The central theme of Advent and especially to this first Sunday is a firm declaration to “cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light,” for as we read in Mark, “the Son of Man” is coming with “great power and glory.”
Let us be clear: the God depicted here is not a serene and docile deity. Isaiah calls upon a potent God who would “tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake.” And our actions in response to this coming should be no less robust.
At first look, we welcome such a dominating and mighty God to respond to our needs and concerns. Yet we who believe in a divine being from whom all things flow, also know that such a transcendent force can “bend history.” Put bluntly, if we are not prepared for God’s response to our prayers for the Creator’s presence, the appearance of the divine can be unsettling and threatening to our very lives and our very order. Such a forceful manifestation can bring about significant change. Our desire for the Lord’s coming brings with it risk as well as reward.
There is a little-known fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm entitled “Der Mond,” or in English, “The Moon.” It is a short tale that was adapted by the German composer Carl Orff into an opera. It involves four young rowdy misfits from a land where there is no light – no sun in the day and no moon or stars at night. These are people who “walk in darkness.”
These lads travel to another land where they find the moon hanging on a tree. They steal the moon and bring it back to their land where they charge people money for their use of the moonlight. Eventually, as happens to all of us, they grow old and die. As each one dies, one quarter of the moon is cut away and buried with one of its owners until there is no more light. In the opera, Petrus, “who rules the sky,” descends to the dead and retrieves the four pieces of the moon and hangs it in the sky for the benefit of all.
Yes, this tale is a retelling of the age-old belief that God brings light to the people who, in the words of the prophet, “walk in darkness.” Yes, this is about the season of Advent, which alludes to an arrival, a beginning. It is best understood as a dawning, as in the early morn of a new day. Yes, like the four misfits, this is a time when we come upon and marvel in a new Light. Yes, like the four young men, we can hoard and hide the light. And yes, we, like Petrus in Carl Orff’s opera, are called to share this light with the world.
There is an intrinsic understanding that, no matter what, we welcome the coming of the Lord and that it can happen at any time. Indeed, during the course of our lives, God appears and reappears. At times, we are that very light to the world in what we say and what we do. When we are called to serve and share a warm and friendly smile, we are restored; God’s face shines through our own countenance, and we are saved.
The expectation is that we are God’s hands, God’s light on this earth. God calls us to shine a light, to be witnesses to his mercy and love; not only through our words, but also in our works. We are called to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the prisoner. When we serve those in need – like the student who needs tutoring, the lonely homebound person who needs company, those who have lost their homes and possessions because of a hurricane, earthquake, flooding or fire, or those who mourn – we, as in the words of the spiritual, “rise and shine.” We are witnesses to the Lord’s coming – symbolically on Christmas Day, and for real today and all the tomorrows of our lives.
Those who first sang the words of the spiritual, shackled by the chains of slavery, looked with hope to a new day – to a brighter day when the darkness of this inhumane treatment would give way to the light of freedom. Indeed, in response to their oppression, they sang these words with faith and hope. And in this age when we encounter personal and communal challenges that test our mettle, we would do well to join these forebearers in our common history by not cursing the darkness but always seeking the light. Yes, this is the meaning of Advent.
Jesus says in the gospel reading, “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. Therefore, keep awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you, I say to all: Keep awake.”
Amen.
Wednesday 3 December 2008
Monday 10 November 2008
Remembrance Sunday
This is a true story about a man called Joseph Bowen, his brother William Bowen and their cousin The Rev'd. Oliver Bowen. William Bowen was my grandfather but this story is the same for millions of families through out Europe.
PONTYCYMMER RIFLEMAN KILLED IN ACTION
On Saturday last, Mrs Elizabeth Bowen, 51 Alexandra Road, Pontycymmer, received the sad official notification that her husband, Rifleman Joseph Bowen, 2nd Kings Royal Rifle Corps, was killed in action in France on 26 July. Rifleman Bowen joined the Army soon after the outbreak of war, and had seen 14 months' active service in France. Prior to enlistment he worked as a collier at the Blaengarw Colliery. He was highly respected throughout the valley, and we regret to state that he leaves a widow and three children to mourn his loss.
Glamorgan Gazette September 1st 1916
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has the following information...
Joseph Bowen died 25th July 1916, service number /5283, buried Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, Plot 5, Row B, No 23.
There is no other information.
But the book: Men Who Died In The Great War shows that he was born in Amroth, enlisted in Bridgend, resided in Pontycymmer Glamorgan, and died of wounds.
These simple details hide the agonies he must have gone through and do not tell of the misery experienced by his family afterwards, especially his wife and three small children. All over Europe, the same high price was being paid by other ordinary families. For these thousands of families, there had always been hope that their men would return.
William Bowen of Pantygog, my grandfather received the following letter from The Rev'd. Oliver Bowen BA, Cardiff (late of Pontycymmer):-
My dear Cousin,
I have at last been able to fulfil my promise to visit Joe's grave. I have passed through many trials since I came out here, but this experience is quite unique. I failed to reach the cemetery before the darkness came on, and not knowing the number of the grave I had to search for it with the aid of an electric torch, but eventually I found it.
It would be difficult to describe my emotions as I stood by his grave in the dark. Many things came into my mind as I stood there for a while. I felt I was a lonely mourner representing his family far away, and I realised in some measure the sorrow which would have been theirs had they stood at the same spot.
When I thought of his mother, and wife and children especially, my tears mingled with the sacred soil that covered his mangled body. However, other thoughts passed through my mind. I recalled him as I saw him a month or so before he received the fatal wound, and I had the feeling that the grave is not his goal. He seemed to me to have survived that death, and to be vividly near to me in spirit.
It will be a consolation to you all to know that his, and all the other graves in the cemetery, are tidily and even beautifully kept, showing the humane work of sympathetic hearts and hands. The cross stands at the head of the grave bearing his name, number and regiment, and the date of his death in the Somme battle.
He is surrounded by a goodly company of heroes from all parts of the British Empire, and I wished it were possible for me to send a message of consolation to the loved ones of all whose bodies lie there after they had made the supreme sacrifice. I am sure it will have been some comfort to you all to know that I have stood by his grave.
I remembered that Joe volunteered at the call of duty, when he might have kept out of it altogether, and as I turned to come away I thought of the words, "Greater love hath no man than this that a man may lay down his life for his friends." When I return home on leave I will give you more detailed information. With love to Aunt and all the family,
Yours very affectionately,
Oliver.
Some 92 years after, the graveyard is still as well tended as it was then. It lies between the towns of Albert and Amiens along a long straight road that Roman army built to help communications with the different parts of their empire. As straight as the road is, Joseph Bowen must have felt every bump and jolt along it as he was taken from the field of battle to a medical station. His must have been a painful and protracted death: one that he could never have visualised; one thankfully that his immediate family could never know about.
PONTYCYMMER RIFLEMAN KILLED IN ACTION
On Saturday last, Mrs Elizabeth Bowen, 51 Alexandra Road, Pontycymmer, received the sad official notification that her husband, Rifleman Joseph Bowen, 2nd Kings Royal Rifle Corps, was killed in action in France on 26 July. Rifleman Bowen joined the Army soon after the outbreak of war, and had seen 14 months' active service in France. Prior to enlistment he worked as a collier at the Blaengarw Colliery. He was highly respected throughout the valley, and we regret to state that he leaves a widow and three children to mourn his loss.
Glamorgan Gazette September 1st 1916
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has the following information...
Joseph Bowen died 25th July 1916, service number /5283, buried Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, Plot 5, Row B, No 23.
There is no other information.
But the book: Men Who Died In The Great War shows that he was born in Amroth, enlisted in Bridgend, resided in Pontycymmer Glamorgan, and died of wounds.
These simple details hide the agonies he must have gone through and do not tell of the misery experienced by his family afterwards, especially his wife and three small children. All over Europe, the same high price was being paid by other ordinary families. For these thousands of families, there had always been hope that their men would return.
William Bowen of Pantygog, my grandfather received the following letter from The Rev'd. Oliver Bowen BA, Cardiff (late of Pontycymmer):-
My dear Cousin,
I have at last been able to fulfil my promise to visit Joe's grave. I have passed through many trials since I came out here, but this experience is quite unique. I failed to reach the cemetery before the darkness came on, and not knowing the number of the grave I had to search for it with the aid of an electric torch, but eventually I found it.
It would be difficult to describe my emotions as I stood by his grave in the dark. Many things came into my mind as I stood there for a while. I felt I was a lonely mourner representing his family far away, and I realised in some measure the sorrow which would have been theirs had they stood at the same spot.
When I thought of his mother, and wife and children especially, my tears mingled with the sacred soil that covered his mangled body. However, other thoughts passed through my mind. I recalled him as I saw him a month or so before he received the fatal wound, and I had the feeling that the grave is not his goal. He seemed to me to have survived that death, and to be vividly near to me in spirit.
It will be a consolation to you all to know that his, and all the other graves in the cemetery, are tidily and even beautifully kept, showing the humane work of sympathetic hearts and hands. The cross stands at the head of the grave bearing his name, number and regiment, and the date of his death in the Somme battle.
He is surrounded by a goodly company of heroes from all parts of the British Empire, and I wished it were possible for me to send a message of consolation to the loved ones of all whose bodies lie there after they had made the supreme sacrifice. I am sure it will have been some comfort to you all to know that I have stood by his grave.
I remembered that Joe volunteered at the call of duty, when he might have kept out of it altogether, and as I turned to come away I thought of the words, "Greater love hath no man than this that a man may lay down his life for his friends." When I return home on leave I will give you more detailed information. With love to Aunt and all the family,
Yours very affectionately,
Oliver.
Some 92 years after, the graveyard is still as well tended as it was then. It lies between the towns of Albert and Amiens along a long straight road that Roman army built to help communications with the different parts of their empire. As straight as the road is, Joseph Bowen must have felt every bump and jolt along it as he was taken from the field of battle to a medical station. His must have been a painful and protracted death: one that he could never have visualised; one thankfully that his immediate family could never know about.
Monday 3 November 2008
How Legacies make a real difference to the Church
How Legacies make a real difference to the Church
Over the centuries, generous Church members have left gifts to their local churches in their wills. These gifts have often been transformational in helping their parish in its mission and in continuing to play its part in the unfolding Christian story of our country.
One parish received a legacy of £37,000. They used it to launch an appeal to build a new church centre to provide much-needed community facilities, and eventually raised over £650,000. Very often legacies are able to provide the initial funding that will unlock the generosity of others, both individual donors and trust funders, using matched funding etc.
Another church used a legacy to employ a children's and youth worker to work with local youngsters. Having a dedicated worker made a real difference to their ministry with young people.
Yet a third parish needed a new heating system to replace the one that blew up. It would cost £18,000 but the parish had very little in reserve. Then a legacy of £20,000 was left to them, and as well as replacing the heating system, the church path and steps were also repaired.
All these legacies have provided an ongoing opportunity to develop parish mission, as well as creating a lasting memorial for those who gave them. Your legacy could make a difference.
50% of adults could cause their loved ones unnecessary expense and problems after their death.....
Research shows that over half the UK adult population have not written a will so far.
Yet without a will that has been properly witnessed, UK law requires the Courts to decide how to distribute an estate according to a fixed legal formula. This takes time, incurs cost and almost certainly differs from what you really wanted. Many other adults have wills that are out of date, containing old addresses, or not reflecting their current family situation.
For nearly 500 years the Church of England has encouraged people to make a will. When Archbishop Thomas Cranmer wrote the first English Prayer Book in the 16th Century, he reminded parishioners to keep their wills up-to-date whilst they were still in good health, for their own peace of mind as well as to help their executors.
You are recommended to review your will regularly as things do change over time :
Out of date wills (e.g. old addresses, missing beneficiaries) can cause unnecessary complications, distress and costs for the surviving family and friends.
As family situations change your wishes may change.
The things you have to dispose of may change.
A new will can be made at any time with a solicitor, and shouldn't cost much. It may be tempting to write a will yourself, but home made wills can be dangerous, and leave your loved ones with problems. A will made with a solicitor or will writer is far more reliable.
Preparing to Make a Will
Here are 5 steps you may find helpful when considering making, or reviewing your will :
STEP 1: Decide what wishes you want represented in your will
Our checklist helps you plan a visit to a solicitor, by taking you through a range of topics including :
What you own.
How you want to leave it.
Who will carry out your will?
Guardians for children.
Charitable & Church gifts.
STEP 2: Choose a solicitor or will writer:
Decide which professional adviser you will use. Chose a solicitor or other professional and contact them to make an appointment. Many solicitors will offer a fixed price for straightforward wills. If you need help finding an adviser, the websites of both the Law Society or Society of Trust and Estate Professionals (STEP) offer lists of members or simply ask a friend.
STEP 3: Meet your solicitor:
Visit your solicitor to write the will. Take the completed Checklist with you. Your solicitor will advise how best to word your Will, although if you are leaving a gift to the church, you may want to take with you the "Glossary and Technical Wording" leaflet that we can supply to you. If your estate is large or complex, your solicitor will also advise whether you might benefit from additional tax planning consultations. Once you are happy that your will reflects your wishes, you will need to sign it in the presence of two witnesses. Most solicitors will arrange this for you.
STEP 4: Letter of Instructions :
Consider also writing a non-binding letter of wishes to accompany the will. This can cover a wider range of wishes you might like to express regarding your funeral, and also bring together information your executors may need.
STEP 5: Keeping your Will safe:
Decide where you will store your Will. You can either keep your Will at home or some solicitors may offer to hold it safely for you. Don't forget to let your family and executors know where it is.
Keeping your Will up-to-date.
Over time things change. The arrival of children or grandchildren, changes in family circumstances, moving house, and many other factors may cause you to want to change the wishes you want expressed in your will. We recommend that you make a note to review your will every five years, e.g. in years with significant birthdays ending in a 5 or 0.
Common Excuses for not making a Will
A recent market research survey of over 2000 UK adults found that 65% of respondents did not have a will. Amongst the common excuses were :
“I’m too young to think about dying”
Unfortunately tragic accidents do happen. Do you really want everything you own to be distributed according to a fixed legal formula? It is particularly important to write or amend your will if you get married or start a new civil partnership, and to appoint potential guardians when you have children.
“I don’t have anything to leave”
But you probably do own a few treasured items that you would like to be passed on to specific relatives or friends. Without a will they will be sold (probably very cheaply) and any money used to pay legal costs or distributed according to an official formula.
“I don’t have the time”
Organising a will is straightforward and only takes a few hours of your time. It will save your family and friends much more time, trouble and expense after your death. It will also provide you with an opportunity to take stock of your life and possessions, and decide on future priorities.
“It’s too expensive to make a will”
Straightforward wills cost less than £100 from expert solicitors. At times you may find solicitors running special offers with reduced rates, or where you can make a donation to charity in place of their fee. If you are elderly and on a very low income you may be able to benefit from Legal Aid. Some charities subsidise wills for certain groups of people (e.g. those over 55).
“Thinking about dying makes me uncomfortable”
The old adage says “There are only two certainties in life – death and taxes!” If we care for those we love, we need to prepare for what is bound to happen at some unknown time in the future.
“I haven’t decided how my estate should be divided yet”
Your wishes (and your family/friends’ needs) will probably evolve over time as your circumstances change. But you can easily work out an appropriate sharing of your estate if you were unexpectedly to die in the next few months.
After that, review your will say every five years or when major life events happen (eg marriage/co-habitation, birth of a child or grandchild) and make simple adjustments as necessary.
“My partner will get it all anyway”
Not necessarily! Married spouses may not get everything, especially if there are children or the estate includes a property. Partners who are not legally married (or do not have a legally registered civil partnership) may get nothing.
"Everyone knows what I want to happen"
Without a written will that has been properly witnessed, the Courts will decide how any estate is to be distributed according to a fixed legal formula that almost certainly differs from what you really want.
Suggested Wording for your Solicitors
We recommend that you seek professional advice when drawing up a will, and the suggested wording below is intended to help your solicitor or professional advisor with specific points relating to the Church.
A legacy from your estate to Saint Martin's, Barnehurst might be simply expressed in a will as:
I give x% of my residuary estate (or £x for a fixed sum) free of all taxes to the Parochial Church Council of Saint Martin’s, Barnehurst in the diocese of Rochester and its successors for its general purposes, and I declare that the receipt of an officer of the Council shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors.
Notes
1. In the days of handwritten or typewritten wills, any amendments to an existing will were done by writing a separate codicil (amendment) document. In these days of word processors, most solicitors will simply produce a new up-to-date document to sign, as this is cheaper and more secure.
2. Legacies to the church should be made payable to the Parochial Church Council (PCC) as the legally accountable body, not to the Incumbent (the Vicar) and Churchwardens.
3. If the donor would prefer the PCC to use part of their legacy for some particular purpose in the church, they are advised to write a non-binding letter to their executors setting out their wishes, and store it with the will. The PCC will then consider their request, and will normally do their best to meet it in the light of the church's circumstances after their death.
4. PCCs are normaly legally excepted from having to register with the Charity Commission, so do not have a unique charity registration number. The current exception is granted under section 3(5) of the Charities Act 1993 by the Charities (Exception from Registration and Accounts) Regulations 1996 (no 180) as amended by The Charities (Exception from Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (no 1598).
5. A solicitor may want to include phrases in a legacy to your church like "to be applied both as to capital and income"; or "for such purposes specified in the Parochial Church (Powers) Measure 1956 (Section 5) as are charitable". Solicitors may suggest other wordings of charitable legacies to suit particular personal circumstances and wishes.
7. Remember that witnesses to a will or codicil must be independent and cannot receive any benefit. So if a church is going to benefit from a legacy, the document should not be witnessed by any of the clergy or parish officers.
Over the centuries, generous Church members have left gifts to their local churches in their wills. These gifts have often been transformational in helping their parish in its mission and in continuing to play its part in the unfolding Christian story of our country.
One parish received a legacy of £37,000. They used it to launch an appeal to build a new church centre to provide much-needed community facilities, and eventually raised over £650,000. Very often legacies are able to provide the initial funding that will unlock the generosity of others, both individual donors and trust funders, using matched funding etc.
Another church used a legacy to employ a children's and youth worker to work with local youngsters. Having a dedicated worker made a real difference to their ministry with young people.
Yet a third parish needed a new heating system to replace the one that blew up. It would cost £18,000 but the parish had very little in reserve. Then a legacy of £20,000 was left to them, and as well as replacing the heating system, the church path and steps were also repaired.
All these legacies have provided an ongoing opportunity to develop parish mission, as well as creating a lasting memorial for those who gave them. Your legacy could make a difference.
50% of adults could cause their loved ones unnecessary expense and problems after their death.....
Research shows that over half the UK adult population have not written a will so far.
Yet without a will that has been properly witnessed, UK law requires the Courts to decide how to distribute an estate according to a fixed legal formula. This takes time, incurs cost and almost certainly differs from what you really wanted. Many other adults have wills that are out of date, containing old addresses, or not reflecting their current family situation.
For nearly 500 years the Church of England has encouraged people to make a will. When Archbishop Thomas Cranmer wrote the first English Prayer Book in the 16th Century, he reminded parishioners to keep their wills up-to-date whilst they were still in good health, for their own peace of mind as well as to help their executors.
You are recommended to review your will regularly as things do change over time :
Out of date wills (e.g. old addresses, missing beneficiaries) can cause unnecessary complications, distress and costs for the surviving family and friends.
As family situations change your wishes may change.
The things you have to dispose of may change.
A new will can be made at any time with a solicitor, and shouldn't cost much. It may be tempting to write a will yourself, but home made wills can be dangerous, and leave your loved ones with problems. A will made with a solicitor or will writer is far more reliable.
Preparing to Make a Will
Here are 5 steps you may find helpful when considering making, or reviewing your will :
STEP 1: Decide what wishes you want represented in your will
Our checklist helps you plan a visit to a solicitor, by taking you through a range of topics including :
What you own.
How you want to leave it.
Who will carry out your will?
Guardians for children.
Charitable & Church gifts.
STEP 2: Choose a solicitor or will writer:
Decide which professional adviser you will use. Chose a solicitor or other professional and contact them to make an appointment. Many solicitors will offer a fixed price for straightforward wills. If you need help finding an adviser, the websites of both the Law Society or Society of Trust and Estate Professionals (STEP) offer lists of members or simply ask a friend.
STEP 3: Meet your solicitor:
Visit your solicitor to write the will. Take the completed Checklist with you. Your solicitor will advise how best to word your Will, although if you are leaving a gift to the church, you may want to take with you the "Glossary and Technical Wording" leaflet that we can supply to you. If your estate is large or complex, your solicitor will also advise whether you might benefit from additional tax planning consultations. Once you are happy that your will reflects your wishes, you will need to sign it in the presence of two witnesses. Most solicitors will arrange this for you.
STEP 4: Letter of Instructions :
Consider also writing a non-binding letter of wishes to accompany the will. This can cover a wider range of wishes you might like to express regarding your funeral, and also bring together information your executors may need.
STEP 5: Keeping your Will safe:
Decide where you will store your Will. You can either keep your Will at home or some solicitors may offer to hold it safely for you. Don't forget to let your family and executors know where it is.
Keeping your Will up-to-date.
Over time things change. The arrival of children or grandchildren, changes in family circumstances, moving house, and many other factors may cause you to want to change the wishes you want expressed in your will. We recommend that you make a note to review your will every five years, e.g. in years with significant birthdays ending in a 5 or 0.
Common Excuses for not making a Will
A recent market research survey of over 2000 UK adults found that 65% of respondents did not have a will. Amongst the common excuses were :
“I’m too young to think about dying”
Unfortunately tragic accidents do happen. Do you really want everything you own to be distributed according to a fixed legal formula? It is particularly important to write or amend your will if you get married or start a new civil partnership, and to appoint potential guardians when you have children.
“I don’t have anything to leave”
But you probably do own a few treasured items that you would like to be passed on to specific relatives or friends. Without a will they will be sold (probably very cheaply) and any money used to pay legal costs or distributed according to an official formula.
“I don’t have the time”
Organising a will is straightforward and only takes a few hours of your time. It will save your family and friends much more time, trouble and expense after your death. It will also provide you with an opportunity to take stock of your life and possessions, and decide on future priorities.
“It’s too expensive to make a will”
Straightforward wills cost less than £100 from expert solicitors. At times you may find solicitors running special offers with reduced rates, or where you can make a donation to charity in place of their fee. If you are elderly and on a very low income you may be able to benefit from Legal Aid. Some charities subsidise wills for certain groups of people (e.g. those over 55).
“Thinking about dying makes me uncomfortable”
The old adage says “There are only two certainties in life – death and taxes!” If we care for those we love, we need to prepare for what is bound to happen at some unknown time in the future.
“I haven’t decided how my estate should be divided yet”
Your wishes (and your family/friends’ needs) will probably evolve over time as your circumstances change. But you can easily work out an appropriate sharing of your estate if you were unexpectedly to die in the next few months.
After that, review your will say every five years or when major life events happen (eg marriage/co-habitation, birth of a child or grandchild) and make simple adjustments as necessary.
“My partner will get it all anyway”
Not necessarily! Married spouses may not get everything, especially if there are children or the estate includes a property. Partners who are not legally married (or do not have a legally registered civil partnership) may get nothing.
"Everyone knows what I want to happen"
Without a written will that has been properly witnessed, the Courts will decide how any estate is to be distributed according to a fixed legal formula that almost certainly differs from what you really want.
Suggested Wording for your Solicitors
We recommend that you seek professional advice when drawing up a will, and the suggested wording below is intended to help your solicitor or professional advisor with specific points relating to the Church.
A legacy from your estate to Saint Martin's, Barnehurst might be simply expressed in a will as:
I give x% of my residuary estate (or £x for a fixed sum) free of all taxes to the Parochial Church Council of Saint Martin’s, Barnehurst in the diocese of Rochester and its successors for its general purposes, and I declare that the receipt of an officer of the Council shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors.
Notes
1. In the days of handwritten or typewritten wills, any amendments to an existing will were done by writing a separate codicil (amendment) document. In these days of word processors, most solicitors will simply produce a new up-to-date document to sign, as this is cheaper and more secure.
2. Legacies to the church should be made payable to the Parochial Church Council (PCC) as the legally accountable body, not to the Incumbent (the Vicar) and Churchwardens.
3. If the donor would prefer the PCC to use part of their legacy for some particular purpose in the church, they are advised to write a non-binding letter to their executors setting out their wishes, and store it with the will. The PCC will then consider their request, and will normally do their best to meet it in the light of the church's circumstances after their death.
4. PCCs are normaly legally excepted from having to register with the Charity Commission, so do not have a unique charity registration number. The current exception is granted under section 3(5) of the Charities Act 1993 by the Charities (Exception from Registration and Accounts) Regulations 1996 (no 180) as amended by The Charities (Exception from Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (no 1598).
5. A solicitor may want to include phrases in a legacy to your church like "to be applied both as to capital and income"; or "for such purposes specified in the Parochial Church (Powers) Measure 1956 (Section 5) as are charitable". Solicitors may suggest other wordings of charitable legacies to suit particular personal circumstances and wishes.
7. Remember that witnesses to a will or codicil must be independent and cannot receive any benefit. So if a church is going to benefit from a legacy, the document should not be witnessed by any of the clergy or parish officers.
Sunday 26 October 2008
Tax-Efficient Giving
PCCs like Saint Martin’s are legal charities and, as such, are exempt from income tax. The tax which has been paid on the giving of Church people can be recovered from the Inland Revenue. Church people should understand that this recovery of tax is not "stealing from the Government" but good stewardship of their resources. The government already takes 17.5% of most of our expenditure as we can’t claim VAT back as most business can.
Gift Aid - How does it work?
Gift Aid is surprisingly easy to use. Gift Aid can apply to donations of any amount, large or small, by cash, cheque, postal order, direct debit, standing order, debit or credit card or even in a foreign currency (including the Euro).
If you are a UK taxpayer, all you have to do is give the Church a simple Gift Aid declaration. This might involve completing a short form or just giving basic details to the Church over the phone.
What's more - one single Gift Aid declaration can apply to all past donations you have made (since April 2000) and to all future donations you make.
As a higher rate taxpayer looking to reclaim tax from your donation, all you have to do is remember to include details of your charitable gifts on your tax form. Also, from April 2003, higher rate taxpayers were able to reclaim tax relief from donations paid to charity both during the previous tax year and during the current tax year, that means the relief is paid that much quicker.
Donors who are liable to tax at the basic rate
If a donor wishes to make a regular net contribution of £100 to the Church, this is paid from their gross income of £128.21, on which they have to pay income tax. At a 22% basic rate of tax they pay £28.21 in tax, leaving £100 to be paid to the Church. The Church can then recover tax at the basic rate from the Inland Revenue and the gift is worth more to the Church than one that does not qualify for tax relief.
Donors who are liable to tax at the higher rate
Donors who are liable to tax at the higher rate (40%) will have paid £51.28 in tax. The Church can re-cover tax only at the basic rate but the higher rate relief can be claimed back by the donor - by entering the details on their Self Assessment tax return. A net gift of £100 to the Church then only costs the donor £76.93. The Church will hope that this reclaimed tax will be used to increase the donation at no extra cost.
Do you qualify?
Providing you pay as much tax (income and/or capital gains) as the Church will be entitled to reclaim on your donations in the same financial year, you are entitled to use Gift Aid. For example, if you wish to Gift Aid your charitable donations that total £100 in one year, you will need to have paid at least £28 in to the taxman in respect of that tax year.
Payroll Giving
Payroll Giving is a flexible scheme that enables you to make donations to the Church (or any charity) straight from your gross salary (before tax has been deducted). This means that you get immediate tax relief on the value of your donation. Therefore, for a basic rate taxpayer wanting to give a £10 donation, it will only cost £7.80, or just £6 for higher rate taxpayers.
Furthermore, many employers are encouraging the scheme by matching their employees' donations. You can give regularly in this way by authorising your employer to deduct a monthly amount, but Payroll Giving can also be applied to one-off donations.
How does it work?
Very easily. Your payments are deducted straight from your salary either as a regular monthly payment or as a once off gift. All you need to do is choose how much you want to give and to which charity or charities, tell your payroll department and they will do the rest.
If you are UK taxpayer, paid through PAYE, your company is almost certainly eligible to offer Payroll Giving (they may refer to the scheme using a specific brand name, such as Give As You Earn). Speak to your employer to clarify whether they offer a Payroll Giving scheme, and if so, your employer will be able to arrange for your payroll administrator to deduct charitable donations from your gross pay.
Payroll Giving - What if my company does not offer Payroll Giving?
If your employer, doesn't offer a Payroll Giving scheme, why don't you suggest it to them? It will be easier than they may think, and plenty of advice is available
Share Giving
Giving shares to the Church or charity is not a new idea, but since April 2000, there is a new tax incentive to make Share Giving even more attractive. Individuals who give shares to charity are entitled to claim back full tax relief against the value of those shares. So, a gift of shares worth £1,000 will only cost a higher rate taxpayer £600, or £780 for lower rate taxpayers and furthermore, no capital gains tax will apply.
There are many reasons why giving shares might appeal to you. You might hold windfall shares as a result of a privatisation or demutualisation that are effectively gathering dust, making little difference to you, but they could make a big difference to Saint Martin’s. Or, you may own small parcels of shares, perhaps as a result of an inheritance that you regard as a bit of a nuisance as they generate more paperwork than income. These could be turned into something of real value to others by donating these shares to us.
How does it work?
Tax relief is available to UK taxpayers donating shares and securities listed on the UK Stock Market, the Alternative Investment Market, and recognised stock exchanges overseas. It is also available for units in a UK unit trust, shares in a UK open-ended investment company (OEIC), and some similar foreign investments.
You can claim tax relief equal to the market value of the shares on the day you make the gift, together with any associated costs such as brokers' fees. Furthermore, capital gains tax (CGT) on any increase in the value of the shares since you bought them, will not apply.
Above all please consider moving to standing order for your regular giovingf and Gift Aid it.
If you have any questions please email me on gareth@bowen.to
Blessings,
Gareth
Gift Aid - How does it work?
Gift Aid is surprisingly easy to use. Gift Aid can apply to donations of any amount, large or small, by cash, cheque, postal order, direct debit, standing order, debit or credit card or even in a foreign currency (including the Euro).
If you are a UK taxpayer, all you have to do is give the Church a simple Gift Aid declaration. This might involve completing a short form or just giving basic details to the Church over the phone.
What's more - one single Gift Aid declaration can apply to all past donations you have made (since April 2000) and to all future donations you make.
As a higher rate taxpayer looking to reclaim tax from your donation, all you have to do is remember to include details of your charitable gifts on your tax form. Also, from April 2003, higher rate taxpayers were able to reclaim tax relief from donations paid to charity both during the previous tax year and during the current tax year, that means the relief is paid that much quicker.
Donors who are liable to tax at the basic rate
If a donor wishes to make a regular net contribution of £100 to the Church, this is paid from their gross income of £128.21, on which they have to pay income tax. At a 22% basic rate of tax they pay £28.21 in tax, leaving £100 to be paid to the Church. The Church can then recover tax at the basic rate from the Inland Revenue and the gift is worth more to the Church than one that does not qualify for tax relief.
Donors who are liable to tax at the higher rate
Donors who are liable to tax at the higher rate (40%) will have paid £51.28 in tax. The Church can re-cover tax only at the basic rate but the higher rate relief can be claimed back by the donor - by entering the details on their Self Assessment tax return. A net gift of £100 to the Church then only costs the donor £76.93. The Church will hope that this reclaimed tax will be used to increase the donation at no extra cost.
Do you qualify?
Providing you pay as much tax (income and/or capital gains) as the Church will be entitled to reclaim on your donations in the same financial year, you are entitled to use Gift Aid. For example, if you wish to Gift Aid your charitable donations that total £100 in one year, you will need to have paid at least £28 in to the taxman in respect of that tax year.
Payroll Giving
Payroll Giving is a flexible scheme that enables you to make donations to the Church (or any charity) straight from your gross salary (before tax has been deducted). This means that you get immediate tax relief on the value of your donation. Therefore, for a basic rate taxpayer wanting to give a £10 donation, it will only cost £7.80, or just £6 for higher rate taxpayers.
Furthermore, many employers are encouraging the scheme by matching their employees' donations. You can give regularly in this way by authorising your employer to deduct a monthly amount, but Payroll Giving can also be applied to one-off donations.
How does it work?
Very easily. Your payments are deducted straight from your salary either as a regular monthly payment or as a once off gift. All you need to do is choose how much you want to give and to which charity or charities, tell your payroll department and they will do the rest.
If you are UK taxpayer, paid through PAYE, your company is almost certainly eligible to offer Payroll Giving (they may refer to the scheme using a specific brand name, such as Give As You Earn). Speak to your employer to clarify whether they offer a Payroll Giving scheme, and if so, your employer will be able to arrange for your payroll administrator to deduct charitable donations from your gross pay.
Payroll Giving - What if my company does not offer Payroll Giving?
If your employer, doesn't offer a Payroll Giving scheme, why don't you suggest it to them? It will be easier than they may think, and plenty of advice is available
Share Giving
Giving shares to the Church or charity is not a new idea, but since April 2000, there is a new tax incentive to make Share Giving even more attractive. Individuals who give shares to charity are entitled to claim back full tax relief against the value of those shares. So, a gift of shares worth £1,000 will only cost a higher rate taxpayer £600, or £780 for lower rate taxpayers and furthermore, no capital gains tax will apply.
There are many reasons why giving shares might appeal to you. You might hold windfall shares as a result of a privatisation or demutualisation that are effectively gathering dust, making little difference to you, but they could make a big difference to Saint Martin’s. Or, you may own small parcels of shares, perhaps as a result of an inheritance that you regard as a bit of a nuisance as they generate more paperwork than income. These could be turned into something of real value to others by donating these shares to us.
How does it work?
Tax relief is available to UK taxpayers donating shares and securities listed on the UK Stock Market, the Alternative Investment Market, and recognised stock exchanges overseas. It is also available for units in a UK unit trust, shares in a UK open-ended investment company (OEIC), and some similar foreign investments.
You can claim tax relief equal to the market value of the shares on the day you make the gift, together with any associated costs such as brokers' fees. Furthermore, capital gains tax (CGT) on any increase in the value of the shares since you bought them, will not apply.
Above all please consider moving to standing order for your regular giovingf and Gift Aid it.
If you have any questions please email me on gareth@bowen.to
Blessings,
Gareth
Sunday 19 October 2008
Giving and Christian Stewardship
Those of us who have struggled with our weight know well that it is not simply a case of going on a diet for the odd week or two, but of re-educating ourselves in our eating habits that will really transform our situation and bring about a permanent improvement in our health.
A similar programme of re-education needs to be undertaken with regard to Christian Stewardship. Too many still regard it as a means of extricating a parish from its financial problems, as a "crash diet" for a week or two, and not as a way of life in response to God, a steady programme of growth in Christian discipleship.
Christian Stewardship is a response to God
The Christian understanding of Stewardship is derived from our understanding of the nature of the generosity of God.
God the Creator
Because God is the Creator and has given men and women a special place in his purposes on earth and dominion over all other living creatures, men and women are called:
- to worship God and to give thanks for his goodness
- to use the natural world and other living creatures in the service of God and all people and not for self-interest and exploitation.
God the Saviour
Because God has made himself known most fully in Jesus Christ, and has acted uniquely and decisively in him to save the world and to give forgiveness, grace and eternal life, men and women are called:
- to put their trust in God and live in companionship with Jesus Christ
- to follow Jesus in showing love to others; to use their minds, bodies and possessions to glorify God, and to give practical help to people in need.
God the Holy Spirit
Because God has formed the Church, entrusted the Church with the Gospel and given gifts to men and women through the Holy Spirit:
- the Church is called to make Jesus Christ and the Gospel known.
- individual Christians are called to use their gifts in his service.
A response in active giving
To describe our response and love we use the words "Christian Stewardship". We do so because the word "steward" is used in the Bible to express the concept of responsibility for the use of material possessions and spiritual powers.
Christian Stewardship may therefore be defined as the response which we the Church, collectively and individually, are called to make to God for all that he has given us and done for us, above all in Jesus Christ.
Our response in Christian Stewardship is therefore active:
as we respond to God in praise and thanksgiving
as we look on the universe as God's creation
as we treat the earth and its resources as God's provision for the needs of all mankind
as we seek to consecrate our personal wealth to God
as we regard our lives, our powers and possessions, our money and material wealth as gifts from God to be enjoyed and used in his service
as we seek to be "Stewards of the Gospel" and to share in Christ's mission to the world
Unless our money gift has cost us something, it is not really a thanksgiving but more like a tip. And one of the tensions in our discipleship lies in whether we live our life and give to God the odd crumb, or whether we give to God first, and then manage the rest. If the Christian disciple does the first, he will never be satisfied: If he does the second, he will always have enough.
A similar programme of re-education needs to be undertaken with regard to Christian Stewardship. Too many still regard it as a means of extricating a parish from its financial problems, as a "crash diet" for a week or two, and not as a way of life in response to God, a steady programme of growth in Christian discipleship.
Christian Stewardship is a response to God
The Christian understanding of Stewardship is derived from our understanding of the nature of the generosity of God.
God the Creator
Because God is the Creator and has given men and women a special place in his purposes on earth and dominion over all other living creatures, men and women are called:
- to worship God and to give thanks for his goodness
- to use the natural world and other living creatures in the service of God and all people and not for self-interest and exploitation.
God the Saviour
Because God has made himself known most fully in Jesus Christ, and has acted uniquely and decisively in him to save the world and to give forgiveness, grace and eternal life, men and women are called:
- to put their trust in God and live in companionship with Jesus Christ
- to follow Jesus in showing love to others; to use their minds, bodies and possessions to glorify God, and to give practical help to people in need.
God the Holy Spirit
Because God has formed the Church, entrusted the Church with the Gospel and given gifts to men and women through the Holy Spirit:
- the Church is called to make Jesus Christ and the Gospel known.
- individual Christians are called to use their gifts in his service.
A response in active giving
To describe our response and love we use the words "Christian Stewardship". We do so because the word "steward" is used in the Bible to express the concept of responsibility for the use of material possessions and spiritual powers.
Christian Stewardship may therefore be defined as the response which we the Church, collectively and individually, are called to make to God for all that he has given us and done for us, above all in Jesus Christ.
Our response in Christian Stewardship is therefore active:
as we respond to God in praise and thanksgiving
as we look on the universe as God's creation
as we treat the earth and its resources as God's provision for the needs of all mankind
as we seek to consecrate our personal wealth to God
as we regard our lives, our powers and possessions, our money and material wealth as gifts from God to be enjoyed and used in his service
as we seek to be "Stewards of the Gospel" and to share in Christ's mission to the world
Unless our money gift has cost us something, it is not really a thanksgiving but more like a tip. And one of the tensions in our discipleship lies in whether we live our life and give to God the odd crumb, or whether we give to God first, and then manage the rest. If the Christian disciple does the first, he will never be satisfied: If he does the second, he will always have enough.
Tuesday 30 September 2008
Forgive us our sins… as we forgive those who sin against us?
I was once told about an elderly lady who had been a churchgoer all her life, but who hadn't spoken to her only sister for the last 40 years. I can't remember what had happened between the two of them only that this lady entirely blamed her sister for the trouble and forty years later, was still waiting for her sister to apologise. The two of them never met again, and both died with their differences unreconciled.
It seems such a sad loss of the love and companionship which family members can bring, yet it's a very common story. There are many families where one member of the family is not talking to another member, or where the entire family is at loggerheads. And that's just in families. In the wider world, neighbours or friends fall out (often over something trivial) and never make it up, because each blames the other and neither will make the first move.
And of course it's well known that in churches people who take offence very often simply walk out and never attend that church again. For some people that's a pattern in their lives. They attend a church, they're offended and they leave, so they attend a different church and in due course the same thing happens all over again - and again and again.
Forgiveness isn't easy either to give or to receive, even over the most trivial offence. It's much easier to deny all culpability and to walk away in high dudgeon than it is to face the problem. It requires considerable humility to be able to even begin to see that both parties might be partially responsible, let alone to apologise. And it requires considerable sensitivity to begin to understand what it might feel like from the other person's point of view.
"How many times should I forgive my brother?" asked Peter. "Seven times?" "No," said Jesus. "Not seven times, but seventy times seven."
That's a tall order. Real forgiveness is a gift from God and it doesn't come easy. Insults and injuries and offences damage pride, and only those who are able to face the pain of wounded pride are really able to forgive. And only those who dare to begin to approach those dark, hidden corners of their inner being, are able to face the pain of wounded pride.
It's a difficult business, forgiveness. It's much easier to totally blame somebody else for all problems than it is to accept that I myself might bear some responsibility. And taking that first step of approaching the other party, whether I'm the offender or offended against, is very difficult indeed.
Sometimes people are precipitated into forgiveness, but that usually takes a major, earth-shattering event, like a sudden death or a life-threatening illness. That sort of event changes priorities, and wounded pride is suddenly seen for what it really is.
Yet forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian faith, and without it Christianity is just a hollow sham. "Forgive us our sins," we say to God, "as we forgive those who sin against us." Forgive us Lord, in the same measure that we forgive other people.
Forgiveness over trivial offences which haven't caused much hurt, is difficult enough. But is it even possible to forgive a really serious offence? And should we really go on and on forgiving those who commit serious sins against us?
Forgiveness may be possible and desirable when the injury is slight, but can it be either possible or desirable when the injury is unspeakably brutal, is evil and is, for instance, against a child?
Jesus placed no limits on forgiveness. He repeated again and again that forgiveness is always essential for those who wish to remain close to God.
The problem with lack of forgiveness is that it causes a hard, intractable knot inside the inner being of the person who is unable to forgive, a knot that even God cannot penetrate.
But that hard knot doesn't remain static. Like a malignancy, it slowly grows and spreads and poisons the soul, so that God is squeezed out and the coldness and the hardness and the evil take over. The effect of lack of forgiveness on a whole nation can be seen very clearly in Northern Ireland or in the former Yugoslavia.
The treatment for lack of forgiveness is simple, but never easy. Like lancing a deep-rooted boil without anaesthetic, it's very painful. It can mean suffering the depths of humiliation, because at the very least it means swallowing pride.
And it seems to me that forgiveness for serious offences lies solely in God's hands. Most mere mortals would probably be incapable of forgiving, for example, a child molester or a murderer. But inasmuch as we are unable to forgive, so to that extent we are cut off from God and are slowly poisoned by insidious evil within ourselves.
Perhaps the way forward is to ask God for the gift of forgiveness, then to try to open up all parts of our inner being to God. It will undoubtedly be a painful process and probably a long process, but the one who eventually is able to forgive will be the winner.
Forgiveness is tied up with understanding. Once I begin to understand the reasons for another's actions, I can begin to forgive them for those actions. God understands everything about all of us. He knows what's happened to us in the past. He knows why we act the way we do, and therefore he can and does fully and completely forgive us, whatever the sin.
If I fail to forgive, it has an effect on the other person, but nothing like the effect it has on me. If I really want inner, spiritual health and an increasing ability to love, then I must learn to forgive in all circumstances, seventy times seven.
It seems such a sad loss of the love and companionship which family members can bring, yet it's a very common story. There are many families where one member of the family is not talking to another member, or where the entire family is at loggerheads. And that's just in families. In the wider world, neighbours or friends fall out (often over something trivial) and never make it up, because each blames the other and neither will make the first move.
And of course it's well known that in churches people who take offence very often simply walk out and never attend that church again. For some people that's a pattern in their lives. They attend a church, they're offended and they leave, so they attend a different church and in due course the same thing happens all over again - and again and again.
Forgiveness isn't easy either to give or to receive, even over the most trivial offence. It's much easier to deny all culpability and to walk away in high dudgeon than it is to face the problem. It requires considerable humility to be able to even begin to see that both parties might be partially responsible, let alone to apologise. And it requires considerable sensitivity to begin to understand what it might feel like from the other person's point of view.
"How many times should I forgive my brother?" asked Peter. "Seven times?" "No," said Jesus. "Not seven times, but seventy times seven."
That's a tall order. Real forgiveness is a gift from God and it doesn't come easy. Insults and injuries and offences damage pride, and only those who are able to face the pain of wounded pride are really able to forgive. And only those who dare to begin to approach those dark, hidden corners of their inner being, are able to face the pain of wounded pride.
It's a difficult business, forgiveness. It's much easier to totally blame somebody else for all problems than it is to accept that I myself might bear some responsibility. And taking that first step of approaching the other party, whether I'm the offender or offended against, is very difficult indeed.
Sometimes people are precipitated into forgiveness, but that usually takes a major, earth-shattering event, like a sudden death or a life-threatening illness. That sort of event changes priorities, and wounded pride is suddenly seen for what it really is.
Yet forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian faith, and without it Christianity is just a hollow sham. "Forgive us our sins," we say to God, "as we forgive those who sin against us." Forgive us Lord, in the same measure that we forgive other people.
Forgiveness over trivial offences which haven't caused much hurt, is difficult enough. But is it even possible to forgive a really serious offence? And should we really go on and on forgiving those who commit serious sins against us?
Forgiveness may be possible and desirable when the injury is slight, but can it be either possible or desirable when the injury is unspeakably brutal, is evil and is, for instance, against a child?
Jesus placed no limits on forgiveness. He repeated again and again that forgiveness is always essential for those who wish to remain close to God.
The problem with lack of forgiveness is that it causes a hard, intractable knot inside the inner being of the person who is unable to forgive, a knot that even God cannot penetrate.
But that hard knot doesn't remain static. Like a malignancy, it slowly grows and spreads and poisons the soul, so that God is squeezed out and the coldness and the hardness and the evil take over. The effect of lack of forgiveness on a whole nation can be seen very clearly in Northern Ireland or in the former Yugoslavia.
The treatment for lack of forgiveness is simple, but never easy. Like lancing a deep-rooted boil without anaesthetic, it's very painful. It can mean suffering the depths of humiliation, because at the very least it means swallowing pride.
And it seems to me that forgiveness for serious offences lies solely in God's hands. Most mere mortals would probably be incapable of forgiving, for example, a child molester or a murderer. But inasmuch as we are unable to forgive, so to that extent we are cut off from God and are slowly poisoned by insidious evil within ourselves.
Perhaps the way forward is to ask God for the gift of forgiveness, then to try to open up all parts of our inner being to God. It will undoubtedly be a painful process and probably a long process, but the one who eventually is able to forgive will be the winner.
Forgiveness is tied up with understanding. Once I begin to understand the reasons for another's actions, I can begin to forgive them for those actions. God understands everything about all of us. He knows what's happened to us in the past. He knows why we act the way we do, and therefore he can and does fully and completely forgive us, whatever the sin.
If I fail to forgive, it has an effect on the other person, but nothing like the effect it has on me. If I really want inner, spiritual health and an increasing ability to love, then I must learn to forgive in all circumstances, seventy times seven.
Sunday 21 September 2008
God so loved the world that God gave … Give us today our daily bread.
Matthew 20:1-16
The scene in Matthew is becoming more and more familiar. People are waiting for work, waiting to be hired, waiting to earn a day’s wage – which in those days was just enough to feed one’s family. The issue then is one of daily bread. Just like manna in the Exodus narrative. Just as in the prayer Jesus gives us when we ask him how we should pray.
To be hired late in the day and get less than a day’s wages means belt-tightening for the entire family. Not to mention what it does to one’s sense of self-worth to be overlooked or passed by when the hiring is being done. To not be chosen to work creates anxiety.
The lesson here is one of extraordinary generosity. Everyone got a day’s wage. Everyone could go home and feed his or her family. Just as it was with manna, everyone got enough, no one got too much and nothing was left over. “Give us this day our daily bread.”
We say this every time we say the Lord’s Prayer. Does it ever occur to us just what it is we are praying and saying? How many of us have experienced living one day to the next?
Jesus is somehow trying to engineer a return to the wilderness sojourn – a return to manna season – a return to utter and radical dependence on God and God’s daily provisions. God makes it clear to Moses that you cannot gather the stuff up and save it for a rainy day. It goes sour on you. It spoils. It starts crawling with worms and moths. Take it one day at a time and all will be well.
So with Jesus, everyone is given a day’s provision, those who worked all day and those who worked just a few hours. Like any household with children, the cries of those hired early in the day are oh-so-familiar. “It isn’t fair!” they whine. “We were there first. We deserve more because we did more.” And we glibly reply, “Life isn’t fair.”
Or is it? What Jesus seems to be getting at is that what is fair and what is just is established by God, not by our standards of merit, qualifications, and grounds for staking a claim. What is being discussed, as usual, is God’s kingdom – life lived under the reign of God, a God who is generous to a fault, a God whose generosity offends us and baffles us.
Again, consider what it feels like to be hired late in the day with the anxiety of going home empty handed intensifying as each hour passes by. Is even labouring through the heat of the day any worse than having one’s hope of a meal for the family fade away as the sun begins to set in the western sky?
Even apart from the need for daily bread, work is an integral part of creation, and those denied the opportunity, whether for disability, age, or any other cause, must feel a deeper sense of despair and a keen lack of purpose and meaning in life. Work can be stressful, monotonous, and difficult, but to be out of work can be even worse.
I think of all the people who leave home each day, briefcase or tool box in hand, pretending to go to work long after they have been laid off. They cannot face telling their families that they no longer have a job. We are tempted to say, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
The temptation is always to assume God serves our sense of what is fair, our sense of “justice.” The temptation is always to believe that somehow those who come to the vineyard first and early are more deserving and have stake to a higher claim on God’s generosity, love, and forgiveness. The temptation is to believe that we can really earn the right to more than bread that is given daily. An even worse temptation is to think that it is always too late to accept the Master’s invitation to work in God’s vineyard.
The good news is that God’s grace is so great and so surprising that it can provide enough no matter how late in the day it is – on the deathbed, in the jail cell, after repeated failures – because the recipient need not add anything to the grace, but simply receive it in order for it to do its life-sustaining work. Even as the sun sets on this life, it is not too late to accept God’s Amazing Grace.
And it is never too soon for the rest of us to begin to consider that heaven’s “enough,” heaven’s daily bread, and heaven’s daily wages make all earthly comparisons look meaningless and silly.
Jesus’ assurance that the last shall be first and the first shall be last is tied to manna season, and settling for bread and wages that are given daily. We are called to be those people who pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and really make an effort to live that out. To live life in God’s kingdom is a journey to return to manna season.
Jesus seems to be announcing a great reversal of places in the kingdom. The New Testament calls this “turning the world upside down.” People outside the church in the first centuries called Christians “those people who are turning the world upside down.”
The scene in Matthew is becoming more and more familiar. People are waiting for work, waiting to be hired, waiting to earn a day’s wage – which in those days was just enough to feed one’s family. The issue then is one of daily bread. Just like manna in the Exodus narrative. Just as in the prayer Jesus gives us when we ask him how we should pray.
To be hired late in the day and get less than a day’s wages means belt-tightening for the entire family. Not to mention what it does to one’s sense of self-worth to be overlooked or passed by when the hiring is being done. To not be chosen to work creates anxiety.
The lesson here is one of extraordinary generosity. Everyone got a day’s wage. Everyone could go home and feed his or her family. Just as it was with manna, everyone got enough, no one got too much and nothing was left over. “Give us this day our daily bread.”
We say this every time we say the Lord’s Prayer. Does it ever occur to us just what it is we are praying and saying? How many of us have experienced living one day to the next?
Jesus is somehow trying to engineer a return to the wilderness sojourn – a return to manna season – a return to utter and radical dependence on God and God’s daily provisions. God makes it clear to Moses that you cannot gather the stuff up and save it for a rainy day. It goes sour on you. It spoils. It starts crawling with worms and moths. Take it one day at a time and all will be well.
So with Jesus, everyone is given a day’s provision, those who worked all day and those who worked just a few hours. Like any household with children, the cries of those hired early in the day are oh-so-familiar. “It isn’t fair!” they whine. “We were there first. We deserve more because we did more.” And we glibly reply, “Life isn’t fair.”
Or is it? What Jesus seems to be getting at is that what is fair and what is just is established by God, not by our standards of merit, qualifications, and grounds for staking a claim. What is being discussed, as usual, is God’s kingdom – life lived under the reign of God, a God who is generous to a fault, a God whose generosity offends us and baffles us.
Again, consider what it feels like to be hired late in the day with the anxiety of going home empty handed intensifying as each hour passes by. Is even labouring through the heat of the day any worse than having one’s hope of a meal for the family fade away as the sun begins to set in the western sky?
Even apart from the need for daily bread, work is an integral part of creation, and those denied the opportunity, whether for disability, age, or any other cause, must feel a deeper sense of despair and a keen lack of purpose and meaning in life. Work can be stressful, monotonous, and difficult, but to be out of work can be even worse.
I think of all the people who leave home each day, briefcase or tool box in hand, pretending to go to work long after they have been laid off. They cannot face telling their families that they no longer have a job. We are tempted to say, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
The temptation is always to assume God serves our sense of what is fair, our sense of “justice.” The temptation is always to believe that somehow those who come to the vineyard first and early are more deserving and have stake to a higher claim on God’s generosity, love, and forgiveness. The temptation is to believe that we can really earn the right to more than bread that is given daily. An even worse temptation is to think that it is always too late to accept the Master’s invitation to work in God’s vineyard.
The good news is that God’s grace is so great and so surprising that it can provide enough no matter how late in the day it is – on the deathbed, in the jail cell, after repeated failures – because the recipient need not add anything to the grace, but simply receive it in order for it to do its life-sustaining work. Even as the sun sets on this life, it is not too late to accept God’s Amazing Grace.
And it is never too soon for the rest of us to begin to consider that heaven’s “enough,” heaven’s daily bread, and heaven’s daily wages make all earthly comparisons look meaningless and silly.
Jesus’ assurance that the last shall be first and the first shall be last is tied to manna season, and settling for bread and wages that are given daily. We are called to be those people who pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and really make an effort to live that out. To live life in God’s kingdom is a journey to return to manna season.
Jesus seems to be announcing a great reversal of places in the kingdom. The New Testament calls this “turning the world upside down.” People outside the church in the first centuries called Christians “those people who are turning the world upside down.”
So if 10 is Bill Gates or the Sultan of Brunei, and 1 is the poorest of the poor, it has been suggested that those who are really clever will live around number 5. That way, when it all turns upside down, they will feel the least amount of disruption in their lives.
Manna season: when everyone has enough, no one has too much. If you store it up, it sours on you. The world lived at number 5.
Sounds easy! But on a global and even national scale, most of us are living conservatively at number 9. Looked at from this perspective, the journey to number 5 looks like a long, long journey. But, says Jesus, it is the journey to life lived in its fullest!
One suspects this journey begins with being as generous to others as God is with us. After all, there must be some reason that God has created us in God’s own image. And as John 3:16 states, “God so loved the world that God gave … .”
God loves and God gives. We are created in God’s image. We are created to love and to give. And to be as surprisingly generous with others as God is with us.
Monday 1 September 2008
Take Up Your Cross
August 31, 2008
Matthew 16:21-28
Last Sunday’s gospel was really fun. Fun because Jesus affirmed them and even told Peter he was a rock on which he would build the church. Fun for us, because we can hear that story and also feel affirmed as part of that church that exists as the very body of Christ.
Today, though, it’s not so fun. Today we hear Jesus telling Peter and the disciples the sacrificial cost of what he must do to carry out God’s will for all people – and the sacrificial cost of what they must do as the body of Christ.
Jesus said, “You are right in saying I am the Messiah, but since I am, I must go up to Jerusalem where I will suffer much and be rejected by the religious leaders. There I will be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Typically, Peter took the initiative again, speaking for the disciples: “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.”
In a sense Peter is saying, “We will protect you. We will see that you are accepted and not rejected. We will never let you die.” Peter did not want for his leader to experience pain, unpleasantness, suffering, rejection, death. This did not fit the disciples’ idea of what it meant for their leader to be the Messiah.
Hearing this, Jesus became so angry that he took Peter to task and said to him, “Get behind me Satan!” Frustrated, Jesus was saying, “Peter, once more you do not understand what is going on. You are the one I am most counting on to provide leadership when I am gone. I need for you, above all, to understand, and you still don't know what God truly intends for his Christ and for you.”
Though Peter replied, “Oh, no, Lord, not you,” perhaps he was also saying, “Oh, no, Lord, not me!” It is easy for us to imagine that Peter knew that Jesus’ rebuke meant the same thing for himself and that he did not want to experience pain, unpleasantness, rejection, suffering, death.
We can imagine that it was natural for Peter to feel this way because we also tend to say “Oh, no, Lord, not me!” We do not want to experience pain, unpleasantness, rejection, suffering, death.
Wouldn’t we rather forget what Jesus had to go through? Wouldn’t we rather remember Christmas and Easter and forget Ash Wednesday and Good Friday? Wouldn’t we rather focus only on the pleasant side of the story?
With God, though, it had to be the other way. For through his life, suffering, death on the cross, and resurrection, Jesus saves us by showing us the way to a life of God’s forgiveness, love, and grace – given with no conditions, no strings attached. God provides for us the chance to live a life with a full range of the possibilities potentially present in everyone.
Jesus saves us by his death, by overcoming once and for all the power of sin. Sin no longer can have a death grip over us because Christ makes it clear that God will forgive the sin that we confess and from which we repent in the sincere desire to renew our lives. And because Christ makes us realize that we are the most precious in creation – even worth dying for.
Christ’s death and resurrection give us the hope and purpose to go on in life despite the difficulties or tragedies that may befall us. Jesus laid this out to Peter in telling him, “Let me do what I must do.” He did this by calling all his followers together to tell them once more in the clearest possible terms what was at stake for the world and what he was calling them to do. To truly follow him, they had to follow him all the way to Jerusalem. They had to deny themselves and take up their crosses and follow him.
This is Christ’s call to us, as well. To deny ourselves is to put aside thoughts of our own needs, forgetting ourselves, so that we may remember and care for others. Taking up our crosses is to be ready to endure the worst that may happen to us for being true to God and the values of God.
The Good News of today’s gospel is that being a Christian is not always easy, but it is always life-giving and meaningful. The Good News of today’s gospel is that we have the resources to give up or take on whatever we must for the sake of God. We can make the necessary sacrifices – the offering and giving of ourselves so that God’s work may be done.
The Good News of today’s gospel is that we have the resources to take up our own crosses. We can give ourselves away, not hording our resources, knowing that God gave us life not to keep it but to spend for the sake of God and God’s children. We can take up our crosses to follow Jesus by giving our time, our talents, and our treasure for God’s uses.
The Good News of today’s gospel is being truly faithful to travelling our own hills of Calvary, following Jesus’ steps, doing our utmost to live in his example, striving everyday to do what he would do in our particular situation.
The Good News of today’s gospel is also what Jesus tells us about the result of all this. He asks us to consider the reality that “those who want to save their life will lose it.” What profit is there in having worldly riches but lose spiritual life? But he adds, “Those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”
It does not get much plainer than that.
We may sacrifice honour and honesty for profit and self. We may sacrifice principle and Christian values for popularity. We may sacrifice the values of God for the riches of the world. We may do all these things, but today Jesus makes us consider what such behaviour will ultimately gain us. His assurance and his example make it clear that all it gains us in the end is a self-imposed exile from the greatest possible thing in life: God himself and God’s realm.
Unless we sacrifice ourselves to advance God’s purposes. Unless we seek to be one with Christ. Unless we first deny our selfishness and pick up the particular crosses God calls us to bear. Unless we follow Jesus on his journey, surrounded by God. Unless we join the faithful members of the body of Christ in heeding the Good News that is today’s gospel.
Matthew 16:21-28
Last Sunday’s gospel was really fun. Fun because Jesus affirmed them and even told Peter he was a rock on which he would build the church. Fun for us, because we can hear that story and also feel affirmed as part of that church that exists as the very body of Christ.
Today, though, it’s not so fun. Today we hear Jesus telling Peter and the disciples the sacrificial cost of what he must do to carry out God’s will for all people – and the sacrificial cost of what they must do as the body of Christ.
Jesus said, “You are right in saying I am the Messiah, but since I am, I must go up to Jerusalem where I will suffer much and be rejected by the religious leaders. There I will be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Typically, Peter took the initiative again, speaking for the disciples: “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.”
In a sense Peter is saying, “We will protect you. We will see that you are accepted and not rejected. We will never let you die.” Peter did not want for his leader to experience pain, unpleasantness, suffering, rejection, death. This did not fit the disciples’ idea of what it meant for their leader to be the Messiah.
Hearing this, Jesus became so angry that he took Peter to task and said to him, “Get behind me Satan!” Frustrated, Jesus was saying, “Peter, once more you do not understand what is going on. You are the one I am most counting on to provide leadership when I am gone. I need for you, above all, to understand, and you still don't know what God truly intends for his Christ and for you.”
Though Peter replied, “Oh, no, Lord, not you,” perhaps he was also saying, “Oh, no, Lord, not me!” It is easy for us to imagine that Peter knew that Jesus’ rebuke meant the same thing for himself and that he did not want to experience pain, unpleasantness, rejection, suffering, death.
We can imagine that it was natural for Peter to feel this way because we also tend to say “Oh, no, Lord, not me!” We do not want to experience pain, unpleasantness, rejection, suffering, death.
Wouldn’t we rather forget what Jesus had to go through? Wouldn’t we rather remember Christmas and Easter and forget Ash Wednesday and Good Friday? Wouldn’t we rather focus only on the pleasant side of the story?
With God, though, it had to be the other way. For through his life, suffering, death on the cross, and resurrection, Jesus saves us by showing us the way to a life of God’s forgiveness, love, and grace – given with no conditions, no strings attached. God provides for us the chance to live a life with a full range of the possibilities potentially present in everyone.
Jesus saves us by his death, by overcoming once and for all the power of sin. Sin no longer can have a death grip over us because Christ makes it clear that God will forgive the sin that we confess and from which we repent in the sincere desire to renew our lives. And because Christ makes us realize that we are the most precious in creation – even worth dying for.
Christ’s death and resurrection give us the hope and purpose to go on in life despite the difficulties or tragedies that may befall us. Jesus laid this out to Peter in telling him, “Let me do what I must do.” He did this by calling all his followers together to tell them once more in the clearest possible terms what was at stake for the world and what he was calling them to do. To truly follow him, they had to follow him all the way to Jerusalem. They had to deny themselves and take up their crosses and follow him.
This is Christ’s call to us, as well. To deny ourselves is to put aside thoughts of our own needs, forgetting ourselves, so that we may remember and care for others. Taking up our crosses is to be ready to endure the worst that may happen to us for being true to God and the values of God.
The Good News of today’s gospel is that being a Christian is not always easy, but it is always life-giving and meaningful. The Good News of today’s gospel is that we have the resources to give up or take on whatever we must for the sake of God. We can make the necessary sacrifices – the offering and giving of ourselves so that God’s work may be done.
The Good News of today’s gospel is that we have the resources to take up our own crosses. We can give ourselves away, not hording our resources, knowing that God gave us life not to keep it but to spend for the sake of God and God’s children. We can take up our crosses to follow Jesus by giving our time, our talents, and our treasure for God’s uses.
The Good News of today’s gospel is being truly faithful to travelling our own hills of Calvary, following Jesus’ steps, doing our utmost to live in his example, striving everyday to do what he would do in our particular situation.
The Good News of today’s gospel is also what Jesus tells us about the result of all this. He asks us to consider the reality that “those who want to save their life will lose it.” What profit is there in having worldly riches but lose spiritual life? But he adds, “Those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”
It does not get much plainer than that.
We may sacrifice honour and honesty for profit and self. We may sacrifice principle and Christian values for popularity. We may sacrifice the values of God for the riches of the world. We may do all these things, but today Jesus makes us consider what such behaviour will ultimately gain us. His assurance and his example make it clear that all it gains us in the end is a self-imposed exile from the greatest possible thing in life: God himself and God’s realm.
Unless we sacrifice ourselves to advance God’s purposes. Unless we seek to be one with Christ. Unless we first deny our selfishness and pick up the particular crosses God calls us to bear. Unless we follow Jesus on his journey, surrounded by God. Unless we join the faithful members of the body of Christ in heeding the Good News that is today’s gospel.
Sunday 20 July 2008
Who are you?
Who are you? Who are your people? Who are your family? Where are you from?
These are questions we’re asked in many different ways every day.
We ask this type of question in so many different ways of just about everyone we meet, that it’s become habit. We assume the person we’re talking to has a family, a place to belong, to talk about, and we’re often taken aback or don’t know how to respond if a person says, “I don’t know, I was brought up in foster homes,” or “My family doesn’t care about me anymore, I’ve just got out of a mental health unit.”
If we’re caring people, we feel for people who find themselves adrift and alone for whatever reason, because that sense of belonging is so important to us as human beings.
You remember the old song, “People, people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world.” But if we’re honest, hasn’t each one of us has had a time in our lives when we felt completely alone – cut off even from family and friends? I know I have… in hospital.
What happens to us when all we see or feel is darkness? What happens to our sense of self if we feel that the darkness is our fault? What happens when it is our own fault – a bad decision, deliberate selfishness? There’s no one there to reach out to.
Have you ever felt that way? It’s really hard. What do we do? Some despair, others stay wrapped in anger, others hang in with hope. How do we choose?
Lots of questions. These questions may be overwhelming or they may be questions we’ve never really thought about, but the mere asking makes us think about some of our more difficult days.
Are they unanswerable questions? Not at all, because all of our readings today give us a reason to hope. All of our readings today give us ways to have relationships with others, even when we’re not family.
Being part of a family is what each reading today is all about: God’s family. Saint Paul gives a wonderful definition of how we belong to God’s family.
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
There we have it! None of us ever need to fear being completely alone even if we don’t have an earthly family. We all are part of God’s family. We can cry “Abba!” We can be absolutely sure that, as the spirit of God is within every single one of us, we are brothers and sisters of Christ and heirs of God’s glory. Paul also reminds us that this family connection doesn’t break down when we suffer. Christ suffered – we suffer, but we are not left alone as he was not left alone.
When people get ill or we see that people’s suffering is not of their own doing, we often hear things said like, “God never gives you more than you can take” or “This suffering will make you a stronger person.”
But think about how some people react to suffering they think is brought on by a person’s bad choices. A homeless person asks for some change, a young man who’s just got out of jail can’t find a job – that’s their problem, isn’t it? We often hear some say, “It’s their own fault,” or “They’re lazy,” or “My taxes have been supporting him in jail, he doesn’t deserve any help.”
It’s hard to imagine a loving God living in us, calling us children, and yet deliberately giving us something to suffer in order to test us or make us stronger, and if we’re honest about it, the homeless and poor and those who have made bad choices are still children of God, our brothers and sisters, and we must be willing to love them and reach out as we’re able.
What Paul shares with us is that God is with every one of us through whatever happens in our human lives, whether we acknowledge God’s presence or not. God is present no matter what and waits for us to say yes to that presence. God is a very patient and loving God.
Now we might be thinking that this all sounds too easy, that we don’t have to worry about anything but knowing God’s spirit is within us and we’re all set. Of course, we know better.
Hard or easy, whatever our gift, whatever our own suffering may be, we can be sure we’re never alone. God’s promise is all through both the Old and New Testament.
God promises to be with us and keep us. God promises to stay with us until we are with God in eternity.
We are all very fortunate because when someone asks us about our family, we can all say, “My family is all God’s people and we have God’s promise that we will never be alone.”
Amen.
These are questions we’re asked in many different ways every day.
We ask this type of question in so many different ways of just about everyone we meet, that it’s become habit. We assume the person we’re talking to has a family, a place to belong, to talk about, and we’re often taken aback or don’t know how to respond if a person says, “I don’t know, I was brought up in foster homes,” or “My family doesn’t care about me anymore, I’ve just got out of a mental health unit.”
If we’re caring people, we feel for people who find themselves adrift and alone for whatever reason, because that sense of belonging is so important to us as human beings.
You remember the old song, “People, people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world.” But if we’re honest, hasn’t each one of us has had a time in our lives when we felt completely alone – cut off even from family and friends? I know I have… in hospital.
What happens to us when all we see or feel is darkness? What happens to our sense of self if we feel that the darkness is our fault? What happens when it is our own fault – a bad decision, deliberate selfishness? There’s no one there to reach out to.
Have you ever felt that way? It’s really hard. What do we do? Some despair, others stay wrapped in anger, others hang in with hope. How do we choose?
Lots of questions. These questions may be overwhelming or they may be questions we’ve never really thought about, but the mere asking makes us think about some of our more difficult days.
Are they unanswerable questions? Not at all, because all of our readings today give us a reason to hope. All of our readings today give us ways to have relationships with others, even when we’re not family.
Being part of a family is what each reading today is all about: God’s family. Saint Paul gives a wonderful definition of how we belong to God’s family.
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
There we have it! None of us ever need to fear being completely alone even if we don’t have an earthly family. We all are part of God’s family. We can cry “Abba!” We can be absolutely sure that, as the spirit of God is within every single one of us, we are brothers and sisters of Christ and heirs of God’s glory. Paul also reminds us that this family connection doesn’t break down when we suffer. Christ suffered – we suffer, but we are not left alone as he was not left alone.
When people get ill or we see that people’s suffering is not of their own doing, we often hear things said like, “God never gives you more than you can take” or “This suffering will make you a stronger person.”
But think about how some people react to suffering they think is brought on by a person’s bad choices. A homeless person asks for some change, a young man who’s just got out of jail can’t find a job – that’s their problem, isn’t it? We often hear some say, “It’s their own fault,” or “They’re lazy,” or “My taxes have been supporting him in jail, he doesn’t deserve any help.”
It’s hard to imagine a loving God living in us, calling us children, and yet deliberately giving us something to suffer in order to test us or make us stronger, and if we’re honest about it, the homeless and poor and those who have made bad choices are still children of God, our brothers and sisters, and we must be willing to love them and reach out as we’re able.
What Paul shares with us is that God is with every one of us through whatever happens in our human lives, whether we acknowledge God’s presence or not. God is present no matter what and waits for us to say yes to that presence. God is a very patient and loving God.
Now we might be thinking that this all sounds too easy, that we don’t have to worry about anything but knowing God’s spirit is within us and we’re all set. Of course, we know better.
Hard or easy, whatever our gift, whatever our own suffering may be, we can be sure we’re never alone. God’s promise is all through both the Old and New Testament.
God promises to be with us and keep us. God promises to stay with us until we are with God in eternity.
We are all very fortunate because when someone asks us about our family, we can all say, “My family is all God’s people and we have God’s promise that we will never be alone.”
Amen.
Sunday 13 July 2008
Loyalty... Part of the Scout Law
In The United States of America, it's still common for school pupils to take the Pledge of Allegiance. This happens quite publicly and may even take place on a daily basis in some schools. Typically, it would involve the pupil facing the flag of the USA and with hand over heart reciting these words:
'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'
We don’t do that in Britain but Scouts have Laws and Promises...
Scout Promise
On my honour, I promise that I will do my best,
To do my duty to God and to the Queen,
To help other people,
And to keep the Scout Law.
Scout Law
A Scout is to be trusted.
A Scout is loyal.
A Scout is friendly and considerate.
A Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts.
A Scout has courage in all difficulties.
A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property.
A Scout has self-respect and respect for others.
So Scouts are called to be loyal… to keep promises…
Do people keep their promises? You can probably remember times when you haven't. Promising something is easy − seeing it through is less easy. Is there any point in making promises these days? What kind of world would it be like if no one promised anyone anything?
And what about loyalty? Where are your loyalties? Are they to your country, your family, your community, your favourite football team? Or, are they really only to yourself? Perhaps we do need to look at ourselves and ask what has happened to loyalty to others beyond ourselves and our families and communities.
Perhaps our loyalty should not be to any particular way of life, but to life itself. Perhaps our loyalty should be to the idea that every person who shares this world with us deserves the chance to live a fulfilling, safe, happy and meaningful life, free from pain, poverty, prejudice and anything else which prevents them from living life to the full.
Christianity believes that life has a fundamental value and that we're all responsible for each other. It's everyone's job to make sure that everyone else's life is worth living.
Now that would be something worth pledging allegiance to.
Here is a pledge of allegiance, a pledge of loyalty which perhaps we could all share…
I pledge allegiance to a world where no one is hungry.
I pledge allegiance to a world where people are free.
I pledge allegiance to a world where truth reigns.
I pledge allegiance to a world where suffering is banished to the history books.
I pledge allegiance to a fair world, a world where everyone has opportunities − no matter what their race, gender or disability.
I pledge allegiance to a better world − a world where there is peace and justice.
'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'
We don’t do that in Britain but Scouts have Laws and Promises...
Scout Promise
On my honour, I promise that I will do my best,
To do my duty to God and to the Queen,
To help other people,
And to keep the Scout Law.
Scout Law
A Scout is to be trusted.
A Scout is loyal.
A Scout is friendly and considerate.
A Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts.
A Scout has courage in all difficulties.
A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property.
A Scout has self-respect and respect for others.
So Scouts are called to be loyal… to keep promises…
Do people keep their promises? You can probably remember times when you haven't. Promising something is easy − seeing it through is less easy. Is there any point in making promises these days? What kind of world would it be like if no one promised anyone anything?
And what about loyalty? Where are your loyalties? Are they to your country, your family, your community, your favourite football team? Or, are they really only to yourself? Perhaps we do need to look at ourselves and ask what has happened to loyalty to others beyond ourselves and our families and communities.
Perhaps our loyalty should not be to any particular way of life, but to life itself. Perhaps our loyalty should be to the idea that every person who shares this world with us deserves the chance to live a fulfilling, safe, happy and meaningful life, free from pain, poverty, prejudice and anything else which prevents them from living life to the full.
Christianity believes that life has a fundamental value and that we're all responsible for each other. It's everyone's job to make sure that everyone else's life is worth living.
Now that would be something worth pledging allegiance to.
Here is a pledge of allegiance, a pledge of loyalty which perhaps we could all share…
I pledge allegiance to a world where no one is hungry.
I pledge allegiance to a world where people are free.
I pledge allegiance to a world where truth reigns.
I pledge allegiance to a world where suffering is banished to the history books.
I pledge allegiance to a fair world, a world where everyone has opportunities − no matter what their race, gender or disability.
I pledge allegiance to a better world − a world where there is peace and justice.
Friday 27 June 2008
Praying the Rosary
I haven't Preached at Saint Martin's for a few weeks now. I have been making way for Fr. Keith, Julie, Elsie, our Reader and Ann Batchelor, our Reader in training.
I was sent a video by Fr. Simon Rundell a member of the Society of Catholic Priests about Praying the Rosary. You may find it helpful.
Blessings, Gareth.
I was sent a video by Fr. Simon Rundell a member of the Society of Catholic Priests about Praying the Rosary. You may find it helpful.
Blessings, Gareth.
Sunday 1 June 2008
Greater Awarness, Greater Stewardship
Global warming has become a very real issue for everyone – natural disasters no longer happen in just undeveloped countries of the world; it is not just the homes and lives of the poor which are at risk any more, not just the weak whose futures are at stake.
During these last few years, many have begun to see the need for radical, far-reaching life changes, greater stewardship of the environment, greater awareness of justice issues. Many who never really recognised the plight of the poorest are now involved in actually taking steps to end poverty; many that had no reason or means of really seeing injustice began actually trying to understand life from the under-side up. Many people from developed countries, who would never before have noticed the true cost of their national pride and independence, are beginning to see and act upon a new understanding of global interdependence. Where before many of us never even heard the informed voices of warning, now we are actually trying to do whatever is needed to avert disaster.
Practical action is now as important as hearing words of warning, understanding our relationships as necessary as recognising our responsibilities. Ideas of who we are and what we therefore do are vitally connected.
Today’s Gospel reading provides us with a clear warning, not of God’s rejection and punishment should we make a mistake or do something wrong, but of our responsibilities to live out our discipleship with distinctive foundational principles. They are given to us by the one who died to bring us back, justified and redeemed, into relationship with God and with one another.
Discipleship is a question of being and doing, speaking and acting, integrating God’s life as seen in Jesus into our daily lives and relationships. When principles of that life are guided by love, righteousness, faithfulness and mercy, so must our lives be. For all ethical decisions and actions, our Christian discipleship will be revealed in what we choose to do, the importance we give to living in serious obedience to God and God’s Word, the principles others will see reflected in our lives.
It is never too late nor untimely for us or our world, however mature or immature we may consider ourselves to be as Christians and as Church, to be reminded that Jesus’ criteria for our discipleship are in our practical obedience, and in our personal relationships with him.
During these last few years, many have begun to see the need for radical, far-reaching life changes, greater stewardship of the environment, greater awareness of justice issues. Many who never really recognised the plight of the poorest are now involved in actually taking steps to end poverty; many that had no reason or means of really seeing injustice began actually trying to understand life from the under-side up. Many people from developed countries, who would never before have noticed the true cost of their national pride and independence, are beginning to see and act upon a new understanding of global interdependence. Where before many of us never even heard the informed voices of warning, now we are actually trying to do whatever is needed to avert disaster.
Practical action is now as important as hearing words of warning, understanding our relationships as necessary as recognising our responsibilities. Ideas of who we are and what we therefore do are vitally connected.
Today’s Gospel reading provides us with a clear warning, not of God’s rejection and punishment should we make a mistake or do something wrong, but of our responsibilities to live out our discipleship with distinctive foundational principles. They are given to us by the one who died to bring us back, justified and redeemed, into relationship with God and with one another.
Discipleship is a question of being and doing, speaking and acting, integrating God’s life as seen in Jesus into our daily lives and relationships. When principles of that life are guided by love, righteousness, faithfulness and mercy, so must our lives be. For all ethical decisions and actions, our Christian discipleship will be revealed in what we choose to do, the importance we give to living in serious obedience to God and God’s Word, the principles others will see reflected in our lives.
It is never too late nor untimely for us or our world, however mature or immature we may consider ourselves to be as Christians and as Church, to be reminded that Jesus’ criteria for our discipleship are in our practical obedience, and in our personal relationships with him.
Monday 19 May 2008
Trinity Sunday
Many people today are hearing a sermon about the holy Trinity – understandably, as this is what we call “Trinity Sunday.” A lot of congregations are listening to some theological discourse on the inseparability of the three distinct persons of the Trinity – about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit being one God. And good priests and preachers all over the world are trying desperately to make sense of the creation story while encouraging us all to go forth and make disciples of all people.
Now, Biblical study, or philosophical discourse, and theological inquiry are all fine things. But we can miss the greater reality to which they point.
For instance, we Christians argue about whether the God we proclaim as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit really must be referred to only as what some jokingly call “two boys and a bird.” We proclaim sometimes-helpful insights, such as the notion of a God who exists in relationship – not alone or apart from everything and everybody else, but in conversation, both serving and being served, accountable. And we come across delights of Trinitarian theology over the ages, like the idea that the three persons of the Trinity loved each other so much that they became one. To Christians who have any sense of tradition, the doctrine of the Trinity is undeniably an integral part of our faith.
One God in three persons: we can debate and discuss and reason, trying to understand more of this mysterious paradox. Yet there is another strand of thought, one that follows from the likes of Justin Martyr, that seeker for the truth who died in about the year 167. Justin tells us that anyone who thinks God even can be named is “hopelessly insane.” And, just so you don’t think he’s hopelessly insane, consider this: no less venerable an authority than St. Augustine of Hippo in his own treatise on the Trinity, cautions against those who “allow themselves to be deceived through an unseasonable and misguided love of reason.”
So, instead of the usual treatise on the foreshadowing of the Trinity in the Old Testament – you know, those three men who appeared to Abraham under the oak at Mambre, and whom Abraham invited in and entertained in the plural, but went on to speak of as one, in the singular – instead of that kind of thing, let's focus on perception.
When we try to sort out things like the holy Trinity, when we try to establish and fix exactly what it means – we forget that our thoughts are but theories, mere projections of what we would like God to be. “No one has ever seen God,” the Apostle tells us – but that does not stop us from trying, does it? And in our determined search to understand the ineffable, to find out the truth, to know all things – we tend to fall prey to a spiritual kind of blindness. We miss seeing that which is right in front of us, the full presence of God.
There is not one meaning of the Trinity, or one means of describing that reality – but a great wealth of meaning. That assertion also comes from Augustine. And the doctrine of the Trinity, the very human idea of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” and all our language about God – these are but symbols of a greater reality. Augustine reminds us that when we think about the Trinity, “we are aware that our thoughts are quite inadequate to their object, and incapable of grasping him as he is; even by men of the calibre of the apostle Paul, [God] can only be seen … ‘like a puzzling reflection in a mirror.’” Our thoughts and words mean nothing in themselves, if we cannot look through them, beyond them, and because of them – to something else.
That something else is a vision of peace and harmony that Jesus proclaimed is very near us. That something is a place of rest and refreshment the likes of which we have not dared to imagine. That something is a time of joyful reunion with all our departed loved ones – and indeed, all the company of heaven. A house with many mansions, a lamb that was slain and who reigns forever, a death unto eternal life.
This is the meaning of the holy Trinity: that there is a God, who made us and loves us and cares for us, who beckons us all home to live with him for ever, who calls us now to a new life of justice, freedom, truth, peace, and – above all – love. In our human state, we are subject to a chronic bout of blindness, in which we sometimes focus our attention elsewhere, and miss seeing the vision of heaven that God has placed right in front of us – each of us, and every day.
May God the holy and glorious Trinity grant that the scales may fall from our eyes, that we all may see what lies in front of us with the eyes of faith. Amen.
Now, Biblical study, or philosophical discourse, and theological inquiry are all fine things. But we can miss the greater reality to which they point.
For instance, we Christians argue about whether the God we proclaim as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit really must be referred to only as what some jokingly call “two boys and a bird.” We proclaim sometimes-helpful insights, such as the notion of a God who exists in relationship – not alone or apart from everything and everybody else, but in conversation, both serving and being served, accountable. And we come across delights of Trinitarian theology over the ages, like the idea that the three persons of the Trinity loved each other so much that they became one. To Christians who have any sense of tradition, the doctrine of the Trinity is undeniably an integral part of our faith.
One God in three persons: we can debate and discuss and reason, trying to understand more of this mysterious paradox. Yet there is another strand of thought, one that follows from the likes of Justin Martyr, that seeker for the truth who died in about the year 167. Justin tells us that anyone who thinks God even can be named is “hopelessly insane.” And, just so you don’t think he’s hopelessly insane, consider this: no less venerable an authority than St. Augustine of Hippo in his own treatise on the Trinity, cautions against those who “allow themselves to be deceived through an unseasonable and misguided love of reason.”
So, instead of the usual treatise on the foreshadowing of the Trinity in the Old Testament – you know, those three men who appeared to Abraham under the oak at Mambre, and whom Abraham invited in and entertained in the plural, but went on to speak of as one, in the singular – instead of that kind of thing, let's focus on perception.
When we try to sort out things like the holy Trinity, when we try to establish and fix exactly what it means – we forget that our thoughts are but theories, mere projections of what we would like God to be. “No one has ever seen God,” the Apostle tells us – but that does not stop us from trying, does it? And in our determined search to understand the ineffable, to find out the truth, to know all things – we tend to fall prey to a spiritual kind of blindness. We miss seeing that which is right in front of us, the full presence of God.
There is not one meaning of the Trinity, or one means of describing that reality – but a great wealth of meaning. That assertion also comes from Augustine. And the doctrine of the Trinity, the very human idea of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” and all our language about God – these are but symbols of a greater reality. Augustine reminds us that when we think about the Trinity, “we are aware that our thoughts are quite inadequate to their object, and incapable of grasping him as he is; even by men of the calibre of the apostle Paul, [God] can only be seen … ‘like a puzzling reflection in a mirror.’” Our thoughts and words mean nothing in themselves, if we cannot look through them, beyond them, and because of them – to something else.
That something else is a vision of peace and harmony that Jesus proclaimed is very near us. That something is a place of rest and refreshment the likes of which we have not dared to imagine. That something is a time of joyful reunion with all our departed loved ones – and indeed, all the company of heaven. A house with many mansions, a lamb that was slain and who reigns forever, a death unto eternal life.
This is the meaning of the holy Trinity: that there is a God, who made us and loves us and cares for us, who beckons us all home to live with him for ever, who calls us now to a new life of justice, freedom, truth, peace, and – above all – love. In our human state, we are subject to a chronic bout of blindness, in which we sometimes focus our attention elsewhere, and miss seeing the vision of heaven that God has placed right in front of us – each of us, and every day.
May God the holy and glorious Trinity grant that the scales may fall from our eyes, that we all may see what lies in front of us with the eyes of faith. Amen.
Water. John 4:5-42
This sermon was preached on Sunday 24th February 2008 by Ann Batchelor who is a member of Saint Martin's and is training for the Ministry of Reader in the Church of England.
Water.
We can’t live without water.
In the children’s hymn Water of Life it tells us how important water is.
The first verse is easy to identify with. Anyone with a conservatory which has a glass or plastic roof can easily imagine the sound of the rain falling. We seem to have had more than our fair share of rain over the last year so the sound of rain for some produces the re-action O not more rain! However come the summer we will probably be told to save water in case of a drought.
The second verse could easily describe the work of water aid. A charity which is dedicated to help people escape the poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation.
The well shaft would be similar to that which the Samaritan would have been visiting when she met Jesus. That such a meeting would have taken place is astonishing. A Jewish man would not have allowed himself to be alone with a woman let alone talk to her. In doing so he would have laid himself open to the risk of impurity, the subject of gossip and being drawn into immorality. The woman was also a Samaritan and the Jews would have nothing to do with them. What was even more surprising was that Jesus asked her for a drink. A complete no no.
Finally the women had a bad character. Jesus was obviously aware of this when she told him she had no husband as he told her that she had had 5 and the man she was currently with was not her husband. This would have been the reason why she visited the well at that particular time of day. She was unlikely to meet anyone who knew her, her past or her immoral lifestyle. This also explains the disciples reaction when they returned.
Any encounter with Jesus has an element of surprise. The woman was eqully surprised when Jesus asked her for a drink. Jesus’ reply that if she knew who he was SHE would have asked him for a drink and he would have provided her with living water.
It was being offered living water which puzzled the woman. During Jesus time living water referred to running water in a stream or river. Not from a well or pond. It’s water that is fresh and clean rather than water that’s been left standing and getting stagnant.
Jesus makes it clear that the living water he is talking about is something quite different. He is talking about a signpost, a guide. The water he is offering will not only quench the thirst but will refresh you with new life which his coming to the world brings. A life that will change, with God’s help.
The woman doesn’t know exactly what Jesus is talking about but she wants to know more. The woman comes to realise that because she has heard Jesus herself she knows that he is indeed the saviour of the world. He provides the living water.
Nobody can live who hasn’t any water.
When the land is dry, nothing much grows.
Jesus gives us life, if we drink the living water
Sing it so that everybody knows.
This last verse explains how the Samaritan woman must have felt. Her life did not amount to much. She met Jesus and realised what he was offering. She gained a new life through him. She went away and told others. IT changed all areas of her life.
When we accept the living water we must be prepared that it will change every area of our lives.
Without Jesus in our lives we can not live life fully. We need to nurture this in ourselves and others. We don’t need to sing out loud but by our thoughts, words and actions we can show Gods love for us.
Water.
We can’t live without water.
In the children’s hymn Water of Life it tells us how important water is.
The first verse is easy to identify with. Anyone with a conservatory which has a glass or plastic roof can easily imagine the sound of the rain falling. We seem to have had more than our fair share of rain over the last year so the sound of rain for some produces the re-action O not more rain! However come the summer we will probably be told to save water in case of a drought.
The second verse could easily describe the work of water aid. A charity which is dedicated to help people escape the poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation.
The well shaft would be similar to that which the Samaritan would have been visiting when she met Jesus. That such a meeting would have taken place is astonishing. A Jewish man would not have allowed himself to be alone with a woman let alone talk to her. In doing so he would have laid himself open to the risk of impurity, the subject of gossip and being drawn into immorality. The woman was also a Samaritan and the Jews would have nothing to do with them. What was even more surprising was that Jesus asked her for a drink. A complete no no.
Finally the women had a bad character. Jesus was obviously aware of this when she told him she had no husband as he told her that she had had 5 and the man she was currently with was not her husband. This would have been the reason why she visited the well at that particular time of day. She was unlikely to meet anyone who knew her, her past or her immoral lifestyle. This also explains the disciples reaction when they returned.
Any encounter with Jesus has an element of surprise. The woman was eqully surprised when Jesus asked her for a drink. Jesus’ reply that if she knew who he was SHE would have asked him for a drink and he would have provided her with living water.
It was being offered living water which puzzled the woman. During Jesus time living water referred to running water in a stream or river. Not from a well or pond. It’s water that is fresh and clean rather than water that’s been left standing and getting stagnant.
Jesus makes it clear that the living water he is talking about is something quite different. He is talking about a signpost, a guide. The water he is offering will not only quench the thirst but will refresh you with new life which his coming to the world brings. A life that will change, with God’s help.
The woman doesn’t know exactly what Jesus is talking about but she wants to know more. The woman comes to realise that because she has heard Jesus herself she knows that he is indeed the saviour of the world. He provides the living water.
Nobody can live who hasn’t any water.
When the land is dry, nothing much grows.
Jesus gives us life, if we drink the living water
Sing it so that everybody knows.
This last verse explains how the Samaritan woman must have felt. Her life did not amount to much. She met Jesus and realised what he was offering. She gained a new life through him. She went away and told others. IT changed all areas of her life.
When we accept the living water we must be prepared that it will change every area of our lives.
Without Jesus in our lives we can not live life fully. We need to nurture this in ourselves and others. We don’t need to sing out loud but by our thoughts, words and actions we can show Gods love for us.
Monday 12 May 2008
Pentecost - Happy Birthday Church!
One of the last things Jesus said to his disciples was that they should wait in Jerusalem for his Spirit to come. So they waited, altogether, meeting in a large house, often eating together. But most of the time, they were waiting and praying.
I wonder what they thought they were waiting for? What would happen when the Spirit of Jesus would come?
They also spent most of the time hiding from the authorities who had persuaded Pilot, the Roman Governor, to allow they to kill Jesus. So whilst the disciples were thrilled that Jesus was alive again, they were still very scared of the religious authorities.
A number of days passed. How long were they to wait? Had they missed it?
There was a special and important feast in Jerusalem, called Pentecost. As well as being Harvest Festival, Pentecost was also a time when the Jewish people thanked God for giving them the Law (for example the ten commandments). It was exactly seven weeks after Passover, when Jesus had been killed. As at Passover, Jerusalem was packed with visitors.
The disciples began this special day by having a meeting to pray. They squeezed into this room in a house, about 120 of them!
As they were praying something strange and brilliant happened. If you had been there you would have said that a gale force wind suddenly blew through the house. Everybody noticed it. Everybody felt it. It swept through the room and everyone was .. well, a bit frightened and excited at the same time.
And then they saw what seemed like fire, but no one was frightened. It was like a fire .. but no one got burnt. Everyone of the disciples was touched in turn.
It was there. He was there. The Spirit of Jesus had arrived. They were so full of joy, not least because Jesus had kept his promise. And they began to sing and shout. Some danced. Some laughed. Many cried.
People passing the house stopped to look through the door.
"It's a party!" they said as they saw the disciples. "They look drunk to me!" said another observer. Peter staggered out of the house. He felt, well, on fire! He felt as thought his very heart would burst if he didn't tell someone there and then about God's gift. And as the other disciples spilled out the house, they too began to speak about God's great love.
And a great crowd gathered.
"They are drunk I tell you." grunted a passer by. "They can't be drunk," said another, "they are telling us about God!"
Peter found somewhere to stand where the great crowd could hear him.
"Everybody here, listen to me. Listen to me"
The crowd hushed and listened.
"We are not drunk! It is only 9 in the morning! But what you are seeing is what God promised. The prophet Joel, many years ago, told us that one day God's Spirit would be poured out on to men and woman everywhere. And this is it! Today is that day!"
The crowd listened even more intently.
"It is all because of Jesus, who was killed in this very city less than two months ago. Yes, he was killed, but God brought him back to life. We knew he was special, because of the wonderful things he did. But now we know who he really was. Who he really IS! Jesus is God's son.
The people were shocked. They could not believe that such a thing could have happened in Jerusalem. Some felt guilty, other ashamed.
"What shall we do?" they asked as they pushed forward to get closer to Peter.
"Say sorry to God, and believe that Jesus is God's son." And with that Peter and the other disciples went into the crowd. They prayed for people, talked to others. And once again, some were laughing, some crying, some even shouting God's praise as they were all touched by the very same spirit of God.
It was wonderful. It was the best ever Day of Pentecost. By the end of the day, at least 3000 people form that big crowd had joined the disciples. The very first church had just been born.
I wonder what they thought they were waiting for? What would happen when the Spirit of Jesus would come?
They also spent most of the time hiding from the authorities who had persuaded Pilot, the Roman Governor, to allow they to kill Jesus. So whilst the disciples were thrilled that Jesus was alive again, they were still very scared of the religious authorities.
A number of days passed. How long were they to wait? Had they missed it?
There was a special and important feast in Jerusalem, called Pentecost. As well as being Harvest Festival, Pentecost was also a time when the Jewish people thanked God for giving them the Law (for example the ten commandments). It was exactly seven weeks after Passover, when Jesus had been killed. As at Passover, Jerusalem was packed with visitors.
The disciples began this special day by having a meeting to pray. They squeezed into this room in a house, about 120 of them!
As they were praying something strange and brilliant happened. If you had been there you would have said that a gale force wind suddenly blew through the house. Everybody noticed it. Everybody felt it. It swept through the room and everyone was .. well, a bit frightened and excited at the same time.
And then they saw what seemed like fire, but no one was frightened. It was like a fire .. but no one got burnt. Everyone of the disciples was touched in turn.
It was there. He was there. The Spirit of Jesus had arrived. They were so full of joy, not least because Jesus had kept his promise. And they began to sing and shout. Some danced. Some laughed. Many cried.
People passing the house stopped to look through the door.
"It's a party!" they said as they saw the disciples. "They look drunk to me!" said another observer. Peter staggered out of the house. He felt, well, on fire! He felt as thought his very heart would burst if he didn't tell someone there and then about God's gift. And as the other disciples spilled out the house, they too began to speak about God's great love.
And a great crowd gathered.
"They are drunk I tell you." grunted a passer by. "They can't be drunk," said another, "they are telling us about God!"
Peter found somewhere to stand where the great crowd could hear him.
"Everybody here, listen to me. Listen to me"
The crowd hushed and listened.
"We are not drunk! It is only 9 in the morning! But what you are seeing is what God promised. The prophet Joel, many years ago, told us that one day God's Spirit would be poured out on to men and woman everywhere. And this is it! Today is that day!"
The crowd listened even more intently.
"It is all because of Jesus, who was killed in this very city less than two months ago. Yes, he was killed, but God brought him back to life. We knew he was special, because of the wonderful things he did. But now we know who he really was. Who he really IS! Jesus is God's son.
The people were shocked. They could not believe that such a thing could have happened in Jerusalem. Some felt guilty, other ashamed.
"What shall we do?" they asked as they pushed forward to get closer to Peter.
"Say sorry to God, and believe that Jesus is God's son." And with that Peter and the other disciples went into the crowd. They prayed for people, talked to others. And once again, some were laughing, some crying, some even shouting God's praise as they were all touched by the very same spirit of God.
It was wonderful. It was the best ever Day of Pentecost. By the end of the day, at least 3000 people form that big crowd had joined the disciples. The very first church had just been born.
Sunday 4 May 2008
You will be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth!
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
This verse sets the program for the Christian life; we who are followers of the Risen Christ are also called to be his witnesses wherever we go.
What’s that? You say that this commission was just for the apostles? If that is so, the witnessing would have come to an end centuries ago. Do you think that Peter and John and James ever heard of Barnehurst? Oh, but then perhaps it’s the job of the bishops, the successors of the apostles to be witnesses? Or perhaps the role of witness is meant for all of the ordained clergy?
Think again, the commission is for all us. “You will be my witnesses.” The commission is for all us who are called to take part in the royal priesthood of all believers. Just as Jesus said, “Follow me,” he also said, “Be my witnesses.” So we had better be about doing just that!
But how are we, living in the 21st century, in a place that the apostles never even heard of, to be witnesses to something that happened 2,000 years ago, in a place most of us have never seen? Sure, we’ve read the Bible; we know the story, but does that make us witnesses? Can we give evidence? We weren’t even there!
Let’s look more closely at what Jesus says, “you will be my witnesses.” Our testimony is about him, not just about what happened long ago and far away. We are to give evidence about what we ourselves have heard, seen, experienced. We can’t be witnesses unless we have met the Risen Christ—unless our lives have been transformed by him.
This is something that we, as Christians, probably do a lot more often than we know. St. Francis of Assisi said it well: “Proclaim the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” How many persons in your own life have been witnesses, silent or otherwise, to you?
Probably we don’t think of ourselves in that way. Nevertheless, if the Lord Jesus calls us to be witnesses, we’d better not think of this as something optional. But what we do? How can we get started? It would appear that two things are necessary.
First of all, of course, we can do nothing through our own power. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,” Jesus said. As we await the glorious feast of Pentecost next Sunday, let us pray earnestly for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all of us, both corporately and individually.
The second thing that we must do is spoken of in Acts: “All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer,” The communal prayer and harmony reflected in the stories from the Acts of the Apostles should serve as a model for our own church community. Any disunity in the Body of Christ will always be an obstacle to the effectiveness of the witness we bear. As the Lord Jesus prayed on the night before he died that we might all be one, so we must pray and act as one.
In the Baptismal Service say, “God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and has given us a place with the saints in light. You have received the light of Christ;
walk in this light all the days of your life. Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.” We must be wholehearted in this commitment, in order to be his witnesses.
Let us pray: May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself; may the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us is his service; may the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls, and may we be his witnesses wherever we may be. Amen.
This verse sets the program for the Christian life; we who are followers of the Risen Christ are also called to be his witnesses wherever we go.
What’s that? You say that this commission was just for the apostles? If that is so, the witnessing would have come to an end centuries ago. Do you think that Peter and John and James ever heard of Barnehurst? Oh, but then perhaps it’s the job of the bishops, the successors of the apostles to be witnesses? Or perhaps the role of witness is meant for all of the ordained clergy?
Think again, the commission is for all us. “You will be my witnesses.” The commission is for all us who are called to take part in the royal priesthood of all believers. Just as Jesus said, “Follow me,” he also said, “Be my witnesses.” So we had better be about doing just that!
But how are we, living in the 21st century, in a place that the apostles never even heard of, to be witnesses to something that happened 2,000 years ago, in a place most of us have never seen? Sure, we’ve read the Bible; we know the story, but does that make us witnesses? Can we give evidence? We weren’t even there!
Let’s look more closely at what Jesus says, “you will be my witnesses.” Our testimony is about him, not just about what happened long ago and far away. We are to give evidence about what we ourselves have heard, seen, experienced. We can’t be witnesses unless we have met the Risen Christ—unless our lives have been transformed by him.
This is something that we, as Christians, probably do a lot more often than we know. St. Francis of Assisi said it well: “Proclaim the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” How many persons in your own life have been witnesses, silent or otherwise, to you?
Probably we don’t think of ourselves in that way. Nevertheless, if the Lord Jesus calls us to be witnesses, we’d better not think of this as something optional. But what we do? How can we get started? It would appear that two things are necessary.
First of all, of course, we can do nothing through our own power. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,” Jesus said. As we await the glorious feast of Pentecost next Sunday, let us pray earnestly for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all of us, both corporately and individually.
The second thing that we must do is spoken of in Acts: “All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer,” The communal prayer and harmony reflected in the stories from the Acts of the Apostles should serve as a model for our own church community. Any disunity in the Body of Christ will always be an obstacle to the effectiveness of the witness we bear. As the Lord Jesus prayed on the night before he died that we might all be one, so we must pray and act as one.
In the Baptismal Service say, “God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and has given us a place with the saints in light. You have received the light of Christ;
walk in this light all the days of your life. Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.” We must be wholehearted in this commitment, in order to be his witnesses.
Let us pray: May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself; may the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us is his service; may the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls, and may we be his witnesses wherever we may be. Amen.
Monday 31 March 2008
The Annunciation
The feast of the Annunciation marks the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, during which he told her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is celebrated on 25 March most years, how ever this year it is transferred to 31 March.
More importantly, since it occurs 9 months before the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day, the Annunciation marks the actual incarnation of Jesus Christ - the moment that Jesus was conceived and that the Son of God became the son of the Virgin.
The festival has been celebrated since the 5th century AD.
The Annunciation and the liturgy
The story of the Annunciation has produced three important liturgical texts, the Ave Maria, the Angelus, and the Magnificat.
The angel's greeting to Mary, which is traditionally translated as "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee," (in Latin Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum) is the opening of the Ave Maria, and a part of the Rosary prayers.
The Angelus consists of three Ave Marias, together with some additional material. It is said three times a day in some Churches.
The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) is the poem with which Mary responds to the Annunciation and celebrates the power of God.
Political implications of the Annunciation
Some feminist theologians find the story of the Assumption portrays women as unacceptably submissive and as colluding with the idea that "women's only claim to fame is the capacity to have babies." They interpret Mary's behaviour as demonstrating passive subordination to male power. Simone de Beauvoir wrote:
For the first time in human history the mother kneels before her son: she freely accepts her inferiority. This is the supreme masculine victory, consummated in the cult of the Virgin.
Other writers have a different interpretation. They don't see Mary as powerless before God, but instead as a woman who makes a free choice to accept God's task for her - a task she could have refused. Mary's acceptance of the role of servant is not, they teach, demeaning, and they point out that Jesus also regarded himself as a servant. And taking up the example of the disciples, they see Mary, through her act of faith, exercising her right to believe what she wants and to cooperate with God in his plan of salvation - a plan that he cannot carry out without her.
Other writers suggest that the story of the Annunciation emphasises the status of women, since in the Incarnation God enlists the help of a woman to create a child of vast importance, and gives men no part to play in this important work.
And in the Magnificat itself, Mary becomes the herald of Salvation, and takes Christianity into the spheres of politics and justice as the first spokesperson for the marginalised people who were the focus of Jesus, and are now the focus of Christians and the Church.
The Bible story of the Annunciation
The story is told in Luke's Gospel, 1: 26-38.
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
More importantly, since it occurs 9 months before the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day, the Annunciation marks the actual incarnation of Jesus Christ - the moment that Jesus was conceived and that the Son of God became the son of the Virgin.
The festival has been celebrated since the 5th century AD.
The festival celebrates two things:
God's action in entering the human world as Jesus in order to save humanity
Humanity's willing acceptance of God's action in Mary's freely given acceptance of the task of being the Mother of God
The Annunciation and the liturgy
The story of the Annunciation has produced three important liturgical texts, the Ave Maria, the Angelus, and the Magnificat.
The angel's greeting to Mary, which is traditionally translated as "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee," (in Latin Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum) is the opening of the Ave Maria, and a part of the Rosary prayers.
The Angelus consists of three Ave Marias, together with some additional material. It is said three times a day in some Churches.
The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) is the poem with which Mary responds to the Annunciation and celebrates the power of God.
Political implications of the Annunciation
Some feminist theologians find the story of the Assumption portrays women as unacceptably submissive and as colluding with the idea that "women's only claim to fame is the capacity to have babies." They interpret Mary's behaviour as demonstrating passive subordination to male power. Simone de Beauvoir wrote:
For the first time in human history the mother kneels before her son: she freely accepts her inferiority. This is the supreme masculine victory, consummated in the cult of the Virgin.
Other writers have a different interpretation. They don't see Mary as powerless before God, but instead as a woman who makes a free choice to accept God's task for her - a task she could have refused. Mary's acceptance of the role of servant is not, they teach, demeaning, and they point out that Jesus also regarded himself as a servant. And taking up the example of the disciples, they see Mary, through her act of faith, exercising her right to believe what she wants and to cooperate with God in his plan of salvation - a plan that he cannot carry out without her.
Other writers suggest that the story of the Annunciation emphasises the status of women, since in the Incarnation God enlists the help of a woman to create a child of vast importance, and gives men no part to play in this important work.
And in the Magnificat itself, Mary becomes the herald of Salvation, and takes Christianity into the spheres of politics and justice as the first spokesperson for the marginalised people who were the focus of Jesus, and are now the focus of Christians and the Church.
The Bible story of the Annunciation
The story is told in Luke's Gospel, 1: 26-38.
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
The Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31
The journey to Easter is one filled with questioning and reconciliation as we follow the narrative that brings us to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. These stories provide many examples of what God would have us do and be through the living example of his son, Jesus. We even experience through Jesus the mystery of belief complete with its companions: questioning, doubt, and obedience.
The mystery and complexity of belief is woven throughout scripture. They are at the heart of what it means to be Christian, making the stories of mystery and belief essential for our own understanding of faith and challenging our ability to share that part of ourselves with everyone we encounter in obedience.
Aside from the miracle of creation, for which there were no witnesses, most of the stories in scripture invite us into believing through the relationships of others. Take for example the mystery shrouding Mary’s conception or the miracle for Elizabeth both as she recognizes the child Mary bears to be Jesus and as her own unborn child leaps – already going ahead, announcing Jesus. Or consider the miracle of Lazarus or the widow’s child being raised up from death. Or the healing of the lepers, the blind, or people otherwise afflicted. Or the faith of the Syrophoenician woman that her child could be healed if only Jesus would acknowledge her. Or the Samaritan woman at the well whose only task was to draw water but gained new life instead.
All of these are fine examples of what we might want to explain away with reasoning, but in reality they require our belief – a much greater task. Just ask Thomas, who, unlike the rest of the apostles, was not given the opportunity to see Jesus when he first appeared showing them his wounds and acknowledging their disbelief and wonder. Or ask the two apostles in the gospel of Mark who traveled on a road and ate with Jesus before they recognized their teacher. And what about “the disciple whom Jesus loved” who went into the tomb following Peter and saw and believed? Thomas had been known for so much more, but somehow all anyone remembers him for now is being the one who doubted.
What would people say about you? What do you need to “see” to believe? And do people you encounter know by your actions what you believe?
The gospel reading encourages us to be faithful and believe, to trust. There is a temptation then to say that doubting is bad and belief is good, but I would challenge that perspective. Certainly we encounter doubt every day in our lives. But the presence of trust allows us to process information so that even when we cannot see, we can believe. We seldom have unequivocal proof of anything. So how can we ever be certain?
Doubt and faith are not opposites. The opposite of faith in God is not doubt, but believing in something or someone else. The faith journey is filled with doubt, and maybe doubt needs to be present before belief or faith can be realized. Times of questioning can actually lead to deeper relationship with God and reveal new aspects of understanding what we believe. Periods of questioning open our minds to imagine infinite possibilities with God.
When left on our own, we cannot imagine how God would love us, let alone forgive us. Faced with the grandeur of the universe, we wonder at God’s concern over us as little specks in this diverse creative process. We doubt the usefulness of our gifts in a world where it seems there is so much to do. Our doubt becomes the barrier to the fullness of believing and faithfulness. It becomes the stumbling block rather than the passage to a better understanding of our faith.
But when we allow doubt to be a gift from God that opens us up to deeper levels of understanding and closer relationship to God and all God created, we appreciate that faith and doubt are our companions. They coexist, allowing us to see the many paradoxes of God in Christ: human and divine; with us and transcendent; dead and risen, present in the bread and wine. The Easter experience of resurrection challenges any box we might use to confine the God of infinite possibilities. The gospel uses Thomas to demonstrate that God cannot fit into any box and invites us into the imaginative and creative power of God still loose in the world.
Some 2000 years later, Christians all over the world believe, because we know and experience the realness of the stories of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It would certainly have been nice to have been there and known Jesus – to see. Today we are given ample opportunities to see the face of God all around us. We only need to believe, and then we will see.
Jesus calls those who do not need to see to believe “blessed.” And then he commissions us by saying, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He said this to the gathered disciples and then sent them into the world breathing the Holy Spirit upon them.
The First Letter of Peter reminds us, “Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of souls.”
We are tempted to believe that these readings are about faith and doubt, but we must not forget the rest of the story – the commissioning. Blessed are we who believe without seeing and receive the Holy Spirit. Blessed are we who rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, sharing these gifts with everyone we encounter. Together with the apostles we are captured by God’s living presence, imagining the infinite possibilities in creating a world that believes even without seeing.
Our faith in Christ, and his resurrection allows us to live as witnesses to the rich diversity of creation as God continues to be present in all that is around us. We rejoice in receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, applying God’s abundant love in ways that bring the fullness of God’s glory, in the presence of the Kingdom, here and now, through our actions.
In this season of Easter let us all come together as companions in resurrection, approaching our doubts as an invitation on our faith journey to believe without seeing.
The journey to Easter is one filled with questioning and reconciliation as we follow the narrative that brings us to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. These stories provide many examples of what God would have us do and be through the living example of his son, Jesus. We even experience through Jesus the mystery of belief complete with its companions: questioning, doubt, and obedience.
The mystery and complexity of belief is woven throughout scripture. They are at the heart of what it means to be Christian, making the stories of mystery and belief essential for our own understanding of faith and challenging our ability to share that part of ourselves with everyone we encounter in obedience.
Aside from the miracle of creation, for which there were no witnesses, most of the stories in scripture invite us into believing through the relationships of others. Take for example the mystery shrouding Mary’s conception or the miracle for Elizabeth both as she recognizes the child Mary bears to be Jesus and as her own unborn child leaps – already going ahead, announcing Jesus. Or consider the miracle of Lazarus or the widow’s child being raised up from death. Or the healing of the lepers, the blind, or people otherwise afflicted. Or the faith of the Syrophoenician woman that her child could be healed if only Jesus would acknowledge her. Or the Samaritan woman at the well whose only task was to draw water but gained new life instead.
All of these are fine examples of what we might want to explain away with reasoning, but in reality they require our belief – a much greater task. Just ask Thomas, who, unlike the rest of the apostles, was not given the opportunity to see Jesus when he first appeared showing them his wounds and acknowledging their disbelief and wonder. Or ask the two apostles in the gospel of Mark who traveled on a road and ate with Jesus before they recognized their teacher. And what about “the disciple whom Jesus loved” who went into the tomb following Peter and saw and believed? Thomas had been known for so much more, but somehow all anyone remembers him for now is being the one who doubted.
What would people say about you? What do you need to “see” to believe? And do people you encounter know by your actions what you believe?
The gospel reading encourages us to be faithful and believe, to trust. There is a temptation then to say that doubting is bad and belief is good, but I would challenge that perspective. Certainly we encounter doubt every day in our lives. But the presence of trust allows us to process information so that even when we cannot see, we can believe. We seldom have unequivocal proof of anything. So how can we ever be certain?
Doubt and faith are not opposites. The opposite of faith in God is not doubt, but believing in something or someone else. The faith journey is filled with doubt, and maybe doubt needs to be present before belief or faith can be realized. Times of questioning can actually lead to deeper relationship with God and reveal new aspects of understanding what we believe. Periods of questioning open our minds to imagine infinite possibilities with God.
When left on our own, we cannot imagine how God would love us, let alone forgive us. Faced with the grandeur of the universe, we wonder at God’s concern over us as little specks in this diverse creative process. We doubt the usefulness of our gifts in a world where it seems there is so much to do. Our doubt becomes the barrier to the fullness of believing and faithfulness. It becomes the stumbling block rather than the passage to a better understanding of our faith.
But when we allow doubt to be a gift from God that opens us up to deeper levels of understanding and closer relationship to God and all God created, we appreciate that faith and doubt are our companions. They coexist, allowing us to see the many paradoxes of God in Christ: human and divine; with us and transcendent; dead and risen, present in the bread and wine. The Easter experience of resurrection challenges any box we might use to confine the God of infinite possibilities. The gospel uses Thomas to demonstrate that God cannot fit into any box and invites us into the imaginative and creative power of God still loose in the world.
Some 2000 years later, Christians all over the world believe, because we know and experience the realness of the stories of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It would certainly have been nice to have been there and known Jesus – to see. Today we are given ample opportunities to see the face of God all around us. We only need to believe, and then we will see.
Jesus calls those who do not need to see to believe “blessed.” And then he commissions us by saying, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He said this to the gathered disciples and then sent them into the world breathing the Holy Spirit upon them.
The First Letter of Peter reminds us, “Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of souls.”
We are tempted to believe that these readings are about faith and doubt, but we must not forget the rest of the story – the commissioning. Blessed are we who believe without seeing and receive the Holy Spirit. Blessed are we who rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, sharing these gifts with everyone we encounter. Together with the apostles we are captured by God’s living presence, imagining the infinite possibilities in creating a world that believes even without seeing.
Our faith in Christ, and his resurrection allows us to live as witnesses to the rich diversity of creation as God continues to be present in all that is around us. We rejoice in receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, applying God’s abundant love in ways that bring the fullness of God’s glory, in the presence of the Kingdom, here and now, through our actions.
In this season of Easter let us all come together as companions in resurrection, approaching our doubts as an invitation on our faith journey to believe without seeing.
Sunday 23 March 2008
Easter Day
We come together this Easter Day to celebrate. Christ is risen, and we affirm: "The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!" We know that this is a happy day, a day to put on our best clothes, a day to plan a wonderful meal, a day to come to church with the whole family, a day to sing glad hymns. But the people we encounter at the tomb in today's Gospel didn't know that. They weren't having springtime thoughts about flowers coming from the dead earth, or caterpillars turning into butterflies. The thought of eggshells cracking open for baby chicks, or of those prolific little bunnies as signs of new life, did not enter their minds. That's because they were still in the middle of the story.
Mary Magdalene was the first one at the tomb that Sunday morning, according to the Gospel. It was dark when she arrived. She didn't come to check and see if Jesus' body was still there. She came, we can only suppose, to grieve. Probably she wasn't sleeping well. After all, the whole world had come crashing down around her head. She had centred all her hope and trust and love in Jesus Christ, and now he had been cruelly executed. When she arrived at the tomb she found that the stone that sealed the tomb had been rolled away. Running to two of his friends, she said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
Enter Peter and "the other disciple" into the story. (Most people think that this other disciple is John, since he is referred to as "the one whom Jesus loved.") Peter and John ran to the tomb. They saw the linens, and apparently had some notion about what had gone on, but all they did, at least in this Gospel (John), was go back home. We still don't know a great deal about what their thoughts were, except that John, at least, "saw and believed." Peter and John seem to have "cameo parts" in the story. It tells us much more about Mary Magdalene than about these two disciples.
After Peter and John had gone home, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. She still thought that someone had taken away the body, and she didn't know where to find it. No wonder the angels asked, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She was asked the same question by Jesus, whom she at first took to be the gardener. She didn't recognize Jesus, the very one she was looking for, because her mind was fixed on finding a dead body. Not until Jesus spoke to her, called her by name, did she know him. At last she had found her Lord. She had come to the tomb with grief in her heart, but her weeping had been turned into joy.
And now here we are, nearly 2,000 years later. We come to church today to celebrate the Resurrection. And, yes, we are dressed up and we are singing those glad hymns, and very probably we will have a good lunch in a little while. But really, aren't we like Mary Magdalene in many ways? Don't we, too, carry around a lifetime of grief in our souls? Perhaps it is the loss of loved ones that causes us grief. Perhaps it is the frustrations and disappointments we have suffered in our lives. Perhaps it is the weight of our own sins, the bad choices we have made in our lives. Perhaps we bear the wounds of pain inflicted by others. Perhaps physical ailments weigh us down. Yes, we believe that Christ is risen. We know we have cause for great joy this Easter Day. But the grief is there, too. However, like Mary, we have a Friend who understands, a Friend who calls us by name. Today, as we celebrate the Resurrection, we can put down our grief at the feet of Jesus, and when he calls our name, we can answer, "Rabbouni! Teacher!"
And finally, look at what Mary did next. Following the Lord's command, she went to the disciples and said: "I have seen the Lord." And she told them everything that Jesus had said to her.
We who gather in this place also see the Lord today. Do we recognize him? We hear him call us by name. Jesus is made known to us as we read the Holy Scriptures, as we receive the Body and Blood, and as we enjoy the presence of our brothers and sisters. And, like Mary, we are called to share with others the Good News of God in Jesus Christ. At the end of this liturgy, we will be dismissed to go forth. Perhaps we need a special form of the dismissal today: "Go in peace and tell the world that you have seen the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!"
Mary Magdalene was the first one at the tomb that Sunday morning, according to the Gospel. It was dark when she arrived. She didn't come to check and see if Jesus' body was still there. She came, we can only suppose, to grieve. Probably she wasn't sleeping well. After all, the whole world had come crashing down around her head. She had centred all her hope and trust and love in Jesus Christ, and now he had been cruelly executed. When she arrived at the tomb she found that the stone that sealed the tomb had been rolled away. Running to two of his friends, she said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
Enter Peter and "the other disciple" into the story. (Most people think that this other disciple is John, since he is referred to as "the one whom Jesus loved.") Peter and John ran to the tomb. They saw the linens, and apparently had some notion about what had gone on, but all they did, at least in this Gospel (John), was go back home. We still don't know a great deal about what their thoughts were, except that John, at least, "saw and believed." Peter and John seem to have "cameo parts" in the story. It tells us much more about Mary Magdalene than about these two disciples.
After Peter and John had gone home, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. She still thought that someone had taken away the body, and she didn't know where to find it. No wonder the angels asked, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She was asked the same question by Jesus, whom she at first took to be the gardener. She didn't recognize Jesus, the very one she was looking for, because her mind was fixed on finding a dead body. Not until Jesus spoke to her, called her by name, did she know him. At last she had found her Lord. She had come to the tomb with grief in her heart, but her weeping had been turned into joy.
And now here we are, nearly 2,000 years later. We come to church today to celebrate the Resurrection. And, yes, we are dressed up and we are singing those glad hymns, and very probably we will have a good lunch in a little while. But really, aren't we like Mary Magdalene in many ways? Don't we, too, carry around a lifetime of grief in our souls? Perhaps it is the loss of loved ones that causes us grief. Perhaps it is the frustrations and disappointments we have suffered in our lives. Perhaps it is the weight of our own sins, the bad choices we have made in our lives. Perhaps we bear the wounds of pain inflicted by others. Perhaps physical ailments weigh us down. Yes, we believe that Christ is risen. We know we have cause for great joy this Easter Day. But the grief is there, too. However, like Mary, we have a Friend who understands, a Friend who calls us by name. Today, as we celebrate the Resurrection, we can put down our grief at the feet of Jesus, and when he calls our name, we can answer, "Rabbouni! Teacher!"
And finally, look at what Mary did next. Following the Lord's command, she went to the disciples and said: "I have seen the Lord." And she told them everything that Jesus had said to her.
We who gather in this place also see the Lord today. Do we recognize him? We hear him call us by name. Jesus is made known to us as we read the Holy Scriptures, as we receive the Body and Blood, and as we enjoy the presence of our brothers and sisters. And, like Mary, we are called to share with others the Good News of God in Jesus Christ. At the end of this liturgy, we will be dismissed to go forth. Perhaps we need a special form of the dismissal today: "Go in peace and tell the world that you have seen the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!"
Sunday 9 March 2008
Ezekiel 37.1-14
Many of us hearing today’s Old Testament reading from Ezekiel – that rich and vivid story about the valley of dry bones – instantly remember the words of a song learned in childhood. These words:
The toe bone connected to the foot bone,
The foot bone connected to the ankle bone,
The ankle bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the hip bone,
The hip bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the shoulder bone,
The shoulder bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Less easy to recall, however, are the song’s opening words:
God called Ezekiel one morning,
“Go down and prophesy.”
Ezekiel taught the Zion the powers of God,
And the bones begin to rise.
We’re going to walk around with-a dry bones.
Why don’t you rise and hear the word of the Lord?
The words, of course, come from an old spiritual. There can be little wonder why it emerged out of the experience of African Americans in the southern United States. It welled up from the midst of a people trapped in that dark period of history when legalised slavery still prevailed – when whites stole the labour of captive Africans, who as slaves, mostly embraced the Christian religion of those who enslaved them.
It is easy to understand why those who had, against their wills, been removed to North America found in the stirring words of Ezekiel great cause for hope – easy to understand how they translated that imagery into a song that could help them walk as human beings in the cotton fields of oppression. They understood, like no others, the experience of Ezekiel’s people.
The Israelites of old were also a people enslaved by foreign masters. They had been forcibly removed from their native land into exile, far from their beloved home and accustomed ways, compelled to toil in the service of a conquering nation. Though alive, they felt like they were dead. They were a people without hope. Like a nation of dry bones, they cried out in their misery as all enslaved people must.
In today’s Old Testament lesson, we hear the prophet Ezekiel sharing in vivid detail how God carried him in a vision to a valley full of dry bones – bones symbolic of the rotted bodies of a subjugated people. Then, as the prophet watched in astonishment, the bones were covered with muscle and flesh, and once more encased in skin. They were alive again!
Then Ezekiel prophesied as God instructed him. He told the people of Israel, enslaved in exile, that this vision was God’s way of saying that their lives, all but dead from depression, distress and despair, would have breath put back in them and flesh and muscle returned to their bones. They would be a nation reborn. For those slaves of old, those Israelites separated from home and in bondage, Ezekiel’s vision gave new hope as they dreamed of a time when they would once again be free and whole and could return to their beloved Jerusalem.
There is little wonder why African American slaves embraced this story from the Old Testament as their own. And despite their misery, as they suffered cruel injustice, they gained the same hope as the ancient Israelites. They knew that God gave them a reason to live despite the fact that they were enslaved; a reason to live despite the fact that in spirit, emotion and self-esteem they were mere skeletons of the powerful men and women they had been in Africa; a reason to live despite how often they thought their fate was doomed; a reason to live despite how much they felt they were as good as dead.
Despite all this, their faith gave them the hope of hopes, empowering them to sing with joy, happiness, and trust – to sing a truth that they would indeed rise like the dry bones of Ezekiel’s forsaken valley.
But what is the lesson for those of us who live in a day when human slavery is considered unthinkably obscene? For us, not forced into exile or bound in chains, what can we learn?
Above all, we can recall, as our Lenten discipline reminds us, that we, too, are often subjugated by strong powers – the powers of evil – leaving us enslaved in sin: the sin of selfishness; the sin of neglecting those in need; the sin of lying, cheating, and stealing; the sin of greed and prejudice; the sin of ignoring God again and again.
Such spiritual enslavement turns us away from God’s ways and separates us from our Saviour. It leaves us in a land as desolate as Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones – spiritually dead, mere skeletons who have lost our religious muscle and skin of faith.
What hope is there for us who have erred and strayed from God’s way like lost sheep? The hope is that which Ezekiel envisioned. In our own barren valleys of the soul, we can follow them, gaining strength by realizing there is renewal. We can find new life for these dry bones of ours. We can find the will to move beyond spiritual despair and to embrace the hope that lies in a loving and forgiving God – a God who takes our pitiful spiritual skeletons and gives them flesh and muscle, who takes the spiritually dried-out bones of our faith and gives them life in all abundance.
The African slaves, brothers and sisters in Christ, reach out to us in this generation, from a terrible time in the past to take heart from the word of the prophet. They remind us that God treats us the same as those dry bones of Ezekiel, offering us rebirth, again, and again, and again. When we stumble, our Saviour is there, calling us out of the slavery we have created for ourselves into the light of love and forgiveness. They remind us that as we, through self examination and rising up to hear God’s word, find the Lenten valley of our sinful dry bones, we can, through repentance and the grace of God, go walking with lives restored.
The toe bone connected to the foot bone,
The foot bone connected to the ankle bone,
The ankle bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the hip bone,
The hip bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the shoulder bone,
The shoulder bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Less easy to recall, however, are the song’s opening words:
God called Ezekiel one morning,
“Go down and prophesy.”
Ezekiel taught the Zion the powers of God,
And the bones begin to rise.
We’re going to walk around with-a dry bones.
Why don’t you rise and hear the word of the Lord?
The words, of course, come from an old spiritual. There can be little wonder why it emerged out of the experience of African Americans in the southern United States. It welled up from the midst of a people trapped in that dark period of history when legalised slavery still prevailed – when whites stole the labour of captive Africans, who as slaves, mostly embraced the Christian religion of those who enslaved them.
It is easy to understand why those who had, against their wills, been removed to North America found in the stirring words of Ezekiel great cause for hope – easy to understand how they translated that imagery into a song that could help them walk as human beings in the cotton fields of oppression. They understood, like no others, the experience of Ezekiel’s people.
The Israelites of old were also a people enslaved by foreign masters. They had been forcibly removed from their native land into exile, far from their beloved home and accustomed ways, compelled to toil in the service of a conquering nation. Though alive, they felt like they were dead. They were a people without hope. Like a nation of dry bones, they cried out in their misery as all enslaved people must.
In today’s Old Testament lesson, we hear the prophet Ezekiel sharing in vivid detail how God carried him in a vision to a valley full of dry bones – bones symbolic of the rotted bodies of a subjugated people. Then, as the prophet watched in astonishment, the bones were covered with muscle and flesh, and once more encased in skin. They were alive again!
Then Ezekiel prophesied as God instructed him. He told the people of Israel, enslaved in exile, that this vision was God’s way of saying that their lives, all but dead from depression, distress and despair, would have breath put back in them and flesh and muscle returned to their bones. They would be a nation reborn. For those slaves of old, those Israelites separated from home and in bondage, Ezekiel’s vision gave new hope as they dreamed of a time when they would once again be free and whole and could return to their beloved Jerusalem.
There is little wonder why African American slaves embraced this story from the Old Testament as their own. And despite their misery, as they suffered cruel injustice, they gained the same hope as the ancient Israelites. They knew that God gave them a reason to live despite the fact that they were enslaved; a reason to live despite the fact that in spirit, emotion and self-esteem they were mere skeletons of the powerful men and women they had been in Africa; a reason to live despite how often they thought their fate was doomed; a reason to live despite how much they felt they were as good as dead.
Despite all this, their faith gave them the hope of hopes, empowering them to sing with joy, happiness, and trust – to sing a truth that they would indeed rise like the dry bones of Ezekiel’s forsaken valley.
But what is the lesson for those of us who live in a day when human slavery is considered unthinkably obscene? For us, not forced into exile or bound in chains, what can we learn?
Above all, we can recall, as our Lenten discipline reminds us, that we, too, are often subjugated by strong powers – the powers of evil – leaving us enslaved in sin: the sin of selfishness; the sin of neglecting those in need; the sin of lying, cheating, and stealing; the sin of greed and prejudice; the sin of ignoring God again and again.
Such spiritual enslavement turns us away from God’s ways and separates us from our Saviour. It leaves us in a land as desolate as Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones – spiritually dead, mere skeletons who have lost our religious muscle and skin of faith.
What hope is there for us who have erred and strayed from God’s way like lost sheep? The hope is that which Ezekiel envisioned. In our own barren valleys of the soul, we can follow them, gaining strength by realizing there is renewal. We can find new life for these dry bones of ours. We can find the will to move beyond spiritual despair and to embrace the hope that lies in a loving and forgiving God – a God who takes our pitiful spiritual skeletons and gives them flesh and muscle, who takes the spiritually dried-out bones of our faith and gives them life in all abundance.
The African slaves, brothers and sisters in Christ, reach out to us in this generation, from a terrible time in the past to take heart from the word of the prophet. They remind us that God treats us the same as those dry bones of Ezekiel, offering us rebirth, again, and again, and again. When we stumble, our Saviour is there, calling us out of the slavery we have created for ourselves into the light of love and forgiveness. They remind us that as we, through self examination and rising up to hear God’s word, find the Lenten valley of our sinful dry bones, we can, through repentance and the grace of God, go walking with lives restored.
Thursday 21 February 2008
Baptism at Saint Martin’s.
Baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues for the rest of our lives, the first step in response to God’s love. For all involved, particularly the candidates but also parents, godparents and sponsors, it is a joyful moment when we rejoice in what God has done for us in Christ, making serious promises and declaring the faith.
The wider community of the local church and friends welcome the new Christian, promising support and prayer for the future. Hearing and doing these things provides an opportunity to remember our own baptism and reflect on the progress made on that journey, which is now to be shared with this new member of the Church.
The service paints many vivid pictures of what happens on the Christian way. There is the sign of the cross, the badge of faith in the Christian journey, which reminds us of Christ’s death for us. Our ‘drowning’ in the water of baptism, where we believe we die to sin and are raised to new life, unites us to Christ’s dying and rising, a picture that can be brought home vividly by the way the baptism is administered. Water is also a sign of new life, as we are born again by water and the Spirit. This reminds us of Jesus’ baptism. And as a sign of that new life, there may be a lighted candle, a picture of the light of Christ conquering the darkness of evil. Everyone who is baptized walks in that light for the rest of their lives.
As you pray for the candidates, picture them with yourself and the whole Church throughout the ages, journeying into the fullness of God’s love.
Introduction to the Common Worship Baptism Rite
Jesus said, ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’
John 10.10
In the first instance please either call The Vicar, The Rev'd. Gareth Bowen on 01322 - 523344 or 07775 - 674504 or call into the Parish Office on Saturdays between 10:00am and 11:00am. We will discuss the baptism service and I will give you an Application Form, please complete the Baptism Application form and return it to the Parish Office.
Saint Martin’s is an Inclusive Church, we are committed to ensuring that those who are excluded in society because of their poverty, different abilities, gender, ethnic origin or any other reason can play their full part in the Gospel of Jesus Christ's unconditional love.
Please ask your guests to ensure that mobile phones are switched off during the service and remind them that no flash photography is allowed in the church. Almost all our baptismal services take place during the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, at 10:30 on Sunday morning. After the baptism part of the service we have our prayers of intercession and then the Peace. After sharing the Peace please return to your seats as the service continues with the Eucharist. We welcome people of all faiths, and of none, at Saint Martin’s; please respect the beliefs of the church and other people’s need for quiet in which to pray and reflect upon our Lord.
There is no charge for Baptism, but we are obliged to make a statutory charge of £12:00 for a Baptism Certificate. If this fee will cause hardship please talk to the Vicar, The Rev’d. Gareth Bowen.
It costs in excess of £65,000 each year to run Saint Martin’s, which is over £1,250:00 per week. If you would like to make an offering towards the work of the Church please do so and you and your guests may like to use the Gift Aid envelopes so that we can recoup, from the Government, the income-tax that you have paid at no extra cost to you.
We hope to see you at Saint Martin’s, many blessings,
The wider community of the local church and friends welcome the new Christian, promising support and prayer for the future. Hearing and doing these things provides an opportunity to remember our own baptism and reflect on the progress made on that journey, which is now to be shared with this new member of the Church.
The service paints many vivid pictures of what happens on the Christian way. There is the sign of the cross, the badge of faith in the Christian journey, which reminds us of Christ’s death for us. Our ‘drowning’ in the water of baptism, where we believe we die to sin and are raised to new life, unites us to Christ’s dying and rising, a picture that can be brought home vividly by the way the baptism is administered. Water is also a sign of new life, as we are born again by water and the Spirit. This reminds us of Jesus’ baptism. And as a sign of that new life, there may be a lighted candle, a picture of the light of Christ conquering the darkness of evil. Everyone who is baptized walks in that light for the rest of their lives.
As you pray for the candidates, picture them with yourself and the whole Church throughout the ages, journeying into the fullness of God’s love.
Introduction to the Common Worship Baptism Rite
Jesus said, ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’
John 10.10
In the first instance please either call The Vicar, The Rev'd. Gareth Bowen on 01322 - 523344 or 07775 - 674504 or call into the Parish Office on Saturdays between 10:00am and 11:00am. We will discuss the baptism service and I will give you an Application Form, please complete the Baptism Application form and return it to the Parish Office.
Saint Martin’s is an Inclusive Church, we are committed to ensuring that those who are excluded in society because of their poverty, different abilities, gender, ethnic origin or any other reason can play their full part in the Gospel of Jesus Christ's unconditional love.
Please ask your guests to ensure that mobile phones are switched off during the service and remind them that no flash photography is allowed in the church. Almost all our baptismal services take place during the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, at 10:30 on Sunday morning. After the baptism part of the service we have our prayers of intercession and then the Peace. After sharing the Peace please return to your seats as the service continues with the Eucharist. We welcome people of all faiths, and of none, at Saint Martin’s; please respect the beliefs of the church and other people’s need for quiet in which to pray and reflect upon our Lord.
There is no charge for Baptism, but we are obliged to make a statutory charge of £12:00 for a Baptism Certificate. If this fee will cause hardship please talk to the Vicar, The Rev’d. Gareth Bowen.
It costs in excess of £65,000 each year to run Saint Martin’s, which is over £1,250:00 per week. If you would like to make an offering towards the work of the Church please do so and you and your guests may like to use the Gift Aid envelopes so that we can recoup, from the Government, the income-tax that you have paid at no extra cost to you.
We hope to see you at Saint Martin’s, many blessings,
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