St Luke 13: 10 – 17

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.  But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’  But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?  And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’  When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Reflection

I think there are two lessons in this reading. The first is Jesus’ care for the individual. He spots a woman living in pain and hardship. Did others in the synagogue notice the woman and try to help her – look for some small thing they could do? Jesus was always busy, as we see elsewhere in the Gospels, but he saw that woman as a person suffering, and cared about her.

Secondly, we see the reaction of the leader of the synagogue. Never mind the woman and her pain, rules are rules!

Today we seem to be surrounded by mountains of laws, rules and regulations. Of course, laws are necessary, to make sure society can work and doesn’t break down, to protect vulnerable people, and so on. Sometimes, however, the huge quantity of rules and regulations, written and unwritten, seems to risk bringing everything to a shuddering halt.

The rule about keeping the Sabbath day holy is one of the Ten Commandments. No work was to be done, it was to be “a day of rest to the Lord”. But then came the question: what is work? It is for curing the woman that Jesus is criticised by the leader of the synagogue. Was that work? Jesus makes clear it is the spirit of the law we need to see, not to excuse ourselves from doing the right thing because of it.

Sometimes, it seems, we can make sure we stick to the most detailed rule or we can care and act. Do we sometimes use rules as a way of avoiding what we know to be right? When we are faced with a mountain of regulations, is it easier just to do nothing?

As Christians we look to the Bible for guidance, but sometimes we take one sentence, forget the wider message, and make a “law” out of it. Perhaps it is more healthy to ask questions about our faith and why we do things.

Prayer

Father, we ask you for the perception to notice when there are people near to us who are suffering and to understand their suffering. Help us truly to do what we can to help. We also ask you for the courage not to hide behind rules or what is the “done thing” in order to avoid doing what we know to be right. Help us to act. Amen

St Luke 13: 6 – 9

Then Jesus told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”’

Reflection

Back in Genesis 1, the Creator puts in place all that is necessary for continuing life on Planet Earth. Each plant and every creature, including humans, is called forth to produce more of their kind in their time. And God declared it good.

The plants were to produce seeds. Fruit trees were to produce fruit containing seeds. So the reproduction and continuation of the species God has created could continue. That is His will, His plan.

I wonder what the Creator thinks of the scientists paid by commercial enterprises to produce the F1 hybrids and the like which deliberately do not produce seed, so poor farmers cannot save seed from one year’s crop but must find cash to buy in seed for the next year’s harvest.

And what of this story of a fig tree not following the Creator’s instructions? 

It is so easy to be angry with the people we think are wrecking Creation, stirring up wars and conflicts, doing bad things to the helpless. We can even be tempted to pray for God’s wrath on them.

But look what happens to this errant fig tree. In God’s economy, it gets another chance – and not only another full year in which to fulfil its potential, it also gets fed. Nourished. Maybe better nourished than it had been before. So this time, it has a real chance of doing better.

Dare we love the people who are trashing the planet? Dare we ask for God’s goodness and love for the people murdering women and children in Ukraine, Gaza, and all the other places in our world? Dare we trust that love wins? That the fig tree will produce fruit?

Prayer

You are a wise and loving gardener, Lord, and we have made an unhealthy mess of your garden with our greed and our wars.  Forgive us, and give us wisdom and generosity of heart so that all may have the environment they need in which to thrive. And may we be grateful for all the second chances and more that you give us. Amen.

Worship Notes

Dear Friends,

Most of the Worship Notes for March have been up for a few weeks but I’m pleased to say we now have the full set including notes for Ash Wednesday.  You can find the material here or by going to urc.org.uk clicking on Your Faith, then Prayer and Worship.  Notes for April should be up by the end of the month.

With every good wish

Andy

The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship
 

St Luke 12: 57 – 59

‘And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.’

Reflection

About 40 verses earlier and a week of Daily Devotions ago Jesus was asked to settle a legal case between two brothers. “Who sent me to be judge over you?” asked Jesus, who talked instead about the futility of greed. Several stories have followed about using our knowledge and weighing up ideas for ourselves, and now the legal theme returns. “Why do you not judge for yourself what is right?”

Is Jesus still speaking to the same brothers? He is speaking to the same crowd who have been considering the indolence of flowers, the servant wisdom of being ready for the return of a master, and the folk wisdom by which we could forecast the weather.  Can they not, also, use their own judgement in knowing right and wrong? We are the descendants of the first Adam, and Eve, who ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Can we dare to admit their legacy and apply some wisdom?

And there is the problem. As those who are able to tell right from wrong, we have to admit we are in trouble. “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8) and tempting though that self-deception is, it does not satisfy even self-examination. And if we know we are in the wrong, then we should imagine ourselves as the debtor who would be wise to settle out of court rather than face the enforcement of a debt, and legal costs on top.  

Fortunately, we do not have to reckon with an accuser/ Satan figure/ or holy prosecutor to acknowledge our debt burden before God. We reckon with Jesus, who was indeed sent to be judge over us, but will also be the one to plead our case. We may dare to admit our truest assessment of ourselves to Jesus, and receive his forgiveness, if only we will let him.

Prayer

God of all goodness,
be with us as we reckon with right and wrong.
Help us to honestly account for ourselves before you and with others, 
and to make amends with those whom we have wronged.
Amen

 
Today’s service is led by the Revd Dr Sarah Hall

 
Welcome

Hello! My name is Sarah Hall and I’m a minister working with two churches and the University chaplaincy in Southampton. I’m glad to be able to share worship with you today as we discuss some deep topics: healing, blessing and life.

Call to Worship

Blessed are those who trust in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. They shall be like a tree planted by water,  sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.

Hymn     Praise to the Lord, The Almighty
Joachim Neander (1650-1680), Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878). Public Domain sung by Acapeldridge

Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of creation; 
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation.
All ye who hear now to His temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, 
shelters thee under His wings, yea so gently sustaineth: 
hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been granted 
in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work, and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
ponder anew all the Almighty can do,
if with his love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him!
Let the amen sound from his people again:
gladly for aye we adore him.

Prayers of Adoration and Confession 

You are our heart’s desire, 
choosing grace over grudges, providing, not withholding; 
creating community, not standing far off. 
You are our brother and servant,
cradling clenched fists in your scarred hands,
lighting us through the dark times of our lives.
You are the breath of wonder, 
blowing death’s dust off our shoulders,
mending our brokenness with resurrection,
whispering words of peace into hearts full of anger. 
Yet we do not always choose to listen.

As we focus on Jesus’ ministry of healing, 
we can still hold tight to hatred and fear which continue to damage us. 
As we are invited to listen to his teaching, 
we can still become complacent – after all, we’re all right! – 
and ignore the plight of others.
Yet you have sent him before us so that, 
as we follow him, we may travel from fear and confusion 
to your new life of wholeness and trust.

Assurance of Pardon

Listen! here is good news: Christ Jesus came into the world to forgive us in our failure, to accept us as we are, to set us free from evil’s power and make us what we were meant to be. Through him God says to each of us: “You are accepted. You are forgiven. I will set you free.”

And together we respond, through Jesus Christ, our Lord:
Amen. Thanks be to God.

As forgiven people, let us say together the prayer that Jesus gave us:

Our Father…

Prayer for Inspiration

Living God, help us so to hear your Word that we may truly understand; 
that, understanding, we may believe;  and believing, we may follow your way in all faithfulness, seeking your honour and glory in all that we do. Amen. 

Reading     St Luke 6:17-19

Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon.  They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Comment 1

I wonder, how do you react when you hear a reading like this, speaking about healing happening through Jesus’ touch? 

I guess the easiest way is to ignore it. It’s the sort of thing that happened way back when – or at least, that’s the way it got written down. They didn’t know much about the human body in those days, so you could get away with talking about pretty unlikely things, so long as it’s a story about God. The whole point of it is to show people reading the story who Jesus is: God in human form. But it wouldn’t make any sense to look for God’s healing today. That’s what we have the NHS for – and boy, are we thankful to God for them – when we can get an appointment, that is!

That may be the easiest way for us to deal with this sort of reading – but maybe it’s a bit of a cop-out. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe God heals through doctors, nurses, operations, medicine and technology. After all, God gave us brains to figure out how our bodies work. But we all know that’s not the whole story, even nowadays. A sugar pill even when we know it’s only sugar; a listening ear or a hug at just the right moment: that can also be healing, for body as well as for mind and spirit. We don’t know how, but we know it’s true.

If human care can have a healing effect, then, surely God’s love can do more? Shouldn’t we, as Jesus’ followers, be looking for healing from God as a first port of call, not a last-ditch attempt, to try only when all other hope is gone? Certainly, whenever I ask in a service or a church meeting for suggestions of who we want to pray for, people who are ill will always come to mind. And that is right. We believe in a God who knows what it feels like to go through anguish in body, mind and spirit. And in a God who relieves suffering.

There’s a snag, though: and you’ll know what it is just as much as I do. We have no control over the possibility of healing through prayer. There’s no certainty in it. People who have done good suffer, and in spite of prayer their suffering remains. People who seem to have done nothing to write home about get better. Even in our reading, great crowds gathered around Jesus for healing, but others who couldn’t be there that day had no benefit from his presence. It doesn’t seem fair.

When we ask for healing – through medicine and through prayer – and healing comes, it’s easy to know how to react: with gratitude, with thankfulness. When we ask for healing and healing appears not to come: that’s harder. 

I’ve heard of times when people blame the sick person. You didn’t have enough faith, they say. Or, It’s because you’re sinful that God didn’t heal you. 

If you ever hear either of those things being said to a person who’s already suffering, I’ll tell you for nothing: that’s bad theology, as well as lousy pastoral care. Our God is a God of grace. We cannot earn God’s healing, just as we can’t earn God’s love or God’s forgiveness. They are free.

Another way to react, when our prayers for healing seem not to be answered, is to be angry with God. That’s better theology. All through the Bible, God’s friends have called God to account when life seems inexplicably unfair. And Jesus can take anything we can think of yelling at him. 

Yet in spite of all the confusion and contradiction. I do believe God heals, and that the trust involved in asking for healing is part of our journey with Jesus. Life is not pain-free; some people suffer unfairly. The cross shows us that. 

But Jesus asked God for healing. So that’s what I want to do too. 
However it may turn out.

Hymn     Great God of Mercy, God of Consolation
James Quinn SJ © 1980, ICEL OneLicence # A-734713  sung by the congregation of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington DC.

Great God of mercy, God of consolation,
look to your people, gathered here to praise you,
pity our weakness, come in power to aid us,
source of all blessing.

Jesus, Redeemer, Lord of all creation,
come as our Saviour, Jesus, friend of sinners,
grant us forgiveness, lift our downcast spirit,
heal us and save us.

Joy-giving Spirit, be our light in darkness,
come to befriend us, help us bear our burdens,
give us true courage, breath your peace around us,
stay with us always.

God in Three Persons, Trinity Eternal,
come to renew us, fill your Church with glory,
grant us your healing, pledge of resurrection,
foretaste of heaven. 
 
Reading     Luke 6:20-23

Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

Comment 2

If you think it’s not been totally good news so far this morning, this reading may not be lifting your mood. Blessed are we when we’re poor, when we’re hungry, when we’re grieving, when everyone else thinks we’re a waste of space. Thank you so much, Jesus – that was just what I was aiming at!

This is Luke’s less well known version of Jesus’ teaching about what it is for us to be blessed – a sort of anti-prosperity theology. Where others in his day, and in our own, were arguing that the better you do in life, the more that has to mean God loves you, Jesus had a very different point of view. And even after his death, when people were writing down what he said, we get two contrasting versions, from Luke and from Matthew. 

Matthew talks about blessings for people who are poor ‘in spirit’ – people who know their need of God. Matthew talks about blessings for people who hunger and thirst for God’s righteous kingdom to come. And I reckon both of those ideas can be found in Jesus’ teaching, as well as in the Hebrew Bible where Matthew found much of his understanding of Jesus. But Luke’s not talking about spiritual ideals. Luke, who thinks second-class citizens like women and foreigners are worth writing about, Luke has his feet firmly on the ground. His version is that Jesus talks to the crowds and to his followers about being poor. About being hungry. Full stop. No metaphor.

The Good News Bible talks instead of ‘blessing’ about ‘happiness’. Happy are the poor. Happy are the hungry. Hmm. I know sometimes people from the UK travel to parts of the world where most people have much less than we do, in material terms, and report back saying how happy they are. But I’ve not noticed any of these witnesses to other people’s happiness being so convinced that they get rid of all they own. So I’m not sure that really works. Having too much stuff or food won’t make you happy, true: but most people in the world who are literally poor or hungry aim to get out of their situation. You have to be rich to see the benefits of chosen poverty.

And that translation really falls down when Jesus gives us one of the hardest of these sayings of his. Happy are those who weep? Come on, now – there’s a contradiction in terms! I know sometimes it’s preached that we Christians should be joyful 110% of the time, because we have Jesus in our heart – but really. He’s the guy who wept when his friend Lazarus died. So as his followers I reckon we’re allowed to be truthful with ourselves and God, in joy and in sorrow, rather than pasting on a frantic smile because we’re meant to be happy, even as we grieve. God can cope with how we’re really feeling, not how we think we should be reacting to life.

But that leaves us with a problem. Matthew and Luke agree that Jesus told us: blessed are those who weep: for you will laugh. If that doesn’t just mean: given enough time, you’ll get over anything – and as well as a cliché, I’m not even sure that’s true – what can Jesus mean about poverty and hunger, sorrow and even persecution, being blessings to his friends? Maybe because, when things go wrong and, however hard we try, we’re not in control: that’s when we really find we can rely on God. Not to get us out of them, but to get us through them.

Hymn     Hey My Love 
John L. Bell (1949 – ) and Graham Maule (1958-2019) © 1987, 2002 WGRG, Iona Community. OneLicence # A-734713   Sung by Sarah Hall and used with her permission.

Blessed are the ones I call the poor.
Hey my love and ho my joy.
Blessed are the ones I call the poor who dearly love me; 
blessed are the ones I call the poor: 
God shall their kingdom’s place ensure.

God’s kingdom is of heaven, of earth, of fire, of love.

Blessed are the ones who deeply mourn.
Hey my love and ho my joy.
Blessed are the ones who deeply mourn who dearly love me;
blessed are the ones who deeply mourn,
God’s comfort in their hearts is known.
 
God’s kingdom is of heaven, of earth, of fire, of love.
 
Blessed are the ones who know their need.
Hey my love and ho my joy.
Blessed are the ones who know their need who dearly love me;
blessed are the ones who know their need
in them God’s promises take seed.

God’s kingdom is of heaven, of earth, of fire, of love.

Blessed are the ones the world puts down.
Hey my love and ho my joy.
Blessed are the ones the world puts down who dearly love me.
Blessed are the ones the world puts down
they’ll have the Kingdom for their own.
 
God’s kingdom is of heaven, of earth, of fire, of love.

Reading     1 Corinthians 15:12-20 

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;  and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.  We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised.  If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have died in Christ have perished.  If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Comment 3 

If you’ve stayed with me so far today – and heaven knows, the themes of the readings set for today’s service are a bit heavy – then maybe we can see some light at the end of the tunnel in this last reading, from Paul’s first letter to his friends in Corinth. 

But it doesn’t start off too well, I have to admit. It starts with an argument. For Paul and the Corinthians surely have their differences. When our Elders or Church meetings get a bit tense, all I have to do, to remember that conflict is part of church life, is to reread 1 and 2 Corinthians. The only way we could avoid conflict would be for one person to force their opinion on everyone else. And as well as being theologically unsound, that’s never going to hold – we just need to look at politics to see that. 

So, having dealt in the previous chapter with the tricky issue of people who disagree about worship, Paul takes a deep breath and launches into his theme. Resurrection. The new life God gave Jesus after his death. And the fact that some of the Corinthian church are finding it hard to take it on board. In the bit just before our reading, Paul’s taken a roll-call of all the people who witnessed Jesus’ resurrection: his closest followers; a whole bunch of other Christians; and finally, Paul himself. Now he argues, given all those witnesses, how come you’re saying you can’t believe in resurrection?

Note that Paul’s not saying everyone must encounter the risen Jesus in the same way. Whether Jesus’ original disciples met him in the flesh after his death, or whether their joint memories of him felt like his presence with them, Paul’s own experience – his vision of Jesus on the Damascus Road – is quite different. So again, he’s not arguing that everyone’s understanding must be exactly the same. Good thing, considering that even in a small congregation, I bet if you compared notes, no two people at worship this morning would believe precisely the same things about their faith. 

But what Paul is arguing, with all the passion that’s in him, is that believing in resurrection, that God brings new life out of death, is the foundation stone of Christianity. If you believe God doesn’t bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, life out of death, then maybe you’re not in the right place this morning. Because that is the source of our life together.

When I say, believing in resurrection, I don’t mean assenting to facts, like the belief that 2 + 2 = 4, or that the Titanic sank; facts that make little difference to us personally. I mean holding on to that belief when it seems crazy to believe God exists, or cares, or acts. Yet when I say, believing in resurrection, I don’t mean either that we aren’t allowed to waver. From the Bible onwards, doubt and trust are both part of following Jesus, as they are part of any deepening relationship in which we have invested time and effort. 

So what? How does all this apply to us? Some of you today know about longing for healing. You know about having little compared with others. You know about mourning. My prayer is that, as we go on following Jesus, we may also discover, in our lived experience, what resurrection means for us: in our individual lives, and as church. Then, however dry our life may be, we will always be able to grow the fruit of trust in God. 

Hymn     Alleluia, Alleluia Give Thanks to the Risen Lord
Don Fishel © 1973, International Liturgy Publications OneLicence # A-734713  Frodsham Methodist Church Cloud Choir. Accompanied by Andrew Ellams and produced by Andrew Emison and used with their kind permission.

Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.

Jesus is Lord of all the earth;
He is the King of creation:

Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.

Spread the good news o’er all the earth;
Jesus has died and is risen:

Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.

We have been crucified with Christ;
now we shall live for ever.

Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.

God has proclaimed the just reward
new life for all, alleluia!

Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.

Come let us praise the living God
Joyfully sing to our Saviour:
 
Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.

Offering

We bring to God the whole of who we are, our sorrows as well as our joys, knowing that we will be accepted. We bring too our gifts of time and of service and of money, to be used for the coming of God’s kingdom. 

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Concern

Let’s give thanks to God who sends both sun and rain,
to make the trees grow, to make the rivers run.
We give thanks to God for the first signs of spring: 
for bulbs breaking through the earth;
for leaves budding on the trees.
We pray for all who feel it is still winter in their lives.
Be with those who suffer, in body, mind or spirit. 
Give them healing; give them peace.

Particularly on this Racial Justice Sunday, 
we remember those we know and those we will never meet 
who are unfairly treated because of who they are. 
We give thanks for all who stand up against injustice,
and for all who give to those who suffer 
support and love and hope.

In a moment of silence, we name before God those we know 
in need of God’s healing, God’s justice.

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer.

Let’s give thanks to God who sends both sun and rain,
to make the trees grow, to make the rivers run.
We give thanks to God for organisations 
that help folk when there’s no money, or no food, or no joy in life.
We give thanks for all those you know locally who serve people in hunger, want or sorrow; for agencies working across the country and across the world with all those in need; for their volunteers, 
acting as God’s hands, God’s feet, God’s heart.

In a moment of silence, we name before God those we know 
and those we will never meet who are poor, who are hungry, who mourn,
asking for hope and the knowledge that you will never leave them.

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer

Let’s give thanks to God who sends both sun and rain,
to make the trees grow, to make the rivers run.
We give thanks to God who has kept us going 
through the dry times of our own lives: 
times when we have not known what to do or where to go.
And we give into God’s hands now our own lives 
and the life of our church, asking for guidance, for wisdom, 
and for trust that God will never abandon us.

Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer.

All our prayers, spoken and silent, 
we bring now to the God who made us, 
through Jesus who prays for us, 
in the power of the Holy Spirit, with us still. Amen.

Hymn     Living God, Your Joyful Spirit 
© Jill Jenkins  Used by permission.  Sung by the Revd Malcolm Garforth-Fife and used with his kind permission.

Living God, your joyful Spirit breaks the bounds of time and space,
rests in love upon your people, drawn together in this place.
Here we join in glad thanksgiving, here rejoice to pray and praise:
Lord of all our past traditions, Lord of all our future days.

As your bread, may we be broken, scattered in community;
we who know your greatest blessings called to share Christ’s ministry.
May we gently lead each other,share our hunger and our thirst;
learn that only through our weakness shall we know the strength of Christ.
 
Lord, when we grow tired of giving, feel frustration, hurt and strain, 
by your Spirit’s quiet compulsion, draw us back to you again.
Guide us through the bitter searching when our confidence is lost;
give us hope from desolation, arms outstretched upon a cross.

Living God, your power surrounds us, as we face the way Christ trod,
challenge us to fresh commitment to the purposes of God:
called to share a new creation, called to preach a living word,
promised all the joys of heaven, through the grace of Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Through drought, through flood, in bad times, in good times, 
securely rooted or feeling the winds of change,
the blessing of God, Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit, 
is with us and all people, now and always. Amen

St Luke 12: 54 – 56

He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Reflection

So, after a run of warnings and reassurances, some in stories, some in straight talking  … well mostly warnings if we’re honest … Jesus pulls it together with words that rung hard then, and continue to ring so today.

I hear the expression ‘It’s common sense’ frequently (often by politicians and those commenting on the political situation) and have long come to the conclusion that there is no such thing. My version of what is common sense, is so very different from that of others. 

And yet, is that not, effectively what Jesus is saying here? 

“Use your brain, your eyes, your experience, friends. If you’ve been listening to what I’ve just been saying it should be blindingly obvious how you should respond! You should use the same mechanism you use when you see rain clouds or other familiar weather signs? Based upon your life experience and your basic intelligence … your common sense if you insist … for goodness sake, look at the signs of the times, weave in the teaching I have been sharing with your and … put it into action?”

I look around at the world in turmoil, a climate crisis, a challenging economy and at times I just want to scream exactly those words. Instead, I put on my ‘hopeful hat’ and pray instead.

I remember a dear man once saying to me, “I mean, if we really took the Gospel seriously, we would behave differently, behave better … but …”

Perhaps it is time to actually listen to the teaching and warnings and behave differently, behave better … and drop the ‘buts’! 

Prayer 

Jesus, we’re not weather forecasters but we can see the signs in the sky.
We’re not world leaders, but can see that the wars, 
conflicts and inhumanity being meted out across the globe are wrong.
We are not experts in climate change or economics, but we can see that there has to be a better way.
Teach us and others to not just read the signs, but to seek to do things your way. 
Amen.

St Luke 12: 49-53

Jesus said ‘I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!  Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!  From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three;  they will be divided:

father against son
    and son against father,
mother against daughter
    and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
    and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’

Reflection

My husband is really bad at Valentine’s day. Not even a garage bought, last minute panic, card. If you asked, they would offer some defence about showing me they love me everyday (which to be fair they do) and about prioritizing our marriage even when there are other things going on. Fine, but a girl still likes to get chocolates and a card on February 14th!
 
I wonder how many Valentine’s cards have been sent with today’s verse on them? I’m guessing not many.  Division is part of our usual, comfortable, February 14th vocabulary. Love though is not always comfortable, and perhaps love of Christ is a dividing line of sorts.  A division not created by hatred or bias, but of a deep and holy love. Love tempered in a fire, burning away impurities, heating lukewarm faith, love standing firm in its truth. Love after all, is not always comfortable, and love can be costly.
 
Today we are reminded that loving and following Jesus  as disciples is not always comfortable, and comes at a cost. It means prioritising living for Jesus even when it feels uncomfortable.  It means walking the way even when it’s uphill, uncomfortable and raining. Being a disciple even when it causes division from our friends or family. Letting our faith be refined in the fire.
 
Perhaps my husband has it right, discipleship like a marriage is a covenant of commitment, love and sacrifice every day. They both demand loyalty and devotion, even when division occurs.  Whatever our relationship status, Gods love is eternal and steadfast.
 
Prayer

Loving God,
You call us into a relationship with you
wholehearted, steadfast and devoted.
Help us to embrace discipleship
despite division or discomfort.
Kindle the flames in our hearts
and refine us to burn brightly.

Amen