Tag: leadership

Feast of St Peter and St Paul

29th June 2025

Reflection with readings below

Peter was a fisherman who gave up his job, not once but twice, in response to God’s call. He gave up security and income and the guarantee of a bed to follow Jesus. He listen to and struggled with what Jesus was teaching, sometimes giving the correct answer to Jesus’s questions and sometimes the wrong. He took risks – like walking on water – and accepted that sometimes he ended up (so as to speak) flat on his face. His risk taking and his passion for Jesus gave the gift of oratory when it came to addressing a potentially hostile crowd. He was willing to have his deepest beliefs challenged by God and understood the need for the church to include not just Jews but Gentiles too – and still he could make mistakes and still he accepted justifiable reproof (from Paul).

Paul began as Saul, an ardent deeply faithful Pharisee skilled both with his hands (a tent maker) and intellectually. He was adept both at learning and in teaching, and deeply committed to his religious cause. After his conversion through a visionary experience, the ardour with which he pursued his

Pharisaic ideals, he transferred and more so to the development of the Christian faith. Initially happy to be apprenticed to more experienced missioners, he quickly became a master missioner establishing church communities and developing the skills of others. And yet he never forgot the place and the people from whence the church had first grown, bringing back financial aid and gathering for worship with the community in Jerusalem. Paul’s vision for the church went beyond even what Peter imagined, setting aside many of the traditions which had seemed such important parts of Judaism, to allow the church to grow in new  – God inspired – directions.

Both Peter and Paul were people willing to take radical action, to go against the norm. They were both willing to acknowledge that they made mistakes and to accept forgiveness for their mistakes. They were both willing to grow in knowledge and understanding in response to God’s wisdom.

The combination of all these attributes was probably essential in establishing and developing the early church taking it from being a group of passionate pupils into becoming a resilient, international community. One of the biggest changes to which both  Peter and Paul contributed was the expansion of that community to include non Jews – outsiders, foreigners, people of different backgrounds! And to hold women and men, slaves and freeborn as equals – so becoming a truly inclusive church. To achieve this it was important that both Peter and Paul were leaders who were willing to be imaginative and to think outside the box, willing to discuss difficult issues – and to listen and to share their thoughts with others in the community. 

In contrast the reading from Acts presents a different sort of leader – Herod. Here is someone who likes to use violence to assert their authority, but who also likes to ‘toady up’ to others if that will gain their support. 

Good leaders that are able to listen to their community, that are able to keep their community together  (with unity), that are concerned for the needs of their community especially the marginalised, are of great value – both then and now. And equally leaders who use violence and favouritism, leaders who are ‘me’ focused and who disregard the needs of others were – and are – a great danger to everyone. 

The passage from the Gospel of St Matthew shows what a very heavy responsibility was being laid upon Peter – and other leaders following after.  The church is both to present Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God to the world, and to shape the ways people and communities live such that here on earth we may live in accordance with rules or the reign of  heaven. 

It seems to me that the church – whether that is the overarching Church or the local church – has a huge responsibility to both witness to the truth of Jesus Christ, and to walk and talk in the way of the kingdom of God.  The church – whether Church or church, and actually both – should be calling out the unacceptable bloodshed and oppression being afflicted on the people of Gaza; should be providing financial aid and support to the victims and not facilitating the supply of more armaments; should be praying and using diplomatic skills to ensure peace and justice for all in the region. 

The church – both church and Church – should be calling for tax justice and for a fair distribution of wealth and opportunity; should be praying for and offering skills and financial support for those marginalised by poverty, ill health, disability and prejudice, should be offering a clear vision of an alternative economic system.

The church – both church and Church – should be calling for action to protect the earth from climate change and biodiversity loss; should be encouraging each and everyone of us to live more simply, to ensure that our lifestyles choices do not take more than the planet can give, nor more a fair share bearing in mind the needs of all our brother and sisters.

The church – both church and Church – should be encouraging and enabling discussion as to how we can all live and work together for the common good: for the kingdom of God. 

As we remember the gifts that Peter and Paul brought the church, let us pray for and encourage good leadership in our communities and churches today. 

Acts 1:1-11

About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.

The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, ‘Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.’ He did so. Then he said to him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’ Peter went out and followed him; he did not realise that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’

2 Timothy 12:19-26

But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’, and, ‘Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.’

In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned[b] will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Matthew 16:13-19

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

Counting on … Lent 8

14th March 2025

I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after false profits . Jeremiah 2:7-8

Carrying on the text from yesterday, the prophet Jeremiah is sticking to the message that he knows people do not want to hear. The land is being ruined because the people are not following the law of God. Rather they are following rulers who are law breakers, deviant prophets and  false gods. 

Are we in a similar situation where those who should be leading us are ignoring God’s ways – the ways of the natural world – and instead are we being guided by false prophets in the pursuit of false profits?

Feast of the Epiphany

5th January 2025

Reflection with readings below

The magi did not feel compelled to obey the directions of King Herod: rather they had hearts and minds that were open to what God was saying to them. (When they set out has they known God as God, or was it that they were following a path suggested by the tenets of the faith in which they had been raised and educated? – Biblical scholars suggest this would have been Zoroastorism. And actually doesn’t our faith tell us that as we believe there to be only the one God who created all things, that it would be entirely possible for them to discern that one true God through their faith?)

In that sense the magi were both rebellious and Godly. Are we too called to be rebellious and Godly?

Psalm 72 describes the way a Godly king should rule – treating the poor with justice, defending (ie providing for) the needy, rescuing the oppressed and those who in suffering cry out for help, crushing the oppressor, and ensuring peace. From what we know, this was not the approach followed by Herod. Nor indeed was it the approach followed by the Roman authorities. Nor was it advocated by the priestly authorities. 

We don’t know much more about the magi and the Iives they lived on their return to their homes. But I guess we might imagine that they were transformed lives. They had seen something awesome, something of the divine in that baby they tracked down in Bethlehem. A child before whom they were prompted to kneel in worship. A child of such significance that they offered expensive gifts. A child so astounding that they were willing to rebel against Herod – and run the risk of being pursued by his forces. I suspect they left smartly to get a head start on Herod – and perhaps with the hope that they had not highlighted the place where the child was. I wonder what they talked about on their way home? What new insights, new understandings of the world, of the divine, of human kind?

St Paul too rebelled against the authorities of his age. Having been an ardent supporter of the pharisaical branch of Judaism, he too had an epiphany moment which transformed his understanding of what God wanted of him and what God was wanting to achieve in the world. Significantly this plan or vision, was global in character. No longer was this religious faith to be confined just to the people who claimed Abraham as their forebear. It was to be a faith to be shared by all peoples of any and every background and heritage. Paul was the evangelist for this, both taking the faith to those outside the family of Abraham and convincing those within that family that their faith was not theirs alone but was now to be shared and appreciated in a new and expanded way. And as the letter to Ephesians writes, this included – and indeed still includes – the calling that “through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities…”

As we begin a new year in which many challenges lie ahead if we are to turn humankind round so that we actually live within the limits of the earth’s resources, may we too feel called to share the wisdom of God with those in positions of power. Indeed we may feel called to rebel against those whose leadership seems set on wrecking the world, who seem set on ignoring the needs of the poor and needy, the oppressed and those who cry out because of their suffering. May we feel called to be Godly rebels.

Let us pray that this new year will be an epiphany moment for human kind which opens our eyes to the  pitiful state we are in and to the wisdom of God which uniquely offers us the means for salvation.

Isaiah 60:1-6 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 72:1-7,10-14

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ephesians 3:1-12

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

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

Matthew 2:1-12 

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

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

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

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

Proper 12,  9th Sunday after Trinity

28th July 2024

Reflection with readings below

Today’s gospel tells us that Jesus feared that the people wanted to make him king – and to do so by force! So Jesus quietly absents himself. 

The first Book of Samuel tells how in the time of Samuel, the people of Israel asked God for a king to rule over them – so that they would be like their neighbours. For generations they had been governed by judges – judges who if they channeled the spirit of God, were able to guide the people In living lives of peace and prosperity, but conversely if the judges allowed the people to ignore the ways of God and  follow false idols instead, suffered lives of war and oppression. God counsels against this, telling the people that a king will tax them, take over their land, take their daughters as handmaids etc, their sons as soldiers, and generally divert their wealth to his own coffers. In other words such kings are not good for your wellbeing.

In last week’s reading from Jeremiah God’s message is that where the people’s leaders act like poor shepherds allowing the sheep to scatter and having no regard for their wellbeing, then God will intervene. God, having remove the failed shepherds, will save the people, gathering them into one fold and raising up good shepherds to tend them. The passage concludes with a prophecy concerning the raising of a descendant of David who will be “as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.””

There are two sorts of kings: those that seem popular because they are rich and exude grandeur although in reality all their wealth is ‘stolen’ from their people, and those that are not concerned about popularity but rather about addressing the needs of their people.  

It would seem that the people following Jesus thought they wanted a king of the former type – which was not Jesus’s calling. Rather Jesus felt called to be the second type – ie the sort of king that God wanted – a king who would be as the good shepherd for the people. 

Jesus’s ministry shows us that he was able to guide the people into the ways of God, of being in a good relationship with God. He was able to heal them. He challenged their priorities as regards wealth and debt. He challenged their understanding about whose – and which -needs should take priority. And, when seeing the need, sought to provide them with food  – which is one of our most basic needs. In the feeding of the 5000 everyone is fed. Bread is not given just to the most wealthy, or the most important- nor even just to the most hungry but to everyone without discrimination. And they receive not just enough food but a generous abundance of food. 

Jesus as a king, is the sort of king who ensures that everyone is fed rather than a king who diverts wealth into his own coffers. He is the sort of king who channels the spirit of God, who points people towards God, towards the one who is the ultimate source of all we have – and of all we need. 

In today’s brief OT story, we hear of a man who brings the first fruits of the harvest as a thank offering to God. The story both acknowledges that all that we possess has ultimately comes to us a gift from God, and that we are therefore duty bound to thank and honour God. The story goes further and shows that the way we thank and honour God is in fact to imitate God and share with others as generously as God gives to us. 

So when we stand back and look at our world today, should we not be deeply saddened that there are people who daily go hungry whilst others corner more and more wealth for their own aggrandisement?  Whether that is in the UK where 3% of people used a food bank, whilst the top 1% earn £180,000 and more per year.

Or whether it is globally where one in eleven people live with hunger whilst Oxfam reports that “95 food and energy corporations … more than doubled their profits in 2022. They made $306 billion in windfall profits, and paid out $257 billion (84 percent) of that to rich shareholders”.

Those in positions of power – be they kings or leaders with other titles – do not seem to be able to meet even the most needs of the people in their care. But is it just the leaders and those in positions of power who have a responsibility to care? Or do we all as followers of Christ have a calling to be Christ like in the way we respond to those in need? Can our Christian faith help us?

The letter to the Ephesians reminds us that we -indeed all people – have the same Heavenly Father. We are all family – hopefully a family that is bound together by love, care and mutual responsibility. We are reminded that God’s Spirit – of which we are recipients – is a source of strength that can empower us. And we are reminded that through the indwelling of Christ, we are rooted and grounded in love. Thus we have within us the capacity to be channels by which God’s power can accomplish more than we can imagine. So let us use our lives and our resources to end hunger, and to create a fair  and just society.

Fine words, you may say but what about practicalities?

There are many organisations we can support that address lack of food as a real time issue. For example there are food banks which happily receive donations in kind as well as financial, including the nationally organised Trussel Trust which also campaigns on the issue. Charities such as Christian Aid, Oxfam, Practical Action, as well as smaller charities working with communities in developing countries, all help provide food and the means for growing food. And there is the United Nations’ World Food Programme.

There are charities such as Transform Trade and the Fair Trade movement which seek to ensure the least well paid receive fair price for what they produce. In the UK we have the Living Wage Foundation which campaigns for providing everyone with a wage that meets the actual costs of daily living. Business paying such wages can sport the Living Wage Employer’s badge. We can actively seek out goods and services that ensure are Fair Trade and/ or Living Wage concerns. Conversely we can avoid those companies that we know do not pay their workers enough to live on – such as Amazon, Deliveroo etc. 

As well as using our purchasing power, our abilities to donate, we can also use our power to campaign. Addressing hunger and inequality often needs more than just the short term fix of free food, and rather needs a change in the system that allows people to end up in situations when they cannot get food. Oxfam and Christian Aid both campaign to change the system and we can support them by signing petitions, hosting events to raise awareness of the issues more widely, and by joining marches. If we are particularly concerned about systems in the UK that force people into food shortages and poverty, we can support campaign groups such as the Trussel Trust, the Rowntree Foundation and CAP UK – Christians Against Poverty.

We can be active as individuals  but there is often great merit in addressing these issues as a church community too. 

A prayer from Christian Aid –

Loving and almighty God,
We pray for all who are working to combat the growing food crisis:
For international aid agencies and local community organisations.
And in particular we pray for those in positions of power.
May the leaders of the nations act with wisdom and compassion
Bringing relief to those who suffer now
And moving us towards a world without hunger.

We pray for our sisters and brothers caught up in a cycle of drought and hunger:
for parents struggling to find food and seeing their children go hungry,
for farmers seeing their crops fail and livestock die.

We pray for ourselves:
May we share generously from the abundance that you have given us
and join our voices with those who call for an end to poverty,
that lives may be saved and rebuilt with hope for the future.
May we act in your name Lord and be an instrument of your grace.

Amen.

2 Kings 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.

Psalm 145:10-19

10 All your works praise you, O Lord, *
and your faithful servants bless you.

11 They make known the glory of your kingdom *
and speak of your power;

12 That the peoples may know of your power *
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
your dominion endures throughout all ages.

14 The Lord is faithful in all his words *
and merciful in all his deeds.

15 The Lord upholds all those who fall; *
he lifts up those who are bowed down.

16 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *
and you give them their food in due season.

17 You open wide your hand *
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.

18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and loving in all his works.

19 The Lord is near to those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.

Ephesians 3:14-21

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

John 6:1-21

Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus realised that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Christ the King: 20th November 2022

Reflection (readings are below)

We need leaders who are just and compassionate and who stick to the ways of God – those whose aim is to be upright, to seek after righteousness. And we have the ultimate example in Jesus. Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King – the one who is the king of the kingdom of God. He is our king; he is the one above all to whom we owe our honour and allegiance. He is the one who will never stop caring for us.

Yet the gospel chosen for today is of the crucifixion, the suffering and death, of Jesus. That doesn’t sound like an apt reading to celebrate the highest of all kings? For Jesus’s friends and followers, that day, that hour, must have been the absolute low point of their existence. The day when all their hopes and dreams were dashed. Their leader had been arrested – trapped by his opponents, jeered at by his critics, brought to court and found guilty – a sentence approved of by the masses. His vision of a better world, a world of justice and peace, of inclusivity and divine compassion was surely now in ruins, lost for ever? And what was to be their future? Would they be hounded and rounded up by the mob? Would they be rejected by friends and family? Would they become vagrants trying to eke out a living on the margins of society? Were they overcome by shame and doubt, wondering why they had been taken in by Jesus’s words, wondering why they had not heeded the words of their religious leaders, their elders and betters? Perhaps it was one of those days when you think it can’t get any worse and it just does.

We are living after the event. We know that Jesus’s drawn out execution on the cross with its blood and pain, before a jeering crowd was not the end of the story. There were still some empty hours ahead, some dark times of waiting and not knowing, of uncertainty and fear, for the disciples. But they didn’t run away. They didn’t stop caring for Jesus. They kept on living taking each day as it came. They weren’t expecting a miracle but were waiting to do what had to be done to complete his funeral. And a miracle happened; an unbelievable miracle! Jesus rose from the dead and met them where they were. He comforted and commissioned them and then took on his new role as the ascended messiah, Christ the King!

Can we find hope in that story? Can we find that hope that the psalmist speaks of? The strength of faith to continue even when things get tough, when the future looks uncertain – doomed even – and to hold tight to get assurance that God will always be there for us? When we face an uncertain future in the face of the climate crisis, the intransigence of oil producers, the reluctance of rich nations to be neither penitent nor generous, the naive optimism of those who say the climate crisis isn’t really a problem.

Let us find hope, take strength, encourage one another and reaffirm once more our allegiance to Christ the King.

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength, *
a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, *
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;

3 Though its waters rage and foam, *
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.

4 The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

5 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *
the holy habitation of the Most High.

6 God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be overthrown; *
God shall help her at the break of day.

7 The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; *
God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.

8 The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

9 Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, *
what awesome things he has done on earth.

10 It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; *
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire.

11 “Be still, then, and know that I am God; *
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.”

12 The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Colossians 1:11-20

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers– all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Luke 23:33-43

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Reflection Sunday 18th July

Readings for proper 11: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23; Ephesians 2:11-22; Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Reflection 

“Woe to the shepherds”. What is the role of the shepherd, what do they do?

They look after the sheep, providing them with food, water and health care. Hopefully there is empathetic care such that shepherds see them not as any old sheep, but as their sheep. Shepherd as provide security, protection from danger: wild animals, thieves, bad weather. Shepherds hopefully plan ahead, ensuring that when they move their flock they will be moving them to new pasture with plenty of grass, or in the winter plenty of shelter and in the summer plenty of shade. Shepherds need to pre-empt situations requiring extra input: lambing time, shearing, the rut. Shepherds need to keep their flocks together, not letting the sheep stray apart,  becoming lost or isolated. 

Good shepherds do all this with love and  willing self-sacrifice (because it is their raison d’etre). Bad shepherds on the other hand are uncommitted to their flock, distracted by self-interest and easily loose the plot. The message that Jeremiah preaches is that God sees the short-comings, the wickedness of the bad shepherds and their treatment of God’s flocks. And in response God will raise up new, good shepherds and God’s flocks will be revived and will flourish. 

In the next paragraph, Jeremiah’s words speak of the coming messiah, the one we know as Jesus who is the ultimate good shepherd. This image of good shepherding is reprieved in today’s psalm.

But what does good shepherding look like today? Who are our shepherds? What if our shepherds were our political leaders? 

Do our political leaders ensure that everyone has enough food and healthy food? Or do they let some people go hungry and malnourished? Why are there so many food banks? What standards of nutrition are provided in schools, hospitals, prisons etc?

Do they ensure we all have access to clean water and do they ensure safe disposal of sewage (even if they have contracted this out to the private sector)?

Do they ensure everyone who is ill, whether physically or mentally, receives prompt treatment? Do they provide preventative treatments and programmes to promote well being?

Do they ensure the security of their ‘flock’? Do they have resources in place to prevent race and hate crime, to prevent traffic accidents, house fires – and fires in tower blocks? Do they maintain a properly funded system of law and order that offers everyone the right to justice?

Do they plan for the future? For the knowns such as climate change, and the unknowns such as pandemics?

Are they motivated by self interest or by a desire to care for their flock? What is the source of their motivation, their vocation?

Maybe it is not just politicians that are our shepherds, what about our business leaders, our civil servants, diplomats? The police and emergency services, the armed forces, medics and Carers, GPs?  What if they are our farmers,  environmentalists, teachers, researchers and scientists? What if they are our neighbours – and if so are we their ‘shepherds?

I rather suspect that God must look on us with dismay. If in Jeremiah’s day, God called out prophets to speak the truth, to expose the shortcomings of those in power, I am sure that God is today calling out to those willing to become prophets. Those prophets maybe you and me, for even if onl9y in small ways, we can call out the short comings of those in leadership roles, we can sign petitions, join marches, we can create prophetic actions in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets and in the tradition of the actions of Jesus – who fed the hungry, healed the sick, questioned the authorities and challenged unjust interpretations of the law.

If in Jeremiah’s day, God was promising to raise up new, good shepherds, ones who would be in due time be followers of the Son of David, then I am even more sure that today God is still seeking out and raising up new leaders who will follow the example of Jesus, who are willing to commit body and soul to the well being of their fellow beings – both humans and creatures, flora and fauna. And it may well be that you and I are being called to be such leaders or shepherds, even if only in small ways. A Shepherd is perhaps the better image as it links us back to the calling that God gave Adam in Genesis 2, to tend and care for the earth and all that it contains. 

The passage to the Ephesians reminds us of the importance of inclusivity. Jeremiah talks of God bringing together disparate, scattered flocks to create one unified whole. When we look around us, we see the damage caused by separating people into them and us groups, of pushing people into haves and and have-not groups, of working against each other rather than cooperating, of seeking self interest rather than the common good. So it is good to be reminded that it is by working together that we create God’s dwelling place on earth. 

The passage from Mark’s gospel records how the disciples returned, having completed their mission to preach and bring healing to the inhabitants of the neighbouring towns and villages – of which we heard a couple of weeks ago, when they went out in pairs with neither purse nor spare clothes. It would seem that they return tired but perhaps also with lots of stories and questions that they want to share with Jesus. So Jesus takes them away to a quiet place – admittedly they don’t get long there before their rest is interrupted – as however much we want to be good shepherds, good missioners, good disciples, we are not superhuman, we need time to rest and recharge, to unload our burdens and to be refreshed.

Take time to unburden yourself with God – as in today’s psalm, God wishes to let you rest in green places and walk by quiet waters.