Christmas can be irritating. If you are travelling or live overseas, it can mean separation from family and loved ones. If you are working or serving in church, it means being busy while others relax. And then there’s the ceaseless pressure to work through ‘to do’ and ‘to buy’ lists. Meanwhile, the seasonal Bible readings and carols can fade to a meaningless drone with our contempt for the familiar.
Amidst all this, yet another call to have a ‘Merry Christmas’ can make us fume. Perhaps we need a ‘Mary Christmas’.
Mary had every reason to be irritated. First there was the troublesome journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for census purposes – and surely a census-based tax would follow. Then there was the baby. Misconceptions surrounded the pregnancy and now there was the delivery. A barn was no substitute for a delivery suite at KK Hospital and noisy animals were no substitute for caring nurses. And then they were on the move again – fleeing to Egypt in the middle of the night. Would she ever get home to show the boy to her folks?
Despite all this, Mary rejoiced at Christmas.
Her joy was expressed in a song that we call the Magnificat, from its opening words in Latin (Lke 1:46-55). It draws on another mother’s song (Hannah in 1 Sam 2:1-10) and puts the birth of Jesus in a big frame. Mary is an able theologian as she interprets her son’s birth through the lens of God’s power, mercy and covenant promises. Every baby is special, but this one was more special than most.
Notice where Mary’s focus is. It’s not on herself, apart from to confess her humble state. Nor is it on the passing circumstances of what we could call Christmas trivia. Rather, her eye is on God and his big deeds. She sees God acting on her behalf to be her saviour and is glad – very glad. That’s an interesting twist. Parents can resent being overshadowed by their children, but Mary welcomes it. Her son will be her saviour!
Let’s take time to have a Mary Christmas this year. Maybe we can say ‘no’ to a few invitations in order to spend deep moments with God. This can be time for a meditative reading of the nativity accounts, perhaps with Handel’s Messiah or a well chosen version of the Magnificat spiralling our thoughts and prayers heavenward like incense.
Whatever we do this Christmas, let’s join Mary and rejoice in the Lord. Then maybe Christmas won’t be so irritating after all.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Resting or Restless?
People sometimes have a passive idea of what it is to be a Christian. Thus faith is seen as a static resting on Christ for salvation and then just plain resting. Likewise, baptism can be seen as the end of a journey, rather than a mid-point on a journey that ends with our death.
The Bible shows us active followers of Jesus. Mary went on to follow her Son from the cradle to the Cross and the shepherds spread the word about what they had seen. It was likewise in the adult ministry of Jesus. His characteristic message was announce the coming of the kingdom and call people to follow him. Lives changed as the fishermen left their nets and Matthew left his revenue table (eg Mat 4:18-20; 9:9). Their following was active.
This pattern continued after the ascension – and it was intensified as the energising and equipping ministry of the Holy Spirit empowered believers and thrust them into being restless for Christ. Baptism was a ticket to a Christ-centered activism of learning all they could. They met for prayer, fellowship and worship; and bustled about in community involvement (eg Acts 2:38-47). The chosen people were not the frozen people, but were hot for Jesus.
There are challenges for all of us here.
Today’s new members will pledge themselves; … to serve faithfully the Church and society, that God's holy name may be glorified in me. In keeping with this they have all been presented with the opportunities and challenges of service within our various ministries and many of them are already active.
What about those of us who have been Christians for longer periods? Are we resting or are we restlessly active to serve Christ, his church and his world? There is no shortage of places where all of us can use the God-given abilities that have been developed and matured
A tired leader recently asked when the busyness of ministry will end. The answer is simple: when the Lord returns to us or we return to him. Thus John Piper prays Lord, spare me this curse with respect to ‘retirement’ from Christian service. He also tells how the first Christian missionary to the Islamic world was a monk in his mid 80s!
Let us indeed rest on Christ in saving faith and let us take those moments of restfulness in him that we need to catch our breath and replenish our soul. But let us also resolve to be restless for him while ever we draw breath.
The Bible shows us active followers of Jesus. Mary went on to follow her Son from the cradle to the Cross and the shepherds spread the word about what they had seen. It was likewise in the adult ministry of Jesus. His characteristic message was announce the coming of the kingdom and call people to follow him. Lives changed as the fishermen left their nets and Matthew left his revenue table (eg Mat 4:18-20; 9:9). Their following was active.
This pattern continued after the ascension – and it was intensified as the energising and equipping ministry of the Holy Spirit empowered believers and thrust them into being restless for Christ. Baptism was a ticket to a Christ-centered activism of learning all they could. They met for prayer, fellowship and worship; and bustled about in community involvement (eg Acts 2:38-47). The chosen people were not the frozen people, but were hot for Jesus.
There are challenges for all of us here.
Today’s new members will pledge themselves; … to serve faithfully the Church and society, that God's holy name may be glorified in me. In keeping with this they have all been presented with the opportunities and challenges of service within our various ministries and many of them are already active.
What about those of us who have been Christians for longer periods? Are we resting or are we restlessly active to serve Christ, his church and his world? There is no shortage of places where all of us can use the God-given abilities that have been developed and matured
A tired leader recently asked when the busyness of ministry will end. The answer is simple: when the Lord returns to us or we return to him. Thus John Piper prays Lord, spare me this curse with respect to ‘retirement’ from Christian service. He also tells how the first Christian missionary to the Islamic world was a monk in his mid 80s!
Let us indeed rest on Christ in saving faith and let us take those moments of restfulness in him that we need to catch our breath and replenish our soul. But let us also resolve to be restless for him while ever we draw breath.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Waiting
THE WAITING
Anna wondered whether she could last the distance. Her seven year marriage seemed a lifetime ago and at 84 plus she knew that her days were numbered. Yet she waited with expectation. Every day she went to the temple and worshipped. Her eyes scanned the visitors ... would this be the day when the redeemer came? (Lke 2:36-38)
Someone else waited. Time was passing but God had promised that he would see the deliverer before death closed his eyes. Something took him to the temple compound that day. Then he saw them. There was a mother, her man and a baby not long past the one month anniversary. Something tugged at his heart and he knew this was the moment – taking the child he embraced God’s salvation. As for himself, Simeon was now ready to die. (Lke 2:25-35)
What are we waiting for?
We habitually count down to all kinds of events and may even have a countdown timer on our computer. Weddings, births, holidays, graduations and retirements all give us a sense of expectation and thus we watch the days shrink. But, do you notice that the waiting is sometimes better than the getting? And so we ask ourselves: ‘What was that all about?”
Is it worth the wait?
Anna and Simeon were waiting for God to act. They didn’t know it, but their wait was for Jesus. He is the one whose coming marked the close of the waiting time and the start of the ‘now’ time. This was the ‘last days’ as the end-game of God’s big plans came to fruition. And thus the Christmas cradle led to the Easter Cross and the cancelling of sin’s penalty and power through the self-sacrifice of Jesus.
We call all this ‘advent’: the coming of God’s Son Jesus at Christmastime.
There is another waiting. Another coming. Another advent. And so the Bible speaks of Jesus coming a second time to bring the fullness of God’s salvation to those who are waiting for him (Heb 9:28). We wait for this advent by putting our faith in Jesus to reconnect us to God and by giving ourselves to a life of love for God and humanity. This kind of waiting means that we are always as ready as Anna and Simeon to welcome Jesus and that we have no fear of God’s judgement.
Jesus has come and is coming.
What are we waiting for?
Anna wondered whether she could last the distance. Her seven year marriage seemed a lifetime ago and at 84 plus she knew that her days were numbered. Yet she waited with expectation. Every day she went to the temple and worshipped. Her eyes scanned the visitors ... would this be the day when the redeemer came? (Lke 2:36-38)
Someone else waited. Time was passing but God had promised that he would see the deliverer before death closed his eyes. Something took him to the temple compound that day. Then he saw them. There was a mother, her man and a baby not long past the one month anniversary. Something tugged at his heart and he knew this was the moment – taking the child he embraced God’s salvation. As for himself, Simeon was now ready to die. (Lke 2:25-35)
What are we waiting for?
We habitually count down to all kinds of events and may even have a countdown timer on our computer. Weddings, births, holidays, graduations and retirements all give us a sense of expectation and thus we watch the days shrink. But, do you notice that the waiting is sometimes better than the getting? And so we ask ourselves: ‘What was that all about?”
Is it worth the wait?
Anna and Simeon were waiting for God to act. They didn’t know it, but their wait was for Jesus. He is the one whose coming marked the close of the waiting time and the start of the ‘now’ time. This was the ‘last days’ as the end-game of God’s big plans came to fruition. And thus the Christmas cradle led to the Easter Cross and the cancelling of sin’s penalty and power through the self-sacrifice of Jesus.
We call all this ‘advent’: the coming of God’s Son Jesus at Christmastime.
There is another waiting. Another coming. Another advent. And so the Bible speaks of Jesus coming a second time to bring the fullness of God’s salvation to those who are waiting for him (Heb 9:28). We wait for this advent by putting our faith in Jesus to reconnect us to God and by giving ourselves to a life of love for God and humanity. This kind of waiting means that we are always as ready as Anna and Simeon to welcome Jesus and that we have no fear of God’s judgement.
Jesus has come and is coming.
What are we waiting for?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
HEROES OF THE FAITH – CLEMENT
Over the last few weeks we have met some Christian heroes of the second century: Polycarp, Felicitas and Justin. These all bore outward testimony to Jesus and were all martyred for his sake.
Meanwhile the church grew in numbers and in its geographical spread. This was a church like any other in history: an imperfect company of imperfect saints. Problems soon arose within local churches and required help.
The church at Corinth needed attention from the Apostle Paul for its problems in New Testament times. Further problems arose later in the first century. The ‘fitting and orderly way’ that Paul had commended to Corinth (1 Cor 14:50) fell apart. Some senior church leaders were summarily deposed and disorder threatened.
New of this reached Rome where Clement was the key leader. He is called ‘bishop’. This means that he was a senior local church leader rather than a modern-day regional bishop. This Clement may be the person mentioned in Philippians 4:3 and almost certainly knew the apostles Peter and Paul at Rome as a young man. He was born in the modern Ukraine and lived AD40-99.
Clement wrote to the troubled church in Corinth. ‘The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians’ was probably written in 96AD and is the first surviving Christian writing after the New Testament. It was read alongside Paul’s letters at Corinth as late as AD170.
Clement’s letter is warmly pastoral and has wise words for the church of any age as it faces disagreements and conflicts. Notice how he commends gentleness towards fellow-believers and points us towards Christ: …
Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness. … For Christ is of those who are humble-minded and not of those who exalt themselves over the flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance … but in a lowly condition.
…. Let our whole body then be preserved in Christ Jesus and let everyone be subject to his neighbour.
It is inevitable that problems arise within churches. What matters is how we resolve them. Clement sets an example of decisive action, rather than dithering. He shows us the way of peacemaking that looks to Christ and bids us look not to our own interests but to that of the whole church.
Meanwhile the church grew in numbers and in its geographical spread. This was a church like any other in history: an imperfect company of imperfect saints. Problems soon arose within local churches and required help.
The church at Corinth needed attention from the Apostle Paul for its problems in New Testament times. Further problems arose later in the first century. The ‘fitting and orderly way’ that Paul had commended to Corinth (1 Cor 14:50) fell apart. Some senior church leaders were summarily deposed and disorder threatened.
New of this reached Rome where Clement was the key leader. He is called ‘bishop’. This means that he was a senior local church leader rather than a modern-day regional bishop. This Clement may be the person mentioned in Philippians 4:3 and almost certainly knew the apostles Peter and Paul at Rome as a young man. He was born in the modern Ukraine and lived AD40-99.
Clement wrote to the troubled church in Corinth. ‘The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians’ was probably written in 96AD and is the first surviving Christian writing after the New Testament. It was read alongside Paul’s letters at Corinth as late as AD170.
Clement’s letter is warmly pastoral and has wise words for the church of any age as it faces disagreements and conflicts. Notice how he commends gentleness towards fellow-believers and points us towards Christ: …
Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness. … For Christ is of those who are humble-minded and not of those who exalt themselves over the flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance … but in a lowly condition.
…. Let our whole body then be preserved in Christ Jesus and let everyone be subject to his neighbour.
It is inevitable that problems arise within churches. What matters is how we resolve them. Clement sets an example of decisive action, rather than dithering. He shows us the way of peacemaking that looks to Christ and bids us look not to our own interests but to that of the whole church.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
HEROES OF THE FAITH – JUSTIN
Christian heroism comes in many forms. Some are heroes in missions, evangelism or care of the needy. Others are heroes of the Christian mind.
Justin (~ AD100-165) was born in Palestine of pagan parents. He pursued truth and meaning through Greek philosophy until his conversion to Christianity aged about 30. He writes: … I was delighted with the doctrines of Plato, and heard the Christians slandered, but at the same time saw them intrepid at the prospect of death … . These believers may not have matched the unconverted Justin in debate, but they clinched the argument with their deeds.
Do our lives commend Christ to his cultured critics?
Justin became a leading Christian scholar. He first taught in Ephesus where he argued for Christ against Jewish critics. Next stop was Rome. He spoke for Christ to the pagan philosophers and even the Roman Senate.
Do we use our pre-Christian strengths and contacts in the service of Christ?
Christianity sometimes has an uneasy relationship with philosophy. In part this is based on a misreading of the text: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy (Col 2:8). Justin was one of the first to see that the problem is not with philosophy itself but with philosophy that denied Christ. He tried to take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5) as he thought, spoke and wrote with a Christian intellect. Some of his views seem problematic today, but we should not miss the challenge to develop and express a world-engaging Christian mind.
Here is a sample of his robust writing: Hence we are called atheists. And we confess that we are atheists, so far as the gods of this kind are concerned, but not with respect to the most true God ….
Do we think as Christians on the issues of our day?
Do we speak as Christians in our public square?
Justin was not just words. His public arguments for Christianity brought him under surveillance. He was denounced for refusing to sacrifice to the local gods, scourged and beheaded. And that is why he is more commonly known as Justin Martyr.
Are we ready to confess Christ as Lord, whatever the consequences?
Justin (~ AD100-165) was born in Palestine of pagan parents. He pursued truth and meaning through Greek philosophy until his conversion to Christianity aged about 30. He writes: … I was delighted with the doctrines of Plato, and heard the Christians slandered, but at the same time saw them intrepid at the prospect of death … . These believers may not have matched the unconverted Justin in debate, but they clinched the argument with their deeds.
Do our lives commend Christ to his cultured critics?
Justin became a leading Christian scholar. He first taught in Ephesus where he argued for Christ against Jewish critics. Next stop was Rome. He spoke for Christ to the pagan philosophers and even the Roman Senate.
Do we use our pre-Christian strengths and contacts in the service of Christ?
Christianity sometimes has an uneasy relationship with philosophy. In part this is based on a misreading of the text: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy (Col 2:8). Justin was one of the first to see that the problem is not with philosophy itself but with philosophy that denied Christ. He tried to take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5) as he thought, spoke and wrote with a Christian intellect. Some of his views seem problematic today, but we should not miss the challenge to develop and express a world-engaging Christian mind.
Here is a sample of his robust writing: Hence we are called atheists. And we confess that we are atheists, so far as the gods of this kind are concerned, but not with respect to the most true God ….
Do we think as Christians on the issues of our day?
Do we speak as Christians in our public square?
Justin was not just words. His public arguments for Christianity brought him under surveillance. He was denounced for refusing to sacrifice to the local gods, scourged and beheaded. And that is why he is more commonly known as Justin Martyr.
Are we ready to confess Christ as Lord, whatever the consequences?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Just wondering
Just wondering ..
Why the streets are 'All decked out' just now but there's hardly any mention of Christ-mas?
Why its okay for finance companies to proselytize aggressively on the streets but its not okay to send a prisoner a pastoral letter with a minister's message, prayer points and Bible readings?
Why the streets are 'All decked out' just now but there's hardly any mention of Christ-mas?
Why its okay for finance companies to proselytize aggressively on the streets but its not okay to send a prisoner a pastoral letter with a minister's message, prayer points and Bible readings?
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