Windows On The Soul

In Acts 2:41-43 , there are two types of responses recorded from those who heard and saw the Apostles and disciples of Jesus. They were amazed and in awe at the wonders and signs performed by the Apostles. But more importantly, when they saw the changed lifestyles of the disciples, they “liked what they saw” (v41, Petersen’s paraphrase “The Message”). They saw believers:- living in wonderful harmony, pooling their resources so that each person’s needs were met, following a daily discipline of worship, sharing meals together, in joyful, exuberant celebration, praising God. Was it any wonder then that “ Every day their numbers grew, as God added those who were saved” , because people “ liked what they saw ”. When God created the world, He saw that it was “good”. When we share the Good News of the gospel of ‘re-creation’ through Jesus, it's no news at all, unless the hearer can see the results of this re-creation in us and be able to say “ it is good, I like what I see ...

“ I ask... that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ” ( John 17:20,21 ). The squabbles in the church must sadden our Lord who prayed that his followers may be one. If the church worldwide were united (in spirit, not necessarily in one organisation), the world would take notice. As it is, critics of the church are constantly mocking us for our sectarian divisiveness. The church is both human and divine. It comprises fallible humans, and has yet to be perfectly redeemed. It is divine - the Body of Christ. So we need to be patient with an imperfect church. Henry Scott Holland put it this way in 1914 when the Bishop of Zanzibar wrote a pamphlet asking where the church stood. Scott Holland said that it did not stand at all, but 'moves and pushes and slides and staggers and falls and gets up again, and stumbles on and presses forward and falls into the right positi...

Among the many miracles of construction of the human body, is the wonderful structure of bones, muscles, flesh and skin. Without bones, we would be mere blobs of flesh, unable to stand or move. Without flesh and muscles, the bones would collapse into a heap. Although each individual bone is rigid, the skeleton being a jointed structure, is not rigid. It relies on pairs of muscles and sinews connecting pairs of jointed bones, with opposing muscles maintaining perfectly balanced tension. Further, the flesh and skin cover the harsh, hard bones, with the soft, flexible, cuddly exterior to the world. Paul's analogy of the body to the church, in many ways also applies to our individual spiritual "bodies". We must have a skeleton of doctrine, rigid in part, but jointed and movable, kept strong and in balance by the paradoxes of Righteousness and Mercy. Then our doctrine must be clothed with the warm, soft, tender "flesh" of love as our face to the external world. --...

I've been reminded of that corny old song a few times recently. The year 7 science class is studying methods of classification. Now classification would have to be one of the most basic human traits. Our brains are highly specialised in pattern matching. Whilst useful in understanding the world around us and our place in it, it can also mislead to the point of finding patterns that are not there such as in deja vu . The Christian is not immune either. Recently, a well meaning person (not from this church) sent me some tracts espousing anti-catholic, pre-millenial, King James only dogma. Whilst I have various views on each subject, to categorise people as either a "a carnal Christian", non-Christian, anti-Christ or simply persona non-gratis based on their belief or other-wise of any of these dogma, is I believe against both the teaching and spirit of Christ. I would rather be known as a Christian that "receives sinners and eats with them". Trusting you are the sa...