Still Quarrying 166: One Place Together.

Once again there has been great provision for Christians to help us celebrate one of the high points of the Christian calendar.  People have been working hard to sustain us spiritually through these strange and bewildering times.  There have been suggestions that the lockdown has shown us the way forward, that online worship and devotion will become as important as our weekly gatherings.  ‘The future has come to meet us.‘    I have heard that from a few people.

I have to say it is not easy for me to contemplate that.  I have been described by a friend as a ‘technophobe’.  Not strictly speaking true.  Like most people I appreciate the blessings of the world wide web and the technology that allows me to get this blog out.      It amazes me that people from Turkmenistan, one of the most oppressive countries for Christians, have been logging on.  I also recognise how important the technology has been (for those who have it) over the past few months in enabling us to stay in contact with family and friends.  It has been a real boost for us to be able to read stories to our grandchildren 350 miles away.

You’re waiting for the ‘But’.  So making sure my tin helmet is in place here goes!

Reading Acts 2: 1-13 this morning I don’t get any further than verse 1:

‘When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place.’  

It was to a people together that the Spirit came.  It was as a people together that each had their own personal experience of the Spirit.  It was as a people together that they moved out into the street and spoke in languages previously unknown to them but understood by an international audience.  It was to a people together that Peter preached and the Spirit moved 3, 000 people to become part of the Jesus movement.  

Churches throughout the world are making outstanding efforts to reach out to members and non-members through online communication.  I daily read of the effectiveness of all of this and I sincerely pray that this will be a part of our future strategy for mission.   But I also pray for perspective and proportion.  I don’t know what Church life will be like when we are once again allowed to get back to our places of worship.    I imagine it might be a tentative return in many ways.  But personally speaking I am longing for the day when once again we are ‘all together in one place.‘   When I can shake hands, hug, sing, break bread and share wine, baptise and once again know that unique experience when the Spirit binds a people together through the preached Word.  And from all of this for God’s people to go out with hope to the bereaved, the broken, the sick, the disaffected and the unconnected.  

This may not happen all at once.  Perhaps it wasn’t all coming together before the lockdown.  But it is surely where we want to be.  

Still Quarrying 164: Pentecost

The Shaping of the Days.

He told us to wait.

And we gathered,

And we prayed,

And waited.

Question still hovering:

When?

Then the wind, the rush, the fire.

Nothing we did.

We obeyed and it happened,

The power

To move out into the city,

The nation,

The world,

To speak a message given not made,

And to watch as the Spirit pressed the truth

And brought to faith.

That shaped the days:

To wait, to work, to watch.  

Still Quarrying 163: Days Of Elijah

‘These are the days of Elijah . . .’ says the song and in some ways we can see that in these days of Covid-19.  Elijah was a prophet at a time of crisis in his nation.  There was a drought that lasted three years.  The story of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17: 7-24)  shows that people were hard pressed to keep body and soul together.  There wasn’t even enough grass to feed the animals.  Add to this a government that was actively persecuting those who were faithful to the God of Israel and you have a grim picture of life in the days of Elijah.  

There were, however, the usual glimmers of hope.  As Paul would proclaim centuries later God has never left Himself without witness (Acts 14: 17) and there were signs of His presence in the lives of those  who were faithful to Him.  One of those was a man called Obadiah.  He could be described as a senior civil servant in the government of King Ahab.  (1 Kings 18: 2-4).  On the surface he was loyal to the king but go deeper and there was a more pressing loyalty.  He is described as a ‘devout believer’ and that meant openness to God and a willingness to live according to His ways.  So when Ahab’s queen Jezebel orchestrated a pogrom against the prophets of Israel Obadiah sheltered one hundred in caves and supplied them with food and water.   

It is quite astonishing that any man could live with that degree of tension in his life.   Maintaining a position of great influence in his nation but always knowing where his ultimate commitment lay.  It has to be said, however, that there were limits to his boldness.  One day he was confronted by Elijah.  The prophet wanted access to Ahab, to speak truth to power, and Obadiah could arrange that.  Obadiah was horrified.  Ahab had been hunting Elijah well beyond the boundaries of Israel.  Anyone who had shown even the least contact with him had been put to death.  Obadiah could only see this outcome for himself.  But in the end he was persuaded that Elijah was speaking with a Voice that had to be obeyed.  

Obadiah’s story shows that in a time of crisis faithful people may well be pushed beyond the limits of their own vision of discipleship.  When Elijah called upon him to arrange the meeting with Ahab Obadiah pleaded the exceptional work he had already been doing.    He was already putting his life on the line.  Wasn’t that enough?  Apparently not.  Obadiah was in danger of serving to his own satisfaction but in this time of crisis God had more for him to do.  

How does this weigh with us in these days of Covid-19?  It could be said that so much has been demanded of us but that does not stop the need not only for continuing witness but expanding witness.  Openness to the call of God is vital as we meditate on the Word and as we pray.  He never leaves Himself without testimony and that means you and me.  We may be the Church in exile but we are still the Church and Jesus has promised that we will never lose that dynamism that can only come from His Spirit.  Did He not say that the gates of Hell would not stand up to the continuing development of His Church?  

I’ve suggested before that perhaps we were too comfortable with ourselves pre-Covid-19.  But we want to avoid being too comfortable with ourselves as things stand.   We have time for reflection but we should never forget that in Scripture and in the history of the Church profound experiences of God were followed by practical evidence that God is seeking to work through His people to strengthen His Kingdom on earth.   Granted we are limited in what can be done at a practical level but we will emerge from these days.  As one woman of faith has said, we will meet again.   Let’s pray that in that meeting Jesus followers will be better able to tell His story and share His love.  Ever open to give more of ourselves to Him and His great project to bring His Kingdom to the earth.  

Still Quarrying 162: Wobble.

You know what it’s like when you have made up your mind about something, you are comfortable with it, and then someone comes along with a different view.  You might see the flaws in the argument and calmly return to your own position. You might see the matador’s cape fluttering, amazed that someone could be so stupid and decide that social distancing is the answer.  But there may be other times when you feel genuinely conflicted  and begin seriously to question what hitherto had been so clear.  

Perhaps like me you have experienced all of the above.  I’m not sure, however, how to respond to a couple magazine articles I read recently questioning government strategy in these Covid-19 days.  The first was written by Toby Young who has set up a website called Lockdown Sceptics.  He describes it as ‘a compendium of evidence that the lockdown is a needless acts of self-harm that will almost certainly cause a greater loss of life than it prevents.‘    He can spend up to nine hours a day collecting and summarising the latest  data and inevitably presents a welter of statistics to support his views.  

The second article is by Lionel Shriver who compares Covid-19 deaths with those related to influenza, typhoid, cholera and malaria and concludes: ‘Covid deaths will barely register in the big picture even if their total multiplies by several times.‘   So the response of government has been out of proportion and will eventually be seen to be ruinous to people’s lives and the economy.   Chillingly she writes: ‘This is not a natural disaster but a manmade one.’  

I think I should make it clear that despite the above I, as someone ‘under shielding’, will continue to abide by the guidelines laid down by the Scottish Government and endorsed by my medical advisors.  But when you are presented with well researched and passionately argued material written by intelligent people that runs counter to what you have accepted as being beyond dispute then is it surprising that you experience even the slightest of wobbles?  

I felt a bit like David in Psalm 11 when he says: ‘When the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do?’  (verse 3)  It’s not exactly the same scenario.  David appears to be under physical attack, arrows being launched at him from the bows of ‘the wicked’ to the extent that he has been advised to go into hiding.  That is not an option for him but it has created some uncertainty in the depths of his being.   One commentator puts forward the possibility of ‘prevailing anarchy’ leaving David unsure what to think or what steps to take.  

It is David’s response in verses 4-7 which we all need to take to our hearts, especially in these Covid-19 days:

‘The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.  The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.  On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.’

The Lord is present and in control.  Nothing happens on the earth that is a surprise to Him: ‘He observes everyone on earth.‘   Despite the moral confusion that might prevail he is clear about wickedness and righteousness.  Despite the ascendency of the darkness His justice will not sleep forever.   He cherishes a good purpose for those who love Him.  

These are the certainties that exist in the midst of conflicting views, confusing debate and political point-scoring.  There may be much that will cause us to wobble but our highest expression of faith is in the God of David, the God ultimately revealed In Jesus.    

Still Quarrying 161: Shielded.

I suppose it’s only natural but I find myself reading the Bible with a Covid-19 mind.  Take ‘shielding’.  I am one of those people who according to the Scottish Government need to observe restrictions in my lifestyle to ensure protection against Covid-19.  Fair enough.  Even if this means not being able to wander beyond my garden gate.  For my own protection I have to regard myself as ‘under shielding.’  

It’s not a huge leap to consider the shielding that is a theme in the Bible.  Yesterday I came across David’s words in Psalm 3: 3:

‘But you are a shield around me, O Lord; 

 you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.’  

At a time of great pressure in his life David takes comfort from the idea of being shielded by his God.  As a military man he would know the importance of a good shield so it is not hard for him to imagine God providing even more expansive protection.   This is just one of 19 such references in the Psalms but the idea is prominent throughout Scripture.   In many instances we see the faith that God can provide physical protection for His people in times of danger.  But there are other texts which in a sense go deeper.  God protecting the soul from harm.   Here is Psalm 5: 12:

‘For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous;

 you surround them with your favour as with a shield.’  

And Psalm 28: 7:

‘The Lord is my strength and my shield;

 my heart trusts in him and I am helped.’  

I can only think of two references in the New Testament.   Paul speaking of the Christian’s armour in spiritual warfare writes:

‘ . . . take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one.’  (Ephesians 6: 16)  

Peter speaking of the default spiritual state of the believer describes  those ‘who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the lats time.’  (1 Peter 1: 5)

Neither Paul or Peter could ever claim that they had always been shielded from physical danger but they were convinced of a deeper shielding.  They trusted that even in their worst of times they could be sure that their souls were safe with God.  That is to say nothing would ever affect their place in the heart of God, His good purpose for them in this life and their fulfilment in the coming Kingdom.  Is this not what Jesus means in John 10: 27-28:

‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.’  

The believer is in the hands of the Good Shepherd and no one or nothing will ever prise us away.  We are called to regard our souls as shielded against the spiritual dangers of sin, death and the devil.  

One of the most inspiring examples of someone taking this to heart is in the life of a nineteenth century American lawyer named Horatio Spafford.   In 1873 the Spafford family had planned a holiday in England.  Late business demands meant that Spafford had to remain in America while the family went ahead.  While crossing the Atlantic their ship was in collision with another vessel.  226 people were killed including Spafford’s four daughters.  As Spafford sailed to England to join his grieving wife Anna he wrote a hymn which begins:

‘When peace like a river attendeth my way;

 When sorrows like sea billows roll;

 Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

 It is well, it is well with my soul.’

I find this profoundly moving.  If you have ever sung the whole hymn with its soaring chorus you get a sense of a man seeking to apply to his inner being everything that he knows about God, everything that has been revealed through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  

‘Though Satan should buffet, though trails should come,

 Let this blest assurance control,

 That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

 And hath shed His own blood for my soul.’ 

A man who believed that because of Jesus and His work for us we are shielded from the worst that spiritual darkness can do.  It’s easy enough, if challenging, for me to conform to the instructions from the Scottish Government on shielding but I need to be in constant prayer with Spafford that the ‘blest assurance’ of the Gospel, the great truths that flow from Jesus will ‘control’ my inner being.   John Newton invites us to sing:

‘Be though my Shield and Hiding-place,

 That, sheltered near Thy side,

 I may my fierce accuser face,

 And tell him Thou hast died.’  

Still Quarrying 160: Church Unlocked.

I’m writing this as the Lord’s Day draws to a close, a day when yet again it’s been sad to think of all the churches in the land lying empty.   Certainly many people are working hard to provide us with the spiritual food we need to go forward in faith.  On television, radio and online there is an abundance of devotional material.  On any given Lord’s Day you could be listening, watching and reading all day!

One television programme we regularly see is ‘Reflections At The Quay’, the ‘Quay’ being the location of BBC Scotland.  The format is quite simple with readings, music and reflections from 2 speakers usually from different Christian traditions.   Behind them as they speak is what can only be described as a glass wall through which you can see the Clyde and also activity on the walkway.  People walking, jogging, pushing baby carriers and cycling.  Today two young men in cycling gear could be seen peering through the glass.  

It reminds me of the short walk to St Paul’s from the Manse on the Lord’s Day.  I see people walking, jogging, pushing baby carriers and cycling.  Not many give the church a glance.  As I lead worship, grateful as I am for everyone who has gathered, I am often conscious of the life that is going on around us and is unconnected with us.  Maybe some people are not without thoughts of God but they wouldn’t think of even stopping to peer in on us.   

It has been said that in these Covid-19 days more people are logging on to Church websites especially the worship and that this must continue to be a vital tool in our future mission.  Maybe people are open to the message if not to the Church.  Recent findings in the USA, however, are suggesting a decline in online interest even among committed Christians, sometimes as much as 30%.   Well, we’re receiving a lot of mixed messages  at the moment and maybe we just need to file this away for the times to tell their tale.  

However things work out it should never be forgotten that it was as a community, visible and serving, showing the impact of Christ on their lives, that the first followers of Jesus made an impact on the society of which they were a part.  It wasn’t just the quality of their worship but the quality of their life together which flowed out and touched lives.   One of the most intriguing verses in the early chapters of Acts comes in a description of the early days of the apostles’ witness in Jerusalem:

‘No-one else dared to join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people,  Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.’  (Acts 5: 13-14)  

There’s a picture there of people on the outside peering in, feeling that they couldn’t really be part of this, but in the end not being able to resist the pull.  The Spirit so powerfully revealed in the heart of this community performed His transforming work and passersby and onlookers became participants in this vibrant movement.  

However many blessings and ‘opportunities’ there have been in these days of lockdown when we come out the challenge is still before us.  

Still Quarrying 159: Radical Change.

Darren McGarvey and I have some things in common.  He was brought up in Pollok and went to Crookston Castle Secondary school. It could also be said that we have a common need to communicate.  He is a writer, columnist and rap artist.   For the latter he has adopted the stage name ‘Loki’.  That caught my attention since some people think the name Pollok means ‘The pool of Loki’, Loki being the Norse god of mischief.   It’s a well chosen name since much of Darren’s writing arises from his own experience of poverty, the issues arising from that, and what he sees as the inadequate responses of government at all levels.  In the best sense he could be described as a ‘stirrer’.  

I have been aware of his book Poverty Safari since its publication but for some reason never quite got round to reading it.  It has been described as at least in part a ‘misery memoir’.  There are repeated references to his chaotic early life with a mother addicted to drugs and alcohol and the consequential neglect he and his siblings suffered.  He also writes about his own descent into drug addiction and his struggle to attain some stability and purpose in his life.  But there is more to the book than this.  The subtitle is ‘Understanding The Anger Of Britain’s Underclass’.  It is an exploration of the feelings of those who increasingly feel they are on the margins, unable to influence political decisions that shape the quality and direction of their own lives.  

I went to the book with expectations.  I was prepared to hear how a person’s early social and economic circumstances can shape the rest of their lives.  I was prepared to hear about the inadequacies of the education system in relation to those who are ‘born to fail’.  I was prepared for gruesome details of a family life characterised not only by neglect but also danger.  I was prepared for the tensions arising from peer pressure and the isolation in being recognised as ‘different’.   What I wasn’t prepared for was the emphasis Darren places on the role of individual responsibility in lives that could be described as caught in the poverty trap.  It is all too easy for individuals to blame external factors for the way they are but there are changes that can be made at a personal level that can diminish the effects of poverty and lead to a better quality of life.  Darren calls on the ‘poor’ to recognise that the ‘system’ is not going to change any time soon but they can change and make life easier for themselves and those around them.  Be aware of the effects  poor diet, smoking, drugs and alcohol can have on your life and be prepared to make changes.   Be aware of the anger within, how that can affect your attitudes to others and your willingness to listen to another point of view.   

This is not to say that speaking out, campaigning and resistance to injustice should cease but as Darren writes: 

‘ . . . one thing we have to concede is that part of the solution lies with the individual.  It’s counter-intuitive to accept responsibility for certain things particularly when our circumstances are beyond our control.  This is especially true if we have suffered abuse, neglect or oppression.  But striving to take responsibility is not about blame, it’s about honestly trying to identify what pieces of the puzzle are within our capacity to deal with.  This approach is far more radical than than simply attributing responsibility for every ill in society to a ‘system’  or a vaguely defined power dynamic . . .’  

There is no indication in his book that Darren has in any way been influenced by Christian teaching but through his own experience he has come to recognise the importance of individual responsibility, the need for change within ourselves and our dependance on outside help if we are to make the changes that matter.   These elements are consistent with a Christian perspective on life.  Jesus’ core message focused on the need for ‘repentance’, a turning away from damaging values and priorities and a turning towards God and His ways which alone can lead us to personal fulfilment.   Paul later called on Christians to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’, to look to Him to enable us to stay with God’s purpose for our lives.  It is inspiring to read Darren’s words:

‘Today, I realise that the most practical way of transforming my community is to first transform myself and, having done so, find a way to express how I did that to as many people as possible.’

Darren has a message of transformation which he hopes to communicate to others.  He has that in common with Paul although the Apostle had something even more radical to share.  Having been shown the way forward in Christ was the ultimate transformative experience.  He describes it as being like the light that God commanded at the beginning of Creation shining in his inner being and becoming a new creation.  (2 Corinthians 4: 6)  For Paul this is where radical change begins and from where the values of God’s Kingdom flow into society realising the vision of Jesus’ ministry in bringing ‘good news to the poor.’