God Values Us

David writes...

This Saturday is the feast of Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas, traditionally associated with the arrival of the wise men to visit the infant Jesus and give him their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.  For many people today, it’s a day when we might think about ‘twelfth night’ or taking down the Christmas decorations.

The wise men (the Bible doesn’t say how many there were) came some time after Jesus’ birth.  I’m encouraged by two things about the wise men:

• They were NOT the first people to meet Jesus – that was the shepherds. So we know that God loves and values ordinary people like you and me, just as much as the ‘great and good’ like the wise men; and

• Ever since the first Christmas in Bethlehem, Jesus has drawn some of the wisest people and finest minds to find and know him. He welcomes any amount of inquiry and research, so long as we keep our minds open.

Our contemporary context is a far cry from first century Palestine but even today wise people still seek Jesus and put their gifts at his disposal.  So as you put your Christmas decorations away for another year, I hope you’ll reflect on the wise men all those years ago, and do what they did – find out for yourself why the baby born among animals is so important.

What Really Matters?

I’ve been reflecting on what it’s like to experience hearing loss, as I recently had a period struggling with blocked ears and annoying my family (nothing new there then!) by not hearing things they said to me.  It’s always hard to hear in a bustling environment with a lot of background noise and other distractions – say a busy pub or football ground.  I’m sure I’m not the only person who needs a bit of quiet to successfully do tasks which need attention and precision or concentrating on one person or thing particularly.

 Sometimes in life there are so many competing voices and other things distracting us from things that really matter.  Jesus once described these collectively as “the worries of this life” and he challenged people to get things in perspective.  Rather than saying simply ‘don’t worry’,  he taught people to focus on what does matter most (read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 if you’d like to learn more).

 So my questions to you are: What matters to you?  What distracts you from it?  How are you going to avoid unhelpful distractions?  And what are you going to focus on to help you get things right?    If you’d like to discuss your answers, I’d be pleased to hear from you.

Life Goals

You may know that one of my community roles is as Honorary Chaplain of Poole Town Football Club.  For those of us standing behind the goal where our team scored the two second half goals to win a match recently, it was great to see the joy, determination and relief on the faces of players and supporters alike.  PTFC have been having a tough run of form, which is in stark contrast to the success of the last few years.  It has certainly given all at the club an experience of the fluctuating fortunes in football.

 It is sometimes wisely said that it’s possible to tell a lot more about the character of a team or individual in tough times than in more ‘successful’ periods.  Sometimes the best thing we can do is grit our teeth and put one foot in front of the other, maintaining unity of purpose as we go.   I often talk with people about the things that are happening in life and we reflect that circumstances are constantly changing, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.  It’s impossible to live life with constant good times, and it’s tragic when people get trapped in the realm of “if only”, feeling bitter about the past.

 God never did promise people an easy life.  What He does promise is that He loves us and will be there for us if we turn to Him.   He wants us to trust Him ‘when the chips are down’ and cooperate with Him in the formation and development of our character.  I hope we will.

Remembrance

Tomorrow is the 99th anniversary of Armistice Day at the end of the First World War.  It is humbling to think of the many thousands who signed up but never returned, decimating so many communities and traumatizing countless lives.  The poppy from the fields of Flanders has become a powerful symbol for our remembrance of those who gave their lives for the good things we enjoy but so often take for granted today.

Sometimes people ask how can events of long ago and far away be relevant today.  There are two parts of the answer to this question.  The first is that remembrance is not just about history, it is also about now – our armed forces are serving in harm’s way today, and many are the former service personnel and their families still living with the effects of previous conflicts.

The second part of the answer is that events of long ago can be very relevant today, because they can change the world.  So much of the freedom and prosperity that we enjoy can be traced to the sacrifices of others in the events of history.

Many of the nation’s war memorials are in churches (visitors often come to St John’s to see the Parkstone memorial), and Christians play a key part in remembrance ceremonies, but again it’s natural to ask why.  The answer is that Christian faith is about remembrance – remembrance of the rock solid historical reality of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus – and giving thanks for the new life that he gives to his followers.

So there’s a close link of logic between remembrance of those who died for the good of our society, and faith in Jesus.  As he said “Greater love has no-one than this – that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 17.13)

Transformed

Recently I read the autobiography of a retired Premier League footballer.  One of the striking things about his footballing life was a continuing sense of insecurity – would the manager pick him or would he be dropped?  Would he stay fit or get a serious injury?  What was his place in the overall picture?

 This got me to thinking about the ways we seek security and status – in our relationships, jobs, success, physique, income and so on.  Some of us find meaning in where we’ve come from – perhaps you’ve seen the popular TV programme ‘Who do you think you are’, which is an example of this?  I wonder – where do you seek and find your sense of identity, security and purpose?

 In the New Testament there’s a brief phrase which recurs often and, for those of us who are Christians, provides an answer: the phrase is “in Christ”.  Speaking personally, I am pleased to be a husband/dad/vicar/etc but I know that one day all those things could be stripped away.  Who will I be then?  My answer is “In Christ” – He can be trusted and relied upon even when other things are no more.  Billions of people over time and across the world have found this for themselves.

 In case you were wondering, the book was ’Transformed’ by Linvoy Primus, a good and thought-provoking read.  I hope that, like him, you will find your source of identity, security and purpose in our Lord, the best place of all.