A Thought for the week Archive

Sunday 27 August 2023

TRINITY 12
THE MANTLE OF INDIFFERENCE

As we reach the end of summer, and as autumn gently approaches, we may look back over recent months, thankful that the regulations imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic have now largely gone.  Freedom movement has been restored.  The hospitality industry, though struggling in places, is up and running again.  People are mixing freely and social interactions are part of everyday life again.  Though there are reports of active variants, these are being carefully monitored in the meantime.

There are many people infected with another virus for which a lasting cure has yet to be found.  This is the virus called "indifference" or "apathy."  Denis Duncan has written that "indifference" is a dangerous and infectious disease which, left untreated, can quickly develop into something worse, and is now endemic in every area of life.  At the root of this virus is the "couldn't-care-less" attitude that causes people to shrug their shoulders when a stance or decision is called for.

In the Book of Lamentations (1:1-12), we hear that Jerusalem is doomed, and the reader is invited into the world of this frightened city, speaking as a person about "my sorrow", "my suffering" and "my distress."  The story makes a plea for others to recognise its fate:  "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?" Behind this question lies a fear that there will be those who will be indifferent to the city's pending disaster - they will have an "air of apathy", with little or no interest in the city's tragic tale.

There are those who wear "the mantle of indifference" today, and display their apathy in many ways.  For example, apathy shows itself in the acceptance of, or in a casual attitude to wrong-doing.  The deterioration of standards in society, the insensitivity to grace and goodness, and the rejection of values once deemed necessary for our wellbeing, also testify to the apathy that has infected so much of our culture. With so many of our churches closing, and the spiritual state of the nation is in dire straits, there are those who find this a painful experience. There are also those for whom this is of little or no concern, and dismiss it with a "Who cares?" frame of mind.

In 1795 Edmund Burke (British statesman and writer) said that "There is nothing so fatal to religion than indifference."  Quoting John of Salisbury, Burke argued that "the torpor of indifference" is the real force Christians must contend with.  Indeed, in our secular times, it is maintained that Christianity has to wrestle more with indifference, than with open hostility. 

In the Book of Revelation (3:14-22), judgment is passed on the church at Laodicea, a city now located in modern Turkey.  A wealthy, industrial and prosperous city, the Christians there have wavered in their commitment, and are neither hot nor cold, but only "lukewarm" in their faith.   They have donned "the mantle of indifference", and, deceived by material success, are blind to their spiritual poverty.  A thriving commercial and trading centre, this prosperous city had lost its enthusiasm for religion, and preferred a respectable morality to a passionate faith.  As a result, a great medical, manufacturing, banking and financial hub stood condemned by the risen Christ for being lukewarm or tepid in matters religious.

Indifference and apathy are dangerous and highly infectious. They breed a casual, carefree, couldn't-care-less attitude of mind that allows all kinds of things to happen. It has even come to light that there were those for whom the pandemic was never taken with the seriousness it deserved - people who ought to have known better - people who were making and enforcing the rules the rest of us were instructed to obey.  

Indifference and apathy are not only a problem for modern Christianity.  They have eaten into the very fabric of our life, and this malignant virus undermines our industry, our politics, our institutions, our culture, our professions, and have helped to breed the cynicism and contempt with which we are so familiar.

May God give us grace to cast off "the mantle of indifference", so that we stand for something - lest in our apathy we fall for anything!

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?"
Let that question never be asked of us!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

We acknowledge, O God, in your presence,
that the mantle of indifference
 so easily takes hold of us
and spoils our Christian discipleship:
 our indifference to your word,
 our indifference to your will,
 our indifference to your promises,
 our indifference to your presence....
We acknowledge, O God, the sin of apathy,
 making us lukewarm in our devotion,
 half-hearted in our service,
 uncertain in our commitment,
 insincere in our dealings with others
 and in our dealings with you....
Set us free from our past unconcern,
and help us by your renewing grace
to stand firm for what is right,
and to know, and love and serve you better;
 to the glory of your name.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

May God, who is the ground of hope,
fill us with all joy and peace
as we lead the life of faith,
until, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
we overflow with hope.

And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.
Amen.

Sunday 20 August 2023

TRINITY 11
CREATIVE SILENCE

"Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways."

The hymn, Dear Lord and Father of mankind, was once voted the most popular in this country.  Written by the American Quaker-poet, John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), Whittier describes what is for him the authentic spirit of Christian worship: the Quaker ideals of simplicity, stillness and silence.  Real worship, he insists, is something inward, not outward,  and is more concerned with the heart and life, than it is with purely "churchly" activities.  Whittier illustrates this theme from Scripture, and refers to the "still small voice" with which God spoke to Elijah on Mount Carmel.

In reality, however, the worship of the early Christian Church was not silent.  It was vocal and musical, with "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs," and it did not lack outward forms or rites.  The Lord's Supper, for example, was faithfully observed in obedience to Christ's command. Nevertheless, with beautiful poetic artistry, Whittier teaches us a salutary lesson about the place of silence in worship, and about the need to cultivate a calm and restful spirit in our daily lives.

Silence has always been highly valued.  Thomas Carlyle, that well-known man of letters from Ecclefechan in Dumfriesshire, said that "Silence is as deep as Eternity, speech is as shallow as Time."  Christina Rossetti, herself a gifted hymn writer, remarked that silence is "more musical than any song", while Thomas Hardy, the English novelist and poet, is on record as saying that "That man's silence is wonderful to listen to."  Silence has always been highly valued, and God has often communicated through it with his people.

In 1 Kings 19 we find the prophet Elijah in a depressed state.  Hounded by the prophets of Baal, and facing the faithlessness and the hostility of the Israelites, he informs God that he is a complete failure and asks God to take away his life. His morale is temporarily boosted by an angel and he sets off again, travelling for forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb, where he enters a cave for the night.  His depressed state returns, but God chooses to speak to him, and in a most unusual way.  The voice of the Lord comes to Elijah, not in a strong wind, or in an earthquake, or in a fire, but in "a faint murmuring sound" - in the stillness and the calm of evening.  In the quietness, the prophet receives renewed hope for the future.

We live in a world of words.  Each day we are bombarded with words, spoken or written, and often transmitted to us in a noisy way.  It is little wonder that Rudyard Kipling said that "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." This applies to the Church and to worship, as much as it does to anything else, especially in light of a comment once made that of all world religions, Christianity is by far the noisiest!

There is arguably nowadays a ripe opportunity to rediscover the value of "creative silence" in Christian devotion.  Though much of our worship consists of word and action, and with what St. Paul calls "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs," there is surely a place for "creative silence," where the voice of God may come to us, as it came to Elijah, in "a faint murmuring sound" - in stillness, and in quietness.  In 2017 Julia Monnin, a spiritual writer, penned a book with the title The World is Noisy - God Whispers, a series of short reflections from her own spiritual journal. Her title is an apt one for our day.  The world is noisy, and we forget that God can speak to us in a whisper, as well as in a more dramatic way.

There is an urgent need today to cultivate a much more restful spirit in our lives; and a healthy measure of "creative silence" in worship may well be an authentic way of helping to bring this about.

Finding God in the silence was the blessing that came to Elijah.  So can it be for all of us.  The world is noisy - God whispers.  That is a lesson to remember.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

"Be still, and know that I am God."

Lord of our living conscience,
you speak to us in the call of duty,
and in the still, small voice of calm.
In this noisy, tumultuous world,
we confess that we have failed
to listen to that voice,
calling us to love and obedience....
We confess that, distracted by 
so much sound, all around us,
we have been deaf to your word
and deaf to the cries of those in need....
In your mercy, forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
and grant that through creative silence,
we may discern your purpose for us
and find the courage to fulfil it;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

A PRAYER FOR INNER PEACE

Set free, O Lord, the souls of your servants
from all restlessness and anxiety.
Give us your peace and power,
and so keep us that,
in all perplexity and distress,
we may abide in you,
upheld by your strength,
and stayed on the rock of your faithfulness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

From:   Common Order (Church of Scotland),
             Edinburgh 1994, 466

THE BLESSING

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all,
now and evermore.   Amen.

Sunday 13 August 2023

TRINITY 10
WITH ALL OUR MIND

Very soon, the summer holidays come to an end for our school children in South Ayrshire.  On Monday week, the schools reopen for pupils, following a summer of mixed weather, with more showers than sunshine.  With the holidays almost over, it is back to school for the staff on Thursday, and the pupils the following Monday.

Society rightly stresses education and learning, and regards them as a lifelong process, rather than something we focus on in our formative years.  We were always warned that when our university days were over, the learning process continued as a lifelong commitment.  In some ways, on reflection, our learning only really started after we had qualified.

In St. Luke's Gospel (10: 27), Jesus was approached by a lawyer, who wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus told him that he must love God, not only with all his heart, mind and soul, but also with all his mind.  What Jesus is saying to us today is that we are to love God with every faculty we possess.  This includes the mind.  We must think critically about our faith, and about how we apply it in a scientific age. To examine what we believe in this way is not an affront to God, but part of the way in which we express our love for him.

Historians tell us that the Christian faith spread rapidly through Asia and into Europe because, among other things, the first Christians could ably out-argue their opponents, and clothe their Christianity in a cloak of credibility.  Rigorous thinking confounded their critics.  Could this be said of us in modern times?

Nowadays, many people take their beliefs, their ethics, their moral choices, and their entire understanding of reality from the television, the newspaper, or some other source.  We live in a world in which information abounds, with recognised experts on almost every subject.  The internet has made it easier and quicker to gain access to information, but the daunting question arises:  what is true, and what is "fake news?"  The need for discernment has never been greater, and in some instances never more urgent.

In times like these, we need to apply our minds and think about matters that affect us at a critical level.  This applies as much to our Christian faith, as it does to everything else.  In a scientific-focused world, where faith in science and human progress have largely displaced faith in God as found in Jesus Christ, we must love God "with all our mind," and make a case for the convictions we hold so dear.

We are called to be Christian "case makers," and to make "case making" an integral part of our Christian identity.  After all, we are told (1 Peter 3: 15)  that we should always be ready to give a defence of our faith, and of the Christian worldview, albeit with gentleness and respect.

This requires serious brainwork on our part.  God has no interest in lazy thinking.  He has given us the faculties to think closely, carefully and critically. Indeed, the renewed mind plays a vital role in expressing our devotion to him!

"It's time to know why you believe what you believe."
(J. Warner Wallace)

A PRAYER FOR EDUCATION AND LEARNING
(in light of our young people returning to school)

God of truth, the only wise God,
you have commanded us to love you
with all our mind.
So bless the work of schools
and colleges and universities,
that in them, the truth may be never be denied,
betrayed, concealed,
but be honoured, followed, and obeyed.
Guide teachers and students in their endeavours
to seek and serve the truth:
may their learning never cut them off from the community,
but lead them towards
enlarged and selfless service.
Grant that learning may flourish among us,
as a means both of enriching our lives
and of drawing us nearer to you
from whom all truth proceeds;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

From:   Common Order (Church of Scotland),
             Edinburgh, 483

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

O God, forasmuch as without you
we are not able to please you:
mercifully grant that in all things,
at all times, and in all places,
your Holy Spirit may direct 
and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

May the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
rest upon us, and remain with us,
now and for evermore.   Amen.

Sunday 6 August 2023

TRINITY 9
THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY

In modern times, the whole question of identity is one of supreme importance.  Time after time we are asked to confirm our identity by producing a raft of documents, such as our passport, driving-licence, a recent bank statement or utility bill.  Identity theft and other scams are so rife that the need to prove our identity has become more of a compulsion than an option.

In the Old Testament, we are told in the Book of Genesis (1: 27) that human beings have a unique identity, in that they are made in God's image and likeness.  God has involved himself directly in the creation of his people. This does not necessarily mean that there is a divine element in human beings that takes away their creatureliness.  Rather, it means that we alone in God's creation can talk to him, listen to him, obey or disobey him - we can be his representatives on earth.  In that sense, we have a unique identity as bearers of his image.

In the New Testament, we often find the apostle Paul stating his identity, when writing to the various churches of his day.  Thus, in Ephesians (1: 1), he says that this letter is "From Paul, by the will of God apostle of Christ Jesus," while he introduces himself to the Galatians (1: 1) in a more affirmative way: "From Paul, an apostle commissioned not by any human authority or human act, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead."

Jesus was often asked about his identity, and about whether or not he was God's Messiah.  There are times when he was rather coy about the matter, but the whole question of Jesus's identity took on a new form on his way to Caesarea Philippi.  In St. Mark's Gospel, (8: 27-30), we read that Jesus asked his disciples: "Who do people say I am?"  Having received various answers, Jesus then put the question directly to them: "And you, who do you say I am?" Peter came out with the bold answer: "You are the Messiah," after which Jesus charged them not to tell anyone about him.

In our society today, which is increasingly secular and takes much less notice of Christian or religious faith and practice, we may well wonder how to maintain our identity as followers of Jesus Christ. One response is to maintain our Christian integrity as much as possible, and live our lives by faith and example.  In other words, despite the pressure to let our identity as Christians falter or fade, we have an opportunity to hold on to what we believe, and put into practice the faith we profess.  

It has been well-said that our lives are "an open Gospel," and that our reputation as Christian people is judged by the contents.  If our identity is in our work, then success will go to our heads, and failure will go to our hearts.  If our identity is in our own self-esteem, then pride will rule us, and humility and grace vanish from us.

In so many areas of everyday life, the whole question of identity is supremely important.  It is also supremely important that we retain our identity as Christ's disciples, in a world that knows him not, or loves him little.

Someone once asked that if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be sufficient evidence to convict you?  Or would the charge against you be dropped?  This is worth pondering in an age where the need to prove our identity is paramount, and where the risk of losing our Christian identity is forever real.  This is also something the Church should consider over and over again, lest it becomes detached from the One who is its King and Head, and the Gospel dissolves into a frothy humanism.

Is our identity as a disciple of Jesus Christ immediately obvious?  Or is it something we hide and prefer to keep private?

"Our identity is not in our joy, and our identity is not in our suffering. Our identity is in Christ: and in him alone."  (Unknown)

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

God most holy,
we give you thanks
for bringing us out of the shadow of night
into the light of morning.
We ask you
for the joy of spending this day in your service,
so that when evening comes,
we may once more give you thanks,
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.   Amen.

From:   Common Order (Church of Scotland),
             Edinburgh 1994, 517

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward
save that of knowing that we do your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

May the love of the Father enfold us,
the wisdom of the sun enlighten us,
the fire of the Spirit inflame us;
and may the blessing of God rest upon us
and abide with us, now and evermore.   Amen.

Sunday 30 July 2023

TRINITY 8
A CULTURE OF BLAME

A news bulletin on the radio during the week reported that some hotels in NE Scotland have details of their Christmas events already on display!  This early intimation may shock us, as it is only July and many have not had their summer holidays.  Our first thought might be to apportion blame to the management for being so forward-looking at this time!

It is often said today that we live in "a culture of blame."  When something goes wrong, and when circumstances conspire against us, it must be someone's fault, and they must be held accountable.  It is also said that this "culture of blame" has created a climate of fear, in which people are afraid to express an opinion or take some action for fear of causing offence, or face howls of abuse. There are times when it is right to apportion blame to someone.  There are also times when this only makes a situation worse.

When Jesus and his disciples met a man blind from birth (St. John 9:1-17), the disciples' first response was to apportion blame for his lack of sight.  "Rabbi, why was this man born blind?" they asked Jesus. "Who sinned, this man or his parents?"  At this time, it was thought that a natural disability was the outcome of God's punishment on a sin or sins committed by the person themselves, or by their parents, or by an ancestor in a previous generation.  Their question was consistent with the thinking of that time.  In brief, their first response was to try and blame someone for the man's plight.

Jesus dismissed their curiosity, and said that the man was born blind so that God's healing power could be displayed in him.  The situation gave Jesus an opportunity to reveal God's power at work, and so he started at once the process of giving the man his sight. While the man celebrated this experience, and his friends and neighbours looked on in amazement, the Pharisees were much less complimentary, as Jesus had performed this act of healing on the Sabbath.

What Jesus did was to stifle an academic debate as to why the man was born blind, and get to the root of the problem by displaying the compassion at the very heart of God.  Jesus avoided the question of blame, and did something practical - namely, giving the blind man the precious gift of sight.

In modern times, we are always anxious to discover who or what is to blame for a particular circumstance or circumstances.  To try and achieve this, we set up enquiries, committees, and other agencies, usually chaired by a highly-respected judge or public figure, who make a judgement on the evidence in due course.  If we disagree with the findings of the enquiry, there is normally an appeal to conduct another one.  

An online blogger has said that "we are living in a blame culture, largely stirred up by an elite who see themselves as the guardians of mankind." People will blame anyone or anything for their problems, rather than take responsibility for them, and try to make their situation bearable and better.

It is true that we are living in "a culture of blame," and that someone must be held responsible for something that should not have happened.  This "culture of blame" is reinforced by the well-established practice of taking people to court for the slightest error on their part, seeking compensation for what they are believed to have done wrong.  "Compensation" - clearly a word for our times.

Seeing the man blind from birth, the first response of the disciples was to raise the question of blame.  "Rabbi, why was this man born blind?  Who sinned, this man or his parents?"  Jesus brushed this aside and declined to speculate on who was responsible.  Instead, he saw the blind man's plight as an opportunity to display the healing power of a loving God.  This story is a lesson to all of us, that while there are times when it is a sacred duty to apportion blame, there are also times when the first and the best course of action is to do as Jesus did: to forget about blame, and reveal the true compassion that is at the very heart of God.

"We have set our hope on the living God,
who is the Saviour of all."

A PRAYER FOR THIS WEEK

God of all goodness and grace,
giver of every good and perfect gift:
we give thanks for all your goodness
and loving kindness to us and to all people,
and for your constant care over all creation.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the richest blessings of this life;
but most of all for your precious gift of love,
freely given and without restriction or restraint.
In these times of continuing uncertainty,
help us to put our whole trust in you,
to faithfully follow wherever you lead,
and to rejoice in that love divine
which knows no borders or boundaries,
brought to us in Jesus Christ our Lord,
in whose name we pray.   Amen.

Gracious God, source of all life and love,
we ask your blessing on our world, our nation,
our church and community, and on everything
that is best about us, especially as this troubled
day and age afflicts so many of your people.
Enfold us and surround us with your presence;
assure us that your love will never let us go;
and may your saving power be at work among us
and among all nations, now and at all times;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself;
may the power of the Lord Jesus
strengthen us in his service;
may the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls;
and may the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with us and abide with us always.   Amen.

Sunday 23 July 2023

TRINITY 7
BROKENNESS AND WHOLENESS

During the week, Europe and parts of the USA have sweltered under extreme heat, with temperatures hitherto unknown, and causing much disruption, destruction and death in their wake.  In Scotland, the highest temperatures were recorded in June, when people struggled under a scorching sun to keep cool.  We are clearly not suited to such weather conditions, and shows that the climate is broken, and that urgent action must be taken to manage the damage and mend it.

In the Les Vauxbelets Valley, Saint Andrew, Guernsey (Channel Islands), there stands the Little Chapel, originally created by one Brother Deotat, who wanted to make in miniature the grotto and basilica at Lourdes. The
present building is the third version, and has been described as "probably the biggest tourist attraction in Guernsey."  The walls of the Little Chapel are decorated with seashells and pebbles, but also with pieces of broken glass, china and pottery, cemented on to the surface.  Viewed from a distance, the mosaic, in terms of colour and design, makes a pleasing whole, but seen close-up the effect of this is stunning.

Here is an outstanding example of how something broken and seemingly useless can in fact be made useful and invested with a new purpose.

In our day, when recycling is encouraged on a large-scale, we will find apparently useless material being re-used and given a new purpose.  

In a sense there is nothing new about this.  For instance, a long stretch of the M8 between Paisley and Glasgow once formed part of the runway at Renfrew  Airport, the domestic airport serving the city of Glasgow until its closure in 1966.  The well-preserved medieval Lanercost Priory, near Carlisle, in Cumbria, was largely built of stonework taken from the nearby Hadrian's Wall, while in modern times, steel tubes recovered from the oil and gas industry have been re-used on major construction projects.

Something broken and seemingly useless can in truth be made useful and invested with a new purpose.

Is this not true of the human race?  In St. John's Gospel (3: 16) we are told that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that everyone who has faith in him may not perish but have eternal life."  In other words, God loved the world in such a way that he sent his son Jesus Christ to reshape and redeem a fallen humanity - to give broken human beings a new dignity and purpose.  On the Cross, God in Christ embraced this world and its utter brokenness, offering healing and wholeness in the mystery of redemption.

There are many broken objects that turn out to be beyond repair.  An old vase or precious ornament may be smashed beyond restoration.  A fierce fire may destroy a historic house or reduce a forest to ashes.  Mindless vandalism can wreck anything from public property to private possessions, and irresponsible behaviour create a trail of brokenness in its wake.

Yet something broken can be made useful.  That is true of many things.  That is at the very heart of the Christian Gospel.  The initiative for the healing of our brokenness has been taken by God himself, and his purpose was, and is, to bring the world into the orbit of his love: not a nation, not a people, not just good people, but the broken and the bruised, and those with no one else to love them.  Even those who love God and those who never think about him are included in this healing, reconciling process.  "At the back of everything is the love of God." (William Barclay)

Something broken can be made useful.  The world and its people are prime examples, and the Gospel goes out of its way to tell us!

"On the Cross God took the brokenness of humanity and gave it a new dignity and worth."  (Anonymous)

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Most gracious God, our heavenly Father,
in whose love is our healing and wholeness:
we give thanks that you loved the world so much
that you sent your only Son to be our Saviour,
to heal us, to help us, and to redeem us from
our broken state.  Therefore, we humbly pray:
 take our sins, and turn them into virtue;
 take our doubts, and turn them into faith;
 take our failures and turn them into success;
 take our broken lives, and turn them into fit and
   effective instruments of your kingdom;
  through Jesus Christ our Lord.   AMEN.

THE BLESSING

God the Father,
God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit,
bless, preserve, and keep us,
this day, and for ever.   AMEN.

Sunday 16 July 2023

TRINITY 6
CHRIST IN THE STORM
A THOUGHT FOR SEA SUNDAY

The second Sunday of July is designated Sea Sunday, when we honour those who go out to sea in ships, and for whose devotion to duty we express our admiration and appreciation.  That said, there is no reason why Sea Sunday cannot be marked on any of the Sundays in July, and so we commemorate Sea Sunday today.

It is well-known that there are presently issues with Scottish ferries. Many in the fleet are ageing and in need of replacement, while others are breaking down or beset with technical problems.  The worst scenario for any seafarer or passenger must be the unexpected storm - something to which the Sea of Galilee was, and still is prone, and which caught Jesus and his disciples by surprise.

How would we respond in the situation they found themselves in?

A fact of life today is that we tend to put faith in self, rather than faith in Jesus Christ.  When 'adverse winds' arise, or when we face 'stormy waters', we are only too ready to trust our own judgment to navigate our way through them.  No call for divine action is thought to be necessary, as we are quite capable of handling the situation ourselves.   It has been said, however, that "self-confidence is a seductive route to self-deception."

That was the mistake the disciples' made.  They put too much faith in self, and far too little in Jesus Christ. When the storm arose on the Sea of Galilee, they started to panic, fearing they would lose their lives in one of the fierce and sudden squalls for which this stretch of water was notorious. The situation was worsened by Jesus sleeping in the boat, when, in their minds, he ought to have been doing something about it.

Jesus rebuked their lack of faith.  "Why are you such cowards?", he asked. "What little faith you have!"  The point of the story is perfectly clear.  In their hour of greatest need, when the disciples feared their very lives were in peril, Jesus came to them.  When the wind was contrary, and all seemed lost, Jesus was there to help, even if those around him had shown such lack of trust.

In recent times, we have faced 'adverse winds' of enormous proportions.  Never in our lifetime have we experienced such upheaval, that will leave a long-lasting medical, psychological, social and economic legacy. Throughout it all, we have not struggled alone.  In the tempest, the same Jesus Christ has come, with his hand outstretched to save.  Not only that, Jesus comes again and again, his clear voice bidding us to take heart and to trust in him alone.

In an age that puts so much faith in self, we must remember that, in the 'storms' and 'adverse winds' that life brings us, "we have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll."  

That anchor is Jesus Christ. 

"Those who go down to the sea in ships,
who do business on great waters,
they see the works of the Lord,
and his wonders in the deep."

A PRAYER FOR THE VOYAGE OF LIFE

Almighty and everlasting God,
our refuge and strength in every time of 
need or trouble, and our companion on
the voyage of life, ever faithful, ever sure:
grant that in every circumstance we face,
whether calm and peaceful, or whether rough,
we may put our faith, our trust in you alone;
for you are the protector of all who trust in you,
both in this life, and in the world to come;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

Go in peace.
God the Father,
God the Son, 
God the Holy Spirit,
bless, preserve, and keep us,
this day and for ever.   Amen.

Sunday 9 July 2023

TRINITY 5
INTERRUPTIONS

Over this last week, the tennis tournament at Wimbledon has been interrupted by heavy rain, with umbrellas and green covers very much in evidence.  This has interrupted the Tournament to a considerable extent, causing a backlog of matches to be played, with frustrated players having to wait nervously until their games could restart.

Life is full of interruptions.  We may be working on some project, or tidying up the garden, or engaged in some other work that demands concentration, when the 'phone rings, or someone calls unexpectedly to see us.  If we are doing written work, the least interruption can affect our train of thought and make it difficult, if not impossible, to focus our attention fully again on what we were doing.  Whatever the nature of the interruption, these can be exceedingly frustrating, and have an adverse impact on our stress level.

Throughout his public ministry, Jesus was prone to interruptions. A classic example is found in St. Mark 10: 46-52, where a blind beggar, a man called Bartimaeus, interrupted Jesus while he was passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem.  This was a week or so before the crucifixion and Jesus and the large crowd with him were probably making their way to the Passover festival.  We may be certain that by this time Jesus's mind was fully occupied with the drama that lay ahead of him.

Bartimaeus wanted Jesus to give him his sight, and when the crowd tried to silence him, Bartimaeus shouted all the louder.  Nothing was going to stop him from meeting Jesus, and of having the opportunity of getting what he wanted most.  On hearing his insistence, Jesus called him over, asked him what he wanted, and granted his request. Now the blind beggar gained his sight.

Interruptions may try our patience to the limit. Nevertheless, the next time we are exasperated by interruptions, let us remember that their frequency may be a compliment, and indicate a measure of how much trust people have in us, and of how much we contribute to our common life.  The American humorist, writer and illustrator, Don Herold, once said that "Interruptions are the spice of life," while Henri Nouwen, the Dutch priest and spiritual writer, claimed that he spent his whole life complaining about interruptions - until he discovered that interruptions were his work.

One of the worst things that could happen to us would be to become so disengaged from other people that no one would ever bother to trouble us, much preferring to leave us alone.  A ringing 'phone or a doorbell may be a nuisance, but if this stopped altogether, our lives would be much poorer.

After all, in the redemption of the world, God made the biggest interruption of all, sending Jesus Christ to come among us to do God's saving work. The whole Christ-event is a divine interruption, an intervention on God's part into human history.

How do we regard interruptions?  Are they a bane or are they a blessing? Are they a compliment or are they a cause for criticism or complaint?

It is salutary to remember that: "What we call an interruption may be a divine appointment."

Gracious God, grant that the interruptions that come our way may never be seen as an interference, but as an opportunity to listen, and to share the joys, the cares and the sorrows of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Most gracious God, ground of our hope,
on this, your holy day, your gift to us,
take the world and all its people
into your tender loving care.
Prosper its life, protect its environment,
heal its divisions, supply its needs;
and may your holy peace
come and rest upon our hearts,
for the glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

AN EVENING PRAYER

Almighty and everlasting God,
in whom we live and move and have our being:
as evening comes and the day departs,
help us to give you our thanks and praise,
to put our whole trust in your mercy,
to rejoice in your faithfulness towards us
and to rest content in your peace;
and in the morning, when the new day dawns,
prepare us to serve you in heart, mind and spirit;
for Jesus Christ our Lord's sake.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

May the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
rest upon us, and remain with us,
now and for evermore.   Amen.

Sunday 2 July 2023

TRINITY 4
CLOSENESS AND DISTANCE

The summer holidays are now upon us.  Some people are having another staycation in this country, perhaps going to one of our well-known resorts, or to a self-catering cottage in the countryside.  "Get away without breaking the bank!  Choose a staycation in the UK!" - so said a glossy holiday brochure.  Others will be going to a foreign destination to soak up the sunshine rather than showers, while many have said that their summer holiday this year will be one of reunion with family and friends: meeting with loved ones they haven't seen for several years, and enjoying the closeness such reunions bring.

There are times in life when we need the closeness of family and friends.  In times of anxiety or difficulty, we value the company of those who willingly and cheerfully uplift and support us.  John Donne, the English poet, scholar, soldier and Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London (1621-1631) famously stated that "no man is an island" - we all need human contact and are dependent on one another.

Jesus was well aware of this human need for closeness. Throughout his ministry, Jesus used closeness as a pastoral tool, getting close to people as a means of helping and healing them, and of restoring their dignity and worth. Jesus got close to Nicodemus who, burdened with questions, came to him secretly by night.  We see closeness in the conversation Jesus has with the woman from Samaria, whom he met at the well of Sychar; and we see it in his meeting with Zacchaeus, the hated tax-collector, whom he ordered to come down from a sycamore tree so that he might be a guest in his house.

There are also times in life when people do not need closeness but distance.  In other words, there are occasions when people need what we call "space," and when the "ministry of closeness" is not appropriate. In St. Luke's Gospel (18: 18-30), there is the story of a rich ruler, unable to meet the demands of discipleship because of his trust in his "great possessions."  In this context, the term "ruler" might refer to a local magistrate, public official or civil servant, or even an officer in the Jewish synagogue.  

What is significant in the various versions of this story is that Jesus respected the man's decision to walk away. Jesus made no effort to try and persuade or cajole him into discipleship, not did he even engage in debate or discussion.  Jesus "warmed" to the man, but let him go, wholly respecting his decision..  This man needed "space" to reassess his priorities in the light of what Jesus had told him. The "ministry of distance" was the better option.

There are times in our life when we need not closeness but distance. There are moments when we need "space." When something unexpectedly comes our way that requires serious thinking, the closeness of other people, however well-intentioned, may become a distraction, rather than a solution. In truth, we all need "space" at one time or another in our lives - times when we need to get away from everything and everyone, and not feel constrained by the closeness of others.

A leading psychologist writes that there is a need for "personal space" in our lives.  There are moments when we must disengage from the world, its constant busyness, and even its people, and withdraw to a quiet place to refresh our minds and strengthen our mental and spiritual well-being.  She says that this might explain the increasing number of "retreats" and "quiet days" that mainstream churches have organised in recent years.  Jesus himself knew when '"closeness" was appropriate.  He also knew when it was right to withdraw to a quiet place for prayer and reflection. In a word: "'closeness" can be positive and creative, but "distance" can also greatly enhance our wellbeing. 

Jesus was well aware of this.  In this public ministry, he knew when it was appropriate for the "ministry of closeness" and the "ministry of distance."

The question is: do we? 

O God, by your Spirit of wisdom, give us grace to discern when closeness or distance is the better option, so that we may give others the space they need to reflect, and not distract them by our well-meaning proximity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

A PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining
and whose love we cannot comprehend:
we give thanks that in your loving kindness
you have safely brought us to another week.
May each new day bring its opportunities
of pleasing you and of serving you,
and may all that we think and say and do
bring blessing to us, to others
and to you, our Lord and our God;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

The peace of God, which passes all understanding,
keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and 
love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the 
Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain
with us, now and for evermore.   Amen.

Sunday 25 June 2023

​TRINITY 3
THE TEN LEPERS
HUMAN INGRATITUDE

"To render thanks unto the Lord
It is a comely thing."

The anxiously-awaited UK Covid-19 Inquiry is now underway. This independent instrument has been set up to examine the UK's response to, and the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, to learn lessons for the future.  Public hearings began this month (June 2023), while the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry is also ongoing, investigating the devolved response to the Coronavirus pandemic in Scotland.

If Covid-19 has been the scourge of our age, leprosy was the scourge of the ancient world.

Someone afflicted with a rash or skin condition was required by Jewish law to present themselves to a priest for close examination, and the priest would determine whether they were to be declared ceremonially or ritually unclean.  If leprosy was diagnosed, the person suffering from this contagious skin disease was forbidden to associate with the general community, and had to live in isolation to prevent its transmission and its becoming an epidemic. 

In St. Luke's Gospel (17: 11-19), Jesus was on the border between Galilee and Samaria, when he was met by a band of ten lepers. In strict accordance with Jewish law, the lepers stood far off, though no precise distance was prescribed.  This group came to Jesus with desperate longing in their hearts: they wanted to be cured and rid of this disease that carried with it so much stigma.

Jesus gave them what they wanted. He healed them. However, only one of the ten - a Samaritan, a foreigner, an outcast with whom the Jews had no dealings - came back to give thanks.  The other nine, having got what they wanted, walked away.

The story is an illustration of human ingratitude at its worst.  After Jesus had performed an amazing act of healing, and rid the ten of their illness and the stigma that went with it, only one of them - and the one least likely to do so - took the trouble to give thanks.  Is it not still true today that many people, having got what they want, never bother to give thanks or show any sign of appreciation?  

Shakespeare penned these lines in As You Like It (Act 1, scene VI):

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
 Thou art not so unkind
 As man's ingratitude."

Even the cold, harsh winter wind is less cruel than the callous ingratitude of a human being!

The story has a much more profound lesson for us.  Often we are ungrateful to God, after we have gone to him in extreme circumstances. In a time of crisis, we pray to God with intensity.  Time passes, and we forget about God and the possibility of a word of thanks, or showing our appreciation in some way.  Like the ten lepers, we go  to God when we are in a dire situation, but ignore him when all is well with us.  For many people, "God is not the first refuge but the last resort."  He is only the remedy for life's calamities: in life's joys and pleasures God is irrelevant.

We have so much in life for which to be thankful. Through every day of the Coronavirus pandemic, God richly blessed us in many and various ways. We had to live under restrictions, but countless souls worked away incessantly, publicly and privately, determined to save lives and protect our own wellbeing. If our health remained unaffected, this is a surely a blessing, worthy of heartfelt thanks and praise.

With the summer holiday season fast approaching, we can enjoy the beautiful countryside around us, and learn to appreciate our own country, indeed our own district, as well as enjoy foreign travel without restriction or restraint.  The world is a beautiful place, if only we have eyes to see it and appreciate it. We have so much for which to be thankful, so let us not abandon our communion with God to moments of despair and desperation.

May our gratitude to God in Jesus Christ be an ongoing part of our daily devotions, and not for times of crisis and panic.  May the Lord our God never be for what is often written on medicine labels or fire escape exits: "for emergencies only."

"Our help is in the name of the Lord,
maker of heaven and earth."

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Almighty and ever-living God,
whose glory is the only purpose of our worship:
as we humbly enter into your presence,
calm our restless spirits and grant us peace within,
that we may know ourselves to be your people
and your to be our sovereign God.
And as we make confession of our sins
and of all that is unworthy in our lives,
gently correct the error of our ways,
and raise us to new heights of holiness
where you are seen in your glory
and known in your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

A PRAYER FOR OURSELVES

O God, in whose sight we live and labour,
and in whose hearing we speak and pray:
as we give thanks for the blessings of this life
and for your constant care over all creation,
sanctify us in body, mind, and spirit,
that we may live according to your will,
and show your benevolence to all people;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

May the grace of Christ attend us,
the love of God surround us,
the Holy Spirit keep us,
this day and for ever.   Amen.

​Sunday 18 June 2023

TRINITY 2
IN PURSUIT OF A GOAL

It is said that the happiest days of our life are those we spend at school, and as the summer holidays draw near, some of our primary school pupils will move on to their secondary education. Others will be finishing school and facing a challenging future. Those completing their education will have their goals in mind. The pursuit of a goal applies to each of us.  Indeed, it has been said that "if you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time."

In Philippians 3: 10-21, St. Paul speaks of his goal, his own lifelong ambition.  There, he says that "forgetting what is behind, and reaching out to what lies ahead, I press towards the finishing line, to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus."  To grasp the goal for which God in Christ has grasped him, the apostle must "press on" regardless until he has attained it.  

To pursue a goal in life applies to all of us, whether we are school-leavers or mature adults. Throughout history, people have pursued goals, often dismissed as unrealistic, and shaped the course of the world.  In 1953 a long sought-after goal was achieved when the ninth attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest was completed at the end of May, the expedition being led by Colonel John Hunt, with Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Last Tuesday (14 June), a reception took place at Buckingham Palace to mark the 70th anniversary of this historic event, with the Hon. Mrs. Susan Leyden (daughter of Lord Hunt), Mr. Peter Hillary and Mr. Jamling Norgay (son of Mr. Tenzing Norgay) present with the King.

To have a goal, an ambition, a sense of purpose in life is nothing less than responsible Christian living.  If we fail to have our goals, "we crawl on the floor while we have wings to fly."  In a word: we waste both our time and our talents.  In the Christian life, we are not meant to rest on our laurels, but to "press on" with what God has called us to do in Christ Jesus.  Indeed, it has been said that the Christian life is made up of a series of goals: "to seek Christ, to find Christ, to live like Christ, and, finally, to live with Christ."

The hard part may not be identifying the goal or ambition, or even "pressing on" towards its attainment. It may be getting started.  In the 1700s a French socialite, Madame du Deffand, said: "The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult." Many worthy goals have never been achieved because those who thought about them, and wished to pursue them, never got past the starting-point.  Making a start can be the most difficult part of any enterprise.

Making a start.  Is that a problem for us?  Or, like St. Paul, do we "press on" relentlessly, until we reach the goal laid down for us, and come to live eternally with God?

May God give us grace to pursue our own goals, and make the Christian life one of ambition, achievement and fulfilment, and at the last receive Christ's blessing: "Well done, good and faithful servant!  Come and share your master's joy!"

"Those who are without a goal in life shall never prosper."
(Anonymous)

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Holy God, faithful and unchanging,
as we celebrate your mystery and majesty,
we confess that in the journey of life
we have followed the wrong goals,
and have been careless or complacent
in pursuing the goals laid down for us
in your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ....
In your infinite mercy, forgive what we 
have been and done: forgive what we
have not done: forgive what we meant to 
do but never finished; and as we pursue
the goals laid down for us in Christ Jesus,
make us committed to the task, that we may
attain to them with conscientious endeavour,
to the glory of your name.   Amen.

THE BLESSING

God the Holy Trinity
make us strong in faith and love,
defend us on every side,
and guide us in truth and peace;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.  
Amen.

Sunday 11 June 2023

TRINITY 1
GOD'S TENANTS

Among our most popular hymns is For the Beauty of the Earth, written by Folliett Sandford Pierpoint (1835-1917), which is sung on many occasions, and especially at this time of the year.  This hymn was originally written for Holy Communion, and the question remains as to whether it still ought to be treated as such, or as a general hymn of praise and thanksgiving.  In the form that we know it, the hymn is a 'general thanksgiving' for all our material blessings, and for the loveliness of God's creation.

One obvious sign of God's activity in creation today is the beauty of our gardens.  At this time of year, our gardens are in bloom, with flowers, plants, shrubs and other foliage, providing a rich variety of colour, as well as giving a place for rest and relaxation. Now and again we hear a lawnmower manicuring the grass, or see someone weeding or watering plants, keeping their garden in presentable condition.

According to the Book of Genesis (2: 4-15), when God created Adam, the first man, he was placed in a garden - the Garden of Eden.  He was not to sit there and soak in the scenery, but was instructed by God to "till the garden" - to nurture it, to work in it, to maintain it and take care of it.  For us today, a garden may be a welcome oasis of peace in a busy, noisy, restless world, but for Adam, it was something to take charge of, and maintain to the highest standards.  (Genesis 2: 15)

Adam stands for Everyman or Everyperson, and one lesson from this ancient story is that the Garden of Earth is a place we are charged by God to care for and protect.  It is certainly a place of work, but we are not to carelessly abuse it or needlessly destroy it.  As Psalm 24: 1 reminds us: "The earth belongs to the Lord, and all that it contains."  This means that we are only God's tenants in this earthly garden - not its owners, who may treat it as they wish. We are stewards who will one day be called to account, as to whether we have cared for God's earthly garden, or turned it into a wilderness of want and waste.

The modern hymn writer, Frederick Pratt Green (1903-2000), tells us that "God in such love for us lent us this planet."

The Garden of Earth has only been lent to us, and we have a God-given duty as tenants to protect it, and use it in the most careful manner.  This responsibility is recognised today by Christians and countless others across the world, and whether or not we agree with all that is said and done in the name of environmental protection, there is a sacred duty laid on Christians to protect their "earthly home" as responsible stewards of God's creation.  Only by so doing can it be passed on for the full benefit of those who come after us.

We may sum up our message today in the last verse of one of Frederick Pratt Green's hymns:

"Earth is the Lord's: it is ours to enjoy it,
 ours, as God's stewards, to farm and defend.
 From its pollution, misuse, and destruction,
 good Lord, deliver us, world without end!"

Let this be our prayer as we accept that we are only God's tenants while we are here!

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord, set your blessing on us
as we begin this day together.
Confirm us in the truth
by which we rightly live;
confront us with the truth
from which we wrongly turn.
We ask not for what we want
but for what you know we need,
as we offer this day and ourselves
for you and to you;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.   Amen.

From:   Common Order (Church of Scotland),
             Edinburgh 1994, 519

THE BLESSING

May the love of the Father enfold us,
the wisdom of the Son enlighten us,
the fire of the Spirit inflame us;
and may the blessing of God rest upon us
and abide with us, now and evermore.   Amen.

Sunday 4 June 2023

TRINITY SUNDAY

"Holy, holy, holy is God, our sovereign Lord,
who was, and is, and is to come!"

This is Trinity Sunday.  Today, the Christian Church acknowledges God as Father, as Son, and as Holy Spirit. We are not thinking about three different 'gods', but only one God who, as Hugh Montefiore says, 'reveals himself to us in three modes' - as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The word 'Trinity' is not found in Scripture.  The Trinity is said to be implicit in certain Old Testament texts, and explicit in New Testament passages, such as the blessing in 2 Corinthians 13:14:  "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."  In the 4th century, the Trinity, as a way of understanding God, was absorbed into official Christianity; and today we speak of the one God, who is (at the same time) Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Trinity is the foundation of much Christian worship. Many well-known hymns have a reference to the Trinity, while prayers often conclude with a Trinitarian doxology.  Christian baptism is administered "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit";  blessings and benedictions follow a Trinitarian formula. When couples are joined together in marriage in Church, they are pronounced husband and wife - "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit". Christian worship is inherently Trinitarian, founded on the doctrine that there is one God, who expresses himself in a threefold manner. 

At a more profound level, the Trinity means that, in this world, we can never have a complete and perfect understanding of God: his nature, his character, his personality.  If we could (as many would wish), then God would no longer be God. He would be a mere creature, shorn of his cosmic stature.  The Trinity preserves the 'mystery' that is God.  Our finite minds cannot grasp him in total.  God is impossible to define in depth and detail.  He remains a 'mystery' - and the Trinity preserves this 'mystery'.  It is a good 'model' of how God works.  It is not, however, a complete picture.

Over the years, much has been said and written about the wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill.  Every now and again another book is published which claims to be more accurate than those published previously.  One of his many biographers says that it is almost impossible to write a book about Churchill.  He is so complex a character: a man of different tastes and moods; a man of various convictions and opinions; a man with so many sides to him, that a complete character picture is not possible.  The best we can get is a partial portrait.

The same can be said of God.  His ways are not our ways.  His thoughts are not our thoughts.  The Trinity allows us to understand God in a particular way - as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  This is not the complete picture we would like. The Trinity preserves the 'mystery' of God; it also allows us to respect the 'majesty' of God, and to evoke in us a sense of wonder, love and praise.

A PRAYER FOR TRINITY SUNDAY

Lord, we pray for your Church, that with our vision
transformed by the contemplation of the mystery
of the Holy Trinity, we would see the pattern of
your life of love in all things.

Lord of vision,
whose prophets saw the truth of your majesty
shot through the truth of this world:
reveal to us something of your glory
and your action in our lives,
that knowing you as love's deepest reality
we may come to enjoy that love's bright reflections
in those around us, in the splendour of the natural
order and in the silence of prayer;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

Kramer, M.J.   The Canterbury Book of New Parish
                        Prayers, Norwich 2020, 33

THE BLESSING

God the Holy Trinity make us strong
in faith, and hope, and love.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.   Amen.

Sunday 28 May 2023

THE DAY OF PENTECOST

"Through the Holy Spirit he has given us,
God's love has flooded our hearts."

(In Western Christianity, Pentecost was one of the days set aside for Baptism.  It is thought that the term Whit Sunday derives from the custom of the newly-baptised wearing white clothing, and by the white vestments worn by the clergy on such occasions).


In Jewish culture, Pentecost was a great festival.  The word means 'fiftieth,' as it fell on the fiftieth day after the Passover. Pentecost was an agricultural festival, and Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims from every part of the ancient world. As Professor William Barclay points out: "Never was there a more international crowd in Jerusalem than at the time of Pentecost."

We can never say for certain precisely what happened on the Day of Pentecost.  The scene, vividly described in Acts 2: 1-13, is laden with symbolic language and powerful images.  The story suggests, however, that on the Day of Pentecost, the disciples, gathered together in one place, experienced the Spirit of God in a way they had never done before - and in such a profound way that onlookers thought they were drunk!  Whatever happened that day, the experience was a life-changing one.

Many would say that they have felt 'touched', 'nudged' or 'inspired' by the Holy Spirit in their lives, in an unusual way and in a most unlikely place.  It has been said that it is more likely during worship that the Spirit makes its presence known most strongly.  Such was the experience of David Livingstone, who, feeling touched by the Spirit in a village church at Blantyre, resolved to take the Christian Gospel to the African continent.

It might well be that the disciples had gathered together in Jerusalem for worship.  Whatever the purpose of their coming together, the Spirit of God is a 'transforming' one.  On the Day of Pentecost, the disciples experienced a power so strong that it transformed a band of fearful men into fearless messengers of the Gospel.  Their lives were changed for ever, empowered by the Spirit of God, unseen as the wind, but not unknown in its effect.

In our age, where the Christian faith has flourished in some parts of the world, but rapidly declined in others, and when the Christian Church itself often seems more culture-driven than Christ-centred, the power of the Spirit is needed more than ever to rekindle the faith in the hearts of Jesus's disciples today, and to transform them into effective instruments of the kingdom.

Let it be our prayer that Pentecost will happen again, and keep on happening, thus transforming our lives, as it did the lives of Jesus's companions, and letting God breathe on us, in us, and through us, now and at all times.

PRAYERS FOR PENTECOST
​
Come, Holy Spirit, come,
and fill the hearts of your faithful people,
and kindle in us the fire of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

O Holy Spirit of God,
  Spirit of truth, of light, of love,
by whom Jesus is made known to us
  and through whom the love of God
  is shed abroad in our hearts:
come upon us in the power of Pentecost,
  to renew in us such gifts and graces
  as will glorify God
and equip us for ministry and witness
  in the Church and in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

From:  Frank Colquhoun, Contemporary Parish Prayers,
            London 1975, 66

THE BLESSING

With unflagging zeal, aglow with the Spirit,
serve the Lord.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.
   Amen.

Sunday 21 May 2023

EASTER 7
SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY
THE LORD IS KING!

"Christ has entered into heaven itself, to appear now before God on our behalf."

The Ascension of Jesus Christ is celebrated on Ascension Day - the sixth Thursday after Easter Day.  In the Bible, this is vividly described by St. Luke (Acts 1: 1-11), and it marks both the end of Easter and the 'resurrection appearances.'  Indeed, the event we know as the Ascension signifies our Lord's departure from his disciples, and his 'ascending' into heaven to the glory of the Father.

By virtue of the Ascension, Jesus is now understood to be seated at the right hand of God.  This image is found in various places in the New Testament, particularly in the writings of St. Paul, and also in The Apostles' Creed, where it is said of Jesus that he "sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty."

This is picture-language, thought to derive from the custom of eastern kings having their chief minister - "their right hand man" - standing or sitting to the right of them.  Strictly speaking, the rules of modern etiquette would place the guest of honour at a formal dinner to the right side of the host.  Jesus therefore has the first place, or the place of honour before God.

The Ascension is a profound mystery, and something that words cannot adequately describe.  Therefore, it is best illustrated in the Biblical text by picture-language or dramatic images.

One of the lessons of the Ascension is that we now have a friend in heaven, who is our advocate and representative, and who, in God's presence, continues to pray with us and for us.  Though Jesus is now "with honour and glory crowned," and occupies the highest place before God, he has not forgotten or abandoned us. As Professor William Barclay puts it: "He is still mighty and powerful to help, and in his exalted royalty, he has not forgotten his own." He is no longer bound by the limits of time and space, and may touch our lives at any time and in any place.

On this Sunday after Ascension Day, let this be a comfort and a blessing.  For though we pass through many dark valleys, we have a precious friend in God's presence, who, as our great high priest, continues to uphold his people and to plead their cause.

"While in heaven he is also with us; and we while on earth
    are also with him."  (Anonymous)

A PRAYER FOR ASCENSIONTIDE

Gracious God, you raised your Son our Saviour Christ
to heaven's highest place, that he might reign supreme
over all things: we confess that we have failed to live as
we ought, under Christ's most just and gentle rule; that
we have broken his commandments, disobeyed his word,
rejected his truth, ignored his voice, and chosen to follow
our own path, rather than the way of life revealed to us
in Jesus Christ.  For the sake of your dear Son, eternal
God, forgive us, renew us and restore us; and may our
lives as well as our lips acknowledge Jesus Christ as 
King of kings and Lord of lords, to the glory of your name.
  Amen.

THE BLESSING

May Christ the King make us faithful
and strong to do his will,
and bring us to reign with him in glory.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.   
Amen.

Thursday 18 May 2023

ASCENSION DAY
In the Christian Year, this is  Ascension Day, described as "the celebration of Christ ascending into heaven after His death, burial and resurrection," and falling on the Thursday forty days after Easter.  This is an important doctrine in the Christian faith, and, in particular, it means that Jesus has left the limits of time and space and passed into the Father's presence, where he now occupies the place of honour.  

As Tim Keller puts it, Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God as "the executive director of history" - our advocate and representative before the throne of the universe.  This is well-illustrated in the window opposite, which is in our chantry chapel, and shows the ascended Christ as sovereign over all things in the created order, continuing to pray with us and for us.

"Christ has entered heaven itself, to
appear now before God on our behalf."

Almighty God,
your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
ascended far above all heavens
that he might fill all things.
Grant that your Church on earth
may be filled with his presence
and that he may remain with us always,
to the end of the world;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.   Amen.

From: Common Order (Church of Scotland),
           Edinburgh 1994, 673

Sunday 14 May 2023

EASTER 6
TO BE CHOSEN

There are things in life we do not choose: these are chosen for us.  We may have an occupation we never intended to have, but we were chosen or 'headhunted' for it.  A brilliant singer or instrumentalist may not have performed in London's Royal Albert Hall by choice, but were chosen for this special occasion.  There are things in life that are chosen for us.

This is the message of St. John's Gospel (15: 9-17), where Jesus makes it clear that his disciples have not chosen him. He has chosen them.  Similarly, we did not choose God.  It was God who, in his goodness and grace, chose us.  From this passage, we discover that we are chosen for various reasons, and we will consider three of these.

We are chosen for joy.
No matter how hard the Christian life, and no matter how much it involves 'blood, toil, tears and sweat' (Churchill), the Christian way ought to be a joyful one.  There should always be an obvious joy in doing God's work.  A dull, dismal and depressing Christian is a contradiction in terms.  Christians are meant to be people of joy who do God's business cheerfully.  A former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Donald Coggan, puts this point in his little book, The Heart of the Christian Faith, when he states that Christianity is a faith that throbs with joy at its core.  God in Christ has redeemed us and renewed humanity - something that should make us cheerful, radiant people.  We are chosen to be joyful.

We are chosen to love.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are sent out into the world to be advertisements for our faith.  This means that we are called to love one another, always seeking one another's good through acts of compassion and kindness.  Sometimes we live as if we are called to compete, to quarrel and to cause as much havoc as possible.  During the pandemic, we were instructed to rearrange our lives round many rules and regulations that have held us in their grip. The Christian lives by one rule - the rule of love.  By so doing, we reflect the very nature of God himself.  We are chosen to love our neighbours, which, at its most extreme, means laying down our life for them.  This is what Jesus did.  He fulfilled the command he gave to us.

We are chosen to be friends.
We are chosen to be friends - friends of God, and friends of Jesus Christ.  Jesus says that his disciples are no longer slaves or servants but friends: God's friends, Christ's friends.  This means that we have a close, intimate contact with God never before thought possible. No longer do we need to gaze at God from a distance, or catch a glimpse of him, as we might do a monarch passing by on some state occasion. Through Jesus Christ we are God's friends and his friends, and neither is a stranger any more.

As we come to The Sixth Sunday of Easter, we may remind ourselves that we are people, chosen and precious in God's sight, and called to do God's work cheerfully, to love another sincerely, and to be a faithful friend of Jesus Christ, who is no longer a stranger, but our companion on the way.

"We may be overlooked by others but we are handpicked by God." (Lysa Terkeurst, American speaker/Christian writer)

PRAYERS FOR THE WEEK

Gracious God, as we come to each new day, with its opportunities of pleasing you, remind us of how you have chosen us, and of how we must be people of joy, people who love, and people committed to be your friends; through him who has given us access into your living presence, your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.   Amen.

Almighty God, to whom all all power belongs
in heaven and on earth: send your blessing on
our King, and on others recently elected to serve
on district councils in other parts of the country,
that Christ may be the inspiration of their motives
and encourage them to serve honestly and faithfully.
Preserve us as a people from all that demeans us,
and raise us to the righteousness of serving your will;
through Jesus Christ, our Sovereign Lord and Saviour.  
  Amen.

THE BLESSING

The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
make us perfect in every good work to do his will;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.   Amen.

Sunday 7 May 2023

EASTER 5
THE CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III
A THOUGHT

The Coronation of King Charles III took place yesterday in Westminster Abbey in London.  This was a ceremony that included signs, symbols and languages old and new, with other symbols ancient and modern to reflect the nation's diversity. And much was said about the King himself offering a prayer - The King's Prayer - with the media noting that King Charles was the first monarch to do so.  This should not surprise us, for, as the Archbishop of Canterbury (Justin Welby) clearly stated, the Coronation "is first and foremost an act of Christian worship."

The King's Prayer was written to reflect the "loving service" theme of the occasion, with the words inspired by the hymn, "I Vow To Thee My Country."  The King's Prayer was one in which the monarch asked God for the grace to find perfect freedom in his service, and in that freedom to find God's truth.  He also asked God that he would be a blessing to people of every faith and conviction, and that together they would discover the ways of gentleness, and be led in the paths of peace.

We must not think, however, that this is the first time a new King has offered a special prayer to God.  In the Old Testament, Solomon had just succeeded his father David on the throne of Israel.  Apart from some misdemeanours, it was widely agreed that David was one of the greatest rulers of Israel, if not the most outstanding, which meant that King Solomon, like King Charles, had "hard shoes to fill."  

God came to Solomon in a dream and asked Solomon what he should give him.  In response, Solomon asked for 'wisdom' or 'discernment,' sound judgment, the skill to listen and decide right from wrong.  In a word, Solomon asked God for 'savvy,' and not for wealth or status, or for a long life, or even for the lives of his enemies.  God highly commended Solomon for his request, and it was duly granted.  Not only that, God promised to give Solomon all the things for which he did not ask, such as wealth and glory in unmatched abundance.  (1 Kings 3: 4-15)

In his calling as King, Charles will undoubtedly need 'wisdom,' 'discernment,' 'savvy,' 
the discharge of his duties.  He will require sound judgment, the ability to distinguish
right from wrong, and the skill to listen as well as to speak.  Like King Solomon, he
will need a wise and understanding heart to earn the loyalty, love and respect of his
people, and especially when the monarchy itself is questioned as an institution. 

But this does not just apply to the King.  It applies to all of us.  In our modern age
where commonsense seems to have vanished, where sound judgment is much less 
obvious, where the distinction between right and wrong is blurred, and where many
behave as they like, and not as they ought, both King and people together need the
virtues of 'wisdom' and 'savvy,' for which Solomon so earnestly prayed.  This is
essential for the wellbeing of the nation, and for the nation's reputation in the world.

The Coronation service is rightly focussed on the crowning of King Charles III.  It 
should also be an occasion for each of us to offer our own prayer to God, and to 
ask God for what King Solomon asked: so that King and people together create 
that righteousness which alone exalts a nation in the eyes of God.

An 18th century philosopher wrote:  "The health of a nation suffers when princes 
and people disown wisdom."  Wise words at the start of a new reign!


A PRAYER FOR THIS CORONATION WEEKEND

Almighty and everlasting God,
exalted above all nations and peoples:
we seek your blessing today upon Charles, our King.
Anoint him with the gifts of your Holy Spirit
as he seeks to fulfil his calling among us.
Strengthen him with wisdom and justice
to serve the people of this land
to the honour and glory of your name.
We ask you to bless Camilla, our Queen,
William, Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales,
and all the generations of the Royal Family.
Grant to them joy and peace at this time
and inspire them by your Spirit in their duties;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   AMEN.

Adapted from the Church of Scotland website.

THE BLESSING

God grant to the living, grace;
to the departed, rest;
to the Church, the King, the Commonwealth,
to all nations and all people,
peace and concord;
and to us and all his servants
life everlasting.

And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.
   Amen.

Sunday 30 April 2023

EASTER 4
FAITH AND RISK

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is commonly called Good Shepherd Sunday.  

One of the loveliest images in the Bible is the picture of God as a 'shepherd.' and in Psalm 23 this image finds its powerful, poetic and popular expression.  'The Lord is my shepherd' is arguably the most loved of the Psalms, with its strong pastoral overtones.  And in the New Testament, in St. John's Gospel (10. 11), Jesus makes the bold claim that he is the 'good shepherd.'  In a rural area like our own, this 'shepherd imagery' is one we can easily identify with.

In St. John's Gospel (21: 15-19), Jesus assigned a special role to Peter, and told him to go and be a shepherd to our Lord's people.  In other words, Peter was appointed to be a great shepherd of Christ's flock, and in the end to die for them.  This must have come as a surprise to the others - for Peter had previously denied his Master three times, though Jesus now gave him a chance to affirm his loyalty three times.  

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, Peter had not always distinguished himself as a potential 'shepherd' of Christ's flock.  He often thought, spoke and acted without thinking. He tended to act on impulse, and earned the rebuke of Jesus on several occasions.  He must have seemed a most unreliable, unpredictable character: one who meant well, but whose life was scarred with personal failures and who didn't always get things right.

For Jesus, the choice of Peter as a 'shepherd' of the  sheep must have involved risk.  Jesus knew Peter's  weaknesses, but this did not deter him from choosing Peter to 'feed the sheep.'  This was a great act of faith on Jesus' s part. 

Can we separate risk from faith?  It has been said that every act of faith involves an element of risk, and that many great Christians of the past and present have, in expressing their faith, exposed themselves to enormous risk in doing so.  Countless Christians have practised their faith, often at great risk to their reputation, to their integrity, and even to their life.  Those persecuted today for their faith inhabit a world of constant risk, and so it might be said that faith and risk cannot easily be separated.

In truth, the life of faith will always involve a measure of risk, because we can only vaguely conceive the future.  We can never be absolutely certain what life will bring.  Many unanticipated and unimagined things will occur, and while we would like to have more insight into how our present circumstances might evolve, absolute certainty is not on our side.  "The journey of faith carries risk as part of its baggage," says one observer. Faith and risk go together: Jesus was well aware of that when he appointed  Peter, of all possible people, to an important pastoral post, while transforming him into a superb ambassador for the Gospel.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, it is worth reminding ourselves that faith often means risk-taking, and that both the Church and the post-pandemic world will need the risk-takers to mould it, manage and maintain it.

As one anonymous spiritual writer has put it:  "Blessed are the risk-takers; their faith shall not go unrewarded."

Are we prepared to take risks with our faith?  Or is risk-taking much too risky for us?

"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel
before the Lord our Maker.  For He is our God; and 
we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of 
His hand."

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Lord God Almighty, whose Son Jesus Christ is the Good
Shepherd of your people:
   may he lead your Church in faith, hope and love;
   may he lead the nations in harmony and peace;
   may he lead this country in the right paths;
   may he lead our community in compassion and care;
   may he lead the weary to lie down in your pastures;
   may he lead the sick, the suffering and the sorrowing
    to the still, quiet waters of healing and calm;
and may he lead us all to your heavenly kingdom,
   where, with your people of every age,
   our dwelling-place shall be;
all for his name's sake.   Amen.

THE BENEDICTION

The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
make us perfect in every good work to do his will;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.   Amen.

Sunday 23 April 2023

EASTER 3
JESUS CHRIST
THE STRANGER ON THE SHORE

"By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, God has given us new birth into a living hope."

First released in 1961, Stranger on the Shore by Acker Bilk, a haunting, clarinet-led melody by the 'master of the clarinet,' was the UK's best selling single in 1962. The melody evokes in the mind the picture of a magnificent sunset, with someone standing alone on a beach, gazing up at the sheer beauty of it all, and awestruck by the glorious colours lighting up the sky.

In St. John's Gospel (21: 1-14), we have a story about "a stranger on the shore."  After the death and resurrection of Jesus, some of his disciples returned to their previous occupation as fishermen. One night, while out fishing on a boat on the Sea of Tiberias,  the trip was a complete failure: they caught nothing.  When morning came, however, "a stranger on the shore" told them to cast their net to the right-hand side (starboard) of their vessel, and they would be assured of a large catch.

Though it appears that two of the disciples may have recognised the stranger at this stage, the disciples did as he had told them, and the outcome far exceeded their expectations.  The net was full of fish of all shapes and sizes, and they couldn't haul it in.  Simon Peter had to drag the loaded net from the boat to the shore, no doubt a slow, tedious and exhausting process.

The "stranger on the shore" turned out to be Jesus.  When they came ashore, the disciples saw a charcoal fire, with fish laid on it, and some bread.  While they were having breakfast, they made their great discovery - "they knew it was the Lord."  No longer was the stranger a mystery. No longer was the stranger anonymous. He was none other than the risen Lord in person.

This is not, however, simply the story of a failed fishing expedition.

One of the points that John is making is that Jesus often comes to us, disguised as a stranger.  His presence isn't always immediately obvious, but just as the risen Christ appeared to his disciples as "the stranger on the shore," so he may well come among us today as the stranger in the street, the stranger in the hospital, the stranger on the bus or train, and even the stranger in the Church. We may have been in the company of the risen Christ, without realising it.

In our lives, we meet many people whom we regard as "strangers." They may cross our path in some way, but we may never see them again.  In so doing, we may have encountered the spirit of Jesus without realising it.  We may have been in the presence of Jesus and in the company of Jesus, totally oblivious to the fact that the "stranger" in our midst could be the risen Lord and Saviour.

Sam Wells, Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in the centre of London, one of the busiest and noisiest parishes in the country, has written about the astonishing range of people he has encountered there over the years of his ministry, a consistent theme being that he has met God in Jesus Christ in both friend and stranger. In his book, Face to Face: Meeting Christ in Friend and Stranger (2019), Wells views the occasions when God in Christ was made known to him through a person (stranger) least likely to do so.

In his Gospel, John would have us believe that Jesus may come to us, disguised as a stranger, just as he appeared to his disciples a third time as "the stranger on the shore."  For this experience of Jesus could well be our own experience of him!

O Lord our God, as your dear Son, our Saviour Christ,
came to his disciples at Tiberias, disguised as a stranger
on the seashore, so teach us to see his face in every
stranger we meet; and to absorb their Christ-like virtues
into our hearts and into our lives; for his name's sake.   Amen.

A PRAYER FOR EASTERTIDE

Lord our God, as we celebrate with joy
  the resurrection of Jesus our Saviour,
help us to make the Easter faith
  a deeper reality in our lives;
that we may know something more of the peace
  he bequeathed to his disciples,
and lay hold of the victory
  he won for us over sin and death,
rejoicing in the hope of the life immortal
  which is ours in him,
  our Redeemer and our Lord.   Amen.

From:   Frank Colquhoun, Contemporary Parish Prayers,
            London 1975, 56

THE BLESSING

The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
make us perfect in every good work to do his will;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.   Amen.

Sunday 16 April 2023

EASTER 2
THOMAS THE TWIN
AN HONEST ENQUIRER?

If Judas Iscariot will always be remembered as the disciple who betrayed Jesus, Thomas the Twin will always be branded the one who refused to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead, until Jesus's wounds had been revealed to him.

His story is a well-known one.  Later on that day on which Jesus had been raised, Thomas wasn't with the disciples when they gathered behind locked doors, fearing that the Jewish authorities would now come after them with a vengeance.  A week later, Thomas was with the disciples when they met again, and when Jesus came and stood among them, giving them his blessing: "Peace be with you!"

At this point, Jesus invited Thomas to touch his wounds and see the marks of the crucifixion for himself.  We are uncertain as to whether Thomas did exactly as Jesus had directed, but what we do know is that Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" - words of uninhibited adoration, acknowledging the figure before him as the Jesus he had known.

It may be said in Thomas's defence that he had one outstanding virtue.  He absolutely refused to say that he understood something when clearly he did not.  There is "an uncompromising honesty" about him, in that Thomas would never suppress his doubts to please the majority, pretending that they did not exist.  He was not a person to accept a story at face value, least of all the sensational claim that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead.  In this respect, we can admire his integrity.

It should also be noted that Jesus never expelled Thomas from the disciples for expressing his doubts; nor did Thomas leave the group, thinking they were mad to believe such a stupendous story about Jesus rising from the dead.  He remained one of them throughout.

We live in an age where information bombards us on a daily basis. We are fed so much data on so many subjects that it is difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. We could easily absorb everything we see, read and hear, without giving any thought to its plausibility, by suspending sound judgment and accepting the whole at face value.

How much of our daily diet of data and other information is true?  How much of it is propaganda, or a subtle spinning of the truth for particular purposes, to persuade us that things are other than they are?

It has been said that Thomas represents "the awkward squad" among the disciples, with his questioning and hesitation to accept what he did not fully understand - the Resurrection being something he felt too good to be true.  In an age of mass information and misinformation, we ought to see Thomas as one who encourages us to question what has not been thought out, and to reach our conclusions only after rigorous scrutiny.  Through such scrutiny, doubts are often transformed into certainties.

Thomas has been named "an honest enquirer," in preference to "a doubting disciple."  Would we agree?  Or is he one of "the awkward squad," who make life difficult today by their constant questioning?

A PRAYER IN MOMENTS OF DOUBT

Risen Master, help us, like your apostle Thomas, to be honest enough to admit our doubts and not to affect a
faith we do not possess; and enable us, like him, so to
experience your living presence and power that our doubts may be dissolved and we may inherit the blessing promised to those who have not seen you and yet trust in you, our Lord and our God.   Amen.

From:   Frank Colquhoun, Contemporary Parish Prayers,
             London 1975, 83

THE BLESSING

The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
make us perfect in every good work to do his will;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us, and remain with us always.   Amen.