December
Take My Yoke Upon You: generosity & service
It was still September as I walked into one of the popular discount stores around Lisburn when I was immersed in row after row of Christmas decorations.
I began my clichéd, inward lament about being swamped by the commercial machinery of Christmas even earlier this year using the phrase ‘what’s the world coming to?’.
As I did, I was challenged by a thought.
The Cambridge Dictionary states that the idiom, ‘what’s the world coming to?’ is something you say that means that life is not as pleasant or safe as it was in the past.
The thought that challenged me in that shop in the last weeks of September was that, after 18 months of turmoil in Ukraine, there were millions who might be asking ‘what’s the world coming to?’.
For them, as the days count down to Christmas, the presence or absence of Christmas decorations on the shelves would not be what first comes to mind as they sincerely ask that question.
Little did I know that only a few weeks later, the conflict in Israel-Palestine was going to erupt in the way that it has, leading to multitudes more perhaps seeking an answer to that question, not as an idiom of speech, but as the cry of their hearts.
In the context of the multitude of appalling personal tragedies that come with the horrors of war and conflict, having some Christmas crackers and tinsel around in September, seems a bit inconsequential. As I write, that conflict is still raging with many plunged into unspeakable pain and uncertainty.
Lots of us might confess to being overwhelmed by the awfulness of what has unfolded over recent months and years. Even though many historians believe it is impossible to identify a single year of human history where there has not been conflict in some part of the planet, we are still (rightly) repulsed when confronted by it. We can also feel a sense of helplessness, and question how we can begin to respond, even in our prayers.
It may seem glib to suggest that, in this season of Advent, we might not focus so much on the question, ‘what’s the world coming to?’ but rather, ‘Who has come to the world?’
And yet if we truly believe that the One who came to be God with us is indeed the King of kings, Lord of lords, and Prince of Peace, it is no empty, futile thing to pray into situations of global disruption and mayhem.
How can we pray? A few suggestions:
In prayer, we remind ourselves that our Lord is the God of the nations. The world has not slipped out of God’s hand.
We pray that evil will not prevail and that those intent on violence will not have the last word.
We pray for the innocent on all sides of all conflicts.
Even if we don’t know what to pray, we still pray. Because the moment we stop praying, we give over to hopelessness, stop living as people of the Kingdom, and become practical atheists. It is better to come with our faltering words in faith, than no words at all.
We live in a world where miracles are needed.
As we reflect again this Advent on the greatest miracle: that our God loved us so completely that he sent his Son to be born, live, die and rise again for us, may we find grace to hold onto hope and keep praying for those in the places where hope is hardest to find.
A prayer for DECEMBER:
Lord Jesus, you have shown us the dignity of service in the Kingdom of God and revealed that in serving others we so often meet with you. We confess that we would rather suffer great cost to do grand things for you, than experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves, which then rest contentedly in hiddenness. Holy Spirit, assist us to find in THIS day OUR opportunities to serve others in acts that uncover the generosity of Jesus’ gentle and humble heart. Amen.
ADVENT RESOURCES
Along with Advent liturgy, 4 short videos have been produced that share stories of generosity from across our Connexion and beyond. Available now to download below if you would like to use them in your worship services.
COURSES & MORE
VIDEO
John Ortberg on Generosity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruqPFf7dVTY
John Ortberg on Serving Others https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsmmUYcwNBU
John Mark Comer on Generosity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GaaMUcEjaY
The Bible Project – Generosity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62CliEkRCso
PODCASTS
John Mark Comer on Generosity:
https://bridgetown.church/teachings-vision-series-2019/becoming-people-of-generosity
Resources to assist financial generosity
Stewardship's Guide to Budgeting: Six Biblical Principles to Help you Budget Well and Live Generously: https://www.stewardship.org.uk/resource/stewardships-guide-budgeting
Courses on Spiritual Practices
Practicing the Way:
A series of free personal and small group resources based around 9 core spiritual practices. These are being released one by one and currently (at Oct 2023) there are resources for 4 practices available: Sabbath; Prayer; Fasting & Solitude. Resources for Scripture are the next to be released (probably in a few months’ time).
All resources can be found here: https://www.practicingtheway.org/
Holy Habits:
Small group resources which have been developed based on Andrew Roberts book ‘Holy Habits’. These focus on 10 core spiritual practices or ‘habits’.
https://www.holyhabits.org.uk/
Inside Out:
A free small group course from Renovare for discovering a deeper, more transformative life with God
BOOKS
Holy Habits – Andrew Roberts (247 pages) (Chap 13) ISBN: 978-1910786154
The Paradox of Generosity – Christian Smith & Hilary Davidson (280 pages) ISBN: 978-0199394906
Economics of Good and Evil – Tomas Sedlacek (376 pages) ISBN: 978-0199322183
The Spirit of the Disciplines – Dallas Willard (276 pages) (Chap 9) ISBN: 978-0060694425