What would you say is the most wonderful thing not
just in the whole world, not just in the whole solar system, not just in the
whole galaxy but in the whole universe?
To answer that question there’s one expert to turn to
at the moment.
And I was delighted to get his latest book as a
Christmas present.
After Wonders of the Solar System, Wonders of the
Universe and Wonders of Life Brian Cox has come up with another wonderful BBC
series and the accompanying book was one of my presents at Christmas.
Brian Cox with Andrew Cohen, Human Universe.
The book begins with a question. A very big question.
What is a human being?
Brian Cox responds drily at first.
Objectively, nothing of consequence. Particles of dust in an infinite arena,
present for an instant in eternity.
Clumps of atoms in a universe with more galaxies than people.
And yet.
I am quite please he goes on to add that and yet in.
And yet
There is something remarkable, something very special
about a human being.
This is how Brian Cox continues
And yet a human being is necessary for the question
itself to exist, and the presence of a question in the universe – any question
– is the most wonderful thing.
Wow, that’s some thought.
Think about it for a moment.
The remarkable thing about a human being is that we have the capacity to ask questions. And it is that ability to ask questions that opens up for us as human beings the potential to understand the universe and our place in it.
Brian Cox goes on …
Questions require minds, and minds bring meaning. What is meaning? I don’t know, except the universe and every
pointless speck inside it means something to me.
The Christmas story unfolds in the first couple of
chapters of Matthew and the first couple of chapters of Luke.
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of a baby.
And then there is a tantalizing glimpse of Jesus’
childhood.
Matthew tells us that the first two years of his
childhood were spent as a refugee in Egypt.
The remainder of his childhood was spent in Nazareth
at the home of Joseph and Mary.
The end of Luke 2 takes us to the point at which Jesus
crosses the threshold from childhood to manhood.
He is 12 years old and his parents take him to the
temple and something happens there…
Every
year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42When Jesus was twelve years old,
they went to the festival as usual. 43When the festival was over, they
started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not
know this; 44they thought that he was with the
group, so they travelled a whole day and then started looking for him among
their relatives and friends. 45They did not find him, so they
went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46On the third day they found him
in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking
questions. 47All who heard him were amazed at
his intelligent answers. 48His parents were astonished when
they saw him, and his mother said to him, “My son, why have you done this to
us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”
49He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me?
Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?”50But they did not understand his
answer.
51So Jesus went back with them to
Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things
in her heart. 52Jesus grew both in body and in
wisdom, gaining favour with God and people.
I think it is one of the most wonderful things about
Jesus.
He was sitting in the Temple with the Jewish teachers,
‘listening to them and asking them questions’.
Isn’t that fascinating.
Jesus asked questions.
At the very end we learn that Jesus grew both in body
and in wisdom, gaining favour with God and people.
Jesus was prepared to ask questions.
That’s the key to it all.
Read through the gospel story and time again you will
find Jesus asking questions. So much so
that often when people ask him questions he responds with another question.
Questions are important – all-important if Brian Cox
is anyting to go by … all important if The experience of the 12 year old Jesus
is anything to go by!
So that’ s the invitation a week on Tuesday – for the
start of a six week course that’s simply called ‘Question’.
Question is a six-part introduction to the Christian faith for those willing to question.
Think about it, talk about it, question...
Think about it, talk about it, question...
Who am I? What is life about? Why is there so much suffering in the world? If God exists, then what is he like?
Answers don’t come wrapped up and neatly packaged. There are big questions which need examining. Question is a thought-provoking journey to stir up that sense of longing. Each episode connects our everyday experiences with the timeless truths of the Bible, providing direction for the conversation that follows.
Question is a DVD resource to enable people to explore the kind of questions about God that are often asked early on in a journey of faith.
One of the things I am conscious of is the need for
what we think about on a Sunday morning
to relate to us all in the real world of our everyday lives.
So alongside that Question course I have an invitation. Think of the questions that you have and
would like a response to.
Over the next couple of weeks there’s going to be a
box in church for you to post your questions – sign your name, just do it
anonymously. What kind of questions come
to your mind that we need to share and address.
Then in our preaching on Sundays what I am going to do
is not so much give answers – but offer a response to those questions – and
then an opportunity to share our own insights as well.
It is interesting to track through the Gospel story
and see the questions people asked Jesus, the responses he gave and the
questions he in turn asked.
The great thing that emerges from a look through that
Gospel story is that it is all right to ask questions. It is all right to have questions. Sometimes they can be big questions that
really niggle.
It’s all right to have questions … and to share them.
Get to the very end of the gospel story and in
Matthew’s gospel we see Jesus in the company of the disciples who by now have
spent three years with him – in his company.
You might have expected by now that all their
questions would have been answered.
Not so.
When those 11 went to the hill country of Galilee,
where Jesus had told them to go, they saw him and they worshipped him … even
though some of them doubted.
In the face of those doubts what did Jesus do?
He gave them a task – and offered them a promise.
The task was to go to all peoples everywhere and make
them my disciples; baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.
That’s the task that was behind our Big Welcome
initiative over Christmas. Our task is
to share our faith, to make disciples of other people.
That’s why it is important to run courses such as this
Question course and see to it that there is always something on the go that can
help people explore their faith. There
is always the opportunity to explore the faith, to dig into those questions so
that there’s an opportunity to take the first steps on that journey of faith
for everyone.
Maybe there’s someone you can ask and invite to join
us.
But with that task came a promise. “And I will be with you always to the end of
the age.!!
As we ask our questions and explore our faith, that’s
the promise to hold on to.
One thing is certain about the year that lies ahead.
Ahead of us are all sorts of uncertainties.
How wonderful to hold on to that promise Jesus made to
his disciples: I am with you always!
From this place
From this moment
We look to the
future
And know
You will be with
us
To the end of the
age
Send us
From this place
From this moment
In peace
Knowing the
salvation
You have prepared
in the presence of
all peoples
Knowing the light
that lights up the
way ahead.
… even when that way takes us through the valley of
the shadow …
Song: The Lord’s my shepherd
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