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With Father’s Day this weekend I have been pondering on the Biblical view of fatherhood, and what it means to be a father.
A father's role in the family is a pivotal one. He is called upon to be a leader and protector for the family, and to give an example of Christ's love by being loving towards the children's mother. He is also to be strong in the faith, and to bring the children up knowing right from wrong. Through his life and his faith he is to communicate about righteousness, holiness and the pursuit God. The male influence in a child's life sets the parameters of behaviour for boys and expectations of behaviour for girls; so the importance of a Godly father or father figure (Stepfather, Grandfather, Uncle, Church Member, Friend) can not be underestimated in the life of a child. It is men that set the path that the children will follow; as they emulate not so much that which is said, but what done (living out what they see and experience). Godly men will seek to live out a Christ-like attitude of love to friends, business partners, farm hands, mailman, bus drivers, doctors, cashiers, and astronauts without partiality; therefore leading the children around them to see and do the same. There is nothing easy about being a father: Throughout scripture fathers are implored to bring their children up in the ways of the Lord, to discipline them and to encourage, comfort and instruct them. To be strong, courageous, compassionate and even-tempered as a reflection of the one perfect Father in Heaven. So to all Dads and Godly men we say: Be a teacher (Proverbs 22:6) Exemplify a good life (2Cor 3:2-3) Provide for your family (1 Tim 5:8) Use discipline wisely (Proverbs 13:24, Colossians 3:21) Invest time with your kids (Deut 6:6-9) Actively love your kids (1Corinthians 13:4-7) Never give up on your kids (Luke 15:20-24) Be present with purpose, use words and actions to encourage and build up, be patient and gentle and kind. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”—Philippians 4:9 Grace & Peace Jen
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Last time I wrote I outed myself as a sporting tragic. At high school I played almost every sport that I could sign up for. In all honesty I was never much of a runner, but I did usually make the relay team. What I loved about the relay was that it wasn’t simply the first runner across the line who won the race; it was the team who crosses the finish line first with the baton in hand who wins the race. Once the last runner of the team crosses the line, the whole team is rewarded!
On reflection it seems that the race is about the baton, not the runners; and the baton must always remain the fastest member of the squad! The Christian life is like a relay race. We’re each called not only to be disciples of Christ but to “make disciples” (Matt 28:19-20). Each new disciple must grasp tightly the ‘baton’ of biblical truth and pass it on to another, who passes it to another, and so on. To win the race we (individually and as the church) must intentionally live for Christ in the present. We are the relay team of God! In 2Tim 1:13-14 Paul wrote “Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me - a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. Paul was passing the baton to Timothy! In the same letter (2Tim 2:1-2), Paul ordered Timothy to strengthen himself in the grace of Jesus and pass on biblical truth to people who would, in turn, do the same: Be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. In this we hear that components of passing the baton are simple:
To fulfil the Great Commission, we must all be participants rather than spectators in this relay of faith that God has called us to run. We must pass the baton to as many people as possible so there will always be those who are reaching out to others with the Gospel, establishing others in their faith, and equipping others for the purpose God has called them for. One day when we stand before Jesus Christ, every person we have passed the baton to and those from whom we have received the baton, will stand together awaiting our reward. May we each be able to say with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2Tim4:7) Grace & Peace Jen As a sporting tragic, I am loving the Olympics!
It’s an exciting global event testing testing strength, talent, and endurance of the participating athletes. But even if you are not a sporting tragic like me, you can’t help but admire the determination, training, and dedication of these athletes! The dream of Olympic Gold has inspired these athletes to train for years to reach the pinnacle of their sport. The Bible (particularly New Testament writers) uses sporting metaphors regularly to convey important aspects of the Christian life. So, with the Olympics well in train, I thought it would be timely to look at what it means to "Go for Gold” as a disciple. 1. Training: (1 Tim 4:7) “Train” (in the Greek) literally means to exercise naked; ancient athletes would strip off anything that would restrict physical movement and advancement in training. Likewise the Christian must remove all hinderances to spiritual growth (but please keep your clothes on!). 2. Obedience (2 Tim 2:5) An athlete has to compete according to the rules. No participant can simply invent their own set of regulations when they don’t like the rules of the game. Similarly, obedience to the Scriptures is required for everyone who runs the race of faith. 3. Self Control (1 Cor 9:25) Athlete's need to be masters of self-control, self-restraint and self-government; refusing to litter their body with junk food, and their mind with negative or corrupting thoughts. They must limit their freedoms and abstain from things that others indulge in to ensure that they are in peak condition for the race before them. Likewise, as believers we must guard our hearts and minds against toxic ideologies, conspiracy theories and false teaching, be trained in the word and sound doctrine (1 Tim 4:6), and feast on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4). 4. Be in the race (1 Cor 9:24-27) Athlete’s can not win the race if they do not enter. The Apostle Paul often encourages Christians "to run the race", and to "strive forward focussed on the prize”, just like an Athlete if we do not enter we can not win the prize set before us. 5. Effort (1 Tim 4:10) An Athlete has to apply maximum effort in order to win their event; half hearted efforts have never won Gold at the Olympics! Likewise Paul says we must “toil/labour/strive” in the pursuit of holiness until we have nothing left to give. 6. Focus (Phil. 3:12) In order to win Gold an Athlete must be focussed on the task ahead - riveted to their goal; even the greatest competitors can lose momentum when distracted. Likewise Paul writes that we must "press on” meaning to move rapidly and decisively after the object of our faith; Our singular focus must be "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecto of our faith” (Heb. 12:2) 7. Endurance (Heb. 12:1-2) To win the Gold Athlete’s must push through, endure, persevere; to stop halfway, to give in when it gets tough, to quit, means to forfeit any hope of success. Likewise the Bible tells us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us” to “endure” to “persevere”, because to quit as a Christian is not an option for those wanting to win the prize set before us (1 Cor 9:24). I was truly inspired this week by Australian 10,000m runner Patrick Tiernan who in the heat and humidity of Tokyo, mixed with the effort of his remarkable race, collapsed with only 180m to go. He collapsed 3 times before crossing the finish line. The next day he is quoted as saying “It’s a long way to come to fall short of your goal. I knew I was in trouble but was so close, you just have to will yourself across the line". His example of determination, focus and endurance will be a highlight of the Tokyo Olympics for many years to come. This is the kind of effort, focus and endurance that the New Testament writers are alluding to. I was similarly impressed by the Fijian mens rugby 7’s team, who on winning the Gold medal, took none of the glory for themselves but immediately and publicly gave the glory to God! (Phil. 4:13) It is equally important to give God glory in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:16-18, Matt 10:32) 1 Cor. 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. If we are to run that we may obtain the prize, then we must compete like fully committed athletes in the Christian life. Sanctified sweat is required! But it will be worth it to receive the imperishable wreath from Jesus Christ. Grace & Peace Jen This weeks cold snap has had me thinking about winter of a different sort - spiritual winter!
Just as we see in nature, our spiritual lives go through seasons. We are told in Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Winter is a time of stripping, a season of bleak and barren ground. A time of withdrawal, of things falling away, of aloneness, of heaviness and pain. The trees have lost their vibrant leaves. There is a suffering, a sadness, and a death that must occur. In Spiritual Winter everything seems cold, everyone, even God can seem distant, our reserves seem bare, and our heart aches. Yet as in nature, in Spiritual winter transformation is deep at work. Psalm 1 speaks of the believer like a tree with deep roots; in winter the tree is disrobed but not dead, motionless, resting, gaining in strength ready for the first shoots of spring to reappear. Spiritual Winter is where the sanctifying work of Christ moves in a way that the warm, joyful summers never fully could. We are stripped of all that distracts us from God, and we must trust that His hand is at work even when we don’t feel it. We trust that we can continue to draw on the deep roots cultivated in other seasons. We hold fast to His hope and cling to His grace as He becomes our song in the darkest night. Spiritual Winter is a time and a chance to see God through his word in ways you haven’t before. Find times to engage with God in his word, let songs of His grace, mercy and sovereignty strengthen you and fill your heart. Ask his Spirit to direct your eyes to the ways he is working in the small areas of your life. Winter is a time when the inside can be nourished even when what is outside feels barren. Like seasons in nature, Spiritual Winter will pass. Our culture is largely oriented toward action. But dormant dreams are not dead dreams; they are often further opportunities for dialogue with God. He created you to desire fruit, and he desires fruit for you (John 15:8). Winter is a time to take those desires to God in prayer. Winter can also be a season where dreams are cultivated. Grace & Peace Jen We all know disappointment. Maybe you have longed for healing, work, marriage or a family. Perhaps you have prayed and waited faithfully for weeks, or months or years, yet it seems to be without answer. Disappointment can bring frustration and impatience and anger, we are crest fallen when the answers are not as we would like. So what does God promise when we are disappointed?
Psalm 34:10 “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Promises like this can be hard to hear when we are feeling disappointed. What helped me to better understand was asking ‘what is the greatest good?’ Psalm16:2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. So, the greatest good is God himself - knowing God in the person of Jesus Christ, not just knowing about him. When we experience God in this way, we are so full that we desire nothing else. God is the only all-satisfying good, which is why he is the greatest good. So, if God is our greatest good, then what makes something good is whether it brings us more of God. So being healed of a sickness can be good because it can bring us more of God by showing us his power, mercy, and goodness. But not being healed can also be good since it, too, can bring us more of God by drawing us even closer to him. So why am I disappointed? When we feel disappointed by God, it’s because at that moment there’s something we’re longing for more than God; we’re not trusting in him as our all-satisfying treasure. So, what can I do? Psalm 40:1-3, Come to him with your disappointment, trusting him to meet you and change your heart 1 John 1:9 Confess that you are longing for something else more than him. Ask him to forgive you through the cross. Receive assurance of complete forgiveness. Galatians 3:5 Since the Spirit does his work through the word, find Scriptures describing God’s love, power, and majesty, and promises concerning God as your all-satisfying treasure. Pray earnestly over these Scriptures. Fight to trust them. Hebrews 10:25 Continue to gather with other believers for encouragement. Pray: Lord, help me to give you my disappointments, and to trust you when I don’t understand. Help me to focus on who you are, and to always praise you, not matter what. Amen. Grace & Peace Jen Most of us are all too aware of the statistics pointing to a national crisis in Australia with regards to Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence. The Royal Commission into Family Violence reported in 2016 that faith communities were vital settings for influencing attitudes and providing leadership in relation to family violence; yet the recent NCLS report into Domestic violence in the Anglican Church has sent shockwaves through our communion, identifying that both women and men within the Anglican Church are at least as likely as the general population to experience Domestic Violence. So what can we do about it? Firstly we can be clear about what the Bible actually teaches: All forms of domestic violence/abuse are incompatible with scripture and Christian faith. True repentance is seen when the perpetrator genuinely recognises their sin and are horrified by what they have done (Isaiah 6:5), they recognise the depth of pain they have caused (Isaiah 64:6), they seek to make amends (Luke 19:1-10), they accept consequences (Luke 23:40-43), they don’t expect or demand forgiveness (Genesis 32), they change their behaviour (Acts 9), they grant space to heal (Galatians 5:22-23), and they are awestruck by forgiveness (Genesis 30:10). When repentance is genuine, all parties are blessed, nd God is glorified. HJOwever, even genuine repentance does not that previous behaviours are free from consequences even including involvement of authorities. Forgiveness is indeed a hallmark of the Christian faith; forgiveness is about not holding hatred and bitterness in our heart, it is about seeing the person who has harmed us as God sees them; it does not require a victim of Domestic abuse/violence to remain in an abusive enviornement. Forgiveness does not mean you are to ignore that a wrong was done or that you deny that a sin was committed. Forgiveness does not mean that you close your eyes to moral atrocity and pretend that it didn’t hurt, or that it really doesn’t matter whether or not the offending person is called to account for his/her offence Neither are you being asked to diminish the gravity of the offense, or to tell others, “Oh, think nothing of it; it really wasn’t that big of a deal after all.” Forgiveness simply means that you determine in your heart to let God be the avenger. He is the judge, not you.(Acts 29) Secondly we need to educate our families, our churches and our community about what Domestic abuse/violence is. I have included a graphic as a starting point for this discussion. Grace & Peace Jen.  In today’s high tech environment we can be forgiven for thinking that there is an app for everything, and that they only way to grow a church is through high end wiz bang technologies, quality programming, a nice building, and dynamic preachers; and whilst all of these things are great, none of them will grow a church on their own. So how do we grow a church? The Early Church didn’t have the same resources we have today, yet they saw exponential church growth. So what was their secret weapon?
Prayer! Prior to ascending to heaven, Jesus told the disciples, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). They didn’t just sit around talking about the kind of church growth God wanted to bring about. They didn’t merely twiddle their thumbs waiting for the power of God’s Spirit to come upon them. Notice what they did: “They all joined together constantly in prayer …” (Acts 1:14). Later, after the Spirit came at Pentecost, we still find them praying. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42) A few verses later we read, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). God is still in the business of growing His church; quantitatively (through conversions), and qualitatively (through spiritual maturation). So the question isn’t "can church growth still happen today?” the real question becomes are we willing to pray? Grace & Peace Jen Australia is becoming increasingly seculars a Nation; ANZAC Day too has become increasingly secular through the years, some would go so far as to call ANZAC Day the secular religion of the land. The war itself is becoming a far distant memory, the make up and priorities of the community have shifted; yet the commemoration of the ANZACs has, in recent years, increased in community significance. The question posed: Is there still a place for the Christian faith in ANZAC Day celebrations?
I have had the great privilege of leading ANZAC Day services in different States over many years. I always count it a great privilege to stand with our Veterans, to thank them for their service, and to remember the fallen. There is a spirit, a mood, at an ANZAC Day dawn service that you find at very few non faith centric community events; a palpable search for meaning, and purpose and belonging, a desire to know that there is a purpose beyond, that sacrifice is not in vain: And our community turns to the ANZAC Day service in droves with a permissive and open attitude towards prayer, almost seeking the divine, waiting for that moment when life gains meaning. In many ways our community, our neighbours, use this national day of remembrance as a vehicle for their own spiritual quest. As the disciples, as the Church, I see ANZAC Day as an opportunity to stand boldly beside our neighbours, in amongst our community and answer their longing question, silently saying, yes there is purpose, meaning and value beyond today. Jesus said "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Is it possible that God, in his unfailing all consuming love could be using ANZAC Day to draw all people back to himself? Could He be using the stories of heroism, mateship, leadership and sacrifice to prepare hearts and minds to receive the gospel? Could we as his disciples use the shared memory of sacrifice, the flickering of the flame, the sounding of the last post or the lowering of the flag as the sun rises to touch the heart of the person standing beside us? This ANZAC Day could we sacrifice our own comfort zones, our own prejudices and hangups to take part in great plan of redemption? So is there still a place for the Christian faith in ANZAC Day celebrations? I believe the answer is yes! The bigger question is are we prepared to take part? Grace & Peace Jen Our overarching theme at St Luke’s in 2021 is ‘Body Building’, that is building up the body of Christ - “the Church”. So, what does this mean in Lent?
Ash Wednesday this year falls on 17th February. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent which is a period of self-examination and reflection for 40 days (not counting Sunday’s) before Easter. It is a time marks by humility, repentance, reflection, and renewal. The 40 day period represents two episodes of spiritual testing in the Bible: the 40 years of wilderness wanderings by the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt (Numbers 33:38 and Deuteronomy 1:3) and the temptation of Jesus after he spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). The goal of Lent is to honestly examine your life in light of God's Word and to make a commitment to change in any areas you have not submitted to the Lord. It is a time of putting off the old self and putting on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24), of discovering that our faith is not just a feel-good, self-help religion but one that answers the deepest questions of life and eternity, and of rebuilding our identity in Christ. Done well, Lent is a time that offers us an opportunity to come to terms with the human condition we may spend the rest of the year running from, and it brings our need for a Savior to the forefront; It strengthens our faith, deepens our commitment, and helps us to focus on what unites us the body of Christ rather than what divides. Join me in taking the Lenten Journey this year. A Lenten reflection book will be available at the back of the church or on our website to guide us through this year’s journey. A prayer and reflection group will be available Monday night 7pm on-line and Saturday morning 8:30am in the hall. Please contact Jen to sign up for either of these groups. Lenten prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of this season. Thank you for knowing our hearts and our need for rhythms in our lives, and for drawing us into a deeper communion with you throughout the coming 40 days. Isaiah 58:6-7 - “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Grace & Peace, Jen Our overarching theme at St Luke’s in 2021 is ‘Body Building’, that is building up the body of Christ - “the Church”. As we all know, healthy bodies are important. This is one reason why the church-as-body metaphor is so helpful because it helps us to focus on the things that matter and it strengthens our witness in the world.
In order for us to live, thrive and survive, we need healthy bodies. When our body isn’t healthy we are limited in what we can do, if one part of the body is not functioning properly it puts additional strain on all other parts, as disease takes over our body breaks down and if left untreated will eventually will die. For a body to be healthy it requires proper nutrition, exercise, rest, and purpose. Nutrition: A diet of junk food, or high fats and sugars will quickly lead to a deterioration in our physical health. We become sluggish and risk obesity and heart issues. Our Spiritual diet is no different what we put into our mind matters. What are you reading, what are you watching, what are you talking about? Is it fill-in your mind and heart with the things of God or the things of the world? Exercise: The more we are involved the more we want to be involved. This is true of all exercise physical and faith. So, get involved! Exercise your faith. Volunteer, pray, participate in events and groups. The more we exercise, the fitter we become and the more resilience we have to problems that we face. When we become lazy, when we are not challenged and stretched, we lose the will to want to be involved. Purpose: when life has lost direction and meaning the mind suffers and the body loses energy. Parts of the body may even start working against itself, going in opposite directions. As the body of Christ we must remain focussed on the mission and purpose given to us by Christ for His body on earth. (Matt 22:36-40 & Matt 28:18-20) Rest: Our bodies need rest; when we are overworked, over-stressed, over tired our body does not function well. Our mind is clouded and our body breaks down. Jesus said “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. Anything of meaning and substance can only be achieved in the strength of God, and (exercise) trust that He is indeed sovereign and in control. Healthy bodies grow, they replicate and they work as one. The health of the church works in parallel with the health of the faith of each of its members. To ensure a healthy body we must encourage and equip each other to remain strong and healthy in our faith. Grace & Peace Jen. |
AuthorJen is an energetic and passionate disciple of Christ who loves to share Jesus with anyone who will listen! Past Thoughts
August 2021
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