Questions and more questions

In England everyone has recently received the 2011 Census form. We’re supposed to fill in these forms on the 27th of March, but I’ve read the form all the way through already because the questions asked and the data generated from it is of great interest to me. I’ve used census data before in research and I will use the data from this year’s census in future research, especially as it helps sketch a picture of each parish and of the nation. It is compulsory for everyone to complete the census, to the point where you could be fined if you do not. But I find it fascinating that there is one question that is ‘voluntary’. Which question is that? It's the one about religion. Every other question is compulsory, including who you have staying overnight on the night of 27th March. Why is the religion question voluntary? Maybe it’s considered too personal, or maybe it’s too controversial.

Another question I find interesting is number 37: ‘At your workplace, what is the main activity of your employer or business?’ Well, I am paid by the Church of England. So what is the main activity of the Church of England? I know some people could come up with a few sarcastic answers to that one. But what should be the Church of England's main activity (in no more than 50 characters)? I was going to put 'The Cure of Souls'. My daughter thinks that sounds really naff.

------------------------------------------------------

In the past couple of days I’ve read two rather disturbing articles on the BBC News website. The first one is about a survey carried out by the British Humanist Association that suggests that two-thirds of Britons are not religious. You can read that one here.

The second article is about a study that uses census data from nine countries that shows religion will become 'extinct'. You can read it here.

What are we to make of all this? I'm mulling it over.

Sustenance

Among my usual curacy activities of sermon and service preparation, visiting, chaplaincy, funerals, meetings, IME coursework and teaching the confirmation class, I've been involved in a particularly intense ongoing pastoral situation for the past six months that has greatly challenged my personal emotional, physical and spiritual resources. As part of my continuing education, I'm currently writing a paper on pastoral ministry and through this a question has come up: what is sustaining me through all of this?

Well, the short answer, in my view, is: the Holy Spirit. I know the Spirit is sustaining me and equipping me because I know I couldn't do this on my own. My faith is as strong as ever. But because of this particularly challenging ongoing situation, I've been finding it very difficult to focus during prayer time. I'm more easily distracted than usual. I find music very helpful for this, especially instrumental music. I'm not as chatty with God in prayer at the moment - I often just need to sit still in God's presence and not say too much apart from the occasional lifting up names of people who are in need.

The bible has always been significant in sustaining me and that's not changed, though I only seem to be able to manage small bites lately. I have less energy and often need a nap to sustain me. I often stay up too late and I'm not sleeping very well. I'm my own worst enemy, though, and I know I need to get more exercise (or at least some exercise) and make better eating choices, which would help all around.

I would like to say that my family also sustains me, but I'm not too sure at the moment! Sometimes they do, but sometimes they don't. That's the reality of family, of course... I couldn't live without them. I am really looking forward to our holiday back home to California in the summer. I haven't met with my Spiritual Director for quite a while. I think I really should set up a meeting with her. My training incumbent deserves a mention here, too, as he helps me to reflect on ministry and offers a listening ear.

In this role I have witnessed the effects of some of the worst things humans can do to others, but also I've witnessed some of the best things of humanity. My heart alternates between swelling with love and joy and throbbing with pain for another. But I remain hopeful. My fundamentally optimistic nature helps. But really what sustains me is my faith - faith in a good God, in a God who does care - faith in a God who is making all things new, even though it is painful. We do need sustenance to persevere. St. Paul teaches us a lot about perseverance and endurance. I think I'll go read him right now.

Ring Bell for Church Renewal

Thank God for people like John Bell. We had an 'optional' IME day today (IME = Initial Ministerial Education, or curate training day) with John Bell of the Iona Community and I'm sure glad I took the option to attend. Bell's easy and authentic way of communicating was warming and inspiring.

The theme was something along the lines of sacred spaces and symbols, and discussion revolved initially around things like church architecture, reordering the space so that it speaks of such important qualities as welcome, gathered community, singing praise, word & table & heavenly kingdom. Some of our churches are a product of their time, architecturally speaking. Individual private worship in rigid pews, austere aesthetics, high distant altar, etc. Bell talked about ways churches can change (eek! change???) to become more meaningful authentic worship spaces that reflect Jesus as being right there among his people. Chairs instead of pews, arranged in the round with a central table seems to be Bell's vision, and this happens in places. I'm quite attracted to the idea. The solid arguments for change must be based on the need to welcome all, for the sake of effective mission and evangelism.

A question was brought up from the audience about projector screens. I think the asker was asking about the screen as a central focal point and Bell's views on this, but his reply was interesting. His concern was the fleeting nature of song lyrics on a screen, as opposed to the permanence of black ink on a service sheet or songbook. People cannot reflect as easily on song lyrics that vanish immediately from sight after being sung as they can when, perhaps during the sermon, they can revisit the text of the lyrics on the sheet or in a book. They can often see who wrote the song or hymn, and when it was written, too. Bell spoke of the ability of the words to minister to us, and asks whether this ministry is as effective if the words just disappear. He suggests if a screen is used to also use books or song sheets as well, and don't worry about the trees in this instance, it is worth it. If you're concerned about the trees, protest against all the junk mail or free 'news' papers everywhere, he said.

In the second half of the day Bell focussed on symbols. First, using the wedding service as an example, he asked us to think about what the actions are really symbolising. If a couple who already have been living together decide to wed in the traditional manner of father 'giving away' the bride, what is this meaning? People do like tradition, though, for its own sake, even if they haven't thought much about the meaning at all. And why do the congregation, who after all are there as 'witnesses', only get to see the backsides of the bride and groom during the ceremony? Apparently this has origins in the days when weddings were much quieter and smaller affairs, often held in the parsonage with only a couple of witnesses.

Music is also a symbolic thing. Our God is a symbolic God - this is shown in the bible when God asks his people, for example, to build rock cairns at places of significance. Jesus gave us the most potent symbols of bread and wine as his body and his blood. Bell cautioned against the use of symbolic actions in worship if it hasn't got relevance - there is a difference between symbolic action and gimmicry.

Finally, Bell demonstrated how the wonderful songs from the Iona Community can be used in a liturgical setting, especially the short songs, which are like chants, really. Prayers or bible readings can be interspersed with these short songs, and we tried out a few and they were lovely. 'Church renewal' is what the Iona Community says its about, and John Bell is a wonderful, inspirational spokesperson. God bless him.

God's Creation

I'm going to show this video at the start of the young people's confirmation class that starts next week.

Thank you Lord

Praising God today for small miracles and answered prayer! (Can't give details as they are confidential).

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

(Psalm 9:1-2)

This morning I am rejoicing for a friend. Hallelujah!

Living by the Heart

Matthew 5:21-37
The gospel for today is part of ‘The Sermon on the Mount’, which in its entirety takes up all of chapters 5, 6, & 7 of Matthew’s gospel. We heard some of the sermon last week, and we’ll hear more of it next week and on into March. For disciples of Jesus, I think the Sermon on the Mount should be read repeatedly - marked, learned and inwardly digested. In the section we heard this morning from chapter 5, verses 21-37, Jesus ‘expounds’ the law; in other words, Jesus looks at some of the Ten Commandments and develops them further – he affirms the law, and goes beyond it. “You have heard that it was said ‘You shall not murder’, but I tell you that anyone who is angry will be subject to judgment”. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’, but I tell you that anyone who lusts has already committed adultery”. “Again, you have heard that it was said ‘do not break your oath’, but I tell you, do not swear an oath at all”.

Jesus is really challenging us here in this passage to true integrity, goodness and compassion in dealing with anger, lust, adultery, divorce and making promises. By this passage, Jesus shows us the level of purity that is found in God. When we hear these words, we all recognise our shortcomings. How can any of us mere mortals possibly live up to these high standards? We can only hope to come close to this level of purity if we live from the heart rather than from our self-promoting ego. This is what’s important to God – love, faithfulness, loyalty and reconciliation. And this is what true discipleship looks like.

The heart is the place where obedience and righteousness are made possible; and the heart is the only place from which Christ-like grace and compassion can flow. Righteousness is not just about following laws imposed upon us from the outside – it’s about what happens in the heart. Christ’s challenge is to refuse to allow ourselves to live only by the letter of the law, but to go beyond the law to living from the heart – serving, seeking justice, offering welcome and compassion, protecting the vulnerable and preserving our rich ecological heritage on the planet. To adopt Christ’s heart-driven life is sometimes painful and difficult. But it will open the door to life for us and for others.

When we speak of ‘the heart’, it’s the heart that seeks God’s will – it’s the heart that listens to God’s Spirit living within him or her. The opposite of living ‘by the heart’ is living by the ego. The ego is the selfish part of our self, the part that wants to be the centre of the universe and wants to control things out of fear and pride; the part that doesn’t think too deeply about the effects our thoughts or actions have on other people or on the created world. The ego is the veil that keeps us from seeing God’s vision for the world and for ourselves and other people, and keeps us from fully living, loving and serving. The ego-self edges God out, it edges inspiration out; it inhibits growth. The ego state of mind brings discontentment and fear and a continual desire for the next, newer, or younger thing. It ultimately leads to our unhappiness and dissatisfaction.

In Luke 9:23-24 Jesus says: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” We all have an ego-self, and would benefit us to be aware of this. But as disciples of Christ, not only do we want to be aware of our ego, we also hope that through that awareness, and through prayer and obedience, our ego will become less significant in influence (i.e. we will decrease), and the influence of God’s Spirit in our heart will become more significant (he will increase). That’s what is meant by ‘dying to self’ - dying to self means determining to live for Christ rather than for our self. And this is a daily battle. In his 1st letter to the Corinthians [15:31], St. Paul writes, "I die daily." Paul, a veteran apostle who witnessed many miracles and had a revelation of Christ, still had to personally die to his own selfish desires. We do too, daily.

The Christian life must be based on a humble heart. When we’re willing to humble ourselves through a realistic awareness of our ego’s self-serving influence, then we’re able to make progress on the narrow path that leads to life. It’s a choice that we have to make in every moment – will we experience life, perceive our self, and engage with the world from the heart or from the ego? That choice determines how clearly God’s pure values of love, faithfulness, loyalty and reconciliation will be reflected in our life.

This living from the heart takes far more work, and far more awareness than legalism. It requires us to allow God to constantly challenge our attitudes and convictions, to constantly transform our feelings and reactions and to constantly call us to a higher standard. In this way of living we cannot sit back and rest in the future guarantee of heaven. We are called to work to be citizens of heaven now, and to actively bring heaven into our world and into our lives through submitting to God’s gracious guidance. If we’re courageous enough to embark on the journey of heart-driven living, we will discover a richness and a fullness to life, a deeper connectedness and a more gracious way of relating and living together.

Whenever we interact with family, friends, neighbours and strangers, with those who are safe and those who are not, may we live by heart. When we deal with those who help us and those who challenge us, with the poor and with the wealthy, may we live by heart. With those in our care, or with those in authority over us, may we live by heart. Whenever we eat, spend, drive, use or enjoy anything that this world has gifted us, may we live by heart. May we refuse to settle for simply doing what the law requires, giving ourselves instead to live from hearts that are captured by God’s Spirit. And through our daily living by heart may the heart of our world be positively transformed. Amen.

(with thanks to John van de Laars at Sacredise)

Give More Life

Found a good blog post today. It begins with a quote from someone called Brennan Manning: “In every encounter we either give life or we drain it; there is no neutral exchange.“

40 Ways to Give More Life.

I'm sure there are even more ways than this to discover, too!