Thursday 22 December 2016

veiled in flesh...

I wrote the following as an encouragement to the volunteers of the children’s and youth work at Cartsbridge…

I guess by now all the ministries connected with the children and young people of the church will have stopped for the Christmas break. It has been a busy session on the ‘Young Cartsbridge’ front and an opportunity to enjoy some rest will, no doubt, be much appreciated.

As we prepare for this central weekend in the Christian calendar the words of Charles Wesley’s hymn, ‘Hark! The herald angels sing,’ have impacted me over recent days. The line that has stood out from the others says, ‘veiled in flesh, the Godhead see.’ This statement becomes more poignant when it is viewed against the entire revelation of Scripture. Way back in the book of Exodus we discover an encounter between Moses and the Lord. One of Moses’ main requests of God on that occasion was, ‘show me your glory’ (Exodus 33:18). Moses is informed that were that to happen he would die…such is the awesome glory of God! However, in the gospel of John we read that, We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth’ (1:14). Charles Wesley did not write, ‘veiled in flesh, the Godhead hiddenbut ‘veiled in flesh, the Godhead see.’ Perhaps the significance of that truth can be more fully appreciated with the following illustration…

Back in August 1999 the country experienced its last total eclipse of the sun. We happened to be visiting Liz’s parents in Dalry at the time. At just after 11am on August 11th the moon passed in front of the sun causing an incredible natural phenomenon. The air felt distinctly cooler and the birds immediately stopped singing. It felt like we were entering a strange twilight zone. On the days leading up to the eclipse the press warned against the danger of looking at the sun with the naked eye and special glasses were available for the purpose. As this event unfolded I recall standing out on the street and a gentleman from the estate handing me an old welding mask to observe this all too rare occurrence. To this day I have a very distinct memory of what took place and what I would otherwise not have been able to see were it not for the shield in front of my eyes.

In a similar way, it is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we see the glory of God. The God who revealed himself in all his brilliance to the ancient people of Israel comes near to us in Jesus Christ. We see his love, his humility, his wisdom, his compassion and…his glory. In Eugene Peterson’s famous translation of John 1:14, God moved into the neighborhood in the person of Jesus. He becomes all personal, someone we can know in the everyday experience of life.


My prayer would be that you will experience much of that reality this Christmas season and that the truth of it will overflow into your service with the children and young people of Cartsbridge in 2017.

Saturday 19 November 2016

...he went as usual...

Reading the Bible is a fascinating experience for many reasons.  One of them is the way in which a phrase that you have read many times can come alive for the first time. This happened to me only the other week.

In Luke 22 Jesus is approaching events that he long predicted would take place. What will soon unfold in his arrest, trial and crucifixion, will shape the course of history and alter the destiny of millions of people. His death will reverse the effects of sin, restore our broken relationship with God and establish a new society of people called the Church who will seek to exhibit his life to the world.

As these epic events are unfolding we learn that '(Jesus) went as usual to the Mount of Olives' (v.39).
…HE WENT AS USUAL…
This was clearly part of his regular practice; a habit formed over time. But for what purpose?

As I've reflected on this sentence in one of the gospels, I believe that we can learn some encouraging truths that will help us as we serve within the ministry of Young Cartsbridge.

Firstly, we learn the significance of PLACE.
If our service for God is going to be truly effective, then it must be underpinned by prayer and the reading of God's Word. That will be a major part of what sustains over the long haul of Christian ministry. Not only was this central in Jesus' life but there was also a particular place he often visited that helped nurture his relationship with the Father.
Some of us enjoy recreation and in so doing commune with God. Others value quiet time at the start of each day at home. Wherever it happens to be, Jesus example of securing an uninterrupted time for communion with God highlights a prerequisite to faithful service.

Secondly, we discover the value of SPACE.
Jesus intentionally withdrew from the demands of ministry in order to secure not only a place to fellowship with the Father but also to find space for the replenishing of his spiritual life and the good of his soul. To do this he recognised the need to escape the rigors of daily demands that can be so constricting to delight in the expanse of the Father's love.
As those who make it their goal to please him, securing those moments with God will enable us to experience something of "the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21).

Lastly, we recognise the importance of PACE.
Someone once described the life of discipleship as 'a long obedience in the same direction.' It is vital, then, to set a steady, consistent pace that will avoid burnout.

For Jesus, going as usual to the Mount of Olives helped him to stay on track and avoid the twin dangers that we often encounter…rushing ahead or lagging behind where the Father wants us to be.

If we set the 'as usual' in our lives it will prevent us from running on empty and 'keep us in step with Spirit' (Galatians 5:25).

(Written as a reflection for the volunteers of the children’s and youth ministries at Cartsbridge, November 2016)