Jesus Course

It seems to have become a theme of mine to tell people about those who love Jesus but reject the church. I just read another article about it titled “Why Young Adults Forget the Church to Follow Jesus”.

To me it seems quite simple. Those who learn about Jesus often see the church as being too distant from the message Jesus preached. In some ways this is true but in others it isn’t. The church in some places is doing quite a good job at being true to Jesus’ message but others have wandered far from the path.

I’ve struggled with finding a church that I felt I wanted to belong to in the past. In the end I decided it was better to belong and try to reform than try to live my Christian life on my own. This has meant many sacrifices for me but I’m trying hard to be a pebble in the shoe of every church I am involved with.

I think one of the biggest problems most established churches in Britain has is the building they worship in. The time taken for a small congregation to maintain something built for a much bigger congregation is overwhelming. I spent most of my church organisation meetings talking about money raising for the building or repairs that need to be made. I hate all this.

At College I once gained the nic-name of “Shut-em-down Brown” because whenever the subject of looking after old buildings came up I said “shut them down”. At the time it might have been youthful enthusiasm but now I wonder if I wasn’t on to something.

If I ask people to raise money for something in the church they know exactly what to do but if I ask them to evangelise they look at me with terror and confusion. We have spent our energy in the past in the wrong ways and we are now reaping the rewards.

“He who lives by the building, dies by the building.” To paraphrase an old friend.

Church politics and buildings are strangling the gospel and people have had enough of it. So they vote with their feet and stop going. Of course it might come as a revelation to many to discover that Jesus is alive and at work outside the church.

Note: Although it might not sound it I am in favour of the church – Jesus started it after all and was determined that his church would change the world. I’m committed to that vision of Jesus – will anyone join me?

Jesus church, Jesus, religion

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
(Mark 2:27 ESV)

Do you ever have any of those  I wish I’d said that moments. One of those times when something that is deeply profound but perhaps obvious – with a little thought  – is said and you think that is just what I was trying to say.

The statement of Jesus that we have today is deeply profound, it turns the whole realm of religion on its head. The rules that God makes in a religion are not made as a way to catch us out so we can be punished but as a way of releasing us. Of course some rules go beyond religion and are about the basics of right and wrong  – but the rules that come with a religion should be releasing and helping and not restricting and soul destroying.

Many Christians say that Christianity is not a religion and in a sense they are right because Jesus did not teach us a set of mindless rules to follow in the hopes by doing so we can persuade god to do something for us; but instead he taught a way of life and relating to God that release us into a relationship.

The Sabbath laws were never meant as a way of restricting people but as a way of enabling people to spend time with God and time refreshing their souls.

Christian living, Jesus, Thoughts Jesus, jesus christ, religion, rules, sabbath

There always seems to me to be two stories going on at the same time in the nativity story. There is the one where lots of spectacular things happen – angels appearing and wise men following stars and prophecies being fulfilled etc.

But then there is the simple ordinary story that no one would bother with normally. The story of a young woman from nowhere who is pregnant before she gets married (big deal); travelling to a place for registration because the government wants to tax them (that’s a new story, a government wanting to tax people – boring); she then has her child in a stable (slightly more interesting but not much (how many funny stories are there of children born in strange places – I heard of a better one the other day with a baby born in a toilet!).

Yet, its the thing that brings these two stories together that counts. The baby.

The baby is the one who the angels sing about and prophets write about and yet its the baby who is born in a very boring way. It’s this baby who comes to change the dull and ordinary into something wonderful and meaningful.

So although we may be very ordinary people with nothing remarkable in our own story that doesn’t matter because God is born into just the kind of life that we live. No great armies or palaces or record deals or Simon Cowel, etc just ordinary parents in a boring place. Yet this is the same one that the angels sing about. This is the life that changes the world.

I am grateful every day that it was into a life just like mine that God chose to be born into. This is what makes it the greatest story ever told.

Thoughts Christmas, Jesus, jesus christ

I was at an event the other day where I met a man with an interesting story. He told me how Jesus had saved his life. I won’t mention any names here or even where I met the man because I wouldn’t want to embarrass him if he reads this.

But here was a young man who was living the kind of life that many young men live. However, things went wrong and he allowed alcohol to take over and run things. His life was a mess and getting worse.

It was then that he decided to go to church and there he encountered Jesus. He has now put his life on track. He has a part time job and has an active role in the church he goes to. He openly acknowledges that it has been Jesus working through the lives of Christians that has literally ‘saved his life’.

Jesus christians, church, Jesus, saved

There was yet another story in the UK press yesterday about a Christian bashing exercise that took place in a government department. There was a memo circulating with some comments (I guess they were put intended as a joke) where it was suggested the Pope on his visit to the UK should do various un-Catholic things. This didn’t come from the Government but from Civil Servants.

Now – I like a good joke as much as the next person and we all know how these things sometimes get out of hand at work but I think this does highlight a couple of problems.

1) Does this mean that the church is just seen as a bit of a joke by those who run the country?

2) Does this show that there is a general bias against the church among the UK’s civil servants?

I think the answer is probably yes to both, but that is just a feeling I get.

But then I wonder if the in fact the church has played it’s part in all this as much as anyone?

Christians haven’t always been good at practicing what they preach or at defending themselves when it was needed. The Catholic church has had a major issue with child abuse and it is hard to ask for moral respect in such circumstances. I’ve also recently heard of death threats made against a comedian who made jokes about Jesus Christ. I find such jokes very offensive but as far as I understand the teachings of Christ we should respond to this kind of thing by turning the other cheek.

Christians also are often very bad at explaining what they believe and end up resorting to churchy language that just sounds like Christians are creatures who have had their head in the sand for the last 200 years. There are very good defenses for the Christian faith that can be presented in a caring way and I am thankful for those who take the time to offer them. Sadly, when people are responded to with archaic Christian language they tend to see it as another reason for laughing at Christians rather than acknowledging a good response.

I also often hear Christians moaning about how people of other faiths get treated better – for instance if someone said the kinds of things about a Muslim leader that they did about the Pope there would be a public outcry – and I think that they are probably right in making this observation.

However, I wonder if Christians aren’t supposed to be treated differently. When we are insulted for what we believe we should be thankful for suffering like Jesus did, shouldn’t we? When we are struck on the cheek aren’t we supposed to offer the other one? When people make angry attacks at us aren’t we supposed to respond with love and forgiveness.

This isn’t the soft, easy option. This is the hard option. This doesn’t mean that we should just go around being happy that everyone is against us but that we don’t respond to things in the same way that everyone else does.

We are supposed to be different – aren’t we?

Thoughts christians, church, Jesus

Jesus has just appeared in the bark of a Pecan Tree. Full story below.

Just in case you get the impression that I get very excited about the places Jesus is appearing in I don’t – I just think they make interesting stories. Personally, I’m not convinced that God uses this method of getting his message through to people.

http://www.wapt.com/news/22814321/detail.html

Jesus in funny places Jesus

Plans are under way to stage a Passion play of the easter story in London’s Trafalgar square.

You can see the story here

News, Thoughts Jesus, Passion Play

Jesus has now appeared on a naan bread

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6960952/Jesus-spotted-on-naan-bread.html

Jesus in funny places Jesus

The latest place for Jesus to appear is on a naan bread at an Indian Restaurant in Southampton.

Here is the story about the Naan Jesus …

Jesus in funny places Jesus

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if people really lived liked Jesus said we should live? We see some of the effects when Christians live as they should – sadly this doesn’t always happen – we might know some of the names of well known Christians who we can admire, names like Mother Theresa and Desmond Tutu come to mind. If everyone followed the teachings of Jesus then people like these people would be common place. You may be surprised to hear that I have met many such people in churches I have been to but they don’t get noticed by the public as they live out their Christian lives.

Today we are going to think a little about the beatitudes.  The beatitudes come at the beginning of the sermon on the mount in Matthew’s gospel (Matthew chapter 5).

The beatitudes tell us about some things that will happen in God’s kingdom. These statements tell us nothing about the kind of people that Christian’s should be – save that the qualities listed have a place in God’s kingdom. Sadly some Christians have mistaken the beatitudes for a list of Christian attitudes and have tried to copy the attitudes that the beatitudes talk about.

Of course qualities like meekness and desiring righteousness are good qualities for some but God did not intend us to try and live up to the beatitudes.

What Jesus is saying is that in God’s kingdom:

• the poor in spirit will find job in the kingdom of heaven – and not when they die but now!
• those who mourn will be comforted
• the meek will inherit the earth.
• those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied
• etc

Jesus is telling us what the kingdom of God will be like. This is reassurance that although you might feel that being merciful doesn’t count for anything – God notices and is happy that people are following him. It is comfort to know that people who mourn will be comforted by God in his kingdom. I could go on.

The beatitudes then are not rules for us to try and follow but statements about how wonderful God’s kingdom is.  I’m sure Jesus could have gone on for a very long time explaining other injustices that will be put right in God’s kingdom. And whilst God’s kingdom might need some time before it is complete we can get some of this reward in the hear and now.

Christian living beatitudes, Jesus