Jargon and the Holy Spirit

It’s not about hearing a voice or seeing an image, it’s simply trusting that the Holy Spirit will inhabit the thoughts you are having and that it’s OK to express them.

People have a way of jargonising more or less anything (is that even a word? – well, it is now!). We need to understand the value and the dangers of inventing and using jargon. It may be convenient, but it can also be quite misleading. This is just as true for the Spirit as it is for more or less anything else. Over the centuries people have used jargon to streamline conversations, but latching onto words can obscure meaning.

What does the Bible say?

When it comes to Jesus followers and the Holy Spirit we need to be alert to the difficulties jargon can introduce. What do we really mean when we talk (or write) about the Holy Spirit’s presence in our meetings? As usual we need to see what the Bible and particularly the New Testament has to say and then take a careful look at how church has dealt with ideas that have sometimes seemed difficult. Here are a few New Testament quotes:

  • Matthew 3:11 – [Jesus] will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire: In other words, he will ‘drench’ you in the Holy Spirit and Father’s presence!
  • Mark 13:11 – Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit: Don’t try to process it or understand it, just say it.
  • Luke 1:15 – he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. You don’t need to be older than an unborn child to be filled with the Spirit.
  • Luke 1:67 – Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied. Whatever prophecy is, if you’re filled with the Holy Spirit you can do it.
  • Luk2:26 – It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that… The Holy Spirit can show us what we don’t already know.
  • Luke 10:21 – Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit… He can fill you with joy.
  • John 14:26 – … the Holy Spirit … will teach you all things and will remind you of everything. You will know and remember everything that matters.
  • John 20:22 – [Jesus] breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’. Receiving the Holy Spirit is like receiving life! Yahweh breathed on Adam in the same way and he became a living being.

Those are some verses I picked from the gospels, but there are plenty more New and Old Testament references to the Holy Spirit’s nature and activities. Given those quotes, think about what the Holy Spirit has done for you (has done, not will do, and not might do):

He has thoroughly drenched and saturated you, he gives you what you need when you need it, you are certainly as capable as any unborn child, you are prophetic, he’s shown you things you didn’t already know, he’s filled you with joy, he’s taught you and reminded you, he’s made you fully alive.

The problem with jargon

Let’s think for a moment about the things people say about the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. Here are some examples with my translations and suggestions what to do. (Jargon always needs translating, and what to do should be simple and easy.)

I had a word or I have a prophecy – I have a sense that the Holy Spirit wants me to say something. – No need to announce it, wait for a pause and just say it. Sometimes, once you start to speak more will come as you go along, if so keep speaking, but if not that’s fine too.

I have a vision or I have a picture – I had a thought about a hill, or a scarecrow, or a crashing wave, or an alligator, or a king on a bike. – Wait for a pause and just describe it; if you don’t know what it means, perhaps somebody else does. Don’t worry about that, but share what you have been given whether it’s a little or a lot.

Let’s sing… or We should sing… – I have a hunch this song will be useful at this point. – If you are brave enough, simply begin singing, or humming the tune, if not, ask if others know the song, if there’s someone there with a musical instrument they might be able to start, or break in and restart if the key was wrong.

Let’s turn to the passage xyz – There’s something quite relevant in the Bible. – Just read the verses and briefly explain why they’re relevant or outline what you’ve just thought about them. Try not to use up too much time (don’t preach a sermon).

Speaking in a tongue – These sounds are buzzing around in my mind and I think I should speak them out. – No need to say what you’re about to do, just start when there’s a gap. As with the prophetic words, once you start it’s quite likely that more will follow. Someone may interpret what you say, but if not, be prepared to step in and say something yourself. If you only have a short and simple interpretation that’s fine; let others have the chance first and if a long silence opens up, then say something even if it’s brief.

Let’s pray or Let’s turn to the Lord in prayer – A prayer is jiggling around in my head, wanting to come out. – Start to pray when you sense a suitable gap. Avoid being over-long, you will know when to stop with an, ‘Amen’ or a ‘Thank you, Father’ or just silence.

Interpret a tongue – I feel I should share what I’m thinking after hearing that. – It might be praise, or explanation, or like a translation. But however it starts, just go for it. The Holy Spirit wants someone to speak so that everything is done in an orderly way. Someone should say something in English and it might as well be you!

Sing in the Spirit – I just have to sing with unknown words; I can’t express what I feel any other way. – This can be delightful to hear, especially when several or all the people join in. It’s often very uplifting and feels like praise or worship; unlike tongues, nobody needs to interpret. I remember one occasion when I sang like this and after a pause of several seconds, somebody else sang the interpretation. That was amazing, but it’s just fine without.

The important thing here is not that we avoid jargon, but that we recognise it for what it is and don’t allow it to intimidate us. Remember that whatever words or phrases we use, it’s just labelling aspects of people expressing how they feel. It’s not about hearing a voice or seeing an image, it’s simply trusting that the Holy Spirit will inhabit the thoughts you are having and that it’s OK to express them.

I think the intimidation comes from the lack of transparency brought along by the jargon. There’s a sense of mystery when we hear, ‘speaking in a tongue’, ‘having a vision’, ‘interpretation’ or ‘prophecy’. But what is really happening is not mysterious at all; it’s just a matter of ordinary people expressing themselves when all is said and done! And if you’re taking part for the first time there’s the normal slight anxiety and nervousness we get when speaking to a group at work for the first time. How will I be received? Will I get this right, will I embarrass people, will I embarrass myself? All of this makes it harder to get started. But afterwards there’s a sense of relief (I did it!) and it’s much more comfortable after that. Just push up over that little hump in the road, and it’s downhill the rest of the way.

We’re not used to having opportunities to be really free and open, but it’s important that we do because this is how the Spirit guides us in our meetings. He will speak to each of us through the others. It’s not necessary for everyone to speak out, but it’s not unusual with smaller numbers that they will do. This sort of sharing together works best with groups between five or six and up to ten or twelve. The dynamics with two or three, or twenty-five to forty, are very different – and not always conducive to the sort of shared hearing from the Spirit described here. ‘Practice makes perfect’, as they say. So don’t be fazed by what seems to be slow progress or a bad meeting now and then – meet again anyway, keep going.

Finally, here’s a thought about confirmation. During a meeting there’s little opportunity for confirmation. Sometimes somebody might say, ‘I’m so glad you mentioned that because…’. But towards the end, it’s not unusual for a pattern to emerge, and everyone begins to understand that the whole meeting was on a theme of some kind. The sum of the parts was more significant than the individual contributions. When that happens, be grateful and be excited!

There can, by definition, never be a better meeting than one led by the Holy Spirit.

See also:

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!

Significant – Starship

This new space launch system may well be the means by which we really do make spaceflight far cheaper and colonise, not just Mars, but any part of the Solar System that we wish.

It occurred to me that many highly significant events, situations and occasions pass us by almost unnoticed, only to burst into history and affect our lives rather later. I thought it might be fun to look at some of these, perhaps some historical examples. but also things going on today that might loom very much larger in future. I’m going to start with an article on some spaceflight technology that’s in the news precisely because it may be the start of human expansion into the Solar System.

SN9, an early prototype of Starship

Because I posted just five days ago on Starship‘s planned integrated test flight (IFT-4), and because of how that flight went (stunningly successfully) , now might be a good time to look at the significance of Starship in general and this test flight in particular.

Why was Starship built?

Good question. I’m glad you asked! SpaceX is by far the foremost builder and operator of space launch vehicles. So far in 2024 they’ve launched 52% of all rockets worldwide, and their share is growing. No other American rocket company and no other nation comes close!

The rationale behind their Falcon 9 was to build a reusable rocket to reduce the cost of launches. And although only the first stage and the fairings proved to be recoverable, that is still far, far more economical than building new for every launch. Falcon Heavy increased the payload capacity by using three boosters together.

The next step is to build a fully reusable system that will reduce kilogram to orbit costs by another massive factor and will make it possible to send over 100 tonnes to any destination in the Solar System. A further goal is to use this new system to build a self-sufficient city on Mars of, perhaps, a million or more people. That’s why Starship is being developed.

Integrated Flight Test Four (IFT-4)

Well, what can I say? The purpose of this flight was to go beyond IFT-3 which was a successful launch, but both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship orbiter were lost on their return through the atmosphere.

What was so remarkable about IFT-4 is that both parts of Starship survived. Super Heavy made it back to a precise location over the Gulf of Mexico (close to the launch site), and Starship made it half way around the world and also succeeded in reaching the ocean surface at essentially zero velocity and then plunged into the water.

The loss of both parts of the system was intentional and the flight provided useful data for further improvements. In the case of Super Heavy it may be possible to recover it following IFT-5, the launch tower doubles up as a catch tower, to grab the returning booster in mid-air. Starship suffered a lot of thermal damage, parts of it even melting, but despite that it made a good approach for a catch attempt to be tried later in the test programme.

Further work on both vehicles should improve things. But knowing both are capable of recovery, at least in principle, opens the way for almost certain success in the long term.

What does that imply? This new space launch system may well be the means by which we really do make spaceflight far cheaper and colonise, not just Mars, but any part of the Solar System that we wish.

Yes. Of course. We are a long, long way from colonising other planets. But for the first time it seems we may have taken a step that will enable us to at least try at some point in the future.

Steps in the future

Let’s finish by setting out possible further developments with some guesses about the timescales.

  1. The next test flight, IFT-5, will probably come in late July. Any time between late June and late August seems possible, it’s really hard to say with any certainty.
  2. A Superheavy booster will be successfully caught, if not on IFT-5 then certainly before the end of 2024. Once success is achieved, by mid 2025 it might be completely routine to catch both boosters and Starship spacecraft.
  3. Some time in 2025 we should expect Starships to be reaching orbit with payloads (initially they will be Starlink 2 satellites).
  4. We will also see the beginning of a system of tanker Starships capable of refuelling cargo and passenger Starships to travel to the Moon and Mars. This is not going to remain science fiction for very much longer.
  5. Eventually the heat shield protection needed for Starship to return reliably to Earth will become safe enough that crewed flights can begin.
  6. We might see the Moon Landing version Starship HLS take astronauts to the surface and return them to lunar orbit, but that’s quite some time away, maybe 2030 or later.
  7. Automated Starship landers will carry equipment and supplies to the Moon and to Mars. At first they’ll remain on the surface as they will be a useful source of materials and potential habitats.
  8. People will follow as safety issues are resolved, permanent settlements will become possible in both places.
  9. Fifty years from now Starship and its successors will enable human exploration and settlement throughout the Solar System – on asteroids, moons of Jupiter and Mars, more or less anywhere will become possible.
See also:

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!

Other Church leaders – 1

Elders … are people we would naturally turn to when we are confused or anxious or when conflict arises.

< Previous | Index | Next >

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

Why do we need to consider other leaders?
JDMC cover

We have already seen in part Four – Gifts for building, that the original pattern of church leadership springs from the apostolic gift (JDMC, page 41). We also saw that four further gifts are released to operate where there is an apostolic foundation, and we looked at these in more detail in the previous part, The APEST gifts (page 41-44). But the New Testament also mentions bishops (or overseers), elders and deacons, and today we use the terms pastor and priest quite widely. We need to briefly examine these too and understand how they fit into the overall picture. Before we do this, let’s consider the New Testament principles around authority – particularly what Jesus himself said and modelled.

It’s easy to think of the Greek words and their English translations as positions in a hierarchical authority structure, each with defined powers and roles. But as we have seen in Five – A living organism, church is much more a life form than an organisation. The six forgotten ways are not the only things that have been mislaid during the two millennia since Jesus’ time. Our understanding of the functions of bishops, elders and deacons has changed, and very dramatically so. We need to understand them again as they were understood by those early believers, just as recorded in the New Testament.

Perhaps the first thing to say is that as with the APEST gifts, bishops, elders and deacons are not positions of authority in the sense of ruling over other believers. Jesus explicitly told his disciples that they were to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34-35). If he came to serve, so also should we. And he also told them that they were not to rule over one another as the gentiles do (Matthew 20:25-28). Paul writes that we should submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21). This much is very clear. So whatever else we may say about bishops, elders and deacons, we can be quite certain at the outset that they are not about enforcing rules, governing people’s behaviour or managing an organisation.

Bishops, elders and deacons don’t seem to chime with the idea of
the APEST gifts of service or with church as a living organism. Is this a
problem? If so, how can we resolve it? Consider this carefully before
moving on.

Bishops

The Greek word here is ‘episkopos’ and it means, literally, ‘overseer’, someone who keeps watch, someone who keeps an eye on things. Another word we could use is ‘lookout’. It need not be understood to mean an official who makes sure everyone follows orders, although it might seem to imply control because that is the sense of the English word ‘overseer’ in everyday usage.

We need to check the New Testament to understand how the word is used there. Here are some wise words from JP Louw and EA Nida writing in Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament, ‘Though in some contexts [episkopos] has been regarded traditionally as a position of authority, in reality the focus is upon the responsibility for caring for others’. This is a responsibility we all share, we must all look out for one another.

‘Episkopos’ is not always used in a positive way; just take a look at 1 Peter 4:15. Which word in this verse contains the Greek ‘episkopos’ do you think? There’s another Greek word ‘allotri’ which means ‘other people’s business’ and ‘meddler’ (NIV) is ‘allotriepiskopos’, an ‘episkopos’ who meddles in other people’s business.

When Paul writes ‘episkopos’ it’s clear he is referring to particular people he regards as effective at keeping watch to detect – and respond to – error. But this doesn’t mean that the other believers were free to relax. If any of us sees error, or somebody promoting it, we must question it and, if necessary, alert others. Might it be that Paul is simply saying that we need people among us who will be alert and willing to respond? Perhaps he is just saying that some are better at this than others and it’s useful to identify them, recognise them, and pay attention to what they say. Indeed, the work of keeping watch is one of the things shepherds need to do , something they are gifted at. (See The shepherding gift, JDMC page 42)

Jesus himself can be regarded as an ‘episkopos’. In 1 Peter 2:25 we read that Jesus is ‘the shepherd and guardian of your souls’. Some versions translate this as guardian (NASB, TLB), some as overseer (ESV, NIV), and some as bishop (ASV, KJV). Once again, the sense is not of ruling but of taking care, keeping watch (part of what a shepherd does as noted above).

Look up ‘overseer’ in a concordance or search function and draw
your own conclusions about the work of an overseer or lookout. Try to get
a feeling for what these people were expected to do. Did they have
authority over other believers?

Elders

Paul made a habit of identifying elders in the churches he planted (Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5). It’s worth mentioning that the word translated ‘appointed’ might equally well mean ‘pointed out’ or ‘identified’. But in English, the idea that Paul ‘pointed out’ elders is very different from the idea that he ‘appointed’ them. In everyday life, people who are appointed to a position are given authority to make decisions and to act in a particular role. But let’s remember that the New Testament and the words of Jesus himself suggest love, humility and submitting to one another as the primary focus.

The word ‘elder’ is from the Greek ‘presbuteros’ and it does literally mean an older person. But it is also used to signify someone who is wise, and this is probably the sense in which Paul uses it. Eldership is not a role involving the giving of instructions or the making of decisions on behalf of others. Rather, elders are those people in the church who have more experience and wisdom. They are people we would naturally turn to when we are confused or anxious or when conflict arises. Pointing such people out in new and inexperienced gatherings of believers was a wise precaution taken by Paul and those he coached.

Bear in mind that the word ‘authority’ has two rather different meanings. The police have authority and you do what they tell you or face the consequences; this is command authority. Plumbers have a different kind of authority and you do what they tell you because you have a problem they know how to fix; this is knowledge and wisdom authority. Which kind of authority do you suppose elders should exercise?

Did Jesus exercise command authority or knowledge and wisdom
authority? (Trick question – you should be able to find examples of both.)
What kind of authority does he want us to exercise over demons? What kind
does he want us to exercise with one another?

PS – I liked this post by Christopher Dryden. It’s very much about the subject of elders, but written as a story from his own experience: Fun to read but gentle, kind and definitely not judgemental. He very clearly explains the difference between elders as often found in church life, and elders as Jesus intended them to be. He says what I wanted to say in the section on elders, but he says it more eloquently.

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

While you’re on his website, have a look around to see what else might grab your attention.

< Previous | Index | Next >

Read the book

This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 45 to 47. 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. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!

Starship tries again

SpaceX, the world’s foremost space launch company by almost any measure, is attempting to launch Starship tomorrow, 6th June 2024. This launch is Integrated Flight Test Four (IFT-4). Each of the first three flight tests did better than the one before.

Starship (Wikimedia)

SpaceX is part way through the flight test program for its Starship launch vehicle.

IFT-1 cleared the pad (in more ways than one). It lifted off successfully, though very sluggishly and with significant engine failures and it actually blew away large quantities of concrete from the base of the launch platform. It flew to a considerable altitude but had to be destroyed in the upper atmosphere after four minutes of flight.

IFT-2 did a lot better. All engines performed well, the redesigned launch pad survived, and lift off was smooth and the ascent much faster. Starship separated from the Superheavy first stage, but both later failed. Starship flew for eight minutes on the planned trajectory.

IFT-3 was a fully successful launch, Starship separation was smooth and the engines fired to reach the intended trajectory (almost orbit but not quite), and Superheavy fired its engines for a return. Additionally, Starship opened its payload bay door and completed an internal propellant transfer test. But after those successes, both vehicles failed and were destroyed.

IFT-4 – Who knows? We may find out tomorrow or there may be a delay due to poor weather conditions or a last-minute glitch of some sort. When the launch takes place it’s likely that it will do better than IFT-3. Complete success would see Superheavy return to a chosen point above the sea near the launch site and make a catch landing on an imaginary launch tower before plunging into the water; Starship would fly safely to a re-entry point over the Indian Ocean, survive the descent, and possibly make a ‘landing’ attempt over the water.

Spaceflight enthusiasts world wide are all agog to see how it goes.

Assuming complete success of IFT-4, IFT-5 will push the envelope further, probably in mid-July (my best guess), possibly with a booster catch attempt and a Starship insertion into orbit. It might even attempt to release one or more Starlink satellites. But whatever IFT-5 attempts to do will depend on how many of IFT-4’s goals are achieved tomorrow (or whenever the flight takes place).

See also:
  • Watch the launch online – YouTube

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!

The work of the Spirit – 3

Now the church is not the same thing as the kingdom, but if church is not part of the kingdom we are in serious trouble!

< Previous | Index | Next >

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

Gifts for building
JDMC cover

It really should be self-evident that the Holy Spirit is involved in the fivefold gifts of service – apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers (APEST). These are gifts indeed, and Christ himself is the giver (Ephesians 4:11-12). Paul explains that we are most certainly one, but that these gifts of grace are handed out in individual measure to each of us (Ephesians 4:1-7). We are one, we all receive, yet we all receive individually as he chooses (1 Corinthians 12:27-30).

And if there’s any doubt in your mind about the role of the Holy Spirit in all this, read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. Verse 11 is very clear! ‘All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.’

Jesus himself chooses how to distribute these gifts of service. What gifts can you identify in one another? Tell one another what you see, this is a good way of encouraging one another.

A living organism

We know that we need to see the church as a living entity and not as an organisation or institution built and managed by human ability. But what part does the Holy Spirit play in this?

I must begin by pointing out that only the Spirit of Christ can reveal this truth to us. Jesus often told parables to illustrate the nature of the kingdom of heaven, and some of them involve living things. The kingdom is like yeast or a mustard seed; it grows and develops and expands as only living things can.

Now the church is not the same thing as the kingdom, but if church is not part of the kingdom we are in serious trouble! The church, too, is described as part of a living thing; church is the body and Jesus is the head. It’s significant that a body only remains alive as long as the head is attached. Cut off an arm or a leg and a body may continue to live, but cut off the head and it dies immediately. And how is the church attached to Christ? It is the Holy Spirit who makes the connection; he is the Spirit of Christ, yet he has been implanted in you and me, the members of the church. And he works in us (Luke 12:12, Acts 1:5-8, Romans 8:26) and amongst us (Acts 9:31, 1 Corinthians 14:12, Ephesians 4:3-4) as we gather together. The Spirit of the Head is present within every individual part of the body.

Considering church as you have experienced it, talk about aspects that are like an organism and aspects that are like an organisation. Are there ways you can help things move more towards the organism end of the spectrum? What part might the Holy Spirit play in this?

More than community

We need to work together in a community where we will be significantly stretched by sharing in making tough decisions, facing difficulties, supporting one another, and pressing forward together. The challenges we face will be diverse, but whatever they are we are surely going to need the encouragement and wisdom and guidance and insight of the Holy Spirit. Romans 7:6, 1 Corinthians 2:15, Acts 12:1-19.

We all share in the presence and work of the Spirit in our lives. How does this feed into community life, and in particular how does the Holy Spirit draw the community into facing challenges and difficulties? Talk about your own experiences and those of other people you know.

Some practical help


Many believers and followers of Jesus are familiar with the activity of the Holy Spirit, individually and in meeting together. Others may have little or no personal experience of him. The key to listening is not hard, it’s basically a matter of paying attention. Our lives are often too busy and too rushed to do this, but there’s a simple exercise called Virkler that can help. If you don’t think you’re hearing the Holy Spirit fluently and frequently, why not try Virkler for yourself?

It’s a curious name – why ‘Virkler’? That’s simple! The person who first suggested this straightforward practice is called Mark Virkler.

There are four steps, sometimes called the four keys.

  1. Clear the clutter of everyday things from your mind.
  2. Imagine being in Jesus presence.
  3. Pay attention to the thoughts that pop into your mind.
  4. Write down what you are shown, as you receive it. Review and process the material afterwards.

There’s no space here to explain Virkler in detail, but in my experience it can be extremely helpful. If I feel there’s a need, I’ll write about it in more detail in another article here on JHM. If I do, I’ll place a link to it here.

See also:
  • Jargon and the Holy Spirit – JHM
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 39 and 40. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk

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

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!

JDMC extracts – INDEX

(See indexes on other topics)

JDMC cover

This index links to serialised extracts from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). If you want to read just one section, or share it with someone else, the articles below may be the most effective way to do it.

You can also read the blurb, download the whole book for free, or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk

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

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!

Canal walk 1 – Severn to Saul Junction

Severn trows were flat-bottomed, single masted sailing vessels, and the Stroudwater canal was wide and deep enough to take them.

< Previous | Index | Next >

This section of Stroudwater Navigation is not being restored, but it is certainly of historical interest and mostly remains visible on the ground. It’s still possible to walk almost all of the towpath and not too hard to imagine what it might have been like when it was in use.

The connection to the River Severn
The River Severn at Framilode (near high tide)

The physical point where the canal joined the Severn is not accessible as it’s on private land. However, it’s easy to get very close. The River Severn is still tidal at this point, and the canal engineers had to take this into account. Instead of a single lock gate providing access, there were several; this allowed boats to transfer between river and canal for longer periods as the tide ebbed and flowed.

OpenStreetMap

To find this spot on the ground, visit the village of Upper Framilode and look for the point near Lock House where the road crosses the line of the canal, then click the tiny map on the right for a larger, draggable and scalable version. The pointer shows where the canal and river meet, the place where Severn trows and other boats would have entered the canal heading towards Stroud, or exited into the Severn to make their way north towards Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester, or south towards Bristol and the River Wye to Chepstow and Monmouth. If you have time, pop into St Peter’s church in the village and enjoy the simple stained glass and the beautifully painted ceiling. A peaceful place, used by the local community in many interesting ways.

Severn trows were flat-bottomed, single masted sailing vessels, and Stroudwater Navigation was wide and deep enough to take them, with locks sized accordingly.

You can also view a map of the canal from the 1840s to compare with the current map. This, too, is draggable and scalable. If you open two browser windows side-by-side with the modern map in one and the historical map in the other, it’s fascinating to see the many changes that have taken place.

To start the walk south from Upper Framilode, look for the footpath just left of the canal as seen from Canal Row. This is the old towpath and runs between the canal and the row of buildings that grew up along the first 100 m of the canal. Presumably most, if not all, of these buildings sold necessities to the passing canal traffic. I can imagine everything from ale to fresh well water and hens eggs and other garden produce being traded while boats loaded and unloaded or just waited for a lock to fill or empty.

Heading south
View back to Canal Row – from left are the canal, grassy towpath, and row of buildings

The first landmark you will come across is ‘The Ship’ inn. You’ll pass the pub and then its car park, both on the left. After passing it, looking back you’ll see its name painted on the building’s wall. It’s only 250 m or so from the start of the walk.

It’s not hard to imagine the trows travelling to and fro along this section of the canal. No doubt the pub was a popular stop.

The Ship Inn, looking back towards the start

As you can see, this first section of canal is still in water, and along the way you will have noticed the large stones edging the canal. Lock gates and other wooden structures have long since gone, of course, rotted away by the action of rain, fungi and bacteria. Like all human technology, canals must be maintained if they are to continue working. Although there’s still water at this point the canal is certain to be heavily sited up, and reeds, rushes and other water-tolerant and water-dependent plants have colonised very effectively.

Saul Bridge
OpenStreetMap

The map marks the next point on the journey, the place where Moor Street crosses the canal over Saul Bridge. It’s the first bridge you come to and is not far beyond The Ship Inn. Originally this was a swing bridge, but the modern replacement is concrete and brick. Continue along the towpath beyond the bridge and you quickly come to the end of the section of canal remaining in water. The scene changes quite a bit from here on.

The River Frome comes alongside the tow path on the left at a point where the canal (still on the right) becomes dry; you can see this point on the map in the previous section. Don’t be confused! For a while you will see the Frome on the left of the tow path and the dry canal on the right. In places the canal has been filled in and that makes things even more difficult to visualise. Sometimes you can spot the left bank of the canal as a curved ridge, even when it runs through an open, grassy field. The towpath would probably have run along the flat top of this ridge.

River, footpath, and the bank of the canal

Just keep walking on the footpath and you’ll be OK. If you see signs for the Thames and Severn Way, Cotswold Canals Trust, or Saul Junction follow them; they will all guide you along this section of the canal. After the section of infilled canal, there’s a very overgrown part, and finally the footpath opens onto Saul Junction itself.

OpenStreetMap

Here, the Stroudwater Navigation (opened in 1779) continues straight across the much larger Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, which opened in 1827, carries much larger vessels, and connects Gloucester Docks with Sharpness. At Sharpness, vessels can continue on the river to and beyond Bristol. Look across the ship canal where you will see Stroudwater Navigation continuing, not only full of water, but still in use. I’ll write about that next section in a future article.

Once the ship canal was open, it made a much better, non-tidal route to Gloucester or Bristol, and that’s why this section of the Stroudwater Navigation languished and fell out of use. The crews of trows coming and going to Stroud simply had no reason to enter the Severn from Saul Junction after 1827.

See also:

< Previous | Index | Next >

*This is a great source of canal images, history and all sorts of detail. Highly recommended and well worth exploring!

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!

Another message from Yara

Sometimes the worst things are done when the perpetrators are most afraid; and right now I think Putin is very much afraid.

This is a message of despair from a brave Ukrainian lady who deserves so much better. All Ukrainians deserve so much better. Yet I know the despair will be temporary.

A photo from Yara’s message

Yara has an irrepressible nature and despite the terrible circumstances I know she will regain a measure of hope and want to share Ukrainian culture and art with her readers again quite soon.

Please do read her message for today. Below I’ve copied a reply to it that I posted there a few minutes ago. I think there is growing cause for hope, and that’s what I wrote about and want to emphasise.

But before I share that reply: What can you do to help? Visit Yara’s site and take a good look around, read some of her other, more upbeat, messages. Consider becoming a supporting member, buy her a coffee, leave her a reply to one or more of her posts. Contact your government representative asking them to do more. In the UK write to your MP. Hint: Write again after our upcoming elections, you might find you have a different MP.

My reply

Wanting better for you, Yara. Wanting better for Kharkiv. Wanting better for every part of Ukraine.

Sometimes the worst things are done when the perpetrators are most afraid; and right now I think Putin is very much afraid.

Everything in Russia is beginning to fall apart – in fact, more than ‘beginning’. The evidence is everywhere.

  • There is a big shake up in the Russian Army, many senior officers are being arrested, perhaps because Putin fears a coup. Shaking things up does not make an army more effective. Just the opposite.
  • Inflation is ‘under control’ according to Putin. He is ignoring something like 8% inflation per month. How long can he pretend?
  • Crime rates are spiralling out of control.
  • Buildings are collapsing (not bombed, just badly built and lacking maintenance).
  • Roads and railways are broken, water supplies are broken, power supplies are broken, Ukraine is destroying oil refineries. Nothing is being repaired because so many skilled people either left Russia, or have been sent to die in Ukraine.
  • Nearly half the Black Sea Fleet is on holiday, resting peacefully on the sea bed.
  • Aircraft, air defence, airfields are being destroyed daily.
  • The war is going badly, very badly in fact.

What will happen next?

Putin’s time is probably short now, everything is going wrong for him.

Ukraine’s nightmare might end very suddenly, though nobody knows when. It could be in a year’s time, or just a month, or a week, or it might be tomorrow.

None of this affects how you feel right now, so you (like so many in Ukraine) will have to suffer longer. But feelings change day by day, One day, hope will grow like a tree in the springtime. Hope will blossom and flourish. But perhaps not today.

I know you, like all Ukrainians, will cling to hope until it’s no longer needed. Then you will all be able to sing, and dance, and have parties in the street, and then start on the huge task of rebuilding your shattered lives and towns and cities.

Slava Ukraini! Heroyam slava! 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦

Why on earth would I follow Jesus?

I began to see that whether Jesus was right or wrong in some of his claims, his character came through clearly and I liked what I saw.

Atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic, Baptist – whoever you are, whatever you think, wherever you live, I hope you’ll read along for at least a sentence or two while I consider this question.

Walking along to listen and learn

Is religion necessary? No, personally I think it’s a hindrance. If religion matters at all, it matters only because it always gets in the way of the truth. So attaching yourself to a religion, following religious teaching, calling yourself a Christian or a Muslim or a Buddhist does not, in itself, make you a better person; nor does a name make you acceptable in some way. It merely make you identifiable – part of an organisation.

I follow Jesus, or at least I do my best to follow him (some of the time). All too often I just follow my own inclinations moment by moment, and that sometimes leads to selfishness, hurting other people, and disappointment. If you follow Muhammad, or the Pope, or Buddha – well, good for you! Following a person is always better than following a religion or a philosophy. Do, though, be careful to follow somebody of good character, someone you can trust. The reason I follow Jesus is that he always deals with people wisely, gently, generously, truthfully, and lovingly. I’d like to become like that too. I have no wish to be foolish, harsh, mean, false or hateful – to anybody. I don’t claim to have succeeded in that goal, but it is a goal in my life.

When I first heard about Jesus I was a child. My parents talked about him, and when I went to school we learned more about him. Every school day began with prayers, a Bible reading, and singing a hymn. None of this seemed important at the time, it was just something that happened at school that you had to do – like learning to read and write, or learning multiplication tables and how to add and subtract numbers. It became a bit more formal as the years passed, but it didn’t mean very much as far as I could see. At 14 years old there were confirmation classes (part of learning to be a good Anglican), this too meant nothing to me, it was just something Mum and Dad expected so I sat through it, usually mystified or bored. And at university nothing like this was required any more.

Towards the end of my university course I began reading the Bible. I thought that people were making a mistake following this nonsense and I wanted to find out where they were going wrong. I was an atheist at this time in my life. But as I read I became quite interested by things that Jesus did and said. I began to see that whether Jesus was right or wrong in some of his claims, his character came through clearly and I liked what I saw. He was wise, gentle, generous, truthful and loving – all the things I wanted to be, but could often not manage. This is, of course, only a partial list, but you get the idea – there’s no need to draw up an exhaustive list of character attributes.

And as I read, I gradually realised that this Jesus was probably the best role model and example of living well that I’d ever come across. So I read more. And that is the answer to the question, ‘Why on earth would I follow Jesus?’ For me it’s simply about his character.

I don’t need to write more than that, though I will add that I had started on a journey that would take me a long, long way. But none of the things I’ve learned since have changed that original choice to follow. If anyone starts on that journey they will learn much more about Jesus along the way. When Jesus was walking along the shingle beach of Lake Galilee and spotted some fishermen casting nets into the water; he called to them, ‘Come and follow me and I’ll show you how to fish for people’. They were intrigued, dropped what they were doing, and walked along with him for a while. That is how it starts, the invitation is always there, follow along and he’ll teach you some surprising things about yourself, about who he is, about his character and purpose, and where he is going.

Maybe I’ll write some more later, in another article. But for now, if you do start this journey, are already on it, or don’t even care to begin, I’d just like to bless you and wish you well. Peace, joy, encouragement and hope in your life – in Jesus’ name. He wants those things for you too.

See also:
  • Take a look for yourself (many versions and languages, all free to read) – Bible Gateway
Why did I leave the Anglican Church?

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!

The work of the Spirit – 2

Not only are we together as a community of his people, we are also together in the community of the Almighty Creator.

< Previous | Index | Next >

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

Jesus at the centre
JDMC cover

We have seen how important it is to keep Jesus right at the heart of everything we do. We have seen that we must follow Jesus alone and that there can be no room for following anyone or anything else.

Without the Holy Spirit we will find this impossible. We receive the Spirit from Jesus as a baptism (Matthew 3:11). In response to our love and obedience, Jesus sends us his Spirit (John 14:15-17). We are not free to defile our bodies because they are ‘temples of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 6:19) – and if this is true of our bodies, isn’t it also true of our hearts and minds? The essence of keeping Jesus at the centre is that we know Jesus is Lord of our lives and our thinking and our emotions, of all that we are and all that we do. Yet we can’t even say the words ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).

How has the Spirit helped keep you focused on Jesus? Try to find specific examples rather than generalisations.

Becoming disciples

This is a matter of following Jesus and becoming conformed to his image. Look at the fruit of the Spirit as set out by Paul in Galatians 5:22-26: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This is how the Holy Spirit moulds us to become more Christlike. This is fruit, it grows in us day by day, year by year. And the degree to which we have become conformed is expressed in all we think and say and do.

Doesn’t this sound familiar? Isn’t this the very process of becoming disciples that we are looking for? If we are filled by the Spirit and respond to him we will bear the fruit of the Spirit in every way. We co-operate with the Holy Spirit when we develop a habit of joy or patience or gentleness. Right behaviour over and over again forms those habits of fruitfulness in us. There are two sides to this. We cannot do it in our own strength so we need and depend on the Spirit. But he will not coerce us, he expects to see our obedient willingness to allow him to change us.

Is there spiritual fruit in your life? How might you explain this to someone
who doesn’t yet know Jesus?

Outward and integrated

We need to reach those around us; Jesus commands it. He said, ‘I’ve been given all authority in heaven and on earth, so as you go, make disciples of all nations … and I’ll be with you.’ (Matthew 28:18-20) But as we go out into the world and seek to embed ourselves deep in the culture (as he did), we do not go alone.

Not only are we together as a community of his people, we are also together in the community of the Almighty Creator. The Son has made the way open and has sent the Spirit to fill us – Father, Son, Spirit, and us! It’s not going to heaven when we die; it’s far better than that. It’s living in their community right here, right now and forever. Jesus says he is with us right to the end (Matthew 28:20) and he says that if we have seen him we have seen the Father (John 14:9).

In our going out and going deep we remain in the Presence, for the Holy Spirit is in us and communicates with us and for us. We couldn’t be effective carriers of good news without him. There are some great examples in the New Testament; read Acts 8:26-39, Acts 10:9-21 and Acts 16:7-10.

As you go out and deep in the culture around you, how will you pay
attention to the presence of the Holy Spirit with you? Consider prayer,
listening, and the truth that the Spirit is alive within you and wanting to
communicate with you.

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 38 and 39. 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. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!