Sunday 24 March 2024

Reflection Palm Sunday 2024

Reflection

‘Everyone in Jerusalem, celebrate and shout! Your king has won a victory, and he is coming to you. He is humble and rides on a donkey; he comes on the colt of a donkey.’ Zechariah 9.9

Some Biblical scholars would argue that this event we know as Palm Sunday  was written into the Gospel account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem but probably never happened.   Personally, I am willing to take it at face value. I am willing to see that this is exactly the type of thing Jesus would do. There was a long tradition of prophets living out or enacting their message. From smashing pots, Jeremiah 19, giving your children significant names, see Hosea, or a naked Isaiah, cf. chapter 20, or hiding your underpants in the cleft of a rock, Jeremiah 13.4.

Jesus was sending a very clear message of whom he considered himself to be, and he was inviting people to recognise this and proclaim it.  The time for obfuscation and the ‘messianic secret’ was over, now in this final week, it was time to be clear on intent and purpose, calling and vocation. 

I am equally okay with accepting that Jesus timed his entry into Jerusalem, coming from the east and through the North Gate just as another triumphal procession was entering throughn the opposite Western Gate.  Pilate would come to Jerusalem from his home in Caesarea for major feast, and they didn’t get more important than this one, celebrating the Passover.  Pilate would be riding a war horse, with a cohort of soldiers to bolster the standing army stationed in Jerusalem. And Pilate would be sending a strong message to any who might think of starting an insurrection. You can well imagine the trumpet blasts, the stomp of hob nailed sandals, people being pushed roughly to the side.


And Jesus, Jesus comes humbly riding on a donkey. In the ancient world entering a city on a donkey was a sign that the person is coming in peace.

Pilate’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem is not hard to imagine. It has continued throughout the age, and you have only to see the news and


you will see it is still happening in many places across the world.

And you and I, we have a choice. Which ‘king’ are you going to give your allegiance to, which king are you going to follow, which kingdom are you going to give the whole of your life to see it become a reality.

Before you say yes to follow King Jesus go and take a long hard look this Holy Week at the preceding chapter 10 of Mark’s account of Jesus’ triumphal entrance in chapter 11. 

May your journey through Holy Week be reflective, full of pondering, may you be able to embrace the 'cost' of Good Friday, may you be able to sit in the utter hopeless dereliction of Holy Saturday, and having made that journey, our rejoicing will carry far mor meaning as we proclaim that 'The Lord is Risen.'  

Sunday 17 March 2024

Weekly Reflection 17th March 2024

 

Reflection

Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day, although some will be celebrating today, (17th March) even more so after they retained the Rugby Six Nations title! 


The reason is simple enough, it is because ‘liturgically’ the Church does not celebrate any Saint on a Sunday. Last year, St George’s Day fell on Sunday 23rd and was transferred to Monday 24th.  It’s good to know that Sunday remains focussed on Jesus.

St Patrick’s story in essence is simply told.

Patrick was born in Britain of a Romanized family. When he was 16 years old, Irish raiders tore him from the villa of his father, Calpurnius, a deacon and minor local official, and carried Patrick into slavery in Ireland. He spent six bleak years there as a herdsman, during which time he turned with fervour to his faith. Upon dreaming that the ship in which he was to escape was ready, he fled his enslaver and found passage to Britain. There he came near to starvation and suffered a second brief captivity before he was reunited with his family. Thereafter he may have paid a short visit to the Continent.

The best-known passage in the Confessio tells of a dream, after his return to Britain, in which one Victoricus delivered him a letter headed “The Voice of the Irish.” As Patrick read it, he seemed to hear a certain company of Irish beseeching him to walk once more among them. “Deeply moved,” he says, “I could read no more.” Nevertheless, because of the shortcomings of his education, he was reluctant for a long time to respond to the call. Even on the eve of his re-embarkation for Ireland, he was beset by doubts of his fitness for the task.

As I hear this story, I am reminded of the story from Prison Fellowship in one of their recent missives  about Henry…

Henry was a learner on the first Sycamore Tree course that our Volunteer, Brian, facilitated. Henry also spent a lot of time in the prison chapel and became a Christian while serving his sentence and was baptised. Brian would often check in on Henry when visiting the prison. But then, one day, Henry was released. And Brian was left wondering and praying about his life on the outside.

A few years later, Brian was volunteering in a category A prison for the very first time. On his arrival, the Managing Chaplain smiled and said, ‘There’s someone in the chapel who would like to meet you.’ Brian wondered who this might be.

He walked in and there was Henry. He ran over and excitedly greeted Brian! But now Brian’s mind was racing. What on earth has happened for Henry to be in a category A prison? If he had been recalled here, he must have done something seriously wrong. He said, ‘Henry, what’s happened? Why are you back in prison?’

Henry laughed. ‘I’m not here as a prisoner. I am now a Group Facilitator, helping to run Sycamore Tree. The course had such a big impact on me that I wanted to help others to be transformed, too! I can never thank the Sycamore Tree team enough. They helped turn my life around.’

And I reminded of the founder of Prison Fellowship, Chuck Colson.

www.prisonfellowship.org.uk

There are others of course, who having gone through the prison system, return to offer ministry. Like Simon Edwards and ‘Walk Ministries’ in Stoke.  They offer a fantastic range of programmes and facilities to help men transition out of prison life and into society.

walkministries.org.uk

I think this says something about incarnational ministry.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

This Sunday coming is Palm Sunday and once more we will begin the journey that leads inexorably to the cross on Good Friday.

Then what next?

Well, for most Christians it will be Easter or Resurrection Sunday. But what about Holy Saturday. (The day before Easter Sunday is not Easter Saturday, you can’t have Easter anything before Easter Day!)

I long for the Church to sit for a while, incarnationally, with all the pain and suffering and hurt across the world, and yes, in our prisons. Especially the recent tragedy in HMP Exeter of a young man from Launceston taking his life following violent altercations with his cell mate.



(Consider what Jesus’ disciples were feeling and experiencing on this ‘in-between day, all hope gone, all dreams dashed. Utterly and completely bereft, so much so that Peter returns to what he knows and what he left before he began the walk with Jesus, what else to do indeed!)

And then, having sat in that place of dark and despair to slowly allow the wonder of resurrection arise bringing fresh hope of new creation, the dawning of a new day.  




 

Monday 11 March 2024

Weekly Reflection 10th March 2024

 

Reflection

 

My brother sent me through this picture on Saturday of him and the Sycamore Gap Tree.  As someone with a life-long keen interest in the natural world he was delighted to hear the news that saplings and seedlings had been grown from the Sycamore Gap Tree that stood in a dip along Hadrian’s Wall. 

The National Trust didn’t hold out much hope of success given the time of year. But with diligence and skill they have manged to ensure that the tree continues to live on through these seedlings and saplings.




The link with Prison Fellowship Home - Prison Fellowship and their own Sycamore Tree Course has many echoes.  The Sycamore Gap Tree was subject to a random criminal activity that destroyed the tree and the pleasure that it had brought to many thousands of people.

The Sycamore Tree Course seeks to get those in prison to recognise the ‘damage’ they have done with ripples that spread way beyond those immediately affected.

There may be those who think that any hope a ‘new life’ is impossible.  However, with dedication and skill, restoration and new life can arise. There is always hope.

I would like to think, and I would imagine, that we will be hearing more about these seedlings and saplings as they are planted out. Maybe we could use the news of these plantings as a focus for prayer for the Sycamore Tree Course and for any Courses or individuals involved in the Course that we might know of. 

If you are not familiar with the Sycamore Tree Course follow this link for more information. 

sycamore tree - Prison Fellowship

Jesus said, Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.’ John 12.24

 

Sunday 3 March 2024

Weekly Reflection 3rd March 2024

The Jury: Murder Trial

How much can we trust our justice system? In this landmark experiment, a real-life murder trial is restaged in front of two juries of ordinary people. Will they both reach the same verdict?

 THE JURY: MURDER TRIAL

Watch The Jury: Murder Trial | Stream free on Channel 4

 


Jane and I sat and ‘binged watched’ our way through the whole series of ‘The Jury: Murder Trial, as we found it so compelling. If you have not watched it, I cannot recommend it highly enough.  The two juries where unaware of each other and we got to see for the first time, a jury processing and deliberating the case before them.  If you have not seen it, I will not give anything away.

All I will say on this is that I am thankful that it is God who will eventually bring his full judgment and justice to the world. 

Partly that is because we are who we are, we have a ‘back story.’  During the series we got to hear the back story on some of those on the jury.  What was hard for them was to push all that down and try and act on the facts and the legality of the case. Their decision was whether the accused was guilty of murder or manslaughter.

Our ‘formation’ begins at conception and will continue until we die. Initially our formation is the responsibility of others until we reach an age where we can begin to make choices about what we are going to engage with. However, we are all being formed and changed by the things around us, by what we eat, where we live, our family and fiends and a whole huge raft of things. Some of those influences we have no control over, but others we do, and to some degree how we chose to engage with those influences remains in our gift. (But at the extreme edge that may lead to our death as we have seen recently with Alexei Navalny.)

St Oswald’s Lent Book is ‘Practicing the Way’ – John Mark Comer and picks up the idea of our formation which is summarised by St Paul in Roman’s 12.2 Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.


Comer brings together in a very readable way, ancient wisdom from people like Benedict as well as an understanding and explanation of the way of ‘disciples’ and their rabbi at the time of Jesus. Comer encourages us to become ‘apprentices’ of Jesus, a term he prefers over the word disciple. The goal is to become all that we are meant to be infused by the life-giving Spirit of Jesus. This follows a threefold pattern; be like Jesus, become like him, and do as he did.

Each and every moment of each and every day we are being formed, shaped, and moulded by a huge array of influences. (Interesting that today being an ‘influencer’ is considered by some as a career choice)

The question for us all to consider and to ask ourselves and others we have conversations with, is what are we being influenced by and what choices are we making in what influences us?

The next and deeper question, again asking ourselves and those we engage with, is how those influences are shaping and moulding us? Into what type of people are we becoming? Are we becoming kinder, more loving, more at peace – perhaps we might want to say, showing more of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. (Galatians 5.22-23.)



Ask yourself this question what type of 80-year-old would you like to be? Older people tend to fall into broadly two categories. (Medical issues aside).  They will be at peace, content, interesting and engaging and with time to listen. Or sadly, they can be cranky and bitter and full of resentment and short-tempered.

If by God’s gift and grace I make it to being eighty, then I know for certain what side of that bell-curve I want to be. And that will mean letting God re-mould my mind from within by taking care of what I engage with on the outside and what I am letting in and allowing to influence me.

 


Sunday 25 February 2024

Prison Fellowship Reflection 25/02/2024

Jane and I are in Cornwall for Lowenna’s 9th birthday on Monday, 26th February.  It has been raining pretty much nonstop since we arrived on Thursday. However, yesterday we did manage the walk into Mevagissey.  Being a small fishing port one of the obvious signs around the harbour are about life saving. There is no RNLI Lifeboat but plenty of information about how to contact them and the coastguard. Plus, there is a locker with life jackets readily available.

This morning, we joined with our friends at Holy Trinity, St Austell for morning worship, as we explored Romans 4 and the ‘free gift’ of God which through the ‘saving work of Jesus’ put us into ‘credit’ with God.  From the ‘Bank of God’ we can withdraw all that we need in our daily lives, peace, patience, love, forbearance, hope, etc. etc. 

All of this comes as a gift of God; Ephesians 2:8-9 ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.’

GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

Many years ago (1978) I was a volunteer with a Church Army Beach Mission in Great Yarmouth. On the beach one day I saw a child in trouble and being pulled underneath the pier.  I am not the strongest of swimmers, but I was able to swim over, lift them up out of the water so they could catch their breath. We then managed to get the child back to the shore and safety. I was musing the other day and wonder if they recall that day.

Sometimes the phrase ‘being saved’ is used in a Christian context and features in numerous worship songs, as it did for us today.

But what do we mean when we declare we are saved?  I would like to expand that word and what we may mean by it.  Particularly if we have constricted it to a particular ‘transaction’ that means we consider ourselves ‘saved’ from post-mortem banishment from God’s presence and being welcomed into ‘heaven.’

Surely it means much more than that.

Doesn’t it mean we can be saved from saying and doing hurtful things?  Doesn’t it mean we have hope? Doesn’t it mean we are saved, should we choose, not to follow the path of destruction either our own or somebody else’s, and we might include in that the environment as well.

Doesn’t it mean we search the Scriptures, we worship God and seek to follow his will and his way for we know that is the best for us, for our family and friends and for the whole world, both ‘our’ world’ and the larger world.

Doesn’t it mean we can say to those in prison, Jesus can save you, but mean so much more than this means you will now go to heaven when you die.

Not on salvation as such but I am reminded of a story of a reformed alcoholic who was ‘saved.’

His former drinking friends were teasing him one day, ‘so now you have become a Christian do you believe in miracles?’ ‘Well,’ he replied, ‘if you come to my home, you will see how Jesus has turned beer into tables and beds and furniture, how Jesus has turned alcohol into food on the table for my family. I don’t know if you would call that a miracle, but it’s enough of a miracle for me!’

How many ‘miracles’ of ‘salvation’ do we experience every day?

We have been saved, we are being saved and we will be saved - ‘and this will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Ephesians4.13





Tuesday 20 February 2024

'Into the Wilderness' ~ transcript of sermon St Oswald's Rugby First Sunday in Lent 2024

                           

Luke 4:1-13

 ‘Wilderness’ – what image does that suggest for you?

Experientially I think of Bodmin moor which I have walked around a lot. Or, more dauntingly, neighbouring Dartmoor, far more isolated and vaster.

 All images Image result for Dartmoor. Size: 197 x 131. Source: visitdartmoor.co.uk

But perhaps the strongest image for me is the Arizona desert. To celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary Jane and I had a trip around some parts of Route 66. One section was from Tombstone to Las Vegas - driving. I remember once we had found a road the satnav saying, drive for 398 miles. One long straight road through the heart of the desert. If you got out of the car, you were hit by a wall of heat and wind. It was exciting and scary. How people managed to survive trav travelling thought that desert, I have no idea.   

Wilderness in the ancient world of the Bible was just as scary, perhaps even more so. If they had to travel, they would try and get from one inhabited place to another inhabited place as quickly as possible and usually in groups for safety.

Remember what happened to the man going from Jerusalem to Jericho?

However, wilderness was and remains a place where many encounter not only danger and even attacks from evil forces, but also a place where God is encountered. This story of Jesus in the wilderness echoes the formational and testing period of Israel in the wilderness for forty years.

‘Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.’

 Deuteronomy 8.2

But in the larger Biblical narrative we first encounter wilderness in the creation narrative. And that’s important as we reflect on Jesus’ experience in the wilderness and temptations he is to undergo.

And here, as an aside, it worth reminding ourselves that this story is not video footage. Jesus did not have a mobile phone and set himself up on a TikTok. And we are told clearly Jesus was alone – so how did this story find its way into the Gospels? Perhaps the simple answer is the simple answer – Jesus recalled the story to his disciples. Remembering that this was a largely illiterate society with an oral tradition. Truths were told in stories. We could spend a lot of time arguing about whether Jesus’ was taken physically to the highest point of the temple – but I would suggest that would be fruitless exercise.

Therefore, we ask why is this story being told?

What are the truths being conveyed?

How does this story fit into the larger Biblical narrative.

One of the exciting things about reading the Bible, with its 66 books of a variety of styles written over thousands of years, is the connectivity.

Route 66 – the Bible is the highway to heaven – but quickly adding that is a two-way traffic flow!

 A brown leather bible with gold text

Description automatically generated A road with a sign on it

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Let’s go back to the creation story and meet Adam One.

We can see that this story tells us of God’s good plans for the creation.

That the Garden Temple Space in Eden was to be extended across all the earth – ‘as the waters cover the sea.’  Bringing light, order, flourishing and abundance for all and for everything.

However, Adam and Eve are cast out into the wilderness following their choosing their own path of self-determination. Sadly, catastrophically, they failed the test. The once fruitful earth will now only give of its fruit begrudgingly, along with briars and thistles.  

But God has not given up on his project, the creators creativity arising out of the community of love we come to know as the Trinity.

Note if you will – ‘let us make man in our image.’

A long, long story then ensues with twist and turns and failures and frustrations as God seeks to call out first an individual, Abraham, and his family to be a true representative of Yahweh upon earth. From whom will arise a whole nation, Israel. Which then finds its focus on Jesus.

Jesus presents himself as Israel personified and Jesus present himself as Adam Two.

And Adam Two goes into the wilderness led by the Spirit as was Adam One following their disobedience.  

O loving wisdom of our God!

When all was sin and shame,

a second Adam to the fight

and to the rescue came.

 O wisest love! that flesh and blood,

which did in Adam fail,

should strive afresh against the foe,

should strive and should prevail;

(Praise to the holiest in the height - John Henry Newman) 

Here also as Jesus, Adam Two, confronts the wiles of the devil, that same voice, which if we listen carefully drips with poisonous honey, a voice that had so tempted Adam One.

A voice we may recognise as we face our trials and tribulations.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t argue or debate even when Scripture is quoted by the devil.

It has been said that the ‘thought is father to the deed.’

Once we begin to debate, to discuss and to entertain an idea, we are on a very dangerous path.

For example, remember Jesus’s words about not committing adultery. He says that to even look at someone with lust is committing adultery. To emphasise the seriousness of this Jesus talks about tearing out eyes and cutting of limbs, hyperbole indeed, but the point is still strong and clear.

‘We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.’  2 Cor 10.5

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4.7

Jesus has just undergone Baptism by John when the Holy Spirit came upon him. That’s our context for Jesus’ going out into the wilderness.

There had been those who claimed to be Messiah before and would be again after Jesus.

Most, if not all, followed a path of open rebellion against the occupying forces. They were crushed and their followers dispersed.


What path was Jesus to set out upon?

What was his understanding of Messiah?

What was his reading of the ancient text and stories?

Who would oppose him if he sought to teach about a way of self-sacrifice, a way of love, even for your enemies. A turning of the other cheek, a going the extra mile, an embracing of the poor, the filthy, the outcast. Embracing the leper and eating with sex workers and tax collectors.

Who would stand against him if he was to embrace a Samaritan woman and speak and offer new life to her and her community. Or if he was to heal a Centurion servant or a Syro-Phoenician’s daughter.

Jesus could probably see them lining up in opposition….

But Jesus knew that…

‘…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’   Ephesians 6.12.

Jesus knew that as he stepped out and began proclaiming that in him and through him the Kingdom of God was near, Jesus knew that he had to face, confront, and face down this dark force which had the world in its vice like grip.

This dark force in opposition to God, that used and abused human bodies, that brought everything back into a pre-creation state of chaos and confusion.

Jesus knew he would have to stand against this accuser, and Jesus knew that he couldn’t stand as one accused yet remain as Adam Two, without sin.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4.15

Brothers and sisters, we live in a wilderness.

We face trails and temptations.

We face and see the evil in our world, and we can look behind that evil and see the accuser, the corrupter of souls, the destroyer of life.

Let’s get very real, very personal, and very challenging.

I love studying the Scriptures. I love discovering new links and words and depths of their meaning, I really love it, it’s been one of the joys of retirement that I have discovered a whole new love for God’s word.

But – and it’s a really big and a very important but!

If our worship, our studying of Scripture. If our prayers and petitions, and our fasting, if they do not change the way we are in the world then it will be like putting lipstick on a pig.

 

Yes, we will be tempted to repeat that bit of salacious gossip. Yes, we will be tempted to give an unofficial hand signal to the person who has just cut us up on the road. Yes, we will be tempted to turn away from those most in need and do so with all sorts of reasonable and rational arguments – well I know I do. 

And yes, speaking mainly to the men here, we will be tempted by those images on our screens.

Let’s get real and recognise that we face temptations in the wilderness.

But let’s us take assurance that…

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Cor.10.13

Our calling is the same as that received by Adam One. But now because of the faithfulness of Adam Two we can stand filled with the Spirit of Adam Two.

I hope that’s not too confusing because I would like to invite us to step out into the world, into the wilderness to plant seeds of hope. To tear up brambles and thorns and thistles of hatred and dispute.

To be bringers of heaven to earth in our actions and bringers of earth to heaven in our prayers – up and down Route 66, the Word of God.

 A road with a sign on it

Description automatically generated A brown leather bible with gold text

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Asking this question – in my life, all of my life, I being Adam One or Adam Two?

My life, my life be on your altar,

 https://youtu.be/OSWMJhyEsy4?si=8ivY3AlmB5tK2jaU


And if you want to watch the sermon in context....

https://www.youtube.com/live/_dYDXsAVYTo?si=HR7u5qqq3IHqoxEH