Thought for the Month October 2022

God, where are you in all this?

There seems to be nothing good going on in the world anymore don’t you think? When you watch the news, read the newspaper or overhear a polite conversation, the status quo is one of doom and gloom. We have the war in Ukraine, numerous natural disasters due to climate change, the death of the Queen, our economy in crisis, a government in chaos, energy and food costs spiralling, and it goes on, doom and gloom that begins to suffocate our every waking moment.  The rich seemingly get richer and of course the poor even poorer, there seems such an injustice at the hardships some face right now and it’s only going to get worse what with the volatile and uncertain future that is predicted. So, with an almost apocalyptic overview of current affairs, it wouldn’t seem too churlish to ask, “where is God in all of this?”

It seems to me that when life is good, with little or no hardship, where contentment makes us feel secure and fortunate, it is then that Christian faith itself can also become a reflection of how we choose to relate to God, when we are on the up. If all is well in our lives, then it must be that God is clearly being benevolent with both his grace and blessings, and so we are of course full of thanks and praise for what He gives us, for making our life good, and in that moment, we may find ourselves having a Christian faith that is clearly both a good thing to possess and a relatively easy mission to live. However, we are not living in such times right now and even if we don’t feel personally at risk from it, we surely cannot fail to see the extreme predicament others now find themselves facing. So, should we assume then that as times have now turned difficult, that God has abandoned us? Is he perhaps punishing us for indulging too much in the good times? Have we done something to offend Him? Why is He allowing this to happen? God, where are you in all of this!?

Have you noticed that whenever a politician or leader is asked why these things are happening, they are always looking to blame someone or something else? Do you think it’s human nature to always hit out in anger and frustration when things start getting tough, blaming others rather than looking for a solution within? I do also wonder that as things begin to get worse, as it surely seems they will, and when we may begin to struggle to obtain the basic provisions of a normal life such as food, warmth and shelter, that the blame game will see God in the firing line once more. Will our faith begin to falter with doubt, will we find ourselves repeatedly exclaiming “God where are you in all of this!?”

The trouble with faith is that its definition asks a lot of us, and I mean the one that Paul gave us in his letter to the Hebrews (11:1) Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”. It’s that conviction that gets tested when the doubts creep in because it’s based upon the doctrine of scripture, the testimony of those no longer living and a spiritual connection that cannot be evidenced beyond our own internal experience of it. What that definition is really asking of us is to have confidence and trust in God without setting parameters as to what that should look like, whether life is good or especially when life is at its worse, you accept faith for Paul’s definition and nothing else, that’s what makes it challenging at times and that is the true nature of faith.

So just how do we deal with the challenge of a tested faith or with the everyday anxiety of what is coming next for both us and those that we love (or not)? Well I think one way for certain is that we must have trust and confidence in God’s love for us, that whatever difficulties we face, we feel assured that He is with us always, that all the suffering, pain, heartache, loss and anger that we may experience can be given over to Him in any way you choose, be it a prayer or a fiery rant, He loves us too much to care how you do it and that is why we are never alone in our trials and with Him we always have hope.

The reading I chose is one I use frequently when life gets tough, as I find the metaphors that Paul uses give spiritual sustenance, strength and courage to face the hardships of life, using what God actually does give us every single day, though sometimes we might lose sight of them. Let’s not ask God nor to expect Him, to do all the work in sorting out the wrongs that we have created but instead, ask Him to be at our side and guide us towards the solution so that we might find ourselves saying “God, I see you in all this now”.

Amen.

Danny.

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Ch6 v10-18

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

A Prayer for Courage

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise to be with me wherever I go. When I am tempted to doubt and fear, help me remember that You are with me. In light of this promise, may I choose to be strong and courageous no matter what I am facing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Paradox of Royal Servanthood

Reflections following the immediate aftermath of the death of

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

As I write these thoughts, it is now two days since the sad announcement of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and our thoughts and prayers remain with her family. As the Royal family grieves, the Nation grieves with them, as do so many people throughout the world. She was, of course, more than just ‘The Queen’, she was a mother, grandmother, great Grandmother, Aunt and so much more besides and she will be greatly missed.

Understandably, and by necessity, much of what we have been watching and listening to since we were given the sad news will have been prepared and updated over a period of many years. What has struck me is the picture we have when we add to all of that the immediate, unscripted, raw and instinctive reactions that we’ve heard from so many people, from all walks of life, since Thursday afternoon.

As I’ve been reflecting on this during my morning walks, one piece of scripture kept coming to my mind (Philippians 2 1-8) where Paul talks about receiving encouragement, consolation, love and compassion, how we should regard others, and even how we should take on the mind of Christ. The reading accompanies these thoughts. 

We know the young Elizabeth did not choose to be Royal, it was by reason of birth. Neither did she choose to be Queen; it was by a succession of events not of her choosing. She did, however, have a choice of how to respond to her new role, how to use any influence she may or may not have, in short, how to live her life as a Queen. She chose, to the best of her ability and given the circumstances she was thrust into, to serve. In all that has been said in these last few days the same sentiment and feeling seems to shine through, that of the Queen’s kindness, warmth, humour, dedication to duty and humility.

This brings me to the paradox between Royalty and servanthood. Meeting the Queen was an event surrounded by protocols and rules about what should and shouldn’t be said or done, even on a Royal walk about you can see officials try to guide proceedings. Balmoral and Windsor were perhaps two of the very few places she could get close to normality in front of the public. So how did she achieve the closeness that so many seemed to sense.

Like many I’ve watched and listened to much of the coverage of the Queen’s life and Reign and two things have struck me, her smile and her eyes. Whenever you saw the Queen meeting someone, she looked directly at them, giving them that same wonderful warm smile we saw so often. It didn’t matter if you were a Head of state, Prime minister, Hospital patient, small child giving her flowers – or even Paddington Bear – the smile would be the same. On occasions perhaps because of thronging crowds, some of those meetings would only be a few moments, but in that moment, however fleeting that person would have the Queen’s full attention, regardless of who they were race, colour or creed, putting them at ease and making them feel special. What an example! When you saw her on the balcony of Buckingham Palace looking out at the crowds, it seemed to me she was always surprised and touched by the numbers and their excitement.  You didn’t sense from her that they were privileged to be seeing her, it was perhaps more that she was privileged to be seeing them.  

I don’t think anyone could have achieved such public reactions over 70 years without that smile, humility and desire to serve being absolutely genuine. 

At the other end of the scale was her experience, knowledge and wisdom. Listening to past Prime Ministers, who undoubtedly went their own way on occasions, it seems, never the less, that they valued their weekly meetings with the sovereign. I wonder how many disasters and crises were lessened or averted through her wise counsel.

The Queen made no secret of her own faith and trust in God. She said on many occasions how her faith had sustained her throughout her life and I believe she tried and succeeded to have many of the qualities encouraged though Jesus’ teachings in the gospels.

Thank you ‘Your Majesty’ for your dedication and service to the world, may God bless you and give you His peace.

Now we pray for her son King Charles III as he begins his reign. May he continue the pattern set by his mother, drawing on her example, his own unique gifts and above all faith and trust in God.

Steve

Philippians 2 1-8

1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!

Thought for the Month August 2022

A short Summer thought

I hope that many of you will have, or already have had, a Summer Break. We all need time to relax and enjoy ourselves, but also to take stock of our lives. Even Jesus took time out, and as when read, he often went off to a quiet place to pray.

It is not by accident that Jesus said we should call God ‘Our Father.’ In doing so we tend to focus on his all-encompassing love, grace, compassion, forgiveness through Christ……., all of which is absolutely valid. However, do we stop to fully consider the parenthood role of teacher? When a child says ‘will you tie my shoe laces please?’ there comes a time when the wise parent will say ‘let me teach you how to do it, so you can tie them yourself – getting them ready for the big wide world. Of course, we should always be there to help our children, but they have to be able to live their own lives and make their own decision. and it’s our job to nurture and prepare them as best we can. By the same token it’s our children’s job to learn and not simply to rely on Mum or Dad! In writing this I am conscious not all children have the benefit of loving earthly parents, but we do all have a loving Heavenly Father who, when he created us, gave us all we need and set us free into the big wide world to make our own decisions and it’s to this Father I want to turn.

At the risk of sounding trite, how often do we ask God to tie our shoe laces for us, and fail to hear when he says ‘let me show you how to do it for yourself.’ I dread to think how often I’ve asked God to solve a problem for me, when I should have been asking for the strength, wisdom (or whatever may be required) to solve the problem myself, or at least be a part of the solution. Even when I’ve asked what I think is the right question I haven’t always listened for the answer!

In order to listen we have to devote time, which is not always easy. What tends to work for me is my early morning walk, away from the phone, the distraction of jobs that need doing, the temptation of the crossword I want to finish. I try (try being the operative word) to talk to and listen for God. I don’t hear or expect to hear a voice, but I do now expect – and often find – the answers come, not always the ones I expect and sometimes not the ones I want. When asking God with help to solve a problem, it brings you up short when you realise you are sometimes part of the problem.

By doing this in the morning it can and does filter through the rest of the day. The problems won’t always go away but they become much easier to manage.

I heard a lovely saying recently (thank you Frank) ‘The morning holds the essence of the day.’

What’s the essence of your morning?

Steve

A Short Prayer!

Heavenly Father help me in prayer not to talk at you,

But to speak and listen to you.

In Jesus name. Amen.

A few weeks ago, one of my co-contributors to Thought for the Month sent me an article from the Sunday Times, written by Matthew Syed (thank you David), he wondered if it could be used as a Thought for the Month. At first I thought yes, then I wasn’t sure, there’s no doubt it’s an inspirational story but how does it fit within a series of thoughts which are by their nature focused on God, faith, spirituality….?

I’m sure many will have heard of Deborah James, teacher turned journalist and podcaster, recently made Dame, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in December 2016. Deborah sadly passed last Tuesday. Following her diagnosis she started to share her story with as many people as possible. She did it in a positive and life affirming way. In spite of the odds she maintained a sense of fun, joy, love, compassion and a huge desire to help others avoid the pain and suffering she was going through. She shared the good, the bad and the ugliness of her situation. Watching a tribute program to her, it was striking the love which flowed both from and to Deborah. I don’t know and wouldn’t be presumptuous enough to assume whether she had a spiritual side to her life or not, but one thing that struck me was that we can all learn from her sense of, as she would describe it, rebellious hope, love and concern for others whether family, friends or people she’d never even met.

In the famous passage from 1 Corinthians 13, often read at weddings, Paul speaks of faith, hope and love and that the greatest of these is love.

Along with this thought is the article sent to me. It seems to me Deborah has been an inspiration to countless people and I hope and pray that God will bless her, her family, and friends as they come to terms with their loss, and that faith, hope and love will abound for each and every one of them and us.

To date the Fund Deborah set up to help fight bowel cancer has reached over £7m

Steve.

Loving God – Thank you!

Thank you for those people who shine a light into a dark world.

Thank you for those people who, in the midst of tragedy

Share love, hope and inspiration.

Thank you for those people who show that time is a precious gift

And encourage us to use it so that we and all those around us

May have life in all its fullness.

And so Lord we ask that you give all those

Who are facing difficult times in their lives,

Faith and hope in Your eternal love,

And confidence that even in death it is not the end,

But a New Beginning

Through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Thought for the Month June 2022

Today’s thought is not the one I originally prepared (that will now be for another month). When I woke up this morning (Sunday) about to send the original to Gail for circulation, I felt moved to say something else. And so, a brief few thoughts for today.

Back in July 2020 (in the early part of the Pandemic) I wrote a thought for the week entitled ‘Time to Reflect.’ In it I talked about God’s gift of time. ‘…Time is precious, some of us waste it, others try to fill it so much they fail to stop, to savour and enjoy the moment.’ I have also been thinking just how much life and time are so inextricably linked – obvious you might say, but honestly, how many of us truly equate the two in such a way that it affects the way we live our lives, or fill our time?

During this Jubilee weekend we’ve been celebrating the life of Queen Elizabeth II, someone who has made exemplary use of both life and time in a lifetime of service. Her Platinum Jubilee has captured the imagination of people all over the world. The scenes around Buckingham Palace last night, the events that have taken place throughout the commonwealth and beyond, show the affection and esteem in which Her Majesty is held. It would be impossible, here, to do justice to all she has been through, done and achieved through her life, especially since the death of her father King George V1. And besides there is plenty of material and media coverage elsewhere.

There are, of course, those who will point to the Queen’s ‘privileged’ life, but privilege does not shield you from personal difficulties and tragedy. She did not ask to be born Royal, nor did she ask to become Queen at such a young age through the tragic death of her beloved father. Privilege, fame and position were thrust upon her, but she has never failed to recognise that with privilege and position comes responsibility. She has borne the responsibility of Monarch, wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother with dignity and dedication. Has she got everything right? Have any of us? Perhaps not, but there can be no doubting the Queen’s integrity and willingness to serve in the best way she can.

One of the things I love the most is how Her Majesty has never made a secret of how her faith has sustained her, right the way through her life, in times of tragedy and celebration, sadness and joy it seems she has put her trust in God. And judging by the events of this weekend He has blessed her even in difficult times, and I think it’s true to say that through her He has blessed others.

Steve

Gracious God, we give you thanks
for the reign of your servant Elizabeth our Queen,
and for the example of loving and faithful service
which she has shown among us.
Help us to follow her example of dedication
and to commit our lives to you and to one another,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Thought for the Month – May 2022

  What do you do when it all gets too much?

Living in this volatile world of ours can be tough, often having an abrasive and at times shattering effect upon both our physical and mental resilience that allows us to exist within it.  I can’t imagine anyone who has not in some personal way, felt the effects of two years of pandemic, only to now be confronted with war in Ukraine, the spiralling costs of living and of course any other personal challenges closer to home, life at times can be very tough indeed. It’s no surprise then that we see the topics of wellbeing, mindfulness, and spirituality, gathering pace in both interest and importance to us as human beings, perhaps even on a par with that of our physical health. This holistic approach to feeling well, has also opened a dialogue that mentions a sense of ‘brokenness’ where either physically or mentally we are acutely aware of no longer being wholesome.

When this term brokenness is used, I cannot help but call to mind the words of Paul when he wrote to the Corinthians, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us”, We are of course the clay jars and God’s gifts are the treasure he places inside each of us, clay jars are known to be fragile, but God’s grace is not.

A beautiful example of healing from brokenness is that of Peter, head disciple and rock on which Jesus said he would build his church, though he too is a clay jar, one about to be broken by the events of Holy Week. The denial of Jesus three times must have been devastating for him, but the moment where you sense that he became completely broken is found here in verse 62 of Luke’s Gospel, ‘And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” ⁶² And he went out and wept bitterly.’ That look from Jesus is what broke Peter, but it was of course not the end of their relationship, as Jesus returns to Peter following His resurrection and puts Peter back together again, no judgement of events passed, only healing love and purpose. Jesus restores Peter in a way that makes him even stronger and more valuable than he was before, a renewed resilience, forged from Peter’s experience of being broken and something from which Peter will draw immense strength when facing the challenges that lay ahead, something we are all capable of doing if we look to Jesus to heal us too.

In the course of life, still using the metaphor of us as clay jars, we will acquire all manner of visible fractures caused by our life experiences, cracks where perhaps we have been badly broken, stress lines where the pieces have been glued back together as we healed, though for some, those pieces never fit properly again, leaving others and even themselves, to notice only the imperfections of the jar and not the treasures contained within. This is how I would describe the effects of the stigma attached to mental illness, where something that was once viewed as strong in its completeness and valued for the gifts it contained, is now regarded as weaker, imperfect in appearance and somehow of less value because of it.

Our imperfections are who we are, it’s what makes us unique in the world, we should learn to accept them and perhaps others will too, use them as Peter did and become stronger for it, be kind to yourself and to others, even be the glue that helps put the pieces back in someone else’s jar, whilst always celebrating what already lies within.

Internet search engines are an amazing source of learning, where you can of course find what you are looking for, or as happened to me this week, come across something new, quite by chance. I was researching the topic of brokenness when the word ‘Kintsugi’ kept appearing, something I had never heard of but was so glad I now had. Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese art form, used for repairing broken things with gold, thereby making them more beautiful and even more valuable than when in their original form. Jars, pots, plates, cups and more, that had been broken by some event and probably for most of us, would have been discarded as worthless, were put back together with these beautiful veins of gold paste, which strangely highlighted the imperfections of the break, but in doing so caused you to admire it rather than reject it.

I think God is our very own form of Kintsugi, because when we feel that we are utterly broken in life, He never sees us as worthless, but instead, He will by faithfulness, put us back together again and again, piece by piece, using the gold paste that is the love of Christ and with a bond whose strength is found in the Holy Spirit, so that the clay jar is now more beautiful and valuable than ever before, even with all its imperfections on show for all to see, it is to be admired but never rejected.

DANNY

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears

and rescues them from all their troubles

The Lord is near to the broken hearted,

and saves the crushed in spirit…

Psalm 34

A Circle Prayer

Circle me O Lord with your loving presence

Keep fear without and calm within

Keep fear without and hope within

Keep fear without and love within

This day and always

Amen