Pastor’s Pen
Blessed Are . . .
In the autumn of 1985, I was living in Northamptonshire in the East Midlands of England and had the opportunity to attend a church conference called Spring Harvest. Churches from all over the country gathered in a Butlin’s holiday camp at Minehead in the south west for praise, teaching and fellowship.
I remember one of the speakers on the main stage was an Anglican priest and evangelist called Eric Delve. I’d seen him on the TV a number of times on that late evening devotional show, looking cool in a leather jacket and talking about God. On this occasion, his texts ranged from Luke 1, when the angel Gabriel visited Mary to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. He was an entertaining story teller using different voices, humor and acting to get his message across. I was struck at how he made the story come alive in a way I’d never heard before.
The Beatitudes began to make sense! Jesus who came to fulfil the Law contained in the Ten Commandments turned them from commands into promises. And in the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us a collection of words that are not aspirational but consequential for the Christian life lived faithfully. When we are faithful to our calling to be His Disciples, the words of the Beatitudes are also promises in a faithful life.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Let your light shine in such a way that all may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:3-14, 16.
Lean on the Everlasting Arm
“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
John 20:21
Dear Friends,
Jesus sends us into the world as His ambassadors to carry on His ministry of loving, healing and forgiving! This might seem an overwhelming responsibility for us all, but we should remember that His Holy Spirit, which He breathed upon the Disciples when He appeared in the room and sent upon all the believers at Pentecost provides us with the necessary power and strength to carry out our ministries.
It is also important to remember that we belong to God’s universal family, the Church, with whom we are in fellowship and communion. Together with the Holy Spirit and the company of all believers we belong to the Communion of Saints. This is where we find the strength to keep on keeping on. We rely not on our own strength but of that which God has given us, so that even when we are weak, when we are on the Lord’s side, we are always stronger than what awaits us in our life and work.
“God, the eternal God, is our support at all times, especially when we are sinking into deep trouble. There are seasons when we sink low . . . Dear Child of God, even when you are at your lowest, underneath are the everlasting arms.”
The Baptist preacher Charles H Spurgeon wrote these words which might have been inspired by or the inspiration for Anthony J. Showalter’s hymn, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.
What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms,
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
Pastor Cliff
Jesus Can Transform Your Life
Dear Friends,
The recent thaw has revealed many details from under the snow that have been missing from view for many weeks. The pristine uniformity of snow and ice crystals have been replaced by blades of grass from yellow to green. And despite the drab appearance of some colors, there is the opportunity to appreciate the numerous details which have re-emerged.
From under a snowy blanket, mouse trails are revealed, and though the ground is still frozen, there is the hope of spring as the thaw continues and the brooks swells. A flock of American Robins has found a patch of exposed grass as they watch and listen for a tasty meal below the surface.
The explosion of birdsong heralds a warmer temperature as birds emerge from hiding in the deep forests and woods. And once boring plumage seems sharper and more vibrant as pairings are formed and potential nest sites are explored.
The appreciation of all these details of creation can help us to praise God, the Creator and then to take this heightened awareness into our prayers and bible readings.
This week, I invite you to prepare for worship by reading John chapter 4.
It’s a wonderful account of how Jesus restores a woman He meets at Jacob’s Well. He begins by waiting for her, asking for a drink and from their encounter, she leaves behind her burden and transformed tells the whole town about Jesus. Through the woman at the well, Jesus brings salvation to a whole town. Come and hear how Jesus can transform your life and use you to change your world.
Pastor Cliff
Journey to Easter
Dear Friends,
Each year we begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday with a service of Holy Communion and the receiving of ashes applied to our foreheads in the sign of the cross. The words of invitation in our Book of Common Worship invite us by saying:
“We begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We begin the journey to Easter with a sign of ashes. This ancient sign speaks of the frailty and uncertainty of human life and marks the penitence of this community.”
As the ashes are applied, the following or similar words from Genesis 3:19 are said:
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Amen.”
Some of us from UPC Flanders and the other Mount Olive churches gathered for this purpose yesterday evening. But if you could not be there, you can still take part in this season of penitence and preparation for Easter.
“I invite you, therefore, in the name of Christ,
to observe a holy Lent by self-examination and penitence,
by prayer and fasting,
by works of love,
and by meditating on God’s word.”
Each person’s Lenten journey can be different but all lead to the Cross and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you are looking for guidance on how or what to read in your bible start each morning with a prayerful reading of Psalm 51:1-17 or another Psalm. Then read from one of the gospels. My favorite is the gospel of Mark, but John is also recommended. May God bless you in your journey.
Pastor Cliff