I have been reading about Cuthbert who was clearly an amazing character. There are some fascinating stories about him. David Adam in The Holy Island of Lindisfarne, using Bede as a source, retells the story of Cuthbert and a young monk walking beside the River Teviot, reciting psalms and sections of Scripture. As they were passing an outlying farmstead they were offered a meal, but Cuthbert declined, offering the explanation that they were fasting. However, he shared the Gospel with the family and offered them a blessing. The two then left for the hill country. When they had gone a good distance, Cuthbert asked his young companion where he thought they would find food for the day. The boy was at a loss, but Cuthbert encouraged him saying: ‘The Lord will provide for us today, as he always does.’ He then pointed to an eagle – ‘See that bird flying high above us. It is possible for God to refresh us by the ministrations of the eagle.’ The young man didn’t really understand what Cuthbert was suggesting, but they then saw the eagle settle on the bank with a fish. ‘Run and see what food the eagle has brought us from the Lord.’ The young man went and returned with a large fish. Cuthbert reprimanded him for not sharing it with their provider, telling him to cut it in half and take the eagle her share. He then said that they still had more than they needed and should seek out a poor household with whom they could share the fish. Possibly a little reluctantly, the young companion agreed – and they continued until they found such a household to who they presented the fish. The family broiled the fish and they all shared the fish as Cuthbert shared the Gospel with them. This is the kind of story that was typical of Cuthbert. Adam notes (p. 53): “In telling this story, Bede would be well aware of its symbolic meaning: the eagle was the symbol for St. John’s Gospel and the fish, in Greek ichthus, was a code name for ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour’.
It all links well with that my parallel reading the first six and a half verses of Revelation 4 and Peter Hicks’ comments on them. I particularly like his comment on verse 5 – “The throne of God is where everything happens. It’s so exciting there, it’s like sitting on a volcano about to erupt. Our God is a God who does big and glorious things.”
I am not sure I want to be sitting on a volcano that is about to erupt – but I know that God is an exciting God!
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
The Big Silence
Recently I spent a week in North Wales on an Individiually Guided Silent Retreat. I went to St. Beuno's, near Rhyl/St. Asaph. Apart from being very close to a major road (the A55), it is a beautiful rural location, with plenty of opportunity for walking - as well as silence and prayer. St. Beuno's is run by the Jesuits and so uses an Ignatian methodology which I found very helpful.
I wondered what it would feel like to be in silence for seven days, a new experience for me, but one that I found extremely helpful in centring myself for the next phase of ministry.
I met with Richard, my retreat director, for 20/30 minutes each morning and we were able to talk things over and Richard suggested Scripture passages that I might use as a basis for prayer and reflection. Meals were together but with background music and no talking - and the idea was not to do any other reading. There was a daily Eucharist and a shared time of silent prayer (half an hour). Otherwise the time was for each retreatant to use on prayer, reflection and, as you wished, walking and/or enjoying the beautiful and extensive grounds.
This method worked for me - it might not for everyone - and it reminded how crucial it is to give space to God.
St. Beuno's was featured in the BBC television series 'The Big Silence'.
I wondered what it would feel like to be in silence for seven days, a new experience for me, but one that I found extremely helpful in centring myself for the next phase of ministry.
I met with Richard, my retreat director, for 20/30 minutes each morning and we were able to talk things over and Richard suggested Scripture passages that I might use as a basis for prayer and reflection. Meals were together but with background music and no talking - and the idea was not to do any other reading. There was a daily Eucharist and a shared time of silent prayer (half an hour). Otherwise the time was for each retreatant to use on prayer, reflection and, as you wished, walking and/or enjoying the beautiful and extensive grounds.
This method worked for me - it might not for everyone - and it reminded how crucial it is to give space to God.
St. Beuno's was featured in the BBC television series 'The Big Silence'.
Monday, 18 July 2011
Adding the Power of Heaven
I have been reading D. Peter Burrows' book JONAH, the reluctant missionary (Gracewing, 2008) in which he explores the book of Jonah, but does so by offering a wide range of Biblical links. He links the story to many other parts of the Bible in a fascinating way.
I was particularly struck by a little comment about Moses in which he uses what happened to Moses, when he was called and empowered to do God's work, as a definition of a sacrament. He is pointing out that what matters is the difference that God makes.
Thus, he writes (p. 103/4) - "This reliance upon God rather than upon self is called 'faith' and Moses has no signs of power - he is a weakling. God clearly likes this about Moses and says in effect: 'You supply the staff, your right arm and a little water; I will add the power.' The staff becomes a serpent, the right arm becomes leprous and the water turns to blood. Moses supplies the little things of his life; God adds the power. What better definition of a Christian sacrament? 'You bring what you have and offer it to me; I will add the power of heaven.'"
God doesn't need our strength, just our weakness.
I was particularly struck by a little comment about Moses in which he uses what happened to Moses, when he was called and empowered to do God's work, as a definition of a sacrament. He is pointing out that what matters is the difference that God makes.
Thus, he writes (p. 103/4) - "This reliance upon God rather than upon self is called 'faith' and Moses has no signs of power - he is a weakling. God clearly likes this about Moses and says in effect: 'You supply the staff, your right arm and a little water; I will add the power.' The staff becomes a serpent, the right arm becomes leprous and the water turns to blood. Moses supplies the little things of his life; God adds the power. What better definition of a Christian sacrament? 'You bring what you have and offer it to me; I will add the power of heaven.'"
God doesn't need our strength, just our weakness.
Monday, 4 July 2011
God comes from Essex
On Saturday I was able to participate in the Bradwell pilgrimage 2011. Each year Christians, mainly from Essex and east London gather in large numbers at St Thomas's Church Bradwell-on-Sea on the first Saturday in July. After a brief service we walk 'on pilgrimage' to the little St Peter's Chapel near to the beach, remembering that this was where St Cedd first brought Christianity to our part of England. We then have a service there and various activities. This year I was glad to have the opportunity to lead the service near to the beach and to introduce our two speakers.
As it is the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible in 2011, we were focussing on the Bible and invited Bishop Stephen Cottrell, new Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford since the autumn, and Bishop Thomas McMahon, about to retire as Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood after 31 years, to each share a Bible passage that had really meant something to them. Bishop Thomas spoke of the power of the resurrection story and the words 'He is risen'. Bishop Stephen 'cheated' by mentioning several passages, but began with a reference to the young people's custom of using the word 'well' instead of 'very'. Something isn't very good or very important or very trendy - it is well good or well important or well trendy. Bishop Stephen commented that Essex people used this form of expression before it became popular. However, God got in first, said Bishop Stephen, referring to the story of Jesus' baptism - and God's saying: this is my beloved Son, with whom I am WELL pleased. So God comes from Basildon, Essex.
And that's the point- he does. God comes from your place and mine, and so he understands where we come from, and can be with us in what we are doing.
As it is the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible in 2011, we were focussing on the Bible and invited Bishop Stephen Cottrell, new Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford since the autumn, and Bishop Thomas McMahon, about to retire as Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood after 31 years, to each share a Bible passage that had really meant something to them. Bishop Thomas spoke of the power of the resurrection story and the words 'He is risen'. Bishop Stephen 'cheated' by mentioning several passages, but began with a reference to the young people's custom of using the word 'well' instead of 'very'. Something isn't very good or very important or very trendy - it is well good or well important or well trendy. Bishop Stephen commented that Essex people used this form of expression before it became popular. However, God got in first, said Bishop Stephen, referring to the story of Jesus' baptism - and God's saying: this is my beloved Son, with whom I am WELL pleased. So God comes from Basildon, Essex.
And that's the point- he does. God comes from your place and mine, and so he understands where we come from, and can be with us in what we are doing.
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Values
Inevitably and unsurprisingly we all tend to think that we are operating by the right set of values. Indeed, we might go further and reckon to be approaching things in a neutral way. I think there are very few, if any, occasions when we are really neutral. There are always things colouring our judgment and approach.
I have been doing some reading around Revelation in preparation for some teaching I am going to be doing when I spend three weeks in Zimbabwe in August. Revelation is a fascinating and challenging book, but often reminds us that things are frequently not quite what they seem. As Christopher Rowland points out in Revelation (Epworth, 1993, p. 136): "Revelation asks us continually whether the instruments we use to achieve our goals are as value-free as we would like to think. It criticizes a political economy geared to the satisfaction of the fortunate minority at the centre of trade. .... It roots the church in the midst of social and political protest. Its horizon of hope is not utopian, for it never offers a blue-print of how things will be. The construction of ideal societies can easily degenerate into fantastic speculation out of touch with the real world. The readers of Revelation are left in their own circumstances the task of working out what faithfulness to the testimony of Jesus might mean.”
We do need to work at working out how God would have us live.
I have been doing some reading around Revelation in preparation for some teaching I am going to be doing when I spend three weeks in Zimbabwe in August. Revelation is a fascinating and challenging book, but often reminds us that things are frequently not quite what they seem. As Christopher Rowland points out in Revelation (Epworth, 1993, p. 136): "Revelation asks us continually whether the instruments we use to achieve our goals are as value-free as we would like to think. It criticizes a political economy geared to the satisfaction of the fortunate minority at the centre of trade. .... It roots the church in the midst of social and political protest. Its horizon of hope is not utopian, for it never offers a blue-print of how things will be. The construction of ideal societies can easily degenerate into fantastic speculation out of touch with the real world. The readers of Revelation are left in their own circumstances the task of working out what faithfulness to the testimony of Jesus might mean.”
We do need to work at working out how God would have us live.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Being Abandoned
Miroslav Volf writes: "Jesus’ greatest agony was not that he suffered. Suffering can be endured, even embraced, if it brings desired fruit, as the experience of giving birth illustrates. What turned the pain of suffering into agony was the abandonment; Jesus was abandoned by the people who trusted in him and by the God in whom he trusted. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15.34). My God, my God, why did my radical obedience to your way lead to the pain and disgrace of the cross?"
How challenging is that - yet how true? How we need to reach out, so that nobody need feel abandoned! - and how can we do that?
How challenging is that - yet how true? How we need to reach out, so that nobody need feel abandoned! - and how can we do that?
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Clinch Things for God
Yesterday's Celtic Daily Light had the title "Clinch things for God". The Biblical quote to provide an example came from 1 Kings 18:21 - "Elijah went up to the people and said, 'How much longer will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord is God, worship him.'"
I was reminded of that fairly similar challenge issued by Joshua and recorded in Joshua 24:15 - "But if it does not please you to serve the Lord, choose here and now whom you will serve: the gods whom your forefathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family, we shall serve the Lord."
We live in a day, certainly in UK society, where there are many challenges to those who seek to follow the way of God. Lots of barriers are put up, and there are many suggestions of allegedly better alternatives. Our task in the church is to refute these and to demonstrate the great things God does. Let's look for every opportunity to clinch things for God!
I was reminded of that fairly similar challenge issued by Joshua and recorded in Joshua 24:15 - "But if it does not please you to serve the Lord, choose here and now whom you will serve: the gods whom your forefathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family, we shall serve the Lord."
We live in a day, certainly in UK society, where there are many challenges to those who seek to follow the way of God. Lots of barriers are put up, and there are many suggestions of allegedly better alternatives. Our task in the church is to refute these and to demonstrate the great things God does. Let's look for every opportunity to clinch things for God!
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