 Devotions for Sunday 30th August
Welcome to the Devotions sheet for this Sunday. Please take your time to read, pray and imagine your way through what’s here. May you find grace and strength and connection with God from your time reading and reflecting. Acknowledgement We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of our land, and pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. We honour their care of the land and acknowledge that as Second Peoples, we have benefitted from their dispossession. So we commit ourselves to reconciliation and justice as First and Second Peoples together, and to learn from them to care for each other and the land. Prayer Dear God, in these times of shake-up with the coronavirus, I am unsettled. I give thanks for the new ways we have of nurturing our faith. While I would rather the old comfortable ways of being church, help me embrace the new and speak to me in a fresh way- to spark my life with a hopeful vision and spiritual energy for each day. As I read on, pray and reflect, comfort me in my unsettledness, and unsettle me in my comfortableness. But as you might unsettle me, let me feel deep inside me that I am safe in your care and give me a sense of adventure in my faith. Fill me with your Amazing Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen Introduction Two weeks ago we began a new series looking at some implications of the gospel in and towards some contemporary and perhaps controversial movements in our world, that all flow from our affirmation that ‘God is Good’. This was inspired by the banner we plan to get made and mount on the Warrnambool Church as a statement of who we are and what we stand for. Last week looked at Black Lives Matter. This week- from the banner- it’s ‘Women’s rights are human rights’. But first! Last week we looked at Black Lives Matter. Do you remember anything from during this week that connected with what we talked and prayed about? Now this will be a challenging prayer- take a moment to think of, say, five things in which you are privileged. Give thanks to God for those things- they are not bad, they are a blessing, accept them as gifts of grace to you . . . You don’t need to feel guilty for them, but I invite you to, in prayer, ask God for help to fulfil the responsibility that goes with them- to feel grateful rather than entitled, to not judge others, and however you can, to share those privileges with others. Women’s rights are human rights We don’t think this is the best slogan and so are searching for something shorter and that better expresses what we think the gospel says about women’s equality. The idea of Human Rights isn’t something from the bible. It has been enshrined in some country’s democratic constitutions, and adopted by many countries from the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The UNDoHR however, is a reflection of Judeo-Christian values through the lens of Western culture. What the phrase is saying is that women’s experience of human rights is less than men’s and that human rights should apply equally to women. It’s a bit like Black Lives Matter- black lives don’t seem to matter as much as whites, but they should. I remember back being shocked to find out that women were paid less than men for the same work into the 1970s. How could that have been? Now, in Australia, officially women do have equal rights as men, but in practice there is still a significant differential between women’s income and men’s. Three reasons I suggest are that 1 there is a ‘glass ceiling’ when it comes to women’s promotion in their careers; 2 when women take time out for child-bearing and child-rearing they fall behind; and 3 the pay rates in work where women predominate are low- with Child Care and Aged Care very clear examples. Apart from work rights, there is still a culture of misogyny, just as there is a culture of racism. Why is this a gospel issue? A couple of key texts are from the Genesis 1 creation story- v 26-27 Male and female are created equally. Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness . . . 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. The implications of what Christ has done should be lived as equality: Galations 3: 26-28 26 It is through faith that all of you are God's children in union with Christ Jesus. 27 You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, so to speak, with the life of Christ himself. 28 So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. In the gospels we see Jesus treated women with radical respect and equality, and in the earliest days of the church this continued. Throughout the scriptures we see God takes the side of the marginalised and oppressed. God’s concern is not just that we go to heaven when we die, but the transformation of the world towards love, fairness, sustainability and peace. God’s means of achieving this is God’s love through the liberating message and story of Jesus, and the on-going quiet voice and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. God is a God of affirmative action! Just as I was shocked decades ago that women weren’t officially treated equally, young people today can’t believe this is still an issue that we’re still having to talk about. The exclusion of women in leadership roles in some churches is an embarrassment to the faith, an affront to a large part of society, and another hindrance to evangelism. I believe the movement towards official equality and equality in practice is a movement of the Holy Spirit, we should be on-board with and helping to steer God-wards. In many parts of the world patriarchy (male dominance) and misogyny (hatred of women) are more evident, open and unapologetic than in Australia, but even here, in practice, in general, women aren’t treated equally. As Christians, what is our role in creating, with God, the change? I’ve been reading a book in which the main character is on the periphery of the women’s suffrage movement in Britain from just over 100 years ago, and the question is asked- is just protesting, campaigning and arguing enough or is disruption needed? In a conversation with a friend about equality she talked of her ‘rebellion’, but again the question is about the wisdom needed in how you rebel. How does a Christian woman make a stand, and how does a Christian man make a stand? First would be to imagine- what would it look like if women and men were equal in practice? Dream a bit- if not for yourself, then for your children and granddaughters and grandsons- how would both genders be better off? There’s mounting evidence that corporations that have women on the Board do better than those that are all male. Studies show egalitarian marriages are happier than hierarchical/traditional marriages. Look for where change is happening over the long-term and rejoice! We’ve come a long way in 50 years. (Maybe take a moment now to contemplate this . . . .) Second would be to examine ourselves, to ask ourselves the questions deeply- is this what I hear God calling me to? Am I prepared to take responsibility for myself here? Am I prepared to ‘lose skin’ for this? (Reading the challenges in the book ‘Me and White Supremacy’, the same questions could be asked of men as of whites - ‘Am I prepared to even recognise my male power and advantage? Am I prepared to give that up?’) Pray for change. Third is to speak up wherever the opportunity arises. Pray for the courage to, and even anticipate what you could say when a misogynist comment or a put down about women is said. Speak up for the dream of what equality would look like. And use the blessing we have of democracy and vote. I have a theory that if people voted for women candidates whatever their party, (even if it’s not your party of preference) then parliament and the overall approach of government would be transformed over the course of a few elections (notwithstanding Pauline Hanson). Be a provocateur- raise the issue in your conversations with a playful smile; talk with your children and especially those precious conversations you can have with grandchildren (if you have them), and say it comes from your Christian faith. So what do you think would be a better phrase than ‘Women’s rights are human rights’? Let me know. I’m leaning towards ‘In this church we believe . . . ‘IN ACTION FOR WOMEN’S EQUALITY’’ but I’m very happy for something better. Prayers for ourselves, others and the world Dear God, we celebrate being male and female, and the separate aspects of our gender. We recognise the power imbalance between males and females in families, in work-places, and in cultures throughout the world. We give thanks for the vision from Jesus of a world of unity and equality, and for the progress made in relatively recent times, though especially in some parts of the world, there’s a long way to go. We give thanks for women who’ve had the courage to stand up for and campaign for equality, for the men who’ve stood with them, for the responses of governments, and for all situations where power is never used for exploitation. We lament that often the church has followed these changes reluctantly rather than being in the vanguard. We pray about all situations of family violence, sexual exploitation, harassment, exclusion and unfairness. Speak with your Spirit into all these situations to victims with loving strength and hope and to perpetrators with challenge and a vision of how things could be better all round and they could change. We pray for all who work in police and community sexual assault units, family violence services, gender politics, the media and the arts. Help me hear and understand and have courage for your call to me about my role in all this. Help us to bring about spiritual and social change to improve the quality of life for all peoples in our communities, especially the disadvantaged. Help us share the good news of your forgiveness that can free us to move forward. Help all young people to find true dignity and self-esteem by your Spirit. And in the shake-up caused by the coronavirus, we pray for all suffering-with the illness, with loss of work and income, with the risk of health-work, especially for nursing homes. But also use this time for us to reset our values, priorities and lifestyles into the way of Jesus. May your power and love be the foundations on which we live and walk together as First and Second Peoples; and build our families, our communities and our nation. We pray for all whom we love- our families, our friends, our church and local communities. We bring their needs before you . . . Bless them with love, healing, connection and any help they need. I pray for myself. You know what I need, but you want me to name those needs, desires and yearnings in prayer. I thank you for your leading and answered prayers in the past, and so ask now in faith . . . We pray on behalf of ourselves, those who agree with us and those who might even hate us for these prayers. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanks for using these devotions. If you ever want to talk with me about anything. Please feel welcome to call me on 0407 349 578 or email gbarker333@hotmail.com or PO Box 17 Koroit 3282 Geoff Barker And . . . to take this further- here’s a question I invite you to send me answer to: Why would a feminist want to be a Christian feminist? There’ll be a prize for your responses. Blessing (it’s the same one as last week, but worth pronouncing again) May God bless us daily with the wisdom to sort out and act on: What we’ve got to have, what we should have, and what we want to have, What we’ve got to do, what we should do, and what we want to do, What we’ve got to be, what we should be, and what we want to be. In the Spirit, wisdom and love and grace of Christ. Amen
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 Devotions for Sunday 23rd August
Welcome to the Devotions sheet for this Sunday. Please take some time to read, pray and imagine your way through what’s here. May you find grace and strength and connection with God from your time reading and reflecting. Acknowledgement We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of our land, and pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. We honour their care of the land and acknowledge that as Second Peoples, we have benefitted from their dispossession. So we commit ourselves to reconciliation and justice as First and Second Peoples together, and to learn from them to care for each other and the land. Prayer Dear God, I give thanks for these devotions, that show I’m not forgotten by our church. Thanks for the writer, the printers and the deliverers. Thanks for the church’s role in helping me connect with you. But even more, I give thanks for your Spirit that lives within me, who connects me with you constantly, whether I’m aware of it or not. I take this time to switch On from Standby, to bring you to consciousness, to light up my heart and mind and inner ears, to hear your quiet voice and recognise and feel your unseen presence. In this service, power me up for my part in service of you and your world, in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen Introduction Last week we began a new series looking at some implications of the gospel in and towards some contemporary and perhaps controversial movements in our world. Last week we looked for a deeper meaning to the phrase ‘God is Good’. This week we are going to look at Black Lives Matter. But first: Take a moment to name to yourself at least three things from your last week where you would say ‘Yes! God is Good!’ (And bonus points if you can name one of them that wouldn’t be thought of as an easy or comfortable thing.) (Sorry, no, this is not about points. God is all about grace). Say a brief prayer for these things- ‘God, I saw your goodness there. I give you thanks!’ Black Lives Matter #Black lives matter is a campaign begun in 2013 that’s gone worldwide, especially since the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota USA in May this year. It is a movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against Black people. It has broadened out to be a call to end personal and institutional racism world-wide. George Floyd was an African-American man who had been pulled over by the police to be questioned. They made him lie on the ground and a police office knelt on his neck. George Floyd was calling out ‘I can’t breathe!’. This went on for over 8 minutes and George Floyd died. This sparked riots in parts of USA and demonstrations all around the world. In Australia it has been taken up as well- highlighting that over 450 Australian First Nations people have died in police custody or prisons even since the Royal Commission into Deaths in Custody in 1991. First Nations’ prison rates in some states and the Northern Territory are some of the highest in the world per head of population. This is a fault with the system. It is not just a fault with the individual First Nations people concerned. The #Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Australia were controversial because they occurred during the Covid-19 restrictions, though organisers were careful to follow Covid-19 safety procedures. But don’t All Lives Matter? Of course they do! But the point of #Black Lives Matter is that among all lives, black lives are treated as if they matter less. Racism is not just a personal vice held by individual people, but is entrenched in the way societies operate. #Black Lives Matter is about ensuring they are treated equally. So what’s it got to do with the gospel? This was a Facebook post I received: Here’s the reading in full: Luke 15: 1-7 15 One day when many tax collectors and other outcasts came to listen to Jesus, 2 the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, “This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!” 3 So Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them—what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it. 5 When you find it, you are so happy that you put it on your shoulders 6 and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbours together and say to them, ‘I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent. I have recently been Facebook friended by a young Christian man from Liberia. (I was a bit sceptical at first when he sought me out- is this going to be a scammer?) Anyhow I’ve got to know him a little and like him and we have had some interesting message exchanges. I told him we were going to be talking about #Black Lives Matter at church this week and asked what he thought as a young African man. He said he’d do some research and get back to me. Here is his reply: “Here are the kinds of comments we hear in our circles. The church should not get involved in politics. We agree black lives matter, but so do blue lives, so do all lives. We agree social justice matters, but we should not confuse social justice with the gospel. We agree that discrimination and oppression are wrong, but should recognize that contemporary social justice movements are wedded to a Neo-Marxist worldview. We are opposed to racism and sexism, but we cannot support these movements because their agendas embrace other policies such as LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, an expansive welfare state and so on.” Pause for a moment to consider your feelings about what he’s said. I thanked him and here’s my reply: “For me, reading the scriptures I see the prophets and Jesus challenging unjust systems all the time, so for me, social justice is an important part of the gospel. Jesus and the scriptures aren’t just on about people going to heaven, but also about creating a world of care and fair sharing here, so all people can live life ‘abundantly’. For me, my care about social justice is from the bible not from a neo-Marxist viewpoint and each movement is evaluated and supported based on how it lines up with Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God. It also means we can get involved in and help shape the direction of movements like #Black Lives Matter, #Me too etc. All lives do matter, but I believe God calls us to support and advocate for those who are treated badly. I don’t mean to argue with you, but this is how I understand it.” He said he appreciated my reply. I have been reading some more challenging things about ingrained racism- things that as a person who sees myself as not racist and certainly don’t want to be- that are still there, personally, and loom large for Black People and People of Colour in how society works, that I wasn’t aware of. These are things like White Privilege (where we don’t realise how easier it is for us to make our way in the world), White Fragility (where many white people quickly get upset and angry when challenged about racism- think of the angry way some people talk about ‘political correctness’), Tone Policing (where we expect Black People and People of Colour, if they do speak about their painful experiences of racism, to do it gently without expressing emotion). The book is called ‘Me and White Supremacy’ by Layla F Saad. First off as Christians we can say ALL people are created in the image of God. Second, based on the scriptures we can say God has a special care for people who are oppressed, marginalised and discriminated against, and wants change to create equality for all. But thirdly, something really significant as Christians we can bring to the public debate- and sadly, polarisation- about movements such as #Black Lives Matter, is the grace of God. Here is a Affirmation of Faith we’ve used in church before: We affirm: The good news from Jesus, that we want our community to know, is that we don’t have to be afraid of our past, we don’t need to lie about it, deny it, cover it up, or find others to blame; and we don’t have to run or hide from God (or convince ourselves God doesn’t exist); for fear of being judged. The past can’t be changed, and whatever was wrong is forgiven when it is acknowledged and we resolve to do better. We can be free of our regrets. Because of this we can admit our personal and our nations’ failures and safely say sorry. We are connected to each other, and our futures are intertwined and bound up together. So even if I may not have been involved personally, we are all caught up in the wrongs and mistakes of the past, and are responsible for now and the future, with the power and influence we have- large or small. Through Christ it is safe, and helpful to confess our wrongs on behalf of ourselves and others. It is safe to say that things we thought were right at the time, were wrong. And largely we see this grace also in our First Peoples when we listen to them. The Luke 15 parable ended with the celebration in heaven over the person that repents. God is joyful when changes happen in peoples’ attitudes- and they see things God’s way. It’s not easy but it’s a better life being part of God’s movement rather than the resistance to the Spirit! Prayers for ourselves, others and the world Dear God, you don’t let up do you! In your love for the world, and in your love for all people you are always needling, whispering, provoking us to unity and wholeness as individuals, society and the creation. We like the idea, but it is hard. There is resistance from those who hold power in the world. There is resistance in family and friends that is hard to challenge, and there is resistance within myself. When I think I’ve made progress, you show me there’s a way more to go. In these prayers, let’s say the easy ones first: We pray for everyone affected by Covid 19- those who are sick, health workers, politicians and researchers; those stuck in nursing homes; those struggling with isolation; those who have lost work, customers or investment income; students, teachers and parents struggling with learning at home; those who are bereaved; those who are stranded away from loved ones and where closed borders make life difficult- all throughout the world. We name people who come to mind . . . Bless them with hope and inner strength and all they need. We pray for all whom we love- our families, our friends, our church and local communities. We bring their needs before you . . . Bless them with love, healing, connection and any help they need. I pray for myself. You know what I need, but you want me to name those needs, desires and yearnings in prayer. I thank you for your leading and answered prayers in the past, and so ask now in faith . . . So, to the hard ones. God of salvation- may your Spirit do what it takes to rescue the world from ourselves. With issues like climate change and environmental destruction we have proved that we can’t save ourselves- even with our wonders of technology. Thank you for the vision of Jesus, and the prophets that show us the issues and the way forward. Help us make the changes that need to be made that we can as individuals, and as a church; and speak strongly to those with power to make the big changes. I pray for the on-going development and success of the Black Lives Matter movement and an end to racism. And I join with your people all round the world and through time in the prayer Jesus taught: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil; for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen Thanks for using these devotions. If you ever want to talk with me about anything. Please feel welcome to call me on 0407 349 578 or email gbarker333@hotmail.com Geoff Barker Blessing May God bless us daily with the wisdom to sort out and act on: What we’ve got to have, what we should have, and what we want to have, What we’ve got to do, what we should do, and what we want to do, What we’ve got to be, what we should be, and what we want to be. In the Spirit, wisdom and love and grace of Christ. Amen  Devotions for Sunday 16th August 2020
Welcome to the Devotions sheet for this Sunday. Please take some time to read, pray and imagine your way through what’s here. May you find grace and strength and connection with God from your time reading and reflecting. Acknowledgement We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of our land, and pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. We honour their care of the land and acknowledge that as Second Peoples, we have benefitted from their dispossession. So we commit ourselves to reconciliation and justice as First and Second Peoples together, and to learn from them to care for each other and the land. Prayer Dear God, what have you got for me today through what Geoff has prepared here? I seek your Spirit- that I trust leads me into more life. I have yearnings, worries and questions of my own heart to share with you. And joy, gratitude and wonder to give in return for your goodness to me. May the mystery of reflection and prayer in this time, be like a face to face conversation compared to a phone call. We can be in contact with you moment by moment all week, but may this be a time of special closeness. In Jesus name. Amen Introduction We’ve now explored all of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Matthew’s gospel. (Not that we know it all now!) So where to go next? Recently it was suggested that we could get a banner like this one for the church at Warrnambool: I believe Jesus, with his life and teaching, his death and resurrection, his gift of the Holy Spirit and his entrusting of his work to his disciples, set in place a movement throughout the world towards what he called the coming of the Kingdom of God- where in this world all people will have enough, all people are treated with fairness, the earth is cared for, and there is a peaceful, harmonious diversity. Throughout the two-thousand years since Jesus’ earthly life, there has been progress within the ups and downs and good and evil of history. This trajectory is not just achieved by human effort, but by the influence of the Holy Spirit working through people who co-operate with God. There have been many instances where Christians (and others) campaigned for change, it was resisted, and then suddenly achieved- although always through suffering. Think of the end of apartheid in South Africa for example. I call it a trajectory, because Jesus set things in motion from where the world was in his day. The New Testament for example doesn’t challenge the idea of slavery, (but does say how slaves should be treated better). It took a long time, but the direction the gospel pointed to was an end to this practice. Some people might see some of these as causes of the ‘political left’, but they are expressions of the gospel. I want to be part of a forward moving church- part of the answer to the world’s and people’s problems. Sadly the church has at times been part of the resistance to these changes. We need to be involved to help shape these movements with God’s grace and wholeness. So that’s a long introduction. What I want to reflect on is the first statement- GOD IS GOOD. Some scriptures: There are many references in the psalms like this one: Psalm 107: 1 “Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good; his love is eternal!” Isaiah 48: 17-18 The holy God of Israel, the Lord who saves you, says: “I am the Lord your God, the one who wants to teach you for your own good and direct you in the way you should go. If only you had listened to my commands! Then blessings would have flowed for you like a stream that never goes dry. Mark: 10: 17-18 As Jesus was starting on his way again, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. Reflection – God is Good We usually use the word ‘good’ very loosely. “’How was your day?’ ‘Good’.” “‘Does this look good on me?’” “‘Sit, Buddy!’ ‘Good doggy!’” When we do this we mean something that’s to our liking, our ease or pleasure. Sometimes ‘good’ isn’t good enough. “’How did you like dinner?’ ‘It was good.’ ‘You didn’t like it then?’” We expect excellent! Islam proclaims ‘God is great!’ To me, in that statement ‘great’ has a sense of powerfulness about it. I think in Christian faith when we say ‘God is good’ it’s not about power, or about our liking, but ‘good’ as a moral character. God’s goodness and love belong together like in the quote from Psalm 107. Goodness, like love, then intends, looks for and acts for the deeper and long-term benefit of others, like in the quote from Isaiah. Before we get into the tricky questions about God’s goodness, we have to say these things are a reflection of God’s goodness- the gift of life itself is good! Being able to wake up in the morning is good. That we have enough to eat, we have homes, family, friends, community, work, interests, beauty around us, faith- all these things are gifts of God’s goodness towards us: for which to be grateful. We need to hang around in this space for a while. Maybe now you might like to list a few things you are specially thankful for, and name them in a prayer of thanks to God. Even in the meal-time case of “’I hate brussels sprouts.’ ‘Yes, but they’re good for you,’” it’s in our long-term health rather than our eating pleasure that goodness is found. But worse than brussels sprouts (or your least favourite thing), it’s a real question: If God is so good, why is life hard? A first answer to that can be that God’s goodness encompasses the whole world. It’s not all about me and my pleasure or comfort. A second is that without it requiring struggle and effort to achieve things, life would be terribly boring, unsatisfying and we wouldn’t develop a good character. Sometimes people who’ve had too much given to them aren’t nice people. We probably can all agree on those two points; but life isn’t fair and some people have to endure great suffering. How can God be good when there is such suffering? The old theodicy question! This is one that needs to be explored differently when you’re right in the middle of a torrid or painful time to when you’re doing fine and it can be looked at theoretically. In the middle of pain and grief we have a choice- we can reject God or we can turn to God. I believe when we do turn to God we find comfort and strength we may not have thought we had. Sometimes it sneaks in from the Spirit within us, and sometimes it lands on us from other people. It won’t suddenly make everything cosy again, but it will help you survive it and keep going, and gradually the pain eases off, even if a nasty scar is left. And then, standing back and looking at suffering theoretically, we can say this, though it’s never a complete answer: Most suffering is caused by people’s deliberate selfishness, or making unwise choices, or human ignorance, and through unjust human systems. Some comes from natural events like illnesses or earthquakes and the reality that everything dies. The Covid-19 you could say is a combination of these. There is randomness built in to the creation of and living of life. But what is the alternative? If there was instant karma- where every good act was quickly rewarded and we suffered immediately from every bad act- we would eventually learn not to do wrong things, suffering would be avoided but at a greater cost to the life of the human soul. We would be like robots, and love couldn’t be love. Real love requires freedom and the possibility of pain. We get back to God’s goodness being love. A love that is generous and vulnerable. A love that is patient yet determined. A love that wants to see blessing for all people, but has to rely on people to respond with love themselves. And as Jesus showed in his death and resurrection- a love prepared to go to the cross in pain and doubt; but is not conquered and rises again to never end. Prayers (with these prayers where there are the dots (. . . .) name people and situations you want to pray for.) Dear God, I give thanks for Jesus, who I believe has shown what sort of God you are, and what is behind the universe, and where I fit into something so vast and amazing. He showed you are truly good- a God whose nature is self-giving love- and that I’m included in that love. Fill me with that sort of love that I might give of myself in ways that honour your love for me. Guide me in what I can do. I pray about the things where I can only make a small difference:
Song (maybe read it at the pace it would be sung if you knew the tune) There’s a song by John Bell and Graham Maule of the Iona Community: The Goodness of God 1 The goodness of God is the source of our gladness, Surrounding the world with a harness of care, Enabling surprise and allowing for sadness, the hope of recovery, present as air. 2 The life of the world is a heavenly treasure, A pleasure to ponder, a summons to move, A radical bias of God in creation assuring the small and the weakest of love. (The authors are Scottish so the lines do rhyme) 3 The song of the earth has an infinite chorus, Resounding from birth through the silence of death, Expressive of anguish, frustration and laughter, It praises the Lord of music and breath. 4 The gifts of the poor are the means of our mending, as, touching their need, we are healed of our pain; The almost-forgotten are meant by the Maker to challenge the rich to forfeit their gain. 5 In Jesus the goodness of God was incarnate, The life of the world was redeemed and restored, The song of the earth found the key to its meaning, To gifts of the poor were never ignored. 6 And Jesus is present in word and in Spirit Where all that is greatest belongs to the least, Where sign matches song in complete correspondence And those who were low sit high at the feast. Blessing May God bless you with a trust in God’s goodness, an underlying mood that sees the goodness that surrounds us, an insight into the good seed of blessing buried in troubles, and God’s sort of love that energises with purpose each day. In the name of Christ. Amen Devotions for Sunday 9th August
Welcome to the Devotions sheet for this Sunday. We continue exploring Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount- coming to its end today. May you find grace and strength and connection with God from your time reading and reflecting. Acknowledgement We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of our land, and pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. We honour their care of the land and acknowledge that as Second Peoples, we have benefitted from their dispossession. So we commit ourselves to reconciliation and justice as First and Second Peoples together, and to learn from them to care for each other and the land. Starting Prayer Dear God, I approach this time as one of my spiritual practices, to nourish my life to live as best I can in these times and my circumstances. Meet me with your Spirit, Word and healing as I take my chances opening my inner self to you. In Jesus’ name. Prayers of concern So dear God, here’s what’s uppermost in my heart for myself and others. Let’s get it off my chest and out of the road. In this disturbing time - give us assurance, deep within our hearts, minds and bodies that we are all held in your care, whatever we face. So many things are fragile and teetering on the brink- jobs, businesses, the economy, our physical and mental health, our sense of community, our future, our faith, our church. May our foundations hold in this storm. We pray for all those with and dealing with covid-19, those with the virus, health workers and family members who care for them, for our leaders, for nursing home residents and staff, for teachers and students, for the unemployed, business owners, the unsupported, for Centrelink workers. We pray for the bereaved and those who can’t attend funerals, weddings and other community celebrations, those who are lonely, and find isolation painful. We pray for our loved ones . . . and individuals, families and communities under strain, here and round the world, especially Lebanon. May your Spirit strengthen us first to cope with this situation ourselves, then to provide care and hope to others. Free us to see with the crisis also comes a door to new life, and new opportunities to discover life that is even richer in your Spirit of love, peace and joy. Help all of us struggling with enforced change in our lives. Jolt us all into making our world more widely caring, more just, and more sustainable. Help us as individuals and as a church to hear your call to us; and where we need, to adapt and to go where your Spirit wants us to be - sharing your Good News, calling people to faith and nurturing them in your Way. Help us be an out-there church, with all the radical kindness we can muster. In Jesus’ name. Amen Reading: Matthew 7: 21-29 21 “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. 22 When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God's message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ 23 Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’ 24 “So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock. 26 “But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, the wind blew hard against that house, and it fell. And what a terrible fall that was!” 28 When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowd was amazed at the way he taught. 29 He wasn't like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority. Reflection Here we have the finale to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. I don’t think it was delivered as one sermon in one sitting, but was a collection of Jesus’ teachings put together by Matthew for his Jewish Christian community, in a form to show Jesus as the new Moses whose teaching takes us to the very heart of the Jewish Law. I imagine that in Jesus’ teaching ministry he had a lot to say on many occasions- and quite entertainingly- about each of the points that are summarised here. What puzzles me about the first section here is that the people who call Jesus ‘Lord, Lord’ say they have done dramatic things in his name. Now are they lying? Or if they have actually done them, what is it that they haven’t been doing that is God’s will for them? How have they been able to do miracles if they haven’t been obedient to God’s call? Where do we stand who just do little things in Jesus’ name? Jesus says ‘I never knew you’ to them. I would have more expected him to say, ‘You never really knew me.’ And then sending them away as ‘wicked’ seems a bit harsh. Perhaps the repeat in ‘Lord, Lord’ hints at a trying to put one over Jesus. It doesn’t work. If they really knew him one ‘Lord’ would be enough. We can perhaps think of a few professing Christians who have done some evil things. Or a prominent person who made something of waving a bible around when their behaviour is disgraceful. Jesus speaks of ‘many’. It’s not what they’ve done but what they haven’t done. These are people who do the religious part of Christian faith, but not what God is really looking for. In Matthew 23:23 Jesus says ‘You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practice, without neglecting the others.’ It does call us to re-examine ourselves. Our faith can’t be just words or show- no matter how religious it looks, it has to be lived in action. This harks back to the teachings where people make long prayers in the street, or make a big show of their charity, but don’t impress God. It calls us to deeply listen for what God is calling us to be and do, not necessarily what is flashy or popular. It’s in that deep listening through contemplating scripture and prayer that we hear what God is calling us to do, and that Jesus knows us. The wise and foolish builders reinforce that faith has to be lived out in action. Hearing Jesus words and even believing them is not enough for a solid foundation in difficult times. The consequences of a hypocritical faith are emphasised- ‘What a terrible fall that was’. I’ve used the expression ‘lived out in action’ as my interpretation of the text where Jesus uses is ‘obey’. The word obey makes it sound like Jesus has given a whole bunch of rules we need to follow. But they are very difficult as rules for us to attempt in our own strength of willpower, even if we really want to. And what score do we have to get in trying to live them out? In my internet French lessons with Babbel, if I get say 30 out of 36 right they tell me it’s ‘Fantastique’. Jesus doesn’t give us God’s pass-mark. Jesus is talking about entering the Kingdom of heaven. The Kingdom isn’t something we achieve. It’s something we enter by receiving it. It comes as a gift. It is offered to us. Our job is to receive it. ‘Remember this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15, Luke 18:17) So I don’t think this is about rules; it’s about being receptive to the life-shaping and life-transforming influence of the Holy Spirit. The seedling of the Spirit is in all people and we can nourish it and give it room in our lives by that deep listening of prayer and contemplation and then letting that produce fruit in actions of kindness and love. ‘Receiving the Kingdom’ is a risk- we don’t know what God is going to call us to, how God is going to change us, and fear what God is going to spoil or take away. The trust required to receive it is to trust that God is good. God has our truly best interests at heart. ‘Receiving the Kingdom like a child’ makes me think of Christmas Day morning and their up-early eagerness. I love it that when God’s Spirit does work change in us, it is from where we are, one manageable step at a time, decision by decision, and with challenges we can meet with a bit of a stretch and asking for help. These feel like days when ‘the rain is pouring down, the rivers are flooding over, and the wind is blowing hard against our houses’. I feel like what is really in peoples’ hearts is being exposed- with those who care for others and those who only care for themselves becoming more obvious. It’s a time for deeper listening for God, nourishing the Holy Spirit within us by looking for all that’s good going on around us, and for whatever actions of kindness we can still do. Prayer of thanksgiving and praise Dear God, feeling safe in your grace we can pray, talking with you like friends. We like it when we receive praise, appreciation and thanks. There’s something about being human that recognition and having counted for good for others gives us happiness and a sense of worth. And it does us good to show our appreciation and thanks to others, and praise good actions. So how about you? If we’re made in your image- do you need our praise? Or is it just good to get it? Somehow I sense our praise doesn’t make a lot of difference to you- except that in your giving, you enjoy the good it does us to pause, reflect, realise all that you’ve given us and are for us, and to express it. We are grateful for the gift of life. We appreciate the wonder of nature and of ourselves. We give thanks for community. We give thanks for all the countless blessings that we enjoy- and the privilege of living in this place in this time. We give thanks for you showing us yourself in Jesus, and the presence of your Spirit within us- bringing us acceptance, forgiveness, peace, hope, inner strength and a sense of who we really are as your children. Even the faith that we have is your gift to us. You are great beyond how things suit us; and in troubles, grief and our disappointments, the reality of your ultimate goodness can be trusted. You can’t be repaid; but we can offer our worship- that’s not just singing songs and praying, but a worship that is to live our lives fully participating in your life. This is what we aspire to. With a tingling excitement of what that can be that gets us springing out of bed each morning. In Jesus’ name. Amen Blessing This one comes from a Michael Leunig prayer. God give us strength. Strength to hold on and strength to let go. And can I add . . . and the wisdom to know the difference when. |
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