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

Trusting through Knoiwing

I recently found myself pondering the words of the apostle Paul writing to Timothy while experiencing imprisonment because of his faith. As he reflects on his circumstances he encourages Timothy to stir up the gift that God had given him, not to be ashamed of the gospel, and to be ready to suffer himself if necessary for the sake of the gospel.  As far as his own circumstances are concerned he states. “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (2Timothy 1:12)  No doubt his circumstances were not those he would have chosen, but he clearly felt incredible security.

The next day I found myself associating this verse with the way in which my colleague and friend, Monica Cook, has accepted the news that she has a brain tumour.  As those who have visited her and those who know her best can testify she has clearly a very real peace while fully understanding the seriousness of her situation.

There are three parts to this verse to which I draw your attention.  The first of these is the phrase, “I… am convinced” or as the KJV puts it “I…am persuaded”.  The meaning behind the original Greek and the English translations is that the state of Paul’s mind has been influenced into an attitude of certainty.  We therefore need to dig a little more to find what has brought about such confidence.

So we come to “have believed”.  The tense in Greek grammar refers to something that has been completed.  But although it is something completed before hand, it has subsequent effect.  Paul’s solid confidence in the Lord’s ability guard what he has committed to him (i.e. his eternal future) is on the grounds of having placed his trust in Jesus.  Trusting has brought about quiet confidence.

Working backwards we come to the third phrase “I know”.  The sense here is of a knowledge that has developed – it is about coming to know or to understand.  In this case he has “come to know Jesus” and, indeed is still discovering more about him.

So Paul is saying he is totally confident about his eternal security because he has been, and still is, trusting Jesus because he has developed an understanding of Jesus and his character.

We might not find ourselves in chains like Paul, or facing serious illness, but you can be sure that life will contain tough times.  So if we want that wonderful confidence that all will be well, we had better so know Jesus that we cannot but place our entire trust in him. Coming to know him leads to trusting him which leads to confidence that all is well whatever our circumstance.

Monica Cook

Last week Monica was discharged from the hospital at Haywards Heath to home where she is now waiting a course of radiotherapy at Maidstone Hospital.  Most readers will know that Monica has been a good friend and colleague in rural mission for many years, and that she was diagnosed with a brain tumour recently.

I have spent much of the last few weeks working with her local supportive network to ensure she is being looked after well and that work responsibilities are lifted from her at this time.  Please see the regularnews posted on our website.

From the Diary

Other than activities relating to Monica most of last week’s other activities relate to our work at Yelvertoft, Northants.  A planned school assembly was cancelled because of a heating system failure in the school.  Our Lent series, “Faith through Other Eyes”, has proved very effective and popular. Last Thursday we had a visit from a leading person from the Jewish community in Leicester.  These meetings have improved understanding and helped to focus our own convictions.  Details are on this website. On Saturday we held another Messy Church event which focused on the Easter story.

Sunday 22^nd – The Sunday Meeting “The Surprising Jesus”

Tuesday 23^rd – School Assembly planning meeting in the morning and the regular ministry in HMP Gartree in the afternoon

Wednesday 25^th – Free Churches Group Meeting in London

Thursday 26^th – Final Lenten Meeting in Yelvertoft

Sunday 29^th (Palm Sunday) – HMP Gartree Service followed by a Joint Service and Procession at Yelvertoft.

Thank you once again for your fellowship,

Barry

Learning to Trust

I have been spending time this evening putting the finishing touches to tomorrow's Family Service at Goodwood Evangelical Church.  The theme on my heart has been "trust".  When I was a young lad in Sunday School one of the mottoes that was emphasised was from Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding..."  Of course trusting is easy if you are only talking about it.  It becomes a different matter if your life is in danger, or you are faced with some overwhelming crisis.

It is also a different matter when there is no evidence of God when we are in the time of crisis, when God suddenly seems far away.  A long time ago, while still a young minister, I passed through a several months where, for the first time, I had lost my sense of being in God's will for my life  It had begun with a strong and sudden sense that the Lord was calling me to leave the Mission in which I was working and take up the pastorate of a specific church in Kent.

So compelling was this call that I drove to meet with the Pastor of the church to discuss it with him.  Imagine my excitement when he fairly leaped for joy and told me I was an amazing answer to prayer, as he had just informed the church that he was retiring.  That of course was unknown to me.  He contacted the Church Secretary who also indicated his delight.  The congregation was to be informed of our conversation as soon as possible.  I was to let them know the next morning when I had given notice of my leaving the Mission.

On my return to the Mission HQ, where I was living at the time, I informed the Mission Director, as I wanted to be honest and open about what had happened.  He hit the roof and pleaded with me to reconsider.  I was sure of my guidance but for his sake I agreed to 'sleep on it' for 24 hours.  He agreed that if I still felt as strongly after that he would agree to my departure.  So it was that 24 hours later I went back to the Pastor of the church, only to hear that during this time their Superintendent Minister had submitted the name of a potential minister.  As they hadn't heard from me that morning and the rules stated that they could only consider one candidate at a time, the door was now apparently closed.

Then I was informed that the previous day the Mission Director had pleaded with the church not to take me away from the Mission.  The Pastor told me "I have never had a man weep like that on the phone".  I wasn't sure who I was angry with.  I was angry with the Mission Director for interfering.  I was also angry with myself for allowing myself to defer what I felt so strongly God wanted me to do.  So began my months of darkness.  I had to preach and encourage people to put their trust in God.  I had to encourage people to surrender their lives to God and obey his leading.  But I felt a hypocrite and had lost all sense of direction for my life.  During this time the ministry candidate was appointed to the pastorate.  The door seemed closed and locked!

I think it was an old Strict Baptist preacher who unknowingly came to my aid by saying, "Some times we have to trust God when we cannot trace him".  He had no idea of the prophetic nature of that remark, but in a moment I was delivered.  I realised that God was greater than my greatest failures and that he was utterly trustworthy.  I decided to trust the one I could not trace, and re-surrendered my life and my way into his hands.  Looking back I wonder, was it all just a test of my ability to trust when all evidence of God's sovereign guidance were absent?  Frankly, I no longer need to know.  The path from that point to know has been marked with incredible blessing.

Are you passing through uncertain times? Are you facing difficulties or passing through trials?  Does God seem strangely distant?  In tough times as well as in good may God grant us the grace to trust him.

Praise for past blessings
Following all the blessing of our 350th anniversary celebrations at Yelvertoft last weekend, it seemed strangely quiet at first.  But towards the middle of the week things got busy.  On Tuesday I took a school assembly at Yelvertoft and had such a good time with the children there.  They seem to treat me like a big brother!  Then in the afternoon we had our final rehearsal for the prison choir concert that took place early evening on Wednesday.  The whole thing was a great success with the programme opening with a medley of songs about prayer followed by a drama about prayer.  The audience sang along with our sea shanties, and we had to give an encore performance!

Before the concert I had travelled to Stoneleigh, Warwickshire to chair the Churches Rural Group Meeting.  This brings together representatives from national Churches and some organisations.  We did useful business and had an interesting presentation about Foodbanks from the Trussell Trust.  I recommend you visit www.trusselltrust.org to find out more.

On Thursday I was back in Yelvertoft to host a visit from around 30 children from school who came to hear the story of the brave men and women who, at great personal cost, had followed their conscience and sought to establish a church that was led by scripture and the Holy Spirit.  They were dangerous times but they were laying foundations for amazing things that were to follow.

Prayer requests
If you read this in time please pray for the Family Service at Goodwood Evangelical Church (starts at 11.15) this Sunday.  But it's never too late to pray that God's word will bring forth all he intends.

On Thursday our Bible Discussion Group meets to continue our studies in 1 Corinthians.

On Saturday I am attending the Agricultural Christian Fellowship Conference and will take a small part.

On Sunday 4th we have our Harvest Thanksgiving at Yelvertoft when we hope to gather a harvest of tins and packeted food for the Rugby Foodbank.  Please pray that we will have many visitors and that hearts and minds will be touched by the Lord.

We continue to need your prayers that the Lord will meet our financial needs.  We are thankful for those who gave donations after the letter we sent out two week's ago.  We are also thankful for those who have promised some regular support to keep our ministry going.  Having run at a loss for the past three years we are in a difficult place.  No doubt we need to trust!

In a similar way, my fellow trustees of Action for Christ and I have sent a letter to all on our database explaining the difficulties AfC has been led into by recent past leadership.  Please pray for wisdom for the three AfC trustees (Elizabeth, Terry and me).  We need to discern whether the Lord still has a purpose for the organisation, and if so what this is.

Please continue prayers as I prepare for a consultation in Cornwall, my visit to church leaders in Ireland, and a talk at a Soldiers' and Airmen's Scripture Readers event.

A Thought!
When we pray do we take time to be still and listen, or do we just pour our requests into God's ear?  Sometimes we might hear an answer if we aren't rushing away.  Why not try being still before each item for praise and prayer above?  How does God want us to pray about these things?  Then after we have prayed did we sense God speaking?  It might help to pace out the praise and prayer items over several days, or even the whole week.

Barry