Nothing can separate us from the Love of God

Most people will admit to experiencing times in their lives when everything seems to collapse totally. We all, in optimism, build ourselves up during the good times. At that moment it seems nothing can ever harm us. We are safe and we are invincible. And then, and then..... Down comes the sledgehammer and we are crushed beneath it. I recall a workmate who was enjoying his last day before Christmas in the office. We were sitting there, talking, laughing and smiling happily. The telephone rang and it was for him. His mother was dead. Suddenly, all the miriad of preparations he and his family had made for Christmas were useless. How could they be happy now that they had the sudden news of a death in their midst?

I remember eleven years ago having plans for my future as I took early retirement from my career in Local Government. It was my intention to start in business and be my own boss. I had always had a dream of operating a deli and was in the process of buying a small shop business which I wanted to turn into a deli. I organised a leaving party and invited all my colleagues to join me. On the advice of my former boss I booked a week's holiday in Fuerteventura. We had lovely warm sun and the sea was warm too! This was the start of a new era!

Five months later I closed the business which was draining away all my available cash. I was jobless and down at the bottom. I started to suffer all the symptoms of depression. Luckily I had a good doctor who spotted the symptoms and prescribed my tablets which stopped me feeling suicidal and worthless. From then on I had to lift myself up from the doldrums. It was hard and it was very slow but I had to survive and so had my family. I took short term contract employment in various places. On one occasion I even got the sack for sniffing in the office! That did not do me a lot of good either.

It took a number of years before I got back on an even keel. But I made it. I started once more as a self employed person and advised small businesses on Business Rates through several enterprise agencies. For a few years I kept my head above water until I finally retired at the end of 2005. It was a long haul but I made it.

So I remember times when things were very bad indeed, and I remember the people God sent to me to help me through. In the midst of disaster I met a man who became a close friend and still is, even though he lives over 300 miles away in Scotland now. His example showed me how to continue and never, ever give up being optimistic. Both of us knew the depression of unemployment but together we made it. He showed me how to live one day at a time and never lose faith. He is a Muslim. Through this friendship I have learned how small a difference there is between the Muslim and the Christian in reality. What a pity the extremists cannot see it that way.

Now that I have come through that dark journey, I love to read in Paul's letter to the Roman church Chapter 8, "Then what can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or hardship? Can persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger or sword? 'We are being done to death for your sake all day long, as scripture says; 'We have been treated like sheep for slaughter.' - and yet, throughout it all, overwhelming victory is ours through him who loved us. For I am convinced that there is nothing in death or life, in the realm of spirits or superhuman powers, in the world as it is or the world as it shall be, in the forces of the universe, in heights or depths - nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This is how I know without any doubt that God is there for me. I have walked through the "valley of the shadow of death" and now fear no evil. Once it has passed through your mind that death would release you from all your worries and problems there is no further depth. So, to climb out of that abyss is nothing short of exhilarating! Nothing can separate me from the love of Jesus Christ who had claimed me for his own.

God's earth

Today we are leaving our lovely island for a few hours. Only 25 miles away is the village of Llanberis which stands at the foot of Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. Yesterday we were travelling across the island and in the distance was the beauty of the Snowdonia National Park's mountains covered in snow. They looked amazing. We hope that when we get to Snowdon there will be much to photograph in terms of snowscapes.

Any good shots will be used by Pauline for oil painting. Having been on the island for almost a year and a half it is time we started to look at the beauty of other parts of North Wales. The villages which exist in Snowdonia tend not to be picturesque but the topography comes up to scratch. So, we shall see what happens as we venture out this afternoon.

All that we shall see is the work of God. He has given it to sustain us and to give us pleasure in beauty. It is so easy for those who live in towns and cities to think that there is little to see which will raise the human spirit. We lived there all our lives until we came to Anglesey and found peace and quiet and harmony. The town dweller does not always have the time to go and enjoy the countryside, being caught up in the stress of living cheek by jowl with other human beings. Yet, when time is available they would do well to see the works of God to remind them of his strength and wonder in creativity.

Jesus came to a tiny state on the shore of the Mediterranean 2,000 years ago. It was a rural place and he used all the rural lifestyle to demonstrate the message he brought from God. He talked of shepherds leading their sheep. He called fishermen to follow him. He even went into the towns and called tax collectors to give up their lucrative trade and follow him. The imagery that he used in his parables was set in the countryside mainly.

Our imagery, today, can also be found in the world that God gave us, a world that we have as a sacred charge to pass on to coming generations. Yet humankind has often raped the earth for their own ends. Huge mines have been excavated where some human beings have perceived their spirits to dwell. Coal is dug out of the earth, bringing forward the day when the resources run out. Forests are destroyed in the quest for more and more wood and paper. This in turn affects our weather patterns and contributes to global warming.

We humans need to consider seriously what we must do to conserve the limited reserves of food and energy in the world. We have to consider generations as yet unborn as we shoulder our responsibility for God's earth. The story of the Garden of Eden speaks volumes about us being in charge of the whole world. Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my sheep" and all this fits into that commission. Again we are looking at the pastoral imagery of feeding sheep. There are unborn sheep who will need that food so we do not restrict our activities to our own generation.

When the Chernobyl nuclear accident occurred its affect on the world spread afar. Where we are going this very day was seriously affected in that milk was undrinkable because of the fallout on the Welsh hills and mountains. Whever you drop a stone into a pond the ripples circle outwards and keep going. What we do today affects others of this age and the age to come. So, in the name of God, we must tread warily in case we set off something we cannot stop.

The Celestial City

For Bible scholars everywhere the hardest book to understand is the final book in the Bible, the Book of Revelation. It was written following a vision experienced by St John the Divine. At that particular time the early Christians were living dangerously. They could not be open about their activities and certainly not be critical of the Roman emperor. Part of the book is a reassurance to the Christians that eventually all will be well. They were so heavily persecuted that it was necessary to send them a message that would lift them in their difficult situation.

So the Book of Revelation is, in many places, written in code so that the Roman authorities do not find material to use against them. The word, Lamb had to be used to mean Jesus; "the beast" was the code for the emperor; the number 666 represented a man's name and the intelligent would decipher it as the Roman Emperor. It was a time in which it was too dangerous to openly declare allegiance to Jesus. But, as we can see, it was not a time to give up. The faith went underground for a period and this helped it to survive.

But at the end of this remarkable book we have a beautiful description of the city to which Christians are ultimately travelling. I often use it at a funeral service as an assurance for the mourners. The particular passage spans chapters 21 and 22. It is written in beautiful language to the one who loves the English language.

John says, "I saw no temple in the city, for its temple was the sovereign Lord God and the Lamb." On earth we might need temples to take the place of God and Jesus for us. But in the New Jerusalem God and Jesus will be present and so no temple is needed in which to worship. There will be no sun or moon because God's light will shine perpetually on us. The city gates will be permanently open for there will be no night when gates are normally closed for protection. It will be a perfect place where nothing evil can enter.

Then the angel shows John the "river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the midle of the city's street." Any citizen can drink from it and be revived in the most amazing way. On either side of the river is a "tree of life". It yields a crop each month and its leaves are for the healing of the nations. All who dwell there will worship God forever and they will know true happiness.

In this world of danger, hatred, crime, war etc we need something that tells us that all will ultimately be well. Life is stress from end to end. Despite the consumer society in which people are stupid enough to think that their lives can be made complete by the purchase of this or that latest commodity, there is no rest. Every item purchased is very quickly found to have nothing to really sustain the human spirit. This is because the human spirit is yearning for spiritual nourishment and stimulation. It is obvious that material possessions cannot do this, but on rushes the population, chasing everything that can do nothing for them.

Yet, to meet Jesus is to find the true way forward. He can take us along a path that goes somewhere worthwhile and culminates in the celestial city, the New Jerusalem. No matter how far down life's path you have reached there is still the chance to reach out and grasp the hand of God. He never gives up on you and is always ready to accept you. He is described as a loving father so that we can understand just what he is like. Picture any loving father and what he does for his children and you can see what God is like. Even if you are a Prodigal Son you will always be welcomed back into the family. In other words, you still have the chance to stop what you are doing and claim the hand of God.

Aren't you lucky?

What a Gift!

This is the author, sitting in the Ship Inn at Traeth Coch, Anglesey, Wales, UK. What you don't see is the glass of Pinot Noir which tasted wondeful! The Ship Inn is a very popular watering hole which also serves excellent food in its restaurant or as bar snacks. The views from the inn are superb with a vista taking in the headland at Llanddona, the island of Ynys Seriol with all its seabirds, and in the distance you can see the Great Orme peninsular at Llandudno.

Pauline and I love to go for walks by the sea on our beautiful island. There are so many footpaths round the coast and beaches to stroll along. The beauty of the island is forever with you, whatever you are doing or wherever you are going. A trip to the supermarket involves a country drive! I am looking out from my study right now and gazing at a beautiful blue sky. All around are rolling fields of sheep and cattle. Agriculture is a major employer on the island. Perhaps the only scars are the nuclear power station at Wylfa Head and the smoking stack of Anglesey Alluminium. Yet they are the two major single employers in Anglesey, so we need them very much.

There are two bridges leading from Bangor on the mainland to the island. Prior to Christmas we experienced ten months of the Menai Suspension Bridge being used on an alternating one-way system during the first re-painting for sixty years, so that the Britannia Bridge was heavily congested. It is a salutory reminder that we rely on those bridges being there as we need our mainland links. The two bridges span the Menai Strait which is itself a beautiful waterway. Driving along it is one of the pleasures we can enjoy. The older bridge is the suspension bridge, built by Thomas Telford, and the largest suspension bridge in the world when constructed. It has two narrow single lanes in each direction and when you see a bus or lorry passing through the arches at each end you think they will never make it. There are only inches to spare. The Britannia Bridge was originally built as a tubular bridge by Robert Stephenson to take the railway over to Holyhead for sailing links with Ireland. There were two square tubes carrying the railway over to Anglesey but these were destroyed by fire. For quite a period there was no rail link to Anglesey and buses ferried passengers from Bangor to the train which had been marooned on the island when the fire broke out. When the bridge reopened it had been strengthened by a huge steel arch beneath the rail deck and a road deck had been built over the railway.

Before the bridges there were two ferries operating across the strait. These bacame redundant when the suspension bridge opened. In the old days cattle drovers actually waded across from Anglesey at low tide, taking their cattle to market. On the Bangor side there is a renovated pier which juts out into the water. Beaumaris on Anglesey also boasts a small pier from where boats sail to take passengers round Ynys Seriol and to other places of interest. Beaumaris also boasts a castle, an ancient courthouse and a jail. People used to travel miles to witness an execution outside the old jail.

This and much, much more is to be found on our lovely island which has changed very little over the years. We thank God for gifts like this. To be surrounded by all this beauty is a great privilege and one that is God given. No more do we experience the daily stress of town and city living. When we think of God as creator we no longer think he did it in six days but that it evolved over many centuries. But we need to remind ourselves that God is behind it all. At weekends and during the summer many people visit Anglesey to experience the life we residents have all the time. It is something beautiful that can be shared by those who appreciate it. God gave it to us and we are very lucky indeed.

 

In case of danger

At lunchtime today, my wife and I were looking at the sea washing up against the coast at Moelfre, Anglesey, Wales. We often comment on the calming effect of a seascape. Where we were sitting we could see across Red Wharfe Bay as far as Llanddona and Penmon Point beyond it. Off Penmon Point is Ynys Seriol or Puffin island.

To our left was the headland from which the local lifeboat sets sail when sailors are "all at sea" and need help. Beyond it is the long sloping shelf of rock which contributed to the "Royal Charter" disaster back in the 19th century. Many people were returning from the Australian goldfields and were laden with gold in money belts. The ship's safe was also full of gold. The ship was the first one to have both steam power and sails. The engine was relatively underpowered. She was also an early iron hulled vessel.

On the day in question she had passed Holyhead and was proceding to Liverpool when she found herself in the grip of a storm. Every anchor was thrown out to try to halt her movement towards the Anglesey shore but each one failed. Eventually she hit the submerged shelf of rock and started to break up. A man, watching from the cliffs, could not believe his eyes as the ship and her passengers and crew struggled in the storm. Nothing could be done and the end result was that a huge number of souls perished that night.

The vicar of the local parish church is remembered for the efforts he made to console and counsel the families who were bereaved. Many of the victims were buried in his churchyard and local people contributed to a tombstone to remember them. About three years later ill health took the vicar and it was said to have been brought on by the stress of trying to help so many grieving families. Even to this day money is available to ensure his grave is kept clean and tidy. He will always be remembered for giving of himself when the occasion arose.

Also buried in the same churchyard is Dic Evans, one time coxwain of the Moelvre lifeboat. He was a winner of no less than two gold medals for bravery in helping to save lives when ships were wrecked. One of the foundering ships was lost at almost the same spot as the "Royal Charter." Moelfre has an amazing history as a lifeboat station.

Last year, on Lifeboat day in the village,the lifeboat launched and manoevered before huge crowds. An RAF helicopter joined her to show how the service operated. The cliffs were populated by a huge crowd. There was nowhere left to park for latecomers. What an occasion and how proud they are! At the end of the display the D Class inflatable was stowed away in its section of the lifeboat house. The all weather lifeboat was winched up the slipway and was being washed down by the crew to rid the hull of salt encristation. Suddenly the maroons went up and this time the crew had to launch a seond time, this time for real. You never know when the call will come.

In and around the village of Moelfre live many brave men who are prepared to sail when the weather is so bad than no one should set sail. They are all, with the exception of the coxwain and the mechanic, volunteers. When the emergency is announced they drop whatever they are doing and get to the lifeboat with all speed.

If you are out in any sort of vessel off our coast you can rest easy, knowing there are countless men and women trained and ready for any emergency. They are there for us.

It is by no means a coincidence that many prayers and hymns over the years have used sailing and safe harbours in their imagery. It is a reminder that when we are out on life's stormy seas soemone is on watch for us. Our individual lives matter greatly to our God. Yet so many people ignore him as if he is not there. The sea replicates our lives. I can walk down to my local beach and watch the same sea when it is flat calm and when it is so furious the surfers are out. Its moods and its changes of mood are just like we experience in life. So we know that God is there and if called upon can come and stand up in our boat and say, "Peace, be still!"

I am sure we don't know how lucky we are.

Northern Lights

There is a new series on UK TV that was inspired by the success of a one-off programme screened in December 2004, "Christmas Lights." Its name is "Northern Lights" and it is set in North Manchester where I lived for over 20 years. Two school pals grew up and married sisters. We meet them as they bring up their families next door to each other.

The story is comedy/tragedy as it tells of the ups and downs of the relationship between the two young men. Their parts are played by two extremely popular actors, Robson Green and Mark Benton. There is jealousy as Howard is promoted to manager and Colin remains a van driver. There is comradeship when the estranged father of Colin dies. Howard supports Colin at a job interview and he gets promotion to foreman and we see him trying to open a spreadsheet on his PC at work.

In other words the feelings of each to the other's success or needs are beautifully plotted. They are a reflection of the daily lives of many people. Yet the programme is extremely popular. The comedy is brilliant, yet it simply displays the silly things that friends do together, like Russian Roulette with beer cans, one of which has been shaken to catch out the unwary drinker!

Our lives are full of comedy and pathos. Although I am a only lay preacher I have led over 70 funeral services. This has involved meeting over 70 families and talking to them about the life of their loved one. It has been a privilege to see snapshots of the lives of ordinary men and women who have lived and died in North and East Manchester. But through the tragedy of loss I have been told the funniest stories of happenings involving the deceased.

Most of the mourners have never been to church and have no idea of what to expect at a service. So it has been an opportunity for outreach. I have been able to tell them of the love of God and how it is and will be expressed to them through others. They have been told of a love which reaches out to bereaved and all sufferers. Some of them have said how helpful the service has been. The other side of the coin is my personal feelings about people who dress and behave as agressively as possible to make a kind of warning/statement to people they meet. I used to see them as trouble makers. But when I see so called hard young men carrying their father's coffin into church and tears are rolling down their faces I see the love which exists in all families.

All this tells me that people are fundamentally loving and bond well. It tells me that there is potential in all of them to find God through Jesus and make a contribution to life for the benefit of others. Jesus never gave up on anyone. He still does not give up on them. He has complete faith in their ability to serve their few humans. Paul of Tarsus was a young man intent on arresting all who followed the "new way" and make them answer to the authorities. Yet Jesus saw great potential in him as the first major Christian missionary.

We all have it in us to serve God well. We are surrounded by millions of people with the same level of potential. All we have to do is make contact and the movement starts.

This what I now proclaim

As you may know, St Paul was a great man and much travelled. To him God had entrusted the task of starting off the missionary work. He was the man who had the job of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. So this was when the good news was spread beyond the Jewish area. One of the places he visited was the ancient city of Athens, capital of the Greek nation.

To Paul, Athens was an amazing place, full of religion. I should really say it was full of religions. There were altars to this god and that god. But there was no altar to God himself. Of course, when he got there, Paul started conversations with all sorts of people. If there was one thing Athenians liked to do it was talk. They still do! The Epicureans and the Stoics wanted to know just what Paul was up to so they called him before the Council of the Areopagus. "May we know what this new doctrine is that you propound? You are introducing ideas that sound strange to us, and we should like to know what they mean."

You see, the people loved to talk about the latest thing. Today we would be saying, "Did you see the new James Bond film? Listen to this new track I've downloaded to my MP3 player. Oh, I see you are wearing the latest Gucci watch on your wrist." But in those days the Athenians loved to talk about the latest philosophy or religion that was going about.

Paul began, "Men of Athens, I see that in everything that concerns religion you are uncommonly scrupulous. As I was going round looking at the objects of your worship, I noticed among other things an altar bearing the inscription, "To an unknown God." What you worship but do not know - this is what I now proclaim."

As with people today, the people of Athens were keen to worship the latest thing. Like us they were an acquisitive society. But what they acquired were religions just in case their first choice happened to be wrong. They played around with this religion and that but never came up with anything worthwhile. Because they knew there should be a correct religion they erected an altar to its god. So it was there, ready for the day when a new god came along.

Now, for Paul, this was a God given opportunity to preach the good news of Jesus. It gave him a very useful starting point. He didn't stay long in Athens as he was heading for Corinth. But in the short time he was passing through Athens he got at least two converts.

Today people are very busy chasing the latest novelty in the same way. They are also aware that there is something missing in their lives. They need something to underpin their lives because they realise that the moment they stop there is no foundation on which to stand. They need a strength in their lives. They need something solid and reliable. This what I now proclaim to you. Deep down you have a craving which tells you of a need of a safe harbour. When all the dashing stops and you take a breather from the pressure of life what is there? Precious little to sustain you.

Yet there is a solid rock on which you can build a new life. Jesus is already here, waiting for you, calling to you. If you stop you can listen for that voice. At the end of your life what happens? Full stop, or as Americans say, period. But for Christians we can say, "You ain't seen nothing yet." Because life just goes on into eternity. Jesus is calling you to follow him in faith. He has prepared the way for you. When he died on the Cross the way to God was made wide open. His resurrection lifts us to the highest heights because he has beaten that last enemy, death. You see, he still says, even after death, "Follow me." He offers eternal life which means it goes on and on with no full stop to fear.

With Jesus you are offered the ultimate guarantee - one that is absolutely certain and reliable. You are guaranteed that your present life will become even more worthwhile; your life will have great purpose and direction; your target will be crystal clear and attainable. When death comes to you it is going to be only a stepping stone into what is promised in abundance, life in the presence of God himself.

What do we see?

As a child at school I remember a boy who had what we call today learning difficulties. His name was Ian and at our break times we would shout and laugh at him. He stood there with his back to the wall, nowhere to go. He just had to endure all that we did as we teased him about his disability. Children can be very cruel indeed.

Recently I was speaking to a group of women at my church and was telling them about the famous Pendle Witches of the 17th century in the part of England from whence I originally come. The witches had numerous nicknames. One of them, called Elizabeth Davies, had a facial deformity whereby one eye looked up and the other looked down. The local people called her Squinting Lizzie. No doubt the Pendle Witches were dubbed thus because they looked strange, had speech difficulties etc. But people did what they still do, they judged them.

We need to judge others less than we do. We need to seek ways in which to help them. Yet the fact is that we don't. They must fend for themselves. Some people are criticised heavily for what to them is a life-long burden. For the past thirty years I have known a man in this position. None of his neighbours believe he has been ill. They just put him down as a shirker. He had a number of significant illnesses which prevented him from working. But no one believed him. Look at him today and you can see that whatever ailed him in the past he is a very sick man. He has a son who seems to have taken over his father's mantle. He too is thought by neighbours to be faking illness. Yet I was once delayed at the doctors' surgery because he collapsed and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.

So many people have judged both father and son. The mother has soldiered on admirably through all this. She is so glad to own a mobile phone so that she knows her son can call when he is ill. Over the years I listened to people voicing their opinions and was influenced by what they said. This therefore means that I too have judged. Below you will see a prayer entitled "The Servant Church". Pray it with me.

The Servant Church

We look and stare, but what do we see?
A man lame from injury,
A woman with blistered skin,
A boy with eyes that do not respond,
A girl whose face twitches uncontrollably,
That is what we see, all we see.
We do not know, or understand, or look beyond

God, who loves all equally,
Help us to look, and see, and love,
Not the obvious surface view
But the real person underneath.

We see and judge, but what do we think?
A man so nervous that he stammers,
A woman whose body is lifeless,
A boy whose emotions are overwhelming,
A girl whose deformity makes her shy,
That is what we see, we judge with out thinking.
We do not know, or understand, or look beyond.

God, who knows us through and through,
Help us, having seen,
Not to be hasty or shallow in our judgements,
But to seek the potential in all people.

All-loving God, you know us and all our faults.
Forgive us when we do not love
As deeply as we should,
As you love us.

Amen

Was Jesus a racist?

In Chapter 15 of his gospel Matthew tells of Jesus getting away from it all by travelling into Gentile territory. No Jew would be likely to follow him there. Then up comes this Canaanite woman asking him to cure her daughter of the devil that possesses her. At first he ignores her, but she keeps up the pressure. The disciples were fed up of hearing her whining and shouting at Jesus. "Get rid of her!!" Jesus commented to the disciples, "I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to them alone." Back comes the woman, throws herself down before him crying "Help me sir!" Now comes the "racist" reply. "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." Quick as a flash she replies, "True, sir, and yet the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their master's table."

This was a clever and witty answer and it impressed Jesus. "What faith you have! Let it be as you wish!" The girl was cured immediately. When I first read this passage I was astounded that Jesus could speak to the woman like this. It did not seem the sort of thing he would ever say. Yet here it was in black and white! But we have to have a little understanding of what was actually said. On a first reading we see an insult issuing from the lips of the last person we would expect. But, as is often the case, it is about the actual words spoken and not our translation.

In present day parlance what Jesus said was this, "It is not right to take the children's bread, and to throw it to the pet dogs." Suddenly we grasp what was being said. Jesus was actually overstating the case by suggesting he was being asked for a cure for which only Jews were entitled. It implied that she was asking him for something to which she was not entitled. I am sure that it was meant as a challenge. Her clever wit caused her to reply, "No, I'm only asking for a little bread such as falls off the table and gets eaten by a pet dog."

So what we see in this gospel passage is actually a challenge which was taken up in faith. She was so earnest in her request that she would not shut up when the disciples told her to. She saw in Jesus her last hope. She had taken on the burden of caring for a daughter who was possessed and she spoke as if it were she who suffered the illness. There was desparation in her approach and she did not give up easily.

Poor old Jesus! He found himself curing the sick even on his day off.

But there is a shadow present in this story. It is the shadow of a man called Paul. Later, when challenged, he would take up the task of taking the gospel to the Gentiles. We have, therefore, a back echo to remind us what is to happen in later times when the work is left with humankind.

For people of the twenty first century there is a message. Reading this story we can see that there is value in "demanding" what is important in our prayers. It is almost a message that says, "the louder you pray the surer the gift." I sometimes think that God is encouraging to engage with him in a very earnest way. If what we are doimng in his service is vitally important then there is a case for "pushing" for a positive outcome. We have it in black and white that God will not cheat us. Jesus said, "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, those who seek find, and to those who knock, the door will be opened. "Would any of you offer his son a stone when he asks for bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you, bad as you are, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him!"

So if it really matters, if it is desparate, put that into your words as you pray, and it will be yours. I am not talking about wish lists here. God is no Santa Claus. He is a provider of all that makes for the best in life. The quality is set by him, not us. So we have to be asking for the right things. But trust him and he will give you strength you crave to carry on and help others.

The Power of Prayer

Jesus' disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. So he taught them the Lord's Prayer, also known as the Our Father. He saw how important it was to encourage his followers to pray. They needed to know that it was all part of the power of preaching the gospel once Jesus was gone from them. There is little doubt that they felt they could not carry on as efectively without him. He was a very charismatic figure to them.

In this day and age there tends to be, even in church groups, a belief that prayer might give the person praying some personal comfort but in terms of achieving anything worthwhile it is unlikely at best. Speaking personally, I eventually began to believe this myself. But since I have been acting as an area representative for the charity, Mission Aviation Fellowship, I have found that it is a very powerful tool for the Christian.

We go out to various groups who ask for a speaker and spread the news about MAF and stress that we have not come for a financial donation. We know what we want and it is specifically Prayer, People and Pounds in that order. We are able to show how doing it this way actually delivers the service which is so vital all over the world. All through 2005 I received emails from our manager, telling us the figures that were coming in to our headquarters in Folkestone, Kent. Each email was speaking about targets not just passed but left out of sight. The increase over the 2004 figures ran in excess of 40% all through the year.

By going out making presentations and getting more and more prayer partners the work is prospering. In a day and age full of cut backs and re-scheduling it is wonderful to be able improve our services to those who need us. More and more newsletters go out to those who have signed up to receive them. The newsletters are so informative and readable that they actually inspire supporters to keep on praying for the work we do. By so doing we find our income is always surprising us. Not many organisations can say this in 2006.

It is simply the power of prayer that is seen to be working in an age when our British churches are dwindling in numbers. Our churches should take a look at what is happening at MAF and get the message that prayer does work! Getting out among people is the key to it. Encouraging them to pray for more and more people to reach out for the hand of God is a vital part of what has to be done.

Bit by Bit

I suffer from Severe Asthma. This means that I tend to be thwarted these days when I need to do any heavy work like digging in the garden. Exercise is good for me but when I try to dig the heavy soil in my garden it takes a very long time to complete the job. Thankfully I don't end up with a full blown asthma attack. I just have trouble breathing for a while.

The other day I decided to start removing a mound of clay that I had disguised as a rockery last year. It was left there when we had a new central heating system installed. The oil tank stands where the clay used to be! But after planting it with rockery plants last year we had a change of heart and want to erect a greenhouse on that spot. So I removed an amount of the heavy clay and suffered for it at the weekend. Today, it was sunny and cold so I took it into my head to do a little more. In short bursts of working I suddenly found that within an hour and a half the job was done! Wow! Now we can order the greenhouse.

With a little pain and suffering we can achieve significant victories for God. In the United Kingdom the Christian Church is not winning, and never will win the battle for Jesus. Yet, in this country, we are all that he has to work with. Our members cling tightly to what they know and hope people, searching for anwers, will pop into church. But they won't. The work of the church in our land has to change radically and rapidly. We have to tackle the task the opposite way round, today.

There are many, many people outside our walls who are seriously looking for answers as to who we are and why we are here. They do believe in God, in a way, but haven't made the connection. As for the Church, it doesn't hold any appeal for them. Most of them think they have slipped too far anyway to find their way back. At the end of this month I am attending a course at the Windermere Centre in the Lake District. It is called "The Emerging Church" and will be looking at ways we can use to connect with the people of whom I am speaking. Oddly enough, the Centre is a United Reformed Church establishment and I am a Methodist. But I only became a Methodist last year after 55 years in the URC and previously the Congregational Church. So I think they'll still open the door to me!

Things have got so bad these days that people are now writing off the church as irrelevant. But I see on the Internet that in the USA the United Church of Christ have a campaign going entitled "God is still speaking". I find those words very encouraging. I am now 62 years old but I am still wanting to take "the Word" out to God's people. I hope I have many active years left to me. But it isn't enough to find Jesus and then keep him to myself. So I am off to Windermere to take part in the discussions to see if God has a message to share with me.

But, like the way I dig the garden, I know we are on a long missionary journey. But we must get the ball rolling soon or miss the party. I know that adverts on church walls are a waste of time. I know that smiling faces at the church door once a week don't draw people to God. I also know that unkempt, badly maintained buildings do not help with mission. I do know that, if we get a start made, our financial problems will cease and there will be enough money to maintain our buildings whatever and whever they are. Always remember that Jesus never said, fill your church with people. He said, "Feed my sheep."

Strange People

Today I am due to speak at a women's group in my little church in Amlwch, Anglesey, Wales. The subject is "Pendleside Tales". The reason for the title is that I grew up in a small industrial town called Nelson in the shadow of Pendle Hill. The hill is just about the most obvious geographical feature in the countryside because of its shape. Whenever you visit the area you cannot fail to notice it. It is, for people who live close to it, a perfect beacon for homecoming.

In the 17th century there was a famous tale (true) about the "Pendle Witches". They were members of two poor families who were so simple minded that they would admit to being witches for the excitement of publicity. Their names, or nicknames, were comical, one was called Chattox, another Old Mother Demdyke, and another Squinting Lizzie because one eye looked up and the other looked down. But local people still preferred to believe in witchcraft and picked them out as witches. A local magistrate questioned them without witnesses and sent them for trial to Lancaster Castle where they were found guilty. A number of them died in prison and others were hanged.

Isn't it interesting to see how, even today, people who are different get singled out and laughed at unfairly. This is something that never changes throughout the generations. When I was at school we had a boy called Ian who was obviously different with some learning difficulties. To our shame, we used to gather round him in the schoolyard and make fun of him. Children can be very cruel to each other. Another case was of a man called John who walked, dragging one leg behind him. He too attracted the attention and mockery of the local youth. Whilst on holiday we witnessed a young Greek boy intimidating an elderly man because of his mental incapacity.

Of course it all boils down to fear and self protection. We are afraid of what we do not understand. This applies to racism as well. Most people have no idea what life is like in a Muslim household, for instance. Why? Because they have never asked. As a former trade union branch secretary I got to know a few Muslim members and their families. As a result I know a lot about their life and traditions. But most people do not ask the questions because of fear, and this leads to a continuation of a general lack of understanding.

Yet, we Christians maintain that God made us all, and because of this we are all precious. So there is a lot to be done to get to know our neighbour. We have to push the boat out and make friends of everyone. Back in the 1970s I met an Indian family and invited them back to our house the following Sunday. My wife was not at all sure about doing this. We all became firm friends and had a lot of fun together whilst we lived in that area. In 1995 I found myself jobless. The best, most encouraging friend I made in this period was Hamid Rasheed, a Muslim man who was also job seeking. The way he helped me was amazing and we are still friends today.

Hamid calls me "holyman". One day I rode in his car and the engine sounded dreadful and in need of servicing. I serviced the car and he was amazed at the difference I made to it. He went about telling people "my holyman has blessed my car!" A dear friend, he continues to support me and often talks about how tiny is the difference between our two religions when all the excess baggage is tripped away.

We are all God's children, wherever our roots may be. "He loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love" said St Augustine. How true this is. Recognising this we should close up and get to know one another. It might be the catylist of a great friendship.

This afternoon, on impulse, we went to see a play in Llandudno which is going round the UK. It is by Rosamund Pilcher and is called "The Shell Seekers". The leading part was played by Susanna York. She played a great part in it. The story is about a family whose mother is remembering lovely holidays in Cornwall where her father was an artist, painting in oils.

She looks back to a time when the Second World War broke out and hit everybody's life. Her father was a wonderful man and she still has some of his paintings. He had to stop painting due to arthritis. So she has two unfinished works and a completed work entitled, The Shell Seekers. Her father left them with her and has become a celebrated artist with many people worldwide buying his work.

Because there is such value in the works, two of the three children are hoping to be left a load of acsh. The third child is a daughter who is unconcerned about money and remonstrates with the other two. In the end, even she lets her mother down over a last trip to Cornwall where the old man painted.

So, when it comes to her death there are a few surprise. The children do get a reasonable amount but are shocked to realise that the gardenerand his girlfriend get quite a tidy sum too. But, ultimately, the money is willed to people based on their attitude to it. Thus the family get less and the gardener gets more.

This is an object lesson in understanding the true value of money. So many of us talk about what we would do if we suddenly became rich. We start to list the things we would buy. But the fact is that, as I have noted in a previous blog, all the goods in the world would not give us ultimate satisfaction.

Everysingle acquisition that exists is limited in how far it will satisfy us ultimately. At some point, later on, we will say that it was fun but did not do us any real favours. Today's acquisitive society is built on consumerism. There is an entire retail industry depending on our custom. If this were to collapse at Christmas time the retail industry would totally collapse. Christmas is a special time for us Christians but it is an essential part of the plans of our retail industry.

All you have to worry about is, "Will everything fit in a letter box? Unless someone else benefits there is no joy in the giving. And the need to fit in a letter box ensures the gift is not too much over the top.

Jesus will now revisit the vineyard to see if the workers have done their bit. What will he find?

My Stand Up Sermon

If ever I was asked, in an emergency, to lead a service in church I would not be lost for a sermon. Although I preach from a written sermon, and always have, there is one passage I could use for a sermon and I could preach without a verbatim document in front of me. It is the eleventh chapter of Hebrews in the New Testament. My text would be "Faith gives substance to our hopes and convinces us of realities we do not see."

This chapter from the Letter to the Hebrews is crammed full of instances from the Old Testament of people who had faith. "By faith Abel offered a greater sacrifice than Cain.....Enoch was taken up to another life without passing through death.....Noah took good heed of the divine warning about the unseen future.....Abraham obeyed the call to leave his home.....Sarah herself was enabled to conceive, though she was past the age.....Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau and spoke of things to come.....Joseph, at the end of his life, spoke of the departure of Israel from Egypt.....Moses.. refused to be called a son of Pharoah's daughter.....etc

I can wax poetic about what these people faced and still chose, by faith, to take the path preferred by God. They all saw what God had chosen them to do and obeyed him in faith. No matter what danger they faced, they knew God was calling and this was good enough for them. The last two verses of Chapter eleven says this, "All these won God's approval because of their faith; and yet they did not receive what was promised, because, with us in mind, God had made a better plan, that only with us should they reach perfection.

Now it has to be said, at this point, that without doubt there is no faith. Faith is not the valuable commodity we speak of unless it is something which overcomes doubt. So, even if you are a born again Christian, you will have doubts from time to time. If you find your life testing then your doubts will be more debilitating than if you have an event-free time. But in both cases there will be doubt. After years of solid belief there have been times when I have suddenly had doubts. What if I am wrong? On what am I basing my belief? Can I trust it? Is it safe to carry on like this? If I felt rock solid all the time people would worry about me. It is the basic feeling of doubt that is dealt with through faith.

If I am wrong then there will be absolutely nothing at the end of my days upon earth. If there is nothing then I have no need to worry. But I want more than this. I do not want to arrive at a blank wall and raealise it was a pointless existence. I want a vision of something extra special. I have not come this far to be knocked back by doubt. Where can I find something to give back my faith - to remind me what I always believed?

Look at the last book in the Bible. It is called The Revelation of St John. This book illuminates what is to come. Because it was written at a dangerous time when its author could have found himself arrested and put to death for his words it had to be written with a certain amount of code. The people for whom it was intended would be able to interpret the code. They would recognise certain numbers and words that were used to disguise who or what they were describing. It is this which makes it an extremely difficult book to understand for us today.

Without taking you through it, bit by bit, let me show you what is the ultimate promise to us at the end. The angel takes the dreamer, John, to the celestial city - the new Jerusalem. There is a description of its beauty and the priceless stones that are part of the place to give it its special status. Then John says, "I saw no temple in the city, for its temple was the sovereign Lord God and the Lamb. (God and Jesus) The city did not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb. By its light shall the nations walk, and to it the kings of the earth shall bring their splendour. The gates of the city shall never be shut by day, nor will there be any night there. The splendour and wealth of the nations shall be brought into it, but nothing unclean shall enter, nor anyone whose ways are foul or false; only those shall enter whose names are inscribed in the Lamb's book of life."

Then we witness the most beautiful picture which must be impossible to paint. Listen to this description of what is there. "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city's street. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, which yields twelve crops of fruit, one for each month of the year. The leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations. Every accursed thing shall disappear. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants shall worship him; they shall see him face to face and bear his name on their foreheads. There shall be no more night, nor will they need the light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will give them light; and they shall reign forever."

Occasionally I use this as the Bible reading at funeral services I take. I want the bereaved to know there is something beyond the horizon of death and that it is both good and of benefit. For committed Chritians there is even more comfort. When they have doubts they can read of this vision and see there is something beyond the horizon. Ultimately, when we have struggled to do what is right at all times we need something to inherit. If death is really the end then we have led a pointless existence. But if there is something as beautiful as the city described by John then we can look forward with joy to our eventual inheritance. We can, ecause God has promised it.

Job's Comforters

In the Old Testament there is a wonderful book full of poetry. It is the Book of Job. The story is about a staunch god fearing man who is the apple of God's eye. It isn't a true story but it is a powerful story.

At the beginning there are two chapters devoted to talks in the "Court of Heaven". God sits there with the others who have the right to attend and Satan is one of them. God says to Satan, "Where have you been?" His reply is, "Ranging over the earth, from end to end." God then asks him if he has seen his servant, Job, and starts to speak very fondly of him. Satan suggests that the reason Job is such a great and God fearing man is that God looks after him so well. He suggests Job would be a different man if all that God has given him were to be taken away.

Well, bit by bit all is stripped from Job and he is afflicted with a hideous skin disease and stinks very badly. Satan is convinced that Job will cave in and change into a lesser type of mortal. In this way Job is put to the test. No one wants to have anything to do with him. They don't want to go too near the smell, for one thing. However, there are three men who come to Job and counsel him.

Each, in turn, tries to convince Job that his change of fortune is because he has done something wrong. You see, people in those days thought that you were paid out for the sins you committed. If you became ill, it was believed you were suffering because of a wrong doing of some sort. As each of Job's, so called, comforters addresses him to convince him they are right Job sticks to his guns. "I have done nothing to merit this sort of treatment." "You must have!" they kept saying. Another person comes along and joins in the conversation and still Job denies having done wrong. He complains bitterly with eloquent words at being treated like this.

Then the time comes for God to jump in and have his say. Make no mistake about it, he does not mince his words! "Who is this who darkens counsel with words devoid of knowledge? Brace yourself and stand up like a man; I shall put questions to you, and you must answer!"

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations?

Tell me, if you know and understand.

Who fixed its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line over it?

On what do its supporting pillars rest?

Who set its cornerstone in place,

while the morning stars sang in chorus

and the sons of God all shouted for joy?"

The Lord goes on like this for a long time and the language in this tale is pure poetry. It is worth reading the book just for the poetry. I love this beautiful rhetorical language as God slaps down Job. It may not be a true story but what a picture it paints! And at the end we read this:

Job answered the Lord:

"I know that you can do all things

and that no purpose is beyond you.

You ask: Who is this obscuring counsel yet lacking knowledge?

But I have spoken of things

which I have not understood,

things too wonderful for me to know.

Listen, and let me speak. You said:

I shall put a question to you, and you must answer.

I knew of you then only by report,

but now I see you with my own eyes.

therefore I yield, repenting in dust and ashes."

For all people there is a great mystery surrounding God. There is an aspect of him that no one can fathom. This keeps us apart from him. To know what he knows would set us on a par with him and that is unthinkable. Yet, we are able to walk with him in a wonderful loving relationship, but still in awe of him. We therefore have to trust him. At the end of our days we shall then be able to say, "Now I see you with my own eyes!"

The Roof Fell In!

In Mark's gospel we read in chapter 2 the story of Jesus being visited by the sick through the roof of his house!

What happened was that four pals, who refused to let their friend suffer any longer than necessary, set off to get a cure from Jesus. This story being in the earlier part of Mark's gospel seems to say it was an early incident in the ministry of Jesus. The name of Jesus was spreading everywhere and people came to him in their hundreds. The pals arrived at Jesus' house to find that the way in was totally blocked. They did not waste time wondering what to do. They remembered the old addage, "Where there's a Will There's a Way." They got onto the thatched roof and started dismantling enough of it to pass a stretcher through.

I bet Jesus had a shock when bits of his house roof started to fall on him as he spoke to the assembled people. Looking up he saw the stretcher party lowering their friend to the ground in front of him. He was impressed with the faith they had in doing this. There were no questions asked, just a sick man placed before him. Now that is very plain faith. Don't you wish you had friends like these four men?

Mind you, there was an immediate problem with the way Jesus had cured the man. Sitting there in the front row, looking for a ploy to nail Jesus with was a group of Scribes. Jesus first said to the sick man, "Your sins are forgiven." "Who does he think he is?" said the Scribes to each other. He has no authority to forgive sin - that is blasphemy. Blasphemy was a serious crime which was punishable by stoning to death. They could do nothing about it right now as they were outnumbered by the crowd who would have lynched them if they had tried to do any harm to Jesus.

But Jesus heard what they were saying and put a direct question to them. "Which is easier? to say your sins are forgiven or get up and walk?" The answer was obvious, no one could prove a person was forgiven right away. But to be told to get up and walk was the harder and chancier approach. Thereupon he told the man, "Get up and walk."

So, from then on the scribes were waiting for an oppurtunity to kill him. But what friends the four stretcher bearers turned out to be! From Jesus' point of view there was a value in this incident. Early on in his ministry he was able to show people who he was. Only God could forgive sins and here was this young healer/preacher speaking as if he were God! So this means that, early in his work, Jesus was letting people know who he was and what his power and authority was. That was the way to be recognised! Do something that would get the enemy talking. His fate was sealed.

If you look at John's gospel you find that a very early deed was the driving out of the temple of the money changers. This was another way for Jesus to "present his credentials". If there was to be only three years to do the job then it was essential that certain markers were put down at the very beginning. Early effectiveness was the name of this game.

So, you see, there was a double value in this occurrence. The first was the incredible faith of four friends who took the sick man to Jesus the unorthodox way. Second was the throwing down of the gauntlet in front of the scribes in his own house. This was a story that was destined to go round at a very fast pace. It was what Jesus wanted.

This story reflects today in this way. The Christian church is represented by the four pals who went about getting a cure fro their friend. It is we who are here to help those in need and see that they meet Jesus. So what are your needs? In what way can Jesus help you, today? Come and see us and meet Jesus, your friend and saviour.