Be Still And Know

Acts 1:3 NLT 'During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.' Thursday 21 May 2020 is Ascension Day. It will conclude Jesus’ ministry on earth. Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus will return to the side of his Father in heaven. For Jesus’ contemporaries, the number 40 was significant. Throughout scripture it represents both a long time as well as marking a period of trial. Moses and the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years, while Jesus, following his baptism, fasted for 40 days. As the product of 5 x 8, the number represented grace (signified by the number five) and new beginning or revival (signified by the number eight). Everything within Jesus’ life and ministry contains a clear meaning. The disciples enjoyed 40 days of fellowship with the risen Christ. This dispelled any doubts they had about Jesus’ promise to return from the dead.

Acts 1:6 NLT So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” How many times have you, believing you understood scripture, formed an opinion about what you and others might do in obedience to God? And how often have such judgements proved false, meaning you did not discover God in the way or place you anticipated? This has been my experience more times than I would like! There is nothing wrong with an enquiring heart and mind. However, assuming I can fathom the appropriate answer to my enquiries is sometimes to engage in a wild goose chase. The apostles are excited at being reunited with Jesus following the events of Easter. They may still have failed to appreciate the full relevance of that resurrection. Quickly they adjust to time with the risen Christ, their minds filled with questions about the nature of God’s kingdom. The disciples must have felt they were on the edge of entering a new and exciting time. They had already

Matthew 5:3 NLT 'God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.' Blessing is most easily associated with happiness. Some of the translations of the scripture replace the word “Blessed” for “Happy” in the opening statements of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Governments have also, in recent years, become obsessed with seeking to understand the determinants of happiness, or ‘well-being’ as it is often now called. Government seeks to identify some interventionist mechanism that might increase personal happiness in the hope that it might boost popularity at the polls. Yet, Adam Smith, the great Scottish ‘Father of economics’ in the eighteenth century warned against the person who “seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard”. Here, Jesus presents a series of paradoxical statements. A paradox is a statement that appears to contradict itself. Here Jesus loc

Psalm 34:8-9 NLT 'Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.' I enjoy cooking, working with taste, texture and colour for both plate and palate. My mother likes to remind me of the grey mince pies I made as a child; grey because I failed to wash my hands when turning to baking from playing in the garden. But no one refused these sweet offerings, nor suffered any adverse physical effects! For me, the joy of cooking is twofold: the trialling of a mix of ingredients in a variety of combinations, and the joy of people enjoying what I have prepared. Life is a unique menu prepared for each one of us by God. Many of the ingredients are the same, the standard basics with a collection of unique flavours and additional bespoke elements. Having the ingredients is essential, but no guarantee of a flavoursome dish. It is the precise measures, combination and cooking methods that determines the end p

Jeremiah 17:8 NLT 'They are like trees planted along a river-bank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.' As a new Christian I read a lot of Christian literature. One of the books that impacted me most was, Green Leaf in Drought, by Isobel Kuhn. Based upon this verse from Jeremiah I learned about the faithfulness of God. Reading this book humbled and inspired me as I began to understand the power of scripture as God’s word impacting present-day circumstances. In honesty I’ve struggled to apply the simple message from this book and often looked to my own understanding and ability to navigate life’s difficulties. I have only gradually learned that the principle of scriptural truth in the foothills of life’s challenges must precede any experience of more overwhelming demands. As you ponder this scripture, you recognise that a tree is rooted to the spot. Unlike us, it ca

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT 'Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.' One of the benefits of ageing is the recognition that life can be taken far too seriously. As a younger person, I was certainly convinced of my need to make some difference in the world. There was what I can only describe as an innate desire for significance. In my early struggles with ego and ambition, I confused significance with fame, the need to be noticed, admired and receive some level of public recognition. I’ve come to see this was just selfish ambition entangled with personal insecurity. It has taken time to appreciate that my total significance lies in the simple fact that I am both recognised and accepted by God. Strangely, my initial reaction was to struggle with an internal dissatisfaction with this defini

Ephesians 1:3 NLT 'All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.' It has taken me too many years to unravel what being united to Jesus is really all about. An enthusiast by nature, and always one who seeks to secure approval through service, I try too hard to please God when, in fact, all God wants from me is my love. There is nothing I can do to secure God’s approval; this was granted through Jesus’ journey of redemption. All that’s required of me is to say yes to God, just like the thief crucified alongside Jesus. My actions, which I determine are a demonstration of my love of God, are most often mere attempts to prove to myself that I love God. My actions add nothing to the salvation story. Only in so far as I surrender to God completely and both acknowledge and enjoy God’s hard-won provision for me do I in fact reveal the truth about God within the spaces I occupy. I am no more than a conta

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. On a childhood holiday, I once found a lobster pot washed up on the beach. I launched it into the waves and watched until the tide carried it out of sight. Later my dad told me that the coastguard helicopter had been alerted to a possible small boat capsized out at sea. It was discovered to be a lobster pot, probably my lobster pot, floating in the water. That story illustrates how many feel about their life; adrift with confusion and fears. It is a challenge to rest in the mercy of God. Circumstances and events appear to work against this. Yet, St Paul tells me that in such circumstances, when I feel completely diminished in the midst of life, this is a place of grace. The challenge is to weather the storm and rough seas that may carry me away, like the lobster pot. Are we able to accept the hand of God in this?

Romans 12:1 NLT 'And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.' ‘Sacrifice’ is not a word we encounter much in our society. If heard at all it is usually presented in ways that draw attention to me: “I sacrificed to put them through university.” The very statement places me centre stage and I anticipate both respect and admiration. But this conspires with my pride and debases the mercy of God, which alone is the basis upon which I’m invited to live my life. I may not speak of my sacrifice but I often allow myself to feel hard done by as I complete unwelcome chores, believing I’m making a greater sacrifice than others. Such a view of sacrifice will only lead to bitterness, which in time will rob me of my joy. Sacrifice is to give up something by choice for the greater benefit it will bring to others, not merely myself. Jesus is ou

Matthew 6:12-15 NLT '…forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.' It is difficult to grasp the scale of God’s forgiveness. Jesus points out that we first have to experience the extent of our waywardness before we can comprehend our need for God. For years I took my acceptance by God for granted. I hadn’t grasped that God’s forgiveness was not on merit but by grace. I remained unaware of my real need for God, somehow believing I was a reasonable and OK guy. This meant I easily entered into criticism and judgement of others as I considered myself better than them. But no one but God is good (Mark 10:18). In acknowledging my waywardness, or sin, I accept that I am wholly dependent upon God for everything. This demands humility; I no longer advance my own merits. I

Psalm 51:1-2 NLT 'Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.' Who doesn’t love a hot bath? After a day working in the Oratory garden, I look forward to the prospect of sinking into a hot bubble bath. Most people carry secrets, often guilty ones, from their past. These can be the cause of shame combined with a fear of exposure and discovery. Yet, God’s promise is that we can be cleansed and refreshed in ways even my hottest and sweetest smelling bath cannot match. This is the reality of mercy. God invites us to become fully relaxed before him, but also to live in complete peace with ourselves and those around us. The consequence of working in the garden is that I arrive at my bath with the marks left from my endeavours. Muddy knees, elbows and hands, scrapes, cuts and bruises. These are eased as I lower myself into the welcome waters, yet unless I apply some soap and elbow grease,

Matthew 9:13 NLT Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mercy lays the foundation for both forgiveness and acceptance. Mercy means I am delivered from the consequences of any action someone who has authority over me might take. As parents we err on the side of mercy when dealing with our children. They may have to face certain consequences arising from their actions, yet we fail to impose the full penalty. So, as a child, when I broke our next-door neighbour’s window with my catapult, too tempting a challenge and target, my parents made me contribute towards the cost of the replacement glass, but didn’t demand the full cost. They also dealt with my neighbour and shielded me from his anger. The greatest act of mercy we have is God’s forgiveness. Here, not only are we invited to avoid the unpleasant consequences of our separation from ou

Galatians 6:10 NLT 'Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.' Jayne and I have noticed that on social media groups set up across our community, the majority of the messages have an edge directed towards others, known or unknown. An easy opportunity to record criticisms containing personal frustrations with behaviours that are different to what we might prefer. At times, it feels like everyone has adopted complaint as a characteristic. I have made it my practice to carry my criticism to God and usually repent of a bad attitude. I may not appreciate how another behaves, but their behaviour does not demand I act in a similar way. Having discovered grace for myself, a grace totally undeserved, I really am the last person to accuse another. My primary responsibility is to reflect that grace through my life. One way to do this is by doing good to others. That good begins with reframing how I see them and refusing to enter into judgement

Acts 27:13-14 NLT 'When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. But the weather changed abruptly...and blew us out to sea.' Robert Burns the poet gave us the well-worn phrase: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” No matter how carefully and responsibly we prepare, our lives remain dependent upon the grace of God. Historically, my initial reaction when my plans went awry was to react with frustration, often anger. Experience has taught me that it is best to pause and reflect. Action taken in reaction usually makes the situation worse. I want to navigate successfully through my changing circumstances. One thing is certain, God’s word and his promises are always more reliable than my assumed expectation. When my business venture went down last year, my initial reaction was anger, with an attempt to salvage what I could. I was blindsided. But then I chose to pause and reflect. I accepted th

Ephesians 5:15-17 NLT 'So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.' My dad was distinctly unexcited about my choice to enter Christian ministry on leaving Oxford. One piece of advice from him I still remember from that time is: “Remember that good habits will always create fresh opportunities.” I’ve become increasingly grateful for this wisdom, even though it has taken me time to determine to build my daily life on good habits. When we moved into the Oratory, we were presented with a wonderful, relatively large garden. It was a blank canvas in that it had hedges each side and was laid to lawn. The hedges were high and dense, and we gazed upon a sea of green. There were no flowerbeds at all. It offered ample opportunity for a low-maintenance garden with just mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges. However, it also offered an opportunity to imagine an

Hebrews 11:14-16a NLT 'Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland.' The writer to the Hebrews illustrates the positive character of hope by listing all those biblical characters who journeyed with God, yet never saw the full outworking of the promises seeded in their heart. Like us, a mystery accompanies them upon their journey. We carry a purpose for our journey, yet may not realise that purpose. Having said that, we do make many discoveries. Our challenge is to manage the disappointment of unrealised expectations. This is the point at which we can waver on whether to continue or turn back. I have a passion for walking and will strike off into the countryside with little more of a plan than enjoying the wonder of vast woodland that surrounds me. I have a poor sense of direction and many of my rambles have lasted far lo

Colossians 4:5 NLT 'Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.' Over the centuries, the Church has attempted to obey the great commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) in a variety of ways. There is an inbuilt resistance to the gospel throughout society in all cultures for our adversary, the devil, seeks to distract humanity from God’s promise of personal salvation. Consequently, Christianity has its critics and we can at times confirm our critics through our well-meaning attempts in serving God. We have to make judgements daily on how best to live out our faith. It is self-evidently beneficial for us to live as God directs us to, but not purely for our own self-interest. There is always a danger that the church community becomes an end in itself. Then all our attention is upon the character of our church and by default, we direct all our resources to servicing our church’s needs. We also need to maintain a close watch on how we live within our

Psalm 44:17-18 NLT 'All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant. Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path.' Scripture makes it clear, the rain falls on both “the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). Our human framework for fairness is a million miles away from how God perceives the creation. There is only one righteous one, and that is God. I am no more than a redeemed creature who owes my life entirely to God’s mercy. I was delivered from my fractured state by grace alone and not as a consequence of my actions or worth. Fairness describes behaviour that is “reasonable and right”. God is completely unreasonable, yet always right. How can a crucified thief in the moment of a ‘deathbed’ confession of faith gain access to paradise (Luke 23:43)? How can it be fair that those who labour in the fields for one hour receive the same pay as those who have laboured all day (Matthew 20:12)? God looks beyond the outward appearance of fai

Psalm 44:9-10 NLT 'But now you have tossed us aside in dishonour. You no longer lead our armies to battle. You make us retreat from our enemies and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.' Life is often a battle. When a loved one was taken ill and when those I trusted undermined me, I fell into self-pity. We can all experience self-pity, but sometimes we get stuck there. Wallowing in self-pity undermines our willingness and capacity to respond to God and drives us to make matters worse by seeking inappropriate levels of acceptance and support from others. The worst outcome is that we find ourselves all alone, abandoned by others simply because we demand too many of their human resources of empathy and support. Alternatively, we can choose to build mental resilience and give thanks to God that we are never abandoned. Acknowledging our feelings, but determined to end the downward spiral such negative emotions inspire within, opens us up to experiment with different actions. Instead of investing mental and

Psalm 44:8 NLT 'O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name.' For years I had my quiet time in the morning, then headed into the day without considering where God was. It was as though my early morning prayer and scripture reading was a talisman to see me through the day. I neglected to consider what friendship with God meant in my daily rhythm of living. St Paul reminds us that we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV). In other words, whatever we are doing and wherever we find ourselves, we are to be conscious of and talk to God. This is quite some discipline. If I am to become conscious of God throughout every moment of each day, I must wake up to the reality of God’s presence with me. Life’s pressures and the reality of my immediate surroundings will always dull my senses to the presence of Jesus. I need to discover how to perceive God in every circumstance. This is an acquired skill, essential to effective Christian living. Once I am aware of God, I have t