Love Is A Choice

Aug 18, 2024

Last week, Dave brought us a challenging word from Luke 6:27-38, reminding us that love is a choice. In these days of social unrest, it is easy to feel incensed by the injustice we see all around us and to feel that violence is the only way our voice can be heard. A similar feeling was present in the United States in the 1960s when Martin Luther King Jr was preaching a message of racial equality and facing great opposition from the white Americans who did not agree with him. Instead of resorting to retaliation and violence, he reminded us that we are called to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us and bless those who curse us, praying for them. This seems an impossible task and one which many of us do not even attempt to do. Jesus reminds us, however, that love is not a feeling; it is a choice.

We see this in the vows taken by couples when they marry, promises to love ‘for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow.’ It is not the language of feeling or of romance or of affection. It is the language of choice and decision. We may ask how do we love our enemies when we do not feel like loving them or how do we do anything which we do not want to do? The answer is that we choose to do so. It is all about making a decision, making a choice, and then following that choice through. He summarised it by saying, ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’

This means forgiving others – because we need lots of forgiveness ourselves. It means blessing others – because we need blessing ourselves. It means behaving towards other people in the way that we want God to behave to us. When we make good choices, the measure we receive returns to us in full and we know blessing from God.

 

Musings On Slime

Aug 8, 2024

During the summer holidays we took our grandchildren to an Amazelab workshop in Sheffield, where the inspirational Leonie taught about chemical reactions as the children made slime. Once all their pouring and stirring were completed, they got to stretch the slime to use it to make different shapes.
As with many scientific things, getting the right consistency was key. Too wet, and the slime was just a mush. Too dry, and it did not stretch properly.. But when it was just the right consistency (facilitated by the expert advice!), it was like a magical substance: elastic and malleable. It reminded me of kneading dough when making bread.
It was a messy process. I don’t much like making bread or moulding clay precisely because of that. I hate wearing gloves, as the thin, disposable gloves which protected hands just make me sweat, but I also hate getting sticky substances all over me. The children didn’t seem to share my abhorrence of ‘goo’ and merrily played with their slime contentedly.
The elasticity of slime became a parable as I watched them. They stretched the slime into all kinds of shapes, pummelling and stretching it with gusto. It felt like I was watching life itself. Don’t we sometimes feel pummelled and stretched by life? Sometimes I have to be a parent, grandparent, teacher, cook, cleaner, organiser, creative, administrator, decorator, expert on risk assessments and fundraiser all in one day. I feel stretched at times, spread so thinly that if I were butter on a slice of bread, you’d be hard put to see it! The diversity and demands of life leave us feeling as stretched as slime.
We’re not the first to feel like this. Paul spoke of being hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, abandoned, any one of those circumstances being enough to reduce to tears, yet he also spoke of not being crushed or in despair, not abandoned, not destroyed. (2 Cor 4:8-9) There is an elasticity, a flexibility, to Paul which is the model for our lives. He knew what it was to feel pressure and weakness (2 Cor 11:28-29), yet he did not crack.
In the film ‘The Incredibles, Helen Parr looks like an ordinary Mum juggling the demands of a husband and three children (sounds familiar?!) In truth, she is also ‘Elastigirl’, an elastic and dexterous superheroine who can stretch any part of her body to great lengths, and mould it into several shapes and sizes.
I often think of Elastigirl when I survey the range of activities expected of me in an average day. I’m not literally elastic, nor can I stretch like slime. But I know all about juggling responsibilities, as most of us do in the modern world.
The Holy Spirit in us provides the power we need to be flexible, dexterous, versatile and capable. We may not be able to do things in our own strength, but in HIm, all things become possible. Today, let’s stretch with flexibility and adaptability, as incredible as The Incredibles, through the power and grace of God. (2 Cor 12:8-10)

The Olympics

Aug 4, 2024

Tonight at our ‘Little Big Church’ service we looked at the Olympic Games and learned about being part of God’s winning team. The Olympic Games feature many individual and team sports (32 in the current Olympics), but every contestant is part of a team representing their country. The Games in their current format have been going on since 1896, and the Paris Olympics happening now is the 33rd modern Olympics, but the origins of the games lie in the Greek events which went on in Olympia from the 8th century B. C. to the 4th century A.D. Then, winners used to receive a crown made of laurel leaves; now, the top three contestants in each event receive gold, silver and bronze medals in an awards’ ceremony where the national anthem of the winning country is played.

We are all individuals, but when we experience and receive the love of God, we are born again into His family and become part of God’s team! The children worked together to colour in Ephesians 3:17-18, reminding us that together, we all need to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of God. Children were then awarded medals urging us to ‘be part of God’s winning team’ as we listened to the Phil Wickham song ‘Hymn of Heaven’ and reminded ourselves that victory has already been purchased for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ:

‘And on that day, we join the resurrection
And stand beside the heroes of the faith
With one voice, a thousand generations
Sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.”
“Forever He shall reign.”

So let it be today we shout the hymn of Heaven.
With angels and the saints, we raise a mighty roar.
Glory to our God who gave us life beyond the grave.
Holy, holy is the Lord.’ (‘Hymn of Heaven’, Phil Wickham)

 

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.”’