Where In The World Is He?

People, in general and even some Christians, seem to have confusing ideas about where God is.  Children are often told that God is in Heaven (wherever that is).  'Heaven' is often thought to be somewhere 'up there'.  It's as though God is thought to be someone (or something, depending on whether you have a faith or not) who is much bigger than we mere mortals and so dwells somewhere else other than earth, which is too small to contain Him.  And so comes the dual thinking of God as being 'other' and not part of our world.  It has been asked 'Is God up there, out there, in deep space or beyond?'  Someone once said that God is the beyond in the midst.  I rather like that thought.  It reminds me of the Psalmist who said 'I often think of the heavens your hands have made and of the moon and the stars you put in place.  Then I ask, "Why do you care about us humans?  Why are you concerned about us weaklings?"' (Psalm 8:3,4 The Promise Bible)  And so we have built up confusing theories about where God exists.

People are invited to 'accept God into your heart'.  What that really means is to follow the way of Jesus and accept that He is Lord and Saviour of your life.  But we seem to think of it as having some God space within our very busy lives where we allow God to reside and take His place as Lord.  But we still keep things separate, well ordered and everything in it's place - even God.  We go to the building we call God's House where presumably God lives and spend time with Him on a Sunday morning, in the endeavour to absorb as much as we can to get us through the following week when we are unable to get to His House because of our very busy schedules of daily living.  Scientists have concluded that the part of us that we call our soul is actually in the brain.  So if God lives in our soul then really He is part of our brain.  Maybe that part of our brain controls our religious feelings and tendencies?!

The Bible clearly tells us right from the beginning 'In the beginning God ' - God spoke and all things came into being.  Creation is a result of what and who God is; His DNA is in all things; He is everywhere; we are created in His image; as part of His creation we have His DNA running through us too.  So in a very real sense He is 'the beyond in the midst', not just among us but in us.  We really don't need to sing and pray for Him to 'come down' and be with us - He already is Emmanuel - God with us.  When Jesus said that we are the temples of the living God and that the Spirit dwells in us He was telling us that God is not distant and afar off but as the Psalmist says, He is interested in us and cares about us.  What we do and how we spend our lives does actually matter to Him.  Another Psalm asks 'Where can I go from your presence?'  He is everywhere.  

A rabbi once said that Jews did not speak God's name but breathed it - Yahweh.  He said that as you take in breath you say Yah and as you exhale you say Weh.  In that way every part of your life is lived with God and even with your last breath you are with Him.  You are living God's presence in the simplicity and persistence of breathing.  Breathing is not something we do consciously, at least most of the time.  We are alive so we breathe.  It reminds me of the beautiful song, 'This is the air I breathe, God's holy presence living in me'.  Thinking of God in this way makes the last lines so true 'I'm desperate for you, I'm lost without you'.   You can hear that song here.  So where is God?  Where in the world is He?  He is all around us; He is in us; He is the beyond in the midst; He is in every breath we take; He is the very air we breathe.  Yahweh.  Breathing God. 

Stormy Journey

In the UK we have experienced terrible storms that continue to batter the country.  The news has been full every day just about since Christmas, one storm after another and of the devastation they have caused in many places, particularly the damage that has been done in the southwest of the country.  Many have been flooded out of their homes and businesses have suffered, some losing everything.  Farmers have had to get rid of their livestock as there is no grazing land where they can put them safely.  Crops have been destroyed, trees have been uprooted ... ...  and the list of damage goes on.  Some of the most dramatic pictures that I have seen came from Dawlish on the west coast where the relentless storms and enormous high waves have corroded the cliff edge causing part of the cliff to collapse into the sea and leaving the coastal railway damaged and suspended in the air.  People living in nearby houses have had to be evacuated and put up elsewhere as their road has also been eroded by the force of nature.


The railway line is the main connection between the rest of the country and the furthest southwest tip of the country in Cornwall.  Travelling this route has now become a journey to nowhere.  Those wishing to continue their journey south have to get off the train further up the line and take a bus or some other mode of transport to continue travelling.  There are meetings being held to discuss whether it is feasible to repair the sea wall and road or whether it would make more sense to re-route the railway altogether.  This of course would bring added expense.  Those living in the houses affected by the erosion of the foundations are also contemplating whether they will be able to return to their homes or relocate while their homes are demolished.  Such tragic situations!  Drying out and a lick of paint will not be enough to save them when the foundations have proved to be inadequate.  On the east coast,  the continuous rain has caused landslides and homes have collapsed down the moving earth like a house of cards.  The term 'safe as houses' no longer can be applied to a building as being safe.  Torrential rain and fierce winds seem to make light of humanity's attempts at providing security.


On the Christian journey I have found that foundations that have served me well for many years have become inadequate.  New worship songs or some innovative activity will not solve the problem.  So I have moved out of the place I called my (spiritual) home and found new ways or expressing my faith.  When the journey I am on no longer gets me to where I want to be, then I need to change direction and take another route.  Millions of Christians worldwide have in recent years found the same to be true when the winds of the Spirit began shaking their world.  They have moved out of what had become traditional and organised religion - the 'safe' house.  The goal of oneness with God has not changed. The final destination remains the same but the journey is now taking a different route.

Repair or Replace

We continue trying to put right the things that have been damaged during the winter storms that seem relentless here in Somerset.  Last week the roofers came and mended the roof so hopefully we will no longer have any leakage when it rains.  A few of the tiles had slipped out of place and were quite easily returned and firmly fixed in their allotted spots.  Another tile was completely shattered and had to be replaced.  The engineer has also been to service the boiler and central heating system.  The boiler is a few years old but it is still working well and will be ok for another few years.  That's a relief!

Next it is the turn of the man who is coming to put up a new fence as the other one is now virtually non-existent.  (See photo)  That is of course weather permitting!  On the other side of the garden there was a panel of fencing that had been repaired again and again.  Bits had been added in order to keep it in place but the last storm was just too much and it eventually fell out altogether and is now lying on the grass leaving a great big gaping space into the neighbour's garden.  The sad thing is that as it fell it landed on top of a rather nice variegated holly bush, completely flattening it and snapping it off right from the bottom of its stem.  So I not only lost a part of the fence but also one of my plants.  I don't know if the holly bush will recover - I guess time will tell.  

I'm not one usually for just throwing things out and replacing them with new - not if I can make do and mend.  But sometimes mending is not enough.  Repairing will not do.  Some things need to be replaced.  But how we hang on to things that are no longer useful!  We seem loathe to do away with things that are familiar, even if they no longer serve their purpose.  Replacing things can bring upheaval and more work.  The old needs to be totally got rid of in order to make room for the new replacement.  We can't just nail the new fencing onto the old posts - they are part of the problem as they are no longer firm enough to hold the fence panels in place.  The whole thing including the posts needs to be removed to make room for the new fence.

There are of course life lessons to be learned here too.  How many things do I hang on to out of a sense of comfortable familiarity when I should be replacing them with something that actually serves the purpose - not just in the material things but also in the spiritual.  It can be costly to step out and replace that which no longer serves the purpose but sometimes repairing when we should be replacing can do more harm than good as I learned with my holly plant.  It can be unwise to try and hang on to things that no longer work for us.  Trying to repair and renew just doesn't give the result I need.  Instead of patching up the old, I need to replace it with something else that works for me.  We are told not to put new wine into old wineskins. (Luke 5:37)  Doing what is right for me might cost me and take a bit of courage and effort but well worth it in the end. 

Sacred Places

Flag Fen Causeway

A recent mini-TV series looked at places held sacred since prehistoric times.  Apart from the fact that humans have always had some idea of spiritual things and the mystery of some super-being beyond our understanding, it was interesting to see just what and where was considered sacred.  There was much ancestor worship as it was considered that those who had died and gone before were able somehow to link the living with the other, spiritual world.  It has been discovered that during the Bronze Age, a vast causeway was built across fens at Flag Fen near Peterborough.  Water was seen not just as a source of life but also of reverence.  The belief was that the place where the water met the land was the place where life met the spiritual world.  Small holes in part of the causeway were made for offerings to be made to whatever superior spirit inhabited such sacred places. 

Today we might smile at such beliefs thinking them to be naive and superstitious.  I often wonder in another 1000 years from now what humans will think of our present day religious beliefs and ways.  But throughout the ages humanity has thought of certain places as sacred where you can meet spiritual beings and have some sort of spiritual experience.  This is no less true of Christians with their buildings, shrines and relics.  Many still flock to certain places that have experienced some outpouring of God, it seems, almost in the hope of 'catching' something and being able to transport it back with them to their own locality, as though God was some commodity that you can bottle and transport around the world.  We know of course in truth that God is everywhere so why do we continue to think along these lines? 

Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream of
the 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine 

In the early books of the Bible, Noah spoke to and listened to God speaking to him without any specific place; Abraham followed God's leading into a new place to live without any direction or input from any spiritual leader of his day; Jacob had encounters with God during his long journey; Joseph had the spiritual gift of interpreting dreams both at his home with his family and while in prison in Egypt; the Israelites learned that God was with them during their long years of trekking through the desert.  All these experiences were way before any temple or synagogues were built.  The early Christians knew of God's presence for 400 years before any Christian buildings were erected.  Jesus said that we are temples of the living God, that the Kingdom of God is within us. 

Godfrey Birtill

They say that we are nearer to God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.  This of course is rubbish theology but we have to admit that there are some places and circumstances that seem more conducive to being aware of God's presence and of Him speaking to us.  There is a danger in giving more prominence to such 'sacred' places than is rightfully due and the visiting of such places becomes all important.  For me (and others) who have now opted out of the organised form of meeting together to seek God, it is reaffirming to know that God is still present whether in a place considered to be sacred or not, in some quiet secluded spot or in the midst of the hub-bub of everyday living.  He is everywhere, present so everywhere is a God space.  Yet we still insist on thinking about places as being sacred or secular.  A church building is considered a sacred place while a public house is not.  I love the sentiment in Godfrey Birtill's song about being ready for the glory of God to fall wherever.  Philip Williams put together some slides with the words while at the same time you are able to hear Godfrey singing.  You can hear this song here.  It's well worth a listen if you haven't heard it before (and even if you have!).  All life and places everywhere are sacred, for God is with us in and through it all.  Wherever I am - 'Bring it on, Lord!'    

... And ...

It is often by reading some thoughts of others that sets us off at a tangent with some thoughts of our own.  The meditations of Richard Rohr often have that affect on me.  Last week he was referring to our faith and belief systems as Yes, And ... and looked at the word 'and' and what that conjures up in our minds.  And so my thoughts began to dwell on this small word that is so often just used as a linking word between different parts of a sentence.  When I started seriously to consider this small, seemingly insignificant word, I realised that it can have quite significant properties of its own and often change the whole idea of the sentence.


The word 'and' leaves a space for more to be added.  It reminded me of the Irish comedian, Jimmy Cricket who during his act used to approach the edge of the stage and beckon to the audience saying, 'But wait, there's more!' and then continue to expand on his story.  The problem with many Christians is that as they seek to convince others that they have the truth about God (and they often do) they can forget that God is so much bigger than what they can understand.  We so often want to confine Him to our understanding and forget that there is so much more to Him than any mere mortal can possibly understand.  So in my beliefs I need to learn to say 'This is what I believe - Yes, and... ... there's more'.



'And', to me also conjures up the idea of an open door.  As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I cannot understand the totality of God or His ways so I need to leave the 'And' door open and learn to accept that my way of thinking might not be the only way.  As I have said many times before - no-one has the monopoly of truth.  We all see and understand in different ways.  Who am I to say that because someone thinks a little differently from me that they are wrong and I am right.  As God is so big and beyond my understanding, is it not possible that maybe we could both have elements of truth in our different ways of thinking?  It is sad that there exists so much intolerance among people of faith when really their lives should be showing the opposite.  This is not to water down my faith but to accept that I don't know everything and that God's love is all-embracing.


This led me to thinking about Jesus and how He seemed to deliberately seek out those whom the religious of His day perceived as undesirable.  The mish mash of characters among His closest friends - the hot headed Peter, the dreamer John, the tax collector Matthew, the doubter Thomas, the zealot  Judas ... ... and so on.  Jesus sought out people like the lepers (the social outcasts) Zacchaeus who collected money for the enemy, the adulterous woman and told stories like the Good Samaritan praising a Samaritan who was considered by the Jews to be unworthy of God's loving attention.  All such people felt comfortable in His presence while the religious people looked on them with disdain and contempt.  I wonder how many people on the edges of today's society feel welcomed and comfortable in a Christian group?  The open door of 'And' means that all are welcome in His Kingdom.

'And' the small word that can open up a whole new way of thinking.  Do I have Christian beliefs?  Yes, And ... ...

Apology

I regret that there will be no blog post this week.  I have spent most of the week between having extremely exhausting bouts of coughing, sipping hot lemon and honey and sleeping.  I hope that normal life will be resumed next week.

Enough is enough

Well, Christmas has been and gone.  We had a great time as a family, as I hope all who read this did.  Many have now put away the decorations (although some do wait until the end of the 12 days of Christmas, until Epiphany on January 6th - when the wise men arrived at the stable) Every year I try to be sensible in my spending, especially on food.  As far as presents are concerned we as a family have always stipulated a maximum to spend on each other.  We make wish lists to choose from.  That way we know we won't get everything on our list but neither do we know what we will get and so we always have surprises.  We have always done this even when the children were small.  My eldest commented that he really didn't need anything so he would be quite happy if instead of buying him anything, we gave the money to charity.  (And he is the one that never went to church!)  We did buy him things but I thought it was a nice gesture to say that - and they weren't empty words, he really meant it
.
What is not so easy to control is the over-indulgence on food.  We make excuses like 'well it is Christmas', 'it's a special occasion' or 'Christmas comes but once a year'.  We can always justify our overspend.  We buy just in case it's needed, we don't want to run out of anything.  I am pretty good at using up left-overs but have to admit that I did throw some things away that had gone past their use by date - and I felt guilty!  I really don't like throwing out food.  But really, do we honestly need all that chocolate and sweet treats?  Do we really have to stuff ourselves to bursting point?  This week. according to the BBC news, in the UK 64% of adults are classed as being overweight or obese while at the same time under-nourishment is still a problem for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world, particularly children. 

Although I have to say that I didn't get anything that will be pushed in a drawer and forgotten about, I do wonder after all the spending, just how much of the gifts people received will be used and how much will be discarded after a short time.  Our attention seems to flit so quickly from one thing to another without real appreciation for what we have.  There is always something else, the latest gadget, the new in-thing, the latest fashion, the bigger version, that must-have item.  The sad thing is that the more we get, the more we want.  We seem to have an insatiable appetite for stuff, useful or not.  We are draining the world of its resources in the process of acquiring more stuff we don't really need while at the same time making the rich owners of large companies richer by our self indulgence.  Some charitable gifts are known as 'alternative must-have gifts' and provide some of the things that are essential to a needy world.  We still sing and listen to the Live Aid song at Christmas time but how easily we forget to contribute to help the ever growing needy of the world.  A growing number of people have stopped buying and sending Christmas cards, opting instead to give the money they have saved to some charity or buying things for a food bank.

Sorry if this blog post seems all doom and gloom.  The truth is that much of our possessions don't achieve real deep down happiness.  Many people have lost much during these winter storms that we have had recently.  Some have even lost their homes over the side of crumbling cliffs.  It's times like this that make you think again of your priorities.  How much is really sufficient?  When is enough, enough?  I haven't made any New Year's resolutions but I have many things to ponder.  We will still have a good time and have more than we really need but maybe next year I'll celebrate differently. 

Activity, rest and waiting.

The week began with activity.  Last week my elder son Martin spent a few days with us as work didn't permit him to spend actual Christmas with us.  He was off work on Christmas Day but to travel down to Somerset from Cheshire late on Christmas Eve and then travel back Christmas Day night to be at work on Boxing Day just didn't seem worth it.  It was better to get a few days off the week before and spend some time with us.  We went to the cinema to see the new Hobbit film and then went for a pizza - a very enjoyable afternoon and evening out.  So we did a sort of Christmas a week early, having turkey with all the trimmings etc. and we opened a couple of presents, leaving the rest for the actual event itself.  Last Saturday afternoon he went back to his own place in Cheshire and my other son Diego went off to work.  The house seemed quiet after that.  Until Monday that is!  Then the storm hit!  On the Tuesday morning in the light of day we surveyed the results -  there was a drip coming through the ceiling in the front bedroom, a tile off the roof at the back of the house and the fence blown down (for the umpteenth time this year!)

The broken tile off the roof

Sunday was indeed the lull before the storm, literally.  So activity began again.  Phone calls were made to those with whom we have emergency cover and they were very helpful.  The problem, of course was that this was now Christmas Eve when everyone wants to be at home not out on emergencies.   Absolutely, I quite understood. We were assured that it might take a couple of days but they hadn't forgotten about us.  On Boxing Day we received a phone call to say that someone would be around to assess the damage the following day.  That night another storm hit, but not as strong as the first one, thank goodness.  We are now bracing ourselves for the next storm due on Monday.  But at least, whatever happens, the 'rescue plans' are in motion. 

Trying to prop up the fence again til it is replaced

So Christmas Day was a calm day and again on Thursday as on both occasions we waited for the phone calls ... ... and waited ... ...  and waited ... ... or so it seemed.  I watched the news and was grateful that our damage was so little in comparison to many who had had no electricity since Monday, could not celebrate Christmas, were not able to have the traditional Christmas meal and in some cases had to evacuate the house because of flooding.  I felt quite guilty - I had no reason to moan.  Someone has already been contracted to put up a new fence in the back garden.  We made the agreement way back at the beginning of December but he is unable to do anything before the middle of January but at least that problem is in hand.  The man came and assessed the damage of the roof as arranged and that will go through to the insurers who will then arrange for it to be done - quickly I was assured.  Ah! but it's the waiting when things aren't the way we want them to be that gets me.  It's frustrating.  I want things sorted.  It's like life is on hold.  But this week is just like life. 

There are days of planned activity that we look forward to and enjoy.  There are also days of quiet.  But it's the days of unexpected activity that bring problems and the seemingly unending waiting for things to be resolved.  In the mean time we seem to just plod on but it's not what we really wanted and it's kind of unsettling when life seems to have lost its flow.  How often do we find ourselves in the waiting room of life unable to move forward?  Life is not always the planned activity and days of rest.  So what will 2014 bring?  I wonder.  Maybe some plans will become reality but there will possibly be some waiting time while God sorts things out on our behalf.  Whatever 2014 brings, I hope it is good for you.

Christmas - Through the Eyes of the Three Wise Men

The three wise men is the part of the Christmas story that has always fascinated me.  Christians on the whole steer well clear of anything vaguely linked to the stars, horoscopes and their effect on people's lives.  Yet here we have three astronomers (not to be confused with astrologers who give us horoscopes).  They had studied the stars and believed that the position and relation of the stars and planets did indeed have some bearing on life on earth.  When they saw the particular configuration in the sky and saw the brightness it caused, they interpreted that as being the birth of a very important person, a king, who would have an enormous part to play for humanity.  They got together, packed up some belongings and set off on their journey to search for this special person, using the stars to guide them.  They may not have understood or studied the Jewish scriptures as they were from a completely different culture but they followed their beliefs to search for truth.

The obvious place it seemed would be to go to those in authority, the rulers of the place where they believed this new king had been born.  They were surprised to discover from Herod that the person they sought was not there but that didn't deter them.  Herod meanwhile consulted his own wise men who had studied the scriptures and was told of the Messiah who would be born in Bethlehem.  He told the travellers this and sent them on their way urging them to go back to him and tell him where the child was.  They kept on going, following the star and their convictions until they at last came to the stable in Bethlehem.  They understood the significance about this young child and so brought gifts to reflect their beliefs that he was king (gold), deity (frankincense) and sacrifice (myrrh).  God then told them in a dream to go back home by a different route and so avoid Herod who was just interested in eliminating any opposition to his rule or power.

What has always intrigued me is that although there were many among the Jews who studied the scriptures, none of them seemed aware of the importance of the birth of Jesus.  They totally missed the great event.  'He came unto his own and his own received him not'.  Yet here were people from a completely different culture who understood and God guided them and spoke to them through their own particular way of understanding life and through dreams.  They may not have known or understood all about Jewish history and their chosen status or their words of scripture but they did know how to read the signs of creation that was all around them.  It is good to remind ourselves that God doesn't just use his prophets and those who study his word but he does also quite clearly speak to those outside of his chosen people.  The wise men also learned that God, although so powerful does not always inhabit the grand places but encapsulated the emptying of himself and shows his loving humility in a tiny, helpless child.  Like the shepherds, (see last week's blog post) they learned that God does the unexpected.  We need to learn that we cannot tie God down to our expectations of Him or our way of thinking and understanding.  God will not be limited by our finite minds.

And so again I am reminded in the Christmas story that God is not just seen through the written word.  I need to read the signs, the things that are happening all around me.  God has ways of revealing his truth without all the study and religious observance or allegiance and we are seeing in our own day signs of God working for change in the world through people other than Christian - think of young Malala speaking out to allow education for girls.  We Christians don't have the monopoly of or exclusive access to truth nor are we the only ones through whom God chooses to work.  God uses whom He chooses.  I need to expect the unexpected.  I may need to change my views on things and learn to accept that which until now has been unacceptable to me - a renewing of my mind that God can and does work outside of my limited world of understanding.   

Christmas - Through the Eyes of the Shepherds

Here was this group of blokes just doing what they always did.  They were the tough, outdoor type who were able to fight off wild animals that threatened their flock of sheep.  They were used to spending long hours outside in all types of weather.  They would possibly be passing the night time hours exchanging anecdotes and a few jokes, like men throughout the ages have done.  They would always be alert to any danger that might creep up on them to cause havoc among the sheep with the intention of providing a meal for some hungry wild animal.  But suddenly... ...!  I can almost hear them mutter 'What the ... ...?'  (or their Jewish equivalent) as they searched the bright light for some explanation but not sure what was going on.  

I'm sure that they didn't expect that while they were just carrying out their nightly responsibilities that God would suddenly burst in on them in that way.  To say that they were taken aback is an understatement.  But then God often does that sort of thing - surprise us when we're least expecting it.  We tend to expect God to turn up in places that are deemed to be 'holy'; at special gatherings; in big meetings; when there is the 'right kind' of worship music and groaning prayers.  Angelic visitations appear when we're in the right mood and frame of mind don't they? ... ... not at work!   

The angels gave them directions to go and find the child that had just been born.  They explained the importance of this child - the long awaited Messiah.  Who would have thought that such an important message would have been revealed to a few simple shepherds?  They were probably not very well educated and maybe didn't manage to get to the synagogue very often because of their work.  They had been raised in the Jewish faith and knew about God and their history and being the 'chosen race' but were probably not very active in their expression of their faith.  They didn't question the angels.  They went and found the baby exactly as they had been told.    They weren't all dressed up in their Sabbath best.  They were in work clothes suitable for working with animals outdoors.  They went as they were and found him in the stable with the animals, a messy, dirty, smelly place, away from where people would normally live and sleep.

They saw God in a new way, identifying Himself with them.  He didn't expect certain conditions, education or understanding of Scripture.  He came to them where they were, as they were, out there.  His incarnation was for everyone - all included, not just the religious.  And they worshipped Him, right there, in the middle of their nightly work, as they were, with no great preparation or understanding.  That is Emmanuel - God with us (all) here, now.

Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child

During this advent season I am thinking of how different people view the whole nativity story.  The first one is through the eyes of a child. 

I have to admit that I am a great aunty to the most lovable 3 year old.  The other Saturday I had the privilege of accompanying him and his father, my nephew Darren and grandma Marilyn, my sister.  We went to see the Christmas decorations at the local garden centre Brimsmore.  We walked into the store and immediately young Oliver's eyes were taken by all the lights and sparkly things.  He just stood and said 'WOW!'  All the way around he kept uttering the word 'wow'.  He loved the animals that moved and all the decorations and of course the toy train layout featuring Ivor the Engine and his friends.  All the magic of the moment seemed to explode into his mind and only one word could sum it all up - wow! 

For a young child of 3, everything catches the eye, almost to the point of being overwhelming.  He loves looking at everything and touching if he is allowed to.  His little mind is in overdrive as he tries to assess all that is around him and the limited vocabulary of a toddler is not adequate to put into words what he is thinking and the emotions that it all conjures up.  And so  'wow' is all he can come out with.  We often hear Christmas being referred to as a time for children, maybe because of their sense of wonder at it all.  As we get older we lose some of that sense of wonder.  How often do we hear an adult refer to Christmas as 'wow'?  Probably never.  Sadly in maturing and growing up we all lose some of that childlike sense of wonder and awe.  It's like we've heard it and seen it all before.  We become blasé about it and so think of Christmas as a time for the children who see everything as new and fresh.

Jesus says that we should be like children before God.  To think of God being willing to limit himself in human form and come as a helpless baby dependant on his parents for everything - this God who created all things from nothing and yet laying aside all such power that when he speaks universes come into being, and becoming totally dependent instead of the Almighty, limited to one place instead of being everywhere - how can we not be filled with amazement and wonder.  This servant king evokes such emotions that we cannot find the words to express and in worship we just stand and say 'Wow'.  I want to drink in again the wonder of it all as a child.  WOW, God loves me that much!

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Preparations

This past week I have started my preparations for Christmas.  First of all there are countless lists!  Lists of meals depending on who will be here and when and lists of ingredients for said meals.  As I have the luxury and time to shop around, I have different lists for each shop I go to - the cheap shop, the freezer shop, the supermarket, the family butcher, lists of extras, just in case, the shop that has that special something I can't get anywhere else... ...   I keep adding to the lists as I remember things I need to get.  That's my own coping mechanism - I'd be lost without my lists!  Then of course there are the to do list, the wish lists, both given to family and received from family so that we all get more or less the things that we really want, hopefully avoiding recycling of presents or putting them in a drawer to be forgotten.

Apart from the shopping for food and presents there are of course other preparations.  The Christmas tree and decorations are down from the loft, thanks to my son, and are ready for tomorrow the 1st of December.  The usual ornaments have been put away to make room for the Christmas ones.  Christmas cards and newsletter have been written and ready to post.  Some for abroad were posted earlier this week.  And of course there is the list of people I send cards to each year so I don't forget anyone.  Some meals I like to prepare from fresh ingredients and freeze ahead of time ready just to take out and defrost when needed so the freezer is gradually being stocked up.  I am also pleased that I live in the northern hemisphere where there is less to do in the garden at this time of year so I can set my attention to other things while still enjoying the blooms on my Christmas Cactus.  It seems that even the house plants are preparing for Christmas.  People who are involved in a play or pantomime, carol service or concert have already been preparing and practicing for some weeks even months ready for the big day when they do it for the public. 

 Of course Christmas is not just about eating, a day off work and receiving presents.  That happens to be the way that we like to celebrate a special occasion.  Christians prepare for Christmas throughout the time of Advent.  The original Advent Calendar where we open the window each day to reveal an aspect of the Christmas story, was a good reminder of the other face of Christmas - the reason behind the celebration.  Nowadays a very popular Advent Calendar is the one where each day on opening the window you get some chocolate goodie.  Now I like the idea of having a little bit of chocolate each day but I have decided this year to make my own sort of Advent Calendar.  As I was reminded this week that our American friends celebrated Thanksgiving, I decided to make my own Advent Calendar of Thanksgiving.  It's a list really where each day I think of something for which I am particularly thankful. 

That just about sums up my preparations really - enjoy all the busyness, the little chocolate treats, the giving and receiving but be reminded of why I'm doing it all and be thankful to God.

Aims and Targets

We are told that it is important that we have aims and objectives in our lives in order to motivate us to higher and better things.  One of the favourite questions to a child is 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'  It has been said that John Lennon, when asked that question by a teacher, replied that he wanted to be happy.  The teacher, allegedly commented that he hadn't understood the question and John Lennon, in his inimitable way suggested that he had in fact understood the question perfectly but the teacher had not understood his reply. 


Just about every group, company, industry, committee or service will happily lay out their aims and objectives to us the customer, client, receiver, largely to try and impress.  It is fine to say what we are hoping to achieve and make clear the aims of our business or group.  But then the matter goes another step further and the aims become targets.  We begin to put numbers on our aims.  It is then that the hopes become obligations and the stress kicks in until the targets become an obsession.  We have seen this happen across the board in industry and public services.  Sometimes the target figures become all important and the only thing that matters, often to the detriment of the actual service given.  Some even fiddle the figures in order to give the impression of having achieved what they set out to do.   It's as though nothing else matters.  And if as a worker you don't reach your targets then, woe betide, you can be hauled in front of the higher management and told in no uncertain terms that your work is not good enough and that if your targets are not reached within a certain length of time then your employment could be in jeopardy.  That seems to me to be a way of stressing people out even more to the point of making them ill rather than a way to motivate them. 

The sad thing is that I have witnessed that even Christian groups use these methods of having a  5 year plan and saying that within 5 years just what they hope to have achieved.  I say it's sad because that is not the way that God works.  We don't have to pass some test or learn a certain number of verses of the Bible by heart.  He doesn't expect us to say that we have brought so many people to our group or we have carried out so many 'good deeds' this week.  He doesn't give us a check list that we tick off every day the things that we have accomplished in His name.  No wonder some Christians go around looking as though they have the weight of the world on their shoulders.  That's not the way He works.  It's not about numbers or how many activities we are part of.  There is no striving or competing one against the other or one denomination against another.  He just loves us and tells us to rest in Him.  'My yoke is easy' He says.  We are told simply to follow Him and do as He asks us and if we don't manage to fulfil what we have hoped He won't get rid of us.  Just the opposite - He gives us a big hug and reminds us that He loves us unconditionally for who we are and not for what we've achieved.

When I was younger, I had my aims firmly in my mind.  I was going to change the world!  That didn't happen!  But I know that God's love for me is as real today as it was then.  Those expectations were mine, not God's. 

The Centre of All Things

I enjoy reading the blogs of other people and regularly catch up with quite a number.  Some leave me pondering throughout the day and others seem to confirm something that I have been thinking for some time.  This week I read such a one by Martin Scott.  (You can see his 12 min videocast here under Pentecost as paradigm #3).  The whole idea that God works outside of the established church is not a new thought.  Although we like to think that God chooses to work through Christians, the fact remains that many times we see what seems to be God at work in a situation where there is no church.


I was thinking about Galileo who dared to suggest that not everything revolves around the earth.  We are not the centre of the universe.  He was persecuted for that thinking and was forced to recant by the Inquisition but time proved that he was indeed right.  Nowadays we know of course that the earth and all the other planets in our universe revolve around the sun and not as was thought previously that everything revolved around the earth.  It seems to me that we are living in a time when a great number of Christians who have moved outside of the established church are saying a similar thing.  Not everything revolves around us, the Church, Christians.  God does work through these means but He also works outside of us and often without us.  This is difficult and almost heretical for some Christians to accept.  If we insist that God is confined to work through Christians, then we are limiting God to our ideas and thinking.  God is bigger than anything we could imagine so surely it is possible for Him to work in some way outside of our understanding and without our help.

As Martin Scott mentions, this thinking is very biblical.  Peter was made to realise this truth when he had the dream and told to eat, re-enforcing that truth that nothing that God has created is unclean.  Later when Peter visited Cornelius, he came to the realisation that Cornelius was searching for God and truth and that God was indeed working in his life.  Cornelius was not a Christian, hadn't heard the disciples' message about Jesus and wasn't even an adherent of the Jewish faith.  He was a Roman centurion but he was a good man and searching for God.  Peter had to undergo a complete change of mindset to go into the house of a Gentile and accept that God could reach those who were not of the Jewish faith and did not need to become part of the Jewish community.  While Peter was telling them about Jesus, Cornelius and his family were all baptised in the Holy Spirit.  In the end Peter had to accept that God was at work in ways and places that the disciples knew nothing about.  Throughout the centuries God has continued to work in unexplained ways and places and in people beyond our Christian input or evangelism. 

Simon the Cyrene, a foreign visitor to Jerusalem was made to carry the cross for Jesus.  This must have had an impact on him as his sons Alexander and Rufus (mentioned in Matthew's gospel) were later mentioned among the early church followers.  We also see Philip transported to meet the Ethiopian eunuch and baptise him.  A eunuch was a man who was recognised for his sexuality - today we would call him gay.  On both occasions God meets with those on the margins of society before they have contact with (and so have no input from) those who follow Jesus.  We sing 'Jesus, be the centre'.  These are not just words that make us feel a bit emotional.  It is a truth that we need to embrace fully.  The body of Christ does not revolve around us, it revolves around the Son and the Godhead can work with or without us as He chooses among Christians or people of other or no faith.  We have to stop limiting God to our concept of Him - He is much bigger than that and works among ALL who seek Him, whoever, whatever and wherever they are, with or without our help or input. 

Remember

It is that time of year again when people are wearing a poppy.  The tradition began way back in 1920 when the very first poppy was used by the American Legion to commemorate American soldiers who had died in the 1914-18 war.  It was then adopted by the UK and some other Commonwealth countries, notably Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  The whole idea of using a poppy was based on the poem 'In Flanders Field' written on May 3rd 1915 by the Canadian surgeon and soldier John McCrae.  He wrote it after witnessing the death of his friend in a field in Flanders.  He noticed how the poppies grew up around the soldiers who lay there having sacrificed their lives on the battle field.  And so the poppy, a wild flower growing in the fields came to symbolise the sacrifices of war.  Nowadays in the UK it is the symbol of the British Legion and their appeal as a charity for much needed funds to help soldiers and families affected by conflict.

Over the years there have been a number of different versions of the simple poppy.  This year there seems to be a great number of quite large poppies, still to be worn on the lapel.  Also there are ever more elaborate ones with crystals used more as jewellery and also enamel brooches and pins.  I don't know why people cannot just use the humble poppy as before.  Is it for some sort of attention seeking where they are noticed for having a really large version?  Has it become more of a fashion accessory?  Is it that it looks as though they are more patriotic than the rest who wear the simple poppy?  It would seem that their contribution is therefore bigger than that of others - except that for many of the most expensive ones only a small percentage of the price actually goes to the charity.  There is a danger that the whole idea of remembering those who have sacrificed much has been somewhat side-lined and overshadowed by a personal effort to 'look good' and be well thought of.  
  

There are varying views of the wearing of the poppy.  Some feel that it glorifies war and prefer to use the white poppy that is a symbol of peace.  There is also a purple poppy to commemorate animals that have died in conflicts.  I remember a dear uncle, a wonderful Christian man, who was taken prisoner by the Japanese during WWII and forced to work on the Siam railway.  He never wanted to talk about those war days or his memories saying that war makes people on both sides do some dreadful things.  Harry Patch, the last veteran of the 1914-18 war is quoted to have said that war is 'organised murder'.  Many who come back from a war zone traumatised and wounded, often just want to forget the dreadful experiences they have had and try to find some closure and healing in order to rebuild their lives.  Do we do them more harm than good by reminding them?  And why are soldiers and their families who have carried out their patriotic duty, then be expected to depend on public donations and the excellent work of charities like the British Legion?  It is so easy to get carried away on some 'patriotic' wave of 'supporting our heroes' and forget the real horrors of war for not just our own soldiers but their families and the innocent who get caught up in such terrible conflicts.  Who can forget the image of 9 year old Vietnamese Kim Phuc fleeing from an attack of napalm by the Americans?  When are we going to learn that such violence causes so much suffering on both sides of a conflict?  I for one was very pleased that quite recently the UK parliament voted not to get involved in the war in Syria and, although I don't often agree with his politics, I take my hat off to David Cameron for accepting the decision and not trying to convince MPs to change their vote, even though he may have been criticised on the world stage. 

Nations and frontiers are man-made.  God made earth as one.  So this weekend as we remember, let's think of the bigger picture of all who have suffered.  We need seriously to search for ways to stop war by peaceful means or the sacrifice of those who have given their all will be for nothing - such a waste of life potential.  What is the point of remembering if we learn nothing from the past?  Remember not just for the sake of remembering and because it seems like the patriotic thing to do, but in order to learn lessons to build a better future.  The words of John Lennon come to mind, 'Imagine all the people living life in peace.'  Like Martin Luther King Jnr. - I have a dream!

Adapt to survive

Talk about being adaptable!  My son has recently started a job which began with working a few hours a week - not enough to sign off from receiving Job Seekers' Allowance.  You need to work for over 16 hours a week to do that.  He enjoys the job and has been wanting to increase his hours.  His manager has also been doing his best to find him more hours as he wants to keep him in the job and not lose him if he finds something else with more hours.  Last weekend he started work at 4 am.  On Monday he was asked to go in for 5 am but on Saturday was asked to change that to 11 am.  One day he had to be there for 1 pm and another for 10 am.  This weekend his starting time is 10 am til late.  At the moment he is covering for others who are on holiday or off sick.  Hopefully it won't be too long before his working week will be sorted and take on a more settled routine so we will not be wondering what each day will bring.  So this week our sleeping and mealtime habits have certainly NOT been habitual.


Looking in the garden this week, especially after the big storm we had the other night, it is apparent that things are really changing.  For one thing part of our fence blew down!  That is going to be repaired soon (I hope).  What has changed and I can't do anything about is the lack of leaves now on the trees.  Autumn is a time when nature adapts ready for the winter.  Some things need to go in order to conserve energy for what is to come.  Trees shed their leaves and plants seem to die but all the time they are building up their reserves ready to burst out again in the Spring. 

A bearded tit

This week we have also been able to watch Autumnwatch - a favourite programme in our house.  Their theme has been migration and has followed many birds as they prepare to move further south for the winter, some having already gone.  Young birds, born only this Spring are flying, some non-stop, for thousands of miles.  After having spent most of their lives to date in the nest, life is really changing for them.  They also tagged and followed a number of foxes.  Some of their habitats have been taken over by humans and so they are having to adapt to urban living.  Other birds like the bearded tit have to adapt their eating habits as their diet changes from insects and worms to seeds and berries.  They eat small pieces of grit to help in this.


It is the very nature of creation to change and adapt according to the circumstances. My life now is not the same as my life was 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago.  But God is still relevant to my situation, now.  Life happens!  Life makes us make changes - this is how God has ordained things.  We need to adapt to changes in our lives to cope with new technology and ways of doing things.  It just seems a shame that people don't follow the natural laws of creation into their spiritual lives.  I remember when quite young and asking why things in our denomination were done in a certain way and the answer was 'We've always done it that way!'  Maybe that's a good reason to change!  When a movement fails to adapt and change then it is no longer moving. It has becomes an institution.  People who don't profess any religion, often get the impression that God is not relevant to 21st century living.  And sadly the Church as a whole has contributed in giving this impression.  Some Christian groups are proactive in changing but others are not.  Some fear that change will mean a watered down gospel or that their particular group will cease to exist and so they don't want to change.  This is unnatural in God's creation and in our daily lives.  Creation adapts in order to survive.  Nature shows us that adapting and changing may mean no longer doing things we used to do but it does mean doing things effectively for what is to be in the future.  It may seem to be a sort of dying as we let go of the old but it is a doorway to something new and better.  If God is relevant today then we need to express Him in 21st century ways and not keep Him enclosed in an old, out-of-date box.