Memories - Thought for the day on Whit Monday, 1st JuneToday is Pentecost Sunday or as I remember it - Whit Sunday. The service today took my mind back to my childhood. I am sure that many of you remember the old traditions of Whitsuntide. Whit Sunday, followed by Whit Monday, was usually a Bank Holiday. Whitsuntide in 1967 was replaced by Spring Bank Holiday which was the last Monday in May. This year, Spring Bank Holiday in Ireland has fallen on Pentecost Sunday and Monday which I regard as the proper dates, but I'm old fashioned.I was brought up in Dronfield Woodhouse in Derbyshire, which was then a small village. The town of Dronfield is between Sheffield and Chesterfield and is about 2 miles from the village of Dronfield Woodhouse. My family church and the one which I attended is St Swithin's in Holmesfield which is 1 mile from my home. Every Whitsuntide we had new Whitsuntide clothes and shoes, which I believe was traditional in some areas, and we had to wear them on Whit Sunday. On Whit Monday, a number of people from the Church went on the Whit Walk, round the village of Holmesfield, pausing outside the homes of people who were somewhat wealthy, singing a hymn and the Vicar holding out his hand, expecting to be given some money. My father who was an avid church person and used to train the choirboys, strongly disagreed with what he regarded as begging, but the church needed the money, of course and the Whit Walk used to generate quite a sum. One of my main memories as a child is of doing the Whit Walk in new shoes and usually getting blisters on my feet and having sore feet for days. A thought for Pentecost - quote from Second Vatican Council - The Church Today: 'Christ is now at work in the hearts of men through the energy of His Spirit. He arouses not only a desire for the age to come, but, by that very fact, He animates, purifies, and strengthens those noble longings too, by which the human family strives to make its life more human and to tender the whole earth submissive to this goal.'I was looking on the internet for some suitable prayers for this time and came across this prayer for the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the current climate of the COVID19 virus, the lockdown and the resultant unhappiness, human greed and the general feeling of being fed up, I thought some of the wording rather appropriate.Christ Jesus, before ascending to Heaven, You promised to send the Holy Spirit to your apostles and disciples. Grant that the same Spirit may perfect in our lives the work of Your grace and love.• Grant us the Spirit of Fear Of The Lord, that we may be filled with a loving reverence towards You;• The Spirit of Piety that we may find peace and fulfilment in the service of God while serving others;• The Spirit of Fortitude that we may bear our cross with You and, with courage, overcome the obstacles that interfere with our salvation;• The Spirit of Knowledge that we may know You and know ourselves and grow in holiness;• The Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our minds with the light of Your truth;• The Spirit of Counsel that we may choose the surest way of doing Your will, seeking first the Kingdom;• Grant us the Spirit of Wisdom that we may aspire to the things that last forever;Teach us to be your faithful disciples and animate us in every way with Your Spirit.AMENCarol Pittaway
Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth. Luke 1: 39-49 “39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”Greetings are an important part of our life. Every time we meet someone it involves some sort of greeting. Remember how it used to be a handshake, now it is a smile or a wave, a cheery Hi or maybe something more formal.During the past few weeks and months most of us have had to be limited by how we greet each other. I know that I have found this to be difficult especially when you meet friends and you want to give them a hug, of course our greeting depends on the level of intimacy that we share with someone. We save our jokes for people who speak the same language and then our more formal greetings for those we do not know so well. With friends and those who share our circumstances we can be completely open and free.But this freedom may be realised in a simple word or phrase. Our language becomes almost code expressing the secrets we share, full of mysteries which others would not understand or regard as relevant, as they do not know the history or beliefs which underpins the words. Every communication is important but some have depth of meaning which speak of the foundation upon which the relationship is built and therefore, are a mystery to an outsider.The first chapter of Luke’s gospel is full of greetings. Mary is granted the angel Gabriel’s “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” Zachariah is told “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard.” Zachariah is told the mystery of his future son’s life in God and his responsibility towards the Messiah. Mary is told the secret of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, which no one else knows, as proof of the angel’s mission to confirm her own destiny. When she arrived at Elizabeth’s door only Elizabeth would have known why her young relative had come. Mary must have known what others did not.Elizabeth’s reaction was immediate and spontaneous, her own child leaped within her, in recognition of the presence of the Lord, whose coming he would foretell. The women shared their blessedness. A young virgin woman conceived by the Holy Spirit and an older woman past childbearing age who had been able to conceive. They were women who shared a mystery. Their sons would change the world, they were utterly united in faith, anxiety, anticipation, trust and hope. Their acknowledgement of the great things which were happening to them would have been in every touch and sign, every look and most of all in their awareness of their shared maternity, the children within them. Elizabeth exclaimed her joy at the way in which God shares his goodness with those who wait on him in trust and hope.Cultures which have developed out of religious beliefs often include blessings in their greetings and farewells. “God be with you” has been reduced to “goodbye” and we rarely consider its real meaning when we use it. Mary and Elizabeth recognised each other’s worth in their exchanges, they were life affirming for each other, each acknowledging the others holiness. Their greetings said much more than just “hello”.Perhaps we too could try to do the same with those we meet, especially at this time when we are not able to greet each other in a physical way. This is a good time for renewing true depth and real life-giving in our relationships. There may be people we have forgotten during this time who would be warmed by your greeting whether that is seeing each other on zoom or any other visual media, a phone call, email or letter. Maybe we could consider mending broken relationships, not necessarily by complicated explanations, but by a simple word, a recognition of their value. I thought that I would share with you different greetings in other cultures:Knowing how to greet someone when visiting another country can help you avoid an awkward encounter.Here is how you say hello in countries around the world.*Argentina: Kiss on the right cheekIn Argentina, men greet other men with a kiss, so do not be surprised or offended if this occurs. Lightly press your cheek against the right cheek of another for a light kiss.*Japan: A bowIn Japan, the preferred way to greet someone you’re meeting is to bow to one another.*Nigeria: Snapping fingers handshakeIn Nigeria, young people usually greet each other in a special way, where they snap their fingers in the process of a handshake. This handshake is not very easy, so you actually need a Nigerian to teach you how to snap fingers while shaking hands.*Russia: A firm handshakeIn Russia, a firm handshake is the standard way for men to greet one another in public.*New Zealand: Hongi (touching noses)Known as hongi, this traditional Māori greeting in New Zealand is done by pressing your nose and forehead to another person’s at the same time.*Greenland: KunikThis one is a greeting typically done with those you’re close with. To perform it, place your nose and upper lip against the cheek or forehead of the other person and take a breath.*Thailand: WaiPlace your palms together at your chest and bow your head so that your thumbs touch your chin and your fingertips touch your forehead.*France: Kiss on each cheekThe common greeting in France is kissing on the cheek. Typically, it will be two kisses but the number of kisses can vary depending on the region. As a common starting point, offer your right cheek and let the other person lead.*India: NamasteThis greeting is carried out by placing your hands together in a praying position with your fingers pointed upwards and bowing slightly when you say “Namaste.”*Ukraine: A triple kissDon’t pull back after a kiss on each cheek in Ukraine. Here, the custom is to kiss cheeks three times — left, right, left— to say hello.*Tibet: Sticking your tongue outThis tradition dates back to the 9th century and references the Tibetan king Lang Darma, who was known for his evil ways and had a black tongue. People still greet each other this way today.*The Philippines: ManoWhen greeting elders, take their hand and press their knuckles against your forehead as a sign of respect.There are many other ways of greeting around the world including funny and strange ones. Most especially in Africa where they have different tribes and cultures, like the Maasai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania who greet friends by spitting on one another. Spitting is still acceptable when greeting elders, but a younger tribesman traditionally spits on his own hand before offering it to older members of the tribe as a sign of respect.We might consider ways of exchanging greetings which catch some of Elizabeth’s and Mary’s exuberance and blessings to each other. There is a blessing and joy in the greetings and praise that we give and offer to our Father in heaven every day.
Pentecost 31st May 2020Our Service today marks the day that ends the Easter season and the birth of the Church here on earth. Today nearly 2000 years ago on this day the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh, it is indeed a day of great celebration. May you all know the Spirit’s breath, and life within you this day, in a new and powerful way.Our reading from the book of Acts reminds us that people had gathered in Jerusalem for a festival.If you go back and read the Old Testament, you will discover that Pentecost was just one of the Jewish feast days, only they didn't call it Pentecost, that’s the Greek name. The Jews called it the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks. It is mentioned five places in the first five books — in Exodus 23, Exodus 24, Leviticus 16, Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16. It was the celebration of the beginning of the early wheat harvest. In Palestine, there were two harvests each year. • The early harvest came during the months of May and June. • The final harvest came in the Autumn. There were also several festivals, celebrations, or observances that took place before Pentecost. There was Passover, there was Unleavened Bread, and there was the Feast of First-fruits. The Feast of First-fruits was the celebration of the beginning of the Barley harvest. Here's the way you figured out the date of Pentecost. According to the Old Testament, you would go to the day of the celebration of First-fruits, and beginning with that day, you would count off 50 days. The fiftieth day would be the Day of Pentecost. So First-fruits is the beginning of the Barley harvest and Pentecost the celebration of the beginning of the Wheat harvest. Since it was always 50 days after First-fruits, and since 50 days equals seven weeks, it always came a "week of weeks" later. Why have I told you that? Well it may be good for a quiz question!But more importantly it tells you that there are times and seasons in our life that we need to attend to. Upon reflection we (I) could say that our life before the Covid 19 virus had become one constant, high pressured way of living, work, rest and play where words we used, but rarely experienced.Pre lockdown we were always busy, with things to do and places to be and people to meet, we could pretty much do as we wanted, when we wanted and go anywhere we wanted.Life for most in the western world was good, we were living the dream.One thing this virus has done is to pause our way of life, it has caused us to do is to think about how, why, what and where we do things.People are calling it a reset, a time to take stock, think again about what life is all about.Let’s go back tot our harvesting analogy - What are the steps of harvesting?Harvesting processes1. Sowing - preparing the group for the seed to be planted.2. Reaping - cutting the mature panicles and straw above ground.3. Threshing - separating the paddy grain from the rest of cut crop.4. Storing - sett aside to produce food to sustain us.Let me ask you a couple of questions;Where would you say our lives are at now?Are we reaping what we have sowed?Can I suggest we are being threshed, a time when our lives are being taken up off the field of life and there is a separation of the wheat from the tares. A time for us to separate that which is good and life giving from the bad, life draining, soul destroying things in our lives.At this time of Pentecost, when we celebrate that the Spirit gave birth to a movement and a moment that shaped our world. We need to revisit, recall and re-envision ourselves, our communities and our nation(s) as to the true meaning of life and living a life before God with fear and trembling.These are momentous days for us all, a time when we need to call upon the Holy Spirit, who is our guiding force, to help us share the good news of Jesus Christ, our risen and ascended Lord. He is our comforter, healer and friend who lives within us and we feel his strength at times of distress. The Holy Spirit is the joy giver, enabling us to be exuberant and full of life.Friends at this time of Pentecost, at this feast of weeks, this first harvest, may I ask you to consider, Where is your life at?What needs clearing out of your life the clutter and the chaos?What needs to be Threshed and taken to one side and burnt?
Psalm 99:1-5 Praise to God for His HolinessThe LORD is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he!Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity;you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.Extol the LORD our God; worship at his footstool. Holy is he!Romans 8:18-30 Future GloryI consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.This morning we will be reflecting on the very last part of the prayer that we regularly pray and say, individually and together. The Lord’s Prayer appears in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, but if you look at these scriptures you will see that this last line of the Lord’s prayer is not there. The final line of the Lord’s Prayer is not part of the original prayer given by Jesus, but was added by the Church. It returns us to the beginning: to praise of God and to the kingdom of God. We seek God’s help in the hard things of our lives and then, at the end of the prayer, the camera lens moves back again so that we see everything against the background of God’s creation, God’s time and God’s purpose.The Psalms were the prayer book of Jesus and they shape the vocabulary of praise in every generation of God’s people. In Psalm 99, we proclaim that the LORD (whose name is holy) is king and his kingdom is founded on justice and fairness.When we are shaken and stirred and our lives turned upside down, the Lord’s Prayer gives our lives fresh focus and perspective. ‘Thine is the kingdom’ is a declaration of faith and hope and victory.Here in the UK we have now completed the ninth week of lockdown. It has been a long haul and looking ahead there is much uncertainty. Many of us are realising and coming to terms with the fact that we will probably not get a summer holiday, something that this year, more than any, seems particularly needed. For church leaders it has been a surprisingly busy time. Preparing for and holding online services has put them on a very steep learning curve, plus there has been the difficulty of doing pastoral work over the phone. For businesses preparing for a safe return to work and schools preparing to reopen, it has likewise been a trying time. Needless to say, those who have been our essential workers and those who have worked from home whilst home-schooling children have given of their time tirelessly and they must be exhausted. In our own country and notably in America, and indeed in other countries, we see that some people are resisting the need to socially distance and are complaining of an infringement of their freedom and rights. Most people however, it seems, are wary of easing restrictions too quickly. As Christians, what are our rights and responsibilities?I recently read a reflection from Canon J John, which I thought was so good that I will quote a large part of it.‘First, I think we need to remind ourselves of God’s grace in our lives. You see, there is the temptation to think of what we have as our own. We think of our time as our own, our property as our own, our lives as our own. But they aren’t. We don’t own our lives; we are merely tenants and the Landlord has a perfect right to give notice of eviction at any time and without warning. Everything we have and enjoy is something that has been given to us. As St Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:7, ‘What do you have that you did not receive?’ That is true of everybody in some sense, but it is particularly true for those of us who have put our faith in Christ. Paul again, writing in Romans 8:32, says, ‘He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?’ So let’s not focus on the loss of what was never really ours to keep and instead give God thanks for what we have been given and enjoy it. That we have so many rich memories of times with family, friends and freedom is an act of grace from a God who gives freely out of love. Let’s rejoice in what we have, not grumble over what we haven’t. Let’s be grateful!Second, I think we need to remind ourselves of God’s governing over our lives. Psalm 31:15 says, ‘My times are in your hands.’ One of the merits of this COVID catastrophe is that it has been a nudge in the ribs about how vulnerable we all are. That’s no bad thing: whenever we use the words ‘the Lord’ we should recall that it is an acknowledgement that God is in charge of all that we are and have. There are many Bible verses that remind us of this; for example, Job 1:21, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’ In the New Testament we read, ‘For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it’ (1 Timothy 6:7). In these difficult days, it’s absolutely vital to remind ourselves that God is in control. If you have put your faith in Christ, then you have not been robbed of good things by some evil power, you have instead had your access to them restricted by a heavenly Father who intends good for you. In these days of isolation many parents are wisely limiting the time children spend in front of screens: they are doing it not out of malice or because they want to ‘rob’ their children, but for their benefit. So it is with God. He rules over us in love and acts for the very best of reasons: love. We need to trust him. Let’s be faithful!Finally, I think we need to remind ourselves of God’s goodness for our lives. One of our weaknesses is that we focus on the here and now which, for most of us at the moment, is frustrating. But to borrow a phrase of politics and negotiation, God is ‘playing a long game’. His goals for us who have put our faith in Christ do not focus on providing temporary and limited blessings for today, but on ensuring that we are fit for tomorrow’s unlimited existence in the glory of eternity. Let’s be hopeful!’Ref: May 26th, 2020 J.John BlogThe world does not revolve around us. God is the creator. To God belongs the glory, not to us. As we end the Lord’s Prayer with ‘For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen’ we offer our worship and acknowledge that we are not the centre of the world. We do however, have a glorious hope, that we have been called and justified by Jesus Christ, that all things work for the good of those called according to his purpose, and that we will be glorified with Him. Amen, AlleluiaMary Tynan, May 30, 2020
