I've been trying to help the children at church understand that Jesus is King, and what it means for him to be King of our hearts, time, friendships and even our pocket money, what it looks like to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness" (Matthew 6 v 33).
It seems they have been listening.
Last Sunday, when it got to that point in the service when the collection bag came round, I put in my usual smattering of coins. I have a standing order to the church bank account, so my weekly cash offering is just a bit on top.
But moments later, two small hands dove into my purse. Two little girls removed a fistful of cash and put it into the velvet pouch we use to collect money for “Jesus’ work”.
“Do you think that’s enough now?” I whispered, hoping to avoid alerting the rest of the congregation to my emerging fiscal crisis. But no, yet more of my money was removed and given to Jesus. Why? Because he is King over all we have.
My stomach knotted. I wanted to chastise them for taking my cash. I needed it to buy cake and to hop on and off buses so I could avoid walking short distances in the cold.
But as the pound coins tumbled, the penny started to drop. I had fallen into the trap of thinking that because I give regularly to the church, I’ve done my bit. I had subconsciously assumed that the rest of my cash could be spent on whatever I liked without any reference to God. Despite teaching on it, I hadn’t really grasped that Jesus is King over everything in my purse.
I did the maths when I got home. The remaining money is more than adequate for my needs. But the missing cash, the stuff that would have gone on meaningless trivia, is now going to gospel-work. And on reflection, that’s pretty exciting (even more exciting than cake!)
A great truth to ease you into your week.
After all the theological stuff we’ve been posting recently, I thought you deserved a game (actually, this isn't purely a game, and it is theological—but I hope you'll play along anyway!). Here are some instructions.
First, pick a number. Any number. Well, any number between 6 and 23. Sorted?
Now look at your diary (or your TV guide) and see what you are going to be doing the next time the clock hits that number. (I’m sure you’ve worked it out but just in case you haven’t, you need to be thinking 24 hour clock… ). Done that?
Lastly, ask yourself this question: “What difference is my faith in Jesus going to make to how I approach that activity?”
Whether it’s watching the news, collecting the kids, enduring a commute, chairing a meeting, enjoying a meal out with friends or being home alone, your faith should make a difference… so why not take a short moment to think through what that difference should be and prepare yourself to act in a distinctively Christ-centred way today?
Enjoy!
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3 v 17
Foster carersGreat interview on Sky Sports this morning with Greg Cushing, who played scrum-half for Cambridge University in this afternoon's rugby league clash with Oxford.
Greg's a committed Christian, and in the report speaks openly and non-cheesily about his faith (interspersed with the obligatory shots of the river in Cambridge and heavy-looking books about Christianity).
It's well worth watching the whole two minutes here, but here's a great quote from Greg, linking his experience of having team-mates in rugby to how he sees and values Jesus:
"You just have to look into their eyes and when they say 'I will lay my body on the line for you', you know they're telling the truth.
"When you look into Jesus' eyes, metaphorically, you see that look, that look of self-sacrifice, that says 'Not only will I lay my body on the line for you, I will pour out my blood for you, I will give my life for you.'"
The only bit he seemed to hesitate on at all was whether he was praying for victory. Which has got me thinking about how Christian elite sportsmen pray: is it right to pray for victory? And how do I (definitely not an elite sportsman!) pray in the equivalent situations in my life. I'm having a think, and I imagine there'll be a blog on it before too long…
Spotted this link on the BBC news website: "Kinky Granny among those who passed". Of course "Kinky Granny" grabs attention - but what caught my eye was "passed".
Passed what? Her driving test? The citizenship exam? Her 100th birthday? No—it was a link to the monthly review of lesser-known people who've recently died.
But I still want to know what "passed" means. Is it short for "passed on" or "passed away"? If so, where to? Some pleasant place where the deceased meet loved ones and look down benevolently on this world, like in the bestseller The Lovely Bones? Or have they "passed" some kind of entrance exam, proving themselves good enough for "heaven"?
Or is it simply that their lives have passed - been used up, finished, no longer existing?
If the BBC mean any of the above, it can only be because they don't believe Jesus' words: "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5 v 24
Today is World Book Day (which is why you might have spotted schoolchildren doing a bad impression of Harry Potter/Spiderman/Bella Swan).
So, to celebrate, we'd love you to tell us in the Comment section below:
Which book has had the most effect on you in the past year?
That's a deliberately vague question, and secular books allowed just as much as Christian ones!
Interesting comment from Kirsty Young, who’s presenting a new BBC series called “The British at work” from 10th March.
In the last 15 years work has, she says, shifted from “being what we do to who we are”.
If that’s the case, then we’d expect work increasingly to be an idol in people’s lives (my career is what gives me worth, gives me what I need, and what comes first when push comes to shove); and we’d need to communicate the good news of the gospel accordingly.
But I wonder if this shift is in fact quite geographically-specific. Our London commuter suburb is full of “live to work” people, by choice or by necessity. But before London, we lived in Hull, which has a (much healthier) “work to live” kind of outlook. Different idols instead, of course, but work for most people is not a huge part of their identity.
But still, it’s worth people like me, and publishers like us, remembering that what holds true inside the M25 often doesn’t outside it!
I worked as a journalist in the Middle East for many years before I started with The Good Book Company, so I have been following the dramatic upheavals in the region with interest. We continue to pray that the slow move from authoritarian regimes to more open and democratic ones would open a door for the gospel in those countries.
One country that has not yet been touched by the troubles is Pakistan, which is far more Islamic by nature than Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. Those who study international affairs in this region predict that any spread of public unrest to Pakistan could have far more bloody outcomes than what has happened so far. Pakistan has a much stronger and more influential radical Islamic population. Parts of it are hotbeds for terrorist training. The minority of Christians in the country are under constant pressure and persecution.
One constant source of fear is the way that Pakistan's blasphemy laws allow many Christians to be falsely accused of "dishonouring Islam" and imprisoned under threat of execution. It is routinely used by radical Muslims to persecute believers.
Which makes it even more tragic that the only Christian in Pakistan's government, Shahbaz Bhatti, the Minister for Minorities Affairs, has been assassinated by gunmen in the street as he left his mother's house for a cabinet meeting.
He was a Catholic in his 40s, and had made it his goal to overcome faith-based divisions. He had already built unprecedented bridges between religious leaders in Pakistan, but had predicted his death in a remarkable interview on the BBC website.
He is not the first to be removed from Government in this way. In January Salman Taseer, the Governmor of Punjab province, was killed by a bodyguard who said he was angry that the politician opposed the blasphemy laws. To the horror of Pakistan's besieged liberals, many ordinary citizens praised the assassin - a sign of the spread of hardline Islamist thought in the country.
Campaigning group Christian Solidarity Worldwides National Director, Stuart Windsor, commented: Shahbaz Bhatti was known personally to me for twelve years, and we worked closely with him on the causes which he passionately espoused. He was a true patriot who loved his country and wanted to see the realisation of Jinnahs vision of a harmonious, pluralist society.
"He never achieved what he dedicated his life to the eventual repeal of Pakistans blasphemy laws. But he tried, bravely, and his life was a blessing to many."
Quick quiz - who is this about - fewer points the further down the list you have to go:
Give up? OK maybe the headline gave it away in connection with the leek and the date. It's St David's day today, so our greetings to all you wonderful people of Wales who may be reading this on St David's day.
As with many "saints" what we know of his life is difficult to weed out from the inflated claims that biographers make about their holiness, miracles and influence. But certainly the deathbed saying: "Do the little things", which has entered Welsh folklore as a popular proverb - 'Do the little things in life' ('Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd') - is something we can take to heart.
Do we place too much emphasis on the big things we attempt for God - and neglect the power of the small things? A gentle piece of encouragment, a small act of kindness, a text reminding someone you are praying for them, a Bible verse shared, a smile or a greeting to a stranger or a shop assistant. Life is made up for the most part of these little things. And St Dave reminds us that Christ can inhabit each of them.
