Bishop P.J. Lawrence on the Challenges of Mission in India from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The Right Revd Dr P.J. Lawrence serves in the Diocese of Nandyal in the Church of South India. dioceseofnandyal.org/

In this short interview he shares about the challenges of ministering in a community that is almost exclusively Dalit.

The etymological meaning for the Sanskrit word ‘Nandi’ means a Bull, and ‘Alaya(m)’ means Temple . Traditionally it is a belief that ‘Nava Nandis’ ruled this area under Sir Krishna Devaraya dynasty who constructed 9 bull temples and the name Nandyal is derived from these Nandi Alaya [Nandyal(a)]. Hindu religion in this area is very predominant. Nandyal is major center for education, agriculture, wildlife, pilgrimage and has some of the most fertile land in Rayalaseema , as it is surrounded by water on four sides.

The Diocese of Nandyal lies in the Deccan Plateau in Andhra Pradesh, a state created in 1956 with Hyderabad as its capital and formerly it was in Madras State . The people are Telugu speaking Dravidians, prevalence of Hinduism exist. Anglicans specially the S P G Missionaries preached the Gospel among ‘Malas’ a scheduled caste whose traditional occupation was weaving. The Diocese geographically lies mostly in Kurnool District, also extended in Cuddapah, Prakasham, Mahaboobnagar and Anantapur Districts. Nandyal lies in the western part of Andhra Pradesh. This region is bounded by thick Nallamala forests. Due to meager rainfall the drought conditions frequently occur and may be followed by famines. Because of the configuration of the land, its climate and its remoteness, the area is economically poor.

Bishop P.J Lawrence : A Passion for the Lost from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Bishop Lawrence preached at Christ Church, Virginia Water last Sunday in the lead up to our Passion for Life mission. His message focussed on having a passion for the lost.

With God on our Side:  Film Launch on Sunday 28th February, Christ Church, Virginia Water, GU25 4PT, 2:30pm

“With God On Our Side takes a look at the theology of Christian Zionism, which teaches that because the Jews are God’s chosen people, they have a divine right to the land of Israel. Aspects of this belief system lead some Christians in the West to give uncritical support to Israeli government policies, even those that privilege Jews at the expense of Palestinians, leading to great suffering among Muslim and Christian Palestinians alike and threatening Israel’s security as a whole.

This film demonstrates that there is a biblical alternative for Christians who want to love and support the people of Israel, a theology that doesn’t favor one people group over another but instead promotes peace and reconciliation for both Jews and Palestinians.”

Middle Eastern Perceptions of Western Christians

Issue of “Balance” When Sharing the Palestinian Narrative

Gary Burge on the Biblical View of Justice & the Middle East

The title for our film, “With God on Our Side” was inspired by the verse:

…while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword. Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies’?” He said, “Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. Joshua 5:13-14a (The Message)

We believe this verse is still true today, that God does not take sides with certain people groups, nations or agendas. Rather He is for all people. Throughout history, those who have claimed God was on their side have used it to justify atrocities done in the name of Jesus. We believe once again certain Christians are approaching the people in the Middle East claiming God is on their side in a way that disregards human rights and gives unilateral support to a secular State, elevates one people group over another while using the Bible as justification. We believe there is a better way, a way of justice, peace and love for Jews and Palestinians. One that is inclusive, not exclusive. That is the heart of God.

See http://www.withgodonourside.com

Bishop Stanley Ntagali Launches Christianity Explored in Swahili from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Bishop Stanley Ntagali of Masindi, Uganda, speaks at the launch of the Swahili translation of Christianity Explored in Bweyale, in January 2010.

A high proportion of the residents in the area are refugees and live in resettlement camps. The hope is that those trained will help resource other churches to use CE Swahili into Sudan and Congo as well as Tanzania and Kenya.

Uganda is a country of striking beauty with a bright future but with momentous demographic and economic challenges ahead. With God’s help, The Church of Uganda, with its schools and hospitals, as in Kiwoko and Bweyale, will help its people realise their full potential, to the glory of God and the extension of his kingdom.

You can view photographs taken last year here:

Kiwoko Hospital
Kiwoko Christianity Explored
Kiwoko

Bweyale
Bweyale Christianity Explored

Luweero
Children
Black Africa
On the Road
Kampala

On Monday I gave a presentation on the Cross of Christ in Isaiah 53 to the Royal Holloway University Christian Union as part of their evangelistic training course. Here is the text:

Isaiah 53: Cross Shaped Evangelism
Written around 700 years before Christ, the Book of Isaiah is quoted more times in the New Testament than any other book of the Hebrew Scriptures. 754 of its 1292 verses are predictive = 59% prophecy. And you know what? Isaiah chapter 53 is quoted more times in the NT than any other chapter in the OT. It contains 11 direct prophecies concerning Jesus and it is cited or alluded to in at least 50 NT passages. Why? Lets find out. With the eyes of faith we see Isaiah 53 so explicitly refers to the Lord Jesus it doesn’t need much by way of explanation. Indeed it became so obvious that Isaiah was referring to Jesus after he was crucified and rose again from the dead, that, as the Church separated from the Synagogue, Isaiah 53 was no longer read as part of the Jewish lectionary. There are five stanzas to this passage, each of three verses, and it begins in chapter 52:13. (Remember the chapter divisions and verse numbering was added in Medieval times and are not there in the original).

1. The Predicted Saviour: The Servant’s Role (52:13-15)
2. The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life (53:1-3)
3. The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering (53:4-6)
4. The Crucified Saviour: The Servant’s Death (53:7-9)
5. The Glorious Saviour: The Servant’s Resurrection (53:10-12)

1. The Predicted Saviour: The Servant’s Role
“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)

This 1st Stanza contains the words of God as He makes a divine proclamation. He says, “See my servant” The AV uses the word “Behold” The word means ‘To fix the eyes upon’ or ‘to observe with care.’ John said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Notice Jesus would be God’s servant. God’s servant, and our Saviour. So God speaks “See, My Servant”

I invite you to do just that this morning. I invite you to behold Jesus. I invite you to fix your eyes upon Him. I invite you to see Him in ways that you have never seen Him before. God tells us, through Isaiah, that His Servant will be raised and lifted up. He will be highly exalted, even though his suffering was truly appalling. This was fulfilled when Jesus was lifted up on the cross, then in his resurrection and ascension. God then tells us that His Servant will “sprinkle many nations”. At first this phrase may seem strange.
The word used here means to sprinkle as in to declare clean from disease. Leviticus 14 describes the process whereby one who had been healed from leprosy or some other disease that was considered contagious could be declared clean by the priests.
Through his death Jesus would provide for our cleansing from a disease far worse than leprosy that disease is sin.
The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role.

2. The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life
“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:1-3)

These verses speak of the ministry of Jesus and the growing incredulity found in the gospels when it became plain that Jesus was not going to fulfil the role of the warrior king and defeat Israel’s enemies. On Good Friday, the Jewish authorities rejected their Saviour. Even the disciples failed to see in Jesus their Saviour. The reference to the ‘arm of the Lord’ refers to His power to save His people. The Cross is where God’s power resides. The Cross the power of God for salvation. Foolishness to the world, but the wisdom and power of God. The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role. The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life.

3. The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

This is the heart of Isaiah 53 and takes us to the core of why Jesus came. Notice that it was not his sin but ours that he took the cross.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

Paul captures the essence of this in his second letter to the Corinthians. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God,” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Verse 6 probably derives its imagery from the ritual which took place on the Day of Atonement. In Leviticus 16:21-22 we see how the high priest acts as God’s agent and symbolically transfers the sins of the people to a goat, known as the ‘scapegoat’ by laying his hands on its head. Then the scapegoat was driven out into the desert to die; even as Christ, the Lamb of God, was crucified outside the city.

The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role.
The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life.
The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering.

4. The Crucified Saviour: The Servant’s Death
“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7-9)

Here we see a description of the Suffering Servant’s death – so completely fulfilled in Jesus. His trial, illegally held at night, was a mockery of justice – it was oppressive. His assigned grave was to have been with the two thieves with whom he was crucified. But a rich Pharisee and secret follower petitioned Pilate for the body to bury him in his own tomb. An exact fulfilment of Isaiah’s prediction 700 years after it was made.
As the split between Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity widened, Jewish rabbi’s increasingly taught that Israel was the ‘Servant’ in Isaiah 53. But sinful Israel could never atone for others. “for the transgression of my people he was stricken”. It is the singular servant – “he” who dies for the transgression of the people, so the people would not have to. The apostle John understood, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2).

The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role.
The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life.
The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering.
The Crucified Saviour: The Servant’s Death

5. The Glorious Saviour: The Servant’s Resurrection
“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10-12)

These verses point most emphatically to the resurrection. Having “poured out his life unto death” (53:12), he would nevertheless, verse 11, “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.” (53:11). He would indeed “prolong his days” (53:10). Christ’s work is presented as a victory over spiritual foes, resulting in a distribution of spoils to those made strong in him.
This is precisely the imagery Paul uses in Ephesians 4 & 6 (see Ephesians 4:8; 6:10-17); Christ the victor grants salvation and spiritual gifts to his people. And Matthew 19:28-30 declares that Jesus the great King, when he returns to reign “at the renewal of all things,” will even grant to his faithful followers a right to share in that reign.” Jesus shall indeed come again, crowned with glory and honour, power and majesty! Now do you see how the good news of Jesus was indeed revealed centuries before he came? Revealed by a loving God who wanted people to recognise His son when he came. Before he came to seek and save the lost.

The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role.
The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life.
The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering.
The Crucified Saviour: The Servant’s Death.
The Glorious Saviour: The Servant’s Resurrection.

The prophecy of Isaiah 53, so graphically fulfilled in the last 12 hours of Jesus earthly life can be summed up in one simple word – ‘love’. And one verse. One verse epitomises the NT response to the predictions of Isaiah 53. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Lets pray.

On Sunday 31st May, six members of Christ Church family were baptised. Check out the photos and video. Or watch it here…

Baptisms at Pentecost: Sunday 31st May 2009 from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

On Good Friday, after our 12:00noon “Hour at the Cross” Service we are offering a simple meal of home-made soup and rolls. At 1:30pm we will be showing the film, “Beyond Gates of Splendor”.  It chronicles the events leading up to and following Operation Auca, an attempt to contact the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador in which five American missionaries were killed.

The title of the film references Elisabeth Elliot’s 1957 bestseller, Through Gates of Splendor. First published in 1957, the book told the original story of the five martyred missionaries. A low budget documentary film was also produced with the same name in 1967. One year after Gates was published, the first successful peaceful contact with the Huaorani tribe was made. In the years that followed, many Huaos were converted to Christianity and changed their lifestyle. Therefore, Beyond the Gates recounts the unfolding story up unto the present day. The film also included new information that has since come out about the Palm Beach Massacre through communication with the Indians.

Beyond the Gates was very influential in the production of the drama film End of the Spear, which was released four years later. Many of the same events recounted by the Huaorani interviewees in Beyond the Gates were depicted dramatically in End of the Spear. The movie won the Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival in 2002. It also won the Audience Award at the Palm Beach International Film Festival in 2004 for Best Documentary Feature.

Read more at  Christian Films and Christianity Today.

Last Saturday Rico Tice of All Soul’s, Langham Place, spoke at two events at Christ Church on “What is Success?”. His short answer is this: ‘failure’ is being successful in things that ultimately don’t matter.

You can listen to Rico’s talk here. Check out some photos here or on Flickr

“Well, gents thank you very much for coming out this morning, I wonder if you can see this piece of paper that’s in front of you on the tables.  I’m just going to throw out a bit of the Bible and I just don’t know what you make of it.  Here’s a bit of the Bible, it’s Jesus telling a parable so you can fold it up and put it in your wallet.  I find it really compelling.  Let me read it to you, say a few words about it, and then I really hope it will be food for thought.  Let me read it to you, so here’s Jesus, it’s Luke 12, one of the biographies of Jesus, and this is the story we hear him tell:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”  Then he said to them, “Watch out!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do?  I have no place to store my crops.’  Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do.  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I’ll say to myself, ‘”You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.  Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘  But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded from you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’  This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Matt Sieger has written a brilliant article over at Jews for Jesus website. Here is a taster:

Move over Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Friedrich Nietzsche…

Make room for the new kids on the block—Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens! These “New Atheists” proclaim God’s non-existence with great fervor. But they’re not saying anything new.

Dawkins declares, “Faith is the great cop out.” Where did we hear this before? Oh, yes, Marx: “Religion is the opium of the people.”

Harris says belief in God is “a sign that something is seriously wrong with your mind.” Not new. Freud said that to put faith in God is “patently infantile.”

Hitchens states, “God did not make man in his own image. Evidently it was the other way about.” Nietzsche said it already: “Is man one of God’s blunders, or is God one of man’s?”

The Bible (oops, sorry atheists) got it right: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

So what’s different about the New Atheists? They’re just more “in your face.” As Clark Pinnock notes:

These fellows such as Nietzsche and Freud thought more in depth about what atheism entails and could understand what might interest thoughtful people in religion. The new atheism in contrast is disinterested in fair-minded discussions about whether religion might actually have something to contribute to human knowledge. In the new atheism (and it is not really “new”), readers are not expected to understand religion or have any sympathy for it. Instead they are exhorted to detest faith.¹

But the New Atheists are actually wimps compared to the old atheists. When Nietzsche declared that God was dead, he understood that if there is no God, there are no morals. The New Atheists are afraid to go that far. They say we can have moral standards without God. But if there is a moral law, there must be a moral lawgiver. Where does our conscience come from, if not from God?

Read the rest here over at Jews-for-Jesus