Woody's Words

RESOURCES FOR THE DISCIPLE Part 1 By David Woodbury One of the great difficulties the Church faces is that it has portrayed the life of discipleship, of following Jesus, as being a way of life devoid of fun, enjoyment and fulfillment. The world looks on the life of the disciple as being something very sombre and hard to bear. Outside the experience of discipleship, it is very difficult to understand the joy and fulfillment that comes from self-giving. Society generally fails to understand that the way of discipleship is a contradiction to the wisdom of this world. To give yourself completely to God and others is the exact opposite of the way of our civilization. The way our world is to look after number one. The lifestyle of the called disciple is one of action, but it is not one of endless frenetic activity, it is also a call to reflection and rest. Jesus never offered the life of discipleship without offering the necessary resources to see it through. Throughout th...

NEW YEAR'S GREETING

ARE RITUALS IMPORTANT? By David Woodbury In our contemporary world ritual and tradition are often viewed with a deal of cynicism and suspicion, seen by many to be a haven for age and conservatism, and there may well be some truth in that point of view. However, a closer look at ritual discloses some quite positive attributes which can enhance the quality of life for families and individuals. One of the main characteristics that make for strong families is family ritual. Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist, argues quite forcibly, that ritual is a necessary and healthy part of any social institution; be it Church, club or family. Durkheim teaches that ritual is a powerful means for generating solidarity. He suggests that families that have developed high levels of ritual have more stable marriages and healthier children than those who have low levels of ritual. In the absence of consistent ritual, families tend to fall apart morally and psychologically. When I firs...

AMAZING GRACE AND IMPLICIT FAITH. ROMANS 4 – Part 2 -  Vs 13-25 By David Woodbury Paul is very clear in his view on Abraham’s relationship with God, and consequently, his view on how all Christians should relate to God. The fulfilment of God’s promises comes not from meticulously obeying the letter of the law, but rather a relationship based on faith in a God of grace. The reality is that a relationship based on meticulously obeying the letter of the law has no place for faith and rests entirely on human behaviour. The outcome of such a position is doomed to failure since humanity is totally incapable of meticulously obeying every letter of the law and end result must be divine wrath and punishment. 13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is ...

THE REALITY OF UNIVERSAL SIN Romans 3:1-20 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. 3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” 5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness...

DIVINE COMMUNION - Part 4 Holy Spirit faithful guide By David Woodbury Arthur Gullidge closes his selection out with a firm statement of the assurance of guidance while we are in communion with God. More than anything else the Christian needs guidance, both in their spiritual pilgrimage and in their relationship with his God. Most of us have lived long enough to know how susceptible to human thoughts and inclinations we are and know that only too well our own prejudice and bias all too often cloud our pilgrimage. What we need to keep uppermost in our minds is that in seeking God’s will in our lives we are not alone or without assistance. Jesus said he would send a Helper to assist us in living the way God wants us to .   When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.   He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. ...

INCONCEIVABLE GRACE Romans 3:21-31 By David Woodbury Christ Took Our Punishment 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.24 Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and inc...

Divine Communion Part 3 – Sweet will of God By David Woodbury When Arthur Gullidge inserted the well-known chorus, Sweet will of God , into his selection, Divine Communion , it may well have been that he instinctively knew; that to enjoy meaningful communion with God, authentic self-surrender inevitably would lead to us being immersed in God’s will. When we have come to the place of meaningful self-surrender to God, we have placed ourselves is a position where we are sensitively attuned to His will for us. However, doing God’s will is not always sweet for it requires a certain amount of commitment and diligent application. Knowledge of God’s will is not achieved on easy street or in a bargain basement, end of year sale; it will require a conscious and focused, personal undertaking. In the final analysis, knowing that you are in the centre of God’s will is not only sweet; it is also secure and fulfilling. The reality is that knowing and doing the will of God is n...