Live Now

This week my nephew shared on Facebook a photo of his 4 year old son, Oliver looking very smart and all grown-up in his new school uniform ready for when he starts school in September.  Time seems to have just whizzed by since he was born.  I remember holding him when he was only a few days old.  He was so tiny and fragile and now suddenly he's off to school!  His first tooth, his first step, his first word are all now just memories.  He now chats away and absorbs new information all the time.  He seems to know things about how things work and which button to press, things that take me a while to assimilate.  On seeing his photo, many memories came back of my own children also and how each precious moment soon becomes a memory.  It was a sharp reminder for me to cherish the present and live now to the full. 



Of course not all memories are so pleasurable.  Some leave scars and hurt but all are incorporated and woven into the tapestry of our lives and go to make us the people we now are today.  I wouldn't be the person I now am if I hadn't had the rough as well as the smooth.  But all experiences good or not so good can leave us some worthwhile lesson.  You never really learn patience if you've never had to wait for anything.  You don't learn about hope until you feel down.  Having to live without something helps us to learn the real value and appreciate what we do have.  Remembering the past is not really the problem.  The real problem is when we keep dragging the past into the present.  What has gone cannot be changed.  It has contributed to who we are today so be thankful for it and let it go.  All we have is the now.  That is why we need to enjoy the now to the full because it will soon become another memory. 


There are those who are always hankering after some future excitement or big thing.  They spend time (and often a lot of money) going from one big conference or gathering to another and totally miss the point that God is right where we are, here and now.  We don't need to go looking for him, hoping that if we can get to that big meeting, He'll show up and bless us.  We are the temple of God and He resides in us.  Where we are, He is.  Not everyone can write like J K Rowling or J R R Tolkien.  Only a few people have actually reached the moon.  It would be a dysfunctional business if all the staff were managing directors.  Who would actually make the goods or clean the premises?  It is good to have dreams and ambitions but some miss so much because their minds are on something else, always striving.  Wherever we are and whatever we do in life, God is in us and shows Himself to others through us.  Theodore Roosevelt gave some very sound advice when he said, 'Do what you can with what you have where you are'.

Today is a gift - use it and fill it so that  tomorrow you will have beautiful memories.  Look around you whatever your circumstances and find something to make you smile.  Our children may be grown and left home already, or maybe you don't have any.  You can still fill your today in such a way that in the future you can look back and smile.  God's will is for us to live life to the full.  Here's to a future full of happy memories.

What If ... ... ?

What if... ... ?  This is a question often asked in the UK when trying to arrange some outing or inviting friends to a BBQ in the summer - what if it rains?  We always feel the need to make some other arrangements just in case the weather is not on our side that particular day.  It's not just the weather of course that involves thinking of contingency plans in the event that our ideas and organising skills don't go to plan.


Because of the winter storms and the problem with the tiles on the roof of our house and the subsequent leak (as mentioned in previous posts) we have had to deal with a little problem of damp in one of the bedrooms.  It was only one wall that was affected and so we really decided that a couple of tester pots of paint of the same colour would work out cheaper than buying a larger pot.  I really didn't want to have to buy a 5 litre pot of paint to paint just one small wall.  It was a well known brand and so we thought that we would be able to get it easily.  We did raise the question 'What if ...   we can't get a matching colour?  What will we do?'  We carefully considered alternatives - that wall could become a feature wall of a contrasting colour or we could just paint all of the bedroom walls a different colour.  As it turned out it wasn't that easy but eventually we did manage to get what we were looking for, after trying a few DIY stores. So the wall has been restored to its former condition.

This week I read an article about someone who had been part of the set up at Mars Hill mega-church based in Seattle.  The church now has 14,000 members in 15 locations in 5 states.  The article quoted something Mark Driscoll, one of the co-founders of the church, said.

Mark Driscoll

'What if the church (referring to Mars Hill church) stopped growing?  What if we shrunk?  What if everything fell apart?  What if half the staff left?  Would I still worship Jesus or would I be a total despairing mess?'

I am not interested in discussing mega-churches or anything about Mark Driscoll.  Some like him and his books and some don't but I kept thinking about this quote.  What if ......?  


Many cannot understand people like me who no longer participate in any organised form of church yet still claim to be just as sincere in their faith and commitment to God.  Once you really get hold of the truth that God really is everywhere, that the Holy Spirit dwells within us and that the Kingdom is here with us now, then there really is no problem.  Last year, after two and a half years of being unemployed my son (who shares the house with me) got a job where his working hours include every weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  So our weekend is now on a Monday and Tuesday.  On Tuesday we have a full roast dinner, sit together to eat, watch a DVD together and chat, often about spiritual things.  Our time together on our 'Sunday' is possibly more relaxed than for many who attend some place of worship.  We spend real time together, chilling and chatting - our day of rest. 



The danger lies when people think that the organised church way of doing things is the only way and that without it they would be lost.  What if ... ... ? illness meant that you could no longer go to the building? you had no means of getting there? (here in Yeovil there are no buses on a Sunday and not everyone has their own transport) you had a job where working on a Sunday was a requirement?  or many more 'what if?' situations you might think of.  Like Mark Driscoll asks - would you still worship or would you be a despairing mess?  The organised church for many is a very helpful means of connecting with God and others but there is the danger that the means actually becomes the end in itself.  And then the worship is not so much about God but about the system, the means that we use to connect with Him.  Jesus would meet people in their homes or in the countryside all the time more than in the synagogue on the Sabbath.  He would talk to anyone and everyone regardless or status, gender, nationality or work and not just Jews who conformed to religious rules and expectations.  His friends were from many varied walks of life, different personalities.  How many Christians have close friendships with people who are not within the church set up?  He worshipped his Father in the everyday things, using them as illustrations in his conversations about God and Kingdom things.  He showed us how to worship God and not the system.  What if ... ... for whatever reason we were denied the church system as we know it today, what if .. ... the whole system crumbled, would we still be Christians?  Would we still make time for God, connect with Him and follow His ways?  What if ... ... we understood that God still exists outside of the system and that He's just as real and loving and wanting a relationship with us?  What if ... ... once again He ripped the 'curtain of the temple' and chose to show Himself outside of the confines of the religious building?  Who would follow Him?  We must not replace God with the religious system, however helpful it may be - it is not the be all and end all of things.  The system is not God, only a means to God, only one path of many.
  

OT Christians or Jesus People

There is a cartoon that I follow on Facebook called 'Coffee with Jesus'.  A few days ago they published the following cartoon and it set me thinking.  What does 'Jesus people' really mean?

We consider Jesus People and Christians to be synonymous but I have come to the conclusion that there are many things about Christianity as people think of it today that are not in accord with the things that Jesus said and did.  They don't follow his way of doing things and understanding as to what the gospel message is.

There are so many rules and regulations about what we should or shouldn't do, think or believe.  Our thinking and standards are so often based on Old Testament law.  Many times (I don't really know how many as I haven't actually counted but I'm sure someone, somewhere has) Jesus says about the law 'Moses said but I say to you ... ... '  He was known for breaking the law as written in their Scriptures - he healed on the Sabbath, he and the disciples walking in the fields and plucking and rubbing ears of corn to eat were actually working on the Sabbath, he spoke to a stranger, a woman and a Samaritan woman at that (sworn enemy of Jews), he even made a Samaritan the hero of one of his stories.  Sticking to the letter of the law might have been very commendable to a Pharisee but Jesus didn't seem to have anything in common with the Pharisees and showed that people and how they felt were far more important.   

The Old Testament shows how women have second place and on the whole Scripture is written from the male point of view.  Jesus crossed that barrier and spoke to women treating them as equal to men.  He accepted women among his followers and gave the first preaching assignment after his resurrection to a woman - 'Go tell the disciples and Peter ...'   Many Christians today still do not accept the place of women as equal basing their ideas and thinking in the Old Testament saying that Scripture says that women shall serve men.  Looking at it a bit closer we realise that this was as a result of the Fall and was not God's original intention or plan for women.  He made man and woman to be equal partners.  If the coming of Jesus was a means to put things right again between man and God, then women are not the lesser of the species , neither inferior nor subservient to the men.  The Jesus way restores women to their rightful place as equals in all aspects of life - home, work, relationship as well as religion.  All are equal in the eyes of God.

When Jesus began his ministry, he read from the book of Isaiah saying that his ministry was in order to preach good news to the poor, set the prisoners free, help the blind to see and release the oppressed.  (Isaiah 61:1,2)  In other words his gospel was not about comfortable middle class resting and enjoying life.  It was about helping those living in the margins of life, struggling to survive and bringing hope to those who seemed to have none.  Many Christians today rest on their laurels if they go to a place of worship regularly, give in the offering and generally try to live a good life, (especially if they don't swear, drink or smoke).  It's not about keeping spiritually comfortable and safe while waiting for pie in the sky when we die.  The gospel message Jesus told us to declare is not about 'in-house' mutual backslapping and a Sunday morning feel-good factor of (sometimes quite smug) self satisfaction.  It's for those who don't fit in, those 'untouchables' that Jesus had time and compassion for, the mixed-up and lonely, the poor and hungry, to bring back hope where it has been lost, to lift up those who don't see a way out of their despair, to hug the unlovable. 

I won't make this post too long so I'll mention just a couple more very quickly and leave readers to ponder more about them.  There are those who take pride in religious buildings - for some the bigger and more ornate the better it would seem.  Jesus walked the countryside considering the lilies of the field that God had made so beautiful, praising God for knowing when even the most inconspicuous bird fell out of the sky.  God's first idea after Eden was a tent that travels wherever people travel - it/He is always with us.  His stories were taken from everyday life that everyone could relate to.  Another consideration is that no-one paid Jesus or his disciples for doing what they did.  Even Paul on his long missionary journeys worked at making tents to help pay his way.  And I say this as one who has in the past received payment for leadership within the religious set-up.  I wonder how many missionary journeys would happen if everyone paid their own way and were not paid to be a special speaker at some event!?

Just a few rambling thoughts on being what I would call Old Testament Christians or Jesus People.  I'll leave you to decide where you are.  But be honest with yourself and God!  Me? - I like and relate to the words of Jim Palmer:

Theory and Practice

There are some theories that are always constant in practice.  My mind goes back to school day Maths and Pythagoras - 'the square  of the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides' is the one that springs immediately to mind.  There are other theories about the sum of angles in a triangle or square or the many Algebraic formulas that I have long since forgotten since I stopped needing to use them.  To balance out our thoughts of maths with the arts, in music a semibreve is always worth two minims and there are always four semiquavers to a crotchet.  And so we could go on citing theories that will always give the same results.

   

The particular timetable in question

There are however many occasions when the theory doesn't always correspond to the working out in practice.  Last week I visited a friend's house and had worked out the time of my bus to get me back to the centre of town.  Those living in larger towns and cities need to realise that here in the country towns of the south west the bus service is not so frequent.  They are often less frequent than one an hour and the last bus I could get from my friend's house back into town was at 4.30 in the afternoon.  I left in good time, or so I thought but after having stood at the bus stop for about 20 minutes I realised that it had been earlier than scheduled and decided I'd better set out and walk the 35 minutes in to the centre of town to get the bus that would take me home.  Fortunately the last bus from town to my home was around 6.30 pm.   I'm sure that those who depend on public transport will have at some time faced the problem of the theory of timetables not matching up to their working out in practice!  In fact it is so hitty missy that you need to take that into account when planning a journey.

I remember when I first went to live in Argentina.  I had been married to my Argentinian husband for only 6 months and was so keen to make a good impression when meeting his family for the first time.  I had read books and done all the exercises to learn the Spanish language. I had learnt the rules of grammar and correct pronunciation (or so I thought).  I was all ready - in theory.  That is until I arrived and couldn't understand a word anyone said!   To complicate things a bit I was often told that what I said was Spanish but in South America some words and pronunciation were a little different.  The theory was all in my head.  I knew how to conjugate the verbs correctly and make the adjectives agree with the nouns whether they were masculine or feminine, singular or plural but the theory on its own was not enough.  I lacked the practice.  Anyone who has studied languages at school will appreciate the difference between learning a language for a written exam and actually having to speak to an examiner in the oral exam. 

There are many who know the theory (or theology) of their religion but somehow the practice of it doesn't seem to match up.  There really is no point in being able to quote chapter and verse unless we actually put it into practice.  People feel the need to keep reading and learning and explaining the theory and when we understand the explanation we feel that now we've got it.  But actually it's the working out in the practicalities of daily living that matters.  It's no use knowing the bus timetable by heart when the bus doesn't stick to the timetable.  It's no use knowing how to conjugate a verb correctly if we don't pronounce it right.  And it's no use knowing the sacred text inside out if our living doesn't match up to what we read and learn in theory.  The theory is ok but no use without the working out in practice.  Or as the New Testament book of James puts it - faith without works is dead!  

Mixed Feelings - That's Ok

Contrasting thoughts, the ups and downs of life, you win some you lose some, disappointment and happiness, painful wounds and joyful celebration, feelings that most people have much of the time.  This week we have been very happily eating the strawberry crop from our garden which this year is abundant.  Some things I planted have progressed well while others have not.  The potatoes and tomatoes are doing great, some carrots are growing while others - nothing!.  The peas and peppers have been quite badly eaten by something - snails and ants probably, despite putting out preventative measures.  I was wondering why it is that snails and ants never seem to go for the weeds in the garden but always enjoy devouring things that I have planted and which we hoped to eat ourselves.  They say that thrushes and blackbirds eat snails so I thought maybe I should put up a notice in bird language, 'Free snail feast here! Chirp, chirp'.  I know, I know, all are God's creatures and all that but quite honestly I don't feel the same towards the snails that eat my plants as I do towards the bees that pollinate them.  Selfish of me I know.  Mixed feelings - disappointment and happiness. 

This afternoon I am going to a wedding.  It's more than seven years now since my friend separated and finally divorced from her husband.  My mind went back to those days of trauma and upset.  He moved out and she kept the house so she said that in all fairness he could take what he wanted.  I had said that for that first weekend when he left, I would stay over with her so she wouldn't be alone.  That first night we slept on the floor - he had taken the bed!  Earlier that evening we had gone to the local chippy for comfort food and we sat there for some time in the restaurant part of the shop. We went there as it was just something we didn't have to make ourselves or clear up afterwards.  She talked and I listened.  We did that quite a lot, her talking and me listening.  But today she is getting married again - a very nice man, loving and caring.  Actually they had a quiet wedding at the registry office earlier in the year and wanted to invite their friends to their home for a blessing and a time of sharing together now the better weather is here.  Mixed feelings - painful wounds and joyful celebration.



You may say, that's life, and so it is.  What really bugs me though is when so-called well-meaning individuals come out with things like, 'All things work together for good to those who love God', 'Time is a great healer', It'll seem altogether different in the morning'.  These words are probably all true but ... ... the thing is that when you are actually going through some disappointment or trauma the last thing you want is for someone to come out with something like that.  Actually what you really feel like doing is shouting at them 'Just shut up!  Life sucks and I feel like crap!'  Oh my goodness, you can't say that!  But if we're really honest that's what we would like to say.  If you sometimes feel like that, don't worry.  You're in good company.  The good news is that we can get angry with God and He takes it.  If you're not sure about that then read the Psalms.  They are full of people who blurt out their anger at God.  The writer of Ecclesiastes says 'So I hated life ... ... All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.'  Hey, even Jesus at his crucifixion felt abandoned by God and shouted out questioning why God had left him to die alone.

Life is a bundle of mixed feelings and that's ok.  It's the same for everyone and if anyone tries to say differently I for one would take what they say with a pinch of salt.  They may smile (rather condescendingly) and quietly say , 'Don't worry'  or offer some other unhelpful advice but that doesn't really help.  If anyone is hurting you don't have to find an answer to their problems. Just walk with them for a while so they're not on their own.  God can take it and He will sort it in His own way and time.  Here's to life - with all its ups and downs.

New Wings

I have recently purchased a Kindle Fire HD.  The reasoning behind it is that when I go away anywhere I can carry it with me .  That way I won't need to carry the weight of books while at the same time I can still connect with friends on Facebook and blogs and check my emails.  It cannot do everything my home computer can but it is enough for what I want while not at home.  I have never had a laptop so I'm just now learning to use my index finger instead of a mouse to control what I want to do and see.  I feel a bit like ET or that strange animal called the Aye Aye with a long pointy finger!  

The thing is that I'm not one for hankering after the latest gadget or 'in' thing.  Actually things as such don't really impress me. But sometimes I have to admit that I can't do what I would like to with an older piece of equipment and so I invest in something new that will deliver.  I am not going to do away with something just because it's old.  If it still works then why not go on using it?  But there are times that a new way or a new direction is needed.  The old isn't enough any more.  Sometimes we need to get something different that is more adequate for our present needs.

On a completely different note, one of my favourite wildlife specialists is Simon King.  I follow him on Facebook and YouTube.  He lives in Somerset and has quite a few acres of land with his home called Wild Meadows where he studies, cares for and photographs the local wildlife.  He has, over the past few weeks, had various cameras in a number of different nests.  The wren chicks were the first to fledge and then the blue tits.  The kestrel is still brooding her three eggs that are about to hatch any day now.  This week all interest was on the jackdaw nest.  There were two chicks that were fast outgrowing the space that the parents had made for them.  The day they finally fledged (Thursday) they kept going near to the entrance of the nest box and chirping, then going back and settling down again.  You could hear the parents calling from outside the nest and occasionally they entered the nest and chirped.  You could almost hear them telling their children to get up and go outside.  They ventured out a little way and then back to the nest.  They did this a few times and then finally left for good.

Their lives will never be the same again.  They no longer have that comfort zone where they can go to and just settle down and wait to be handed their food and be kept warm and out of danger of enemies that would attack them.  They now have to use their wings, something they haven't really done before.  Their wings would no longer be just to snuggle down in the nest but for flying freely over the countryside.  Eventually they will need to learn to get their own food - no more ready meals regurgitated  from parents.  They will have to learn to trust their own instinct and decisions.  It reminded me of Paul (in the Bible) when he complained that some followers of Jesus were just like small children and not willing to grow up.  We are part of God's creation and that is how He has ordained creation to be.  In our Christian lives we need to fledge the nest, trust our own decisions and the spirit that God has placed in each of us, use our wings to fly by ourselves and look for food and not keep going back to the comfort of dependent spiritual living, waiting for others to feed us and keep us out of danger.  When our needs are no longer met by the old system, then we need to look at doing things in a new way, start using our wings and fly freely.  Like the rest of creation, you don't know what you're missing til you try it.  

A Day Out

This week my son Diego and I had a day out with South West Coaches.  We spent the morning at a centre called World of Country Life and the afternoon in Exmouth.  It was a good day and the rain kept away although it did rain in other parts of the southwest as some of the roads coming home were a little flooded - as if the winter storms hadn't been enough!  Everyone is given allocated seats when you book and ours was right in the front of the bus.  Behind us sat two ladies in their 40s who had very loud voices so loud my son and I couldn't have a conversation with each other as we couldn't hear ourselves above them.  As we got off the bus we realised that one of them was with her parents and had a few learning difficulties and lacked some social skills.  Just past the reception area of the centre there is a sort of museum with loads of exhibits portraying 19th and early 20th century life in rural Britain.  Diego made a joke and so the young woman, mentioned above, stated that he was her tour guide and comedian!  She sort of tagged along hanging on every word, waiting for another joke.  A little later we did go our separate ways before the situation became too tiresome - for us that is.  The young woman was having a brilliant time and thoroughly enjoying every minute.


Part of the centre had an exhibition of birds of prey that we enjoyed very much.  Knowing that the birds are really really captive and kept in enclosures, it was good to see the ones in the exhibition enjoying flying freely around, although they always came back for food and eventually back to their enclosure.  It reminded me of a picture I saw some days ago with an empty bird cage.  The wording says 'This is not an empty cage, it is a bird that is FREE.'  I can't help thinking that whoever had originally had the bird in the cage would be thinking more of their loss than the fact that the bird was free to fly.


The afternoon we spent in Exmouth.  After a pub meal right on the coast we sat on some seats on the promenade and just watched the world go by.  Ah, so relaxing. It wasn't too hot to be uncomfortable nor did it rain to make it miserable - just right.  Then it was on the coach again for the return journey.  This time the loud conversation from the two in the seats behind us somehow didn't seem so intrusive or annoying.  Maybe it was because it wasn't so unexpected.  They had enjoyed their day out and that was good.  Everyone had had a good day.

It seems that in much of life there are two sides to a situation.  We naturally think of things from our own point of view and how it affects us personally.  There is nothing wrong in that.  We were beginning to be a little irritated with the young lady while from her point of view she was enjoying our company.  It was good the see the birds flying freely but this could only happen because there are centres that cater for such exhibitions and keep the birds in enclosures.  So I was left with a reminder that not everyone thinks or feels the same as me.  Others have the same legitimate right to have their opinion and way of doing things and it's helpful if I can accept that and respect them for who they are.  We are all coming from different points of reference and so see things differently.  There are different ways of looking at the same thing.  There are other points of view that are different from my own but equally valid.  It was a good reminder that a different way of seeing/doing/interpreting something is not necessarily wrong, just different.  And often we can learn something new by looking at things from a different point of view.

Pointing To The Moon

A couple of thoughts have been going round in my head all this week.  The first is that on a few occasions within the past few days, I have seen references to the story in Zen spirituality about a young man who was diligently studying the holy book and practices when a much older spiritual leader approached him and asked him what he was doing.  When the young man explained that he was studying hard in order to become a better disciple of his religion, the older, much wiser man told him the parable of the finger pointing to the moon.  He likened the moon to truth and the finger pointing the way to that truth.  He added that sadly what the young student was doing was that he was more intent on looking at the finger and missing the moon altogether.  We need to look past the pointer to see the truth.

The second incident was of my online friend Paul Leader who used to be a church leader but seven years ago opted out of organised religion.  There are occasions when people ask him back to speak to them in church buildings and he is always happy to accept.  The fact that he returns to the system that he left leaves some people a little confused.  Those who still engage in the system feel that maybe he hasn't totally left it all behind while some of those, like Paul who have emerged from oraganised church feel that he is somehow giving in and letting down the side of emergents.  It seems he can't win so he smiles and does what he feels is right for him.  


The issue as I see it is that we tend to look at the whole church thing as an end in itself when surely it is a way to the end, a pointer to the truth that is God.  Does it really matter how we reach God?  Surely the important thing is that we do connect with Father Creator.  I remember a number of years ago, when I helped in a charity shop connected to the church group where I used to go every Sunday, one of the leaders was asking how we managed to help those who came into the shop.  It was mentioned that for those who wanted, we would pray with them and try to give helpful advice and guidance.  The leader asked if we invited the customers to the church meeting on Sundays and I replied that 'No, we pray with them and leave it up to God to direct them if that is what they should be doing'.  By the reaction, I thought that maybe I had spoken in Chinese or had grown another head or something.  It's as though the only way to reach God seemed to be by attending a building on a Sunday morning; that helping people was a means of getting them into the system they call 'church' and not just because they need help.


There are many discussions, some more amicable than others, about the rights and wrongs of the practices of people of faith.  Those who are wrong are considered to be those who don't agree with our way of thinking.  We, of course are right.  But if we liken the whole issue to a pointing finger, it seems that too much time is spent on discussing what the hand is like - a young, active hand; an older, worn hand; maybe a hand of a different shade; maybe the finger is adorned with rings or painted nail.  There are many types of hand and the finger that is doing the pointing may be very good and interesting to study and look at but all the time we concentrate on the hand and finger that is pointing, we actually miss the point altogether. I'm sure that God uses many different ways to point to Him.  Why wouldn't He?  He created the whole universe so what makes us think that our way is the only way?  We have to stop looking at the finger.  That is not the truth, only the pointer.  Look past whichever finger you choose to use and look to the truth.  

 

Refocusing

It was an easy job so I thought I would just go ahead and do it myself instead of bothering my son, asking him to do it.  All I had to do was to screw a couple of hooks behind the door to hang things on.  Simple!  I had the necessary electric tool ready and charged.  I marked the spot where I had to put the screw and made a small hole to make sure it didn't slip.  As I started screwing I discovered it wouldn't go in properly.  'I don't believe this!' I murmured under my breath.  I thought it was going to be so easy.  In the end I had to go and seek the help of my son.  He took one look and said 'You've got it on the wrong setting.  You've set it for drilling not for screwing.  No wonder it won't go in.'  Two minutes later it was done - by my son.  Please don't laugh, after all I am a woman and getting on in years.  Anyway, how was I to know that the thing had different settings?  I learnt something new that day!

Last week I had my yearly check-up at the optician's.  I knew my eyesight had deteriorated somewhat.  The clue was in the fact that I struggle to read the subtitles when the news is on the television and when I need to wait for the bus to be quite close before I can see which number it is and where it's going.  So the result was no surprise.  The young man was very kind and tried various lenses until I could read the letters on the screen clearly.  He was very helpful and explained the problem - the cataracts are obviously gradually getting worse but as yet it is possible to get lenses that will help.  So later today I go back to collect my new glasses.  What joy it will be to be able to make things out more clearly and at a greater distance once again, for a while at least. 
   
Another encounter I had was with someone who had visited a dietitian to get some help with losing a bit of excess weight.  She had always considered herself to be pretty healthy and always ate what she thought was a very healthy diet.  That is until the dietitian began explaining just where she had been going wrong and how the body reacts to different types of food.  She left the appointment quite humbled and said that after all these years of doing things a certain way she was now going to have to rethink and refocus her attention on other elements of her diet that until now she had considered ok.

All in all, it has been a week of refocusing and rethinking, learning and readjusting.  Things change and we have to change with the situation at hand.  We cannot always go on doing things in the same old way just because 'we've always done it that way' as I was once informed as a questioning child.  It has been said that the Nautilus begins life in a small shell but as it grows it doesn't have enough room and so it builds another bit of shell, another new compartment and moves out of the old, once comfortable place into the new part until it becomes too big for that part.  And so it goes on until it becomes quite large.  The different segments can be clearly seen around the shell of the Nautilus.  What a lesson - we need to keep learning and growing but also often this entails moving on from where we were.  We can't always remain static or we either stunt our growth or die.  We need regular check-ups and then refocus and move on, adjusting to the new situation in hand. 

I am not in the same place spiritually as I was a few years ago.  I have learnt more and moved on.  It's not about turning our backs on the past.  The nautilus carries its past around with it.  Our past is a reminder of where we've come from and what has made us the people we now are.  We look at our past but shouldn't live in it.  It was right for us at that time and in that situation so we need to be thankful for the past and how it has led us to the point where we are today.  It should be a progression on to something new and better.  In our spiritual lives, if we find ourselves in a situation where nothing has changed, then maybe we need to ask ourselves if we need a check-up, learn something new, refocus or do things differently.  If not, then there could be a danger that we might be just going through the motions while we are actually dying on the inside.  We are never too old to learn something new, no matter how long we may have been a Christian.  It is good to re-examine what we do - maybe what we thought was ok, no longer serves us well.   God is much bigger than any human understanding and the nature of his creation is to keep evolving and moving.

Give us a clue

Those who are familiar with quiz shows and magazines will know of the sort of quiz that gives clues and you have to guess the connection.  Small children are often engaged in such activities in order to teach them about different animals and what they're like, for example: 

Who am I? 
1) I live in Africa.                                            
2) I eat the leaves of tall trees. 
3) I am a sort of orange-y brown colour with dark brown patches.         
4) I have a very long neck. 

Of course the answer is the giraffe.  More points are awarded for the fewer number of clues required to guess correctly.

If a clue is 'they like to eat pizza and pasta' then it's a safe guess to say the Italians.  Likewise if the clue says 'They have been known to eat frogs' legs' then the answer would be the French  I began thinking about this in relation to people groups and their way of life and thinking.  Below is a set of clues that the average person in the street think and relate to:


1) They sometimes seem a bit standoffish.
2) They think they are better than everybody else.
3) They can be quite judgmental of others.
4) They don't like or accept gay or lesbian people, telling them they are wrong.
5) They are restricted in the things they are allowed to partake in so don't join in much.
6) They believe their sacred book and their leaders must not be questioned - they are infallible.
7) They join with others in a special building on a Sunday.

The answer to the clues is 'Christians'.  Christians reading those clues would be adamant that it certainly doesn't describe them.  They are nothing like that.  The sad truth is that most people who are not members of a particular denomination or organised religious group do have that impression of what Christians are like.  Over centuries they have been given a very negative portrayal of Christianity.  And sadly nothing like what we read in the Bible about how or what Jesus was, thought and did.  Christians are more often than not thought to be intolerant, homophobic people who consider themselves to be 'holier than thou', better than the rest and separate themselves from those who are not part of their exclusive Sunday club.  You can join their club only if you change who you are and become a clone.  This sadly is what others see.  


In contrast if we take each of those clues and refer them to how Jesus lived we would get something along the lines of the following:
1) He will talk to anybody.
2) He identifies himself with the poor and needy.
3) He accepts people's shortfalls and cares about them anyway.
4) He loves everyone and accepts anyone who wants to be his friend.
5) He goes wherever he is invited or people need his help or advice.
6) He has often quoted from his sacred book and law and tells people to think about it in a  different way.  He insists that the only true lord and master is God.  All others are fallible  humans.
7) He has been criticised for spending time walking in the fields with his friends and breaking religious rules on his special day of rest.

So it begs the question - how do we put that right?  Maybe we should go through each of the clues in turn,comparing the first and second set of clues and being honest as to which really describes us.  People are crying out 'We would see Jesus'.  As Jesus followers we need to set the record straight and show Him to others by the way we live.  People are not interested in going to a building - God is everywhere.  They don't want to listen to someone preaching at them, telling them how wrong and sinful they are.  They don't want to hear about Him, they want to see Him living in us.  So forget all the theological arguments, dogma and splitting hairs.  We need to have the mind of Christ and really put Jesus at the centre showing God's all-embracing love at work through our actions and attitudes in our daily living.  

That's Entertainment?

He should be nicknamed 'Marmite' - you either love him or you hate him.  Some people wouldn't watch anything he's involved in while for others, his programmes are a 'must see'.  I refer of course to Simon Cowell - the man who, at times, seems to monopolise our viewing options.  To be fair he is usually very honest about his feelings towards the wanabees who appear on his shows.  The fact is that some people don't like him because of the way he is so brutally honest, to the point of being offensive.  But he certainly leaves the aspiring entertainers in no doubt as to what he thinks of them or their acts.  He is always saying that he wants to see something new, different, something he hasn't seen before, something that will catch his attention and keep him interested instead of the same old, same old that he's seen and heard so many times before.

The other day I received a phone call from someone who is regularly in touch, keeping me up to date with what's going on in her life.  She commented on what lovely Easter services she had had at the church where she goes.  She went on to explain in some detail of how the church leader had taken them right through the Easter story a bite-size at a time and interspersed his words with other items in the service.  She said that she really enjoyed the way he held the attention of the congregation and so afterwards deliberately made a point of thanking him for his hard work.  While she was talking, for a moment I thought of Simon Cowell and how he's always looking for something different.  I must admit I was grateful that the conversation was by phone and not Skype so at least she couldn't see the cringing look on my face while she related it all to me.  Ok, there's nothing wrong with trying to find a more engaging way of getting your message across but there are those who seem more taken with the novelty, entertainment value, feel good factor of what's going on than what is actually being said.  Has Sunday morning become nothing more than some sort of spiritual entertainment that we consider good if there is some sort of novel idea or thought?


There is a danger of always looking for a new angle, a different way of doing things in order to keep people interested in church - the catchy tune, some gimmick to get attention.  It almost smacks of 'attention seeking' - in a very spiritual way, of course.  A 'good' church leader is considered to be someone who can always bring something new to their congregation, always has interesting ideas for things to do, projects to be involved in.   I know, I have been in church leadership and done exactly that.  I mean, how many ways are there of telling the same story?  The prophets of the Old Testament would live out their parables and prophecies in order to get their message across.  Jesus not only spoke to people about God but he showed what God is like by the way He lived, the things He did and His attitudes.  In parables He praised the publican while criticising the Pharisee for their prayers in the Temple.  He made a Samaritan (national enemy) the hero of a story while showing disdain for the actions and attitudes of the religious of His day.  He not only spoke against injustice but was prepared to stand up and be counted.


So much energy and time is spent on trying to find a new angle on a Bible story or verse, as though God's Word were not powerful enough in itself.  It seems that what is needed is not that Christians look for ever new ways of saying the same thing but actually living it - that's the Jesus way for a Jesus follower.  More of our energy should be used in spreading the gospel message by our words, actions and attitudes in our everyday living and not just gauge it by what happens when people gather on a Sunday morning.  Actions speak louder than words, as they say. 

Say what you see.

I like to watch quiz shows and puzzles on television.  There is one at the moment called 'Catchphrase' where you have to try and guess what saying is represented by the picture that is unfolding.  The presenter often says 'Just say what you see'.  Ha!, but that's not always so easy.  Sometimes contestants seem to say just about anything other than the correct answer, all the time of course we are shouting the answer at the television.  I also have a number of books called 'Dingbats' that are the same idea of guessing what saying is represented by the picture.  This only works of course if you have heard of the sayings otherwise you could be guessing for a long time without getting the right answer.

Then there are the puzzles that seem to be two different things depending on how you look at it.  In this picture on the right do you see some columns or six people?  There are many of this type of picture.  Some years ago there were computer generated pictures where if you looked in a particular way you could see a 3D image emerging from what seemed to be just a chaotic scene.  What you see is not always apparent immediately.  Sometimes you need to take a long hard look.  


I once saw all the letters of a sentence written altogether - GODISNOWHERE.  That could be interpreted in two ways depending on where you place the spaces between the words.  You could say GOD IS NOWHERE or GOD IS NOW HERE.  You've probably seen that before.  The point is that not everything is at it seems and people often see things differently.  Jesus was curious as to how people saw Him and so asked his disciples 'Who do men say that I am?' There were various answers but Peter saw the truth when he recognised Jesus as the Son of God.  

I was reminded recently at Easter of one of my favourite Godfrey Birtill songs:

When I look at the blood all I see is love, love, love
When I stop at the cross I can see the love of God.

But I can't see competition, I can't see hierarchy.
I can't see pride or prejudice or the abuse of authority.
I can't see lust for power, I can't see manipulation,
I can't see rage or anger or selfish ambition.

But I can't see unforgiveness, I can't see hate or envy,
I can't see stupid fighting or bitterness or jealousy.
I can't see empire building, I can't see self-importance,
I can't see back stabbing or vanity or arrogance.

I see surrender, sacrifice, salvation, humility, righteousness, faithfulness, grace, forgiveness.

How often do people seem to be one thing but turn out to be quite different when you get a closer look.  Or as a friend of mine says 'the outside and the inside don't match'.  It's not just about appearances of 'going to church' or abstaining from certain things/places/language.  Those things aren't the same as showing the love of God in our actions of daily living.  Reading again those words of the above song, as a Jesus follower I need to ask myself 'When people look at me, what do they see?'  

Targets, Aims, the True Reason

Over a couple of days I heard 3 different viewpoints of targets and aims.  The first one was about targets at work and what could be done to raise productivity or show improvement in the personal file of an employee.  We have heard so much about targets at work.  At times I get quite angry about the whole target-driven society in which we live.  Targets create an insatiable monster that keeps telling us that our best is never enough.  It seems that no matter how much we achieve, more is expected.  In many parts of society, schools, police, nhs to name but three, targets have often become the most important aspect of the work and not the life/work balance of employees or the people such jobs are meant to protect and help.  The whole system goes off course and the targets must be met at all costs.  It is a subtle form of bullying that has invaded all levels of living.  I can understand why targets and aims are put in place, often for very good, plausible reasons but so easily the target takes over and reigns supreme over the reason for doing the job in the first place.  The result is a false sense of reality of a situation; we are made to believe one thing when the reality is something different.


The second instance was with a young man who had decided that he would help his mother in the garden.  To date he has done a lot of digging, trimming, lifting and carrying, using a lot of energy and being a great help.  Some of the things he has done just wouldn't have been done at all if it had been left to the mother's efforts alone.  She was really pleased with the way he was offering to do so much and commented that maybe his dislike of gardening was changing.  His reply was not what she had expected.  Some time before his new found willingness to help with gardening, it had been suggested to him by a medical professional that he should really do a little bit more exercise in order to lose his quite substantial surplus weight.  When it was suggested that he was beginning to like gardening, he straightened up from his work and said quite clearly that he didn't like gardening, had no real interest in growing things and that when he had lost the required weight then she probably wouldn't see much of him in the garden.  At least he knew exactly what his target was and open and honest about the true reason for his efforts.


Then the next day I read a blog where the writer was telling about a young woman at church with whom she was having quite a deep conversation about relationship with God.  She commented about having a deep love for God and how we need to keep falling in love with Him.  The young woman replied that she didn't think that she had ever found that place of love or been 'in love' with God.  The older lady was a little surprised, knowing that her friend had been part of the church since childhood and always appeared devout and active in much of what was going on in the church.  Trying to understand just why she was a Christian, the young woman's reply was 'Jesus has been about getting into Heaven, Jesus has been about getting saved, Jesus had been about getting good'.  Some would say they go for the friendship of like-minded people (except they rarely see each other or know anything about each other's home life apart from what they see or hear on a Sunday).  For some, church and the whole Christianity thing is about the benefits to be got from it, a sort of check list that helps us to reach our target - heaven.  The aim is not so much about God and a loving relationship with Him but about the end rewards if we tick all the boxes and keep up the good work until we die.  This has taken the place of a deep friendship with Father Creator.

It may be good to have targets but lets make sure that they are our servants and don't become our insatiable, ruthless masters.  Let's be honest about what our targets really are and not try to pretend they are something they are not.  And please! let's not confuse the reason for our targets with what should be our real focus and objective, whether that be at work and the reason for our work, helping others or whether it be our faith and why we call ourselves a believer.  We need to ask ourselves 'What am I really aiming for?  Why do I do what I do?'