Making Money (A Discworld Novel)

Terry Pratchett
Transworld Publishers (Double Day)

ISBN 9780385611015

The latest book in the ever lengthening Discworld series again concentrates on Moist von Lipwig as the central character. The environment is familiar and Ankh-Morpork is still ruled by Vetinari. Most of the characters though are new. The wonderfully comic Cosmo, who is completely mad, and his relatives, and a small dog all vie with Moist for ownership of the Ankh-Morpork bank. The bank has been under performing for years and requires the same type of transformation as the Post-Office (see the previous book in the series – Going Postal). Then there's the Golden Golem, the Golem Trust, and the possibility of war with the other cities on the Disc. Unseen University, Ponder Stibbons, and the Necromancy department Department of Post-Mortem Communications, are there to help out and avoid catastrophe, or contribute to it. A full cast list can be found in lspace.

We also come across another type of computer, this one is water based and the whole area where is operated is wet. It models the economy (read the book to find out how). When Moist is introduced to it, he says to its programmer “Hello, I'm Moist”, to which the reply is “I should have put the umbrella closer to the door”. That's my type of quote!

It is clear from this novel that Pratchett does not have a high level of respect for banks. What is there that's of real worth – could it be Gold? As unlikely here as it is on the Discworld, but nonetheless something that people are drawn to. The gold standard is abandoned, as it has been in the sphere world. The story develops with its usual flourish, and a good deal of comedy, but here, the characters themselves are more obviously comic in their own right. This is an easy and enjoyable read. Unlike most of the other novels in this series, its pace does not pick up dramatically at the end, which is no bad thing.

My last review of a Pratchett book was Wintersmith.

Dec 24 - Midnight Communion

I wonder why you came to church tonight? Perhaps it was just to get out of the cold, or to have a sit down, or perhaps you enjoy singing carols.

Maybe you came because you always do. Its a personal or a family tradition, perhaps you even came reluctantly. Maybe you'd have preferred to stay at home, watch some telly, and have an early night – after all it's a busy day tomorrow. You couldn't, because its Christmas eve, and on Christmas eve we always go to church.

I've been coming to this service for more than 20 years and for a variety of different reasons:

• at first it was just a late night out with friends
• later it was to meet with friends and exchange gifts
• more recently, I'd wake up my young children and bring them, so that Father Christmas could sleep in late.

Its the start of Christmas, so we finish work early, if we're lucky enough to be able to, and start the celebration as soon as possible. That's what this service is supposed to represent. Get here for 11:30, and you will be able to take communion as early on Christmas day as its physically possible – so long as the preacher doesn't go on all night! We can sing the last verse of O Come all ye faithful too, because that can only be sung on Christmas day, when Jesus has been born.

Its the start of Christmas, and I feel obliged to give you an outline of the story. I want to do this, because although it gets told every year, and I'm reasonably sure that everyone here knows all the basics, but as a society we seem to be forgetting. We're told in a survey last week that 25% of people don't know where Jesus was born, and its up to about a third in the 18-25's.

So where was Jesus born? - Bethlehem – which one? In Judea, not Ceaserea, or Wales, because this Bethlehem is David's Town.

I don't care – really I don't. I'm much more interested in people understanding why Jesus was born. . Why was Jesus born?

Not of course a one word answer, but before we look at that, lets take a closer look at the story of the shepherds.

It's the start of Christmas, so we tell the story, over and over, until we all remember it.

There is of course no more evidence for the shepherds visiting Jesus than there is for the Wise Men. It is also true that there isn't any evidence to suggest that either of these event didn't happen. Just because we have no independent historical record of something doesn't automatically make it a myth. The stories were written down because the people at the time of writing believed them, and thought them important enough to record.

Why did the shepherds go to visit the baby Jesus?

Well, not for any of the reasons we've had for coming here. They went because an angel appeared in the sky, and the “glory of the Lord shone around them”. The angel made the announcement:

“Do not be afraid ...I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign a to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

and the Shepherds collected their stuff together and went off to find the baby.

Shepherd were the lowest of the low. They were not allowed in the temple because they were ritually unclean (from dealing with dead sheep). They were out in all weathers, wind, rain and cold. Most people thought of them as thieves. To look after the sheep they would have to face the dangers of bears and wolves, so they would be armed, with sling and a club, something like this one.

I was given this by the villagers in Chibelela in Tanzania in 2002, they would use it to defend themselves against robbers, but our shepherds would be more worried about wild animals. They had nothing worth stealing, so they wouldn't worry about robbers. The shepherds got their things together, tied them up in their goats skins, picked up their crooks, wrapped there cloaks around them and leaving the sheep, went off to look for the sign that the angel had promised.

Now you might think wandering around town looking for a new born baby was quite a challenge, but the town would have been dark, there would have been very few lights, and the commotion around the birth would have been quite noticeable.

Of course anyone will go and visit a new baby. Even as a young single adult, I went to visit my Sister and new new baby in hospital. As I bent over the cot, he formed a fist, and reached sharply upwards. I just got out of the way in time – imagine explaining that black eye!

Even if the baby doesn't give you a great welcome, there's still a sense of joy, anticipation, and hope that comes from hearing of a new born. That's one of the reasons we have to go to see them, to be sure its real - “I have seen it with my own eyes”.

What has a baby got more of than the rest of us?

Bones – yes 300 compared to 260 in an adult

but that's not what I was thinking about. A baby has more time left on this earth than we do, or at least that is always the hope that we have. The next generation is here, the future of our family, the next layer in the family tree is created, or is starting to fill up.. We can somehow look further into the future than we once did. What will the world be like when he or she is grown? - and has children of their own?

Every baby brings hope to its parents and their families for these reasons, but THIS baby ...

Most babies arrival is announced by the parents, or the mid-wives, and possible then in the local paper, or if you're born into royalty, you'll get an announcement on the TV news – explaining what you position is in the line of succession. As we heard recently:

“The Queen has become a grandmother for the 8th time after her son, Prince Edward (Earl of Wessex), and daughter-in-law Sophie (Countess of Wessex) celebrate the arrival of a baby boy.

The baby is 8th in line to the British Throne and has not yet been named (though the name James looks likely). His title is Viscount Severn.”

Wow! What a way to enter the world, I'm sure he is destined for greatness, but it's not quite a choir of angels like THIS baby ....

THIS baby comes, not just with lots of expectation and joy from its parents, but with a message from God. There's all the prophesies about his birth, and the sort of person he will be. There's the angels visit to Mary and then to Joseph. Then when HE arrives the angels delivered a message about Him to the shepherds, and all heaven celebrates.

“Do not be afraid ...I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ”

The Jews had been waiting, hoping for the Christ to arrive for hundreds of years. Many of them were hoping that the Christ would re-establish Israel to its golden age when David was king, and the country was conqueror of the surrounding lands. That would have to be a military solution – to kick out the Roman occupiers. THIS baby comes with a different promise, and causes a different hope. THIS baby brings hope to everyone – all the people. It must be all the people, otherwise why tell the shepherds? That's hope for the Shepherds, the Jews, the wise men, the hated Romans, all the other human beings living in the world that the Jews had no idea about, and all their descendants all the way down their family trees to you and me.

That's what our other reading, from Titus, today (yesterday) is about.

Kenny Richey has been in an Ohio prison for 20 years, facing the death penalty for starting a fire which killed a two year old girl. Many times he has come close to being executed. Each time there has been a stay of execution. Now, because of a plea bargain he has a hearing scheduled that he hopes will result in his release.

That's like the position each of us finds ourself in with God. The apostle Paul says in his letter to Titus “we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”. Kenny had set the fire as revenge on his ex-girlfriend and the two year old was what the American's call 'collateral damage'.

Most of us won't act out our hatred to that extent, but its there inside each of us. You can see it. Just catch the eye of the driver you've just beaten into a parking space, or the person who can't get a seat on the train because you're ahead of them, or the person in the supermarket queue, when something you do causes them to be delayed – there are hundreds of other examples. We've all been that person too. Think back to the events of last week, or yesterday, or perhaps tonight in the church car park.

Kenny will enter a 'no contest' plea – neither 'guilty' nor 'not guilty' – at his hearing in January. That of course would not be good enough for God, although it will serve for Kenny in the American justice system. With God there can be no plea other than 'guilty', God already knows that you are, but he needs to know that you know, that you have admitted it to yourself. That you no longer want to live your life as one who is “disobedient, deceived and enslaved.” If that's the case then God because of His mercy and graciousness will not apply the ultimate penalty to us.

We have the hope of eternal life, of being put right with God our Father, and once again becoming heirs to His Kingdom.

Like Kenny's release, its only possible through careful planning. God told the prophets what to expect, and they told us. A virgin was given to be married to one of King David's descendants. She listened to what God's angel said, and obeyed. More surprisingly so did her intended. The civil authorities caused chaos in the community by deciding to count all the people, they were just doing what God had planned. The baby was born amongst the animals because there was no accommodation left. Some shepherds were given the message, and listened, and found the mother and told her what they had seen and heard. Astrologers or Kings or Wise Men (the Magi) were watching the sky, and saw signs of something very important. They found the child, and gave him gifts to acknowledge Him as King of the world. The family fled as the Roman governor sensed revolution, and decided to kill all the young boys.

God had broken into His world in order to free all the people from the certain death sentence that they were facing. To do that he sent his son to be born as a human man.

THIS baby is the source of our hope. His birth, His life, His death and His Life show us what God is like, they show us that He is merciful, gracious, and is prepared to release us from the sentence we are facing and accept us back into his family, so that we will no longer have to live in hatred.

I wonder if anyone will tell Kenny?

I wonder if anyone will tell those who are busy cooking the turkey, or watching the television, or tucked up in their beds, preparing to celebrate a festival they don't know the meaning of?

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”

Tell the Story

Liverpool Nativity

The first thing I thought of was the Manchester Passion from last year, and immediately I started to compare things in my memory. With Liverpool being the European Capital of Culture next year (2008) I suppose they had to do something. This was again screened on BBC3 and put the Nativity into a modern setting. A sleazy, power drunk city official as Herod (Herodius - a woman), an asylum seeker as Joseph, homeless people as shepherds and so on.

I applaud anything that tells the story of Christ in any way, who can know what a modern version will trigger in modern people minds, or what the Holy Spirit can use to spark thoughts. So this is no exception, thanks to the BBC and the people of Liverpool for the presentation. In Christmas television terms this is a really good start to Christmas.

There were for me some problems with the adaption. The timescale from the visit of the angel Gabriel, through to the pregnancy beginning to show, and then on to the birth appear to cover just a few days. There was no sense of time passing, no journey for the couple to make. This took the edge off what the couple must have felt and experienced, and left you wondering about why the birth story is so important. Then there was the usual problem of the Magi at the manger (a supermarket trolley - that was a nice touch. I'll go into Tesco tomorrow and ask for a manger!) which is not really supported by scripture.

There was certainly no shirking the acknowledgment that Jesus was the saviour of the world, and a revolutionary, but the inclusion of Imagine, with the line 'imagine there no heaven ...' when we had just been presented with Gabriel as the commentator was a little strange. Where do people think angels come from I wonder?

There is also the small criticism of many of the players, who were off-key, not sufficiently amplified, and unsure of their lines in some cases.

The verdict has to be positive though, it was good to see, and better to hear it had excellent ratings. "BBC3's ambitious attempt to re-create a modern day nativity on the streets of Liverpool was rewarded with more than 700,000 viewers last night." Follow the link to read more.

What next? London to host a pre-construction of the apocalypse - before or after the 2012 olympics?

Norton 360

Technical Support [Incident: 071110-001695]
When my Norton Internet 2007 subscription ran out, I decided to take the deal that Symantec were offering and upgrade to Norton 360. I have 3 machines, and now almost 700 days left on my subscription. I downloaded the package without problems and set about installing it. All OK, until I logged on to mt personal (Win XP limited user) account. Norton reported:

Runtime Error! Program: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe

The application had requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way  Please contact the applications support team for more information.

After some considerable looking around, I reported the problem to Symantec.

Then one morning after a powercut had taken the machine down, Norton 360 insisted on being re-installed. After the re-install, the error did not occur, but the IE tool bar still reported "Engine Error". I don't use IE, so was not too bothered.

Yesterday I received a standard reply from Symantec.

As you could not find the file, then this issue can occur due to some corrupted files or due to improper installation of Norton 360. In order to resolve this issue we need to perform the below given steps.
1. Download and run Norton Removal Tool
2. Remove Remnant Symantec folders
3. Run Windows Installer Cleanup Utility.
4. Perform clean boot
5. Reinstall Norton 360.

Note: Follow the steps with utmost care.

To do so, I suggest you to follow the below given steps.

Step 1. Download and Run Norton Removal Tool.

Norton Removal Tool will remove any 2003 and later Norton programs installed on your computer. To download Norton Removal Tool, please click on the link given below. Clicking on this link will ask you to Save or Run the file. Please click on Save and save it on Desktop.

Title: 'Download and run the Norton Removal Tool'
Document ID: 2005033108162039
Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039

Once you have downloaded Norton Removal Tool, please double click the tool and follow on-screen prompts.

After running Norton uninstall tool, you will have to remove the left over Symantec folders (Common Shared folders). Follow the steps as mentioned:

Step 2. Remove remnant Symantec folders

-- Configure Windows to show all files:

1. Click the Start button, and then click Computer.
2. On the Organize menu, click Folder and Search Options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Locate and uncheck Hide file extensions for known file types.
5. Locate and uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).
6. Locate and click Show hidden files and folders.
7. Click Apply > OK.

-- Now search for and delete the following folders, if they exist:

Note: If you are unable to delete the following folders, please boot your system in Safe Mode and try to delete those folders. To do, please follow the link provided bellow:

Title: 'Starting your computer in Safe mode'
Document ID: 2001052409420406
Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001052409420406

C:\Program Files\Symantec
C:\Program Files\Norton 360
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec
 in this directory there is a folder that even in safe mode I can't access

Step 3. Run Windows Installer Cleanup Utility.

Running the Cleanup Utility will clear any suspended and corrupt installations from the MSI. Please refer the document provided below for assistance in using Microsoft cleanup utility:

When using the Windows Install Cleanup Utility, remove any item that refers to "NIS", "NAV", "Norton", "Symantec", "CC", "Sym", and "MSRedist", without quotes.

Title: 'Obtaining the Microsoft Windows Installer CleanUp Utility'
Document ID: 2001091412490807
Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001091412490807
The Norton page refers to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=889482fc-5f56-4a38-b838-de776fd4138c&DisplayLang=en
but I think it should be
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301


Step 4. Perform clean boot

A clean boot is a restart of Windows with no applications running and as few extra drivers loading as possible. To help you in clean booting your computer, I am providing you with a document from our Online Knowledge Base. This document has steps to clean boot your computer and revert back to original settings. Please follow the Clean Boot steps first, then reinstall Norton 360, and revert back to original settings.

Please click on the link given below to see steps to clean boot your computer and revert back to normal settings:

Title:Configuring Windows XP to clean boot

Document ID:2001053014402339
web URL
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001053014402339

Step 5. Install Norton 360.

After clean booting your computer, please refer to the document linked below for installation instructions:

Title: 'Installing Norton 360'
Document ID: 2007022203353275
Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/support/norton360.nsf/docid/2007022203353275
After booting in "Clean boot mode" the msconfig issues a reset warning message, if the config is not reset Norton activation fails!

We thank you for your patience and co-operation in this regard.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance to you in using the Symantec product.

Regards,

I have followed these instructions, not that they are strictly correct. most notably the Installer clean up tool page refers to the wrong Microsoft Article. I am back to square one. I am now hoping that they will treat the problem seriously.

I used to be a BIG fan of Symantec, but the problems I have experienced with Internet Security 2005, Internet Security 2007, and now Norton 360, I'm beginning to wonder.

Look out for more interesting installments in the saga.

The Bill Legend Band @ Christ Church

WHO?

Bill Legend

Who is he?

The drummer with T. Rex.

Now I've set some context, but even that may be ever so slightly mis-leading. Bill's band is not by any means 'son of T. Rex', although they do play T. Rex songs. On Saturday evening we arrived at church with high expectations of some sort of 70's Glam Rock revival night. That was not exactly what it turned out to be. Bill you see is a Christian, and was at the time he joined T.Rex. During the evening we would hear a few T. Rex tracks:

• Children of the Revolution
• Hot Love
• Get it On
• Telegram Sam
• I love to Boogie

which was the last song of the first session - and really got people dancing.

What are these songs about? I have no idea, I enjoyed them in the seventies, I bought the singles, not sure there was a T-shirt. In the seventies I never asked the question. Now? Well probably best not to.

We also heard from Bill, and had a presentation on the other members of T. Rex, and the history of the current band.

The band also played some newer worship songs, some that I knew, and some that I didn't. Of those I didn't know Majesty (Here I Am), by Delirious immediately caught my attention. The second verse in particular seem very relevant:

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Watch it on YouTube.

What a wonderful evening, nostalgia, and new songs all in the same show - and what a show, the band are skillful in all they do, and their music is brilliant. So that was Saturday evening. Very enjoyable. I was left wanting more - and the band were back on Sunday to lead worship.

Luke 21:5-19 How should we pray for the persecuted?

Introduction

The disciples must have been stunned when Jesus said that the Temple would one day lay in ruins. They had been standing around admiring the fantastic building with its amazing decoration. The picture is of a model. Jesus was right, so there is little evidence of Temple left in the real world. The wailing wall is all that remains today of the temple footings.

Understandably the disciples wanted to know the details. When is it going to happen? How will we know its about to happen? Jesus of course does not say to them “In 70 years from now, the occupying force will get so fed up with the unrest and squabbling in Jerusalem that they will finally loose patience, and destroy the Temple”, rather he chose to teach them about some of the other things they were going to have to face.

Peter echo these things in his letters:

^{1Pe 4:12-19}

So it is clear that we are to face the same thing that Jesus was talking about in the discussion with his disciples. After telling them about the end times he says 'but before all this' and goes on to describe the the persecutions they will suffer, and we know from early church history that many of them did indeed suffer significant persecutions. So did the early Christians that followed them.

Signs of the End Times

So what are the signs of the end of the age that Jesus mentions, and how many of them can we see.

v8 Many will come in my name.

The other night I had a long conversation with my daughter Karen about Jehovah's Witnesses. [The table History of Eschatological Doctrine] She has a couple of old ladies at her door trying to explain to her the truth as they see it. Jehovah's Witnesses I told her do not believe that Christ is divine, but while researching them a bit more I also found out that they have made some very specific claims about when Jesus will return. As you can see from the chart they have claimed that Christ will return in both 1871 and 1914. Clearly He has not yet returned. I'm using the Jehovah's Witnesses as a specific example, I know there are others, but the point is they have been proven wrong – in this case twice. We should ensure people that (and be sure of it ourselves) that the time of Christ's return will NOT be revealed to man ahead of schedule. That's because as Christians we are to live by faith.

v9/10 Wars and revolutions

We have heard of many wars, and we probably know a few that are going on. There are of course places in the world where there is just unrest – some times it is very violent. For example the troubles in Northern Ireland were never officially described as a war. I have tried to make a list of current conflicts, but it is not easy so take a look at these and see how many you know:

Burma
Pakistan
Iran
Iraq
Turkey
North Korea
Darfur, Sudan
Waziristan, FATA (Pakistan)
Balochistan, Pakistan
Chad
Lebanon
Gaza Strip
Southern Somalia
Northern Niger and Mali
Uganda
Zimbabwe
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Afghanistan

are there any to add?

v11 Earthquakes, Famines and Pestilences

I have included volcanoes in this section. There are four in Indonesia, either erupting or threatening to erupt Kelut, Karangetang, Soputan, Anak Krakatau, we could also include Tsunamis – the result of earthquakes. For pestilences we could include influenza epidemics, and potential epidemics, because fear is generated not only by the event but also by the expectation of the event.

“But before all this”, Jesus say, in verse12, there will be persecution, and there was, in one way or another almost from the day of the resurrection onwards. The disciples, were already in hiding when Jesus first appeared to them , In Acts they were in fear of the authorities. We are now in the times that Jesus was talking about. Over the last 2000ish years there have been countless war, disasters and plagues. Through out that time there has not been a time when Christians have not been the subject of some sort of persecution, just as Jesus, and a little later, Peter said. I'm now going to look at three stories of persecutions and ask whether there are things this passage teaches us about our response.

INDIA Five Nuns Beaten; Militants Attack Church Service - VOM Sources

MADHYA PRADESH - On October 25, five nuns were beaten by 20 Hindu militants in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The militants surrounded the house of a local believer, where the nuns were attending a prayer meeting, and accused the nuns of forcibly converting local Hindus to Christianity. When the meeting was over, the militants attacked and beat them until the police arrived and took the nuns to safety. All five nuns were injured, and one is in serious condition due to head injuries she sustained in the attack. Pray God encourages them as they heal from their injuries.

Psalm 107:20 He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

SUDAN Suicide Bomber Kills Youth, Wounds Others in Sudanese Church – VOM Sources
On September 27, a suicide bomber in military clothing detonated a grenade, killing five youth and critically wounding four others, in Sudan's Upper Nile state. According to The Voice of the Martyrs' contacts in Sudan, "A pastor was having an overnight service in Khorfullus town, when an unidentified man walked into the service and detonated a grenade, killing himself, five children and critically wounding four others, including the pastor and his wife." VOM contacts added that the bomber was dressed in full military clothing, normally worn by government officials. VOM is assisting families affected by this tragedy during this difficult time. Pray God comforts and encourages the families of those killed. Pray for a speedy recovery for those injured.

Psalm 118: 17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

Isaiah 40:31 those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

CHINA Prominent House Church Leader Repeatedly Beaten by Police – China Aid Association
On October 11, prominent house church leader, Hua Huiqi, was repeatedly attacked by police at his home. According to China Aid Association, "Hua was reading his Bible at his home despite police surrounding his house. He was sent to Beijing Tiantan Hospital, because he lost consciousness after repeated beatings from the police." China's Public Security Bureau (PSB) recently put Hua under house arrest. PSB officers had been surrounding his house when they attacked him. Pastor Hua's 77-year-old mother, Shuang Shuying, remains very ill in prison, serving a two-year sentence. VOM contacts say she is being held hostage by police in order to put pressure on Pastor Hua to reveal names and information of believers. Pray for Hua's speedy recovery and for God to encourage him. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict his attackers and draw them into the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

3 John 1:2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

Psalm 107:20 He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

I admit that I have prayed these prayers blindly – without considering what God requires of us. On reading this passage, I realised that there is much more we should be praying for. We should be seeking the advancement of the kingdom, while most of these prayers appear to be only for the well being of those at the sharp end of the fight. Jesus says in this passage that those who are persecuted, and brought in front of the authorities are to be witnesses for Him, and are to be given the words to speak that His persecutors will not “be able to resist or contradict”. I believe that this is one of the prayers we should be praying, after all, God knows our needs, but Jesus still tells us to pray for 'our daily bread'.. VOM, though, does not come close to making such bold prayers (they have to have an 'acceptable public face'. Lets look again at what they ask us to pray for, and see what else we might include based on Luke 23.

[review 'pray' statements above.].

INDIA – Do the nuns have no contact with the outside world, clearly not, they were in someone's house at a prayer meeting. What should we pray for here? That they get the opportunity to witness to the authorities. That they are given the words to speak, when the time comes, and that God's words will be effective and irresistible. For courage for them to continue with their prayer meetings in people houses, even if this will lead to further incidents.

SUDAN – Certainly pray for the comfort of the families, certainly pray for healing for those who are injured. What about praying for the on-going work of the church, that it's mission and it's outreach does not suffer, that the witness of the congregation is strengthened, that the attack is a spur to the church to be even more open about their beliefs.

CHINA – At least here we have prayer for the attackers, that they would hear the word of God, and come to know Jesus Christ. This attack is one of a series, and Pastor Hua has featured in a number of recent e-mails. So we should start to pray for the longer term situation, as well as courage and determination for the Pastor to continue his work. We should pray that his attackers hear God speak to them through the Pastors words and actions, and take note of what they hear.

What about the persecution in our own country. It is considerably more subtle than the persecution in many parts of the world. We do not find that extremists from other faiths beat up nuns, we do not have suicide bombers (whether with tacit approval from the authorities or not) targeting our churches, we do not have our clergy beaten up by the police. None of this occurs at all in our country, not yet anyway. There is persecution though.

The persecution that occurs in our country results from the (apparently) best possible motives. Take the case of the Mathericks – Vince and Pauline – from Chard in Somerset. They had been foster parents for at least 6 years, and had looked after 28 children. Social services threatened to take their current foster son away because they were not prepared to teach him that same sex relationships are as valid as marriage. This is a type of persecution, it says “You must accept our belief system, or we will not allow you to take your place in society”. Christians tend to be singled out for this because they are not militant, or an obvious minority, indeed much of the country would claim to be Christian at some level. What really surprised me was the response in the press. I had naively thought that there would be a degree of sympathy for this couple. People who have been trying to help out in society, and are now up against it because of a new law. Quite the reverse. Some attacked their Christianity “What kind of Christianity is this? To abandon a child because of something that hasn't even happened? “, and the more extreme were along the lines of “what right do they have to push their view on innocent children?” and “These people should not be allowed to care for children – Its a form of abuse” Happily the couple have now reached a compromise with the council and the local social services, and will continue to foster children. One response to this agreement was:

“This is harmful and wrong. Displays no common sense or care for the children. It propagandises them. What if a child is gay in this house? How will they get the care and support they need by being told their very existence is a sin. When in truth it clearly isn't.”

John Pace, United States

How should we pray to support this couple? During the crisis, which only lasted a few days, but I'm sure took a toll on them, I would have prayed that their witness, their standing up for their views, and their refusing to cross lines would lead to them being a witness to the council and to the social services managers, and that many would have been brought to a point where they have to think about Jesus. Well I would have, if I'd read this passage, but I hadn't so I didn't.

How should we pray for this couple now? We should pray that they will continue to foster children, and that they will continue to be open about their beliefs. We should pray that their determination to have a Christian attitude in the face of whatever is thrown at them is not diminished. We should pray for the children that go through their care, that they will come to accept Christ as their saviour. We should pray that the regular social services contacts that they have (because fostering can be relatively short term) come to value them for the work they do, and themselves get to hear the word of God through the words an actions of this couple.

These people provide an example to us – The nuns in India, The church in the Sudan, Pastor Hua in China, and the Mathericks in England. They know where they have to take a stand. What are our lines that we will not allow to be crossed? Where do we say “so far and no further”? There has to be a point at which obedience and love for Christ will bring us into conflict with some form of secular authority somewhere. While we are not in that position, lets try to pray intelligently for those who are, remembering that they are on the same mission as us – to make Christ known throughout the world.

Peter says “if you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name”

Jesus says “by standing firm you will gain life”.

What happened to the other nine?

Introduction – the obvious question

What happened to the other nine?

Sometimes when you read a passage of scripture there is a most obvious question there that isn't answered in the passage. What happened to the other nine? We like our stories to be cut and dried, with all the loose ends tied up, but this isn't Harry Potter, this is real life. Why hasn't Luke finished the story. He says that he has carefully recorded all that is going on. Well most probably because he doesn't know the answer any more than we do, or perhaps because it is not relevant to the story he is telling. They went off to show themselves to the priest and didn't return. We can only speculate on what they did next, maybe they were certified as clean and went home to their families and lived happily ever after.

Before we attempt to answer the question in more detail, lets make sure we have a better understanding of what's going on....

Geography & Chronography

Jesus is wandering about on the borders between Gallille and Samaria. Heading in a generally southerly direction, but not necessarily by the most direct route. [Show Map]. This section of Luke's narratives is made up of parables and stories that Jesus used to teach his followers. Then in Luke 19 we have the start of the Easter story, with the Triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Lepers & Leprosy

Leprosy covered at least 7 types of skin diseases, but the Jewish people knew that the disease was easily transmittable to others, so they restricted those who had the disease to a fixed distance, and forced them to make themselves known to those they came near to. Can you imagine having to announce yourself as “unclean” as you see someone approaching you? The rules for lepers are in Leviticus 13 & 14, and contain a very detail diagnostic scheme. These lepers obeyed the rules. Healing from leprosy was very rare.

Matthew, Mark and Luke record the story of the healing of a leper Matthew 8:1-3

“When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said. Be clean! Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.”

There are two other healings of Lepers in scripture:

• Miriam – Aaron's wife – caught leprosy because she and Aaron disobeyed God. They expected God to speak through them as he did through Moses. She was excluded from the camp for 7 days, and then allowed back – so presumably cured. Numbers 12.

• Naaman Healed of Leprosy - 2 Kings 5. He was a highly respected commander, but also a foreigner – he worked for the King of Aram. They had a Jewish slave who introduced them to the prophet in Israel. Elisha told Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan, which he eventually did. Then he was cured. After that he went back to Elisha to thank him, and make a gift to him, but Elisha refused the gift, so Naaman took soil from Israel, and promised to make all his sacrifices only the Lord.

Lepers have no income, they are unable to work – even if they could work without injuring themselves, they would not be allowed to, for fear of infecting someone else, so they have to rely on the kindness of others. Typically they would be supported by their families, who would bring them food on a regular basis. The could of course also beg. Here they have joined together in a small group, perhaps hoping that that would receive more that way. They were hated, not just because of the disease and the terrible effects it has, but also because it was seen as a punishment from God.

I wonder what they expected from Jesus. They had most certainly heard of him and the miracles he performed. They may have heard of the previous healing, so, perhaps they expected to be healed, or perhaps they just expected that he would provide them with food for a while.

Leprosy now

Leprosy, which we now call Hansen's disease, can be healed, although it is still not a simple process. In the 1940's the first useful drug was found, but by the 1960's the disease was already showing resistance to the drug. It was not until 1981 that the modern treatment regime began to be used. Based on three drugs used together the disease can be overcome. In 1997 the time that the drugs had to be taken was reduced from two years to one year. India has the greatest number of cases, with Brazil second and Myanmar third.

Samaritans & Lepers

Samaritans were always considered outsiders. After the defeat of the Northern kingdom by Assyria (2King 17), the population intermarried with their conquerors, and as a result the Judeans had considered that they were the only true Jews. It would have been very rare for a Samaritan to be accepted by a group of Jews. As they are all unclean, and being punished by God, they have somehow put aside their differences and are now cooperating. It is likely though that the Samaritan, (or possibly Samaritans) was still at the bottom of the pecking order, and in some ways still an outsider.

Note that they were healed (made clean) as they obeyed Jesus' command. Here they are not asked to have faith, just to obey.

We cannot tell the time frame of the return of the leper. There is nothing that says it was immediate, or even that it was not a longish time. There would have been plenty of priests around for them to show themselves to.

Thanks

Thank you Letters

[Mike's 18^th letter] I wonder what you're like when it comes to writing thank you letters? This is the one that Jo helped Mike create for the things he received on his 18^th birthday. Perhaps you find it a joy and a pleasure. I know that some of you do, because on various occasions we have received some marvellous letters. Perhaps like me, though, you find it a bit of a chore. I can remember being sat at the kitchen table when I was a child, and forced to write them. It was my duty to thank anyone who had given me anything for either my birthday or Christmas. To a young boy it was the ideal way to ruin a school holiday. I was sat at the kitchen table so that my mother could keep a very close eye on me – to be sure I was actually writing, and not doing anything else. I never knew what to write beyond “thank you for the ... whatever”, but you can't write a letter that short – or so I was told. So the chore went on twice a year, every year, throughout my whole child hood. Its not that I wasn't thankful, just that I wasn't particularly good at writing, and certainly not at saying the same thing in 10 different ways – just in case my Aunts and Uncles shared the letters – a very unlikely event I'm sure.

duty of thanks

Within my family it was seen as a duty, when you received something to thank the person who gave it to you. This is more than just polite, and usually meant more than just saying “Thanks” as you received whatever it was. It seems that in the passage before us today, that Jesus also expects that there will be some sort of thanks.

duty vs gratitude

So why do we thank people? What is it about showing our gratitude that is so important? Do we make our thanks known because being thankful is a natural reaction, or ...?

thanks and your view of the giver

It would seem that your thanks say something about your view of yourself and of the giver. Going back to my childhood again, I remember on one birthday, being given a pen-knife. I can also remember the slight shock in my parents voice when they saw what I'd been given. There were a few hushed conversations, and I was allowed to keep the gift, with some very strong warnings about using it responsibly. I was very pleased to receive it. There's something about the assumptions of maturity that go with giving that sort of gift, and it something that at that age I would never have been allowed to buy for myself. I held my older cousins parents in a different light after that.

This story illustrates one of the most important things about thanks – that we are acknowledging that the gift we are given is something that we could not have acquired for our selves. Now you must make allowances for auntie Maud's jumper, or the regular gift of socks at Christmas, that you've had for the last twenty years. Thy are not quite what I'm trying to get at.

When I received that pen-knife it was something I wanted (but not something I had asked for, or even thought about asking for). I could not have got it any other way. I was therefore dependant on other people to take a step forward in my life, to take on a new responsibility – owning a knife. No doubt the thank you letter was just as hard, but I hope the thanks came through.

Being thankful changes your view of the giver. The fact that you have received something, you could not otherwise have had somehow leaves you in-debt to the giver.

Who do we owe a duty of thanks to

I have a list of people here who you may have cause to be thankful to, as I go through the list see if you can remember a particular person in each category.

Parents – for their love and support at all times during childhood
Other Family members
Teachers – perhaps one or two more than the others, and not only the professional ones.
Bosses (the one who offered you the job you now have)
Close Friends
Doctors and medical staff

And of course there are other categories and other people I have not covered.

God / Jesus

Advantages of Being Thankful

Being thankful leads us to humility because it give us a better understanding of our rightful abilities, and helps to put them into the context of those of the others around us. I can stand here and talk to you, but I could not lead worship, I can neither sing, nor play an instrument, and I am thankful for those who can and do

A world without thanks

In a world without thanks we would all be like ungrateful teenagers, or grumbling old men and women because we couldn't get what we wanted.

Results of Thankfulness

Naaman's thankfulness changed his lifestyle, and his life forever. Ours thankfulness may not be so dramatic, but it will also change us, just that little bit..

My Thanks – my acceptance speech.

Now seems to be an appropriate time for for me to say my thanks to a few people. Thanks to all those who have supported me through the very log time that it has taken for me to finally get here.

Jo, and the children, especially Elizabeth, who has recently been a great help.
Warner
Paul Hinckley
Gavin & Fran – for the first attempt
The church – various people who are too many to list.....
My Tutors, the selectors, and other leaders of the courses

Last but not least – Jesus – for seeing me through

What happened to the other nine?

So I had better return to the original question before you think I've forgotten about it altogether.

What happened to the other nine?

Lets have a closer look at the words Jesus used.

V 14 – cleansed, is a word that means clean in the ritual sense, it is the word the priest will use to certify that they no longer have leprosy. It is also used for physical cleaning, and for moral purity.

v19 – well has the sense of “to make whole “. It is the word that is some time use to describe freedom from sin.

So the answer to my question depends upon our view of God. Jesus sounds pretty annoyed in the passage, and if you believe that He is angry enough, the maybe their leprosy would return.

I believe they were given the gift of being cleansed as an act of grace by Jesus. Once they are cleansed they have their new life and are free to do with it as they please. If they want to go back to their families and pick up their lives where they left off, so be it. If they are thankful, and turn back and recognise the gift and the giver, then there are some much more exciting possibilities.