Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 03/Jan/2021]

Early in December I saw a newspaper cartoon. Someone was standing in front of an advent calendar and saying, “I won’t open the doors. I don’t want any more surprises in 2020.” Although humorous there was truth in those words.

This time last year we would never have believed the devastating surprises the year would have in store for us caused by the pandemic. Surprises that for many would mean loss of life, leading to mourning, loss of jobs and income, with resulting loss of security and mental health, loss of shops and pubs, and loss of the freedom to meet with one another. Yet there have been many good surprises with so many people supporting others who are in need, others inspired to raise enormous amounts of money for the NHS and to support those who do not have enough to live on. Most amazing are the achievements of scientists to rapidly develop vaccines to defeat the virus and give hope for the future.

I have always thought that many of the troubles in the world are brought about by Satan. As an example, Jesus healed a woman who was doubled over and said that she had been bound by Satan for 18 years. But there was a question at the end of an online service recently querying God’s responsibility for our problems. I became aware of the words of God when He said,

“I create the light and make the darkness. I send prosperity and create disaster. I, the Lord am the one who does these things.” [Is 45:7]

Habakkuk saw God moving and said, “Pestilence (disease) marches before him; plague follows close behind.” [Hab 3:5]

Whilst this seems to fit in with our present circumstances, this is so hard to believe of a God who loves us so dearly that He came as a baby at Christmas time. He would later die and rise again to life in order that we may have forgiveness of sins, and also rise to a new life with Him. At the time He said those words of judgement, He was condemning His own people for worshipping meaningless idols. Surely that can’t mean us too? But I remember Russell, our previous Minister, showing a video of Michael Jackson, and saying that the audience were clearly worshiping the singer.

If we’re honest, there are so many things and personalities in life that myself, perhaps any one of us and certainly as a nation, place before God. Celebrities, sports personalities, singers, actors, actresses, and anyone who we feel that what these famous people do are so important in life. I can remember someone dismissing my Christian faith and saying that football and footballers were his religion. As a result of replacing God with these things, so many of the activities represented by them, including those that I have enjoyed, have been temporarily ended by the virus. Theatre, sports events, music festivals, concerts, foreign holidays and many more activities can no longer be enjoyed together. There is nothing wrong with them unless they replace God. We as a nation have forgotten the words of Jesus,

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” [Matt 22:37]

As we go into a New Year with the problems of the pandemic let’s pray the prayer of Habakkuk,

“I have heard all about you, Lord, I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger remember your mercy.” [Habakkuk 3:2]

May we forget about idols and instead put God before everything else. Then we can trust Him and His promise in Hosea: “I will transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.” [Hosea 2:15]

I wish all of you peace, blessings, joy and hope in 2021.

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[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 27/Dec/2020]

We are in the middle of the season when Jesus came and made his home among us; his arrival was to a place rather different to what he had previously known. From the ‘heavenly realms’ to a messy stable, in an obscure town, to which his parents had travelled at the command of an invading overlord.

However, perhaps home is not actually a place? Last week my dad’s bungalow was sold, and the site of over forty years of family history and memories is no longer a part of our lives. But Dad is not there any more, and those memories live on in us, his family. It is the feelings that remain with us, and bring comfort, and joy.

Margaret Thatcher once said, ‘Home is where you go when you’ve nowhere else to go’, and many took it as a derogatory comment about the significance of home to her. But what she meant was that when your world falls apart, and everything by which you measure your significance has failed, home should be the place you can go to for refuge; secure in the knowledge that there you have value and are safe. When his world had fallen apart, despite all his appalling treatment of his father, the ‘Prodigal Son’ knew the only place left to go was home.

Over the last few months, we have had very little access to the church building, and to many of our congregation going back into the building will feel like coming home. But have we always been at home when we have taken shelter under God’s wings? Jill Rowe from Oasis once quoted ‘in the end we’re all just walking each other Home’ –perhaps we can make people in our town feel ‘at home’ not by bringing them to a building, but by how they feel in our presence, as we try to show Jesus to them. A quote attributed to Francis of Assisi says, ‘Preach the Gospel at all times – if necessary, use words.’ And Maya Angelou said, ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’.

So maybe home is when we bring a little bit of God’s Kingdom to our frontlines? That the people we meet will understand that they are loved unconditionally by God, because of the way we make them feel. That they will feel they have come home, as part of the family of God?

“From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!”
[Psalm 61 vv 2-4. NLT Anglicised]

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[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 10/May/2020]

“Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16 v 7

This Easter day just gone, I had a real desire to go to a sunrise service, to watch the sun come up and worship Jesus, so we set our alarm for 5.40, got dressed and set out to worship Jesus on Court Lodge field. My whole intention was to stand in the middle of the field and sing with all our hearts the old familiar Easter hymns I learnt as a child but all I could remember were the titles and not the actual words of each verse, added to which Dennis kept talking.

We walked along by the river which was litter free and the sound of the water babbling and the birds singing was beautiful. A mist was covering the whole field which almost seemed like God’s presence was covering the surrounding area. This was Court Lodge where we have prayer-walked and asked God to come in power.

We came back, drew faces on eggs, I used the wrong pen so when they came out of the pan after being boiled, the faces had disappeared. Judith said to me some years ago the verse over my head was, “ it takes the foolish things of the world to confound the wise” 1 Corinthians 1 v 27. That morning to some people may have seemed like the most foolish thing that anyone could ever do, a disaster, in fact.

It all was very simple, but Jesus met with us and believe it or not we’ll never forget the day we celebrated Easter in the middle of the Corona Virus 2020. It just proves that He is risen, He is risen indeed. Roll on Pentecost – looking forward to the fullness of His Holy Spirit and what Jesus will do then.
Every blessing
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[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 03/May/2020]

Why do we worry?
It is such a horrible feeling and is clearly forbidden in the Bible, yet most of us do it. For many of us it starts off as a survival strategy. Those of us whose brains are affected by autism (like me) or childhood trauma often find that unexpected change temporarily freezes the brain, causing a response of sheer panic. Only by anticipating things that might happen can you prepare for them and cope when they arise. This can lead to sensible precautions like making a will, having a pot of money for emergencies or taking a spare pair of glasses on holiday, but once we have done this we need to let go of the worries, which is much easier said than done.

One thing I expect most of us never worried about was a new global virus, although it has resulted in things many of us feared, like sickness, financial insecurity, or the strain of caring for our children with no respite. The closure of all churches and being forbidden to meet friends is also the stuff of nightmares. Yet we can be thankful that these are not the actions of a brutal dictator but are safety measures designed to protect us from harm. When King David incurred God’s anger by taking a census of his fighting men, God gave him a choice of 3 punishments, famine, war or plague. David chose the plague saying: “Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.” (1 Chronicles 21 v 13)

Recently I felt God was asking me why I find it so hard to trust him, even though I know he loves me more than my friends do and more even than my mother did. My answer was “Your love is scary because it is so tough. You loved Jesus, but still allowed him and many of his followers to go through unimaginable suffering. My mother would never allow me to go through any suffering if she could prevent it.” I then remembered a time when I wish she had shown me tough love. The dentist recommended that I had 2 teeth out and a brace fitted to straighten my front teeth. I was so frightened of having teeth out that my mother agreed to leave them as they were, sparing me a small amount of pain but a giving me a lifetime of crooked teeth and an impaired bite. Looking back, I am thankful for the times when God has shown me tough love in the past, even though I struggled at the time, just as 6 year old Michael struggled with me when I gave him life-saving insulin injections.

Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16 v 33.
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