Saturday 26 August 2017

God in the End

Another Wainwright ticked on Wednesday: High Rigg, starting at the lovely little church of St John's in the Vale and the diocesan youth centre there . Quite a challenging walk of 4 1/2 miles, though it felt longer - and certainly took longer than I expected, resulting in my failing to get home in time for an appointment!

I have spent some hours this week, with colleagues, on Safeguarding administration. Mainly trying to coordinate everything so we have all the paperwork in one place, and easy reference to see where all our volunteers are at in terms of their DBS checks etc. So grateful to Cath and others for helping with this.

But the big news of the week is the birth of the latest Butland - Jacob Christopher, born to Chris & Debbie yesterday afternoon, just after 4pm.  I love this particular picture, taken within minutes of his birth, which almost looks as if he's praying!

What made this birth stand out from the previous grandchildren is the running commentary we received via WhatsApp from Chris in the delivery room! So we knew exactly what was going on almost minute by minute, with pictures instantaneously. And here is a photo of the family received earlier this morning, when George and Chloe met their new brother.


Tomorrow we reach the end of the road - that is, the book 'We Make the Road by Walking'. It's chapter 52, having begun the book at the start of September last year. We have followed the story of God's salvation from Genesis to Revelation, and discovered that 'In the beginning, God...' (Genesis 1.1) and at the end, God's grace (Revelation 22.21).  Suitably, the Gospel reading is the story of the Two Sons (Luke 15). I'm sure when I was young, it was always 'the Prodigal Son', and the story ended with the feast upon the return of the younger son.  The elder son literally didn't get a look in. Now, however - thanks maybe to the writing of Henri Nouwen (The Return of the Prodigal Son) and the success of the Emmaus course, we realise there is a lot more to it.

Nouwen describes the parable as A Story of Homecoming and writes about his own experience, late in life, of finally knowing the Father's blessing, so that - blessed - he may be a father, able to bless others. For years, he says, he felt like someone on the outside looking in (the older brother) but was able to move inside (coming home), and look out. Pretty much matches what I also have experienced. Someone said to me only recently, he felt I should see myself as a spiritual father to others.

McLaren summarises the journey thus: '...we walk this road, from the known into the unknown, deeper into the mystery, deeper into light, deeper into love, deeper into joy (p320).

Saturday 19 August 2017

Spirit of Hope

The organ playing seemed to go ok last week. I managed not to make too many obvious mistakes, and people were very complimentary. I enjoyed it: so maybe I could maintain a certain level of competence to retirement.

Last Wednesday, I completed two more 'Wainwrights': Lord's Seat and Barf. Both gave spectacular 360 degree views at the top, and I particularly enjoyed Barf, as it overlooks the A66, which we travel often.  Looking down over it, and Lake Bassenthwaite beyond, was a marvellous experience. On the walk back, through Whinlatter Forest, I spotted a rainbow over the lake, which made my joy complete.


This week has been rather taken over by funerals: 8 in all! Although I only had a hand in 5 of them, they all needed to be organised and logged. The most moving was that of a 32 year old mother of 5, all under 12, whose death from lung cancer affected countless people. She belonged to Kings Church in Cockermouth, and the radiance of her faith had completely transformed her suffering so that her funeral (attended by 100s) was a wonderful witness to the love and mercy of God, with Jesus as her (and our) Good Shepherd.

Tomorrow's theme is Spirit of Hope, this time looking beyond death to the life to come. Our focus is on the book of Revelation, which our author invites us to consider not as a 'roadmap to the future' (i.e. to be taken literally), but rather as 'literature of the oppressed', for it is written for Christians at a time of intense persecution. It is a message of hope, intended to lift them above the fear and terror of their times to a new world which God is creating, where all things are made new. Thus, the key word at the end of the book is not 'wait' or 'not yet' but simply 'come'. For God wants us to be part of the new world which is being made even as we suffer and struggle with this earthly life.

Saturday 12 August 2017

Spirit of LIfe

When we were on holiday last month, I began to think about returning to organ-playing. Something to carry forward into retirement. Might even begin a new 'ministry'!  Coming home, I was met with the discovery that on Sunday, 13th (tomorrow) there was no one available at All Saints to play the organ. And I just happen to be rota'd there for that service. And, as it happens, not preaching - just presiding at Holy Communion. So, sooner rather than later, I find myself playing in public, moving from organ stool to altar table and back again. First time I've played in public for 6 years! I remind myself that this is an offering of worship no less than preaching or presiding at communion; and the time I would have spent preparing a sermon I have been using to practise the organ instead. Just hope the good folks of All Saints aren't distracted by too many uncertain sounds.

The theme in McLaren's book this week is death, and I must say he makes it sound most attractive, from the perspective of Christian faith.  In light of Jesus' death and resurrection, we can expect to experience death as a passage, like birth, the end of one life stage and the beginning of another (p306). On the other side, we can expect to experience as never before the unimaginable light or energy of God's presence. We will enter a goodness so good, a richness so rich, a holiness so holy, a mercy and love so strong and true that all our pride, lust, greed, resentment and fear will instantly be melted out of us (p307). You may imagine that dying will be like diving or falling or stepping into a big wave on the beach. You feel yourself lifted off your feet and taken up into a swirl and curl and spin more powerful than you can imagine. But there will be no fear, because the motion and flow will be the dance of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The rising tide will be life and joy (p308).

Seeing death in this way, we are freed from the fear of it and therefore able to live this life more fully.


Saturday 5 August 2017

Spirit of Holiness

Soon, I shall need a new theme, as our 'We Make the Road by Walking' (Brian McLaren) enters its final month!

I must confess I have felt rather bombarded with Gay Pride broadcasting this week!  I need to understand, I know, the significance of the change in the law 50 years ago, which decriminalised gay relationships in private between consenting males over 21. With it began the long and continuing journey towards outlawing the sometimes vicious prejudice against gay people of both sexes. The thing that troubles me, however, is the evident assumption that sexual freedom and multiple relationships (sometimes with either sex, in the case of bi-sexual people) are somehow 'normal'. Which is why, for a long time, I have felt that Christians who get hung up on homosexuality are tilting at the wrong target. It is not homosexuality which is the enemy of faith, it is promiscuity and infidelity - the loss of the connection between sexual expression and committed relationship.

Today's title does not entirely match the subject matter of the relevant chapter, which makes the case for a fresh understanding of 'judgment.'  In common parlance, we make a close association between judgement and punishment as in a criminal court where a judge passes sentence. And when we 'judge' other people, there is a negative connotation. However, in the Bible, a judge is one who doesn't condemn but puts things right. The obvious example of this is Solomon in 1 Kings 3.16-28, where he is petitioned by a prostitute who claims that another woman has stolen her baby, having accidentally killed her own. Rather than judge the rightness of her claim, and possibly punishing the offender, Solomon's concern is for the child that he should be with his rightful mother. In modern parlance, this is restorative rather than punitive justice.

Just so, when we talk of 'final' judgement, this is not about God condemning and destroying the wicked, but righting the wrongs which have spoiled his creation. Likewise (says our author), hellfire is more about purifying than consuming.  This changes the way we see the trials and difficulties of this life...not as punishment for our wrongs but a refining fire to strengthen and purify us (p302). So we may have a better understanding of the direction in which this world is heading, under a just and merciful God; and a better understanding of how we might cope with our own trials and tribulations.