Cruciformity

I’ve been reading through Tom Wright’s Hebrews for Everyone and have been really loving it. He writes so well, succint, pastoral and he includes some great anecdotes. I was reminded today of his reference to a prayer by Francis Drake that he says is still in frequent use in churches today - I’d love to know where it’s been preserved. It came to mind as I strive to publish a blog regularly. But Wright more appropriately relates this to the Christian life and our need to persevere.

O Lord God, when thou givest to thy servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same, until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory; through him who for the finishing of thy work laid down his life for us, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I’ve been reading J B Torrance’s Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace with a few friends from College and I thought I’d share this little gem on prayer. 

The first real step on the road to prayer is to recognize that none of us knows how to pray as we ought to. But as we bring our desires to God, we find that we have someone who is praying for us, with us, and in us. Thereby he teaches us to pray, and to pray in peace to the Lord. Jesus takes our prayers - our feeble, selfish, inarticulate prayers - he cleanses them, makes them his prayers, and in a “wonderful exchange” [...] he makes his prayers our prayers and presents us to the Father as his dear children, crying: “Abba Father.” (p46).

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:3-8, NIV)

It’s almost embarrassing to read how open Paul is as he expresses his feelings to the Philippians in the opening of his letter to them. He really loves them, and it so joyful in the knowledge that they are partners with him in the gospel and share with him in God’s grace.

I’ve just spent some time on holidays back in Canberra and have been struck with how utterly refreshing it’s been to see my precious friends and family. Like Paul and the Philippians, I had great moments of expressing this kind of joy to others and others expressing it to me. Some of the people I haven’t seen or spoken to for a few months, but then others it’s been a number of years. It sounds all a little bit over-sentimental, doesn’t it? Well, bear with me while I describe some of what happened…

I was involved in a group called Boys Brigade in the mid-nineties and, although not large group of people, the men that lead this group are spectacular servants of Christ and are still leading this group! They’re like parents to me and it was wonderful to talk to Mike and Bela about their joy in growing young lads in the knowledge of Christ.

It was great as well, to get back to St Matts and see my many dear friends there. There were some going strongly, and others struggling. But in both cases, it was great to share our experiences and to reflect on our hope in Christ. I had to bear the brunt of way too much coffee, but I absolutely loved these conversations - they really meant a lot to me.

I also went to Focal Point, the mid-year conference for the FOCUS, the Christian group I was involved in at uni. Here, I saw some good friends and and (characteristically, at this conference) looked deeply into God’s word. It was a real joy to rejoice with others in the gift of God’s Spirit living in us.

Also, although we hang out almost every day at College, Dan and I hit the town in Canberra and shared a memorable night together. I also spent time in Melbourne with Steve, a mate from St Matt’s. The weather was dismal, but it meant that we spent a lot of reflecting on questions of faith, and encouraging each other in various aspects of life.

I’m disappointed because there were others that I didn’t have time to see and spend time with. Two weeks rest isn’t enough, I want more!!

Is it right for me to feel this way and to express this? I think so. Like Paul, I have these people in my heart. As Paul says, this feeling is only right as it is the same as that of Christ Jesus. These people have raised me and loved me, they have nurtured me in ministry and born the fruit of my service among them. In the times when I pressed, I know their love and support of me; their partnership in the gospel. One day we’ll be brought to be in his rest together with all of those in Christ. I look forward to seeing my precious friends and family all together with our Lord Jesus!

Praise the Lord. I’ve been sick for a while and not been able to work out the problem. The symptoms have been sinus congestion which can usually be accounted for by the common cold, but I’ve been stumped as I have these issues for an uncommon length of time. Over the last week or so I’ve been rendered next to useless, missing out on premium study time. I’ve been frustrated and have prayed that God would bring me good health. Yesterday, I took action and had a CT scan, and this morning the doctor pointed his long index finger at what seems to be the cause.

Polyp… you don’t hear that word every day and, in fact, I only heard that word for the first time this week and I have big one in my right sinus cavity. They used to cut these out but thankfully these days they suggest using a steroid based nasal spray - much cheaper and less painful. God willing, I’ll say goodbye to the Polyp in the next few weeks and the symptoms will slide in the next couple of days.

Praise God that we’ve found the cause of a sickness that has brought me down a lot recently.

Please do pray for me as I prepare to preach on Sunday (two days!) and hand a Church History assignment in on Monday.

Since I’m still such a young punk in Christian Ministry and Theology (and, to be honest, many other things), I’ve been reflecting on what it is that I’m embarking on. Here are four reflections on Theological Work, based on Barth’s final section of Evangelical Theology.

What characterises theological work? Firstly, Prayer.

“…theological work does not merely begin with prayer and is not merely accompanied by it; in its totality it is peculiar and characteristic of theology that it can be performed only in the act of prayer. In view of the danger to which theology is exposed and to the hope that is enclosed within its work, it is natural that without prayer there can be no theological work.”

Unlike all other areas of work or study where a person seeks to organise, to rationalise, to dominate their field, the student of theology is instead thoroughly dominated by his or her subject. God is not worked upon, organised, subdued or manipulated; he is not studied like a rat in a cage, poked and prodded. He illuminates us. Remembering where they stand before their subject, theologians turn to prayer for productivity and answers and outcomes.

Also, God is not an ‘it’ but a ‘he’. He hears our requests and addresses them through his word. He is the acting and speaking subject through whom everything depends. So the work or study of theology is not so much about God but towards Him. He is my Father in heaven that I address, not in the third person, but the second person, as ‘you‘.

There is no foundation for theologian to take for granted, there is no automation, and there are no shortcuts. Rather, God’s goodness is new every morning. “Every morning it is a fully undeserved goodness which must give rise to new gratitude and renewed desire for it.” Theological work can only exist actively and vigorously as an action of submission and disarmament - prayer.

Finally, the only time that theological work is ever successful is when God grants it success - it is a gift of grace worked out by the Spirit. This seems out of control, and somewhat precarious, but not when we know with certainty that God desires to hear our prayers. Let’s come before him in prayer.