‘I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.’ Psalm 139:14 Does our identity as Christians shape every aspect of our lives? Do we live with an  understanding that our heavenly Father knows us in ways we can't possibly imagine or dare to dream? Most of the time, I don’t really reflect on this truth unless confronted with a particular challenge or taking intentional ‘time out’ to focus. God's justice is ultimately the only justice we should care about. Other human witnesses shouldn’t matter (excluding the rule of law and ethical justice systems). If we feel shame, hatred, jealousy or despair, our Father already knows this and wants us to give everything back to him for healing and restoration. The Psalms speak so beautifully of a very real relationship with God: the conflict, the pain, the anger and frustration, the inspiration and awe. A God who ‘restores our soul’. Our lives are a beautiful work in progress before c...

‘When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.’ 1 Corinthians 13:11 During his short period on earth, Jesus is on a mission given by the Father to give people a new opportunity to understand God’s character and commands. He provides direct access to the Father through the Holy Spirit and we just don’t get it most of the time. We find it hard to believe it or we choose to ignore it. Mainly, we just keep getting in the way of God’s plan for our lives. I’m really encouraged by this as a mere mortal. I am constantly reminded how much I am loved and forgiven and how much it cost Jesus to enable me to live by faith in the real world. But this is the beginning. We are told to keep being filled by the spirit, seeking God’s will and being Christ-like. What is precious to us in 2020 and how do we protect it? Our churches must operate in a national climate of fear and intolerance and subject ...

‘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 I have to confess, I really love Jesus. I never tire of reading, learning or understanding more about him: Saviour, Teacher, Carpenter, angry outbursts when people upset his Father or act as total hypocrites, he weeps, he is compassionate and he turns water into wine – what’s not to like? I always wonder why we’re so reluctant as Christians to model this kind of passion in our everyday conversations with others. Do we just not feel that passionate most of the time? ‘Mad, bad and dangerous to know’ are common labels put on young black men. These same labels could easily be assigned to many Christians today who demonstrate Jesus’ character. I only need to look at some of the remarkable things done in God’s name at Holy Trinity Richmond over the years to know that our love for Jesus makes a difference all the time in tangible, practical ways: River...

‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness.’ Matthew 23:23 *The recent killing in the USA of a black man, George Floyd, by the police has sparked a wave of protests and increased global awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement. This has caused many people to start learning more about the effects of racism and calling for justice for the many victims of police brutality. Something which also must be acknowledged is the more subtle and unfortunately ‘socially accepted’ ways in which racism manifests, including in predominantly white and middle class areas. Racism is not only murdering black people, or outright saying you hate black people. So many people I have seen posting things on social media I know for a fact have engaged in more ‘subtle’ racist behaviour. Saying the n word because “it’s the lyrics” or “it’s just a joke between me a...

‘ Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will’. Romans 12. 2 (NIV) What does it mean for us as Christians to be, ‘in the world but not of this world’? How can we possibly find hope as we learn to live with a global pandemic that has revealed inequalities that put black, Asian, poorer people and vulnerable families at greater risk of Covid-19 and its wider impact on our lives and wellbeing? We can understandably have a ‘righteous anger’ that abhors racism and other evils but we are called to move from that to live in the spirit – to understand, forgive and seek reconciliation. Fighting, protesting and dying for justice have always been part of equality movements. Jesus crucified on the cross shows us how costly redemption and reconciliation can be. As a black, British woman, I am convicted by Jesus’ example of a radical, transforming lo...

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” Jonah 3:1-2 (NLT) Jonah had made some big promises inside the fish and once back on dry land God takes him at his word. Go to Nineveh… I am sure Jonah hoped that God would have changed His mind and given him something else to do, but he was mistaken. God gives Jonah a second chance to do what He had originally asked him to do. Where would we be if our patient loving God had not given you and me a second chance? Perhaps even now you have wandered a little ‘off course’ during lockdown. Come to God, not through your own merit but by His amazing grace and mercy. God never ‘writes us off’ as unusable because of our mistakes. Take heart! He still uses people like us to take part in building His kingdom. Nor does God wait for us to become perfect before He uses us, if He did I would have been disqualified years ago! Tell God you are sorry and be restored, our God...

“Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “ Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?” Jonah answered, “ I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “ Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “ What should we do to you to stop this storm?”  “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.” Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord ’ s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. Jon...

Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. So the captain went down after him. “ How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “ Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.” Jonah 1:5-6 (NLT) Jonah escaped into sleep whilst the storm raged! It sounds like it was ‘all hands on deck’ to keep the boat afloat, but two hands were missing from the effort… Jonah’s. The same two hands were not joined in prayer for the situation either, the prophet was ‘prayerless’. When the captain asked Jonah to call on his God, how could he tell him that he wasn’t speaking to his God? ‘Prayerless-ness’ can often be the result of ‘harbouring’ things like guilt, self pity, resentment, anger  and other powerful emotions that separate us from God. The more we pray, the more we are bringing our lives under God’s control, ...

But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. Jonah 1:4 (NLT) None of us likes to be caught in a storm, one of my Grandchildren heard thunder for the first time recently and didn’t like it one bit! Yet this storm saved Jonah, this ‘vacation’ to Tarshish was ruined, but His ‘call’, his vocation was saved! God certainly got Jonah’s attention. Storms may cause damage, but they often clear the air. The ‘storm’ – the virus – has without a doubt caused untold damage and pain and devastating loss. Yet as we begin to emerge from lockdown so many of you are sharing how God has ‘cleared the air’ for you: relationships have been healed, families and communities standing together, unhelpful patterns of thinking or behaviour overcome. I for one have been ‘shaken up’ by the storm and I am praying I come out of the storm having learnt what God has wanted me to learn and changed by His spirit. Some of the ‘things’ we have held onto b...

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. Jonah 1:3 (NLT) I have longed to buy a ‘ticket’ to anywhere during Lockdown. So did Jonah! He sets off, but of course in completely the opposite direction to where God sent him. He could have just stayed where he was and ignored God. The ticket he bought on a ship leaving Joppa for Tarshish, was in the opposite direction to Nineveh. and it proved to be a very costly one! Tarshish was a much more exciting place than Nineveh, it was a trading place and had a ‘buzz’ about it! Nineveh, by contrast, was an unhappy city run by tyrants. In Jonah’s mind one offered adventure, whilst the other offered probable death. God never stops speaking to us, if there is something He has asked you to do, in or out of lockdown, I want to encourage you not to r...

The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked it ' s people are.” Jonah 1:1-2 (NLT) Many years ago I wrote a paper for college on Jonahs ‘mindset’. I have to say this work really changed, shaped and challenged me and God certainly used this to ‘mould’ me into the person I am today. A painful process I must say! The story begins with Jonah saying ‘No’ to God, who wanted him to go and preach in Nineveh amongst the Assyrians who were fierce enemies of Israel. Many of you have shared that although you didn’t understand everything, or all of the science behind the spread of the Corona virus, you have been willing to comply with the Government’s instructions on isolation. Why then do we struggle or pull back from doing what God asks us? We try to apply our own logic, ‘you can’t mean that God, surely this would be better!’ I know I fall into ‘bargaining’ with God! All God aske...

Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. (Romans 16:10) We finish our little tour through some of the people in Romans chapter 16 with Apelles. We don’t know very much about Apelles. We don’t know who he is and where he’s from. We don’t know how he came to faith or what his job or family are like. What we do know is that he has been ‘tested and approved in Christ.’ That’s a beautiful thing to be able to say of any Christian, that they have been tested and approved in Christ. I wonder if that’s something we regularly pray for ourselves or for others? It certainly could be, and if you are ever at a loss for what to pray for someone, this would be a terrific thing to ask. We are not told how Apelles has been tested and approved, but we can be fairly certain that it was not an easy or comfortable process. Testing is never pleasant, is it? Just think of the test that you have been through: maybe exams at school or university, medical tests at a hospital, or the test of difficult situat...

Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. (Romans 16:7) This verse from Romans 16 has been a tricky one to fully understand. Andronicus and Junias (or Junia, who is probably female) are the two people highlighted as being outstanding among the apostles. It’s not clear, however, if Paul counts them as apostles or simply people highly regarded by the apostles. As you can imagine, theologians have written long and complicated essays all about this question! What is clear is that Paul sees these two as outstanding . They are two Christians who stand out. Clearly they stand out in their perseverance, since they have been in prison for their faith. They stand out in their maturity, since they were Christians before Paul was. They stand out even among the apostles, chosen by Jesus to go out with the good news of the kingdom. Here are two outstanding Christians. Yet, surprisingly, ...

Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. (Romans 16:6) If there’s one thing that marks out a number of people Paul mentions in Romans chapter 16, it is working very hard. Mary is mentioned specifically as someone who worked hard, Tryphena and Tryphosa in verse 12 are two women who work hard, as is Persis. All women commended by the apostle Paul, and all people who worked very hard. Working hard is something good and commendable. But it is also something that we can easily put too much emphasis on. We think that our worth and value, in God’s eyes and in the eyes of others, is based on how much we do and how hard we work. It’s important to note, therefore, how these women worked hard. Mary worked very hard for you . It wasn’t for her that she worked, but for others. It was based on relationships and fellowship with other Christians. It wasn’t to prove herself spiritually but to build others up. The other women Paul mentions also work hard, but they work hard in the Lord . We can read...

Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.(Romans 16:5) Being the first to do something is usually very scary. It’s not surprising that we honour those who are the first to achieve a particular feat: crossing the ocean, flying around the world, walking on the moon. When nobody else has been there before it can be hard to step out and take that first step. Our next figure in Romans 16 is Epenetus, and we know only one thing about him: that he was the first Christian in the province of Asia. The province of Asia was a big Roman territory in what is now modern-day Turkey. Roman life was the dominant force in that area and that included worship of the emperor as a god. Its capital was Ephesus which was a city marked by idol worship, belief in magic and superstition and general spiritual darkness. It would have been hard to become a Christian in that place. What a joy it must have been for Paul to see Epenetus come to faith in Jesus Christ. N...

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. (Romans 16:3, 4) Priscilla and Aquila are some of the few people in Romans chapter 16 that we have met elsewhere in the Bible. They were companions of Paul in his ministry and he seemed to have a special friendship with them. But it’s not their friendship that he highlights here, but their risk . “They risked their lives for me” says Paul. That’s a pretty amazing thing to say of anyone. I’m guessing Priscilla and Aquila were fond of Paul, but it’s not his friendship that Paul has in mind here. As he goes on to say, all the churches are grateful to them. They were willing to take a risk, not for Paul but for God. Being a risk-taker and being a Christian might not seem like they go together very naturally! It can seem as if the church is overly conservative, unwilling to change and unwilling to try new things. And perhaps we ...

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. (Romans 16;1,2) Romans is a long and, at times, complex Bible book. Which is why the final chapter often gets overlooked. It’s mostly a list of names and greetings from the apostle Paul. It doesn’t seem terribly interesting and relevant to us today. But those greetings are real, personal relationships and can encourage us, so we are going to look at a few of them over the coming days. The chapter starts with Phoebe, who has been a great help to Paul is his work and ministry. In fact, that seems to be Phoebe’s character, she is a helpful person who serves the Lord in lots of ways. I wonder if you know anyone like that? Perhaps you are like that! Helpful people aren’t necessarily superstars in human eyes but they are special in God’s eyes. Paul...

Then the  Lord  said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” Exodus 16:4 (NIV)   God gives manna in the desert, and also instructs the Israelites to collect twice as much as they need on the sixth day, so they don’t have to gather any on the Sabbath. But not for the first time they think they know best; they both collect on the Sabbath and store some overnight, which becomes full of maggots and smells.   Our God is a generous provider who created us and loves us. He knows each of us personally and intimately. He promises to supply all our needs out of His riches - here he rains down bread from heaven. And yet so often we can allow discontent to breed, pursuing wants rather than needs, desiring more while failing to see the many blessings we already have, focusing on storing up treasures on earth ra...

Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! Joshua 7:7   A few chapters before, God held back the flow of the river Jordan while the whole of Israel crossed on dry ground, which we are told He did “so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”   After forty years of wandering in the desert they had finally entered the Promised Land, and yet facing their first setback in their new homeland - which, incidentally, happened because they disobeyed God - they long to go back to a life they’ve just escaped from.   One of the greatest blockages to contentment is regret. If only I had chosen a different place to live, picked a different school for my children, spent more time with my parents in their later years, encouraged my friend whe...

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances … I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation Philippians 4:11, 12 (NIV)   Contentment doesn’t come naturally. It’s something St Paul felt he had had to learn. In fact he feels this sufficiently strongly that he says virtually the same thing twice!   The 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon said “If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener’s care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us.”   At this unexpected and uncertain time it can feel as if we need to use all our energy just to survive the challenges of everyday life. But in fact learning the source and natu...

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! Psalm 23:1 (Living Bible)   This wonderful psalm goes on to describe just some of the countless ways in which our God is for us - He leads us, He restores us, He guides us, He is present with us, He comforts us, He blesses us, He shows goodness and love to us - all the days of our lives.   David, who wrote this psalm, at one time a shepherd himself, faced many dark and difficult times. But when he takes the time to stop, to remember and consciously recognize what his God is like, it turns his view of himself and his circumstances upside down.   I find it easy to focus all my attention on the latest news bulletin, current government advice, estimates of the R number, when I’ll next find flour in the supermarket - important as they are - and forget the God who walks with me in these challenging days.   St Augustine said “God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest ...

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31   The following chapter - Genesis 2 - gives us a wonderful picture of the way mankind was created to live, a glimpse of God’s intention for creation and mankind as the crowning glory of it. We see a man walking with God, dependent on Him, working for Him, trusting Him, delighting in Him. It’s a picture of total contentment.   Sadly it didn’t take long for this to fall apart, as the man and the woman God created to be with Him allow distrust and discontent to blossom, leading them to disobey Him.   Sin had well and truly entered God’s world, and we live with the reality of this in us and around us. But it’s important to remember how God intends life to be. At its simplest, whenever we pray Thy kingdom come in the Lord’s Prayer we’re asking God to change the way things are in His world, here and now.   When we pray, we can and should expect to see healing and restoration - in our own lives, in those we p...

Godliness with contentment is great gain 1 Timothy 6:6   2020 has unfolded in ways none of us could have imagined. The routines and patterns of daily life have been turned on their head, and there are so many things that we’re having to learn to do very differently or to accept that we can’t do at all.   In the midst of all this one of the particular challenges I’ve found has been avoiding dwelling on all the things I feel I’ve lost or don’t have , and instead focusing on what I do have . The Bible speaks in a number of places about the idea of contentment, which we’ll be thinking about this week.   Some 400 years ago Jeremiah Burroughs wrote The rare jewel of Christian contentment , in which he described contentment as “ that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”   Paul often faced hardship and deprivation as a minister of the Gospel, including his own times of lo...

Jesus said to them,   “Come and have breakfast.”   None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.   Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.   This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples   after he was raised from the dead. John 21:12-14 I wonder sometimes where Jesus was between the times he appeared to the disciples. This was the third time he appeared to them, but by now they knew it was Him. They did not dare to ask who He was! They may have done so the first two times He appeared, but not this time. That encourages me. Sometimes I still find it hard to recognise Jesus in my daily activities: meetings, commute to work, people I chat with, etc. But the encouraging thing is that, as I spend more and more time with Him, the better I will recognise Him in the day-to-day. And somehow there is always food involved. Probably because Jesus knows that we need nourishment as well as...

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.  John 21: 10-11 I wonder if one more fish would have torn the net. 154 may have been too much. The nets may have broken and the disciples would have to fix them later. That would have tainted the morning. But it wasn't 154, it was 153. A perfect amount for the nets.  Things are not perfect in the world today. But this passage reminds me that Jesus made the perfect sacrifice, and because of this truth, one day things will be just as they should be.   A prayer - Lord thank you that one day all things will be made perfect because of your sacrifice. Amen James Clee