Fake News and Truth

The current Coronavirus epidemic seems to have generated a large amount of fake news. What is hard to understand at times is why folks make it up, perhaps people trying to get more likes or shares on social media. Maybe some just like to worry people and stir things up. What is even harder to understand is the willingness of so many to believe anything on the internet without checking its truth.

A stunning one was that somehow 5G was connected to the spread of the virus or that the virus was let out to mask the impact of deaths through 5G radiation. Several masts in the UK have been attacked as a result. The WHO had to publish a list of Coronavirus myth busters which included:

1. The 5G situation mentioned previously
2. Exposure to Sun or higher temperatures or low temperatures, does not kill the virus
3. You can actually recover from the virus
4. 10 secs of holding your breath without coughing does not mean you are free from the virus
5. Drinking alcohol does not protect your from the virus
6.  ... there are more in the web page!

Have we become so easily sold out to someones mistaken ideas and fantasies that we can no longer determine the truth from fiction?

Why does all of this interest me? As a Christian church minister I am often confronted with the opposite. Folks unwilling or unable to look at the "truth" of Jesus Christ, but instead pushing it aside as fiction or fantasy. Some accept that he was an historical character but not who he claimed to be, God incarnate, God with us. Perhaps it has something to do with the potential impact of believing something. Believing unsubstantiated internet stories on social media or in the press, has little if any cost to us, unless of course they are true. But if the accounts of Jesus are true, then its a very different story. 

He calls us to change our way of life, to care about others with a higher regard than perhaps we have had. He calls us to worship God when we probably never did before. He calls us to develop a whole new world view, neither consumer capitalism based nor communist based. But an attitude of fairness, justice, love, mercy. Preferring the needs of others before our own. Often it requires sacrifices in our lives. So no its not an easy path. 

Easter is the time of year when Christians remember and celebrate the events of the death and resurrection, the coming back to life of Jesus. Signalling a new way, a new agreement being made possible between people and God. In our church we invite folks to the Alpha course, to look into these in an open and reasonable way. Presenting what we as Christians believe and allowing folks to explore and if they want to to experience it for themselves. Hopefully shortly we will do an on-line Alpha for those isolated by the virus.(contact me if you are interested).

My hope is that more will want to explore faith in Jesus this Easter, without simply assigning it to the myth bin.

Happy Easter

Finding Peace in the Storm

The whole world now knows about Coronavirus or COVID-19 as it is now known officially. Whether it is the countries that have had it and seem to have controlled it like China and South Korea, the countries like most of Europe, parts of Asia, Africa and America who now have it or those countries yet to have it. The storm of activity and cycle of fear, concern and panic that this has caused across the world is truly incredible. Our news media seeming to produce more and more failures of the system to provide what is needed together with more and more video clips from folks to add fuel to the flames.

Our health services are or will be overwhelmed by the storm as it breaks upon them, we are told, as governments frantically prepare as best they are able. Many of us are now restricted in our movements and abilities to do what we usually do. Humanity seems to be to a degree adrift in a storm that is hard to control or to stop.

Most who have spent any time at sea know that the sea while it can be calm and beautiful can also be a tyrant, huge waves, rough seas boiling with foam and forcing ships to run before it rather than risk being broadsided.

Jesus' disciples found themselves in one of the sudden storms that can happen around lake Galilee. Panic appears to have been the order of the day "we are going to drown" they cried. Meanwhile, Jesus, was blissfully asleep in the boat, seemingly unaware of the problem facing them. The situation seemed well out of the disciples' ability to handle and so they woke Jesus. Two things happened, first Jesus told the storm “Quiet! Be still!” and the storm calmed. The second was that Jesus questioned them about their lack of faith. Almost as if do you think I would let that happen to you? Perhaps it was a lesson they would remember later in life when other storms of life broke around them?

In the current virus storm I am taking time to look for calm in the storm. Finding ways to help others be less panicked and fearful. None of us know for sure who will be affected, who will recover and who will not. But I hold to a hope in and through Jesus that helps me approach this storm with a calm optimism.

It has caused me to look for ways to help our church to face and start to weather the storm together, in prayer and in fellowship. Encouraging them to be creative in what they do and to ensure all are included in it. It has also given me more time to work on a deeper relationship with God in prayer and quietness. Through these I find the peace that I need to face this storm and any future storm. Jesus is my light, my hope and my joy. I hope you can also find that for yourselves and perhaps rise above the storm.

Life Changing Choices

I have been busy since Christmas on a lot of things but one has given me a lot to think about. Planning for the future. In the not too distant future I have to make up my mind what to do about a couple of workplace pensions that I have. Do I take the money out and try and beat professional investors with making money on it? Do I play safe and go for an annuity? Do I take the tax free part now or can I hold off on that for a while? Talking to qualified financial advisors helped a bit but in the end, as often is the case, with these sorts of things, its down to my wife and I to decide what we think works best for us. As one, very helpful advisor said to us, if you had a crystal ball that told you the future it would make it a lot easier to decide. The thing we have found is that what might seem obvious as the start of this sort of planning is not so obvious once you get into it.

It got me thinking about the choices that we all face in life and especially the ones that faced the early disciples of Jesus, life changing choices. All of the early ones during Jesus' ministry left jobs behind and gave up security. Big life changing choices. Paul, once he got it, gave up a way of life and took to the road, risking all sorts of dangers. Many of the early disciples found themselves in prison or worse. Life changing and life shortening choices.

And yet all these years later people still make life changing choices to follow Jesus. To allow their lives to be changed under the guidance of Jesus' teachings and the work of the Holy Spirit. Life changing choices that can lead to worldly insecurity. I had never thought that asking Jesus into my life over 30 years ago would make such a difference, and yet I don't look back with regret, wondering what if that had not happened, what if I hadn't got involved in church life, what if I had not accepted the call to full time ministry which resulted in ordination in 2010?

For example our agreeing to  nearly 3.5 years in Italy in the 1990's was a direct result of prayer and an opportunity that occurred a month later I had 24 hours to decide upon. Being at peace with the decision helped us go for it. It turned out to be a step on the journey towards full time ministry, but was also a great blessing to us as a family.

The thing is that often I find it easier to make these sorts of life changing choices when I involve God in them than when God is not. I guess because I have learned, and I am certain the early disciples of Jesus learned, God will guide us, but allows us to choose. My litmus test, prayer and asking am I at peace with this choice or not? We are applying that to the pension choices in the same way that we have learned to do in so many other areas of  our lives (which we omitted to do at the start of the pension process, well no one is perfect 😊).

1Peter 5:7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you
For anxiety we can read cares or burdens, the things that trouble us or are weighing us down. There are times when we need resources other than our own to get through things or to help us make choices that will or could affect the rest of our lives, life changing choices. Jesus is there to be with us, guide us and help us find the way through.


This is a song that I have been listening to for a while that you might find helpful. "Lean Hard".

Christmas 2019

Christmas evokes all sorts of thoughts, memories, joys and sorrows depending upon our experiences, beliefs and lives. One of our local magazines asked local church ministers to reflect on a question each Christmas. This year it related to Christmas traditions. One of mine as a child, was that we waited, excited, for Christmas morning and being allowed to unwrap the presents left for us over night. It was always fun.

As we go through life we gain experiences. People we love die and we can no longer share Christmas with them, sadness, a good friend died on the 4th Dec this year and I will be conducting his funeral this coming week. We often spend a moment when the family are together to remember those who have left this life that we have known and loved. Then there are those who have come into the world - this year we had a new grand-daughter, Alice and my sister, Lynn had a grand son, Jacob. Children bring a sense of joy to the celebrations.

My wife and I spend time writing Christmas cards to those who we know both local and far away. I know that some feel that sending cards is "old hat". But I find that as I see each name, it invokes memories of times when we knew each a little better, things we did together. Memories are good things I find.

As a church minister December flies by in a flash with all of the activities - school concerts, Christingles, Carols services, community events and church events. I love it all, every one a reminder of what Christmas is all about, God's love expressed through Jesus. And yet the Christmas story is tinged with joy, hope and sadness. The baby that we rejoice over, came to save us through his death. Recently I saw a group of people come alive in faith in Jesus as result of what he did on the cross, joy has dawned in their lives, you might like to listen to this (When love came down to earth).

Whatever your past or present experiences I hope you have time to consider Jesus this Christmas; Jesus came because God loves you. If we can find room in our hearts he can help each of us find peace, joy, hope and love.

I wish you a happy and blessed Christmas, no matter what your experiences are or have been.

Division and Chaos 2

This is an unusual posting from me as its not dotted with scripture, its more a reflection on a little division and chaos in the Christian world.

My last posting was on the division and chaos that I was reflecting upon in our society and politics. But as I have continued on this track I have found myself reflecting upon the nature of the Christian church in this age.

Reading some things on the web recently smd some posts of others commenting on things going on I wonder if I am in fact a product of a by-gone age. It would appear that if I take seriously the things I have been reading I am an infernalist, possibly callous, a homophobe and probably a few other 'phobes as well. In the Christian world we seem to have adopted the pugilistic, threatening language type of debate, that seeks not to have reasoned discussion and acceptance of difference of views. Instead it seems to seek to shut down any opposing view as inconceivably wrong and thus bigoted or phobic.

In one series of posts related to the ongoing discussion on universalism, or the idea that no matter if we accept Christ or not, all will eventually be saved, I was led to look deeper, to find that since my views differ from the writer of the book promoted, it seems my understanding is so flawed that I am someone who since I differ with the author on heaven and hell I am one who "To believe in it even in part . . . one must at some level have lost the capacity to distinguish clearly between love and spite."
Well that tells me.

Another series of posts related to the recent events around Churches together in England and their not affirming the appointing of a president who was in a same sex relationship. Both sides of the discussion got heated and I chose not to engage as I was more than likely going to be seen as a bigot or some such, because I hold to a view that marriage is between a man and a woman, what is now called a traditional view by some.

It seems to me that the church has more than adopted the mode of activity of our society in its "debate", putting off good, loving and honest discussion in favour of pushing aside anything we don't agree with using language that shuts down discussion and reason in favour of they who shout the loudest win the day. To some degree I think its bullying behaviour, frighten the opposition with accusations and language that shuts down rather than reasons. Just like out politicians and lobbyists.No amount of forceful language is going to change my view, in fact pretty much the opposite.

Having a different point of view, no matter how firmly held and researched and prayed through, counts for little when it comes to trying to engage in these sorts of discussion. As result I often don't bother, since it achieves little and simply seems to inflame rather than promote reason.

I accept that others have different views to me on scripture, how to read it and its interpretation, but why is it not possible for those same people to accept that I and others like me have opinions different from theirs that deserve some respect?

In many respects we seem to have become "of the world" rather than "in the world". In the end there is one Judge and we will all find out the truth, and there can only be one, can't there? God's truth. We will all be right in some things and wrong in others. We use words like justice and mercy to justify views and then act without either when debating with each other.

I seem to recall that Jesus tells us something that we should remember and seed our discussion with -
Joh 13:34  "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Joh 13:35  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."


Here is a preview of a song for Advent, which brings us back to love.