Lyndon Letter, November 2021

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to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to pray, speak out and take action, may we be ‘culture-changers’ for Him!

Lyndon Bowring CHAIRMAN

At the end of our tour Caroline paused at the statue of William Wilberforce. I couldn’t resist resting my hand on it as I thanked God for this man of such wisdom, love and perseverance. He, with others, worked to bring about the abolition of slavery, probably the greatest counter cultural change in his generation – and also instigated a return to true Christianity that changed 19th century Britain.

Her Majesty the Queen at the statue May we be culture-carers and culture-changers as of William Wilberforce before a we walk with Christ! Celia, in consultation with many service in March 2007 marking the others, has written a book entitled ‘Turning the Tide?’

200th anniversary of the abolition of It traces the extraordinary story of the Nationwide the slave trade.

Festival of Light that took place in September 1971 and then how CARE has sought to ‘care for our cultures’ over the past 50 years. If you can send a gift at this time, we’d love to give you a complimentary copy. And if that’s not possible, we’d be happy to let you have it anyway. You can also purchase additional copies for family and friends.

It would be a great help if you felt able to donate online which is simply done by visiting care. org.uk/donate. Of course, if this isn’t your preference, please continue sending your deeply appreciated gift by post or by phoning us. Thank you again for your support. CARE couldn’t continue without you.

Yours in His grace,

November 2021

GREETINGS FROM CARE! As you may know, I try to make only one direct financial appeal each year. Your ongoing generosity is vital to the ministry of CARE, so I hope you’ll feel prompted to give to us at this time. However, when we say ‘please only give to CARE once you’ve responded to the needs of your family, local church and other ministries close to your heart’ we really do mean it!

CULTURAL CHAMPIONS

Lyndon Bowring CHAIRMAN

CAREORGUK

After 18 months of Covid-19, CARE’s staff has now returned to our Romney Street offices. To celebrate, we took over the Cellarium Restaurant at Westminster Abbey for lunch and had a conducted tour – we were warmly welcomed as the first group to visit since the Covid-19 shutdown. We finished the day by attending Evensong. What a glorious reunion it was! To our great delight, Caroline, a long-time supporter of CARE, whom we’ve known for over 40 years, turned out to be one of our guides!

CARE.ORG.UK

CARE (Christian Action Research & Education) | Chief Executive Ross Hendry | Chairman Rev Lyndon Bowring 53 Romney St, London, SW1P 3RF | 020 7233 0455 | mail@care.org.uk | Charity No: 1066963 | Scottish Charity No: SC038911

She led us through this amazing building, pointing out particular memorials to famous people who are commemorated in this ‘Royal Peculiar’ Abbey: kings and queens, soldiers and explorers, poets and actors remembered by plaques, stone slabs, grandiose statues and lavishly decorated tombs. Each had shaped the culture of their generation in some way, leaving a legacy that has gone down in history. Caroline graciously commented that CARE was following in the footsteps of many of the pioneering Christian champions who are commemorated in the Abbey.

CREATION AND CULTURE

maintained their unique Jewish culture and live according to God’s laws. Rather than rise up against their enemies they should bless them. Jeremiah was regarded by some as a traitor.

When God created the heavens and the earth, He said it was ‘very good’ and then commissioned Adam and Eve to ‘fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion…’ God’s work of Creation was complete but not finished, there being endless rich possibilities and seeds of amazing potential for us to be caretakers of creation’s culture.

This message is so relevant to us today. Wherever we live – in a city, town or village – God wants us to be a blessing to those around us, to build up the local community by our actions or simply by being Christ’s presence there.

The word ’culture’, from the Latin ‘cultura’, meaning to till the land, bestowing care on plants to prevent nature from becoming chaotic and unproductive, in agriculture, horticulture and cultures of every kind. Our first ancestors lived in an agrarian environment, but culture became increasingly complex as human society developed. Raymond Johnston, CARE’s first National Director, wrote that culture is ‘the essential part of all human social existence … a persisting pattern of thinking, feeling, believing and evaluating. It’s how humans intervene with Creation to subdue it, order it and enhance it.’ Today, that’s through the combined efforts of farmers, computer programmers, teachers, fashion designers, inventors, painters, theologians, cooks, athletes, nurses, politicians, cleaners and families – to name but a fraction of the vast array of people all over the world. As the centuries roll on, human beings will continue to fulfil God’s mandate, to ‘Cultivate, Create, Build and Shape’ our various cultures.

Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night.

Philippians 2: 14,15

Sadly, many with no meaningful relationship with God do a far better job on this than some Christians. It’s a mark of His providence, sometimes described as ‘common grace’ that His gifts and blessings are bestowed on all people regardless of how they live and what they believe. This goodness is ‘to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.’ (1 Tim 4;2). But whilst God’s providence or common grace – entirely different from ‘saving grace’ that brings us into His family – is at work in every society, God’s kingdom culture can only come by the Holy Spirit through the people of God. Praying ‘Thy Kingdom Come!’ means asking for His help to do this.

CARING FOR CULTURE At my very first meeting with our new CEO Ross Hendry, we discussed Christians and culture.

He recommended James Davison Hunter’s book ‘To Change the World’. I subsequently discovered that it’s required reading for the graduates on CARE’s Leadership Programme!

Hunter writes about 1 Peter 1’s description of Christians being ‘aliens and strangers in the world’ (1 Peter 2:11) – God’s holy nation. Yet the believers living at that time under Roman persecution were urged to submit to ‘every human authority.’ Peter encouraged them to ‘live such good lives among the pagans that … they may see your good deeds and glorify God.’ The Early Church was renowned for being totally counter cultural – rescuing abandoned babies, caring for the dying, helping the outcast. They preached the gospel and died for it.

Back in the Old Testament, we read that hundreds of years earlier Nebuchadnezzar forcibly deported God’s people a thousand miles away to Babylon. Several prominent members of the community had prophesied that God would deliver them – one predicted that the Israelites would return to Jerusalem within two years! But the prophet Jeremiah, knowing they would be there for seventy years, instructed them to ‘work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.’ They were to come to terms with their situation, settle down whilst making sure they

(The Message. The Bible in Contemporary Language)

CARE’s mission is about instilling a culture of Life by protecting the most vulnerable, a culture that strengthens Family, and one that speaks up for Justice – for victims of human trafficking, victims of problem gambling, children at risk online, and people nearing the end of their life. I’ve been privileged to be part of CARE from its very beginning and working with Nola Leach has been one of the greatest privileges and joys over recent years. In her farewell letter last month, she quoted Philippians 2 from The Message paraphrase of the Bible, summing up the Christian call for us to live for God in our culture.

‘COUNTER CULTURAL’ Christians are called to be counter cultural; to resist ungodly attitudes, activities and laws that dishonour Him by dehumanising people and harming His creation. The late John Stott, one of CARE’s original patrons, wrote, ‘We should not ask, “What is wrong with the world?” for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, “What has happened to the salt and light?” Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad.’

Hunter identifies three flawed Christian counter-cultural approaches: waging a ‘culture war’ to defend both the church and wider society, adjusting to culture to make church more relevant, and withdrawing from its ungodly aspects – hunkering down until it’s time to go to heaven. I don’t believe the Bible allows us either to abandon mainstream society or to conform to any of its unbiblical values. Culture war can be divisive and lacking in grace.

HOW THEN SHALL WE LIVE? In Colossians 1, and repeatedly in his other epistles, Paul prays for believers to be ‘filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding’. As we ask God for this ourselves and for others our thoughts, attitudes, speech and actions can change us more into Christ’s likeness to carry His grace and truth into our culture.

James compares spiritual wisdom with the ‘earthly, unspiritual, demonic wisdom’ that’s evident in the world around us – rooted in ‘envy and selfish ambition’ and resulting in cultural ‘disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure; then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits (as in Galatians 5;22,23), impartial and sincere.’ This gives us a template for Christian living, to shape us to have an impact on the world around us. By going about our daily tasks of caring for society’s cultures in all their fullness, and responding