MOVING ON

My final Sunday of 2017 should see me taking the morning service at a prison where I do some work as a voluntary chaplain.  Planning the services for these occasions is always a challenge. Much of what we might say to people on the outside is irrelevant to men locked up on life sentences.  On this occasion, I have found myself drawn back to part of Philippians 3.  It certainly seems relevant for the last day of the year, and since it is a passage that always challenges me I thought I would share it with you too.

Three Attributes
The chapter begins with the suggestion that some may have undermined the faith and confidence of the Christians in this important city.  We could infer that some had been teaching that men cannot be proper Christians unless they had been circumcised.  Paul describes them as mutilators of the flesh.  His concern is that they were adding something not required.  The need was to keep it simple.  So, he provides three attributes that define a Christian (the true circumcision).

The first of these is that we worship or serve God by the Spirit.  This distinguishes the Christian faith from other world religions where laws and regulations govern faith.  Jesus once told a leading Pharisee (famous for their legalistic approach to faith) that he needed a spiritual birth.  Before the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit – a person like himself, who would be with his disciples and in them.  So, the first attribute listed is a life motivated by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The second attribute is that we are excited about Jesus.  He is the big topic in our lives.  I occasionally work with churches where people have some difficulty articulating their faith.  In such situations, I often ask people to think of three things that makes Jesus special in their experience.  This has never failed to produce wonderful, down to earth responses, such as “He accepts me as I am”, “He is always there for me”, or “I can talk to him about anything and everything in my life”. The personal responses are usually shared in a small group of three people, and I have sometimes had difficulty stopping the exciting conversations that ensue, as people find themselves focused on what Jesus means to them.

The third attribute is that we have given up on self-effort to please God.  In the past, when people were not as tall as they are today, men could only join the police force if they were at least 5ft 8inches tall. No matter how hard they might try, a man 5ft 6 inches tall could never make himself acceptable.  All of us come short of God’s standard.

Three Aspirations
Paul writes about “knowing” things.  This is not knowing about but knowing experientially. He writes about knowing Jesus.  He first came to know Jesus many years before in Damascus when he was converted.  But years later he still has a passion to know him more or better than he does.  This is about living every day in this wonderful relationship, and each Christian has her or his personal experience.

He also writes about knowing the power that raised Jesus from the dead.  He wants this same power to be at work in every part of his being.  We too should long to know the surging power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  But the third aspiration is to know what it is to sacrifice even if it means suffering for the sake of Christ.  We should not merely observe what it cost Jesus in the battle against sinfulness in the world.  We should be moved to join the fight.

Three attitudes
Paul sees himself as incomplete work.  Even after all he has experienced and done through his ministry, there is more to be done in his life.  God has not finished his work in Paul.

For Paul to experience this ‘more’ that God want for him, Paul identifies two things: not being held back by the past, and the need to press forward.

Experience, whether good or bad can hold us back.  We need to recognise that God is bigger than our past failures, so that we can move on.  But past success and blessings can also impede progress.  Some revivals have been tragically short-lived.  Fires have gone out because ashes clog the grate.  Pride can also be an enemy where churches or individuals have been specially blessed.

We cannot drift forward; the natural tendency is to drift back. Progress will only be made where there is intentional commitment.  So, Paul writes about pressing forward like an athlete keen to win the prize, pushing themselves just that little bit more.

Personally, I am challenged by the need to get the good news of Jesus being shared in every rural community in the UK.  There have been encouragements in 2017, but this is tiny compared with what still needs to be done.  In rural ministry we often talk about strategies needing to be appropriate to the context.  But appropriate strategies would also be effective.  I would like to encourage you and your church to raise the game.  The purpose of each church is to help other people come to faith, grow in faith, and find their role in God’s mission.  If that is what is taking place, then praise God but try to do more.  If it is not happening, then perhaps the start of a new year would be a good time for strategic planning.  Please let me know if I can help.

I pray that you will have a happy and blessed New Year.

Barry Osborne – 29^th December 2017

From the Diary
Please pray as Gordon Banks and I plan out the schedule of webinars for 2018.  Pray that the webinar audience will grow as more churches and their leaders benefit from this programme.  During January we will also start building the library of training videos on rural evangelism.

This week will find me working in HMP Gartree on three occasions.  Sunday 31^st December to take the Sunday Service, Tuesday 2^nd January working with the choir, and on Thursday 4^th I join my Methodist Colleague, Brian Kennard, as he concludes a Bible Study series and I will follow this over the coming weeks.  Brian and his wife are past associate evangelists in rural evangelism.

I value your prayers as I try to find time to complete two books.  One is a practical book on Discovering God’s Unique Purpose for Your Church, and the other is on how sexual abuse can happen in churches.  The latter has been long requested by those with whom I teach in the Salvation Army, who feel others could benefit.

I am also working with a church that has a complicated Trust Deed.  Sorting this out is a priority in January and much wisdom is needed.

The wrong way up to glory

Doreen and I, together with all in Rural Mission Solutions send you our warmest Christian greetings. We pary that you will be truly blessed this Christmas and that, through you, others will also be greatly blessed. Thank you for your prayers and meassges of encouragement through 2017.   The Wrong Way Up to Glory I don’t know whether I have become more particular about certain theological aspects as I have got older, but now and again I hear something misquoted or misunderstood that sits uncomfortably with me.  Take, for example, what a very sincere young Christian man said on Songs of Praise recently. It was the choir event – and I struggled with some aspects of that (Who were we praising and why?).  The song that his choir was about to sing was based on 2 Corinthians chapter 3. The young man, quite rightly, spoke about God’s transforming work, but explained in a triumphalistic way that this was about God “raising us to the next level”.  So inaccurate did that statement seem to me that I thought that it would be worth reflecting on what Paul was actually stating in this biblical passage.  Here is the specific verse:   And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate [or reflect] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.   There are several Greek words in this verse that are quite rare in the New Testament, and it is a passage well worth pondering, though space to do so here is limited. Paul is making a comparison between the Law of Moses, given by God, and the life directed by and filled with the Holy Spirit, which demonstrates the work of God’s grace.  As he makes his argument, he draws on the experience of Moses at the time he received the Law, and contrasts this with the experience of every true Christian who has been made alive spiritually by the Holy Spirit.  Paul reminds the Christians at Corinth that when Moses encountered God on the mountain, something extraordinary took place.  When Moses came down with the stone tablets on which the aw was engraved, his face literally radiated a brilliance, which Paul describes as “glory”.  People were so affected by this brilliance that Moses had to put a veil over his face to shield the glory from their eyes.  The glory was still there but the people could no longer see it. Paul relates this to God’s glory revealed within the Law, which many fail to fully comprehend because of their state of heart.  He goes on to state that through faith in Christ the veil is removed so that the glory of God shines out, affecting people just as it did Moses.  But we need to understand what is meant here by “glory”. Moses saw the glory of the Lord with the accompanying proclamations “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished…”  See Exodus 33:18-34:35. The glory that was revealed is the character of God. The word, ”glory” in the New Testament can mean honour, but in the context 2 Corinthians chapter 3, this glory refers to the beauty of God’s character.  It is not, as the choir member seemed to imply, reward or promotion. What Paul is explaining here is that through faith we have come to experience a revelation of God in his Son, Jesus Christ.  This is a more wonderful revelation than that experienced by Moses, and our lives should show forth the beauty of God’s character as revealed in Jesus. The Greek word that the NIV translates “contemplate” with a footnote “or reflect”, is far better translated “reflect”.  What radiated from the face of Moses was not something inherent in himself, but the consequence of what had been revealed to him.  Similarly, our lives should reflect the beauty of Jesus.  It should be seen in us, but it comes from God.  In this way others are able to see something of what has been revealed to us. It is his beauty; not ours. The word translated “transformed” appears only four times in the New Testament, and two of these refer to the same occasion. Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2 record the occasion where Jesus, accompanied by three of his disciples went up a mountain to pray.  As he was praying, his disciples saw an outward change to his appearance.  Both state that his clothes seemed intensely white.  Matthew tells us that his face shone like the sun.  Since they would have been blinded is this meant as bright as the sun, we can only presume that his face radiated a brilliance, which relates to Moses; experience.  Later, John would write,“…we beheld his glory…” and Peter would write, “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty…” Matthew and Mark use the Greek word, metamorphoo to describe what took place on that mountain.  This is the word from which we get metamorphosis.  It describes a fundamental change.  So, when Paul uses the same Greek word in 2 Corinthians 3, he is describing a radical transformation that should be taking place in our lives.  On the mountain, the human form of God the Son was transformed to reveal his majestic splendour.  In our lives, people should be seeing less of us and more of Jesus. The fourth occasion where metamorphoo can be found in the New Testament is inRomans 12:2 where Paul urges the Christians in Rome not to allow themselves to be conformed to the worlds values, but to be transformed by the renewing (I quite like renovating) of their minds. It is the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in us that produces the change.  But we are called to open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit. In Modes’ case the glory seems to remain for some days, but apparently faded.  The challenge to us is to so allow the Holy Spirit into our lives that we permanently reflect the beauty of God in Jesus.  Any casual reading of the gospels will soon enable us to understand that this beauty is about humility, love and generous service to others.  This is the glory that is to be revealed.  It is not some kind of promotion to the next level up.  It is an increasing self-denial, a growing love, a greater willingness to be a servant in the spirit of Christ. This is not a graduated way of gaining promotion, as was suggested on Songs of Praise. We could say that the right way to glory is down, rather than up in one sense!  The glory into which we should be being transformed is to be like Jesus. Please take a moment now to listen to the words and song from “The Witness” athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp8pNnxFu1g (skip the ad if it comes at the start)  Barry - 23 December 2017

What's the Point of Worship?

A friend of mine recently expressed that he found worship unhelpful and personally meaningless.  I applaud his honesty.  Many Christians sometimes find themselves reflecting on their experience of corporate worship, and facing up to the fact that it sometimes seems meaningless.  If this is the case, then we are likely also to ask what is the point of going to church, since it seems mainly about worship.

There are several issues, and space here is limited, so I will not attempt to address them all, or even any of them in great depth.  In many traditional churches, we use the term worship to define our meeting together.  Sometimes we refer to the meeting as a ‘service’.  Personally, I find both terms unhelpful, and I have resorted to usually simply referring to them as meetings.  The Bible provides a pattern for the meetings of the early Christians, but both what we have inherited, and more contemporary versions, often seem distinct from the biblical record.

In a gathering of several churches that follow the traditional inherited model, I asked what they thought the main purpose was for most churches.  Their answer was “to worship God”.  I think this was a misunderstanding of the first item in the catechism.  What it states in answer to the question, “What is the chief end of man?” is “… to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”  The Catechism continues to explain that we can discover how to do this from the scriptures.  But “glorifying God” certainly does not mean a church-based activity, while “enjoying God forever” might give us a better insight into what worship is really about.

One core aspect of worship is the acknowledgement of our relationship to God. He is above all things, and we depend upon him for our very breath.  In the Hebrew scriptures (OT) we see worship expressed in cultic form both as far as false gods are concerned and what took place in the Tabernacle and Temple.  But we also see that God disdains worship that is merely external and formal but that lacks sincerity (see Isaiah 29:13, and Psalm 51:16,17).

This finds an echo in the conversation about worship that Jesus had with a Samaritan woman.  He told her, “… a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”  (John 4: 23, 24) While mind and heart may be involved in worship, it is essentially a spiritual exercise.  That can only happen where there is a spiritual relationship with God.

God certainly is not egotistical, loving to hear himself praised.  Nor does he suffer from low self-esteem.  So, worship is not about making God feel good.  It is an expression about how God makes us feel, as we benefit from his love, grace and mercy.  This is not the same as putting ourselves as the focus of worship.  It is aa response to whom we have discovered to be experientially.  If our worship delights God, it will be because we genuinely express our enjoyment of him.  In much the same way, when I tell my wife that I love her, it is so that she knows how much she means to me.  Of course, she might know that already, but expressing how I feel about her is not only right, but also good.

My first real experience of worship took place on two occasions linked to an Operation Mobilization Convention in 1963. Together with a few teenage Christian friends, and an Austrian Christian woman, we had driven from Hastings to Chigwell and met with several hundred other Christians passionate about making Jesus known.  On the Sunday morning we had crowded into a large tent for worship.  As we celebrated communion together, I was overwhelmed by the wonder of Jesus’ sacrificial love.  I felt moved to sing ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’.  I had got no further than the third word when some 500 voices joined mine as together we expressed how thankful we were for this ‘love so amazing, so divine’.  In that moment, it felt as if heaven and earth had met together.

That evening, as we were driving back home, we listened to Songs of Praise on the car radio.  This was a programme of gospel hymns, every Sunday evening.  Suddenly, as I listened to these wonderful hymn, I found I could not help praising God. ‘Hallelujahs ‘and ‘Praise the Lords’ pored out of me uncontrollably.  Since that day there have been many occasions when singing old hymns or new songs I have felt that spiritual engagement, and truly worshipped.  But there have been many times also when singing an old hymn or new songs has failed to elicit a response from my heart.  The form might be there, but the worship was missing.

Our meetings are often designed to meet certain expectations.  This is true whether we have what is sometimes called a hymn sandwich, or whether we open the meeting with 45 minutes of the latest Christian songs.  But if worship leaders have failed to understand the real nature of worship, and if the Spirit of God is not moving in the lives of the congregation, it is likely to be worship in name only, and some may wonder, what is the point?

In chapters 10 to 14 of his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul has much to say about our meetings.  He exhorts love to be shown and selfishness to be set aside.  He encourages all to exercise their gifts but also urges that the meetings are conducted in an orderly way.  In 1Corinthians 14:26 he describes a meeting in which various people participate in different ways, just one of which might be with a hymn.  But he also emphasises that there is a purpose for these meetings.  It is for the spiritual growth of the members of the congregation.  If there is no clear purpose to all that takes place when we meet, it will also leave some wondering, “What is the point?”

As I have always sought in my ministry to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, I want to leave you with two suggestions.  For those planning to conduct church meetings, make sure that there is a sense of purpose to it all, and that elements that are meant to be worship allow time and room for the Holy Spirit to evoke a response to truth that might make the worshippers feel something of heaven on earth.

My second suggestion is a little mischievous.  If the purpose of the service is not clear or if the worship does not truly engage with your soul and spirit, enquire of the worship leader(s), in an appropriate time, place and way, what they had hoped to achieve.  Be honest, but be loving.  Perhaps, if those who lead meetings were lovingly challenged, there would be fewer people going home disappointed, and more getting excited about God and our wonderful Saviour.

From the Diary

Thank you for your prayers.  It was good to be taking the Family Service for Goodwood Evangelical Church last Sunday.  I’d found it strange that the theme to which I felt led was more adult than children, and had wondered how I would adapt some parts.  When I arrived, I discovered that there were no children expected that day! School Assembly on Monday was on ‘Wisdom’ and I needed wisdom in several special meetings in the week.  Sadly, for reasons beyond my control, I was unable to hold a choir practice in prison.  Please pray that this coming Tuesday we will not suffer from the same problems.

As we move through Advent, we remember a second coming is promised.  May we all be found ready.

Barry

2^nd December 2017