Author: Chris Jefferies

I live in the west of England, worked in IT, and previously in biological science.

Image of the day – 77

This looks like a window that would invite you in if you were a friend, but sternly resist if you were trying to break in or up to no good!

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every two days (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

(I plan to return to some more images from our Irish holiday for a while, before getting back to more Cirencester images in the near future.)

Click to enlarge

I felt I really had to share this delightful little farmhouse window with you. Donna had booked an AirBNB near Castlewellan and it was right next to the farmhouse across a little, cobbled yard.

I love the heavy, stone construction and the little wooden frame – so rustic, so pretty, and a young conifer is trying to get in on the act in the lower left corner. This looks like a window that would invite you in if you were a friend, but sternly resist if you were trying to break in or up to no good! I’ve never before thought of windows as having personalities – but this one certainly does!


Images from our Irish holiday 2024

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Irish holiday images:

28th Jul – Welsh Botanic Garden, Robin, Fishguard
29th Jul – Wicklow Mts, Glendalough, Powerscourt, Rose, Greystones
30th Jul – Liffey, Temple Bar, St Patrick’s Cathedral
31st Jul – Newgrange, Battle of the Boyne
1st Aug – Monasterboice, Mourne, Thrift, Window
2nd Aug – Spelga Dam, Hydrangea, Pipework, Lough Neagh
3rd Aug – Coagh, Springhill, Portrush
4th Aug – Beach at Portrush
5th Aug – Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, Portrush

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Outward and integrated-1

If we let him, Jesus will take us first into mission and then into new church life, shaped as he wants it to be. And this will be different depending on whether we live in France or Fiji, inner city or village, or among the poor or rich.

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This article is an updated extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. This time we make a start on the third forgotten way.

Once we are growing as apprentices (disciples), we will quickly realize that there are other steps to be taken. We are not only to be apprentices, we’re also to make more apprentices. On the one hand this is about being mission minded (Matthew 28:19), a people who are always going out into the world. On the other hand it’s about being embedded in the culture around us, a people who are deeply involved (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

Mission is far more than just a church activity because it’s based on Father’s constant intention to mend and restore creation. We often try to attract or even cajole the world into coming to what we are doing, but Father sends us out. Drawing people in separates them from their culture and friends; to catch lots of fish we must put out to sea where the fish live, not just sit on the pier with a rod and line trying to hook them onto dry land.

Get stuck right in with the business of making disciples and growing in discipleship. (Acts 14:21-22) Don’t wait. Be active right from the start. Then reflect together, pray together and celebrate what Jesus is doing amongst you and around you. What went well? What might have been done better? What can you learn?

Discuss – Think about how you might share in a culture in order to reach
the people there. How fully present will you be among the people you want
to reach? Do you know who they are yet?

Doing it Jesus’ way

Be wary of reforming people, persuading them to wear different clothes, eat different food or change their customs, culture and language. This won’t reveal Christ to them! If you claim to represent Jesus, they will assume that he is like you. Jesus came to live among the ordinary people of Judea and Galilee and he expects us to live among the people around us and identify with them; this demands that we go deep, something Paul understood and practised (1 Corinthians 9:19–23). Jesus shows us how to do it, he ate with Pharisees and tax collectors. He was fully present. He came as a servant and he shared the good news. It’s completely astounding that the Almighty Creator of the universe lived as a man among the village folk of Galilee for thirty years – and nobody noticed! That shows us how deeply he involved himself in the local culture, he became invisible.

Jesus is our example for going out and going deep. These two activities work together so that the gospel (good news) and the church (the gospel people) become firmly embedded in the local community. Rapid expansion is not going to happen any other way. We need to understand that knowing Jesus more deeply will lead us into both going out (Luke 10:1-4) and going deep (Luke 10:5-7). That will affect what church looks like in the place where we live. If we let him, Jesus will take us first into mission and then into new church life, shaped as he wants it to be. And this will be different depending on whether we live in France or Fiji, inner city or village, or among the poor or rich.

Discuss or consider – Will you identify with people as you find them, or will you bring your own culture with you as if that, too, is part of the good news? Jesus came in weakness, he came to give up his life. Talk about what that might mean for you as you follow him.

Getting out there

Getting close to the people we want to connect with is something we can plan for. Living in the locality is a good start. Find out where people gather and go there regularly (Acts 16:13-16, Acts 17:17), if possible go in pairs or small groups. Cafes, sports clubs, pubs, the market place and local parks are all good places to choose. Use these places for your planning meetings and discussions. Walk your dog regularly and get to know the people you meet on the way, take books and study material to the library or a local cafe and read there. Join local clubs and societies that interest you. The more often you are in the same place at the same time the more likely you are to meet the same people and get to know them.

You will need to make space for this in a busy life. Good relationships grow informally over time so be available for that to happen. Stay longer to talk; be willing to go somewhere else when a friend needs help. Make time at weekends when most people relax; simplify and streamline your life to make this possible. reduce the time you spend planning and meeting as a group or church so that you can be more available in the local community.

Be creative and try as many new ideas as you can. A good way to start random conversations with people is to offer them something they don’t expect. Take a container of cupcakes to give away, or hot soup in the winter. Ask people to choose their favourite photo from a folder and then give it to them to take home. You’ll be surprised how open people can be when you do things like this. As you read the gospels, notice how Jesus engaged people.

Ask yourselves questions such as – Where do people gather? Where do they find meaning and identity? Where is the Lord already working? How can I join in? What does good news look like to these people? Think about the groups of people you are being called to reach. Make friends with local influencers and leaders, people who are spiritually open and have good reputations. Again, in the gospels, notice where Jesus went and who he talked with.

Discuss or consider – Talk about some ways you might go out taking love and good news with you. What groups of people do you think you might reach? Think of things that will work among those people. What would be good news for them? Write down these ideas so you can refer back to them later. Take time to pray about it before moving on with the next section.

See also:

Discipleship – Dave Gibbons, Verge

More sections of JDMC

Introduction – JDMC, what does it contain? – Using JDMC – how to approach it

Working together in six ways – Intro and Way 1 – Ways 2, 3 and 4 – Ways 5 and 6, six ways

Way One, Jesus at the centre – Jesus at centre 1 – Jesus at centre 2 – Jesus at centre 3

Way Two, Becoming disciples – Disciples 1 – Disciples 2 – Disciples 3

Way Three, Outward and integrated – OutAndInt1, OutAndInt2

Way Four, Gifts for building – GiftsForBuilding1, GiftsForBuilding2

Way Five, A living organism – LivingOrg1, LivingOrg2

More sections will appear here…

The work of the Spirit – Intro – Jesus, disciples, outward – Gifts, living, community, help

Other church leaders – Intro, bishops, elders – Deacons, pastors, priests

Last words – The end can also be the beginning

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Read the book

This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 21 and 22. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk

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If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Image of the day – 76

Chesterton, Stratton and the Beeches areas stand on slightly higher ground. For this reason, the church tower is visible from the distance wherever the view is not blocked by woodland or buildings.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every two days (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

(I’ve posted 22 photos of Cirencester recently; I’m going to choose some other topics for a while and will return to images of the town later.)

Click to enlarge

The Parish Church of John Baptist towers (no pun intended) over the rooftops of other buildings in Cirencester in this image. The photo was taken looking east from the top of one of the grassy banks covering the Roman Amphitheatre. The honey-coloured Cotswold stone glows in low, January sunlight from the south.

In the background you can see the low hills that surround the town in most directions; the town itself lies on the lower area where the Churn approaches the Thames, but this lower area is small. The Roman town of Corinium was entirely on flatter land (apart from the amphitheatre); but the modern town has spread further, so Chesterton, Stratton and the Beeches areas stand on slightly higher ground. For this reason, the church tower is visible from the distance wherever the view is not blocked by woodland or buildings.

Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

A417 roadworks, Advent Market, Bishops Walk, Baunton, Canal 1, 2, Castle Street, Christmas lights 1, 2, Church 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Churn flood, Countryside, Fallen tree, Fleece, Gasworks, Gloucester Street, Hare 1, 2, Hospital, Market Place 1, Phoenix Fest, Riverside Walk, Stone plaque, Stratton Meadow, Tank traps, View, Wonky 1, 2, Yellow Iris

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

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Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Becoming disciples-3

There’s a real need to put what you are learning into practice. It needs to move from being head knowledge to being something you do.

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This article is an extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly one percent of the book. This is the third part of the second forgotten way.

Be active from the start and stay active

Get stuck right in with the business of making disciples and growing in discipleship. (Acts 14:21-22) Don’t wait. Be active right from the start. Then reflect together, pray together and celebrate what Jesus is doing amongst you and around you. What went well? What might have been done better? What can you learn?

Keep going around this loop – action, reflection – action, reflection – do and grow. This can be very helpful, giving people a chance to experiment and learn about strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Some experiments may work out, others may not. You might find a coach in another group that has already been through this learning process; you might avoid known pitfalls and pick up useful ideas and tips. Do remember, though, that coaching may be helpful but is by no means essential. A small group of people and the Holy Spirit together will always do well.

Discuss or consider – Do you see the value of reflecting on your successes and failures? Have you started doing this yet?

Keeping up the momentum

Don’t lose what you have discovered in this part of the guide. Spend time praying about how you should respond (Matthew 6:6-8); listen to the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). Write down what you hear from him and record any significant thoughts, ideas or plans you have. And spread the benefits; if you found this session useful, encourage others to try it too. (If you’re unfamiliar with purposefully listening to the Spirit, read The work of the Spirit and then
return here.)

As with every section of this guide, there’s a real need to put what you are learning into practice. It needs to move from being head knowledge to being something you do. In fact, it will work much better the other way round; begin with some doing and the head knowledge will gradually crystallise.

So don’t spend too much time theorising and planning. Make some simple choices and get started. There are some ideas in the notes above, and there are some in the sources listed below. But often, the most relevant ideas may be those you think up for yourselves.

Discuss or consider – Is anything holding you back? If so identify it and deal with it. If not, go and make a start on the activities you decided on!

See also:
More sections of JDMC

Introduction – JDMC, what does it contain? – Using JDMC – how to approach it

Working together in six ways – Intro and Way 1 – Ways 2, 3 and 4 – Ways 5 and 6, six ways

Way One, Jesus at the centre – Jesus at centre 1 – Jesus at centre 2 – Jesus at centre 3

Way Two, Becoming disciples – Disciples 1 – Disciples 2 – Disciples 3

Way Three, Outward and integrated – OutAndInt1, OutAndInt2

Way Four, Gifts for building – GiftsForBuilding1, GiftsForBuilding2

Way Five, A living organism – LivingOrg1, LivingOrg2

More sections will appear here…

The work of the Spirit – Intro – Jesus, disciples, outward – Gifts, living, community, help

Other church leaders – Intro, bishops, elders – Deacons, pastors, priests

Last words – The end can also be the beginning

< Previous | Index | Next >

Read the book

This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 19 and 20. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Image of the day – 75

As you might expect, in addition to the music there’s a selection of vans serving food and drink, and the event has a relaxed, family atmosphere.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every two days (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

Click to enlarge

Yes – This, too, is Cirencester! this is the annual Phoenix Festival, held in the Abbey Grounds right next to the Parish Church. The Phoenix is an old Cirencester emblem, and the name seemed a natural one.

Saxon forces defeated Romano-Britons in the year 577 CE and the old Roman town of Corinium was sacked and destroyed. Cirencester rose from the ashes like the Phoenix and this might be the reason for the association; but there are other plausible explanations.

However that might be, the Phoenix Festival is popular locally and is free of charge. As you might expect, in addition to the music there’s a selection of vans serving food and drink, and the event has a relaxed, family atmosphere. It’s held on two consecutive days in late August. See you there next year?

Oh, by the way, Cirencester’s Phoenix Festival is not to be confused with the Phoenix Festival once held annually near Stratford-on-Avon. That festival was a rival to Glastonbury, very big with world-class bands and notorious for crowd troubles and bad behaviour.

Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

A417 roadworks, Advent Market, Bishops Walk, Baunton, Canal 1, 2, Castle Street, Christmas lights 1, 2, Church 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Churn flood, Countryside, Fallen tree, Fleece, Gasworks, Gloucester Street, Hare 1, 2, Hospital, Market Place 1, Phoenix Fest, Riverside Walk, Stone plaque, Stratton Meadow, Tank traps, View, Wonky 1, 2, Yellow Iris

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

< Previous | Index | Next >

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Where is Mr Trump going?

I’d like to invite my readers to watch this Times Radio video of US ex-General Ben Hodges giving an opinion.

I’m not going to write very much or give any thoughts here, though I might come back in a few days to review and comment on feedback from my readers. If so, I’ll share some of my own thoughts at that time.

Instead, I’d just like to invite you to watch this Times Radio video (less than 14 minutes) of US ex-General Ben Hodges giving an opinion on what is going on with Donald Trump as we draw very close to the US Presidential Election.

So here we go; watch the video and please do leave your thoughts in a comment.

And in case you want to check on the word ‘fascism’, here’s the Wikipedia article on that topic.

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Image of the day – 74

Beyond the lock is a canal basin, currently just an area of grass at a lower level than its surroundings. And beyond the basin is the bridge that featured in an earlier image.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every two days (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

Click to enlarge

We return to the village of Siddington for today’s image, just a couple of miles south of Cirencester. You can see the brick-built remains of a canal lock, part of a ladder of four locks at this point. Beyond the lock is a canal basin, currently just an area of grass at a lower level than its surroundings. And beyond the basin is the bridge that featured in Image of the day 61.

Although derelict right now, work to improve things has already begun here. Trees growing in the canal bed are being cut down, the towpath is getting some basic care such as filling holes and repairing serious erosion. Down in the western part of the canal in Stroud the section connecting to the Stroudwater Canal is in water and navigable; and within the next two or three years the Stroudwater itself will be connected to the rest of Britain’s canal network at Saul Junction near the River Severn. Focus is moving now to Lechlade in the east where the canal joins the River Thames, and also to the area in the Cotswold Water Park, near South Cerney and Latton. As the Lechlade section develops further, boats will be able to access the canal from both ends, but it will be decades before it becomes possible to travel the entire length by boat.

Check out my articles on walking the canal towpath, and why not walk a section yourself?

Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

A417 roadworks, Advent Market, Bishops Walk, Baunton, Canal 1, 2, Castle Street, Christmas lights 1, 2, Church 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Churn flood, Countryside, Fallen tree, Fleece, Gasworks, Gloucester Street, Hare 1, 2, Hospital, Market Place 1, Phoenix Fest, Riverside Walk, Stone plaque, Stratton Meadow, Tank traps, View, Wonky 1, 2, Yellow Iris

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

< Previous | Index | Next >

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

Cicero, feared or liked?

Cicero pointed all this out most eloquently. As a philosopher he thought things through carefully and deeply and then expressed his ideas clearly, giving plenty of reasons and examples.

The great Roman orator, lawyer, politician, philosopher and author, Cicero has left us a great legacy. He wrote on many topics that are as relevant today as they were when he dictated them to his trusted slave, Tiro.

Tiro was a gifted and hard working person in his own right – he invented a form of shorthand and left a good deal of written material that has survived. He was given his freedom by Cicero but chose to continue working for him. One piece of work dictated by Cicero concerns the good and bad motives people may have. He considered how becoming feared and becoming liked can both bring benefits, but the first is dangerous while the second is not.

When a person is feared, they may find a wide circle of supporters to do their bidding. Think in terms of Vladimir Putin, generally the people around him do his bidding because they do not wish to fall from a high window or drink poisonous tea. There are plenty of people who have died or nearly died because they have crossed Putin in some way – from Sergei Skripal to Yevgeny Prigozhin. Many political opponents have died while imprisoned. Examples like these cause others in Putin’s circle to be carefully obedient. Yet Putin himself is always in danger and must live under a permanent cloud, fearful that at any moment he will be toppled from power and most likely be murdered in the process.

On the other hand, live a life in which you are surrounded by friends who love you because of your kindness and thoughtfulness, and you will also have a wide circle to work with you and for you, but you will have far fewer anxieties, fears, and sleepless nights.

Cicero pointed all this out most eloquently. As a philosopher he thought things through carefully and deeply and then expressed his ideas clearly, giving plenty of reasons and examples. What Cicero must have realised (but did not express) is that most of us, most of the time, are feared by some yet liked by others. Cicero himself was no exception. He had political enemies and was murdered by the roadside as he attempted to flee from Italy.

There are three ways to learn more about Cicero, and it’s well worth doing so. Many of his arguments are as interesting and useful today as they were two thousand years ago (we would write 2000, Tiro would have written MM).

One way is to read Cicero’s writings for yourself. Much has been lost no doubt, but much has been preserved too – often thanks, in part, to Tiro. A second way is to read what historians and commentators have written about him. The third way, and perhaps the one that is most fun, is to read Robert Harris’s famous and fascinating Cicero trilogy. Yes, it’s fiction; but it’s skillfully woven around what we know of the characters portrayed.

See also:

Image of the day – 73

Of course, non-local companies are far, far better than empty shops. Cirencester has fewer empty shops than most towns; and we do have a good proportion of small, local businesses springing up all the time.

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What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye.

I’m posting an image every two days (or as often as I can). A photo, an image from the internet, a diagram or a map. Whatever takes my fancy.

Click to enlarge

This shop was Stradlings when I was a child. It was a watch, clock and jewellery business and had been a clock maker at one time. If you enlarge the image you will see a clock between two first floor windows on the left. That clock is marked ‘Stradling maker Cirencester’, a relic and reminder of times past.

Businesses come and businesses go, that is normal, it has always happened. But something has changed dramatically in Cirencester as in towns across the county (and indeed much of the world). And it’s this – many of the incoming businesses are branches of large companies, often with little local knowledge or experience.

Of course, non-local companies are far, far better than empty shops. Cirencester has fewer empty shops than most towns; and we do have a good proportion of small, local businesses springing up all the time, especially restaurants, coffee shops and so forth. But the trend is clear, especially when you take the long view. I’m 76-years-old, but as a child almost every business seemed to be local. Perhaps the biggest exceptions were banks and building societies. Sometimes, it’s even in the names, ‘Nationwide’ is indeed a nation-wide building society!

But despite all this, many of the old names, like Stradlings, have left visible mark that can still be seen if you look closely enough. The old clock is still on the wall – a clock made in Cirencester! Not far from Cotswold Contemporary, the current owners of the clock, you’ll find an old sign above a shop front on the same side of the street. There are no words, just a black teapot and a cup and saucer. If you are ever in Cirencester Market Place, see if you can spot it, another emblem of the past. I won’t mention the current name of the shop, that would make it far too easy; but I will say that back in the day it was Anne’s Pantry. They sold little cakes, dainties and pastries to take away, or you could take a table inside for a cup of tea.

If you find the teapot or have memories of Cirencester to share, leave a comment.

Cirencester

For convenience, here’s a list of all the Cirencester area images:

A417 roadworks, Advent Market, Bishops Walk, Baunton, Canal 1, 2, Castle Street, Christmas lights 1, 2, Church 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Churn flood, Countryside, Fallen tree, Fleece, Gasworks, Gloucester Street, Hare 1, 2, Hospital, Market Place 1, Phoenix Fest, Riverside Walk, Stone plaque, Stratton Meadow, Tank traps, View, Wonky 1, 2, Yellow Iris

Themed image collections

The links below will take you to the first post in each collection

Cirencester, Favourites, Irish holiday 2024, Roman villa

< Previous | Index | Next >

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!

John 15:9-17 – Love and fruit

This joyful, loving relationship we have with Jesus is so important. In these verses Jesus stresses it by repetition. He wants to see joyfulness in our lives, he wants his joy to find a welcome in our lives.

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Bible text – Read it yourself (opens in a new tab)

A fragment of John’s gospel
(Wikimedia)

At this point Jesus begins talking about love. It always helps, when explaining something, to have an illustration or example; Jesus needs an example of his love for his followers, so he says, ‘I’ve loved you the same way the Father has loved me’. There’s such a lot in that simple statement!

But the disciples had evidence of the Father’s love for the Son going far beyond words alone; the love was affirmed by powerful action. They had seen the sick being healed, the dead raised to life and evil spirits thrown out. Oh yes, he had the affection of the Father, and now Jesus tells them that he loves them like that, too! Notice how remaining in the love depends on obeying the commands. It’s not that the love is taken away in the absence of obedience, but the absence of obedience is the same thing as walking away from the source of the love. So his followers have a part to play as well, they are to ‘Stay in his love’. They are to stay close, not wander off but to stay in that place of affection.

It begins and ends with love

This joyful, loving relationship we have with Jesus is so important. In these verses Jesus stresses it by repetition. He wants to see joyfulness in our lives, he wants his joy to find a welcome in our lives. He’s explained this clearly and now, in verse 12 he shows how simple it is. The command that must be obeyed if we are to remain in him and his joy in us is not hard and it’s not complicated or demanding – just love one another, please!

And the greatest and fullest love imaginable is to be more concerned for one another than for our own existence! In verses 14 and 15 Jesus brings us right back to the need for obedience yet again, and it’s not an obedience like that of servants or slaves. We are fully informed, he calls the disciples (and us) his friends, not his servants. Our place is not to serve Christ, but to be his friends. I’m sure you appreciate the difference. We’re helping out one of our mates, not scraping and bowing to an imperial boss!

Getting the job done

Sometimes we are told that people in the world need to ‘choose Christ’, that they need to ‘make a decision for Christ’. Yet Jesus clearly sees it very differently, he tells us here that he chooses us, not the other way around. We are right to share the good news about Jesus, to explain to people that peace and joy and freedom are found in him. But we don’t need to persuade people to make a choice. Jesus makes the choice. We never, never need to browbeat anyone, our task is just to introduce one of our friends. Hey, this is Jesus, say ‘Hi’ to the best friend I have, he’d like to get to know you better.

We do have a job though, and introducing Jesus might well be an important part of it. We were chosen to bear lasting fruit, and if we ask Papa for something, he’ll provide it. He’s always willing because he sees us as one of his Son’s friends – he loves the Son and he loves his Son’s willing mates and helpers. It’s all about relationship, is it not? What we do counts for little, who we are counts for everything! Without Jesus I can do – nothing! But I can do everything in Christ.

And finally, Jesus reminds them one more time, ‘Love one another’. He knows how easily we forget!

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Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!