Personally Delivered

 Vital considerations for right now - how we need the real and not just the virtual:

Enjoy this.

True North

Have you seen the North

That cold grey place 

Don't want its shadow anymore

On my face 

A man grows bitter 

We're a bitter race 

Some of us never get to see 

A better place.

Elton John and Bernie Taupin - The North

"And at once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness"

Mark 1:12.

So, here we are, six months into this strangest of times,

when most of us are seeking to navigate ourselves towards what is clearly going to be a very hard winter with no respite in sight.

Whatever you think about the current situation, the biting truth is that for the vast majority, the manner of life we now must endeavour to navigate is one of ever-changing rules and restrictions that mean that pretty much everything once taken for granted is now almost impossible.

We have entered a crucible in respect to pretty much every aspect of human life, and there is clearly no telling as to when or if it will be over in any viable sense anytime soon.

I've spent most of the time so far being a "key worker", so my daily routine didn't change too much, but the differences really came home this past week as I found myself amongst life in the cities during a week's leave.

The telling sight in many places was the apprehension I registered in many older faces of those out in public. Younger folk tended to take it all as business as usual - the gift of youthful adaptability, no doubt, but the older faces were clearly troubled, knowing it isn't meant to be like this.

The greatest genuine worry, I suspect, is the growing discrepancy between what's being required of us and what is actually taking place in the general state of play (deaths and severe conditions continue to be low, but the "noise" about "cases" is louder than ever). Some are beginning to ask, rightly in my view, is this really going to help in any meaningful way?

So where do each of us go from here?

It appears that we also have been 'driven' into a wilderness - an uncharted territory where in practical terms, we often find ourselves facing these perilous conditions almost naked and highly uncertain in regards to where this journey leads.

Here, as Lewis once noted, we can easily face the allure of pagan 'northernness' - a realm of endless, vast expanse and chill that gnaws into us in such an overwhelming fashion so that we become fused to a far colder existence.

The intent, however, is not to acclimatise us to something 'lower' than what is truly good - but to see redemption at work even within these surroundings.

Rather than leading us to a slough of despond 

(the moribund and stagnant reflections of the soured waters of own selves) the aim is to raise our gaze upward to the shining clarity of the unspoiled surroundings and the majesty of the canopy above and beyond ourselves.

The true power, even severity, of deep beauty works upon us here to scar our souls deeply with the genuine power and authority of unmerited love and overshadowing care.

Once this works upon us and burns our souls, then we can face any and every trial with a fresh and genuine confidence that carries us even beyond death into the very embrace of matrimony to the beloved redeemer of all things.

Let us seek that manner for aid in this time - that that true bright star will guide us across these seasons in the north, and make them plentiful in the treasures they bestow.

D e f i n i t i o n

 "You are not your own. You were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body". 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

It's a popular game these days -

What if.

What if Hero X had done action Y in this scene?

What if this story had taken this turn instead of that one?

Sometimes, we play this game about history.

What if Henry VIII's son with Catherine had lived?

What if Britain and France had maintained their rule over America?

What if the assassination that triggered the first world war had failed?

I once spent an amusing afternoon pretty well re-writing the history of the modern world that way - I guess that's why games like Civilisation have often proved so popular - want to see the outcome? Go to the next level of the game.

It's easy for this to all become just idle speculation, but theologically, there are some serious issues that the 'what if' question can cause us to address.

We all know the famous story of Moses meeting the Lord in the non-destructive flames of the burning bush, but most of us rarely consider the moment when he failed to recognise that same Lord in the rock he struck rather than spoke to, as he was commanded (see Numbers 20). We're told that Moses was as fit and healthy in his old age as in his youth (Deuteronomy 34:7), but because of that one act of disobedience, Moses dies without entering the promised land (see the opening of 1 Corinthians 10 to unpack the significance as to why). I found myself wondering what would have happened at the end if that had not of been the case. I suspect that rather than secretly being buried on Mount Nebo, he would have probably had the same manner of exit as Enoch (Genesis 5:24) or even Elijah (2 Kings 2) - that would certainly have caused a scene amidst the moment of entry into Canaan!

That consideration lead me on to another. Solomon was the wisest man who lived, and yet, in spite of all his magnificence,  Solomon was cut down in his later years by his propensity to give in to his desire for female company, leading to him taking many pagan wives which spread idolatry in the land (1 Kings 11), causing his ways and resources to be divided between what was good and what was wicked.

When you read what was happening in the kingdom prior to this compromise (see chapters 6 through to 10), you find yourself asking what would have happened if Solomon hadn't of compromised in the manner he did? Just how great would the kingdom of Israel have become if he had continued to use his wisdom to guide it closer to God? It's a fascinating issue to ponder.

Most of us probably think we'll never reach anywhere near the manner of power and responsibility of such men (I tend to see myself somewhere in the region of Jacob the schemer, hoping I can work my way out of another fine mess I've put myself in!), but the comforting news for all of us is that if we trust in the rescuing God that gives us breath, we only have to have one moment fixed before us - when God makes His covenant with the father of the faithful, Abraham, in Genesis 15. Why that moment? Because there, God doesn't deal in 'what if's' of how well or badly we will do - he knows we'll mess up, so placing Abraham in a sleep, he walks through the fire and sacrifice and swears to keep the covenant for us all, and to fulfil its promises. That's why we have confidence that whatever tomorrow brings, including our failures, God is true, and has fulfilled His purposes in His beloved Son, which assures us the future is secure.

There's a "it is" to ponder on your bed tonight.

A small footnote...

Loved this piece on Mockingbird this week. As someone who often relishes the first (nudity) whilst desiring the other (sanctification), and who has enjoyed the odd spa visit, I thought this really spoke volumes about true righteousness being way above and beyond us.  

Something Good...

 Short and sweet again this week -

What makes us more than us... is not us.

What makes it all worth bothering about is Jesus.

Because He's the author and the finisher, we can actually rest easy,

from first to last, from the start to the finish,

amidst all the whirl and "clatter bash" of now,

He is what counts, and what makes it all count.

Here's a great little piece on the how.

Enjoy.

L i b e r a t i o n

"Creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God"
Romans 8:21.

Several decades ago, I read F J Huegel's work The Cross of Christ - the Throne of God in which the author postulates that the wording of one of the Psalms (97?) was edited following the crucifixion of Jesus, because it originally had read "The Lord reigns from the tree". Whether that is the case or not, Pilate's placing of the placard above Jesus reading 'king of the Jews' certainly created consternation amongst those observing the moment, but according to Matthew, far more telling events were to follow - the coming of thick darkness, the tearing of the temple veil and the opening of the tombs of the dead, these returning to life (Matthew 27:45-52).

This is where we begin to see the true pivotal point of all history - the judgement of sin because of Christ becoming our substitute, the removal of access to the throne of God by the shedding of His blood and offering of His life and the total victory over death in His giving of Himself into death itself makes Jesus' cry something absolute - 'finished!'.

The ramifications are eternally vast in scale.
Paul's words in Romans on the impact of Christ's work tell us that nothing that has been made in creation is excluded from the atoning work of Jesus - even the unbelieving dead will be raised in new bodies on the final day because of what was done at the cross (John 5:19 onwards - think about that).

Christ is Lord of all not only because He made and holds all things Himself (Colossians 1:16), but also because by the 'blood of His cross', all things in heaven and earth are reconciled (1:20).

What we so readily see at present is the bondage, the futility of a world poisoned by sin and death, but in Christ we see that the purpose of God to have a world where these things are no more has come, and that is the prize that we need to continue to treasure in this 'brief' period of hardship and trouble.

Jesus Christ has made us to be those who will inherit something so much better than this present trial. He has given all to make this ours. Let us fix on that wonder in these hard days.

The F i g h t

"Earnestly contend for the faith".
Jude.

"Those who want heaven most must serve earth best"
C S Lewis.

One of the most important books I've read in the last year was Melvin Tinker's 'That Hideous Strength - A deeper look at how the West was lost'. I clearly wasn't the only one who realised the necessity of what the work had to say, as it's already been re-published and expanded, seeking to address the ideological turbulence of the days we're walking through right now.

It's not an easy read, as what it seeks to address is pretty unsettling.
Using C S Lewis' superb conclusion to his cosmic trilogy (entitled That Hideous Strength) and the events of Genesis 11 (the Tower of Babel) as a contextual backdrop, the author spells out just how bad things have become in the current generation, and where this may well be taking us- towards a domain of cultural Marxism.

Like the awfulness of what Lewis unfolds in his tale of post-war England becoming governed by a power subservient to scientism (what the Apostle Paul would consider to be 'Vain Philosophy' (Colossians 2:8), Tinker's words sink deep and remain, because as much as we'd really like to be elsewhere, we are amidst a very real time of 'cultural and cognitive adaptation' - a slow but relentless slide into a subversion as paralysing as what was evidenced in Germany in the 1930s or in Russia a decade earlier.

That point needs to be considered well and deeply by Christians everywhere right now, but especially in those countries where normal social activities have been curtailed or closed down by authorities because of the threat of a pandemic back in March. Are we living, now, in a world on a trajectory back to 'normal', or in one where what was deemed appropriate (i.e. in Christian worship and assembly) is gone?

The last chapter of the book speaks of four ways that such malevolence is encroaching upon and infiltrating discussions and events from what's raised on Morning TV to what is and isn't being allowed in binge streaming shows. Social "justice" is clearly acceptable, even when its actions are illegal, but what was previously deemed convention is entirely quarantined.

These methods are -
Assumption. Ideology that intends to supplant a Christian world-view (see Tom Holland's Dominion for a superb historical examination of  the value of Christianity).

Abandonment. Ways and means which make Christianity's value as 'salt' and 'light' be thrown into question by people in general, because something "better" (or at least more immediate and presumably more pertinent) is proposed to deal with the key issues of the day.

Adaptation. The process of adjustment as culture moves away from the "old" to the new. This often amounts to giving in to the superficial cries of the day rather than actually thinking through the deeper issues and ramifications involved.

The current battle is very much focused in the three realms stated above, but here's what will follow..

Assimilation. When a culture entirely rejects a Christian perspective on the nature of our problems and therefore the solution that the church provides.

Like in the building of some great structure, these means are now in constant use socially, but the goal is quite clear - to bring people to a point where they believe that they can be their best by what the authorities require and without what God desires them to see.

So, what should Christians do about this?
Well, at a grass-roots level at present, we're seeing the church continue to be marginalised and prevented from functioning as church on the premise that this is too dangerous to allow.

The social freedom that Christianity enjoyed for centuries has all but gone.

Think about what's taking place this year.

We were prevented, presumably for legitimate reasons (concerns of an impending virulent pandemic) from opening churches for many months. Then, because of the same manner of concern, we were allowed to re-open our church buildings, but we're now essentially constrained from functioning as church within them!

What's become apparent of late however is that the time is rapidly passing for any realm of society to just carry on frozen in a lockdown mentality, because of the threat which appeared six months ago. Life has to open up once more, and whilst this clearly means risk, probably for a long time to come, it certainly has to happen. Church needs to dress in the boldness the moment requires and not be timid, to truly listen to what its commanded by Christ to do, and do it.

This, of course, is happening in some measure already.

In Italy, for example, more priests and ministers have died of the virus in the last six months than doctors or nurses, because they refused to leave the sick and the dying unattended and alone. The restrictions, in other words, had to be broken, because the life we share in God is greater than death, even in these circumstances.
In many places, churches have found ways and means to continue to actually meet, and recently churches have begun to view the health restrictions as too confining in respect to how they should assemble and worship, and returned to full, normal services, fighting the restrictions as they go.

There's an important precedent at work here.
In his superb essay, living in the atomic age, Lewis examines the argument that because we are living in 'extraordinary circumstances', we should behave accordingly - so, in respect to the issue at the time of the essay, that we behave in accordance with the possibility of a nuclear strike at any moment. He goes on to show how ridiculous such an approach is, and how the best thing we can do is to live normally and live well, because extraordinary measures can only be effectively employed for very particular moments, and life must resume shortly as normal if it is to continue at all.

The current conditions, however, are constantly defined as something else - exceptional, terrifying and therefore, we should expect to remain in some abnormal sphere indefinitely.

It cannot be done.
The fact that we are now requiring a more familiar state of behaviour speaks volumes about the dislocation that has occurred.

So, if we are to see a return to what counts in church activity, what is to be done?

Those who have experienced the 'anaemic' nature of what's possible under the current regulations know this is a painful subtraction of what church should be, so the choices are that we just exist with that, or we seek to return to what church really is.

Where do we want to be as church at the end of the year?
When Christmas comes, do we want the only joy we can offer the world to be a masked, carol-less, socially distanced, clipped 'religion'?

The answer has to be no!

Like schools and businesses, we should be finding ways to steer towards a full return to normal as soon as we can, so we should be making those choices now.

That indeed means resistance - that we take a stand.
That means complying with what is reasonable (shielding the vulnerable), but not omitting what we are taught by God to do (Ephesians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 10:16).

This is where the choices will be hardest, as it's usually deemed best to just fully conform to what is required by the world around us, but there are times when we cannot and must not do that. "Anaemic" church, as it's already been evidenced, will not provide the necessary fellowship or ministry to truly, deeply feed and sustain us or speak out to the world. This is why so many churches have been choosing to meet outdoors, where they can sing and behave more socially, but winter is coming, and we need to work towards something better for everyone.

This 'being prepared' in present circumstances, as Tinker's book itself shows, is expressed in various ways.

We are to do what we do for the good of those around us - not to carnally revolt, but to show in our actions that there are issues as vital and as imperative as dealing with threats to public health.

We must watch, then act and pray, because, like Jacob, we stand and wrestle in the very midst of what is unfolding, and we dare not cease until we are 'disjointed' (from self reliance) by that endeavour, but God has sent His gracious and enduring life amongst us.

We must know the times - discern what is afoot, why it is so, and what genuine study can grant in respect to wisdom and insight into our predicament. Weighty judgement and insight and meaningful implementation at such moments is more precious than jewels!

We should be aware that this present struggle is not merely against what we can see (though that is clear manifestation of something genuine) - the powers behind this are far greater, and it is in that battle that the church must engage what is seeking to cripple its testimony.

Above all, we must understand that the imperative here is the Gospel that saves us - Jesus Christ reconciling us to God by the justifying work of grace alone, provided in His death and resurrection - that is the business we must be about in our corporate existence and action.

No method, no policy, no convention is going to heal what is genuinely killing everyone - their severance from the life of God. Only Christ can remedy that.

Jesus spoke of how no king engages in battle until he has weighed up the cost and knows he can overcome. We dare not send the church into this present fray (the developing horror of a severely crippled world) without the means that God has given to make us nourished and equipped for what is rising. It is time to return to the streams that God gives to revive and refresh His people.

We have, in truth, been away from them for far too long.

"Those who love man less than God do most for man".

Poison

Most of us are aware of what happens when we eat or drink something that is tainted - it's not long before our entire physiology is out of place and we're in need of removing the said corruption from our bodies rapidly.
What happens when it isn't that sudden, though?
What if we were gradually poisoned, or if the dreadful material was introduced to us in such a way that our bodies initially accepted it as good - which is what happens in measure with the chemistry of some types of virus?
The consequences are more gradual, but the results are usually far more fatal.

In the 1850s, Charles Darwin published his findings that pointed to the notion that life is essentially a random series of accidental events that eventually resulted in human beings. He was personally reluctant after publishing to really push the notion loudly, but pretty soon, a pro-evolutionary 'bulldog' appeared in the form of one Thomas Huxley, who made sure that the notions Darwin had presented in Origin of the Species became essential to the culture of the West (See Michael Denton's excellent work, Evolution - A Theory in Crisis).

The consequences of this are now being played out in the nuts and bolts of what is happening in our world.
Here's a discussion on those current events, and how these underlying concepts of meaninglessness are being played through.