God’s Story, My Story (All Saints’ Lent Course): Church

So we’ve reached the end of our story…or have we?

The story I’ve told is a story of a good creation spoiled by defecting human beings. It’s a story of a God who does not give up on his creation but who calls a people and makes a covenant with them, so that they could be his light in the world. It’s a story of a people who walk away from that vocation just as humanity did, choosing a human king instead of rejoicing in God’s rule. It’s a story of God who persists by continuing to move towards humanity. Ultimately, the story of creation and the story of Israel both climax in the life of Jesus, who embodies, demonstrates and announces what God’s rule is.

But the story is not yet complete. The resurrection of Jesus initiates the final chapter of the story – the recreation of God’s creation with a redeemed people inhabiting it. Easter Day marks the dawn of renewed creation, which will reach its finale at the end of the age. And the Church is the redeemed people who live as a redeemed people, living in anticipation of that finale. That’s where we live. That’s where we are located in the story of God. Read more

God’s Story, My Story (All Saints’ Lent Course): Christ

The story so far…

Chapter 1 was ‘Creation’. A good God created a good creation. Good, not perfect. Created fresh and pristine, ready to grow into greater goodness, with humanity working alongside God in community with him and one another.

Chapter 2 was ‘Crisis’. Instead of relying on God’s goodness, humanity chose the route of independence and defected. With self will, humanity has an inward distortion, broken, fragmented, painful. Relationships are damaged, exploitation and alienation define and shape relationships. Yet despite this, God remains faithful and continues to reach out to us. God wants to reconcile.

Chapter 3 was ‘Calling’. God moves towards us by calling and setting apart a people. He makes a covenant with Israel, giving them his presence, his law and his Spirit. But Israel’s self-will leads her to demand a human rather than a divine king. She becomes self-absorbed rather than a light to the world. God continues to move towards Israel and the hope becomes one for a royal representative, who would do for Israel what Israel could not do – be a light to the world. Read more

Saving the World (John 3:14-21)

As I read that well known Gospel passage I’m struck, not just by the things Jesus is saying, but also by my reaction to words which are as familiar to me as these.  Familiarity can be a plus, but it can also be a minus.
For example, there are some things with which we’re all very familiar, things we’re used to and things we’re all acquainted with.   It can’t possibly have escaped your notice that today is Mother’s day – a family occasion and a familiar occasion. 
There’s the story of the teacher who was teaching her class of 7 year olds about magnetism and how it worked.  And at the end of the lesson she gave them a test.  “What is it” she asked, “that begins with ‘M’, has six letters, and picks things up?”  And immediately the cry went up, “MOTHER!”  Read more

God’s Story, My Story (All Saints’ Lent Course): Calling

Last week the focus was on ‘Crisis’. Although we have been created by God to live in harmonious dependence on his grace, we have chosen to live outside God’s will and reign, in ever-increasing independence. We often convince ourselves that this quest for self-will and self-rule is a journey of further discovery. Paul in Romans says the opposite: the more self-will we have the further we move from dependence on God and the less we know:

…for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened.  22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools;  23 and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. Read more