So What's being a Christian all about then?

The at perennial question that chase me up and down the streets like Monty Python's perennial hedgehog, but instead of shouting out, 'Dindsale,' my assailant cries out: 'Christian? What's that then?' and you know that's is a very good question indeed. Let's hope my reply is up to the mark! Here are your three starters - more tomorrow:

First and foremost, being a Christian demands some form on belief, after all I know a few groups of people who think that mentioning the name (or sticking it about their doors) makes them Christian, but it doesn't. After all I know people who go on about alcohol all the time but they aren't alcoholics, in math they are the very opposite ob being alcoholic. The same is true for those who go on about Jesus with to without the job descriptor 'Christ' - or like to use either, or both of those words singly or in combination most assuredly doesn't make you a Christian! Saying the name is great but it's knowing the bloke that matters.

So here's the first top tip of being Christian: You need to know the bloke!

The next step is that you need to know what Jesus (the bloke) and  the job title He has (the Christ) are all about. Some people get a bit confused here and think He was a man who got zapped by God and became a super-being. I have to say if that's your stance then you've got Jesus a but mixed up with the Hulk or Spiderman, sorry. You see, Jesus is God but to get that which was necessary for us to be friends with God again all squared away, knowing that the price that needed to be paid was someone willing to exchange their life for our own, He came down as a man (Christmas? Remember Christmas - the baby? Well that was Jesus; don't let that thought go!). The person what's going to do the swapping places and saving us bit - He's called the 'Chosen one' (no not Mourhino, he's just a very naughty boy!) -That's what being 'The Christ' means.

Next tip - remember Christ is Jesus' job title and the next time you want to use Him as a swear word, have a think about how you'd feel if someone you loved had their name used like that!

Now, if someone gave up their life to save mine, I am certain I would say something twee like, 'OOOh, I'm going to try and live a better life because He died to let me live my life!' It's what they do in films; it's what they do when we think of those who gave their lives in conflict (and it is remembrancetide innit?), so if it really happened, wouldn't you try to live it out for real?

Of course you would... top tip three:  Live like you've just got your life back!

The Exultet - the Easter Proclamation

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendour, radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!

My dear friends, who stand with me in this holy light, join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister grace to sing his Easter praises.

The Lord be with you - And also with you.

Lift up your hearts - We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices we should praise the unseen God,
the all-powerful Father, and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast, when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is the night when Christians everywhere, washed clean of sin
and freed from all defilement, are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us, had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights, chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day: it will become my light, my joy.”

The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy; it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth and man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night, 
receive our evening sacrifice of praise, your Church’s solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honour of God.

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Surrexit Christus hodie [Jesus Christ is risen today!]

Church - More than services

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.

Listen - stop - sit - recline

If we were to look at Psalm one we would find the path to sin in that when it comes to engaging with the wicked:

First you LISTEN to those who are sinful and ACT on what they say

Then you STOP and become part of the gathering of the sinful sitting around with them and giving them your ear and your time - time that should be spent listening to God and using your time wisely

And then, as one of them, having thrown caution and that which is right to the wind, you RECLINE in their company.

This 'Rake's Progress' is the path to becoming a sinful person.

But it also works for those who would bring others into relationship with God for first we speak SOUND and efficacious WORDS and the wisdom of what we say and the balance that is to be found in our words (and our lifestyle) resonates with those who are far off from God and causes them to STOP and engage and soon they are to be found as part of our company, RECLINING, with believers and in a place whereby they can be introduced to someone who can tell them everything they ever did and lead them into healing and holiness despite who we have been.


Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
        or stand around with sinners,
              or join in with mockers.

It is a good thing for us to be able to engage with 'the world' in such a way as to be found acceptable to those who are distant from God but there are some pitfalls in that whilst it is good to find favour with those outside of the Church, it is wrong to become like the world to do so.

Yet this is something I am consistently being challenged with by some that I meet as in their quest for popularity they put off holiness -  a great danger for us all.

I see the same in some who would have us revise (and even remove) some of the things contained within the Bible because (and I quote them accurately here): 'It's no longer relevant in this day and age -it just isn't popular!'

Being Christian has never been a path that would win many popularity contests for it contains a good many DON'Ts (usually relating to the things we like to do) and even more DO's (which urge us on to do things we don't really want to do!

It's all well and good being someone who can, by looking like the world, find favour with those who are outside the Church BUT the thing is that however hard we try, we come to a place where regardless of the words we utter - the fruit of our lips and the seeds that we sow speak of the enemy rather than the Christ.

We must work at keeping our walk straight and our talk edifying - something that appears to be a struggle for all of us - because if we do not possess that 'otherness' that being a follower of Jesus, the Christ, commands, then how can we lead others into that place?

I am reminded of the words of the Godspell song 'Alas for you' which go thus:

'After you've got your converts you make them twice as fit for hell!

As you are yourselves!

So today the choice is ours - who are we going to serve?

'It's like you were born again!

It's an odd reality that in life there are times when the only way to progress comes through finding the ability to stand still! So often we find ourselves talking about great advances made in some area or the other. Today the news has been filled with the news that a man whose spinal cord was severed has had it repaired and is walking and driving again. Darek Fidyka, speaking of his feelings towards the treatment he had received said, "When you can't feel almost half your body, you are helpless, but when it starts coming back it's like you were born again."

Darek's words struck me because for many of us we can remember a time when we were living lives in which we were out of touch with our feelings, unable to control our bodies or regulate our thinking, and it was the coming into relationship with God, the Father, through the actions of Jesus, the Christ, that caused us also to be able to say, "We were helpless and were out of touch with ourselves and the surroundings around us until we met Jesus and, regaining our senses and right mind, it was like being born again!"

Today as we celebrate the first steps of a man for whom medicine has made so much difference I wonder how many of us can remember what it was like when were were were out of control and distant from God? Much more so I wonder how many of us have stopped to check that we're still in touch with 'all of ourselves' because I meet so many Christians who are obviously not living as believers in all departments; so many who limbs, brains and tongues most definitely function wrongly and over which they too apparently have no control!

My prayer is that those who claim to be 'Christian' (beginning with me) will take the time to see which part of their body, and their lives, they are out of touch with in terms of Christian living. How many of us are not standing tall, walking straight or thinking rightly because the connections between them and God - their intentions and realities - are severed or severely limited?

I leave us all with the words of Paul (Romans 7) where he says:

Now, which finger do you choose to use?

"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."
As we celebrate medical advances I pray that we will, by examining ourselves, make advances in our own lives and the way that we have control of our whole body and mind.

Pax