Evening Prayer 31st December

Jonah 3-4
When presented with the stark reality of Jonah's attitude it is difficult to empathise with him. He gets cross because he has to go and tell people to repent or they will be destroyed. Then he gets cross when they do repent and they are not destroyed. His anger is in the fact that God is gracious anyway so why did he have to bother going. (Of course he seems to forget that a whole city did actually change their hearts in the story!!). It is like Jonah is peeved at having to be involved at all! Why should he have to be - can't God sort it out on his own?

Then he gets cross about he bush and the worm. He is cross because something that was given is taken away - something he didn't ask for in the first place.

Does this reflect something of our attitudes to God? Resentful if we are the only ones who seem to be bothered? Not particularly grateful to God when we receive blessings, but cross enough when they are taken away?

Colossians 1:24 - 2:7

In this reading Paul is a marked contrast to Jonah. He is gloriously thankful for Christ and for his involvement in the spreading of the Gospel.

Rather than simply wandering into a place saying a few words and sulking (the Jonah model of evangelism) he is passionate for the people he has met and is desperate for them to be as thankful as he is.

I guess the difference between the two of these messengers, is that what is reluctant and the other is inspired. Paul sees his own thankful heart as part of the good news he has to share. Jonah would simply rather be somewhere else.

Attitude is everything!

Thoughts
These to readings side be side present a stark choice for us and ask the question, "how are you feeling about your calling to follow Christ?" It is a reminder that we are hugely blessed by God and our response in thanks and praise to Him is what makes our lives open to the possibility of a deep joy in all circumstances.

God is good - all the time - and it is vital that our lives reflect that sure conviction and embrace the privilege we have when we respond to his call.

Morning Prayer 31st December

Isaiah 59:15-21

The language of this passage is St. Paul's inspiration for the whole armour of God. 'The breastplate of righteousness' and the 'helmet of salvation'. But Isaiah's image of the Lord going to battle continues in a more physical manner. Rather than a spiritual battle requiring a sheild of faith and shoes symbolising the readiness to proclaim the gospel of peace, the Lord is clothing Himself with fury and vengeance.

Isaiah's language continues to talk of requital (retaliation?), repayment and wrath. Such power will cause the enemies of Zion to tremble and honour the Lord!

But then, a change of emphasis. For those who will turn from their falsehood, the Lord makes a 'spiritual' promise; His Spirit will not leave them and His words will remain with their children.

Redemption - the saving of Zion - is described in terms of an eternal covenant relationship with God.

Is there is a new imagination emerging through the prophet? A move from understanding redemption in political terms to understanding it in personal terms; a move from retaliation to reconciliation - at least for those who will turn to God with integrity.

John 1:29-34
What does John the Baptist mean when he proclaims that Jesus is the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world"? And why doesn't John the Baptist know who Jesus, his cousin, is beforehand. Did his Mary and Elizabeth not share their insights?

To take the first question, there was an ancient tradition that talked of 'a lamb like a lion' who was able to see off all the other animals in battle. A paradoxical animal, whose strength was hidden and surprising. It is a well rehearsed understanding that the Messianic expectations of the time were linked to the political liberation of Jerusalem and maybe John the Baptists expectation islinked to this too - politicl liberation that will bring about justice and peace. This would make perfect sense in the light of the prophecies such as the one in Isaiah above and John's own ministry would be seen in this light too- calling a people to repentance so that they might be in a place to reocgnise the redemptive acts of God at work in their midst and become part of them, rather than turning away.

But Jesus is going to deal with sinful humanity in a more fundamental way than legislative changes can ever achieve. In doing this, he will be more like the Paschal Lamb whose sacrifice opens up a new relationship between people and God.

So, in this way, John the Baptist may have not fully understood Jesus. Who could have fully grasped that the Word made flesh, the Son of God was going to lay down his life in Sacrifice?

Thoughts
God has been very surprising in Jesus. He has changed the parameters of justice by finding a way of fighting sin in broken humanity. The language of retaliation and wrath makes way for expressions of new covenants, new starts and freedom from the causes of sin that create the injustice in the first place.

The Spirit and Word that are received through Christ break the boundaries of the imagination of even the greatest prophets.

How can the Church of today ever take this for granted? Surely we must overflow with praise and joy to our God who is doing this even now!

Evening Prayer 30th December

Jonah 2:1-10

Jonah prays the experience of faith. Here he is, in the belly of a big fish - a particularly unpleasant location - and what is he doing? He is praising God! And at the same time he is explaining why.

He has spent the last months of the story running away from God and from the calling he knows is there, deep within.

The running away has led from one problem to another and eventually he is about to drown. His life could get no worse (in fact, if it carries on like it is, it ill not have any time to do so either) so he remembers God, in fact he cries out to the God he has been running away from.

The transformation is instantaneous - and surprising. He is rescued. At first sight his plight looks marginally worse than it did before - after all he is inside a fish. But he recognises God's providence and his recognition leads to acceptance and praise - and he is safe.

This is the story of faith. We run away expecting that we can get along better by avoiding the call on our lives. Only when things get bad do we call out in hope. The call in hope marks the change and the transformation that God brings to the darkest situation is experienced and the our world is different. We experience the difference and give thanks and praise for it. And we are in a safe place again - at least for a while...

Colossians 1:15-23
The faith of Jonah is quite different to the faith of Paul. Paul's faith takes off where Jonah's ends. Paul's faith is one where the questions are answered and the answers exceed his wildest hopes. The nature of God - the pre and self-existent One have been revealed in Christ and in this revelation the purpose and meaning of life have been fully revealed. No longer is it a questions of choosing obedience - embracing or rejecting the call - it is about the complete transformation of the worldview that removes fear from the equation and inspires the every thought and action.

And he is writing to people like me - who have been estranged and whose minds have not understood, but who have come to understand - and he is telling us to keep hold of the understanding and vision for all things that faith in Christ bestows. Do this, not just because it's true (which it is) but because if we don't we look back over our shoulders at the fear and doubt we felt before and we let it creep back. The darkness creeps through our consciousness trying to draw us away from the light of Christ and we become double minded and confused.

Thoughts

God is good. We know it deep down, but often we want to run away from it. But to run away is to run into darkness and fear.

Once we know the certainty of the love of God in Christ and have seen the vision He has for us and the promise He makes to us, there is nowhere to run to, or reason to run there.

It is frustrating for many in the is post-modern world who like to live in the grey areas of life that so many find true peace in Christ.

But we do and praise Him for it!!

Morning Prayer 30th December

Isaiah 59: 1-15

Isaiah is clear on this - the Lord's people are corrupt. The society of his day has turned its back upon God; it has become greedy and corrupt - self seeking. No-one is interested in truth but only in getting their own way. The courts have become a mockery full of people telling lies and justice is about the rich getting more an no-one is interested in real fairness and justice.
We cannot expect to continue in this way. Even thought these writings describe a society 2,600 years ago they are still accurate in their description of our world today. Maybe this is where the Church comes into the story. The nations will always become corrupted - Society will always harness the talents accommodate of the greedy and the selfish and their ways will always accumulate themselves power and wealth. But the Church is to be different. The Church is to be alongside these secular structures but is to be a sign of the Kingdom where justice and fairness, love and compassion are always the lived out values.
The nation Israel failed to live to this calling and today's news shows us that it fails still.
Can the Church fair any better? What a terrifying calling to live under. But the answer is here to. We must live with a constant attitude of repentance. Looking out for and dealing with the worldly perspectives that infiltrate the mind set and shape the decisions.


John 1:19-28
Here is John fulfilling his own calling to bring those around him to repentance so that the righteousness of God could draw near. It cost him everything to fulfil this calling. He enjoyed few worldly pleasures and withdrew himself to survive on the simplest of livings. In this way he was able to face his accusers with certainty over his role and calling in life and to encourage others to leave behind the sin and desires which prevent them drawing near to God.

Thoughts
These readings together speak into the situation faced by the Church in England to today.
Our Society has become obsessed with its own desires for pleasure and as individuals we expect to get what we want. This justifies our actions. We find it to easy to lie and misguide ourselves. We are able to raise billions in days to secure our own lifestyles but cannot give to the poor of the world. Our desire to maintain our lifestyles and put ourselves first has corrupted our education system, led us into debt and broken up our families. We will do anything to try and maintain our confidence, yet we are only misleading ourselves to stay in our arrogance. We have sown the seeds of our own demise in selfishness and it is only a matter of time before we reap what we sow.
Isaiah and John share the common call to us. Repent, change direction that righteousness may draw neat.

Evening Prayer 29 12 08

Isaiah 49:14-25
It is hard to read this from the perspective of the Jewish nation and imagine it fulfilled. The Jewish people are certainly not honoured as this passage suggests, rather they are still struggling to be recognised as a nation by many Arab states.

But one can see that when this is interpreted as the remnant of the remnant - that Jesus the true Israel - distilled down to one Son - when this reading is applied to him, we can see fulfillment. Jesus has seen his children, his brothers and sisters, those he called his family, those who try to follow God and bring the Kingdom in - they are flourishing. Nations are today bowing down.

Yet there is also the amazing truth of the experience that God has bought good things out of barrenness. This is my experience. It is hard to imagine and believe that He does this, but He does. And I need to rest easy in the confidence that You will provide for me.

Mark 10:13-18
There is an arrogsance that I sometimes share that we can stand in judgment of the Kingdom and of the Scripture and even of Jesus. I can remember my arrogance when I first started to go to church - actually thinking that the church were 'lucky to have me'!! There is a huge misperception that we do God a big a favour when we pray or when we decide to believe! O the arrogance! It is of course always us who are receiving and have so little to offer back. Maybe this is part of what it means to be like little children - to understand our dependency; to understand just how much we have to learn and are inexperienced; to recognise the authority we need over us to teach us and guide us.

Isaiah 55

Why do we struggle? Isn't it because we fear not having sufficient to survive? Isn't it because there is always something else we want that we feel we must work towards? Why are we motivated by these things? What is it in the human condition that causes us to continue to want more?
Isaiah is describing a world where what is necessary and vital for life is available without work or cost - it is offered freely. This is most often spiritualised in its interpretation - our experience does not allow us to believe other otherwise. The promise is exactly the opposite of the beginning of Genesis, where the human condition is defined by its toil. Here the words speak of a promise that will last forever.
In verse 4 there is a reference to David, a type of Christ, who will realise this promise. These words and their implications are mirrored in Jesus' in the Sermon on the Mount. A promise that is possible to live in this way.
But is all this simply wishful thinking. What is the source of this hope? Is it that God ha changed his mind - that he has seen the struggle of man as he lives out his day to day fight to survive and thrive and does not think that it is working out?
In Christ God offers an alternative to the way of life we have been used to. It allows us to break free from the achievement bound race for worldly success and provides us with a deep peace. This is possible and real even now - but is fragile and requires us to stop and listen and trust.