Today's Sermon

St Mary’s, Handsworth

Sunday 11^th July 2010

Deut. 30:10-14, Psalm 68, Colossians 1:15-20

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

Sing:

Would you walk by on the other side
When someone called for aid?
Would you walk by on the other side
and would you be afraid?

Cross over the road my friend
ask the Lord His strength to lend
His compassion has no end
Cross over the road

That song, written for and sung in primary schools, couldn’t summarize the parable of the Good Samaritan any better… I’ll explain why in a bit.

First, I can’t help but get excited whenever I read the Gospel of Luke. I love his writings. His Gospel, more than any other, gets across this idea that Christ – God – was one of us. Luke’s Gospel not only portrays Jesus the man, but in a humble way, Jesus as the divine and loving God. Luke himself wasn’t a Jew, so he knew the things that people wanted to hear about Jesus. Luke’s Gospel is the only Gospel that contains the parable of the Good Samaritan.

As we heard a few weeks ago when I preached on welcoming people who are on the edges of society into our church family, there is not one single person that God wouldn’t welcome into His arms. Luke wants to make this totally clear. God creates no boundaries between people and neither should we. Love looks beyond boundaries.

So this famous parable –the story of the Good Samaritan – read in our church two thousand years or so after Jesus told it. Nothing much has changed in some sense. We still live in a world of fear. In a world where we can’t be seen with the poor, those lower than us, or where helping someone in need is seen as an embarrassment or hassle.

How many of us have walked past the man selling the Big Issue. All he wants is for us to buy a magazine for a couple of pounds. Oh but no! We’re in a hurry, we don’t have the change! Or do we walk by because we fear that we might say hello to him. We might ask his name or where he’s been sleeping. We might feel guilty, that in one of the richest countries in the world, we are approached by beggars. Or is it we are embarrassed to be seen with him while everyone else looks on?

I was upset on Thursday when I received an email from Zimbabwe saying that a couple I know, who are extremely poor, were struggling to pay school fees and medical expenses after the wife needed dialysis. By Thursday I also knew what the Gospel for today was. I had the email one open one side and the Bible open next to it. I instantly gave my excuses – I only get £30 a week… I need my money for this and that… I forwarded the email to Fr Nicolas to see if he could help. Thankfully I think we can pay a little to help them out.

I wonder what excuses the priest wondering by on the other side of the road had as he looked at the stranger beaten and bloodied. And the Levite who also ignored the man. They were probably similar to mine. Probably similar to yours. We know we should help someone, but we just can’t pluck up the courage.

Of course we feel like the priest and the Levite. Jesus was shaming us by using these characters to tell His story. Good, moral and upright people walking on by. We can’t do it on our own. Therefore, I’m not pointing a finger at anyone, including myself for having walked on by in the past. We cannot love strangers on our own account, we need to experience Jesus’ love first. We cannot approach someone who looks different to us, we cannot go into places that are uncomfortable, even if someone needs help –it’s natural. We need God. The short hymn I sang at the beginning sums up what Jesus was trying to tell the crowd. It pin points exactly where we go wrong. It says, ask the Lord His strength to lend. His compassion has no end – yours does, which is why you need my love. If you noticed, before Jesus told this story, He first gave the answer – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. (Luke 10:27)

We are weak, we all fall and we all fail. But that doesn’t mean that we escape God’s love. His love lifts us up in order to be able to lift up others. It brings us out of the gutter so we can deliver people fro their gutter. His love restores our frail body into something glorious and special so that everyone else knows they are also loved. His love transforms our sin into laughter and dancing so that sinners and outcasts know that they can be set free. His love frees us from ourselves so that Satan cannot take grip of our lives.

He has given us the power and strength to approach the stranger on the roadside, whoever that may be. You don’t have to be the wisest, most priest-like, rule knowing, or richest person in the world to stop. You just have to be someone who loves God.

I can only end by reading the psalm we heard… this is my prayer to you, my prayer for your favour. In your great love, answer me, O God, with your help that never fails. Lord, answer, for your love is kind; in your compassion, turn towards me.

Amen.

Moving on.... again!

Hello people!

My Sheffield placement is coming to a close - with only a month or so left to complete. It is coming to a natural close too, which is great!

I'm getting used to moving on and moving about... From Suffolk to Mirfield, from Mirfield to parts of Africa and Zimbabwe, from there to Sheffield!

So much has happened here in Sheffield too and I've learnt so much. I've preached at Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms, led services, preached on Sunday, visited the sick, the dying and the joyful and living! Met so many interesting people - so many hurt people - so many joyful people. I have come a long way from inward looking Carl two or three years ago to a rather noisy and confident Carlyboy! (I hope that's good!) I've learnt one thing above all - that God loves me! This might sound an obvious and strange thing to say I've learnt, but I've also learnt that the biggest sin and biggest killer in our society is not being able to be the way God has made us - not being true to ourselves. In my previous blog 'Welcoming Arms' I explain that a little...

So, another move... to Bristol this time... to begin a three year course in Theology and training for the priesthood. I go in at a time when the Church of England is struggling and in need of peace... but it is at this time when we are learning who we are, what the church is really about and what we are called to be.

What are we called to be? Confident hypocrites... rejoicing sinners... confident and sure of God's love not just for us, but for all people...

Welcoming Arms

St Mary’s, Handsworth

Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1, Psalm 62, Galatians 3:26-29 Gospel: Luke 9: 18-24

For anyone who wants to save His life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it. (Luke 9:24)

Last week, we heard that fantastic Gospel Reading of the sinful women who anointed Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair. The owner of the house, Simon, who guest Jesus was didn’t even welcome Him.

Jesus has the ability to literally turn everything on its head. He mixed with people who no body else wanted to mix with. He touched people that others cast aside. He condemned self-centredness and created a family of love and truth. He made the poor rich and sent the rich away longing for more! He was seen with prostitutes and tax collectors- the despised. Wow!

While I was in Africa, I had the amazing chance to visit a leprosy camp. It was set up for lepers to be able to live freely and easily according to their condition. Some of the people there had no ears, or noses, or hands, or feet. When I stepped into one of the little huts I saw this, quite honestly, awful looking man. I wondered how I should greet him. As I went to shake his hand, I realised that he didn’t have one. I felt a fool. But, in my foolishness I just thought, how would Jesus greet this man. So, I flung open my arms and hugged him, nearly knocking hi off his crutches. Poor bloke! I’d never met a man with leprosy before. That day I met about 50 lepers. Wow!

In Suffolk, a few years back over the Christmas period, five prostitutes were murdered. It was a scary time for everyone in Suffolk. I knew a mother of one of the girls who was killed from a local church. She stood up to speak to a Churches Together prayer meeting, obviously distressed and tearful. But she said, the only way I can cope with my loss, is to think of Jesus. He touched a prostitute and blessed her. Then, on the cross He forgave us all. We are already learning from Jesus how to forgive this murderer. Wow!

A friend back at home was on the verge of killing himself because he was gay. He loved God and called himself a Christian. You could tell he loved God! He had met some Christians who had plainly said that he was a sinner and that he wasn’t welcome at their church. They also said ‘God doesn’t love you.’ To my ears, this statement is a sin itself! It was at an evening service he attended that the preacher recognised his pain and hurt and stopped his sermon and said ‘God loves you. He wants you to know.’ At that, the preacher sat down. Wow!

This is the God I know. A God who is proud to be identified with the poor and those in need, those who have problems and those who admit they are sinners. A God who still cares for people even when they turn their backs on Him. A God who, no matter what we’ve done, always welcomes us back. These are the places Jesus went.

So, what does any of this have to do with today’s Gospel? Carrying your cross, denying yourself, loosing your life to follow Christ? Well it is everything to do with it! When we decide to become Christian we actually choose to carry the cross of Jesus with Him. We give up the me, me, me about us and we follow Christ. By sharing that cross with Him, by loosing ourselves and by becoming Christ-like, we follow Christ into the places where no one else wants to go. To be seen, privately or publicly with prostitutes, gay people, Asians, Muslims and other religions even! Not just to be seen with them, but to be loving them.

Knowing Christ means knowing yourself. He offers to complete our lives in every way. He wants to know us, even though He knows us better than we know ourselves. The more we tell Him about ourselves, including our failures and flaws which we often miss out, the more He can tell us about Himself. And that is the amazing part! We think we know God, but just as we tell Him about ourselves once more, we find that we hardly know Him at all. O the length, the depth and the height of God! The most refreshing thing I have done lately was go to confession at Walsingham. Sometimes after confessing our sins it’s nice to hear a voice declare the promise of Jesus – child, go, your sins are forgiven.

Once we know ourselves, and once we tell Christ about ourselves, we can then lose ourselves. Literally, we can lose ourselves by being lost in Christ. Then it doesn’t matter where He leads us, we rest in the knowledge that we are with Jesus, carrying the cross. Carrying that cross with Jesus means we follow Him into the gutters of society. Daring to be seen with those who are simply not understood, those who don’t feel they are loved and those who have no time for God, until they realise that God has time for them.

It’s really hard to welcome people who have drink and drug problems, people who can be disruptive. Can we ask ourselves what we would do if a gay couple, or a prostitute came into our congregation? Could we cope with people with mental problems? I think we know that Jesus would welcome them. Maybe we need to ask Jesus to help us understand how we can make St Mary’s the kind of church that can live as Jesus did? St Mary’s is a loving church. You’ve all been very loving to me! But love always needs to grow. And when God asks us to make our love grow it can seem we are losing control on our life; but in fact we discover a whole new kind of life. Amen.

My Peace I give to you, My Peace I leave with you

St Mary’s Church, Handsworth

Acts 15: 1-2. 22-29, Psalm 66, Apocalypse 21: 10-23

Gospel: John 14: 23-29

“My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you”

Peace is something that our world needs. We need peace in Iraq and Afghanistan. Greece needs peace at this time. Zimbabwe, China, Haiti and Chile all need peace. After last week’s elections, I think we all need some peace too. Our MPs all promise to bring peace to our streets and within the wider world. We all want an end to war and strife. We all want some quiet space and time. We understand peace however, differently to how Jesus intended.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples the very thing they feared. ‘I am going away.’ These things are said on the night that he was betrayed, at the Last Supper. We know the disciples’ reaction was one of disbelief and shock, almost as if they never heard Jesus say that He would be back and that He would send the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. Jesus promised them not only the Holy Spirit, but also peace. ‘My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.’ You can imagine the disciples gut feeling when the very person that asked them to give up their livelihoods said He was about to leave and all He was offering was peace!

It is as though Jesus begins to tell His disciples off. He says ‘If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going.’ In other words, if you truly trusted me you would know that I keep all my promises, why are you so afraid then? I’ve done all this and yet you still don’t quite believe me.

He knew that this would be their reaction. He knew that His disciples would forget what He had already told them. He also knew that the disciples would badly accept His death. This is why He offered His peace to them; to console them, to give them hope so that their hearts would not be heavy or troubled. The offer of Christ’s peace to them was an offer for them to begin fully trusting in Him. It wasn’t an offer of peace for silence or tranquillity, or the opportunity to change the events leading to His death. It was an invitation to be fully satisfied in His promise that He would return again.

It’s hard to understand a peace that doesn’t give a tranquillity, or isn’t the absence of war, or of strife, or the end of all our troubles. Although this is a form of peace, this is not the sort of peace Jesus is offering here. When Jesus met Thomas after His resurrection, what was one of the first things that Jesus said to Thomas and the other disciples in their fear and doubt? “Peace be with you” (John 20:26) a reminder, again, that that promise made on Maundy Thursday, at the Last Supper, had been fulfilled.

So Christ’s peace comes to us in all of life’s situations, challenges and trials. His peace is an assurance that He will be with us no matter what – that may sound too easy, too simple, and in reality it is simple. However, it means saying that God is with us in the face of cancer, in the face of sickness and health problems, in the face of divorce and family splits, in the face of violence and war, poverty and loneliness. The remarkable stories of the Haiti earthquake survivors trapped under the rubble, one man for an unbelievable 15 days, pulled out declaring that God was laying there with Him and he felt nothing but peace. In Africa, at one stage, I felt so poor having no money and having to share what little food our home had. For the first time, I felt God’s peace, just for a day or so. That waking up not knowing where our food would come from was actually only worth waking up because Jesus was there. The peace that God offers means saying that He is with us, just because Christ has promised that He is. That’s hard. And I believe that this is why St Paul speaks so much about endurance, perseverance and patience. Christ’s peace is about wholeness and our oneness with Him. It’s not just about ending wars and conflict, but His peace is a challenge to confront the things that cause those conflicts – racism, hate, fear, injustice and intolerance. His mission on earth wasn’t to remove the pain we face on earth and in our lives, but to offer His peace to those who are broken. He never promised that life would be easy and without challenge or trial, but rather, quite simply, His love can see us through. His peace comes to us in our confidence that He is there with us. It may simple, but we are only human, and the hard reality is for us to always believe that and remember that promise. The Cross is the reality of that living promise. It is a mark in history declaring that God is always with His people.

The world is in turmoil and there is a storm over us. To live in Christ’s peace is to accept the challenge of Christian life amidst that storm. Peace is found by living in Him, keeping His word, and taking a leap to walk in faith. His peace can heal and mend a broken world and it lasts forever – our world needs it, this community needs it and we need it too. Peace is the satisfaction of trusting fully in God alone. Do you accept His invitation of His offer of peace? Deciding that no matter what we go through, God is with us. That is Christ’s peace, Christ’s seal over us. This is truly something the world cannot give us, but something we so desperately need. Amen.

St George's Day

St George’s Day

To God, to our Monarch and to St George! Is what we used to chant at Sunday School.

St George was a Roman soldier. He was probably quite a high ranking soldier, or just extremely brave. St George objected to the killing and persecution of thousands of Christians by the Romans, and as a result, he himself was killed for his belief in God. He was a martyr and that’s why there is a red cross on the English flag, representing blood.

No one really knows where the story of the dragon comes from. Some say the dragon is the symbol of death or of Satan, and St George stood up for his faith by fighting evil. Or maybe the dragon is just a story, to tell people just how brave and bold St George really was. In fact, no one is really certain whether or not St George himself came to England. It was the Normans during the time of the crusades who saw St George in a vision and were victorious in their battle. From then on, St George became the patron saint of those facing persecution because of their faith in Jesus. It was Richard The Lion Heart who really made St George England’s patron saint.

So if St George actually never killed a dragon, and if he never stepped foot on English soil, then why is he the patron saint of England? Only one in five people know that St George’s day falls on the 23^rd April, next week. More than a quarter of the people living in England, don’t know who their patron saint is!

The story and life of St George still has a message for us today. Our country needs to hear the story of St George again. If you go to a local pub next week, the chances are you’ll be able to have a drink to St George, it’s a good way of pubs to make their money and to make you buy more drinks! If you go to a football match, you’ll see the English flag, with St George’s cross marked on it. Well, this is all good, but it doesn’t mean much. None of this pub drinking or football team supporting actually makes a huge difference to our lives. A few years after Beckham dies, he’ll probably be forgotten. There won’t be a pub next door forever. However, here we are, in the middle of England, gathered together, 2,000 years after the life of Jesus, giving thanks to God for St George who laid down his life so that Christians might be free. We are taking part in something that unlike football or the pubs, will never fade away.

St George is not only the patron saint of England, he is the patron of all Christians who suffer for what they believe. He is also the patron saint of Aragon, Canada, Catalonia, China, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Montenegro, Palestine, Portugal, Russia, and Serbia. You may be thinking, well the Christians in this country are free, not persecuted or suffering for their faith. But try being a Christian in China – where it’s illegal and Christians are tortured if caught worshipping God. It wasn’t long ago that Russia relaxed the laws on Christianity, but still its difficult worshipping God there. In Zimbabwe, Anglicans are arrested for their faith or if they are found in their churches. Think of the Christians in Iraq, Afghanistan or in Jerusalem, in the middle of wars. In fact, I think, we couldn’t need St George’s story more in our world today, especially in our country, where people no longer want to believe in God. Despite the attacks and persecutions on Christianity and its believers, Christianity is still here today and is growing throughout the world. St George’s life teaches us that we should be bold in believing and trusting in Christ, who was killed for simply telling people to love each other.

The general elections are coming up soon. What things in our country need to change? What has gone wrong? What things are really important? St George knew the answer and was willing to die for it. And I think deep down, we all know the truth too.

To God, to the Queen and to St George – may we never be ashamed to say that. Amen.

Good Friday

Good Friday 2010, was the best Good Friday I have experienced. We acted out the passion of our Lord through the streets. And WOW!

Sermon for Maundy Thursday

Sermon for Maundy Thursday 2010

St Mary’s Church, Handsworth

We live in an age where the body means everything. Glamour, beauty and fashion rule the lives of many people, young and old. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that we are obsessed with our bodies. You only have to look as far as a magazine to see which celebrity has put on a stone, or who is wearing the latest or most fashionable shoes. Of course, what we see is a fake image of who the person really is. The make up and clothes cover up their imperfections. I wonder how many of us get caught up in that. I certainly do.

So when Jesus washes the feet of his disciples, as we recall it yearly, Jesus wasn’t just fulfilling the task of the lowest person at the feast, but he was also embarrassing his disciples. Actually, the reaction of some people when Fr Keith was finding 12 people to have their feet washed was one of embarrassment, joke and sort of ‘not serious.’ Even I joked that even Fr Keith wouldn’t want to wash my feet. Of course, if someone next week offered to wash your feet, you’d probably say no! What must the world think of the Jews and us Christians, washing feet and drying them with a towel? This is a rather strange act of invading someone else’s personal space and touching an important part of their body and in some cases, a rather embarrassing part of the body.

Well, what the world thinks is probably similar to what Peter was thinking. ‘Lord, you shall never wash my feet… wash not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ (John 13: 9). To the Jews, this wasn’t just washing feet, however nice that may sound. To not wash your feet for a long period of time is seen as a sign of deep mourning. Feet were usually washed before meals, a bit like wiping your shoes on the mat at a guest’s house. The person who washes your feet is invited into your life, he invades your personal space, he touches you and he lowers himself before you. There’s almost a beauty about this somewhat dirty task – can you imagine the Son of God on his knees, before you? Offering to wash your feet, surely we should be washing his. No part of ourselves can be left out when he is before us, washing our feet. Our whole life is quite literally brought before him. There is that wonderful scene in The Shack where Papa (the Father) has spilt the batter she had made. Jesus went straight to Papa and kneeling, cleaned Papa’s feet. Mack asks “so this was God in relationship? It was beautiful and so appealing” (pg 105).

The world looks on and sees a man who wants to be fully involved within the lives of his children, even to the extent of washing their feet. They turn their face away from a man who doesn’t want to seek celebrity status or fame. He could have easily done so on Palm Sunday, he had their attention, their praises and their song! The world looks on and sees followers of Christ washing the feet of those who believe today who glad they are lowering themselves, pleased to be the servant of the Servant King. The world looks on and believes that they are too good to have their feet washed, maybe because of the embarrassment and shame of being exposed before Christ. The world seeks power, it’s not natural for us to want to give up our status or lower ourselves even to wash the feet of those we love, even to be humble is seen as a failure.

A good parent would do anything for their child. And actually, good children would do anything for the parents. God is the perfect Father. The relationship between God and his children is clearly illustrated, probably, one of the best illustrations of God’s relationship with us, in The Shack. Of course, the best image of the relationship between God and his children, is so clearly displayed in the life of Jesus.

As if he were not humble enough, Jesus chooses to wash the feet of those he loved. ‘Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love’ (John 13: 1b). A little later in the chapter, Jesus leaves the disciples with the Great Commandments, to love one another as I have loved you. If Jesus loves enough by washing our feet, how are we to love others, to love the world and to love our neighbour?

Tonight is serious, although we’ve laughed and joked in finding the twelve. Tonight, we partake in a tradition that stems back to our forefathers. A tradition that now the world no longer wants to know, because it means loosing ourselves. Washing the feet of others is not something that we naturally want to do. We all have trouble with humility and service, esteem and pride.

At the centre of his betrayal, on this dark and awful night, when darkness had fallen and Satan was at work, Jesus tells his disciples to love each other as he has loved us. How has he loved us? Not only by humbling himself, taking the lowest place at the meal by washing the feet and desiring a place within his disciples’ lives, but he also breaks bread and shares wine, an action that rings through eternity and continues to pierce the hearts of his followers today. As we eat and drink these holy gifts, we remember Christ, until he comes in glory. He calls on us to take off our shoes and to receive the Sacrament with fearfulness and sincerity, as he brings himself before us in the bread and wine, wanting to know us, desiring to be in our lives. As we stand before the altar tonight, we stand before Christ, just as present as he was before the twelve on the night he was betrayed and handed over. Satan is still at work today. Satan tells the world to delight, or ‘get off’, on the things that really destroy us and harm us – ourselves. Rather, we should choose to shatter the darkness as we humble ourselves and allow Jesus to take his rightful place, washing our feet. Brother Sylvain of the Taize community said: “These two acts, the Eucharist and the washing of feet, and are closely linked: both express the entire mystery of Jesus’ being in utter simplicity. Differently than by words, perhaps better than by words, Jesus shows what lies at the heart of the Gospel: "I have loved you to the end."

Tonight we take part I something that humbles us to walk bare foot – something divine.

Week Away

Last week I enjoyed a wonderful week at Mirfield monastery. That place brings back so many wonderful, a few bad, experiences. From there I jumped into the African experience, met so many amazing people, fell in love and learnt so much about life, faith and myself and God.

Back in Sheffield and work continues with the Messy Church group and other children's groups.

Some good news came from Zimbabwe, where some the priests reports being able to use the buildings again.

The Shack

Every Wednesday in Lent we are leading a group study on 'The Shack,' by William Young. If you haven't read the book, I would encourage you to read it! It is a story of forgiveness, love and clearly illustrates God's power working in us. Some people have criticised the book for being to soppy or indeed heresy. However, what I think Young is trying to do (has has done) is create a deep, theologically sound, loving story, reaching out to those who are hurt or in need. Last night I led the Second Session on Prayer during Suffering. Below you will find my talk and question points. Encourage others to read the book and to take it seriously. It has changed lives as it gives a fresh understanding of who God is, and what He is about. It is an evangelistic tool for bringing the lost to Christ, just like Alpha Courses and Messy Church - it really is a Fresh Expression to the face of God and His nature.

All Page numbers are page numbers to read from THE SHACK! Read it!

What is prayer? This is a funny question to start with but so many of us, including myself, get the answer wrong. Yes, it’s the communication tool between us and God. Yes, it’s the way we talk to God, fine. But prayer is actually so much more that! Prayer is more than a chat with God, although it can simply be just that. I would say prayer is more of an ongoing conversation and relationship with God. I would say that prayer is less a thing, but more a place. Prayer is the practice of the presence of God. It is the place where pride is abandoned, hope is lifted, and supplications, intentions and petitions are made. Prayer is the place of admitting our need, of adopting humility, and claiming dependence upon God. Prayer is the needful practice of the Christian. Prayer is the exercise of faith and hope. Prayer is the privilege of touching the heart of the Father through the Son of God, Jesus. In prayer we learn more about who God is and therefore who we should be. “To be in the presence of such love expressed seemed to dislodge an inner emotional logjam, and while he didn’t understand exactly what he felt- it was good. Something simple, warm, intimate, genuine; this was holy.” Page 107.

God changes us because in prayer, we are in the presence of God as we lay before Him our complete self in confession and dependence. There is nothing to hide when we are reaching into the deepest part of ourselves and admitting our needs and failures before the one who created us and knows us. In coming before God in prayer, our hearts are quieted and pride is stripped and we enjoy being in the presence of God.

James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

When we do suffer, and many of us have in a number of ways, we may come before God and simply ask ‘Why?’ Why me, why us, why this? Some of us may have sufferings that cause us simply to abandon prayer straight away. We may feel unworthy or inadequate to come before God in any way. But Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labour and are over burdened and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light. (Matthew 11: 28-30)

A sermon that I heard once explained what this image of ‘yoke’ and sharing it with Jesus. In the Jewish culture, one yoke is used to harness two bullocks. First to be harnessed is an older, more seasoned bullock. Then, a younger bullock needing to be trained for the job is fitted with this same yoke. These bullocks are tied to huge stone mills which they are supposed to turn by going around and around. The more seasoned bullock is placed in the outer path thus leading the work and pulling most of the weight. The younger bullock in the inner path follows and thus learns to carry the weight and do the job.

When we go through suffering, can we hear Jesus’ invitation to go to him and let him carry most of my burden as we continue to walk together? Do I hear him ask me to stop struggling, stop trying to control things, doing things my way and just let go?

I guess its human nature to cry out to God and ask where he is. It’s natural to ask questions about the things we go through. The Psalms are full of cries and shouts to the Lord, as if God himself cannot hear, or as if God had actually left the psalmist. It is very rare that our prayer becomes, ‘OK, Lord, how can we deal with this together, how can we get through this together, where will this bring me, what will it teach me?’ We’d rather be independent, as the Shack clearly points u to us. We want to carry the feeling of lonliness and unforgiveness alone. That was Mack’s problem. He was unwilling to let God meet him in a mutual space, that space of prayer and change, that space where the yoke is easy and burdens are light.

READ 131 and 133 and 137

Of course, Mack is us. His garden, is our garden to, our soul. It becomes a happy place, or as we’ve been talking about recently in Church, a place where we can begin to share in the blessedness of God, that joy or being in a relationship with him, on mutual ground. That place of prayer, where we meet God and abandon our independence. Have you noticed that so much of our faith revolves around gardens. The Fall in Eden, that glorious garden, to the betrayal of Jesus in Gethsemane, that awful moment, and of course the battle in the garden of our souls today.

There are two ways to go when we are suffering. One is close up, living in bitterness, hatred towards others and God, as if actually we’ve died, cut ourselves off, where the garden is overgrown and left unattended. The world teaches this way increasing more and more. The other is to go through the process of questioning ourselves, searching for the meaning behind the experience. Very rarely do we do the second of these. But this is the place where our garden is maintained, cared for, most importantly where it is loved because we encounter God there. We share the yoke of life, allowing Jesus to calm our fears and change us. Jesus carrying his cross, the yoke, is an invitation for us to share in his life, maintained and held fast by prayer.

I don’t know much about praying when we are suffering, but I do know that we need to read over and over again the promise of God: Fear not! I am with you.

Sarayu, the Holy Spirit, is described in the book in so many beautiful ways. Mack can never quite see her, or define her, or pin her down. It describes the Holy Spirit as light, sensitive, breath, a song heard in the wind… bearing in mind prayer is the coming together of our soul with God, I’m going to read the poem or song that Sarayu sang, a song that Missy wrote. It clearly lays out the relationship between God and us in prayer. PAGE 233

It’s OK for us to be angry with God and get frustrated with him. To ask the questions: why, when, how? I would like to suggest that it’s OK too to shout at God and tell him how you are feeling, to say get on with it, hurry up, sort it quicker! I love the image of Mack being with God in so many different scenes, the garden, the lake, in the shack, in the cave. My favourite is him lying down with Jesus under the stars. Mack questions why Jesus says ‘it’s beautiful isn’t it.’ Mack says, well you created it, why know the worlds pains and suffering, why do you still love it, why aren’t you angry or frustrated with it, with us? I suggest we too, in our suffering, or times of doubt, lay down with Jesus under the stars and say, well Jesus, you are the word made flesh, you know our pains and suffering, you created this world, I want to share in your peace in laying here together, share in commending the world to your loving care. He, after all, created all things, he knows all things and therefore knows what is best for us.

Prayer Exercise

Reflecting on the layers of meaning of “open hands” one can see open hands as speaking of surrender and letting go of one’s control as contrasted to clenched fists or closed hands which speak of control, of being closed. Open hands also connote a posture of begging after realizing one’s emptiness, one’s poverty as creature. I realize that I am a beggar, that I can’t do anything without God. It also speaks of the capacity to receive and to be filled after having been emptied. God can pour graces and I am more disposed to receive.

To begin the prayer, take a comfortable sitting position where your body is relaxed and alert… your hands on your lap with your palms open and facing up. Take a few deep breaths — breathing in deeply through your nostrils … letting the air fill your lungs and your abdomen… breathing out slowly through your nostrils… As you continue your gentle breathing, feel your body going into deeper relaxation… Moving gently into your quiet center, you become aware of coming into the presence of the Holy One… called into the presence of God…

Recall the words of Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who labour and are over burdened and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.

Pray to the Spirit of Jesus for the grace to be open and to be generous in responding to what Jesus may be inviting you to.

Recall an experience of great personal suffering and pain you have been carrying. Try to come up with a symbol for this experience. This suffering can be imaged as a broken heart, a torn letter, a withered plant or whatever else speaks to you.

Imagine that you come before Jesus and you hear him speak the words from Scripture addressed to you. You may even see Jesus with his arms open and outstretched to you – a symbol of welcome. Hear Jesus say to you, Come to me, you who are heavily burdened and I will give you rest.

In your imagination see yourself stretch out and open your hands to Jesus. Imagine you are holding in your open hands the symbol of your suffering that you want to surrender or hand over to Jesus.

As you do so, repeatedly pray this short petition: Into your hands, O Lord, I surrender my pain. Into your hands I rest my body, my mind, and my being. Keep repeating this until you are brought to a point of quiet and silent presence.

At the end of your time of quiet prayer gently pray the Our Father.

Let this be my last word, that I trust in Your love.

WEEK 2: Praying in our Suffering

I would like to follow the psalms in suggesting some practical things we can remember when we are struggling to pray with our suffering or hurt:

1. Call out. This may sound awfully evangelical, but its not – it’s simply scriptural. "Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer" (Psalm 61:1)

2. Ask for help. Remember we can’t do it alone, we are not independent. Mack finally learnt that he needed God. To do that he had to admit his failures and hurt and ask for help. "Hasten, O God, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me" (Psalm 70:1).

3. Tell God. Although God already knows, there is a sense in the psalms he is wanting us to tell him everything about ourselves. "O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem,
   and there is no one to bury the dead.
   We are objects of reproach to our neighbours, of scorn and derision to those around us" (Psalm 79:1-4).

4. Admit you feel alone, abandoned - "How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
   How long will your wrath burn like fire?
   Remember how fleeting is my life.
   For what futility you have created all men!"
   (Psalm 89:46-47).

5. Honestly answer some questions about yourself, your feelings, guilt, hurt… - "I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord;
   do not let me be put to shame" (Psalm 119:30-31).

6. Confession of Sins and Failures - "I have strayed like a lost sheep.
   “Seek your servant,
   for I have not forgotten your commands"
   (Psalm 119:176)

7. Revel in God’s presence, with worship, praise and affirming trust in him – "I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?
   My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2).

Questions for Discussion

1. Throughout the story we see that Mack, although he can hardly speak it, blames God for taking his daughter away. When do we blame God? Why? Do we pray about our feeling let down by God or our anger at Him?

2. What is prayer? “And freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him (Jesus). Then all that stuff you feel churin’ around inside will start to work its way out.” Page 95

“To be in the presence of such love expressed seemed to dislodge an inner emotional logjam, and while he didn’t understand exactly what he felt- it was good. Something simple, warm, intimate, genuine; this was holy.” Page 107.

3. How can we get through dry periods when we feel forsaken by God? “Mackenzie, I never left him (Jesus), and I have never left you.” Page 96.

4. If prayer is about a relationship with God, what is the role of food in that relationship. Think about the Eucharistic Prayers. “When we were still far off, you met us in your Son Jesus Christ and brought us home.”

5. Think about Family Devotions. Read page 107-108. What do you think of this image, and why?

6. In our suffering, full of chaos and disruption, how can we recognise God’s voice? Read bottom of page 232.

7. Sometimes in prayer we don’t need to say anything, we just need to ‘lay with Jesus and look at the stars’. Can you relate to this? Do this help us understand what prayer is about? Is prayer recognising that we are in the centre of God’s love and purpose? Page 111.

Messy Church!

What is Messy Church??

Messy Church is a fairly new way of being and doing church for those who find the normal Sunday services difficult, simply can't make them or simply don't want to come on Sunday mornings! It is a very informal, but can be equally rewarding, sacramental and fulfilling as 'normal' Church services, if it is done properly.

It starts by welcoming families and young people in church or a hall where an hour or so of about 5-7 activities, crafts and things-to-do all take place. Children move from one to the other after they have completed each one. Each activities relates to a theme, i.e. Messy Moses, Messy Mother's Day, Messy Jesus and so on... at each activity a different part of the story is told.

After an hour or so of exciting story telling and arts and crafts, the group then moves into a worship area, we use the church itself so people can get used to the atmosphere and building - it can be quite daunting and a scary place for those who have been hurt by the church or have never been before. The Worship space is decorated different to what it usually would be on normal Sunday. For example, last week we had Messy Moses, and used blue celophane to roll down the centre of the church to represent the red sea, we walked along the sea to the worship space where we hung our Israelite men on the pews where we sat (in other words, the crafts then become object for centring our worship and thoughts - nothing we do is wasted!) We sing songs, usually simple ones the children can join in with and love doing the actions to, and maybe one hymn-like song for the adults too (remember, its for ALL ages). Then we hear the message and what the story means for our lives (at Messy Moses, we interviewed Moses (the Vicar) and asked about his life, and ended with Jesus leading us). I think it's quite important that we don't dampen down the gospel or be ashamed of it, but we must be aware of the congregation and crowd that we are talking to - young? old? hurt? I know some of the children we have have been adopted, so talking about 'parenthood' is not easy! However, this is what is great about Messy Church, we get to spend time with the people Jesus loves over the crafts and in the worship. Worship only last about 20 minutes and end with prayers. I think it's important the Lord's Prayer is said. The adults will probably know it and are comfortable saying it, but the children have yet to learn it. Then we say the messy grace - which is the normal Grace, but with actions and a loudddddd AMEN! Argh! I love the crafts, but I love the worship more because children and adults can begin to come into the presence of God, in their OWN time, not ours.

Then we head back over to the hall where we eat food according to the theme of the month - last week was fish fingers (Red Sea 'n' that hahaha!) The children can take home their items and crafts, we can rest assured they had a good time AND heard something exciting and new about Jesus.

The great thing about Messy Church is that Communion can be celebrated for families during the worship time, all sorts can be explored on the people's territory.

Feb 14th, sermon, St Mary's Handsworth

Gospel: Luke 6 – the Lukan Beatitudes

Each of the gospel writers saw Jesus slightly differently. St Luke shows us a Jesus who cared passionately for the poor, the weak and the despised. Luke presents Christ as one of us, a Man and emphasises Jesus’ poverty and therefore sometimes the Gospel is called the Gospel for the poor. This couldn’t be more relevant for the reading we have heard today. We have just heard a snippet from the most famous sermon ever preached, in which Jesus teaches his disciples about life, blessing and woes. Of course, only Jesus has the ability of turning the world upside down and today’s reading is no exception. These eight beatitudes couldn’t be more relevant and controversial for our world today.

We call them the beatitudes – from the Latin word for blessing, be-at-us. In fact, the Greek word, makarios doesn’t mean ‘happy’ at all. It means ‘blessed.’ Eight statements that Christians claim make a truly blessed life. To be happy is merely an emotion, but to be blessed is something physical and lasting.

The teaching of Jesus here throws me because they seem to be a complete reversal of common sense! Jesus delivers the message probably fully aware of the controversy it would cause, and still causes today. Instead of happiness we’re meant to be mourning; instead of riches, we are to be poor; instead of laughing, weeping. These upside values are not commandments or simply good advice, however, they are good news – they are pure Gospel.

Mary’s Song, the Magnificat, gives us images of salvation, God’s plan for the world, things that have already happened. Mary said: “he has lifted up the humble and cast down mighty rulers, he has filled the hungry with good and the rich he sends away empty.” The beatitudes from Jesus are a confirmation of God still at work in our world.

Jesus delivers this sermon on level ground having just come down from a mountain after praying. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus delivers the sermon from the mountain. Why is this? Well, Jesus knew that Moses had also done the same, when he received the Law given to him by God on Mt Sinai. To the Jews, big things happened on mountains! Luke clearly mirrors this image, illustrating Jesus giving us a new Law, but one that shocks his listeners. No longer will the rich, wealthy and powerful be the blessed ones, but the meek, poor, humble and hungry. Jesus tells his disciples later it’s easier for a camel to get into heaven than a rich man, he also demands his followers leave everything to follow him as we heard last week. God uses the weak to shame the strong and the poor to shame the rich!

Zimbabwe is a place where the rich and poor live side by side. Of course the majority of the population live in extreme poverty. The situation there means that so many have become poor, some who were rich have lost everything, farmers their farms, mother their children, police their wages, teachers their jobs. It seems to be a place where the poor rejoice because they have God. Churches are full even though Anglicans are persecuted. There is joy and singing when waiting for aid and food to arrive. There is happiness and dancing when someone dares enter the dark, cramped huts in which so many live. Their poverty has meant their faith has deepened. They have learnt to trust God for everything. Food is expensive, many water supplies are not safe; there are no jobs so parents cannot afford education or health care for their children. In their little and in their weakness, they find God.

Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday when traditionally cupboards were emptied and pantries cleaned up in preparation for the great fast of Lent. We get rid of everything we have stored up and over spent on! On Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent we begin the de clutter of our lives in order to make room for God. Our disciplines over Lent (some greater than others!) help cast our minds on other people. When we make room in our hearts for Christ, we can then share in the poverty of those in Zimbabwe; we can join in with the mourning of those in Haiti; we can stand alongside those who fear their children’s life in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our small disciplines mean we have chance to think of the suffering world – those who are poor and hungry, those weeping and those who are hated and left out. We have the chance to pray for the world that belongs to God, and the world which he knows and loves.

Living out the beatitudes mean embracing the world as it is. They don’t mean go sell everything you have and live in poverty, although maybe it means spending wisely and using God’s resources better. Giving up something here may mean giving more to the Haiti appeal or sponsoring a child in Zimbabwe. Blessed people are people who, whatever their circumstances, are made happy by God’s grace and the assurance of a hope in him. They teach us that the only thing that really matters at the end of the day, is God. It comes painfully to us because we refuse to let go of the worldly things, the things we find pleasure and wealth from, but actually make us greedy and selfish people. Lent is a good time to practice this.

Jesus says (John 16: 22) I give a joy which no one will take away. That joy is a share in the life and blessedness of God – Kingdom life, eternal life, sharing God’s bliss. But it comes at the cost of turning the world and our lives upside down. We discover our blessedness as we hunger for what the neighbour or the stranger has to give us; we shall find our happiness as we comfort those who weep and are friendly with those who everyone shuns and pushes out. These controversial, topsy turvy and uncomfortable teachings of Jesus, tell us to be controversial Christians today. Controversial in the way we love others and love God, showing how serious we are in our relationship with him, remembering and looking forward to a time when all mourning will turn to laughter, all poverty to great riches, all sorrow into dancing and a time when all the fruits of the Spirit are alive and active in our world. Amen.