Life is complicated

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,  the names roll so easily off our tongues.

these are the patriarchs of the Jewish, and Christian faith.

you think your family is complicated, let’s have a look at this family tree.

look at the chart – Terah, the father of Abraham had 3 sons and 4 daughters – that we know of.  [http://dwell316.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/biay-h-02-abraham-family.pdf ]

Abraham is the father of Ishmael, Isaac and other children, at least 2 more sons –  and 2 wives as well as having a relationship with Hagar which resulted in the birth of Ishmael.

In Genesis chapter 24, we read of the meeting of a servant sent to find Isaac a wife, and Rebekah.  a great great granddaughter of Terah, who is also the grandfather of Isaac.

Rebekah and Isaac have twin sons – Esau and Jacob. we heard about Jacob in todays reading from Genesis. these two were fighting before they were born, and later Jacob tricked his father Isaac into giving him the blessing that belonged to the older son, which was Esau. so Jacob is running away from Esau.

and the story continues with Jacob meeting up with shepherds, as Rachel comes to water the sheep of her father, who happens to be Jacobs uncle. and Jacob wants to Marry Rachel and her father says yes, but you have to work for me for 7 years. then Jacob is tricked and marries Rachel’s sister Leah, and he works for Laban another 7 years to marry Rachel.

what a story – it starts with chapter 12 with Abraham leaving his country to follow a call from God.

while we often think of these people as the great fathers of the faith, men of God, but as we read the story, we see they are no angels. so why might these stories even be included?

Today some families have stories handed down through the generations, stories of an uncle who died in the war – or an great grandmother who travelled the world…well, these are the family stories of the offspring of Abraham, stories of how Abraham left the country he was born in, and that his son and grandson chose wives from amongst his people. these are the family stories telling how they would become a great nation, stories that define the family, which ends up being a nation.

but these people were not perfect, just like us they had decisions to make. and as we look back at their lives, some seem hasty and poor choices.

what of our decisions?

looking at the parable in Matthews gospel we read of a farmer who sows wheat, and yet mong the wheat are some weeds, or more specifically tares. Tares is a specific kind of weed, which looks like wheat when it is young. you don’t risk pulling up the young plants as it is difficult to tell the wheat from the weeds. and this was before machines planted wheat in rows, seed was scattered by hand, as we heard about last week.

the young plants look quite similar, but when the seed head develops it is a different shape to wheat. so you need to wait for the right time to separate the wheat from the tares.

what make of this parable? – well looking at the explanation, I suggest this is a parable that tells us to leave the judging to God – you can’t tell which is wheat or weed early in the piece, so just leave for God to work out.

I wonder who are the people we choose to treat as if they are not worth anything?

who are the people we try and exclude?

but I wonder if this parable doesn’t also remind us, that like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob we are not wheat or weed, we are both.

this contemporary reading looks at Abraham, Moses, a woman, and Paul.  [from Spill the Beans]

an image: a matter of perspective https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=894074757288596&set=a.188695787826500.54678.188533647842714&type=1

 

life is not simple,

families can be complicated,

options can look similar

choices unclear

 

but God used Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and their offspring

 

 

Dear Lord, our lives are coloured by ambiguity

and we don’t always know the right or best thing to do.

But we do know that your love is guiding us

and that you have called us to live as your people in the world. When we face hard choices,

give us eyes to see the best path forward

and the courage to follow it.

When we make mistakes, forgive us.

When we are hurt by our choices, comfort us.

When we hurt others, help us to reach out to them in love.

And above and beyond all these decisions,

remind us that you still love us

and call us back to this place

that we may be forgiven, renewed, called,

and sent forth once more as your beloved children.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. [David Lose]

extravagent sowing

In the three times this set of readings has been in the lectionary in the past 8 years, the previous two times I have been on holidays.

 

some things I notice in this reading:

• the parable focuses on the sower, the explanation focuses on the types of soil
• this is in Matthews gospel, so it is kingdom talk, not conventional wisdom
• Matthew chapter 13 has 7 parables, most without a recorded explanation

 

I wonder what was going through the minds of the people listening to Jesus tell the parable. there he is, out in a boat, the people on land, listening top this story.

 

I wonder who was in the crowd that day, other than the disciples?  probably some locals, maybe some people who were travelling to get  a glimpse of Jesus, maybe some religious authorities, or their spies – seeking a reason to get rid of Jesus. because even by this point in the story, Jesus is a problem for the religious leaders. at the end of chapter 13, after the parables, we have the section about Jesus being rejected in his home town, and then in chapter 14, the killing of John the Baptist.

 

as with all parables there are many layers of meaning here.

on the surface, it seems to be a simple story about farming.  

you scatter seed,

some sprouts, some doesn’t;

some plants survive, some don’t;

some produce more harvest than others.

it all makes sense.

this was common farming practice, and rather than thinking about the harvest from each type of soil, the farmer would be pleased to have so much grain to store. [Kathryn Matthews Huey UCC Samuel]

 

But it isn’t just about farming practices.

it also tells of the situation of  Matthew’s community. they were staring to wonder about why people would hear the teaching of Jesus, and not stay for the long haul. Many people heard the teaching of Jesus, saw his ministry, healing, including the outcast, standing up to the religious authorities; so why did not everyone follow Jesus as the disciples did – or at least believe and live out their faith long term? this parable offers them hope, that in the end there would be a great harvest; a large body of believers.  

 

another way to think about the parable is the foolish, extravagant generosity of the sower.  it is an image of a God who continues to shower mercy, grace and love to the world, knowing that some will not bear fruit. this is not a calculated strategy to get a return, but an amazing gift of grace, spread on the hard- hearted, the selfish, and those who are searching for God.

 

on another level this is about the way we respond to hearing the gospel, the good news of God’s love, and how we live that out in our lives.  There are some days when life seems to overwhelm and choke our faith; there are some days when our lack of depth of faith means we struggle to survive; there are days when God’s words to us don’t get heard by us at all. and there are days when we live out our faith, being the people God calls us to be.

 

another we could think about is where do we sow seeds?

and what seeds so we sow?

do we sow good seed?

do we sow love, grace, bitterness, hatred, forgiveness?

are we particular about where we show God’s hope and peace,

or do we bless all we meet?

the young person with a skateboard, the older person slowing us down as we shop?

 

and there may be other ways to understand this parable as well.

 

another story: The Old Man and the Scorpion

One morning, after he had finished his meditation, the old man opened his eyes and saw a scorpion floating helplessly in the water. As the scorpion was washed closer to the tree, the old man quickly stretched himself out on one of the long  roots that branched out into the river and reached out to rescue the drowning creature. As soon as he touched it, the scorpion stung him. Instinctively the man withdrew his hand. A minute later, after he had regained his balance, he stretched himself out again on the roots to save the scorpion. This time the scorpion stung him so badly with its poisonous tail that his hand became swollen and bloody and his face contorted with pain.

At that moment, a passer-by saw the old man stretched out on the roots struggling with the scorpion and shouted: "Hey, stupid old man, what's wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an ugly, evil creature. Don't you know you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?"

The old man turned his head. Looking into the stranger's eyes he said calmly, "My friend, just because it is the scorpion's nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save."

[ I don't know where this story originates]

…

 

there is a  group of people from here who lead worship at Garrawarra every month, the group leads singing, reads the Bible, leads prayers and gives a short talk. and we don’t know if anyone is listening,  or even awake. but we offer our best, because that is who we are.

in the same way some people here offer ministry through

working in the local community,

by collecting food for people who struggle with housing,

by standing in solidarity with people who are treated unjustly.

 

in the same way we wrote letters with Amnesty a few weeks ago, we write in hope, not in certainty.

 

 

God offered and offers life to each one of us, life in all its fullness. this offer isn’t only made to people who will respond, this offer isn’t calculated, but given freely.

 

do we live to our fullest potential?

 

do we worry that Gods extravagance is  wasteful?

do we waste ourselves in love as God loves us?

 

risking the yoke of Jesus

there is much on this weeks sermon that comes directly from other people

 

there are a few parts in Matthew’s gospel I want us to reflect on today.

 

I can imagine John in prison, wondering if Jesus, his cousin,

Jesus, who he baptised, has lived up to his name of Emmanuel.

today the words may be different, but people still ask:

who is Jesus?

what is so special about Jesus?

what does Jesus have to do with life today?

does God care about me?

 

Jesus responds not with a long theological or philosophical answer; but tells John’s disciples to report back to John what they have heard and seen:  

the blind receive their sight,

the lame walk,

the lepers are cleansed,

the deaf hear,

the dead are raised,

and the poor have good news brought to them.

 

when people ask you, what difference does Jesus make? 

how might you answer them?  

what difference does Jesus make in your life?

 

…………………

 

What do you want? Jesus seems to ask the crowd.  [David Lose]

 

John the Baptist is an ascetic, living in the desert, separating himself from all that had the potential to tempt or corrupt him, anything that would make him deviate from his true path of devotion and holiness. He fasted and lived in isolation in order to preserve his purity. ‘He’s a demon,’ the people said. ‘He must be mad to cut himself off from all that we know and enjoy in our society.’ Jesus, on the other hand, lived a life fully immersed in the lives of the people of his day, spurning asceticism, engaging with people where he found them. And the people said, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of all those who have the potential to corrupt, people like tax-collectors, every kind of sinner.’ [Rev Tom Gordon Church of Scotland, starters for Sunday]

 

the image Matthew records is of children playing – typically at weddings the men would play flute and dance; and at funerals women would wail. it is possible that children are practicing their roles, but others won’t join in.  Regardless of the image, people can be fickle.

one example is in the church - 

most churches say they want to grow, but are not willing to change

want young people in worship, but not guitars or drums

want to know what is happening, but don’t look at the material provided

another area is government –

we want lower taxes and more teachers

we want better health care at no cost

we want detailed answers, but only watch the sound bites on TV or radio.

 

I wonder if some people just need something to complain about?

 

What do you want? Jesus seems to ask the crowd. 

Except he knows they won’t answer. They, and we, can’t.

Because what we want is to grow, to evolve, to improve our relationship with God and each other.  And yet at the same time we want to be left alone, untouched and unchanged. Because to change is to lose something.

Change, brings the unknown. Change is not certain. Change implies risk and even potential loss. Which is why we often stay in failed jobs and relationships – they may not be much, but at least they’re something and at least we know what to expect.

But here’s the difficult truth about life in Christ. You cannot enter into it and expect to be unchanged. [David Lose amended]

 

…………………..

 

and we come to the final few verses of our reading:

²⁸ ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

 

I imagine some of you are pleased I am up to this part – no hard  questions about the difference Jesus makes in our lives, or challenges about the changes that come from knowing Jesus. this is the gospel we yearn for: come and rest.

 

what comes to mind when you think of rest?:

sleep

putting your feet up

…

…

 

 

Jesus says: come and rest and take my yoke upon you

here is a  picture of a yoke

[image of a timber yoke - http://www.dailyencouragement.net/images/farmlife/ox_yoke.jpg]

 

you don’t put a yoke on animal unless you are ready for it to work, which doesn’t sound like the kind of rest I had in mind.

here is a picture of a team of oxen.

 

[image of a bullock team pulling a large tree log - http://images2.visitnsw.com/sites/default/files/galleries/timbertown-wauchope-2.jpg ]

 

what might this saying of Jesus refer to, as I can’t imagine putting on a yoke and then  putting my feet up with a hot chocolate and read the paper.

 

Clearly rest in this sense does not mean inactivity.

 

what might we need to rest from:

fear

worry

anxiety

what do others think about us

needing to be in control

…

…

 

I read that where it is translated as my yoke is easy, my yoke is kind would be a more accurate reading.  a ‘kind’ yoke is one which is correctly shaped, that doesn’t chafe or rub, that allows the load to be carried evenly. [Interpretation Matthew p 129]

 

the next two sections of Matthews gospel refers to the Sabbath, and what was allowable on the Sabbath.

the law was meant to aid people in their relationship with God, but for many people it had become an obstacle.  the Sabbath is meant for rest, for not working, for family, for relationship, for health – mental, physical and spiritual health.  we all need a to stop working and rest from our daily labour, whether that is paid or unpaid work.

but the law had been made so strict that you could not pick food for your lunch or heal someone on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is about life, like the gospel it is loving, life-affirming, and liberating.  

 

getting back to the yoke of Christ – his yoke is well shaped and functional.  it aids in our living and our relationship with God, it is not an unnecessary burden.

 

‘ Jesus said “ become my yoke mate, and learn how to pull the load by working beside me and watching how I do it. the heavy labour will seem lighter when you allow me to help you with it.” ‘ [Interpretation Matthew p 129]

 

we all have burdens we carry – grief, pain, …..

but we do not need to carry them alone

 

I wonder who or what are you yoked with?

when you are yoked together, you move in the same direction at the same speed, otherwise you spend a lot of time and energy battling each other.

are you moving in step with Jesus?

or is something or someone else guiding your life?

 

there is much in today’s reading:

what difference does Jesus make in your life?

are you willing to accept his yoke?

are you willing to risk him changing you?

two sons

The Psalm we shared this morning asks : How long will this go on, LORD?

I wonder if that is how Abraham felt, after all God had promised Abraham and Sarah that their descendants  would be as many as the stars in the sky, and yet into old age still no children.

 

I wonder if that is why Sarah and Abraham hatched the plan for Sarah servant Hagar to try and bear a child. And then Abraham has two sons, one born to Hagar, and one born to Sarah.

I wonder how often we try and hurry God's promises,
how often we get impatient,

I wonder if we, in our lament of how long, also wonder if God is ever going to act?

This section of Genesis which we heard this morning is not an easy passage. It raises some uncomfortable questions. Abraham is considered one of the fathers of our faith, someone who trusted God, someone we look up to. If we look at Hebrews Chapter 11 from verse eight:  

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised.^{[e] 12} Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’

¹³ All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, ¹⁴ for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, ¹⁸ of whom he had been told, ‘It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named after you.’ ¹⁹ He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. ²⁰ By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. ²¹ By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, ‘bowing in worship over the top of his staff.’ ²² By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.^[f

 

The writer to the Hebrews does not mention Abraham's first born son, Ishmael. Abraham was a man of great faith, in response to God's call he left his land, Sarah and Abraham waited many years for the birth of a child, and then a son Isaac, which means laughter.

There are many other parts of the story of Abraham that we have not yet touched on, such as his pretending that Sarah was his sister so that he could travel safely through Egypt.

I find these passages troubling, and that is a good reason for us to spend some time considering what they may have to say to us.

A couple of things that I think will be helpful for us to reflect on. Other people at the time of Abraham, other nations that lived around the Hebrews, sacrificed children as part of their society and their faith. God had made it clear that there was no place for child or human sacrifice for God's people. This was just one way that the people of God were to be different to their neighbours. yet, Abraham understood God was asking him to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering. One of the difficulties I think many of us have at times is understanding whether something is from God or not. Being able to discern if a call to an area of ministry, to a particular set of actions, is it really from God?

It seems hard for me to believe that God was the God of the living would ask Abraham to keep up his son Isaac.

When we are unsure if something is from God or not, we need to think about what we are sure of about God. God who is the life force in all creation, God who is the one who brings life. God, in Jesus, who came to restore a broken world to himself.

Just as the Hebrew people was surrounded by a plethora of gods, so we have many competing voices, demanding our attention and obedience.

Which God do we listen to?

The God of life?

The God who knows all people?

The God who named creation as good?

The God of consumerism?

The God of apathy?

The God of reputation?

 

In the world around I see others who are treated the way Hagar and Ishmael were treated; people who are used and then rejected. Such as people who are victims of modern-day slave traders; young people who are given a job while there is a subsidy, but are ‘let go’, as soon as the subsidy finishes or the young person is old enough to earn adult wages.

I also see people who are sacrificed.

As a nation we are asked to sacrifice our young people for the sake of our military reputation; we are asked to sacrifice our elderly by the god of convenience; we are asked to sacrifice our poorest people to the god of self-interest.

it isn’t only in national and international events that this happens. it happens in families and friendships as well. There are times when we consider people disposable, times when we exclude people, times when we sacrifice people. And at times it is our own self that we give up, at times we deny ourselves the life that God dreams for each one of us.

I wonder what would have happened if Abraham and Sarah had waited patiently for God to fulfil the promise that God had made. I wonder what would have happened if Abraham had taken responsibility for the life of Ishmael and Hagar. By not taking responsibility for the people around us, we diminish God's creation.

There is a quote I've heard a few times by G.K. Chesterton:
"The Christian faith has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried."

Do we recognise as the voice of the living God, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God who came to us in Jesus Christ?

 

Do we listen to the voices that speak of life or death?

Do we listen to the voices that exclude, that separate, that counts some lives as worth less than others

or do we listen to voices that offer life, community, hope, love.

 

thanks to Rev. Teri Peterson for ideas on sacrifice and the gods we listen to.

In what ways do we bear witness to Jesus?

This morning we have heard words about God,

and we said these words about God as we have sung,
as we have prayed,
and as we baptised xxx.
We have also spoken to God we have also spoken to God in our prayers and our songs.

In our gospel reading this morning we hear part of Jesus prayer for his disciples, and that includes us. Often when we think about prayer we think about praying to God or to Jesus; but here Jesus is praying for the disciples, those present at the time and those yet to come, and that includes us, modern-day disciples.

I wonder what it means for us to be part of a community that Jesus prays for? Does this change the way you think about church?

The reading from the book of Acts refers to the ascension of Jesus, and I'm not going to try and explain that particular part of the story today :-).

I want us to think today about the part that talks about us being witnesses: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Next Sunday is the day the church celebrates Pentecost, the coming of the holy spirit. Here just before the ascension Jesus again tells his followers that the holy spirit will come upon them. But it isn't just that they have the holy spirit, it is that they will be witnesses to Jesus in all the known world.

I wonder in what ways we bear witness to Jesus?

Maybe the prior question is what do we want to say about Jesus?

Do we want to talk about judgement, grace, forgiveness, sacrifice, peace,….

With most people we don't get to tell them the whole story, we don't get to talk about God's action in creation, liberation, salvation. We don't get to talk about the whole story of Jesus and how he taught and healed and welcomed outcasts. Often we don't get to use the words God and Jesus at all, because people see what we do, how we treat each other and other people.

In what ways do we bear witness to Jesus?

In the Acts reading we have the disciples looking towards heaven,

watching the last spot they saw Jesus, and two men in white robes stood before them – where have we met men in white robes in before? The resurrection story.

These particular men are recorded by Luke as asking the disciples why are they looking to the heavens?

I wonder where do we look for Jesus being active in the world today. Do we stand around wondering when something amazing is going to happen?

Jesus didn't say wait here, do nothing, stay safe. Jesus told the disciples to go and be witnesses to all the known world, starting with their own city.

 What stories to what we tell? I have a couple of examples for you from the media over the past week:

 [Image one ]

the report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into allegations of child abuse and non-reporting child abuse in parts of the Hunter Valley was released this week. This commission has concluded that yes there was child sexual abuse, and yes there was a lack of timely reporting, and an unnamed person may yet stand trial.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-30/hunter-child-abuse-special-commission-of-inquiry-clears-police/5488942

What in this news story do we hear about Jesus?

[Image two and three, 4]

“Church leaders are among two groups of Christians holding simultaneous sit-in prayer vigils at the Sydney office of Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the Melbourne office of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.  ….

Among the sit-in participants are two Catholic priests, a nun, two Baptist pastors, an Anglican Priest, five Uniting Church ministers, and a number of lay church leaders. They are refusing to leave the offices until both major parties commit to releasing children from detention.” ….

The Moderator of the Uniting Church in NSW and ACT, Rev Dr Brian Brown is currently praying in Mr Abbott’s office, while former President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Dr Alistair Macrae is in the office of Mr Shorten. - See more at: http://www.biblesociety.org.au/news/church-leaders-stage-prayer-sit-offices-tony-abbott-bill-shorten#sthash.apdMrOIV.dpuf

 

What in this news story do we hear about Jesus?

We are a community that Jesus prays for and prays with, a community of faith called to witness to the local community and the entire world. What does our life as a community of faith, of Jesus people, say to our local community? and to the world?

Gatekeepers

Today we think about gatekeepers. I wonder what you think of when I mention that word?

[any offers?]

One small church we were part of had an annual catering job – chicken and ham salad at the local show.  As in most churches, it was announced that help was needed. Being new I offered and was gladly received. I turned up on the day and asked what needed doing. Every job the leader suggested was someone else’s job. I was glad not to get lettuce because they cut it so– o-o-o fine, I don’t think I would have managed it. Eventually they decided that I could set the tables and later wait on tables, which was fine.

Another church I knew of had one or two people who kept a tight hold on everything that happened – who had access to buildings, keys, nothing happened without there say so.

In the gospel reading this morning Jesus is described as a gatekeeper – i wonder what it means?

Does it mean Jesus doesn’t let anyone cut up the lettuce?

When I was a teenager we would regularly travel to my Grandfathers place about 45 minutes from home. We would drive through the village of Paterson [picture], you may just be able to make out the automatic railway gates. When I was travelling up there with my parents, the gates were not automatic, and they were not the style they are now. A person would ride their pushbike the few blocks from the station to the crossing, close the gates, wait for the train to pass, and open the gates again.  Sometimes it seemed to take so long for the train to arrive.  As I said these days it is automated.

 

[picture] if you are here at the church at school start or finish time, you will see one of these Lollipop  ladies helping the children and their parents to cross the road. Even with a pedestrian crossing it is dangerous for children and difficult for traffic. We know children and cars don’t mix. Without the lollipop people, traffic builds up as children and parents wander across the road, and sometimes children run to catch up with a friend.

The lollipop people stop  pedestrians form crossing until it they stop the traffic, then make sure it is safe.

 

I think maybe John’s idea of Jesus as a gatekeeper is like the lollipop people we have at school crossings.

The gatekeeper was to keep to the sheep safe, not to lock them up, not to exclude some sheep, not to ridicule. The Gatekeeper kept the sheep safe; safe and fed; safe and rested; safe in the flock.

One of the issues the church as a whole is dealing with at the moment is safety. that is in a number of ways.  All institutions involved with children are involved in the Royal Commission on institutional responses to child sexual abuse. As a congregation we need to make sure all people who are in ministry with children complete safe church training, Working with children check, and that we have good policies in place to protect vulnerable people. We also need to be aware of the safety of our property.  

Child play areas are now generally fenced, with child proof gates. Swimming pools now have to adequately enclosed.

Sometimes it seems like there are so many rules, but really there is one rule – and that is the rule of love.

At the last church council meeting we looked at the questions of what can be done to make this a safe place, emotionally, physically and spiritually? In many ways it already is, but what can be done to keep it safe, and make it safer?

 Gatekeepers aren’t for keeping people from the good things in life, or for holding onto all the power. Gatekeepers, who follow the example of Jesus, are there to protect and guide, so that all may live life to its fullest.

 Reflection [I have added images]

A sheepfold is a simple thing,

it doesn’t require any great engineering.
There may not even be a gate…
at least in the physical sense.
A sheepfold without a gatekeeper
is not secure.
A sheepfold with a gatekeeper
is as safe as safe can be.
A gatekeeper knows his sheep,
he keeps them safe and secure.
They trust and follow him.
They know His voice.
A stranger cannot deceive.
A stranger will be ignored.
A stranger’s lies will not be believed.
A stranger will not be trusted.
The gatekeeper of our hearts—
does not deceive,
cannot be ignored,
can be believed and trusted.
Christ is our gatekeeper.
We are his flock.
As we enter the sheepfold
that is a life with Him,
we know he guards us,
loves us.

In him we find fresh pastures.

He is our gateway to life.

© Spill the Beans

 Gathering Activity

Issue everyone with a small cut out picture of a sheep (ideally on thick card) as they enter the worship space. Invite people to write something on the sheep of a time when they have known that God has been close to them, for example, they have felt protected, uplifted, loved. Invite people to keep the sheep in their pocket, purse, wallet or put it on the fridge at home to remind themselves of the ongoing protection and love of God. [spill the beans]

Affirmation of faith

 

I believe I need a shepherd.

— Copyright © 2002 Bruce D. Prewer. Posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page.

God's nature

We have heard parts of the Matthew passion story this morning. 

I am aware that at times on Good Friday we are encouraged to think about ways in which we have failed God. I can remember being in services hearing about how I had hammered the nails into the hands and feet of Jesus.

 

I confess, I find that understanding of God, and Good Friday, difficult.

 

yes, we sin, we fall short of what God desires for our lives, we don’t live in ways that honour God or Gods creation.  We sin, and that pains God.

 

We live in a world where betrayal, violence, oppression, fear, anxiety and sorrow all exist. We live in a  world where people hurt each other, and the world we live in.

 

Today we reflect on the worst of humanity, as seen in the torture and death of Jesus; and we reflect on the best of God.

God didn’t leave us to our own devices, God didn’t give up on us or the world. God in Jesus stayed true to who he was and is.

 

A story: The Old Man and the Scorpion

One morning, after he had finished his meditation, the old man opened his eyes and saw a scorpion floating helplessly in the water. As the scorpion was washed closer to the tree, the old man quickly stretched himself out on one of the long roots that branched out into the river and reached out to rescue the drowning creature. As soon as he touched it, the  scorpion stung him. Instinctively the man withdrew his hand. A minute later, after he had regained his balance, he stretched himself out again on the roots to save the scorpion. This time the scorpion stung him so badly with its
poisonous tail that his hand became swollen and bloody and his face contorted with pain.

At that moment, a passer-by saw the old man stretched out on the roots struggling with the scorpion and shouted: "Hey, stupid old man, what's wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an ugly, evil creature. Don't you know you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?"

The old man turned his head. Looking into the stranger's eyes he said calmly, "My friend, just because it is the scorpion's nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save."

http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/story/oldmanscorpion.html

 

 

Good Friday reminds us of the nature of God.

God doesn’t rely on our faithfulness, goodness, obedience or love.  God doesn’t turn away from us, or from the world, in the face of rebellion or degradation or violence. 

We see God’s nature for what it is.

God is love,

God brings grace and forgiveness into our lives

because that is the nature of God.

 

Today, as we reflect on the cross, we see two sides, we see the inhumanity that people are capable of, and we see the great love of God.