Counting Down

And suddenly it’s here! We have arrived at the season of Advent, and Christmas is just over four weeks away.  If you are anything like me, you are left wondering where the year went.  But as Advent commences with the last Sunday of November 2022, it seems appropriate to use this occasion to focus on being prepared for Christmas.

 Not every church celebrates Advent or follows a church calendar.  The church in which I grew up, never mentioned it, as far as I can recollect. Neither did it have the high profile that the secular world now gives it.  There was no long run up to Christmas starting in September.  However, there was a sense of anticipation in our home fuelled by the arrival of a parcel from a wealthier aunt and uncle who sent us presents at Christmas.  Not long after this the home-made decorations would begin to go up.

 In the church where I am now a member, having retired from pastoral ministry, the Advent wreath will have been located together with the set of five candles left from last year (though I might be surprised by some new ones).  In many churches the first two weeks of Advent follow Bible passages that focus on the prophecies about the coming Messiah, and the last two weeks more on the New Testament accounts of the birth of John the Baptist and the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary and the night vision given to Joseph.

 For many there will still be much to do purchasing presents, writing Christmas cards, and planning Christmas meals.  There is so much to do that the opportunity to be still and reflect throughout Advent usually gets missed.  But that, of course, was the primary reason for the season.  We are supposed to use this time to prepare ourselves spiritually for the moment when we celebrate the arrival of the most fantastic of gifts.

 How do you plan to spend Advent?  Will you take time to focus on the traditional four themes of hope, love, joy and peace?  In the busy time ahead will you be able to create some extra space for God?  And at your church - is it going to be the same old round of carols and readings, or could you actually plan to use this time as an opportunity for mission.  After all, the birth of Jesus was all about mission and evangelism.  In many churches, and especially those in rural areas, Christmas brings a larger than usual attendance, and the opportunity to tell out the reason for the season.

 Staying with the topic of preparing, here are a few things you might do at your church by preparing to use Christmas as a mission opportunity.

Hopefully you will ensure that all your seats or pews are clean and ready for your extra visitors.  But do you take some time to look at that table where you keep various news sheets, magazines, etc.  Far too often I find tired and damp items cluttering the table surface in churches.  Throw the old items away and replace them with attractive and well-designed free literature that you can give away to your visitors.  Make sure these are mentioned, and an example held up in the services.  Some people might be surprised if they find your church gives things away and does not take up a collection (I do hope that the offering plate or bags are a thing of the past).

 Another good idea is to prepare some gift packs.  These could be as simple as a C5 size envelope with a Christmas greeting written or stuck on the front.  Inside you could include a letter from the vicar, pastor, or the church as a whole, expressing your joy at seeing them, and reminding them that your church exists to serve the community.  You could have a card listing all your regular activities, and the contact details of any leaders of those activities.  If your church is providing a ‘warm space’ those details should be included.  Don’t forget to mention other churches in your area and any special events they host.  

Why not include some cards printed for anyone who might like to “Find Out More”?  These should include the website address ‘Christianity.org.uk’ which is a great resource for people who would like to know more about the Christian faith.  You can use this with confidence.  Or you might like to advertise an Alpha Course you plan to run.

 Whatever you include, please ensure that the envelope or pack looks attractive inside and outside.  They could be given away as people leave.  If you are offering coffee and mince pies, the smell of coffee brewing is a great way of emphasising your generosity.  The same goes if you are offering mulled wine.  Please do not charge for refreshments.  If voluntary donations are appreciated, why not link this to your local food bank.  Show you care.

 Make your Christmas church experience one that will stand out in the minds of those who only come once or twice a year - and stands out for all the right reasons.  The gospel is about generosity.

 My final suggestion is that you check on the language you plan to use.  For most ordinary people, coming to church is an alien experience where people do not dress normally, nor behave normally, nor talk normally.  So please do your best to be normal!  Do not obscure the message with church culture.

 St, that’s it!  My tips for putting the purpose of Christmas into the heart of all you plan to do.  But on a personal level, why not use this Advent season as a time to pray for at least three not-yet-Christians you know well.  Pray that this will be a time when they will open their hearts to welcome in the real Jesus as their personal Saviour. 

Have a blessed advent.

Barry Osborne 26/11/2022 

Songs in the Night

 

Do you like singing?  Do you ever just burst into song and find yourself singing a popular song or a song you learned in your youth?  I do - quite often.  Some of us actually enjoy a good hearty tune at church.

I had a dream last night in which I found myself talking about such things to a group of about 40 young and middle-aged adults and ended up teaching them a song I learned as a child.  They took to it quickly and I awoke with their singing ringing in my ears.

Singing in church has varied through my lifetime.  My early experience was of a form of community singing.  I understand that the custom of community singing has been kept alive in some pubs in the evenings, which is probably a good thing unless they are bawdy and indecent songs.  Growing up soon after the Second World War and through the fifties, people used to enjoy community singing and it was not unusual for it to become a form of home entertainment. 

Christian songwriters adopted the style and found it an excellent way to teach biblical truth.  The great evangelistic missions in the early twentieth century led by Torrey and Alexander followed those of Moody and Sankey at the end of the previous century, where thousands of people packed great auditoriums and sang words set to simple memorable tunes that carried the gospel message into heads and hearts.

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, it was quite common in evangelical churches across the denominations to have a chorus time immediately prior to or at the beginning of a church service using the red CSSM chorus book.  In some churches the CSSM book was replaced by the yellow Elim Chorus Books that were used for the same purpose, encouraging people to attend early and setting the theme for the service that followed.  It is a custom that has generally died out apart from a fewx evangelical churches.

Anyway, back to my dream.  I had sung a few lines of a particular chorus and, finding the audience failed to recognise it, I then taught it to them line by line.

“I am feeding on the living bread. 
I am drinking at the fountainhead And those who drink it, Jesus said, Shall never ever thirst again”

Then the women sing, “What! Never thirst again?” to which the men reply, “No! Never thirst again” Those lines were repeated, then everyone joined in to sing the last two lines of the first half I have written above (I have slightly changed the words of the third line).

As a young boy, I used to sing, with extra gusto, the line “No! Never thirst again”. Teaching the song to an adult group learning it for the first time was sheer joy, especially as the men took to my favourite line, singing it enthusiastically and punching the air as they did so.

The words of this song are based on the account of Jesus meeting a woman at a well.  He was thirsty and asked the woman to draw some water for him.  This led to a conversation about satisfying a thirst during which Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4: 13,14).

What amazing words.  They describe ‘water’ that can quench all thirst, and that remains within those who drink it, and leads to eternal life.  Most importantly, the text tells us from whom such satisfaction can be gained.  We find an echo to these words in John 7:37,38 where Jesus is at the temple in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrated the miraculous provision of water during the journey through the wilderness.  The highlight of this feast was the moment when the priest drew water from the Pool of Siloam and poured it out before the altar.  

Jesus stood and with a loud voice proclaimed, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  I am sure that you will know that Jesus was then referring to the Holy Spirit who would be poured out upon his believers and would remain within them.  A promise given to all who believe (Acts 2:39).

Another echo may be found in Matthew 5:6 where we read, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” Righteousness is right living and is a characteristic of God. 

So, longing after righteousness, as if desperately thirsty, is longing after God and being like him.  Such a longing is described in Psalm 42:1 and Psalm 63:1.  Is this how you long for God?  The promises are to those who thirst for God.

As a child who sang with such enthusiasm, “No! Never thirst again”, I could not have imagined myself teaching the song to adults.  However, even if only in a dream, it was a joy to drive home such a wonderful truth that there is an experience that far surpasses and eclipses all other longings: sexual desire, longing for riches, or fame.  Only in and through Jesus can lasting satisfaction be found.

If you do not know the song, “I am feeding on the living bread….” I will happily teach it to you.  CLICK HERE if you are interested.

 

Uncluttered

I have a problem!  Having decided that it is time to downsize my home and move from the house I shared with my late wife, Doreen, I am trying to fit a three bedroomed house into a two-room apartment.

If you have already been on a similar journey, you will know how difficult this is.  Otherwise you have to imagine basically shrinking your home to half size.  And that's the point.  It is the home that is being reduced.  A home that has been lovingly put together over many years and which stores many memories.  But, to move forward, it has to be done.  I have to de-clutter.

The writer of the letter to Hebrews in our Bible probably knew a thing or two about de-cluttering.  Early Christians experienced persecution as the church in Jerusalem grew.  The religious leaders of the Jews saw this emerging community of love as a threat to their faith.  It had to be stamped out.  So, the Christians fled and were scattered.  Some even travelled far away.  But everywhere they went they told the message of God's saving grace.  That, they took with them! (Acts 8:4)

Stuff expands to fill the space available.  Besides the house where I live, I had rented a shipping container where  vast amount of accumulated paper records, training material, children's videos and paper records from the office of my late colleague, Monica Cook, sat on shelves next to my lifetime's accumulations.  The burning question was what was still of real value so many years later.

Parting with some items has been emotionally painful.  It has felt like sweeping away two lifetimes.  I am left with four photo albums that hold the record of Monica's work in Obambo and elsewhere.  If anyone reading this would like them, please contact me quickly.

To the persecuted Jewish Christians, the author wrote, "{you} took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." (Hebrews 10:34)  It is the fact that they had confidence in that "better and enduring substance" that enabled them to let go of what had previously been treasured.

The apostle, Paul, considered the total loss of what he once treasured, as rubbish compared with the excellency of knowing and having Jesus Christ in his life (Philippians 3:8).  I hope that you value knowing Jesus just as highly as Paul did.  There is nothing that can be compared with its worth.  There is no greater thing.

As I downsize to move into managed retirement accommodation I have the option of taking some things with me.  But do I want to move my old home into the new space?  I have concluded that I would rather not do so.  But when it comes to decluttering our spiritual lives, there is no room for the old self.  As strangers and pilgrims we must travel light.  Old hurts and even those precious moments we have clung to must give way for the new things that God wants to make our lived experience.

But some things I have treasured may be of value to others.  I can pass them on so that others can enjoy them.  So it is with the treasured experiences of my journey so far.  I must pass them on.

Back in that letter to the persecuted and scattered Hebrews, the writer presents us with an athletic scene.  It is a race to be run with possessing Jesus as the prize.  He tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and fulfiller of our lives.  To remain race-fit we must "get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go." (Hebrews 12:1 CEV).

I have a good and caring Christian friend who gave a week to help me begin the task of de-cluttering.  As I sorted through pile after pile she stood behind me softly saying "Chuck it! chuck it! chuck it!".

Is there some de-cluttering needed in your life?  Chuck it!

Yours, because He divested himself of his majesty,

Barry

Rev Barry Osborne
Founder and CEO of Rural Mission Solutions
12th November 2022

I Have a Dream

 

Remembering a Dream

A few weeks ago, I found myself expressing as a dream my 60+ years of prayer for the people of rural Britain.  It was rather like the famous comment by Martin Luther King, “I have a dream…”

I have a dream 
that in every rural community across the land 
there will be a vibrant visible 
community of Christian faith

I invite you to share in this dream and to pray and work to make it become a reality.  Of course, there are already signs of it taking place as God’s servants in various places commit their lives to God’s supreme purpose.

What might such a community look like?

Essentially, it is a people thing and not institutional.  It will be the people of God who love the Lord Jesus and who want to see the kingdom of God, appearing and flourishing in villages and on the streets of country towns.  It could be part of the life of a village church.  It could be a development of a home group.  It could be people from different local churches.

They will be characterised by love and compassion.  It will be joyful and prayerful. I hope it would be transgenerational and people from different strands of society.  It will be visible by acts of love for those who are not part of the community.  It will be outward looking.  It is not a church, but a movement of love that will encourage and support through prayer the local churches and those in leadership.  It will be a beating prayerful heart of the local community, working with all who seek the common good and the values that Jesus taught.  The people will be good news and the source of the Good News, and always humble.

I could go on, but I guess you have the picture.  Many sincere Christians in the rural areas faithfully support their village churches, which are not always as inspiring as they wish they would be.  I am not advocating something as an alternative to the local church, but the formation of intentional Christian groups alongside and supportive of the local churches, schools, councils etc. They would be made up of people who, through how they relate to one another and serve the wider community, become signs of the kingdom of God within their villages and country towns.

How would such communities of faith be formed?

They would develop organically rather than some kind of strategic organisational plan.  They will probably form around a Christian individual, couple, or family who are hospitable and open their home to others who might share their love for Jesus and the vision of a ‘kingdom of God’ community.  They might well develop around a meal or on a summer picnic, or even a drink at the local pub.  They will be places where people are welcome and so is Jesus.

How might they be nurtured?

They would be self-supporting.  If there are people who have knowledge and gifts that could be used, then they should be used.  There are lots of Bible studies and other resources on the internet, and Rural Mission Solutions can supply information and resources.  Those participating should be able to relate their ‘real world’ every-day life to the life of the caring and prayerful community.  The emphasis should always be on being rather than doing, although doing should be important.  So, they might include some time to consider how they could pray and encourage one another, then what is happening in the churches and wider community that needs their prayers.  They might include times of quiet, waiting on God.  They could have times of discussion about New Testament scripture and its practical application.

I have a dream!

How have you responded to what I have written?  If you are already part of a group such as I have described, I would love to hear about it.  Please write or email me.

If there is not a group like this in your village or the area of a country town where you live, are you willing to help it come into being?  Could you use your home as a place of love and hospitality to others?  Could you arrange an informal meeting with some refreshments and share what I have described so as to see who might be willing to be part of it?

From that you could consider when you might meet again, what you might do and what other meeting places are there?  That could include a local walk.  Don’t over-organise; let it be organic and natural.

But, please, do not do nothing!  

At the very least, invite another Christian, meet, talk, reflect and pray.  Let us know what you are doing so that we can support you with prayer and offer any other help to you.

Thank you.

Barry

Rev Barry Osborne
Founder and CEO of Rural Mission Solutions
5th November 2022

 

Uncertain Times - 16th October 2022

 Uncertain Times

How are you? With news that the number of people with Covid in the UK is growing, I hope you are staying safe.

As I come to write another issue of Praise & Prayer News, I am conscious of how uncertain these times seem to be. In the UK (and elsewhere) we are caught up with the steadily rising cost of living. This is partly due to the rising price of electricity, gas, and oil for heating our homes. This is due to the impact of the war in Ukraine. When and how might that end? More uncertainty.

Political life in the UK is also uncertain. Most are wondering what kind of king His Majesty King Charles III will be. And then there is the turmoil in the government and the Conservative party. So far decisions taken have had a devastating impact on many. - including charities. We seem surrounded by uncertainty.

In times like these it is so important that we keep our eyes fixed on our unchanging Jesus. We can have utter confidence in him and in his promises to us. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. So, the hope we have in him for our eternal salvation is sure.

Consider these wonderful words of promise from Isaiah chapter 26 verses 3 and 4.

“You [our God] will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

One of my favourite psalms is Psalm 92 where the writer states that it is good to praise the Lord and make music to God’s name. To proclaim his love in the morning and his faithfulness at night. Now, before we conclude that the psalmist is whistling in the dark, he also states, “the wicked spring up like grass, and all evildoers flourish” That sounds like uncertain times!

Have you noticed the difference between morning and night in that psalm? The first thing in the day for the psalmist is declaring that our God is a God of love. Whatever might come our way during that day, he declares that God is love and God loves him. Then, when he gets to the evening, his testimony is that God has been faithful. I want to say a hearty “Amen!” to that. How do you start and end each day?

Talking about uncertainty, we have had some changes in our administration. This newsletter, for example, now comes to you through MailerLite. Is it working OK for you? We are still learning how to get the best out of the system, and we make mistakes. In the past, if someone wanted to stop receiving Praise & Prayer News, there was a serious risk we could have accidentally lost all contact with them. Now you can interact with the system to select what you receive and how often you get news from us. At least I hope that is what we have set up.

I also discovered that almost 100 people who had asked to receive Praise & Prayer News had never been put on that mailing list. Oh dear! Uncertain times. But we are gradually putting it right.

One thing that is certain is that churches seem less confident about engaging in mission activity than they were before the pandemic. Some rural people are risk averse, and there is wisdom in being cautious where the memory of mistakes and bad decisions can last for generations. But there is also a time to be bold.

Please pray for various churches that have made tentative approaches about arranging an Away-Day for their members to talk about mission and reaching out into their communities.

This week, on Wednesday, we are working in an Anglican deanery in Bedfordshire. David Wells and I have been working on the programme, but some of the clergy for whom it was planned are either on holiday or going on holiday. Please pray that those still available will realise the value of this week’s event.

We ask your prayers for our Chair of Trustees, Gordon Banks, and his family. His family has been really going through tough times. A couple of years ago, a five-year-old granddaughter suffered a bleed on her brain and had to be rushed by helicopter to a specialist hospital. More recently, they have had some bereavements among close relatives with the latest, Becky, being the victim of a hit and run incident in which, it seems, the driver of a car deliberately mounted the pavement.

In uncertain times, we might wonder whether disaster is just a fact of life or an attack of our enemy. When Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus they, like many early Christians lived in uncertain times (but with the certainty that they had enemies). Paul’s encouragement for them was to stand strong in the Lord and the power of his might and be clothed with the whole armour of God. Good advice, we could all take to heart.

Barry Osborne 16th October 2022

Above the storm -21sr October

 

Above the storm

This week I am staying with the theme of peace at times when life is unsettled or even when everything is going wrong. We are certainly living through difficult times politically, economically, and possibly spiritually. It is all too easy to start to worry or even panic. Three of the gospel writers record the incident of Jesus walking on the water, though the details vary. Only one, (Matthew 14:22 -33) relates the incident about Peter trying to walk on water. But all three (the others are Mark and John) relate what their circumstances were, their reaction to Jesus coming to them, and the result once he entered the boat. The start of the journey The disciples had just shared in the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 with a few loaves and fish. Jesus remained in that area and they had set off on their own as Jesus had suggested. It soon became dark, they were facing a head wind in a storm and were not making much progress rowing. I wonder if that seems like an echo from your experience. Have you ever sought to be obedient to God’s guidance? Only to find yourself in a problem,? Have you ever tried to deal with a situation on your own only to find yourself wearing yourself out but getting nowhere? Have you ever found that pressing forward with your plans is like sailing into a headwind? Sometimes the place of peace and safety can seem far away, and the Lord does not seem to be near. Jesus to the rescue Probably, the last thing they would have expected was to see Jesus walking towards them. No wonder all three writers say they were afraid or even terrified. That Jesus was actually walking on the water would have made it worse. Sometimes, when God comes to our aid in a way we do not expect we have difficulty recognising his work. It is also noteworthy that Jesus walked on that of which they were most afraid. Whatever our fears, they are under his feet. Welcoming their helper - experiencing peace As mentioned above, only Matthew tells us about the strange request from Peter, and what happened when he looked at the problem rather than the Saviour. John tells us that it was after Jesus had assured them it was him that they were willing to let him into the boat. God’s deliverance does not always come in the way we expect. We have to be willing to accept it. All three tell us that it was only after Jesus had entered the boat that the wind died down. Jesus saw them Mark includes in his account that Jesus saw them then and went to their aid. Whether that was physical or spiritual sight we do not know. But we can be sure that whenever we are in difficulties and feel overwhelmed by circumstances, Jesus sees us. Hde will come to our aid, but we still have to invite him in. Barry Osborne - 21st October 2022