As autumn turns to winter, with short days and long nights, darkness can seem to catch up with us. What better encouragement than to spend some time reflecting on the Light which has come into the world, by looking at key references to light in the bible. In this season, may that light shine in our hearts!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: all Inspirations are now uploaded for the week \u2013 scroll down for Friday\u2019s, Thursday\u2019s, and earlier posts\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 5, Saturday 14th November \u2013 Proverbs 13:1-10<\/a> \u2018A light which shines brightly\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder if you remember those pictures some years ago which had other images embedded in them? If you looked closely and let your eyes glaze a little, suddenly a new, \u2018hidden\u2019 image would miraculously appear. Apparently 92% of the population could do them \u2013 I was one of the 8% who couldn\u2019t. Make of that what you will!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book of Proverbs sometimes seems to me a bit like those pictures. The sequence of proverbs seems random: they flit from subject to subject \u2013 always incisive, always arresting, but hard to collate into a coherent whole, hard to find the hidden pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And yet, look a little more closely and there are patterns. Much of the teaching coalesces around two simple contrasts: the foolish and the wise, and the unrighteous and the righteous. The two are largely synonymous \u2013 the righteous are wise and vice versa. Ultimately living in God\u2019s light leads to both wisdom and righteousness<\/em>: life works, essentially. Doing the alternative fails the ultimate test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also certain verses which seem to guide the teaching around it. Take today\u2019s passage, for example: verse 9 tells us that \u2018the light of the righteous shines brightly\u2019, which is a lovely image in itself, and one picked up by Jesus a thousand years later in his famous teaching. However, it also functions as a helpful summary of much of what comes around it, and begs the question: what does bright living look like? It looks like: the capacity to take advice and instruction (v1, v10); careful attention to our words (v2,v3); the ability to moderate our appetites (v4); and to love truth (v5). Ultimately, this kind of wise or righteous living guards us in the situations we face (v6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n So often we can feel pushed down by negative stereotypes attached to faith or church \u2013 so, today, let\u2019s soak in this lovely image of the light shining brightly. A life which takes advice, blesses with our lips, enjoys good things in moderation and loves truth and goodness is a beautiful thing, and one which also shines to those around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where would you like your light to shine today? Which of today\u2019s proverbs touches your heart? May God grant us grace to heed this timeless wisdom, and so to shine the light of his glorious love and truth into our lives, and out from our lives to those around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 4, Friday 13th November \u2013 Psalm 119:105-112<\/a> \u2018A lamp to my feet\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re in that time of year when light is at a premium. Nowadays this affects us much less than it would have done in ancient societies, lacking access to artificial light. Then, a full (or nearly full) moon and a clear sky made a huge difference. Otherwise, fire was pretty much the only source of light on a dark evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We sometimes experience the effects of true darkness. A few years ago, there was a power-cut in Wavendon one evening, and for the first time in years we were in a dark house, at the end of a dark drive. We found our torches and realised that only one had batteries which actually worked! Eventually we found some matches and a bag of tea lights and lit as many as we could find. The whole process took so long it was probably only about 5 minutes later that the power came on again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Navigating a dark house, trying not to trip on furniture, was a useful lesson in what walking in the dark really looks and feels like. It\u2019s a healthy reminder that light is precious<\/em>. Therefore, reliable sources of light are of immense value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s passage begins with this famous image about God\u2019s word being a light to our path (v105), but truthfully I suspect most of us in the West don\u2019t really connect with it to the same degree that our ancestors would have done. It\u2019s easy for us to take light for granted. Similarly, our ease of access to Scripture is likewise a privilege that many Christians around the world are denied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How we need both! Scripture and light<\/em>. And here we see the two combined. God\u2019s word lights our way. It is our reliable guide for life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Light is often connected with truth and wisdom. The writer of this psalm goes on to outline some of the practical reasons why this wisdom is so valuable \u2013 for example, it preserves our life (v107) and acts as our inheritance (v111). Elsewhere in the psalm we read that it gives us hope, sustains us daily, rescues us from oppression and besetting addictions, and brings us delight. No wonder the writer concludes: \u2018To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.\u2019 (v96)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, let\u2019s pray to recapture a sense of wonder at God\u2019s Word, the true and enduring source of light. And let\u2019s also pray for that light to shine on any particular needs and challenges we have. May that word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 3, Thursday 12th November \u2013 Psalm 97<\/a> \u2018Light is sown on the righteous\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year was a bumper year for acorns. Many of us at church can verify this, walking past the Holm Oak at the front of Wavendon churchyard numerous times in October and November. It was fascinating to watch Autumnwatch on TV a few years ago to discover the reason why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently every 4-7 years there is a bumper \u2013 or \u2018mast\u2019 \u2013 year. The reason why oak trees drop their seeds later than most other trees is that it coincides with the time of year when animals like squirrels and jays are storing food for winter. The more acorns, the more seeds to bury. Jays in particular like to bury acorns some distance from the original tree, about 1.5cm deep into the soil \u2013 perfect sowing conditions for a new oak, which can germinate safely over the winter whenever a jay forgets where all its acorns have been buried. So, a mast year means lots of potential new oak trees and a boost to the wildlife population. All from one oak tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s amazing, isn\u2019t it? The more we learn about nature, the more we discover how interconnected the balance of our ecosystem is. In this case squirrels and jays act as woodland farmers, sowing seeds for the next generation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In our Psalm today we see another type of divine sowing. Psalm 97 is a great Psalm, which speaks beautifully of the majesty of God. But towards the end, we see this extraordinary phrase \u2013 \u2018Light is sown on the righteous\u2019 (v11). Modern translations will usually paraphrase it as \u2018Light shines\u2026\u2019 But the original text is almost certainly the agricultural image \u2013 applied to light! What does it mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s actually the last of several \u2018light\u2019 images in this psalm, all related to God. First there is fire (v3, the main source of human light after sunset) \u2013 symbolising God\u2019s purity and judgement. Then there is lightning (v4), which speaks of his power and majesty in creation. But then comes this last and most intimate image. Fire and lightning are awesome \u2013 scary, even. Is this how humans can only relate to God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not at all. For the righteous, God sows light uponthem. This light brings joy (v11) and praise (v12). What a beautiful image! To sow is to plant things which bear fruit and feed us. So, God\u2019s desire is to plant light into our lives<\/em>. Yes, God is majestic and awesome \u2013 but he is also the tender gardener, sowing good things into the lives of his children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not much good at gardening \u2013 but thankfully the Divine Gardener is not like me. As we dedicate ourselves to him, God sows light upon us. Where is God sowing light for you today? Pray that this light grows! And if light is hard to find, claim this verse as a promise, that we might again find joy in our hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 2, Wednesday 11th November \u2013 Numbers 6:22-27<\/a> \u2018The light of God\u2019s face\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When someone sneezes in your presence, I wonder what your first reaction is? In this day and age, perhaps to get as far away from them as possible. But in times past, I imagine for many of us, the response would be an automatic: \u2018Bless you!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what does it mean? The word \u2018bless\u2019 is one of those words which lots of us use, but we\u2019re not sure why. Sometimes it can be patronising \u2013 \u2018awwww, bless\u2019 \u2013 much of the time it\u2019s a comforting soundbite in response to a human nose repulsing germs, which dates back to the days of plague. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which is all very well \u2013 but when it comes to blessing, I fear familiarity has bred contempt. So today, let\u2019s recover its true power \u2013 it\u2019s worth it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The practice of blessing has a long and noble tradition. Indeed, it goes back to the very first chapter of Genesis, where God blesses. Interestingly, even before he blesses human beings, God blesses fish and birds first. God then blesses Noah (ch9) and Abraham (ch12). Each time, the blessing gets bigger, and better. And this all reinforces the basic truth: our God is a God who blesses<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which is really the heart of it, when it comes to what it means for us humans to practise blessing too. In essence, to bless is to bestow God\u2019s goodness on something or someone<\/em>. We usually do that in one of two ways: sometimes when we bless, we offer a concrete sign of that goodness \u2013 we do something practical to help them. At other times, when we bless it\u2019s more of a prayer, naming things we\u2019d like someone to experience, perhaps more in hope than expectation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In today\u2019s passage, Aaron, inspired by God, declares the most iconic blessing of all. The God would keep us, be gracious to us and grant us peace. And at its heart is this beautiful phrase: that God\u2019s face would shine upon us<\/em>. Or to use the adaptation quoted in Psalm 4, that God would \u2018lift up the light of his countenance upon us.\u2019 (Psalm 4:6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n God is light. And light always shines. It can\u2019t help it. So, this blessing is a prayer that God\u2019s light would be directed towards us, for our wellbeing. It\u2019s not just a prayer for us, but also for others. It\u2019s a great prayer to pray over those we love, and those in need of comfort and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n May God\u2019s glorious light shine on us today. And may it shine too on those we bless, in his name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 1, Tuesday 10th November \u2013 Genesis 1:3,14-19<\/a> \u2018He also made the stars\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not long ago, our young people\u2019s group looked at space. As part of our session, we watched a fairly mind-blowing short video, which showed just how vast it is (if you want to watch it, this is the link<\/a>). We learned, for example, that the sun is a million times bigger than earth, but that the largest star \u2013 VY Canis Majoris (which roughly translates as \u2018Very Big Dog\u2019) \u2013 has a diameter 2,000 times larger than the sun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But nothing compares to the size of a galaxy. If our solar system is a 20p piece, then the Milky Way is roughly the size of the USA. That is big<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So big, in fact, we can\u2019t comprehend it. It\u2019s better to keep these thoughts as numbers and images, because no-one can really fathom this kind of scale in any meaningful way\u2026. except God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018He also made the stars.\u2019 (v17) This short phrase, offered almost as a throwaway, has to be one of the most incredible verses of all scripture. It barely merits a mention, and yet represents a feat of creation far beyond anything we can imagine. Carl Sagan once mused that the total number of stars in the universe would likely be as many as the grains of sand on the whole face of the earth. Next time you\u2019re at the beach, scoop up a handful of sand and contemplate that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What does this really mean? Simply this: our God is a great big God<\/em>. Plenty big enough for our doubts and fears, plenty big enough for our problems \u2013 and the world\u2019s. And if that is true, then he is well able to hold us in his hand, even in these dark and confusing times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It has never been more important to seize this glorious truth: our God is a great big God. Let\u2019s place ourselves in this<\/em> God\u2019s hands today, and comfort ourselves in the vastness of his presence. Let\u2019s pray big prayers to a big God. He also made the stars!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we begin this series today, let me finish with the words of a famous hymn, and may it also be your prayer, as it is mine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thou whose Almighty word chaos and darkness heard \u2013 and took their flight. Hear us we humbly pray, and where the gospel day sheds not its glorious ray: Let there be light! Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ten daily reflections for this \u2018season of remembering\u2019:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Monday 9th November \u2013 Psalm 22:22-31<\/a> \u2018All will remember\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday is Armistice Day. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the armistice was signed and peace was declared to mark the end of the Great War. Whether it\u2019s on Wednesday, or on Remembrance Sunday yesterday, people mark this moment in different ways, and take an opportunity to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Great War was the first truly global conflict, and its toll of human suffering was immense. Sadly, it proved to be just the first of a number of pan-global conflicts through the 20th century (although we officially count only two). Now, once more, after an almost unparalleled period of peace in our region of the world, the shadow of war looms far closer \u2013 which makes it all the more important to treasure peace, when we have daily images on our screens and news feeds which remind us what war is really like. \u2018Lest we forget,\u2019 is a common phrase used at this time of year, and rightly so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we conclude our short series on remembering, today\u2019s Psalm also points us towards a global act of remembering<\/em>. This act is also birthed in costly sacrifice, as God\u2019s chosen one is \u2018poured out like water\u2019 (v14) and pierced in hands and feet (v16). Though the psalm never reveals the reason for this, Psalm 22 has come to represent a hugely significant prophecy of the Messiah, one that Jesus himself cries out a thousand years later, on the very cross which pierced his own hands and feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet through this sacrifice comes victory<\/em>. Not in a physical battle but a spiritual one. The one who is sacrificed is then exalted (v29), people will serve this Saviour (v30) and generations to come will praise him, rejoicing in his victory (v31).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This act will be so significant that \u2018all will remember\u2026\u2019 (v27). All will remember\u2026 what? The Lord. There will be a global turning to God, as people seek the Lord (v26), and recognise his power in the affairs of the world (v28). The sacrifice of the Son achieves something permanent and glorious \u2013 and still today, the church declares to anyone ready to listen: \u2018He has done it!\u2019 (v31). <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, in this season, let us remember<\/em>. Let us remember the sacrifices of so many. Let us remember those who continue to pay the price of war and violence. Let us remember the value of peace, and what it costs to maintain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And let us also remember the greater peace won by our Lord. Let us remember what God has done, and that we are now part of a great global movement for the restoration of all things. Let us recommit ourselves to the path of divine peace, won at such a cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Those who seek the Lord will praise him\u2026 Posterity will serve him\u2026. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn: He has done it!\u2019 Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday 7th November \u2013 Psalm 63<\/a> \u2018The night watch\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter Kay\u2019s adverts for John Smith\u2019s bitter in the early 2000s years still rank as some of my favourite ads of all time (I used to test and research ads for a living, so I\u2019ve always had a soft spot for the ad break). One of the best starred Kay as a dad comforting his little daughter as she lay crying in bed at night. \u2018What\u2019s the matter?\u2019 asks Kay. \u2018I\u2019m scared of the monster hiding in my cupboard,\u2019 replies his daughter. \u2018You don\u2019t need to worry about that \u2013 look!\u2019 reassures Kay, opening the cupboard door. \u2018It\u2019s the robber climbing in through the window you should be scared about.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Rest assured, he won\u2019t be joining our church pastoral care team anytime soon\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The night hours can be challenging for many of us. We may no longer fear the monster under our bed or in the cupboard, but it\u2019s amazing how small problems can seem so much bigger at night. And big problems can seem HUGE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We toss and turn, we feel our heartbeat quicken. We may even get up and walk around to calm ourselves down. And then when morning comes \u2013 some of those things that haunted us suddenly don\u2019t seem so bad. At least until night returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Little children often have \u2018the night terrors.\u2019 But it\u2019s not unknown for us adults, either. Physical darkness can be a time of spiritual darkness too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our psalm today, we learn that King David knows what that feels like. And let\u2019s be clear: it\u2019s not caused by a lack of closeness to God. That\u2019s a great lie the devil tells us, especially in the wee small hours \u2013 and it\u2019s not true. When we worry at night, we are not facing condemnation for a lack of faith. Banish that thought! King David has seen God\u2019s power and glory (v2), and dedicates his life to praise (v4, v5). He is close to God, but he\u2019s not immune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David\u2019s solution to night worries is to focus on what he chooses to remember<\/em>. When David frets in the darkness, he remembers his Lord (v6) \u2013 if need be, he keeps coming back to God through the night. He sings<\/em> (quietly?) if he has to (v7). And he clings<\/em> (v8) \u2013 he\u2019s not afraid to cry out for help in the depths of his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think, sing and cling \u2013 it\u2019s a bit cheesy, but it\u2019s not a bad strategy. When your worries surround you in the quiet hours, choose to remember God: let him rest at the heart of your being, and consciously invite him back into the midst of your problems. Sing praise songs and hymns under your breath, claiming God\u2019s truth and power over those worries. And don\u2019t be afraid to cry \u2018help!\u2019 Only God hears \u2013 but God is the only one who needs to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And however long the night lasts, daylight always comes<\/em>. God\u2019s mercies come to us afresh every morning. May those mercies come to us today \u2013 in light and darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friday 6th November \u2013 Psalm 25<\/a> \u2018Not forgotten\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n God has not forgotten you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the risk of sounding like a scratched record (and I have plenty of those, as my wife will tell you), I want to return to Monday\u2019s theme, from a different angle. You are not forgotten<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world is a big and confusing place, and our current news headlines only serve to reinforce that. It\u2019s all \u2018big stuff\u2019 \u2013 wars, climate change, AI\u2026 It\u2019s all incredibly important, and we need to know about it. But it only serves to reinforce how small we are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of us have laughed over the years at some of the stories you would find in the local press, but I believe the recent dramatic decline of local newspapers has had one very significant negative: for all that we might mock stories about blocked drains, cats up trees and wobbly bus shelters, it reminds us that our world is full of individuals \u2013 mostly ordinary people like you and me. People that we might even know. In effect, we<\/em> were part of the news, we were part of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We might not feel much part of any news story now. But we are still part of God\u2019s story<\/em>. It is a comfort to know that even King David sometimes felt like a nobody, surrounded by bigger forces and troubles. Psalm 25 is David\u2019s heartfelt response: \u2018In you, O lord, I put my trust\u2026. No-one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame.\u2019 (v1, v3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the heart of the psalm is a plea for remembrance: \u2018According to your love, remember me, for you, O Lord, are good.\u2019 (v7) God remembers because he loves<\/em>. He remembers David \u2013 and he remembers us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interestingly David also asks God to forget something \u2013 \u2018the sins of his youth\u2019 (v7). Or rather, to remember it no more: in other words, God consciously chooses not to remember the bad stuff in our lives, once we ask him to forgive it. Instead, he remembers mercy, the mercy which God has always possessed \u2018from of old\u2019 (v6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I suspect some of us might echo the words of v16-17 as our prayer for today: \u2018Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.\u2019 It\u2019s a good prayer. One of the great comforts of our faith is that we can be honest with God. We don\u2019t have to pretend to be happy or untroubled, for fear that God will squish us. The true validation of God\u2019s parenthood in our lives is precisely that we can take our bad stuff to him, asking not just for forgiveness, but also protection (v20) and guidance (v4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll end as I started: God has not forgotten you. He remembers you, according to his love. Bring him your troubles, pour out your heart, and place your trust in him again. No-one who does that will ever be put to shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thursday 5th November \u2013 Isaiah 11:1-10<\/a> \u2018Not forgotten\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, remember, the 5th of November\u2026. so the old nursery rhyme goes, and one that we learned at school. I imagine you may have done too! Today\u2019s passage is another trip down memory lane: in this case prophetic memory lane. About 250 years previously, God had promised King David \u2013 son of Jesse \u2013 that one of his descendants would inherit his throne forever. A dozen kings had come and gone, the kingdom had split in two and the northern half was about to be conquered\u2026 when would this new King come?<\/p>\n\n\n\n God hadn\u2019t forgotten<\/em>. And God gives the great prophet Isaiah a new vision which reassures the people that his promise still stands. There would be a new king, descended from David (v1). This king would be filled with God\u2019s Spirit (v2) and would stand for justice and righteousness (vv4-5) \u2013 something many of Israel\u2019s kings had conspicuously failed to do. And under this new king, there would be a new reign of peace, and a healing of the created order such that even predators would get cosy with their prey (vv6-8). It would, in short, be glorious, and global (v10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a vision! Even so, it took another 700 years for the king to come. God\u2019s timing is not ours. And that can be unsettling, testing even. There are times when we too may feel forgotten by God; maybe something we believe he has promised us hasn\u2019t arrived yet. And that causes us pain, and perhaps doubt as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But God never forgets<\/em>. The branch always bears fruit from the root. And God calls us to step out again, to dare to believe in his faithfulness. As it was said of Aslan in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: \u2018He\u2019s not safe \u2013 but he is good!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, take a moment to claim again the promises that God has given you. They might be specific, or, if there isn\u2019t a particular thing, claim some of the great promises in our passage today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n God remembers. And it\u2019s good for us to remember, too. We are what we remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday 4th November \u2013 Isaiah 53:4-6<\/a> \u2018Healed by his wounds\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n John the Baptist\u2019s iconic words addressed to Jesus in the first chapter of John\u2019s gospel are rooted in today\u2019s famous passage. Ever since the time of Exodus, the image of the sacrificial lamb had come to symbolise God\u2019s rescue of his people. Every year, at Passover, all Jewish families would re-enact God\u2019s salvation by the Red Sea, and a dish of lamb would be at the heart of the meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But something new was coming. The servant songs of Isaiah, which are studded through the later chapters of the book, promise a new rescue and a new rescuer. This anointed one (Messiah) would carry great authority and integrity, would stand for justice, and would bring salvation, not just to Israel, but to the world. This servant would be \u2018raised and lifted up and highly exalted\u2019 (52:13), and earthly kings would \u2018shut their mouths because of him\u2019 (52:15).<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a sting in the tail, however. Because it\u2019s not the whole story. This same servant would not just be the Lion of Judah \u2013 he would also be the Lamb, sacrificed for all. Indeed, he would be \u2018led like a lamb to the slaughter\u2019 (v7). Why? Verses 4-6 make it clear. \u2018He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.\u2019 All our human selfishness, all our rebellion against God, placed upon his shoulders \u2013 so that we might have peace<\/em>. (v5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018No peace without justice\u2019 \u2013 so has sung many a liberation movement in recent decades. In today\u2019s passage, we are addressing the ultimate yardstick of justice \u2013 our standing before Almighty God. And it is the Lamb who symbolises God\u2019s perfect justice and mercy. God takes the punishment himself, that we might be healed, that we might have peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Sunday, we\u2019ll remember and honour the sacrifice of so many in war, and give thanks for the peace that we now share. But today, let\u2019s remember an even greater sacrifice which won an even deeper peace. And may the good news that, through Jesus\u2019 sacrifice, we have peace with God cause us to give thanks; may it lift our hearts today and fill us with his abiding presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look! The Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world\u2026 Lord, we are not worthy to come into your presence \u2013 and but only say the word, and we shall be healed. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuesday 3rd November \u2013 Isaiah 52:7-10<\/a> \u2018Beautiful feet\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Recently I watched the Sound of Music for the first time in many years. I\u2019ll always remember my first viewing of the film \u2013 after Charles and Di\u2019s wedding in July 1981. We watched the \u2018wedding of the century\u2019 then all sat and watched The Sound of Music as a family. Perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it\u2019s hard to beat the scene at the end of the film, watching the family walking across the mountain-top to freedom. How lovely on the mountains are the feet of those bringing good news. Especially if they can sing close harmony as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the case of the Von Trapp family, the good news was primarily personal \u2013 but here in today\u2019s passage, the good news is altogether more universal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s likely that the latter chapters of Isaiah were written in the late 6th century, after Jerusalem had been conquered and destroyed by the Babylonian army \u2013 hence the reference to \u2018ruins of Jerusalem\u2019 in v9. Good news was in short supply. Where was hope?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hope was coming<\/em>. The watchmen would see it and find joy (v8). The ruins themselves would sing (v9). And over the mountains would come feet bringing good news (v7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 600 years later, those feet would announce the good news that the kingdom of God was near. Those feet would travel up the hillside to deliver the Beatitudes, to hear Peter\u2019s confession of the Christ and to meet Moses and Elijah. But a short while later, those same feet would also climb Mount Moriah, carrying a cross lashed across their owner\u2019s back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s good news is sure, and true<\/em>. But it\u2019s more than \u2018the hills are alive\u2019, lovely as that is. It came at a great cost. As we\u2019ll see tomorrow, its beauty lay in sacrifice. Peace was won the hard way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nevertheless, it remains good news \u2013 more than that, it\u2019s still the best news I ever heard! And although it came after great waiting and at great cost, nothing is more true than the final words of the passage: all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are part of God\u2019s big salvation story. Give thanks for those beautiful feet that brought good news to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monday 2nd November \u2013 Revelation 7:13-17<\/a> \u2018\u2026who from their labours rest\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018For all the saints, who from their labours rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever blessed: Alleluia! Alleluia!\u2019 So begins the famous hymn for All Saints Day, which many of us may have sung in worship yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what does that \u2018rest\u2019 look like? The second part of this glorious chapter in Revelation gives us the answer. Bear in mind that this vision was given to St John, to encourage believers who were being persecuted heavily for their faith \u2013 their lives were being referred to as \u2018the great tribulation\u2019 (v14). What did they have to look forward to? Would it all be worth it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer is emphatically: YES! Not only will we be cleansed and made whole (v14), we will shelter in the very presence of God (v15). This God will provide for us as our great Good Shepherd (v17) \u2013 and note the extraordinary symbolism of the Lamb becoming the Shepherd! Most remarkably of all, the Lord himself \u2018will wipe away every tear from their eyes.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grief is something that nearly all of us have to face at some time in our lives. It is said that the price of real love is grief \u2013 and, even if that\u2019s a price we pay willingly, it is no less real for that. But grief does not last forever: in heaven, in that place of eternal rest, our tears will be wiped away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What good news this is for all who worship now with tear-stained faces: we will one day shelter in the presence of God, and \u2018there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.\u2019 (Rev 21:4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we begin our week, may this word lift our hearts. And let\u2019s pray, as verse 3 of that famous old hymn puts it: \u2018O may thy servants, faithful true and bold, strive for thy kingdom as the saints of old, and win with them the glorious crown of gold: Alleluia! Alleluia!\u2019 Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday 31st October \u2013 Revelation 7:9-12<\/a> \u2018For all the saints\u2026\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder if you\u2019ve ever been part of a really large crowd? I\u2019ve always enjoyed that experience \u2013 at least I did before covid. In particular my memories of great sporting occasions live long in the memory: there\u2019s something awe-inspiring about a big crowd, isn\u2019t there? Certainly, the roar of the Olympic Stadium as we cheered on Mo Farah in 2012 was a volume of sound I\u2019ve never experienced \u2013 and that was just for his heat, not the final itself. There\u2019s something profoundly moving about the sense of a shared experience, of an occasion which draws together huge numbers of people from all kinds of backgrounds into one committed community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You see it every Saturday afternoon in the cathedrals of sport all across our country. Men and women (mostly men, admittedly) \u2013 many of whom would never dream of setting foot in a church on Sunday \u2013 gather to worship, singing their hearts out with arms outstretched in love and adoration, crying out pleading prayers when their teams are losing, studying the scriptures of the matchday programme to read the word of the boss and memorise the team sheet, and sharing a mediocre-quality drink of fellowship afterwards. Hang on, I\u2019m sure that all reminds me of something\u2026..<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s the point, isn\u2019t it? These large gatherings at some level go to the heart of what it means to be human. We were made to gather in worship, and if we don\u2019t gather to worship God, we\u2019ll gather to worship something or someone else. Or both, quite possibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tomorrow is All Saints Day, a day when the church celebrates\u2026 the Church! We give thanks for the faithful generations who have gone before us, and pray for grace to continue to be faithful in this generation. For many of us now, we\u2019re used to practising that in quite small groups and communities. We don\u2019t usually get that sense of walking into a vast crowd, all here to worship God. Which is one of the reasons why it\u2019s quite healthy occasionally to go to one of those big events, like Greenbelt or Spring Harvest or New Wine or Prom Praise or the Big Church Day Out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And one day, we will all get to meet God, and each other. That\u2019s quite a mind-blowing thought, and possibly quite unsettling for some of us. I think there\u2019s plenty of room in heaven, even the introverts will love it! But today\u2019s reading gives us a flavour of what our worship will be like. A countless multitude of believers, from all across the world, worshipping God with great joy. This is our future. And in fact even today when we worship in our homes, or in small face-to-face gatherings, we are joining in with this vast multitude in heaven \u2013 millions of hearts all united in one global, universal act of worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One last reflection for today: let\u2019s remind ourselves that the purpose of the church is not the church! We exist to worship God, especially God in the person of Jesus. It is to God alone that we give praise and glory, wisdom and thanks, honour and power and strength. Ultimately All Saints Day points us back to God, the one who countless believers in dozens of generations have worshipped. May praise and glory be to our God, for ever and ever, Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friday 30th October \u2013 Isaiah 9:2-7<\/a> \u2018The Prince of Shalom\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I suspect many of us at present find it hard to watch the news \u2013 you may, indeed, have given up on it altogether. There seems to be so much violence, so much instability, so many reminders that peace in this world is fragile and hard to maintain, however sophisticated we consider ourselves to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How we need today\u2019s passage, which picks up where yesterday\u2019s left off. Isaiah has another great vision of the peace that God will ultimately bring to this fractured world. Admittedly the context is set more in terms of a victory for God\u2019s people: nevertheless it is equally clear that, in this vision of a healed world, there will be no more need for armies or violence \u2013 blood-soaked boots and clothes will be burned and done away with forever (v5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this vision in ch9 goes a step further than ch2 \u2013 there will be a focal point for this new era of peace<\/em>. A child will be born who carries divine authority, who will usher in and oversee this restoration of all things. And this child will have wonderful names, including perhaps the loveliest of all, certainly the most appropriate for this season: the Prince of Peace. Or, to use the original word, the Prince of Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shalom is now translated peace, but its meaning is much broader than our traditional definition. It means completeness or wholeness, the sense of everything being put right, perfected. This kind of shalom is much more than merely the absence of conflict, it is<\/em> an active state of complete wellbeing<\/em>. (For a deeper exploration of shalom, watch this great video<\/a> \u2013 four minutes of your life well spent!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the destiny which God intends for his world. And he will achieve it through the son which he gives (v6). Jesus is the Prince of Shalom<\/em>. No wonder the angels cry out at his birth: \u2018on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests!\u2019 (Luke 2:14)<\/p>\n\n\n\n May today\u2019s passage give us renewed faith \u2013 even a little mustard seed of it \u2013 to pray for our world. Let\u2019s also give thanks that, above and beyond our human leaders, there reigns a greater, divine leader, one whose vision for the world is ultimately to establish complete wellbeing for all people, and whose vision will<\/em> one day come to pass: Jesus, the Prince of Shalom. And may that divine shalom be ours today \u2013 the shalom that transcends all understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thursday 29th October \u2013 Isaiah 2:1-5<\/a> \u2018Swords into ploughshares\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A few years ago, at the All-Age service for Remembrance at All Saints, I showed the congregation a paper clip, and asked them to come up with as many creative alternative uses for this simple object as possible. We had about 75 young people there, representing the uniformed organisations, and they weren\u2019t short of ideas! Alongside the more obvious ones \u2013 replacement zip, for example \u2013 we had other more left-field options: fingernail cleaner, cheap nose-ring (don\u2019t try either of those at home), and even strawberry huller i.e. removing the green stalk out of the fruit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a fun exercise and reminded me that I grew up with the joys of \u2018The A-team\u2019 on TV, where the stars would be locked in a garage every episode, and somehow fashion a complex mechanical device out of a few bits of wood and a plastic sheet. Those were the days, eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n But there\u2019s a more serious side to these games as well. Between now and Remembrance Sunday \u2013 with a brief pause at the weekend for All Saints\u2019 Day \u2013 we\u2019ll be leading up to that significant day by looking, firstly, at five famous passages in the book of Isaiah, all themed around the idea of peace; and in today\u2019s passage we see the most famous biblical \u2018alternative use\u2019 of them all. To a small and fragile nation surrounded by hostile forces, and tired of violence, God promises that one day, things will be different<\/em>. God will restore this fragmented world (v2), and people will seek God in unprecedented ways and in countless numbers (v3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the acid test of this new era will be that, across the world, swords will be turned into ploughs<\/em> (v4). Implements that were used for fighting would now be used to grow food: a sign of healing and prosperity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, our world has not reached this era yet, despite the noble intentions of pan-global organisations like the United Nations, where, significantly, a statue of this very image stands outside its headquarters. But this passage promises that such a day is coming. Our God is a God who transforms, who restores, who brings peace for all. Peace with Himself, but also with ourselves, those around us, and ultimately all creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And this work of transformation goes on in our lives, too<\/em>. God calls us to turn our own swords of division into ploughs of peace. If that strikes a chord, take a moment today to pray God\u2019s peace into a particular situation or relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world is an anxious, even violent, place at present. It has always been thus. But it is not the whole story. And as we seize this great truth by faith, may we too live the final verse today: Come, people of God, let us walk in the light of the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday 28th October \u2013 Joshua 24:1-33<\/a> \u2018You choose!\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When our children were little, one of their absolute favourite books was called \u2018You choose!\u2019 The idea was very simple: each large double-page spread asked a question: \u2018what house would you choose to live in?\u2019 or \u2018what food would you choose to eat?\u2019 The pages offered dozens of ideas, from fairly sensible to totally crazy, and we would all put our fingers on the ones we liked best. We never tired of imagining what sort of life we would like to lead\u2026 if only it was that simple!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s passage is a much more serious version of \u2018You choose!\u2019. As the people gather at Shiloh for Joshua\u2019s farewell message, he reminds them of all that the Lord has done for them. It\u2019s a long list, occupying verses 2-13, with the remarkable conclusion that, as a result, \u2018I (God) gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build\u2026 and olive groves that you did not plant.\u2019 (v13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was all the Lord\u2019s doing, and his great desire was to continue to bless them. However, if the people decide to abandon the Lord and follow other gods \u2013 the deities of the tribes around them \u2013 they will forfeit this blessing, and disaster will surely follow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, it comes down to this: you choose! \u2018Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve\u2026.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n What happens next is brutally honest: the people all agree to serve the Lord, but Joshua has been around far too long to take that at face value, and calls them on it: \u2018You are not able to serve the Lord\u2019 \u2013 at least not for any length of time! But the people insist: \u2018No! We will serve the Lord.\u2019 So Joshua erects a stone to act as a witness to the commitment they have made, and the gathering ends (along with the book).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Was Joshua being cynical? I don\u2019t think so \u2013 what he wants is to make them understand the gravity of the situation. It\u2019s easy for us human beings to take God for granted, and the Israelites\u2019 track record was patchy, to say the least. And with the benefit of hindsight, we know how quickly it all unravels \u2013 you only have to flick on a page to Judges 2:10-11 to see why Joshua wasn\u2019t optimistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, as we close our reflections on this book, we can\u2019t finish in a better place than Joshua\u2019s own concluding remark \u2013 v15: \u2018But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.\u2019 In other words, whatever other people do, whatever ups and downs we face, whatever life throws at us \u2013 there\u2019s only one good choice to make: as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this book could be distilled into one message, it would be this: choose God! The God who is with us, who contends for us, on whose blessing we rely. So may Joshua\u2019s final prayer be our prayer, too. Why not pray that for yourself today, and also pray for the others reading this: that we all might choose \u2013 and keep choosing \u2013 the One in whom is life, and life in abundance. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRemembrance Season<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Autumn 2026: The Book of Joshua<\/h5>\n\n\n\n