Training sermon 2 - 18 March 2007 (Mothering Sunday) Colossians 3:12-17

Part 1 – Introduction

[NT reading – Colossians .3:12-17]

The reading is from a very long letter from the Apostle Paul to a group of Christians who lived in Collose. The small part of the letter that was read for us by Catherine is from a chapter about how Christians should behave. Paul has already explained a lot of the things that Christian shouldn't do, and here he is starting to explain the things that Christian should do.

He starts by saying that we should do these things because we are God's chosen people.

He says “always do these things, show mercy to others, be kind, humble, gentle and patient.”

For me to talk about all of these things, would take much more time than I have, and you would get bored listening to me, so I'm going to concentrate on talking to you about just two of the things that Paul is telling us Christians should do.

The talk is split into three parts, this is just an introduction, in the second part I will be talking about Forgiveness. In verse 13 Paul says “Get along with each other and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.”

That piece will be next, and after that in the last part I will talk about peace. I'm going to ask some of you to help me as I talk about these things. So please be ready to volunteer.

Part 2 – Forgiveness

Can I have a volunteer please. I have two things I would like you to do. [Name] can you please now pick seven other volunteers.

[Get the volunteers seated at the front and choose one. Give him/her the instructions. The intent here is for the one person to commit an offense – stealing all the sweets, and see if the others can forgive]

What do you think it means to forgive?

[get some suggestions and comment on them]

To forgive someone means that we no longer consider that they have hurt us, or upset us. You may not be able to forget what was done, but you will not take it into account in future dealings with that person. In our example, if the group had really forgiven the [boy/girl/name] who had acted as the thief, they would not in future, in the same situation, do anything that would limit [boy/girl/name]'s chance of repeating the crime.

More even than that, when they get to school tomorrow, they will not use the events of today to in any way affect how they get along with [boy/girl/name]. In other words they will not hold a grudge against [boy/girl/name]. That means that what's happened cannot be part of the conversation you will have with your friends. There must be no whispering “Guess what [boy/girl/name] did to me yesterday”. No comments “ There goes [boy/girl/name] the well known criminal!”. There must be no discussion at all What's happened has happened, and its behind you. So far behind you that when you turn around you can't see it. You may remember what happened, but if you've really forgiven them, then you should start to trust them again. In our illustration that means that if sweets are given out, you won't do anything that would prevent [boy/girl/name] from repeating the same crime. If you do, then you haven't really forgiven them.

That's hard isn't it? [get a response].

Suppose [boy/girl/name] does the same thing next time round? What are you going to do then? Can you forgive them again? And again, and again? How many times do you think you should forgive someone? [get a response]

Do you remember what Paul says “Get along with each other and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.” By the Lord he means Jesus, and in another part of the Bible Jesus was asked this question by his friend Peter.

"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times, You must forgive him even if he does wrong to you 77 times.”

Lets have a look at the scale of the problem. [tape measure, and large numbers] As we move along the scale does it get easier or harder to forgive? That will depend on the sort of person you are. When Peter spoke to Jesus he asked about seven times, because that's what the people who lived in his time and place had as their rules. They are supposed to forgive someone seven times. Jesus's reply in our bible is 77 times, in some other translations it is 70 times 7 times.

What is 70 time 7? - if you don't know we will soon find out. Can we have the first cartoon please.

[Slide 1]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=20020328

[Slide 2]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=20060512

The point of the number is Jesus is not intending for Peter to be able to keep count! Could you? Like the man with the ledger really keep count up to 490, or even 77. If you are keeping a count, is that really even forgiveness.

And remember what Paul said . “Get along with each other and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.”. We forgive people because Jesus has forgiven us.

[Slide 3]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=19980522

No-one in the 12 or less things to be forgiven for. None of us would even get into the 490 or less things to be forgiven for queue I'm sure. We forgive people because Jesus has forgiven us, so the process we have to follow is simple.

[Envelopes]

[Ask for volunteers to open and read the contents of an envelope]

“Get Jesus”

Remember that Paul is writing to Christians, they have all accepted Jesus as their Lord. Its the crucial first step.

“Get Forgiven”

When you accept Jesus he forgives you all the thing that you have done wrong in your life. You no longer have to worry about them, they are in the past, and God will not be looking back to them.

“Forgive Others”

Now you have been forgiven its time tom start forgiving others.

Part 3 – Peace & Conclusion

[After Gospel Reading – John 19:25-27]

Do you remember that I said I would talk about only two of the long list of things that Paul mentions in the first reading that we had? Can you remind me what the second one was? [get response]

Peace

The second of the long list of things that Christians should do is live in Peace. Pauls says “Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace.” He's asking the Christians in Colosse to live in peace with one another. What does he mean do you think?

[get response- if you can]

• not war

• no arguments and fights

Sometimes its easier to start by thinking what something isn't, before we can work out what it is. So here are some of the things that peace isn't:

[Slide 4]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=20031103

Peace isn't chaos. It isn't a complete absence of chaos either

Peace is often seen as the absence of war. Ask you Mum and Dad when the last war happened in this country – it was over sixty years ago, so most of them won't remember it. Our country, and our immediate neighbours have been at peace for all that time, but as I sure you've realised a lot has still happened in that time.

Has your Mum or Dad ever said “Will you give me a bit of peace and quiet”? - when you've interrupted then or asked them for something? I know mine use to. The are asking not to be disturbed

Peace isn't Sleep or rest

[Slide 5]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=20060706

He may be peaceful, but that's not true peace.

Lets get our eight volunteers to help us out again.

[The game is a race to distribute sweets to the congregation as quickly as possible. The whole team are involved, and its against the clock. They are expected to divide the church up into four and distribute from each side of each row.]

The team have shown us that they can work together to achieve a goal. In their own way they are demonstrating a kind of peace. There was (or should not have been) any arguing or fighting, they worked together.

Here's a statement of what peace is that I've simplified so that we can all understand it – especially me.

Peace is a state of well-being that is characterized by trust, kindness, and justice. In this state, we can be encouraged to explore as well as celebrate our differences, and search for the good in each other without the concern for personal pain and sacrifice. ... It provides us a chance to look at ourselves and others as part of the human family, part of one world.

[repeat]

Its a good attempt to describe peace, but the peace that God gives goes deeper than this. Lets take a look at our second reading – Jesus is on the cross and is dying. He does not have very long left, and must be in considerable pain.

Evening Service sermon for Environment Sunday (3rd June)

God is in Control

Job 38:22-30

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no-one in it, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?

Part of God's Response to Job: Job has spent that last 30 or so Chapters defending himself against his 'comforters'. He has said a number of times that he would like to question God about his suffering. Then he finally gets the opportunity. Our reading today is part of Gods response. God's response takes all of chapters 38 & 39.

Job's Response: We’re very small, alongside creation’s mysteries, and the God who controls them. Job’s reaction after his encounter with the creator God is to say: “I am unworthy— how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” (Job 40.4-5). Today we need to rediscover something of Job’s humility. This world is amazingly complex, and we are not its masters. We need to take great care in how we deal with creation.

God is creator and Sustainer of our Universe. What does this mean for climate change? Can we trust that God will avert a disaster?

God controls the Environment: Ultimately, however badly out of control things may seem on the earth, we are promised that God is in control. He is not only Creator – the one who made it all, but Sustainer – the one who keeps it going (Heb 1:3 " ...sustaining all things by his powerful word ...")… and so ‘sustainability’ – which everybody seems to be talking about today, is ultimately down to God.

Sin is the problem

Climate systems are for all creation, not just for people (v.25-27): We have a tendency to be self-centred, to think the world is simply there for us. Actually, it’s God’s world – including the oil, gas and coal, the forests, mountains and seas, and the Climate Systems too are not just for human benefit. Listen to Job 38:25-27 from The Message: “Who do you suppose carves canyons for the downpours of rain, and charts the route of thunderstorms that bring water to unvisited fields, deserts no one ever lays eyes on, drenching the ‘useless’ wastelands so they're carpeted with wildflowers and grass?”. God waters these areas, which may be useless to humanity, and gives them beauty and variety – because ultimately they are made not for us, but for Jesus – the One ‘by whom and for whom all things were made’ (Colossians 1.16).

In Hosea 4:1-3, the prophet laments how “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery”. It is a fairly familiar list of human moral failure. What is surprising is what comes next, as a clear link is drawn between human sin and the whole eco-system being affected – “Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.”

What we see here is that:

Human sin affects the climate and also how

Human behaviour causes suffering throughout creation. The bare fact is this: Climate Change is caused by sin. As humans fail to keep God’s ways, the whole creation is infected and damaged. Sometimes our failure is moral – Hosea mentions cursing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery; sometimes it is our failure to uphold justice for the poor; sometimes it is our failure to live within the limits God has put in our relationship with the rest of creation. All of these contribute to a breakdown in our relationship with God, that is reflected in a breakdown of natural systems – the skies are polluted and ‘the birds of the air’ die, forests disappear and deserts encroach killing ‘the beasts of the field’, and the oceans warm destroying ‘the fish of the sea’.

The most shocking thing is that the species causing all this destruction is the one which, right at the start, God had trusted with creation’s care:

Human beings are entrusted with creation’s care (Genesis 1.26-28 & Genesis 2.15)

Gen 1:26-28 Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

A word play associates the summons to "multiply" (rabah) and to "rule" (radah). Lowery reminds us that these metaphors arise out of early Israel's "highly localized subsistence-oriented household agriculture," in which the primary task was to conserve the fertility of the land for the next generation - not to plunder it for short-term gain. Yet because the early Israelites were eking out a living on marginal and drought-plagued land, this task often felt like a wrestling match with the elements. It is in this sense that we should interpret the phrase "fill the land and subdue it," which has fuelled modern theologies of domination

Gen 2:15: The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

The very first command God gave to human beings was an environmental one – to rule over the fish, the birds, and the beasts as God’s deputy – his image – here on earth. We are entrusted with caring for this amazing, precious, diverse world … and we have, by and large, failed.

Gen 3:17b-19 Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

After the fall creation is also spoilt ...

God says "Cursed is the ground because of you" – not "I have cursed the ground because of you". The ground is cursed as a result of the action of man, not out of some spiteful re-action from God. God has never promised to remove the consequences of Sin. Expectations are that the poor will suffer, as the areas worst affected are likely to be equatorial, and low-lying (below 1 metre above sea level).

That’s why an act of repentance is so important. Unless we admit to each other, to ourselves, and to God that we’ve failed – that we are the problem, we cannot hope to see things improve. Somebody once said, ‘It’s not so much that we have an environmental crisis. It’s more that the environment has a human crisis.’ It’s a problem that’s too big for us to solve alone. We need help.

Jesus and the Storm

The story of Jesus in the boat with his disciples on Lake Galilee is a very familiar one, and today it takes on a new relevance. Down the centuries, preachers have often interpreted it allegorically, talking of all the ‘storms of life’ we face, and how Jesus can be with us and help us. Today, faced with Climate Change, perhaps we need a more literal interpretation.

Jesus gives us hope amidst the Climate’s storms

Jesus calming the storm is more than anything else about Jesus as Lord over creation. Even the forces of nature respond when he speaks gently and firmly to them “Quiet! Be Still!” There is no force of nature beyond his control … because he is the one who shaped this world in the beginning, and has sustained it throughout history. If Jesus could calm the forces of nature; if Jesus through his life could show that it is possible to live well on the earth; if Jesus in his death on the cross and his resurrection could also defeat death and give humanity the chance of a new start, then it is surely Jesus who can give us hope today in a time of Climate Change?

Our Response

We need to turn to Jesus, in repentance, prayer, and obedient lifestyles

As we will see later on, there are lots of actions we can take in response to Climate Change. However, our first response must be to come to Jesus in humble repentance. The bible’s word for this is metanoia – a fundamental turn-around in attitudes, beliefs and lifestyles. Without repentance and a renewed relationship with God, we are likely to react to Climate Change with either despair or panic. However, if we have truly made a new start in our relationship with God, then that will flow out into every other area of our lives.

We are to be Jesus’ hands and feet in today’s world

There is a danger that, because God is Creator and Sustainer, we leave it all up to him. However, the bible is clear that Jesus expects his followers to carry on his work for him today. Christians have no excuse for sitting back and saying ‘God will sort it out’. Just as in the time of Noah, God chooses to use human beings to achieve his saving purposes. We are to be Jesus’ hands and feet in today’s world.

10 Things

As Gods people, what can we do that will make a practical difference?

John Stott has said, “Christians should be in the vanguard of those who are seeking to arrest Climate Change, and seeking also to protect habitats where wildlife lives.”

(Rev. Dr. John R. W. Stott, from video interview on A Rocha’s ‘Environment Sunday Pack: The Heat is On’)

1. Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £40 per year. Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60ºC/140ºF.

2. Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.

3. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room; don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.

4. If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.

5. Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).

6. A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off!

7. Replace your light bulbs with energy saving ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb.

8. Drive less, walk more

9. Ensure you car tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure

10. Do a home energy check. Just answer some simple questions about your home and get a free, impartial report telling you how you can save up to £300 a year on your energy bills. Visit www.est.org.uk for more details.

Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £40 per year. Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60ºC/140ºF.

But watch for it being too cold, follow the guidelines for temperature, rather than just turning the thermostat down, particularly if there a vulnerable people in the house. 21 Centigrade

Always turn off the lights when you leave a room. Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.

- But must be balanced against the need to constantly switch on and off. Some lights do not respond well to constant switching, and may suffer a radically shorter life.

Replace your light bulbs with energy saving ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb.

	Regular Bulb	Energy Saving Bulb
Energy Use (lifetime)
Manufacturing Energy use
Components
Glass		More, and more complex shapes
Filament	tungsten	tungsten
Glass coating		phosphor powder
Base	Metal, Ceramics	Metal, Ceramics, Plastics
Starter?		Complex electronics. PCB's etc
Filling - Gas	Argon (inert)	Argon and Mercury
Light produced	15 lumens per watt	between 50 and 100 lumens per watt

Drive less, walk more

There are health benefits here too. Again take care to make it reasonable.

Ensure you car tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure

Its the law! Its the safe option, you get better contact with the road this way.

Recycling

Sometimes recycling is reuse – like milk bottles. Other time the use the recycled material is put to is radically different, for example M&S make clothes from re-cycled plastic bottles. Much re-cycled glass goes into making road surfaces.

My sister bring her plastic bottles to us, when she comes to visit, as her council don't recycle plastic.

My personal favourite for recycling is Aluminium, because the extraction of aluminium from bauxite use a huge amount of energy.

A better way

To get bogged down with all the science, the advantages and disadvantages is impossible. No one of us can keep up with all the developments in all the many areas. So often we are asked to 'upgrade' to the latest and greatest energy saving device.

The reality is that we need to 'live lighter' - to take less from the environment in living out lives. We can only do this by asking ourselves what we NEED – which God has promised to provides against what we WANT – which God has not promised to provide. So ask God what you need for your life in this society, and don't take more from the environment even if you can afford it.

Encouragement

Sir John Theodore Houghton FRS CBE is the co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) working group.

Reading: A reading from Colossians Chapter 1, beginning at verse 15:

Christ is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

I am often asked if I am optimistic for the future. I reply Yes for three reasons. First, as I chaired the UN’s scientific panel from 1988-2002, I experienced the commitment of the world’s scientists from a wide range of backgrounds to understanding climate change and tackling it responsibly. Secondly I know the necessary technology is available. Thirdly, I believe God is committed to his creation. The passage from Colossians we have just heard, tells us that in Jesus all things hold together. This commitment by God, means that we don’t have to work on our own. God is there to help us with it. In the Genesis creation story God walked with Adam in the garden in the late afternoon. I imagine they talked about the garden and how well Adam was coping with it. Jesus also talked to his disciples about the partnership that comes through his continued presence with us. I can personally pay tribute to the strength that God provides as people pray. There is a tremendous challenge to churches and to the Christian community to provide the leadership for which the world is waiting - in service, in sharing, in caring for the whole of His world.

References:

http://www.gregpope.co.uk/story.asp?storyID=106

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-programmes/justice-diakonia-and-responsibility-for-creation/climate-change-water/01-06-03-waters-of-life-enough-for-all.html

http://en.arocha.org/ukconsunday/index3.html

http://en.arocha.org/ukconsunday/index4.html

http://www.creationcare.org/resources/sunday/sermon.php

http://en.arocha.org/ukconsunday/index6.html

http://cca.org.hk/resources/liturgy/misc/eco20602.htm

http://www.pcusa.org/environment/eds-sermonaids.htm

http://www.pcusa.org/environment/eds-sermonnotes.htm

http://www.united-church.ca/gathering/2005/sa/june5.shtm

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/petereco/Sermons/Day1990.html

http://www.nccecojustice.org/EarthDay/index.html

http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/2003Jul/pent7qui.htm

http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/conservation-sunday.htm

http://home.howstuffworks.com/light-bulb.htm

Eric Petrossian - KINGDOM COME: THE LIFE OF CHRIST

Besed on the Gospels in the NIV, this is a one man show with a difference. Eric is the Narrator, Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter, Pilot, ..., even Mary, even Satan. This is exactly what it purports to be: The life of Jesus on Earth. Two 40 minute performances, starting at the very beginning, with a few words from Genesis and a genealogy, and finishing with the post resurrection encounters.

I have seen many presentations of the gospel in my time. Our very own version in 1989 is still clear in my memory. This is different because it is just one man. I recently watched a biography of Patrick Stewart - who is renowned for his one man show, so I had a little idea of what to expect. Eric does a good job of changing characters, and there was never any confusion about who he was supposed to be. The conversations were very skillfully handled. Some of his accents may have been difficult to place - I remember thinking one was a cross between Derek Jacobi's Claudius and Sean Connery. Most of the time the portrayal of the story meant that, there really wasn't too much time to come up with such ridiculous comparisons. Even though I knew the ending the dramatic portrayal brings out long lost understandings and probably a few new ones too.

Take a look at the Christ Church page, and you will see that I am not alone in thinking that this is a brilliant performance. Many people have recommended him, and rightly so.

Christ Church was laid out with tables at the back and cheese and wine was served at the interval. My only concern was that so many people missed the opportunity to see him. The church should have been creaking at the seams with people trying to get in. They may never know what they missed.

If you get a chnace to see Eric somewhere else go out of your way to make sure that you do.

Hutton & Shenfield Choral Society at Chelmsford Cathedral – Handel's Messiah (Saturday 3 March 2007)

George Frideric Handel on Wikipedia

Hutton & Shenfield Choral Society has about 120 singers, tonight there were 4 soloists. Chelmsford cathedral (once known as St. Mary's Chelmsford) I was told has wonderful acoustics. The church was turned so that we were faced away from the cross, and the choir were seated on a stepped platform underneath the organ. There was a small orchestra at ground level. The cathedral is a lovely building to be in at any time. We had tickets waiting for us, and had parked around the back of the cathedral. A friend had invited us – many thanks to him, for a brilliant evening. We took our seats towards the back, to get the best possible view around the church's pillars. By then the church was almost full. Sitting among the 600+ audience (my estimate) we waited patiently for the evening to start.

I am not a musician, and this is not the sort of music I regularly enjoy listening to. We read in the programme what the course of the evening would be. The Wiki article has a brief description. We were requested NOT to stand during the Hallelujah chorus, as apparently has become a tradition. There are two pieces in this programme that are well know, the other is 'Unto us a son is given'.

The choir processed in , lead by the soloists. The music proceeded, and was very easy listening (for me at least). Words of scripture set to music. That's all it really is. The thing to note here, is that there is no amplification. Not a microphone in sight. What you hear is what they are singing – no more and no less. The acoustics lived up to their reputation. The soloists were all very good. In the packed cathedral the audience was silent – completely silent. When the singing or music stopped there was a total absence of sound. The choir was also very good, at one stage making the trumpets difficult to hear.

Only one person stood during the Hallelujah chorus – having now heard it live, sung by a highly competent choir, I can understand why you might feel like standing! A modern day work would stop here, but Handel goes on and completes the story of the Messiah.

Live music, even amplified live music, is so mush more entertaining, and engrossing, than recorded music. The live music that we experienced tonight - without amplification – is just another step ahead. From the soloists I could hear perfectly at the other end of the building, to a choir that filled the space, and almost drowned out the orchestra.

I'd have to say “Go and see it”, but you can't, it was a one off.

Soloists

Rachel Nicholls - Soprano
Alexandra Sherman - Contralto
Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts - Tenor
Christopher Dixon - Bass

Why men hate going to church

Why Men Hate Going to Church

David Murrow
Nelson Books
ISBN 0-7852-6038-2

Almost any church you walk into, any Sunday service, any church committee, you will notice the gender gap. There are more women than men. Is this just the way of things? Are women just naturally more religious than men? If you think that's unlikely, but don't understand why and want to know more, then this is the book for you. David starts by looking at Masculinity, and then at some more detailed categories of people who are not attending church. Did you know that the church is also lacking young women? Then he uses lots of statistics to prove the point. All of these are American, but look at the numbers and think of the churches you know. It begins to make sense. Now you're hooked. You have to read on to find out what can be done about this situation. Having explained his background, he moves on to make some suggestions as to what might need to change. If you can remember back before the feminist movement, and see how things are different now, you'll get the idea, or part of it at least. If not you'll have to read the book and see how the church 'thermostat' as he calls it can be set in a more comfortable way for men.

I read this book while preparing for a training course I will be running shortly on reaching men. These ideas are not so much about reaching, as about keeping. There's no point in reaching men, having them commit their lives to Christ, only to leave the church in six months. So I will cover both – to some extent anyway.

Flushed Away

On IMDB.
A google preview.
Have a look at the preview and see if its your sort of file. By the makers of Wallace and Grommit, I was probably going to enjoy this film. I was not disappointed. A reasonable plot, some decent characters, and more jokes at other films expense than I can poke a stick at. It scores only 3.5/5 on the google page overall. I thought that was slightly disappointing, but I suppose across that many reviewers its not bad.
Our pet rat - Rodney is left alone, the house to himself. A sewer rat is left in the house by a freak event in the sewer and flushes Rodney down the toilet. He finds himself in Rat London, and meets Rita, and her enormous family. He's helpless, clueless and a danger to himself and others as Rita battles the baddies for a fake gem. Then there's the quest to get home, and some interesting chase scenes, but this part of the film if any lacked cartoon invention, if not cartoon jokes (they are there a plenty). Finally rat London is saved from the frog baddies, some of whom are french - definitely an intended pun I think.

As the animation gets more realistic, and the animation is VERY realistic, so the whole feel of the product moves away from the cartoon genre that it came from. That's a pity. I think back to Roger Rabbit and the handcuffs. Those type of jokes are completely absent here. This type of animation has the potential to switch between the two, and make something truly unique.

My recommendation, if your a Wallace & Grommit fan, don't miss it.

Luke 1:1-25 - The lot fell on Zechariah - first assessed sermon.

It was just another day at work for Zechariah. He's probably about 60, and very familiar with preparing for his day. His division were on duty today, so the preparations and prayers are more meticulous than other days. Perhaps he's wondered what will happen. More likely he had got used to the idea that someone would be chosen, they would go into the presence of God, and say their prayers, He was probably expecting a normal day. There are so many priests that they don't all get the chance, and when they do its their one and only chance. They will never be chosen again. When the lots were cast it was HIS turn. His mouth was dry – he was nervous and excited at the same time. I expect he checked to make sure that he knew the prayer – the prayer for the redemption of Israel. You couldn't go into God's presence and bother Him with little things – inconsequential things like wanting a son, and anyway Elizabeth was far too old for that now. So in he goes to perform his duties. And His world changes completely. We've heard the story, his prayers are answered – both his prayer for the redemption of Israel, and his private prayer – the one he'd just about given up on. Now an angel appearing is quite unusual today – when was the last time you saw one? It was even more unlikely then, but asking for proof – for a sign, was not the best possible response. So the sign he got was one that was obvious to everyone.

I am going to look more closely at the event that started it all. The lot fell on Zechariah. Was that just chance? Zechariah and his fellow priests would have believed that the lot was cast as a way of letting God have a say in the matter. We do not know the mechanism that was used - what exactly they did, but they did it because they believed that it was God who should choose, not one of the human beings. Today we would probably say that casting lots for something was a fair way of allocating a scares resource, or a rare opportunity. We would put the result down to 'chance' to a 'random' event. The Israelites did not see it like that. In the same way that some Christians don't believe in coincidences, but in God-incidences, the Israelites believed that God was there, involved in His world, in the tiniest detail, such as the casting of lots.

I should make a distinction here between the casting of lots to make a decision, and the casting of lots when each share of the lot is contributed by those who take part. That is called gambling, or gaming in the modern politically correct speech. Is it right for us to pay our pound, in the hope of winning millions back? Somebody will win it eventually, but by buying a share and hoping to get millions back we are chasing after money, not after God. Our purpose should always be to seek after God – to get nearer to Him. Riches will not do that, they are more likely to take your attention away from God.

Taking part in the lottery may not be such a good idea, but is there ever a time when a Christian would consider casting lots, in the same way as the Jews did? There appears to be only one occurrence in the new Testament where lots are cast. As the disciples re-grouped after the resurrection, and the enormity of what had happened began to sink in, they were concerned to replace Judas so that there would continue to be 12 apostles. Two people were suggested, and being unable to decide for themselves between the two, they prayed and cast lots. That is reported in Acts chapter 1, immediately following this in Acts chapter 2 they receive the promised Holy Spirit, and there is never another report of lots being used to understand Gods will. It is not required any more.

When Zechariah went into the presence of God, in the inner sanctum of the temple, he was closer to God there than he had ever been in his life. He went there to deliver the prayers of Israel to God. He went into the presence of the King. Now God has another temple in which to live – His people.

Do you remember the adverts for the National Lottery. The ones with a big hand coming out of the heavens and a voice saying “It could be you”, as the index finger pointed at someone? They want you to believe that a benevolent god will make you rich. What happens in reality is that when you become a Christian, God gathers you up in His hand, and says “It IS you”. You remain in God's hands for the rest of eternity. God brings you closer to Himself than Zechariah ever got in the temple. Your prayers are heard directly by God. Your big formal prayers that Jesus would return and finalise the establishment of His kingdom and bring an end to pain and suffering. Your small prayers for the well being of your friends and family, for those around you. You don't have to go to a particular place where God is – you have become the particular place where God is. God through His Holy Spirit is with you all the time where ever you are.

If God is with you all the time he will expect you to be doing His work as well. We have seen God at work through the tiniest things in His creation. When the lot fell for Zechariah, a whole stream of events was started that ultimately lead to the arrival of Jesus, to His death and resurrection, and to you and I being able to live with God.

As an Israelite priest Zechariah was committed to working for God. When his big chance arrived he didn't realise what was going to happen. He wasn't expecting to meet heavenly beings, or that His prayers would be answered in such a dramatic fashion. We too as committed Christians are intent on working for God. How do we respond to the little chances that come our way to do His work? Each of us will have been given specific tasks by God. I know what mine are. While I'm in training it's easy for me to understand, later it may not be so straight forward. I'm assuming you know what yours are too, but how do you respond to the small chances that you have?

We all remember Billy Graham, I expect. Possibly the 20^th century's greatest evangelist. There's a long chain of conversions that leads to Billy Graham:

• Sunday School teacher Edward Kimball helped lead Dwight L. Moody to Christ;

• J. Wilbur Chapman was converted at a Dwight L. Moody evangelistic meeting;

• Billy Sunday was converted at a Chapman meeting;

• Mordecai Ham was converted at Billy Sunday meeting;

• and Billy Graham was converted at a Ham meeting.

The first person in the list was Edward Kimball. I know nothing else about him, but I want to ask the question, not “who lead him to Christ?”, but who encouraged him to become a Sunday school teacher? What about the others, who invited them to their first Christian meeting, or the meeting they were converted at, or the meeting where they decided to become an evangelist?

Its in these tiny decisions that God ultimately makes a difference in his world.

Many years ago we had a mission in Billericay, a large tent was erected on the green, and posters put up around town. I prayed for an opportunity to speak with one of my neighbours about it, and the chance was given. Normally I rarely got the chance to speak to him, but that week I spoke to him three times. Was that just chance? He didn't want to go to one of the meetings, but he was interested in what was happening and why. A seed was planted – I hope it will eventually grow. But the point of the story is that for once I grasped the opportunity that was staring me in the face, checked with God that is was the right thing to do and followed up. It would have been easy for me at any time to ignore the situation, and miss the chance.

It doesn't have to be an evangelistic opportunity, it could be a chance to encourage a friend, or just enquire how they are and offer to pray for them. Zechariah, prepared carefully, I'm sure, for his day in the temple, but he didn't respond particularly well to his chance, that's probably because he didn't really expect God to do anything, but Zechariah didn't have the Holy Spirit 'whispering in his ear'. We do!

What do you expect of God this Christmas ? More than Zechariah? Something immediate and incredible? Like a visit from an angel? Or would you prefer a chance to be involved in his work, and a chance to set off a chain of events that leads to something even more incredible?

Amen