Lexden Link/September 2010
From Lexden Methodist Church
Lexden Link is Lexden Methodist Church's monthly newsletter. Please see the archives for other editions.
Contents |
Lexden Link Magazine - September 2010 (Issue 18)
September Newsletter - from our Minister
September is a time of new beginnings as the new school year kicks off, a new Methodist year begins and as this year Colchester circuit takes on a new shape and the Tendring circuit is inaugurated. It is also a time when we are going to be starting something new in worship and learning as we begin the ‘Just 10’ series of services based around the 10 commandments.
This series is the vision of the evangelist J. John who has spoken about the 10 commandments around the world. He is encouraging churches to ‘go back to basics’ as we look at the ten key teachings that God gives to his people through Moses.
‘Why the Ten Commandments?’ you might ask ‘surely this is a rather dry forbidding subject full of ‘thou shalt nots’ that will put people off church rather than encourage them?’ And yet the Ten Commandments form the basis for much of our legal system and they are perhaps something that even those with little knowledge of Christian tradition will have heard about.
It strikes me that rather than being life denying, these commandments in the context of Jesus’ teaching should be seen as life giving. They are the structures which, if we keep within them, allow us to live life in all its fullness.
The first five shape our relationship with God and teach us where our priorities should lie and the second five shape our human relationships, showing us how to love and value our neighbour. The commandments point us away from destructive behaviour such as desire for possessions, gossip and violence and point us towards the positive; valuing others, taking time for ourselves and God and the value of faith. They form a good life code and in this generation where many are seeking guidance to live by, the Ten Commandments can be seen as providing this, rather than as joyless, dour legislation.
‘But the Ten Commandments are Old Testament law, surely we as Christians have moved beyond this?’ some might say. In response to this it is important to remember that Jesus said ‘I come not to abolish the law, but to fulfil it’ (1) . We read the commandments in the light of Jesus’ teaching which reminds us that as human beings we sometimes fail, but that God has the power to forgive and to give us a new start if we truly want it. Therefore we see them not as a measuring rod to judge whether or not we are good enough to get into heaven, but instead as instructions that help us to follow Jesus. In this way studying the Ten Commandments is an essential in deepening our faith and a key part of Christian discipleship.
This Autumn as we and hundreds of churches across the country look again at the Ten Commandments, let us pray that God will speak to us and to others through them. May we be refreshed and renewed in our faith and may we choose life through obedience to God, just as the people of Israel did long ago.
God bless. Ruth
(1) Matthew 5:17
TOWARDS ULTIMATE FAITH - Laurie Berris
This article is divided into four parts and will appear over four months:-
Some ideas on faith (August Link).
Blind faith
Faith which can remove mountains.
Ultimate faith.
2. Blind faith
Many sceptics would say all religious belief is blind. Whilst this statement is not generally true, in some cases unfortunately it is so. There are some believers who genuinely assume that faith becomes easy if they suspend their critical faculties. They are relentlessly honest in scientific studies or the evaluation of art and music, but curiously passive when it comes to listening to a sermon or thinking of the meaning of the hymns they sing. The same is true when they hear the words of the Bible. The very familiarisation of the words have a soporific effect on them and they fail to want to make a critical analysis of what they hear.
'The truth will set you free.', said Jesus, thus we have nothing to fear from other beliefs, ideologies and philosophies and even some of our own Christian writers and thinkers when we try and make sense of our own individual belief.
Whilst it is good we try and understand arguments which may be aimed at our religion, and if appropriate to refute the arguments, in the last resort we can reject arguments of a philosophic nature on the basis that what we believe is a religious belief and not a philosophy. Some words of an old Christian hymn say, ‘We have no other argument, we want no other plea, it is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me’.
The most important thing for anyone of any religion is to have faith in the right thing. It is of course of paramount importance that all have faith in God. However, instead of basing faith on the leading and revelation of God, many base it on ritual, ceremony and traditionalism. It isn't as if they don't have faith, in fact some have very strong faith, but they are often misguided in their thinking. They base their faith on the outward dressing of their religion and not the inward voice of God. This can and does sometimes lead to fanaticism of a most dangerous kind.
A positive and most encouraging thought is that by the grace of God, even people who have initially based their faith on the wrong things can listen to the voice of God and literally be converted. The best example of this in the scriptures is the apostle Paul, who persecuted Christians, but eventually was obedient to the heavenly vision and by his ministry for God virtually changed history. Over the course of years, many quite staggering conversions have taken place. Many people who have been anti-Christ and anti-God have had the experience of God speaking to them in different ways which have resulted in their conversion to Christianity.
(continued next month)
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A SMILE MAKES
Smiling is Infectious,
You catch it like the flu.
When someone smiled at me today
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner,
And someone saw my grin,
When he smiles I realised
I’d passed it on to him.
If you feel a smile begin
Don’t leave it undetected,
Let’s start an epidemic
And get the world infected!
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS
There may be one or two of you reading this, who are actually as bad as I am at interpreting washing labels. Jumpers have gone into the machine in a perfectly useable state and come out too small for a doll to wear! Finding the right wash, for the garment is, I am told, a skill.
1. Jesus, we are told, has washed our sins away. Simple faith in Jesus brings a cleaning beyond our dreams. You can feel clean.
2. Trust God. He helps to iron out our problems, His way, is the best way. We can iron more problems in!
3. Rely on Jesus, He won’t allow you to tumble. He is in control.
Why does Jesus make these offers to you? Simple, the following goes on to tell a bit more about how Jesus sees you.
100% unique
100% adorable
100% friend
And remember, you are sewn into the fabric of Jesus. Do you know real forgiveness, real help through problems, real stability in shaky times?
Just remember that you mean 100% to Jesus. How much does He mean to you?
With thanks to Peter, Pastor of Southgate Church, Bury St. Edmunds.
From the Editor (Peter Bobby)
Many thanks to this month’s contributors. Please share your Christian or other experiences, favourite poems etc in future editions and let me have them whenever you can.
My e-mail address is ‘peter.bobby@btinternet.com’.
Produced and printed by Lexden Methodist Church.
