Sometimes a Ship has to Sink before it can Sail!

Having been conscripted into the Royal Air Force, my father found himself assigned to boat building. His skills as a master carpenter were well suited to building and repairing air-sea rescue launches that were vital to the British war effort. But before he could work on anything, he would have to complete a theory class and then build and successfully launch a small wooden sailboat.

Although having never seen the finished article, knowing the perfectionism with which my father did everything, that boat would have been a pristine example of his freshly acquired shipwright skills. But the real test was yet to come!

With the concrete slipway lined with spectators, Dad’s tutor gave the command to launch. Satisfied that he had successfully completed the task assigned to him, Dad was fully expecting his craft to effortlessly slide into the sea to the cheers of the on-looking crowd. Imagine then the shock and horror when his masterpiece, having hit the water, began to act more like a submarine than a sailboat. Letting in water at an alarming rate, people looked on in amazement as my father’s creation began to sink.​

Much to the amusement of the instructor, dad was told to retrieve the boat and try again! Unbeknown to him, this was a familiar occurrence with this particular type of boat-build. Needing firstly to be thoroughly soaked, the moisture content would cause the planking to swell and close any remaining gaps. Sure enough, a second launch proved to be successful, as the sailboat took to the ocean like a proverbial duck to water.

Sometimes a ship has to sink before it can sail!

So, here are my thoughts:

• What if in this season of lock-down certain aspects of the good ship Ecclesia need to sink before it can sail as its creator first intended?

• What if we have unintentionally framed something in terms of local church, that needs to die before we can truly experience resurrection life?

Jesus said, ‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit’[1] To experience a resurrection, you must first to encounter a death.

In this season of lock-down when God has afforded us time to think about our creations, one has to wonder if this is not an ideal opportunity to rethink the way we do church. Are there certain aspects of the good ship Ecclesia that have to sink before she can sail, as the original creator intended?[2]

[1] 1 John 12:24

[2] 2 Matthew 16:18

The Case of the Folded Napkin

Details, details, details.

I often wonder why New Testament writers include seemingly insignificant details. Take the Easter story for instance.

With a ‘who moved the stone’ type mystery you’d think there was enough evidence to grab the attention of any amateur sleuth - but not John. He gives a whole verse to the case of the folded napkin.’

Having heard the rumours, Peter rushed to the tomb to check out the truth of the missing body. Of all the things he observed that morning, John takes time to record the fact that the facecloth or napkin was ‘not lying with the linen cloths but separate…neatly folded by itself’. [1] One has to ask the question why? Why was this particular item of burial attire singled out for special treatment!

I’m no expert in Jewish social history, but I recently read an article that seeks to explain this strange phenomena. It suggests that in ancient culture a servant, having laid the table for his master, would step aside to allow his lord to enter the room and enjoy his meal. Standing at a respectful distance, the servant would watch and wait for the signal that his master had finished eating. Much in the same way as a crumpled napkin on an empty plate signals to the waiter that we have finished our meal - a discarded napkin in Bible times says to the servant that once his master had left the table, he has no intention of returning.

However, a ‘neatly folded napkin’ was a different matter. Having used the said item to wipe his hands, face and beard, by placing a neatly folded napkin on the table the master was signalling to those who wait on him, that although he might leave the room, he had not finished and had every intention of coming back to the table.

The suggestion being, that when the risen Christ left a ‘neatly folded napkin’ in the empty tomb he was signalling to his servants, that although in time his physical presence would no longer be seen, he has every intention of returning.

Whether this interpretation on social history is true or not, it makes those servants of Christ who eagerly watch and wait for his return to rejoice in the penultimate verse of all Scripture, that says, ‘Amen-so let it be! Yes, come, Lord Jesus’. [2]

[1] John chapter 20, verse 7 MSG

[2] Revelation chapter 22, verse 20 AMP

What if the Wise Men Were in a Hurry?

In the words of the lead vocalist of the British Rock Band Slade, ‘So here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun, look to the future, its only just begun.’

Christmas means different things to different people, but for some, it is not the thought of giving and receiving gifts that excites us, but the thought of a break from a busy work schedule. The end of a long school term, a non-stop work routine, a long list of must do’s - come Christmas Eve, we will breath a sigh of relief and crash!

Life in the fast lane can leave us feeling physically and mentally exhausted. But what if the business of life is causing us to miss out on some of those magical moments that give us the vision and vitality for the next season. So here is my question, ‘What if the Wise men were in a hurry?

A classic western view of the Nativity has the Wise Men meandering their way to the manger. Having never ridden a Camel, I am told they can easily outrun most horses, so in terms of everyday transport the Camel is more Sports Car than Station Wagon.

So what if in the grand scheme of things the Wise men had been late to the birthday party? Caught up in the storms of life they had missed the moment. And although thought to be specialists in the subject of astrology, the pressures of everyday life, had caused them to miss the appearance of that star or their appointment with Herod? What if in their haste, they had galloped right past the house and missed the opportunity to be with the Christ child? What if like me, they were more interested in getting there and back and missed those never-to-be-repeated moments in time

There is an old biblical Psalm that says, ‘Be still and know.’ So here is the question:

• What if our inability to rest is robbing us of the next great idea, that new business venture?

• What if our refusal to rest is stopping us from discovering a different approach to an age-old challenge?

• What if the lack of timeout is stopping the floodgates of insight, vision, revelation and understanding opening up to us?

Could it be that during this festive season we all need to press the pause button, to still ourselves or in the words of Bill Murray, to ‘take a vacation from our problem.’[1]

To physically and mentally be still, is something many of us find difficult, if not impossible. But to enjoy a sacred pause and do something completely different from our normal routine, could be the eye-opener we so desperately need. To find time to relax, go for a walk, engage in a sport, enjoy our favourite hobby, to switch off our phones and take our partner for a meal, to read a book, listen to music – the list is endless. But engaging in a holy pause could be the tipping point in our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.

We live in a fast-moving society where speed is the essence of all we say and do. But perhaps the wise amongst us would advocate we plan into our busy schedule some downtime – reflective moments that could prove both restful and revelatory, creating a clear vision of the way forward.

From our house to yours, I wish you all restful Christmas and a revelatory New Year.

[1] Bill Murray – Film ‘What about Bob?’