Before any female colleagues suspect me of being sexists I hope to put your mind at rest. The title of this post came about because of a recent experience I had that has caused me to ponder on my own service for God.
It started not long after I had run a Microsoft upgrade programme. Until then everything on my laptop computer had been working fairly well. I had been slowly archiving various documents and accounts to clear space. I had also upgraded my broadband to optical fibre. When the problem followed these activities I wondered whether any had contributed but that didn't seem logical. A perfectly ordinary USB mouse had developed an intermittent fault. One minute the cursor would move smoothly across the screen, the next it froze and the computer ‘gerdonged’. Then suddenly it ‘gerdonged’ again and started working normally. I heaved a sigh of relief, but almost immediately the cursor froze once more on the screen.
Consulting a technical support group failed to produce any help. Googling revealed that others running Windows 7 had experienced the same problem. I read through a variety of suggestion and carefully checked mouse drivers and the power supply to USB ports. All to no avail! I tried the mouse in my tablet and it seemed to work OK for that brief trial. I was beginning to think it was time to spend on a new laptop. As a last resort I spent £9.99 on a new USB mouse, though I suspected this would be a waste of money.
It proved £9.99 well spent and the old mouse has now gone for recycling. “Are you a man or a mouse?” is a well-known phrase but it suddenly had a new meaning for me. I wonder whether my mouse problem was symbolic of how God feels trying to use me. I know that sometimes I work very well, but that suddenly (and possibly without warning) I probably fail to move in the direction God wants. I might occasionally stick like my malfunctioning mouse.
At this stage I want to invite the women back in as I reflected on malfunctioning ‘men of God’ in scripture. There are quite a few. Jonah (obviously), and David made a mess of things despite once being a man after God’s heart. What about Moses getting impatient and striking the rock twice when he was told to do it once? Then there was that prophet who was told not to allow himself to be distracted but did exactly what he was told not to do. Then there’s Saul who tried to compromise under the excuse of doing God a favour. I could go on! In the New Testament there are also examples, such as Demas (one moment praised and the next moment…. Well!). And what about you John Mark on that first missionary journey!
Others might come to mind, but try to find a similar list of women of God and you will find that is an entirely different matter. I don’t think that Lot’s wife or Sapphira fir the category. There are several notable women of God in both the Old and New Testaments but the evidence seems to suggest they were more consistent than the men. In the light of the steady increase in the numbers of female Christian leaders in many churches, not to mention the preferment of Libby last Monday, is this cause for encouragement?
The God who chose to be humiliated
In the light of recent items in the news demonstrating the anger of Muslims over cartoons of Mohamed it occurred to me what a contrast this is to Jesus. The Bible reveals the divine nature of Jesus as Emmanuel – God with us. But we do not have an untouchable God. We have one who walks dusty roads, touches the ‘unclean’, washes others feet, and allows himself to be humiliated.
The Ethiopian that Philip encountered in Acts 8 is found reading Isaiah 53. In the version he used it reads, “In his humiliation he was deprived of justice”. An earlier part of the same chapter in Isaiah describes our Saviour as “despised and rejected by mankind” Isaiah 50:6 reads, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” How amazing is this God who chose a cross rather than a throne!
Recent Prayer Outreach Mission
As part of the Hope in our Villages programme in the villages of Yelvertoft, Crick and Lilbourne we held a special Week of Prayer from 18th to 25th January. Seven churches were involved. 1200 homes received letters to let people know we would be praying for them and an opportunity to submit a prayer request. Space for private prayer was provided in three church buildings throughout the week. Prayer meetings were held each day when prayer requests were shared. We also covered the life of our communities in prayer by taking various topics for each day (e.g. schools, doctors, councillors, farmers, etc). More details are on the church website.
Rural Mission Webinars
We plan to hold an online seminar late February. Please look out for details coming your way.
From the diary
- January 9-11 I attended a training weekend in order to provide support and guidance for those interested in a vocational pathway within the Congregational Federation. It was an enjoyable and helpful weekend.
- January 14 my broadband connection was upgraded for an extra £5 per month. Fibre will ensure better connections during Webinars.
- January 21 I spent the morning and afternoon at the William Booth College teaching on the Salvation Army’s safeguarding course.
- January 18 – 25 The Prayer Outreach (see above). On 25th I was invited to preach at our local Catholic Church and welcomed the opportunity.
- January 28 Sunrise Ministries Trustees Video Conference.
- January 29 I took part in an Editorial Meeting for Country Way. Have you seen the latest edition? You can sign up for this inspiring and helpful magazine designed especially for rural Christians and churches. Please contact me.
- February 1 Yelvertoft Congregational Church, Northants.
- February 4 Pastoral Care Board, Nottingham
- Much of my time this year has been spent on aspects relating to the Week of Prayer. Consequently there is a great deal of other administration needing my attention this week.
Thank you for your fellowship in prayer.
Barry
Barry
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