Sermon 7th June 2015
Today, one of our Lay Readers, Adjoa Andoh-Cunnell, preaches.
Controversy part 2
Last Sunday I was at my mums in Shropshire, getting ready to travel home and listening to the morning act of worship on radio4.
The guest speaker was American Preacher and Christian author Becky Pippert and this is a story she told...as best I can remember it...
There's a young man in the American Midwest, a student, long haired jeans t shirt - barefoot. He is comfortable this way, goes barefoot everywhere
Any way this barefoot young man has recently become a Christian and decides to attend a Sunday service at the local church. It's a mid Western pretty buttoned down church. The young man, being a particular sort of young man is late and the church in this very observant community is pretty full. The service has begun and seeing no seats available, the young man wanders down the central aisle to the carpet at the front and sits down on it. There is muttering from the congregation ....., a barefoot hippy sitting crossed legged on the carpet in front of the preacher!
A stern looking elderly church deacon, walking-stick in hand, makes his way slowly down the aisle towards the cross legged stranger at the front. The congregation is transfixed, this deacon doesn't mess about! Some can hardly bear to watch. The elderly deacon reaches the young man, stick in hand ...and then drops the stick to the floor and gingerly lowers himself to the carpet to sit beside the young man.
And as the sermon continues the preacher says to the congregation
I doubt you'll remember much of what I've preached, but you won't forget the love of Christ seen here this morning.
We'll come back to Becky Pippert's story and hopefully between Becky and Mark's gospel we'll remember whatever it is God has in mind for us this morning..
So the Gospel of Mark! What a rollercoaster! Within 2 Chapters we have
met John the Baptist,
fulfilling Isaiah's prophesy,
preparing the way for the Messiah,
preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins
Then the Messiah appears out of Nazareth is baptised by John in the River Jordan
and as he emerges
heaven is torn open
the Spirit descends on Jesus like a Dove
and a voice comes from heaven
"you are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
Then Sent by the Spirit for forty days into the wilderness from which John appeared,
Jesus is tempted by Satan.
Mark tells us 'he was with wild animals and angels attended him'
John is imprisoned
And Jesus goes to Galilee proclaiming the good news " the Time has come.
The kingdom of God has come near.
Repent and believe the good news!"
Exclamation mark!!
And we're off!!
Controversy part 2
Last Sunday I was at my mums in Shropshire, getting ready to travel home and listening to the morning act of worship on radio4.
The guest speaker was American Preacher and Christian author Becky Pippert and this is a story she told...as best I can remember it...
There's a young man in the American Midwest, a student, long haired jeans t shirt - barefoot. He is comfortable this way, goes barefoot everywhere
Any way this barefoot young man has recently become a Christian and decides to attend a Sunday service at the local church. It's a mid Western pretty buttoned down church. The young man, being a particular sort of young man is late and the church in this very observant community is pretty full. The service has begun and seeing no seats available, the young man wanders down the central aisle to the carpet at the front and sits down on it. There is muttering from the congregation ....., a barefoot hippy sitting crossed legged on the carpet in front of the preacher!
A stern looking elderly church deacon, walking-stick in hand, makes his way slowly down the aisle towards the cross legged stranger at the front. The congregation is transfixed, this deacon doesn't mess about! Some can hardly bear to watch. The elderly deacon reaches the young man, stick in hand ...and then drops the stick to the floor and gingerly lowers himself to the carpet to sit beside the young man.
And as the sermon continues the preacher says to the congregation
I doubt you'll remember much of what I've preached, but you won't forget the love of Christ seen here this morning.
We'll come back to Becky Pippert's story and hopefully between Becky and Mark's gospel we'll remember whatever it is God has in mind for us this morning..
So the Gospel of Mark! What a rollercoaster! Within 2 Chapters we have
met John the Baptist,
fulfilling Isaiah's prophesy,
preparing the way for the Messiah,
preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins
Then the Messiah appears out of Nazareth is baptised by John in the River Jordan
and as he emerges
heaven is torn open
the Spirit descends on Jesus like a Dove
and a voice comes from heaven
"you are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
Then Sent by the Spirit for forty days into the wilderness from which John appeared,
Jesus is tempted by Satan.
Mark tells us 'he was with wild animals and angels attended him'
John is imprisoned
And Jesus goes to Galilee proclaiming the good news " the Time has come.
The kingdom of God has come near.
Repent and believe the good news!"
Exclamation mark!!
And we're off!!
Disciples in tow, the first thing Mark tells us Jesus does?
GN 1:21/22
'...and on the next Sabbath Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn't like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority'
NIV
V 21 'When the Sabbath came Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law
And There we have it
The divine authority, on the Sabbath
And for the Pharisees, the teachers of the law - the unbearable threat
Jesus has been baptised, blessed, prepared and tested and on the sabbath comes to bring authoritative teaching.
In Mark, Christ's healing, his forgiving, his bringing wholeness into the world is all part of his teaching us the good news he has come to proclaim
Good news that overcomes even death, with the resurrection and the promise of life everlasting The Time has Come
The Kingdom of God has come near Repent and believe the good news!
People get ready!
This was like nothing anyone had ever experienced or could imagine experiencing
The people were amazed and the Pharisees were undermined
and Jesus - imbued with the Spirit and affirmed by the heavenly voice
came to revolutionise our understanding of our relationship with God - the good news!
and in this morning's reading we see all the elements come together around the teaching on the Sabbath.
So what's the controversy around the Sabbath?
The fourth Commandment is thought by some as the commandment of the ten, that most clearly describes our relationship with our creator
The commandment says
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).
The Hebrew word for Sabbath, shabbath, means “to cease, to pause or take an intermission. What does Jesus' example tell us about the use of the Sabbath?
Mark 1:21
'when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.'
In community with others, on the Sabbath, we learn more about our relationship with God and we can take that pause from life's demands - 'God rested the seventh day. Therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it' - made it holy
We are told that the confrontation in this mornings reading between Jesus and the Pharisees has been brewing from that first Sabbath teaching time
When the Pharisees see the disciples travelling through the fields picking corn
In the Greek Verses 24 is translated as
And the Pharisees were saying why do you let your disciples behave this way on the sabbaths - suggesting an ongoing argument
GN 1:21/22
'...and on the next Sabbath Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn't like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority'
NIV
V 21 'When the Sabbath came Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law
And There we have it
The divine authority, on the Sabbath
And for the Pharisees, the teachers of the law - the unbearable threat
Jesus has been baptised, blessed, prepared and tested and on the sabbath comes to bring authoritative teaching.
In Mark, Christ's healing, his forgiving, his bringing wholeness into the world is all part of his teaching us the good news he has come to proclaim
Good news that overcomes even death, with the resurrection and the promise of life everlasting The Time has Come
The Kingdom of God has come near Repent and believe the good news!
People get ready!
This was like nothing anyone had ever experienced or could imagine experiencing
The people were amazed and the Pharisees were undermined
and Jesus - imbued with the Spirit and affirmed by the heavenly voice
came to revolutionise our understanding of our relationship with God - the good news!
and in this morning's reading we see all the elements come together around the teaching on the Sabbath.
So what's the controversy around the Sabbath?
The fourth Commandment is thought by some as the commandment of the ten, that most clearly describes our relationship with our creator
The commandment says
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).
The Hebrew word for Sabbath, shabbath, means “to cease, to pause or take an intermission. What does Jesus' example tell us about the use of the Sabbath?
Mark 1:21
'when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.'
In community with others, on the Sabbath, we learn more about our relationship with God and we can take that pause from life's demands - 'God rested the seventh day. Therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it' - made it holy
We are told that the confrontation in this mornings reading between Jesus and the Pharisees has been brewing from that first Sabbath teaching time
When the Pharisees see the disciples travelling through the fields picking corn
In the Greek Verses 24 is translated as
And the Pharisees were saying why do you let your disciples behave this way on the sabbaths - suggesting an ongoing argument
And in response,at verse 25 again in the Greek, Jesus counters with
have you never comprehended the story of David and how he hungered, he and his followers
Of course the Pharisees would know the story, just as they knew the law, but did they comprehend the story? Did they comprehend the reasoning, the spirit behind the law?
The Sabbath as comprehended by the Pharisees was about the limitations placed on humanity in order to live compliant lives.
The Sabbath as comprehended by its creator-made-man in Jesus, was about the release, the freedom given to Humanity in order to live whole lives
It is not therefore surprising in this ongoing argument that Jesus' making whole in body and spirit the man with the crippled hand on the Sabbath is the final straw for the Pharisees.
GN
3:2 Some people were there who wanted to accuse Jesus of doing wrong; so they watched him closely to see whether he would cure the man on the Sabbath.
NIV
3:2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
And Jesus' response?
GN
3:5 Jesus was angry as he looked around at them, but at the same time he felt sorry for them, because they were so stubborn and wrong.
NIV
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts
Anger at their unwillingness to let go in their stubborn hearts of the belief that only they could know the meaning of scripture even in the face of the divine power and wisdom Jesus had exercised repeatedly all round the country.
Or perhaps they were unwilling because of that divine power - it undermined their earthly power? They are so incensed that they are driven to plot Jesus' death .
And Jesus' distress and sadness at their stubborn hearts?
Perhaps because the Pharisees as teachers of the law are unable to grasp what the lived meaning of wholeness, Gods gift of freedom, could mean to them and their followers. That good news is lost to them
Lost to the Pharisees even though The Sabbath in Jewish tradition is the date to remember and celebrate God's freeing of the Israelites from Slavery in Egypt.
A day to mirror Gods power to release us into freedom, by freeing ourselves from toil. Deuteronomy 5:15 tells us
Good News
15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that I, the Lord your God, rescued you by my great power and strength. That is why I command you to observe the Sabbath
(NIV)
15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
The sabbath - A day, Jesus invites us all to understand, that is made for us, not we for it.
GN 2:27
“The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. NIV
2:27
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath
What's the difference?
One is a gift freely given to us
have you never comprehended the story of David and how he hungered, he and his followers
Of course the Pharisees would know the story, just as they knew the law, but did they comprehend the story? Did they comprehend the reasoning, the spirit behind the law?
The Sabbath as comprehended by the Pharisees was about the limitations placed on humanity in order to live compliant lives.
The Sabbath as comprehended by its creator-made-man in Jesus, was about the release, the freedom given to Humanity in order to live whole lives
It is not therefore surprising in this ongoing argument that Jesus' making whole in body and spirit the man with the crippled hand on the Sabbath is the final straw for the Pharisees.
GN
3:2 Some people were there who wanted to accuse Jesus of doing wrong; so they watched him closely to see whether he would cure the man on the Sabbath.
NIV
3:2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
And Jesus' response?
GN
3:5 Jesus was angry as he looked around at them, but at the same time he felt sorry for them, because they were so stubborn and wrong.
NIV
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts
Anger at their unwillingness to let go in their stubborn hearts of the belief that only they could know the meaning of scripture even in the face of the divine power and wisdom Jesus had exercised repeatedly all round the country.
Or perhaps they were unwilling because of that divine power - it undermined their earthly power? They are so incensed that they are driven to plot Jesus' death .
And Jesus' distress and sadness at their stubborn hearts?
Perhaps because the Pharisees as teachers of the law are unable to grasp what the lived meaning of wholeness, Gods gift of freedom, could mean to them and their followers. That good news is lost to them
Lost to the Pharisees even though The Sabbath in Jewish tradition is the date to remember and celebrate God's freeing of the Israelites from Slavery in Egypt.
A day to mirror Gods power to release us into freedom, by freeing ourselves from toil. Deuteronomy 5:15 tells us
Good News
15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that I, the Lord your God, rescued you by my great power and strength. That is why I command you to observe the Sabbath
(NIV)
15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
The sabbath - A day, Jesus invites us all to understand, that is made for us, not we for it.
GN 2:27
“The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. NIV
2:27
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath
What's the difference?
One is a gift freely given to us
The other a box that we must fit into
Does Christ release our lives to nourishment healing and freedom - or Does Christ limit and restrict our lives?
Well It seems that Christianity as a restrictive buttoned down box as opposed to freedom and nourishment is the misunderstanding of many of the population of this country - as according to the news this week the numbers of Anglicans has fallen to an all time low.
Now perhaps other Christian denominations are catching the short fall , I'm sure some are but beyond that for a nominally Christian country it seems many people have no clear understanding of that good news Jesus came to proclaim, or it's true potential impact on their lives and on the world in general.
How do we follow Archbishop Justin Welby in his resulting call for new evangelising?
We follow Jesus in spreading the comprehension of what a holy life in Christ means.
Jesus challenges the Pharisees understanding of God's law, God's relationship with us, through the story of a hungry David in The Temple, through his actions on the Sabbath - The sacred space and the sacred day - connected in holiness -
God rested the seventh day. Therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it' - made it holy
How is this challenging holiness embodied in our lives?
What is this holy life?
A holy life is a circular one, it brings us to God's wholeness, nourishment and compassion and through us brings those gifts to our world - evangelising through His love. And in doing so it brings us back to God.
In Isaiah 58 the prophet describes fasting as a way of purification, of bringing ourselves back to God. Isaiah speaks of the true value to a God of this purification as a prelude to the true nature of the Sabbath.
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
He continues at verses 13-14
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s holy day honourable,
and if you honour it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
It is no good our appearing to live text book godly lives if there is no love in our hearts if there is no willingness to open ourselves to God's discernment and follow his lead.
Are we the old deacon who sits beside the young man? Or the muttering congregation?
Are we loosing the chains of injustice? Are we sharing our food with the hungry? Or is that someone else's responsibility?
Does Christ release our lives to nourishment healing and freedom - or Does Christ limit and restrict our lives?
Well It seems that Christianity as a restrictive buttoned down box as opposed to freedom and nourishment is the misunderstanding of many of the population of this country - as according to the news this week the numbers of Anglicans has fallen to an all time low.
Now perhaps other Christian denominations are catching the short fall , I'm sure some are but beyond that for a nominally Christian country it seems many people have no clear understanding of that good news Jesus came to proclaim, or it's true potential impact on their lives and on the world in general.
How do we follow Archbishop Justin Welby in his resulting call for new evangelising?
We follow Jesus in spreading the comprehension of what a holy life in Christ means.
Jesus challenges the Pharisees understanding of God's law, God's relationship with us, through the story of a hungry David in The Temple, through his actions on the Sabbath - The sacred space and the sacred day - connected in holiness -
God rested the seventh day. Therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it' - made it holy
How is this challenging holiness embodied in our lives?
What is this holy life?
A holy life is a circular one, it brings us to God's wholeness, nourishment and compassion and through us brings those gifts to our world - evangelising through His love. And in doing so it brings us back to God.
In Isaiah 58 the prophet describes fasting as a way of purification, of bringing ourselves back to God. Isaiah speaks of the true value to a God of this purification as a prelude to the true nature of the Sabbath.
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
He continues at verses 13-14
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s holy day honourable,
and if you honour it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
It is no good our appearing to live text book godly lives if there is no love in our hearts if there is no willingness to open ourselves to God's discernment and follow his lead.
Are we the old deacon who sits beside the young man? Or the muttering congregation?
Are we loosing the chains of injustice? Are we sharing our food with the hungry? Or is that someone else's responsibility?
Perhaps the deacon made his way down that aisle fully intending to berate the young man as
many in the congregation from past experience expected him to. Perhaps like the incensed
Pharisees in the temple he was a stickler for correct behaviour in the house of God. Perhaps in
that last moment as he drew alongside the young man he was surprised by God, surprised by that
love, surprised perhaps by his own heart's willingness to let God lead
And what would that young man have learnt that morning?
Perhaps In that instant, that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath? Perhaps That the carpet was as good a place to share in worship as any
And Before we get all health and safety twitchy - blocking exists, chaos etc- it's not that the carpet was the ideal place, nor am I calling on everyone to charge to the front and hunker down here, but in the deacon's being alongside the young man, there was a welcome to God's house, an invitation to share in His love.
Who knows what brought that young man to faith or to that particular church that morning. Was he almost put off by full seats and no space for him, was he uncertain as he walked down the aisle, did he get to the front and then embarrassed just plonk himself on the floor
Was he not only new to faith but also new to church etiquette?
As it turned out Who knows what richness, of friendship and of relationship might develop from that encounter that morning, but an encouragement in faith was surely there
This is the spirit of Gods law
An encouragement in faith in the certainty of his love, to be alongside us at all times, to know just what we need to nourish us in that moment, to make us whole, to sustain us
Jesus came to release us into the discernment of his Fathers love, that through him the direct relationship with God was restored, he came with love to show us that the ultimate legal sanction death had no hold on him, and as the son of man, to humankind he showed that that freedom of life everlasting was to be ours as well, no wonder the Pharisees were incensed. Rule breaking and radical going against the accepted norms, Jesus calls on us, as he did the Pharisees, to question what we are following - the law or The Lord - it's a question of discernment..we can legally find ways to avoid tax but is that in the spirit of sharing our income with the nation for the good of the nation? We can seek out the best bargains in the things we buy but is that at the expense of the lives of those who may be treated unfairly to produce those goods. The holiness in our faith sits not just on the day or in the place that we worship, but also in the holiness of our lives
That ongoing conversation between the Pharisees and Jesus about how holiness should be lived out is our ongoing conversation -
Jesus asks do we do good or evil on the sabbath?
do we live lives reflecting God's values or the world's values?
in our personal lives do we act with love and or legalism - do we see the person before us and ask what does that person actually need or do we ask what ought they to need?
Proverbs 15.1 tells us
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Jesus saw the hunger of the body and the spirit, Jesus saw the brokenness and the yearning to be free of all that holds us away from Gods love and gave his loving attention to that need
Wholeness in Christ requires our whole attention, our whole commitment, our alertness to willingly flourish as the people God made us to be,
to delight in the freedom of a Sabbath day, a day marked by the remembrance of God's compassion and justice ,
a day encouraging us in shared worship to carry that compassion and justice into our week
As Christians I would suggest that it is our job, to leave no one forgotten, and in the spirit of Justin Welby's new evangelising in this country to leave no one we meet ignorant of the freedom of God's love, compassion and justice,
then as Isaiah puts it
'our righteousness (our wholeness with God) will go before us, and the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.'
And what would that young man have learnt that morning?
Perhaps In that instant, that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath? Perhaps That the carpet was as good a place to share in worship as any
And Before we get all health and safety twitchy - blocking exists, chaos etc- it's not that the carpet was the ideal place, nor am I calling on everyone to charge to the front and hunker down here, but in the deacon's being alongside the young man, there was a welcome to God's house, an invitation to share in His love.
Who knows what brought that young man to faith or to that particular church that morning. Was he almost put off by full seats and no space for him, was he uncertain as he walked down the aisle, did he get to the front and then embarrassed just plonk himself on the floor
Was he not only new to faith but also new to church etiquette?
As it turned out Who knows what richness, of friendship and of relationship might develop from that encounter that morning, but an encouragement in faith was surely there
This is the spirit of Gods law
An encouragement in faith in the certainty of his love, to be alongside us at all times, to know just what we need to nourish us in that moment, to make us whole, to sustain us
Jesus came to release us into the discernment of his Fathers love, that through him the direct relationship with God was restored, he came with love to show us that the ultimate legal sanction death had no hold on him, and as the son of man, to humankind he showed that that freedom of life everlasting was to be ours as well, no wonder the Pharisees were incensed. Rule breaking and radical going against the accepted norms, Jesus calls on us, as he did the Pharisees, to question what we are following - the law or The Lord - it's a question of discernment..we can legally find ways to avoid tax but is that in the spirit of sharing our income with the nation for the good of the nation? We can seek out the best bargains in the things we buy but is that at the expense of the lives of those who may be treated unfairly to produce those goods. The holiness in our faith sits not just on the day or in the place that we worship, but also in the holiness of our lives
That ongoing conversation between the Pharisees and Jesus about how holiness should be lived out is our ongoing conversation -
Jesus asks do we do good or evil on the sabbath?
do we live lives reflecting God's values or the world's values?
in our personal lives do we act with love and or legalism - do we see the person before us and ask what does that person actually need or do we ask what ought they to need?
Proverbs 15.1 tells us
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Jesus saw the hunger of the body and the spirit, Jesus saw the brokenness and the yearning to be free of all that holds us away from Gods love and gave his loving attention to that need
Wholeness in Christ requires our whole attention, our whole commitment, our alertness to willingly flourish as the people God made us to be,
to delight in the freedom of a Sabbath day, a day marked by the remembrance of God's compassion and justice ,
a day encouraging us in shared worship to carry that compassion and justice into our week
As Christians I would suggest that it is our job, to leave no one forgotten, and in the spirit of Justin Welby's new evangelising in this country to leave no one we meet ignorant of the freedom of God's love, compassion and justice,
then as Isaiah puts it
'our righteousness (our wholeness with God) will go before us, and the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.'
God before us and behind us always how wonderful
David and his companions were not to starve when there was bread in the temple
The man with the withered hand was not to struggle on when God's healing power in the shape of the son of man was in the temple and able to restore his hand
As a commentator from the theology of work website observes
The sacred spaces of earth are not refuges of holiness against the world, but places of God’s presence for the world, for his sustenance and restoration of the world.
We can be those living sacred spaces, Places of God's holy presence in the world
The tree shepherd project and the ongoing community action projects here in Herne Hill are some of the ways that we can be those sacred living spaces - where we can work to restore a sense of purpose and hope to those under or unemployed.
We can give nourishment to our neighbours hungry for company and fun through our holiday projects, our lunch clubs, our singing and drama groups, our being alongside the prisoners of Brixton prison and a hundred small acts of love everyday. Perhaps we are involved in charitable work or giving, perhaps we write letters to prisoners via Amnesty International Perhaps we buy goods from Fairtrade or trade craft. Perhaps we keep an eye on a neighbour or make a point of speaking to a stranger in need.
We are the young man and we are the old deacon, both perhaps uncertain, both perhaps surprised by God's promptings if only we open our hearts
We are so blessed to have Jesus' examples to follow of love freely given, divine son of Man, examples that not only show us how to live but in doing so offer us the freedom of knowing that we are held in the unshakable love of our Heavenly Father sitting alongside us on the uncertain carpet of our everyday lives as we bring in the Kingdom come, Gods living Sabbaths each one of us.
My prayer for us is that
Heavenly Father you will Give us the open hearts and minds to discern as you would have us discern
May we follow Jesus' lead and bring compassion justice and love to a broken world in need
And in a life lead by you May peace reign, may joy be always our companion
and May the glory of The Lord be always our rear guard. Amen
The man with the withered hand was not to struggle on when God's healing power in the shape of the son of man was in the temple and able to restore his hand
As a commentator from the theology of work website observes
The sacred spaces of earth are not refuges of holiness against the world, but places of God’s presence for the world, for his sustenance and restoration of the world.
We can be those living sacred spaces, Places of God's holy presence in the world
The tree shepherd project and the ongoing community action projects here in Herne Hill are some of the ways that we can be those sacred living spaces - where we can work to restore a sense of purpose and hope to those under or unemployed.
We can give nourishment to our neighbours hungry for company and fun through our holiday projects, our lunch clubs, our singing and drama groups, our being alongside the prisoners of Brixton prison and a hundred small acts of love everyday. Perhaps we are involved in charitable work or giving, perhaps we write letters to prisoners via Amnesty International Perhaps we buy goods from Fairtrade or trade craft. Perhaps we keep an eye on a neighbour or make a point of speaking to a stranger in need.
We are the young man and we are the old deacon, both perhaps uncertain, both perhaps surprised by God's promptings if only we open our hearts
We are so blessed to have Jesus' examples to follow of love freely given, divine son of Man, examples that not only show us how to live but in doing so offer us the freedom of knowing that we are held in the unshakable love of our Heavenly Father sitting alongside us on the uncertain carpet of our everyday lives as we bring in the Kingdom come, Gods living Sabbaths each one of us.
My prayer for us is that
Heavenly Father you will Give us the open hearts and minds to discern as you would have us discern
May we follow Jesus' lead and bring compassion justice and love to a broken world in need
And in a life lead by you May peace reign, may joy be always our companion
and May the glory of The Lord be always our rear guard. Amen
posted by Sharren Taylor at 10:50 am
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