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Please keep coming back as we share our thoughts and beliefs.

Mark.

An eminent and well-known English preacher was approached by a congregation member who complained about some aspect of church life. It may have been that he didn’t feel welcomed, or that he was finding it hard to make friends and fit in; it could have been that he was finding the service dissatisfying or the preaching too long; it could have been that the music was not to his taste or that his family was not being catered for to his satisfaction. The details of the complaint have been lost in the telling and re-telling of the story.

The preacher listened to the complaint, paused, and then replied with five words that cut straight to the heart of not only the man’s problem, but the problem with all grumbling and complaining in church. He simply said, “It’s not about you, stupid!” and walked off.

It was a stunningly rude response-the kind that this preacher seemed uniquely capable of getting away with in his very English way. But doesn’t it exactly express what is wrong with grumbling and complaining in church?

It really is the height of idiocy to think that church is about me and my needs and my family and my satisfaction. It completely overturns the teaching of the Bible-that church is about God and Christ and loving other people. In fact, if we wanted to summarize Paul’s rebuke to the dysfunctional Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 11-14, a pretty reasonable slogan would be “It’s not about you, stupid!”

So the next time you’re feeling grumpy about church, and are complaining that this or that aspect leaves you cold, remind yourself of the five-word answer to grumbling. And if you’re really game, when someone starts grumbling to you about how they don’t like the music or how they’re sick of the preacher’s jokes, just give them a slightly incredulous look, shake your head, and say, “It’s not about you, stupid!”

Our passion for each other, God, family and our marriage does drive us to keep telling people as much as we can about the things we think they need to know. A few years ago we staged a Marriage Course for any couple who wanted to join us, to find out how they could improve/enhance their marriage. A whole bunch of people turned up and we had a great time learning to be better husbands/wives. We ran it for a few sessions, then left it for a couple of years, but now we’re staging another series of Marriage Courses in Dumfries, at Kings Coffee and Books.

The great thing about the Marriage Course, which comes from Holy Trinity Brompton (the Alpha stable), is that you can work through the whole course without anyone else, apart from your partner, knowing anything about your issues. So from in-laws to good sex, you can discuss and share your thoughts with your nearest and dearest in complete secrecy! The way we do it is to set the scene, with couples having a nice romantic meal together at separate tables, then watching video clips, together with the other couples. Couples then chat through questions and issues, using a brief notebook, and suitable music in the background to give enough privacy!

We’ve now been through the course several times and every time we find it makes out marriage even better. Join us this autumn, starting on Monday 27th September, 7pm in Kings (12 Queesnberry Street, Dumfries, DG1 1EX.

This week we’re losing our youngest, Beth, to Uni in London, but we’re gaining our oldest, Dan and his wife, Hanna. They’re planning to be here for a couple of months or so.

At the time of life that a lot of people at our stage of life are facing the Empty Nest Syndrome. We’ve been facing the prospect of the same too, although it’s not looking as though that will be happening soon. Facing an empty nest was a great way to see what Helen and I actually share in common and how we’d get on together in the absence of other people around us all the time. I’m glad to say we both like the idea – happy to have lots of others around us a lot of the time, but happy too with our own company.

I think it’s a good idea for couples to think about how it would be for them if there were no kids to give them common ground. if you think that would be hard, maybe it’s a good time to start working on your relationship; invest now for future rewards!

Here’s a good marriage blog: simplemarriage.net

That said, we’re going to try to use this blog a whole lot more to communicate some of the stuff we think you might be interested in hearing about.

Cheers.

Mark and Helen.

There are three accounts in three of the four gospels, where this message from Jesus is recorded. We can assume that when most of the gospel writers cover something, it’s not just important (all of Jesus’ teaching is important), it’s vital. What we are dealing with today is of vital importance, in order for Christians to function as we are called to, and for the Church to be all we are called to be.

See Matthew 9 v 16, Mark 2 v 21-22 and Luke 5 v 36 – 39.

We’re taking Luke’s passage; it says slightly more than the other two.

³⁶He told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. ³⁷And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. ³⁸No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. ³⁹And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ “

The context is that Jesus chooses to associate with ‘Tax Collectors and sinners’. Not only that, but he actually visits the home of Levi (later called Matthew), who has called together all his tax collecting and sinning friends. Levi was probably very frowned upon by the Pharisees because, as his name suggests, he must have been of a priestly family – priest turned tax collector was a real indictment.

Anyway Jesus visits his home then even calls him as one of his disciples. The Pharisees couldn’t get hold of this – everything Jesus could do wrong, he was doing! However they were intrigued by Jesus and were trying to understand him. The problem was that their criteria for measuring spirituality, was not God’s and Jesus didn’t fit! He didn’t tick the boxes of fasting, associations, etiquette etc.

Rather than walking away from this, Jesus walked into the storm, to teach us some essential principles. He began to tell these parables – first one about sewing, then one about winemaking. Both are illustrating the same point. We’re taking the winemaking illustration today.

The Wineskins Jesus referred to would most likely have been whole goatskins. The practice was to remove the skin, cutting off the lower leg parts then sewing everything back together, with only the neck remaining open. The skins were tanned and prepared for the wine. So imagine a goat sized bag, with four leg shaped bulges. The pressed grape juice was then poured in and left to ferment. Through the fermentation process, the skin would inflate, due to the carbon dioxide generated by fermentation. After a while the whole thing would be like a big balloon. It relied upon the flexibility of the goatskin to contain this expansion until the fermentation was complete. It must have been that occasionally one of these things would go bang – spraying partially fermented wine all over the place. No one wanted this to happen, because they’d have lost some good wine and there was a terrible mess to clean up afterward. This scenario would have been relevant and pertinent to the audience.

Job quotes the experience in Job 32 v 18 – 19;

“For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me compels me;
inside I am like bottled-up wine,
like new wineskins ready to burst.”

Jesus pointed out that no one in his right mind would try to recycle one of these skins – the process and the presence of alcohol for a prolonged period stiffened the skin and greatly reduced its pliability.

So what was Jesus saying through this parable?

Wine usually refers to the Spirit of God; His plans, His work; His influence and power; His Salvation.

The Wineskin, being the container for the wine, refers to us; what we do, how we reach out; our culture and activities. In short, we can say that the Church is the wineskin.

We can look back through the last 30 years or so and see how the wineskins in this country have changed considerably – in the late ’70s/early 80s we saw the House Church movement arise, redefining established Church models. The 80s were very much about real and engaging worship, reality in applying our faith to everyday lives and allowing the Holy Spirit to bring things alive. The late 80s, early 90s were about strengthening Churches – restoring apostolic ministry, returning principles of authority to new Church structures. The late 90s and early 2000s were about experiencing God and enjoying Him. Now there is a new move which gets our focus out into society, bringing Jesus into the community in ways that ordinary (unchurched) people can understand. God is encouraging us to be those who care about the world and people around us.

There is new wine flowing – how do we respond? How do we take what God is doing and bring it to the people? New strategies of God require new ways of thinking. Young people generally have a more flexible approach – they are more easily given to be new wineskins. Older people like me(!) do well to take notice of how they think. It’s easy to fall into the mould of trying to keep things as they are, to maintain the status quo, rather than to flex and expand to accommodate the new things God is wanting to do. We’re wise to listen to the younger generation. Some ideas and ways of doing things may not be our cup of tea, but we’re wise to take notice. They often have keys we don’t think of, because they have a more open view of the world.

In Luke 5, v 39:

³⁹And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ “

It is true that aged wine often tastes better than newly bottled wine. Often we want the old things – old songs, old experiences relived, old styles, old well proven techniques. These are good things and still to be savoured, but if we don’t bottle new wine, there will be no wine in the future. The reason vintage wines are so costly is because they are rare – they are consumed and become even more rare. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying Handel’s Messiah on occasions (for instance), but it’s not how we will grow. We need new wineskins for new wine – new methods and ways to bring the gospel to people in the 21^st century. Old evangelism methods are often not relevant these days – we need to serve people, get alongside them and share some life with them. We need to be aware of the importance of image and the way things look. We need to be sure to communicate in ways people can understand and relate to.

It’s a challenge, but well worth asking yourself some serious questions about whether you’ve got ‘stuck in the mud’, or whether you are able to flex and change as God moves in new ways.

While we were there, we got the chance to visit their Church – Hillsong Stockholm. It was totally inspiring – we visited a few months ago and it was good then too, but they’ve grown, matured and moved premises. They now meet in a renowned Stockholm night club – GK, close to the city centre. How cool is that – Church in a night club!

I find it amazing that some Churches manage to find their niche and develop a positive ethos which enables them to go from strength to strength. Hillsong Stockholm is one of those. Some of the key points are that they confidently raise up young people to take responsibility and release people’s creativity. Pastor Andreas has stayed faithful to God’s call through thick and thin – now it’s paying off. Everyone is encouraged to be real with their Christianity – no false ‘spirituality’, but honesty which draws people to the thing which motivates them – relationship with God.

So if you’re ever in Stockholm on a Sunday – look them up – easy to find at hillsong.se.

Here’s a link to a ten minute video of Alex:

⁷ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favours what you do. ⁸ Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. ⁹ Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun- all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labour under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going; there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Live life to the full.

Ephesians 6: 5-8

Serve wholeheartedly – not as slaves who have to and get no reward, but as people who honour and love God in all they do.

So much depends on our attitude to life and its challenges … whether we serve “because we have to” or “as unto God”  makes a big difference!

(Luke 19 – Parable of the talents)

God does not ask us to be perfect in what we do, but to have an excellent spirit about us… doing things the very best we can!

Having the attitude that says… I can make something of my life… I can grow and develop in it!

Pictures of Bananas. One lot look really fresh and good

The other bunch – are not quite so appealing or attractive!

What is inside – may be just as good and delicious… but we are not particularly drawn to the bad bananas! In the same way, how we live and work, how we run church, our attitudes to people, the boss, our lot in life… can be as attractive, or as unattractive as the bananas!

What we do… in any sphere of our lives needs to be done well, needs to be done with the best of our ability. If we want people to treat Church seriously, we need to work to make it look good. Those of us in Church won’t notice much difference

Let our words not be, “I can’t be bothered”, but rather the willing heart that says “I’ll give it my best”

In a negative world – it is very refreshing to find people who will do whatever they do “with all their might”

Consider your life and how your attitude and “work ethos” is in the various areas of your life. Is it a “get by” mentality, “oh it’ll do” mentality or is it a passionate, ” I’ll lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me!” attitude.

Ask God to help you change the way you think about things, that He would be honoured in our lives and we would attract people to Jesus because of our excellent spirit.