Mark's gospel: a portrait of discipleship.

My first essay for my theology and ministry course. 

What does Mark's gospel tell us about the disciples? What does that tell us about discipleship?

Often, readers of the bible garner their picture of the disciples from accounts across all four gospels, giving an even-handed view of their positive and negative attributes. I will show that in viewing Mark in isolation, that sole viewpoint (based largely on that of a single disciple, Peter) could give rise to a negative impression of them, but a deeper examination of the picture both explicit in the narrative itself and implicit in the situation in which the gospel was read, shows a parallel positive view. Focusing on Mark alone shows the reality and cost of following Jesus Christ though the lives, successes and failures of his disciples, and ultimately, the inevitable redemption when we dedicate our lives to him. Mark’s message on what it means to follow Jesus is that it is very costly and yet very rewarding, a path of failure, grace and success. All this, of course, is a pre-Pentecostal portrait of discipleship, written and read by a post-Pentecostal audience, which has profound implications for the message of Mark.

         Mark is a clearly Peter-centric gospel. On a first reading of Mark, one could very easily walk away with a rather negative view of the disciples, and especially Peter, as I will show. The first disciple Jesus called was Simon Peter, and he plays an understandably prominent role in Mark’s gospel. Richard Bauckham, amongst other modern New Testament scholars, subscribes to the view that Mark was with Peter in Rome and based his gospel “extensively on Peter’s eyewitness testimony.” (Bauckham, 2008, 14). Mark’s probable close relationship with Peter has given him opportunity to see the events of Jesus’ ministry through Peter’s eyes. In Mark, with Peter playing a prominent part in so many stories, he is a character with whom it is very easy to identify. When we talk of the portrait of the disciples we get from Mark, it is in many ways the portrait of Peter.

         Peter’s reputation is especially tarnished in Mark 14 to 16. At the last supper, Jesus tells his disciples that they will “all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee” (Mk 14. 28). This is more than just a warning of their betrayal, it is a picture of redeeming love and future forgiveness, but just as Jesus is telling them that everything will be fine after their betrayal, Peter jumps in and all but calls Jesus a liar. His proud boast that he will never betray Jesus and subsequent shame at Jesus’ prophecy coming true just hours later is the crowning moment in Mark’s picture of the disciples’ failure. It must have had an alarming impact when it was first read, for the audience would surely have known that this was the same Peter who went on to be Bishop of Rome, the rock on which Jesus built his church.

         It wasn’t just this final betrayal that casts the disciples in a grubby light. They are often not portrayed as the most insightful men. In fact this has the added bonus for us, inasmuch as they sometimes function like the ‘idiot’ character in modern TV and movies to whom the detective explains the plot, allowing the rest of us mortals an insight. Consider the explanation of the parable of the sower (Mk 4.  1-9) that Jesus explains to his hard-of-thinking disciples (Mk 4. 13-20); without Jesus’ patient explanation to his followers, we may never have known the thrust of the parable.

         There are many other incidences of the disciples letting Jesus down or getting it wrong. They are depicted as fearful, not just of circumstances such as Jesus’ arrest, when the all flee (Mk 14. 50) but also of Jesus himself when his holy power and authority is revealed. Peter is called Satan himself when he rebukes Jesus for speaking of his coming execution, and told he has his mind ‘on the things of man’ and not on ‘the things of God’ (Mk 8. 31-34). They seem stunned when Jesus calms the Storm (Mk 4. 35-41) and understandably completely terrified by the sudden presence of Elijah and Moses and Jesus’ radiant magnificence at the Transfiguration (Mk 9. 2-13). Their lack of faith is evident when they are unable to drive out a demon from a suffering boy (Mk 9. 14-29), perhaps an entirely understandable situation, but a similar lack of faith is harder to empathise with when they cannot fathom how Jesus will feed 4000 people with some loaves and fishes, despite having already seen him feed 5000 in the same manner (Mk 8. 1-9).  Then again, there is the self-serving and rather childish request of James and John to sit at Jesus’ side in Heaven, as if they could guarantee special favour by sneakily getting their request in first (Mk 10. 35-37).

         The last few chapters of Mark can only be described as the disciples’ nadir, demonstrating a litany of grievous failures. There’s Peter’s aforementioned denial, Judas’ selling of Jesus to the Pharisees (Mk 14. 10-11), their collective failure to stay awake, the violent action of one of them who strikes out with a sword when Jesus is arrested (identified as Peter in John’s gospel: Jn18. 10) and finally the abandonment by all twelve disciples (Mk 14. 50), “And they all left him and fled.” They receive no further mention; Mark does not even place them at the crucifixion; in his final hours, Jesus is attended only by “Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome” (Mk 15. 40).

         All that being said, Mark does give us a much more rounded view of the disciples than simply this litany of their failures, with explicit stories of their successes as well as an implicit message through the context. Right at the start of the gospel, Jesus calls them away from their nets, to follow him and become fishers of men (Mk 1. 16-20), which they do. They follow him, despite all his dire warnings about what that will mean. They might come across as a little dim-witted at times, but surely some of the picture Jesus paints sinks in. He regularly speaks of his own death, and even tells them that the cup he drinks, they will drink, and that the baptism with which he is baptised, they will be baptised (Mk 10. 39). He often points out that their greatness will be measured in the depths of their suffering and lengths of their service to others, that they must ‘deny themselves and pick up their cross’ if they are to follow him, that they are to ‘lose their lives’ (Mk8. 34-37) and yet they stick with him. We know that they were aware of the cost of following him, Peter speaks of them leaving everything to follow him (Mk 10. 28), but it seems more like an acknowledgement than a complaint. They seem content to be itinerant students, cut off from the world and even from their families to be with Jesus and each other.

         They also embrace Jesus’ counter-cultural positions, even at risk to themselves. They are happy to consort with ‘sinners’ alongside him, even welcoming Levi the tax collector to their midst (Mk 2. 13-17); they move regularly among the gentiles and they follow his flexible approach to the Sabbath laws (Mk 2. 23-28).

         Not only are they tenacious, they are successful: Jesus sends them out on what seems to be the least well-equipped mission ever, but they go out, preaching the gospel, healing many and casting out demons (Mk 6. 7-13). They might not be the most insightful of men, but it is Peter who first recognises Jesus as Messiah shortly before the Transfiguration (Mk 8. 27-30).

         To conclude, Mark conveys a rich message about what it means to follow Jesus, clearly signalling pros and cons. There will be suffering, service and costly love. We are left in no doubt that our lives will not follow an easy path if we follow Jesus, for we will tread the path he trod, but for all the pain that may come our way, we should not be dismayed. The disciples, despite the difficulties and failures, are close to Jesus. They are cut off from the world, but gain access to a wonderful new family in the Kingdom of God, not to mention eternal life (Mk 10. 29-31). They are together constantly in a close-knit fraternity, a picture of what life in Christ can be; one lived alongside ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ (Mk3. 31-35).

         Mark also makes clear that there will be failure; that even true disciples of Jesus will let him down with lack of insight, lack of faith, lack of courage and lack of humility. That we may, temporarily, even turn away from him for our own sakes, but in coming back to him we will find redemption and forgiveness. Jesus tells them that he will ‘go before them to Galilee’ before their betrayal (Mk 14. 28), and he has this same message for them after his resurrection (Mk 16. 7). Unlike the other three gospels, Mark gives us no account of the disciples’ reunion with Jesus after the resurrection, there is none of John’s tender depiction of Jesus’ rehabilitation of his relationship with Peter, just this simple statement: I told you I would meet you, and I will. Nonetheless, it can surely be assumed that the post-resurrection reputation of these men as powerful leaders of the early church was secure and widespread, and it is that reputation with which Mark contrasts their failures.

Finally, the fundamental message of discipleship implicit in Mark’s gospel is of the futility of trying to live Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit. These men, the bedrock of the early church, went on to create and lead an organisation that persevered and flourished in the face of every imaginable adversity. These self-same men, heroes of the faith, proved to be fearful, selfish, proud, ignorant, faithless and untrustworthy time and again. If they couldn’t do it without the Holy Spirit, walking literally side-by-side with Jesus, what hope to we have? Conversely, to quote Mark himself out of context, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mk 10. 27)

I get a kick out of you

Last Thursday Victoria texted me at work:

"I just felt baby kick today. Woo Hoo!"

 I have to say I didn't know what to feel other than happy and quiet. I guess the only word for this is awed. It's incredible that already, just 5 days later, V says the kicks can be felt from the outside and I'm excitedly looking forward to the first time that happens when I'm around!

These really are the fun bits of pregnancy, as far as I can see. We're at week 20, with 20 to go, so well into the second trimester. V is still healthy and energetic enough to cycle to work and do some aerobics, but the bump is now clearly that of a pregnant lady, and V doesn't have to worry about being mistaken for an enthusiastic pie eater! 

We're also at that point where everyone knows about it. It's odd that that doesn't come till after that 12 week scan, because the run up to then was actually when we needed the most support. Now that that support is freely available, it's less critical. Those weeks from 6-12 wre the hardest; V was super nautious and tired all the time and we were both worried about an early miscarriage, having got that far before. Looking back I'm so glad we had taken the decision not only to tell our families but also a couple of really close friends over here. I wish there was less of a taboo about talking about miscarriages. It isn't until you have one and friends come out with their sympathies and experiences that you realize just how common they are. I think we've missed a trick there.

Next week we'll have our 'morphology scan,' or as many of us know it, THE GENDER SCAN! It is apparently controversial that I want to know the gender of D-minor; many of our friends react with either surprise or a little judgement when I tell them how excited I am to find out if I'm having a son or a daughter (you soon get used to people's freely given opinions and judgements when you're expecting!). I suspect that this whole adventure is already incredibly real for v, especially with her insides now being rearranged on a daily basis, but for me as an apparent ENFP, the ability to visualize the future as a parent seems like too good a gift to turn down.

Anyway, that's it for now, my short return to the blogosphere. Let's see if this theme lends itself to continuation...

The Hunger, my thoughts on our small group

This was originally posted in June on the St Georges website, www.stgeorgesleeds.org.uk
I thought it was worth reposting, people seemed to have enjoyed it...

The Hunger

Posted on June 1, 2012

Rob and Victoria Denton have been small group leaders for a few years; as they are soon to move to Geneva, Rob shares their story of being small group leaders and what God is doing in their network. 

What have you valued about small groups and being in a network?

Let me say this: our small group, ‘The Hunger,’ is the best at St George’s, if not in the world! Of course, I would say that, and it regularly delights me to hear other small group leaders say that theirs is the best too. Our small groups at St G’s are led with passion and devotion. I have always found that enthusiasm easy to come by as I get so much from my group; I mostly feel more like a member than a leader.

We’re called ‘The Hunger’ because we eat together every week, and we strive to have a hunger for God. Eating together every week is fabulous, we really get to know each other and it’s such a great way for new members to integrate quickly. It’s also a great way to serve each other. Different members of the group take in turns to bring pudding, lay the table and wash up. Obviously, it’s great for me and Vic not to have to worry about all the clearing up, but more that I have come to really cherish these times of working together. Some of the most frank, tender, real, emotional and accountable conversations have happened elbow to elbow over the kitchen sink.

Another hugely valuable aspect of The Hunger has been the prayer diary that we keep. Every few weeks we go back through it to see how the situations we have lifted to God have changed. Seeing our humble requests dealt with over time has massively grown my faith in a God who cares for the details of my life and is involved in them, and who loves it when I involve myself in his world through Him. It’s also been fabulous from an accountability point of view. If the group sees me asking for help with the same stuff week on week (reading my bible, say), they start to intervene and ask helpful questions. How much effort have I put in? How organised have I been? Would I like a reminder by text every few days? Having a safe place to be honest and kept true to ones intentions is absolutely one of the shining highlights of time in a small group.

The network has been a recent blessing too. For a start, it’s been the place our new members have come from. It’s also provided some great social times. Having had several now we’re starting to get to know one another better. Only meeting more rarely, this has taken time, but I now cherish the relationships I am building. It’s great to turn up a Saturday morning Bible track seminar and be able to talk to a wider bunch of people than a couple of years ago. It’s called a network, and that’s just what it does.

What has been the highlight over the years?

There are just too many to mention, but here’s three that highlight the generosity of spirit the integrity and commitment to spiritual truth that is the hallmark of the group:

• The Hunger painted most of my house. I love looking at different rooms and remembering the fellowship that went into them.
• Ex members returning for parties. You might move on from the Hunger, but you never leave. It’s so gratifying to see the depth of relationship borne out by people who have moved on in life still feeling at home in group.
• When we were up to eyes in DIY and on a tight schedule, 2 of the group mucked in with power tools to lay flooring at 9pm after the session while the rest of the group tidied up and cleaned around us. What a team effort, and we didn’t even have to ask!
• Seeing people recently battle though some really difficult theology about same-sex relationships so sensitively, without anger or judgement, and come out the far side still loving each other and with a wider point of view. I was really proud of us then.

What has been God doing in your life in the last few years as leaders?

I feel like God has put me on a real road to deeper discipleship and leadership in the last few years. It’s been a privilege to be asked to give sermons at Community Church and Wrangthorn this year, as well as a couple of Alpha talks. I’m really curious as to where this is going and I’m starting to feel a real calling to more of it, but moving to Geneva takes it in unexpected directions. Let’s just see where that goes.

What is your prayer for Networks at St Georges?

I pray that networks help people connect to each other and feel at home in the church. I pray that they are source of comfort, truth, fellowship, joy, service and love. I pray they give everyone at St G’s a chance to feel included and a real part of the family. I see so much of this growing already, and I give thanks to God for that.

Do not doubt in darkness what God has shown you in the light

A cheesy quote, and one that I can find no source for.

However much this can make our faith seem 'blind,' yesterday I found this simple line a way of shifting my paradigm.

I t can be hard when it feels like I'm not hearing from God, or at least, not as spectacularly and clearly as I would like (Why don't I get a burning bush? Or Jesus appearing inviting me to touch His hands and sides? No fair!)

If God seems far away, if you are doubting what you believe he has told you; hold on. Maybe you're right, may be not. It's good to doubt, to question, to test, to seek the truth. Just don't get hung up in paranoia and darkness.

Let me tell you what really helped yesterday.

I sat with a friend, a bother in Christ. We talked, we prayed, my perspective shifted. Now I'm back to holding my calling lightly and seeking God to know His will for my life.

There's just still doubt, but it feels more like doubt in the light!

Final Japanese musings

Just a few little things I wanted to download before leaving this wonderful and odd country.

Cuteness is aspired to here. I've seen business women in very sharply tailored suits with short skirts and knee socks, the same look sported by girls in school uniform (too many of whom seem to have playboy bunny logos on those socks!). The ideal form is one of perpetual girlhood, sometimes in a sweet, childlike innocent way, sometimes less so. Yesterday in Akihabara i passed a number of 'maid cafes' where girls in Anne Summers style maid uniforms will fawn over you while you have a beer or coffee. Such is the profusion of girls in short dresses there have to posters on the walls by the escalators reminding ladies to be careful of 'up-skirting' by men with phone-cameras. For a country so built on respect and politeness, it seems a shame to see that as an issue in big city Tokyo.

Tokyo is HUGE! 35 million people in greater too; that's 5 Londons!!

There may well be nine million bicycles in Beijing, but I bet there's a few here too, and they're everywhere! They cycle on the pavement, on the road and transition between the two at whim. Jumping out of their way can be perilous, as in smaller towns there is generally no pavement, so one sidestep puts you in traffic! For such a modern, sophisticated country in technological terms, it's odd to see them on 1960s style sit-up-and-beg jam-jar gears bikes, although I have seen a significant number of trendy modern fixies here in Tokyo. You couldn't have one of those out on the sticks, its too steep too often!

I went to the museum at the National Shrine to the war dead yesterday. What an eerie place. Such monuments in Britain are dedicated to those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom, here they honour those who happily climbed into Kamikaze planes, boats and submarines, and revere those who participated in aggressive wars in the pacific before then with China, Russia and Korea. It's a conflicted place in national hearts; they sacrificed themselves for the good of Japan, but there still seems to be a good deal of some shame to go alongside that pride. Politicians win and lose votes in the controversy of a visit here and it's a brave MP who will get off that fence so publicly  I wonder how such things function in Germany?

It's so hilly it's flat! The mountains are so steep and start so suddenly that you can only really build on the flat bits in between.

I've come round to the face-mask thing, that's just really polite. "I've got germs, i don't want to share them with you." Nice!

I wonder what they think our weirdnesses are? OMG, look at gai-jin, walking around the inside of his house with his shoes on getting it all dirty! Don't they rinse their dishes after washing up? They're always touching each other, ew! Why do their women wear such short socks? How am I supposed to get clean on these non-bum washing toilets, and why is the seat not heated, aren't they smart enough to have worked out how to make toileting a thing of joy? (That's DEFINITELY an area we can learn in!). And why aren't they making the peace sign in their photos? Why do they all have nuclear bombs, can't they see how poorly that turned out?

That's about it for Japan, except to put up a post about my Tsunami evacuation experience last Friday. Watch this space...

"Do not be afraid!" Luke 1

Here is this morning's sermon, from the 2nd Sunday of advent, my last of three sermons at Nirayama with the Nelsons. It's been a wonderful time to explore so much of both Japan and my faith. Thanks for having me, maybe I'll be back!

Luke 1: 26-38 Advent: the annunciation. “Do not be afraid.”

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Last week we looked at God’s invitation to the world, hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, in Isaiah. This week, that invitation is on the brink of coming true! Miracles are already afoot. Strange things are happening as God begins to break into his world. He knows what’s coming, he knows what’s needed, so he in sending John the Baptist on ahead of Jesus in every sense. At the news of Jesus’ coming, John begins to leap in Elizabeth’s womb! How wonderful it would be to be so in tune with God that we sensed and rejoiced in His presence from before we are even born!

Here we see God’s personal invitation to Mary to play a pivotal role in His redemption of mankind. The creator of the universe, maker of planets and galaxies, is going to do some very special creating right inside her! How awesome is that; an angel, a being we might even struggle to believe in, appeared to her. It must have blown her mind! In fact, we know it did. We read here that Mary was greatly troubled. For me, this dispels the myth we often have about angels, that they are just like you and me, but nicer, wearing a sheet and with wings. The few descriptions we have about angles in the bible are often pretty bizarre and frightening. They seem to have extra arms and legs, many wings, several sets of eyes or be made of metal or jewels or burning fiery wheel.

The first words the angel says to her are “The Lord is with you,” and indeed he was, more than with anyone else ever! He moved within her actual body to produce His son!

You can only imagine Mary’s reaction. There she was, getting on with her day, doing the laundry, tending the garden, daydreaming about the gorgeous carpenter she’s going to marry, when all of a sudden this thing appears and tells her God is with her. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’d be scared!

So what does the angel say to her?

That’s right. He says, “Do not be afraid.”

I think the real reason she doesn’t need to be afraid is the angel is about to tell her the name of the child. Knowing that in advance would surely save a lot of arguing!

That’s such a common thing for angels to say to people when they meet, or for God himself to say. What a gracious Lord; He is the master of the universe, but he takes time to reassure us. He longs for us to be in relationship with Him, not cowering and afraid.

Now, as far as I can tell from my research, there are 119 times in the bible when people are told “Do not be afraid,” or words to that effect, by God or one of his angels. Can you name any?

Some examples I could remember off the top of my head are:

·      Hagar in Genesis, just after Sarah kicks her out of camp with her son

·      Abraham and Isaac are both reassured by God

·      The shepherds, by the angel at their part in the Christmas story

·      Zechariah, when an angel comes to tell him that Elizabeth will bear him a son

·      Jesus’ disciples heard it a bunch of times; they were always getting scared!

·      Paul heard it at least 3 times in the book of Act, encouraging him to keep on speaking out

It can definitely be scary to meet God, to accept Him as Lord, to give up control. If were to take the disciples, the first few Christians, as an example of how life as a Christian will turn out, we would not necessarily be encouraged. By and large, men and women of God in the bible had difficult lives and often suffered violent untimely deaths. Life as a Christian is certainly better than the alternative, but nowhere in the Bible will you get the sense that it’s any easier.

Still, hopefully none of us are facing a stoning or crucifixion ant time soon. None-the-less, life can be scary. What makes us afraid?

People can ridicule us for our faith. It can sometimes be hard even to tell others that we are Christians, but we must, it’s one of the rules. Paul tells us in Romans 10⁹ That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. We just have to do it. How will people be saved if they don’t know about Jesus? Talking about your faith can be hard, but we just don’t have an option. We must pray for wisdom about when, how and with whom to share it, but we must also pray for boldness to be able to share it when the spirit prompts us.  One thing my bible study group in Switzerland has taken to lately is praying to have to chance to pray with or for someone. It’s surprising how often God puts such a wonderful opportunity in your path, and people who don’t want to hear about God can be suddenly open to being prayed for. I think that speaks to the God shaped hole we each have inside us.

There can, of course, be trials and difficulties in life that don’t come from our faith, in fact, probably the majority. Easily one of the hardest questions the church has to address is “Why is there suffering in the world?” There are thousands of books written on that topic alone. I have often been involved in alpha courses, and time and again I hear this is the major question non Christians have, and all too often the problem that has driven Christians away from their faith. Now, it’s a complicated topic, and we absolutely don’t have time to unpack it today, but here what I hold on to. God never promises us that life will be trouble free with Him. When Jesus tells us to “Pick up our cross and follow him” (Luke 9²³) we see that the opposite is more likely to be true. What he does promise, what he demonstrated that first Christmas when he came down from heaven to get right in amongst us, was that he would be in it with us. There is no pain we can go through that he can’t empathise with, because he’s felt the worst of it. From His birth in a lowly stable, to being abandoned by his friends and suffering an agonising lonely death on a cross, there is no pain we can feel that out humble servant-God hasn’t felt too. His Holy Spirit is the great comforter, the great source of strength. When we face trials in life, whatever they are; at work, at home, His spirit can lift us up and help us to do what needs to be done.

Christians all over the world and throughout time testify to the power of God’s support, to the strength, peace and joy that the Holy Spirit can bring in the harshest adversity. Paul tells us in Phillipians 4^4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord, do not be anxious. The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds.” It’s a promise! When you give yourself to Jesus, when you pick up your cross and follow Him, He will live in you and bring peace.

Lets look at a few examples:

St Paul comes to mind as the obvious example. In Phillipians 1²¹ we read “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” Here is man so full of the Holy Spirit he has lost his fear of death! Paul’s concern was to keep working for God right up to the end. Even when he knew his execution was approaching, he wrote his 2nd letter to Timothy, showing us  that his first concern was still to be passing on his wisdom and advice to his pupil. This has incredible desire to spend his whole life for God has really touched me lately, I only hope I can approach that level of devotion and faith. I know that Paul was so free of fear because he was so close to God. How wonderful that would be.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Shahbaz Bhatti , the Pakistani minister for minority affairs.

In February 2011, in an interview with the Christian Post, Mr Bhatti said he had received threats.

"I received a call from the Taliban commander and he said, 'If you will bring any changes in the blasphemy law and speak on this issue, then you will be killed'," Mr Bhatti told the newspaper. He believed passionately in standing up for the rights of Christians in a strongly Islamic country, even in the face of death threats.  In a video recorded before his death, he said "I believe in Jesus Christ who has given his own life for us, and I am ready to die for a cause. I'm living for my community ... and I will die to defend their rights."

He was shot by a gunman, along with his bodyguards on the 2^nd March last year. He left behind that moving video and an incredible legacy of a fearless faith in God and preparedness to continue living for Christ, no matter what.

Then there’s Rosa Parks. Many people know the story of the seamstress who helped ignite the civil-rights movement in America in the 1950s. The publicity following her arrest was in many senses the spark that lit the flame of freedom for black Americans. Many people don't know that Rosa Parks was a devout Christian, and that it was her faith that gave her the strength to do what she did that day in 1955.

Parks says she never planned to be arrested for breaking a racist law. On December 1, 1955, Parks was sitting on a bus in the front row of the section reserved for blacks. But when a white man got on, there were no more seats in the white section, so the bus driver told Parks to move back.

Parks was convinced that to do so would be wrong-and she refused to get up. "Since I have always been a strong believer in God," she says, "I knew that He was with me, and only He could get me through that next step."

Rosa Parks says her belief in God developed early in life. "Every day before supper and before we went to services on Sundays, my grandmother would read the Bible to me, and my grandfather would pray. We even had devotions before going to pick cotton in the fields. Prayer and the Bible," she recalls, "became a part of my everyday thoughts and beliefs. I learned to put my trust in God and to seek Him as my strength."

She was an ordinary lady, a regular Christian. Not an apostle, a missionary, a pastor, a government minister. She was just like you or me, and she was confronted with a situation where she knew she had to do the right thing, despite her fears. You read just now it in her own words: “I knew that He was with me, and only He could get me through that next step." Her bravery and faith that day changed the world! Never discount the power that stepping out in faith against your fear can have!

Finally, I suppose we could look at someone closer to home: me, coming here. To me, this trip seemed like an adventure, an exciting journey that God had called me on with Him. Some of my friends and family expressed amazement that I could go off, so seemingly fearlessly. I suppose it could be frightening, traveling halfway round the world to somewhere you can’t even read the words. I can only think that, knowing I was doing it with and for Him, that I just wasn’t afraid. I often find, when I do things for God that ordinarily might frighten me, they don’t!

In the last few days, there was some fear and trepidation for me in going up North, away from the safety of the Nelson family, to Iwate province. It's a very poor and rural area of Japan, famously devastated by the Tsunami in 2011. The real test came when we were visiting Kamaishi, a town that had lost many of it’s buildings and some of its residents in the Tsunami. We were in a church that was still under repair when the earthquake and tsunami warnings went off on everyone’s phone and in sirens all over the town. Heading off on an official tsunami evacuation past missing and damaged buildings was interesting, to say the least. The potential impact was clearly visible all around us. You could see the impact a similar event had had. Oddly, sat in the evacuation area in the hospital, surrounded by Christians, no-one was afraid  There was a real sense of joy and peace.  I wasn’t happy, I really didn’t want to die and I honestly thought there was only a slight chance but none-the-less a real one, but somehow, I wasn’t worried. We all had peace. I believe that it was the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in us that gave us that joy. I discovered on Friday that perhaps I am closer to that perspective of St Paul, than I had thought.

I hope these illustrations have served to show that, when God is with you, you do not need to be afraid. The Bible tells us that “we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8³⁷) and “if our God is with is, who can stand against us” (Romans 8³¹).

Pray for his Holy Spirit to enter you and lift you up, to comfort you and strengthen you. Tell God about your fears, pray them through with a friend. 

Finally, remember, as we celebrate advent, as we prepare for Christmas, that it isn’t just about a baby in a manger, but the creator of the universe coming down here, to the earth where you and I are, to share our lives, our joys and our pains, because He loves us.

Isaiah 9 1-7, God's "Save the date" to Isreal.

So, for those who might be interested, this is the sermon I gave yesterday here in Nirayama, the 1st Sunday of Advent.

Sermon 2/12/12 Isaiah 9: 1-7. God’s invitation

9 ^[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—² The people walking in darkness    have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness    a light has dawned.³ You have enlarged the nation    and increased their joy;they rejoice before you    as people rejoice at the harvest,as warriors rejoice    when dividing the plunder.⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,    you have shatteredthe yoke that burdens them,    the bar across their shoulders,    the rod of their oppressor.⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle    and every garment rolled in bloodwill be destined for burning,    will be fuel for the fire.⁶ For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given,    and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace    there will be no end.He will reign on David’s throne    and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it    with justice and righteousness    from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty    will accomplish this.


So, to get us started, let's look at where this fit’s into the big story of the bible; I often find that helpful. What was going on when Isaiah spoke these words? Well, the king at the time was Ahaz. If you know your history of the Kingdom of Israel, you’ll know that there was a series of good and bad kings, often alternating, one after another. Good – Bad – Good – Bad etc.


So, which was Ahaz?




Yup, he was a BAD king. One of the worst, in fact. Have a look at it back in 2Kings 16 and 2Chronicles 28. He defiled the temple, taking out valuable artifacts for his own wealth and sacrificing to pagan Gods in the place the Israelites reserved for Lord himself. It is quite possible that he sacrificed his own son to these pagan gods in the fire.

Like so many of us, me included sometimes, he did not lean on God in times of trouble. When he was beset on many sides by foreign powers, he tried to buy military help from other nations, probably with the wealth he stole from God’s own temple.

Further than that, he knew Isaiah was God’s chosen prophet at the time, and he ignored him. That, I just can’t get my head around. I struggle to hear the word of God. I long to hear it written clearly and specifically for me. If I had my own personal prophet on hand I’d have him move in to my palace and spend as much time as I could hearing what God had to say to me. That’s not the approach Ahaz took.

So that was the situation the Jewish nation was in at the time. They were faced with one of the most ungodly, corrupt rulers in their history. I don’t know how holy the people were, whether they knew that Ahaz was bad and feared him, or whether they went along with him, but we can certainly judge Ahaz.

Into this situation, faced with this kind of ruler, Isaiah offers an invitation to hope, an invitation to a better way, a promise that things can and will be better, and a clear statement that Ahaz’s way is not God’s way.

If the first commandment that we looked at last week says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,” well, Ahaz didn’t just break it, he smashed it.


Look at the words describing the coming Messiah, look at the words to describe this new ruler we are invited to follow. In four short phrases we learn a lot about the nature of Jesus.

He will be called... 
Wonderful counselor. A good counselor can take away worries and speak wisdom and speak comfort into our lives in times of trouble. Jesus was the ultimate at this, and still is!


Mighty God He is powerful beyond measure, our mighty God. He created you, me, the world, the universe. Oh to have such a ruler! Unlike Ahaz, he needs not send out for help. No one needs to help our God, he is the mightiest!

Everlasting Father. Never ending, eternal. Never to be overthrown, our powerful Abba-father. One who will look after you, and always be on your side with His might!


Prince of Peace.  Gods way is not one of war. I just returned from Hiroshima, and I think He would be pleased with what has been wrought there in the peace-park and museum. That is God’s way, Peace. Enough wise men have tried to show us that way, and show us that it works, and we still don’t listen. That’s the Jesus I know, who, when faced with violence and betrayal, when his followers took up arms in the garden of Gethsemane for him, chose the path of peace, of submission, of healing and grace. 

This, then, was God’s invitation to Israel, an invitation to a wonderful time in their future, a 'Save-the-date,' if you will.

When I think about God’s invitation to the world at Advent, I get a real sense of empathy. Let me tell you what I mean. Now, I’m no Jesus; Jesus loved everybody and I only love some people, although it seems like a quite a lot to me sometimes and is thankfully always growing. One way I’m like Jesus is that my birthday is a big deal. Perhaps not on the global scale that Jesus’ was, but a big deal in my life none-the-less. Every year I invite everyone I love to my birthday cocktail party.

What’s going on with that, what’s that all about? Is it that I want a lot of presents? 

Sadly, a little, yes. 

Is it that I like the attention and revel in there being an evening all about me? 

Ah, you know me too well. Perhaps it is. 


But absolutely the biggest reason is that I just want to spend quality time with the people I love, people who I just don’t get to spend enough time with. We start early and we go late. One of the best bits is sometimes just watching, seeing the people I love love each other. Enjoy each other. A couple of times recently someone has been having a hard time, and I have seen my friends gather round and support them in different ways; listening to them, distracting them, laughing with them, crying with them!

I know all this when I send out the invitations. I know it’s going to be brilliant. I know the people who come will have a great time. I know that a lot of the people I invite won’t be able to come, and when they hear about how great it was, they’ll regret it. More to the point, I’LL REGRET IT! Every person who doesn’t come gives me just a little pain. I really wanted to hang out with them, I really wanted them to have a good time.

I really think that that that’s how God sees the world every advent. I think he’s been seeing the world like since day one, or rather, day six!

He’s inviting us to the best party there is, life with Him. It will be tremendous fun! If we hurt, we will be comforted, by God, by the other guests. He just wants to spend time with us. Most importantly, if we don’t accept His fabulous invitation, we will regret it!

Now, here’s one way Jesus’ invitation is so much better than mine. I send mine once, that’s it. Sadly, I just don’t have the time to chase people every day, and I don’t handle the rejection that well. I get really sad when people don’t come. God’s a bit like that too, but he gets REALLY upset when people don’t come, so upset that he keeps sending out those invitations. He will chase you down and knock on your door. He won’t barge in, he’s not like that; I’ve often heard it said that God is a gentleman. It’s up to you to open the door, but God will keep on knocking.

Today, I want to think about God’s invitation to us at advent in two ways.

First of all,  let’s look at the simplest invitation here, the invitation to know Jesus, the wonderful counselor described above. Back then, just as now, so many people missed the point of Christmas. Jesus came around and they were distracted. They’d had all the warning in the world. God’s invitation had been sat there in Isaiah for centuries. Good devout Jews of that time were familiar with the scriptures predicting a Messiah, they were looking hard for him.  We know, sadly, that many people back then, both the Gentiles and even the Jews who were looking out for him, missed the point. They missed God's amazing invitation. That invitation is still there for you. God, the creator of the universe, invites you to share in eternity with Him. If you don’t yet know Jesus Christ as your savior, I believe you’re missing out on a better way. Jesus told us he came to give life, and life in all its fullness (John 10¹⁰). He made it clear that the way to that life was to believe in Him. He is the way, the truth and the life, he said (John 14⁶). If you haven’t experienced the wonderful grace and peace that comes from walking each day with Him, I urge you to find out more. Ask a Christian what it's all about, why do they love and follow Jesus. Maybe do an Alpha course. This is just too important to let it slide by.

So, what if you are a Christian? Well, second of all, let’s look at the fact that God invites us to come deeper in to Him.

The journey of Christianity is often described beginning when we step though the door of faith. I know that’s how it felt to me, that the moment I gave my life to Jesus I’d walked through a doorway into a new, better world. Sadly, for me, I spent the next few years after then just stood in the doorway, not really making any progress in my faith, not experiencing it in the rich way some of by friends did. I just didn’t develop good holy habits, good spiritual discipline. It took a few years for me to really start that in earnest, and now I feel like I’m making progress. Looking at the lives of great Christian scholars and men of God, I know I have along way to go still, and that’s exciting.

I believe God wants to say to all of us, however far we have come in our journey with Him, however deeply in to Him we have moved, however closely we walk with God, that He is inviting us deeper and closer to Him this advent season.

So let me ask you, what’s the point of Christmas for you?  What’s the point of advent?
What can you do to make the most of this season? It’s short, so much shorter than lent. That makes it a great time to try out some new habits.

I have some suggestions for you, four key disciplines to reflect on that complement and can strengthen your Christian life:

How are you doing with your bible reading? It’s a season about Jesus, so why not read the gospels? Try and get through all four in four weeks. Get to know your savior again. Let him surprise you. This trip to Japan I’ve been delighting in ‘the Jesus I never knew’ by Phillip Yancey, it’s been a real treat reading all about Jesus, and an easy way to expand my knowledge of my best friend. Why not read a good book about Jesus? I know from when we last looked at this in my small group that many Christians have some great suggestions of books they have loved, and most churches have a decent bookstall. 

How’s your prayer life? Why not change it up a little, make it fun, exciting, different, new? Try to pray every day. Try saying grace before meals, if you don’t now. Try praying together with someone else, perhaps your family. You could try praying outside, or my recent favorite, a suggestion from the fabulous Mark Powley at St Georges, try having a day a week when the only prayers you say are of thanks. It’s quality time with God; you know you’ll benefit from it!Fasting; well, this is a challenge for me! Here’s a what Jesus had to say about fasting:

¹⁶ “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew6)

He expects us to fast. I have to say this is one I find difficult, but I’m going to try it again this advent. I find it a useful sacrifice to make that brings me closer to God. If you can, why not try it this Christmas season?


Finally, think about your giving, in this season of presents. What can you give to God? What can you give to the church?  Paul tells us in Romans that we are to offer our whole lives as sacrifices to God. In one way, we are to be Gods gift to the world.


Whatever you do, make sure you don’t miss the point this advent.

God bless you all.