The Lord is my Shepherd

When I was a small boy there appeared to be only one Bible translation around. This was not actually true, but the only version I had any experience of was the King James or Authorised Version. As I became a teenager the New Testament part of the New English Bible was published. When I started to read it I could understand more clearly what was written. Nine years later the Old Testament was complete and we had a complete new translation of the Bible. I was glad of this as I began to read the Old Testament stories presented in language I could understand.

After the New English Bible came other translations or paraphrases. The New International Version appeared to be very popular and had quite a strong following. I particularly liked the Good News Bible with its amazing drawings which, in a few pencil strokes spoke volumes about a particular passage. But then we became aware of a great revision to the New English Bible. It has involved great scholarship and many comments and criticisms from some learned sources. Eventually I purchased a copy of The Revised English Bible for myself and it is now looking very well used.

But no single edition or revision has ever bettered the Authorised version for its version of the 23rd Psalm. It possesses a unique economy of words which have a beauty and a potency unsurpassed anywhere else. I turn sometimes to the largely Roman Catholic version, The Jerusalem Bible for some beautiful poetic descriptions and the fact that they chose to use the name, Yahweh, which was used by the people of the Old Testament times.

If I were condemned to end my days on a desert island I would like to have in my possession the Authorised Version of the 23rd Psalm to sustain me. It says so much in so few words that it would support any castaway.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" Because I follow God as my shepherd I shall never be in want for anything. This relationship is something quite complete and sustaining.

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." I can relax in the most comfortable place possible and God takes me to drink the cool still water of life.

"He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." God takes my weary, battered soul and gives it the rest it needs, restoring it so that I can continue in his flock. If I follow God I shall be following the way that is laid down for me, the holy way, that ensures God's name is not sullied.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou are with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Here the psalm tells it as it is. The Good News refers to "the deepest darkness". The Revised English Bible talks of "a valley of deepest darkness". The New English Bible speaks of "a valley dark as death" and the Jerusalem Bible says "a gloomy valley". Not one of these speaks with the same power as the Authorised Version. That valley is the valley of the very" shadow of death" itself. The confidence of the psalmist is such that he feels able to survive so close to death. It is in this condition that he declares he will fear no evil because God is with him, taking him through. He sees the present comfort of God's rod and staff protecting him.

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." God's great provision, echoed later in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, is spread out even when the enemies are close by to remind the traveller that he will win through and show the enemy who is leading the battle. For the righteous follower of God there is a table spread with everything to sustain him and he has all he wants to drink. There is plenty and lots more left in reserve. God is seen to anoint the individual, an honour normally reserved for a high ranking man.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." Never will the pilgrim be beyond the goodness and mercy of God all his life. Eventually, he knows, he will live with God in his special house for eternity. He is safe and he is secure till the end of time and beyond. To know more of the house of the Lord we need to turn to Revelation 21 and 22 to get a description of that place.

Although this is a blog called "The Jesus Narrative" this Old Testament psalm speaks powerfully of God's sustinence which Jesus himself spoke of in his ministry. All through the psalm we hear echoes from the gospels and the epistles. This psalm may be old but it applies for ever.

The Ides of March

Well, I am glad to say no one has stuck a knife in my back today, so I am one up on Julius Caesar.

Tonight I watched the latest episode of "The Bill" which is my favourite TV programme. I got excited seeing Smithy helping others who were in jail for crimes they had committed whereas he was unfairly jailed and innocent. He comes over as a character who cares about people and who will go to great lengths to help them. He is loved by the whole police force who work out of Sun Hill police station. Being in jail he cannot attend his girlfriend's funeral so his boss attends in his place. This is quite a hero picture, and he is an obvious role model.

Reading the gospels, we see that Jesus was someone on whom you could rely to do the right thing, regardless of the cost. We should all do the same. He advocated going the second mile and lending our coat out. We should all do the same. He told the wealthy that money would not be any use to them in God's kingdom. We should apply this to ourselves in this consumer driven world. He did people favours that turned their lives around. We should copy this. He promised those who heard him that there was a place for them in heaven if they committed themselves to God's way. We should be repeating this.

Jesus was the ultimate hero. Many people who have found themselves, surprisingly, reading about him, have come to this conclusion. He was a man they became proud to follow. In the times when the Roman authorities were rounding up Christians, trying them and throwing them to wild animals to be torn apart, many were proud to follow Jesus through an unjust and agonising death. Could we go that far?

What we certainly must do is try to be champions for justice and righteousness. If we have found Jesus and are following him each day we cannot remain silent when someone is being dealt with badly. Jesus is calling all men and women to come to him and discover the real life that goes on forever. That life is a life of service to others. Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." That is what we have to do. We are not to hide our alliance with Jesus but to declare we are for him and set out to make a difference to other people.

Remember the man who came back to Jesus to say thank you and Jesus asked him where the other cured people were? So many people opt for Jesus and then keep it to themselves and for themselves. This is simply selfishness. Jesus has to be shared with everyone. Remember this poem written by a man imprisoned for his faith:

First they came for the Communists but I was not a Communist

so I did not speak out.

Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists

but I was not one of them,

so I did not speak out.

Then they came for the Jews but I was not Jewish so

I did not speak out.

And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

Martin Niemoeller, 1930s, Nazi Germany.

Jesus gets Steam Up

Significantly placed at the beginning of John's gospel we find the story of Jesus "cleansing the temple." First, we read of John baptising in the Jordan river. Then we hear John declare of Jesus, "There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Next we read about the calling of the disciples. The water into wine episode follows at the Wedding in Cana. Following this Jesus visits the temple and chases out the money changers with a corded whip. He really got steamed up over the way they treated such a holy place. The following stories include the Nicodemus visit and then the Samaritan Woman at the Well.

All these stories are placed together at the beginning of John's gospel. It is generally agreed that John wrote his gospel to show who Jesus was rather than chronicle what he did as with Matthews, Mark and Luke. Because the latter tell much the same story they are called "the Synoptic Gospels." John's version is very different. Some stories told by John do not appear in the other three gospels.

Here, at the very start we see a collection of episodes in which Jesus is presenting his credentials. Considering the very limited time he had in which to make a difference to humanity, Jesus had to demonstrate to the people who he actually was. So he presents his calling card. If it were today you could just see his calling card - God's son, entitled to speak and acton his behalf all over the world.

To say he got steamed up in the temple is putting it mildly. I would not have liked to be one of those money changers! There was absolutely no doubt about his approach. He was offended and outraged at their treatment of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was a very holy place for all Jews. Local Jews were forever coming to the temple but those from far off countries would probably get there only once in their life. Now when the pilgrims came they offered sacrifices which were either doves or lambs. Now it was technically possible to bring your own bird or lamb. But the priests would almost certainly reject them as less than perfect and advise you to buy one from the temple. In order to do this you had to change your money into temple currency to buy a bird or lamb fit to be sacrificed. This arrangement allowed some of the traders to work a big scam by giving a poor rate of exchange and charge the earth for their livestock.

This is what Jesus found so offensive. These were simply unacceptable practices to God and so Jesus waded in and set about the traders with a whip. However, it gained him more enemies than friends. But it had to be done to show the authority of Jesus and establish his position as more than a prophet.

Now, I am not advocating any form of violence by referring to this episode in the life of Jesus. I am not saying, either, that because Jesus resorted to violence it excuses anyone else. Set in the context of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago you can see why it happened. As Christians we are exhorted to turn the other cheek, go the second mile etc. We are called to fulfill a more passive role yet we need to be very firm about certain activities. Being passive does not mean accepting all sorts of odd behaviour from people. It's just that the passive approach is so effective. It reminds me of a cartoon ghost slipping between the door and its frame to gain access to the room.

I am a great believer in the moral of the following tale:

The Sun and the Wind were in conversation and the Wind wanted to have a contest to see who was the strongest and could get a certain man to take off his coat. The Wind had first go. He blew and blew but all the man did was to wrap his coat tighter round himself to keep warm. Then it was the Sun's turn. He just beamed and soon the man took off his coat as he was too hot in it. It is Mr Niceguy who is more powerful than Mr Angry. This is the strength of the Christian Faith.

Yet on the occasion of visiting the temple Jesus got up a head of steam and set about the stall holders. It was to demonstrate respect and sensitivity about God's holy places. In the news we hear, from time to time, of mosques and Hindu Temples being attacked and destroyed. This is a plan to keep Muslims and Hindus hating each other. Attack a mosque and it is likely to be thought that a non muslim carried it out. Attack a temple and Muslims are suspected immediately. Holy places are respected, even venerated by the faithful. Therefore it was essential that the firct action was to cleanse the Temple of this activity.

Part of the message here is that we must approach God in a respectful manner and not defile his Holy Temple. Nor must we bring his name into disrepute. Our actions and our words are recorded by many. It would be a bad thing if we were to be found acting in a casual, uncaring way in our preaching of the gospel.

New Wine

Throughout the year we have specific days which are days of celebration. Within the family (and perhaps beyond) we celebrate the day we were born. But in general terms we also have other times for celebration or reflection. We celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus and at Easter we remember his death and celebrate his resurrection. On 11th November we remember those who died in times of war. There are other days of significance when we celebrate or remember.

On the third Thursday in November each year there is a day which I always anticipated in recent years. It is the day when, under French law that year's Beaujolais Nouveau may be released. It is a wine which is enjoyed as a young, new wine. It is a red wine that is uncharacteristically consumed immediately. There is no need for wait for the wine to mature. In fact it must be drunk young. Each year the wine lovers gather to drink it and discuss its merits. Is it a better vintage? Is it a fresher, fruitier taste? In between sips in a wine bar there will be the chance to join in festivities. There will probably be live music and maybe Can Can dancers! It is said that by the time Christmas is ended this new wine is finished and does not have the taste it had at the beginning. So, we can go through the year and then reach the day when we can share the new wine together. It will be refreshing and lively, fruity and best drunk chilled. So this is a day to look forward to for those who enjoy wine in perhaps a less serious way than usual.

Wine is something which is important to the Christian. It is presented in the service of Holy Communion or Mass as the blood of Christ shed for us. It is our constant reminder of what Jesus did for us 2,000 years ago. Wine and blood seem inextricably linked in life. In one of the early chapters of Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities, there is a description of the accidental spillage of some wine as it is being offloaded at a wine shop in Paris. The cask breaks open and wine runs down the street. The poor people rush to try and retrieve some before it runs away completely. After this occurrence it is noticed that someone has dipped their fingers in the wine lees in the gutter and used it to write "Blood" on a wall. It was to be remembered later as the French Revolution burst upon the land.

It seems that blood is always spilled in order to achieve our highest aims. Sacrifice is often the pathway to what is worthwhile and of lasting benefit. Wars are settled, sadly, by the shedding of blood. Martyrs die and are remembered for what they sought to achieve in the name of righteousness. As blood is shed people come forward to try to help, to make a difference. It is quite a thought that the way to God was opened up by the shedding of the blood of Jesus. Each Good Friday we are sad as we remember what he went through for the sake of our salvation. Today is the first Sunday in Lent. It is the season when we slowly approach the time of death and resurrection. It is a time for thinking deeply about what was done for us and what is requires of us in answer. For some it is a time of self-denial as they ponder on the most important aspect of their faith.

We cannot be flippant about those happenings in Jerusalem. It was not some casual action that took place. After a ministry of only three years Jesus went through the double agony of anticipation and execution that millions might receive the gift of eternal life. We are some of those millions and we have to give thanks that we are free as a result of what Jesus did for us. Thinking back to what I wrote earlier, through the shedding of the blood of Christ we are now entitled to drink the new wine with him in heaven. Here is another link between blood and wine and a reminder of the institution of the Last Supper when Jesus said, "Never again shall I drink this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father."

Here is another promise which will be kept. Jesus invites us to an occasion when we shall drink the new wine with him. We live this life in eager anticipation of a wonderful life when we shall see Jesus face to face with the Father. If we experience hard times in our earthly life it is worth it to win that prize. Our lives in the meantime are to be times of service to humankind so that they too may inherit the same as us.

Keep it quiet!

There was a famous man who was a millionaire and liked to give money to charity. His favourite trick was, when asked for a donation, to pull out his cheque book from his back pocket and write one out payable to the particular charity who was asking. He didn't do this in order to give quietly to charity. He did it this way so that the person receiving the chaque would tell lots of people how this man simply wrote out a cheque almost without thinking. In other words, the method of giving was used to impress others.

In Chapter 6 of his gospel, Matthew has Jesus saying, "So, when you give your alms, do not announce it with a flourish of trumpets, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and in the street to win the praise of others." Thinking about it, Jesus did not begin his ministry with a flourish of trumpets either. He just started talking to men about God and what was required of them. In his home towm of Nazareth he started in the local synagogue. The locals just didn't believe that their local carpenter was the Messiah. Can you blame them?

Despite all the beautiful myths that tell of his birth he did not even enter upon life with a flourish of trumpets. He was born in a quiet cave behind an inn in Bethlehem. So it tells us indirectly that we too should go about our business of proclaiming Christ in low key. We often see and hear so called evangelists standing in the street to preach the gospel. It does not work. We have to be more subtle than that.

When we help each other we are doing what Jesus would do. So all we do is go out and discover what we can do for others. What will follow, eventually, is a question - "Why are you helping me?" Then we can say why. We used to live in a small town in the Fens of East Anglia. My wife found out that a neighbour had just come home from hospital. She went round to ask if she needed any help. The woman was amazed. "No one round here has ever asked if I need help before!" she declared. This way your neighbour (meaning anyone else) responds very positively to your offer. You have then just started on the long road to introducing them to Christ. Put up a sign at your church that says all are welcome and you will waste the money you have paid to get the sign painted.

So, from this we can see that not only are we exhorted to give anonamously but it is the best way to be effective. See what I mean? Crafty eh?

No one is beyond the Pale

It is incredible to say that in the eyes of God there is no one beyond his love. I once preached a sermon entitled, "Why does God love me?" I still find myself unlovable when I set the standard of Jesus against me but that is to be unrealistic. In the days of Jesus in Palestine we read that he sat down to eat with those counted the lowest of the low in those days, the tax gatherers. They were hated by everyone and were excluded from the synagogues. There was no home for them in the eyes of the population. The authorities of the day could not understand why Jesus ate with such vermin.

A few years ago, the playwright, Alan Bennett, asked who might the lowest of the low and the despised people be today. Then he suggested the child molesters. This information was passed on to me by the minister of my church. I felt challenged to preach on the subject. I was building up a picture of God loving those we feel unable to love. As you guessed, I used the child molesters as today's hated people and said that God loved them despite the crimes they had committed and also that we found it difficult to love them.

After the service I was challenged by the church caretaker who shouted and raved at me. It turned out that his daughter had been attacked as a child. "Are you saying we have to love these people?" he yelled at me. If he had listened to the sermon he would have realised that I was not saying that, but that God was able to love them. I did not return fire because it would have served no purpose except to make him feel worse as the tears cascaded down his cheeks.

Today we have seen the verdict issued on the former pop star, Gary Glitter, who was found guilty of sexually molesting two Vietnamese girls. He was jailed for three years. Even though he served a short jail sentence in the UK on child sex offences he carried on plying his trade. At one time he was on top of the world as a rock star. He had the sort of talent that drew people of all ages to his concerts. Why did he have to stoop so low as to behave like this? Now he cuts a sad figure, wearing the pyjama-style prison uniform of Vietnam.

It is one of the sadnesses of this age that we have to realise what depravity some people can sink to. The Soham murders were a classic case. Two young girls should still be alive, giving cheek and growing up in a fun society. Ian Huntley was allowed to work in a children's area despite suspicions of him that were on record. Now he resides in jail instead of guarding a school from the likes of him.

In my profession as a small business advisor I had two clients who admitted to having been in prison. Their crimes were very different. One was imprisoned and then released with an electronic tag for selling goods on which excise duty had not been paid. The other had served a life sentence for murder. Believe it or not, the murderer was the nicer guy! But both had served their time with no grumbles and were trying to continue with their new life. They had paid and were entitled to do so. But it is hard to say anything positive about child molesters. And yet God loves them.

This challenges us greatly. On the one hand we wonder at the lengths to which God will go in his love for all people. On the other we learn how we are that easier to love! Thanks be to God that he loves us as if there were only one of us to love. That sort of love is beyond our understanding.

The Emerging Church

I have just been reading some lengthy descriptions of "Emerging Church". I have also seen some descriptions of "modernism" and "postmodernism." All these are titles which can be used to conveniently categorise what, to some people, are simply obvious reactions to the stimid approach to "being church" today. For some time I have been thinking about what should be happening to change the downward spiral of a church which loves Jesus but cannot connect him to the people outside their circle. Take, for instance, the movement at the time of the millenium to fix green oval signs on church walls: "The Millenium is Christ's birthday. Come and worship him here." I relocated to Anglesey in North Wales 18 months ago and now I see the same sign in the Welsh language!

As I travel around our country I pass many churches who persist in displaying posters containing Bible quotations. What use are they in a world that now has a majority of people who don't read and probably understand the Bible? They would be just as effective written in Latin or Greek. An approach of this sort to evangelism is totally pointless and a waste of money. It is just one big "turn off." It turns me off, and I am a preaching Christian! So then, if I, as a preacher, find this sort of approach off-putting what effect will it have on people in general? After all, I speak the speak and understand a great deal of "Church language and terminology." So why does it repel me? It is irritating, annoying, patronising, and offensive.

Last year I attended a day-long session that looked at churches becoming "family-friendly." I went there because I thought perhaps there would be something worth adopting. Yet the whole thing was founded on an assumption that we have lots of children in church, which we do not. Another assumption was that our way of worshipping should be reconsidered because it did not appeal to people of this era. The point I make is that our problem is how to make contact with people outside our fellowship to show them how Jesus is relevant to them.

The only way that people will start to attend church is if they see it as relevant. But remember that these days we are the ones who know what happens inside a church and the people we should be working with have no idea at all. All over this land we have hundreds of beautiful village church gems which the public do try to help continue as they pop in to see the marvellous architecture. But within these gems what is the evangelical philosophy? What are they doing to "make a difference" to people outside? There again we have hundreds of churches who are struggling financially to stay open. They are saddled with buildings which are no longer maintainable because of their size and design. These buildings are often repellant in aspect and people are expected to step inside to see what Christianity is all about?

We are living in an age where consumerism is the name of the game. It is commonly believed that all the luxuries in the marketplace are the things to possess because they will make a positive difference to our lives. Yet, when the next version of a commodity is introduced to the market there are people flocking to get them as quickly as possible. Why? Because the older version is suddenly old hat and useless, despite it being the best thing since sliced bread originally. It is now only 8 years since I first went on the Internet. At that time Windows 95 was the latest and greatest in computer operating systems and Windows 98 was just about to burst onto the market. Today I have software which is now useless because it is not compatible with Windows XP. That software was purchased not that long ago. We buy cars because they are the latest model and have all the extras we think we ought to have. But before many years have passed those cars are either piled up in vehicle dismantlers' yards or already recycled as other commodities.

In other words, what our consumer society is chasing after, be it possessions, position, or power, is incapable of being any use in the long run. They do not take us anywhere good. Even though our society does not realise it, what is really needed is spiritual food. All of us need something which will appeal to and sustain our human spirit. That is where Jesus comes in. But how do we "sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?"

It is because we now see a huge chasm between the world in general and our church community that we have to build bridges in order that those we seek on behalf of Jesus may cross safely. One of our problems is to persuade people that they need to cross the bridge. It was one of the criticisms of the Humber Bridge when built that it spanned the river but did enough people have a reason to visit the other side? Why did the chicken cross the road? Did the chicken really want to cross the road? All Christians know the value of what is on the other side of the bridge. It is our tast, therefore, to talk to people and tell them what is there. Ultimately the great benefit is to continue on to the celestial city that I described in a former blog, but much has to be experienced before that reality becomes attractive.

I honestly believe that all we need to do is to engage others in conversation, ask them how we can be of help and then roll up our sleeves and do the work. Eventually the question will be asked, "Why are you helping me like this?" This is the first "buying signal." We can then talk about a saviour who loves men and women so much that he wants to help them where they are. This is the key to it. We need to see that when Jesus spoke to Peter after his resurrection and said, "feed my sheep" this is what he meant.

Outside the ranks of the church are literally millions of people who need help and who need Jesus Christ desperately. They are not aware of this so we are the people to go out and tell them. Two thousand years ago St Paul was in Athens and saw the many different shrines and altars to the various deities men and women worshipped. So careful were the Athenians to ensure they had covered every single deity that they even had an altar enscribed "To the unknown God." Paul siezed on this to show them that not only had they missed out a god but that he was the God. He was able to use their love of talking about the latest thing to show them how they should worshipping the God.

Again, there is the story of John Wesley being instrumental in the conversion to Christ of thousands of people who had no hope but suddenly found hope in Christ. In their situation as lowly workers for the rich minority they could expect very little in this world. Echoes of Ronnie Corbett in the three person sketch saying, "I know my place." But boy how they reacted to the promise of a rich life to come! Even in 2006 this is no outdated message if shown in relation to the world as it is today. I have seen posters on church walls saying "Jesus Christ is the answer." Yes, he is, but tell people how it works! This is the "Emerging Church" I want to see.

Why worry?

Hands up all those who worry. Anyone not raising his/her hand is not telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We all worry. There are those who always do things in set ways. they worry that if they don't then things will get out of control. There are those who can cope with big issues yet fret about small matters. There are those who are of a nervous disposition and worry about everything. There are the hypochondriacs who worry about their health all the time. There are those who worry because they like to worry.

To all these and everyone else Jesus says, "Think of the lilies: they neither spin nor weave; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendour was not attired like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass, which is growing in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown on the stove, how much more will he clothe you! How little faith you have!"

What Jesus is saying here is that we should do our best and then leave the rest to God. He was not suggesting we should be reckless in our living. Our best is always expected of us and God takes care of the rest. Jesus uses the imagery of the wild flowers to demonstrate that such a lowly thing is cared for in detail. So it is obvious then that God will take care of us as we go about our business and his.

Jesus calls on us to forget the small worries and concentrate on the big business, that of seeking the Kingdom of God. It is this which will ensure our lives are worthwhile and full of satisfaction. I love the line in verse 32 of Luke's 12th Chapter. "Have no fear, little flock." He speaks to those around him and to us in a really fatherly way. He gives us the reassurance that God has chosen to give us the kingdom. Note that it is a gift! Now that really is some gift - the Kingdom of God, no less!

Jesus goes on to outline the approach we need to adopt. We are exhorted to concentrate on what we can give, not that which we can receive. If we think about what we can do for others and concentrate on that then everything else will fall into place in a natural fashion. Try it, it works! You will be pleasantly surprised when you discover how this works out in practice.

Most of the world worries about either gaining or losing money. Discount thoughts of money without being reckless and you will find that you have enough for the day. One of the older maxims I remember is the northern expression, "Happy is the man who knows he has the price of a pint of beer in his pocket!" Finally remember that there are no pockets in shrouds.