Eleanor Rigby - All The Lonely People

Statue of Eleanor Rigby, Liverpool

'The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar in Lebanon...They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green.' Psalm 92:12, 14

 

In the St Peter's Church Graveyard in Woolton, Liverpool, a gravestone  bears the name Eleanor Rigby. Eleanor Rigby is the title of a familiar and catchy tune by the Beatles. Paul McCartney consistently denied that he took the name from the gravestone. It remains a favourite tune played over the airwaves and computer bytes to this day. 

Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby

Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been

Lives in a dream

Waits at the window

Wearing a face which she keeps in a jar by the door

Who is it for?

All the lonely people

 Where do they all come from?

All the lonely people

Where do they all belong

 

Father McKenzie

Writing the words of a sermon that no-one will hear

No-one comes near

Look at him working

Darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there

What does he care?

Eleanor Rigby

Died in the church and was buried along with her name

Nobody came

Father McKenzie

Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave

No one was saved

Paul wrote that he lived in a housing estate in which there were lots of old ladies. He enjoyed sitting around with these dear ladies hearing their great stories. He surmised that these were lonely old ladies. Their loneliness connected him with them. 

This song released in 1966, paints a pathetic picture of the elderly, especially of Christians, who spent their time in empty churches listening to sermons that nobody wants to hear. When they die, they depart into oblivion; nobody remembers and nobody cares. It is an unfortunate and sad commentary of old age.

Shakespeare in the play As You Like It, described this decline.

'Last scene of all, that ends this strange eventful history is second childishness and mere oblivion;

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste and sans everything.'

But it need not and should not be this way. The back cover of Bishop Solomon's book Growing Old Gracefully (Ref 1) literally shouts, 'Growing old doesn't have to be about frailties, loneliness and loss of purpose.' In this book,  Bishop Robert Solomon urges old men and women to take on old age realistically by balancing frailties with continued optimism of useful service and activities.

J I Packer in the book, Finishing Our Course With Joy (Ref 2) wrote, 'Some grow old gracefully, meaning, fully in the grip of the grace of God. Increasingly they display a well-developed understanding with a well formed character; firm, resilient and unyielding.' Packer calls this 'Spiritual Ripeness' which he opines to be worth far more than material wealth. As we age, Packer suggests, like runners in a distance race, we should try to keep something in reserve for the final sprint. 

This final reserve lived with extreme poise and grace was well documented by Mitch Albom in his bestseller, Tuesdays with Morrie (Ref 3). Prof Morrie Swatch had ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a neurological condition affecting the muscles in slow progression and causing weakness and paralysis until it reaches the respiratory muscles; the victim dies of suffocation. Prof Swatch shared his wasting away, dying experience with Ted Koppel in ABC's Nightline and with his student, Mitch Albom. A reviewer, Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote, "A deeply moving account of courage and wisdom, shared by an inveterate mentor looking into the multi textured face of his own death. There is much to be learned by sitting in on this final class."  

Morrie Swatch shared his view on Aging, "I embrace aging. It's very simple. As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, it's also the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it."

Are we worried of the loneliness that comes with aging, leading to a death to which nobody would come? Reading Morrie's commentaries brings to mind another song written by a lesser known English duo Stuart Townend and Mark Edwards, 'There Is A Hope.' This song explores hope, Christian hope, instead of despair.      

There is a hope that burns within my heart

That gives me strength for every passing day

A glimpse of glory now revealed in meagre part

Yet drives all doubt away

I stand in Christ with sins forgiven

And Christ in me the hope of heaven

My highest calling and my deepest joy

To make His will my home.

There is a hope that lifts my weary head

A consolation strong against despair

That when the world has plunged me in its deepest pit

I find the Saviour there

Through present sufferings future's fear

He whispers courage in my ear

For I am safe in everlasting arms

And they will lead me home.

There is a hope that stands the test of time

That lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave

To see the matchless beauty of a day divine

When I behold His face

When sufferings cease and sorrows die

And every longing satisfied

Then joy unspeakable will flood my soul

For I am truly home

In the story behind the song, Stuart Townend wrote, "When the Bible talks of hope, it talks of something that can be broken down into two certainties. The first is that no matter where we go and what we do in this life, God will be with us, and He will love us. The second is that when this life is over, we will not perish but will spend eternity at home with Christ. These certain hopes puts everything in our lives into perspective, and we can live by faith on the solid and certain hope that Christ gives us."

True, though it may be, we need to counterpoise the circumstances of Eleanor Rigby with the promise and expectation of There is a Hope. Then we may grow old gracefully. 

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19

Lionel

Ref 1: Robert Solomon. Growing Old Gracefully, Following Jesus to the End. Discovery House, 2019

Ref 2: J I Packer. Finishing Our Course With Joy, Crossway, 2014

Ref 3: Mitch Albom. Tuesdays with Morrie. Anchor Books, 1997

Jesus Is Alive!

The Double Rainbow-A symbol of Transformation

'The Lord your God is with you. He will take great delight in you; he will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.' Zephaniah 3:17

Hallelujah! Jesus is Alive. Today is Easter 2021 and we are all celebrating the Miracle of the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb of Jesus only to find it empty. The empty tomb and the appearances of the resurrected Christ fired up, encouraged the early believers and started a movement that has not ended since - the growth of Christianity.

What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ mean to us?

The resurrection validates our faith. Consistently and unabashedly the early Christians cited the resurrection of Jesus Christ as proof of their claims and beliefs. It confirmed all that Jesus taught and sealed His work in the redemption and salvation of all believers. 

'With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all.' Acts 4:33

The resurrection signifies victory over death. We now preach that Christ has triumphed over death, good over evil and hope over despair. Death is not something to be feared and the grave lost its power over us. 

'Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life....Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.' Romans 6:4,8,9

The resurrection releases the stranglehold of Satan and sin in our lives; ushers in a new life in Jesus. We have just enacted the events of a holy weekend, contemplating through Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, His torture and crucifixion on the cross, His lying in state in the garden tomb and finally His glorious resurrection on Easter morning. Paul in the book of Romans posited that this is the symbolism in every baptism of Christians. As a consequence, sin should have no influence in our new lives and Satan loses his hold over us.

'Shall we go on sinning?..... By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? For if we are united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly be united in a resurrection like His....we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.' Romans 6:2,5,7

The resurrection provides the certainty of eternal life for all of God's people. It gives Christians an entirely new perspective; no longer of time and space, no longer of the temporal nature of our existence but of everlasting life and eternal values. 

'But now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Romans 6:22-33

This eternity perspective is a very special gift for Christians. We focus not on the temporary but the long lasting and eternal. We see the world less selfishly and more patiently when we no longer have to measure our lives and achievements in time and the immediate circumstances.  

'For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.' 2 Cor 4:8,9

The resurrection ushers in an era of hope. Emil Brunner said, “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life.” This new life we receive is one full of hope for the future; a better tomorrow. In the midst of the uncertainties of the spread and waves of the Covid-19 pandemic we  can still pray and hope that life will be better, Auspicium Melioris Aevi!  This hope is not in our ability nor in our goodness. It is a hope enabled by the optimism that the resurrection of Christ brings. 

 

'Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.' 1 Peter 3:3-4

The resurrection indicates that God is with us. Immanuel is one of the names for Jesus. This messianic concept: 'God With Us' was introduced by the Prophet Isaiah, 'Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.' This prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. It became real in the lives of all Christians in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people and He will dwell with them. They will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' Revelation 21:3-4

There is much for us to reflect on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the cornerstone of all of God's prophecies and promises. It is the reason we celebrate Easter, a celebration of Jesus Christ; Celebrate Jesus, Hallelujah Jesus is Alive

Celebrate Jesus Celebrate

Celebrate Jesus Celebrate

He is risen! He is risen!

And he lives forever more

He is risen! He is risen!

Come on and celebrate

The resurrection of our Lord 

Hallelujah, Jesus is alive

Death has lost it's victory

And the grave has been denied

Jesus lives forever

He's alive! He's alive!

He's the Alpha and Omega

The first and last is He

The curse of sin is broken

And we have perfect liberty

The Lamb of God is risen

He's alive! He's alive

Lionel

Double Rainbow photo taken by John Gifford from Marlborough, UK

This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes!

Dubrovnik In The Morning

'This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.' Psalm 118:23-24

This picture of Dubrovnik, in the morning, captures some interesting colours of the city and clouds painted by the rising sun. It is one of the most charming cities we have been to. The sun has just arisen and the old town, a fortress and a harbour directly in front of us, glistened in the light. Against such a background, it is refreshing to spend our Quiet Time and read the Bible.

On the 20 Sep 2005, I was sitting on a balcony overlooking this morning sunrise in Dubronik. I was reading from “Make Me a Instrument of Your Peace” (Ref 1) by Kent Nerburn. It is a simple commentary on the prayer of St Francis of Assisi. The book was described as ennobling by a reviewer. I knew what this meant at once. Mr Nerburn has a gift of commenting on life in a most endearing manner, linking profound truths to ordinary encounters and even the mundane events of daily living. He draws soul-deep lessons in a simple, easy to read, manner. I like his writing. It has encouraging perspectives and insights.

The Kent Nerburn style is the way we ought to read the Bible. We could annotate each reading with a life-event commentary, drawing soul-teaching and spirit-enriching lessons. Can we learn to experience life and interpret the truths that each ordinary event is teaching us? Can we draw insights from the unfolding scenes life presents to us whether mundane or significant? What is the Bible teaching us? Can we “see” God?

I was reading from Isaiah's commentary on King Hezekiah's near death experience. On the same date in 2003, Pat was reading from the same passage  a passage of Scripture in Isaiah 38:1 to 40: 31 in Grenoble, France sitting on steps of the cathedral. This was another beautiful city set near the French Alpine region.

That piece of scripture informs us that the good things in life are the Lord’s doing. The passage in Isaiah relates to Hezekiah, who was struck by illness at the prime of his life. He was instructed to put his house in order because he was to die soon. There was some resignation as he prayed and asked God, to recognise that he had "walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and done what was good in Your eyes". 

The Lord spared Hezekiah and added another 15 years to his life. In a subsequent prayer, Hezekiah recalled his petition in his dying moments. Isaiah 38:15 noted that it dawned upon the king that sparing his life was entirely God's doing, only by God's grace. Hezekiah wrote "What can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too".

I understand that these were the same words Queen Elizabeth I of Great Britain uttered when on 17 Nov 1558, a messenger arrived from London with the long awaited news that she is to be crowned Queen. "A domino factum est mirabile in oculis nostris – This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes."

So what does a near death experience and a coronation have in common? What about reading the scripture in Croatia and France? 

The common thread is in the phrase, "There by the grace of God, go I." Life events are lived and experienced entirely by God's grace, be it a re-living after a near death experience, ascension to a throne or recalling of more simple and less dramatic experiences. Both are the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. 

There is an Christian song I learned in the 1970s written by Jimmy Owens, 'Illusive Dream' which always reminds that we live in reality by the grace of God and not in illusion. It is only by God's grace could we have enjoyed the lives we live and experience.

Where might you be going this fine day, my friend

Off along an aimless road that soon must end

Chasing an illusive dream that shines so fair

But when found, isn't there

I can understand your weary sigh, my friend

There, but for the grace of God go I, my friend

Come and let Him lead you to your journey's end

So come along and walk with Him

If without the grace of God your life should end

And before the face of God you'd stand, my friend

What would your illusive dream avail you then?

So come along and walk with Him

Like Hezekiah and Elizabeth I, let us recognise that all that are happening to us is the Lord's doing. We walk with Him and live by His grace. It is marvelous. 

Lionel

First published 3 Sep 2007

Ref 1: Kent Nerburn. Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace - Living in the Spirit of St Francis. HarperOne, 1999

How Great Is Our God

Butterflies Will Soon Be Free

'Great Is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty.' Psalms 145:3-5

These are uncertain times. When will the Covid pandemic end? Can we return to the normalcy of pre-Covid days? When will we be able to travel? Will the vaccinations confer adequate personal and herd immunity? Can we eradicate the Coronavirus from the face of the earth? 

At such times, Christians turn to God holding on to the promises God has given us. We reflect on the greatness and goodness of God, convincing ourselves that in the end God is greater than the Covid-19 pandemic and he will deliver us from this scourge. 

In a virtual format, the Charis Methodist Church choir sang a lovely hymn, extolling the promises of God, The Hymn Of Promise. Drawing on God's creative powers, this hymn reminds us, even in these uncertain days, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, for at last will come a victory.

In the bulb, there is a flower

In the seed, an apple tree

In cocoons, a hidden promise

Butterflies will soon be free

In the cold and snow of winter

There's a spring that waits to be

Unrevealed until its season

Something God alone can see

There's a song in every silence

Seeking word and melody

There's a dawn in every darkness

Bringing hope to you and me

From the past will come the future

What it holds, a mystery

Unrevealed until its season

Something God alone can see

In our end is our beginning

In our time, infinity

In our doubt, there is believing

In our life, eternity

In our death, a resurrection

At the last, a victory

Unrevealed until its season

Something God alone can see

With the uncertainty of these times in mind, our choir director, Rosalind Goh, made these comments in introducing this hymn,

 

"Against the bleak background of an uncertain future, we, God’s children, can rest securely on His unbreakable promises. God’s promises reflect His limitless power as Creator God, His loving faithfulness as a caring Father and His omnipotent rule as Sovereign God.The assurance that God fulfills His promises in His season, is our blessedness and enduring hope."

Rosalind explained that in a surprisingly gentle and flowing manner, this hymn that celebrates the Greatness of God which is  

• Evident in the activity of creation 
• Unravelled in processes of nature
• Displayed in the turning of the seasons
• Secured in the fulfillment of every promise
• Experienced in the resurrection after death

Those who have eyes will see the greatness of God and enjoy His goodness. Isaiah 40:25-31 declared:

 

"To whom will you compare me? 

Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One. 

Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? 

He brings them out one after another, 

calling each by its name. 

And he counts them to see that none are lost

 or have strayed away. 

O Israel, how can you say 

the LORD does not see your troubles? 

How can you say God refuses to hear your case? 

Have you never heard or understood? 

Don’t you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, 

the Creator of all the earth? 

He never grows faint or weary. 

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; 

he offers strength to the weak. 

Even youths will become exhausted, 

and young men will give up. 

But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. 

They will fly high on wings like eagles. 

They will run and not grow weary. 

They will walk and not faint.

Do we worry about the uncertainties, pain and suffering of the Covid crisis? 

While in prison facing the uncertainty of death the apostle Paul recalled his personal deprivations and hardships, wrote:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38  

God is a God of Promise. How great is our God!

Lionel