Sunday Reflections – Page 7

Advent 2

8th December 2024

Reflection with readings below

Advent is a season of preparation for Christmas – marking the birth of Christ – and for Christ’s judgement or presence at the end of time (however we may view that, be it of our life span, or that of civilisation or of the earth).

The birth of a child is always special but not all births are surrounded by bliss and serenity. The two gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth suggest that his birth was surrounded by various problematic and unexpected issues – moral dilemmas about paternity, temporary homelessness, the threat of murder, and flight as refugees, for example. And for children around the world today, birth and infancy can be just as problematic with the potential likelihood of poverty, homelessness, war and violence, lack of food and health care, and diverse moral and social obstacles. Just this week we have been hearing how women in Afghanistan will no longer be able to train as midwives.

So why, when we prepare to celebrate Christmas in our churches, do we present an image of birth that is all sweetness and light? Are we short-changing our congregations – and perhaps especially those for whom church going is an annual event – by implying that that is all that Christianity is about – a sweet and sugary message. A message that has nothing to say about the difficulties and short comings that many people and communities face. A message that fails to acknowledge that these are issues that Jesus did and still does care deeply about. The difficulties and shortcomings are the reason why Jesus came as a saviour. He came bringing different ways of being human, different priorities, different ways of relating to God. The wisdom that Jesus still offers – if only we humans would accept it – can bring both peace and justice to our world.

The world is crying out for salvation, for healing, for restoration and renewal. The rules and cultures humanity lives by are not fit-for-purpose. They do not ensure the unfurling of peace and justice for all. We need to making clear that the gospel message of Jesus is one of salvation, of turning around the way we live, of the way we care for one another, of the way we care for not just ourselves but all of creation – of which we are but one small but potential highly destructive part.

People shouldn’t be coming to a church that says everything is perfect and innocent, adorned with twinkling stars and fairy lights. But to a church that says we know we are imperfect and that we live in a variety of imperfect systems, and that many things are wrong in this world. A church that is ready to acknowledge and identify with the suffering and hardships of others – a church that doesn’t look away from unpleasant things pretending the doesn’t exist. A church that can equally be confident in asserting: It doesn’t have to be like this. There is a different way of being and doing. It is the way of God, it is the way of God revealed most acutely in the person and being of Jesus Christ.

Malachi 3:1-4

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

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

The Song of Zechariah Luke 1: 68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty saviour, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old,

that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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

Philippians 1:3-11

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”

First Sunday of Advent

1st December 2024

Reflection with readings below

The readings during Advent and especially those used in carol services, are full of pointers and signs, telling us that amazing things are about to happen – those chosen from the Old Testament tend to be full of promise that things are about to change and that good times are coming. Those from the New Testament, such as today’s gospel are more cautionary: good times will come but the journey there may troubled – which is perhaps a reflection of Jesus’s understanding that humans are prone to greed, self-interest, disagreements and other less than admirable behaviour. And certainly the need for salvation seems as great as ever when we look around our world today.

Whilst it is perhaps easier to pick out Old Testament prophecies that point to and are fulfilled by the narrative of Jesus’ birth (hind sight helps!) prophecies concerning the as yet to be revealed future are less clear. Signs that point to Jesus’ birth are readily discerned; signs that show us how we are to attain the fulfilment of the coming of God’s kingdom on earth are less discernible. And yet according to the gospels – well two of them – that the first Christmas was anything but certain: Mary’s betrothed status was in doubt, accommodation for the birth was a last minute arrangement and the welfare of the child looked very dodgy in the face of political oppression. And that is still how life is for many people across the globe – uncertain, in doubt, last minute, threatened.

Life on earth is about uncertainty. It can be unpredictable, at times irrational. It can be manipulated by those with power. It can be finite and imbued with suffering. Jesus holds no bars when talking about what may happen. But at the same time there are moments of pure bliss, of overwhelming joy, of happiness, of miracles and unexpected surprises. There are moments when we experienced the indwelling of the kingdom of God right here, right now!

As we begin our journey through Advent, maybe we need to be less concerned about certainty and more ready alert for signs that reveal God’s wisdom. May we be more focused in discerning the way God would have us live, the way that brings in the kingdom of God. May we cultivate a practice of living each day reliant on faith in God rather than in believing the propaganda of a wayward world. May we be looking for signs that tell us how to love our neighbour and how in return to receive their love for us. And not just our human neighbours but all those living beings with who we share a common home.

Jeremiah 33:14-16

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Psalm 25:1-9

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Luke 21:25-36

Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

The Feast of Christ the King

24th November 2024

Reflection with readings below

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. The feast was first celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church in 1925, moving the the last Sunday of Ordinary Time in 1970. It was included by both Anglican, and other Churches, in the Revised Common Lectionary in 1974 where it forms the conclusion of the Kingdom Season and therefore the conclusion of the Church’s year.

The feast celebrates Jesus as the king of the universe or perhaps more usefully, as king of all creation.

Today’s gospel reading introduces the question as to whether this is a worldly or heavenly kingdom, with Jesus asserting that “My kingdom is not from this world”. This I feel declares that Christ’s kingdom is not one that adheres to,or is shaped by ‘worldy’ rules and practices – ie those that are shaped by greed, selfishness, cruelty etc. Rather Christ’s kingdom is that kingdom whose values we pray for in the Lord’s Prayer, the values of God that we wish to be present and applied on earth just as in heaven.

What does it mean for Jesus to be king? The passage from the prophet Daniel, suggests it is to be our judge. A judge can be the one who sifts the evidence, ways up the options, and tells you where you are going right or wrong. A skilled judge can then give directions as to how to get on to the right pathway.

If we have ears to hear, we will benefit from Christ’s judgement!

The effective reign of a king requires support from the realms’ citizens. If that support is lacking, it will undermine the king’s ability to take action and to change things. To be a citizen of Christ’s kingdom is to show our allegiance to Jesus. How do we do this? By acknowledging that relationship. By reverence. By doing the things that Jesus has shown us – that we act kindly , seek justice, walk humbly before God; that we be a good neighbour… praying the Lord’s Prayer as if we mean it.

But we are still faced with the reality that Jesus’s kingdom is not ‘of this world’ whereas ‘of this world’ is the predominant system in place on earth. How is God’s rule to become not just the predominate, but the only rule?

Kingdom parables suggest that we should be agents or seeds of change – like yeast in the dough; or like the mustard seed that keeps on growing and providing a common home for everyone; or like treasure seekers hunting for buried treasure wherever it may be found; or like merchants who will let go of our personal wealth to gain the pearl above price.

We need to be counter cultural agents of change that challenge the ‘of this world’ rule that allows companies to make profits from exploiting the destructive use of fossil fuels; that allows nations who have benefited from exploitative practices to avoid paying for the damage caused to others; that allows the poor to go hungry – both here in the UK and across the world – whilst the rich squander the earth’s natural wealth; that encourages governments to sell – and profit – from weapons sold to the perpetrators to war crimes. There is no end to the things we as Christians should be challenging as unjust. And there is no end to the ways in which we can reshape our lives to enable us to be better neighbours not just towards our human kin, but to all living things with whom we share this earth, our common home.

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched,

thrones were set in place,
and an Ancient One took his throne,

his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;

his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.

A stream of fire issued
and flowed out from his presence.

A thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.

The court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.

As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being
coming with the clouds of heaven.

And he came to the Ancient One
and was presented before him.

To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,

that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,

and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed.

Psalm 93

1 The Lord is King;
he has put on splendid apparel; *
the Lord has put on his apparel
and girded himself with strength.

2 He has made the whole world so sure *
that it cannot be moved;

3 Ever since the world began, your throne has been established; *
you are from everlasting.

4 The waters have lifted up, O Lord,
the waters have lifted up their voice; *
the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.

5 Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea, *
mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.

6 Your testimonies are very sure, *
and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,
for ever and for evermore.

Revelation 1:4b-8

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.

So it is to be. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

John 18:33-37

Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Proper 28

17th November 2024

Reflection with readings below

Jesus is quite clear in talking with his companions that the future is not all rosey, but that troubled times lay ahead, that the certainty of existing structures – whether of the temple, or of the rich and powerful, or indeed of the Roman Empire – were underscored by frailty and impermanence.

And I don’t think the scenario has changed much since then. The world is still beset by troubled times – of human making! – and of unstable structures that could fall at any moment. Wars and coups, flash floods and financial crashes, are all possibilities.

Yet we are asked to be steadfast, to keep the faith, to hold on to hope. Indeed we are called to be like bright stars, leading the way by right living. Right living is what we discern from listening to God speaking into our hearts, night after night. It is what we discern through the laws that God writes into our hearts and minds. It is there in the DNA of creation – that we should love and live in harmony with each and every part of creation. And just as we know we are called to love, we also know we are to be recipients of that same love – that creation loves us back.

We are not merely single, stand-alone individuals. We are interrelated, interdependent beings, co-participants in the dance of life. The writer of Hebrews reminds us – and urges us to action – that we should “provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.”

And this is what we must do, even in the face of crises and conflicts, of despair and destruction. Yesterday across the world people held demonstrations calling for Global Justice – for a fair sharing of resources, for a just financial redistribution giving support to the most needy and ensuring that those who pollute and abuse their positions, pay up. Within the confines of COP29 in Azerbaijan, such protests were perforce, silent and stationary, as protestors lined the corridors between conference rooms. In London, people in their thousands marched (slowly) with banners and placards from the British Museum (which still receives sponsorship from a major oil producer) to Whitehall + the heart of government. I can’t say that we were optimistic that we would win the changes we sought, that our and other governments would overnight become way more generous in providing climate finance, that oil companies would use their excessive profits to make good the damage they have caused. But we did make a stand, we did encourage each other, we did reaffirm our believe that we are called to love one another and to seek justice for those who suffer.

Love is not a mere warm feeling; it is action taken against the odds, faithfully following the one true Christ.

Daniel 12:1-3

The Lord spoke to Daniel in a vision and said, “At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Psalm 16

1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *
I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord,
my good above all other.”

2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *
upon those who are noble among the people.

3 But those who run after other gods *
shall have their troubles multiplied.

4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, *
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.

5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; *
it is you who uphold my lot.

6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.

7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; *
my heart teaches me, night after night.

8 I have set the Lord always before me; *
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.

9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *
my body also shall rest in hope.

10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, *
nor let your holy one see the Pit.

11 You will show me the path of life; *
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Hebrews 10:11-25

Every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord:

I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds,”

he also adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Mark 13:1-8

As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birthpangs.”

Proper 27 – and also Remembrance Sunday

10th November 2024

Reflection with readings below

When we talk about the House of Windsor, for example, we are talking about a family – a family that goes back many generations and which we anticipate will continue on for many more generations to come. Our first reading is also about the continuation of dynastic House, that of the House of David. It is a story of the forebears of David, significant for Jews for whom he is Israel’s greatest king, and significant for Christians for David himself is the forebear of Jesus. But the story is also subversive as Ruth, the mother, is not a member of the one of the tribes of Israel but is a Moabite.

The character of God is thus highlighted as being one who includes rather than excludes. The House of Israel is not exclusive but inclusive. This inclusivity is also the message of the gospels and of the Pauline letters. In writing to the community in Galatia, Paul reminds them that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female.

Today is Remembrance Sunday when we remember those who gone before us as victims of war. We remember their sacrifice made in the hope of a better future, a future where all people may live together in peace. Naomi says to her daughter-in-law, Ruth, that she wishes to find security for her – and she does this by enabling Ruth to become part of her extended family. The more we can incorporate each other into one family, the greater will be the peace that we can enjoy.

Another word for house is home, a dwelling place but perhaps more importantly a place of belonging. So we may talk about our home town, or our homeland. In his encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis talks of the earth as being ‘our common home’. This is the one home we all share and for which we must all care, if it is to be a home for generations to come.

Today’s psalm reminds us that unless our deeds and actions are both inspired and guided by God, they will fail. It is God’s first command to us in the Garden of Eden. And the call to care for the earth, to care for the vulnerable and the needy, and to pursue justice for all, is the repeated refrain throughout the Bible. Only by so doing, can our common home, our global family, survive and flourish.

Next week many people with power and influence will gather in Azerbaijan for the global climate conference – COP29. If our common home is to be a place of safety and well-being, we need those people to act positively, speedily and effectively in cutting the use of fossil fuels, in transitioning to renewable energy, and in ensuring a just sharing of resources – and finances – for all our brothers and sisters, for all our House.

And then we too need to be willing to change our lifestyles, changing the way we use and share resources, so that together we can tackle the issues of climate change, biodiversity loss and social injustice. Typically we need to consider not flying; driving less and using public transport more; eating less meat and dairy and instead eating more locally produced fruit and vegetables, grains, pulses and nuts; replacing gas with electricity and using that economically; better insulating our homes; reusing and repairing what we already have in preference to the ‘buy, buy’ culture that advertisers promote; and in the words of Christian Aid, living more simply so that others may simply live.

Today’s gospel reading contrasts the different responses that Jesus observed in the ways people followed God’s ways. Some – and it would seem to have been those with wealth and positions of authority – who made token gestures: a biblical equivalent of green washing. Whilst others gave their all, allowing their whole live to be shaped by God’s will.

Let us pray that both we and those attending COP29 will be be from the second rather than the first camp. Let us pray that the wellbeing of our House, of our common home will be given priority over personal gain; that by allowing our actions to be guided by God, so that our labour will not be in vain.

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17

Naomi her mother-in-law said to Ruth, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” She said to her, “All that you tell me I will do.”

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. The women of the neighbourhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Psalm 127

1 Unless the Lord builds the house, *
their labour is in vain who build it.

2 Unless the Lord watches over the city, *
in vain the watchman keeps his vigil.

3 It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late; *
vain, too, to eat the bread of toil,
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

4 Children are a heritage from the Lord, *
and the fruit of the womb is a gift.

5 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior *
are the children of one’s youth.

6 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! *
he shall not be put to shame
when he contends with his enemies in the gate.

Hebrews 9:24-28

Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Mark 12:38-44

As Jesus taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Proper 25, 22nd Sunday after Trinity

27th October 2024

Reflection with readings below

How often have you looked for something – your keys, a jar of jam, a lost coin – and not seen it, only to have your partner come up and say, There it is! And you realise you had been looking at it all the time and not seen it!

In a similar but different way, maybe you have been out bird watching. Initially the view may look to be all leaves and branches but as you attune your eyes you find you can spot one, two or several birds. They were there all along but your eyes initially hadn’t seen them.

Again in a similar but different way, maybe you have been watching the news, but although the pictures pass before your eyes, you don’t really see what’s there. The newsreel shows homes and streets blown to smithereens, their inhabitants – those that survived – dazed and traumatised, but our brains tune out: this is just a film, it’s not real life.

Sometimes we look and do see, but pretend that we haven’t. We turn a blind eye to d eye to the situation – as people did around Al Fayhed. And as many did – and do – in the oil industry, refusing to recognise the damage caused to the climate and environment.

Looking and seeing are different things. Looking is perhaps more about exploring where as seeing is about knowing. Job has discovered this. He now sees and knows God in a different way – in a clearer light. And this has brought him into a better, closer relationship with God.

Looking and seeing can also be about truth telling, standing up for what is right.

Today’s gospel story is also about seeing – and for Timaeus it is about seeing anew. Timaeus is physically blind but this has not stopped him from hearing about Jesus and knowing what miraculous things Jesus can do. Maybe he knows more about Jesus than many other bystanders, for he calls Jesus, ‘the Son of David’ which might suggest that Timaeus recognises Jesus’s messianic status. And perhaps it is that insight that motivates Timaeus to be persistent in wanting to speak to Jesus, and bold in asking for what he really wants. He has had to hold his ground against those in the crowd who were trying to silence him.

So what of us with our often dodgy looking skills?

We can learn to be more observant in our looking, spending time to really look, and being prepared to look below the surface and ‘between the lines’ so that we can perceive the full truth of the situation. We can also learn how to distinguish between what is real and what is white or green wash. Think how easily advertisers persuade us to ‘see’ their product from their viewpoint! We can also learn to be articulate, telling the truth that we see – telling it as it is.

Our observant looking may also lead us into a closer relationship with God. And a closer relationship with God may help us to see more clearly – to understand how we fit into the world, how we can be good neighbours and, as importantly, how we can be good to ourselves. There are some problems we cannot solve but must be willing to trust that everything and every situation is known to God.

And hopefully our closer, more insightful looking will show us how we can be of use, in what ways we can offer help or encouragement or empathy. Equally it may lead us to ask the right questions both of those in authority, or with gifts or skills, and to make the right requests of God.

“Thanks be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits you have given me, for all the pains and insults you have borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, friend, and brother, may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day.”

A useful prayer attributed to St Richard of Chichester.

Job 42:1-6, 10-17

Job answered the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you declare to me.’

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;

therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”

And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this Job lived for one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four generations. And Job died, old and full of days.

Psalm 34:1-8

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!

Hebrews 7:23-28

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but Jesus holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Mark 10:46-52

Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Proper 24, 21st Sunday after Trinity

20th October 2024

Reflection with readings below

‘Words without knowledge’

How well do we know – how well do we look at, observe and study – God’s creation? Recently I was watching a swan fly overhead and was struck by the way it stretched out its neck as straight as an arrow, and contrasted that with the way a heron bends its neck into an S shape to fly. Why the difference? It could be differences on the centre of gravity of each bird. Swans are among the heaviest flying birds and need to extend their neck (muscular and therefore heavy) out in front to optimise its centre of gravity vis a vis its wings. As the swan comes into land it begins to curve its neck in so shifting the centre of gravity to prepare it for a landing position.

Nature, the natural world around us, is often referred to as the first Bible – the first reference point for perceiving and understanding God and our relationship with the both the divine and creation. History repeatedly shows us that our knowledge is often partial and and that we need a greater and more sympathetic understanding of the world God is creating.

Currently our lack of understanding – or perhaps as importantly our failure to act sensibly upon what we know – about the human production of carbon emissions and climate change is causing significant harm to both the environment and to our fellow inhabitants of this planet. God might very rightly say to us ‘why do you darken counsel by words without knowledge?’

And similarly so when God looks at the state of biodiversity across the globe. Our human greed has extracted resources from the earth and displaced other beings such that our consumption levels are no longer sustainable – either for us nor for the rest of nature.

Both the passage from Job and the psalm invite it to look at, to contemplate, to marvel at the beauty of creation and in it to recognise God’s divine presence. How often do we set aside time for such worship? Time to engage with and encounter the divine in nature?

How often do we give ourselves the time and space to contemplate the natural world, to rest in its presence and so allow God’s Spirit to revive and re-create us?

And how often do we look and listen and learn from nature that divine wisdom which would help us live lives according to God’s way? To live lives which through God’s wisdom, would ensure a good life for everyone – for plants and animals, for fish and birds, for humans in the North and the South, for rivers and oceans, for agriculture and for commerce.

A better – a God-shaped – life is possible. That is what we might otherwise call ‘salvation’. Jesus came to save the world – not just some humans, not even just all humans, but all that has been created – the whole cosmos!

In this context humans cannot demand that they be seen as the most important species. Rather as in today’s gospel story, it is better if we follow the example of Jesus and be willing servants of all – human and non human, creaturely and earthly. This calling to follow Jesus will involve us in speaking up and speaking out about the value and importance of paying attention to and understanding the natural world God has created and in which we find the divine presence.

Jesus is the source of eternal salvation

Job 38:1-7, 34-41

The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Gird up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone

when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?

“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
so that a flood of waters may cover you?

Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go
and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts,
or given understanding to the mind?

Who has the wisdom to number the clouds?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,

when the dust runs into a mass
and the clods cling together?

“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

when they crouch in their dens,
or lie in wait in their covert?

Who provides for the raven its prey,
when its young ones cry to God,
and wander about for lack of food?”

Psalm 104:1-9, 25, 37b

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; *
O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!
you are clothed with majesty and splendour.

2 You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak *
and spread out the heavens like a curtain.

3 You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; *
you make the clouds your chariot;
you ride on the wings of the wind.

4 You make the winds your messengers *
and flames of fire your servants.

5 You have set the earth upon its foundations, *
so that it never shall move at any time.

6 You covered it with the Deep as with a mantle; *
the waters stood higher than the mountains.

7 At your rebuke they fled; *
at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.

8 They went up into the hills and down to the valleys beneath, *
to the places you had appointed for them.

9 You set the limits that they should not pass; *
they shall not again cover the earth.

25 O Lord, how manifold are your works! *
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

37b Hallelujah!

Hebrews 5:1-10

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,

“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;

as he says also in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.”

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptised, you will be baptised; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognise as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Proper 23, 20th Sunday after Trinity

13th October 2024

‘Seek the Lord and live’, ‘Seek good and not evil, that you may live’ and ‘teach us to number our days – ie to live that we may apply our hearts to wisdom’

‘The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword … it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’

Life – a good life – is the life we live embracing God’s wisdom, adhering to God’s word. This is the message of our readings today. Oh that we would adhere to them!

Yet it is not just as individuals that we must so act, but as communities, as nations, and as the whole living world. If someone mistreats the poor, not only do the poor suffer but ultimately everyone in the community suffers. This is why Amos talks of people not living in the house they have built or enjoying the harvest of what they have grown. This is why the psalmist speaks of God’s people in the plural. And this is why we see suffering in the world today whether it is the civil war in Sudan, the escalating violence in the Middle East, the floods many parts of the world from Bosnia to Florida to Bangladesh, or the rioting in this country. The growing gap between rich and poor which is a result of injustice and inequality, the exploitation of the Earth’s resources where we take more than can be sustained, mean that ultimately we all suffer.

Nevertheless as individuals can we ever say ‘I have done enough, I have done as much as is necessary’?

Being faithful means continuing always to strive to do good, to do what is God’s will – but not seek a reward but through love. In today’s gospel the young man is focused rewards rather than love. He is motivated by what he hopes to gain. Jesus shows him that this motivation is always going to hit a brick wall, whereas if he can find his way through the love of God, then he will find himself already in God’s Kingdom.

And God’s love will tell us to rest and pause, will tell us not to burn ourselves out. God’s love will tell us to support one another, to ensure that our sisters and brothers don’t overwork, don’t over fixate, don’t think that they can solves all the world’s problems – for only God can do that!

Amos 5:6-7,10-15

Seek the Lord and live,
or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire,
and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.

Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood,
and bring righteousness to the ground!

They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.

Therefore, because you trample on the poor
and take from them levies of grain,

you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not live in them;

you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.

For I know how many are your transgressions,
and how great are your sins—

you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
and push aside the needy in the gate.

Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time;
for it is an evil time.

Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
just as you have said.

Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;

it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Psalm 90:12-17

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

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.

Hebrews 4:12-16

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Mark 10:17-31

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Proper 22, 19th Sunday after Trinity

6th October 2024

Reflection with readings below

What is the role of humans, of men and women? For what purpose have we been created? What is our role, our calling, towards each other, and towards other creatures?

The writings of Genesis tell us that all creatures including humans were created to protect and tend the earth – and in particular to protect and tend the Garden of Eden planted by God. In this task we – humans and creatures – have been created to help each other to live and work in harmony, fulfilling the will of God. That is the purpose for which we have been created.

Humans were created by God as male and female, men and women, to be partners – partners who will love and support each other so closely and intimately that they be comes as two halves of one.

Psalm 8 looks at the vastness of the cosmos in all its glory and majesty, complexity and beauty, and asks what is a mere human in comparison? And yet says the Psalmist we are most highly, indeed supremely valued and treasured by God! Further the Psalmist describes how God has placed the creatures of the field, of the air and of the seas, under our feet – but for what purpose? To celebrate the glory and majesty of God’s name!

So humans have been created both to protect and tend the earth in partnership with all other creatures, and to praise God’s name through our relationship with those creatures.

The writer of Hebrews also takes note of the glory and majesty that is attached to God – indeed the writer quotes from Psalm 8 – and sees that glory and majesty reflected in Christ. And that the reflection of God’s glory and majesty reveals that creation is sustained through the power of his works.

This leads the writer of Hebrews to suggest that the Psalmist’s words refer not to all humans but to that unique human in whom all things are made perfect. Look around, the state of the world where it is subjected to the dominion of most humans is a not a place of perfection. But where it is subject to the dominion of Jesus Christ, a different story can be told. And indeed when we talk of the salvation of the world – its healing and restoration – we are anticipating that state of being that will exist when the power and glory of Jesus has been fully established here on earth. And that is the salvation that makes us as brothers and sisters of Christ and so thus the Psalmist will not be wrong in describing humans as crowned with God’s glory and honour.

The final paragraph from today’s gospel tells us what we should be like as humans. Rather than being self important, wanting to be in charge, wanting to be seen as the person with power, we should be child-like – accepting our dependency on God our parent, looking with awe and wonder at the world around us, sharing joy, being open to new ideas. To be child-like is to be as Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden – enjoying being part of creation rather than attempting to over-ride it, to live within the earth’s boundaries.

Genesis 2:18-24

The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;

this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.”

Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;

what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?

Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honour.

You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,

all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,

the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere,

“What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them?

You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honour,
subjecting all things under their feet.”

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”

Mark 10:2-16

Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Feast of St Michael and All Angels

29th September 2024

Reflection with readings following on below

The Lord’s Prayer proposes that God’s will, God’s rule, should prevail on earth as in heaven. In other words the authority, the pattern of behaviour, that relates to heaven, should also relate to earth in the same way.

Today’s extract from the Book of Revelation tells a story – maybe a parable – of Satan and his angelic ilk who having gone against God’s will, are thrown out of heaven. Is the implication that likewise any spirit on earth that opposes God’s should be thrown out? Certainly we have many healing stories where Jesus does just that: unclean spirits that go against God’s will are thrown or drawn out of those possessed by them. Just as in heaven there is no space for evil spirits or dispositions that oppose God’s will; so there will be no space for them on earth. Where such opposition to God exists, there is both a need for, and the option for, healing.

Heaven and earth are not separated. They are not dis or un-connected realms. Both the passage from Genesis and from John’s Gospel, tell of the interconnectedness of heaven and earth. Both use the image of a ladder with angelic messengers to describe the flow of communication between heaven and earth. It is a flow of communication that is now ongoing through Jesus Christ.

If heaven and earth are not separate but interconnected, and if God intends that the divine rule and way of being should prevail in both domains, and if God has established a means of communication between the two – and with Jesus we have the most perfect means of communication – then we should be able to live and work as if God’s rule did apply on earth just as in heaven. But clearly it is something we do have to struggle for, whether we see ourselves following the example of St Michael who stands up for what is right, or the example of Jacob (who is constantly struggling with himself to do the right thing), or if we follow the way of Jesus and share the load of his cross.

So may God bless us with the knowledge that Heaven and earth are not separate but interconnect realms where God’s love and mercy abound.

Genesis 28:10-17

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Psalm 103:19-22

19 The Lord has set his throne in heaven, *
and his kingship has dominion over all.

20 Bless the Lord, you angels of his,
you mighty ones who do his bidding, *
and hearken to the voice of his word.

21 Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, *
you ministers of his who do his will.

22 Bless the Lord, all you works of his,
in all places of his dominion; *
bless the Lord, O my soul.

Revelation 12:7-12

War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,

“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah,

for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down,
who accuses them day and night before our God.

But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,

for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.

Rejoice then, you heavens
and those who dwell in them!

But woe to the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to you

with great wrath,
because he knows that his time is short!”

John 1:47-51

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”