July 1, 2009
“It’s a soap opera and has been for a couple of years, and will continue to be in the Championship or whatever it’s called,” he said.
“It’ll be interesting to see the Toon Army (Newcastle’s followers) at Doncaster or wherever. I’m still a fan – sad but true.”
Rock star Sting, when asked about Newcastle United’s relegation from the Premiership.
June 14, 2009
Complete and total strangers are looking for love and acceptance just the same as any of us
What do these media like postsecret tell us? They tell us that we have a inbuilt desire to know that we are not alone, that we need to be known and want to connect with others people. And that in our present society so may people are not finding this.
Jesus offers us a way to be connected with him (our ultimate deepest desire), and ultimately connected with each other. Through Him we are able to understand ourselves, know love and acceptance, and able to connect and love other people too (often people we would never have met in our ordinary circles of life). The church is called to demonstrate this community to the world. It is something that people are looking for and something the the church uniquely through Jesus are able to offer.
We want to be known. Who better to know us that the God of the universe.
June 13, 2009
I had two interesting conversations today with believers. After both, it led me to wonder whether the role I was playing in the first conversation was the same role as that of the questioner in the second conversation.
The first was with someone who kept saying that God knows our hearts and the hearts of all people, which he does. However, she didn’t seem to think it matter what one believed (although I have no doubt she believed in Jesus). It doesn’t matter what you believe so long as you are sincere. God knows our hearts (yes), but it doesn’t matter what is in them or who we claim to follow. This was salvation by faith, but faith in what?
The second was another believer but one who took the opposite extreme. We had different opinions on a minor issue of doctrine (predestination) which led him to ask question if I was saved (he already knew I was a vicar). I responded that I didn’t think it mattered if he thought I was saved, just if I did and if God did. His position was that the right doctrine is crucial, as “our doctrine is who we are”. Not having ‘the right’ doctrine led him to question my salvation. This is salvation by doctrine.
Doctrine is important, but doctrine alone doesn’t save. Faith is important, but faith in what is important. The biblical position is that it does matter who we have faith in as we need to know who to follow. Jesus is the one to follow as he is the one who came from the Father. Equally, the biblical position is that we a saved by grace due to the work of Jesus. But we are not saved through our understanding of doctrine.
The woman who had been ill for 12 years (in Mark 5) and who crept up behind Jesus to touch his cloak and be healed performed an action of faith. Jesus’ response was, “Daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace.” The thief who died on the cross next to Jesus (Luke 23) saw Jesus next to him and uttered a statement of faith “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Jesus’ response was not to quiz the man about his doctrine what sort of kingdom he expected, it was instead, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). His action of faith is responded to with an assurance of salvation.
We are saved through faith in Jesus. Who our faith is in is important. Our understanding is important. However, it is Jesus who saves us, not anything else.
June 9, 2009
Hi Phil. I’d forgotten that my blog posts automatically get imported into facebook! You said ‘convince me’, let’s open the discussion! Those were good deep questions and I want to take them seriously so this is not a short answer!
Nigel, you and the whole family have been through a terrible time, there’s no denying that. There has definitely been a whole lot of injustice and lack of compassion from the police and prosecutors.
Surely what this shows is what we know all along – that the world is broken and it doesn’t work as it should or as any of us would like it to. This, believe it or not, is the story of the Bible. Taken as a whole, it tells us how humanity wandered away from God and wanted to do it their own way (Genesis 1-3). This act of wanting to do it our own way resulted in the world becoming broken and was the source of all selfishness, difficulty, hardship and tragedy in the world. The problem is that humanity is separated from God (Gen 3). The rest of the Bible tells us how God desperately wants to bring humanity back to him. The Old Testament is about God fulfilling a promise to the whole world – a promise that would be realised through Adam, Abraham and eventually the OT people of Israel. (All the ‘warlike’ passages in the OT reflect God’s commitment to his people and the promise that he made. I’m not going to pretend that these passages are easy). All this culminated in God breaking into humanity himself in Jesus. Whilst he was on earth he taught with authority, performed miracles, had authority over evil, calmed the power of nature, gave broken and sidelined people hope, and eventually overcame death through his own death and resurrection – This signified that all that separated us from God is defeated, including death, evil and injustice. The resurrection is a foreshadow of what is to come when through faith in Jesus we will experience the defeat of all of those things and the broken world will finally be ‘fixed’. So the whole story of the Bible is about God wanting to get us (humanity) back.
It all rests on the resurrection. Did it happen? If it didn’t then we can safely disregard everything else Jesus said and did. If it did then it is the central event of human history and we have to take Jesus seriously. I’ve written some thoughts on this before (a talk in fact) that I’ve put here.
You are right in saying there were other faith healers around at Jesus’ time. However, none of these had the power over demons, nature or death that Jesus did (and none of them came back to life after they had died – again the resurrection is key).
You asked about the “Son of God” term. In the Gospels, Jesus is continually recognised as the son of God by the demons (Matt 8:29), the disciples (Matt 14:33, 16:16), the Roman centurions (Matt 27:34), and even God himself (Matt 17:5). Jesus himself confirms it when he gives a direct answer to a direct question posed by the Jewish leaders (Matt 26:63-64). He also consistently applies the term ‘Son of Man’ to himself which is an Old Testament way of saying he had come from God’s presence (see Daniel 7:13-14 and compare it to what Jesus says in Matt 26:64). There are similar examples in Mark’s, Luke’s, and John’s gospels.
You also asked how accurate the gospel’s were given that history is written by the winning side. The gospels were all written between about 55 and 90AD. At this point Christianity was not the winning side. It didn’t become the winning side until the Emperor Constantine became the first Christian Roman Emperor in 324AD (he converted in 312 AD). When the gospels were being written Christians were being persecuted first by zealous Jews and then by the pagan Roman Empire (Emperor’s Nero and Domitian whose combined reign was from 54AD to 96AD were well known for persecuting Christians).
So how can we trust these documents? They are the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life. They were written within the lifetimes of people who saw and met Jesus, either by the eyewitnesses themselves (John) or with significant input from eyewitnesses. Although there are no fragments of the original parchments in existence, there are hundreds of fragments of early copies which show a remarkable uniformity (there are minor differences but most of these are simply errors in copying and none of these would result in doctrine needing to change). The evidence for the reliability of the New Testament manuscripts far exceeds that of any other manuscript of a similar age, including those that people take for granted, like Julius Caesar’s writings.
If the resurrection is true then through Jesus there is hope for all that you and the family have been through, because God has not left us alone and he will execute that perfect justice that this broken world cries out for. It may not be in our lifetimes or in this broken world but it will happen.
The final chapters of the Bible describe a vision of life in heaven when God’s love, compassion and justice reigns (Rev 21-22). In that vision, God is described as wiping away every tear from peoples eyes, “where there is no more death or mourning or crying or pain!” (Rev 21:4)
June 9, 2009
This is the text of a talk I gave just after Easter giving some of the argument as to whether Jesus’ resurrection actually happened or not.It is a talk, so it is written in the way I talk not the way I write!
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On Easter Day Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that on the day we celebrate as Good Friday, in roughly 33AD, Jesus was crucified on a cross at the hands of the Romans, and on Easter Sunday morning two days later he was raised back to life again. The tomb he was put in was empty and many people saw him alive after he was put to death.
In fact Christianity is the only religion which claims that it’s central figure died and came back to life again. This is at the very centre of Christian belief. Without the cross and resurrection of Jesus, Christianity doesn’t make sense.
So, the first question we should ask is Did it happen? Did Jesus really die and rise again
1. Did it happen?
We have i think only 3 options – which different people have tried to claim throughout history.
a) Jesus didn’t really die on the cross
b) Jesus did really die, but something happened to the body
c) Jesus did die and he was raised to life again.
I don’t think there can be any other possibilities. So lets take each one of those in turn.
Claim number 1: Jesus didn’t really die.
It’s safe to say we can discount this claim. Not only were the Biblical books were written within the lifetime of eyewitnesses to Jesus so they offer a very reliable account, but two historians who have nothing to do with Christianity record that Jesus died.
Roman Historian Tacitus in his book Annals 15:44 written in 109AD
“Christ…, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate”
Jewish Historian Josephus in his work Antiquities (chapter 18) (written in 93 AD)
“He was [the] Christ. And … Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, “
Both of these considered in historical terms, contemporaries of the events which happened. So it is fair to say that Jesus was definitely put on the cross.
But what if he didn’t quite die on the cross? Could he have been only nearly dead? and the cold of the tomb revived him?
Firstly it is fair to say the the Romans were experts in executing people. They did it as a matter of course. They were good and making sure people were dead. There is no record in entire Roman history of anyone ever surviving a Roman flogging and crucifixion.
And the Bible records a remarkable detail about Jesus’ crucifixion: To ensure that he was dead, the roman soldier was instructed to stick his spear into Jesus’ side. It is reported that a mixture of blood and water come out (John 19:34)
That may not have meant much then, but any doctor today will tell you that after death, blood separates into two parts – a dark clot which gives it its colour, and a watery serum. This separation was proof indeed that Jesus was truly dead.
So Jesus was truly dead. He was laid in a tomb with a massive stone blocking the entrance (too big for one man to push). And two Roman guards were placed at the entrance to the tomb. If Jesus hadn’t been dead in the tomb he would have had to push away this stone, and fight off the guards… surely too much for a man who just endured a crucifixion.
So it is safe to assume that Jesus was truly dead. We can dismiss the claim that Jesus didn’t really die.
Claim number 2: Jesus did die, but someone moved the body
Could the Romans or the Jews have hidden Jesus’ body? Unlikely, they wanted him dead. He was upsetting the Jews by claiming that the way to God is open to all people through him, and he was upsetting the Romans too. They both wanted him dead.
Besides, if they had hidden the body, once rumours started to circulate that he was alive again, all they would have had to do was to produce the body… “He’s not alive, he’s dead… look here’s his body”
So it is safe to say the Romans and Jews did not steal the body.
Could the disciples have stolen the body to make it look like he was alive?
3 points on this:
a) Jesus was different sort of Messiah
It is worth noting that all along in the gospels, the disciples have been very slow to understand what Jesus was doing. All along he said he would have to die and be raised to life again. But all along the disciples were expecting Jesus to become a different sort of Messiah – one whom would stay alive and overthrow the Romans and restore their land. They wouldn’t have made this up because they didn’t understand what Jesus was trying to do. They are usually portrayed in the gospels as having been confused as to what Jesus was doing.
b) The first witnesses were women
if you were going to make up a resurrection, you wouldn’t do it like this. The first witnesses to the empty tomb were women – a woman’s word in those days counted for nothing in their law. Only a mans testimony was admissible as evidence in their courts, and then you needed two men to produce a reliable testimony. If you were going to make it up you would have picked two men to be the first witnesses, not two women.
c) all died
And it is also worth noting that almost all of the disciples died in subsequent years standing up for their faith. They all died claiming that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. If they had known he was dead (and consequently if they were lying), they never would have stuck to their story. People just don’t go to their deaths for something they know is not true.
So we now need to conclude , that the disciples didn’t steal the body either.
Claim number 3: Jesus did die and was raised to life again
So the only option left to us, is that Jesus did die, but the tomb he was laid in was found empty, and that he did come back to life again.
In fact, a few years later, the apostle Paul wrote this
1 Cor 15:5-6 “he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve [disciples]. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living,”
Jesus appeared to over 500 people in the 40 days after his death and resurrection. And what’s more, most of them are still alive, Paul wrote. Don’t believe me? Ask them! They’re still alive.
At the centre of the Christian faith is this extraordinary claim that Jesus Christ, Son of God, died and was raised to life again. It may be unlikely, but the evidence points to it being true.
2. What does it mean
Very quickly, let me just outline the implications that Jesus death and resurrection has for Christians.
Firstly It verifies that Jesus is who he says he is. If this is true, we have to take seriously everything else Jesus said.
Throughout the gospels he claims to be:
If this is true, then God is in the midst of us, having come to earth to live as a human. If this is true then God has put himself in our shoes and continues to live in the midst of us. And If this is true we can know God through Jesus.
Secondly it shows that death is overcome. Death being the final separation between God and humanity. Death being the end – this death is overcome. All that separates us from God is overcome and defeated. Christians call all this stuff that separates us from God ‘sin’, and the consequence of this separation was death. But Jesus has conquered death. he has been resurrected, he has been through it. He shows us that there is a way through it.
Thirdly Jesus was raised to life never to die again. His risen life shows us what life can be like with God. His risen life becomes our risen life. God has made it possible for us to be made new too, even before we die.
All those things that we didn’t like about ourselves – our temper, insecurities, propensity to get ourselves into trouble - all those things become made new because Christ has conquered death and offered us a new way to live.
It is possible to live our lives with God
Ending
As I said, Jesus’ death and resurrection is at the centre of Christian belief. But not just at the centre of our faith, but it impacts every aspect of our lives. It is not just a historical fact, but and everyday reality as we live for God through Jesus.
June 8, 2009
General Motors did not invent the motor car, but they certainly perfected how to mass produce and sell them. Founded in 1908 when there were only 20,000 vehicles in the entire USA, they quickly outsold the already established pioneer of the industry, Ford. Throughout the years they acquired the Pontiac, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Opel, Vauxhall, and more recently the Saab brands. Yet the company that at one time was selling over 50% of all cars sold globally is now going through a tough time. Despite being loaned over $50 million from the US government, last month it slipped into bankruptcy protection measures and has been forced to close factories, sell off some brands and discontinue others.
If you go to GM headquarters in Detroit, you can still see the iconic towers of the Renaissance Center shining with all their corporate sheen. They are still in use as the company restructures. But if you go to the outskirts of town the decline is more evident. Factories razed to the ground, warehouses gutted and graffitied, whole communities in decay. The auto industry was the centre of these communities and, in some cities, was the only major employer. Now, according to one BBC correspondent, people are asking “What is the point of Detroit without the motor industry?”
Growing up in North East England in the 1980’s, I have seen this before. The rivers Tyne, Wear and Tees used to be major centres of shipbuilding, at one point building two of every five ships produced in the world. Last month the last remaining shipbuilder on the Tyne moved it’s production to India; Swan Hunter was responsible for building ships such as HMS Illustrious and RMS Carpathia which rescued some of the survivors of the Titanic. It’s was a similar story for pit towns in Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland, counties which are now littered with small towns with no industry. In the globalised world that we are living in, it is inevitable that industries will move as other countries become able produce things more cheaply. But it still leaves towns and cities such as Detroit which feel like their communities have been destroyed and their hearts and souls have been ripped out of them. We are left asking “What is the point of such towns now?”
In many cases, new technologies and new employment sectors will rise up and provide employment, as has happened in the North East. They usually don’t offer a new centre to the community, but they provide jobs nonetheless. Regardless, cities always have a point, because they are made of people and people are important. However, people derive their importance not from the jobs they do, or the place they live but from God and from each other. When God chose to create people, he put them together in the Garden of Eden. Also, His final vision of this earth is of a heavenly city – a place where people are together, interacting and working, but crucially, the centre of this heavenly city is God himself in Christ. Revelation 21 describes the vision that the apostle John was brought of this city – “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (Rev 21:22) God is in the centre as the source of and focus for the community.
Of course, out earthly cities fail to live up to that vision. They can often be difficult places with lots of social issues which need to be addressed. They often lack a centre or are centred around systems that will ultimately fail. But although all empires, nations, and corporations will someday fall, God is the author of history and he will remain. This is a truth for these towns and for our own. Church congregations might be small in some places but they can still point towards the God who is the author of history and can live lives worshipping and witnessing, in keeping with the eschatological vision of Revelation 21. They can be God’s hands and feet, offering hope and support in communities that are grieving a lost identity and pointing towards the One who gives purpose and who will never fail.
Other thoughts welcome.
June 7, 2009
I’ve just finished reading The Broker, the first I had read by John Grisham. Having seen many of the films I had previously been put off reading them by a friend who said that Grisham’s plotlines were good, but his writing was turgid. Having got the opportunity to read this – I won a book in the galaxy book club competition and the other choices didn’t appeal – I’m glad I did. Grisham’s plot is good and fast paced and draws you in.
The main character, Joel Backman, is a former Washington lawyer and power broker who has got himself into trouble. He had been approached to broker deals to sell military secrets, such secrets which saw his closest colleague and the people who approached him killed. In the subsequent investigation he quickly pleaded guilty which saw him quickly dispatched to proson, out of sight from the assassins who had killed his colleagues and wanted the secrets.
But now, in the last days of a failed presidency, Backman is pardoned by the outgoing presidency. It is all a ploy by the CIA use him as live bait - to see who would kill him first, and hence, who the secrets that he is carrying belong to. He is given a false name, a CIA handler, and is hidden in Italy and taught Italian under the guise of a Canadian -Italian discovering his roots. Then his locations is leaked and the chase begins.
The scenes in Italy, in Bologna specifically, are very well written. Grisham describes the city, it’s history, lure, and importance well as his character Backman settles in and samples the many cultural and culinary differences. He paints it as a city with charm, elegance and which would be wonderful to visits. Grisham obviously enjoyed doing his research in Bologna (who wouldn’t). And the subsequent chase is written like a real thriller, drawing the reader in as Backman is always looking over his shoulder.
A great book for holiday reading – light enough but with a deep enough central character. Grisham doesnt’ say anything profound in the book (although some might comment that Grisham obviously beleives his government is capable of doing such a thing). Throughout the story, Backman does realise that he got many things wrong in his pre-prison days (particularly with regard to his family), but Backman (or Grisham) doesn’t major on it – the cetnral focus is on Backman getting his freedom back and being able to live without fear. Well written, a great thriller, worth reading.
May 27, 2009
A thoughtful post asking us to examine every aspect of our church to see why it isn’t growing. Are people inviting friends? If not, why not? Is it inhospitable? Inaccesible? Incomprehnsible? Irrelevant?
Here’s a truism: people that have had a life-changing experience with God want others to find God in a life-changing way. This is surely true. It is also true that most people that sat in church pews last year never invited one single person to their church. So what is the disconnection?
May 18, 2009
Great quote from Simon Cowell about the importance of shows like X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent:
“The great thing about it is when you start seeing it in places like China and Afghanistan. It’s democracy. We’ve kinda given democracy back to the world.”
via BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Oprah show subtitles Susan Boyle.
I didn’t realise talent shows were going to save the world
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