SHAPING A SILENCE

It is Advent Sunday today!

The first Sunday in Advent, and my Daily Devotional today entitled "Shaping a Silence" fits well with the theme of preparing ourselves for Jesus.

My daily devotional is called "Encounter with God" and is published by Scripture Union [2]. I think it is kosher (regarding copywrite) to publish the whole thing as it is only one page out of three months (about 130 pages), so it is certainly less than 10%; besides my motive is to promote their materials.

SHAPING A SILENCE

"The apprentice who learns to hear the whisper of God in the silence of prayer will soon learn to hear that same whisper in the clamour of a broken world' [1]

The reading is Psalm 131 taken from the New King James Version (NKJV)

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

(1) LORD, my heart is not haughty,

Nor my eyes lofty. 

Neither do I concern myself with great matters, 

Nor with things too profound for me. 

(2a) Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,

(2b) Like a weaned child with his mother; 

Like a weaned child is my soul within me. 

(3) O Israel, hope in the LORD

From this time forth and forever.

Back to the text from the devotional ...

One of the questiops that runs like a thread through the Bible and hovers just below the surface of the Psalms is that of God's acceptance. Whose prayer does God hear? Whose offering is received? What kind of worship does God accept? This is a profoundly human question.

If God is the all-powerful Maker of the world, how do I reach him? David's answer in Psalm 131 is threefold. Knowing that these words are written by a successful king, surrounded by the pomp and ceremony of political power and religious ritual, the three attitudes he mentions seem counter-intuitive.

The first is humility (verse 1). To know my place. To accept the limitations of my perspective. To know that there are things I don't know. I come to God not on the basis of power and pride, but of humble self-awareness. To enter his presence, I leave my awards and achievements at the door. The second is stillness (verse 2a). There is movement and activity to be stopped, and there are noises to be silenced. Unless I create a space in which to meet God, I will not meet him. This is the meaning of Sabbath - sacred space carved out from our stressful and self-focused activities. 

The third is trust (verse 2b). David, the warrior-politician, chooses the unexpected image of a baby in the arms of its mother. Fed, satisfied, replete, the child leans with total trust into the mother's embrace. Without such trust, how can I come into God's presence? 

In the place of pride, I come humbly. In the hunger of my soul, I trust. Such is the spirituality of the poet-king. Such is his desire for the nation (verse 3), and such is the promise of Jesus: 'Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.' [Matthew 11:28-29 NRKJV]

'In the frenzy of a frantic day, 

I shape a space called silence. 

Only moments long 
but wider than the world, and deeper. 
Meet me here, my God.' 

NOTES
[1] [1] Gerard and Chrissie Kelly, "Intimate With the Ultimate," Authentic, 2009


[2] [1 About Scripture Union

Scripture Union is an international mission movement that was founded over 140 years ago. We work in over 120 countries making God's good news known to children, young people and families and encouraging people of all ages to meet God daily through the Bible and prayer. Our goal: that all may come to a personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, grow in Christian maturity and become both committed church members and servants of a world in need.

They have websites for all over the world; here's  Scripture Union Canada

Gurth Whitaker
Calgary, Alberta

Anglican Church begins to Embrace the Abomination

I wrote about the abomination some weeks ago in Lux et Veritas: Understanding God's WORD:

some generations after receiving the bronze serpent to protect them and heal them, the Israelites were worshipping the bronze serpent, but Hezekiah broke it (2 Kings 18:4). But as my meditations continued I around those passages I was brought to the "abomination" that God gives many stern warnings which tragically were not heeded by God's chosen people. In the previous chapter 2 Kings 17:17) we see that the Israelites were offering up their children as sacrifices to to one of the gods of the region known as "Molech".

And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings. Child sacrifice: the ultimate nadir in degrading idolatry; the people were warned but they wouldn't heed God's continued warnings. The practices of the other peoples that bordered their nation seemed more attractive than worshiping the living God.

And that is where we are today! We sacrifice our children to an idolatrous ideology called "modernism", its named: "right to chose." But it is a construct of the age.

Back then, I then wrote that the "Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) officially condemns abortion," and that was the way it was when I became a Christian 15 years ago. But last week I tried to confirm this before a church meeting, and I was shocked to find that ACoC does not state their position on their website. Several searches using Google revealed references but no statement.

But the references were alarming, very alarming indeed.

Marriage of Homosexuals was the big goal of the liberal-progressives in the Anglican Church of Canada, but there are other targets “opposition to abortion” is firmly in the sights of these “free-thinkers”. This truly is the slippery slope.

First I found an address by Michael Ingham (so called Bishop of New Westminster): Sex and Christianity: Re-thinking the Relationship March 7th, 2007 

"If we ask the question: is the purpose of human sexuality related exclusively to procreation? – and if we answer ‘no’ – then a number of traditional Christian teachings and doctrines come under serious question. If sex is not just for having children, then we must challenge the condemnation by the Church throughout the centuries of such things as masturbation, birth control, abortion, and homosexuality. Because it is on the basis of the doctrine of procreation that these practices have been ruled out. They do not further the goal of pregnancy. The Church has reasoned that they are against the will of God, but if they are not then the Church has no moral ground to insist on their prohibition." 

This is typical of the shallow arguments of Ingham; he is saying that the Church "ruled out" abortion because of what he calls "the doctrine of procreation"

This is a lie. The Church hates abortion because it is a taking of an innocent life; not because it is against a doctrine of procreation. The creation of children is a blessing by God.  

Next reference is of a dubious piece: Human Sexuality Focus Group Facilitator Gathering

Looked at this lie:

"Abortion has not always been frowned upon by the church and church teachings on the subject have varied widely. Not even the Roman Catholic Church has always condemned abortion."

From the very first the early Christians were differentiated from other Romans by their hatred of abortion.

My third reference form the ACoC website is a book review: An Anglican Exploration of Marriage in Church and Society

"That many readers will probably need little convincing at this point is less notable than the fact that the myths cling so fiercely among so many of our fellow Americans." 

The reviewer wants to explode the myths in our society; one being that abortion is a bad thing. Here's the words the reviewer uses about the author (Coontz):

“Coontz already took us a long way down this road with her earlier books, yet in the public arena one continues to hear the same tired and largely pointless wailing over extramarital pregnancies, divorce rates, abortion, and single parenthood, and opposition to innovations such as gay marriage.” 

“the same tired and largely pointless wailing over abortion” 

I don’t call 100,000 deaths in Canada a trivial matter to be pooh-poohed. 

I can hear the stupid tone of these kind of liberals with over-inflated view of their intellects: “Oh these tiresome conservatives with their squeamish sense of morality, who wont keep up with the times.” 

Three examples on the ACoC website of the kind of thinking that does not condemn abortion, but on the contrary they are comfortable with it. 

• Three examples on the ACoC website condoning abortion

• Zero examples of ACoC condemning abortion on their website

• 14 years ago the ACoC website had a clear statement condemning abortion

That is the slippery slope.

ACoC is far worse than I realised; I didn't realise they could sink to such evil.

Gurth Whitaker

Calgary, Alberta

Set nothing before ME that is not MINE!

This last week we had our monthly council meeting at our Anglican Church; we call it a Vestry meeting – the committee of people that forms the council is known as the Vestry in the Anglican Church.

We had some important business to attend to; we were discussing and finalising a letter which is to be issued the congregation on a matter which affects the future of our Church. Naturally there was discussion and different ideas concerning the letter and we worked through those different ideas. We worked late to do it. As one of our members was rewording the letter in the office our Pastor started us in prayer, which developed into a time of silent prayer.

I was lifting each person in turn up to the Lord, thinking about how each person is unique and has a slightly different viewpoint and by discussion we can come to a consensus, and so achieve unity that way.

That was Wednesday and I returned home late. The next night (Thursday) I woke up at 3:00 am and was turning the meeting over in my mind and returned to the theme of my previous prayer and lifting it again to the Lord. Then I got a thought that I should get up out of bed and kneel in prayer before God, and I thought “no not now Lord” and it seemed that a voice said “Yes you must”.

I was wide awake now so I got up to kneel in prayer; continuing my prayers for our Church.

Then I heard inside a voice inside speaking to me; clearly and with emphasis:

“Set nothing before ME that is not MINE!” 

I was surprised because this did not seem to be my thoughts, but rather I thought it must be God talking to me.

I prayed: 

“How can that be Lord; because when we come before you on Sunday we bring our sins with us and we declare them first silently and then corporately though The Confession”. 

God doesn’t create sin so how could this be from God; our sins are not Godly yet we set them before him day-by-day and particularly during our Sunday worship.

What is it that we cannot set before the Lord?

Then I heard very quickly, and once again with emphasis:

“Your sins are MINE because I bore them!” 

And then again – clearly and with emphasis:

“Set nothing before ME that is not MINE!” 

And I thought yes, Jesus bore our sins on the cross [1]. But what then is it that we cannot set before God if even our sins we can bring before Him.

What is it that we cannot set before the Lord?

Then my mind turned to passages in the Old Testament. First God gave the Israelites a bronze serpent though Moses; the people were healed from snake bites [2].

Then some generations after receiving the bronze serpent to protect them and heal them, the Israelites were worshipping the bronze serpent. The king at that time, Hezekiah, was commanded by God to break the bronze serpent. God’s people were showing too much regard for that bronze serpent because it came from God; they were in effect worshipping it, and that is idolatry and breaks the first commandment [3]. 

I knew that idolatry is one thing that we cannot set before God. It seemed that the answer t my questions was in the scriptures.

I had the clear understanding that this was not a word for me only but applied to all His Church, and in particular the little branch of His Church that I attend for worship weekly.

I felt that I had to write it down, but I heard a clear:

"No not now but later!"

One word of caution. When someone tells you that God told them this or that, treat it like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 [5], and search the Word of God to see if it contravenes scripture. If it does contravene scripture, then it is clearly not a word given by God.

If it is in harmony with scripture then there is no harm in paying attention to it, provided you don’t consider the person more highly because of it. God will speak to all sorts of people: remember Jesus appeared to Paul who was persecuting Christians even to death. He called himself the worst of sinners [6].

Was it God speaking to me? Or was it just my imagination that conjured up this message? I am sure it was God but I ask you neither to believe it, nor to disbelieve it, but rather to consider this word with circumspection like the Bereans.

Bible references:

[1] 1 Peter 2:24 

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

[2] Numbers 21:6-9

So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

[3] 2 Kings 18:4

He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan).

[4] Exodus 20:

"You shall have no other gods before me.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

[5] Acts 17:11 

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

[6] 1 Timothy 1:16

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

All texts are taken from the New International Version (NIV) Bible

Gurth Whitaker
Calgary, Alberta

The Bible's Approach to Relationship's and the Body

A great comment by a friend and Christian brother reinforced the great gulf between what the Bible teaches and those beliefs that insist that a women must be hidden, and if she is not then she is a legitimate target for rape. Here's this wonderful comment from a reader on this post: Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book "Nomad" & the burka

In reading your comments Gurth I am reminded that in Ephesians Chapter 5, verse 21 there is a very different model given by the Apostle Paul on how men are to treat their wives. They are called to love their wives as they love their own bodies. Even more importantly, they are called to love their wives as Jesus loves the church. This is something that speaks to the very essence of the incarnational nature of Christianity. The God of the Christian Scriptures loves matter. Although infected by the Fall, all of matter is being redeemed in and through Jesus Christ. The way we treat our bodies, and the way we treat our wife's body is a sign of the redemptive and restorative work of Christ.

There the body is to be treated with respect. I Peter 3 speaks about modest dress but nowhere in the New Testament is there the dictate that women are to hide their bodies.

There is always a respect for the beauty of the body and the call to treat it as the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

Biblical Christianity instructs us to relate to our bodies in this way and for men to love their wives as Jesus loves the Church because Jesus loves us totally; our mind, soul, body and spirit. 

I do not know enough about the burka issue to comment on it directly. What I will says is that Ephesians 5 gives a very different way to relate to women from the one governing the burka practise.

Read Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 5 at Bible Gateway

Gurth Whitaker
Calgary, AB

Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book "Nomad" & the burka

Reading the excerpt from Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book "Nomad", published in the National Post, it reinforces my belief that to NOT ban the burka is a travesty:

The Muslim veil, the different sorts of masks and beaks and burkas, are all gradations of mental slavery. You must ask permission to leave the house, and when you do go out you must always hide yourself behind thick drapery. Ashamed of your body, suppressing your desires -- what small space in your life can you call your own? The veil deliberately marks women as private and restricted property, nonpersons. The veil sets women apart from men and apart from the world; it restrains them, confines them, grooms them for docility. A mind can be cramped just as a body may be, and a Muslim veil blinkers both your vision and your destiny. It is the mark of a kind of apartheid, not the domination of a race but of a sex.

That is a compelling indictment of the burka and the traditions that surround it.

The argument that it breaches the religious freedoms of Canadians is surely misapplied.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, ensures equality and justice for peoples of all races, origins and genders, is based within the framework of the Judeo-Christian tradition from which Canadian culture and laws have been developed.

Religious freedom is not absolute. For example there were many religions which included child-sacrifice in lands surrounding ancient Israel. Obviously, the murder of a child for relgious reasons would not be protected under the Charter. Therefore it is clear there are limits to what the Charter can protect, and what it can not protect.

The Charter is not absolute in that sense; on the contrary it preserves Canadian values of justice - not to protect traditions that are in opposition to our values. The walking coffin that is the burka and the surrounding traditions of the cultures which demand it be worn, are values that are opposite to the very values that the Charter protects. The burka is a custom that is from a tradition that is totally foreign to our values, and therefore to the Charter.

When I read passages from the New Testament which illustrate Jesus' relationship with woman, I see a respect and evidence brotherly-sisterly love which is foreign from this absolute mastery over woman that comes from Islamic traditions.

Read the excerpt from Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book "Nomad: 'Allah brings the rains and Allah makes the sun shine'

Gurth Whitaker

Calgary, AB

A Meditation for All

This week I am posting my meditation before Sunday; after all has been said and done, Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest for the Christian, unless of course you are the pastor. I do not forget all the doctors, nurses, firemen, police, and countless other folks who are obliged to work on a Sunday. The main point is that you actually take a day of rest on one day of the week.

Reading my devotional "Day by Day," I came to this morning's entry by the author, Chuck Swindoll, titled "Commence Prayer."

The message should reach believers and non-believers alike; it seems appropriate for all but the most hardened atheists.

I have to say that the belief of atheists, that there is no God, seems very strange to me; a difficult "belief", and requires a denial of the evidence. How can anyone imagine that this amazing world all happened by a matter of chance would seem to require the suspension of one's critical faculties. I think it is clearly a belief, because the existence of God cannot be proved or disproved, but weighing the evidence it seems very hard to deny that God is real. 

But I digress; my aim in reproducing this is for a message that it would reach all faiths, including agnostics, and perhaps even some atheists, and so I include the whole piece for your consideration.

Gurth Whitaker ><>

+++++++++

COMMENCE PRAYER

~ Malachi 3  ~

It was in 1968, I was on an airplane headed for New York - a routine and normally very boring flight. But this time it proved to be otherwise, As the plane was on its descent pattern, the pilot realized that the landing gear was not engaging. Passengers were told to place their heads between their knees and grab their ankles just before impact.

Then, with the landing only minutes away, the pilot suddenly announced over the intercom:

"We are beginning our final descent. At this moment, in accordance with International Aviation Codes established at Geneva, it is my obligation to inform you that if you believe in God you should commence prayer."

Scouts honour. . , that’s exactly what he said!

I'm happy to report that the belly landing occurred without a hitch. No one was injured and, aside from some rather extensive damage to the plane, the airline hardly remembered the incident.

Amazing. The only thing that brought out into the open a deep down "secret rule" was crisis, Pushed to the brink, back to the wall, right up to the wire, all escape routes closed ...  only then does our society crack open a hint of recognition that God may be there and - "if you believe ... you should commence prayer."

There's nothing like crisis to expose the otherwise hidden truth of the soul. Any soul. We may mask it, ignore it, pass it off with cool sophistication and intellectual denial, but take away the cushion of comfort, remove the shield of safety, interject the threat of death without the presence of people to take the panic out of the moment, and it's fairly certain most in the ranks of humanity "commence prayer."

Remember Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s admission? 

"It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. . . . So bless you, prison,for having been in my life."

Those words provide a perfect illustration of the psalmist’s instruction:

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. . . . It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" (Ps. 119:67, 71 NIV)

After crisis comes, God steps in to comfort and teach.

There's nothing like crisis to expose the hidden truth of the soul

Charles Swindoll

Day by Day

Calgary Men's Cursillo Weekend

I arrived home last night from the Calgary Men's Cursillo Weekend renewed and elated from the proceedings.

It was held at Entheos, about 20 minutes west of Calgary, a quiet and tranquil spot with beautiful grounds.

The Cursillo weekend started on Thursday evening, and on Sunday evening everyone left for home, and they were more than pleased with the weekend - I would say delighted from what I saw.

The Cursillo movement is world-wide, and the branch that I attended is part of the Anglican Cursillo movement, under the Diocese of Calgary, however there were several participants from other denominations who attended.

The Cursillo weekend is open to other denominations, in fact they are always very welcome. It should be said, that all believers in Jesus Christ are brothers and sisters and part of one church, the different branches have different ideas of worship and some different interpretations, but all are brothers and sisters and all members of one true church.

I heard testimonies from some of the men from other denominations, and in every case they said it was a very positive experience; I heard one man say that he was very glad to discover a different form of worship from his own faith tradition, and he was surprised in a positive way.

I attended a weekend during the fall of 2007 as a participant, and a couple of months ago I was invited to attend again as a volunteer in some role to help make the weekend a success for the participants, just as others had done for me two years ago.

After some thought, I responded to that invitation with a glad heart, however I had some questions as to how it would work for me. Now I know, and I am very glad that I answered that invitation - it has been a great experience for me.

What can I say about Cursillo to convey something of what this weekend meant to the participants and to this who are working to make it a success?

The first thing I can say is that it is founded on Christian love, which is at the heart of the Christian Gospel (good news).

Love is at the core of the weekend; Christ's love for the world is continued by His Church in community. Christ was at the centre of a community with His disciples and followers, Christ was the centre of the community of believers in the early church, and He is the centre of the Church today. (Unfortunately I must qualify that statement; He is the centre of the true church, sadly there are many churches who claim to be Christian but they teach something else; they adopt the title "christian" but sadly they are not.)

Here's a snippit from the Calgary Cursillo website (here) on the purpose of the weekend:

The weekend is an opportunity to meet other individuals who are seeking to strengthen their faith.

It provides an opportunity through shared prayer, worship, singing, study, fellowship, discussion, and love to experience the reality of the gift of God’s grace.

What does Cursillo do for those who attend?

It helps to renew and deepen Christian commitment. Cursillo is one of many renewal movements.

Many people have said Cursillo provides an important learning experience which causes many to feel like newly made Christians with a purpose and with support.

This is from the Cursillo Website of the National Episcopal Church in the US (Episcopal in the US is part of the world-wide Anglican Communion) read more here.

A mule deer buck stands guard. Entheos, Alberta, 2009

Cursillo is world-wide there will probably be an organisation available to you wherever you live, so if you would like to know more about Cursillo you can contact the local organisation. If you have a problem to find it please fell free to email me at gurth.whitaker@gmail.com, and I will make sure you get the information and alert the organisation wherever it is.



Gurth Whitaker
Calgary AB