Sermon 17th November 2013

Today, our Vicar, Cameron Barker, continues our study of Paul's letter to Ephesus.  The reading is from Ephesians 6 verses 10-26.

So has it, I wonder? ... At the start of this series I predicted that Ephesians would climb to the top of many a Herne Hill favourite-Bible-book list by the time we were done. So is it No. 1 for you now? It’s fine if it isn’t, of course: but at least you do now know what a biblical parachute looks like! And what a Roman soldier looks like too, of course; and rather a lot else besides, it must be said; including the scale, and nature of the challenge that all Christians face each and every day!

Now this may well be the shortest summary sermon that we have ever had. It is ‘only’ the summary part of it that will be short, though – because there is plenty that really needs to be said today. We need to focus on the vital detail that Paul ended his letter with. There are other good reasons for keeping the summary aspect short; not least because this letter has covered so much ground. At the start I also used Tom Wright’s picture, of Paul giving us a sweeping view of the whole Christian landscape; like he was writing from the top of London Eye. It’s not possible, then, to go over all of that ground again today. So here is encouragement to read, or listen to, all of this series’ sermons on our website. It is key, foundational bigger-picture stuff: about who and what we are, in Christ; and how we are now to live: in and for him.

Just to sketch it out: Paul started with God, of course; his major themes then included the world that God made; the work and person of His Son, Jesus; the church; the means of salvation; what proper Christian behaviour looks like; and how marriage, family, and work life are to be ordered before God. And that has got to be the summary part of today’s sermon about done! Where we are now is looking at perhaps the most crucial ending of any Bible book. So I’d probably best begin by explaining my earlier parachute comment. Two weeks ago I started with a list of 1-liners that each applied to that day’s passage – except one. In case you missed it, I said that you don’t need a parachute to skydive: you only need a parachute to skydive twice! And now we know how that applies too: if we want to live to face another day, then we need to don God’s armour.

At this point you may well find yourself responding in 1 of 2 classic ways. Either you will be groaning internally, and be thinking something like: ‘O come on! It’s 2013: nobody believes in stuff like this anymore’. Or you’ll be leaning forward, desperate to learn how better to identify any and all passing demons! If that’s you – at whichever end of that spectrum – the best failure that we can hope for is that we will agree to disagree. Now I don’t often ‘do’ dogmatic, except when whatever it is really matters – as I believe this matters: hugely. It just is not possible even to try and live a Christian life if we deny this key aspect of our reality. So what we need is a sober, and realistic, assessment both of the very real struggle that we are engaged in, and also of the weapons that we have at our disposal.

That is exactly what Paul gave his First-Century readers here; and it is exactly what God offers to us today. We need it now every bit as much as they did then; or maybe even more so because of how the baby has so often gone out with the bathwater. Of course there is a degree of circularity to this argument; but the topic of spiritual warfare is itself the subject of spiritual warfare. And yes, I do mean that this has been way more of a pig of a week than usual for me – and that I don’t for a moment believe that’s coincidence. Nor do I believe that it’s coincidence that there are people here pooh-poohing what I’m saying. And yes, you’re right: nor do I believe that it’s coincidence that we find it so hard to read the Bible; to pray; to do the right things; or to walk away from doing the wrong things: these are all classic battle-signs!

As I say, I’m aware that some people may say that I think this way because of what I believe. But to that I would respond that I believe what I do because of what I read in the Bible and because of what I have experienced in 30+ years of living a Christian life. Now there is no doubt that Paul believed and taught the same as Jesus did on this subject. There is, in fact, real consistency on it across the whole of the New Testament – from the Gospels right through to Revelation. God’s work is opposed at every turn by a personified evil called the Devil, or Satan. He has a host of followers, sometimes known as angels, dedicated to the same task. And whoever puts their head above the parapet on God’s side automatically becomes part of their target for destruction!

It’s strong, dramatic language, I know. But the fact is that we are not fighting against flesh and blood here: rather, “We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world” as one translation puts it. In the Greek each one on that list has their own ‘against’: we are wrestling with or fighting against rulers; against authorities, against the powers, etc. This isn’t some faceless conglomeration, but rather a targeted, co-ordinated, carefully planned and strategic attack; on as many fronts as the enemy can keep open against you. Well, if God loved you enough to send His son to die for you, then God’s enemy just as passionately wants to destroy you in whatever ways he can! So, quick: “For this reason, take up all the armour that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all the obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.”

Now I have been known to say that survival is vastly underrated as an achievement! People do often laugh when I say it – but here is the main reason that I do. ‘All’ we are called to do, look, is to survive: to be standing at the end of the day; to hold our ground on the line. Then we can do the same the day after; and then again the day that; and the next one. It is one day at a time: of staying standing; of surviving all that is being thrown against us each day. And survival here is a major achievement because it’s against the universe’s biggest and scariest forces, don’t forget. Paul names them for who and what they are; next he defines our calling – ‘just’ to survive; and then he tells us how we can achieve that: by putting/praying on God’s armour.

I’m assured by those who know that this was standard 1^st-Century Roman military equipment. Paul would know: as a prisoner in Rome he was probably chained to a soldier. He certainly recounted the order in which a soldier would put it on. First was a belt, to hold the undergarments in place; then the breastplate to cover the vital organs; next came sandals: hobnailed ones! Then pick up the shield, to protect all other parts of the body; before pulling on a helmet that covers the head and neck. Finally, take just the one weapon: your sword; and then you are as ready as you will ever be for this fiercest of battles that has already found you, Paul wrote.

Of course there is plenty more that could be said, about all of this. Most of it is a combination of the sort of common sense and active imagination that God gives us abundantly. So feel free to take this picture, and play with it, if you find it helpful in your quest to work out how to survive the battles that you are facing. Yes I know that it’s very outdated for us militarily: or is it? Still today soldiers don some kind of helmets, armour, and footwear! The key point that I’d make (as others have often done before me) is this: despite Rome’s aggressive reputation, this equipment is all defensive! We could even say that a sword can be used to ward off attacks, rather than to launch them. God wants us to stand firm against the enemies that attack us, remember: hence he supplies us with this particular equipment.

It also doesn’t take much to see how Paul’s adapted the equipment for his own purpose. Being Paul, he did so quite deliberately and thoughtfully. For those who know their Bible well, there are hints of Isaiah’s description of the Messiah in here. That too fits with the rest of Paul’s letter, teaching us how to follow the example, and become ever more like Christ ourselves. That’s worth keeping in mind when you go back over this passage, then – as I hope you will do: many times. There’s a richness in here that can, and will, speak into our own changing battle circumstance. For example, preparing this I was most struck by the idea that Roman shields were big enough to completely cover a group of soldiers who stuck close enough together. I had scenes from the film Gladiator in mind, as I pictured this church staying together in order to protect everyone, on all sides including the top.

Now don’t miss the detail that’s already in here: as I say, Paul wrote very deliberately when he attributed spiritual values to each item. The truth matters: the truth about God, and the truth about us. It holds the rest together, keeps distraction away. Don’t neglect a breastplate, either: righteousness is what it sounds like. It’s us choosing to do the right, Godly moral things in all the areas we face. God will help us to do that; but we have to make choices; and there are spiritual consequences. We need those hobnail sandals too: part of our digging in is a willingness to tell others what believe, and why. The main feature of a Roman shield was that it was designed to put out fire-arrows. How we can burn, with indignation or anger at others’ taunts or hurtful words: use God’s shield to put them out, then; have faith that He always knows the truth. And get your thinking straight too! Know who and what you are in Christ; and don’t let anybody tell you any different. You belong to God, you are on the winning side, if you believe in and follow His son, Jesus. Read that, know it, and use it, then: here is the sword that God gives us. And be aware that we are only scratching the surface here: there is so much more to learn about all this.

We each need to do that for ourselves; and it is need; so here is lots of encouragement to do it. But there is even more! We must also hear Paul’s related closing advice, which almost sounds as if prayer is a weapon in this battle. At the least it is the main form of communication with our HQ. It is one which Paul made much use of himself: he began this letter praying for his readers; and he ended with an invitation for them to pray for him. There’s another sermon on what Paul asked them to pray for him, let alone on the wider subject of prayer. The headline though, is that prayer is vital in and for this spiritual battle, just as it is in all areas of a life in Christ. As Paul wrote, we are to pray in the Spirit constantly: on all occasions; in all circumstances.

And so we reach the end of this amazing journey, through one of the most comprehensive, inspiring, and well-written books in the entire New Testament. Of course I can’t know what God has been saying to you during these past 3 months. I am sure that He has been speaking, to us personally as well as to us as a church. We know where we are heading as a church as a result: it’s about keeping Jesus at the centre of all that we do, and being united in that. Doing it is a battle, every day; but it is one that God equips us for, so that we can survive it. For us to do that as a church, it takes all of us to stand our bit of ground; so I hope that now you do feel better equipped to do that, in every way. And how better to end than by echoing Paul’s final prayer: “May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give us peace and love, with faith” as we battle on, to live out who and what He has made us in Christ. Amen.

Sermon .10th November 2013 Remembrance Sunday

Today, one of our Lay Readers, Trevor Tayleur, continues our study of Paul's letter to Ephesus. The reading is from Ephesians 5:21 - 6:9.

Submit!

A man went on an assertiveness training course. When asked why he was attending, he answered, “My wife told me to.”

The passage from Ephesians we’re looking at today may sound a bit familiar. If so, the reason may be that it’s only just over a year ago that Cameron spoke to us about a similar passage in 1 Peter. But today it’s my turn to deal with a passage in which Paul seems to express some rather controversial views.

Ephesians 5 verse 23 reads as follows, “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour.”

To be fair to Paul, Biblical scholars and theologians debate the meaning of “headship”. Some scholars think it means having authority or leadership, and that is a view that is quite widely held, particularly in evangelical circles, although that’s not a view that goes down well today. Other scholars believe that headship has little to do with authority or leadership. They argue that “Head” was rarely used to mean authority in the Ancient Greek.  Paul was using head and body as a metaphor of unity.  In particular he was using it to highlight the unity that exists between Jesus Christ and the Church. 

I do not intend today to resolve the debate, but however you interpret headship, nothing that Paul wrote can be used to justify male domination. The passage we’ve read has been used in the past to justify abuse of women by men, and the latter part of the passage has been used to justify slavery.  Paul was certainly doing nothing of the kind.

It’s shocking to know that at any given time one in nine women are experiencing domestic violence. This means that most, if not all, of us know couples where domestic abuse is occurring. It may occur in families which attend this church. Nothing that Paul wrote can justify such behaviour.

A point that Cameron made when looking at the passage in 1 Peter is that you need to remember the context. Back in the first century women were very much second class citizens. Cameron quoted Aristotle who wrote that women were a “secondary form of human being”. A man, either their father or husband, had complete power over them.

Also back in the first century slavery was a fact of everyday life, something that everyone took for granted. People couldn’t imagine a world without it, in the same way we can’t imagine a world which doesn’t have employer-employee relationships. So what Paul was saying was completely counter-cultural. In a society in which women were downtrodden and often treated like chattels, to say, as Paul did, that “husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” was completely radical. Imagine saying those words in a Taleban controlled part of Afghanistan; they would certainly provoke a reaction. Likewise suggesting that masters should treat their slaves well was also a radical idea. God judges everyone by the same standard; slave masters had to remember that they too had a master, Jesus, to whom they were accountable.

This morning’s passage starts, ^“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” The basic premise is that husbands and wives should submit to each other. Although there is a new heading in our Bibles, “Wives and Husbands”, Paul wasn’t starting a new subject when he got to marriage. He’s continuing from where he left off in verse 20. Last week Cameron explained that Paul was setting out the general overriding principle by which Christians are to live, namely “God’s self-giving, self-sacrificing love; not some second-rate imitation of it”. And today’s passage then sets out how we are to live out that calling in the context of marriage, parent-child and master-slave relationships. So when Paul gets to marriage, he is describing a husband-wife relationship which exhibits God’s self-giving, self-sacrificing love.

Paul’s basic premise is that both husband and wife are committed to live out God’s calling. In some way the husband is the head of the wife, whatever that might mean. So what does this headship look like? Over the years I’ve heard various views expressed, for example that husbands and wives should try to come to agreement about everything, but if they can’t the husband has the casting vote; headship is some form of tie-breaker. But Paul doesn’t say what it means. The Bible doesn’t spell out the details. The Bible is a book written to guide people across the centuries living in vastly different circumstances, and it doesn’t give a detailed guide to spouses as to how they should reach their decisions and so on, but what it does say is this: it sets out the basic principle that each should seek to serve the other. Accordingly, each spouse should be saying to the other, “What you need is more important than what I need; I’m willing to sacrifice everything for you.”

Paul doesn’t lay down the law. He sets out the principle of putting each other first, but he leaves it to the couple to work out for themselves what it means. But one thing you can be sure of is that if you have a man who lays down the law to his wife and says, “This is how we are going to do things,” then you have a man who has completely missed Paul’s point and whose male ego has not been reshaped by God’s self-giving, self-sacrificing love. The premise of Paul’s model is that you have two people committed to serving the other.

So we have Paul’s model for marriage, but why do people get married? What is the purpose of marriage? Now in many ancient cultures marriage was a business transaction. People didn’t get married for love or emotional fulfilment, but to secure their family’s position in society. In some parts of the world that is still the case. People marry to promote their family’s status. In the western world, it’s very different. You marry for love. You marry for your own individual fulfilment. You marry someone who will make you feel good about yourself, someone who will give you emotional fulfilment. But the Bible says this is wrong.

In verse 32 Paul compares marriage to the relationship that God Himself has with us, his people. Marriage is intended as a Gospel re-enactment, a model of what a lasting relationship with Christ should look like.

When we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us, but that’s not all; he doesn’t just simply forgive us. If you love someone and they harm themselves by making bad choices, you don’t simply shrug your shoulders and pass by. No, you stick with them and try to help them. Part of being a Christian is becoming more like Christ. In effect Jesus says to us, “I know what you can be, and through my sacrifice I’m going to get you there.” Jesus is driving us to change, to become more and more like him. And in marriage we encourage each other to change and to become everything we are supposed to be. Marriage is a model for what God wants to do for each of us.

Marriage isn’t the only relationship that Paul writes about in this passage. He also writes about masters and slaves. As thankfully slavery in Britain was abolished in the 1800s, does what Paul say have any relevance today? I’ve already said that nothing that Paul wrote in any way excuses slavery; indeed his instructions to slave masters and his declaration that all are equal before God carried the seeds of destruction for slavery. But bearing in mind that the relationship between employer and employee is not nearly as unequal as that between master and slave, what Paul says is still relevant today. There are two points that Paul makes that apply to those of us who are employees:

(i)      That all work is a divine calling, and

(ii)     It requires all our heart.

If you went to a book shop and saw a book called something like “Called to Serve the Lord”, what would you think it was about? Probably about someone who went into full time ministry, either at home or as a mission partner overseas. But actually we have all been called to serve the Lord.

How do we get fed? How do our children get educated? Who keeps our streets clean? Who protects us from the threat of terrorist attacks? Today we remember those who gave their lives in war so that we might live in freedom. They too were called to serve the Lord. Who looks after us when we need medical care? We pray regularly, “Give us today our daily bread.” The supply chain that answers this prayer is massive – from farmer to the supermarket checkout. What would happen if we didn’t have refuse collectors? Our city would drown in garbage, and serious diseases would be rife. What would public toilets be like if no one cleaned them?

Our whole way of life depends on people whose work is often regarded as menial. But it’s God’s work. God upholds us through other people’s work.

And secondly, do your work wholeheartedly. Paul writes in Chapter 6 verse 5, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.”

We may have an earthly boss, but they’re not the important one. Look behind your earthly boss and see the real one, your heavenly boss. All work is God’s work and the real boss is the one behind your earthly boss. If you look to him, you will work wholeheartedly, even if your earthly boss doesn’t deserve it.

But Paul also emphasises that the relationship isn’t just one way; masters have their responsibilities too. In today’s economic climate, some bosses take advantage of their employees. “You’re lucky to have a job,” they say. “So don’t complain if I pile loads of extra work on you for less pay. If you don’t like it, you can leave. There are plenty of people out there who would be happy to take your place.”

Employers should treat their workers with the same spirit of commitment that God asks of their workers. Taking huge bonuses while using the harsh economic climate to take advantage of workers is not acceptable. Bosses need to remember that they are employees of their Master in heaven - and He judges without regard to wealth or position.

Now of course in this time of austerity it is often very difficult to get a job. So it is important to remember that our status doesn’t depend on whether or not we have a job. We are all equal before God.

And now on to family. Again, contrary to the culture of the day, Paul makes it clear that both parents and children have reciprocal responsibilities.  And I’m going to concentrate now on the parents’ responsibilities.

In ancient times children were property. The culture of the day said to the father, “Be boss; take control; show your children you are in charge.”

In contrast the first thing that Paul says in verse 4 is, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children.” Paul is ruling out excessively severe discipline, over-discipline. But he continues, “[I]nstead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” He is also ruling out under-discipline. If you under-discipline and are too indulgent, that’s also going to create an angry child. Because when that child with a sense of entitlement goes out into the world, they will find that it isn’t as compliant to their wishes as you were. Over-discipline and under-discipline: opposite but equal dangers.

Paul, then, gives a lot of guidance to husbands and wives, parents and children and, in modern terms, employers and employees. The purpose of the guidance is to explain what it means to live out God’s self-giving, self-sacrificing love in these vital relationships. In a culture where women, children and slaves were oppressed, Paul’s view that they had rights was very radical, as well as his view that husbands, parents and masters owed them duties. At the heart of Paul’s teaching is service, serving each other and serving God. Our role model is Jesus. Some of what Paul says may sound a bit old fashioned and out of date. But have we in 21^st Century Britain got it right? When we look at the number of fractured relationships, broken homes and income inequality, can we be so sure that we’ve got it right and Paul has got it wrong? Let’s be willing to follow the example of Christ who loved the church and gave his life for it.

Let’s pray.

Father, in our relationships may we seek to live out your self-giving, self-sacrificing love. Help us to serve you and each other. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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[i] 10 November 2013

Sermon 3rd November 2013

Today, our Vicar, Cameron Barker, continues our study of Paul's letter to Ephesus.  The reading is from Ephesians 5 verses 1-20.

~ The Lord gave us two ends: one to sit on; and the other to think with. Success depends on which one we use most.

~ If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.

~ The truth of the matter is that we almost always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.

~ You can give without loving; but you can’t love without giving.

~ We occasionally stumble over the truth; but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.

~ You do have a choice: you can throw in the towel; or you can use it to wipe the sweat off your face.

~ The thing about the future is that it arrives one day at time.

And perhaps my favourite ~ You don’t need a parachute to skydive; you only need a parachute to skydive twice!

Take your pick: maybe it’s been some while since we last had a list of punchy one-liners like those; or else I’m trying to show that my recent study-leave was well used! Either way, I reckon that Paul would approve of this selection, if he were here today. I say so because at the start of Ephesians chapter 5, that’s pretty much what he came up with himself, in the language of his own day! As Simon Brindley said in his excellent sermon here a fortnight ago, Paul’s is all good, sound, and very practical advice; and it’s so very relevant for us as well.

So is the above list of one-liners: read them again now, and the listen for how they apply in what follows. Now to resume quoting Simon, we could summarise Paul’s letter to the Ephesians like this. He began by setting out how God’s plan for His people has been gloriously revealed in Jesus Christ, raised from the dead and now completely glorified in heaven. In this big context, each one of us was dead in our wrong-doing, following the ways of the world – i.e. following our sinful nature. But now through faith we have been made alive in Christ. But we are not saved by any good deeds. In fact, we are saved for good deeds. So, from chapter 4 onward Paul begins to hit home the implications for our lives – our new lives in Christ – of this message. In this section, Paul is now saying that if this is your glorious calling, then I urge you to live a life that’s worthy of it – in all these ways.

Now if you have perhaps missed those specific ways that Paul has already covered, they are, as usual, on our website. They really are worth reading because even though this letter was written so long ago, most of its advice is just as relevant, as practical, and as helpful today as it was in the first Century. At least no-one’s told me that lying, cheating, stealing, the venting of anger, fighting, or being mean, or hurtful have stopped being issues for humanity in the past month! And so I’m guessing that the same is also true of our endless obsession with sex, in any and every form – which is the next area of life that Paul now goes on to address.

Now it is easy to come at this topic too with a mindset that God is anti it; and/or, even if He’s not, then Paul certainly is, and that’s typical of the church! To be honest, there have been times in history, including recently, when the latter has sadly been an accurate observation. But again, Simon expressed it well two weeks ago. Like him, I am convinced that God simply wants what really is best for us, in every area of our lives! Paul wrote in such positive terms on all these topics because God wants us not to settle for second best, much less for some mere imitation: He has made us for so much more than that. That idea, of God wanting our lives to sing, as a wineglass can, because He knows what He has made us for, works with today’s passage, both positively and negatively. But our best starting point in this area is the positive one: we can go into it knowing that God is on our side, and wants the very best for us.

As Paul is quick to point out, it’s not just that God has made us, but also that He has paid for us, as we might say on the basis of today’s first verse. It’s a common thread in Ephesians, this constant coming back to the person, and the example of Christ – who is always to be our example. Here it is again, then, as Paul writes deeper into this transformed, positive new life that God is wanting us now to live. As ever, that all has to be based on the sacrifice that Jesus made: on the giving up of his own life; for us. So, since you are now God’s children – solely because of Christ’s sacrificial death – you must try to be like Him, Paul wrote in verse 1. Specifically, and especially, we must literally “imitate God” in our loving – of Him; of one another; and of ourselves: God’s kind of love must control our lives. So remember that you can give without loving; but you can’t love without giving.

That is the general overriding principle by which Christians are to live: God’s self-giving, self-sacrificing love; not some second-rate imitation of it, of which there are so many examples all around us. In Christ we have the very best, and most positive, example of what love looks like and does. This is the key positive that rules all the negatives that follow in the rest of today’s passage. There are a lot of ‘don’ts’ in here, as there need to be – not least so that we don’t be fooled! There are, as I’m sure you know too well, plenty of people that will say none of this stuff matters. But it really does matter for people who want to love God, love one another, and love themselves, in God’s giving way, following Christ’s example of God’s love.

So don’t settle for some second-rate imitation of that, Paul wrote. Don’t let love slide into mere lust, in your heads, or in your mouths. As usual, Tom Wright has lots of sharp insights on this whole subject, if anyone wants to follow up on the specific detail. Just to stick with the general principle for now, it’s a matter of knowing what’s right, and what’s wrong – as we generally do, remember; and then doing it – or not doing it, as is appropriate. Nobody is saying that it’s easy; it’s especially not, because we are literally surrounded by what we are. But here is where we have to choose: do we throw in the towel; or use it to wipe the sweat off, and just get on with it even when it’s hard? Tom Wright very helpfully suggests that we think of our mind as a strong and wilful horse that needs firm training!

Note that Paul drops in another key positive amongst all these negatives. A Christian’s life is to be marked with thanksgiving, in verse 4. As we’ve seen before, and as we know, focusing only on the don’ts is a sure recipe for disaster. We need to keep the positives in mind, and to aim for them. Well, ‘if we aim at nothing, that is what we’ll always hit’ remember! And, in any case, there is always plenty enough to give thanks for in the Christian life. Again, it’s easy to forget this; but we so shouldn’t; and Paul isn’t minded to let us either. “Once you were” – the NIV is right, on both counts here: it’s not “once you were in ...”; but “once you were – darkness; but now you are light in the Lord”. Give thanks, and “live as children of light” is Paul’s logical conclusion, then.

The rest of this passage sets out how we are to obey and to live out that calling: to be who, and what, we are in Christ. Again this is detail that we will each need to work out, and then do, for ourselves. It’s vital that we give it the time and attention that it needs, using the clear guidelines that Paul has given. Don’t forget that ‘The Lord gave us two ends: one to sit on; and other to think with. Success depends on which one we use most’. And, ‘The thing about the future is that it arrives one day at time’. So today is the day to start shaping, and living, that future, then: in God’s best loving ways. There are practical things to do – sing; praise; thank; encourage one another; and there are many others to avoid – like getting drunk!

Today may have been an occasion when we have stumbled over God’s truth. If so, we’d be very wise not to hurry off as if nothing had happened. Rather, we need to “be very careful how we live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity”, as Paul wrote. And so “don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is”. Wake up; live in the light; follow God’s example of love in Christ; and live a life of that kind of love, in all these practical ways.

This is, I think, another of those occasions where the best way to end is with the passage itself. As it so often does, the modern Message version puts it simply, and starkly. It challenges us not just to hear, but to obey the simple word of God. Here is what gives, and brings, a life of love, if we will but hear, and obey, it. So, then: “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behaviour from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Don’t allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed. Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don’t talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect.

You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them – the usual variations on idolatry – will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.

Don’t let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don’t even hang around people like that.

You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true, these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,

Climb out of your coffins;

Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ. Amen: let it be so ...