A sad time of year? For some the changes in the weather and shorter days can affect our mood.
Justin Hayward (appropriately from the Moody Blues) wrote a classic song “Forever Autumn.” Here are the first two verses. Hope they don’t make you sad!
“The summer sun is fading as the year grows old And darker days are drawing near The winter winds will be much colder Now you’re not here I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky And one by one they disappear I wish that I was flying with them Now you’re not here Like the sun through the trees you came to love me Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away…”
Autumn can affect us emotionally and spirituality. That impact can be quite strong and make us moodier. Individual circumstances can cause vulnerability; and being aware of that is important. Our physical existence impacts everything.
It is a time to strengthen family/friendship links- mutual support is so helpful. It is also good to remember that life doesn’t centre on us- we are important and valued, but our focus stands on Jesus and He is with us ALWAYS. In every season, spring or autumn. James has a few worthwhile things to say about fruitfulness AND patience.
James 5:7 “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.”
(Tomorrow I’ll look at the positive aspects of Autumn!)
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.”
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.
At the earliest glimmerings of daylight, some brave women walked to the tomb of Jesus: they intended to care for his corpse with spices and cloth. Jesus was not there! It’s a fact that requires explanation. As that Resurrection Day went on, more people encountered the Risen, Living Lord. You can read their witness statements in the Gospels- start with Luke.
How can I represent the Resurrection in a photograph?
This picture is a collage made up of photos of individual Christians in one church: it hangs in the entry hall so the congregation is reminded every Sunday of two things.
1. Jesus IS alive. 2. All of the church is embraced into this new living reality. Resurrection includes us, past, present, and future.
God’s grace has rescued us; by faith- trusting active obedience- we are a part of the new Kingdom. We are “in Christ” and this fact changes everything. If we refuse to believe the evidence of history, the eyewitness testimony, and the survival & growth of the Church, then Easter is empty. That’s the choice: the empty tomb OR an empty life of futility. Mock my faith if you will; deny the Resurrection if you dare. EVERYTHING hinges on this, as St Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
“But tell me this- since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God- for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”
Read it and rejoice- or read it and weep.
May the blessings of our Risen Christ be yours today and always.
There’s something missing. “No Fishing” is plain enough. But for it to be a really good/funny photo, there should be a kingfisher perching or a heron standing next to the sign. Then I could sell that pic for a decent sum. (Even a seagull perching would do at a pinch.)
Modern editing software means I could insert a suitable bird, reasonably easily, although any little mistake would mean you’d spot the cheating. There are real experts in using Photoshop who could make a blended picture so good even I’d be fooled- and I took the photo in the first place.
The altered picture would be untrue, a lie, a misrepresentation, or even a scam (if I tried to sell the photo to the media).
Does that matter? It should do! If not, we decide by default that fictional pics are acceptable “truth”… Imagine if a photographer produced fake nudes- the harm that could do to the reputation and emotional health of the victims! (Please note any similarity to the recent judgement against Gr*k could be purely a coincidence, and is not necessarily my deliberate inference).
Regular readers will know that I try to acknowledge whenever animal/bird subjects have been photographed in captivity. Or I’d be guilty of making you think I’m a better photographer than I am, with fieldcraft worthy of a professional. I’m honest about it.
Truth matters. Honesty and integrity should be integral to our chosen lifestyle.
So when politicians or preachers “add bits in” to make a powerful headline… OR leave stuff out to change the story and unduly influence the audience… it is WRONG. No smart excuses can excuse the lying. It may be expedient to lie/exaggerate/falsify but it isn’t clever and it isn’t right.
You may say I’m showing naivety. Well, I’d rather be naive and enjoy a clear conscience! I believe we should be able to expect truth and integrity from people in positions of influence and power.
After all, as a follower of Jesus (admittedly an imperfect follower) surely I must take his words seriously. “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.'” – John 14:6-7.
Is it always easy to understand and apply the truth of Jesus to every part of life? I wish!!! Sometimes I reflect Jesus a bit like the reflection of the sign in the water… Sorry about that. I’ll try to be clearer.
Jesus proclaims Truth. Our Accuser, Satan, is described as the “Father of Lies.” So when we’re listening to someone, who is closest to Truth? The sad fact is that we tend to become like the one we pay attention to… so truth IS rather vital. Who are we listening to- and how are they forming us?
Do rules make you dig your heels in and mutter “Shan’t” under your breath? Yes? Then I’m not alone.
I started thinking about this as I was editing the photo, only little tweaks, and the bright idea hit me. Why not remove the barbed wire to make it a charming donkey-portrait? So I tried.
So when you look carefully at the picture, you’ll be thinking “nice bit of photoshopping” right up to the moment when you see the wire is still there. Why? Because I realised it stood for something important.
Fences are there to keep the animals IN the safety of their field. Fences also help stop potential dangers from getting into the field.
It a rule, well, two rules. Stay In; and Keep Out. The donkey benefits from both. It might fancy an expedition to find greener grass- but the road is very busy so the “rule” keeps donkeys safer. And keeping out ijits who want to feed/ride/steal Mr Donk is a good thing.
God gives us “rules” for a similar reason; to keep us from harm, and keep us from harming others. Our record of keeping the rules isn’t good. Many of us think the “Ten Suggestions” are a multi-choice test, “attempt three from ten.”
The deeper purpose of the guidance God has given is to teach us wisdom so we learn the best way to life. I do find I am more receptive to rules if I understand WHY and TRUST the rule-setter. Some of you are probably less stroppy by nature and do “Keep off the Grass” when you see the sign. Also, you never break speed limits, never have naughty thoughts, and NEVER suffer temptation. Do you recognise yourself here?
Well, I’m far from perfect. But I have learned a very important lesson. Jesus said ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31
When life is ruled by love, we only need those two rules.
Jesus also understands our struggles with human nature, and offers forgiveness, new beginnings, and NEW LIFE. This is what the Cross and Resurrection are all about. We are about to enter the season of Lent, a period of prayer and devotion leading up to Easter. (There’s a donkey in THAT story too.)
Meanwhile, remember that barbed wires fences can have painful consequences when ignored (or jumped). So keep an eye out- and keep God at the heart of life, then prove you love Him as you help and care for others.
I’m trying to teach myself the skill of seeing the signs of light and life in an unsettled world.
My photo is of bamboo- which can be VERY destructive if it gets its roots deep enough- and my eye was fixated by the one highlighted strip. The intensity of the light overexposed this strip: the camera couldn’t handle the contrast, so all the colour has bleached out leaving stems and leaves a silvery white. If you look closely, you can see some of these parts glow as they reflect glare which made the lens “flare.”
Bamboo, certainly many of the common varieties, can grow with extraordinary speed. Several inches in a day. Stems and shoots can force through soil, rock, or concrete: it can ruin the foundations of a building, or grow up through solid floors. At which point, it’s too late even to panic!
Bad governance, sometimes careless and sometimes evil, grows like bamboo. Ambition, greed and a lust for power afflict many of those who rise to prominence via wealth or political manipulation. It seems to me this process is clearly at work in the “great super-powers” and in many autocratic states.
Such darkness is not inevitable. The Berlin Wall was brought crashing down by people demanding liberty: Poland and the Czech/Slovak people shone a bright light of hope.
Putin will, one day, die. So will Trump. So will we all. Some of those deaths will make the world a better place for their passing! But ONE death makes the Light shine through Resurrection. Jesus, who was crucified by the “Establishment” of religion and Empire, inaugurated a new Kingdom of hope, of Love, grace, compassion, mercy, and justice: raised from death, Jesus reigns as Lord of all lords and will one day be acknowledged by all. Commoners, lords and ladies, rich and poor…
So if you see darkness growing in leaders, nations, and societies that do not show the values of the Kingdom of Jesus, don’t despair. Their day will pass. The Day of Jesus will never pass away. We see this Light in the actions of love and kindness, of bravery and boldness for the good, and in the transformed lives of those who are becoming like Jesus day by day. The light glows brighter against gathering darkness- and the darkness neither understands nor can overcome the Light of the World.
Please pray for leaders: not in blind approval of their actions, but that they be accountable to both God and the people they rule. Pray for any “outburst of light” you see, pray that Christ brings His Light into every dark place.
The Early Church often greeted each other with “Maranatha” which means “Come, O Lord.” It’s a word in need of more use…
Revelation 22:20 (NLT): “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”.
An ordinary evening, they thought. “We can light a fire, huddle round, and watch the sheep dozing. Hopefully it will be a quiet night.”
It just so happened that God had a different plan.
Suddenly the peace and quiet was broken. A messenger from God, an angel, appeared and spoke reassuringly: “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” (Luke 2 v10)
These shepherds, the lowest of the low, are sent to Bethlehem as eyewitnesses to the arrival of the Messiah- the baby born to Mary. Before they could get over the shock and “explain it all away” a host of angels arrived as backup, praising God and proclaiming glory and peace.
I find it hard to imagine that a “host” of angels would be anything other than awe-inspiring as they spoke/shouted/sang… so much for a “quiet night.”
How very fitting that it was shepherds who witnessed the arrival of Jesus, the Lamb of God – “who takes away the sin of the world.”
May your Christmas Eve be special- and your Christmas Day a celebration of hope and Love. Peace and grace be with you!
I love that delicious moment when we find ourselves at the edge of a passing storm… the sun peeks through, and a rainbow ignites. Arching across the skies, those gorgeous colours offer us hope.
Life will always have storms. But the Lord God gives us rainbows. Do we fear the storm- or celebrate the rainbow?
One encouraging phrase sometimes used during tough times is “This too shall pass.” It’s true enough- I have a 100% record of surviving bad times (so far). But that is small comfort when we have to face the harsh realities of sickness or grief, when we -or those we love- seem caught up in a tornado of trial or terror.
Jesus offered something more reliable: in Matthew 24:35 (NLT) he says:- “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
That promise shines like a rainbow against the darkening sky. A technicolour guarantee! Jesus speaks- and gives Life.
Later, in 1 Cor 13 v13, Paul commented that it all boils down to this:
“Faith, Hope, and Love shall remain- and the greatest of these is Love.”
Why take a photograph? Using flowers and plants as an example, let’s answer that “why” question.
Before cameras were invented, naturalists illustrated their work with carefully crafted drawings and paintings. Many of these were exquisite, detailed and accurately coloured.
Then came film and modern lenses: almost perfect replicas of the subject, unadulterated by any human mis-perceptions. Such photos are a stunningly accurate copy, which is fine if you are illustrating a textbook. Yet if photography is ART, arguably some different qualities are needed.
The “why” comes into play. What drew the eye to the subject? Is it the shape, the form, the colour, the contrast, the light? Perhaps the scent? Pictures can’t help with that last one!
Art interprets as well as records. By controlling the composition, the lighting, even the lens used, the photographer selects the desired qualities of the subject and then attempts to succeed in capturing a satisfying representation that pleases the eye, mind, and emotions.
Some would say the photo “tells a story” or conveys something important to communicate to the viewer.
What about this picture? It’s a dark-orange sunflower called “Red Sun” and I spotted it one morning just as it was starting to unfurl its petals. It looked spiky and soft at the same time! The gentle light softened the leaf colour, and the unfocused background made the dark petals jag out like a crown of spears against the pale greens and blues.
Tiny, delicate hairs add texture and finer detail as the eye explores.
A few hours, a day later, and the “normal” flower shape would be established and probably make this sunflower more ordinary.
For me, the shape matters: and the harmonious spread of pastel colours behind the dark, stark petals makes me want to look again; it holds my interest, and captures a specific moment in time for this particular plant.
I have to say that I find the concept of random existence and evolution unsatisfying. The qualifying word there is “random.” Faith and science sometimes collide- and sometimes they mutually enrich. All too often scientists and theologians have butted heads like angry goats! Usually, because theologians don’t understand science AND scientists don’t understand theology. (Both disciplines are complex and multi-faceted, and require a lifetime of study in order to reach the point of realising we only scratch the surface of knowledge and meaning. That’s the point at which a bit of humility and mutual respect makes the conversation fruitful.)
Faith asks questions about mystery and addresses those mysteries via the self-revelation of God, which weaves through all things like a glorious golden thread.
Meditation on a photograph, an interpretation of reality, allows the mind and spirit of a human to ponder beauty; and perhaps discern the fingerprint of the Artist. Add to that an examination of the life, nature, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and an Eternal Light shines through into our own present reality.
Sounds a bit grand, rather high-faluting, and possibly ambitious! But is it so unlikely that a Creator leaves a “signature” on the supreme Art of existence? Only one way to find out- give it a try!
Look, See, Pray 