SOUL SURMISE

THE CLASH OF EMPIRE... AND A BABY IN STRAW

 

Do you know that sound… that grating sound…. a nail scratched down an old black board. It is repellent. It jars deep within. You hate it!

Have you ever thought of Christmas as this? It is how Herod thought of Christmas. Why did he kill all those babies?

When I was a child I used to confuse Herod and Pharaoh. In some ways there was no need. Add Caesar and you have the three main protagonists against God. From beginning to end the Bible is a battle of Kingdoms. God Kingdom verses The Empire. 

The theologian Walter Brueggemann wrote a piece called 19 Theses. here are a few: -  

1. Everybody lives by a script—whether implicit or explicit.

2. We get scripted through the process of nurture, formation and socialization, and it happens without our knowing it.

3. The dominant script in our society is one of technological therapeutic military consumerism.

4. That script enacted through advertising, propaganda and ideology, especially in the liturgies of television, promises to keep us safe and happy.

5. That script has failed. The script of technological therapeutic military consumerism cannot make us safe or happy.

9. The alternative script is rooted in Scripture and is enacted through the tradition of the church. The Bible and the Church offer of a counter-metanarrative to the script of technological therapeutic military consumerism.

10. The counter-script has as its most distinctive feature its key character, the God of the Bible—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Christmas script clashed with Herod’s script. The clash is so obvious in the story. One King Of the Jews, in a palace, in power and with the might of an army ready to wipe out any threat to the Empire, that he is in cahoots with. Another King Of The Jews born unnoticed in a backend of nowhere hamlet with no room for him but an animal’s manger. Herod saw what was coming. Herod knew that this was going to cost him his comfort. That he would be thrown from his throne and under a radically different Lordship.

And us? What is the script we have been nurtured by? Jesus birth is a “counter-metanarrative”. Yet, do we hear the repellent sound of the clash. Did the Holiday season of greed and excess influence your Advent Season or the other way around? Which script is winning?

The first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians is a subversive poem about the clash with Caesar. All the names he uses for Jesus were used about Caesar. As the dominant script of the Empire is beaming down on the followers of Jesus, Paul helps them reimagine another script. 

Colossians 1: 15 -20 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

In the car coming back from another shopping run my daughter Jasmine asked me the meaning of it. “All this stuff Daddy. What is it for? It will be thrown out? We can’t take it to heaven? Why should I get anything for Christmas?”

It is teenage angst? It is actually, I believe, a trip to Onialeku in Uganda last summer and the two beloved sponsor children that are her screen savers on her phone? It is the script of Jesus clashing against the script of Herod. It is a world changer.

PRAYER: Lord make us alert to the script of Empire around us. Help us to be sensitive to your counter-metanarrative that changes everything. May we hear that repellent sound of the clash of Kingdoms and follow the humble baby not the earthly power.

Do you know that sound… that grating sound…. a nail scratched down an old black board. It is repellent. It jars deep within. You hate it!

Have you ever thought of Christmas as this? It is how Herod thought of Christmas. Why did he kill all those babies?

When I was a child I used to confuse Herod and Pharaoh. In some ways there was no need. Add Caesar and you have the three main protagonists against God. From beginning to end the Bible is a battle of Kingdoms. God Kingdom verses The Empire. 

The theologian Walter Brueggemann wrote a piece called 19 Theses. here are a few: -  

1. Everybody lives by a script—whether implicit or explicit.

2. We get scripted through the process of nurture, formation and socialization, and it happens without our knowing it.

3. The dominant script in our society is one of technological therapeutic military consumerism.

4. That script enacted through advertising, propaganda and ideology, especially in the liturgies of television, promises to keep us safe and happy.

5. That script has failed. The script of technological therapeutic military consumerism cannot make us safe or happy.

9. The alternative script is rooted in Scripture and is enacted through the tradition of the church. The Bible and the Church offer of a counter-metanarrative to the script of technological therapeutic military consumerism.

10. The counter-script has as its most distinctive feature its key character, the God of the Bible—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Christmas script clashed with Herod’s script. The clash is so obvious in the story. One King Of the Jews, in a palace, in power and with the might of an army ready to wipe out any threat to the Empire, that he is in cahoots with. Another King Of The Jews born unnoticed in a backend of nowhere hamlet with no room for him but an animal’s manger. Herod saw what was coming. Herod knew that this was going to cost him his comfort. That he would be thrown from his throne and under a radically different Lordship.

And us? What is the script we have been nurtured by? Jesus birth is a “counter-metanarrative”. Yet, do we hear the repellent sound of the clash. Did the Holiday season of greed and excess influence your Advent Season or the other way around? Which script is winning?

The first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians is a subversive poem about the clash with Caesar. All the names he uses for Jesus were used about Caesar. As the dominant script of the Empire is beaming down on the followers of Jesus, Paul helps them reimagine another script. 

Colossians 1: 15 -20 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

In the car coming back from another shopping run my daughter Jasmine asked me the meaning of it. “All this stuff Daddy. What is it for? It will be thrown out? We can’t take it to heaven? Why should I get anything for Christmas?”

It is teenage angst? It is actually, I believe, a trip to Onialeku in Uganda last summer and the two beloved sponsor children that are her screen savers on her phone? It is the script of Jesus clashing against the script of Herod. It is a world changer.

PRAYER: Lord make us alert to the script of Empire around us. Help us to be sensitive to your counter-metanarrative that changes everything. May we hear that repellent sound of the clash of Kingdoms and follow the humble baby not the earthly power.

THE AUTHOR, THE WORD & THE STORY... ADVENT SURMISE

JOHN 1: 1-3 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

GENESIS 3: 1

“And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring^[a] and hers;
he will crush^[b] your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”

Jesus story did not begin in the four Gospel accounts of his life in the New Testament. John told us in the opening lines of his account that Jesus was there in the beginning. The first Biblical sign that Jesus would interrupt human history is in the third chapter of the Old Testament. There, when all seems lost in the account of humanity’s fall and the enmity that has now broken the intimate relationship between humans and God, God hints.

In that garden scene, humanity’s belonging, vocation and inheritance are all lost. In the nativity scene we see the fulfilment of that hint from Genesis 3. The Word has become flesh to put all that is broken back together again and to find all that was lost. From Genesis to John and beyond, to us right here and now, The Word has been writing the story. Advent invites us to invite The Word to write us back into a story bigger than our miniscule little lifetimes.

In the beginning was the Word

And the Word started the story

He crafted the set

Chose the characters

Gave them their places

The story moved like the planets and the oceans

And the Author said that it was very good

But the characters were dissatisfied at being characters

And one day reached beyond themselves

To become Authors and story tellers themselves

And Reaching to be more

They ended up less than the characters they were meant to be

And sent the story off in dark, selfish, violent, deadly ways.

 

Instead of the author tearing up the story

And getting rid of his characters

To begin again

The author deep love influenced the story

He sent stories and poems and wise words

But the characters didn’t listen much

And when they did

They didn’t listen for very long

All seemed hopeless

And then...

 

The Word became flesh

And interrupted the story

And we shouldn’t have been surprised

That the author of Word

Didn’t come matter of fact

But stranger than fiction.

The Word became a character

And moved into the story

Immediately the darkness and violence sought him out

But the characters who played his parents fled with him as refugees

And so the Word led the story in another direction

Towards another ending

Brighter and more hopeful and eternal

Himself dying in his own story

To turn the story around.

 

 

The Word that set the story off in the beginning

Who was born into the story and died in the story

We thank you for inviting us into the story

Let us into your story

That we might be those characters

Who help you the Author write a redemption story.

Author write us our parts in your story

Word made Flesh show us the way to live the story

Spirit give us the power and courage to make the Word flesh in how we live out our stories...

Forever and ever

Amen

THE O COME O COME EMMANUEL PRAYER - FOR BREXIT, STORMONT, JERUSALEM...

Prayed this prayer this morning. We didn't sing O Come O Come Emmanuel but it is always in my head this time of year. The caress of God among us and the collide. The countries are places that Fitzroy have missionaries or some partnership.

To sing O Come O Come Emmanuel

We need to be careful what we sing for

What we pray for

There is the great caress

Of God with us… 

Throwing his arms of grace around us

Finding us

Loving us

Redeeming us

But there is a collide too

Are we ready for Emmanuel

For the first becoming last

And the last becoming first

For the meek inheriting the earth

Are we ready to turn the other cheek

It is a caress to know God forgives us

But oh the collide of having to forgive

Herod knew the collide

He was too aware of Emmanuel coming

And the implications

Lord seek out the little fragments of Herod in all of us

Those things we will not let go of

The power and comfort we will not open the grasp of our fingers to

 

So we sing O Come O Come Emmanuel

Have your way in us

Have your way in Europe

Have your way in London

Have you way in Jerusalem

Have your way in Belfast

Have your way at our borders

We pray for the Brexit talks

The Stormont talks

That Emmanuel would come

That God would be with them

That the hope of the angels’ song

The courage of Mary

The willingness of Joseph

Would be in the room

That you would soften hearts

Melt arrogance 

Break sectarianism

To heal and redeem all our communities

Lord, may there be peace on earth this Christmas

For all of our people.

O Come O Come Emmanuel.

AMEN

 

NOT A ROUTE TO CALVARY... BUT A ROAD THROUGH...STARTING AT BETHLEHEM

“A route differs from a road not only because it is solely intended for vehicles, but also because it is merely a line that connects one point with another. A route has no meaning in itself; its meaning derives entirely from the two points that it connects. A road is a tribute to space. Every stretch of road has meaning in itself and invites us to stop. A route is the triumphant devaluation of space, which thanks to it has been reduced to a mere obstacle to human movement and a waste of time.”

 - from Immortality by Milan Kundera

I was taken with this quotation when I first read it in the early 90s. It stuck with me. Any travel in rural Africa and you find that roads are more important, to Africans, than routes. You would never take a route. The quickest way might cause you to miss someone or something along the way. Roads are for travelling and learning and maturing and experiencing. 

The difference is a strong challenge to our stressed out schedule keeping world where we spend our life on routes and short cuts and miss so much of the wonder of life in all its fulness. 

The Kundera quotation came back to me one night when I was interviewing songwriter Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue. Ricky had brought his brand new record Pale Rider into the studio with him and told me I would like the track Calvary… and that it was about Christmas! Ricky went on to explain that when he was growing up he noticed, in his Church, that as soon as Jesus was born they had him on the cross. Ricky sings:

“A Baby comes, folks don't sleep
Those shepherds keep you up later than you meant to be
One child's grows and people notice
he's breaking chains
and making poor folks' lives so heavenly
(the way it's meant to be)

I don't need to know what everyone sees
different roads will take you where other paths lead
I'm not even trying to get as far as Calvary
Calvary...”

We need to make sure that we take Jesus on the road from Bethlehem to Calvary and not by the quickest route. If Jesus had only come to die, and his death is vitally important, the angel would never have told Joseph to escape as a refugee to Egypt. His life was important too. His teaching. His living as an example to follow. Let's not rush to Calvary and miss all of this! If we have him on a route to the cross then the destination becomes meaningless as we have no idea what to do when we have gotten there!

MARK 1: 16 - 20

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

We need to follow Jesus as he invited his disciples to follow. As we follow down the roads of Galilee, Samaria and Jerusalem we can pick up all his insights. Like fruit off a tree we should put them in the baskets of our souls and then follow Jesus through the cross… and out the other end of resurrection… to live the fruit of his ministry on the other side. 

NOT A ROUTE… BUT A ROAD?

Not a route to

Too fast, too functional, too distracting

But a road through 

Slow to pay attention for impacting

Not a route to

Too easy, too brief, too matter of fact

But a road through

Taking in all that we’d need, to act

Not a route to

Too cold, too instant, to get it done

But a road through

From Bethlehem to Calvary

It was never meant to be a quick route to

But a following, 

Gathering all the things we’d need

A road that would take us right on through…

ELIZABETH - ADVENT POEM FOR REFLECTION

 

There is a lovely little passage of Scripture tucked away in the nativity story (Luke 1: 39-45). Between the moment when Mary is visited by an angel, soon finding herself pregnant, and her Magnificat she runs for cover. In the aftermath of this incredible experience with God, as she is attempting to clarify the vision she has been given about her place in the salvation of the world and all the other doubting, cynical and suspicious voices around her, she runs for the hills. Her refuge is in the hillside where she finds a welcome and someone who shares her vision, understands her miracle and confirms her belief. Elizabeth, her cousin, has also got tied up in God’s story and it is Elizabeth who steels Mary’s commitment and it seems no coincidence that after her time with Elizabeth that Mary utters her great hymn of praise to and hope for social justice of the Kingdom of God.

There can only be one Mary in the salvation plan but all of us can be an Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the quiet strength in the story. She humbles herself to play her part. She has her soul tuned into God and when
the lead player arrives she is able to confirm the God’s radical will and give confidence to the vision. When the world is shaking our faith with voices that seem to make God’s vision insane who do we turn to. When the prophets around us are coming under criticism and having their souls bruised by naysayers and begrudgers, who can they run to. We can all be Elizabeths.

WHERE DO YOU RUN TO? (WHO ARE YOU ELIZABETH TO?)

Where do you run

In the madness of this vision

When reality is dawning

At the cost of your decision

When the family turns

No one understands

Where do you run

For the welcome hand

 

Who is your Elizabeth

And who are you Elizabeth too

When the world is closing in

On what you know is true.

 

Will we be the hillside

The candle in the door

Lighting up the journey

To so much more

Will we be the shelter

In the doubting gale

A calm to all the clamour

And hear what’s real

 

Some take the lead

The hit and the glory

Some are unknown

The spine of the story

She humbled her soul

And tuned her heart

To hold it together

To play her part.

 

Who is your Elizabeth

And who are you Elizabeth too

When the world is closing in

On what you know is true.

There is a lovely little passage of Scripture tucked away in the nativity story (Luke 1: 39-45). Between the moment when Mary is visited by an angel, soon finding herself pregnant, and her Magnificat she runs for cover. In the aftermath of this incredible experience with God, as she is attempting to clarify the vision she has been given about her place in the salvation of the world and all the other doubting, cynical and suspicious voices around her, she runs for the hills. Her refuge is in the hillside where she finds a welcome and someone who shares her vision, understands her miracle and confirms her belief. Elizabeth, her cousin, has also got tied up in God’s story and it is Elizabeth who steels Mary’s commitment and it seems no coincidence that after her time with Elizabeth that Mary utters her great hymn of praise to and hope for social justice of the Kingdom of God.

There can only be one Mary in the salvation plan but all of us can be an Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the quiet strength in the story. She humbles herself to play her part. She has her soul tuned into God and when
the lead player arrives she is able to confirm the God’s radical will and give confidence to the vision. When the world is shaking our faith with voices that seem to make God’s vision insane who do we turn to. When the prophets around us are coming under criticism and having their souls bruised by naysayers and begrudgers, who can they run to. We can all be Elizabeths.

WHERE DO YOU RUN TO? (WHO ARE YOU ELIZABETH TO?)

Where do you run

In the madness of this vision

When reality is dawning

At the cost of your decision

When the family turns

No one understands

Where do you run

For the welcome hand

 

Who is your Elizabeth

And who are you Elizabeth too

When the world is closing in

On what you know is true.

 

Will we be the hillside

The candle in the door

Lighting up the journey

To so much more

Will we be the shelter

In the doubting gale

A calm to all the clamour

And hear what’s real

 

Some take the lead

The hit and the glory

Some are unknown

The spine of the story

She humbled her soul

And tuned her heart

To hold it together

To play her part.

 

Who is your Elizabeth

And who are you Elizabeth too

When the world is closing in

On what you know is true.

ADVENT... O COME O COME EMMANUEL... ARE WE READY?

Advent begins tomorrow. The Stockmans will light the first of the Fitzroy Advent candles. Before we do, I will be on Sunday Sequence on BBC Radio Ulster, with my buddy in peacemaking Fr Martin Magill, confessing that as Irish Presbyterians, at least of the northern variety, we sometimes need to look up the colours of the candles and what they mean. This year we started our evening Advent events a week too early, as we didn't check the dates!  

For many Christian Churches Advent is the four weeks before Christmas when we prepare for the celebration of the nativity. The Eastern Orthodox Church takes the seriousness up a notch by having a forty day fast before Christmas Day's feasting and celebration. I have total respect for their spiritual discipline. It is fair to say that, as one of many reactions against Catholicism, Advent might not be taken too seriously if acknowledged at all in many Protestant Churches in Northern Ireland tomorrow.

Yet, in a day when the Jesus centred Christmas is being ousted by a secular version is Advent not even more important?. As I always say I am happy to celebrate both but the Christ of Christmas is my priority. Anyway, the days we follow Jesus in should make us more intentional on keeping him our focus and acknowledging the preparation of Advent is a good way to do that.

However, are we ready for Advent? Are we up for it? On their new record U2 sing:

"But this freedom
It might cost you your liberty…"

Advent is from the Latin word 'coming" and when we pray for the coming of the Lord we need to be sure we have counted the cost, as Jesus suggested we should.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go. 

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace. 

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Come O Come Emmanuel will be sung many times over the next four Sundays. We should be careful not to sing it in some feely weely warm and fuzzy Holiday Seasonal sense. This is not about chestnuts roasting or children getting excited. This is a subversive prayer! This is a new kingdom being ushered in that will turn everything as we know it upside down and inside out. 

I guess it depends where you are. If you are a mother having just given birth in some refugee camp after fleeing Syria then this new world is going to be very welcome. Such a mother will yearn such justice. Or the innocent Syrian fearing the next airstrike that might wipe out his family as collateral. Such a father could really use that peace.

BUT... if you are in the pampered westerner living in decadent luxury at the cost of so many then this is a dangerous prayer. Are we ready for “the first made last and the last made first...”  Are we ready to put the refugee or the innocent Syrian first? Are we ready to serve rather than Lording it? Are we ready for when the poor and the meek take over? This rattles and shakes our materialist comforts. No wonder Herod wanted it dead!

For a most authentic slant of the subversive hope of this prayer then Willard Grant Conspiracy’s version is the one to download. Robert Fisher’s deep souled voice, that often times leads us into ballads of murder and judgement, draws every scary note from this Kingdom crashing in piece. Are we ready?!

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1: 49-55)

DON'T PACK AWAY THE BABY AND PUT HIM IN THE ATTIC...

Children's nativity plays are over

The food has all been eaten

The presents have all been opened

The toys have all been discarded

The cards and the tinsel have been packed away

And the tree is back in the attic

The carols are off the hymn sheets for another year

They think it's all over

It has only just begun.

 

Now the shepherds are back in the fields

The wise men are on their way home, the long way

The star has left the Bethlehem sky dimmer

The angels have left it quieter

The mother is recovering from the pain of birth

The baby is safe in his daddy's arms

And there is even a room in the Inn

They think it is all over

It has only just begun.

 

It is that time of year when the neighbours' windows lose their sparkle. The decorations, trees and lights that have lit up the street, the city and the country over this last month are being put back in boxes.

It would be wrong though if we packed away the nativity stories and shoved them back in the attic too. I believe that these stories  of Christ’s incarnation that we have pondered are jam packed with theological challenge and inspiration. 

It was not over for Mary and Joseph a few days after Jesus birth. It had just begun. Indeed had had just begun for us all of humanity. 

I often consider that Christmas is when God scooped up all his love in his hand and hurled it towards earth. Like semtex packed ball of grace is hit earth, gently as a baby in straw… but the whole earth shuddered with the impact.

Nothing would ever be the same again… in the life of Mary, Joseph, shepherds, star gazers… in your life… in my life... in my ministry as I prepare for the 4 Corners Festival in February, another mission trip to Uganda in July, mission around Fitzroy, pastoral care and discipleship in our worshipping community, as I blog daily on Soul Surmise.

I don't watch many movies anymore but in the trailer for current hit La La Land there is a wonderful quotation for these last moments of the Christmas season:

"This is the dream… Therefore you’ve got to give it everything that you’ve got…"

Let's!

TWO SHORT CHRISTMAS DAY REFLECTION/PRAYERS

(Two short reflections/poems for Christmas day...)

IN THE STRAW

In the straw of our fouled fallen failings

In the straw of our dim dumb distracting dreams

In the straw of our wasted wily wealth

In the straw of our shame stained self indulgence

In the straw

 

In the straw

God’s definitive interruption

Heaven’s eternal song of hope

Earth’s last word on redemption

Grace’s love gift lavishly laid

In the straw.

 

EMMANUEL - GOD WITH US

 

Emmanuel - God With Us

 

May we know God with us

In the joy of family together

And in the sadness of empty chairs.

 

May we know God with us 

In the blessing of our grace nourished souls

And in the sins and doubts within us.

 

May we know God with us

In the abundance of what we are given

And in the poverty of so many around us. 

 

May we know God with us

In our city blessed with peace and hope

And in a world that is still at war.

 

Emmanuel - God with us

 

Where ever we are

Whoever we are with

However we feel.

 

Emmanuel - God With Us!

JUST TURNING UP... SECRET OF WORLD MISSION

 

The secret of world mission is right there in the centre of the nativity story. How can we reach the world with God’s good news? How can we teach people about the amazing grace of the Gospel? How can we bring God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven? I have read lots of books for answers. I have been to many Conferences? I have even spoken about mission at many Conferences! Yet, the simplicity of world mission is so profound that we often drive right through Christmas and miss it.

In the straw of our fouled fallen failings

In the straw of our dim dumb distracting dreams

In the straw of our wily wealth well wasted

In the straw of our shame stained self indulgence

In the straw

 

In the straw

God’s definitive interruption

Heaven’s eternal song of hope

Earth’s last word on redemption

Grace’s love gift lavishly laid

In the straw.

In the straw. There it is. God’s way of reaching us. We are back to that key verse from John’s prologue “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

There were so many times in Onialeku, Uganda last summer when my wife Janice would say to me and the rest of our team, “it is enough to just show up.” It is hard to believe that from a distance. 

There are still many people who think it would be better if we just sent the money to East Africa. They think that all the plane fares and hotel costs could be better spent by the locals. They are wrong and my wife is right. 

When you show up in their manger of straw the effect it has is spiritually profound and the Gospel goes deep. I remember talking with Bishop Isaac under the mango tree at Onialeku school. I asked him straight, would he have preferred the money? No, was immediate and unequivocal response.

After our trip I received an email from Pastor David revealing the impact our team had made - “To the children its like angels visited them, to see a white man play with the children Reverend that meant a lot to us and children, for some children its really the first time for having a chance to play with white people.” 

Presence. The Gospel becoming flesh. Close enough to whisper. This is the model that Jesus gives us in this Christmas scene. Sermons have their place but there is nothing like presence and relationship. It is in presence that the glory and grace and truth of Jesus are most fully revealed.

 

The secret of world mission is right there in the centre of the nativity story. How can we reach the world with God’s good news? How can we teach people about the amazing grace of the Gospel? How can we bring God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven? I have read lots of books for answers. I have been to many Conferences? I have even spoken about mission at many Conferences! Yet, the simplicity of world mission is so profound that we often drive right through Christmas and miss it.

In the straw of our fouled fallen failings

In the straw of our dim dumb distracting dreams

In the straw of our wily wealth well wasted

In the straw of our shame stained self indulgence

In the straw

 

In the straw

God’s definitive interruption

Heaven’s eternal song of hope

Earth’s last word on redemption

Grace’s love gift lavishly laid

In the straw.

In the straw. There it is. God’s way of reaching us. We are back to that key verse from John’s prologue “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

There were so many times in Onialeku, Uganda last summer when my wife Janice would say to me and the rest of our team, “it is enough to just show up.” It is hard to believe that from a distance. 

There are still many people who think it would be better if we just sent the money to East Africa. They think that all the plane fares and hotel costs could be better spent by the locals. They are wrong and my wife is right. 

When you show up in their manger of straw the effect it has is spiritually profound and the Gospel goes deep. I remember talking with Bishop Isaac under the mango tree at Onialeku school. I asked him straight, would he have preferred the money? No, was immediate and unequivocal response.

After our trip I received an email from Pastor David revealing the impact our team had made - “To the children its like angels visited them, to see a white man play with the children Reverend that meant a lot to us and children, for some children its really the first time for having a chance to play with white people.” 

Presence. The Gospel becoming flesh. Close enough to whisper. This is the model that Jesus gives us in this Christmas scene. Sermons have their place but there is nothing like presence and relationship. It is in presence that the glory and grace and truth of Jesus are most fully revealed.

 

HEROD - DID HE KNOW TOO MUCH SCRIPTURE? AND WHAT ABOUT ME?

MATTHEW 2 

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

    weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children

    and refusing to be comforted,

    because they are no more.”

Does the Herod episode disturb you. It disturbs me. Why was Herod disturbed with the news of the Messiah’s birth? This is the long awaited one, fulfilment of all those prophecies. These stargazers have arrived from the east to herald it in. Instead of celebration, Herod is spooked and Matthew says, “all of Jerusalem with him.” 

Herod gathered all the religious leaders and they opened the Scripture to find the meaning of all these nativity stories. They looked into Micah’s prophecy and there it was, 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me

    one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

    from ancient times.”

When the Magi don’t return, as Herod had asked them to, the dam of his anger bursts. Like some Game Of Thrones scene you can see him check the scroll again, then swipe the table clean, cups and bowls smashing and splintering and the sacred papyrus rip, like the veil in the temple later would. He summoned his troops who thunder out of Jerusalem to go and kill all the babies under two in the Bethlehem area. 

It is a challenge for those of us who have the truth, who look it up, lick our fingers and turn the pages of the Holy word. Herod’s problem was not that he didn’t have the truth. Herod had too much truth. He knew that this baby was going to change everything. It was going to demand changes personally, materially and politically and he wasn’t up for the truth to have its way.

What of us? Are there places in our lives where we have the truth but refuse to welcome it into our lives. No, we don’t kill Jesus but do we kill his revolution? John Stott said that the greatest evangelical heresy of the Twentieth Century was our lack of social justice. I remember it being labelled a “social gospel” like it was the heresy. Was that a misunderstanding of the Scriptures or just that the cost of getting involved in God’s Kingdom coming and his will being done on earth would impinge too much on our comfortable lives?