Belonging

Fifth Sunday of Easter , May 22 2011, Acts 7:55-60 Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 I Peter 2:2-10 John 14:1-14

The story is told of St Christopher

that he searched the world over

for the strongest king to serve

he rejected one after the other

even the devil

and finally he is told to serve God

and to do this by helping people across a dangerous river.

One night a small child comes

and Christopher carries him across the river

he senses the burden getting heavier as he crosses

and it is only as he gets to the other side

that he realises he has been carrying the Christ child.

It is a nice story, and has a good moral.

These days it is regarded as legendary

rather than an account of an actual event.

This does not make it untrue.

It rather points us to the fact

that we are called to serve Christ in the work we do in this world

and that we often don't realise that Christ is there.

It is an Easter encounter

we don't realise at first that Christ is alive and there amongst us.

He surprises us by being in the ordinary place.

The disciples have to learn this.

They are often easily distracted and, well,...just plain 'thick'

Not unlike you and me really!

What is on offer by Jesus is not some fairy tale encounter

nor is it some pious ritual.

It is a glimpse of glory,

it is sharing of the vision of the open heaven and God reigning in power, peace and love.

St Stephen, at his martyrdom, is able to blurt this out.

Things often become very clear to us in the valley of the shadow of death.

For most of the time it is a struggle, like Christopher,

to not insist that God does things in the way that we want them done

and rather to open ourselves to the mystery of what God might be offering us.

Not what we vainly want but what God might be trying to invite us into.

In the halting passage in John 14 again, often read at funerals, Jesus promises a prepared-place.

He is of course speaking imaginally

we are not talking about the Legian Beach Hotel or some Georgian mansion

But rather of the fact that there is a place.

This is a comfort to the dying and the bereaved, I suggest, to know that whether we live or whether we die God has a place for us.

But as we read on we discover that the place is not so much a location as a relationship....

How can we know the way? and Jesus says to you and me

I am the way and the truth and the life

I think once we grasp this we are, indeed, on the way.

This is what Christopher found.

It is not discovery of the answer it is by entering into relationship with Jesus.

This is the relationship which will reveal to us the life of God himself

We Christians believe that this shepherd, this Jesus,

this way, this truth, this life

uniquely draws us into the life of God.

This is not an exclusivist claim it is the promise and hope of relationship.

I will know God, and God will know me.

I will know and be known. It is a glimpse of glory.

This week

• Where is Jesus telling me about himself?
• What do I tell Jesus about myself?
• How does this mutual revelation change us both?
• How do I change my life to better live that experience
• What will I do this week as I live out of this relationship

• .......love.....forgiveness...reconciliation all seek resolution in practice

The road goes ever on!

Sixth Sunday in Lent _ commonly called Palm Sunday. 17th April 2011 Readings of the Eucharist are: Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 and the Passion according to Matthew 26:14-27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54

The last time i thought about this particular cycle of reading (Year A) I had just been to Europe a few months before so I had done some thinking about what did and what did not work when you plan a complex trip.

A few months later my wife and I took another journey

when we made a decision to journey separately.

We all make

all sorts of journeys.

And journeys require tenacity

they need planning

and they change us

As Holy Week begins we take something of a journey

it is undergirded by the story of Jesus last days before his death.

We have also been taking a journey through Lent,

in these weeks we have been thinking about what it means to be Christian

we have been trying to hear the voice of Jesus

(chiefly through the witness of John's gospel)

about how we might try to live faithfully in the spirit of the promises we made

or which were made for us at Baptism.

How do we continue the journey begun at our baptism

when we were asked :

Do you turn to Christ?
Do you repent of sin?

Do you reject selfishness?

Do you renounce evil?

These promises are reaffirmed on Easter Day

We have also reflected on the mystery of life and death
and hear that there is a great overshadowing promise of Jesus:
"I am the Resurrection and the Life!"
It is the promise which breathes life back into our deadness.
And which open the eyes of the blind heart.

The reading from the letter to the Philippians this week

addresses this journey, this transition, this growth,
in a more poetic and philisophical way

St Paul writes

Philippians 2:5-11

2:5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,

2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,

2:8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross.

2:9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,

2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

2:11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The purpose of the journey is that we may become like Christ.
Not presuming on our Godly nature

but acting out of it.
It is a journey of suffering
a journey of challenge
which will transform us that we may be like him

Such journeys require tenacity

they need planning

and they change us

as we enact it liturgically

the real goal is to pursue it

in reality

Transfiguration

Sunday March 6^th is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany and readings can be taken from Exodus 24:12-18, Ps 2 or Psalm 99, 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9

Not a myth

This story of The Transfiguration is a fascinating one.

And we need to understand its purpose We need to heed the advice

that Peter gives to his readers

which is that this is NOT a myth

This is difficult in a way because it has all sorts of supernatural bells and whistles

But it’s important that we hear Peter saying

We need to look beyond the supernatural.

This is about seeing Jesus for who he is.

It is one of those points when Peter is able to recognize that Jesus is Messiah

The Beloved of God

the one who is able to bring us into God’s very presence and life.

Not religion

This for Peter is an explanation of something he experienced

there are a couple of of things to note.

The first thing we might be tempted to do when we encounter God is to make it into a “religious” experience

Peter wants to set up shrines for Jesus Moses, and Elijah.

While religious sites have their place

Jesus tells them this is not what this about

Peter is adamant this is not about the bells and whitsles of supernatural experience

It is about seeing Jesus as God’s son

Beloved by God

And opening ourselves to God through Jesus.

Relationship with Jesus

We are being invited to not mythologise this opportunity

or perhaps we would say not fantasise.

Or to turn it into some religious experience

But to understand that this about God’s love

for Jesus, the Beloved Son

and for you and me

As Lent looms this is what is being handed to us

Not an opportunity to become more religious

but an invitation to relationship. with Jesus.

Maybe we don’t want this

the real danger about ‘religion’ is that it can actually be used to keep God at a distance.

Peter is adamant

this is not fantasy

Jesus is certain

no shrine or religious formularies

what is on offer is relationship

What might we do during Lent

to respond to this invitation?

The account tells us….This is my Son the Beloved

Listen to him.

If Jesus is speaking to me

what might he be saying?

if I cannot hear

can I spend a little time

trying to pay attention?

Time is of course of the essence

in any relationship.

You don’t strengthen your relationships

by not spending time.

And there are perhaps two warnings here

as Lent approaches.

One is, we can say…that is for somebody else to do

I think that’s wrong

we cannot delegate our responsibility for our individual relationship

we must allow time for Jesus

just as we should allow time

for our other relationships.

Second, let’s not make the mistake

of thinking that increased religious practice is what is being asked for

This is the warning that Jesus is giving the disciples.

So keep it Personal

and keep it Real

Strange encounters of the Godly kind!

The Archbishop of Canterbury writing in The Radio Times says about Christmas

the story says that something is happening that will break boundaries and cross frontiers, so that the most unlikely people will find they are looking for the same thing and recognise each other instead of fearing each other.

He is particularly reflecting about the curious situations

we find ourselves in at Christmas time

He tells the story of being invited whilst recently in India

to bless the Christmas pudding mixture

as the staff of a local hotel prepare to make the first batch

which he does to the blaring sounds of Jingle Bells

We probably all have little stories to tell (perhaps not quite so glaring)

of strange encounters.

• People we only see once a year
• Some people who we know will not be with us for another Christmas
• Strange incidents that happen when we get together...sometimes for good and for ill

Christmas is full of these and like Rowan Williams

we will recognise

hat the most unlikely people will find they are looking for the same thing and recognise each other instead of fearing each other.

There is a group of shepherds, rough men who sleep out in the open.

Who have to drink to keep warm at night

Who see some blinding lights in the sky

and rush to witness

the birth of a baby.

There is a woman who gets pregnant before she is married

and her fiance who knows he is not the father.

There are three dignified gentleman

who are dark and mysterious

who have come from a long way away

in search of something

and carrying rich treasure.

There is another king

who is so fearful

that, we are told, he orders the slaughter of many children

in order to try and prevent a rival claim to his throne.

What is it that they seek?

What, we might ask, do we seek at Christmas time?

It is, of course, God

We may not always name it as such.

But we seek that which will satisfy our deepest longings and needs.

It is unlikely therefore to be a new bicycle

a diamond ring, or even an iPad.

We all know

that as as desirable as these things are they are fleeting

and will break, or wear out.

We can damage or lose them

just as easily as we get them.

We can have the biggest and best

and there can still be an empty void inside us.

We find it rather frightening

that we can have lots of stuff

and yet we are still not fulfilled.

So at Christmas we see some pointers

Chiefly, we see a person Jesus Christ.

Our ultimate fulfilment will come about

when we know Jesus

as friend and brother.

As you come to receive Communion today

pray that you may know Jesus anew.

John tells us that this knowledge

is not earned or even deserved

but that it is a gift...it is grace, free, grace upon grace.

Chiefly, too, we find Jesus revealed as a child

reminding us that for many, probably most of us

this grace will be experienced through our human relationships

and perhaps we need to note

that it is not the bitter and twisted relationships of the adult

that we sometimes presume to call sophisticated

but rather the open trusting relationship of the child

that better reveals how we might experience God.

Some of us find our family and human relationships really hard.

Christmas gives us an opportunity to begin again

to try a little harder

This doesn't so much make it easy

as make it possible to try again.

Don't miss the opportunity.

And so we find

the most unlikely people, you and me, will find we are looking for the same thing

Jesus Christ, God made man,

and then we recognise each other instead of fearing

Seeing through other eyes

Readings for this week September 5th 2010 (proper 18) are taken from the following selection :

Jeremiah 18:1-11 and Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 or [Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and Psalm 1] Philemon 1-21 Luke 14:25-33

The potter at his wheel is a very evocative image, more so to those who would have witnessed it (like Jesus) in their own backyards.

They would have seen the craftsman start to make the pot

and then decide it wasn't quite right and squash it all down and start again

often the amateur looks on with amazement wondering why the work has begun again. To us it looks OK

to the artist, the craftsman, the master they see something that needs more and more and more work

So, this is a quite a useful image for you and me

of the way God sees us

we may think we are OK

or that there is not much that can be done but God views us rather differently than we view ourselves.

So Paul revisits quite a lot of his old friendships, and relationships

...like this one with Onesimus

and finds with maturer and deeper reflection

that things change

He was not always given to kind reflections,

but he does not stand still

and there is a sense in which he becomes more compassionate,

more charitable as he grows older.

So might this happen to all of us!

THIS WEEK

• Take a few moments to ask God if you are seeing your life as God sees it.
• Is there something about your life that you are just not understanding?
• Do you have a relationship with another person that needs to be re-evaluated in a more positive light? Are there things that need to be begun again?
• And remember, sometimes what looks or feels like destruction is a new beginning

Feast and famine

Readings for Sunday 29 August 2010, Proper 17 Year C.
Jeremiah 2:4-13 and Psalm 81:1,10-16
or
{[Sirach 10:12-18 or Proverbs 25:6-7] and Psalm 112 }
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Luke 14:1,7-14

Most of the 'banquets' we go to, involve family.

Our extended family almost seems to get bigger every week.
Three new babies this year, and at least one new boyfriend.
So I am struck as we have read in the last few weeks
part of the great treatise on faith
which is the letter to the Hebrews
where we are shown
how much of what God promises to us is the story of what happens
to the family of Abraham.
Indeed I remember being quite overwhelmed three years ago
when we were reading these passages
and I heard a certainty of promise and faithfulness
to my own family
equally as strong as the one to Abraham
There was a real sense in which I have felt the unfolding of the promise of God
in my own life
as I have been challenged and privileged to share my life with my own family.

Can we reflect just what God promises to me and mine
and how those promises are being worked out.
There is a lot of difficulty
but there is much to be thankful for also.

A couple of insights from the readings to deepen this reflection:

Honour
Do you ever sit at functions and watch the enactment of this parable?
(and secretly giggle and say 'those who exalt themselves will be humbled' )
Indeed we always seem to think of it in the negative...when someone has to move because they have sat down in the wrong seat
Of course we are also meant to take it the other way, too,
and there have no doubt been times when you have seen some humble worthy
who has thought only to come and sit at the back
to be escorted to the front by someone who recognises them as guest of honour
Perhaps indeed we may have opportunity to do that today.
We often take those who are close to us for granted.
Those who do a lot for us, we often assume that this is what they are supposed to be doing!
(I speak from some sense of experience here!)
In the way that these days remind us what we should do in terms of giving honour
they point us beyond the immediate target to a way of life
which delights to give honour.
The parable goes on to remind us that we are easily kind to those who it is easy to be kind towards!
We are called not only to give honour where it is due
But we should also look beyond that.

I am pleased to say that that happens quite a bit in our parish community
we see that some could be overlooked if we don't look after them.
(We don't always do this, and can always improve)
...but let's at least ask the question.

Banquets, parties and celebrations are not always easy to get right
and this question of honour where honour is due
is one of the the wider dimensions
also looking beyond the obvious is also brought to our attention
...look not just at those we like
but also at those who are needy.

Keeping on the right track
We also need to know that sometimes good things get derailed
our human relationships are overtaken by the wrong stuff.
Jeremiah says as he looks at how God's people got derailed
"They went far from me, and pursued worthless things"
This is true in families too, and we will all have our different stories.

THIS WEEK

• In reflecting on our family life can we see it is an opportunity to be inclusive rather than exclusive
  
• Invite the Spirit to allow you to open your life to others
  
• Look honestly at your life. What do you give thanks for about your family relationships? What do you regret?
• Pray for grace and opportunity to give thanks for them
• Pray for grace and opportunity to forgive and move forward

Do you want a meaningful relationship?

The Cross takes us to the point where we have to let go!
What ever view we have about God
is likely to be tainted, partial, self serving and inadequate
The Cross takes us to the point where we have to let go of that.
What ever comfortable view of God we have developed
-it may be
that if we are good then God will do what we want
the Cross puts an end to that shallow conception
-it may be
that if we go to Church, say the right prayers then we will be in God’s good books
the Cross shows us that even religion will not protect us

-It may be that we think if we retreat to the bosom of our family
then we will be able to protect
and be protected
the important paintings and sculptures of Mary and the dead Jesus remind us that this is not true.
WHAT THEN SHALL WE DO?
The only truth is that weare not being asked to do anything
We are not constructing any scheme
but rather God is not giving us a plan, a scheme, a solution
but a relationship.
This relationship is with a person who has died
What we are invited to discover
is that if we dare to risk this crazy relationship
that this dead person
Jesus
will be experienced as alive.

As you are invited in a few moments
to say I turn to Christ
Do you want to encounter the living God?
This is what God is offering.
We do what we can to make this Jesus relationship work
We listen,-we talk-we listen a bit more
we visit, we spend time, we trust our friend
even sometimes when it is hard
but we stick with our friend

The first disciples discovered
that out of the haze
this Jesus who died
was alive
and is always with us
(we are not always with him)


What ever else we make of it,
it is a relationship not a scheme
or a system
that is being offered
as you say
I turn to Christ
Be sure that this is what is on offer
And commit yourself,
with all your heart
to that.

Taking responsibility...not apportioning blame

Readings for the 27th Sunday of the Year, October 5th 2008 can be taken from the following: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 19 Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46


We have today a triptych of readings
about our relationship with God
and how we are to respond to the call of God on our lives.
The Ten Commandments
are an essential statement of universal values
which are widely, some would even say universally, accepted.
They could be seen as a legal code, I suppose,
but in reality the spirit of the Hebrew Scriptures
contained in the prophets
sees them more as a distillation
of a way communities might live together
and some of the fundamental principles
like the sanctity of life, the respect for property,
the importance of truth and integrity in relationships
Preceding all that is the key idea
that we are worshippers of the one true God,
the God who is (for want of a better word) jealous
and who will brook no rival.

The Gospel story is about recognising that
there is a responsibility for those who are in this relationship.
The responsibility is not to be legalistic
but to participate in a dynamic and active way in the life of the kingdom
The condemnation that Jesus holds out in this parable
is for those who make the mistake of thinking and acting
that this relationship is legalism
or for those who take the privilege of the covenant
without any responsibility.
It is a sombre warning
for those of us who religiously inclined.
God will try and try again to draw us into relationship
but if we simply ignore that invitation
or prefer legalism
then eventually we will be excluded.
Not because God is damning us
But because we remove ourselves
from the generosity of God's grace.
Relationship with Jesus
Paul's wonderful dissertation in Philippians
which also continues today, reminds us
that we can have perfect credentials
our ancestry impeccable
but all this is rubbish
by comparison
with what is being offered in Christ.
A relationship in God.
It is this that will motivate.

It is taking responsibility
to have a vital life in Christ
and not apportioning blame
or creating an elite
which will see us drawn into the kingdom.

This week

• Is there one thing that may be standing in your way to being more faithful in Christ?
• Is there one thing where God may be inviting a deeper, better response (an act of forgiveness, more fervent prayer, an act of charity...etc) and can we make that transition instead of preferring a legalistic way of little or no accountability.