Saturday 18 February 2017

Why Three Stories?

I wonder whether you have ever had a eureka moment.  One came to me unexpectedly but it was so very exciting.  I would like to share it with you here.  I have used it a few times when taking church services, and was inclined to not spread it around too much.  But I think the time has come for me to share with you what I believe God shared with me.

But before I get into it, I want to encourage you to join me in the webinar (online seminar) Saturday 25th February 2017 from 9.00am to 9.45 GMT.  It is free and there is no need to get dressed up and to go out.  You can watch and listen to it at home, and I won’t even know if you are still in pyjamas!  Seriously, Gordon Banks and I will be talking about simple ideas for rural or other small churches that can be used to share the love of God and the story of Jesus through the Spring months.

Please sign up for this today, if you are not otherwise committed on that day and time.  You need to book your place in advance, and it costs you nothing.  Once you have reserved your place, I will send you an email with additional helpful information. CLICK THIS LINK TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE.

Thank you.  I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Now, back to my eureka experience.  I found myself wondering why Jesus told three super stories on the theme of lost and found, when one might have been sufficient.  You will find these in Luke 16. The stories were a response to criticism of Jesus because he was keeping company that zealous Pharisees and teachers of the law considered inappropriate.

Story one is about a man who had 100 sheep but found he had lost one.  So, he went and sought until he found it, brought it home and shared his joy with his neighbours.

Story two is about a woman who lost a coin.  It was worth a day’s wages, but it might have had some other value.  Clearly recovering it was important as she diligently swept the house until she found it.  She also shared her good news with her neighbours.

Story three is about a man with two sons.  The younger son is selfish and wants his share in the eventual inheritance to come to him immediately.  He cannot wait for his dad to die.  His share would have been one third of the value of the estate. So, with his share in his hand he set off to a far country where he wasted it on parties and prostitutes. When he was at his lowest, he finally came to his senses and realises how stupid he had been.  He returned home, a somewhat changed man, and his father ran to meet him, and welcomed him back.  He threw a party, much to the annoyance of his older brother.  There is so much more that we could write about this third story, but my question was, why three stories. Surely any one of them was a good enough illustration.

The stories are about people repenting.  Both Hebrew and Greek thinking had different ways of understanding sin.  I’m not going to trouble you with the original Greek text.  One understanding was what we often call original sin.  This is our inherited fallen nature.  As Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Roman 3:23.  Our very nature comes short of the holiness of God.  The coin was lost but that was its estate, and it had no culpability.

Another understanding of sin is iniquity or waywardness.  Most of us will have got into sinful behaviour by fallowing the crowd, or drifting carelessly.  Sometimes I find myself breaking the speed limit, not deliberately but because I was careless.  Isaiah speaks about this in chapter 53, where we read, “All we like sheep have gone astray…”. When other sheep had been safely gathered in, one was still out on its own, vulnerable to be preyed upon by wild animals.

A third understanding of sin is transgression.  This is the deliberate breaking of the law.  It is the choice to sin.  It is about knowing where the line is drawn and deliberately stepping over it.  The son knew what kind of life his father would want him to live, but he deliberately chose the other lifestyle.

So, by using three different stories, Jesus illustrated the wonder of the gospel.  Whether our sinfulness is the consequence of carelessness, whether we might claim it is not our fault, or whether we have deliberately chosen to sine, we are loved and sought by a gracious God.  Does that thrill you?  It certainly should.

But it didn’t end there.   More recently I reflected on who was doing the searching.  For the lost sheep, it was a good shepherd who sought and found it.  Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd”.  For the prodigal son, it was the father who was looking for his son’s return and met him and welcomed him back.  For the coin, it was a woman who diligently swept the dust and dirt away. For me this sounds so much like the work of the Holy Spirit, who reveals to us our need of salvation, and does the regeneration and sanctifying aspects of our salvation.  Of course, God does not have gender but Hebrew scholars will be aware that in the Hebrew Scriptures the Holy Spirit is referred to with the feminine gender.

So, Jesus illustrates how all three persons of the Trinity share in saving the lost.  By now you should at least have given one hallelujah!  But, we are not finished.

In the parable of the lost coin, it is about the recovery or regaining of a treasure.  You are so precious to God, and he wants you safe.  In the parable of the lost sheep, it is about rescuing from peril and danger.  Continuing in sin leaves us in a state of peril.  In the parable about a lost son, it is about the recovery of a precious relationship.  So, in seeking and saving you and me, God reveals how he sees us as precious to him, saves us from the consequences of our sin, and draws us back into his loving arms, restoring the relationship that was lost.

For me, this has been a mind-blowing journey of discovery.  And I am not sure that it is fully ended.  As John Robinson said as he bade farewell to those who became known as the Pilgrim Fathers (and mothers, of course), “God has yet more light and truth to break forth from his holy word”.

I hope that these insights have been a blessing to you.  We have such a wonderful Saviour and story to share. Let Gordon and me help you find some ways to share it, by signing up for the webinar.  If you missed the earlier link, here it is again.
Items from the Diary
Thank you for your prayers during the past week.  I have had some precious experiences through the privilege of bringing God’s word to others.

Saturday 18th Feb. I shall be sharing in an Area Executive Meeting for the Congregational Federation.  There are some 30 churches, and we are encouraging them to plan at least one outreach this year.

Sunday 19th Feb. I shall be taking the morning service for Elstow Bunyan Christian Fellowship.  This was John Bunyan’s home village.

Tuesday 21st Feb is my regular time with some of the men in HMP Gartree.

Wednesday 22nd Feb I chair an online meeting of the Congregational Federation’s Inter-Church Board.  This is a responsibility I am in the process of laying down. Prayers are valued as its future is uncertain.

Thursday 23rd Feb  I shall be sharing in a Chaplaincy Team Meeting.

Friday 24th Feb I shall share with others in my new spiritual home (Market Harborough Congregational Church) as we seek to share with other users of the premises that there is a living and loving church meeting in this building, and to which they would be welcome.

Saturday 25th Feb is the webinar at 9.00am.  Through the week I shall be putting the finishing touches to this presentation.

Sunday 26th Feb in the morning I shall be taking a Family Service for Goodwood Evangelical Church, Leicester.  Later I will travel to Chelmsford, Essex to meet up with Gordon Banks, ready for…

Monday 27th Feb Rural Mission Consultation hosted by the Diocese of Chelmsford. See more.

It is so encouraging to know that we are supported through your prayers.

Barry

Saturday 11 February 2017

Moving a Mover

In a previous Praise & Prayer News I wrote about a hymn that meant much to me. It sparked off a lot of communications, as people identified with what I had written.  As I wrote at the time, I draw much blessing from older hymns, but also enjoy many contemporary hymns and songs.

The fact is, that if our hearts are open to God, he will use all kinds of things to bring his blessing into our lives.  In the first church where I was a minister, a lady brought her granddaughter one Sunday evening when we were singing a lively Sankey-type hymn.  It had a clap-along chorus.  Granny had given little girl a tambourine, which she bashed out of time through all the verses as well as the choruses.  After two verses, I felt I could take no more, so I was about to publicly suggest that she was stopped from banging it at least through the verses, when I felt God say that he was happy to accept the little girl’s worship and I should be too!  From that moment, I found what had been annoying became pure joy!  Is there a lesson here for those of us who are picky about worship material?

In that church, we used the old Redemption Hymnal.  It has remained my favourite for many reasons.  It has plenty of older hymns (Watts and Wesleys abound), hymns from the Sankey era, and hymns from the Pentecostal Revival.  This last group demonstrates a deep spirituality, and it is one of these that I want to share with you here.  It was written by ECW Boulton, an early Elim Minister, who once stayed in the home of a dear friend (now in Glory), Alan Blythe.  Alan was very musical and innocently asked Pastor Boulton whether he was too!  He later said it was one of his most embarrassing moments.

The hymn I have chosen to share with you speaks to me as someone engaged in public ministry.   The inherent danger when one is standing "up-front" is the temptation to perform; to present our ministry in a way that we hope will impress the congregation.  Of course we want what we say and do to have an impact on the hearers and that will mean using an appropriate style, but we should always want people to see Jesus and not us.

Perhaps one way of avoiding falling into the trap of allowing too much of ourselves into our ministry is to remind ourselves of the words of Jesus in the allegory of the vine and branches.  Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” 
(John 15:5).  Some versions state “without me you can do nothing”.  Of course, relying wholly on ourselves, we can achieve results, but this will not be the fruit God looks for.  Some people like to relate the fruit bearing to the passage in Galatians about the fruit (singular) of the Spirit (See Galatians 5L22,23)  But I think it refers to every aspect of our lives and ministries for him.  Nothing that is of God and of eternal value can be achieved without his life in us.

So, here’s the hymn.  Please take time to read it and ponder on each verse.  It is the ideal hymn for those in public ministry, but we would all benefit from making this our daily prayer.

Move me, dear Lord, and others I shall move to do Thy will;
mould Thou this life into a vessel fair Thyself to fill;
no charm with which to draw do I possess,
in Thee I find the secret of success.

O touch these yielded lips and through them pour Thy living thought;
I would not give to hungry souls the words that man hath taught;
shall they who seek the bread a stone receive?
It is God's Word alone that can relieve.

How wonderful a channel thus to be, to those forlorn,
a messenger of peace and joy and hope, to them that mourn;
O grant that I Thy risen life may share,
the virtue of Thy name to others bear.

Under the anointing daily let me live, a priest and king;
relying not on fleshly energy Thy smile to win;
a simple soul in contact with my Lord,
in whom all fullness is forever stored.

O teach me, Lord, henceforth with Thee to walk in union deep;
whilst tending other souls not to neglect my own to keep;
a separated soul unto the One
whose grace and love for me so much have done

As far as I know, this is now ‘Public Domain’.  The fact that this hymn is not more well-known might be because Marjorie Helyer’s fantastic tune for this hymn is set in five flats!  Please let me know if anyone want’s the music.  It is not difficult to adjust the words into more contemporary English.  I hope it blesses you.
 

From the Diary
Thanks to all who prayed through the Court hearing on Wednesday.  It felt as if progress was made, though we still have some way to go as we seek to secure a good future for an elderly lady beneficiary under the Will of a former friend and colleague.  This has proved a difficult journey, calling for wisdom and grace.

Through this week, Capt Gordon Banks and I will be putting the finishing touches to thenext Webinar on Saturday 25th February, with Suggestions for mission activity for Spring into Summer.  Like all our online seminars it is free. All you need is an internet connection with sound.  While this is ideal for church leaders (ordained or lay), it is of value for all Christians in rural or small churches.  The webinar starts at 9.00 and lasts no more than 45 minutes.  You can watch and listen in you PJs, while eating your breakfast or drinking a coffee!  Advance booking is essential.  
Click here to reserve your place.
 

Other Activities: 
Sunday 12th – Morning Worship, HMP Gartree, Leics.
Tuesday 14th – HMP Gartree
Wednesday 15th – meeting with CEO Village Hope
Thursday 16th - Thanksgiving Service for Peter Couling, Northampton.  Peter was a member at Yelvertoft, a super inspiring Christian, who lived out the principles of the hymn quoted above.
Friday 17th - Interment Service for Peter Couling, Yelvertoft, Northants.
Saturday 18th – Area Executive East Midlands Congregational Federation
Sunday 19th – Elstow Bunyan Christian Fellowship.Beds.
 
Yours prayers for these activities and our ministry day by day will be very much appreciated.

Barry



Saturday 4 February 2017

“All that glistens is not gold”

Recently, I received an enquiry from a ministry colleague who had discovered that someone in whom she had placed her trust was not all he seemed to be.  It had landed on my desk because the person concerned and his history is known to me.  The result was that several hours have since been spent on providing advice and ensuring that others who needed to be alerted were put in the know.

Since the man concerned is a professing Christian and presents himself as a trustworthy church leader, this is a very sad situation.  Nobody likes to speak badly about a fellow Christian, and I am also always careful that I do not put myself at risk of litigation. But sometimes the common good, and the work of the kingdom is best served by negative honest reports.

This is one of the hardest things that people in Christian leadership find they have to do.  Most responsible Christians would prefer not to speak negatively about someone else, and especially if that is another Christian.  Various verses from scripture stick in our mind, such as the one about not judging others in Matthew 7.  Also, James in his letter has much to say about the damage words can do (James 3:1-12).  James 4:11 cautions about speaking evil about another. In addition to what the Bible says about how we speak, there is the principle of love.  To speak negatively about someone does not seem to be loving.

You may be aware of the three gates principle of testing what you might say about another by asking yourself, is it true, is it kind, and is it necessary.  While not a quote from the Bible, it is a helpful piece of social advice.  But while all this is good, there remains a danger that hesitation to say something bad about someone else could be seriously wrong.

Take, for example, the situation that started this reflection.  What should be done where a person, known to cause havoc for churches and charities, and to act criminally, and having shown no evidence of repentance, presents himself as a trustworthy person seeking opportunity for Christian service?  To keep quiet might well put others at risk of harm.

On the other hand, and in a totally different context, I know that I spoke about another Christian, inappropriately.  In this situation, I had been a victim of slanderous accusations some years before.  Later, when asked why I was not demonstrating fellowship with this person, I said more than was necessary.  It is all too easy to fail.

But the Bible contains examples where individuals are criticised.  Jesus did not hold back from declaring some people to be hypocrites (Matthew 7:5).  Paul writes at length in his letter to the Galatian Christians about Peter acting hypocritically, stating that “he was to be blamed” (Galatians 2:11-14).  In some of his other letters, Paul praises some while pointing out the failures in others (Alexander the Coppersmith, for example).  In these examples, what was said or written was apparently true and apparently necessary to be said or written, even if it might not have passed the “kind gate”.

Some readers will remember David Dawn, an American Christian who came to the UK to train with us in rural mission.  David used to have a splendid looking pocket watch which he usually wore on a chain.  But it was only a fashion accessory as it did not work. He used to say that it was a failure as a watch but that it had great pretentions!  Over the years, I have met many professing Christians who set themselves forward as leaders, appearing very impressive, but whose lives lack integrity.

Is it possible that an understandable aversion towards speaking badly about someone might have led to subsequent hurt to individuals, to the life of churches and to the testimony of the gospel?  All that glistens is not gold, and when necessary we need to be prepared to expose that which is false.  If we changed one of those three gates form “Is it kind” to “Is it loving”, that might be helpful.  Speaking the truth in love, sometimes means speaking critically.  It also sometimes calls for special courage.

From the Diary
Over the last two weeks there have been various opportunities to bring God’s word, to counsel and advise.  This is a wonderful privilege and we give God the praise where people have been blessed and lives changed.

This Sunday and the coming week is comparatively free of ministry activities but I value your prayers for a Court hearing on Wednesday.  This relates to actions that a fellow trustee and I are seeking to fulfil the obligations imposed on us through a will.  To do so, we believe, requires us to act contrary to the wishes of someone who has benefited enormously for the past 37 years, but who now finds our proposed actions not to her liking.  We are seeking to act in her interests but her resistance has meant several court appearances and a spiralling cost which is currently being met from my colleagues and my personal limited incomes.  Please pray that this protracted situation will soon conclude in a way that will be for her good, and relieve us of a very difficult burden.

Thank you.

Barry