Running The Race – The Three Ps

Aug 4, 2024

This morning we looked at Hebrews 12:1-3 in light of the Olympic Games currently happening in Paris. Running features frequently in the Olympics, but we are reminded in these verses that life is more like a marathon than a sprint, and what is required to run well are the three Ps:

  1. Preparation
  2. Perseverance
  3. Perspective

Preparation

Athletes need to prepare well for races; they have to practise day-in, day-out. They must run unencumbered; we are urged to ‘throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.’  Just as athletes have to watch what they eat and drink and say no to many good things in order to devote themselves to their sport, we have to get rid of anything which may distract us from God and count ourselves dead to sin. (Romans 6:11-14). Denial of self and self-discipline are essential parts of discipleship (Mark 8:34, 1 Cor 9: 25-27).

 

Perseverance

Perseverance is required in sporting success; we have to keep going, no matter what. This is especially seen in marathon running, when athletes often ‘hit the wall’ and feel too weak to continue. We need ‘huponome’, that stickability which will keep us fuelled at all times; we need to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18) so we can keep our spiritual fervour without burning out.

 

Perspective

Athletes train so rigorously and run with perseverance because they have their eyes on the finish line, on the gold medal, on the prize. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith; the Message version of these verses tells us ‘Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever.’ We have to have an eternal perspective if we are going to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. We have to understand that ‘what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’ (2 Cor 4:18) We have to truly believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Heb 11:6) We have to grasp that we are part of an eternal story, that our short time on earth is part of something much greater than ourselves. When we look at Jesus and study His life, we see that He kept going, right to the cross, and we see how He did this: ‘He endured the cross and ignored the shame of that death because He focused on the joy that was set before Him; and now He is seated beside God on the throne, a place of honour.’ Even Jesus could have given up before the finish line, but He looked beyond the shame and ignominy of death on the cross to our salvation.

 

May God give us the strength and determination to keep on running with perseverance the race marked out for us so that we may reach the finish line and hear His commendation: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ (Matt 25:21)

Picnic In The Park

Aug 2, 2024

We had a great time at the first Picnic In The Park at Goldthorpe Park on Wednesday 31 July. 147 came along to enjoy sports and games and crafts. We are grateful for the help of Active Future, Dearne Area Team, Dearne Family Hub and the Forest School in providing a wide range of activities for families and to the Dearne Ward Alliances and Snap Tin Community Hub for funding the event, meaning (amongst other things) that we could provide ice-creams and lollipops, water and fruit for families. Thanks to all the volunteers from local churches and the community who also helped us.

The next Picnic In  The Park is at Carrfield Park in Bolton-on-Dearne on Wednesday 7 August between 12 and 2 p.m.

David as king

Aug 2, 2024

So the moment has come: Saul is dead, David is crowned king of Judah. We might suppose that life becomes markedly easier for David from this point onwards; after all, he is no longer on the run from a king who wants to kill him.
But 2 Samuel 2 shows us that fulfilment is not the bed of roses we imagine it to be when we are in the waiting stage. It would be another seven years before the other tribes of Israel acknowledged David as king; this period of his life seemed a partial victory, not a total one – and one marred even further by the machinations of Joab (the commander of David’s army and nephew) and Abner (the commander of Saul’s army, who was happy to install Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son, as king so that he could gain power.) The two men feature more in this chapter than David: it seems David is prepared to wait patiently whereas they are intent on further war. Pointless killing. Twelve men picked for Saul’s side and twelve for David’s. All dead in the ‘field of daggers’ (Helkath Hazzurim.) Ongoing battle, with the Israelites and Abner defeated by David’s men, but Abner ended by killing Asahel, Joab’s brother – an action which would have repercussions further down the line.
Joab, Abner and Asahel represent the world’s way of doing things, the world’s way of thinking. David, on the other hand, has learnt much in the wilderness. His first act as king is to enquire of the Lord; then he seeks to reward those from Jabesh Gilead who had showed kindness to Saul in his death. He is prepared to wait and only act ‘in the course of time.’ He reminds us that the spiritual way will often seem foolish to natural eyes, but that waiting and hoping in God are never a waste of time. As Eugene Peterson puts it, ‘Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. It means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions. It is not compelled to work away at keeping up appearances with a bogus spirituality. It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying. And hoping is not dreaming. It is not spinning an illusion or fantasy to protect us from our boredom or our pain. It means a confident, alert expectation that God will do what he said he will do. It is imagination put in the harness of faith. It is a willingness to let God do it his way and in his time. It is the opposite of making plans that we demand that God put into effect, telling him both how and when to do it. That is not hoping in God but bullying God. “I pray to GOD-my life a prayer-and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.”’

David is king

Aug 2, 2024

2 Samuel 2 is an odd chapter. It’s the chapter where David is finally crowned king over Judah, and somehow I expect everything now to be plain sailing for David. All the years of hardship, of fleeing from a murderous king, are over. God’s plan is being fulfilled. All He has promised is coming to pass. This is the good bit!
But instead of pomp and majesty and sheer relief, I find David continuing to seek God’s face and showing kindness and mercy to people – and then I’m jolted into the realisation that all is far from perfect in this new season. David is surrounded by fiercely loyal men (Joab and Asahel) who have very little spiritual discernment and whose methods are military and not religious. He lives among enemies who are determined not to let God’s will be done but who pursue their own agenda (Abner, Saul’s cousin and commander of the army, installs Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son, as king over the other tribes of Israel.) There is what seems to us pointless slaughter, then Asahel is killed, sowing the seeds of further hatred and further violence. Becoming king is not, it seems, the end of all David’s troubles.
Many of us operate on an ‘if only…’ philosophy. ‘If only we got that promotion/ new job/ lived somewhere nicer/ were married/ single/ had children/ didn’t have children…. our discipleship would be so much easier.’ We pursue dreams tenaciously, only to discover their fulfilment brings us a whole new set of problems. We find it hard to be content or satisfied for long.
David, in this chapter, teaches us to wait on God and hope in Him, rather than relying on others or expecting the solutions to life’s problems to come from our own skillset. We walk with God while we wait; we work for God while we wait. Waiting is never a waste of time. It’s several more years until David becomes king over all Israel. But David can wait. He knows that this is all part of God’s plan and that nothing can thwart that plan, no matter how hard people may try! Keep waiting. Keep hoping.

You Are Good When Life Is Not

Jul 31, 2024

One of my favourite song lyrics is Rend Collective’s line ‘You are good when life is not.’ (‘I Choose To Worship’) A friend of mine made me a plaque with the line on it which sits above the fire in my living-room. Each morning as I pray, I look at the plaque and remind myself of God’s goodness. It’s a vital part of my morning routine, as crucial as brushing my teeth, washing or drinking that first cup of coffee! Charlie Cleverly said of the difficulty many of us have in believing in God’s goodness, “Many feel uncertain and that they have developed a kind of Achilles’ heel in this area, so need daily doses of realisation of the constant covenant love and good intentions of God for them.” (‘Epiphanies of the Ordinary’) My plaque acts as that daily dose, that daily reminder, necessary to help me live by the truth of Psalm 119:68: ‘You are good, and what You do is good.’

Sadly, we now live in a world that is no longer wholly good. Sin has damaged and distorted God’s good creation. Every day, people do wicked and evil things. We can easily feel helpless and hopeless as tragedies unfold. Mindless violence wrecking lives. Innocent children killed and injurged. Illness felling people. The sheer awfulness of life can be overwhelming at times.

Yet God is good when life is not. God is working for good in the lives of those whom He has called. (Rom 8:28) He has the ability to bring good out of the most horrible situations. (Gen 50:20) Good will flourish. Good will triumph. John 1:5 says that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

How do we live in a world full of sorrow, pain and grief? We don’t deny those realities. But in the words of another Rend Collective song, ‘Though sorrow is real, You won’t let it break us.’ (‘True In The Light’) We look to God, the source of all that is good; to God, who is love, to help us and to give us hope, purpose, comfort and strength to live as His people, wherever we are, and whatever comes our way.

Congruence

Jul 28, 2024

In our conclusion to the series ‘Living According To God’s Ways’, we looked at congruence in how we live. Congruence is harmony, with synonyms ‘to be compatible with, to be in agreement or accord with, to conform with.‘ A congruent life means there is no dissonance or difference between what we believe and how we live. When we live according to God’s ways, there will be wholeness and blessing.

 

To live like this means attitudes and actions become united, and we live out our faith with joy and peace. We develop deep roots so that we thrive rather than merely surviving (see Col 2:6-7) and allow God’s word to have authority over us, even if this means contradicting our own feelings or desires. We live according to God’s word, practising love and forgiveness, showing grace and mercy, because in this, we reflect God’s own character. Drivers know that if a vehicle is misaligned, there will be additional wear and tear on tyres and reduced fuel efficiency. When we are aligned with God’s will and live according to what He says and promises, then we can experience the fulness of life which Jesus spoke about in John 10:10.

Knowing what God promises and claiming these promises (see 2 Cor 1:20, Ps 119:41) is the key to living with hope and confidence. Some promises include salvation, relying on God’s unfailing love (see 1 John 4:16, Jer 31:3) and His provision in all circumstances. (Phil 4;19)

Congruence – that living-according-to-God’s-word-and-ways, that harmony which stops us being hypocrites but makes us authentic disciples of Jesus Christ – is what the world needs to see. We’re tired of people who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. We’re tired of our idols who only have feet of clay. There is a desperation in our generation, a desperation for authenticity and integrity and love and hope. As we are transformed into the image of God through our vulnerability, brokenness and faith, our lives gradually become brighter and more beautiful, precisely because God enters our lives, coming to dwell with us by His Spirit. Then we can shine brightly for God, becoming that city on a hill which will draw people to the Lord Himself. Never doubt the influence and impact ordinary people living according to God’s ways can have. We can change the world, not by ourselves, but by the power of God.