There’s nothing there!

Posted on November 15, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

The problem of sudden success was highlighted a few years ago in a New York Times report on the aftermath of the Boston Red Sox having finally won The World Series Baseball after eighty six years of trying. It said: ‘Bostonians are swirling with elation, but also scratching their heads. What are Red Sox fans to do when the angst of being one of the world’s greatest underdogs is gone?’ Mike Andrews, a former star player, said: ‘Being the underdog was part of our life and now it’s gone; we need to come up with something new.’
It reminds me of that Leunig cartoon of the man who climbed to the top of the ladder of success and looked out only to find nothing but empty space; and he says: ‘There’s nothing there.’ Jesus knew that. ‘You can win the world,’ he said, ‘But it means nothing if you lose your soul.’

Posted in Accomplishments, Achievement, Ambition, Futility, Meaning in life, Meaninglessness, Success | Tagged | Leave a comment

Victoria’s not-so-secret

Posted on November 15, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Queen Victoria once held a reception in honour of an African chieftain. He’d never seen a finger bowl before and when was set before him he picked it up and drank its contents. The cream of British society sat aghast and then began to whisper to one another, until Victoria herself took up her finger bowl and did the same. Immediately, five hundred embarrassed dignitaries followed suite. It was a striking example of true nobility when the world’s most revered person was willing to look foolish so as not to cause embarrassment to an unsophisticated guest.
In this she was following the words of scripture that say: Your attitude should be the kind that was shown by Jesus Christ, who, though he was God…laid aside his glory and humbled himself’ – for us. That’s both greatness and godliness.

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The future doesn’t belong to the conquerors

Posted on November 11, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

A French schoolmaster once wrote a report on of one of his students that said :‘He is the smallest, the meekest, the most unpromising boy in my class.’ Half a century later, that same boy, now a man was voted the greatest living Frenchman. His name was Louis Pasteur, the founder of modern medicine. A national holiday was declared in his honour. He was too old and weak to attend the ceremony, so he sent a message to be read by his son. It said: ‘The future belongs not to the conquerors but to the saviours of the world.’
Many of us have had unpromising starts to life, and we may never become famous like Pasteur, but God’s estimate of the value of our lives will be according to that very same principle. Jesus said: ‘If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, learn to be the servant of all.’

Posted in Greatness, Selflessness, Servant leadership, Service | Leave a comment

Afflictions v Affections

Posted on November 11, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Malcolm Muggeridge, just before his death, said: ‘Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my experience, has been through affliction and not through happiness.’ And Kim Hubbard said: ‘I’ll say this for adversity: people seem to be able to stand it, and that’s more than I can say for prosperity.’
The Bible refers to life’s afflictions as the testing that refines our characters into something nobler, like gold purified by fire. ‘When he has tested me,’ it says, ‘I shall come forth as gold.’ No-one welcomes it at the time. But it’s what makes us.

Posted in Strength, Tested, Trials and testings, Tried, Troubles | Leave a comment

What are we ashamed of?

Posted on November 11, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

As a teenager, Origen, who was later to become one of the great leaders and theologians of the early church, was determined to follow his father’s example and die as a martyr for his faith. His mother pleaded with him not to, but he wouldn’t listen. So, she hid his clothes, which meant he couldn’t leave the house without appearing naked. The interesting thing is that Origen was brave enough to be martyred, but not brave enough to risk ridicule.
A bit like many of us, I suspect. In our minds we declare ourselves to be believers, committed to living faithfully for God, just as long as it doesn’t cause us to be embarrassed. Now I’m not suggesting we should run around naked either, but it does remind us that Jesus said: ‘If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him.’

Posted in Jesus, Ridicule, Shame, Witness | Leave a comment

Glorious bodies

Posted on November 11, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

A little girl, sitting on her grandfather’s lap as he read her a story, from time to time would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek then stroke her own. Finally she said: ‘Grandpa, did God make you?’ ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘God made me a long time ago.’ ‘And did God make me too?’ she asked. ‘Yes,’he said. ‘God made you just a little while ago.’ Feeling their faces again she made the profound observation: ‘He’s getting better at it, isn’t he?’
But, like it or not, one of the inescapable facts of human existence is change and decay. But alongside this stands one of the great promises of the Bible that for those who belong to Christ, one day that will change. ‘He will take these dying bodies of ours,’ the Bible says, ‘and change them into glorious bodies like his own.’

Posted in Body, God, Heaven, Hope of Glory, Salvation, Transformation | Leave a comment

Transferring rights and privileges

Posted on November 5, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Robert Louis Stevenson once gave a rather odd gift to a friend’s daughter, Annie, who had the misfortune to have been born on Christmas, and every Christmas complained that she never got to have her own birthday party. So Robert Louis Stevenson drew up a legal document transferring all the rights and privileges of his birthday, which fell on November thirteenth, to her. From that day on, Annie celebrated her birthday on November thirteen.
Robert Louis Stevenson was not the first to transfer all his ‘rights and privileges’ to someone else. In a sense Jesus became mortal that he might transfer some of his immortality to us. He became human that he might transfer the spark of divinity to us. Saint Athanasius put it this way: ‘He became what we are that we might become what he is.’

Posted in Incarnation, Jesus, New Life, Privilege | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Intrusions of Peace

Posted on November 5, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

A regular feature in many church services is what is called ‘the passing of the peace’ when people are invited to turn to others and say: ‘Peace be with you.’ Friends leave their pews to greet one another and newcomers are warmly welcomed. However, one American congregation reported that its pastor had received a letter from a young lawyer who said: ‘I am writing to complain about the ritual known as ‘passing the peace.’ It is an invasion of my privacy and I am prepared to take legal action to cause this practice to cease.’
The pastor’s response, however, was right on target. He said: ‘Like it or not, the church is, and will continue to be a place where you never know when Jesus Christ will intrude on you with a word of peace.’ And that’s something that will never change.

Posted in Jesus, Passing the Peace, Peace, Privacy, Worship | Tagged | Leave a comment

Unhappier, despite being richer

Posted on November 5, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

In his book, ‘Britain on the Couch: Why we are unhappier Compared with Nineteen Fifty, Despite Being Richer,’ psychologist Oliver James points out that considerably more people today suffer from depression than fifty years ago and that depression is now the rule rather than the exception. In addition to this there has been a huge increase in drug abuse, violent crime, and compulsive behaviour; and yet we are significantly wealthier today than we were then.
The truth is that happiness is a by-product of something else. We don’t find it by becoming obsessed with it and by dwelling on ourselves. We find it when we lose ourselves in something bigger than ourselves.
That’s what Jesus meant when he said, ‘Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully.’

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Don’t people say grace in this place?

Posted on November 5, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Celeste Sibley got an insight into the effect of childlike faith when she took her children to a diner for breakfast. It was crowded and her eight-year-old daughter Mary had to sit alone at the far end of the counter. When her food was served she called to her mother in a loud voice, ‘Mom, don’t people say grace in this place?’ The whole place went quiet and before Mrs. Sibley could think what to say, the counterman said, ‘OK, You say it.’ So little Mary said in a clear voice: ‘God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.’ And everyone in the diner said – AMEN.
There’s something about the simple faith of children that always touches us, despite our best efforts to avoid it. Maybe that’s why Jesus said: ‘Unless you become like little children, you’ll never enter the Kingdom of God.’

Posted in Childlike faith, children, Example, Grace, Prayer | Leave a comment