Day 58

After an enjoyable visit to family in Gretna, it has been back to work in the study. Yesterday I continued to reflect on Peterson's writing on the theme of Spiritual theology and today I have been mostly preparing for tonight's Special Church Meeting and some other church stuff too. Because I am on sabbatical I will not be chairing the meeting and so will be able to speak from the floor as a church member. I think this will be the first time I will have been in this position since becoming a minister in 1978.

Once again, no mention of football results from the weekend. As the fans often chant to their losing counterparts - you only sing when your winning!

This thought prompted other thoughts. Do we as Christians sometimes only sing when we are 'winning' ?( i.e. when life is good and we feel on top of things.) Shouldn't we be able to 'sing' in the midst of all the many experiences of life, even if it is simply a sad song of lament?

When writing about worship Peterson expresses the belief that worship is not something we experience, it is something we do, regardless of how we feel about it. The experience develops out of the worship, not the other way round. Worship is the response to God's word in the context of the community of God's people. Does our worship so often depend on how we 'feel'? Do we really only 'sing' when we are winning?

Day 54

While Peterson’s 3 books on Spiritual Theology have formed the basis of the first part of the sabbatical, I have tried also to read some other authors who pick up similar themes touched on by Peterson.

I think there is little doubt that Peterson places great emphasis on listening to, reading and studying the Scriptures. The second of his books was after all entitled ‘Eat this Book’ and the challenge he sets is to let the Word of God get right inside us.

A similar point is made by David Foster( a Benedictine monk at Downside Abbey) in his book, ‘Reading with God’.

As he reflects on the challenge of reading the Scriptures he recognizes that Scripture is no easy read. Therefore we need to get used to reading it and read it slowly, reflectively. . He suggests that the metaphor of honey used in Psalm 19:10 is directly related to the imagery of chewing and digestion that became central to the Christian understanding of meditating on the word.

He writes: “The word that is sweet in the mouth needs to be chewed and digested. Receiving the word of God is a process of nourishment, where the word of God gives life to the one who obeys.” David Foster then notes, as did Peterson, that there are a couple of places where the Bible talks of eating the scroll on which the word is written.( Ezekiel 3 and Revelation 10). In Revelation we learn that it gave John stomach-ache. Foster writes: “It would probably be intolerable if the Scriptures only tasted of honey! But this is a sobering reminder that the word of God is not just easy talk or words of comfort. The bitterness of the scroll is because of the toughness of the message as well as the seriousness of the commission entrusted to its recipients.

It’s the weekend again and we are off on our travels. This time we are popping just over the border to Gretna to spend the weekend with family.

Day 53

When we went to Devon I packed a few books and also took with me 2 copies of the magazine Third Way which had lain on my desk unread for weeks . On the way I treated myself to a copy of a Four Four Two magazine(for the uninitiated - a football magazine). While in Devon I read Four Four Two first from cover to cover. It was the first time for ages that I had actually read that kind of magazine and one of the main articles was about the Brazilian footballer Kaka who makes no secret of his Christian faith. The article described something of his life story and the difficulties he has overcome to become perhaps the greatest footballer in the world at the moment. He seemed to have a more refreshing outlook to that expressed by so many of our highly paid footballing stars.

When I had finished the football magazine I turned to Third Way. The one article that caught my attention was headed – Jesus & Socrates. The article sought to express the similarities and the differences in their two lives.

But it also did express the fact that unlike many modern philosophers Socrates actually believed that philosophy was not just a challenging academic exercise but should make a real difference to the way the philosopher lives, to the person the philosopher is becoming. Here was an obvious similarity to the challenge of Jesus to all who would follow him.

This tuned in to the frequent emphasis that Peterson gives in his writing about Spiritual Theology. What we believe should clearly make a difference to the way in which we live, to the kind of people we are becoming. If the Christians of today are to be able to speak with any kind of authority, the words must be backed by lifestyle.

Day 52

In his writings on Spiritual Theology, Peterson suggests that Mark 8:27-9:9 is particularly important. In the Gospel of Mark this passage comprises the confession of Peter at Caesarea Philippi and then the Transfiguration of Jesus. In Mark the event at Caesarea Philippi is seen as a watershed in the Gospel. From this point on Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, the cross and resurrection.

Peterson suggests that in these two events bring together the No and Yes that work together at the heart of spiritual theology.

In the event at Caesarea Philippi where Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ and then immediately objects when Jesus speaks about how Jesus describes what is to come. The challenge of Jesus at this point is vivid and stark - “ if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Following Jesus means not following the ways of the world. Peterson writes: “ No is a freedom word… the art of saying No sets us free to follow Jesus."

In the Transfiguration we hear the YES of God - this is my beloved son, listen to Him. Peterson writes – “ the word beauty does not occur in the story, but beauty is what the disciples experienced.”

“Climbing the mountain with Jesus means coming upon beauty that takes our breath away. Staying in the company of Jesus means contemplating his glory, listening in on this vast, intergenerational conversation consisting of law and prophet and gospel that takes place around Jesus, hearing the divine confirmation of revelation in Jesus….. Mark has set this story of glorious affirmation in immediate juxtaposition to his story of stern negation.”

Is Peterson highlighting two aspect of living the Christian life? There is the freedom to say ‘No’ to that which diverts us from following in the way of Jesus. There is also the beauty and the glory to be experienced in our astonished adoration at what God has done and does in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. In our response we say Yes to what God has done and is doing.

Peterson also points out that at both events Peter got it wrong. At Caesarea Philippi he tried to avoid the cross and suggested a better plan to Jesus and received the strongest of rebukes. On the mountain he tried to possess the glory and take over from Jesus by providing something hands on and practical.

Spiritual Theology must embrace the definitive No and glorious Yes of Jesus, crucified and risen.

Day 51

Back down to earth now after the ’12,000 mile service’ at the Mary & Martha Community in Devon. This is the diary of the week written from the point of view of the 2 old vehicles who made their way to Devon. We arrived on the Sunday evening to discover the ‘Service Centre’ was in a very rural location but yet was not that far from Exeter. Our garage for the week was very comfortable although it was called a Pig Pen. Throughout the week we were refuelled with good food. We also discovered that mobile phones could be left aside as there was no signal reception. The introduction to the week reminded us that ‘clergy shop talk’ was banned and that certainly curtailed the conversation to begin with. Only 12 other ‘vehicles’ were in for service and all were of an Anglican make.

Monday - a quiet day when the service personnel took time to look at each ‘vehicle’ individually. What did each one need and expect over the coming days. During the afternoon Annette and I had a pleasant meander along the Teign valley. The information suggested the walk should take an hour and a half. It took us two hours - engines obviously needing tuned.

In the evening we watched the film ‘The History Boys’ complete with popcorn.

The day ended with prayer in the lovely and simple Chapel.

Tuesday - a one to one with a member of the community after breakfast began the day. It was then into a workshop which involved ‘fun with words’. This mainly involved writing some poetry. Some of the poetry from within the group was very serious and impressive while some of the other poetry tried to strike a much lighter note. One of the Baptists got a fit of the giggles at one point - guess who?

This was our one wet day and so a quiet afternoon of reading and also a relaxing Jacuzzi proved very pleasant.

The day ended with some of the group watching the first episode of a new series of ‘Spooks’ on BBC 1. I will leave you to guess which one of the Baptists was there.

Wednesday - another one to one with a member of the community at the beginning of the day. The afternoon saw Alan on the massage table having a full bodywork massage - a new experience.

The evening was spent watching the film ‘Mrs Henderson presents’ - again with popcorn.

The day ended with prayers in the Chapel.

Thursday - the morning was taken up with an arts and crafts workshop. Painting, drawing and working with clay. It was great fun and reminded us both of school days. On a lovely afternoon we went on a led walk that took us up above the centre and gave some lovely views of the valley. A Devonshire Cream Tea awaited our arrival back at the Centre.

The evening began with a simple communion service which was followed by our final evening meal together.

Friday - breakfast and then our farewells.

The week passed very quickly and the tone set by the leaders of the Mary & Martha Community was just right. There was complete freedom to participate in what was organized or simply spend time quietly. Members of the Community were always available to chat and it was clear that we were there to be looked after. We enjoyed the company of the others too. At first we found the ‘no clergy shop talk’ rule a bit difficult but soon found much to talk about and lots to laugh about. Two of the vicars proved to be a fund of funny stories and kept us all amused at times.( if only I could now remember the jokes).

This certainly was a week’s retreat. It was a week for ourselves and we came away feeling thoroughly spoiled and refreshed and tuned for some more miles to be added to the clock.

From Devon we went to Stourbridge where we became granny and grampa and spent the weekend with the family before heading home on Sunday afternoon.

I managed to see a bit of the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday evening, but did not see anything of Rangers crushing Celtic earlier in the day.

Day 40

Finally got through Webster’s book on Holy Scripture. The final chapters continue with his reflection on the importance of Scripture and the fact that we are all pupils of it.

He quotes from the Geneva Catechism which in answer to the question, ‘How are we to use Scripture in order to profit by it?’ states –

‘By receiving it with the full consent of our conscience, as truth come down from heaven, submitting ourselves to it in right obedience, loving it with a true affection by having it imprinted on our hearts, we may follow it entirely and conform ourselves to it.’

What he was suggesting reminded me of the passage from Deuteronomy 6 that we most often use at services of thanksgiving and dedication –

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Webster also quotes Bonhoeffer – ‘ Holy Scripture is the living voice of God, and that living voice demands an attitude of ready submission and active compliance.’

Webster is also keen to stress that faithful reading of Scripture in the economy of grace is not the work of masters but of pupils in the school of Christ.

The author believes Theology is 'not a set of improvements on Scripture', but is rather 'most properly an invitation to read and reread Scripture, to hear and be caught up by Scripture's challenge to a repentant, non-manipulative heeding of God's Word'.

He ends his book with this prayer of John Calvin –

‘May the Lord grant that we may study the heavenly mysteries of his wisdom, maing true progress in religion to his glory and our upbuilding.’

No Blog for the next 8 days. We are off to the Society of Mary & Martha in Devon to be part of the ‘12000 mile service for ministers’ and also fit in a visit to friends on the way south and a visit to family on the way back north.

Day 39

I am still trying to get to grips with Webster’s book – Holy Scripture – a dogmatic sketch.

Again I have been irritated by his frequent use of Latin words, phrases and sentences!

But he is clearly placing a great emphasis on Scripture and reminds his readers that the church needs to be a ‘hearing church’ before it can be a ‘speaking church’.

He writes of the ‘canonisation’ of the Scriptures and clearly takes the view that the Scriptures as we have them are a matter of grace, part of the sphere of the Lordship of Christ( although he also suggests that they can become the ‘playground of human self will’).

He frequently quotes Barth who suggests –

“ If we believe that the Lord is mightier than the sin which indisputably reigns in the Church, if we believe that He is the victor in the struggle against grace which is indisputably widespread even in the Church, then we can count on it that a genuine knowledge and confession in respect to the Canon, and therefore a knowledge and confession of the genuine Canon, is not at least impossible in the Church, not because we have to believe in men, but because if we are not to give up our faith we have to believe in the miracle of grace.”

Today I have also been printing off posters for ‘The Journey of the Magi’ being performed on Saturday 8^th December. I hope the tickets will be snapped up over the coming month.

Day 37

Today I have been trying to put together thoughts and reflections from what I have read of Peterson’s 3 books on Spiritual Theology. There is no doubt that he puts an emphasis on the importance of Scripture - read and preached. As mentioned elsewhere he believes we should allow the Word of God to get into our bloodstream as it were. He believes that the ‘Bible when read pulls us into participation with God on his terms.’

While reflecting on this I came across this quote from St. John Chrysostom

Christ, in sending the [people] to the scriptures, sent them, not merely to read them, but carefully to search and ponder them. And did he not say, "Read the scriptures," but "Search the scriptures." ... Their meaning is not expressed superficially or set forth in their literal
sense, but, like a treasure, lies buried at a great depth. And those who seek for hidden things will not be able to find the object of the search if they do not seek carefully and painstakingly.
(Homily 41 (John 5:39-47), A.D. 390)

This took me to the book ‘Holy Scripture - A Dogmatic Sketch’ by Professor John Webster. This book is proving a challenging read and I do wish writers would not use Latin phrases in the midst of their work.( or perhaps I should wish I had paid more attention in the Latin class at school).

Here again the author stresses the importance of Scripture and at one point he writes –

“The definitive act of the church is faithful hearing of the Gospel of salvation announced by the risen Christ in the Spirit’s power through the service of Holy Scripture. As the creature of the divine Word, the church is the hearing church.”

How much attention do we pay to the Word in our own lives ? Are we part of a 'hearing church'?

Day 36

It has been a fairly quiet day after 2 hectic days with our grandchildren. Tidying up the study from the accumulation of paper was the first task followed by a few church things that needed to be done. This included the letter that will soon go out with regard to the Special Church Meeting on the 30th October - a meeting we need to hold in our prayers over the coming weeks.

I am now looking to get my thoughts together from the notes I have taken from Peterson's three books.


I am glad to say that the manse telephone is working again after a few calls to Virgin Media.





And I don't think I will mention football or rugby today :-(

Day 33

In the final three chapters of this book Peterson points out some of the other ways in which people might choose to live their lives.

He begins by suggesting two very different ways which were around in Jesus’ day and writes:

“When Jesus says, ‘Follow me’, and we follow, he rescues us from the ways that Herod used to depersonalize people so that he could use them to serve his ambition, reduce them to mere functions. And Jesus rescues us from the Pharisee way that depersonalizes language so that it can be precise and pure in order to define an identity that is separate from the ambiguities of the world’s ways, that avoids personal participation with others who may well contaminate us, that achieves truth by using language that avoids personal involvement and separates users not only from what is wrong in the world but also from the entirety of God’s creation and covenant.”

The way of Jesus was within a world of relationships.

We need to ‘pray our following of Jesus’ and he commends using the prayer of Mary - I am the servant of the Lord - let it be to me according to His word.(Luke 1:38) At that moment Mary was being given the most tremendous honour - and yet she responds as a servant, a slave.

The way of Jesus is not that way of power over people or a way that reduces people to a set of rules It is the way of life, the way of relationships where in the words of Auden: - ‘everything becomes a You and nothing is an it.’

Next he turns to the way in which priesthood had become highly secularized in Israel by the time of Jesus. Peterson writes:-

“When we come across someone like the High Priest Caiaphas it is easy to be harshly critical of religion as such, but especially of institutional religion. The widespread interest in what is often termed ‘spirituality’ is in some ways a result of the disillusionment and frustration with institutional religion. Much of this new spirituality avoids all the trappings of liturgy and finance, fundraising campaigns and buildings, ecclesiastical bu­reaucracies and councils making hair-splitting decisions on theology, legislating and domesticating the Spirit. This new spirituality sets itself in opposition to all that. It encourages us to explore our higher con­sciousness, cultivate beauty and awareness, find friends of like mind with whom we can converse and pray and travel. Spirituality is an in­ward journey to the depths of our souls. Spirituality is dismissive of doc­trines and building campaigns and formal worship and theologians.

There is something to be said for this, but not much. It is true that the world of religion is responsible for an enormous amount of cruelty and oppression, war and prejudice and hate, pomp and circumstance. Being religious does not translate across the board into being good or trustworthy. Religion is one of the best covers for sin of almost all kinds. Pride, anger, lust, and greed are vermin that flourish under the floorboards of religion. Those of us who are identified with institu­tions or vocations in religion can't be too vigilant. The devil does some of his best work behind stained glass.

We live at a time when there is a lot of this anti-institutionalism in the air. "I love Jesus but I hate the church" is a theme that keeps reap­pearing with variations in many settings.

So it is interesting to note that Jesus, who in abridged form is quite popular with the non-church crowd, was not anti-institutional. Jesus said "Follow me," and then regularly led his followers into the two primary religious institutional structures of his day: the syna­gogue and the temple. Neither institution was without its inadequa­cies, faults, and failures.

The author suggests that a spirituality that has no institutional structures or support very soon becomes self indulgent and subjective and one generational.

And finally he turns to what he describes as the way of Josephus. He was a first century Jew who could be described as the consummate opportunist who in his lifetime sided with both Jew and Roman.

The Early Church was living and growing at a time when Zealots sought freedom from Rome. A Zealot was a person whose entire identity was shaped by the conviction that God and only God demanded allegiance and that violence was legitimate, even required, against the oppressor, the evil.

The early Christians did not turn to violence to further the message.

Peterson reflects on whether it is possible to retain the energy, focus and zeal of the zealot without the violence( both violent actions and violent words).

He ends by writing:

Herod, Caiaphas, and Josephus, all three in their lifetimes, were more influential and more effective than Jesus. The three protest movements prominent during the years when Jesus was announcing the presence of God's kingdom and when his resurrection church was in formation — Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots — all attracted far more followers than did Jesus.

And here's the sobering thing: they still do. We are faced with this wonderful, or not-so-wonderful, irony: Jesus — most admired, most worshipped (kind of), most written about and least followed.
But in every generation a few do follow Jesus. They deny them­selves, they take up their cross, and they follow him. They lose their lives and save them — and along with their own, the lives of many, many others.

Now comes the task of trying to reflect on the message of these three books which are the beginning of 5 book series on Spiritual Theology.

But it is the weekend. Annette and I are off to Stourbridge tomorrow to see the family.

AND - the telephone at the manse is not working. I have reported the fault to Virgin Media and an engineer will be on the way as soon as possible( that might mean next Friday according to the person I spoke to on the phone! She also said that I would be telephoned before the engineer arrived. I am afraid I had to point out that this would be difficult because our phone was not working). If you ring the number you will hear the ringing tone but it is not connecting. Watch this space for more news next week.

Day 32

Into the conversation, Peterson now brings the one he calls the prophet of the exile.

He reminds us that:-

“the general consensus on the authorship of Isaiah is that the named prophet is responsible for chapters 1-39 of the book. An unnamed prophet during the exile picked up where the first Isaiah left off and continued the story (chapters 40-55). For convenience I call him simply the Prophet. Isaiah of Jerusalem preached a message of warning and judgment, unsuccessfully attempting to rouse the people from an idola­trous preoccupation with themselves. Their refusal to listen and repent and obey re­sulted in the devastation of the exile. Isaiah of the Exile, the Prophet, took up the task of comforting the people and leading them into an obedient life of trust and singing as salvation was worked out among them. A third, also unnamed, prophet is responsible for post-exilic messages (chapters 56-66). Given the three preachers and the stretch of time involved (in round numbers, two hundred years), most readers (this one at least) marvel at how wonderfully and congruently the parts flow together.

The prophet of the exile faced the task of recovering for his companions in exile a sense of the living, present God - the God of their salvation. The people had to realize that they were still God’s people and the story of God’s people was not going to fizzle out in the land of Babylon.

He preached good news and his sermon strategy comprised three elements –

1) providing images of God - especially the image of Creator and Saviour.
(creation is the theatre, covenant is the salvation played out in it).

2) exposing the idols of Babylon for what they are - ‘no gods’

3) recovering a sense of ‘our God’ rooted in history - a lived history grounded in creation. God works in us, but not in us abstracted from creation and history.

The powerful message is that ‘salvation is on the way’. But the way this would be achieved would be a surprise. It would happen through the ‘servant of the Lord’.

The 4 well known ‘servant songs’ in Isaiah are an important expression of the way in which salvation would come through the servant.

The first song (Isaiah 42:1-9) - the servant is chosen for a mission

The second song (Isaiah 49:1-7) - ‘formed in the womb’ - ‘the servant is no late-coming desperate attempt to save a failing enterprise.'

The third song (Isaiah 50:4-9) - the work of the servant is one of witness and preaching and it will be met with scorn and contempt

The fourth song (Isaiah 52:13ff) - the way will involve suffering and sacrifice and this is the chosen means of salvation. The Christian way is the way of the servant. Wonderfully all of this is beautiful, good.

Peterson sums this up -

“If we are to keep company with Isaiah 53 we have to radically revise our imaginations and memories in order to take it in - to see sacrifice, offering, weakness, suffering as essential and not as an option to salvation….. there is fathomless mystery at the heart of this.”

Day 31

In this chapter Peterson turns to Isaiah of Jerusalem and in particular describes the awesome experience of Isaiah in the Jerusalem Temple( Isaiah 6:1ff). Here Isaiah experience the ‘Holy’( which is a characteristic word for God in the book of Isaiah).

Peterson suggests that the holy is an interior fire, a passion for living in and for God, a capacity for exuberance in the presence of God. Yet in our culture the words holy and holiness are not often seen as positive, vibrant words that are full of life. In describing the experience of Isaiah in the Temple he reminds us that ‘holy, holy, holy’ is not Christian needlepoint - holiness is dangerous, exhilarating.

The author notes the experience of Moses at the burning bush and John in exile on the island of Patmos and suggests that we need all of Scripture, all of history, all of experience to provide us with a horizon large enough in order to take it in. Isaiah is not simply a spectator in the Temple - he was a participant. We too need to enter into the experience. Peterson notes the sequence of what happened in the Temple and suggests that this sequence is significant –

It begins with a deep sense of inadequacy( ‘woe is me’) - opens into mercy and forgiveness( God’s primary work is forgiveness not condemnation) - and moves into consecration in response to the word that God speaks. We note that Isaiah was not coerced into accepting the call. He was invited.

Peterson notes that in our reading of Isaiah 6 we most often stop at verse 8. But the vision in the Temple and the word which followed are aspects of one revelation.

He suggests that Isaiah, despite being a great preacher, was a conspicuous failure. He preached powerfully for 40 years and no one it seemed listened..

The words that follow on from Isaiah 6:9 give the answer. The holy is not a marketable God. Isaiah had to preach in the terms that God had revealed to him. He was preaching to a people wanted a God they could serve on their terms.

The Assyrians would indeed invade and conquer the land and the image given here is of a forest of tree stumps. The trees have been felled and all that is left are the stumps. But there is a message of hope - ‘the holy seed is its stump’(Isa 6:13). It is the seed from which salvation will grow( Isaiah 11:1-2 - a shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse).

Once again Peterson is suggesting that we cannot manipulate God or work ourselves into some experience of the Holy. The holy is not that which we can market or produce or control on our terms. We, like Isaiah( and Moses and John on Patmos) can only respond.

Peterson ends the chapter by answering the question as to why both Jesus and Paul quoted from Isaiah 6 to account for the brick wall that they hit as they preached and taught the Way. Did they quote from Isaiah as a way of telling those who are following Jesus that there is no way to eliminate the Holy from the way of Jesus… to make clear to insider and outsider alike that, inconvenient as it is, baffling as it is, disappointing as it is to anyone who was expecting the way to be paved with consumer rewards, the Holy is non negotiable.

Does that take us back to the experience of Jesus in the wilderness temptations?

And I am sure you would expect me to mention last night's amazing result from the Champions League - Lyon 0 - 3 Rangers :-)))

Day 30

Into this conversation, Peterson, introduces Elijah. He quotes the great Scottish preacher Alexander Whyte:

“The prophet Elijah towers up like a mountain in Gilead above all the other prophets. There is a solitary grandeur about Elijah that is all his own….. He was a Mount Sinai of a man, with a heart like a thunderstorm.”

The basis of this chapter lies in the fact that Elijah was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom at a time when Ahab was king and under him and his Queen, Jezebel, the worship of Baal had become the ‘official’ religion. The life of the prophet Elijah is told primarily in the context of his conflict with the King and Queen and the whole cult of Baal. Peterson put the crux of the matter like this – “Will Israel (the Northern Kingdom) live under the blessing and command of Yahweh – who had formed her as a people of God, had delivered her from Egyptian slavery, had given her a land flowing with milk and honey and rivers of love and justice - in worshipful awe and wonder? Or will she descend into the orgiastic world of sex and religion, the moral cesspool of self-indulgence sweeping from King Ahab’s arrogant temple of Baal and obscene image of Asherah into all the villages of the ten tribes?.” This conflict leads Peterson on to write some quite startling words about worship. For example –

“While the prophetic accusation of harlotry has literal reference to the sacred prostitution of the Baal cult, it is also a metaphor that extends its meaning into the entire theology of worship, worship that seeks fulfillment through self expression, worship that accepts the needs, desires and passions of the worshipper as its baseline………Baalism reduces worship to the spiritual stature of the worshipper. Its cannons are that it should be interesting, relevant and exciting - that ‘I get something out of it.’

Authentic worship means being present to the living God who penetrates the whole of human life.

He suggests that the phrase ‘let’s have a worship experience’ is the Baalistic perversion of ‘let us worship God’.

He believes that worship is not something we experience, it is something we do, regardless of how we feel about it. The experience develops out of the worship, not the other way round. Worship is the response to God’s word in the context of the community of God’s people.

Peterson suggests that so often we are faced with a choice - deal with God or with an image of God. When we are faced with that choice, so often we go for the image - an image of God customized to our requirements. An image is impersonal and we don’t have to have any relationship with what is impersonal.

He reckons that the essence of the way of Elijah is that it counters the world’s way, the culture’s way.

By the end of this chapter there quite a few thoughts running round in my head. Have we slipped into a way of thinking about worship as centred on ourselves and not on God? Is our aim be to make worship ‘interesting, relevant and exciting’ in order that we get ‘something out of it’. Do we so often come to worship with a misplaced focus on ourselves and our own needs and feelings? How much does the culture of the day actually shape what we do and what we think?

I will end this comment with the final words of Peterson in this chapter –

‘Elijah and his vast company of prophets, by now centuries deep and worldwide, train us in discerning the difference between the ways of the world and the ways of Jesus, keeping us present to the presence of God.’

Day 29

In his reflection on ‘The Jesus way’ Peterson turns to the Old Testament and draws insights into living the ‘the Jesus way’.

From the story of Abraham he reflects on the great patriarch taking his son, Isaac, to offer him as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah in obedience to a command from God. It is a story that is difficult to fully comprehend, but thankfully has a happy ending. Peterson makes the point that Abraham’s life was one of repeated sacrifices. The testing on Mount Moriah is ‘embedded in a life of faith and unbelief, obedience and disobedience, horizontal travel and vertical prayer’. The question that Peterson suggests arises from this story is, ‘are we using God or letting God use us?’ ‘Is God a mystery of goodness whom we embrace and trust or is God a formula for getting the most out of life on our terms?’ On the Jesus way, our faith is bound to be tested and tried. How will we react to such tests and trials, remembering Paul’s encouraging words at 1 Corinthians 10:23?

Peterson draws the final words of Moses into this conversation. Here it is back again to the importance of words. Moses' words on the plains of Moab were his final words to the people he had led through the wilderness. He would not go into the promised land with them. Peterson suggests that a healthy community needs a healthy language and he notes the communal nature of these words. These words are of and for a community of faith. From within the words Peterson notes the use of names, rooting the language in the personal. He also points out the use of story and suggests that a name is like a seed germinating into story and as he continually stresses, a story invites us to participate.

Peterson then goes on to suggest that ‘perfectionism’ is a most ruinous deviation from the way Jesus. He even calls it a ‘perversion of the Christian way’! He considers that this is made clear in the life of David who was from a start to finish far from perfect. He describes David as ‘a complicated character, a labyrinth of ambiguities and not a model for imitation.’ But his story is one of God working with the raw material of life. Peterson particularly reflects on 7 penitential Psalms and suggest that in them we catch a glimpse of the ‘inside story of David’s life’.

Sin does not disqualify us from ‘being on the way’. But it does make life more complicated for us and for others. Sin needs to be dealt with by God.

I struggled a bit with this chapter. For there is the danger, of course, that we begin to make excuses for our conduct - it is the way I am or we think it acceptable to behave in certain ways. The life of David contains some spectacular moral lapses which are certainly not to be admired or used to excuse our conduct.

But ‘perfectionism’ can drive a wedge between ourselves and others( those who are obviously in our view not as ‘spiritual’ or ‘committed’ or ‘ knowledgeable’ as we are). I think that is a major part of what Peterson is driving at here.

Surprisingly he doesn’t draw in the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5:48, ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ Words which might seem to contradict what he is suggesting. A broad range of scholars point out that the word ‘perfect’ is a word that means ‘ mature, fit for purpose, fulfilling the purpose for which a person or an object is created’. New Testament scholars also point out that it is vital to note that the words of Jesus here come in a section where he is reminding his hearers of the gracious love of God for all people.

I think the words of Walter Wink express what Jesus was driving at in this startling saying –

"Placed in its context within the rest of the paragraph, Jesus’ saying about behaving like God becomes abundantly clear. We are not to be perfect, but, like God, all- encompassing, loving even those who have least claim or right to our love.

Jesus does not call for “wholeness,” though that would have been a better translation than “perfect.” For wholeness places all the focus on us, and Jesus points us away from ourselves to love our enemies. All-inclusive love is his goal, even if broken, contaminated by elements of our own unredeemed shadow, intermittent.

Jesus is not urging us to a perfection of being in ourselves, but to abandon all dreams of perfection and to embrace those we believe are least perfect, least deserving and most threatening to our lives. And we are to embrace all of that within ourselves as well."

Much food for thought!