the NET Bible & its notes for Laridian's iPhone app. It means I need to use it a lot over this weekend, reading the text and looking-up the notes and so on.
Somehow it doesn't feel like a chore.
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Friday, 11 December 2009
the aged & the manger
It was an 'outreach to the elderly' event. A lady played guitar and sang 'Away in a manger'. The people joined in. It was child-like, melancholic and deeply-knowing.
Here were people with formal Christian attachment, long years of, often, painful living behind them (some had lived through the War) and a present of evident decay. They sang of a baby sleeping in heavenly peace, of that child being near to them and loving them.
I can hardly remember a moment of deeper pathos and yet suffused with hope.
Here were people with formal Christian attachment, long years of, often, painful living behind them (some had lived through the War) and a present of evident decay. They sang of a baby sleeping in heavenly peace, of that child being near to them and loving them.
I can hardly remember a moment of deeper pathos and yet suffused with hope.
the verse satan dared not quote
When assaulting Jesus with temptations, Satan quoted from Psalm 91
I wonder why he didn't go on to remind Jesus of the very next verse in that psalm?
He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands
so that you will not strike your foot
against a stone. (v.12)
I wonder why he didn't go on to remind Jesus of the very next verse in that psalm?
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent. (v.13)
moments of the year 2
For my sporting moment of the year, I'm opting for Stuart Broad's utterly destructive spell of bowling against Australia in the final test of this summer's Ashes series. It simply blew the Aussies away and laid the foundation for an England victory and the return of the urn.
As it happens, I heard some of that spell whilst driving to Leeds, to visit someone in hospital. TMS, as ever, was a joy.
As it happens, I heard some of that spell whilst driving to Leeds, to visit someone in hospital. TMS, as ever, was a joy.
Thursday, 10 December 2009
moments of the year 1
I've decided to offer here an eclectic mix of my very-subjective moments of the year, in a whole variety of disparate and random fields of human experience. Kicking-off today with
Current Affairs moment of the year - The special edition of Question Time on BBC1 to deal with the issue of the MPs expenses scandal. Back in the spring, that issue led almost every news programme for days. If MPs doubted the level of public anger over the revelations that just kept on coming (due, in part, to the smartness of the Daily Telegraph's coreography of the issue), then this programme ought to have swept that doubt into oblivion.
(The BBC has a Question Time microsite here which, alas, doesn't have that special edition for viewing but has many others on which the topic was raised)
Current Affairs moment of the year - The special edition of Question Time on BBC1 to deal with the issue of the MPs expenses scandal. Back in the spring, that issue led almost every news programme for days. If MPs doubted the level of public anger over the revelations that just kept on coming (due, in part, to the smartness of the Daily Telegraph's coreography of the issue), then this programme ought to have swept that doubt into oblivion.
(The BBC has a Question Time microsite here which, alas, doesn't have that special edition for viewing but has many others on which the topic was raised)
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
pastoral abuse
John 9:13ff is a fascinating study in how not to pastor people and the inherent dangers in doing so. A few of the things that present themselves are:
i. The Pharisees are agrieved because the blind man's healing occurred on a Sabbath (v.13). As custodians of the law, that posed a threat to them and to their position. And their position meant more to them than the possibility that this was the in-breaking of God's powerful grace. Those who make much of their pastoral position will always be susceptible to such dangers.
ii. They govern through fear (v.22). It gets results, of course (of sorts) but always at the expense of others - in this case, undermining the relationship of the parents to their son.
iii. They demand compliance (v.24). Their shepherding is not by example nor by winsome exhortation; it simply demands a compliant response, based on their position. They do not lead through the power of sacrificial love (cf. John 10:12).
iv. They reject the opportunity for mature reflection (v.24). Wise pastors will always stop to reflect, to pray, to search God's Word and humble their hearts.
v. They are defensive, insulting and threatening (vv.28,34). They invoke censure and use exclusion for the wrong reasons: they are not seeking to restore the fallen but to victimise and punish any and all who oppose their distorted spirituality.
i. The Pharisees are agrieved because the blind man's healing occurred on a Sabbath (v.13). As custodians of the law, that posed a threat to them and to their position. And their position meant more to them than the possibility that this was the in-breaking of God's powerful grace. Those who make much of their pastoral position will always be susceptible to such dangers.
ii. They govern through fear (v.22). It gets results, of course (of sorts) but always at the expense of others - in this case, undermining the relationship of the parents to their son.
iii. They demand compliance (v.24). Their shepherding is not by example nor by winsome exhortation; it simply demands a compliant response, based on their position. They do not lead through the power of sacrificial love (cf. John 10:12).
iv. They reject the opportunity for mature reflection (v.24). Wise pastors will always stop to reflect, to pray, to search God's Word and humble their hearts.
v. They are defensive, insulting and threatening (vv.28,34). They invoke censure and use exclusion for the wrong reasons: they are not seeking to restore the fallen but to victimise and punish any and all who oppose their distorted spirituality.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
on the Word becoming flesh
A lengthy but very worthwile quotation from Herman Ridderbos on John 1:14
The Gospel Of John, Eerdmans, pp.49.50
The Word...did not cease to be the Word that was from the beginning, and "became" does not mean "changed into." It denotes an identification...an identification that, though it is not further defined here or linked with the virgin birth, does mean that all the redemptive categories (the "life" and "the light of humanity") thus far attributed in the prologue to the Word now apply with the same absoluteness and exclusiveness to the man Jesus of Nazareth and, in his person as the possessor of that which belongs to God alone, completely transcend and exceed the possibilities of a mere man. One cannot (in 'docetic' fashion) hide or even dissolve the reality of the flesh, the true humanity of Jesus, in the revelation of the glory of God any more than one can (in 'kenotic' fashion) detach the glory of God from the humanity of the earthly Jesus. The Word did not become flesh by just assuming the form of the man Jesus as a garment in which God walked on earth or as an instrument that God used from time to time. Nor does "became flesh" only indicate the 'place' or 'sphere' where the revelation took place. At stake here is the Word's act of being united with the man Jesus such that in his self-revelation in words and deeds the glory of the Word of the beginning manifested itself, visibly and audibly, and is interpreted by him as such with a recurrent appeal to his Sonship and his having been sent by the Father. Thus "became" refers to a mode of existence in which the deity of Christ can no more be abstracted from his humanity than the reverse.
The Gospel Of John, Eerdmans, pp.49.50
29 years
ago, on 8th December 1980, John Lennon was shot dead outside his home in New York city. At the time and since, there have been many reactions to his death. From those closest to him, there were several musical responses: from Elton John, the song Empty Garden; from George Harrison, All Those Years Ago, on his 1981 album Somewhere In England; from Yoko Ono, John's wife, the harrowing album Season Of Glass. And from Paul McCartney, the song Here Today on his 1982 album, Tug Of War.
McCartney's offering could never plumb the depths of emotional trauma that Yoko's did - she was his wife, after all, and with him when he was killed. Yet Here Today has its own deep resonances and is, in its own way, a remarkable statement.
McCartney & Lennon famously fell-out as the Beatles imploded and were never visibly close friends thereafter. But having lived through so much together left its mark and in this song McCartney testifies to such, with obvious regret at their latter years of distanced relationship.
Its most telling line, though, is surely the unexpected acknowledgement from one Liverpudlian man to another, 'I love you'.
Well said, Paul.
It's on Spotify, complete with a Yesterday-style string quartet. And here are the lyrics.
McCartney's offering could never plumb the depths of emotional trauma that Yoko's did - she was his wife, after all, and with him when he was killed. Yet Here Today has its own deep resonances and is, in its own way, a remarkable statement.
McCartney & Lennon famously fell-out as the Beatles imploded and were never visibly close friends thereafter. But having lived through so much together left its mark and in this song McCartney testifies to such, with obvious regret at their latter years of distanced relationship.
Its most telling line, though, is surely the unexpected acknowledgement from one Liverpudlian man to another, 'I love you'.
Well said, Paul.
It's on Spotify, complete with a Yesterday-style string quartet. And here are the lyrics.
And if I say I really knew you well,
What would would your answer be
If you were here today?
Here today.
Well, knowing you,
You'd probably laugh and say that
We were worlds apart,
If you were here today.
Here today.
But as for me,
I still remember how it was before.
And I am holding back the tears no more.
I love you.
What about the time we met,
Well I suppose that you could say that we were playing hard to get.
Didn't understand a thing.
But we could always sing.
What about the night we cried,
Because there wasn't any reason left to keep it all inside.
Never understood a word.
But you were always there with a smile.
And if I say I really loved you
And was glad you came along.
If you were here today,
For you were in my song.
Here today
two of a kind....kind of (not)
Ezra 6:14 tells us that the returned exiles prospered "under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo". And the books of Haggai and Zechariah show that Zechariah was ministering in the middle of Haggai's 3 month stint as prophet-in-residence.
I guess you could call it a team ministry but what's fascinating is the vastly different flavour of their prophetic work. Haggai words were very direct and almost entirely lacking in apocalyptic imagery (excepting his final word). Zechariah, on the other hand, is one of the most dazzling OT books of prophecy, full of dense imagery and symbolic worlds.
And they ministered at the same time and, together, were God's way of strengthening his people. In the best sense of the saying, 'it takes all sorts'.
I guess you could call it a team ministry but what's fascinating is the vastly different flavour of their prophetic work. Haggai words were very direct and almost entirely lacking in apocalyptic imagery (excepting his final word). Zechariah, on the other hand, is one of the most dazzling OT books of prophecy, full of dense imagery and symbolic worlds.
And they ministered at the same time and, together, were God's way of strengthening his people. In the best sense of the saying, 'it takes all sorts'.
Monday, 7 December 2009
In praise of Anna
(On this occasion, I don't have the wife in mind...)
Prepping for some Christmas messages, I've been looking at Anna the prophetess in Luke 2:36-39. What is impressive is her devotion to God - yes, her circumstances may have allowed a certain shape to that which others couldn't adopt (but would you really volunteer for her pain?), yet her example is deeply stirring.
And notice how that devotion to God leads her to an embrace of Jesus. All genuine devotion for God must centre there. If that centre is lacking, it isn't fully-Biblical devotion.
She's also a great model for every church member: she spoke of this child to those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. How that must have encouraged them! We could do the same for each other.
Prepping for some Christmas messages, I've been looking at Anna the prophetess in Luke 2:36-39. What is impressive is her devotion to God - yes, her circumstances may have allowed a certain shape to that which others couldn't adopt (but would you really volunteer for her pain?), yet her example is deeply stirring.
And notice how that devotion to God leads her to an embrace of Jesus. All genuine devotion for God must centre there. If that centre is lacking, it isn't fully-Biblical devotion.
She's also a great model for every church member: she spoke of this child to those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. How that must have encouraged them! We could do the same for each other.
pastoral wisdom for specific needs
Anyone who has preached to different congregations, and engaged in pastoral ministry with different kinds of people, will know only too well that the moment when a very particular situation presents itself is precisely the moment when you need to draw deeply on something very central and non-negotiable. One might almost formulate a general rule that the more specific the situation, the more what is needed is a return to core truth, however freshly stated.
N T Wright, Paul: Fesh Perspectives, SPCK, p.20
modern missionary movements
You really need to read an account of the Davey family's involvement in a French wedding. It says so much about so many things (and before anyone asks: I refuse to elaborate on that last statement).
Go here, here & here.
Go here, here & here.
Saturday, 5 December 2009
pastoring through worship
Justin Taylor has pointed us to a very interesting conversation between Bob Kauflin and David Powlison on the subject of worship and the possibilities for pastoring & counselling people through leading them in worship.
There are two clips: here & here.
There are two clips: here & here.
Friday, 4 December 2009
start with a small church
Some very interesting words from Tim Keller to young ministers on where to start in ministry: a small, country church (please remember: he is speaking USA...). As part of his advice he says,
The whole thing is well worth a read.
Young pastors should not turn up their noses at such places, where they may learn the full spectrum of ministry tasks and skills as they will not in a large church. Nor should they go to small communities looking at them merely as stepping stones in a career. Why not? Your early ministry experience will only prepare you for 'bigger things,' if you don't aspire for anything bigger than investment in the lives of the people around you. Wherever you serve, put your roots down, become a member of the community and do your ministry with all your heart and might. If God opens the door to go somewhere else, fine and good. But don't go to such places looking at them only as training grounds for 'real ministry.'
The whole thing is well worth a read.
the great books (xiv) - the fall & rise of reginald perrin
The classic 70s series was based on the 3 novels by David Nobbs - The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin, The Return of Reginald Perrin and The Better World of Reginald Perrin. I've chosen the first of those for this list but all 3 are share the same attributes: warm, moving, funny, astute and humane.
If you aren't familiar with the TV series (three in all), Reginald Iolanthe Perrin worked for Sunshine Deserts, arriving late each day because of some (increasingly unlikely) rail problem. He chose to fake his own death and escape his old life. After working on a pig farm (I wonder where Nobbs got that idea?) he returned in the guise of an old friend of Reggie's and remarried his wife (although as Reggie's old friend). Then came the whole saga of his Grot empire and then, in the final volume, an ultimately futile attempt to meet the needs of a society that was breaking apart.
I don't currently own these books but I'm pretty sure that will change before too long. Maybe too rooted in the 70s for some, they nevertheless still ring true to life, albeit without the hope only the gospel can bring.
Having been chided by our Marketing lecturer for not including a bibliography with our essays (in early '83), I chose to include these novels on the bibliography of my next essay for him, because they had spared me sorrow upon sorrow as I wrestled with (what seemed to my undoubtedly depressed mind) a topic of no value or worth for human existence (the details of which failed to lodge in my soul). Mr Dawson (for it was he) didn't spot their inclusion on the bibliography until I pointed it out to him. He grinned weakly, in a way that Reggie would have understood.
If you aren't familiar with the TV series (three in all), Reginald Iolanthe Perrin worked for Sunshine Deserts, arriving late each day because of some (increasingly unlikely) rail problem. He chose to fake his own death and escape his old life. After working on a pig farm (I wonder where Nobbs got that idea?) he returned in the guise of an old friend of Reggie's and remarried his wife (although as Reggie's old friend). Then came the whole saga of his Grot empire and then, in the final volume, an ultimately futile attempt to meet the needs of a society that was breaking apart.
I don't currently own these books but I'm pretty sure that will change before too long. Maybe too rooted in the 70s for some, they nevertheless still ring true to life, albeit without the hope only the gospel can bring.
Having been chided by our Marketing lecturer for not including a bibliography with our essays (in early '83), I chose to include these novels on the bibliography of my next essay for him, because they had spared me sorrow upon sorrow as I wrestled with (what seemed to my undoubtedly depressed mind) a topic of no value or worth for human existence (the details of which failed to lodge in my soul). Mr Dawson (for it was he) didn't spot their inclusion on the bibliography until I pointed it out to him. He grinned weakly, in a way that Reggie would have understood.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
independence day
A typical 'get out' song from Bruce Springsteen, coupled with generational strife and the inability of fathers & sons to truly connect, coupled as they are by a fractured humanity. Worth a listen or two.
Here it is on spotify, so you can sing along:
Independence Day
Well Papa go to bed now it's getting late
Nothing we can say is gonna change anything now
I'll be leaving in the morning from St. Mary's Gate
We wouldn't change this thing even if we could somehow
`Cause the darkness of this house has got the best of us
There's a darkness in this town that's got us too
But they can't touch me now and you can't touch me now
They ain't gonna do to me what I watched them do to you
So say goodbye it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day all down the line
Just say goodbye it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day this time
Now I don't know what it always was with us
We chose the words and yeah we drew the lines
There was just no way this house could hold the two of us
I guess that we were just too much of the same kind
Well say goodbye it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day, all boys must run away,
So say goodbye it's Independence Day
All men must make their way come Independence Day
Now the rooms are all empty down at Frankie's joint
And the highway she's deserted way down to Breaker's Point
There's a lot of people leaving town now
Leaving their friends, their homes
At night they walk that dark and dusty highway, all alone
Well Papa go to bed now, it's getting late
Nothing we can say can change anything now
Because there's just different people coming down here now
And they see things in different ways
And soon everything we've known will just be swept away
So say goodbye it's Independence Day
Papa now I know the things you wanted, that you could not say
But won't you just say goodbye it's Independence Day
I swear I never meant to take those things away
Here it is on spotify, so you can sing along:
Independence Day
Well Papa go to bed now it's getting late
Nothing we can say is gonna change anything now
I'll be leaving in the morning from St. Mary's Gate
We wouldn't change this thing even if we could somehow
`Cause the darkness of this house has got the best of us
There's a darkness in this town that's got us too
But they can't touch me now and you can't touch me now
They ain't gonna do to me what I watched them do to you
So say goodbye it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day all down the line
Just say goodbye it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day this time
Now I don't know what it always was with us
We chose the words and yeah we drew the lines
There was just no way this house could hold the two of us
I guess that we were just too much of the same kind
Well say goodbye it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day, all boys must run away,
So say goodbye it's Independence Day
All men must make their way come Independence Day
Now the rooms are all empty down at Frankie's joint
And the highway she's deserted way down to Breaker's Point
There's a lot of people leaving town now
Leaving their friends, their homes
At night they walk that dark and dusty highway, all alone
Well Papa go to bed now, it's getting late
Nothing we can say can change anything now
Because there's just different people coming down here now
And they see things in different ways
And soon everything we've known will just be swept away
So say goodbye it's Independence Day
Papa now I know the things you wanted, that you could not say
But won't you just say goodbye it's Independence Day
I swear I never meant to take those things away
the triumph of grace
In a previous post, I mentioned a visit to a friend who was terminally ill and of grace shining in her life.
She is now where she wanted to be: in the presence of Jesus, gazing upon his glory (Jn. 17:24 meant a great deal to her).
We thank God for her grace-filled life.
She is now where she wanted to be: in the presence of Jesus, gazing upon his glory (Jn. 17:24 meant a great deal to her).
We thank God for her grace-filled life.
Rome wasn't built in a day
And nor was the earth - it took 6 days*, in fact. And maybe there's a vital lesson in there.
Could it all have been handled in a day? Of course. Nothing in the Bible suggests otherwise. But 6 days were taken, deliberately. And those days show us the value of achieving over time, of persisting in a task and working diligently and creatively towards a goal.
Things I need to learn to appreciate more.
*Please note: this post isn't engaging in any way the debate over the meaning of 'day' in Genesis 1,2. The points being made here stand, whatever interpretation you lean towards.
Could it all have been handled in a day? Of course. Nothing in the Bible suggests otherwise. But 6 days were taken, deliberately. And those days show us the value of achieving over time, of persisting in a task and working diligently and creatively towards a goal.
Things I need to learn to appreciate more.
*Please note: this post isn't engaging in any way the debate over the meaning of 'day' in Genesis 1,2. The points being made here stand, whatever interpretation you lean towards.
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