the English Reformation.

a verse or two

“For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3

Spiritual Walk and Musings:

Today we will spend some time exploring events surrounding the English Reformation.

We are who we are, not only because of our own individual personalities, but also because of those around us and those who have gone on before us. Today is a chance to ponder past events that still impact us today. In Habakkuk God indicates he is working towards His plan. May we remember that God is working His plan even if no one else is aware. And may we remember that God's plan is fair. Some times this fairness does not seem the case, but in fact the profundity of God's justice and fairness is deeper and more real than the wisest of could ever perceive. 

The following are some historical notes which should help you follow the flow of this morning's message: 

John Wycliffe (1329-84)- called the “Morning Star of the English Reformation.” He attacked Catholic doctrines and practices. His lasting contribution was the translation of the Latin Bible into English.

Westminster Confession (1643-46) - Drawn up at Westminster, London by Scottish and English theologians. Accepted in Scotland but never ratified in England.

Transubstantiation– A key Catholic doctrine stating that the bread and the wine of the Eucharist (Communion) become the actual body and blood of Christ.

Henry VIII (1491-1547) - Tudor King

Catherine of Aragon—1st wife of Henry VIII.

Mary Tudor (1516-1548) - Only surviving child of Henry and Catherine.

Anne Boleyn– 2nd wife of Henry

Elizabeth (1533-1603) - Only child of Henry and Ann.

Jane Seymour—3rd wife of Henry.

Edward(1537-1553) - Only child of Henry and Jane.

Order of Succession: Edward, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth.

Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556)—Archbishop of Canterbury from 1532.

To Pray and Ponder: A prayer by St Thomas More (1478 - 1535)

“Give me, good Lord, an humble, lowly, quiet, peaceable, patient, charitable, kind and tender mind - every shade, in fact, of charity, with all my words and all my works and all my thoughts, to have a taste of thy holy blessed Spirit.” 

God Bless, Jon

A Pharisee and a tax collector

a verse or two - Luke 18:9-14

[Jesus] told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income."

'But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.'

Spiritual Walk and Musings: A Pharisee and a tax collector:

The problem with this story is that as soon as we hear that it is about a Pharisee we know that he is going to come out of it badly. Pharisees always do in Bible stories. Take a moment to appreciate the shock that Jesus' original audience must have felt on being told that a tax collector, treacherously collaborating with the occupying Roman government, was more acceptable to God than a religious celebrity. And then spare a thought for the Pharisee - think about going without water for a day in the dust of Jerusalem whilst praying for the nation, and then imagine yourself doing it regularly twice a week. 

The change of culture between Jesus' time and now tempts us to fall prey to exactly the same kind of self-righteousness. You can imagine a preacher finishing a rousing sermon about this parable by praying, 'God, we thank you that we are not like that proud Pharisee!' The fact is that the truth about us comes out when we are praying. Not when we are praying aloud for others to hear (when one is always aware of the reactions of the human audience as well), but when we are alone with God. 

That is when he listens to urgent, real, sincere prayer with a compassionate ear. But he will listen to proud or hypocritical prayer with a forgiving ear as well - that is the extent of how gracious God is. Why not, like the tax collector; go and stand in a place where you are quite alone, bow your head, put your hands on your chest, and tell God the truth about how you are feeling. [from www.surefish.co.uk]

To Pray and Ponder: A prayer by St Thomas More (1478 - 1535)

“Give me, good Lord, an humble, lowly, quiet, peaceable, patient, charitable, kind and tender mind - every shade, in fact, of charity, with all my words and all my works and all my thoughts, to have a taste of thy holy blessed Spirit.”

Spring

a verse or two - SPRING

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring—
    When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush; 
    Thrush's eggs look little low heavens, and thrush 
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
    The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush 
    The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush 
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.
What is all this juice and all this joy?
    A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning 
In Eden garden. Have, get, before it cloy,(*)
    Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning, 
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,
    Most, 0 maid's child, thy choice and worthy the winning. 

GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS (1844-1889) (*)turning sickly sweet 

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Spring

“GERALD MANLEY HOPKINS wrote some of the most ear-pleasing poetry of the nineteenth century. In his poetry Hopkins always tried to express the inner principle that gave a living object its delicate and surprising uniqueness. He sought to put into words the flow of the spirit's life that sweeps through the dull, dense world of matter and acts on the senses and, through them, makes the object alive to the beholder (or reader) . Here that object is a woodsy marsh in spring. 

Hopkins makes spring come alive to our senses by focusing on how the song of the thrush impacts the human ear rinsing and wringing it, striking it like lightning. He also does the same with the colour blue. This juicy and joyous spring is a "strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning in Eden garden." But just as paradise didn't last long due to humanity's sin, so spring doesn't last long. Thus, Hopkins urges us to enjoy it before it cloys and clouds over.

At the same time he urges us by Christ's power to return to innocence. We can do this by ridding ourselves of this world's encumbrances and enjoying time alone with God in nature by a stream, near the ocean, on a mountaintop, or in the woods. These creations of God still breathe with his creativity and remind us of life before sin corrupted the world.”
[The comments about the poem are from “A Poem A Day” by Philip Comfort & Daniel Partner.]

To Pray and Ponder: Time with God:

As you go around and enjoy the beauty of spring—let your senses inspire you to sing and whisper praise to God. Look at the beauty of God’s handy work. Enjoy the scent of the flowers and the feeling of fresh grass between the toes, or warmer winds on the face. I was sailing last Wednesday evening—in the dark listening to the lapping of the water—heaven. And then there is the sweet taste of honey. 

Oh my soul does rejoice and delight
    in the wonder of Gods handiwork. 
For he made you and me and delights
    in the wonder of His handiwork.
 

God Bless
Jon

Love For All

a verse or two

“My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set them right; but you must do it in a gentle way”. Gal 6:1

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Love For All

Tax collectors were among the most unpopular people in Israel. They were making themselves rich by ripping off their fellow Jews. No wonder the people muttered when Jesus went home with the head tax collector Zacchaeus, a man who was good at being bad. Despite this Jesus loved him; in response, the little tax collector was changed forever. In every society, certain groups of people are considered outcasts because of their political views, immoral behaviour, or lifestyle. Don't give in to social pressure to avoid these people. Jesus loves them, and they need to hear his Good News.[adapted from LABC] 

To Pray and Ponder: A gentle way: I used this prayer halfway through last week's sermon - I thought some folk might like a copy of it.

Lord – help us not to use your tremendous grace as a place to wipe our feet of any responsibility to be responsible people.

Lord – help us not to use your tremendous grace as an excuse to not bother to self improve, to not bother to stop wrongdoing.

And yet Lord – sometimes life turns very difficult to cope with, family get sick, time collapses, prioritising hospital trips and what-not takes over. Or unwanted news from left field kicks when we are down, and Lord, there is no amount of saintliness that can get us through such difficult times without wrongdoing.

Lord - may we be spiritual enough to help, to help those who need help – and may we be able to do it in such a gentle way that no more hurt happens.

And may we who have been hurt, forgive; may we learn and may we move on with no tally of rights and wrongs.

And may we who have been hurt – be able to look at the hurter – and see beyond the hurt done to us and understand how the hurter is hurting, may we see their stress, their anguish, that they are overloaded, and Lord, may we see that they don’t need our judgement, they need our love, our forgiveness and your grace. Amen

God Bless, Jon

kingdom of heaven is like treasure

a verse or two

“[Jesus said,] 'The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44 (NRSV)

Spiritual Walk and Musings:

The following is written by Peter Graystone from www.surefish.co.uk
“I was brought up to go to church (never thinking there was a proper alternative), was dismayed by tragedy into dropping out of worship, and drifted through college life vaguely aware that some truly ghastly people met as a Christian Union. Then in my mid- twenties, not looking for him at all, Jesus took hold of me. It wasn't the church, nor middle-class Christian morality, nor the disciplines of faith (all of which I still struggle with many years later). It was the character of Jesus who reached out and grabbed me and he hasn't let me go, although I've shaken hard enough. The character of the man who - brought up in the artisan middle-classes, educated, intelligent - turned his back on all of that and made his home among the poor, relied on others, defied convention, stayed single, trod a delicate line between friends in the brothel and the synagogue, inspired people that a world of justice was not only possible but desirable, and died with words of love and forgiveness on his lips.

My godson has asked for a metal detector for his birthday. He has asked for it over and over again since February, because he's convinced that there is something buried in the local woods, where there was a Roman settlement. Have you any idea what a proper metal detector costs! But he is so single-minded that I don't see how I can get him anything else. And if he finds something and proves my scepticism wrong I will be so happy! I've got a hidden agenda to go with his hidden treasure. I'm praying that somewhere along the line in the future of a wonderful little boy (and preferably after he's had an opportunity to fling a small handful of wild oats as far as they can decently go) he stumbles upon Jesus as a treasure of inestimable value. He knows the name; he knows routine; he's been surrounded by the love of Christians all his life. But I'm waiting for the day when, unexpectedly I'm sure, Jesus reaches out and grabs hold of him. Because then he'll find that everything else that was important to him, metal detector and all, can be traded in with much rejoicing as he makes his journey home.”

To Pray and Ponder:

What in or around your home - alive or inert - do you treasure more than anything else? Before you sleep tonight, spend some time enjoying it. As you do so, think of the treasure that Jesus talked of which puts the values of the world into their proper perspective 

A prayer by George MacDonald (1824 - 1905)
Jesus, into thy hands I give the heart
Which left thee but to learn how good thou art. Amen

God Bless, Jon

Fruit of the Spirit

a verse or two

“ 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).” Ephesians 5:8-9

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Fruit of the Spirit - LOVE

The following is William Barclay’s comments on the fruit of the Spirit—Love.

The New Testament word for love is agape. This is not a word which classical Greek uses commonly. In Greek there are four words for love. (a) Eros means the love of a man for a maid; it is the love which has passion in it. It is never used in the New Testament at all. (b) Philia is the warm love which we feel for our nearest and our dearest; it is a thing of the heart. (c) Storge rather means affection and is specially used of the love of parents and children. (d) Agape, the Christian word, means unconquerable benevolence. It means that no matter what a [person] may do to us by way of insult or injury or humiliation we will never seek anything else but [their] highest good. It is therefore a feeling of the mind as much as of the heart; it concerns the will as much as the emotions. It describes the deliberate effort—which we can make only with the help of God—never to seek anything but the best even for those who seek the worst for us.

To Pray and Ponder:

FRUITFULNESS:

The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are the by products of Christ's control; we can't obtain them by trying to get them without his help. If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our lives to his (see John 15:4-5). We must know him, love him, remember him, and imitate him. As a result, we will fulfil the intended purpose of the law: to love God and our neighbours. Which of these qualities do you want the Spirit to produce in you? [From the Life Application Bible Commentary]

GARDEN:
To understand the fruit of the Spirit, we must see ourselves, not as individual trees, but as an entire garden under the cultivation of God's Spirit. His purpose involves not simply the production of a single kind of fruit but all the fruit, each becoming ripe as it is needed. No one person can perfectly exemplify all the fruit all the time. We are all needed to produce God's harvest of virtue. We must not be discouraged if our love or patience is not perfect. It is the constant flow of the Spirit in all of us that produces all the fruit. Don't let your lack of fruitfulness in some areas destroy what the Holy Spirit is trying to do in you today. [From the Life Application Bible Commentary]

an Encounter with Martin Luther

a verse or two

^“4 And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his wonderful kindness. ⁵ But the Spirit makes us sure that God will accept us because of our faith in Christ.” Galatians 5:4-5 (CEV)

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Luther, Martin (1483-1546)

info for this blog is from http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/ 

The “Father of the Protestant Reformation.” Luther was a monk in Germany who became convinced that the doctrines of the church were not consistent with the Bible. In particular, he felt that the church ignored the biblical teaching of justification through faith by grace. In 1517 he posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg church. In this document he set forth his disagreements with the Roman authorities in the church, particularly with regard to the sale of Indulgences. His rallying cries became ‘by faith alone’, ‘by grace alone’, and ‘only the Scriptures’. By ‘by faith alone’ he meant that a person could be saved only through faith, not by indulgences granted by the church. In 1520 he was excommunicated by Pope Leo X, and in 1521 he received a hearing before an imperial diet in Worms. He was asked to recant his teachings, but he refused, saying, “Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” 

Luther’s ‘by faith alone’ effected all of society. What is it today in our society that needs reform? And what is the churches role in this?

To Pray and Ponder: ON FAITH - here are a few of quotes on faith.

“Faith can put a candle in the darkest night” Margaret Sangster (1838–1912) 

“Faith does not mean believing without evidence. It means believing in realities that go beyond sense and sight—for which a totally different sort of evidence is required.” John Baillie (1741–1806) 

“A Christian who walks by faith accepts all circumstances from God. He thanks God when everything goes good, when everything goes bad, and for the “blues” somewhere in-between. He thanks God whether he feels like it or not.” Erwin W. Lutzer (1941– ) 

What do you think about the quotes – do you agree? Disagree? Why? 

God Bless, Jon

An encounter with God

a verse or two

For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. Galatians 5:6 [The Message]

Spiritual Walk and Musings: An encounter with God.

How are we to behave during the long wait for God to speak and act in response to the world's injustice? In parts of the book Habakkuk, the prophet talks about those who try to seal themselves off from noticing the distress of the world by accumulating so much personal gain that they never need to come into contact with suffering. And for others escapism is the only way of avoiding the issues (alcohol is the method he mentions). He also talks of those who, having made a fortune at the expense of others, rejoice in the system that allows it to happen (he compares them with fishermen who pillage the sea of every last fish and then worship their nets). 

In these verses Habakkuk warns that some will give up waiting for God and turn their worship to other things - inanimate things that shimmer with gold and silver (or bleep or speed or flash lights or gather dust in a hundred ways). 

Objects that humans have created can be valuable in the quest to alleviate poverty. But in the end only a change of heart can bring lasting justice, not a change of technology. And it is an encounter with the holy God which changes hearts. 

Why not today seek out silence. Try to find a place without the clamour of human voices or the buzz of machines. In the silence, remind yourself of the size and power of the holy God. Then tell him what your hopes, fears and priorities are at the moment. [adapted from www.surefish.co.uk]

To Pray and Ponder: The ancient 'Liturgy of St James' translated by Gerard Moultrie.

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, 
and with fear and trembling stand; 
Ponder nothing earthly-minded, 
for with blessing in his hand 
Christ our God on earth descendeth, 
our full homage to demand. 
Amen 

A short reading from Habakkuk 2:18-20 

“What use is an idol once its maker has shaped it - a cast image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in what has been made, though the product is only an idol that cannot speak! Alas for you who say to the wood, 'Wake up!' to silent stone, 'Rouse yourself!' Can it teach? See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all. But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!”

God Bless, Jon

Union in Christ

a verse or two

So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Come to Me and Rest. 

The words of Jesus when he says “come to me...and I will give you rest” tie in so much with placing faith in Christ and being in union with Him. As we spend time exploring Galatians, one thing pointed out is how the purpose of the law was to show what wrong is (Gal 3:19), yet the law was also burdensome creating divisions (some people could fulfil certain parts of the law and others not and so the law separated people). Those unable to fulfil the law ended up exasperated, weighed down and disenfranchised. But union in Christ changes everything—when coming to Jesus and placing faith in him the law is dealt to. Trying to fulfil the law is no longer required and the result is there is no longer difference between anyone – all who come to him are one in union with Christ Jesus and there is rest in him. 

Have you taken on Christ’s yoke? Have you found him gentle and not harsh? If harsh maybe you have not found the real Jesus. Jesus is humble in spirit and not lofty or religious. Jesus said... 

“My Father has given me all things. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest.30 For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light. (Matthew 11:27 – 30)

To Pray and Ponder: UNITY 

Always pray for us to love one another and live in unity. “Christians do not have permission to discriminate against other believers. The emphasis must always be, not on unity for unity's sake, but on unity in Christ. Where Christ is not recognized as Lord, all unity will be superficial, if present at all. But remarkably divergent people who recognize in Jesus their common life will find deep unity and fellowship. 

Those who seek unity as their only goal will find their objective elusive. Those who seek others who also name Jesus as Lord will find themselves yoked with any number of unusual characters. Unity flows out of being "in Christ," not the other way around. Where do you tend to discriminate (culture, background, gender, racial issues)?”  [from LABC-Galatians]

God Bless, Jon

The Need for labourers

a verse or two

"...then [Jesus] said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Matthew 9:35-38 (NRSV).

Spiritual Walk and Musings: The Need for labourers.

Sheep without a shepherd behave in a curious way. They follow a 'leader' from among themselves in what appears to be an orderly and purposeful way. The only snag is that their leader does not know which way to go and is as likely to lead them to disaster as to security. Do you ever think of Jesus' description of his society as 'harassed and helpless' when looking at our own. How did we get to a state where we take moral advice from a runner-up on Big Brother, or emotional advice from an astrologer on the back page of a TV guide? G K Chesterton, the 20th century novelist, wrote: 'When people stop believing in God, they do not come to believe in nothing; they start believing in anything.' 

Meanwhile intractable problems - injustice, illness, violence, pollution - continue to blight our world out of sight (or perhaps out of mind). No wonder Jesus urged us to pray for people who will approach this world with the priorities of God, the 'Lord of the harvest'. He was looking for people who would engage with the world's needs not with the attitude of a leader, but with the attitude of a labourer. That is what distinguishes the way a celebrity operates from the way a mission worker operates. And it applies whether you find yourself in a school, in an office, in the National Health Service, or in a developing world country. 

Can you see yourself as a 'labourer in the harvest'? Why not chat with other St. David’s folk and suss what kind of work can be done in the interests of Richmond’s (and beyond) poorest people. Why not consider the opportunities by visiting local volunteer organisations. Also, the PCANZ Global Mission Office help NZ church groups visit 3rd world churches to help and encourage them – why not bite the bullet and go? If you left Richmond at 6am you could be in a remote 3rd world village by 6pm that same day. [adapted from http://www.surefish.co.uk/faith/daily_readings/]

To Pray and Ponder: Pray for mission workers 

Send people who are passionate, O Lord, 
to right what is unjust, 
until your kingdom come; 
Send people who are compassionate, O Lord, 
to stand alongside those who are in pain, 
until your will is done; 
Send people who are humble, O Lord, 
to make known the Saviour, 
until the world is won. Amen.

The Good News

a verse or two

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel” Gal 1: 6

Spiritual Walk and Musings:The Good News:

The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news because it gives us the true life-changing message of hope from God. The world today is flooded with different "gospels," each claiming to offer an easier, better, more meaningful, more effective plan than God's original version. Not only do these "gospels" abound in the world; sadly, they even invade the church. 

The fatal flaw in every different gospel lies in ignoring or trying to bypass grace. These gospels develop their "hope" from the wisdom of humans (technology, education, science). They assign divine value to ideas and principles limited to this present physical world (humanism, materialism, determinism, scientism), and they glorify self-effort (design-your-own-spirituality, moral progress, self-perfection through some program, or even reincarnation). 

We must analyze ourselves and our faith in light of biblical truth. Helpful questions include: Is my life squarely founded on Christ's gospel? Have I been taking grace for granted? Have I allowed other "requirements" to take their place alongside faith in Christ in my understanding of salvation? Am I living by "another gospel"? [from LABC—section on Galatians 1] 

To Pray and Ponder: To follow Truth 

Bonhoeffer wrote that “to deviate from the truth for the sake of some prospect of hope of our own can never be wise, however slight that deviation may be. It is not our judgement of the situation which can show us what is wise, but only the truth of the Word of God. Here alone lies the promise of God’s faithfulness and help. It will always be truth that the wisest course for the disciple is always to abide solely by the Word of God in all simplicity.” 

Pray we do not become so ’clever’ we think we know more about God than God does. 
Pray we stick to the truth 
Pray we have enough simple trust in God who loves us enough, 
enough to ensure His word is understandable and available and true. 

duh 

God would not be God if it were not so

God Bless, Jon

Refugee Sunday 2009

a verse or two

"Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me " Matthew 25:40

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Refugee Sunday 2009:

We’ve all heard people around us take stock of the global suffering and ask: “Where is God in the midst of this pain?”Certainly many refugees would be asking this question. Perhaps God is speaking a direct response to that question in Matthew chapter twenty-five? God's plan for justice, mercy and compassion is “just us”. It is us who are called to help feed the poor. It is us who are called to help heal the sick, to make time for the lonely, to show hospitality to the stranger, to advocate for the downtrodden. None of these things are always easy, it can get messy, it can be inconvenient, it might never end – but in serving the least of these we are serving Christ. 

To Pray and Ponder: The Refugee Prayer [by Faith Asylum Refuge] 

O Lord, 
  we, people of faith and people from various walks of life, 
  have known you through your various channels
as the One who provides 
  food for the hungry, clothes for the naked, 
  shelter for the unsheltered, home for the homeless, 
  freedom for the oppressed, respect for the unrespected 
  and dignity for the downtrodden.

We pray to you to give us the courage 
  to employ ourselves to be of help and support 
  to all refugees and asylum seekers who are suffering 
  because of terror and turmoil in various parts of the world

O Lord, 
  we pray to you that through your grace 
  we are encouraged to honour this commitment 
  which we share for the world.

Amen. 

God Bless, Jon

How deep the Father’s love for us

a verse or two

How deep the Father’s love for us 
How vast beyond all measure 
That He should give His only Son 
To make a wretch His treasure 

[verse one of the hymn by Stuart Townend]

Spiritual Walk and Musings: How Deep the Fathers Love for us.

The following quote by David G Benner articulates the profound depth of the Father’s love for us; it is from the book “Surrender to Love”.

“The Christian God is unlike any god humans could ever imagine. In fact, the Christian God operates in a manner so often unlike what we even want or are ready to receive that it is obvious that such a God is no mere projection of human imagination or desire. The great distinctive of the love of the Christian God is that there are no strings attached to it. God simply loves humans. He created us for a love relationship with himself, and nothing that we can do—or not do—changes the love he bears us.

The notion of God's loving us unconditionally is absolutely radical. As Philip Yancey has written, "The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish covenant, and Muslim code of law—each of these offers a way to earn approval. Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional." The God Christians worship loves sinners, redeems failures, delights in second chances and fresh starts, and never tires of pursuing lost sheep, waiting for prodigal children, or rescuing those damaged by life and left on the sides of its paths.

The Christian God of grace stands in stark contrast to the vindictive, whimsical, threatening and often capricious gods of other religions. Only the Lord God unconditionally cherishes human beings....”

To Pray and Ponder: Praise to the Father for sending the Son.

David G. Benner makes the comment that “the good news of Christianity is something that we would have never discovered if Jesus had not come and shown us the character of God.” Never would we have gained understanding of God’s deep love for us if not for the sending of the Son. When on your own, perhaps walking along a beach or wherever—why not ponder the what-if if the Father had not sent the Son and then spend time thanking and praising the Father for sending the Son.

God Bless, Jon

Lord's Supper Prep

a verse or two

"¹Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord." 1Cor 11:27

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Partaking of the Supper Unworthily.

Next week we gather and partake in Holy Communion. Today we ponder at the betrayal of Christ with encouragement that even with our own individual or collective acts of betrayal of Christ (sin in our lives), we are nevertheless fully accepted by him. Christ still called Judas “friend” when he was being betrayed – the same applies to us. Christ calls each of us “friend”. Therefore it seems to me that we can partake in an act of reciprocal friendship with Christ if we spiritually prepare ourselves for Holy Communion next Sunday. 

As he calls us his friend, let us do as St. Paul said, “Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup…..if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged.” (1Cor 11:28-31). Knowing you are a friend of Christ, talk to him this week about your soul, making peace with him and with those others whom the still, small voice of the Spirit hints we ought to make peace with.

To Pray and Ponder: May the peace of Christ be with you.

The more I learn about Jesus, the more I marvel – even when I betray, his hands are extended and the words “friend” are on his lips and his peace flows through my being. The following prayer was written by Augustine (354 - 430).

“You called, you cried, you shattered my deafness. 
You sparkled, you blazed, you drove away my blindness. 
You shed your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, 
and I pant for you. I tasted and now I hunger and thirst. 
You touched me, and now I burn with longing for your peace.” Amen

God Bless, Jon

By Murray

a verse or two:

¹When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Acts 2:1-2

Spiritual Walk and Musings:

Tuhoe Isaac was once a notorious Mongrel Mob gang boss. In his book ‘True Red’, he tells of his journey from the brutal world of the gang to a meeting with and commitment to the living Christ. The person who counselled him then encouraged him to find a church where he could be nurtured in this new and very different life. Tuhoe confesses that he lasted but a short time in what now knows was a great church with really caring people. However, at the time, church (and church people) was such a foreign territory that he longed for and soon returned to the gang scene. How his story ends I leave unsaid. 

Tuhoe’s difficulty illustrates an important dilemma—that many who find the person of Jesus, and therefore his call, to be truly attractive find this same difficulty doing church with us. 

Last week Jon posed the question ‘Why is it that the so called “riff-raff "sought Jesus’ company and the so-called “respectable” shunned him, whereas today the opposite appears to be the case?’ Some good responses came from the congregation, but look at it this way: Tuhoe Isaac's story does tell us that Jesus’ appeal to the less- than - respectable is as real today as 2000 years ago, if only that appeal can be presented by us in clear and winning ways. Church may not be appealing, but Jesus remains so, which reminds me, he is never recorded as saying “come to the synagogue”, but he did often say “follow me”. 

Jon has earlier said that sitting in the mall with a coffee brings us in close proximity to untold numbers of passers by. To each a whispered blessing can be imparted “God loves you”, to which we can now add “and Jesus says ‘follow me’”. 

To Pray and Ponder: A prayer A prayer from Sri Lanka.

“Even as the water falls on dry tea leaves 
and brings out their flavour, 
so may your Spirit fall on us and renew us 
so that we may bring refreshment and joy to others.”
Amen

EASTER SEVEN

a verse or two

“And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim
  the good news to the whole creation." Mark 16: 15

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Our Need for the Holy Spirit:

Last Thursday was 40 days since Jesus’ resurrection. This Sunday is sometimes known as Ascension Sunday. For forty days Jesus appeared numerous times to his disciples to assure them that he had indeed risen and to prepare them for the task of carrying on the work which he began during his earthy ministry. 

Mark ends his gospel account with Jesus' last appearance to the apostles before his ascension. When the Jesus departed physically from the apostles, they were not left in sorrow or grief. They were told the comforter—the Holy Spirit would be coming. 
Jesus' last words to his apostles was the great commission, their new mission was to be witnesses proclaiming the good news of salvation to the entire world. God's love and gift of salvation is not just for a few, or for a nation, but it is for the whole world. The gospel being the power of God, the power to forgive sins, to heal, to deliver from evil and oppression, and to restore life. 

Today the great commission also applies to us here at St David’s. Thankfully we have not been left alone in this task, the comforter—the Holy Spirit helps. As a church we desperately need to Holy Spirit to continue to work among us, in hearts and mind so people in our community come to know Jesus Christ. 

To Pray and Ponder: A prayer for filling of the Holy Spirit:

“Lord Jesus, through the gift of your Holy Spirit, you fill us with an indomitable spirit of praise and joy which no earthly trial can subdue. Fill me with your resurrection joy and help me to live a life of praise and thanksgiving for your glory. May I witness to those around me the joy of the gospel and the reality of your resurrection.” [adapted from http://www.rc.net Daily Readings] 

EASTER SIX

a verse or two

“The test of observance of Christ's teachings is our consciousness of our failure to attain an ideal perfection. The degree to which we draw near this perfection cannot be seen; all we can see is the extent of our deviation.” Leo Tolstoy

Spiritual Walk and Musings: “Rereading the Sermon on the Mount”

A few years back when sailing to Port Vila from Auckland I decided to take only one book to read. I thought that spending nine to eleven days on a small 32 foot yacht with a few hours between each shift would give me ample time to read the New Testament. I hadn’t counted on the bad weather or the Sermon on the Mount. I would sit down, swaying about, read a verse or two and be caught up in the complexity and profundity of Jesus’ sermon. Each small section goes to the very heart of a matter. “You have heard that it was said…But I tell you…” Jesus repeated words exhorting us all to live the spirit of the law and not just the letter of the law – a call to a right heart attitude when trying to obey the law. Be encouraged to reread the Sermon on the Mount. Just note that like my sailing trip – it might take quite a while to read Matthew 5, 6 and 7.

To Pray and Ponder: The paradox of prayer

Last week I mentioned the late, well-known Catholic priest Henri Nouwen and his choice to help the “man-child” Adam instead of pursuing academic fame and prestige. A choice that was very much a sermon-on-the-mount type of choice. The following is a quote I read on the internet by Nouwen about the ‘paradox of prayer’, read it and ponder the depths of what he is saying. “The paradox of prayer is that it asks for a serious effort while it can only be received as a gift. We cannot plan, organize or manipulate God; but without a careful discipline, we cannot receive Him either.”

May God bless you in your prayer life this week.
May you have the discipline to converse with God
May you be blessed to hear God’s small still voice
And the grace to receive God’s voice as a gift.

God Bless, Jon.

EASTER FIVE

Jesus Christ is RisenHe is risen indeed
Halleluiah

a verse or two

^“24 The LORD bless you and keep you;

²⁵ the LORD make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the LORD lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
Numbers 6: 24 – 26

Spiritual Walk and Musings: “The Lord Bless You”

What does it mean to be blessed? I have thought about this a lot over the years. And must confess my conclusions have tended to be a tad egocentric. It took reading the Beatitudes again to help me rethink things. In the past my thinking went along the lines, blessed is the person who is with God, one who knows God, who is aware of God’s presence. This is not untrue but maybe there is much more to what it means to be ‘blessed’. Perhaps true blessing is had in the process of blessing the other, blessing someone else? Perhaps it blesses God when we bless another. Perhaps God is most present when we bless another. Perhaps we are more aware of God’s presence when we need it because we need God’s help while blessing another?

Another thought. Reading the Beatitudes this week, they say, “Blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers.” Could it be they are the blessed ones? Or are the blessed those in the second part of each Beatitude, i.e. those shown mercy, those who see God, those called the children of God, those who have the kingdom of heaven, who inherit the earth, who are comforted – perhaps they are the blessed ones. That asks the question – what does it mean to inherit the earth? What does it mean to see God?

To Pray and Ponder: Learning More about Jesus

After last week’s service, the guest speaker from ReachAcross told me they forgot so say that one of the major differences between Islam and Christianity is the Koran teaches Jesus did not rise from the dead. Christianity believes Christ did rise from the dead. Our understanding of Jesus is a major difference. That is one reason we are spending time this year looking at ‘who is Jesus’. A good prayer for our church at the moment could be along the lines of asking God to help us to continue to learn more and more about who Jesus Christ is.

EASTER FOUR

Jesus Christ is Risen
He is risen indeed
Halleluiah

a prayer

The tale is told, the deed was done, 
the Christ was killed, but rose again. 
And now we know the words to say, 
Christ is the truth, the life, the way. 

Eternal God, 
  we commit ourselves to that way, 
  we crave that life, 
  we hunger after that truth. 
  We pray our days 
  are touched by both 
  cross-shadow and resurrection-light: 
  love and hope 
  at the base of our belief, 
  the pain and purpose 
  at the root of our faith, 
  the cost and gift 
  at the heart of our calling. 
  In Christ's name. 
Amen. [from “Seasons and Celebrations”]

a verse or two

^“11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. ¹²Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. ¹³When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, ¹⁴I will let you find me, says the LORD." Jeremiah 29: 11 – 14a

Spiritual Walk and Musings: “Being with God”

Hey it’s good to be back. On Monday morning I enjoyed driving down Queen St to church, smiling while waiting behind a queue of 4 cars at the roundabout. Oh, the pleasant slow pace after the craziness of the Gold Coast. Arrh it’s good to be home.

I am thinking about the part in verse 13 above, “you will find me if you seek me with all your heart”. It is a real buzz to be with God. To know that God is present. The reading implies that to be aware of that closeness of God to our being, we need to seek Him with all our heart! While at the theme parks on holiday we would queue (sometimes for a long time) for a short ride that gave a short lived buzz. 

Why is it we are prepared to queue for hours for short lived buzzes but struggle to seek God with all our heart and in turn miss out on the buzz that is beyond all buzzes – it even buzzes the unbuzzable? 

I love you guys - Jon 

To Pray and Ponder: A prayer of praise

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Alleluia. 
Bless our God, you peoples, 
loudly sound his praise; 
He has given life to our souls, 
and has not let our feet slip. 
Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.[Ps 66: 1, 8-9, 1] 
Sing a prayer of praise to God this day. 
For He has given us life, and meaning, 
and being and much more. 
Oh praise His name all folk of St. David’s

Reflections on ANZAC Day from Kay

A Verse or Two:

“For everything there is a season, a time for every matter unto Heaven………a time to love and a time to hate: a time for war and a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 8 from the Old Testament.

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Anzac Day.  

As part of my course I am expected to take part in online forums and I would like to share with you some of my classmate’s thoughts on the theme ‘Anzac Day and Mission’.

“I am in awe when I run my eyes down the list of names on the memorial in our church of young men who died in battle, and I think; did they realise they were fighting and dying for me and my children as well as their own?” – C.

“As the death of Jesus on the cross gives us hope of eternal life, so the death of these young men gives us all hope for a better world in this life.” – D.

“We should honour those who gave their lives for us in battle and remember the sacrifices, but we should never forget to celebrate that their sacrifice bought us a degree of freedom as ultimately Jesus’ death brings us total freedom!” – R.

“It is usually those with some connection that attend Anzac Day services…. can it be that we offer the same connection for society in relation to Jesus …… that the understanding of Christ’s sacrifice is recaptured as we tell our own stories of how the cross has impacted our lives?” - L.

“If there is an increasing attendance by young New Zealanders at Anzac Day services, perhaps they are searching for a meaningful identity and shouldn’t we be telling them about the identity we have through Jesus Christ as being the most meaningful of all?” – S.

“Our children don’t know the horrors of war but do seem to get the sacrifice aspect. People died so that I am free. It is not until reading this forum that I even linked the concepts of Christ’s death – the sacrifice for me, although I believe Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.” - S.

To Pray and Ponder: Youth & ANZAC Day

Have you talked to the young people in your life about the impact of Anzac Day in both your life and theirs? What do they think about the soldiers who went to war for their country and how can you use this to help them understand God’s will for us?

Holy Father, give us wisdom to teach the young ones how the soldiers sacrifice for their country relates to your commandment to love one another even as Christ died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for us.

The disciples go it alone - by Kay

Verse or Two
“19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Spiritual Walk and Musings: The disciples go it alone.

Just before Easter the Jehovah Witnesses left a leaflet on my doorstep. It said `Keep doing this in remembrance of me' then went on to ask `What are Jesus' disciples to commemorate?' It is obvious they were referring to communion, but it struck me that there was also something else Jesus instructed them to do. Matthew 28:19 — 20 (above) says it all.

Can you imagine where we would be today if they had failed to establish the church? It just doesn't bear thinking about. These twelve men, ordinary people from everyday life were the ones Jesus called to carry on his work. And it was dangerous work. They knew that as followers of Jesus they could face crucifixion. Even when Stephen was stoned to death they did not stop, they just spread out and continued to set up the church throughout the land.
Jesus knew the hearts of those twelve when he selected them and he knows us too. Jesus has chosen us and has a plan for each one of us. How amazing is that?

Pray and Ponder: `I am Carried' (Geoff Bullock).

“Love has conquered shame,
The broken mended, night has ended.
The lost and lonely lost no more,
For I am carried in the arms of grace and love divine.”

Lord, by your grace we have been saved, use us today to serve you. Amen.

EASTER SUNDAY

Jesus Christ is Risen
He is risen indeed
Halleluiah

a prayer

Now the picture is complete,
now the story is fully told.
The jigsaw is finished:
the trinity of grace -
the cradle, the cross, the rising –
dovetail together.
The cradle of the birthing:
our God come amongst us,
in flesh to share the life we lead.
The cross of sacrifice:
our God loving us to death.
The rising of hope:
our God embracing us to eternity.
Our new day rises in resurrection light,
the long wilderness walk of Lent behind,
the darkness of the Cross ended.

We now approach the loving God,
with renewed joy in our song,
and strengthened hope in our hearts.

We worship, in the name and for the sake
of our living Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen [from “Seasons and Celebrations”]

a verse or two

“When I survey the wondrous Cross,
On which the Prince of glory died.
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride."

Spiritual Walk and Musings: “The Cross means to me....”

I have had the privilege over the past few weeks of asking different St. David’s folk what the cross means to them. It has been an honour to be given glimpses into the depth of spirituality in our church. In asking I was not searching out people with a particular theology. The asking was random. This Easter Sunday a few folk are going to share their thoughts—may it help you to continue the journey of the-way-of-the-Cross.

One thing I have learnt is that we need each other to explore matters theological. Ministers and Pastors can’t do it on their own. Scholars in seminaries can’t do it on their own – we need each other to explore God. I find when reading books about the Meaning of the Cross that there are many meanings, many nuances, as to the work of the cross. We are church family and Christ’s work on the Cross affects us all, in similar and in different ways.

May you always be in flux as to the meaning of the cross, always learning new things, and pondering old things as you walk in the-way-of-the-cross.

To Pray and Ponder: That Sweet Surprise

“This promise is for you, for your children,and for all who are far away. It isfor everyone the Lord our God calls to himself”
Acts: 2:39

“Holy Father, thank you for the sweet surprise of Easter Morning. We are thankful that when you arose from your death, you didn’t go immediately to heaven, but instead you went and visited people. This visit of love reminds us that it was for people that you died. We praise your name for the sweet surprise. Amen.” [a prayer by Max Lucado]

an easter poem

Moist with one drop of thy blood, my dry soul
Shall (though she now be in extreme degree
Too stony hard, and yet too fleshly,) be
Freed by that drop, from being starved, hard, or foul,
And life, by this death abled, shall control
Death, whom thy death slew; nor shall to me
Fear of first or last death, bring misery,
If in thy little book my name thou enrol,
Flesh in that long sleep is not putrefied,
But made that thee, of which, and for which ’twas;
Nor can by other means be glorified.
May then sins sleep, and deaths soon from me pass,
That waked from both, I again risen may
Salute the last, everlasting day.
JOHN DONNE (1572-1631)

God Bless to you allJon

Palm Sunday

a verse or two
“ ¹² The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord--the King of Israel!" John 12:12-13.

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Lenten thoughts — Holy Week.

We are moving into the last week of Lent, Holy Week. Like last year I encourage you to spend time thinking and reading through the passion of Jesus.

Think of his un-egocentric nature, his love-for-the-other when his own death was so near. Remember his words “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. Even when mocked, betrayed and abandoned, Jesus forgave. 

And then there was perhaps the darkest time in his whole life—his inner and deeply spiritual anguish at being separated from the Father. Muse on Jesus’ resoluteness to journey to Jerusalem, obeying his Father — the Father. A life laid down for you and me.

To Pray and Ponder: Prayerfully read the original story

“The original accounts of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus were written in the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – in the first century AD. For such ancient books, the story they tell is remarkably clear and compelling, and filled with human detail. Below are readings for each day of Holy Week, following the events which led up to the crucifixion, and beyond.” [[from www.rejesus.co.uk]]

PALM SUNDAY: INTO JERUSALEM: Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey: Matthew 21: 1-11
MONDAY: IN THE TEMPLE: Jesus throws out the temple merchants: Mark 11:15-19
TUESDAY: IN THE TEMPLE: Trick questions for Jesus: Matthew 22:23-40
WEDNESDAY: IN BETHANY: A woman anoints Jesus: Mark 14:1-11
THURSDAY: THE NIGHT OF THE BETRAYAL: The last supper: Matthew 26:20-30; Betrayal and arrest: Luke 22:39-53; Before the high priest: Mark 14:53-65; Peter denies knowing Jesus: Mark 14:66-72
GOOD FRIDAY: TO GOLGOTHA: Judas hangs himself: Matthew 27:1-5; Pilate condemns Jesus: Mark 15:1-15; Jesus is crucified: Luke 23:26-43; Jesus dies and is buried: Mark 15:33-47
SATURDAY: AT THE TOMB: The tomb is guarded: Matthew 27:62-66
EASTER SUNDAY: ENCOUNTERS: An angel at the tomb: Mark 16:1-8; Mary meets Jesus: John 20:10-18; Thomas demands proof: John 20:24-29; Jesus meets the disciples: Luke 24:36-49

God Bless to you all
Jon

success

Somone left the following on my desk...

"SUCCESS is the ability to go from one failureto another, with no loss of enthusiasm"
                                         Winston Churchil

failure

a verse or two

“ ⁵ Christ did not glorify himself…⁸ he learned obedience through what he suffered; ⁹ and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all…” Hebrews 5: 5, 8–9.

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Lenten thoughts — its OK to fail.

I have been thinking about the issue of failure. During last Sunday’s theme on ‘the temptation of Christ’, I mentioned that from the world’s perspective Jesus Christ failed. He died when if he had stayed alive he could have healed more, preached more, travelled more……..but he died.

I also mentioned how the Grand Inquisitor of Dostoevsky’s novel ‘The Brothers Karamazov” accused Jesus of failure saying “Jesus should have followed Satan's advice and performed the miracles on demand in order to increase his fame among the people. He should have welcomed the offer of authority and power.” 

Yet the Christ we follow, he chose not to be pushy. Not to coerce, not to bully. He was happy to be held up when going somewhere, he had that ability to be late and not worry about it. Success was not a priority.

On the issue of failure and success, it was thoughtfully mentioned to me after the service last week how in the U.S., the issue of success is massive. It’s as if being ‘successful’ is the most important thing one can do. So much so that if a person decides to be a failure in life ( for example becoming a hippie), they have to succeed at it, they have to be successful at being a hippie. They have to be successful at failing! That’s weird!

A question: what does the ’been made perfect’ in the Bible verse above mean?

To Pray and Ponder: Its OK to fail

So my prayer and blessing for us all is this: 

‘May you be able to fail at being a failure. 
May you fail at being successful.
May you be able to rest with that knowledge, 
being at peace, knowing our worth is in Him 
who died for us that we may live’.

God Bless to you all

Jon
St David's Church, Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand