Evangelism Bulletin 237 – Stuck in the Past?

An Old Testament verse I often quote is Isaiah 51 verse 1 which says ‘Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug’. Different translations render this verse in different ways but the gist of it for me is that our present is shaped by our past. The chapter goes on to remind the Israelites how God had been at work in the lives of their ancestors and would continue that work in the present and future, if they remained faithful.

We are told that Skegness has been urged to change its name because of the negative image associated with its present name. For me that’s unthinkable. Skeggy will always be Skeggy, no matter what they call it in the future. But for the hoteliers whose trade is suffering because of its poor image, it seems a reasonable option.

Kodak, the once renowned, market-leading giant, which was synonymous with all things photographic have now filed for bankruptcy protection. The chief reason is that it failed to take the digital age seriously. They proudly display their once-famous Brownie 127 or Instamatic and despite attempts to bring out cameras in different colours and selling fashion accessories to match (a bit like iPads with their coloured cases), the tide towards digital is unstoppable and they have been left behind.

I remember many years ago in the computer industry how the world’s number 2 manufacturer, DEC, refused to recognise an up-and-coming operating system and, despite having their own brilliant equivalent, their refusal to move with the times cost them dearly.

We hear news that Nottingham Forest are gearing up for life in League 1 by considering the sale of some of their top players (I use the work ‘top’ loosely). For a long time they have been a team with a great future behind them. We could look at institutions like the Post Office and libraries and ask serious questions about their future because of the rapid changes taking place in society and technology.

So – what about the church? The picture accompanying this bulletin depicts a Methodist Church which, in its day, was packed to the seams with worshippers but is now closed. How do we decide in this day of declining church attendance which church buildings to release and which to keep and invest money in for the future? Of course, we are all aware that closing a church building is not the same as closing a church because the faith community still remains – it’s just their meeting place which has become unsustainable.

We have all sat in church buildings during a worship service and asked questions about its appeal to outsiders. What do people think when they cross the threshold of a Victorian building in order to attend a sevice? Do they think they are being forced into a time warp? Do they think that God is a 19th century being who has never really come to terms with the modern age. The hymns that are sung, the language that is used, the furniture people site on and look at all speak about an age gone by.

And yet, cathedrals are experiencing a renaissance. People flock to them as tourists, and some may do the same as pilgrims. We’re off to Budapest soon and will visit the many baroque churches in the city. It’s not the same for a visitor coming to Nottingham or Derby and visiting the warehouse-style buildings occupied by some new-stream churches and yet these are the churches which are growing numerically. The sale of telescopes has increased by 400% since Prof. Brian Cox, the rock star turned scientist, has been presenting his Star Gazing programmes. We still see people driving around in VW Beetles and Mini Coopers, cars which have long-since been replaced by modern equivalents. What a dilemma!

As the verse from Isaiah says, our identity is shaped by the past. But we need to recognise that our future lies firmly in the future which, for most of us, is an unknown. But to God …

Evangelism Bulletin 236 – Life-changing moments

It came totally out of the blue. The manager of our training department, Gerry, was on a visit to Nottingham where I worked in the computer industry. He asked for a chat with me and so we sidled off to a vacant office. ‘Would you consider coming to work in the training department in Stevenage as a lecturer?’ he asked me. It was one of those mind-racing moments where a thousand questions hit my brain cells all at once.

Although I had attended programming courses at the training centre and met some of the lecturers in the past, I had no experience of lecturing and certainly had never seen myself in that role. So, why Gerry had asked me was a mystery. Anyway, to cut a long story short, after visiting Gerry and his wife for a chat in Stevenage and talking it through, my wife of less than a year and I decided to uproot and live in Biggleswade – a place we only knew through comedian’s jokes and tales of people using it as a stop-off for London on the A1.

It didn’t take me long to settle into the new role. I can remember painstakingly preparing my notes for the first week-long programming course I was scheduled to lead, single-handed. To my surprise, five minutes into the course, my copious notes were laid on one side and I was in free-flow, teaching from the heart. I was also amazed at the course appraisals which the students filled in at the end of the course. I had never seen myself as a lecturer and yet Gerry had clearly seen something in me that was bursting to get out. We joined a Baptist church in Biggleswade and I launched for the first time into a preaching career – mind you, most of this was in the dozy village chapels on a sultry summer’s evening where the biggest challenge was not preaching the gospel, but keeping them awake!

Now, as a Christian, I would like to tell you that all this fell neatly into my simple perception of how God works. I would like to tell you that Gerry was a Christian and was guided by the Holy Spirit in inviting me to go to Stevenage. The first part is not true. I can recall a conversation over lunch with Gerry where I tried to impress upon him that the plight of those in the third world was our responsibility in that the life-style we live can deprive them of a living wage. He wasn’t convinced. It was over a decade later that a foul-mouthed Bob Geldof proclaimed the same message and raised millions through Live Aid and all that followed.

But what I do believe is that Gerry’s visit was the work of God. Completely unknown to us, God is at work in and through our lives and can bring about life-changing moments at the drop of a hat – and through some of the most unlikely sources.

Last night at Grannie’s Tea Room in Cotgrave, Rev. Dr. Robert Foster led us in the first session of a course he has co-authored entitled ‘I choose to follow you’. This is an introductory course into discipleship and week 1 focusses on the account of the calling of Levi, the tax collector, in Mark chapter 2. As always in the gospels, we have only scant details but it would appear that as Jesus was passing Levi’s tax booth, Levi dropped everything and experienced a life-changing moment as he followed Jesus.

Just like me, as a recently married young man with all my family and friends in Nottingham, the thought of dropping everything for a new home in Biggleswade and a career which I had no previous experience of, Levi had no idea of what he was letting himself in for.

But that leads me to yet another aspect of the Christian life – prayer. I know that many people around me both in my family and among my friends, were praying for me. I had only been a Christian for about a year and had no church upbringing to rely on. It was all new to me. But I’m sure that life changing moments like this don’t happen by chance. Being a Christian is not about following a set of rules and attending a church. It’s about being open to the Holy Spirit who is constantly seeking to work in the lives of responsive people. I believe prayer is like the oil in my car. Without it the engine seizes up. With it the car functions smoothly and reaches its full potential. You may be praying today for someone, not knowing what the consequence may be. Take heart – because your prayer may be the catalyst which brings about a life-changing experience for the person you are praying for.

#233 Focus

Amazingly, Children in Need raised a stunning £26 million in just one night. In spite of the economic crisis the British people have once again shown their immense generosity to needy people. But what is it about Children in Need that causes such an enormous outpouring of generosity and altruism?


Firstly, it is focussed. As the title says, it is about children – and those in need. Throughout the evening, real examples were shown of how the money in past years had been used and made a real difference to its recipients. It was not money being ploughed into a black hole and being gobbled up by administrative costs but it was being directed to those in need in order to – well – make a difference.

Secondly, it was about fun. All the projects which raised money had an element of enjoyment as well as sacrifice. It was also about community – people working together for a common goal. The Greek word for church – ekklesia – means just that – a gathering of people meeting for a common purpose – to worship and serve God.

Thirdly, it is for everyone. There is a stunning array of personalities from all walks of life from pop stars to weather girls to – errr – Terry Wogan. There’s no need to put on religious language or pretend to be holy – just be yourself and get stuck in – without embarrassment.

Interestingly, BBC Radio Nottingham is featuring the large churches in Nottingham all this week – churches like Trent Vineyard, Grace Church, Cornerstone and Talbot Street – all churches with congregations around 1,000 and above. The big news is that they are financially rich. Cornerstone have raised £4 million in the last 4 years and are in the process of redeveloping the former MFI building to make it into their new home. Ironically, this feature coincides with the introduction of the on-street parking charges on Sundays which is hitting the pockets of the members at some of the less well-off city centre churches hard.

Again, these large churches are focussed. Their worship is focussed on one building, not the many as is the case with traditional denominations. Their ethos is focussed primarily on mission – they know what they are about and every member is urged to take an active part. Also, the experience of worship is exciting. Yes it may be too loud and modern for some but it clearly attracts all ages, especially the young.

So, what about us? Are we focussed? Do we ask ourselves the question, ‘what am I really good at?’ Some of us (and I include myself in this) can run around like headless chickens attempting to do many things – some of which are not within our primary skill set. How much more fulfilled we would be if we simply focussed on our true calling. The same is true of some churches – they have loads of activities – some overlapping with or duplicating other activities. Would it not be better to ‘do less and do it well’? People are not attracted to things because they are local – they are attracted to things because they are good. So why don’t we resolve to concentrate on excellence rather than on volume? Let’s get focussed!

#232 – Like Little Children

Last Sunday I was preaching in a local church and asked one of the worship leaders to conduct the start of the service, including the children’s address. At the start of this address he walked boldly towards the front of the church brandishing a large length of rope. I became uneasy, not least because I had yet to preach. Anyway, he asked for volunteers from the children to help him with his illustration. At once a flurry of hands went up and a host of children joined him at the front of the church for a tug of war.

Now the worship leader is a highly experienced person when it comes to leading children and his presence at the front was enough to stimulate such an eager reaction. But it made me think how different it would have been if the church was only full of adults. Would there still have been an eager response to his appeal for volunteers? I doubt it.

So why is it that adults fail to show the excitement and eagerness of children? What have we lost? Jesus said that we should become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:2).

I suppose one reason for this lack of childlike sparkle is that life has dealt us some sobering blows. The premature loss of a loved one, a sudden illness, a broken relationship, failure, unemployment or bankruptcy – any of these can diminish the sense of ‘child’ within and rob us of our innocence.

Another reason is that when we take on greater responsibilities, pressures mount up. We make excuses like ‘I haven’t got time for this or that’. What we really mean is that we choose not to have time for this or that. We speed through life without noticing the beauty of nature, the smile of a person in the street and the many acts of kindness which are directed towards us. Life’s many blessings can go unnoticed and the world may seem a more hostile place than it really is.

Children, on the other hand, make time. They can sit and play for hours with toys or friends in a world of dreams. Everything that comes their way carries a sense of wonder and newness. Each situation is full of possibilities and the concept of failure never enters their minds.

So how can we rediscover our inner child?

The first step, and I believe one of the most important, is to deal with our anxieties. Jesus teaches on a number of occasions that worry should be shunned - see Matthew 6:25 for instance. Anxiety can eat into our souls like maggots into a piece of meat. We need to make a conscience decision to repel anxiety as soon as it rears its head.

Secondly, we need to make time – time for people, time for hobbies, time for relaxation, time for learning – time to simply stop and observe what’s around us. Try walking around your home for 10 minutes and looking at the furniture, the photographs, the souvenirs you have collected – let their memories seep into your heart and relive the joys. Give thanks for all you have and all you are.

But finally, develop rhythm in your life. My job is anything but rhythmical and I need to discipline myself to make time for things that matter. It’s so easy to be stampeded from one job to the next and be driven by the ‘to-do list’. No – every job must be given the time it needs, even if the next one slips down the priority list. A job well done brings satisfaction and makes the next job more worthwhile.

So, as we approach Advent, will we simply cascade through the month worrying about Christmas shopping and parties or will we stop and gaze with childlike awe and wonder at what God has done for us in Christ? Will we put ourselves into the scene in Bethlehem and imagine we are one of the characters – experiencing the excitement and tension of the occasion? Will we experience the miracle of ‘God made man’ or simply turn the page of the calendar into 2012?

Evangelism Bulletin 231 – Power to the People

So a group of anti-capitalism protestors with a less than clear message pitch their tents and sleep outside (or some of them do as the police’s thermal imaging cameras have shown), bring St. Paul’s Cathedral to a halt, trigger the resignation of two of its senior staff and leave the Church of England in a position of acute embarrassment because of its less than decisive response to the issues being raised. Even now I wonder whether the Archbishop of Canterbury who advocates the introduction of the Tobin Tax (a tax on currency transactions) and the Bishop of London who has been ‘flown’ in to run St. Paul’s in the wake of these resignations, are actually singing from the same hymn sheet.

 I say this, not to add to the plight of the Church of England with whom I have some sympathy, but to demonstrate that even the small, insignificant voices of the general public can, in fact, have world-changing consequences – and why not? Decades ago, the sight of Robert Lindsay dressing up as Citizen Smith and raising his revolutionary fist in the air with the cry of ‘power to the people’ was seen by many as an out dated and hopeless figure. But, is ‘people power’ seeing a resurgence?

 The Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has secured the unanimous backing of his cabinet for a referendum on the eurozone debt rescue plan, leaving other European heads of state in fits of fury after they negotiated long and hard to secure a bail-out package which is now in jeopardy. But why shouldn’t the people of Greece have their say? Why should the financial gurus tell the Greek people what hardships they should face in the future when they, along with many other highly paid executives, see their salaries increase by around 50%?

 This all begs the questions, ‘have the common people got it right?’ Can we leave the big questions in the hands of so-called experts any longer? Has it all come home to roost for the financial institutions who plunged us into this crisis in the first place. Has the great institution of the Church of England found itself unable to answer the question ‘what would Jesus do?’ for fear of losing its financial backing from the very people being criticised by the motley bunch of protesters camped on its doorstep? Is the axe hanging over the great institutions which have underpinned so much of society for so long?

 Maybe we are seeing something for which Christian people should rejoice. Perhaps this is a sign that God has had enough and his Spirit is sweeping across the globe in an unprecedented way. Didn’t Joel prophecy that God would ‘pour out his Spirit on all flesh’, even the lowest of the low? Is this the moment when the Spirit fans the flame into an inferno? I remember that 2,000 years ago the religious and political establishment were rocked by an uneducated, Galilean peasant who eventually met his fate on a cross. However, the movement he founded, which has little to do with the erection and maintenance of large buildings in big cities, has grown ever since in the hearts of his followers – people upon whom the Spirit has been poured out as prophesied.

The Greek debt crisis will no doubt rumble on for some weeks now with the world’s financial markets cascading out of control and the politicians losing sleep. They will be asking themselves if it is right to use their taxpayers’ money to bail out a country which has consistently overspent. But with Ireland, Portugal, Spain and now Italy perilously close to melt-down, why don’t they simply give in and cancel everybody’s debt and be done with it? After all, that’s what Jesus did! (Isaiah 53:6, Luke 15:22-24, 1 Corinthians 6:20)

As the staff of St. Paul’s and the European leaders try and dig themselves out of these messes, I am reminded of the parable which Jesus told of a rich man who sat in his luxurious house, seemingly oblivious to the plight of the beggar at his gate (Luke 16:19-31). The point of this parable is that in God’s Kingdom roles will be reversed. It was the poor beggar who was favoured by God while the rich man faced eternal torment, pleading for the poor beggar to bring him relief.

 It seems to me that the staff of St. Paul’s have missed an amazing evangelistic opportunity when they could have presented the true message of the gospel, not only to the protesters outside, but to the world’s media.