Last night’s family service looked at the ‘Shrek’ films to discuss the topic of ‘True Love’, which is definitely not just for fairytales!

Garry devised a quiz on Shrek (and on other green things…) which was combined with a game of Jenga with a twist. The twist was that you had to dress up in hat, scarf, arm warmers, spectacles and gloves before you could remove the Jenga block, since ogres are like onions… ‘they have layers!’

Garry explaining the game:

Everyone listening to instructions:

Taking part in the game:

After that, we had a Karaoke version of ‘I’m A Believer‘:

We also had a birthday to celebrate!

The starting point of the journey (Psalm 120) begins, perhaps surprisingly, with dissatisfaction. While ever you think there’s nothing wrong with life as it is now, you will never have any incentive to start out on a journey towards God. Politicians, sociologists and advertisers all try to convince us that life is going to get better (the Labour Party in 1997 used the song ‘Things can only get better’ as their campaign slogan), but we only ever really make true spiritual progress when we come to the end of ourselves and realise that only God can help us to live life, because He is the One who made us.

The psalmist begins with a cry of distress, being aware that he is surrounded by ‘lying lips and deceitful tongues’ and is living in a place where he is surrounded by enemies, a place where the majority view is for war. This is not a pleasant song, but life very often is not pleasant. The truth is that we live in a fallen world, where sin has spoiled God’s good and perfect creation. As Aaron Shust sings,

‘I hate to be the one to break the news
To let you down, but I can’t lie to you.
There’s things about the world I wish weren’t true
I guess by now, you must have had a clue.

There’s no such thing as Peter Pan,
No such place as Never Never Land;
I wish we all could have
Those tiny magic wings

But we live in a world with wars;
It’s not like it was before.
We won’t find our happy ever after here.
There’s no such thing.’ (‘Ever After’, Aaron Shust)

The whole world is under the influence of the devil, the ‘prince of this world’ (John 12:31) and that life is a battle ‘against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,’ (Eph 6:12) whose chief purpose is to blind us to truth and have us believing lies which will keep us from God (see 2 Cor 4:4). We have to turn from the world’s lies and illusions in order to begin our journey with God, a process known as repentance. This is not simply negative, but involves an embrace of God’s ways as our modus operandi. We might view repentance initially as a painful and negative start, but actually, as we turn to God, we realise we are set free to become pilgrims in pursuit of God whose rewards are so much greater than anything we renounce. As Jesus said, ‘Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.’ (Matt 19:29)

Repentance sets us free to head in the right direction, following God’s ways, free to receive His grace, love, forgiveness and help. It does not necessarily guarantee us a problem-free life (we may still have to dwell in Meshek, among the tents of Kedar, representing the world’s ways), but we are given guidance and help on our way. Ps 12o teaches us that we can call to God in our distress and He answers us. We are a needy people, but we have an all-sufficient God. When we call, God answers. He may not remove our problems or offer us quick-fix solutions, but He is there to guide us on the journey and to walk with us, no matter how difficult or trying the terrain. He strengthens our feeble arms and weak knees so that we may walk on straight paths: ‘When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.’ (Prov 4:12-13) These psalms of ascent help us to hold on to instruction and be guided on our journey with God.

Psalms 120-134 are given the heading ‘song of ascent’ and there are a number of different names for this group of psalms, including ‘Pilgrim Songs’ or ‘Songs of Steps’. It’s generally believed that these psalms were sung by the worshippers as they ascended the road to Jerusalem to attend the main three pilgrim festivals, following the commandment of God: ‘Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles.’ (Deut 16:16) These were the chief religious festivals and Jews were expected to travel to the capital city to worship God there. These were the highpoints in the Jewish calendar: as Eugene Peterson says, ‘the Hebrews were a people whose salvation had been accomplished by the exodus, whose identity had been defined at Sinai and whose preservation had been assured in the forty years of wilderness wandering.’ (Eugene Peterson, ‘The Journey’ P 6) God clearly wanted His people to remember all that He had done and continued to do for them, hence the requirement to take time out from their busy lives to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and to acknowledge God’s saving ways and celebrate His goodness to the nation.

The reason these psalms, which were probably sung in sequence as the people travelled, are called songs of ascent is because Jerusalem was the highest city geographically in Israel; they’re also known as the songs of steps because they were sung by the priests as they ascended the fifteen steps to minister at the Temple in Jerusalem. The ascent, though, was not only literal but was also metaphorical: as Eugene Peterson says ‘the trip to Jerusalem acted out a life lived upward toward God, an existence that advanced from one level to another in developing maturity.’ (Eugene Peterson, ‘The Journey’, P 6) Last month we looked at the topic of Signposts and Directions and saw that life can be likened to a journey, with God giving us clear instructions and directions for our lives. The songs of ascent are another way God gives us directions to help us on our journey towards God, a journey which is often called a pilgrimage. All of us who are seeking to grow closer to God and who want to mature in our faith are pilgrims. We’re not simply tourists, looking for the latest thrill. We are disciples, followers, people who are ‘of the Way’, the first name that was given to Christians (Saul took letters to the synagogues in Damascus so that if he found ‘any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.’ Acts 9:2), a name that is particularly appropriate since Jesus said He was the way, the truth and the life and the only way to the Father. (John 14:6) Life is a journey and we are all journeying towards God, following the Way. As we do this, we find that these pilgrim songs help us on our way. All of these psalms are fairly short and many use repetition to help fix ideas into our minds. Songs are particularly good at doing this; when God’s word is set to music, we have a powerful tool to help us along life’s journey.

Impersonators are those who are adept at imitating other people: their voices, figures of speech,  mannerisms and body language. Many impersonators (Mike Yarwood, Rory Bremner, Jon Culshaw) have entertained us over the years through their satirical impersonations of famous figures; theirs is a skill that requires patient study and constant practice.

If we think about how we all learn, though, there is a good deal of imitation and observation going on for all of us. The Message version of Eph 5:1-2 says ‘Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behaviour from their parents.’ J. B. Phillips paraphrases this verse says ‘As children copy their fathers you, as God’s children, are to copy him.’ All children learn through copying the speech and behaviour of those around them. A baby is born into the world with few skills and has to learn to walk and talk through careful observation of all around him. Usually it takes about a year for a baby to learn to walk; often it takes about 18 months for recognisable words to be spoken and full sentences can often take up to about 2.5 years to master. In this time, the baby has to show patience and persistence (learning how to shuffle or crawl, then pull itself up to a standing position before taking tottering steps that gradually become stronger), a commitment to learning through repetition and a good deal of practice (all its time and energy when awake!) The interaction of others is vital (babies left alone in orphanages in Romania were found to be much less advanced in these abilities than those who had been talked to and played with), for babies learn from observation.

We need to see role models who show us what faith, patience, love, hospitality, kindness and forgiveness look like. We need also to learn from Jesus, who is God made visible for us to see how we should behave in every situation. Then, and only then, can we become role models for others who reflect God’s character to those who have never seen Him.

Last night’s Bible study started with a game of ‘Simon Says’ and saw members trying to make a giant panda out of plasticine! Their aim was to model according to the photo:

These were the attempts!

The reason for these creative attempts was found in 3 John vs 11: ‘Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.‘ Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery. It is certainly what we are required to do in the Christian life, with the word ‘mimetes’ (imitate, be an example, copy) found in several places in the New Testament (Eph 5:1-2, 1 Thess 1:6, 1 Thess 2:14, 1 Cor 11:1, 1 Cor 4:16, Heb 6:12, 1 Pet 3:13). The thought of being followers or imitators of God makes sense, for as children of God, we learn from our great Example, Jesus, whose life demonstrates love, humility, servanthood and obedience to the Father’s will for us. It is more surprising to find that we are expected to imitate other Christians, for we know all too well the failings and weaknesses of people. Nonetheless, we are called to be role models, living letters that are read by all (see 2 Cor 3:2-3).

John’s third letter is very personal, dealing with practical issues of faith and truth. Three individuals are named in the letter (Gaius, Demetrius, and Diotrephes) and we see something of the things we are to imitate as well as what should be avoided (Diotrephes wanted to be first, and clearly John has learned his lesson from Mark 10:32-45 and knows that the path to greatness in God is through servanthood and humility, not arrogance and unkindness.) 2 John dealt with visiting missionaries who were deceivers or imposters, but here, John urges support for the genuine missionary. As John Stott reminds us, “There are many good causes which Christians may support; but they must support their brethren to whom the world should not be asked to contribute.” (John Stott, ‘The Epistles of John’, P 223)

Clearly, we should not imitate sin, nor those whose lives are inconsistent with the Truth. But we should imitate those who by faith and patience have inherited what God has promised. (Heb 6:12) We learn best from observation and experience and are called to persevere in following Jesus, fixing our eyes on Him (Heb 12:1-2) and spending time with Him in order to be transformed from the inside out. Discipleship also requires discipline (see Col 3:15, Rom 8:13, Gal 5:24) and requires us to walk in truth continually.

Sunday 1st February will be our usual family service, starting at 6 p.m. This month’s theme (with a nod to Valentine’s Day later that month!) is ‘True Love… not just for fairytales.’ Come along to find out more!

On Monday 2nd February, a group of people from church will be attending the ‘Worship Central’ event at St Thomas Crookes church in Sheffield. If you want to know more, please see Garry or Julie on Sunday.

In February, we will be starting a new Bible study on 1 Corinthians. Come along on 12 and 26 February to find out more.

Later in February (Saturday 28th February) we will be holding an information and envisioning evening for church members. If you want to know more about what the church is doing and what we’d like to do in the future, please come along to that meeting which will start at 6 p.m.

The Women’s World Day of Prayer will be held on Friday 6th March at St Peter’s Church in Barnburgh. This year, the service has been written by Christian women from the Bahamas and is based on John 13. Further details will be available soon.