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Author Archive for Tim

Becoming better acquainted

Published by
Tim
at 21 October, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Unbelievably, I saw an advert on the TV two weeks ago trying to sell me something for Christmas. I felt really depressed - it was only 4 October! Surviving the wave of mass commercialisation that is about to bombard us is a challenge while trying to cling to any remnants of meaning in the months before Christmas - so I’m on the look out for ways to escape. I have a few ideas, one of which I wanted to share with you here.

I want to invite you on a journey for the next few months to become better acquainted with a group of people most of us do not know, but Jesus knows very well. Those in our own communities, workplaces and churches and those living far away. What they have in commom is that they are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

To start the journey of becoming better acquainted, understanding and compassionate, and ultimately inspired to act, I’ve organised a little film tour in London. ‘We are together’ is a truly amazing  film about a group of children affected by HIV in South Africa. I was moved, disturbed, humbled and inspired when I watched it a few weeks ago.

So I’ve booked 3 dates, at 3 different venues to share the film with you. At each event I’ll screen the film, we’ll briefly hear from one of Tearfund’s HIV experts, and get some ideas for how we can do our bit both within London and further a field. I’d love for you to join me and to invite others to come along.

The three film tour dates are -

Friday 24 October, Watford:Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre, Lower Watford High Street. Screening starts at 8pm. Tickets cost £5. To book call 0207 745 7357.

Saturday 8 November, Leicester Square: Prince Charles Theatre, 7 Leicester Place. Screening starts at 6.30pm. Tickets cost £6. To book call 0870 811 2559

Tuesday 18 November, Richmond: Richmond Film House, Water Lane. Screening starts at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £7. To book call 0207 745 7357.

Hopefully see you there.

Practising Creation Care, By Bruce Wilson

Published by
Tim
at 11 September, 2008 in Belief-Practices. 0 Comments

The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster left in its wake an ‘exclusion zone’; an area so radioactive it had to be abandoned by humans. In the years since the disaster, the exclusion zone has become a haven for wildlife, to the extent that it has been declared a nature reserve! Many species of wild animals and birds, which were not seen in the area prior to the disaster, are now plentiful due to the absence of humans in the area.

This nature reserve offers us a glimpse of what a human-free earth may be like. Have you ever considered that humans may become extinct? We may scoff at the Dark Ages Christians who branded Galileo a heretic for declaring that the earth is not at the centre of the universe, but do we really share his view? We humans still view ourselves as the centre of the universe, which in turn has led us to see ourselves as separate from the rest of creation.

God often reminds us, however, that God is the centre. ‘ I AM the LORD’ is a consistent biblical refrain. God is the centre of all things; we are not. From this centre, God has created us within a most staggering duality: we are at once made in his image, responsible for being God’s image on earth and being stewards of all creation; simultaneously we are but a breath in a universe far larger and more complex than we can comprehend. How humbling is this role, and what a privilege!

As part of this role, God has instructed us to care for creation. We are doing a terrible job - there is no denying that we are destroying the earth. To halt the damage, we know (in theory at least) that individual discipline and massive collective action is required. But something more than the tick-box mentality of reducing my carbon footprint and reusing plastic bags is needed. We need to put God back at the centre, faithful to him in the call to be his very restorative image, and humble in the knowledge that God’s creation will go on despite us.

Jesus calls us to do just this: we are to love God with all we have and to love our neighbour as ourselves. He invites us to seek first His Kingdom, with the assurance that all things will be added unto us as we do this. From this all things will flow, including creation care: love of neighbour will manifest itself through personal action which acknowledges that climate change hits our poorest neighbours hardest. The coming of God’s kingdom will be manifest in structural change such as fundamental policy shifts, and God’s justice will be felt in the availability of adaptation funds to poor countries. If we keep ourselves at the centre, however, these things will not happen. Jesus gives us a stark reminder of the further fruits of our choices: the first will be last, and the last will be first.

In dying there is a new life. The post-Chernobyl landscape reminds us that life goes on, despite the worth of our mistakes. On the cross Jesus reminds us that the worst thing in history - the killing of Christ - can be transformed into the most life-giving thing. If we let these realities inform our faith and actions, we will be in a position to genuinely practice creation care.

ACTION POINTS:

Jesus gave equal importance to action and contemplation; he worked hard all day and retreated to the hills for long nights of silence, prayer and rest. This combination is the key to practicing many aspects of faith, including creation care.

1. CONTEMPLATE: stay still for 10 minutes and simply look at what has been made. Don’t think, just look and be.

2. ACT: Tearfund have a great booklet called For Tomorrow Too - a practical guide to how we can return God to the centre and practise creation care. Can I encourage you to order your own copy and commit to undertaking some of its suggestions - follow this link for more info http://www.tearfund.org/Campaigning/Climate+change+and+disasters/For+tomorrow+too.htm

Practising Living Simply, by Mark Powley

Published by
Tim
at 12 August, 2008 in Belief-Practices. 0 Comments

Do you ever feel that there’s not enough time in the day?

Are you short of storage space?

Could you use some extra money?

If the answer to any of the above is yes, this could mean that God is failing to provide for you. Or it could mean that you might benefit from living more simply!

‘You can have it all’ is one of the great mantras of our age. A healthy body, a balanced life, a good job, home conveniences, the latest entertainment, holidays, life experiences, charities and causes, friends, family, love and adventure - you can have all of it.

But time and again the rush to ‘have it all’ leads us into busy, cluttered and frustrated lives. There is often a nagging feeling that somehow God hasn’t given us enough time and space to fit it all in. It’s like all we have is a little rucksack, but we’re trying to cram it full with everything we’d need for a round the world trip.

The Bible is actually quite positive about having it all. ‘All things are yours,’ wrote Paul to the Corinthians. But the modern dream is about ME possessing all I want NOW. The reality of a finite and fallen world, however, is that I can’t have it all unless someone else goes without. Sure enough, in due course, all things will be ours through Christ. But in the mean time, many things must be shared, deferred, handed back to God or simply given away.

Living simply isn not about hating possessions; but it is about finding a treasure that changes how we handle them. It is about having such a passion for God’s generous kingdom ways that we no longer pursue ‘having it all.’ It is about finding what Steven Covey, in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, calls a ‘burning yes’ that makes other No’s possible, even necessary. As Jesus puts it, sometimes we are ‘worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one’ (Luke 10:42).

Put simply (which I guess is appropriate), simplicity is about choosing the Yeses and No’s of our lives wisely. It could mean:

  • saying No to buying the latest songs, so we can say yes to a peace that doesn’t rely on music and to appreciating all the music we encounter freely each day
  • saying no to clutter at home so that we can say yes to well-stewarded surroundings
  • saying no to some major expenses so that we can say yes to generous giving
  • saying no to being over-committed and distratced so we can say yes to God’s calling to serve him where we are
  • saying no to diary-cramming and lateness so that we can say yes to respecting others by being on time and fully present with them

ACTION POINTS:

1. What is the ‘burning yes’ in your life? What No’s does it make possible, even necessary?

2. If you’re interested in living this out, send an email to Breathe at in@breathe.org.uk - we send out quarterly updates and arrange occasional conferences to inspire each other to live simpler, more generous, less consumerist lives.

Mark Powley is a founding friend of Breath (www.ibreathe.org.uk), a Chrstian network for simpler living, and an Associate Pastor at St Paul’s, Hammersmith.