Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 10/Jan/2021]

Philippians 2 v14–16 says “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.”

Many years ago I watched Testament of Youth on television, based on Vera Brittain’s experiences of nursing on the front line in World War 1. After witnessing unspeakable horrors in France, she returned home to find her mother complaining about the minor hardships she was facing as a result of the war, like the lack of parties, shortage of various non-essential items and problems in getting servants.

At the time I judged the mother quite harshly, but during the past year I have all too often acted in the same way, focussing on my own small hardships, mainly the separation from family and friends (mitigated by Skype and Zoom), while others have been on the front line, fighting for their lives or risking their own lives in the fight to save others. As well as medical and care staff, there have been teachers, shop workers, transport workers, police and many others who have been working under very difficult and dangerous conditions, whilst others have seen their jobs disappear and been plunged into poverty.

Even with the vaccine, life is likely to continue to be very challenging for many and the future can look dark, but perhaps God is allowing these dark times so that our lights can shine more brightly in the world, pointing people to the Light of the world. Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” [John 8 v12]

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 mid-week Reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2021]

He was a refugee. Like so many who flee their homeland, he had left behind all that he had possessed. In his case he had been raised amongst the upper echelons of society, with wealth and great prospects, but all that was gone now. What had happened? One day he attempted to right an injustice and incurred the wrath of the established authorities. He had to flee for his life, and start again elsewhere.

Shortly afterwards, wandering through a strange country, he came across another injustice. A group of sisters were being bullied by some men so he intervened once more. The outcome was more successful, he was invited home for dinner. In due course he married one of the sisters, settled down and joined his new father-in-law’s business. Things were starting to look up again.

And then he saw the burning bush.
Curiosity got the better of him and he went for a closer look. Exodus 3 tells us what happened next:

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’
And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’
‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ [Exodus 3 v4-5 NIVUK]

Another life changing experience. The rest of the book of Exodus tells us how Moses was sent back to Pharaoh, the arguments and disappointments that followed, and how he ultimately led the Israelites to the border of the Promised Land, an achievement with its own share of arguments and disappointments.

Did his upbringing in the royal court prepare Moses for facing Pharaoh? Did his experience with sheep prove helpful when leading the people? Who else would have been so uniquely prepared for the task?

Do you feel that so much of your life has been of limited value? Why was so much time spent in seemingly mundane tasks when you could have been doing something useful for the kingdom of God?

Surely it is not within our remit to decide what is ‘mundane’ in God’s greater plan. Perhaps your calling is to support someone else in their calling, as Aaron did for Moses. The janitor at NASA headquarters was an essential member of the team that put a man on the moon, and God’s plan eclipses that!

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 mid-week Reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2021]

It was on the 28th June, by his reckoning, that the castaway Robinson Crusoe discovered the Bible. He was suffering severe flu-like symptoms and experiencing horrific nightmares, and he was searching the boxes that he had recovered from his wrecked ship hoping to find some form of cure when he found that someone had slipped a Bible into his luggage. He was not a religious man – far from it – but by reading various verses he found that God had not abandoned him and he obtained peace of mind.

Of course, the story of Robinson Crusoe is fictional. His creator, Daniel Defoe, was of a Puritan persuasion and it is no surprise that his hero should show similar traits. Nevertheless, there is a passage from Crusoe’s diary that deserves our attention:

In the morning I took the Bible; and beginning at the New Testament, I began seriously to read it, and imposed upon myself to read a while every morning and every night; not tying myself to the number of chapters, but long as my thoughts should engage me.^[1]

Irrespective of any underlying motive on the part of the author, these words set us a challenge. Do we, in our own form of isolation, make time to read the Bible regularly? Are we diligent about it? Maybe we can apply some of the same principles to our own reading.

• He made a serious resolution. This was a commitment to something that he recognised would be of great value to him.
• He began at the New Testament. He had previously benefited from reading verses at random but now he wants to be more methodical.
• He reads in the morning, whilst his mind is fresh, and again in the evening as he prepares to sleep; part of his daily routine but not just a habit.
• He is flexible in the amount he reads. He continues to read whilst it retains his interest; he does not get bored and therefore he is able to focus his thoughts on what he has read.

 
It seems unlikely that the prophet Ezra was ever marooned on a tropical island but he made a similar resolution:

For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. [Ezra 7:10 NIVUK]

Most New-Year resolutions will have been abandoned by now – Robinson Crusoe and Ezra have shown that one resolution is worth persevering with.

 
^{[1]: Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe, 1719. accessed via thefreelibrary.com}
 

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 mid-week Reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2021]

One of the (admittedly few) blessings of anti-COVID restrictions has been the growth in the online Christian presence. This allows us to explore a diversity of worship styles without being absent from our home fellowship. Whilst ‘doing church at a distance’ recently I revisited one of the churches where I had previously been a member. The preacher on that occasion quoted the following rhyme, as an aid to reading the Bible regularly:

At a chosen time each day,
Read your Bible, while you may,
Do not start until you pray
Ask “What does this passage say?”
Look for Him who is the way,
Find a lesson for today,
Pray once more, and go your way. ^[1]

Unfortunately I do not know the original source but let us have a closer look line by line.

At a chosen time each day – make it a regular habit, part of your daily routine so you feel that something is missing if you forget.
Read your Bible, while you may – there may be times when you cannot read your Bible due to external circumstances, ill health, etc. Value those times when you can.
Do not start until you pray – commit your time and your reading into God’s hands. Ask Him for a clear understanding.
Ask “What does this passage say?” – is it an historical account of God at work, does it have a present relevance or offer hope for the future?
Look for Him who is the way – Jesus described himself as the way, the truth and the life. How is this demonstrated in the passage?
Find a lesson for today – what can you learn that will be applicable to you in the circumstances that you will face today. God knows what the day hold will for you; these verses will help to prepare you.
Pray once more, and go your way – thank God for the opportunity to read His word and ask His blessing as you take the thoughts with you throughout the activities of the day.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. [Psalm 119 v105 NIVUK]

[1]: Quoted by Rev David Jones, Heath Evangelical Church, Cardiff, on 27/Dec/2020. Original source unknown.

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 mid-week Reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2021]

Recently one of my morning readings included some words from Ecclesiastes 7: “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.”

Do we agree? Is that always the case? Might we not be tempted to echo the well-known words from the Gershwin brothers’ opera ‘Porgy and Bess’ and say, “it ain’t necessarily so”?

You’re on holiday, you have on the table before you a delicious-looking dessert: a ripe banana split lengthways, sitting on a bed of cream, scoops of ice cream at each end, some sliced almonds scattered on top, finished off with a swizzle of chocolate sauce and more cream. You dive in, indeed this is delicious – it’s almost heavenly – but 90% of the way through it you realise that its creator has overdone the cream. It’s too much – you make it to the end but you felt better at the beginning of the meal rather than at its end.

Perhaps a more serious illustration is appropriate. A year ago, as we celebrated the arrival of 2020; how could we foresee that its beginning would be better than its end? Do the experiences of a bad year leave us longing for the good old days?

So, was the writer of Ecclesiastes wrong? Let us have a look at the whole passage in its context:

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” [Ecc ch 7 v8-9]

Of course, it depends upon what you think of as the end. The end of the meal is not the end of the holiday and the short-term discomfort does not distract from the greater memory. Apart from changing the calendar, and perhaps a temporary headache, the end of one year rolls into the beginning of the next in a predictable pattern.

We have the tendency to jump to conclusions prematurely. We form opinions based on experiences that may not be complete. The original disciples thought that the crucifixion was the end of their relationship with Jesus. But they soon found out that it was not so. We can share in the positive outcome of the events that followed what they thought of as ‘the end’. Let’s begin the new year knowing that the best is yet to come.

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