THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – Be prepared 23^rd August

When our futures are uncertain (not something exclusive to the current situation) it can be difficult to know how and what to plan for. My Brother once quoted to me the saying ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!’ Yet herein lies one of those paradoxes – at least at first sight. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6: 34). Does this really mean we just forget about tomorrow and the future and let it take care of itself? I don’t think so. Jesus isn’t saying don’t consider or prepare, he’s saying don’t worry.

While Jesus may have told his disciples not to worry, He also told them to prepare. Primarily the instructions in the gospels involve the coming of the kingdom, or activities Jesus was soon to carry out. The most famous perhaps being ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’ (Isaiah 40:3, Mt 3:3, Mk 1:3, Lk 3:4). The folly of not be prepared is played out graphically in ‘The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids’ where five of the bridesmaids didn’t think to buy oil for their lamps in advance of the bride groom arriving and their lamps went out (Mt 25: 1-13). Following on, in the same chapter, is ‘The Parable if the Talents’. Here a master’s slaves are given Talents. These are to be used in a way that will create profit and growth ready for the master’s future return. But one of them simply buried his Talent and gained nothing, in fact he lost out (Mt 25: 14-30).

What does this mean for us today?

Any sportsperson, actor, musician and others will tell you, the only way to succeed is with preparation and practice, both physical and mental. That goes for many aspects of life, big and small, preparing a shopping list to ensure you have what you need for the week ahead, practicing your three point turn to help you pass your driving test.

The saying ‘we don’t know what’s round the corner’, and ‘we don’t know what tomorrow will bring’ are true, but a full and satisfying life will still be one that includes practice and preparation – except that’s only part of the story. However well prepared we are, there will still be times when we experience great stress. I mentioned mental preparation earlier and there are many techniques, but these must surely include the spiritual preparation.

A number of years ago a local preacher came to our church and talked about spending at least three minutes a day with God – a sort of mini challenge – I remember thinking ‘That’s a bit mean, only three minutes!’ At that point I also realised there were times when, having left my seat in church on a Sunday I didn’t consciously think about God until I sat down again the next. Since then I’ve tried, every day, to spend some time with God. It could be reading or simply sitting quietly outside in the early morning sun – and yes there are occasionally days when I’m quite superficial, allowing my thoughts to wander all over the place and finally getting up to do some job or other hardly achieving even three genuine minutes – one of the draw backs of being human. I can honestly say though, this has undoubtedly helped me through some major shifts in my life over subsequent years.

Do I ever feel week and over whelmed, or worry about tomorrow? Yes – that darned human side keeps creeping in. But with prayer and meditation on the teachings of Jesus, we can find strength for the day, and worries do dissipate. As I think about this the third verse of Thomas Chisholm’s wonderful hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ come to mind, especially the third line.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Like all good hymns its content is steeped in scripture ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness’ (Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSV).

So let’s practice and maintain our life skills let’s practice and prepare for the future physically, mentally and spiritually. And in doing so have bright hope for tomorrow.

A prayer by Nick Fawcett¹

Gracious God

We thank you that you are always with us,

In the bad times as well as the good,

The difficult as well as the easy,

The sad as well as the happy

Lord of all hopefulness,

Hear our pray

We thank you that, though we have sometimes

Been unsure of the way ahead,

You have alays been there to guide us,

Though we have felt discouraged,

You have offered us fresh inspiration,

Though we have been in depair,

You have given us hope.

Lord of all hopefulness,

Hear our pray

We thank you for the assurance this brings us

That your steadfast love never ceases,

That your mercies are new every morning,

That great is your faithfulness.

Lord of all hopefulness,

Hear our pray

May that conviction give us confidence in the days ahead,

So that whatever problems we face,

Whatever disappointments we experience,

Whatever sorrows may befall us,

We will still find reason to look forward,

Reason to believe in the future,

And reason to hope.

Lord of all hopefulness,

Hear our pray

In the name of Christ.

Amen.

 ¹Fawcett, N. (1998) Prayers for All Seasons. 1500210 edition ed. Bury St Edmunds, Kevin Mayhew Ltd.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – What is so unique about Jesus? 16^th August

I’m going to start this week’s thought on a very personal note – I should perhaps apologies, but I’d rather not as I know I’m not alone in some of what I’m going to say and I hope also to bring a note of hope.

This last week or so has been difficult, on Thursday a few of us were privileged to attend the funeral of a very dear friend (numbers of course restricted, sadly), she was someone who touched the lives of countless people with her friendship, personality, dedication and loyalty, not just here, but in many countries throughout the world. Also, our church lost a loved and dedicated speaker who gave great service to the church. He often had simple yet profound messages that could cut to the heart of the matter. Both will be greatly missed.

On an even more personal note, my Aunty Dot (not a real aunt) passed away just shy of her 98^th birthday. When our family moved to Chelmsford we moved into the flat next door to Dot and her husband Norman. Dot was so excited to have children moving in next door. There were my two older brothers aged six and seven – and my mother was expecting yours truly! So Dot has been there quite literally from day one. To begin to do justice to Dot’s influence on my life would require an exceedingly long thought for the week! So I will satisfy myself by simply saying that, even into adulthood, whenever I was with her I felt safe and always felt loved, feelings her two adopted daughters willingly and graciously shared. Dot was also a lady of faith and for me personified the words attributed to a number of people including Francis of Assis ‘Go into the world and preach the gospel and if necessary use words’ she simply oozed joy and love.

Nowadays I often say when conducting funerals that in the days, weeks, months and years after a loved one has passed, we often say things like ‘I wonder what so and so would say about that’ or, ‘so and so would have loved this.‘ Every time we say these things we bring that person flooding into the present, sometimes the memories and feelings are so strong it’s as if they standing there with us, their influence in our lives still shining. And no one can take that away. But what has this to do with who Jesus is and why he’s so unique?

Hard as it is for me to say, the truth is that although our friends and loved ones will in deed live with us forever, after a few generations their direct influence on new generation diminishes considerably. So what are the similarities and what are the differences between Jesus and the Auntie Dots of this world? Well, like Auntie Dot, Jesus’ love is unconditional, even when we go wrong he still loves us, and he will forgive us when we go to him in sorrow for what we’ve done. Jesus even went one step further and took on the ultimate punishment on the cross for our wrong doings. One of the other differences of course is that His influence never diminishes, it’s as strong now as it’s ever been and will continue to be so, age to age, generation to generation – He is after all the Son of God.

But how does Jesus influence us? For one thing, I firmly believe he works through the likes of my Auntie Dot, the answer to silent perhaps even unspoken prayers. But sometimes we have to invite Him in – “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest….” (Mt 11:28 …) ‘Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, …’ (Rev 3:20…).

It’s when we open the door that we can receive that inexplicable calm and secure feeling often describe as ‘the peace which passes all understanding.’ And when we do all these things, we can also claim the promise Jesus made to his disciples ‘…And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28: 20b)

A Prayer

Heavenly Father

We give you grateful thanks for the

Special people who bring

Light into our lives,

For those who inspire us,

Those who care for us and love us

Those whose friendship goes beyond words.

We thank you for Your great mercy, shown through

Their love and the life and love of your Son, Jesus Christ.

We pray for all those who don’t have

Special people in their lives,

Who don’t feel cared for or loved.

May they seek, find and know

Your love and tender mercy in their lives,

May they hear you knocking, and open the door.

And may we be open to being

Your answer to their prayers

We ask a special blessing on

All people who are feeling vulnerable,

Those who are sick, those who are dying,

For those who love and care for them,

And for those suffering loss.

We pray for Dot’s family,

For Lyndsey and Paul, for Sue.

You know the needs of each one Lord,

So we lift them to you in the

Precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Thought for the Week – Sunday 9^th August 2020

What Does Having Faith Mean To You?

“Oh ye of little faith” is a phrase I have used and heard many times in everyday life, most commonly used by myself as a means of expressing absolute certainty whilst in the presence of someone displaying more than a little uncertainty towards me. On reflection as to why I say it, well I have to be honest and say that I now realise that it is a sort of rebuke, a pointed remark for not showing a little more faith in who I am and what I can achieve.

Reading today’s Gospel account from Mathew, I do wonder if Jesus is using it in the same manner towards Peter. After all this is not the first time Peter has seen Jesus controlling both wind and sea whilst in a boat and of course he has also just been a witness to the feeding of the 5,000, so not really sure what more Peter needs to have a complete faith in Jesus?

That word ‘faith’ though, can have many differing meanings and interpretations depending on who you are talking to and so this relatively small word begins to represent a hugely complex and deeply personal meaning for the individual using it.

I looked up the dictionary meaning of the word faith and interestingly found it had been referenced for both secular and religious use

Faith – a complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Faith – a strong belief based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.

 Now this got me thinking as to which of these definitions best fits with Peter stepping out of the boat and onto the water? Well of course we would like to think it’s the second one but if that were so, why then having stepped out onto the water upon Jesus’ command, did he begin to fear the wind and simply sink? How was his spiritual conviction in Jesus so easily undone by a moment of doubt? Perhaps this was Jesus’ intention all along that Peter should experience exactly what doubt can do to faith, so that he too would understand when he saw it in others and so respond as Jesus did and offer a hand to raise them back up again.

Peter’s faith it would seem, lay in the proven qualities of the boat to keep him safe because we can usually establish a complete trust in that which we can see, feel and experience, it’s how we learn and how we survive. Spiritual trust is a bit more of a challenge, metaphorically it’s a bit like stepping over the side of the boat as Peter did and into something that your rational mind is screaming at you “this cannot be real, cannot be done and so should not be trusted”!

The lesson to be learned from Peter’s experience, is to remain resolutely focussed on Jesus as we move towards him through life, for if we take our gaze away from him even for a moment as Peter did, then we too are destined to be overwhelmed by and lost to one of life’s storms.

What I choose to see in Peter’s moment of doubt, is his humanity exposed for me to connect to, that in his journey with Jesus, even with all that he had witnessed, he too was capable of doubting the divine proof of Jesus as the Son of God and perhaps even the expected irrefutable existence of God himself. If somebody like Peter can have moments of spiritual uncertainty, then surely it has to be something that we too are culpable of experiencing on our own personal journey with Christ, if so then let’s not feel guilty or unworthy for doing so, for it also serves to remind us that we are human in our imperfection and importantly that the love and grace of God is unconditional beyond our understanding, we are forgiven.

“Faith talks in the language of God. Doubt talks in the language of man.”

– E.W. Kenyon (Baptist Pastor)

A Prayer for the Week.

Heavenly Father,

Into your Hand, I place my worries, cares and troubles.

Into your Wisdom, I place my path, my direction and my goal.

Into your Love, I place my life.

And now Lord we lift Arthur to you in Prayer,

We thank you for his life

And ask you to bless his family at this difficult time.

We ask your blessing on all those in need

And seeking your comfort

In Jesus’ name we ask it. Amen

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – All Change – Again! 2nd August.

This week has seen many people’s lives and plans turned upside down yet again. Just when we thought we might slowly be getting back to some sort of normality, social gathering is restricted again, holiday plans are thwarted, work patterns disrupted and so on. So now might be a good time to reflect again on some of our previous thoughts. I’m sorry if you feel you’ve heard some of this before, but in light of recent events, I had to remind myself of a few things, so maybe some of you might like a reminder too.

One of the set readings for this week is the account of the ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand.’ What has that to do with all the above you might ask? In some ways nothing, and yet for me there are profound lessons in this story that speak directly to our current situation. Interestingly this is the one miracle that appears in all four of the gospels (Mt 14; 13-21, Mk 6: 30-44, Lk 9: 10-17, Jn 6: 1-15). Matthew and Mark also tell us of the Feeding of the Four Thousand which occurred not long after, but in a different place and under different circumstances (Mt 15: 29-39, Mk 8: 1-10). What makes these events so special? On both occasions the crowds had been with Jesus for some time and were now getting hungry, in both instances either time, location, or both meant it was impossible to get food for so many people, or was it? Jesus, and the disciples in their own way, had compassion on the crowds, but their approach to the problem was entirely different. The disciples, faced with a seemingly impossible situation, could only see the reasons they couldn’t help, it’s deserted here, it’s late, we don’t have enough money! Jesus on the other hand turns to the disciple and asks, what do we have? He takes what at first may seem a meagre offering – a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish – gives thanks for it and blesses it. Low and behold the crowds are fed.

I know I’ve said this before, but it’s all too easy at times to get wrapped up in concerns about what we don’t have, and as a result lose sight of what we do have. It’s true, of course, that there are those who have very little and for those people it’s hard to look beyond that fact. But most of us, if we did but take stock and look carefully, have an abundance, which if we were to give thanks for and use wisely could not only improve our lives but also the lives of those who don’t. A small amount offered to God and used wisely can produce its own miracle for the many, just like the loaves and fish.

Another reminder of recent thoughts concern’s one of God’s great gifts to us – time. One of the ways I waste time – at an embarrassing rate – is fretting and pondering over things I can’t change, instead of stepping back, taking time and thinking about something positive that could change things for the better.

Talking to people, I’ve noticed how many of us have been affected by the enforced changes in life style and not being able to do the regular things we used to. It tends to create a lack of time reference, meaning we wake up in the morning wondering what day of the week it is! Each day can seem much the same as the last. Maybe we should see this as freedom from the constraints of a full diary and take the opportunity to reassess our time priorities.

One useful thing we can do is give a little more time to quiet stillness, meditating on God’s creation and His love for us manifest in Jesus’ life and sacrifice. And then to consider Jesus’ teachings which, if heeded, will lead to a kinder more compassionate world, more fitting for His creation.

A Prayer

Almighty God, thank you for the many blessing

Each one of us receives and enjoys every day.

Help us to see the countless gifts

You give us that sometimes we fail to see.

Thank you for each minute of the day,

Help us to savour each moment

And make each one count.

Give us the compassion and understanding

To recognise those who are struggling to

See through the problems of the day.

Guide us in how to support and encourage them

To show them Your love and healing power,

Give them your peace we pray.

And now Lord we lift to you the

Names of people for whom we give

Special thanks today,

Or who need Your healing touch.

We give grateful thanks for Renzo,

We ask your comforting hand on

Imelda’s family,

Your healing hand on

Tom, Brian, Phil and Frank.

Heavenly Father, you know the needs of each individual.

We place those needs into your hands

And ask you to bless each one

And ask that they may know

Your healing and comforting presence with them.

All these prayers we bring in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – How does your garden grow? 26^th July

This week, looking for inspiration, I revisited the lectionary, today’s readings include the very short parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13: 31-32). Then I consulted one of my commentaries and was struck by one phrase that took me down a completely different road. It made me think about every seed that grows into a flower, shrub, tree, vegetable, fruit, crop….

‘How can we be sure, in our thinking, our speaking and our living that we are both rooted in the old and also bearing the new, fresh fruit of the kingdom of heaven?’¹

Before going any further, I beg forgiveness from farmers, horticulturists and professional gardeners for my technical inaccuracies! But hope the illustration still work.

When plants die – or are simply pulled up for some reason – they will often be put onto a heap in the corner of the garden. Here they will mature into a nutritious compost, full of goodness that can be used to promote the growth of new seeds. This does beg the question for me, can we really describe those old plants as dead?

Compost is dug into the soil, seeds are planted and the ground is watered. The seed is fed by all the wonderful nutrients developed in the compost and soon a shoot will break out. After a while it will venture through earthy crust and into air, absorbing the sunlight of a brand new day, at times drinking in fresh, life giving rain. The seed, rooted and nourished in the old, emboldened and made vibrant in the fresh and new becomes a beautiful flower, shrub or maybe a tree bearing succulent fruit.

For anyone waiting for a harvest of fruit, vegetables, wheat, barley etc., patience and faith are required. The patience to wait while ‘nature’ takes its course and faith that the cycle will indeed be maintained.

The picture of seed time and harvest is often used by Jesus to illustrate God’s kingdom and the people in it. However, there is, I feel, one difference. The seed is programed to respond to being planted, once it’s happened the seed does not choose whether to grow or not. We on the other hand do have choices. Crops are rooted in compost, we are rooted in our past, and to a large extent it’s up to us to choose which parts of the past feed and shape our present and future. Crops will naturally absorb the elements of the day come rain or shine. We can engage with today and all it has to offer, or ignore it and turn away.

It’s never by chance that Jesus chooses the analogies he does to describe God’s kingdom. His kingdom is rooted in the promises and covenant he made with the world. The covenant made though the redeeming blood of Jesus on the cross (Matt 26:28 Mk 14:12, Lk 22:20). And the promise that:  ^“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Gen 18: 22) in spite of what humanity tries to throw at it. By being rooted in the rich history of faith, feeding on the still living word, facing the challenges of today, we can help to bring the good news of God’s creation, love, mercy and compassion to the world around us helping to bring His kingdom ever closer.

¹ Wright, T. (2002) Matthew for Everyone – Part 1 Chapters 1-15: Pt. 1. First Edition edition ed. London : Louisville, KY, SPCK Publishing. p. 178

A PRAYER

Heavenly Father

Help us to value and learn from the

Experiences of our past,

To understand the meaning of

Your covenant with us, sealed so long ago,

To embrace your love, mercy

And forgiveness for us

Shown through Jesus’

Sacrifice on the cross.

Help us to cherish each new day

And all that it offers,

To see your hand at work through creation,

To share with each other,

And all those we meet,

The knowledge of your healing power

At work in the world,

And the faith that you are

With us, even to the end of time

And your final harvest.

Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – Comparisons! 19^th July

 “Our Risen Lord has no time for comparisons.” I wonder if, reading this as I did recently, it brought you up with something of a jolt, not least because the writer was able to state this with such certainty (inner knowledge?). Because not only do several of Jesus’s parables specifically invite his hearers to make comparisons between different responses to a particular situation; even when they do not do so, this element of comparison is crucial to their purpose.

Take one of my own favourites, the prodigal son. At the start of the story, when you compare the two sons, they behave similarly and are treated equally. Then the younger one claims his inheritance and leaves; the elder presumably has to work much harder in comparison with his earlier workload in order to compensate; the farm probably suffers in comparison to its previous state because of the collateral that has been lost. So far, the comparison is all in favour of the elder son: loyal, steadfast, hard-working. The younger son, in the unminced words of Tyndale’s biblical translation, ‘devoured thy goodes with harlootes’ (Luke 15:13).

But then the balance shifts. The younger son, who was the first to strike out in new ways in his own life, however foolish those forms took, is now the first to learn from his experience. You can read his motives in returning to his father in different ways: he returns in order to get food, but he also returns to gain forgiveness. He prepares his speech to gain the former, but the latter is freely and joyfully bestowed upon him.

By comparison, the speech of the elder son when he returns is spontaneous in his anger, and it is hard not to feel sympathy with his sense of injury. Yet here the story turns on another comparison: the father goes out to meet the elder son, just as he had the younger. His words again are words of love; he also makes it clear that the son’s inheritance remains his own by right. And his words end the story without conclusion – we have no idea finally whether the elder son was reconciled to the younger.

It’s a wonderfully multi-faceted story. We make the comparison between the father’s love for his sons and our Father’s love for us. We make the comparison between the penitence of the younger son and our own need for forgiveness. But the elder son is the truly intriguing element of the story. To make the comparison between his response and our own to the often bewildering and infuriating unfairness of life is the starting point to freeing ourselves from chains of convention, self-righteousness and victimhood.

David Pattrick.

A Prayer

Almighty God, we thank you for

Your great Mercy and forgiveness

Shown to all who turn to you.

Forgive us when we fail to understand

Your great mercy shown to those

We feel underserving.

Help us to see when it is us too

Who are undeserving!

Help us to celebrate and find joy

Whenever your grace and compassion

Rests on those seeking to be renewed

Whoever they are.

Fill our hearts with your love,

Compassion and understanding

That we might be servants to each other

And to you.

Amen