Not For The Fainthearted

Jan 18, 2024

The Christian life is not for the fainthearted. Many of us, lulled by false teaching and a misunderstanding of the nature of eternity, assume that a benevolent God will make life easy for us here and now, but the fact of sin and the corruption it has caused means that life on earth is never without its problems and troubles. David, anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel at a young age (1 Samuel 16), might have expected an easy journey to the job; after all, it was definitely God’s will for him! But in actual fact, life became intensely complicated for him as Saul’s jealousy meant his life was threatened, and by 1 Samuel 21, we see David as a fugitive on the run, separated from his wife and best friend, Jonathan, and so desperate for sanctuary that he fled to Nob and then even feigned insanity before Achish, king of Gath.
There is often a period of testing between God’s promises to us and their fulfilment. We see that in the life of Abraham, who was promised a son by God, but who then had to wait twenty-five years to see that promise fulfilled in the person of Isaac, and in the life of Joseph, whose dreams of greatness as a teenager were followed by betrayal (sold into slavery by his own brothers) and wrongful imprisonment before he finally came to be the means of salvation during a time of famine. David, thrust into the limelight and successful as a warrior in Saul’s army, is now on the run, having to live amongst the enemy and lie to the priest to get enough bread to survive. If ever we thought a life of faith guaranteed bliss without peril, David rips those fantasies to pieces. We do well to heed this lesson, for we live in the cold light of reality, not the heady warmth of fantasy. God is real, an ever-present help in trouble (Ps 46:1), but He wants us to deal with reality, not imagination or fantasy. So many modern problems stem from an inability to distinguish reality from fantasy and to lament the fact that real life isn’t all we have cracked it up to be!
Yet David also shows us how to praise God in tough times (see Psalm 34, with its determination to praise and extol God no matter what.) He reminds us of God’s deliverance, rescue, protection and care. The psalm is a great encouragement to us, but is especially relevant when we realise that it was written not from a calm oasis but in the midst of this storm. Faith is what gives us roots. God is the One who is there, in the mess of a fugitive life as well as in the blessing of anointing. David may not always get it right – he is human, just like us! But he sticks with God, and because of that is our example in difficult times.

Regenerate Renew Revitalise

Jan 16, 2024

Just occasionally God lifts a curtain and we see things from His perspective; we see how He is working behind the scenes in our lives and in history.

For years now we as a church have been praying for Goldthorpe and the Dearne area, praying that God would bless and renew our whole community. Encouraged by God’s word through Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon that they were to pray for the peace and  prosperity of that place (Jer 29:7), we have been praying for the peace and prosperity of Goldthorpe and have been seeking to do what we can to bless and help our area.

In March 2021 the Government gave £23.1 million to Goldthorpe as one of Barnsley’s Principal Towns. We believe that in itself was an answer to our prayers! Their slogan is ‘Regenerate… Renew… Revitalise.’ Those seem like very spiritual words to me! Regeneration is often used in economic terms (it means ‘rebirth’), and we pray regularly for local businesses to flourish and prosper. But regeneration is also a spiritual term, and we are praying for people to be ‘born again’ and to come to know God.

Renewal is at the heart of what BMBC is doing in Goldthorpe (hence the new Town Square, new play area by the doctor’s surgery and refurbishment of old buildings such as the Dearne Playhouse), but again, renewal has that spiritual application, where we ask God to renew our hearts and refresh us. Spiritual renewal is necessary; there is a need for us to be renewed inwardly if outward renewal is to last.

Revitalise implies not only new life, but new vitality. Some time ago God reminded me of the verse from Isaiah 61:3 that He would bestow ‘a crown of beauty instead of ashes‘, and this is something we have been seeking to see locally – beauty, colour, vibrancy and vitality instead of dreariness, drabness and greyness. The Dearne Community Arts’ Festival’s community art projects are all very colourful, and the 2023 project (‘Picture Perfect?: The Dearne Community Story Trail’) was the most ambitious yet. Using part of the £23.1 million given to Goldthorpe (itself a miracle of God’s provision), the arts’ festival worked with artist Lydia Caprani, storyteller Beccy Dye and local community groups to capture something of the vitality that is part of our area every single day!

Last week I had the privilege of meeting with Michael Upton (former journalist at the Rotherham Advertiser and now working for BMBC) and Matt Stephens (Chair of Goldthorpe Towns Fund) to publicise the launch of the Dearne Community Story Trail. To hear Matt Stephens encourage people to come to see the selfie boards (see here) was that lifting of heaven’s curtain for me. In July 2021 at the first Phoenix Park Fun Day, Matt Stephens attended to promote the Towns Fund and talk about all that was being planned; I spoke to him and told him that there were lots of things we in the community wanted to see and do. To stand with him less than three years later and reflect on being a part of these projects was special indeed. God hears and answers our prayers. He is always working behind the scenes, even when we do not see Him. What is happening now in Goldthorpe and the wider Barnsley borough is, I believe, partly the result of the prayers of God’s people. Let’s keep praying and believing for regeneration, renewal and revitalisation – in every possible realm!

 

God Works For Good

Jan 14, 2024

Dave spoke tonight from Romans 8:26-29. We may well feel 2024 starts in a perilous state with wars, financial problems and many other threats, but as the older generation are often quick to point out, this has often been the case, with the Cold War and severe winters (e.g. 1947) just two of the problems in the past. At uncertain times, we feel very insecure, but Paul reminds us in these verses that our security is ultimately in God, and nothing can surprise Him. He is in control of the world and we know that our future is in His hands.
Bad things happen in life – and to Christians too. Paul is not ignoring reality when he tells us that God works for good in all circumstances. He is pointing to a reality that we may not always see with natural eyes (or in this lifetime), but which is nonetheless true. We only have limited vision now, but by faith we declare that God works for good in all things and therefore can live with confidence and hope.

Living According To God’s Ways

Jan 14, 2024

This morning we started a new series ‘According to…‘, looking at how to live according to God’s ways in order to know His blessings on our lives. ‘According to’ means to live in agreement with; when we are in accord with someone, there is harmony and unity. God wants there to be no division between our attitudes and our actions, between our beliefs and our behaviour. It’s therefore important for us to have understanding ‘according to Your word’ as Ps 119;169 says.

God places no premium on ignorance. In the Bible, we find out how to live to please Him (see Eph 5:8-10); His word teaches us what is right and wrong, what pleases God and what hurts Him. Ps 119:97-104 outlines that a right understanding of God’s ways comes as we meditate on the Scriptures and put into practice what we learn there. As Jesus made plain in Matthew 7:24-27, there has to be a seamless unity between believing and do; it’s not enough to hear His words, but we also have to put them into practice if we are to withstand the storms and difficulties of life.

What does this look like in everyday life?
• It looks like forgiveness when we are wronged.
• It looks like showing mercy when we want to snap and retaliate.
• It looks like giving someone something they need rather than holding on to it ourselves, being generous with our time, our possessions and our whole lives.
• It looks like listening to someone and being patient with them, even though they have perhaps told us this story countless times before.
• It looks like respecting someone even when you may not personally agree with them, striving to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph 4:3)
• It looks like sticking with someone through thick and thin because you know God’s love is never-ending, showing what loyalty and faithfulness look like in the everyday.
• It looks like believing in someone even when they have let you down, giving them a second chance, not giving up on them.
• It looks like being kind.

What’s On This Week

Jan 14, 2024

What’s happening this week?
Services on Sundays are at 10.30 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. On Thursday (18 January) at 7.30 p.m., it will be the first Bible study of 2024, when we will continue looking at the life of David.
On Wednesday and Friday mornings (17 & 19 January) we will have our Parent & Toddler group between 9 and 11 a.m. £1 per family, including drinks and toast.
In addition, on Monday 15 January it will be the ‘Churches Together’ ‘Mindful Moments’ session between 6 and 8 p.m. when adults come together for an evening of creativity. Come along to paint, colour, draw and craft as a way of taking time out and enjoying a child-free zone for a couple of hours. Free to attend; drinks and biscuits available.
On Wednesday 17 January we will host the ‘Churches Together’ prayer meeting at 1.45 p.m. at GPCC. Come along to pray for our churches and community.
On Saturday 20 January at different venues we will be taking part in the Dearne Community Arts’ Festival ‘Picture Perfect? The Dearne Community Story Trail’ launch. This is an opportunity to take photos with various photo boards associated with community groups and key locations in the area and to take part in different craft activities. The main event will be at Goldthorpe Library between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. with face-painting, crafts, Lego building and a tombola stall. You can have bacon butties and drinks at the Scout/ Guide hut on Lockwood Road between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and can visit the beautiful Railway Embankment to make photo frames out of natural things found there between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Photo boards can also be found at Dearne Playhouse (10 a.m. -12 p.m.) and in Thurnscoe at Thurnscoe Library (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.) and Thurnscoe Flower Park and Station House. A great way to get out and about and discover more of the local community!

Everyday Heroes

Jan 8, 2024

Today is the start of the new school year in 2024 in our area, a return to everyday routines after the Christmas break for schoolchildren and their families. Many retail and other workers were back at the grindstone last week, but here we are with ‘normal service’ resumed for most families.
For many, this is a daunting and sobering thought, with more than two full months of winter ahead and no excitement of Christmas to allay the cold and darkness of this season. Depression can easily set in as spring still seems so far away and the sparkle of Christmas with its lights, fun and glitz already a distant memory.
I received a gift at Christmas from my German friend: a key ring crafted into the word ‘Alltagsheldin’. Everyday heroine. I like that.
I’m well aware that we like glamour and sparkle more than the everyday and the mundane. But life is mainly lived in the everyday and the mundane, in the ‘Alltags’ of life, the ‘every day’, the days filled with routine, repetition and monotony. The days when we have to deal with washing. drying amd folding laundry, shopping, cooking and cleaning, doing the school run, organising the household, and all that before we even get on to the topic of work! Life in its ordinary routines can seem overwhelming, a relentless ‘to do’ list that simply repeats the next day until we are worn out. There feels little that is heroic about ironing school uniform yet again or realising the fridge is once more empty and breakfast must be a scratch meal again.
I gaze at my shiny new keyring and smile. My friend thinks I’m an everyday heroine. We all like the excitement and glamour of superhero films with characters flying around to save the world. We fail to see the heroic nature of everyday service: the faithfulness, perseverance and love which form the foundation of most people’s lives.
So today, I salute all the ‘Alltagshelden’ out there – heroes faithfully chivvying children to school, heroes doggedly going to work to provide for their families, heroes serving in shops or tackling yet another basketful of laundry. Don’t forget the Christmas message in the bleak months of winter. Jesus is here with us, God with us, ‘Immanuel’, in our everyday lives. Heroes are born and live and work in the reality of ordinariness, but God with us transforms the mundane into the miraculous. He is there even in our everyday.