Category: Sunday Reflections

A weekly reflection on the lectionary readings for Sunday

Third Sunday of Lent

3rd March 2024

Reflection – readings are below

“The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.”

The Psalmist reminds us that God’s statutes are there to make us happy.  The psalmist uses statutes as an interchangeable word with commandments, and I think we could add further words which would convey similar meanings: rules, precepts, laws, policies, undertakings, promises etc. All these suggest a relationship and a common understanding between the participants. (Although I can envisage a situation where there may only be one participant: for  example I might promise myself that I will go to bed at ten each day, or go for a daily walk).

In today’s psalm, the Psalmist explores the relationship between God as creator and those bits of creation we might consider to be inanimate – the sun, the stars, the land itself – and how by following the laws of nature, the actions of even inanimate beings praise God. By being true to their identity – that identity God gave them in creating them, they declare the glory of God and testify to the will – the laws – of God. 

Since we too, as humans, are God’s handiwork, and were given our identity – our purpose and calling – by God, then we glorify God and affirm God’s laws – the will of God – by living lives true to that will and calling. 

It is by the power of God – by living according to God’s will, God’s Laws – that we are, says Paul, saved. Contrary wise, if we do not live according to God’s will, God’s laws, but according to the ways of ‘the world’ then we perish. The ways of ‘the world’ in this context do not mean the natural laws, the self sustaining interconnected ways of natural ecosystems. Rather they are the unnatural ways of commodification, commerce, capitalism, self-centred individualism. These do not lead to salvation. They do not ensure flourishing and wellbeing for all. So it is that Paul can parody this perverse set of opposites by saying  ‘God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom’!

Humans are easily distracted from following God’s ways, fromliving in accordance with God’s wisdom. We easily think that we are more important than our neighbour, that our rights trump those of others, that it is ok to steal or kill or destroy someone else’s life if it benefits us. We easily measure our importance as being more important than God, of believing our wisdom takes precedence over God’s. 

It is not surprising that the Book of Exodus gives us a set of God-given commandments to live by. It is not surprising that the Psalmist tells us that God’s laws, God’s ways, are “More to be desired … than gold, more than much fine gold, sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb” and that they will truly enlighten us! It is not surprising that Paul tells us in blunt terms that there is nothing so perverse as human wisdom when compared with that of God.

Paul is quite right to say that God’s wisdom will act like a stumbling block. And it is a good thing to have such a stumbling block, for how else can you turn around someone who is ‘hell-bent’ on ignoring God’s wisdom in favour of worldly wisdom. How else can you break into the mindset that says there is no better way of living than that of capitalism, of commodification, of self interest; that only belief in the world of markets can solve the world’s problems? It is often the case that when someone is so blinkered to other views, so embedded in their own echo chamber, that there needs to be some disruptive action to cause them to halt, to stop and think, to open their eyes to the bigger picture. 

This is often what climate activists are striving to do: to raise the alarm, to wake people and companies, governments and organisations, up to the urgency and scale of the climate crisis. This week across the world, climate activists were raising the alarm for insurance companies. Insurance companies can themselves be directly affected by the impacts of adverse weather events, yet many of them at the same time continue to underwrite fossil fuel projects that will only compound these adverse weather events!

Jesus knew and understood the blinkered and wayward nature of the people he came to save. He saw the ways in which tradition, invested interests, the maintenance of existing power structures, prevented people from following God’s ways, from listening to God’s wisdom, from working with God to tackle the injustices and inequalities that had built up in the world. He saw how misdirection, misplaced values, and corrupted habits, prevented people from truly being the people God had created. How they were prevented from living in harmony with each other and with all of creation. How their lives failed to give glory to God.

In today’s gospel reading we hear how Jesus went into the Temple and disrupted its activities, and that he did so because they were corrupting the relationships between people, between people and other creaturely beings, and between people and God. He disrupted their activities physically and audibly. He allowed his actions to be driven by righteous anger because what was taking place was destructive of human – and creaturely – flourishing and wellbeing. At the same time he did not let his anger run over in to violence to people or to creatures. 

Let us place prayer at the heart of our lives, and let us be zealous in following the ways of God, listening to God’s wisdom and glorifying God through our actions.

Exodus 20:1-17

Then God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *
and the firmament shows his handiwork.

2 One day tells its tale to another, *
and one night imparts knowledge to another.

3 Although they have no words or language, *
and their voices are not heard,

4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, *
and their message to the ends of the world.

5 In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *
it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;
it rejoices like a champion to run its course.

6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
and runs about to the end of it again; *
nothing is hidden from its burning heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and revives the soul; *
the testimony of the Lord is sure
and gives wisdom to the innocent.

8 The statutes of the Lord are just
and rejoice the heart; *
the commandment of the Lord is clear
and gives light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is clean
and endures for ever; *
the judgments of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold, *
sweeter far than honey,
than honey in the comb.

11 By them also is your servant enlightened, *
and in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can tell how often he offends? *
cleanse me from my secret faults.

13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
let them not get dominion over me; *
then shall I be whole and sound,
and innocent of a great offence.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in your sight, *
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

John 2:13-22

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Second Sunday in Lent

25th February 2024

Reflection – readings follow on below

Stories of covenants feature large in the lectionary during these first weeks of Lent. Last week we heard of the covenant between God and people that was illuminated by the presence of a rainbow. This week we have a story from Genesis about a covenant between God and Abram. It is a covenant that relates not just to Abram but to his descendants too. This covenant is made visible in the promise of a son for Abraham and  Sarah.

Last week we also had the story of Jesus’s baptism, when the heavens were torn open and God’s Spirit engulfs Jesus (imaged by a dove) and God’s voice declares ‘This is my Son!’ This is the Son that completes the covenant made with Abraham. God is God to his people in the most unique way possible!

Covenants establish relationships. The superabundance of covenants in the Bible witnesses to God’s overwhelming desire to build relationships with his people, and with all that he has created. These are relationships about flourishing and fruitfulness. From the beginning when God sees the bare earth and desires that it be green and filled with trees and plants, we can see God’s vision for the world. When God creates all manner of creatures to inhabit and till and nurture the earth, we see God’s vision for the world as a place in which all living things – plants and creatures – live and work in harmony with, and dependent on, each other. These are the relationships that God wishes to reinforce through the various covenants.

In today’s Psalm we hear of God’s love for the poor, of God’s alertness in hearing their cry. The Psalmist goes on to laud the fact that God is worshipped, and the poor are fed. The grammar is ambiguous: is God feeding the poor directly or is it that, because God is worshipped, those who worship are inspired to feed the poor? The Psalmist notes both that we worship God as King, and take on the role of God’s servants. 

To follow on with the teaching that Paul is presenting, our worship of God and service to God as King, comes not through obeying laws but through faith – and I would want to add – through love.

And that faith and worship is expressed not just in feeding the poor but also in healing the sick, comforting the sad, freeing the imprisoned, caring for creation, restoring justice etc. 

However as we know from the experiences of  the saints and  prophets, expressing our faith and worship in that way may not be easy, nor painless nor free of suffering. We sadly live in an a world where many of us are imperfect, and where such activities may be thwarted or penalised or countered because they impinge on someone else’s profits, or someone else’s wealth or on positions of power. As Jesus explains in the gospel reading, we may have to ‘deny ourselves and take up the cross if we are to follow him’. 

For those who want to play it safe, and conform to the way of this world, may find their have lost their lives – or at least lost their life’s integrity. Whilst those who are willing to sacrifice their lives – or to sacrifice the lifestyle that the world says is desirable and even essential – and follow the ways of Jesus, will find their life has immeasurable value. 

Lent is the time when we focus on realigning our lives so that we can and do worship and serve the living, loving, God, following the ways of Jesus.

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”

Psalm 22:22-30

22 Praise the Lord, you that fear him; *
stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel;
all you of Jacob’s line, give glory.

23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty;
neither does he hide his face from them; *
but when they cry to him he hears them.

24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; *
I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.

25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: *
“May your heart live for ever!”

26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, *
and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.

27 For kingship belongs to the Lord; *
he rules over the nations.

28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; *
all who go down to the dust fall before him.

29 My soul shall live for him;
my descendants shall serve him; *
they shall be known as the Lord’s for ever.

30 They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *
the saving deeds that he has done.

Romans 4:13-25

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Mark 8:31-38

Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Second Sunday in Lent

18th February 2024

Reflection (readings follow on)

Is the story from Genesis actually acknowledging that we humans are always going to be sinful, that we are always going to be falling back into ways that are selfish and thoughtless, cruel and destructive? And that God is frequently going to have cause to feel anger and grief? Certainly looking at my own life and the life of the world around me, this does seem to be a truthful observation. 

Is it also a useful observation? Does it help us understand our relationship with God and with each other?

This thinking about the inate tendency of humans to be sinful tallies with the continuation of the story in Genesis.  The rainbow is a reminder to God that such is the fallen nature of humanity and that that is why God undertakes to always  show us mercy and to protect us from our own actions. The covenant of the rainbow is that God will stand by humanity however foolish and stupid and downright evil  we may be. 

George Herbert expressed something of this in his poem, The Holdfast. He discovers through repartee that he has no way of his own making or will of holding onto God. Even to confess that he has nothing is not for him to take comfort from. Rather it is only, solely and totally through Jesus Christ that he is held fast with God. (The poem is below).

It is also a view that Paul expresses clearly in his letters – there is absolutely no way to salvation other than through Jesus Christ. Apparently the Greek grammar, when he writes of faith and Jesus Christ, is ambiguous: it could be read as faith in Christ that saves us, or as the faith of Christ that saves us. The former credits us with some of the success, the later leaves it squarely with Christ himself. I personally would have more faith in Jesus than in myself. 

This suggests a very one side relationship within which we are never going to be able to fully reciprocate. Nevertheless we have been created in God’s image and are called to ‘seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly before our God’. In this we must be as ready to recognise that our fellow brothers and sisters are equally prone to be being sinful, of doing the wrong things, of being careless or even harmful towards each other – or maybe just of being mildly irritating. We must strive to be forgiving and understanding, and never to discard or ignore them. At the same time we need also to accept that what we hope to achieve won’t be perfect: we are called simply to keep on trying. I have a phrase I find comforting: I am called not to be successful but faithful.

The phrasing in the letter of Peter also chimes in with this thinking. The writer notes that the baptism which saves you is not so much about removing the  dirt of sin as ‘an appeal to God for a good conscience’. Is this good conscience ours or is it God’s? If God’s it is again that message that we contribute absolutely nothing of ourselves to gain salvation: it all comes from God.

So to our gospel reading and the baptism of Jesus. As with story of the ark, which as the letter of a Peter says, prefigures baptism, so with Jesus’s baptism God’s sign is to be seen in the heavens. The skies are rent apart and what appears to be a dove descends. Jesus is filled with the Spirit and God’s voice is heard, “You are my Son!” From now on God needs no rainbow as a reminder of the need for mercy in the face of human foolishness. Now God knows unique way what it is to be human, and in that human form always sees the image of the Son. God’s salvation comes to us absolutely without hesitation or deviation through Jesus Christ. The good news of salvation is made real to us in the one true human  form – the one who can not fail or fall (to quote from Herbert). 

Alleluia!

Genesis 9:8-17

God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Psalm 25:1-9

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
my God, I put my trust in you; *
let me not be humiliated,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

2 Let none who look to you be put to shame; *
let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

3 Show me your ways, O Lord, *
and teach me your paths.

4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, *
for you are the God of my salvation;
in you have I trusted all the day long.

5 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, *
for they are from everlasting.

6 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *
remember me according to your love
and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.

7 Gracious and upright is the Lord; *
therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

8 He guides the humble in doing right *
and teaches his way to the lowly.

9 All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness *
to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

1 Peter 3:18-22

Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you– not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Mark 1:9-15

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

The Hold-fast

BY GEORGE HERBERT

I threaten’d to observe the strict decree

    Of my dear God with all my power and might;

    But I was told by one it could not be;

Yet I might trust in God to be my light.

“Then will I trust,” said I, “in Him alone.”

    “Nay, e’en to trust in Him was also His:

    We must confess that nothing is our own.”

“Then I confess that He my succour is.”

“But to have nought is ours, not to confess

    That we have nought.” I stood amaz’d at this,

    Much troubled, till I heard a friend express

That all things were more ours by being His;

    What Adam had, and forfeited for all,

    Christ keepeth now, who cannot fail or fall.

Last Sunday before Lent

11th February 2024

Reflection ( readings follow on below)

I love the idea that there was a company of prophets – ‘prophets R us’? Was there an apprenticeship course? Were there entrance exams? Or CPD (continuing professional development) courses? 

As I have mentioned before, I see climate activists as some of today’s prophets. And yes we do have, if not companies, then certainly groups. These groups are important for mutual support, for sharing ideas, as a testing ground where we can explore our thinking, for pooling and sharing skills, and the capacity to reach out to a wider audience.

What keeps prophets going? What – or who – inspires them? Where does their power come from? From God, from the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes this can feel overwhelming as one is aware of the enormity of the task that lies ahead. Sometimes this can feel as if a glorious window has opened showing all the wonder that is possible.

In today’s readings God’s power is experience through the physical world: the waters of the River Jordan that part, the bright light that illumines Jesus – and through the visionary world: the chariot of fire that carries Elijah away, and the voice of God echoing from the cloud. Whilst in today’s Psalm,  God calls to the heavens and the earth to witness the judgment to be passed on humankind. How will we measure up to God’s expectations? 

Much of the Bible is concerned with the way people live with and alongside each other, and with and alongside the land – nature. The Bible begins with stories describing the beginning of life on earth and  the interrelationship between the different  parts – the land and the water,  the earth and plants, the air and the water and things that fly and swim, the land and its creatures – and the role that God delegates to humans. The Bible ends in the Book of Revelation with a new creation – a garden city of healing and harmony, where God’s will is always done. God’s presence is described as being a shining brightness that negates the need for sunlight. This garden city, new Jerusalem, is a place of enlightenment. 

Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth reminds them that there are two ways of seeing the world: the blinkered way of ‘the world’ and the enlightened way of the gospel. The first sees only a shadow of reality, whilst the second sees the whole of creation illumined by the glory of God. We who believe the gospel can look to see that radiance in the world around us; we can see the glory of God shining through creation; and we can see the vision of how God desires this world to be. That vision became a reality in Jesus and is the vision that will accompany us through Lent to Easter. Let us stride forth into Lent as a company of God’s prophets.

2 Kings 2:1-12

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”

Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Psalm 50:1-6

1 The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken; *
he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

2 Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *
God reveals himself in glory.

3 Our God will come and will not keep silence; *
before him there is a consuming flame,
and round about him a raging storm.

4 He calls the heavens and the earth from above *
to witness the judgment of his people.

5 “Gather before me my loyal followers, *
those who have made a covenant with me
and sealed it with sacrifice.”

6 Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *
for God himself is judge.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Mark 9:2-9

Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Candlemas 

4th February 2024

Reflection (readings are below)

Candlemas end of the season of epiphany ends as it begins with the true nature of Jesus being revealed to the world. Six weeks ago we heard how the magi interpreted the message of the star so leading them to the house in Bethlehem where they recognised the baby Jesus as not just a king but also as one to be worshipped and adored.  Today we hear how Anna and Simeon having been led to where Mary and Joseph were making a ritual offering in the temple, recognised the true nature of the baby Jesus as the one who will be the means of salvation for the whole world. Both are epiphany moments – moments when a bright light seems to shine through earthly things to reveal God’s glory, a moment when the true nature of Jesus is revealed. In a few weeks we will hear the story of the Transfiguration when again the true nature and identity of Jesus will be revealed, this time to his closest companions.

Today’s first reading from the prophet Malachi, gives us an interesting slant on another aspect of revelation. Malachi talks of refining and purifying. To refine something can be to remove any impurities.  

Fuller’s soap – or fuller’s earth -is an alkaline substance that attracts and hangs onto grease and dirt in the wool or cloth that is to be cleaned. Then when the fuller’s soap is washed out it takes away with it the impurities. At the same time, being an alkaline, it also bleaches or whitens the material. 

Refining can also mean improving a process through trial and error or by repeated practice. We might refine our piano playing by practicing scales and repeating passages of music until we have perfected them. 

Refining might mean getting to the true purpose of a project or the true identity of a product. We might refine our wardrobe to create a particular look or to enable a particular lifestyle. 

As metal workers we might refine a piece of metal by heating and hammering it so that it becomes stronger and more flexible. As bakers, we might knead and stretch the dough to create a better textured bread. As chocolatiers we might warm and temper our chocolate to create a shinier smoother  finish. 

Refining may thus reveal the true or best characteristics of what is being refined. 

Malachi’s prophesy concerns the coming God’s messenger – by which we would now infer the coming of Jesus the Messiah – and the role he will play in refining and purifying God’s people.  Jesus will – and does – refine and purify us so that our true nature is revealed, a nature that reflects the image of God in which we were created, a nature that is characterised by righteousness.

For our part we need to align ourselves with Jesus, to allow our lives to be shaped by his, to allow  practice and testing to remove the impurities – our obstinacy and  stubbornness, our selfishness and lack of compassion – so that we become the people God calls us to be. In this we will find our strength and purpose, we will find an overwhelming desire to praise and serve God.

Malachi 3:1-4

Thus says the Lord, See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight– indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Psalm 84

1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! *
My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

2 The sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; *
by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.

3 Happy are they who dwell in your house! *
they will always be praising you.

4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you! *
whose hearts are set on the pilgrims’ way.

5 Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, *
for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.

6 They will climb from height to height, *
and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.

7 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; *
hearken, O God of Jacob.

8 Behold our defender, O God; *
and look upon the face of your Anointed.

9 For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, *
and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God
than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

10 For the Lord God is both sun and shield; *
he will give grace and glory;

11 No good thing will the Lord withhold *
from those who walk with integrity.

12 O Lord of hosts, *
happy are they who put their trust in you!

Hebrews 2:14-18

Since God’s children share flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Luke 2:22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed– and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

4th Sunday Epiphany

28th January 2024

Reflection (readings follow on)

Earlier this week someone was explaining to me why they did not believe in climate change. If the science was true, they argued, would not the politicians being taking action? 

A good question. 

Most politicians have families – children and, maybe, grandchildren – and surely they would want to take action to protect them and their  futures if the risks were real and serious? The same would hold true for the CEOs of fossil fuel companies, of banks, of insurance companies, of pension funds. If they knew that fossil fuel emissions were increasing the risk of homes being flooded or being damaged by storms; or increasing the risk of heat waves causing excess deaths among the young and old; increasing the risks of droughts, floods and wild fires that decimate harvests and lead to food shortages – then surely they would be taking action to curtail such emissions and reduce those risks as fast as possible? 

Is it that they don’t have the information? Is it that they don’t believe what the scientists are telling us? Is it that they can’t believe it will be as bad as the scientists predict? Is it that they believe that with wealth and power they can insulate their nearest and dearest from such disasters?

Paul in his letter to the community in Corinth is aware how tricky knowledge can be. Often we have an incomplete knowledge, a partial knowledge, and we may make perverse decisions. Sometimes my incomplete knowledge is similar to but not identical with your incomplete knowledge and that can lead to huge misunderstandings. So Paul reminds us that one thing is true – that we are all known to God!

If knowledge isn’t always the answer, what about wisdom? Wisdom begins with fear of the Lord, says the Psalmist. Fear of the Lord is not about being panic stricken, or scared out of our pants, but about realising just how far apart is our understanding of the world and God’s understanding.  It is about humility – knowing our place, our limitations – and about awe. That is the beginning – not the end – of wisdom. Wisdom is what we gain by paying attention to God, by paying attention to what God has created and how it all interrelates. Wisdom is about learning from others – we cannot expect to gain sufficient wisdom to be of use just as an individual – and about learning from our (individual and corporate) mistakes. Wisdom is about not ignoring the difficult questions. Rather wisdom is about holding that tension between acknowledging the difficulty and acknowledging our own inability to provide a solution. 

Perhaps we need to put more emphasis on wisdom than on just knowledge. Perhaps that is what politicians and CEOs and economists and advertising executives need – wisdom so that they can make best sense of the knowledge they have?

The passage from Deuteronomy is focused on the importance of the prophet. What is a prophet? The Godly Play scripts say that a prophet is someone who comes so close to God and God comes so close to them, that they know what God is wanting to say. Prophetic speech can include warnings about what is or might be happening in the world, and about the consequences of the actions we might take. It can also give advice and guidance about living better lives, about living in harmony with the world, and about engaging with God. 

 Clearly The Prophet referenced in Deuteronomy, is Jesus. And Jesus in today’s gospel is highlighted as a person who not only teaches, but teaches with authority. This is because his knowledge comes from God – something the spirits recognise. 

To return to the question, if politicians know that the knowledge the scientists tell us about climate change is true, why do they not act as if it were true? Is it lack of wisdom or lack of knowledge? Or is it that they feel safe ignoring the information for as long as the majority of people and organisations around them are doing the same thing? It is easier to go along with the crowd. They are not alone.  It is an approach taken by business leaders, by financiers, by economists. No one wants to be the first to say this is a real problem. No one wants to risk standing out in the crowd. No one wants to risk loosing a short term gain. 

They, and we, are at an impasse. No one will take action until everyone else does! No one wants to question the consensus that if no one is panicking, then there is nothing to panic about. 

What we need is a prophet! Someone who tell it like it is. Someone who is not constrained by polite convention. Someone who is honest. Someone who can brave the brickbats. Someone who has a strong faith to lean upon.  Someone whose understanding is informed by God, whose wisdom grows out of respect for God, whose message reflects God’s truth. 

And do w have such prophetic voices. Climate activists are often our modern day prophets. Some are more popular – such as David Attenborough and Chris Packham. Others less so – being a prophet is not about popularity. 

When climate activists break the glass doors of banks, it has been because they are sounding the alarm to people who do not seem to be paying attention. It is because they are relaying to those institutions the warnings they really need – and would surely want – to hear if only they were not being drowned out by the ‘business as usual’ message of the majority.  

When activists walk slowly along the road disrupting daily life, it is because they acting out on a very small scale the disruption that the climate crisis will lead to if we continue as we are. When activists hold prayerful vigils they act both as an encouragement to those who want to see a different future and to activity a niggling doubt for those who think all is well. 

These prophets are trying to unravel the  mentality that says until everyone else acts, then I won’t act. These prophets are trying to break this lemming-like mindset. And it is a hard and difficult and drawn out process.. But prophets are backed by God’s wisdom, by the authoritative teaching that comes from Jesus, and by the confidence that comes from knowing that they are known by God. 

Finally from today’s psalm, we are reminded that grace and compassion, faithfulness and justice are hallmarks of God which we should aim to mirror in our lives.

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: “If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.” Then the Lord replied to me: “They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.” 

Psalm 111

1 Hallelujah!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, *
in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.

2 Great are the deeds of the Lord! *
they are studied by all who delight in them.

3 His work is full of majesty and splendour, *
and his righteousness endures for ever.

4 He makes his marvellous works to be remembered; *
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

5 He gives food to those who fear him; *
he is ever mindful of his covenant.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works *
in giving them the lands of the nations.

7 The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; *
all his commandments are sure.

8 They stand fast for ever and ever, *
because they are done in truth and equity.

9 He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant for ever; *
holy and awesome is his Name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; *
those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
his praise endures for ever.

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists,” and that “there is no God but one.” Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. “Food will not bring us close to God.” We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

Mark 1:21-28

Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

3rd Sunday of Epiphany 

21st January 2024

Reflection (readings are below)

The story of the wedding in Cana is one of my favourites. It has all the hall marks of a good story – a beginning, a middle where a problem arises and is then resolved by the hero, and a conclusion which highlights the outcome. Jesus acts to make good a situation that is going wrong and does so in a way that is absurdly generous. That absurd generosity is a feature of God’s will that I find most attractive and awe inspiring. 

It is also a story about marriage, about the importance of such a covenant relationship. Marriage is an amazing institution. Two people who may have no previous connection, agree – indeed desire whole heartedly – to live together for the rest of their lives loving and supporting each other come what may. It is not a relationship for making money or for exerting power. It is a relationship about living together so as to enhance daily life.  (I accept that not all marriages are good marriages and that some are harmful, but they are not the majority. Statistics from 2023 suggest that a third of marriages will end in divorce by the 20th wedding anniversary).

The writer of John’s gospel uses marriage as a metaphor for the relationship between God – and specially identifies Jesus as  the bridegroom – and those who believe. This continues a tradition already established in the Hebrew Bible. The Book of Hosea portrays God as a scorned husband who is doing every thing possible to woo back his wayward wife. In this prophetic writing it is the nation of Israel that is the wayward wife that has chased after false gods and their false promises. In the New Testament the marriage metaphor is more about the relationship between Jesus, the Son of God, and the individual believer. 

What are the bonds and the characteristic features that make marriage such a beautiful metaphor for the relationship between Jesus – God – and people?

Isaiah tells us that marriage is characterised by joy and delight, that the beloved is to be likened to a crown of beauty, being both precious and admirable. The Psalmist too gives us some suggestions – that what God brings to the relationship is steadfast love, faith and righteousness. So surely that also suggests that we should equally bring to the relationship is steadfast love, faith and righteousness. 

Another approach would be to look at what makes for a good human marriage: things such as trust, being honest and open with each other, saying ‘I love you!’ as well as saying ‘This is what upsets me…’

Doing things we know will please our partner which may be sharing a chocolate bar or putting out the recycling bin.  Helping our partner to achieve their goals, and being ready to accept their help – that can sometimes call upon a lot of humility on our part. Listening to the other rather than jumping to conclusions. Being faithful through bad times as well good. 

Paul in his letter to the Corinthians will later write at length about love – a passage often used at weddings. In today’s section he is talking about the gifts, the spiritual gifts that we receive from God. These gifts, he tells us, are given for the common good. They are not just for our personal benefit, or for the benefit of a select group, but for the benefit of everyone. (There may in that be some useful guidance in determining what we think our gifts are and how we should use them). 

The gifts that Jesus brought – and brings – are for the good of everyone. The water that was turned into wine was for all the guests not just a select few. All were able to share in the generosity of his gift – far more wine that they could really drink – between 130 and 180 gallons or as someone else calculated, 2400 glasses – and in the quality of the gift. This was not just good wine but the best!

The writer of the gospel tells us that that example of Jesus’s love  was the first of many signs that revealed his glory. A first invitation to those present to enter into a relationship of steadfast love, faithfulness and righteousness.

And that invitation, that first step made to woo people into a marriage with God, is still  being made for us today. God loves us deeply and steadfastly, without query or deviation. Welcome then, God’s attention and receive God’s love. Let a loving relationship – a marriage – between you and God grow so that your life and that of those who surround you, will be greatly enriched. 

Isaiah 62:1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
    and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
    and her salvation like a burning torch.

The nations shall see your vindication,
    and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
    that the mouth of the Lord will give.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
    and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
    and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
    and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
    and your land shall be married.

For as a young man marries a young woman,
    so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
    so shall your God rejoice over you.

Psalm 36:5-10

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your judgements are like the great deep;
    you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.

O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
    and your salvation to the upright of heart!

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

John 2:1-11

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’  And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’  His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’  Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.  Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.  He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’  Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Epiphany

7th January 2024

 Reflection (readings below)

Epiphany has the meaning of manifestation, of a shining light of revelation, of things come into view. Today’s gospel tells of a number of epiphany moments – when the magi first saw the star and understood its significance, when they reached Jerusalem and became aware that Herod was not as genuine as he made out, when the scriptures pointed the way to the smaller city of Bethlehem, and when they saw the child with Mary his mother. 

Each epiphany moment was met by a response. When they see the star and realise what it signifies, they set out on a journey to find the new-born king. When they hear what is being said in Herod’s courts they readjust their route and head for Bethlehem. When they see the child, they kneel down in worship and give gifts to honour the child. 

Herod on the other hand, when he realises what the star and the arrival of the magi means, responds with trickery and, when that fails, with anger cruelly killing every young child. 

It is not just the revelation – the truth – that is important, it is also how people respond to the revelation, to the truth.

On Friday Canon Nick Davies at Tewksbury Cathedral looked out at the flooding surrounding the cathedral: “Tewksbury has been flooded since Roman times, but what we’re seeing now with climate change is that those extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Global warming enables clouds to hold more moisture and drop it more swiftly on places like here or elsewhere. And that’s what we’re seeing.” (https://www.theguardian.com/weather/2024/jan/05/heavy-flooding-is-climate-crisis-wake-up-call-for-uk-says-tewkesbury-abbey-canon?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other)

The widespread flooding that is being witnessed both in Tewksbury and across Britain (and indeed across Europe) is an epiphany moment or as Nick Davies puts it “It’s a wake-up call for the nation.” 

But what is now important is that we respond appropriately to that epiphany.  And Nick Davies went on “It’s about our carbon footprint. It’s about land usage. It’s about not building on floodplains. It’s about joined-up thinking across the Severn river basin. And that’s what we need if we’re not going to be back here in another few years’ time.”

Nick Davies was upfront in saying we should be questioning our  lifestyles,  whether people should carry on flying, how to decarbonise transport systems, and the importance of adopting national and international legislation. 

So as we celebrate the season of epiphany that began with a newly observed star, let us pay attention to the other epiphany moments that are sounding the alarm about the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, and the peace and justice crises. And not just note them, but act positively and proactively as a people who are commanded to love their neighbours, and to tend and care for plant earth – our common home. And by so doing we will be loving God with all our heart and and mind and strength. We need not just Nick Davies speaking to the Guardian from the roof of Tewksbury Abbey, but preachers from every pulpit, leaders in every Bible study and home group, bishops from their cathedral thrones, and Lords Spiritual in the Houses of Parliament, every PCC  diocesan Synod, making manifest the scale of the crises we face and the with candour spelling out how we can – and must – change the way we do things..

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Psalm 72:1-7,10-14

1 Give the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King’s Son;

2 That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice;

3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and the little hills bring righteousness.

4 He shall defend the needy among the people; *
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like showers that water the earth.

7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *
and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.

11 All kings shall bow down before him, *
and all the nations do him service.

12 For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *
and the oppressed who has no helper.

13 He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *
he shall preserve the lives of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

Ephesians 3:1-12

This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles– for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

1st Sunday of Christmas 

31st December 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord says Isaiah. 

Yet when we listen to the news we may feel there is little cause for rejoicing. War, injustice, poverty, overstretched health systems, floods and storms, and the hypocrisy of politicians telling us that they have our best interests at heart, that they are doing so much to safeguard the environment, to help the poor and  vulnerable! 

As we hear again the Christmas stories from the Gospels, we realise that things weer not so very different then. Power was in the hands of a few, and their wishes inconvenienced others. Yet God’s message of salvation and hope was passed onto the poor – shepherds, carpenters, overstretched  innkeepers – and was sought out by those seeking wisdom and truth, those who were prepared to travel long distances, willing to make detours and backtrack. And there was mass murder, there were refugees, there was poverty.

Today’s psalm echoes the themes of the Magnificat – healing the broken hearted, lifting up the lowly:  salvation is about transformation and restoration, healing and growth. It is God’s word, God’s command, that effects this. It is a message we mustn’t forget. It reminds and reassures us that just because the world is in a bad way, that that is not how God will’s it to be; rather God desires that this bad state of affairs be transformed, be turned upside down. God is so committed to this that God took on our human nature so that we could see the God-given potential that humans have. 

If we look around, we can see signs of hope: the people and the governments demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, the continued provision of food banks and homeless shelters, the expansion of renewal energy in Uruguay (98%), states challenging  Trump’s right to stand for a second term as President, the reduction in air pollution in London as a result of the ULEZ scheme, a funded project to protect and enhance the UK’s Celtic rainforest.

If both Isaiah and the Psalmist can praise God with an absolute certainty that righteousness will spring up like plants in a garden and that salvation will blaze forth like a torch, can we too embrace that confidence too? Can we recognise the God-given potential in ourselves and in others to achieve this? Here we are on the cusp of a new year, what resolutions can we make? 

The passage from John’s gospel tells us that it is the light that will transform the world; a light that cannot be overcome. It is a light to which John the Baptist testifies; he can do no other. John’s calling is to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! He speaks truth to power. He speaks with an honesty that is clear that he is just a messenger: the gospel message – the light – is so much greater. John knows that there are others who will choose not to hear the truth, who will deny the validity and the importance of the message. Others who will put forward an alternative  – false – message. Yet that will not stop John proclaiming what he knows to be true, and it will certainly not prevent the light from being eternally present. 

For climate activists this calling to proclaim a message of truth that many do not want to hear, that those in authority wish to suppress, the reality that John faced will come as no surprise. And such truth telling is needed. Governments are not truthful about the scale of the climate and ecological crisis. Oil companies are not truthful about their commitment to ending fossil fuel extraction. Judges do not allow the truth to be heard when climate activists are on trial. 

Hopefully today’s gospel will be an encouragement for them, an acknowledgment that they are but the next generation of a long line of those called to proclaim the salvific promises of God.

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,

until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.

The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;

and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Psalm 147

1 Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God! *
how pleasant it is to honour him with praise!

2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *
he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted *
and binds up their wounds.

4 He counts the number of the stars *
and calls them all by their names.

5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *
there is no limit to his wisdom.

6 The Lord lifts up the lowly, *
but casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; *
make music to our God upon the harp.

8 He covers the heavens with clouds *
and prepares rain for the earth;

9 He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *
and green plants to serve mankind.

10 He provides food for flocks and herds *
and for the young ravens when they cry.

11 He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *
he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;

12 But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *
in those who await his gracious favour.

13 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
praise your God, O Zion;

14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
he has blessed your children within you.

15 He has established peace on your borders; *
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.

16 He sends out his command to the earth, *
and his word runs very swiftly.

17 He gives snow like wool; *
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
who can stand against his cold?

19 He sends forth his word and melts them; *
he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.

20 He declares his word to Jacob, *
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.

21 He has not done so to any other nation; *
to them he has not revealed his judgments.
Hallelujah!

Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

4th Sunday of Advent

24th December 2023

Sunday reflection (readings are below)

In the reading from 2 Samuel, both Nathan and David learn that the ‘house of God’ as a legacy is not to be found in a temple or any other physical building – which might gives us pause for thought when we think of of the sums of money and the emotional value we invests in cathedrals and church buildings. Rather the enduring legacy that will attest to God’s greatness – and reflect their faithful love of God – will be that of kinship and kingship. It will be in the lineage of those who are faithful to God, following the ways of God, that will be an everlasting kingdom – the kingdom of God.

The passage from Paul’s letter to the new Christian communities in Rome, reminds them – and us – of the mystery of what was there all along yet hidden, and which was revealed in Jesus, the gift of faith. Faith that builds communities, that transforms injustices, that brings healing and new life – faith  being about the upside down world described in the Magnificat. 

Just as Mary found favour with God, so we too can with faith, find ourselves favoured by God. Recently I was reading a poem, ‘Virgin Birth’ by Joy Cowley, in which she speaks of ‘the Emmanuel space’ within us where we conceive and give birth to Christ. It is a holy space she says which cannot be filled by friends or family (as important as they are) nor by power or status, but only by God. If only  God can fill this space, it must be also a vulnerable space. Somewhere we might shy away from as to fill it – to allow God in – is to acknowledge a need for God. So it can be a space we block from sight, hiding it behind other things. Hiding it behind things like power and status, wealth and desire, or behind things that are not unimportant – like family and friends, like the climate crisis and social justice  – and so we may struggle on, failing to receive that most valuable gift of God incarnate.

If like David and Nathan we wish to honour God with a temple, we will best do so by adding to the lineage that is the House of God, by being participants in the faithful participants in God’s kingdom, both receiving and sharing the gift of God within our lives on an ongoing basis. 

When we think of lineage as a family, we have the image of a trunk from which many branches reach out, dividing and crisscrossing as they stretch ever further out. God’s family tree is more truly a network. It grows as members (and here we should not be purely human focused but recognise all creation as part of God’s kingdom) are open to God’s spirit moving within them. And it is disrupted and damaged when God’s spirit is impeded by our own vanities, self importance, desire for power etc – those activities that unchecked lead to prejudice, oppression, conflict, injustice and war. 

As we wait in the eve of Christmas ready to celebrate the mystery of Christ entering our lives, let us acknowledge what is not right in the world and hold onto the hope that it does not have to be this way and that we as part of God’s favoured ones, we can too can give birth to change.

 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

When the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.

The Response

Canticle 15

The Song of Mary Magnificat

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; *
for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Romans 16:25-27

Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith– to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.