Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

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

Does it sound idyllic? Afternoon tea on the terrace under the shade of the walnut trees, accompanied by birdsong and the gentle melody of the wind chimes. A serving of apple torte with fresh cream; the apples are home-grown and the cream comes from one of the cows grazing calmly on the hills on the other side of the lake.

However, the trees need to be sprayed and pruned, the apples need to be picked and prepared, and the cows need to be milked – a messy and smelly process. So perhaps there is more to sitting in the shade of a tree than just the relaxing bit.

In the book of Jonah^[1] we find the prophet sitting under the shade of a leafy plant. He had completed his work but he was not happy. God had instructed Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh about their sinful ways and impending judgment but, contrary to Jonah’s wishes and expectations, the people of Nineveh repented and God withdrew his judgment. Instead, God rebuked Jonah for his prejudice; his plan was not in tune with God’s plan.

At the beginning of John’s gospel account we read of Nathaniel sitting under the shade of a fig tree. Some sources equate the Nathaniel of John’s gospel with the disciple Bartholomew mentioned by Matthew, Mark and Luke. If that is so then that time of relaxation under the fig tree may have been his last idle moment.

Do these reference imply that God is anti-rest, that he disapproves of people sitting idly under a tree? On the contrary, God himself established the principle of rest, not least by his example at the end of creation when God reviewed what he had made and declared a period of rest.

In Genesis 18 we see Abraham and his three visitors sitting under the shade of a tree. Two very significant events were discussed during that visit: the birth of Isaac and the founding of the Israelite nation, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah due to persistent sinfulness. Unlike the people of Nineveh, the people of those cities did not take heed to the righteous man amongst them.

As one of the apostles, Bartholomew would have heard Jesus say “Come unto me … and I will give you rest”^[2]. Did he take that promise seriously? Bartholomew is credited with taking the gospel to the area formerly known as greater Armenia, where he was eventually martyred. God’s plans became his plans and in due course God granted him eternal rest.

How do your plans relate to God’s plans?
Will you, too, one day receive God’s eternal rest?

[1] Jonah 4 v6
[2] John 1 v48

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Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
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[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during June 2022]

I recall the first time that I heard this question. It was in 1960 and has to do with a school dinner. Like so many such meals it would have been completely forgotten if it hadn’t been for the dessert, which purported to be chocolate pudding. It had the consistency of potter’s clay, the colour of mud and it was certain that no chocolate beans had been involved in its preparation. I decided that it was not to my taste and that I was not going to eat it.

In the disciplinary regime of the time the judgment was handed down: “You will sit there until you eat it”, and so began my first hunger strike (infant tantrums excluded). Some while later a teacher asked me “Why are you still here?” To cut a long story short, the pudding returned to the kitchen and I returned to class with a certain sense of victory.

In a more serious context, many people have asked themselves “Why am I still here?” Asking this question of ourselves can be a symptom of disappointment or depression, but finding a positive answer can encourage us to move on. A good place to start is to recognise that we are not here for our benefit but for the benefit of those around us. How do we contribute to the well-being of our community? Are there those in our families, work-places or in our social activities whose lives are enriched by our presence?

Of course there is a spiritual implication to this question. If it had been God’s will we could have gone to heaven immediately after accepting his plan of salvation. Atonement has been paid in full, our names are on the invitation list and no further formalities would impede our departure. So, why are we still here?

With so many heaven-ready Christians alive on earth there must be some reason for us to still be here. Jesus described his followers as the light of the world, a light that not only is seen but provides illumination to its surroundings^[1]. If we were not here, what darkness would prevail? Who would proclaim the message of salvation? Who would do the work of ploughing, seeding and bringing-in God’s harvest; who would support those who do? The church has been described as an organisation that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members but how could it function without its members?

Having established that there is a need for us to be here, there is a supplementary question: “What are you doing here?” How are you using your time and talents? Irrespective of our circumstances there are things that we can do, in public or in secret; God will see them and reward us accordingly^[2].

How are you passing the time whilst you wait for your home-call?

[1] Matthew 5 v14-16
[2] Matthew 6 v1-4

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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 was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 12/Jun/2022]

Recently on ‘Connect in Faith’ we had a special Ascension Day service. This is one Christian festival that tends to be overlooked, partly because it falls on a working day and perhaps because it lies between the two great festivals of Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead, and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came in power. Yet there are some wonderful Ascension Day hymns which remind us of the significance of Jesus being taken up to heaven in glory. One is Charles Wesley’s “Hail the day that sees him rise”.

Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!
Glorious to his native skies; Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Enters now the highest heaven! Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits; Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates! Alleluia!
Wide unfold the radiant scene; Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in! Alleluia! ^[1]

Another great Ascension Day hymn is “Alleluia, sing to Jesus” by William Chatterton Dix. I have loved this hymn for many years, but only recently discovered it had a 4^th verse:

Alleluia! King eternal, thee the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia! born of Mary, earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne.
Thou within the veil hast entered, robed in flesh, our great High Priest.
Thou on earth both Priest and Victim in the Eucharistic Feast. ^[2]

Normally praise and worship don’t come easily to me, but after hearing these hymns and reading the Bible verses which inspired them, all I wanted to do was worship Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

[1] See Psalm 25 v 9,10
[2] See Isaiah 66 v 1-2, Hebrews 9 v 11-12, Rev 19 v 11-13, 16.

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 June 2022]

It is perhaps appropriate in this season of Jubilee that we take another look at the original concept of jubilee and whether that is still relevant.

By its original definition, a jubilee is a 50-year occurrence, although there are now other variants such as those for 60, 75, and 100 years. Jubilees are events of national or international significance and are marked accordingly. In the UK, two previous monarchs have celebrated golden jubilees; George III in 1809 and Victoria in 1887.

The concept of jubilee was given to the Israelite nation as a festival to be celebrated once they were settled in the Promised Land. It was intended as an opportunity for the land and the people to rest and re-establish the balance between the social, environmental and economic aspects of national life.

The 25^th chapter of the book of Leviticus sets out in some detail the instructions on how each jubilee year was to be celebrated. The principal expectations were:

• Debts are to be cancelled;
• Items held in lien for a debt are to be returned;
• Leased land and certain other property is to be returned to its owner;
• The land is to be left untended;
• Slaves are to be released.

It is said that the economic impact of observing the jubilee provisions in their entirety meant that it was never actually celebrated as intended.

Hidden amongst this list of instructions is a promise that God will provide for those who obey his commands^[1].

For us, in socio-economic circumstances that are very different from those when the concept of jubilee was instigated, are there any aspects of this understanding of jubilee that can be carried forward in our Christian lives? Certainly, we cannot expect a friendly letter from the bank manager or to be offered a 12-month holiday but we can count on that same promise that God will provide for our needs.

In his sermon on sacrificial giving recently, Martin repeated an assertion that ‘if you give away … then you have less’. Arithmetically, and in the eyes of secular accountants, this is true, but God uses a different accounting system. He is not in debt to anyone but will always provide some form of compensation for our sacrifices. Christopher Wordsworth (1807 – 1885) put it this way:

We lose what on ourselves we spend,
We have as treasure without end.
Whatever, Lord, to Thee we lend,
Who givest all

We know about laying up treasure in heaven but have you ever thought of contentment with less as a blessing from God? Or smaller than expected bills? Or finding some forgotten tins at the back of the larder? God’s blessings can come in some unexpected ways but the most unexpected one is the offer to cancel our sin through the sacrifice of his son.

We may not be able to celebrate jubilee in its original sense but, by our actions as Christians, we can demonstrate the same concern for our society and our land.

[1] Leviticus 25 v21

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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 was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 05/Jun/2022]

Some years ago, long before Partygate, a new manager where I worked invited the staff to his home for a social gathering. The problem was that it was straight after work and he opened some bottles of wine, but he didn’t provide any food, not even any nibbles. As this was in the days before breathalysers, he kept coming round topping up our glasses. As you can guess, with our empty stomachs, the wine went to our heads and we were chatting away merrily.

But one poor teenaged girl wasn’t used to drinking wine and as her voice got louder she somehow started talking about death. The whole room went quiet as everyone stopped talking except for her, and she ended up saying, “I’m absolutely terrified of dying.” Someone quickly changed the subject and we got back to our conversations. Needless to say, at the next social gathering the manager gave us a sumptuous buffet meal with the wine.

It may be surprising that we who are firm believers in Jesus to give us new everlasting life by His own death, are also not very happy about dying, and perhaps fearful too. When God first created human beings, he created us to live and not to die (Gen 2:7-9 & 16-17). But it was our own choice of doing what we wanted instead of following His will that brought about our death throughout history (Gen 3).

Perhaps the feeling that originally we were born to live and not to die makes us worried about dying. In a very basic way also, we have a fear of dying in order to protect us, otherwise we may walk in front of a bus and not be concerned that it would end our lives. Not only that we are fearful of the unknown and no one we know has died and come back to life and tell us what happens. Except one person – that is Jesus.

Jesus made it very clear, even before His death and coming back to life, that He came to give us new life instead of death. He even told us not to worry.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also on me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
(John 14:2-3)

Let’s be like Paul who was torn between living and dying. Not because he was worried about death, but as he said, “

For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]…..But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart (to be free of this world, to set forth) and be with Christ, for that is far, far better.”
(Phil 1:21-23 Amp)

He also said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9 NIV)

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 2022]

What is this life if, full of care, We have not time to stand and stare?

These words, written by Welsh poet WH Davies (1871-1940) have been quoted and misquoted many times in defence of a more sedate lifestyle. The argument is that a little bit of a diversion is actually beneficial, potentially relieving some of the stress endemic in a western urban lifestyle.

Imagine if Abraham had picked up his knife and said “let’s get this over with” instead of taking the time to look into the thicket and thereby save his son. Or Moses saying “these sheep are so stupid that I cannot take my eyes off them” instead of taking the time to investigate the burning bush, which led to him saving a nation. What life-changing opportunities are you missing simply because you are too busy to stand and stare awhile?

In much of our commercial world, time has a value, a pause has a price. Many professional specialists are obliged to record the amount of time spent for each client, and charge them accordingly. Even by being late for an appointment you are depriving someone else of something that is of value to them.

By contrast there are those who do not recognise the value of time in the same way; in its extreme, procrastination is ok, tomorrow will do. No doubt we have all encountered this type of attitude; it is especially annoying when we are waiting for something to get done. Often we feel that our valuable time is being wasted.

The sun and the moon that form the basis of our time keeping were created during the fourth phase of creation^[1] but God has a different concept of time. For him a day is as a thousand (earth) years, a thousand years are as a day^[2]. God created time, he controls time and he is always on time.

What are the spiritual implications of this time management dichotomy?

It is possible to be so engrossed in church activities that our other obligations do not get the attention they deserve, and we become a poor witness in the sight of those around us. It is also possible that our need to be involved is denying other people the opportunity to develop their own talents.

Conversely, it is possible to feel so secure in our faith that we feel it no longer needs cultivation. The Lord has other hands to do his work, other feet to run for him. Moses tried “Lord, send someone else” and we are told that God was displeased with his response.

Elijah was treated to a display of the wonders of nature but it was in the subsequent pause that God spoke to him. The psalmist was writing in advance of that event but he knew the same sentiment: “Be still and know that I am God”^[3]. In 1920 Emily Crawford expanded on the same thought with these familiar words:

Speak Lord in the stillness, whilst we wait on thee;
Hushed our hearts to listen in expectancy.

So, for us, what is the value of a pause? Are we willing to wait and listen for that still small voice? Let us redraft the poet’s words:

What is this life if, every day, we have not time to pause and pray?

[1] Genesis 1 v14
[2] 2 Peter 3 v8
[3] Psalm 46 v10

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.