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Bible studies from our Church members. Taken from the Church Magazine
2001 The Three Persons of God -Pat Clayton
2001 What We Believe -The Nicene Creed -Pat Clayton
2001 The Apostle Paul's Words on Love
2001 The Incarnation
-The Word became flesh -Pat Clayton
2002 'Talking Money' -Christian Disciples learning together about giving
2002 Bible Landmarks Glyn Botham
2005 A Study in the Book of Revelation -Robin Balch
2006 Faith in Action -Robin Balch
2007 Musings during a Sermon! -John Small
2007 Musings during a Sermon! -Reply by David Smith
2007 Musings during a Sermon! -Reply by Yusuf Levison
2008 More Musings! -John Small
2008 How Much Would it Cost to Hire a Mother -Dawn Edingborough
The Three Persons of God (June 2001 edition of the magazine)
Do you ever think how many roles you play in your life? For example, on an average day, I am not only a woman and a Christian, but also a daughter, a mother and a teacher! Although I perform different tasks and behave differently in carrying out these roles, I am still me - the person behind all of these different `faces' is the same.
This idea can help us to understand the Trinity, that mysterious word we use in the Church for the three persons of God. `Trinity' means `threefold' or `three-in-one' and Christians use this word to describe the three persons which form one God: the Father, the Son - Jesus Christ- and the Holy Spirit. Does this then mean that as Christians we actually believe in three gods, instead of one? Certainly not! Theologians sometimes use the phrase "one substance in three persons" to explain this rather difficult concept of the Trinity, but what does that actually mean to us in reality?
Three-in-one
We can encounter God in three different ways:
- as the Father, who made us and is over us;
- as the Son, Jesus Christ, who has saved us by His death on the cross and is always with us;
- as the Holy Spirit who makes God real to us and is in us, who enables us to do His work through the gifts He gives us.
To us, these three ways of experiencing God can seem like completely separate roles. But the three persons of God are so closely connected, that it is perhaps more helpful to regard the Trinity as different 'masks' of the same God, rather than separate persons ('person' comes from a Latin word meaning 'mask.
The Indivisible Godhead
Comparing the Trinity to human roles does, however, have its limitations. Some roles we fulfil for all of our life (being a son or a daughter, for example), but others can come along later (parenthood, jobs), and we can only actively carry out one role at a time (I cannot teach a class and look after my child at the same time). With God it is different. The Bible makes it clear that all three persons in the Godhead exist both eternally and all at the same time. In Genesis "the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters before the Creation, and in John's Gospel, Jesus told a disbelieving crowd "before Abraham was born, I am.", deliberately using the "I am" phrase used only by God.
In his book Christian Theology An Introduction, Alister McGrath explains it like this:
The one indivisible Godhead is common to all three persons of the Trinity. This one Godhead exists simultaneously in three different "modes of being" - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.'
A Unique Relationship
It is, perhaps, Jesus himself, however, who gives us the clearest and simplest explanations of this unique relationship, for example:
"I and the Father are one"
"The Father is in me, and I in the Father"
"And with that he breathed on them [the disciples] and said, `Receive the Holy Spirit'.
By these words Jesus clearly linked together Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Even if we find it hard to understand the Trinity clearly, it is important for us to accept that as human beings some things can never be fully explained. The words of our Lord Jesus Christ, however, do give us a privileged glimpse into how Father, Son and Holy Spirit are uniquely and eternally the one true God.
Pat Clayton
This article was originally written as part of Pat's Reader training.
What We Believe -The Nicene Creed (October 2001 edition of the magazine)
The Nicene Creed is an established part of the Anglican service, and is also used by millions of church members of all denominations worldwide. Originating from The Council of Nicea (now Iznik in Turkey) convened by the emperor Constantine in AD 325, the Creed sets out the main beliefs (creed comes from the Latin credo, meaning "I believe") of the Christian faith.
The Nicene Creed has three main sections - our belief in:
- God the Father, as Creator
- God the Son, Jesus Christ, as Saviour
- God the Holy Spirit, as the giver of life
which form the three persons of God: the Holy Trinity.
We believe in one God
The opening states three main points about God the father:
- that there is one God
- that he is all powerful
- and that he created everything
This reflects the first of the Ten Commandments used in the Summary of the Law, also found in the Anglican Service:
"Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord."
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ
The second and longest section, sets out our belief on Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, and establishes him as being both from God, and being God. It may even seem repetitive:
"God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God"
but we must remember this creed was written during a time of great debate and controversy within the Church, particularly about the nature of Jesus Christ, and his relationship with God the Father. These statements are in response to those controversies, and clarify the belief that the Son is indeed God.
The central narrative contains the key facts of Jesus' life from the gospels. It may seem odd to shorten Jesus' life history in this way, but these are simply the essential beliefs at the heart of the Christian faith. Notice that Pontius Pilate is mentioned by name, rather than, more generally, the Roman government or Jewish authorities; this could have been so as not to offend large groups of people at the time. It is, however, ironic that the man who publicly washed his hands of the responsibility for Jesus' death, has lived on in history, in the Nicene Creed, as being almost personally to blame for his suffering.
The reminder that Jesus will come again to judge is and establish His Kingdom makes it clear that as Christians we believe Jesus' story is far from over.
We believe in the Holy Spirit
The final paragraph identifies the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity, and, in the Western version of the Creed, established clearly that the Holy Spirit is both Father and Son, although this remains as a point of controversy within some areas of the Church (and consequently a version of the Nicene Creed exists which reflects the belief that the Spirit proceeds from the Father only).
The phrase "the giver of life" is a wonderful expression of the way God communicates with us, and that, by the work of the Spirit, we can have life to the full, as Jesus promised.
Overall the Nicene Creed is positive, looking forward beyond our loves on earth, towards a new life with God for all eternity. In saying the Creed, it
- reminds us of what we believe in,
- allows us to remember what Jesus Christ has done for us by his death on the cross,
- and strengthens our faith, not only individually, but corporately as the body of Christ.
By Pat Clayton
This article was originally written as part of Pat's Reader training.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Apostle Paul's Words on Love (October 2001 edition of the magazine)
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay." Says the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12:9 to 21)
The Incarnation -The Word became flesh
(December 2001 edition of the magazine)
Are you ready for Christmas? Have you posted your cards, bought the presents and decorated the tree? If you are like me, you are probably still rushing about doing Christmas shopping. But in all the preparations it is easy to lose sight of what we are really celebrating: the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago. So let's take a few moments to consider the significance of this amazing event, so amazing, we even base our calendar around it.
A virgin birth
In the gospel of Luke, the angel Gabriel prophesies Jesus' birth to Mary, and it is here that we discover Jesus' conception will not be a natural human one:
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you."
Although Jesus, as Mary's son, would be a human being, he would also be truly divine, "the Son of God". His conception therefore would be sinless. Looking at John's gospel we get more clues about the divine nature of Jesus, or the `Word' as John refers to him:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning."
In other words, Jesus' existence had not begun with his human birth 2000 years ago. As the Word, he had existed with God from before the Creation, because he was God. Yet in revealing Jesus as God, there is no lessening of his humanity, as John declares:
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
The word flesh itself conveys the idea of Jesus being fully human, feeling pain, hunger and thirst, at risk of illness, disease and injury, just like all human beings. He was not pretending or appearing to be human, he really was human.
A humble God
These then are the facts of the incarnation that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born of Mary and the Word became flesh. But what is so incredible is that it happened at all. Is it not astounding, that Almighty God, the King of Kings, the one who created everything in existence, stepped into his own created world as a tiny, helpless baby, born in a filthy stable, to a poor, humble family?
As Philip Yancey put it in his book "The Jesus I never knew":
"It took courage, I believe, for God to lay aside power and glory and to take a place among human beings..."
Indeed, it did take courage, knowing the ultimate outcome, so why did God undertake such a mission? The answer is love. God loved us so much that he was prepared to sacrifice his only Son, to redeem us from our sins, and to give us the chance of spending eternity with him, if we should choose to accept his incredible gift. It was the ultimate rescue plan, to save the whole world.
So let us not forget, as we are surrounded by images of a sweet baby Jesus in a neat manger, the awesome reality of what really happened:
"One night in the cold, in the dark, among the wrinkled hills of Bethlehem, those two worlds [the earthly and the heavenly] came together at a dramatic point of intersection. God, who knows no before or after, entered time and space. God, who knows no boundaries took on the shocking confines of a baby's skin..." (Philip Yancey, "The Jesus I never knew")
Suddenly, all this rushing about doing Christmas shopping seems rather trivial...
Pat Clayton
This article was originally written as part of Pat's Reader training.
Talking Money - Graham Brown (February 2002 edition of the magazine)
Christian Disciples learning together about giving
As many of you will be aware, St Thomas' and St Peter's are following a Derby Diocese project, "Talking Money", which considers Christian giving. The costs of running our churches, along with all other costs in our lives, continue to rise and are increasingly being borne locally by committed members.
But Talking Money is not about `balancing the books'. It is about something far more important. Intrigued? Here are a few points to consider:
- Mission costs money, because mission takes place in the real world where money is the normal means of exchange
- Our churches have been given a mission by God - to make disciples - that needs to be resourced with vision, people, buildings and money,
- This mission is God's work. We believe God's work is to be paid for by God's people
- We believe we ought to talk about money and about our responsibilities in this area as part of the church of God
- The Christian giving we are talking about is not "fundraising" - it is giving by God's people, i.e. releasing a meaningful and proportionate part of what we have (our income) to be used by God's people for God's work.
God has already given all the "money" necessary to resource His mission in this place - it is in our hands (and pockets)
We want to make every effort to become more effective as a Church in bringing God's love in Christ to the people of our parish -what does the level of your giving say about your commitment to that work?
During February there will be an opportunity to explore this subject at our Sunday services as we look at the following areas:
- Giving to say "Thank You"
- First to the Lord
- God's word about giving
During this time you will also hear about Promise Sunday. On 24th February we will be invited to pledge our giving for the next year. You will be asked to sign a card saying that over the next year you will try to give an amount per week or month. Please remember:
Only you, God and the Treasurer will know your mount.
It is not a legal contract! If circumstances change then you can change your commitment (that includes increasing it as well!)
If you pay income tax, you should give via Gift Aid - it costs you nothing, but for every £1 you give the Chancellor will give St Thomas' an extra 28p. Please tick the Gift Aid box on Promise Sunday.
It is the fervent hope of the PCC that all who read this article, will think and pray about this matter and come to the service on 241h February ready to honour God.
The beginning of thanking is thinking think about what God has done for you: think seriously about your giving - and in doing so let God begin the work of releasing you to serve Him.
Let your attitude be gratitude!
Graham Brown
Bible Landmarks (April 2002 edition of magazine)
Do you take your Bible for granted? How many copies of the Bible do you have in your home? When you come to church, do you use the Church Bible to follow the readings and the sermon? This first article explores how the Bible came to be translated into English. In the next issue a second part will explore how the Bible Society is working to make the bible heard in the UK and throughout the world in 2002.
Glyn Botham has kindly undertaken some research on what he calls "Bible Landmarks 1384 - 1611".
Until the work of William Tyndale in the 16th century there were no printed versions of any part of the Bible in English. Tyndale's translation of the New Testament and its printing in Germany was an important landmark. Copies of the work began to arrive in England in 1525 where they were seized and destroyed by the church authorities. By 1536, however, conditions had changed in this country and the text was being printed here and became widely available.
The first great work of printing was the Gutenberg Bible of 1446. That version was in Latin and it was some time before anyone attempted translation into a modern European language. A much earlier attempt to translate the whole Bible into the native tongue had been carried out under the guidance of John Wycliffe between 1380 and 1384, and had been used by travelling preachers. Their activities and Wycliffe's preaching at Oxford were banned at the time of the Peasant's revolt in 1381.
The first complete printed translation of the Bible into English was the work of Miles Coverdale. It was printed in Zurich in 1535 and began to be imported into England. Coverdale himself had to spend three periods of his life in exile on the continent. After the appointment of Thomas Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1533, and the ensuing reformation of the English Church, conditions became more favourable for the general acceptance of English versions of the Bible. This led in 1538 to an injunction which commanded that an English Bible be set up in every parish church - a revolutionary step given that only a few years previously public reading from a vernacular Bible had been forbidden.
During the reign of Elizabeth 1, the so called "Geneva Bible" was printed. This first appeared in 1561 and became, in the words of F. F Bruce "the household Bible of English speaking Protestants". All this led up to what many people consider to be the greatest of the English translations, the Authorised King James' version of 1611. The great strengths of this Bible, besides the faithfulness of the translation, are the directness and vigour of its idioms, still owing much; it is said, to the earlier work of Tyndale.
Landmarks:
1384 The first whole translation of the Bible into English
1446 The Gutenburg Bible
1525 Tyndale's New Testament
1535 Coverdale's Bible printed English language
1538 Bible's ordered to be placed in each parish church
1561 The Geneva Bible printed
1611 The King James Authorised Version
Glyn Botham
A Study in the book of Revelation (October 2005 edition of the magazine)
Following a visit to Turkey, the Biblical Asia Minor, and a
series of Sermons on Heaven and Hell at Church, I
discovered a series of fictional books about the last things
("The Left Behind Series").
All this made me decide to make
a fairly in depth study of the Book of the Revelation of St.
John. Although a Christian for 50 years and a Church of
England Minister for 37 years, I never really felt that I fully
grasped the content of the book. I was very familiar with
certain passages and acquainted with widely diverging
attitudes of interpretation.
After a month or so study I feel
more confident about the book and its message. My
treatise is of some 12,000 words and contains some
scholarly research. However I have discovered that there
are many like me, who would like to get to grips with the
book at a deeper level, especially in the light of world
events. I have not come down on one side or other, but
just presented the material as I see it. It is certainly not
exhaustive.
If any would like to read it, I am happy to send
it electronically. As the printing of it takes nearly 30 pages
of A4, I would need £2 for a printed version, to cover cost
of ink and paper. Please mail me on
robin@balch292.fslife.co.uk and I
would be most happy to share this with you.
Robin Balch
Faith in Action (April 2006 edition of the magazine)
A girl who had just finished her degree
course at University returned to her
home church. At a service she told the
congregation that the Lord had called
her to live “by faith”. She was going to
work for an organisation in Africa to
take the Gospel to people who had
never heard it before. The organisation
would not pay her any salary. She
would have to have faith in God to provide what was
needed.
She ended her talk by saying that she needed a
certain amount of money pledged every month for the next
three years, before she could be accepted. She said the
literature and the necessary forms were at the back of the
Church. As this was her home church she was certain
they would support her.
After the service a member was
heard to say, “I believe she has the faith needed, but some
of us have to go to work to earn the money to furbish her
faith!” The person concerned was a hard working
committed Christian who had never failed in generosity, in
spite of having limited means. The remark was a little
unkind, but perhaps understandable!
I am grateful to St. James, who defines the quality of faith
that produces “action”.
He said:
“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes
and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you
well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his
physical needs, what good is that? In the same way,
faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead”
(James 2:15-17)
I am fascinated about how Luke sees
Jesus calling his disciples to missionary service. In Luke
10:2 “He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to
send out workers into his harvest field.” Then
immediately (v3) he says: “Go, I am sending you out!”
In
other words we are called upon to answer our own
prayer. If we believe God is able to do something special,
it is often through those, who asking for it, that it is
achieved!
St .James has not been popular in certain circles. The
Reformer Martin Luther said James’ letter was “an epistle
of straw!” I suppose he thought that in some way James
was detracting from the power of God in response to faith.
But a practical, down to earth approach, challenges us to
be the agents of God’s working. James warns his readers
not to boast about what they will achieve. He adds it is
better to say “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this
or that.” (James 4:15)
I value the practical down to earth
prayer of Sir Francis Drake, made at the time of the
Spanish Armada’s threat to England. “O Lord God, when
thou givest to thy servants to endeavour any great matter,
grant us also to know it is not the beginning but
continuing of the same until it be thoroughly finished
which yieldeth the true glory, through him that for the
finishing of thy work laid down his life, thy Son Jesus
Christ.”
Robin Balch
PS. The girl did get her sponsorship, and has in fact been
a wonderful agent of God’s work for many years in
various places in the world!
John Small -Musing During a Sermon (October 2007 edition of the magazine)
John Small raises questions from a sermon preached at St Thomas’ to stimulate some discussion.
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During my life as a Christian I have sat through many sermons. This has been in a variety of different churches and preached by lay folk, ministers, evangelists and even bishops. Many sermons have inspired and lifted me in the understanding of the nature of faith. Some have covered familiar themes whilst others have resulted in a wandering mind and drifting off into my own world. I expect that many of us have had this whole range of, or should I say catholic, experiences. It is interesting how one individual will leave a service having felt close to God whereas another will have been struggling to make sense of the Word. |
Sometimes during the course of a sermon differing thoughts come into the mind raising questions that may need an answer or issues that interest the imagination. Sometimes the questions only result in more questions that need study, reflection and the views of others to assist with understanding. I recall many a Sunday family dinner where the content of the latest sermon was reconsidered and different avenues explored. Sometimes it was helpful, sometime it was rather cutting but the range of views expressed often reflected the experience of the individual or the element of the sermon that was important to them.
I would suggest that we as a church can use this magazine, Ploughshare, to extend this process. There is the opportunity to reflect on elements of the sermons at St Thomas’ and St Peter’s and to provide insight from a range of individuals on matters raised. The idea is not to be critical or undermine the preaching of the Word but to allow the seeds sown to grow and develop over a period of time.
Let me give you an example.
The other Sunday morning I attended a service where the subject was seeking God’s protection and safety in our lives. This was based on 2 Kings Chapters 18 and 19 which records the arrogance and mocking of the Assyrians and the sending of Sennarcherib to threaten the holy city and undermine the position of King Hezekiah. As the poet puts it, “Sennararchrib came down like a wolf on the fold” and surrounded the city in an attempt to bring Israel back into the pagan empire of Babylon.
The images are powerful and there is a picture of anyone standing up for God being assailed on all sides by those that would undermine them and threaten their witness.
The sermon rightly pointed out that Hezekiah found safety in approaching the Holy Place, laying his troubles before the Lord and seeking the protection of the Almighty God. Isaiah the prophet gives God’s reply that the Assyrians will not enter the city and the people of God will in this instance be protected.
Chapter 19 tells us that God achieved this protection by the death of 185,000 of the Assyrian army.
At this time my mind was set off musing and it ran something along these lines:
• I need God’s protection in many differing situation.
• I believe and trust in the authority and work of God to protect me and no one will separate me from the love of Christ.
• I’m happy to seek protection from the Lord.
But
• The Assyrians were part of Gods creation.
• The foot soldier were only following orders.
• Why was it necessary for God to protect his people in such a brutal way?
• I know that my protection was brought at such a cost in the death of the Son of God but how do I feel if my request for protection would result in harm to others?
• Would I continue to seek protection or I would I be more willing to protect others rather than myself? Jesus taught us to love our enemies!
• Why does God protect some and not others? I am sure that our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who are experiencing persecution cry out to Him for protection but sometimes they face unimaginable torture and even death!
• Some of God’s people experience famine and natural disasters, where is their protection?
I know or I fear that faced with similar circumstances in my life I would rage against God and certainly question “Why Me?”
I suppose that the issue needs more thought, so come on and put pen to paper and respond with your thoughts on these issues and send off your views in a letter or article to the editor of Ploughshare.
I for one would value your contribution of the raising of questions that have occurred to you whilst musing in a sermon!
John Small
You can listen to the sermon John referred to here.
Musing During a Sermon -reply by David Smith (December 2007 edition of the magazine)
John Small’s article in last month’s magazine brought forth two interesting replies.
Thank you, John, for your article "Musings During a Sermon" in the October/November edition of Ploughshare. John wants to share some serious questionings he has experienced.
He is not alone in this. We must all have been prompted to question what we are hearing at one time or another. It may arise over some particular point in a sermon, as with John himself, or as a result of our own musings on Bible passages. Such experiences can be very disturbing. They can so challenge our faith that we even feel rather guilty and isolated in our uncertainty – “Oh dear, should I be questioning or doubting in such a way; do other Christians feel the same?".
This is where "sharing" these challenges can be so helpful. St. Paul once wrote "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ". In short, don't leave people to carry heavy concerns on their own. Question¬ing is not a sin unless it is a deliberate attempt to create unbelief in others.
Real sharing can be very demanding: costly in patience, courage and trustworthiness. Sharing therefore is never meant to be an occasion for mere argument or scoring points. It is an area of Christian ministry calling for every sign of the Holy Spirit to be working in us as we share.
Look for a list of such signs in Galatians, chapter 5, verse 22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”.
Please carry on sharing your musings, John. We all may be richer for hearing them and may be encouraged to join you.
David Smith
Musing During a Sermon -reply by Yusuf Levison (December 2007 edition of the magazine)
Jerusalem, November 700 BC
Dear John Small,
My name is Yusuf Levison and I was a scribe in the service of King Hezekiah during the Assyrian attack on the city of Jerusalem you mention in your ‘Musings during a sermon’ in the October/ November 2007 issue of St Thomas' Ploughshare. It got me thinking because I wrote that part of the king’s record which found its way into what you call 2 Kings Chapters 18 and 19. I said to myself: ‘this guy, like a lot of 21st century people, has got hold of the wrong end of the stick’. So I did some musings of my own to put the record straight.
I mused, why do people read my work as if 3,000 years of history has not passed between us? If I had been recording those events in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, I probably would not have mentioned God at all. Also I would have said that the Assyrians died from malaria or smallpox or AIDS or some such thing and left it at that. We can only describe things with the thought forms and ideas that are available at our time. When reading the Old Testament, Christians do not always realise that they are dealing with literature of a different culture and time than their own and in this case written 3 millennia ago. A lot has happened since then and a lot of things have changed, even the way people think.
I mused why do people read my work as if they and I had exactly the same view of the world and life? My understanding of things is entirely different than yours. My contemporaries would have found nothing odd about what I wrote, because they shared my view of how things are. Our view of life was quite simple. We believed that God was the creator and controller of everything that exists. Birth, life, blessing, accidents, disasters, tragedies and death were understood as ‘acts of God’. We understood God to be responsible for all things. If someone died in a mysterious way and were asked who did it our answer would always be ‘God!’ We could not express it in any other way. And given our mind set, when something particularly awful beyond our grasp happened like the death of the Assyrians, we said that it must have been God’s destroying angel at work. This is our way of thinking. In answer to the question: ’Why did God do this?’ we would say, ‘Because he does everything! Who else could have done it?
I know people in your world do not think like that, so when you are reading our writing you need to do a translation exercise and ask what is this man saying in his own time and what did it mean then? There is a further question about what it might mean in the 21st century, but that is not my problem. Incidentally, in your day a natural disaster like a tsunami is sometimes described as an ‘act of God’, even though you have a scientific explanation for it.
I mused why do people forget that the coming of Jesus into the world has happened since I wrote? Jesus came into the world and modelled how we should love God, love our neighbour and even our enemies. This is a major advantage you have over me. I could not judge by such high moral standards, because my generation had not read about him in action as you have. My understanding of God and his works are pre -Jesus and therefore limited. I just see darkly what your generation can, if it wants, see clearly. So there is a big gap between me and you.
There is one final musing I have. In spite of Jesus coming into the world and showing his love, you have to admit that in general the morality of people in your generation is no better than it was in mine. So please do not judge me by your lights.
I remain Hezekiah’s faithful scribe and a voice from the past.
Yusuf Levison
(The author, know to the editor, wishes to remain anonymous)
More Musing! -John Small (February 2008 edition of the magazine)
In the October/November 2007 edition of the magazine John Small wrote an article entitled ‘Musings During a Sermon’. There were two interesting replies in the last edition (see above). John now comments on one of these replies.
Preparing an article for Ploughshare has its dangers! First of all friends at church start talking to you. Secondly, and possibly more dangerous, David Smith writes a response and wants to change the whole process from speculation to actually doing something!
“Bear one another’s burdens”, not just think about it but act, get involved and live out this faith of ours.
What is this bearing of burdens all about? I decided that to analyse this I need to apply the “5 Ws & H” test. It goes something like this:
Who: So who has these burdens?
In ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’, Pilgrim carried a burden to the foot of the cross, where it was loosed from his back and rolled away. However, when I read the tale it is only after the cross and on the road to the celestial city that Pilgrim is attacked, gets bogged down in doubts and allows his fears and vanity to divert him from his route.
Paul writes to a church to instruct them to bear each others burdens. So my assumption is that Christ deals with the issue of sin but we as fellow Christians are there to support, care and empower each other on this difficult pathway of service. So the ‘Who’ is all of us in the church. That includes you, and if I am honest, me!
What: What is involved in bearing a burden?
We often learn from opposites. Some time ago a Christian asked me if I was “OK”. This is supposed to elicit the reply, “I’m fine.” On this occasion I decided to tell them that I was troubled and struggling. The friend’s eyes rolled upward and eventually the reply was “I haven’t got time at present, but I will pray for you.” The net result to me is to be apprehensive about disclosing any concerns.
I suppose that ‘bearing’ requires me to get involved, to understand how another is experiencing a situation and take the strain and weight so that they can find relief and not feel like the only one in that situation.
When: When to do it?
It is a bit difficult to ‘bear a burden’ if I only see or talk to someone once a week and then after a service at the church.
So….
• Do I sit back and wait to be approached and invited to bear a burden for awhile (first of all find me!).
• Do I go round identifying burdens that another has and insist that I get involved. “Come on, I can see you are troubled, I’m here to help, I don’t care if you don’t want help…..”
Getting involved must require a greater depth of sharing based on love, friendship, respect and, here’s an idea, allow another to help me/you first so that I can learn about the feelings of support, empowerment and true fellowship.
Where: So where do we go with the burden?
Wherever we go, we go together. There seems little point in marching off in another direction, even if we are convinced it is the right route! The journey needs to be shared together. Included in this are times of talk, times of action and times of just being together. Sometimes words are not necessary, but empathy and love are the basis.
Perhaps you could discuss what a good solution is, and then find the steps necessary to achieve that outcome. Soon a partnership will become a trio as Jesus is invited to walk with you.
Why: Why is always difficult?
Scripture tells us that it is a requirement to fulfil the law of Christ. Jesus said this is my commandment “that you love one another”
I suppose that love, like faith, without works is dead and that a Christian without love is like a clanging cymbal and their good deeds are nothing.
I see it rather like a circle, if I get involved and share the love of Christ then I also experience that love. The brother or sister may have the opportunity to grow and feel supported but I also learn something of the ways of God.
How: How do I bear another’s burden?
Surely that’s not for me to say. The ‘How’ is between you, God and you and your fellow Christian.
Think about what you would like. It may include respect, the ability to ‘stand in my shoes for awhile’ and understand how I experience the ‘burden’, honesty, spiritual wisdom and of course, confidentiality.
For me it would be bearing a burden with me rather that having it done to me. Try and work out how you would like to experience this part of fellowship and then how you can apply this to fulfilling the law of Christ in your every day life.
John Small
How much would it cost to hire a mother (April 2008 edition of the magazine)
....asked Dawn Edingborough at the St Thomas’ Mothering Sunday Service in March. She was very ably assisted by a number of mums!
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One of the questions I’ve had on my mind on this Mothering Sunday is ‘how much would it cost to hire a mother’?
A mum does so many different jobs in looking after her children and we need to consider all these when we think of the cost of hiring her.
So what does she do and how much would she cost? |
- Teacher £25,000 say (To tell us things)
- Nurse £15,000 (To look after us)
- Cleaner £10,000 (To keep us clean)
- Chef £20,000 (To cook for us)
- Judge £40,000 (To keep order)
- Footballer £30,000 (To entertain)
- Bank Manager £50,000 (To manage the finances)
Total £205,000
But of course mums don’t stick to a 37 hour week. They are available 24/7. Add another £160,000 overtime and we get a grand total of £365,000 –a £1,000 a day!
Isn’t it amazing that although our mums could charge thousands of pounds for what they do they choose to do it for free! Why is that? Because our mums LOVE us. Isn’t it marvellous that our mums LOVE us so much.
But there is something else we can learn. What a mother does for her family is just a small picture of what God does. Each of the roles that a mother plays reminds us of what God does for us all.
- Teacher
God guides us through life showing us what’s best for us
- Nurse
God cares for us when we’re hurt
- Cleaner
God forgives us and cleanses us from all our guilt
- Chauffeur
God is always available and willing to help us
- Chef
God provides the whole of creation with good foo
- Judge
God shows us the difference between right and wrong
- Footballer
God shares our fun and He’s close to us when we are sad
- Bank Manager
God teaches us to use our resources wisely
God gives all this to us free. The Bible calls it God’s Grace or favour to us. And why doesn’t he charge us –because he LOVES us!
So, in the case of both God and our mothers, it’s LOVE that is the key. It’s because they LOVE us that they do everything the do for free –and in both cases that’s a lot!
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