Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during December 2022]

And so, Christmas is a wrap, as they say in the film industry. At the north pole the frenetic activity of the past few weeks has ceased. The elves have been shelved and the reindeer returned to their pastures in Lapland. Santa has resumed his retirement after a few days attempting to distribute happiness around the world. Even the disruptions to the postal services will, no doubt, ease just in time to deliver the bills.

Was Christmas all that you expected? Did those elves get it wrong again? Did you get humbugs when you wanted Mint Imperials? If you got something at Christmas that you didn’t expect then you are in good company – certain shepherds and a few wise men had the same experience. So did Herod and the chief priests but they were not so happy about it.

Was there peace on earth – if so, where? Was it a silent night in Kharkiv or Kherson? Did they know it was Christmas in Kabul or in Tehran? There may have been goodwill towards all men in Buenos Aires, but what about in Beijing, Pyongyang or Minsk, or even in royal David’s city?

In the ecclesiastical calendar the period of Advent is not just a prelude to Christmas; it should also remind us that Jesus promised to return.

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14 v2-3 [NIVUK]

Some people have tried to argue that this return may have already happened and we missed it. The investigative writer Luke recorded two occasions which describe an event that could not be mistaken:

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.^[1]

Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.^[2]

That was some 2,000 years ago; it is a common belief that if it has not happened yet then it is unlikely to do so, but the counter argument is that we are now 2,000 years closer to the event. The apostle Peter wrote:

With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3 v8-9 [NKJV]

In 1758 Charles Wesley published a collection of hymns, including one that contains an appropriate reminder of that second aspect of Advent:

Lo! He comes with clouds descending, once for ev’ry sinner slain;
thousand, thousand saints attending swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Christ reveals his endless reign.

The publication date for this reflection is 27th December. That means that there are only 363 shopping days until Christmas – do we anticipate a repeat of the same old routine or are we looking forward to a different form of celebration?

References:
[1] Luke 21 v27
[2] Acts 1 v11

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 December 2022]

The commandant of the slave-cave where I received the final years of my formal education had a number of key expressions that he would share at frequent intervals. One of them was “Procrastination is the thief of time”, it was a sentiment that few of his students fully appreciated when they heard it. Later research revealed that it was not an original thought: it was a maxim spoken by Charles Dickens’s character Mr Micawber in the novel ‘David Copperfield’.

The sentiment being expressed may have had little impact on those of us in their late teens who anticipated a future in which there would be plenty of time to do things at a later date. Even in later years there is a temptation to put things (like finishing this reflection) off until tomorrow.

Both the American writer Mark Twain and the Irish playwright Oscar Wilde made similar comments suggesting that we should “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well”. Before we are tempted to follow that advice we should remember that Oscar Wilde died at a relatively young age; his tomorrows came to an abrupt end.

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth the eponymous anti-hero lamented the rapid passage of time. His homily on the futility of life included these lines:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time, and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death.

The General Confession in the Anglian Book of Common Prayer includes the phrase “We have left undone those things which we ought to have done”. When today has become ‘yesterday’ and tomorrow is ‘today’, will you be satisfied with how you passed those hours that are now history?

The Bible too has things to say about procrastination. We are no doubt familiar with the passage from Ecclesiastes which reminds us that there is an appropriate time for every purpose under heaven.^[1] Possibly less familiar is this verse from later in the same book:

Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
Ecclesiastes 9:12

In a comment on the same chapter Charles Spurgeon said:

No man ever served God by doing things tomorrow. If we honour Christ and are blessed, it is by the things which we do today. Whatever you do for Christ throw your whole soul into it.^[2]

Jesus himself urged his followers to avoid procrastinating about the things that God has called us to do.^[3]
Now, what are you planning to do tomorrow?

[1] Ecclesiastes 3 v1-8
[2] Morning and Evening: Daily Bible Readings, p. 420.
[3] John 9 v4

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 November 2022]

Long ago, before time began, a new planet was created and, because astronomers like to give names to celestial discoveries, we’ll call this one Job after the famous Biblical figure from ancient times. When it was born the planet Job was very good, sustaining life and beautiful to look at. It had all the prospects for a bright future.

But planet Job got dirty, ugly sores starting appearing and God decided that Job needed a clean-up. For 40 days the rain showered down on Job until it was bright and clean again. Now with a human population of just 8 people it looked as though that promising future could finally be achieved.

One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan replied “from cruising the universe, going where no one has gone before”. Then God said “Did you see my new planet Job? How pristine and well ordered it looked.” Satan said “That’s only because you give it special protection – if you left it alone it would soon get dirty again.”

So that’s how the experiment began. Before long, Job started playing in the dirt once more. The human population increased rapidly; one of their leaders had 70 sons^[1] – maybe he considered God’s instruction to “… fill the earth” as a personal challenge.

Job had three friends, actually they were three cops; Cop 25 was Spanish, Cop26 was Scottish and Cop27 was Egyptian. When these three friends saw the state of Job they could think of nothing helpful to say. They just mumbled to each other for several days, all the while consuming more of Job’s dwindling resources. Eventually one spoke up: “Job has a fever, we need to keep him cool.” Another one said “Someone who is richer than us should pay for some treatment” and the third one said “Let’s leave him alone and maybe he’ll get better”.

Then Saint Greta of Utopia piped up “Vanity, vanity,” she cried, “All is greenwash”. So they all flew off to Bali where they continued to mumble amongst themselves and consume even more resources.

How often do we feel like pawns in a high-stakes game being played by the likes of Job’s friends? Are we just minor pieces who are required to make up the numbers and pay the taxes? Is God sitting on the sidelines, watching from a distance?

God decided that planet Job was worth a visit from his son; he would be able to cure Job’s problems. It was a treatment that involved blood, sweat and a sponge filled with vinegar. But would the patient accept the treatment?

In the Biblical account of Job’s experience God had some stern words for those friends who had nothing useful to contribute. They had jumped to conclusions about what caused Job’s problems without any reference to the spiritual context. Similarly, restoring the planet has a spiritual dimension that is largely ignored by those fighting for its survival. Do those of us who recognise the spiritual dimension have nothing to say?

But if the watchman sees war coming and doesn’t blow the trumpet, warning the people, and war comes and takes anyone off, I’ll hold the watchman responsible for the bloodshed of any unwarned sinner. Ezekiel 33 v6 [MSG]

[1] Judges 8 v30

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 November 2022]

In 1820 the English poet John Keats published his ‘Ode to Autumn’ with its now-famous opening line, ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’. For many of us in northern climes the thoughts of autumn are fading from the memory as we face the prospect of a period of colder weather. The opening lines from another English poet start to take on a new significance: in 1872 Cristina Rossetti wrote a poem starting ‘In the bleak midwinter’ which subsequently became a popular Christmas carol.

It may be premature to think of ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire’ but for many people an open fire or a stove is essential for combating the cold of winter. In rural areas of Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and eastern Europe, firewood is the principal means of heating and, for some, cooking. It is said that firewood warms you twice – firstly when you cut it and secondly when you burn it. However, it is not without its downside; the Bible has some advice for would-be lumberjacks:

Whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success. Ecclesiastes 10 v9-10

The book of Ecclesiastes is often given a low priority due to its frequent observations about the futility of life. However, with a festive season imminent, consider this recommendation:

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun. Ecclesiastes 8 v15

Cristina Rossetti’s words will no doubt be heard ad nauseam during the next few weeks but, contrary to the impression given in many of our town centres, we have not yet reached the Christmas season. Christians in the older-established denominations prefer to think of the forthcoming period as Advent – a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and also for remembering that he has promised to come again. This second aspect of Advent is widely overlooked, even by many of those who ought to know better.

The actual origins of the season of Advent are uncertain but it appears to date back to before 500AD. The word ‘Advent’ itself does not appear in most English versions of the Bible but it does in the Latin Vulgate version and that leads us to a passage of scripture where the apostle Paul wrote about the forthcoming event:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God 1 Thessalonians 4 v16

Jesus himself spoke about his return:

You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Luke 12 v40

Christmas is coming but, more importantly, Christ is coming. Are you ready?

[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.