3 readings each of which could have their own sermon. The OT reading from 1 Kings 19 tells us that Elijah found God not in great activity and noise but in the Sheer Silence. We need to remember this, particularly in lives which are busy and active. Yes, of course things need to be done when we belong to a Church. Yesterday was after all our Coffee morning, gift day, book sale and other stalls here in St Peter’s. But our call to follow Christ is found in the moments of quiet and from this we learn what God wants us to do and be.

Paul the writer of Galatians has been described as a Jesus mystic. In his busy life he had learnt to stop, be silent and listen to God. In our reading this morning he wants to tell us about equality, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

Two thousand years later we have still not learnt this message, that God wants us to treat each other with love and equity. Why? Because we are all one in Christ. It is Christ who brings us together this morning, for those of us in Church and those of us reading this at home or wherever you may be. Jesus wanted us to learn that we are all children of God and that God loves each and everyone of us.

One of the great problems people still face today is mental health issues. This is precisely what Jesus was dealing with in our Gospel reading. Sadly, we live in a part of the country which has the worst record in helping people with mental issues. Not only that but so many people look down on such people and see them as inferior. They are all God’s creatures just like you and me, in Paul’s words they are one in Christ with us and need our love and compassion. I suspect that many of us are frightened when we meet people and we shy away from them, this is made worse when we are around people with mental health problems and the temptation is to move around them and pass them by. In the country of the Gerasenes the people were also frightened. We make all sorts of excuses to ourselves - they would be better off talking to the Vicar or someone in authority. But the truth is that we are all called to care for one another - take a deep breath, grit your teeth and say, ‘hello, I’m (and give them your Christian name).

So let us be silent and listen to God and let us respond to his call to love one another, the buck stops with me and you and you and you. Amen

Andrew SSL