First Retirement Anniversary

Having just gone past the first anniversary of retiring (30^th June 2019) here is a bit of an update.

Early in the year Jane and I spent a week in Gran Canaria. It was great fun but now seems like a distant memory belonging to another time altogether. Because of the time of the year we stayed in the south in a place called, Porta Morgan, known as Little Venice. 

Of course, for all of us these past few months has probably been the strangest we have lived through and are ever likely to live through.

In part as a response to this, I applied for and was granted a Permission to Officiate from Bishop Christopher of Coventry Diocese.

This was generally so that I could ‘officiate’ in our ‘home church’ St Matthew and St Oswald’s with Overslade.

As we went into lock down our Vicar, Alan and Jane Hulme (wife and Associate Minister) had to shield as Alan was vulnerable.  It has not come to pass but there was a concern about funeral cover.

I have done a recorded sermon by Zoom, which was a challenge as I tend to be animated when preaching!  

I was also engaging with Jane H on using puppets for school assemblies. Having a PTO brings me into line for safeguarding and other types of cover.

However, lock-down put paid to school’s work and so ‘James and Grandad’ have taken to having Zoom chats every week!  These are recorded and feature in our recorded Act of Worship on Sunday mornings.   This is one of the earlier ‘chats’ when they are talking about Covid-19…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBBmfSJ6Moo

‘Grandad’ relaxing after chatting to James!  

The other thing lined up that did not happen was my volunteering with a local Riding for the Disabled Group.  Unlike the Stafford group the one nearest to me only have access to an outside exercise ring and therefore only meet from March – October. (Stafford met at Ingestre and meet year-round) So we are waiting to see when that might pick up again. My guess is it will be next year now. 

As the year turned around, I re-engaged with the Farming Community Network.  The work of this charity has become of vital importance.  Our Warwickshire Group meetings have gone on-line with Zoom.  We have also gone on-line with ‘Chewing the Cud’ – which in some ways has been good as it has brought more people ‘around the table.’  I get such a buzz seeing people chatting and sharing life stories and exchanging ideas and resources.

The other charity I am heavily involved with is Rural Mission Solutions. (Chair of Trustee's)

www.ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk

When lock-down began to take hold Barry Osborne and I discussed the idea of offering some sort of on-line worship on Sunday morning.  For several years now we have been offering webinars on Rural Mission and Evangelism.  These worship services have been a steep learning curve, but we now have a ‘settled’ pattern of a 9am live Service going out through Zoom each Sunday.  Currently we are working through a series entitled - ‘God’s Unlikely Choice.’  We have looked at Abraham as an unlikely father, Gideon as an unlikely leader and Paul as an unlikely apostle.

With the RMS Service going out live and weekly it has been demanding and ‘someone’ reminded me recently that I am retired!  I needed that reminder as one of things I have said is that while in ‘work’ I generally put that first and fitted family and domestic life around those demands. But now in retirement I want to flip that around and be available for family and friends and of course myself. 

This shift in my mental furniture is an ongoing piece of work. I have always had a strong work ethic and do not like letting people down or causing them more work or not helping if I am able.  I am always keen to share what I have discovered but now find that sometimes I need to shut up and sit on my hands because it is not my call to make. 

However, just down the road 10 minutes away live our grandsons, James and William, now 15 months old. They are all the distraction you might need!  Thankfully, we are now back meeting up with them once again as these early months see such changes in them.

We also had a holiday in France scheduled for us all, but that is another postponement until next year.

 Also postponed was a big birthday bash with a 60’s theme to celebrate Jane’s 60^th birthday and the boy’s 1^st birthday.  This may ‘return’ next year and link in with my 70^th! 

Of course, you will be aware that we have three other lovely grandchildren in Cornwall. Kerryn, Lowenna and Isla. We had a lovely time down there in March, staying in our caravan at Par Sands and celebrating Lowenna’s 5^th birthday.  

What none of us expected was that on the 29^th April, Lowenna was to have a massive brain trauma that was to leave her fighting for her life. The long journey continues with Daniel and Tracey ‘camped’ in the Bristol Children’s Hospital.  Kerryn and Isla are being looked after by Gran who lives in Cornwall. Daniel and Tracey have made trips back home leaving one of them behind in Bristol to be with Lowenna.  A five-year-old girl being struck down like this does make you question God’s providence and raises questions and even doubts in your mind. What is without question however is the level of love, prayer and support from God’s people across the world.  (Not to say that only God’s people are supporting them, they have some very dear and loyal friends helping in all sorts of practical ways) It was suggested to me that I set up a WhatsApp Prayer Group and that quickly grew to 60 people, many of whom cascade prayer request and updates to their own churches and contacts. Lowenna and her family and the medical team are being upheld by people from across the world.  In addition, an Uncle has set up a ‘go fund me page’ that has raised funds to help Daniel and Tracey with Lowenna’ s care.  

www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-lowenna.

Like everybody all our ideas and plans were thrown awry by this pandemic and we have not been able to explore much of the surrounding area. The ‘Midlands’ is enormously rich in history and many places played a key role in the life of this nation so we are looking forward to exploring more when we can do so safely. 

Before the lockdown we did manage a visit to Leicester where our youngest son Joe is now living. We paid a visit together to the Richard 111 exhibition which was fascinating. More recently we met up at Abbey Park, where Cardinal Wolsey is buried. 

And I have been discovering more of the local area while out running, walking and cycling. Rugby has the river Avon running through it and the Oxford Coventry canal. Plus, it was once a railway hub, so there are numerous tracks and pathways that form a network around the town and just outside. 

 

Life is still full on and fun even if we are currently feeling very frustrated. Like everyone we are looking forward to whatever the ‘new normal’ might bring – and a trip to Costa!

         

Pentecost 2020 'Is God in the House?'

Last week we reflected on Jesus' ascension and among other things we explored heaven on earth suggesting that heaven is not spatially or geographically located in a particular place that you could go to, albeit we might accept that Jesus is the way there!

It is perhaps more helpful to think of heaven, God’s sphere, as operating in a different dimension. Occasionally the curtain is pulled back and certain people have an apocalypse of the reality of God’s realm and how it operates within the earthly realm, our domain.

One of the places where heaven and earth was considered to meet was the Temple in Jerusalem.

David’s son, Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem.  David had captured Jerusalem and made his capital.

We read about the dedication of this Temple in I Kings chapters 6 – 9 and 2 Chronicles chapters 2 – 7.

A recurring motif is that of the LORD’S Shekinah Glory filling the temple.

1 Kings 8:10 -11

‘When the priest withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.’   

God’s Shekinah glory filling the Holy Place - has Isaiah 6 popped into your head?

This First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II after the Siege of Jerusalem of 587BC.  The beginning the Babylonian Exile. Jeremiah is your go to prophet to pick up that story.

Empires come and empires go and in the first year of his reign Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, another empire in ascendancy as Babylon declined, was prompted by God to decree that the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt and that such Jews as cared to might return to their land for this purpose.

In 515BC the rebuilt Temple is dedicated under the leadership of the Judean governor, Zerubbabel.

We read about this in Ezra 6: 13-18.

Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

This Temple is an extremely poor shadow of the First Temple and has several missing key elements.

No Ark of the Covenant, so the Holy of Holies was empty.

In 1 Samuel chapter 4 we read about the Ark of the Covenant being captured by the Philistines. This led to the death of Eli’s two wayward sons, Hophni and Phineas, and on hearing the news, the death of Eli. Phineas’ expectant wife went into labour and rejected the son born, calling him Ichabod, meaning ‘God’s glory has left Israel.’  The Ark was eventually returned but then during the Babylonian exile when the Temple was destroyed, and the ‘furniture’ looted it disappears never to be mentioned again apart from numerous tales and even a Hollywood blockbuster movie!

There was also no ‘Eternal Flame’ called ner’ Tamid, that signified God’s covenanted presence and the giving of Torah.  (Fire/flame is sign of God’s presence, for example Moses and the burning bush) 

In AD20 King Herod begin a massive rebuilding project of this Temple. But there is no evidence to suggest that this was not a mere self-aggrandizement project and a way of seeking to curry favour with the Jewish people.  Nothing to suggest it was being developed to bring glory to God.

Most telling of all is that we have no reference to God’s shekinah glory descending upon the Temple either at its dedication or in the rebuilding.

Question – was God presence really there?  

Herod’s Temple was finally completed in AD62/63 - and destroyed seven years later!  In 132AD the Bar Kokbah revolt began, ending in defeat for the Israelites in 136AD.  

This led to Judea being renamed and merged into the Syria Palaestina province by Emperor Hadrian.

So not only is there no shekinah glory – now there is no temple in which to gather to worship and offer sacrifices.  How do we now engage with God?

Now let all those quotes and incidents about the Temple and our being 'living stones' from the Gospel’s and the Letters tumble into your mind.

Bring into focus the story of these disciples in an upper room. Luke does tell us exactly how many, it could have been 120, or the 11 or 12 apostles and Mary plus some other woman. However many they were praying and seeking God’s face and waiting expectantly.

We might consider the time frame the same as the Thy Kingdom Come initiative, 10 days of praying.

Now listen to this passage from Ephesians 2: 19-22

Ephesians 2:19-22 (CEV)

¹⁹ You Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens with everyone else who belongs to the family of God. ²⁰ You are like a building with the apostles and prophets as the foundation and with Christ as the most important stone. ²¹ Christ is the one who holds the building together and makes it grow into a holy temple for the Lord. ²² And you are part of that building Christ has built as a place for God’s own Spirit to live.

Consider what the Temple stood for and its purpose and function.

That purpose and function now resides in you and in me as God’s living stones, as God’s Holy Temple dispersed throughout the world and filled with God’s shekinah glory. 

Some of us may be keen to return to our ‘Temples’ – the places where we gather for worship, but we need to be careful that we don’t locate and lock God into that space, as wonderful as it might be.

Stephen in addressing the Council (Acts 7) said…"However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. Then going on to quote from the Prophet Isaiah… (66:1-2)

 

 Heaven is my throne;  

the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house could you build for me?
    In what place will I rest?
 I have made everything;
that’s how it all came to be.
    I, the Lord, have spoken.

The people I treasure most
    are the humble—
they depend only on me
    and tremble when I speak.

Let us today come humbly before the Lord asking for our ‘temple’ to be cleared of rubbish and clutter that may have gathered over the years and ask for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Then may I invite you, when we do eventually get around to gathering once more in our ‘dedicated buildings,’ (Heb. 10.25) to look up at the lintel over the door and ask yourself what do you see written there, Ichabod or Shekinah?

 

Ichabod    Shekinah

 

 

 

Jesus is my co-driver!

When we read certain Scriptures we might begin to imagine that we are being offered a blank cheque so we can ask God for anything...

John 14.12-14
I assure you that the man who believes in me will do the same things that I have done, yes, and he will do even greater things than these, for I am going away to the Father. Whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do—that the Son may bring glory to the Father. And if you ask me anything in my name, I will grant it.


In Matthew 18.19-20
 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

And in 1 John 5:14-16
 'This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.'

We need to notice two things, first a bit of wisdom from James

James 4:2-3

'You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.'

Second, we ask in Jesus’ name – i.e. out of a deep and loving relationships in which we would always seek God’s will.

Remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane – in his flesh he didn’t want to face what lay ahead, "if it is possible let this cup pass by; yet not my will be done, but yours" he said.   

How do we learn to walk in God’s will and way?

It is sometimes said that we need to allow God into the driving seats of our lives.


I prefer the dynamic idea of a co-driver in a rally car…

This is what Pavel Dresler, Jan Kopecký’s right-hand man says…

…it’s definitely not true that the co-driver plays second fiddle. “I first tried my hand at navigating in 2005 and I enjoyed it from the off. It’s an adrenaline rush, even though you’re not driving the car – you’re the driver’s second pair of eyes, and he has to trust you completely. Simply put, the driver has to drive exactly as I tell him. And the co-driver can always tell if the driver is really driving according to what’s being read. When it works, it’s a great feeling of teamwork, and that’s what I enjoy the most.” 

To know what coming up, to stay the course, to get through safely the driver must listen and follow to the letter the instructions of their co—driver.



Jesus is the best co-pilot we can choose to sit next to us in the journey through life. 

Watch this this video clip of someone learning some basic maneuvers.
  

https://youtu.be/Kk89yoR2KzQ

Locked Down but not Locked Out

John 20: 19-23

Mother Julian was a 14^th century mystic and an anchorite of Norwich Cathedral. On one occasion she became so ill she received the last rites. But she recovered and in recovery spoke of God revealing himself to her in what she describes as 'shewings.' 

She wrote these down in ‘Revelations of Divine Love.’  

(This is the earliest surviving book in English to be written by a woman) 

In these 'shewings' she speaks of God’s love and care for everything in creation.

Perhaps one of the best known quotes is, ‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.’ 

This is not the same as whistling in the dark or buoyant optimism, but a deep seated acceptance that God will bring everything to good order.

We all go through times of trials and suffering of varying degrees, and we need to remember that underneath are always the everlasting arms of God and although we may not understand it all now, in the end all shall be well.

Heeding the words of Romans 8.28 ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’

That’s something we certainly need to hold on to at a time like this.

As did the first disciples – it was a lesson they had to learn.

Having spent time with Jesus, heard his teaching, saw the miracles and so much more, they had also seen him crucified, dead and buried.

It certainly must not have looked like any at all would ever be well again.

But then these strange and unexpected resurrection appearances.

And note that the disciples were hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jewish authorities, fearful of facing the same fate as Jesus, and you could hardly blame them for being scared.

Currently a lot of people across the world are hiding behind locked doors – indeed it is called ‘a lock-down.’

But locked doors are no barrier to the risen Lord Jesus, and he appears amongst them and says, ‘Peace be with you.’

And today locked doors are no barrier to Jesus coming amongst us and saying to us, ‘Peace be with you.’

‘As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.’

You may of course be a ‘sent one’ as herald of the Good News expressed in front line work, or as a key worker. Or perhaps you are helping in some other way in your community. And we applaud you and will pray for you to be kept safe.

But if you are in lock down and unable to leave your home then thankfully due to the wonder of modern technology, we can also heed the same command, to be the ‘sent ones’ – through the social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Zoom meeting and even good old fashioned letter writing. Also, flowers are still being delivered – now there a nice thought to bring some colour and cheer to someone.

‘All shall be well’ – we have a quiet confidence because of Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension and an assurance that He will return. 

That one day, heaven and earth will be united like a couple in marriage, Jesus the groom and the Church as his bride. 

Then there will be no more mourning or crying, or death - or pandemics - for the old order of things will have been overturned - for ever!

And everyone is invited to the great wedding feast.

I hope you have responded to your invitation!


Want to know more, then check out....

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Easter 2020 - 'Mary, Peter and a left field thought....'

Mary and the 'gardener' - John 20.10-18

Verse 14…

…’at this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus. “Woman”, he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”  Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

The other day my friend Barry phoned me and I began chatting away until it dawned on me that I wasn’t talking to Barry but my youngest son Joe. Somehow, they had both phoned at the same time, my phone showed a call from Barry, but Joe’s call got in first.

How did I know it was my son, well mainly because I recognised his voice?

“Mary” – said Jesus, and she recognised the voice if not the person whom she took to be the gardener. She was not expecting to meet her risen Lord.

Two points to reflect on…

My home church of St Matthew and St Oswald have recorded Night Prayer for the evenings of Holy Week. As part of the liturgy we read Psalm 139 which speaks of God’s intimate knowledge of us as individuals. 

God knows your name – do you know that?

God loves you – do you know that?

Mary recognised Jesus’ voice – do we recognise the voice of Jesus?

      and a prayer….

Risen Lord Jesus, as Mary Magdalen met you in the garden

  on the morning of the resurrection,
  so may we meet you today and every day:
  speak to us as you spoke to her;
  reveal yourself as the living Lord;
  renew our hope and kindle our joy;
  and send us to share the good news with others.  Amen

Peter and Jesus - John 21: 1 – 19

What to do, what to do – lots of confusing messages and Jesus appearing before them as risen from death.

Peter does what he knows best at a time like this – he goes fishing and takes with him six other disciples for a night’s trip out on the lake in their fishing boat.

But as much as they enjoyed being at a physical task their labours were in vain and they begin to head to shore having caught nothing.

There is a man on the shore whom they don’t recognize who calls out to them…

“Friends, haven’t you any fish”

He then told them to throw the net on the other side and having done so they caught such an abundance of fish they were unable to land them all.

John seems to have recognised that it was Jesus and said to Peter, “it is the Lord”

Then Peter, impetuous Peter, who was working away wearing only his boxers put on his outer garment and jumped in the water.

Do you imagine Jesus had a wry smile on his face as Peter hauls himself out of the water all dripping wet?

Breakfast is cooking over an open charcoal fire and Peter’s mind is immediately back to another day, not long ago, and another charcoal fire.

They sit and eat with a thousand and one questions being asked but not spoken.

Then Jesus catches Peter’s eye and nods for him to follow him as they walk together out of earshot of the others.

As they walk along the shore Jesus picks up three stones, carrying them in his hand.

Eventually they stop and Jesus asks Peter, addressing him as Simon son of John, not Peter, “ Simon son of John, do you truly love me.”

Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you”

Jesus responds by saying, “Feed my lambs” and hurls one of the stones into the lake and it sinks below the surface with a splash.

Again, Jesus turns to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me.”

Peter responds as before, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you”

Jesus replies, “Take care of my sheep” and throws a second stone this time just a bit further than the first one.

For the third time Jesus asks, “Simon son of John, do you love me.”

This third time is puzzling to Peter and he is hurt by being asked yet again the same question.

He replies, “Lord you know all things, you know that I love you”

Jesus replies, “feed my sheep” – and hurls the stone even further and again it sinks below the water with a load splash.

Jesus then continues and tells Peter something of what he will face in the future, about being imprisoned and eventually put to death.

And then having said this Jesus then gives him the same invite he had offered all those years ago…

“Follow me”

Full pardon, full restitution, abundant grace, love and forgiveness and a renewed call

I have met some bad people in my time but you know it doesn’t matter what sin you may have committed, if we come humbly before God and confess that sin, Jesus will take it and hurl it into the ocean depths.

Then he will say to us, “and don’t go wading in there trying to find it – but come and follow me” 

Left field thought…


Where did Jesus get his clothes following his resurrection?

Now I accept that the supernatural and God's power breaks occasionally into the natural world, but this is different from magic, this isn’t Harry Potter.

Maybe we get a clue from the story of Mary meeting Jesus in the garden.

In my garden shed is my boiler suit. I put this on if I am gardening or doing odd jobs around the house. 

Maybe Jesus was wearing the gardener’s clothes which is possibly why she thought he was the gardener.

Now if the thought of the resurrected Jesus walking about naked disturbs you then look back to the cross.

Despite nearly all depictions of Jesus being crucified show him wearing at least a loin cloth, there is debate about how true this would have been.

‘Normal’ Roman practise would have been to strip the victim naked as part of the shaming and punishment. (Cf. Hebrews 12.2)

However, there are those who argue that for Jewish sensibilities some modicum of covering would have been allowed.

Maybe, maybe not, we simply don’t know. What we do know is that the Romans in using crucifixion wanted to use it as a shock tactic. Hence brutal, bloody, excruciatingly painful and utterly shameful and all in public view, usually near a major gate or thoroughfare.  People needed to see that if you mess with Rome this is what happens.

Thinking of Jesus being naked on the cross I am pushed back to recall Adam and Eve in another garden. And whereas Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was obedient to the will of his Father (Cf. Philippians 2.6-11) Adam and Eve chose the path of self-willed rebellion and disobedience.

The result…

 Genesis 3:8–10

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you? And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

Naked shamefulness in the sight of God.  And note God’s response in Genesis 3.21 ‘The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.’

That would seem to suggest that to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, blood was shed and an animal was sacrificed.

So fast forward, through Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension and looking towards his return…

1 John 2:28-29 The Message (MSG) Live Deeply in Christ

'And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we’ll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives. Once you’re convinced that he is right and righteous, you’ll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God’s true children.'

God clothed Adam and Eve in the sacrificed skins of animals to cover their shame and guilt.

Now, through the accomplished greater work and sacrifice of Christ we are clothed in a robe of righteousness.

‘I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.’

Isaiah 61.10

Years ago, we used to sing this chorus.... 

‘I Am Covered Over With The Robe of Righteousness'

I am covered over with the robe of righteousness that
Jesus gives to me, gives to me;
I am covered over with the precious blood of Jesus
And he lives in me, he lives in me,
Oh what joy it is to know my Heavenly Father loves me so,
And gave to me, my Jesus,
When He looks at me He sees not what I used to be, but
He sees Jesus, Jesus.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1rptZB0ydQ

Do you need to go and check your wardrobe...

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