Citizens of Heaven - Residents of Earth

I was listening recently to a programme on Radio Four that brought together those at the forefront of the hand over of Hong Kong to Chinese rule. Amongst the many fascinating insights was a comparison to the Falklands Islands.  Many Hong Kong people feared becoming part of a Communist Dictatorship especially following the aftermath of Tiananmen Square. I have also been watching the fascinating series with Mary Beard trying to unearth and get to know the ‘ordinary’ people of 1st century Rome. What Beard suggests is very telling. That Rome wasn’t so much a place as an idea.

The ‘idea’ of being Roman was not focussed on a certain land mass, even less so on the city of Rome. It was its customs, its laws and practices. It was a whole mixed bag of stuff that went to make up the idea of what it meant to be Roman. At the extent of the Roman Empire the world could almost be divided up into two basic groups, Romans and the rest.  And what the ‘rest’ needed to do was to become Roman or at least as near as they could be by at least accepting the ‘Pax Romana,’ the rule and authority of Rome whilst of course paying taxes.

A common enough sight that Jesus would have seen was an evangelist proclaiming good news (the evangel) if not in his home village then certainly in nearby Sepphoris.

This good news would be that the mighty Roman Empire had won yet another victory and that the great ‘idea’ of Rome was continuing its advance or putting down any rebellion against the idea.

‘Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of God, and saying, “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the Gospel.’ Mark 1:14. That is dangerous and subversive language to use in a country that was under Roman occupation.  The Gospel writers tell us about this kingdom movement and what it means to become a member. Repenting is certainly one thing spelled out here by Jesus. Repenting meaning to turn around and follow a different path, not so much as saying sorry. ‘One small deed done is worth a thousand good intentions.’

One thing that becomes abundantly clear is that this Kingdom is not a place but an idea much in the same way as Rome was an idea. This is why the Letters written to the early Church talk about being citizens of heaven. (See Ephesians 2:19-22 for example)  This would have been familiar to many people across the Roman Empire. Veterans of the Roman Army who had served their time would be given lands in which to settle down and form a Roman Colony. The idea of Rome would shape the new settlement and the citizens would consider themselves Romans. Yet they would have no concept or thought of actual wanting to travel to Rome as a physical place. That wasn’t necessary for them to be considered Romans. They could be Romans anywhere in the world.

The focus for Jews in the 1^st Century was largely around the Temple and Jerusalem as this was the place Yahweh dwelt.  This was the place of pilgrimage, the place to go to be identified as a devout and faithful Jew.

It was the Romans who destroyed all of this as prophesised by Jesus (Matthew 24) who saw that unless people repented, took a different path, then destruction would come upon them.

Therefore the question that arises is, just what is the Gospel? For some it is to escape from hell and enter into heaven in some future realm, place or state where God dwells.  ‘Earth is not my home I am just passing through.’ The Church is the vehicle which transports us on this outwards journey to our eternal destiny beyond the skies.

However Jesus proclaimed the good news that the kingdom was already here; geographically, politically, personally and any other way you may choose. This is surely what the Lord’s Prayer is saying isn’t it?  ‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.’  Isn’t this what we read in Revelation that the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven to earth.

Isn’t the Gospel then an invitation to repent, i.e. change direction, and sign up as a citizen of heaven? Then, much as a Roman Veteran would do, living with the idea of Rome, seek to live out the idea of being a citizen of heaven wherever they find themselves, in the present reality.

Roman expansion began in the days of the Republic, but the Empire reached its greatest extent under Emperor Trajan: during his reign (98 to 117 AD) the Roman Empire controlled approximately 6.5 million km of land surface.

Our hope for the Kingdom of God is that the entire world shall come to accept the Pax Christus, the just and gentle rule of God. And the best news of all is that the last and most feared enemy has been conquered. Death itself has been swallowed up in victory. The author and pioneer of our faith, Jesus Christ, has gone ahead and won the victory. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection and the promise is that we, like him, shall at the last have glorious resurrected bodies. Not some ethereal soul that migrates from the body upon death; that is a Greek thought, not Hebrew.

We live as signs and symbols of the Kingdom of God as a foretaste of the now and not yet but one day to be fully revealed sovereign reign of God. We live in that manner as individuals and corporately as the Body of Christ, the Church.  The Church is not a vehicle to escape from earth to a heavenly realm, but a portal through which heaven breaks into the earthly realm.  

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.
Amen. 

Day Dream Believer

This morning (Monday 30th April 2012) I caught the last few minutes of Radio Four’s ‘Start the Week’ 09:00–09:45 with Andrew Marr on creativity with Jonah Lehrer, Scanner, Rachel O'Reilly and Joanna Kavenna.

The conversation was around the value of day dreaming, or what is sometimes referred to as ‘blue sky thinking.’ Indeed one of the contributors spoke of his joy in flying in an airplane and how he didn’t want to be able to get mobile phone connection. He further argued that we should treasure moments of apparent boredom by allowing our minds to wander freely and not try and cram every moment with answering emails or meeting some demand.

My wife and daughter are always telling me off (mostly in a nice way!) for always fiddling with my phone and checking emails.  I know there is a real danger that we can do this because at a subconscious level we want to say to people look how important I am and how much in need people are of my attention.

Referring to somebody today as a dreamer is most often said in derogatory terms. We take it to mean someone who has their head in the clouds, who will not face reality, living in a fantasy world.

However dreamers are essential for human flourishing and development.

Yes, they need to be able to share that dream, to convey it in such a way that it can be grasped by hard nosed realist who can begin to turn the dream into a reality.

The dreamer and the dreams also need carefully monitoring – Hitler dreamed up a world of the most imaginable horror that then led to hard nosed realist building an efficient way of exterminating a whole human race and class of people!

The way of Scripture, Reason and Tradition, beloved on Anglicans can help put the dreamer’s dreams into context as to whether they will help build the Kingdom of God upon earth.

Whilst training for Church Army my tutor reported that I was a ‘dreamer’ – this was written in a report with a slight note of disdain or concern. I thought long and hard about this and in the end came to thank God that I was and am a dreamer. (The tutor eventually also came to the same conclusion).

A part of my ministry as a Diocesan Evangelist is to dream dreams as I work alongside Churches helping them find creative ways of communicating and proclaiming the Gospel. Busy clergy and churchwardens and congregations often find themselves so hard pressed and up against things that they have lost the capacity to dream and to think of anything beyond what is facing them and any kind of solution. They have so often reached an impasse, a log jam with no discernable way through. 

This is common in all spheres of life, families, big businesses and the Church. Often what they require, and sometimes pay good money for, is someone to help them move forward first by imagining a different scenario and then by agreeing upon that idea, followed by practical steps to make it happen. However it begins not with the practical steps but in the dreaming of a different outcome and future!

Most of my ‘dreaming’ is done whilst out running on my own. No phone, no emails, nothing but an hour or more to allow my mind to wander and explore all sorts of things. I love dreaming, I love allowing my imagination to wander, I love looking at clouds and seeing animals or all kinds of other stuff, I love sharing this with those around me. It is important for us all occasionally to have our heads in the clouds!  

What time do you allow yourself to dream dreams? Is this your gift to the Church and to the world?  How do you convey your dreams? How do you measure and weigh them up to try and discern if they are from God and can help build up God’s Kingdom? How often do you encourage your Church leaders to spend time day dreaming?

‘In the last days, God says,

   I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

  your young men will see visions,

  your old men will dream dreams.’

 

   

Jesus gets in the way...

This afternoon I watched the Preston Passion which was an interesting take. I had been up and about since early this morning.  First of all joining a small group gathered to pray at the site for the Soul By the Sea, Brighton Passion, happening Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. Then it was straight off to the Walk of Witness around Hove. From there it was then time to walk back to St John the Baptist Church helping our Priest carry the cross back.  We received some very interesting looks!  Indeed we had some of those during the Walk of Witness which this year saw a very sizable group. We kept getting in the way of people trying to enjoy their Bank Holiday Easter weekend. I occasionally smiled and apologised, especially to drivers we held up on the road.  But overall I felt this was just about right. Jesus does get in the way. He does come and interrupt our lives and He has been doing this for the last 2000 years since that very first Easter Sunday morning.

Back to the Preston Passion – once again Pilate was spoken of as someone caught on the horns of a dilemma, weak and vacillating. What we know of Pilate and Romans in general could not be further from the truth. I am currently reading a book about Gladiators; not one of those that focus on the gratuitous violence, although there is plenty of that, but rather it seeks to understand and chronicle the rise and development of gladiators. It was not uncommon to have a spectacle where thousands of prisoners of war and unwanted slaves were forced to enact battles and slaughter each other. There is no way Pilate would have vacillated or shown weakness. He was a man in command and to show weakness was to show you were on the way out of your post!

However, I had read something in the Church Times, reflecting on Palm Sunday and the Passion suggesting that those shouting for Jesus on Palm Sunday were Galilean pilgrims gathering for Passover.  But those baying for Jesus’ blood were Jerusalemites who thought of Jesus as nothing more than a northern upstart.  Pilate was caught in the middle of this potentially dangerous squabble and had to do something or allow a riot!

Jesus comes before Pilate when Jerusalem is heaving with pilgrims and tensions are running high. Galilee was well known as a place to harbour rebels.  So could this be what Pilate was trying to weigh up? Does he have Jesus crucified and risk a Galilean upsurge and riot, possibly against the Jerusalemites and spilling out into an all out melee against the Romans? Or should he allow Jesus to be crucified and placate those baying for Jesus to be killed? And maybe, just maybe, there was at least a part of Pilate who spotted a stitch up when he saw one and he was not for playing that game.

The rest, as the proverbial saying goes, is history. (Yes, we are talking real history here!) Jesus is taken away, flogged and then crucified. No Galilean uprising or riots. Jesus followers melt away like the morning dew, with the exception of a handful of women. But they are of no importance and hold little or any status in that culture and time. This is one of the reasons why the Gospels are so remarkable – very, very bad PR move to have woman as witnesses.

Jesus disturbed people; He disturbed the religious leaders in Jerusalem, He disturbed Pilate and He disturbed some people in Hove today. What about you – who do you say that Jesus is and has He or is He disturbing your life?             

Great Expectations!

On Thursday (22^nd March) in preparation for a preachment on the following Sunday I wrote my first sermon draft. (I usually preach from full notes). However I watched the fascinating series on BBC 2 ‘Reverse Missionaries’ on the Friday and felt compelled to rewrite my sermon.

Friday’s ‘Reverse Missionaries’ followed Pastor John from Blantyre Malawi to Blantyre Scotland. In particular John was retracing the steps of David Livingstone. In Malawi Pastor John has grown a large lively Church and he is overflowing of praise and thankfulness to Livingstone for having brought the Gospel to Africa. He spent time with the Congregational Church in Livingstone’s birth place, Blantyre.  Pastor John was astounded to discover the lack of faith in the people of Blantyre, especially the young people. He was also disappointed by the lack of zeal of the members of the Church who appeared to be into managed decline with little hope of things being different. 

In some ways this also linked in with my having caught on TV part of one of my favourite films ‘Sister Act.’

Added into this mix on Tuesday and Wednesday I was taking part in a Rural Ministry Course organised by the Arthur Rank Centre.  www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk

Here again we shared and discussed struggling rural churches where there appeared to be resigned acceptance of continuing decline, although there are enough innovative enterprises and community engagements to offer  some hope.

So – my sermon was based on ‘expectation’ which I am convinced is very important for the life and health of the Church. I asked ‘just what are you expecting to happen this morning,’ perhaps some hymns you like, a short sermon, being able to sit in your favourite place and all done and dusted in under an hour. This is hardly the stuff to change the world and very little recognition that each and every faith community is called of God to be active in the redemption of the cosmos.  We read, as we did today, the story of Jesus, today it was from John 12:20-33, the story of Greeks seeking an audience with Jesus and John (the Gospel writer) portraying this as sign of the unfolding plan of God for the redemption of the cosmos. Jesus in this passage speaks with passion about the path he knows he is called to tread, to be rejected and suffer an ignominious death as a common criminal. (Today is Passion Sunday) But it is through this way and on into the resurrection that opens up God’s ongoing plan. And we, as Christians, individually and corporately are invited to play our part.  

‘You are a unique and irreplaceable actor in the drama of human history, and Jesus Christ has need of you to make known his salvific work in this particular place and at this particular moment in history.’

Michael Quoist in his book ‘The Christian Response’

Expectation is also linked with experience - we need to raise our expectations, see our endeavours as part of God’s unfolding plan and experience God’s hand at work in our lives and in our communities, which is exactly what we ask for every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer.  But do we really believe it?

      

Jesus loves coasters!

Reflections on a fun filled fortnight in Florida

Okay first admission – I love the Parks and I love riding the Coasters, the scarier the better although I do love the fun ones particularly when you end up getting soaked!

That’s one reason to love the Parks in Florida. Although we did have some cold, wet and windy weather, on the whole it was up in the 80’s and that’s in February.  If you get wet you soon dry off; well if you have canny enough to dress in clothes that will dry easily, so no jeans.

The other thing I love about the Parks is the way you rarely hear a raised voice which is truly remarkable given the vast crowds, the sun, the waiting in lines for rides and shows, etc. (In the USA you line up, Brits queue) There is also little bad language no boozy folk shouting and carrying on, just truck loads of folks of all shapes, sizes, ages, creeds and colours just out to have wall to wall fun. You do see the occasional person all funned out though, usually flopped on  a bench or having five minutes on a wall or somewhere, surrounded by bags as others of their party are still funning it up.

The other common feature is T shirts, and again I didn’t see any that were really rude or offensive. People seem to know instinctively that this is family fun time. Of course in the lines you get to reading the messages, and some are really funny, clever or just weird and many tell you where folk have been or where they are from.

So, a question related to wearing a T shirt – do you do God on holiday? A T shirt with a tasteful Christian message can be a great witness as you line up and people spend up to 45 minutes to an hour behind you.  But it seems some folks don’t do God on holiday especially those who are directly involved in some way by being employed and working for the Church. 

When I am somewhere like Florida I find it is just so different that the practicalities of work and ministry slips away, which is great. You do need to lay them aside from time to time.  However I find God coming to me in many others ways. One of them is riding coasters. The awesome rush, the edge, the wind on your face, everything screams out that you are alive and it is wonderful, fantastic and awesome. You scream and laugh and get totally immersed for a few brief moments in a totally other world. 

The T shirt I wanted to get made would have something in the line of ‘Jesus is with me and he loves coasters!’ We have to learn that Jesus is not a puritanical kill joy. Yes there is sadness in the world and we should be mindful of that. However there are times to go on holiday and play.  That is another major plus for the Parks and if you do not know how to play you won’t enjoy them.  ‘Unless you become as a little child…’

So, we do God on holiday and that includes trying to get along to worship on Sunday which does take away a whole morning but thankfully in Florida we have found a fantastic Church in St John’s Episcopal Church. It is just great to be there in something a little more real. Yes, I accept that Parks are a fantasy world; they sell a dream, however in Disney’s world, ‘dreams can come true.’

 I for one dream that we might see something like the Park atmosphere replicated across the world; fun, laughter, awe and wonder and people working together from all across the globe.   It’s called the Kingdom of God.

Fuzzy Faith

Fuzzy Faith is not a new term and has been around for some time.

The recently published results from Richard Dawkins’ research on social attitudes demonstrate once again this notion of fuzzy faith.

This is the link to research of Christian social attitudes just published.

http://c3414097.r97.cf0.rackcdn.com/IpsosMORI_RDFRS-UK_Survey_Topline_15-02-2012.pdf

One initial response has been from Steve Hollinghurst of the Church Army Research Centre based in Sheffield.  

http://sheffieldcentreresearch.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/what-does-the-dawkins-ipsosmori-poll-14th-feb-2012-tell-us-about-uk-christianity/

Once again Dawkins appears to trying to push ‘faith’ into the private sphere.  But even the briefest of looks at the Christian Bible will demonstrate that the Christian faith is not about a private faith or views but is very much about the public domain.

This is the legacy the Christian Church has picked up from the Jewish nation – the Book of Genesis which seems to give Dawkins grief states boldly, loudly and as clearly as possible, the God of the Hebrews, the God and Father of Jesus is involved in all of creation. The morality of the bedroom matters as much as the morality of the boardroom.

Above all what is the Lord’s Prayer all about – but an asking for God’s will to be done ‘on earth as in heaven.’

As Christians we look forward to the Day when God will come as judge of all and earth and heaven will be for ever conjoined.

Meanwhile we make our best attempts to live as though we are already living in the Kingdom of God upon earth.

What for me this survey demonstrates is that there is still a lot of very woolly thinking around about what it means to be a Christian, that the Christendom song may be finished but that the melody lingers on, especially by those who seek Christening and perhaps more importantly do not then spell out what that actually means.

It also demonstrates why there has been an increased call for discipleship courses.  We as Christian need to be ready to give an answer for anyone who asks us for the hope that we have, but this is to be done with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

On my bedside table

I always have several books on the go at any one time - I just could not imagine life without reading! So, what I am reading at the moment?

Well I have just read 'The Kite Runner' Khaled Hosseini (Bloomsbury 2004). I never got around to seeing the film when it was out in the cinema so I was pleased to read this novel. However if the film picks up something of the book then it would be very difficult to watch, the horror described is awful. The British military continues to be engaged in Afghanistan with an ongoing haemorrhaging of life and we may be puzzled over why and how this situation came about. This book helps to put the situation into a historical context and brings to life a different kind of Afghanistan from the one we see on TV reports. At times I found I didn’t want to read any more yet felt compelled to do so such is the strength of the story being told.

Tom Wright continues to feature in several books I am reading and you might think I am about to go stalking him!

I am enjoying his latest book ‘Simply Jesus’ SPCK 2011. I am just about half way through and I love the almost scary way Wright presents Jesus, the Jesus of history and also the cosmic Christ, so much bigger, so much more to him than we might have ever considered. Just who is this figure (Jesus) what did he say and do – what did that mean at the time and what does he say today.  

I am also reading two of Wright’s ‘Everyone’ series – by the bed ‘Matthew for Everyone’ and on the breakfast table ‘Revelation for Everyone.’   I have worked through ‘Matthew’ before but ‘Revelation’ is a fairly new addition to the very fulsome library of books Wright has written.  Again Wright seeks first of all to understand the historical context into which the Letters were written. As difficult as it is we have to try initially to look though the eyes of a 1^st century Jew/Christian hearing these words. Perhaps one of the most helpful insights that Wright has brought with his musical background and interest is that we must ‘hear’ Revelation as a symphony, layers of music laid on top of layers of music. As written words they have to follow each other and we can then think we are reading something that is happening or is to happen sequentially. I also remember some years ago working through a Local Methodist Preachers Course looking at Revelation and we were encouraged to think of it as a Greek play with various Acts and Scenes, that again I found very helpful.  What I am picking up is the big picture of God allowing evil to have full rein for a period so that having being brought out in full view it can then be dealt with – finally! And then, very importantly heaven will come down to earth – note, not that we will go to heaven!

I have also recently read Stephen Kuhrt’s book ‘Tom Wright for Everyone.’  Stephen is a vicar in New Malden and has ‘allowed’ Wright’s theology to inform and influence their church life in very practical ways. It was great to hear of how Wright’s theology can shape pastoral practise and mission.

And for balance because reading all of the above I am in serious danger of becoming ‘narrow’ I have a Christmass present book ready for holiday reading (holiday in February) ‘The Etymologicon’  by Mark Forsyth. This is a random reading on the origins of words beginning with one word that then leads into the explanation of another and so on and so forth and so on and so forth - you get the idea!  I have always loved words and discovering their origins.  For example just the other day whilst shopping with Jane in Sainsbury’s I looked at the oranges and wondered which came first – the fruit or the name!  And whichever came first just where did the word orange come from – and orange is of course one of the few words for which there is no other word that rhymes. 

Now, do you think Tabitha and Jane might just strangle me before the end of the holiday!

Oh and if you are interested Forsyth has a blog – http://blog.inkyfool.com/