Liberation

... you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor ...

We can hear words like these from Isaiah chapter 9 perhaps in a Christmas carol service, with everything orderly, good singing, nice atmosphere and so on. And yet hearing it in this way might miss the raw exuberance and jubilation that is felt when a yoke is truly shattered, the weighty bar at last removed, and the harsh rod of an oppressor is finally broken leaving the people free after years of struggle.

The recent scenes in Syria have been of mass jubilation among a diverse population celebrating a freedom after decades of cruel oppression. The leaders behind the liberation even made a proclamation, calling for a special time of celebration for all, to declare the newly achieved liberty.

Perhaps it is those kind of scenes, the overflow of emotion, the visceral mix of both tears and joy, that we would do well to have in mind when reading the classic Christmas readings such as Isaiah 9.

With the birth of a new King - with Jesus - years of oppression, struggle, and harsh regime will come to an end truly setting people free. The future will be theirs, to reform and rebuild a new life with the possibility of flourishing for all. So get out and celebrate - let all the emotion come out, take to the streets!!

Jesus sets us free from a tyrannical regime that keeps each person enslaved, locked in patterns that de-humanise both themselves and those around them. A regime that you cannot negotiate or buy your way out of. One that will strike no bargain, and will demand total allegiance. From this you are now set free!

Watch the recent scenes in Syria, and then listen to the Christmas readings again ...!

Don't take the King out of Kingdom

Nowadays many Christians have a healthy 'Kingdom mentality'. This is good news: typically leading to better to better practices. For example greater respect and cooperation between churches and their leaders (we are all working together for His Kingdom); and also seeing positive community work by other organisations (perhaps secular or not Christian faith-based) as contributing to a healthy community rather than somehow a kind of enemy. The outcomes of the work by another organisation can be understood as positive or 'Kingdom-esque' when they resonate with the Kingdom outcomes we would hope for in an area or community.

There is still a tension however, that we need to keep in mind. Jesus is Lord of the areas and ultimately over all people groups, therefore including those we work alongside - the resurrection puts that beyond doubt. Yet that Lordship yearns for and invites a response from each and every individual - that they may recognise Christ as King. In the Christmas story the learned travellers present their gifts and worship Jesus whilst he is still a baby ... how much more a response is due now he is risen Lord!

The bottom line is that a Kingdom needs a King (there is a clue in the word!), and that King rightly should be recognised as such deep in each and every heart. The great rebellion depicted in Genesis 3 is about people choosing to be self-kings, which trends in the opposite direction to God's loving order for creation.

So whilst we can definitely affirm friends and colleagues working positively for the community - each helping to outcomes that we would recognise as being Jesus Kingdom attributes - we still want to work out how best we can point individuals to Jesus as The King who has a Kingdom that will always transform these good outcomes to even greater levels, not resting until transformation into God's original desire is complete. For sure we can affirm people and the good work being done, but that cannot mean surrendering our belief that Jesus is Lord and thus taking the 'King' out of 'Kingdom'.

It is up to us to maintain our witness to Jesus as King even as we work together and collaborate ... all the while in the hope that others discover Him too and make Him their Lord and King.

My Life is not Mine to have Absolute Rights Over

With a house of commons debate and vote scheduled, 'Assisted Dying' is very much a current topic of news and discussion. A key theme that comes through the arguments in favour of changing the law (i.e. to allow circumstances for assisted dying) is an individual's 'Right to Choose'. Above all the arguments in favour or against, this assertion of 'Right to Choose' is very important for us to understand from a mission perspective.

The problem with this 'Right', alongside the many other 'Rights' (or 'Human Rights') that we assert or talk about in contemporary society, is the implicit assumption that we should have them without any consideration of why we should have them. Where do these rights actually come from? What is their basis?

That is not to say that we humans don't or should not have any rights ... but from a Christian perspective we need to think more deeply of their basis. The right to change religion, for example, can be traced (with a Christian perspective) to God giving people free-will.

Some rights should come about because 'world society' (i.e. nations agreeing collectively) agrees that each individual should be accorded that right. In other words some rights are humans conferring them on each other ... agreeing that life (& society) is better for all if we all try and respect such rights. The rights of refugees are an example of this.

The problem with the 'Right to Choose' concerning one's death, is that from a Christian perspective (and likely various other faith perspectives) the life of each individual is a gift of God, along with a sense that the 'on-earth' beginning point is up to God, and the corresponding end-point is also up to God. If a life 'is taken' by actions of others, an accounting of their actions is required of them (e.g. see Genesis 4 Cain & Abel). This means that in a Christian understanding, my life is not mine to have absolute rights over, but is instead given to me by God, with the timing of that gift best left to God's hands.

The push to assert a 'Right to Choose' is part of the relentless cultural trend of individualism: each individual is a person with rights of their own without any external claims. In that sense it is the natural outworking of secularism: 'I feel ... therefore I am', without need for reference to God. Put another way, it is another resonance with the assertion made in Genesis 3: 'I can grab this on my own - I don't need God'.

Christians in mission will want to counter this cultural trend, but that needs to be done compassionately. It is no use saying "You do not have such a right - tough luck"! Person by person, individual by individual, we would want to lovingly encourage them to see that life is a gift, even when things go wrong (be it medically or by tragedy). That life-gift sits in a context that is way bigger than any one of us, and so there is a call to lift our eyes to a greater perspective - through which we might be able to see our circumstances differently.

The life-gift from God implies certain rights, and as people living this life-gift together we can (and should) collectively confer rights on each other ... but all in the context of life-gift from God, and therefore each understanding (and accepting the understanding) that our own life is not ours to have absolute rights over.

Praying into the Flow

A key aspect of the strategy that we are pursuing is to work out who among the people we meet and talk to is spiritually open. Who is the person where the Spirit is already working, leading them to have a curiosity and spiritual hunger to discover?

A Biblical example of someone very open is Cornelius in Acts 10: a Roman centurion who is already fervently praying and seeking ... so much so that God arranges to fetch Peter to come and preach directly to his household. Lydia in Acts 16 is another. Of course not everyone is already seeking as clearly as Cornelius, and some maybe don't even know that deep down they are searching - perhaps they will only realise much later.

A clear principle we adhere to is to only invite people to some kind of Discovery Bible Study when we sense that a person is spiritually open and potentially interested enough that they might sit down with us. That is based on us gauging the conversations and level of interest (praying of course in the background!). For those that do say "yes" to our invitation, we then find that the preliminary sessions give indications of a person's inner hunger. The simple test is in scheduling the next session - the more open & hungry the person is, the easier it will be to schedule and hold to it. Of course it is not an exact science - things happen, arrangements fall foul of circumstances and so on.

The people who are open to spiritual conversations from time to time, but not really so hungry to explore Jesus, tend to be the ones who let discovery sessions be missed and seem to be hard to follow up. Again there is no exact calculation: circumstances, personality types, and a host of other factors can be a part. We should also pinch ourselves and remember that for a person it may simply not be the right time for them at the moment. Perhaps there will be a different link in the chain of witness that will stir their hunger later.

These observations should feed into our spiritual discernment - discerning who Jesus is calling us to concentrate our own personal finite resources on. We cannot pray intensively for everyone we ever meet, and our limited time & energy means we cannot continue to the nth degree trying to meet up with someone who in reality is not in an open & hungry place to want to meet up. Put another way: it can be okay to let someone drop off our personal prayer list, and it could be the right thing to do to not follow up someone yet again to re-schedule. This can be coupled with an ongoing trust in the Spirit: if the Spirit is intending you to be part of their journey, He will arrange something - be it a meeting out of the blue, the person messaging you, etc.

All this means learning to Pray into the Flow - praying with the direction and flow of the Spirit so that your thread of praying for people, chatting with people, inviting them to discovery sessions, becomes ever more resonant with what the Spirit is doing in people's lives out there in the community. Hitting that resonance will involve bumping into the person the Spirit has already prepared for you (e.g. like Lydia). Those occurrences will seem relatively easy and not a struggle compared to the many others that we interact with. That is not to say that every session will always be easily scheduled or go perfectly well, but a God-given momentum will be established that leaves us concluding: 'This must be God!'.

Festival of Light

Today - 31st October 2024 - is a festival of light! British and Americans would typically recognise the date as Halloween, but in India and the Hindu population this year it also happens to be Diwali - a festival of lights.

Like all things in life, we can choose what we celebrate, what we pass on, what we amplify. We can choose to pass on that which is wholesome and uplifting, or that which tears down, is dark, or troublesome. For example one of the global crises that we have today concerns  social media posts - some of which are dark or just plain false yet nevertheless get shared, re-shared and amplified ... because people choose to celebrate, pass on, and thus amplify them.

Paul wrote to the Philippians: "Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable ... think on such things".

The Diwali festival celebrates a sense of victory of light over darkness. For the Hindu community it is an opportunity for great celebration - sweet food, lights, fireworks and partying in general. People wish each other a happy Diwali along with prosperity into the future much like western New Year greetings.

The celebration of light and overcoming of darkness of course resonates in the Christian faith: Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12), and the light has come into the world and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4). That is worth celebrating! For those taking part in Halloween activities, we want to lovingly point them to the light. For those enjoying their Diwali celebrations, we celebrate Light too - His Name is Jesus!

From Mentor to Soul Friend

I felt particularly blessed recently! I had the opportunity to catch up with someone who I had seen grow from childhood through youth to now being a young adult. We covered typical ground of hearing how their studies are progressing, involvement at a local church, outreach initiatives on campus etc., all of which made for a mutually encouraging conversation.

Into the conversation I asked the question: 'So what do you feel God has been on your case about recently?'. That got them thinking, but without too much of a pause they were able to discuss a passage of Scripture that had grabbed their attention and had led to some internal wrestling. Their ability to engage in the question was a positive fruit of the mentoring relationship that we had over the years. I offer the question as a 'Soul Friend' question - one that we can use one-to-one or in a triplet to touch base on where we are at in our discipleship. The mentoring relationship wasn't simply to produce a nice person, but to contribute to someone's discipleship journey such that they continue in active following of Jesus in their own right into their future.

Then came a wonderful surprise switch-around! The person then asked me: 'So what do you feel God has been on our case about recently?'. In asking me the very same question, it was my turn to be honest about my discipleship, whether I was being attentive to the voice of the Spirit, trying to wrestle, learn and develop. I talked about a scripture passage that had caused me to think again on a key faith concept, and we discussed that briefly.

I was mega-chuffed, because in asking the question back to me we now had equality and reciprocal exchange! The relationship had matured from the senior/junior mentoring dynamic to two people being Soul Friends able to prompt one another to think about their faith and walk with Jesus as equals. This is surely the outcome we desire of faith-mentoring relationships, providing the safe yet stimulating environment where a person rises to be our equal and journeys beyond the orbit of ourselves into the calling that God has for them.

To be able to see the fruit of that process is a wonderful blessing.

Quiet Confidence in Sovereignty

If we are wrestling in the spiritual realms, praying for significant shifts in how things are, do you feel the need to make lots of noise or pray lots of words? When you hear others doing this, do you ever wonder if there is some kind of meter measuring the volume or quantity of prayer - as if hitting some special total will be what it takes to unlock victory. Or do you think it requires some kind of show of strength, as if you and your peers can fix things if you get your efforts strong and directed enough?

Joshua was shown a different way when it came to overcoming Jericho - a fortress city with reinforced walls. God's instructions to Joshua are instructive: for six days have the army simply march around the city. Do it with the ark in the procession, with seven priests carrying trumpets. The trumpets sound, but compared to typical war-cries of an army it is to be a relatively quiet six days

On the seventh day they are to repeat, though this time make seven circuits. Only after this 7th iteration on the seventh day is everyone to shout. The walls will collapse - then you go in!

It seems to me that Joshua was being taught to be quietly confident in God's sovereignty. They were to loop round for 6 days with ark plus some announcing priests to proclaim relatively quietly and yet actively: 'we are here - God is sovereign'. All they had to do was be confident in God - it didn't require big noise or extraordinary fanfare to prove it, for God is sovereign regardless. The circuits on the seventh day repeated this, still with a relatively quiet yet clear confidence. Then they could go into full volume mode, but the walls will simply crumble before their eyes anyway - for God is sovereign and He has determined for them to come down.

As we prayer walk our neighbourhoods, or pray in other ways wrestling in the spiritual realms for the shift that is needed, let is learn a quiet confidence. May we know that the outcome is not factored on the noise we can make, or the quantity of our prayers, but that it all rests on His sovereignty. We can walk round, relatively quietly yet actively knowing His sovereignty, and look for that sovereignty to be brought to bear on the area/situation in our prayer focus.

We don't have to make a great noise until the moment that God finally tells us too - and by then the walls of opposition are crumbling away anyway.

Death has not held her

Recently I have been blessed to get to know a remarkable lady. This week she will celebrate her 90th birthday, and though using a 'walker' still gets out and about from her own home.

Yet what makes her more remarkable is her story. For some time ago (I think nearly 30 years back ... when she was a mere 60 years old), she became seriously unwell and in hospital. Other patients on the ward have told her that one day the monitors ceased to give any reading. Her memory is of being in a tunnel with a bright light at the end, with voices calling her forward - but also the voice of a relative calling her back. Medically she was revived, but deep down she knew that she had 'more to do' back here in this life.

Extraordinarily she recalls how her father had a similar experience. He had told her of how he apparently died, had a vision, and a sense of being called back. Such things seem to run in her family!

Her story, however, traces back even further to baby-hood tragedy. Her mother's first pregnancy resulted in the still-birth of a brother. She was conceived and born, but within six months her mother became seriously ill and passed away, leaving a distraught father with a baby girl. The grandfather took them in, but sadly she was unwell too - at just 6 months old. The doctors told the grandfather that they did not expect her to live: tragedy was about to compound. Yet relatives have since told her that the grandfather did not accept the doctor's prognosis, and proclaimed: "She will live!". Of course she survived, and is now hitting the age of 90!

This lady has some kind of clear faith: believing in God and she prays every night, thankful for her life. Yet Christologically it is not orthodox - her recounting of both her and her father's death-bed visions do not assert Jesus as Lord. Interestingly both her grandfather and her father originally claimed to be atheists, but the grandfather changed his tune after the survival of his baby granddaughter, and apparently the father was seen by other relatives to be praying.

Whatever the exact theological standpoint declared through her telling of her story, it is clear that death has crouched near on more than one occasion but has not held her! It also seems to me that the Spirit of God has been curiously at work in this family through multiple generations, albeit without explicit profession of Christ from them (so far, at least!).

It is my privilege to get to know this lady, and freely talk about the resurrected Jesus with her. I can talk with her about faith in Christ, and I have much to learn from her incredible still-unfolding story.

The Emphasis of Ask

As said earlier: Prayer is the Job - allocating focussed and our best time to seeking God and 'doing business in the spiritual realm' for the area or work that you are involved in. Within that prayer work Jesus gives the clear invitation to 'Ask':

• John 14:13 - I will do whatever you ask in my name ...
• John 14:14 - You may ask me for anything in my name ...
• John 15:7 - If you remain in me ... ask whatever you wish ...
• John 15:16 - ... I chose & appointed you ... so that whatever you ask in my name ...
• John 16:23 - ... my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
• John 16:24 - Ask and you will receive ...
• John 16:26 - In that day you will ask in my name.
  

This seven-fold repeated (there is a clue in itself!) invitation comes in the context of Jesus sending the Spirit (chapters 14 & 16) and abiding in Him (chapter 15). Perhaps we can say that 'abiding in Him' (chapter 15) is cocooned in the promise of sending the Spirit (14 & 16).

Note that it is all 'in my name': even the 15:7 and 16:24 phrases that don't have the 'in my name' words that all the others have, are still clearly in the context of being in Him and therefore asking in His name. As we sit or walk in prayer, seeking the face of God, the mind of Christ, and the manifest presence of the Spirit - on behalf of the area or work we are involved in - we can ask for whatever is needed (that is, what Jesus Himself would desire) for that area or work.

So let us allocate proper time and energy to prayer - with our area of work in mind. And within that, seeking the mind of Christ, not be afraid TO ASK! Ask extraordinarily, ask boldly! Go on ... Jesus invited us to do this. He declared it as an operational practice for us. He marked it out as a promise for us. He even chose and appointed us to do this.

So ... ASK ... in His name ...

Field Number Four - Wider Networking

It is a joy to disciple someone new in the faith and watch them grow week by week. That discipleship is done in a small setting, perhaps even just one to one. Either way, it is Field number 3 in the Four Fields model.

As we journey together, inevitably questions and discussion about other Christians and the existing churches arise. Plus there comes a point when it starts to make sense to connect the people (or person) with other Christians. In other words kind of saying: "Hey - we are not the only ones trying to follow Jesus in this neighbourhood or area!". This is Field 4 - Wider Networking, effectively introducing the group to the concept of "church".

If you are discipling a small group of people who are gelling together and discovering a Jesus-led purpose between them, then the conversation will benefit from talking to the group about how they themselves can 'be church' in their own right, albeit small and fledgling. Nevertheless, a conversation about the wider church will still be necessary, and talking to the group about how they network with the larger Christian community. If discipling one to one, then introducing the person to other Christians (preferably locally) will be appropriate as part of their growth as a follower of Jesus.

Note though that these conversations come some way down the road of discipleship, as part of the last of the four fields. This is opposite to what many Christians in the West expect - they are used to being told to invite friends to church event X or service Y, i.e. introduce them to church (or the church community) as the very first step! In the Four Fields model it is about having the confidence to work alongside people ourselves, pointing and nurturing them towards faith in Jesus. As they discover Jesus and learn to follow in their own right, they can learn that they do not have to do that alone - there is a whole loving community to help support.

That support will be crucial as they embark on their own Jesus-led mission journey, finding their own Field Number 1 in which to make contacts ...

Radical

Disturbingly the past week has seen multiple instances of radical action that are characterised by extreme violence. False information - amplified on social media - has ignited scenes of angry mobs turning directly to violent and destructive means that has included intimidation, wanton destruction of property, and violence directed at whoever appears to be crossing their path. Politicians and commentators are right to draw a distinction between these acts and genuine protest.

Thankfully in recent days we have also seen a wave of radical action of a different kind. People of many backgrounds have taken to the streets not just to clear up the carnage left by the radical violence, but to radically stand peacefully in counter-protest. Their numbers have been swelled by ordinary folk who have taken the radical step to come out to protect community buildings and assets that contribute so much to our society.

For the follower of Jesus, the way ahead is and has always been radical. For to live such that we become like Christ is to be radicalised. Radicalised into a way of love which has no room for violence, intimidation, oppression, or attempting to exert control of others in any way. Exertion and use of force simply do not figure in the mindset.

Such a way will be a 'struggle', and coming against opposition will be a 'fight'. But such words as struggle and fight are used carefully because in the radical way of Christ they never translate into physical force or using any of the human weapons (be it mis-information, control, oppression, nor any of the multitude physical weapons mankind has ever devised). The real struggle or fight is in the spiritual, where the evil that manifests in the kind of evil we have witnessed on our streets is to be stopped in its tracks.

This past week we have observed extremism fleshing out in violent form. The way of Christ is also an extremism - but of a different kind. It fleshes out in loving form.

Prayer is the Job

We all know that prayer is important. We all know that setting time aside to pray, be it a regular rhythm, a time of prayer with others, or an occasional retreat, is vital for our health, the health of the ministry, and for spiritual breakthrough. Different people and traditions will do this differently: variations will be in style, regularity, time spent, quiet or loud etc. etc. There are infinite variations, but all will know that prayer (of whatever form) is important.

However, having prayed most will then go about the activity of ministry - whether it is organising and running an event, intentionally meeting people, sending out resources or whatever. The interesting thing is that in people's minds, and in the organisational mindset, these activities (which are all good and entirely appropriate) are seen as the key fulfilment of the 'ministry job description', but not the prayer! Rarely have I seen a ministry role description put right at the top something like: "Intentionally devoting yourself in prayer for the sake of the ...".

We all know that prayer is important ... and yet functionally do we not squeeze it to the margins?

Over the past year I have had the privilege to gear time, activity, and priorities differently. This has allowed a lot more time for prayer, most of it wandering and wondering as I prayer-walk streets of the estate over and over. Spurred on by the conclusions of other disciple making ministries, I have learnt that 'Prayer is the Job', i.e. that this time spent praying (rather than activity-ing) is right up there at the top of the role description. It deserves some of my 'best' time, in terms of when I am most alert and functioning, and even in comparison with what else I might be doing in those timeslots (e.g. planning or running a group).

Inevitably in ministry we meet people that reveals brokenness and spiritual blockage - both in individuals and at wider community/society levels. These fractures will not be healed, nor blockages un-blocked, by 'activity' alone, but by prayer and then prayer intertwined with activity. We therefore cannot afford to allow prayer to be squeezed to the margins. Organisationally it should be the priority in plan and mindset, with time allocated accordingly.

Ministry will for sure involve and require activity ... but first and foremost prayer is the job.

Incognito Mode

In recent years we have re-discovered the power of stories to stir spiritual curiosity and fuel an 'awakening process' in people's lives. More specifically we have found that the simple 'the Kingdom is like ...' stories that Jesus told (for example the Lost Coin, Lost Sheep and so on) can be told quickly and engagingly as a way of prompting faith conversations and possible 'conversations of significance'.

Furthermore many of the stories can be told in under 60 seconds or not much longer: so can be recorded as YouTube shorts or TikTok videos, giving a contemporary media approach to share with acquaintances. Whether told verbally on the spot, or shared via media, it is then natural to ask an open question like: "What hits you from this story?"

All the above is certainly possible with people who know you are a Christian and open about talking about your faith in Jesus. Depending on the audience you might either begin or finish the story with a phrase like: "This is a story told by Jesus ...", and maybe add: "who was talking about a different kind of Kingdom ...".

Another approach we have found useful is to not mention Jesus as the source at all, and also either not mention it is about His Kingdom, or to keep the kingdom aspect in abstract terms - for example 'A king somewhere wanted to organise a great banquet ...'. In this mode you are telling the story as a kind of detached moral tale - but of course one which you know conveys realities of the Kingdom of God.

We have come to call this approach 'Incognito Mode', because to the hearer it is not overtly about Jesus in the first instance. It allows you to stir curiosity in a more secular setting (or multi-faith setting) where sensitivities are best respected. Remember that the stories are to provoke interest & questioning, not necessarily to convince in and of themselves. Using them, followed up by open questions, and gauging responses acts as a kind of filter to discover who is really open or potentially open to explore more later.

Even if the hearers are not (or not yet) interested in the person of Jesus, sharing incognito can still afford the opportunity to explore Kingdom principles like forgiveness, God's grace economy, and so on. There is much to benefit therefore even in these settings - meaning that sharing incognito is worth the risk!

Sabbath Kingdom Demonstration

In the gospels much of the argument that takes place between Jesus and the Pharisees appears to stem from Jesus healing on the Sabbath. For example in John 9 Jesus enables sight for a man born blind, but all the Pharisees could focus on was that this was done on the Sabbath.

Scanning the gospels reveals other healings that took place the Sabbath - John chapter 5 has the disabled person by the pool as another incidence. Although the gospel authors don't appear to directly attribute much significance to these occurring on the Sabbath (apart from it generating opposition), there is an aspect that makes perfect sense 'in the big picture': Healing on the Sabbath is another aspect to demonstrating the Kingdom.

For in the eternal Kingdom all creation will be released into its perfection, all measures of needed healing will be completed for all people who inherit its blessing (Revelation 'no more crying' imagery). This can be coupled with the fact that the eternal Kingdom also represents the ultimate Sabbath rest, to which the original 7-period creation story of Genesis leads.

Therefore healing (Kingdom demonstrating) on the Sabbath represents a kind of double-whammy demonstration: the demonstrating the Kingdom on the very day that represents (and week by week points us towards) the ultimate Sabbath rest Kingdom eternity!

The healing is the Kingdom breaking into the now, and doing it on the Sabbath reminds us that one day all creation will enjoy the perfection of the Kingdom/Sabbath rest.

So it's quite a demo! But for the Pharisees, they couldn't see it. They were focussed on minutiae rule-keeping, forgetting why we have the Sabbath in the first place, totally losing sight of the ultimate rest to which it points every week. Their blind ways keep people locked up in misery - the very opposite of Kingdom release.

To heal on the Sabbath wasn't just an arbitrary event, happening by one-in-seven chance on a particular day of the week. No - it was a double Kingdom demonstrating: the Kingdom and the Sabbath uniting, and each healing a wonderful foretaste of a destiny to be inherited.

Bespoke Faith Conversations

Well over 100 years of industrialisation has conditioned us to think in terms of systems and easily repeatable processes. In short we think everything can be 'shrink-wrapped'. This has affected the way we think about helping people towards faith in Jesus through our conversations: we assume there must be some system, a shrink-wrapped off-the-shelf package that will get any person over the line of faith. Christians believe that if we can just learn approach X or technique Y, then all will fall into place in our evangelism.

The reality of course is not so straight-forward. Each person is an individual with their own story-so-far, their own unique background & formation that affects their thinking, and thus their own path. A package that worked so well for one person simply may not be the right thing for someone else.

The available courses for helping people discover Christian faith have their place, and have been useful for some decades now ... but we should also realise the need for bespoke faith conversations - dialogue that listens to the person and tailors the approach to make a truly spiritual conversation for them.

Fortunately the gospel accounts give us a great examples of Jesus taking the bespoke route. Take John chapter 3 and 4 for example. In chapter 3 he is met by Nicodemus, a Jewish Pharisee coming with a readiness to explore. Jesus challenges him with the difference between 'head knowledge' and 'heart knowledge', the need to not simply be religious but to be spiritually re-born. Then in chapter 4 he has another 1 to 1 conversation - this time with a Samaritan woman. Again Jesus challenges, but on a completely different approach - the provision of abundant spiritual resources that He can give, that can include her.

What would have happened if Jesus had just one fixed programme of episodes that he used in strict lock-step with each person?

In both cases Jesus raised the conversation from the physical up to the spiritual, and asserted how He is connected to the spiritual in a way never known before. But the starting points and the way the conversations panned out were totally different - Jesus took a bespoke approach for each.

Each needed acute attention to who the person in front of him was - their back-story, their already acquired knowledge and expectations. Those starting points weren't to be ignored, or simply run over by some 'believe-this-truth' steam roller. No - Jesus took them as genuine in their own right, but nevertheless bases from which He could challenge. The challenge was suited to the person, cast uniquely for them to (potentially) respond to.

We need to learn to do the same ... which is why putting listening ahead of our temptation to download is so important. A double-listening: to the person and to the Spirit will prove a potent combination, since it will enable us to journey with the person right from their own starting point. The Discovery Bible Study approach for those who are willing to sit down and explore then proves useful compared to a set course, because you have the freedom to choose which passages you think best fits the person's starting point and progress.

Of course bespoke approaches are more costly and resource intensive (just like in physical manufacturing) ... but the eventual quality and elegance is so much higher. Can the church afford this cost? Yes, if every believer is willing to make themselves available for the unique conversations that God can put in their path.

False False Gods

A few weeks ago I came across this article in The Telegraph slamming the so-called 'managerial class' supposedly running the church of England. Among other things the author was bemoaning the loss of traditional church choirs, but citing that as the result of (in the author's assessment) more troubling and deeper issues in the organisation.

Personally I am not so worried about arguments about choirs, or music styles in churches, or even debates about how churches are run. What caught my attention was an astounding statement in the very last sentence of the article: "Thanks to the false god of 'outreach', the Church of England is severing them".

I have never heard 'outreach' asserted as a false god before! As someone who has spent the last 20 years advocating "Misseo Dei" - God who is intrinsically reaching out on mission - I guess I find this assertion as the ultimate false statement. My critique of many a church (and many a individual believer) is not having a proper and holistic appreciation of Misseo Dei and the implications for the church and for us. The Mission aspect (and hence outreach) is all too frequently an 'add on', rather understood centrally in the reason & purpose of our faith ... allowing other things to take precedent, affecting our budgets, allocation of time and energies.

The fact that some look to institutions such as the church of England, and put its institutional life as the precedent, and label as "false god" the mission/outreach agenda, shows to me just how polar opposite from God's desire that people's thinking can become. Of course this is really no surprise: in God's ultimate mission move we read "... the world did not recognise him ... He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him" (John 1 verses 10 and 11).

Now at this point we should be clear: all of us, as fallen humanity, are capable of making anything we have around us on this world as a 'false god', i.e. elevating it above its proper place and holding it high instead of God. Our worship style, or thoughts on how things should be organised, and yes even our own agendas for outreach can be put above God in the way we think and then live out our lives. This is a problem that none of us are immune to, and we all have to repeatedly face up to.

But in facing it, we return to God, and hold Him again as first & only. This we are able to do because He first loved us, i.e. because He reaches out (over & over) to us, a mission endeavour on God's part! The fact that God reaches out ... to us and to others ... surely then leaves us with just one response: to be embraced by Him and to join His action in reaching others. In doing so we relegate our own plans. But that relegating means putting God's outreach desires ahead of our own personal preferences and tastes - preferring instead to do what is necessary to reach out to those of other backgrounds, choosing ways (like choice of music style) that might make sense for them rather than sticking to our own taste.

That doesn't make mission a false god, but a priority we pursue because the true God Himself is a God of mission!

Formidable Task

This week commemorates the D-Day landings from 80 years ago. There have been ceremonies, special events, documentaries and extensive news coverage - reminding us of the formidable and colossal task of invading occupied territory such that the overall war could eventually be won.

There are many a story of huge sacrifice, with a scale of loss of life that we simply cannot begin to properly comprehend - for example as landing craft lowered their ramps friends and colleagues would have been cut down immediately as soldiers attempted to run forward. Yet listening to first hand accounts of surviving soldiers, they went into this mayhem with an incredible sense of purpose and mission. The controlling thought was not "What can I do?", but more of "What needs to be done?". With all the many months of planning, logistics, coordinated actions of land, sea & air, and individual unit objectives ... the many & diverse allied participants seemed to go in each personally owning the task at hand.

Jesus left his disciples with a commission stemming from the 'all authority' that was given to him. That commission was to 'make disciples' of all peoples - a formidable task in its own way. Elsewhere Jesus had made it very clear that it would be costly too, involving forms of sacrifice (including death for some).

This commission still stands today, and remains a formidable task. Jesus is Risen Lord, and yet we do not see all things subject to Him. Various church organisations as well as mission agencies continue to pray, plan and commission at scale to continue implementing the commission to make disciples of all peoples - praise God! But I wonder if at ground level whether many western Christians have an equivalent sense of personal ownership of the task, or do they leave it to the 'institution' (e.g. the church or denomination) that they belong to?

In contemplating the task, a reasonable question asked by an individual believer would be "What can I do?", especially if they are not naturally gifted as an evangelist. They may also consider that their indirect auxiliary contribution is useful and sufficient (the D-Day landings of course included a mass multitude of auxiliary contribution apart from the frontline soldiers). This is valid.

Yet a better question is 'What needs to be done?'. To complete this Commission, to see it played out to all peoples as Jesus commanded, let each of us look to Him for that Big Picture Command, that over-arching sense of what we - as His operatives - should be about. With that as our starting point, we can pray & consider strategically the approach we and our fellow believers are taking - linked with our church, churches, and other Christian organisations in our own sector. With all that in mind we can then pray and individually discern our particular action, or near term unit objectives.

The Great Commission is about an invasion - re-entering occupied territory with the Good News of the Kingdom of God. It requires thousands of individual believers owning the task regardless of whatever rank or station they perceive themselves to be. It will involve loss and sacrifice, perhaps in ways we cannot comprehend, but it stems from 'all authority', which means we can confident of eventual victory.

Ascension

The church calendar for the past week has included Ascension - recognising the time when Jesus disappeared from physical view in front of His followers and returned to the God-head. With this episode there is also the commissioning of the disciples - the 'Great Commission' recorded in Matthew, and Luke recording 'You will be may witnesses' at the start of Acts. The later fragments of Mark also include a commissioning, which reads:

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole of creation.

Let's think about this commission being 'to the whole of creation', rather than merely being people focussed. The Greek that we have translated as preached conveys the meaning of 'herald' or 'announce' - bringing the new information to bear. The 'gospel' - the news of Jesus Christ - was to be announced across all the world. The language used would be familiar to first century people: when there was a new emperor, the news would conveyed across the whole empire (perhaps even beyond) by people tasked to make the announcement.

The task of the disciples was to convey the news of a new Lord - this is the good news of Jesus.

But this is not merely a piece of political news that impacts the lives of people! Jesus being Lord has far greater implications, and is news for the whole of creation itself. The Greek that is translated for us 'whole of creation' conveys that sense. It could also be translated 'all that is created' - that means the very fabric of the universe as we know it needs to hear this good news of Jesus' Lordship announcement!

And remember too that it is not just the physical that is created. We understand creation as including the physical and the 'heavenly bodies': a supernatural realm (containing good and fallen) that is beyond our understanding or accurate description, but nonetheless in existence and created. All this too needs to hear this good news declaration.

So the commission, as written in some copies of Mark, is for us as Jesus disciples to declare to everything, including in the spiritual realm that Jesus is Lord. That means the scope of our role stretches far wider than telling friends, neighbours or strangers! These copies of Mark should broaden our horizon - the calling is not just convincing some people that following Jesus is a better way of life (though that is certainly included), but for us to make the cosmic declaration that Jesus is above all: all people, all creatures, all things, here in the physical, and in the spiritual.

Jesus is Lord and above all!

Flourishing Community

There are few people who do not nod in agreement when talking about a desire for a healthy & vibrant community. Non-believers, people of other faiths, even most cynics - when presented with a vision of a healthy flourishing community - will agree that at the very least 'it sounds like a good idea'.

Our Christian perspective informs us that such notions overlap with a Kingdom vision. We have rich resources, such as passages in Isaiah and Zechariah that inspire us towards that vision. The over-arching story from Abraham onwards is of a people who are devoted to God and blessed by Him themselves being a blessing to the their surrounding community (and ultimately the global community). We know that Jesus came to fulfil just that, and in being Christ-followers we take part in the very same project.

We can seed, contribute towards and help enable flourishing community for all because of our faith in Jesus.

But as Christ-followers seeking first His Kingdom we should also recognise some fundamental difficulties. The sad reality is that there is a sea of need out there, that can easily dwarf whatever good we might bring as an individual or as a small dedicated group. From a population growth perspective, we might also wonder if we and fellow believers can keep up even if we believe that just a few of us can act as sufficient yeast to permeate the batch of dough.

But I fear that another fundamental difficulty also needs to be understood: that the principalities & powers are not done yet. Our Kingdom activity in the name of Jesus pushes back these malevolent powers for sure, but given time & opportunity they will happily go on the counter-offensive - especially if the witness to Jesus as Lord subsides, the salt & light diminishes. This is saying (in spiritual terms) that over time the Kingdom wins of a particular flourishing community can be lost. After all, do we not see that over and over in the books of Judges, Kings and Chronicles?

Kingdom gains that enable flourishing community flow primarily out of lives lived for Jesus. Lives lived this way flow from lives won for Jesus, and they are of course the result of witness to Jesus and Good New declared. The yeast is supposed to work into the whole batch of dough, and the tiny mustard seed is supposed to grow into a tree that provides for all - in other words that there is ultimately 'Gospel Saturation' (a term used by disciple movement pioneers).

Kingdom initiative to enable flourishing community is excellent. But it needs to perpetuate, regenerate, and by God's grace spread. That means it is unmistakably connected to the basic call made by Jesus: "Come, follow me!".

Banning Prayer - An Age Old Tactic

This week national news ran the story of a secondary school that had banned 'prayer rituals' as part of its behaviour policy. The policy was challenged in the High Court by a Muslim pupil, with the case arising from the pupil and her peers wanting to pray as a group at lunch time, as per the practice suggested (prescribed?) for them by their religious community. Apparently circa 30 pupils wanted to actively join, but the school appears to have very strict behaviour codes, including (it seems) limiting groups to just four people even outside on the school communal areas.

One might wonder about this '4 max' policy (which sounds more like an anti-protest law you would expect in places like Russia ...), or about the merits of the High Court's decision to dismiss the challenge (i.e. effectively agreeing with the school). What I would like to focus on, however, is the notion that you can somehow ban prayer.

It reminds me of Daniel, and the jealous troublemakers who persuaded the king to create an edict banning any prayer (other than to the king). Daniel was not deterred, and didn't even bother to take his praying underground. As we know, lions became involved and they got to enjoy a tasty breakfast ...!

Banning prayer is an age old tactic, but is a ridiculous and futile notion. To be fair to the school, they are banning 'prayer rituals' rather than any prayer per se. They have suggested that the gang-of-thirty in their ritual would be intimidating, but I wonder if they have missed an opportunity to discuss and set a culture of understanding, multilateral tolerance and respect? Maybe their own staunchly secular ethos is now being used as an intimidation in itself?

For the pupils ... why not keep praying like Daniel, albeit subversively: 8 gangs of 4 would do it, or spread themselves out (a bit like the 2m social distancing thing we learnt in covid) so that technically they are not a gathering! Surely the school cannot proscribe individuals standing in apparent silence, or even individuals kneeling in silence, out on the school grounds?

Those who don't understand the spiritual will try many tactics to hold their position, but none of these are new and ultimately none of them of work.

Resurrection Focus

The aftermath of Easter was that everything was now changed. The whole perspective and deal of religious thought is changed in the light of the resurrection. Jesus was not just a special leader, a person with special power or godly abilities ... He is the one who fuses the heavenly with the physical created order, fully God & fully man in perpetuity. That means we don't just look to Jesus for good example or inspiration, but we acknowledge Him as supreme over all. Whereas before we might have thought of looking to spiritual figures of the past to help us strive to understand the divine and be better people, with Jesus raised from the dead we now see the path of faith is in and through a person - this person Jesus.

The Jewish leaders at the time had thought that they could faithfully stick to 'the faith system' as they understood it by doing away with Jesus. The Roman governor, wanting to keep order and peace to avoid any sense of threat to Caesar, acquiesced to the injustice. For them having Jesus dead was to be the end of the matter ... but from the Easter Sunday He was no longer dead!

Thus the evangelistic sermons recorded in Acts lead to the punchline: 'He was killed ... but God raised Him!'. Jesus is Lord - not Caesar, not any other system or institution ... and we know this because of the resurrection. Regardless of the length or starting point of the message, Peter and the other early preachers showed that they had this laser-like resurrection focus!

In our own opportunities for witness, whatever long way off starting point you might need to work from ... keep this same ultimate resurrection focus in mind.

Implications of a Big Yes

The moment someone decides to make a 'Big Yes' to Jesus, a whole string of fresh questions are triggered both for now and into the future. These basically come down to: 'How should I live my life in the light of this Big Yes decision?'. This is the fundamental question of discipleship, and its scope includes way more than good habits to pick up (such as pray daily, read scripture, attend church gatherings).

For each new believer it means working out: 'What about the other gods in my life?'. For someone who has come from a different faith background, that god or those gods will be readily apparent. However we shouldn't kid ourselves thinking that those from a secular or nominal Christian background do not have the same dilemma - the reality is that we have all trusted in other gods such as wealth, commerce, career aspirations etc. So the same basic question is always pertinent.

Our task in discipling someone is to help them navigate these thought processes as they journey into discipleship. We could of course give a simple and direct list: "Stop this, abandon that, leave such & such behind ...". That would technically be correct, but not necessarily good discipleship mentoring:

1. because the person needs to discover for themselves that these are false gods compared to Jesus - it needs to be their decision that they now own
2. because we want to train the person to take their own responsibility through the rest of their lives to seek God, discern, and act willingly on that discernment

The temptation is to load onto someone, or rush them into what you see 'as obvious' ... but they need to work it out for themselves. In other words the Discovery Process continues past the 'Big Yes' decision into ongoing discipleship.

I once read a story back in the 1700's of someone coming to faith in a Quaker environment. The new convert asked their mentor 'Should I still wear my sword out in public?' (apparently people wore or carried swords in everyday life!). The Christian mentor gave a wise reply: "Wear it for as long as it feels comfortable ...". I think they were saying: "Ask God, and when you realise what He is telling you, then it is definitely time to act!"

In our mission activity, let us not get people to tick boxes that we choose to put in front of them! No - let us point people to Jesus, and enable them to be true Jesus-followers in their own right, where they take action on what Jesus lays on their heart. Sure it will need some direction, prodding and pointing on the way, and the process may be frustrating or slow ... but ultimately way more fruitful.

One Shall Tell Another ...

One of the important aspects of the Discovery Bible approach that we are using is to methodically include an encouragement & challenge to tell others in each session. This is usually towards the end of the session with a question like 'who do you think you might tell?' or 'how / when might we tell this to others?'.

This question is used even in the earliest stages, before the participants have received Christ for themselves. The fact that they have not made any kind of decision for Jesus doesn't mean that they can't start telling others of what they have discovered so far, or of their steps of exploration.

This is important because it builds in the principle that we can share our faith right from the start. The Great Commission is not some add-on for the few keenies, but fundamental to following Jesus - to discipleship itself. To talk of 'missionary disciples' is counter-productive because true discipleship should be intrinsically missional by definition - it doesn't need the adjective!

At the start of the next session in amongst the natural 'how are you?' questions, each person is asked how they have got on with telling others. Of course this is not an interrogation, and we don't do shame, but we do model loving accountability from the outset - which is another key component of the approach.

Of course it may be that someone has not identified any opportunity to tell, or not seized it when it presented. But with the Spirit at work pleasant surprises can arise: in one session someone fed back that they had not just told the one person they identified the week before, but in fact had told the whole group that they were mutually part of. It is this one-to-many occurrence that gives rise to the possibility of gospel multiplication and further spread of the Good News.

Decisions for Jesus

When someone decides to follow Jesus, there is alot going on. We should never understand it as merely an intellectual response - but one that includes the emotion and the will of the person. Above all it is a spiritual response.

The reality is that for many people their response is actually a series of responses. Rather than one simple before/after decision, they are making a number of steps along the way. I suspect that this reality applied in the gospels and Acts too: although the accounts may suggest to us simple decisions, dig deeper and it is more messy. For example it took a while for the closest disciples to really get what Jesus was telling them, and Cornelius was already seeking & calling on God before Peter arrived. Others had had "John's baptism" but not the baptism of Jesus and His Spirit, and so on.

When working with enquirers, I have found it is helpful for us to find a language for these multiple steps. It enables us to talk with people about where they are at, recognise & encourage progress, and point towards the total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus that He calls us to. Sticking to a simple (binary) mantra I have found to be unhelpful.

I am indebted to Mark Greenwood's book 'Big Yes Little Yes Healthy Maybe' for giving a good language to use with people. Greenwood argues the same - that most make several steps, and sets out helpful thinking on how we therefore journey with people as they come to Christ response by response.

He characterises those who are basically open to finding out more as giving a 'Healthy Maybe' response. They are not saying 'no' to the gospel, but they are not able to say 'yes' either. Being open might mean that they would be willing to sit down and explore together - that is a healthy response, hence the 'Healthy Maybe'.

As people explore for themselves, they reach points where things start to make sense - but they are not ready to jump all in. There are bits they believe, others they do not (yet), and many things that seem fuzzy. Mark calls these 'Little Yes' responses. The point here is that a person may make many 'Little Yes' responses, as they journey onwards. It is not for us to define the number or the exact points - they are like spiritual response stepping stones.

Eventually something clicks. The person realises that for them there is no real alternative but to follow Jesus with all their mind, soul and strength. This is the 'Big Yes' response, from which we hope there will be no turning back. Baptism and God's filling with the Holy Spirit are the Biblical follow-ons for a person making this response. If you want to talk in terms of crossing the line, then this is it.

Field Number Three - Discipleship in Small Settings

An important mission distinction that is now being realised by Western Christian leaders is between making disciples rather than counting decisions. Many churches have concentrated on the latter and neglected the former. The Great Commission of Matthew 28 is very clear: Make Disciples.

As we meander fields 1 & 2 in the Four Fields model of working amongst new people, we are praying and hoping by God's grace to see people to say a 'Big Yes' to Jesus and embark on a life of discipleship. But the discipling process starts straight away in Field 2 - Gospel Sharing - as we discover who is spiritually open and willing to journey with us in some form of Discovery Bible Study. In those discovery sessions we typically look at the gospel stories of Jesus, to help the enquirer discover Jesus for themselves. As we do that we share and model good discipleship habits, chiefly asking each time: 'Based on this discovery, what do you think Jesus would have you do?'. In simple terms this means modelling obedience to Jesus.

For example an enquirer was doing these kind of sessions with me, looking through episodes in Mark's gospel. Previously we had covered the man lowered through the roof, the man with the withered hand, healings and demons commanded to be quiet in the crowds, calming the storm, and the legion demoniac. This had enabled my new friend to begin to appreciate Jesus as one who can forgive, heal, command the demons, and command the storm. For each aspect we compared what this was saying about Jesus to the gods of his own religious background, and his understanding of those god's capabilities. Through these sessions modelling discipleship included looking to Jesus for healing, accepting that He has the plain & simple authority, and being still with Jesus even in the storms. Story by story the penny started to drop - and we used prayers that I would characterise as 'Little Yes' responses to Jesus.

Then we came to the story of Jesus bringing back Jairus' daughter from her death. This proved to be a key discovery. There was no equivalent story in their own religious background - it is only Jesus who has the power over life and death! His immediate 'Big Yes' to Jesus response takes us into Field 3 - Discipleship in Small Settings. We will continue with the same tools of Discovery Bible Study, but with the shift of context from 'Is Jesus worth following?' to 'What does following Jesus mean for us today?'. The shift is a natural one because remember we were already modelling discipleship from the very first session! Sessions can be done one-to-one or in a group - either way it is a small setting, making it deeply relational and personal for those involved.

Note that we are not so concerned with 'church' yet! That will come ... if the small setting involves more than one (plus the leader), or the enquirer(s) are able to share and start sessions with their own contacts, then you have the first signs of church forming on a micro-scale anyway.

To the One Who is Victorious

The seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 & 3 each have recurring start and closing phrases, with only minor variations between them. In the close of each are the words 'To the one who is victorious ...'.

This raises good questions: What does it mean to be victorious? Is it just victorious at the very end or in any way victorious right now?

Other translations have 'the one who overcomes' which helps shed light on being victorious. The final letter adds 'just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne' (3:21), which suggests victory in the form of enduring through persecution, and Jesus endured through the cross.

Whether the meaning of being victorious is narrow or broad, the one who is victorious is promised:

1. The right to eat from the tree of life
2. to not be hurt by the second death
3. some of the hidden manna (plus a new name)
4. given authority over the nations (plus the 'morning star')
   
5. to be dressed in white, never blotted from the book of life
6. to be made a pillar in the temple of God, bearing the name of God, the city of God, and a new name
7. the right to sit with Jesus on the throne

By any standards that's a pretty awesome list!!

Continue to stand firm in Christ, whatever comes at you, and discover His life-giving resources. Have no fear of death, and enjoy the blessing he brings. We get to rule with Him, and He dresses us accordingly. With others we bear the name of God, forming a new each-a-temple-of-the-Holy-Spirit community. Our ultimate victory is bound up with His victory - it is His rule we join!

Did You Hear that Differently?

A handy tool to use when talking with a friend or acquaintance about Christian faith topics is (when it seems appropriate) to tell a simple story that Jesus told. Many can be told in less than 60 seconds which means you can use it within the flow of your conversation (it also means you can record as a YouTube short or TikTok video!). An open and inviting question to then ask is: "What does this story tell you about God and people?".

Be totally cool with the fact that their answer may be nothing like what you expect!

That's especially true if they are coming from a different culture or religion. Not long ago I had the opportunity to share the story of the 'Lost Coin' with three different people. For each I asked the same inviting question. Two of them said (independently) the same answer: 'If you go looking for a god, you will find it'. I was fascinated, because that is 180 degrees from our classic understanding of God searching for lost people! For one of those I played with the concept with them to see if they could hear the story flipped back round, but their understanding really remained in the 'search for a god' mindset.

Both of the people are originally from a southern Asia culture and religious background, which entertains a plurality of gods. This is where storytelling is so useful: it is effectively a universal communication channel that can be used across the globe - we all like to hear & process stories. Stories invite others to process and think for themselves, which is better than us trying to download truth-content to others, because ultimately people need to receive spiritually, and not simply assent to your faith statements. But while stories are a universal comms channel, the exact meaning heard by the listener will be unique to them, and heavily influenced by their own background and understandings.

The good news is that in a friendly conversation, whatever their answer may be, it gives a starting point from which to dialogue further, even if it seems to be quite different to the Christian textbook response. Remember that Jesus started from where people were at, and then journeyed from that point ...

Interestingly the third person I told the story to was a young person with a White British background with a fair degree of Christian influence. Although their answer was pretty much the classic one, they also offered an alternative similar to my first two friends, saying: 'If you search for God, you will find God' - echoing (without realising it) Deuteronomy 4:29, 1 Chronicles 28:9 and 2 Chronicles 15:2.

Meandering in the Fields

As per previous posts, the 'Four Fields' model is a way of understanding our approach to witnessing and potentially starting something new. The work goes on and weeks tick by. For now we still find ourselves effectively in fields one and two.

A key thing to remember is that we don't get to control the timescales: this approach goes at the pace of the people we meet, albeit with our intentional encouragement for people to move towards Jesus! It is not a fixed programme, with set sessions or timescales. Nor does it revolve around inviting people to set events hosted by a church. No this is long and deep alongside investment in people with the gospel news & hope as our motivation.

But that also means that it is not straight-forward linear progress! We have to accept the reality of 'a step forward, a step or two back, plus many other steps sideways ...'. A person we perceived to be engaging might not continue with us down the track, or suddenly become unavailable for reasons unknown to us.

While these ups and downs are happening in the field two of gospel sharing, we are still meeting other new people: field one activity! That means we meander between the two fields from one day to the next, depending on what we are doing or who we are meeting. That is the nature of our work!

For those who like predictable outcomes it is a recipe for much frustration - but Jesus in His parable of the sower clearly implied a liberal scattering across the whole terrain. Sadly some seed will be lost and other seed may not thrive, but we continue with the meandering (yet intentional) process in the hope for that eventual crop that bears much fruit.

Moments of Public Outrage

We know from the Biblical prophets that God hates injustice. He favours the underdog - the 'small people' downtrodden by unjust powerful people and systems. We also know that Jesus gave attention to the marginalised, and called out people of power when their systems of power held people down in misery.

The call of mission for a follower of Jesus therefore includes listening to the marginalised and thinking against all the odds: "they might just be right ...".

Most ordinary members of the public also have in-built senses of justice. They may get distorted, or lost in the confusion of competing factors ... but sometimes they come to the fore at least at the local level.

Very occasionally, a collective outrage at injustice emerges at a national (majority of population) level. This past week has seen just that with the Post Office scandal, brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama. Viewing figures have exceeded all expectations, and people have been moved to combined tears and anger as they have watched the drama of ordinary people being belittled, gas-lighted, harassed and prosecuted by an intransigent big power institution that continually failed to allow any kind of mirror or light shine onto its stance or practices.

People in their hundreds of thousands seem to have instinctively felt for the ordinary folk who suffered at the hands of what had become a corporate monster, and naturally identified with the underdog undertaking a 'David and Goliath' type battle. The collective public response should give us hope: consciences are not dead, and people do have underlying principles of 'right and wrong' even in our highly secularised post-Christendom culture!

The trust in the computer system was a fundamental mistake by the Post Office, and needs to act as a warning light as society embraces further technological advances such as AI and 'intelligent' automation. Its not that these things are always evil, but for us Jesus-followers we have to keep in mind that they are human created systems, and therefore caught up in the brokenness and flaws that we find ourselves in these 'now but not yet' times. Trust God - not the systems we have created!

The nation now holds its breath, waiting to see how this corporate Goliath might actually fall. We know that such battles are not won by wearing heavy armour, but in the spiritual by God enabling well-placed deliverance.

Ezekiel, Jesus, Sheep and Shepherds

God has a habit of using everyday scenarios and language to communicate with His people. Among the wide variety of imagery used includes vines, sheep and their shepherds, prostitutes, breasts, nakedness and much more besides. Don't believe me? Check out the book of Ezekiel!

Jesus also used down to earth stories involving scenarios people could easily imagine as real and relate to. He also picked up on these same themes from Ezekiel (and the other prophets). This must have spiked the religious leaders - was Jesus in effect saying to them: 'look at what Ezekiel described ... have you learnt nothing from those days? Have you not moved on at all?'.

Take sheep and shepherds for example. Read Ezekiel 34 and make a note of how many parallels you see with Jesus, his stories and dialogue with the fractious elements of the crowds.

Jesus told the story of the Lost Sheep - check out Ezekiel 34 verses 4 to 7 and 11 to 16. Note also the theme of healing and helping those injured or broken and correlate it with the practical ministry of Jesus among the crowds.

Verses 7 onwards talks of the need for a Good Shepherd, with verse 11 saying 'I myself will ...'. Now read what Jesus says (direct to the Pharisees) in John chapter 10! Return now to Ezekiel and verses 23 - 24.

Back-tracking a bit to v17, Ezekiel talks of judgement between sheep and goats. Jesus picks this image up in his famous depiction written up by Matthew (chapter 25). Note how the bad ones are making life difficult for all by trampling the pasture, muddying the drinking water, pushing/shoving/butting out the weak - driving them away. That's the reverse of God's intent, which is why they must be replaced.

Ezekiel chapter 34 verses 25 to 31 present a different vision: with God (Jesus) as their shepherd there will be a new age of thriving and blessing. The old yoke will be broken (ah ha - Jesus picked up on that too!), paving the way for the wonderful declaration of v31:

You are my sheep of my pasture, and I am your God.

Let Jesus be your Good Shepherd, learn to follow and take on the work that He gives you as one of his under-shepherds, joining the work of spreading the blessing, caring, healing, and gathering in other lost sheep.