Trusting God

I have failed. I had made it my aim to condense my Key Beliefs into twelve. (If you go back to my original thinking behind this, Jesus could make do with twelve disciples, so I can do the Key Beliefs in twelve Blogs).

I was doing reasonably well to start with. I began with eight, which quickly were expanded to twelve, where they have remained for some time. But now I have been stuck on “Trust and Obey”. The problem has, in some measure, been caused by a very pretty and meaningful hymn, “Trust and Obey”. (Listen to this on YouTube, if you want on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLJ7Hkx6YwM, so you know what I talking about.)

I set myself the task of writing a Key Belief blog on “Trust and Obey”, and quickly tangled myself in knots. My problem was that the Bible says that they both are important, but rarely links them together. I am sure that they are connected, but in fact, I could not find a linked reference to the two in the New Testament.

This is a puzzle, but never mind. Therefore, I have separated the two, and will leave it to others to prove that I am wrong or if I am correct, point out why this is the case.

I don’t know with which parts of the New Testament that you are familiar, so let me start with one passage that I think is well known. In Matthew 6, Jesus is preaching and tells us to “Consider the birds of the air”. Here is a link to this part of the sermon, which starts at verse 25. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%206.25-34&version=NIV

The heading in this version is “Do not worry”. In this sermon, Jesus us tells us not to worry over matters which are all too familiar to us. (Food, clothing i.e. pretty basic stuff. You might add money, work, family and plenty of similar items).

I would have given this section the title “Trust in God for Basic Stuff”. Perhaps that is too long, but I think that my title is better. It is a positive action, whereas the original is a “negative” and we are not good at “Do Not do this or that…..”  Too much like New Year’s Resolutions, which have a habit of failing by the fourth day at the very latest.

There are plenty of good reasons for worrying about these things, especially at the moment. Jesus knows this, but still tells us not to worry, and we can trust God for them.

We could allow ourselves to be bogged down in all kinds of discussions about exactly what this trusting means. However, I will pass this over in this blog, and direct your attention to another reference to “Trust”. In John 3, Jesus has a long conversation with a religious person, over the nature of physical and spiritual life. The writer, John, in verse 16, expands on this discussion by saying that whoever trusts and believes in Jesus will have eternal life. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3&version=NIV

The Old and New Testament are full of stories, encouragement, even commands to trust God, even (or especially) in times when things look desperate. In Genesis 15, God promises Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky (verse 5).

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+15&version=NIV

It goes on to state that Abraham believed God and because of this, God regarded Abraham as righteous. Abraham’s relationship with God was not dependant on anything he had done in the past, or would do in the future, but because of his trust in God.

Whether the trusting involves “Doing and trusting” or “Waiting and trusting”, is a difficult and important distinction. But whichever it is, trusting God is a central point in our relationship with Him.

In my earlier blog, “Acknowledge What We Are”, I suggested that there are four ways in which we can approach God. One of ways is that we can experience God, if we come to Him as children. As in the first two words of the Lord’s Prayer, we acknowledge that He is our Father and “Trusting Him” comes from this relationship.

I will have a crack at “Obey” in a few weeks’ time. I am working on it. In the meantime, you will have to make do with “Trusting”.

Where Do You Turn To?

We were watching “Children in Need” on the BBC last November. This year, it raised over £26m for the 2,500 children’s charities that it supports. One felt overwhelmed at times by the need, sometimes caused by illness, accident or misfortune and on the other side by poverty or social and financial deprivation.

What does one do when unemployment takes its toll? The prospect of unemployment, the event itself or the enduring situation itself destroys not just the financial position of individuals and the family, but their self-confidence and self-esteem.

I do not know where most people turn to when this happens. After all, most people do not have spare properties or large savings to fall back on and a personal and business network which will keep them going. What do most people do in the first few days and weeks after this? There are the inevitable feelings of bitterness and injustice. These can, I expect, be so overwhelming, to be the main and permanent pre-occupation, before a sense of helplessness sets in.

And then there is the search for new work, visiting the job centre, seeing what retraining is available, making sure that all the benefits that can be claimed are claimed, providing that there is enough support and mental energy to do this.

And then there is the cry from nearly everyone that the government, councils, social services, companies, charities should do more, that they should create more jobs and that they should spend more.

I state all this, to make the observation that in most cases, there will be no thought of God in all this. I am assuming that, up to this point, God has not been a part of general life of the individual or that of the family. To the extent that God has been considered in all this, He will now be ignored or blamed – yes – most likely blamed. He has never been thought of at all. Life went on quite happily in the good old days without Him, so why think of Him now.

It seems so laughable to look to God for help. What can He do? Why would He do it anyway?

In an earlier blog, I entertained some ideas on how a personal relationship with God might start. http://colinhawkersother.blogspot.com/2012/01/acknowledge-what-we-are.html. Actually, a further starting point is a good old fashioned cry for help. “God, I need your help. I do not know what to do”.

Strangely, I wonder whether there is any the downside in asking for God’s help. If there is no God, then apart from looking or feeling stupid, nothing has been lost. If this is the case, then it is just a tick in the box. “Tried that; didn’t work”.

The problem actually starts if He is there. What is it that you are asking for? Even if you know what you want (money; a job), what is it be that God wants to give you? What happens if they are not the same? …and there is a very good chance that they will not be the same.

We will ask God for the obvious (nothing wrong with this). I need a job. I need money. I need strength to keep going. I need my friends to help me.

But as well as asking God for these things, what else should we think about? What about the nagging fear that continually exists and lurks in the background, and the lack of confidence that sets in? Why not ask God to help with this?

What about your relationships and friends, from whom you need support?  Why not ask God to help with this? (Do not underestimate the support you need from friends; not necessarily just sympathy, but support and encouragement).

You have no downside in asking God for help. As you might expect from me, as Bible quote is always in order. Here is a link to Psalm 142. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20142&version=NIV

But if you do not ask God, then you will certainly not get His help. You can blame Him and curse Him (I don’t suppose that He cares very much), and perhaps even this is better than ignoring Him. But don’t ignore Him.

The Queen’s Christmas Address - 2011

I do not usually read the various Christmas messages from Church leaders or watch the Queen’s Christmas Address. However this year was an exception, not out any deliberate plan, but either because I saw them by accident, or was curious. In the case of the Queen’s address, we were together, with not a lot to do, so the Television was switched on to watch the speech.

The main leaders traditionally make addresses of some kind at Christmas. The Archbishop of Canterbury is one, but in his Christmas Address, he made no reference to God or Jesus.

The Archbishop of York, another important spiritual leader within the Anglican Church, made a short Christmas address. He concluded with “So this Christmas, may you be blessed in giving of yourself to God, to those in need, and to those you love, and may you also be blessed by knowing the love of God, given for you.”

Just before Christmas (but not directly connected to Christmas), the Prime Minister, David Cameron used the occasion of the 400^th Anniversary of the King James Bible to argue that the United Kingdom is a Christian country and that the bible had an important role in shaping our values and beliefs. He admitted to having stepped “into the lions’ den”. The public / press response was brief and died down as quickly as it arose.

It was the Queen’s comments that most clearly struck the note, that for all the social responsibilities that a Christian faith may bring, the central message of Christmas and Christianity is that a personal response is required from us towards God.

It was very well done, even more interesting than I had expected, with some of the key events an occasions of the Royal Family during 2011. In case you were wondering, it is 7 minutes 24 seconds long and can be seen on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olEp_3Spc1g

Just slightly less than 5 minutes into the speech, The Queen reminded us of the Christmas story, and a traditional Nativity play, probably from a school, was shown. Following this, the Queen stressed to us that the Christmas message is about a Saviour who came to earth with power to save. She called our attention to the fact that in forgiveness, we feel the power of God’s love.

Her prayer for us was that, on this Christmas Day, we would find room in our lives for the message of the Angels and for the love of God, through Christ our Lord

It was noticeable that the press did not report the Queens speech (that I could find) and for the others, the press reported none of the parts that referred to God or our response to God. I am not surprised by this.

How will most people, who have no contact with the church ever hear God’s message to them?

Acknowledge What We Are

We are on to (Key Belief) number 6. After the most recent two, we may be left with the knowledge or belief that God exists, and His universe is impressive, but with no more than that.  The knowledge could be academic or theoretical. It could be a belief sincerely held, but of no more significance than knowing Queen Elizabeth II became Queen in 1952.

This knowledge, at least, is current or topical. Knowing that the Spanish Armada arrived (or rather didn’t) in 1588, in the reign of the other Elizabeth is knowledge that is more remote.

These might be interesting facts, but of no direct impact on daily life, unless you are doing a history exam. They may something to be debated, the same way as discussing whether Chelsea Football Club will recover to win the Premier league (currently 5^th in the table, as I write the first draft of this). 

But there are other forms of knowledge that have more of a direct impact on us. For example, whether or not our home exists and will be there, when we return is of direct relevance to us. Whether we were paid by our employer is, for most people anyway, of considerable importance. We live according to these beliefs, even though we are hardly conscious of them.

Into which category is belief in God? It is very comfortable to believe in a God, and then to carry on one’s life as before. It need make no difference to one’s life or one’s attitude to oneself. I know that most people regard God as having some moral characteristics (which I have not written about in these blogs). From here, we might regard it as logical to have some form of moral code that derives from this. This is a very civilising influence of society and communities and families and is not to be ignored. Nevertheless, it still keeps God at arm’s length. The knowledge is still academic.

But “Key Belief number 6” is that the knowledge of God is like knowing another person, even a friend. In that sense, it is nothing like knowing your house at all. It is a personal encounter. Of course, it is not possible for me to prove this. This sort of knowledge cannot be proved. It must be experienced.

What form does this personal encounter take? I can think of four ways, which are really all similar.

1.  It would start along the thought that we are “things” that God has made. We are “creatures” and He is the creator. We are part of His creation, which He made and we acknowledge this fact before him.

2.  Actually this may not be the only way forward. The Old Testament, in some places, describes the relationship between God and His people as that between “master and servant”. God lays down rules for their lives and they are expected to follow this. If a person makes this acknowledgement to God, then this too is the beginning of a correct relationship with God.

3.  Here is a further way. Jesus, in one of the New Testament stories, allows children to come to him. He says that unless we become like children, we cannot enter God’s world. (Matthew 18.3.)  Jesus repeats this, when He teaches us the first line of the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father, who is in Heaven…….”

4.  I can think of a fourth way of approaching this. The Old and the New Testaments teach that God sets us standards, which we fail to live up to. In fact it is in our nature to breach these standards. When we acknowledge this, we are able to move forward into a relationship with God. If we deny that this is the case, then progress here is not possible. (Romans 3.23.)

Any one of these four approaches sees a change in our relationship with God. We recognise God as who he is and what we are. We need to make this acknowledgement to God himself and this is not an academic exercise. It cuts to the core of our pride and it is here that most people stop. It is the personal encounter with God, which is necessary and which forms the basis of the knowledge of God in the same way as you know your friends.

There is no way or short-cut through here. Unfortunately, God is very uncompromising on this.

I Couldn’t Believe in a God, who…

In my earlier “Key Belief Number Five” http://colinhawkersother.blogspot.com/2011/12/god-made-universe-to-show-extent-of-his.html, I wrote about how God shows His greatness through his creation of the universe. I also said that, for the most part, if you don’t believe in God, then this does not make much of an impression. Further, I said that the bad that people see in the world, develops into a reason for not believing in God. This is typically expressed as “I couldn’t believe in a God who…….”

In some ways, we start with a disadvantage in our childhood. Sunday Schools give or can give the impression of a Father Christmas figure of God. He answers prayers. He loves the world. He does good things. He is someone to whom we can talk. He is the Jesus in the Manger, meek and mild (to quote a Christmas Carol). It is correct that he should be portrayed as such, when we are talking to children, whose grasp of complexity and ambiguity is very limited. But life, as we know, is more complicated than that.  

At some point in their lives, people, as they grow up, have to deal with the ambiguities that are created.  We see and learn how the world really works, what happens in other countries (or our own), in peoples’ lives, and our own immediate families and lives. We resolve these ambiguities by changing our view of the world. In most cases hopefully, we stop believing in things are not true. We no longer believe in Father Christmas. We learn that people lie, car drivers do not always stop at zebra crossings and supermarkets do not always charge the correct prices. We don’t trust politicians and God does not answer our prayers.

Our views are altered and amended. The view we hold of ourselves, our friends, our families and workplace evolve. They may evolve so slowly that we barely notice, until we look back and say to ourselves or friends “Did we really think that?” Sometimes these views change abruptly as some painful truth becomes apparent.

In the same way, earlier views and beliefs about God may be rejected totally, evolve or remain unchanged.

For many, what takes place is a total rejection of earlier beliefs. I have not thought through the various reasons why this might happen. But for many, the rejection is expressed as an inability to believe in a God who causes or allows events to occur which should not happen, at least in terms of the old beliefs. A common ways that this is expressed is “I could not believe in a God who…….”

We might have had a particular view of God. If this view is correct, why does he allow these things to happen? This might be expressed as “If he is a God of Love, why does he allow suffering?” We would like to believe in a God, who does not allow such things to happen, whether these events affect me directly (such as the death of a close family member) or are external to me (such a war in another country). What does not happen is a modifying of the view of what sort of God we are dealing with here.

If there is a God, and there is suffering in the world, then clearly He is a God, who can allow this. This may be important to us. However, the fact that we do not understand this is not essential to its truth. There are many things in the world that that are important and which, we do not understand. This does not mean that they are not true and we have to accept the truth of these, if we wish to continue to function and stay alive.

We have come to think of God in terms that we can approve of. We do this rather than accept the uncomfortable fact that He is whatever He is. Refusing to believe that God is whatever He is a futile exercise. We cannot demand that God conform to an image that we have created or, which was created for us when we were very young.

The Bible makes very few statements along these lines. Rather obscurely, buried in the middle of the Bible, is the Book of Job (immediately before the Psalms). Job is afflicted by God, and although he never directly accuses God, he is confused and puzzled in his heart.

God’s answer is very uncompromising. (Job 38 – 42). You can skip the rest of Job if you want to. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+38&version=NIV God challenges Job to consider whether he really has any idea of who he is dealing with. God does not have to justify himself to Job or to us.

I will finish with a better known bible story, Moses and the burning bush. (Exodus 3.1 – 14). http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3&version=NIV

Verse 14 is something of a puzzle. “I am what I am”. This is first time in the bible that this expression is used. God says that he is to be called the “I AM”. Very droll, we might think, but it was central for Moses to understand that God is whatever he is and not what Moses or the people of Israel wanted him to be.

God’s existence does not stand or fall on what we think he might be, but by whatever He is.  

God made the Universe to Show the Extent of his Power

I hope that you enjoyed the brief detour into the world of mountain flowers and gentians, in particular, as well as the tents by St. Pauls. Now it is back to the unfolding list of my “Eight Key Beliefs”.  We have reached one on which I touched lightly back in March 2010. It was rather disrespectfully entitled, “A Cosmic Joke”. http://colinhawkersother.blogspot.com/2010/03/cosmic-joke.html

Moving on the “Key Belief Number Five”, you will think that I have only three to go. You may be surprised or disappointed (depending on your point of view) to know that there are at least five to go and maybe more, proving that I am not very good at arithmetic.

I have already put forward the thought that God created the Universe, firstly because he is a creating God, and secondly as the backdrop or context to Man’s existence. http://colinhawkersother.blogspot.com/2011/10/he-is-creating-and-sharing-god.html

I also put forward the additional reason that God wants to draw Man’s attention to His existence. The Universe is so vast and our understanding and knowledge of it is so small, even if that knowledge is growing every year. It stands to reason that as Man looks out to infinity (and 13 Billion Light Years, and increasing, is nearly infinity*¹), his thoughts are naturally drawn to God, the Creator and Man’s own insignificance.

Actually, not one bit of it. From my (unscientific) research in talking to people who do not believe in God, none are impressed by this argument or thought that the enormity and complexity of the Universe proves that there is some kind of God. I don’t know of anyone who has looked out at the stars or considered some of the facts of the universe and been persuaded, to believe in God, from a position of not believing to God. Now, there probably is such a person, but I have not met them and I suspect that he, she or they are the exception (and anyway, it would spoil the argument that I am building up here).

If this is the case, subject to a few awkward exceptions which I shall ignore, then that leaves only people who believe in God who make the connection and are impressed. And by and large, they are impressed.

As a brief, but not unexpected side-track, I have no thoughts or theories on why might this be the case (assuming that it is the case). But if it is true, then I will further develop the idea, that a person’s knowledge of God comes only via a personal and even direct interaction with Him. (See Balaam’s donkey http://colinhawkersother.blogspot.com/2011/10/balaams-donkey.html)

It is only then then an appreciation of everything that God has done, both in our lives and in the world at large becomes possible.

(However, a side-track within a side-track. People often see what they do not approve of in the world as a reason for not believing in God. I will expand on this at a future date in one of my fillers*².)

At this point, Psalm 8 is worth reading and considering. Here is an easy link for you. It is very short. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%208&version=NIV

This is first psalm that praises God for his creation, and asks the question why God should care for man. A very good question, indeed. The Psalmist can hardly believe the extent of the universe that God has created, compared with the insignificance of Man. But the Psalmist’s starting point is one of belief in God. The extent of what he sees and the place where God has placed Man in relation to this, leaves him staggered and in awe.

So perhaps my title and Core Belief becomes “God made the Universe to Show the Extent of his Power to his People / to those who believe in Him”.

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*¹ People who understand Mathematics need not reply to this piece on nonsense – but you get the point.

*² A filler is one of Grumpy’s brother’s blogs which are not one the “Eight Key Beliefs”.

Tents by St. Pauls

I am writing this in the middle of November. We have just returned to Zurich, after a trip to England for our son’s wedding, having spent 17 days in England. I thought that I might get away from “Key Beliefs” and “Fillers” and write on something topical. It is always interesting to see what particular themes the English newspapers have taken up, to report on the daily comings and goings, repeating what has been said before (when there is not much new), together with the usual English comment and speculation, before they lose interest and move on to the next topic.

One of the topics that ran during this time was the “Occupy” protest on the steps of St. Pauls. After visiting a friend near Blackfriars, I took a stroll past St. Pauls in the mid-afternoon. I was only there for about ten minutes, so can hardly claim that my experience was deep and profound, but I did enjoy the carnival atmosphere, watched a dance routine being rehearsed, saw someone practicing his juggling, and watched the free tea and coffee being dispensed at one of the more industrial sized tents (I regret that I did not have time to partake of this offer), together with a noticeboard, showing the more serious matter of lectures, discussions and talks.

The whole affair was lightly policed, in contrast with the (only slightly) more conspicuous police presence on Paternoster Square, the entrance to the Stock Exchange and at least two U.S. Investment Banks, being the symbol of those general activities against which the “Occupy” participants are protesting.

In all this (civilised) protesting, discussions about Health and Safety and the resignations of various St. Pauls’ staff, there was very little said about God. So I searched for some reference to God in all these reports and statements by St. Pauls’ staff, whether resigning or staying, by protesters, other public people, and clergymen, who might have had something to say on this subject. (*1)

Even the Archbishop of Canterbury seemed unable or unwilling to make any connection with this topic and God, although the Archbishop was reported as being in agreement with the proposal for a tax on Banking (*2). I say “seemed”, as the Archbishop of Canterbury might have made such a connection, but the newspapers, being generally bored with the topic of “God”, may simply have failed to report it.

One story from the New Testament that has been used in these discussions is that of Jesus and the money changers in the Temple (*3), although I do not remember what the context was. This was put forward as demonstrating that Jesus would have supported the protest.

I might have understood this point if the protest was against the entrance fee for a visitor to St. Pauls (although I am personally neutral on the subject) and that the Church had made St. Pauls, a place of worship, into a place of commerce. Also, if the stock exchange had set up business there, then the analogy might work. But at the moment, I am struggling to see who exactly the protesters think Jesus would eject from St. Pauls. The people who collect the money from visitors at the door perhaps?

There were other sub-stories, not least of which was that “Health and Safety” was given for closing the church. A very secular reason, the facts of which I found hard to get, but I think that I am right in saying that if you were just a visitor, who had come to look around, then it wasn’t safe. However, if you had come to worship, then it was safe. In a funny sort of religious way, this might make sense.

Overall though, the main point that I am missing is on what basis do the Clergy side with the protesters. There was, as far as I know, no appeal to the Bible or to God. Perhaps the clergy in question are not sure of their spiritual grounds (or perhaps it doesn’t matter anymore). After all one could look pretty stupid these days saying that “This is wrong, because God / the Bible says so”. I couldn’t help feeling that the whole statement from a Church viewpoint could have been more powerful, if God had been brought into the discussion, however unfashionable that might be.
So all in all, a jolly secular affair.

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Note 1 – I have avoided references to “The Church”, as I am not sure who speaks for it.
Note 2 - Guardian website on 2 November, reporting on an article in the Financial Times.
Note 3 – Mentioned in all three Gospels (Mt 21.12; Luke 19.45; Mk 11.15). http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2021&version=NIV