No Ordinary Man was the very first Christian resource book I ever wrote, published way back in 1997. It was inspired, in particular, by meditations I’d listened to at Good Friday services. These spoke to me in a special way, and the more I thought about them, the more I felt that here was a way of articulating the Gospel stories, and those of the New Testament, in a new and powerful way: a way that brought an immediacy to the message and that invited the reader or listener to, in a very real sense, become part of the action.
My opportunity to develop this idea further came in a three-month sabbatical that Gas Green Baptist Church, Cheltenham – where I was minister at the time – generously granted me. I set myself the target of writing a hundred meditations on the person of Jesus, exploring who he was and what he said through the eyes of those who knew him best: his disciples and followers; those he spoke and ministered to; those he challenged, healed, inspired, forgave; those in whom he aroused such resentment and hatred that eventually they would demand his crucifixion; those who proclaimed the Good News after his death and resurrection … and so I could continue.
There were two further ideas I added to the book: using music and visual images (at the time, slides) in tandem with the meditations, to offer a truly immersive experience in worship. The concept seemed to work well, being warmly received in a number of experimental services I organised at Gas Green – particularly at Christmas, Holy Week and Easter – with the help of a team of wonderful readers. You’ll find more about how all this worked in the introduction to the book. Essentially, the idea was to make it as comprehensive yet as flexible as possible. Some may simply have wanted to use a single meditation to reinforce the accompanying Scripture reading and perhaps a sermon upon it. Others may have used one of the suggested orders of service in its entirety. Others again may have adapted the material to their requirements, preferring to pick and mix, and incorporate ideas of their own. The popularity of the book, though, showed that it spoken powerfully both to and for people – something that continues to humble and inspire me to this day.
This week, until 20 December, you can purchase No Ordinary Man (book 1) from Kevin Mayhew Ltd at a 10 per cent discount, using the code ORDINARY110 when ordering the title from the company’s website. With the book normally retailing at £24.99, that’s a saving of £2.50. Just type the code into the relevant box at the online checkout between the dates given.
Here, meanwhile, is the first of the sessions I’ll be posting this week from the book, to run alongside this promotion. I’ve taken all the sessions from the Advent and Christmas sessions of the book, to coincide with this special time of year.
‘IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN’
Reading
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’ Matthew 2:1-6
The meditation of Matthew
‘It has been written.’
How often have I heard those words?
On the mouth of priest, rabbi, and Pharisee –
time and time again, the same old refrain:
‘It has been written.’
And it’s true of course.
It’s there in black and white, just as they say;
God’s word to his people for us all to see –
the sacred words of the Law,
given to our fathers by God himself,
spelling out his commandments.
The history of our people,
the wisdom of the Teacher,
the poetry of the psalms,
the visions of the prophets,
all that, and so much more,
God’s word to us!
Yes, it’s there all right,
but though I’ve always believed that,
somehow it has never really touched me,
not deep down in my heart where it matters.
I’ve accepted it, yes,
but the words have never spoken to me in quite the way I hoped.
Now, though, it’s different –
astonishingly, incredibly, different –
for I have only to think of Jesus to find myself saying,
‘It has been written!’
Why?
Well just listen to this.
‘You, Bethlehem, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’
‘The virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.’
‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those who dwelt in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned.’
‘For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.’
Need I go on?
I don’t think so.
It’s all there in the prophets,
foreshadowed in the Law,
foretold from the very beginning.
And it happened –
the prophecies fulfilled in a way I never for a moment expected,
brought to life in Jesus Christ.
And now when I read the Scriptures
I do not simply see words on a page;
I see the Word made flesh,
the one who alone makes sense of it all,
God with us –
‘It has been written!’
Prayer
Loving God, we praise you
for fulfilling your age-long purpose
through the birth of Jesus.
We thank you that your promises are not simply empty words
like so many of ours,
but pledges we can rely on,
knowing they will always be honoured.
Teach us, then, to read the Scriptures as Matthew read them,
hearing your word revealed in Christ
and trusting in the promise of new life
you have given us through him.
Amen.