Amazing Grace

Last night I went to see the afore-mentioned film. It was awesome, go and see it.

The character that has stuck in my mind the most isn't Wilberforce but John Newton. He was the captain of a slave ship for many years until he was dramatically converted whilst steering his vessel through a storm. Repenting and regretting the misery and death he had inflicted on the thousands of human cargo he had transported, he devoted his life to the church and wrote the lyrics to many hymns which are still popular today, including the namesake of the film, "Amazing Grace" (originally titled "Faith's review and expectation")

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils and snare,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be for ever mine.

I was challenged especially by a really good quote from John Newton in the film. When Wilberforce asked him for his memories of the slave ships so he could describe the attrocities in parliament, Newton said that he couldn't bring to mind anything that happened because it caused him so much pain. "Although my memory is fading" he said, "I remember two things very clearly. I am a great sinner and Christ is a great saviour". I'm a man so I don't cry in films. But if anything had the potential to make me cry it was the reaction in the audience to that remark. People need to hear that more often.

Runner-up for quote of the year award goes to Wilberforce, shortly after his conversion. Shocked by his sudden change in outlook, somobody asks him "you found God?" "Actually" he replies, "I think God found me"

The bronze medal is awarded to the preacher who visits Wilberforce and says "We hear you are having problems choosing whether to do the work of God or the work of a political activist. We humbly suggest that you can do both"

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61:1)

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

"But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin... He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 3:8, 6:8).

Only once Wilberforce was converted did he fight with such conviction to see the slave trade abolished. Yet still there is slavery. Still there is injustice - arguably more now than there was in Wilberforces day. Are we acting justly by ignoring blatant acts of injustice?

Family

I spent most of the weekend at a conference about family life. Don't ask why, I don't know. I was asking the same question myself before it started..."why am I going to a weekend about family...I'm not bringing one up, and probably won't, so what's this about?!"

The guy that was leading it started the Friday night session by reading a bit from the Psalms, where it says "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land" (Psalm68:5-6). It occured to me then that when I have been lonely, God has set me in a family - namely the church. And when I have felt imprisoned, He has led me forth with singing. So in that sense, looking at the church as my family, it seemed like a good plan.

But he made it clear that he was talking about family as in family, the value of the traditional husband/wife/children model that scripture encourages. He said that the reason we see these traditional values being rejected by society is that the enemy knows that God works and reveals things through family (ie the things family teaches us about communication, protection, putting others first, etc). "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm11:3)

Then he went on to talk about the fact that the way we treat our families and those close to us is the evidence of our love for God, not our outward appearances at church etc. "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1John4:20-21)

It was really interesting and useful when he went into the differences between men and women, and what women need in a partnership (ie marriage). It's an area that I've been really preoccupied with recently (potential family rather than existing family!!).

The end of the weekend was brilliant. The guy finished his talk and was leaving the stage when he changed his mind. "Actually, come back, I'm feeling the need to preach!!". He turned to the story of Abraham and Isaac. To paraphrase, Abraham had the knife and was about to sacrifice his son Isaac for God but God told him to stop, and not to lay a hand on the boy because He saw that Abraham was prepared to put God first...

"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

Basically, when we do what is right, put God first, he promises ("I swear by myself, declares the Lord") to raise up our families. Legend.

Thirsty?

Woah, its nearly a month since I wrote anything on here...is that good or bad?! I've been stupidly busy, thats my excuse.

Just had a really good weekend. I was preaching at church yesterday, that was fun. Also last week I went with some mates from church (everyone who's anyone basically) to see Tom Wright (Bishop of Durham) speak about social justice. He was speaking about the need to implement the kingdom as Jesus did. He mentioned the prophecy in Ezekiel 47 of the river that flows from the temple; how as it flows down into the valley it gets deeper and wider and brings life wherever it goes. Eventually it flows right down into the Arabah, down to the Dead Sea where there is absolutely no life, and makes it fresh and swarming with life.

"When it empties into the [Dead] Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live." (Ezekiel 47:8b-9)

He went on to say that Jesus implemented/embodied that in John 7 when he said "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (Jn7:37-38)

When I have read that passage in the past, I read this..."whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow within him". Which is true, don't get me wrong. But, as "the bish" pointed out, the key word in that passage that everybody misses is "from". Lets look back at the original prophecy in Ezekiel...

"Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:12). Where does that sustaining, healing water flow from to bring life in the driest, deadest places? God...via us.

That aside, I feel there is something I need to rant about...the tube. What is the point of that stupid announcement you always hear..."there is a good service operating on all London Underground lines except those with planned engineering works"...in other words, there is a good service operating on all lines except those that don't have a good service operating. Do they ever tell you which lines have "planned engineering works"? Of course not!