Wise and cheerful Hugh

Today is the lesser festival of the intriguing character, Hugh of Lincoln.

There are two excellent (and brief) entries on Hugh on wikipedia and britannia biographies, which shed some light on his story and personality.
One particular excerpt jumped out at me:

"As a bishop he was exemplary, constantly in residence or travelling within his
diocese, generous with his charity, scrupulous in the appointments he made. He raised the quality of education at the cathedral school. Hugh was also prominent in trying to protect the Jews, great numbers of whom lived in Lincoln, in the persecution they suffered at the beginning of Richard I's reign, and he put down popular violence against them in several places."

The articles also alude to his diplomatic tact, allied to his gentle humour, which enabled him to have a close relationship with the English monarch. Indeed, at one point he is recorded to have playfully shook Richard I to thaw a bad temper. With the best will in the world, deference and decorum make me surmise our own archbishop is unlikely to have a similar relationship with our monarch! Hugh is also portrayed as a caring bishop who tended to the young, the sick and the old (and the dead!). He had a fierce sense of justice, which impelled him to risk his own life in the defence of Jews.

Today's readings are supplemented with 1 Timothy 6:11-16, in which Paul adjures Timothy to pursue: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Godliness, God-like-ness, might also be rendered Christ-like-ness. In Christ we are made holy and righteous, and we are to daily pursue this, knowing the condition of our hearts. But we move on from this to our lifestyle and our attitudes. Christ came to serve. I too am called to a life of service - to the rich, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned.

In Hugh we see practical examples of what this might still look like for us. Hugh saw himself as a servant of God's people - not as their Lord. There is, indeed, only one Lord. And Hugh's life points to Jesus: his servant heart. Can I claim similar?
- He honoured his appointments. Do I?
- He gave generously. Do I?
- He cared for the sick. Do I?
- He acted justly. Do I?
- He defended the persecuted. Do I?
- He visited his brethren. Do I?
- He chapioned education. Do I?
- He even laboured in the building of Lincoln Cathedral. Do I labour on God's church, seeking to leave a legacy while also offering worship?
- He was tactful and diplomatic. Am I?
- He was good humoured. Am I?

This day I am grateful for the collect for Hugh, which speaks of Hugh's "wise and cheerful boldness".

May we seek and be granted grace to live like this, day by day.

No smoke without fire

"For wickedness burned like a fire,
consuming briers and thorns;
it kindled the thickets of the forest,
and they swirled upward in a column of smoke" (Isaiah 9:18)

Sin is conspicuous. Certainly, we seek to hide it from God, from ourselves, and our loved ones; but sin leaves marks - stains. All too often in my life I have sought to conceal my deepest darkest sins from my wife, but through a combination of her knowing me very well, and changes in me, she knows - and God knows immediately.

This verse has struck me because of the saying, 'there's no smoke without fire', which is all well and good, and often misapplied, but in my life I wonder if people talk about my behaviour, my habits and wonder about what underlies it. I have often been in the habit of running late, but this has lately evolved into a lax attitude to informing people where I am, and what I am doing. I fear that in not working and living transparently, openly and fairly I am opening myself, and therefore, God to criticism.

This is no admission of guilt - but a sense of how my actions might cause people to infer things about my character.

Naturally, we should seek to please God only, but we are God's hands and feet.

This in turn prompts me to consider other points in God's word where reference is made to fire:

"See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and
the evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the
LORD of hosts" (Malachi 4:1)

"The work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose
it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of
work each has done" (1 Corinthians 3:13)

Both verses speak of a future day of judgement. A day Christians need not fear, for we shall not enter heaven, graciously, on the basis of our works. Instead, God will seek to test our works, our offering to Him. Sins and their record will be burnt away, but works of gold, silver, stone, etc will remain.

As I wander through my days, and as I reflect on the lives of countless Saints before me this All Saintstide, am I seeking to build with gold, or am living a life of conspicuous sin, where folk speak not of my godliness, but rumour on my character?

Truth cast to the ground

Daniel's visions/prophecies smack of a man who's eaten too much cheese before bed-time. They are peculiar and strangely at odds with the otherwise more straightforward nature of the Bible.

However, it seems important to accept the text as it is, and in that regard Daniel 8:12 seems clear: "Because of wickedness, the host was given over to it together with the regular burnt offering; it cast truth to the ground, and kept prospering in what it did".

The 'it' in the verse is one of Daniel's famous horns, who for the sake of brevity, can be accepted as a world leader, or movement.

In short, the host (the public, or some Christians) is given over to the horn, as a result of wickedness. This is a strange but compelling instance of God's word warning against falling away, or following after earthly leaders. In the context of Daniel 1-6, it suddenly makes perfect sense. We are to worship God alone, which is why the verse's reference to the 'regular burnt offering' also implies not only a going over of the people, but a ceasing of religious observance.

In an era which regards public worship with increased scepticism, we are to be bold in both our discipleship of Jesus, and the worship of him.

Yet, the burnt offering is more than worship - it is part of the ceremonial activity that meant Israel might be forgiven. Is there a worrying trend in society that seeks to remove the forgiveness of sins from God's remit to that of money, fame, wealth, or the Government. Perhaps when we follow the world, and its leaders, we also accept their view on sin - that we haven't actually committed any crimes. That we are not accountable to the maker and sustainer of the world?

Either way, the eventual outcome when we follow the world, and its leaders, is that scary place where truth appears to have been set aside. We need only think of X-factor, WMDs, the war in Iraq, cash for questions, political grandstanding in Oldham, etc, etc... When we really set ourselves to follow the world, we also commit to being shaped by its values. All too often that requires us to set aside the truth.

But yet...

But yet.

"It keeps prospering in all it does" (Dan 8:12)

We must hear God's word. Despite the ease with which people show allegiance to public figures, the pace with which religious observance is marginalised, and the shame of truths covered up, the world WILL prosper. And that is the greatest test - we do not measure things by results, or apparent results, but by God's word.

Do we today seek to follow Jesus, or the world?

Are we seeking to worship Him this day, thanking him for the gift of salvation?

And do we actively seek to cover up the truth - not only in the public sphere, but to our church brothers and sisters, to our work colleagues, to our family, to our spouse, perhaps to ourselves?

Owl City - In Christ Alone

This is a superb and beautiful version of the famous song, 'In Christ Alone' by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. Owl City is a young chap from Minnesota, whose song 'Fireflies' I've posted below: