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Sunday 29 January 2012

The best day of your life

If your faith flows out of what your hope is focussed upon, what is it that you look to and anticipate? Sad thing if its just a matter of religious consumerism: of what you can get out of life for you and those you care about. Biblical faith is a different matter. It points us toward what God has Promised and intends to bring about. And in the light of the brilliance and beauty of God's self revealing in and through Jesus Christ, it brings us to focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And that means starting with our understanding that, where are lives are called to belong to Jesus Christ, it is to be witnesses - martyrs. Those who accept death in the present world as inevitable, as we seek to live our patterns of purposeful living for Jesus Christ. Lives reflecting His values and priorities - or at least ever seeking to realign ourselves again and again in order that we might do so.

The early Moravians in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, saw it that way. They realised that to die because they had sought to live for Christ meant passing into the physical presence of the Resurrected and Ascended Jesus. To greet Him and to be embraced by Him. Death is a terrible thing and must not be sought by us. But when it comes, we need to realise that the power of Jesus's vicarious death and resurrection is for us all. He makes the worst day into the best day of our lives.

Wednesday 25 January 2012

The Kingdom in space and place

Once more, deeply impressed in listening to Mike Pears at the IBTS Community's communion service, as he expounded Luke 19 and expanded insights on how Jesus draws in those who are excluded in terms of this world's values and priorities, to be included by Him within His space and place. Where He eats and drinks with them; and how, conversely, those who we assume to have power and prestige in this world, in terms of inclusion and acceptance,  can be seen to withdraw from the vocation of Jesus Christ whilst this world's 'rejects' are welcomed and restored to the indestructible physical presence of God's Kingdom that comes through Jesus Christ..

What is seminal in Mike's emphasis is that he relates issues of inclusion, reaching to the marginalised and the expression of compassion etc. to the practicalities of the space that we occupy and the place we meet in. This is so Biblical and so baptist. No abstract values left as ideal or doctrines held as private persuasions. No place for private preoccupations with personal fancies that flee from reality. What matters in the physicality of our gathering, the way we welcome people and treat with them in the physical space we occupy and the places we pass through.

So obvious yet so refreshingly different. And how such an approach challenges us to reappropriate the reality of physical presence, and what we do where we are, as central to the essence of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God come among us and found among us in flesh and blood.

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Prescription or Description ?

Speaking with a leader from the south eastern part of the European Baptist Federation, I realised that the assumption with most ‘1st world’ Christian leaders is that the models or motifs that we discern to be present in what we observe are somehow patterns or paradigms that could and even should be transferable to other situations and circumstances.

It was pointed out to me that, in this person’s environment, the cultural tradition was to describe what could be observe without going on to shape it as prescriptive. Let alone transferable, to others. I was challenged by this. It strikes me that people like me (and probably you!) tend to look for patterns that will yield transferable principles or patterns to be emulated. Not so for this colleague. Their approach was more humble. It sought to describe and to understand. To respect the narrative that can be related, but not necessarily to distil. Rather, to accept and even accommodate other models and approaches that, on the face of it, may seem incongruous. But are yeilded out of engagement with the story of Christ met with in Scripture.

Lots of conflict arises from the desire to make our observations or experiences prescriptive for others. Power games. It doesn’t have to be that way. There is power in the story of Jesus and there it should stay. Just tell it as it is. Describe what you have touched and seen. And let’s see what happens when glory and grace come through.

Real Holiness @ IBTS in Prague

Gordon Snider made an important point this morning at breakfast. As a missionary teacher and a Holiness Methodist, he pointed out that he did not readily recognise the charicature of ‘Arminian’ that many self-identified 'Calvinists' so readily own. ‘A wilful transgression of a known law of God’ is Gordon’s understanding of sin. Entire sanctification is coming to know the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the choice to sin.

This is a subtle and important point. We can and do all sin, in terms of doing at times what is contrary to the will of God. But this is different from deliberately transgressing the will of God. The truth is, that if we truly seek to do the revealed will of God, then God will strengthen us in the path of holiness.

My personal, pastoral observation is that people often play at repentance. Regretting patterns of sin is not the same as repenting. Repentance is a deliberate and costly, even painful, turning away from what is contrary to the will of God. In this sense, the whole of the life of Jesus was an intentional struggle against the temptation to sin – yet a successful struggle, in that our Lord always did what was pleasing to God.

The Spirit will enable us to be holy – that is, strengthen us for the deliberate and costly choice to do what is pleasing to God. He does not coerce us, or persuade us to do what we do not want us to do. But He will strengthen us when we turn back to God in order to to walk a costly, difficult and painful path. Thank you, Gordon.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Keeping Alive

It may seem obvious to you, and if it does, please forgive me; but the reality is that being a Christian for a long time does not mean that daily devotion is easy. It is not so for me. Indeed, it is a struggle each day to find time to set aside to the Lord, especially when there is a busy agenda and many things to do.

I should add that this is not a confession of failure. Yes, I do fail at times; but I really can't afford to. Spiritual success is integral to finding progress and being effective in my life, and it's never God that lets me or you down. It's that we fail.

So how do we combat failure? Simply, we have to ensure that each day is begun and underlined in spiritual discipline, spending time reading the Bible or listening to it. And simply honouring God and giving Him the place of preeminence in our life. It's not rocket science. But it is true.

Today, I'm at a conference of Regional Ministers of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. The place is Holthorpe Hall. May each of us bow to the Son that His presence should shape and form our witness this day and tomorrow too.

Saturday 14 January 2012

Natural Association

There is a natural association between being called to discipleship and being commissioned to witness. And there is a progression between the two. The call of Jesus characterises the first; the empowering of the Holy Spirit characterises the second.

And this also sets our relationship to the Holy. We are CALLED by the Holy One, CONSECRATED through His drawing us into His life and His ministry, recipients of God's promises and participating in His purposes; and we are COMMISSIONED as His witnesses, empowered and enabled to proclaim His name and to engage in acts of loving service.

This is the direction that we are to go upon; and holiness is to be the hallmark of this endeavour.

Monday 9 January 2012

cascading

Yesterday was a valedictory service offered by Bristo, as Jennifer and I attended our last service having now moved to Glasgow. It was deeply moving to receive the love and care gifted by folks in word, embrace and token. It has been a good season at Bristo, and as we know it is God’s calling to have now moved on to a new stage of ministry, we also know that this is an exciting new stage for the congregation as the future is faced and engaged in.

In the evening, back in Glasgow we were blessed and encouraged in visiting the Pollok congregation and receiving such a warm welcome not only by the pastor but also by so many members of the congregation: I don’t know if this is typically Glaswegian, but it was wonderfully and warmly Christian.

You know, I love the church. The place where God’s glory and honour dwells. And I am looking with anticipation to see our cascading God of holy love and purposeful power burst out and flood our land afresh with envisioned and freshly enabled men and women and children who love Him in Jesus’ name. 

Monday 2 January 2012

not quite Captain America

OK. I admit it - I have neither seen nor intend to see the film - but I like a phrase in the Baptist Times review, which comments, 'God doesn't always chooses the brightest and best'. Really helpful reminder as I start this new ministry with the Baptist Union.

And also a reminder for all of us in positions of ministry and leadership. Sometimes we think we should be the brightest and best; or even that others should think of us in this way! Wrong on both accounts. 'I'm a loser who becomes a winner when my lives in Jesus'. That's better.

Better for each of us to think of ourselves this way: as wretched sinners, incapable of doing any decent thing by ourselves, but saved by the grace of God at work in our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord. If all of us can grasp this, then we might make some progress.

Sunday 1 January 2012

Witness and disciple?

Today was my last Sunday preaching in Bristo Baptist Church. In looking at the Word of God I saw something I never noticed before. To get this, you need to know that in Greek the word for a ‘disciple’ is mathetes and that the word for a ‘witness’ is marturos.

It struck me that being a disciple is a distinct and different matter from 
being a witness: being a disciple comes first. Jesus called disciples at the beginning of His ministry. Jesus commissioned witnesses at the end of his ministry on earth.

But to make others disciples, we have to be witnesses. Literally, we have to be prepared to be martyrs. To be uncompromising in our allegiance to Jesus Christ.

As we enter into 2012, may God strengthen you as a disciple. But more than that, may He enable you pursue the holy and purposeful path that allows you to be a witness who will act as a beacon of life and hope for others around you.