It is a truth that should be universally acknowledged that Church is about much more than our mere presence on a Sunday or being engaged in the mere delivery of the normal round of services... and yet this truth is not, for some, a reality.
The trap is set for so many of us in Church in that we become so bound up with church services and so taken up with our own voices and opinions, being so caught up with whatever Cause célèbre rings our bell, that we lose sight of the very Gospel itself.
Now these are hard and harsh words I know; words that will cause some to suck in their breath and lean upon their indignation and self-righteousness - and in doing so make what I write more true than I would ever wish it to be.
It is so terrible that we might find ourselves occupy a world where we are more taken up with numbers, sexuality, gender issues and politics than we appear to be with the Gospel. So awful that we could turn our pulpits, our eyes and our hearts from the cross of Jesus, the Christ, and preach the world and it's views as holly writ.
The trap of being so caught up with delivering services and being so bound up with emails and meetings and being approved of that we become impotent with regard to the ministry to which we are all called: That of making Christ known and through this knowledge reconciling the world to God.
As we begin our Advent journey I have come to realise that, looking in the reflection that I see of myself in the lives and activity, I need to draw a line and commit myself to preach the only thing I know for sure:
Christ, and Him crucified and risen; for Church is this first and foremost and upon this rock we build.
Not the pathetic struggles over sexuality - not the championing of talismanic approaches to ministry for calling is about being called, not recruiting the young or the BME or women or any other group we might see as good marketing. If we preach the Word and proclaim the Christ and reconcile people to God though Him everything else will surely come together. We may not always use words to do it - for our actions, our witness, and our passion often speak louder than we ever could.
But when we do use words we need to ensure that the profane, the unprofitable, and the usurping of the privilege we have through Christ is not usurped by self.
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Sunday, 9 March 2014
Rights and Responsibilities
Heard today how some clergy were becoming members of Unison (the union) so that they have support for them in what they obviously perceive will be a battle over their rights.
A few days back I chatted to a member of the clergy who was telling me about all their rights and how the church needs to understand and respect them . . . or else!
Often meet with members of church and and other organisations who are all too ready to tell me about their rights and what 'they deserve' or are 'entitled to' and to be honest it is just beginning to grind and grate and tug just a little too much for it to be comfortable.
Many years ago I was a member of a fraternity who found themselves very much acted against and to be honest, distrusted and quite despised. As a result of (misplaced) popular opinion this group found themselves legislated against in the sort of popularist, kneejerk way, that humankind excels at. Interestingly though, the kneejerk response aside, the clever people said that if legislation was passed then certain things would occur and some of society's ill would be remedied. Sadly though some seventeen years later that which they hoped to see change has actually gotten worse.
Now the incident that started it all was William Hamilton's murder of innocent children in Dunblane in 1996 and the subsequent law which removed handguns from the hands of those who legally held and used them did nothing to diminish gun crime, in fact the very opposite has occurred (I'll give you my theories some time . . but best continue).
The thing about having rights is that with them come responsibilities and yet I find it interesting that these days rights are what many people assume to have and responsibility appears to be what others have when it comes to the fulfilling of the expectations of those with rights.
Christianity is all about getting something because of grace, we don't get forgiveness, eternal life and the other 'benefits' of Christ's death because we deserve them - they are not a right but a gift. But in accepting that gift of grace poured out on the tree for us, we do find ourselves with responsibilities.
We have the responsibility to keep commandments - even when they deny what we think is a right - for let's be frank, many of the things people tell me are rights are actually little more than selfish, soulish and often unchristian desires. They are all about 'me' rather than reflecting who Jesus is and what he has done for us and how He lives in, and through, our lives today.
We have the responsibility to read our Bibles and pray daily and develop our knowledge and faith and when we don't we are failing in our duty and putting aside our responsibilities as believers.
We have the responsibility to put our obedience, worship and devotion to Christ before our personal pleasures, desires and ambitions.
We have the call to love one another and the duty to avoid making any one cause the defining sin; to avoid labelling any one group and without merit or unloved; to avoid preaching hatred and right or sin as acceptable.
We have the responsibility to proclaim and live out God's love in our own lives and as a covering for others.
If you don't agree, that's cool, but please don't kid yourself (or con others) that what you do is a right, Christian, or is right either - for even though it may well be such in the eyes of the world in the eyes of God, and in His sacrifice and commitment to us, it is merely selfish and sinful (and I don't expect this to be that popular) and therefore wrong!
Let's stop and have a reflect on the words of 2 Timothy 2:
'You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
Keep reminding God’s people of these things. warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels and the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.'
A few days back I chatted to a member of the clergy who was telling me about all their rights and how the church needs to understand and respect them . . . or else!
Often meet with members of church and and other organisations who are all too ready to tell me about their rights and what 'they deserve' or are 'entitled to' and to be honest it is just beginning to grind and grate and tug just a little too much for it to be comfortable.
Many years ago I was a member of a fraternity who found themselves very much acted against and to be honest, distrusted and quite despised. As a result of (misplaced) popular opinion this group found themselves legislated against in the sort of popularist, kneejerk way, that humankind excels at. Interestingly though, the kneejerk response aside, the clever people said that if legislation was passed then certain things would occur and some of society's ill would be remedied. Sadly though some seventeen years later that which they hoped to see change has actually gotten worse.
Now the incident that started it all was William Hamilton's murder of innocent children in Dunblane in 1996 and the subsequent law which removed handguns from the hands of those who legally held and used them did nothing to diminish gun crime, in fact the very opposite has occurred (I'll give you my theories some time . . but best continue).
The thing about having rights is that with them come responsibilities and yet I find it interesting that these days rights are what many people assume to have and responsibility appears to be what others have when it comes to the fulfilling of the expectations of those with rights.
Christianity is all about getting something because of grace, we don't get forgiveness, eternal life and the other 'benefits' of Christ's death because we deserve them - they are not a right but a gift. But in accepting that gift of grace poured out on the tree for us, we do find ourselves with responsibilities.
We have the responsibility to keep commandments - even when they deny what we think is a right - for let's be frank, many of the things people tell me are rights are actually little more than selfish, soulish and often unchristian desires. They are all about 'me' rather than reflecting who Jesus is and what he has done for us and how He lives in, and through, our lives today.
We have the responsibility to read our Bibles and pray daily and develop our knowledge and faith and when we don't we are failing in our duty and putting aside our responsibilities as believers.
We have the responsibility to put our obedience, worship and devotion to Christ before our personal pleasures, desires and ambitions.
We have the call to love one another and the duty to avoid making any one cause the defining sin; to avoid labelling any one group and without merit or unloved; to avoid preaching hatred and right or sin as acceptable.
We have the responsibility to proclaim and live out God's love in our own lives and as a covering for others.
If you don't agree, that's cool, but please don't kid yourself (or con others) that what you do is a right, Christian, or is right either - for even though it may well be such in the eyes of the world in the eyes of God, and in His sacrifice and commitment to us, it is merely selfish and sinful (and I don't expect this to be that popular) and therefore wrong!
Let's stop and have a reflect on the words of 2 Timothy 2:
'You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
Keep reminding God’s people of these things. warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels and the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.'
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
How can't we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?
It's odd but having just walked from the North pier to the South along the beach and promenade at Blackpool I feel like an alien; an outsider in the world in which I find myself contained,
Having walked past the couples with their tattoos, studs and Tee shirts with what is perhaps just a little too blatant an advert for world (don't talk - F*!$ me, being perhaps the worst in class - although their we're many close competitors), I find myself wondering what parallel dimension I now exist within, and how I got here.
I 've met people who are in need of a coffee (so bought them one) and being listened to (so I listened to them) and are in need of being removed from this place of shabby existence (so I told them about Jesus and His escape committee, of which I am a representative) and prayed for them and left, knowing there's more, sadly.
When the Bible talks about 'no longer being part of this world, of being strangers and sojourners in a strange land - only visitors, not residents', a passage I have often referred to, I had no idea that 'their' world had become so very different from the one I recall. I thought, perhaps naively, that the world I remember being part of and the world I inhabit in what is not a bad place at all (unless you believe some rags who proclaim it to be the fattest place in England that is) lies within the shallows compared to the depths of here.
In this alien territory where toddlers have 'WTF?' Tee shirts and women utter such language that a hardened mate lot would blush, the needs are immense and obvious. So where is the Jesus, the Christ, obvious (for I'm sure He is in the many other visitors from that other place here with me)? How can I see what I have, experience what I do and not have the compelling desire to preach that the Kingdom of God is with them, tattoos, expletives, alcohol, drugs, sex and all?
Ever had that moment when you realise that whatever it is that you do, it is not enough?
When you realise that somehow the Zombie invasion didn't, and isn't going to happen and that whilst bodysnatchers are just a fiction - those who snatch and destroy the soul exist and profit large?
Pray for those who bring the Good News to those in this alien land. Those who bring sight, hearing, freedom from captivity and proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.
Better still, become one.
I know that's what I want to be ;-)
Pax
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Thought for the Day: Pro-Choice
I saw this and first I smiled, then I thought and then I started to think about how those who proclaim their belief in 'freedom of choice' often do so with the subtext 'as long as it's what I agree with'.
This clever image says it all I guess:
This clever image says it all I guess:
And the sad thing is that it applies to every aspect of choice, not just the pro-life example here!
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil
1 Peter 2:16
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Political Correctness, Health & Safety, Harmful to freedom?
What do Political Correctness and Health & Safety have in common?
The answer is that both are means by which action is restricted or even curtailed and they, when combined with other measures that seek to prevent damage, offence and unwanted outcomes actually are handcuffing the worlds in which we live.
Health and Safety.
I was today told that a local team would not be parading their trophy from the top of an open-tipped bus because of heath and safety concerns. It appears that having done a risk-assessment, it was decided that there was too much potential for people being injured!
During the snow last year there was a news item about kids being stopped from sledding down the slopes for fear of injury to them should they fall off! Another story told of children who were stopped from playing conkers in case they were hit and hurt!
Heath and safety provides an opportunity for the nanny state to engage in excesses which go past taking reasonable care to protect and enter in the fantasy world whereby all things are potentially harmful or hazardous. It is easier to stop everything, because then nothing happens and so nothing harmful can result. The bottom-line is that Health and Safety, especially wrongly applied health and safety stops physical activity and endeavours.
Political Correctness.
A good principle in life is that if we stop people saying wrong things then this will lead to them stopping thinking wrong things. If we can stop people thinking wrong things then we can stop them doing wrong things. If we can stop people doing wrong things then we will have a society which is more balanced and a kinder, nicer, place to be in.
The problem is that when wrongly applied it produces a knee-jerk society that sees some people reporting others for breaches of what they consider to be correct behaviour and it drives the bigots, racists and people who live in a world of nastiness to merely function off the radar until they trapse through our towns with their banners and marches proclaiming that they are minority, acted-against, groups.
Many years a go, when our handicapped son was alive, we were visited by a social worker who kept wittering on about 'special children' and engaged in a variety of terms to avoid saying words like 'spastic' or 'mentally handicapped'. At the end of the visit I pointed out that rather than hide behind terms and euphemisms I would rather she'd have got to know our son. The political correctness stopped her engaging and thinking and this is the problem with being PC. I stops people thinking and encourages dishonesty.
One of the problems with ecumenical work is that just as people assume 'peace' is merely an absence of war, other assume that silence means unity! They don't and whilst I applaud the removal of offensive language from our vocabulary I am aware that this is not as real an outcome and stifling honest debate.
Last night I was approached by a member of the Islamic faith who thanked me for the words I spoke at a training session recently. Now we differ in faith and yet respect one another - this is what we need to encourage. Open and honest debate engaged on the playing field of honesty, respect and integrity, not encouraging people to merely hide words below the surface and growing the seeds of those words in the dark.
Pax
The answer is that both are means by which action is restricted or even curtailed and they, when combined with other measures that seek to prevent damage, offence and unwanted outcomes actually are handcuffing the worlds in which we live.
Health and Safety.
I was today told that a local team would not be parading their trophy from the top of an open-tipped bus because of heath and safety concerns. It appears that having done a risk-assessment, it was decided that there was too much potential for people being injured!
During the snow last year there was a news item about kids being stopped from sledding down the slopes for fear of injury to them should they fall off! Another story told of children who were stopped from playing conkers in case they were hit and hurt!
Heath and safety provides an opportunity for the nanny state to engage in excesses which go past taking reasonable care to protect and enter in the fantasy world whereby all things are potentially harmful or hazardous. It is easier to stop everything, because then nothing happens and so nothing harmful can result. The bottom-line is that Health and Safety, especially wrongly applied health and safety stops physical activity and endeavours.
Political Correctness.
A good principle in life is that if we stop people saying wrong things then this will lead to them stopping thinking wrong things. If we can stop people thinking wrong things then we can stop them doing wrong things. If we can stop people doing wrong things then we will have a society which is more balanced and a kinder, nicer, place to be in.
The problem is that when wrongly applied it produces a knee-jerk society that sees some people reporting others for breaches of what they consider to be correct behaviour and it drives the bigots, racists and people who live in a world of nastiness to merely function off the radar until they trapse through our towns with their banners and marches proclaiming that they are minority, acted-against, groups.
Many years a go, when our handicapped son was alive, we were visited by a social worker who kept wittering on about 'special children' and engaged in a variety of terms to avoid saying words like 'spastic' or 'mentally handicapped'. At the end of the visit I pointed out that rather than hide behind terms and euphemisms I would rather she'd have got to know our son. The political correctness stopped her engaging and thinking and this is the problem with being PC. I stops people thinking and encourages dishonesty.
One of the problems with ecumenical work is that just as people assume 'peace' is merely an absence of war, other assume that silence means unity! They don't and whilst I applaud the removal of offensive language from our vocabulary I am aware that this is not as real an outcome and stifling honest debate.
Last night I was approached by a member of the Islamic faith who thanked me for the words I spoke at a training session recently. Now we differ in faith and yet respect one another - this is what we need to encourage. Open and honest debate engaged on the playing field of honesty, respect and integrity, not encouraging people to merely hide words below the surface and growing the seeds of those words in the dark.
Pax
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