The Hookster's Ramblings

NBC Pastoral Letter October 2011 - Pride

2011-09-19T13:00:00.000+01:00

James 4.6 “God opposes the proud, but shows favour to thehumble.”

What is Pride?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “A high, esp. anexcessively high, opinion of one's own worth or importance which gives rise toa feeling or attitude of superiority over others; inordinate self-esteem.” It isalso recognised as the first and worst of the traditional seven deadly sins,often being the base from which the others are reached. It is such a seriousmatter that James quotes these fearful words form Proverbs, that God opposesthe proud.

So what do we have pride in?

Our own abilities.We think that we don’t need anyone’s help, but actually the reason we say this,and overwork ourselves, is because we want all the credit. We want people topraise us for all that we have done. Not needing anyone’s help also means thatwe won’t seek God and the power of his Spirit to live for him, because webelieve we can do it all ourselves.

Our own goodness.We think that we’re good enough – we don’treally think, do or say anything wrong. We’re better than others, who do makemistakes, and therefore we don’t need God’s forgiveness. Of course John tellsus in his first letter, that if we say we have no sin, we make God out to be aliar! So this cannot be true.

That we are right.When we believe that we are right, and we’re proud of that, we won’t try toforgive other people for their mistakes, because they are clearly wrong. We won’ttry to draw close to people we disagree with. Instead we will expect them tocome to us, crawling on their knees, confessing their wrongs and begging ourforgiveness. How arrogant!

Our wealth. We don’tseek God for his provision, but rely on our insurances and pensions andsavings. Now, none of these things are wrong in themselves, but if our pride isin them, and our trust is in them, then we will not look to the Lord as ourProvider. “You do not have because you do not ask,” writes James later inchapter 4.

Our religious heritage.We may be proud that we are a Christian nation, or that we come from aChristian family, or that we have been a Christian for more than fifty years. Thesethings may or may not be true, but Paul says in Galatians 6, “May I never boastexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has beencrucified to me, and I to the world.”

What is the antidote to pride?

There are five things that are part of the antidote topride, and they are very simple. Mark Bailey simply tweeted the five words! Iexpand them below.

Service. Not aprideful kind of service or volunteering, where we want to be noticed by othersand valued by others. This kind of service we will withdraw if we do not feelvalued enough. Instead a humble obedience, that is inconvenient at times,sometimes doing stuff that we know other people are better suited to. Christianservice is God’s love in action.

Humility. This iswhen, as Paul says in Philippians, we consider others as better than ourselves.It is totally against human nature, and we need God’s Spirit to enable thiskind of humility. It means always entertaining the possibility that we may bewrong.

Prayer. Prayer isthe heart of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He longs to hearus, and he longs to speak to us. As I was preparing this as a sermon, I read inMichael Wenham’s blog, “God doesn't value you for what you do; he values yourcompany. He's interested in you - incredible as it may seem.”

Acknowledging God’sLordship. This means handing over control of our lives to God. It is sohard! But God our heavenly father always wants the best for us, and alwaysknows what is best for us. Even though in our following of Jesus we often slipup and make mistakes, God is always ready to set our feet back on the path whenour hearts yearn after him and his mercy.

Stop complaining.Maybe you have never realised that complaining is a form of pride. We all do iton occasions, and it usually makes us feel better. But it hardens our hearts. Itmakes us bitter and unloving. We feel that we are the judge of what is good andwhat is not, and our hearts become full of unforgiveness. Instead of this, letus always look for the best in people, and be constructive and helpful.

Above all, we must remember what God says through Micah:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.(Micah 6.8)

May God bless you.

Nik

NBC Pastoral Letter August 2011

2011-07-12T11:51:00.000+01:00

How do we connect with God?

I guess for each of us, the answer is probably different, and is probably different throughout our lives.

For some, it will be through the disciplines of daily bible reading, or prayer, the traditional “quiet time”. For others, it will be through experience of God’s great creation. Sometimes it will be a mystical experience, or a vision, or a dream. Sometimes it will be during personal or public worship. Sometimes it will be an encounter experience – a special time or a special place for us to look back on.

I well remember my call to ministry at Spring Harvest in 1992, a special week which they called “High Risk”. (I should have known!) it is one of the rare occasions that I have heard God’s voice audibly, as he called me to follow him and serve in ministry. It was accompanied by a picture of Christ walking with his disciples, and an instruction to spend myself in discipling followers of Christ.

There are many calls on my time from family and church, but the times that work best, and when I feel my spirit sing, are when I’m engaged in that ministry of discipleship, whether it’s a big group, or one on one.

In the old movie, Chariots of Fire, the runner Eric Liddell says, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

God has made each one of us purpose, as we know from Ephesians 2.10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Maybe that is coming alongside others, or giving practical support, or medicine, or teaching or playing football. Whatever it is, when we fulfil God’s purpose, we feel his pleasure. And our spirit will sing.

God bless,

Nik

NBC Pastoral Letter May 2011

2011-04-26T16:15:00.000+01:00

This month I was struck by what Jonathan Edwards, the General Secretary of the Baptist Union had to say in the BUGB publication Transform, and I thought it deserved a wider readership. So I have quoted it below…

I am often interviewed. Sometimes the interview takes place in a radio studio and I am grilled by someone who fancies themselves as the next Jeremy Paxman! However, more often I am interviewed in the gentle context of a service of worship. I have discovered that there are two main questions that I am asked. The first is “What encourages you most about the Baptist Union?” and the second is “What depresses you most about the Baptist Union?”

I find both questions easy to answer. Without any question the most impressive and encouraging aspect of our life together in the Baptist Union is the bubbling creativity that I find wherever I go. Whether you look at buildings, worship, evangelism, fellowship, or engagement in the community there are innumerable illustrations of new and exciting initiatives and novel ways of doing familiar things. This is exactly what you would expect from a community that is inspired and led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always in the business of transformation and creativity.

The Olympics next year will give a wide range of exciting opportunities to reach out to people with the love of God. The eyes of the world will be particularly focussed on London and the main Olympic centres – but every community will be caught up in the Olympic experience and More than Gold (www.morethangold.org.uk) is giving lots of ideas for local initiatives.

At the March Baptist Union Council a new Mission Forum has been launched which will be the main driving force for Mission in our Union. We value our partnership with other Baptist Unions in these islands and I am delighted that the Mission Forum will also include representatives from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We are all determined that this will not be a talking shop but a powerful and effective spring board for creative mission.

So what depresses me most about the Baptist Union? I will tell you. I get depressed when we allow ourselves to get trapped in our own culture because this means that we lose the ability to communicate to the people who live around us who wouldn’t have any understanding of our culture. I get depressed when we assume that if we just keep doing the same old things, then revival will finally turn up. I get depressed when we opt for the comfort of our familiar ways of doing things, and resist the transforming breath of the Spirit.

On balance I am more than encouraged. But we need to remember that creativity is challenging and disturbing and even in our most creative moments, there will always be the temptation to opt for the safe and uncreative option.

May the wind of the Spirit of God blow through your life and fellowship.

Jonathan Edwards is the General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (www.baptist.org.uk)

NBC Pastoral Letter April 2011

2011-03-22T10:25:00.000Z

As we approach Easter 2011 we are at war again. This time against Colonel Gadaffi’s regime in Libya. It is always sad when a dispute cannot be resolved by peaceful means.

The earliest Christian tradition was one of strict pacifism, but as Christianity became more widespread, and especially following the conversion of Constantine in 312, Christians recognised that there might be occasions when war was necessary.

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was the first major Christian theologian to define how a war might be considered as Just, but theory has been refined and developed over the centuries.

The classic Just War theory can be divided into principles to consider before engaging in war, and secondly principles for conducting a just war. They are usually set out as below, with some minor variations:

Preparation for war

i) War must be undertaken and waged exclusively by the leaders of the State

ii) War must be waged for a just cause.

iii) Resource to war must be a last resort.

iv) There should be a formal declaration of war.

v) Those engaging in war must have a reasonable hope of success.

vi) The evil and damage which the war entails must be judged to be proportionate to the injury it is designed to avert or the injustice which occasions it.

Conduct of war

i) Non-combatants must not be attacked directly.

ii) Methods of fighting must be proportionate to the just cause and objectives of the war.

You will realise that many of these criteria are open to debate, and this often keeps the moral philosophers busy at times of war!

So is the war against Gadaffi a Just War? Clearly those who voted in the United Nations and in the Westminster Parliament were broadly persuaded of it, but it is probably, as with most things, open to debate. What we must clearly do as Christians, is to pray for those who have to take these decisions, that they may act justly and wisely. We must pray for the people of Libya, that they may be kept safe so that they may have the opportunity to come to know freedom in Christ. We must pray too for the armed forces involved in the conflict, that they would act justly, proportionately and seek to preserve life.

Amidst all of this we know that we follow Christ, who offers hope where there seems to be no hope, and life in the face of death. Resurrection Sunday reminds us that Jesus has conquered death, and as we go through the ‘dark valley’ of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Saturday, we know that the Day of Resurrection is just around the corner.

God bless,

Nik

Pastoral Letter March 2011

2011-02-25T08:57:00.000Z

There has been much unrest throughout North Africa and the Middle East in recent weeks. People have been demonstrating on the streets, and demanding a greater say in the way that their lives are ruled. Virtual and actual dictators are discovering that their grip on power is fragile at best. The people want democracy, a chance to decide on the make up of their government.

Contrast that with the so far low-key campaign in the UK for a change in the voting system. The system proposed is the alternative vote (AV), a system which is not much more proportional than our current first past the post system (FPTP). Is it really worth all the expense and upheaval to change to a system which is only slightly different to the present one?

Opponents of FPTP argue that there are many seats around the country that are so ‘safe’ that parties don’t worry about them. Instead, they focus their campaigning and their policies on the relatively small number of seats that are likely to change hands, rather than on policies for the whole country.

Opponents of AV say that it is more likely to produce weak coalition governments(!) and makes it harder to throw out the governing party at a General Election.

It appears that public at opinion is finely balanced, with a large number of don’t knows. It will be interesting to see what the outcome of the vote is.

In the Old Testament, the people of Israel demonstrated on the streets and demanded, not democracy, but a king. They believed that if they had a king all their problems would be solved. They were quickly proved wrong. It is not a change of the governing system that the country needs, although I personally think it may help. What we need is a change in the attitudes of people’s hearts. People need to live lives that are truly yielded to Christ. As we do that, our attitudes to one another will change, and as we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will come together and work together for his kingdom.

Nik

NBC Pastoral Letter February 2011

2011-01-26T11:51:00.000Z

I was at the gym recently and on the TV screen in front of me was a cricket match being played between England and Australia. I noticed that when a wicket fell, they engaged in the kind of celebration that we often see on the football pitch when a goal is scored.

Now, you know that I am not an avid follower of sport, so hopefully you will be impressed by my using one or two technical terms correctly! But it set a train of thought off in my mind. Do you remember when cricket was played all in white? When it was a very sedate game? When there might be a smattering of applause when a wicket fell, but nothing more? When, unless you knew the game well, it was almost impossible to make out individual players on the pitch, and certainly on TV, almost impossible to see where the ball actually was? Or how about the days before footballers did strange dances to celebrate goals? What are we coming to!

Sometimes people say similar things about church. They think back to the old days with rose tinted spectacles. Wasn’t it lovely when the children (not called kids!) sat in neat rows at the front and didn’t say a word unless they were asked a question? Wasn’t it great when people came into church and sat in silence and prayer before the service began? Isn’t it terrible how people clap when someone is baptised, or to celebrate something God has done?

Well, we change. Society changes. God changes – not in his nature but in what he does with his people. In Isaiah 43.19 God says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Of course, not all change is good, and it behoves us well to weigh new things and discern whether they are godly or not. When we applaud in church, are we encouraging our brother or sister and giving glory to God, or are we engaging in the cult of celebrity? I think most of the time it is the former. When we chatter before the service, is it deepening fellowship and understanding of one another before we come to worship, or is it gossip, or disrespectful to God and those leading worship? Hopefully it is the former! When the children are being noisy and boisterous, is it because they feel welcomed and accepted in God’s presence, or is it because they are trying to disrupt the service, and don’t know how to behave? Again I hope it is the former.

It has been said that the only place where people do not change is the cemetery. Even there, not all is dead, as decay rots away those in the graves. All too sadly, there are some churches where people sing the line from the hymn “Nothing changes here,” and it appears to be true! Only, there again, death and decay causes change, as the congregation dwindles in number, and no new people join. It won’t be long before the final change is the closing of the church building, as there are not enough congregants to sustain it.

Change can be frightening. The world around is changing so rapidly, that some of us want to seek comfort in the church never changing. This is wrong-headed. Our trust and security should not be in the church, which can and must change as it reaches out to each successive generation. Our trust and security must be in God, who does not change, and goes with us into each new thing.

God bless,

Nik

NBC Pastoral Letter December 2010

2010-11-23T11:50:00.000Z

I think I have mentioned before in this letter Michael Wenham’s excellent book My Donkey Body, which tells his own story as an Anglican vicar coming to terms with a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease.

This year he has published a second book, I Choose Everything. This is jointly written with Jozanne Moss, whom he has been corresponding with by e-mail. Jozanne is South African, and also has Motor Neurone Disease. The book tells her story of the onset and diagnosis of the disease, as well as living with it. It is interspersed with Michael’s theological reflections on her experiences. It is another brilliant book, and I would highly recommend them, especially if you’re thinking about Christmas presents! Neither of them are cheerful reads on one level, as MND is not a cheerful disease. However, for both Michael and Jozanne, their vibrant faith in God shines through.

I follow Michael’s blog at http://mydonkeybody.blogspot.com/ and this is a brilliantly thoughtful and everyday blog, which often encourages me to reflect deeply. Last week he posted an update from Jozanne, which gives something of the flavour of her faith:

“Since my last mail, I have regressed considerably. I am no longer able to use my computer and spend most of my days in bed. My body is weak and my breathing is very shallow. I have lost most of my muscle mass and probably weigh between 35 & 40 kg's. I am on a 4 hourly dosage of morphine which brings me great relief from the pain I have been experiencing in my neck and shoulders. I am not able to eat anymore due to the weakened muscles in my mouth and swallowing process. I take all my feeds through a tube in my stomach. I am completely paralysed and I am grateful for the two full-time caregivers that assist me during the day and for [my husband] Dave who helps me at night.

“My greatest challenge now is speech and communication. This is very frustrating for me because I can no longer verbalise any words. It is difficult for me to express how I feel or what I need and also for those around me to understand what I am trying to say. We do seem to find ways around this but with much difficulty and effort.

“Despite all these challenges God has been so faithful to us. He daily gives me the strength to carry on, but not just that, He fills my life with joy as He reveals Himself to me more and more everyday....”

Sometimes in the midst of our hectic preparations and celebrations of Christmas we forget to be thankful to God for our life, faith and health. We sometimes forget those who are having a more difficult time. Our society tends to devalue those who are not fully able bodied and of sound mind. But each one of us has intrinsic value in God’s sight, because he made us, he loves us, and he sent Jesus into the world to save us.

This Christmas, do think if there is someone that you can encourage with Christ’s love.

Also, don’t forget to invite your friends and family to the Christmas services, especially our ‘Christingle’ service on December 12 at 5.00 pm, which is a new venture for us this year!

God bless,

Nik

Barbers and sex

2010-11-01T12:18:00.000Z

Just had an interesting, and slightly amusing conversation with my barber, who had clearly forgotten my job! It went rather like this...

Barber: Not working today?
Me: I'm the minister at the baptist church, have flexible hours and will be working at a meeting tonight...
B: Well, sorry to keep you waiting.
M: Not at all! In fact I was just reading a book.
B: Oh, what were you reading?
M: Ah, it was a book about sex actually.
B: (clearly flummoxed) Oh!
M: By an American guy called Rob Bell. Really good, goes into the deeper meaning of all kinds of things about sex and desire.
B: Quite deep, eh?
M: Yeah.
B: Don't expect to find a minister reading a book about sex!
M: Oh, it's great. It's called Sex God.
B: (recovering) Oh, that's what the Mrs calls me!

One little step along the way!

(It is a great book, by the way. Here's the Amazon link.)

Pastoral Letter November 2010

2010-10-26T13:59:00.000+01:00

The weekend of October 15-17 was a very special occasion in the life of NBC as members of the congregation of all ages and backgrounds came together for the Church Weekend Away at Bawtry Hall near Doncaster.

The youngest was aged 1 and the oldest had experience of many years of life and church life! It was absolutely fantastic to see teenagers playing games with people who were old enough to be their grandparents. There was a wonderful sense of church family together, as we ate together, played together, worshipped together and learnt together.

Adrian Argile, the Heart of England Baptist Association Regional Minister, was our main speaker. He led us in a series of studies looking at what mission means to us as individuals and as a church.

The children’s work was led by Ian and Elaine Coules, who are incredibly gifted at presenting the reality of a living relationship with Jesus in an age appropriate way.

Our worship was led by Julian and Lynn Eaton, assisted by our own Si and Stephen Bennett, who helped us to express our worship to God, with new songs and old.

Big thanks must go to Hazel for all her hard work in organising the weekend away. It was a brilliant location, great food (and plenty of it!) and just so special to spend so much time away together. I’m sure the next one will be even better!

Another important occasion was our Special Church Meeting on October 19. In our Baptist understanding of the church, we are not governed by diktats from ‘higher up’ or by councils. Instead, we believe that we test God’s will for our congregation in the church meeting. Each member should come to the meeting in an attitude of prayer and worship, to hear from one another and from God. Then together we test what God’s will is. Often we work for consensus. Sometimes it is necessary to take a formal vote, as on this occasion. The church meeting resolved (by 33 votes to 5 or 86.8%) to begin to market our present site and buildings.

We do not yet have a firm plan of where to go next. However, we believe that it is now clear that our current buildings are not fit for purpose, and that we cannot rebuild on this site. We therefore need to be freed from our present buildings, and have a clearer idea of what our financial resources are, as we explore various possibilities to lease or to buy. We need to continue to pray for God’s guidance and direction, and be sensitive to those who dissented from the majority in good conscience.

Our God will not abandon us, but he will stretch us and allow our faith to grow. We must keep faith with him as he leads us into his future.

God bless,

Nik

NBC Pastoral Letter October 2010

2010-09-26T22:44:00.000+01:00

The summer gives us a chance to relax a bit and enjoy God’s creation. With fewer church meetings during August, and possibilities of time off work, we can take the chance to rest and restore. For us as a family August works well for this, having two school-aged children. Before we had kids we used to holiday in June or October.

This summer we went once again to the New Wine summer conference in Shepton Mallet. We had a brilliant time this year – the weather was very kind! This year more people came from NBC than last year, and we had a good opportunity to get to know one another better.

Some of the group were working (helping with kids’ work), but you only have to ask them if they enjoyed New Wine and their faces light up! Indeed, one of the group that wasn’t working this year is keen to work next year!

We had great teaching from a whole variety of different speakers – I was particularly encouraged and challenged listening to Henry Orombi, the Anglican Archbishop of Uganda. We had lots of opportunities to receive prayer, and indeed one of the group experienced God’s healing during a ministry time, and continuing after. We’ll be having a meeting later in the Autumn for anyone who’s interested in going to New Wine next year.

At the end of August we spent two weeks in the Loire Valley region of France, near Saumur. It was very relaxing, most of us managing to swim, cycle and climb trees (guess who wussed out on the high wire climbing!) We also managed a few visits to Chateaux and vineyards (not just new wine, this time!)

One thing that God was reminding me at New Wine and, indeed, during devotional time on holiday was that God has created me to be me, not somebody else. It is when I am not trying to be somebody else that God is most able to use for his purposes and for his glory.

This is something that each of us needs to remember. God has created each one of us uniquely. He has given us gifts and experiences, strengths and weaknesses that no-one else in the world has. He calls us to use those gifts and experiences in the place that he has put us, at the time he has chosen. He is able to use each one of us to further his kingdom if we remain open to his voice and the working of his Spirit.

This is Augustine’s prayer to the Holy Spirit, which you might want to make your own:

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy. Amen.

NBC Pastoral Letter August 2010

2010-07-29T10:13:00.000+01:00

In the past couple of months I’ve been reading and listening to RT Kendall on forgiveness. In his book Total Forgiveness he suggests several reasons for forgiving, as well as ways of knowing that you have forgiven someone.

I think this is really important teaching for the church to take on board, so I would highly recommend buying the book and reading it for yourself, but my first sermon after the summer break will focus in on the story of Joseph and his brothers and the need for total forgiveness.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to forgive other people, whether they have hurt us deliberately or unintentionally, is that God the Father has forgiven us. God knows all the things that we have ever done, said or thought – each thing that has hurt him, and that the Bible calls sin. But in his great mercy, God does not punish us, he lets us off the hook. He gives us forgiveness because Jesus died on the cross. So God tells us to forgive others to the same measure that he has forgiven us – totally.

One of the signs that we have forgiven someone totally is that we don’t tell anyone about what the other person has done for us. It is so tempting when someone has hurt to let everybody know how much we have been hurt. But this is not God’s standard of total forgiveness. Now, it may be that we need to tell one other person, whom we know will not tell anyone else, for therapeutic reasons. it may be that the person has done something which is a crime, and we need to give evidence against them in court. Apart from that, we should keep silent. And that doesn’t mean we say “so-and-so has hurt me terribly, but I can’t tell you what they’ve done.” That’s almost worse than spilling the beans completely.

In his letter, James writes about the dangers of talking too much. “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3.5-6) A stark warning to us.

There is much more that RT says in his book, and I shall share a bit more of it in September. Maybe you could use any quiet moments that August provides to reflect on people that have hurt you in the past, and whether you have totally forgiven them. We cannot do this in our own strength, but only in the strength that God provides.

God bless,

Nik

NBC Pastoral Letter July 2010

2010-06-23T16:26:00.000+01:00

Sometimes people say to me that they know all that there is to know about what the Bible has to say to so us, and that they would really rather that I didn’t keep banging on about how important personal Bible reading is, and the opening and preaching from God’s Word that is such an important part of our worship.

Of course, Jesus calls us to be his disciples, his followers. He calls us to a pattern of what in the modern idiom would be called life-long learning. Paul refers to this also in his letter when he refers to us pressing on towards the goal. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3.12

The truth that God always has more to teach us from his word was evident once again to me last week, as I was reflecting on that phrase that became the focus of my sermon: “Through many hardships we must enter the kingdom of God.” I was drawn to the story of Jacob, a story which I know very well having grown up in a Baptist church Sunday school, and then having attended churches which faithfully preach from the Bible throughout my teenaged years. This year marks twenty years since I myself first began preaching, and my very first sermon, appropriately enough, was on a text from Genesis.

Yet it is only in 2010 that God has shown me a deeper truth about Jacob. He wrestles all night with God because he desires God’s blessing. He knows that to be blessed by God is the most awesome thing in the universe. It is the thing to be most prized and desired. Yet the path to it may be intensely difficult. The Sunday School FlannelGraphTM (ask your parents, kids!) did not quite convey the impression of this beaten up, scruffy, crippled man, as he staggered away from Jabbok that morning. As he went to be reunited with his wives and children. As he went to be reconciled with his brother, whom he had not seen for years, he was a physical wreck!

Yet God had blessed him! It is a mighty thing to ask for God’s blessing, but we can be sure that God will always bless us for our good.

Not sure if I should sign this letter off with ‘God bless’!

Nik

NBC Pastoral Letter June 2010

2010-05-25T12:44:00.000+01:00

At the recent New Wine leadership conference I attended there was some discussion on the place of faith, particularly in reference to Jesus’ statement about faith being able to move mountains. You may well have heard people talking about this faith as though it is something that must be mustered up, and if we have enough faith, then we will see amazing miracles and healings. Adrian Plass satirised this in his novels by having the main character attempt to move a paper clip by faith!

Well, that’s not what the text says. Jesus says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17.21)

The key is ‘faith as small as a mustard seed’. The context is that of the disciples’ failure to cast out demons. What Jesus says is that it is not a matter of how much faith you have, whether that be a kind of super-faith or even faith in faith itself, but faith in God. It is faith in God that will move mountains, even if that faith is as small as a mustard seed. For it is God who moves and acts according to his will, not in accordance to how much faith we can somehow summon up.

True faith in God is trusting in the person of Christ with the whole person, heart, soul and strength.

Sometimes we are disappointed that God does not act in the way that we expect him to. He does not always work healing when we expect him to. We hear some amazing testimonies of people experiencing God’s healing and yet we do not see it in our own lives. This was the case even in the New Testament. Not all the lepers in Israel were healed by Jesus. Timothy continued to have a problem with his stomach. Paul had problems with his eyesight. Epaphroditus does not appear to be healed.

Unfortunately sickness and death are part of our present world, a world that is marked by its rebellion and rejection of God’s authority in human lives. And yet… we do see some elements of the age to come breaking into the present age as we taste something of God’s healing and blessing in our present lives. None of this is related to the strength of our faith, but to our faith in the strength of God himself.

If you’re interested in joining us at New Wine in Shepton Mallet for the Central and South West conference, then go to www.new-wine.org/summer10. There are half week tickets available at www.new-wine.og/halfweek and you can find details of joining the team at www.new-wine.org/summer/Teams.htm. There are spaces for children’s work, youth work (except 13-14 age group), Site Crew, Stewarding, Hospitality, Projection at N&E, Medical, Our Place and more! Serving on team is a brilliant way to grow as a Christian and to go to the conference for free!

God bless,

Nik

NBC Pastoral Letter

2010-04-20T18:05:00.005+01:00

You can, I suspect, hardly have failed to notice that the General Election is scheduled for May 6. In the following weeks a new Parliament and a new Government of one sort or another will take shape. A post-WWII record of nearly 150 MPs are retiring. Change is certain, what is not certain is what that change will bring.

Christians often lament the way in which Britain no longer seems to be a Christian country, and is letting go of its Christian heritage. This may well be true, but it is also not the first time such laments have been heard.

William Wilberforce, a former MP for Yorkshire, is perhaps most famous for his indefatigable role in bringing to an end the slave trade. After he was elected as an MP in 1784 he became a Christian in 1785. This brought a complete transformation in his life – he had been mainly interested in having fun and high living, but his conversion awakened him to other concerns such as poor working conditions, immorality and inequalities. He famously called for a “Reformation of manners”, and explored a whole variety of ways to do this.

Ultimately Wilberforce realised that whilst the State had a role in restraining evil, it was not very good at promoting good. He knew that a reformation of manners would only truly come about as people turned to Christ.

In these coming weeks as we look at the role of the Holy Spirit in the believer and in the church, we are reminded again and again that it is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that changes us from self-centred people to people, filled with the Spirit, who consider the needs of others before our own. This is the reformation that we need, and the reformation that society needs.

We cannot make it more Christian by legislation or censorship, the only way to make it more Christian is to introduce more people to Christ, and the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit.

God bless,

like I need a hole in the head..

2008-12-03T10:19:00.002Z

Just visited my GP last night after some ear pain at the weekend.

He stuck a camera down each of my ear canals and we saw on the screen what the problem was -- I have perforated eardrums, caused by having grommets inserted about eleven years ago.

It was quite a shock to me, especially being able to see the extent of the damage -- I have virtually no ear drum in my right ear!

I'm being referred to an ENT specialist to see if anything can/should be done. There is an operation called a tympanoplasty that may help. We shall have to wait and see!

The Next Doctor

2008-11-15T10:02:00.002Z

Well, there's much speculation about who might fill the role of the eleventh Doctor, once David Tennant has completed his run of five specials...

Some have even suggested it might be me! I suspect that the odds on that one are very long - all I have in my favour is being about the right age...

But this isn't really about who will be the twelfth actor to portray the Doctor in the BBC TV series (check the cast list for The Five Doctors if you don't understand that bit).

Last night, on Children in Need, the BBC broadcast the first two minutes of the Christmas Day Special, The Next Doctor. I won't spoil it for you too much, but if you want to be teased you can watch it online here.

As a minister, the thought of Christmas used to fill me with a kind of dread. Not because I don't want to celebrate the awesome gift of God in becoming a human baby, but because it gets harder and harder each year to find new ways of expressing that! By 12.00 on December 25, 2008, I reckon I will have delivered about forty different talks on the same topic! There's probably, God willing, another hundred and fifty or so to go before retirement...

It's also the sheer busy-ness of the season. It often feels like a roller coaster that launches in September and gets faster and faster until 12.00 o'clock on Christmas Day, when I collapse in a heap in my arm chair, and my family wait on me hand and foot! (that last bit is just my fevered imagination!)

Now there is the relatively new Christmas tradition, of looking forward to the special Doctor Who episode, usually recorded and then watched later in the evening once the kids are asleep, or even the next day if I can wait that long!

So it's nice to have a teaser at this time of year, to encourage me to look forward to it.

And it's amazing to think that next Sunday, Doctor Who will be forty five years old! Still going strong.

Prince Caspian

2008-06-12T11:44:00.003+01:00

I went to see a special preview screening of the movie Prince Caspian on Tuesday night, hosted by UCB in Stoke on Trent.

The film follows on from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, but has a somewhat darker feel to the film.

It has been adapted well for the big screen -- those who are very familiar with the original novel by CS Lewis will be aware of a number of changes that have been made for the screenplay. In my view, these changes enhance rather than detract from the film. They certainly help with the narrative flow -- I remember as a six year old rather wading through the early chapters of the book.

It makes really good use of CGI, as you would expect. I could perhaps single out for particular mention the character of Reepicheep, a talking mouse. Reepicheep in the book is a rather endearing character, used for humour and for poignant moments showing some of the impact of the events in the story. I must confess that he is one of my favourite characters from the book, and I was delighted to see him realised so well. He comes across just as humorous and chivalrous as he does in the book.

Some political intrigue has been added to Miraz's court, the chief baddie. This certainly makes for a more interesting story, as we see the power struggle played throughout the film. In the book, much of Caspian's story is told in flashback. This would not work in the film, and the two stories of Caspian and The Pevensie children are interwoven until their stories come together, making for a much more gripping overall story.

A whole new battle is added to the story, which increases the excitement, and adds to some new tension between Caspian and Peter. Susan's role is boosted, and she is present for all the battles, unlike in the book, where the girls are carried away to safety. Susan also has a certain love interest with one of the other characters, which is handled well.

Overall, the film, running at 2 hours and twenty minutes, is a splendid experience, and certainly the time passed very quickly. Due to the darker nature of the plot and its running length, one might want to carefully consider whether it is an appropriate film for younger children (say under 8), to watch. Having said that, it is of course, a story where good triumphs over evil, and there are many moral and spiritual themes explored during the course of the film.

Speaking of these themes, church leaders, youth group leaders and school teachers would be delighted to know that the Damaris Trust have produced some excellent resources for worship, lessons and youth group sessions. These have been produced in conjunction with Disney, and include downloadable clips for illustrating certain points. They are available at their Narnia resources page.

This is a brilliantly produced film, and should provide plenty of opportunities to discuss some of the themes with people in our churches and schools, and hopefully with people who wouldn't normally come to church.

Bank Holiday

2008-05-26T08:31:00.002+01:00

Well, at least Walk to School week is over! I managed one more towing of Reuben's bike to school. The amazing thing is, that a couple of the dads that have never really spoken to me chatted to me just because I had cycled. Maybe I should do it a few more times...

The pressure was ramped up when I discovered that Reuben did not just get a sticker, he got 'merit' points from school for doing it. The irritation factor was increased when I discovered that children who lived 2 minutes walk from the school (as opposed to thirty) and walked every day also got these rewards... something about the inherent justice of this life there.

Still, as I was preaching yesterday from Habakkuk chapter 2, we know that justice will be perfect and complete when Jesus returns.

No Doctor Who this week, which gave us the chance to have a highly intelligent dinner party. We chose a Spanish theme, and cooked a chicken and rice dish not too dissimilar to Paella, and some Tapas to begin with. I downloaded some traditional Spanish guitar music to complete the effect, but unfortunately the English weather did not play ball!

Hopefully the weather will be better behaved today, as we were planning to take the boys to Tutbury Castle this morning. I guess we should have realised that good weather and bank holiday Mondays rarely go together!

I am increasingly concerned that the UK economy (indeed the world economy) faces some really tough and difficult circumstances in the next fifty years. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be anyone prepared to take some long term and very unpopular decisions about our future. With more people living longer and needing pensions for longer, healthcare for longer. With medical treatments increasingly expensive. With lifestyle choices leading to further expensive medical intervention, not to treat sickness, but to enable people to have children later in life and without the need for two potent parents in a loving relationship. These costs are soaring, and yet we do not want to pay more tax. The pool of the working population rapidly reducing in relation to the non-working population that needs to be supported by it.

Are we about to see a political party pledging to increase the statutory retirement age, and make early (non tax-paying) retirement illegal? I doubt it.

Are we about to see the reintroduction of charges for expensive fertility treatment? I doubt it.

Are we about to see ever more expensive cancer treatments, with marginal benefits, but with the insistence that they are available for free on the NHS? I should think so.

With costs spiralling and the tax take remaining stable and declining, the sums do not add up.

Expect to see further attempts to legalise euthanasia. The argument will be based on allowing people choice and dignity, even though the most dignified deaths I have observed have been either in a hospice or with 'hospice-at-home care'. However, hospice care is very expensive compared to euthanasia. Euthanasia is cheap. It means it reduces the numbers that need long term care and pensions. It frees up space in our hospitals. This is the argument that people do not dare to put, yet it is the strongest. However, it does not change my view that euthanasia is uncaring to the person and their family, and robs them of dignity and respect. It says that not all life has the same value. That some people are more worth giving care to for others. However, is this not what legislation has said for the past forty years since the introduction of the Abortion Act?

Walk to School Week

2008-05-20T10:03:00.003+01:00

Oh what a good idea this is.

Now don't get me wrong, I do believe we need to reduce our carbon footprint and be concerned about the environment and global warming. But there is a seeming injustice about Walk to School Week.

Basically, a child gets a sticker if they have not come to school in a car. It matters not whether they live two minutes from school, or right on the edge of the catchment area as we do.

Reuben was very keen on this, and since one of the 'acceptable' modes of transport was a bicycle, he wanted to cycle to school. What this means is, he wanted Daddy to attach his bike to my bike, and tow him to school. It really is uphill all the way. His bike is not a light carbon frame, but a solid steel construction...

I think I deserve the sticker, as I did it this morning! Don't need to go to the gym today...

The Unicorn and the Wasp

2008-05-19T12:07:00.000+01:00

Wow.

That was a really good episode of Doctor Who!

Before it was broadcast, it was trailed as being the first pure comedy since The Romans, a story which was broadcast in January and February 1965.

It was certainly very funny, making a real pastiche of the Whodunnit? genre in general, and Agatha Christie in particular. Whilst it could have descended into farce, it resisted that route, and instead came across as clever, witty, and self-mocking. It was good fun spotting all the Agatha Christie title references, too. I think the only one I didn't spot first time was "N or M?"

There has been some controversy as to whether revealing the Vicar to be the alien Vespiform is a part of the Producer's atheist bias. I must confess as I watched it I thought, "oh no, they're going to make the vicar the killer." I suppose if you had to pick the least likely person to be the Alien/killer in the best Christie tradition, it have to be either Christie herself, or the vicar.

Still, it was all very good fun, and now we have a whole fortnight to wait for the next episode, written by the excellent Steven Moffat, "The Silence in the Library".

Return

2007-08-26T09:04:00.000+01:00

Just back from holiday now. I hate that feeling as you return home from holiday that it is all now over, and work begins! For me, that's today at church. Thankfully someone else is 'doing' the service, so I just have to 'be'.

The BB training week was fantastic. It was great to work with so many enthusiastic young people. One of the students on the course received some bad news during the week, and the rest of his group immediately wanted to pray for him. It was lovely to see, and take part in that very moving time of prayer after our course communion service.

It was good 'doing' communion with the other chaplain, a Methodist minister. We thought we had sorted everything out beforehand, but as we participated together I realised that we were doing it just slightly differently according to our traditions... the half of loaf he distributed was almost finished when he got back to the table, whereas mine was barely touched! Something about the generosity of God there...

Spending time with so many young people means that there is now a dramatic increase in the number of photos of me on facebook. Hmmm. Look if you dare!

Wales was good. Not much sun. Plenty of rain. But then, that is Wales! It didn't stop us doing anything though, in what I reckon is our best family holiday yet. Jonathan is nearly 3 and Reuben nearly 5 now, so they were both independent enough for us to do a mixture of walks, visits and play. It was lovely. I feel quite refreshed now. I'm trying to ignore the mountain of post and the e-mountain of e-mails!

Just reading through Hague's biog of Wilberforce at the moment. It's fantastic. last night I got to the point when the Abolition Act went through Parliament and received the Royal Assent just before the Grenville government collapsed. Riveting stuff.

Dr Who, The Boys' Brigade and Christianity

2007-08-04T10:16:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm now at Felden Lodge getting ready for my week as chaplain to the young officers' training course. My aim is to communicate the fundamentals of Christianity through the week. I'm going to use clips from the New Series of Doctor Who, to help to illustrate this.

My first major problem was a technical one. My presentation software (which is the excellent, and highly recommended EasyWorship) does not play DVD clips under Windows Vista. This is because MS have taken the step of getting all software people to patent their Codecs. What this means, is that if you have one program that plays DVDs, it cannot share this skill with other prgrams. Unlike in Windows Vista.

I had to rather humiliatingly ask if I could borrow a laptop that had an older version of Windows on it just so I could use the basic functionality of cueing up my DVD clips for my presentations. Hummphh. Not impressed.

Ah well. The old version of Windows works swimmingly. I've just cued up the clips for my first session. Rather unfortunately titled, the first two clips to get people thinking about God, are from the episode "The Satan Pit".

Better go -- we have a Staff Meeting in just a moment!

PS Just spoke to someone who was rather alarmed to hear some of my more radical ideas in youth work!

New Beginnings

2007-08-02T20:40:00.000+01:00

Well, as part of my phased withdrawal from as much MS stuff as possible, I've decided to relocate my blog here.

Still thinking hard (though you wouldn't notice!) about how to communicate teh message of Christianity using Doctor Who! At the moment I'm struggling for a video clip that alludes to the Holy Spirit.... ho hum. I'm sure inspiration will come!

School Holidays

2007-08-01T09:33:00.000+01:00

Finding the time to blog alongside all other responsibilities is tricky, but I shall continue...

This is the first year when my eldest son Reuben, has school holidays. We're covering the child care by having a 2 week family holiday. The boys are also going with Claire to their grandparents for a week. The remaining 3.5 weeks or so I'm covering by working 'around' them.

This 'quieter' time of year certainly gives some space to reflect before the mad arrival of September, with Harvest, Alpha, Baptism and the manic countdown to Christmas.

Next week I'll be at BB HQ as a chaplain to one of their training courses, which should be fun. Also probably too many late nights! I shall have to have power naps, I think...

I'm planning to do a series of sessions on Christian basics using Doctor Who clips to help me. As a lifelong fan of Doctor Who I have a lot of material to draw on, but I shall focus on stuff from the recent revival in the main. It's so important to use visual means of communication in church (and outside) today. Although I do sometimes get the impression from some of our longer standing members at church that they are a little weary of *another* video, and a slight longing for the old days of the Long Prayer!

Ho hum.