AUDIO TALKS (including SNAG)

Monday, November 09, 2009

The End of History

‘This used to be God’s country, but not anymore – and thank God for that’
A History of Scotland (BBC)

Thus, with a sound bite to make Alan Partridge shout 'Back of the net!', BBC Scotland’s Neil Oliver ended his assessment of the Scottish Covenanters. Oliver took the utterly predictable and increasingly, it seems, BBC mandated line of telling us what an awful bigoted bunch religious people are. The Covenanters, we were told, were a ruthless power-hungry mob intent on turning Scotland into the kind of fundamentalist state that would have made the Taliban blush.

What is particularly depressing is the ‘a-historical’ nature of such programmes. That is, they seem (wilfully) ignorant of any historical perspective. Thus people and events can only be evaluated through the lense of twenty-first century liberal eyes. So the Covenanters were ‘extreme’ in their religious beliefs – but who wasn’t in the 17th Century? The Covenanters ideal was a nation converted to Presbyterian Christianity – as if the Catholic Church or the Episcopal Church would have been less zealous for their own faiths. Neil Oliver might like to think, had he lived in 1638, that he would have stood ‘above’ such squabbles but he would just have reflected the worldview of whatever 'extreme' sect he belonged to (as he clearly does in his own time).

Like Neil Oliver, I’m not a trained historian (although my wife has a first class MA in History & agrees with me if that counts?) but it seems to me that you primarily need to judge historical figures and events in their historical context. Thus the extent that something was positive or negative needs to be seen in the social & political climate of that time. For example, the Magna Carta would hardly seem a radical charter for human rights today - but it most cerainly was in 1215 (something that historans like Simon Schama seem to grasp). Therefore in the context of the 17th century the desire of the Covenanters to resist state controlled religion (whatever their other shortcomings) is surely something to celebrate rather than discredit. But one wonders, if Neil Oliver is not so much interested in the 17th century as pushing a twenty-first century secularist agenda.

Friday, November 06, 2009

Just 'words'?

Kevin DeYoung on why 'words' are rightly and properly at the heart of our worship and walk...
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2009/11/04/why-so-many-words-in-worship/

In a similar & overlapping vein here are the 10 reasons we cite in the GV Preaching Course for the centrality of 'Word Ministry'...

1. God primarily reveals Himself / makes Himself known through His Word (i.e. His words communicated).
Thus even where God reveals Himself in ‘act’ we nevertheless only understand those acts through ‘word’ witnesses (e.g. our knowledge of Jesus’ life is through the written word accounts of the apostolic witness).
(Hb 1:1-2; Jn 20:31; ‘The Word of the Lord came to…’, ‘God spoke to….’ etc.)

2. God acts/works through words.
e.g. Genesis 1 is prototypical here: God speaks and brings creation from nothing, light from darkness, life from deadness, order from chaos etc.
(Ezk 37:1-10; Acts 6:7, 12:24, 13:49, 19:20; Hb 1:3, 4:12; 1 Pet 3:5,7)

3. God is distinct from his Word in His being (i.e. ontologically) but not in how He is savingly known (i.e. epistemologically).
That is, a saving knowledge of God is not divisible from knowing His Word.
(Gen 15:1,4; 1 Sam 3:21; Jn 3:34, 4:41, 6:68; Acts 20:32)

4. God inspired the written Word of Scripture.
Thus what the Bible says – God says.
(2 Tim 3:16; Hb 3:7; 2 Pt 1:21)

5. God’s Word is the means through which God brings people to salvation (applied by the Holy Spirit).
(Jam 1:18; 1 Pt 1:23, Mk 4, Jn 5:24; Jn 6:68; Eph 1:13)

6. God’s Word is the means of sustaining new life and transforming His people (applied by the Holy Spirit).

(Jn 17:6,17; 1 Cor 15:2; Php 2:15-16; Col 5:16, Titus 2:1-5; Jam 1:21-23; 1 Jn 2:5; Rev 1:2-3.)

7. God’s relationship with His people is by covenant - that is, it is essentially promissory and thus established in words.
(Gen 12:1-3;Titus 1:1-3; Ps 119:74, 130:5)

8. God’s authority is exercised through His Word.
(‘Thus says the Lord’, Ex 20:1ff; Dt 18:19; Josh 23:6; Mt 7:26; Mk 8:38)

9. The Gospel is a message to be communicated – a message that must be heard (read) and understood to be effective.
(Romans 10:14,17; Col 1:5-6; 1 Th 2:13; 2 Cor 2:13)

10. Teaching the Word is the key task of God’s servants.
(Acts 6:2, 20:17-32; 2 Tim 2:15, 4:1-5; Hb 13:7)

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Noughties Nostalgia

BBC 3 ran the first of two programmes reveiweing the Noughties - the decade that unbelievably is almost over! As 2009 draws to a close I found it fascinating to think of all the things that only became part of life post the Millenium Dome.... (look out for a whole new batch of sermon illustrations!)....

1. Weird Baby Names
2. The Da Vinci Code
3. Metrosexual men
4. Sat Navs
5. Civil Partnerships
6. Ipods
7. Simon Cowell
8. Celebrity business people (The Apprentice & Dragon's Den)
9. Plasma TVs
10. ASBOs
11. Charity Muggers (Chuggers)
12. Size Zero
13. Shock Docs ('Half Ton Man' etc)
14. Botox
15. Five-a-day
16. Coffee Shops
17. Internet Shopping
18. Obsession with property (Location, Location, Location)
18. Militant Atheism

...and we're not even at the top 50 yet.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The church I go to...

Dara O’Briain has a book out this Christmas entitled ‘Ticking the English’ – it’s an Irishman’s observations on the British. He notes that we British are a very self deprecating bunch – it is in our DNA always to find the downside in ourselves and to play down even significant achievements. He notes the recent news that average life expectancy in the UK has now risen to 79 years old – a remarkable attainment and something that puts us among the most privileged people on the planet. We have, he notes dryly, pushed back the Grim Reaper himself and extended the very bounds of mortality – yet this news is announced in the British Press, in terms that only the British could come up with - PENSION TIME-BOMB!

Our church culture is not immune from ‘glass half empty’ perspectives – we readily, too readily at times, run ourselves down – our natural disposition is self-flagellation. Well as someone, often guilty of such an approach, let me attempt to redress the balance by stating some of the many good things about the church I go to (no it’s not perfect - not by a long-shot but this is Fallen world after-all), but it's my church and I love it because….

The church I go to has two Toddlers groups with lots of non-Church carers and kids who mix with and get to know Christians;

The church I go to has a cafĂ©, staffed by volunteers, which is regularly full of non-Church people – being served by Christians in a warm & friendly church environment;

The church I go to has a Kids Club and a Youth Club where non-Church kids get to hear about the gospel and their parents get to have contact with Christians.

The church I go to has started doing Community Litter Pick-ups and Free Car Washes in order to serve its local community;

The church I go to provides meals for families who have recently had a baby to show them care and practical support,

The church I go to has a football outreach to unchurched teenagers in a nearby housing scheme;

The church I go to runs Christianity Explored courses twice a year so that non-Christians can get to explore the Gospel in an environment suited to them;

The church I go to is often full and has a steady inflow of visitors;

The church I go to is committed to preaching the Bible itself – and allows me to hear God’s Word explained both by those in full-time Christian service and by people who work in education, law, health services, business, social services, and policing among others;

The church I go to is kept in really good condition and feels modern and comfortable;

The church I go to has a group of talented musicians who thoughtfully lead us in edifying praise and worship;

The church I go to has regular Missionary reports and helps to support Mission by regular prayer and financial giving;

The church I go to is connected by an email Prayer Chain to keep me informed about prayer requests and to remind me to pray;

The church I go to has an annual week long Kids Club which is run by loads of Christian volunteers and attracts loads of children from within and without the church;

The church I go to has an Easter Egg Hunt & short service in a local park when we have fun and share with others the wonderful news of a Risen Saviour;

The church I go to … when I think about it, is a place that I am very privileged to be a member of (I spent 12 years in church with 15 members so I know not to take the above for granted!).

Don’t worry I’m sure normal service will be resumed – but as Churchill said on VE Day – although there is still much to do, many difficulties and battles to be fought, ‘we may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing’ – just once in a while (Php 4:8).

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Arts & The Church

Thoughtful and constructive piece by Kevin DeYoung on some of the issues previously discussed on this blog...

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2009/10/29/the-church-and-the-arts-some-common-ground-and-some-common-sense/

Monday, October 19, 2009

A prayer for our children

Heavenly Father

I want to pray for my child(ren) and lift them up before you now.

I pray not that they might have wealth, or be academically outstanding, or have a successful career. I pray not that they will be popular - or even that they will live comfortably and be free of stress and harships.

But I pray that they will know you, love you and serve you - that they will be followers of Jesus, men and women of God with the hope of heaven in their hearts. Grant it that they might know none of this world's achievements if they would in any way come between them and following Jesus Christ wholeheartedly.

Lord, you know that even as I pray these things that a huge part of me is pulling away from them. My motives are mixed - I want it all, and fear the cost of discipleship for myself & my children. But Lord hold me to my word - and honour those right and true things I have prayed for - even when other parts of me were crying 'no'.

Amen

Thursday, October 15, 2009

No getting away from it!

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)

He was a very busy man - But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

He only had a limited time in which to complete His work - But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

He faced constant demands and requests from people - But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

He had great gifts and abilities that the world desperately needed - But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.