Though for the Month – September 2024

A Right to Disconnect

I have been following with interest, the recent media articles relating to a legal right to be able to disconnect from the workplace. This week it became enshrined in Australian employment law, whilst countries such as France, Spain and Portugal are already well ahead in their desire to protect both the physical and mental health of their citizens. Alas this is not the case in the UK, though the new Labour government have said they will now consider its application sometime soon. It is, when you stop to think about it, something quite worrying that we actually need to have legislation to protect the rights of employees to simply leave work, to go home and do what it is that helps them to rest and recover, without further employer intrusion. When did things get so bad, that we are no longer able to simply become ‘disconnected’ as and when we choose, especially when the days’ work is done?

Whilst this legislation is currently aimed at employment law, how soon might we all need it in our everyday lives, employed or not? Just stop and think about how difficult it may be, for you to disconnect with the demands placed on you by life, by those around you and even by yourself? How easy do you find it to say no, or even better, to not be available to say it at all? Just consider for a moment, as to how you disconnect from societal pressure, when you need to.

If you do find it challenging, then I suppose some blame has to be placed at the door of technological advancement, where now, we are fully (and expected to be) accessible through the use of mobile phones, laptops, smartwatches and so on, and to always be so, at any time of day or night. I wonder how many of you reading this, own a mobile phone, I would think its most, if not all of you, and is it always somewhere close, so that you can always be ‘accessible’? Have you ever had that conversation that starts “where have you been? I’ve been calling you constantly!” said with guilt provoking precision, for simply being disconnected, even for the briefest of moments, after all, what modern person would intentionally be disconnected and inaccessible nowadays?

Whilst the pervasive nature of technology can be seen as both a blessing and curse for our modern way of living, we should probably also recognise the significant cultural changes that have taken place in recent decades. There are no true days of rest anymore, dominant secular influence means that even Sundays have become no more than simply the seventh day of the week, with everything being available, open and accessible, just like the preceding six.  Society no longer seems to recognise an entitlement to disconnect, there’s no consideration for an individual’s need to be left alone in peace, to be given restorative space and time to recover from life’s demands. People are often left frustrated or personally slighted if their phone call is not answered or returned immediately, if the email or text is not responded to, perplexed by the notion of how rude and selfish it is for someone to deliberately make themselves unavailable. When did intentional solitude become so socially objectionable?

In the year 321AD, a Sunday was a working day much like it has become now, when a new Christian convert, the Roman Emperor Constantine, decreed that Sunday would be a day of rest for everyone, to be free from any form of labour, be it employed or not, and so began the Christian Church’s official recognition of Sunday as being the seventh day of the week. They also declared that this would now mean that Sunday and not Saturday should be regarded as the Sabbath Day for all Christians, a day that was to be revered, such was its importance for restorative rest, both physically and spiritually, and after all, even God rested on the seventh day following a very hard weeks work of creation.

The Bible makes numerous references to the importance of Sabbath, which is derived from the Hebrew word ‘shavat’ which literally means ‘to rest’ and yet it feels to me that many of us have now chosen to miss out on this beneficial Scriptural guidance, one that provides us with an opportunity to officially declare Sunday as a day to just stop and disconnect from the demands of life, to find physical and spiritual sustenance in rest and in being with God, and to do so without distraction or interruption.

Of course, there isn’t anything actually stopping us from disconnecting, other than personal choice it would seem, and perhaps some of you are actually very good at disconnecting, but for those who are not, what is it exactly that has made us veer so very far, from two millennia of Christian custom, that is intentionally designed for our own personal benefit? How do we begin to make Sabbath as relevant and important as it once was?

In all four Gospels we hear of Jesus taking time out to be by himself, taking himself up a mountain to be alone and to pray, even He needed some quiet rest to recover from the demands of His ministry, and it’s important to note, that whilst He recognised the need in Himself, so did His followers, who gave Him the space to do just that, to disconnect from them and their need of Him. Perhaps it is a reminder for us all that if we choose not to disconnect in life, that we must remember to respect the needs of those who do, that wanting to be alone is normal and healthy, to give them the space and time to enjoy it or even give it a go yourself.  Maybe try turning that phone off for a whole day? Now there’s a thought.

Amen.

Danny

                                                 A Prayer for Rest

Heavenly Father life can seem so demanding at times

But in you I find peaceful rest

I bring all my worries and concerns before you

knowing that you will bear my load and ease my stress

Your love sustains me and nurtures my love for others

Be with me when life’s demands seem endless

Give me strength to endure and wisdom to know when to stop and disconnect

Fill my heart and mind with peaceful calm

May your Holy Spirit fill me with renewed energy to always help myself and others

in this increasingly demanding world that we have created,

to always find our way back to you,

to peace, perfect peace. Amen

Thought for the Month August 2024

How should I live? It is the perennial question that keeps us coming back to the Bible, listening to preachers and (hopefully!) reading Cooksmill Thoughts for the Month. Lucky Ephesians then who, in the set Epistle for 4th August, get a master-class on the subject from St. Paul.

Paul begins by praising the virtues of gentleness, humility and patience; these might at first sight be considered as inner qualities – well, up to a point. You often have to be patient about or with someone; and sometimes you have to be patient with a much wider group or an institution. It could be said, for example, that if we were more patient with, and less vitriolic about, our elected representatives, they would function better and others, possibly better, might be encouraged to come forward. Gentleness and humility too mean overcoming our genetic predisposition to fight our own corner regardless. These three sisters sound easy to tick off, but try to focus on putting them into practice and you soon find out that without the help of God they are a (worthwhile) challenge.

Peace is a similarly ambivalent quality, one that perhaps most profoundly we wish for in our lives, particularly their spiritual side. Paul though talks of a “bond of peace” – this is more than simply sharing our own inner sense of peace, but actively pursuing it and seeking to build it in our relationships with others, in the networks of our daily lives and, beyond, in our local communities and nationally and internationally. We live in a chain of being that has some strong links, some weak, some broken, some to be reforged. God is above us, his children; God is within us, individuals; God is through us, the human race. We come into being through him; he shares in our humanity through his incarnation as Christ; but it is up to us to foster and share the gifts of the Spirit around us. This is true both in the wider sense but also in the way that our individual talents can contribute to the spiritual growth of our church and society. We are called upon to act, to build faith and unity.

Paul’s comments on truth are ones likely to resonate particularly with us across the centuries. Just check into any social media and you will be bombarded with “every wind of doctrine, people’s trickery, craftiness in deceitful scheming”. Paul calls on us to become mature Christians, to grow up and into Christ: so being truth-full is not just about not telling lies but actively combating untruth wherever we find it in its multitudinous forms in our society. Hatred, contempt, prejudice, these are diseases: Christ calls us to be well: each individual part of his body “working properly, promoting the growth of the body, building it up through love”.

Jesus through his death, resurrection and ascension “made captivity captive”: it is through his grace that we find meaning and release and purpose in our lives.

Or, if this Thought had been written in the seventeenth century by Thomas Traherne, you might be reading this:

Can you be holy without accomplishing the end for which you are created? Can you be righteous, unless you be just in rendering to things their due esteem? All things were made to be yours, and you were made to prize them according to their value: this is your office and your duty, the means by which you enjoy the life for which you were created. By prizing all that God hath done, you may enjoy life and Him in blessedness.

David

Thought for the Month July 2024

In last month’s ‘Thought’ we considered, among other things, how we use our freedom and power to vote and, our responsibility to use that freedom and power responsibly. Well, that’s all happened now and we have a new government, and some of them have had to hit the ground running, and as the brand new MPs settle in people will be looking on in anticipation of what will happen next. What will the government do?  There are so many aspects of both foreign affairs and the domestic life of the nation that require attention by any government, and the question we so often ask is ’What are the government going to do about them?’ And of course, at times, that is a very legitimate question. But, having voted, is that where our responsibility ends? In many cases surely we should also be asking, ‘What are we going to do?’ be it as individuals, churches, communities, or society as a whole.

Let’s take a step back and look at a crime scenario Jesus painted in one of His famous parables, that of the ‘Good Samaritan’, I’m sure most will be familiar with it, but if not perhaps read it first, it’s in Luke 10: 25-37, and attached to this thought. In the story he didn’t say ‘What’s the Roman government going to do about street crime in the area? It’s about time they got tough.’ No, Instead He taught how we should respond to those in need, and as important, but occasionally missed, by using a Samaritan as the good guy He taught us how we shouldn’t judge people by their background or Nationality. If fact throughout the gospels, whilst He very often takes the religious authorities to task, Jesus never seems to criticise, or even mention, the Roman government! He does however continuously point to our responsibilities.

Just to take just one example, we know that there are many disaffected young people in our society, knife crime in our towns and cities has almost become a norm! And we can blame governments of all persuasions for lack of funding leading to the closure of youth facilities, clubs, playgrounds… But in truth, how much of it is down to public apathy and too many children being side-lined and ignored. Are people more concerned about their taxes rising than they are about the closure of a local youth club which helps to keep young people off the streets and out of danger? On the other side, there are families struggling, having to juggle multiple jobs, not able to spend the time with their children they’d desperately like to. With the extended family not being what is used to be, the government does have a role to play, but so do people and individuals in local communities. 

it’s not all doom and gloom, there is some great work being done. I have the privilege of being involved in the Scouting movement and at the end of this month we have the Essex International Jamboree with 10,000 participants, where young people of many nationalities will come together and share fellowship and friendship. This is just one of the fantastic youth projects that go on in the country. But none of these can continue without the support of adult volunteers and finance. We cannot leave it all to government.

I could have used other examples for this, like the NHS. Yes, governments have responsibilities, but so do we in caring for our own health and the care and health of each other. We cannot leave it all to government. God has given us so much in the way of gifts and resources too numerous to mention. If we waste them, we shouldn’t always blame government and expect them to pick up the tab, using money that came from us in the first place, that could be used so much more efficiently for the good of all, and to help sustain those who really need it.

So let us pray for our new government and governments around the world and let us pray for the strength, courage and wisdom to play our part in caring for God’s people and His wonderful creation.

Steve.

A PRAYER

Almighty God, ruler of the ends of the earth,

We pray for those to whom you have entrusted

Power and responsibility.

We Think of our own country

And those elected to office as members of parliament –

Those who serve in government,

Whether in cabinet office, junior posts

or on backbench committees;

those in opposition with their mandate

to challenge and debate government policies and decisions;

and especially for our Prime Minister

and leaders of all other parties. *

We pray for governments throughout the world.

And ask,

Almighty God,

Grant them wisdom,

Insight, patience,

Dedication, integrity

Open-mindedness and humility

That each may be equipped

To honour the trust placed in them. *

Lord, forgive us when we have taken for granted

All that you give us

Help us Lord to play our part

In caring for each other, our communities

And your wonderful creation.

For the sake of your Son

Our Saviour Jesus Christ

Amen.

* Taken form Nick Fawcett ‘Prayers for all Seasons’ Pg. 590

Thought for the Month of June 2024

Last month Danny shared with us his favourite passage of scripture (John 15: 9 – 17). His reflections on how those words of Jesus to his disciples impacted Danny’s desire to be a Christian, and his hopes for the world around us, were both moving and challenging. As he suggested, I looked at one of my own favourite passages to reflect on. Surprisingly for me, it’s not from the Gospels – I love the Gospels – it’s from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, this is just a portion…

Philippians 2 NRSV

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
8     he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross…

Verses 6-7, in the NRSV version above, make it clear that Jesus did not consider the power of His divinity, something to be exploited but became a slave. The NIV puts it like this…Christ Jesus;

6 Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,    being made in human likeness.

For me personally, I feel the expressions exploited and servant feel the most fitting – but that’s just me. Moving on…

It seems this year is a busy year for elections to Government around the world – recently in India and Russia, currently in South Africa, the UK in July, America in November…

I confess I find it very tempting to feel that Jesus’ example, set out in this passage, should be compulsory reading for all those seeking to keep, gain, re-gain or, dare I say, steal power in governments all around the world – and maybe it should be…

But the truth is, we all have power of some description or other, so surely it’s incumbent on us all to reflect on if, or how we use that power. Do we use it to our own advantage, to exploit? Or do we use it to serve and bring peace, justice and hope? Most of us don’t, and may never have any governmental power, but we should never underestimate the power of our words and actions on the lives of those around us.

In the UK we also have the power to vote in next month’s elections. To gift power, albeit for a relatively short period of time, to people who will make decisions that will impact, not only our lives but – and this is something we should not forget – the lives of many throughout the world. And the impacts can last for years after their period in office

I don’t know about you, but I find it more and more difficult to sift out the truth from the spin, the desire to serve from the desire for power, but I believe we must try. There will be over 600 MPs voted into parliament next month and many will be seeking election for all the right reasons, those whose primary desire is to serve their communities and work for the good of all. Sadly, their voices will all too often be drowned out by posturing and attention seeking bluster from those with personal agendas which are not always for the common good, sometimes even dangerous for the wider world.

So what do we do and what is our responsibility? I’m a great believer in using the vote we have the freedom and privilege to use, but do we use it to the benefit of wider society, or do we look to our own interests? I believe we must try, prayerfully, to sift through the spin and posturing to come to the best decision we can. And then, when those elected take their place, we need to pray for them and all governments throughout the world, that they may not seek to exploit but to serve with humility, care, compassion and with justice for all.  

As we use our power to make decisions in life, not just voting choices, but decisions that can affect the lives of so many around us, let’s do it with humility, letting go of the ‘power’ seeking to serve, to serve taking account of Jesus’ command set out in Danny’s thought last month, I leave you with a part of his favourite scripture and I pray that we will all make the right decisions in life that reflect Christ’s humility and His love.

 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.

I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Thought for the Month of May 2024

 By Danny Lamb

This is the lectionary reading for today, Sunday 5th May, which is the sixth Sunday of Easter. I would like you to take some time out to read it before I write anything more, to read it slowly, not just with a reflective purpose as to what the words may mean, but also how they may make you feel, and then I’ll join you once again.

The Gospel of John (15.9 – 17 NRSV)

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.

I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

I’m back…. Lectionary readings are of course piecemeal extracts of Scripture, seemingly designed to reflect the liturgical seasons of the church, whilst also providing a universal morsel of theology, that is open for both Christian interpretation and reflection. So, it’s no surprise then that when writing a sermon or perhaps a thought for the month, that this is a good place to go for some divine inspiration, as to what it is that God wants you to talk about, and so that is what I did. Sometimes though, as you pour over the readings, the relevant message is not always clear, it can often require a lot of interpretation to give a more contemporary context, or to seek the revelation of some deeper theological meaning, but that is not the case today.

It just so happens that this is my most favourite piece of scripture, which is quite a statement considering all the amazing content to be found in the Bible itself, but these words of Jesus, according to John, resonate deeply within my desires for the world around me and are the foundations for my Christian purpose in life itself. If I was ever to encounter someone who asked me “what does it mean to be a Christian?” I would by way of explanation, offer up this passage from John as a very simple statement of common purpose, I really don’t think you can read it and not understand what is being asked of us, after all, how can anyone call themselves Christian and not understand their purpose in the world?

These words of Jesus are spoken on the day before his crucifixion, the ultimate sacrifice in the name of the love that He talks of, a sacrifice that only He knows is coming, and whilst we now know that it has a divine purpose, we are offered through this reading, the opportunity to also share in his humanity too, the part of him that allows those there listening and indeed all of us today, to make a human connection with. There is incredible intimacy in the way He speaks, because these are His closest friends and followers, and their time together is at a close. Gone is the master and servant formality, there are no more parables to interpret, no teaching in the manner they have become accustomed to, He has given them everything His Father wanted them to have, what they are hearing now comes from Him personally, this is the language of true friendship and of love, of someone trying to say farewell in the most sincerest and devotional of ways, it is beautiful and moving and it is why I want to be a Christian.

Your thoughts for this month? Do you have a favourite piece of scripture that truly resonates within? One that perhaps motivates, inspires, consoles or reassures you. How have you come to recognise your own Christian purpose in the world?

Should keep you going until June!

Amen.

Faithful God, in whose love we are called to abide,

help us to find ways to offer each other the gift of devoted friendship.

May your Holy Spirit give us the resolve to keep your commandments of love for each other and for the world in which we live.

May the sacrifice of your son, borne out of your love for us all, inspire us to also make sacrifices for others, always seeking each other’s best welfare, bearing each other’s burdens and sharing each other’s joy.

 through the love and friendship of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Thought for the Month April 2024

The most memorable sermon I ever heard? Father Roy went into the pulpit. He proclaimed, “Today is Easter Sunday. Christ the Lord is risen!” The choir sang, “Hallelujah!” Father Roy added, “That is all that needs to be said.” And down he came.

Easter Day is a day of pure joy. St. Paul calls it the time of God’s favour, the day of salvation.

As I was preparing music for Easter, I read through the service booklet we use at Roxwell, and was struck to encounter again only a few pages earlier the set lesson for Ash Wednesday from Paul’s second Epistle to the Corinthians. It was a reminder of how far we have come from the start of Lent, through Jesus’s ministry, culminating in the events of Holy Week and now the Resurrection. Yet this lesson also focuses on the Resurrection as new beginning rather than culmination: as such it demands a response from us beyond celebration and wonder. Paul’s message is an extraordinary one: that we must become the righteousness of God, If we do not, then the sacrifice Jesus made is in vain. So what does Paul mean by this?

The first point he makes in this lesson is to show endurance in the face of persecution. Reading his list of the hardships faced by the early Christians – beatings, imprisonment etc. – we might feel simply relieved that this is not our lot, and see this as an injunction in respect of those Christian communities in the world which do suffer in this way to pray for them and to support charities and international groups which minister both to them and to others experiencing such persecution. Yet is not to become the righteousness of God more than this? Our church has changed. Once the established church as of right, it has experienced declining influence and membership, deplorable leadership and increasing indifference; more recently moreover, Christian belief in our own country has faced greater hostility, at times with ridicule, with outright rejection. Paul reminds us that this was the story of Christianity from the start, and that we need to do more than sadly accept that this is how things are. We are called to be steadfast in our faith, and to challenge openly the empty wokery, the online bile and intellectual dishonesty that characterise the travesty that is “debate” so often in our time.

Paul’s second point, that we must show patience, kindness, genuine love, is the one that perhaps we may read and take for granted. I listened this week, however, to a funeral eulogy for someone who was a friend to many in the Cooksmill congregation: it spoke of her unfailing gentleness and kindness, how she was loved by everyone, especially the children in her family and those she went to talk to in school, how her whole life was filled with the light of her goodness and faith, shared with all. It was a wonderful eulogy; if, like me (alas…), you sense that no one is going to say anything very similar about you, then Paul’s words are a reminder that to bring Christ’s Kingdom in this world closer, each of us needs to seek to emulate this lovely, saintly lady.

Paul’s third point is that, with God’s help, we need to speak with truth and with knowledge, as he himself did. I just wonder how often we actually talk about what we believe in or, after a service, what has been said in it. We see every day examples of people demonstrating their political or religious allegiances with placards, powdered paint and cans of soup, and TV coverage; we are not necessarily called upon to follow suit, yet we can, to family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, each of us bear witness to our faith and beliefs. Otherwise, what point is there in having them?

So, to become the righteousness of God, Paul’s message is that we cannot refrain from action, we cannot keep it to ourselves. Jesus’s resurrection made this possible; without it, we have nothing, we are nothing. So, this Easter Sunday, Christ the Lord is risen. Hallelujah! That is all that needs to be said.