Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

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

There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold.^[1]

These are the opening lines of one of many such hymns that were popular in a previous generation but have largely been superseded by more recent compositions. It is based on the parable of the lost sheep, as recorded in Luke 15.

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Luke 15 v4-6

We started last week’s reflection considering the plight of a lonely sheep, and here we return to a similar image.

I have a certain sympathy with the solo sheep. Was she too tired or weak to keep up with the rest of the flock? Was she exploring the potential of greener grass further afield? Had she found a particularly lush area of grass that she did not want to share with the others? Did the rest of the flock move on without consulting her? Perhaps she was tired of their company and wanted to be recognised as an individual in her own right?

We too can identify with some of those feelings. Are there times when we don’t feel like going to church or we think that some other congregation might be better? Have we received a special blessing but don’t want to share it? Do we feel left out when the church tries new ideas without asking our opinion? Do we want to do our own thing for a while?

The subsequent verses of the hymn give a picture of how the shepherd searched for the sheep, eventually found her and brought her back to the fold. The writer describes the deep waters, the dark night and the mountainous terrain that the shepherd traversed in order to recover the sheep.^[2] Was it worth the effort just for one sheep?

Parables are intended to illustrate one, usually simple, point; it is not appropriate for them to be extrapolated in a quest for interpretations or implications beyond that originally intended. In the parable of the lost sheep the illustration is simple – a good shepherd cares for his sheep, both collectively and individually, and he is willing to put considerable effort into their well-being.

A flock where sheep are missing cannot achieve its full potential. Have you noticed anybody who doesn’t seem to be enjoying church life as perhaps they once did? Is someone in danger of wandering off? Are you willing to act as shepherd to them?

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Resources:
[1] Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane, 1868
[2] https://hymnary.org/text/there_were_ninety_and_nine_that_safely

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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections

Link to Index of Bible Passages

Last week’s reflection: Whatever the Weather
 

[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 23/Jul/2023]

Very recently someone cautioned me, “You can’t trust your feelings. The only reliable truth is found in the Bible!”

I hadn’t been expressing a ‘feeling’. I’d been exploring something very important: I’d just had what I thought was a Holy Spirit inspired insight into the question of life beyond death. And I was quite sure I’d found scriptural support for my understanding. Very quickly my friend spoke the words above.

What do you make of this? A good friend of mine is right now at death’s door. He has vehemently protested throughout almost all of his very long life that he can’t believe in God. As my wife and I visited him in hospital yesterday, I recalled a vivid picture I’ve had several times: a child, on his dad’s lap, is punching his father in the chest. “I hate you! I HATE you!” The father just hugs him closer and closer until finally, utterly exhausted, the boy sobs and flings his arms around his dad’s neck.

That picture settled for me, any unease I’d been feeling about my old friend’s ‘eternal destiny’. Certainly many scripture passages could be found that might unsettle my peace of mind. Or can I trust what I sensed was God’s word to me through a powerful ‘Holy Spirit picture’?

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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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections
.
Link to Index of Bible Passages
 
Last week’s reflection: Doctrine v Love by Chris Ginter
 

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

A farmer stood upon a hill,
pondering over a sheep that was ill,
as to whether the wether would weather the weather
or whether the weather the wether would kill.   Anon

In contrast to many other places in the world, people in Britain have a particular reputation for talking about the weather. Maybe it is because the weather in the British Isles is inconsistent and unreliable whereas elsewhere the seasonal variations are more predictable and day to day weather is more consistent.

All that is changing. We hear of abnormalities in the weather all over the world. Heatwaves and wildfires threaten our plans for the summer. Droughts and floods have dramatically different consequences yet often occur in close proximity to each other. The weather forecast is no longer an adjunct to the TV news; it has become the focus of the news itself.

Are natural events becoming more frequent or is it that we are hearing more about them? When the Indonesian island of Krakatoa erupted in 1883 there were relatively few surviving witnesses. Now anyone with a smartphone is a potential news reporter; when Iceland’s Mount Fagradalsfjall erupted last week there was aerial footage being shared around the world within hours.

Jesus commented on our ability to forecast the weather:

When evening comes, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,” and in the morning, “Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. Matthew 16 v2-3 [NIVUK]

What did he mean by ‘the signs of the times’?

The prophet Joel wrote about effects of drought and wildfires and he identifies the cause as being the national neglect of the worship of God. In a similar tone Jeremiah describes the troubles faced by the Israelites of his time, and much of their experience is similar to what we see now. Once again, the root cause is defined as being the widespread failure to respect God’s commandments.^[1]

We live in a time when climate concerns have a high profile, but have the protagonists missed the point? They search for answers but ignore the maker’s instructions. How can we, as relatively few individuals, turn the tide of spiritual neglect that has become apparent, not just in our nation but in many others too?

In this week’s ‘Yours’ reflection^[2] Chris Ginter suggested that simply commenting about the weather could be sufficient to start a conversation that could lead on to more important things. You don’t have to provoke a storm, just a gentle wind of change could be all that is needed.

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Resources:
[1] Joel 1 v15-20, Jeremiah 14.
[2] The weekly bulletin from Horley Baptist Church, edition dated 16/Jul/2023.

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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections

Link to Index of Bible Passages

Last week’s reflection: Are You Treading Water?
 

[This reflection by Chris Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 16/Jul/2023]

For some strange reason people keep sending me WhatsApp messages delivered by various famous people about various end time doctrines and theories. They all suggest what we should be doing and believing. I have come to the conclusion that in spite of it all being very interesting and challenging, I prefer to spend my life loving the unlovely.

Even the loveliest of folk around me need reassurance and understanding, prayer and comfort. Not that I have it altogether but Jesus can do far more than we ask or expect if only we would ask Him and listen to the answers.

Just a comment to a stranger about the weather or asking them how they are today, can open an opportunity to pray for them or meet their deepest need,

While we were on holiday in Yorkshire recently we were sitting on a station bench next to two young people who were arguing the toss about something or other. They weren’t shouting but were clearly distressed, trying to sort their love life out. It seemed to me they were getting no where fast so I interrupted and asked them if they knew Jesus. The conversation took an interesting turn of events and the young people especially the young man said he was really interested so we prayed together.

Who knows what the outcome was but Jesus knows, we just did our bit.

Around about our church is a whole community of precious beautiful people who need God’s love – what a challenge.

Are we willing to put our lives on the line for Him. Why not, give it a go…..

Every blessing, Chris.

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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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections
.
Link to Index of Bible Passages
 
Last week’s reflection: The Next Generation by Martin Shorey
 

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

Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. An angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. John 5 v2, 4 [NKJV]

Recently I had a “Pool of Bethesda” experience. We had the opportunity to spend some time at a spa complex; alongside the sun-deck, the saunas and the various pools with different degrees of salinity and temperature – and alleged healing properties – there were two pools with hydro-massage facilities.

Some twenty people were sitting around each pool, waiting for the stirring of the waters. It was not a case of needing to be the first one into the foaming tide or under the tumbling cascade. There was room for all. Nor were there any life-changing cures, just an invigorating feeling of well-being.

On one of his visits to Jerusalem Jesus encountered a man who had been lying beside the pool of Bethesda for 38 years. Jesus was aware of the man’s condition so his first question seems an unlikely one:
Do you want to be healed?

It is a question that we would do well to ask of ourselves. Not so much in relation to physical healing; as time passes we become more accommodating of our familiar aches and pains, but the question is more pertinent to our spiritual status. Are there ‘little’ sins that we have become familiar with, that we tolerate or even are comfortable with? Are we content with knowing that God has got our backs covered but that is close enough?

Being healed can bring its own challenges. You might lose the companionship of those with whom you have spent a long time, there might be implications for the way you behave, you might even have to declare what Jesus has done for you.

As an invalid, the man would have been dependent upon the charity of other people for his daily necessities. Jesus told him to “pick up his mat and walk” which we can equate to ‘get up and work’. There is a temptation for us to rely on the efforts of others to maintain our level of faith. What can we do to become net contributors to the lives of those around us?

Later, Jesus saw the man in the Temple. Had the man gone there to praise God for his healing? We too should remember to thank God when we gives us relief from difficult situations. Jesus warned him not to take advantage of his new-found health to continue a life of sin. With a parallel thought in mind, the apostle Paul posed a question to the believers in Rome: “How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?”^[1] We too have no excuses for failing to nurture the spiritual health that we have in Christ.

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Resources:
[1] Romans 6 v2

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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections

Link to Index of Bible Passages

Last week’s reflection: The 4th of July
 

[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 09/Jul/2023]

We will not hide these truths from our children;
  we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
  about his power and his mighty wonders.
Psalm 78:4

Can you remember back to your childhood? Was there someone who was particularly influential in your life, who perhaps shaped your values, and helped you to see the world in a particular way? Maybe they spent time listening to you, or just being around – a consistent presence. That loving and caring investment at an early age is invaluable, and has an immeasurable positive effect on a person’s direction in life, as well as their well-being and self esteem.

As a church we want to be part of shaping the next generation – teaching the values of Christianity, and stories of the Bible, and what it means to follow Jesus. We want them to know that through Jesus we can live the best version of our life possible. The earlier that is done the better, as research has shown that only 5% of Christians became Christians once past school age. This means that if we want to see people come to know Jesus, we would be stupid not to put virtually all our resources; time, volunteers, paid staff, etc, into our Children and Youth work. If we are not putting the majority of our focus as a church into the next generation, making church as accessible and attractive to them as we can, then the church will soon die out.

We have an opportunity to shape a young person’s life. In a dark and messed world, where the truth has been exchanged for a lie, we have the moral imperative to guide and nurture our young people, so that they might live a full and exciting life with and for Jesus. This is probably the greatest gift we can offer!

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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.

~~~~~~~~~
Horley Baptist Church online
HBC main site
Confidential prayer link

Link to Recent Reflections
.
Link to Index of Bible Passages
 
Last week’s reflection: Is Love All You Need? by Helen Ruffhead