Putting your foot down!

The man in the green Audi drummed his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently and edged his car out slightly to get a better look past the white Transit van.  Ahead of the van there was a fairly new yellow Ford Focus, the driver of which was also edging nearer to the centre of the road to get a better look ahead. In front of the Focus a grey Skoda Octavia was sitting on the tail of a refuse vehicle doing a fairly steady 50 mph.  The Audi driver was encouraged that at least the driver of the yellow car was planning to make a move but it was a country road and safe passing places were far between.  He glanced at the clock on the dashboard and noted that he was still well within his schedule, but travelling at 50mph was not exactly his idea of fun.

At the head of the queue the refuse lorry driver knew that he was driving as considerately as possible.  By keeping a steady speed everyone else would know what to expect and could drive their own vehicles accordingly.  Pushing the speed up, given his load, would not be appropriate.

The grey Octavia had been following him for some time.  At times it was a little too close in his opinion, but it had shown no sign of desire to overtake.  The fact was that the driver of the Octavia was uncomfortable with having to overtake large vehicles.  Frankly 50mph was probably about the speed he would be driving at anyway.  He was a 'mature' driver not a boy racer.  The situation, as far as he was concerned, was comfortable.

The driver of the yellow Ford was less happy about the situation.  She would have liked to go faster and at regular intervals anxiously edged out to peer past, only to swerve back in at the first sight of an oncoming vehicle no matter how far ahead it might be.

The driver of the white van had finished his work early and was heading back to the depot.  He had plenty of time and was lost in the sounds of his favourite music coming at full volume from the CD player.  He might like to drive faster normally but given his present circumstances he was in no rush.  Unfortunately, he had not looked in his mirrors for some time and was blissfully unaware of the frustration being suffered by the last car in the queue.

Soon the driver of the Audi could stand it no more.  He had muttered about the stupid driver of the Octavia who clearly had no intention of overtaking the refuse lorry and was driving far too close.  He had sworn about the indecisive driver of the yellow Focus, in and out every few minutes but missing opportunities to overtake.  He was angry about the driver of the white van who seemed to be unaware of his presence.  Sure he had left a reasonable distance from the Focus, but the Audi driver did not want to get stuck behind that indecisive driver as that would make him wild.  There was nothing for it he would have to overtake all four vehicles in one go as soon as he could.

At last a short stretch of straight road opened up.  Yes, he knew it was risky, but anything was better than sitting where he was much longer.  Mirror, signal, change down, foot to the floor, and he was off, changing up as he began his run with speed now over 70mph.

He was half way along the queue when he saw the HGV loaded with heavy steel hurtling towards him.  He knew there was no gap to slip into, insufficient time to brake and drop back, and no time to finish overtaking.  As panic gripped him he thought, "If only...."

The pastor of the church reflected on how things were going.  They seemed to be making progress.  There were signs of growth both in the lives of many in the congregation, and numbers were slowly increasing.  They were sailing along quite nicely; not too fast and not too slow.  Of course he realised that there were some in the fellowship who wanted more change or faster change, but he was confident he had the speed just right.

John, the church secretary agreed.  He had confidence in the pastor and stuck with him solidly.  Mary on the other hand felt that there was a need for change.  She was aware that there were others in the church who felt similarly and that some were thinking of leaving if things did not improve.  Periodically she raised the need for change with the pastor and secretary but when it came to Church Meetings she would back off, not wanting to upset anyone.  George was prepared to 'go with the flow'.  Maybe things could be more lively.  Maybe it would be good to have a programme of outreach that might reach young families.  But hey, he had enough problems at work with change so the last thing he wanted would be problems here.  So let's keep steady.

Gilly thought that the whole situation was stupid.  The church was stuck in the fifties.  There was so much more.  Why did they have to put up with the status quo?  She had nudged the pastor and church secretary on the point.  She thought that at least Mary would stand by her.  There was nothing for it: at the next Church Meeting there would have to be a show down.  It was time to put her foot down!

Managing change in church life has its problems.  We are all supposed to be on the move with God.  When I was newly in ministry I was told that my role was to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.  But it's all too easy to become selfish about needed change, to be inconsiderate of how others feed, to fail to check the road ahead or to think through the 'what ifs'.  I'm all for change and progress as long as it is not for selfish reasons.  Maybe, just maybe, God had a purpose when he called different kinds of people into discipleship.  In my parable about the queue of cars perhaps all five drivers could have been more considerate.  What might it have made a safer journey for all concerned?  Isn't love "the more excellent way" (1Corinthians 12:31)?

From the Diary
Thanks for your prayers through the past week.  My time with other church representatives at the Free Churches Group was very special.  It is encouraging to sense the progress and new sense of identity within the wider Church.

Safety in travel is always an important prayer point (the parable above came to mind while driving to the FCG meeting).  Coming home on Wednesday afternoon I took a conscious decision to pray to be kept safe and asked God to make me wise so as not to endanger others.  Travelling in the centre lane of the M6, overtaking a large lorry with trailer, and travelling at 70 mph I suffered a rear tyre blow out. While it was vital to get to the hard shoulder quickly it was dangerous to brake as the car became  increasingly difficult to steer and swerved violently.  I made it safely, thankful to God and to the driver of the HGV who reacted sensibly.  The only damage was to Sunrise Ministries' funds as I needed two new tyres: one to replace the one now shredded and then we found the wall of the spare had deteriorated.

Monica, my colleague was kept safe while in Kenya during troubles there.  we give thanks.

Please pray for Terry to whom I was travelling when I had the tyre problem, and who is in need of some personal pastoral support at a bad time in his life.  Terry is a nice guy but needs to experience the love and grace of God that will help him through this difficult time.  Pray as we seek to set up a new appointment.

Pray for the Prison Choir as we now have a date for an opportunity to sing and act for the pleasure of others.  Please pray for Jeanne and Roger with whom I work in the prison.

On Wednesday there will be a meeting of the Churches Rural Group at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.  I chair this Group and I am keen that it fulfils its potential.

At Yelvertoft we have our Bible Discussion on Thursday morning, Messy Church on Friday morning, and our regular meeting next Sunday.  Here's a question for you: Why did I disappear during the singing of a hymn this morning, only to re-emerge from the vestry in scruffy jeans, a tee-shirt and old trainers.  Answer will be published next week and a prize will be given to anyone who comes up with the right answer (as long as stocks last).  Clue: we were looking at Mark 3.

Barry

"Great Minds... or is God Speaking?

STOP PRESS: My colleague, Monica Cook, arrived in Nairobi on Friday evening following several weeks of work in Kenya.  You will be aware that there are current dangers for Europeans in Kenya and there has been several bombings in and around Nairobi.  On Monday she will travel on to South Africa for ministry.  Please pray for her safety and for others working in dangerous situations.

Early last Friday I wrote my regular piece for the monthly Parish Magazine that covers the area where Yelvertoft Congregational Church is situated.  It reflects briefly upon the abusive tendencies in modern society and raises questions regarding possible causes and makes a suggestion for addressing the problem.  Recent horrific stories of actual or planned murderous attacks on school teachers, reports of sexual abuse in the news and my own wider pastoral ministry beyond the village inclines me to believe that we are becoming increasingly careless of one another and downright abusive in the way we speak and treat one another.

When I listened to Thought for the Day on Radio4 on Saturday morning I was amazed to hear almost the same thoughts being shared.  It was almost as if she had read my piece which i had posted on our church website (www.yelvertoftchurch.org.uk/articles-and-talks/magazine-artcles).  Was it a case of "Great minds think alike" or might it be that the Holy Spirit is speaking into the world in which we live today?  When you hear the same message coming from different sources around the same time it should make us think.

Of course I do not actually think the "Great minds" explanation is worth considering so we are left to consider what God feels and is saying to us today.  If it is that and not just mere coincidence then it is also worth reflecting on the concept of prophetic ministry within our churches.  The Old Testament prophets more often spoke God's word into contemporary situations than revealing what was yet to come.  It is more about forth-telling than fore-telling.  The apostle Paul tells us in 1Corinthians chapters 12 to 14 that among the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives among Christians is prophecy, which he tells us is given for strengthening, exhortation, comfort and so that we may be instructed.  Paul also encourages us all to eagerly seek this gift.

In Ephesians chapter 4 we also read that there is a prophetic ministry that is a gift of Jesus Christ to the Church universal.  This would seem to be something distinct from the gift of the Holy Spirit, and Paul lists them alongside evangelists, pastors and teachers, and apostles.  We get a glimpse into this prophetic ministry in various parts of Acts.  Whatever our understanding of this might be it becomes clear that God wants to speak into his Church and through his Church.  We should be exercising a prophetic role within his world today.

Old Testament prophets often found that their words were unwelcome.  Some suffered at the hands of those who should have welcomed hearing a word from God.  It may be the same today, and now as then to be and speak prophetically will call for faith and courage.  Speaking prophetically will be of no use unless we are living prophetically, which is another aspect we would do well to consider.

One possible aspect of prophetic ministry might be the ability to preach in a way that makes the Bible speak into our lives in a profound way.  I love that famous quotation from John Robinson (1576- 1625), "God has yet more light and truth to break forth from his Holy Word". 

So, "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy." (1Corinthians 14:1)

From the Diary
Sunday 18th - Yelvertoft Congregational Church
Monday 19th - Visit to Stockingford, Nuneaton to assist a church to be a safer place for children and vulnerable adults.
Tuesday 20th - Wednesday 21st - Free Churches Group Residential Meeting, Birmingham
Wednesday later afternoon - pastoral counselling, Long Buckby, Northants.
Thursday 22nd - Pastoral visits locally
Sunday 25th - Yelvertoft Congregational Church
Prison: We have now been told that we can proceed planning an event for the Choir at HMP Gartree and have a provisional date in June.  This is an important aspect of rehabilitation and provides an opportunity for the men in the choir to serve others.

Thank you for your fellowship in the gospel,

Barry

Competent to Correct

It was Jay E Adams in his book Competent to Counsel. (Zondervan. 1986. ISBN 0-310-51140-2) who first opened my mind to the biblical principle of nouthetic counselling.  I was immediately excited by what I read there and it has been a guiding principle in my pastoral ministry ever since. I haven't got space here to expand sufficiently on this topic so I commend the book.  Try your local Christian book shop first but if all fails it is available on Amazon, with a Kindle version also available.

Adams draws on a number of passages in the New Testament where the Greek word nouthesia (or a related word) appears.  It is usually translated as to correct or admonish.   As you will see from the various Bible references I will provide in a moment, this is something that all Christians should be able to do - but it does require a level of maturity.  But that is something we should all aim to attain.  Adams argues that the process involves confrontation or challenge, but that it is always offered in a positive, loving and helpful way.

Such a biblical approach is in stark contrast to the harsh, accusing, censorious and acerbic rebukes that are all too often used whenever one Christian sees another coming short of the standard of conduct he believes to be correct.  What regularly distresses me is that we so easily become legalistic about so many things, abandoning the greatest commandments of all in the process.  I have also noted that sincere evangelicals are sometimes among the most guilty, while they are often the most vocal against legalism!  We all need to search our hearts.  If we do not have love then we are clanging gongs, worthless and having and gaining nothing (1Corinthians 13: 1-3).

Jesus had something to say about this that involves trying to remove some small matter from the eye of a person while failing to see the much larger matter in our own eyes (Matthew 7: 3 - 5).  Now, the eagle-eyed (pun intended) will have noted Matthew 7:1 which seems to state clearly that we should never judge another person.  But if that is understood as a categorical forbidding to judge then it would contradict other passages of scripture as well as making nonsense.  We cannot go through life without making judgements about  what is right and rong, who can be trusted, and who cannot be trusted, etc.  What the opening part of Matthew 7 is warning against is the exercise of a harsh and critical spirit.

So let's look at a few key verses that refer to this better (nouthetic) approach to correction. Please remember that the basis on which any confrontation and attempt at correction is made must always be based upon a loving concern for the welfare of the other person and must include support and help.

In Romans 15:14 we read,  "I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct (noutheteo) one another."  The word tranjslated here in the NIV as instruct is not the Greek word for teach.  This is corrective instruction.  Here is an indication that all Christians should be able to offer such help, but we note that the qualifications for competence are a sufficiency of goodness and knowledge.

Sometimes the Greek word is translated "warn" such as in Acts 20:31 where Paul refers to his ministry at Ephesus over three years - but note that he did so with much compassion as he refers to his tears.  We also find it translated as "warn" in 1 Corinthians 4:14 where it is used in a loving sense.

Colossians 3:16 sets the process of admonition in the context of worship:  "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."

In 2 Thessalonians 3 Paul writes about professing Christians who are determinedly idle, disruptive and living lives contrary to what was expected of Christians.  Paul tells the others to dissociate themselves but always to treat them as brothers or sisters and not as if they were the enemy.

Spiritual maturity is seen not only in the ability to admonish others properly but also to be admonished by others.  As Paul writes in 1Thessalonians 5:12  "Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you."

It is all too easy to become overbearing and judgemental concerning the faults we see in others but we are likely to more effective when we can see our own weaknesses.  For two years during my training I supported myself by working in a small Valuation Office in Hastings.  At tea breaks all the staff (except the tree top bosses) gathered together.  Criticism was not unusual, but a dear older man would say softly, "The faults we see in others are most often to be found in ourselves".

If we are to move on in our faith, grow closer to God, and have churches that reflect Christ's glory, then we will need to learn to admonish one another from a basis of healthy self-criticism, with a spirit of love and generosity that is always caring, supportive and helpful.  We can do better in this area, and we might need to start by apologising when we have failed.

From the diary
Thank you for praying for my activities over the past week.  We had an excellent time at the prison on Tuesday which was followed in the evening with a productive meeting as a group of villages plan activities under the Hope Together banner.

On Wednesday and Thursday I was engaged in various meetings in East Sussex.  Some of these are of a confidential nature and I value your continued prayer that I might be wise in dealing with these.

On Saturday I was in Leeds meeting with about a dozen Salvation Army Officers and a key person from the Roman Catholic Church exploring safeguarding matters.  I was very encouraged by the warm comments at the end of the day.  It was a fruitful but tiring week.

This week I will be spending most of my time working on our charity accounts and preparing for our trustees meeting.  I will be in HMP Gartree as usual on Tuesday afternoon.  There is a staff management meeting on Wednesday evening and a Bible Discussion meeting on Thursday morning.  On Saturday Doreen and I will be supporting an Induction Service for a new minister at a church near Leicester.  On Sunday we will be back at Yelvertoft.

Thank you for all your continuing prayers.

Barry

The main thing is...

One of the classic quotes regarding efficient management is "The main thing is that the main thing must remain the main thing".  I suspect, however, that all of us find it difficult to stick with the main thing occasionally.  Probably my favourite illustration in this regard is a company that was created some years ago when good quality clothes cost more money than most people had to spend.  This company's mission was to provide quality clothes at an affordable price.  Over the years they developed a significant reputation and if you had, for example, a jacket with their label in it you knew you had a quality garment that had been purchased for a reasonable price.

As time went by market trends changed.  The high street shops, to whom that company sold their clothes, started to disappear to be replaced by department stores and even supermarkets selling clothing.  As the business looked into the face of disaster an emergency board meeting was held at which a young director suggested that they should negotiate with one of these low cost outlets for an exclusive deal.  "After all", he claimed, "we are still able to produce high quality clothes at amazingly low price.  We just need an outlet."

The idea caught on and the board discussed what the implications might be.  A higher level of output would be needed but they had space to expand their premises and there would be no problem in taking on and training new staff.  It all looked positive until one of the older directors asked for one final think about what they were about to leap into.  What, he wanted to know, might be any other consequences?  The young director thought for a while then added, "I guess they will want their label in our products."

Suddenly there was an uproar.  They had built up their reputation over years.  Our label means something to people.  The older directors were horrified at the idea that a supermarket label might appear within their garments.  The proposal was overturned.  The company struggled on for a few more years but just before it died it was bought out by a supermarket that sacked the board, expanded the business and continued making quality clothes at an affordable price.

The lesson of this story is that the older directors had forgotten the main thing.  Their mission was not the perpetuation of a reputation but the provision of quality clothing at affordable prices.  Occasionally I find myself having gone into a room in my house but unable to remember why I went there.  Sometimes I go back from where I had come to see if it jogs my mind.  On other occasions I will just find something else useful to do and hope that the real reason will come back to me.  I fear that this is what most of our churches are doing.

The late Professor Donald McGavran, pioneer of church growth thinking, used to say that the reason most churches were not growing was because they were busy doing lots of things they should but at the expense of the thing they must.  All over the UK church members are pouring money and energy and spending irreplaceable time doing good things but at the cost of doing the one thing that Jesus asked his disciples to do.  And how is that working out in our personal lives?  How much time are we devoting to the main thing God wants of us?

This challenge took on special relevance for me this week as I sent off a form withdrawing from the MPhil research programme with Winchester University.  I have not stopped - nor do I intend stopping - the actual research work, exploring how evangelism is understood and practised within rural England.  My problem has been that by doing it as part of an MPhil it required such a high amount of time that it threatened my ability to engage in other aspects of ministry.  I had to ask myself "What has God called you to do?".  At this stage in my life the Masters Degree would have been nice but not necessary.  If pursuing that interfered with my ability to be available to minister to the needs of others then I would be wrong.

Fortunately, the journey so far with Winchester University is not wasted.  It has provided focus for carrying out the research.  I have undertaken and passed modules on research skills.  My university supervisor has offered continuing support at any time and has been very encouraging.  But taking the step of actually sending off  the withdrawal form sent me into an emotional roller coaster.  I struggled to be sure that the main thing was still going to be the main thing.  Letting go and giving up does not come easily to me.  But focus is vital for efficiency.

Jesus had something to say about this in Matthew 23:23-24.  Here he warns the Pharisees and teachers of the Law that their religious particularity was at the expense of core values of justice and mercy.  It was as if, concerned not to swallow something unpleasant they strained out gnats from their drink but swallowed a camel!  Jesus was not condemning their concern to honour God by the giving of tithes (though hey did take it to ridiculous extremes) but it was the fact that at the same time they missed the main thing.

So what might the parallels be for us today.  God calls us to a life lived "in the Spirit", that is to be like Jesus.  In the Gospels we see a contrast to the teaching of Jesus and that of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.  They fussed over rules and regulations and nuanced interpretation of the Law.  Jesus majored on love, healing and forgiveness - for which he paid the ultimate price.  Even then, on the cross, he was still ministering to those around him and praying for forgiveness for those who harmed him.  I'm not just concerned about the hurt and harm done within and between churches by our devoted particularity with doctrine and obsession on stamping down on anyone who fails to perform to standards we have set them (though I am sure the heart of God aches at the trail of damage we leave behind us).  I am also concerned that those who have not yet discovered life in Jesus fail to see the power of love, healing and forgiveness.  The tragedy is that they often spot the camels we are swallowing while we can only spot the gnats.

In our personal lives, in our relationships in church, in our relationships between churches whose practises vary from ours, in our relations with those around us whom God loves so fantastically, is love the main thing for us?  It's time to stop and to ask ourselves whether the main thing is still the main thing.  if it is not then the main thing for us is to put it back.  For far too many of us we need to stop our obsession with gnats if it is leading to swallowing camels.

So, in asking for your prayers this week, I ask that you pray that in every sense I will know and then act upon those things that God would have me to prioritise.  I promise to pray that for you too.

Other matters for prayer from the diary
Sunday 4th May 10.45 Yelvertoft Congregational Church; 6.00 Harborough Congregational Church

Tuesday 6th May HMP Gartree in the afternoon and a 'Hope in our Villages' planning meeting in the evening.

Wednesday 7th I travel to East Sussex for various meetings and activities related to Action for Christ through Wednesday to Friday 9th lunch time.  Some of this time my colleagues and I will be dealing with difficult situations that require wisdom.

Friday evening I travel to Leeds, Yorkshire ready to work through Saturday 10th teaching on the Salvation Army Safeguarding Programme. Then back home, ready for Sunday ministry.

It will be a busy week so please pray that in the busy-ness there will remain quality time with God.  I also value your prayers for Doreen during my absences from home.

Thank you.

Barry

Down from the Mountain

I'm not sure when or how a copy of Marvin Fieldhouse's devotional book Seed for the Sower came into my possession but the spirituality reflected in its pages found an echo in my hear from the first page I read.  Marvin was a missionary for many years in Japan and was associated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, having come to faith in their Tabernacle, in Calgray, Alberta.  I hope to get hold of a collection oi his poems.  Some are sprinkled through the book.  It was the first one that grabbed my attention and which I particularly wish to refer to here.  It is entitled Go get thee down.

Before I share the words of the poem I wish to take up its theme both in the light of this coming Sunday (sometimes referred to as low Sunday) and also Doreen's and my recent experiences at the Leaders Conference run by the Congregational Federation.  I am also reminded of an occasion where I shared in a Prayer Meeting at Moriah Chapel, Loughor in south Wales.  It was here that Evan Roberts grew up and where prayer meetings held here became a significant factor in what developed into the Welsh Revival of 1904.  We were there to help promote rural evangelism in Wales.  At the end of the meeting one lady said to me and her pastor, "Ar y mynydd gyda Iesu" (On the mountain with Jesus).  It had certainly felt like that.

While we treasure such mountain top experiences these are not usually places where we have to abide, despite the ideas that Peter, James and John had when they were on the mountain with Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8).  Moses also had his mountain experience with God, such that his face radiated the glory of God for some time afterwards (Exodus 34:29-30).  But these were momentary episodes and the work to which God called all of them called them down from the mountain.

It may be that you have had a brilliant Easter (I did) or like me have had the blessing of a time at a Christian conference.  It has been a mountain experience for you - and I hope you will have many more such experiences but God calls you and me to come off the mountain to respond to the needs of others.  HJere's Marvin Fieldhouse's poem based on Exodus 32:7.

Interrupted Communion

"Go, get thee down!" The mount of vision darkens,

And clouds arise.

The voice that spoke

Spake loud, and with surprise.

"Go, get thee down!" And with communion gone

I too must go.

I make great haste

To find the road below.

"Go, get thee down!" I choose to quit the mount

In mortal pain.

But quit I must

To find the common plain.

"Go, get thee down!" Folk that are needy

And unfit are there.

They wait, and need

Some rapture you can share.

"Go, get thee down!"  The meditations sweet 

And long and oft

Can gender sight,

And some may look aloft.

"Go, get thee down!" O my soul, tarry not

At th sweet fount!

Go down, and bring

Another to the mount!

I like the line "I choose to quit the mount in mortal pain"  There are times when re-engaging with work, or school, or the children (?), or the church (think of Paul's words about that which comes on him daily in 2 Corinthians 11:28) are not as welcome as perhaps they should be.  It is the cost of what we must leave that makes it painful; not what we return to.

I have often pondered on what Philip might have felt when God called him to leave the revival that was happening in Samaria with attendant crowds in order to go firstly to a wilderness place, and then just to speak with one person.  I wonder why did Philip have to go?  Were the apostles and Christians in Jerusalem (just up the road) all too busy?  Had some experience in cross-cultural ministry made him the right person, perhaps?  God sometimes calls us away from the place where we have felt we should stay.  This was true when I had to leave the work of Mission for Christ after 25 years.  It was also true when suddenly I had no alternative than to walk away after 21 years of ministry (it overlapped) at The Tabernacle in Hastings.  It was true yet again when the time came to leave the exciting work we had helped to establish at Herstmonceux.  Are you facing a call to leave something where you would rather stay?

Fieldhouse filled Seed for the Sower with many excellent meditations on scripture.  But he chooses to conclude with one more poem, added after the readings for December 31st,

Dester Experiences

Go down to the desert, O Philip.

Go down to the desert today.

To Gaza, the gateway to sand dunes.

Be up, and be gone, and away!

The angel so spake, and I acted.

I went at his word and I found

That the road was a track for a camel,

And all was a wilderness 'round.

I thought, I should be with my preaching -

The crowds were attentive and near.

What purpose could God have in sending

A Philip like me over here?

Oh, stop it! You blasphemeing reason!

It's God, not the work, that's your goal.

Go on in the place that is desert,

And let him commune with your soul.

Is silence a sin in the desert?

Relax from your beehivish strain!

Tune into the quiet of heaven;

Let Jesus in solitude reign.

"So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet..."

Being called down or away is always costly, but our wonderful Saviour left more than that for you and me. Remember "It's God, not the work, that's your goal."

From the diary

We thank God for Easter experiences including new adults and more children at the Family Service on the Sunday at Yelvertoft.

We tank God for blessings through the Leaders Conference that followed through the week; for rest, refreshment and new ideas and insight.

Sunday 27th April I will be leading our worship at Yelvertoft Congregational Church.  This is followed by a relatively quiet week which will allow me to catch up on some important administration and prepare for various events coming soon.  However, I plan to be at HMP Gartree on Tuesday afternoon and back to Yelvertoft on Thursday for the Bible Discussion meeting.

On Friday evening I will share in a meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee.

Thank you for your prayers and the many messages that we have received that reflect on how this blog is appreciated.  Do encourage others to visit http://ruralmission.blogspot.com if you find it a blessing.

Thank you.

Easter and Me

Fifty one years ago I had an amazing Easter experience.  It was wholly unexpected and changed my life completely.

I was born just after WW2 and it was customary in those days for most children to go to Sunday School.  Miss Hatton, the lady who lived six doors from our home was already taking my brother and several other children each Sunday and was glad to include me at a very early age.  This was in the days when TV was a rare thing and all shops and businesses closed for Sundays.  My typical day was to go to church in the morning (being allowed to leave at half time), then back for Sunday School in the afternoon, and then usually back in the evening.  In the summer there would be an open air service after church on Hastings Seafront.

A passion for a career in the Royal Navy had led me to join Sea Cadets as soon as I was old enough and this provided an opportunity to forsake the church routines.  I remember arguing with my parents that I was not abandoning church as there was always a Church Parade at Sea Cadets on Sundays.  I also remember arguing with myself that by abandoning church I was not actually abandoning God.  But I did abandon holiness and my lifestyle for several years was pretty corrupt and included organising sordid parties for year 11 school friends and our girlfriends.

On one such occasion I had to take a friend to hospital after his eye had been badly cut by a girls shoe being thrown around.  While at the hospital I saw a man brought in paralytically drunk and bleeding profusely from a cut nose.  Apparently his wife had smashed a glass in his face as she didn't like the way he was groping a young girl on his lap.  This was described as 'having a good time''.  I sensed a voice saying, "This is how you will end up if you don't change".

I tried changing but found it very hard.  Then one day a man called John Eaves, who I didn't know, gave me a gospel leaflet in unusual circumstances.  John went home and organised prayer for me to become a Christian (also unknown to me).  Not one word had passed between us but he knew God had a plan for my life.  Ironically,  I was on my way to Sea Cadets when he passed me the leaflet, and he thought I was a sailor as I was wearing uniform.

Later, in the privacy of my bedroom, I read the leaflet.  It had a ridiculous story but was so relevant to my own life.  It also had one verse from the Bible: "[Jesus said,] Whoever comes to me I will never turn away" (John 6:37).  I prayed, "If this is true, please accept me as I am with all its mess."  There was no angel choir or anything dramatic but my life began to change from that day.  I became less self centred.  I had doubts about my career and chose instead to try to become a school teacher specialising in underprivileged children.  I joined a youth group at the church I had abandoned where I was cunningly manipulated into speaking on my favourite Psalm.  I spent a week preparing a talk on Psalm 121 but on the night I spoke on Psalm 23 in which I acknowledged that I had been a sheep that had gone astray and that Jesus was the Good Shepherd who had sought and found me.

Rosemary, a girl I had hoped would be present to hear my talk was unable to go that evening and I got on my bike to ride home alone.  Only it wouldn't move!  It was if it had been set in concrete!  I turned to find the church minister, Gordon Hunt, had gripped the saddle.  "Now that I know where you stand, when can I baptise you?" he asked.  Unable to come up with a good answer quickly enough I found myself roped into a series of pre-baptism classes in this Baptist church.  Others enrolled included the brothers of my girlfriend.

The event was to take place on Easter Sunday 1963.  I had done the course.  I knew and understood what it was all about but this was mostly at the level of mental acknowledgement only.  Gordon had been plugging an event on Easter Saturday where Sylvia Smith, a young female evangelist would be speaking.  Sylvia, we were told, worked among London's strippers and prostitutes.  It sounded interesting so I went along and sat at the back.

After telling us about her work Sylvia slipped seamlessly into a talk based on the words of Jesus on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing". She cleverly gave a verbal portrait of each of the main characters whose action or lack of it had led to the crucifixion of Jesus.  In every one I recognised myself.  After each character Sylvia repeated the words of that prayer, "Father forgive them..."  Something extraordinary began to happen as I listened.  I felt God's love for me.  I knew that the mind-blowing love that enabled Jesus to pray those words was the love he felt for me!

As we sang the closing hymn I prayed for God to help me to mean the words we sang: "Love, so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all".  I surrendered.  The following evening, before a packed church, I blurted out some words of testimony and was baptised by immersion.  We sang two great hymns.  'And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood?' and 'To God be the glory, great things he has done'. Now that the gospel had spread from my head to my heart I sang with unbounded enthusiasm.

Miss Hatton, John Eaves, Rosemary Ralph, Gordon Hunt, and Sylvia Smith were just a few who influenced my life up to that point in Easter 1963.  I thank God for them all and pray that this Easter 2014 something of the power that changed my life that weekend will be found in the words I share in leading worship this Sunday.  Easter - it's when new life begins!

For your prayers this week  
I will be leading and speaking at Yelvertoft Congregational Church this Sunday and on the following Sunday.

Doreen and I will be attending a Church Leaders' Conference from Tuesday to Friday.  We pray that it will be a time of spiritual and physical refreshment for all attending.

No other major activities this week.

Have a great Easter.

Barry

Guilty or Not Guilty?

I wonder what your personal and private response has been to outcomes from recent high profile sex crimes trials.  My own response has been to regret that such trials are dealt with by juries and of course that the media are unhelpful.

There is little worse than finding yourself as front page news as a result of accusations that are false.  Such false allegations can ruin careers and lives even if they are found not guilty by a jury of their peers. The recent series of high profile cases has brought some criticism of the CPS but I wonder if it might be helpful if I share some of my own insight into the system.

A man I know lived with the knowledge that an older and senior Christian leader had entrapped him in what he considered to be inappropriate sexual activity when he was very much younger and naive.  It had left him feeling dirty, guilty and confused.  But he had forgiven the older man, warning him that if he ever discovered that the older man had acted similarly to others he would blow the whistle.

Life went on apparently normally for about another 20 years until he heard of another young man who had allegedly suffered similar experiences as he worked with the older man.  Immediately he took steps to encourage a thorough but discreet investigation through the local church and Christian organisation in which the older man worked.  All attempts proved useless even after several other men made sworn affidavits (the same as testimony under oath) alleging sexual misconduct by the older man.  It also meant that the first younger man had to talk about personal things he felt to be shameful.  That would have been costly. All this happened some years ago when churches and Christian organisations were not as well informed about reporting allegations to the police.

Another twelve years passed at which time the original younger man - now middle aged - became concerned that others might be at risk.  By then he had discovered that sexual abuse can often become habitual and even addictive behaviour.  Though he hated to do it he felt he had to talk to the police.  To reveal that improper behaviour had taken place in a Christian context felt shameful.  However, he was shocked when the response of the police was to state that what had happened to him those many years before was criminal and not just inappropriate.

A detailed statement was recorded and the police asked to see the affidavits.  But the solicitor who had been entrusted with the documents had shredded the files!  A statement was taken from the second younger man (now also middle aged) and the information passed to the CPS who decided there was sufficient evidence to bring the matter to court.  On being arrested the older man confessed to the activities reported but claimed that he was the innocent victim and not the perpetrator.  The case eventually came to court after several more years and the older man pleaded not guilty.

The not guilty plea meant that the two who had been the victims of his abuse had to relate graphically the things that had been done to them. The younger man who had blown the whistle spoke clearly and confidently as he was led through his statement and then cross examined.  The other younger man shook visibly and wept as he gave his evidence and was cross examined.  Both found this an ordeal.

The barrister acting for the CPS had arrived late and refused to talk with the prosecution witnesses before the trial began.  It soon appeared that he could have been better prepared.  By contrast the barrister representing the man on trial had come prepared with material that might have been refuted if the CPS barrister had been more prepared.  An additional problem was that a significant proportion of the jury were younger men and women who would have had difficulty in understanding the culture at the time the original alleged offences took place.

Ironically the man was found guilty on all charges relating to the second younger man but not guilty on all charges relating to the younger man who had blown the whistle!  The police and CPS were shocked at what they saw as injustice.  However, the court of law had passed its verdict.  Knowing the man who had blown the whistle I have no doubt as to his integrity.  For him it had been a costly journey over many years.  He would be left with the shadow of the abuse he had experienced hanging over him with no proper closure.  I cannot help but wonder whether there are complainants in recent cases that might  find themselves feeling similarly.  But men have stood trial before their peers and proclaimed innocent.  In the eyes of the law that is what they are.

Before the CPS bring sexual abuse cases to court they have to be strongly convinced that the evidence is sufficient to obtain a guilty verdict and, where there are several witnesses, that there is no conflict of evidence.  So coming back to the story I have shared with you (one of a number of cases with which I am familiar) what have I concluded?

It is clear that there are guilty people who are found not guilty and innocent people that are found guilty.  The outcome in a court depends substantially on the experience and skill of the barristers.  Courtrooms are places where a drama is performed with several actors. A witty and well prepared barrister who can make a passionate case for his/her client is of value.  A barrister who has not invested time and emotion in engaging with the case is a liability.  Court cases are costly financially so if the prosecution or defence has sufficient funds they will be able to employ the best firms to represent them.  That is not just.  It is not only about the facts; it is about a performance that convinces - or fails to convince - the jury.

In my opinion bringing such cases to court using the present system carries risks to both parties and is incredibly painful either for someone innocently accused or those who have to relate hurtful experiences.  Furthermore we are risking justice itself.  I would much rather have such cases heard in private before a panel of judges and determined on a majority decision of that court.  I believe this might be the case in France.

But no human system of justice can be 100% perfect.  By contrast, this is not he case when we stand before God.  In Psalm 51 David pleads guilty to the dreadful crimes he committed.  He offers no plea of mitigation.  He describes himself to be a sinner and uses all three concepts of sin within Hebrew understanding.  I love his statement about the one before whom we will all one day stand "...you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge."

Many men and women might boast "I was found not guilty" but might know in their hearts that they are guilty, But the fallible courts in which we stand on earth will be eclipsed by that greater time of judgement that is inevitable.  Better to plead guilty here and hear God's gracious words of pardon now than to plead not guilty here only to hear that overturned in eternity. What matters most is not our state in the eyes of the law but our state in the eyes of God.

Thank you for your prayers
Were you praying for me around 4.30 to 5.00 last Saturday afternoon (5th April)?  If so, thank you as I was saved from a potentially serious accident when driving home from Devon.  It had been a very busy but fruitful time there.  On Thursday, after the morning's Lent Bible Discussion, I had travelled from Leicestershire to Brayford in north Devon to work throughout Friday with the Methodist Church.  On Saturday I had called in on a Congregational Church on Exmoor to encourage the minister, and then enjoyed lunch with old Christian friends near Tiverton.  Thursday to Sunday was an intensive time of work (approximately 48 hours of work over the four days).

We had also had a profitable day on Tuesday, firstly with the visit to Gartree Prison in the afternoon and then with a planning meeting for Hope in our Villages that will involve our church in Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire.  I had experienced a very blessed service on Sunday 30th March at Gartree Prison, and numbers in the male voice choir have been growing each week for three weeks.

Please continue to pray for the churches and people following all these activities.

On Palm Sunday I will be preaching at Yelvertoft Parish Church at a Joint Service in the village.  On Wednesday 16th we are holding our next Messy Church event.  See www.yelvertoftchurch.org.uk for more information about our ministry there.

As we celebrate Easter over coming days I pray that your heart will leap at the wonder of the gospel we proclaim.

Happy Easter.

Barry