Ministry...where you are?

Are you doing your part today?

Or are you patiently waiting for your vicar, pastor, or priest to start preaching the gospel to all who would hear - and those who won't!!

I've had to re-learn (and am going to keep re-learning) a valuable lesson this week. And my cell group is mostly to thanks.

What?

We are all involved in the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20) - but we can all learn how to minister when we look at Paul.

This week we were exploring 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (the passage from Sunday morning, which I blogged on here). The original sermon had presented the passage as an explanation of Paul's ministry - the pattern of his life. The point wasn't made emphatically that this wasn't just a ministry for apostles, but everyone. We should all pattern our lives around Paul's motifs of URGENCY, AUTHENTICITY, and VULNERABILITY.

So what?!

I particularly enjoyed the discussion we had on Tuesday night and want to record some of the more salient points:

We must be urgent. But let us be specific about what it is we're urgent about. Firstly, we must always be urgently seeking to declare the gospel to those around us. There is an evangelical impreative here - "Now is the Day of Salvation!" (2 Cor 6:2). But lest we get wrapped up in a world of incessant proselytism, we must heed the warning to not receive grace in vain. This stopped us short - it can, surely, only be a Christian who receives grace in vain. We must never take for granted or devalue the glory of grace - nor must we cease working with God to see change and growth in our lives. We must be urgent not only for more Christians, but urgent that we be more Christian - we need to be more Christ-like.

The issue for many in cell is how to encourage this growth. Certainly the usual Christian jargon tripped off our lips: we need more prayer, more Bible, more quiet, etc, etc...but how?? There was an acknowledgement that it is entirely possible to become a Christian but you carry on regardless, no transformation takes place. [I would want to explore this idea though - isn't the mark of genuine faith the transforming presence of the Spirit?]

As a cell we all agreed with the second point, that of authenticity. In fact, cell is one of the places par excellence where the rough and the smooth are seen together. If your experience of Christian fellowship was restricted only to church services then, yes, you might get the impression that Christians are people who have it together - who don't get rocked by the storms of life.

When a non-Christian encounters the Christian community of cell they quickly realise that real faith is marked by the struggles and hardships, not just the blessings. As we discussed this point, we wondered whether the idea of 'life is a bed of roses for Christians' has been defeated in church - I've certainly not experienced that in all the churches I've attended. Is it not, therefore, one piece of baggage a non-Christian might bring to church with them. We have to challenge these opinions that we're immunised from life's troubles.

Within our own community we have people who are being pushed to the limits of their strength...and as a result our family feels more authentic and real than if we pretended God only wants to bring us strawberries and cream (much as we'd like that!!)

Fascinatingly, when we thought through the gospel reading (Mark 4:35-41) and the disciples' reactions to the storm, we realised that their expectation was simply that Jesus not be asleep. They had no idea he'd still the storm - just look at their reaction. So, if we're asked 'would Paul have responded in the same way?' obviously he would not have. Paul's EXPECTATIONS differed to the disciples because of the KNOWLEDGE Paul has about Jesus, who he is, and what he achieved on the cross and by his resurrection.

The real question might be: how might our responses to a storm differ to Paul's?

And then in conclusion, Paul shows his vulnerability - his need for love. Some translations of vv.11-13 might give the impression that Paul is in fact asking these Christians to not hold back - but jump into more of God. Other translations give the sense that Paul is saying - I've opened my heart to you, please open your heart to me.

This is a vital part of the threefold nature of ministry. If we simply look to the urgency and authentic lifestyle of Paul we might quickly say, "Well...obviously...Paul was a one off, a first century apostle with a very unique role in the history of the church. Look at me and my gifts/abilities - God clearly wants me to act differently!"

Knowing that Paul wasn't a super-human means we too can step into this type of ministry. Paul was not impervious to the emotional (and physical) drain of his struggles, and he desperately longed for human company and love (cf. 2 Tim. 4:9-13) - just like us.

Certainly, we have in the church a group of individuals who are set-apart for the important role of priests. But we must NEVER forget that we are all called to imitate Paul, as he imitated Jesus. When we reach out to the world (as we must) we should do so with urgency, honesty, and love.

Now what?

When we turned our minds to living this stuff out, and we considered our witness we were confronted by two questions:

1. In what ways is God calling us to minister - urgently, authentically, and with vulnerability - in our present situation?

2. What one thing could we do this week to ensure we are growing as Christians - taking the urgency of growth seriously?

Yesterday was an Ember day - a day to pray about and for ministry/those preparing for ordination/those who are priests...

The prayer book I use had the following prayers in them:

Loving God,

from birth to death you hold us in your hand:

make us strong to bear each other's burden

and humble to share our own

that, as one family,

we may rest in your strength

and trust in your love;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This first prayer, for me, gets to the heart of growth - bearing one another's burdens (a further mark of cell community as well). When we share our burdens with others we grow...



Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This second prayer focuses on our universal ministry of reconciliation - we are all called to serve God. As Peter reminds us, "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you might declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (2 Peter 2:9)

Lest we get ahead of ourselves though...we must note that in this latter prayer it is the Spirit's work to enable us to minister. Indeed, when Paul lists his many hardships in the passage we looked at he suddenly starts referring to the various blessings he received.

I encourage you to think and pray through this list - asking God to bless you with these fruits/gifts:

Purity

Knowledge

Patience

Kindness

Holiness of Spirit

Genuine Love

Truthful Speech, and

Power of God

(2 Corinthians 6:6-7)

Obedience to God's will

I like it when God speaks very clearly to you in the Bible. Today feels like one of those days.

The three passages for morning prayer today were Psalm 77, Jeremiah 43, and Mark 3:19b-end.
The final passage ends with Jesus stating, "Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3:35). Knowing God's will can sometimes prove tricky - we pray and seek guidance, hoping that He will make plain his path for us.

However, I think we get rather hung up on the unknowns for shame of our disobedience in the knowns. We are all guilty, me especially, of simply not doing what I know I should.

Jeremiah was faced with a similar situation. The remnant of the people of Judah had watched their puppet king/governor, Gedaliah, assassinated. (I want to write more about the brilliant drama from Jeremiah 35-45 in a later blog) In response to the assassination the ring-leaders of the insurrection come to Jeremiah and ask him to seek God's will. However, they had already decided what God's will should be for them. The Babylonians were bad, and posed an ongoing threat to those who remained in Judah. There was the chance they might come back and take more people away. Therefore, what was more obvious than the need to retreat to Egypt? It makes perfect sense.

"No!" - says Jeremiah. God asked the people to simply stay put, live in the land (Jer 42).

But this is not good enough - say the people. Indeed, they accuse Jeremiah of lying - of inventing the prophecy, which is rank lunacy when you consider how spot on Jeremiah had been up until then.

But isn't this so often the case. We hear the command - we fail to act. And the failure is so often because we don't like the command - it doesn't fit in with our agenda, or our understanding of the situation. It isn't, as we like to think, that we don't know God's will; we do know it, but fail to walk according to it.

I am so often amazed that I behave in this way. And as I read the Psalm this morning I saw a way out of this pitfall:

"I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated" (Psalm 77:3-6, TNIV)

Four simply words that we can use to help us discern, and (more importantly) obey God's will. And in the main it involves remembering how he has acted in the past. When I'm asked for evidence of God I can point to the historical reliability of Scripture, but I also point to my personal, real experience of God's activity in my life.

So we firstly remember (v.3). We take time to make a record of our memories. I, for instance, keep a journal, that is a permanent reminder of all that I have done. The sins especially remind me of my need of God, but his faithfulness and the settled pattern of increased holiness is a precious reminder that God is with me. Each day I commit to setting down on paper what has happened to me, the highs and lows. I think it is also important to 'count our blessings' to simply list and number the myriad ways God provides for us: homes, cars, clothes, food, sometimes good food, health, the NHS, education, free schooling, friends, family, husbands, wives, children, brothers and sisters, Doctor Who (LOL), cinema, music, ale, curries, etc, etc...on it goes. When we enter into worship we should always take with us the profound sense that God is for us; not against us.

Next we meditate. Both on God's word, but also our daily lives. I'm not very good at meditating on Scripture, and I think I need to work on it. However, just lately I've found myself writing my diary with greater purpose. I want to see past the facts and try to see what was going on in my heart and soul when I said this, or did that: meditating on life, if you will. And what I find is that God is constantly at work around me. I have found, for instance, that stopping to record what my wife said to me, and reading more closely into the feeling and emotion that surrounded what she said, can lead to some fairly straightforward insight into how my behaviour has affected her. As a result I can ask God, by His Spirit, to heal, to forgive, to guide, and especially strengthen me to remedy bad behaviours. I also see missed opportunities when I meditate - the person I should have simply chatted with to dispel feelings of sadness and loneliness; the new acquaintance who would have welcomed a discussion about God; the neighbour who needs me to be more supportive...on it goes...

Next we call to mind (the RSV uses this phrase in place of the second remember). This implies something more interogative, which for me means re-remembering. I forget LOADS from my recent past. So as well as writing a diary, I need to re-read it, going back years, months, and even days, as a reminder of how I need God and what I need prayer for. My wife is astonished I remember so little of my past, so I need to do this. Now I'm not advocating a navel-gazing introspection that immobilises us. Introspection of this sought drives us into prayer and praise. We also - I think - become more confident in accepting God's will when we see how our lives are shaped when we do or don't.

Finally, I ponder...which reminds me of the hymn lyric, "ponder anew, what the Almighty can do" (from Praise to the Lord, the Almighty). And I think this is about turning our mind to the challenges that face us now. What can we learn of God's previous faithfulness that might inspire greater trust and confidence in his future activity - even when the way seems dim, or dangerous. We also have to ask ourselves - are there any areas of my life where I am knowingly disobeying God - either his revealed will and purpose for my life, or His Word? If there are then we should apply to our resistence to His will our knowledge of all he has done, not least the work of Jesus on the cross, who presents to us, the perfect example of obedience.

Forget Harold...and get busy!

The BBC have reported again on Harold Camping and his failed rapture prediction.

It's a real joke! He now says that there WAS a judgement on 21st May, and that it was actually a SPIRITUAL judgment, which is rather convenient. Furthermore, the 21 October date is related to an earlier prediction about the end of the world. It's actually quite annoying that a) the media give this charlatan such air time, but b) they can't even report it properly! They are giving the impression that he is issuing a new date.

What's galling is that his revision to the nature of the judgment does not deal with the rather embarassing question: why are the Christians still around if God has judged the world, albeit spiritually? The fact Christians still walk the planet totally discredits the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture if he now says we're all under judgment??

I know countless theologians and journalists have made the point, but it is worth restating, "no-one knows about that day [the second coming] or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). Jesus' words are unequivocal and any attempt to colour, manipulate, revise, or change these represents gross heresy. Furthermore, the idea that someone might receive a special revelation from the Father is also offensive, for it implies (as the ancient gnostics did) that faith and knowledge of God is about 'secret' knowledge.

But I suppose I should ask myself: what is my personal response to the predictions?

Jesus speaks about His return and the signs that will preceed this in Mark 13, which is largely repeated in Matthew 24. As I read Mark 13 I am struck by the following phrases: "Watch out that noone deceives you" (v.5), "Do not be alarmed" (v.7), "Be on your guard" (v.9, 23, 33), "Do not worry" (v.11 about witnessing), "Be alert!" (v.33), and "Keep watch" (v.35, 37).

Perhaps the key verse is 13: "he who stands firm to the end will be saved"

So what is my personal response?

Firstly, we are to cling to the truth of scripture. We will not be deceived by Satan or fellow man, or by circumstance if we cling to the truth of His word. It is also important that we allow others to correct our understanding, for we can all very easily be drawn to adapt our theology to fit our life. Am I regularly plugging into the Bible to shape my perspective on life. The Bible counsels us to not worry about our future, either from a personal point of view (Matt 6:25,34) or from an apocalyptic point of view. We're to trust Him and cast all our anxiety onto God (1 Peter 5:7). It is the panicked response seen in so many of Camping's followers that upsets me - why are they not dismissing him as contrary to the teaching of the Bible? We are required to expose lies (Ephesians 5:11) so we should, by the same token, be alert and on guard from deceitful ministers (2 John 10; 2 Peter 2:1).

Secondly, we're to take Jesus' return seriously. Accepting that Jesus does give us some indicators of the beginning of the end, which admitedly cannot be scheduled, there are three things I'm to do in connection with His return:

1. Preach the gospel (v.10)
Some believe that until the entire world has heard the gospel in their own language Jesus cannot return. Again, it's important not to put arbitrary conditions on Jesus return, but how am I helping this aim. Do I actively engage in the preaching of the gospel? Does my life speak of the good news? Do I share the good news? Camping does not appear to be using his confidence in a fixed point of judgment to urge greater works of evangelism - or so it seems. I wonder whether this is what Jesus is aiming at when he asks the disciples to not be caught sleeping (Mark 13:36). There is no excuse for inactivity, especially about shining as lights in the world. Indeed, one sign of Jesus return is the increased demand on Christians to witness in front of mankind, which we're not to fear - for the Spirit will lead our words (v.11)

2. Prepare for suffering (v.19)
I think the idea of the rapture is distorted (especially by pre-tribulational dispensationalists) to imply that God doesn't want Christians to suffer. Whether or not we are not to be removed from the world, God has sanctioned that our lives are not free from pain, sadness and suffering. In fact, the Bible counsels that we will suffer for being Christians (see v. 13; 1 Peter 1:6; 2 Timothy 3:12). In my day to day life, do I allow God to use the tough times to teach me, am I able to learn how to trust Him, to pattern my life on Jesus' (1 Peter 2:21)

3. Practice purity (v.34)
We are to continue to live our lives patterned on Jesus and his teaching. I was particularly helped last summer by a talk at the Keswick Convention. Our life of holiness is a response to Jesus first coming and his work on the cross, and the hope Jesus' second coming. 1 John says "everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself" (1 John 3:3). We are called to live in God's will, which also means living free from sin. So perhaps Jesus is saying to his disciples, "Be alert! Be on guard!", not to be only concerned with those around us, the rumours and lies, but we are to look to our own lives - be aware of the deceitfulness of sin. Jesus' reference to sleeping could be a reference to inactivity, but also that state of unrighteousness, a state of spiritual death (Ephesians 5:14).

I can dismiss Harold Camping as a nutter, or a fraud, but I cannot dismiss that to which he refers.

Is my life patterned on the truth of Jesus' return:
- Do I regularly read my Bible to ensure I know truth?
- Am I casting my future worries on God?
- Do I expose and explain the lies in the world to those around me?
- Am I actively sharing the good news of the gospel?
- Do I accept suffering or seek to avoid it?
- Is my life patterned on holiness and a desire to root out sin?

...phew...you know what, I should stop stressing about Harold, and look to my own walk!