Month: March 2023

This past Saturday our church was filled with the sound of children. Some of them shouting, most of them singing, talking and laughing a lot. I think it’s good therapy to watch children at play. It’s a shame God gave all that energy to such young children. Saturday was an Easter Day Camp at the church. The message and story of Jesus’s death and resurrection was reinforced in story, crafts, and games. It was a great day, and our volunteers outdid themselves. Jesus is remembered for his tender inclusion of children. They are valuable members of his kingdom. The disciples had been travelling with Jesus for some time. They were amazed by his teaching and his miracles. Wherever they went there were groups of people wanting to see Jesus. Suddenly they were in the middle of an important moment in Jewish history. As their own self-importance grew, they made some wrong judgements about the values of the kingdom. There was a mistaken belief that you had to be an adult to really understand or take part in what Jesus was talking about. When a group of parents wanted Jesus to bless their children, the disciples decided they weren’t important enough to waste time on.  There was no time for children when the world waited for a Messiah. ‘Don’t bother the master’. Jesus wouldn’t let it happen. He called them and said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. (Matthew 19:14-15) It didn’t take long but Jesus sent a message that is too significant for us to miss. We can learn from children. We need to have a childlike faith in Christ. And, we need to include children in our church activities.  If you want a place that’s clean, orderly and quiet then visit a morgue. But if you want to be where life is happening, visit a nursery.

It’s been a tough few weeks for all things Swiss. First, it was Toblerone. The iconic Swiss chocolate bar is no longer Swiss enough. It’s now mainly manufactured in other countries. The words “made in Switzerland” and the image of the Matterhorn will no longer appear on the packaging, in accordance with “Swissness” legislation.  There are strict regulations for Swiss-made products that aim to protect the “Swiss” brand. A lot of people are mourning the loss. That “Swiss” brand took another hit this weekend when Credit Suisse became the latest bank to fold. After a tense couple of days, it emerged that the bank, founded in 1856, will be taken over by its competitor, UBS. It’s left the Swiss sense of competence and stability somewhat shaken. It’s a reminder that things are not always as they seem. What we think is solid or permanent doesn’t always turn out to be. After 75 years of peace, no one expected war in Europe again. After the meltdown in 2008, we thought the problems with the banking system were behind us. While we had been warned about a pandemic for years, it seems like no one was really prepared for one. The fallout from the last three years has shaken our confidence in many of our essential systems and services. There are some things that cannot be shaken and will remain forever. The kingdom of God is one of those unshakeable things. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28) The stuff we really can’t depend on will be shaken away but God’s kingdom, his presence and his promises remain. The world around us is always changing and we find that troubling. When we focus on his unshakeable kingdom we are simply filled with awe. I’m grateful I can trust something that is stable.

It was three years ago this week that everything changed. The world suddenly shut down. I remember thinking it would all be over in three weeks. Boy, was I wrong.  I look forward to the day when we don’t have to reference everything as pre or post covid. While most of us would like to forget all the issues and problems associated with covid in the last few years, it is good to take time for a bit of reflection.  Here are three things that can help. What are some of the ‘good things’ which you need to keep in place as we move forward? As Jeremiah writes after the fall of Jerusalem, “Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under God.” (Lamentations 3:40) It’s been hard to not consider how the last three years have impacted our relationship with God. Have we drawn closer? Have we seen how fragile our world is? Have we placed all our trust in him? I have lots of questions about the last three years but this I know, it’s a great opportunity to consider the way I’m living and make sure that my life is reordered under God.

In 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man in history to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. Shortly after, John Landy eclipsed the record by 1.4 seconds. In August of that year, the two men met together for a historic race to determine who was the fastest. Landy held the lead as they entered the last lap, but he couldn’t help wondering how close Bannister was. As he turned to look, Bannister took the lead. Landy later told a Time magazine reporter, “If I hadn’t looked back, I would have won!” Lot’s wife is the biblical poster child for the dangers of looking back. Her city was being destroyed. She had been warned to flee and not look back, but the urge was too strong: “Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:26) It’s never easy to leave behind the things that we know and love – even when those things are not so healthy for us. In our spiritual life, there are certain behaviors – sins – which we must leave behind. God invites us to move on and to grow in holiness, yet we have a tendency to look back at something familiar and perhaps comforting. Mrs. Lot’s story suggests that is unwise. Repentance means turning away from sin. What is it you need to leave behind? What do you keep looking back at? And if you keep looking back, what effect is it going to have on where you are going? Having been freed from slavery, the children of Israel wanted to go back to Egypt. But that wasn’t where their freedom lay. They needed to press on to the Promised Land and trust God for victory. It’s no different for us today. Paul says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:13, 14) Keep looking heavenward. There is nothing behind you that is needed for this journey.

Last week was the beginning of the Lent season. Most protestants (depending on their tradition) don’t know much about Lent. The Christian calendar was designed to help Christians remember and celebrate joyful occasions. But it was also designed to help Christians practice a variety of spiritual disciplines and think about their faith in everyday circumstances. The practice of ‘giving something up for Lent’ is to remind us of ‘mortification’ – not something we hear a lot about these days. It’s intended to help us identify or think about the sufferings of Christ. As Christians, we are committed to a lifelong fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. Mortification is the way we combat the flesh. Paul talks about it as an essential part of Christian living.  “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.” (Col. 3:5) Most of the newer translations replace the word ‘mortify’ with ‘put to death.’ In Romans 8:13 he writes, “If by the Spirit you put to death (mortify) the deeds of the body, you will live.” We must constantly be watching, praying and examining our hearts or we can enter into temptation without realizing what we are doing. Our daily battle against temptations, temptations of the flesh as the Bible calls it, will always be with us in this world. To believe that we have moved beyond a need for regular examination and confession is foolish. We begin to think of sinful habits as harmless and comforting when in fact they deaden our heart and relationship with God. Thinking about the sacrifice of Christ during the season of Lent is a good thing. But we shouldn’t just practice it just for forty days. We need spiritual disciplines that stick with us and develop our soul. Daily we are called to take up our cross and follow Him.