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01/12/2011
No One has seen God?
Sight is the powerful sense by which we gain so much of our information about life. Without sight you wouldn’t be reading this now. Whilst seeing is not necessarily believing its always hard to doubt what we see.
However, no one has ever seen God. That is the standard truth that the Bible normally give us - that God is not visible. For example, the Apostle Paul speaks about ‘the blessed and only Sovereign, the king of kings and Lord of lords .... whom no one has ever seen or can see’ (1 Timothy 6 verse 15,16)
We sometimes sing the hymn (based on 1 Timothy 1 verse 17):
“Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes”
In the Old Testament there were moments when people appear to have seen God. The elders of Israel “saw the God of Israel on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 24 v10), but in fact all they saw was the ground under his feet. Moses asked to see the glory of God, but was only permitted to see his back as he passed by (Exodus 33 verse 23) Isaiah “saw” the Lord in the temple, but there’s no description of his physical appearance, only the hem of his robe, which filled the temple; otherwise the whole vision is about the appearance of kingly power, majesty and holiness.
So how can we believe if we can’t see? Steve said “I’d believe in God if he were to come and stand in front of me. If I could meet him, talk to him and touch him. If only I could see him, that would prove his existence. Then I’d be convinced.” Just imagine! Imagine what it would be like to physically meet God. To actually see him, talk to him, touch him. To sit down and eat with him.
Whilst the Bible normally speaks of God as unseen, it also says that something extraordinary (in the full sense of the word) happened that first Christmas - God became man and dwelt among us!
Philip had a similar request to Steve. He said to Jesus “Show me God - that’s all I need”. Jesus seemed surprised that Philip could ask such a thing: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I’ve been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the father” (John 14 verse 9) in other words: “If you’re looking at me, you’re looking at God!!” All the questions, all the guessing games, all the bets about what God is like - they’re all off.
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the father”
Another man, John, writing one of the letters of the New Testament, captures the astonishing news of that first Christmas in this way:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard , which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim it to you the eternal life, which was with the father and has appeared to us” (1 John 1 verses 1,2)
“No one has seen God?” Well, we could have done if we’d been born at the right time! We’ve just been born 2000 years too late, that’s all!
There’s no one who can live every moment of history. Although today Steve (and you, and me) can’t physically touch God or see him, or eat with him, there were many thousands of people who did just that. Some of them - wanting to keep a record of those extraordinary events - made sure to write down what happened, so that people like Steve, people like you and me, could know for certain that God is real. As we read the Bible, those witnesses tell us again and again “God is real, and we should know, because we’ve seen him, we’ve heard him, we’ve touched him”
If that’s what Christmas is about, then its too important, too significant, too good to miss! Join us for some of our Christmas Services to meet the God who can be known!
Yours, with warmest Christmas greetings
Simon
01/11/2011
War and Peace
War has always been one of the ways to win peace. But it’s one thing to win the war and an entirely different thing to win the peace. The war in Iraq was over in a few days of intense fighting in 2003, yet peace in Iraq was much harder to secure.
Peace has always been difficult to win. The peace treaty of Versailles at the end of the 1st World War has been widely criticised for creating the conditions for the 2nd World War. The long Cold War that followed the 2nd World War is another demonstration of the difficulty of gaining peace ...
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01/10/2011
Teach your children well
At the start of a new academic year, in many families, there will be children starting school for the first time. Starting a new school perhaps, or maybe setting off to university, or simply beginning another year of education. It’s good to remember that education is one of the great benefits of God to mankind. We have the privilege of sharing and learning with each other - parents with children, teachers with students, adults with each other, and children with adults. We can all learn from each other with each other. From the earlies ...
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30/09/2011
Oslo Atrocity: Are we listening?
I’m writing before our departure to Peru, and therefore just after the terrible recent events in Norway, when Anders Breivik planted a massive car bomb in central Oslo and then shot and killed 68 people attending a youth camp on Utoya Island. By the time you read this it will have long ago disappeared from the newspaper headlines, but not I suspect from the national consciousness of Norway, and certainly not in the shattered lives of many, many families, devastated by the loss of a young person.
Words are barely able to describe the wickedness of su ...
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01/07/2011
Thank God For The Church Of England?
In our Sunday evening gatherings over the summer weeks we're going to be looking at some of the "Articles of Religion" of the Church of England. (You'll find them in the back of a Prayer Book). They were agreed by the archbishops, bishops and all the clergy of England at a special meeting in London in 1562 for "the avoiding of diversities of opinions and for the establishing of consent touching true religion".
They still form the doctrinal basis of the Church of England - part of canon (church) law says "The doctrine of the ...
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01/05/2011
How to vote about Voting!
The referendum to change the voting system takes place on 5th May - a choice between the "Alternative Vote" (AV) system or the current "first past the post" (FPTP) system. However low the turnout, the referendum discussion will be binding. If the majority back AV then that system will be implemented for the next general election, so its an important moment in our democratic history.
On moral issues, the Bible is definitive, but a particular voting system can't claim a biblical mandate. Some prominent Christians, such as Tim ...
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01/02/2011
Human Rights?
As I write the Chinese Premier is on a state visit to the USA, and there is much talk of ‘human rights’. President Obama has spoken about ‘inalienable human rights’ – freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom of assembly, and so on. But why should we believe that? Where do such ‘human rights’ come from? Some would say they come from God – that if we’re all created in God’s image, then every human being would be sacred and inviolable. Others object to that answer, since so many a ...
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01/01/2011
Is religion a force for good in the world?
Did you listen to the Munk debate between the atheist Christopher Hitchens and Tony Blair broadcast from Toronto on Radio 4 just before Christmas?
In it Christopher Hitchens said "Once you assume a Creator and a plan, it makes us objects in a cruel experiment whereby we are created sick and commanded to be well" Even if you didn't listen to the debate, you might have heard the quote as they were extensively used as a trailer for the programme.
It is sad that a man as intelligent as Christopher Hitchen ...
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01/12/2010
The Case for Christmas
'As a youngster, like countless other wide-eyed children, I listened with rapt fascination to the annual Bible story about Christmas. But as I matured, scepticism set in. I concluded that not only is Father Christmas merely a feel-good fable, but that the entire Christmas tale was itself built on a flimsy foundation of wishful thinking.' So writes Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune.
'Sure, believing in Jesus could provide solace to sincere but simple folk; it could spark feelings of hope and ...
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01/11/2010
Religion is the cause of so much conflict
It is widely believed that religion is one of the main barriers to world peace, especially the major traditional religions with their exclusive claims to superiority. 'Religious exclusivity is not just narrow - its dangerous! It's led to untold strife, division and conflict' is a frequent comment.
It may surprise you that, though I am a Christian minister, I agree with this. Religion, generally speaking, tends to create a slippery slope in the heart. Each religion informs its followers that they have 'the truth', and this naturally ...
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01/10/2010
The Pope and the Papacy
I am writing on the eve of the visit of Pope Benedict to this country, aware that by the time you read this his visit will be over and the media interest will have disappeared!
It's a visit not without controversy, as Catholicism continues to be dogged by the scandal of child abuse and subsequent cover-ups. The western liberal media strongly disagree with his stand on abortion, homosexuality, birth control, celibate priests and male-only priesthood, and love to ridicule his views. Whatever we think on these particular issues, we must surely acknowle ...
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01/09/2010
New Beginnings
September is often a month for new beginnings. For many it means the start of a new school year, perhaps even a new school altogether. For others it's the start of a new stage of life as they head off to University or perhaps start their first job. For some it's the start of those regular activities - a club, a hobby, a sport - that have taken a break over the summer weeks.
Here at St John's this September is certainly a time of new beginnings. Gareth Crispin is just starting as our new Youth, Children & Families minister. It s ...
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01/06/2010
True Spirituality
True spirituality is the work of the Spirit of truth - the Holy Spirit. But many in our society seek an experience of spirituality without the Christian Gospel - their experience may well be 'spiritual' but it's not true! 'The Spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient' (Ephesions 2 verse2) will gladly deceive any who wish to have spiritual experiences! This is what had happened to the Corinthians, when they were 'led astray' to worship mute idols, and the Colossians, who needed to be warned against being taken captive by 'hollow & decept ...
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01/05/2010
'We don't do God'
Christian involvement in politics is often met with disapproval in the media. Remember how anxious Alistair Campbell was to assure us that "We don't do God", or how the "evangelical vote" was almost exclusively "blamed" for George Bush being re-elected for a second term. It's as if a democracy is where everybody is entitled to have a say except those who believe in God! Apparently only those with religious beliefs are biased and therefore unfit for government!
But such attitudes demand a rewriting of our history! ...
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01/04/2010
Not just belief!
Have you watched the Passion for Life DVD "Exploring the real meaning of Easter"? (There are still a few copies in the church porch, please help yourself). In it the speaker, Rico Tice, likens someone who has never understood the resurrection of Jesus to someone who lives perpetually on Easter Saturday - like the disciples, full of doubts and fears, not knowing the joy which Jesus' resurrection brought.
When Jesus was crucified, his followers were discouraged and depressed. So they dispersed. The Jesus movement had all but stopped in ...
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01/03/2010
God's Passion for Us!
As I write we're just a couple of weeks away from our special "Passion for Life" week which has been 15 months in the planning, and by the time you read this we'll be in the midst of it!
It certainly has all the makings of an exciting week with many home-based events taking place across the parish, and great opportunities for Lee McMun and the team to share something of the amazing news of Jesus Christ in the high school, at Astra Zeneca as well as our own Jazz Cafe events.
All of this is only possible through the hard wor ...
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01/01/2010
A Passion for Life
It's hard to believe that our special "Passion for life" week is almost upon us - less than 8 weeks away by the time you read this!
We began our preparations over a year ago, with each homegroup benefiting from the preparation material - "Pray!", "Engage!" and "Prepare". We've already seen many good things such as the Networking events and the Divorce Recovery Workshops coming out of these homegroup studies, and overall it has been valuable preparation for our special mission week at the beginning of ...
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01/12/2009
Glory to the Newborn King!
"Glory" is the fame, adoration and praise we give to someone or something we consider important - an old fashioned word perhaps, but a contemporary reality.
Today we glorify things like celebrity, success, science, technology, power, money sport, pleasure, thrills, physical beauty - the list goes on. But the truth is everybody glorifies something or someone, even if it is only our own selves. And what we glorify tends to become our master, consuming our time, money or even our whole lives as we search for more of it.
...
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30/11/2009
EVOLUTION: why so much controversy?
In this year of Darwin anniversaries (200 years since his birth 150 years since 'The Origin of Species' was first published) the question of evolution seems to provoke as much debate as ever. With the film 'Creation' currently showing in the cinemas, and various repeats of Richard Dawkins programmes on TV it is certainly getting plenty of coverage. Earlier in the year I attempted to expose some of the myths surrounding the popular version of the 'Darwin vs Christianity' story. Please give me a ring if you would like a copy. But why should evolutionary theory arouse such passion?
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04/09/2009
God's passion for our life in Christ
When the church council decided in January of this year to take part in a nation-wide mission initiative culminating around Easter 2010 it seemed an exciting possibility to make the good news of Jesus Christ known in a compelling and attractive way, but still a long way off ... "No need to worry about that yet, it's almost 18 months away!"
But that's no longer the case! Our special mission week is booked for 1 - 7 March 2010, which by the time you're reading this will be only 6 months away! We are delighted that Rev Lee McMunn has ...
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01/07/2009
What are we to make of the Old Testament?
We are currently looking at the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy in our main Sunday morning services, and that will be followed by part of
2 Samuel in our all-age 'Summer Specials', but what are we to make of the Old Testament?
Clearly the Old Testament is not a simple text, it is not uniform in character. It's made up of 39 different books, containing many different styles of literature. It has many different human authors, yet claims to have one divine author. Like the New Testament it claims to be the Word of God. Jesus quoted ...
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01/06/2009
The gift of each other
God is not stingy; Generosity is one of his characteristics. The Bible talks of this generosity as "grace" his graciousness is his generous nature. His generosity is seen in creation and life itself - all the good things he gives to us. But the greatest act of his generosity towards us is the death of his own Son on our behalf. Closely connected to his generosity are his mercy and forgiveness. To treat people not as they deserve but in mercy - to forgive them - is grace and generosity itself. This is particularly so as our sin is ag ...
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01/04/2009
Mother's Day
Motherhood used to be one of those things that nobody questioned, but these days it is often undermined in the media. One such report, dealing with the myth of the maternal instinct, noted that some animals, birds and insects are cruel to their young - ergo, there is no such thing as maternal instinct. Even so, I still would not want to come between a mother bear and her cubs!
However, I agree that maternity has got very little to do with instinct. Many women find raising children hard work. It involves a profound element of self-service ...
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01/03/2009
God's passion for our life in Christ
A Passion for Life is about God's mission: God's passion for our life in Christ 'A Passion for Life' is a recently launched nation wide mission initiative leading up to Easter 2010, with which we aim to be actively involved here at St John's. I hope as you read what follows (taken from the vision booklet - please ask if you would like a copy) you'll begin to get excited!! A Passion for Life is all about God the Father - furthering his purpose of redeeming a great multi-cultural people for life in his Son, by stirring up local churches across the land to ...
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01/01/2008
God in our shoes
Men and women throughout history have tried to imagine what God is like. The many religions around the world are the result of the very best of human endeavour. But it is vital to realise that Christianity has never claimed to be part of that search. In fact, just the opposite. At the heart of Christmas is the claim that all our religious imagination is just that - imagination. It's a kind of cosmic guessing game. But we cannot guess our way to God, so God had to make his way to us. That's what the story of Christmas is all abou ...
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01/11/2007
Christian Influence in a Secular World
That’s the strapline of the Christian Institute and we’re delighted to be hosting one of their meetings here at St John’s on Thursday 8th November. Full details are elsewhere in this magazine. It promises to be a stimulating evening for all who are concerned to apply biblical values to some of the issues in today’s world. As a taster of the insightful thinking we can expect here’s a letter from their director Colin Hart, first published in their recent ’Update’ magazine.
Cloning Humans Everyone agrees.&r ...
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01/09/2007
To Those Who Used to Come
Did you, or someone you know, used to be regular at church? Perhaps you attended Sunday School? Perhaps you used to sing in the choir? Perhaps you came when you brought your children to Sunday School? On 30 September the Church of England is running a nationwide initiative for people just like you! It’s called "Back to Church Sunday" (B2CS) when anyone who used to come to church is being given an open invitation to come back! If that’s you, let me extend a warm welcome to you to join us for our 10 am morning service on that s ...
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01/06/2007
'The God Delusion'
Over the years Richard Dawkins has established himself as one of the most successful and skilful scientific popularisers. He has made evolutionary biology accessible and interesting to a new generation of readers. His writings have been marked by clarity, helpful analogues and an entertaining style. But his latest book ’The God Delusion’, together with a recent TV series, marks a significant departure.. It has established him as the world’s most high-profile atheist. He directs his withering attack against every form of religion. It is a book which has been wid ...
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01/04/2007
ENVIRONMENTALISM : A MODERN MYTH EXPOSED
Many people think that Christianity is full of myths, but actually the real myths are the ones about Christianity! For example, the myth that the Bible is at the root of global exploitation. On 26 December 1966, the historian Lynn White addressed the American Association for the Advancement of Science on ’The historical roots of our ecological crisis.’ He argued that the destructive effects of modern technology are ’at least partly to be explained.... as a realisation of the Christian dogma of man’s transcendence of, and rightful mastery over, nature!&rsqu ...
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01/02/2007
Decisions, Decisions
Don’t ask me how, but someone has worked out that on an ordinary day we make approximately 317,000! Although many of these will be as trivial as "what socks shall I wear today?" decision making is unavoidable and can be a constant source of worry - especially for the indecisive! For the Christian, it can seem even more complex as we ask the question ’What does God want me to do?’ Whatever stage of life, there are always big decisions to make. I like to think of the whole guidance issue as doing a jigsaw, the thousands of tiny pieces representing each ...
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01/01/2007
When the decorations come down!
I’m writing at the beginning of December and over the next few days many of us will be putting up our Christmas decorations - cards on the mantlepiece, Christmas tree in the hall, holly wreath on the front door, and fake snow on the windows (its been very mild so far!) But by the time you read this it will all be over - the Christmas tree in the green bin, the turkey carcass in the black bin, the wrapping paper in the bag and the bottles in the box! It didn’t last very long, did it?! For a couple of weeks the tinsel was shining, the Christmas lights were twinkling and ...
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