Tough Questions

What Does it Mean to Fear the Lord?

Rev Charlie (October 2022)

Often, when the question is asked, ‘What does it mean to fear the Lord?’ the response goes something like this, ‘Oh, it doesn’t really mean fear, it just means that we should approach God with a sense of reverence and awe.’  Whilst this response is partially true, it is also inadequate, especially when we consider the pervasiveness of this theme throughout scripture.

Proverbs 1: 7 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Given its context in the book of Proverbs, it most likely means that the wisest approach to life is to live according to the premise that there is a just God who will ultimately hold us accountable for our actions.  As one well known psychologist put it, “You can’t twist the fabric of reality without it snapping back at you sooner or later.”  Our conduct, good or bad, carries real consequences, both for this life and the life to come.  Those who have rejected God’s love and forgiveness have good reason to fear God because they will face his righteous judgement without the ‘clean slate’ afforded by Jesus. It is this ‘fear of the Lord’ that compels many to put their hope and trust in Jesus.

1 John 4: 18 says this, ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.’  When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we no longer fear punishment because Jesus has taken our sin and wrongdoing upon himself.  That is to say, he has stood in our place and taken the punishment that we deserve.

For believers, ‘fear of the Lord’ does not mean cowering like slaves.  That would make no sense, since we have been adopted into the family of a loving, compassionate and perfect heavenly Father.  Indeed, fear of the Lord is something that we can delight in (Neh. 1: 11).  When confronted with the glory, beauty, power and holiness of God it is natural to experience a sense of awe, reverence and, if I can put it this way, a delightful fear.  As it says in Philippians 2: 12-13, ‘continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.’  In our fear of the Lord we must never lose sight of the fact that God’s purposes are entirely good.

Romans 11: 11-24 (and 19-21 in particular), would seem to indicate that fearing God deters us from running away from him.  Not in the sense of an abused person, who fears to flee their tormentor, but in the sense of a beloved child who fears the consequences of running away from a stable and loving home.  All good parents discipline their children and God rightly disciplines us from time to time.  As it says in Hebrews 12: 6, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” It is not trivial or inconsequential to knowingly rebel against the God of the universe. Those of us who have, at some point, turned away from God or have knowingly disobeyed his will for our lives, will likely have experienced a sense of uneasiness, foreboding and, yes, even fear.

So, the fear of the Lord is not just a sense of reverence and awe.  Although it does include that, there are other facets too.  However, none of this will trouble us provided we continue to trust in the absolute goodness and unfailing love of God, who only wants the very best for us.

Why Small Groups?

Why Small Groups?

Rev Charlie (September 2022)

Many churches, St. Andrew’s included, struggle to get a high percentage of their members meeting together in small groups during the week, for fellowship and Bible study.  It is not hard to understand the reasons for this.  The busyness of life takes over and it becomes difficult to carve out the time.  Moreover, many are unable to leave their homes in the evenings due to childcare commitments.  There is also the matter of finding people who are willing to lead such groups.  However, I suspect the main reason that home groups, life groups, hubs, or whatever it is you call them, do not always flourish is that their value is largely underrated.  So why is it important for Christians to meet in smaller groups during the week?

Firstly, to know and be known.  Our weekly gatherings are indispensable, but on their own they are not sufficient to foster solid, mutually supportive and trusting relationships.  These kinds of relationships can only be built by incrementally allowing a person (or people), to see who we really are; chiefly by sharing our joys, struggles, hopes and doubts and then offering them to God in prayer together.  This takes time, commitment and a certain amount of privacy.  However, the rewards are great!  Having a group of trustworthy friends with whom we can be completely open and honest is essential to our mental and spiritual wellbeing.

Secondly, to hear from God.  The main way that God speaks to us is through his word, the Bible.  However, God speaks to us in other ways too, particularly through fellow Christians.  Prayerfully reading the Bible with others can be particularly exciting because, as a group, we tend to discern God’s voice with greater accuracy.  Having a range of perspectives and life experiences to draw on can also help us to apply God’s word to our lives.

Thirdly, to discover and exercise our spiritual gifts.  The New Testament contains various lists of spiritual gifts, none of which are exhaustive.  Spiritual gifts are special abilities that God gives to his people, for the building up of the church, such as: serving, leading, teaching, faith, prophecy, words of knowledge, gifts of healing, administration, etc.  Small groups provide an environment where these gifts can be discerned and used.  For example, in a small group setting, someone might say, ‘I’m not sure, but I think God may be saying…’  This could be the first step towards exercising the gift of words of knowledge.  It is much easier to make that step in the context of a small, intimate group of friends.

Fourthly, to mobilise for mission.  Christians are called to be Jesus’ hands and feet in the world and the ways of fulfilling this calling are virtually limitless.  A church is only as weak as its imagination!  Small groups can be a place where ideas are formed and tested and can provide the basis of a team for any given mission project.  Decentralising the mission of the church is key to multiplying it.

In short, any Christian who desires to grow in their faith, deepen their relationship with God and reach their kingdom building potential should get plugged into a small group of Jesus’ followers.  It is no coincidence that Jesus led a small group of 12 disciples.  It really is Christianity 101!

Tough Questions

If there is going to be a ‘new heaven and a new earth’, why care for the environment?

Rev Charlie (August 2022)

  The Bible begins with two beautifully crafted Hebrew poems about creation.  The first poem expresses God’s delight in his creation, culminating in the statement, ‘God saw all that he had made and it was very good.’ As the pinnacle of God’s creation, human beings were made in God’s image and given the task of ruling over creation on God’s behalf.  This does not mean that they were given carte blanche to exploit creation, rather it is a mandate to rule over it responsibly and compassionately as representatives of a loving and benevolent Creator God.  In Genesis 2, we see that God placed the first humans in a garden to ‘work it and take care of it’. This is a wonderful image that captures our responsibility to nurture creation, live in harmony with it, and, in a sense, even improve on it.

The Old Testament repeatedly emphasises that the earth belongs to the Lord; it is not ours to do whatever we like with.  For example, Deuteronomy 10: 14 says, ‘To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.’  Some will be surprised to learn that the Torah (the first five books of the Bible, containing the Law), includes a great many laws that are designed to protect the integrity of God’s creation and our relationship with it.  For example, by commanding that the land be left fallow every seventh year, the Sabbath laws promote sustainable agriculture and prevent surplus production.  Wanton acts of environmental vandalism are prohibited, particularly the destruction of trees.  There is an intriguing law in the book of Deuteronomy which states,  ‘If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young.’ This indicates that we are not to act in a way that could hinder a species from thriving, in this case by preventing the mother from producing eggs to replace the ones that were taken.

The Old Testament makes it clear that we are to be good stewards of God’s creation, but what, if anything, does the New Testament have to say on the subject?

Jesus summarised the Old Testament law in these terms, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” […] and “Love your neighbour as yourself.” We understand from the parable of the good Samaritan that the whole of humanity is, in a sense, our neighbour. There is a significant body of scientific evidence pointing to the reality of climate change as a result of human activity.  Further, it is well documented that climate change is having a much greater adverse effect on the populations of developing countries.  If we are to love our neighbours on a global scale we must, I believe, take action to mitigate the effects of climate change.

An alarming number of Christians hold to the erroneous belief that when we die, our souls will be whisked away to a place called Heaven, where they will float about in disembodied ecstasy (albeit that is a bit of a caricature).  However, that is far removed from what the Bible actually has to say on the matter.  Many religious adherents believe in some kind of afterlife, but only Christians believe in resurrection life.  Following the pattern of Jesus, believers will be raised with real physical bodies to inhabit a real physical world.  God has already created a real physical world and it is ‘good’, albeit marred and corrupted by human sin.  Romans 8 tells us that creation itself is waiting to be liberated from its present state of decay. Therefore, when we read of a ‘new heaven and a new earth’ in Revelation 21, we should in fact imagine a renewed and restored creation that is permanently conjoined with heaven.  God is not  planning to destroy this world, as that would signify the failure of God’s great creation project, rather, the intention is to perfect it.

Christians are called to be heralds of the new creation, by pointing forward to the future hope that we have in Jesus.  This means living today as we will live in a renewed and restored creation, where heaven and earth are one.  We look forward to the day when God’s people will live in harmony with God, one another, and creation itself.  Our interactions with creation in the present should point forward to this future reality.

Tough Questions

What Does it Mean to Grieve the Holy Spirit?

Rev Charlie (July 2022)

Paul urges the Ephesians not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4: 30), but what does he mean by that?

To answer this question, we need to understand that the Holy Spirit is God’s personal presence and the third person of the Trinity.  The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all, in a very real sense, God.  The Holy Spirit is therefore a person whose identity is God.

God is not aloof and impassionate, rather he is emotionally involved with his creation and with human beings especially.  Indeed, the scriptures describe God displaying a wide range of emotions.  We are emotional beings because we are made in the image of God and our emotions come from God.  However, whilst human emotions are tainted by sin, God’s emotions are pure, perfect and come from a place of love.

Grief is a powerful emotion which is usually associated with death, however, it can mean intense sorrow of any kind.  When we express sorrow (grief) for another human being, it is closely connected with love.  We grieve when we love and the depth of our grief is proportional to the depth of our love.

All three persons of the Trinity are said to grieve in scripture: the Father (Gen. 6: 6), the Son (Jn. 11: 35) and the Holy Spirit (Eph 4: 30).  When God grieves for us, it is an expression of his love.

The Holy Spirit dwells within all those who know and love Jesus, thus animating the body of Christ (the Church).  In Ephesians 4, just before the part about ‘not grieving the Holy Spirit’, Paul writes the following:

[…] When you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Entering into a relationship with Jesus changes us for the better, as Paul says, we are to, ‘put on the new self’.  However, becoming ‘like God in true righteousness and holiness’ is a process that will not be completed this side of the grave.  It is our cooperation with God’s Spirit living within us that speeds this process along, leading to our spiritual improvement.

When we, deliberately or inadvertently, behave in a way that is inimical to our spiritual improvement it grieves the Holy Spirit; in the same way that a loving parent is grieved when his or her child behaves in a self-destructive manner.

In Ephesians 4: 31-32, Paul lists a number of behaviours that are destructive within the church, including: bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander and every form of malice.  On this occasion, Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit, who seeks to bring unity within the church, is grieved by all such behaviour.

There is no doubt that we all grieve the Holy Spirit in various ways because we are all sinful.  The good news is that we can repent (turn away) from our sin and towards Christ, in the knowledge that God will always forgive those who truly repent.

Tough Questions

Who Wrote the Bible and Which Translation Should We Use?

Rev Charlie (June 2022)

Although the Bible is one continuous story, it is not so much a book as a small library of sixty-six books, (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament).  It was written over a period of approximately 1,500 years, by at least forty different authors and it contains many different genres of literature, including: history, ancient biography, love poetry, law, wise sayings, songs, letters, lists (lots of them), genealogies, parables and apocalyptic literature (which to our modern, Western way of thinking can seem quite weird and difficult to interpret).  It is also worth knowing that many of the Bible’s books contain multiple genres.

Problems of interpretation often occur when the Bible is read one dimensionally, in other words, when it is all taken to be more or less the same genre.  Confusion will always arise if we misunderstand the genre of a text that we are reading.  For example, if I were to read a cookbook or a bus timetable under the misapprehension that I was reading a novel, it would not be long before I exclaimed, “This novel is rubbish, it doesn’t make any sense!”  Reading the Bible is a much richer experience when we understand the different genres and what they are meant to convey.

The Bible is unique and stands out from all the world’s literature, in that it was written over such a long period, by so many different people.  Its authors include prophets, kings, scholars, fishermen, poor people and at least one doctor.  It is often assumed that other well-known religious texts were compiled in a similar way, however, this is not the case.  The Qurʾān, for example, was essentially written by one man, over the course of one lifetime.  There is no other work of literature like the Bible.

Not surprisingly, the Bible is an extremely popular book, in fact, it is the world’s bestselling book, currently selling more than one-hundred-million copies each year.  Given that it is also the most influential book of all time, it is surely a ‘must read’ for anyone who wishes to acquire a comprehensive education.

Most importantly, the Bible is the inspired word of God, as it says in 2 Timothy 3: 16-17:

‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’

The Bible was written by human hands, however, its authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit (God-breathed).  That is not to say that the words were dictated or ‘downloaded’ into their minds, rather, God has worked in, through and with human beings to reveal the spiritual realities of this world.  It would be wrong to say that God ‘wrote’ the Bible, but given that ‘all scripture is God-breathed’, we can be confident that it contains that which God wants us to know.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek.  We must bear in mind that our English versions are a translation.  Whilst translations can be highly accurate, no translation can be exact because different languages have different structures, vocabulary, verb conjugations and so on.  If you were to read the same passage in a number of English translations, you would observe a great deal of synergy.  That is to say, they would all have essentially the same meaning, but with obvious nuances.

Studying the Bible in its original languages of Hebrew and Greek is of course the most accurate method, however, most people do not have the language skills to do so.  The next best thing is to find a well recognised translation that you find easy to follow and perhaps also refer to some other translations as and when you seek further insight.

Finally and most importantly, God speaks to every generation through the Bible; approach it prayerfully, with the expectation that the Holy Spirit will reveal God’s heart to you as you read and study it.

For further information, I recommend the following two videos from The Bible Project:

What is the Bible?

The Story of the Bible?

Tough Questions

Why do some Christian Dominations not Baptise Infants?

Rev Charlie (May 2022)

On Sunday 1st May, we baptised two children; nine year old Isla, who has a good understanding of baptism and six month old George who does not.  Most Christians belong to denominations that practice infant baptism: Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans and Methodists, to name but a few.  However, some denominations do not practice infant baptism, Pentecostal denominations for example.  These denominations believe that baptism must follow an individual’s personal choice to follow Christ.

So, is there a precedent for infant baptism in the New Testament?  Not expressly, however, there are various examples of whole households being baptised, for example, the households of Cornelius (Acts 10), Lydia (Acts 16), the Jailer (Acts 16) and Stephanus (1 Cor. 1).  It is important to note that households consisting of nuclear families are a relatively modern phenomenon.  In 1st century Palestine a household would have included extended family and even slaves.  It is hard to imagine that none of the households mentioned above included small children and infants.  When the New Testament speaks of a household being baptised, it almost certainly indicates everyone who belonged to that household.

Moreover, baptising infants would have come very naturally to first century Jews, who had converted to Christianity. For Jews, circumcision was (and is) the sign of the covenant and all males were (and are) circumcised on the eighth day, including Jesus himself (Matt. 2: 21).  The sign of the new covenant is Baptism.  Jewish Christians would have assumed that this sign was to be received by infants and children belonging to believing families.  In our highly individualised culture, we tend to place an emphasis on personal choice, however, it is important to understand that people in the first century did not see themselves as individuals in the same way that we do.  Personal identity was inseparable from, and more closely connected with, familial, tribal and national identity.  The forgoing observations infer that when a household was baptised it included male and female, young and old, slave and free.

When a believing parent has their infant child baptised, they are effectively taking that child by the hand and leading them on the path that Christ has set before them.  They are opting their child into the Christian faith and nurturing their child in the way of Christ, in the hope that they will one-day lay hold of that faith for themselves.  In other words, we assume our children are Christian, until such time as they decide otherwise, rather than assuming that our children are not Christian until they make a firm decision later on in life.

That having been said, it is important to point out that baptism, in and of itself, does not guarantee entry into God’s kingdom, rather it is one of three important marks of being a Christian.  Christians believe (in the sense that they put their trust in Jesus), they are baptised and they are filled with the Holy Spirit, though not necessarily in that order.  All baptised Christians should, when they are able, make an informed decision and proclaim their own faith in Christ, which is the purpose of Confirmation.

Finally, infant baptism points to the fact that God is at work in our lives long before we know it and amongst people who will never know it (at least not in this life).  Many people cannot say a definite ‘yes’ to Christ because of severe mental impairment.  However, we believe that they can and will be included in God’s kingdom and should therefore be baptised as a sign of that.

From an Anglican perspective, if a person has been baptised as an infant, they do not need to be re-baptised as an adult, instead, through confirmation, they should affirm the fact of their baptism and their resolve to continue in the way of Christ.

Tough Questions

Why does God allow Polygamy in the Old Testament?

Rev Charlie (April 2022)

Polygamy is the practice of having more than one wife or husband at the same time and there are many examples in the Old Testament of men who had multiple wives and concubines; not least King Solomon who had seven-hundred wives and three-hundred concubines!  

One of the amazing things about the Bible is that it brings us face to face with the flaws and failings of its heroes (with the exception of Jesus who was and is perfect).  Often when we read about the exploits of Biblical characters, we are left to discern whether their actions were morally upright and we have all of Scripture to help us with that.  

We see God’s intention for marriage in Genesis 2: 24, ‘That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh’, a verse quoted by Jesus himself.  By definition, marriage is a lifelong, monogamous union between a man and a woman.

The first case of polygamy in the Bible comes in Genesis 4: 19, ‘Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.’  Lamech was a singularly evil character, who boasted of his vengeful violence.  His violent nature and polygamy are described, but not prescribed.  That is to say, Lamech’s deeds are not given as an example to follow.

If we look at other examples of polygamy in the Bible, we see that it invariably leads to discord, pain and broken relationships.  Abraham was persuaded by his wife Sarah to take her slave girl as a concubine in order to produce an heir.  This arrangement led to jealousy, resentment and a divided family.  Jacob married Leah and her sister Rachel, but this was, at least in part, the result of their father’s deceit and it led to a bitter rivalry between the two sisters.  King David had multiple wives, but as his story unfolds, it emerges that lust was his Achilles heel and his extended family was dysfunctional to say the least!  We also have the example given above, King Solomon, whose wives led him astray (1 Kings 11: 3).  

In many ways the Bible invites us into a conversation and gives us the tools to critique the behaviour of the characters we encounter.  Whenever polygamy is mentioned, it is the result of and the catalyst for sinful behaviour, which leads to all manner of problems, thus enabling us to further understand why this is not God’s design for human relationships.

Some have argued that the Law of Moses makes provisions for polygamy and therefore sanctions it.  For example, Deuteronomy 21: 15-17 rules that a man with two wives cannot show preferential treatment to the son of his favourite wife.  However, it is important to understand that much of the Law in Deuteronomy is case law.  In this instance, it is not legislating in favour of polygamy, rather it is directing Israel’s leaders how to respond to the kind of situation that they might encounter in a deeply broken and sinful society.

We do not have any words from Jesus about polygamy, however, there are three injunctions in the New Testament that require a church leader to be faithful to his wife (1 Timothy 3: 2, 12; Titus 1: 6).  

I recently met (online), with a group of Christian leaders in Indonesia.  After giving their names, the men in the group all added, ‘husband to just one wife.’  In their Muslim context, they were keen to distance themselves from the normative (or at least acceptable) practices of the surrounding culture.  Given the current trajectory of Western culture, it is likely that governments will come under mounting pressure to legalise polygamy.  The state of Utah has already decriminalised it, showing that these conversations are in fact already taking place. It is therefore important to understand what we can learn about this subject from the Bible.

Prayer

Prayer

Rev Charlie (March 2021)

How you can help with the flood crisis in Queensland and NSW

There have been distressing scenes as Queensland and New South Wales are ravaged by catastrophic floods, with hundreds of rescues amid life-threatening situations.
Lives have been lost, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and many thousands of homes and buildings have been severely damaged.
Here is how Australians watching the crisis unfold can contribute to the mammoth recovery effort that lies ahead, whether that be through donating money, items or labour.

CLICK HERE

Brisbane City Council is calling on volunteers to sign up to the Mud Army 2.0 and help clean up Brisbane from the devastating floods.

This clean-up will focus on locations across the city, helping residents and businesses inundated with flood water.

Council will partner with Volunteering Queensland to coordinate Mud Army 2.0.

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Anglicare North Coast (NSW) Flood Appeal
Please click here to read a letter from The Archbishop of Brisbane The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall AC

Click here for details about how to donate

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After weeks of speculation, Russia has launched an invasion of Ukraine, leaving millions of people fearing for their lives. At dawn on Thursday 24 February, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation" in Ukraine; minutes later, explosions were heard near major Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv.

Let us join the rest of the world in prayer for Ukraine

Click here to read prayer

Tough Questions

Why does God allow evil and suffering?

Rev Charlie (February 2021)

There is an old argument against Christianity and against theism in general that goes something like this: if God is all-powerful yet allows suffering, he cannot be good - and if God is good yet allows suffering, he cannot be all-powerful.  This seems to make logical sense, unless of course God has morally sufficient reasons for allowing evil and suffering.  

Since I believe in a God who is both good and all-powerful I have to believe that God does have morally sufficient reasons for allowing evil and suffering.  This is clearly a very complex subject, so I will attempt to delineate just one possible reason among many.

According to the book of Genesis (right at the beginning of the Bible), God created a good world that was corrupted by human sin and rebellion against God.  One might ask the question, ‘Could God not have created a world in which there was no chance of there ever being any evil?’ and the answer is, ‘Yes, he could have, but we wouldn’t exist in such a world.’  God created human beings with freewill and the ability to make moral choices, without which there could be no love because love is a choice.  God could have created robotic like beings who would always obey him, but that would preclude the possibility of genuinely loving relationships.

The story of the Bible from Genesis 2 onwards is all about what God is doing to put the whole of creation right and especially the broken relationship that exists between human beings and himself.  Contrary to popular belief, God’s aim is not to make us as happy as possible in this life, but rather to draw us into relationship with himself so that we can live forever with him in a renewed and restored creation, where there is no pain, suffering or evil of any kind.

We cannot possibly know what kind of world would be most conducive to drawing the maximum number of people into God’s kingdom, but since we know this to be God’s aim we must conclude that it is just the kind of world that we live in, suffering and all.

We are quick to blame God for evil and suffering, but what part do we have to play in all this?  Generally speaking, there are two kinds of evil, moral and natural.  Moral evil is the result of human choices, for example a terrorist attack such as 9/11.  Natural evil is essentially events that are beyond human control, for example, a tsunami.  However, you cannot always separate these two kinds of evil.  For example, studies have shown that Tsunami’s are far more devastating in poor regions where people live in flimsy homes and areas 

that are prone to flooding.  In many cases, moral evil compounds the impact of  natural evil. In this case, the moral evil would be an uneven distribution of wealth and disregard for the poor.  Another example is medical science.  Imagine if all the time, money and resources that have been invested in warfare and the development of weapons was invested in medical research instead.  This could have prevented an incalculable amount of human suffering and it is easy to think of innumerable examples like that one.  So, before we blame God for evil and suffering, we should remember that human beings have the potential to alleviate the vast majority of evil, both moral and natural.

The arguments above are quite philosophical, but our reaction to evil and suffering is usually an emotional one.  We must therefore remember that the cross of Christ is central to the Christian faith.  We do not worship a distant and aloof God, who looks on his creation with indifference.  We worship a God who entered into creation in the person of Jesus Christ to suffer and die on our behalves.  In short, we worship a God who understands our pain and suffering from firsthand experience and stands alongside us in it.

Finally, it is helpful to understand that even our suffering can have meaning and purpose when we turn it over to God and say, ‘Lord, use this.’  That is not to say that God causes our suffering, rather he can use anything to his good purposes if we will allow him to.

This is clearly a huge subject and very difficult to summarise in one short article.  If you would like to explore this subject further, I recommend the following publications:

• Walking with God through Pain and Suffering – Timothy Keller

• The Problem of Pain – C.S. Lewis

Happy New Year

Tough Questions

Who should I pray to - the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?

Rev Charlie (December 2021)

This question is raised surprisingly often and it’s a very good question.  

To answer it we should seek guidance from the person who had the most intimate and powerful prayer life in the whole of human history; that person is of course Jesus.

When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray he said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven…” 

(Lk. 11:2) Jesus prayed to the Father and he encourages his followers to do the same. Most praying people are familiar with this approach.  It is also very common to finish a prayer with, ‘In Jesus’ name, Amen’ or words to that effect.  This too has biblical warrant; in John 14: 13-14, Jesus promises to do whatever we ask in his name.  This way of closing a prayer reminds us that we only have access to the God the Father, through God the Son.  In other words, it is by Jesus’ authority, access and relationship that we come to the Father.

So where does God the Holy Spirit fit into all this?  Well, Ephesians 6: 18 says, ‘And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.’  This means that our prayers are offered in the power of the Holy Spirit, without whom we would have no inclination to pray in the first place.

We therefore have a solid foundation for praying to the Father, through Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit. This should probably be our normative pattern of prayer, however, there is no reason why we can’t offer prayers directly to Jesus or the Holy Spirit and there are sometimes very good reasons for doing so.

The Holy Spirit is a person to whom particular roles are attributed, for example, convicting the world of sin (Jn. 16: 7-8), bringing unity (Eph. 4: 3) and giving spiritual gifts to God’s children (1 Cor. 12:4).  It would therefore be reasonable to pray to the Holy Spirit if, for example, there were disunity in your church or family.  You might pray, ‘Holy Spirit, please bring love, peace and unity to our fractured family.’

There is also a precedent for praying to Jesus and let’s face it, it would not have made sense for Jesus to pray to himself.  One of the oldest prayers of the church is Maranatha, or ‘Come Lord [Jesus]’ (1 Cor. 16: 22).  When Steven was being stoned to death he cried, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7: 59) Crying out to Jesus is an instinctive reaction in times of extreme stress or anguish.  Moreover, it makes sense to thank Jesus directly for loving us, even to the point of death on a cross.

In conclusion, it is perfectly acceptable to address our prayers to God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit.  Although distinct persons, they are all equally God.  However, as a guiding principle (not a rule), it is good to have a pattern of prayer which accords with Jesus’ explicit teaching on the subject.  That is to pray to God the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Tough Questions

Why do we still follow some Old Testament laws and not others? Is the Old Testament still relevant today?

Rev Charlie (November 2021)

The Bible is divided into two main sections, the Old Testament (everything before Jesus) and the New Testament (everything from Jesus onwards).  The word ‘Testament’ is synonymous with the word ‘Covenant’, which means an agreement or contract.  So, the Bible contains God’s old agreement with his people (The Old Testament) and God’s new agreement with his people (The New Testament).

The New Testament itself claims to have superseded the Old Testament, for example, Hebrews 8: 13 ‘By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete.’  In light of this, some have asked why we still bother to read the Old Testament at all.

The author of 2 Timothy asserts that ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.’  This statement includes both the Old Testament and the New (‘All scripture’), we therefore take the whole of the Bible seriously, recognising that it contains that which God wants us to know.

The Old Testament is primarily the story of God’s dealings with humanity and it points forward to Jesus.  However, most questions about the utility of the Old Testament relate to the law.  Some question why we still follow some Old Testament laws but not others.  For example, we don’t obey Leviticus 19:19 which says, ‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material’, but we do obey Exodus 20: 14, ‘ You shall not commit adultery.’  How do we select the laws that still apply?  To answer this we need to consider the overarching narrative of the Old Testament.

The story of the Old Testament includes a recurring theme relating to God’s law.  Namely, every time God gave his people laws, they rebelled against them.  As the story progresses, it becomes apparent that Israel is incapable of living in accordance with God’s law because their hearts are hard and lifeless.

The Old Testament prophets looked forward to a time when a Messiah figure would come to lead God’s people in obedience to the law.  They spoke of God replacing their hearts of stone with hearts of flesh and of the law being written on their hearts.  For example, Ezekiel 36:33:

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
    after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.

Jesus is the fulfilment of these prophesies and the fulfilment of the law.  That is to say, Jesus’ followers are not bound by Old Testament law and are instead subject to the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9: 20-21; Gal. 6: 2).

An expert in the law tested Jesus by asking “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”  In response Jesus summed up the law of Christ that would now be written on the hearts of his followers, saying:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The law of Christ is a law of love and it supersedes the Old Testament law.  The question is therefore not, ‘Why do we follow some Old Testament laws and not others?’ but rather, ‘Why do we still follow any Old Testament laws at all?’

Well, as we might expect, many Old Testament laws have to do with loving God and loving neighbour.  These laws are affirmed in the life of Christ and in the writings of the New Testament.  In other words, some of the Old Testament commands carry over because they are, implicitly or explicitly, part of the law of Christ.

The Old Testament is part of God’s story and whilst it is not our primary source of moral guidance, there is much to be gained from reading it.  Not least, a revelation of God’s nature, his character and his plan for the whole of creation.  We also gain an understanding of the world we inhabit and why things are the way they are.  

As we read the Old Testament we witness God’s wonderful plan of redemption unfolding, starting with one man, Abraham, and culminating in the nation of Israel, out of which the Messiah would emerge.  Without the Old Testament we cannot fully comprehend what God is doing in the world.

God speaks today through his word, the Bible.  We must read it prayerfully and diligently and with each new passage ask ourselves, ‘Is there a lesson to learn, a command to obey, an example to follow, or a promise to lay hold of?  We must read the Old Testament along with the New and allow it to shape our understanding of God and humanity.

Tough Questions

Do People Who Have Never Heard of Christ Have Any Chance of Salvation

Rev Charlie (October 2021)

The question of whether a person can be saved without having heard the Gospel is a complex and difficult subject and extremely hard to tackle in a short newsletter article.  I have done my best and with more time I might do better.  I have endeavoured to understand and interpret some of the relevant biblical texts; there are, of course, many others besides those mentioned in this article.  I do not have all the answers (and sometimes I may get it wrong), but it is important to wrestle with the ‘tough questions.’

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  This and various other verses have caused many to question whether a person who has not heard of Jesus can come to the Father (i.e. be saved).  At first glance, it seems unfair for a person to be disqualified because of an historical accident, namely the time and place of their birth.

The first thing to say is that God is entirely just and righteous.  As the psalmist proclaims, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89: 14) God is perfectly fair in all his dealings with human beings.  In the end, no one will be able to say that they have been unfairly treated.

If it were not possible to receive salvation without having a conscious knowledge of Jesus, then everyone from the Old Testament would stand condemned.  However, we know that some were saved because the power of the cross works both ways through history.  For example, Moses and Elijah met with Jesus and three of his disciples on a mountain.  Moses and Elijah were saved on the basis of Jesus’ death and resurrection, even though they lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born.  Salvation came to God’s people in the Old Testament through Christ, just as it comes to us through Christ. However, it should be noted that God’s people in the Old Testament were chosen by God and received special revelation from God.

Romans 1 and 2 indicate that human beings will be judged based on the information that they have available to them.  Paul states that all human beings have sufficient information to be aware of the existence of God and of his moral law.  Firstly, we have God’s revelation in nature.  That is to say, creation, in all its beauty and splendour testifies to the existence of God.  Secondly, having been created in the image of God, we have God’s moral law written on our hearts.  On this basis, some have suggested that a person can be saved through Christ, based on their response to God as revealed through his general revelation in nature and conscience. 

However, Paul’s point in Romans 1 and 2 is that in spite of receiving God’s general revelation, people choose to worship gods of their own making and plunge themselves into immorality and degeneracy.  It is tempting to conjure up the image of an innocent tribesman, who lived in a remote part of the Amazon Rainforest and led a morally upright life.  Regrettably, no such person has ever existed for ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3: 23)

In general terms, humanity stands condemned, not for its lack of faith in Christ, but for its rebellion against God.  Inevitably, our own sinfulness inclines us to downplay the seriousness of sin and rebellion against God.  We therefore fail to comprehend the miracle of God’s grace in his choosing to save anyone at all.

There are no historical accidents concerning the time and place of a person’s birth.  It has therefore been suggested that God has providentially chosen the time and place of each person’s birth so that those who would respond positively to the gospel are given the opportunity to hear it.  Whether or not that is true, it is hard to escape the conclusion that ‘hearing’ the good news of Jesus is a prerequisite to being saved. As it says in Romans 10: 13-15:

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

It seems that hearing the good news, and responding positively to it, is paramount.  However, there is scriptural evidence of an important exception. 

When we think of those who died without ever hearing the name of Jesus, we tend to think of those living in antiquity or in very remote parts of the world.  However, there are people in twenty-first century Australia who live and die without having had the opportunity to respond to the Gospel.  For example, those with severe learning disabilities or children who tragically pass away very early on in life.  In the book of 2 Samuel when King David’s baby son dies, he is convinced that he has gone to be with the Lord, saying:

While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Moreover, when the disciples rebuked people for bringing little children (or babies) to Jesus, Jesus responded with these words, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  

Sin is like a hereditary disease that is present in every human being; however, some never develop the physical and mental capacity to do or think anything sinful and are therefore innocent.  Thus we have a category of person (huge in number), who will be saved in spite of their never hearing, understanding or responding to the Gospel.  

In conclusion, we cannot be confident that salvation will come to any persons who do not hear the gospel, though there are some notable exceptions, mentioned above.  That said, we might reasonably expect to be surprised by some aspect of God’s judgement and whilst we try to understand these things on the basis of scripture, we should perhaps refrain from being too dogmatic in our assertions of who God may or may not choose to save.  If you are troubled by this question (or by my response to it), it will be helpful to refocus on the character of God; his love, grace, mercy and righteousness.  One thing upon which all Christians agree is that we can trust God to do what is right and just by all people. 

He rules the world in righteousness
    and judges the peoples with equity.

(Psalm 9: 8)

If you have a question that you would like me to attempt to answer, please email me at charlie@standrewsspringfield.org.au. 

Tough Questions

Tough Questions

Rev Charlie (September 2021)

We are just over half way through our latest online Alpha Course and it has been fascinating, as Alpha courses always are.  I have participated in many Alpha courses and I am always amazed at the diverse range of perspectives, insights and questions.  Questions about life, faith, God, the Bible and so on.

I often come across people who grew up in a ‘Christian’ environment, but were always discouraged from asking questions.  There is a popular misconception that Christians are expected to accept the Church’s teaching unquestioningly, even when it seems obscure or strange.  Alpha is popular because it gives people the opportunity to explore the Christian faith for themselves. Guests are encouraged to express opinions and ask questions.  After all, thought is not the enemy of Christianity, quite the opposite in fact.

As I sat down to write this reflection, I found myself thinking about all the amazing unasked questions that people have buzzing around in their heads.  Anybody who considers life, in anything more than the most superficial terms, will have serious questions about themselves, human nature and the world we inhabit.  Regardless of one’s worldview, be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist, Agnostic, or whatever, we all have deep questions. 

Christians do not claim to have all the answers; however, the Christian worldview properly understood provides a framework that makes sense of the world we live in. Indeed, I would argue that it makes sense of the whole of human history.  As C.S. Lewis put it:

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

The upshot of this line of thinking is that I have decided to invite ‘tough questions’ from the readers of our newsletter.  Bearing in mind that this newsletter is distributed to a wider audience, I want to stress that you do not have to be a member of St. Andrew’s Springfield, nor do you have to consider yourself a Christian to send in a question.  

Each month, I will endeavour to research and answer a question that you, the readers, have posed.  Again, I do not claim to have all the answers, but I will do my best to shed some light on the subject matter from a Christian perspective.  

If you have a question that you would like me to attempt to answer, please email me at charlie@standrewsspringfield.org.au. 

Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare

Rev Charlie (August 2021)

Many today refuse to acknowledge the existence of God or any kind of spiritual reality, let alone the existence of spiritual forces of evil.  That said, I come across a great many agnostics, people who say that they believe in “something”, without necessarily being able to articulate what that something is.  

Human beings have an innate, though often supressed, awareness that there is more to this world than that which we can see and touch.

The Bible asserts that there are both spiritual forces of good and evil at work in the world.  Just as there is a God, so too there is a devil.  However, they should not be viewed as two equal and opposite forces, such as the ‘yin and yang’ of ancient Chinese philosophy.  God is infinitely more powerful than the devil, a created being who rejected God in the same way that humans did.  

The story of the Bible could be framed in terms of evil’s defeat and eventual demise.  Jesus has won a decisive victory over evil, but the battle rages on and will do until Jesus returns at the end of the age.  Whether we realise it or not, every human being is a protagonist in this spiritual battle.  

Being aware of this reality is important, not so that we can attribute every misfortune or personal failing to sinister forces of evil, but so we can counter the attacks of the enemy.

Ephesians 6: 10-18 describes spiritual warfare and the weapons at our disposal to fight it.  It is therefore worth reading in full:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the 

The Word of God is Dynamite

The Word of God is Dynamite

REV CHARLIE (MAY 2021)

It may seem trite, for me, a pastor, to be writing   an article about the value of reading the Bible. You might be thinking ‘Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before’, perhaps you’re not remotely interested.  Please hear me out.  The Bible is dynamite!

We think of the Bible as a book, but really it’s a small library of sixty-six books, written over a period of at least one-thousand years by no less than forty different authors.  Moreover, it includes a myriad of genres, from love poetry and historical writings to letters and ancient biographies.  There is no other work of literature like it.  The message of the Bible has had an inestimable impact on the world and millions of people can attest to it transforming their lives.  Unsurprisingly, it is the number one best seller of all time, with over 100 million copies sold or given away every year.

In some counties, like North Korea, the Bible is completely illegal, or tightly controlled by the government, yet people risk their lives to smuggle Bibles in.

Such a ubiquitous, prodigious, potent, controversial and influential book is surely a must read for anyone who claims to have received a good education.  However, the Bible is far more than just a ‘good read’ or an interesting project for an inquisitive mind, it is the principal means by which God speaks to humanity.

The Bible contains what God wants us to know about Himself and ourselves and we can fully expect God to speak to us through it.  The author of 2 Timothy (one of the New Testament letters), tells us that the whole of the Bible is God-breathed, or God inspired:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)

The Bible is a huge book and parts of it make for quite heavy reading, so where should one start?  Surprisingly, not necessarily at the beginning.  I don’t recommend reading the Bible from cover to cover!  If you’re new to the Bible, perhaps start with one of the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament 

(Matthew, Mark, Luke or John).  It is usually best to read a book at a time (remember, there are sixty-six to choose from), and I suggest watching a video summary of the book before you begin (these can be found at bibleproject.com).

At St. Andrew’s, we usually work through a book of the Bible as part of our sermon series on a Sunday morning.  If you are a member of our church, or if you’re following our sermons online, why not commit to reading the book that we’re studying at any given time.  

There are many ways to read the Bible, but always read it prayerfully and with the expectation that God will speak to you through it.  It might just turn your world upside down, after all, the word of God is dynamite!

THE MEANING OF LENT

The Meaning of Lent

REV CHARLIE (MARCH 2021)

As soon as the new year began, I noticed a lot of posts  on  social media about dry January.  I had not heard of it before, but someone seems to have come up with the idea of having an alcohol free month at the beginning of the year and it has caught on.  Most of the posts were amusing memes about people’s failed attempts to complete (or even start) dry January.

We are now two weeks into the Christian season of Lent, a period of forty days (not including Sundays), leading up to Easter.  For most people, if they know anything at all about Lent, it is that Christians temporarily give stuff up.  It may even look a bit like the Christian equivalent of dry January, or even an opportunity to redeem the failures of dry January.  You may have heard of people giving up alcohol, chocolate, coffee or television for Lent.  You may have given something up yourself.

Giving up a luxury item for Lent is no bad thing, but it does not get to the heart of Lent’s purpose.  The idea of Lent is rooted in the Old Testament and in the New.  It is reminiscent of the forty years that God’s people spent wandering in the wilderness (no time to get into that here), but more importantly it has to do with Jesus’ time in the wilderness. After his baptism and before beginning his public ministry Jesus spent forty days in the desert being tested or tempted by the devil (Luke 4: 1-18).  During this time Jesus rejected all other paths, except the one ordained for him by his Father in heaven.

For Christians, Lent is a time to get back on the path that God has set before us, as we prepare to experience first the sorrow and then the joy of Easter.  It is a time to focus on spiritual disciplines that will bring us closer to God (prayer and fasting included).  Of course, Christians should engage in spiritual disciplines all year round, however, by making a concerted effort during Lent, we hope to form good habits that will remain with us.

That said, the spiritual disciplines of prayer, bible reading, worship, fellowship, fasting and so on, are of no use if they do not make us more Christ-like.  The purpose of spiritual disciplines is to help us draw near to God and grow in holiness.  It grieves God when we engage in religious practices, without having a change of heart and subsequent change of behaviour (Amos 5: 21-25).

Lent should be thought of an opportunity to grow in holiness; a time to make permanent changes to the way that we think, live and interact with others.  We can do better than making Lent a Christian version of ‘Dry January’.

This Lent I encourage you to give up something that is marring your life and your relationship with God and take up something that is life giving: 

• Give up anger and take up patience

• Give up gossiping and take up trustworthiness

• Give up laziness and take up self-discipline

• Give up workaholism and take up balance

• Give up pornography and take up being attentive to your spouse

• Give up stinginess and take up generosity

• Give up resentment and take up forgiveness

Let us use this season of Lent to make lasting changes to our lives, not in our strength but in His.

Hubs

REV CHARLIE (FEBRUARY 2021)

 Our first sermon in February is based on Luke 5, when Jesus called a tax collector named Levi to follow him. The passage describes how Levi immediately abandoned his unscrupulous business and threw a party in Jesus’ honour.

Luke 5: 27-29

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

Levi was a sinful, irreligious and unprincipled man, but he turned away from his old way of life to embark on a new life with Jesus.  InteresIngly, the first thing he did was to throw a party so that his friends could meet Jesus.

Tax collectors were considered the lowest of the low. They ripped off fellow Jews to line their own pockets and to support the oppressive regime of the Roman Empire. The only people who would go to a tax collector’s home were other tax collectors and social outcasts. When the Pharisees demanded an explanaIon as to why Jesus was prepared to share a meal with such miscreants, Jesus made it clear that he had come to save sinners.

In summary, a clueless, newly converted social misfit with a colourful past, opened his home to the worst that society had to offer, so that they could meet with Jesus; and Jesus showed up because he loved them.

Jesus preached to large crowds, someImes numbering thousands of people, but he also taught small groups in homes and on hillsides.  Jesus took the Ime to connect with people on a personal level.  We want to follow this model as a church, hence we have a large weekly gathering, but we also meet during the week in small groups called Hubs.

If our church involvement is limited to Sunday services, we can find ourselves receiving informaIon without experiencing transformaIon.  Our Hubs are a safe environment to share our experiences, pray for one another, use our spiritual giRs and increase our understanding of God’s Word, the Bible. Our Hubs provide an environment where we can share the love of Christ with each other, but they can also be mobilised for mission, to take the love of Christ to the world.

Finding people who are willing to lead Hubs is challenging and I suspect this is due to misconcepIons about what it takes.  You don’t need to be an experienced Bible teacher or to have been a ChrisIan your whole life. Consider the example of Levi, who opened his home and invited people to come and meet Jesus. That is essenIally what leading a Hub is all about.

If you are willing to open your home weekly (or even monthly), to meet with a group of friends and put Jesus at the centre of things, then please let us know. Similarly, if you would like to be part of a Hub, even if you currently have nothing to do with the church, please let us know. Everyone is welcome!

Hope

Hope

REV CHARLIE (January 2021)

To a lesser or greater extent, 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone.  In Queensland we have been spared the worst of Covid-19, but it has still been disruptive and many people have had their hopes dashed.  The hope of a holiday, a loved one visiting or a family reunion. Maybe even the hope of a secure job and the means to pay the bills.

This time last year we had no idea how 2020 would pan out and the same is true now.  We cannot know what lies ahead of us.  We want to look to the future with hope, but it is hard to do so in the midst of so much uncertainty.  Be that as it may, we cannot afford to lose hope.

Some survival experts talk about the ‘rule of threes.’  As a rough guide, and depending on a range of variables, you can survive three minutes without air; three hours in a harsh environment (extreme heat or cold); three days without drinkable water and three weeks without food.  I once heard an instructor add to this list, three months without hope.  It would certainly seem that hope is essential, not just for our wellbeing, but for our very survival.

The question is, how do we maintain hope when nothing is going as we thought, or hoped, it would?  I believe the answer lies in changing our perspective on hope.  Most of the time we hope for things.  We hope for a job, a holiday, a phone call from a loved one, the end of the Coronavirus, or whatever it might be.  There is nothing wrong with hoping for things, however, such hopes are always uncertain.  When we hope for things, we run the risk of being let down.  As Christians our principal hope is not for something, but in someone.  Our hope is in Christ Jesus and his promises.

No matter what happens in the world, or in our lives, Jesus is sovereign and his promises are trustworthy and true.  Jesus promises forgiveness and fullness of life to those who put their trust in him.  A new life that begins now and stretches into eternity.  The believer’s hope is in Jesus and their eternal destiny is bound up with His.  That is why the Apostle Paul, despite facing hardships and setbacks, was able to write this:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15: 13)

The hope that we have in Jesus is secure and unaffected by global events or the circumstances of our lives.  Let us cling to that hope as we cross the threshold into 2021.

The Importance of Gathering

The Importance of Gathering

REV CHARLIE (December 2020)

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on our ability to gather this year.  In March, we went into lockdown and were unable to have any in person gatherings.  Our services went online and families were encouraged to gather as ‘the little church’ in their homes.  In July, we were able to return to physical gatherings, though with a greatly reduced number of people.  The restrictions have recently been eased further, allowing us to meet in greater numbers during Advent and Christmas.  This is of course very good news and, judging by the feedback I’ve received, it is welcomed by everyone.

The unusual events of 2020 have caused the church as a whole to revaluate its modus operandi, with some going as far as to say that the church should move away from in person gatherings, in favour of ‘online’ church.  Making use of technology to propagate the gospel and build communities of Jesus’ followers is an opportunity we cannot ignore, however, this should in no way replace in person gatherings.

Human beings have been created to interact with one another in a personal and intimate way.  We are made to be relational because God is relational.  Increasingly, people are disengaging with personal intimacy as they become absorbed in a virtual world through their devices.  I recently observed a family in a restaurant, where every member of the family had their eyes fixed on a mobile phone - no one was speaking.  We are forgetting what it means to be relational.  We are forgetting what it means to be human.  The impact of this is palpable.  When we are starved of human interaction, we become depressed.  A recent article by the BBC revealed that cases of depression in the UK have doubled in the last year.  Doubtless there are a myriad of contributing factors, but the imposition of ‘lockdown’ must surely be one of the most conspicuous.  

The church is called to be counter-cultural, not for the sake of it, but to reveal God’s intention for humanity.  Surely we must buck the trend of isolationism and virtual friendships.  We often hear people lamenting the now common practice of eating family meals in front of the television.  When we gather as a church, we are also gathering for a family meal, the Lord’s supper. Are we really going to attempt to do this in front of a screen when there’s no longer any need to do so?  The mission of our church is:  Love Jesus, Love the Church, Love the World.  To love the church is to love being together.

The Church is the visible presence of Jesus’ kingdom in the world.  In September, we held a service outdoors on the oval and many passers-by acknowledged our presence with a friendly toot of the horn, or a not so friendly mouthful of obscenities.  I was encouraged by both, because any engagement served as a testament to the visibility of Christ’s church.  We must have a visible presence online, but only to augment our visible presence in the community.  After all, how many of those who drove past our outdoor service in September would have come across our church that day, if we’d only been online!

Finally, our physical gatherings provide opportunities to contribute to the growth of the kingdom.                        1 Corinthians 12: 12 says, ‘Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.’  We have such a diverse range of gifts in our church, all of which have been given by God to build up the church as a whole.  Some of those gifts can only be used effectively when we gather in a physical way; hospitality, for example.  Another example would be interpersonal gifts.  Anyone who has been limited to communicating with loved ones via ‘Zoom’ will tell you that it just isn’t the same.  When we gather, we get to engage our gifts more completely.

We rejoice that we can now spend Advent and Christmas together as one body.  Jesus came into the world to be with us in person and we want to be with Him and with each other.