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The science versus religion debate |
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Written by Rev. Erik Wilson
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Friday, 03 September 2010 13:51 |
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The excitement created by Stephen Hawking’s claim that: “It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the Universe going,” seems to reveal a great deal of ignorance about the Christian faith.
Christian faith is not faith in the ‘god of the gaps’ – in other words, if science cannot yet explain it, then it must be down to God. The gaps that this god can occupy become fewer and smaller all the time as scientific understanding progresses.
Christian faith is founded on a different, but no less valid, body of evidence – the records of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ found in the gospels and lived and interpreted in the rest of the New Testament.
This faith is not inconsistent with scientific knowledge – nor does it see any necessity to suppress or disprove scientific discovery. It rather rejoices and marvels in the works of God’s hands.
The excellent, ‘Test of Faith’ course, which comes to an end at St Barnabas on the 22nd September, addresses these issues square on. There is even reference to the ‘who lit the blue touch paper?’ question. If you have missed the first two, please do still come to the final session which addresses questions around mind and consciousness and what it is to be human. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 03 September 2010 13:55 |
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Written by Rev. Erik Wilson
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Sunday, 25 July 2010 11:39 |
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It is Sunday and I am preparing for, and very much looking forward to, this morning’s Holy Communion service. There is something very special about the Lord’s people gathering around his word and his table. It should be something that stirs a great sense of anticipation in us.
I do not have a wide experience of preaching in other churches, but there are some churches, like St Barnabas, in which one can sense a great expectancy when the sermon begins. The congregation anticipates hearing the word of God to them through the sermon, and so they listen attentively waiting for the Lord’s word of challenge or encouragement.
In other churches one senses the congregation switching off as soon as the preacher nears the pulpit. They have no anticipation of hearing anything worthwhile or life-changing. That may be a reflection, not just of the poor preaching in that particular church. It may also be a sign of bad listening. Jesus often challenged people to listen carefully – ‘Let those who have ears to hear - - -‘.
I believe much depends on our through the week and pre-service preparation. In some ways a church service can be compared with a symphony performance. We would not expect the members of the orchestra to turn up on the night having done no practice on their instrument beforehand. A good performance by the orchestra depends on each member doing their own part beforehand.
Likewise, in a service of worship, much depends on the spiritual temperature of the members of the congregation. Have they spent time with the Lord during the week in the privacy of their own rooms? Have they set aside time for prayer and bible study? Or have they just turned up on a Sunday expecting a weekly fix that might see them through for the next few days.
The Lord has promised to attend when we meet in his name. That, surely, should cause our hearts to leap in glorious anticipation.
Erik |
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Written by Rev. Erik Wilson
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Tuesday, 19 January 2010 17:43 |
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John 2:1-11
They had run out of wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It was a social disaster – something the family would have had to live under the shadow of for many years.
One can almost imagine the panic in the background as the guests carried on as yet unaware of the shortage. No doubt the servants would have been making their suggestions. ‘Why don’t we just fill up these stone jars with water and pour in some grape concentrate? It will look like the real thing and hopefully they’ve had so much to drink by now they won’t know the difference.’ It would have been pretty futile, but it’s about as much as any human being could have done in the situation.
But Jesus does far more. He does not lace water with squash – he turns water in to wine. He brings about a complete transformation, not only of the wine, but of the bridal family’s sorry predicament.
When I reflect on my own life and ministry I realise there are times when I’ve been doing the equivalent of pouring squash into water. Anything I may have achieved has been entirely the result of my own efforts and it was not the real thing. At other times I’ve seen Christ at work bringing glorious transformation. There is a huge difference.
I have pondered why this should be. Is it because I have not done whatever Jesus says, as Mary told the servants to do at the wedding? Or is it just that there are times and seasons of grace in our lives and in the life of a church? Perhaps it is a bit of both.
There are some churches that could be described as squash and water churches. There is much going on and it looks good, but somehow it is lacking. It is nothing more than the result of a great deal of human effort. Some settle for a religion like that. They do not want transformation, just a bit of religious flavour to their life.
This is not what Jesus offers. Where Jesus is, there is transformation – and that transformation goes far beyond what any human effort can achieve.
Pray that the Lord in his grace will continue to bring transformation to St Barnabas church that we might be a transforming community. Pray that our own lives may be being made new in the power of Christ. After all, who would settle for squash when they could have the choicest wine? |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 March 2010 14:33 |
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Don't call me partner - pal! |
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Written by Rev. Erik Wilson
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Tuesday, 08 December 2009 16:01 |
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I have just returned from my wife’s M.Ed. graduation ceremony and I am not pleased! It has been a lovely day, except for one thing. The Pro Vice Chancellor who presided over the proceedings welcomed the students and their partners – with no mention of husbands or wives, or even spouses.
I am Jane’s husband. I am not her partner. I believe there is a fundamental distinction between a marriage and a live in relationship between two partners. To call married couples partners downgrades the marriage relationship – and there are those in our society who are seeking to do just that.
We should resist this movement to lump marriage and live in relationships together as if they are the same. They are not. The preface to our church marriage service says:
‘Marriage is a gift of God in creation through which husband and wife may know the grace of God’. Let’s say a loud ‘Hallelujah’ for marriage. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 March 2010 14:33 |
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Written by Rev. Erik Wilson
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Sunday, 06 December 2009 17:41 |
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There is a sad irony in the fact that the announcement of 1700 redundancies at Corus comes at the same time as bankers want to pay themselves 6 and 7 figure bonuses. It was the unbridled and unwise risk taking of bankers that got the economy in to the mess it is in. Now, others are paying for it with their jobs.
We want to cry, ‘that’s not fair!’ – and of course it is not. I lose count of the number of times I have heard bankers’ pay packets defended on the grounds that they are highly talented individuals who deserve what they are paid. I do not think that argument holds water. There are many people in this country who deserve to be paid more than they are and some who should be paid far less. Our economic system is such that what someone is paid and what they deserve are not necessarily related.
We sing a little children’s chorus in church that expresses profound truth in a very simple way. ‘Grace is when God gives us the things we don’t deserve. Mercy is when God does not give us what we deserve.’ In God’s economy, love and grace are lavished on those who do not deserve either. But in God’s economy, it is not some people far away who have no control over events who pick up the tab for that, as too often happens in our economy. It is God himself who, in his Son Jesus Christ, paid the price of our sins when he died on the cross. Many have said, ‘that’s not fair!’ – and of course it is not; but it is grace. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 March 2010 14:34 |
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