Freedom in Christ: Session 9 Forgiving from the heart

Introduction

On July 7th 2005, Jenny Nicholson, got on the tube at Paddington Station, to travel to the publishing company where she worked. It was a journey she had taken many times, but it was to be her last. She was one of fifty two people killed that day, as terrorists attacked the transport network in London, Jenny Nicholson was only 24 years old.

Just over three weeks later, on the 30th July 2005, Anthony Walker, a young 18 year with a very promising future ahead of him, was brutally murdered by a gang of racist thugs in Merseyside.

The one thing linking these two stories, is that both Jenny Nicholson and Anthony Walker came from Christian families. But the families have responded to their deaths, has been quite different.

The mother of Jenny Nicholson, the Revd Julie Nicholson, found it impossible to forgive her daughter’s attackers, and resigned from her role as Parish Priest. In contrast however, the mother of Anthony Walker, Mrs Gee Walker, publicly forgive her sons killers. She went on to say that she felt no hate for her son’s killers, only sadness, she said, “Jesus commanded, ‘Take up your cross and follow me.’ So I try to stay focused and my message is peace, love and forgiveness.”
Both stories, illustrate the challenge of forgiveness. As Christians we are called to be prepared to forgive, yet as we see from these two stories, forgiveness can be costly, and difficult
What do we learn about forgiveness?

So why is forgiving people so important?

1 Forgiveness reaches out to the undeserving.

When Jesus was being nailed to the cry, he cried out Father forgive them. The people who had beat Jesus, mocked Him, and nailed Him to the cross did not deserve forgiveness. But Jesus offered it to them, and this shows how forgiveness reaches out to the undeserving.

We are the undeserving. Jesus’ words on the cross, reminds us that God’s forgiveness also extends out to each one of us, and that none of us are beyond the reach of God’s love or forgiveness, now matter what it is we have done. There is nothing that God cannot forgive.

2 We are to follow Jesus’ example

As Christians we are to follow the example of Jesus, we are to be people who are willing to forgive others, to extend the hand of forgiveness to the undeserving, just as we have been forgiven ourselves. But the reality is that, many people find this extremely difficult, like the mother of Jenny Nicholson. To forgive someone who has wronged you is not easy.

You yourself may have been hurt in the past, and you may feel that the person who wronged you doesn’t deserve to be forgiven, but then again did the people who put Jesus to death deserve to be forgiven? No. Do we deserve to be forgiven by God when we sin against him? No. But yet God still forgives us. And we too are called to forgive because God has forgiven us. Paul in Ephesians 4:31-32 writes, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

1. Forgiving is linked to being forgiven ourselves:

We are called to forgive other people, because being prepared to forgive other people is linked to being forgiven ourselves.

In the Lord’s prayer, there is only one petition that has any condition attached to it: it is the petition of forgiveness. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us”, and said “For if you do not forgive others from the heart, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your sins.”

Notice first of all, that Jesus assumed we would forgive others. Forgive us, AS WE forgive others… To forgive as Christians is not an optional extra, it is something we are meant to do. Notice also that our forgiveness in effect depends on our own willingness to forgive others. If we refuse to forgive those who have hurt us, it will have an impact upon our relationship with God. Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

2 Because it is part of our spiritual growth

Another reason why we are to be prepared to forgive others, is that the more we learn and practice forgiveness, the more we become like God, who himself is merciful and forgiving. As Christians what enables us to forgive is the knowledge that we ourselves have been forgiven by God. God has forgiven us, not because we deserve it, but because he is full of grace and mercy. Those

3 Because it is in our own interest

An unwillingness to forgive people can have a detrimental effect upon us. If we hold on to resentment, anger or hatred, it can damage us, far more than the person we are unwilling to forgive. For example, I am sure we can all think of people, whose lives have been corrupted by the strong sense of bitterness and anger that they have felt towards a person or a situation. To refuse to forgive someone is a bit like walking past a fisherman and getting snagged by a fish hook in your cheek. How do get rid of the pain? By leaving the hook in place? No, by taking it out!

If we do not forgive, we shall not enter into the all the joy and freedom God wants for us. Unwillingness to forgive ties us to the past, so that we cannot move forward.

Reluctance to forgive

Sometimes we may be reluctant to forgive. It may be that we are afraid that if we do forgive, we will in effect by saying:
• That the offence didn’t really hurt me
• That I and my feelings don’t matter much
• That we believe the offender had a valid excuse to hurt us
• That the offender need not face any consequences for their actions
• That it is okay to hurt me again.

But forgiving someone doesn’t apply any of these things. Just as when Jesus said from the cross, Father forgive them, he wasn’t saying that our sin which took him to the cross wasn’t significant, it was, but he still forgave us.

What forgiving involves

So what does the process of forgiving involve?

Forgiveness doesn’t mean denying our feelings of hurt, anger, outrage, loss, but acknowledging them, and learning to let go of them so we can move forwards in freedom. And it means refusing to seek revenge, if you wrong me, and I forgive you, I shouldn’t then go and look for ways in which I can get my own back on you.

How can you forgive someone when you have been really hurt, especially when we have been hurt or let down by those who are closest to us?
But there are some things we can do which can help us.
• We can talk about it, especially to a wise and trusted friend.
• We can try to understand why the person who has upset us has acted in a certain way. For example, Professor Sheila Hollins, the mother of Abigail Witchalls, the young mother who was left paralysed after been attacked whilst walking with her young son, was able to forgive the attacker, Richard Cazaly, who later committed suicide. Professor Hollins said “His death is the real tragedy in this story because he lost his life and almost certainly this was the consequence of the mind-altering drugs he was using." She was able to forgive this man, in part because she understood the effect these drugs had upon him.
• We can pray:
1 Pray for ourselves, by sharing our feelings with God, and asking for his help and grace to lead us to a point where we feel we can forgive.
2 Pray for the person who has hurt us that God will bless them- this can be difficult but helpful. Jesus said pray for those who persecute you.
3 And we can pray that God will somehow use what has happened
for our good.

Forgiveness is not just a one off event, it is an ongoing thing. In Matthew 18:21 Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" To which Jesus replies, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. In other words, it is an ongoing thing, and for some people, the process of forgiveness may take many years.

Corrie Ten Boom

There may be some people here today, thinking I know I should forgive, but I don’t think I can. I want to finish by telling the story of Corrie Ten Boom, and how she had to face the challenge of forgiving someone who had hurt her. Corrie was sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp along with 9 members of her family, for sheltering Jews feeling from Nazi persecution in Holland. Although Corrie survived the camp, many of her family didn’t. In 1947 she came face to face with one of her former guards, and this is what she wrote about that encounter.

“Memories of the concentration camp came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment of skin.

Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!" It was the first time since my release that I had been face to face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.

"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there. But since that time I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein--" again the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"

And I stood there--and could not. My sister Betsie had died in that place--could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do. For I had to do it--I knew that.

Still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. "I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!"

For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely as I did then.
Conclusion

Forgiveness is to set a captive free and then to realise that you were the captive. God commands us to forgive because he loves us. He knows how refusal to forgive leads to the corrosive and destructive influence of bitterness, and causes us to miss out on the abundant life that Jesus came to give us.

The greatest symbol we have for forgiveness is the cross of Jesus. The cross also reveals to us just how costly forgiveness can be, but also how necessary it is. Mother Teresa said, If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive. In Christ’s suffering on the cross that not only do we see true love revealed, but also the power of forgiveness to bring healing & wholeness. This is what Corrie ten Boom discovered when she met her former capture, and this is what we too can discover if we are people who are prepared to forgive.

Freedom in Christ: Who am I? Session 1

The following sermon is taken from the Freedom in Christ Discipleship Course by Neil Anderson & Steve Goss.

Freedom in Christ
Session 1: Who Am I?

Introduction: Who Are You Really?

The purpose of this course is to help us walk in the freedom that Jesus has won for us. How can we do that? Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). We need to make sure that we really know the truth, not just as “head knowledge”, but in our hearts.

The first area of truth we need to know is where we have come from and who we really are.

So, who are you? It sounds a like a simple question, but the more we think about it, the more complicated we realise it is. What makes up the real “me”, the real “you”? Is it my body, is it what I have? Is it what I do? Is it what I think.

Created in the image of God

We tend to identify ourselves and others by outward appearance, performance and social status.

The Bible however is very clear, that that’s not who we are. It says that we are made “in God’s image” (Genesis 1:26). God is not flesh and blood, he is spirit. As humans we have a physical nature, our bodies, and also a spiritual nature, our soul or spirit. It is our inner spiritual nature that is created in the image of God. Deep down we are spiritual beings.

How we were designed to be

If we look at Adam and Eve, we can see how God intended us to be. Not only was Adam physically alive, in the same way that you and I are. He was also spiritually alive, in other words his spirit, the core of his being was connected to God.

This is how we were designed to be too: on the one hand our spirit connected to our physical body, and on the other hand our spirit connected to God.

This connection to God gave Adam a whole different quality of life from mere physical existence. Being spiritually alive meant that Adam’s life had a number of very important qualities:

1 Significance

God gave Adam a purpose for being – to rule over the birds of the sky, the bests of the field and the fish of the sea (Genesis 1:26). Adam did not have to search for significance or meaning in life – he already had it.
2 Security

He was totally safe and secure in God’s presence. Everything he needed was provided – food, shelter, companionship – everything! He had not concept of what “need” was.

3 Acceptance

Adam had an intimate relationship with God. He could talk with Him at any time and have his full attention. He also had a sense of belonging, not just to God but also to another human being, Eve.

That is how God created you to be. You were designed for that kind of life. Complete security, a real purpose, no need to worry about anything, and a sense of belonging to God and other people.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FALL

But when Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan and they disobeyed God, things dramatically changed.

Spiritual Death

Adam and Eve were told, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) But the death that was talked about, was not only physical death but also spiritual death.

The connection that their spirits had to God was broken and they were separated from God. The effects of this spiritual death for them, and for us were:

1 Lost knowledge of God

The wisdom of God was no longer within them, and they were left to discover their identity, purpose and meaning in life independently of their creator.

To be in relationship with God was to know God. When Adam and Eve sinned and were banished from God’s presence, they lost the intimate knowledge of God they once enjoyed. That is how we came into the world, without a true knowledge of God. We may know about God, but we can’t really know him until we establish a real relationship with him through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14).

2 Negative Emotions

They suddenly experienced a whole host of negative emotions that they had never known before.

a) They felt fearful and anxious

The first emotion expressed by Adam was “I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10). Anxiety disorders are the number one mental health problem in the world. It is hard to imagine, but Adam and Eve had not irrational fears until they sinned. We are born with a driving need to get back to the position of security that they lost.

b) They felt guilty and shameful

Originally they had a sense of significance. When the relationship with God was broken, that was replaced by a sense of guilt and shame. Therefore we are all born with a need to get back that sense of significance.

c) They felt rejected

Originally they had a sense of belonging, of complete acceptance. When the relationship with God was broken, there came a crushing sense of rejection. Everyone is born with that great need to feel accepted, and to belong.

d) They felt weak and powerless

Originally Adam and Eve had the power of God within them to be and do all that God created them to be and do. Now they had to rely on their own strength and resources.

e) They felt depressed and angry

TRYING TO GO BACK TO HOW IT WAS MEANT TO BE

The best the world can offer does not work

Because of the effects on sin on our world, and upon us, we are born with a strong drive to try and regain the acceptance, security and significance that Adam and Eve lost. But we don’t know how to do it.

We try to find significance through our accomplishments, we try to find security through our status, and we try to find acceptance through the admiration of others. But nothing we do, can recapture what was lost with Adam and Eve.

Bernhard Langer, the top golfer, who is also a Christian said this:

By the time I was about 28 years old, I had basically achieved almost everything that I wanted to. I realised that material things don’t make you happy and that there must be more in life than just accumulating money in the bank, or cars, or houses, or whatever. You just want more, more, more and are never satisfied.

We can’t get that life back by trying harder or dressing to impression, because the problem is that we were born separated from God. But God had a plan to restore fallen humanity.

WHAT JESUS CAME TO DO

Give us back spiritual life

The only possible answer to the problems we face is to restore our relationship with God, to reconnect our spirit to God’s spirit, to become spiritually alive again. That was not something we could accomplish ourselves. So God sent Jesus to deal with the sin that had separated us from God.

Jesus was like Adam in that he was both physically and spiritually alive. Unlike Adam, Jesus never sinned. He modelled for us how a spiritually alive person can live in this fallen world if they live dependently upon their heavenly Father.

However, Jesus came to give us more than an example, he came to give us life.

“In the beginning was the Word…. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even through he dies.” (John 11:25)

What Adam lost was life, what Jesus came to give us was life. When we become Christians our spirit is reconnected to God’s spirit – we are spiritually born again, and we can know God and relate to others in the same intimate way that Adam and Eve knew.

Restore Significance, Security and Acceptance

We tend to think that eternal life is something that we get when we die. But it is in fact much more than that – it’s a whole different quality of life right now. In fact, it’s simply getting back the life that Adam lost at the fall. In 1 John 5:12, the apostle John wrote, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life.” The moment we received Christ, we were given the right to be called children of God (John 1:12). Having the life of Christ within us is what makes possible the restoration of what Adam and Eve lost in the fall.

Now our needs to establish an identity, to be accepted, secure and significant are fully met in Christ. And what this sermon series will do, is to explore what this means for our real day to day lives: why we don’t have to strive any longer for people to accept us; why we are secure in Christ despite our circumstances; and why we don’t have to worry about our needs.

The key thing to understand now is that if God says that these things are true, then they really are true. God is truth – our responsibility is to find out what it true and believe it even when our feelings and circumstances tell us something different.

Summary

We seen that through Adam and Eve, God intends for us all to have an intimate relationship with him, and to experience acceptance, significance and security. But that through sin this was lost.

Jesus has come to give us back that life. We have that life right now.

Next week, we’ll come back again to the question “who am I?” and look at the truth of what it means to be a Christian.

Let us pray…..

Quick & True

In happy moments, praise God
In difficult moments, seek God
In quiet moments, worship God
In painful moments, trust God
In every moment, thank God

Five lessons to make you think about the way we treat people

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello." I've never forgot en that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..
it read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving
others."
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have t he plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies...you see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon a pproaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare &serious disease Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Ministry in the Work Place

I want you to spend a moment thinking about what activities you consider to be Christian ministry and service.

Get feed back

It is interesting how often we tend to think of Christian ministry in terms of the activities we do in ‘church’. For instance being a home group leader, or running Sunday school, or cleaning the church building, or being a warden. And there is nothing wrong with this, these are forms of Christian service. But how many of us think of what we do Monday to Friday at work as part of our Christian service and ministry?

Mark Greene has written extensively of mission in the work place, and in his book ‘Thank God it’s Monday’ he quotes one person who said the following: “I’ve been working for seventeen years and it’s only in the last year or so that I’ve recognized my workplace as a ministry. How many Christians die without ever realizing the ministry God had for them?”

So this morning I want us to think about ministry in the work place, the challenges and the opportunities that as Christians we face. What I want to say this morning, isn’t just restricted to those who are in paid employment, it relates to all of us.

Why Work is Important

We only have to look at the opening chapters of the Bible to see how important work is in God’s scheme of things.

First of all we see that God is a God who works. The Bible describes creation as the work of God. For six days God works, and on the seventh he rests from all the work he has done. God is a worker and it is something he chooses to do- it is part of his plan. And we see that God takes pleasure in his work. We’re told that when God finished creating the heavens and the earth he said that it was ‘very good’.

Work was part of God’s gift to humanity in creation; it was part of his original plan. God has created us for work, and this work is given to us as a blessing. We see this in Genesis 1:28, God blessed them and said to them. ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” And from Genesis 2:15 we read: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” And as we see from this verse, we have a responsibility in work to care for the environment, and to care for others. There is a moral responsibility which is connected to the work we do. Elsewhere in the Bible it talks about the importance of working in order to support those in need. Working in order to improve the life of the community as a whole.

God always intended us to be people who work, and God intended work to be a source of satisfaction and pleasure.

And in the New Testament Paul calls upon Christians to do their work for God. Paul writes to the Colossians 3:17, “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Work is one of the ways in which we serve God.

Why the workplace is so important?

In 1945 the Church of England produced a book called ‘Towards the Conversion of England’. In it are written these words. “We are convinced that England will never be converted until the laity use the opportunities daily afforded by their various professions, crafts and occupations.”

As Christians God has called all of us to be his witnesses in the world. The greatest mission field in the world today is right on our doorstep amongst our friend’s neighbours and work colleagues. Britain today is a largely post-Christian society. Fewer and fewer people are attending churches; the level of Christian knowledge in our society is at an all time low.

And this is why being an effective witness in the workplaces so important. Because it is the place where we spend much of our time, maybe up to 40 or 50 hours a week. In the workplace Christians and non-Christians are able to meet and are subject to the same work cultures, and the same pressures. The work place is one of the few places where a non-Christian can actually see the difference that knowing Christ can make to a life, week in, week out. And through the workplace we will know many people, and have many friends, and we will be in contact with people at important points in their lives. For instance when face divorce, illness, or bereavement.

So we see the wonderful opportunities that we have as Christians to minister to those we work with. As Emil Brunner said, what the Christian community needs to do is to regain the lost sense of work as a divine calling.

The challenges of the workplace

We only need to consider the issues facing workers today, to realize what opportunities we have as Christians to bring something positive into the work place.

British workers work longer hours than any other nation in the European Union. And increasingly people are suffering from increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression and less job satisfaction. And people are being forced to work these longer hours, because they fear that if they don’t, their employers will find someone who will. For most people, job security is a thing of the past.

Also consider the values that shape the work place, and the desperate need for a positive Christian witness. For example, most contemporary workplaces assume that God does not exist, and that there are in no way accountable to him, and that he does not intervene in the affairs of business.

The challenge for us as Christians is how to we remind people that we are accountable to God for our actions. What assumptions and attitudes exist in your workplace, and how to they compare to the values and attitudes that God has, such as truth, honesty, justice, and fairness. And what are the values that we bring to the work place? Do we allow our Christian faith to have an impact upon what we do at work?

A further challenge is that increasingly people are seen in terms of what functions they perform in the business, rather than being treated as human beings. And as we work longer hours, people tend to see their work as a measure of their identity and worth. Yet the Bible reminds us that we are created in God’s image, and this attaches a special worth and dignity to each individual person, irrespective of what we do. How can we ensure that this message is heard in the workplace?

So we can see both the challenges, but also the opportunities that we have as Christians in the world of work. So for the remainder of this talk I want us to consider how we can develop a Christian vision for the work place.

A Christian Vision for the Work Place

1. Our work matters to God

The first thing we need to be reminded of is that our work matters to God. God is deeply concerned about the work we do, he is concerned about every part of our lives, and not just what we get up to on a Sunday morning. The work that I do as a priest in God’s eyes is no greater or more important than the work you are involved in. We tend to talk about the priesthood as a vocation, a calling, but secular employment can be just as much a vocation. Think about how important it is for us to have Christian teachers, doctors, nurses, accountants, etc. In fact we need Christians in every walk of life.

If we look at the Bible we see that many of the great biblical heroes were people who had what we would term secular jobs. For example, Joseph who became the chancellor in Egypt, Daniel the imperial adviser to Nebuchadnezzar, or Nehemiah who was the cupbearer to king Artaxerxes.

2. Our primary calling is to be a servant of Jesus Christ

Secondly we need to remember that our primary calling is to be servants of Jesus Christ. A man standing on the platform waiting for the train to take him to work was asked, Who are you? He replied… I am a Christian thinly disguised as an accountant.

If we begin to see our workplace as the context for mission and evangelism, it will change our whole attitude to those we work amongst. For example do we pray for those people we work for? When you go into work do you ask God for opportunities to share your faith with those you work with? And do you meet up with other Christians who work at the same business as you to pray and study the Bible & support one another? Jesus said, Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. The harvest is ripe, we should ask God to preparing and using us to share his love. The important point is that it is not about getting people into church, it is about telling them about the love God has for them.

Being an effective witness in the workplace doesn’t require a degree in theology, just openness to God as the following example demonstrates.

Emily, a small Chinese lady, works at the United Nations. One day one of her co-workers wasn’t feeling well. ‘Can I get you a cup of tea?’ Emily enquired.

‘No’ the other replied rather shortly. ‘I don’t like the tea here. I only drink camomile.’ Emily left her, quietly slipped on her coat, took the lift down several floors and went down the street to a nearby shop. She returned with a box of camomile tea and gave it to this lady, who immediately enveloped her in a huge hug, exclaiming, ‘Emily, I love you’. Emily replied, rather muffled from the epicentre of the massive hug, ‘I love you too.’

Emily’s story illustrates a number of important points:
· We need to be ministry minded- Emily could have just smiled and gone on her way. Instead, because she was ministry minded, because she listened, because she saw the other person’s need and desire, she took an initiative that totally transformed that person’s mood and day.
· Time is on our side- the opportunities will come. We don’t have to create situations in which we can minister- they will happen by themselves. We simply need to pray and be alert.
· Ministry is to individual people- Clearly camomile tea wouldn’t have been a good idea for everybody, but it helped this one woman. We need to care for people and love them as individuals.
· Ministry doesn’t demand- it gives- Emily asked for nothing, not even the money for the tea. She gave expecting nothing in return. Our expressions of love for others shouldn’t have any strings attached. We need to be sensitive and distinguish between the opportunities to serve and the opportunities to communicate the gospel verbally.

The Revd. Tim Montgomery from St Thomas’ Kendal wrote the following in the Westmorland Gazette. ‘My greatest pleasure comes not from singing hymns, in long prayers, in dressing up in funny robes, in bowing or kneeling, in lighting candles or taking up an offering (or any other number of things people tell me church is all about!) It comes from seeing just one person meet with God, draw close to Him and pick up a new life with real hope and a future.’ I totally agree with him, seeing someone come to faith is the greatest privilege on earth, and it is my sincere hope and prayer that all of us will take seriously the call to be God’s witnesses in the world today. Amen.

John 12:1-11 Understanding True Christian Worship

What is worship?

When someone mentions the word worship, what springs to mind? I suspect that most of us would tend to think of worship as something that we do when we go to church, or even more specifically worship is something we do as part of our service together. For example we tend to think worship is that part of the service when we sing songs or chorus’. We talk about having a time of worship, before we have our scripture readings, as though they are not part of the worship.

When we think about worship songs, we tend to distinguish those from more traditional hymns. For example an old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church.

He came home and his wife asked him how it was."Well," said the farmer, "it was good. They did something different, however. They sang worship songs instead of hymns.""Worship songs?" said his wife, "What are those?""Oh they’re okay. They’re sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer."Well, what’s the difference?" asked the wife.The farmer said, "Well it’s like this - If I were to say to you: ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you: ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, Martha, MARTHA MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN’!!! ‘Oh, Oh, Ooooooooh, yes, it’s true, the whole herd is in the awesome corn, yes, it’s true, the whole herd is in the awesome corn, --- weeell, it’s true, the whole herd is in the awesome corn!!! Alleluia! - That would be a worship song."

But just to give you the other side, a young Christian decided to attend a small town church, a different one to normal. He came home and his wife asked him how it was."Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different however. They sang hymns instead of regular worship songs.""Hymns," said his wife, "what are those?""Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like worship songs, only different," said the young man."Well, what’s the difference? Asked his wife.The young man said, "Well it’s like this: If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you: ‘Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry. Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth. Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by, To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth. For the way of the animals who can explain? There in their heads is no shadow of sense, Harkenest they in God’s sun or his rain Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced. Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebelious delight, Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed. Then goaded by minions of darkness and night They all my mild sweet corn have chewed. So look to that bright shining day by and by, Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn. Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry, and I no longer see those foul cows in the corn. AMEN!"Then, if I were to do only verses one, two, and four and do a key change on the last verse, well that would be a hymn."...

So what is worship. Well it is true that worship is one of the things we do when we come to church, but worship is so much more than this.

To worship something, is to that thing worth, it literally means worth-ship. So when we worship God, we give him the recognition that he deserves. If we look in Scripture we see that the central understanding of worship is to homage and submission to God, it is about service to God, it is therefore all encompassing, it is about our whole life, and it is about reverence for God. This is why Paul in Romans 12:1 writes, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Our worship to God must be expressed in the way we live. It should be our number one priority in life.
One of the descriptions I like most of worship is contained in Matt Redman’s song ‘The Heart of Worship’, in it he writes, “I’m coming back to the heart of worship and it’s all about you, all about you Jesus.” This is what worship is about.

Why do we worship?

This leads me onto the question, why do we worship, and it is at this point that I would like to turn to our reading from John’s Gospel.

Our reading takes place at the home of Lazarus, in the village of Bethany, just two miles from Jerusalem. It was six days before the Passover, and the day before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. As Jesus was reclining at the table with his disciples, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, comes into the room, and breaks the seal on an expensive jar of perfume, and anoints Jesus’ feet. And we are told that the fragrance of this perfume filled the whole house.

Mary’s act was act of loving extravagance and spontaneous generosity. Hers is a love that is full-to-overflowing with spontaneous, unmeasured giving towards Jesus in response to all that he had done for her and her family. And this is the essence of worship. Our worship is a grateful response for all that God has done for us.

C S Lewis, wrote. “ We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment… To praise God fully we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God, drowned in, dissolved by that delight which, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression.”

To give an illustration, when you love someone, you don’t just keep your feelings locked up inside yourself, you need to express it through words and actions, because that expresses and makes real the love. And so it is with God.

Our worship, flows from an understanding of who God is, and what he has done for us. When we consider:
our God is a soverign God,
no means of measure can define his limitless love
he’s enduringly strong
he’s entirely sincere
he’s enternally steadfast
he’s immortally graceful
he’s impartial merciful
That is our God!
he supplies strength for the week
he’s available for the tempted and tried
he sympathises and saves
he strengthens and sustains
he guards and he guides
he heals the sick
he cleansed the lepers
he forgives sinners
he discharges debtors
he delivers the captive
he defends the weak
he blesses the young
he serves the unfortunate
he regards the aged
he rewards the diligent
and he beautifies the meager
That is our God!
He is the key to knowledge
He’s the wellspring of wisdom
He’s the doorway of deliverance
He’s the pathway of peace
He’s the roadway of righteousness
He’s the highway of holiness
He’s the gateway of glory.
That is our God!
His life is matchless
His goodness is limitless
His mercy is everlasting
His love never changes
His grace is sufficient
His yoke is easy
And his burden is light
That is our God!

When we know and understand this in our hearts as well as our minds, the only response we can give, is to worship God.

This is beautifully described in the hymn ‘How great thou art’. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the works thy hand has made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power thoughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee, how great thou art. Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art. And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in, that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, he bled and died, to take away my sin. Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee, how great thou art. Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art.

Who or what is the object of our worship?

Who or what is the object of our devotion, of our worship. For Mary it was clearly Jesus, but it was not true of everyone gathered there that evening.

Mary was rebuked by Judas, for what he considered to be an extravagant waste. He objected to the use of expensive oil saying, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” I have to confess that for a long time, I sympathised with what Judas was saying. Doesn’t he have a valid point? A years wages is a lot of money, and it could have helped many people. However, this was not Judas’ real motive, John tells us that Judas, used to steal the money, and so his concern was not with the poor or needy, but his own greed. It is clear that Judas’ real object of worship was money or greed, after all, a few days later he betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins.
Ralph Emerson, an American poet and philosopher in the 19th century wrote, A person will worship something. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behoves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.

It is possible to worship many things in our lives. For example, we can worship our children, our jobs, money, hobbies, possessions, even ourselves. Sometimes it is easier to worship created things, than it is to worship the Creator of all things. Jesus said, “Where your heart is, that is also where your treasure is.” So the question we all need to consider is God the main object of my worship, or is it something, or somebody else? And if it is not God, are you going to allow him to be at the centre of your life where he truly belongs.

In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen retells a tale from ancient India: Four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned.“I have mastered a science,” said the first, “by which I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it.” “I,” said the second, “know how to grow that creature’s skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones.” The third said, “I am able to create its limbs if I have flesh, the skin, and the hair.” “And I,” concluded the fourth, “know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete.” Thereupon the brothers went into the jungle to find a bone so they could demonstrate their specialties. As fate would have it, the bone they found was a lion’s. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew hide and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Shaking its mane, the ferocious beast arose and jumped on his creators. He killed them all and vanished contentedly into the jungle.

If we worship something other than God, it has the power to turn against us. We have the capacity to create what can devour us. Goals and dreams can consume us. Possessions and property can turn and destroy us.

How do we worship?

So what lessons do we learn from Mary’s anointing of Jesus. First of all, in worship we are meant to give our best.

When Mary anointed Jesus, she didn’t use any old perfume, she used the best she could find. She used Nard, Nard is an oil like perfume extracted from the root and spike of the nard plant, which is grown in India. And we are told that it cost the equivalent of a years wages, around 300 denari.
Worship is an offering, it is something we give to God. And when we worship God for all he has done for us, it is to give him our all, to give him our best. I am not only thinking here about what we do when we church on a Sunday, but I am thinking about giving God the best in every area of our lives.

Our whole lives can be an act of worship to God. For example, when we are at work, we can offer what we are doing to God as an act of worship. Thanking him for all his blessings, and by giving him the glory by doing our best, honouring God by the way we handle ourselves, and by the way we treat others. It doesn’t matter where you work, you do it to the glory of God. I came across a quote which said, An authentic life is the most personal form of worship. Everyday life has become my prayer. But if we only give God a drop of praise, it is an unsuitable acknowledgement for an ocean of mercy.

What is the impact of a life lived in worship?

When Mary anointed Jesus, we are told that the house was filled with the fragrance of perfume. If we live lives of worship, if we are seeking to put God at the centre of everything we say and do, then it will have a profound effect on those around us. If we are living lives of worship, then we will touch and bless countless other lives. If we are living lives of worship, not only will we be transformed, but so will our families, our relationships, our places of work, our society, and our world.

Conclusion:

Worship is not simply about what we do when we come to church. Worship is about the way we live our whole lives, it is about the place of God in our lives. Mary shows gives us an example of what it is like to worship God. The love, care and devotion that she showed to Jesus, and not being concerned by what others thought of said, and we see what an effect that this has. As we journey through this season of Lent, and prepare to celebrate Easter, now is a good time for us to take a fresh look at our lives, and see how we can live lives of worship. Because, as the German theologian Karl Barth wrote, “Christian worship is the most urgent, and the most glorious action that takes place in human life.”

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?

This is something to make you go hmm... where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

Christian One Liners

Christian one-liners (some make you smile, some make you think)

Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors.

It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose but mosquitoes come close.

People are funny; they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.

Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.

Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?

Some minds are like concrete; thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

Peace starts with a smile.

I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it make which one you stay home from?

A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are just sitting on the premises.

We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.

Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

Don't put a question mark where God put a full stop.

Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"

The Nativity Story

Check out this trailer for a new film 'The Nativity Story', the trailer looks really promising, and it may be a great outreach tool. It is apparently scheduled to come out in December, although I'm not sure if that is only the USA or here in Britain. The official website is http://www.thenativitystory.com

Harvest of Hope

Today we celebrated our harvest festival at St Martin's. Harvest has always been on of my favourite festivals right back to the time when I was a child. For many years my family lived in a small village in West Cumbria called Gosforth, where my dad was the local minister. One of his churches was the tiny church of St Olaf's, nestled at the foot of Scafell Pike and Great Gable in Wasdale Valley. In Wasdale Head there are only a few farms, a hotel and a shop (which caters for the many walkers who visit this remote and stunningly beautiful valley). Harvest Festival in St Olaf's was always special, the church was always simply decorated, and the produce wasn't prepacked stuff, but potatoes, turnips and carrots taken straight from the fields, with the soil still clinging on to them. Because farmers made up a significant part of the congregation, as a service it always had such a special feel.

I still love Harvest, although living as I do in a large urban conurbation, very few if any of the people in the church earn their living from the land, and this year rather than collecting food stuffs, we collected toiletries, which we are going to send to Bulgaria.

Harvest, as well as an opportunity to give thanks to God for all the good things we enjoy, is an opportunity to reflect upon those people around the world who do not have the things we take for granted. This year we focused on the work of Tearfund who are supporting the Yanapanakuna project which is helping the Quechua people of Bolivia build better lives for themselves. Living high up in the beautiful but inhospitable Andes the Quechua people have struggled for generations to survive on this hard terrain. With a diet consisting mostly of potatoes and wheat, malnutrition is rife, and 20% of children die before the age of one. Now with the help of Tearfund, the Quechua people are being taught how to build greenhouses and grow vegetables to improve their diet, as well as receiving spiritual support. This simple project, is transforming lives (for further information go to http://www.teafund.org)

Our reading from Isaiah this morning reminded us that we all have a responsibility to care for the poor and needy, where ever they may be. "I'll tell you what it really means to worship the LORD. Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly. Free those who are abused! Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don't turn away your relatives." (Isaiah 58:6-7)

In Britain we face problems of obesity, and over consumption, and so it is good for us to remember our obligation to those less fortunate than ourselves, and to be wise stewards of the resources God has given to us. For far too long, the developed world has been guilty of squandering and misusing the world's resources, and exploiting the developing world. This can no longer continue. I for one am delighted to see the growth in fairly traded goods filling our shops, and rising consumer awareness about how the choices we make every time we go shopping can affect others on the other side of the world. God in his wisdom created a world with enough resources for everyone, it is about time we started sharing these resources more fairly and making a better world for all people. For us in the developed world, this means being prepared to take hard choices, about what our priorities are and how we spend our money, but it is worth it, if we are to build a world based on justice and equality for all.

Poem

I received this poem in the post today, it comes from Val and Stan Holloway who live in Argyll, Scotland:

I am the one who heareth thee
I am the provider of all you see
I am he who over all prevails
I am the one who never fails
I am the one who knows all you feel
I am he that all you diseases heal
I am he that does teach and guide
I am he in whom you can confide
I am the one who is always just
I am and in me you can trust
I am the one worthy of your praise
I am he who knows the number of your days
I am the lamb of God and Lord of light
I am he who keeps you by day and night
I am the Lion of Judah, the dove of peace
I am he who all your sorrows cease
I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end
I am the one who is your truest friend
I am master, saviour, Lord and King
I am he who wants to be your everything.

Alpha Course: Exploring the meaning of life

At St Martin's we run the popular Alpha Course (http://www.alpha.org/), a ten week course that looks at the claims of the Christian faith in a fun, friendly and informal way. This is the second course that we've run since I've been in Walsall, and last night was the second session of the course. Last night's topic was 'Why did Jesus die'. It's such a privilege to be able to explore with other people issues relating to God and the Christian faith. In total we have fourteen people on our current course (this includes group leaders), and we vary in age from a teenager up to people in their sixties. The evening begins with a meal, followed by a presentation and then an opportunity to divide into groups to discuss the topic of the night. The great thing about Alpha is that it gives permission for people to discuss the big questions in life, in a safe and non judgemental environment. We're all on a journey with God, a lot of people on the course are searching for answers, looking for God, others have been Christians for some time and are using the course as a refresher, looking again at the essentials of the Christian faith.

At St Martin's we tend to vary the presentation week by week, so some weeks I do the talk, using clips from films when appropriate, and other weeks we use the Alpha DVD which contains the talks given by Nicky Gumble.

I've been on quite a number of Alpha Courses over the years, but what I find is that each one is different, and I always come away feeling as though I've learnt something new. It's a wonderful privilege.

There is a link to the main Alpha website on this blog as as through our church website (http://www.walsallstmartins.2day.ws/), if you're looking for answers, and exploring the meaning of life, I'd recommend you give Alpha a go.

Trust in God

I came across the following on the internet today, and thought I'd share it with you:

-------------------

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. " God how could you do this to me ! " he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. " How did you know I was here? " asked the weary man of his rescuers. " We saw your smoke signal. " they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it:

You Say It's impossible God Says All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You Say I'm too tired God Says I will give you rest (Mathew 11:28-30)

You Say Nobody really loves me. God Says I love you. (John 3:18)

You Say I can't go on God Says My grace is sufficient. (II Corinthians 12:9)

You Say I can't figure things out. God Says I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

You Say I can't do it. God Says You can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)

You Say I'm not able. God Says I am able. (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say I can't forgive myself. God Says I forgive you. (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You Say I can't manage. God Says I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19)

You Say I'm always worried God Says Cast all your cares on Me. (I Peter 5:7)

You Say I'm not smart enough. God Says I give you wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30)

You Say I feel all alone. God Says I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

Noise

Yesterday I took myself up to Cannock Chase for a walk. What struck me as I walked on the Chase, was how difficult it is to find complete silence in our modern world. Wherever I walked I was aware of the distant hum of traffic, or of a plane flying overhead, or the works of the quarry. Even in the Lake District, when high up on the fells, you can often hear the noise of human activity not far away. Reflecting on this, it made me think about how much noise there is within our lives. When it comes to noise I'm terrible, as soon as I get up in the morning I switch on the radio or the TV, and there are very few occasions when I sit in complete silence. Why is this? Is it because I'm uncomfortable with silence, or don't know how to be still? Psalm 46:10 says, 'Be still, and know that I am God', and in 1 Kings 19 we're told that God did not appear to Elijah in the powerful wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, but in the gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12). I believe that one of the reasons we don't often feel as though we hear from God is because we're not listening to him. There is too much noise in our lives - worries, anxieties, stress, etc., that we get distracted and fail to hear God's gentle whisper. Learning to be still takes time and effort, it doesn't come naturally to most of us (certainly not me). One of the things that I value so much about Taize worship (www.taize.fr) is the ten minutes of silence that takes place during each service. At the start of the week in Taize, ten minutes seems like an awfully long time, by after a few days those ten minutes of complete silence become an oasis of peace in what is an otherwise noisy world. We only have to turn on the TV, open a newspaper or listen to the radio to realise what a state the world is in, and in part this is due to the fact that people don't listen to one another. What a difference it would make if we learnt the art of listening not only to one another, but also to God.

Ministry in the Work Place

It is interesting how often we tend to think of Christian ministry in terms of the activities we do in ‘church’. For instance being a home group leader, or running Sunday school, or cleaning the church building, or being a warden. There is nothing wrong with this, these are forms of Christian service, but how many of us think of what we do Monday to Friday at work as part of our Christian service and ministry? Mark Greene has written extensively of mission in the work place, and in his book ‘Thank God it’s Monday’ he quotes one person who said the following: “I’ve been working for seventeen years and it’s only in the last year or so that I’ve recognized my workplace as a ministry. How many Christians die without ever realizing the ministry God had for them?” We only have to look at the opening chapters of the Bible to see how important work is in God’s scheme of things. First of all we see that God is a God who works. The Bible describes creation as the work of God. For six days God works, and on the seventh he rests from all the work he has done. God is a worker and it is something he chooses to do- it is part of his plan. And we see that God takes pleasure in his work. We’re told that when God finished creating the heavens and the earth he said that it was ‘very good’. Work was part of God’s gift to humanity in creation; it was part of his original plan. God has created us for work, and this work is given to us as a blessing. We see this in Genesis 1:28, God blessed them and said to them. ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” And from Genesis 2:15 we read: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” And as we see from this verse, we have a responsibility in work to care for the environment, and to care for others. There is a moral responsibility which is connected to the work we do. Elsewhere in the Bible it talks about the importance of working in order to support those in need. Working in order to improve the life of the community as a whole. God always intended us to be people who work, and God intended work to be a source of satisfaction and pleasure. And in the New Testament Paul calls upon Christians to do their work for God. Paul writes to the Colossians 3:17, “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Work is one of the ways in which we serve God.

In 1945 the Church of England produced a book called ‘Towards the Conversion of England’. In it are written these words. “We are convinced that England will never be converted until the laity use the opportunities daily afforded by their various professions, crafts and occupations.” As Christians God has called all of us to be his witnesses in the world. The greatest mission field in the world today is right on our doorstep amongst our friend’s neighbours and work colleagues.

Britain today is a largely post-Christian society. Fewer and fewer people are attending churches; the level of Christian knowledge in our society is at an all time low. This is why being an effective witness in the workplace is so important. Because it is the place where we spend much of our time, maybe up to 40 or 50 hours a week. In the workplace Christians and non-Christians are able to meet and are subject to the same work cultures, and the same pressures. The work place is one of the few places where a non-Christian can actually see the difference that knowing Christ can make to a life, week in, week out. And through the workplace we will know many people, and have many friends, and we will be in contact with people at important points in their lives. For instance when face divorce, illness, or bereavement. So we see the wonderful opportunities that we have as Christians to minister to those we work with. As Emil Brunner said, what the Christian community needs to do is to regain the lost sense of work as a divine calling.

We only need to consider the issues facing workers today, to realize what opportunities we have as Christians to bring something positive into the work place.

British workers work longer hours than any other nation in the European Union. And increasingly people are suffering from increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression and less job satisfaction. And people are being forced to work these longer hours, because they fear that if they don’t, their employers will find someone who will. For most people, job security is a thing of the past. Also consider the values that shape the work place, and the desperate need for a positive Christian witness. For example, most contemporary workplaces assume that God does not exist, and that there are in no way accountable to him, and that he does not intervene in the affairs of business. The challenge for us as Christians is how do we remind people that we are accountable to God for our actions. What assumptions and attitudes exist in your workplace, and how do they compare to the values and attitudes that God has, such as truth, honesty, justice, and fairness. And what are the values that we bring to the work place? Do we allow our Christian faith to have an impact upon what we do at work? A further challenge is that increasingly people are seen in terms of what functions they perform in the business, rather than being treated as human beings. And as we work longer hours, people tend to see their work as a measure of their identity and worth. Yet the Bible reminds us that we are created in God’s image, and this attaches a special worth and dignity to each individual person, irrespective of what we do. How can we ensure that this message is heard in the workplace? So we can see both the challenges, but also the opportunities that we have as Christians in the world of work. So what is a Christian vision for the work place? Our work matters to God The first thing we need to be reminded of is that our work matters to God. God is deeply concerned about the work we do, he is concerned about every part of our lives, and not just what we get up to on a Sunday morning. The work that I do as a priest in God’s eyes is no greater or more important than the work you are involved in. We tend to talk about the priesthood as a vocation, a calling, but secular employment can be just as much a vocation. Think about how important it is for us to have Christian teachers, doctors, nurses, accountants, cleaners, etc. In fact we need Christians in every walk of life.

If we look at the Bible we see that many of the great biblical heroes were people who had what we would term secular jobs. For example, Joseph who became the chancellor in Egypt, Daniel the imperial adviser to Nebuchadnezzar, or Nehemiah who was the cupbearer to king Artaxerxes. Our primary calling is to be a servant of Jesus Christ Secondly we need to remember that our primary calling is to be servants of Jesus Christ. A man standing on the platform waiting for the train to take him to work was asked, Who are you? He replied… I am a Christian thinly disguised as an accountant. If we begin to see our workplace as the context for mission and evangelism, it will change our whole attitude to those we work amongst. For example do we pray for those people we work for? When you go into work do you ask God for opportunities to share your faith with those you work with? And do you meet up with other Christians who work at the same business as you to pray and study the Bible & support one another? Jesus said, Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. The harvest is ripe, we should ask God to preparing and using us to share his love. The important point is that it is not about getting people into church, it is about telling them about the love God has for them. Being an effective witness in the workplace doesn’t require a degree in theology, just openness to God as the following example demonstrates. Emily, a small Chinese lady, works at the United Nations. One day one of her co-workers wasn’t feeling well. ‘Can I get you a cup of tea?’ Emily enquired. ‘No’ the other replied rather shortly. ‘I don’t like the tea here. I only drink camomile.’ Emily left her, quietly slipped on her coat, took the lift down several floors and went down the street to a nearby shop. She returned with a box of camomile tea and gave it to this lady, who immediately enveloped her in a huge hug, exclaiming, ‘Emily, I love you’. Emily replied, rather muffled from the epicentre of the massive hug, ‘I love you too.’ Emily’s story illustrates a number of important points:

We need to be ministry minded- Emily could have just smiled and gone on her way. Instead, because she was ministry minded, because she listened, because she saw the other person’s need and desire, she took an initiative that totally transformed that person’s mood and day.
Time is on our side- the opportunities will come. We don’t have to create situations in which we can minister- they will happen by themselves. We simply need to pray and be alert.
Ministry is to individual people- Clearly camomile tea wouldn’t have been a good idea for everybody, but it helped this one woman. We need to care for people and love them as individuals.

Ministry doesn’t demand- it gives- Emily asked for nothing, not even the money for the tea. She gave expecting nothing in return. Our expressions of love for others shouldn’t have any strings attached. We need to be sensitive and distinguish between the opportunities to serve and the opportunities to communicate the gospel verbally. The Revd. Tim Montgomery from St Thomas’ Kendal wrote in the Westmorland Gazette. ‘My greatest pleasure comes not from singing hymns, in long prayers, in dressing up in funny robes, in bowing or kneeling, in lighting candles or taking up an offering (or any other number of things people tell me church is all about!) It comes from seeing just one person meet with God, draw close to Him and pick up a new life with real hope and a future.’ I totally agree with him, seeing someone come to faith is the greatest privilege on earth, and it is my sincere hope and prayer that all of us will take seriously the call to be God’s witnesses in the world today.