Tag: sharing

Proper 23, 19th Sunday after Trinity 

11th October 2026

Reflection with readings below

Everyone enjoys a good party! And a feast is the opposite of a famine. So when God invites us to a feast we should expect a scenario where they will be plenty of food and plenty to drink, plenty of joy and happiness. If the feast is a wedding feast then we should know this as a celebration of a lifelong union, of an eternal covenant. 

Last week’s readings had a focus on vineyards. In Isaiah the story focused on the vine and the failure of its fruit, whilst the gospel story focused on the tenants – those who were meant to tend and harvest the vine’s fruits, passing on what was due to the owner. Isaiah’s story focused on the fruitfulness of God’s people; the gospel on the honesty of those who were tasked with looking after the people of God.

Today’s gospel story may be a combination of both. The wedding feast reminds us of all that God has prepared for us to enjoy – the bounty and beauty of creation. God’s good earth is wonderfully productive and resourceful. Even with this century’s projected human population of ten billion, the Earth’s produce would more than satisfy their appetites. Surprisingly it is not a lack of food that underpins hunger and famine but a lack of equality and of a fair distribution of resources. Equally it is note lack of accommodation that causes homelessness, but a lack of equality and of fair distribution. (There are in the UK 309,000 long term empty houses against 290,000 people who are homeless!)

It is not the feast that is a problem. Rather it is the unwillingness of those invited to engage with the king. Those who are rich, those whose lives are self sufficient, those who feel no need to pay attention to anyone else, turn down the invitation. They do not want to waste their time and effort in a celebration that benefits others. 

And is that not what we see with those in our world today who are rich, who are self satisfied, who have not concern for anyone else? They take all they want – and more! – and do nothing! ensure that the bounty of the Earth – the feast –  is intended for everyone. 

And so yes, as is told in the parable, surely we would love to see those who have been marginalised, those cast out by the rich and powerful, those who lack any fair share of resources, being invited to share the abundant bounty of the Earth’s harvest. 

But hang on a moment! Are we not actually some of the rich and powerful -maybe not super rich but certain,y richer than most of the world’s population? Are we ready and willing to participate in this feast, are we ready and willing to ensure a just and fair distribution of food, of drink, of homes, of safety even if that means forgoing some of our pleasures and privileges, even if it means forgoing some of our wealth and incomes? Are we in danger of saying yes to the invitation but then failing to act accordingly? Are we in danger of wishing to benefit from the Earth’s bounty whilst pressing for a fairer share of the feast? Are we in danger of arriving at the feast underdressed?

There is still time to repent and make amends. Isaiah long knew that the people of God were easily distracted from their invitation to enjoy rich lives if they stuck to following God’s ways. He knew that these false ways would lead to eviction and deportation. But Isaiah also know that God would always quickly be ready to help those who turned thwir back on sin, those who were repentant and sought to live a better life following the way of God.

Jesus knew that many were caught up in systems, caught in the snare of wealth and high wages. He knew that they could repent and be welcomed I to God’s kingdom. He also knew that for some it would be a difficult choice to make because it would be sacrificial. But he also knew that individuals could make the right choices, and that if the band of disciples was growing in numbers, then more and more would respond to that message.

May God release us from the ties of wealth and privilege and give us the courage to invite and enable everyone to enjoy the feast that God’s Earth has to offer equally and fairly. Amen.

Isaiah 25:1-9

O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you, I will praise your name; 

for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure. 

For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin; 

the palace of aliens is a city no more,
it will never be rebuilt. 

Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you. 

For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. 

When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place, 

you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled. 

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. 

And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.

Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken. 

It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Philippians 4:1-9

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

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

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

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

Matthew 22:1-14

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

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

Counting on … day 126

7th August 2025

According to the Book of Acts (Acts 2:42-47), one of the features that attracted people to the first Christians was their willingness to share what they had with each other, to hold their belongings in common. 

Living simply, sustainably, and joyfully within the limits enough, would logically involve sharing and holding possessions in common. This enables things to be shared. It also means that fewer possessions are needed overall which makes for better use of limited resources. 

Some people share the use of a communal car or subscribe to a car sharing scheme. (1) 

Libraries provide a collection of books (as well as dvds, audio tapes etc) which are held in common for everyone to use. And there are also toy libraries and Libraries of Things as well as street sharing schemes, that allow a community to own things such as electric drills, lawn mowers, wallpaper strippers, that the whole community can use.

Churches are places kept open for the use by anyone in the community. Church/village/community halls are large gathering spaces that anyone can use (for a fee and terms and conditions will apply). 

Roads are communal spaces where anyone can drive, cycle or walk (again terms and conditions apply). 

Green spaces and parks are publicly (or sometimes privately) owned which are kept open for the whole community to enjoy. Ditto public sports centres and swimming pools (fees and conditions may apply) – few of us could afford, either in terms of finance or space, to build and own a swimming pool for our own use, but having a public one kept for common use makes real sense.

In Cambridgeshire there is a village owned heat pump to which householders can opt to connect! (2)

The more we can hold and use in common the better. 

  1. https://www.como.org.uk/shared-cars/overview-and-benefits
  2. https://www.positive.news/environment/pumping-hot-inside-britains-first-heat-pump-village/

Counting on … Lent 21

2nd April 2025  

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

The Earth provides a bountiful supply of food that can satisfy everyone. Ensuring a sufficiency for all underlies God’s wisdom, God’s purpose. Ensuring that everyone can access this sufficiency however requires that we humans act responsibly. The following sound advice comes from the German Advisory Council on the Environment. 

“…sufficiency is a long-established concept in the environmental sciences. It is distinct from efficiency (less input per output) and consist (more environmentally friendly input). In contrast, sufficiency aims at the absolute reduction of outputs, ie a conscious collective self-limitation of ecologically critical goods and services. Secondly, sufficiency with the meaning of “enough” (lat. sufficere) can be linked to questions of justice: sufficiency aims to ensure that all people have sufficient access to natural resources. For people living in poverty, “enough” can therefore also mean “more”. Sufficiency requires “less” for resource-intensive groups. These are the middle and upper classes, especially (but not only) in rich countries. A life of dignity for all within planetary boundaries is therefore also the guiding principle of German and international sustainability strategies.”

https://www.umweltrat.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/04_Statements/2020_2024/2024_06_Sufficiency_as_a_Strategy_of_the_Enough.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2

Counting on … Lent 19

31st March 2025  

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Genesis 2:5-6

Without water there is no plant life; without bodies of water there is no rain. The creation story in Genesis understands that God provided the water that was essential for life, providing a source of water which we now understand is continually circulated via plants and rain cycles. If we treasure life then we also need to treasure the natural balance of the water cycle, not over extracting water from inland  seas and aquifers. Misusing water can see too much water diverted for industrial or intensive farming purposes such that both people and the natural wildlife suffers. 

A press release from UNESCO underlines the importance of handling water systems  with fairness and cooperation. 

“Nearly every water-related intervention involves some kind of cooperation. Growing crops require shared irrigation systems among farmers. Providing safe and affordable water to cities and rural areas is only possible through a communal management of water-supply and sanitation systems. And cooperation between these urban and rural communities is essential to maintaining both food security and uphold farmer incomes.” https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/imminent-risk-global-water-crisis-warns-un-world-water-development-report-2023

Counting on … Lent 18

28th  March 2025 

Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarrelling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarrelling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” Exodus 13: 5-9

When too many people – or rather if the activities of the people are consuming too many resources – it is good to come to an amicable arrangement whereby the available resources can be shared. In the natural world some plants build this in to their growth patterns. Apple trees through their root systems and their  mycorrhizal fungi prevent new apple seedlings from growing too close less they both compete over the same nutrients. Other trees benefit from the work of magpies and squirrels which plant seeds at a fair distance away from the parent tree.

Counting on … day 16

22nd January 2025

If not buying things makes for better use of limited resources, then there is real advantage in borrowing and sharing. This can informally, via a street WhatsApp or via a Library of Things – https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/

And also – https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/home-garden/library-things-directory

Advent 15: a shared path – II

Here is another reminder that that the road we travel we share with others. Living together, co-existing  requires understanding, cooperation and tolerance.

 I wonder how we would respond if the sign depicted a person and dormouse? Over time recent times dormice have lost access to the spaces  in which they can live – woodlands and hedgerows – because we humans have allowed our activities to dominate the landscape to the detriment of others. It is not that there is too little space for us all, but that we do not always share the space with consideration.

In the book of Genesis we hear how Abraham and Lot had to consciously make decisions about where they would each graze their flocks so as to ensure enough grass and water for them all. Later Isaac faced the same need to share. 

But the herdsmen of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. Then they dug another well and quarrelled over that one also; so he names it Sitnah. He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth and said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”… 

Genesis 26:20-22

Author Judith RussenbergerPosted on Categories Advent Reflections, UncategorizedTags climate crisis, PrayerLeave a commen

The Feast of Pentecost

28th May 2023

Reflection (the readings are below)

The day of Pentecost was not a day to be forgotten. For the disciples it must initially have frightening – to have the sound of violent wind fill the house and then to see what looked like tongues of fire. Yet it must have been amazing, astounding, to be so full of the Spirit that they could not help but be eloquent, loquacious, inspired, outspoken ….

And I wonder if it was any different for the crowd that had gathered. What has first caught their attention, caused the, to stop and stare? Initially bewildered and then – like the disciples – inspired, overcome by the message they were receiving. A message that somehow spoke directly to each one, no matter where they had come from, no matter what was their personal agenda – each of them heard a message that directed at them and which answered their need –  and maybe answering a need they didn’t know they needed! That surely is the power of God’s message, the power of the good news, that whoever you are, wherever you are it will have a pertinent message for you.

That day of Pentecost must have seemed magical! But I suspect that we all have message, a story, we could tell about God’s deeds – whether it was about something that happened in our lives, some event or place that was very significant, some word or image or phrase of music that spoke so,powerfully to us of God. And just imagine if we all told out stories – surely we would find that our story would ring a chord with someone else, that our story would speak eloquently to another about the presence of God.  We seldom tell these stories because we don’t imagine that we could be a channel for God’s Spirit. 

If like me you have a passion for the environment, can you take a leaf out of the psalmist’s book? Can you celebrate and sing praises to God to express your joy and awe that God’s creation is so amazing, so prolific, so life enhancing? The psalm reminds me that sometimes we have to let God’s creature be and just stand back in wonder! 

I only occasionally cut the grass at home, so it is without any effort I take part in No Mow May. This afternoon I counted five different types of grass – as the seed heads form you get to see what a variety there is. I also noted plantains with a white flowering frill around their seed head; golden buttercups (replacing the golden headed dandelions that flowered earlier); wild sorrel; common daisies and ox eye daisies; cat’s ear daisies -also yellow like a dandelion – and the tiny mauve flowering small-flowered cranesbill. 

Maybe for someone that vision of God’s biodiverse creation would be the message that warms their hearts and fire them up for action as citizens of God’s kingdom here on earth.

Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs– in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

`In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.

And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “

Psalm 104:25-35, 37

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

26 Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number, *
creatures both small and great.

27 There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.

28 All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.

29 You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.

31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.

32 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.

33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.

34 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.

35 May these words of mine please him; *
I will rejoice in the Lord.

37 Bless the Lord, O my soul. *
Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body– Jews or Greeks, slaves or free– and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

John 20:19-23

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”