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Howard Writes
"Life according to Kingdom Values"
It's that time of year when we make resolutions and determine to keep up new standards within our lives.
I remember that when I was a child, I made a New Year’s resolution to keep a diary. At first I kept my resolution diligently, but when the new school term started and my daily routine changed, the dairy gradually fell into disuse.
Some people don’t make New Year’s resolutions at all, perhaps cynically believing that there is no point, as they always appear to break them.
Someone once said that to make a new daily habit, we have to continue it for at least 21 days before it becomes part of our daily routine. Even then, unforeseen circumstances can soon put paid to our new resolve.
It can be a bit like this in the Christian life. It is precisely because we are human and are therefore weak that we fail to keep so many of our resolutions. We are indeed built upon crooked timbers. We do not have the necessary resources to enter into the Kingdom of God through our own efforts.
St Paul (we celebrate his Conversion on the 25th of January) knew this only too well. He recognized that we have two natures, “with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but in my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:25b) Furthermore these two natures are “at war” with each other, each trying to gain superiority over the other.
Nevertheless he knew that his salvation came through believing and trusting in Jesus. Paul speaks very personally about his struggles and this has often been misinterpreted.
There are many critics of the Church who say, “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” People who take this line have lost sight of what Paul experienced and have lost sight of Paul’s thoughts about how Christians should be-have towards each other. One of the reasons that Christians gather together is to help and care for each other through the crises of faith and the difficulties that we experience in our personal struggles with sin. It is when we care for each other that we begin to live according to Kingdom values and it is through our love for each other that we are actually worshipping God.
John tells us that we cannot love God and hate our brother. “Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20)
When Jesus quoted the Law, he said that “we must worship God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. That means that we must worship him with our whole being. The strange thing about this is that it is a two-way process. We experience the love of God through those who love Him, the actions of other people, and we find his presence in those who we meet. We in our turn offer Him our love by the way in which we love our neighbour.
As Christians we can and should make resolutions all the time. Every time we confess, either personally or corporally we resolve to live life in God’s light, knowing that, through Jesus, we have been forgiven.
Paul exclaimed, “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
May we resolve to show the love of Christ in our lives in 2023 and always.
Howard.
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Howard Writes
"Finding time to contemplate the wonder of God’s gift to us."
St Paul tells us that “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” (Acts 20:35).
It is, they say, the time of year for giving, and we are all thinking of how we can show our love for our friends and family, by choosing the present that will really make them pleased. However, there are also those who may be looking at things differently because of the current economic crisis and the uncertainty of the future. Nevertheless, most people will soon be trying to work through their Christmas list, ticking off the presents, if they haven’t started already.
When we come to Christmas day itself there are always those unwanted presents. We put on a brave smile and wear that horrible red jumper that grandma has knitted for us, knowing that as soon as she has gone we will take it off, consign it to the bottom drawer, and maybe get it out again at New Year or our birthday. If you are in that position this Christmas, there are now websites offering information on recycling those presents or donating them to Charity Shops and the like. Then of course there’s al-ways E-bay.
But let’s think for a moment about the greatest gift of all, given to us 2000 years ago. God was not put off by the expense of His gift to us, though the cost was far higher than anyone of us would normally spend. It began with the unsanitary conditions in the labour ward which had not been disinfected since the animals had used it. Things were no better when the baby became a refugee, forced to flee in the middle of the night.
When he grew up he faced all sorts of attacks and opposition. As a public figure he chose a circle of trusted friends, but he was betrayed by one of these closest friends. Finally, the death he underwent was too horrific to contemplate. Nevertheless, God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16).
Although St Paul exhorts us to give rather to receive, it is in the receiving of God’s gift that our generosity to give of ourselves to others is actually created. Christianity is actually a religion of re-sponse. We respond in love for others because God first loved us. When we receive God’s gift in our hearts, we give our hearts to him, through giving ourselves to others.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him, give my heart.
Christina Rossetti - "In the bleak midwinter"
Are we really going to let God’s gift of His Son in December become our un-wanted recycled red jumper by February? Perhaps the difficulty we face is that the baby Jesus soon grows up and then begins to challenge us in the way we lead our lives.
The group Slade sing that they “wish it could be Christmas everyday”. As Christians this can actually come true if we first receive Jesus into our hearts.
Perhaps this Christmas, especially in that long period through to the New Year, we can find time to contemplate the wonder of God’s gift to us. Take time to sit with a Christmas card of the crib scene to help to focus your attention and, in the quietness, let God speak directly into your heart.
In this way, God will strengthen us through His Spirit to be able to respond to the challenges that Jesus makes in our lives.
May God grant us all a blessed and happy Christmas.
Howard.