Prayer Notes

An occasional bible meditation from Peter Comont. 

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Why Augustine? I see it in their eyes. They ask me “what are you going to do with your study leave?” My answer has been “Mainly I want to study Augustine on how we change.” The look I get back often reveals a mixture of confusion – “Who?” – or bewilderment – “Why?”- or consternation – “Is it worth it?” So let me explain why I believe that a fifth century African theologian has important things to say to the twenty-first century church. Who? Augustine was born on 13th November 354 in Thagaste  and died on 28th August 430 as bishop of Hippo Regius. Both of them are in modern Algeria, which was at that time the bread basket of the Roman Empire. Augustine was a berber, though he did not speak the local language, and was raised as a provincial Roman. In his youth has was a very able, but wild and debauched young man. He was enthralled by sex, and fame, and devoted himself to both. But slowly, through the influence of his Christian mother, Monica, and his increasing dissatisfaction with his life and other philosophies, he came to embrace Christianity. His final conversion is famously described in his Confessions as a moment of deep struggle, but finally of overwhelming joy. With deep reluctance Augustine was ordained as a priest (391AD) finally made Bishop of Hippo (395AD). He wept at his ordination because he sensed “a lost future” of quiet meditation, but from that moment he embarked on a life dedicated to serving as a preacher and teacher in the real messy world of church life. During his life Augustine became one of the leading figures of the church, but since that time he has been widely recognised as “probably the greatest and most influential mind of the Christian church throughout its long history” Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction, p11. Why? Let me just highlight a few reasons why I think Augustine has important things to say to us. 1. On being human Augustine’s world was dominated by Greek philosophy and the idea of a pure soul detached from the needs and drives of the body. Augustine became increasingly dissatisfied with this. Instead he came to see us as an integrated whole – body and soul – animated by a glorious and confusing mixture of emotions, memories, habits, beliefs and appetites. To express this Augustine invented a whole new genre of literature; the autobiography.  His Confessions is truly an epoch-making book, and thoroughly readable today. Indeed sometimes it is difficult to imagine that it was written 1600 years ago, so contemporary is its tone. Augustine substantially established from Scripture an understanding of what it means to be human which is with us today. Perhaps, though, in our post-Christian world we have lost some of the depths that he saw. 2. On grace In Augustine’s world the moral hero ruled. A particular hero who entered the stage in Augustine’s day was an Englishman named Pelagius.  Pelagius taught that Christians had it in their power to be sinless, and should expect to become so. Augustine was horrified. (Yes, the English are sometimes the villains in the story of the church!) To Augustine Pelagius’ views smacked of horrible pride. They robbed Christ of his glory in forgiving us, they robbed the Spirit of his role in transforming us, and they robbed God of his majesty in saving us by faith from beginning to end. They also robbed ordinary struggling, sinning believers of assurance. Rather Augustine believed that every victory over sin is simply the gift of God, but also that every day we will find ourselves sinning. Therefore every day we will find ourselves seeking God’s grace to overcome sin, and seeking his grace in forgiving sin. This side of eternity a happy life will never be a sinless one, but simply a life spent delighting in this twofold grace of God. 3. On how we change Although Augustine was convinced that we will sin every day until we die, he nevertheless believed that real change was possible. However, for him, change did not come simply through knowledge and discipline. This is the powerless way of the law; “the letter that kills” (2 Corinthians 3:6, See A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter). Human beings are far too complex and mysterious to master themselves in that way. Rather, Augustine taught that we need the help of the Spirit who “gives life”. The Spirit helps not only in deepening our understanding but reordering our affections, and so strengthening our will. Is it worth it? Sometimes we just don’t know whether something is worth it until we get to the other side of the adventure. I feel that about this particular voyage of discovery. However I feel that I have already seen enough to be encouraged. For instance I believe that we are living in an age when we are struggling to understand ourselves. Are we ruled by our emotions, or reason, or physical drives, or what? What does a happy life look like? How can I be free? Most of us are living with the superficial or erroneous answers of the last couple of decades, or perhaps even the last couple of hundred years. It is my desire to dig deeper than that and to try to let the hidden gold of the centuries shine brightly and capture our hearts and minds. I am convinced that there is treasure beyond our wildest dreams in the pages of the Bible, and that our great forebear Augustine, can help us take our blinkers off and gaze with new eyes on the glory of the Lord. Is it worth it? The final verdict will be written in the lives of those I teach. I hope that Augustine will help me point you to the glorious, gracious work of God. I end with one of his favourite statements of God’s sovereign, transforming work in the lives of Christians. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:5) If there is less disappointment and more joy in God’s love amongst us in future months and years then it will have been worth it. Peter Comont, 24/06/2010 0 Comments  |  Permalink Full Devotion It seems funny during a period away from day to day ministry to think of myself as labouring for others. Today we are increasingly unabashed at claiming some ”me time” and it would be quite natural to assume that my present period of study leave was a prime example of that. However, that is not how I believe we should view it. A pastor is called to give himself for others as a servant or even a slave (Mark 10:43, 44, 1 Corinthians 3:5). There is labour (1 Corinthians 3:8, 2 Corinthians 6:5, 1 Thes 2:9) and agony (Col 1:29, 4:12, 1 Tim 4:10) and ceaseless striving associated with the call to be a leader of God’s people. (Indeed it is the calling of all Christians, but especially those who lead.) So it is easy to go on a guilt trip as I settle into another period of study leave and sabbatical. What on earth am I doing? My answer – to myself, and I offer it to you for your prayers and reflection – is that we have to think carefully about how we should serve. Indeed this is vital for us all as we fulfil our calling to “serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13). I often go back to Jesus. On many occasions he was frantically busy as he ministered to all and sundry (e.g. Mark 2:2). But he also withdrew for rest (Mark 6:31), and in particular devoted himself to prayer (in the early morning Mark 1:35, for parts of days Mark 6:46, for a whole night Mark 14:32-42, and even for forty days Mark 1:12-13). On one occasion as a young man he even disobeyed his parents in order to spend time “sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions” (Luke 2:46). Sometimes he turned aside from obvious needs in order to preach (Mark 1:38). On other occasions he turned aside from his main purpose to meet individual needs (Mark 10:49). Jesus clearly marched to a different drum beat. Neither the clamour of the world, nor the opinions of his disciples could deflect him from his determination to do the will of his father (John 4:34). So let me ask you what that might mean for your life? Many people are worried that devoting their lives wholeheartedly to the Lord, will result in burn-out or collapse or misery or all three. But that is not the full picture that the bible presents. Certainly the Christian life is about daily cross-bearing (Matthew 16:24 et par), it is likely to be bring with it unique strains (2 Corinthians 4;8, 11:23-29). In some cases it might even bring an early death (Acts 12:2). But we should not see fully devoted discipleship as only the province of the martyr and the fanatic. Fully devoted disciples may be called mainly to work hard with their hands and to earn money so that they can share with those in need (Ephesians 4:28). They may be called to work at home (Titus 2:5), or to focus on raising their children, and offering hospitality (1 Timothy 5:10). In retirement or ill health they may be called mainly to prayer (Colossians 4:2). They will certainly be called to rest, to look after their health (1 Timothy 5:23), and to fulfil their duties to family, friends, employers and others in a balanced way. To be christlike is not akin to having a death wish. But it is to resist the call of the world, and sometimes even the ill-judged admonitions of people like me. Every day in every way we are called to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). So I return to myself. Like many pastors I live with a deep sense of the inadequacy of what I do. John Stott tells in one of his books how has was once described by a man as “a parasite on the body politic,” and most pastors feel like that at least some of the time. As I near the end of my fifth decade on the earth I am conscious that I have less stamina, and so must make more difficult choices. I also live with regrets. Judy will tell you about me leaving her bedside in the maternity hospital, only hours after she had given birth, in order to attend a church meeting. I remember sitting in another hospital at midnight finishing the sermon for the next day while the doctors decided whether Emily had meningitis. As I look back that was not a devotion to duty, it was a sinful desire to justify my existence, and a failure to trust that God could do his work without me. My family deserved and deserve my attention. But what are the choices I must make today? For those of you who are a part of Magdalen Road Church I beg your forgiveness for the times when perhaps I have not made the best choices, but also your recognition that no man can do everything that is set before him. I am still as devoted as ever I was to serving Magdalen Road Church in every way that God calls me to. Though I am withdrawn for a short time from day to day service, I feel myself to be labouring for you. My abiding fixation and daily prayer to God is “what are you calling me to do for your people?” Each day to a greater or lesser extent I fail, and need once again to seek God’s grace, but each day I return to this central calling on my life. My desire is to be able to echo the apostle at the end of his life, and also to equip you so that you too can join the chorus of his imitators, as we look forward to glory. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7–8) Please pray for me, as I am praying for you. Peter Comont, 21/06/2010 0 Comments  |  Permalink A Moment of Vision In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:1–4) Sometimes a crisis becomes a moment of vision.  When Uzziah died (ca 740BC) Israel came to the end of a long, relatively peaceful and prosperous era.  No-one knew what would happen next.  Here at Magdalen Road Church things are not quite so uncertain or unstable, but it does look increasingly likely that Richard Brewster will move on to a new pastorate this summer.  As a church we are wondering what the future holds.   It has therefore been a very happy providence that we are spending the next few weeks looking at the authority of Jesus in Matthew 8-9.  As I have sat down to prepare I have been stunned afresh by his effortless power and his magisterial call to discipleship.   It has impressed me all the more when I remember that Matthew wrote to those who felt like powerless bystanders, ignored and despised, by the mutually hostile forces of Jerusalem and Rome.  Today those particular forces have long since disappeared, but the disciples of Jesus are still going strong.  Today economic forces seem to dwarf all others as the politicians of the world do battle over taxes and banks and national debts.  But long after the television debates, and bankers bonuses have become a footnote in history disciples of Jesus will still be there; proclaiming the same Lord, living the same sacrificial lives of service, rejoicing in the same hope.  Real power has always lain elsewhere.   Behind the scenes God is "sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up" (Isaiah 6:1).  The risen Jesus has "all authority in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18) at his disposal.  And that authority has always been exercised for God's people (Ephesians 1:22) as they commit themselves to displaying his glory (Isaiah 42:8).   And so I return to our little local challenge.  How will we replace Richard Brewster?  I believe that the Lord has given us a wonderful vision for our life together.  A vision to delight in God and display his glory.  A vision to love the Lord Jesus with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.   A vision to disciple one another, and reach out in the name of Christ.  A vision to train up a new generation who will lead churches at all levels throughout Britain and the world.  The elders are presently examining that vision and asking how we might better fulfil it as we look towards the future.  And I am filled with a sense that the sovereign Lord is more than willing to pour out his blessing on us, if our only aim is to see him glorified (Malachi 3:10).   I want you to know that the elders are working very hard on your behalf.  There are extra meetings.  There is much to consider and pray about.  There are daunting challenges, and a great need for wisdom, vision, courage and discernment.  We need your prayers.  In time we will also need the wisdom of church members as we consult and consider specific proposals.  (If you are not yet a church member what better time to join?)  But most of all we need so see the Lord, and to hear afresh the call of Jesus on our lives.   If he is always before us then we are an unstoppable force. I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. (Acts 2:25–26)   Peter Comont, 26/02/2010 0 Comments  |  Permalink Cartoons and toleration (republished) (This is the slightly edited text of a previous Prayer Notes published in 2006 in the wake of global rioting after the publication in Denmark of a controversial cartoon about the prophet Mohammed.  It is offered again in order in conjunction with the sermon preached on 21st February 2010 on principled pluralism.)   Scurrilous and blasphemous publications, riots, buildings burned, controversial government legislation and passionate arguments about free speech. Britain has been here before. In the seventeenth century our nation was wrestling with such issues. It was only after a civil war, a failed republican experiment and many deaths and imprisonments that factions in Britain settled down to an uneasy truce. The reflection which came out of this era, and specifically the wealth of Christian reflection, should equip us to be powerful leading voices in this debate. I am not sure, however, that we are yet leading as we should.   The Bible First of all it is important to understand that the New Testament vision for society does not include the idea of specific preferential treatment for Christians. In the Old Testament we are presented with a nation under God, living under God’s law, but in the New Testament the ‘nation’ is the church (1 Peter 2:9). The church is to follow the Old Testament precedent of maintaining purity among God’s people (1 Corinthians 5:7) but scripture does not at all envisage that such a policy will be pursued in the wider world (1 Corinthians 5:10). The church lives in the wider world as Israel lived among the nations (1 Peter 1:1). When the New Testament writers describe the role of government as instituted by God ‘to do you good’ (Romans 13:4) and ‘punish those who do wrong’ (1 Peter 2:14) they are not expecting governments to specifically privilege Christians or to specifically penalise non-Christians. Rather the New Testament portrays an early church that benefited from the Roman practice of the state not involving itself in matters of religion unless it involved sedition, or civil disruption (Acts 18:15, 23:29, 25:25-26, 26:31-32). Jesus’ policy towards dissenters was to allow them to walk away (Mark 10:22). The New Testament points us towards a policy of toleration in the wider community, in which we may deeply and passionately disagree with others, but be equally committed to opposing them only by persuasion, argument (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and verbal criticism (Luke 13:31-32). This in turn must mean that we must provide considerable space for freedom of expression even to the point of offensiveness. Heresies of all sorts are not to be punished by coercion but are to be opposed by truth.   History This concept in Christian theology has been slow to mature in history. In the years before Constantine (272-337) Christians were the persecuted ones and theologians like Tertullian (155-230) advocated toleration and freedom of religion from this position of weakness. After Constantine made Christianity the official religion Christians rapidly came to see Christian Rome as the New Jerusalem and to suppress and sometimes persecute their opponents. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) initially advocated toleration but became convinced after experience with the separatist Donatists that mild religious coercion could be a good thing, asking “why ... should not the Church use force in compelling her lost sons to return, if the lost sons compelled others to their destruction?”(Treatise against the Donatists, Ch6) At the Reformation Martin Luther (1483-1546) initially advocated religious toleration but the peasants revolt, and his disappointment that the Jews did not convert to Christianity led him to advocate persecution, often with the most violent and intemperate language. In France the Edict of Nantes (1598) was an experiment in religious pluralism but it never really worked and collapsed disastrously in 1685.  In Britain the persecutions of the sixteenth century, the civil war of the seventeenth century, and the French persecution of the Protestant Huguenots made the population weary and fearful of religious persecution. Various thinkers began to advocate models of civil government which preserved extensive freedoms for religious minorities. Some like John Locke (1632-1704) were not driven specifically by scripture but others including John Owen (1616-1683) were profoundly scripturally based. John Milton added to the weight of Christian opinion, by writing Areopagitica (1644) in protest at the Parliament’s censoring Licensing Order of 1643. His friend Roger Williams (1603-1684) - the founder of Rhode Island – went further and wrote The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience which was profoundly scriptural and advocated full liberty of conscience within a pluralistic state. Williams and Locke in particular were massively influential in the development of freedom of religion in the United States. In the event England opted for an established Church of England with a limited toleration of dissenters (See Act of Toleration, 1689) and only moved very slowly towards our modern concept of freedom of religion. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries the leading advocates of a pluralistic state like John Stuart Mill’s (1806-1873) On Liberty and Isaiah Berlin’s  (1909-1997) Two Concepts of Liberty have not argued from Christian foundations but we must not forget that the idea of toleration has strong Christian roots.   Reflection The decision about whether to prosecute or restrain reckless newspaper publishers or placard waving fanatics does not rest on whether the material is offensive (which it is) but on whether the disruption to society outweighs the freedom of expression which God himself allows. For myself I believe that the cartoons are potentially justifiable comment, in the same way that a cartoon of Jesus going on a crusade may be justifiable. I would be offended by such a cartoon but I could not claim that such an image was a wilful, reckless, misrepresentation of history designed only to cause strife. There is a case to answer, both for the crusades and for modern violence in the name of Allah. On the other hand it has long been recognised that some ‘fair comment’ is sometimes actually motivated by a desire to stir up trouble and sedition. Most Catholic sympathisers and radical dissenters who were executed under Elizabeth I were executed for sedition and treason not heresy. Their views would be tolerated within certain limits but not if they were used to foment uprisings. The judgment has to be made today as to whether the publication of the cartoons was to make a comment, or to damage the delicate fabric of society. In moments of high tension such as Elizabethan England and today, we sometimes have to require more restraint in order to keep the peace. (The German prohibition of holocaust denial is another modern example.) Placards calling for the beheading of the publishers, however, are simply incitement to murder. They are a blatantly advocating illegality. We have every right to demand that such expressions are prosecuted. In the end as Christians we are not called primarily to prosecute falsehood but to argue against it, we are not called to punish insults but to bless those who curse us. The power of such lives and the Truth which they represent will always shine through. As John Milton wrote: ‘Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play on the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licensing and prohibiting misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter?’ Peter Comont, 20/02/2010 0 Comments  |  Permalink Lunch at the Comonts (With apologies that prayer notes have been somewhat rare recently)   A meal at the Comont household is rarely a sedate affair.  Conversation is loud, forthright and voluminous.  Subject matter ranges from weak jokes - "Two peanuts were walking down the road.  One was a salted" - to culinary observations "Dad, why did you put great chunks of ginger in that vegetable bake?" - to profound questions - "Why does God allow all this suffering in the world?"  There is a lot of laughter, but also not a little passion and intensity.  On occasions it bubbles out of control.   So it was with some trepidation that I sat down at Sunday lunch after a sermon which touched on the role of women in the church.  These days I am having to get used to the daunting prospect of sometimes having all four of my family fixing me with their gimlet-like stares as I preach on a Sunday morning.  There is often a lunchtime post-mortem, sometimes with all the gruesome vividness of an episode of Silent Witness.   Judy kicked off.  "Boys, I noticed you both chortled when we read 'women should remain silent in the churches' (1 Cor 14:34).  You are not becoming mysoginistic are you?"   Tim took up the cudgles.  "Absolutely not!  We thought 'How is Dad going to get out of that one?'  I hate discrimination."   "And did I explain it to your satisfaction?" I ventured timidly, trying to look inconspicuous behind a plate of roast lamb.   "No!" answered Tim "At least you may have said what the text says but no-one is going to persuade me it is right.  The church is limiting the role of women and discriminating."   "Well, I hope I explained that we try to encourage the use of everyone's gifts in the church in multiple ways.  We try to take seriously the radical way in which Jesus empowered women in his day.  I tried to make clear that Paul cannot mean that women should have no role in public worship since he clearly indicates that he expects them to pray and prophecy in 1 Corinthians 11:5.  I hope I explained that, for us as a church, we work on the principle that the eldership should be male, and under that overall leadership, we use the gifts of men and women as the Lord apportions those gifts.  I suggested the Paul's injunction that women should be silent is in the context of 'weighing' prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:29) which seems to be a more authoritative elder-type role."   "Yeh I got all that.  So are you saying that if a women is gifted to be an elder she cannot be one, even if she is more gifted for that role than all the men?"   "Well let me ask you another question?"   "Dad, you're always doing that.  Please just answer the question!"   "Bear with me.  If you were in a family where your mother was much more gifted than your father would you stop calling your father 'Dad'?"   "No."   "So there is something about fatherhood which is deeper than just their gifts?"   "Yes.  But what has that got to do with church?"   "Hear me out.  In families it is widely recognised that both mothers and fathers bring unique things to the family.  Some of this will lie in their gifts, but also there is something about being a dad which is not located in gifting, but in fundamental identity.  The bible teaches that in a healthy marriage there is a role relationship in which each partner's gifts are recognised and used but the father takes an overall responsibility for the family."   "Most people don't believe that you know Dad."   "You would be surprised how much the tide is turning on that.  Of course the particular way in which the Bible puts it is still reviled, but the uniqueness of men and women - not just in gifting but in fundamental identity -  is being increasingly acknowledged.  Books like Men and From Mars, Women Are From Venus, have sold millions saying more or less that."   "Ok, so what has that got to do with church and elders?"   "Well the bible teaches that the church is uniquely the family of God (Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 2:19, 1 Timothy 3:15).  And that elders function as fathers in that family (1 Timothy 3:4-5).  The church is unique.  It is not a business, or a voluntary organisation, or a club; it is a family.  And families need fathers.  It is not about gifting but identity.  Of course, just as in any healthy family, a church must work out how each member can use their gifts for the benefit of everyone, so also churches must do the same.  But families need fathers and so do churches.  Have I persuaded you?"   "Of course not!  Do you think I am going to be persuaded by one quick conversation?  I love you though Dad.  And I will think about it some more."   "That's all I ask."   The lamb was eaten and a game of monopoly was in the offing.  The conversation moved on.  On issues such as the role of women we can be united without totally agreeing.  What we must do, however, is take scripture seriously, and work hard to come to an understanding which is fair to what the bible teaches.  In the end, if we believe the bible to be the word of God, we will find that it's teachings liberate us to be the people we were made to be.   It may be that the time is ripe to reopen this old conversation about the role of women.  If so why not register that below.  We may not all agree, but there can be no harm in searching the scriptures together. Peter Comont, 13/01/2010 2 Comments  |  Permalink Do not give up meeting together Jonny and I are just back from ten days in Hungary.  I was speaking at the church that David and Eva Parker came from in Budapest.  Every year they go away for a whole week, to enjoy one another's company, to relax and to learn together.   There were many things that I was reminded of during the week but one central theme was the importance of true fellowship between believers.  Although the communist bloc collapsed 20 years ago now, memories are still strong for many.  The church was formally an illegal church, meeting in a methodist church building but functioning independently.  I heard many stories of how this church and others in neighbouring countries would meet up.  Birthday parties were celebrated enthusiastically and secretly included Christian songs, teaching and prayer.  A hike into the forest would include a picnic and a sermon!  Every opportunity had to be taken to meet together for encouragement and teaching.   These experiences had left a wonderful mark on the church.  They are passionately committed to small groups.  Formally it was sometimes the only way they could meet up, and they learned the benefit of close relationships and bible based discussion.  A very large proportion of the church annually gives up a week of family holiday to come to the camp that I was speaking at.  They testified how much this bound them together.  There were long conversations into the night, even on one occasion through to morning!  They had an evening showing pictures from the past and I witnessed helpless laughter, quiet tears, and the silence of shared grief, as days gone by, and people now with the Lord, were remembered.   I am reminded of the proud claim of the early theologian Tertullian.  He described the life of early Christians and recorded how the world around was mystified by their community life, saying with bewilderment "see how they love one? another."   So what of us?  As church there are many good things happening amongst us.  I am absolutely delighted that, once again we are managing a whole weekend away.  I hope you have booked to come.  I can't think of a more important date in our church calendar.  Also homegroups are a vital element of our life.  If you don't presently belong to one, then please register to join one for the autumn..  I hope you have .  I can't think of a more important date in our church calendar.  Also are a vital element of our life.  If you don't presently belong to one, then please register to join one for the autumn.   Perhaps especially I was challenged by the hurdles we have in developing and maintaining a strong Christian community.  We don't have recent common experiences which have taught us the absolute necessity of encouraging one another.  However it is not just communism that destroys faith - we need one another in the fight against sin itself. Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13) And we also live in an incredibly mobile society.  In the ten years after the collapse of communism the church I was ministering amongst lost no members at all.  Every year we lose up to 20% of our membership, almost entirely through people leaving Oxford.  Every Autumn we gain a similar number.  For those of us who stay, the autumn is a period of meeting new people, of welcoming them amongst us and of learning to love them.  I cannot express strongly enough how proud I am of the church's annual efforts in this.  We are swimming against the tide of our society but I often feel I am the proud pastor of Olympians! Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:1-2) A Romanian lady told me quite incidentally about how an unknown Christian turned up after midnight in the communist days.  They weren't allowed to entertain foreigners, and it could have been a trick, but of course they took him in.  Next morning, at breakfast time there was a knock on the door.  A "gas man" arrived "to check the meter."  Thankfully the visitor had risen before dawn and slipped away into the night.   There was no doubt about their commitment to love one another, and I return home spurred on to imitate them. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)     Peter Comont, 12/08/2009 1 Comment  |  Permalink Do not love the world (The following is an adapted extract from the forthcoming booklet to accompany the sermon series on the Songs of Ascents) I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue? He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree. (Psalm 120:1-4) As long as we think the next election might eliminate crime and establish justice or another scientific breakthrough might save the environment, or another pay rise might push us over the edge of anxiety into a life of tranquillity, we are not likely to risk the arduous uncertainties of the life of faith. Eugene Peterson, The Journey. The Christian life is a pilgrimage.  Psalms 120-134 are pilgrim psalms and Psalm 120 establishes one vital foundation for that pilgrimage: a healthy dissatisfaction with this world.  The Psalmist is distressed, at the discord of his world (Psalm 120:5-7) and particularly at its lies and deceit (Psalm 120:1-2).   This world is full of lies.  Wealth pretends it is the answer to our problems (Matthew 13:22).  Trials make us doubt God (James 1:13-18).  Sin wields its power over us because it claims to satisfy when in fact it kills (Hebrews 3:13).   We do not delight in God’s grace and mercy because we delude ourselves that we are without sin (1 John 1:8).  Behind the scenes Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44), is devoted to deceiving us.  He is quite capable of deceiving whole cultures with dazzling falsehoods (Revelation 13:14).  If we do not unmask the lies of this world we will never seek God.   What lies of this world do you believe?   Remember lies will not win. God defeats the lies of this world with expertly aimed arrows, and destructive fire (Psalm 120:3-4). The lie of communism only lasted a lifetime. The lies of the 1960s that “free love” would produce a happier world are unravelling before us. The lie that virtually unregulated banks would create ever increasing wealth for us all, has collapsed.  The lie in our minds that we will be happier not following God will be exposed in due time.   So, Christian, fall out of love with this world! It’s beauty is, at best a pale reflection of a far country, and at worst a seductive cloak concealing destruction. No-one voluntarily emigrates unless they have fallen out of love with their own land, and begun to hope that there is a better place over the horizon.  To be a Christian is to be longing for a better country (Hebrews 11:16).   Have you set your heart on true satisfaction, or are you content with the lies and violence of this world?  Your answer to that question will determine the whole course of your life. Peter Comont, 24/06/2009 0 Comments  |  Permalink On seeing God's back Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”   (Exodus 33:21-23) God's presence is frustratingly elusive.  Christians have to learn to deal with a God who seems to hide himself as much as display his glory.  And for many the cumulative disappointment of this causes them to slump into mediocrity and half-heartedeness.  Sometimes it is one big disappointment which dents their faith, but often it is just the steady frustration of dealing with a God we cannot see.   Scripture, however, warns us to expect this elusiveness.  Even Moses' greatest moment of divine revelation recorded in Exodus 33-34, was actually the vision of God's back disappearing into the mist.  The reason given to Moses was that "no-one may see me and live" (Exodus 33:20).  God is not being awkward in hiding his glory, but merciful.   Moses' eyes may have been shielded but his ears were not closed.  He hears a description of God, and we too are allowed to listen in through reading scripture.  A vision would kill us, but a message opens the eyes of our hearts. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”   (Exodus 34:6-7) God is: full of self-giving love - "the compassionate and gracious God" incredibly patient - "slow to anger" overwhelmingly and enduringly faithful - "abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (ESV) forgiving of all varieties of sin - "forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" still the awesome God of justice - "he does not leave the guilty unpunished" That glory is revealed to us all the more clearly as we read about the exact representation of God's being; Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:3, John 1:14).  At the cross we see the justice of God as Christ takes our just punishment, but overwhelmingly we see his love, faithfulness and mercy.  The bible is written to show us God's glory which finds its magnificent climax in Jesus.   Following on from Sunday's sermon I want to apply this to our prayer life.  I suspect that the prayer life of many of us is impoverished by disappointment in God.  Like Moses we want to see his glory and are disappointed that, at best, we see his receding back.  But what we can hear is of infinitely more value to us.  It will often be frustrating, disappointing, confusing, and sometimes on the surface of things even boring.  But with perseverence and humility we will know a love which surpasses knowledge and be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).   So let me make some simple suggestions: Make a simple, time-limited commitment to God about reading your bible.  Why not commit for one month to read your bible a set number of times a week for a set time.  Don't make wild commitments you will only fail.  If you can only do it once a week for five minutes then do that! Commit this to God asking him to encourage your weak faith. Tell a friend about your commitment and ask them to hold you accountable and discuss it. Pray before every reading that God would reveal to you something of his character. On each occasion think through what you learn about God and what your response should be (praise?, humility? patience? self-sacrifice? contentment?).  Commit this to your memory (use a note book if necessary), and think about it in idle moments, and seek to respond in the way you noted. At the end of the period make an honest assessment.  Has this benefitted you or not?  Talk about this with your friend.  Consider making another modest, time-limited commitment. Many years ago I made a commitment of this sort.  As I remember I think I committed to about three minutes of bible and prayer five days a week for a month.  It got me going, and I have never looked back.   I have prayed for you before you read this.  I am praying that this would play a small part in igniting, or re-igniting a passionate commitment to know the living God.  This side of eternity we may only see his back.  But what a back! Peter Comont, 09/06/2009 0 Comments  |  Permalink Trust in the Lord with all your heart Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8) We read this together at our staff prayer meeting recently. We had been discussing various important practical issues and applying our minds as best we could. But as we turned to prayer I felt we must remind ourselves that wisdom only gets us so far. The book of Proverbs is generally very positive about wisdom, but in the passage above it warns against an over-confidence in our own wisdom. It is those who “fear the Lord and shun evil” whom the Lord blesses. One new development which is the product of wisdom is our new website. Our previous one, designed by Andy Moore, was outstanding. It even won the runners’ up prize in a national competition! But technology never stands still. An increasing number of churches are discovering the value of using their website, not only as a source of relatively stable information, but as a conduit of up to the minute news, and information. We have therefore built a new website using a new system. Members will be able to log in, check and update their personal information, see the latest church news, receive automatic reminders of their rota duties, and much more. We hope that this will increase our ability to function well as a community of God’s people as we grow larger. But its only our best wisdom! And then there is the new church Constitution. The Charities Commission are requiring churches like ours to reform themselves into new charities. There have been many false starts over the last few years, but now we are required to become registered before the autumn. There are a couple of proposals for which we particularly need wisdom. The elders are convinced that we need to reduce the quorum for church meetings, but we are less certain by how much. We are also not finally settled in our minds whether the new local trustees which are required by the Charities Commission should be elders and deacons, or elders only. We need the collective wisdom of the church in this, so please come to the First Tuesday meeting on 5th May to consider and pray about this together. But when all is said and done the solution we adopt will only be our best wisdom! We need to responsibly consider these things, and seek the best wisdom available but neither the website nor the Constitution will make us healthy. Humble fear of the Lord, and simple godliness are the things which will keep us vibrant as a church. The Lord is blessing abundantly at present - two more baptism on 10th May - and it is not our wisdom which got us here, nor will it be our brains which keeps us fruitful. It is as we trust in him and acknowledge him in all our ways, that he makes our paths straight. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) Peter Comont, 28/04/2009 0 Comments  |  Permalink Rejoice! Like most other people I have been tempted to slump into the general lowness of January 2009. Christmas is over and we are back at work, the weather is cold, and most of us are feeling poor. On the news is a nasty war in Gaza, and the economy is in such a state that the only argument is whether to call it a recession of “Armageddon.” Personal bad news seems to keep dripping like a diabolical water torture – a friend is sick, another friend’s father dies, a Christian friend is cruelly mistreated. What next? But then I sit down to pray, and I remember that Christianity is a faith of outrageous hope, unfathomable peace and indomitable joy. Why? How? It is, of course, easy to rejoice on a warm summer day when the world is rejoicing and our troubles are few. What marked the early Christians out was their joy in the face of trials far worse than our trifling woes. A brief survey of the gospels reveals some of the causes of true joy. Seeing Jesus.  Old Testament saints rejoiced at the prospect of seeing the arrival of Jesus (John 8:54). The announcement of king Jesus’ birth to the shepherds was “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10). Simply being led to Jesus gave the magi great joy (Matthew 2:10).  John the Baptist leapt for joy at Jesus in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:44) and that joy was completed in adulthood (John 3:29).  Crowds rejoiced as he entered Jerusalem (Luke 19:37). The kingdom. The “message of the kingdom” gives joy (Matthew 13:20), whilst discovering “the kingdom” is enough to make people abandon everything else “for joy” (Matthew 13:44). The joy of knowing that our names are written in heaven is greater than any triumph in this world (Luke 10:17-20), whilst the prospect of reward in heaven should make us leap for joy despite persecution (Luke 6:23). God’s grace. Mary rejoiced that God should use a humble person like herself to be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:47). Jesus rejoiced that God revealed his truth to little children and hid them from the wise and learned (Luke 10:21). Jesus told parables of a shepherd joyfully bringing home one sheep, a woman joyfully finding one coin, and father joyfully welcome one lost son (Luke 15:1-31) to show us God’s joy in lavishing grace upon us, and to invite us to share it. The resurrection. The news of the Jesus’ resurrection filled the disciples with joy (Matthew 28:8, John 20:20). For a while they could not believe it “for joy and amazement” (Luke 24:41), but when it is embraced joy in the resurrection cannot be taken away (John 16:22). Obedience. Jesus’ commands are given so that we may have complete joy (John 15:11). Particularly the obedience of prayer, brings joy (John 16:24) Just rehearsing these truths makes a spark glow a little more brightly in my heart. But there is a deep hunger too. I am starving for a joy which is undaunted by all the powers of hell and death. I am embarrassed and disappointed that my joy is so fragile and ephemeral. How can I escape the inexorable progression from angry young man, via cynical middle aged man, to grumpy old man? This morning the gospels have given me four things to meditate on and one thing to do. I need to see Jesus again, I need to understand how belonging to his kingdom is more precious than anything else, I need to delight in God’s joyful grace for people like me, and I need to see how the resurrection of Jesus seals it all as a solid certain hope. And then I need to obey, especially in the discipline of prayer. “Heavenly Father I long to be like those early disciples. Today I commit to doing my bit, but I need your Spirit to give me this joy which triumphs over all adversity in 2009” And here is my prayer for you. A prayer which has been answered millions of times, in millions of lives, and this morning I am praying it for you: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)   0 Comments  |  Permalink Honour God with your body Last Sunday we looked at 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Some of the Corinthians were using prostitutes and Paul is horrified. But far from simply telling them not to do it, he helps them to see much more deeply why sexual immorality in general is an enslaving and impoverishing denial of our true purpose, nature and destiny as Christians. He warned them that claims to freedom can hide enslavement and loss. Though in one sense “everything is permissible”(1 Cor 6:12), true Christian freedom refuses to enslaved by sex, or to endure the hidden losses of sexual immorality. Paul also paints a vivid picture of a true attitude to our body as Christians. Our body’s purpose is to use it “for the Lord” (1 Cor 6:13b). Simply satisfying our superficial bodily needs without attention to this deeper more satisfying purpose, dehumanises us. Our body’s future is resurrection (1 Cor 6:14). Just as Christ was raised to renewed human bodily life, so too our bodies will be raised. We are presently training our bodies for resurrection life. Our body’s present status is that it is an organ of Christ (1 Cor 6:15). We are Christ’s hands and feet on earth. Sexual immorality in particular is terrible violation of that status. So I want to echo Paul in calling you to “flee immorality” (1 Cor 6:18) and to “honour God with your body” (1 Cor 6:20). Here are some practical suggestions: I mentioned in the sermon that I subscribe to the internet service Covenant Eyes. For men especially, internet porn is a common temptation. Covenant Eyes enables us to be accountable to one or two trusted friends about how we use the internet. Beyond that look for one or two trusted friends to whom you can confess your sins (James 5:16). For married couples a confessor outside the marriage is often helpful. Remember sex before marriage is a con. We are enslaved and reduced by it. One or other or both of the partners is deceiving themselves. Women convince themselves that he is really committed. Men convince themselves that this is just a bit of consensual pleasure. Too late they discover that the emotional, psychological, spiritual and often practical cost is far greater than the fleeting pleasure. Sex is for people who have formally committed to spend the rest of their life together. Women, remember that those lovely summer dresses do not always help men who are trying to be godly. Honouring God with your body does not require you to be dowdy, but have a heart for men who are struggling to fix their eyes on Christ! Single men, learn to treat “women as sisters with absolute purity” (1 Tim 5:1). I know it is hard but you need to learn to pursue friendship without leading women on or treating them as pariahs. But more than anything learn to enjoy the truths that Paul sets before us. Learn to enjoy the deep satisfaction of using our bodies for Christ (Rom 12:1). Think long and hard about your resurrection future – there you will find intimacy, pleasure, delight, and bodily pleasure which far outweighs the fleeting pleasures of this world. Every sacrifice in this life will be overflowingly rewarded by resurrection pleasures in the next. Every legitimate bodily pleasure is a glorious anticipation of a future of unalloyed resurrection bliss.   And learn to delight in the privilege of being the arms and legs and mouth of Christ. There is restraint, and even self-denial required but there is not loss.  There is a painful sweet delight in pursuing sexual purity. Everybody stumbles in it, and must seek the forgiveness and mercy of God. But everybody who pursues it in the way that Paul advocates finds that the very struggle brings them closer to God, deepens their yearning for heaven, and shapes them into richer deeper stronger people. The path to sexual purity is the path to true freedom and immense gain.   0 Comments  |  Permalink Why expressions of Christian unity are vital… but dangerous.   Why I won’t be standing on the platform at Love Oxford This Sunday 11th June Magdalen Road Church will be gathered on Broad Street with thousands of other Christians representing dozens of churches. The world around and the majority of ordinary believers will see this as obviously a good thing. How could there be anything negative about Christians gathering in united praise and worship? I want to explain to you that it is more complex and delicate than that. Public expressions of Christian unity are indeed vital…but dangerous. Let me briefly set out a what I believe the Bible says on this issue in a series of statements.   1.      All Christians are one in the eyes of God. The Bible is absolutely clear all believers are one in Christ Jesus (e.g. Gal 3:28, Eph 2:14-17, 3:6, 1 Ti 2:5). No distinction of race, language, gender, social status, or moral history means anything to God. All share the same forgiveness in Christ our only saviour, have the same life by the one Spirit, owe allegiance to the same God and Father of all, and share in the same hope of resurrection life (Eph 4:4-6).   2.      Visible unity amongst believers is vital. The Bible is also clear that this unity must not only be acknowledged, it must be expressed. We are to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:3).  We are to love one another (John 13:34, 35, Rom 13:8, 1 Pet 1:22, 1 John 3:1, 23, 4:7, 11, 12, 2 John 5, see also Col 2:2, Phil 2:2). And that love must be expressed not in word only but with actions (1 John 3:18). We are to rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind (1 Peter 2:1). We are to care in practical ways (e.g. Rom 15:27, Acts 6:1, James 1:27). Disunity amongst believers is to be fought against with the utmost vigour (1 Cor 1:10, Phil 4:2). Indeed when Peter, a Jew, started eating separately from gentile believers in Antioch, Paul vigorously opposed him. He was not acting in line with the truth of the gospel (Gal 2:14) which insists that all believers are justified simply by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16). Tolerating divisions over secondary issues, gives those issues an importance that they must not have, and cuts at the heart of true gospel unity.   3.      Separation from serious error is vital Alongside these truths, however, we must take seriously the Bible’s warnings that there will be false teachers among you (2 Peter 2:1) and that such serious errors are deeply dangerous (2 Peter 2). We are to test the Spirits (1 John 4:1-3). We are to have nothing to do with those who teach serious error (2 Tim 3:5, 2 Cor 6:14-15, Rev 2:20). Not everyone who says to [Jesus] ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom (Mat 7:21). Jesus told a story of a man who attended a wedding party and yet was not appropriately dressed. Tragically he was thrown into the darkness (Mat 22:13). Our love and our deeds are always to be in truth (1 Peter 3:18, Eph 4:15) or others may be catastrophically led astray.   4.      The balance between separation and unity is difficult and complex So, in the real world, we are left with difficult and complex decisions as we try to express both our Christian unity, and the seriousness of some errors. The early church struggle with just these issues. When divisions appeared between Jewish and gentile believers Paul went to Jerusalem in order to reach a common understanding. He explains that there were certain truths that he could not fudge even if the Jerusalem church itself denied them. The truth of the gospel was at stake (Gal 2:1-5). However he was often prepared to live with compromises which maintained unity if they did not compromise the gospel. At the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1ff) Paul was prepared to put his name to a document which advocated certain restrictions on gentile believers in order not to offend Jews. On another occasion Paul was prepared to engage in Jewish rituals, and to worship at the Temple, in order to demonstrate his unity with Jewish Christians who were still uncomfortable with the extent of the Christian freedom that he preached (Acts 21:17-26). This despite his insistence that we are not to judged by our adherence to such rituals (Col 2:16) and should not abide by them because they lack any value (Col 2:23). Paul was prepared to circumcise Timothy (Acts 16:3) for similar reasons despite the fact that, probably only a few weeks earlier he had written to the Galatians that if you let yourselves be circumcised Christ will be of no value to you at all (Gal 5:2). Putting all these things together it is clear that Paul wrestled with these issues and made different decisions on different occasions. On the same issue he could be prepared to stand alone against the world, and later to be totally flexible. This was not because he was inconsistent, but because he knew that the same actions carried different messages in different places. In practice Christians have concluded that certain central and defining doctrines such as justification by faith, the deity and humanity of Christ, the necessity of moral and spiritual renewal and the authority of scripture are key issues that must be defended, even at the expense of threatening Christian unity. Other issues, such as baptismal practice, the nature of charismatic gifts and church governance have been recognised as secondary. There is, however, no clear dividing line between primary and secondary issues – rather the relative importance of some issues will rise and fall depending on the precise circumstances and the wider agendas involved. All of this is thoroughly in line with our New Testament observations about the difficult, delicate and complex issues with which the early church wrestled.   So what does this have to say to the Love Oxford event on Sunday? I will spare you the gory details of a difficult and complex set of discussions but it has become clear recently that there is to be a prayer of dedication at the beginning in which we will all (and church leaders in particular) be invited to express penitence for past divisions. Of course I am keen to express penitence for divisions between true believers, some of them unnecessarily divided by denominational boundaries, and I profoundly regret the fact that people on all sides have been involved in shedding the blood of others.  But the agenda of some at least associated with Love Oxford has gone beyond that. As I write it is intended that a Catholic lay person who also represents the Churches Together movement will stand on the platform as an explicit act of unity across the two great divides of Catholic/Protestant and Evangelical/Liberal. Though, by Sunday, things may have moved on somewhat, such a show of unity without careful qualification and much discussion, would in my view be a great slight to the memory of Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley, who died on Broad Street for their faith, and whose faith we proclaim. I have been invited to write a preface to the prayer which clarifies what we are penitent for, but at present it is not clear whether it will be read, and in addition the visible act of unity itself stands in grave danger of neutralising any words of qualification which may or may not be read. I therefore, very reluctantly, have concluded, alongside a number of others, that I cannot stand on the platform during the prayer of penitence. As elders we continue to endorse the overall vision of the event since so much of it is about true gospel unity. The speakers are evangelical believers, as are the organisers. As individuals you must decide whether you want to pray the prayer of penitence, knowing before the Lord what you mean and don’t mean in saying it. I can say that my discussions with the organisers have been cordial and friendly. It is my prayer that in attending the event, we as a church will demonstrate the unity of the Spirit, and in my absence from the platform I will demonstrate a commitment to the faith once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 3). Over all I and the organisers are committed working hard to keep the unity of the Spirit though the bond of peace. (Eph 4:3)     Peter Comont, 09/06/2006 0 Comments  |  Permalink