Human flesh and a Happy New Year

My former college, Wycliffe Hall, kindly sent out an Advent devotional this year. On Christmas Day, reflecting on the Gospel reading from John chapter 1, the principal wrote this about "the Word became flesh". I liked it, and tried to remember it through the day. 

“If God could be God when one cell small in the womb of Mary, then we can be human when we are constrained. When we feel cramped. When we feel trapped. When we feel that life is not giving us the scope to be ourselves. Limited circumstances did not stop God from being God, and limited circumstances will not stop us from being human, or from being ourselves – or (Luke 1:44) from giving joy to others” (Dr Mike Lloyd).

I hope you like it too. Enjoy a fully human New Year - whatever your circumstances!

Hope at Christmas

When I was growing up in Bristol, one of the old buildings which always appealed to me was the Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne, part of the Foster's Almshouses, at the top of Christmas Steps (full of exciting Dickensian shops!). It was built in 1504, by John Foster, a Bristol merchant, who, it's thought, had seen the Chapel of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral, named after the magi who came to visit the baby Jesus after the nativity - whose bones were transferred there in the 12th century. 

On my other blog, I wrote about being interviewed about the end of life by Channel 5, and received this comment from "Leafyschroder", which I liked and thought I'd repeat here.

"Coming towards the celebration of the coming into the world of Life itself, I find your article, and indeed all that is being said about this subject profoundly moving.
"It's difficult to comprehend just how difficult life must be for some and one wishes that they could be enveloped by Love and deeply feel how valuable their life is. I have been listening to this beautiful song about hope: Cologne Cathedral and the Jewish song, 'Inscription of Hope'". 

Suzette, from whose blog this comes, wrote this about the song:

"The basement (of the cathedral) also became the hiding place for Jewish families hiding out from Hitler. At the end of the war, fragments of a poem, believed to have been written by a Jewish child, were scrawled on the wall. Those words from the poem were taken and put to music, the melody coming from an old Russian folk tune, and was turned into the choral arrangement, 'Inscription of Hope.' The music and choral arrangement were done by composer Z. Randall Stroope. Below are the lyrics of the first stanza of the song, taken from the words inscribed on the wall of the Cologne Cathedral:
Inscription of Hope
I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
and I believe in love
even when there's no one there,
and I believe in God
even when he's silent.
I believe through any trial
there is always a way."

There's a poignancy reading this again at the time when we recall another Jewish child being hunted down by an oppressive régime. Whatever your circumstances this Christmas, I wish you a hope-filled season and the knowledge within you that Love came down at Christmas. Emmanuel - God is with us

Life and death

Today we're in the season of Advent - the period of waiting for the coming of the King, in two senses: the coming of Jesus in such extraordinary circumstances as a crying baby, I believe, to a teenage mum, and his coming again "in great glory to judge both the living and the dead". It's a time full of anticipation and awe.

This afternoon, after a visit to my wonderful dentist and a lunch with my distinguished oldest brother and his wife at The Bull in Fairford (good meal!), we came back to welcome the Holy Family - the pregnant Mary and Joseph, plus donkey - who are doing the rounds of houses in the parish. John, our vicar, brought them round and prayed with us. They'll stay with us until tomorrow when they'll move on until coming to rest finally in the church on Christmas Eve at the crib service.

It's a great way to focus one's thoughts on what is the reason for the season. Tonight Jane's out at a home group, and hopefully I will be disciplined enough to take time out from my usual lapsing in front of the TV for reflection and gratitude. On Sunday, John preached an Advent sermon on preparing for Jesus' coming, which, he said, we could do by watching carefully and serving faithfully. I'm going to try to watch and wait tonight.

This afternoon I also came back to read the news that a good friend (whom I've never met), Alison Davis, died this morning. She is a hero of faith. She was born with spina bifida in 1955. "She later developed conditions including osteoporosis, arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Coping with these permanently disabling and painful conditions dominated but did not define her life. Indeed, they led her to champion the rights of the vulnerable, the disabled and the unborn, first as an atheist and then as a Catholic." You can read her story here: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2013/12/03/obituary-alison-davis/. "Finally, on Easter Sunday, 31 March 1991, she was received into the Church.  Although Alison knew she had 'come home', being a Catholic brought its own difficulties. She discovered some churches couldn’t accommodate wheelchair users and she sometimes experienced an acute sense of rejection. She learnt that her Faith would not remove the sorrows of life but that it does provide the grace and strength necessary to live with them. A visit to Calcutta over Christmas in 1991, and witnessing the love a pavement-dwelling family had for their tiny baby, brought home to her the infinite value of each human being created by God." 

I came into contact with her through our shared belief in the sanctity of life. I think she contacted me after reading My Donkeybody. It was only over the years that I realised what a remarkable lady she was. She is a real example of serving faithfully, and I am really grateful to have known her. In her last email to me she talked about being "content with life as God has given it, which I think is the secret to a really fulfilled life". She lived a fulfilled life in spite of her limitations, beside which mine are tiny. I believe that Paul's expectation is true for Alison: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing" (2 Timothy 4.7,8). I hope I'll meet her then.

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

How do I look?

I love this prayer by Bo Stern. To appreciate it fully, it's worth reading the context. So here's the post she wrote yesterday.
"A Prayer for Seeing

Posted: 10 Oct 2013 06:20 AM PDT

A couple of weeks ago, I was grabbing some groceries at Safeway when I noticed a man in a wheelchair who was in very bad shape.  His pale face shook from tremors and from working to keep his head steady.  At first I thought maybe it was ALS, but his healthy weight made me think otherwise.  Steve had just gotten his wheelchair, and I noticed that this man’s chair was red instead of blue and I wondered what brand he had chosen and why and just as I looked up, I caught the eye of the woman behind him.  I don’t know if she was his wife or not, but it was clear from her angry expression that I had been looking too long.  She rolled her eyes at me in disdain, clearly sick of feeling gawked at by countless passersby and protective of the man she loved.

My stomach sank.  I wanted to talk to her — to apologize and explain that I wasn’t staring out of curiosity or even sympathy, but empathy.  I’ve been in her shoes.  In fact, her shoes are my regular footwear.  I know how it feels to want to scream that the man you love is so much more than his condition or his wheel chair.  And I hate that I made her feel like an oddity instead of what she was:  a fellow-soldier, living on the battlefield of sickness and disability and trying to function in a world that doesn’t always understand.

Later, I thought about how easy it is to look at someone and imagine we know their motives.  I have done it a million times.  I’ve settled for a surface-level understanding which is often more dangerous than no understanding at all.  I need to remember that behind every face is a backstory, a history, a struggle.  And those stories make some more beautiful and some more broken (and maybe, for some, a little of each.)  And so I wrote this prayer and I’m committing to pray it often so I can learn to see people more clearly:

Father of all who are breaking beneath the weight of war,

Straighten and strengthen my vision

to see past skin and shell,

 beneath bravado and bluster,

and into the long-buried story.

Focus my heartsight on what eyes can’t see

 to love without reason,

hope without limits,

and truly believe

that everything possible with You

is dwelling in me.

Christ,

the Hope of Glory,

let me see."

I rather enjoyed this cartoon recently! I'd rewrite the second line to say, "How God sees you means everything". 

As Psalm 139.14 puts it, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

    my soul knows it very well." 

Even being disabled and maimed doesn't stop the flow of God's love to us.

Does prayer work?

Last Sunday evening I preached about Philippians 1.19ff. I enjoyed it because people joined in.
Here's a version of it:

"Do you believe prayer achieves anything?  Really?

Do you believe the Holy Spirit makes any difference?  Really?

Paul in detention in Rome in AD62 (prob).  As far as we know never released, but executed within next 5 years.

Writes to the first church he planted in Europe - northern Greece - an imperial colony and tax-haven.

It’s a pretty healthy church, but with problems both outside and inside.

Back to the questions.

• Do you believe prayer achieves anything?  Really?

• Do you believe the Holy Spirit makes any difference?  Really?

Possible answers:

1. ‘Yes, and this is why I do.’

2. ‘Yes and no - in theory, but never for me.’

3. ‘No. I’ve seen no evidence to convince me.’

Answers from the congregation

“Yes. Because I’ve experienced several answers - not always what I’ve wanted! - when people have prayed for me.”

“As I’ve got older, I’ve come to know Jesus as my friend as well as my Saviour, and I’ve found him answering my prayers as I’ve come to understand his will.”

“I think we often find that God has answered our prayers - as we look back. Like for example our moving to Grove.”

I have a prayer partner on the other side of the world. It is extraordinary how often and how specifically her prayer requests are answered. 

Do you remember 3 weeks ago when Pope Francis called for people of faith worldwide to fast and pray (7 July) for peace in Syria, and what happened by the Monday?  From the imminent danger of US missiles to promise of Assad handing over chemical weapons… Unbelievable breakthrough towards peace!  A friend on Facebook reminded me of wartime national days of prayer, and the miraculous answers that followed (When the nation prayed).

Conclusion: God definitely does answer prayer now.

        

What does St Paul believe?

Verse 19 “I know that through your prayers and the help (God’s provision NIV) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance”. 

He knows.  He knows their prayers will be answered.  He knows that the Holy Spirit will be at work on his behalf.  In fact, it appears that his “deliverance” would turn out “to depart and be with Christ”, which was far better (verse 23).

How does he know?

• Through relationship

• Through experience

Relationship

“I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Timothy 1.12).

He has met with Jesus - dramatically! - and lives his whole life with daily reference to him.  “So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2.20).

“So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 9.17).

Experience

Paul not only prays for the young Christians constantly; he also keeps asking for their prayers for him.

And for him prayer is a two-way conversation, not always comfortable!

“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me” (Acts 20.22,23).

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12.8,9).

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit” (James 5.16-18).                                        [NB Remember that “righteous” here doesn’t mean that we are good, but it means we’ve been made right with God because of Jesus.  We are righteous because we’re in a relationship with Jesus; we’re trusting him.]

So let’s be encouraged.  And be challenged to pray.  “Prayer... has great power as its working.”

Congregation asked what to pray for. 

Father, you know these needs of our church, which your Holy Spirit has put on people’s hearts. Put them on ours too, so that we all pray fervently and effectively according to your will, through Jesus Christ and to his glory. Amen."

Cracking up

Martin Wenham, The Tenth Beatitude

Thanks to Sister Catherine Wybourne of the iBenedictines I came across Martin Wenham, who as far as I know is no relation. He is an artist/craftsman who uses lettering in wood, who's exhibiting in Uppingham. Here's the link: Martin Wenham: a private view.

I particularly liked this one. Sadly it's sold. Those who know me will see why I like it!

"Blessed are the cracked,
for they shall let in the light."

Don't worry if you're cracking up....

Mutual support

My faithful correspondent, Leafyschroder, made a great comment after my last post. If you, like me, tend to skip comments after blog-posts, I want to make sure you haven't missed it. So here it is:

"The well known 'Lessons from the geese' was written in 1972 by Dr Robert McNeish of Baltimore, Ohio, in the USA. He was a science teacher who had been intrigued with observing geese for years and wrote the piece for a sermon he delivered in church. More information can be seen on the web site of Sue Widemark. 

Lessons from the geese
by Dr Robert McNeish
Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an uplift for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson 1: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Lesson 2: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.
Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point formation.
Lesson 3: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities, and unique arrangements of gifts, talents, or resources.
Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson 4: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core values of others is the quality of honking we seek.
Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
Lesson 5: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong."

The photo above was taken in Norfolk - where my correspondent used to live. Thank you, Leafy!

Morning Prayer

Here's a lovely morning prayer from Alice Tremaine's Prayers for Health blog.

Gracious God,

Thank you for being with me today.
Open my eyes to see you at work in me and around me as I go about my day.

Help me to enjoy the simple pleasures today,
To be present in each moment and to each person,                                                                                                             To be grateful for the unfolding of another day of life.

Help me to remember what really matters whenever I feel overwhelmed or frustrated.
Help me to be of service to others today.

When I feel judgmental, help me to find compassion.
When I feel shame, help me to find freedom.
When I feel guilt, help me to find forgiveness.
When I feel afraid, help me to feel covered by your love.

Thank you for this day.
Thank you for this moment.
Amen.

Grace abounds

Just back from a week at the New Wine church conference (where the idea for this blog came from two years ago) and I thought I'd better report something. I'm sorry not to be able to report that this year I was on my feet dancing (see Could there be anything better than this?)..., but there were other things.

The worship music, as is the way today, was very high octane. I think the first bass drum beats scared the life out of the two guide dogs I could see! Certainly after that they left for the songs and returned to their owners for the talks! In fact most of the worship was led by Martin Smith, formerly lead singer of the popular group Delirious. He was very good at helping us to worship. I liked a new song from Australia called Oceans.

"You call me out upon the waters,
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery.
In oceans deep
My faith will stand.

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves.
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine.

Your grace abounds in deepest waters.
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me.
You've never failed and You won't start now.

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves....

Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders.
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour." 


Here it is sung in a Florida church: "Oceans" worship song. 

The line which struck me was "Your grace abounds in deepest waters". You'll understand why it appealed to me. It reminds me of St Paul rejoicing in his weakness because God's strength was made perfect in it. 

In her blog today, Bo Stern wrote something even more gritty. (She's the pastor whose husband has aggressive ALS/MND.) 

 "I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard this cliche which is well-meaning, but not very good theology:  God will never give you more than you can handle.  I suspect it’s a mashup of I Corinthians 10:13 (which is talking about temptation and sin) and too much time in the Hallmark store.

Regardless of its origins, it drives me a little crazy because it implies there’s a supernatural safety valve and don’t you worry, because when this battle gets really tough, He’ll fix it.

But for me, it is rough and He hasn’t.  Fixed it, that is.  He’s been with us in it.  He’s gone before us.  He comforts us on the days when strength and hope are so far in the rear view that I’m sure they’re gone for good.  He has been with us in this fight and we’re so thankful but make no mistake: it’s is well beyond our ability.  Beyond, beyond.  Super beyond.

And that’s okay, because He excels at being God when I cannot and He has a pretty impressive track record.  Nearly every Bible hero I admire faced a situation far outside their weight class.  Come to think of it, so have the people I admire most in my world.  Something beautiful happens in us when we are outnumbered and in over our heads, so let’s not wish those moments away or pump platitudes at people who are suffering because we aren’t sure what else to say; let’s just be thankful that He will be in the fights that are most definitely more than we can handle.  Let’s, in fact, rejoicewhen we are given opportunities to live, love, battle and forgive in ways that far exceed our own abilities.

Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble…”  (and I’m pretty sure He’s talking about the Big Stuff — the Red Sea-meets-Goliath-meets-fiery-furnace type of trouble) but cheer up!   He has – ultimately and eternally – overcome the world.  Weeping may last for this moment, but heaven will have the last laugh.

Count on it."  Bo Stern's myth buster No 2.

There's lots more I could recount from the week, but I had better process it and let it sink in.

Glory in the cave

I've been thinking about Psalm 57 today. It's one of those psalms where David tells God just what he's feeling. I don't know whether I'd have put verse 3 like that, but the great thing he keeps affirming is that "the God of all the earth will do right", as Abraham put it. God's character is both just and loving. As St John said of Jesus, "full of grace and truth". No one else combines both of those to perfection. When we hear of awful human atrocities, or even experience minor injustices ourselves, our reaction is naturally one of anger, which may well be appropriate, but maintaining love is beyond us.

I preached last Sunday about the Spirit in Prayer (Sermons at St John's/28th July), and quoted Maureen Greaves' testimony. The widow of the organist murdered going to Midnight Mass in Sheffield, at his funeral, said she had decided to forgive the two young men as it was what her husband would have wanted: “It has to be a daily act of saying ‘I place them in your hands, God’, so that I don’t have to worry about them, I don’t have to hate them. After the massive shock and heartbreak, this was probably the most difficult thing I have ever had to do, to go down the path of forgiving them.
“It has been a wonderful release that I have not had the burden of hatred towards them. I have to do it every day so I don’t lapse. It is not an easy journey to look two men in the face who have killed the person you love most in the world and hang onto that.
“When you are sitting there in court and you see them and you are heartbroken at what they have done to you, they have taken from you the person who is still your soulmate, it is very difficult to sit there and continue to forgive them and want to forgive them.
“One thing I have comforted myself with is that the God I believe in had a son who was beaten as Alan was beaten. The God I believe in had a son who was resurrected as I believe Alan will be resurrected to be with God.”

Only God's Holy Spirit can enable us to prayer from our hearts: "Your will (not mine) be done.... Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us." Only the Holy Spirit can give us the attitude of gratitude which David maintains, even in the blackness of his cave. Come, Holy Spirit.

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

57 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
² I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfils his purpose for me.
³ He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
⁴ My soul is in the midst of lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.
⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!
⁶ They set a net for my steps;
    my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
⁷ My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
⁸     Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
⁹ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰ For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!  (English Standard Version)