Tag: commandments

Feast of All Saints

1st November 2026

Reflection with readings below

All Saints is a celebration of the community of God’s people. It is not just a peek at what it might be like in heaven, but a reminder that we are already part of God’s kin-dom here on Earth, and are called to be part of that movement of gospel living and working that will make God’s kin-dom a reality for all. It is a reality built on God’s healing and redemptive power.

The reading from the Book of Revelation is a reminder that to be active as God’s people is not a ‘get out of gaol’ card: the work of the gospel may well require not just effort but sacrifice too. The work of the gospel requires us to speak truth to power and to oppose practices that are contri to the kin-dom of God.

The kin-dom of God is not to be found in economic and business practices that say profit can override the wellbeing of others, nor caring for the wellbeing of the planet. Nor can profit override making good any damage caused. We heard in last Sunday’s readings the assertion that God’s law can be summed up in the twofold command that we should both love God  and love our neighbour as ourself.

This command does not sanction merely looking after number 1. This command does not sanction accumulating wealth at the expense of others. It does not sanction seeking out high pay packages when others do not even have a sufficiency to get by.  To work for the kin-dom of God is to be poor and dependent, is to suffer grief, to hunger and thirst after what is right, to be merciful and generous, to accept disrespect and persecution. It is to share our wealth and our income, to focus on the needs of others, and to shape our lives to care for the Earth.

Groups such as Christian Climate Action, Fossil Free London, Greenpeace, and many others are challenging Shell – and other oil companies – and the government. The latter for their acquiescent stance towards this oligopoly-style industry.

How can it be acceptable for companies, who know that their business is destroying the safe climate that we have enjoyed for at least 10,000 years, to continue to operate?

How can it be acceptable for them to do this knowing – from their own scientists and advisers – the harm they are causing?

How can it be acceptable for them to continue to expand this destructive line of business – including engaging in the creation of even more new markets for their products?

How can it be acceptable for them to make ever-increasing profits from their business – increases that are currently the direct result of war? And how can it ever be acceptable that they can make these profits without being required to pay compensation and reparation for the historic and ongoing damage they are causing? And how can it be acceptable for them to receive tax breaks and subsidies from the government in order to enlarge their business?

Surely the Government’s responsibility is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both people and environment? To ensure that businesses and business models do what is good for both people and environment? To ensure that what businesses do now doesn’t adversely impact future generations?

Let us seek to do what is good in God’s eyes, to follow the teachings of God’s law, so that God’s kin-dom becomes a reality for all. Let us accept persecution and opposition, if that is what needed to challenge businesses and business practices that are contri to God’s values. Let us accept that we may need to be more generous in sharing the wealth we have to ensure the equal wellbeing of our neighbours. Let is accept that we will have to adjust our lifestyles, reshape our expectations  – but do so knowing it will be for a better, kinder future for all.  Let us accept that we must be willing to show loving kindness – ie mercy – to everyone, including government ministers and those who run fossil fuel companies, as well as to those who are victims of climate change, of pollution, of profit-driven extractivism, and of wars etc.

Let us rejoice in living together as God’s community of saints.

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

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 13, 7th Sunday after Trinity

3rd August 2025

Reflection with readings below

“Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions,” said Jesus. It is a warning as relevant today as then.

Over the last few weeks in my blog I have been reflecting in the idea of ‘joy in enough’ – the motto comes from Green Christian. Earth Overshoot Day was 24th July this year – the day when we have globally used up a year’s worth of the Earth’s renewable services and resources. Most developed countries had already used up their fair share months earlier (May 20th for the UK) so that July date reflects the extent to which developed economies thrive at the expense of others. We still live in a world of exploitation.

Such greed also reflects a disregard for God, a lack of gratitude. Creation has been God’s gift and the fact that so much of the natural environment produces renewable services and resources from which we benefit. God has created a creation that carries on reproducing and evolving, adapting and renewing itself. Isn’t this truly amazing! 

But if we can’t be satisfied with enough. If we can’t share. If we can’t ensure that the needs of everyone – and not just a self selecting elite – are met. If we can’t find joy in enough, then we are failing to be the human race that was created in the image of God.

We will suffer – many people already are: mainly the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed. The environment in which we live will suffer – and indeed it already is. Unbelievably for a nation of nature lovers, the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. God will suffer – and indeed is and always has been. God suffers when creatures suffer, when humans suffer, when rivers die of pollution, when oceans are dredged of life, when the atmosphere is over filled with pollution, when soils become lifeless. The prophet Hosea expresses God’s heartfelt sorrow at the plight of the descendants of Abraham. Hosea describes God as a parent teaching a child to walk, like a parent cradling offspring as a babe in arms, as parent pouring out so much love and tender care. And yet the people spurn that love, ignore that guiding hand, reject that care with outright rudeness.

We live in a world of suffering not because God does not care, but because we humans do not care.  We are unwilling to love our enemies, to listen to alternative view points, to empathise with the suffering we with power have inflicted on those without. We humans are unwilling to share, unwilling to put other people’s needs before our own greed. We have a chancellor in the UK who believes the wealthy are paying enough and yet is still willing to take more away from the poor and the disabled. 

We have oil companies who are willing to extract more oil and gas on the basis that  their profits are more important than the damage those carbon emissions will cause to the environment – to our life support system. 

We have banks that will continue to fund polluting companies rather than calling time on such destructive businesses – when they could be funding a green transition.

We have rich people driving oil guzzling SUVs, rich people jetting round the world, rich people having not one by several homes, rich people spending more on a night in a hotel than others earn in a month.  And we have poor people who can’t afford to eat, cannot afford the rent, cannot afford dental treatment, cannot afford a holiday, cannot afford to travel to work. 

How did we end up in such a topsy turvey world? How did we end up failing God on such a massive scale? 

If what we really want is a life of joy, a life abundant with purpose and happiness, then we must transform the way we live, one that embraces joy in enough. Can we as Christians, discuss and share ideas with each other about how we can go about that process of transformation? 

What does enough look like in East Sheen, for example? What does enough look like for a young family or a for a retired couple? What does it look like for someone with a low paid job and what does it look like for a highflying executive? 

How do we go about redistributing wealth more equitably so that there is enough for everyone? How do we curb our consumerist society when ‘more is better’? How do we rebalance decades of social injustice in our country and across the globe? 

How do we put in practice the teachings of Jesus, that we should love God with all our being, and love our neighbour as ourself? 

Hosea 11:1-11

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son. 

The more I called them,
the more they went from me; 

they kept sacrificing to the Baals,
and offering incense to idols. 

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them up in my arms;
but they did not know that I healed them.

I led them with cords of human kindness,
with bands of love. 

I was to them like those
who lift infants to their cheeks.
I bent down to them and fed them. 

They shall return to the land of Egypt,
and Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me. 

The sword rages in their cities,
it consumes their oracle-priests,
and devours because of their schemes. 

My people are bent on turning away from me.
To the Most High they call,
but he does not raise them up at all. 

How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel? 

How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim? 

My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender. 

I will not execute my fierce anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim; 

for I am God and no mortal,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.

They shall go after the Lord,
who roars like a lion; 

when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west. 

They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
and like doves from the land of Assyria;
and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord. 

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

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

2 Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim *
that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

3 He gathered them out of the lands; *
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastes; *
they found no way to a city where they might dwell.

5 They were hungry and thirsty; *
their spirits languished within them.

6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, *
and he delivered them from their distress.

7 He put their feet on a straight path *
to go to a city where they might dwell.

8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy *
and the wonders he does for his children.

9 For he satisfies the thirsty *
and fills the hungry with good things.

43 Whoever is wise will ponder these things, *
and consider well the mercies of the Lord.

Colossians 3:1-11

If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things– anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, `What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, `Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

“Thy will be done”

26th July 2025

Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their sibling are liars; for those who do not love a sibling whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

May your name be hallowed.

You call us to love every neighbour as ourself: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Matthew 25: 35-40

for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”  And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,[a] you did it to me.”

Love the Lord your God with heart and soul and mind and strength.

The migrant is a figure of hate, 

the asylum seeker despised; 

the Jew is stereotyped, 

the Muslim is vilified.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Love your neighbour as yourself.

The homeless lie destitute on the pavement, 

the lonely sit isolated in their homes, 

the poor queue in food banks, 

the rich are spoilt for choice.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Do not opposes the orphan, the widowed, nor the foreigner.

The children are reduced to bones by malnutrition, 

the widowed go hungry;

the stateless have no rights 

and the alien is deported.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty.

Food aid sits in compounds as Palestinians die on their feet; 

whilst those collecting water become targets for snipers.

In the West, food banks and food waste co-exist, 

whilst health service tackle obesity and malnutrition.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Seek justice, love mercy.

Warfare grinds on in Ukraine and the Congo, 

in Myanmar and Thailand, in Gaza and Yemen.

Justice falters where drug wars and gang violence, 

land grabs and forced migration take precedence. 

The rich and powerful have no mercy.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Speak out for the voiceless and rescue the oppressed.

Refugees languish unreported in North Sudan and Yemen;

Afghan women wait at borders with no hope of rescue, 

and trafficked workers remain hidden out of sight.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Release the prisoner, heal the sick.

Activists are imprisoned, 

political opponents jailed, 

the disabled are trapped by lack of support, 

the mentally ill are left in limbo for lack of care.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Tend and protect the Earth; declare the year of the Lord’s favour.

Soils are degraded through overuse, 

waters are polluted with sewage and chemical spills;

temperatures rise and glaciers melt; 

industrial farming displaces forests; 

wildlife diminishes.

“Thy will be done”?

Have mercy on us good Lord, 

that we learn to do your will.

Lord whenever we pray as Jesus taught us, 

inspire us with the vision of how things could be on Earth just as jn Heaven. 

Challenge us to live according to your will. 

Embolden us with strength to make the  changes that are needed. 

Empower us with wisdom to speak the truth to power where your will is ignored. 

And enfold us in your loving compassion.

Amen. 

remind us that how things are is not ‘Thy will’ help us understand that we are called to 

Tend and care for the earth

15th March 2025

The earth, O Lord, is full of your faithful love;  instruct me in your statutes.  Psalm 119:64

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading Job 38: 1-7 (The Message)

And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:“Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about? Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers.
Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise?

(The first and last verses of the following are said by all; those in between can be said antiphonally) 

Open my eyes, O Lord 

that I may see the wonders of your law. 

Lead me in the path of your commandments.               Psalm 119: 18, 35


Open my eyes, O Lord

that I may see the worms that plough and enrich the earth, 

that I may know the value of adding compost to the soil.

Lead me in the path of your commandments.


Open my eyes, O Lord

that I may see the insects that pollinate the crops, 

that I may know the value of growing wild flowers.

Lead me in the path of your commandments.


Open my eyes, O Lord 

that I may see the work of the ant,

disposing of waste and keeping would-be pests in check.

Lead me in the path of your commandments.

Open my eyes, O Lord

that I may see the joy of the sparrow’s life – 

foraging, preening, dust-bathing and roosting together in community.

Lead me in the path of your commandments.

Open my eyes, O Lord 

that I may see the handsome tree 

that sequesters the carbon, lest the planet overheat.

Lead me in the path of your commandments. 

O Lord, how many are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all;

The earth is full of Your possessions.

Holy is your name! Amen.   Psalm 104:24


Intercessions –( these too may be said antiphonally )

God, creator of the world and source of all wisdom,

We pray for those who farm the land, 

that they may understand the intricacies of the soil’s ecosystem, 

and the interdependent needs of plants and insects.

Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.

God, creator of the world and source of all wisdom,

We pray for those who raise livestock, 

that they may understand the needs of each creature 

and acknowledge the kindred relationship we share with them.

Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.

God, creator of the world and source of all wisdom,

We pray for foresters and forest owners, 

that they may understand the value of trees,

their niche environments, and their necessity for global  wellbeing. 

Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.

God, creator of the world and source of all wisdom,

We pray for all who garden that they may know God’s calling 

to till and tend the earth.

Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer.

The Grace

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.”

Third Sunday of Lent

3rd March 2024

Reflection – readings are below

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exodus 20:1-17

Then God spoke all these words:

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

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

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

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

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

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

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

Psalm 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

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

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

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

John 2:13-22

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