Trinity 18 year A – Phil 3:4b-14; Matt 21:33-endOver the last couple of weeks, in Bishop William Ward school, in Great Horkesley, they have been focusing on Perseverance, one of their school values. And so I have lead a couple of collective worships themed around Perseverance, and we have thought about Noah, and the perseverance he would have had to have shown, building the ark, especially when you consider how big it needed to be, and how long it must have taken, after all there was no B&Q on the doorstep, Amazon deliveries available 24/7 or powertools to work with, and of course he did all this, with his neighbours most likely thinking he was completely mad. But he carried on … and on … and on and eventually built the ark and after the floods had subsided gets the promise from God in the rainbow, that he would never send floodwaters like this again. And then this last week, we were back on the water, and thinking about Paul and the shipwreck, and the one thing that Paul continued to do, as he travelled from place to place, town to town, village to village, whether he was free to travel, being shipped to prison, or under house arrest. He carried on telling others about Jesus and encouraging others in their faith, he never gave up, he always persevered. And we have also been into the school, to run a Prayer spaces, and one of the activities was entitled ‘Perseverance trainers’, as the young people were given a trainer to colour in, they were encourage to think about something that they might be struggling with at the moment, something that they are needing to really keep on going on with, and think about how they might ask God to help, as they then placed their trainer onto a running track. And as we did this prayer activity, we were thinking about the verse in Hebrews which says, ‘And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.’ Perseverance – let us keep on running. And so as I read the passage for this morning from Philippians, I was reminded of this image of perseverance, as Paul writes in verses 12 – 14; ‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.’ And I was reminded of a very famous race, the athletics meet had reached a critical stage, one of the final races was left to be run: the 440 yards (the old version of todays 400meters). The athletes were bunched together as they came to the first bend, and one of them was pushed over and fell right off the track. Quick as a flash he was back on his feet, as though electrically charged by the incident, caught the other runners with a few paces to go and overtook them to win on the line. It was a famous victory, which features now in the film, ‘Chariots of fire.’ I wonder, what would I have done, what you would you have done in similar circumstanced? Most of us, I suspect, would have accepted from the moment we fell, that we were out of the race, with no hope left. We might be feeling angry, but there would be nothing we could do about it. What had in fact just happened would keep us enslaved, with no hope of going on to what might have happened. With the athlete in question – the famous Eric Liddell – it was just the opposite. It was as though he had been reading this passage of Paul: forget what’s behind, strain every nerve to go after what’s ahead, and chase on towards the finishing post. Keep on going on, keep on pushing towards the goal. Persevere Yes, the past is useful in shaping our future, in helping us not to repeat past mistakes, but we can’t dwell in the past, we need to keep our eyes fixed on what is before us. For us, not simply the finishing line, but the promise of eternity with God in heaven. Paul, for all his credentials, as listed at the beginning of our passage from Philippians today, reminds as that true maturity means knowing that we haven’t arrived and that we must keep on pressing forward towards the goal. The seasoned athlete knows that the race isn’t won and lost until the end has been reached. To imagine that because you find yourself out at the front of the pack you can slack off and take it easy, ‘having arrived’, would be disastrous. But perseverance, can sometimes feel difficult, carrying on carrying on, takes energy, and can be emotionally draining, particularly when it feels like you aren’t getting anywhere. Our Christian journey is not meant to be a gloomy struggle, we keep on pressing onwards, for that which Christ took hold of us. All of our efforts, take place within the context of God’s grace: King Jesus has grasped hold of us and what we now do, is a matter of responding in love to the firm hand of Christ we have on our shoulder. I wonder where we might be feeling the strain of perseverance at this moment in time? perhaps as we face change? perhaps we are feeling uncertain, wondering about how we can carry on. Can we offer it up to king Jesus, knowing that he is the author and perfecter of our faith, and trust that he will keep our feet on the right path, as we keep our eyes focused on him. Amen
A firm place to stand It could be said, that in many aspects of life today, we face uncertain and in some cases difficult times. The world is troubled, there are tensions rising between nations, distrust, fear and anxiety, which bubbles up into violence. This last summer has been extremely hot and dry and we have seen wildfires sweep devastatingly across swathes of land, destroying precious ecosystems, and we are being warned that the El Nino will bring storms and rain this autumn, and potentially an even hotter summer next year. So what do we do when life seems difficult? Whilst walking the Camino, one of my hardest days, was a very steep, rocky descent from the highest point, into the town of Molinaseca, the path was treacherous, and at one point, I found myself walking alone for what seemed like ages, I could see no one in front and no one behind. I had started the day, reading a couple of verses from Psalm 40: ‘I waited patiently for the Lord, he turned to me and heart my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.’ As I walked I found myself crying out to the Lord, asking him to give me a sign, that I wasn’t alone, that if I fell, someone would find me! Immediately, from behind I heard the familiar and unmistakable sound of a second set of walking poles, it was as if, though not literally, my feet had been set on a rock, and I had been given a firm place to stand. I had the reassurance I needed, that I was not alone, indeed that I am never alone, God is always there, before, behind, beside, above and inside me. We don’t need to feel overwhelmed by the troubles of the world, we just need to wait patiently on the Lord, knowing that he is with us, he has not abandoned us, he will set our feet on the rock and give us a firm place to stand. May God bless you Reverend Heather
Trinity 15/A - Genesis 50:15-21; Matthew 18:21-35 & Romans 14:1-12You might have seen, Norwich Prison featuring on the local news this week, which reminded me of the time I spent in Norwich prison, as a visitor I hasten to add! Whilst I was there, I got to meet several of the men who attended the prison alpha courses and one of the chapel assistants. As we sat and chatted, he told me about how he had come to faith whilst in prison, and it was a profound story of hope, he told me about how the Holy Spirit had completely transformed his life, and how it felt to him to know the forgiveness of God. He told me a little of his story, but of course, he told me nothing of why he was in prison in the first place, just that he was a ‘lifer’ and so clearly, whatever it was it was significant. But what struck me and has always remained with me, is his comment, that although he knew he was forgiven by God, he could never forgive himself, he would live with the guilt for the rest of his life. And that challenged me, because I could see a man, who although he had accepted Jesus into his life, was still trapped, not just by the four walls of the prison, which was justice, but by his guilt. And it made me wonder about what being forgiven looks like, how does it, how should it change us, if know that we have been forgiven? Now of course, this is an extreme example, but in our bible readings today, this is something that crops up a couple of times. Let us look again at our passage from Genesis. In our reading, it said that when the brothers sent their message to Joseph saying ‘your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they have committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of the servants of God of your father.’ Joseph wept. Joseph wept … why … because he had already shown his brothers forgiveness, he had already forgiven them, but had the brothers ever fully recognised the forgiveness they had received, or as it appears, did they believe it was only conditional on their father Jacob still being around, and so when he died, they panicked and thought Joseph would know exact his revenge … no wonder Joseph wept and in his compassion, reassures them, that they are forgiven, and assures them of his ongoing provision for them and their families. To know you are forgiven is to be freed from the bondage of fear and doubt, wondering when the person that has forgiven you might just change their mind? In psalm 103 we are reminded, ‘as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.’ When we consider the forgiveness of God, our sins are forgiven and forgotten … so that we might be set free, or as we will be singing later ‘Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature’s night, thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; my chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth and followed thee.’ So to know that you are forgiven is to be freed from the bondage of fear and doubt, but what about our reading from Matthews gospel this morning. It is a familiar parable, told in response of course to the question, how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me and so the bedrock, I am sure for many sermons on forgiving others. But what about what it looks like to know you are forgiven. Because as I was reading and reflecting on this parable this week, I wondered did the unmerciful servant really know that he was forgiven … certainly his actions didn’t match the forgiveness he had been shown. And so of course, he is freed from a huge debt by his master, only to then not forgive one of his fellow servants who owed him a small debt, having him thrown into prison. I wonder if that really looks like the actions of someone who knows that they are forgiven … and in the light of our reading from Genesis, I think he looks a little like the brothers, anxious that his masters generosity may not be sustained, there is fear. And perhaps he was right to be anxious, after all when his master hears word of what he has done, he is handed over to the jailors to be tortured until he paid back what was owed … an impossible amount. But only because …. He didn’t show the same amount of mercy as he himself had been shown. Being forgiven, knowing that we are forgiven, should lead to a change in our hearts a change which leads to action, as you see the world with fresh eyes. With compassion and with love. Mercy, love, justice, kindness and forgiveness are all gifts from God. These are the signs and symbols of God’s living presence with us. God is calling us today to live a life of forgiveness. Over and over we are forgiven by God. Not seven times seventy, but endlessly. God’s love precedes us, is beside us, surrounds us and leads us home. Our call, our response is to live as forgiven people, forgiving others and ourselves. Paul in Romans reminds us ‘We do not live to ourselves and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord’ so then, whether we live or whether we did, we are the Lords (Romans 14:8). Such forgiveness is not something we do alone, but in community. As we model forgiveness, we receive abundant forgiveness and help others see God’s mercy working in their lives. So how do we become the people of forgiveness and mercy in this fractured world? We start by forgiving ourselves. God forgives you, so forgive yourself. And when we accept our own flawed humanity, we notice that others around us are human too – and as prone to failing as we are – and compassion grows. To know we are forgiven ourselves, frees us to be people of forgiveness, forgiving others and ushering in God’s kingdom of mercy and justice. So as we leave our worship later today, may we live into the freedom of the forgiveness we have received. Amen.
Trinity 14 Year A – Season of Creation Ezekiel 47:9-12; John 7:37-39 A couple of days ago, I received an email from the diocesan finance department, asking why I had used 64% more water than expected in the last quarter. The email frustrated me, because of course, like everyone else, we have been doing everything we can to keep our water usage to an absolute minimum. Our paddling pool which was full before the hosepipe ban came in, we painstakingly emptied into our three water butts, so that we could continue to water the garden, with the salvaged water. I made the decision to only water the tomatoes, and one other pot, in the garden and only ever from the water butts or grey water from the kitchen. So I was frustrated, when I felt accused of consuming way more than my fair share of water … and no doubt the diocese is frustrated because they have got to pay for it. What made it all the more annoying, was that this is not the first time it has been suggested our water usage is more than expected. This has been going on for the last 18 months, every time a bill comes in. We have been asked to look for leaks, when we couldn’t find any, a plumber was sent. Then nothing happened until the next bill and we did the same, checked for leaks and confirmed we couldn’t find anything a miss … And so the cycle has continued, until this final bill. After a quick email to the property and finance department, at 8.30am the next morning, I had a builder on my doorstep, and the leak has been located, somewhere in the pipe leading from the mains to the house … sadly, unlike here at St. Johns, it has not turned our grass green and revealed itself to us over the recent dry months. And so hopefully in the next week or so the problem will be resolved. This summer we have been visibly reminded of the importance of water! We have been asked to do what we can to conserve water, with most of the country having hosepipe bans. We have seen the devasting effects of wild fires ripping through parched lands. We have been reminded how important water is to us. This morning, we begin the season of creation, this years theme is ‘living water’ which was picked up on in our bible readings. Ezekiels vision reframes water – the most basic element of life – as a divine agent of renewal, justice and hope, a life-giving force flowing from God’s sanctuary. The vision begins with a small trickle – droplets of water flowing from the place of prayer and sacrifice. From a tiny stream it grows to an unstoppable river – the first marvel. The river grows as it flows from the temple, nourished by the worship and prayers of God’s people. But the second marvel is greater still. The river does not merely sustain life, it restores entire ecosystems. The prophet saw on the bank of the river a great many trees on one side and on the other. But we face a water crisis. According to the united nations, 1.7 billion people lack basic hygiene services at home, and 2.1 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, that is 1 in 4 people on the globe. As climate change intensifies, and groundwater extraction increases, several countries are now reaching a so-called ‘point of water bankruptcy’ that is a condition marked by irreversible losses of natural water capital. Although access to drinking water is a human right for all, the multifaceted water crisis disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, future generations, and non-human life that has no voice in political or economic systems. The impact on ecosystems and biodiversity is devastating: according to the world wide fund for nature, we are facing catastrophic declines in aquatic wildlife, with freshwater populations dropping by a staggering 85% and marine populations by 56% in the last 50 years. From a theological perspective, this crisis reflects broken relationships – between humankind and God, within the human family itself and between human beings and other living beings. Ezekiels vision however is ultimately one of hope. As co-workers with the creator, our relationship with non-human creation should be grounded in the biblical vision of creation as an interconnected community of life. This relationship is one of sacred partnership and mutual custodianship rather than domination. Pope Francis described it as ‘A relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature.’ We are called to confront the aforementioned injustices and to reject a worldview that treats water as a disposable resource. On every continent, inspired by our faith, Christians are acting: rivers are being restored, water sources are being protected from pollution and extractive industries – and arid lands are becoming green again. Wells are being dug and water provided for parishes, villages and health care centres. Scripture repeatedly associates water with divine healing and renewal. Think of Naaman dipping himself in the Jordan river, and the healing of the paralysed man sitting by the pool. Ezekiel himself is immersed progressively deeper into the river, echoing baptismal imagery and symbolising transformation. Earlier in the book of Ezekiel, God promises cleansing, a new heart and a new spirit precisely through water. We are reminded of the water and blood that flowed for healing from Jesus’ side. As believers we are promised that if we receive and accept the water from the temple – that is, God’s healing – then ‘rivers of living water’ will also flow from our hearts. As we are healed and renewed – living water will also flow from us for the healing of others and of creation. This years symbol for the season of Creation, immersion in Living water – is a symbol of renewal and birth: water flowing from the temple as a sign of God’s caring and healing for us. We are called to step into the water, until we are so deep that we must depend on God’s grace to sustain us. Those who receive this water are invited to become sources of life for others, allowing God’s love to flow through them into the world. And thus the water of God will become in us ‘a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ And so as we reflect on this image, how might we as individuals and as a community be springs of life? What small or bigger actions can we take to protect and preserve our precious water supplies? We have been reminded of the living power of water in the last few days, when just a little water falling from the sky, has begun to transform our hedges and grasses … with a fresh green colour once more. There is always hope – there is always something we can do. So we are going to have a moment to reflect and perhaps chat together if that is helpful, but think about what actions you might take as individuals and what we might be able to do as a church, and as you do you might colour in a fish to go on our ‘Season of Creation’ display, making that your pledge, your prayer, your response
