Leading Communion

A simple yet powerful proclamation of what Jesus has done for us.

I enjoy communion. There’s something about everyone being on the same level, taking the same sacraments, eating and drinking together. Even though the bread and juice might not constitute as a filling meal, it is still eating and drinking together, which is a powerful proclamation as to what God has done for us.

The other week I was asked to lead communion. In this there is no real problem, in fact I enjoy it. Normally the leader of communion will give a 3-5 minute ‘thought of the day’, in which a couple of bible verses are shared and what God has said or taught the leader that week. I enjoy giving these kinds of talks. Long enough to get a point across, but not long enough to end up boring people or having to prepare something substantial. However, there is another side to the leading of communion that I don’t enjoy – the choosing of the servers; those that will hand out the sacraments to the congregation.

I feel quite an amount of pressure in this department: I don’t feel it would be right to choose people that I am too close to, for fear of showing favouritism, and yet you need to pick someone that you trust and who knows the order and route in which to hand out the bread and wine. It might not seem right to pick non-Christians, and it would seem odd to me to pick the leaders of the church. You’ve also got to think about the male-female divide: not all women and not all men, and I’m sure there’s lots of other things that you’d have to take into consideration…

So I spent a lot of time during the worship thinking about all these influences and who I should pick for serving. I stand up at the front, share my thought for the day, and begin asking people that I trust to serve (this is somewhat normal to ask in front of everyone rather than beforehand). A couple stood up, began shuffling their way across their row…when I noticed a glare from my Pastor. “I’ve already picked the servers” he whispered… Somewhat embarrassed I had to ask the couple I’d just asked to sit down and the pre-asked servers to join me at the front.

I was nervous, worried even, about the choosing of the servers for communion, when the people had already been decided. It was outside of my control, yet I owned responsibility for it, even though I wasn’t supposed to.

Sometimes in life there may be times when we worry about a situation. In my experience however, I have found that the worry I had is unfounded, that the person didn’t raise a particular issue, or that a problem has already been sorted.

Matthew 6:27 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”.

My Tips for Running

It may seem tough at first, but running can be great exercise.

I do not profess to be any sort of expert when it comes to running, but I have picked up some useful tips that seem to work well for me, and you too may find them useful.

Water: As with all sports, water can be a key to making sure that you feel comfortable when running. I personally have a glass of water before I go on a run, and I find that this keeps me hydrated enough until I need to take drink again, or when I have finished my run. I have found my local McDonald’s to be an excellent place to get free water. They will even fill your water bottle for you. It’s not the best water: my local McDonald’s water is very cold and has an after taste of Oasis (the fruit drink) but it is still very refreshing when you’re on a run. Don’t over hydrate either – it’s more embarrassing trying to find a toilet than asking for water.

Time: The time can play a part in how far and fast I can run. A time for me that I used to think worked well was early in the mornings. However I have found that evenings seem better for me. I attribute this down to not having eaten for several hours, running before breakfast and my body still ‘waking up’ from the sleep. You may find a particular time of the day helps you, so try a variety of times until you find one that works best for you.

Run with someone: I cannot stress this one enough. When I run by myself, there is always a thought in my head that says “you can stop now”, even though I may feel very comfortable. When you have someone with you, there is an unspoken level of competition as neither of you wants to appear slow or tired. You may not do much talking (due to increased breathing) but just getting out and meeting up with someone can be a real motivation for a fitness goal.

Breathing: This may seem a ridiculous one to mention, but breathing when running is important. I have found that breathing with a rhythm is a useful way of keeping you going, especially on tiring stretches or on inclines. When I first started running I would breathe out on every third step, that is: first step (out), second step (in), third step (in). Nowadays I can manage breathing in a four step pattern, rather than a three step pattern (that is, in for two steps, out for two steps). Of course, if you need to breathe less or more often, do so. Last thing you want is to feel light-headed or faint due to over or under-breathing.

There’s an app for that: The iPhone is a brilliant piece of technology, and regardless of what smartphone you own, there is likely to be a piece of software you can download where you can keep an accurate record of the runs that you have done. Personally I use “imapmyfitness”, a bit of a silly name but the app is very detailed and the integration with the website is very good. Your app may also give voice feedback regarding how long you’ve been running and how far you’ve travelled. Also having your phone on you is important just in case anything happens.

Plan before you go: I know roughly where I will be running before I go out, and plan a route based on time and a goal I have in mind. This means that I don’t have to worry about where I’m going during the run, and allows someone else (such as my wife) to know where I am and how long I expect to be on my run.

Set a goal: If you’re running a marathon or some other race, this is obviously a goal, but I find that having a smaller goal in mind can push you toward meeting your long term goal. This might be a medium term goal such as a particular distance by a certain date or a small term goal such as running your usual route within a certain time. Running, whether in a race or just for fun, needs to have some sort of goal otherwise it’s easy to quit or not try as hard as you otherwise might.

Do you have any tips? Anything that’s made you more successful in your running? Feel free to share it using the comments section.

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Disclaimer: if you are in pain or having major difficulties when running, stop and if necessary, seek medical advice. These tips are not an all win solution to minor problems when running, and you may find your own solution to problems that you encounter.

Pick of the Week: The Page Turner

A great video. Love the whole Rube Goldberg stuff…

I’m Running a Marathon

This is what some people think of when they hear the word 'marathon'.

Sometimes we need a goal in life, something tangible that we can aim for, push ourselves and reach. Sometimes those goals are of our own making, and other times a goal is placed in front of you and a challenge is set.

Before Christmas I received an email from work saying that a place had been offered to run in the 2012 London Marathon, which takes place 22nd April. I had less than one hour to respond otherwise the opportunity would go to someone else.

One hour to make a decision that would affect much of my time over the next four months.

With a little thought and some positive encouragement from my wife, I took up the challenge.

The furthest I have ever run in a race is 10km in the famous ‘Swanseabay 10k’, a beautiful run that was a really enjoyable afternoon. A marathon is more than 4 times this length, at 42.195km, or 26.22 miles. The furthest I’ve ever run? A mere 16km or 9.9 miles. Clearly, with only a few months to go and having not run regularly between October and December, there are some challenges to conquer.

Some of my blog posts in the future will concentrate on this theme: my successes and problems, challenges I’ve faced and how I’ve overcome them. In the menu bar will be a new category “Marathon”, where you can keep up to date with all my marathon related posts.

I will be raising money for UCB, the charity that I work for, and (as they put it) go the ‘extra mile’ in helping them. If you would like to sponsor me in my quest, I will let you know the details as soon as I get them.

Partridge in a Pear Tree

Luke 2:7 "...She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

This is the first part of a twelve day series looking at the individual elements of the famous Christmas song “Twelve days of Christmas”.

Each one of the gifts mentioned in the twelve days of Christmas song are symbolic of an area of Christianity, and it will be these areas that are looked at in this series. Today the traditional representation of the partridge in a pear tree is that of true love.

So today, I’d like to say no more of my own words, but turn to the words of God, who is love in its greatest form.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends John 15:13).

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love (John 15:9).

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2).

But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-5).

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).

Two Turtle Doves

Two turtle doves together on a tree. A mating pair will be together for life.

This is the second part of a twelve day series looking at the individual elements of the famous Christmas song “Twelve days of Christmas”.

Today in the look at the traditional representations of the twelve days of Christmas, there are two turtle doves. These represent the Old and New Testaments.

I used to think that the Old Testament was for times gone and the New Testament was for times now. By this, I mean that the Old Testament is mostly irrelevant for today’s society, an that the New Testament even goes as far as to override the Old Testament. Due to my misunderstanding, I even had confusion from biblical passages such as 2 Corinthians 5:17 “the old has gone and the new has come” (out of context). Turtle doves are birds that mate for life, staying together in all faithfulness. The Old and New Testaments are of equal worth, and rather than being two separate sections, are one unified work. Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:17 that he had not come to abolish the law (and the OT) but to fulfil it.

One thing I learned today about turtle doves is that two of them were sacrificed in the temple when Jesus was brought to the temple 40 days after his birth. You can read this passage for yourself in Luke 2:22-32, with verse 24 saying that they sacrificed “two doves”.

Perhaps you could spend a few minutes today reflecting on the similarities between the Old and New Testament, and the ways that Jesus fulfilled the law.

Three French Hens

In doing the research, I learned that what I call a 'chicken' is a French hen. Interesting I think.

This is the third part of a twelve day series looking at the individual elements of the famous Christmas song “Twelve days of Christmas”.

Today the song talks about three French hens, which traditionally represent the three heavenly attributes: faith, hope and love.

1 Corinthians 13 is possibly the most popular bible passage at weddings, talking about love. The passage though, doesn’t just talk about love, it also talks about faith and hope. I wonder though, what is the difference between faith and hope? I always used to think that these two things were the same, but there must be a difference between them. According to the dictionary, faith is trust in something, but hope is about an emotional state. This then makes sense when looking at Hebrews 11:1 “faith is being sure of what we hope for…”.

Paul writes that the greatest of these three virtues is love. In some translations, notably the King James, it uses the word “charity”. I view the term Charity very differently to love, perhaps because of working for a charity and seeing charity collections in the street, charity shops etc. When charities first came about and grew in popularity during the Victorian era, it was about love. People in poverty, who needed food, shelter, healthcare etc, all were able to have these provided from people sharing their pockets and providing funds to help people, as to their need.

This is perhaps the greatest form of love, as 1 Corinthians 10:24 says “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others”.

Let us take 30 seconds to reflect on 1 Corinthians 13:13…

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Four Calling birds

The four gospels, although different in many ways, come from the same single source.

This is the fourth part of a twelve day series looking at the individual elements of the famous Christmas song “Twelve days of Christmas”.

The four calling birds in the song traditionally represent the four gospels, that is, the first four books of the New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

These four books are important for Christians because they contain the life and words of Jesus. As you may know, in some bibles the words of Jesus are written in red, so much so are the importance of these words. Christian band DC Talk, in one of their most famous and powerful songs, did a song called “Red Letters”, where the chorus says “There is love in the red letters/There is truth in the red letters/There is hope for the hopeless/Peace and forgiveness/There is life in the red letters”. These red letters have changed the lives of millions of people, and continue to do so today.

Of course, without the speaker of these words, Jesus, coming to earth and speaking these words, then they would not have had an opportunity to change people’s lives. These words can change your life too, if you let them. Christmas is a time of celebration, the time when Jesus, the son of God, came to earth to fulfil the prophecies and to fulfil the law. It can also though, be a time of reflection. The baby in a manger will grow up and become a man, and the words and actions that he did have left an imprint, not only on humanity, but also on our lives.

Five Gold Rings

A typical scroll used when reading the Torah in a traditional setting.

This is the fifth part of a twelve day series looking at the individual elements of the famous Christmas song “Twelve days of Christmas”.

Today we are looking at the first five books of the bible. This will not be a long post I assure you.

If there is only one part of the song “Twelve Days of Christmas” that you know, it’s most likely going to be “five gold rings”, which is different to all the other gifts in the song in both melody and tempo. It’s often easy to brush over what these gifts could represent, especially when it appears such a large section of the bible, but perhaps it can teach us something today.

The first five books of the bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are called by several names. The first is the Torah, often used by Jews and is Hebrew meaning “instruction”. The second is pentateuch, a term used by scholars to refer to these books. Another name is “the law of Moses”, as it is widely attributed that Moses was the author (divinely breathed and inspired) of these five books. Regardless of what you may call them, they tell the stories of the origin of humanity and their fall into sin. God offers, through a covenant, a way for their sin to be forgiven – through the Holy sacrifices, most notably mentioned in Leviticus. These sacrifices are the way of obtaining forgiveness of sins through the sacrificial death of an animal. These sacrifices happened twice a day, everyday, until there was one sacrifice that paid for all others: the death of the perfect sacrificial lamb of God, Jesus Christ. He did not come to condemn the law but to fulfil it, and what a fulfilment! Not only through death but through resurrection, the forgiveness of sin has been secured for us once and for all. The pentateuch may show us the origins of the Israelites and their forgiveness structure, but it is Jesus that completes it.

Over the last few days it has been normal for me to close the post by posting some verses from the bible for you to read and reflect. Of course, considering that the first five books of the bible are quite long, I’m not posting them here. However, why not take some time to think and reflect on the importance these first five books play in many people’s lives around the world.

Six Geese A-laying

Wherever we are, we can observe the glory of God and his creation.

This is the sixth part of a twelve day series looking at the individual elements of the famous Christmas song “Twelve days of Christmas”.

Six days have passed since Christmas day, and today we are looking at six geese laying. No golden eggs here, but we are looking at the traditional explanation of these geese, being representative of the six days of creation.

I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to be present as God was creating things. Can you imagine God creating light for the first time? What about God creating a fish, or a duck billed platypus? Something to remember and recognise is that God did not struggle with the things he created, rather he just spoke “…and there was”. As Psalm 33:9 says “he spoke, and it came to be, he commanded and it stood firm”. What power, what authority in his voice. In the same way, there is authority given to the name of Jesus, that as Philippians 2:10 says “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow”. What power, what authority.

God didn’t stop creating after the sixth day, as it is often assumed. Whoever there is something that grows, that comes into being, be it a fly, a tree or a human foetus, God is there knitting it together (Psalm 139:13). When God created something he did not say ‘it is perfect’ but that “it is good”. There is a difference. Perfection is still, static, but good allows to create more of itself, ‘as to its kind’. Similarly, God is able to create something in your life today. James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask “God, who gives generously to all without finding fault”. I think this goes further though, as God’s generosity is limitless. If you lack anything, may you feel free to ask God, who gives generously without finding fault.

Take a couple of minutes to read over the account of the creation story, and if you lack anything, may you ask God for it.