Blown away by the power of God

I still feel awed at the natural world around us – even simple things like the wind blowing and the branches of huge trees moving.  Even though I can’t see it, I know that there was an unseen force in the world. 

When I wake up in the morning there is always the radio to tell me what the weather is doing. There are some mornings that I don't even have to hear the weather person to know that the wind is blowing because I can hear it! I can hear it whistling through the trees, down the chimney, and around the windows and doors. We can't see the wind, but we can see it blowing trees and fences, and feel it against our faces.

On 30th May our church celebrates Pentecost Sunday. It was on the day of Pentecost that God sent his Holy Spirit to the church. The Bible tells us that the apostles were all gathered together when suddenly there was a sound like a mighty, rushing wind. Then, it says, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is like the wind, we can't see him, but we can know that he is there, just like we can know that the wind is there.

We can know that the Holy Spirit is there because we can hear him speaking into our hearts and making us alive to God.  We can see him moving people to do God's will -- we can't see God, but we can see people doing things that God's Holy Spirit has moved them to do.

We know that without fresh air everything becomes flat, stale and lifeless – and the same applies to human beings and the church without God’s Holy Spirit. 

May God throw open the windows of our hearts and our church and blow in some of his freshness, power and life at Pentecost, and guide us and lead us forward to be more effective disciples of Jesus this year.

What about the Resurrection?

April fools day is on Palm Sunday this year, and so we will have the chance to play practical jokes and pranks on one another as we come to church. Maybe that’s an appropriate event for April Fools’ Day – some may feel that we are fools to celebrate a King who came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey of all things!

We Christians are used to being made fools of. Even two thousand years ago most believed that the humiliating death of the ‘King of the Jews’ on a brutal cross alongside common criminals was foolish. To suggest that God would actually come to earth to die in such a way is just ridiculous!

On Good Friday we will be getting out on the streets with our own Crewe Passion Play. I always begin by feeling a little foolish as we begin this act of witness with crowds of shoppers looking on bewildered. But I soon remember that this is our big chance to stand up and be counted as Christians in our town – and that is far more important than how I might be feeling.

Although the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus is strange to many in our society, it's a story nobody would have made up. And we must remember that there is plenty of historical evidence that it actually happened – so what does it mean for us?

Like those first disciples, the resurrection gives us a new perspective on our lives; we have a new purpose in life now and hope for life that goes on after we die.

The resurrection shows us that Jesus’ death on the cross was not a tragic defeat but a victory over sin, death and Satan - it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. The resurrection gives us a confident hope for our own bodily resurrection, rather than a vague wish that everything will be alright.

The resurrection ensures that we can know the reality of Jesus’ risen life today. Millions of Christians around the world share this foolishness with us, and are proving by their way of life that Jesus Christ is alive and lives in them, and in us.

We look forward in April to explore the meaning of the resurrection for each of us, and to look forward in May to celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. God hasn’t finished with us yet! He’s still working in us! And he will bring us finally to completion, to resurrection, to glory and to be with him for ever!

I Give Up

I was really surprised a few weeks ago, because my daughter Vicky announced that she was giving up chocolate for Lent! Surprised because she has never really taken much notice of Lent previously, and because I know that chocolate is really lovely, and it's really hard to give up!

I suspect most people will associate Lent with giving things up – which is really handy after Christmas and St. Valentine’s day, and having had too much to eat – especially chocolate. So taking oneself in hand, and having a kind of detox of your system, slimming down and eating healthily is a good idea.

The trouble with this, as with much in today’s society, is that it's still all about ME – my diet, my healthy lifestyle, my fitness regime. Rather of being a healthy break from our usual self-absorption at Christmas and Easter – Lent can become just more of the same – although less fattening.

“I give up!” I hear you say. Exactly – I think in Lent we need to give up in a more radical way. Let's give up focusing on ourselves, and instead focus on God and on other people.

We could focus more on God in a quiet time each day. Maybe just 5 minutes as a start – turn off the TV and reflect on the beauty of creation, listen to the sounds of the garden, thank God for all that you have. Lift up people you love to God in prayer and ask God to bless them.

We can focus on other people by calling family members or friends that have drifted out of touch; we can help a neighbour, or just say good morning and share a smile with people we pass.

As with last year, the Christian Aid programme ‘Count your blessings’ is a creative way to pray for, and give to, the work of Christian Aid. From Ash Wednesday to Easter there are some simple daily actions and reflections to help us have a meaningful Lent.” These all focus our attention to those who have less than us - you can go online to find more information at ‘www.christianaid.org.uk/lent’.

So, I hope you have a good time spiritually, focusing on God and others, and may God bless you.

Taking Stock

Well, it's a New Year, and if I haven’t had a chance to say it yet – Happy New Year. It's also the first chance I have had to say a huge thank you to you all for my 50th Birthday celebrations for the end of December. You can see a picture of the wonderful cake you got me, and the gifts were really special – thank you so much.

Normally birthdays don’t affect me – but on the day after I did feel a little low, with the realisation that I'm getting older, and I'm not quite as full of energy as I used to be. But then I remembered all my friends in church and around the town who are still active and making the most of life – and that has helped me to snap out of my New Year Blues.

I suppose that New Year is a good time to take stock of life, and to appreciate what we have around us. We may be a little older, and with a little less energy – and we may need to pace ourselves and listen to our bodies. But we will be a little wiser too – and still have a great deal to offer in lots of different ways.

In February we enter the season of Lent again on 22nd February, Ash Wednesday: which is a good time to reflect on our lives, take stock of what we have done and the regrets we have, and a good time to admit we are sorry.

It's a time to ask ourselves some questions: Have you done something which haunts you? Which makes you feel restless and defensive, every time you think of it? Why not deal with it this month, and put it behind you? Whatever your mistake has been, consider what the Bible has to say to you:
‘Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.’ (Joel 2:12-13)

God is inviting us to come to him this Ash Wednesday. What a wonderful offer! I hope we can make the most of it, and remember how the prodigal son was welcomed back by his compassionate father.

Love came down at Christmas

‘Love came down at Christmas’ is the title of a Christmas poem by Christina Rossetti in 1885 – which is one of my favourites for this time of year. It reminds us of why it all happened.
Some Year 1 children recently told me that we celebrate Christmas “to get presents”. “But why”, I asked. “Because we have been good – all year”, they replied.

Well - I'm not sure about that; I know I haven’t been good enough to deserve the blessings of God at Christmas. That is the scandal of grace, though; that God came down to earth as a vulnerable baby – because he loves us so much. In truth, Love did come down at Christmas.

This love is something we need to share with those around – which isn’t easy with all the stress of getting everything just right. I found this poem, ‘The 1 Corinthians 13 of Christmas’ which I think helps us get the right attitude:

If I decorate my house with beautiful bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny baubles, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of mince pies, roasting a perfect turkey, and lay a magnificent table, but have no love for my guests, I am just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not have compassion in my heart for those in need, I am just another social service; it profits me nothing.

If I decorate the tree with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes and attend a myriad of holiday parties but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to help one’s wife with boring housework. Love puts the Christmas present shopping on hold in order to run the elderly neighbour to the doctor. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has more expensive presents, or even coordinated Christmas china and table linen.

Love doesn’t yell at the children to get out of the way; love is glad that they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, even irritating relatives. It believes all things, and encourages teenagers to aim high for their future. It hopes all things, endures all things, even a spouse who is depressed about their job prospects. Love never fails other people.

Computer games will crash, even cashmere jumpers will wear out, and golf clubs will get lost. But the gift of love will endure forever. Happy Christmas!

One more step along the world I go

It's one of my favourite modern hymns: One more step along the world I go, One more step along the world I go. From the old things to the new, keep me travelling along with you. I come across it being requested for all sorts of services and events.

In baptism services it sums up well the journey of faith that a child, parents and godparents, are embarking on. ‘You are older than the world can be, you are younger than the life in me. Ever old and ever new, keep me travelling along with you.’

As wedding season starts I find couples asking for this hymn too. It speaks of making a commitment to each other, and a new journey ahead as one unity instead of two individuals, with God joining them and strengthening them on the way. In marriage we need God’s help and guidance: ‘As I travel through the bad and good, keep me travelling the way I should. Where I see no way to go, you'll be telling me the way, I know.’

Not so many people choose this for their funeral service, although the words are appropriate: ‘Give me courage when the world is rough, keep me loving though the world is tough. Keep me travelling along with you.’ Maybe I’ll choose it for my funeral one day?

As we see our curate, Jacky Wise, heading out to Melanesia with Mimi, our prayers go with them – that they will be richly blessed by the experience and the people they meet, and that they will be a blessing to them too. ‘Round the corners of the world I turn, more and more about the world I learn. All the new things that I see, you'll be looking at along with me.’

And it won't be long after Jacky’s return before they will be off to minister in Heswall Parish. They go with our thanks for all Jacky has given us, and our blessings go with her and the family for all that lies ahead on the journey of faith.

For Jacky and for all of us on our Christian pilgrimage, our prayer to God is the same: it's from the old I travel to the new, keep me travelling along with you. Amen.

True Love

The June magazine seems to be filled with Love. There reports on the Royal Wedding and how church groups celebrated the love of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and their wonderful wedding day with parties of our own. Celebrations are definitely in the air as we come to summer months, and get together to eat and drink and enjoy time together.

Love is also evident as we think of our Time and Talents programme during June this year. It's not just about giving to pay the bills – it's all about the Love of God, and how we should respond to that love from the heart. God’s love should move us to give generously, what’s right to give to God in response to his love, not just what’s left in our purse on a Sunday morning.

This generosity of spirit should be the hallmark of Christians, whether we’re talking about giving money, or our time, or our skills and talents – or indeed in how we treat one another. If more people are getting involved, and things in our church are changing, then we all need to be generous in our response, and understanding. Growth and change can be challenging and difficult, but it is much easier if we have a generous spirit – and can be patient, loving and kind.

Of course these things are all Fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts to use to build up the church, and as we work together with the Holy Spirit, we can see the result in our lives – becoming more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient with one another, kind, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. We reflect on these things especially at the Festival of Pentecost – and we ask for God’s Holy Spirit to be more evident in our lives.

May we be open to God’s Spirit this year, and may we see the result in each of us, becoming more generous of spirit, more understanding of each other, and more loving in response.