Dear friends,
It is almost
certain that at some time in your life you will have referred to the fact that
above the clouds the sun is still shining. We often say something like that to
assure people that God’s love towards them is always there – even when all they
can see are the clouds of difficulty and troubles. One dark damp and miserable day I took off on
a flight to somewhere and thought about this as we were passing through the
storm clouds. But instead of breaking
through to sunshine we broke through to a space between two layers of
clouds! There were more clouds above! Of course, eventually we rose above these
into the blaze of sunshine.
This time last
week I was relieved that my technical problems with my laptop were over and I was
looking forward to life with a new Internet Service Provider (ISP) due to take
place on Monday morning. According to
the information when I had signed up to the new ISP I should have received a
new wifi broadband router during that past week. As it had not arrived I phoned and after a 30
minute wait followed by a subsequent 10 minute wait I received an apology that
something had gone wrong so the broadband would not be on until last Wednesday
30th (a week after the date I was first promised). We had hit another layer of cloud!
The new phone line
was working on Monday as promised. The
router arrived on Tuesday and I eagerly looked forwards to Wednesday. After
midday on Wednesday there was no internet service so I phoned and had yet
another 30 minute wait only to be told “something had gone wrong” and it should
now be fixed BUT there would be no broadband service until after 10th
October. How many layers of cloud can
there be?
In the bigger
scale of things these frustrations are hardly worth mentioning, though at the
time trying to handle all internet use with the aid of my mobile phone and
limited internet access has been frustrating. Meanwhile two very relevant
spiritual aspects have coincided with these frustrations. The first of these was a request to
participate in a short drama at the start of last Saturday’s Mission and Society
meeting. The theme was Peter recovering
after his disastrous attempt to walk on water.
The message was problems and troubles will come your way but keep your
eyes on the Lord and not on your problems.
I can kind of see the relevance of that now!
For the second
spiritual element I turn to my dear niece’s blog at http://vickicottingham.blogsport.com
this weekend. Vicki who suffers from ME
and endures significant chronic pain writes this weekend about fighting against
the tendency to indulge in self-pity. It’s a brilliant blog so please take a
look for me. So now I am stopping
whining about clouds. But, seriously,
you too may have been going through a rough time – and even one problem on top
of another. If that is the case then
remember that clouds serve an important purpose and we could not do without
them. Try to look away from the clouds
and spend a little quality time with the Lord.
Slip on your favourite Christian CD. Meditate on all that God has done
for you. Try to find God even if he
seems to be engaging in hide and seek.
He is there and wants to hold you tight.
An elderly
Methodist minister was famous for starting his services off with a prayer that
always began “Lord I want to praise you for…” He used to walk to the various chapels,
often down country lanes and found much to praise God for. But on one occasion he had walked through a
storm and arrived dripping wet. As he
stood in the pulpit, a puddle of rainwater forming around his feet, a member of
the congregation murmured, “He’ll find nothing to praise God for today”. The preacher raised his hands heavenward and
uttered “Lord, I want to praise you that it doesn’t rain like this every day”.
I am so thankful
that my dilemma with the internet has happened during a relatively less busy
time. I want to praise him that I have
been able to stay in contact through the mobile phone. I want to praise him that various people who
have been expecting communications and files via the internet have been very
understanding. I especially want to
praise God that there are no communication difficulties with him (other than
those of our own making). I want to praise God for all he is and all he has done
and is still doing for me.
We had a great
service last Sunday in the prison. One
of the songs the prison choir has been practising for our next concert is “The
Holy City”. One of the members of the choir
had offered to sing it as a solo in the service and I felt it was right to say
yes. After praying about it I felt that I
should plan the service in the light of this song which is based on Revelation
21 where John sees the New Jerusalem descending from heaven. I felt drawn to speak about visions and spoke
on three interspersed with appropriate hymns and songs. The first was Jacob’s vision in which he
learned that God was in the place and had a plan for his life despite his bad
character. The second was Peter’s vision
at Joppa where he learned that God’s love reaches to all humankind and not just
the ‘special people’. The third was John’s
vision. With the congregation joining
songs of praise we read parts of Revelation chapters 5 and 7. Then Michael, one of my prison friends read
the opening verses of chapter 21 and this was followed without delay with that
solo. We concluded the service to
tumultuous applause! Some had clearly
caught a vision of God’s great love and the gospel, and a home we can all look
forward to, where there will be no more pain or sorrow.
This Week…
· Sunday 6th – 1030 at Yelvertoft Congregational Church. In the afternoon Doreen and I will be attending our Area Autumn Assembly.
· Tuesday 8th – HMP Gartree
· Wednesday 9th – Winchester University Supervision meeting trying to get my research back on track.
· Thursday 10th – Teaching on sexual abuse issues at the Salvation Army College in London to a mixed group drawn from within the SA.
· Saturday 12th – 11.00 Congregational Federation Area Executive meeting in Leicester.
· Sunday 13th - Rest day.
Also please pray
that the broadband will be connected this week.
There will be a lot of catching up to do at the end of the week.
Please pray for
former colleagues, Alfred and Sylvia Lavender.
Sylvia is in Hospital and has been for many weeks. Please pray as Alfred seeks to arrange a
place where she can receive appropriate care.
It’s a tough time for them.
A few friends have
gone on to glory over the past week.
Among them a dear man called Desmond who leaves behind Josie. This couple are among those among whom I
served way back in the sixties and later pastored from 1990 to 2005. I will miss Desmond who has gone where there
are no clouds! Please pray for Josie.
As I sit typing
this and wondering whether I will manage to get it sent out to you and
published as a blog I find myself more aware of God’s blessing and a deep
desire to shout a Hallelujah! God is good
(did I hear you say “All the time”?).
I pray that you
will have a good week, and that you will overflow with praise to God – our faithful
God.
Thank
you for your fellowship.
Barry
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