To pray or not to pray…

This has been a week where the newspaper headlines have been filled with calls for a nation to turn to pray, for one man in particular – Bolton Wanderer’s, Fabrice Muamba. This has been followed by thanks from his family for the prayers of the nation and even a tweet from his girlfriend saying that prayers are working. So what does it all mean? Why do people suddenly pray in times of trouble?

I don’t know all the answers. I’m sure some of it has something to do with a feeling of helplessness and the hope in something bigger that can have control over the situation. But what it comes down to, is that prayer is not something that is missing from our nation. A report carried out by Tearfund in 2007 suggests that around 20m adults in the UK pray and as many as one in six say they pray everyday.

But with all this focus on prayer, I want to raise the question – who is the prayer to? The BBC suggest that about 60% of people in the UK believe in some sort of higher being, but this isn’t necessarily God (as in Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Christian God). I believe that a number of people, when they pray, simply share their feelings and thoughts with a nameless removed higher being. But some questions for you this week:
- Have your friends prayed for Fabrice Muamba?
- Have they prayed for anything else?
- Who did they pray to?
- If they didn’t pray to God, then why not introduce them to the loving relational God who died for them

Drinking

In the week that saw the death and burial of singer mega-star Whitney Houston, known for her struggles with addiction, Daniel Radcliffe has once again spoken out about his struggles with alcohol and his decision in 2010 to go ‘teetotal’. Listening to bits of Daniel Radcliffe’s interview on Radio 1, I was really struck by his honesty about  the drawbacks of fame and money and in particular their ability to fulfil you. Meeting and chatting with young people every day, I am so aware of the desire so many have to be rich and famous, claiming that would mean their life would be sorted, they would be happy. But if this isn’t the case, then what does sort your life out? What makes you happy?

I know that if I went around and asked lots of people this question they would give me many answers, but I wonder how many would give the same answer no matter what they are facing in life – whether things are going well or badly?

Yesterday at college we were looking at Acts 17:27 and I realise that you can take this to the cheesy, evangelical ‘God-shaped hole in everyone’ analogy, but the point is that the Bible teaches that we are all made to seek God; that the fulfilment we search for in fame and fortune, careers, relationships, sport, drinking, drugs (etc…), won’t be found in those things. But this verse also reminds us that we have to make a choice – we all seek God (often in the wrong places), but we need to choose whether to reach out to him or not.

Football Transfers – Can we really take anything from this practice?

Yesterday was the end of the football transfer window with many people sitting up late to find out which transfers would be made before the time ran out; whose allegiances are different this morning to last night? It always amazes me how many transfers are made and announced at the last minute and it got me thinking. People sit up waiting for the football transfer window to close with great interest, but when was the last time we took that much interest in the transfer window we are currently all in?

The issues with this transfer window are that we don’t know when it is going to end and there won’t be another one later in the year. Maybe you know that your allegiance already lies with Christ and that’s great, but how much of an interest do you take in those who have yet to change their allegiance? Imagine if we took the same level of interest as excited football fans did yesterday. What would that look like?

Unlike those excited football fans, we have been asked by the owner of the club to get involved – “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). So rather than sitting on the sofa watching the sports news we need to get out there and get involved in showing our communities what it means to have allegiance to Christ.

Priorities

It has been months since I updated things on here and for that I apologise, but it got me to thinking today – what are our priorities and how do we decide on them? My job is one of those that even with a job description/remit, it continually grows arms and legs, expanding all the time. Yesterday we sat down with some head teachers to talk about the possibility of having prayer spaces in their schools (thinking that if we could persuade one or two we would be doing well) only to find out they all want it sooner rather than later. This is great stuff, but I already work more than my contracted hours plus I am studying, so what gives way? Should anything give way? How do I decide?

If I’m honest, I know the one thing that would have given way in the past – my time with God; time to sit down and read his word, to talk with him and to listen to him, time to rest in his presence. One thing I have learnt in the last couple of years is that this needs to be my first priority not the first thing to go. Sometimes that is easy for us and sometimes it is hard. The reason? I believe it is our attitude. Today I had my attitude to the word of God questioned. Do I see reading God’s word as a chore or as a delight and encouragement? My answer – it depends on the day. But imagine for a moment that each day you come to the word of God ready to be encouraged (yes to be challenged as well), but ready to have his promises spoken over you and to be reminded of how much he delights in you. Imagine you come to the word of God each day hungry for it because you recognise it’s nutritional value in your life – longing for it because it brings you hope. Romans 15:4 says this “for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” God’s word is full of hope and encouragement.

So I may not know what in my work and personal life needs to give way for other things to happen and when I make decisions I may even at times get it wrong; but I do know that my walk with God, my time with him and in his word is something that always has to remain as the number one priority – if it doesn’t then how can I even begin to imagine doing everything else without hope and encouragement?

Youth – a bunch of rioting yobs?

Why is it that every time youth go a couple of days or weeks without being condemned on the news, something kicks off to change it, to give every young person a bad name? As the riots in London hit news broadcasts around the world, the name of young people in the UK is once again being dragged through the dirt. Can this really be the state of our entire population of young people? I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that it isn’t. As I sit and write this, a group of young people I work with are painting banners and scenery for a club for primary school children – they are giving up time in their summer holidays to help with the preparations for this club and a number of them will be helping with the club later on this week.

But when  was the last time you heard about the good things our young people are up to? Across the country this week, young people are gathering to pray for London, for the people affected by the riots, our leaders and the police. #prayforlondon was even trending on Twitter yesterday and again this morning. This is the time for our young people to make a real difference to the world in which they live and I believe that it is through prayer that we will see this impact. Our youth have adopted the truth ‘when we pray miracles happen’ as their motto – imagine what would happen if that was true for even more young people and even for adults across our country.

Christian festivals – good, bad or indifferent?

It’s the middle of summer and as such, the middle of the festival session. Having just been to Imagine Scotland with my youth for the 5th year I have begun questioning the long term impact these festivals can have. Even if they do have a positive long term impact, with hundreds to choose from, how do we know where to start.

As I said, this was year number five for my youth and I going along to Imagine. Yes, often what appears to be the most memorable thing is the weather, but what about everything else. This was the first year for me taking along a group of leaders who themselves have been along to Imagine as young people for a number of years. Listening to them talk with the young people, share their previous experiences and encourage others in their walk with Christ, I had to admit that the impact these festivals can have is immense. It can be easy for us to reflect on the impact they have within days or even a couple of weeks of them finishing and we expect great things to have happened, but I believe that even though at times we can see differences in young people very quickly, it is through reflecting over a longer period that we can see the true impact.

I recognise that some young people struggle with the high levels of emotion especially as they find their faith to be more logically driven rather than emotionally driven, but that doesn’t mean that they too cannot benefit from festivals. There are many opportunities for groups to chat, share and discuss issues surrounding faith at festivals. Groups can be brought much closer together in the processes of planning, setting up camp, organising meals, washing up and taking down the camp. Again reflecting over a longer period has allowed me to see how much closer these events have brought my group of young people.

All this is fine and well, but how do you choose between Soul Survivor, Imagine, Clan, Solus, Greenbelt, Creation Fest, etc… Truth be told, I don’t think there’s one definite answer. What are the group you are going with in to; music, sports, deep teaching? Are you looking for something more local? Do you want something simply for young people or a wider age range?

For my young people and me, Imagine has been the answer. Having something local, meeting other young people and leaders from the area, with a range of teaching and seminars in addition to well led worship and sports, has been imperative.

Please don’t rule out festivals simply because you don’t see a positive change immediately – God uses these experiences, changes and moulds us. My one piece of advice is to pray for young people who are going on these trips and to ask others to pray for them before, during and after the events.

Bible bashing in the park

Imagine the scene – it’s a beautiful, sunny, Sunday afternoon… you are walking through a pretty park and you see a group of people sitting around a man on a box. It is Sunday afternoon discussion space – a great idea – space for the community to come together, to share ideas, to talk, to discuss and even to debate. The man on the box is speaking about his struggle to reconcile God and science – ‘great’ one thinks – an opportunity to help this man and everyone else sitting around to begin to see the hand of the creator God in science…

…One would be wrong! Out of the corner of my eye I spot a group of four guys standing like a wall with some of the biggest Bibles in their hands you have ever seen (is anyone else sensing a problem?) Great questions were being asked by those who professed to be unsure about the idea of a god; things like “What sort of God do you believe in?” and “How do you reconcile God and science?” Unfortunately their answers spoke of a revengeful God who was just angry at those who don’t call themselves Christians.

With our hearts in our mouths, we listened as they mocked other’s ideas, as they shook their Bibles at people in the crowds and as they cried out about law and religion. To me it was what I imagine standing around the temple in Jerusalem to have been like in the time of the gospels – religious leaders hypocritically crying out about law and revenge.

I don’t deny that God is hurt by our disobedience or that when he looks on the world he created and sees people hurting, starving and dying, his heart breaks, but GOD IS LOVE (1 Jn 4:8). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (Jn 3:16-17) If Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but instead to save it, then what right do we have to condemn others?

Often we sit back and complain that we don’t see people coming into our churches, or even that we never have opportunities to share with our communities about God, yet when we have these opportunities it is too easy to turn into religious hypocrites. Something else which really struck me was that whilst these guys claimed to be shouting about the mind of God, very quickly and easily they were exposed as not really knowing the Word of God. If we aren’t spending time in the Word of God, then how can we claim to know the mind of God? 2 Tim 3:16 says that “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” If we are to be claiming to teach others then we need to be drenching ourselves daily in the Word of God.

The opportunities which this setting presented were being out-weighed by the effects of those who insisted on preaching a ‘gospel’ of hell, fire and damnation. ‘Gospel’ means good news – the good news is news of love and sacrifice for each and every person; salvation (Jn 3:16-17) – it doesn’t ignore judgement, but offers the greatest love we can ever imagine (1 Jn 3:16). Surely this should be the gospel we are choosing to preach.

Doubting Thomas

It has really been brought to my attention this week, that often for Christians, there is a stigma attached to questioning or even doubting. I have seen Christians run away whenever asked a question that would have the slightest knock on to their faith rather than taking the time to work through it; as well as those who would cry ‘heretic’ at someone who doubted even the smallest part of the Christian faith for a second. My biggest issue with this is that to me it doesn’t reconcile with the Jesus I find in the gospels. Jesus who took the time with Thomas, listened to him and walked him through his doubt. As a youth worker, if I am to have a Christ-like ministry, this is what I need to do.

Unfortunately, with the stigma often attached to this, I keep finding young people who are even scared to admit they have questions or doubts. If you have read anything about the stages of faith development you will know that doubting and questioning are part of the process of faith being owned by the individual, rather than something they simply imitate and therefore where this is stigmatised, ignored or even banished, faith development is stunted or even completely quashed.

So, do you feel like you have had the opportunity to ask questions or to admit you have doubts? Perhaps people around you have asked questions and you have been one of those people running away. Strangely enough we only ever refer to Thomas as one who had doubts, yet as we read through the Bible we find person after person who asked questions and who themselves had doubts. Sarah and Abraham doubted God’s ability when they were told they would have a family of their own; Moses doubted the ability and protection God would give him when he was told to return to Egypt; the Israelites doubted God’s provision in the desert; Gideon doubted God would give him the gifts he needed to lead; Zechariah doubted when the angel told him about the son he and Elizabeth would have and so the list goes on…

As Thomas verbalized his doubts Jesus, instead of being angry with him, brought him closer – he gave him the opportunity to put his finger in the holes made by the nails, to put his hand in the pierced side. God does this for us when we have these doubts, when we ask the questions. The only time this is an issue is if we become stubborn in our questioning, if we refuse to seek and to listen to answers. Find somewhere you can verbalize these things with people who can help you seek answers. Listen to these answers and if need be, ask more questions, but remember that as you do so, Jesus wants to draw you closer to him.

O B L

News headlines all this week have been filled with the news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US. There are comments flying all over the internet from people who are celebrating and news channels keep showing scenes of Time Square filled with people celebrating the death of this man. But can it possibly mean good will come about? And what should Christians think?

10 years have been invested in finding this man, in the hope that justice can be found for 9/11. But what does justice really mean? Is killing Bin Laden, bringing about justice? Some people will automatically jump to Exodus 21:24 “an eye for an eye” and claim that as he led to the deaths of so many (not just on 9/11, but in other instances too) he deserved to lose his life. Others will emphasise that Jesus calls us to ‘turn the other cheek’. But whose responsibility is it to bring about ‘justice’? The Bible quite clearly tells us it is not our’s. Yes there are cases when we can help people who have committed crimes to be rehabilitated into society, to help them understand what was wrong about what they did and the effects that it has on others, but ultimately there is one with the right to judge and it is none of us.

I am not by any manner or means suggesting we shouldn’t have a legal system or courts etc, I believe we need to do everything we can to help people to be part of society and to try to help with rehabilitation, but I cannot bring myself to accept that rejoicing in someone going to hell (even an enemy) is ok. As Martin Luther King Jr put it ‘I mourn the loss of thousands of lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.’ The book of Ezekiel puts it like this “I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from wicked ways so they may live.” (Ez 33:11)

God mourns the loss of his creation and the Bible teaches that ‘un-repentance’ before death means hell. Surely no one who claims to know Christ as their saviour, to have been forgiven everything they have done (without deserving one ounce of forgiveness) can actually be ‘jubilant’ at the death of anyone, no matter what they have done!

Obedience or sacrifice?

This week we have 5 days of prayer and during some time I spent in the prayer room, I was copying out Isaiah 1. As I did this I began to think about how often we take the attitude that it doesn’t matter what we do because ultimately we can go back to God and ask for his forgiveness and because we have asked, he’ll forgive. We take Paul’s words in Galatians 2:16 (“[we] know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law, no-one will be justified.”) and presume he means that we can do what ever we like and just ask for forgiveness later. Like most youth workers I often work on the principle that ‘it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission’, but is this really a principle we can hang our lives on?

I see this principle being upheld by increasing numbers of young people (and probably of people in general) within the church as a principle to be applied to their whole lives. It is no longer simply about whether to ask for permission to pin something to the wall, or ask for forgiveness from the property group when it has been taken down after two years and there are holes in the wall. Instead the principle is becoming about the difference between what God teaches us, through the Bible, is a right way to live and applying that to our lives, compared to living the way we want and at some point along the line (when we’re older) we’ll get to the stage of asking for forgiveness (if we even think we need to). If this isn’t the case then why are we seeing figures like those collected for the UCCF ‘Pure course’ (http://www.uccf.org.uk/students/planning-for-your-cu/pure/) about numbers of Christian students who have had sexual experiences outside of marriage or sitting reading this going through a list of our co-workers and friends who see no issue with getting ‘bladdered’ on a Friday night (and maybe our name would fall into that list)?

God says, on more than one occasion in the Bible that if this is our attitude, then when we choose to come before him bringing our ‘offerings’ (our prayer, our songs, our money, our time), they are worthless (Isaiah 1:13) and that he would rather we simply obeyed in the first place (Isaiah 1:16b-17; 1 Samuel 15:22). In Isaiah 1 he goes so far as to say “when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.” So how do we reconcile this with the words in Nehemiah 9:17 (“But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.”)

Ultimately it comes down to our attitude. Did we set out with the idea that it doesn’t matter because God will just forgive us? Are we asking for forgiveness without an attitude of repentance (i.e. we’re just going to go out and do the same thing again and have no intention of turning away from it)? Or when we mess up (and we all do), are we coming to God to repent – to turn away from the wrong way of living, to listen to him and to obey him?

Someone once said to me… religion is ‘I obey therefore I am saved’, Christianity is ‘I am save therefore I obey.’ Obedience is still part of it. As Bonhoeffer put it (in ‘The Cost of Discipleship’), ”cheap grace means justification of the sin without the justification of the sinner.” In other words, it is forgiveness on our terms without us having to change our lives. It is us holding on to our old lives. But it is cheap – worthless! 

On the other hand, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Personally I see no way in which this can be reconciled with living life anyway we want simply because we believe that after a quick heartless ‘sorry’ before going off to do it again, God will forgive.