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Who is Jesus for?

Doing some nativity research I came across an article from last year written about Tony Jordan, the writer of the BBC’s nativity programme from last year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/8210800/Tony-Jordan-interview-The-Nativity-has-changed-me-and-thats-the-gospel-truth.html

He says some interesting stuff and it confirms once again the truth that people are quite happy with Jesus but it seems they have issues with the church. I don’t agree that the church is responsible for twisting the story of Jesus but I do agree that to it’s shame the church has allowed some people in the past to use its message as a tool for gaining power over others – not Jesus’ way at all.

I also like the image of the preacher insisting you come into church and suffer the service after which he will let you have a glimpse of the Jesus in the bottle. I hope that isn’t the way I come across.

However, it does raise the point that Jesus was not given to the church but the church comes from Jesus. We don’t own Jesus and have exclusive rights to use his name. The church needs to learn to open its doors a little wider and open the bottle (as it were). We have been given a task and its main purpose was always to make Jesus known and not to become a hurdle that people need to climb over in order to find Christ. Sometimes it feels like the church is more concerned over protecting its copyright than getting Jesus into the public domain as it were.

Perhaps the greatest challenge for the church is to find a way to become the place people look for Jesus rather than being the last place people would choose to look. We can’t expect people to just accept this we must do all we can to make it happen.

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Thoughts

Who should celebrate Christmas?

About this time of year everyone tries to justify why they celebrate Christmas. I understand even the very vocal anti-Christian atheist Richard Dawkins likes to celebrate at Christmas.

I have to confess, though, that I stuggle with the idea of why any atheist would want to celebrate Christmas. Surely, even if you decide that Christmas is just a pagan festival it is still so full of religious imagery and ideas that any self-respecting atheist would want to avoid it.

Let’s think for a moment though about the festival. It is far from certain that the pagans first celebrated at this time of year, even the Romans didn’t have a festival this time of year till late on in their history (possibly even after Christians celebrated at Christmas although the evidence for this is circumstantial). All kinds of claims about pre-Christian mid-winter festivals are made but few can be backed up with hard evidence. However, even if we do say that the Pagans were the first in on the scene and that Christians took it over let’s think about what it is that we get at Christmas. Oh and by the way the tradition of giving presents at Christmas almost certainly comes from Christianity as does Saint Nicholas.

The Christian view of Christmas is a time for people to get together and celebrate the birth of Jesus. It involves singing carols and going to church. It involves thinking of others and spending time with people you love. It involves talking about peace and goodwill to all. Children are treated as special during this time and we talk about stuff that makes us happy, as well as paying particular attention to those who have less than we do. All this comes from the Christian celebration of Christmas.

The rest of it seems to have pagan origins and might I suggest that there is also plenty of non-religious stuff that gets added in for good measure. Things like overeating (Christianity teaches moderation), drinking too much, overspending on gifts people don’t need (granted the tradition of gift giving comes from Christians but it was never intended to involve over spending), commercialisation of everything to make us spend, etc.

Maybe Christians did take over the Christmas tree and Yule Log but what we gave such things was a meaning that speaks about the good news of God with us. Using a well known symbol as something that explains a good message is surely not wrong. I suspect if Christians hadn’t put such meaning to these things then they would have died out with the rest of the pagan stuff; like child sacrifice and religious prostitution.

Which one of these two Christmasses do you want?

It seems to me that the Christian view of Christmas is what we really want and not all the other stuff which we complain about all through Christmas and beyond. In my view you just can’t have a proper Christmas without Christ. If I had to lose anything about Christmas it would be the commercialisation of it – in essense all that non-religious and pagan stuff that gets in the way of the real celebrations. What would Christmas be if left to the atheists? More spending and more guilt no doubt – not for me I’m afraid.

You can’t have a proper Christmas without Christ I’m afraid.

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Thought for the day

God is with us

For some reason as I’m preparing my Christmas services there is one theme that keeps coming through – God is with us. Last Sunday I was speaking about how God goes ahead of us, this week I’m thinking about a nativity service and using the names of Jesus  – Immanuel or God with us.

Sometimes though we just need to hear God news. Maybe its the weather but there seems to have been an awful lot of bad news lately and sometimes I find myself yearning just to hear something good.

What better news can there be than God is with us?

So my challenge to you is to keep this truth with you all through the Christmas period – God is with us – and hopefully it will be good news that will stick with you for ever.

I’m reminded that on his death bed John Wesley said that the best of all is that God is with us – how right he was.

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Thought for the day

Is justice important?

I’ve been reading a book about the Cromwell Street murders. Fred and Rose West were caught in the mid-nineties after multiple murders and abuse. It is a horrible book and I hate reading it but it is also important to understand what happened and who was involved. It is important that the families of the victims see justice for what was done.

But then what is justice in this situation? The capture and incarceration of those who did it? Yes. but somehow that doesn’t really do justice in this situation.

I am very happy to talk only about the love of God and we could spend a lot of time talking about the importance of forgiveness. These are very important subjects indeed and don’t mistake my talk here about justice as in any way taking away from the important of these subjects.

But when I look around at the world there are lots of things that I think its important there is ultimate justice for.

What about the truth that most of us are too fat and yet children die from starvation each day?

What about the victims of dictatorships? Innocent people who suffer just because they disagree.

What about child abuse?

What about racism?

I could go on but I think I’ve made the point.

There must be justice for the wrong of this world. But who can give such justice? Not us. We just don’t have the ability to undo the wrong that is done. What price can we ever pay to undo the wrong that has been done.

But sometimes wrong happens innocently. People don’t understand the wrong that they are doing. I think a lot of racism happens in this way – people are ignorant of the harm they cause and yet they still cause the harm. Ignorance can never be a defense against wrong doing – the wrong is done even if you didn’t know you were doing it.

Ultimately only God can administer such justice.

But where does this leave me? I may be a pretty good person but I still do some things wrong. Just like everyone else I can’t undo the wrong I have done so no matter how much I try the wrong and its effects are always there.

People have the luxury of living with the wrongs that are done to us. We can learn to forgive with nothing more than an emotional cost.

But if God is to bring justice then God does not have the luxury of simply ignoring wrong. So all wrong must bring judgement.

Ooops. That means I, like everyone else, face judgement. Not being a perfect person (despite my best efforts) means that I must face judgement.

Of course God comes to the rescue by bringing justice on the cross. On the cross Christ brings the justice that is needed for us all.

I’m sorry that my mistakes would do that but it doesn’t change the fact that I need it. So I must depend on Jesus to help me.

The bible is full of images of Jesus doing this. How he will look at me and see Jesus. How I am clothed as it were with Christ that removes my punishment for the wrong I do. That Jesus stands by my side at judgement and pleads on my behalf. Wonderful images that make me feel very inadequate. I don’t deserve it but Jesus does it anyway.

So I may be a pretty good person but I still do wrong. Because I want justice for others it means that I must face that same justice myself. So I must put my faith in Jesus who has promised me forgiveness through his own death and resurrection.

I know this is greatly simplified and there are issues you probably want to talk about here but I’ve already written too much. The simple truth is that I want God to be just but wanting that means being prepared to face the consequences myself. Thank God that Jesus comes to my rescue.

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Thought for the day

Do we take Jesus for Granted?

Luke 4: 14-30 is the story of Jesus preaching in the Synagogue of his own town. It all goes very well until Jesus starts saying that he can’t do for them what he does for others because they know him and won’t respond. Incensed they want to throw him off a cliff but he walks away. It’s a very dramatic story and Luke goes to great lengths to explain all the detail.

I have had some bad reactions to sermons from time to time but I’ve never been threatened with being throwing off a cliff. It seems like a really extreme reaction to what Jesus said. Yet, what is saying is that all those devoted religious people in his own home town won’t listen to God. He says, in effect, that they are cut off from God because of their familiarity with Jesus.

It seems to me that this can be a warning to us. In our time we who go to church are the people who have become familiar with Jesus. Of course, we know Jesus in a different way than the people in the Synagogue in Nazareth but that doesn’t stop us being very familiar with Jesus.

How do you feel when the gospel is read? Do you find yourself thinking – oh I know this one, and then perhaps switch off and don’t bother listening. How do you feel when it comes to prayer times? Preachers often don’t bother with the gospel reading but pick on the old testament or the espistle to preach from, not because they don’t like the gospel but its easy to assume that the people listening will have heard it all before many times over.

Then again, do we really expect Jesus to do anything? Do we believe that Jesus has the answers to our lifes need? Do we believe that God can perform miracles through Christ in our own life? Do we think we even need Jesus to go to the cross for us (you may think it strange but many people think they are pretty good really and don’t need all that forgiveness stuff all the time)? Have we become so familiar with Jesus that we take what he said and did for granted and aren’t much bothered by it from day to day?

I have certainly met Christians (some of the leaders in the church) who think this way.

I was privialedged to go through a conversion experience in my teens that left me very grateful for Jesus and that gratitude and wonder at all God does in Jesus stays with me even today. This is not to boast because there are times in my life that I remember that I regret and would wish Jesus had been in them as well. Yet that conversion experience does help. Many Christians don’t have that feeling and memory as they accepted Jesus without having to go through a time without him. If we are not careful we can become so familiar with Jesus that he loses much of the impact that he can have on our lives.

So I encourage you to take some time out of your day today to think about Jesus and who he is. Try to rekindle some of that excitement you once had about a God who loves you and would do anything for you. Think about the things that Jesus did for you, the suffering on the cross just for you and be grateful for who he is. Then commit yourself today to being a true follower of Jesus and allow him to work in your life again.

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Thoughts

M5 Crash

The news about the M5 crash came to us all in the area as a terrible shock. Those of us who regularly use that stretch of the motorway were reminded of just how dangerous it can sometimes be. My own experience of that junction is not a good one – witnessing many near misses there.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been bereaved and injured. Words aren’t enough at such times but I, together with the people from the Taunton Methodist churches, care very much about what has happened and are deeply concerned for those who have suffered. You are all in our prayers.

There is going to be a vigil in the Sainsburies car part near the site of the accident on Friday (11th) at 8pm.

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Thought for the day

Be prepared

Matthew 25: 1-13 The wise and foolish virgins

I’m going at attempt to put up a little bible study/thought for the day/sermon type thing from time to time and this is my first attempt.

I was never a scout. Well, to be honest I did go to one meeting but I didn’t like it and so never went again. But if I had been a Scout I would have been a good one because just like a good scout I like to be prepared.

I’m one of those sad people who likes to think about as much detail as I can for something and then make some kind of plan for it. I say sad but I don’t really mean it because it seems to me that this is just what God suggests we should be like in his kingdom. It is the wise virgins who have enough oil for the arrival of the bridegroom.

This might feel a little as though God doesn’t like the sponteneous and so is probably an old bloke who sits around complaining about the young and how things aren’t like they used to be. To think like this is a mistake. Perhaps it is being sensible and putting a little thought into planning that enables to sponteneous to happen in the Christian life. You see it is those who are prepared and ready who are in a position to respond to God when he wants us to react right away. Only those who have prepared in the Christian life are ready to follow.

So what preparations does the Christian need to do?

Grow our faith – Jesus is always on about this and it is important.

Keep our entusiasm – the book of Revelation warns against those who lose this.

Pray continually – Paul goes on about this a lot.

Living and listening – I put this on the end because in truth being prepared means doing everything a Christian should do.

So I want to encourage you to be prepared so God can really do something with you when the time is right.

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Praisemakers reunion

Really enjoyed a good weekend with lots of old friends from the Plymouth Praisemakers that I used to sing with. I always intend to keep in touch with these folk but its not always that easy. We had a concert on the Saturday night – I think we might have sounded better than we used too at times. Peter Bolt lead us for some of it – it was great to see him standing in front of the choir. There was a certain sadness about not knowing if we will meet with him again but I’m sure heaven has a special place for him and maybe we can get together in heaven for a reunion some time in the future.

Many of the Praisemakers struggle with church and it was good to have a chance to hear their stories.

I’ve now set up praisemakers.org.uk as a website to keep in touch with Praisemakers – hope it works.

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Is the Bible still worth the effort?

Listening to some Christians (and Christian preachers) you would start to believe that the Bible is so old and hard to understand that it isn’t worth the effort any more. I’ve heard scholars who seem to suggest that the Bible is nothing more than a set of historical documents that are interesting but offer nothing more. This attitude is usually followed up with a claim to a belief or practise that the Bible says is wrong.

However, despite the claims of some the Bible seems to be in pretty good shape to me. I still find that it speaks about situations that the modern world faces and that both as a preacher and a disciple I find there are often so many messages to take from it that it is hard to know where to begin.

I’m am also convinced that despite the obvious problems of language differences in translation and cultural differences in the stories there is usually a very clear message that shines through. Perhaps the real issue is that because we find the messages uncomfortable we like to claim we struggle to understand and use the language and culture as an excuse. I’ve never found the Bible that hard to understand.

Do you think the Bible is worth the effort?

 

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Farewell to good friends

It’s moving time again in the Methodist Church. In my current ciruit we have said goodbye to our Super Rev Bruce Thompson. I always find goodbyes difficult. Any relationship that is worth something must cause some degree of pain when a forced seperation occurs. Bruce has been a good friend to me as well as being my boss. We did not see eye to eye on everything but this never became a problem for us.

I am sometimes disturbed by the way the church doesn’t seem to like to ever say it disagrees with anyone. Are we allowed to say that we think someone is just wrong about something? Of course we are encouraged to think this way in a post-modern world. I like many things about post-modernism but I don’t like the way we can’t now say that something is wrong. We have to simply say that we are all equally right or all equally wrong  – it all depends on your perspective. This is true for some things – e.g. art, literature, films, etc. Whether such things are good or bad is all down to perspective and personal choice but I can’t accept this is true for other things. Mathematics for instance. Say I have two pound coins in my hand and I say that means I have two pounds is not a matter for personal preference. Saying I have three or ten pounds would be wrong.

There are some things we can say about people that are a matter of personal choice e.g. they are funny, or attractive. But other things are not e.g. they are 6 feet tall, have brown hair, etc.

The same is true of God and religion. Some things are a matter of personal preference e.g. the way we pray, the words we use to express God, but some things are not e.g. whether or not Jesus is God. Of course it is a matter of personal choice whether we believe it or not but either it is true that Jesus is God or it is not true.  So for a Christian to say that they believe other religions are wrong about Jesus is not in itself wrong – as some want to claim. Isn’t this what other religions say about Christians anyway?

But, to come back to my main point, it should be fine to say that someone is wrong but still be friends with them.