World Cup Blogs 6. Costa Rica

Until the time of the last World Cup in 2014 (Costa Rica were in England's group) my knowledge of Costa Rica was limited, to say the least.  Somewhere on the mainland of Central America, probably quite small and revolutionary and possibly something to do with rice.

Though it was the time of the last World Cup, it wasn't the World Cup that changed my view of Costa Rica.  It was that, having moved to London with its international population, I was in a church where one of the members was Costa Rican.  I found myself asking about the country because I had met the person.  I found out about the country and it mattered to me because it was part of someone I now knew.

This is exactly how it often works in things spiritual.  Here is someone who has nothing but a minimal, distant knowledge of the Lord Jesus and the things of heaven.  They will happily die with no such knowledge - or so they believe.  Then they meet someone who belongs to Jesus, who is spiritual but who is also their friend.  And things that once meant nothing to them come to mean very much more.

Considering Cards - 10.The Fake Fireside

 

Another beautiful card.  I admit that on first glance I simply thought this was quite a nostalgic scene that someone had taken in their grand living room and that had found its way onto a card.  Then I looked harder.

 

That's always a good thing to do at Christmas I think.  I realise that it seems humbuggish but perhaps looking at the true nature of things helps us appreciate the truly good things.

 

The shaft of light rising up from the Christmas tree is a bit of a giveaway.  That's not a wall of panelling but a screen as can be seen in the mirror.  Speaking of which, whoever in their house rests a mirror on a mantelpiece rather than hang it up?  Speaking of which mantelpiece - the decoration on it blocks sight of the cards!  Real homes add cards later and where they can be seen.   They're not real logs either, are they?  But saddest of all, none of the 'presents' have any names on.  They are not from anyone to anyone.

 

In the end this is a fireside that never has any people.  It is for cameras only.

 

A Christmas without people is no Christmas at all.  You cannot have an Immanuel (God with us) unless there is an 'us'.  The Saviour of the World doesn't want a fireside, he wants a family, and he came to save one for himself from the sad story of the human race.  He is a present from heaven to humanity.

 

May God draw you into his family this Christmas!

Gathering

We used this call to gathering from the Iona Community at Morning Communion.  It touched us.

 Gather us in,

the lost and the lonely,

the broken and breaking,

the tired and the aching

who long for the nourishment

found at your feast

Gather us in

the done and the doubting,

the wishing and wondering,

the puzzled and pondering

who long for the company

found at your feast.

Gather us in

the proud and pretentious,

the sure and superior,

the never inferior,

who long for the levelling

found at your feast.
 

Gather us in

the bright and the bustling,

the stirrers, the shakers,

the kind laughter makers

who long for the deeper joys

found at your feast.

 

Gather us in

from corner or limelight,

from mansion or campsite,

from fears and obsession,

from tears and depression,

from untold excesses,

from treasured successes,

 
Gather us in

to meet, to eat,

be given a seat,

be joined to the vine,

be offered new wine,

become like the least,

be found at the feast. ©

 

Dissembled

Having spent a busy May Day holiday weekend at home and serving my church and a nearby fellowship it's been time to catch up on what I missed.  I missed the Baptist Assembly in Plymouth so the best I could do was to catch up by reading some of the bloggers who had been there.  Some made me a little envious, others (these are Baptists and no two ever agree entirely) a little grateful that I was not there.  Then this - from one College lecturer much admired in the higher Baptist world -

Delegates (and this is very impressionistic) – nearly all rather elderly, middle aged, middle England, conventional, dated, Isle of Wight, Daily Mail/Telegraph. Not that all of those things are in themselves bad but they are certainly not representative of the wider population – overall really rather dull in comparison. On the way down I read Cole Moreton’s "Is God Still An Englishman". Moreton paints a now largely familiar picture of the last fifty years and the changes in English society and in particular how we do God. This certainly feels much more like the old England, and not in a good way.  

Can't get much more middle in England than Wycombe, more middle in age than me (currently - but heading for elderly I guess - ah, but so are you!), dated (at least my daughter thinks so), conventional (Bran Flakes nearly every morning), read the sports pages in the Daily Telegraph and do the crossword, even went to the Isle of Wight on holiday once.

Perhaps I should be glad I didn't go and comprehensively contribute to the gentleman's perceived problem.  But while we have Christian leaders who treat their brothers and sisters in these stereotypical ways we will never have the Church that Jesus came to bring.  After all, his first disciples were all Jewish, male, young adult, mid-Galileans as far as I can tell. 

Or perhaps it isn't only the politicians campaigning in Rochdale that need to learn to value people for what they are rather than dismiss them for what they're not.