Reflections
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EASTER SUNDAY John 20:1-18
Belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus is absolutely fundamental for Christians.
Yet for some it is a doubtful or difficult concept.
Initially the disciples of Jesus could not believe it either.
But the many appearances of the risen Christ to them and others over a forty-day period convinced them otherwise. Indeed, the proof that Jesus had risen from the dead must have given them tremendous confidence in spreading the Gospel message as they did.
For us it is more difficult. Unlike them we have not physically met the risen Christ. The people at Corinth had the same difficulty and Paul deals with this in chapter 15 of his first letter to them. It really comes down to straightforward logic. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then death is final and not even Christ was raised. Our preaching is useless and so is our faith and our Gospel is false. If Christ has been raised then resurrection is possible and death can be overcome.
We too can anticipate our own resurrection and eternal life with God.
This day, the most important in the Christian calendar, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and by God’s grace, the hope of our own.
Christ is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Win Howard.
Belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus is absolutely fundamental for Christians.
Yet for some it is a doubtful or difficult concept.
Initially the disciples of Jesus could not believe it either.
But the many appearances of the risen Christ to them and others over a forty-day period convinced them otherwise. Indeed, the proof that Jesus had risen from the dead must have given them tremendous confidence in spreading the Gospel message as they did.
For us it is more difficult. Unlike them we have not physically met the risen Christ. The people at Corinth had the same difficulty and Paul deals with this in chapter 15 of his first letter to them. It really comes down to straightforward logic. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then death is final and not even Christ was raised. Our preaching is useless and so is our faith and our Gospel is false. If Christ has been raised then resurrection is possible and death can be overcome.
We too can anticipate our own resurrection and eternal life with God.
This day, the most important in the Christian calendar, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and by God’s grace, the hope of our own.
Christ is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Win Howard.
JESUS PREDICTS HIS DEATH (John 12:20-33)
Arriving in Jerusalem for the last time Jesus tells his disciples the shortest of all parables.
A grain of wheat never produces more grain until it falls to the ground and dies.
Jesus was predicting his own death as being necessary for his ministry to succeed.
The death of the Son of God would result in the salvation of many.
Some Greek converts to Judaism were visiting Jerusalem for the Passover festivities and were keen to meet
Jesus. Their interest might have provided Jesus with an opportunity to return with them to Greece and thus
avoid the agony and horror of the death he knew was awaiting him.
Though his heart was troubled he rejected praying to God for deliverance.
If Jesus had yielded to the temptation of avoiding the Cross there would have been no resurrection and both he and his message would likely only be footnotes in history.
His teaching and example would have been lost and there would now be no Gospel of love, hope, forgiveness and
salvation. Jesus died that we might live.
Win Howard
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WHY JESUS CAME (John 3:14-21)
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council, sought a late night talk with Jesus. Jesus told him God so loved the people of this world he sent his only Son to live among them -not to condemn them for their misdeeds, but to save them.
All they had to do was to be born again -a concept Nicodemus completely misunderstood.
Jesus explained the rebirth of which he spoke was obviously not physical.
It meant a complete change of direction in people's lives, attitudes and relationships.
People could choose to believe by placing their absolute faith and trust in him.
This includes believing all that he stands for, and his promise of eternal life with God.
Because God loves us, whoever we are or whatever we have done, we are saved by God if only we believe. This is the good news -what we call the Gospel. If we don't believe we condemn ourselves.
Win Howard
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council, sought a late night talk with Jesus. Jesus told him God so loved the people of this world he sent his only Son to live among them -not to condemn them for their misdeeds, but to save them.
All they had to do was to be born again -a concept Nicodemus completely misunderstood.
Jesus explained the rebirth of which he spoke was obviously not physical.
It meant a complete change of direction in people's lives, attitudes and relationships.
People could choose to believe by placing their absolute faith and trust in him.
This includes believing all that he stands for, and his promise of eternal life with God.
Because God loves us, whoever we are or whatever we have done, we are saved by God if only we believe. This is the good news -what we call the Gospel. If we don't believe we condemn ourselves.
Win Howard
Balance In Life
MARK 6:31 NIV 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
Balance is a difficult thing to achieve in this fast-paced life.
Success usually requires discipline, a large commitment of time, and a lot of hard work.
But sometimes what's needed is to take a vacation!
Taking a trip is not always necessary, but taking a break from your normal routine is.
You need time to think, and time to listen to what God is saying to you - as well as physical rest. Without taking time to "recharge your batteries" you will never be your best.
People who face relentless responsibilities, such as pastors, mothers of young children, care givers, and owners of small businesses, especially need an occasional break.
(Be creative. It doesn't have to be expensive.)
We want to lead productive lives and be fruitful in our walk with the Lord, but we cannot take the place of God. We cannot do everything. We are not God.
Burning out is not a good witness for the Lord, as it makes Him look like a hard taskmaster.
Humans require rest. To continue to be healthy and productive for many years, we must live a balanced life which includes rest and taking time off. Jesus, after his baptism by John the Baptist, went into the wilderness to pray – he sought quiet places on numerous other occasions.
Always keep the big picture in mind.
Pray for God to help you achieve balance in your life.
Reference: www.adevotion.org
MARK 6:31 NIV 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
Balance is a difficult thing to achieve in this fast-paced life.
Success usually requires discipline, a large commitment of time, and a lot of hard work.
But sometimes what's needed is to take a vacation!
Taking a trip is not always necessary, but taking a break from your normal routine is.
You need time to think, and time to listen to what God is saying to you - as well as physical rest. Without taking time to "recharge your batteries" you will never be your best.
People who face relentless responsibilities, such as pastors, mothers of young children, care givers, and owners of small businesses, especially need an occasional break.
(Be creative. It doesn't have to be expensive.)
We want to lead productive lives and be fruitful in our walk with the Lord, but we cannot take the place of God. We cannot do everything. We are not God.
Burning out is not a good witness for the Lord, as it makes Him look like a hard taskmaster.
Humans require rest. To continue to be healthy and productive for many years, we must live a balanced life which includes rest and taking time off. Jesus, after his baptism by John the Baptist, went into the wilderness to pray – he sought quiet places on numerous other occasions.
Always keep the big picture in mind.
Pray for God to help you achieve balance in your life.
Reference: www.adevotion.org
LISTEN TO HIM (Mark 9:2-9)
Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, James and John, up a high mountain in the far north of the country. There they witnessed an incredible sight. Dazzling light radiated from Jesus' person and clothing.
Two other figures appeared talking with Jesus. The disciples identified them as Moses and Elijah. A cloud enveloped them all and a voice said, "This is my Son whom I love. Listen to him". The disciples were terrified, Peter babbling about building shelters. Then it was all over and they were alone with Jesus.
All the Gospels report this story except John, where there is a brief reference to Jesus being seen in all his glory (John 1:14). A few days beforehand Peter had said he thought Jesus was the Christ. Now there could be no doubt whatever in their minds about who Jesus really was.
We may yearn at times for a mountain top experience confirming God's presence in our lives and feel our faith is lacking if it doesn't happen. Then again we may be able to recall events where we felt sure God was right there with us. As his disciples we must trust him, love him and listen to him, relying on his assurance that each of us will be changed, forgiven and forever be in his presence.
Win Howard. Feb 2021
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Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, James and John, up a high mountain in the far north of the country. There they witnessed an incredible sight. Dazzling light radiated from Jesus' person and clothing.
Two other figures appeared talking with Jesus. The disciples identified them as Moses and Elijah. A cloud enveloped them all and a voice said, "This is my Son whom I love. Listen to him". The disciples were terrified, Peter babbling about building shelters. Then it was all over and they were alone with Jesus.
All the Gospels report this story except John, where there is a brief reference to Jesus being seen in all his glory (John 1:14). A few days beforehand Peter had said he thought Jesus was the Christ. Now there could be no doubt whatever in their minds about who Jesus really was.
We may yearn at times for a mountain top experience confirming God's presence in our lives and feel our faith is lacking if it doesn't happen. Then again we may be able to recall events where we felt sure God was right there with us. As his disciples we must trust him, love him and listen to him, relying on his assurance that each of us will be changed, forgiven and forever be in his presence.
Win Howard. Feb 2021
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Is there a lesson here for all of us?
As In this anonymous poem, some people have learnt to face challenges without fear. However, we are reminded that there are many, especially the young, for whom we can, throughout our life, build bridges to help those with challenges and to overcome fear.
Early Christians worked to remove barriers, in the way of people, to know Jesus.
Today we need to build bridges, and also go out and journey with people, as Jesus did.
Let’s build bridges of friendship and dialogue.
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The Bridge Builder
by Anonymous
An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and grey,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide,
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
Yon never again will pass this way;
You've crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?"
The builder lifted his old grey head;
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followed after me to-day
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!"
FISHERS OF MEN (Mark 1:14-20)
Jesus had commenced his ministry, proclaiming the good news that God's kingdom was near.
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee where a thriving fishing industry functioned, he met two sets of brothers busy fishing. He called them to follow him. They immediately dropped what they were doing and did so.
Perhaps it was not quite so sudden. Andrew and his brother Peter were already followers of John the Baptist who had identified Jesus as the Messiah. James and his brother John may also have previously heard Jesus speak. They did not ask to be called. They had no special talents or experience. They embarked on a risky and uncertain future leaving families, homes and businesses behind.
As followers of Jesus we too are called to speak and act in proclaiming his good news.
Like the rich young man (Mk.10:21,22) we are free to say no, but what then is our reason for being? How do we love God with all our being if we do not obey his call?
Win Howard - Jan 2021
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A New Year Prayer
THE WORD WAS GOD (John 1:1-18)
No one has ever seen God but John tells us much about him.
Being eternal, God has always existed and had no beginning. He is the Creator of all things and his Spirit was present at the Creation. He is the source of all life, both physical and spiritual, life that is our light and hope.
In the person of Jesus, he chose to be part of this world he had created, becoming fully human as well as fully divine. Most did not believe him and rejected him. But to those who do believe him he gives the right to become his children, spiritually re-born.
Out of love for us, he came to teach us how to live. He died for us and by his grace offers to save us.
An offer open to each of us, not because of any good we may have done, but because we have placed our belief and trust absolutely in him.
Win Howard - Jan 2021
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Perspectives of Christmas -1
We hear a lot about keeping Christ in Christmas.
I was in a different church from usual and found myself sitting beside a beautiful nativity scene. From a side-on position, I could see, lying behind the stable, neglected and with arms reaching up, Baby Jesus! The little manger was empty.
I wondered if the minister had hidden it there or if it been some childish mischief. If I put it back, would I be spoiling some surprise the minister had set up?
In the end I picked it up and, with a silent prayer of thanks, I laid him in the manger.
The minister saw me and said,’ Ah, I was wondering where our Lord was.’
When it comes to keeping Christ in Christmas, it is not a case of railing against a secular society. It is much more of an individual, personal thing.
Do it for you, and for him. Keep the Lord in your heart and he will always be in Christmas.
Perspectives of Christmas -2
Christmas, in a way, makes no sense.
It’s a mix of traditions any reasoning man can pick apart and scoff at (if he had a heart of stone).
It’s the nonsensical alongside the wonderful, the frivolous beside the deeply spiritual.
If we were to concern ourselves with the reason why we did the anything, we would do half as much – if that – of the things we traditionally do.
But, if it brings people together, if it adds to the joy of the world, does it really need to stand serious enquiry?
As the American author Madeleine L’Engle once wrote, ‘Had Mary been filled with reason, there’d be no room for the child.’
Allow yourself the nonsense, the fun; blend as many traditions as you like if it increases the love
- but, always, remember the child.
From The Friendship Book 2020
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The Puddle.
Mandy looked at the puddle, wondering how to get across it. She wiped rain from her eyelashes and looked up.
A little boy looked out of a bus window. He smiled – the kind of innocent smile that goes straight to the heart – and waved.
‘In that moment,’ she told me, ‘I wasn’t just someone getting soaked. I was part of something. A family. Something bigger, perhaps.
I stepped into that puddle wearing his smile. And I didn’t mind!’ - From The Friendship Book, 2020
In Mark’s Gospel 4:35-41 we are told the story of the sea being whipped up and seemingly dangerous, even to the fisherman among his followers on the boat.
Jesus quietened the waves and then rebuked the men for not having Faith even after a long time with Him learning of His teachings.
In verse 40 Mark wrote: He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Our little story at the beginning can be likened to this gospel story.
Give guidance, re-assurance, even encouragement to a stranger, through the simple, friendly act of a smile or a wave.
You may never know, but your simple actions could well lead to someone taking that step of ‘Faith.’
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Mandy looked at the puddle, wondering how to get across it. She wiped rain from her eyelashes and looked up.
A little boy looked out of a bus window. He smiled – the kind of innocent smile that goes straight to the heart – and waved.
‘In that moment,’ she told me, ‘I wasn’t just someone getting soaked. I was part of something. A family. Something bigger, perhaps.
I stepped into that puddle wearing his smile. And I didn’t mind!’ - From The Friendship Book, 2020
In Mark’s Gospel 4:35-41 we are told the story of the sea being whipped up and seemingly dangerous, even to the fisherman among his followers on the boat.
Jesus quietened the waves and then rebuked the men for not having Faith even after a long time with Him learning of His teachings.
In verse 40 Mark wrote: He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Our little story at the beginning can be likened to this gospel story.
Give guidance, re-assurance, even encouragement to a stranger, through the simple, friendly act of a smile or a wave.
You may never know, but your simple actions could well lead to someone taking that step of ‘Faith.’
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TALENTS (Matthew 25:14-30)
Describing God's kingdom, Jesus told the story of a rich man leaving on a journey. The man entrusted his three servants with huge sums of money for investment while he was away. Upon his return he found two of his servants had doubled the original amounts he had given them and so he congratulated and promoted them both. The third servant however had buried the sum he received in the ground and returned it intact rather than run the risk of losing it from investment. His master berated him for his laziness and dismissed him, pointing out he should at least have banked it and earned interest upon it.
In the story the sums of money are called talents. A talent was a measure of weight equal to about 36 kilograms and also described a quantity of silver of that weight. In value that much silver would have amounted to the entire earnings of a worker over a period of about twenty years. Since Jesus told the story however, a talent in our language has come to include a natural ability or skill possessed by a person. For us, this adds greatly to the significance of the message Jesus gave his disciples.
Jesus’ message is this -all we have is entrusted to us by God as gifts to be applied by us in his service. This includes our material wealth and possessions as well as the abilities, skills and spiritual gifts we were born with or subsequently acquire.Failure to use these God-given gifts through lack of faith, laziness, fear of the risks that might be involved, or any other excuse, can only result in loss, waste and disappointment.
Win Howard
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BE PREPARED (Matthew 25:1-13)
Jesus in this parable likens an important aspect of God's kingdom to a situation that might arise at a Jewish wedding. No less than ten bridesmaids had to wait for the bridegroom to arrive and then escort him to the wedding.
He did not arrive until after midnight and only five of them had sufficient oil in their lamps to enable them to provide the escort. By the time the other five acquired oil they arrived late and were excluded from the ceremony.
The wedding symbolises God's kingdom; the bridegroom is Christ; the bridesmaids are us; the lamps are our lives; and the oil is the Holy Spirit.
The message is that unless we keep our lives filled with the Holy Spirit enabling us to accompany Christ to his kingdom, we face exclusion.
Becoming a disciple of Christ is not just a single occurrence. It is an ongoing and continuous journey. Are we keeping our lamps filled with oil or are we allowing them to go out? We do not know the day or hour of Christ's return which might be at any moment. Are we ready?
Win Howard
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LAW OR LOVE (Matthew 23:1-12)
The Pharisees were respected for their meticulous observance of the Law of Moses and the Oral Tradition which accompanied it. They were intensely proud of their efforts and encouraged everyone to follow their example - an almost impossible task for most to achieve.
Jesus had a very different view of their behaviour as can be seen from the remainder of Matthew 23. He was offended by their self-importance and their legalistic interpretation of the law without regard to its spirit or intent or the need for justice and mercy. For Jesus all the law was covered by just two commandments - love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love one another as yourself.
Jesus condemned the arrogant and self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees. Their primary motivation was receiving praise and prestige rather than offering sincere love and humble service.
There is here a lesson for us all. It is so easy to be seduced by status, honour and recognition and be deluded into thinking we are better than we are.
Win Howard
Perhaps you might list caring, compassion, integrity, trust , love, giving and so on.
You might list 'Faith'.
As a Christian, you might live your life trying to follow Jesus's teaching.
In Mathew 5:16, 'Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven'.
In living our core values this week, let us look at INTEGRITY and you might like to read and think about it. But first, a prayer:
Loving God, give me a pure heart. Help me to do the things I should. Give me light and integrity (honesty and good moral principles), that I may be your presence in the world.
You might like to read Philippians 4:8 - you could Google it on your computer or phone.
Confucius said: 'the strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the individual and the family.'
What role has integrity played in your life?
How do you think others view your integrity?
What behaviour would change in you, if this value was lived more deeply?
Who is a person you know who exemplifies integrity? How does he/she do this ?
Do you know someone lacking integrity?
May you see the face of Christ, in everyone you meet,
May everyone you meet, see the face of Christ in you.
______________________
What did you say?
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Why did God allow the Cornonavirus to happen?
COVID-19 has been compared to other pandemics throughout history, and when there is a deadly, or life threatening event of any kind, which affects one family, a community, or the global population, there are many who ask - Why did God let this happen?
Recently a lady I know was having a clean-up, (as so many of us have in a time of isolation!), and she found an article which is the focus of this week's reflection.
I hope you have also read last week’s Reflection, (below), which basically asks a similar question of you during this COVID-19 global pandemic. Any response is likely to go way beyond the fact that the virus is extremely contagious, that many people around the world have contracted the virus, and a large number of people have died.
What follows may offer some deeper thoughts. The words are from the daughter of a person with a name, that we as Christians, are familiar with. Whilst it is not about a pandemic, can we draw some comparisons?
What do you think? Please put your thoughts into our CHAT section on this website. It is inspiring and challenging to discuss our differing views. After all, politically, economically and socially around the world, there are different approaches and opinions on how to deal with – live with – this pandemic way of life.
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“Why did God allow the September 11 crisis to happen? (2001)
Finally, the Truth - on National TV (USA). Billy Graham’s daughter was being interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her,
‘How could God let something like this happen?’ regarding 9-11-01...
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.
She said, ‘I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leaves us alone?’
I know there has been a lot of e-mails going around in regard to 9/11/2001, but this really makes you think. If you don’t have time, at least skim through it, but the bottom line is something to think about. In light of recent events …..terrorist attack, school shooting etc.
Let’s see. I think it started when Madeline Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body was found recently) complained she didn’t want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide). And we said, an expert should know what he’s talking about so we said, OK.
Then, we said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And the school administrators said no faculty member in his school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don’t want any bad publicity, and we surely don’t want to be sued. (There’s a big difference between disciplining and touching, beating, smacking, humiliating, kicking etc.) and we said, OK.
Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they are going to do it anyway, let’s give our sons all the condoms they want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won’t have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said, OK.
Then some of the top elected officials said it doesn’t matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them, we said it doesn’t matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good.
And then someone said let’s print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation of the female body. And we said, OK.
And then someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then stepped further still by making them available on the internet. And we said, OK, they are entitled to free speech.
And then the entertainment industry said lets make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence and illicit sex. And let’s record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide and satanic themes. And we said it’s just entertainment, it has no adverse effect and nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead.
Now we are asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.
I think it has a great deal with ‘WE REAP WHAT WE SOW’.
‘Dear God, why didn’t you save the little girl killed in her classroom?’
Sincerely, Concerned Student.
AND THE REPLY
‘Dear student. I’m not allowed in schools’.
Sincerely, God.
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how someone can say, ‘I believe in God’’ but still follow satan, who, by the way also ‘believes’ in God.
Funny how we are quick to judge but not be judged. Funny how you can send a thousand ‘jokes’ through email and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass free through cyberspace, but the public discussion of God is suppressed in the school’s and workplace.
Funny how someone can be fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week. Are you laughing? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
Are you thinking?
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then discard it.… no one will know that you did. But, if you discard this thought process, then don’t sit back and complain about what a bad shape the world is in!”
End note:
We see two views widely expressed in most of media:
One: The pandemic has brought people closer together. Yes, we are all in the same boat! And yes, people are bound together by feelings of love, compassion, admiration, justice and other positive feelings, but at the same time, there are feelings of hate, fear, blame, racism, aggression, injustice, jealousy, loathing –and the list goes on….. Hopefully we have learnt a lot, despite the negative aspects.
Hopefully God’s love and the Jesus story may reach people who otherwise may never have found ‘the Good News’, who may never have been into a church – when their doors were open. Apparently, visits to websites on prayer and meditation have increased greatly in COVID times.
The second thing I’ve noticed is the increase in ‘story telling’ during this time. With any sort of mental health problems, storytelling seems one way of working through the problem to improve one’s wellbeing. I have noticed that advertised access to storytelling sessions on offer, seem to have increased recently. Have you any storytelling experiences from a Christian perspective which could help in these times? We’d love to hear from you - so CHAT now!
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Describing God's kingdom, Jesus told the story of a rich man leaving on a journey. The man entrusted his three servants with huge sums of money for investment while he was away. Upon his return he found two of his servants had doubled the original amounts he had given them and so he congratulated and promoted them both. The third servant however had buried the sum he received in the ground and returned it intact rather than run the risk of losing it from investment. His master berated him for his laziness and dismissed him, pointing out he should at least have banked it and earned interest upon it.
In the story the sums of money are called talents. A talent was a measure of weight equal to about 36 kilograms and also described a quantity of silver of that weight. In value that much silver would have amounted to the entire earnings of a worker over a period of about twenty years. Since Jesus told the story however, a talent in our language has come to include a natural ability or skill possessed by a person. For us, this adds greatly to the significance of the message Jesus gave his disciples.
Jesus’ message is this -all we have is entrusted to us by God as gifts to be applied by us in his service. This includes our material wealth and possessions as well as the abilities, skills and spiritual gifts we were born with or subsequently acquire.Failure to use these God-given gifts through lack of faith, laziness, fear of the risks that might be involved, or any other excuse, can only result in loss, waste and disappointment.
Win Howard
_________________
BE PREPARED (Matthew 25:1-13)
Jesus in this parable likens an important aspect of God's kingdom to a situation that might arise at a Jewish wedding. No less than ten bridesmaids had to wait for the bridegroom to arrive and then escort him to the wedding.
He did not arrive until after midnight and only five of them had sufficient oil in their lamps to enable them to provide the escort. By the time the other five acquired oil they arrived late and were excluded from the ceremony.
The wedding symbolises God's kingdom; the bridegroom is Christ; the bridesmaids are us; the lamps are our lives; and the oil is the Holy Spirit.
The message is that unless we keep our lives filled with the Holy Spirit enabling us to accompany Christ to his kingdom, we face exclusion.
Becoming a disciple of Christ is not just a single occurrence. It is an ongoing and continuous journey. Are we keeping our lamps filled with oil or are we allowing them to go out? We do not know the day or hour of Christ's return which might be at any moment. Are we ready?
Win Howard
_____________________
LAW OR LOVE (Matthew 23:1-12)
The Pharisees were respected for their meticulous observance of the Law of Moses and the Oral Tradition which accompanied it. They were intensely proud of their efforts and encouraged everyone to follow their example - an almost impossible task for most to achieve.
Jesus had a very different view of their behaviour as can be seen from the remainder of Matthew 23. He was offended by their self-importance and their legalistic interpretation of the law without regard to its spirit or intent or the need for justice and mercy. For Jesus all the law was covered by just two commandments - love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love one another as yourself.
Jesus condemned the arrogant and self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees. Their primary motivation was receiving praise and prestige rather than offering sincere love and humble service.
There is here a lesson for us all. It is so easy to be seduced by status, honour and recognition and be deluded into thinking we are better than we are.
Win Howard
- =================================================
- Living your Values
Perhaps you might list caring, compassion, integrity, trust , love, giving and so on.
You might list 'Faith'.
As a Christian, you might live your life trying to follow Jesus's teaching.
In Mathew 5:16, 'Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven'.
In living our core values this week, let us look at INTEGRITY and you might like to read and think about it. But first, a prayer:
Loving God, give me a pure heart. Help me to do the things I should. Give me light and integrity (honesty and good moral principles), that I may be your presence in the world.
You might like to read Philippians 4:8 - you could Google it on your computer or phone.
Confucius said: 'the strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the individual and the family.'
What role has integrity played in your life?
How do you think others view your integrity?
What behaviour would change in you, if this value was lived more deeply?
Who is a person you know who exemplifies integrity? How does he/she do this ?
Do you know someone lacking integrity?
May you see the face of Christ, in everyone you meet,
May everyone you meet, see the face of Christ in you.
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What did you say?
Recently I was reading about websites and came across the word ‘Christianese’. I wondered what this was and what is its relevance in today’s church.
Thinking on it, I have noticed that people of various Christian denominations, who attend church regularly, tend to use a ‘normal’ vocabulary throughout the week. However, when attending a church service or function, they resort to a specialised repertoire of words that are not easily understood by those outside the community of faith, or possibly a number of people in it, let alone any people new to church.
Christianese can mean any, or all, of these:
Christianese refers to words Christians use that the unsaved masses are not likely to understand. ie. Christian buzzwords. (‘Unsaved’ is an example of a term only Christians would understand).
Christianese – terms and jargon used within many branches and denominations of Christianity as a functional system of religious terminology. (see what I mean?)
Christianese – a language used in the Christian subculture and usually understood only by other members of that subculture.
A language developed by Christians, solely for the use of Christians.
It can also be referred to as ‘Church Speak’.
As Christian communicators, it’s important to avoid words and terms in our writing, our conversations and church services, that could be misunderstood, or fail to communicate in the desired way, because they only have meaning to those in the Christian subculture.
The point is that words really do matter. The New Testament was originally written in ‘Koine’ Greek, the everyday language of ordinary people, which indicates that ‘the greatest news in the world’ can be communicated without a complex specialised religious vocabulary.
But how many people feel like outsiders in Christian circles because they do not know the lingo? How many people are intimidated when walking through the doors of a church on a Sunday morning or at any time, (unless it is as a tourist looking at a Cathedral)? They already feel like an outsider, a stranger, without being confronted by a different ‘language’.
Is the use of Christianese an unintended, but quick way, to signal, ‘Yes, you are an outsider, and you do not fit in here’ or that ‘we use words here that you may find disturbing or mysterious’? Did Jesus say we had to use so much Christianese language?
Should we confuse or scare them with seemingly inappropriate words or ancient language?
Isn’t it our job as disciples to connect with others in the community and encourage them to find Jesus/God in their lives?
Some examples and interpretations from the references listed include:
Washed by the Blood / Saved by the Blood of the Lamb. Could anything sound more like a cult to an outsider than the mental image of people getting washed in sheep blood?
Body of Christ. Are you talking about Jesus’ physical body or an insider’s metaphor for the church?
Born again. How, ‘physically’ or?
It was the Lords will….when something fails. Is this an excuse for failure of ministry, personal irresponsibility, inaction or sin?
Behold the Blood, (Body) of Christ… What is this that is being served up?
To quote Paul Steinbrueck:
'To avoid Christianese does not mean to eliminate all talk of Christ. It means avoiding talking about Jesus in a way that people, including some current congregation members, would not understand. Christians tend to use ‘insider’ terms such as redemption, sanctification, salvation, liturgy and gospel. That’s fine if you are talking with believers but maybe too many people have been ‘switched off’ by these and similar terms.- Importantly, if we want to share God’s love with unchurched people, and to our congregation, if we want them to feel like they are welcome at our church, then we have to speak about Jesus and the Gospels, in ways they can understand, and relate to, in today’s world.'
References:- Wikipedia
- 12 Christianese Words and Phrases We Need to Explain, Brandon Hilgemann, 23 Aug 2016 (www.propreacher.com)
- Paul Steinbrueck (www.ourchurch.com)
- Church Speak, Strange Things People Say. Msgr Charles Pope, 3 Feb, 2016
- 17 Phrases that Indicate Your’re Fluent in Christianese. Barry Howard, 22 Feb., 2018,
- (www. goodfaithmedia.org)
- Ross Coomber, 16 August, 2020
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Why did God allow the Cornonavirus to happen?
COVID-19 has been compared to other pandemics throughout history, and when there is a deadly, or life threatening event of any kind, which affects one family, a community, or the global population, there are many who ask - Why did God let this happen?
Recently a lady I know was having a clean-up, (as so many of us have in a time of isolation!), and she found an article which is the focus of this week's reflection.
I hope you have also read last week’s Reflection, (below), which basically asks a similar question of you during this COVID-19 global pandemic. Any response is likely to go way beyond the fact that the virus is extremely contagious, that many people around the world have contracted the virus, and a large number of people have died.
What follows may offer some deeper thoughts. The words are from the daughter of a person with a name, that we as Christians, are familiar with. Whilst it is not about a pandemic, can we draw some comparisons?
What do you think? Please put your thoughts into our CHAT section on this website. It is inspiring and challenging to discuss our differing views. After all, politically, economically and socially around the world, there are different approaches and opinions on how to deal with – live with – this pandemic way of life.
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“Why did God allow the September 11 crisis to happen? (2001)
Finally, the Truth - on National TV (USA). Billy Graham’s daughter was being interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her,
‘How could God let something like this happen?’ regarding 9-11-01...
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.
She said, ‘I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leaves us alone?’
I know there has been a lot of e-mails going around in regard to 9/11/2001, but this really makes you think. If you don’t have time, at least skim through it, but the bottom line is something to think about. In light of recent events …..terrorist attack, school shooting etc.
Let’s see. I think it started when Madeline Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body was found recently) complained she didn’t want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide). And we said, an expert should know what he’s talking about so we said, OK.
Then, we said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And the school administrators said no faculty member in his school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don’t want any bad publicity, and we surely don’t want to be sued. (There’s a big difference between disciplining and touching, beating, smacking, humiliating, kicking etc.) and we said, OK.
Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they are going to do it anyway, let’s give our sons all the condoms they want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won’t have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said, OK.
Then some of the top elected officials said it doesn’t matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them, we said it doesn’t matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good.
And then someone said let’s print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation of the female body. And we said, OK.
And then someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then stepped further still by making them available on the internet. And we said, OK, they are entitled to free speech.
And then the entertainment industry said lets make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence and illicit sex. And let’s record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide and satanic themes. And we said it’s just entertainment, it has no adverse effect and nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead.
Now we are asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.
I think it has a great deal with ‘WE REAP WHAT WE SOW’.
‘Dear God, why didn’t you save the little girl killed in her classroom?’
Sincerely, Concerned Student.
AND THE REPLY
‘Dear student. I’m not allowed in schools’.
Sincerely, God.
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how someone can say, ‘I believe in God’’ but still follow satan, who, by the way also ‘believes’ in God.
Funny how we are quick to judge but not be judged. Funny how you can send a thousand ‘jokes’ through email and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass free through cyberspace, but the public discussion of God is suppressed in the school’s and workplace.
Funny how someone can be fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week. Are you laughing? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
Are you thinking?
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then discard it.… no one will know that you did. But, if you discard this thought process, then don’t sit back and complain about what a bad shape the world is in!”
End note:
We see two views widely expressed in most of media:
One: The pandemic has brought people closer together. Yes, we are all in the same boat! And yes, people are bound together by feelings of love, compassion, admiration, justice and other positive feelings, but at the same time, there are feelings of hate, fear, blame, racism, aggression, injustice, jealousy, loathing –and the list goes on….. Hopefully we have learnt a lot, despite the negative aspects.
Hopefully God’s love and the Jesus story may reach people who otherwise may never have found ‘the Good News’, who may never have been into a church – when their doors were open. Apparently, visits to websites on prayer and meditation have increased greatly in COVID times.
The second thing I’ve noticed is the increase in ‘story telling’ during this time. With any sort of mental health problems, storytelling seems one way of working through the problem to improve one’s wellbeing. I have noticed that advertised access to storytelling sessions on offer, seem to have increased recently. Have you any storytelling experiences from a Christian perspective which could help in these times? We’d love to hear from you - so CHAT now!
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- Is God in your Coronavirus world?
The last few months have been challenging, and we will all have our interpretations and personal stories, which we will tell in the years to come.
No doubt there will be a myriad of publications about this pandemic looking at a whole range of different perspectives.
In the recent Bible Society magazine, which I have been reading, there is mention of a new book by an Oxford mathematics professor, John Lennox, that is now available.
He writes how ‘the Christian worldview not only helps us make sense of it, but also offers us a sure and certain hope to cling to.’
The title of this book is: “Where is God in a Coronavirus World?”
Imagine you are having a discussion with friends about this, how would you answer the question?
Perhaps you would like to email, ‘Zoom’ or even meet with friends, if that is possible at this stage, and submit a summary to our Chat site of your shared ideas. Or you can write your own personal response to this question, on our Chat site.- ---------------------------
