SCC Deptford

The New New Atheism

I managed to get half way through Richard Dawkin's "The God Delusion" before getting bogged down with complex argument for the evolution of religion itself. I was also weary of his bombasticity and agree with an article in the Wall Street Journal,

"The disproportion between the bluster and bravado of their rhetoric and the limitations of their major arguments is astonishing."

there are many rooms...

This from the Guardian. A Cornwall surfer church.

Fact vs Truth

I'm imminently going to be reunited with a book I lost years ago on the homeward bound plane from Australia. I'd placed it down by the side of the seat as I spread myself around but forgot to check there when deplaning. It was a fascinating text book on bible archaeology by John R. Bartlett called "Bible: Faith and Evidence - A Critical Enquiry into the Nature of Biblical History" that I'd snapped up at the British Museum bookshop and it became a favourite for "dipping" into. It covered the area of textual criticism rather than "dig the dirt" archaeology and I was, for instance, for the first time alerted to the idea that Moses may not have actually authored (i.e actually written down) all of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) but it seemingly was assembled later by editors compiling aural and written records. I was happy that some stewardess or aeroplane cleaner was making use of the book and wanted to replace it but my problem was that I couldn't remember the title! Yesterday morning (while reading Psalm 98) it came to me in a flash as I once again tried to visualise the writing on it's red cover - "faith and evidence". Bingo! Amazon found it straight away and it will arrive shortly.

In an attempt to get myself back into a similar area I recently aquired two books, William G. Dever's "What did the Biblical writers know?" (William B. Eerdmans 2001) and "Scriptures and other Artifacts: Essays on the Bible and Archaeology in Honor of Phillip J. King" ed. Michael D. Coogan, J. Cheryl Exum, and Lawrence E. Stager (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1994). Dever confesses to be a "secular humanist" and very fair-mindedly points out the large acrimonious clash in his world between believers keen to prove Biblical historicity, plain scientists seeking data and others pushing hard to discredit the Bible as anything but fiction. He impressively occupies the middle ground.

My interested had became reactivated at the beginning of the year when Alan and Chris told us of a TV programme over Christmas which, according to them, rubbished the idea that the the Scriptures weren't fiction. This is one thing about the Wednesday night sessions (and Alpha) that I love! It really keeps one on one's toes.

Adam compared fact with truth last Wednesday when I was relating my historical quest. I've since been fascinated with trying to work out what he meant! Now I find the following...

By "fact" (derived from Latin factum, past participle of the verb facere, "to do") we usually mean those discrete, irreducible, empirically observable things or events whose existence cannot be doubted by reasonable persons. That is, facts are theoretically provable and correspond to reality. In practice, however, facts are merely inferences that each person draws, based not only on observations, but also on our own social conditioning and the intent of out investigation. Even in the natural sciences this is true and is increasingly recognized, and in all the social sciences such as archaeology and history, the factor of individual bias is even more operative. Thus, while in theory archaeology does recover objective "facts" from the past - for example, a pot, a stone tool, a figurine, the foundations of a building, perhaps the entire plan of a village, or even a written text - the apprehension of reality of any of these is always dependent on present, subjective human interpretation. Facts do not speak directly. They may in principle have a concrete existence of their own; but they come to life, empowered to speak to me of the past, only as I am able to incorporate them into my consciousness. This process is obviously an extraordinarily complex matter. ("What did the Biblical writers know?" by William G. Dever).

Square Watermelons

David Jeffery-Cooper asked me to post this..........

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will"
(Romans 12: 2, NIV).

Albert Lee writes, "I have read how farmers in Zentsuji, Japan are
producing full-grown watermelons for shipment-only these are no ordinary
melons, they're square!

"They were placed in tempered-glass cubes while they were still growing.
Why would anyone want a square watermelon? They're much easier to store
in a refrigerator.

"It's amusing to think of how a naturally round watermelon can become
square because of the shape of the container in which it's grown. This
reminds me of the forces in the world that exert their influence on us
and attempt to shape us. If we meditate on God's Word daily, it will
shape our thoughts and help us grow to be more like Christ. Then we will
act in a manner that pleases him. Pressures of the world will continue
to try to shape our character, but they will not succeed if God's Word
is changing us from within."1

And if we neglect our spiritual life, get carried away with materialism,
feed our minds on mindless TV, run with the wrong crowd, and forget God
then these things will shape our lives-not only for time but also for
eternity.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, give me the good sense to live with eternal
values in mind and choose wisely in what I allow to shape my life. Thank
you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. By Albert Lee, cited on KneEmail. To subscribe send a blank message
to: kneemail-subscribe@welovegod.org.

emerging church?

We hosted the Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast again this morning. It's held in a different venue each week and when it's our turn I get asked to lead some worship and I always feel privileged to be in such heartily-voiced ecclesiastical company. This morning I learned from their local co-ordinator that every weekend a team of Street Pastors (http://www.streetpastors.org.uk/) goes out between the times of 10pm and 4am to minister in the local area. Among the many blessings the crime rate is brought down dramatically, up to 30%!

Word for 2005

God’s Word for the Shaftesbury Christian Centre January 2005

                                                                                                                           

Philippians 1:6

I believe that God is going to do his work in and through this church until the return of the Lord.

This is how I believe God wants to work in us this year:

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."

1. Blessing us with people.  He wants to increase our numbers.  I am praying that God will send us 5 new young families this year.  We have been given a prophecy that one day our numbers will be so great that people arriving late will not have a seat. 

Blessing us financially.  In the past God blessed this church with people who were very influential and rich.  These people were friends of the church who gave to the church financially and who gave us property whose income was given to the church.  I believe that the LORD again wants to raise up powerful and rich benefactors for the church again.  I believe he wants us again to have all the wealth that we need to do all the things that we would like to do.  We should not be afraid to ask God to make us a wealthy church.

2.       Enlarging our territory.  I feel that we have been robbed of some of our property: the café and dentist and the “

Old

 

Building

”.  I believe that he wants to restore and even add to our property in terms of buildings.

Another way I believe God is going to enlarge our territory is in the area of influence.  I believe that we are going to become well known.  We won’t be the Shaftesbury Christian Centre hidden away in

Frankham St

.  People in the area are going to know exactly who we are and where we are.  They are going to be impressed with what we are doing, what God is doing through us.  We are going to be able to influence for good what is happening in Deptford.  When we say something the people in Deptford are  going to listen.

3.       His hand is going to be with us.  If we are going to be successful in what we do then we need to have the hand of God with us.  God is promising us that His presence is going to be with us.  I am praying that when people walk into our church for whatever reason and even if they are not Christians, they will know that they are in the presence of God.  I pray that they will know that the hand of God has touched them and that he is with them.

4.       Keep us from harm.  It is sometimes thought to be unspiritual to ask God to keep us from pain.  However, the prayer of Jabez shows us that it is a legitimate thing to ask God to do.  This church has experienced much pain.  We have lost people who have come to harm through illness and accidents.  I believe that if we pray for God’s protection he is going to give to us.  I believe that we do not need to feel any more pain.  God wants to do more than heal us from pain.  He wants to protect us from it.

Karen

Gravestones

I once read that on the gravestone of an Atheist were written the words:-

ALL DRESSED UP
AND NOWHERE TO GO

When I read those words I thought how sad for a person to have lived a life not knowing the Blessings of God upon them, and then to have died without any assurance of hope of Heaven.

But then I felt a wave of thankfulness that seemed to come over me, because for the Christian, for me, the opposite is true for we do have somewhere to go when our time in this world comes to an end.

The apostle Peter has said:-

WE LOOK FORWARD TO POSSESSING.

THE RICH BLESSINGS THAT GOD KEEPS

FOR HIS PEOPLE.

HE KEEPS THEM FOR YOU IN HEAVEN

WHERE THEY CANNOT DECAY OR SPOIL

OR FADE AWAY

For the Christian we do have somewhere to go for Jesus said:-

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH

AND THE LIFE, NO ONE GOES

TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.

Then I read that on the gravestone of a Mountaineer were written the words:

HE DIED CLIMBING

And as I read those words they seemed to come as a challenge to me, that I should be so living my life that when I died it would be said of me that HE DIED CLIMBING. For every day as we live out our life seeking to maintain a good Witness and Testimony to our faith in Jesus, are we not moving forward and climbing upward to be closer to our Father God who on day we shall see face to face.

Since our conversion we should have been climbing higher, In our relationship with Him and our service for Him we should be climbing higher.

GWM

The Princess Louise Institute

When I read the Psalms I find great encouragement. The psalmist is never afraid to admit to being sad or downhearted. But he always makes a choice to praise God and to acknowledge the good things God has done in his Life.

When the old building was to be sold I was very sad. I have so many memories in what was called The Princess Louise Institute, (PLI). I attended my first Sunday school class there when I was 4 years old, then moved on into the junior S.S in the main hall. My S.S teachers were husband and wife Alf and Lollie Diggins, I was taught that God loved me and Jesus died for me. When I was 10 we had a children’s campaign where I asked Jesus into my life that night. I found it very hard, I tried very hard to be good, but I tried in my own strength, not understanding what it all meant, so I let it slip. I still went to SS and the Brownies, still heard about Jesus and I loved to be in the company of Christians. I came to love the old building. When I was fifteen Billy Graham came to this country, I heard again that God wanted to be part of my life. I responded to the message gave my life again to Him but this time I was in no doubt what it meant.

We had a great group of young people that used to meet on a Saturday evening. We had a club, Rambles and we did so many things together in the Old PLI. We also wanted to learn and grow as Christians, we visited other churches and meetings and shared our faith, and sometimes took the meetings ourselves. The heads also met for nights of prayer in the Old building. I became a leader in the Girl Coevanters class we had 20 to 25 eleven to twenty year olds and I still have contact with some of them and some of who gave their lives to Jesus. So that’s why it saddened me when the building was sold and more so when we had to empty it. But like the psalmist, I made a choice to remember the good and wonderful memories I have of all that happened in the PLI building, knowing that God still has great things to do now. It’s not the building that is important it’s the people.

Yesterday, today and forever Jesus is the same, all may change but Jesus never changes, Glory to his name.

It no longer saddens me I look to the new things God has in store for us, because he has promised us.

Pat Maslin

Finding Our Territory

One thing I like about reading Christian blogs is coming across posts which resonate with what we're being challenged with at the time I'm reading. For example, this post by Dr Adrian Warnock got me thinking today, especially in light of Dale and Karen's piece from last week. I don't believe for a moment that God is calling for the SCC to close, but I do think the point about purpose is something that should be always in our minds. What's special about the Shaftesbury? What do we offer the community that other churches don't? What's our spiritual territory?

The Prayer of Jabez

George recently spoke on change at a Wednesday night Home group meeting. One of the things we have seen since we arrived here is how much is changing in the church – all the time! Have you taken a look at our program lately? All sorts of new things have been added in the last year. One of the exciting new things we are doing is partnering with the Bear church from the high street, and ‘Sure Start’ to run a parent and toddler group on a Thursday afternoon in our church hall, and Friday morning in their church hall. If you know anyone who might be interested in coming, please feel free to pick up a leaflet from the table at the back after the service.

Another thing that has changed is to do with our buildings. The Café has been sold, and so has the Princess Louise Institute (the ‘Old’ building). Last night at the Prayer Meeting, Karen felt a word from God for us as a church as we face the future, and the changes we have been experiencing, but especially in regard to the situation with the buildings. I’ll let her share it here in her own words:
It feels like with the sale of the Old building that we are in a physical and literal way loosing territory. I was led to the Prayer of Jabez in I Chronicles Chapter 4:10:

“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.”

I feel that we should be praying this prayer for our church. Even if we loose territory in the physical God can increase our territory spiritually and also our influence in the community. At the moment our building is used by the Waldron Centre on Wednesday mornings and also by the Bear Church on a Thursday afternoon and then by the Eden church Sunday afternoon and Thursday evening. I also feel that we also need to pray that we do not become a “pain” to the Shaftesbury Society because we refuse to sign a lease. Jabez name means “Pain”!!

God bless!

Dale and Karen