What's your priority in Life?

I sometimes reflect on what is my 'core business' and I keep coming back to our parish mission statement: 'Knowing and sharing the love of Jesus'.  Sometimes this is through words (e.g. teaching the Bible) and sometimes it's through actions (e.g. my next activity after typing this is the regular 'drop in' evening at St John's for some disadvantaged members of the local community). 

 When I first became a vicar 21 years ago, my wife commented on the variety inherent in the role, wisely saying, "You won't get bored in this job".  This morning began with a school assembly and ended with a seniors' lunch club, and now I'm writing this blog, so some very different groups have been on my radar today.  The common thread in all of this is Jesus, as He is at the core of who a Christian is.  He is relevant for people of all ages and in all aspects of work, rest and play.

 I wonder what you would say is your own core business - your first priority in life and the thing that makes you 'you'.   Perhaps it's a role in your family, perhaps it's something about your work (paid or unpaid), perhaps it's a personal characteristic, or maybe something deeper like a faith or view of the world.  Amid all the busy-ness of life and the things clamouring for attention, I hope that you'll take time to ponder your own core business, letting God work in you and through you as you do.

These are a few of our Favourite Foods...

My wife Becky and I recently attended a marriage enrichment event which was both fun and helpful.  The first day began with an icebreaker of the 'Mr & Mrs' type, asking one partner something about the other one.  One of the questions was 'What is the one food that (s)he could not do without?'.  Becky's answer for me was simple - bread.  One of my many bad habits is eating chunks of a loaf (without butter, jam or anything).  You would probably not be impressed by my diet!

At St John's we recently had a series on some of the things Jesus said about himself, focusing on him calling himself 'The Bread of life'.  It's interesting that he didn't say 'The caviar of life' or 'The sweetest delicacy of life' but rather something providing everyday nourishment, that everyone who heard him was familiar with and could relate to.

Even the best or most expensive meal will leave people hungry the next day next day, needing to eat again.  But strangely, Jesus spoke about how 'feeding' on him satisfies our hunger permanently (see John chapter 6 to learn more).  Of course, he wasn't talking about just physical food but rather something deeper, which satisfies us, whether our stomachs are full or empty.  I hope that you will draw nourishment from the best food of all.

Christianity Explored

In life, important lessons are often learned from mistakes.  I expect you have your own personal examples of lessons learned from mistakes, which is why phrases like 'trial and error' are part of our everyday language.

 St John's is currently working through the book of Ecclesiastes, part of the 'wisdom literature' in the Old Testament.  Much of this is 'the teacher' reflecting on lessons learned from searching in the wrong places for meaning and significance.  He emphasises three areas of life, which are surprisingly relevant today too:

• Pleasure: many people spend a lot of time/money/energy seeking pleasure in various forms.  'The teacher' even had a harem and denied himself nothing, but found that he was 'chasing after the wind';

• Wisdom: sometimes we think knowledge and wisdom are the answers to life's big questions, but education isn't wisdom and the wise like the foolish endure the ups and downs of life and will eventually die;

• Hard work: work is a good thing, and part of God's plan for people, but toil can never produce or reveal the real meaning of life.

So much for looking in the wrong places!  What's the right place?  You won't be surprised to hear me answer 'God'.  If you'd like to investigate why Christians think so, I invite you to call me and maybe sign up for our next 'Christianity Explored' course, starting early in October.

Rev David Price (01202 740235)

The Guide Book for Life

Our recent family holiday was in Keswick in Cumbria.  It's a great place, alongside Derwent Water and surrounded by the four highest peaks in England.  For Christians, it has special significance, hosting the Keswick Convention each summer since 1875, offering a special event in a wonderful location.

Like thousands of walkers, I have come to rely on the trustworthy guides of the Lake District painstakingly compiled and expertly drawn by Alfred Wainwright.  When mist or cloud covers the ground, his trusty guides have led so many people safely to their intended destination.  But a few years ago, I climbed a mountain in Scotland with a guidebook that contained an error.  It was a traumatic episode which thankfully ended safely but I never got to the top of that mountain.

For me the most important 'guidebook' in life is the Bible.  For many centuries, it has proved its worth as a guide through the ups and downs of life.  I became a Christian after being given a New Testament and encountering Jesus in its pages, discovering along the way how inspired and authoritative it is.  As I reflect on guides for life, there's nothing to match it.

Wrestling with the Big Questions

Most of us wrestle sooner or later with the big questions of life: where can we find meaning, purpose, security and so on?  I sometimes meet people who seem to think that Christians leave their brains at the church door and are somehow immune to deep thinking!  But of course it's not true.

 At St John's over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at one of the most demanding of all the books in the Bible: the book of Ecclesiastes, written several centuries before Jesus.  The most famous phrase in the book, repeated numerous times is "everything is meaningless", hardly a great source of hope.  But the book is recognising that's what many people think, rather than promoting it as a conclusion.

 For many people, the reality of life is exactly that: a feeling of meaninglessness.  We often seek meaning and significance in wealth, career, pleasure, social status, and so on, but it's always elusive.  Even living in the light of God's wisdom and commands offers no guarantee of a 'good life', because hardship and death are great equalisers.  As Corrie Ten Boom used to say, "We don't know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future".  Having been sent to a concentration camp and watching her sister die there, her words carry weight.

Wherever you are in your search for meaning and significance, I hope you'll find it in God's love and power, which are everlasting and stronger than life and death.