When is a theory a theory?

So the Council of Europe is going to vote on creationism! Apparently there is a fear of "creationism passing itself off as science and being taught as science". Of course no-one would ever allow the theory of evolution to be taught as unassailable fact.

If only evolution were taught as science. If it were admitted that it is only a theory that appears, to some, to fit the facts better than other theories. If only the variations of the theory were taught and the development of the theory were admitted. If only the short comings of those variants were discussed when the theory is taught.

Then we might be able to say, yes, over here is the theory of evolution and over there is the theory of intelligent design. And, perhaps there are other theories yet to emerge that we have not yet dreamed of.

But, please don't teach one theory as if it were fact, and deny the opportunity to examine other theories - where is the science in that? It sounds like blind faith to me - and blind faith is ignorance that never did anyone any good.

What is so "good" about Friday?

Before the end of the first week in January there were "Easter eggs" and ""Hot Cross Buns" in the local supermarket. So, the commercial frenzy associated with Christmas is barely over and the commercial rulers of our lives are already gearing up for the over-indulgence they crave at Easter. No, this is not another whinge at the excesses of capitalism. If you are mug enough to fall for it I'm not going to waste space railing against it. ;-)

I want to look in another direction entirely. Over the years we have become used to remembering events by naming a particular day on our calendar. We usually do this for disasters, so in Australia we know of Black Friday and Ash Wednesday when severe bushfires and firestorms devastated large areas, destroying property and killing people. The naming of those days conjures up images of terror and pf bravery, of grief at loss and bitter joy of survival.
As we move again towards Easter we are confronted with a number of days that have strange names, where the meanings have been lost by time and usage, notably:

• Shrove Tuesday [The origin of the name Shrove lies in the old English verb "to shrive" which means to absolve people of their sins. It was common in the Middle Ages for "shriveners" (priests) to hear people's confessions at this time, to prepare them for Lent.],
• Ash Wednesday [Some Christians treat Ash Wednesday as a day for remembering their mortality. Services are traditionally held on the morning of this day at which attendees are blessed with ashes by the "priest". The priest marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes, traditionally in the shape of a cross, leaving a mark that the worshiper traditionally leaves on his or her forehead until sundown, before washing it off. This symbolism recalls the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ash over one's head signifying repentance before God (as related numerous times in the Bible). Quaint practice, but isn't this the sort of public religious display Jesus spoke against in the "Sermon on the Mount"?]
• Maundy Thursday [The Middle English word Maundy, used only in this context, derives from Old French mandé from Latin mandatum novum do vobis "a new commandment I give unto you. Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13.34), words spoken by Jesus to the Apostles after washing their feet in preparation for The Last Supper. I guess you could call it "new Commandment Thursday"] and
• Good Friday. But why “Good” Friday? After all, that is the day we remember the anniversary of the murder, by crucifixion, of Jesus, God’s one and only Son. There doesn’t seem to be anything “good” about that! In a civilized society where we abhor death and reject the death penalty, it doesn’t make sense.

So, what is Good about Friday?

To begin to answer this question we must look at how Jesus saw his death, and at what happened when he died. In Mark’s Gospel, from as early as chapter 3, during the early time of Jesus ministry, some of the religious leaders were plotting to kill Jesus. Towards the end of chapter 8 we find Jesus making it clear that he knew he would be killed. There is no doubt that he knew he must be killed. Towards the end of chapter 10 Jesus spells out his objective. He came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10.45). It becomes clear, that from God’s point of view, Jesus’ death was much more than a cruel murder at the hands of men who feared for their grip on power (some Jewish leaders and Pontius Pilate - the Roman Governor). Jesus was on a mission from God to rescue people from sin and its consequences. The apostle Paul sums it up well in Romans chapter 5:

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5.6-8 (NIV)

So, what is Good about Friday?
It was that Friday, so long ago, that God acted to save people like us. Jesus was sent to call people to turn away from rejecting God, and to trust God. On that day, God showed how serious He is. Serious about rebellion against Him and serious about how much he loves people he made in his own image. Serious enough to send His only Son to die in the rescue mission. But, remember he was not rescuing people who wanted to be saved. He was rescuing people who didn’t really understand the weakness of their own position. Jesus was rescuing people who were powerless; people who were as good as dead.
And, God’s purpose was not merely to rescue us and leave us to fend for ourselves in a world that is hostile to God and his kingdom. God raised Jesus back to life.
If Friday is “Good”, then surely the following Sunday, Easter, is “Best Sunday” because God gave us new life through Jesus, the Son of Man, Son of God, who died to take away the penalty for our sin and was raised to bring us back home to his Father. Without Jesus death, when he took that penalty, we could not dare to look in the direction of God, even if we were remotely inclined to do that.
So, Friday is “Good” because Jesus paid the ransom for us, opened a way for us to come back to God. Is Friday "Good" for you too?

Why bother about Christmas?

As I move around the community this year I am getting different responses to Christmas. Over the past few years a lot of people have been saying – “let’s get back to the real meaning of Christmas.”

This year people are still saying that. But there is a new feeling in the air: “Why bother?!”
There is a real disenchantment around the place – whether it is because of the drought, or global warming, or the economic downturn, or the fires, or something else … there is a real sense of disappointment. All the effort you put into Christmas, and its over in a flash – quicker that the left-over food, quicker than the broken presents, quicker than the credit card repayments – so people are beginning to say - “Why bother?!”

Now, that is a fair question. It’s a question that I am sure must have passed through God’s mind more than once! Let’s face it: he made the world and put people in it as caretakers. The job of humankind was to live in the world and take care of it. But, the caretakers decided to run things their own way. And, we have been making a fair mess of it.

So, God sent his son to sort out the mess. Now God isn’t one for lots of show and ceremony. Let’s face it, he doesn’t need to make a name for himself. So he sent his son to grow up in the world. We have all heard about the manger, the wise men, and the cross. So, we know that he understands all the pressures and problems of being human first-hand!

Then Jesus started calling people to turn back to God – but a whole load of people weren’t too pleased, so they made up some charges and had him arrested. Then, after a pretty lousy kangaroo court, they beat him up and killed him.

So, you could understand why God could say “Why bother!” After all – if you sent your only son to sort out some ratbags who had hijacked your world – and then they turned around that murdered him, you would have to ask “Why do it?” “Why bother?!”

But, that’s not the end of the story. God took that broken body of his son and breathed new life into him. You see God had a much bigger plan -–he was going to sort out the hijackers by giving people an escape route. When he sent his son, he wasn’t sending a helpless baby – he was sending the man to rescue millions. And, his rescue mission even overcame death. And, he did it for you and me. God loved the world so much that he sent his only son so that everyone who trusts him could share that new life.

So, this year, whether you bother with the traditional Christmas celebrations, or do something different – I want to challenge you to trust Jesus and get involved in his rescue mission. He put his whole life into it. From the time he was born and laid in the feed trough in Bethlehem, his life was on the line.

Should Jesus have bothered about you?