Archive for the ‘Presentations’ Category
Posted on July 11, 2010 - by Tim L
Do you dream?
Football players all over the world will have dreamt about getting to play in a team that reaches the world cup final. Sadly that dream has ended for all players apart from those in the two teams left to play tonight’s final. Their dreams will have been shattered.
Think about the conversation that might go on in any classroom up and down the country between a frustrated teacher and a pupil not paying attention. “Can you please stop day dreaming and get on with some work?”
Do you dream?
If you do dream do you do it in colour or black and white?
Can you remember your dreams?
Do you wake up in the morning and find it hard sometimes to tell the difference between the dream and reality. Sometimes, especially if you have had a bad dream, it can live with you for the rest of the day.
What are your experiences of dreams?
As time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt crossed their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the head cupbearer and the head baker, and put them in custody under the captain of the guard; it was the same jail where Joseph was held. The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to see to their needs.
After they had been in custody for a while, the king’s cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning. When Joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low. So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, “What’s wrong? Why the long faces?”
They said, “We dreamed dreams and there’s no one to interpret them.” Joseph said, “Don’t interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams.”Genesis 40; 1-8 The Message
Many of us will know that Joseph himself was a dreamer. It was his dreaming that got into so much trouble when he was with his brothers. But here it is not Joseph who dreams, but rather the Baker and Butler.
Joseph is cast in the role of dream interpreter.
In the time of Joseph dreams were a very important part of the culture. That was especially true in Egypt - the issue of interpreting those dreams was a crucial one. The Pharaoh would have had people in his court whose sole responsibility was to interpret dreams, especially those of the Pharaoh himself.
How do we understand dreams today?
For some they might be about helping us to relive and then deal with the past and things that have happened to us.
For some dreams can only be interpreted by those who have special skills. If you have a dream you have to go to this special appointed person and ask them what the dreams are all about. It can often involve you parting with some cash.
But what do we see here? What might help us today from this story of Joseph?
The dreams are not about things that have happened in the past, they are about things that will happen in the future.
Joseph makes it very clear that the interpretation of the dreams is not a special skill he has but is down to God. It is God who is the interpreter of dreams and not someone with special skills. It certainly does not involve cash in the transaction.
In days of the Egyptian empire this was profound message. When the Pharaoh was supposed to have the best dream interpreters in the then known world with all of his power and empire at his finger tips. Joseph interprets the dreams of his fellow prisoners and does so rightly as you will discover as you read the rest of chapter 40. This prisoner has a different power given freely to him by God. The Pharaoh may know many things, but here he does not know how God will move and act. He does not know how to discern the work of God in his own Empire. Only God knows that, and it is this God who gives the gift to Joseph.
The future is in God’s hands and his alone. Don’t get me wrong as Walter Brueggmann says “the men in Joseph’s prison are fated , as though all things are settled. Nor are they free, as though they could decide.” What we have is the mystery of God’s way.
My question is;
Is God trying to communicate to you through your dreams?
Are you too busy during the waking day that the only way God can make himself heard is to come to you in your dreams.
Is God trying to communicate because he wants to share with you that things are going to work out differently?
Rice and Webber were wrong you see in the opening words of the song we heard this evening. Any dream will not do.
There might be times when it seems that it is impossible that things might change, that you might be free from the prison you live in, or that you are on a set of tracks and there is no way off. It seems that you will hit the buffers, but,….but,….the future is in the hand of God
Go and watch the Honda advert - The Impossible dream
To dream the impossible dream,
To fight the unbeatable foe,
To bear with unbearable sorrow,
To run where the brave dare not go.To right the unrightable wrong,
To love pure and chaste from afar,
To try when your arms are too weary,
To reach the unreachable star.This is my quest,
To follow that star –
No matter how hopeless,
No matter how far.To fight for the right
Without question or pause,
To be willing to march
Into hell for a heavenly cause.And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will be peaceful and calm
when I’m laid to my rest.And the world will be better for this,
that one man scorned and covered with scars
still strove with his last ounce of courage.
To reach the unreachable star.(The Impossible Dream by Andy Williams)
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause,…….that’s dreaming
Posted on June 20, 2010 - by Tim L
Lessons from Joseph - Lies, lies and more lies
If you have ever played the game Truth or dare then you know how much fun or….even scary it can be. So find some friends, a bottle and start playing. There are 10 truths and 10 dares below;
10 truths
Which is your most embarrassing moment so far?
Would you kiss the person next to you?
Do you love to sleep with your teddy bear?
What is the worst fear you have in life?
If you were to win a lottery and you had to give it away to someone from this group, whom would it be and why?
Which animal most resembles your personality?
If you were locked up in a room with some other person, whom would you choose and why?
Have you got any secret talent? If, so what is it?
What’s the longest you’ve gone without taking a bath or shower?
Do you pick your nose?
10 Dares
Do 20 pushups.
Act like a gorilla for 1 minute.
Continuously talk for 3 minutes without stopping.
Do the chicken dance.
Give someone a piggyback ride.
Swap shoes with the person next to you
run around the room singing a nursery rhyme
Jump on one leg for 20 seconds with both hands on your head. *
Try licking your elbow while singing the alphabet
Call or text your brother/sister and tell them you love them
Fletcher Reid is a fast talking attorney and habitual liar. When his son Max blows out the candles on his fifth
birthday cake, he has only one wish, ‘that his dad would stop lying for 24 hours’. When Max’s wish miraculously comes true, Fletcher discovers that his biggest asset (his mouth) has suddenly become his biggest liability. Legal and emotional havoc ensue as Fletcher tries to keep his practice afloat and his ex-wife Audrey from taking their son and moving to Boston.
Go and watch the clip at Youtube clip
Later Reuben came back and went to the cistern-no Joseph! He ripped his clothes in despair. Beside himself, he went to his brothers. “The boy’s gone! What am I going to do!” They took Joseph’s coat, butchered a goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. They took the fancy coat back to their father and said, “We found this. Look it over do you think this is your son’s coat?” He recognized it at once. “My son’s coat-a wild animal has eaten him. Joseph torn limb from limb!” Jacob tore his clothes in grief, dressed in rough burlap, and mourned his son a long, long time. His sons and daughters tried to comfort him but he refused their comfort. “I’ll go to the grave mourning my son.” Oh, how his father wept for him.
In Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, manager of his household affairs.Genesis 37:29 - 36 (The Message)
What is the worst lie you have ever told?
Do you think you might be ever to go for 24 hours without lying?
You and your partner are getting ready for an evening out and they come to you and ask, “How do I look in this?” Do you tell the truth?
What about if at school someone comes and ask you if you think they are any good at football? Do you tell them the truth?
Lying means you have to remember what it is you lied about. It is far easier to speak truth and then not have to remember. It is too easy to tell a small lie and then it just seems to grow and develop a life of its own. You might think that you would get away with it, but lies will come back and bite you, you can be found out. Joseph’s brothers must have thought they would never be found out, but if you read further into Genesis
I think lying is so often about our intentions. Do you set out with intentions to lie about something? Back to our story of Josephs brother’s. They set out on purpose to lie to their father. Their brother was very annoying and their father did not help the situation by having a favourite, but is that any excuse for what they did.
It says in Psalm 15 “Walk straight, act right, tell the truth.
It sounds like great but difficult advice.
Posted on June 17, 2010 - by Tim L
Lessons from Joseph - Getting revenge
Revenge
Pain redirected Pain absorbed
Resentment Hurt
Pain processed
The Revenge Cycle
Joseph stopped the cycle through knowing his…….
Identity
Security
Significance
Dealing with the Pain
At any stage in the cycle the pain can be dealt with differently
Absorbed - is it my problem?
Processed - do I feel inadequate?
Redirected - God the pain bearer.
Posted on June 6, 2010 - by Tim L
Lessons from Joseph - family disputes
IT’S GREAT to be back with you here at The Bridge.
It’s been a little while since I was last here and I’m pleased to report that there is now less of me to look at-as I’ve lost one stone seven pounds in weight, after I was challenged to do so following a piece I wrote in one of my weekly columns for the Hinckley Herald and Journal.
Just before Christmas I wrote a column saying that I wanted to lose some weight but asking what was the point before all the eating and drinking of the festive season?
And, a week later, a comment appeared on a blog I write for The Hinckley Times website saying, ‘no this is a great time to try and do that and I challenge you to come along to our slimming group and we challenge you to lose a pound a week and then, if you want to leave that’s fine but at least come and have a go.’
Well, they may be regretting having asked me because I’m still going each Wednesday, seven months on.
The only problem is that my Sister has been encouraging me in this-which is great-but she’s decided she’s going to buy me gym membership and I know that’s a good thing but, as you can tell, I’ve still got a way to go on the old weight loss front and I’m a bit concerned that I’m going to feel self-conscious at the gym and, perhaps, envious of those with better physiques.
Which brings me to what I’m talking about tonight.
Families at war and the destructive power of envy.
So, let’s take a look at our Bible passage.
We’re looking at Genesis 37:1-4.
It says: ‘Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.
Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report of them.’
‘Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him.’
‘When his brothers saw that he loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.’
So, here, in just a few short passages, we have a number of factors at play:
favouritism, arrogance, envy-the seeds, which, as we know, would lead, later in the chapter, to a serious set of events, including the attempted murder of Joseph by his brothers-as they sought to act on their envy and their feelings of hurt and jealousy.
Now, I’ve long-since been a fan of the West End musical version of this story, ‘Joseph and His Amazing technicolour dreamcoat,’ and in it the lead character-recently played by Lee Mead who won a BBC talent search for someone to play Joseph-sings the lines:
“I look handsome, I look smart. I am a walking work of art.”
So, at this point, I begin to have some sympathy with the brothers; Joseph sounds like the kind of cocksure guy you may feel like punching.
His dad separates him out, by giving him this shiny, colourful coat-he marks Joseph out as his favourite child, places him on a pedestal above the rest.
And this isn’t artistic license from the producers of a musical.
We’re told that, as a youngster, Joseph was overconfident.
His natural self-assurance, increased by being Jacob’s favourite son and knowing of God’s designs on his life, was unbearable to his ten older brothers who, eventually, conspired against him.
His self-assurance might have seemed like arrogance, but in fact self belief and his belief in God was absolutely what he needed for the many challenges he was to later face and which you’ll get to hear about in coming weeks here at The Bridge.
But all that the brothers could see was their own jealousy and envy.
Envy of what they perceived to be the extra attention being given to Joseph by their father, and jealousy of the beautiful coat he was given.
So, what of the coat?
In Joseph’s day everyone had a robe or cloak.
Robes were used for warmth, to bundle up belongings for a trip, to wrap babies, to sit on, or even to serve as security for a loan.
Most robes were knee-length, short-sleeved and plain-according to the New International version of The Bible.
In contrast, Joseph’s robe was probably of the kind worn by royalty.
So, I was trying to think what would be a modern-day equivalent?
So, with, as is self-evident, fashion not being my thing I went on Twitter and asked for some examples of fine modern coat makers and I’m told that examples include:
Hackett, Gieves and Hawkes and Burberry.
I’ll take their word on that!
Joseph’s coat was long-sleeved, ankle length, and colourful.
The robe, in of itself, wasn’t important, it was what it represented that mattered.
It was a potent symbol of Jacob’s favouritism toward Joseph, and it aggravated the already strained relations between Joseph and his brothers.
Favouritism in families may, perhaps, be unavoidable, but we must always seek to minimise what can be its divisive and destructive impact.
I’m very aware that I’m giving this talk about warring brothers and envy at the end of a week which has seen one of the worst acts of indiscriminate mass murder in the recent history of this country and, if reports are to be believed, its root cause may be found in the envy of a brother for the wealth and relative luxury of his sibling’s lifestyle-a sibling that was to become his first victim.
And, without wanting to be too political, who can be surprised-in terms of our wider society-that there is envy when, despite the alleged efforts of successive Governments, the gap between the richest and the poorest in this country is wider than ever, when our banks have been saved by public money but their bosses get multi-million pound bonuses, and when, according to official figures, social mobility in this country-that’s the help and chances given to enable those at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale to make it up the ladder-is all but stagnant?
Maybe we’ve not learned the lessons provided by Joseph and his brothers.
I’m itching to look at the rest of Joseph’s story with you-but I know there’s more on that to come in future weeks.
Joseph’s brothers, in this passage, show that tempers can run high when our feelings are hurt, especially by those closest to us.
All they could see was the alleged snub by their father, a cocky younger brother, and no apparent recognition for their efforts.
It is, to a greater or lesser extent, something we’ve all felt-undervalued, under-appreciated, unloved.
Let down by those who are supposed to care for us the most.
But what Joseph’s brothers failed to see-at this point at least-was the bigger picture.
They didn’t;t seem to realise that God had a plan for Joseph-and instead of embracing that, as they came to do much later, and giving Joseph all the love and support he needed on his journey-the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head and all that filled their minds and hearts were feelings of jealousy and loathing.
If we spend our lives consumed by feelings of inadequacy, of envy, of jealousy and loathing then we fail to fully appreciate our own God-given talents and abilities; to understand our own path.
Yes, some people get called to do great things for God-to lead nations, to head-up missions, etc-and some get called to do smaller things-small kindnesses-but to God each of these is equally important.
Joseph’s brothers deep jealousy drove a wedge between them and their brother.
But we are meant to live in unity together-God made us in His own image and, as congregations up and down the land heard last week, God is himself in unity-three in one; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
He loves us whatever our background and, if we seek His love and forgiveness, whatever we’ve done.
And, remember, if , as sadly sometimes happens, relations with those we love most do break down, God is always there for us-his precious children.
Ready to lift us into His loving arms.
So, how to sum-up the meaning of these opening verses of this dramatic, amazing story?
I think the over-riding lesson is that jealousy can be difficult to recognise because our reasons for it seem to make sense.
But, left unchecked, jealousy grows quickly and can lead us to do really bad things.
The longer we hold on to jealous feelings the harder it is to loosen ourselves from them.
The time, then, to deal with jealousy is when we notice ourselves having jealous thoughts towards others.
We have no need to be jealous of others-of their looks, or their intelligence, of their wealth or their relationships.
In closing, I’m reminded of the chorus of that great song of Delirious’ ‘Majesty.’
It says: ‘Majesty, majesty. Your grace has found me just as I am, empty handed but alive in your hands.’
In other words, even if we come to God empty-handed we are rich in His love.
May we remember that when times get tough.
May we remember that God has a plan for each of us.
And, may we love our families-even our sometimes annoying younger brothers.
God Bless.
Posted on May 23, 2010 - by Tim L
Pentecost Sunday - The work of the Holy Spirit II
Pentecost is a Christian festival that does not have the profile of Christmas or Easter. There’s nothing on sale in the shops to help remind us. But if it hadn’t happened ,…..well, Christianity would not exist. Why is that? Well, at Pentecost we remember that God sent his Holy Spirit to live in his people just in the same way that the Spirit had lived in Jesus.
Last week we looked at Jesus reappearing to his disciples after his death and who was the ghost in that situation. Tonight we are looking at the actual events when the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples.
Last week we saw how Jesus was a human being and yet he had been able to show his disciples that to live in relationship with God his Father was to live the life of human being filled with the Holy Spirit. But Jesus had now returned to live with his Heavenly Father - the posh word is “ascended” - God wanted to make possible for the disciples or any other people who wanted to follow him to be able to live full of the Holy Spirit. Jesus - through his death and resurrection had proved that it was possible. That meant that his disciples could now do the things he had done. Wow!
So at Pentecost the Holy Spirit was given to God’s people in just the same way that it had been given to Jesus and what people who were there saw were flames of fire dancing above the heads of the people. What’’s so great though is that the Holy Spirit is still ready to live with any of us who say we want to be like Jesus.
Luke the writer
The story of Jesus is so impressive-God among us! God speaking a language we can understand! God acting in ways that heal and help and save us!-there is a danger that we will be impressed, but only be impressed. As the spectacular dimensions of this story slowly (or suddenly) dawn upon us, we could easily become enthusiastic spectators, and then let it go at that-become admirers of Jesus, generous with our oohs and ahs, and only in our better moments inspired to imitate him.
It is Luke’s task to prevent that, to prevent us from becoming mere spectators to Jesus, Of the original quartet of writers on Jesus, Luke alone continues to tell the story as the apostles and disciples live it into the next generation. The remarkable thing is that it continues to be essentially the same story. Luke continues his narration with hardly a break, a pause perhaps to dip his pen in the inkwell, writing in the same style, using the same vocabulary.
The story of Jesus doesn’t end with Jesus. It continues in the lives of those who believe in him. The supernatural does not stop with Jesus. Luke makes it clear that these Christians he wrote about were no more spectators of Jesus than Jesus was a spectator of God-they are in on the action of God, God acting in them, God living in them. Which also means, of course, in us. Let’s take a look and see what the Luke actually writes;
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force-no one
could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues? ……..”They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”
Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?” Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”
Acts 2 1-13 (The Message)
What’s happening here?
Let’s face it this does all seem a bit weird doesn’t it. Why if God gives his Holy Spirit to the disciples does it have to be in such an unusual way - tongues of fire, speaking in strange languages. What’s God trying to say to us here?
The disciples were already gathered to celebrate Pentecost, this was a Jewish festival, also known as the Feast of Weeks in which Jews celebrated the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah (the five books of Moses - now in the Christian Old Testament) to the entire Israelite nation assembled at Mount Sinai. It was also harvest time for the Jewish people a time when the barley was out of the fields and the wheat was coming out of the fields. It was a good time to rest at the end of the spring harvest. A time to come together and say thank you for the bountiful harvest God had given Israel. It was during this Festival that God chose to give his Holy Spirit to the followers of Jesus.
I’m going to play a track now which has probably never been used in this way but it was the only song that came to mind when I was thinking of the flames of Pentecost. You may have to use some poetic licence but as you see the lyrics just try and work out whether its God or the disciples speaking!
To watch/listen go to
You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain Too much love drives a man insane You broke my will, oh what a thrill Goodness gracious great balls of fire I learned to love all of Hollywood money You came along and you moved me honey I changed my mind, looking fine Goodness gracious great balls of fire You kissed me baba, woo…..it feels good Hold me baba, learn to let me love you like a lover should Your fine, so kind I’m a nervous world that your mine mine mine mine-ine I cut my nails and I quiver my thumb I’m really nervous but it sure is fun Come on baba, you drive me crazy Goodness gracious great balls of fire Well kiss me baba, woo-oooooo….it feels good Hold me baba I want to love you like a lover should Your fine, so kind I got this world that your mine mine mine mine-ine I cut my nails and I quiver my thumb I’m real nervous ’cause it sure is fun Come on baba, you drive me crazy Goodness gracious great balls of fire I say goodness gracious great balls of fire…oooh..
Could any of you keep your feet still? Doesn’t it create an energy and a sense of fun in the room? I can imagine that in some way the energy and the passion in the room where the disciples had gathered might have been somewhat similar? Those that were watching observed that the disciples were like those who were drunk!
The Festival of Weeks celebrated the giving of the Torah, books which had bound the Jewish people together, they had given them a blueprint for a life lived in partnership with their God and yet they had turned them into a book of laws and rules which had made it very difficult for people to draw close to God. Some had found their way to God through them but many had been deterred.
God chose this time to offer the gift of the Holy Spirit because Jesus had shown that the life of a human being lived and empowered by the Holy Spirit had actually been able to draw 
people closer to a living friendship with God. It was the Torah mark 2, What was different this time was that people did not need to come back to some special central place. They needed to go out into every corner of the world, hence the number of different languages that began to be spoken. Through giving the disciples the Holy Spirit God was again coming to the human race and offering his friendship. The disciples can now be just like Jesus. - we can be just like Jesus. The work of the Holy Spirit is to make us into the likeness of God our Father, just like Jesus was.
But what does that mean for us? I’d take us back to Jerry Lee Lewis
passion and energy. If our walk with God is lacking those two things then maybe we’ve lost touch with the Holy Spirit or maybe we’ve never invited him into our lives.
Anxious - Jerry sang that he chewed his nails and he twiddled his thumbs, he was anxious about how the relationship was going. Maybe that’s where we are tonight?
Challenge - he also sang that the love he was experiencing rattled his brain and broke his will. Are you wrestling with God over something at the moment?
The musicians are going to come and perform apiece called Your love has captured me. Maybe as you listen or sing, the Holy Spirit will make the words a reality in your life.
Posted on May 16, 2010 - by Tim L
The work of the Holy Spirit I
Pentecost is a Christian festival that does not have the profile of Christmas or Easter. If it had not happened ,…..well, Christianity would not exist. But it is not only just a crucial event in history for the birth of Christianity; it is so much more than that. Pentecost is about the work of the Holy Spirit. The same power that enabled Jesus to live in relationship with his Father and to do the things he did was released on all who follow Jesus. Wow!
Over the next three weeks we will be looking at the work of the Holy Spirit and what happened around the time of Pentecost and the implications today.
Discussion
Do you believe in ghosts?
They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up-Simon saw him!”
Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread. While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. He continued with them, “Don’t be upset, and don’t let all these doubting questions take over. Look at my hands; look at my feet-it’s really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe. A ghost doesn’t have muscle and bone like this.” As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. They still couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
It was too much; it seemed too good to be true. He asked, “Do you have any food here?” They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked. He took it and ate it right before their eyes.Luke 24:33-43 (The Message)
Discussion
What do you think about this passage?
Ghosts, Jesus eating food and doubting from the Disciples.
OK some context of this passage. It is written about the events following Jesus’ resurrection, or ‘raised up’ as the Disciples talk about it here. It comes at the end of Luke’s Gospel, but we need to remember that Luke also wrote a second part to Luke called Acts. It is very easy to be confused and not think that they are linked at all, largely because John’s Gospel is sandwiched in between.
The two are the Disciples who have walked with Jesus to Emmaus. They give an account of what happened on the road and how they realised who the stranger was who had shared their journey with them shared bread with him.
And then suddenly without warning Jesus is with them. Luke uses the word ‘appears’ as though he is not there one minute and is the next - almost ghost like. Luke does not pull any punches, even the disciples think they are seeing a ghost and are half scared to death! Jesus confronts them with an alternative reality, don’t be upset, don’t let doubt rob you of belief, don’t let doubt lie to you about the reality you are experiencing now.
My guess is that some of us struggle with what that might mean and especially what it might look like.
But is there another way of looking at this passage. CS Lewis in his book the Great Divorce talks about this very whole concept. He asks what if the Disciples are the ghosts? What if the walls of the room where the Disciples are less solid than Jesus himself? What if Jesus resurrected is more solid than creation? What if Jesus resurrected is mores solid than what we experience of the world now?
I know it took some time for me to get my head around that idea, but it really helps me to make sense of what is recorded here by Luke.
Jesus show his hands and feet to the Disciples, he invites them, to discover for themselves that he is not a ghost. He is real. And still they cannot believe what they are seeing.
Jesus only ever asks for food once in the Gospels, and this is it. It is almost as though he is trying to help them see that this is real. I can imagine the Disciples looking to see if they can see the food going down Jesus’ throat as he eats. A bit like some of the clips from Pirates of the Caribbean.
There are 3 things I would just like to draw out;
- It is comforting that is it OK to struggle with this whole idea of resurrection. The disciples did and they even saw Jesus eat tea with them. Jesus
- We have strong physical evidence of Jesus’ resurrection, especially in the last chapter of Luke. In fact it might be that Jesus resurrected is more than real than the physical evidence we have around us now.
- The end of Luke is only the beginning, these passages are an important link with what happens next. Without them Pentecost makes no sense, indeed without these passages Christianity makes no sense. The invitation Jesus gives to those who doubt is simple - dig a little deeper, don’t be afraid, do some investigating, walk with me and see what happens next.
Posted on May 9, 2010 - by Tim L
Through the eyes of…..the poor
We started the evening thinking about how long we sit on the toilet in a whole year - about 91 hours!
We then went on to learn about 12 year old Jeremiah. He goes to school, enjoys playing football with his friends and supports Manchester United. But he lives in Matopeni slum, Kenya, and that’s where the comparison with many children abruptly ends.
Go and watch here to learn more of his story.
We played Christian Aid’s trading game today in an attempt to see the world through the eyes of the poor.
The Trading Game helps to show how trade affects the prosperity of a country - both positively and negatively. It is a fun and exciting introduction to the issues of trade, providing a simple outline of some very complex relationships. It is a valuable introduction to the basic issues that determine how the gap between rich and poor nations is maintained.
We had a time of feedback afterwards about how people had found the game. We had a lot of fun, many people got very competitive about making money and lost their sense of perspective. Some resorted to cheating, lying and being very selfish. Some worked very well together as a team, whilst others just gave up with the limited resources they had. The role of the banker played a crucial part in the game and there were some stunning parallels with the context of the world financial crisis. Many admitted they would rather trust the bank than their neighbours!
Our planet is divided: industrialised countries such as the US, the EU states and Japan have a much higher standard of living than countries in Latin America, Africa and the rest of Asia. One of the things that maintains and increases the gap between rich and poor is a global trading system that helps strong, well-organised countries more than poor ones.
People were asked to reflect on the following passage from the Bible.
But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.Micah 6; 8 The Message
People were asked to commit to;
- Saving 50p’s this week to donate them to Christian Aid to end poverty and maybe even write a much larger cheque.
- Although we see the world through the eyes of the rich every day of the week - to see the world through the eyes of the poor this week.
- Support Christian Aid’s work by signing petitions and taking part in the door to door street collection.
Posted on May 2, 2010 - by Tim L
Through the eyes of….. the prisoner
Go and watch the Christian Aid video clip
Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God:
God listened to their groanings.
God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
God saw what was going on with Israel.
God understood.
Exodus 2; 23-25 (The Message)
Through the eyes of,….
I don’t know if you have ever tried on the wrong set of glasses, or even tried on a pair of glasses when you don’t wear them. The world can go very fuzzy all of a sudden, if you are standing you might even go a little dizzy or light headed. Seeing the world through someone else’s eyes can be a disorientating experience, but it can also give us a unique insight.
Over the next few weeks, in the run up to Christian Aid week we will be trying to view the world through someone else’s eyes, the eyes of the,…..thirsty, the widow, the prisoners and the poor.
To get some good background info go and have a look at the following film clips;
Stop the Traffik promo
Don’t be oblivious
Ruth Dearnley, CEO of STOP THE TRAFFIK’s interview on BBC Breakfast
Is there a moment is your life that defines who you are now? It might be a wedding day, the birth of a child, a decision you have taken, an accident, I wonder what you would answer.
Was there a moment in the history of this country that defines us?
Many would perhaps answer to the second question Churchill becoming prime Minister during the second world war. Others might remember the Thatcher years, others 1966 or 2003 world cup wins.
The reading that we had at the start of the presentation is one of those moments that defines a country. Joseph, of the technicoloured dream coat fame, had been handed over by his brothers into slavery. He had risen through the ranks and had become a powerful administrator who had overseen Egypt through 7 years of plenty and 7 of famine. His family had come to join him, sadly he had died and then his ancestors had started to multiply far quicker than the Egyptians. In face they had grown too numerous and the Egyptians took action to put them into slavery, they were worried about National security and they had a national building program to complete.
So Joseph’s ancestors were brick makers and treated harshly by their masters, they knew what it was to feel the sun and whips on their backs and the sand and chains on their feet. They were treated cruelly were showed no mercy. The brick quota kept going up and then they had to deal with genocide. The Egyptians took every one of the boys born to Joseph’s ancestors and threw them in the River Nile. They were treated like vermin. And then we read,…
Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God:
God listened to their groanings.
God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
God saw what was going on with Israel.
God understood.
Exodus 2; 23-25 (The Message)
We read that Israel cried out. They did not just moan under their breath or cry out to each other, or complain amongst themselves. They moaned and cried out loud to God, it is an amazing step of faith. Maybe they doubted he would hear, maybe they were unsure about what would happen, maybe this was last resort alley and last chance saloon. Will he hear? Will he come? What will change?
Did you know God has ears? He heard the cries of the oppressed and God acted.
What did he do?
God appointed a murdering, doubting, cowardly nobody to lead the people out of slavery.
God acted through his agent Moses, he was called.
Moses was called like Wilberforce, like Mandela, like Pankhurst, like Edward Jenner, like Churchill, like you?
God needs agents today to act on his behalf to hear the cry of those who are trafficked all over the world.
Will you respond? Will you join in with God’s action? Will you like God hear the cry?
Take some time to reflect, go and watch
Posted on April 18, 2010 - by Tim L
Through the eyes of,….the thirsty
Go and watch the youtube clip from Christian Aid about their aims
This Christian Aid clip tells you more about their campaign for this year.
It is never easy to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Some would say it is not possible. But then we tend to try the impossible when it comes to the Big tasks.
We come in from the garden, or some exercise and we say ‘I am parched’ - we are. But when we put it in context I am not sure we know at all what it is to be thirsty. 10 litres a day compared to 200 litres. Ruth Jesson tried it for a week - can you imagine what it would be like for life. It might make you question if it was worth living, …
Not about making you feel guilty, although you might end up feeling guilty.
But guilt is no good at all without the transforming power of love.
It might make you feel angry but that too has to be channelled in the right way - to action.
Christians believe that God came and lived amongst us in his son Jesus. God wore our glasses, he has seen the world from behind our eyes.
We are left with our 200 litres of water a day, but what will we do with it? If we see the world through other people’s eyes how will we respond? (Oh, by the way the toilets are out of action - there is no water for tea either this evening)“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
Matthew 25;34-36 The Message
Posted on April 11, 2010 - by Tim L
Living the resurrection
Easter can be like any other festival, we live through it, and then,….well,… actually nothing. Christians claim that history turns on this point, but do we know that power, transformation, victory, ….
Or do we just know ,…the same old
Discuss
Do you believe this resurrection stuff?
Did it happen? Or is it just a good story?
Are the accounts in the Gospels reliable? If, so why are they reliable? If not why not?
How might we live the resurrection at 11am on a Monday?
What might it look like for you now in April 2010?
Spend some time in small groups praying for each other.
Reflect
Take a nail and hold it - let God speak to you through it.
Look at the picture and ask God to speak to you through it.
Pray
Ask God to help you live in resurrection at 11 am on Monday.
Think of life situations or people and ask God for them to be filled with resurrection life.
Create
Draw, paint, create, write anything you like that might help you to live the resurrection over the next few weeks and months.
Read
Take your time to read the accounts of the resurrection from the Gospels.
Choose one, read all four if you like
Matthew 27; 45 - 28; 20
Mark 15; 33 - 16; 20
Luke 23; 44 - 24; 53
John 19; 28 - 21; 25
What do you think?