A richer life than this?

It’s Easter. 

And for most of us this means chocolate, hot cross buns, Easter bonnets, time off work and the chance to get together with family and friends.  All really great stuff.

But this year let’s also remember a very special person.  A man who made a huge sacrifice for others, who cared about the poor and marginalised, who hoped to inspire a better world.

Well, of course, you may think I’m talking about Jesus – who did all of these things and more.  But I’m actually talking about John Cadbury the founder of the eponymous global brand and whose name will be on the many millions of chocolate eggs we eat this year.

John Cadbury was a Quaker.  He was a Christian and he was deeply concerned about poverty and social injustice in England in the 19^th century.  He had a business selling tea and coffee and he decided to make a new product - drinking chocolate - in the hope that this would be popular and an alternative to drinking alcohol.  Which Cadbury saw as being at the root of much suffering.

And so, this was the start of Cadbury’s chocolate.  And led to Dairy Milk, Crunchie, Flake, Curlywurly and all our other favourites – not least, the Creme egg!

John Cadbury and his sons were exceptional employers for their times – building the Bourneville estate for their workers where they had schools, medical care, gardens and sports facilities (but no pubs!)  They paid good wages including pensions, maintained safe and humane working conditions and provided paid holidays.

In the light of all this, I can’t help wondering what John Cadbury would think if he were alive today – seeing how sugar consumption has rocketed in the last 150 years.  How, according to a recent survey, children in the UK receive, on average, eight chocolate Easter eggs each year.  And how alcohol consumption per capita - despite dips during the two twentieth century world wars – has stayed much the same as ever.

As we gather with friends and family this Easter, let’s remember John Cadbury – the man behind the egg – and his vision for a better, fairer world.

And where that vision came from.

Because the vision came from Cadbury’s Christian faith.  It came from his faith in Jesus Christ, who gave his life on the cross two thousand years ago - that we might have new life.  A richer, more abundant life.  And, by that, he didn’t just mean more chocolate!

A rich life is cross shaped not egg shaped. CLICK TO TWEET

Let’s have a rich, abundant life by doing more to enrich the lives of others.  Let’s remember the social injustice that continues in this country and around the world, that we are all truly complicit with – as we snap up the 3 for 2 offers.  Without questioning the work and trade conditions of those who have sold the global confectioners their chocolate and labour.

Let’s make sure we give something to charity.  Or buy Fairtrade.  Or do something to support our community and build relationships with our neighbours.

Local churches are a great place to get involved in this kind of thing.  So do seek yours out, go along to an Easter service and find out what they are up to.

At my church, St Michael’s in Elmwood Road, you can help us get ready for our annual community street party in June – by giving something for our fundraising Auction on Saturday 14 April.  Or come along to this event.  You can get involved with fundraising lunches, our community choir and the youth band we are starting up.  Do get in touch to find out more.

In the meantime, enjoy the chocolate and have a Happy Easter!

Posted by Martine Oborne

An Easter Sunday service with Easter egg hunt in the gardens will be on Sunday 1 April at 11am at St Michael’s Elmwood Road W4 3DZ.  There will also be a dawn service on Easter Day by the river – meet at 6.30am at the point where Grove Park Road becomes Thames Road and share breakfast together afterwards.

Usual Sunday services at St Michael’s Elmwood Road are at 9.30am and 11am – with groups and activities for children.

St Michael’s Church: www.stmichael-elmwoodroad.org

Subscribe to Martine Oborne’s blog here: www.martineoborne.com

Be yourself. Everyone else is taken..

Our twenty year old Youth Minister is studying for a degree in Theology and Youth Ministry and she was talking to me the other day about a lecture she’d had at college.  The lecture was about the general personality differences between the generations. 

She said that, unlike Generation X (my lot) and Generation Y (her lot), the Millennials (our youth club kids) are looking for authenticity.

I was surprised to hear this.  And pushed back on what she was saying – in a typical Generation X way.

My point was not to dispute that Millennials want to see authenticity in people around them, but to say that surely all generations want this too?

Look up authentic in a dictionary and it speaks of something being of undisputed origin, not a copy, something accurate and reliable.  Surely these are qualities we all look for in other people?

But how authentic are we really?

Or how much are we bullied by convention into being or trying to be something other than our true selves?

I remember a talk once about burn out.  And the speaker saying that the most important question to ask (and to know the answer to) if you want to avoid burn out – is the question Who are you?

Not being ourselves is not only inauthentic – it’s a huge cause of stress.

I remember, years ago, when I was my Youth Minister’s age and at university – feeling agonisingly embarrassed that I came from far less privileged background than my colleagues.  I never invited my ‘friends’ to my home or introduced them to my family.  And this was an incredibly stressful way to live.

As I grew older, I began to accept who I was and what my story was.  And I’d say that God had a big part in helping me to do this – affirming that I was loved just the way I was.  That I didn’t need to be different.  I could simply be myself.

Nonetheless, there’s still the temptation to want to fit in, to compromise, to try hard to be like others.  I remember when I was training to be a Vicar.  I had a brilliant training incumbent and I admired this Vicar so much – that I wanted to be an exact copy of him.  But again I heard God say – be yourself.  Learn from this person, of course - but be yourself.

If Millennials are truly calling people to be themselves, to be authentic, then we all should listen up.

Because being authentic is not easy.  It makes us vulnerable.  It means being unconventional.  It means inviting criticism and even being mocked and ostracised.

In the church, we are coming up to Palm Sunday – when we remember how Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  He was greeted by the crowds with great cheers.  But a few days later Jesus had upset everyone – by turning over the tables in the Temple - by not being the person other people expected and wanted him to be.  And, as you know, he ended up being crucified.

But Jesus triumphed over death.  Because he was fully himself, fully God – he could not be defeated by death.

We, of course, are not Jesus. 

But the more we are fully our true selves, the more authentic we are – the more we too will triumph over those who seek to put us down.

Trying to be someone other than your true self is exhausting and a worthless way to live.  We can never manage it.  And our attempts to do this simply diminish our lives.

So be yourself. 

Or, as my teenage daughter (a Millennial) put it to me the other day, ‘Be yourself, Mum.  Everyone else is taken.’  CLICK TO TWEET

How exciting is this? Our Jubilee Festival @StMichaelElmwd

WWJD or WIJD?

What would Jesus do? Or what is Jesus doing? Both good questions. But, for me, the second is more important than the first.

It really comes down to whether you live your life by 'quandary ethics' ie trying to decide what the right thing to do is on each separate difficult occasion. Or whether you focus on building 'character' so that you automatically do the right thing.

I wd argue that sticking close to Jesus, observing what He is doing day by day in everything, even little things, means that we grow in His likeness becoming more generous, courageous, tolerant, self controlled, loving etc. Then, when a 'difficult situation' arises, we will naturally respond the way Jesus would because we have grown in the character of Jesus.

Think for example of a situation where you are asked to give for some worthy cause. You might deliberate on whether this is best use of yr spare cash, how much you shd give, you might ask WWJD? Ultimately you might give and this would be an act of generosity but not the act of a generous person. The generous person would already have given. That's just the way he is.

Swimming lessons for Church..

Every morning for the past year I have been swimming first thing in the morning at the swimming pool across the road from my house. I can't say I enjoy this exercise particularly (just doing it to stave off galloping senility that little while longer) nor am I particularly communicative at that time in the day. So I get changed, get in the pool, do my thirty lengths, get out, get dressed again and go home. I don't stop and chat with fellow swimmers. I go swimming for a purpose and I'm not there, I have to admit, to make new friends.

Nonetheless, it's impossible not to notice that there are a dozen or so regulars who also go swimming daily at the same time as me. I recognise each one of them. And, in an odd way, although we've never had a conversation, I've come to know them. We generally exchange a brief smile or nod, even sometimes a 'Hi' or 'Good morning' but never more than this.

And yet, although I know almost nothing about my fellow swimmers (except they are regular swimmers), there is a strange bond between us - just because we share this same ritual together every day. I'd even venture to suggest that we all feel rather like friends.

All this has made me wonder about those church goers who really like to keep themselves to themselves. It's good to have a team of welcomers at church - most people appreciate the offer of friendship - but maybe we should be more relaxed about just letting alone those who want to be let alone. If we simply come together for the same purpose - to worship God - every week then will we not necessarily become bound together - as I have become bound to my fellow swimmers?

Maybe it's not so much about getting to know each other in a lot of detail and having a lot of conversation. Maybe it's more about remembering why we have come to church and, well, just - being there.

The vulture tweets between his meals...

And that's the reason why
He very very rarely feels
As well as you or I.

His eye is dull, his head is bald
His neck is growing thinner.
Oh, what a lesson to us all -
To only tweet at dinner!

Small is Beautiful by Schumacher

Having read Tim Jackson's brilliant book 'Prosperity without Growth' over the summer, it's interesting to see that Schumacher was prophetically saying many of the same things nearly forty years ago. 'Small is Beautiful' is still very much worth reading.

'The substance of man cannot be measured by Gross National Product. Perhaps, it cannot be measured at all, except for certain symptoms of loss...such as crime, drug addiction, vandalism, mental breakdown, rebellion etc...There are poor societies which have too little; but where is the rich society that says: 'Halt! We have enough?' Where indeed?

Waste Collection Sans Frontieres...

Anyone feel like starting this up?
Having just been travelling in the Middle East, I'm amazed at the beauty of the region, the kindness and warm spirituality of the people and - despite all the recent concerns over security - the great sense of peace and quiet there.
Nonetheless, one of the biggest shocks was seeing so much rubbish both in cities and in the desert and sourrounding country - just piled up everywhere. Our guide was careful to warn us not to drink the local water - 'even the locals drink bottled water,' he said proudly. And the evidence to back up this claim was everywhere - even in the smartest streets and locations. And, of course, in poorer parts of the cities and in the rivers - things were far worse. And no one seems to care.
One night we climbed Mount Sinai (took me over 4 hours - even with assistance of v charming young Bedouin) and the scenery by moonlight was amazing. Coming down again the following morning after sunrise, however, I was dismayed to see that, even on Mount Sinai, plastic bottles were strewn everywhere.
It's not just unhealthy, unsightly and generally demeaning - but none of this plastic can be recycled.
We desperately need to help developing countries get access to clean drinking water on tap and clear up all this terrible mess.

A Life Worth Living

A Life Worth Living is an exciting and practical seven session course that helps people explore our innate calling to live a virtuous life and how this is embodied in the Christian faith.

Each week we will

· Share a meal

· Share feedback from our journals on practice and reflection over the preceding week

· Explore a particular virtue - such as justice, generosity, courage - through a story from one of the books in the Bible that tells the story of Jesus - Luke’s gospel

· Listen to a short talk on this

· Have a time of silent meditation or prayer

· Make notes in our journals and reflect in small groups

· Take away a specific practice to work on over the next week

Is A Life Worth Living for me?

If you would like to learn more about how Christ makes life worth living, then YES this course is for you!

• You do NOT need to have studied theology
• You do NOT need to go to church
• You do NOT need to know anything about Christianity

Where? The Crypt, St Mary’s Church, Upper Street, N1 2TX

When? Wednesdays 7.30-9.30pm from 12 Oct to 23 Nov 2011

How much? The course is free but you will be invited to make a contribution to the cost of the meal

To register Call or text Revd Martine Oborne on 07950 743 878

www.stmaryislington.org

Advice on building up your following on Twitter?

Believe it or not - it's in the Bible! Matthew 4:18-19. Jesus goes down to Lake Galilee and invites 2 people to follow him, then a few more and then he asks them to make more followers and here we are now - Jesus with a top following of over 2 billion. Certainly beats Lady Gaga on a mere 13.3 million.

OK - Test 3...

Really think I may have done it this time...

Another test

It seems I can update the blog from phone. Good. But how do I do automatic link to twitter when I post?

This is a Test!

Trying to link my resurrected blog to Twitter...

Time to Resurrect My Blog

Crikey, it's been over TWO YEARS since I set up this blog and posted a few posts. Time to resurrect it, I think. Let's hope it proves to be more vital and long lasting in its second life.

Of course all our current disputes in the Church of England boil down to how we interpret scripture.  Interestingly, Jesus gives us a lesson on interpreting scripture in Luke 10.  He quotes scripture saying 'Love your neighbour as yourself' and is then asked what the word neighbour means.  If you look the word up in the dictionary you get 'a person who lives near or next to another' but Jesus, through the parable of the Good Samaritan, gives the word the broadest and most big-hearted definition imaginable - to include any fellow human being including our enemies.  Surely there is something we might learn here with respect to interpretation - and apply ourselves?

How to win Friends and influence People...

I was listening to my 4 year old chatting to her friend in the back of the car yesterday.  D says, 'I like my teacher...because she smiles at me.'

Perhaps it really is that simple!  I think it probably is...

I am the way, the truth, the ground on which you walk...to God

i've been reflecting on John  14:6 - the infamous verse that has been interpreted to mean that non-Christians have no hope of salvation.  (whatever salvation is - but that's another matter.)

An image came to mind of Christ saying 'i am the way, the truth, the ground on which you walk to God' and a picture of Christ physically laying down His life and becoming the ground for us to walk to God on.  this felt quite powerful - in underlining the sacrificial nature of Christ's love for us.  And also leaving things much more open in terms or who and how different people might be making their way towards God.

My name is Legion

I meet Andrew on Monday.  He tells me he has been visiting Adam and i immediately feel guilty.

Adam is someone i put Andrew in touch with.  He has some serious problems and needs a lot of pastoral care - something i realise i could not, or did not want to, give myself.  Andrew, i think, has found it equally difficult to do this.  But he has.  He has been visiting Adam weekly.  they read the Bible together.  Nothing miraculous has happened yet.  progress is painfully slow.  A man who has not been loved for decades, who has no real friends, cannot be healed in an instant.  But the love of Christ - shown to him by Andrew - is the only hope and i believe will be bringing healing.  obviously at some considerable cost to Andrew.

we talked about it and Andrew said the story of Legion comes to his mind.  Legion is an outcast.  everyone has given up on him.  He is tormented by many demons and quite frankly he is scary - and so has been chained up.  Nonetheless, Christ heals him.  He is not beyond hope.

this experience has shown me clearly that our calling to help the oppressed and marginalised is not all about visiting nice old ladies and tea and sympathy.  it's about doing things we really don't want to do - like, perhaps, befriending people we don't even like much at first.  But bringing the love of Christ into their lives.  And ultimately learning ourselves that Christ lovesus all, even (and perhaps, especially) the man called Legion.  

Andrew said, 'You know he's had a rotten life.  And he can be really difficult and angry.  But i've actually come to like him.'

what can i say?  But thank God for Andrew - for Andrew being Christ in this situation.  And praying for the courage and the open-heartedness to do the same - next time God presents me with such a challenge.  As He surely will!

How NOT to do the children's talk...

oh dear, worst experience since my first Junior Church class when i had to do the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch - explaining what a eunuch is to a group of 11 year old boys...

I was telling the story of Abraham and Sarah waiting and hoping to have a baby.  Somehow I managed to ask how long it takes to make a baby...which got some interesting answers (from both the children and the adults in the congregation).  I also suggested that A & S were quite old, perhaps as old as the children's grannies and grandpas - only to be corrected by one child who informed me that her granny was very young and could easily have a baby...

All this reminded me of something I once said to O - that it would be a good idea to invite feedback from the congregation during sermons.  I can understand now his reluctance to embrace this suggestion...

Feedback on Sunday

Arrived at church ready to do my v challenging evangelistic sermon (with altar call at end) but when I tell O about this he looks alarmed.  We need more prayer and preparation to do an altar call, he says.  And he's probably right.  I mean, it would be the first in years at St D's. Nonetheless, I'm a bit thrown.  O suggests we just ask people to stand and I go with this, although it's not the picture I'd had in my mind.

I wanted people to get themselves feeling in the position of Paul - through the sermon - and then to have an 'Ananias experience' at the end with O and I laying hands on them, the scales falling from their eyes, the Holy Spirit descending etc etc.  (I think if I'd explained all this in advance O would have been truly alarmed!)

Nonetheless the lesson of all this is better communication.  I really should have discussed it with O in detail before.

As it was, there was a lot of positive feedback on the sermon.  Two people stood but many more said they had been really challenged afterwards.  And three others signed up for next Alpha course.

So quite a success really.  thank God.