Mark Conner Special Events

Advent: Lighting the Third Candle – Waiting for Joy

4The Third Sunday of Advent (or thereabouts)

[Re-light the first two purple candles]

We Remember the Meaning of Advent

Advent is a word that means “coming” or “visit”. In the Christian season of Advent we prepare for the “advent” of Christ at Christmas. Our preparation includes many things:

• We remember Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore.

• We remember our hope for the second coming of Jesus.

• We remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins.

• We prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas into our world . . . and into our hearts.

By lighting one candle each week of Advent, we help ourselves to get ready for the birth of Jesus. So far we have lit two candles. The first helped us to hope for God our Shepherd; with the second we asked God to come and forgive our sins.

Today we remember the joy of waiting, because we know how the story ends!

Prayer for God’s Help

Dear God, thank you for this season of Advent that helps us to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas. As we read the Bible and light a candle, may excitement for Christ’s coming burn in our hearts. Amen.

Scripture Readings

Psalm 126:1-6

This psalm celebrates God’s restoration of Israel — and it cries out to God for future restoration.

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Through the prophet Zephaniah God looks ahead to the time when he will renew and heal his people. It will be a day of great rejoicing, both for them and for God!

Philippians 4:4-7

We also rejoice in the Lord, in part because we know that “the Lord is near.” This means, not only that God is with us right now, but that Christ is coming soon.

Lighting of the Candle

[As someone lights the pink candle, the following should be read or paraphrased.]

We light this candle because, like God’s people centuries ago, we know that God has come in Christ and that Christ will come again. We rejoice in God’s work in history and in the future. The pink color means joy!

Prayer of Hope

Dear God, as we light this candle, we rejoice. We know how the first act of the story ended – with the birth of Jesus the Messiah. And we know that he will come again in glory. So even though the story isn’t over, we rejoice in our hope. We wait for you, rejoicing! Amen!

Closing Song

[To be sung to the tune of "O come let us adore him" from "O Come All Ye Faithful."]

We wait for you, rejoicing,
We wait for you, rejoicing,
We wait for you, rejoicing,
Christ the Lord!

[Source – Patheos Blog and Dr. Mark Roberts]

Mark Conner Special Events

Advent: Lighting the Second Candle – Waiting for Forgiveness

PurpleThe Second Sunday of Advent (or thereabouts)

[Re-light the first purple candle.]

We Remember the Meaning of Advent

Advent is a word that means “coming” or “visit.” In the Christian season of Advent we prepare for the “advent” of Christ at Christmas. Our preparation includes many things:

• We remember Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore.

• We remember our hope for the second coming of Jesus.

• We remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins.

• We prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas into our world . . . and into our hearts.

By lighting one candle each week of Advent, we help ourselves to get ready for the birth of Jesus. Last week we lit a candle that signified our waiting for God our Shepherd.

Today we focus on the coming of Christ who brings forgiveness from our sins.

Prayer for God’s Help

Dear God, thank you for this season of Advent that helps us to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas. As we read the Bible and light a candle, may excitement for Christ’s coming burn in our hearts. Amen.

Scripture Readings

Psalm 130:1-8

In this psalm, we join the psalmist in crying out for God’s forgiveness.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

God promises to make a new covenant with us, in which our sins will be forgiven and forgotten.

Luke 1:68-79

When an angel appears to Zechariah in the temple and tells him that his wife will give birth to a son, the old man doesn’t believe the angel. As a result, Zechariah is unable to speak for many months, until immediately after the birth of his son John (the Baptist). Right after the birth, Zechariah is filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks the prophecy that we will read.

Lighting of the Candle

[As someone lights the second purple candle, the following should be read or paraphrased.]

We light this candle because, like God’s people centuries ago, we also need a Savior who will forgive our sins. The purple color reminds us of the seriousness of our sin and our great need for God’s forgiveness.

Prayer of Hope

Dear God, as we light this candle, we recognize our sin and our need for a savior. We wait for your forgiveness in Christ. We long to be purified so that we might present ourselves to you in righteousness. Come, Our Savior! Amen!

Closing Song

[To be sung to the tune of "O come let us adore him" from "O Come All Ye Faithful."]

O come to us, forgive us,
O come to us, forgive us,
O come to us, forgive us,
Christ the Lord!

[Source – Patheos Blog and Dr. Mark Roberts]

Mark Conner Special Events

Advent: Lighting the First Candle – Waiting for the Shepherd

PurpleThe First Sunday of Advent (or thereabouts)

We Remember the Meaning of Advent

[Note: Someone can read or paraphrase the following. Or you might want to discuss the meaning of Advent together.]

Advent is a word that means “coming” or “visit”. In the Christian season of Advent, we prepare for the “advent” of Christ at Christmas. Our preparation includes many things:

• We remember Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore.

• We remember our hope for the second coming of Jesus.

• We remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins.

• We prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas into our world . . . and into our hearts.

By lighting one candle each week of Advent, we help ourselves get ready for the birth of Jesus. The candles have different meanings, each based upon the Bible. These meanings help us understand how special the birth of Jesus is for us.

Today we focus on the coming of Christ as our Shepherd.

Prayer for God’s Help

[This prayer can be read, or simply used as a model.]

Dear God, thank you for this season of Advent that helps us prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas. As we read the Bible and light a candle, may excitement for Christ’s coming burn in our hearts. Amen.

Scripture Readings

[Parents, you may wish to abbreviate or eliminate certain readings depending on the age(s) of your child(ren). You may also want to read these selections out of a Children's Bible.]

Psalm 80:1-7. 

In this Psalm, we join the people of Israel as they invite God their Shepherd to save and to restore them.

Isaiah 40:1-11. 

This passage looks ahead to the coming of the Lord, who will care for his people like a shepherd.

Revelation 7:9-17

Like God’s people before the coming of Christ, we also look ahead to the time when Christ, who is both the Lamb and our Shepherd, will finish his work and “God will wipe away every tear” from our eyes.

Lighting of the Candle

[As someone lights the first purple candle, the following should be read or paraphrased.]

We light this candle because, like God’s people centuries ago, we also look forward with hope to the coming of the Shepherd. The purple color of the candle reminds us of the seriousness of our hope.

Prayer of Hope

[To be read or paraphrased.]

Dear God, as we light this candle, we hope for your coming as our Good Shepherd. Please gather us in your arms, feed us with spiritual food, wipe away every tear from our eyes, and “let your face shine, that we may be saved”. Come, our Shepherd! Amen.

Closing Song

[To be sung to the tune of "O come let us adore him" from "O Come All Ye Faithful."]

O come to us, our Shepherd,
O come to us, our Shepherd,
O come to us, our Shepherd,
Christ the Lord!

[Source - Mark D. Roberts and Patheos.com]

Mark Conner Special Events

Advent – Preparing for the Coming of Christ

AdventAdvent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping. Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas and ending on Christmas Eve, Advent helps us prepare for the coming, or “advent” of the Christ child at Christmas. (The word “advent” comes from the Latin word that means “coming.”)

For hundreds of years, Christians have used an Advent wreath to inspire their hopes for the coming of Christ. By lighting candles and reading Bible verses, we are reminded about the meaning of Christ’s birth and become more excited about his coming in the past, in the future, and in our own lives.

There is no set meaning for the candles of the Advent wreath (except for the middle candle, which always signifies the birth of Jesus the Christ and is often called the Christ Candle). I have been in churches where the candles point to peace, hope, joy, and love. In other settings they are identified with key figures in the stories of the birth of Jesus, such as the shepherds, the angels, Joseph, and Mary. I have used the main theme of waiting to give structure and meaning to the Advent candles, with each candle focused on different aspects of our waiting.

Advent wreaths employ candles with a variety of colors. Some wreaths use all white candles; others use three purple or blue candles, one pink candle, and one white candle in the middle. I share an understanding of the Advent wreath with many Christians for whom the purple candles remind us of how serious and solemn God’s people have been in waiting for the Messiah. The pink signifies the joy of our waiting. The white is triumphant and celebrative because Christ is born. (If you prefer blue candles, that’s fine. When I say, “Light a purple candle,” you can translate that into “blue candle.”

What follows is a guide for personal, family, or corporate worship that can accompany the lighting of the candles of the Advent wreath. You can do this on your own with a real Advent wreath. Or you can use this guide with your family, which might certainly include close friends. All families are different, and I encourage you to adapt or to change what I suggested here . . . or do something completely original. Parents will want to make changes to fit the developmental stages of their children.

Speaking of children, they have great expectations and hopes during Advent – usually associated with Christmas presents, Santa Claus, holiday celebrations, and so forth. Rather than discouraging these hopes (which is a “hopeless” task!), I would urge parents to help their children get the “feel” of Advent by relating their hopes to biblical Advent themes.

[Source - Mark D. Roberts and Patheos.com]

Mark Conner General Interest, Special Events

World Animal Day (October 4th)

AnimalOkay, so today is World Animal Day. World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. October 4 was chosen as World Animal Day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

Since then, World Animal Day has become a day for remembering and paying tribute to all animals and the people who love and respect them. It's celebrated in different ways in every country.

Personally, I love animals and think we should show tender love and care to all God's creatures, great and small …

Gen.1:25. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. NLT

Psalm 50:10-11. Every creature of the forest is mine, the wild animals on all the mountains. I know every mountain bird by name; the scampering field mice are my friends. MB

Proverbs 12:10. The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel. NLT

King Solomon's wisdom was a gift of God but we are also told that … "He knew all about plants, from the huge cedar that grows in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows in the cracks of a wall. He understood everything about animals and birds, reptiles and fish (1Kings 4:29. MB)."

Matthew 6:26. Jesus said, "Look at the birds …" NLT

Matthew 10:29. Jesus said, "What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it." NLT

Be sure to check out: 50 Animal Pictures You Need to See Before You Die.

Mark Conner Special Events, Trivia

World Beard Day

William MichaelDid you hear? Yesterday was World Beard Day! Yes, the first Saturday of September is the official day to celebrate great facial hair. This is timely for me, as I returned from my recent holiday sporting a beard that ties me to my Scottish roots (see picture to the right of my great, great grandfather William Michael, born in Ullapool, Scotland in 1828).

Here are some unusual World Beard Day facts:

* In southern Spain, many townships gather to witness a boxing match between a bearded man a beardless boy. The bearded man, normally armed with a sharp pike, is typically the victor.

* In the Swedish village of Dönskborg, anyone without a beard is banished from the town and forced to spend twenty-four hours in a nearby forest. Back in the town, the hirsute burn effigies of their clean-chinned loved ones.

* The exact origins of World Beard Day are unknown, but there is some evidence to suggest that Danish Vikings had a special day dedicated to the glorification of beards as far back as 800 AD. The event was not held on a fixed date, and was often celebrated hundreds of times each year. This early incarnation of what would one day become World Beard Day typically involved the ransacking of neighbouring towns, villages and countries by large groups of heavily-armed bearded men.

* Throughout the world, bearded communities are encouraged to acknowledge this sacred day by organising and staging their own public or private World Beard Day celebrations. These can consist of anything from a relaxing family lunch to a lavish, tax payer-funded street parade.

* Shaving on World Beard Day is universally considered to be highly disrespectful.

Of course, in the Christian church there has been plenty of controversy over beards throughout the centuries. According to Christianity Today's recent article, you're more likely to see a beard in the pulpit today than at any time since the 1800s. But beards—especially among clergy—were once serious, symbolic matters. They separated East from West during the Great Schism, priests from laity during the Middle Ages, and Protestants from Catholics during the Reformation. Some church leaders required them; others banned them. To medieval theologians, they represented both holiness and sin. But historian Giles Constable says that rules on beards sound more forceful than they really were. Clergy (especially powerful ones) were likely to follow fashion in their day, too.

On July 21, 2013, Saddleback Church hosted a contest for "Most Magnificent Beard and Most Pathetic Beard".

Let's hear it for the beard!

Mark Conner Family, Special Events

Happy Father’s Day!

IMG_0466_1024Today is Father's Day, a time to honour all of our dads. I am thankful for my own father and the positive role model he has been for me, despite that fact that he was an orphan and never had either a father or a mother his entire life (see his biography This is my Story for more). He has done his best to be the kind of father to my sister and me that he never had. 

I would also like to thank our three amazing kids – Josiah (and daughter-in-law, Shelley), Ashley (and daughter-in-law Malisa, if there is such a thing!) and Natasha – for making being a dad such an enjoyable experience. I am so proud of each one of them and who they are becoming.

Let's take time to honour our dad's, as imperfect as they have been. If you never had a dad or had one who was absent or abusive, I pray for a fresh understanding and experience of our heavenly Father's love for you today. 

Read and reflect on the following truths …

John 1:10-13. [Jesus] came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

Galatians 4:6-7. Because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Ephesians 3:14-19. When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

1 John 3:1-3. See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

For some more thoughts about fatherhood, check out:

Mark Conner Special Events

In the beginning …

OrignsOn August 30-31st, City Bible Forum is hosting a symposium of science and the Scriptures, looking at three views of origins: atheist naturalism, young-earth creationism, and old-earth creationism. 

What happened in the beginning? Was there a creator? How old is the earth? How do we understand Genesis? Over 2 days, this symposium brings together experts in three different views of origins to explore science and the Bible. Hear the evidence and decide for yourself. 

Event information is available on the City Bible Forum web site.

P.S. Don't forget to check out our own ORIGINS series at CityLife.

Also, Old Testament scholar, John Walton, author of the Genesis NIV Application Commentary is speaking at Ridley College on July 29th on "Genesis through Ancient Eyes." 

Mark Conner Special Events

Is it Reasonable to Believe there is a God?

LifeThe City Bible Forum is hosting an event in Melbourne on August 16th entitled "Is it reasonable to believe there is a God?" The evening will feature a lively conversation between Lawrence M. Krauss and William Lane Craig.

Lawrence M. Krauss is a renowned cosmologist and science popularizer, and is Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration, and director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University. Hailed by Scientific American as a rare public intellectual, he is also the author of more than three hundred scientific publications and nine books, including the international bestseller, The Physics of Star Trek, and his most recent bestseller entitled A Universe from Nothing, now being translated into 20 languages.

William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California. He and his wife Jan have two grown children. At the age of sixteen as a junior in high school, he first heard the message of the Christian gospel and yielded his life to Christ. Dr. Craig pursued his undergraduate studies at Wheaton College (B.A. 1971) and graduate studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A. 1974; M.A. 1975), the University of Birmingham (England) (Ph.D. 1977), and the University of Munich (Germany) (D.Theol. 1984). From 1980-86 he taught Philosophy of Religion at Trinity, during which time he and Jan started their family. In 1987 they moved to Brussels, Belgium, where Dr. Craig pursued research at the University of Louvain until assuming his position at Talbot in 1994.

You can buy tickets online.

I'm taking my family. It should be a terrific event. 

P.S. Don't forget to check out our own ORIGINS series at CityLife.

Mark Conner Special Events

ORIGINS

ORIGINSWelcome to the second half of the year! This month, we’ll be taking a fresh look at the first part of the book of Genesis, as we commence a series of messages called ORIGINS. Sometimes it helps to look backward before you move forward, so you live your life from God’s perspective. By going back to the beginning, we can glean some amazing insights about God’s original purpose for this world, all of which are incredibly relevant for our lives today in the 21st century. History really is HIS-story and you and I are called to play a significant part in the unfolding redemptive narrative. As we explore the first 12 chapters of Genesis, we pray that the gift of hindsight creates in each of us a fresh vision (foresight) of who we are as the people of God. 

1. Genesis (July 13-14th)

Genesis is the first book of the Bible and is often called “the book of beginnings.” Reading an ancient text like this raises lots of questions, especially for those of us who live in the modern world. In this introduction to the ORIGINS series, we will be answering many of these questions and presenting some important principles for reading and applying Genesis today.

2. Creation (July 20-21st)

Science and faith, dinosaurs and the big bang. These just a few of the kinds of questions people come to book of Genesis for, hoping to find some answers. This weekend, we will take an in-depth look at the story of creation, which clearly shows us who created the world and why.

3. Image (July 27-28th)

C.S. Lewis once said, “There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal.” Unlike all other creatures, humans alone were made in “the image of God.” What is this image and what are the implications for how we live our lives today? That’s our focus for this weekend.

4. Lost (Aug.3-4th)

Paradise Lost – one of history’s saddest moments. This weekend, we look at the Fall, which is not just a singular event but the trajectory of humanity moving away from God’s plan. Can we be rescued from our wandering?

5. Brother's Keeper (Aug.10-11th)

To live in God’s world on God’s terms is enough of a problem but to live with God’s other creatures, especially humans, is even more of a dilemma. The story of Cain and Abel paints a vivid picture of the first human conflict and the tragic consequences of jealousy and anger. Are we still our brother’s keeper?

6. Never Again (Aug.17-18th)

Noah’s Ark and the Flood – the classic Sunday School story! Humans fail to be faithful covenant partners in God’s world. Chaos and destruction ensue but God does not forget his covenant. In His mercy, God promises that “never again will there be a flood that destroys the earth.”   

7. Roots (Aug.31-Sept.1st)

Genealogies and family trees tell us that origins matter. We are united by our bloodline. On this Father’s Day weekend, we examine the importance of our roots and what it means to be a child of God who is now “in Christ.” 

8. Towers (Sept.7-8th)

The tower of Babel – languages and nations all began there. God scattered people from their safety and comfort, as well as from their self-serving unity. Years later, on the Day of Pentecost, prayerful unity led to the good news being spoken in many languages leading to a scattering to the nations once again.

9. The Call (Sept.14-15th)

Abraham is the proto-type for all people of faith. Following the risky call of God, he took a leap of faith into the lifetime adventure of being a pilgrim. In the same way, our journey is to be a life of faith, not one of safety and comfort. Can you hear the call?

Mark Conner Special Events

Happy Mother’s Day!

MumTomorrow is Mother's Day, a day to honour mothers all around the world. Mother's are special people who we owe so much to – in addition to our very existence!

Mother's are faithful, loyal, hard working (where do mother's go when they want to resign?), loving and caring. We honour and applaud them at this time.

My mother, Joyce Conner, was an amazing person who had a huge impact on my life, before she passed away very suddenly back in 1990. We miss her very much but her life lives on through her influence. Anything God does through me during my lifetime, I see as her reward – for all the seeds she planted in my heart and life.

Nicole's mother, affectionately called 'Oma,' passed away quite suddenly too in December 2007. She was such an amazing woman (the best mother-in-law you could ever have!) and we miss her so much. She touched so many lives through her smile, her love and her selfless approach to life. 

If at all possible, be sure to lavish lots of love and appreciation on your mother today … and every day.  After all, as I found out, we must love them while we can, because they won't always be around.

Here are a few thoughts about how we see our mother …

THE IMAGES OF MOTHER

  • At 4 years old we say: "My Mummy can do anything!"
  • At 8 years old: "My Mum knows a lot! A whole lot!"
  • At 12 years old: "My Mother doesn't really know quite everything."
  • At 14 years old: "Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either."
  • At 16 years old: "Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned."
  • At 18 years old: "That old woman? She's way out of date!"
  • At 25 years old: "Well, she might know a little bit about it."
  • At 35 years old: "Before we decide, let's get Mum's opinion."
  • At 45 years old: "Wonder what Mum would have thought about it?"
  • At 65 years old: "I wish I could talk it over with Mum."

[Author Unknown]

Mark Conner Special Events

ANZAC Day

AnzacTommorrw is ANZAC Day here in Australia. ANZAC Day is commemorated in Australia and New Zealand on April 25th every year to remember members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who landed at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.

ANZAC Day is one of the most important days on the Australian calendar as we take time as a nation to honour those who courageously gave their lives for the freedom of others.

As Christians, ANZAC Day reminds us of Jesus Christ, who left the comforts of heaven to come to earth and give his life for the freedom of all.

For more information on ANZAC Day see the following web sites:

Why not consider attending a dawn service in your local area?

Mark Conner Bible, Special Events

The Purpose of Lent

LentTomorrow is Lent, an important part of the liturgical year for many Christians, lasting approximately six weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, repentance, generosity and fasting (or the giving up of certain types of luxuries). You may want to consider committing yourself to this journey as the next step after our own 14 day period of prayer and fasting.

YouVersion has put together a Lent For Everyone Reading Plan. Lent for Everyone is a devotional created and written by N.T. (Tom) Wright. For each day of Lent, there is a reading chosen from the Gospel of Matthew, plus a reflection by Wright. These readings have grown out of a project encouraging Lent reading in Northern England. 

Most people are more likely to follow through on their good intentions when they share the experience with others. As you're reading each day, you might reflect on one or two verses that really speak to you, and share them with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Also, we improve our chances of finishing what we start when we invite others to hold us accountable. Consider signing up to send reminder emails to yourself and a friend to track your progress through your Reading Plan. Simply sign in at YouVersion.com, go to your Reading Plans, select a plan, select Plan Overview, and then go to the Accountability tab. Just fill in a few simple blanks and you'll have an accountability partner. Of course, you can turn off reminder emails at any time, just as easily.

Why We Need Lent - by Canon J John [Guest Post]

This Wednesday is what is called Ash Wednesday in the church calendar and it marks the start of the forty-day period of Lent that runs up to Easter Day. There is a longstanding tradition and practice that some Christians follow of fasting during Lent. The principle is that during this period you voluntarily deny yourself something such as chocolate or alcohol – or even Facebook or television. It has to be something that you like (there is no merit in giving up something you dislike!) and it has to be something good; after all, if it’s bad you ought to give it up permanently, not just take a break from it. Now this whole idea strikes many people today as bizarre or even medieval.

On reflection, it seems to me that the idea of Lent and fasting has never been more needed. The reason is quite simply this: our modern culture is utterly fixated not simply on having things, but on having them now. The result is any number of messages in advertisements and the media encouraging us not to save, but instead to buy what we want on credit and have it immediately. This obsession with the instantaneous and immediate can be seen in almost every area. We want instant food (long live the microwave), television programmes when we want, instant messaging, real-time meetings (even if they end up being virtual) and instant downloads of music, films or books. We don’t ‘do’ waiting anymore. Whether it’s food, pleasure, sex or possessions, we expect to have them all now.

Yet there is something very dangerous about this demand for ‘instant gratification’ and it’s not just Christians who say so. The reality is that all good things (and food, pleasure, sex or possessions are exactly that) are truly at their best only when they are taken at the right time. Deliberately delaying a pleasure (and that’s what fasting in Lent is all about) is actually a wise thing. The ability to postpone our gratification may actually be critical to making us fulfilled human beings. After all, if you want your pleasures now, you are really going to struggle with things like learning to play the piano or acquiring a foreign language where it may be months before you can tap out that tune (which I discovered!) or engage in a meaningful conversation on holiday.

To decide to postpone a pleasure may even have been fundamental in making the human race what we are. Some people point out that the greatest breakthrough in history was when people realised that instead of eating grains of wheat or rice it was a far smarter thing to plant them and wait a few months until the crops sprang up. That discovery of cultivation allowed settlements, farms and ultimately civilisation to flourish. The ability to postpone taking something good and desirable is something that has continued to play an important part in culture. The Industrial Revolution came about because people (mainly Christians) decided that rather than spending their money on instant pleasure they would invest it in industries for long-term gain.

It’s not just history that teaches us about the disadvantages of instant gratification; there is also some hard psychological evidence on the subject. The ‘Stanford Marshmallow Experiment’ (you can Google the phrase for the details) is fascinating. In summary, what happened was this. In the early 1970s a group of four-year-old children took part in a psychological study. Each child was given one marshmallow and promised that, if they could wait twenty minutes before eating it, they would be given a second one. Some children could wait the twenty minutes and others couldn’t. Records were kept and sixteen years later the university researchers revisited the children and found that those who had been able to delay eating were scoring significantly higher in academic tests. The ability to say ‘no, not now’ seems to be vital to both civilisation and education.

With this in mind you can see where Lent fits in. By helping us learn to say ‘no, not now’ it teaches us self-control and an expectation and an anticipation of what God may reveal to us; Lent isn’t just a human exercise but a sacred discipline.
Agapé,
Revd. Canon J.John

Mark Conner Special Events

Happy New Year – 2013

2013Happy New Year!

Aren't you glad that life isn't just one long unchanging time-period. God has divided time into days so that every 24 hours we have a fresh start. Then there is the new week, the new month and the new year. Each new year is a new beginning, the start of a new season. I pray that it is an enjoyable and fruitful one for you.

I'd like to share two of my favourite promises with you:
One is from Jeremiah 29:11 and it says, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Those are positive and encouraging words that reveals God's heart to us. Amazingly, these words were spoken in one of the darkest periods of Israel's history. Jerusalem has been destroyed and they were in captivity. Yet God was reaching out to his people to give them a promise … of a future and a hope. No matter what kind of year you had last year, let's believe that this year will be one of hope for you.

I also really like the apostle Paul's words in Philippians 1:6 where he says, "I am certain (or confident) that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." God has begun a good work in each one of us, whether we are just starting to get to know him or whether we have been walking with Him for many years. Let's believe that this year God will further that work in us – shaping our character, developing our gifts, and spreading our influence.

Together let's DEVOTE ourselves to 3 things – to PRAY, to SHARE and to SERVE God in new ways in 2013. Imagine the impact than we can have … together. God bless you and happy new year!

Mark Conner

Mark Conner Special Events

The REAL Christmas Story (Pt.2)

Nat

After presenting an extensive genealogy, something that would have been very important to his Jewish readers (a high value for heritage, inheritance, legitimacy and rights), Matthew moves on to tell us about the birth of Jesus … It’s a unique story about a unique person with a unique conception and a unique message and ministry.

Matthew tells us exactly what happened (not when, as far as an exact date), who this baby is and why he came (Matthew 1:18-25).

This baby boy is given two names: Jesus and Immanuel. Names held far more importance in that culture than in ours, being thought of as linked with or pointing to the actual character and destiny of the individual. 

WHY Jesus came – as Saviour

The name ‘Jesus’ was a popular boys name at the time, being the Greek form of the Jewish name ‘Joshua’ who brought the Israelites into the promised land after the death of Moses. This name was given to boys as a symbolic hope for Yahweh’s anticipated sending of salvation. Matthew sees Jesus as the one who will now complete what the law of Moses pointed to but could not itself produce. He will rescue his people, not from slavery in Egypt, but from the slavery of sin, the ‘exile’ they have suffered not just in Babylon but in their own hearts and lives. This is the central purpose of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. Jesus was born to be the Saviour of the world. 

Our Greatest Need 
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; 
If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; 
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; 
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; 
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour.

To "sin" means to miss the mark or the target. We all have sinned – individually and as a community. We have done things we knew we should not have done and we have failed to do other things we knew we should have done. We all "fall short" of God's standard.  In response to this, religion is spelt DO – us reaching up to god or trying to become like god, through our self-effort. In contrast, Christianity is spelt DONE – accepting what Jesus has done for us, as a free gift. He never sinned and took the penalty for our sin so that we could go free. Christ offers us forgiveness for our sin and power over sin, through the gift of his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

WHO Jesus is – Immanuel ("God With Us")

By contrast, the name ‘Immanuel’ (mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 and 8:8, 10) was not given to anyone else, perhaps because it would say more about a child than anyone would normally dare. It means "God with us." Matthew’s whole gospel is framed by this theme: at the very end, Jesus promises that he will be ‘with’ his people always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Often we ask, "Where is God?" … especially during difficult times. Joseph probably felt the same. He and his very pregnant wife had to go on a 125 km journey to Bethlehem just for a census (not a comfortable trip, when riding on a donkey for over 4 days!), then when he arrived there wasn't even a vacant room. After that, they had to escape to Egypt to avoid the threat of a murderous, jealous King Herod. "I thought God was with us," I am sure he wondered more than once. Yet God was with them, working out everything according to His plan. Only when looking back did it all make sense. And so it so often is in our own lives (Romans 8:28). 

A Response

Jesus offers us forgiveness as our Saviour today. Like any RSVP, that requires a response. Will we turn from sin to God placing our faith and trust fully in Him? Accept his forgiveness, love and grace … for your guilt and shame.

Finally, trust in God – whatever you may be experiencing in your journey of life. God IS with you and for you … along with all the resources you need (faith, hope and love … and joy). You are not alone. He is not far away. He is right here, right now … with you. That's good news … and that's the real Christmas story!