Searching for Reality in a Confusing World

Me in fashionable Steward Tabard

"Searching for Reality in a Confusing World" is the strapline of this years Keswick Convention. The main title is "Really?".  I have just returned from Week 1 of 3 and had a fantastic time having volunteered to be a Steward.  Having been to the Keswick Convention over 25 years or so I have benefitted greatly from the ministry at Keswick.  This year's Bible teaching was once again of a terrifically high standard.  Thank you to Vaughan Roberts who led morning Bible Studies on Romans and a whole variety of speakers who preached on the Gospel of Mark in the evening worship.  In addition there were seminars on a range of subjects and a whole programme for children and young people. At a time when Bible illiteracy is arguably high even within many churches, let alone in British Society generally it is refreshing to be able to listen to scholarly, engaging and relevant exposition of God's Word.  http://keswickministries.org/ will enable you to find out more about the Keswick Convention and the wider ministry of Keswick Ministries.  

As I mentioned I shared in the work of Stewarding during this first week of the 2014 Convention and was deeply touched by the commitment and servant hearts of my fellow Stewards. Over the years I have been very grateful for the ministry of Keswick Stewards but I have to be honest and say that I had no idea that they had such a work-load which took them from 6.45am each morning until late at night.  I want to pay tribute to my fellow Stewards and their humility as they seek to serve Christ and those who go to the Convention.  They are but one team ensuring that the Convention can happen.  Joining them are musicians, technical staff, those dealing with money, the Convention Office, First Aiders, Prayer Team, Kitchen Staff and so many more.  Much of the ministry and work is unseen; all is essential.  Thank you God for so many wonderful people offering something of themselves.  These vital support teams ensure that speakers and preachers can share God's Word.

An even more fashionable Hoodie available
for Keswick Youth

As I reflected on this week's Convention I realised that the organisation behind it truly is remarkable.  An element of that organisation relies on discipline.  Discipline is not a particularly popular word nowadays in my humble opinion.  we live in a Society which is increasingly hedonistic and where "Me" can come first.  So doing what others want or say is not always welcome.  And yet discipline is an essential part of the Christian life.  So is self discipline.  The ability to sit under authority and the ability to train ourselves to to be consistent and committed are vital attributes of the Christian life.  I have been blessed by being shown those characteristics of discipline and self discipline in the lives of those around me in the Keswick Convention this past week.

I am privileged to be returning to the Convention with my wife and son for Week 3,  Can't wait!

Carpe Diem Scotland

John McIntosh-Brown,
Director of Message Scotland
at the National Prayer Breakfast, a
Godly man with a Godly vision.

And so the Scotland visit continued.  It was a very great privilege to be present at the National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland at the Glasgow City Chambers.  I am deeply grateful to John McIntosh-Brown, Director of Message Scotland, who enabled me to be on his table for the event.  John is a marvellous Christian Man with a great vision for Scotland. 

In addition to praying for Scotland we were treated to interviews with Olympic Rower Debbie Flood and Commonwealth Swimmer for Scotland Kirsty Kettles (nee Balfour) who spoke with sincerity about their Christian faith in response to questions from Graham Daniels, General Director of Christians in Sport. This felt like an important gathering at the heart of a great city focusing on Scotland as a whole.

The amazing
Glasgow City Chambers

I must mention the wonderful folk of Falkirk who gathered together on the evening of 24^th June to pray and give thanks as the Queen’s Baton Relay arrived in the area.  Christians from various churches gathered in celebration and to give testimony to God at Falkirk Baptist Church.  I am convinced from my own experience of the Olympic Torch coming to Portland in 2012 that the opportunities to engage with communities around us on the back of these events is considerable indeed.  I am sad that some churches and ministers do not get that.  This might sound judgemental, but actually I think it is pretty obvious.  Just look at how many churches do actively engage with these events in any area and how many do not.  At Falkirk Baptist Church I sought to represent More than Gold 2014 and shared in the leading of the Thanksgiving Service.  I pay tribute to Christians, sometimes in small fellowships and churches, who faithfully witness and worship week by week.  They never hit the headlines, but God sees their faithfulness.

Falkirk Baptist Church

Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist
Church where the Regeneration and City
of Culture Bid was launched

We were very pleased at the launch to eat
some Paisley patterned Cakes!

I also spent some time in Paisley.  Some of Paisley is a little ragged around the edges, but it is not alone in that many places have lost their former glory.  The difference in Paisley is that Council and Community leaders seem to be joining together in a bid to find a new direction building on the exciting heritage of the past, not least in the areas of science and engineering.  The present vision is to try to win UK City of Culture status in 2021.  I attended the launch of the Regeneration and City of Culture Bid.  Called “Paisley – The Untold Story” this was an inspiring mix of speeches and performance.  Paisley is about more than the pattern that comes out of it, wonderful as that is!  I was pleased to be able to have a chat with Mark Macmillan, Leader of Renfrewshire Council, explaining that in my local area the community had benefitted greatly from partnership work between the Church and the local Council.  I hoped that in Paisley the Church would be fully engaged in such a way.  It was good of Mark to chat with me.  See their Facebook page in Paisley https://www.facebook.com/paisleyscotland

Ish Lennox - a brilliant Christian woman!

The following morning I was back in Paisley with the wonderful Ish Lennox from More than Gold 2014 to meet with Paisley Church Leaders at a Paisley Pastors’ Breakfast as we sought to encourage them to make the most of the opportunities presented by the Commonwealth Games and other associated events.  It was good to see around 18 church leaders meeting together for prayer and conversation.  It reminded me of the Church Leaders’ Breakfasts that we share in here in Weymouth and Portland and of the way that these have provided a backbone relationally to our mission and ministry together.  I am thrilled that the Methodist Central Hall in Paisley will be open when the Baton goes past.  What a wonderful time that will be as Christians reach out in hospitality, welcome and ministry to the crowds.

My visit to Scotland reminded me again of the rich heritage spiritually that exists there.  My hope is that through the Commonwealth Games and with the support of More than Gold there will be many opportunities for the Church to demonstrate how much it has to offer.  The time has come to seize the day.

Carpe Diem Church in Scotland.  Seize the Day - to the glory of God

Locked in the Past – Shaped for the Future

The purported site where
King Robert killed an
English knight,
Sir Henry de Bohun,
with a blow to the
head with his axe
after a first engagement. 

A little more to share about the Scotland trip of a couple of weeks ago.  Part of my programme involved joining with other Christian sisters and brothers to pray on the eve of the 700^th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn.  This gathering together was a profoundly spiritual occasion in my eyes.  I joined with other Christians from within Bannockburn and from outside with Scots and English among them.  This was not something decided on the spur of the moment but supported local Christians who had been praying for some considerable time.  For more about the Battle of Bannockburn itself try this http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/articles/battle_of_bannockburn/

With this being the 700^th anniversary of the Battle that the Scots won so convincingly much was made of the "celebrations". It was a landmark victory in many ways.  As such it has become something of a rallying point (mentally, spiritually, physically) over the years.  The occasion, the memories, the physical location (although there is no absolute certainty of location of actual battlegrounds) can be used quite divisively.

And so we met.  It was an intense time of prayer where those present offered special words of knowledge and spoke with prophetic voice.   I will not go into great detail of that save to say there was much confession, repentance and prayer for healing.  It is easy to split the Battle of Bannockburn along English and Scots lines, but the reality is this might have been more to do with two kings thirst for power with both having supporters from the other side.

A statue of Robert the Bruce that stands on the same site

I share something I felt was put into my heart and mind before we prayed and which I shared on that occasion.  There were three words I feel I was given – pain, anger, fear.  Now in the context of battle and war these are hardly surprising as relevant words so I am certainly not claiming very deep spiritual insight or discernment.  The interesting thing for me though is that the force of these words came to me not about the Battle of Bannockburn when it happened but about the feelings within people today earthed in the Battle of Bannockburn.  It was as if the feelings then still trapped people today and that this being trapped by feelings of the past prevented people moving into the future God had for them.

I recognise that with a vote on Scottish Independence not far away it would be very easy for me to try to manipulate these words and what I feel they represent into an argument for a particular vote on that occasion, but I actually feel that is not the point.  I think God was speaking of something far deeper and greater.  I think this was more to do with being united with God and joined with each other under him than a geographical territory vote.  It is when we are united with God and joined with each other in wholesome Godly relationship that we are most able to enter into the future God has planned for us.

We can stay trapped in the past in all sorts of ways.  We long for the days when Christians were respected more in the public sphere; we wish for the days of large Sunday Schools; we reminisce about the days when we sang good solid hymns and not this superficial chorus nonsense (these are just examples – please do not think I have a particular stance on them).  Or maybe living and being trapped by the past moves into our lives generally.  Perhaps we can still feel the pain of loss through bereavement, divorce, something that ended that we felt would never end, a missed opportunity where we feel aggrieved, or feelings of bitterness from something way back.  And again the sad thing is that when we are trapped by the feelings of the past in the today then we inhibit the future that can be ours.  Maybe for someone reading this today is the day of confession or healing from whatever it is in the past that holds us.  Maybe today is the day to ask God to help us let go so that the future can open up in a completely different way under God.  I pray so.

There are two hymns that are precious to me in this regard both of which may be appropriate to touch on here. One is “Lord for the years” by Timothy Dudley-Smith, the relevant verse being,

“Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us;

Self on the cross and Christ upon the throne;

Past put behind us, for the future take us;

Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.”

The other is from Charles Wesley – “”This, this is the God we adore” which contains the verse,

“Tis Jesus, the first and the last,

Whose Spirit shall guide us safe home;

We’ll praise him for all that is past,

And trust him for all that’s to come.”

These can be difficult and challenging words but nonetheless worth reflecting on.

Just as being locked in the past can shape us (or maybe mis-shape) us for the future, so being released from the past can shape us for God’s future.  That’s the future I want.

Walk on, Walk on....

I'm really pleased to have had the opportunity over the last week or so to visit Scotland, partly to support More than Gold 2014 as it seeks to support the Church in responding to the opportunities that will come through Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and partly to experience and interact with other Christian events and initiatives that are taking place.  More than Gold is a great resource for the Church.  I have been fascinated again though, just as I was with London 2012 (the Olympics) at how difficult it can be to motivate Christians and churches to see the opportunities that are present to engage with people through these Games.  I hope and pray that as Glasgow 2014 draws nearer so more and more churches will open their premises and their hearts in welcome and hospitality and seek to find ways of connecting with visitors and the community around them.

The stained glass window of John Wesley

Having arrived in Inverness late on a Saturday night I was really pleased to be hosted overnight by the Revd Nigel and Mrs Kim Rodgers.  They were a model of Christian hospitality.  Nigel is the Minister for Inverness Methodist Church http://www.invernessmethodist.org.uk/ and it was good to share in Sunday morning worship there.  This year is the 250th anniversary of the first visit of John Wesley to the town and there is a rather nice stained glass window in the church to commemorate this.  When he visited all those years ago Wesley was prevented from preaching outdoors because of the rain but was invited to preach in the High Kirk.  See the accompanying pictures of the stained glass window, a model of the High Kirk made by some of the young people of the church and a photograph of the High Kirk itself.

A model of the High Kirk

The High Kirk itself

Then it was on to Fort William to share in a Sunday evening service which was a dedication service for the West Highland Way Bible Relay due to start the following morning. There is a posed photograph at the starting point of the West Highland Way on the local church website http://www.thedmac.co.uk/welcome.htm just before starting.

The idea was to carry the Bible on the route but also to give out Penny Gospels on the way.  Almost immediately we had an opportunity to give out a gospel.  As we reached the end of Fort William High Street we met a woman who said "I am lost".  What a gift to a Christian.  She meant she could not find the Council Office, but we made sure we explained what we were doing and gave her a Penny Gospel as well!
 

A Penny Gospel being given out by churches
as part of the More than Gold 2014 initiative

I was prompted to think of the song "You'll never walk alone" often associated now with Liverpool Football Club but with a history that goes back further than that.  As a few Christians set out along the West Highland Way with a Bible and some gospels I was convinced that they were not alone.  I was sure that at each change over of the relay there was one who continued the walk - Jesus himself.  At the end of Matthew's Gospel in the Bible (Matthew 28:19-20) he said that he would be with us "to the very end of the age" as we went making disciples.  What a wonderful promise for those walking the West Highland Way, and indeed for all of us.  As we go through life and meet both joys and challenges what a comfort to know that we do not have to walk alone.  So walk on, walk on, and remember the promise of Jesus that when we allow him to he will walk with us.

More to come on the Scotland visit.....