Rupert’s Blog

Dear readers … it has been a long time.  I have done some “cold turkey” on my blogging addiction (or has life just been too busy?), but I have even been encouraged by a few people to venture back into the world of blogs.  So I thought I would write the occasional blog post and see how it goes.

I will try to write something more on this over the coming weeks, but here is a talk that I gave at our church before Christmas on times when God seems absent in our lives.  God is never absent, but there are times when it seems as though He has left us; times when when we seem to praying to the ceiling; when all we hear is silence; when we have no sense of God’s presence.  We are in a barren place, which can become a place of incredible fruitfulness, if we know how to walk with God in these seasons.  Often we think we have done something wrong or we try to go back and do what we were doing in times of blessings.  We can be tempted to give up.  But if we can discern the “withness” of God, that God is with us in a unique, but different, way, we can learn to love the desert.  And find it a place of transformation.

Intrigued?  Well listen, and let me know what you think.

Living in the desert - Talk 4.mp3

This weekend, I was invited to Ivy Cottage Church in South Manchester to preach on Sunday morning. It was great to be with some old friends (Lynn Swart is now based there and I have know Frank and Debra Green for probably nearly 10 years now), and to be in a thriving and growing church.

They were starting a new series on “renewal” and I had been asked to introduce the series. I have become increasingly bothered by our often very self centred focus on faith: God meets my needs, makes me feel good, heals me etc. Faith in God seems to revolve around “me” rather than the other way round. Funnily enough, the last time I spoke in Ivy a couple of years ago, I spoke on that very thought, and the process in which we learn that God is the centre and not us.

Anyway, back to renewal: often renewal has been very individual, personal, and self-focussed. I think the work of the spirit is essential and much needed in restoring us to the people that God made us to be, but it can never be an end in itself.

So I spoke from Ezek 47, where the river flows from the temple. Often we have focussed on how deep the river was, rather than where the river flows … to the Dead Sea to bring life. The Dead Sea is about 30-35% salt (whereas the Mediterranean is only about 3.5%) and nothing lives there, no fish, no plants, nothing…

But the river flows to the dead places to bring life. Renewal of individuals and the church must flow out to the dead places of our communities to bring life and restoration. Interestingly, in the passage (vs 11) there are marshes and swamps where the salty water doesn’t turn fresh. Where the water doesn’t flow, but stagnates, then the river dries up and doesn’t bring the life it was intended to.

People sometime ask why the Spirit (in their opinion) isn’t moving as much as He used to. I think God is changing church around, so that the river flows to the deadest places of our society, so that when the river rises it doesn’t stagnate, but flows to bring about transformation of culture, communities and people that currently are dead.

I talked once more about the thought that God is going to renew the heavens and earth (not destroy and mentioned the paper by Michael Goheen) … you can read a longer post and comments here.

If you were there at Ivy, have you any comments on what I said? And if not, what is your experience of renewal? Did it flow from you to others to bring life?

Tags: Ivy Cottage, Manchester, Michael Goheen, Ezekiel, River, Life, Missional Church

On Sunday, we looked at the final parable of the Kingdom (after a week break at the beginning of September) - the Parable of the Talents found in Mt 25:14ff.

We also gave away £20 to everyone that wanted … well we actually had a limit of one hundred £20 notes! This was to enable us to practically live out the parable over the next few months. If you were there, I would love to hear what you thought … If you weren’t, you can add “gutted” to the comment section!

But first the parable. For me one of the keys to understanding the parable is to know how much a talent is worth. Nobody knew on Sunday, and to be fair, I didn’t either until I looked it up! A talent was originally a measure of weight, but in NT times it was also a currency, and was worth 3000 shekels or 6000 denarii. Enlightened? Well, a denarii was a days wages, say for someone working in a vineyard (unskilled worker). In the UK an unskilled worker might earn £60 for a day’s work, which would make a talent worth £350,000!

So the story goes: A wealthy man went away for a long time, and he entrusted his wealth to his servants. To one servant he gave nearly £2million, and he put the money to work, and doubled it! To another, he gave about £700,000 and he also doubled the money. To a third, he gave £350,000 and he hid it under his mattress! What? He had that much money and hid it under his mattress (well actually he buried it … but hiding it under his mattress adds a bit of poetic licence to the story!).

No wonder the master was angry. But his response is astounding when you think about it?

you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest (vs 27)

The sense of what Jesus is saying here is: “You could have done anything with the money … apart from doing nothing!”

He could have paid for his ill mother to visit a doctor, he could have given the money to the poor, he could have thrown a party … just not hide it away and do nothing.

Jesus is talking about how we should live in light of the Kingdom that has come, but is yet to come fully. It isn’t really about money, but the wonderful gift of the live we have: our gifts, abilities, education, opportunities, time, money, our physical bodies … everything. When we are constrained by fear (vs 24), we aren’t present, don’t show up, and aren’t the contribution that we are meant to be to the world we live in.

So we gave £20 to every person who wanted it. It was a ridiculously small amount, compared to outrageously large amount each servant was given. But it represents everything that we have. We are to put it to work in some way … maybe to multiply the money, or maybe to do something that we have wanted to do, but just seems a bit risky. It could be baking cakes to sell; buying material for a painting; printing up business cards; or joining a community group or learning opportunity etc. etc. We aren’t looking for tangible results (although getting some of the money back would be nice!), but the stories of what God does in us as we engage with him and our fears …

In February, we want to hear stories of what we have done, and what changes and opportunities have emerged because of this small £20. We want to see a community than learns more to take risks, to trust God, to be present, to show up …

OK, preach over.

If you were there, what did you think? What are you planning on doing with the £20? If you weren’t (and you have managed to get to the end of this massive post!) what do you think about interpretation of the parable? And what would you do if you had been given £20 (about $40) to take some risk?

Tags: Community Church Edinburgh, Parables of the Kingdom, Preaching, Parable of the Talents, Talents, money

I will write a follow up to a previous post, engaging with Scripture, soon. I you haven’t done so, so drop a comment on what you do to interact with the Bible.

But here is the next parable in our series. I am passionate about us taking some time to allow the passage to percolate in us, for God to speak, for insights to come, to see ourselves in relation to God more clearly.

This Sunday we will create some space, in silence, for us to listen to the words of the Jesus, and to what Jesus might be saying to us today. There will then be three people who be sharing for 5 minutes some of their personal reflections, followed by some more space to integrate all together. Leave a comment below if you have some insights you want to share.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant - Mt 18: 23-35

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.

But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.

Questions for Reflection:

Something different this week. Image you are in the story, rather like a movie; you could play each of the three main characters in turn. As you see the scene unfold before you, ask yourself some questions: What are you seeing? Hearing? Or other senses? What do you notice about the other characters? What are you feeling? What motivates each of the characters?

As you do this, what you learn about yourself and God? Where do you identify with the story? What might Jesus be saying to you today?

Tags: Community Church Edinburgh, Listening to God, Jesus, Parables, Bible, Meditation, Parables of the Kingdom, Lectio Divina

Sorry for the lateness of this going up this week …

The next parable in our series is actually two very short ones found in Mt 13: 31-34. Jesus uses these brilliant little pictures to communicate something about the Kingdom. Often I think he is deliberately ambiguous, allowing for different interpretations; sometimes it is uncomfortably clear what he is getting at.

However, he always seems to expect us to identify with the story or the picture, and somehow discover our true selves in what he says. They are a mirror that we can put in front of us, to see our lives more clearly in light of the Kingdom. What do you see as you reflect on these parables? … do leave a comment below …

The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast. Mt 13: 31-33

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Questions for reflection:

These parables would have been a surprise to the disciples who were expecting a triumphant and very visible kingdom. What surprises you here? What might you miss of the Kingdom as it does look the way you were expecting?

What qualities of yeast is Jesus alluding to? What implications does that have for your life?

Tomorrow we have a staff retreat day at the Bield retreat house near Perth. The Bield is a fantastic, beautiful place with converted barns and stables made into meeting spaces, prayer cells, a lounge, and some bedrooms for those who stay overnight. It has all been done very tastefully.

Over the last few years the staff team from Community Church have gone for a day away on retreat 3 times a year - a day of retreating from our work to pray. Most of the day we spend on our own with God, but at the beginning and the end of the day we gather together to “check in” and feedback at the end.

I find the surroundings, the peace of the place, the locally produced food, and just having some time to be still, pray, and allow God to speak is invariably refreshing and increasing essential.

I am going tomorrow wanting to know something of God’s heart and wisdom for me. I am hoping to find something of the silence I found on holiday. I have a sense that the season I have been in with the Lord is nearing an end (which would be wonderful!) but I want to learn all I need to as I cross this particular terrain of my journey with God. I would appreciate your prayer for tomorrow.

Tags: The Bield, Retreat, Prayer, Community Church, Community Church Edinburgh

This Sunday we are looking at the parable of the wedding banquet, found in Mt 22: 2-14. Andrew (aka “guest-blogger”) is sharing his insights and no-doubt thought provoking ruminations on the text. But, if you are going to be there, lets not let him do all the work, but come having grappled with the text ourselves. Here it is:

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet - Mt 22: 2-14

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.

Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

For many are invited, but few are chosen.

Questions for reflection:

As you reflect on the parable and attempt to honestly evaluate yourself, you may like to consider the following questions:

The King initially invites the worthy, the good and the great … but they turn down the invitation. In what ways do you see yourself deserving God’s blessing, but miss His grace?

The invitation is to everyone, the good and the bad, the worthy and the unworthy. Everyone is indiscriminately “in” until they choose to be “out”. What reactions does that kind of generosity provoke in you?

The third parable we are doing in the series is the Net found in Mt 13. There is a series introduction here, with an explanation and a list of all the parables we are doing over the summer. Again if you are going to be at our church on Sunday, do take some time to reflect on the parable. And of course, anyone else is more than welcome to participate and leave a comment!

The Parable of the Net - Mt 13:47-50

Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Questions for reflection:

As you reflect on the parable and attempt to honestly evaluate yourself, you may like to consider the following question:

Good and bad fish are swimming together, until the separation at the end.  What does that mean for you?  Can we tell which are which?

This coming Sunday (15th July) at our church meeting, we are continuing our series on the Parables of the Kingdom by looking at the parable of the 10 virgins. Each week we are posting the parable that we will looking at the following Sunday, to aid reflection and engagement with God, before we hear someone else’s thoughts on the text. Please leave any thoughts or observations in the comments section. Thanks for the great comments in the first parable (The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl).

The Parable of the 10 virgins - Mt 25: 1-13

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Questions for reflection:

As you reflect on the parable and attempt to honestly evaluate yourself, you may like to consider the following questions:

What is the difference between the wise and foolish young girls? What does the oil represent for you?

“The Bridegroom was a long time in coming” When it seems God is taking longer than He ’should’ to appear, to answer prayer, or to work in some way we would like Him to, how do we respond?

Tags: Parables, Parables of the Kingdom

Photo supplied by FreeFoto.com

Over the summer months, we are looking at 9 of the parables of the Kingdom found in Matthew’s gospel. Actually it is 11, but 4 of them are so short and paired together in the Scriptures, we are looking at them together.

We are only looking at the parables that Jesus starts off by saying: “The Kingdom of God is like…”. There are other parables that teach or speak about the Kingdom of Heaven / God, but we had to restrict the number we looked at somehow. This blog series is following what we are doing on Sundays in our church. I or guest blogger Andrew Hook, will be posting the parable the week before we look at it on Sunday.

I hope that this will enable each of us to take some time to reflect on the parable during the week. So for those who will be there on the Sunday, we will have grappled personally with the text before we hear someone else’s thoughts and reflections. It would be good to leave some comments here too, so that our insights are shared with others … so go on, if you lurk here be brave! Anyone, whether part of our church or not, is welcome to participate. The MP3’s are posted here the week after the talk on the Sunday.

Here are the parables we will be looking at:

• Sun 7th July - Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl (Mt 13:44-46)
• Sun 14th July - Parable of the Virgins (Mt 25:1-13)
• Sun 21st July - Parable of the Net (Mt 13: 47-52)
• Sun 28th July - Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Mt 20: 1-16)
• Sun 5th Aug - Parable of the wheat and the weeds (Mt 13: 24-30, 36-43)
• Sun 12th Aug - Parable of the wedding banquet (Mt 22: 1-14)
• Sun 19th Aug - Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast (Mt 13: 31-34)
• Sun 26th Aug - Parable of the unmerciful servant (Mt 18: 21-35)
• Sun 9th Sept - Parable of the Talents (Mt 25: 14-30)

If you are wondering why we aren’t following the order in Matthew, it is solely that lots of different people are speaking this summer who are not available on the relevant Sundays if we were to do it in order.

With various coming and goings this Summer, if I or someone else isn’t that quick in responding to comments, it is probably because we are away and don’t have internet access! But I will eventually read all comments, as will many others, so please do leave your thoughts!