[Friday's Devotional] - David W

Could you start by telling us the main roles you've had in your working life?
I mainly worked in engineering, in various roles such as production planning, estimating, tendering and sales.  I also spent some time dealing with the Trade Unions and resolving issues at work.  Overall it was very enjoyable with opportunities to travel abroad, mainly to the continent, but I had a prolonged stay with A.E.I. in Bhopal, India where I was involved in the construction of the Heavy Electrical factory.  We started a Scout Troop there and even managed to learn Hindi!

Did you feel you were able to integrate your faith into your work? Yes is the easy answer, but examples are more difficult to recall.  Prayer did play a part but the situation was not always what we expected.  Meeting deadlines in tendering and resolving disputes in the works could be stressful at times, and there were at least two occasions when seemingly impossible deadlines were extended at the clients' requests.  One manager asked on several occasions where a certain passage came from in the bible - usually when he wanted to use it in a talk or speech.

Were there any Bible passages or Christian role models who particularly challenged or inspired you in your work? Joshua springs to mind for two reasons both of which are promises.  First was God's promise to Joshua - "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ........ Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua1:5-6, 9). The second is Joshua's testimony to the Israelites - ".... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ...... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

Are there any other encouragements you would give Christians in their work? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Thank you Father that you are unchanging through the ups and downs of our work. Even though we may not always see you in the detail of what we do, thank you that you are always there. Thank you for the opportunities that work gives us – to provide for us and our families and also to engage with those around us, both directly through our paid work and through related activities.

Send us out Lord, in the power of your Spirit, to live and work to your praise and Glory. Amen

Jon Seaton

[Thursday's Devotional] - Richard

Could you start by telling us the main roles you've had in your working life? Initially I worked professionally as an 'Urban Planner', and then taught and researched Urban Planning, with a particular emphasis on issues of community disadvantage and how power is used in making decisions that often reinforce poverty and deprivation.  A sense that the Kingdom of God has a direct and challenging impact on unequal societies, where his justice is an important part of the Gospel, has been a central driver for me.  For the last 15 years of my time at Coventry University I researched Church involvement in local communities especially those struggling with poverty.

Did you feel you were able to integrate your faith into your work? Probably the best way to illustrate this is to list some of the other responsibilities that I've had:

·                In the 1980's I become a board member of Coventry Churches Housing Association, because of urban planning and housing policy interests and approaching these things Christianly. This led to becoming Chair of a housing association with 32,000 homes.

·                Some colleagues and I researched the Church Urban Fund in the early 1990's. As a result I became a Trustee of CUF for 12 years and now chair a  'joint venture' with Coventry Diocese on 'Community Transformation'.

·                Over the years I have held positions on national Research Advisory Groups and a couple of government committees looking at issues of poverty and how policy might be formed.

·                Oh, and nearly 20 years ago there was the decision to form Overslade Church. Our main reason for this was the view expressed by two families living on the estate who were clear that most people on the estate would not come near St Matthews Church building. We've seen lots of changes on Overslade over the years, largely for the better, including a fantastic community centre. Some have come to faith in Christ and moved on, but the Kingdom 'come' in many ways.  

It is encouraging to see how God has used your interests and career to influence things. I don't often put the story together as outlined above, but it wasn't my planning! I can only see it by taking stock and looking back over the years.

Are there any other encouragements you would give Christians in their work? Pray about work, especially the substance of what we do. It’s much more than praying for opportunities to witness, although it is that too. Of real importance to me over the last 20 years has been the prayer triplet with David L. and Andy P. Whilst we pray about anything, the initial and continuing focus is on our 'work' and that doesn't exclude the work we do in what is called 'retirement'. 

Thank you Lord that you are a God of justice. We pray that our workplaces would reflect that, both in how individuals are treated and how businesses behave corporately. Help us to play our part, and thank you that you can use us to further your Kingdom. Give us a greater sense of your heart, that we would live and work more effectively for you.

Jon Seaton

[Wednesday's Devotional] - David L (Part 2)

Were there any times when you found it particularly hard going at work? Did your faith help you then?

There have been plenty of times when work has been hard going!  These have often coincided with long-term staff absence, staffing problems, the pressure of work or teaching a difficult class.  Yes, my faith did help me.  Being a creature of habit, I always have quiet times, am regularly at church and have two long-term prayer partners (and a wife) who are very supportive.  Just keeping going has been important, but colleagues at work have always been very helpful.  I have found routine very helpful – and that includes having a walk on a Saturday and refusing to work on Sunday.

Were there any Bible passages or Christian role models who particularly challenged or inspired you in your work?

Bible passages: I had Romans 12: 1, 2 printed out in large letters on one side of A4 and put in my office to remind myself that I am not to follow the crowd or go the easy route.  It continues to inspire me.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:1-2 [NIV]

Role models: I learned a lot from other members of staff.  Sometimes a challenge by another teacher who is not a Christian can bring you up sharply.  One colleague (an atheist) said to me: “It is such a privilege to work with young people.” And it is, but so often one forgets that it is, amongst the bad behaviour and the low expectations and the rudeness.  Most of the children are pleasant and yes, it is a privilege to teach them.

Sharing an office with another Christian was also a blessing and an inspiration.  Having other Christians in the department was often a source of much blessing.

Are there any other encouragements you would give Christians in their work?

I have found it important (but by no means always easy!) to remember that love is the heart of the gospel.  It is always worth hanging on to in the face of stress and the vicissitudes of what is a difficult job.

Help us Lord, to cope with the difficult times at work. Thank you for our fellow Christians who support us, and your word that strengthens us. Help us rejoice in the good that we see, and may that feed our spirit. Help us not to become bitter or retaliate to the bad behaviour of others, but rather be your agents of transforming love.

Jon Seaton

[Tuesday's Devotional] - David L (Part 1)

Could you start by telling us the main role or roles you've had in your working life?

I started off as an ordinary teacher working in a small RC school in Bermondsey.  I was the only chemist in a science department of 4½.  My next job was as Deputy Head of Science in a girls’ comprehensive in Peckham.  Finally I became Head of Science in a medium sized comprehensive school in a deprived area of Coventry.  I retired from that post in 2012 and have been teaching part time since.

Did you enjoy your work?

Yes, but it does have its ups and downs.  Some of the attractions of teaching are that no two days are the same, and that you are working with people.  But those things can also be a major factor in causing stress and difficulties.

Did you feel you were able to integrate your faith into your work?

Generally yes.  In the Catholic school I was regarded as a bit of an oddity.  I was a ‘Prod’!  This did open some doors for me.  One class refused to work until I told them how I was different from them and how I had become a Christian!  A boy in serious trouble (he had thrown a chair at someone) was told by his head of year that no one on the staff liked him.  “No that’s not true,” the boy said “Dr Long likes me.”  Then the head of year replied “But he’s a Christian!”

I get called on to give assemblies – they are always Bible based – and sometimes to appear as a witness for classes to ask a Christian what they believe.  I have done this several times with Year 7 classes and also with a Sixth form sociology group.

On a personal basis, some children are perplexed that I am a Christian and a scientist and stop and question me about my faith.  One boy spent a couple of hours asking me questions after school.  A Muslim student asked to borrow a Bible to see what Christians believe. He still has it, years later.

Did you see God's hand in your work?

This is much harder.  I often pray for opportunities to witness, and they do come.  When I joined my present school there was only one other Christian on the staff, so I prayed for more Christians to come and work there.  We now have quite a lot of Christian teachers and people in support roles.  It has been quite encouraging.  Another thing I prayed for a long time was for the Gideons to be allowed to come and distribute New Testaments.  The Head had been very much against it.  However a new head was appointed and, although she was not in favour, one of the deputy heads (a Christian) invited the Gideons in and they have been coming for 3 or 4 years now.  We had been the only secondary school in Coventry to ban the Gideons.

Thank you Father for teachers. May we have that same attitude of giving of ourselves to benefit others, and be willing to share our faith. Help us to have vision for change. May we persist in praying “Your Kingdom Come” and be your hands  and feet until we see that happen.

Jon Seaton

[Monday's Devotional] - Work

Work is a big part of our lives for the majority of people, whether at home or in places of paid employment, yet often it is not given the airtime in churches that it perhaps deserves.  Many churches will readily pray for the ordained and lay ministries of the church, but what about those in secular employment?  Are they not part of the church too, and equally following God’s calling to be his witnesses in those places of work?  You could argue that Christians in secular employment are more critical in taking the gospel message to the world, as they are in the mission field of the workplace.

Work can also be a big source of stress for many, normally due to too much or too little work or difficult working relationships.  Often such pressures will dominate people’s thinking, even as they gather to worship God on a Sunday morning.  Surely this is something that needs more prayer.

These are some of the arguments put forward by Mark Green, Executive Director of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.  He argues for stronger integration of the sacred and secular, so we are fully equipped to live non-compartmentalised lives of faith, and be sure of God’s purpose and presence with us as we work.  As we do so our work can become our worship, and we become “whole life disciples of Christ”.

Yet, for many Christians, there is a divide between work and faith.  It can feel so hard to talk about God at work, which only makes the gap seem wider.  Despite being told that  God loves us on Sunday, it might not feel like it when the boss hauls us into the office on a Monday morning, or we have a pile of tedious paperwork to go through.

So this week, I will be relating the experience of some members of m2o, most of whom have either recently retired or are approaching retirement, and therefore have a whole career to report back on. I will try and draw something each day that is “devotional” – to help us see God is alive in our workplaces and that will hopefully encourage us in our work

Today, if you are feeling weighed down by your work, your lack of witness there, lacking a sense of calling or finding it difficult for whatever reason, remember that Jesus said his “yoke is easy and his burden light”.  That is not to say that work is easy, it often isn’t, but sometimes the guilt or expectation we place on ourselves, or our work places on us, is greater than the one we should be bearing.  Hopefully as we learn who we are in Christ our workload seems lighter.  Ask Him today what you should take up and what you should put down.  Is there something you could do to transform a difficult relationship?  Maybe seek out someone to talk to about these things.

Jon Seaton

[Friday's Devotional] - City of Angels

Meg Ryan plays a skilled heart surgeon who begins to doubt her ability to save lives. She is observed by an angel, Seth, played by Nicholas Cage.  She realises that despite doing her best the deaths which have occurred on her operating table are not within her control. From time to time Seth makes himself visible to her and in spite of the rules angels must adhere to, he finds himself falling in love with her.  He learns that he has a choice and he ultimately decides to "fall" and in doing so enters into an earthly relationship with her. He made the ultimate sacrifice.

 

It is a sad love story and when I first wrote this devotional in 2009 I was single and Valentines Day was looming. I found myself sobbing my heart out feeling extremely lonely, I was very aware of how much I missed that close companionship of another human being and after half a box of tissues I had placed myself firmly on my pity pot!  That’s when He captivated my heart.

 

Despite the overwhelming feelings of loneliness this film had brought to the surface, I knew I was not alone, in my sadness I felt the strong arms of my father wrapped around me like the plumpest duvet, they enveloped me and I remembered a recent intimate moonlight walk I had taken with him and the peace I had felt, I was not alone!

 

 “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!  I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me and your strength will support me”. Psalm 139:1-10

 

My favourite moments in the film are when at Dusk and Dawn, the angels stand on the beach and ‘listen’ to the sun setting and rising, they are so intimate with God they can hear his creation. In the book “Velvet Elvis” by Rob Bell one line stuck with me, “Knowing the Book of the Lord is not our primary goal, but rather knowing the Lord of the Book”.

 

By the end of the film God had lavished his love upon me; my weeping had turned to joy as I felt comforted and enveloped by his love, as the film finished I thanked him for captivating my heart and at that very moment two words appeared on the screen, just before the credits, they read………“FOR DAWN”. Today, take time to be captivated by his love.

 

Thank you Lord, for loving me, and all Gods people said……….. Amen

 

Dawn Milward

 

Here is a clip from City of Angels

 

[Thursday's Devotional] - Run Fatboy Run

In this film Dennis Doyle (Simon Pegg) decides to run a marathon to prove to his ex-girlfriend he can change and become dedicated, disciplined and determined. However, he hits an imaginary brick wall in his mind, tiredness and fear kicks in, all his past failings taunt him, he is drained, feeling hopeless he wants to give up … do you know that place? … I do and it reminds me of David’s men at the Brook Besor………..

 

 “So David and his 600 men set out after the Amalekites.  When they reached Besor Brook, 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross, but the other 400 kept going”.
1 Samuel 30 v 9-10

 

They had returned from the Philistine war to find utter devastation. The Amalekites had taken everything, even wives and children. The men were angry at David for leaving them unprotected and wanted to stone him, in his distress, David turned to the Lord for strength.

At Besor Brook, only 15 miles from home, they were fatigued and demoralised, David left ⅓ of his men and their equipment at Besor Brook. The remaining 400 continued on gruellingly and, with the help of God – every woman and child was recovered.  I have pondered that situation and imagined the relatives of the 200 who rested asking “Where’s my husband? Where’s my dad? Why didn’t he come for me?”

The 400 returned and some saw no reason to share the spoils of war with the 200 who had stayed at Brook Besor. “Give them their families and tell them to shove off – we don’t’ need quitters in this company.” (Paraphrase!) David broke up the argument saying “we all share in the victory – after all, God gave it to us.  We’re God’s, not our own. Anyone who has anything to boast about – boast in God.”

Awesome! David unifies the team, honouring the 200 men who stayed behind with the supplies, and his logic so captured their hearts that it became a rule in Israel that all would share in victory.  Some of you may be at Brook Besor right now, or have loved ones there, for many reasons you feel unable to go on and consigned to the sidelines.

David did many mighty deeds in his life and many foolish deeds too! but perhaps the noblest was this rarely discussed deed, he honoured the tired soldiers at Brook Besor. It's okay to rest. Jesus fights when you cannot. Who are the strong to criticise the tired?  Reserve passing judgement, odds are, we will all need to plop down ourselves and when we do, Brook Besor is a good story to know.  
         

Lord, help us to lift and encourage one another in love and good deeds. Amen.

 

Dawn Milward

 

Here is a clip from Run, Fatboy Run

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Cool Runnings

This hilarious feel-good film is amazingly based on the true story of the first Jamaican bobsled team who made history in the Calgary Olympics Winter Games. They warmed the hearts of many worldwide in their first attempt at Olympic glory and were immortalized in this popular Walt Disney movie. Since then the team has been a mainstay in the Winter Olympics.

 

Contrary to the movie, the Jamaican team were met with open arms by the international Bobsledding teams. One of the other teams even went so far as to lend the Jamaican team their back-up sled so they could qualify and I love this film, it shows how a bunch of misfits can work together, as a team, to finish the race.

 

In the film, their coach had previously shamed himself by cheating many years earlier and had retired in disgrace, all the members of his current team had their own shortcomings and they appeared to be a most unlikely bunch of also-rans!  However, all that aside, they become heroes.  They did not come first, yet they were winners, they walk over the finish line carrying the broken bobsleigh on their shoulders, heads held high with pride, courage and dignity, I always shed a tear, they finish their race and they finish well!

 

 “But these things don't count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God”  Acts 20:24 [WEB]

 

Throughout history God has chosen the most unlikely folk for his purposes to carry out his work, in spite of our weakness and imperfections God has a purpose and plan for us all.  John Newton, clergyman and songwriter, most famous for his Amazing Grace lyrics sums it up.  Once a slave trader, an alcoholic and a violent man he declares of his journey: “I am not the man I ought to be, I am not the man I wish to be, and I am not the man I hope to be, but by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be.”

 

With those words in mind let us each encourage one another as we press on towards our goal.  “It's not that I've already reached the goal or have already completed the course. But I run to win that which Jesus Christ has already won for me” Philippians 3:12  [GW]

 

Father God, thank you, that with you as our coach, we are all winners!

 

Dawn Milward

 

Here is a clip from Cool Runnings

 

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Shawshank Redemption

This is one of my all time favourite movies, if you can watch it too many times I have! Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years in this story (adapted from a Stephen King novel) of hope, perseverance, strength and redemption.  For me it carries some valuable spiritual messages:

Hope Never Dies - Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free!

Red (Morgan Freeman) is feeling hopeless thinking he may never get out of prison and, if he ever does, he won't know how to live outside of the prison walls that have been his home for many decades. Andy responds... "There are places in this world that aren't made out of stone... there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch, that's yours……. Hope." He writes to Red, "Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

Whatever your fears may be, God gives this promise: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance and endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation and this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”  Romans 5: 3-5 (New Living Translation)

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

Andy was serving life for a murder he didn’t commit, but he was not angry, resentful or sitting on a pity-pot! - he had an inner strength and peace.

As he put it, “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying." 

As I put it “Two men looked through the prison bars, one saw the mud and one saw the stars”.

As God puts it “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 ……Choose Life!

 

 

Lord, avert our eyes from the mud and help us to see stars today!, Amen.

 

Dawn Milward

 

Here is a short video clip from The Shawshank Redemption