It’s Tuesday the first of December 2020 and welcome to the start of my Advent Bible Calendar. You can of course read it here or you might like to listen to me reading it? If so, it’s just a click away on YouTube:

I hope that you will find at least a little moment in the day to take in the Scriptures and pray them deep into your heart and soul.
Advent reminds us to look to the future with faith and hope. God had promised that Messiah would come and save his people. It had been a long wait and some, no doubt, had given up on the promise ever being delivered. And when it was being delivered, few could see it, partly of course, because God was doing things in his own way and time.

The carol says ‘How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given’ It could just as easily have said ‘How secretly, how secretly the wondrous gift is given’. But to those who were waiting, the silent secret could be both heard and seen. Luke tells us about Simeon:
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)

Here and now we are waiting for the Lord to finish what he started. We are waiting with faith and hope for Jesus to return, his second Advent. The apostle Peter wrote to first century Christians admonishing them not to lose heart.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4)
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9)

While we must continue to wait, it is nevertheless possible to see something of what is coming. Which is why I’ve chosen Ephesians 1:18 as our first Advent Bible verse. Meditate upon it, mull it over as you come in prayer before God. Here’s what it says:
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people

I am reminded too of the OT prophet Elisha whose servant was struck with fear when he saw they were surrounded by enemy forces. Elisha prayed that he would see what was otherwise unseen
And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)

Prayer opens our eyes to otherwise unseen realities. So let us pray … not only for our own eyes to be opened wide with grateful wonder, but that the eyes of those around us may see the Christmas story with new eyes.
Prayer: Open, O Lord, the eyes of my heart this Advent season that I may see, and flood my soul with joy and hope. Open the eyes of those around me, that they may see Jesus. Amen.

Just a moment … According to my book ‘Word Drops’ (by Paul Anthony Jones), a moment was defined as a fortieth of an hour, which is … umm …
According to Bartholomeus Anglicus (in his encyclopaedia De Proprietatibus Rerum – 13^th century)  a quarter of an hour was a point and a tenth of a point was a moment and a twelfth of a moment was an ounce. So a ‘moment’ … yes, you’ve no doubt beaten me to it … was 90 seconds. Which is longer than I thought! So take as many moments as you like as we go through our Advent meditations! Now, how long is an ounce …?

And in other news … Helen is doing well and the lymphedema has been brought under control. Last week her Consultant was pleased with progress and so her treatment via oral chemotherapy carries on. We continue to be grateful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers.

After a period of hibernation, my blog is back with a bang with a blog a day through Advent – I hope you’ll find it helpful as I reflect on the meaning of the season. Here goes – with a general introduction …

When does Christmas start? If you take most shops as your guide, then you could be forgiven for thinking that it all begins in September. That’s when you discover that your favourite aisle, which always sold baked beans, is now devoted to ‘seasonal’ cards, crackers and chocs. And Christmas lights make their premature appearance sometime in November, flashing brightly to let us know that the Big Day is only weeks away.

This year, however, is somewhat different. The words ‘cancelled’ and ‘Christmas’ have been uttered in the same shocked breath. And the talk is about how to ‘save’ Christmas. It all depends, of course, on what you mean by ‘Christmas’. Usually it refers to a Christmas without Christ. For the Christian, the celebrations will look and sound different, but Christmas is most definitely not cancelled. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m supposed to be writing about Advent.

When I was growing up, we didn’t really do Advent in my home church. My only brush with it was via a calendar which had little paper doors to open each day from December 1 and which revealed a little picture of something or other. No chocolates, I’m afraid! And of, course, there was Blue Peter which showed you have to make an Advent wreath and which counted down the number of episodes (Mondays and Thursdays) before Christmas.

But I had absolutely no idea as to what Advent was really all about – I was well into my twenties before I found out! So what did I discover?

This is now where I try to impress you with my Grammar school education. Ready? Advent is a Latin word (Latin was spoken by Roman soldiers, and others, so it’s pretty old; it’s no longer an everyday language, and even though I’m far too young to have spoken it, I do know what it means because I read it in a book – i.e. before the days of the world wide web!) It comes from the Latin verb advenio (meaning ‘I draw near’ or ‘I am coming’). Advent is therefore a season of preparation as we wait to celebrate the birth of Christ.

There are four Sundays in Advent, each with its own particular flavour:

First  As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s first coming, the first Sunday in Advent invites us to look forward to his next coming. A major recurring theme of the New Testament is that Jesus is coming back as King of kings to reign and rule forever. It is a day for serious consideration of how we should live in the present in the light of his coming in the future.

Second  Do you regularly read the Bible or listen to it on your phone or check it out online? We only know about the birth of Jesus, and we can only anticipate joyfully his return, because it’s all there in the Bible!
It’s an amazing book. It’s incredibly old, but wonderfully up-to-date. Through it God speaks to us. The second Sunday of Advent is earmarked to celebrate the Bible. We can thank God for it and encourage one another to get to grips with what it says.

Third  Centre stage on this Sunday is John-the-Baptist. So this is the day when we thank God for Baptist ministers, especially if they bear the name John? (which, by the way, is my middle name). Well, actually, though ‘tongue-in-cheek’, that’s not so far from the truth!
The third Sunday in Advent is associated with those whose ministry involves pointing others to the coming Christ, calling on people to prepare for his coming through repentance, which is exactly what John-the-Baptist did (you can read up on him in the early chapters of the four gospels).
It is therefore a day for remembering and praying for those who have been set aside for ministry of the word in pointing others to Jesus. But it needn’t (perhaps, shouldn’t) end there. Every Christian has his or her own role, or ministry, within the life and witness of the church.

Fourth Our focus on the fourth Sunday is Mary, the mother of Jesus and what happened when the angel came to tell her the news that she was to be the mother of the Messiah (an event technically known as the Annunciation – probably yet more Latin lies behind this). She responded to God’s word with faith, trust and obedience. When all around can be a bit hectic, this last Sunday before Christmas invites us to pause and to consider our response to whatever God may be calling us to do.

Christmas isn’t cancelled, and neither is Advent. For the Christian it’s so much more than a tasty treat from an advent calendar. We can celebrate in anticipation what God is going to do; we can celebrate the written word he has given us in the Bible; we can celebrate those ministries that open up the Bible’s words, thus enabling people to come to faith and be built up in that faith; and we can renew our own obedience and dedication to the God who loves us so much.
And to help us do that I’ll be publishing my own Blog and YouTube Advent Calendar which will contain a short reflection and prayer to highlight the traditional themes of Advent. It all begins on Tuesday 1 December … so you’ll have to wait a bit! But not much.

Happy Advent!

This morning I was reminded of my first ever sermon as my daily readings highlighted the text from which I preached, Galatians 2:20. I was seventeen and beginning to sense the call of God on my life. I can’t remember the date, but I do remember that it was a Thursday evening which was when Senior Christian Endeavour held their weekly meeting at my home church in Pontypridd.

Having read a sermon by Charles Spurgeon, I was captivated my the last phrase of the verse “… the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” It was an awful sermon (mine, not Spurgeon’s!) It ignored the context, nervous energy and tension meant that my arms mimicked a windmill, eye contact with the (small) congregation was poor, it contained long verbatim quotes from Spurgeon and I read the whole of the hymn ‘O the deep, deep love of Jesus’. It’s message, however, has stayed with down the years and is perhaps best summarised by the old children’s hymn, ‘Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’

But not just the Bible. The job description of the Holy Spirit includes pouring God’s love into my heart (see Romans 5:5). I believe that that is an extension of the Spirit’s role within the triune Godhead as he pours the love of the Father into the heart of the Son and the love of the Son into the heart of the Father. And now, in Christ, (which is the context I once failed to draw attention to), I get full shares in all of that. And so do you! Wow! Why not join me in luxuriating in that truth today?

And in other news … Helen continues to keep well and we are rejoicing in the birth of our third grandchild, a son born a week ago today to Daniel and Jenny.

And this made me chuckle … A young girl was delighted with the birth of her baby brother. Her mother told her that he was a precious gift from God. Without hesitation she said “Quick! Ask him what God looks like before he forgets!”

Helen has spoken in last few days with two Consultants on her team, and a nurse at Cherrybrook (RD&E). Putting it all together the news is reassuring. The scan didn’t show up anything on the lungs, so the chemo is working. She has had an infection which had caused a rash and broken blisters on her leg for which she has been prescribed anti-biotics. Blood results were good and although her immunity continues at a low level it’s no lower than before and is high enough for the next course of chemo to begin. In herself she has been feeling well.
Our thanks to you all for all your thoughts and prayers – it means so much to us both!
With love, Alan & Helen

‘The Year of the Introvert’ – this description of 2020 caught my eye (in an article in my i paper yesterday). Surely there are many other more important things that 2020 will be remembered for? I’m referring, of course, to the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s staggering and ongoing disruptions to every area of our lives. But for introverts there has been a positive side-effect.

The article’s author, Kesewa Hennessy, picks up on how introverts have more often than not been required to work (and struggle to do their best) in a world created by and for extroverts. Evidence for the prosecution? The ubiquitous open-plan office! “Then came the pandemic,” she writes, “and many of us had to work from home. The 2020 ‘office’ suddenly looked like the answer to an introvert-employee manifesto. It would be a chance to play to our strengths.”

Now why (I hear you asking) would such an article catch my eye? It’s because years ago, when I realised that I was an introvert and that it was okay to be an introvert, I stopped beating myself up for not being more of an extrovert. My perception (rightly or wrongly) as a young Minister was that success in ministry meant being an extrovert. No, this wasn’t taught me in the Baptist college at which I was trained, but the subliminal message of the evangelical and charismatic culture of the 80s and 90s had somehow seeped into my soul. I felt guilty every time (after a busy three-service Sunday) I felt like getting away from everyone to be on my own. Surely if I loved people, I’d want to spend more time with them, not less! Why did I feel so drained when others felt energised? Why did a big, noisy, enthusiastic worship service not connect with me the way it clearly did with others? A quiet day retreat (alone) was far more to my liking!

But all that’s in the past and I’m now happy to champion the cause of introverts and, thankfully, I’m not alone. In both the ‘secular’ and ‘spiritual’ worlds, the voice of the introvert is starting to be heard. But we don’t want to make a song and dance about it!

If you’re a reader, check out these:

Susan Cain: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
Mark Tanner: The Introvert Charismatic: The Gift of Introversion in a Noisy Church
Adam S McHugh: Introverts in the Church: Finding our Place in an Extroverted Culture
Brian Harris: The Tortoise Usually Wins: Biblical Reflections on Quiet Leadership for Reluctant Leaders

Yesterday was our 41^st wedding anniversary and we were looking forward to going to Minehead where our grandchildren were on holiday with their parents and other grandparents. The weather was looking good for a nice day on the beach. Parking was free in the car park next to West Somerset’s Steam Railway’s station (although, sadly, no trains were running). We met up on the beach and settled down, watching holes being dug, sand castles made and demolished, sister and brother having the occasional disagreement etc. etc..

12.30 and thoughts turned to lunch. It was then that I discovered that my car keys were nowhere to be found. Had I lost them on the beach? Had I accidentally locked them in the car? I phoned the RAC – I would have to wait a long time (early evening) before a locksmith could arrive to open the car and see if I had indeed locked them in the boot. So we bought some chips and headed back to the beach for more sandy fun.

At 5 the family had planned a meal and we would have been setting off for home. Instead we sat next to our car and waited. Fortunately, Helen had plenty still to read from her novel … I dosed off … messaged the locksmith asking for an ETA. He phoned us from Taunton, so 50 minutes away … well over an hour later he cheerfully rolled into the car park (which by now was half-empty) with news of a road closure and a time-consuming diversion via Watchet and Blue Anchor.

It was both pleasing and alarming to see how quickly and skillfully he unpicked the lock on the driver’s door. I scrambled in and yes, found the keys on the floor of the boot. I was so relieved. So was Helen, who said ‘Right, now I can be cross with him!’ But my son’s father-in-law had come over to see how we were doing (and he said kind things) and the locksmith said how easily it can happen – in fact he’d driven 450 miles that day all across the South West doing the same for others as he had done for us. And in fact he’d previously done the same thing himself, locking all his gear for getting into locked cars, in the van! “What a nice man for saying so!”, I thought.

So it wasn’t so bad, was it! And I was trying my best to look contrite.*  Only trouble is, I’ve got previous! Back then it was in a car park at the front in Teignmouth …

And in other news … Helen’s next scan is 24 August (back in Exeter). She is feeling well, with her side-effects from her chemo tablets being on the mild side (tiredness mostly) and her lymphedema appears to be under control.

And these made me chuckle … menu items misspelt and/or ‘lost in translation’

Fillet Streak, Popotoes, Chocolate Mouse (China)
Homemade graves with onions (Czech Republic)
Pork with fresh garbage (Vietnam)
Fried rice with tenderlion (Hong Kong)
Honey mustard chicken diapers with dipping sauce (USA)
Cajun chicken biceps (Indonesia)

* Helen, on reading this, said I hadn’t tried hard enough!!

Yesterday was the first in a series of sermons looking at how the apostle Paul was shaped. No, nothing to do with BMI or anything like that – SHAPE is an acronym for Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experience. But before kicking off with Paul’s Spiritual Gifts, I thought it would be good to be reminded of his conversion on the road to Damascus. Acts chapter 9 therefore held centre stage. But in setting the scene, Acts 8:1-4 played a bit-part role. And it was these verses that reminded me of a train of thought triggered by an article I’d read a couple of months ago.

The article describes the Roman system of roads as “the cutting edge technology of the day”. It points out that the first generation of Christians appeared reluctant to use this technology even though it would have enabled them to travel the Empire in speed and relative safety. It took “official steps to close them down” and drive them out of Jerusalem and propel them along Roman roads to share the Good News with a pre-Christian world.

The article’s authors draw parallels with today. And if they had known me, they could have used me as an example of what they were getting at! When I began my new ministry in Worle at the beginning of February, I had absolutely no intention of becoming familiar with Facebook (though I did have an account which I hardly ever used) and Twitter, Instagram etc. etc. were non-starters. I had used YouTube to see how to put up vertical blinds, but that was about it!

And then came Lockdown. And I was forced out of my comfort zone, propelled at an uncomfortable rate along the internet highways, and in the process reaching people I would never otherwise have reached. First it was Facebook Live, then Zoom and then YouTube (and video editing software). I now have my own YouTube channel, as does Worle Baptist Church. How Paul was SHAPEd will be spoken by me to a camera. But at the same time, Lockdown has shaped me (and is shaping me) and the church in ways I could never have entertained as I and the church turned a new page in life and ministry on 1 February 2020.

Yes, I am longing for a live congregation in front of me once again. And I hope that Boris is right and that we’ll be able to do Christmas properly. But something has now been added that can’t be taken away! And that can only be Good News.

(If you want to read the article for yourself, check out https://www.cpas.org.uk/download/3591/everybody-welcome-online

And in other news … Helen is keeping reasonably well with only moderate side effects from her treatment. Her lymphoedema, however, continues to be an issue. Her next scan is at the end of August.

And this made be chuckle – a sign outside a Lutheran Church in America reads
“Thou Shalt Wear A Mask”  (Hygenesis 20:20)

My thoughts this morning turned to Habakkuk (I’ve no idea why), the bewildered prophet who was contemporary with Jeremiah. I feel I know him well because way back in 1980 when I was a first year student at Spurgeon’s College (a Baptist ministerial training college) Habakkuk was the book I chose to preach from for my Sermon Class. This was the (much dreaded) occasion when students had to preach a sermon in front of tutors and fellow students before sitting back and listening to it being pulled to pieces in the critique that followed. It could be a nerve-racking experience!

But Habakkuk came through for me – the sermon was, overall, well-received. It therefore became my ‘go to’ sermon whenever I was asked to preach in various London churches Sunday by Sunday. (After a few months of listening to it, Helen knew it word for word!) But I must get to the point. I first came across Habakkuk (so to speak) when I read a commentary by the great twentieth century (Welsh) preacher D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (From Fear To Faith). Habakkuk couldn’t believe his ears when God told the prophet that He was raising up the Babylonians in answer to his prayers to bring His people to their spiritual senses. Applying this in a mid-twentieth century Cold War context, Lloyd-Jones asked his readers to consider how they would feel if God told us that in preparation for revival, Soviet tanks, war-planes and soldiers would first overrun the UK’s defences. Habakkuk couldn’t at first get his theological head around the thought that God might not only allow the Babylonians to conquer and ravage his land, but that he was the actual instigator behind it.

I know that some struggle with the thought of why God has allowed the present global pandemic. But what if, in this our day and age, God is doing a Habakkuk? Hmmm … forty years on my Sermon Class sermon has come back to bite me!

If not, here’s how you can qualify. Read on …

Some years ago an envelope addressed to the C.E.O. of Pinhoe Road Baptist Church was posted through the church letter box. I wondered if that might be for me – after all I was the Senior Minister and I was amused to think of myself as its Chief Executive Officer!
So when a few months ago I read that ministers and pastors should think of themselves as the church’s CEO, my attention was grabbed. And this morning, I thought again about what those initials might stand for. I was reading about Barnabas, the ‘son of encouragement’ in Acts 11. If ever there was a CEO, it was him! Have you got it yet? Chief Encouragement Officer …

So it’s got me reflecting again. How, in these days of not meeting as a church, of not visiting the homes of the people, can I (can we) do encouragement? Barnabas encouraged others to remain true to the Lord and along with Saul (later, Paul) taught the people. We can use modern (electronic) media to continue preaching and teaching, to meet virtually in small groups and to pray together. Social media has proved to be a blessing to many. And don’t forget old-fashioned letters and phone calls. I think the author of Hebrews would want us to make full use of all means at our disposal in order to encourage one another: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

So, how about it? What will you do to earn the right to put CEO after your name?

And in other news … Helen and I have started to venture out again for some much needed exercise and fresh air (avoiding crowded places, of course). Helen’s keeping well, though lymphoedema has become an issue which needs to be managed. She has an appointment back in Exeter later this month with the nurse who specialises in its treatment.

And from church bulletins these made me chuckle …
Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church.
Diana and Don request your presents at their wedding.
For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
Sermon tonight: it will be gin at 8

Growing up in a Baptist Chapel in the valleys of South Wales, there were parts of the Christian calendar that passed me by. I knew Advent came before Christmas, but I had no real idea of what it was about (and the Advent hymn we did sing ‘On Jordan’s banks the Baptist’s cry’ confused me no end – why, for example, weren’t the Methodists there crying as well?). And Lent was something that Roman Catholics did, so Baptists didn’t. Whitsun (or Pentecost) only got noticed because it coincided with a Bank Holiday (in ancient times i.e. until 1971). But completely anonymous as far as I was concerned was Ascension Day (forty days after Easter).

It’s a bit unfair really. The birth of Christ gets mentioned in two gospels and the incarnation is assumed in the rest of the New Testament while the Ascension gets foretold in John’s gospel with the detail left to Luke (at the end of his gospel and the beginning of Acts). Yet the theology that flows from the Ascension – the exaltation and reign of Christ – is there throughout the New Testament like words in a stick of rock.

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I’m coming to the conclusion that it should be celebrated by Christians every bit as much as Christmas. But I’ve not sent anyone any Ascension Day cards (are there such things?), attending an Ascension Day service of worship has never occurred to me, and no-one’s ever invited me to an Ascension Day party. But what I have done, for the first time ever(!), is record a YouTube Ascension Day devotional. I’ve adapted a meditation by Nick Fawcett (from his ‘Worship Through the Seasons’) in which an imaginary apostle James reflects on that great day from the vantage point of a few years later. It’s better heard than read, so if I’ve whetted your appetite, click below. In days of great uncertainty, facing a future of great uncertainty,  Ascension Day assures of something that we can most certainly be certain of – Happy Ascension Day!