Are we salt or Light

The previous  Praise & Prayer News on the importance of behaviour provoked a good number of positive responses and obviously there is common concern that this is a topic that needs more airing.  While replying to one email received from friends I found myself pondering on the challenge for Christians to be light and salt in the world.  Some years ago a well known evangelical Anglican wrote a book for rural Christians in which he presented the opinion that in rural contexts evangelism is better though of as being salt than light.  But Jesus didn't give the option.  In Matthew 5:13 he states, "You are the salt of the earth...", and in Matthew 5:14 he states, "You are the light of the world...

I note that he does not say that he wants his disciples to be salt and light.  WeARE both.  Many writers and preachers have used these verses to illustrate how we evangelise.  Light is clearly obvious and immediately distinct.  Salt is more subtle.  I suppose that if there was an option and we drew a straight line and wrote "light" at one end and "salt" at the other we might be able to plot somewhere along that line where we see ourselves (you might like to try that).  Some of us might put our position right in the middle, but that is not how we are to understand our calling.  We are to be fully light and fully salt.

 Also, anyone who suggests that salt can only be understood as subtle has clearly never had the displeasure of tasting something that is too salty.  It is possible to have too much light and be blinded and too much salt and be sick.  Of course, we could consider that Jesus was thinking about salt in a preservative sense.  This would be quite reasonable.  Also, historically, salt has been found to have certain medical benefits.  In food salt suppresses bitterness, increases sweetness and enhances odours.  Adding salt to food does make it better.  Salt is actually vital for life.  The body cannot make it so we need to take it.  But again getting the right amount is important.

So, using salt in appropriate measure and in appropriate circumstances is vital, whether to assist our eating, preserve against corruption, help relieve pain and bring healing, or simply vital for life.  Frankly, we cannot live without it.  Christians therefore should be making the world a sweeter place, and a source of healing and a counter to corruption.

Salt in Jesus' day was not pure Sodium Chloride.  Sodium Chloride never loses its saltiness but if household salt was exposed to water it is the sodium chloride that would dissolve and drain out.  What was left would neither taste the same or have the same benefits.  Similarly if salt became contaminated by contact with another chemical it would become unpleasant.  Jesus's message was about the danger of something that should be good becoming useless.  We need to take care that our Christian life is not watered down or contaminated in any way.

The analogy of light needs little comment.  Verse 16 makes it clear that Jesus is talking about how other people perceive our lives.  But we shouldn't be doing good because we know it is what we ought to do; we should be doing good because God's life in us makes the difference.  What we have to do is to let people see the difference that having the Holy Spirit in our lives makes.

So I ask, "Are these analogies anything to do with evangelism which is about telling out the good news?"  The answer is that they are not anything to do with the method of evangelism but they are about the importance of integrity. Every Christian is called to share the good news concerning Jesus.  Some have the special gift of being an evangelist.  But we must all share in telling others.  But unless this is demonstrated by transformed lives that are still being transformed then our message will lose its power.  The analogies are not so much about what we do but who we really are.  Our lives already witness to the beliefs we have and the message we share.  We must take care not to lose our essential saltiness or our light to become obscured.

Sunrise Ministries and Rural Mission Solutions
Sunrise Ministries is the official name of the Charity under which most of my rural ministry is conducted.  Rural Mission Solutions is the primary aspect of Sunrise Ministries. Recently the Lord called home my long-term friend and colleague, Monica Cook.  What does the immediate future look like for Sunrise Ministries?

Firstly, we are continuing the aspects of our ministry that Monica established.  We have a small amount of funds in hand that were contributed to support Monica's ministry in the UK.  The trustees wish to honour this so we are looking to appoint someone to continue her ministry.  We hope that many of those who have supported Monica in the past will continue supporting the ministry she exercised.  This includes child evangelism and working with rural churches to help them develop their own sustainable appropriate and effective programmes that help children come to faith and grow in discipleship.

Secondly we now have a small team so that we can continue our programme of regular webinars (online seminars).  You will find a list of topics on our website.  We are happy to consider adding to these topics anything that might help mission especially in rural areas.  This uses modern technology to enable our core vision of enabling churches to develop sustainable, appropriate and effective programmes of mission and evangelism.

Thirdly, we are considering ways in which the same technology can be used.  A sister organisation has run Sunday School by Post for children in isolated rural settings.  Once we have a new children's worker in place we will explore the possibility of running regular online events for rural children.  We are also aware that many rural Christians do not have much in the way of Bible teaching so we are thinking about how best to use the technology for that.

Fourthly (but not actually finally because we want to stay open to respond to need and answer God's call) we will be continuing to offer local consultations, working with colleagues in the Rural Evangelism Network, offering to run Church Away days on mission and evangelism and more.  Alongside this we will continually look for men and women who love Jesus and have a heart for rural ministry who we can enable in any way.

None of the above will happen, and certainly will not be blessed without prayer and financial support.  We need to grow both aspects of support and need your prayers now.  Anyone who would like to know more about how they can help in any of the aspects mentioned here are invited to contact me please.

New Readers from Sunrise Ministries
If you are receiving this e-letter for the first time you will see that it contains a biblical reflection and some news with items for praise and prayer.  You need to take care that it does not disappear into your spam folder or anywhere other than your in-box.  Some systems identify it as marketing!  Past issues are available on the blog.

If you do not wish to receive it regularly you can click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page.  That will take you off this list but not off the Sunrise Ministries database.  If you are a past supporter of Monica Cook and, for any reason, you no longer wish to stay in contact with Sunrise Ministries please click here.

Other Related Ministry
New readers may not be aware of other activities in which I am involved.  Many of these complement one another.  Here's a short summary:
Yelvertoft Congregational Church - Having a pastoral/leadership ministry in a rural church keeps my feet on the ground and should give confidence to others that I am not just a theorist.  Apart from that it keeps me accountable and I love pastoral ministry and Bible teaching.  See website.
HMP Gartree - This is the largest UK prison for men on life sentences. Most Tuesday afternoons I run a small choir which brings me into contact and opens up pastoral and ministry opportunities.  I also conduct occasional Sunday and mid-week services.  The prison is like a village in many ways.  The music aspect also provides me with a recreational activity.
Safeguarding and Pastoral Care - I have shared in writing two significant publications about the pastoral care of people who have suffered sexual abuse.  Occasionally I am asked to speak on this subject, and I teach regularly on the Salvation Army's Safeguarding programme.  Education on this topic is the best way to keep people safe.
Denominational Responsibilities - I have never been comfortable with any ministry that is not accountable  both within and beyond their local church.  This brings with it some responsibility and I serve on two national Boards for the Congregational Federation.  These are the Pastoral care Board and the Inter-Church Board.  The latter brings me aware of what is happening across the wider church.  At a regional level I share responsibility for our mission enabler (another to be appointed soon).

Prayer is valued enormously for all aspects and activities.

Current items for praise & prayer
Sunday - Yelvertoft Congregational Church
Monday - Hope in our Villages Planning meeting (three villages and 8 churches involved)
Tuesday - HMP Gartree
Wednesday to Friday - various meetings and activities in Kent and Sussex
Saturday - CF Regional mission support meeting (might be deferred)

Pray for wisdom as I help draft constitutional documents for the Free Churches Group and also a village church in Kent.  I also value prayer as over the next few days I will be preparing several talks, writing articles and planning activities for August.

Please pray that we will get sufficient regular support to enable the employment of a children's worker to build on the ministry of my late colleague.

Thank you.

Barry

Is Behaviour So Important

In our most recent Bible Discussion Meeting at Yelvertoft we have been reading and discussing Paul's Pastoral Letters.  1 Timothy and Titus were written earlier than 2 Timothy but all three were written during times of imprisonment.  Paul's ability to visit churches and to do things himself was restricted and he was dependent on others, including these two whom he considers sons in the faith.

I have toyed with the idea of writing a simple commentary on all three letters and entitling it "Letters from an Anxious father".  Our discussion group has got a wonderful amount out of these discussions and have found there are various ways in which we can reflect on what Paul writes.  It was Titus that surprised us.  In our first meeting we considered the first chapter.  Titus, who had apparently done responsible work at Corinth earlier, had now been sent by Paul to Crete to ensure that everything was in order.  Elders were to be appointed in every town (we wondered how many towns) and an appropriate standard was defined by Paul.  We are a mixed group and our different traditions had different understandings of what elders are.  We focused on function rather than status.  Elders were essentially overseers and we noted that the term elder is also interchangeable with bishop, meaning shepherd.

But it was our second meeting that surprised us all. We read the whole letter through and noted that it said almost nothing about doctrine or church order but was almost entirely about how people should behave.  Paul urged Titus to be a good teacher but what he exhorts him to teach is how older men and women, younger men and women, children and parents, masters and slaves should all behave to one another.

None of us (including the preachers among us) could ever remember hearing a sermon in church on how to behave.  But at the time of writing, while Paul was also concerned about soundness of faith and avoidance of false teaching, he majors on behaviour.  Even rebuking and correcting has to be tempered with humility and gentleness.  We noted that in the churches there was no room for a persistently divisive character. Why does Paul seem so concerned about behaviour?  It is so that the testimony of Christ is not dishonoured.

I visit some churches for whom particularity in doctrine is the most important thing.  I visit others that seem to be mostly concerned about worship and inspired revelation.  I cannot remember visiting a church that deliberately majors on behaviour.  Have we been getting it wrong?  But then how much did Jesus teach about doctrine or worship?  He seemed to have more to say about behaviour and attitudes.

The sad thing is that when I bump into people who used to go to church but no longer do so, it is usually bad behaviour in church that caused the offence. It also seems to be a major factor in discouraging people to join a church.  Perhaps we could all do with hearing a few sermons on behaviour.  Perhaps this is what the world is waiting for, that is to say for us to behave as we ought.
 

From my Diary

Sorting out the Children's Department of Sunrise Ministries has continued to take up time in the past week. We definitely plan to build on the vision and work that Monica had for the UK.  This was to enable rural churches to develop and sustain their own appropriate and effective programmes for ministry to and with children.  With possibly one and a half million children living in rural Britain we need missional churches that show the love of God and share the gospel of Jesus.  I need another partner to replace Monica as soon as possible.

I have also been involved in advising Friends of Obambo regarding maintaining Monica's work in Kenya.

Also this week I was part of a group drafting By laws to go with a new governing instrument for the Free Churches Group (the working part of the Free Church Council of England and Wales).

Prison Ministry:  J for whom I asked prayers was back with us this week.  Please keep him in your prayers as he has been through a hard time.

This week I anticipate being mainly desk-bound but there is much important work including getting used to a new bookkeeping programme, so I value your daily prayers please.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Barry

"Never was so much owed by so many to so few"

Most people in the UK will recognise the title as an extract from a speech by Winston Churchill to Parliament on 21st August 1940.  Hitler had planned to invade Britain and air supremacy was vital to his plan.  At the time of Churchill's speech the situation was probably at its hottest.  The Battle of Britain which had begun on 10th July was to last to the end of October and the fight was only won at considerable cost.  The courage and commitment shown by British fighter pilots is legendary. If you wish to read an objective an detailed account click here.

The recent anniversary commemoration of the start of the Battle of Britain caused me to reflect on how often in Scripture we find that it is the one person or the few that have saved so many.  These include such people as the young David, Gideon, Samson (Judges 14-16), and the courageous three.  In each of these account the odds against them were enormous but they placed their faith in God and committed themselves to the task.

Inspired by such accounts, Christians have arisen in the past to undertake extraordinary mission activity, showing equal courage and commitment.  I think of William Carey a founder of the Baptist Missionary Society who famously spoke of "expecting great things from God and attempting great things for God".  I think of CT Studd who stated that “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him. I think of Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary wrote in his journal, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

I count it a privilege that my Sunday School gave annual awards of the biographies of pioneer missionaries who were ordinary people who did extraordinary things because of their faith, courage and commitment.  For me this was what it meant and still means to be a Christian, and I have no desire to be a chocolate soldier.  While you may well identify yourself with such sentiments, there are far too many Christians in the western world for whom their faith seems little more than a hobby. More than once in recent weeks I have heard and read of Christian leaders lamenting over church situations afflicted by argument and division brought about by petty mindedness of those who seem to have lost the plot when it comes to engaging in the real war of the spirit.  We have a common enemy and we need men and women to rise up together in common cause to deny his claims over us and to take his territory.

Answering the call of God to follow Jesus is to sign up for war, though we fight with different weapons and in different ways.  We dare not wait for others to act first.  If we are to imitate the qualities shown by the few in Britain's air force during the war, or those outstanding people in the Bible, or the pioneer men and women missionaries, we must each strive to be first in the queue for volunteers.

From my Diary

I am still kept busy working on the consequences following the recent home call of my colleague, Monica Cook.  There is much to do regarding administration and correspondence with her friends and supporters.  We are also looking at ways of building on her legacy both in the UK and also in Kenya.  There are two ways in which this can be done.  Firstly, those who have been supporting the work in Obambo are encouraged to keep doing so.  Friends of Obambo, which Sunrise Ministries encouraged Monica to set up will have a new administration address (our Battle office is now closed).  There is a commitment to support thework with children in Obambo and that must be honoured.

We also hope to build on the vision and work that Monica had for the UK.  This was to enable rural churches to develop and sustain their own appropriate and effective programmes for ministry to and with children.  With possibly one and a half million children living in rural Britain we need missional churches that show the love of God and share the gospel of Jesus.  I need another partner to replace Monica as soon as possible.

Your prayers for both strands of continuing her ministry will be very much appreciated.

The final school assembly for this term at Lubenham was very effective and staff and pupils very responsive.  The theme was trusting God at uncertain times.  We welcome a new head teacher at Lubenham and I look forward to working with her (my fourth head in this school).

My regular half day at HMP Gartree brought several opportunities for pastoral conversations.  Please pray for J who has been going through a bad time recently.

Today, I will attend the induction service for a friend and colleague coming to Market Harborough.  Local work preparing for Holiday at Home also continues.  We are also moving forward once more towards the appointment of a new Children and families Worker for the East Midlands Area of the Congregational Federation.

This week there are activities most days which i will not detail here.  You can keep up to date with these via Facebook and Twitter (@ruralbarry).

I pray that you will have a good week.  Be encouraged in the fight and encourage others into the fight.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Barry

Why Forgive

I started writing these reflections following the brutal murders in Charleston, South Carolina a few weeks ago.  Since then there have been other acts of sectarian violence and murder.  Forgiveness for such acts does not come easy.  I wonder what you thought when some of those at Charleston almost immediately spoke about forgiving the man who had done this terrible act.  They stated that "Hate would not win".

My own reaction was to wonder whether they had acted without due thought.  I also wondered what exactly might have been the motivation in speaking words of forgiveness so soon after the event. Did they feel it was the "Christian thing to do"?  Did they hope that by countering hatred with love the man might become ashamed?  Did they think that it was what God expected?

Such declarations of forgiveness have become a common practise particularly among evangelical churches, so much so that it has become a kind of pop theology.  This in turn can cause some people deep hurt.  For example, one priest in the Church of England resigned her position when she found she could not forgive the people who caused the 7/7 disaster in which her daughter died. She felt guilt for her inability to forgive.  Another friend who was sexually abused within a church context and by a person whose help she was seeking was publicly verbally attacked on a Christian radio broadcast because she confessed she could not forgive her abuser.  In such situations Christians and a poorly informed culture added guilt to the hurt already being suffered.

While it is true that God loves unconditionally, the Bible does not provide evidence to suggest that he forgives unconditionally.  Indeed the Bible makes clear that forgiveness is only possible on the grounds of true repentance.  Love makes forgiveness available.  It is as if it is waiting in the wings, just waiting to bestow its blessing.  If that is how God's righteousness is expressed is there not a danger when Christians speak words of unqualified forgiveness?  Where does God's justice come into the situation?

I fully understand that it can be a healthy thing to be able to forgive.  Certainly carrying bitterness and resentment around can be harmful to our personality and hinder spiritual development.  The Bible counsels against such a situation.  It is therefore a good thing to be ready to forgive those who have hurt us.But when the Bible speaks about the importance of forgiving and places it in the same context as our being forgiven by God, surely this means on the same terms.

We also need to be careful regarding what we are forgiving people for, when it comes to third party injury.  If we have suffered the loss of a loved one then we might be able to forgive the perpetrators for the loss and hurt we have felt.  But we cannot forgive the perpetrators for what they have done to their victim.  God alone can do that.  The young man who committed the murders in Charleston will no doubt feel the full weight of the law and due punishment for his crimes.  Furthermore he needs to know that he is living under the wrath of a loving and holy God.  I hope that he will experience sufficient conviction for his sin that forgiveness might be experienced.

It is commendable that Christians in Charleston felt able at that moment to speak words of love and forgiveness. Personally, I think such words would have greater weight after the shock and pain had really sunk in.  However, I applaud their desire.  But we should take care not to be casual when it comes to forgiveness, and hand it out like sweeties.  Holding people to account for what they have done is often the more loving act.

Monica Cook's Funeral

Friends who had come to know Monica at various stages in her life and who could manage the journey gathered at Holy Trinity Parish Church on Friday as we laid her mortal remains at rest.  It was a warm and pleasant summer afternoon as we gathered to honour her memory and to support her family in their loss. After the service their was warm fellowship  as people shared their memories.

The service was recorded both as an audio recording and a video recording.  These are available for people to download.  In order to access these you will need Dropbox, which is a free and useful programme.  If you do not already have Dropbox please let me know as I can gain the benefit of extra storage space if you sign up on my recommendation.  If you do already have Dropbox please email me so that I am aware of your email address and can share the folder with the photos and recordings.

Please note that the provisional date for the Thanksgiving Event is the afternoon of Sunday 13th September.  Further information will be sent out once this is confirmed.

From this week's diary

Sunday 5th July - Yelvertoft Congregational Church
Monday 6th July - School Assembly, Lubenham, Leics.
Tuesday 7th July - HMP Gartree
Friday 10th July - Taking part in a constitutional meeting for the Free Churches Group, London
Saturday 11th July - attending the Induction Service for the Rev Stephen Haward, Market Harborough Congregational Church.

Over the past few weeks Doreen and I have received many messages of fellowship at this time of loss of a special colleague.  These have been very much appreciated.  It has been a demanding time as I have had to correspond with around 350 people.  If I have failed to respond to a card, letter or email, I hope that you will understand.  The many kind and generous comments about Monica and the ministry we have shared has meant a great deal to me.

Thak you,

Barry