Storm Ellen                      Word on the Week                    22nd August 2020.

The first of the Autumn storms rolled in from the Atlantic this week.   Since they are named alphabetically by the Meteorological Office and ‘E’ is the 5^th letter we must have suffered four such storms earlier this year.   The Met Office in the UK names the storms which affect the UK and the Irish Met Office has the doubtful privilege of naming those which first impinge upon our shores.   Hence the more Irish name of ‘Ellen’.

The South coast bore the brunt of the storm as it made landfall in Co Cork.   A wind speed of 145Km/Hr or 90 mph brought down many electricity wires and left about 194,000 properties affected by power outages.    The network was also damaged by uprooted trees which were particularly vulnerable to the wind having maximum foliage at this time of year.

Ellen also brought flooding as it was accompanied by torrential rain and, in coastal areas, Spring tides added to the deluge.    It is hard for the authorities to prepare adequately for these storms as they are becoming more severe and can appear out of their normal season.   Flood insurance cannot be purchased for properties built on floodplains.   Cover can be bought where there has been little or no history of flooding. Global warming has made it prudent to do so.

These things add to the stress created by a surge in reported Covid cases.   New restrictions have been imposed to limit the number attending gatherings and social distancing and mask wearing are among the continuing rules to try to limit the spread of the virus.      

So far there has been an absence of blame for our increasing numbers of victims to the disease.    We do have an increasingly aware public, quick to pounce on those flouting the rules especially where those involved are themselves part of the authority that created them i.e. members of Government.

Storms and pandemics – is God in control of the world?   Most certainly!   Can we blame God for either purposing or permitting these things to happen?   Not at all!  

The following remarks are addressed to believers living in disobedience.   “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (Colossians Chapter 3 verses 5 – 10).

The reason these things are happening has everything to do with the failure of Christians to live the new life we have been given.  The remedy – read verses 11 -17.

Chinese Overseas Christian Church   Word on the Week   15^th August 2020.

The COCM was founded 70 years ago by Stephen Wang.   Next Saturday the anniversary will be marked by a zoom broadcast.   It is good in the midst of our anniversaries’ commemorations to remember one which marks the establishment of Christian Churches and not wars!

It started in the will of God when an 8-year-old boy got into trouble for throwing stones at a missionary’s son in their village in rural China.  This led to Yu-teh being taken in to the mission house and the son asked to apologise.   This was the opposite of what Yu-teh expected and soon the boys became friends and joined the Sunday school where he shone as a pupil.

Later Yu-teh asked the missionary how he could become a Christian and by God’s grace he put his trust in Christ.   He was a bright boy and his father was persuaded to take him to school in Peking.  There he excelled and won a scholarship to Yenching university and adopted the name Stephen.  Some years after graduation he was appointed headmaster of Tangshan Methodist school.

During the war years of Japanese occupation, he had to depend of God to overcome many difficulties.  This prepared him for the missionary life which was to follow.   In 1948 the church the Peking sent him to the UK.   There he was introduced to the China Inland Mission who had brought the gospel to large tracts of China.   As communism had closed China to missionaries Stephen suggested the mission work be directed to the Chinese in Europe who were ‘like sheep without a shepherd’.

In the event things turned out differently and the Chinese Overseas Christian Church was founded with Stephen Wang as its first director.  From its first church planted in London in January 1951 there are now 400 churches planted throughout Europe.    That does not include the independent Chinese Churches. We have two in Dublin with two church plants in Athlone and Limerick.

The evangelist I knew best was Frank Cheung.   He arrived in the UK in 1948 with only a few coppers in his pocket.   This became his opening line when meeting new Chinese Restaurant owners.   Most of them had little more but all had a strong work ethic.   Frank himself had two restaurants in Birmingham before he sold them to become itinerant evangelist with COCM.

Another was Wai Leong an accountant who now works in Bahrain with OM.   He helped to develop the Dublin work.   I remember his farewell address to the students of the then Chinese Christian Fellowship “Let no man despise your youth but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy Chapter 4 Verse12).  This was back in the mid 80ies.

In those days there were the English speaking and Mandarin speaking groups which developed, under the guiding hand of Cedric Chau, till today we have two flourishing churches in Dublin.    We also have a full time COCM worker in Ghee Seng who amongst other things is involved in a church plant in Cork.

A lot has happened since a little boy was caught throwing stones in China!                          To God be the Glory.

John Hume                             Word on the Week                              8^th August 2020.

The death of John Hume this week produced an outpouring of gratitude the like of which he never experienced in his lifetime!   The Nobel Laureate and former Social Democrats leader was one of the architects of the North’s peace process and the 1998 Belfast Agreement.   He died at 83 and had been suffering for some time from dementia which eventually robbed him of his sight.

John realised that there would have to be consent before where could be any agreement and this was generally accepted.   As long as the struggle was for territory, which was the dominant view among nationalists, ‘it’s our land’ there would be no agreement.   As he understood it unity between people was the priority.

The first breakthrough came with the replacement of what had been near permanent Unionist majority rule in the North with a power-sharing Executive that would represent the two communities.    He also helped to promoted the creation of North-South institutions as a unifying factor in a much divided island.

There was a need to engage with the Sinn Fein who were supporting violence as a strategy for unity.    He had secret talks with Gerry Adams their leader.   When these were discovered mistrust flourished.   It was a torrid time when even his supportive wife, Pat, urged him to give up.

When attending one of the many funerals a young woman crossed the road and asked John keep going so that others would not have to bury their father as she had just done.    It moved him so much that it is reputed to be the one time he was seen to weep in public.

His peace strategy which respected difference gained acceptance in the USA among some of the top politicians.  He was able to turn the Irish-American fund raising efforts away from the purchase of arms towards a peaceful solution.   This eventually came with the Good-Friday or Belfast Agreement which brought about, amongst other things, a cease fire and the destruction of weapons.

Bono U2’s front man famously got Trimble and Hume to join hands on the stage of the Waterfront Hall in what became a successful effort to get the Good Friday referendum over the line.   This inclusive Agreement embraced the concept that land does not determine the identity of the people – it’s the people that determine the identity of the land and now that there was a unifying agreement in place progress could be made.

But it’s Hume’s speech at the EU in Strasburg after his award of the Nobel Peace Prize that succinctly spells out his thinking.   He commended the EU for demonstrating peace among countries who had killed millions in wars during the 1900’s.  He reckoned this to be an example to the world and the EU should send philosophies not armies to conflict areas.

There would have been a sharp inrush of breath when he went on to say “All conflict is about the same thing!”   This he summed up as “Seeing difference as a threat.  Race, Religion and Nationality he claimed are accidents of birth.   It’s not something we should engage in conflict about its something we should respect.”

Our Creator God made us the way we are in order that we might seek and find Him. This seeking involved turning from sinful ways in repentance and faith (Acts Chapter 17 verses 26 to 34).   It is Christianity that gives us the basis for that respect of others i.e. all made in God’s image. John Hume wore himself out in the cause of Irish unity.  May he rest in peace

Religious Ceremonies during Covid        Word on the Week            1^st August 2020.

Eid-al-Adha in Croke Park.   A celebration of Islam on the revered turf.   The age of inclusion has arrived almost without warning!    The Muslim “festival of sacrifice” was a bloodless one last Friday at least any sacrificing was done outside the park.

The festival marks the end of the Hajj season of pilgrimages.   It provides an opportunity for families and communities to come together for prayers and feasting. Goats, cows and lambs are sacrificed and the meat is shared with the poor.

Abraham’s planned sacrifice of his son is being commemorated.   God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his only son, who had been miraculously born to his elderly wife Sarah.   In his struggle to reconcile God’s demands with the promise that he would be the father of a multitude Abraham reasoned that God could bring the boy back from the dead.    What actually happened was a ram, caught by its horns in a nearby thicket, became the substitute sacrifice (Genesis Chapter 22 verses 1 – 18 and Hebrews Chapter 11 verses 17 -19).

There are a few differences with Christianity.   Muslims say Ismael Abraham’s son by his wife’s servant was offered.    But this was the son of disobedience.   The product of Abraham, taking matters into his own hands and at his wife’s instigation, committed adultery with Hagar the maid-servant (Genesis Chapter 16 verses 1 – 4).

Christians believe that Isaac, the son of promise, was the son God used to test Abraham’s faith.   He was the son of faith.  Born out of union with his wife Sarah who was 90 years old.   Born when Abraham was age 100 and Ishmael was 14 years old (Genesis Chapter 17 verses 25 – 26).

Unlike Ishmael’s birth which was natural Isaac’s birth was supernatural.    Both parents were well past childbearing age so that Isaac’s birth and his name, foretold by angelic heavenly visitors one year before Isaac’s birth, was the fulfilling of a miracle (Genesis Chapter 18 verse 10).

It was through Isaac’s line that a peasant girl of the tribe of Judah named Mary, by God’s grace, gave birth to a son.   This too was a miraculous birth.   The angel gave the name to Joseph, Mary’s engaged, of Jesus which means saviour.   He was to be given that name because he would save his people from their sins (St Matthew Chapter 1 verses 20 – 21).  

This work to provide salvation was completed on the cross where Jesus hung as the sacrifice given by the Father.   This time there was no substitute.   Jesus was there as our substitute.    He was dying in the sinner’s place.   The Shepherd becomes the Lamb.  Sacrificed for us once for all time (Isaiah Chapter 53 verses 4 -6 and Hebrews Chapter 9 verses 28 -28).

Jesus gives the invitation to you whatever your background to turn to Him and find rest for your soul – the rest of redemption (St Matthew Chapter 11 verses 28 – 30).   The offer is for you today.

The Taking of Oaths             Word on the Week                          25^th July 2020.

The Government pledged this week to replace the taking of oaths in Courts with “a statement of truth”.    We wish them well with this new effort to extract the truth from the accused, witnesses and all who take the stand.    There has always been the impression of inadequacy, rather than effectiveness, that swearing on the Bible had in extracting truth!

In the Bible we find the 3^rd commandment is allocated to truth-telling; “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus Chapter 20 verse 7). 

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus focused on the meaning behind the 3^rd commandment which was not to tell lies then attempt to make them ‘sound authentic’ by using the Lord’s name.  

Jesus commented on this in his sermon when he said “you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all… all you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one (St Matthew chapter 5 verses 33 to 37).

It is good to see Atheist Ireland on the same page as Jesus when it comes to oaths taken in the Lord’s name.   In a recent letter to the press they want rid of them!   Let’s look for a moment at the reason for oaths.   They are to put the person taking the oath under greater constraints to tell the truth.   There is a penalty available if the oath is broken by lying.   This is the crime of perjury but it is seldom invoked.

It is more common the hear oaths in the form of swear words.   These often incorporate the Lord’s name or the more basic bodily functions.    They can form part of a person’s vocabulary from their early years and expand till they become almost indispensable.

When a person comes to believe in Christ the Holy Spirit is involved in making adjustments in the areas of thought, word and actions.   One of the things that comes from the realisation that Jesus died for you is that you don’t want to let him down.    One of the easiest ways to do just that is like St Peter with oaths and curses (St Matthew Chapter 26 verse 74).   Perhaps that’s why cleaning up the new believer’s language is one of the first signs of the Holy Spirit’s work (Galatians Chapter 5 verse 22).

Whatever the Government puts in place of religious oaths the follower of Jesus will answer to a higher power and will let his/her Yes be Yes and No be No.

Jack Charlton                         Word on the Week                          18^th July 2020.

The death of Jack Charlton at the end of last week brought back a flood of sporting memories from the glory days of Irish soccer.   Never was an Englishman so loved by an Irish sporting population which had grown up to dislike all things English.   It was a wonderful paradox!

Jack came from ‘Geordie’ stock.   He and his brother Bobby (later to play for England) were taught the elements of ball control in the lane behind their house by their Mother!   His father worked in the coal mine but showed no interest in soccer.   He had Uncles who played for well-known clubs and to some extent football was in his DNA.

Consistency marked out his career.   Most of his life as a player was spent with Leeds United.   By the time he retired he had played 773 games with them.   It was his proud boast that he was never once substituted!    

We lived in Leeds during the heady days of 1968 -71 and saw him play at their grounds at Elland Road.    His size 6 feet 3 inches made him an unmistakable figure on the pitch.   Verna Wright, Professor of Rheumatology at Leeds University was permitted to inject the team’s knees with a serum as part of its field trials.   It was reckoned jovially that the players could out-run their opponents as a result!

Jack moved into management and after successfully improving the position of a couple of clubs was invited to become manager of the Irish National team.    This was 1986.   It was to be the start of a 10-year period which saw the Irish team achieve great things.   From the start Jack put his stamp on the way things were done.   On the field his catch-phrase “put ‘em under pressure” paid dividends.   It led the team into two World Cup tournaments reaching the quarter finals in the second. 

In those days I was working in the Irish Life building and can vividly recall when, after lunch, someone ‘accidently’ switched on the loudspeaker and the theme song “Olay; olay, olay, olay – olay, olay” galvanised the many supporters in the hall!    There is no doubt that sport, played well on the international stage, has the power to lift the moral of a nation.

But Jesus didn’t die simply to lift the moral of any Nation.   His death was the gateway for many to enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14 verses 21 – 22).   Isaiah writing regarding the Israel of God, the redeemed, spoke of “everlasting joy shall be upon their heads” (Chapter 35 verses 8 – 10).

While we fondly remember Jack and the good times we will eventually forget.  The joy of salvation lasts forever.   Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (St John Chapter 5 verse 24).

Lockdown Blues                   Word on the Week                          11th July 2020.

As the corona virus rages globally commercial demands put pressure on the leaders of countries.   Some would argue that the damage to the work-scene has created a financial cost that makes the medicine worse (i.e. the lockdown) than the disease!     Disharmony abounds as political considerations vie with health advice.

We have people, longing for a sunny break, rising to the bait of a flight to a Spanish resort.   After a 100 days in lockdown in a house which came to feel like a prison – who could deny them a break?   Especially for the kids!     Money may well have been saved over the last three months and, if your culture is to spend not save for the rainy days ahead, the plane standing on the tarmac is tempting!

It’s easy to slip into thinking social responsibility isn’t part of our DNA.   Let the politicians safeguard the jobs!   We have shown great restraint up till now.   Can someone tell the virus to back off?

These rebel thoughts are not helped when scientists produce conflicting reports.  It’s only when the death rate per 100.000 of the population goes through the roof that countries can be persuaded to change tactics.   And even then the loss of face at being proved wrong can delay the apology and the need to changing course.

Life in this fallen world is hard that is why we need to be part of a community of love.  We were not created to live in lockdown (Genesis Chapter 2 verse 14). God has few hermits.    For those re-created in Christ the Apostle Paul explains ‘believer behaviour’ (Romans Chapter 12 verses 1 & 2).   This is summed up for us in the first lines of the hymn; Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Then he explains ‘church practice’ verses 9 & 10 “Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil: cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves”.

As the lockdown eases and we return to our place of Sunday worship there will be many opportunities for service.  This is where relationships with each other go beyond the superficial and are deepened.   St Paul uses the human body as an illustration; “…speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians Chapter 4 verses 15/16).

There is no indication that the virus will go away soon.  Some forms of defence will become part of our way of life i.e. social distancing for example.  We need the support of each other.   Let love abound (1 John Chapter 4 Verses 10/12).

Independence Day USA                  Word on the Week               4^th July 2020.

The concluding words of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg address have lost none of their impact… “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”    It has become the cornerstone of democracy.    Along with the Statue of Liberty at the entrance of New York harbour its pledge of freedom has been gratefully received by many.

Lincoln used Biblical language.   He realised that nothing short of a new birth could destroy the grip of slavery.    There had to be 180 degree change in the way of regarding people of colour.    I am not sure that President Trump sees it that way.  He is reputed to see himself as the true successor to Lincoln but it is too soon to be thinking of his epitaph!    He has an election to win first.

It must give rise to some wishful thinking when Trump reflects on the election-free status of his contemporaries.   Xi Jinping who heads the communist party in China has life-long tenure of the job.   Vladimir Putin the Russian President has this week ensured he remains in office till his 83 birthday.   Both gentlemen are 67 years old whereas Donald Trump is 74.   The temptation to have the 4-year presidential term limitation (subject to a maximum of two terms) removed must be hard to resist.   However, he requires to be re-elected first!

It is the strong point of democracy that governments have to offer themselves for re-election at predetermined intervals.    Indeed, they may be removed from Office should they lose their majority.    They are answerable to the people who in turn must submit themselves to live under the law (Romans Chapter 13 verses 1 to 7).

It is a sobering thought to realise these words of scripture were faithfully recorded during a time of vicious persecution.   They were written primarily to the church in Rome when persecution of Christians was at its height.    The knowledge that the authorities were established by God must have been hard to accept.   The only exceptions were when obedience to the government meant disobeying God (Daniel chapter 3 verses 12 to 18 and Acts Chapter 5 verse 29).

Christians have an unchanging Bible.   The luxury of criticising leaders is given to secular journalists amongst others.    The role of the believer is to pray for their leaders – “prayers be made for … those in authority … This is good and pleases God our Saviour who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy Chapter 2 verses 1 – 4).     We have a different agenda!

May this Independence Day celebrate the ideals of the founding Fathers of the USA.

Government at last              Word on the Week                          27^th June 2020.

Sometimes democratic elections can produce unwelcome results!    In the case of Ireland, the three main parties came close to tying for the most votes.   The people had spoken but their vote required 140 days and hundreds of thousands of words of political negotiating until a triparty government was agreed this week.

The outcome is something of a miracle as the chief contending parties were on opposing sides in the civil war (1922 -1923) – and in Ireland we have long memories!  In order to obtain a majority in the Dáil the relatively new Green Party had to be wooed and won.    Global warming creating the current climate change had to be given a higher profile in the programme for government and the Green Party reckon we humans can do something about it.

Written in to the programme is the requirement to reduce carbon emissions by 7% annually during the lifetime of this government.    Our previous efforts to reduce these emissions have been counterproductive.    The level of emissions has risen slightly!     It will require many more to emulate Eamon Ryan, the cycling Green Party leader, to get on their bike to improve our carbon footprint.

One good thing that has come out of the coronavirus pandemic has been the lowering of vehicle emissions.    Road traffic has been greatly reduced and now with the gradual lifting of the restrictions it may not return to its former manic levels.   This can be achieved by people continuing to work, at least part of the week, from home.   All this has given us a boost towards the 7% emission reduction.

Another advantage has been the use of the ‘Zoom’ program on computers.   This along with improved website designs has removed distance from being a negative factor between people and made technology a positive experience.     Instead of meeting physically in conference the ‘webinar’ has become popular.   It enabled me to attend part of a conference in London this week along with approx. 600 others!

But it is the words that are said which is the important thing.   The medium through which they are delivered is relatively unimportant (Numbers Chapter 22 verses 28 to 38).   Jesus said it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (St John Chapter 6 verse 63).

Through the Prophet Isaiah the Lord said “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Chapter 55 verse 11).

The word of God, believed, always achieves its purposes.   Unbelief is the product of hard hearts; “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (St John Chapter 5 verse 40).    May God soften our hearts to trust him.  

Father’s Day                         Word on the Week                          20^th June 2020.

As the culture continues to slip away from the bedrock of Biblical Marriage the role of Father increasingly is seen by some to be redundant.    We had better cherish what remains of it and celebrate this imported day from the United States of America.

We get plenty of news of bad fathers.   Sadly, this abhorrent behaviour gets much media attention.   As we come out of Covid-19 lockdown, cases of domestic abuse surface.   These show fathers’ in the worst possible light.   The home which should be a place of safety and love becomes a very dark place.   

In response society can only lock up the perpetuator in a damage limitation exercise.   There are few remedies for those traumatised outside the Christian Gospel where through faith in Jesus the person becomes a new creation and the old life is replaced by the new (2 Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 17).

Jesus paints a different picture of the heavenly Father.    In the parable of the prodigal son the father’s love is unwavering irrespective of the scurrilous treatment meted out to him by his son.   Relationships must be maintained irrespective of the horrendous behaviour.    Hurts are absorbed by God’s grace and forgiveness flows (St Luke Chapter 15 verses 11 to 32).

There are few men in the Bible that model godly manhood better than Boaz.   His care for Ruth the Moabitess both when she was an immigrant and later when they married was exemplary (Ruth Chapters 2 to 4).  

The Apostle Paul values marriage as highly as Christ’s relationship with His church.   Just as Christ died for the church so the husband is to love his wife as much as his own life and be prepared to sacrifice it for her welfare (Ephesians Chapter 5 verses 28 to 31).

In scripture there are many names for God.   Each brings out a characteristic of his being.   When Jesus was teaching prayer he introduced the ultimate relationship name of ‘Abba’ which translates as Father.    St Mark tells us that Jesus used ‘Abba’ in his Gethsemane prayer as he prepared himself for the cross where he was to bear the sin of the redeemed (St Mark Chapter 14 verse 36 and Titus 2 verses 11 to 14).

We are told that if we are Christ’s and by the Spirit we root out sin we are sons and daughters of God and can genuinely call him Abba (Romans Chapter 8 verses 13 to 17).     If we who are earthly fathers can call our heavenly Father, Abba we should strive to reflect something of his qualities in all our family relationships.   

Happy and holy Father’s Day!