I’ve spent a fair amount of time this week talking to people about what things used to be like. I’ve been with families preparing for the funerals of their loved ones, who remember what family life used to be like when they were growing up. I’ve had conversations with people living in Cavour Street in Etruria who have lived there through all the changes of the last fifty years. Through the closure of industries, the demolition of one lot of houses and the building of another lot. I heard about how close knit that community used to be. To be honest, I suspect that in these conversations there were, in some cases, rose tinted glasses being worn, but, mostly, the memories of the things being recalled were good memories, that make life today seem a bit flat, disjointed, with communities that aren’t as strong and more people that are lonely and lost.
Most of the people that I spoke to seemed to have lost something that they remember having, and they aren’t sure if they are ever going to find it again.
In contrast, our first reading this morning encourages those who hear it to remember in a different way. Rather than looking back, remembering that things were better then and worse now, they are told to look back and remember that things were worse then and are so much better now.
You see, this letter was aimed at Gentile Christians. It was written to those who knew that in the past they had been completely excluded from God’s people. They were without hope, they didn’t know God. They were in darkness. They had no promise from God for their earthly lives, or for what would happen when their earthly life ended. They were all at sea.
But not anymore. Something had changed. There was a shift from the way that they used to live, and now they lived in a different way.
Continued here...
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Say no to cynicism.
Cynicism. Ezekiel faced cynics, Jesus faced cynics, and Paul faced cynics.
Those of little faith. Those who could not see past the ordinary. Past the slightly odd priest who was prone to have visions and dreams that were hard to understand. Past the man who we grew up with, whose brothers and sisters we know. Past the man who built our house. Past the funny little ugly tent maker. There is a lack of imagination, a lack of openness to something new, a lack of vision to see what is here now and what is coming soon, because of the limited experience of the past.
It seems to me that cynicism is one of the hall marks of our culture in this country right now. Throughout public debate and news stories is a deep current of mistrust. There appears to be an underlying assumption and idea that most people lie most of the time, and that we are being misled.
I believe that this is so corrosive to the human soul that it is heart breaking. How can we live in community if we don’t trust people? It seems to me that down this road lies isolation and loneliness. Cut off from each other, with no common ground on which to meet, we end up alone.
And this is not to say that there is not, in some cases, grounds for mistrust and dismay. It is almost as if over the last fifteen years there has been a vicious circle in place in our society. Repeated episodes of deceit and lack of openness by public figures in authority, political and church leaders, have led to a reduction in trust in our leaders, and this in turn has led to a reluctance on the part of leaders to be open about failings and mistakes.
It is one huge mess that is characterised by a lack of truth, a lack of forgiveness, a lack of openness, a lack of generosity and a lack of trust. Our country is in a mess.
Continued here...
Those of little faith. Those who could not see past the ordinary. Past the slightly odd priest who was prone to have visions and dreams that were hard to understand. Past the man who we grew up with, whose brothers and sisters we know. Past the man who built our house. Past the funny little ugly tent maker. There is a lack of imagination, a lack of openness to something new, a lack of vision to see what is here now and what is coming soon, because of the limited experience of the past.
It seems to me that cynicism is one of the hall marks of our culture in this country right now. Throughout public debate and news stories is a deep current of mistrust. There appears to be an underlying assumption and idea that most people lie most of the time, and that we are being misled.
I believe that this is so corrosive to the human soul that it is heart breaking. How can we live in community if we don’t trust people? It seems to me that down this road lies isolation and loneliness. Cut off from each other, with no common ground on which to meet, we end up alone.
And this is not to say that there is not, in some cases, grounds for mistrust and dismay. It is almost as if over the last fifteen years there has been a vicious circle in place in our society. Repeated episodes of deceit and lack of openness by public figures in authority, political and church leaders, have led to a reduction in trust in our leaders, and this in turn has led to a reluctance on the part of leaders to be open about failings and mistakes.
It is one huge mess that is characterised by a lack of truth, a lack of forgiveness, a lack of openness, a lack of generosity and a lack of trust. Our country is in a mess.
Continued here...
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Speaking into Silence
I wonder how you feel about silence. What your story of silence is.
Last week, when I went on retreat before my ordination, we spent a fair amount of time in what we called silence. But it wasn’t really. Although we weren’t speaking to each other, there was still the sound of the pipes rattling as someone got a glass of water, the birds singing and squabbling in the gardens, and the irregular rattling of a train on the neighbouring tracks. And that was just on the outside. On the inside, I was chuntering away to myself. God wasn’t quiet either. God was there, showing me more, teaching me more, loving me more.
Behind the story of the birth of John the Baptist there are two stories of silence.
Continued here...
Last week, when I went on retreat before my ordination, we spent a fair amount of time in what we called silence. But it wasn’t really. Although we weren’t speaking to each other, there was still the sound of the pipes rattling as someone got a glass of water, the birds singing and squabbling in the gardens, and the irregular rattling of a train on the neighbouring tracks. And that was just on the outside. On the inside, I was chuntering away to myself. God wasn’t quiet either. God was there, showing me more, teaching me more, loving me more.
Behind the story of the birth of John the Baptist there are two stories of silence.
Continued here...
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Children of God
I’m really pleased to be here, with the opportunity to preach this morning. Of course, I’m always enjoy preaching, especially to such a fine bunch of folks as you lot, but today I’m especially excited. That is because today is Trinity Sunday, and I love the Trinity. I think that it is one of the most exciting and exhilarating aspects of God that there is, and I love talking about it. One of the dangers of this is that I might get a bit carried away. Trinity Sunday only comes round once a year, and there is more to be said about the Trinity than can be said in quarter of an hour once a year. But that is what we have, so hopefully this morning, even if I don’t say everything that can be said about the Trinity, I will say enough to help us to experience one God in three persons in a way that is deeper and more real to our hearts.
One of the reasons that I find the Trinity to be so attractive, is that it seems to me that the idea of relationship being at the heart of God’s identity, who God is, helps us to understand our own relationship with God, and our identity, who we really are.
It seems to me that questions of identity are really important, particularly at the moment. Who am I? I might define myself by my family relationships: I am a husband, a son, a father. I might define myself by my job: I am a curate. I might define myself by my nationality: I am British. But, it seems to me that these ways of working out who we are can leave us very vulnerable. Over the last few decades, as the people have become more able to move around the country, families have become less physically close, marriages have broken up, and people close to us die. If I have defined myself as my grandchild’s grandparent, what happens to my identity when that young family has to move to find work? If my identity and self worth are all tied up with my work, with my job, what happens to that when I lose my job? What does it mean to be British? As we see the disaster area of our national political scene at the moment, is being British something that we want to be?
It seems to me that we all need something more stable, more trustworthy to show us our identity, who we really are, how valuable we are.
I believe that God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, can give us that.
Continued here...
One of the reasons that I find the Trinity to be so attractive, is that it seems to me that the idea of relationship being at the heart of God’s identity, who God is, helps us to understand our own relationship with God, and our identity, who we really are.
It seems to me that questions of identity are really important, particularly at the moment. Who am I? I might define myself by my family relationships: I am a husband, a son, a father. I might define myself by my job: I am a curate. I might define myself by my nationality: I am British. But, it seems to me that these ways of working out who we are can leave us very vulnerable. Over the last few decades, as the people have become more able to move around the country, families have become less physically close, marriages have broken up, and people close to us die. If I have defined myself as my grandchild’s grandparent, what happens to my identity when that young family has to move to find work? If my identity and self worth are all tied up with my work, with my job, what happens to that when I lose my job? What does it mean to be British? As we see the disaster area of our national political scene at the moment, is being British something that we want to be?
It seems to me that we all need something more stable, more trustworthy to show us our identity, who we really are, how valuable we are.
I believe that God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, can give us that.
Continued here...
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Chosen?
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last."
Jesus spoke these words to his friends and followers nearly two thousand years ago, and I believe that he continues to speak them to us today. Maybe it will help us to hear them more clearly , and to understand what they mean for us, if we spend a few moments thinking about what they might have meant for some of the people who heard them when they were first spoken.
Mary, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. When you were a young woman, just betrothed to Dad, and that angel appeared to you to tell you that I would be born to you, even though you had never been with a man. You did not choose me. Nobody can ever choose who their child will be, but you had even less control over it than most people. You did not choose me, but I chose you. In some ways I was the fruit that you bore. I am the fruit of your body, but also the fruit of your love and care as I grew and became a man. That fruit will last forever. I will die, but I will defeat death and be raised to live again forever.
But there is more fruit that you will bear. You did not choose me, but the way in which you humbly accepted and obeyed my Father, is an example that will inspire countless women and men forever more. Your witness to my life, death and resurrection will bring life and hope to people across time and places that are beyond your imagination.
Continued here...
Jesus spoke these words to his friends and followers nearly two thousand years ago, and I believe that he continues to speak them to us today. Maybe it will help us to hear them more clearly , and to understand what they mean for us, if we spend a few moments thinking about what they might have meant for some of the people who heard them when they were first spoken.
Mary, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. When you were a young woman, just betrothed to Dad, and that angel appeared to you to tell you that I would be born to you, even though you had never been with a man. You did not choose me. Nobody can ever choose who their child will be, but you had even less control over it than most people. You did not choose me, but I chose you. In some ways I was the fruit that you bore. I am the fruit of your body, but also the fruit of your love and care as I grew and became a man. That fruit will last forever. I will die, but I will defeat death and be raised to live again forever.
But there is more fruit that you will bear. You did not choose me, but the way in which you humbly accepted and obeyed my Father, is an example that will inspire countless women and men forever more. Your witness to my life, death and resurrection will bring life and hope to people across time and places that are beyond your imagination.
Continued here...
Sunday, 10 May 2009
F's for Fruitfulness
As some of you may know, I have a vegetable plot. It’s not a very big vegetable plot, but it has produced its first crop this year. Some spinach. Not very much spinach so far, but enough for a couple of salads and a meal for Liz and me. The rest of the plants divide up into two different kinds. For some of them I can see the process of the produce developing. The blossom has been on the apples and the cherries, and the fruit has set. It doesn’t guarantee a crop, but at least I know we’re on target. The peas are flowering, a promising sign that there might be pods containing sweet, fresh, peas later in the year. But, for others I can’t see what is going on because it’s underground. I can see the tops of the potatoes and the carrots, but I’ve no idea whether or not the roots and tubers are forming in the right way, or if they’re being eaten by bugs, or other nasties. And it’s no good prodding around, digging them up to have a look. That would be completely counter productive. I’ve just got to wait and see. It’s the same with the tomato and pepper seeds sitting in little pots on the bathroom window sill (I know, I started them a bit late). Are they germinating? I have no idea, and I mustn’t go digging to try and find out.
This morning I’d like to invite us to think about fruitfulness. But not really about the fruit and crops that might be growing (or not) in our gardens, but about the fruit of our lives. Some of this is growing out in the open, we can see it coming. Some of it is growing deep in our souls, hidden from general view.
This is also going to be a world first. This is the first time, I think, that I am going to preach a three point sermon, with each point starting with the same letter as the over all theme. Are you ready for it?
Our main theme is fruitfulness, and my first point is, “Forlorn."
Continued here...
This morning I’d like to invite us to think about fruitfulness. But not really about the fruit and crops that might be growing (or not) in our gardens, but about the fruit of our lives. Some of this is growing out in the open, we can see it coming. Some of it is growing deep in our souls, hidden from general view.
This is also going to be a world first. This is the first time, I think, that I am going to preach a three point sermon, with each point starting with the same letter as the over all theme. Are you ready for it?
Our main theme is fruitfulness, and my first point is, “Forlorn."
Continued here...
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
What do you see?
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
The first verse of this couplet is often used in our services, words of blessing, even greetings cards. It has a lovely ring to it:
May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face shine upon us.
There is no question that it is a great blessing, with a warmth to it. But, if we cut it off there, it is incomplete.
Why does the Psalmist ask for Gods’ grace and blessing? Is the request made so that the Psalmist and God’s people can enjoy life having made the most of their divine contacts? No. The blessing of God is sought after, so that God’s ways may be known on earth and God’s salvation to everybody.
I do want to be a bit careful here. I believe that we have a generous God, who loves to give us good things because we are loved. I don’t believe that God blesses us to make God look good. God blesses us because God loves us, and we are encouraged to bring all our needs to God and trust God with them.
Having said that, I also believe that we seek the giver, not the gift. We seek the giver, not the gift. We see beyond the gift to the giver. Having experienced the love of the Giver, expressed in the value of the gift, we want others to appreciate the Giver’s generosity and to receive the gift as well.
Continued here...
and make his face shine upon us,
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
The first verse of this couplet is often used in our services, words of blessing, even greetings cards. It has a lovely ring to it:
May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face shine upon us.
There is no question that it is a great blessing, with a warmth to it. But, if we cut it off there, it is incomplete.
Why does the Psalmist ask for Gods’ grace and blessing? Is the request made so that the Psalmist and God’s people can enjoy life having made the most of their divine contacts? No. The blessing of God is sought after, so that God’s ways may be known on earth and God’s salvation to everybody.
I do want to be a bit careful here. I believe that we have a generous God, who loves to give us good things because we are loved. I don’t believe that God blesses us to make God look good. God blesses us because God loves us, and we are encouraged to bring all our needs to God and trust God with them.
Having said that, I also believe that we seek the giver, not the gift. We seek the giver, not the gift. We see beyond the gift to the giver. Having experienced the love of the Giver, expressed in the value of the gift, we want others to appreciate the Giver’s generosity and to receive the gift as well.
Continued here...
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