21 Dec 2022 Overflowing Joy in Jesus!
Dear Friends,
Last week I reflected a little on the life transforming peace that comes as we turn to Jesus and walk with him. This week, rather appropriately for this Christmas edition, we are thinking about Christian JOY.
The birth of a baby always brings joy, and how much more so the birth of Jesus! In fact, the joy at Jesus’ birth started before he’d been born as we see in the songs of Mary and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. But at that first Christmas, the joy flowed in full measure. The shepherds heard a message of good news of great joy, and when they had gone down into Bethlehem and seen Jesus for themselves, they went home ‘glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen!’ The magi too, were filled of joy. Seeing the star showing them where Jesus could be found ‘they were overjoyed!’ And they went in and worshipped him. And as for Simeon and Anna in the temple, their joy knew no bounds! Like uber-proud grandparents they couldn’t help tell everyone about the child they had just seen and held in their arms.
If all this joy came at Jesus’ birth because of all He was going to do, how much more should our joy overflow when we contemplate all that he accomplished by his life, death and resurrection! So here’s my Christmas countdown of 10 things that should bring us great joy in Jesus.
- Knowing that in Jesus, God revealed himself in history in human flesh.
- Knowing that through Jesus incarnation, God understands our weaknesses.
- Knowing that God loved us so much that Jesus went to the cross.
- Knowing that Jesus’ heart towards sinners and sufferers like us is gentle, lowly and kind.
- Knowing that through Jesus our sins can be utterly forgiven.
- Knowing that through Jesus we are adopted into God’s family as his beloved children.
- Knowing that Jesus is with us always by God’s Holy Spirit.
- Knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus.
- Knowing that Jesus is praying for us now.
- Knowing that Jesus will come again as king and judge and renew all things.
- Knowing that we will live forever with Jesus in God’s perfect and eternal kingdom.
Each phrase is worth meditating on, it’s deeper truths and implications drawn out, for as we do that, the joy of Jesus will well up and overflow. That was the experience of the shepherds, the wise men, of Mary and Joseph, or the disciples and all who heard and believed the gospel. And because it is something rooted in history and grounded in the character of God who always keeps his promises, it is a joy we can know whatever our circumstances.
And that’s my prayer for us all this Christmas and into 2023, that ‘the God of hope would fill us all with joy and peace as we trust him so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ (Romans 15:13)
As we settle in for our first Christmas back in Devon, Judy and I send you all our love and best wishes. May God bless you and your families with this God’s joy, peace and hope this Christmas!
Grace and peace,
Dave
And here are 3 Christmas songs to increase that joy! Enjoy! (1) Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, Matt Papa - Sing We the Song of Emmanuel (Official Lyric Video) - YouTube and (1) Happy Happy Day ~ Colin Buchannan ~ lyric video - YouTube and (1) Glorious Light with Lyrics - YouTube
14 Dec 202 Jesus - Prince of Peace
Dear Friends,
Last week I reflected a little on the height, depth, length and breadth of God’s love for us. This week, I want to say a little about the peace of God which should fill the heart and mind of Christians.
Peace is something we all want in one way or another. Peace and quiet, peace from worries, peace from war and strife. Everyone wants to find peace. And in Jesus we have the Prince of Peace; the one who promised his disciples a peace that the world cannot give. But what does that mean, exactly? Let me suggest 4 things.
1: Peace with God. This is St Paul’s theme in Romans 5 as he explains how through faith in Jesus, we can know peace with God. Before we come to Christ we stand as God’s enemies (5v10), excluded from his presence, standing under his wrath. But through the death of Jesus, we can, by faith, gain access into the grace of God (5v1), and know that we have been reconciled to the Father through the death of his Son. Everything else that follows flows out of this stunning act of mercy. The wonder of the gospel is that this peace is available to all who ask.
2: Peace with ourselves. Once we know peace with God, and realise just how loved and secure we are in him, we can also have peace with ourselves. No one knows our own failures and weaknesses better than we do. No one knows those dark secrets that haunt our minds, but us. But God does! Yet as we saw last week, his love for his children knows no bounds, it has no limits, it never comes to an end. So I no longer need to judge myself or hate myself for the kind of person I am or the things I’ve done in the past. I can bring those things to God and rest in his verdict on me, that I have been ransomed, healed, restored and forgiven. In Jesus, I can find peace with myself.
3: Peace with others. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the moment we become a Christian, that all our relationships become perfect! Sadly, that isn’t the case, because outside of Jesus there are no perfect people. But we can, as far as it depends on us, find peace with others, even those we might think of as adversaries or enemies. How might this happen? Knowing that we, with all our weaknesses and sins, are loved by God, should make it easier to love and accept others. Knowing we have been forgiven by God should make it easier to forgive others. Knowing that our ultimate treasure is in Heaven, should make it easier not to be threatened by others. As followers of the Prince of Peace, it’s our duty to be those who love peace and make peace, and having peace with God helps us do that.
4: Peace in the present and for the future. This overlaps hugely with the hope I spoke of 2 weeks ago, but knowing that we belong to God, that nothing can snatch us out of his hands, and the nothing happens to us in life without his say so, should give us a tremendous peace, even in the midst of life’s worst storms. As the disciples found on that literal storm on the lake, fixing our eyes on Jesus isn’t always easy, but with the Lord, the Good Shepherd, by our side, we need not fear, even in death’s darkest valley. Ultimately, the future belongs to Jesus and we belong to him.
All this, and more, is wrapped up in the promise of Jesus to give us his peace. Which of those different aspects of God’s peace for the Christian do you need to receive more of today? As you think on that question, you might like to listen to these 2 songs. (1) It is Well with My Soul • T4G Live [Official Lyric Video] - YouTube (1) Jesus, Strong and Kind (feat. Colin Buchanan) - YouTube May they bless you and encourage you to rest in the peace of God.
2 notices to end with.
CAROLS AND MULLED WINE at the Rectory on Friday 16th December from 7pm. We’ve still room so do let Judy or I know if you’d like to come.
FINANCE RESPONSE FORMS. If you haven’t yet received, read or responded to the letter regarding our Parish finances, please try to make the time to do that over the next 2 weeks or so. Each church has a stack of letters and copies can be collected from the Parish Office. If you’d like one emailed to you- do ask.
Grace and peace,
Dave
11 Dec 202 God's unchanging, unending, glorious love
Dear Friends,
Before I reflect a little on the love of God which is poured into our hearts as we await the return of Jesus, I want to mention 2 things about life in our parish churches.
Firstly, if you were in church on Sunday you would have picked up an important if lengthy letter about the state of our Parish finances. In summary, the letter explains that our reserves are almost entirely exhausted, we are relying on rental income and the gifts of Christians from previous generations to survive, and we urgently need to raise the level of congregational giving. If you haven’t yet received a letter, there will be some in each church on Sunday, or you can email the office on office@newtonabbotparishes.co.uk or pop in and collect a paper copy. Please don’t forget to complete the response slip and return it to your church or the church office.
Secondly, at the PCC meeting last month, we agreed to purchase new Bibles and service books, (all now in use), and also to change the pattern of services for the coming year, reviewing the changes in autumn 2023. From January then, the pattern of services will be as follows, with 5th Sundays still being Benefice gatherings:
The ‘Service of the Word’ will be similar to the current service of Holy Communion, but without the Eucharist. We will try to ensure that any baptisms take place in these services, but the extra time will also allow time for periods of refection, extra songs, interviews etc. Do chat with me, Gareth or Ben if you have any questions.
The aim for all these changes, as well as the work the PCC are doing forming a Mission Action Plan, is that we grow in our faith, get better at sharing that faith with others, and offer a welcoming and varied range of Sunday worship where people can hear of and experience the love of God for themselves.
What is that love like? It is eternal, for even before the creation of the world, the Father was loving the Son in the joy of the Holy Spirit. This love is high enough to reach from the stable in Bethlehem to the heights of Heaven. It is deep enough to reach to the worst sinner in the lowest pit of sin and shame, wide enough to include people from every race, language, culture, background and class, and long enough to last from eternity past into eternity future. It was this love that led the Father to send Jesus to be our Saviour. It was this love that took Jesus to the cross in our place. It is this love that is showered on us through Jesus. It is a love that cannot be taken away, used up or worn out. As the Jesus storybook Bible puts it: God’s love is a never-giving-up, always and forever love.
Human love often runs out, as those of us who have been deserted by a partner or friend will know. Human love has a time limit, for death separates us from those we love. Human love is often conditional- we receive love when we do well, but receive hatred or are ignored when we fail. But God’s love is unconditional and never ends. He loved us even whilst we were unforgiven sinners and wanted nothing to do with him, and when we come to Jesus in repentance and faith, the Father adopts us as his beloved children and lavishes his love upon us more and more and promises to never, ever let us go. What amazing love this is!
And this love isn’t just something to know about, but something we can and should experience, for as we live with Jesus as our Lord, as we draw close to God in prayer, as we read and meditate on God’s Word, and gather with his people in worship, so God himself draws close to us and pours his love into our hearts.
Is this your experience, I wonder? Do you know the height, depth, length and breadth of God’s love for you? Is this love your comfort and your joy, both in good times and in bad? It can be. It should be. For it is how our Heavenly Father feels about his children. Of course, like all relationships, we can distance ourselves from God through disobedience, lack of prayer and Bible reading and public worship, and when we do our relationship with God grows cold. But God’s love for us will not have changed. That is always the same. Only our experience of his love will alter. And he stands ready to welcome us home and embrace us again, as the prodigal son was embraced by his father.
If you feel unloved by God, then start to walk back to him again. Fix your eyes on the cross where the love of God is revealed to be in glorious, heart-filling technicolour, and rest in his unchanging, unending, glorious love.
Grace and peace,
Dave
PS: Here are 2 of my favourite songs about God’s love. One a traditional hymn, one a great song for adults and kids! (1) Here is love, vast as the ocean - Robin Mark - YouTube (1) Your Love Will Last Forever | All-Age Worship from All Souls - YouTube
And if you’d like to come and sing of God’s love at Christmas, don’t forget the invite to carols and mulled wine at the Rectory on Friday 16th December from 7pm. Do let Judy or I know if you’d like to come.
Grace and peace
Dave
30 Nov 2022 Infused with HOPE!
Dear Friends,
Firstly, let me start with an apology for the error in my column last week which was entirely my fault. The ‘Coffee and Apocalypse’ discussions following on from our Advent Sunday sermons will still be at the Rectory, but on Wednesday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This week, however, I will also be available after the Wednesday morning communion service at St Paul’s to chat through any questions. Apology over – back to our Christian hope and what we are saved FOR.
Last week I spoke very briefly on the huge and exciting topic that we are saved for a perfect eternal communion with God. I also made the point that although we won’t fully experience that closeness and wonder until eternity, we do start to enjoy the blessings of eternal life now. Enjoying a new life in the midst of the old, if I can put it that way.
How does that show itself? Firstly, through infusing us with HOPE.
Over the last few decades there have been a few times when hope and optimism have been the mood of the country. Think of Tony Blair’s election to the soundtrack of “things can only get better.” Yet hope seems to be in short supply these days. Economists are predicting a gloomy future. Prices are going up. Wages – in real terms – going down. There is war in Europe, unrest around the world, global warming on the horizon, fear of another more potent Covid variant and nobody really expects any world government to be able to do anything about any of these things. Hence the lack of hope, a lack of hope, incidentally that is even more profound amongst the young.
But the Christian faith is very much about hope. And not just a vague kind of wishful thinking about the future, but a certain expectation for the future, based on real events in the past that changes everything about the present.
Our hope for the future, for eternity is based on the fact that Jesus died and rose again, and his promise that all those who trust in him will also be raised. That means that however bad life gets now, and however bad things look, our ultimate future is glorious. That no matter how powerful governments or multinational companies become, they will not have the last word. Our Christian hope is that through faith in Jesus I am promised an eternity in the new creation where there is no more pain or suffering, sickness or disease, loneliness, hunger, fear or death.
That is our Advent hope.
That is the hope of the Christian.
Some time ago I read of a rather dubious experiment conducted on prisoners who were in prison for the same kind of crime. Some were told the date of their future release whereas others were kept in the dark. Both were scheduled to be released around the same time, but some of them didn’t know it, and so they lived without any hope of release. This lack of hope impacted on their behaviour, and their physical and mental health, because hope is vital to true flourishing.
When we come to Jesus we have a glorious hope for the future - you’ll hear more of that in Advent weeks 3 and 4. What’s more, we have the promise that ‘In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purposes.’ Romans 8:28. So just like Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers, Paul in prison, Jesus on the cross, or us in our own struggles, God has the power and authority to use our suffering, struggles and pain, even our persecution, for our good and for his greater glory. What a great consolation that is for us as we walk through this world. What a glorious hope we have in Jesus!
Grace and peace
Dave
p.s. If you’d like to listen to a song about our eternal hope… try this one which we sang at the CTiNA service on Sunday night.
23 Nov 2022 Know God and enjoy him forever - starting now!
Dear Friends,
Over the last 2 weeks we’ve considered what we are saved FROM and how the thought of hell and judgment should spur us on in our evangelism. That’s the good news of salvation we need to share.
But the Christian Gospel is good news not just because of what we are saved FROM, but because of what we are saved FOR: eternal life, with God, in God’s perfect new creation where we will be with the Lord forever. What’s more - whilst our experience of this new life won’t be fully ours until Jesus returns, we do get to experience this new life in part now. Right now, in this broken and frustrating world, we have divine hope, and God’s love and peace and joy are ours. And that is true because by his Holy Spirit, God is with us.
You see, when we come to Jesus for forgiveness and cleansing, God doesn’t just wash us clean and send us on our merry way to live slightly better lives. No! He saves us for himself, to be with him, to know him and enjoy him forever, starting now!
The most stunning thing in the Garden of Eden wasn’t the unspoilt creation or perfect human relationships, it was the fact that God and the people he made enjoyed unbroken and unspoilt fellowship. The Lord God walked with them in the Garden in the cool of the day, as Genesis 3:8 puts it. Here is the pinnacle of human existence- what we were made for: intimate fellowship with God. Human relationships are a joy, friendships are precious, but nothing can compare to a relationship with the God who made us and who made us to know and enjoy him forever. As one of the books on my shelves puts it: God is the Gospel. That is, he isn’t only the one who saves us; he himself is the goal of our salvation. We are saved to know him and enjoy him forever.
Think on that for a moment or two. Through Jesus’ death on the cross in our place, you and I, lost sinners, can be washed clean and brought into a deep and personal relationship with the God who made and sustains the world and everything in it. The God of all comfort is our comfort. The God of all grace showers his grace on us. The God who is love, lavishes his love upon us, his beloved children. That is what we are saved FOR. But how do we experience that closeness?
Most obviously by the presence of Holy Spirit with us, in us, alongside us - as Jesus promised to all his disciples. One day we will see God face to face in all his glory, but the Holy Spirit is God with us now, our constant companion and guide, strengthening us, assuring us of God’s love and mercy, reminding us of God’s commands and God’s promises, equipping us to live for the glory of God. Through the Spirit’s presence with us we get to walk through life with God, never alone and never deserted, no matter what season of life we are in.
Of course, our relationship with God can ebb and flow. We can distance ourselves from God by sin and disobedience, and by ignoring the means of God’s Grace. But the opposite is true too. We can deepen that relationship, growing closer to God by obedience and enjoying the means of grace God gives. Through daily prayer and meditation upon God’s Word, by joining with others for regular worship and gathering around the Lord’s Table; through obedience, seeking to submit our wills to His and through repentance when we fail; and by serving him in the world and the church. These means and more help us to draw closer to God who promises to draw close to us.
In Heaven we will enjoy God’s presence in its fullest extent, but that is also our privilege right now, if only in part. May that be our experience more and more each and day!
Grace and peace,
Dave
16 Nov 2022 Life in all its fulness!
Dear Friends,
For the last 2 weeks we’ve looked at the imperative for sharing our faith, the reality of judgment, of Hell and that there is no other name under heaven by which we may be saved than Jesus. We are the watchmen on the city walls, to use Ezekiel’s analogy, warning people to escape God’s wrath. It’s not a popular idea these days, but it was one Jesus spoke of time and time again, and the message the apostles carried as they took the gospel out across the nations. So likewise, we need to find clear, yet sensitive, ways of telling people that Jesus is the saviour they need.
But we are not just saved from hell through faith in Jesus, we are saved for a life with God that starts now and continues into eternity. This is the life we were made to enjoy, a life of peace, joy, and purpose with the God who made us, loves us and who gave himself for us. So over the next few weeks I’ll be picking up various aspects of the life in all it’s fulness that Jesus came to give us, and that we, as Jesus’ disciples, get to invite others to experience for themselves.
But before we get to my musings, let me ask you to think through that topic for yourself. How is your life better for being a Christian? What is it that makes you want to keep following Jesus? In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter tells his readers that they should ‘always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.’ If you got asked today, what would you say? If you’re struggling for the right words, I hope the past few columns and the following weeks will help you frame an answer. But there are other ways to grow in our faith too, so that we are ready to pass on the good news of Jesus that we have received.
Growing in our faith.
In the new year we’ll be (re) launching a number of HOME GROUPS. These will meet fortnightly in homes around the parish and will be open to all. They’ll be a mix of Bible study, prayer and fellowship; places where we can grow in our own faith and encourage others to grow in theirs. If you’d be interested in attending, or hosting a group, do chat with Dave, Gareth or Ben. In the meantime, we’ll be running 4 APOCALYPSE AND COFFEE discussions on the 4 Wednesdays in Advent: 30 th November, and 7th, 14th and 21st December, all from 3pm - 4.30pm at the Rectory, 5 Coach Place. During Advent the sermon series will work through the last 4 chapters of the book of Revelation, and over coffee, we’ll chat through the passage and have a chance to wrestle with any questions the Sunday sermons raised. If you’d like to come along, please get in touch with Dave or Judy.
As a clergy team, we also want to encourage you to READ GOOD CHRISTIAN BOOKS and we’re delighted to have links to our local Christian book shop, Choice Words and a new link to 10ofthose.com, an online bookstore and publisher. Staff in Choice Words would be very happy to offer suggestions, and as well as new books, they have a huge collection of second-hand titles. Why not pop in and speak to them? We now also have our own page of recommendations through 10ofthose.com, which can be accessed here: Newton Abbot benefice - 10ofThose.com.
Both of these links can be found on our website under the Christian Belief ? Explore Faith, tab on our website. Christian Belief | Newton Abbot Parishes. And the more we know, understand and experience of God for ourselves, the more we will have to talk about!
Grace and peace,
Dave
9 Nov 2022 Judgement, hell and a good God?
Dear Friends,
After a week of grandchildren during half term, Judy and I have had a week off. We’d planned to do some decorating, golfing and some nice walks. Sadly, as many of you know, Judy broke her foot during a fall at St Luke’s Milber a week or so ago, and then I picked up a nasty eye infection. It wasn’t the quiet break we’d hoped for!
When times of difficultly and suffering come, many people, even some Christians, can doubt God’s goodness. If God is good, they say, how can he let this happen? It’s the same question people ask when hell and judgment get mentioned. Perhaps that question crossed your mind after my last column. How can there be a hell if God is good? Let me suggest 4 ways to start to answer that question.
1: Without a belief in hell and judgment, any talk of God being good and just is meaningless.
Those who oppose the doctrine of a final judgment and eternal punishment for the wicked, imagine God pardoning everyone, so that everyone gets eternal life. But how can that be just? And how can a God who does that, be called good? To pardon all people would require God to be unmoved by murder, rape, torture and every other hideous crime, and to count the suffering of every victim as nothing. Even to say that lies and cruel words don’t matter, would be to diminish the dignity and worth of those lied to and spoken against, and for God himself to say that truth is unimportant. No. For God to be holy, good and just, sin must be punished, and sinners must be held to account.
2: Without the doctrines of hell and judgment, we would never understand the seriousness of our sin.
Sometimes only a clear understanding of the consequences of our decisions is enough to make us change course. It’s why there are graphic warnings on cigarette packets and ad campaigns about drink driving. In the same way, the Bible’s warnings are there to wake us from our slumber and send us to the mercy seat to seek God’s forgiveness. You see for the most part we are blasé about our sin. We can see the seriousness of the wrong things others do, but we are all too good at making light of our own sins. But the Bible won’t let us sleep-walk into eternity. Through parables and direct teaching, God shows us the consequences of our sin so that we might wake up and seek his grace and forgiveness while we have the chance.
3: Without the doctrines of hell and judgment, the cross makes no sense.
If God could simply pardon sinners, why did Jesus have to die? As an example? Surely there were better ways of showing that! To show his power over death? Then why did his death have to be so dreadful? No, the cross only makes sense when we see it in the terms the Bible uses- with Jesus, the Lamb of God, dying for our sin, in our place, as our substitute, to save us from an agony the likes of which Jesus himself suffered on the cross. The cross only makes sense if sin is serious and hell a reality.
4: Without the cross we would never understand the depth of God’s love for us. Jesus had to endure death on the cross because there was no other way to pay the price of sin. But he was willing to endure it because of his deep, wide, strong, eternal, magnificent love for sinners and sufferers like me and you. At the cross we see, more clearly than anywhere else, how great is the love God has lavished upon us, and how amazing is his grace. More on this topic next week!
So, it turns out that holding to the Bible’s teaching about hell and judgment actually points us more clearly to God’s goodness and justice, the seriousness of our sin, the wonder of the cross, and the depth, height and length of the love of God. Talk of hell and judgment isn’t the kind of thing that will get you invited to more parties, but the Christian faith doesn’t make sense without it.
Grace and peace.
Dave
2 Nov 2022 - Hell, hope and a reason to tell people of Jesus!
Dear Friends,
Hell, hope and a reason to tell people of Jesus.
Almost everyone I meet believes, however vaguely, in some kind of life after death. Even those who never darken the doors of the church and who would never call themselves Christian. Often their ideas owe more to Disney movies and popular culture than any serious thought, but it is a hope they cling to, especially when a loved one dies.
The belief goes like this. There is a hell, but that’s for bad people, REALLY bad people, rapists, murderers, war criminals and the like. Everyone else is welcomed in to Heaven, which is pretty much like life now, only nicer.
The problem is that the only person to ever come back from the dead – Jesus Christ teaches otherwise. He said that hell is real and terrible, and that unless we repent of our sin and rebellion and turn to him, then Hell and not Heaven will be our eternal fate.
Surely though, this is just an exaggeration! Isn’t it?
I sometimes ask people to tell me who they think is the best and worst person who ever lived, and then to place themselves somewhere on that moral ladder. Many people give Mother Theresa or Nelson Mandela as the greatest examples, and Hitler and Stalin as the worst. And as for themselves, they usually put themselves somewhere in the middle. Not perfect, but definitely not evil. Perhaps you’d describe yourself like that; just a normal decent person.
The problem is that compared to God’s standard we aren’t decent people. God’s standard of goodness isn’t at the Mother Theresa level, which some wonderful people might attain. It’s holy, divine perfection in thought, word and deed, and according to the Bible, we don’t miss that by a bit, but by miles. Even our righteous acts are as dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6). What’s worse, our failure isn’t just in the things we do and say and think, it’s deeper than that. Our moral compass isn’t set to true holy north so we don’t know what is right, and our hearts are self-centred rather than God-centred so we naturally rebel against our creator and his commands. The worst of us are sinners, on that we agree. But the best of us are sinners too. And according to God, we are far more sinful than we ever imagined.
And this sin is serious. Our sinfulness corrupts our world, damages our relationships and distances us from God, and the wages (the end result) of our sin, the Bible says, is death. It was the sin of Adam and Eve that brought death into the world in the Garden of Eden. And it is our own sin that inevitably will take us to Hell.
Unless we find a saviour.
Fortunately, mercifully, one is available.
He needed to be one of us, and he was. He needed to be perfect, and he was. And he needed to be willing to take the punishment our sins deserved instead of us. Wonderfully, Jesus was. And he out of his great love he did all that was required. “But while we still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. “The righteous (died) for the unrighteous, to bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18.
If you had recovered from a deadly serious disease through a new treatment, and someone you loved fell ill with the same condition, would you tell them about it? Of course you would. Anyone would!
According to the Bible we are all infected with the sin virus, a virus that will lead to eternal death. But we know the cure, and more wonderfully, we know that the treatment has been provided free by someone else and there’s no waiting list! So whilst we may be more sinful than we ever imagined, it turns out that we are also more loved than we ever dreamed.
If that isn’t a reason to speak about Jesus, I’m not sure what is!
Grace and peace.
Dave
30 October 2022 Facing a Task Unfinished
Dear Friends,
Last week I left us with a question: why would Jesus command that his disciples (and by this he meant all Christians across the ages!) ‘Go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptising them… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ (Matthew 28:19-20)? Doesn’t this seem like religious imperialism, Christians seeking to impose their beliefs on others? Why can’t we just do our own thing and let others do theirs?
Firstly, Jesus isn’t advocating forcing anyone to do anything. We are called to go and tell, to invite, to call, to give a reason for the hope we have etc, etc. People can respond to the message as they choose but we are never to force or bully anyone.
Secondly, we can’t simply keep silent about our faith and let people do their own thing because the gospel message is too important and the stakes too high. To live without Jesus as Lord is to miss out on life as it meant to be lived. And to live without trusting in
Jesus as saviour is to miss out on eternal life. Jesus alone offers living water and true, living bread. Only Jesus offers life in all its fulness. And if we fail to speak up, we are failing to offer our friends and family an experience of life as it is meant to be. A life of joy, purpose, peace, contentment and meaning with the God who made us for himself and who gave himself for us. I’ll say more about this in the coming weeks.
And only Jesus is able to deal with our sin and save us from an eternity away from God in a place the Bible calls Hell. There. I’ve said it. Just like Jesus and the writers of the Bible, I believe in the reality of a final judgment, the fallenness of all people, the seriousness of our sin, and the inevitability of a terrible eternal future if we fail to turn from our sin and turn to Jesus Christ. We’ll look briefly at what the Bible says about these issues over the next 2 weeks, but whatever you think about these issues yourself, can you see why holding such a view should stir us to action? If we keep silent, if we don’t give a warning and point people to the one true lifeboat, many people will go down with the ship and face a lost eternity.
It was these two factors that have propelled the church across the ages to go out with the good news of the gospel. That God is good and his ways lead to true human flourishing.
And that a failure to turn to Christ has terrible eternal consequences. It’s why together as a parish and as individual Christians, we need to make sure we are doing all we can to make disciples across our town and villages. Being welcoming, preaching the truth, going out with the gospel and making sure that our Sunday gatherings provide a home for all
kinds of people.
Over the coming months, the PCC will be putting together a Mission Action Plan towards fulfilling our part in Jesus’ great commission. There will be some things we’ll do together, like shared evangelistic courses, kids holiday clubs and prayer groups. There will be some things each church will do individually as each church seeks to reach out with the good news of the gospel to their locality and in their own style. Some of these things will be practical - improving the hospitality offered in our buildings, upgrading heating systems and a spot of redecoration. Others will be acts of kindness and mercy whilst others will be straightforward proclamation of the good news. Some may not look it, but everything we do will help us to fulfil Jesus’ command to go and tell and make disciples.
To kick-start that process I’ve been talking with the church wardens and others about 6 changes we need to make over the coming weeks.
1: Establishing a weekly prayer gathering, because we can’t do God’s work without his help.
2: Purchasing Lectern Bibles and pew Bibles for each church, because knowing the scriptures is vital.
3: Moving away from lectionary readings so we have teaching from across both Old and New Testaments, because ‘all scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking,correcting and training in righteousness.’
4: Starting a stewardship campaign, because the level of our current giving is far too low to support growth.
5: Providing each church with new and different service books to add variety to our Sunday worship.
6: Becoming less “vanilla” and more “Neapolitan” by changing service patterns in some churches, so there is a broad spectrum of church worship styles across the parish, and far more people can find a true spiritual home.
What will this final step look like
Abbotsbury will continue to offer a contemporary style of worship.
St Mary’s Wolborough will become a base for Prayer Book worship, with a service of Matins and a Book of Common Prayer communion service each month.
St Bartholomew Ogwell and All Saints Highweek will continue to offer a sung service of Holy Communion on most Sundays, with one service in 3 at each church being a non-Eucharistic Service of the Word. This liturgical ‘Service of the Word’ will include hymns, readings and a sermon and also a creed, a confession and said prayers.
St Paul’s Devon Square will alternate between a non-sung service of Holy Communion and a Service of the Word, and ministers will not be robed.
With St Luke’s Milber already offering an Anglo Catholic Eucharist every Sunday, we will almost offer a complete range of Anglican worship across the mission community.
As I said at St Paul’s on Sunday, change is often hard to cope with, especially when it touches something as important as how we worship God. So if you are feeling worried or concerned by any of this, please do come and talk to me. I’ll be taking the 10am Wednesday service of Holy Communion at St Paul’s, why not come and chat to me afterwards. I’ll also be popping in to the coffee mornings at Ogwell on Friday and St Paul’s on Saturday morning - so come and speak to me then. But as we seek to become a parish where each church and each believer is actively engaging with the Great Commission, let’s remember who we are serving and why it is so important. And please do pray for me and the PCC as we discuss these plans at our meeting in mid-November, that God will direct and equip us to see many new people becoming disciples of Jesus over the coming years.
And if you need some inspiration, why not have a listen to this song we sang at my induction, a song that reminds us of the task ahead. (1) Keith & Kristyn Getty - Facing ATask Unfinished (We Go To All The World) (Live) - YouTube
Grace and peace.
Dave
23 Oct 2022 Good News to share!
Dear Friends,
By the time you read this, Judy and I will have welcomed around 80 people to our home for tea, coffee, drinks, cake, nibbles and conversation. (If you weren’t able to come, we’ll find another couple of dates later in the year.) As well as getting to know each other a little better, I took the opportunity to explain a little of my vision for the 5 churches in our parish, and stressed the need for us to be far more focused on reaching out with the good news of Jesus.
But why should we bother? Why go to all that trouble? After all, evangelism isn’t easy, is it! Many of us are nervous about talking about church, let alone Jesus. And when it comes to explaining why we are Christians, and sharing the hope we have through Christ, our anxiety levels can go through the roof. So why bother? Why can’t we keep doing what we are doing, Sunday by Sunday, and wait for people to come to us?
There are a number of ways to answer this question.
There’s the pragmatic answer: If we don’t the church will die. If we don’t reach new people, then in 10-15 years the church will be dead and more of our buildings will become solicitor’s offices, museums or, God-forbid – Jehovah Witness meeting rooms! This is a reality of the Anglican church up and down the country. But reaching out simply to keep the church alive as an active organisation surely isn’t motivation enough. Clubs and groups start and fade all the time. Our motivation must be stronger than this!
What about the obedient answer? We are to reach out with the good news of Jesus, because that’s what Jesus has commanded us to do. ‘Therefore, go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptising them… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ (Matthew 28:19-20)
We’re on stronger ground here aren’t we. Our LORD and Saviour gave this command to his first disciples, and told them to make sure that taught every new disciple of Jesus to obeyed it too. This command to make new disciples wasn’t just a command for the 12, or the early church, or only for ordained or licenced clergy. This was a command to all disciples of Jesus, in every age, of every age and temperament, in every place. All of us who claim to follow Jesus should be seeking to obey everything he taught and commanded (and all that the scriptures teach us!) including the command to go and tell the good news and make new disciples. Being an evangelist- someone who passes on the evangel, the gospel, the good news of Jesus - isn’t an optional extra or something just for the super keen. It’s a task for all of us who claim to be following Jesus. Me, and you.
Of course, some people have special gifts in this area and will find it easier to do. But ifyou are able to speak, or write, or use sign language... in fact, if you are able to communicate in any way, the work of evangelism is one you need to be engaged in. And if you find it hard, then get help! Talk to someone who does it well and ask for advice. Read a good book on the subject or get yourself trained! Over the coming year we’ll be running some short courses that will help us get better at sharing our faith, so if you find this difficult, make sure you come along!
It used to be said that polite people don’t talk about money, politics and religion. Well, everyone talks about politics these days, and chatting about money is no longer really taboo. But the fact that so many Christians haven’t often spoken about their faith is one of the reasons that so many churches are almost empty. We have kept silent about Jesus, we haven’t shared our faith with our family, neighbours and friends, and so the church has grown smaller and older. In this, we have failed to be obedient to the command of our LORD.
Next time we’ll consider why Jesus gave this command in the first place, but today, let me leave you with these two questions: When was the last time you shared your faith with someone not connected with the church? And if someone gave you 2 minutes to explainwhy you are a Christian, what would you say?
May we all be ready to give a reason for the hope we have in Jesus, that may we all become disciple-making-disciples in obedience to His command.
Grace and peace.
Dave
PS. If you are looking for a good book to start thinking about this, why not track down a copy of Know and Tell the Gospel by John Chapman or Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman.
16 Oct 2022 Welcome all!
Dear Friends,
From next week I’ll be using a few of these columns to talk about the urgent need for our churches to be actively reaching out with the good news of Jesus. But all of that good work of building relationships, offering invitations and bringing people along can be swiftly undone if the welcome visitors receive is less than warm.
I spoke a few weeks ago about the warm welcome I’d received at my induction and afterwards, but as I’ve been talking to people within and outside our churches, I’m sad to say that hasn’t always been the case for everyone else. In some of those conversations, people have told me about being left unnoticed in their pews as people from the regular congregation greeted one another warmly. Of being left behind in church as the regulars all left for refreshments without a word of invitation. Others have spoken about tuts and complaints being made to parents whose children have been making a noise, doors being closed in people’s faces and such like. Some of these visitors have been resilient and kept coming. Some have settled in a different church in our parish. Others have never returned. How dreadfully sad that is. We cannot, we must not, let that be the experience of anyone else. To do so is to deny the gospel and potentially turn someone away not just from church, but from Jesus.
So how about we all try and adopt this approach next time we are in church.
1: Exercise grace. NEVER grumble if people are in ‘your’ seat- none of the seats belong to you. Treat visitors and their children with special courtesy, and if children or adults are noisy… don’t tut or complain- imagine they are special guests of Jesus and seek to love them. They may never have been in church before.
2: New people and those on their own are a priority. So go over and say hello, invite them to sit with you, or offer take them to coffee afterwards.
3: Introduce a newcomer to someone else. If you do get into a conversation, be thinking about who else you can introduce them to. This way they get to meet twice the amount of people, and will feel more at home the next time they come.
4: Friends can wait. They’ll be there next Sunday and you can call them during the week. So every Sunday, make it a priority to speak to someone you don’t know. Relationships are built over time, but first impressions count. And that’s especially true when it comes to church. So let’s have a joint commitment to draw a line under our past mistakes, and start afresh when it comes to offering visitors and newcomers a warm and friendly welcome. We can’t change the past, but we can start to build a new culture where all are welcomed, whoever they are, wherever they are from, whatever they look like and however old they may.
That kind of warm hospitality was modelled by Jesus, exemplified by the early church and has been the mark of Christian communities across the ages. May it also be said of us in the months and years to come.
Grace and peace.
Dave
9 Oct 2022 Church - what's it all about?!
Dear Friends,
Things that Judy and I enjoyed while we were living near to London included occasional trips to the theatre and concerts. We’d dress up, head into Town - getting there early enough to enjoy a pre-performance drink or a meal, and then sit back and wait to be thrilled and entertained.
That kind of attitude is fine for the theatre or concert hall. It’s even ok for sporting events (although if it’s your team playing there’s surely an obligation to cheer them on!). But that must never be the attitude we bring with us into church. We may be contributing financially, as we all must. We may be hopeful of receiving a good sermon and enjoying good fellowship and music. But our attitude cannot be one of simply coming to receive; of coming to be blessed, or, perish the thought, of simply coming to be entertained. Coming to church is not like visiting a theatre or a concert hall! For, as well as coming to receive from the Lord, our attitude must also be one of coming to give and serve. Let me explain.
We rightly come to receive the Word of God, faithfully taught, explained and applied, but we must give our ears to listen, our minds to concentrate, and having heard, we must give our wills and be willing to obey.
We come to enjoy the hymns, songs, and liturgy and to be encouraged by the words and singing of others, but we must also lift our own voices in word and song, bringing our own worship to God who is ever worthy of praise. That is pleasing to God and an encouragement to others.
We come to enjoy fellowship and welcome, and look forward to warm handshakes and conversation with friends, but we must also be those who offer that same welcome to others - especially to those coming for the first time or standing alone.
We come to be encouraged in our walk with Jesus, to be built up and strengthened in our faith, but we must also look for ways to encourage others, looking out for the weary and burdened, that they may also be lifted up. We come to receive bread and wine, tangible reminders of Jesus’ death on the cross in our place, but we only truly receive as we give ourselves afresh to Him that we might ‘live and work for His praise and glory.’
We come and are blessed by the service of others as they welcome us, lead us, teach us, play and read for us, feed and water us, and clear up after us… but we must offer our thanks and encouragement to them, and be willing to take our turn in serving others.
Arriving with the attitude of coming to church to both give and receive, to be encouraged and encourage others, to be blessed and to be a blessing, to be served and to also serve, may be a new mindset for us. But there are ways we can change. Reading the Bible passage before you come to church will set your mind on God’s word. Praying for the preacher and for your own heart to be soft will help you be ready to listen. Arriving early, to sit quietly and pray will help take your mind off the cares of the day and lift your focus to the Lord. And keeping your eyes and ears open to the needs of others will make you more ready to respond.
What is truly certain, is that the more we each give in song, obedience, prayer, service, encouragement and love, the more we will ourselves be blessed and built up in our faith, and the more the church family will grow up into the likeness of Jesus Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Which of these might you try to put into practice this coming Sunday?
Grace and peace.
Dave
2 Oct 2022 Getting to Know You
Dear Friends,
As we put a new Mission Action Plan together, one of the questions I’ll be asking the wardens and PCC to consider over the coming months is: What kind of church should we be? What will define us as a mission community, and how will each individual church family reflect that within their own part of our parish? We won’t be short of answers, not least because the scriptures will be our guide, and they have a lot to say on the subject!
One of the joys of being a Christian is that we become part of a new family of believers, known by their love for one another. That has both an inward focus - in knowing, loving and serving each other - and an outward focus, in welcoming new people in and indeed, going out in love and mission to bring others in. I’ll say a lot more about the latter in the coming weeks, but if we are to grow as a family of believers, we need to spend time with one another. The early church was known for its hospitality and the way they shared their lives, and as followers of Jesus we must do that too. Take a look at these commands from Paul, Peter and John! Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality. Romans 12:13 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. 3 John 1:8 .
Many of you will know each other well and have good friends within the church family. That’s wonderful - and I hope and pray those friendships will deepen further in the coming years. But, however good those friendships, we need to make sure we are getting to know other people well too. How else can we know how to pray for each other, or what needs they have that we, or the wider church family, might be able to meet?
Judy and I are at a huge disadvantage here of course. Although we’ve met many of you, we have yet to visit 4 of our churches, and it will take a long time to get to know you all and learn all your names! So to help that along, we’d like to invite you to join us at the Rectory, 5 Coach Place, Newton Abbot, for either morning coffee, afternoon tea, or drinks and nibbles. The dates are below. Just work out when you’d like to come and either call us on 01626 335862, or email us at revdmbrown@gmail.com. We hope it will help us to get to know you, and give you a little time to get to know us. There’s parking by the house, and on Coach Road near the entrance to the pay and display car park, from where you can walk up a little slope to our house. The dates are:
Friday 7 th October Monday 10 th October Wednesday 12 th October Friday 14 th October Monday 17 th October Wednesday 19 th October
7:30pm-9:30pm 3pm-4:30pm 10:30am-12noon 7:30pm-9:30pm 3pm-4:30pm 10:30am-12noon
Drinks and nibbles Afternoon tea Morning coffee Drinks and nibbles Afternoon tea Morning coffee
Of course, we can all start to develop our gifts of hospitality. On Sundays we could enjoy our post-church coffee with someone different, ensure we look out for the newcomer and stranger, and invite them to join us. Also, during the week - why not invite someone for a coffee, meet them in town, or arrange to go for a walk together.
Jesus said that people would know that we belong to him because of our love for one another. That starts with spending time together. So, please book in and come and join Judy and me on one of the dates above, and think how you can be more hospitable this week.
Grace and peace.
Dave
25 Sept 2022
Dear friends,
It was wonderful to see so many of you last evening for my induction as Team Rector. Thank you for your warm welcome, and for the many prayers I know have risen to heaven over the last few months. Judy and I are excited to be here and eager to see what the LORD will do amongst us over the coming years. In some ways it’s a perfect time to begin a new ministry. The funeral service for the Queen on Monday marked the end of an era, but also launched us into a fresh epoch under King Charles III. Much will stay the same, but there will, of course, be changes. Every new monarch leads their country in their own way, just as each new minister brings their own ways and ideas to their new parish or benefice. So don’t be surprised if there are some subtle differences over the coming weeks.
What I can promise you, however, are at least 3 things.
Firstly, I will do my best week by week to faithfully open up the Scriptures so that we can all grow in our understanding of our glorious Triune God, and better understand how we are to live as his people, in his world. I believe that the Bible is God’s revealed word, and that it is good and true and utterly reliable. As we hear it, understand it, believe it and obey it, we grow more like Jesus and come to know more of the peace and joy that is our birth-right as children of God. Will you commit yourself afresh to dive more deeply into God’s word?
Secondly, as I promised on Tuesday night, I will be committed to praying for you all individually and collectively. I know my own weaknesses, and I’m sure you will notice them over the coming months and years, but through prayer we have access to the strength, the wisdom, the goodness, the boldness, the love and grace and mercy of God. He is the one who changes lives, who rescues runaways, who heals the sick, and calms the storm, and we are foolish if we ignore our rights as children of God to come into his presence in prayer to seek his help. Will you commit yourself afresh to prayer for God to work amongst us?
And thirdly, I will be doing my best to get to know you and the churches and communities amongst whom I’m now ministering. That will take time, and do forgive me if I forget your names – but I do hope you will find me warm, friendly and approachable. To help that along, in a few weeks time, Judy and I will be inviting all of you to come and share some food and conversation with us at the Rectory. That won’t be all together- the Rectory isn’t that big! - But do watch out for those dates and signup and come along.
In the meantime, can I ask for your continued prayers as Judy and I settle in to our new home. We have left family and many good friends a long way behind, but we did that because we are certain that God called us here, to serve him amongst you. Our prayer is that we would be a blessing to the churches and wider communities as we share the good news of Jesus together.
Grace and peace. Dave