Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

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

Dear John^[1],
I regret that I cannot talk with you directly; you are a busy man and seldom have the time to pause and listen, but I want you to know that you are still valued as a member of your family; you have not been rejected in any way.

Your wife is very worried about you; she has not eaten, she spent the day watching the telephone, waiting for you to call. Your young daughter showed me photos of you and then said “Daddy has gone”. They still love you and appreciate the things that you can do for them.

It is difficult when our dreams do not work out as planned. You work hard at a job you enjoy but the rewards are not adequate to meet your needs. The costs of running your business are overwhelming you; tax demands and utility bills eat up your income before you can enjoy it. I understand that – there were times when I could not afford the fare to go to work.

Society places its own demands upon you. You have two children to support: food, clothing, schooling, pocket money, even other children’s birthday parties all add to your burden. You have some loyal friends and it is natural that you should want to socialise a bit with them.

Your wife could help you with those costs, if you would let her. You come from a tradition where a man is supposed to be able to provide for his family, but such traditions have to change. It is no shame in these days for both parents to share the burden of maintaining the household. This is one area where you both need to stop talking at each other and take the time to actually listen to each other.

It is easy to slip into depression; you ask yourself whether you can do better somewhere else, or even if it is worth continuing at all. What is life for if nothing good comes from it? Do not allow these thoughts to stay in your mind. If you cannot shake them off then ask for help.

You believe that there is a God but you do not recognise that he has any relevance to your daily life. This is a good starting place. There is a story in the Bible about a king called Hezekiah. During his reign he was faced with a number of demands that he could not meet^[2]. After struggling desperately he eventually held the letter up to God and said, with sincerity, “Lord, help us!” That was a turning point in his life.

The next time that you get a bill that you cannot meet don’t ignore it or swear at it, just hold it up and say the same simple words: “Lord, help us”. Do not keep the problem to yourself; other people are willing to help you, if you let them.

Finally, do not try to run away from your troubles, they will only get worse and you are needed at home.

I hope this letter will be of some help to you.

[1]: The identity of the addressee has been changed. The circumstances of this letter are real but they are not uncommon. Perhaps these thoughts will be of some help to other readers.
[2]: 2 Kings 19 v14.

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 was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 03/April/2022]

In a recent YOURS article David encouraged us to pray for peace and to be careful to cherish it when we have it, as it is a fragile thing. I too have been thinking about peace but on a ‘local’ rather than international level. I’ve been more aware recently at just how many people seem to have a low threshold to get upset and angry, and to be readily offended.

Of course there are many things that we can legitimately feel upset about, and sometimes there may be good reason for seeking justice and equity if we, or others have been wronged. And those are the times we should stand up and be counted. But I can’t help feeling sad when I hear about families, neighbours, church fellowships and communities who are in dispute with each other and focused only on ‘winning’ or getting their point across rather than seeking reconciliation.

I wonder if we need to take stock as individuals and ask ourselves if we are ‘at war’ with anyone? How can we expect there to be peace among nations if we aren’t working towards peace in our relationships, families and social groups?

Is it really that important to make that particular point in reaction to somebody who has made theirs? Should I instead look to turn the other cheek, bite my tongue, or work harder at ‘letting it go’ instead of reacting, which may generate more upset and disharmony? So many things may seem important but so many things really are not.

As the body of Christ we need to be a good example to the local community. Jesus calls us to unity and to be peacemakers – otherwise why would others even begin to listen to our message of love and grace and new life?

As David M. reminded us, Jesus tells us to put down our offering at the altar and seek to be reconciled with our brother (Matthew 5:23-24)

The apostle Paul in his letter to the Hebrews writes:

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. [Hebrews 12:14-15]

Of course being peaceable or ‘disagreeing agreeably’ is not always easy. So daily we need to look to Jesus and Holy Spirit to guide, help and sustain us.

I close with a prayer by Rob Wickham, Bishop of Edmonton, that touched me this week:

Dear Lord, all too often I am engulfed in my own thoughts, desires, hopes and dreams. Yet I recognise that on my own I add to the dysfunctionality of the world. Help me to dance Your divine dance, to seek Your truth and to live out my life in the power of Your forgiveness. Help me also to show forgiveness to others, as we strive for the unity that Jesus prays for and that the cross makes a reality. Amen.

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 March 2022]

Two days ago the Anglian community worldwide celebrated ‘Mothering Sunday’, the fourth Sunday in the period known as Lent. It is intended to honour the role of the church in nurturing its followers, both individually and collectively as congregations. The practice dates from the 16th century and, in earlier years, it was a ‘day-off’ for those who worked on Sundays.

By contrast, Mother’s Day is a much more recent innovation, initiated by one person who wanted to recognise her own mother’s achievements. It has subsequently been commercialised to the point where, in the US, it has become the third-most prolific occasion for the purchase of greetings cards.

In many countries Mother’s Day is celebrated in May but in the UK and several other countries the earlier date has been adopted for the two events. Unfortunately, the emphasis given to the latter event tends to obscure the importance of the former.

The Bible has a lot to say about mothers. The best known are Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Eve, the mother of all mankind, but there are many others. There are those who have had a good influence on their children; others who have not.

We can think of Jochebed and Hannah who both gave up their sons, both of whom in turn became very significant men in the history of the Israelite people. Hagar returned to a hostile household so that her son would not perish. He too became a significant leader.

The books of Kings and Chronicles record the names of many of the mothers of the successive kings but few are as notorious as Athaliah who encouraged her son to rule Judah in a way which displeased the Lord; when her son was killed she sought vengeance on the whole royal family.

Naomi engendered such love in her daughter-in-law that the younger woman accompanied her back into a foreign country. Later in that family line we see Bathsheba who successfully argued that her son should succeed David as king, rather than any of the competing claimants.

There is the curious story of Rizpah who sat with the bodies of her sons, to protect them from wild birds which might otherwise have preyed upon them. How this contrasts with the account of Herodias who had John the Baptist beheaded so that her daughter could advance her dancing career.

The apostle Paul wrote to his protege Timothy, reminding him of the faithful witness of Eunice and Lois, his mother and grandmother respectively, that resulted in Timothy growing up with a Godly heritage. This is a blessing that many of us have enjoyed and we thank God for the ways in which believing mothers have influenced us.

On Mothering Sunday my mother died. From her conversion amidst the bombs of World War II (literally) to her demise at the outset of what might yet become World War III she walked faithfully with her Lord and now he has called her home.

In memoriam
Georgina Mary Humphreys
14/Mar/1928 – 27/Mar/2022

..

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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, 20/March/2022]

I wonder what goes through your mind when you hear the word “heaven”. I guess the most commonly used expression of what and where heaven is goes something like… “Heaven is a place where we go when we die.” As to where exactly, most people would probably say, it is very far away, high up in the sky. But are there also times when we glimpse heaven, right here on earth, or will we only see it when we leave our earthly home?

Last Sunday, during our service, I felt like I was experiencing heaven, on earth. It was during a time of worship when we were singing, ‘Father God I Wonder…’, and as we sang the chorus, “I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises, forever more”, it’s hard to describe it, but suddenly I was both worshiping on earth at Horley Baptist Church, and yet I was also physically worshiping in the heavenly realms. It was the most beautiful experience, which filled me with happiness and joy, and it also reminded me of two things:

1) Heaven is not some distant place. The space between us on earth and heaven itself, is often described as a “thin place”, one that is so thin we can experience it wherever we are. The Kingdom of Heaven is near.

2) God wants his Kingdom to break out on earth. An online devotional that I found puts it like this: “God desires his Kingdom to invade the earth, and he wants to do it through us, his people”.^[1]

And another says, “Much has been written about heaven as a future eternal home. But what if Jesus is more interested in bringing heaven to earth rather than the other way around? That life on earth is renewed every time you live out Jesus’ prayer that God’s ways will be followed on earth. And that what you believe about God’s plan for humanity and for his creation, determines how you will invest your life”.^[2]

Last quote: “Truth abides in thin places; naked, raw, hard to face truth. Yet the comfort, safety and strength to face that truth also abides there”.^[3]

Come Holy Spirit, come, we are your church, come invade us now!

[1]: first15.org
[2]: Biblegateway.com – Bringing Heaven to Earth
[3]: thinplace.net

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 was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 20/March/2022]

The recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine has dominated news headlines for the last couple of weeks. We have gone from the perhaps naïve notion that such a war could not happen in present day Europe to staring in disbelief at some of the images from the conflict zones.

Reactions have varied. Some are very angry with the aggressor and feel that it is important to retaliate with a show of strength (an eye for an eye), others are overwhelmed with pity for the oppressed and have responded with open arms to welcome refugees and to procure aid to help those caught up in bunkers and other places where they are seeking safety and shelter. Many don’t quite know how to pray, but almost all, I think, would like to see this war end quickly.

I have felt guilty at the fact that sometimes I have had to turn away from the news feeds, partly because it was hard to watch, but also partly because I wasn’t sure that I was being told the whole story. Where does one turn to if there is a chance that the news could be at worst fake, or on the other hand, just not the full picture? How does one pray for the situation?

A couple of things to ponder:
1 – A lesson to learn from the war in Ukraine is that the peace we have is fragile, and we need to be careful to look after it and guard it well. It may not take very much for that peace to be shattered. When Jesus was teaching his disciples about how to manage conflict, he said in Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift”.
A few verses earlier, Jesus had said “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”. Jesus’ example (and we are called to follow him), was not one of vengeance, retaliation, or an eye for an eye. It was one of forgiveness and reconciliation.

How should we pray for the situation in Ukraine?
Let us pray for peace.

2 – Jesus, on the cross, died not for the sins of a select few, but for all. The aggressor and the oppressed are both precious in his sight. The apostle Peter puts it this way “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”. 2 Peter 3 verse 9.
Picture a parent with two children whom he loves dearly, one of whom has offended the other. The offended sibling is now out to exact revenge and cause grievous harm to the other child. However much the other child deserves to be punished, the parent would rather that forgiveness is offered, and that reconciliation happens between them. Much as one would want to see justice, it is worth remembering James 2 verse 13 which states that: “mercy triumphs over judgment”. We in our sins, deserved God’s judgment, but in Christ, He showed us His mercy.

How should we pray for the situation in Ukraine?
Let us pray that mercy will triumph over judgment, so brothers and sisters can be reconciled to each other.

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 March 2022]

Do you ever look back at something you have written some time ago and wonder whether you could have expressed yourself rather better? It might have been an irate letter to a newspaper, an impetuous comment on social media or a note declaring everlasting love for a now-forgotten sweetheart. Does what you wrote then make you cringe now?

Back in those dark days when much of one’s future depended on the ability to write well in exams we were frequently told to reread what we had written before turning in the paper. In theory, this would give us the opportunity to improve on the answers and thereby gain a few more points.

I seldom had time for such a luxury – the three hours typically allowed for the paper were rarely enough ‘do justice’ to the subject in question. However, there was one occasion when I did reread what I had written and then discovered that I had misunderstood the question. There was just time to turn my answer into a dialogue demonstrating the merits of my interpretation of the question; somewhat surprisingly that was then accepted as a well-considered answer!

Contrast this with the situation of someone who has spoken words that they now regret; their tongue was in motion before their brain was activated. What now? You cannot go back and re-speak what you have said. Do you ignore the faux-pas and hope the hearer didn’t notice, do you try to steer the conversation away from the sensitive topic or do you try to compensate and just dig a deeper hole?

Throughout history people have said things that would have been better left unsaid. From “Am I my brother’s keeper?” through to “Prepare the nuclear option“, ill-considered words have brought misery, misunderstanding and disastrous outcomes. So, is staying silent always the better option?

Does fear of ‘putting your foot in it’ deter us from speaking out when it is appropriate? Have we left unsaid those things that ought to have been said? Does pausing to think compromise the spontaneity of our message, meaning that its relevance has gone? Speak out or shut up – what are we to do?

Nehemiah was a high-ranking official in the court of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. He was discussing with the king the derelict condition of Jerusalem, when the king asked him “What do you want?” The text tells us his response:

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king. [Nehemiah 2 v4-5 NIVUK]

Nehemiah had anticipated this and he had a little list but he still took the time to pray before answering.

What is our lesson? Anticipation, preparation, prayer.

Lord, let me hear from you before they hear from me!

[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.