TW'sV on baptism, votes and choices

'It's Anna here from BBC Songs of Praise.  Is it true you have your own River Jordan and baptise people there?'  We chatted and I assured her it was no gimmick; it has became a local tradition since the first in 2003.  Arrangements were made with all those concerned and a first class crew respectful filmed the occasion. 


Over the years tabloids have heard about these baptisms but I find it very difficult getting them to report what actually goes on.  In one case they reduced the age of a candidate and a local rumour started that baptism in the Jordan washes the years off you!!

Songs of Praise is one of the longest running programmes and has an excellent reputation for respecting and celebrating the Christian faith.   You can see the clip on http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02n9ncp

Baptism is choosing the best for a child, knowing that when they are ready to stand on their own two feet they can make the baptism promises themselves and be confirmed in their faith.  But there are other choices too; this month those of us eighteen or above can vote for a variety of candidates.

Graphic by The Independent

After the baptism people commented on how respectful the camera crew were, on a perfect baby boy well supported by family and friends, and on the prayers I led.  The Springhead is a chocolate box scene but for young people in the borough trying to find jobs locally is not easy, so I prayed that those patronised by 0 hour contracts should have honouring employment that brought out their greatest skills.  The words were chosen carefully because a few choose 0 hour contracts which give them freedom to work or not.

Our choices make a difference.  In some cases those at the top are paid obscenely more than those at the bottom, and sometimes we as tax payers underwrite their risk.  The John Lewis Partnership shows what can be done in rewarding all for performance, and in having a significant but just reward for those who carry the heavy responsibility of leadership.

May we choose wisely.

TW'sV on being between a rock and a hard place

It could hardly have been more humiliating or excruciating being hammered onto a Roman gallows and displayed for all to see.  Jesus had been tortured, mocked, and made a scapegoat.  The site had a nickname The Skull because of the mound's shape.  It stood near the city's rubbish dump and was most certainly a hard place.  He was surrounded by some hard hearted characters.

A recent picture of The Skull by Mendoza

After his death some of Jesus' followers took his body, placed it in a tomb carved out of rock, and sealed it with a huge stone.  Good Friday is called such because it turned out to be the start of something rather than the end.  It's where all the ghastly failure in this world was redeemed, and where you and I can find forgiveness.  What is important is that we don't stay between a rock and a hard place.

Forgiveness deals with the past but it's about the future.  As we remember the horrific events unfolding in Europe a century ago so we should also be incredibly grateful for all forgiveness and healing that has taken place since; it has given us the peace we enjoy today.  Forgiveness brings peace between nations.

We could stay between a rock and a hard place but that would be to waste the Easter story which is about making moves forward.  Easter is not the end of the story but its beginning.  As we relive the events it offers us all an opportunity to let its truths soak into our beings so that faith blossoms.

I once met a proud angry man who, in colourful language, told me just where to put my faith.  A few week's later I was summoned to his bedside after he had been paralysed by a massive stroke and was trapped inside himself.  I simply told him that Jesus was trapped on the cross so would have known what it felt like; and I invited the proud man who had been mightily humbled to make a connection with Jesus' suffering.

He did just that but didn't stop there because for many years he had been estranged from his son.  I was asked to write to him and was able to help them forgive each other.  That forgiveness brought peace between individuals, a new beginning for both.  They hadn't stayed between a rock and a hard place but had moved forward.

If you would like to join me in reliving the Good Friday story why not meet me 10.00am at St Francis' Church, Littlemoor on 6 April?

TW'sV on being less hateful, more hopeful; and broadcasting

Bath Rugby are doing really well this season and had an outstanding away game against a formidable rich French club.  Bath players scored all the English points against Wales in the Six Nations' opening match.

My father grew up regularly supporting the club which is 150 years old this year.  As a long term supporter I'm delighted to be on the winning side but at the end of the day rugby is just a game.

Islamic State (IS) is quite another matter.  Can we win?  I don't believe it helps to talk about a war on terror because it's no conventional war.  It is now worryingly clear that most terrorists carrying out atrocities in these islands are home grown.  We need to look carefully at our attitudes; are we inadvertently encouraging radicalisation?

Can Muslims learn from the terrible errors within the Christian Church?  Five hundred years ago Protestant and Catholic were at each others' throats but now different Christian traditions delight in variation and tease each other.  It is painfully slow as a Guardian picture taken three years ago in Northern Ireland reminds us.

At the height of Christian sectarianism there were those in the Muslim faith who appealed to different factions to make peace.  Now Sunni and Shia are locked into horrific feuds, can we as Christians invite them to make peace through conversation and forgiveness?  We have some authority because in our time we have done just that.

Whatever the answer it will need the gift of forgiveness, and the nouse to be less hateful and more hopeful.

Broadcasting
Love him or loathe him Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber has argued that all church building should provide wifi for visitors.  Our Archbishop of Canterbury has also spoken of using social media to communicate.  After all when printing transformed communications many in the Church embraced the opportunity.

Later this year a significant upgrade of St Andrew's church building will begin with a capacity to broadcast worship being one of the aims.  A pilot exercise will take place during Café Church. 

TW'sV on bridges and love-locks

Dramas crossing the Severn
What fantastic fun it was crossing the river Severn by car ferry.  Depending on the strength of tidal flow you would sail a mile upstream (or down) before eventually crawling back in the quieter waters by the bank to reach the slipway.  Thick mud everywhere!  Brilliant.

Then an amazing suspension bridge was built; towers and cables first; deck sections were floated out at slack high tide to be pulled up into place after all the mud had been washed off them.  Not such an adventure but still quite impressive.

Wikipedia's picture of sections being added

Next came a second crossing of awesome size, three lanes each way not two, but less exciting except occasionally when strong winds blow frozen shards of ice off the superstructure.  It's as if the Severn has been domesticated and we take the connection for granted.

Bridging ideas
Sermons ought to be like bridges linking two ideas together.  Some form an amazing construct in biblical times but don't link it to anything useful.  Others relate passionately to a contemporary issue but find nothing to say about it.  The best sermons link biblical times to today's world and tomorrow's challenges in a way that encourages traffic to flow.

It doesn't mean answering all the questions because that's patronising and dis-empowering.  It does mean linking two ideas and inviting listeners on a journey of discovery.  It is powerful because God's Spirit brings alive the unchanging truths of God's loving purposes for us all.

These bridges between our mortal lives and the span of eternity are never to be taken for granted.  They should be treasured above all else.

It started on a bridge in Paris
Lovers wrote a message onto a padlock, fixed it to the bridge, and threw the keys into the river Seine.  After a while the weight grew so much that the locks had to be cut off to preserve the bridge.  The trend has appeared in London, especially on footbridges with convenient wires.

Lover's locks on the Millennium 'wobbly' Bridge

These symbols of hearts locked together by the gift of love can be powerful, although if you look at the bottom left lock it doesn't look like it might be for longer than three years!  God is locked in his covenant of love for us.  After all he probably made the universe to share his love.  God is love.

As we make our way through 2015 with its excitements, joys, tedious moments, and all the other strands that make up our lives, it might be worth engaging with the extraordinary gift of God's love for each of us.  Through Jesus Christ he offers us a bridge to eternity, fresh beginnings through forgiveness, and a sense of fun alongside a sense of faith.

Any questions?
A significant number have been in touch about last month's View and commented how it helped them understand something of the privilege of grieving well.  If you have any questions or areas you would like me to consider in one of my Views do get in touch.  Contact details are included on the Ridgeway website www.ridgeway.org.uk and in The Register Magazine.