St Luke’s View

Richard Dennis in his book ‘Over my dead body’ tells the story of a man who visited a church. He parked his car and started toward the front entrance. Another car pulled up and the irritated driver said to him, “I always park there. You took my place!”

The visitor went inside and found an adult class. So he sat down. A class member said, “That’s my seat! You took my place!” The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.

After the Bible meeting, our visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down in an empty pew. Within moments another member walked up and said, “That’s where I always sit. You took my place!” The visitor was troubled, but said nothing. Later, as the congregation was praying for Christ to be present with them, the visitor stood, and his appearance began to change. Scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and cried out, “What happened to you?” The visitor replied, “I took your place.”

 
Richard Dennis’ story then reminds us that Jesus Christ crossed the greatest barrier ever so that we don’t have too! Leaving us all asking - what’s wrong in our taking a leap of faith in a world full of walls. What is wrong in our demolishing a few obstacles in places needing bridges built! In all honest, what is wrong in our seeing it all Christ’s way in our own a barrier confrontation!

Dear friends,

My mother, as most of you know, was a life long teacher. And it was therefore with a definite tongue in her cheek she used to quip – those that do will do but those who cannot – teach! However, any form of teaching focuses the mind and always brings a greater understanding of the subject in hand.

Well this week of my writing, the Grove Academy chaplains, have been giving a multimedia presentation on Easter to the school’s pupils. And this has caused me to really think through the meaning of our Lord’s passion and resurrection.

But that is not a bad mental process for everyone at this time of year. For, of course, the events of Holy Week were at the pivot point of all human history. However, our own interpretation of them also goes to the very foundation of what we each believe and what our personal faith is built upon.

Because in them is the meaning of our forgiveness for failure and worse. In them, is the certainty that what we see is not all that we get. And, in them, is the explanation of how after that first Easter the world was changed forever.  Yet these events also extend an invitation to us as well. The invitation that says – you have been bought at a very dear price – the world has now seen evil defeated – you are reborn to eternal life. Now do something about it! Indeed, go out and teach by your words. Go out and preach by your behaviour. Go out and show your gratitude by playing your part by being the new person within. For Easter always means as Iris Hesselden writes:

Be the person you want to be

The person deep within,

Don’t be afraid to face the world –

Let the future begin!

Hitch your wagon to a star

And follow where it leads

Be strong of purpose, brave in heart,

As every plan succeeds.

Time to be what you want to be

Step forward, take your cue,

The spotlight on, the curtain raised,

The stage is set for you!

Every blessing

 for a restful and worshipful Easter,

Graham

There once was a woman who set out to discover the meaning of life. First she read everything she could get her hands on–history, philosophy, psychology and religion. Then she set off around the globe in search. But, wherever she went, people told her they did not know the answer. Finally, deep in the Himalayas, she climbed up to a tiny hut and with knuckles so cold they hardly worked, she knocked.

“Yes?” said the kind-looking old man who opened it. “I have come halfway around the world to ask you one question,” she said, gasping for breath. “What is the meaning of life?”

“Please come in and have some tea,” the old man said.

“No,” she said.  I didn’t come all this way for tea. I came for an answer. Won’t you tell me, please, what is the meaning of life?”

“We shall have tea,” the old man said, so she gave up and came inside. While he was brewing the tea she caught her breath and began telling him about all the books she had read, all the people she had met, all the places she had been. The old man listened and as she talked incessantly and placed a fragile tea cup in her hand. Then he began to pour the tea.

She was so busy talking that she did not notice when the tea cup was full, so the old man just kept pouring until the tea ran over the sides of the cup and spilled to the floor in a steaming waterfall.

“What are you doing?!” she yelled when the tea burned her hand. “It’s full, can’t you see? Stop! There’s no more room!”

“Just so,” the old man said to her. “You come here wanting something from me, but what am I to do? There is no more room in your cup. Come back when it is empty and then we will talk.”

Well, if today we can see but cannot understand. If we are desperate to be transformed to faith, vision and life beyond life. Then this lent we must learn the lesson of that overflowing cup. For we must empty ourselves. We must cease the endless internal chatter. We must open our minds’ doors and hearts’ windows. And we need then let the Holy Spirit fill us to the brim. We need let it blow through our character, our flesh and bones and the very being of our souls. And in that moment alone we will be still, we will have our being in God and we will be transformed impossibly. For then, uncomprehendingly, the anger of the past is gone. The miracle of life in all its fullness is restored. And the future is once more a new and inviting page.  Because, that is Christ’s rebirth from night into the brilliance of a brand new day.

Only last week on the radio a commentator remarked that with science every time a door of discovery is opened another lies beyond. She then cited the increasing complexity of atoms. At first research found atoms to be made up of electrons, neutrons and protons, then it was quarks and now its bosons.

Yet do we really need to understand particle physics to sit on a seat? Do we need to comprehend quantum physics to see the light from this screen? In fact, od we need to neurological experts to understand these words. I think not! However,you are doing these things right now.  And we indeed benefitting from these things right now!

 Well, this was Jesus starting point with Nicodemus who came to him in the night (John 3.1-13). For, we may be mystified by the Spirit’s ‘how’ and dumbfounded by its ‘why’. But we can still observe its doing something of infinite value.  Since, it can indeed cool our anger, bitterness and disillusionment. More positively, it can give rebirth to inspiration, faith and hope. There is no problem too in it refreshing a jaded lifestyle, a moribund community or even a dissolute nation. In fact, it has the ability to build contentment even if there is no understanding of suffering and healing, crucifixions and resurrections, living and dying and living again.

The sermons and talks of our minister can be seen at:

www.words4worship.co.uk

There is a wonderful scene in Robert Bolt’s play, A Man for all Seasons which is about the life of Sir Thomas More and his struggle with Henry VIII.  In it, More is confronted by Sir Richard Rich who has just perjured himself.  Now Rich had recently

been appointed  as Attorney General for Wales and was wearing

 the appropriate chain of office –  embossed with a red dragon.

 Sir Thomas More asks Rich  what the chain is for and, on being told says, “For Wales?

Why Richard, it profits a man nothing  to give his soul for the whole world, but for Wales?”

Yet Rich was a young man in a hurry.  As a result,
the end  did indeed justify means.  Since he
would do anything  to get what he wanted most.  
A reminder then perhaps  also of the ‘having temptations’  
that Jesus suffered.

For this alluring world  can offer almost unlimited
power,  prestige and wealth – all that matters
is what people are willing to do for it. Yet we too
on a much smaller scale are tempted by desires
to have this or that. However, some of these things 
 may not be valuable or safe or what God wants us
 to have at this moment.

So this lent let us not just beware  of the easy
and the rapid.   Let us also take careful stock  
of our wants and wishes, our aims and ambitions,
 our staging posts and our destinations.

Then let’s submit each of them
to Christ’s measure.

 And his yardstick  will always be – 
how long will these detain us

in the wilderness  or
how close do these take us  
to his Father’s Kingdom!  

One story I heard in my youth sticks in the memory. 
 

 It is of the best mask maker in the world. One day

 the door of his back street shop  tinged open

and there stood a young politician  who was a rising star

 in the government.  He asked for a mask  to hide his lies with a look of honesty.   This mask must also  hide his back stabbing with a smile  and his duplicity  with serenity. But it is all in a good cause he said.

Of course – replied  the mask maker – it will be ready in 7 days.

Well, that politician rose until he ruled his country. It was with some surprise then that the mask maker greeted this man’s wife.

 She asked for a mask to cover her loathing of her utterly corrupt husband, her derision when he lied to her and her revulsion

when his blood stained hands  touched her.

 Of course said the mask maker – I will fit it in 7 days – it’s a good cause.

Now that takes us neatly to Christ’s temptations in the wilderness.  And the one that comes most strongly to mind

 is the ‘doing temptation’b of turning stones to bread.  For, if Jesus had fallen for it, he would have found a quick way to riches, a lazy way to fame  and an easy way  to reduce world hunger. Becuase this option of the Devil  was all about short cuts. In other words – the end justifying the means.

We too similarly tempt ourselves to short circuits with the words –  it’s in a good cause. It is then we forget  the words

that we usually preface  that phrase with. Because don’t we say –  what the hell, it’s in a good cause! For  the world

often lures into the short cut – to quick riches, to easy success

maybe even to trouble free solutions to a good causes. And any newspaper or TV report of the current financial crisis will illustrate my point.

Yet God’s way is rarely so easy or quick. Nevertheless, it is invariably sure and right and lasting. Therefore, we need to acknowledge  there are few short cut  to our Christian achievement and there is no quick way out  of spiritual malaise.

 In fact, we must also reject  any magic bullet solution

to any faith problem of the moment.  Instead, these will only

come from the willing acceptance and the wholehearted adoption  of God’s plan for us. As only a return

to the relentless work of building our relationship

with God will turn those stony weights  in our hearts

into the very bread of eternal life.