Sunday 28th February 2021​

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Link to David’s Sunday 28th February video sermon address:

https://youtu.be/k6JYhhixLGA

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Sunday Reflection- 28th February

‘Minor Surgery leads to a Heart Transplant’ -

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Introduction

 

In today’s old Testament text we encounter that minor and rather intimate piece of surgery that causes the most of us modern male readers to wince slightly and thank God for Anaesthetics!

 

In our talk today,

…. I’m going to try and explain how that ‘mark’ of commitment to God, CIRCUMCISION -

….Relates directly to our hearts.

 

As Christian Gentiles,

We are not under command to undergo a physical circumcision…

 

But circumcised we must still be –

… In HEART

 

PART 1 - Physical Circumcision

 

There’s a story of a chap who tried to juggle two jobs in order to pay for his Barbados holiday. He was a data analyst during the day and worked in a Nightclub in the evenings/early hours. 

He enjoyed both jobs but when combined found them exhausting. One day his boss walked into his cubicle at his day job and after taking one look at him put him on a warning for slacking.

“ don’t sleep on the job!” -

Yelled his boss

 

He’d only taken a short nap couldn’t see how his boss could possibly have known –

Until he popped to the toilet and saw the chequered pattern of his mouse pad engraved on one side of his face where he laid his head on the desk

… The tell-tale pattern ‘marked’ him out!

 

Marks are huge in our world –

 

Emma spent a whole module in her design degree,

…. learning about creating memorable logos and trademarks.

 

The best trade logos and marks,

…. quickly identify who the product, or person belongs to.

 

The Apple symbol on my phone,

... instantly tells you who designed and produced my phone.

 

Whereas if I wear this around my neck (show wooden cross),

… People have a clue to my sense of spiritual identity.

 

But there is a much older identifying ‘trade Mark or logo’ - 

….in our Faith family tradition.

 

God unveils it to Abraham in today’s text.

 

You may wish to read the whole text,

… Which is in Genesis 17:1–14

(If so press pause now and read it)

 

Here’s the two verses in that reading  that describe the ancient trademark unveiling moment:

 

“This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be THE SIGN of the covenant between me and you.” (10-11)

 

Circumcision is the sign that will identify Abraham’s people -

...later to be called the ISRAELITES

 

= as Gods people

 

In verse 14,

We see that having this mark is essential –

… Otherwise you are ‘cut off’ 

 

Emma told me that one of the indications that a trademark is a good one,

…= Is that it stands the test of time.

 

It remains easily identifiable,

…. despite changes in the society around it

 

Well this sign lasted thousands of years –

… If we flip forward through the generations in our Bible,

 

We come to the new Testament and see that Jesus no less in Luke 2:21,

… As per Gods instruction,

… Is circumcised on the eighth day after birth.

 

If we continue to flick through our new Testament,

… We see the issue of circumcision becoming a hot topic -

… A POINT OF SERIOUS DEBATE

 

now that the Gentiles have been grafted onto the Israelite family vine

(As was gods intention from the start he was reaching out to the whole world through the Israelites)

 

Do these new  followers of Yahweh,

.,.have to be ‘marked’ too?

 

(The spiritual equivalent of receiving the company logo)

 

If you want to look into it further,

… You’ll see the whole issue of -

‘To circumcise or not to circumcise’

 

...Played out in the early church.

 

The conclusion was unequivocal -

= Physical circumcision was not required among Christians. 

 

SO WHY HAVE CIRCUMCISION IN THE FIRST PLACE??

 

Humans find symbols hugely significant.

 

Emma and I have been reading through the Bible again this year,

…. in our annual tour

 

We are currently in those early old Testament books where you see lots of complicated ceremonies and symbolism.

 

On one level it looks alien to us modern western believers.

… So very arcane.

 

But actually,

If you take a good hard look at it culture,

…. you’ll see that symbols are just as important to us. 

 

We understand OUR symbols,

... because they are of our time. 

 

– We know the trademarks and what they identify

-we know who wears which uniform.

 

I know the dark blue uniform and odd tall helmet, ...conveys upon its wearer the authority of a higher power.

 

In an ancient world where people routinely and unquestioningly slept with temple child prostitutes,

 

Or sacrificed their children to pagan deities 

 

 = God knew it was important to set his people apart in a distinct way.

 

Identify with his distinctively different  moral ‘brand’

 

THEY Needed reminding – physically,

… That they were god's people,

….And his ways are now their ways

 

= IF they were to resist the pull of the wider, majority peer pressure

 

So, trademarks – or symbols,

… And very powerful

 

= but they’re not an end in themselves.

…..It’s what they point to and represent that counts.

 

An ancient follower of Yahweh,

… Was no better than one of the pagan baby sacrificing neighbours,

… If the mark was an end in itself

 

This is made clear at an early point:

In the book of Deuteronomy 10:16,

… God says;

“Circumcise your ……. hearts.”

 

Hundreds of years later,

… The prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 9:25 said;

“Behold, the days are coming… when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh”

 

This is repeated a number of times in the Bible –

… Physical circumcision is a reminder of and a pointer to the REAL circumcising -

….,. Of the HEART. 

 

So we reach a crucial question –

= what does it mean to have our hearts circumcised? 

 

Part 2 - Heart Circumcision

 

We are obviously using the heart as a spiritual metaphor here,

– – – but what does an ‘unhealthy or uncircumcised’ heart look like?

 

= well, Jesus used the term CALLOUSED

 

This was his advice to some of his listeners –

Matthew 13:15;

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.”

 

Paul takes up the metaphor later in scripture and writes in Ephesians 4:18-19;

“They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”

 

As an off and on runner,

… I know that calluses deaden feeling.

 

If I stop running for six months,

… And then start again I’ll get sore and have blisters on my feet.

 

But as calluses – or dead skin, builds up,

… I can run further and faster without foot pain.

 

I know that guitar players – bass players especially,

… Describe a similar thing with their fingers,

 

= playing is easier (less painful),

... when they have practised enough to form calluses.

 

this is great for running and strumming,

… But not spiritually.

 

= when your heart becomes deadened to The pain of other people's need -

…. the pain of compassion is numbed

 

= or deadened to the pain of sin

 

= THEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BECOME CALLOUSED. 

 

I guess it might be hard to spot it in yourself,

… Because calluses grow over time.

 

There are signs of course - 

...Not caring much for other people is a classic one of course,

 

But here is a big indication that calluses are growing -

...Too much Self justification. 

 

EVEN THE BEST OF US make mistakes –

… We all do wrong things,

………. because we are imperfect

 

but if your heart is in a reasonable state

(NOT over hardened by calluses)

 

= You’ll feel bad about it

= do something about it

= admit you were wrong

= Apologise

= try to learn from your mistake. 

 

But speaking for myself –

… I know one warning sign that perhaps I’m not in a great place –

… My heart is perhaps harder than it should be

 

 = when I start self justifying

 

• “They were too sensitive”

• “I was only joking, can’t they take a joke”

• “It was a silly rule anyway, everyone breaks it”

• “It wasn’t really that bad.”

 

The bigger the callouses get,

… The more we begin to believe that our behaviour is okay

 

Perhaps a definition of a calloused or hard heart is:

one that has become so used to justifying itself that it doesn’t feel the pain of it’s sin,

…. or the pain of others

 

On the few occasions (not recently I’ll hasten to add!)

That I have been pulled over for speeding,

 

= I’ve known instinctively but it would be a bad idea trying to justify myself to the traffic officer

 

More times than not I have been let off with a warning for humbly admitting that “I’m in the wrong officer”

 

This is a wisdom that we need to apply to God –

 

We will all stand before him one day;

Will we try to face him with self justifications,

… or will we face him with a humble, circumcised heart?

 

Part 3 - How can we be (heart) circumcised?

 

You wouldn’t try to circumcise yourself physically,

… For a start he wouldn’t be able to hold a scalpel firmly. 

 

= you would have to get somebody to, erm,  ‘perform’ it for you

 

IT'S THE SAME WITH THE HEART

 

we need God to cut away,

... the bad attitudes and justifications that have prevented us from feeling the pain of other people and of our own sin 

 

In a clinic you sign a consent form for surgical procedures

 

In relationship with Jesus this ‘consent procedure’ for heart surgery  is called REPENTANCE 

 

And it’s described in Deuteronomy 30:6

“And THE LORD YOUR GOD will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

 

David pleaded with God for this heart circumcision,

... which he describes in ps 51:10-12

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.”

 

David couldn’t do it by himself –

… Nor can we. 

 

As Baptists, 

we believe that baptism plays a huge part in the heart circumcision process

 

Baptism itself is a symbol of what is going on at heart level -

But not an end in itself.

 

Some traditions use confirmation (oil) as the outward symbol,

… Others a right hand of fellowship 

 

We go overfull Splish splash in our baptismal pool with a total immersion dunking!

 

But it’s what goes on here (point to heart)

… That counts.

 

Which is why if I am baptising somebody,

… I’ll need to clarify if they believe in Jesus,

… acKnowledge they need to repent (turn their back on old attitudes et cetera)

… Confess Jesus as Lord (declare it publicly in other words)

… And then be baptised for the forgiveness of sins –

 

= circumcised in heart if you like.

 

Conclusion 

 

So – we’ve clarified that circumcision as a ritual is no longer required for non-Jewish believers in God,

 

But circumcision in the deeper, heart sense = remains.

 

Jesus stands waiting to assist –

… Waiting to remove our callouses –

 

= the hardness of attitude and behaviour that deafened us to the voice of love.

 

To place his indelible mark on our lives –

 the mark of life

 

I’ll close with these words from Colossians 2:11 to 12;

“In (Christ) also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him IN BAPTISM, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

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Sunday 21st February 2021​

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Link to David’s Sunday 21st February video sermon address:

https://youtu.be/IFonAP0ZQJg

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Sunday Reflection- 21st February

‘Remembrances of Jesus: The family Album’

 

Had we have met in person this Sunday,

We would have been sharing a special monthly family occasion…

 

Communion (also known as the lord's supper)

 

I use the word family deliberately -

Because it’s at the heart of our theology

 

So much so that we put it on our bicentenary wording 

**show picture

 

‘A family of faith for 200 years’

 

Family is more personal -

And more profound than a mere ‘member’ or ‘attender’ or even believer -

 

The term family implies ‘BELONGING’

(Which is why Jesus used it) -

 

I believe this strikes at the heart of our need -

…a need to ‘belong’ -

…...to treasure and be treasured

 

Not just a little family in Creswell Quay,

…but a family that spans people every culture and church tradition. 

 

Bound together in a love for him and one another. 

 

Families have all sorts of ways of remembering and celebrating special  moments -

Photos 

Paintings

Anecdotes

 

My children used ‘remember me presents’ when I first started my studies at Cardiff uni and the Baptist college in 2009-

 

On the nights I stayed over they spontaneously  gave me little gifts ‘to remember them by’ -

 

Like this little ‘remember me by’ from Isaac that still sits in my ministry satchel to this day and makes me smile nostalgically whenever I see it -

 

…. our family of faith is no different. 

…….we have ways of remembering and reassuring special moments too -

 

We’re going to flick through a photo album of faith together today-

…images from the Gospels that help us to celebrate and appreciate our faith -

 

And Jesus it’s head,

…..All the more clearly. 

 

Once we’ve done that I will invite us to share communion (the ultimate act of remembrance) together...

 

You don’t need wine (the bread and wine are symbolic) -

 

All you need is a drink (whatever you have)

And a corner of a slice of bread. 

 

Perhaps you'd like to press pause while you gather what you need,

… so we can share together later. 

 

PAUSE

 

**picture of cup and bread

 

Some people visualise Jesus as the man with the timotei wavy hair, groomed beard and impeccable movie star good looks

 

Others have an image of an aloof stained glass window Jesus. 

 

They are all false images -

 

We have much better pictures than that to remember Jesus by -

 

Gospel photo 1-

MATTHEW 5-7 (sermon on the Mount)

*show image

 

In this image we see him sitting cross legged - 

Teaching

 

But not just any old teaching –

… Teaching that caused bystanders to remark in awe;

‘What authority’

 

The Greek word used for Authority in this sense isn’t referring to rank,

… Even personal charisma –

 

It literally refers to its originality. 

 

Rabbis learned from other rabbis,

… They passed their learning down the line.

 

If they wanted to speak with ‘authority’ -

(Demonstrate to the listeners but they are worth listening to)

 

= they would traditionally invoke the name of a greater rabbi than themselves.

 

…like me quoting a great theologian to back up my point in a sermon -

 

Rev David Gooding may not carry much weight,

…but you’ll respect my point more if you realise that the Rev. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it first! 

 

But Jesus never referred to other teachers traditional interpretations of scripture -

…HE SPOKE FROM HIS OWN AUTHORITY

 

which was an attention grabber in its own right –

… But what’s more

… His teaching really hit a nerve

 

It caused some to follow him,

… And others to hate him

 

IT STILL DOES TODAY -

 

= but nobody ignored him

… And they didn’t stop listening to him either.

 

= his teachings affirmed the humble –

= and gave hope to the weak and despised

 

= his teachings shook the foundations of the proud and self important

 

= to the fury of the ancient lawyers -

…. His teachings ignored the letter of the law

…… And instead went straight to the heart

 

Down with the minutia,

Up with love

 

His three year teaching ministry literally redefined and turned upside down,

… Humankind’s understanding of god's priorities and laws

 

= understandings that had been taken as normative for millennia.

 

Gospel photo 2

JOHN 4:1-42 ‘The Woman by the Well’

 

The 2nd picture is one of Jesus,

Chatting to a woman as they stand by are well.

 

On the surface it looks everyday and pretty nondescript,

… Except it wasn’t

 

• Jesus, the male Jew = talking to a non related woman (this was a NO NO)

• A foreign woman (double no no)

• With different spiritual beliefs (triple no no)

• And are complicated relationship history

 

-it’s with pointing out that most historians feel she probably wasn’t the scarlet woman that folks have betrayed her as,

… Women didn’t generally get to divorce multiple husbands in that day –

Men did the divorcing,

 

Most scholars feel she was probably barren, …hence the reason for being divorced so many times for failing to produce an heir. 

 

And yet the rejected (for whatever reason) were still shunned-

…still person non grata

 

In speaking to her AND showing kindness,

Jesus was being shockingly controversial,

… Tramping on every taboo

 

On the surface this was a scandal

 

But look a little deeper,

…. and you see a wonderful snapshot,

……. of a loving father reaching out to tend his precious, stricken child.

 

She probably Had little to no social or self respect

 

Jesus was demonstrating her intrinsic value –

… By showing a fathers unconditional love for her.

 

This gospel memory picture helps us to see Jesus more clearly,

= but just as importantly it helps us to see the worth of each individual in today’s world,

 

… No matter how soiled or stained they might seem to themselves or others. 

 

Gospel photo 3

Mark 4:38-40 ‘Jesus Asleep in the boat’

 

Here we see an image of Jesus lying asleep in the boat

 

All around Jesus are wide eyed panicking disciples

 

Perhaps we can look at this picture,

… And find ourselves relating to them;

• As we anxiously lie awake in the early hours, hunting for solutions that elude us

• Fretting during the day, struggling to concentrate on the task in hand

• Feel swamped by some fearful circumstance, perhaps a fearful circumstance that doesn't even exist yet, if ever

 

And yet the Christ who sits in the middle of the panicked disciples,

… Is the same Christ who stands by us as we face our real or imagined storms

 

The same Christ who reminds us of our faith,

… The calm and peaceful stability at the centre of our lives.

 

Gospel photo 4

John 2 ‘the Good Shepherd’

 

Our fourth photo predates even the gospels.

 

John digs it up from an even older album –

… And reminds us that the old image from psalm 23,

…has now become flesh and walks among us

 

This ancient picture of the Shepherd,

… Reminds us that Jesus loves and Leads and provides for his sheep

 

Protects them and calls them by name

 

He gives the eternal life and the security,

… That can only come from the safety of dwelling in god's presence

 

We don’t simply hold the shepherd's hand -

…He holds ours 

…… that’s an important distinction

 

Think about it

 

Here’s A photo to keep by your bedside,

… Ready at hand for life some more difficult days and challenges:

 

Gospel photo 5

John 11:35 ‘Jesus Wept’

 

Grief can seem such a lonely business,

… But this photo reminds us that Jesus is not indifferent to our grief.

 

Just as our stomach tightens and heart melts when somebody we love begins to cry,

… So Jesus responds to us

 

Jesus was standing with the sisters  Mary and Martha,

As they mourned their loved one.

 

As they were choked by that terrible knot of grief.

 

And - ‘Jesus wept’

 

I think this is one of the most eloquent statements in the Bible

 

Jesus Is the same yesterday - today – and tomorrow –

…. he continues to weep with us in our sorrow. 

 

And now we come to our LAST photo -

 

Gospel photo 6

Luke 22:7-20 ‘The Cross’

 

This photo memory is handed to us personally by Jesus,

… And he instructs us to keep it safe,

……. And refer to it regularly.

 

Of all the memories that we might retain,

… One one he specifically requested that we remember was that of his death on the cross

 

He instituted what we know as the Lord’s supper,

… In order that his memory might be perpetrated

 

He Took some elements from the Passover supper he shared with his disciples,

= And gave them new significance.

 

He did this in order that the minds and our hearts,

Of his disciples

 

… Might be reminded again and again,

…… Of the primary purpose for his coming into the world

 

To die for the wayward, lost, hopeless human race

 

You and I 

 

He wanted this memory preserved,

… Because this memory – more than the other,

 

= reveals the scale of the compassionate heart of the father God

 

Evidently we need to be reminded of this over and over –

Or he wouldn’t have specifically made plans for us to remember this again and again

 

“Do this whenever - in remembrance of me”

 

And it’s this picture of Christ’s death on the cross,

… That reveals to us in the most dramatic manner,

 

The immense worth of the individual human soul- ...EVERY individual soul,

……... in the eyes of God

 

We are going to finish our time now by reading the account of the last supper -

 

Let it help us to focus on his death -

Life,

And love. 

 

I pray that it will draw us closer,

... and help us to love him more. 

 

LUKE 22:7-20

 

I’ll read these verses -

And they can lead us to eat and drink together

 

First let’s ask him to prepare our hearts -

 

“ Lord, we come before you, broken, imperfect people. We come not in our own strength, or because we deserve to, but because you invited us to be members of your family.

And we recognise your cool on our lives, and our need for you. Please accept us at your table, prepare our hearts and attitudes, and help us to honour you.

We also give thanks for the bread and the wine, symbols of our world and signs of your healing transforming love and friendship. As we share it please bind us closer together in love and unity – with you, each of us here, and our brothers and sisters around the world. Please renew us into the likeness of Jesus and form us into his body, amen

 

**Read Luke text and eat and drink where Jesus did

 

Closing prayer:

“Through bread and wine we have remembered him,

Now may our hands be the hands of Christ in the world,

May they do no violence,

May these eyes see those who are overlooked,

Maybe is ears listen to those who are unheard,

May these voices be raised for the voiceless,

Lest our song of praise be empty.

May these feet take us where Christ leads,

And may our hearts and minds be open to your spirit, Amen”