Lent

The church season of Lent is upon us. Pancake Tuesday today, Ash Wednesday tomorrow and then the 40 days leading up to Easter. I have been thinking about this season a bit. Partly prompted by the Estates congregation who try to observe this as a specially focused time of prayer for their mission.

I have to confess to not being into this much in the past. I think part of that is the silly reason of thinking it is a "bit too catholic" for my liking. But then I thought that, this is not really a sufficient reason to reject something that has been part of the church's life and practice for centuries.

So what is it about? Well it is really a time of preparing ourselves to remember once again the great sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection at Easter. The mode of "preparation" for celebrating this, is one of repentance and searching our hearts, and making special times for prayer. You might argue that repentance, self examination and prayer should be the stuff of the normal Christian life, and you would be right. But surely there is nothing against having a special focus on this for a particular period.

Many have fasted during lent, or abstained from some particular thing - alcohol, chocolate, movies, etc etc. The idea here is that denying ourselves something will help us to remember to repent, examine and pray. Not a bad idea I guess.

The only dangers I can see in this is thinking a. that the abstaining is a good work in itself, b. that good works might earn us favour with God, and c. that we only need to repent for these 40 days in the year. But provided we remember we are saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus, we won't be in any great danger of this.

Perhaps the Book of Common Prayer collect (special prayer) for Ash Wednesday will help us:

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let me know what you think?

On Friday Helen and I spent the morning with Stephen Holmes at Whittlesea and Kinglake. It was a surreal experience. The whole landscape looks like a war zone.

Standing outside the smouldering ruins of the Kinglake church, it is hard to imagine it was once a building, let alone a place of worship. The magnitude of the task of rebuilding this community is quite paralyzing. Where do you begin?

Stephen is keen for someone with a chainsaw to make him a communion table out of a blackened log, so he can hold service near the site.

We talked about how St Jude's could help. There are some practical things to do, but these seem very small in the scheme of things. We will keep talking and find a way.

Bushfires and Ministry

Going to visit the Anglican Minister in Whittlesea tomorrow and thinking about how we can support him.

The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is doing some good things - Project Officers and extra Chaplains on the ground, for maybe even 6 months or more. You can donate to this at the Archbishop's Appeal.

But what can we do here in the city to help him show Christ's love to his hurting community? We need to give. We need to pray. It would be good to send some teams of people to help clean up. We can offer admin support. Other ideas?

Renewing us day by day

I have been thinking about the nature of our Spiritual renewal in preparation for the the things I will say at the St Jude's Leaders Summit next weekend.

The idea comes from 2 Corinthians 3:18: And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

That is - as followers of Christ we are in a process of transformation into the likeness of Christ and this is the work of the Spirit of God in us. It is a spiritual work of renewal.

I came across this lovely quote that expresses the depth of what is happening:

“the long and intricate, daily business of formation in Christ – that is, the practice of the dispositions and habits of the heart that changes our word spirituality from a wish or a desire or a fantasy or a diversion, into an actual life lived to the glory of God.”

Growing in Christ is not automatic. It is brought on by discipline and determination and repentance, and surrendering to the work of the Spirit in us. Keeping in step with the Spirit. (See Gal 5:25).

Where is God?

After the worst bushfire tragedy in Victoria's history many are asking this question - Where is God? or How do we answer our friends, when they ask us - How could a loving powerful God allow this to happen?

Here are some suggestions. (please note that one answer will not do - it is a complex problem and this could be the start of a long discussion):

1. "I don't really know or understand" is a good and biblical way to answer the question. That is because, none of us know the mind of God. Consider this from Isaiah 40:12-14

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the spirit of the LORD, or as his counselor has instructed him? Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

Or this from Romans 11:33-36 quoting Isaiah 40 ...

O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

The point is of course, that we would be very silly indeed to speak the mind of God beyond what he has actually told us. His ways are so far above our ways, that we should answer with great care.

Also as an aside here - these verses remind us that, those of us with faith need to beware the temptation to take on "defending God" or as a friend of mine said this week, to "get God off the hook" for this tragedy. To do so would be a dangerous route for us to take away from his sovereign rule over the world.

2. "He enters into the suffering of human beings" would be another part of the conversation. God is presented right through the scriptures as a God of great compassion, and love. And He became one of us in the person of Jesus, sharing the griefs and trials of the human condition. Weeping with us in our pain, and rejoicing in our joys. The Lord Jesus, was often "moved with compassion" on those in need. He advocated for the poor and the marginalised. He showed the highest expression of love - to lay down his life for his friends, that they might be saved. He knows what we are going through and shares our griefs.

3. "The world is damaged because of sin". It is a sign that the whole creation is in bondage to decay, when we see things like this happen. (As it is whenever we see death, be it a 23 year old man, or an 89 year old saint - death is an enemy, and part of the fallen world.) Paul reminds us in Romans 8:19-23 that the creation is groaning under the load of its own brokenness.

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

And God, in Jesus, is the only way out of that groaning. We have been joining the creation in groaning this week. We have heard its groans as clear as a bell, as it waits for the time it will be set free from bondage to decay, and will obtain that glorious freedom.

4. "That God has promised a day when he will restore the creation". The subjection of this world to its futility will one day come to end, when Jesus returns, and renews the whole creation. This is Christian hope for the bush fire victims, AND the wars in Sudan, and Congo, and Iraq and and.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new."

5. "God rules his world". We must not, in all of this make the mistake of saying that God was not present when the fires raged through. God was and is actively ruling over his creation. He is the one who makes fire and wind and they work at his command.

Psalm 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!

Psalm 135:5 For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. 7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

Why he chose to bring these winds out of his storehouses on that day, and use fire to fulfil his command, I don't know. But to deny this, and somehow say God was not there and impotent against nature would be to deny his very character.

Why not post a reply with how you are answering these questions?

In the meantime have a look at what Tim Anderson wrote in the Hearld Sun, and what Jono Smith has written about God's sovereignty to get you thinking.

A fine example

Yesterday I conducted a memorial service for an old saint from St Augustine's Moreland - Dorothy Duver. I remember meeting this tiny old lady about 6 years ago when St Jude's was in partnership with Moreland. She was a faithful attender, quite hard of hearing, unobtrusive, and at first glance not particularly outstanding. How wrong appearances can be.

It was wonderful yesterday to hear story after story of Dorothy's influence in people's lives. She was born up near Ararat and came to Melbourne in 1950's to become a Deaconess. We don't know if she ever did the study, but she soon started work for the Bush Church Aid society ending up cooking for the hospital in Ceduna. She as a great cook (never cooking the same dessert twice in a year!). Later she cooked and kept house for CMS at St Andrew's Hall.

But what is most remarkable was her diligence in ministering to people's spiritual needs. A faithful pray-er, she never missed her quiet time. She would counsel people on the telephone and was a tireless visitor. We know that she pounded the pavements throughout Coburg, telling people about her church - just knocking on door after door, greeting, praying and inviting people to church.

I met one lady at the service who counts Dorothy as the one who led her to Christ, by visiting her when she moved into the area, and continuing to do so, showing care when her mother had died, and praying for her to come to faith. She did. Today she loves the Lord because of Dorothy's unassuming faithfulness.

Once she was visiting relatives on her annual visit to the country. After the visit she left behind her shoes and her Bible. When she realised she rang the family and said - "please post my Bible to me, I'll get the shoes next year". And she did.

I came away, so encouraged and uplifted having learned more about this great saint. How just like God to use a quirky, forthright, tiny slip of an old lady, to bless his people and grow his kingdom. Thanks be to God for Dorothy Duver.

Tim Patrick's Commissioning

Tim Patrick was commissioned as Senior Associate Minister at St Jude's 5pm Congregation last Sunday. Tim took the Anglican Oaths and Declarations as part of his commissioning. We did this in public, to underline how important it is that we have confidence our ministers believe the biblical faith and commit to live their lives according to his word.

Here is part of what Tim said:

“I..................... firmly and sincerely believe the Catholic Faith and I give my assent to the
doctrine of The Anglican Church of Australia as expressed in the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons and the Articles of Religion, as acknowledged in section 4 of the Constitution, and I believe that doctrine to be agreeable to the word of God.

I declare my assent to the Fundamental Declarations of The Anglican Church of Australia as set out in sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Constitution."

The Fundamental Declarations are as follows:

FUNDAMENTAL DECLARATIONS

1. The Anglican Church of Australia, being a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, holds the Christian Faith as professed by the Church of Christ from primitive times and in particular as set forth in the creeds known as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed.

2. This Church receives all the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as being the ultimate rule and standard of faith given by inspiration of God and containing all things necessary for salvation.

3. This Church will ever obey the commands of Christ, teach His doctrine, administer His sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, follow and uphold His discipline and preserve the three orders of bishops, priests and deacons in the sacred ministry

Tim has committed himself to some pretty serious stuff. We ought to uphold him in prayer.

Renew Vision Update Feb 09

Last year St Jude's launched our Renew Vision - To Seek the spiritual renewal of inner northern Melbourne, our City and the World. Read more here.



I thought it was time to update some of our progress in Vision implementation.

Here are some of the things that are underway:

• We have made prayer a priority for the Vision and have re-launched our monthly prayer meetings as "Renew Prayer" where we focus in on aspects of the Vision each month. Last Monday there were 50 people at the meeting. We want to encourage each one to bring a friend next month. All of our leaders are expected to be part of these gatherings.
• We wanted to put some staff resources into raising up leaders, training and global mission, and so we appointed John Sugars as Assistant Vicar on Jan 1st to work 3 days a week in this area.
• We appointed Tim Patrick to the 5pm Congregation to help that part of our ministry re-focus on reaching the many young urban professionals in the inner north of Melbourne. He was commissioned on Sunday Feb 1st.
• We are currently reviewing the "governance structures" of St Jude's so that we have better accountability and reporting structures and a clearer idea what everyone in oversight ministries is supposed to be doing. The team is meeting this week and a report will come to the Vestry in a few months time.
• We are holding a lunch meeting for other church leaders in the Inner North of Melbourne to share some of our hopes and hopefully launch a prayer movement.
• We are working hard to launch a new St Jude's Website for better communication.

There are lots of other plans in place for 2009 and each team is working hard on their Vision goals.

Please pray for Spiritual Renewal - first for our church, and then for our World.