A Christmas Reflection I pray that you will have a very blessed Christmas. As I have indicated in other recent mailings, this year Christmas is very different as every available minute needs to be spent in preparing for my move to a new home. Since I also work from home, the office will move with me, and this doubles the task. So getting and sending cards and presents has had to be set aside. At our recent staff prayer retreat, Bruce Johnson, our team chaplain, led the devotions on the story of Nehemiah. I have preached and written about Nehemiah many times, but it was good to be reminded and reflect. But my move has brought many aspects of the story into sharp focus. Assessing what needs to be done and getting help On arrival at Jerusalem, Nehemiah took time to asses what was needed if the walls of Jerusalem were to be restored. There was no way the task would be accomplished without the aid of many others. As I have prepared to move I have had to de-clutter my home. Why did I hang on to so much! The office records for four Christian charities alone has filled many sacks of confidential waste. Then there are many more sacks and boxes of recycling. I would not and will not succeed without the help of others. Many village churches are no longer what they once were, just as the walls of Jerusalem were not what they once were. You will not be able to complete the task without others. Can you encourage others in your church to share the vision for what it could be, and motivate them to share with you in the tsk? The importance of prayer Before Nehemiah set off for Jerusalem he spent around six months of prayer, and some times in fasting. The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, was about restoring the honour of God and of his people. The problem is that when there is so much to be done, prayer can be set aside if we are not careful. Nehemiah is a great example of the importance and place of prayer. It would be easy for me to neglect prayer because of the size of the task I am undertaking, but to do so would be foolish. How does prayer figure in your life and the life of your church? Stay focused
One of the aspects people notice in reading the first eight chapters of Nehemiah is the opposition that sought to distract him from the task. They used all kinds of means: threats, sarcasm, criticism, slander and enticement to compromise. Nut Nehemiah refused to be distracted. I am conscious that preparing to move requires my full attention. There are many other important demands on my time, but the task will not be completed without focus. How do you and your church set priorities each year? Has it ever done so? Clearing the decks At one stage in Nehemiah's task, people tell him that the remains of the old wall are getting in the way. Wow! That certainly speaks into my life right now. Mountains of paperwork, old files, set of accounts, sermon and Bible study notes, and more, take up much space. Before I can be ready to move and open the new office all this has to go. Is there anything from the past cluttering up your life or the life of your church. Annual 'spring clean' and clear out would have helped me. In your church do the way things have always been done in the past prevent a refreshed vision for today and tomorrow? Do the ashes from past revival fires stifle the air needed to get fresh revival fires burning? The need for social righteousness There is one slightly odd incident in the account of the building of the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah hears of social injustice. There are many struggling to survive and getting deeper into debt because of the selfishness of others. Nehemiah stops the harmful practices of others, but he goes further. He uses his own personal resources to meet the needs of the poor. I find myself wondering how many good Christian organisations struggle to survive because Christians are blinkered or simply ignoring requests for help. Early in 2022, one church wrote saying they were reviewing their stewardship and wanted to help smaller mission organisations. I could have cried with joy and relief. Do you tithe? Does your church tithe its income? Once my move has been completed and my financial circumstances have changed I will need to review how I use the resources that God gives. It is interesting that the account of Nehemiah and the book of Acts both record a moment when a review of stewardship of finances was needed. Nothing we have is really our own; we are only holding it for God and for what he desires. Now would be a good time to ensure that we are acting as God would want with the resources that God has given. Job Done! Nehemiah and his willing volunteers completed the task in a very short time because he went about it in the right way. It's a lesson to us all. Barry Osborne - 18th December 2022
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