Thuggery                          Word on the Week                    20thJuly 2024.

The dictionary definition is that of a violent and aggressive man, especially a criminal.   It may require to be updated as most criminals are patient and calculating.   The people they influence and inflame do the dastardly deeds.

However, they break the laws of the land and in a week when the candidate for the US Presidency was shot at and our own Mary Lou MacDonald revealed that she received a death threat it seems that violence is all around us.

It breaks out in the protests against housing refugees or economic immigrants in places that have suffered from social neglect and poor Government policies.   Local backlash, fanned by inflammatory news in the media, triggers violence.  

The issue of tents to immigrants when there is no other housing available, only for these same tents to be forcefully removed portrays a government which does not know what to do.

Violence does best where there are injustices.   These can easily be fanned into flame by fake news.    Fear can be whipped up when Immigrants are given a bad name.   Single males, language barriers and no prior liaison with the community produce a toxic mix.

The irony is that so many of us have immigration in our family’s past.  In many cases the indigenous people assisted the incomer.   Today sons and daughters fly off to the pleasanter spots of the globe and report favourably on the reception they receive.

But at home violence spreads.   It appears in main streets, buses and lodges in the brain in a “they are out to get me” motivation, so I strike first.    And if we saw ourselves as the victims of injustice we too revert to violence, perhaps it’s internalised but it’s in our heart (Genesis 6 verse 11). 

There was only one man in the Bible of whom it was said “He had done no violence” and that was Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53 verse 9).   Indeed, it was for these sins, internalised or articulated, that Jesus died and rose again to prove he had conquered sin (1 Corinthians 15 verses 3 to 4).

Nobody likes to be called a thug.   But when we realise that it was for thugs that Jesus died maybe I should revise my likes.   After all, the repentant thief on the cross did just that and was welcomed into paradise (Luke 23 verses 40 to 43).

Or as the Apostle Paul said “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3 verse 20).    And there all the thugs who come to Christ will be made new!

I reckon I was about age eight when I heard the Rev. Ingles Black preach a sermon on Henry Francis Lyte.   It remained with me largely as a result of his hymn “Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.” It measures the ageing process!

Henry was born in Kelso in Scotland, educated in Ireland, went to Trinity College where he won the prize for the best poem for three years!   He thought about Medicine but decided to “go into the church”.

He was ordained and served a brief curacy in Waterford before moving to Marazion in Cornwell.   It was here that two important events took place in his life.   Up to this time he had lived a worldly life and when a neighbouring clergyman sent for him, afraid he was dying unpardoned, the pair of them set about reading the Bible in earnest.

As they searched the Scriptures they found comfort in St Paul’s Epistles.   Henry received the gift of God’s grace and was converted to Christ.  The clergyman also found peace with God and died happy in the knowledge of sins forgiven and acceptance with God.  

In due course Henry was moved along the south coast to All Souls, a church in Brixham but not before he had married the local Methodist Minister’s daughter!    He ministered among the seafaring population of the town with her at his side.   Rather bizarrely she refused to leave the Methodists so they went their separate ways to public worship!

Brixham was where William of Orange landed in1688 to claim the English throne from King James 11 who was his father-in-law!   It had become a naval base and the occasional visits of ships affected the morality of the town!    However, fishing was the main employment and despite his ailing health he became well known and loved by the community.

Henry was able to use his poetical gift to set the psalms to music.   His first book was psalms in metre.   He also wrote many hymns.  This is the first verse of the most famous; “Abide with me fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide   When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless O abide with me.

There is a note of triumph running through the hymn.   It comes from Henry resting in the fact of Jesus presence with him (Deuteronomy 31 verse 6).  The last verse breaks into the glory:   Reveal Thyself before my closing eyes Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies; Heaven’s morning breaks and earths vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Dashboard

Swallows                          Word on the Week                    22^nd June 2024.

The warmer weather this week encouraged the Swallows to go hunting!   They turned up in numbers and began to catch up on their food supply.   The insects they depend on do not fly in the rain!   Indeed, it was the cold wet weather which caused an absence of swallow activity, that is until now.

It was a joy to visit the farmyard and hear the melodious ‘tswit’ coming from all quarters as the birds execute their manoeuvers.   The display is not for show but is part of the feeding process.   They have been blessed with a large mouth, hinged at the widest part of their head so that the gape can scoop up multiple insects on the wing.

Their wings are slim and pointed making them highly acrobatic.   With a slender body and long trailing tail feathers the bird has a very efficient wing load ratio enabling it to travel vast distances with no rest.   With its short legs and feet, it is seldom seen to land, preferring to perch on wires, rooftops or tree branches.

The long tail feathers are attractive to the female although the glamour is not all that necessary as the birds mate for life.   The young who make it through their first year return with their parents and create a mud nest near their original home.    

The nest, which is cupped in shape, is typically built on the timbers of a stable tucked under the slates and accessed through tiny gaps in the wooden door.   It differs from its relative the House Martin who prefer external locations such as under the eaves of the roof.   In order to adhere to the wall, it requires more mud and produces an elliptical shape with only one small hole for an entrance.

These birds spend the Winter half of the year 10,000 kilometres away in sub-Saharan Africa.   In some cases, ringed Irish birds have turned up in South Africa.   Like other migratory species they rely on their God given instinct to guide them to fresh food supplies for their journey.

It could be likened to the Christian who having trusted God for his/her salvation should not worry about everyday things.   Jesus thought they could teach us a lesson.   “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (St Matthew Chapter 6 verses 25/7) We each choose our master – either faith or worry.  Which is it to be?

Are there Bots in the Bible?      Word on the Week          15^th June 2024.

Generative A I is an Artificial Intelligence which creates text, music or pictures on the instructions of its user.   It is increasing in popularity receiving more than 1.8 billion hits on its site per month.   It even exceeds the popular channel called Netflix!

Bots or rather robots are programmed by Artificial Intelligence to faithfully carry out specific actions over and over again.   Many tasks in the work scene have repetitive actions which lend themselves to robots.   All their actions are programmed by routines that specify the direction, speed and distance of a series of coordinated motions.    This information is stored in the robot’s library and can be updated to suit changing needs.  

Generative A I has a Library of information available to it and can answer questions in circumstances where the questions are anticipated.   Employees answering phone calls rely on the robot’s ability to provide the answer.   It is a short step for the robot to deal with the call itself!

This is the A I which can produce essays for students drawing the information from its pre-programmed library.   Apparently it has now delved into paintings and music obtained from its stored information.   It is only as good as its programmer’s skills!

When we come to the Bible we meet Jesus who made this extraordinary claim; “I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me” (John 12:49–50).   There we have it Jesus has the words of eternal life (John 6 verse 68).

What of the other Bible writers?   The apostle Peter recalling his time on the Mount of Transfiguration spells out that this was not some cleverly invented story but as an eye-witness he could vouch for its authenticity.  He heard a voice saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1 verses 16/17).

He continues to claim that no prophecy of Scripture came from the prophet’s own interpretation but men spoke from God as the words were borne by the Holy Spirit (Verses 19 to 21).

The apostle Paul in prison awaiting execution wrote “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).                                                   Certainly there are no Bots in the Bible!

Music Will Calm You                 Word on the Week                   8^th June 2024.

One of the earliest gramophone records that came into my collection was that of Kathleen Ferrier singing with her superb contralto voice, “Art thou troubled? Music will calm you”.

It was written by George Frideric Handel who, by all accounts, had good reason to prove the truth of the lyrics!

Scripture gives us more evidence of this fact.    When a harmful spirit from God came upon King Saul, David, who was at this time was Saul’s servant, would play music on his lyre.   This refreshed Saul and the harmful spirit left him (1 Samuel 16 verse 23).

In Psalm 130 we have an example of Keith Getty and Stuart Townend’s, two of the most talented modern hymn writers, making the Psalmist sing like a Christian!    The middle verses are rendered; –

So put your hope in God alone
Take courage in His power to save
Completely and forever won
By Christ, emerging from the grave

I will wait for You, I will wait for You
On Your Word, I will rely
I will wait for You, surely wait for You
‘Til my soul is satisfied.

Singing has always marked out the Christian.   From the early days of evangelism when Paul and Silas were beaten for healing a disturbed girl in Jesus name and thrown into prison at Philippi they were praying and singing hymns to God at midnight (Acts 16 verses 16 to 25).

In the more settled situation of the church Paul writes both to Ephesus and Colossi commending the singing of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual songs and ‘making melody to the Lord with your heart’ (Ephesians 5 verses 19 to 20).

There has always been a stream of Christian music through the centuries becoming particularly rich during times of revival.   In recent years some very fine musicians have enhanced our worship with their songs. The last verse; –

I will wait for You, I will wait for You
Through the storm and through the night
I will wait for You, surely wait for You
For Your love is my delight.

Waiting on the Lord is never in vain.