Geneva Day 9

Today we all went to Annecy with David and Leila. It was great to see them again. We parked at the Hotel de Ville car park and walked through the old town, eventually descending on our restaurant - La Coupole.

La Coupole

It was a nice restaurant but the waiters were in a bit too much of a hurry. Also the duck (Becky and Mum) was under-cooked.

Windows in Annecy

We then went back to David and Leila's to watch football and chat. Becky went home to sleep and Andrew came back to pick us up.

Andrew & Becky in Annecy

Geneva Day 8

I took an early morning walk around Challex on this beautiful sunny day. There were no people around and the village had a deserted feel about it.

To make the most of the sunny day we then drove to Mt. Saleve - a mountain range south of Lake Geneva with spectacular views of Geneva, the lake and the Alps. Sadly the cable car was closed and so we simply admired the views from the summit aat 1097 metres. The toilet was closed and so we asked the man in the refreshment kiosk if he could let us in, which he obligingly did. After taking many photos, we went for a walk a little higher up the summit.

After our time in the mountains we went to Migros shopping mall. Sadly we took a right turn too many and ended up on the highway heading for Chamonix and having to pay a toll. We returned by a non-motorway road and did our shopping. After that we headed back home but again took a wrong turn and ended up on another motorway and having to pay another toll.

Becky stayed at home today to rest.

Geneva Day 7

Challex Church

Arose late - around 9am. Another cloudy start to the day although the sun started to appear around 10am.

Midway through the morning we took a stroll around the village. First stop was the church and this time we went in. It was cold, plain and uninviting. All the pews were in rows with an aisle down the middle. There was the occasional stained-glass window faintly patterned but without any biblical scenes.

Nativity Scene

The one redeeming feature of the church was the nativity scene. Nothing outstanding but well presented.

Also there was a wooden crucifix at the front of the church. This had been decorated with a branch of leaves. I tried to climb up to the balcony but the doors giving access were locked. I wouldn't like to attend this place. There was no atmosphere and it was totally formal and traditional.

Crucifix at the front of the church

Snow-capped Jura mountains

Snow-capped  Jura mountains

After our visit to the church we walked along the road heading out of Challex towards the Swiss border. On the left were the Jura mountains which seemed to be laden with snow more so than in previous days.

Geneva Day 6

This was a difficult day as the weather was poor. It rained all day and was very windy when we drove home. We started the day by sorting out insurance and test driving a VW Polo. Then we drove to Geneva to shop in Manor. We had a drink and a good rest in the café. Then we went to the outskirts of Geneva to look at the Happy Baby shop where we inspected a number of buggies for Kissbaba. Then we drove home in pitch darkness and high wind.

Geneva Day 5 (Boxing Day)

Saint-Cergue

After a late breakfast we fulfilled our desire to walk in the snow by driving to the top of the Jura mountains. We stopped at Saint-Cergue where we went into a cafe for a snack and drink. Then we donned our boots and coats and walked up into the hills. Arriving at the summit we had a stunning view of Lake Geneva although it was mostly cloudy. We then went into a supermarket for provisions and then drove home.

View from the summit

In the evening we drove to Ornex where we had a curry in one of our favourite Curry restaurants - Rajpoute. It was an excellent (but not cheap) meal with excellent service. It was nearly empty when we arrived at 7:30pm but was packed out when we left.

Map Saint-Cergue - click to enlarge

Geneva Day 4 (Christmas Day)

Just outside of Challex
in between Switzerland and France

Today is Christmas Day. After breakfast we opened presents. Andrew cooked lunch single-handed. We Went for a short walk after lunch along the road into the country. We arrived at the boundary between France and Switzerland. It was a cloudy afternoon but not cold. We looked at the snow-capped mountains and dreamed of a walk in the snow. We had more pumpkin soup and then skyped Esther and the crew in Nottingham.

Before bed we watched 'The Iron Lady' DVD starring Meryl Streep.

Andrew & Becky's VW Sharan

Geneva Day 3

Challex Church

Andrew is working this morning and so we look a stroll around the village of Challex (not that there is much to see apart from a closed auberge and a bakery).

We then caught the bus at 12.30 to La Plaine where we transferred to the waiting train. It was an excellent ride into Geneva, stopping off a couple of times on the way. It cost 3.5 euros each.

The bus from Challex to La Plaine

We were eventually joined by Andrew and we went to The Coop shopping complex where we had a snack and drink. We drove back to Challex by the scenic route and played Mandarin which Margaret won (quite by chance). We opened one present each before bed.

Map of La Plaine (see Challex to the west) - click to enlarge

Geneva Day 2

Gruyere Cheese Factory

Woke around 8:15 and slowly prepared ourselves for breakfast. The view from the bedroom was of the Jura snow-capped mountains. Breakfast was at Andrew and Becky's which was much warmer than our place.

We are staying in the landlord's house next door. It is a sprawling house on two floors. The heating system leaves a lot to be desired. Either the heating is on or the hot water, never both. To adjust the controls you have to reach into a room with water beneath the boiler.

Montreux at sunset

After breakfast we all piled into the Sharan and drove to Gruyere where the famous cheese is made. We started off in the restaurant for soup and a drink. Then we went around the factory to see cheese being made but sadly we were too late so missed the action. The scenery was splendid with snow-capped mountains all around.

Montreux Christmas Market

On leaving Gruyere we drove to Montreux for the Christmas Market. The traffic was intense but we eventually parked under the casino. We strolled around the market and rested for a drink of gluhwein followed by a crepe. We then drove back to Challex in the dark. For evening meal we had pumpkin soup and pizza. I uploaded my photos and videos and then we went to bed at 11pm.

Map of Gruyere and Montreux - click to enlarge

Off to Geneva

We drove down to Luton airport in torrential rain and some flooding on the side roads on the approach to Airparks. As always, the Airparks drop off was trouble-free. Arrived at Luton Airport in plenty of time and sat in the eating area killing time.

We boarded the plane on time and took off in the rain. On arrival at Geneva it was also rainy. Andrew and Becky picked us up in the new Sharan. A half hour drive to Challex where we settled ourselves into the house next door to Andrew and Becky which is owned by their landlord. Fortunately he has gone away to New Zealand for a few weeks so we have the house to ourselves. It is a spacious house on two floors with long corridors and wood floors.

Map of Challex - click to enlarge

Christmas Letter 2012 – Margaret and Roger Johnson

Andrew & Becky are married in Budapest

As years go this has been eventful to say the least. Andrew, after meeting Becky, the girl of his dreams, proposed to her in February on the anniversary of their first meeting. It happened on top of a mountain overlooking Lake Como on a very snowy weekend – how romantic is that! She said ‘yes’ of course and so from then on all the talk was about the forthcoming wedding which took place at the Hilton in Budapest, Becky’s home town, on September 8th, Margaret’s birthday. It was a wonderful day with Roger taking part in both the wedding ceremony and the reception afterwards. Both talks were translated into Hungarian and spoken interleaved in the two languages. Guests came from many parts of Europe and beyond including family and friends from the UK. After the wedding we enjoyed several days in Budapest meeting Becky’s family and sight-seeing. After their honeymoon in Lanzarote they moved into a new house just outside Geneva in a small village named Challex. Andrew continues to work at the UN and Becky is also trying to get on their books after she completes her PhD.

The two of us took a short breather in May after Roger’s small operation and we tasted the delights of Menorca for the first time. It was a beautiful island and we were blessed with good weather, much relaxation, a chocolate fountain in the restaurant most days and a teenzy bit of Sangria.

At Castle Godolo

Esther continues her work at Range Master in Long Eaton, cycling to work along the river whenever she can. She completed the 50 mile Greater Nottingham Bike Ride this year (Dad sat this one out). Esther also continues to pursue her interest in crafts and has also become a Phoenix trader (greeting cards).

Margaret continues to work at the Cheshire Home as Activities Organiser inspite of changes of staff which have made life harder for her. She enables the residents to get out and about on trips and events. She has no plans to retire. Church commitments are high on her agenda with the on-going Alpha Course (around 27 so far) and she helps lead her Cell Group. We both play badminton on a Monday night and Margaret enjoys her body conditioning and Zumba classes.

For Roger this has been a taxing year on both fronts. He had to restructure his web design business and re-focus on new markets. Church work has been unexpectedly challenging and the two together have meant long hours with too little time for relaxation.  He sometimes wishes life would return to ‘normal’ but it seems that these days, ‘normal’ has been redefined with a constant stream of emails demanding instant attention and an ever-increasing backlog.

However, in spite of this we enjoyed a belated Anniversary weekend in Whitby in November. For the first time ever we tasted the delights of the Magpie Fish and Chip restaurant – excellent!

On a sad note, Roger’s Mum died peacefully in hospital in September. We had just returned from Andrew and Becky’s wedding when she was taken into hospital on a couple of occasions but they never got to the root cause of the problem and in the end she suffered from a pulmonary embolism. The funeral took place in October on a bright sunny day at Wilford Hill. We paid tribute to The Oaks, the care home where she spent the last months of her life and who treated her brilliantly.

On a final up-beat note, we are looking forward to spending Christmas in Geneva with Andrew and Becky and making preparations for our initiation into ‘Grandparenthood’ at the end of January. We look forward to a new phase in our lives as ‘oldies’.

We wish you all every blessing for Christmas and the New Year.

Bulletin 259 – Christmas Journeys

It must have been a long, tiring, and for Mary, anxious journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census. No cars, trains or buses to ease the journey. No Holiday Inns or Premier Inns for cheap accommodation as a stop-over en-route. Just a hard slog to an unknown town, all for the sake of a census. Just think how much lost earnings Joseph would have suffered while being away. Just think how many misgivings he would have clung to about his pregnant bride-to-be.

From a distant eastern land, a group of star-gazers journeyed westwards, inspired by the appearance of an astrological phenomenon which suggested a new king was to be born. Stopping off in Jerusalem seeking clearer guidance as to the exact location of the birthplace, they met a neurotic Herod who summoned his advisers and sent the star-gazers away to Bethlehem – the birthplace of King David and the expected birthplace of the Messiah. Imagine the anxiety in Herod’s heart at the threat of a successor to the throne he currently occupied.

After welcoming the star-gazers and receiving their amazing gifts, Joseph is warned in a dream to escape to Egypt – away from a child-slaughtering Herod who was enraged by the trickery of the star-gazers. Another long journey to another unknown destination for Mary, Joseph and the young Christ-child.

Journeys are an essential part of life. Some people journey more than others and see more of the world. But life is never static – neither is our faith journey. I wonder how many adults will approach this Christmas with the childhood faith and naivety of their earlier years. I wonder how many of them have failed to journey onwards in their faith. I wonder how many of them have failed to recognise that for faith to be real, it too has to journey onwards – beyond our childhood naivety to the realities of a harsh, violent and often tragic world. Childhood faith will not sustain people as they grow older unless they mature spiritually as well as physically and mentally.

Today we look upon faith more as a journey than a one-off encounter with God. Without decrying the importance of our encounters with God through his Spirit, to simply look back at an experience that happened many years ago will soon reduce faith to a distant and fading memory rather than an everyday, living reality. Our testimony will simply be a history lesson rather than a dynamic retelling of what God means to us today.

Journeying in our faith extends our faith. The journey which Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem opened their eyes to the reality of adult life and parenthood in a hostile world. And yet we are told that Mary remained faithful and obedient to God. The journey from the East in search of the new-born King will have opened the eyes of the star-gazers to the tyranny of Herod and the prospect of a new kingdom-rule promised centuries before in the Hebrew scriptures and glimpsed in the baby in the manger. The journey of Mary, Joseph and the Christ-child to Egypt will have opened their eyes to the harsh reality of being refugees in a foreign land.

And yet – God was in all of this, working out his plan for the salvation of the world. Has your faith journey moved you beyond your childhood experience of Christmas into a mature, dynamic, everyday faith which equips you for the challenges of everyday life in the 21^st century in a country full of disillusioned people, struggling leaders, addiction, materialism, hedonism and threats of war across the globe? For Christians to be a relevant force in society, we need to outgrow our childhood faith and develop maturity in a world that is increasingly godless and desperately searching for answers to the big questions. These answers can be found in and through the Christ-child.

For many of us, Christmas will be a time of happiness, family, gifts and relaxation. For others it will be a trip to a drop-in centre, hostel or foodbank in order to access the essentials for survival. Let’s not forget that Jesus, in his early years, knew what it was to be homeless, friendless and a refugee in a foreign land. When we see such people this Christmas, let’s not forget that we are looking at people who walk in the steps of the Messiah – looking for somewhere that they can call home.

May the real meaning of Christmas delight and sustain you, preparing you with joy for the year to come and all it may bring.

Bulletin 258 – The Power of the Unspoken Word

We live in turbulent times as few would deny. Rainfall is causing havoc in many parts of Britain. Fields are flooded, train services disrupted, houses in Whitby are having to be demolished brick by brick because of a landslip caused by heavy rain. Economic unrest is still unsettling the people of Europe with unthinkably large debts having to be repaid in countries like Greece, Spain and even here in Britain with an ever-growing crescendo of opposition to austerity measures. And yet while all this goes on, people across the globe are rushing to the internet or retail stores to purchase the latest highly-priced tablet computers which are avalanching onto the scene week by week in a desperate effort to outdo their rivals. Has the world gone mad?

The Power of the Written Word

Lord Justice Leveson has now released his report on press standards which was actioned as a response to quite appalling and illegal intrusion by the media into the private lives of grieving individuals. This highlights just how powerful the written word has become. Not only is it powerful in destroying the lives of those who, through no fault of their own, fell victim to these crimes but it also shows how insensitive the general public can be by continuing to buy discredited newspapers in the hope of reading even more extreme stories.  And then the Prime Minister promises to implement the Leveson report unless it is “bonkers”. I suspect that word will haunt him for days to come. Has the world gone mad?

The Power of the Spoken Word

Not a week goes by without some argument breaking out over whether the government’s economic policies are producing fruit. George Osbourne again has to admit that the recovery in Britain will take longer than he expected and Ed Balls continues to protest that the government’s policies are the wrong ones. Which voice do we believe? Are we convinced by the spoken word or have we become cynical about the hollow promises made by politicians. Before we jump to conclusions let us ask ourselves whether the words we speak are genuine and true and whether we, in their position, could do a better job. We have recently seen a faithful remnant of British people voting to elect Police Commissioners. Will the promises made by these newly elected men and women deliver the change and improvement we all crave for? Has the world gone mad?

The Power of the Unspoken Word

I was recently privileged to act as a group coordinator at a gathering in Methodist Church House to discuss the Methodist Church’s approach to evangelism over the next few years. People from all over the country came to share their views and help shape a policy for the future. It was fascinating to hear people being able to express freely their concerns about this emotive subject and how too little focus has been given to this aspect of our calling under God. In a real sense it was a moment of liberation as people were able to articulate what they had found hard to express elsewhere.

But I was heartened by the number of people who said they had been brought up, often under sufferance, to go to church and at their time of liberation (usually when leaving home) stopped attending.  All of them said how, when they returned to church some years later, they were able to reconnect with the things they had learned in their earlier years. It showed how valuable our work with children can be, even though we may see little tangible fruit at the time.

I was also impressed by the way people now recognised that evangelism is not simply about a crisis moment and a sudden decision to follow Christ but is a life-long process of growing into mature disciples, often with many setback on the way. One of the questions posed to the forum was "What will the person who says ‘yes’ to Jesus be expected to become like?” The summation of the responses was “expect the unexpected”. There is no set formula for how people will respond nor how they will turn out. And so this forum at Church House allowed people to articulate their unspoken words – words they would have loved to express earlier but were unable to put into coherent thoughts.

It was in the famous setting of Holy Trinity Brompton, the birthplace of the Alpha Course, that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, gave his final address to a Fresh Expressions forum. No sooner had he stepped on stage to present his address than bit by bit the audience rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation. No word had yet been spoken and yet, in that moving moment, the unspoken words of love and appreciation were gushing towards him for all that he has done, and endured, on behalf of Christians throughout the land.

But the greatest example of the unspoken word is the one we celebrate today at the start of Advent. There was no fanfare, no policy statement, no press release – simply a baby born in humble surroundings with a mission to save the world from its madness. Could it have happened any other way and been more effective? I doubt it. Would it have had more impact on Facebook and Twitter? I doubt it. This was true divinity coming to us in the form of true humanity in order to bridge the gulf that had opened up between a sinful world and its creator. It came to us in the form of God’s Unspoken Word.

As Christmas approaches, a large segment of the world’s population will be waiting in eager anticipation of the festivities. For many it will be with their minds set upon the gifts they will give and receive. For some it will have the added value of celebrating the gift of God’s Unspoken Word, made flesh among us. For others it will mean precious little and they will go on buying their newspapers, checking the stock markets and living for today with little hope for tomorrow and no belief in the life to come. Has the world gone mad?

Bulletin 247 – Coming to yourself

I was recently invited to lead a healing and wholeness service and was tempted to take the traditional line and use one of the many healing miracles in the Bible as the primary text for the sermon. However, for reasons which did not seem sensible at the time, I was being urged to go back down a well-trodden path and focus on the parable of the Prodigal Son. The phrase which kept coming to mind was in Luke 15 v17 which is translated in the King James Version as ‘when he came to himself…’.

The story of the Prodigal Son is well known and focuses on three main characters – the father who despairs at the rebellious and ungrateful nature of his younger son yet longs for his return, the elder brother who is strong on loyalty and hard work but incapable of recognising the virtue of forgiveness. And then there’s the younger son who does everything wrong, ends up in despair over his actions and then, when at rock bottom, ‘comes to himself’.

Now what’s this got to do with healing and wholeness? Well that was my question until I looked a little more closely at it. Too often Christians have associated healing purely with our physical selves. It’s not surprising when you read the healing miracles of Jesus as they invariably focus on a person’s physical make up. However a closer study shows that Jesus was not simply interested in a person’s physical well-being but in wholeness – the well-being of the whole person. Another understandable mistake is to think that healing is an event rather than a process.

It soon became clear to me that God was urging me to focus on wholeness. The notion of ‘coming to ourselves’ is the beginning of the healing process. I detected two aspects to this verse in Luke 15.

1. False gods – the first mistake that the younger son made was to put his trust in false gods. Typical of our 21^st century hedonistic society, the temptation is to assume that happiness comes through wealth and pleasure. How illusory this notion is and we only have to look around at the faces of people in the streets to find them riddled with tension and frustration.
   
   
2. Modelling ourselves on others – we are all in danger of looking with envy at other people and wishing that we could have what they have. What we don’t see is what other people face on the inside and how they, like us, struggle with the person they are.

Verse 17 depicts a turning point in the young man’s life. To his credit, he acknowledged his mistakes and determined to do something about it. So often we fail to resolve our problems by assuming that this is our lot and we should grin and bear it. That’s not God’s view.

Words like ‘sin’ and ‘repent’ are not popular today but that’s precisely what happened here. He recognised his mistakes (sin) and determined to turn his life around (repent). Nothing could be more positive. Failure to respond in this way leads to so many illnesses of the 21^st century – both physical and emotional. It is in taking responsibility for our own actions and standing up for what we truly believe that we become the real person God created us to be. That’s wholeness!

One thing we can’t be sure of in the parables of Jesus is to what extent they were original to Jesus and how much was borrowed from contemporary wisdom. I suspect that the bulk of this parable was already known to the people of his time. After all, the parable reflects the history of the Israelite people as depicted in the Old Testament – a people who started off in the idyllic setting of the Garden of Eden, then became a rebellious people who spurned the grace of God and worshipped other gods, ended up in exile (pig sty), came to their senses and returned to the true God in repentance (and so the cycle repeated itself). This on-going cycle is summed up in 2 Chronicles 7 v14 ‘…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.‘ Again it’s interesting to note that healing is not just about our physical make-up. If ever our land (nation) needed healing, it’s now.

What seems to be original to Jesus is the appendix – the bit about the elder brother. It seems to be a deliberate ‘poke in the eye’ for those among the Pharisees who, like the elder brother, were strong on personal morality (keeping to the letter of the law) but struggled with the notion that God is a God of ridiculously extravagant grace. Like the labourers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) we have to accept that God’s grace is simply not fair.

But the appendix as I call it highlights the most important truth of all – a truth that many struggle with. It is that we should live constantly believing in the extravagant grace of God who, in spite of who we are, what we have done, or what we may think about ourselves, loves us to bits and wants to transform our lives. In other words, we should not listen to the negative impulses which so often permeate our thinking but hold fast to the picture of the younger son’s homecoming.

After all, the greatest healing agent the world has ever known is - LOVE!

Bulletin 257 – Hitting Back

The BBC is currently in crisis. After the Jimmy Savile scandal where there was an unhealthy silence regarding the alleged abuse carried out by this media megastar, we now find they have gone to the other extreme and wrongly accused Lord McAlpine of an abuse he clearly didn’t commit. It seems that the editorial heads in the BBC can’t get it right and only in the last couple of days we have seen senior heads roll or suspended.

But in all the furore regarding the BBC it is easy for us to forget the real victims – those who have suffered abuse and the side-effects of it for many years. In some cases it has ruined their lives, destroyed their self-esteem and made them afraid to take a full and active part in society. Some have been relegated to being a mere shadow of the person they could have been.

People who fall victim to abuse, whether as children or adults, can end up in a dire situation with no one to turn to. We often hear that people are afraid to speak about it in case they are disbelieved or thought of as weak. Therefore they end up internalising their problem and causing self-harm which may never be fully healed. Some are angry – and don’t know how to express it. In situations like this, the victims are desperate to escape and it’s easy to see why they would want to hit back at those who abused them or even at society at large.

How do we react when we are too afraid to vocalise our problems? What goes on inside a person who is desperately trying to find release from the inner torment which robs them of their freedom?

I like to turn to the Old Testament for an example of a man who felt ‘caged in’ - literally. In 1 Kings 19 verses 1-18 we read about a man who is seen as a spiritual giant of the Old Testament times – Elijah. Earlier chapters depict the man at his most awesome, drawing upon faith resources which leave us amazed. And yet here in chapter 19 he is reduced to a quivering wreck, afraid of Queen Jezebel who is intent on revenge for his destruction of her much-loved Prophets of Baal.

How can a man fall from such a high-point to a desperate low-point in such a short space of time? Anyone in ministry will know that it is after some of the most powerful experiences of God that our resources seem to be sapped and we look back with disbelief at what we achieved only yesterday. John Wesley, fresh from his ‘heart-warming experience’ on May 24^th 1738, woke up the next morning beset by questions about its authenticity.

Looking at Elijah, he had all the symptoms of a man depressed beyond measure. Reflecting on his exploits on Mount Carmel was little comfort to him. The joy of his recent successes had evaporated into a suicidal malaise. In verse 4 we read him lamenting to God, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Wrapped up in his self-righteousness (verse 10), he was painfully oblivious of the generosity being shown by God towards him. You can imagine him crying out to God with the words, ‘I did all this for you – don’t you remember!!!’. In the ‘earthquake, wind and fire’ episode which follows (verses 11 & 12) he is, no doubt, craving for God to manifest himself again in dramatic ways. But God refuses, or, to put it more generously, God knows better what Elijah needs – a still, small voice. In response to Elijah’s tirade of anger, God simply whispers in his ears, ‘Go back Elijah’.

The one thing Elijah feared was just that – going back. He was even told by God in verse 17 that his successor, Elisha, was waiting in the wings. Elijah felt useless, devoid of self-esteem, yesterday’s man and a spent force. No wonder he cried out to God in an attempt to hit back. Who else could he shout at – no one would listen – and he would look such a fool.

How often do we misdirect our anger? How often do we get angry with people who simply don’t deserve our wrath? How often, in moments of depression, do we cry out in anger because of a distorted view of reality? God pointed out to Elijah in verse 18 that he was wrong to think that he was now the only faithful one left. No less than 7,000 people in Israel had kept their faith and were waiting for Elijah to return.

It is a telling lesson for us all. When we are on the receiving end of someone’s anger we need to take a step back and not simply listen to what they say, but more especially, listen to what they don’t say. What had sparked their outburst? What are the hurts which have left a deep wound on their spirit? What is their real need at this moment in time?

As we observe the traumas being experienced by the BBC, let us not forget the damage done to so many in the past. Let us look with real compassion on those who, for years, were unable to vocalise their grief. Let us recognise their anger and respond, not with criticism or contempt, but with that still, small voice which can bring healing and acceptance and help them on the road back to the society they have struggled to participate in for so long.

Bulletin 256 – She’s Leaving Home

It was a momentous occasion back in 1967 when the Beatles released their epic album ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. Hailed as their best ever, this album contains an eclectic mix of classics ranging from ‘When I’m 64’ (which seemed a long way off for Paul McCartney at the time), ‘A Day in the Life’, ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ and ‘With a Little Help from my Friends’ not to mention the title track itself. But the track which I want to focus on here is the sad and sombre song ‘She’s Leaving Home’.

The news has gone quiet on the story that broke at the end of the school summer holidays that maths teacher Jeremy Forrest had run away with a pupil half his age, Megan Stammers. Forrest has now been charged with child abduction. This story must have sent shivers down the spine of many parents as they reflect on the chilling fact that every five minutes a child runs away from home in this country. But why do they do that? What provokes a happy, well-to-do teenager to turn away from the love and nurture of their parents to choose what they think will be a better life away from home?

This is precisely the question which Jesus’ most famous parable, ‘The Prodigal Son’, poses. Jesus gives us no background into the story, and neither would he as it is a parable. We are left to fill in the finer details ourselves. We can only guess at the disquiet in the young lad’s heart which provoked him to ask for his inheritance before his father had died. Was it bullying from his older brother? Was it favouritism from Dad towards his elder son? Was it constant nagging about the younger son’s laziness? None of this is spelt out – all we know is that he wanted to leave – he wanted his freedom – or what he thought was freedom.

The song by the Beatles focuses on the anguish faced by the parents when their daughter leaves home. They moaned that they had given their daughter the best they could and sacrificed most of their lives for her. Guilt wells up within them as they ask ‘what did we do that was wrong?’ The haunting background chant says ‘something inside that was always denied for so many years’. Are these the sentiments that Jesus had in mind when he painted the verbal picture of the Prodigal leaving home? Are these the feelings in the hearts of Megan Stammers’ parents as they watched TV footage of her in France with her maths teacher?

All of this shows not only that Jesus’ teaching, rather than being confined to a bygone era, is right up-to-date, but also that he has the deepest insights into the pain and anguish that we feel in everyday life. He must have felt the same when he watched the Rich Young Ruler walk away when confronted with the challenge of the gospel to sell all he had and give it to the poor. The same must have been true for God when he watched his chosen people in Old Testament times turn their backs on his glorious covenant provision and disobediently turn to worship other gods.

As we approach Christmas and ponder on what to buy as presents for our children or grandchildren, do we take lessons from these stories? Are we simply trying to feed our children with the latest toys and gadgets from Action Man to the latest iPad tablet computer? Do we have the best interest of our children at heart or are we simply seeking to win their favour with material goods rather than establishing the real bond of love which is so sadly missing in today’s society?

In the end, the pressures upon young people is overwhelming in today’s society. The bonds which once existed in community have given way to a closer bond on social networks. There is the constant attraction from the material and celebrity worlds where everything seems so full of promise and yet delivers so little of lasting happiness. As we pray for our children and grandchildren and smother them with real love, nothing can shield us from those unexpected mishaps in life when they turn away from the love we have given.
But the real challenge in the parable is how we react when common sense sets in. Luke 15:17 says, ‘when he came to himself’ or ‘when he came to his senses’. Eventually the young lad realises his mistakes and regrets the harm he has done to those who love him the most. Naturally he fears the worse retribution if he returns home, only to be surprised by the reception his father gives him. Is this the way we look upon people who have hurt us and shunned our best effort to love and care for them? Do we reflect the loving nature of God towards those who have made a mess of their lives? Sadly for some of us, our attitude reflects that of the elder brother who simply couldn’t bring himself to forgive his younger brother.

Bulletin 254 – Discipleship in Messy Church

On September 29^th 2012 Lucy Moore, who is credited with the founding and on-going development of Messy Church led a seminar at St. John’s College Bramcote on the theme of ‘Discipleship in Messy Church’. Messy Church, for those who don’t know, is a form of church which uses art, craft and story-telling to proclaim the gospel to families with a light meal as part of the event. It probably lasts for a couple of hours and often meets midweek or on a Saturday, perhaps late afternoon and ending with tea together. They tend to meet monthly and have attracted enormous congregations, even in churches which are dwindling and elderly.

Lucy started the day by making two very important assertions about Messy Church.

1. Messy Church is not just for children – it’s for families
2. Messy Church is not a ‘stepping stone’ into ‘normal’ church but aims to become a fully-fledged church in its own right

Why do people come to Messy Church?

This is an important question to ask, especially in an age when church-going is on the decline. There are a number of reasons:-

1. They like art, craft and story-telling
2. The like the food and the company
3. It’s something for the kids to do
4. It fills the time

We can’t, however, assume that people come because they want to become disciples of Jesus Christ. Some people may come with absolutely no intention of engaging with ‘the religious stuff’.

One attendee of the seminar made a very helpful suggestion that it would be good to have an ‘exploration stream’ running alongside Messy Church for those who do want to explore the faith further. This could be a short interlude during the 2 hour session which does not add to the time spent at Messy Church.

Lucy recently visited Denmark and was taken aback by a lady asking why ‘discipleship’ is such a big deal. She said to Lucy, ‘In Denmark we don’t do discipleship. 80% of people go to church and are baptised so we don’t need it’. Lucy responded to this by quoting Ven Stephen Pulllin (Archdeacon of Newcastle Diocese in New South Wales):-

• If you make a church you don’t necessarily make disciples
• If you make disciples you always make church

She also referred to a conversation that Bishop Paul Butler had with her about Messy Church when he said, ‘Messy Church needs to re-invent discipleship’. The comment from Denmark may surprise people but the same sentiment can be found in this country too. Church has all too often become a thing to ‘go to’ rather than a thing to ‘be part of’. Church should be a verb, not a noun.

Starting Point

So how does Messy Church work? What is your starting point?

1. Come as a family – Messy Church is not for children alone and does not operate like a Sunday School. Children come with their Mum (and Dad if possible) and they all stay throughout engaging together in the activities provided.
2. Monthly – most Messy Church events are monthly. To provide this on a more frequent basis would be exhausting.
3. People low on the Engel’s Scale – I will explain the Engel scale in a while but basically it is for people with little or no prior Christian awareness.
4. About relationship building – Messy Church does not ‘preach’ at people but shares the gospel through the medium of art, craft, story-telling and building relationships with the other people who attend or lead.
5. Children are significantly present – This may seem obvious but no one feels embarrassed if children make noise or run around, unlike in church services. In any family, it is the youngest members who get the most care and attention. So it is with Messy Church. It is a place where children can be children.

The Engel Scale and The Gray Matrix

James Engel, the missiologist, invented the ‘Engel Scale of Spiritual Decision’. This describes the way in which an individual, or by extension a whole group, progress in their understanding of the Gospel, as God’s sovereign grace begins to illuminate their hearts. By understanding the way God communicates, we can become better co-communicators.

Some have felt that the Engel Scale does not adequately describe a person’s journey of faith. The Gray Matrix supplements the Engel Scale by plotting a person’s openness to God.

The above diagram is from Paul Moore’s book ‘Growing Disciples in Messy Church’ BRF March 2013.

What the above diagram shows is the Engel Scale (vertical axis) along with the Gray Scale (horizontal axis). Traditionally the Engel Scale assumes that when a person’s knowledge and awareness of God moves up the scale from -7 to 0, the person has now become a Christian. Moving above 0 represents their growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ. However, it is a sad fact that some people progress well into the 0 – 4 range but may for some reason become disillusioned by the church or Christians and become closed to God. The aim in all discipleship work is to raise peoples’ awareness and understanding of God along with developing greater openness and obedience to his call upon their lives.

Formal, Non-Formal, Social Learning

Lucy showed a triangle (equilateral) which represented three types of learning.

1. Formal Learning – This is when we learn from preachers or Bible teachers either in church or in a Bible study group
2. Non-Formal Learning – This is where we learn the faith through activities like art, craft or story-telling. The setting and presentation is different and yet the truths of the gospel can be presented just as powerfully as through Formal Learning methods. For children, Non-Formal learning is arguably the most effective method.
3. Social Learning – This is where people interact with Christians and see how Christians respond to life’s challenges and problems. It is through this medium that people learn what it means to live out discipleship.

So, does Messy Church produce Disciples?

This is the 64,000 dollar questions. If people come purely for the social aspect and not to explore Christian faith, then should we spend time doing Messy Church? In reality, the process of becoming a disciple starts the moment they attend their first Messy Church. Lucy pointed out very strongly that although we rarely see people having a dramatic ‘Damascus Road Experience’ through Messy Church, nevertheless they are ‘becoming’ disciples. They are on the journey. It can take a long time for a person to move up the Engel Scale and grow to maturity as a Christian, even as long as 7 years. But we could also ask the question ‘does traditional church produce disciples?’ In some cases it doesn’t.

A person’s journey towards Christian maturity is rarely linear. There can be set backs along the way and it’s having a community around you that difficulties are overcome. Jesus built disciples in community, not one-to-one although he did have the occasional conversation in private.

Children are ‘models’ as well as fellow disciples. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

Messy Church also recognises that both the journey towards faith and the ‘crisis moment’ are important but never belittles the person who cannot point to the date and time when Christ became real to them.

Also, Messy Church makes disciples out of both the attendees and the team who lead it. So often people grow in their faith when they engage in mission and evangelism, although people would not necessarily recognise Messy Church as evangelism.

Messy Church as Salvation

The story was told of a struggling, elderly congregation in Cornwall which decided that they had to choose between dying or having a last throw of the dice. They decided on the latter and chose, as a body to do Messy Church. The transformation was amazing and the church was saved from extinction.

But one of the most telling aspects of Messy Church is that it brings ‘church’ back to the family. So many Christian parents are embarrassed about teaching the faith to their children and yet, using the techniques of Messy Church, families can continue the experience at home in a natural way.

Conclusion

I have seen so many churches start Messy Church. Some have seen remarkable results, others have started well and struggled. But in an age where church-going is off the agenda, there is little doubt in my mind that Messy Church is one of the most effective ways of reaching those who don’t come to church and proclaim the gospel in ways which make sense. I am so grateful to Lucy Moore for all the energy she has invested in Messy Church and long may we see families worshipping together in this way. 

Bulletin 253 – Hungarian Goulash

We arrived in Budapest for the first time not knowing what to expect. We had been to Vienna, Prague, Paris and Rome but this capital city was a new experience. However, the excitement and anticipation of our son’s wedding in a couple of day’s time put a spring in our step as we walked from our hotel to a restaurant for our first taste of Hungarian food. Naturally I started with Hungarian Goulash Soup – excellent. At the end of the meal I was presented with a bill for 25,000. Once I had got up from the floor and converted it back into pounds sterling my composure returned and I started to get used to prices in Hungarian Forints.

It was in the grandiose setting of the Hilton hotel which stands high on a hill in the Buda district next to St. Matthias’ Church and the Royal Palace that I was to offer my contribution to the wedding ceremony. I would speak in English while my trusty companion broke in at pre-defined points with a translation in Hungarian. The wedding ceremony was fine however the speech I gave at the reception highlighted the stark difference between the English sense of humour and that of our Hungarian friends and relatives.

Still, the point of all this is not about happy memories but about how to offer the gospel in a setting like this. Our son, Andrew, enjoys an international life-style having worked in Vienna and now in Geneva for the United Nations. His wedding attracted people from all over Europe as well as India and Bangladesh. His wife is Hungarian and so there was a strong local presence too. So, there we had a group of 75 people from different ethnicities and backgrounds converging on a ceremony which was not overtly Christian. My challenge was to breathe the gospel into this setting.

Fortunately we had a couple of days before the wedding to meet some of the international guests and get to know them. There was one man from Geneva who had been seriously damaged by his experience of the Christian Church having been sent to a church school. There was a man from Hungary who, although he professed Christian faith, was more at home in Buddhism. There were some family members from the UK who, although vaguely sympathetic to church, were not regular attendees and are people who I would describe as ‘Ecclesiates Christians’ – more at home with the cynicism of this book’s approach to the world than the approach taken by St. Paul in his writings.

So how do you present the gospel to an audience as diverse as this in just a few minutes? I felt a little like St. Paul who said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Corinthian 9:22)

Firstly I avoided overtly religious language. During the wedding ceremony itself I focussed on St. Paul’s epic words in 1 Corinthians 13, paraphrasing somewhat to emphasise the perfection and timelessness of love and the need to underpin everything we do with love. Secondly I didn’t divulge the source of the words in the ceremony itself – I waited for people to ask me afterwards, thus allowing a fruitful conversation with those who had been touched by the words. This is in recognition of the fact that the Bible speaks for itself through the Holy Spirit – I am simply a mouthpiece. Also I didn’t want people to think I was ‘Bible-bashing’.

But throughout, the most important thing for me was simply to portray Christ as best I could through the person I am. The way you greet people – the way we accept them in a non-judgmental way – the way we show a meaningful interest in who they are rather than projecting who we are. The thing which attracted people to Jesus was that he was such a good person to be with. I am strongly influenced by the words of St. Paul who said, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1)

The religious elite who brought a woman to Jesus, baying for blood because she was an adulterous person, were eventually turned away, not by Jesus but by their own realisation of unworthiness in his presence. Jesus demonstrates clearly in this episode that his mission is not to condemn but to transform (or save). So it is with us. I remember Joel Edwards, former director of the Evangelical Alliance complaining that the church is too often seen as ‘a million wagging fingers’.

I hope that in my meagre attempts to convey the gospel to this international gathering, people went away saying of me ‘he was a good person to be with’ and someone with whom they would be comfortable to share their deepest needs without fear of condemnation.

Bulletin 251 –Time

It was a strange feeling as I walked into the hall where I was about to lead my last service in a church which is about to close. Having spent much time in its early days getting the new venture off the ground, my emotions were mixed. However, the scripture which seemed right for the occasion was from the book of Ecclesiastes – that well-known set of verses from chapter 3 which begin “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”.

When it came for the time for the sermon, which was an interactive occasion where we reflected together on the words of scripture, we considered the meaning of the word ‘time’. Time is a strange thing – you can’t see it, you can’t smell it, you can’t touch it and yet there are so many things you can do with it.

• You can spend time
• You can call time (if you’re a publican)
• You can bide your time
• You can make time
• You can kill time
• You can waste time
• You can idle away time

As someone who has two part-time jobs, I know how important it is to manage time well. I admire those who engage in a portfolio life-style – where they hold down 3 or more jobs at any one time, using their skills in different companies and perhaps in different ways. Time is a precious gift and has to be used wisely and efficiently. Management consultants will tell us not to do more in the time we have available but to be smarter with the way we use our time.

We know from the New Testament that two Greek works are used to represent the word ‘time’. One is ‘chronos’ which refers to the time you see on your watch or wall clock. The other is ‘kairos’ which refers to something more in line with the verses in Ecclesiastes. The word ‘kairos’ carries with it the notion that time is in God’s hands and that seasons of opportunity come and go and we need the wisdom and discernment to accept those opportunities while they last.

It is important to note in Ecclesiastes that the words ‘time’ and ‘season’ are interchangeable. We reflected in my service about the way our lives go through seasons. We may have a season of ill-health followed by a season of good health. We may have a season of relative poverty followed by a season of prosperity. We may go through a season of depression followed by a season of vitality. Empires have gone through seasons of power followed by seasons of decline or even death.

We are reminded by St. Paul that the things of this world have their time or season but will not last forever. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4v18).

Like many, I was gripped by the men’s 100 metres Olympics Final. Usain Bolt won a gold medal in less than 10 seconds – or did he? We would be quite wrong to think that it only took 10 seconds to win a medal- it took a lifetime of dedication and hard work to prepare himself for that epic final. The late Dr. Sangster, a famous Methodist preacher, was once asked ‘how long does it take to prepare a sermon?’ His reply was ’20 years’. Seeing the puzzled expression on the questioner’s face he went on to say, ‘… because it takes 20 years to prepare a preacher.’ Do we recognise that every moment of time is precious because it is preparing us for something in the future?

So what do you make of time? Do you value it as a precious gift and make the most of every moment? Some people are activists and must fill every moment with something to do. Others are far more reflective and see the value of spending time quietly and meditatively. I think we need a balance of both and would add to the list in Ecclesiastes the verse – ‘A time to work and a time to refrain from working’. After all, the book Genesis in the creation account of chapters 1 and 2 makes it clear that God rested on the seventh day - and we are urged to do likewise.

But the service I conducted had a sad and serious side to it. How do you cope with the situation where a church has come to the end of its life? Ecclesiastes 3v2 says “a time to be born and a time to die”. We find it so hard to let go of things which are precious to us and have been part of our life for so many years. Putting something to rest is always difficult but sometimes we need to do that in order that something new is brought to life. A leaf falls to the ground in the autumn and that spells the end of its useful life – or does it? In reality as it gets absorbed by the soil into which it falls, it adds richness as compost so that the next generation of leaves will be that much healthier. For us, it is important that the lives we live add richness to the world around us so that the next generation will profit from what we have contributed.

Budapest Day 4 - Wedding Day

Andrew & Becky on their wedding day

September 8th is a special day. Not only is it Andrew and Becky's wedding day, but it is my wife's birthday.

The day started with the ladies having an early morning trip to the hairdresser. Nice spruced up with fascinators in place they definitely stole the show at the wedding.

At lunchtime a group of us piled into a taxi and made our way to the Budapest Hilton where the wedding took place. It was a superb sunny day, not too hot, but full of excitement. We sat in the hotel lobby drinking coffee while people arrived.

The Dominican Churchyard at the Budapest Hilton

Before the wedding took place we went into the Dominican Churchyard and Courtyard where the wedding ceremony was to take place. It was beautiful and overlooked the Fishermen's Bastion and St. Matthias Church. The wedding ceremony was special and it was so moving to see Becky walk up the aisle looking radiant.

That's me giving my address at the wedding

The wedding vows were also very moving and I was privileged to give a short address ably translated into Hungarian. My address was a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 - the famous passage by St. Paul on love.

The Bridal Suite

After the ceremony we had a glimpse of the bridle suite. Right on the top corner of the hotel, it has some of the most stunning views of Budapest the town affords.

Relaxing at the wedding reception

The reception was held in the Hilton's Corvina Suite. Fifty guests from all over Europe and other parts of the world enjoyed an excellent meal punctuated by speeches. It concluded with music and dancing.