Christian. Methodist Minister (Presbyter) serving in the Bognor Regis area, South East, UK.
Husband, Father of 2. Book hoarder. Wanna-be chef.
Heart for living in community and for seeing the presence and activity of God in day to day life.
This lent we’re inevitably going to spend more time at home than many of us might like to. So here is a suggestion of a different sort of devotional for this Lent. ‘At Home in Lent’ by Gordon Giles wants to help us discover that there is much in our homes to feed our faith and journey with Jesus – if we keep an eye out for it.
Through 46 normal, mundane objects and places many of us will find in our homes, Gordon takes us on a Lenten joruney to find God in the normal routine of our day to day lives. From keys to kettles, toilets to televisions, each one can be a doorway through which God can speak to us and encourage us.
Frost. Winter’s paint brush. Earth’s Creator, Maker, Artist, Displaying their skills, As the familiar colours of our environment, Are covered in hews of white.
The world, this place we inhabit, looks different, for now.
Windows are patterned with natural beauty, As fingers of ice reach out to one another, Swirling into into a masterpiece that will not last till lunchtime.
Earth’s Artist, Offering a unique work of art that is for our eyes this day, this moment.
The white frost captivates us, We are made to notice the beauty of the simple things, The things we too easily take for granted.
Cobwebs, frozen into lines of white. Leaves, tinged with flecks of ice. Grass, sprinkled with silver as sunbeams turn dawn to day.
Earth’s Creator, Calls for our attention. Saying “see, I made this. It is good.”
So we slow our pace, Step onto the grass, And hear the crunch underfoot, With each stride we take.
Icy paths slow our footsteps Make us pause, take our time, to enjoy the moment we have, In this glistening white wonderland.
Earth’s Maker, Saying slow down, be still for a while, rest in this moment.
We breathe out, And as the warmth of our breath touches the icy winter air, Our breath becomes obvious to us. Visible proof that there is life within us.
Earth’s Creator, Maker, Artist, Saying the beauty I breathe throughout this world, I also breathe in you.
I wanted to share these snowdrops with you. Over the few days more and more of these beauties have been appearing.
I always look out for them each new year. My Grandparents would always look for the first snowdrops of the year, and as a farmer who was always out first thing every morning Gramps would usually spot them first and pick a few to bring into the farmhouse to show Gran as evidence that spring was on the way.
What I find most intriguing about snowdrops is how fragile they look. How easily they can be trampled, how vulnerable their drooping blooms appear.
Yet, they are among the first flowers of the year and despite their fragile appearance, on the inside they are strong and able to withstand the cold weather and harsh winds of winter.
In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul has been writing to the Church in Corinth about his ‘thorn in the flesh’, something that is tormenting Paul, and makes him feel weak.
We don’t know what – probably not an actual thorn, maybe some sort of health issue, or something about his character he doesn’t like.
Whatever it is, Paul has pleaded with God to have rid of this thorn. Yet God says:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” 1 Cor 12:
2 Corinthians 12:9
Paul discovers that in weakness, God’s power and strength are made perfect.
I would quite like God to get rid of the thorn that is coronavirus. I’m wearied by the constant challenge of living within restrictions, the sometimes heavy burden of responsibility I feel and bear with others, the vulnerability and fragility of life that this virus takes advantage of.
Yet through these snowdrops God has reminded me that things are not always as they appear. While things make appear fragile and weak and vulnerable, inside God’s power and strength is made perfect.
While the darkness of this winter may still bear heavily upon us, spring is coming, and hope is with us – because through acceptance of our vulnerability, God’s power and strength is made perfect.
May you know the hope and strength of God in your life today.
Reflect
What do you find is a thorn in your flesh?
Where do you feel weak or vulnerable today?
Pray, and ask God to help you know his strength and power being made perfect in you.
Have you ever struggled to decide whether to believe something or not?
I saw an advert for what looked like a really good deal on some Lego sets the other day but wasn’t sure whether or not the advert was legitimate. I’m usually quite cautious but this time as I weighed up my desire for the Lego with the uncertainty of whether or not it was legitimate – I placed an order. I’m still waiting to know whether I should have steered clear rather than getting involved!
In the early stages of Jesus ministry, as John’s gospel tells is, Jesus finds Phillip and says ‘follow me’. (John 1:43-51). Phillip seemingly does, but not until he’s gone off and invited Nathanael too.
‘Nathanael, we’ve found the promised one, the one that law and prophets wrote about, Jesus from Nazareth – he’s here’.
‘Nazareth? Phillip – can anything good come from there?’
‘Nathanael, come and see…’
The texts tells us little about Nathanael, but it seems to me that from the little we do get, we see a man was struggling to know whether to believe the murmurs he was hearing. Perhaps he was nervous about putting his hopes into this Jesus bloke he knew so little about himself. Weighing up the situation – steer clear or jump in? Believe, or hold out for certainty?
Phillip’s invitation makes its impact. Nathanael does jump in – though how much he believed at that moment is not clear. Then Jesus sees him coming.
‘Here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ says Jesus.
‘How on earth can you day that?’ Asks Nathanael, ‘you don’t know me!’
‘I saw you, even before Phillip called you’ responds Jesus.
‘You are the Son of God, the King of Israel’ declares Nathanael.
Nathanael seems to move from scepticism to declaration of believe at an inconceivable pace. Seemingly through Nathanael’s coming to see, he discovers that Jesus knows of him, and that is enough for him to believe Jesus is the Son of God.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that this short story about Nathanael comes in the first chapter of John’s Gospel. This invitation: ‘follow me, come and see’ was not only an invitation to Phillip and Nathanael, but to the readers and hearers of the gospel – and to us as we engage with the text today.
The call to ’Come and See’ invites us to make that choice to get involved, to read on and discover the signs of awe and wonder that the gospel serves as a witness to. To discover who Jesus is and that Jesus does not steer clear of us.
At the other end of John’s Gospel, after the resurrection, we read Thomas’ story. Thomas had missed Jesus’ first appearance in the upper room and declares ‘unless I see, I will not believe’. A week later Jesus appears before Thomas and he declares ‘my Lord and my God’. (see John 20:24-29)
Thomas and Nathanael are characters I think many of us can relate to – struggling with weighing up our own tussles between belief and certainty. For both Thomas and Nathanael Jesus offers signs that give them confidence to believe.
Jump in and get involved. Hear the invitation – Come and see. Hear Jesus voice saying follow me – giving confidence to believe.
Reflect When has Jesus offered you signs that lead you to belief? Think about Nathanael – How have you chosen to ‘jump in’ and get involved with Jesus? Think about Phillip – When have you invited someone to ‘come and see’ Jesus?
Respond How are you getting involved with Jesus? How are you inviting people to come and see Jesus?
If you’re reading this blog post, you’re privileged. You’ve got an internet connection.
If you’ve food in a fridge, freezer or kitchen cupboard for the next few days, that’s privilege.
If you’ve got money in the bank, a pension or stable income, that’s privilege.
If you’re white, heterosexual or from an ethnic majority, you’ve got privilege.
This week we’ve been reminded yet again of injustice in our society, driven by inequality and division. Digital poverty is having a massive impact on schooling and the learning of young people at home.
Community larders and Foodbanks continue to see increasing demand. Some supermarkets have been reporting shortages of some food due to bulk buying , leaving others without.
In America we saw what’s been described by many media outlets as an attempted coup by white extremists. Many have rightly pointed out that only months ago black protestors in America were met with extreme force on their demonstrations – yet these extremists easily overcame the small group of officers on duty to maintain order.
All these, and many other injustices are present in our communities and societies and all to easily can be ignored or taken for granted. The pandemic has, helpfully, made these injustices and positions of privilege more obvious – if we’re willing to notice them.
But to do we notice? Do we even recognise our privilege? And more importantly, do we step out of our glass houses to stand with and alongside those without that privilege?
The prophet Amos was probably a farm hand, sent by God to call for social justice, and condemns those who’s power and privilege comes at the cost of others. The call is to step out of the glass house, and work for justice.
“I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.
Amos 5:21-24, The Message
Oceans of Justice. that’s what I want.
Where there is water, life can be sustained. Where there are oceans of justice, life is sustained. Togetherness, community, equity and love grow and flourish.
Reflect
Are you privileged? Are you suffering injustice? How can you work for justice?
Act
To find out more about injustice and privilege, and ways you can play your part in bringing about oceans of justice visit the JPIT Website. http://www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/
The Joint Public Issues Team is a multi-denominational team who offer excellent analysis of current social issues and ways we can act at local, national and international level to use our privilege to stand for justice.
God with us, To the grieving, bring comfort. To those weary with lockdown, bring hope. To tired medics and carers, bring strength. To the frustrating, bring calm. To the unjustly suffering, bring justice. To us all, be God with us.
However you’re spending Christmas this year, I pray you have a safe, hope-filled and blessed one.
A wife posted her Christmas wish list on the fridge for her husband to see. Rather than a list of items of desire, she simply wrote, ‘something that will make me look beautiful’. When Christmas rolled around she expected to open a package with some fancy jewellery of clothing. Instead, she unexpectedly received an exercise bike.
Christmas this year is not what we would have expected back in January. Christmas has been interrupted. There’s things we can’t do. Places we won’t go. People we won’t see. We may feel frustrated, disappointed, hopes have been dashed, people are hurting.
2020 has been a year of change, restrictions and interruptions. And if you’re anything like me, I’m not a great fan of interruptions to my plans and routines.
We’re all marking Christmas differently this year in one way or another…
As we do, I wonder if living through an interrupted Christmas might help us see the Christmas story differently – and afresh for us.
Because the Christmas story itself is filled with interruptions. Christmas is an interruption.
Mary’s day in interrupted when an angel appears before her and says she will have a child. How does Mary respond? Does she head out stockpiling loo rolls and pasta? No, she said ‘I am the Lord’s servant, let it be’.
The whole land was interrupted with a census called by a foreign dictator that sent everyone back to their hometowns – their own lockdown – so to speak…what do mary and Joseph do? Do they head to Barnards castle for an eye test? No, they comply and head to Bethlehem.
When they get there there’s nowhere to go. Everywhere has already filled up, social distancing and the rule of 6 mean there’s no space for Joseph and a pregnant Mary…they find some shelter…
And then, the biggest interruption of them all, A baby is born. Immanuel, God with us.
A baby that is God, and is human, and turns everything upside down. Who enters the mess of the world and be with us in our pain. A gift that challenges injustice. A gift that is full of forgiveness. A gift that shows the world true love. Because God became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14)
Shepherds on the hillside watch their sheep – their night interrupted with light and the songs of angels…
Townsfolk’s sleep interrupted as shepherds run through the town praising God…
Magi’s studies are interrupted by the appearance of an unusual light…
Herod’s confidence interrupted by unexpected news a new king had been born….
All because God interrupted the world and interrupted the status quo, through a vulnerable babe in a manger.
This Christmas, may the worldly interruptions we face be insignificant to the kingdom interruption that Christmas is all about. A holy interruption.
Love is with us, Hope is with us. God is with us. Immanuel.
May your life be interrupted by Christmas – God with us.
Week 4 in our journey through Advent reflecting on a year of interruption.
Where have you found love this year? How are you sharing love today?
Comment below with your thoughts….
2020 has been a different year to how any of us had imagined it would be back in January. And Christmas 2020 is no different – Christmas is going to be different this year.
The story is told of a Dad who called a family conference. He’d decided their Christmas was going to be different. They had been getting carried away with frivolous festivities. And so he told them, they were to be more disciplined.
Cutting down on excessive spending on gifts. they were going make sure there was a better atmosphere between visiting relatives. His speech came to a crescendo with a final rallying cry – let’s make this the best Christmas ever!
After a few moments of quiet, the youngest son nervously spoke up – “but Dad, I don’t see how we can ever improve on the first Christmas”
I think many of us are aware how we can sometimes get caught up in what we could call the culture of Christmas – the commercial call to buy as many presents as we can, to stock the kitchen to the hilt, to spend time with family and friends, eating together, playing games together…
Familiarity can sometimes breed complacency. And this year I wonder whether the fact we are having to think more carefully about how we spend Christmas might cut into the familiarity, and make us think more carefully about what Christmas is really about.
Because let’s face it, pandemic aside, we shouldn’t need an excuse to spend time with family and friends, to give gifts to one another to show our love and care for them. This should be a normal part of life as human beings, created to be in relationship with one another.
Christmas is about something more important. Something no matter of family conference can improve on. Something no restrictions can take away. Christmas is not, cannot be, cancelled.
At Christmas we celebrate the world being interrupted by a gift of love. Because God shows his love for us through the life of Jesus, who as Christians we believe demonstrates true love to us, welcoming the outcast, caring for the stranger, loving us for who we are.
Advent is a time of watching and waiting – leading us to Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. But Advent is also a time of realising what we are watching and wating for is already with us. Jesus is already here. And is a gift of limitless love for us.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I get a gift at Christmas, or get a Christmas card in the post, I feel a bit bad if I’ve not sent them a gift or card. I want to reciprocate – to give back – and I feel it’s not fair.
Well God’s gift of Jesus isn’t fair either – because God gives and gives, and doesn’t expect anything from us, just to receive. We call it grace. God giving when we don’t think we deserve it, and expecting nothing of us except to receive it.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8
In this year of interruption, This Christmas interrupted, May your life be interrupted… by God’s gift of love.
What has given you joy this year? What is giving you joy today?
This week I had a bit of an interrupted week, because the car broken down while doing shuttle runs for Bognor Foodbank. It was about 1:30, I called the RAC and they said 90mins to 3-4hours.
Louise was working til about 5, so I thought I didn’t have much option but to wait, the car was on double yellows, and wouldn’t be easy to move, and I’m no mechanic, I had no clue what the problem was.
Well, 90 mins came and went. 3 hours came and went. 4 hours came and went.
Every 30 minutes or so I would get a text saying, we’re on the way, sorry for the delay, we’ll be in touch within the next half hour… It was hard to keep waiting and waiting….
By the time it had been 5 hours, I called again, they couldn’t tell me how long it would be, and said they’d escalated the breakdown and someone would be in touch shortly.
This few hours of waiting reminded me of the thread of God’s story and love for the world we find in the Bible. The Bible is filled with promises that God is faithful to us, loves us, cares for us.
Well by 7:30 my rescuer, the recovery truck, still hadn’t turned up and I was starting to get a bit hopeless. I’d called a number of times and they couldn’t give me an ETA, I was starting to get quite cold, and my phone battery was on 8%. I realised I had jump leads in the boot and thought maybe it’s worth trying to jump start the car to see if it is the battery.
At which moment, a friend pulls up – totally unexpectedly – we wire the cars up, they gave me a jump – the car starts – and then they followed me home.
My waiting was finally interrupted by Joy – in a way I didn’t expect!
I wish now I’d look for the jump leads earlier, I wish now I’d taken more action, I wish now I realised I had the tools I needed to journey onwards, and journey home. But I kept sitting and waiting, because ‘it’ll just be another 30 minutes.’
I talked last week about John the Baptist who was a cousin of Jesus, who God called to prepare the way for Jesus to arrive. John kept telling people the promised one was coming, but the people had been waiting for so many years, they’d got so used to life in the waiting, some were losing hope, others started thinking John was the coming one.
No-one seemed ready for God’s promises to come true in the way they did.
Jesus came to earth, interrupted the world, in such an unexpected way – as a little, vulnerable baby – to rescue us, to show God’s faithfulness to us. To journey with us. To give us joy.
So don’t be like me, don’t keep waiting thinking rescue is coming. Jesus has already interrupted the world. Friends Jesus is here, Jesus has rescued us. And Jesus is with us, journeying with us, and that wonderful truth, gives us joy.
May your life be interrupted… by joy.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord! Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice; tender to me the promise of his word; in God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.[1]
[1] Words of Timothy Dudley Smith, based on the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55
Rev Dan Balsdon's Blog 