Last week I received the latest Arab World Ministries booklet, and on the back was an article entitled: ‘Will you help change a region for Christ?’

Changing a Region

The headline stood out for me because it could have said: will you help change an individual for Christ? … or a family, a street, or a town. It could even have said the world – but it didn’t. It actually suggested that people like you and me could change a region. That is the challenge I believe the Lord has laid upon St Michael le Belfrey Church: ‘Will you help change a region for Christ?’

So – will you? Will you help in serving God’s transformation of our region - of the North of England? To play our part in that, we’re going to have to see more clearly what that transformation might look like. So over these coming weeks I’m going to blog and paint a picture of what a transformed North might look like, so we can begin to imagine it. You see, once you can imagine it, you can begin to grasp it, pray it, live it and finally see it in our lifetime.

The Power of Imagination

Imagining is important. Paul Yonggi Cho (emeritus pastor of the largest church in the world in South Korea, with over one million members) advises that we use our imagination much more creatively in prayer. For instance, when you find it hard to pray for someone to become a believer, Cho suggests you use your imagination. He advocates that you imagine them doing something overtly Christian, and then ask the Lord for that scene to become reality. So you might imagine them sitting at a table and intently reading the bible, or with hands raised in heartfelt praise and worship. Cho rightly says that the imagination can be helpful in building faith in us, in causing us to pray and work so that we see those prayers fulfilled.

Now, how about doing that for the North of England? Let’s begin to imagine the North of England transformed in worship. What might that look like? Can you imagine it?

You might find it informative to read 2 Chronicles 30, which is the story of King Hezekiah re-starting the Passover in Israel. It’s a story of a people renewed in worship, as Israel turns back to the Lord. It has much to say about transformed worship.

Churches Not Empty

A revived North would mean that most churches in the North were full. Not empty. Most of us expect UK churches to be virtually empty because that is our experience and that’s what we imagine as normative. But in a revived North churches that were once quiet and sleepy will be full to overflowing. With multiple congregations. I saw a glimpse of that during my curacy in Dore in Sheffield in the 1990’s. A small semi-rural parish church that would normally seat just 140 was often full to overflowing time and time again, sometimes with 300+ people crammed in, with people standing round the walls and even sitting on the floor in the centre aisle. We see that in 2 Chronicles 30, where renewed worship results in the gathering of ‘a very large crowd of people’ (v13).

Joyful Worship

A revived North would see crowds worshipping in great celebration with much joy and thanksgiving. That is always a mark of revival. Hezekiah saw it in his time too, with the Chronicler describing is as follows: ‘There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon … there had been nothing like this’ (v.26).

Finding Forgiveness

In a revived North you will see people finding deep and lasting forgiveness – a forgiveness that heals the soul. As people survey the wondrous cross of Christ, they will experience his cleansing and saving power. Back in 2 Chronicles 30 we read of Hezekiah praying for this forgiveness to be known by his people: ‘May the Lord who is good, pardon everyone who set their hearts on seeking God’ (v.18). So in a revived North, many will find peace with God in the context of worship, as God pours out his Spirit in convicting and reviving power. And hearing stories of people finding forgiveness in Jesus Christ will be common-place whilst also constantly enthralling.

Queueing to Worship

A revived North would result in snakes of people forming outside churches, sometimes hours before doors open, as men and women queue for the best seats. Some of us have seen a foretaste of that in the queue that develops each year outside of York Minster before The Belfrey’s Carol Service. Passers-by always ask ‘what is this queue for?’ – and it’s great to be able to say ‘they’re queueing to get into church!’ That kind of thing will be common.

Worship on the Streets

A revived North would be a place where the presence of the living God is tangibly felt, known, experienced and appreciated – in church worship services but also in homes, in workplaces, in schools, in shopping centres and on the streets. Things like Healing on the Streets would be much more common, and would often happen spontaneously and naturally. I was walking with someone in the summer and we were having a conversation about what it means to be fully devoted to God, and I said that it was important to be able to say ‘God, I’ll go wherever you send me, and I’ll do whatever you tell me. I am yours’. When I added that I felt this person needed to be able to say that to God, they replied, ‘can I do it now?’ to which I replied ‘Now would be good’. And so they knelt down exactly where we were – which was on tarmac in middle of a carpark – and I knelt down with them, and there they wept as they gave themselves wholeheartedly to God. It was a wonderful moment! In a revived North that kind of thing will be much more common. Much more normal. Out in the streets. And those who aren’t Christians will see that kind of thing and even if they don’t fully understand it, they will not think it’s abnormal, because it’ll happen quite often. We see something of that in 2 Chronicles 30 where the foreigners, who don’t share the faith see it all happening and are even caught up in the rejoicing (v25).

Strong Local Churches

A revived North will mean that every community would have at least one strong local church. And in that church the profile of the people will normally reflect the age, ethnic and social background of the local population. Skilled and anointed musicians will lead people in exuberant praise, as they discover new songs, new sounds and new creative ways to worship Almighty God. We see this in 2 Chronicles 30 with those leading the worship praising God ‘with resounding instruments dedicated to God’ (v21).

Young People

This praise will involve many young people – excited about the life-call to follow Jesus Christ and pleased to give themselves to God’s service. The young were certainly included in the revived worship in Hezekiah’s day (v.9). In a revived North young people will trail the way and not be ashamed of singing about their good God and his good news.

Noisier Local Churches

A revived North will create noisier churches. That doesn’t mean there’ll be no space for quiet and reflection; there will be certainly be times like that. But it does mean there’ll be times when worship will be very noisy, as people find themselves ‘lost in wonder, love and praise’ – as in the days of Wesley and Whitefield. In 2 Chronicles 30 we’re told ‘for seven days they celebrated joyfully‘ (v.23). In a revived North the roofs of churches will be raised, as God’s people are caught up in strong praise to the King of kings.

Families Worship

In a revived North you’ll hear the sound of prayer and praise not just in large church gatherings, but within family homes. Maybe that’s what happened in 2 Chronicles 31:1 when the people ‘returned home’. In the winter in a revived North you will walk down quiet streets in the early mornings or during the evenings and hear the muffled sound of families praying and singing to God from behind closed doors. And in the summer, when the windows are flung open you’ll hear more clearly the sound of families rejoicing together in prayer and praise to their Saviour and Lord.

So even from this brief sketch, can you imagine something of the revived worship of a region? Can you sense it? Can you see it in your mind’s eye? If so, come with me into the future. Pray the future in. That’s what we want to see.

I invite you to pray with me: ‘Please Lord, we cry out to you to bring your kingdom transfomation to the North of England. Do it in our day. In our time. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.’

So we’re in Lent – the 40 day period running up to Easter.

We had an Ash Wednesday service last night at St Michael le Belfrey at which I shared four things about Lent. But first I told my best Lent joke, which goes like this:

An Irishman walks into a Dublin bar, orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the corner, taking a sip out of each glass in turn. When all three are empty, he returns to the bar and orders three more. The bartender advises him: ‘You know, a pint goes flat after it’s drawn. It would taste better if you bought one at a time.’ The Irishman replies ‘Well, I have two brothers – one in America & one in Australia, and I’m here in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised to always drink this way to remember the days when we drank together.’ The bartender admits this is a touching custom and leaves it at that. Over the next few wks the Irishman becomes a regular in the bar, always drinking the same way: ordering three pints of Guinness at a time and drinking them in turn, & then returning for a second round. Then one day, he comes in and orders only two pints.The other regulars notice and fall silent. When he returns to the bar for the second round, the bartender says: ‘I don’t want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences and those of our regulars, on your sad loss’. The Irishman looks confused for a moment, before the light dawns and he laughs. ‘Oh no’ he says, ‘everyone’s fine. It’s just that I’ve stopped drinking for Lent.’

So is Lent about stopping things? I think:

1) Lent is less about stopping and more about starting

Most people think Lent is about stopping things. So when I was interviewed on Radio York on Tuesday about Lent, the very first question asked of me was: ‘what am I giving up for Lent?’ Often people do stop things but more important is what you’re going to start, because in Lent you’re encouraged to start some serious disciplines. Three basic ones which Jesus taught all his followers to practice are: giving, praying and fasting (Mt 6:2,5,16). If you don’t do much in one or all of those areas, may I strongly advise that you make a start in at least one of them this Lent.

2) Lent is less about superficiality and more about honesty

Many people think Lent is about suddenly becoming un-naturally ‘holy’. They think it’s about spending a long time looking inside of yourself, becoming intense and perhaps self-obsessed and rather boring! I’ve met people like that, and they tend to put you off God and faith. It can all seem so serious. So deadly. So life-draining, rather than life-enhancing. However Lent is not about being superficial. It’s actually the opposite. It’s about being real and honest. Honest about what you find inside of yourself – even if you don’t like what you find! Honest about your lifestyle – about your priorities and values and about how you spend your time and your money. For example, if you’re trying to fast at times in Lent but realise you’re neglecting doing something basic things like caring for the poor, then you should be honest about these things, and make some changes.  (That’s why one of the classic passages about fasting in Isaiah 58 talks about the priority of social justice above ritual fasting).

3) Lent is less about complexity and more about simplicity

Some people would love to practice Lent more fully but don’t, thinking: ‘oh no, it’s something else to do It’s another thing to add on to my busy life.’ They think that Lent will make life more complex. And it will, unless you use Lent to deliberately slow down and intentionally choose to do less, for a season. So our Archbishop, John Sentamu, schedules no church meetings in Lent. For him, life becomes more simple in Lent. And he’s got it right. It’s not about complexity. It’s about simplicity. It’s about asking: ‘what important? Let’s do those things and nothing more.’

4) Lent is less about weakness and more about strength

Finally, some see Lent as awkward and embarrassing, as it’s a season that highlights our weaknesses. Let’s be honest: we find it hard to give, to pray and to fast. And so Lent exposes our frailty – and we don’t like that. But actually if Lent is supposed to be about honesty and it makes us realise that we’re weak then that can be good, as long as we then turn to the Spirit of Jesus for help and strength. It’s the Holy Spirit who, according to 2 Timothy 1:7 ‘gives us power, love and self-discipline’.

The whole point of Lent, in the end, is to prepare us for Easter, where we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the amazing power released breaking the power of sin and death and hell and enabling us to know God’s forgiveness, a transformed life and eternal life beyond the grave. So don’t get bogged down in your weakness at Lent. We’re all weak. Every one of us. Rather, focus on God’s strength that we especially celebrate at the end of Lent, at Easter.

So Lent is a season where we particularly aim to ‘store up treasures not here on earth, but in heaven’ (Mt 6:20). So invest in heavenly things this Lent. Start to get disciplined. Be honest with yourself and God about what you find inside of yourself. Keep Lent simple, not complicated: enjoying the more of doing less. And look forward to Easter, receiving the strength that flows to you from the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Today David Cameron addresses hospital staff on how to change the culture of binge drinking that’s become established in the UK. That’s a tough subject with no short-term easy-fix solutions. But there are some answers that can bring real change, if we’re prepared to tackle the heart of the issue. Our Prime Minister knows this is a huge problem in society, with massive economic and social costs.

The cost to the economy is staggering, costing the taxpayer through the NHS £2.7billion a year, including £1billion on accident and emergency services. This is part of a wider cost to society, which has been put at between £17billion and £22billion a year when road accidents, health problems, crime and lost productivity are taken into account.

Aric Sigman’s book Alcohol Nation presents further alarming evidence, showing that in 2010 one person every seven minutes was admitted to hospital for a health problem directly attributed to alcohol, and this figure has increase by 54% in the last 10 years. That excludes people with conditions merely exacerbated by drink, such as diabetes or most types of heart disease. So almost one million people a year clog up the NHS specifically because of alcohol; add to that people injured when drunk or victims of alcohol-related violence and the numbers are far higher.

But perhaps the greater cost is to people: to families that break up and to children who are brought up from a young age thinking that excessive drinking is fun and fine. A 2010 report by ChildWise showed that half of 10-14 year olds interviewed had seen their parents drunk; 8 out of 10 had seen a change in the way they behaved; girls over 11 were asked why adults drank until they lost control and vomited and several responded saying it was part of having ‘a good night out’.

Drinking has become ingrained in our culture and for the majority excessive drinking is linked to celebration. So for most people the thought of Christmas without alcohol would be bizarre. And listen to interviews of sports stars who’ve won a cup: they almost always talk of going out and ‘having a good time’ – synonymous with getting legless – to the smiles of the pundits back in the studio, and so the nation gets the message that such behaviour is a good and acceptable part of celebrating. Unless the Prime Minister can change that kind of subtle but pervasive message, he’s not going to change our drinking habits.

Of course some would say that we should adopt a more relaxed approach to alcohol, introducing children to alcohol slowly at a young age, to encourage responsible drinking. Surveys show that 70% of UK parents think is is the best approach. However all the research show this has the opposite effect, and that children are twice as likely to drink excessively outside the home if they are allowed to drink at home. Interestingly the French – who’ve been seen as positive role-models of this approach for many years – presently die of alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver at twice the rate of people in the UK. Add to all this the fact that pubs are part of the social fabric of many communities, especially villages, and that alcohol is widely available to buy at a cheap price, and the PM has a tough job on his hands.

On the other side of the argument are those who say that we shouldn’t deprive people of their right to get tipsy. After all, so many people lead dull and mundane lives, why should the PM, or anyone else for that matter, stop them having a good time? After all, isn’t everyone allowed a little ‘high’ every now and then? But the problem with that view is that it’s justifying the wrong solution to the problem. If the diagnosis is that many people live pointless lives, surely the answer is not to encourage them to drown their sorrows but to help them find meaning and purpose.

And that’s why the heart of this nation’s alcohol problem is a spiritual one. Most religious leaders can see it, but are often afraid to say so, because it can sound so pious, so simplistic and – for those like me who choose not to drink at all – so self-righteous. But it’s true.

When people find meaning and purpose in life, their need of alcohol diminishes. That is so clearly charted in UK statistics from the 18th and 19th centuries during the so-called Evangelical Revival. As more people received forgiveness and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ, so alcohol sales decreased and pubs closed. Fascinating.

Last week I met a woman from Scarborough who had become a Christian after  a number of years of addiction to alcohol. She told me that following her conversion she had the ability to say ‘no’ although the desire for alcohol didn’t diminish until someone prayed for her to be released from the ties that drink had to her life. After that she told me, the addiction was gone. Now she, like many others, finds that the ‘high’ that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit is much greater than any artificial stimulant.

It is no coincidence that when the bible says (in Ephesians 5:18) ‘do not get drunk’ it then says ‘instead be filled with the Holy Spirit’. God has a better plan for human beings than having to simply struggle through from one Friday or Saturday night to the next, hoping to find some happiness in excessive drinking. Instead he wants us to invite the Spirit of Jesus Christ to be a work in us, transforming us, empowering us and shaping us into people who love him and love others.

Changing our binge drinking nation can only partly be achieved by politicians. Lasting social change involves spiritual transformation. And real spiritual transformation comes from being filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

There were two stories in the media last week that annoyed me. Not because they’re not worth reporting, but because of how they’ve been reported.

One was the TV coverage of the protest outside York Minster earlier in the week, in response to the comments of the Archbishop of York about civil partnership and marriage. I watched the tv news coverage later that day and, from the filming and the way it was reported it looked like hundreds of people had gathered and that the demonstration was massive and had been the biggest event in York on the day. Given that my office is across the road I’d gone out earlier in the day to see what was going on. The truth is that the protest was small and fairly feeble. There were perhaps 50 students with small home-made cardboard placards swamped by the vastness of the Gothic Minster, with more press and reporters than them. The fact that the protest had not caught the imagination of many people was not the story reported – rather that some kind of  major protest had taken place.

Then later in the week we heard that the Football Association had told John Terry that he would have to step down from his role as England Captain, pending his trial in July for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. The charges are serious and I am not challenging the FA’s decision, but the FA carefully worded their statement so that they in no way prejudice a fair trial, proceeding on the basis of ‘innocent until proven guilty’. All day, however, the radio reported that ‘John Terry has been stripped of his England captaincy’. ‘Stripped’ is a very strong and emotive word. ‘Stripped’ speaks of a dressing down – of being hauled in front of authorities and being told off and having privileges taken away due to some misdemeanour. That is not what has happened to John Terry. He has had his captaincy removed pending the hearing. Simple as that.

So all this frustrates me. It frustrates me because the way we use words and pictures is so powerful and influential. They need to be used carefully by anyone with influence. The media know this, and yet words have been used of the John Terry situation that are very unhelpful, and pictures used of the York protest to show something that was more influential that it really was. Can we not do better?

The best advice I’ve ever come across on communication is this: ‘speak the truth in love’. That succinct nugget of wisdom, found in the bible in Ephesians 4:15 can be applied to any form of media. Communicate truthfully, in love.

So truth is really important. Accurate coverage. Getting it right. Asking the reporters questions of who, what, when, why, how, etc.. It’s all crucial.

And doing so in love - which means you have people in mind. Not just the people to whom you’re communicating, but also any people you’re reporting about. Given that so much news these days is along the lines of human interest, it’s crucial that the person you’re writing about is borne in mind. Am I being fair to them? In particular is there any exaggeration or misrepresentation?

As a Vicar, bible teacher, writer and blogger, I am aware of the great power and influence of language. I know I sometimes get it wrong and at times things don’t always come out quite right. I’m also aware that sometimes in today’s pressurised world there is demand for instant reporting and comment, which can lead to hasty communication. Which is all the more reason why we all have to work on our communication.

‘Truth in love’ is not a maxim that deals with every media issue, but it’s a good start. It’s a helpful foundational philosophy of communication for everyone - because we all communicate – all the time. At home. At work. On facebook and twitter. We’re made to communicate. That’s what human beings do. So can we work hard at doing it better?

Winston Churchill famously said: ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give’. That’s why where, how and what we give is really important.

This week many people at The Belfrey are renewing their financial giving to church. And on Sunday we’ll be dedicating our pledges to God, and asking him to help us to be faithful in giving, and for him to give us all we need.

Many churches do this kind of thing around this time of year. This is not a one-off Gift Day. It’s more about planning. Planning to give regularly. Generously. And gladly.

Last Sunday was Vision Sunday and I spoke at four of our congregations about plans for the year ahead – and it’s great to have had really positive feedback during the week. I also spoke about how our giving is one of the key ways we get behind vision and plans. In preparing, some things came to me really clearly about ‘planning to give’. For instance:

· The bible tells us to give first before we spend. (1 Cor 16:2)

For many of us that’s a whole new way to handle our money. It means that giving becomes top of our list when we do any financial planning. If you hope to give the left-overs after you’ve paid your mortgage, rent, bills, etc, you’ll never manage it. Much better to plan to give and then continue to pray that the leftovers is more than enough to live on. That’s why a ‘tithe’, according to the bible is giving the first 10%. Giving first is something I learned to do when I was a student and it’s what we’ve done as a family for the last 20-something years and we’ve always had more than enough. Always.

· God will always give you enough to be a generous giver. (2 Cor 9:11)

When things are tight, as they are for many people at present, we can think we have nothing to give. But God can’t multiply nothing. He needs something to work with – and you always have something. There are a number of stories in the bible of people who are asked to give and their first reaction is they can’t, as they think they don’t have anything. That’s what the disciples thought before the feeding of the 5,000 in Mt 14:13.  The widow who gathered jars of oil in 2 Kings 4 also thought that. But actually they had something. We all do. We never have nothing. So the disciples found a boy who had 5 loaves and 2 fish, and that became more than enough. The widow found she had a small jar of oil from which God filled many jars. We never have nothing. God wants to take what seems to us like a small offering and multiply it into something great.

John Wimber discovered that when he first became a believer. Here’s what he said:

‘I remember when I had been a Christian for about a year and clearly desiring to do something for the needy and praying for direction about it.  At the time I could have been thought of as poor.  Carol and I had four small babies, all under age six, and I had been out of work for several months.  I did have a job at the time, but I was only bringing home $87 a week, and I was already tithing on that.

 As I prayed God showed me a picture of a hand, which was closed at first, but then it opened up.  He then seemed to say, “The world tells you to have a tight-fisted hand, particularly if you are in need yourself.  It says you’ve got to cling to everything you’ve got.  It advocates a logical and sensible economy; but that economy is not mine.  I want you to see that everything is in my control and to live your life with an open hand.  If you do that, I will give you ample resources both for yourself and for others”.’

· God gives to you, so you can give again, and again, and again. (2 Cor 9:11)

This is not the so-called ‘prosperity gospel’. The prosperity gospel says: give and God will give back to you so you can become wealthy. The bible doesn’t teach that. The bible teaches that if we are prayerfully generous, God will look after us so we can give again. It’s like God is looking for somewhere where he can invest his resources, and if he sees you investing wisely in people with the time, things and money that he gives, he will want to put more resources into you. Surely that’s the simple message of the parable of the talents:

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

 So – may I strongly encourage you to plan to give. Do that prayerfully and with a generous heart, and you will be wonderfully surprised at the results.

In recent years there’s been lots of research done on what makes people happy. Some of it has been written up in popular books like The Book of Happiness by Heather Summers and Anne Watson. Summers & Watson point to research that says the happiest people are normally those who know and are secure in their purpose, which for many comes from their spirituality. So secular research recognises that it’s usually people with a clear faith who are the happiest people on the planet. Fascinating!

Last year, the National Organisation for Research at the University of Chicago produced a list of the 10 Happiest Jobs – presumably in the United States. Going from Number 10, they are:

10        Operating engineers

9          Financial Services Sale Agents

8          Psychologists

7          Artists

6          Teachers

5          Special Education Teachers

4          Authors

3          Physiotherapists

2          Firefighters

1          Church Leaders

Now, I’m not suggesting everyone should get ordained to be happy! … but all this is a challenge to the strong secular voices making out that faith does us no good.

I know of a man who thought he’d understood the secret to happiness. In any situation he could be positive. He found he could always look on the bright side of life. Even if life was tough and difficult. Even if people were against him at times. Even if money was tight. This man reckoned he had found real, true, deep, lasting happiness. His name? It was Paul.

We read about his secret in Philippians 4:10-13 .                                                                             I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Paul says two simple but important things in this passage about happiness that we’d all do well to embrace.

1.  Happiness is NOT dependent on circumstances

Paul is very clear that happiness doesn’t depend on the money in his pocket. Whilst money is useful, Paul acknowledges that it doesn’t make him happy. And neither should our happiness be based on money. Paul says  he knows ‘what it is to be in need, & what it is to have plenty.’ Either way, he’s contented.

His happiness also doesn’t depend on the food in his stomach. I love that feeling after a nice Sunday lunch. I’ve just had roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy. I love it! Food is good. It feeds the body, but it doesn’t make Paul happy. And neither should our happiness be based on what we eat. Paul says that he can be ‘well fed or hungry’. Either way, he’s contented.

So Paul is saying that true happiness – that feeling of deep down contentedness – is not dependent on his life circumstances, because they can easily change.

These days we could add other things to St Paul’s list of things that people think will make them happy. So we might add beauty. Many people want to be good looking, thinking that will make them happy. When I was a teenager one of the women regarded to be really beautiful was Kim Basinger. Here’s what she says about her life back then: ‘I had long blonde hair and blue eyes. I was great and could do anything – and I was in absolute misery’.

Or we could add fame. Many think that being famous makes you happy, until you hear someone like Ralph Fiennes, the famous actor saying – so starkly – ‘Being famous has not made me happy’.

Most people know this. They know that happiness is not found in having  good money, good food, great looks or great fame. But what they don’t know is where to go to find true happiness. Paul tells us. It’s not based on circumstances. Or external things. It’s found elsewhere. Which is the other thing this passage tells us about happiness:

2.  Happiness is dependent on Jesus Christ.

That’s what he means when he says ‘I can do all this through him who gives me strength’, because the ‘him’ is Jesus Christ. Paul’s contentedness is based on his relationship with Christ,who is full of grace and gives him all he needs for all the circumstances of life. So that means that whatever he faces, it’s going to be ok. And that means that whatever you face, it’s going to be ok.

So you might be struggling with tight finances, or even being unable to properly feed your family. Or maybe something else, like stress. Or a relationship difficulty. Or health issues. Or an issue at work, with a neighbour or in church. Whatever it is, you can know contentedness even in the midst of uncertainty, because of Jesus Christ – the one who strengthens you.

In these days of recession, know that Christ will strengthen you. In these dark wintry weeks of murky mornings & often dull days, know that your happiness is based on something much more substantial and reassuring than the weather. Your happiness is based on knowing the love, forgiveness, care and strength of Jesus Christ.

That means there should be many signs of contentedness among God’s people. There should be much evidence of happiness in our midst and much smiling going on! Not false smiles, but smiles that God has put in our hearts that show in our faces – because of Jesus Christ, who strengthens us.

The world is crying out for happiness and contentedness. We have been graciously given that, in Jesus Christ. So let’s show that contentedness. And give it away. In massive doses. Let’s do it today.

‘A man is very fortunate if he gets the chance to manage Manchester United in his lifetime and I can assure you that I have no intention of wasting my opportunity.’

Similarly I feel it’s a great privilege to be asked to lead a church like St Michael le Belfrey in York. We’re a church community with a rich heritage, from Bishop Paulinus in the 7th Century to William Richardson in the 18th/19th Centuries, and then renewed under the leadership of David Watson in the 1960’s/70s. I also believe we have a really exciting future ahead as we aim to be serving God’s transformation of the North in these coming days.

If we’re going to press on into that vision in 2012 then I believe God wants us, much more intentionally, to be growing. Growing in numbers, influence and maturity. To facilitate that growth we’re especially highlighting 8 emphases in 2012, and I’m looking forward to unpacking these to our congregations this Sunday. They are:

• praying persistently

• welcoming the Spirit

• reading the bible

• creating leading opportunities

• evangelising in 4 mission seasons

• planning future church planting

• completing plans for reordering St Michael le Belfrey Church

• beginning plans for reordering St Cuthberts Church

All these things are important and will involve hard work, focus, dedication and much prayer. But we must be wise to the fact that we have an enemy who won’t want these plans to succeed. Indeed it’s not over-dramatic to say that the church’s vision statement (‘serving God’s transformation of the North’) should be taken as a declaration of war on the kingdom of darkness in the North.

You see, the bible is very clear that we have an enemy – the devil (Eph 6:11) – who will try to bring disunity and disillusionment. God however wants the opposite. He wants to help us and (as Psalm 144:1 says) ‘train our hands for war’ – for spiritual warfare (Eph 6:12ff).

Most people alive in the UK today have grown up knowing nothing of war. That includes me and probably most people who read this blog. I’m grateful for that and I hope you are too. But it means that we probably find it hard to grasp what the bible really means when we’re told that we are in a battle (eg. 2 Cor 10:4; 1 Tim 1:18). In wartime the whole nation is geared up so that everything goes to help the war effort. So the person making those nuts and bolt in the factory knows they’re helping in the war. The person working in fields knows they’re growing food to feed the nation and its soldiers. In wartime people work together. There’s an urgency. Because they have a common enemy and a common cause.

My wife’s grandma once told me that the years of the Second World War were the best days of her life. There was a great unity in the nation. There was a war to win. She was given a particular job to do that she felt was important. And people lived on the edge, not knowing how long they had, so they worked hard and they played hard. It was serious, but great fun!

Similarly every follower of Jesus is called to play their part in God’s great cause. That’s why John Wimber said:

‘the Christian life is warfare. The Church is called to be a family, a hospital, a school and an army.  The Church had better be an army because, whether we realize it or not, we’re in the middle of a war. A war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.’

If you are part of the Belfrey, you need to know that we have declared war on the enemy. We want to see the kingdom of darkness pushed back and defeated in the North. That means we are called to fight. To be warriors for Jesus Christ. Not against people, but against things like unbelief, falsehood, fear, injustice and oppression. We long to see people bow the knee to Jesus Christ and allow him to transform their lives, homes and communities. To do that effectively you need to know whose side you are on: God’s side. You need to know the regiment you’re in: the Church of England. You need to know the company you are in: St Michael le Belfrey. And each one of us needs to play our part.

For soldiers to be effective in battle, they need training. Initial training and ongoing training. Are you allowing God to train you for war? God did that for all the mighty warriors of valour we read of in the bible and he still does it today.

Some of us with limited experience need God to train us for war. If that’s you, it’s likely he will take you through all sorts of life experiences to train you. He will want you to develop various disciplines in life to train you. This is what he did in days of old, which is why we read in Judges 3:2 that ‘God did this to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience.’

Will you let God train you as one of his soldiers this year, so together we can play our part in serving God’s transformation of the North? If so, I invite you to pray this prayer with me:

‘Almighty God - I commit myself to be a soldier in your army. Please equip me and train me this year. I know that will not always be easy, but I ask you to strengthen and equip me so that I can play my part in serving your purposes for my city, my region and my nation. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.’

Why? Why does God want you to be full of his Spirit? Three particular reasons are given in 2 Timothy 1:7. It’s because ‘The Spirit… gives us power, love and self-discipline.’

Power

The first reason God gives you the Holy Spirit is to give you power. You need power. You need power to live as a disciple, because naturally we are weak. You need power to speak with the authority of Jesus Christ. You need power to see the sick healed.

Bill Johnson has said, ‘For decades the Church has been guilty of creating doctrine to justify their lack of power, instead of crying out to God until He changes them.’ And he’s right.

I think Sam and me saw an example of God’s power last weekend when our seven year old son David fell off a wall. The base of his spine hit the ground first, landing on the edge of a concrete pavement. After a second’s pause there was this terrible cry of pain and we thought he had done some terrible damage.Sam held him and started praying quietly in tongues over him.Then I prayed and spoke healing over his body, over his back, over the pain and its root source. At the end of the prayer David calmed down, sat up and seemed fine. He walked then for ten minutes back home. Half an hour later I checked his back to see how the bruising was doing, and there was absolutely nothing there. No signs at all. Not the next day, or since!

Now of course it’s possible, despite the bad fall, that he didn’t hurt anything at all and God’s power protected him. Or maybe our prayers released the power of God’s Spirit. I don’t know. But either way, we give thanks to God for his Spirit of power, at work!

If you unplug a laptop, the battery soon gets down to reserve and then it cuts out. It will do that unless you replug it back into the power-source. It’s like that with us. Unless we’re regularly connected and reconnected with the Holy Spirit, we lose power. And we will stop functioning. Do you need to reconnect?

Love

The second reason God gives you the Holy Spirit is to give you love. You need love. You need love to care for those in need. You need love to share the gospel with a stranger. You need love to forgive someone who hurts you. You need love to cover over a multitude of sins.

William Barclay said: ‘The Christian’s only method of destroying his enemies is to love them into his friends.’ I like that.

Heidi Baker in Mozambique talks of the love that Jesus gives her for the poor and the lost.In the midst of so much need she feels God has told her to simply love the one in front of her. One at a time. We must do the same.

When the Scriptures say ‘put on love’ it’s like we take up a massive blanket on a cold winter’s day to be shared so the maximum number of people can enjoy the warmth. God’s love is not just for us. It’s to share his with others. In word and action.

Self-discipline

The third reason God gives you the Holy Spirit is to give you self-discipline. You need self-discipline. You need self-discipline to get up early to pray and read the Scriptures. You need self-discipline to stay faithful to your spouse for all your life. You need self-discipline to regularly fast, pray and give. You need self-discipline to stand up against the devil’s tricks. You need self-discipline to persevere, especially when being under all sorts of pressure.

John Stott said that his secret to staying fresh in ministry and not burning out was to have (what he called) ‘a disciplined devotional life, with a determination to meet Christ every day.’

Paul Y Cho, now retired pastor of the largest church in world, said that ‘The lazy Christian is not willing to seek.  He never enters into the fullness of the blessing which God has desired him to enter. It take discipline and effort to live your life at the doorpost of the Lord.’

The good news is that this discipline does not just come from you trying harder. The Holy Spirit will give you that self-discipline as he fills you. You then have to co-operate with the Spirit to see that self-discipline worked out in your life.

Being self-disciplined is not about personality types. The self-discipline the Spirit gives is for all people. All personalities. It’s too easy to make the excuse that ‘being disciplined is not my personality.’ If you feel like that, you need to get over it, and ask the Holy Spirit to give us his self-discipline.

As we begin 2012 you and I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so we can be full of power, love and self-discipline. Ask him, day after day, to fill you. And he will. So start today.

Sixteen years ago, Mrs Lena Pahlsson lost her wedding ring, which was set with 7 small diamonds, in her kitchen. It was 1995 and she took it off to do some baking and it disappeared from the work surface. Late last year she was pulling up carrots in the garden, and she noticed the band, fastened tightly around one of the carrots. She thinks it must have fallen into the sink and become lost in vegetable peelings that were put out for compost. ‘I had given up hope of ever finding the ring’ she said. ‘It is quite incredible!’

It once was lost, but now is found. Fantastic!

‘I had given up hope’ she said. That phrase made me think about the year ahead. As a nation, do we have hope? About what about you? Do you have hope for the future? Not necessarily hope that you’ll find a wedding ring growing on a carrot, but the kind of hope that the bible talks about.

Psalm 33:18 says that God is looking down on earth, from heaven, and seeking a people who are full of hope. He’s looking for a people who respect him – who have a godly, holy, healthy fear of him. A people who stand in awe of him. A people (as it says) ‘whose hope is in his unfailing love.’

The Hebrew for unfailing love is the word ‘hesed’. The word means his experienced love. It’s a love the pervades the whole of life. All of your being. Mind. Soul. Body. Heart. It’s actually very close to the New Testament word for grace. Followers of Jesus know that ‘hesed’ is most fully experienced in Jesus Christ – in his death and resurrection – and as we are filled with his life-giving Spirit.

Psalm 33:18 talks of ‘hoping’ in this unfailing love of God. Hoping, as I’ve blogged before, is about trusting/believing – despite negative circumstances. It’s believing that a better day is coming. It’s about hanging in there because you glimpse a light at the end of the tunnel. And that light gives you hope, even though it seems dark all around you. And you begin to move towards that light. That is biblical hope.

As we go into the year ahead, I think God wants to give us a massive dose of hope.

Economically, the world is in a mess. And it’s going to take a while to get out of it. And if we’re going to get out of this recession we need economists, bankers, business people, politicians, and all sorts of people who have hope. People who believe in a better day.

Spiritually, our nation is not in a good place. Yes, there are pockets of good things happening. There are a few coming to Jesus Christ here and there. A trickle getting healed. Some are caring for the poor. Others trying hard to bring hope to their community A small percentage are faithful in worship. Probably an even smaller percentage are praying daily for the Spirit to be poured out and for revival. These things are good, but they feel like a drop in a bucket. So if I’m honest, I can’t say with any confidence that Ps 33:12 is true of the UK: ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord’. And it’s probably even less the case for the North of England, where for many their god is anything but ‘the Lord’.

And yet ‘the Lord’ wants to give us hope. Hope for our nation. Hope for the North. Hope so we pray and work our socks off to see transformation happen.

God is looking down from heaven looking for a people who’ve not given up hope. A people who know their hope (as it says in Ps 33:18) is in God’s ‘hesed’. In his unfailing love.

At the end of each year I re-read my journals for the last 12 months. It’s always fascinating to be reminded of some of the things the Lord has been doing in my life, and some of the things that have been on my mind. And so I did that a few days ago. Here’s an entry I found dated 12 Aug 2011:
‘I’m reflecting on Romans 4:17-18, on “the God who gives life to the dead and call into being things that were not. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed”. That’s how I feel about revival in the North. I believe that Lord wants it. And wants me to be part of it. But humanly it feels/seems impossible. It would need either a) resurrection – the North coming back to life, or b) creation – something created that’s never been before. Either way, only God can do those things. And looking around, I don’t see many signs. Not great deal of hope. But Rom 4 says that against all hope, Abraham believed. And so must I. So give me hope, Lord. Hope to believe. I like that. Hope to believe.’

So Abraham in hope believed – trusted that God would do the seemingly impossible. So, what about spiritual and social transformation in the North of England – in our day? Most people would say: ‘that’s impossible’. Yet God can do the seemingly impossible. If he can produce an heir for Abraham, out of his dead body … and if he can enable a wedding ring appear on a carrot after 16 years(!) … then he can bring revival to the North of England. He can.

This God looks down from heaven (Ps 33:18) and is seeking a people who will trust him for that. A people who’ll put their hope in his unfailing love.

Is that you? I hope so. I want it to be me. And that’s why – if it’s not too corny – my prayer at he beginning of 2012, especially for those of us at The Belfrey, is that God will give us a hope-y New Year. A very hope-y New Year!In fact, an extremely hope-y New Year!! Because that’s what we need. A massive dose of hope.

Psalm 33 ends (v22) with these words:
‘May your hesed – your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.’

A very hope-y New Year to you.

You see that particularly when travelling. Visit a poorer country and you often find people who are happy and contented – often more so than we in the affluent west. I find that interesting.

I was reading Philippians 4:11 a few days ago, where St Paul says, ‘I have learned to be content in all circumstances’ and it reminded me that happiness/contentment is actually an attitude that comes from something greater than our immediate needs – be they economic or otherwise. St Paul is happy because he is deeply rooted in Jesus Christ – and I am convinced (with him) that knowing Christ is actually the true secret of contentment – as I hope is every Christian leader and indeed every follower of Jesus. But simply to tell people around us that they should take their mind off money and become a Christian can sound naive and overly-pious, and doesn’t offer an alternative to the economy as the central focus for a happy life. So what should we do?

A better life

What we need is a different focus. After all, we know money in itself doesn’t make us happy, so why not focus on something else? Something bigger. Something grander. Something more holistic. I want to propose that the focus should be life itself – in fact, the best life. Because that’s what most people want. A better life. They desire the best that they can have, given the circumstances around them. So the question is: what should we be concentrating on in order to find a better life? Well, I want to offer a vision for a better life that is not so much my own, but found in an ancient text that has influenced generations of people across the world. It is the text of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament section of the bible. In Malachi people are challenged to change and aim for a better life. In Malachi we are presented with a compact but comprehensive vision not just for individuals or households, but for society in general. In Malachi we are told to aim for God’s best.

The Focus of Malachi

Later in 2012 I will be speaking at The Belfrey on the 6 areas highlighted by Malachi for a better life. In summary, they are:

1. Best worship, with a focus on quality

2. Best leadership, with a focus on integrity

3. Best relationships, with a focus on faithfulness

4. Best community, with a focus on truthfulness

5. Best economy, with a focus on generosity

6. Best values, with a focus on serving

Get these right and life will be better. Not perfect. We’ll never get that, not this side of heaven. But they are 6 key areas for a better life. For a better family life. For a better society – in the North of England as much as anywhere. Get our worship, leadership, relationships, community, economy and values right, and life will be so much better.

Aiming High

Malachi is on to something here. Observing his society with God-given insight he longs for people to discover a greater quality of life. He does not seek to patronise but to help. And that should be our attitude too. Desiring a better life – even the best life – is a good thing. It is right to aim high. And the source of inspiration for such a life is not hidden but has been left for us in his wise word by a God who wants good things for us. This is the God who, in Jesus Christ brings us a message (Jer 29:11) that is of great hope to each one in these testing economic days: ‘I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

So look out for more on Malachi in 2012 and let’s aim high. Let’s reach for a better life. In fact for the best life. That is the life our loving God longs for us to help others to live. After all, Jesus Christ told us to pray for just that thing (Mt 6:10) – that God’s kingdom would come and his will be done right here on earth, as it is in heaven.