Lent - Week 6 Good Friday

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Here we are at the end of Lent. We are at a point, which for the disciples, must have been the darkest day of their lives. Surely it wasn't so long ago that had this conversation:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.

Matthew 16:13-17

Where had all that gone? They thought he was to be King and now he was dead. They must have felt such despair. How blessed we are to be able to stand at Good Friday, knowing that the Glory of Easter Day will soon be upon us.

We can stand and see both the loving sacrifice of Jesus which paid for all our sins, and His mighty resurrection which is victory over death and a pathway to restoration.

All through lent, in these thoughts, we have been thinking about giving up consumerism. Consumerism says, life is about you, your happiness. You should have all these things you see, by right. Consumerism says your material comfort is of the utmost importance and it is unjust for you not to have these things.

The cross says "not my will but yours". Not even my life, but Yours.

And as we stand in awe of what Jesus gave, we can look back and hear his words:

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40

We know we are called to more than just our own needs, our own comfort. And then we look forward to the words of the risen Jesus:

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-21

Life really is all about Jesus. About being agents of His Kingdom here on earth and about drawing people into the knowledge of his love, sacrifice and great victory.

I wonder what this Easter will bring us? I wonder how the Spirit might speak to us through our Bible reading and the services we attend? I wonder what commission Jesus will give us for the weeks and months to come.

We can be sure of this, if we lay down our own wants and take up His, we will find Him true to His word: And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Lent 2010 - week 5

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All though Lent we have been looking at "giving up consumerism" and what it means to be rich towards God. Tomorrow we enter holy week, and we begin the journey to the cross - and beyond (but more of that next week).

For the last couple of weeks I, along with others, have been delivering "the meaning of Easter" lessons to year 8. As part of that we show the scene from the film "The Miracle Maker" where Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane. Even though it is a cartoon, even though I have seen that part of the film what feels like a million times, it never grows old for me.

Because there for all to see, is the cost of love. The beginning of the price God paid (it being completed on the cross) to redeem us and all creation. Sometimes we can slip into the rote of Easter being here again, passing though the festival without stopping to look once again at the wealth of God's love as demonstrated in Jesus.

It is truly astounding. Jesus gave all he had, his very life - and he is the true example of humanity, the perfect demonstration of what it means to live as we were always meant to -in love worship and submission to God the Father.

How all our material goods, our passing difficulties and the things we think make us "somebody" pale into insignificance. As Paul said:

" I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ" Philippians 3:7-8

As we enter holy week, lets once again lay down our lives, fall in love again with Jesus and all he has done for us, walking with him to the cross.

Lent 2010 - Week 4

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This week, more on rich relationships...

Jesus knew a thing or two about time management. Admittedly, he didn't live in our post 80's, free market, time is money, survival of the fittest culture...

But all the same.

There have always been pressures on time, there has always been the temptation to find other things more attractive than decent time with our heavenly father, and Jesus modeled a better way.

He only had three years to bring in the kingdom of God in word and action, before his time had come.

And he needed to prepare for that too - nothing less than the sacrifice of his own life - traded for ours and all people's. Which is why you read, at each strategic moment in his life, that Jesus went away and spend time with his dad:

"Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:15-16

And if he needed it, how much more do we need it. We find ourselves in places where we wonder how on earth we got there, or why life is like it is. We feel like we are going under, or that we have lost direction. Perhaps we even blame God for it.

But life always was a matter of perspective - its that age old thing of is the glass half empty or half full? Perhaps the reason Jesus was able to say "not my will but yours" in the agony of Gethsemane, was because he had spent so much of his life listening to what that will was.

So how to find the water of the Spirit with which to fill our glass half full?

Its at this point I would normally waffle on about reading the bible and praying, which is of course, what Jesus did. But I would like to suggest something else too. Lets look for people who have a rich relationship with God and hang out with them. Copy them, let their way of life - rub off on ours.

We have a good precedent, the apostle Paul says:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-10

So lets do it, whether its some one we know or someone famous, lets find people who model a rich relationship with God - and put it into practice.

Lent 2010 - Week 3

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This week we continue to look at our choices between wealth, time and God, with a further look at what the Bible has to say on the matter.

Jesus says something we all know, but sometimes find hard to put into practice:

"Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”
Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

(my italics) Luke 12:13-15

It's hard isn't it? R and I have just got a new TV - he won it through work, and it IS amazing! Should we not be pleased with it? Should we not have it? It depends whether its the TV that matters the most. Jesus goes on to say:

"Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Luke 12:16-21

Jesus doesn't say we can't have wealth, what he does say, is there really isn't much point in any of it if we don't have a rich relationship with God. And everything we have, everything we are, it flows through our relationship with Jesus. Its how the kingdom of heaven enters this world.

Everything belongs to God, everything flows through him. As it says in the Common Worship liturgy:

"Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour, and the majesty; for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. All things come from you, and of your own do we give you."

And this isn't a concept restricted to the new testament. It is a golden thread through all scripture, that we should put first in our lives a rich relationship with Jesus, on the understanding that everything belongs to him in the first place:

‘I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:13-15

This lent, lets ask ourselves - do we view all that we own as belonging to God? How do our actions reflect that? And, how are we actively growing a rich relationship with God?

Lent 2010 - Week 2

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Last week we looked at how Jesus calls us to give to those in need and how we can share the material wealth we have.

This week we turn to look at something more important than the possessions we have - our time. Jesus points out that we can't have two masters, that it will either be God or money:

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Matthew 6:24 (New International Version)

I would like to suggest that it is because we only really have the time to devote our hearts, minds and actions to one - so with two in our lives, resentment creeps in.

And the pull of possessions is very strong on all of us. Just add up how much time you spend watching TV/on the internet/in the cinema each week. Now none of these things are bad, in fact they can be good, if for no other reason than they give you something to talk about with friends and family.

But time is precious and we need to consider what we spend it on.

There are less obvious "masters" to be considered - we all have work to do, whether paid, or in education but finding that "work-life balance" can be difficult. Its hard to take time to consider time when you don't have any. But all the same, if we are truly to be rich and not be a slave to the master consumerism, this issue of our time - needs time.

Because lets face it, TV time, essays at the last minute because we faffed earlier, extra hours in the office for a bit of overtime... they are worth nothing compared to family and friends. And the same goes for our friendship with God - I mean when we think about it in the light of day, which "master" do we really want? Friendship with our ipod or eternal friendship with the King?

Some times it takes a tragedy for us really realise it. It's then that we realise that the things we thought mattered (things which in daily life we might allow to "master" us) are worthless compared to the precious time we have with one another and with God.

This week, why not set aside an hour to consider your time. Figure out where an when you need to do that essential study/work and then book yourself some quality time in with God and with your family and friends. Because Jesus is right, we really can only have one master - and He is without doubt the most compassionate one.

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Lent 2010 - week 1

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This year's theme for lent from this corner of the blogosphere, is "giving up consumerism".

Now before you think of lentils and living in a tent, I'm aiming for more of a practical angle. We hear and read so much about reducing our carbon footprint, buying fair trade, giving to those in need. Jesus had plenty to say about that:

" When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."

Matthew 6:2-4 (New Living Translation)

Interesting how Jesus says "when" you give to someone in need not "if". Now we all have finite resources. Some of us are too young or don't have the time because of school work, to have a job. So how can we give?

What is true of the world stage, is true of our personal lives. If we wish to see others have more, we need to have less. Whether that is less "carbon" or less cash. It might mean we have to cut down on our carbon footprint, or it might mean buying less clothes so we can afford fair trade ones.

As John the baptist said:

"The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Luke 3:11 (New International Version)

And in our country, there are not many people with only "one coat". It doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't matter how much money you have - in fact cutting down on the amount of "stuff" you consume saves you money.

Love clothes? Buy second hand. In charge of the electricity bill? Swap to Ecotricity.

As we approach lent, why not do the traditional thing, and give something up? See whether is really is so bad to do without bottled water and make to with tap.

Over the next few weeks I will be continuing to look at what it means to give up consumerism and consume, our fair share of the resources - so that we too can learn to give in the quiet - God is the only one who sees it - way that Jesus suggests.

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