Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during May 2023]

The subjects of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are about to witness the coronation of a new monarch. Probably for most of the population this will be a new experience but there is a dwindling number of us for whom this is not the first such event.

Much has changed since the previous occasion in 1953. Most of the former empire no longer carries that designation and the Commonwealth that evolved from it has lost much of its former significance. Britain both lost and regained its sovereignty (for better or for worse) and now longer has the same level of influence in world affairs. There are threats to the unity of the kingdom itself and there are questions about the role of the monarchy in the twenty-first century.

Nevertheless, in general the British public enjoys a good excuse for a celebration; the vendors of royal souvenirs will enjoy a boost to their sales and street parties give people the chance to meet their neighbours, possibly for the first time.

It is somewhat ironic that at the time of the previous coronation the then Prime Minister was concerned about how the loss of a productive working day might impact on the nation’s economy; now, the boost to trade and tourism is regarded as a major benefit.

Did you receive an invitation from the king? Maybe it is still in the post. If it arrives in time, how will you respond? Will you be amazed that ‘the firm’ recognises you? Will you accept? Will you decline? Will you want to buy a new outfit? It is fairly certain that you would not ignore it or keep it a secret.

What about the invitation from the King of kings? He knows who you are and he is inviting you to the most significant royal event in history. Will you accept? Will you decline? Do you feel that you are not ready or that you will not be accepted?

‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. Isaiah 55 v1-3 [NIVUK]

Unlike the coronation, this invitation has no fixed date that can be marked in our calendar. For you, for each of us, the period of acceptance might terminate at any moment. This is an invitation like none other – will you keep it a secret?

Resources:
[1]

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during May 2023]

“If I forgot your silly birthday would you mind?” The question was posed by Henry Higgins in his monologue deploring the perceived inconsistency of the female mind. In the musical “My Fair Lady”, Higgins set out to rescue a young lady from her hopeless circumstances, only for her to turn her back on him and place her affections elsewhere. Higgins may have had a point about birthdays – some of us have had rather a lot of them – but he was primarily reacting to having been discarded and forgotten. Job expressed a similar sentiment:

My relatives have gone away; my closest friends have forgotten me. Job 19 v14 [NIVUK]

I had not previously noticed any degree of similarity between “My Fair Lady” and God’s plan of salvation. The musical records how the attempt to save one person resulted in disappointment and disillusion. On a global scale, God provides a way to rescue poor lost souls and promise them a future, only to have the offer forgotten or ignored. Of course, the motivations are completely different – Higgins was conducting a social experiment whereas God …

so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3 v16 [BSB][1]

Which is worse – being ignored or being forgotten? Overlooked or neglected? No doubt we have all encountered the shop assistant whose telephone conversation was more important than the needs of the customer. What about expecting an invitation that never materialised?

How does God feel about his offer of salvation being forgotten or ignored? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the consequences:

The message spoken by angels proved to be true, and all who disobeyed or rejected it were punished as they deserved. So if we refuse this great way of being saved, how can we hope to escape? Hebrews 2 v2-3 [CEV]

Another translation of the same passage warns us against neglecting our salvation. In this context, ‘neglect’ means to fail to give adequate attention to something for which you have some degree of responsibility. You cannot neglect your neighbour’s garden – it is not within your remit, unless you are asked to help. By contrast, the outcome of neglecting your own garden is both detrimental and inevitable. Very soon, your neglect will become obvious to those people around you.

Do you ever get the feeling that you may have forgotten something? Is there something that you have overlooked? What about neglecting your faith? It too can be compared to a garden in that it needs cultivating and diligent attention if it is going to produce its full potential. Even the Garden of Eden required some maintenance.[2]

The Eternal One will never leave you; He will lead you in the way that you should go. When you feel dried up and worthless, God will nourish you and give you strength. And you will grow like a garden lovingly tended; you will be like a spring whose water never runs out.
Isaiah 58 v11 [The Voice]

Resources:
[1] BSB: Berean Standard Bible, via biblehub.com
[2] Genesis 2 v15

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This reflection by Michael Goble was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 30/Apr/2023]

The Darkness and The Light are both alike to You
A friend of ours at a previous church, Christine, was a very bubbly and happy member of our home group. One day cycling home from work for lunch, she was hit by a lorry and suffered brain damage. She was never the same person again. One day I received a telephone call from her. “Please come, I feel so depressed.” As I left for her home Psalm 139 was laid on my heart. That’s good I thought, I shall be able to comfort her that the Lord’s presence was always with her, strengthening her and giving her peace.

As we spoke together about how she felt, I then started reading Psalm 139. “Where could I go from your spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Verses 7,9,10 AMP). That was what I wanted to share with her. But as I read on, “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be the only light about me, even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.” (Verses 11,12 AMP).

Christine suddenly exclaimed, “That’s it, I was in darkness but the darkness is the same as light to God! I am really in the light.” I thought I knew what I was going to say to her but it was the Lord who spoke to her through His word to heal her. After that she used to send me Bible verses and words of encouragement.

Since the pandemic, Barbara and I have felt that problems and depressions have been crowding in on us. But I have also noticed that people we know, whether Christians or of no faith are going through similar problems more than before in their own lives. They may be physical or mental health weaknesses, financial problems, family and relationship difficulties, or challenges to our faith. We can grasp the same truth as Christine, that Jesus heals us as we see that He is with us in the darkness, and brings His light into our every situation.

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during April 2023]

We live in an increasingly secular world where the expectations that people have often compete with our responsibilities as Christians. Are we being invited to events on Sundays when we ought to be devoting that time to worshipping God? Does our commitment to the church compromise our full participation in popular sports or hobbies? Or, perhaps, vice versa.

It can be difficult to maintain our Christian faith in a society that does not share or understand our commitment. Devotion to a football team – even the wrong football team – is seen as acceptable while devotion to God is not.

Do you feel like a pilgrim in an alien land, on your own with no one to share your beliefs? Certainly, Naaman might have felt that way. We can read his story in the second book of Kings where we learn that Naaman was a senior officer in the army of the king of Aram in around 849BC. He was successful as an army officer and was highly appreciated by both the king and those who worked for him. We are familiar with how he was cured of leprosy after the prophet Elisha told him to bathe in the river Jordan – an experience that Naaman found to be somewhat distasteful.

Nevertheless, having been cured, Naaman returned to his post in the court of Aram as a believer in the God of Israel, initially at least as the only believer in that country. He wanted to continue to worship God but he recognised that some of his duties might be seen to compromise that commitment. Those of us who are in a similar situation can draw encouragement from Elisha’s advice to be at peace with the situation.

Elijah had a similar feeling of being the only believer left; in an attack of depression after the great demonstration of God’s power over the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, he cried out to God “I alone am left; and they seek to take my life”. What was God’s response?

Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. 1 Kings 19 v18 [NIVUK]

There may be times when we feel that we are the only Christian in our community. It is likely that there are other Christians nearby but you have not recognised them. Could it be that other Christians with similar feelings have not been able to recognise you? Jesus suggested one characteristic to look out for, or demonstrate ourselves:

By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another. John 13 v35 [AMP]

It is said that actions speak louder than words. Whether we are aware of it or not, our behaviour sends a message to those around us. As Francis of Assisi said: “The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today”.

Resources:

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 23/Apr/2023]

During the Connect in Faith meeting last weekend, the subject of prayer came up. In particular, how it can be difficult to pray. The reasons for this varied from not enough time, to too many distractions.

I thought a bit more about this after the session. One of the reasons I find it difficult to pray is that I do not set aside enough time for it, and when I do, I find that I am sometimes watching the clock to get to the end of the prayer time. Another reason is not having a structure to the time I have set aside, which means that I wander off course very easily. Interestingly, I also feel uncomfortable with structured prayer, partly because it can become something I do according to a pre-specified formula, rather than something which can (perhaps should) be spontaneous.

When I pray, there are times when doubt seeps in and I start to wonder whether God will answer my prayer. There are also sometimes when God seems quite distant, and I wonder whether he is there. I know in my heart however, that he is there, so I then think at these times, that it is me that is at fault and guilt then seeps in.

Sometimes, the sheer number of things we want to pray for is a bit overwhelming and we don’t know where to start, so we choose not to start. None of this seems right.

Prayer is how we communicate with God. We start a conversation in which we share what lays heavy on our heart with the one person who we know understands us fully and is never too busy to listen to us. We have the opportunity to ask for his advice as to what to do in the various situations we find ourselves in, and to ask Him to give us the wisdom and courage to follow the guidance He gives us. This sort of communication deepens the relationship we have with Him.

We should look forward to these meetings with God. The Apostle Paul says that we should pray without ceasing. I don’t think he meant us to do this grudgingly, or out of duty. Think about those people in your life whose company you cherish. We can’t wait to meet them, to share what’s going on in our lives with them. They laugh with us and sit with us through times when we are sad. They bring us comfort and encourage us. We trust them enough to tell us the truth even if it isn’t what we want to hear. We value their counsel.

If we look at prayer like this, it turns prayer into something we look forward to and can’t wait to do. I think Jesus’ disciples recognised this when they saw Jesus pray and that it is probably why one of them asked him “Lord, teach us to pray”.

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during April 2023]

Do you ever make assumptions about what other people are thinking, only to find out that you have misread the situation? Such assumptions can hinder communications and jeopardise relationships. Words, and particularly labels, can cause us to jump to conclusions that may not be entirely accurate.

Sometimes it seems that the people around us are talking a different language. (In my case they often are) How do you know if what you think you heard is actually what they think they said?

Different places can have different laws, regulations or practices, some of which may come as a surprise to us. It is said, for example, that in the Royal Crescent in Bath there is only one permitted colour for the front doors of the houses – they are either white or wrong. In other places there may be no such stipulation; other colours are not wrong, only different.

Different Christians have different practices, and sometimes we wonder on what they are based. Small differences in understanding coupled with established expectations can result in significant disagreements, especially when a certain degree of personal ambition is added. Are we ever guilty of assuming that the way we think is the only right way?

One such difference arose in the 11^th century and resulted in what is called ‘The Great Schism’, when church leaders in Rome and Constantinople could not agree on who had the greater claim to a direct apostolic succession. The outcome was that two ecclesiastical bodies, each purporting to represent the Body of Christ, moved in different directions.

I am writing this on Easter Sunday, but not the Easter Sunday that most of my readers would recognise. Rather it is the Orthodox Easter, celebrated by millions of believers in eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and parts of Africa.

In both east and west, the dates for Easter are calculated using the same formula.^[1] Easter is the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the spring equinox. The pascal moon is itself linked to the timing of the Jewish Passover. The western church, and much of the secular world, uses the Gregorian calendar whilst the eastern church has maintained loyalty to the Julian calendar. A discrepancy in the calendars means that dates for Easter may coincide or may be up to four weeks apart.
Not wrong, only different.

Amongst the many controversial words that Jesus spoke are these:

I have other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. John 10 v16 [NIVUK]

Many words have been written about what the first part of this verse might mean, and we can each understand it differently.

Should we worry about whether we are in the right sheepfold? Surely of greater importance is the reassurance in the second half of the verse. No human endeavour will be able to to reunite the various flocks; this is a job for the Great Shepherd himself.

Resources:
[1] The formula used for Easter was determined at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.