Sing for the moment

Lent 5b – Sunday 25th March 2012
John 12: 20-33

C’mon, sing with me, sing, sing for the years
Sing it, sing for the laughter, sing for the tears, c’mon,
Sing it with me, just for today, maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away…

Another week, another song that’s inspired my blog. And once again it Eminem, so I can share the chorus with you. Want to hear any more then don’t forget it’s Parental Advisory Lyrics time.

Whatever you may want to say about Eminem, Jay-Z, Scroobius Pip – or any other rapper or hip-hop artist – they occasionally do write a song that makes a great deal of sense. Basically, what Eminem is saying in this song, is that a lot of bad stuff happens in people’s lives, so you’ve got to live for the moment.

Now, isn’t that what Jesus was saying in this Sunday’s lectionary reading?

Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.

Is Jesus living for the moment? Or in this moment does he know that his actions will take on – as people say – universal significance?
Lia Scholl looks deeply at this question in her blog – The Result of Revolution – for The Hardest Question. She asks if Jesus understood the universal implications of his death, and does it really matter?

Lia Scholl compares the way that Jesus predicts his own death in the same manner that Martin Luther King predicted his death in 1968. The sermon “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” is a very well known one, and in it Martin Luther King implied that he could tell that his death was coming, not because of some sixth sense, or some ability to predict the future, but instead because every revolutionary faces death.

In the same way that he famously said, “I may not get there with you,” didn’t Jesus say something very, very similar to his disciples?

For me, the crux of the matter, is that Jesus wanted to bring glory to God as a result of his actions. He wanted to do God’s will, to follow God’s way, to be obedient to the cross. And that is where the challenge lies for us. We should want to bring glory to God through our actions, actions that at times seem very difficult. Whilst not many of us could class ourselves as revolutionaries, and I’ve not so much as gone to the mountaintop as to a very small hillock, our actions should be just as bold and courageous.

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.

Where was Jesus? The Cross. Where do we need to be? The Cross. To serve. To worship. To care. To bring peace and compassion. This is the journey we are called to.

Sing for the moment.

Happy days

The Axe of Forgiveness

The Axe of Forgiveness – the Love of God

Lent 4b – Sunday 18th March 2012
John 3: 14-21

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

To relax I like nothing better than reading a good book. I’m something of a fan of Lee Child and his Jack Reacher series of books. I also like Jeffrey Deaver and Simon Kernick, where the pace of story leaves you absolutely breathless.

Just recently, I fancied a change of style and I picked up “Unseen Academicals” by Terry Pratchett. I hadn’t read any of his Discworld series of books, but thought a book about football (or foot-the-ball as the book calls it) would be right up my street. And what a surprise I was in for. Terry Pratchett writes with the greatest ease and this book was a wonderfully rollicking adventure with much laughter and wisdom along the way.

The story revolves around Mr Nutt – who, it turns out, is an Orc. Orc’s were created to be the ultimate fighting machine, and they could tear their own arms off to use as weapons! Mr Nutt is one of the last of his type and so there are many that fear him and want to destroy him. Terry Pratchett uses this theme to make you think about prejudice and ignorance, and most especially about your own journey of self-discovery. Several of the characters in the story – not just the central one – discover a new world awaiting them if they’re brave enough to embrace it.

Perhaps the most poignant moment in the book comes close to the end. Mr Nutt is invited to go to Uberwald to save some other Orc’s, and he is told that Pastor Oats is continuing his mission there. This is heart-warming for Mr Nutt, for Pastor Oats was his mentor and protector in his early days. Mr Nutt is told that Pastor Oats would like to give him Forgiveness. To this, Glenda (Mr Nutt’s love interest) says that he doesn’t need forgiveness – against the implication that as an Orc he is a somewhat less than perfect creature. But Mr Nutt explains that Forgiveness is a double-headed axe that Pastor Oats carries, and indeed when Pastor Oats first discover Mr Nutt he was chained to an anvil, and he used Forgiveness to break his chains and set him free.

What a wonderful image. How many of us are chained to invisible anvils and need setting free by the axe of Forgiveness? “Unseen Academicals”. It’s just a book. But, by golly, it’s a wonderfully inspiring book. I’ve just started the first book of the Discworld series – “The Colour of Money” – I’ll let you know what it’s like.

I just wish more people would pick up The Book – The Bible – and be inspired. Because this truly is the book to read. A journey of self-discovery? It’s what we all need.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Happy days

Cleanin out my closet

Lent 3b – Sunday 11th March 2012
John 2: 13-22

A Musical Motif Part 3…

Have you ever been hated or discriminated against?
I have; I’ve been protested and demonstrated against
Picket signs for my wicked rhymes, look at the times
Sick as the mind of the kid that’s behind all this commotion
Look at me now; I bet ya probably sick of me now ain’t you momma?
I’m a make you look so ridiculous now

The words of Eminem’s hit song ‘Cleanin out my closet’. People often regard rap music as the ugliest form of music. Not sure I’d agree, but there you have it.

Week three of Lent and we have one of the ugliest passages in scripture.

Now there’s a way to start my blog this week!

But, yes, I do mean it. This is one of the ugliest, scariest, hardest and mean passages in scripture. Why? Because it has justified the righteous action of religious people ever since.

War? This supports it. Keep Sunday special? This supports it. Break a strike? This supports it. Prejudiced behaviour? This supports it. Against rap music? This supports it.

In fact, for those who like life to be black and white this is one of their favourite passages. Now I’m a man who likes a bit of colour to brighten the journey. When I got up this morning there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The sky was a wonderful shade of blue, the sun shining brightly, the hills looking green and lush, flowers in purples and white pushing through the soil. But boy was it cold. The beauty of the day is balanced against the coldness of the frost. And isn’t life like that? It’s full of paradoxes. It’s random. There’s 1001 vagaries. And those are the colours, the blues, greens, purples, reds, blacks, pinks, vermilions, browns and greys that make up life.

For the people of Israel the temple was the house of God. It housed the Ark of the Covenant. It was where people worshipped God. There wasn’t multiple places to go and worship God – just pop down the road to your local temple. God’s presence was in the temple, in Jerusalem. It was black and white. And then Jesus comes along and claims to be that temple – They asked, “What credentials can you present to justify this?” Jesus answered, “Tear down this Temple and in three days I’ll put it back together.” – Jesus says he is the temple, he is the place where the presence of God resides among his people, not some building, nor some box or crate. And once again life is lit up with hints of yellows and greens. And so to defile that place – with loan sharks and dove merchants – with wars and oppression – is to defile him.

So, perhaps Jesus was cleaning out his closet – if you don’t mind me calling the Temple a closet! And here, in John’s gospel we see the practical, dynamic action of God. Not something to be copied or claimed. Never something to justify our actions. But a visible, magnificent, colourful display of just how passionate God is for his world and its people. He hates to see injustice in his world, it destroys him when there is anger, hatred and selfishness, he is enraged to see power used to oppress and bully people.

Later, after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said.

Just waiting for the penny to drop.

Happy days

But it’s provocative

Lent 2b – Sunday 4th March 2012
Mark 8: 31-38

Continuing my musical theme from last week…

…we drop in for a moment on the wonderful world of Jay-Z and Kanye West, who’ve collaborated on a new album, Watch the Throne. They’ll be no album track this week, as the language leaves little to the imagination, and even listing lyrics is difficult. But I like his records, with The Blueprint 3 probably my favourite, and Watch the Throne not far behind. Good music if you’re out for a jog! Anyway, in one of the tracks of Watch the Throne:

Kanye West raps: “And they’re going gorilla’s”.

And taking a plug from the film Blades of Glory we hear Jon Heder say, “I don’t even know what that means!” To which Will Ferrell replies, “Nobody knows what it means, but it’s provocative. Gets the people going.”

I was reminded of those words as I prepared for this week’s lectionary readings, and my browser landed on the website of the Scarlet Letter Bible. I enjoyed reading the blog for this Sunday, and as I turned to find out a little bit more about the website I came across this explanation:

The Scarlet Letter Bible is so named because it’s likely to be just a little scandalous to the folks who think Jesus really said everything verbatim in the Red Letter editions commonly found in Christian bookstores.
The scarlet part is part translation, part paraphrase, part imaginative interpretation. The aim here is to convey a provocative reading of the Bible’s intent that can be understood in current terms. It’s not about technical linguistic accuracy, more like impact accuracy.
The black part is commentary. It’s meant to be edifying for people who read the Bible from the point of view of spiritual seekers, disaffected Christians and other Jesus followers for whom the traditional line no longer makes sense, pastors and all churchgoers in stuck churches who want to get their church unstuck, agnostics, atheists and secular humanists who are open to receiving wisdom from ancient texts, people of other faiths who are curious about the Bible and want to read it without being proselytized.

But it’s provocative…

That’s what I like about the Bible. Whilst it may be comforting, reassuring and encouraging, it’s also provocative, challenging and painful to read. Take, for instance, this Sunday’s reading:

Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”

The contrast between what we often perceive the Christian journey to be and what is actually required of us is often huge – poles apart. Likewise, the expectation that Jesus envisaged for himself – suffering, hardship, persecution and death – and what Peter imagined things would be like – the anointed Messiah – didn’t bear any similarities. For God to come and live among us and not experience suffering, pain and rejection – even death – would make it an inauthentic expression, a token gesture. But as Caspar Green says:

Far from being a super-man with extra-human power, Jesus begins to teach them about being authentically human. Mark’s Jesus insists that to be authentically human is to be willing to suffer, to be rejected, even to die, in order to take the side of the oppressed and abused. There is no glorious rescue from beyond. There is only the human work of restoring to the human family those who have been dehumanized for the profit of the rulers, the religious, and the bureaucratic task-masters.

Mark’s Jesus insists that the only way to truly live, to be immortal, is to give oneself completely over to that cause. Paradoxically, fitting in, going along to get along, failing to stand up to the powers of oppression inevitably lead to an inauthentic unsustainable humanity. For Mark’s Jesus, authenticity is life, in-authenticity is death.

Now that’s provocative.

Having just watched the Occupy London protest being evicted from the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral I have the sneaking suspicion that their action has a more authentic ring to it than much of our Christian protest and action. We like things to be a bit more comfortable than camping out for four months.

Now that’s provocative.

I see that Matt Redman and LZ7 have just gone to number one in the Amazon MP3 download chart with their single Twenty Seven Million. The single has been released because there’s an estimated 27 million people caught up in human trafficking today – the highest in documented history. They are modern day slaves, victims of organised criminal activity including prostitution, migrant smuggling and child labour. Tragically, fewer than 2% of those affected are rescued. The single supports the A21 Campaign in its mission to abolish the injustice of human trafficking by preventing trafficking, supporting survivors and prosecuting traffickers.

Now that’s provocative.

The Bible is challenging and life changing. Jesus embodies all that in the life he lived. The call to us is to live authentic God-filled lives for our families and communities today.

Now that’s provocative.

I need to be challenged more. I’m off to listen to some more Jay-Z…

Happy days

Baggy Trousers

Lent 1b – Sunday 26th February 2012
Mark 1: 9-15

Oh what fun we had, but, did it really turn out bad?
All I learnt at school, was how to bend – not break – the rules
Oh what fun we had but at the time it seemed so bad,
Trying different ways to make a difference to the days.

They say that storytelling is an art. I say that storytelling is as natural as breathing air.

After a busy weekend, workmates gather around the water-cooler to recount how their trip to the football went. A daughter rings her mum to tell her all about her child’s first day at school. Neighbours meet in the street and talk about the delays and problems caused by the local roadworks. Friends tell of relationship problems involving pain and hurt. Holidays remembered. Concerts shared. Tears shed. Laughter at how foolish we can be.

Stories. Stories. Stories.

I remember being told as a child to stop telling stories – implying that I was lying or making something up. But most of our stories are true. Most of our stories are a reflection of our lives, of what has happened to us, of what we’ve achieved.

I tell stories every Sunday through my sermons, every tea-time I share what I’ve done with my day, to my son I recall what life was like back in the day.

In my ministry I hear stories about the dramatic impact God has on people’s lives.

Stories. Stories. Stories.

This last weekend I visited the Burnley Mechanics (the theatre venue not the car repair emporium) to see Suggs: My life story in words and music. Suggs is the lead singer with the iconic 1980’s pop group Madness, and taking time out from his radio, TV and band commitments he is touring the UK to tell his story. Wistfully, humorously, honestly, he tells his story, interspersed with some of the bands hits. It all began – he says – because he turned 50, his kids left home and the cat died!

Stories. Stories. Stories.

The gospel is full of stories. They are our primary interaction with the Word of God. They draw us in, they challenge us, they comfort us, they disturb us. And just like with his Son, God loves our story. We read in Mark 1:

And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

What is amazing is that we bring great joy to God as well. Lives lived faithful for God bring him great joy. Even more amazingly, such is his grace, lives lived unfaithfully for God bring him great joy too. God wants to touch our lives with his love. He goes out of his way to win our hearts – he goes via The Cross. His story is the most amazing, the most compelling, the most welcoming. It says,

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

Tell God your story.

Happy days

He’s a legend

Epiphany 7b – Sunday 19th February 2012
Mark 2: 1-12

It was recently Parents Evening.

And with our son at a very critical stage of his education we went along keen to hear how he was getting on and how we can best help prepare him for his forthcoming exams. We were very pleased with his progress. We were more impressed with his positive attitude and the potential that the teachers saw in him. There are some rough edges along the way, but none that can’t be smoothed out before the exams start. Hard Work. Hard Work. Hard Work. That was the message that came up time after time.

We went on to meet one of our sons teachers (whose name and subject will remain anonymous to protect the innocent) who spoke very encouragingly about his achievements. Towards the end of our allocated slot I asked the innocuous question: “Which approach should we take? Should our son have a lie-in on Sunday mornings to compensate for all the hard work he’s putting in, or should he come to church?”

Without a moment’s hesitation the teacher replied: “Oh, definitely, he should be at church. In fact, Rev Chappell, all his friends in class have been telling me what a legend you are!”

Now I know the word ‘legend’ is bandied around too lightly these days, but under the circumstances I thought it was the appropriate word to use!

We like to have our ego’s massaged. We like to be well thought of, to be admired. But with respect comes responsibility. Twice this has caught my attention in the past couple of days and made me think about this whole issue.

Some people think Luis Suarez is a legend. He’s discovered – in the harshest possible way – that with respect comes responsibility and he fell far short of what was expected of him. To behave with dignity and respect for others is part and parcel of being a legend. To extend the hand of reconciliation and forgiveness is vital. But you also have to behave with dignity and respect for yourself.

And this I didn’t know about Whitney Houston. Am I the only one not to know of her battle with drink and drugs? I wasn’t a big fan of hers, but she made good records and had a natural talent. I thought she just hadn’t recorded much in recent years and so was out of the spotlight. So it was a tremendous shock to hear of her unexpected death on Saturday, for she certainly was a legend. But she had few ‘real’ friends? She had alcohol problems? She had drug and prescription medication addiction? This I never knew. We can’t be a legend to others and not to ourselves.

One man who was a legend was Jesus. I know Mark’s gospel is only forty-five verses into its story, but by the time Mark chapter 2 comes along Jesus is a legend. People are flocking to hear him speak, to be refreshed, renewed and revitalised by his sheer presence. He has what it takes. He’s got dignity. He’s got respect. He’s full of grace. He’s aware of everyone around him. He knows people’s needs. He knows people’s thoughts.

And more than that, he could see potential in others. It wasn’t all about him. And where he saw hope and belief he reinforced it by acknowledging it. Bold belief.  Courageous faith.

“Son, I forgive your sins.”
“Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home.”

God still speaks to us today. When others would seek to condemn us or put us down he picks us up. He heals, forgives, wipes away our tears – he makes us legends. Isn’t it about time we started behaving like one?

Happy days