Turning the world on it’s head

•January 26, 2011 • 1 Comment

In the film Monsters Inc, Boo, a small girl, turns the lives of the monsters upside down.

They had been living their lives scared of children – they didn’t realize that children were scared of them.  Finding out they were, and then getting to know Boo totally changes them.

God is good at turning things on their head.  Taking what is considered wisdom, and showing it to be wrong.  He comes into lives and changes perspectives, alters priorities, and gives a whole new vision.

Perceived wisdom  might be that those who are doing best in lives are those who are “getting on”, with good jobs, nice cars, big houses, luxurious holidays.  And we might at times envy those things when we see them in others lives.  We might even consider their lives blessed.

None of these things in themselves are wrong, but are they really the measures that we think they are?  Are they truly the way to get on?  Are they the real markers of a blessed life?  Do they show who are blessed by God?

Jesus wants to turn that understanding on its head.  As Paul reminds us, the wisdom of the world is foolish.  He chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.

The people who are doing what God wants are those who will be blessed.

It turns out that the people God blesses are those:

  • who depend only on him.
  • who are humble
  • who want to obey him more than to eat or drink
  • who are merciful
  • whose hearts are pure
  • who make peace

And in an even stranger twist, those who will receive God’s blessing are those we would consider anything but blessed:

  • those who grieve – they will find comfort!
  • those who are treated badly for doing right.
  • God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me.

God knows their need and meets it.

God turns lives around.  When we meet him, and let him order our lives, he turns things on their head.

God’s blessing does not mean lots of shiny possessions, it means having God in things with us.

The Good News Bible uses the phrase ‘happiness’ in place of blessing.  These things are what bring true, lasting happiness – to us, to the world at large, and to God.

They may not be what are generally accepted as the signs that things are going well – but God so loves to turn things upside down!

Lord

sometimes the things we see as good

are not actually that good.

We judge things and people by the wrong criteria,

we are looking for the wrong signs.

Thank you that you are in all things.

And that you turn perceived wisdom upside down.

That your ways are the better ways.

Help us to cling to you

when we’re on our heads,

and walk in your ways

not ours.

Posted in Lectionary
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What I really want

•January 26, 2011 • Leave a Comment

Don’t worry, I’m not going to bombard you with a pop song this time…

You know the feeling.  It’s someone’s birthday, and you have no idea what to get them.

I had this dilemma recently.  A wander round M&S didn’t really help (other stores are available!).  Then I had another bright idea – but I thought I’d ring to check first.  Turned out it wasn’t such a bright idea after all.  But at least they told me straight.

It can be really difficult to know what someone really wants.

Thankfully (I think) God tells us just what he wants.

The people understood that God wanted sacrifices.  So should they bring calves, or thousands of sheep, or rivers of olive oil, or even their first-born sons?  All generous gifts.

But totally missing the point, because the rest of their lives didn’t match up.

What God really wanted from his people was that they

“See that justice is done,

let mercy be your first concern,

and humbly obey your God.

It’s not what you give to God.  It’s actually quite easy to buy something, even something expensive, and wrap it up and present it, with no feeling what so ever, but just to be needing to be seen to be doing it.  It is the motive behind the giving – and the rest of life that really matters.

To give the best of their produce was not the point – the way they lived their lives was.

There’s no point giving everything away if our lifestyle is not right.  We can give, but not love.  We can give , but show no mercy.  We can give, and be so proud of our giving.  We can give, and still not care for people.  We can give from what we have, without ever really giving anything.  We can give of our things, without ever giving of ourselves.

But what does God really want

“See that justice is done,

let mercy be your first concern,

and humbly obey your God.

Will we give it him?

 

Lord

I have my bright ideas

about what I can do.

But are they really what you want?

I am generous in what I give,

but is it what you really want?

Help me to seek you;

to see that mercy is done;

to let mercy be my first concern

and in humility

to do what you ask of me.

 

Posted in calling, justice
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Remember then

•January 25, 2011 • Leave a Comment

This weekend Mr Pamsperambulation and I finally got to see The Kings Speech.  As we came out we remarked to each other how many missing gaps we have in our knowledge of recent English history – it was never something we were taught in our ‘very modern’ 70s education.

Though I have to confess I have never been too much troubled by history, preferring rather to look to the future – and try to sort today out!

I do realize though, that a modicum of awareness of the past is no bad thing.  Human beings have not changed much over the centuries.  Despite how civilised and advanced we think we are, we still are fundamentally the same.

And so the past has lessons to teach us.  We can learn from the mistakes of others, and we can learn from how they went about things.

The prophet Micah reminds us of another reason to remember.

Remembering what God has done for us.

 

As we recall the past, we remember all the times God was with us, when he walked with us in our difficulties, when he carried us when we were weary, when he comforted us when we were alone…

God has always travelled with us, and always will.  Our remembering forms the basis for our going on.  As we recall what he has done in the past, for us and for others, we carry on in faith.

And as if anyone ever needed an excuse for some Shawaddywaddy (OK so I’m a child of the 70s, it had its good points!):

They’re remembering a time that has passed – but remembering the good in it – remembering then.

 

Thankyou God

That you have always travelled with us.

In the good times

and the bad

you were there.

Help us to remember,

to learn,

and to walk on

with you.

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