Parish of Westborough – Guildford

Include or Exclude?

The phrase all-inclusive is one we usually equate with holidays. You pay one price and everything is included even some things you might not be interested in. The readings set for today are also about inclusiveness – God’s inclusive love for all his creatures; and that includes some that we might not be interested in or would even exclude.

This inclusiveness starts out in the Psalm set for today saying “May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere… may all the nations praise you.” (Psalm 67.2-3 NLT )  King David is asking God to include the whole world in his plan to save so that all nations will praise him. Isaiah joins in and through him God declares “my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.” (Isaiah 56.7-8 NLT)

Jesus himself joins in this inclusive talk saying “I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” (John 10.16 NLT)

God is inclusive – we humans tend not to be inclusive, we frequently exclude those whom we dislike or those that are different from ourselves. In our gospel reading we see this human trait of excluding others even in Jesus himself. The reading centers around a gentile woman with a demon-possessed daughter begging Jesus to cure her. Jesus first of all totally ignores her, not even speaking to her. Finally he tells her “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” (Matt 15.24 NLT)

Clearly she is not included.

He even goes so far as to insult her, equating her with a dog “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” (Matt 15.26 NLT) I find a couple of things in the gospels that both upset me and at the same time gladden my heart. I’m upset that Jesus seems to stoop to that level – gladdened insofar as it clearly reveals Jesus’ humanness. Jesus demonstrates a reaction that we would see as very human, human just like you and me.

Back to the gentile woman: far from being offended by being equated with a dog, quick witted and earnestly she counters back instantly using the same image “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” (Matt 15.27 NLT)

What a response, it must have really touched Jesus, because he praises her great faith and as we know he goes on to heal her daughter;

Jesus’ humanity is put aside and his divinity shines through. Something she recognized in him where the disciples had yet to!

As the account soon reveals even further, the all inclusiveness of God’s love.

As Jesus soon encounters a vast crowd made up of many who “brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all.” (Matt 15.30 NLT) And if we needed any more proof of the all inclusive love of God is verse 31 which states “they praised the God of Israel.” This tells me that many of that crowd were gentiles whom Jesus cured and so they praise the God of Israel.

If they were only Jews in Jesus presence, scripture records it different by saying ‘they praise God’ rather than in this case which states ‘They praise the God of Israel. .

so, what you may ask,

this account as with so many others speaks very clearly that faith is inclusive when often religion excludes.

The Jewish religion excluded anybody but a Jew, hence Jesus’ initial reaction to that woman.

Even Christians aren’t immune to excluding others, be judgmental against those who worship others who are claiming faith in the same God, who is Father Son and Holy Spirit. And even individual Christians can be exclusive

I have recently heard of a tragic situation where a young couple in love and planning life together in marriage, one came from a very strict Breatheran ‘denomination and the other a very devoted Christian of an Anglican denomination. The family could not cope with the idea of their son (bretheran marring someone outside ‘their’ group.

And even some of the same denominations can be judgmental and inclusive.

For many years after the reformation, if you weren’t a Catholic you weren’t going to heaven.

And as for other faiths or those of no faith…

Fortunately for us God is bigger than our pettiness.

He tells us “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work. God’s Decree. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.” (Isaiah 55.8-9 MSG)

One particular well known hymn that speaks about this inclusiveness of God’s love.

There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy puts it quite plainly telling us

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, Like the wideness of the sea; There’s a kindness in His justice, Which is more than liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner, And more graces for the good; There is mercy with the Saviour; There is healing in His blood.

There is grace enough for thousands Of new worlds as great as this; There is room for fresh creations In that upper home of bliss.

For the love of God is broader Than the measure of our mind; And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderfully kind.

It is God: His love looks mighty, But is mightier than it seems; ’Tis our Father: and His fondness Goes far out beyond our dreams.

But we make His love too narrow By false limits of our own; And we magnify His strictness With a zeal He will not own.

Was there ever kinder shepherd Half so gentle, half so sweet, As the Saviour who would have us Come and gather at His feet?

We sing it I’m sure, believing in every word, but in reality do our words reach our heart and soul.

Do we recognise the times the love and inclusivity Jesus shows us may not be as open to others

Does our ‘broken’ humanness make his love too narrow by false limits of our own;

and so we magnify his strictness with a zeal he will not own.

We are the gentiles that were once excluded from the ‘fold’

We were the outcast, the outsiders that the disciples would have at one time rejected.

Let’s us be a people of faith and not simply religious,

let’s rejoice that God’s love is inclusive and let’s allow (and even help NLT) him to create that one flock with one shepherd. AMEN

On the surface of it, the readings this morning are mostly about food.

Food is high on the agenda and Distributing the ‘community food share’ is something high on our agenda to as part of our support and outreach at the moment. During this time it has been a privilege to get to know complete strangers from our community and chat with them over this increasingly important need for some – food. It has also been a bit educational and fun hearing the different dishes that people can make out of some of the goods.

What came to mind when praying for some of those individuals and then reflecting on the passages for today along with the fact that so many are struggling financially, was the scene in the orphanage in the musical film, Oliver, where it’s meal time and all the orphans sing the well known song Food, Glorious Food.

You may remember to where in the the song they imagine all sorts of exotic dishes when in reality all they get is gruel. One particular line sums it up saying Why should we be fated to do nothing but brood on food, magical food wonderful food, marvellous Food, glorious food. Food is pretty high up on most people’s agenda, but for those who don’t have enough, it’s always on their mind.

I suspect that hunger was a problem in Isaiah’s day and so he writes this, essentially telling the people that they can have all they want for free: “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.” (Isaiah 55.1-2 NLT) And the people would probably have been familiar with our psalm which proclaims “The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.” (Psalm 145.15-16 NLT)

The psalmist claims that God provides; Isaiah seems to confirm that – and yet hunger has been a constant problem both then and now. And our gospel is the account of Jesus feeding over 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. And everybody ate their fill and they collected a dozen baskets of leftovers. Food, glorious food, indeed.

But these readings aren’t just about satisfying our physical hunger. They are actually about spiritual food and spiritual health. In The Message version of that Isaiah reading this is brought out more saying “Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.” (Isaiah 55.3)

To my mind the key words are life-nourishing words. We hear something like that early on in the Book of Deuteronomy which Jesus reaffirms telling Satan “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4.4 NLT)

Yes we need bread and all the other physical foods we enjoy, but to experience the full life that Jesus promises we need God’s Word in our lives. Without the one we wither and die physically – without the other we wither and die spiritually. Eventually we will all die physically, so let’s ensure that we stay spiritually alive by consuming healthy portions of God’s Word. Not just reading it as ‘Job done’ for the day and tick the box, but asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what we need to really understand it, understand it that it ‘feeds us’

There are of course alternatives to God’s Word and unfortunately we can become hooked on them. In that reading from Isaiah in The Message we read “Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?” (Isaiah 55.2) We have seen how addicting junk food can be and the spiritual version of junk food can be equally addicting.

What, you may wonder, is spiritual junk food?

There are many varieties including: horoscopes, trashy novels, ‘girlie or adult’ magazines, etc.

But spiritual junk food isn’t just printed matter, it can include TV shows such as Love Island or I’m A Celebrity or Big Brother or some of the trashy so-called comedy shows such as Young Offenders.

I don’t know what the American equivalent is but I’m sure there is one. If we fill our bellies on junk food it changes us and makes us unhealthy – if we fill our minds with spiritual junk food that also changes us in a most unhealthy way. And that can also be the spiritual junk food of focussing on the negative, the critical, all pat of the unhealthy junk food we feed from. Soon Jesus’ command to love goes out the window it becomes all about ME. – we’ve all been there!

We are constantly being reminded about the benefits of a healthy, well-balanced diet and that can even include the occasional decadent pastry. Our spirits also require a well-balanced diet; that should include Bible reading and prayer but it can also include a good novel or biography. It can include Songs of Praise on the TV as well as a good drama or documentary. Avoid the junk at all costs, both printed or visual, because that can be a slippery slope into unknown territory. But how serious are we about the scriptures, do we go to them each day praying for the Holy Spirit to enlighten us on whatever passage we are reading, or do we know them in a way we can turn to them to feed and strengthen us through our darkest time, Jesus through one of his many challenging times faces the devil himself in the desert he had fasted – gone without any physical sustenance for 40 days and satan tests him, ‘if you are the son of god turn these stones into bread’ Jesus even though hungry replies, ‘it is written man shall not live o bread alone (physical) but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Mtt 4:3-4)Jesus knew where to turn to for his sustenance.

A couple of weeks ago we heard the psalmist proclaim “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119-105) In these dark times we need all the illumination we can get to find our way. Let’s keep our path well lit with good spiritual nourishment instead of stumbling around in the dark because we consume spiritual junk food.

Amen

St Francis What’s next! Trinity 6   Romans 8:12-25

We are back! Praise God, for those who are able or wish to join together in services in Church buildings.

Today’s Psalm speaks so clearly of how we might think at this exciting time. Psalm 86.11 (NLT)
“Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honour you! Amen.
And that is what we do this day. Honour our God.

While our Gospel reading recounts the wonderful parable of the wheat and the weeds, I would like to focus our thinking this m Paul’s letter to the Romans Chp 8

We may not be as familiar with it but most of us I am sure will be familiar with one phrase from this passage.

Paul says
“You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Sprit when he adopted you as his own children, Now we call him, Abba, Father,” (Rom 8.15) (from the NTL New Living Translation)

This whole section of the Letter is talking about life in the Sprit which even some Christians pay small attention to especially when life seems overwhelming, we can neglect the power and the grace that is given to us through God the Holy Spirit. And when things are going well, we too can forget the third person of the almighty Trinity and consciously or not rely on our own strength and wisdom.
So Paul reminds us
“We have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.
So instead of living in our own strength and wisdom that can hove us governed or lead by our basic human nature, which Paul addresses as our ‘sinful nature, we can, and should , be governed by God’s Holy Spirit within us.

It is of course, like most things in life, our choice.
We can choose to let the Holy Spirit guide us through life or we can (and sometimes do) choose to take the path of least resistance, the easy path, and the path of instant pleasure whatever that may be, the path of sin.

A message we don’t often like being reminded of.

If we were to look at the message version of the bible, it is very clear,
“The resurrection life you have received from God is to a timid grave-tending life, it’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, ‘What’s next papa? (Rom 8:15)
You can hear the excitement, the expectation that God always has something new for us.

Throughout this whole period of the Corona Virus and its effect on us, there must have been many times when people (including us) have heaved a heavy sigh and groaned something like
Oh” God whatever next?
It has just been one thing after another and it seemingly never stopped.

In times of great challenge and difficulty people find all sorts of reasons to blame the current situation on. (And I have even heard some over these months) have put the blame firmly at the foot of God,

While others say it is satan at work and the is held responsible.
While that may be the thinking of some, while I Believe Satan is certainly taking full advantage of this situation to cause as much chaos to people he can, I don’t think we can attribute it to him.

Just as for those who attribute it to God’s doing, I doubt that is God’s punishment on a wayward world as some will claim.

Lockdown will have produced panic, frustration, short tempers, and a whole host of other things that the devil will use to drag people into sin, we all watched as people buying, punched and shoved other in the frantic hurry to grab things they wanted or needed. And the atrocious behaviour of the many whom as lockdown is lifting, we get daily reports of stabbings, of attacks on innocent people, of car rage, of hooliganism, you name it we are hearing of it, and I believe satan is right there laughing with glee.  Be alert and of a sober mind, your enemy the devil Prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8)

So we can’t blame the devil when it was one of us perhaps doing the punching r shoving:

WE chose that course of action very constraint, as I other areas of our lives, computer hacking, free reign on our sexual practices, speaking untruths to get the upper hand, aggressive behaviour to make us feel more powerful or in control of another.

These are all things we chose or refuse.

We chose our course of action over constraint, but I don’t doubt the devil nudges us, sometimes hacking into our weaknesses to make wrong choices.

But while we watched people punching and shoving, and taking advantage of the more vulnerable in our societies,
we also witnessed the exact opposite , People going out of their way to help some get much needed things; often giving up their own items to someone more in need.

You can be sure that the devil cringes when he watches acts of love and kindness, because the person was choosing to be guided by good, by the Holy Spirit, rather in their basic sinful nature.

Whether we groan Oh God, what next?”
Or whether we exclaim excitedly what’s next Lord!” depends entirely on what we let control our lives, is it our Sinful nature or is it the Holy Spirit?

Let’s remember one thing. God never promised that his people would live troubled free lives.
What he does promise the person of faith is that He will be with us when we encounter trouble in our lives.
We hear this through the Prophet Isaiah

When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end – Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savour (Isaiah 43:2 The message version)

Even Jesus alludes to this I his parable of houses built on sand or rock (Mtt7:24-27)
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

People who build their lives on the rock of Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit don’t avoid problems but he anchors them I their problems.
Is worth choosing to let our lives be guided by the Spirit?
According to St Paul it is, reckons so,
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[c] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

It’s all down to our choice, the opening sentence Psalm 86.11 asked God to grant us purity of heart. One of my favourite hymns Purify m heart, let me be as gold and precious silver’ with the chorus that says
My heart’s one desire is to be holy, set apart for you, Lord; I choose to be holy….

We have a choice of serving our sinful nature (death) or serving God though his Holy Spirit (life).
Every day we could ask ourselves,

Which do we choose?
Which do I choose?
Let’s choose a holy life. And then ask What’s next Lord?

St Francis Church are in partnership with the Co-op food share which gives away surplus food to anyone in the community, it will be available on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9.00am.

if you could benefit from this please feel free to come along.no two days are the same, the food available will vary depending on what’s available on the day.

However a typical collection would be from the bakery, Bread, Cakes, fresh fruit and veg and also some fresh meat and chilled products.

A LETTER FOR THE TIMES

As I was sorting some paperwork I came across this invaluable writing that was sent to me and I would like to share with you. May it encourage all of us?

A letter from rev Dr. Carla Grosch-Miller

Dear friends

As I sit at me desk and write this, I am aware of a tumult of emotion: deep concern for you and for all, a sense of being unmoored and unsettled, fear, numbness, great love and a morsel of hope. I imagine that you too since the outbreak of Covid-19 have been unsettled, concerned, afraid, numb, loving, and hopeful and had other surprising emotions.

The first think I want to say it that whatever you are experiencing, it is completely normal. It is how you – your nervous system with your life experience – strive to cope with an over whelming and uncertain situation. Speak kindly to yourself; acknowledge the confusion and challenge of these times breathe deeply.

We are the children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and more of people who came through the Great War, the Spanish influenza, the Great Depression, the Blitz, and the deprivations of World War 11 and the Austerity.

We are survivors. there is in us a reserve of strength and wisdom that will accompany us through this pandemic Recall how you have survived other challenges; draw lessons from your own experience and that of others.

Our Bible was create by people who endured great traumas and rose to rebuild their lives and even sing praises to God who made us whose love never lets us go.

From slavery in Egypt and fort years wilderness wandering, to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the Exile, through the crucifixion of Jesus and the persecution of early Followers of the Way, they knew that the only way through hard times is to cling t God and to their communities of faith and to move through the crisis. They accepted the harsh reality of life and leaned into it doing what they had to do.

Dozens of times in the scriptures people are told “do not fear”. They are told it because fear is real and there are dangers. Fear is not amoral failing; it can be realistic, or a warning, or information about the need to tread carefully. We cannot eradicate fear – nor have the last word.

The empty tomb is a testament to the power of love over fear, and love never dies. So when fear arises, we breathe deep and draw on those reserves of strength and wisdom our forebears gave us. We rise and walk the way of faith, remembering as the writer of 2 Timothy 1:7 said, that

God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self –discipline.

My prayer for all of in this difficult time is that we will connect with those deep reserves ad that we will use our power, our love and our self-discipline to keep ourselves and each other as safe and healthy as possible.

The best antidote to fear are love and laughter – so stay connected to loved ones and enjoy the good things in life that are before you; breathe fresh air everyday; move; phone a friend or someone who needs one.

Pry the psalms – the ancients kept an open channel to God;

The invitation stands for us also to speak the truth of our feeling to the One who holds the world in a wide embrace, and then to listen. Read the gospel through; deep springs of living water will refresh.

We have what we need.

In Christian love,

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St Francis 14^th 6.2020         Not Self-Made, Trinity 2-20, Using Psalm 100

We have probably heard the phrase he is a self-made man or she is a self-made woman. I have in my life met such a person, as you may have but we’ve all heard of many. In the past they were the cotton barons of the industrial revolution or the oil barons of the US. Today such a person might be Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos or some other techno-baron; anybody who started with nothing and ends up with everything.

These are the self-made of the world and each country has some.

But this saying contradicts Psalm 100 which quite plainly tells us “Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and not we ourselves.” (Ps 100.3)

Many Bible translations today simply say that God made us and we are his. But the King James Bible and a few newer translations still remind us that we didn’t make ourselves. I think we need to remember that there are no self-made men or women, we are all children of God. I wonder if the abundance of so-called self-made people subconsciously influenced those who compiled the more recent Bible versions, hence the change in verse 3 of that psalm.

The psalmist wouldn’t agree that someone is self-made; he knows that we are all God-made. And being God-made means that we all share something of God in us. We are made in God’s image. Sometimes its hard for some to grasp that.

The psalmist in last week’s psalm couldn’t grasp it, we hear him ask “What are mortals, that you should be mindful of them; mere human beings, that you should seek them out? You have made them little lower than the angels and crown them with glory and honour.” (Ps 8.5-6) Again this psalm reiterates that God made us; but he didn’t just make us like some toy you wind up and let loose. God made us and he is mindful of us, seeks us out and wants to guide us; he is careful of us and cares for us.

Jesus was (and still is) the same. We read in Matthew’s gospel set for today “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt 9.36)

Jesus didn’t just observe the people’s problems, he did something about it.

“Jesus went throughout all the towns… preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.” (Matt 9.35)

And he went even further, sending out his disciples to do the same thing.

“Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them… Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” (Matt 10.5,8)

Sometimes we all need a reminder that you and I are a child of God,

And as such we can count on him to care for us no matter what and he seeks after us no matter what.

In the midst of this crisis there are probably some (perhaps even some of us) who think that God has forgotten us and abandoned us.

The people of Israel thought that in the midst of one of their many troubles and God reminded them “Israel said, The Lord has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.” But God replies through the Prophet Isaiah “Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast?… Even if mothers were to forget, I could never forget you! Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms” (Isaiah 49.14-16)

God says the same thing to you and me telling us he can never forget us because our names are inscribed on his palms and in his heart. He knows what we are going through and he goes through it with us.

In St. Paul’s letter to Rome set for today he talks about hard times and he reminds us “suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.   And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Yes the current situation has been difficult and challenging but we have seen the extent to which many have risen to the challenges and are doing so much through it all. We see it on the news shining out amidst the doom and gloom. We have experienced it ourselves with the help that has been given to us or the help we have given to others. I suspect the self-made of today’s world have experienced very little of this, neither helping others nor being helped.

So let’s all remember the truth of Psalm 100 “Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and not we ourselves.” And then let’s remember that since God made us he cares for us and says to you and to me

“I could never forget you! Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms.” And through the rest of this time of crisis let’s follow Jesus’ instruction “Freely you received, freely give.”

Amen

Over the last week or so I have been receiving emails, text messages and face book messages on the issue of the appalling incident of the death of George Floyd, a young black man killed by a white police officer and the pursuing riots that have erupted in the USA. And the following marches in other countries.

I read messages of support for Georges family and comments about what should happen now.

I have also received messages of the anger of others who have felt outraged at the situation but also ask why there was (seemed to be) no justice, no accountability and no marches or riots in the UK for the young British guardsman Lee James Rigby who was run over and then hacked to death on the streets of London by two black men.

Both were horrifically violent and senseless deaths.

First of all, I’m sure we are all aware that the American police officers have been arrested and up for charges of 2nd degree murder

There is a due process going on and we can only pray that justice will be done.

I think we need to recognise that racism is prevalent almost everywhere, racism of many kinds. But there is no denying it has a very, very, long deep and unhappy history in the United States of America, I believe more than most.

While not claiming to be an expert or particularly knowledgeable in the subject, but I have over the last 10 years belonged to a group who have been studying different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups of the world, which I continue to learn from.

But for anyone who has read, studied or knows anything about the history of the racial prejudice in America cannot be anything but deeply saddened by the situation that has existed throughout its history.

When we look back to 1776 at the time of the Declaration of Independence; The constitution of the United States of America.

With wonderful sounding words of

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain undeniable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness “

Wonderful ideals but from the very start these did not apply to black people in USA

If you look at George Washington, the first president of the United States kept slaves.

Some other founding fathers – not all some did speak out against it – but many others also have slaves.

So a deeply unhappy history is there from the very beginning, of America as an independent nation. The civil war in the 19th century was fought largely over the issue of slavery sadly even that didn’t solve the issue.

And Martin Luther King and the black civil rights movement in the 1960s did not see an end to the problem.

And that desperately unhappy history over America hangs on.

It hangs over American politics

It hangs over society

And even hangs over in some church life today.

That said,

Looking at the rioting and violence, looting the beating of innocent people on the streets of America, the news that some of the protesters burnt to the ground a local business which had served its community for

generations was destroyed and the lively hood of a family firm that had been going for over 100 years, destroying not just the business but the lives of those who were part of their own community, and the list goes on. None of which can be condoned!

To their credit the family of George Floyd have spoken out against this aspect of the marches and protests and it does little to stand up for the message trying to be told.

That being said it doesn’t take away from the desperate and tragic history of race in America.

So as Christians how are we to respond to it?

First, I think we should respond to to it in the way we should as Christians respond to any issue, any problem or anything that comes our way as Christians.

We should turn to scripture, turn to the bible to see what that says about the issues we may face,

How does the bible face the issue of race whether it black, brown, white yellow!

What does the word of God say about this issue and how do we approach it in respect to the bible.

Let’s us start with the foundational belief in as much as

We surely have to affirm that God has created each and every human person, every man and woman in his own image.

Take a look at scripture the Foundational text we read from the bible

Gen 1:27

So God created man in his own image

He created them in the image of God;

He created them male and female.

God blessed them, and God said to the, “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the whole earth, and subdue it”

I’m sure we are all aware that The Genesis text is utterly unique in saying that all human beings are created in the image and the likeness, of God.

Therefore, human life, no matter who we are, whatever our Abilities whatever our skin colour, every person has genuine worth, every person has value, As human beings We are all created in the image of God.

We are not only equal in his creation but we are also equal in redemption.

We are all equal in God’s plan of salvation,

Again from scripture In the NT

Galatians 3 28

There is neither, Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

“There is no Jew or Greek,” those would be racial or ethnic categories.

Yes there were religious categories but no racial or ethnic categories:

There is neither slave nor free, social categories.

There is no male or female, biological categories.

All of those have been transcended, in and through Jesus Christ.

So we are equal in creation and we’re equal in salvation

So how will it all ends,

If we look at the end of the bible, the book of revelation, describes the vision the bible has for the future, of Gods future

Let’s first take a look at heaven; we are all familiar with the term, even our own understanding of what that means

But let’s see what the bible says about it in terms of the end times.

What according the bible does heaven look like, according to the

Heaven looks like this

Rev 7 v 9

“After this I looked, and there was a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the lamb. -Jesus, and they were robed in white holding palm branches in their hands and they cried out in a loud voice,

Salvation belongs to our God,

Who is seated on the throne and to the lamb?

That is God’s vision for the future, for the end times.

People from every nation, tribe, and tongue. Who worshipped the lamb, who worshipped Jesus.

So what’s Gods purpose in all this?

His purpose is to unite the human race under our Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe that the only way that people are going to be united as a human race is in and through Jesus.

The bible tells us that we are All, Sinners whatever nation, tribe, tongue all of us , and the only one saviour there is Christ and only one way to be united, and to find our way back to God is through Christ.

So how can we respond to this practically?

We start by checking our own thoughts, our own hidden prejudices of any kind, colour, intellect, ability, asking Gods cleansing and healing

What else practically can we do, we can make sure our church a welcoming place for all. Again No matter what race, tongue, ability, status or colour.

In doing so we strive to make sure that our church is open and welcoming to all.

Blessings of peace, kindness and compassion and understanding be bestowed on us all.

Stefanie

Please find a list of some of our virtual services

Click on a link to join in or just read along with one of our services

Trinity_service

Pentecost Service

Thy_kingdom_come_Service

Ascension_day_service

Easter_service

Homily for Trinity-20

Let’s go back in time 150 years – you are living on a small-holding near the edge of nowhere. It’s late autumn and you are up well before dawn, dressing as warmly as possible against the chill of the morning. You make your way to the cow shed where Bessie awaits her morning milking. Going inside you stumble slightly on the uneven floor of the shed and sit down to get this first chore done. Finally finished you get up, taking your precious pail of milk and head back to the cottage. The uneven floor again makes you stumble and you almost lose your precious cargo. As you steady yourself you thank heaven for the milking stool which kept you stable as you did your morning chore. Heading back into the relative warmth of the cottage you push that last thought aside and get on with the rest of the day.

It’s Trinity Sunday where we who preach vainly try to convey some sense of this God of ours which is one yet three. Over the centuries many things have been used as an analogy for the Trinity: eggs, the three states of water (ice, liquid, steam) a shamrock and other things. I’ve even used the three coloured dots that make up our TV and other screens.

I’m not sure that a milking stool has been used very often (if ever) to try and make sense of the trinity.

I’m sure the Lord will forgive and understand me as He has others, comparing the Trinity with such things as an egg, a three leaf clover, water and now a milking stool. But he knows the importance of trying to help us understand the intricacy and unity of his almighty being, three in one. So a   milking stool it is.

The inherent stability of a milking stool is its three legs which will find a firm footing no matter how uneven the floor.

Four legs however are no good as we have all experienced in a restaurant where the table wobbles badly till you finally put something under the offending leg. In this case less is better and three infinitely better than four. The milking stool doesn’t level out the floor – it remains uneven – the stool just allows us to be stable on the uneven floor. God is like that.

He doesn’t level out the uneven floors of life, he just holds us steady as we traverse them. Jesus knew about this. He told a parable of two people who build a house. One built on sand the other on bedrock. Jesus said that when the storm came it washed away the house on sand but the house on bedrock remained firm. (Matt 7.24-27) Jesus didn’t say IF the storms come, he said WHEN they come. Life’s storms come, and for those with no foundation those storms can (and sometimes do) overwhelm. For the person of faith however life’s storms batter, and may even bruise, but the bedrock of their faith gives them stability.

If there is one thing we all need in these turbulent times it is stability. And God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – can be to us that milking stool providing a stable platform upon which to sit. For the milking stool to be effective though all three legs need to be equal. If one is too short or too long it reduces the effectiveness and stability of the stool. Just as the legs of our stool need to be equal, for God to be fully functional all three persons must be equal. Unfortunately we often see a distorted image of God. Some churches/individuals focus mostly on Jesus while the Father and Holy Spirit are minimized.

The official creeds of the church are partly responsible for this. 80% of the Apostle’s Creed is devoted to Jesus leaving only 20% for the Father and Holy Spirit and they are not equally divided. Our creeds and our traditions help distort our perceptions of God, but our distorted perceptions don’t in any way change him – he remains three persons equal in importance.

But our distorted perceptions can reduce the effectiveness of God working in our lives. If we largely ignore the Holy Spirit, then we reduce his ability to work his part in our lives by giving us insight into the truths of the Bible or guiding us. Or to work in from our own limited strength rather than His.

Here we are in the midst of a pandemic that has changed our lives; possibly forever. Let’s ask God the Father who creates all things to create the antidote to this virus. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten and guide those working on this antidote. And let’s ask Jesus to continue his work of salvation bringing hope and comfort to many.

The floor of our lives has always been uneven, but it has gotten more out of kilter and will likely remain that way for some time. As we tread that floor into the future let’s cling fast to our stabilizer asking God to steady us through this uncertain time. And remember that through all this there is one certainty and that is God. Let’s follow St. Peter’s advice given in his first letter to Christians “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Pet 5.7) The psalmist tells us “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” (Psalm 37.23-24)

So as the hymn tells us Put your hand in the hand of the man From Galilee and allow God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – to be a stable milking stool upon which we can rest.

Amen