tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62537941329601732512024-02-08T12:29:27.257+00:00From The Pastors DeskGraham Darthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16999994647036829100noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253794132960173251.post-25186154478631792082015-03-09T14:08:00.001+00:002015-03-09T14:11:15.759+00:00December/January 2015<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Christmas is coming and the goose
is getting…. stressed? Well, it seems that everyone else is these days so why
not the goose – or the turkey – or the duck? Then again you might suggest that
the goose has a reason to get stressed as Christmas approaches but what possible
reason can there be for the rest of us? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Of course, we’ve heard it all
before. Christmas has become too commercialised. The pressure is on to find the
right gifts, get all the food, then go to the parties and Christmas Dinners.
It’s surprising how many of those we end up having. I’ve seen adverts for
booking Christmas meals in restaurants at the end of August! Christmas
decorations start appearing in shops in October. Towns switch on their
Christmas lights earlier – and then there is shock and horror when a council
announces that there will be no lights because they don’t have the budget for
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
What is it really all about? Is
it about trading figures? As we approach the holiday itself the news will
feature reports about which companies have made a profit in the lead up to
Christmas and which have made a loss and whether the sales figures are up on
the same period last year or whether they are down. Is it about revelry? The
police always make a special effort at this time of year to crack down on drink
driving.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Some will say that Christmas has
simply returned to the pagan festival that it once was before Christians placed
their own festival in the dark days of winter. In truth this year’s
celebrations will have little in common even with the older traditions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
It puts me more in mind of a
story which belongs to a different time of year when Jesus overturned the
stalls in the temple courtyard. It’s all about profit for a few at the expense
of many – except that instead of being about Jerusalem and the surrounding area
we are now talking in global terms. Back in AD 30 Jesus challenged the
authorities. Did they come creeping back to their old ways afterwards?
Probably, but then the temple only lasted another forty years before it was
destroyed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
We are being sucked in to
something which we know is getting out of hand. The baby has been kidnapped….
And no-one’s bothered about asking for a ransom because there’s too much profit
to be made elsewhere. So here’s the challenge. God wants us to celebrate. He’s
not a killjoy. So how can we make Christmas more simple, less extravagant and
more about sharing and caring? Isn’t it time we asked the Holy Spirit to come
and overturn the tables of the moneychangers again and reclaim the festival for
Christ?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">Graham</span>Graham Darthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16999994647036829100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253794132960173251.post-23127623648874909882015-03-09T14:06:00.001+00:002015-03-09T14:06:11.649+00:00October/November 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
In this magazine the thoughts about the letter Philippians
refer at one point to the falling out between Euodia and Syntyche. Squabbling
church members is never an edifying spectacle and Paul’s plea was that they
settle their differences and move on together. How often have we come across
the sad story where people in families, or next-door neighbours – or even in
our churches – feel that the only way they can cope with whatever they think
has happened is never to speak to one another again?<i><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
It seems to be the way of limited
human logic that if we have differences between us then we should go our
separate ways. Nature should teach us the foolishness of that approach. Watch a
pride of lions hunting and we see the strategy of dividing the herd, separating
the individual, weaker animal before bringing it down. Separation is the way of
weakness. Watch a flock of starlings in the evening sky. The sight may be
spectacular to our eyes but to a bird of prey seeking a tasty supper it is mesmerising
and confusing. The strength of the individual is in being part of the flock.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
We have recently witnessed the
human folly of desiring separation in the Scottish referendum. Sorry, but we
must learn how disastrous that would have been and learn when we come to
another referendum later on wider European unity. Now I’m not saying that the
current state of government (in either the UK or in Europe) is satisfactory. In
fact I would be wholly in favour of radical reform in both institutions but
whether others would agree with me is open to debate. But seeking the common
ground first (implied in Philippians) seems a more sensible way forward. Our
problem lies in the philosophy that life is only fair when I get what I want.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Churches suffer from this too. Much
of the fragmentation of Christ’s body is because individuals want personal
control and because we struggle to cope with the idea of difference. One of the
Baptist Union presidents used the slogan ‘The more we are together the stronger
we shall be’ for his year of office. I’ve forgotten who it was, but his message
lives on. Perhaps that in itself is significant! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
I have been heartened to hear of
Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities praying together in response to the
threat of the Islamic State. If that is possible why can’t nations work
together collaboratively; why can’t denominations work together; why can’t
people set aside their differences? Life is not about individual identity. It
is about corporate survival. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Graham</span>Graham Darthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16999994647036829100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253794132960173251.post-38946963506473975962015-03-09T13:59:00.000+00:002015-03-09T14:01:07.961+00:00August/September 2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
It all began in the winter, in
Australia. England’s cricket team were soundly beaten and lost the Ashes. Later
in the winter England’s rugby team were soundly beaten by Wales. England’s
football team failed to qualify from the group stages of the World Cup (in
common with Spain and Italy). Andy Murray failed to progress beyond the quarter
finals in defending his Wimbledon title. The cricket team’s woes have continued
at home and, according to the newspapers and the television reporters it is all
an unmitigated disaster. We must have someone to blame: the captain, the manager,
the commitment of the team or the individual. But it isn’t just an English
phenomenon. Look at the reaction to Brazil’s dramatic failure in the World Cup.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Why is it that people set so much
store by the success of their national teams, or representatives in individual
sports? What makes the media go into such in-depth analysis of what went wrong
when expectations are not met? And, in these days of instant response through
Twitter, what drives people to post insulting remarks about the sporting stars
whose failure has ‘let our nation down’?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
In answer to those questions one
word comes to mind – escapism. At its most basic level it is a dissatisfaction
with our own lifestyles; an escape from boredom, or, as in the case of
countries like Brazil, blotting out for a few brief moments the abject poverty
in which significant proportions of the population still live. While there is
nothing wrong with identifying with the success of national representatives and
enjoying their moment as if it were our own, there are at least two problems
which emerge. First, the moment is only fleeting; the euphoria wears off and
the reality of our lives re-surfaces. Second, we, who have invested nothing in
the venture, have no right to make any claim on another’s success.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
At the battle of Trafalgar it is
reported that Nelson said ‘England expects that every man will do his duty.’
Today England (in the form of the media and the myriads of swarming gnat-like
tweeters) expects that every sportsman or woman will win everything. So it’s
also about pride and arrogance, which is also a deflection from the human
condition. Is this the legacy of the Games which was so proudly announced in
2012? No, it is simply the legacy of a divided world, which despises the loser.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
But there is another legacy – the
legacy of the Cross, which calls on all people to look and be healed; to draw
together in mutual support; to see value in all endeavour whatever the result.
God loves a loser, because without the unstinting efforts of many losers there
would never be a worthy winner.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Graham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Graham Darthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16999994647036829100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253794132960173251.post-4732794695896824182015-03-09T13:53:00.004+00:002015-03-09T13:53:50.730+00:00June/July 2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
By the time you read this the
European Elections will be over (collective sigh of relief!) and we will no
longer be subjected to the bizarre party political broadcasts from fringe and
mainstream parties alike. It has become clear to me that far from seeking to
help the voter to a clearer decision making process, these programmes have
clouded the important issues – for all I know perhaps that’s deliberate. So we
have the party of ‘in’ or ‘out’; but equally there will be another party of
‘up’ or ‘down’ and then there will be the party of ‘round and round’. Am I not
taking this seriously enough?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Yet in that ‘in’ or ‘out’
argument I can find something a little more serious but not necessarily in the
way that the – well, let’s not become too political here… we’ll refer to them
as the Okey-Cokey Party; not necessarily in the way that the Okey-Cokey Party
intended. The argument appears to centre round the benefits of remaining in the
EU over the benefits, as seen by others, of getting out. Now it seems to me
that in most cases the force of the argument is driven by the way in which it
appears to benefit the individual – and some individuals would undoubtedly
benefit from ‘out’. Some would equally be worse off. The majority, however,
would receive little benefit either way. They are simply the battleground on
which the small group of ‘ins’ and the small group of ‘outs’ wage their bitter
campaigns. The winner is the side that can fool the most people in the middle
into thinking that their lives will be better if the ‘ins’ or the ‘outs’ are
richer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
And the argument is over what? An
organisation that exists almost entirely to serve itself? That is what some
say. Others say it is open to manipulation by those countries which have the
most financial and political muscle – or vulnerable because of the economically
weak member countries. And it is all based on human activity – the Way of the
World.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
I’m still not being serious, am
I? Well, okay, here’s where it gets a bit more real. You see, I can identify
with the party of ‘in’ (but not necessarily the Okey-Cokey Party!), but I’m not
talking about the EU here. We may consider the EU, the UN, NATO or any other
organisation ostensibly formed for co-operative existence between nations but,
as with all human activity, they are limited by human understanding. But the
Kingdom of God has an ‘in-out’ requirement which leaves no-one in the middle
ground; it requires a response which involves a cross, but not on a ballot
paper. When Jesus died on the Cross he was voting for our salvation. ‘In’ is
the acceptance of the healing that the Cross offers. ‘In’ is part of God’s plan
to make all things new. ‘In’ is the decision for life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">Graham </span></div>
Graham Darthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16999994647036829100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253794132960173251.post-10062500507336083622015-03-09T13:50:00.000+00:002015-03-09T14:10:02.601+00:00April/May 2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
‘The wise man built his house
upon the rock’ is a phrase which keeps to coming into my mind as I reflect on
the turmoil of the winter’s floods. By now people are hopefully beginning, at
least, the long process of putting their homes, and their lives, back together.
Obviously the short term priority is to enable them to return to a close
resemblance of what they had before, although it can never be the same. And
that involves examining what can be done to limit the possibility of it
happening again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
The long term problems are
different. There is no doubt that we have sleep-walked into the situations we
now have in so many parts of the country. But statistics show that we have had
the worst conditions since records began. We may have to accept that
eventually, however beautiful some of these places may be to live, the changing
weather patterns will be too much for human activity to compete with.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
All over the world human beings
have, for reasons of heart or simple economics, chosen to live in places
vulnerable to flood, tsunami, avalanche or any other natural disaster which is
part of the nature of our world. Part of the cost is the element of risk. I
guess that the practical wisdom is recognising how firm the rock is. The folly
is in failing to accept responsibility for the choices we make.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Places like the Somerset Levels
have been made habitable once and, while we cannot assume that they will always
be so in time to come, there is still a lot which can be done to preserve the
way of life which has been so severely disrupted this winter. There is a large
cost but the longer it is left the larger the cost will be. It isn’t enough to
blame the Government or the Environment Agency; load all the responsibility
elsewhere. Residents need to dig deep, not just to repair the damage to their
lives but also to raise the productivity of the area and justify the cost. And
they need the support to do this. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
The compassionate response of the
nation to the plight of those devastated by the floods has been heartwarming.
It shows the potential that exists in this country. Yet more is required. Why
does it take disaster to bring us together? How quickly will we return to our
insular lives and forget the needs of others? God’s Justice requires that we
live in a right relationship with one another and with the world. The world is
his; it is alive and has a right to erupt, shake and rage in a storm. We need
to learn again how to live in harmony with the world rather than seeking to
subdue and control. We may harness the forces of nature but we must always
acknowledge that Nature is too powerful for human resources to overcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Likewise with people, we need to
learn again to cooperate; to support and serve – not just spasmodically but at
all times, and appreciate the current irony of Amos 5:24 – <i>Let justice roll on like a river; righteousness like a never ending
stream.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Graham <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Graham Darthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16999994647036829100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253794132960173251.post-34201086390108963562014-02-03T12:36:00.000+00:002014-02-03T13:16:44.610+00:00February/March 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
I feel a bit of a
musical theme emerging and I can’t think why. Well, maybe you
can guess! Music has been a huge part of my life for longer than I can remember
and is as great a teacher now as it’s ever been. And as I engage with pupils of
all ages, playing at a variety of levels, I am reminded once again that music
offers success and satisfaction over a wide range of abilities and in many
different styles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> Music itself is a language which
can transcend barriers of physical ability, race, age and many more of the
divisions which occur artificially in human society – and yet, all too often,
human beings do the same thing to music as they do to Christian faith, holding
one style of music superior to another, seeking to create elitism. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> The musical world, like the
Church, is riven by factions. The motivations may be different at times but the
result is equally sad. There is polarisation around individuals; around styles
of music. I recall the story of George Gershwin who lived and composed in the
early part of the twentieth century. An accomplished classical musician of
great promise he disappointed many of his generation because his work blended
classical styles in music with more popular idioms, notably jazz. In his time
he was not popular with either ‘faction’ (an over-simplification, I know) and
it took a long time for his work to be fully appreciated. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> I guess that, for some, the
objection to jazz was associated with deep racial prejudice and had nothing to
do with music. In the same way Christian divisions are sometimes unspiritual,
driven by racial, social and other prejudices. As I write this in the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity I’m drawn back to Gershwin and his attempt to blur
the edges (again, in simple terms) between classical and popular traditions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> There are some styles of music
I’m not keen on, some that I dislike intensely, as well as those that I love.
Does that mean that there can never be unity in the world of music? Must we all
agree on everything and enjoy the same things; live in the same way? Unity is
about seeing the connections rather than dwelling on the contradictions; seeing
that heads and tails, while in opposition, are both sides of the same coin. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> The variety in music gathers
many people of widely differing backgrounds, abilities, and desires under one
heading. God seeks to do the same through the Church. Let me leave you with
this thought. Consider the rainbow. White light is split up (refracted) into an
infinite range of colours. Our eyes perceive the main bands – but look
carefully at where red becomes orange, or orange becomes yellow … Is it a clear
line or is it blurred? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> The Church is a panoply of
different traditions; different understandings. Unity is about maintaining the
diversity and celebrating the Gershwins who blur the edges…. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Graham</span></div>
Graham Darthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16999994647036829100noreply@blogger.com0