Keep Watch - God is at work

Tonight we started with reading Mark 13:32-37, were encouraged to see where God is moving outside the walls of the church, had a lesson from chairs on a balcony, remembered the Hope Bell in the Bargate and ended up with the armour of God.

This week we have an invitation to make a proclamation throughout the day - "God is our hope". Let us create an atmosphere of hope over the city as we declare that God is our hope. We recommend writing your own declaration about hope and set your alarm to remind you to pray it 3 times a day.

Here's how we got there!

Keep watch for the master returning

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

This is in the lectionary for Advent. Notice how it ends:

What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch! 

Other translations render it stay alert/stay awake/watch for him. Very pertinent for our current theme.

We discussed this and these are the main points:

• God is at work in our city beyond the walls of the church. Looking very different to what we would expect. Jesus was often in places, situations and with people that took his disciples by surprise. So too today!

• We desperately need God. We have tried to live for him in our own strength so much and we are at the end of that. We are not supposed to do it in our strength anyway! God wants us to work with him.

• As we "keep watch" the Holy Spirit can change our mindset and filters about how things should be. Lord unstop my ears and open my eyes.

• So we see that it is generally helpful to be outside the four walls of the church to see what God is doing. A prayer walk is an invitation to see what He sees (remember the chariot?)

Easy chair/upright chair

Cathy shared something she saw recently. Having a cup of tea in Mettricks, Woolston, enjoying some good time with God. Saw two balconies in the tower of flats outside. On one a hanging chair that is like a wicker nest, surrounding you, a place to relax or hide. On the balcony above two upright chairs, angled to look over the city.

• God gives us times to be still and protected with him, to prepare us for times of sitting more upright, being on our guard, alert, keeping watch.

• So we have a call to keep watch, but we need to take the time hidden in Jesus too.

Creating an atmosphere of hope over Southampton

In the discussion that followed, Richard was reminded about the watch bell in the Bargate.

You can read the full story of how this hope bell was brought to our attention here. 

And here is a video of it being rung and a prayer for the city:

The watch bell was rung at certain times of day.

In this excerpt from Hampshire Church Bells, by J L Whitehead, he is discussing who R.B. might be. We learn that:

Another " R. B.," but not a church bell, is located in the westernmost of the six embrasures on the south side of the ancient Bargate at Southampton. The bell is referred to by the Rev. Silvester Davies in his history of that town as "one of three or four bells at different stations which answered one another in ringing the watches or sounding alarms. The present bell bears the inscription " In God is my hope R. B.," with the date " 1605."

We remembered too the Isaac Watts hymn - O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come that rings out from the civic centre clock 3 times each day.

As we take our stand, watching and praying, there is an invitation here to make a proclamation throughout the day - "In God is my hope". Let us create an atmosphere of hope over the city as we declare that God is our hope. We recommend writing your own declaration about hope and set your alarm to remind you to pray it 3 times a day.

Equipped to stand

This evening we also discussed how taking a stand might draw an attack from the enemy. Paul is very clear in Ephesians 6 that our stand will be contested by the spiritual forces of evil. 

Standing means occupying a space. The enemy does not want us to stand in this place of faith, keeping watch. But God has equipped us to stand.

Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Eph 6:11,13

So indeed, let us put our armour on. God equips us to stand. We have his mighty power. 

As we stand, lets worship and praise, because these create an atmosphere of Jesus in the spritual dimensions.