Sunday 11th January 2009

Mark 1:4-11 (Find reading here: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=98799062 )
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus, Jesus’ Baptism by John, Jesus is modelling how we are to respond to the calling God puts on our lives. I’d like to point to three aspects of Jesus’s own response that are a model for us.

The first is about repentance. John’s baptism is a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus undergoes this baptism, being without sin. Why? Repentance is not just about getting rid of sin so we can fully be who need to be for others, it is also about turning to face a new direction – the Greek word means a turning around. So whatever God is calling us to be for Him, it requires a turning to face it and a decision to embrace the calling full on.

The second thing that happens is that the Spirit descends upon Him like a dove. If we are to walk in the calling God gives to us – whatever it is – God offers to help – He offers his anointing, his inspiration. Not only is this about knowing the direction and vision, it’s also about receiving the energy and the peace to be get on with it.

The third thing is modelled for us here is affirmation. Jesus is told that He is beloved. Which speaks of a sense of being embraced precious to God – of being held and loved in the deepest way. Whatever happens, we are valued and loved.
So whatever we know God is calling us to here is our model for responding. Turn and face it, pushing away any sin and doubt that hold us back. Open ourselves to receive God’s blessing and expect His inspiration. Know that we are values and loved.

Morning Prayer 6th January 2009

Jeremiah 31:7-11

(See text here: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=98225582 )
These words, again of promise and blessing, must have been heard for the first time with incredulity. A people who for three generations and had been strangers in a strange land. To put it into context, I know nothing of my great grandfathers aspirations and hopes.
But it must be so different when you are torn from your home, your faith and your traditions. When once you owned a proud city and a wonder of the world to be cast down to be servants. How intense must have been the sense of identity that the exiled remnant of Israel had to hold onto and accept again these words of prophecy. How deep the faith and sense of promise in their very being to have embraced this hope.
As a Christian I have dared to take this promise for myself too. That these mighty promises made to a people 2,500 years ago were in fact the start of something much bigger. That the inheritance of these people distilled and concentrated in to the person of Jesus Christ who drew me into the eternal promise of God's blessing and peace. He has taken this promise and shown it to be a type or shadow of all that is to come for the people who choose to accept it. There is no limit or national boundary around this promise and like all promises it is something to keep until the time is right. It is now the job of our generation to hand this promise on to the next generation so that three generations from now, God's promise of blessing and peace in Christ is still known and received.

Morning Prayer 5th January 2009

Isaiah 62:1-12 (can be found here: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=98145047)

It is a horrible thing to declare your faith in God and to live In trust yet experience times of desolation and emptiness. If God calls us at times to make sacrifices and our life style choices in faith mean that we go without things at times, it is hard to hear the taunts of those who want to reject God from their prosperity.
It must have been so difficult for the people of Israel in exile to look at their situation and reconcile it with their faith. In the voice of the prophets they do this. They see judgment in the way they have had to endure the consequences of their own actions. They have seen hope in the consistency of God that the nations around them will have to go through the same trials as they continue to live in unfair societies that reject God. And most importantly they feel hope in the unchaining love of God that always looks for a way to restore the relationship and move his people to a new level of understanding.
Even in the face of the taunts of their enemies and the poverty and their lives faith in the promises of God and His nature provides the possibility of making sense of the situation and embracing the choice to believe.

John 2:13-25 (Can be found here: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=98145237)
Yesterday the reading from Luke's gospel described a young boy of 12 sitting and talking about 'His Father's House'.
Today's reading shows Jesus 20 years on showing his spiritual authority in this same place. His wrath is not directed towards those who are worshipping but those who have shifted the purpose and focus of the purpose of the temple. The temple is already being destroyed by its absorption in to the trading life of the world. It is becoming a marketplace and a political power base. Rather than being a place where God is accessible, a focus for prayer and a place of presence, it is a becoming a place where the hunger the people have to know God is exploited for political and financial gain.
Jesus words show that the way we come to God is going to change. Jesus is the new temple, the place of presence and through the Holy Spirit those who want to will be 'in Christ' through the Spirit. God is with us - not just among us the once in Christ; also among and within through the Holy Spirit.

Thoughts

God does act and is present in all our situations. It may feel at times that everything is corrupt and that there is no goodness to be found. It may feel that God is absent and that those who live without reference to Him seem to avoid all consequence to their actions.
But neither of these two feelings are based on what is actually happening.In our prayers we can gain a higher perspective that leads to hope and again recognises that God is within and that that can never be corrupted or lost.

Morning Prayer 4th January 2009

Zecharaiah 8:1-8

A prophetic call to hope and faith. A people experiencing hardship; unable to live to old age in peace, unable to give their children the security and freedom to play in the streets.
They are separated from their home and feel that God will not bless them.
Into this darkness - the darkness of the refugee - the Lord of Hosts speaks. And he is jealous - jealous and angry. This speaks of intensity and frustration in a relationship (either current or past) and it speaks of another relationship coming between the current one. It is like God has had to allow in his justice the consequences of Israel's faithlessness and lack of righteousness to run their course - He has not forced Israel out of its affair with their corrupted or misplaced desires. But His feelings are intense - He wants them back - and will act to bring them back. He longs to bless them with the peace they now desire having lived fully under the consequences of their own choices. The prophet is calling Israel, the people of God back to His ways of Faithfulness and Righteousness. This is not in an 'I told you so', disconnected way but in a passionate and involved way. He calls us today in the same way.

Luke 2:41-52

Jesus developing self-awareness is captured in this memory of Mary. As a child grows up their interests come and go. Certain strands of their development take root and become and express who they are going to be.
This feels like one of those moments of awareness in the family that Jesus is becoming who He is called to be. It is many years since the events of his birth. Mary and Joseph seem to have relaxed into a normal family life. This event triggers again the awesome call that is on Jesus' life and Mary treasures it up.
What did Jesus learn here? It seems there may be at least two things. Firstly the divine that dwells within Him was shaping his thoughts and His wisdom in the understanding of God, being one with God, was indeed miraculous. The second that as a human boy he needed to grow in his understanding of people - to live under the wisdom and authority of his parents in things of the human experience.
What amazing humility is this and what true wisdom. That God in Christ learns our ways to save us from them and to raise us to Himself.

Thoughts

Whatever the human race has gone through in its journey through consciousness and spiritual growth, God has gone through with us. The Bible and the life of Jesus show us the intensity and passion with which is involved in our lives. his faithful love is always there, his patience and constant forgiveness available after every fall.
Draw us to You - help us to respond with passion to your passion and to learn your righteousness and compassion for ourselves

Evening Prayer 3rd January 2009

Ruth 2

This beautiful story continues to weave its way through good attitudes and behaviour. There is a tension in the narrative. At any point something else could go wrong for the women. They are powerless and without status or wealth. They are totally in the hands of those around them. And enter Boaz. Clearly a man of God as can be told by his greetings. He immediately shows mercy and generosity and through his goodness and godliness there is at last a glimmer of hope shining in the lives of the two. The acceptance by God, the shelter and security she has entered into by her decision to stay with Naomi and accept her God is pronounced by Boaz and her humility and lack of expectation make the gift all the more wonderful.
As seems so often to be the case with God's Blessing, Ruth needs to work hard to realise the blessing and she has to act with honour. But it is wonderful the way hope begins to grow again in so desolate a Naomi.

Colossians 3:1-11

St. Paul outlines again the necessary unfolding of the Christian walk. So much of what is accepted as normal from a worldly perspectives and even encouraged in our capitalist society is now to be rejected as the new self - the likeness of Christ grows within us.
All the things we said we once were, the things that defined us, are now to be released. So many layers and defense mechanisms need to be got rid of- the defenses that cause us to lie, that require us to store up more than we need for fear of being without - all these things must go as we the true eternal perspective, through faith, moulds our understanding.
And how liberating it is - and how different from the the old life who still struggles to make himself felt in his cynicism and fear!

Thoughts

Our readings are readings of contrast. Naomi's old life of hopelessness and death begins to embrace hope once more as the goodness of a godly man enters the women's lives.
St Paul talks about the contrast between the old life and the new life in Christ. An old life marked by lies and fear and labels defining who you can and cannot belong with. And the new life, marked by joy and freedom and eternal hope.
These contrasts form part of our everyday lives - a constant battleground for the framework for our lives. But we re in Christ and the battle is won. But to live in the certainty of that hope requires continual courage if we are not to find ourselves slipping!

Morning Prayer 2nd January 2009

Isaiah 60:1-12

It is always difficult with certainty to reduce these chapters of Isaiah to a single interpretation. The words are literal and analogous; past, present and future at the same time.
Israel experienced exile, had become spiritually corrupt and seen Jerusalem fall from her golden age. And this time passed, A new awareness of the calling of Israel emerged for a remnant and Jerusalem was rebuilt supported by foreign powers and in a spirit of re commitment to God. But this city was to fall again.
From these same words, the visit of the Magi from the East with their gifts of gold and frankincense can be seen heralding the birth of the real King whose Kingdom shall not perish. but added to this image is a new understanding in the light of Christ - the true Glory of God. Myrrh in preparation for the King who lay down his life for those who do not yet follow him provide a deeper understanding of the nature of this Kingdom. A literal interpretation projected into the future from these words will not work as a greater revelation in the Word has transformed the meaning of these words. The analogy must be read through the lens of Christ. But we can know that nations are temporary in the light of the permanence of His Kingdom; ultimately His Way will be secured for all Creation; evil has lost and will perish.

John 1:35-42
It is a curious dialogue that Jesus has with these first disciples. The first words Jesus says in this Gospel are:
"What are you looking for?"
To which they respond:
"Rabbi, where are you staying?"
To which Jesus replies:
"Come and see."
This conversation is often understood in terms of Jesus being interested in the needs of the disciples; the disciples wanting to stay close to him and Jesus offering them the opportunity.
But it feels a little more 'coded' to me. There is a feeling out of who each other is - there is a lot unsaid - it feels almost guarded. It is almost like it is what is not said in this first exchange that is the true dialogue. I wonder if they are both listening to some other voice and the words they say are in response to that other voice. The Spirit is at work. Jesus senses that they are searching for God, so he asks them; the disciples here a voice saying follow, so they ask where He is staying so that they can find out more; Jesus discerns this and they leave together. It is quite easy to imagine the disciples talking about how they first met Jesus at a later time and Andrew recounting the slightly unreal conversation - remembering hogged was at work so vividly.

Thoughts
There is so much more to being with God than can be expressed through words. In the expression 'like' is killing the English language at the moment, but language can only ever express 'like' when to comes to God.
We interpret passages like Isaiah 60 in the light of Christ and its meaning is transformed. And yet even now we can only see 'darkly' or partially so how will it be when we look at these things when they have been completely fulfilled in Heaven.
And yet the same things is the case in our own conversations - with God and with each other. There is always so much unsaid, so much we can't say. I guess that's why we have silence and tongues - we need other ways to listen and be heard.
Be still and know...

Evening Prayer 1st January 2009

Deuteronomy 30:1-20
In this passage there are a number of promises God makes that are clearly for the future beyond the immediate experience of the people of Israel waiting to enter the promised land after their release from Egypt.

There is the promise that when they fail to walk in the ways of God and they experience the consequences of their actions there will always be hope of return. Exile is not permanent, but a temporary consequence of neglecting to live as God's people.

There is also the promise that God will 'circumcise the heart' both of that generation and future generations. This follows on from the ideas this morning and alludes to the work of the Spirit within, changing desires that walking in God's ways become the chosen controlling direction of God's people.

The LORD presents a clear choice - life or death, blessing or curse, prosperity or adversity. Why would we chose anything but the former?

Acts 3:1-16
Here is a beautiful event. A man is healed beyond his wildest expectations - not be his own faith or by any one's act but Jesus. The apostles act with such humility and faith - they are confident to expect Jesus to act, they are not surprised when he does, they are humble and avoid any credit for the act and they see that God is at work and take the opportunity to teach about Jesus in to the hearts opened by the miraculous event.

They will end up in prison for this, for behaving perfectly. But even through this God will bless them and bring others to understand who Jesus Christ of Nazareth really is.

Thoughts
The first reading explains how clearly the choice to follow God really is. To choose Gd and to walk in His ways is to hold on to His promise that we will be blessed if we do. The consequence honouring God is that we are honoured in return. This does not mean that we are protected from all the dangers of life, but we will be blessed.

In the reading in Acts we see the working out of this faith at a new level in the apostles. They have seen to many marvellous things, the miracles death, resurrection and ascent ion of Jesus, to have any doubt. And they have lost their fear which kept them in hiding and have embraced their part.

For us, it is a constant challenge to trust God in all things - to embrace with confidence the choice he presents before us, and quietly and humbly walk in it trusting that the injustice and unfairness that may well follow as we fail to take on the world on its terms, will lead to blessings and be turned to good.

Morning Prayer 1st January 2009

Genesis 17:1-13

This is a strikingly physical arrangement being made between Abraham and God. The covenant is about a 'perpetual holding' of the land of Canaan and the perpetual circumcision of all men who are offspring or foreigners owned by Abraham and his descendants.

The covenant really is 'in the flesh'. It is a contractual exchange - land for circumcision. It is very easy to see why such a clear, legally constructed passage has such power over the people who inherit this 'in the flesh'.

It makes religious claims to a particular piece of land in the middle east easy to understand from the point of view of Israel.

The snag is that the covenant is offered to Abraham if he will 'walk before (God) and be blameless. What is it to be blameless? Does Abraham achieve this? Will his offspring know what this means and achieve it?


Romans 2:17-29

St. Paul provides a deeper understanding of the nature of this covenant and what it really means. God, when he offered this covenant, was not simply after an offering of flesh in exchange for a property deal. God was offering the opportunity to establish a people who would live life righteously in ways that honoured God and brought people to live in a right way. The outward physical sign (circumcision) was meant to point to a deep inward commitment as God's people and to walk blamelessly before Him.

What was meant by 'blameless' was defined more thoroughly in the Mosaic Law and circumcision as the sign of one living under that law.

St. Paul is simply saying here that unless the desire to walk 'blamelessly' is there the outward sign is of no meaning. The outward sign only has meaning when the inner convictions which result in a life lived well give those signs meaning. Real circumcision is therefore is therefore spiritual and not literal.

Understanding this is important in understanding how the New Covenant (Testament) takes over from the Old. Jesus comes to offer to those who want to walk blamelessly before God the Holy Spirit to help them do this. Thus the New Testament operates at the spiritual level and moves those who will want to be God's people from a transactional to a relational understanding of what it means to walk blamelessly. That's why Jesus n his teaching on the Sermon on the Mount constantly points to the desires of the heart rather than the literal keeping of the letter of the law.

It is why outward circumcision achieves nothing to a non-Jewish person who commits to following Christ.


Thoughts

God calls us to relationship not deals. The gracious offer of God to give us Himself within to help us to live our lives is astounding when we attempt to think of just who God is - Creator, Immanent and Transcendent!

But it also leaves us with nowhere to run to. We cannot hide behind outward symbols. We cannot wear a cross and call ourselves Christian. We cannot escape into signs and symbols unless the integrity of our hearts gives them real meaning.

And because this relationship is personal, we cannot judge others in their relationship with God. We cannot truly see within the heart of another; it is hard enought to know ourselves.

So we are left with the gracious offer of God to be at work within us. We are called to be ourselves before Him and to hunger for our motives and drives to be transformed by His Spirit within.