Living Hopefully

Wildflowers in Scawby churchyard

Here's my article for April:

Spring has sprung and in the natural world we are seeing signs of new life, and with them brings hope that the cold winter days are past and the warm (and maybe even hot!) days of summer are on their way. But it's not just in nature that hope is springing: with the government 'road map' we have a hope that the dark days of the pandemic are coming to an end and the bright days of 'normality' are getting closer. Although hope is a powerful emotion that can keep us going through difficult times, it is good to question what the grounds of our hope are.

As we emerge from the shadow of COVID-19, the obvious grounds for our hope is in the vaccines, and then (as it has been throughout the pandemic) in the NHS to treat us if we fall ill. But these aren't solid grounds for hope. With each variant that appears there is concern that the vaccines won't be effective against that strain of the virus. With each rise in cases there is concern that the NHS will not be able to cope with demand – it is not surprising that one of the constant slogans has been to 'Protect the NHS'. The development of the vaccines is something to be celebrated and the NHS do fantastic work with all sorts of medical needs, but vaccines and the NHS are not solid foundations on which to build our hope of overcoming this plague, still less are they solid foundations on which to build our hope of overcoming the root cause of our fears about the virus.

We are desperate for protection against the virus because ultimately we fear death. To those who believe that the physical world is all that there is, death makes all our lives ultimately meaningless. As it says in Ecclesiastes 5:15 “We leave this world just as we entered it—with nothing. In spite of all our work there is nothing we can take with us” (Good News Translation). To those who do believe in a supernatural afterlife, death brings the uncertainty of eternal existence – uncertain because of not knowing what the outcome will be. The general sense that if you're good enough you'll have a nice eternal existence sounds reassuring until you ask the question of what 'good enough' means, and if we're honest, we don't even come up to our own standards! Death then is something to be feared and therefore our only hope is to delay it as much as possible. Unless there is a better and more solid ground for hope.

Thankfully, there is a better hope – the new life of spring overcoming the death of winter is one way God points us towards the good news of Easter; that Jesus' death and resurrection mean that death is no longer something to be feared. Our lives have meaning because they don't stop at death, and we can be forgiven for our constant failure to be 'good enough' because Jesus took our punishment on the cross. Just as we benefit from the work of many scientists by having the vaccine so we can benefit from Jesus' sacrifice by putting our faith and trust in him. So this Easter, live hopefully!

The answer to suffering: caprice, karma, chaos or Christ?

Here's my magazine article for March:

Anniversaries are usually happy occasions, but this month marks a year since the first COVID lockdown and I suspect few of us thought that one year on we'd still be facing restrictions. The pandemic has prompted many people to ask deep questions about life and death; and meaning and purpose, some of which we've looked at in previous articles (see here for some of them). However, we haven't looked much at perhaps the biggest question of all: why does God allow suffering? The problem is often put like this “Suffering exists so God either cannot do anything about it, in which case he isn't all-powerful (omnipotent); or he is unwilling in which case he is not all-loving.”

The first thing to say about this is that this is a specifically Christian question. Although it is often used as the knock-out argument against a belief in God, philosophically, suffering is only a problem if Christianity is true. In other worldviews suffering may exist, but it's not a problem.

If we look at other ancient religions, and to a certain extent Judaism and Islam, the will of the gods is supreme. Norse, Greek and Roman gods were capricious and fickle, they would cause humans to suffer on a whim and were not expected to be fair or just. As ABBA sang: "The gods may throw a dice / their minds as cold as ice / and someone way down here / loses someone dear" ('The Winner Takes it All' 1980). Similarly, for strands of Judaism and Islam, God is so supreme that he can never be questioned even if he acts unjustly. Suffering is therefore not a problem, it should simply be accepted.

For those who believe in karma there is solace (and often glee) in the thought that those who have hurt them will be punished for the suffering they've caused. However, to be consistent the karma-believers should also recognise that the suffering they face is a just punishment for wrongs that they themselves have done. Suffering is therefore not a problem, it is deserved.

The problem for atheistic philosophies is that we see suffering as a problem, because logically there is no grounds for complaining about suffering. If everything that exists exists because of chaos - random atoms banging into each other and 'accidentally' forming the universe – then suffering too is part of this random process. Alternatively, in evolutionary terms suffering is natural: nature is red in tooth and claw, suffering is the by-product of evolution. Either way, suffering is not a problem, it is random or natural.

But we do find suffering problematic. That's because we expect the world to be good and we expect any suffering to be just, because the Christian God is good and just. Only in Christianity can you have a problem with suffering, and only in Christianity can you have the solution to suffering. God created a perfect world, but humanity through rebelling against God (what we call 'sin') corrupted that world and so suffering became part of our experience. Despite that suffering being a just punishment for our rebellion, God did not want to abandon us to that suffering. And so he came to earth as a baby in Jesus; grew up like we do; experienced our suffering and pain; and then took that suffering and punishment on himself by dying on the cross; and in rising from the dead he showed us the new life, free from suffering. By becoming a suffering God, God is able to sympathise with us in our suffering (Hebrews 4:15) but more importantly to enable us to enter the new creation where there is no more suffering (Revelation 21:4). If you have a problem with suffering, then Easter is your answer.

Grieving in lockdown

Here's my article for November:

In the church November is traditionally a month to remember loved ones that have died, and some churches hold memorial services where the deceased are remembered (though others like us hold them around Christmas time). This year, however, a lot of these services will not be able to take place, at least not in the usual way. And for a lot of people this will be very difficult.

As the lockdown started and attendance at funerals was limited, the feeling was that everything would be getting back to normal by September and we could hold individual memorial services for those who'd had limited funerals. The annual memorial service would also become an even more important part of the grieving process. Those feelings seem to be a long time ago!

Grief can be a terrible state, but the effect of the pandemic on the bereaved is immense. Not only were funerals not able to be as planned or desired, but contact with the dying loved one was often difficult or impossible and the normal human reactions of hugs of consolation etc. were discouraged. It is also difficult for those who have been bereaved in previous years: birthdays and anniversaries may have usually involved family get-togethers or visits to significant places, but this year had to marked in very different ways. The virus has claimed lots of lives, and continues to make it difficult for those who mourn.

What can we say in these circumstances? As the cold November rain falls, the threats of lockdowns continue, and the light at the end of the tunnel turns out to be a train heading towards us, is there any comfort?

When Jesus started his ministry Luke records that he gives his 'mission statement' quoting from Isaiah 61, which includes these words “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me...He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted...to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Although this first and foremost applies to those who grieve because of their sins, it also applies to grief in the usual sense. And Jesus fulfils this mission in two ways: firstly he walks with us 'through the valley of the shadow of death' (Psalm 23). Even when governments stop us gathering together and comforting each other in the usual ways, they cannot stop Jesus being present with us; and he can touch our innermost parts, our deepest hurts and longings, and he can heal them.

The second way he fulfils his mission is even more wonderful: he defeats death itself by dying and rising back to life. It is no longer a threat. It is no longer the end. Jesus lives! Death (and COVID-19) is defeated! And in the words of a hymn: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives!”

Have we angered Mother Earth?

Here's my magazine article for October:

October is often a month when we think about Harvest Festivals and the natural world.  The year started (though it seems a lifetime ago!) with rallies and protests about climate change, and the rise of Extinction Rebellion, and the reminder again of humanity's rôle in looking after the world in which we live.

This has deep biblical roots which go back to the first book of the Bible in the creation story in Genesis 1 and 2.  There we learn that God is the Creator “of all that is, seen and unseen” (as we say in the Creed), and that it was good.  We also learn that after the creation of humanity, in the image and likeness of God, it became very good.  However humanity's position as the pinnacle of creation comes with responsibilities: to rule over the natural world (Genesis 1:26) and to work the ground (Genesis 2:5).  The responsibility to work the ground helps define what is meant by 'ruling over' the natural world: we're to work in harmony with it; to look after it; for the good of us and it. Thus we sometimes talk of being 'stewards' rather than 'rulers' of the world.  Unfortunately, due to the sinfulness of humanity, described in Genesis 3, we have taken that responsibility to rule over the natural world and turned it into an excuse to exploit the world's resources for our own selfish needs.  

The environmental situation was then displaced in the news by the COVID-19 pandemic, but some made a link between the two.  The need to reduce carbon emissions which was said to be impossible at the beginning of the year, suddenly became a reality as airports were shut and only essential travel in cars was allowed.  Some claimed that the world was fighting back, and that Mother Nature had created the virus in order to heal herself.  Whilst a lot of this talk was metaphorical, it shows that you only need to scratch the surface to find pagan ideas latent in our folk memory.  In many ancient belief systems the natural world was controlled by (often capricious) gods who needed to be placated otherwise they would send punishments of plague or disasters such as droughts or floods.  Supreme amongst these nature gods was the Earth goddess, and 'Mother Earth' often played the key rôle in creating the universe through intercourse with the 'Father Sky' god.

Amidst these ideas the biblical creation narrative stands out as unique.  God alone creates all that is and amongst the things it specifies that he creates are sky, water, earth, sun, moon and stars.  In ancient beliefs these were often said to be the most powerful of the 'nature gods', but the Bible tells us they are not divine at all, indeed humanity is greater than all of them.  Therefore there is no Mother Earth that we have angered and need to placate by our environmentally friendly actions.  However there is a Father God, whose love we have rejected by disobeying his commands, including to be stewards of the world.  The problem of environmental damage is ultimately a problem of human sin, not just because of our exploitation of it but because our rebellion also cursed creation (Genesis 3:17-18).  Therefore the remedy for environmental damage is a Saviour: not in the form of a Mother goddess nor an environmental activist, but in Jesus who invites us to repent of our sins and promises us his Spirit to help us to change; and at whose return all creation will be renewed.

A solid Rock amidst shifting sands

Here's my article for September:

In a world where news is instant and even daily newspapers are out of date by the time you read them, writing a monthly article a few weeks in advance is quite challenging as it's impossible to know what the situation will be when you read it. One thing COVID-19 has taught us is that things can change very quickly. And especially (at the time of writing!) when lockdown is being eased and therefore there is an increased chance that infections will rise.  The guidelines coming from the government can change almost daily.  This particularly affects those who run businesses or organisations but it also affects employees and indeed everyone.  Ever-changing guidelines and regulations can confuse and disorientate us.

In such a world, the way God reveals himself to us in the Bible comes as a great comfort. In Malachi 3:6, God says “I the Lord do not change” and throughout the Old Testament (e.g. Psalm 18; Isaiah 26:4) he is referred to as a rock – an image of security, stability and strength.  When all around us is uncertain and like shifting sands, we can rest peacefully if we are anchored on his unchanging nature.  God is often contrasted with the fickleness or deceitfulness of humanity (1 Samuel 15:29) or the fleetingness of creation (Psalm 102:25-27), which reminds us that everything (including COVID-19) will pass away.  Because he is eternal and unchanging, Peter wrote “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7) and Paul wrote “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).  So by trusting in God we have nothing to fear; neither disease, nor unemployment, nor even death.  As the hymn 'Great is thy Faithfulness' says: “There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not, as Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be...All I have needed Thy hand hath provided - Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, confirming that Jesus is God and so his character does not change either.  Instead, Jesus is the demonstration of (as Brennan Manning says in 'The Ragamuffin Gospel') God's 'magnificent monotony', his constant attitude of relentless love towards us.  So not only is God eternal and unchanging, he is also unceasingly loving towards us.  He is not waiting for us to slip up so he can punish us, he is wanting us to realise that our sins separate us from him and repent so our relationship with him can be restored.  That is why the great truth of Hebrews 13:8 comes in the context of moral teachings – Jesus' character doesn't change, and neither do his teachings.

Sometimes we wish his teachings would change, like government guidelines on COVID do, because many of them are so out of step with the values of society.  But if God's character towards us is constant then we can be sure that his guidelines and instructions are for our benefit, no matter how much they conflict with society or our personal preferences.  His instructions are never out-of-date, primitive or not relevant today because they come from his eternal wisdom and love.  And although they may sometimes be challenging and difficult, they are given to us by him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) and who promises us life in all its fullness (John 10:10).

COVID reflections

From the start of lockdown with the suspension of public worship, alongside our online services (which you can find here) the interim Methodist minister, Rev. Enid, and I alternated to post reflections on Facebook each Sunday, and every day in Holy Week.

Sunday 29^th March 2020: Lent 5

It goes without saying that we are at a time of crisis – and I'm not just talking about the lack of toilet roll! A virus that can strike down anyone, including Prime Ministers and that has no cure as yet, can be a terrifying thing. And we see the scenes from other countries of rows and rows of coffins, with the ominous warning that we may only be four weeks or so from a similar situation. The result is a growing sense of fear.

The famous Psalm 23 (“The Lord's my Shepherd") speaks of confidence in a God who loves us and provides for us and was probably written when King David faced a time of crisis of his own. But rather than give in to fear he says “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (verse 4). Belief in God doesn't protect us from trouble, hardship or suffering but we can be confident that if we ask he will give us the spiritual and mental resources we need to get us through even the darkest of valleys.

As we start to think about the events of Holy Week and Easter, we're reminded that God doesn't look upon our suffering from afar, but came to us in Jesus to share our life and ultimately to die. But Easter also reminds us that that isn't the end of the story – Jesus was raised to life and death has been defeated – we have nothing to fear!! He now invites each of us to believe and trust in him so that we can dwell in his house for ever.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, our ever-present help in trouble, our fortress and our God: calm the anxious fears of all who turn to you; give strength and healing to those who are sick, and courage and skill to those who care for them; grant wisdom and clarity to those in authority; and humble us all to call upon you that we may be saved not only in this life, but also for that which is to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Monday 6th April 2020: Monday of Holy Week

On the Monday of Holy Week Jesus went back into Jerusalem (having stayed the night at Mary, Martha and Lazarus' house in the village of Bethany) and went into the Temple courts. The Temple had four basic parts: the outermost part was the Court of the Gentiles. Entry to the other parts of the Temple was restricted to certain people, but this was where anyone could come to pray, and this was also where people could buy animals to sacrifice in the Temple and exchange their money into the Temple Shekel.

It was this outer court that Jesus entered and he “began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.” (Mark 11:15-16). This is not the 'gentle Jesus meek and mild' of popular imagination. This is a Jesus who rails not just against the corrupt and exploitative practices there, but more importantly against those who stopped it being a 'house of prayer for all nations'.

In these days when our 'houses of prayer' are locked to all of us, it is good to remind ourselves of how important Jesus considered worship and prayer to be. But we can also rejoice that we no longer need Temple or Church to worship God (John 4:21) – not just because we can gather online – but because Jesus is the one in whom we worship and he is available to all of us wherever we are. It is important for us to gather together to worship, but it is essential that we continue to worship even when we cannot gather.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, on the Monday you overthrew the market tables in the Temple. Give us the courage to challenge situations of injustice, and to worship you at all times and in all places. Lord, by your cross and passion, save us and help us. Amen.

Wednesday 8th April 2020: Wednesday of Holy Week

The Bible doesn't tell us what Jesus did on the Wednesday of Holy Week, so it is generally assumed that he and the disciples spent time with his closest friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  He had had a busy couple of days full of drama, confrontation and noise, so perhaps he needed a day to rest amongst those he loved in preparation for what lay ahead – this was possibly his last night's sleep before his death.

So the message of Holy Wednesday would usually be: don't forget to take time out of your busy life to spend with family and friends and God.  However, at the moment the government is enforcing such rest on many of us!  Some people are longing to get back to the chaos and rush of normal life.  Others are longing to see loved ones who live at a distance.  Rather than being a time of rest and refreshment, to many this is a time of frustration and worry.  So what can Holy Wednesday say to us if that is how we are feeling?

The frustration comes from this rest being enforced and 'until further notice', however it should not stop us having a renewed appreciation of God's wisdom in commanding a Sabbath rest.  This doesn't necessarily need to be a Sunday (although that will leave you free to come to church!!) but we should all aim for an uninterrupted 24 hour rest period each week as far as possible.  Jesus knew he needed to rest if he was to be able to fulfil his mission the cross, and we need to rest otherwise we will be 'neither use nor ornament.' But this is also a time to reassess our priorities: in the rush to get back to normality we might want to think about what parts of normality are worth rushing back to.

To our key workers who would love to have this rest; thank you! To the rest of us, whether this time is a joy or an irritation, let us use it to listen to what God might be saying to us about the way we live our lives.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, on the Wednesday you spent time with your friends. We pray for our own families, friends and loved ones whether they are too close or too far away.  We pray for all who feel lonely and all those who need a rest. Lord, by your cross and passion, save us and help us. Amen.

Saturday 11th April 2020: Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday is another day that the Bible doesn't tell us about, but it is easy for us to imagine.  Jesus was dead and buried.  The religious leaders and the Roman authorities were breathing a sigh of relief that the troublemaker was gone.  The crowds looked for the next person they could hail as Messiah. But what about Jesus' disciples?

We know that on Easter Sunday they were in the upper room where they had celebrated Passover a couple of nights before, with the doors locked because they were afraid of the religious leaders (John 20:19).  And they had good reason to be afraid: Jesus was put to death partly because he had threatened the power and status of the  Jewish and Roman authorities, so it would be logical that his followers would be arrested for the same reason. But in addition to that fear, and probably overwhelming it, would be an immense sense of grief and loss; not just of a Master and a friend, but also of their hopes and dreams.  They had given up jobs and left behind families to follow Jesus three years earlier; they believed him when he said that he was the Messiah and that the kingdom of God was at hand; they thought that they would be significant players in the new kingdom.  But now all their hopes and dreams were shattered.  They had left everything and now they had lost everything.

COVID-19 has had a similar effect on people.  Some have lost loved ones.  Some have lost livelihoods.  Some have seen their plans for the future torn apart.  And everyone has seen their normal lives turned upside down, with little or no sense of when or if 'normality' will return.

In these circumstances it's easy to skip over Holy Saturday in a rush to get to Easter Sunday – and we do need to focus on hope for the future, as the Queen put it: “We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”  But perhaps we could take today to focus on the desolation the disciples felt and the desolation of many people in the face of this virus.

Maybe take some time to read through the Psalms – you'll be surprised at how honestly some of the despair is described, or perhaps read Lamentations 3.  The fact that God allowed these prayers of anguish into the Bible reminds us that we needn't fear telling God exactly how we feel.

Prayer: In the depths of our isolation we cry to you, Lord God: give light in our darkness and bring us out of the prison of our despair; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

Sunday 12th April 2020: Easter Sunday

As Jesus bursts from the tomb on Easter Sunday, so joy should burst from us as we celebrate his resurrection.  It is the greatest day in history: it changed the whole of creation forever.  Why? Because death has been defeated! We Christians sometimes say that too easily, and those who don't believe dismiss it too easily.  But think of the implications of that truth.  Death is defeated.  It is no longer a threat. It is no longer the end.  As the hymn says “Jesus lives; thy terrors now / can, O death, no more appal us.”

We live in a world that fears death: in normal times millions is spent on products that rejuvenate, or at least hide the effects of ageing. Diets and exercise plans are great when used for a healthy lifestyle, but too often are vain attempts to put off death.  And one thing that COVID-19 has shown us is that we still fear death.  Now I'm not suggesting that we ignore government advice, but I am encouraging you to think about how you personally feel about the possibility that you could die.  Not to think about how it would affect your loved ones but how you face your own death.

The most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, says that whoever believes and trusts in Jesus as their Saviour shall not perish, but have eternal life. That is why St Paul could write “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  He knew that neither death nor life could separate him from God's love that is in Jesus (Romans 8:38), and so he, like many Christian throughout the centuries, was willing to suffer and die for his faith.  For those who believe in him, Jesus' resurrection brings “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”

Without the resurrection, life is meaningless: we will be forgotten in just a few generations, and few of us will leave a legacy that lasts beyond that - ultimately the world will be destroyed and everything humanity has achieved will disappear.  But with the resurrection, we can spend eternity in the presence of the God who delights in us and all our achievements, however small.

Jesus lives! Death (and COVID-19) is defeated! And in the words of another hymn: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives!”

Prayer: Our God and Father, in whose great mercy we have been given new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: strengthen us with that solid hope and calm our anxious thoughts and fears in the midst of the dangers we now face, that we who often stagger in desperate times may rejoice and be satisfied with him whose painful anguish of soul brought us the light of life. For we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Thursday 23rd April 2020: St George's Day

Although this wasn't part of the pattern, I did a special reflection for St George's day.

St George, soldier and martyr – and that's pretty much all we know about him! According to tradition he was tortured and beheaded c.304 at Lydda, Palestine, and according to legend he killed a dragon. As a patron saint against plagues it is perhaps particularly appropriate that his feast day falls during a lockdown caused by a virus!

Although the story of George and the dragon is a legend, it perhaps reminds us that there is someone more powerful than those 'dragons' we face, whether they're viruses; uncertainty about the future; grief; broken relationships or anything else. In the legend George went into battle knowing God was with him, just like David did against the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17), and God invites us to trust him and let him face our dragons with us.

And by being a martyr, by being willing to be put to death for his faith in Jesus, George reminds us about what we have just celebrated at Easter: that death holds no fear for those who trust in Jesus: “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

Prayer: God of hosts, who so kindled the flame of love in the heart of your servant George that he bore witness to the risen Lord by his life and by his death: give us the same faith and power of love that we who rejoice in his triumphs may come to share with him the fullness of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Amen.

Sunday 26th April 2020: Easter 3

For this Sunday I shared a link to Bear Grylls' reflections on Easter: https://youtu.be/pJmAMlU-wNU

Sunday 10th May 2020: Easter 5

The Coronavirus is a global crisis; it reminds us of the interconnectedness of our world – a virus starts in Asia and spreads over the whole world in a matter of a few weeks.  We are also constantly looking at how other countries are responding to the crisis and comparing their statistics with ours.  But it also makes us suspicious of other countries and makes us look after ourselves first.

This week is Christian Aid Week, an annual chance to remember that no matter how bad things are for us, usually our problems are small compared with others throughout the world.  COVID-19 is spreading across the world’s poorest countries, putting people living in poverty at great risk.  These people are already facing a lack of water, food and healthcare.  Some are homeless or refugees.  Some are living with underlying health issues.  Some are also suffering from floods, famines, droughts, war and other disasters.

This week we have the chance to help not just our physical (but socially distanced!) neighbours but also our global neighbours.  If you'd like to help this week, or any time, go to https://www.christianaid.org.uk/

Prayer: God of heaven and earth, in these times of isolation, apart from loved ones, distant from friends, away from neighbours, thank you that there is nothing in all of creation, not even  coronavirus, that is able to separate us from your love. And may your love that never fails continue to be shared through the kindness of strangers looking out for each other, for neighbours near and far all recognising our shared vulnerability, each of us grateful for every breath, and willing everyone to know the gift of a full and healthy life. Keep us all in your care. Amen.

Sunday 24th May 2020: Easter 7

As we navigate when and how we ease out of lockdown there is a lot of anxiety about a second wave of COVID-19.  In the Church year today is the Sunday after Ascension Day, and in some way marks the second wave of grief for the disciples.

After Jesus' death the disciples were devastated and despairing, but their grief was short-lived as it turned through confusion to amazement to rejoicing as the news of Jesus' resurrection filtered through.  He then spent forty days with the disciples; eating with them, teaching them and commissioning them to go out and tell people about him.  Then, as we remembered last Thursday, he  was taken up to heaven, where he was made ruler of all things (Ephesians 1:20-23).  We are told that the disciples stayed in Jerusalem – what might they have felt? This second wave of grief would not have been as bad as the first wave because they knew that Jesus was alive, and more importantly why he had had to die.  But they still faced a separation from him, he would no longer be physically present with them as he had been before.  And now they had this commission to go out into all the world and tell people about Jesus.

They must have wondered how a dozen or so people could achieve this, particularly as they faced possible arrest and execution if they tried.  The answer was to be found in Jesus' cryptic promise that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them (more on that next week from Enid!).  However even before they received the Holy Spirit, they had the resources they needed.

The difference between the pre- and post-resurrection griefs is illustrated in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians: the church there had been rocked by the the deaths of some of their members, but Paul did not want them to “grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (4:13-14).  Before the resurrection the disciples grieved without hope, but after it they had confidence that death was no longer final; more than that, because they saw Jesus keeping his promise to come back to life, they could also be confident that he would keep his promise to be with them always.

So what keeps you going through this pandemic? Is it a vague, fingers-crossed hope that things will turn out OK, or is it a trust in the never-failing one who promises “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, our ever-present help in trouble, our fortress and our God: calm the anxious fears of all who turn to you; give strength and healing to those who are sick; and humble us all to call upon you that we may be saved not only in this life, but also for that which is to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Sunday 7th June 2020: Trinity Sunday

Today is Trinity Sunday, the day when we particularly remember that God has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; as the Athanasian Creed says: God is “one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the Persons nor dividing the divine Being...not three Gods but one God...all three Persons are co-eternal with each other and co-equal.”  Not the easiest concept to get our heads around, but that is who God tells us he is in the Bible.

And this helps us understand another easier-to-grasp definition God gives us of himself: “God is love” (1 John 4:8).  Love cannot exist alone, the one who loves has to have someone to love.  God existed before there was anything else so the only way he can be love is if he has always existed as a communion of co-eternal persons.

The Trinity is not an abstract theological concept, it is a description of how God reveals himself in the Bible and how he has been experienced by millions of people throughout history.  But it also has practical consequences for us humans too.

At the moment people all around the world are rightly concerned about racial justice, and the slogan 'Black Lives Matter' is all over the news and social media.  For many people it seems incredible that still in the 21st Century people from BAME communities face prejudice and discrimination from individuals and organisations because of their race.  The question is frequently asked “Why does racism still exist?”

The answer is that racism is rooted in the sin of pride – thinking of ourselves as better than others, and it will only be solved when all of us admit to our own sinfulness, repent and ask God to forgive us and fill us with his Holy Spirit so that we will be more like him.  And part of God's nature as Trinity is being one in essence yet three distinct Persons and “in this Trinity there is...no greater or less”.  Unity yet diversity; equality yet difference.  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit model for us the only way we as humanity can truly live in harmony, and the only way racism and other forms of discrimination will be no more.

Prayer: Almighty God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; you exist in a perfect communion of Persons, forgive us our pride in thinking of ourselves as better than others, and help us to live as you live, in a perfect unity of love in difference. Amen.

Sunday  June 2020: Trinity 2

In today's Gospel reading (Matthew 10:24–39) Jesus warns his disciples that being a Christian will not be easy, in fact it will be very dangerous.  And according to tradition, all but two of the original twelve were put to death for their faith in Jesus.  The early Christians were put to death in an attempt to silence the message about Jesus and we often think that such actions belong to the un-Enlightened past, but recent events have proved that wrong.

The pulling down or vandalising of statues of figures from the past, some actions of whose we now regard as wrong, is a symptom of what has become known as the 'cancel culture'.  People or views with which we disagree are no longer argued against, they are simply silenced and erased.  There is no room for reason or debate, suppression is the only answer to things we don't like.  Truth, context, logic and even science can all be set aside if someone shouts loud enough or can portray themselves as a victim.  And ironically this is usually justified by doing it the name of 'tolerance', 'equality' and 'diversity'!

The reality is that only some things are tolerated; some are more equal than others; and only certain types of diversity are welcome.  J. K. Rowling has recently found this out when she dared suggest that women's rights were being overlooked in favour of (some) trans rights, and received vitriol and hatred as a result.

The faults of a society, however, reflect the faults of us as individuals.  All of us would like to airbrush out those parts of our past that we regret, and all of us would prefer not to hear opinions that we disagree with or that make us uncomfortable.  It was this human tendency to silence inconvenient truths that led the authorities to crucify Jesus.  But ironically it was Jesus' death that makes it possible for our past mistakes and disturbing truths to be forgiven and forgotten, at least by God.

Prayer: Holy Lord Jesus, you know the depths of our hearts, yet you still love us.  Thank you for coming to take the punishment we deserve and for sending the Holy Spirit to make us more like you. Amen.

Sunday 5th July 2020: Trinity 4

Yesterday was 4th July when the USA celebrated being released from the shackles of British rule, and when England celebrated being released from (some of) the shackles of lockdown.  This easing of lockdown has caused great relief and rejoicing in some people, and renewed horror and fear in others.  Many businesses are able to resume trading; many employees are more confident about their financial future; and many people are able to be reunited with loved ones.  However, the new freedoms also increase the risk of a resurgence of the virus, as Leicester knows only too well.

A couple of weeks ago we thought about the dangers of trying to airbrush our history, and this week we're reminded again of the need to learn from the more recent past and not simply to carry on as if the virus never happened.  Our reading today from the gospel of Matthew (11:16-30) carries a similar warning about not learning from history.

Jesus criticized the people of some of the towns where he had performed miracles because they hadn't repented: they were more interested in being entertained than listening to the message Jesus was bringing.  The miracles were signs that God's kingdom was breaking into this world and bringing healing, renewal and restoration – and that included the restoration of the relationship between us and God which was broken because of our sin.  But people weren't listening.  So Jesus warns them that on the Day of Judgement notoriously evil places like Sodom would fare better because if they had seen those miracles they would have repented and not been destroyed!  This should make us think too.  We have the privilege of having the whole of God's word revealed to us in the Bible, so we will have not have the excuse on Judgement Day that we didn't get the chance to hear Jesus' message.

The point of this is not that we have a massive guilt-trip, but that we repent and are renewed.  So Jesus' invitation in verse 28 is for all who are weighed down with sin or worry or pain: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Prayer: Eternal God, comfort of the afflicted and healer of the broken, lead us to repent of our sins and to bring our worries and needs to you, that you may fill us with your peace that is beyond our understanding.  Amen.

Corpus Christi, COVID-19 and the Presence and Blessing of God

Today in the Church calendar is sometimes kept as the Day of Thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion (also known as Corpus Christi), which this year falls at a time when Holy Communion and all public worship is still suspended due to COVID-19. Holy Communion was of course instituted at the Last Supper on what we now know as Maundy Thursday, but the events of Jesus' death and resurrection often, rightly, are our focus that day, and so the wonderful gift of Holy Communion is overlooked. This Day of Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to celebrate this gift.

Jesus' Last Supper was a Passover meal. The Passover celebrated the Israelites being spared from God's judgements and also them being set free from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12) and the start of their journey to freedom in the Promised Land. While on the journey, God told them that if they sinned they had to sacrifice certain animals before they could be forgiven. The Passover meal reminds them of these things. Jesus used the Passover meal, and in particular the bread and wine, to illustrate that his death would be the real way that sins can be forgiven. Now we can be set free from the desire to sin ('slavery to sin') and be free to live as God wants us to live. Holy Communion, which Jesus commanded his followers to celebrate (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), reminds us of these things.

At the Last Supper Jesus gathered with his disciples and shared the bread and wine with them. But at the moment we are prevented from physically gathering and sharing, which is why we cannot celebrate Holy Communion. For a lot of people this is a painful deprivation, but perhaps its absence will help us to look beyond the ceremony to the deeper truths it reveals, particularly about presence and blessing.

Holy Communion is a Sacrament, which according to the Book of Common Prayer is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, so by partaking of the bread and wine with faith we are spiritually partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ. God knows that we are physical creatures who often struggle with spiritual things because they are intangible, so he gave us the physical act of eating bread and drinking wine so that we can enact our receiving of Jesus' presence and feel his presence in us. However, before Jesus ascended back to his Father, he promised us: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) – we can't have more of the presence of Jesus! Just because we celebrate Communion doesn't make Jesus more present with us than he is at any other time of our life. Jesus is with us always and completely. The Communion service gives us that visual and physical aid to remember Jesus' presence with us, but it is only an aid. He is always present with us and we can always receive him afresh into our lives. Not being able to take Communion doesn't diminish his presence with us – if anything it makes us remember that reality to which Communion points, and helps us not to rely on the physical aid but instead to rely on Jesus' promise: “I am with you always”.

The BCP also teaches that those who receive Communion with faith receive God's grace and heavenly blessing, but it also teaches that all the benefits of Jesus' death and resurrection (i.e. the forgiveness of our sins and new life in the Holy Spirit) we receive by faith, not by taking the bread and wine. St Paul reminds us that God “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). There is no more that can be gained from receiving Communion, that God has not already given us through the Holy Spirit. We have received every blessing in Christ, and we don't need bread and wine to give us more, because there is no more we can receive. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.

So in this time where we can't gather together, when we can't share bread and wine together, we can still give thanks for the spiritual truths that Holy Communion points us to. That Jesus is always present with us and we can receive him into our lives any time; and that Jesus has given us every spiritual blessing to get us through our life and onto eternal life with him.

How do we stop being afraid of each other?

This is my magazine article for June:

Those of you on social media will have probably seen posts that say that people want to keep socially distancing after the threat of the virus has gone, not for health reasons but just because they don't like talking with people! However, although some people are enjoying not having to interact with others, a lot of people, including introverts, are finding that they are really missing being with people. But as I write this (and I'm aware it may all have changed by the time you read this!), there is a growing sense that the restrictions we face at the moment will gradually lift. The questions then are how? and when?.

Aside from the practicalities there is another problem we have to solve as we move towards normality: how do we stop being afraid of each other? One of my strangest experiences at the start of this crisis was talking to someone and thinking “this person may have Coronavirus; they may be passing it to me; this person might be killing me!” The precautions that we are encouraged to take also make us cautious about other people. We stay two metres away from people because we might infect them, but also because they might infect us. We want trolleys and door handles to be sanitised; we want deliveries left on doorsteps; we wear gloves to bring in the bins, all to prevent contamination from others. COVID-19 might be the enemy but the people around us are its agents.

It seems to me that there are two ways in which we can re-learn how to be with other people. The first is to re-assess how we view life. The Government mantra reminds us that we should 'save lives' but why should we? This pandemic could have been used to aid 'social Darwinism' – killing off those who were weakest in society, which would have helped solve the problems of an over-stretched NHS and a pensions crisis. The fact that this would have been unacceptable is due to the deep Christian roots of our society: life is sacred not simply some evolutionary accident, and life is only sacred because we are made in the image and likeness of God himself (Genesis 1 and 2) and because he loves us enough to die for us (1 John 4:9-10).

The second is to re-assess how we view death. We fear COVID-19, and therefore others, because we fear death itself. Christianity, with the death and resurrection of Jesus at its heart, has the antidote to this fear – death has been destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26). This is why in the Plague of Cyprian (249–262 AD) that, at its height, caused upwards of 5,000 deaths a day in Rome, Christians stayed in Rome to tend the sick. Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, reported that in doing so they often died 'serenely happy' unlike the other Romans who “deserted those who began to be sick, and fled from their dearest friends. They shunned any participation or fellowship with death; which yet, with all their precautions, it was not easy for them to escape.” (Eusebius 'Ecclestiastical Histories' 7.22.7–10). The Romans died in fear but the Christians died cheerfully, knowing that “that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

So as we ease ourselves out of this lockdown, let's learn again not to fear people (because the worst they can do to us is kill us and death is not to be feared) and to love them as God's beloved image-bearers (and that includes you!).

Lockdown lessons

Here's my article for the May magazines:

When I was young there was a craze for 'Choose your own Adventure' books, stories which offered the reader the chance to choose what the characters did and so there were a number of alternative stories and endings. I feel like I should write a similar article for this month: one where the lockdown continues and one where it is lifted! However, I'm going to assume that some sort of restrictions will be in place when you read this, especially if it's at the beginning of the month.

When I wrote my last article COVID-19 was just starting to become a concern outside of China – how much has changed since then! The restrictions we face are a real source of worry for a lot of people, with many fearful about where they can get food from, whether they or loved ones will survive and what their future economic prospects are going to be. And I know already how this situation is adding further pain to those who are grieving.

Whilst acknowledging all of that, it is also important to think about what we're learning from this time. And the lessons often fall into two categories: we're learning what we can live without and what we can't. Toilet roll is one of those things a lot of people think they can't live without, but really human interaction is one of the major things we need. And we have been discovering many different ways of connecting with people: alongside letters, cards and phonecalls we've connected through the internet and putting pictures up in windows and clapping outside at various times. However, these aren't as good as face-to-face interactions. Some of the things we can live without (at least for a short time) are days out, certain types of shopping and even some jobs!! I'm sure you can think of more in each category!

And as a church we've also been learning those lessons. Worship has continued in various ways online but we have learnt that although our buildings are not essential they are very important, because virtual gathering is not as good as physical gathering. And although we can pray to God anywhere at any time – there is something special about praying in a place where people have prayed for centuries. And through it all we learn the most important lesson – we need God.

There are many times in the Bible where God has taught his people to rely on him in difficult times, the forty years in the desert and Job's life are two examples. At the end of this month, wherever we are, we will be celebrating Pentecost – the coming of the Holy Spirit todisciples in lockdown. Paul would write from prison “I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance” (Phillipians 1:19-20). And if we ask that same Spirit is available to each of us whether or not we're in lockdown.