormat that some might imagine a submitted wife to be.
She works hard, runs her household well, and makes sure there's food on the table. Most husbands would be happy with that! But she's also an astute business woman. She knows a good deal when she sees it, buys land and develops it, apparently all at her own initiative. She sells her produce in the market place and uses her profit wisely and generously.
This lady is physically strong and dignified. She knows the value of her own skills and abilities. She speaks confidently and is known for her wisdom and teaching. She's well dressed, without being overly concerned about her appearance. It's hard to imagine that she suffers from low self esteem or gets depressed.
She fears the Lord, in the sense that she honours and obeys him, but she's fearless about the present or the future. There's certainly no suggestion that she's afraid of her husband, or is incapable of living without a man to care for her. In a way, her husband doesn't seem to figure much in her daily life at all. Yet he sings her praises. It's not that he's a doormat either - he's a well respected elder. So how is she practising submission?
The key seems to be in v 12: "She does him good and not harm all the days of her life". That would make a good definition of Christian submission in any situation, whether it be wives to their husbands, church members to their leaders (Heb 13.17) or every believer to each other (Eph 5.21). Submission doesn't mean that we hand our lives over to the other person and allow them to run them for us. Rather, we take their best interests into consideration in making our own choices and actions. Love and submission are two sides of one coin.
Stella
Everyone who is a Christian has responded to the gospel, the earth-shaking news that Christ died and rose again for sinners and that by trusting in this fact anyone can be put right with God. Indeed, to remain a Christian involves responding to the gospel each day, as Paul says in Col 2:6, "just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him". But to respond rightly to the gospel is profound thing. It is as broad as the life we live in Christ. The New Testament lists many ways that we are to respond to the gospel.
Initial response:
Initially, we have to hear it and of course believe it (Acts 15:7).
But it is hard to separate believing the gospel from repenting of sin
(Mk 1:15). In 1 Cor 15:1-2 Paul reminds his readers of the gospel
which they "received" on which they "stand", by which they are
"saved" if they "hold firmly" to it.
Ongoing response:
Following on from this, we continue to live in Christ, not moving
from the gospel we first received. So in Phil 1:27 we're exhorted to
live in a "manner worthy of the gospel", (surely at least involving
hearing, believing and repenting of sin each day), or more directly 2
Thess 1:8 speaks of God's judgement coming on those who do not obey
the gospel.
Work:
In this life worthy of the gospel is what we might call the work of
the gospel. Jesus said his main task was to preach the gospel (Mk
1:38); Paul was set apart for the gospel (Rom 1:1), and Christians
"confess" the gospel (see 2 Cor 9:13 &endash; NB here the Corinthians
were 'obedient' to their confession). In this vein Paul refers to a
"participation / partnership" in the gospel (Phil 1:5 cf 4:14-15),
and of believers "striving together" for the gospel (Phil 1:27).
Suffer:
There is one more response to the gospel that we might not usually
hold in the fore of our minds. But it is as much a part of right
response as these other things already listed. Paul exhorts Timothy,
"join with me in suffering for the gospel", which will come as he
refuses to be ashamed of testifying to Jesus or of Paul his prisoner
(2 Tim 1:8). Paul himself said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel" (Rom
1:18). There is a cost in responding rightly to the gospel, if we are
to continue in Christ just as we received him, we need to be ready to
suffer for the gospel, but as Jesus said, "whoever wants to save
his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the
gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35).
"I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it." 1 Cor 9:23 NASB
Gordon.
At the end of his earthly ministry Jesus made this amazing statement, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
That is quite a broad claim. It is very inclusive. Inclusiveness is a modern buzz word. But this kind of inclusiveness is mostly resisted. People mostly do not want to be included in the group over which Jesus rules. It is also an exclusive claim. It excludes every other claimant to supreme authority in the universe.
Both the inclusive and exclusive claims of Jesus provoke questions about other faiths and other lords. If Jesus is the Lord of all where does the Lord Buddha stand? If all people are under his authority what about the people who give their allegiance to Allah and not to Jesus? However for people who are neither Buddhists nor Muslims, such questions are a little distanced from their own personal questions, even though they may be a way of starting to think about them.
The immediate effect on us when we acknowledge the truth about Jesus' authority is to decide whether we are to submit to him or not. But how do we know if it is true? How shall we decide? Who can we turn to to give us a reference point to know if Jesus' claim is valid? That is quite a difficult question since there is no higher authority than the one who has "all authority in heaven and on earth". Well actually it is a very simple question. There is no higher court, no independent referee, no one to turn to.
People are left on their own to weigh up what he said and did. His claim to be the Son of God, to be the Lord of all, is supported by his glorious resurrection which validated his claims about his death as a death for sinners. His resurrection in turn led to the pouring out of his Spirit and the subsequent proclamation of his Lordship to all the nations of the earth. The truth is that the message of Jesus' Lordship comes with the power and authority of God. It is self-authenticating as well as consistent with all the information we have about him. It is both rational and supernatural.
That is why his followers are told to "...go and make disciples of all nations". They do not need to prove things, although explaining is important. Rather they are privileged to proclaim the name of the one who has been exalted far above every name and authority and to call people to obey him. Let's keep at it.
Dale
Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Rom 12.13
In New Testament times, public inns tended to be little more than wayside brothels. Christians travelling from one place to another relied on the hospitality of those in the towns they visited. Writers such as Paul and John encouraged the Christians in the churches to whom they wrote to practise hospitality towards visiting Christian evangelists and others.
Today such hospitality is less necessary. Safe, clean accomodation is plentiful in hotels and motels. Sometimes we have the opportunity to take visiting Christians into our homes and the result is mutually enriching. But the word "hospitality" has come to be associated in many people's minds with entertaining, putting on a good show and making an impression. We feel as though we don't have the time and resources for such things.
Christian hospitality is really about sharing what God has given us with those in need. Even those who have good homes and all the material resources they require still have unmet needs. We may not have a spare room, but there are still lots of ways we can offer hospitality.
For instance:
These are all examples of creative ways in which people from St Alban's are already "doing" hospitality. Thank God for them, and pray that we'll continue to find ways of sharing what we have.
Stella
What is your ministry? How would you know?
What excites you? What puts "fire in your belly" when you think about it? People like Dale and Gordon get excited about preaching the gospel - their ministry includes preaching and teaching. Bryan gets excited about sharing the gospel with individuals and leading them to Christ - his ministry is evangelism. These are very public "up front" ministries. Others have less public ministries, yet they still find a thrill and a sense of satisfaction in doing what they do, even when it's a hard slog sometimes.
What gifts has God given you? We each have natural gifts - things we are able to do and enjoy doing that others find difficult or uninteresting. I enjoy writing, others turn pale at the thought of writing a birthday card. Florence loves cooking, I do it only if I really have to. God meant us to use our natural gifts not just to earn a living or as a hobby, but to serve him and each other.
We also have spiritual gifts - supernatural abilities given by and through the Holy Spirit when we became a Christian to help build up the church. These gifts are not rationed. At any time we can ask the Holy Spirit to provide whatever gifts we need for that moment. But many people seem to have a particular gift that "stays with them", so that other people recognize it. So, for instance, while any of us can ask God for the gift of healing when we're praying with someone who is sick, some people seem to have a more permanent gift of healing.
How do we know what our gifts are? We should be careful not to get carried away with discovering "my gifts", as if that were an end in itself. It's more likely that the gift will manifest itself as we say to God "I trust you and I'm willing to do whatever you want me to do". We discover the gifting in the doing. We still have to put in some effort ourselves. But when we're doing the work God wants us to do, we'll find ourselves doing things in a way that leaves us saying "Thankyou, Lord" rather than "Aren't I great" or "Thank goodness that's over."
We have heard about IRA bombs in London, and suicide bombers in Israel. The bomb blast in Bali seems to be part of the same tradition. Except we are seeing much closer to hand the grief and human destruction caused by such premeditated evil.
So has anything changed since last weekend? The agony of people like us is closer to us, but the reality of a long term attempt to terrorise "us" is still the same. Although it is not too clear who "us" is.
In Indonesia "us" might include the government of Megawati, the Hindu majority on Bali, and not just westerners.
How can we respond to this particular act of evil? Our Christian faith says respond to evil with good. Allow God to take responsibility for vengeance. Does this attack give further grounds to attack Iraq? If it could be shown that Iraq was behind the attack perhaps. Bringing this kind of urban guerilla warfare to an end seems a bit more complex than merely disarming Iraq. So we should pray for the leaders of the nations in this respect.
Our prayers and comfort should also be applied to people who are suffering from the bombs. Both foreigners and Balinese. As well as the personal pain and suffering the people of Bali will suffer a serious economic decline. There will be a massive loss of income in the Island. The Christians especially will be seriously impacted as they rely more than others on tourism for their livelihood and for the work of the gospel.
Can we help? Maybe some business people can look into ways of importing and selling crafts and furniture made in Bali. Perhaps the promotion of Christian tourism in the next year or so is something people here could do. Gifts to help the poor in Bali could also be sent to the church.
The leader of the Balinese Protestant Church, Bishop Suyaga Ayub wrote this:
Dale
The back page of the Messenger recently contained an article claiming that when Jesus said "No one comes to the Father except by me" he didn't really mean it, and certainly didn't mean to suggest that all other religions are therefore not ways to God. The front page of the same edition referred to the persecution of Christians in places like the Sudan. I found this a startling contrast, and wondered if our persecuted brothers and sisters would be comforted by the article mentioned above? I wonder if its author would consider taking his message to them?
And what about us? What if, by some process, Christianity was outlawed here? Or if extreme prejudice was allowed against Christians, such that we'd find it hard to get work, our property could be confiscated and people constantly jeer us? I wonder how many relativist Christians there would be left among us? In the first century, it could be said of one group of Christians;
"Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathised with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." (Heb 10:33-34)
Perhaps, at first thought, persecution might sound like the worst thing that could happen to us. But then again...
"Consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials of many kinds, because ... the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
Far worse would be to become so safe, comfortable and satisfied with our place in the world that Christ was no longer our first love, that the Truth about him was no longer worth dying for, that we could fear being called 'exclusionist' more than fear the God who sent his Son as the only ransom for sinner, perhaps becoming "lukewarm" like those in Laodicea, (see Rev 3:14-22)!
We can and ought to have confidence that Jesus is the only way to God. It will bring us trouble in this world, but we can bring life to this world through that message. And so, as Hebrews 10 continues,
"do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."
Gordon.
The Rabbit Proof Fence portrayed some of the suffering of aboriginal people as a result of government policies which removed so-called half-caste children from their families. Some of us know personally people who were removed in this way. One of the sobering things about this was that it was still government policy until 1970. Sometimes we can think that the bad things only happened in the past. A study of ancient history reveals quite barbaric practices involved in wars against other tribes or states. But remembering something as recent as the colonising of Australia and the treatment of both convicts and indigenous people should make us wary of separating us modern people off from less enlightened people of the past.
The Rabbit Proof Fence is also sobering because it was people like us (or like some of us) who undertook policies which in retrospect most of us now think were mistaken. One can develop a kind of ethno-centric denial that people like us do bad things.
The present lobbying for war with Iraq is in our lifetime and is involving us and people like us. It seems to this man-in-front-of-the-television that the goal posts are being moved on a regular basis. After the entry of weapons inspectors was agreed to and an excuse for war seemed to be removed, disarmament was then added to the demands. No doubt America has other demands which could be used as a reason to attack Iraq.
However the reasons for war in this case do not seem to include an act or declaration of war on the part of Iraq (what for a short time might have been seen as justification for war). Could the doctrine of a pre-emptive self-defence attack been used during the cold war? Perhaps it could. But there was less chance of winning then. However the Gulf War and the Afghanistan conflict suggest that there is not much chance of winning now (the traditional theory of war is based on one's ability to win - see Lk 14.31).
I think we need to pray that wise heads will prevail; that the legitimate opposition of the international community to Iraq's behaviour will be expressed in other ways than war; and that the dynastic agendas involved in America's belligerence will dissipate (see the Bulletin front page of August 18 "Xerxes extension").
Dale
Humility has a rather mixed press. On the one hand, arrogant behaviour on the part of politicians and other public figures often leads to calls for them to show greater humility. On the other hand, the word humility tends to be associated in peoples' minds with other words such as low self esteem, shyness, and servility.
Scripture tells us to "clothe ourselves with humility" (Col 3.12). Our model for this is to be Jesus (Phil. 2.3 - 2.8). Yet words like shyness and poor self esteem don't fit Jesus. His "I am..." statements are not exactly self-effacing. Jesus may have washed his disciples' feet like a lowly servant, but at times he also served up some pretty stern commands and stinging rebukes.
So what is the "humility" that we're to clothe ourselves with? Humility is primarily an attitude rather than a virtue or personal characteristic. It begins with the realisation that we are totally dependent on God. Without God we would not have come into being, and without him we could not continue to exist.
Humility understands that everything I have comes from God. My abilities and talents are not something I've produced or earned. I need not belittle or deny my gifts, but I do acknowledge their source. My material goods are also given to me by God, to use and to share. I may have worked for them, but the work and the skills I used were God's provision for me. I can't use either my attributes or my possessions to compare myself with others or rank myself against them.
Humility recognises that the Christian who turned to Christ yesterday is as precious to him as the person who has been a faithful Christian for years. God may use either to tell the other something they need to hear, or encourage the other in some way. The Christian leader clothed with the humility of Christ has no desire for power for its own sake, but serves others by leading them and laying down his life for them.
Humility acknowledges that my relationship with God depends on God. Without his revealing himself to me through scripture and his Spirit, I wouldn't know him. Without his grace shown in Jesus death, I couldn't approach him. Without his gift of faith, I wouldn't be able to commit my life to him. Without his Spirit working within me, I wouldn't be able to worship him, love him or serve him.
Stella
Recently I was reading part of a book explaining "Catholic Beliefs". In the chapter dealing with salvation it contained these words,
"Catholic teaching makes a distinction between this 'firm hope and confidence' of salvation and certain unmistakable knowledge or assurance from God that one will be saved. The Catholic Church has always taught that no one can know with absolute certainty in this life whether he or she will be saved, except in the rare case that a person receives a special direction revelation from God."
I find these words amazing, as well as disturbing, for at least four reasons.
Firstly, it ignores the clear "direct revelation" of Scripture; eg
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Acts 2:21, Joel 2:32) [See also Ps 145:18; Rom 10:12; Eph 1:13, 2:1-10; 1 Thess 5:9; 2 Thess 2:13; Heb 12:28; 1 Peter 1:3-5, etc).
Secondly, it robs our incentive to put to death sin in our lives, since our union in Christ is no longer certain (see Col 3:1-7).
Thirdly, what joy is there in being a Christian? It's on the certainty of knowing I am forgiven, justified, sanctified, in Christ that true rejoicing based, eg, "Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (Rom 5:11).
And lastly, if I am uncertain as to my own salvation, I have no reason or motivation (in fact, the opposite) for telling anyone else the good news about Jesus. If you're invited to an open party, you'd only bring friends if you were sure you'd get in and knew it was open to all.
It would be a tragedy if Christians were robbed of the assurance of knowing that Christ's death has achieved exactly what God intended it to! So let's revel in his work, being certain that those who trust in Christ will never be put to shame, and with confidence, inviting others to the party!
Gordon.
Research by George Barna (a Christian social researcher in America) suggests that while half of all adults said their faith helped them on September 11, there has been no impact on religious practices and no impact on people's faith. Asked whether they planned to do anything special to remember September 11, 67% of adults said they had no plans. Only 1% specifically planned to watch a special television event about the attacks.
Immediately after the attacks church attendance rose dramatically, but only for a few weeks. Attendance levels were back to normal by November according to the survey. No changes were detected in other practices such as prayer or bible reading. The rise in attendance was due to the irregulars all coming consistently for a short time. Afterwards they returned to their irregular pattern. No change was seen in the attendance patterns of outsiders.
As we consider the kind of public response in our media, it seems clear that the dominant focus has been on human heroism. Apart from the expected interviews with grieving relatives, our media seems dominated by wanting to pay tribute to our human resourcefulness. Such theologising that has been done has also been at a very human level. In America and the western world there has been a virgin like response to the evil attack. A sense of outrage that the most righteous nation in history should be attacked in such an evil manner by such terrible people.
Absent from the discussions has been any serious discussion of death, life after death (except an assumption that all innocent victims will be in heaven), and God's judgement. The once a month attenders who went to church for four weeks in a row and then returned to their usual pattern best illustrate the tragedy. The tragedy is that it only takes a few weeks to work through the panic of people like us being suddenly killed to a resolution that God will not hold me accountable for my present life style should I also die suddenly.
But Jesus made this comment about a parallel tragedy in his own day, "Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did." Luke 13:4,5, NRSV.
Dale
Statistics just released from last year's Census revealed that about 70000 Australians identified Jedi or other Jedi related responses as their "religion". This, in case you don't know, is the 'religion' behind the five Star Wars films. Though works of fiction, interviews with the films' creator, George Lucas, suggest that he thinks he is on to something with his 'religion'. But what about our 70000 neighbours? Most probably put that on their census form for a laugh. An email went around prior to the census saying that if 10000 people did so, then Jedi will have to be recognised as a religion. The Australian Bureau of Statistics was not fooled, listing these responses as 'not defined'. An article by the BBC contained comments by the Australian Star Wars Appreciation Society's president, who thought most of the 70000 people put it down for fun, since they have 'no religion', others did it to cause a stir for the government, but about 5000 "were true hard-core people that would believe the Jedi religion carte blanche."
I guess all of this reminds us that for some, religion is not a serious issue, only good for a laugh. But there are those, represented by the 5000 "hard-core" Star Wars fans, for whom religion and fantasy are closely related. Faith is the thing that you use when there are no available facts (or there are contradictory facts). Faith is in a totally different category to, say, knowledge.
Which is 'far, far away' from Christian faith. When we look at the place of "knowing" and "knowledge" in the Bible, it is closely connected to faith. For example, in Titus 1:1 Paul describes himself and his work like this,
God's work for Paul is for both our faith and knowledge. Faith is not fantasy, it's the ordinary human activity of trust, or reliance, and it is always placed in known objects. As Christians we need to know what we believe, and be able to give reasonable accounts of why we believe it (assuming it is a reasonable belief). We live and work amongst people for whom the most important issue of life is nothing more than something to laugh at, or the object of fantasy. Praise God we have something far greater to offer. Let's keep praying and looking for opportunities to share it.
Gordon
What makes a church famous? Or a better question is Who makes a church famous? Because fame is something granted by others. A church becomes famous if other people think there is some fame worth acknowledging and talking about. This is a bit tricky because the power to grant fame lies with outsiders. So if a church wanted to be famous it would have to promote its fame to whichever audience it valued.
Churches have engaged in self promotion since the beginning of Christianity. Whether it is just plain boasting about what they think is good about them, or a more slick and glossy promotion using modern techniques, many churches seem to need to have something to skite about. Not only churches, but church leaders and workers. Some churches or workers don't have much to skite about so one technique is to talk about what someone else has done and gain fame by association. Another technique is to talk about unverifiable experiences.
In our day we often see this self promotion with itinerant preachers. But we also see it with churches. Why do people want to be famous? For some it is a method of survival, a way to maintain attendances and thus money. For others it is just pride and lack of a secure foundation in Christ.
But why do Christians grant fame so easily? Are we gullible? Perhaps. But it may be that we also want to be successful and to be part of something that is successful. Or at least to know that Christianity itself is successful. What if hardly anyone thought Jesus was good, and Christianity was true? Would our confidence be shaken? This is one reason people are happy to be famous by association.
And in any case, is success the criterion for fame? Paul seemed more interested in skiting about his weaknesses. Not in some kind of inverted pride. But because he saw that that is how Jesus had saved him. He saw that his failures, inabilities, sufferings and defeats were actually the stuff of God's work. That is how God worked in Christ and how he works in his servants. It wasn't just that God had more room to move when Paul was weak, but that God preferred to work in human weakness. God seems eager to confound human pride and success. The reason is that God has made himself famous and that is the main thing. What God values is faith showing itself in love.
Dale
Sometime around 500BC Darius the Persian King decided to extend his territory to the west and set out on a campaign to conquer Asia and Greece. The famous end of this campaign was the defeat of the Persian army at the battle of Marathon by the Athenians.
Some years later Xerxes, the son of Darius set out to avenge his father's loss and extend his own territory. Having announced his intention he had second thoughts. But a spirit in a dream warned him of dire consequences if he failed to embark on his mission. The spirit appeared to him three times before he resolved to set out. To make sure he accomplished his task he gathered the largest army that had ever been assembled from every country he conquered. He counted the army by packing 10,000 soldiers into a confined space, marking the area, building a fence around it and then putting the rest of the army through it in groups. They counted 1.7 million soldiers!
Despite strong resistance by the Spartans at Thermopylae Xerxes eventually stood with some of his army on the Areopagus and besieged the Acropolis, finally plundering and burning it. Retribution and vengeance were major motives in this campaign. The people of Susa the Persian capital were mostly enthusiastic about the plan to pay back the Greeks.
It is possible that we are at present listening to the prelude to a war of retribution. No great cause has yet been articulated, although long standing accusations are being repeated. It is as though war is being declared by hypothetical anticipation. Perhaps we are witnessing another form of brainwashing by media. If war is talked about for long enough, without anyone actually going to war, by the time war is engaged, the population will think we have been at war for ages already, and that rational argument and decision-making has occurred. Of course the United Nations has been engaged in various civil wars for a long time. But the method of the "righteous" majority intervening in an unjust oppression of a minority within a country (such as East Timor) is now being extended to making war against countries that are perceived as threats to this majority. This extension seems to be based on very poor foundations, unless one follows Xerxes.
Dale
Rev Len Firth the principal of the CMS Training Centre in Melbourne gave the Bible Studies from the book of Ruth entitled "Suprising Love" . The message was based on the Hebrew word "Chesed" which is often translated as "lovingkindness" or "steadfast love" .
Len gave new insights into the meaning of this word and thus into the wonderful character of our God. His final talk was on "longing and fulfilment". He referred to Philippians 2:12b-13 and challenged us to consider what is our "longing."
The other speaker was Rev John Thew the Federal General Secretary of CMS with his wife Cathryn. They talked to us about crossing cultures. Their description of culture was:
BEHAVIOUR: What is done which is based on
VALUES: What is good and best or beautiful which are based on
BELIEFS: What is true which are based on a person's
WORLD VIEW : Assumptions of life.
They explained that whenever we contact another person or group of people we are crossing a culture. Each of us has our personal culture which they described as our personal map. God is alway wanting us to extend our personal map beyond our comfort zone.
When we encounter another culture we are prone to the errors of Cognitive Misunderstandings, Ethnocentrism and Premature Judgment. The correct response is to listen and learn which does not mean we have to accept or believe everything we hear.
We need to think about our own culture. What is the culture of St Albans? As Christians our culture needs to be based on the Bible.
Cathryn Thew grew up in a church where the culture was that everybody would consider missionary service and many would go. It would be great for St Albans to develop such a culture. Has God called you to stay at home?
John Thew told us that when African church leaders come here their reaction is: You have so much you should share it with us.
The tapes are in our tape library borrow them and listen to them.
Theo
Many people believe they are good people. Many of them really are, at least by the standards of their society. It is an interesting trend that many of the apparently self-focussed Gen-X are also very keen to help others and to do good.
It is possible that this desire to do good is an example of self-interest altruism. Nevertheless there is a widespread affirmation of goodness - even if not everyone ends up being good all the time.
Christianity should take credit for some of this. It is on the foundation of Christian ethics that many goods deeds are still done, even of the doers do not acknowledge it.
However when we look a bit more closely at goodness according to Jesus we get a bit of a surprise. The encounter Jesus had with the rich man (recorded in Mark 10) shows this clearly.
The man wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus pointed him to the commandments (at least 6 of them anyway). The man claimed he had kept them all since his youth. But when Jesus showed him how he could keep the first two he left in sadness.
To keep the second commandment the man had to get rid of his possessions which had become like an idol for him.
But to keep the first commandment he had to follow Jesus. In talking like this Jesus was claiming to be God. Having no other Gods meant having Jesus as the one he followed and obeyed.
In saying this Jesus also showed what true goodness was. Keeping the last six commandments was part of it. But the crucial essential nature of goodness was to follow Jesus.
A person who wanted to be good, or claimed to be good, but who didn't follow Jesus would end up with the kind of goodness that would not be worth having. Because it would be overshadowed by the worst kind of badness. A badness that showed itself in not following Jesus who is God himself.
Goodness is relative. And true goodness (and true badness) is shown in our relationship to Jesus.
Dale
One of the difficulties with ideas, books or processes that are complex is that people who don't or can't understand them completely can sometimes claim that they can't be understood.
This can just be a shorthand way of saying that I can't understand it. Usually it means that I can't understand it fully, even though I can probably understand some of it.
But sometimes there can be a bit of logical fudging. In this case a person might slide sideways from the idea that not everything about a certain idea can be understood, to claim that the idea as a whole cannot be understood. Disguised in this claim is the assertion that nothing can be understood about teh idea.
The Bible and some of its doctrines are often described as beyond our understanding. But we need to watch out for fudging in these kind of statements. That we cannot fully understand everything about a certain doctrine is not the same as to say that we cannot understand anything about it. It may be an escape to say something in the Bible is too difficult to understand if that allows us to avoid obeying what the Bible might be saying.
One of the wonderful things about teh Bible is that it is perspicuous. This means that its meaning is clear adn plain. It is not written in mystical language, nor in complicated jargon. The ideas that it conveys are clear. Not that everything is simple. Nor that there are many things beyond our comprehension. But scripture is a transparent revelation of the mind of God on those subjects which he wants us to know about.
That is why we can always be confident in reading it that we will know what God wants us to know from it. No secret key is needed. No higher education is required.
No doubt there are many things that are hard to understand. But the central crucial doctrines are crystal clear.
So we need to beware of fudging when peopel claim that scripture is beyond our understanding. The question is, Am I able to understand anything true about the matter I am reading about or seeking to know about at the moment? And if I am able to understand something that is true am I willing to act on it? Do I want to understand - and obey?
Dale
Someone asked me recently what I meant when I wrote that "even the Bible can become an idol". Let's face it, most Christians are in very little danger of idolizing the Bible. We don't spend enough time reading it, and when we do read it, we don't take it seriously enough. Reading scripture is life-changing. However, the Bible becomes an idol when we put our faith and trust in the Bible itself, and not in the God who inspired it.
Some people carry a Bible around with them almost as a magic talisman. It makes them feel safer. Others focus on a particular verse, reciting it to themselves like a mantra when they feel troubled. Sometimes verses are taken out of context, and used as a way of trying to manipulate God. (The recent craze surrounding the "prayer of Jabez" is an example of this.) Scripture contains many comforting and encouraging words, and it's good to remind ourselves of them, but if our faith is in the words themselves, we are making an idol of them.
Another form of idolatry is to insist that a person adopt a particular view of the Bible, or accept certain Biblical doctrines before they can become a Christian. Of course we want non-believers to read the Bible. New Christians should be encouraged to read the Bible as part of being a disciple. But the only requirement for salvation is repentence and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
If we insist on Biblical knowledge as a mark of being a Christian, we immediately exclude the millions of Christians who don't have access to the scriptures. And what of the scholars who have spent a lifetime studying scripture, who are no closer to Christ than when they began? As someone once said, there is no more virtue in reading the Bible than in eating dinner - we do both out of a need to satisfy our hunger.
The Bible contains all that we need to know about God in order to come to repentance,faith and obedience. But if we take that further and say that the Bible contains all there is to know about God, we're on dangerous ground. No book could contain all there is to know about a God who is infinite, eternal and personal. The more we read the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us, the more we'll understand God's greatness, and how limited is our knowledge of him compared to his knowledge of us.
Stella
Recently I came across an article headed "Top ten ways to make evangelicals nervous without actually sinning". Suggestions included smoking a pipe, getting a tattoo, burning incense, being an artist and keeping beer in the fridge.
The list was intended to be humorous, but it picks up a serious theme. Christians, particularly evangelical Christians, are often set apart by what they don't do, rather than by what they do. They don't smoke, they don't swear, they don't drink in public bars, they don't go to night clubs. They feel nervous around people who wear rings in their noses or tattoos on their arms. They don't know any prostitutes, they would feel most uncomfortable eating in a restaurant frequented by gay couples.
They're nice, polite, inoffensive, reliable people. People like Homer Simpson's neighbour, Ned Flanders. People, perhaps, who don't really approve of the Simpsons' lifestyle, but have a sneaking suspicion that Homer and Marge have a lot more fun (and perhaps even more faith) than the falsely cheerful Ned and his wishy-washy wife.
Sometimes the problem is that we've turned what is really a cultural preference into a Christian norm. Coming from families which didn't drink alcohol, wear tattoos or frequent nightclubs, we simply don't find such things appealing. We don't object to other people doing them, but we're not comfortable doing them ourselves. Our discomfort may appear to others to be disapproval, but we're looking for ways to overcome that barrier.
At other times, however, the problem is that we're afraid of offending God. Like the Pharisees, we build a wide fence around those things which we know to be sins. If drunkenness is a sin, let's avoid drunkenness by avoiding alcohol altogether. If night-clubbing sometimes leads people into other sins like adultery, let's avoid going to nightclubs. If getting angry with a brother is a sin, lets avoid expressing our feelings honestly, and put on a permanently cheerful facade.
The result is that we begin to disapprove of others who do the things we've outlawed for ourselves, and find it difficult even to mix with "sinners", let alone tell them the gospel. When we inevitably break our own "rules", we become riddled with false guilt and start to practice our faith out of duty rather than a hunger for God. The solution is to ask God for a better understanding of his grace and the freedom we have in Christ.
Stella
Our small group at the Monday night School was discussing how easy it is to "fake it" as a Christian. Even a complete nonbeliever could sit among us, listen to us praying for a while, then pray in a convincing way. They could use Christian jargon and feign spiritual experiences and none of us would be any the wiser, unless the Holy Spirit allowed us to discern their deception.
This week I read an Internet article about a Chinese sect known as Lightning from the East. The sect believe that Jesus has reappeared in China, as a woman. This Chinese messiah, who is living in hiding, will lead her followers to heaven during the coming apocalypse. The sect scorns the Bible and considers orthodox Christians to be doomed unless they are converted to the sect, by force if necessary. They pose a considerable threat to the Chinese churches, especially in rural areas. (http://www.time.com/time/asia/news/magazine/0,9754,181681,00.html)
One of the sect's sinister methods for finding new converts is to send spies to visit house churches, pretending to be interested in learning more about Jesus. They are trained by the sect to ask the right questions, feign conversion, and behave like any other new Christian. Once they have the confidence of the church, they invite key people to "come and preach the gospel" to their friends some distance away. Those who accept their invitation are kidnapped then brainwashed, bribed or beaten into joining the sect.
I'm not aware of anyone using these tactics in Australia, but Christians always need to be alert. Not everyone who claims to be a believer is known by Jesus. Jesus himself warned his followers that false prophets would come, like wolves dressed in sheep's clothing, to attack the flock (Matt. 7.15) Paul gave a similar warning to the church in Ephesus (Acts 20.29). But how can we detect the wolves without constantly looking askance at each other?
First, know your Lord and study his word. The more time we spend with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and the better we know the scriptures, the harder it becomes for others to deceive us. Pray daily that the Holy Spirit will guide you in the truth. Pray too for the elders of the church - Dale and Gordon, the Parish Oversight Team, the home group leaders and other leaders - who are given the task of watching over the flock. And expect to see the fruit of the Spirit growing in the lives of all believers (Matt 7:15 - 20).
Stella
According to the recent National Church Life Survey 28% of St. Alban's attenders have joined in the last two years and about 58% have joined in the last five years. Both these figures are well above the average for Anglicans and for the whole NCLS pool.
Those of us who have been here longer than that can imagine that everyone shares our common background of experience in St. Alban's. Or we may wonder why newer people don't.
Those who have joined in recent years may also not think that there is any history or common set of values and experiences. It is common for new people to see the new church through the lens of their own history and the shared values of the church they have come from.
Such significant change can undermine the unity and purpose a church has developed. Some churches in this situation draw the lines fairly sharply with the old hands defending their heritage and shared values against the newcomers. Others resist passively and opt out of any useful interaction.
Such change probably means for us that we need to be continually restating our values and purpose. But also we need to make a special effort to continue to have shared values and purpose. It is easier to let the different groups find their own separate ways, but better for the church as a whole that we talk and share together to continue to develop a changing set of shared ideals, goals and vision.
So things we do together are very important in this process. New ventures (such as the teenage outreach) need to have both new and old attenders in them. Events like the parish camp, and probably more so the ministry schools, are events where we can continue to work out together and to hear what our shared values and priorities are.
I was reflecting on this the other night about the current ministry school which has a good mix of new and old, and I was thinking about why some of the old hands were there. Whatever personal reasons they have for attending, their presence is quite vital for the ongoing life of St. Alban's because it allows both new and old to hear and restate and develop a common set of values, and thus a common life. Dale
As a regular reader of the Bible, let me encourage you to take time to study it. We at St Alban's have good teaching and sermons to help us, but I believe that we still need to spend personal time meditating on the scriptures and listening to God. After all, we often spend considerable time on other kind of studies and pursuits. If we believe God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, then he is going to know more about the meaning of life than anyone else. By studying I mean working through the Bible on our own with perhaps the help of a good commentary. St Alban's has many books and commentaries in the library if you don't have your own.
I recently read through the book of Colossians in one session and was greatly encouraged. In my new English Standard Version (ESV), the brief introduction states: "Paul wrote this letter to counteract false teachers…Paul shows the superiority of Christ over all human philosophies and traditions…He explains that the right way of living in this world is to focus on heavenly rather than earthly things."
It seems to me that these are still the issues for us today in trying to work out how to live the Christian life in the midst of many other religious and non religious alternatives, as well as false versions of Christianity. We sometimes forget that in Paul's day there was just as much opposition to the gospel as we see today. Much of the struggle is recorded in the book of Acts. Even from those within the early Church there were already challenges and divisions. At first glance the issues of Colossians may seem somewhat removed from ordinary life, but Paul is setting out a framework for living.
Paul gives practical advice as well: "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged." 3:20,21. The Tyndale commentary by Dr Nicholas Wright has this to say: "In addressing children as members of the church in their own right, and in giving them both responsibilities and rights, Paul is again allowing the gospel to break new ground…In a couple of crisp sentences Paul has said, in essence, what thousands of books on the upbringing of children have tried to express. Children need discipline; so do parents…The parents' duty in effect is to live out the gospel to the to the child: that is to assure their children that they are loved and accepted and valued for who they are, not for who they ought to be, should have been, or might (if only they would try a little harder) become. Graham Reid
Such are some of the thoughts of Hugh Mackay. Another author I read this week was critical of people who merely attended church. He wanted Christians to be free to connect with brothers and sisters wherever they found them. I think that while he was correct in ruling out "attendance" as a true description of belonging to the body of Christ, he may have been allowing a certain kind of disengagement which is a mark of our culture not of the Bible.
Such a disengagement puts the individual at the centre of decisions. The unity of the Spirit is precisely a unity between different people who have been united in one body by the death of Jesus. A life worthy of such a unity puts the body and the others ahead of one's own concerns.
The life of God's people is under particular challenge at the moment because it is a radical lifestyle committed to engagement with others on God's behalf. But Christians are subject to the same forces that are bringing about the changes in our society. To live radically is not easy.
Mackay contrasts the interest in big issues of the nineties with the self-focus of the present. But Christians have always had a much bigger issue to focus on. That is the work of God and the completion of his plan to save a new race for himself. Keeping our minds on that may save us from the fear and powerlessness that leads to disengagement.
Dale
Reading the Lord of the Rings again, I came across this passage in The Return of the King.
I remember struggling up Mt Rinjani on Lombok some years ago with my son Andrew (who wasn't struggling). Some of that waybread would have been good then. But Tolkein's waybread is a fantasy bread. Something we can wish for, that arouses a longing in us for something beyond our present experience, but that can't be bought even in the markets of Indonesia.
And yet like all good fantasy it may point to a reality that does in fact exist. Not real bread or fantasy bread but the bread of God. The thing that struck me in the passage from Tolkein was the idea that the bread had greater potency the less it was mixed with other foods. The more travellers relied on it alone.
Like the famous quotation from Deuteronomy 8.3.
Or like the command in Deuteronomy 12.30 "do not inquire concerning their gods, saying, "How did these nations worship their gods? I also want to do the same."
The means God has given us to live will sustain us through every circumstance of our life. But it will do so best if it is not adulterated with the philosophies and confusions of made up religion and humanistic theory. Nor with the secular religions of our western world.
Jesus himself who lives in us by his Word and Spirit will feed the will and give strength to endure, the more so as he is not mixed with other gods.
Dale
Today is an annual opportunity to hear about what God has been doing amongst us. It is not so much a formal business meeting as a celebration of a variety of ministries which God has enabled us to share in. Some of our Annual Report looks back to the past year. It identifies people and ministries in which God has been pleased to pour out his grace. Some of the Report also looks to the future. I think that Annual Reports ought to have a strong forward vision especially in churches because our hope and call has to do with the future return of Jesus. In the meantime we are under orders to make disciples and to build up his body to be like him.
As you look to the coming year what is it that you see as the chief priorities for St. Alban's?
Let me suggest a couple that I see. I think St. Alban's itself, that is as it exists in its gatherings - especially on Sunday mornings and evenings - needs to grow stronger in its life as a body, as a community or family. So that when we meet as St. Alban's' we are always there in strength. That more of us see ourselves as the core of mature people who hold the family together. Perhaps like the brothers and sister, aunts and uncles of an extended family. Who see ourselves as the nurturers and supporters of the new and the young. I think this especially applies to the middle aged (how old is that?) group at 9.30 and to a senior group at 6.30 that has been here for ages. We have the possibility from a position of security and experience to continue to reach out and down and build up the rest of the church. Such a mind-set asks the question "How can I help, nurture, build up, encourage the brothers and sisters today when I meet with them?"
It is a great gift from God that we have so many mature and experienced disciples amongst us. Let us pray that we will use this grace to the strengthening of this body.
I see also that we need to keep on making disciples. I think God has continued to be gracious to us in the various ministries he has led us into. Let us keep on with it. Let us plant new congregations and put time, effort, and money into reaching into new groups of people.
Finally (for this time) I think we need to increase our praying. I think prayer is always the mark of the godly person because it shows our dependence on God and also our desire to be doing his will. We have many faithful pray-ers at St. Alban's, and I think all of us pray sincerely and faithfully. Increasing our prayer might mean meeting with others more, and it might mean focussing more on certain matters such as our obedience and love for the Lord, and for the salvation of the lost.
Dale
Some idols are easy to spot. They are physical objects of wood, iron or gold, carved in the shape of animals or human beings. They stand in temples or in special locations, and have special rites and ceremonies associated with them.
In "modern" societies, people tend to idolise more abstract things: money, success, sport, health, youth, sex, career, anything which takes the place of God as the ultimate source of satisfaction and devotion.
Even Christians may find themselves serving one (or more) of these worldly idols. They are promoted both powerfully and subtly. Because they are part of the good creation, even though they have been distorted, they are attractive.
But Christians face another danger. They may begin to worship a god who is called "God" but who is not the God of the scriptures.
There's a "God" who, like the Queen, is loved and respected, but whose power is pretty limited in the real world. He's good to have around, because he gives a sense of stability and order.
There's a "God" who created the universe, set the wheels in motion, then left it to run on its own, only stepping in to do minor adjustments now and then.
There's the "God" who acts in accordance with some set of rules which is ultimately determined by human beings. The rules might have to do with justice, mercy or love. Whatever they are, this God's character is defined and limited by the rules, not by his revelation of himself in scripture and in Jesus.
There's also the stern "God" who, like a Victorian father, loves his children but dare not show it. He watches their every move, and disapproves of almost everything they do. His children love him, but often wish he'd go away for a while.
Christians often make an idol of another Christian - a parent, a pastor, a homegroup leader, a favourite writer. What begins as love, respect and a desire to imitate what is good becomes an inability to do anything unless the idol approves of it. Even the Bible can become an idol if it takes the place of God himself in our lives.
None of these gods is the true God, the God of scripture, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To remain true worshippers, we need to stay alert and open ourselves to God's word, to the Holy Spirit and to other Christians.
Stella
The ritual associated with "scrubbing up" before going into an operating theatre is daunting. First you must put on the baggy green pyjamas, sandshoes, hat and mask provided in the change room. Then, in the scrub room itself, you must remove all jewelry and scrub your hands and forearms with betadine soap and a scrubbing brush for the prescribed number of minutes. Having rinsed in a way that ensures that dirty water runs off your elbows rather than your fingers, you must dry your hands on a sterile towel.
Next comes "gowning up", which involves putting on a sterile gown, followed by donning sterile latex gloves. Both of these must be done in a particular way so that no part of your body touches the outside of the gown and gloves. If all of these procedures have been done in a way that passes muster with the scrub sister (a fearsome creature), you may walk into the theatre - backwards, with hands in the air, so as not to touch anything with your now-sterile front.
This procedure must be followed whether you are the most junior nurse or the most senior surgeon. It doesn't matter whether you've just come from a spotlessly clean office or the hospital laundry. It doesn't matter whether you're going to be in theatre for two minutes or two hours, the procedure is the same. And only the soap, gown and gloves provided can be used - you can't bring your own. Nothing unsterile can be taken into the theatre.
God is no scrub nurse! He longs for us to approach him, to come close to him. Yet in a way, approaching God is a bit like "scrubbing up". He is holy, and nothing as unholy as ourselves can come near him. We need a way to become holy, and God has given us a way. We approach him "scrubbed" with the blood of Jesus and clothed in Jesus' righteousness.
It doesn't matter whether we've been a Christian for a week or a lifetime. It doesn't matter whether we've just been sharing the gospel or yelling at our kids. We can still approach God in only one way, through Christ. There's nothing that we can bring with us to make us more acceptable. God himself has provided what we need.
Stella
Jesus said to his Father:
This, for me, is a special verse. It has helped me to overcome moments of great anguish and deep, searing pain. I am often weary, tired and discouraged in my own walk with God. I have, in despair, drifted off to sleep with the wish of never having to wake again until I am in heaven with the Lord. I have, in narrow selfishness, cried out to Jesus to take away my pain without wanting to understand why it is that I suffer, and for whom. Satan knows my weaknesses, and he knows when I am vulnerable.
I struggle daily with the trials and temptations of living in a world that is hostile to God and to God's faithful. I struggle to be faithful to God. Yet the prayer that Jesus prays for us, his disciples, makes it very clear that I am not to be spared my share of suffering, as an individual and as a member of God's family. I belong to the Lord, and I am called to serve the one true God in love, obedience and faith. As Jesus' servant, I understand that I must first bear his cross - and all the anguish, pain and suffering this brings here in this world - before I am able to share in his crown in heaven. This is why Jesus' prayer for us is that we are not to be taken out of the world, but that we are protected when Satan draws near.
As a Christian, this verse resonates with deep truth and startling clarity for me. Jesus chose to come into the world weak, vulnerable and dependent, clothed in mortal flesh and subject to all the limits of a physical body. For a time, God walked the earth as I walk, prey to temptations and trials in a world that continues to deny, abuse and mock him. Jesus was a willing captive of those who called him friend and foe. He understood that to really make a difference in my own life here in the year 2002, he would have to live in this world as I do.
Some days I am more flesh than spirit, more body than soul. Some days I cannot see past my own pain and anguish, and some days I act as if I am the only one who suffers. Satan draws near, and as I turn from my own fear and failings, there is Jesus, and I see again this verse outlined in red. Deep within, my spirit stirs in response to God's call and willingly I say, "Yes, I will continue my walk with you, Lord." Willingly, I wake from dreams and willingly I remain here in this world to do the work God has called me to do.
I may not always trust myself but I know that I can always trust God to give me the strength I lack. Jesus is my saviour because he did not pray to be taken out of the world. He did not pray to be delivered from his murderers and he did not die in hate upon the cross. Jesus chose not to abandon me, but to give me everlasting hope and strength here in this world, as well as everlasting life beyond this world. To this, I can only say, "Amen."
Aik Thong
Here's a paradox - the longer we've been a Christian, the more we realise how sinful we are. Before we turned to Christ, we felt guilty about some of the things we'd done, but didn't know what to do with the guilt. It was a joy to know that because of Jesus' death on the cross, we're forgiven and accepted by God.
Perhaps for a while we were delighted to find that we were overcoming some of our sinful habits. But then the Holy Spirit started to show us things that we'd never seen as sins before. We also found ourselves falling into sins we thought we'd conquered years ago. We learned that even the good things we do are often motivated by a need to gain another Christian's approval, or fear of criticism, or pride in our own skills. And what of the good things we could have done but failed to do out of laziness or fear or lack of love?
We may have even begun to doubt that God could really love us. It was one thing to believe that God loved us when our sins were all out on the surface - deep down we knew that we were really quite decent people. But how could God love someone who is sinful to the core? Then (by God's grace) we discover that doubting God's love is a sin too. After all, failure to trust God's word was where it all started, back in the garden of Eden. Over and over his Word tells us that Jesus really did die for us "while we were yet sinners".
So the more we understand how sinful we are, the more we appreciate just how much God loves us. Each new discovery of the depth of our sinfulness adds to our understanding of how much Jesus suffered for us on the cross. Instead of being weighed down by our discovery that we really are sinners, we find new freedom, thankfulness and joy.
And then we meet another paradox - the more we recognize our ingrained tendency to sin, the more God can use us in his service. Because we no longer dare trust ourselves, we learn to depend on him. We know we can't overcome our sinfulness by our own efforts, but God's Spirit is working in us to make us more and more like Christ. It's this confidence in Christ, not self-confidence, that turns pew-warmers into witnesses and activists into prayerful, powerful servants of God.
Stella
"Boys in secondary school are more negative towards English than girls are. They read less fiction. They write more predictably; usually they want to write action adventures or comic escapades. But they can't use words as successfully or persuasively as girls can."
So Peter West summarises part of a 1993 Education Report in his book What Is the Matter with Boys?
He quotes a male student who was asked what his father read and wrote. "Cheques" was the answer.
Literacy continues to be a difficult problem in our education system. It is also a problem beyond education. Literacy problems are not limited to those who can't read. There are many people who can read but who don't.
Increasingly our society provides many alternative ways to gain information than by reading a book or manual. How many highly educated people have learnt to use computers and software by studying the manual?
But despite the emphasis placed on reading skills in school and even the large numbers of books sold each year, we should recognise that reading is a relatively recent development. Under the influence of the Renaissance and the development of mechanical printing by Gutenberg and others in the fifteenth century, many more people learnt to read. But until the last century in the western world this was still the privilege of an elite group.
Before that and in other cultures, language was an oral activity, and even until recently reading was still part of an oral culture. Of course literacy is also related to class. Some Pentecostal theologians have recognised that Pentecostalism has always been an oral religion rather than a religion of a book.
Evangelical Christians set a high value on literacy. And yet the Bible itself was written in cultures in which the writings were read aloud and heard rather than read silently in the head.
Many in our churches, and many we would like to see in our church can read but don't. They access information in other ways than by silent reading. We who believe the Bible is the word of God should question our assumption that the word of God has to come to everyone in silent head reading. There are other ways, more appropriate to some sub-cultures, to help people hear the word of the Lord.
Dale
Christianity is a paradoxical faith. One the one hand we know that God is altogether beyond us. He is of a different order to us. We could not even know he existed unless he made himself known to us.
And when he has made himself known, we humans are struck with such awe and wonder that we know we cannot approach him or have anything to do with him. The most common response to God's majesty in the Bible is to fall down on our faces in his presence.
Often people with deluded minds have thought that they themselves can work out what God is like and how they can communicate with him, how they can gain his help or approval. But such attempts, while they are characterise the history of human religion, are futile. God is beyond us and when we do hear or see what he has made clear about himself we are reminded again of this great distance between us.
And yet Christians know that as God has revealed himself to us he has told us to speak to him. And not always in speech that reflects his greatness and majesty. He has urged us to speak to him in ordinary human speech. And not just about great matters, not just to speak to him and tell him in our own limited way how great he is.
But to speak about ordinary concerns. Almost like chattering. Telling him things we need, asking, requesting, speaking up for others. Such speech to God is not based on preliminary rituals, or degrees of approach. It is not a communication open only to the religiously sophisticated, or to the morally advanced.
God has revealed himself as a God both high and far off, and also one who dwells with the humble in heart. He is the God who has created everything that exists and who also wants his people to pour out their hearts to him about every need they have. He is attentive to our groans and cries and needs.
Is this a paradox? Not really. It is how God has made himself known. This is how the true God truly is. And his people, those who trust him and love him, are to speak to him as the far off God who is with them and who listens to their talk.
Dale
What things most threaten Christianity? What do we need to be most aware of? And how do we best prepare ourselves against these dangers.
Iain Murray gives these insights into such questions;
How do we prepare ourselves against such a danger? Simple. By knowing the truth and speaking the truth, including, when necessary, speaking against falsehood. And that truth is revealed for us in the Scriptures. The New Testament use the little phrase "it is written" at least 100 times. How often do we use an equivalent phrase in our thinking and speech? Let's make sure we know God's word well enough that we naturally refer to it when getting on with our daily life, and even more so when facing life's important issues. Christianity will stand firm or be eroded depending on whether or not we keep reading, understanding, believing and obeying God's word. As Paul declares,
Gordon
Debate over embryonic stem cell research has been much in the news lately. The media picked up on the differences of opinion voiced at the recent bishop's conference in Perth, although no vote was taken by the bishops. However, a vote will be required at the upcoming meeting of the Australian heads of government, when Federal and State ministers debate whether or not to allow embryonic stem cell research to proceed in Australia.
Stem cells are basic cells which, under the right conditions, can specialize to perform a particular function. They are found in many different tissues including the brain, liver and bone marrow. The most useful stem cells for research purposes come from embryos in the first few days after fertilization. Unfortunately, collecting such embryonic cells destroys the embryo, and it is this which arouses debate.
Those in favour of allowing research using human embryonic stem cells point to the potential (but as yet unproven) promise of using stem cells to cure diseases such as Parkinsons disease, diabetes and Alzheimers disease, as well as to provide material for transplants. They argue that since the embryos would come from a surplus created by IVF programmes and would eventually be disposed of anyway, it makes ethical sense to use them to do some good. The more pragmatic warn that Australia is being left behind in a line of research which is already going ahead in countries such as the UK and China.
Other supporters, such as Archbishop Carnley, argue that the embryo does not become truly human until conception, when it embeds in the uterus (usually about fourteen days after fertilization). Thus, the sanctity of human life is (apparently) preserved if embryos are used before this time.
Those opposed to the use of embryonic stem cells maintain that human life begins at fertilization, and that to argue otherwise is hairsplitting. The end (new treatments for serious diseases) cannot be used to justify the means. They generally have no argument with stem cell research using cells collected from non-embryonic sources, provided consent is obtained.
Given the current ethical climate, it is probable that sooner or later research using embryonic stem cells will go ahead in Australia. So should we just shrug our shoulders and forget about it? Unfortunately, we can't. If the promised benefits of stem cell research are realized, then at some future time we, or one of our family, may well be offered medical treatment based on the products of embryonic stem cells. At that point, we will have to decide whether or not we agree with the use of human embryos to produce such treatment.
Stella
"...sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned ... (Romans 5:12, NRSV).
Death is often spoken about by Christians. It forms the dark background to the work of Christ. We see it as the consequence of Adam's sin, and the inevitable end to our lives. Our theology sees it as God's judgement on our rebellion.
Often when we speak about death in this context we have in mind not only the cessation of life, but the terrible punishment the Bible describes as eternal death.
A lot of this is hard for us to grasp, and seems a distant and dimly imagined reality (if we believe it at all).
But when we face death ourselves, or face it in someone who is close to us, we see different things. "No one at the end of their life ever wished they had spent more time at the office" goes one saying.
Relationships seems to be one of the most difficult aspects of death. For some people it is too late to mend what is broken, to repair what has been damaged. Sadly some don't want to - burying their bitterness in the grave. Others find that death focuses the attention and allows them to find forgiveness and reconciliation.
More deeply felt is the loss of relationship which accompanies death. It is in this loss of a friendship with another person that we see further in to the darkness of death. Death not only separates humans from one another, it also separates us from God. The power and depth of the loss we feel when a friend dies, is a pointer to the enormous devastation that separation from God entails. Such a death is beyond our imagination, but our experience of the loss of human relationship gives us a sense of it. Just as well God has kindly provided a way through death.
For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; (1 Corinthians 15:21, NRSV).
The resurrection life that God promises those who are in Christ is essentially a relationship of knowing him. Here is a restoration out of death which is far beyond what we experience before death. Nevertheless it has always been God's intention to bring the humans he created into a personal relationship with him, so that we know him as our God and Father. One day the poignancy and unspeakable loss of death will be exchanged for an overwhelming joy as we experience the life and love of the Father himself.
Dale
So said the fictional character, Arkady Svidrigailov in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment".
As I read these words, written over a century ago in Russian, I was struck by the currency they hold in our time and culture. It is often very difficult to be honest or frank with people, but flattery is always easy. Just consider the way most people greet each other!
As Christians, we are exhorted to be different to the pattern of the world (Rom 12:2), and not surprisingly, our speech is a key area for this. Consider these few examples,
And of course, our speech is to direct others to Christ;
Truth is not as popular as flattery, it's not as easily received, and it's probably not as easy on our lips, but it honours God. End of speech.
Worship is one of the great concerns of modern Christians. It can divide friends, cause arguments, and become the focus of enormous amounts of Christian energy. The reason is that for many people worship means "what Christians do when they meet", or more specifically "what Christians do when they sing together".
The meetings of the church are loaded with expectations, hopes, desires, and the effects of past experiences both good and bad. We want our meetings to be alive, to be encounters with God, and we want to be able to invite our friends along. Of course we have many different expectations and wants. What one person likes another person doesn't. But for many people, "worship" sums up the event. It is our worship which is good or bad, edifying or deadly dull.
However much of our talk about worship is quite unbiblical. Many of us have been misled by half-truths about worship told us by enthusiasts for particular styles or views of worship. Some of us are our own worst enemies in this matter. We dearly want our church meetings to have the life and vigour that we experienced at a conference or at another church, and we talk as though worship means mainly what happened at the conference, or at the other church.
Many books on the subject are equally misleading. Not that they are entirely wrong; many have lots of good insights and ideas we should act on. What is misleading is that the Bible is not allowed to speak for itself. Ideas are imposed on it, or it is used as a quarry for support. The result is that we do not make progress in working out what to do about worship and church meetings because we are not working from a biblical understanding.
It is worth looking in some detail at what the Bible says about worship. The Bible data is fascinating and very revealing. What emerges from a close study of the Bible is a concept of worship which was well known to people in earlier generations, but which will be new to many modern Christians.
It is only by examining what the bible says about worship and the meetings of the church that we will be able to make progress in worshipping God well, and also in meeting together in ways which God desires.
Dale
What's the worst kind of story or movie? The Harry Potter books and movie have really come in for a serve as being dangerous for children, particularly for its potential to attract them into the occult.
But is the "fantasy" story the most dangerous kind?
We watched a movie on TV recently that included the following things, with either no comment or tacit, even overt approval; Deceit, theft, unfaithfulness, adultery, sex before marriage, cohabitation before marriage, even fare evasion!, not to mention a world view where God and Jesus has no relevance, not even rating a mention. When this movie was released there was no outcry, no demand to have it banned from young audiences, in fact, it was very popular. This movie, unlike Harry Potter, was not set in a fantasy world, but our own. It had no references to wizards, just men and women doing what men and women in every place do. This was not a "fantasy" film, it's what's usually called, a "Romantic Comedy". And to be honest, it was an enjoyable film. All of these vices were dressed up with likeable stars, it was well acted, it was set in Paris, with plenty of funny moments; nothing worth banning there (is there?).
The thing it had, and that nearly all "Romantic Comedies", soaps, sit. com's etc have, that Harry Potter doesn't, is that it all looked so normal. But at least Harry Potter is clearly 'other-worldly', and it allows the idea of a spiritual realm to be considered, or that life might be more than me and what I see.
Just the other day I was reading of a young Christian who went to university, and in the first year met a girl, moved in with her, and abandoned his faith, a story repeated many times in many contexts. I know of no Christian who has abandoned Christ for the occult.
Now I'm not for banning Romantic Comedies and the like. They are like nearly everything we see, part of the world & its pattern. But they are no less dangerous than stories that refer to the spiritual realm. In fact, more dangerous for the subtle way they desensitise us to the world and it's God-less pattern. We need to be Biblically discerning - and not just about what we let our children be exposed to, but what we are being exposed to. And keep filling our mind with God's Word, so that we will, " not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" Rom 12:2.
Gordon
I was talking to someone this week about the relevance of Job, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs. We thought they were highly relevant to the lives of modern people and spoke powerfully to people who were confused or troubled by the circumstances of their life, or by the confusing ideologies of our culture.
At the same time I was preparing a sermon on Matthew 3, which is full of allusions to Old Testament prophets dressed in animal skins, the fulfilment of promises about a coming King, and references to baptisms with water, Holy Spirit and fire.
Is Matthew 3 also relevant to the lives of modern people? The official answer must be that it is. But how is it?
Whereas Job and Ecclesiastes deal with the problems of day to day living and show us how they are understood within a world view that includes a sovereign and loving God, Matthew 3 shows us the beginning of God's solution to the chronic problem of human rebellion and sin.
God's solution has to do with cleansing. Both water and fire have this idea. But the cleansing is not symbolic. It may be symbolised in the washing of water baptism, but it is made real by the purifying of Spirit baptism.
You can see the effect in Acts 2, where the disciples suddenly all do what Joel said God's people would do when the Spirit was poured out. They all start prophesying, speaking about the wonderful things God has done. All them do it. They do what the seers of old did, they speak what they have seen and heard from God. They exemplify what Matthew records in the sermon on the Mount - the pure in heart see God.
Here are disciples who have been filled with the Spirit of God himself. God himself has put himself and his holiness in them and upon them. They are the ones who can speak for God.
I think that is relevant to modern people at a more fundamental level than Job and Song of Songs, profound though they are.
Matthew 3 points us to personal and face to face relationship with God himself with nothing standing between us but rather God himself in us.
Dale
You won't be surprised to hear that evangelical evangelism of Muslims has been described as a Christian jihad by commentators on an ABC Radio program last week (http://www.abc.net.au/religion/news/fr-christianjihad.htm).
Deborah Caldwell is the Senior Religion Producer at Belief.net. On the program she was interviewed by David Rutledge. It was an interesting interchange not least because it reflected the unease of people who think each person should be able to exercise their faith without pressure from others to change. Part of the interview went like this:
David Rutledge: Can you tell me about how these Christian groups operate - we know that they're placed in situations where they can not just get jobs in Islamic countries, but where they can make friends and win the trust of local Muslims - and these are known as "tunnelling" techniques. Can you tell me more about them?
Deborah Caldwell: They tend to be very secretive about their techniques - and they're right; if these people are found out, then their lives are endangered, just like Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer's were. But some of the things I have heard are that American Christians will get themselves admitted to a university in one of these countries, ostensibly to study something unrelated to religion. Then they will establish relationships with local people, and then maybe invite a couple of people over to their house, and the next thing you know, they're putting the video of The Jesus Film into the VCR, or they're handing over some tracts written in the local language that they just happen to have, or they've got the New Testament in the local language.
What a marvellous summary of an evangelistic approach. But is it a jihad? I suppose that depends what you think a jihad is. Christians don't see themselves in a holy war to eliminate the people of other faiths or to make them Christians by force. But we have been commissioned by the Creator of human beings to bring his message of love to them. This message centres on the death and resurrection of Jesus (the great demonstration of God' s mercy). It tells how in Jesus, God has brought the human race back from the brink of judgement to the promise of face to face life with God. It would be culpable not to tell people about that.
And the method described above could even work in Australia.
Dale
As a middle-aged mother of teenagers I hadn't given Harry Potter much thought. Fantasy stories about eleven year old boys don't usually appeal to teenage girls. When my own mother mentioned that she'd thoroughly enjoyed reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, my daughters sheepishly agreed that "for a children's book" it was quite a good read. Then the book club I belong to decided to study the book and see the film. It seemed I was going to have to give Harry Potter some thought.
Some Christian schools have banned the Harry Potter books from their libraries because they "promote witchcraft and sorcery". There are certainly some questionable aspects to the Harry Potter stories. But whether we love them or want them banned, we should ask why it is that people of all ages find them so appealing. Why do they identify with an ill-treated boy who discovers that he's a wizard?
Part of the answer is that Harry achieves what most people long to achieve - survival in a harsh world, finding true friends and discovering his destiny. His new world is wider and more exciting than the dreary one of his past. His friends (young and old) care for him in a way he's never known before and help him to discover gifts he didn't know he had. Together they face many difficulties and battles as they confront the enemy and learn new truths. I don't know about you, but that could describe much of my experience as a Christian.
The other appealing aspect of the Harry Potter stories is the role of magic. When people have very little control over their own lives and when money seems to be the only power around, magic is attractive. Those who sell wonder-diets and lotto tickets know all about its appeal. Magic offers in counterfeit form what God offers us in truth - access to a greater power, mystery and awe.
How do we present the gospel to Harry Potter readers? Can we show them that Christ offers a reality that Harry Potter only points to and mimics? Does our presentation appeal to people's longings for relationship, passion and purpose, or do we gear it to the readers of car manuals? The Bible is full of people whose lives became exciting adventures as they walked with God - can we tell our own stories in a way that leaves people thinking "That's what I want"?
Stella
Research shows that most people who become Christians do so in the teens. Not everyone does of course. I think there is a small trend towards people turning to Christ in mature age. But the evidence is still in favour of adolescence being the time for change. [It is interesting that westerners who become Muslims are more likely to do so when they are around 30.]
Whether or not any of this is the case, it is still true that the commission Jesus gave his disciples is valid for teenagers as much as anyone else. That is one reason I believe we should have another go at reaching out with the gospel to high school aged people. I think we need to find ways of evangelising teenagers that are appropriate to their culture and which also make boldly clear the great gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
To this end I am inviting anyone who has a heart or call to reach out to teenagers to speak to me, so that we can meet and see what the Lord may be calling us to do.
I believe we need to increase our prayer, and zeal, and work in evangelism. We will start an Alpha course in March. Simply Christianity Courses will keep on being used. Northbridge breakfasts will happen, and many other large and small attempts to bring the gospel will be tried.
In a few weeks we will run a Ministry School to help people share their faith better.
Please keep on praying and working and talking the gospel.