When words are not enough

This week we have probably all watched the devastation caused by earthquakes.  What could we possibly say to a man who has just lost all his loved ones, his home, his treasured possessions and his means of making a living?  He stands and weeps.  All he possesses in the world are the dusty and torn clothing he is wearing.  He has survived an earthquake but lost everything he held dear

What could we say to the woman whose daughter was killed by a Russian missile strike on the hospital where she was being cared for, and another missile has blasted her home into rubble?

What could we say to comfort the young woman thrown into a miserable jail for not wearing the right head covering, or savagely beaten by the police who should have been there to protect her?

What could I say to the young woman, repeatedly raped by her minister in the pulipit and on the font of the church where she worshipped each week?

What could the young Christian solicitor say to his wife as he sat next to her hospital bed after she had lost both her legs after a bus, swerving in a traffic accident, had pinned her to a wall and taken the life of their only little child?

Sometimes, God steps in.  On recovering consciousness after the operation, she told her husband how the Lord had come to her and already told her what had happened. 

Sometimes words just are not enough.  All the situations I have described are real tragedies, several of which I have come across during my years in ministry.  There are times in the life of a pastor when words are not enough.

Just such an occasion occurred this week when an email I received from a Christian friend and colleague in ministry told how he had received three lots of bad news in a few days, one being that he had no more than a year to live.  What could I say!

At the same time, another Christian friend, who knew nothing of my friend who had been told he was terminally ill, sent a link to a song I had never heard before.  It is called “In the Eye of the Storm”.  It contains the words:

When the test comes in and the doctor says

I've only got a few months left

It's like a bitter pill I'm swallowing

I can barely take a breath

In the eye of the storm

You remain in control

And in the middle of the war

You guard my soul

You alone are the anchor

When my sails are torn

Your love surrounds me

In the eye of the storm

Sometimes, God steps in!

Ryan Stevenson, the author of the song, might have used the term, “eye of the storm” incorrectly but, if so, that does not matter.  We know what he meant.  On land, the eye of the hurricane is the moment of calm in the centre of the whirling powerful winds.  At sea, the same moment of calm is accompanied by buffeting waves coming from all directions. Sometimes, a moment of calm in the midst of a storm is a prelude to more trials.

I think that it's a great song, and it was almost uncanny that the lyrics include getting bad news from a doctor.  You can listen to it by clicking the link below.  It ends with the words of Psalm 23 being spoken.

This week, I watched the scenes from Turkey and Syria on my TV.  I have been speechless and my soul has groaned as I have tried to pray.  Sometimes that is all we can do

JB Phillips translated Romans 8:26-27. “... we do not know how to pray worthily as sons of God, but his Spirit within us is actually praying for us in those agonising longings which never find words. And God who knows the heart’s secrets understands, of course, the Spirit’s intention as he prays for those who love God.”  Perhaps our best prayers are said when words are not enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2FqFLKisys&list=RDX2FqFLKisys&start_radio=1

Barry - 10th February 2023

Rev Barry Osborne

Founder and CEO

Enduring the cross

For much of my life I have enjoyed good health.  However, I have had two painful health problems.  The first was gall stones.   The second health issue (with which I am struggling now) is sciatica.  Female friends assure me that either problem is more painful than childbirth (though obviously I cannot say). I can say that at present the various pain killers prescribed do not give much relief and at times I am groaning in agony and sweating as I try to cope with the pain.

Crucifixion was common at the time the New Testament was written so readers at that time would understand how horrendously painful it was. But it is easy for us to fail to grasp the degree of pain involved. Jesus shunned the pain-killing drink offered on a sponge. Each arm carries three quarters of his body weight.  Breathing becomes increasingly difficult.  To speak the words of comfort he gave would mean pulling on the mails through his hands while pushing against the nail through his feet. To be crucified in this way pushed pain to the limit.  And it lasted for hours.

Then there was the mockery and the spitting (crosses were arranged at a convenient spitting height). Added to this was bearing the shame of our sin. I don’t think that the cry “My God why have you forsaken me” implies that the father turned his face away; it is just the cry of a man in pain pushed to the limit.  I know how I feel when the pain has hit level 10 and for my Saviour it was worse.

It is all too easy for words such as “..even death on a cross..” (Philippians 2:8) and “...endured the cross.. “ (Hebrews 12:2) to become so familiar that we fail to understand the utter awfulness.  He endured that, not only so that our sin could be forgiven, but because he loves us.

Was it the nails O Saviour that bound Thee to the tree?
Nay ‘twas thine everlasting love; Thy love for me, for me!

Oh make me understand it. Help me to take it in
What it meant to Thee, the Holy One, to bear away my sin

Inclusive Churches

One of my roles is as a member of the Mission and Society Committee for the Congregational Federation, and we met last Saturday in Nottingham.   It was a useful and constructive meeting but I was especially encouraged to find ‘Inclusive Church’ on the agenda.  Various physical impairment often exclude people for full participation in meetings.  If we are able to cope with steps, read the hymn book or screen and hear the speaker we might not realise what it is like for others who have difficulty. 

Whether or not you currently have anyone in your church who is disabled I commend ‘Churches for All which embraces several enabling organisations.  Do click the link to visit the website where you will find all the organisations listed with links.  CfA is chaired by my good friend Dr Gordon Temple who is also part of the ministry team at Yelvertoft.  Gordon has written an excellent book, Enabling Church: A Bible-based Resource: Towards the Full Inclusion of Disabled People  which is available at good bookshops and Amazon.

Making Church a Safe Place

On 14th October I will be working with the Salvation Army in Scotland, teaching on their safeguarding course.  As part of the preparation for this I have just reordered a stock of Time for Action. This book is still probably the most comprehensive and useful tool for understanding how abuse can happen in churches and Christian organisations.  It is also particularly useful for knowing how to respond pastorally to anyone who has been abused in the past.  Recent high profile cases in the media has also increased the number of people in our churches reporting historic cases of abuse.  This book was produced by a team drawn from across the Churches and I can supply it to you post free for £7.95.  Often small rural churches think that this is a subject that does not affect them—but that is not true.  Be informed.

Germinate Conference - Encouraging numbers

I am looking forward to Germinate.  The idea for this event came from Jerry Marshall the Director of the Arthur Rank Centre.  He brought it to the Churches Rural Group which has held shared rural conferences in the past.  The CRG were happy to endorse the plan.  Also early on Jerry shared the idea with the Rural Evangelism Network which also gave it support.  Since then a wide range of church organisations have given this event their support.  Numbers booked in are most encouraging.  If you are going to be there please look out for me; it would be good to meet up.

A Busy Tuesday

I had an excellent school assembly on Tuesday morning on a harvest theme of sowing. Children and staff were very responsive as we considered how words and deeds can be seeds too. We finished with the story Jesus told about seed falling in different conditions.  There was just time for a pastoral visit before setting off to HMP Gartree for the afternoon.  The numbers attending choir keep growing and we worked hard through the afternoon.  Increased numbers brings a challenge as there isn’t sufficient time for me to do one on one training and it is a social (and often gospel) exercise as well as a musical.  HMP Gartree is the largest prison in the UK for men on life sentences.

News from Yelvertoft

We picked up a good idea from another church and have been writing Mark’s Gospel out by hand with illustrations.  At the same time I have been preaching through this Gospel.  Last Sunday we looked at Mark 11:27 through to 12:37 where the enemies of Jesus are closing in on him like a pack of wolves as he is teaching in the Temple. First of all it is the chief priests, teachers of the law and the elders. Then later some Pharisees and Herodians are  sent to challenge him. So he had both political and religious opponents. It seems that they had hardly gone when some Sadducees close in.  We started our service by reading Psalm 118—do look at verse 12.   I had used the story of Jonah for a children’s talk and the two accounts are similar but in contrast.  Both Jonah and Jesus go into the heart of the enemy camp but one went reluctantly while the other went willingly.

This Sunday, 5th October we are hosting the Autumn Assembly of the Congregational Federation East Midlands Area which I will be sharing in the ministry with our Chairman and others.  The event is entitled “To boldly go…” as we explore where God may be calling us to go as churches in a rapidly changing and, in many ways, alien culture.

Praying through your hand!

Many years ago when preparing churches for an outreach I used to encourage people to think about the five digits on their hand and use this as a focus for their prayers.  Their thumb and four fingers represented five categories from which they were encouraged to select one person for whom they would pray for them to come to know Jesus.  You might like to try this.  The five categories are family (or close relative), neighbours, people at work or school, people we trade with (could include your postman or paper deliverer), and people we meet with socially (such as a club we attend).  Pray for the salvation of one person in each category each day.

As always thank you for your prayers on our behalf,
Barry