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August/September 2010
The gardener‘s assistant
was about to uproot a climbing plant which had overgrown. ―I might as well get rid of this,‖ he said, ―it
is just like a load of old string climbing along the fence.‖ ―No‖ said the gardener, ―that is a beautiful
clematis, and if it is carefully pruned and nurtured it will produce the most beautiful flowers next spring and summer‖.
As every gardener knows, many plants appear dead in the winter, but with careful pruning they can produce wonderful flowers
or fruit. Jesus told us he was the vine and we are the branches. He is the living trunk and we are the living growing
branches coming from the trunk; that is what Jesus is say-ing. He wants us as his followers to be a living, vibrant, fruitful
presence in the world. We as his branches cannot bear fruit by ourselves, we have to rely on the source - Jesus. How
do we do that? By listening to and reading the word of God and putting it into practice in our lives. We also have to rely
on each other. Branches are all interconnected, part of each other, all feeding from the same stem out of the same soil, but
all growing in different and unique directions. We share a common life, and within that we become our own unique, distinctive
selves. But if the words of Jesus do not remain in the lives of his followers, like dead branches they are useless,
fit only to be cut off and thrown away. Jesus invites his followers to make their home with him, to trust him, to rely on
him, and to draw nourishment on him. If a branch is detached from the tree it will die; it can-not live on its own,
and we cannot either. Often we rush about following our own chosen path in life, trying to do good for those around us. We
may forget about depending on Jesus and on one another. If our love is real and active, if we rely on him and make our home
with him, then the words of Jesus will truly bear fruit in our lives and in our world.
July
2010
I am reminded of two people riding a tandem up a hill. When
they finally made it to the top, exhausted, the one on the back seat said, "You are lucky, if I had not kept the brakes
on, we would have slid back down the hill again!" You may smile , but a lot of God‟s peo-ple live with the brakes
on. Many of God‟s people love to belong to a church, feel a part of what is going on, but they themselves do not give
anything. Florence Nightingale, who became a legend working among wounded and dying soldiers, said, "Now I know
what it is to live and love life . . . I wish for no other earth, no other world than this!". She had found her place
and her passion - any-thing else for her was merely exist-ing. Sadly, within the Christian church and here in St Mark‟s
we have those members who only ex-ist. They love the Lord, but they do not give their time so others might find him. On
the summit of Mount Everest, there is a marker in memory of one of the oldest climbers to ever attempt Everest. It simply
reads: "He died climbing." Child of God make that your testimony! Harold Kushner says "Our souls are not hungry
for fame, comfort, wealth or power. Those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning,
so that our lives matter and the world will at least be a little bit bet-ter for our having passed through it." Whatever
God has called you to do: build cathedrals or sweep streets, go on the tea rota or help in any of the organisations in church,
give it everything you have got. God wants you to serve Him, and we do that by serving others. Let‟s take the brakes
off and be prepared to work for God - because he needs you, his community needs you, his church needs you.
June 2010
I found these sayings about the tongue:
"The boneless
tongue, so small and weak, can crush and kill" declares the Greek "The tongue destroys a greater hoard"
the Turk asserts "than does the sword" A Persian proverb wisely saith "A lengthy tongue
- an early death". Or sometimes takes this form instead, "Don‟t let your tongue cut off your
head". The tongue can speak a word whose speed, The Chinese say, outstrips the steed. While the
Arab sages this impart, "The tongue‟s great storehouse is the heart". From Hebrew writ the maxim
sprung "Though feet should slip, ne‟er let the tongue" The sacred write says the whole "Who
keeps his tongue doth keep his sole"
In the book of James in the Bible it says this: "If anyone
can control his tongue, it proves he has perfect control over himself in every way." If this is the standard God requires
of us, how well are you doing? It is hard to keep quiet, especially if you are provoked or have strong opinions. Does your
tongue start before your brain is in gear?
Jesus was provoked, and he had a lot to say. Yet we read that
when He was before Pilate who asked him if he had anything to say in his defence "He kept his mouth closed". What
strength, they lied about him, and threw everything in the book at him, and yet he suffered in silence.
Does
your tongue express who you are and what you feel, or is it out of control?
One day we will stand before
God and answer for every word we have spoken - how do you feel about that? If you can control your tongue then you really
are in control of everything.
May 2010
The disciples were tired
after a long day in the hot sun dealing with the crowds that flocked to see Jesus for all sorts of things. Although tired,
they need to sail across the water before they can rest. Jesus is asleep in the boat, when suddenly one of Galilee‟s
storms blows up! It is the last thing they want after such a long day. The storm hurls the boat from side to side, then up
and down, and although they struggle with the boat to keep it afloat, they are aware they are losing the battle. They are
going down!
Jesus is asleep - how, they wonder? Above the noise of the wind and the waves they shout at
him and nudge him "Wake up, don‟t you care what is going to happen to us? Do something!" I am sure they had
no idea of what they thought he could do, but they were full of fear for their lives. Suddenly there is silence, there is
calm. In awe and won-der they gaze at Jesus, losing all their fear of drowning. Who is this, that even the forces of nature
obey?
We can go about our daily lives, happy to let Jesus sleep on the edge of our consciousness. Most of
the time we can manage by ourselves. When the first signs of troubles appear, we set about coping; we have faced trouble before,
we know the score and we use up reserves of energy to deal with this one, whatever it is. By the time the troubles have spiralled
out of control and we are at the point of collapse, we have gone beyond the point of turning to God with a polite "Please
Lord would you mind helping me?"
Fear, stress, and anger find a voice in the call "Wake up God,
don‟t you care what is happening to me? Do something?" We find our-selves like the disciples, faced with a response
that takes our breath away and presents us with another problem to cope with - who is this God of ours?
This
is not a God content with short term emergency remedies, this is a God who goes right to the heart of the problem and deals
with the root cause of our diffi-culties, failings, miseries. This is a God who gives us eternal life when all we ask for
is a little help to get through the next day. He may not still our storm in an instant, it may take him weeks, months or maybe
years, but he is working on a different timescale and his purpose is perfection. Are you ready to wake up to that sort of
God?
April 2010
When the terrorist attack was made
on the World Trade Centre in New York, many people said they could not believe what they were told. It seemed incredible that
such an atrocity had taken place, and it needed actual pictures on their television screens to convince them that this was
not a horror movie. Often word of mouth information does not carry the conviction of the evidence of our own eyes.
So on the first Easter Day. The story Mary Magdalene had told them seemed to much like wishful thinking. Although it became
clear that the tomb was empty, there seemed an absence of proof. The two men rushed into the room with their news, how on
the road to Emmaus Jesus had walked and talked with them. We can imagine the upheaval and up-roar that this would have caused.
Jesus himself among them. Suddenly here was the evidence of the eyes to bring conviction to what had been hearsay. Here was
hope being turned into reality.
The great thing about our Christian faith is that it is not solely concerned with
a belief in a God who is ''out there‟. Certainly we believe in a God who is beyond, and higher than the material
world. We speak of Him as creator, as Lord. In pictures He is depicted as a King in Majesty. He is above all things; poetry
and hymns and writing by mystics try and put into words the belief in transcendent God. Other religions have a belief in this
divine being, but Christians know that our God has also become hu-man. He lived in this world as a man, Jesus. This does not
diminish the wonder of God - on the contrary - it makes Him known to us and known by us. He was born as we were, He lived
in a community with its joys and sorrows, He suffered pain and rejection and being put to death. Our God is not only ''out
there‟; we do not believe in a God who is only „high and lifted up‟, but in a God who is constantly with
us.
The disciples thought they saw a ghost! It seemed in-credible to them that their friend and teacher who they
had seen crucified, had died and was buried, could be there with them in the flesh. It was one thing to be told the tomb was
empty, quite another to actually touch the hands and see to see Jesus eating food from their table. This was truly both human
and divine.
The Lord is risen, Hallelujah.
March 2010
Reporters
and city officials gathered at a Chicago railway station one afternoon in 1953. The person they were meeting was the 1952
Nobel Peace Prize winner. A few minutes later the train came to at stop and a giant of a man - six feet four, with bushy hair
and a large moustache - stepped from the train. Cameras flashed, city officials approached him with hands out-stretched, various
ones began telling him how honoured they were to meet him.
The man politely thanked them and then, looking over
their heads, asked if they would excuse him. He walked through the crowd and reached the side of an elderly black lady struggling
with two large suitcases. He picked up the cases and with a smile escorted her to a bus. After helping her on board, he wished
her a safe journey. Returning to the greeting party, he apologised for keeping them waiting.
The man was
Dr Albert Schweitzer, the famous missionary doctor who had spent his life helping the poor in Africa. In response to Schweitzer's
action, one member of the reception committee said with great admiration, "that is the first time I ever saw a sermon
walking."
Lent is a time for reflection, for looking at our lives and getting them back on the holy road
to Heaven.
* Have I lost sight of God?
* Am I too busy doing that I have forgotten how to 'Be still
and know that I am God?'
* Has the Bible taken third place to that novel or magazine?
* Have I forgotten how
to worship and adore God for Himself only and not for anything that I want?
Let
us pray that people will see us as walking sermons.
February 2010
Follow me
says Jesus.
Follow Me . . . Most people are afraid of the dark. We are afraid of what might be out there,
of what might threaten us. There are few things more frightening in the life of a child than to wake up in the middle of the
night alone, afraid and in the dark. The darkness for many people means fear, loneliness, even terror. With the light of day
comes sight, safety and hope. I read with surprise that when some blind people have their sight restored they are full of
regret. They had un-derstood their world, learning to flourish in the darkness, being com-fortable with their lives. The world
of light can be an unknown and uncharted land, and it is understandable that the loss of the familiar can bring fear.
Jesus asked people to follow him, but follow him where? They did not know, but they accepted. Like stepping
from the unknown dark-ness into the known light, they trusted Christ. He made no promises of wealth or power; he did not sit
down with people and negotiate; there was no hard sell or soft soap, just a simple follow me. His character was such that
whoever he asked could not help but say yes. The same invitation is given to us, follow me. We have no guarantees where it
will lead or what it will entail - we know following him is not a soft option - but it will mean living in constant reference
to God, repenting will become a way of life. It will mean learning how to follow in our master‟s ways. It will meaning
changing our old ways of thinking and acting, adopting instead his values and learning to build them into our lives and letting
them change us. This is difficult, it is much easier to follow the old routines, to continue to follow the well trodden paths,
to remain in the dark.
The choice is yours - will you stay in the dark of comfortable familiarity or bravely
step out into the light? It is never easy to do, but it is worth doing, because it is the only way of getting to know God
and living the life he made you to have.
January 2010
"Our
help is in the name of the Lord who is the maker of Heaven and Earth" Psalm 124 v 8.
Has this
been your experience in the Christian walk? When you have called on the Lord, when you have turned to him because there is
no one else to turn to, have you found strength to carry on?
We as Christians are no different from anyone
else - we have pressures, and we have difficult decisions that have to be made. What makes us different from unbelievers is
that we can turn to the Lord for help. What matters in life is not so much what happens, but how we cope with what happens.
In John 14 Jesus said something very similar to Psalms, "Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust
in the Lord, trust also in me."
The message of the world is that you are on your own - you make your
bed so you can lie on it. Life to many people is just blind chance. Someone once said, "Human beings are an accidental
mix of atoms out of control." If this is true then we have nothing but dust to look forward to.
Both the
above readings from the Bible tell us something radically different - they tell us to hang onto God, because in God alone
we can find sense, meaning, and hope for our lives. Troubled hearts can begin to find rest when they know God made them, wants
them, and has an everlasting purpose for them.
Keeping in vital daily touch with Jesus is important; for all
life‟s trials he assures and reassures us constantly of the Father‟s love. As children at home feel safe and happy,
so we in our Father‟s house can feel safe and happy.
The next time you feel lonely or do not know which
way to turn, turn your eyes on Jesus - trust him and you will be answered.
Try it - it works.
December
2009
We have hit upon that time of year again when we put our hands over our faces and say ‘Help!
How can I cope?’
Yes, Christmas is upon
us again. Christmas – the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which is supposed to be a time of great joy and
happiness. This is expressed by seeing and having family and friends together, and by giving and receiving presents. All this
is done as a token of the one great present given to us all.
In
reality, for a lot of people Christmas means rushing about, getting into debt, worrying and losing sleep, all because you
want to create a ‘festive’ atmosphere.
What
a shame that this great and wonderful time of the year can be turned into a hard slog, and that some people wish it never
happened. Far from being a happy time of year, it is looked on with dread, fear and trembling.
Jesus knew what it was like to be constantly under pressure, he had crowds around him. He constantly had to be alert
and on his toes because of the demands made of him. How did he cope?
- He made space to be alone and quiet with God – often.
- He
sent the crowds on ahead so he could walk alone and gather his thoughts – often.
- He
rose early to enjoy the peace and quiet and to listen out for God’s voice directing him.
Is it not true that if we are tired and under pressure we do not function normally? We get irritable, short-tempered
and hurtful.
Why not write on your Christmas list: Jesus Time?
Why not try and get up half an hour earlier to be alone with God in the
quiet and stillness, before the rush of demands comes upon you, to thank God for Jesus or just to go for a walk on the Flats
alone?
Christmas is not about glorifying people. It is about
remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. This year let’s get our priorities right.
Have a happy, fruitful and calm Jesus Christmas.
November 2009
I do not know about you, but when I became a Christian I
could not really believe I was saved. Every night I would confess the things I had done wrong in my life, over and over again.
I was frightened that if I had forgotten any sin and I died, then on Judgement Day, when I stood before God, as we all will,
he would lock me out and point in the other direction.
Then one day God showed me that salvation does not depend
on me remembering and rehearsing every sin I have committed. All that is required is „trusting in Christ alone‟.
When Jesus cried "It is finished", He paid for every sin I could ever commit from the womb to the tomb.
Christian living and Christian giving, sacrifice and service, holiness and humility, are all vitally important aspects of
the Christian life. But we must remember these are the fruits of our salvation, and trusting in Christ alone is the root.
No one will ever stand in heaven and say "Look what Jesus and I did". If you and I have to pay so much as one penny
of our sin debt, that would make us a co-redeemer with Christ; what an insult to the cross.
So as we lead up
to advent and Christmas, and remember our Sav-iour‟s birth, do it with the full assurance that he who saved you will
always keep you.
I am unique
I am me I matter to you Lord You are with me Within
your warmth Hold me, embrace me Let me be whole At peace in your love By your grace I am
me
Susan Marlow
October 2009
As I think about Harvest time in the Church
calendar I am reminded of a parable (a story with a deep meaning) that Jesus told.
A landowner hires some labourers
at the beginning of the day, and agrees with them how much he will pay, the normal daily wage. He goes again at mid-day to
hire more, then again in the middle of the afternoon, and then hires yet more near the end of the afternoon. When pay time
comes those who were hired last get paid first and get the normal daily wage. Those who were hired first see this and expect
to be paid more. It is only fair that they should be paid more for doing more work. They are disgusted to be paid only the
normal daily rate, even though it is what they agreed initially. The land-owner replies to the disgruntled workers, "Can
I not do what I like with my money? Are you envious because I am generous?" The workers plea is that it is not fair;
whose side would you be on? One of the most frequent phrases used by children and adults is "It‟s not fair".
For children it can be the amount of food on the plate, or turns with a ball, or bedtime, or pocket money, or TV pro-grammes.
Where do children get this sense of „fairness‟ from? It seems to be built into human nature, a sense that the
world should be a „fair‟ place. Often it is not, and human beings have a right to protest if things are not fair.
This sense of fairness stays with us as we grow. We grumble if someone else gets the promotion we feel is ours, we protest
if our rightful needs are not met, especially if those of our neighbour are. "Why do they get everything and I do not?
Everything seems to fall into their lap." If you are like me, I am sure you see the world as un-fair: millions
starve while we have food mountains. We have water at the turn of a tap, millions are thirsty; we have a roof over our heads,
a bed to sleep in and electricity to keep us warm. We have a National Health Service, and yet we still moan and grumble. Let
us not be disgruntled about what we do not have - let us rather thank God for what we do have.
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