Still Learning

Online Church Services

Due to the current lockdown it’s now been 31 days (15th March) since the church I attend has been able to meet together in our building. Since that time we, along with many other churches, have moved our services online. We are uploading our online services to our website. Additionally, we are uploading videos for our Messy Church to our Facebook page. Other churches are live streaming services on Facebook.

We are used to services being broadcast on platforms such as BBC Radio 4, Premier Christian Radio, United Christian Broadcasters and not forgetting of course Songs of Praise on BBC1. However, all these programmes will have professional sound engineers working on them. Therefore they will be professionally produced and will be of a high technical quality. Most of our churches will not have access to such skilled personnel, and instead will have to work with the skills available to them within their own congregations.

Obviously all this is a big change for churches and I felt it might be useful to share some thoughts on my experiences of online services.

Our vicar mentioned that he encountered a lot of technical challenges in putting together the services for last week. As it was Holy Week there were four services to produce: Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We are using the Freemake video converter to put together our services. This means that everyone who is taking part in the service has to record their contribution and send it to the organiser of the service. The various different files then need to be converted to the same file format and the video produced. Anyone who has been involved in any audio or video production will know though that invariably things are never straightforward. This can be very time consuming and frustrating! Whilst a service might last 30 minutes it would take significantly longer to produce the final video to upload to the website.

When watching an online service it is obviously essential that your internet connection does not crash. Whilst watching a live streaming service on Facebook on Easter Sunday our connection went down at home. Fortunately the outage was only 7 minutes, so we carried on from where the crash occurred. Depending on where you live in the country, the quality of the broadband can vary. For those in areas where the internet signal is weak live streaming services may not work.

Generally speaking the contents of an online service would contain all or some of the following: a sermon, worship, bible reading, prayers, children’s talk, testimony and communion. If we go through each of these individually:

Sermons – most churches these days upload versions of their sermons onto their websites anyway. Therefore in that respect we are used to online sermons. Over the years churches have recorded sermons, making them available in various different formats dating back to the days of cassette recorders. For most of us then this is not really a significant change in how we have listened to sermons if we were unable to attend church. The big difference is that normally these are audio and not video recordings.

Worship – it can seem strange watching someone singing and leading the worship from their own home. We can find ourselves distracted, looking at their wallpaper and pictures that are hanging up! Another potential issue is we might slip into the role of a spectator just watching them sing, rather than joining in the worship ourselves. Our church helpfully includes song lyrics for people to download from our website. In some ways it can be similar to listening to a worship cd whilst driving. Although unlike with driving you can close your eyes and raise your hands!

Bible reading – ideally we should close our eyes and listen to the passage of scripture being read. I have, if I’m being honest, found myself distracted by the same wallpaper issue though as mentioned above.

Prayers – in the Anglican church we have the practice of someone leading the prayers each week. This has worked well in our online services. Obviously it prevents any open pray, as we are all in our separate homes, but I personally have found this part of the service helpful. The important thing is to ensure that you close your eyes and concentrate on the words of the prayers. The same as in “real life”.

Children’s talk – the ones I have watched in the live stream services have been specific and to the point. They have included some visuals too which have helped get over the main point and been done well. In our Palm Sunday service we had a donkey appear which I’m sure the children would have enjoyed seeing. Interestingly the donkey seemed to have a very familiar voice!

Testimony – this is really similar to the section above on sermons. The only thing I would add is that it’s nice to see another member of the church speaking and see a different face.

Communion – one of the online streaming services on Facebook which I “attended” was a communion service. I took the bread and wine, and personally found the service beneficial. This particular service was put on by a baptist church, which has different rules to the Anglican church in this area. In respect of our church on Easter Sunday the service was a communion one. However, that just involved our vicar taking communion on the video. To be honest it felt strange not taking part but that is the current practice in my denomination.

The obvious criticism of online services is they are not the same as meeting together to worship. Of course it’s difficult to disagree with that view. However, at the moment we cannot meet as a church in the normal way. We do not have that option. Therefore this is the best method we have available and we should seek to embrace it. There are many countries in the world where Christians do not have the freedom to worship and they would I’m sure love to have this facility.

Also although we are unable to meet it least it gives us opportunities to see members of our churches on our screens. Additionally, when you post something online, you never know who will watch it. God can use our services to speak to people all over the world.

A lot of work has been put in by churches in producing these services and therefore I am not inclined to criticise online services. Instead let us pray that they might be powerful and effective in spreading the gospel message.

A Different Easter

This week is the most important one in the Christian calendar. During this week, which is known as Holy Week, we remember the last few days of the life of Jesus on this earth as they lead up to his crucifixion and resurrection. Without the events of Easter weekend there is no Christian faith. If Jesus had not died for the sins of the world, we could not receive new life and forgiveness from Him. And if God had not raised Jesus from the dead, death would not have been defeated. This would have meant no hope for any of us.

Not surprising during Easter weekend there are normally a number of different services and events held to remember this important time. Many churches usually hold services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. There are open air passion plays held too in our high streets.

This year is different though. In 2020 there will be no services held at our churches. No passion plays in our streets. These events have all been cancelled due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Our Easter will be unlike anything we have ever experienced beforehand. If someone had said to me a few weeks ago that this would happen I would not have believed them. I don’t think any of us would have! But it has. No Easter services!

However, all is not lost. We can still experience the wonder of Easter this year. It’s just going to be different to what we would normally expect. So what will Easter 2020 be like?

Thankfully due to the wonders of modern technology we will be able “to attend” services streamed from our churches. In fact we can see services from various different churches if we so wish. Whilst it is not the same as attending church in the normal manner, we can still encounter God through these services. There are many countries in the world where our brothers and sisters in Christ cannot worship openly due to persecution. We should therefore be grateful that we can still worship God openly.

Additionally there will be various Easter services and programmes on the BBC , both radio and TV, this weekend too. Premier Christian radio station will be broadcasting services too. These provide other opportunities to follow Jesus through the events of Holy Week.

Wintershall will be showing two livestreams of The Passion of Jesus and One Good Friday Story through their Facebook page at 12 noon and 3pm. I have been fortunate to have seen their productions many times and would certainly recommend watching it.

And of course very importantly, as with all other years, we must make time to be alone with God to ponder the events of Holy Week. It’s vital to ensure that we do not neglect private times of bible reading and prayer.

Yes Easter 2020 will be different. But it can still be a special time.

The Importance of Daily Exercise

We are now in the second week of lockdown in the UK and during this time I have realised afresh the importance of daily exercise. In fact daily exercise is one of only four reasons that we are supposed to leave our homes, the others are: to go to work, to buy food and medication. I’m currently working from home so I have only three reasons myself!

I have always enjoyed sport and leisure activities over the years, whether that be running, walking, football, tennis, squash or cricket. Although in recent years my exercise has been limited to walking at weekends and also when on holiday. However since the lockdown started I have ensured that I been out for a walk every evening.

Physical exercise is important. It helps keep us fit and in good shape. It’s also good for us mentally too especially if have had a stressful day at work. In the current unusual situation we are all facing I believe that we should take opportunities to exercise daily.

In his first letter to Timothy Paul wrote the following words, which are really relevant at this time:

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8)

Paul reminds us here that whilst physical exercise is good spiritual exercise is more important. Perhaps now more than ever, especially as we are not able to meet for worship, we need to ensure that we do not neglect spiritual exercise. I know that churches are streaming services, which is great, but as a friend said to me: “it’s not the same as meeting for worship”. And he is right.

It’s very important that we make time for God during this period of lockdown. We must not neglect personal bible study and prayer. It is essential that we do practice these spiritual disciplines. If you are anything like me you probably find yourself watching more TV or spending additional time on-line. Although that is not wrong as such, we really need to make good use of this time and not neglect spending time with God.

No-one knows how long the lockdown will last. Let us use the time wisely. Keep doing your daily physical exercise but please also ensure you exercise spiritually too.

Praying for our Leaders

We are currently living in very unusual times at the moment. It must be a challenging time to be a world leader as they are having to make very difficult and tough decisions. I would really not want to be a member of government, as they try to tackle the coronavirus outbreak and limit it’s effect on people. They have a huge responsibility on their shoulders. They need certainly need wisdom!

In that in mind I’m reminded of Paul’s instructions to Timothy:

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour” (1 Tim 2:1-3)

We must not forget to pray for them. It’s easy to criticise our governments. When thinking of the UK government, some will say that they have been slow in introducing the measures that were announced last Monday. However, others will say that they have overreacted and gone too far with the restrictions! Whether they have gone too far or not gone far enough we should pray for them. They need our prayers!

Don’t forget though that whilst it is right to pray for leaders our ultimate faith and trust must be in God and not humans.

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8)

Overwhelming Situations

Sometimes when I watch the news I listen to a story that I find difficult to comprehend. I feel that although I hear the words they do not sink in and I cannot really grasp what I am hearing. This could be when the reporter speaks of a horrific murder or perhaps about some awful war crimes that have been committed. I have also experienced this too when I have received some sudden unexpected bad news. Not surprisingly this is how I am feeling about coronavirus.

I find myself regularly checking the BBC website to discover the latest news. I read about many people catching coronavirus and some sadly dying from it. Numerous countries around the world are moving into lockdown banning various normal activities such as going out socially. I’m struggling to comprehend all that is happening and I suspect others are too.

Last Sunday the following happened at my church:

• We had to wash our hands as soon as we arrived at the building.

• We were not allowed to shake hands or hug anyone. Therefore when we shared the peace we had to stay in our seats and just nod at the other people in the congregation!

• No bibles were allowed to be given out (these are normally handed out when we arrive at church).

• Our kitchen was closed so we were unable to have any drinks after the service.

• We were not allowed to receive the wine during communion. It was just the bread. Our vicar was the only one allowed to drink the wine.

The above practices were as per instructions issued by the Church of England so if you worship in an Anglican church you too would have experienced this.

It looks increasingly likely that we will soon not be meeting for Sunday worship or even midweek housegroups, especially after the Prime Minister announced last Monday that “everyone should avoid social contact with others”.

What do we do when we face such overwhelming situations such as coronavirus? Psalm 61:2 tells us:

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (KJV)

I cannot think of anything else to suggest. The only hope we have in these strange and troubling times is to cry out to God: “Lord have mercy on us!”

The Christian response to coronavirus

There has been one subject dominating the news for the last few weeks: coronavirus. In fact the majority of the news on television seems to be about this. Some might originally have argued that the whole thing was being exaggerated by the media, whilst others would have the opposite viewpoint. What should be the Christian response to coronavirus?

I came across some blog posts and website articles on coronavirus and thought it might be interesting to post links to them as they are worth reading as we ponder this matter. (UPDATE – I will continue to add to the links below as I find more articles that I feel will be of interest to others)

The first link is an article looking at the Cholera Outbreak of 1854 and how Spurgeon responded to this. This can be useful in thinking how we should respond to coronavirus. To summarise Spurgeon’s response was:

1. Prioritize local ministry
2. Adjust as needed, but continued meeting if possible
3. Visit the sick
4. Be open to new evangelistic opportunities
5. Entrust your life to God

The second one is an interview Adrian Warnock did with Richard Johnston, the founder of ChristianMindfulness.co.uk

Adrian writes that coronavirus is just the latest trigger for anxiety. Christian Mindfulness is one tool we can use to help us cope when things seem too much to handle.

The next one is an interview that Tim Challies did with Pastor Andrea Artioli who pastors a church in Mantua, Italy. His church has been instructed by the local authorities that it cannot meet for at least the next two weeks.

This is an interesting interview as Italy is currently the country in Europe which has had the biggest outbreak of coronavirus.

The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FRRME) is a Christian charity which aims to rebuild lives and restore hope in the Middle East.

On their website they have an article called Imagine having no health care at this time in which they advise us of their urgent prayers requests which are:

• Please pray that we will be able to keep supporting all those who rely on us during the Coronavirus outbreak.
• Pray for all the FRRME Staff; in the UK and especially in the Middle East, including Abdulrahman, our Iraq Programme Manager and Helena our Jordan Country Director. Pray for God’s protection over them.
• Please pray for Father Faez, the congregation of St George’s Baghdad and all those who attend the St George’s Clinic. Pray that God will protect and support them in this worrying time.
• Pray for the refugees who use the Olive Tree Centre in Madaba, Jordan and all those who attend our partner churches. – That they will have access to accurate information about the situation.
• Pray for the refugees who use the Olive Tree Centre in Madaba, Jordan and all those who attend our partner churches. – That they will have access to accurate information about the situation.
• Pray that sufficient funds come in so that we might meet the urgent needs of the vulnerable in Iraq and Jordan
• Please pray for our government and others around the world. May God guide and support them as they seek to contain the outbreak and reassure the population.
• Please pray for the scientists who are working to produce a vaccine.

Hopefully these website and blogs postings will help us to look at this matter differently to the mainstream media and in a way that is appropriate of our Christian faith. I trust too that it will guide us in our praying.

Wash Your Hands!

Wash your hands! This is the advice that the NHS and the government are giving us as the best methods of not catching coronavirus. They recommend that we frequently wash our hands, ideally for about 20 seconds per wash. Additionally, we should use a tissue or our sleeve to catch a cough or sneeze, and avoid touching our eyes, nose and mouth if our hands are not clean.

When I was a child my parents taught me to wash my hands before I had a meal. If I’m being honest that is a habit that I had neglected somewhat, but I have now reintroduced it. Another important thing they installed in me was washing my hands after I had used the toilet. That is one habit I have never stopped doing. And it does irritate me whenever I use a public toilet, if I see anyone leave without washing their hands!

In recent days I am trying to be more conscious of following the NHS advice and doing what I can to maintain a good level of hygiene. One thing I have realised is that during the day, whether consciously or subconsciously, I found myself touching my face. I have suddenly become very aware of this and am trying to exercise self-disciple and avoid doing this. It’s so easy just to rub your eyes or scratch your ear without realising what you are doing. However, we have been told not to do this.

The advice that the NHS have issued about washing our hands may sound like something that you would tell a child. It’s really basic and simple advice. Surely as adults we do not need to be told this? Yet as I think about this I believe that we do. Although we cannot see germs they are real and we need to keep clean.

Although the advice about washing your hands is being spoken of here in relation to coronavirus, it is also a lesson that can be applied spiritually too. Just as we need to clean ourselves from dirt and germs physically we also need to do the same spiritually. If we do not then we find ourselves contaminated with the effect of our sin. What is the solution? The first letter that John wrote contains the words:

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:7-9)

This is the advice that we need to follow if we wish to be clean before God.

Jeremiah: Speaking for God in a time of crisis

I was looking through my book collection recently and came across a book called: Jeremiah: Speaking for God in a time of crisis. After reading it I decided to write a book review on it. Unfortunately though following an unsuccessful internet search for it I believe that the book may no longer be in print. Still I hope this review inspires to you to seek it out maybe in a secondhand bookshop?

It can be difficult for new Christians to know where to start with reading the bible when they come to faith. Normally we encourage them to firstly read one of the gospels and then work their way through the rest of the New Testament. The book: Jeremiah: Speaking for God in a time of crisis, written by David Day, is part of a series of bible biographies that seek to introduce readers to the richness of the Old Testament. The series wants us to learn the unchanging truths of God which still apply today just as much as when they were first written.

This book has 10 chapters, each of which covers a separate theme, as we are taken on a journey through the life of Jeremiah. In addition to covering the major events in the life of the prophet, the author looks at the lessons we can learn from him and their relevance for today. He makes us consider the words that Jeremiah spoke to God’s people, and the reader feels the challenge of these words directly to them too as they engage with this book. Although the book only has 127 pages it provides the reader with an excellent and rich introduction into the life of Jeremiah.

David Day shows us that humanly speaking Jeremiah did not have a successful ministry. He preached God’s message of repentance to his countrymen and his words were not heeded. The prophet suffered persecution for faithfully speaking God’s word. But despite that he was faithful to God.

I found the book a very enjoyable read which helped increased my understanding of where Jeremiah fits into the timescale of the bible. In addition to this it was also challenging too. Whilst the book is aimed towards younger Christians I believe that it would benefit all believers no matter how long they had been walking with God. Therefore I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to all provided you can track it down!

The 50th Day of 2020

Today is the 50th day of 2020. It seemed a good time therefore to review the year so far.

Many of us no doubt start each new year with optimistic ideas and intentions. We may make new year resolutions. These might include: reading through the bible in a year, doing more exercise, losing weight, getting a new job, learning a new hobby, catching up with old friends etc. I think when we make these resolutions we are sincere about them. However, for most of us we are struggling to keep them by the end of the first week of January! This can result in us wrestling with disappointment and feelings of failure.

If you look back over the 50 days of 2020 how do you feel when you review the year so far? Do you feel despondent or are you happy with it so far? If you made any resolutions have you been able to keep them? For those who have struggled to keep your resolutions is there any particular reason why you have not kept them? Perhaps the ones you set were unrealistic. For example, if you decided you wanted to run 5 miles every night and had not exercised for several years then that was in all honesty an unrealistic target. Instead going on a 3 mile walk twice per week would have been a more realistic but still challenging one. Alternatively, did you just give up trying to keep your resolutions through a lack of self discipline?

At this stage there are two choices we can make:

1) Give up and wait until 1 January 2021 before we try again or
2) Resolve to start again

The simple truth is we cannot change what has happened during the first 50 days of 2020. Some opportunities that we had may now be lost for ever. However, what is past is now past. The only thing we can do is to leave the past in God’s hands. Let it rest with Him. Then we can resolve, by the grace of God, to press on and start again. The wonderful truth is that God’s mercies are new every morning. We do not need to wait until the beginning of next year to try again.

If you have made some resolutions then it is probably worth reviewing them and seeing if they might need amending if on reflection they were unrealistic. There are occasions, especially when we are back at work and facing stressful situations, when resolutions can be forgotten and we need space to revisit them again. Pray about them. Ask God for wisdom in your decision making.

Once you are happy with them it’s time to seek to work these out in our lives. To see real change often requires us to co-operate with God. Frequently these changes requires us to exercise self discipline. For example we might pray: “Lord help me to get up early each morning to read your word and pray.” It could be that if we listen carefully God’s reply to our prayer is: “Then go to bed earlier!”

This is the 50th day of 2020. There are still 316 days left in 2020. Do not give up but “fix your eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2) and remember Paul’s words to the church in Philippi:

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

Prayer for the Week

Every Sunday in our church notice sheet there is a prayer for the week. I thought that I would share this week’s prayer:

God of purity and power, as you call us to your service, cleanse our minds with the salt of the gospel, and our lips with the fire of the Spirit, that we speak and live the truth in Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen

Please join me in making this your own personal prayer each day this week.