Bearly Upright- Look, See, Pray

This is me, after preaching this morning. Fuzzy, a bit cross-eyed, with a blank long-distance stare- a fine upstanding figure of a bear with little brain. I dozed off after lunch so the roast beef will now be dinner tomorrow… the substitute fishcakes were quite tasty though, and MUCH quicker to cook.

Now I’m retired, I don’t preach as often: and it takes more out of me than it used to. But it is still a special calling, and a remarkable privilege and honour to explore Scripture and apply truth to life. Today we looked at Psalm 51 and the rather shabby story of David’s greatest calamity as king.

Summing up 2 Samuel 11 as “When you’re in a hole, stop digging” we looked at the shameful and tragic mixture of lust, deception, adultery and murder. Even the best of human beings is capable of dreadful sin and failure.

“You’re Nicked” is the title for 2 Samuel 12. Nathan, a true prophet, confronts David- read the two chapters for the full account- and helps bring David back to his senses and to God.

So, on to Psalm 51. Written out of guilt and heartbreak, David takes responsibility and pleads for forgiveness. Any believer who has ever sinned against God (that’s all of us!) will benefit from reading this as a prayer and a penance. Our faults may not be same as those of King David- but as a model for honest and sincere repentance, it is deeply helpful.

Sin always has consequences- but forgiveness is the gift of our Merciful Father. A clean slate and a new beginning is ours when we truly desire to change direction and become obedient.

Grace and mercy await. This Psalm has many familiar verses- read it and see how many you recognise.

Reflect on this short extract from Psalm 51: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin… and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again. You have broken me- now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.” (From Psalm 51 v1-2, & v7-9)

So, a serious, even heavy, message to deliver. Like every preacher, I speak to myself as well as a congregation. Preaching should never be a stick to beat on others. Rather, it is a message centred in the truth of God’s self-revelation that the preacher must “live in” even as the Word is shared.

“Lord, have mercy on me; and have mercy on those who had to listen. May the seed of Your Word grow in us all- and may Your mercy grant us joy in our salvation. May we have a holy life and a message of hope to share this week, and always. AMEN.”

Being Different- Look, See, Pray

If the first peacock you ever saw was white- you’re in for a shock. Most peacocks are very brightly coloured. How will you adapt to something so different? It works the same the other way round- your “bog-standard blue peacock” world will be surprised or even shocked when you first see a white one.

We build a world-view based on what we come into contact with (especially when we are young). So in my worldview swans are white! The ones on the River Adur were always white therefore swans are white. It’s sort of logical… But not necessarily true. Black swans exist too. Oh the shock to my childish brain!

Then my parents gave me a pet ALBINO rabbit… but Peter Rabbit was brown. No wonder I grew up confused.

The world is full of difference! In fact, that is probably one of the most obvious facts. Dogs in various sizes… cows aren’t just black and white… insects… birds… fish… animals… PEOPLE. Yep, people are all different. Skin colour, hair colour, eye colour. Some people can dance- when I try, I resemble a drunken hippo on a parachute.

Have you noticed how the younger generation ALWAYS have lousy music?

And ridiculous fashion sense? (Ahem… remembering some of the stuff we wore in the 70’s perhaps I should drop that example. Nah, those flared jeans and kipper ties were cool, man. The stuffy grown-ups just couldn’t dig it, bro.)

We are surrounded by difference yet all too often “being different” is the reason for rejection or persecution. Often people who look different speak a foreign language (well, duh) and like weird food- we don’t understand them, and standing next door to that is finding them scary and threatening… What we fear, usually we hate. When hatred takes hold, evil follows.

Racism is an evil thing. Discrimination is an evil thing. Being different is NOT an evil thing.

Variety, diversity, creativity… difference. Isn’t this what gives life its spice and fascination?

JB Phillips translated part of Colossians 1 like this:

Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. He existed before creation began, for it was through him that every thing was made, whether spiritual or material, seen or unseen. Through him, and for him, also, were created power and dominion, ownership and authority. In fact, every single thing was created through, and for him. He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation. And now he is the head of the body which is composed of all Christian people. Life from nothing began through him, and life from the dead began through him, and he is, therefore, justly called the Lord of all. It was in him that the full nature of God chose to live, and through him God planned to reconcile in his own person, as it were, everything on earth and everything in Heaven by virtue of the sacrifice of the cross.

All the differences in the world- and God’s purpose is to reconcile ALL THINGS to Himself through Christ. Will we spurn, fear, or hate those whom God loves? Jesus- the antidote to hatred, and reconciler of all. Even those who are different.

Rest Your Eyes- Look, See, Pray

Green is such a restful colour. With the sunlight passing through the leaf membranes, the greens glow; all the tiny veins form patterns linking to the Y-shape of the major stems.

It looks rather like a picture I saw of the rivers of the Amazon Basin viewed from a high satellite pass. The similarity is not just the appearance: the plant uses a “web” of veins and arteries to pass water and nutrients TO the leaf, and thus aid the chlorophyll “factory” working in the leaf bio-chemistry. The chlorophyll is what produces the green colouration. When the growing season ends, the loss of chlorophyll and water turns the leaves brown (until they shrivel or drop).

Just look at the shapes in the composition: allow your eye to wander and explore. What comes to mind? The leaf doesn’t “tell a story” it just exists… is that enough? Or is this photo a waste of space?

Being itself and being displayed can suggest value and beauty. As for meaning… aren’t some pictures valid just because they are pretty?

Let your eye linger on the photo. Does the “simple complexity” cause you to think of the wonder of life, of beauty, of the One who caused Life to be?

To look at a picture or a living scene is one way of tuning in to God’s reality and Being. Some call this practice “Visio Divina” or Divine Seeing; it is a heart-centred practice that invites the viewer to perceive God’s presence through what they see, parallel to how Lectio Divina uses scripture for meditation and prayer.

The practice emphasizes slowing down, gazing with love, and allowing the image to speak to the heart, fostering a direct encounter with the divine. It goes back to St Benedict (c500AD) or earlier: using icons, stained glass, and other forms of art.

Historically, it has been a way to make the invisible grace of God visible through art and creation. Willing to try it? Pick a picture…

(Definition provided by contemplative.org which is worth checking for more insight.)

For the curious- the leaf is a Giant Rhubarb Plant, photographed at Dunster Castle.