Category: Uncategorized

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; … a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4) After a busy Easter Weekend, Rhonda and I went for a long walk on Monday. Spring is definitely on its way. The sun was shining, and the temperature was just right. Getting out in nature is a wonderful way of being refreshed and renewed. Springtime is the promise of something new. The colder days are passing away. The daylight hours are getting longer. Trees are starting to bud, and flowers are blooming in bright colours. It’s an amazing season of promise. Sometimes I think the talk about different seasons of life is a little overused. Some people seem to be in a different season every couple of weeks. But the truth is that the seasons change about every three months. Change can come quickly, and the seasons of life can also change quickly. We can go from laughing to crying in record time. There are seasons of parenting, seasons of hardship, seasons of friendships, seasons of struggles and seasons of grace. Each part can teach us something about the value of life and how precious each moment is. Embracing our current situation isn’t always easy. We want some seasons to last forever and others to pass quickly. God knows all about the seasons of your life, including the one you are in right now. No matter what season you find yourself in, you can take comfort in knowing that God is always with you. As you continue to grow in your faith and trust in Him, you can rest assured that He will guide you through every season of life.

You know it’s Easter in Switzerland because there are so many chocolate bunnies everywhere. Switzerland consumes more chocolate per person than any other nation. But at Christmas and Easter, the amount of chocolate for sale in the stores is ridiculous. I’m not sure how we moved from Easter being about Jesus’ death and resurrection to chocolate bunnies and eggs. I don’t blame the secular world because the majority of people in the Western world still identify as Christians. We can complain about other people all we like, but this happened on our watch. We replaced the truth with sugar and spring colors. This has left the world without a much-needed message. Most people just seem to celebrate a long weekend rather than a risen savior. Easter is about the cross and resurrection power. The cross would be meaningless without the empty tomb. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:  “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19) People need hope. The news from around the world is depressing. Evil still abounds and seeks to destroy life wherever it can. No amount of chocolate is going to ease the pain. The world needs to hear the message of hope, peace and reconciliation that is only found in the power of the resurrection. If we don’t believe in this hope, the resurrection, then how can we convince the world? It is said that the early church gathered on the first day of the week because that was the day of the resurrection. Each Sunday, we celebrate that Jesus has risen from the dead. Our reason for getting out of bed on Sunday morning is to declare that “Jesus is alive” and that the world is a better place for it. There is nothing wrong with candy and chocolate bunnies, but don’t forget what this season was intended to remind us: “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!”

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.

If you have a ‘read the Bible in a year’ plan, you’re probably hitting the book of Leviticus about now. That’s tough reading and seems so far removed from today. Yet, God has preserved his Word for us. A thousand years before Christ, David sought refuge from Saul among the rocks and caves along the Dead Sea in a spot called Ein Gedi. There, he was safe from attack and supplied by a freshwater spring.  Five hundred years after Christ, a little Jewish town had sprung up in that very same spot. Not long after that, a fire destroyed it and the inhabitants moved away. In 1970, the town was re-discovered by archaeologists. Among the discoveries was the local synagogue. Inside the burned-out ruins, they found ancient parchment scrolls of Scripture which had been badly damaged. Among the find was a small, carbonized scroll that was too fragile to read or even attempt to open. The scroll, which looked more like a little briquette, was left to sit in a storage box for another 45 years. New technology developed by the University of Kentucky was used to determine the contents. Using new digital imaging software they developed, scientists were able to see the different layers of the scroll and recreate it in a two-dimensional format. The text is from Leviticus chapters 1 and 2. The clearest verses are the first eight from chapter one. Ironically, Leviticus begins with a section on burnt offerings. Archaeologists have good reason to appreciate this discovery, but it’s even more encouraging for Christians. Our modern Bible was translated into English not from original copies (which have never been found), but from the oldest available copies dating back to the 10th century A.D. This has led some critics of the Bible to claim that the Bible we have today has been changed or altered along the way. However, this little fragment found in Ein Gedi (written before the 4th century) conforms in every respect to the Masoretic Text from which we translate our Bible. This means that for over several hundred years, the text was copied with careful accuracy – nothing changed or altered. This gives further proof that God has preserved his Word and we can have confidence in the Scriptures we read today. The words of the Lord are pure words,    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,    purified seven times.You, O Lord, will keep them (Psalm 12:6-7a) It might seem like a little thing, but I find it’s the little things along the way that help strengthen our faith.

Why is it so hard to get things done? We all have a to-do list that never seems to end. On top of that, we have goals and dreams that we want to accomplish. At times it seems like we make little progress. For many of us, life is just too busy. We are working hard at our careers, raising a family, and trying to find balance. Maybe you started the year with some new goals or resolutions. You promised yourself that you’d work harder to make some things happen. You would change some of your routines and pursue some goals. We are now six weeks into the new year and for many people, those goals seem to be slipping away. There are times when we have to offer ourselves a little grace in the same way we would extend it to others. We can be our own worst enemies and often judge ourselves too harshly. I’m not saying we should be lazy or give up pursuing our goals. It’s just that when we live without grace, we can grow blind to the things that are really important. Much of the disappointment and anxiety we feel is self-inflicted. It’s important to make sure we have perspective and stay refreshed. Proverbs 12:25,Worry weighs us down;    a cheerful word picks us up. It might be time to take a pause and revise some of those new year’s resolutions. What’s realistic? What is important in this season of life? What relationships are you nurturing and paying attention to? We can keep moving forward if we are intentional but don’t despair if everything doesn’t get finished in a day. Feed yourself with some cheerful words. The Lord has grace for you and sometimes you just need to rest in that.

A few years ago, Marie Kondo had a hit TV show called Tidying Up. In each show, she would visit a family and help them tidy their home. Often the biggest job was helping them get rid of things they really didn’t need. Keeping everything tidy and organized was a virtue. Recently, she made the news again. Since having her third child, she admits that it’s a lot of work to keep everything tidy. She says, “I realise what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home.” Marie Kondo and some other YouTube stars have been at the forefront of the recent ‘minimalism’ movement. In a world that is so consumer-driven, many people are finally seeing the dangers of having too much stuff. The more stuff you have, the more work it is to look after everything. It can be expensive and sometimes bad for the planet. Long before the current wave of minimalism, there were Christian believers urging us to live simply. That is, to live with what we need and to hold our possession lightly. Simplicity is actually a spiritual practice, along with prayer and Bible reading. Jesus spoke to this issue in Matthew 6:28-30, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” Richard Foster in his chapter on The Discipline of Simplicity lists ten outward expressions of simplicity. I think they are helpful to consider: Each of those points deserves more thought and explanation but it’s a good list. Keeping our life simple, free from the pressure of caring for material goods means we can spend more time and energy on the people around us and pay attention to what the Lord is doing in our lives.