Some Questions

•May 29, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Questions are a great way of learning.  If you don’t ask you don’t find out.

John 3:1-17

Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said, “Sir, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God’s kingdom!”

4 Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?”

5 Jesus answered:

I tell you for certain that before you can get into God’s kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. 6 Humans give life to their children. Yet only God’s Spirit can change you into a child of God. 7 Don’t be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. 8 Only God’s Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 Jesus replied:

How can you be a teacher of Israel and not know these things? 11 I tell you for certain that we know what we are talking about because we have seen it ourselves. But none of you will accept what we say. 12 If you don’t believe when I talk to you about things on earth, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about things in heaven?

13 No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. 14 And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as that metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert. 15 Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.

16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!

Nicodemus is a man with questions.  He wants to know more, he wants to understand what it is that Jesus is saying and offering.

Nicodemus acknowledges that Jesus has been sent by God to teach us.  He’s clearly been listening very carefully because he is now asking his supplementary questions to what Jesus has already taught.

What I love about Nicodemus is he’s not afraid to ask questions of Jesus.  As a young christian in the early 80s I was fed the “this is what we believe” theory.  I know there has to be a place for teaching and grasping the fundamentals, but we also need to be able to chew and swallow them for ourselves.  We need to think around them, talk to people of varied opinions (and that is where social media is so useful!), and come to our own conclusions.

I shudder at the time I thought I knew all the answers.  The older I get the more shades of grey I realise there are.  That is not a cop-out, or being wishy-washy, it is an honest attempt to try to relate faith to real life.  To try and live how Jesus would, not how another christian says I should.

If Nicodemus had not asked these questions of Jesus, we would not have these famous words, enshrined for us Jesus understanding of how much God loved the world.

Because Nicodemus tussled with what Jesus said, he was able to come to a fuller understanding of what Jesus meant and what he was about – and it is shared with us too.

And if you’re ever tempted to sit in judgement on someone because of what they don’t believe, or are questioning, remember,

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! (v17)

Thank you Lord

that you are big enough to take our questions,

that you long for us to explore

what it is you are saying,

what we need to do.

Thank you that you listen patiently,

and gently lead us on.

Today Lord,

I bring my questions to you,

and thank you for your answers.

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Is it Me?

•May 28, 2012 • Leave a Comment

You know that sudden silence, the interest in the floor – we need someone to…

Well, that can’t be me.  It’s not my turn.  That’s not my thing.  Mrs Blogs would do that really well…

A Vision of the Lord in the Temple

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I had a vision of the Lord. He was on his throne high above, and his robe filled the temple. 2 Flaming creatures with six wings each were flying over him. They covered their faces with two of their wings and their bodies with two more. They used the other two wings for flying, 3 as they shouted,

“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord All-Powerful!
The earth is filled
with your glory.”

4 As they shouted, the doorposts of the temple shook, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 Then I cried out, “I’m doomed! Everything I say is sinful, and so are the words of everyone around me. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful.”

6 One of the flaming creatures flew over to me with a burning coal that it had taken from the altar with a pair of metal tongs. 7 It touched my lips with the hot coal and said, “This has touched your lips. Your sins are forgiven, and you are no longer guilty.”

8 After this, I heard the Lord ask, “Is there anyone I can send? Will someone go for us?”

“I’ll go,” I answered. “Send me!”

Isaiah hears those immortal words,

Is there anyone I can send?  Who will go?

and he replies,

I will.

Wow!  Hearing the call of God in your life is awesome, in the truest sense of the word, and it is very scary.

When I first heard the call to Itinerant Ministry, I came up with all kinds of excuses.  I tried to run and hide, I offered God a whole string of things I was quite happy to do instead, I suggested a list of people who would be very good at it…  I was quite content with what I was doing.  I was a stay at home mum with plenty to keep me occupied and plenty of time to do useful things in the church.  But that was no longer what God was asking of me.

God was needing someone to go, and he asked me.

When I was procrastinating over God’s call to me, someone gave me this.  They knew nothing of my thoughts (sorry, but I’ve had it so long, I no longer know who wrote it, if anyone does, please let me know and I’ll credit it)

Who us?

And the Lord said, “Go!”

And we said, “Who us?”

And he said, “Yes, you”.

And we said, “But we’re not ready yet

And there’s company coming.

And we can’t leave the kids,

And you know there is no-one to take our place.”

And he said, “You’re stalling”.

Again the Lord said, “Go”.

And we said, “But we don’t want to”.

And we said, “Listen, we’re not that kind of people

                                                To get involved so deeply, besides

Our family wouldn’t like it.

And what will the neighbours think?”

And he said, “Baloney”.

And yet a third time the Lord said, “Go!”

And we said, “Do we have to?”

And he said, “Do you love me?”

And we said, “Look, we’re scared.

                                                People are going to reject us.

And cut us up into little pieces.

And we can’t take it all by ourselves.”

And he said, “Where do you think I’ll be?”

And the Lord said, “Go!”

And we sighed, “Here we are Lord, send us”

I don’t know what God may be asking you to go and do for him today.  It may be full-time ministry, or it might be something completely different – but you know.

God is saying to you,

This is what I need, will you do it?

How will you answer him?

Here I am Lord.

I hear what you’re saying –

but I’m not sure I want to!

Are you sure you mean me?

Surely there’s someone else?

Better equipped?

More suitable?

You really mean me?

Definitely?

Absolutely?

I’ll go for you,

I trust you to take me

and equip me.

I place myself at your disposal.

I hear your call –

I’ll go.

Posted in God, Lectionary
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God in the Midst

•May 27, 2012 • Leave a Comment

This is where we were last Sunday.  It is Monte Toro, or El Toro,, the highest point in Menorca.

The Guide book tells you that the large statue of Jesus, arms outstretched, is now almost lost against the antennae of the tv stations and mobile phone masts.

To me, you can see that two ways.  Either we can wail at media overtaking our world, obscuring and drowning out Jesus – or you can see that Jesus is there, right in the middle of it all, working and speaking.  It is perhaps a pertinent point on this day of Pentecost, God is there, and God speaks to all the nations and through all media.

A further, similar thought came to me later in the week:

This is the church in Binibeca Vell – except it isn’t actually a church.  It is a very fine looking tower, but underneath is only a niche with a cross, there is no church building.

My initial reaction was how sad.  The only church here is an artificial construct.  Made to look like the prettiness of a church tower, without actually having the building, or the space for God’s people to meet.  But then I thought, maybe that’s how it should be.  God is not for special places, but to be in the middle of where life is.

Today, as we welcome anew the Holy Spirit, as we remember the birth of the church, I give thanks that God is not a sterile God, kept in a special place, away from the ordinary and busyness of life. Thank God that he is with us, in the noise and confusion; in the places where we are; there in it all – speaking, guiding, loving, bring his love, hope and peace; touching us and equipping us for the everyday of life.

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