Sleaze sleaze sleaze

What a day yesterday was for government politicians. We had the home secretary in an embattled defence of his (growingly untenable) position, related to foreign nationals due for deportation being released from prison. The deputy prime minister announced (or had announced for him) he's been having an affair with a woman who was born the day after he married his wife. The former leader of the Labour party was handed a 6 month driving ban after collecting 15 points on his licence. And these are only the ones we found out about yesterday.

I remember being genuinely thrilled in '97 when Labour swept to power. After 18 years of Tory bullying, they were seen as a great fresh hope. People, and I was one of them, sincerely believed it when Blair et al promised there would be no repeat of the Tory sleaze years. I shook Tony's hand the day before he became PM, on a pre-election walkabout in my home town, which had shamefully been the safest Tory seat in Scotland for years. I was, in those days, a card carrying member of the party. I nailed my political colours to the mast, having worked in a continuingly beleaguered NHS for eleven years.

Now, though, it seems that power has corrupted all but a few of the key players in New Labour. I still remain hopeful of Blair and Brown, in terms of their own individual convictions. But the rabble behind them have disappointed sorely. For Mellor, Hamilton and Parkinson, now read Blunkett, Byers and Prescott.

Politics is not to blame for marriage break ups and sleaze however. Anyone who fails to prioritise their lifestyle so that fidelity and honesty are their watchwords make themselves vulnerable to calamities. Not everyone, of course, is stalked by the scrutiny of the national press. We are all though prisoners of conscience, and have been, ever since Eden. (Garden, not Anthony)

We can all hear the voice inside that guides us as to whether we are erring or not. Choosing to ignore that voice is a choice based on selfishness, or unwillingness to forego a 'forbidden' pleasure. The Bible would call that 'sin.'

Ironically, we sin because God loves us enough to let us. God hates sin. But He loves us enough to allow sin to exist. He doesn't permit it. He cannot abide sin. He cannot be in the presence of sin. God wants us NOT to sin. But He didn't create little robotic people who had no choice but to obey. He gives us choices. I was particularly struck by a comment this week in Rob Bell's brilliant book, 'Velvet Elvis' where he said that just as Heaven is full of people that God loves, so is Hell full of people that God loves. Jesus died for the sins of all the people in Heaven, and He died for the sins of all the people in Hell. The only difference is the choice that the person makes as to how to regard God and what He's done. God has given us the choice. Us. You and me.

Make the right choice. Today.

Manchester Passion

Three days now since 'resurrection day' and I suppose the world will put Easter to bed for another year. Even Woolworths had only a handful of eggs still for sale at £1.99 by lunchtime on Monday. Needless to say, I like a bargain!

My Easter highlight was watching the 'Manchester Passion', a fantastic production shown on BBC TV on Good Friday. As far as I know the people who put it together aren't Christians (maybe that's no bad thing!). It involved a modern version of a passion play, acted out in Manchester city centre live. To attempt to do something like that in modern-day Britain, on what is presumably a major drinking night in the calendar, was ambitious in the extreme.

Then to employ Keith Allen to be narrator and host (as well as Pilate) was inspired casting. Allen is seen as being one of the edgiest, most anarchic of performers and for the producers it must have been a bit like holding a hand grenade for an hour and hoping it didn't go off. Allen didn't. Go off, I mean. He did his job and did it well. There was never a sense of mockery or lampooning. There was a real discipline and faithfulness to the ageless Easter story.

It wasn't preachy. It didn't make me cringe. It was accessible and understandable. The accessibility was enhanced by an imaginative use of modern classic songs by Manchester bands such as The Smiths, New Order and Joy Division. Two stand-out moments for me were Jesus (portrayed superbly by Darren Moffitt) singing 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' during The Last Supper, and when he appeared hundreds of feet above the crowd singing The Stone Roses' 'I Am the Resurrection'. Literally a goosebump moment for me, even at the second time of watching.

So why, oh why, could some Christian groups and churches not resist having a pop at this event? Here were non-Christians taking over a city centre on a Friday night to tell the Jesus story. In a most brilliant and thought-provoking way. For me, there was no controversy, no heresy. Just an honest attempt to convey 1st century acts to 21st century people. Er, isn't that the church's job? Or am I just being too simplistic?

Answers on a postcard...

OK, honesty right away. I'm not perfect. Don't be shocked. I'm not. When you're a 'full-time' Christian (such a misnomer; we should all be full-time) people have a perception that you operate on a superspiritual level. Well, others may, but I don't. I struggle to be a good husband, a good father, a good stepfather, a good colleague, a good pastor; oh and I mean every day.

Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the challenge. But isn't the process messy? Regular pattern. I mess up, I get stubborn about messing up, eventually I go to God for help, He helps, I'm grateful, I forget, then I mess up again.

I know that's not just me. Paul was writing about it 2000 years ago in Romans 7. But I do get mad at ME! Why do I never learn? Of course this is when my mind starts to short-circuit at God's grace; 'cos He is always faithful when I am sometimes faithless.

Ok, sermon over!

Today our seeker-friendly service was focused on the theme of freedom. Based on the story of the rehabilitation of Lazarus (Jesus knew how to spoil a funeral didn't he?!), it explored how we can find freedom from all the things that screw us up, be they in the past, the present, or fears of the future.

My freedom and enjoyment of it was somewhat spoiled by our often unreliable sound engineer turning up 45 minutes late without a care in the world. His reason was that it's just too early in the morning (10am is early?) for him. Which gets me back to the full-time Christian thing from earlier. People in churches should see what they do within the church as ministry. It's not just for the anointed minister to feel and own that responsibility (though goodness knows they do) but for the church member to see their roles as 'doing them as unto the Lord.' It's frustrating when people don't because it displays the wrong values to a watching world. It's a worldy 'doing just enough to scrape by' attitude. It diminishes our potential and adversely affects others' opportunities to fulfil their spiritual capabilities. Ok, a sound guy turning up late isn't the end of the world, but it's indicative. People who 'wing it' will never find out what it's like to soar on wings like eagles.

That's all folks.

Welcome to whoever you are. Why would anyone find what I have to say on the state of the world interesting or worthy of a visit?