iGod

Daily Examen - The Lent Experience

As part of our church's approach to Easter, we are doing The Lent Experience, which is a set of weekly challenges, based on the classic spiritual disciplines of the Church.

But we are also encouraging each other to develop a daily prayer life by using a version of the Daily Examen, a style of prayer that has been used for many centuries across many cultures.

This is a simple aid to help end each day well - and really doesn't take that long to do. It will help you unwind after a busy day and help you to go to sleep relaxed and feeling grateful to God. It will provide you with a precious time of intimacy with the Father.

Why not give it a go tonight? There are just five simple steps to it, which I have given all the same letter to help you remember it. (Forgive me if you hate alliterations!) Maybe let me know how you got on. Would love to hear!  

 

DAILY EXAMEN

 

RECEIVE

Become aware of God's presence.

 

REJOICE

Think through your day with gratitude.

 

RECALL

Reflect through it emotionally.

 

REPENT

Ask God for his forgiveness as things come to mind.

 

REST

You are in the presence of Jesus. Enjoy Him.

 

 

God bless,

ASD

 

 

 

The Lent Experience

 

If you're part of Stour Valley Vineyard Church, I'd like to invite you to join me on a 40-day spiritual journey with The Lent Experience.

If you have stumbled on this page from another church, feel free to join us. This is a free course. Unfortunately, though, we are unable to send you any physical resources.
 
Lent is traditionally the time of year before Easter that Christians use to go deeper with personal reflection and prayer, but it is also a time of action.
 
Maybe you grew up observing Lent. Maybe you´ve heard of it, but have no idea what to do with it apart from to give up chocolate! Maybe you're still trying to figure out who Jesus is. Wherever you are at, relax, The Lent Experience is designed for people just like you.
 
It aims to help you grasp something more of what Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection means for you personally, to help you celebrate Easter Sunday even more! Meanwhile, I am grateful to Cincinnati Vineyard, Ohio for devising  the original concept and making it available to us. Thank you, we love you. 
 
So what do I want you to do?

Simply sign up today and pick up The Lent Experience pack at Stour Valley Vineyard church on Sunday 11th February. We will then send you a welcome email on Ash Wednesday, at the start of Lent, and every Sunday leading up to Easter with a Lent Challenge each week. Hope you are feeling the love!
 
What is The Lent Experience?
It’s a series of weekly challenges to help you develop spiritual disciplines for your life to grow your faith and deepen your love for Jesus and his world. The course was originally developed by Vineyard Cincinnati Church (USA) and has subsequently been used by a number of churches.
 
What’s a Challenge?
The weekly challenges are based on things that have been a part of Lent for hundreds of years. Each challenge is different. You get the entire week to complete it before you get your next challenge the following Sunday.
 
What If I Struggle?
Grace towards you! Just give it your best shot and remember that you are not without resources. Jesus is for you. You can also get encouragement from others through your HOME group. And if you are not in a group, maybe now is a good time to join one!
 
Is There a Cost?
The only cost is to yourself and whether you are willing to give it a go. This is between you and God.

I'll be blogging here at iGod throughout Lent, so hope you can join me.

ASD

 

The Christ in Christmas

A Christmas message of hope in a year of seismic change 

Article written for Suffolk Free Press Article, 16 December 2016

Nicholas Crean, chairman of posh confectionary Prestat Finest Chocolates was asked by a US retail chain if his company would consider changing their Advent Calendar with a ‘Christmas countdown’ calendar covering just the last ten days. They thought it would be less confusing for people. Mr Crean reminded them that babies were born, not launched, not least the most famous One.

We’re a nation that gets Christmas, but then kind of doesn’t. Most probably have at least a vague idea that it has to do with a baby called Jesus, but the rest of the detail can be a little scant. Nevertheless, most people love to celebrate Christmas.

However, this Christmas feels a little different as it comes at the end of a year of huge social and political upset across the UK, Europe and America. Understandably, there’s some nervousness about what next year might bring­–with no one really knowing what to expect. So, let me offer a bit of seasonal hope.

And it comes with the birth of a baby 2,000 years ago whose arrival remains as profoundly relevant today as it did then. The founder of Christmas was born in a time of national crisis and much soul-searching. A country’s socio-political system was thrown into chaos by Roman occupation. However, Jesus’ coming provides hope for the shattered peace of ordinary people. He grows up into a young man to connect the best of a people’s past with their present predicament and points it all to a better future - through himself - a time we now call Easter.

It’s such a strong, life-affirming message that it may just be why so much of European Christmas tradition still retains its Christian heritage in some form or other, even down to the colours: red, green and gold. Not to mention the giving of presents, trees, lights, Christmas puddings, mince pies, Boxing Day and, of course, the ever-present Poinsettia.

In fact, the first five letters of Christmas remain a constant source of hope in every age ever since those unsettling days in Palestine. Whether we are a Remainer or Brexiteer, a Democrat or Republican, Christ stays central to our reason for the season.

The inspired sacrificial love Jesus talked about all in his life, which continued through his disciples is not a bad pointer for starting to heal a divided nation, not least after a referendum or election. Admittedly, it’s not scientific or rational, but it does have a long history of working for good and bettering society. This kind of love is accepting, generous, forgiving, selfless, unifying. And I could go on.

Maybe God was onto something when ‘love came down’ at that first Christmas. Maybe he knew what wars, conflicts and political dramas lay in wait for humanity. Maybe it’s part of an over-arching plan to help with the complex challenges and moral decisions that face our nations and world leaders today and give a greater hope.

Whatever you believe, one thing is for sure, there’s more Christ in your Christmas than you probably think.

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Andrew Stewart-Darling is Senior Pastor of Stour Valley Vineyard Church and founder of Storehouse Foodbank (Sudbury, Suffolk) Glow - Carols by Glowstick - a community carol service takes place on Christmas Eve, 6.30pm at the Delphi Centre. 

If you’d like to help local families in crisis this Christmas, visit the Storehouse Foodbank Gift Shop.

Want to talk life? How long have you got?

My family think I have a problem with people passing away. Every time I report that someone notable has died, they conspire to get me to donate £1 to the holiday fund pot. And I can tell you it has been an expensive year, with the likes of Terry Wogan, David Bowie, Prince, Victoria Wood, Ronnie Corbett, Alan Rickman and Paul Daniels leaving us. If any more big names go, I shall be flat broke by the summer.

The suggestion is made by my nearest and dearest that, somehow, I am being unnecessarily morbid. So when I went onto the internet the other day to search for a replacement for my faithful old alarm clock, which unexpectedly gave up the ghost (another quid), I was shocked to come across the digital world’s equivalent of the grim reaper – the ‘28’ clock.

This is a clock that counts down, on average, how many days you have left to live. I kid you not!

The company’s mission statement says, "Your life consists, on average, 28,000 days. No more, no less. If you are 25, you have 19,000 days left to realise your dreams. If you are 45, it leaves you with 12,000 days to do all the things you want to experience in life. Each new day is a chance to continue your amazing journey, and each new day is a chance to change. To start fresh.”

It continues: "You'll be dead soon, but this clock is here to remind you to make the most of each day. For the truth is, you can do and be anything you want. One day at a time."

I don’t know how that is supposed to stop someone from enjoying another duvet day, but it made me think: what motivation do I need to make all of life count?

I used to know an elderly person who would continually say, “If I had my time again, I would [enter a number of different scenarios].” He was really quite a depressing human being to be around. But then I thought what would he make of the terminally-minded ’28’ bedside/travel clock. And what if it came with a reset button to roll back the years? Who wouldn’t be tempted?

Last week a widow told me how the loss of her husband of over 60 years left her feeling guilty of new experiences. She asked me why she had to still be alive when her husband wasn’t?

It made me reflect on the book of Ecclesiastes (the Bible) where the author says, “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.”

As someone of faith, I see life as having meaning beyond a random collision of atoms and molecules. Life is spirt-filled. It’s meant to have as much mystery as God himself. And this life, 28,000 days or whatever, is best lived with gratitude, not attitude - regardless of age, background or circumstances. But, as the Bible shows, fullness of life is best enjoyed through a relationship with Jesus, to which there is no end date.

So we can choose to believe each day has purpose because God is faithful. So be free. Be amazing. Be great. Be courageous! Be forgiving. Be kind. Dance. Play. Laugh. Dream. And don’t let life’s limitations limit your imagination. Why not start today with a prayer and see where it takes you?

ASD

Friend or Foe?

The Irish poet WB Yeats once said, “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet.”

We might have come along way from the appalling signs of guest-houses that once read, “No Irish, no blacks, no dogs” but the question of immigration still remains a lively topic and continues to potentially derail any carefully planned dinner party. So how keen are we to welcome strangers to our shore? It’s a debate that will only heat up more as the country prepares for a referendum over Europe.

With the large exodus of displaced people fleeing from Islamic extremism only expected to grow, if not double in size, it feels like we are a nation struggling to come to terms with our conscience as much as our identity.

I heard one well-known Church of England clergyman suggest that the most Christian thing to do is to let every single immigrant in. I have heard another say we must preserve our Christian/British heritage and keep them out.

Then I hear of Iranian Muslims pretending to be Christian converts because they hear that is how to get asylum in the UK. That might a have a few of us up in arms, but then I wonder if it is any different to families pretending to be church-goers to get their children into local Church schools.

Jesus tells the lawyers around him that if they want to inherit ‘eternal life’ they are going to have to love God with everything and, just as importantly, love their neighbours as themselves. That includes loving strangers. Jesus then goes on to tell ‘the Parable of the Good Samaritan’. First century Jews treated the Samaritans with suspicion, not least because they did not share the same religious and cultural values as themselves. Yet, it was the kindness of the Samaritan, which left Jesus’ listeners most challenged. Their own countryman, who is left for dead, is found and cared for by the stranger, using his own money to make the man well.

Recently I heard how the Church in Kenya paid tribute to a Muslim man, Salah Sabdow Farah, who died helping save the lives of Christians. Mr Farah was on a bus in Mandera, north-eastern Kenya, when Islamist militants belonging to al-Shabaab stopped the vehicle and demanded that the Christians be separated from the Muslims.

Mr Farah, a teacher and father of five, was shot as he stood alongside other Muslims who had refused to be separated from the Christians. Two died in the immediate attack and Mr Farah was wounded, but he died later during emergency surgery.

The stories of ‘The Good Samaritan’ and ‘The Good Muslim’ challenge me to the core to see all strangers as ‘friends I haven’t met yet’.

We have a saying at our church: “Come as you are!” In other words, be yourself and we’ll do our best not to judge you. We are not saying don’t change, but the first step of friendship surely is accepting each other, even when our differences make us feel uncomfortable.

ASD

Let it glow! let it glow! Let it glow!

I hope that you have extra large, fully absorbent hankies– because the John Lewis Christmas advertisement is now showing on a small screen near you.

The store’s seasonal ad is fast becoming an institution and it tells us that it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas on our high street. Anyway, if you’re ready for a breathless, raspy cover of an old Oasis hit and something cute involving children, here it is:

From what I can gather, it’s about a little girl who spies on an alien disguised as an old man living on the moon, using an implausibly powerful telescope that her parents bought her from John Lewis. The girl tries to reach out to him, eventually succeeding with magic, self-targeting delivery balloons (presumably also from John Lewis, unless that’s Amazon using drones in outerspace that bring the alien/old man a telescope of his own). Cue tears and shopping sprees.

It is commendable that the campaign aims to raise money for Age UK, as loneliness among elderly people is a terrible thing for sure. But I am left wondering whether a psychological association with the season of goodwill actually delivers a Christmas with any kind of real meaning.

Ads and TV programmes that feature celebrity chefs may want our noses pressed firmly against the screen to get us to ooh and believe that we can have an impossibly perfect time, but I, for one, am getting just a little bit tired of it.

Recently I heard how St Mary’s Church in central London got its Christmas tree up super early. A children’s choir were heard singing in perfect harmony while a pile of presents were strategically placed under its branches. However, this was no school carol service, but the Toy Industry’s trade launch of this season’s twelve must-have presents.

The UK's toy market is now worth over £3bn with an average of £300 spent annually on toys for each child up to the age of 11, and globally in 2015 sales are expected to reach £58bn - so a lot is at stake.

But what if Christmas does not come in a van, as thought by poor Margo in The Good Life? What if it wasn’t left to a retailer’s ‘sadvertising’ or a celebrity chef’s recipes to give our day shape and meaning?

What if, instead, it arrived in the ordinary and the imperfect family experience? What if it included all those flaws and rough edges that we are meant to hide away?

The Bible gives the real reason for the season and provides us with the story of how God sends his only son, Jesus into the world to give us hope through his own life and death.

Born to poor parents in a smelly, unsanitary animal stable, Jesus’ arrival reminds us that the perfect Christmas has nothing to do with what we have, but actually in what we don’t have. The angels say to the terrified shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (The Bible)

Joy is different to happiness. It’s not about a state of mind, but a deep contentment, whether life is good, bad or indifferent. It is what makes the joy that Jesus offers us so powerful and why he is often referred to as 'a light in the darkness'.

This Christmas Eve you are warmly invited to come with your family to GLOW at the Delphi Centre, Sudbury. It’s a one-hour service of singing carols by glowsticks and hearing the Christmas story through readings, drama and media. It’s a lot of fun. The service starts at 6.30pm, but why not arrive early from 6pm to enjoy some mulled wine and seasonal treats? And, relax, you don’t have to be religious. Just come as you are.

 

ASD

 

 

The strange case of faith in the workplace

These are strange days for spiritual belief.

Once upon a time the line was clearly drawn between those who believed in God or not. It was all rather simple. However the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is concerned religion is becoming trivialised in our UK culture, and everything is getting a bit blurry out there – not least in the workplace.

It appears that tribunal lawyers are managing to win cases for aggrieved clients who claim they are victims of religious discrimination. Now, we are not talking about a BA staff member or NHS nurse wearing a cross at work, but, well, someone who believes in the BBC. Yes, you heard that right.

Now, I have to be honest, I have never considered the BBC as a religion, but Devan Maistry, 63, a former employee, insisted that he genuinely believed in the corporation's higher purpose and it had made clear that these were "the values to believe in".

While the Christian Church may have 2,000 years of historical, philosophical and theological reflection behind it, lawyers have successfully put the BBC on the same par, by using just a few paragraphs on the website to make a case. They include its mission to "inform, educate and entertain." Its values include the slogan: "We are the BBC: great things happen when we work together."

And lawyers have not stopped there in their use of the religious discrimination law, claiming protection for other minority groups such as opponents of foxhunting. Though not hunt supporters, I hasten to add.

Whether you have faith or not, I am sure that you will concede that there is a lot of silliness out there. The line to be drawn seems to be almost non-existent when it comes to common sense. The truth is the BBC will never answer the big questions of life. It cannot save you, heal or restore you - however much you may come to adore The Great British Bake Off and Strictly Come Dancing - or even Songs of Praise. 

Turn on the TV News and you'll see the many hundreds of thousands of people across the Middle East who are experiencing the cost of real religious discrimination. It is hard not to be moved when we hear of the horror stories of ISIS and how they go from village to village, asking who is Christian and who is Muslim before then beheading or shooting them, depending on their answer.

We have also seen the biggest exodus of refugees since the Second World War and witnessed the bravery of thousands of hungry, ill-equipped families walking the many miles in search of a better life across Eastern Europe. This is the kind of religious discrimination that should take up our time. Real lived out faith costs more than a job. We see this in Jesus who was no stranger to discrimination himself. In fact, it eventually led to his death on a Roman cross in Jerusalem. 

Meanwhile, I will continue to live by the words found in my Bible: "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

 

ASD

A harvest for the world

When the Isley Brothers sang in 1976 ‘Harvest for the World’ it hit a nerve with many people. I am sure you know the words:

“All babies together, everyone a seed/Half of us are satisfied, half of us in need/Love's bountiful in us, tarnished by our greed/When will there be a harvest for the world?”

With its catchy soul funk melody, it has become one of those great social justice songs, which tunefully rants against the dark side of our humanity. Like it or not, the lyrics point to our inherent selfish, greedy nature; something the singer says stops our world from being a peaceful place to live in.

The dualistic battle of right and wrong/good and bad is a philosophical reality that every age and culture has had to deal with. You only need to read ancient Greek literature and the Bible to see that.

The best-known literary example of the inner conflict is probably Robert Louis Stevenson’s, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. At one point our tortured soul admits to himself, “If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also.” There’s one for psychiatrists everywhere to get their heads around.

Now I feel in some way I can echo those words, as I have lost count how many wrong choices I have made in my life. One minute I do the right thing and the next minute I go and do something dumb, and suffer because of it.

Writing in his Christian culture, the Scottish author of this Victorian gothic classic said, “We have all got both light and dark in us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”

Being in harmony with our world is going to take effort. I believe it means exercising all our intellectual, emotional and spiritual muscles to help us in our moral battle to do the right thing.

Jesus Christ, the founder of the world’s largest faith, and the guy I follow, said that he came into the world as complete, unadulterated light to expose darkness of men’s lives. The Bible remarks how there was not a single drop of selfishness, greed or any other form of human weakness to be found his entire being. That is quite something.

Today millions of people have found hope and direction for their lives by believing in his words. Like me, they recognise the potential to be total screw-ups when left to our own devices.

So how can we feel good about ourselves and our choices today? I’d like to offer a thought.

This is the season called Harvest. Traditionally, it’s a time when we celebrate the fruit of our labour. And as a country with a strong Christian heritage we tend to meet together to give thanks to God for nature’s provisions.

Nowadays, Harvest is becoming more of a time when churches, schools, and other voluntary organisations choose to celebrate it a bit differently, by giving food donations to foodbanks, such as our local one, Storehouse.

Storehouse has 37 Donation Collection Points in and around Sudbury who will gladly receive your donations. 

You are welcome to donate at any of our Collection Points. We are particularly in need of tinned meals such as stew, curry, spaghetti bolognaise and ravioli, along with other items such as rice, tea/coffee, cereals and essential toiletries. All of the donations will be lovingly put together by our team of volunteers to give to local families and individuals in crisis.

Giving a food donation is a great way to celebrate Harvest and is something, I can say with confidence, which will bring more than a little bit of light into someone’s darkness. There is much need in our area, so a tin or two will make a big difference to restore hope and confidence.

If you would like to know more, you can drop us a line or ring the team on: 07973 710905. If you are a local organisation, school or business and would like to get involved, we’d love to come and meet you.

On a very personal note, I am immensely proud to be a part of our community. The recent tragic fire in Sudbury has shown all that is good in our town. It’s been truly humbling to see so much generosity and goodwill around. In many ways, it is a harvest of all that is good in our community.

St Paul the apostle knew a thing or two about these things when he said, “let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.”

I, for one, am with him. Happy Harvest!

Need to recharge your batteries?

Are you ‘power mad’? Does the lack of power make you anxious? Do you sometimes feel jealous of other’s power?

I am, of course, talking about the problem of your mobile phone having a low battery.

You know how it goes. You leave home and realise that you have forgotten to charge your device overnight. You panic. You start thinking how much time do you have left. You become more anxious and go into energy-saving mode.  You search frantically around cafés and public places looking for an electric socket. It is a modern trauma we all now face, and the price we pay for wanting 24/7 communication.

Each of our days begin believing that we will have the maximum access to our friends and family. We have the certainty that we will be able to play Candy Crush in the queue as we wait for our coffee. It’s a controlling thing and I am not sure I always feel comfortable with it.

I have wondered in my times of despair if anything good can come out of a low battery crisis, but then I read how our power dependency actually led to something good happening.

In 2012 the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in New York caused widespread outages across the city.  Panicked New Yorkers took to the streets to find a way to contact their loved ones. Some people did what they hadn’t done for a long time – use a public call box. Others gathered around sockets in public spots as if they were campfires. There were even stories of people hailing cabs just to use a charging socket.

In the midst of the chaos I heard of one heartwarming twist on human generosity. It is how those with power became ‘digital Good Samaritans’. They ran extension leads out of their homes and even providing cables to charge up strangers’ mobile phones.

Just think, free electricity! When people are desperate enough, they will always seek out those with power.

As we enter the summer holidays, many of us are undoubtedly looking forward to recharging our batteries. We might be doing that by seeking the sun on a Greek Island or just simply taking time off work to be with the family and enjoying some day trips together. But the big thing for me is: how do we recharge throughout the year, not just in the month of August? Where do we look for that kind of power?

The Bible talks about how God created humanity to rest on the seventh day of the week, to enjoy time out from the fields and celebrate the fruit of our labour.

In particular, the book of Exodus encourages us to see the fourth commandment as a sacred space to put down whatever we are doing and rest our ox and donkey, so that all may be refreshed around us too.

Although I suspect not many of us will have an ox or a donkey, the point is made that everyone benefits from rest.

For those who have faith in God we see rest as empowerment.  And the rest we receive comes in the shape of a loving Father in Heaven who wants to empower us through his son, Jesus, to live life to the full.

Paul the apostle writes in the Bible, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.“

We don’t need to stay anxious about never having enough power. And the rewards are rich. We are offered “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” And something that “will guard hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Whatever you are doing this summer, rest well and go in peace.

 

ASD

Why bother to pray?

Recently our Vineyard Church held a 24-7 Week of Prayer. It is the third time we have done it and there is always an incredible buzz about the place. Often, unprompted, a number of us sense the atmosphere change around us. It’s hard to define and not easily put into words but, nevertheless, we believe it is there.

However, my first encounters with prayer were not that great. I remember being in the primary school playground when an earnest boy came up to me and said, “Shall we pray?” I was a bit taken back, but not wanting to disappoint him, I said, “Um, okay!”

He began, “Hands together, eyes closed…” Then shouted, “And don’t forget to blow your nose!” He then ran away laughing his head off, while I was left feeling more than a little silly.

I suspect for some the whole concept of prayer may seem a little silly. After all, it’s not as if you can physically see what you are putting your trust in, unlike a plane (even though we are still baffled how it defies gravity). Yet, millions of people around the world pray.

A survey carried out by the Church of England a little while ago found that six out of seven people pray for something at some time in their lives. That’s a high number! But does prayer work?

A report published by American cardiologists showed that patients who received prayer tended to recover quicker than those who didn’t. We also have people in our church who would say they are miraculously healed from conditions. In the case of one person, a consultant was about to carry out an irreversible operation when the x-ray showed the 26-year-old condition had completely gone. The person had received prayer two days earlier. (Although, I hasten to add, there are also those who haven’t seen change.)

William Temple, a past archbishop of Canterbury said, “When I pray coincidences happen. And when I don’t, they don’t”. This has been my experience too.

We live in an increasingly secularised culture that frowns on the place of divine intervention, not least when important decisions need to be made. I guess it doesn’t feel very ‘sophisticated’ in our Western culture. We feel pressurised into accepting a rational, soul-less life - free from all religious spirituality and philosophy. But I wonder why we don’t seem any more content or happier for this freedom from belief.

For instance, mental illness problems among adults and teenagers have never been higher and, in turn, costs the economy £77 billion a year in England alone. We also seem increasingly fragmented as a nation and yet, somehow, we remain proud of our individualism. It is, perhaps, no wonder that the something in that human spirit still longs for a greater voice of reason to speak into its emotional and physical condition.

Prayer is not primarily for the religious. It’s the language of a special relationship between us and another, between heaven and earth, creator and creation. The desire to pray is what makes us human. It reveals the state of our soul and helps us be aware that we are, actually, more Clark Kent than Superman.

The author CS Lewis wrote: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God, it changes me.”

I believe in the power of prayer as much as I believe in Jesus. It has changed me for sure. What’s more, we would love the opportunity to pray for you at Stour Valley Vineyard, whatever is going in your life - even if you do not have one single ounce of faith. God’s love is not conditional, regardless if we are church-goers or not.

ASD