Monthly Archives: March 2010

there are times when Christians just annoy me!!!!

Posted on by
5

Rant alert! If you may wish to avoid this post if you:

(1) agree with the claims of Lord Carey that Christians are being persecuted in the UK
and
(2) want to get Delirious to number 1 in the charts for Easter

 … as you are not going to agree with me or like what I say!

These two items in the news and flying around facebook have really niggled me over the last few days.

First Lord Carey whinging that Christians are being persecuted in this country and suggesting that we should stand up for ourselves. This has really annoyed me for two reasons. I believe the comments are incredibly insensitive in light of real persecution of Christians in other countries such as Nigeria or Zimbabwe. Rochester Diocese has strong links with Zimbabwe and we have been hearing horrendous stories of people being beaten and murdered by police for trying to attend church. When a letter from the bishop was read in the cathedral at the midnight service on Christmas Eve people were shocked and moved to tears. You can red more here. To suggest we are persecuted in Britain because some people cannot wear an item of jewelery at work is an insult to those Zimbabwean Christians.

Secondly, Lord Carey and his friends have suggested we should stand up for our rights. I thought that as Christians we are to imitate Jesus in our lives. I am interested how Lord Carey feels this is a demand that Christians can make? During Holy Week I am more conscious than normal that Jesus does not stand up for himself. Jesus does not defend himself during his trial even though he was innocent of any crime. Jesus leaves it to God. Show me anywhere in the Bible where Christians are told to stand up for themselves? We are warned, however, in plenty of places that life will be hard for us – Zimbabwe is experiencing that as I write and you read – and maybe in the UK we will experience something in the future. We are not, however, being persecuted, victimised or even sidelined now!

It’s exciting to see the current Archbishop, whom I admire greatly, speaking out against this inappropriate ‘persecution in the UK’ statement.

My rant continues to Delirious and the campaign to get Christians to unite to get their song to number 1 in the charts for Easter.  I just wonder ‘why?’ in exasperation!
The only people to benefit from this will be iTunes and the members of the band.
Getting the song to number achieves …. well what does it achieve. Please, if I am missing something here tell me?!

It’s great that Christians can unite to do something, but please can’t we be more imaginative than getting our own songs to number 1? can’t we unite around something that will make a difference – that, if you like would really make history!

If we put this in a wider perspective – a few days ago  we saw Sport Relief on British TV screens. We learned that 3000 children die unnecessarily each day of the year from malaria because they do not have a £5 mosquito net to sleep under each night. 3000 children each day of the year – that’s a 9/11 atrocity every single day of the year! That figure is just from malaria – imagine adding the figures from other diseases and hunger. I feel tears developing as I think. In case you were wondering that amounts to a death toll equalling more than the total population of Birmingham every single year.

Is it any wonder people do not take Christians or our faith seriously in this country? – 3000 children dying daily, brothers and sisters in Christ being massacred in other lands through wanting to worship – and we moan about not being able to wear a silver cross and get very excited about getting a song to number 1.

rant over!

serving and being served

Posted on by
Reply

I was challenged in my thinking again this morning after the reading in Giving It Up was reflecting on John 12:1-8.

This is the scene where Jesus visits Mary, Martha and Lazarus and Mary sits at his feet and washes Jesus’ feet in mega expensive perfume. In particular Maggi draws attention to the fact that Jesus does not tell Mary to stop. He did not say anything like ‘that’s enough now, I know you love me so you don’t need to do this!’ Jesus seems to sit back and allow Mary to perform this incredibly extravagant act who was very possibly pouring her entire life savings over his feet.

Maddi suggests that Jesus shows that he has reached a time when he simply needs to be cared for and loved. Too often we see stories of what Jesus did for others – here we see what others did for Jesus.

Jesus allowed himself to be cared for.
Jesus allowed himself to be served.

I guess in my ministry (for sake of a better word) this is what I find most difficult. My role, as I see is to serve others, to be a servant, to help others. When things get tough I persevere because that is what we are supposed to do. But here I think Jesus challenges us all in that martyr type outlook. Jesus seems to suggest that there are times when we need to allow others to care for us. As Maggi writes: ‘If even Jesus needed that, how much do we need it? It’s something worth remembering when we’re tempted to be self-sufficient under stress’.

Burma emails

Posted on by
Reply

This news report shows that your emails and letters to MP’s do make a difference.
Finally, the UK government has done the right thing and is backing calls for Burma’s leaders to be referred to the war crimes tribunal.
This is a major step forward and will be welcomed by those who can only dream of freedom in Burma. It’s really important that the Burmese generals are not allowed to think the world has forgotten the daily atrocities that these men oversee.
Keep your emails going and your prayers flowing!

Palm Sunday … holy week

Posted on by
Reply

Holy week started today.

For the cathedral. amongst other things, it meant we marked palm Sunday by processing down the High Street singing and waving palm leaves and crosses – with a donkey too!

Holy Week is an important week for me. It is a time when I try to re-centre, re-focus and re-member what Easter is all about. In doing that I hope that I start to rediscover what it is that I am all about.

It may sound strange but sometimes it is quite easy to take faith and what I believe God has done through Jesus has for granted.  Holy Week is a time when I reflect more, think more and ask more questions about what has happened, is happening and might happen next.

This week at th cathedral there are a number of services which anyone can come to. Outside these times we are always open for people to come and sit and reflect if that is what they want to do. Today I have also found what looks to be  day by day guide to Holy Week via Nick Page’s blog. The resource is well worth a look!

Photo Friday : Pleasure

Posted on by
Reply

This is my entry at Photo Friday this week

21 today!

Posted on by
Reply

Today I have been married 21 years to a beautiful girl.
Most of you I know will be wondering how she has managed to cope with me for so long!
I share the same wonderment!
But … she has and I think it’s been a great 21 years.
Thanks Sarah

echoes of Romero

Posted on by
Reply

Today is the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador. You can listen to a good 26 minute program from the BBC here which gives some good background and interviews of people who were with Romero when he was murdered. You can also find loads more info at the website of the Romero Trust.

I became aware of Romero while at SEITE when I was looking at liberation theology as part of a module on mission. Romero believed wholeheartedly, as would many of us, that the gospel should transform the world, particularly society, as well as the soul. Gospel liberation, says Liberation theology, is not just spiritual, it must be social and political as well.  As a practical response to his interest and belief in liberation theology, Romero moved out of his palace to live with the people so he could ‘listen their pain’.

In the face of oppression and government led brutality he spoke out, which was a surprise to the Vatican as he was appointed with the view that he was a moderate – and he was until he saw the murdered body of his Jesuit friend. It seems the reality of the real life situation changed his outlook for ever.

I love some of Romero’s words; which when you take them in the context of the horrific and brutal regime of fear he was working under, show them selves to be words of true faith and courage.

Words such as:

‘it would be sad if, in a country where people are being killed so horrifyingly, there weren’t also priests among the victims.’
and
‘my life has been threatened many times. I have to confess that, as a Christian, I don’t believe in death without resurrection.’

On the last full day of his life he pleaded with the soldiers to disobey their orders to kill: ‘No soldier is obliged to obey an order that is contrary to the will of God. In the name of God and in the name of this suffering people, I beg you, I ask you, I order you in the name of God: stop the repression’
This appeal was too much for the authorities and the next day Romero was dead, shot while celebrating mass in the chapel.

One thing that amazes me, I guess, it that Romero has not been made a saint by the catholic church. In fact it does seem that other churches recognise Romero far more than the catholic church does. Why is that? I wonder if he is still seen, even after 30 years, as an embarrassment … whatever, I think their, at best oversight and at worse, ignorance of this mans faith is quite shocking. Some say it’s only  matter of time, while other wonder if it will ever happen at all as the current pope is known to be a great opponent of liberation theology …. well you would be wouldn’t you if you lived in the Vatican – you wouldn’t want to move out of there!

anima christi

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes in my trawling of ‘stuff’ on the ‘net I find some stuff which stnd out like little gems and resonate in some way with how I am feeling, or with the immediate time ahead.

Today I found this prayer which is attributed to St Ignatius of Loyola. Sometimes I am amazed how words from the 16th Century can be so moving and challenging today.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me;

Body of Christ, save me;

Blood of Christ, inebriate me;

Water from the side of Christ, wash me;

Passion of Christ, strengthen me;

0 good Jesus, hear me;

Within Thy wounds, hide me;

Permit me not to be separated from ‘Thee;

From the wicked foe defend me;

In the hour of my death call me,

And bid me come unto Thee,

That with all Thy saints I may praise Thee

For ever and ever. 
Amen.

A Judas meditation

Posted on by
3

This evening at Choral Evensong (in which the boys and girls choirs sang amazingly!) I led a short meditation based on the reading of Luke 22, particularly developing the theme of Judas betraying Jesus.
I did this quite late in the week and so it is quite ‘unrefined’ but people seemed to find it useful and so I am putting it ‘out there’ in case it maybe useful for others.

Judas Meditation

We wonder why Judas betrayed Jesus
What on earth did he think he was doing?
what possessed him to do such a thing?
to betray such a friend?
the Messiah

Was he not there when Jesus walked on water!
or when he fed the 5000?
changed the water into wine?
did he not know who Jesus was?

what possessed him?
to do such a thing …
is that the reason … was he possessed?
like the boy called Legion
part of a spiritual battle
the last gasp attempt of the deceiver
to blow God’s plan off course?

or was Judas just confused?
this was not the Messiah he was expecting
the messiah was supposed to overthrow the oppressors
and lead them into a new Kingdom
a place they could call home
true freedom at last
why didn’t he act?

Was he naively trying to help?
thinking he was assisting
collaborating in the big plan
accelerating the inevitable overthrow of oppression
‘if I do this …. Jesus will have to act
they will be no match for Jesus
because he is the Messiah
never comprehending the consequences of his meeting

Maybe Judas was just frustrated
and never really got it
So … he tried to force the hand of God
coercing the redeemer to act
embracing personal intuition
deaf to the compassion of Jesus.

And what about us
it is easy for us to judge
Judas
others
ourselves

have we never got frustrated with God?
never tried to push God?
to rush God?
to make God aware of our need for now?

are we guilty too of
trying to force the hand of the creator
when the right thing to do
was simply watch and wait …

Lord of all hope
creator of all
lover of all
Lord in whom we can trust absolutely

forgive us for those times when we have believed our finite schemes
rather than trusted your infinite creative design
when we are tempted to take things into our own hands
remind us that your hands are more than big enough to cope
and that we need to trust
to wait
to listen
and respond with you.
Rather than playing safe amongst our undeveloped blueprints
give us courage to tentatively wander in your creative bliss.

The meeting of the waters

Posted on by
Reply

Wednesday is a study for me as a curate and I spent today reading Fritz Kling’s ‘The Meeting of the Waters’. The book takes its title from the meeting of 2 different coloured rivers, the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimoes, at Manaus in Brazil (as shown in the picture). The subtitle, 7 Global Currents That Will Propel the Future Church, particularly attracted my eye!

Kling went on what he has termed ‘a listening tour’ of the global church, asking the same questions to different groups of people over the period of a year. He has noticed 7 trends that have emerged from their conversations around the world.

mercy – Christians into social justice
mutuality – all people demanding to be respected
migration – global relocation to cities
monoculture – cultures becoming increasingly similar
machines – technology are transforming lifestyles everywhere
mediation – incresing need for the church to be mediator
memory – all regions have a history that shapes them for good or bad

Kling does not argue that these currents are new, but he does argue that for the first time we are seeing that these currents are pretty uniform on a  global basis. He also goes on to suggest that while these currents cross boundaries they are invisible, and as such they are making advances without being noticed.

The book is written in a lively engaging style through the lives and eyes of others and encourages us to take note of what is happening in order to ask ourselves, as church, ‘what do we do to engage authentically?’ The last sentence of his opening chapter drew me in which I guess is why I have read it from cover to cover today …

… the currents provide a starter kit for a new generation of globally minded Christians who want to see God’s kingdom come – in brothels and barrios, in statehouses and criminal courts, in movie theatres and boardrooms, and in rain forests and greenbelts.

For me,  as a person who’s good socialist roots have instilled within me a strong preferential for the poor, reminds me that the kingdom is not just for marginalised and the oppressed.