"The Place of Prayer" (Mark 9:14-29)

Introduction

In this passage from Mark chapter 9, we encounter a significant life challenge, combined with high expectations as to how Jesus’ disciples would be able to handle it. When they couldn’t cope, this passage goes on to reveal why. When it comes to our faith, we need to adopt patterns of deepening our experience of God, such that we can actually make a difference in our community.

1. A Significant Challenge

What we have here, seems to our modern mind to be a very bad case of epilepsy. Yet, two thousand years ago, such a condition, given the extreme physical manifestations, was identified in general terms i.e. having an “unclean or evil spirit”. Thus, there was grave seriousness attached to this matter, and significant social stigma. In these times, there was no understanding of what was happening within the body and mind of this boy, and of course no drugs available through which to treat him. Scary stuff! To complicate this further, the boy also seems to be mute and suffer from deafness.

The strong emphasis here is the gravity of the personal situation being presented. The only possible recourse was a miracle cure. The boy’s behaviour seemed extreme and dangerous – a major concern for the boy himself and anyone around him. This condition was certainly life-threatening! And to make matters even more intense, this boy had been suffering these ‘fits’ from childhood, reflecting much misery and hardship. The father himself was also suffering, in empathy with his son of course, but no doubt also in the midst of the trials of having to care for him – he said to Jesus, “have pity on us and help us” (v.22b).

2. High Expectations

Having heard about Jesus, and also about what his disciples had been doing (which included ‘casting out demons’ – 6:13), this boy’s father had high expectations that they would be able to help in this case. With Jesus absent for a time, the father still expected that the disciples could heal his son. In this he was disappointed. And this all occurred before a large crowd of onlookers, which no doubt included sceptics and opponents – but also seekers and new believers.

The father and members of the gathered crowd, were not the only ones with high expectations – Jesus himself had high expectations of what should have been achievable through his disciples. Here was an opportunity for the disciples to show what they could do, and what they had learnt, and how close they could model Jesus … while he was absent from the scene! Jesus had instructed, and therefore enabled, these disciples to deal with “unclean spirits” – Jesus “gave them authority over unclean spirits” (6:7, also 3:15). Why couldn’t the disciples meet these expectations – we shall see!

3. Difficulties in Believing

Note the strong words of Jesus in verse 19: “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you”? Here was a bit of a rocket for the disciples; but it would seem also for the wider community, in its failure to recognise, fully appreciate, and properly respond to … their visitation from God (in the person of Jesus). This “faithless generation” comment of Jesus … was likely targeted generally at the whole cultural context of his incarnation, especially those, who through their prophets, should have known better. Jesus was clearly exasperated.

The father too copped a bit of a retort from Jesus (refer to verses 22-23). The father slipped in a bit of an “if”, which Jesus seems to have taken exception to. We would have to ask though, whether it was the disciples lack of success that caused the father to second guess what Jesus himself could do!! The father had started out with great hopes, but was now only able to say, “if … you are able to do anything”. It does seem that the disciples unwittingly had a negative impact on the father’s fragile confidence in Jesus. Happily for all though, the father quickly rebounded from any backtracking, and asked for help to deal with his doubt and wavering faith (v.24).

4. Disciples’ Ineffectiveness

Jesus went on to heal the boy completely. So healing was possible … why couldn’t these disciples have done this? They had done similar, although not as complex, restoration in the recent past. Jesus was training and empowering his disciples to do what he had been doing. So, we wouldn’t call this inability, because clearly Jesus himself felt that they should have been able to achieve this. Perhaps we would call the disciples, in this particular situation, ineffective! But why? This passage is leading our thoughts down the track of repeatedly asking ‘why’, right through to the crescendo!

5. Contemporary Life

Life brings many complex challenges. Just because we have made it through certain challenges, doesn’t mean we will necessarily be up to the stronger, deeper more significant challenge – especially if we don’t apply all of the available resources, or if we try to go it alone in the limitations of our own individual capacities. We could also look at this in a community or church sense, and consider the implications of certain challenges or threats, and whether we apply fully all of the resources available to us.

And this is not just about the results we can bring for ourselves and our family. We have to remember the crowd – who are watching to see how we go. Do we want to add to their disappointment or cynicism, or rather cause them to wonder and draw them towards faith. There may be high expectations placed on us. We sometimes talk up our game … talk up our capacities because we have God on our side! How does Jesus feel when we are less than we could be? What reactions does Jesus have when we let someone down or miss an opportunity?? How does our less than best reflect on Jesus? Would we ever want to be called “faithless”?! Rather than being ineffective, do we want to be as effective as possible? What does this entail??

6. The Solution is Prayer

The real issue is that we shouldn’t need to ask these questions. We shouldn’t be in the position for these questions to have to be asked of us! For we well know the resource we have been given – and it is free, available, unrestricted, and has been found time and time again to be remarkably effective. The answer is so stark, and almost jumps off the page with its suddenness!! The disciples had not been effective … because they had not utilised prayer. In the complex circumstances that had presented themselves, the disciples had not been prayerful (enough)!!

To their credit, these disciples didn’t shy away from their lack of success … they wanted to know why. Verse 29: in the privacy of a house, Jesus said to his disciples, “This kind can only come out through prayer” – we might say, “This level of complexity can only be dealt with through prayer”.

So, for some reason or another, the disciples hadn’t been prayerful about the significant ministry they were called upon to be involved in; and because of this got themselves into a bit of a pickle. This might have been because of the attitude they brought to it – they may have come to think they could handle it all themselves … that they were past having to rely on power outside of themselves. They may have got ahead of themselves. They may have, even subtly or unconsciously, disconnected themselves from God. They perhaps just didn’t get it … they didn’t yet understand the place and power of prayer! After all, they later fell asleep when they were supposed to be praying with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane … not just once but twice (14:37-40)!

Mark’s Gospel gives us an honest picture of the struggle it was for Jesus’ disciples to live up to their calling. This is both an encouragement and a challenge to us: an encouragement because we sometimes struggle to, and these early struggling disciples grew into exercising great ministries and became involved in significant mission activities; a challenge: so that we will learn the lessons as best we can. We do live daily with sometimes overwhelming uncertainty.

Why is it … that we don’t pray? Especially given the results we often experience!

• We think we can do things in our own strength, even in the most complex of matters, even when it has been clearly shown that we can’t. Often when we run off and try to fix things, without due prayerful consideration, things just get even more pear-shaped.
• We think we can maintain control, even though the fragility of life, demonstrated in this passage, and again in London this week, denies this is ever possible.
• We may be somewhat interested in God’s plans, but not if they critique or change our plans – we’re not sure we really want to give our life over to God’s purposes. So we don’t pray … then we may not have to!

It could be that prayer doesn’t seemed to have worked for some of us. I invite anyone in that situation to talk to someone about this – to try to work out what might be getting in the way.

7. The Place of Prayer (in our lives)

1. Jesus was able to heal the boy, and prayer was stated as the difference. So, prayer resources us as Jesus was resourced. Not to pray … denies us resources; which is even more problematical in the more challenging circumstances. The implication of this passage is clear – the disciples could have healed this boy, if they had fully appreciated that Jesus could work through them, and they had properly prepared themselves in prayer!

2. There is a connection between faith and prayer. When the disciples’ efforts were ineffective, Jesus DIDN’T call them ‘prayer-less’, but he called them “faithless” or at least connected them with the “faithless generation”. This was because they were not believing enough to apply themselves to prayer. If we are believing, then this would be both proved, and activated, through prayer.

3. Prayer opens the space for God to work. How?

• Prayer leads us away from our own agendas and egos, toward fully cooperating with God
• Prayer builds relationships – ours with God; and as we pray with others – these horizontal relationships as well
• Prayer unites us with God, and with God’s own purposes and will in the world
• Prayer connects us to the full resources of God, then releases these resources through our daily activity
• Prayer allows us to recognise Jesus in others, and others to see Jesus in us

4. There is a connection between prayer and peace. We pray, and we sense a peace that, despite how things currently appear, they are about to improve … in some way, shape or form, if we are observant enough to see it, and ready to experience it.

Conclusion

Prayer is about resources, activation and effectiveness. That is, gaining the resources we need, activating our faith in community, and bringing about results. This is because we are not seeking to act alone, but rather in God’s power, into God’s will, bringing about God’s future. “Your Kingdom come; Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”!

Sometimes we feel clueless, but prayer activates our imagination – a sanctified imagination – and we have new understanding of what to do, what decision to make, where to go, how to speak, how to forgive, how to reconcile, how to bring healing, how to be Jesus! It’s amazing how the most difficult of prospects gains new perspective, insight and ultimate resolution through prayer.

It is God’s undertaking, blessing and guidance that we will need, if we are going to get … where we are meant to be!! It is only in prayer, that we can truly prepare ourselves to participate in what God wants to do amongst us and through us (into the community)!

Application

What will you be doing this time tomorrow?

What challenges will there be in this for you?

How can we pray for you (and others in a similar situation)?

"The Power of Believing" (Mark 5:21-43)

Introduction

The Gospel of Mark continually challenges us about faith, and also often confronts us about the disruptive nature of fear. All this plays out within the interactions between Jesus, his disciples, and the people he encountered. There was also other people watching on, often criticising, and sometimes bewildered by what was happening around them. Questions are being asked of us (in this text)! Are we able to express the sort of faith that makes a difference in our own life, and also makes a positive difference within the community of people around us – people who are also watching, sometimes criticising, often bewildered in life??

Definition

I have entitled this message, “The power of believing” … “believing”, not just ‘belief’. The difference for me, is that “believing” has the connotation of putting faith into action, whereas sometimes ‘belief’ is just intellectual assent, something we agree with, hold on to, and maybe defend, but not necessarily form our whole life around. “Believing” also involves trust, and involves a relationship in which that trust is developed. So, more than having a ‘belief’ in this or that, we are actually “believing” in Jesus. And it is “believing” in Jesus that broadens all possibilities in life. Once we have recognised our brokenness, and encountered God’s grace … then faith (i.e. believing in Jesus) is the only fitting response, and also the pathway to salvation.

Two Encounters - two real life stories brought together

This particular day, Jairus, a synagogue leader, heard the news that his daughter was very sick and possibly dying. And he came upon Jesus. We don’t know if he heard the bad news at home, and went out looking for someone to help his daughter. Or perhaps he was already away from home on his duties, and people came and told him about his daughter’s condition. What we do know, was that in a desperate situation, when he came across Jesus, Jairus fell to his knees in front of him (v.22). The first question then … is why would Jairus do this? It can’t just be his desperation – if just that, then surely a doctor would have been a better bet.

But Jairus was confident in what Jesus could do, for he said, “Come and lay your hands on her [his daughter] that she may be made well” (v.23). So there must have been something else going on?!? Perhaps Jairus had heard good reports about Jesus from various witnesses, and knew that some people were following him around the clock. THIS REMINDS US ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT OUR WITNESS TO JESUS CAN BE! Perhaps this was purely the preparation of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jairus for this very moment. THIS REMINDS US OF THE FACT THAT WE DON’T WALK ALONE TRYING TO SHARE JESUS, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS ALREADY GONE BEFORE US! Perhaps, then, it was most likely a combination of both … witness and spiritual preparation … that drew Jairus to Jesus that day.

Certainly we see here the beginnings of ‘believing’, as this well-known synagogue ruler was not frightened to bow before this Jesus, who many of his colleagues were opposing; and he was also prepared to do so … very publicly in the midst of a large crowd (this surrounding “crowd” being mentioned twice). We should note that Jesus then, unreservedly, “went with Jairus” (v.24). Where we see the beginnings of ‘believing’, there will always be follow-up and nurture needed. Where the light has dawned, people will need someone to go with them! And this may be in the context of a large crowd full of alternative agendas, yet a crowd that may still be watching very carefully.

Then along the way to Jairus’ house, there is a second encounter (v.25ff). This might have been seen as disruptive or inconvenient – the disciples may have thought so; but, as we come to see, Jesus did not. Being totally about God’s business, Jesus would naturally and spontaneously connect with human need; and here was another such opportunity for ministry. If Jairus’ young daughter were our daughter, especially given her dire condition, we may have found this interruption irksome. We could imagine how Jairus may have felt about it! Jesus, however, had matters under control, and this is part of the faith equation, for us to understand that.

In this case, we know that this woman had heard about Jesus; and whatever she had heard about Jesus … it was compelling! Because of her constant bleeding – this in the minds of the religion of the day rendering her unclean, she would have been unable to attend synagogue services, and be generally limited in her access to community. She was personally, socially and spiritually cut off! Yet she remained open to God. This woman was a little more forward on the ‘believing’ track than Jairus: despite the invasive, painful and expensive treatments she had endured for twelve long years, and the fact that she was only getting worse – she believed that she could be healed by Jesus merely by touching his clothes. And she was right!!

The crowd was so large, Jesus so important, and she so humiliated, that just a brief touch would have to be enough … and in her mind it would be enough (v.28)! Perhaps because of her level of desperation, but I think more so by her level of faith and understanding, she was not concerned that touching him would render Jesus religiously unclean. Jesus had shown that he was far more concerned for people than for empty rules. She courageously managed to get her way through the crowd, and touched Jesus’ “cloak” – and immediately her bleeding stopped – she just knew it had (v.29)! And Jesus knew it too – someone had touched him, and power had gone out from him (v.30a).

Personal relationships

Jesus could have left it at this, and continued on his journey with Jairus, but he knew that, amongst all this crowd, there had been someone who had expressed deep need in this effort to touch him. The disciples … thought that it would be impossible, in such a big crowd, to find whoever it was that touched Jesus (v.31). It sounds like they thought it unnecessary and a matter of further delay. They may have become fixated on the more important situation around the synagogue leader. Not so, Jesus – he sought the woman out (v.32 … “he looked all around”)! Jesus wanted to know who had become the beneficiary in this encounter. For there is a personal note to ‘believing’ – there is an ongoing relationship involved. Jesus wanted to speak with this woman, and interpret what had happened for her, and bring her into discipleship.

We read that the woman put up her hand and came to Jesus in “fear and trembling”, as it had been awesome what Jesus had done for her (v.33). What she had done was a little daring, yet she knew she was in safe hands, and fell at Jesus’ feet in worship. So, she moved past her reticence, built on her long isolation from human contact, and made herself vulnerable. This gave this woman the chance to tell her story, all of the pain and the horrible things that had happened to her – with the realisation that everything had now changed. So, far from an interruption, this had been a Divine appointment!

Jesus then said to this brave woman the most beautiful words she could ever imagine – “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace” (v.34). Here was physical health, salvation, and a return to community life … all wrapped into one – a complete restoration of her life. To hear “Daughter … go in peace”, means to “go” as one ‘restored to a full relationship with God’. Through her faith, God had been released to work in her life.

We should note that not everyone with strong faith gains physical healing. [Of course, there is always spiritual healing.] The Gospel highlights a great number of instances of where faith led to healing, yet you would expect the Gospel narrative to do this, as it attempts to draw attention to the centrality of Jesus as Son of God. Healings in the Gospel are always ‘signs’ of even greater realities. With Jesus’ call to not talk about what had happened (verse 43), we see that it wasn’t so much about the healing, but about what it indicated. Jesus wanted to be known not as a miracle-worker, but more so as Son of God.

In this text, we see the basic truth that faith works – there is power in "believing". How that faith works, is often different for different people in each different situation. Sometimes we have to accept the mysterious wisdom of the Kingdom of God. I feel for those who have lost, when it has seemed seriously before time. We can acknowledge that God knows what He is doing. And we also acknowledge the frailty, and sometimes shortness, of life, and invest all the love and faith possible into it. We know that "believing" on the name of Jesus, and living that out, brings us closer to the will of God for our lives, AND, brings heaven closer to earth every time!

A Remarkable Outcome

As Jairus witnessed this encounter with the woman, he may have found some encouragement. But now … some very sad news. People come out to Jairus to tell him that his daughter had died; that there is no point in bringing Jesus home. You could imagine Jairus lowering his head, having  become completely deflated by this news. He might have easily agreed with the messengers, and told Jesus he was no longer needed. But, Jesus overheard this conversation. This gave occasion for Jesus to say the words that are so central to the Gospel in Mark, and I would say, are so central to our lives today. Which are what?? To the tragedy that Jairus was facing; and to all the complexities in life we are facing … Jesus says, “Do not fear, only believe” (v.36)!

We should not be put off by perceived setbacks. We should not be dissuaded when we are clearly on the right track. We should not let purely human assessments block our path. As if God’s timing would ever be wrong! Fear is the exact opposite of “believing”, for it causes us to run, evade decisions, become passive, and ultimately reject the foundations that have been established. Fear takes away our desire and capacity for engaging broadly in community. So, “believing” is the only pathway forward.

Yet, for Jairus, this would require believing in more than just healing the sick – this was a radical leap to believing that Jesus could raise the dead – a feat that no conventional healer could be expected to achieve. We can see that the common wisdom meant that later many scoffed at this notion. Ignoring the others, Jesus eyeballed Jairus, and said, “Do not fear, only believe”! Do not be concerned about what others may think, or what limitations they might impose on what can happen … “just believe”! With Jesus … no level of hopelessness can be seen as final!

I think the particular fear in this situation with Jairus, was the fear of being unable to control the circumstances happening around him: the severe illness that his daughter had suffered, the need to reach out to a healer that he didn’t really know, then this delay – Jairus was away from home and feeling powerless. This dad just couldn’t fix any of this! And he, a leader of the synagogue! Well, vulnerability like this can be good – if we hear the ‘good news’ and we grab hold firmly to the possibilities of faith in Jesus; coming to know for sure … that his compassion, timing and wisdom know no bounds! Jairus had shown faith in Jesus earlier … just because things had seemingly got worse, there was no (good) reason for Jairus not to continue on believing!

At this point, Jesus only took three of his disciples with him – Peter, James and John (v.37). Why just three? Did Jesus judge, having just made this statement about “believing” over against ‘fear’, that only these three were up to what lay ahead … in the sense of faith and readiness?! What else are we to make of it!? Were these the spiritually maturing ones; or perhaps they could have been described as the humble, gentle, compassionate ones, or perhaps the ones who were open to learning on the job?! These three may falter later, but for now they were the ones Jesus wanted with him; and ultimately they would become outstanding apostles.

Jesus calls us to his side into greater challenges of mission, as we are ready. And, understandably, it was all happening there at Jairus’ house – loud weeping and wailing for a dead girl - a bit challenging! Jesus tried to suggest that because he was now here, things would be different – “The child is not dead but sleeping” – in the sense that what may seem hopeless and permanent is not necessarily so (v.39). The young girl will be raised to life, just as if she had only been sleeping. When the mourners laughed at this, actually “laughed at him” (v.40), they had to go – “he put them all outside”. You see … faith counts, and lack of faith doesn’t! Those without faith were not going to be able to help in this grave situation (and they just might have got in the way).

Jesus took the twelve-year-old girl by the hand, and raised her up. What had seemed dead, still had the capacity for life. Everyone there could be assured, that despite evidence that she had died, this girl was certainly now alive … for she would need something to eat, and no spirit nor ghost could eat food like she was about to.

Conclusion

What Jairus and the woman had in common were hopeless situations: one a sudden illness resulting in death, the other a twelve year battle with a debilitating condition (and getting worse). Their place in society though were at extreme opposites – Jairus … a well-known man of position, property and wealth; and an anonymous woman on the margins, suffering poor health, impoverished, displaced from family and community. But, in both cases, their faith, though differently expressed, was absolutely real. They both came to Jesus and (publicly) fell at his feet. And Jesus made sure that he responded to both of them equally and completely … according to their need and their future. The possibility of faith is open to everyone.

We are here reminded to look beyond the limitations of human understanding, to see what might just happen when Jesus turns up. Here were two complete reversals: in one case – a woman who was desperate and lonely, was completely restored to health and community, and placed on the path of discipleship; in the second case – a girl who had passed away was restored to life, bringing blessing to a whole household. Both were the result of “believing” in Jesus, and led to even greater faith.

Along the way, the disciples were challenged about whether they were fully engaging with what Jesus was setting out to achieve. First it seemed to them too hard to locate the woman who had touched Jesus’ cloak; and then only three of them seem to have qualified to enter that resurrection space with Jesus. Where are we? Do I intuitively understand what Jesus is about; and would Jesus take me into that more challenging place of ministry with him??

We can know that even faith as small as a mustard seed, that is focussed in Jesus, can move mountains! What might seem unachievable or out of reach, might look very different when we realise that Jesus has entered our house. Let the weak now say I am strong; let the poor say I am rich - because of what the Lord has done in me!! Amen!

"Walking in the Light" (1 John 2:1-6)

Introduction

The 1^st Letter of John confronts us with following Jesus, not just in theory, but by being genuinely grounded, living out our faith with real integrity – thus constantly walking in the light. I just picked out 6 verses that typify this message. In accepting Jesus, which we acknowledge at the communion table, we have entered into a loving and intimate relationship with God, which requires us to live in the way that God wants us to. That is generally called ‘obedience’ and 'discipleship'. As new creations in Jesus, we have the capacity to live differently to the way we might have previously. Yet, we can still be real, fulfilling the uniqueness we were created with.

Passage

Now this challenge doesn’t come in too heavy a way, for when we happen to fall into sin i.e. make poor decisions and do the wrong thing, we have an “advocate” totally given over to our cause, who has provided for our forgiveness. Yet we should never take this too much for granted, for grace came at great cost. And we should never see this as just our own personal get-out-clause – there is no integrity in that! We should not adopt any sort of ‘entitlement mentality’ that sees our needs as superior to others, such that they can be ignored. We should not miss the second part of verse 2.

The forgiveness Jesus offers is “for the whole world”. This echoes very much the earlier writing in John’s Gospel (3:16): “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life”. We should not stop there! John continues (3:17): “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him”. Hmmm … “might be saved through him”. There is a potential for the salvation of all, the sacrifice of the cross is for all – but sadly, not ‘all’ may benefit.

This then, provides great guidance … as to what our calling is, and what we should be doing with our salvation! God through Jesus has done everything he can to save the world, and then given us a ministry to share this blessing with others. The “might” surrounds whether people are given opportunity. And when we think of the “world” being saved, we can think of this in two ways – there is each individual who is currently part of the "world", and then there is the world in its entirety. As people receive the Gospel on an individual basis, and in family groups and across various communities (as we see it in the book of Acts), then the "world", at least in some places, should become more liveable and free – where God’s Kingdom values are honoured.

I say ‘should’, because it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes God’s people fail to take on board God’s (very clear) guidance about Kingdom values. I am constantly disappointed with politicians who claim the name of Jesus, but then support policies that cannot possibly be in line with Jesus’ teaching. But we would surely not just pick on politicians … they are perhaps only typical of a broader problem in society and in the church. Which is – a failure to take the actual lived life of Jesus (on earth) seriously enough! We can become so fixated on Jesus’ gift, that we ignore his teaching. And Jesus’ teaching surrounds how we live in community – the community of faith … and also the local neighbourhood, and how we walk in the light!

The passage (in vs. 3-4) talks in terms of “commandments” and refers to the possibility of hypocrisy – there is strong language used here when our lives (or our actions) don’t add up with our words. If we are not careful, we can be shown up … as being a bit of a contradiction. More happily, verse 5 talks about the reverse – that if we deal well with and follow the basic commandments intrinsic in Jesus’ teaching, then we will come to maturity. The challenge is summed up simply in verse 6, “whoever says [publicly], ‘I abide in him’, ought to walk just as Jesus walked”. This means that we prove that we belong to Jesus … by responding to life situations the way he did. We have our attitudes and priorities in harmony with our presentation of the good news (and then this ‘good news’ has more chance of making sense).

In verse 5, there is this expression about God’s love reaching perfection in us. If we consciously practice the two-fold command of loving God and loving neighbour, then eventually it becomes second nature, natural, and essentially who we are. That is pretty awesome. But what does this really mean on the ground? How is this seen and experienced in the realities of life? Having God’s love reaching perfection in us, suggests that we are an open channel through which God’s perfect love can reach to others. This is truly ‘walking in the light’ – in the light of God’s love. Love is the highest point of God’s self-disclosure, and this is demonstrated by emulating the life of Jesus.

Application

We all ‘walk’ – i.e. put one leg in front of the other – when we are younger, once we learn to walk, it becomes second nature … something we don’t have to think much about. Sometimes, later in life, walking can become a struggle, and we have to find other ways through which to keep moving. But ‘walking in the light’ means more than just physically walking – there is a context involved – the context of place! ‘Walking in the light’ takes in all the places in which we move (and then, all the people who might also be there). Question: Is there any place we go, where we are exempted from ‘walking in the light’?? No!! [Well, I say 'no', but maybe there are possible exceptions?! Worth thinking about this some more.]

 

There are all the normal movements of life, where we can be able witnesses to the good news: home, work, school, shopping, eating out, playing sport, etc. But when we talk more about life in community, there are a whole lot of other places and groups we should be thinking about. Last week we singled out one – the football and netball club; and we singled out our sports chaplain and his special role there. Now, what if we think about all the other groups and activities happening around town that each of us are involved in, and applied Graeme’s sort of role to these as well.

Let’s list these groups that we are involved in: some of those mentioned were - CFA, U3A, Opportunity Shop, Alpine Advocates, Hawthorn Village, Anglicare, Bright Singers, Car Club, Harrietville Community Forum, Alpine RAR (Rural Australians for Refugees), English teaching, VCC Emergencies Ministry team, Community Resilience Committee, MEMPC (Municipal Emergency Management Plan committee); as well as various other social gatherings and support groups.

We are all community chaplains, so to speak, in these groups. That is our calling … and we can’t escape this. We cannot turn on-and-off our relationship with Jesus … just when we like. This is who we are, and this is our role. At the same time, we need to be real! We don’t pretend to be what we are not, and we don’t go down that hyper-religious or ‘super-spiritual’ route … for humanity can only properly connect relationally through honesty and humility. For all his divinity, Jesus was wholly engaged as a human … in the cut and thrust of community life. Having said this, we should be calling upon the capacities given by the Holy Spirit to be the best helpers, and community-building people, we possibly can be. Is God’s love being perfected in us?!?

Conclusion

As we express ourselves in community, there are many things to keep in mind. Here are just a few:

• We should always treat people … as we would want to be treated ourselves, and as God wants all people to be treated (with love and respect);
• We should challenge any walls (or barriers) that separate people from living harmoniously, justly and safely in community;
• We should creatively engage with the tensions, fears, expectations and hopes of community life (just like Jesus did);
• We should be watching out for needs and opportunities of service, through which to build trust and nurture relationships;
• We should be loving our neighbourhood as a spiritual discipline (just like prayer, bible reading, worship & communion).

I have this strong sense, that as we ‘walk in the light’ around these our neighbourhoods, the potential of the cross and the resurrection … is going to be realised right before our eyes. I think we saw that right here last Sunday.

"Distractions that Inhibit Life"

Introduction

I recently read an article by journalist Joshua Becker, which certainly caught my attention. It began, “This world is becoming increasingly filled with distraction – information moves faster, louder and brighter than ever before; entertainment, social media and marketing have never been so prevalent”. Such things constantly beg for our attention and demand our focus.

As one who naturally responds to all the information and bright lights around me, I read on. Could there be ways in which this could actually be inhibiting my life? These distractions are quite obvious – we are well aware of spending too much time attending to social media, watching television or playing games on our phone. But are there also other deeper, more subtle and less obvious distractions, that are so commonplace … we hardly notice their existence. Such distractions weave their way into our regular thinking patterns. Yet, once we identify them, we can acknowledge that they are holding us back?

Our minds are often diverted from more important things. These more important things are likely to be: our relationships, our general health, our personal growth, our life in community with others, the performance of our sporting team, our spiritual well-being, the ministry of our church. While we are responding to the immediate stimulus or distraction, often the inner being is what is most neglected.

The writer of the ancient psalm 139, reflects that the potential of life is so great, that there is regret every time the perfect design of God is wasted on misplaced pursuits. That psalm talks about the pointlessness of trying to escape reality, and the realisation that there is a great future lined up for all of us in God’s design.

We give in to distraction sometimes because it is better than facing up to a decision that needs to be made. Sometimes we use distractions to cover pain. But while distracted, in the real world, our anxiety only increases. Distractions, of the deeper kind, block progress, inhibit growth, destroy happiness, and result in us not reaching our potential. Here are some distractions to be aware of:

Possible Distractions

1. Regretting Yesterday

We can get stuck thinking about missed opportunities and regretting errors of judgment and bad decisions. Nobody lives life unscathed. The fact is we can’t rewrite history, so we need to come to terms with our past, for the sake of all our future relationships. This might mean seeking to make amends where this is possible, and asking for forgiveness in certain circumstances. This will mean being humble, and admitting our imperfections. We can either be bogged down in the past, or focus our mind on the opportunities of the present.

2. Wishing For Tomorrow

We can also miss the opportunities of the present by being too distracted by the future. We can get ahead of ourselves, and miss the joys of the day. This is often because today is hard … so we wish for tomorrow. But in this way we are wishing our life away, rather than learning the lessons that might be available. If only this day was over! Work is hard, so we just want the weekend to come. Or, the weekend is quiet and lonely … if only Monday would come. I can’t wait for my next holiday. I’ll start living when I retire. // Life is lived in the now – there is a beauty in the present moment – it will never be seen again.

3. Simply Seeking Pleasure

If we only seek pleasure, and not take seriously some of deeper aspects of life, we will not grow. Pleasure, for its own sake, is a terrible teacher, and tends to make us blind and deaf to some important realities. We find ourselves in places of least resistance, rather than in the places of growth and maturity. Embracing challenges, dealing with uncomfortable circumstances, and pushing beyond certain limits, form the pathways to real learning.

4. Accumulating Possessions

                                                                                                           

This is the Western desire for more and more. The desire takes over and becomes an addiction to acquiring things. The possessions take us over, and become our master, and we just want more of the best. These things require our time and energy to maintain them. But our soul is not properly tendered to, and we actually become unhappy. Unless we see that our life means much more than how much we can consume, we will inevitably struggle eventually. // Our lives were designed for making a contribution to society, and finding ways of being kind and generous, especially to those most in need.

5. Pursuing Perfection

The most self-defeating distraction is perfectionism. This is the state of not being satisfied with our efforts unless we achieve perfection. This is, of course, impossible. Perfectionism bogs us down into inertia, and results in us being constantly disappointed. This is not good for anyone around us as well, as perfectionists are very difficult to live with. Doing our best … is the way forward, and seeing all pursuits as pathways to improvement. We can healthily pursue best outcomes, work hard with the best of intentions, take pride in what we do – but not try to control outcomes, outcomes that are actually out of our control.

6. Making Comparisons

Connected to the distraction of perfectionism, is the tendency to compare ourselves to others … what they have, how they look, what friends they have, how many likes on Facebook they get. This means we tend to lose focus on the good qualities we have, and how they can make a strong contribution to others. We are all different, and that is a good thing. The psalm we read talks about each of us having been formed wonderfully by a loving Creator. To look around with envy is surely a distraction to fulfilling our own purpose. The team, whatever team, whether sporting club, or the church, needs a variety of shapes, sizes, abilities and personalities.

7. Needing Notoriety

Our motivations and efforts are compromised … if we are always looking around for notoriety and praise. Will I be in the paper this week? How many people are going to see me going in for the hard ball? Will I get the best player award? Such thinking does not aid team progress. Short-cuts can be taken. What we all need to do, whether it is our sporting team, or our church community, is to play our role. This role is determined by factors such as: our particular talents or gifts, the game-plan of the team, the agreed goals, and the common good. We should come to that place where we live in the same way whether anyone is watching or not!

8. Maintaining Bitterness

Many bad and regrettable things happen to us in life. And often this is because other people have been unthinking and hurtful, and have done damaging things to us. The possibility is there, that we harbour resentment, and retain this for years, and slowly destroy ourselves; for often the offender knows nothing of our pain – and we are only hurting ourselves. This is another major distraction from thriving in life. We need to let things go! We need to forgive. God forgives more than we will ever have to forgive. We have to free ourselves from the bondage of bitterness. And sometimes, when given the opportunity, rebuilding broken relationships helps us to grow, and makes us more healthy.

9. Being Indifferent

If we ever get a little hardened, or when we continue to suffer in life, or if we get a bit of compassion fatigue, we can start to become indifferent to the need that exists around us, or toward some of the bigger issues of poverty and injustice in the world. If we get distracted from the needs of others by how we feel about ourselves, then all of the good contributions we could naturally make … get left aside. Then all of the joy that could come from responding to opportunities to help others … is missed out on. There is great joy and fulfillment to be found in being generous and kind. We all have much to offer, and it’s a great shame when any of this is suppressed.

Conclusion

Hopefully we can all avoid these distractions and model a healthy life to the community as a whole.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church, back in the day, these words: “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” (5:1). Or, in other words, ‘The life of Jesus amongst us has given us the capacity to focus on the important things, and not give in to distractions that may enslave and ruin us’.

This remains a challenge, and we invite conversations around where this has been tough or easy. In community, we want to be supporters of one another … in making the best of the lives God has given us. And ultimately, we will need God’s help to fully embrace life … the way it was intended to be.

People of faith turn to Jesus for this reason – while the world was distracted by self-centredness, personal agendas, power and wealth, Jesus gave up his very life (at the young age of 33) to bring forgiveness and freedom and build a new sort of community … one that cared for each other, and for the world as a whole!