Category: Sunday Reflections

A weekly reflection on the lectionary readings for Sunday

Proper 28, 19th November 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

On Thursday I took part in an interfaith service praying for climate justice – we gathered beneath the statue of Robert Clive outside the Foreign Office, as we reflected on how our actions have a global impact. 

One, a rabbi, told us a story that when God first created Adam, God took him on a tour of all the trees in the garden of Eden, showing both how beautiful and how useful they all were. And then God told Adam that all this had been created for him – for humanity. ‘Make certain’, said God, ‘that you do not ruin and destroy all this, for there is no one to mend it after you!’ 

We are not children, said the rabbi, that someone else will tidy up our mess. We are adults and have to take responsibility to mend what we have damaged. 

Today’s readings have the theme of judgment. The prophet Zephaniah talks of the impending ‘day of reckoning’. A  day when our pluses and minuses, successes and failures, are weighed up.

And in today’s Gospel Jesus tells a parable in which a master judges whether his servants have been trustworthy custodians of what he gave them.

In just under two week COP28 will get underway. One of the key agenda items is to address the outcome of the global stocktake – an assessment of progress that has been made by the nations against the targets in the Paris agreement. The report itself was published in September with the conclusion that  although progress had been made, it was nowhere near enough, and that achieving net-zero emissions required “systems transformation” across all sectors and contexts, including scaling up renewable energy and phasing out fossil-fuel projects.

It feels as if we are fast approaching a day of reckoning. How will we be judged? Will it be shown that we have taken sufficient care of the earth God has given us? 

To return to Zephaniah, it will not be enough that we ourselves have gained wealth, built ourselves comfortable homes and vineyards. Judgement of the earth will be more subtle – it is not a question have we got enough wealth, a safe home and a fruitful vine – that is just to be complacent – but have we ensured that the earth’s wealth has been fairly shared with our neighbours? Have we ensured that it has been garnered in such a way as to not to destroy the earth – and all the trees – that God has given us? 

The jury is out.

The words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ opening remarks to the Climate Ambition Summit in September, sounds as forceful as those of Zephaniah. “…and our task is urgent. Humanity has opened the gates of hell. Horrendous heat is having horrendous effects.  Distraught farmers watching crops carried away by floods; sweltering temperatures spawning disease; and thousands are fleeing in fear as historic fires rage.

Climate action is dwarfed by the scale of the challenge… But, the future is not fixed.  It is for leaders like you to write it…We must make up time lost to foot-dragging, arm-twisting and the naked greed of entrenched interests raking in billions from fossil fuels.”

So while we have time, we must take action. The Psalm reminds us that God is our refuge, our port of call for help. We must ask God “ to teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” If we trust in God, we should allow God to shape our actions, to guide our thoughts and to inflame our hearts with love. 

We must not be complacent, but rather we must, in the words from Thessalonians, be awake and sober. We must put on ‘the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation’ and that salvation comes through Jesus. A few weeks ago we reflected on the Beatitudes and the teachings that Jesus gives to us his apprentices, that we should love without counting the cost, be truthful without counting the cost, be faithful without counting the cost and stand up for what is right without counting the cost.

If we and all people of faith can accept our responsibility to care for the earth and for our neighbours, then, in the words of the Hindu swami at Thursday’s Interfaith service, we, the people of faith, will be a fighting force for good, a force that can change the world.

António Guterres closed his speech saying, “The future of humanity is in your hands.  One summit will not change the world.  But, today can be a powerful moment to generate momentum, that we build on over the coming months.”

Zephaniah 1:7,12-18

Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;

the Lord has prepared a sacrifice,
he has consecrated his guests.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the people

who rest complacently on their dregs,
those who say in their hearts,

“The Lord will not do good,
nor will he do harm.”

Their wealth shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.

Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;

though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.

The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;

the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter,
the warrior cries aloud there.

That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,

a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness,
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.

I will bring such distress upon people
that they shall walk like the blind;
because they have sinned against the Lord,

their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.

Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath;

in the fire of his passion
the whole earth shall be consumed;

for a full, a terrible end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Psalm 90:1-8, 12

1 Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.

3 You turn us back to the dust and say, *
“Go back, O child of earth.”

4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.

6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.

7 For we consume away in your displeasure; *
we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.

8 Our iniquities you have set before you, *
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

12 So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Matthew 25:14-30

Jesus said, “It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Proper 27, 3rd Sunday before Advent

12th November 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

Amos is asking his audience if they are sure that want the Day of the Lord to come soon? Do they really want to be exposed to  God’s judgement? For that surely is part and parcel of the Day of the Lord? If it is a day of honest judgement, might it be more than we bargain for? Might it be like meeting a bear when you have just escaped from a lion? Or like reaching the safety of your home, only to put your hand on a scorpion? 

Earlier this week I was at conference considering how faith groups go about investing their financial resources. Would their choices of investment reflect well on the groups? How, for example, would they feel if they had to reveal to their congregations or supporters, where – in what companies and industries – they had invested their money? Would their investments reflect their commitment to God’s way, to the coming of the kingdom of God, or would they reflect the mercenary views of the ‘world’?

It seemed a good question to ask of ourselves. How would we feel explaining which bank we used, which pension provider, or which companies we invested with? How would we feel if we had to explain how we spent our money each week? 

So yesterday I was Christian Climate Action outside the Steam Museum in Swindon where the National Trust was holding its AGM. We and all the NT supporters recognise the good that they do to protect and enhance the natural environment, and to make it accessible to more and more people. A few years ago they divested from fossil fuels. Why then, we asked, are you banking with Barclays one of the worst in terms of their financing of fossil fuel projects? Is this in keeping with your values?

Amos then goes on to ask his audience if they are sure they know what God wants from them. Are they sure that what God wants are offerings of burnt incense or some songs of praise? Rather, says Amos, what God wants are deeds of justice and righteousness, deeds that will be ongoing – rolling – like a never ending stream. That will be the basis on which God will judge us.

If we look at the state of the world – the ongoing fighting in Ukraine, in North Sudan, in Yemen, in Gaza – do we feel ready to be judged? 

If we consider that in 2022 3.8 million people in the UK – including 1 million children – experienced destitution (struggling to afford to meet their most basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed) – do we feel ready to be judged? 

If we look at global greenhouse gas emissions which are still rising, reaching a record high of  36.8 giga tonnes in 2022, whilst continuing to expand fossil fuel production- do we feel ready to be judged?

Jesus tells his audience a parable about judgement. Ten bridesmaids are tasked with doing what is expected of bridesmaids – that they be ready to light the way for the bridegroom when ever he arrives. Five take the task seriously, whilst five choose hope their work to date has been sufficient. 

Keeping lamps alight is like maintaining justice and wellbeing. It requires constant attention and resourcing. And that is our calling – our vocation – as Christians. To work constantly to maintain justice, to care for creation, to love our neighbours as ourselves – this is how we serve the kingdom of God. This is how we love God. 

Amos 5:18-24

Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord:

Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!
Why do you want the day of the Lord?

It is darkness, not light;
as if someone fled from a lion,
and was met by a bear;

or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,
and was bitten by a snake.

Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?

I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;

and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.

Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an everflowing stream.

Psalm 70

1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; *
O Lord, make haste to help me.

2 Let those who seek my life be ashamed
and altogether dismayed; *
let those who take pleasure in my misfortune
draw back and be disgraced.

3 Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat over me turn back, *
because they are ashamed.

4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; *
let those who love your salvation say for ever,
“Great is the Lord!”

5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; *
come to me speedily, O God.

6 You are my helper and my deliverer; *
O Lord, do not tarry.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

The Feast of All Saints

5th November 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

Heaven, as described in the passage from the the Book of Revelation, is a place – or maybe more generally an environment or habitat – filled with the praise of God. A place of praise because it is a place where all the goodness, the greatness of God is realised and recognised. It is a place of blessing, of joy, and of satisfaction. 

Heaven is our goal whether that is after death or just as importantly in this life. When we pray ‘your kingdom come on earth as in heaven’ we express the desire that life on earth would be as it is in heaven – a life of blessing, of joy and of satisfaction. Thus when Jesus says blessed are the meek, the pure in heart, the peacemaker … it is saying that to be like that, to live in that way, is to experience the kingdom of heaven. It is to live in that heavenly habitat.

I have included a translation of the  Beatitudes from The Message as sometimes we are so used to the conventional translation, that we are not brought up short by Jesus’s words. The passage uses the word apprentice to describe Jesus’s disciples. It is a good choice. The Greek word used for disciple ‘mathetes’ comes from the verb meaning the mental effort needed to think something through. The word apprentice comes from the Latin ‘apprehendre’ meaning to grasp hold of mental or physically – to learn. An apprentice is one who learns the skills of the trade, working alongside and learning from an expert. 

In this passage that we know as The Beatitudes, is Jesus reading out a report card – these are the rewards that A and B have achieved? Or is it a list of targets – this is what you could aspire to? Or is it an observation of holy truths – this is how it is when people live in the ways of the kingdom of God?

Eugene Peterson slips in another word for disciple, a climbing companion. This then gives a particular resonance to the first Beatitude, which he describes as being at the end of your rope. Not in the  sense of having nothing else left, but what it is to be on the end of the rope when you are with your climbing companions. Then you are totally reliant on those above you who have secured the rope. Earlier this year I abseiled down from the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower. There was a point where I had to release by foothold on the building and trust entirely in the ropes that held me 80m up in the air. It was an act of faith – there was nothing else I could do. There was no other alternative, I simply had to trust and let go. The challenge is to have that same simple faith in God everyday unhindered by what ifs – what if I was more intelligent, what if I was thinner, what if I was richer, what if I had better friends, what if I lived elsewhere…

Each of the Beatitudes in some way challenges us to reshape our relationship with God. To have a relationship which is always God-centred, which never needs more than what we have, that seeks to live and breath God, to be absolutely reliant on God, that loves others only for and through our relationship with God. It is a pure and simple relationship centred on God and from which our actions  and interactions with the world then flow.

To be an apprentice is to be committed, to be ready and willing to learn and to practice, to practice and to learn. As such, an apprenticeship is a vocation. You put in the hours of work, the dedication of practice, not because someone’s is going to praise your efforts, but because you want to perfect the skill. You enjoy the effort not because it will bring you rewards but because it is the only activity that makes you truly happy. 

As Jesus’s apprentices we need to practice and practice the way he did things. To love without counting the cost, to be truthful without counting the cost, to stand up for what is right without counting the cost, to be faithful without counting the cost. 

Revelation 7:9-17

After this I, John, looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom 

and thanksgiving and honour  

and power and might 

be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“For this reason they are before the throne of God,

and worship him day and night within his temple,

and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;

the sun will not strike them,

nor any scorching heat;

for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Psalm 34:1-10,22

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; *
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

2 I will glory in the Lord; *
let the humble hear and rejoice.

3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; *
let us exalt his Name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me *
and delivered me out of all my terror.

5 Look upon him and be radiant, *
and let not your faces be ashamed.

6 I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *
and saved me from all my troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *
and he will deliver them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; *
happy are they who trust in him!

9 Fear the Lord, you that are his saints, *
for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger, *
but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good.

22 The Lord ransoms the life of his servants, *
and none will be punished who trust in him.

1 John 3:1-3

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Matthew 5:1-12 (the first version comes from The Message)

When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

—————————-

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Proper 25, 21st Sunday after Trinity 

29th October 2023

Reflection (readings below)

To what extent should we take the stories of Deuteronomy – or of Genesis and Exodus – as unchanging, eternally truths, or binding declarations, whereby God gives to one group of people the sole and absolute right to occupy a certain piece of land to the exclusion of all others?
Certainly a large part of the narrative of the Old Testament is about God’s people seeking and finding and inhabiting a land to which God leads them. But that is not the whole story. Their occupation of the land is ringed by caveats and covenants, where by their ability to remain and to flourish on the land, depends upon their willingness to live their lives according to the ways of God.
The larger part of Old Testament  narrative is about the unfolding and developing relationship between God and the people, about repentance and beginning again, about learning what it is to be God’s people – what values and truths, what relationships and actions, are key. The finale of that teaching (for us as Christians) comes with the life and death, ministry and resurrection of Jesus Christ who is the unique living Word of God.
But for everyone reading the scriptures with a desire to understand, there is the importance of distinguishing between story and truth. With a parable we easily understand that the story is the vehicle for conveying the truth. The same is so when we explain a truth by way of an example. The example is just that – something done in a similar way; a what-if; a let’s-suppose. It is not the definitive, never changing, only circumstance, of that truth. Through the example of the story, we see the overarching truth. Prayer and reflection, discussion and meditation, help us discern the truth that is of God. Indeed, all our thinking, our speaking, our actions, need to be rooted in, to come from, God.

So it is that we come to the heart of today’s gospel. Jesus, when asked what is the greatest commandment, replies “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

If we love God with all our heart and soul and mind, then we shall be in a good place to read and understand the truth in the scriptures. And if we love God with all our heart and soul and mind, then equally we will find ourselves loving our neighbours as ourselves. If we love our neighbours, we shall want what is good for them, but not just for them as individuals, but for them all – as families, as communities, as peoples, as nations. And when we fail to love, then we create tensions and dis-ease, fear and envy, mistrust and hatred, that affects us all.

The following quote comes from the Guardian’s editorial, 24th October.

“Israelis and Palestinians have been locked into a spiral where each side seeks to avenge a wrong. Even when one side thinks they have got their revenge, the other does not think the score has been evened. The result is never-ending destruction. This has disastrously determined the recent history of bloodshed in the region. But both sides need to see themselves as they see each other so their violence can become part of history rather than part of the present”.

Loving our neighbour is to see them and ourselves through their eyes.

This is something we can practice everyday, and at every distance, from the neighbours who live next door, the neighbours who live at the other end of town, to the neighbours who live on the other side of the world.  By loving our neighbours we are building peace and establishing God’s kingdom – God’s rule or way of living – here on earth just as it happens in heaven.

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigour had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

1 Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.

3 You turn us back to the dust and say, *
“Go back, O child of earth.”

4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.

6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.

13 Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? *
be gracious to your servants.

14 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
and the years in which we suffered adversity.

16 Show your servants your works *
and your splendour to their children.

17 May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Matthew 22:34-46

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Proper 24, 20th Sunday after Trinity

22nd October 2023

Reflection (readings follow after)

Two kingdoms, two alternative ways of living. For Jesus’s contemporaries it was the choice between the rule of Caesar and the rule of God. Whose system are you going to subscribe to, whose rules are you going to follow?

Was that the situation being faced by Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness? Were they going to be the followers of God, God’s new people?  Or were they going to return to  what they had been, a people tied to slavery and the rule of the Egyptian pharaoh? And Moses asks the question, if they follow God, will their lives be different? Will they look like a people who have chosen to follow a different path?

God reassures Moses that he and the people have found favour with God, that they will know God’s mercy and God’s presence with them. By following Moses, the people will be following the one who has seen and knows God. In Hebrew the words for presence and face are interchangeable. To know God’s presence is to see God’s face.

The people – the church – of Thessalonica are constant and committed, in a life of faith and labour, to the kingdom of God. They know Jesus Christ as the face of this Kingdom, and have chosen this way over and above that of false idols. Their joy and satisfaction from this choice, spurs them on to advertise this new way and to encourage others to join them, so expanding the kingdom of God on earth. 

So what then of us today? What are the choices on offer? What faces do the alternatives present to us?

Last week London was host to the Energy Intelligence Forum which was a meeting of key figures from the global oil and financial industries. (It was previously known as the Oil and Money Conference). The world they represent, is one based on the continuing extraction and use of fossil fuels. A world in which oil rich countries such Saudi Arabia, and oil based companies such as Shell, will continue to make profits. A world in which the cost of energy will continue to rise. A world in which pollution from oil and carbon emissions will continue to increase. A world in which less powerful countries will continue to be poor. A world in which less powerful people will continue to be oppressed. A world in which social injustice will continue to thrive. A world in which care for the environment comes second place.

There is an alternative world. A world in which decisions are not made by a powerful elite. A world where money doesn’t determine every decision. A world which uses non polluting sources of energy. A world which listens to the cry of the poor – and responds. A world in which individuals matter, in which justice overrides power. A world in which everyone takes care of the environment and uses its resources with care and respect.

Two alternatives ways of living, two alternatives kingdoms. We do have a choice as to which we support. 

The people inside the conference were those paying service to oil and money. The people outside, the protestors, were those paying service to climate and social justice.

Exodus 33:12-23

Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight.’ Now if I have found favour in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.”

The Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” And the Lord continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

Psalm 99

1 The Lord is King;
let the people tremble; *
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.

2 The Lord is great in Zion; *
he is high above all peoples.

3 Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; *
he is the Holy One.

4 “O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity; *
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”

5 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool; *
he is the Holy One.

6 Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, *
they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.

7 He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; *
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.

8 O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; *
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds.

9 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill; *
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead– Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

Matthew 22:15-22

The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

Proper 23, 19th Sunday after Trinity,

15th October 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

If you are wandering in a wilderness without map or compass, who will be the better guide? A golden calf made from recycled jewellery, or God? Who best to follow?

The calf may look bright and shiny. It may feel solid and immovable – although that might itself be a problem. It may have ‘miraculously’ appeared out of the mould. But it is not going to lead the people through the wilderness. It is not going to guide them along the right path. It is not going to speak to them words of comfort nor is it going to teach them words of wisdom. 

Hearing the story four and a half thousand years later, the answer is obvious. The people should follow God! 

But are we any better today at avoiding false gods? They may no longer come in the form of shiny metal cattle. Their disguise is more subtle. Try GDP and neoliberal economics. That’s the guide we should follow to reach the promised land of endless growth and wealth. Try fossil fuels and their ‘cheap’ bountiful energy. That’s the way to boost the economy and help lift people out of poverty. Try free trade and cheap imports/exports. That’s the way to get the global economy moving. Try low taxation and cheap, un-unionised labour. That will create all the jobs we need. Try retail therapy. The more you buy, the happier you will be!

Each is a false god that offers wealth and happiness for all, but which in reality favours a select few at the expense of everyone and everything else. 

The parable from today’s gospel tells the same story. The people who are invited to the wedding feast are being invited to share their lives with the King’s (ie God). But instead they make a different choice.  They choose instead to seek happiness being busy at their farm, or concentrating on their business interests. They choose the golden calf over God. Perhaps they don’t realise it straight away but they have missed out on the opportunity of knowing true happiness. 

Other guests are invited and take up the invitation. This latter group of guests are keen and committed. They put on party clothes – they want to be in the groove, be part of the party scene. They want to be God’s people, to live their lives in fellowship with God. But maybe just as some might come and look at an idol and not worship, so others may come to the party but take part. Other parables remind us that saying yes and doing no, isn’t the right response.

Perhaps traditionally idols have been understood to be things or objects – be that a statue of a Greek god or a sports car. Or perhaps we have understood an idol to be a personality such as pop star or a football player or a politician. But what if a way of life can be an idol. What if we understand an idol to be that which is the the single focus of our daily life, the things that motivates our every action? That, I think, is what we are asked to do in worshipping God, in following Jesus – to have no other gods.

Exodus 32:1-14

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mould, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.

The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”

But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23

1 Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, *
for his mercy endures for ever.

2 Who can declare the mighty acts of the Lord *
or show forth all his praise?

3 Happy are those who act with justice *
and always do what is right!

4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favour you have for your people, *
and visit me with your saving help;

5 That I may see the prosperity of your elect
and be glad with the gladness of your people, *
that I may glory with your inheritance.

6 We have sinned as our forebears did; *
we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.

19 Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb *
and worshiped a molten image;

20 And so they exchanged their Glory *
for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.

21 They forgot God their Saviour, *
who had done great things in Egypt,

22 Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, *
and fearful things at the Red Sea.

23 So he would have destroyed them,
had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, *
to turn away his wrath from consuming them.

Philippians 4:1-9

My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Matthew 22:1-14

Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Proper 22, 18th Sunday after Trinity 

8th October 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

The Ten Commandments in Godly Play are named as the Ten Good Ways as this comes across as being less dictatorial and more about wise guidance or wisdom. I too renamed my Rule of Life – I am a Franciscan tertiary – My Way of Life. The former felt too rigid, too black and white, and given human frailty, guilt inducing. 

Perhaps in all these things, it is not the prescription that is so important as the outcome, the fruits, they deliver. If the Ten Commandments lead us to live in a good way, then they fulfil their purpose what ever their name.

The Ten Commandments – God’s commandments – did introduce the people to a new and better way of living. Their former life had been lived in slavery. They had been not people but property owned by the Egyptian rulers. But God has rescued – released – them from slavery. Now they were God’s people. Where as before they had been subject to the rules of human masters, now they were invited to commit themselves to living according to God’s rules, God’s ways – ways that would ensure their wellbeing and fulfilment. And so far in the story of Exodus, we have heard how God had protected them from the Egyptian army, had provided them with bread and meat – as much as they needed- and with fresh water. 

Nevertheless, the people’s experience of encountering God was filled with fear and awe – and within that spectrum, respect. God wasn’t saying that living a good life was easy or effortless, rather that to live life well required focus, dedication, discipline and effort, but that equally it brought its own rewards. This is picked up in Psalm 19. The psalmist reminds us that all of the natural world recognises and in its own way praises God – and we should do likewise. And furthermore that the law of God is something to delight in and stick too because it is good for us. It rewards us with lives of sweet delight!

Paul writing to the Philippians knows and proclaims that there is nothing better in life than knowing Jesus as Lord. Paul is determined to know and follow Jesus as completely and as closely as possible. Nothing is of more value, can bring him greater benefit or joy, than the way of Jesus. 

Today’s gospel has a parable that must have made for very uncomfortable listening for the religious authorities of the day. And perhaps therefore we should not be too glib in thinking that the days when the religious leaders – and not just the leaders but those who worked within the system – got God’s message so wrong, have past. I am sure in our hearts we know we in the church have got things wrong,     and when in the future we look back, we may be surprised how blinkered we were. 

What the owner of the vineyard is asking for, is the harvest that the vines have produced. The harvest God seeks are the fruits of the kingdom – the positives outcomes from living a way of life built upon the corner stone of Jesus’s teachings.

Looking back over the previous chapters of Matthew’s gospel, we have that way shown to us in the  Beatitudes. We have the exhortation to be salty, to be a light shining forth from the lamp stand. We are reminded of the enduring value the law and the prophets which can be summed up  as “in everything do to others as you would have them do to you”. We are told to love not just our neighbours but our enemies too. We are told not to seek retaliation, not to serve two masters, not to store up wealth. We are told to be not just hearers but doers too! And the fruits we will see can be amazing – the blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised, and the poor receive good news. The kingdom will be like a tree where every bird has a place to roost. It will  be exemplified by flourishing and bounty – five loaves will feed 5000!

Are we as Christians, following in the way of Jesus? Are we seeking to live according to God’s Good Ways? Are we shaping our lives according to the value of the kingdom of God? Are we being generous in returning to God and God’s creation the fruitfulness of the kingdom? Are we seeing lives being changed in ways that amaze us, or are we still seeing lives subject to the unjust rules of human making?

Earlier this week it was reported that in Gaza, soldiers shoot at the legs of protestors, often aiming to shatter their ankle bones. Many inhabitants are to be seen with crutches, having lost the use of their feet. Now we have seen this lack of peace escalate explosively – Lord forgive us.

Of the 2 billion instances of blindness in the world, half are preventable or treatable, and disproportionately more of these cases are in the poorer nations of Africa. 

Yet in 2022 it was reported that ‘the ranks of the global ‘ultra high net worth’ (UHNW) individuals swelled by 46,000 last year to a record 218,200 as the world’s richest people benefited from “almost an explosion of wealth” during the recovery from the pandemic.” 

In the UK 100,000 households live in temporary accommodation including 130,000 children. The distribution of food parcels by food banks has doubled over the last five years, and some 6.7 million households are affected by fuel poverty.  

This year Oxfam reported on their analysis  that the richest 1% of Britons hold more wealth than 70 per cent of Britons, while the four richest Britons have more wealth than 20 million Britons”.

It seems as if the workers in the vineyard are still reluctant to hand over the riches of the harvest. 

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

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 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.

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.

When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”

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.

Philippians 3:4b-14

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 21:33-46

Jesus said, “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realised that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Proper 21, 17th Sunday After Trinity

1st October 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

Why do the people complain to Moses and not ask/ pray to God? Are they still at the learning stage and don’t yet know God? 

It seems that they have not yet learnt that God is with them. 

Later the Psalmist, will be able to write ‘Hear my teaching, O my people’. By the time the Psalmist is writing, God’s people have journeyed through the wilderness experiencing God’s presence in all aspects of their daily life. They will have been immersed in a time and space when they were ready and able to learn God’s teaching. 

In Philippians we have a wonderful early creed that describes the nature and character of Jesus. Jesus is God-with-us in a unique way. Through our faith in Jesus, God is at work in us, enabling us ‘both to will and to work for his good pleasure’.

Both the Old Testament readings and the epistle are telling us that the source of instruction that we need to enable us to lead good and fulfilled lives, should come from God. God should be the source of authority in our lives – for us as individuals and as a people. If we believe that God is the origin of all that has been created, then it would seem logical that God would be the best source of information – the best authority – to show us how we can live most harmoniously, most profitably with creation. Here I use the word profitably to mean not financial greed but beneficial wellbeing. And that would be well-being not just for some individuals but for everyone, for the whole ecosystem.

Today’s gospel reading is also about authority. More specifically, what is the authority by which Jesus acts? What is the authority that allows him speak of what God wills? What is the authority that allows him to teach others? What is the authority that allows him to heal and to forgive sins? What is the authority that allows him to challenge existing traditions and laws, to contradict what is said by those in positions of power? 

Does his authority come from his band of followers, or from  family business, or from sponsors, or from a self confident egotism, or maybe – just maybe – from God? 

Perhaps, in all honesty, the chief priests and elders are not entirely sure that they know the answer. The miracles and healings might suggest divine links, but how could that be squared with his pointed assertions that they, the public figures of the Law and guardians of God’s Temple, are wrong – that they have become entrapped in a false system that equates their human decisions with those of God? I can imagine it would be hard for them to see through the miasma of centuries old human-made traditions.

When we look at our own social, religious,  and business structures, can we be sure that we can always distinguish between human preferences and God’s will, between what is expedient and what God desires? 

Licensing new oil wells that will profit shareholders who vote for you, may seem expedient if you are after votes. But is spending money on such destructive projects that could otherwise be invested in climate friendly renewable energy projects, really what God desires? Surely what God desires is that the actions we choose should care for and benefit the planet, should provide for the wellbeing of the poor and the vulnerable in creation?

The people in Exodus quite rightly ask for clean drinking water. Water is essential for life. People need clean water to drink. Birds and animals need clean water to drink. Plants need water to grow. Aquatic creatures need clean water in which to live  – if the water becomes polluted, they die. Why then is it that we allow companies to make profits out of selling water whilst at the same time polluting streams, rivers and, ultimately, seas  on and in which so many plants and animal species depend? Why is it that farmers can profit from industrial-scale methods of production that release herbicides and pesticides and farm sewage into those same streams, rivers and oceans, without hindrance or reparations? Why is that industrialists can profit from producing aluminium and copper and lithium whilst polluting whole river systems? Or that oil companies can profit from extracting oil whilst polluting both rivers and oceans?

Surely what God desires are clean, biodiverse rich, flourishing streams and rivers, seas and deltas? Surely what God desires is that no one should make profits at the expense of anyone else’s (human or wildlife) wellbeing? That being so, by what authority do businesses and governments promote means of production and extraction and profiteering that kill off wildlife, damage ecosystems, and endanger the lives of millions of people across the world?

Conversely by what authority do climate activists, social reformers, naturalists and ecologist, call for an end of such practices? What motivates their actions? To win votes? For egotist reward? For fun? Or because they cannot stand back, and say and/ do nothing about what seems to be clearly unrighteous? 

Exodus 17:1-7

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

1 Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.

4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *
and the wonderful works he has done.

12 He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He split open the sea and let them pass through; *
he made the waters stand up like walls.

14 He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.

15 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.

16 He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.

Philippians 2:1-13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death–
even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Matthew 21:23-32

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Proper 20, 16th Sunday after Trinity

24th September 2023

Reflection (readings below)

It is easy for people to get disgruntled, especially when they feel that a change in the system has unfairly affected them. 

Today’s readings are concerned with different systems. There is that of the world – sometimes referred to, by for example St Paul, as the way of the flesh. And there is that which is the way of God – the way of the kingdom of God. 

Life in Egypt operated under the system of the world. There were those in power and those enslaved. Those who were slaves worked whilst those in power enjoyed the fruits of their labour. To ensure those who were slaves kept on working, food was necessary.  Slaves worked to get food, and slaves got food to ensure they  worked.

God took the people out of that system in a way that was dramatic and promised to be life changing. But initially the people felt uncomfortable. They are not used to this system. They complain – Po I g the blame on Moses and Aaron. God knows what they are experiencing and God wants to introduce them to an alternative system, the system, or way, of God. God will feed them not because he wants them to work hard, but because they are God’s people. God wants them to learn God’s ways, to learn to follow God’s instructions and God’s example.

So without having to work, God provides them with food to eat – a free gift. But God’s way are about having enough and not being greedy or grasping. They are to collect each day just the food they need. Later in the story we hear that those who are greedy, and collect more that they need, find that the surplus they gathered goes mouldy! God’s ways are not just about having enough food, they are also about having enough rest. Just as God, after six days of labouring to create the world, rested on the seventh day, so to the people of God are to observe a day of rest on the seventh day. 

These words from today’s psalm reminds us that seeking God’s way is the way, will lead to rejoicing!

“Glory in his holy Name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”

The story from St Matthew’s gospel likewise contrasts the ways of the world and the ways of God, and how the two systems have different ways of valuing people. The world values people according to their ability to work hard, whilst at the same time overlooking the fact that some people lack opportunity, that people are not playing on a level playing field. The kingdom of God values people because they are people made in God’s image. The kingdom of God serves to give people opportunities. The kingdom of God sets out to meet people’s need – not their greed. The kingdom of God asks that we be generous towards others just as God is generous to us.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians reminds us that to seek God’s kingdom, to follow in the ways of Christ, is not without discomfort and suffering, but despite these, it is always a way of life that is full of joy.

The way of the world still predominates. We still find that we and others are often constrained by its overwhelming force, and by its injustices. People still go hungry, people still lack opportunities, people still find that the system is set against them. Only this week Mr Sunak has declared that because people cannot afford to replace their existing gas heating systems, that he will allow these expensive systems to remain in place, locking users into an ongoing reliance on gas markets with ever increasing energy costs. Would it not be better to insulate people’s homes, fitting them out with energy efficient heating systems, and so allowing them to benefit from the lower costs of renewable energy. Would it not be even better to ensure that everyone has a warm home as a universal right?

Can we envisage how all our lives would look if we lived according to the values of the kingdom of God? Those values we pray for each time we say the Lord’s Prayer – ‘May your kingdom come, on earth as in heaven.’

Exodus 16:2-15

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’” And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”

Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45

1 Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.

2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvellous works.

3 Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4 Search for the Lord and his strength; *
continually seek his face.

5 Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,

6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.

37 He led out his people with silver and gold; *
in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled.

38 Egypt was glad of their going, *
because they were afraid of them.

39 He spread out a cloud for a covering *
and a fire to give light in the night season.

40 They asked, and quails appeared, *
and he satisfied them with bread from heaven.

41 He opened the rock, and water flowed, *
so the river ran in the dry places.

42 For God remembered his holy word *
and Abraham his servant.

43 So he led forth his people with gladness, *
his chosen with shouts of joy.

44 He gave his people the lands of the nations, *
and they took the fruit of others’ toil,

45 That they might keep his statutes *
and observe his laws.
Hallelujah!

Philippians 1:21-30

To me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well– since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Creation-tide – Christian Climate Action and the prophetic role 

17th September 2023

Reflection (readings below)

To be a prophet is not a popular calling. Often the message you have been given by God is not exactly the message that people want to hear. The message is often contradictory, challenging the norm; it may ask for a life-style that is counter cultural, it may be a message that counters the way people  current live  – and are happily living in fact, ‘thank you very much!’

Jeremiah was certainly in that position. The message God asked Jeremiah to deliver was definitely not what the people of Judah wanted to hear. 

Nor was it the message the religious leaders wanted to hear.

Nor was it the message the political leaders, including the King, wanted to hear. 

How is Jeremiah going to get the people to pay attention, how is he going to get them a) to listen to God’s message and b) to respond to it positively?

In the passage we have just heard, Jeremiah takes an earthware jar – a large one I’m guessing – and throws it the ground. (Push a heavy book onto the floor) SMASH! That surely got their attention! And he gives them God’s message. 

Why am I telling you this? Because I see the role of the climate activist as being like that of a prophet. The climate activist has a message to deliver, a message that people do not necessarily want to hear because it is asking them to make changes in their lifestyle, to change the way they relate to other people, to change the way they relate to other creaturely beings, to change the way they relate to the entirety of God’s creation. 

Is the climate activist’s message a message from God or just a repetition of what the scientists are saying? From the very beginning we are told that the earth is the work of God, that God created all that exists in its beauty and diversity, and declared it to be good. And we are also told that God specially created humans to have a very particular role within creation: to tend and care for the earth, working with and for the wellbeing of the other beings that God has created. The unfolding drama of the Bible, especially in the books of the prophets, tells us that when we live in harmony with God’s will, the earth is a place of flourishing. And when we go astray and live in disharmony with God, then the earth becomes a place of desolation – crops fail, animals and people die, rivers dry up, and warfare and illness stalk the land. For the Christian climate activist, the message they bear is definitely one from God; it is based on prayer and on the study of both scripture and scientific research.

As a Christian climate activist, I endeavour to speak God’s truth, to call out injustice, and to call on people – whether as individuals or as organisations – to pay attention to the crisis creation faces and to reorientate their way of living – shaping it as God wills. Like the prophets, I have engaged in nonviolent direct action to get the message across. I have knelt in prayer outside Shell’s headquarters, I have petitioned my MP, I have marched on the streets, I have been arrested for obstructing the highway, I have written a blog, I have preached, I have knelt in the cathedral and had my hair cut off as a sign of penitence. Other Christian activists have gone further and even been sent to prison for the non violent disruptive actions they have taken in the cause of safeguarding creation. That is something Jeremiah also encountered. At one point he was even imprisoned in a pit by his opponents.

But is disruptive action in line with the teaching, the example, of Jesus? 

Think back to our gospel reading. Can you imagine the scene? Here is Jesus riding on a donkey – one that has been rather oddly purloined for him – riding slowly into Jerusalem whilst all around his followers are pulling branches from the trees and taking off their garments to cover the road. And all the time they are doing this, they and the crowd are shouting slogans, slogans that challenge the religious status quo and the political status quo! What is Jesus doing if not being disruptive? And does he stop when those in authority ask him to? No way! This is the word from God. Even if the people were to be silent, then the very stones would take up the message!!

This is one example, but throughout the gospels we see and hear Jesus carrying out actions that challenged the status quo. He healed the sick on the sabbath. He touched the unclean. He brought in the outsider. He preached a message which turned the economics of the day upside down. He fed the hungry. He inaugurated a meal that demonstrated that in him is the divine source of life. He provoked the authorities to seek his execution and even in death challenged them to see the world differently.

Prophets do not just highlight what is going wrong, they also point to what is possible, to the vision of how God wishes and desires things to be. John – the John who is named as the writer of the Book of Revelation –  knows of the evils and destructive habits of the world of which he is a part, but he is also aware that God envisages something far better – a new heaven and a new earth in which no evil resides, in which all live in harmony with God. Climate activists too have a vision to share of a new and possible future. A world of clean energy. A world of homes well insulated against the cold and the heat respectively.  A world in which there is enough good food for everyone. A world in which resources are shared fairly and used sustainably. Indeed a world where everyone lives in harmony just as God desires. 

To be a climate activist is a prophetic calling. It is, I think, a calling that is more widespread than many people would believe. But if one looks at the state of the world, the enormity of the crisis we face, the scale of social injustice being created, then actually we should not be surprised that God is calling more and more of us to take on the prophetic role and become climate activists.  Maybe this creation-tide you will find yourself moved by God to become a  climate  activist. 

Jeremiah 19:1-6, 10-13

Thus said the Lord: Go and buy a potter’s earthenware jug. Take with you some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests, and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. You shall say: Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to bring such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. Because the people have forsaken me, and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah have known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent, and gone on building the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as burnt-offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it enter my mind; therefore the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when this place shall no more be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter. 

 Then you shall break the jug in the sight of those who go with you,  and shall say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, so that it can never be mended. In Topheth they shall bury until there is no more room to bury.  Thus will I do to this place, says the Lord, and to its inhabitants, making this city like Topheth.  And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Topheth—all the houses upon whose roofs offerings have been made to the whole host of heaven, and libations have been poured out to other gods.

Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

Luke 19:29-40

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.”’  So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them.  As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’  They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

‘Blessed is the king
    who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
    and glory in the highest heaven!’

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’  He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’