Christmas is God's gift to earth
Of a tiny baby's birth
Showing all we have a worth;
What a happy Christmas!

Joyous and Blessed Christmas
Ein gesegnetes Weihnachtsfest!
Joyeux Noel
Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt Ar

The Reason for the Season

Tracing the "I have come" words of Jesus in the Gospel narrative sets a hard-hitting background to the celebration as we approach the feast of the incarnation. Our selective minds naturally turn to such positive statements as "I have come to give life in all its fullness." but tends to overlook phrases like “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34)

The "ah" and the "ooh" of the children's nativity scene along with the Angel song of Peace and Goodwill, seems to come under attack in the light of such hard hitting statements. Other sayings further expand the notion of the coming Christ. For example it is interesting to note how others reacted to the Coming Christ words; "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God" (Luke 4:34) and elsewhere, Jesus talks about coming to divide families.

All in all, Christ's self declaration, seems a million miles from the idealistic Christmas card nativity scene, but never-the-less such sayings are the essence of the incarnation.

Moltmann makes a distinction between what he called a "fortuitous" and a "necessary" Incarnation. The later focuses on the Incarnation as the Son of God becoming a man so that He could save us from our sins. The former, on the other hand, speaks of the Incarnation as a fulfilment of the love of God, of His desire to be present and living amidst humanity, to "walk in the garden" with us.

In the light of this, what are we to make of Christ's coming?

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right, and stopping the leaks in the roof, and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably, and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to?

The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of– throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

–C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (London: William Collins, 1970), 172.

In poetic terms, Gerard Maley Hopkins in his poem ORATIO PATRIS CONDREN: O JESU VIVENS IN MARIA, writes:

Jesu that dost in Mary dwell,
Be in thy servants’ hearts as well,
In the spirit of thy holiness,
In the fulness of thy force and stress,
In the very ways that thy life goes
And virtues that thy pattern shows,
In the sharing of thy mysteries;
And every power in us that is
Against thy power put under feet
In the Holy Ghost the Paraclete
To the glory of the Father. Amen.

Mortal Beauty and God’s Grace. Pg. 7.

So this is what he meant by life in all its fullness!

Is it only a bit part in the Nativity Play?

In the Alpine city of Innsbruck you will find the Dom zu St Jakob; the Cathedral of St Jakob. All the guide books point to the early 18th century baroque jewel's picture of the Madonna and Child. Yet the image that caught my attention whilst visiting my favourite Tyrolean city was the small image of Joseph and the infant Jesus.

Jacob, Joseph, Jesus. What a line-up. Yet Joseph is often seen as a mere bit part within the Nativity scene; a mere relationship of convenience to provide protection and home for the young woman and her offspring.

Little is known of him, this mysterious woodworking descendant of King David. He is quickly overlooked as we look for the main players. He arrives on the on the scene trying to fathom out a dilemma. Since he learned of the pregnancy he has been trying to figure a way out of this predicament. We know that He is righteous, but he is merciful. What is his best option? How can he fulfill his obligations to God and to Mary - is it to give her a "quiet divorce." Can he send her away to her relatives down in the hill country of Judea. Could she be put away until the child is born and then prepare the divorce with a few trusted officials. It's not a perfect solution, but it is the best that he can do - nothing else is possible.

The Dream of a New Possibility
While Joseph is trying to figure it all out, he has a dream. This dream is gospel - that is, good news.

Don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife - the child is born of the Holy Spirit

Name him Jesus - for he will save his people from their sins

I find it interesting that it is Joseph who is given the task of naming the Messiah, Jesus.

When Oscar Isaac took on the role of Joseph in the Bible epic, “The Nativity Story,” the 26-year-old actor had no idea what he would soon be facing. In an interview he said of Joseph, "I think the fact that there’s a man who loves God so fully and loves this woman so fully and has to share his love with God is pretty untraditional ...... It’s an interesting character study as well. He has to share his wife with God. He wanted to have a family with this woman. He wanted to have a nice, normal life in his little house that he’s building and suddenly he forced to….kind of, ‘Why her?’ you know? ‘I love her so much, I love you so much, but why couldn’t you have picked anybody else?’

But he didn't and in that wonderful timeless mystery we, like Joseph find God with us.

Nativity Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian

The feast day of your birth resembles You, Lord
Because it brings joy to all humanity.
Old people and infants alike enjoy your day.
Your day is celebrated
from generation to generation.
Kings and emperors may pass away,
And the festivals to commemorate them soon lapse.
But your festival
will be remembered until the end of time.
Your day is a means and a pledge of peace.
At Your birth heaven and earth were reconciled,
Since you came from heaven to earth on that day
You forgave our sins and wiped away our guilt.
You gave us so many gifts on the day of your birth:
A treasure chest of spiritual medicines for the sick;
Spiritual light for the blind;
The cup of salvation for the thirsty;
The bread of life for the hungry.
In the winter when trees are bare,
You give us the most succulent spiritual fruit.
In the frost when the earth is barren,
You bring new hope to our souls.
In December when seeds are hidden in the soil,
The staff of life springs forth from the virgin womb.

St. Ephraim the Syrian (AD 306-373)

The Last Straw

The Rev. Donna Schaper; senior pastor of Congregational UCC in Coral Gables, Flan, writes in her latest books are "The Labyrinth from the Inside Out" from Skylights Press. "That the last straw of our lives becomes the first straw of Jesus' manger in our hearts."

She brings a sense of reality by placing the birth of the Chirst Child in an ER department. Gradually all within the hospital are caught-up in this nativity and she concludes by saying, "Patients all, we wait".

The image of the cross and he crib are powerful symbols of incarnational humility, but how half heartedly we listen to the carol service reading, "And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough." (Luke 2:12, international version)

I find this phrase so powerful!

Let's take this symbolism in context. The place of Birth was Bethlehem (بيت لحم, , lit "House of Meat"; Βηθλεέμ; בית לחם, Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" a town originally called Ephrath meaning fruitful and it was here the Chosen One was laid in a feeding trough. Here, the Bread of Life is wrapped Swaddling Clothes and laid for all to see. For me, there is a synergy with the story of the burial of Jesus where Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrap his body with the spices, in strips of linen according to Jewish burial customs.

I recall a few years ago setting Christmas display at the front of church with the infant Christ-child; arms out stretched reaching out from a large open Bible beneath a large empty cross. Little did I think that such a scene cause such a stir with members of the congregation complaining that it looked as if I was trying to crucify the baby. Hmm!

The crib and the cross are part of the one mystery of the Incarnation, and there really isn't much distance between Bethlehem and Calvary after all.

Has Advent become a non-event?

I do sometimes wonder if we miss the purpose of Advent confusing the Christmas rush with the contemplative time of considering the One who came, the One who comes and the One who is to come.

Recently, a long established Christian Bookshop in Exeter, UK has closed and I sometimes wonder if I had to anything to do with its demise, by once suggesting to the manager that he should sell a different kind of Advent Calendar.

In the UK, we share the German Lutheran tradition of Advent Calendars where children of all ages open one door each day to receive a chocolate treat. I merely suggested that the bookshop should create calendars with empty compartments into which we place thoughts, gift promises and prayers. Perhaps it did not catch on! Or is it that today's society is actually saying, "It is better to give than receive, as long as I'm still on the receiving end.”

Advent has been defined as "The arrival, coming, or discovery of something, especially something extremely important."

Perhaps we also need to rediscover the advent of Jesus return. Customarily in the Christian tradition, the focus has been on these two “comings” of Christ. However, St. Bernard in the 11th Century identified a “third coming” that Advent leads us to await—the coming of Christ in our own soul. While the birth of Christ and the second coming of Christ are important to Christians, we must all still move through this earthly life on a day-to-day basis.

Keeping a watchful Advent reminds us that we do not tread these days in isolation. We can live in expectation of the movement of Christ in and through every moment of those days. Even though we are frequently distracted and diverted from attention to this movement within us, the season of Advent reminds us to turn inward yet again and seek the God that is to be found within us.

Some years ago, I wrote a musical called 'Daystar' that explored the essence the Coming of Jesus. In it a time traveller looks for the coming Christ and arrives at the manager having also had a vision of Calvary.

As he kneels he speaks

His the gift of bitter pain,
A pain so deep that speaks my name.
A gruesome hurt of human shame;
Impaled within his form my name.
O infant now, how can you bear?
This awful pain; why do you care?

He takes from me that selfish greed
And with his bread the crowds he feeds.
He takes from me my selfish pride;
Transform it now, a seekers guide.
O infant child within the hay,
Where is the life, the truth the way?

His gifts of time, of love, his wealth,
His patience long, that wills my health
Is but a part of God's good grace
That saves transforms our fallen race.
O Holy child within the hay
Will you for me meet death's dark day?

What sin, what guilt do I now bring?
What hurt, what pain, what shameful thing
Do I before his throne now fling?
Love in exchange he's offering.
O Saving child within the hay,
Change my dark night into your day.

O Holy infant gift, I pray,
For me, when comes my newborn day?
When will sin's power within my life
Release its grip and end its strife?
O Calv'ry child within the hay,
Arise, be born in me today.

(c) 1988 Paul Collings

Nothing about us without us (part 2) Suffer the Little Ones?

Jesus reference to the Little Ones in the Gospels can be quite puzzling. The designation "little ones" in Matthew 18:6, 10, 14 may refer to disciples like Peter whose faith was weak in the midst of difficult circumstances. In 10:41-42 Matthew recorded Jesus' description of prophets and righteous men as "little ones."

It could be said of people diagnosed with autism are the "little ones" of our society. Trying to voice the view of their unknown and almost un-knowable world is extremely difficult. But articulate we must. Someone once said, 'Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend. '

“When a parent doesn't even know how much of the world his child with Autism understands, how can that parent expect them to appreciate the finer notions of an invisible world? How do we explain the concept of God, or faith, or even prayers?” asks Melissa Gray mother of Brenna a preschool child with Autism.

Is the key to the notion of spirituality of those with Autism then more do with what we understand by knowing. Is knowing necessarily a precursor to faith? So often, spirituality is spoken of in terms of knowing God. But what do we mean by knowing?

I believe that we need to to use a hermeneutical key to unlock anything that resembles an understanding of Autism and Spirituality. This term is nothing more than the science of interpreting what scripture says, exegeting passages so they make sense, or presenting an idea which is used as a cornerstone for other ideas, a sort of code-book which explains a host of little known secrets, a program which unravels the intricate details of a complicated set of beliefs.

Let me paraphrase a passage for 'Hyperchoise - living in an age of divserity' by Graham Cheesmen to illustrate this.

Hermeneutics has become a vital area of current philosophy that emphasises the distance between (a situation) and its reader and interpreter. The (situation) is embedded within a specific culture with all its presuppositions, which the reader cannot fully enter. The reader, in turn comes form to the (situation) with pre-understanding based upon this own (context), culture and experiences.

Therefore, is our search for an inclusive spirituality to find some means by which people with Autism can be included in ours, or we in theirs, or in fact a search to find some new notion of a truly inclusive theology.

Dean Wells, preaching one Advent Sunday in Duke University Chapel said,

"If there is one social group who expose the link between our attitude .... to God, it is people with severe learning disabilities. Such people simply take up a tremendous amount of time. And it is time that it is very difficult to render in money or commodity language, because many such people don’t seem to progress, if progress means become like the rest of the population. It’s no use being sentimental about such people, because many are exasperating company in the way they dismantle all of society’s presuppositions about logic, manners, and private space. The tendency of our society is to treat such people in the same kind of way we treat time. Either we treat people with learning disability as a commodity, needing to be housed and cared for and somehow dealt with. Or we treat such a person as an enemy, a person whose life should if possible be prevented from coming into existence, or at least be prevented from unduly damaging the lives around it . But our task as Christians is to come to see such a person as a gift and a friend. A gift, because in their life God is giving us something we did not have before, someone we need to be everything God calls us to be. And a friend, because in finding in relating to this person we have nothing to fear, we discover that our true hope lies not in our striving but in God’s grace. If you do one thing for God this Advent, spend some time with a person with a severe learning disability. The way you relate to this person will epitomize what you believe. "

In doing this, who really are the little ones ....... for of such.........?

To be continued

Nothing about us without us! Or For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven (Part 1)

This week I have been working with a student diagnosed with Autism. In a number of ways, he is extremely talented yet often seems confined within his world, unable reflect, or express his own life experiences.

I am a firm believer in the inclusive love of Christ and in this blog I want to explore the rights movements motto "Nothing about us without us!" from a Spiritual context. Very little research seems to be available in relation to the significance of religion for people with autism spectrum disorders. The little research that has been done has been contradictory with some arguing that the complex and metaphorical nature of religion and religious experience is incompatible with the neurological, cognitive and social difficulties that are central features of autism spectrum disorders. Others argue that religious experience is very much a reality in the lives of people with this condition; a reality that has a good deal of significance for the quality of life of sufferers and their families.

As a theologian in the school of contextual spirituality, I am inclined to suggest that for us, there is nothing about us without the spirituality of a human being on the Autistic Spectrum. It was Hauerwas who said, "If the word is preached and the sacraments served without the presence of the mentally handicapped, then it may be that we are less than the body of Christ." He also suggests "indeed, the presence of the mentally handicapped may well be the embodiment of the Spirit." So what is this mysterious context.

Imagine what it's like. A person smiles at you - you're confused because you don't understand a smile. You can't get your usual breakfast cereal - your whole day is in disarray because you can't cope with your routine being upset. And someone tells you to pull your socks up. But you know you're not wearing socks, and it's very bewildering.

Not quite as funny as it sounds if you happen to be among the half a million people in Britain with some degree of autism. Some are severely disabled and need constant attention, but others keep their condition hidden and are high achievers: in business or as academics, for instance.

People on the autistic spectrum are perhaps not so much suffering from an inability to communicate but are on a different end of a communication spectrum due to lack of theory of mind (a specific cognitive capacity: the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own.)

Its just an Adjective!

It was whilst reading a blog concerning the Salvationists' view on Communion and Baptism, that I was struck by the four letter word, just! Was it a mere adjective of little consequence or was it a loaded interjector. The phrase that set me thinking was, "Sacraments are just an outward sign of an inward emotion." Besides being an interesting spin on the well known orthodox phrase, Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification (Catechismus concil. Trident., n. 4, exSt. Augustine, "De Catechizandis rudibus"), I wondered what the writer was meaning behind the loaded word?

It is interesting that the the offending word is one of extremes. Just can mean 'barely', 'at this very instant', 'no more than', or 'exactly'. I wonder which meaning was in the mind of the writer? Was it an intensifier or a simple truth indicating just a in righteousness.

We use so many words on a daily basis without almost recognising their meaning. Or, we use a term intending to emphasis one meaning whilst the one that has been heard or read, produces a completely different understanding.

The writer's use of the word 'just' in the offending phrase seems to say a lot about his theological perspective. Within the Christian Church there are groups who reject the orthodox theology of sacrament, to name two the Salvation Army and the Society of Friends. They would say the Outward Sign has become too important and takes away the meaning of inner grace and God does not need outward signs to do his work. But is this a mere overstatement? O dear, there goes another loaded four letter word.

If a sacrament is an outward sign of God's grace at work, it follows that all life could be thought of as a sacrament, God with us in Jesus, ‘The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us'. Incarnation is indeed sacrament. We can come to know there are many signs of God at work in things that are happening in the world around us. In this sense, is it just as legitimate to say that a sacrament is not just an grace or even emotion of an outward sign. In other words how important is the sign?

The Greek Orthodx church think of signs as, "The material elements, signs and gestures used...are living symbols that relate to the realities of our human experiences...material things are made into vehicles of the Spirit" (The Sacramental Life of the Orthodox Church).

In other words, God uses the physical world, such as bread, wine, water, and oil, as signs of His activity in our lives.

At the heart of sacramental theology is the Incarnation, that is, God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ. The Incarnation is the most complete, and final, revelation of God to mankind. When the invisible God became visible, he sanctified all of creation, making it a fitting vehicle for his work. Thus, all sacraments derive their power and grace from the person of Jesus. The Incarnation is a key component of sacramental theology, because it demonstrates that God uses the created world to reveal himself to us. St. John of Damascus (730 AD) describes the value of material things in knowing the invisible God:

For the invisible things of God since the creation of the world are made visible through images. We see images in creation which remind us faintly of God, as when, for instance, we speak of the holy and adorable Trinity, imaged by the sun, or light, or burning rays, or by a running fountain, or a full river, or by the mind, speech, or the spirit within us, or by a rose tree, or a sprouting flower, or a sweet fragrance.

In coming to understand Wesley's explanation of how grace might be channeled, the sacrament of Eucharist or the Lord's Supper is particularly enlightening. The Eucharist, primarily a communal act, connects individuals to each other and to the grace available through the work of the Holy Spirit in our taking the bread and cup. What makes the Lord's Supper such a powerful introduction to the means of grace is it's ability to operate at different levels of meaning: as a memorial; as an immediate divine presence; and as an eschatalogical promise.

The second aspect of the Lord's Supper is the immediate availability of grace. In an earlier dispute, certain Moravian quietists, were stressing that, since salvation came by faith alone, they were not "bound or obliged" to practice the ordinances of grace, including the Eucharist. Wesley, as noted in his journal from June 22 to July 20, 1740, opposed this viewpoint and ultimately he, along with eighteen or nineteen others, left the society.14 The heart of Wesley's argument was that the power of the Lord's Supper includes its actively and immediately conveying grace. For instance:

Sat. 28 (1740). I showed at large that the Lord's Supper was ordained by God to be a means of conveying to men either preventing or lefting, or sanctifying grace, according to their several necessities; that the persons for whom it was ordained are all those who know and feel that they want the grace of God, either to "restrain" them from sin, or to show their sins forgiven, or to renew their souls in the image of God; that inasmuch as we come to his table, not to give him anything but to receive whatsoever he sees best for us, there is previous preparation indispensably necessary but desire to receive whatsoever he pleases to give; and that fitness is not required at the time of communicating but sense of our "state", of our utter sinfulness and helplessness; every one who knows he is fit for hell be just fit to come to Christ, in this as well as all other ways of his appointment.

The question remains if it is the actual elements, the bread and cup, which convey divine grace. Wesley would say no as He draws from a variation of the Reformed doctrine of virtualism: "that the elements remained unchanged but Christ is nonetheless present through the Holy Spirit."

It should not be surprising that Wesley believed "it is the duty of every Christian to receive the Lord's Supper as often as he can." Wesley admonished his ministers and laity that communion be served "every Sunday and holiday of the year." Wesley himself participated on the average of once every four or five days. He did this not only because it was "a plain command of Christ," but also because of the Supper's ability to empower the spiritual life. "This is food for our souls: This gives strength to perform our duty and leads us on to perfection."

The sacrament is just that, incarnational.

He's Not Here!

I've just caught the news about brawling monks at the church of the Holy Sepulchre — Israeli police rushed into one of Christianity's holiest churches Sunday and arrested two clergyman after an argument between monks erupted into a brawl next to the site of Jesus' tomb. (JERUSALEM (AP))

On hearing this I just wanted to shout, "He is not here, he is risen!"

On Remembrance Sunday of all days, what fuel has this added to the fiery argument that says "Religion is at the root of all wars."

Today I preached upon the Chroniclers words, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 But this news report seems to be the antithesis of what this verse is saying. Its the age-old childish argument "My Dad (God) is stronger than your.....etc"

It was the former Salvation Army Officer Fred Brown who 38 years ago began to see that religious jingoism was failing to fulfil its purpose and went on to write, "The Christian community I have in mind will allow its members to work out their affinities within smaller groups; it will foster relationships of loving mutuality, and by its very nature, the nature of its basic evaluations and aims widen the possibility of personal fulfilment; its activities, many of them apparently secular and beyond the usual interest of church organisation, will serve creative ends and thereby clarify the essential requirements of fulfilment; it will provide traditional forms of worship without imposing them obligatory, and welcome new expressions of worship without imposing them on all and sundry. Its spirit of tolerance will be tested as experiments are shared in the overlaps.” (Fred Brown, Secular Evangelism (London SCM 1970 p112)

Is being Armenian, Orthodox, Wesleyan, Reformed, Catholic, or what ever really worth fighting about after all. If you wish to describe me in such terms I would probably reply a Reformed Evangelical Liberal Catholic with Orthodox Celtic overtones. I know, a chameleon by any other name, but a chameleon it could be said, takes on the identity of those around them, whilst essentially remaining the same in essence.

Arch Bishop Romero, the people's martyred bishop of San Salvador who, tired of oppression of his people through force, said, "Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty."

Perhaps we need to remind ourselves of those who first entered the tomb and encountered the the angel who said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.'

Come; See; Go; Tell and there you will see him!

An Inspector Calls!

I must admit, I do love a good melodrama; the suspense; the intrigue; the mystery of the who-done-it keeping one on the edge of the seat. But even the screen images, stage production or page turning thriller of J B Priestley's classic, lost its charm this week when I received a letter informing me that an Inspector was to Call on me at the end of the month; an OFSTED inspector. (the UK Governments OFfice(for) STandards (in) EDucation).

Its the dread of every Principal that seems to say you are guilty until you prove your innocence.

As both a Principal and a Methodist minister, I've started to wonder this week, how a church would fair if an Inspector Called.

Many an inscription penned in the front of a presentation Bible contains the words, "Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 But what does this study mean. The Greek word infers to hasten, make haste, to exert one's self, endeavour, give diligence. In Luke's gospel there is a wonderful picture of an expectant people waiting for Jesus. (Luke 8)

Perhaps for the church, it has to be, the "expector" calls; after all didn't Jesus urged his followers to watch and pray.

In Priestley's plot, the Inspector has come to the Birling home as part of an inquiry into the suicide that day of a desperate young woman. As the Inspector’s investigation unfolds, we discover how the life of the dead woman had been intertwined with the Birlings and observe how these revelations affect each of them.

I wonder, if the inspector arrived at the church door, how much evidence would confirm that its occupants lives had been intertwined with the long expected Crucified one? Or is that a notion now out of fashion today?

It was Oswald chambers who said, "Unless in the first waking moments of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on the wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God."

Where's Solomon when you need him?

One of the problems of Tent Maker ministry is having to make decisions that may affect the lives of others. In my dual role of Methodist Minister and College Principal, I sometimes covet the wisdom of Solomon.

As a Manager for over 90 people, I inevitably become involved in disciplinary hearings, where I am called upon to make a decision over accusations, poor practice or incompetence. Am I acting as minister or magistrate as I ask myself the question, "Is the employees action tantamount to Gross Misconduct and therefore warrants dismissal?"

My task is to weigh-up the evidence and pronounce a sentence that is sometimes found in those notorious words, "Your Fired!" But as minister, such decisions weigh heavy on my heart, as I realise the impact that such words would have upon an individual.

Breda Sweeney and Fiona Costello in their work - Moral Intensity and Ethical Decision-making: An Empirical Examination of Undergraduate Accounting and Business Students writes - "Ethical decision-making is theorised to consist of four stages: identification of an ethical dilemma, ethical judgement, ethical intentions and ethical actions. The moral intensity of the situation has been found to influence the ethical decision-making process." or as the prophet Micah put it, He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

So is it really that simple; act, love and walk!

Jesus Saves

Following my last blog entry, I have started a web-search looking other similar items to the 'Jesus Adhesive Plaster' on sale in UK high streets. I found Jesus lip balm with the slogan, 'Looking Good for Jesus'. Jesus Bubble Bath declaring; ' Refresh, Renew - follow in his footsteps' and for economic tough times; 'Jesus Saves' money boxes.

True, the subject of money seems to pepper the gospel like no other topic and nothing seems to hold the attention as the value of currency either in our bank accounts or pockets.

Recently, Dr Rowan Williams attended A Common Word, a conference of Christian and Muslim scholars, aimed at promoting better understanding between the two faiths.

The scholars examined areas on which both faiths agree, such as the need to speak out against persecution of Christians in Iraq and other minorities around the world, including Iran.

But they also looked at the credit crunch from the perspective of Islam, which prohibits charging interest on lent money, and Christianity, which has changed its teaching to allow interest but still teaches against financial exploitation of the weak and vulnerable. Dr Williams said he would like to see a dialogue with Islam about what constituted a just and reasonable rate of interest. “The Christian tradition has always been cautious about interest.” For many centuries, it was at one with the traditional Muslim approach, he said.

This changed around the time of the 16th century he said. The question since then was to work out “just and proper” rates of interest, rather than go for absolute prohibition.

Dr Williams said: “I would like very much to see a dialogue developing with Islam about this question of what a just, a reasonable rate of interest might look like in the light of a religious ethic but this is a work very much in its infancy, to put it mildly,”

I wonder, what does it mean when it says, Jesus Saves?

Jesus Adhesive bandages With Free Toy Inside

Have you noticed the number of Jesus, 'memorabilia' items that are on sale in UK High Street shops? I had to smile at the irony of Jesus Adhesive Bandages I found within a stationary shop. I began to wonder whether there was theological significance lurking here.

Jesus the healer, the one who protects, the one who clings to humanity, the one who shares his image. But what about the free toy inside?

I like the definition of toy as, 'An object, often a small representation of something familiar, as an animal or person, for children or others to play with.' Playing can be a serious business. Just watch any toddler totally captivated with their favourite plaything; completely absorbed within the world of make believe that for them has a a greater sense of reality than the adult world around them.

Whilst some Christians will find the Jesus trivia to be almost blasphemous, the intended send-up also has a significant message for the believer. Hauerwas and Willimon in their book, 'Resident Aliens' claim that the church has lost its bearings because it's forgotten its Jesus-centered tradition. Rather than dwelling within that tradition, realizing that the church's mission is to build community that exemplifies the Kingdom and the Kingdom's values, Christians too frequently accommodate to the world in order to make their beliefs acceptable. In doing whatever they can to ameliorate the "scandal" of the gospel so as not to offend anyone, they betray the Kingdom and their tradition--and God.

Hauerwas and Willimon write; "What we call church is often a conspiracy of cordiality." "This accounts for why, to many people, church becomes suffocatingly superficial" and is it any wonder they view it as trivial; a free toy on the inside. The need seems to be greater than just using a sticking plaster.

When is an atheist not an A Theist.

How would you define an atheist? There appears to be two types of atheism; passive and aggressive. The first would seem to say that it does not believe in a supreme being but accepts that others do. Does not usually bring up the above fact unless attacked for being an atheist.

An aggressive atheist on the other hand could be defined as one who attacks other religions and is often intolerant to the follower of other religions. Often brings up the insensitive fact that faith is the "complete acceptance of a God without proof," somewhat equatable to ignorance which, among other things, is the "complete acceptance of an idea without proof."

But I've noticed in recent years that there appears to be a growth of what I would call aggressive passivity that seems to becoming more vocal. It almost has a become a secular religion evangelically attempting to say I'll let you believe in your God, but don't infect my space with your religiosity.

It would appear anything that smacks of an evangelical approach is seen by an atheist as a firm attack upon their space. Consequently, religion and particularly Christianity is under pressure to stay within a the closet marked "private".

Over the next few posts I want to explore what this means for the mission of the church.

Snapshot Decisions

Making a decision on limited knowledge or information is always a precarious activity. We all have been in the position of late with many paralyzed in their decision making because of the shifting sands of reality. Whether it is stock market or domestic cash flow decisions, the uncertainty has a striking similarity.

In another blog, http://www.therubicon.org/?p=1299, the encounter of Jesus with Nicodemus is compared with that of the Samaritan women. Whilst the conclusions are worthy it posed the question for me whether the writer had cameoed this Jewish leader by the result of this one encounter. What many Gospel readers fail to note is that Nicodemus appears a further two times in the gospel narrative.

The first is where this man stands before Jewish legislative to defend Jesus. In John 7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51"Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"52They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."

The second John 19:38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

Often our snapshot, knee-jerk, spur of the moment evaluation of another, is often flawed because we are not in possession of all the facts or perhaps more damagingly, because we are selective in our reading of the entire picture.

This also raises the issue of our encounters with Jesus. All too often we fail to see the Christ in our midst because of our preconcived image of how we feel he should appear.

I am grateful to the celtic saint Patrick who urges us to see Christ in every encounter.

Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.

Cabanet Resuffle

I wonder, what would have happened if God had used the same rules as today's media applies when making judgments as to an individual's suitability for public office. Would Jesus have called the same 12 to his inner cabinet? Would ambassadors Moses, or Jonah ever have been put on the short list or Paul appointed special envoy to the Gentiles?

I have heard and read the political commentaries on Mandelson's appointment and have yet to make my own judgement but I am also questioning whether my reading of the gospel is too simple? Jesus words were and continue to be counter cultural in terms of prodigals return, love for enemies, forgive 70 times 7 and so on.

The whole if the tenure of Yahweh's dealing with his people was through his underling Hased, loving kindness.

There is a sense in which the judgment values that we us to define another fails to be used when considering our own action. I have no flag to fly for Mandelson nor a real understanding of Brown's reason behind such an appointment, I simply wonder why it is that the theology we present from pulpit is not applied to our political ponderings.

United Methodist Bishop William Willimon writes “One of our duties as pastors is to renarrate people's lives in the light of the story of Jesus. This rescripting shows us how our ordinary lives are caught up in the great drama of salvation. We have become victims of narratives inadequate for the truthful living of our lives--narratives derived from psychology, economics, sociology and other secular means of defining ourselves and what happens to us. But through teaching us a new way of seeing and naming, through new words, pastors can create new worlds for us. Through words we enable people to fit their lives into the plot of God's story, and thus to turn those lives into pilgrimages.” Elsewhere he quotes Brueggemann as saying to preachers: “You preachers are world-makers. In your words, you make a new world. And if you won’t let God use you to render a new world, then all you can do is to service the old one and that’s no fun. ” (In Copenhaver, Robinson, Willimon Good News in Exile p.113 (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998))

Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

In ancient mythology, Odysseus' faced a dilemma as he passing between Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla was a monster on the cliffs and Charydbis was a dangerous whirlpool. Neither fate was more attractive as both were difficult to overcome.

In a sense, the world's politicians seem to be facing similar unpalatable choices as they sail into uncharted waters. Some commentators are calling these parliamentary decisions as a "legacy vote" with inevitably long lasting implications.

Making ethical choices when the options available is often difficult seems to be our constant 21st centenary companion. In hia book, The Peaceable Kingdom, Stanley Hauerwas, a Methodist ethicist, points out that Christian ethics is not primarily about making the right decision (What should I do?), but about being the right kind of people (Who should we be?).

What story am I telling by my life and by my actions?

The notion of my story is as important as the notion of my actions. This is precisely what the society seems to deny as it gives priority to my story over our story that might shape our character. For Hauerwas, however, the human being is essentially a story-telling creature. The story of which we are a part precede the actions which we take. For we are social creation, not an individual one. The unity of a person’s life resides in the unity of a story which connects birth to life to death, and gives our story meaning. It is the primary essence of Christian belief and practice. Thus the basic question for Christian morality is not, “What am I, as an individual, to do or decide?” but “Of what stories do I find myself a part, and thus who should I be?”

Our passage between a rock and a hard place may well prove to look the same, but would our destination be more assured?

Share and Share alike!

The phrase "Share and Share alike" refers to the equal division of a benefit from an estate, trust, or gift, which includes the right of the survivors to divide the portion of any beneficiary who dies before receiving the gift.

Due to the volatility of the current share market; arriving at a comparable value seems almost impossible. The inability for society to evenly share also impacts upon the common good.

In our current crisis, corporate irresponsibility and the and individual foolhardiness of those in control has not equated with the their duty of care for those they serve. The drive to meet targets and cut corners in order to obtain the all important bonus is not reflected in their responsibility to those whose lives are impacted by their actions.

It was Aristotle (384-322 BC) who said, "If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost."

But what does it mean to share in government?

If we take the concept of Share and Share alike to its end conclusion, then surely it implies that I must share my neighbours poverty and she my wealth. Was this what Jesus was getting at when he said to the rich young ruler, go and sell what you have and give.......?

The Cost of Everything and the Value of Nothing!

I wonder what Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran Pastor and theologian, would make of today's obsession with personal value. It is interesting to note the current silence in staffroom and works cafeteria regarding the value of property.

Bonhoeffer, in his book, the Cost of Discipleship, writes of Cheap and Costly Grace. One has to question whether there is anything but Costly Grace with its uneasy bedfellow, nothing but a counterfeit, a fraud, a sham.

He wrote. "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

With more loss than profit in the news perhaps we need to answer the leading question Jesus posed when he asked. "What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?" Mark 8:36

Writing in the margins

How would you define marginisation? It could be described as the process of pushing non-mainstream people toward the edges of society so as to prevent their access to power. Or the social process of becoming or being made marginal, especially as a group within the larger society.

Jesus seemed to have the nack of placing central parties on the edge of society and including at the heart of his fellowship those who others pushed to the margins.

Take the case of Samaritan Woman

The Samaritan woman possibly experienced every form of marginalisation, and in many ways she embodied marginalization.

• Marginalised on the ground of Race/Ethnicity,(she was a Samaritan considered as impure race by the Jews)
• Marginalised on the ground of Gender (she was a woman)
• Marginalised on the ground of Lifestyle (she had many husbands)
• Marginalised to the point of loosing Self Respect/Dignity (fetching water in the noon when there was no one else)

With Regards to Jesus (The Barriers Jesus crossed)

• The Barrier of Race and Ethnicity (Jesus was Jew)
• The Barrier of Gender ( Jesus was male)
• The Barrier of Being Misunderstood ( Jesus talking to a woman, that too in solitude)
• The Barrier of Respectability (Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman and asking for water to drink)

Who defines the margins and who maintains them?

A Fresh look at Commonwealth

The English noun commonwealth dates from the fifteenth century. The original phrase "common wealth" or "the common weal" comes from the old meaning of "wealth" which is "well-being". The term literally meant "common well-being".

Dating from the reformation, it is interesting how the notion of commonwealth is now seen in terms of nation to nation trade whilst within those states, the notion of common well-being for all is often overshadowed. The interrelation between micro and macro economics seems broken, forgotten and even shunned.

Someone has said that perhaps we need to reinterpret what we mean by the kingdom of God as the commonwealth of God. This is an interesting notion placing the Gospel at its heart as a subversive political message to be fully heard and heeded. Whilst not an exact translation of the word kingdom (Basileia) used of in the New Testament to refer to the reign of the Messiah, it is worth exploting. Jesus’ picture of this Kingdom of God is a call to all of us to look at the world from the underside, to suspend our conventional ideas of authority and advantage, and to live our lives seeking impartiality with integrity in everything we do.

Perhaps the best definition of Commonwealth is found in acts 4:6 The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. What is the theological impact of this 1st century image on or contemporary situation.

Gustavo Gutierrez, the great liberation theologian, defines theology as "critical reflection on historical praxis." Doing theology requires the theologian to be immersed in his or her own intellectual and sociopolitical history. Theology is not a system of timeless truths, engaging the theologian in the repetitious process of systematization and apologetic argumentation. Theology is a dynamic, ongoing exercise involving contemporary insights into knowledge (epistemology), man (anthropology), and history (social analysis). "Praxis" means more than the application of theological truth to a given situation. It means the discovery and the formation of theological truth out of a given historical situation through personal participation in the struggle for a commonwealth of God.

Is the Lord among us or not? Lectionary Leanings 28 September

Preaching a sermon about water after a summer where everyone seems to have had more than their fill of what I've told my students is really liquid sunshine, may seem like overkill. However, I think that the lectionary readings for this coming Sunday can perhaps give some theological context to the contemporary downpours.

Exodua 17:1-7 and Matthew 21:23-32

The Exodus reading has Prime Minister Moses trying to deal with a disgruntled representative cabinet questioning his leadership and asking what he was going to do about their current lack of liquid assets. Sounds rather familiar. Things are not going right for anyone and someone must be to blame! Its an everyone-but-me-situation.

The Gospel reading has another encounter with political overtones over the question of baptism and who has the right to exercise authority.

Brian P. Stoffregen wonders if it is God who comes in these situations and does things that threaten and shatter our understandings of God; and that it is the demonic who wants us to maintain the status quo about God -- which will normally be too narrow an understanding of the God whose ways are far beyond our own.









The thing I find significant within these readings is what I would call the hidden intervention of God. The people of Israel where aware of the results of the desert miracle, refreshing water, but not of the one who supplied their need. The elite in the temple where conscious of the religious principles but not of their theological significance or spiritual implications.

The cry of the Israelites was, "Is the Lord among us or not" and the Pharisees saw but did not believe. For the Desert community we read that God said to Moses I will be standing there in front of you on the rock and still they didn't see. For the temple groupies; the word made flesh was their teacher yet they failed to see or understand him.

Is it still a question of water, water all around and not a drop to drink?

Brueggemann makes an interesting observation in that there is a problem presented, God intervenes to solve the problem and they no longer are thirsty. In our advertising it is the "commodity" that becomes the substitute for God and provides the answer, whether it is the answer to loneliness, depression, popularity, joy well being etc. (Brueggemann: 818)

Wesleyian Economics 21st Century Update

I wonder if a fresh reading of John Wesley's sermon; 'the use of money' can add anything to the current fiscal debate amongst world leaders in New York. In my minds eye I have a a whimsical vision of this 18th century Anglican cleric in cassock and cloak alongside president, prime minster and parliamentarian calling them back to basics.

Mind you, his basics are no simple formula or easy recipe. His sermon is complex and perhaps corresponds to the nature of the current crisis. The full text is available at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/50/.

In this sermon Wesley advocates three equally important 'rules'; Gain all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can.

Wesley based his sermon on the text found in Luke 16:9 "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." (NIV)

The simplicity of Wesley's Gain, Save, Give philosophy becomes distorted when this economic flow is stalled, diverted or high jacked. Does that sound familiar? In the Biblical Theology Bulletin, Fall, 2004, Douglas E. Oakman helps us understand that,

What was originally a radical social critique by Jesus and his
followers of the violent and oppressive political-economic order in
the countryside under the early empire becomes in Luke's conception
a rather innocuous sharing-ethic ambiguous in its import
for rural dwellers.... For Jesus, the kingdom of God was world
reconstruction, especially beneficial for a rural populace
oppressed by debt and without secure subsistence. For Luke,
political expediency demands that the world restructuring be limited
to alleviating the harshest aspects of political economy within
the local Christian community by benefaction and generalized
reciprocity [Oakman 1991 : 177].

Perhaps the issue is that within the 21st context we are obsessed with individual wealth and possessions, rather than contributors to a commonwealth for all. Perhaps it is this word "all" in Wesley's fiscal trilogy that needs additional consideration.

Economy

The Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches hold a theology of economy or oeconomy (Greek: οικονόμια, economia) that basically means the good "handling" or disposition" or "management" of a thing. Originally this meant the management and regulation of the resources of the household and included the immediate family with its slaves and dependents. So what of the current economic plight of the household of humanity?

Bishops Williams, Sentamu and Wright have all joined the recent economic crisis debate with the Archbishop of Canterbury stating much as Marx suggested that the financial crisis is based upon - "a kind of mythology" in which people invested their faith, wrongly assuming it would work for the common good.

Neil Crowther of 'Nothing without us or nothing about us', reveals that when we realise that 40% of all those out of work are disabled, then we recognize that disability disadvantage severely undermines economic growth of the world's household. The old testament constantly reminds us of our need to include the widows, orphans and the poor. Now that's economy!

It makes one think as to how far my decisions includes or excludes another and has an economic affect.

Cover-up

I once heard of a minister who had a notice beside the coat stand in the hallway of his house that read. 'hang up your coat and your mask'. Today, I've pondered how many images I project to others? How many of these are masks that are of my own making and which ones are imposed upon me by others?

James Arthur Baldwin, the American essayist remarked “Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.” he also wrote “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

Taking off my mask in the presence of a loving one who shares my vulnerability means coming face to face with my true image, warts and all and sharing the beauty of that encounter. My unmasking surely has something to do with what St Paul meant when he talked about the glory of Christ as the one who is the exact likeness of God and I can share that likeness. Now that's an astounding image to comprehend.

Turris fortissima est nomen Jehova "The name of Jehova is the strongest tower"

What's in a name? I've always been fascinated by the meaning behind names.

An educational psychologist friend commented that he had noticed how people seem to take on the persona expressed by their names. In my case he could be right. Paul means little and those who know me would endorse that I am vertically challenge. My second, is a family inheritance handed down from a previous generation, Alfred. Yes you've got it the one who burnt the cakes and this name has two meanings. The first is elf-like, adequately describing my love of humour and practical jokes, whilst the second, wise counsel, denotes continuing counselling ministry. Collings, a channel name, comes from an old french connection indicating a gentle nature indicative of a cooing dove.

Put all this together and you get the gentle little elf-like wise counsellor, a tough name to live up to.

As a Plymouth boy I have also taken for myself the motto of my home town. Turris fortissima est nomen Jehova "The name of Jehovah is the strongest tower" Whilst I often struggle to live up to my name, I have always found God to be my anchor point, my rock, regardless of the severity of the storm I face.