Sermon 5th June: Hope

Sermon: Hope: We are in this together!

2 Corinthians 4:1-15

The traditional Chinese Folktale of the Cracked Pot was read earlier in the service.

There was once an elderly Chinese woman who had two large pots, each hanging on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream: “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them

  

“God in his mercy has given us this work to do, and so we do not become discouraged”. V.1“As God's grace reaches more and more people, they will offer to the glory of God more prayers of thanksgiving”. V.15

Today's reading is bracketed by a couple of typically Paul declarations:

God gives us the work – so we are not discouraged. And,

God’s grace reaches out and everyone offers prayers of thanks…

This reading, and those declarations cause so much unnecessary pain and guilt in so many believers…. Because what happens when we do get discouraged?

What happens when we do not see God being given the glory?

What happens when our lives seem to implode and nothing goes right and we simply lose hope?

How on earth can we take any comfort from these words, and all the others that seem to condemn our very human frailties?

The truth is we all have times in our lives when we lose heart; when we are discouraged; when we cannot find it in ourselves to give thanks – because life feels terrible.

And, I’m going to say it right now: me too. Often!

My faith remained, but it kind of felt like it was on the back burner.

And – this is ok.

This really is OK!

Paul’s writing is often controversial – and this is a real doozie. Becoming a Christian, declaring that we believe in Jesus, and claim him as our Lord and Saviour is not some magical formula that will suddenly protect us, empower us and enable us to be immune from the vagaries of life.

And Jesus never said it would.

Paul’s theology was speaking to a particular time and sometimes his teaching can do more harm than good.

In the middle passage Paul describes “this… not that…” to a whole lot of situations. (v.8-9)

Troubles but not crushed

Doubt but never despair

Enemies but never without a friend

Hurt badly but not destroyed

Once again he leaves mere mortals feeling inadequate.

Here is where I found the hope in all of this.

First, I think he’s wrong – you’ve probably realised that.

Second, even within that wrongness I found a nugget which did give me hope.

“There are many enemies, but we are never without a friend”

In my experience this is really true within our church community; within my circle of friends. When I am despairing, grieving, sad, anxious or feeling hopeless; there are friends who will comfort me, pray for me, support me, encourage me and simply sit by me until I feel better, showing the living love of God.

This is my HOPE – as Christians we are never alone. We are in this together. It’s what being the Church Family really means.

This is what I understand by that last verse of today’s reading:

“God’s grace reaches more and more people, they offer prayers and thanksgiving” together we are strong; together we are better; together we can make a wondrous thing.

Christian Hope is bigger, brighter, better, because of the love of Jesus; because of the treasure not always visible or known, but there nevertheless; just like the cracked pot – grace comes in unexpected ways.

We all may indeed as Paul asserts be common clay pots – but hidden in each pot is treasure: grace, love, hope, faith

Hope: because we are all in this together

Amen

Footnote: writing this as I did on the first anniversary of my Father's death, I found I was remembering all the friends and loved ones who supported and held me, both physically and spiritually; restoring my hope, my peace and my faith. Thanks be to God!

Forgiveness: Letting go, moving on sermon for 29th May

2 Corinthians 2:1-10 

Once upon a time; a long time ago; I received a letter telling me amongst other things what a bad mother I was.

It was hurtful; it was based in untruths; and it was really aggressive.

And for a while I sat with it. Pondering. Reflecting. Praying. To this day I believe it was well intentioned; that the writer thought that by writing down their perceived criticism they would be helping me.

Eventually I decided to write back, I outlined the accusations and responded with explanations and affirmation of the gist of the critique.

It sort of helped. I felt a little better afterwards.

Eventually I received a response.

And, as I suspected my correspondent had no clue that what had been written would be hurtful.

It was beyond their comprehension.

Forgiveness is one of those tricky things: we can forgive a wrong, and we can hope to move on, but very often this moving on necessitates forgetting as well as forgiving. Letting go. Moving on. And that is not easy.

But it is full of grace.

Beautiful, wonderful, freeing, exhilarating, God-given Grace.

 We cannot know exactly what it is that has prompted this part of Paul’s letter – but we can be sure that the behaviour or words of another has caused unrest, anxiety and upset.

Paul is writing to appease; to calm; to send love and prayers into a hurting community. Because this is sure: the behaviour or person has caused a stushie!

It is not clear if they actually realise how much hurt they are causing; nor indeed if they acknowledge that their behaviour has caused such hurt and sadness.  But the result has been immense sadness for everyone; the ripple effect is in full flow and it seems no sector of the community is immune.

Sadness and upset is just as contagious as joy and happiness; and from this stems our corporate responsibilities: to care for each other; to share each other’s’ burdens and to let each other know that even if certain behaviours upset us, make us sad, we still love them. We still care. We still want what is best.

This reading reminds us again – if we ever needed it – that there is nothing new in the world.

Here we are 2000 years ago, and a Christian community is in uproar over the behaviour of one of their number. It is the same in families; it is the same in churches; it is the same in this century as it was back then.

People are people.

We are not perfect

We act in haste and repent at leisure

We speak out of turn; without thinking; too quickly – and once the words are out there they cannot be pulled back; they cannot be unsaid.

We each have things to forgive and things to seek forgiveness for

We each have things we need to let go of; stop worrying about; move on from.

Forgiveness is a holy thing; a holy gift.

We are all gifted forgiveness – forgiveness we may not have sought; forgiveness we may feel we do not deserve.

Nevertheless it is ours.

All is possible through Jesus

At the last supper the words he used were deep and full of meaning:

This is my body broken for you

This is my blood – poured out so that sins may be forgiven

We are forgiven through all that Jesus did for us; in that case, who are we to withhold forgiveness?

Who are we to revisit old wounds?

Forgiveness is a holy thing

To give and to receive.

To forgive takes courage and not a little vulnerability

Forgiveness is also powerful.

To know we have done wrong, hurt another and feel terrible, and then the wonder and joy, the great blessing that comes from knowing we have been forgiven – that joy cannot be underestimated.

It takes a brave person to not retaliate; not leap in when we are hurt

It takes courage and grace to be able to forgive and then move on, letting it go.

Grace – the free gift from God that never runs out; never fails us.

Let’s try to hold that thought

Let’s try to use that grace to let go, move on and be fully reconciled

Because let’s face it if Jesus can hang on a cross, his blood pouring out and his life ebbing away, and still proclaim forgiveness, who are we to withhold it?

Amen 

Gifting Spirit - Sermon for 15th May

Pentecost 2016
Acts 2:1-4 & 1Cor 12:1-13

Earlier in the service we used a hot air blower pop corn machine to illustrate the Spirit blowing through and changing everything - permanently.

Sometimes, when I’m chatting to someone and they discover for the first time what I do, how I am called, what my job description is they respond

“Oh, I’m not really very religious”

To which I respond, “Neither am I!”

Or they will say, “You don’t look like a minister”, to which I reply, “Yes, I do – this is what a minister looks like!”

In both instances, people can be a bit nonplussed, because they have an image of what they imagine a minister to be: holy, religious, male, old, boring, strict, humourless, correct, and basically pretty much everything I am not – and to be truthful, what no minister is really like (apart from the male bit – there are still male ministers!)

I cannot really remember how I knew I needed to respond to the Spirit’s prompting, nor indeed, really when it happened. It just did. Through all sorts of people, events and encounters.

The only thing I know for sure is that the Spirit worked something in me, and I was never the same again. It’s like the popcorn.

Before, it’s a hard, tight, lifeless looking thing.

After, it’s broken open, soft, expansive bursting with life.

Before I was happy enough; I’d already followed, responded, changed. So I was feeling pretty good with where I was. The Spirit has already worked in me, and she was still there but I’d done the big stuff…

But you see the thing is, the Spirit doesn’t stop.

She is on a mission.

She doesn’t just come, do stuff and pass on

The Spirit comes and stays – and continues to work us, mould us, move us, change us and rewrite the story with us dragging along, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, but ever moving.

We have been following the life and actions of Paul for several weeks now – we have seen his journeying, heard his writing, reflected on his teaching and witnessed to his changed life.

It wasn’t a one off thing

Everything changed

Everything moved

Everything was different – all the time

The Spirit comes – and life is never the same again.

Years ago – it must have been the mid-1990s, on what was probably pretty much the last time my parents travelled to Scotland my dad came along to our evening, interactive all ages family service with us, it was Pentecost. We were in small groups for discussion…

The discussion question was something along the lines of, “Could the Holy Spirit come down here like it did on that first Pentecost?”

There was much talking; about what it would be like; whether or not we’d believe it; whether we would reject it. Until my Dad spoke up saying, “Of course it couldn’t happen again! Why would it? God promised that once the Spirit came it would be here with us, for always. It doesn’t need to come again – it’s here right now!”

The Spirit is here, right now in our midst

We may not see her

But we feel her

What are you good at? What are your gifts and talents?

Hospitality? – thank the Spirit

Compassion? – thank the Spirit

Teaching?

Listening?

Caring?

Praying?

Loving?

Thank the Spirit!

“The Spirit’s presence is shown in some way in each person”

In each person

That means you, and you, and you, and you… each and every one gathered here today, and everyone else too!

We are all gifted by the Spirit (even if we do not realise or acknowledge it)

We are all integral parts of Christ’s body the church

We are all important

It was the Spirit who guided us into faith, or towards belief – before we even knew it.

It was the Spirit’s prompting which moved us on, gave us courage when we needed it; inspired us to action, to speak, to pray to seek out that otherness which we could sense but not articulate.

The coming of the Spirit prompted the believers to action. They had to respond – it was impossible not to.

So what about us?

What are we going to do?

How are we going to react?

Where are we going to go?

Because whether we realise it or not, we are Pentecost people.

We are all touched by the Spirit.

The wind of change blows through

And we are touched by its breath

The breath of the Spirit breathes new life into us – changing us forever

You can’t un-pop the corn once it’s been blown on.

The Spirit is generous in her gifting – all are influenced by her – “The Spirit’s presence is shown in some way in each person” (vs.7)

The spirit’s presence is shown for the good of all

In everyone

For everyone

For all time

Blow Spirit Blow

Come, show us all

Help us to remember you are with us, in us, for us… for all time

Amen.

The Sanctuary at Earlston - all ready for Pentecost

Living Spirit - sermon 8th May

1 Cor 15: 1-26, 51-57 

The Holy Spirit is alive and well – and moving and showing herself in all sorts of places.
And it is through that living Spirit which dwells in each of us that Paul wrote his convoluted, tongue twister of a letter…

And it is through that same Living Spirit, that I – some two thousand years later attempt to make some sense of it in this strange week.

A week of much busyness
A week of working and juggling house guests
A week of thinking about death and dying and resurrection
A week of talking about impending death with one who faces the final journey
A week of sadness and joy
A week of hopes and fear
A week of news and silence
A week when life matches exactly with Sunday’s text – which makes walking with the text both easier and more challenging in equal measure
And. More than that. 
A week to say “Thank you” to God, for prayers heard and answered

 So, my very first question, when I sat down with this text was – what does it mean? 
How can I distil all of that into a simple, understandable message, and how do we understand this mysterious statement that we will not all die? Hmm…. 

A minister friend, Stephanie wrote this earlier in the week:
“Jesus’ resurrection destroys the power of death; not death itself. People still die. Jesus still died. But he did not stay dead, and neither will we.”
That’s it in a nutshell – all of that convoluted back and forth is summed up right there.
People do still die
But they do not stay dead
Life goes on bigger, brighter, more beautiful, more real, more tangible, clearer – more alive. 

The Message translation includes a really great interpretation:

If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? If there’s no resurrection, there’s no living Christ. And face it—if there’s no resurrection for Christ, everything we’ve told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you’ve staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. 

Smoke and mirrors.
Yes – real, not a trick, not a hoax, not pretend and not sleight of hand.
Yes! Either the Resurrection is true 
Or we are deceived.
And I do not believe we are deceived – not for one moment.
Remember what it is that we proclaim – that God so loved the world that he sent his own Son so that those who believe in Him can have eternal life. 

This doesn’t mean we live forever; nor does it mean that this earthly life is without meaning. This life is ours to live to the full
It is ours to do whatever we can
We’ve all seen the cards, posters, pictures etc. that say something to the effect of live each day as if it were your last. A great sentiment, but not one that we actually really adhere to – unless we are suddenly faced with our own mortality. 

Life is too short to take it for granted.
Live life 
Love well
Make sure that those whom you love know it.
Make sure that you take the opportunities to do what really matters.
Because no one dies saying, I wish I’d spent more time in the office… 
The Message goes on to say:

 It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God! 

People still die.
People we love; people we want to hold on to.
But – the power that death holds is diminished, destroyed, gone, through Jesus.
People we love will still die
But they will not stay dead – for this is our hope. 
The hope of eternity.
We will all be reunited
We will all meet again
We will all celebrate
The gift of our precious Saviour Jesus Christ
Eternity
Heaven
God’s promise to us
And the real hope and joy of the gospel
In Christ we live
Amen 

Sermon 17 April: Reconciling Spirit

Reconciling Spirit – turning the world upside down

Acts 17:1-10; 1 Thess 1:1-9

The journey continues; Paul and his wee entourage are galloping away sailing around the known world, landing, teaching, preaching, moving on.

I heard an analogy this week – Paul’s zeal is comparable with any new convert:

We all know the enthusiasm of those who’ve just stopped smoking; given up wheat; lost a huge amount of weight; or changed their lives in some way. Maybe you’ve even fallen into that category at some time!

It’s new

 It’s shiny

 It’s changed your life

And you want everyone else to share in the joy too!

Paul is overwhelmed by the transformation he experienced, and he wants everyone else to have the same opportunities he had. His life was turned round, turned upside down, changed, renewed… and through that change he found a deep and lasting reconciliation.

He accepted the mission God gave him – to go and share the Good News with the world – to Jew and Gentile alike. Each place he landed received him differently; some were thrilled to hear this new teaching; others less so. Some Jews heard the message and believed, but then were put out, or worse when they saw the message also being shared with gentiles. In some places he caused a riot and was thrown into jail. In other places homes were opened to him, food supplied, hospitality offered and his words were heard and acted upon.

Thessalonica is one place were the welcome was not great; a riot followed, and as Paul could not be found, those who’d welcomed him were thrown into jail instead. People were not happy!!!

The trouble with this new teaching was that it did not affirm; it did not reassure; instead it challenged, it required action – action that would turn all their usual activities inside out and upside down.

It was Jesus’ teaching: feed the hungry, clothe the poor; look after the outcast; and in addition to that Paul’s teaching challenged other things, other behaviours, and their immediate history too.

This man, Jesus – whom you all killed… was the Messiah! You Jews – killed God’s chosen One!

You killed the Messiah. For that is who Jesus of Nazareth really was! No wonder those in authority were upset!

Paul was challenging everything they stood for; everything they believed and he was challenging them to accept, believe and change. It was radical and it was upsetting – no one likes to be told they’ve got things wrong.

Paul’s tone with those in the fledgling church is far kinder. He writes following his visit, encouraging, praising them for their faithfulness their commitment, which everyone is talking about.

There is a genuine affection; Paul loves these people in this new church – because against all odds they are trying; they are following the new way, they have embraced the teachings of Jesus and even though it has not brought an easy time, it has brought joy and others in other new churches are following their example.

We can learn much from both the way Paul goes about sharing the gospel and how the faithful ones in Thessalonica received it.

We live in a world of instant communication and instant gratification. There is an expectation that we can have anything we want, whenever we want it; without counting the cost, without working hard, without considering others.

We do not need to be like that just because the media tells us we can.

I know, if I were writing to you all, as Paul wrote to them, I too would be thanking God!

I feel blessed that there are people in our church who pray for each other; who share the gospel message; who work hard to help others; who are excited and filled with the joy that the Spirit can bring.

All things are possible when we have the Spirit with us!

The gospel message may turn the world on its head: challenging the get rich quick attitudes of society; seeking to help the marginalised and speak out for justice for those who are oppressed; but the wonderful thing is that when we do rise to the challenge we will know it was right; we will know when it is of God – we know because of the sense of following God’s will and helping God’s people.

This sense of rightness fills us and leads us to know true peace – peace that comes from being fully reconciled.

As we ponder the people of Thessalonica – those who heard and believed, and those who heard and rejected – let’s reflect too on how we first heard about Jesus; how we first responded and how we continue to respond now…

Ponder how God is working in your life

With your loved ones

With our church family

In our community

Ponder, reflect, pray

Ask for guidance and the Spirit’s power to reconcile those who are unsure, those who are hesitant, those who follow and those who seek to share the joy of following the living and true God.

All of this – all God-filled living is what’s turning the world upside down!

Amen  

Sermon 10 April: Healing Spirit

Acts 3: 1-10

This Easter season we are exploring “What the Apostles Did Next” – Jesus has been and gone again; the Spirit has done her work, and suddenly they are out there. Being this New Thing.

The New Church…

In a few weeks we will join with the whole church remembering Pentecost – the day the Spirit came. But meantime, we take a gallop through the Acts of the Apostles and the letters to the new church at Corinth.

For those of you whole like to see the whole picture, or place events in context, you will find the Home Devotions are back – the focus is on filling in the gaps between the readings each week, and they will help you to see how the early church grew and developed through the ministry of Paul, following his astonishing conversion experience on the road to Damascus.

Each of the next few weeks will focus on the different ways the Holy Spirit works in the world and with us; reconciling, uniting, living, loving, bestowing gifts and this week, healing.

As I read the scripture and reflected; I visualised the story – which I find always helps me.

I was struck first by the number of visual phrases that lie in the text.

The beggar sees Peter and John

Peter and John look at the beggar

Then Peter and John tell the beggar to look at them

He looks at Peter and John …

And then later, the crowds, the people gathering for prayer and worship see the beggar; recognise him; notice him… and are amazed.

Anyone who travels up to Edinburgh will know that in many doorways there sit beggars; homeless / jobless ones who sit, wait, hope… for someone to notice them; to see them, to speak to them; to give them help.

I have to admit, that by and large I am one who keeps their head down and passes as quickly as possible; avoiding eye contact; avoiding noticing, or being noticed. I am uncomfortable, maybe afraid even of what will happen if I need to connect in any way… but I’m not sure why.

Why is it that I will happily make donations to charities, but cannot bring myself to help directly? I don’t have an answer – but it is something I shall continue to ponder.

Peter and John must also have been used to seeing beggars at the temple gates; we know that Jesus saw beggars and responded to them in many places; so Peter and John continuing to do the same is not a surprise. I wonder what prompted Peter to react the way he did? Did he plan it? Was it an instinct that kicked in? Was he as surprised as everyone else when it worked?

As they came away again, I wonder what Peter and John thought after all of this?

For years they had walked with Jesus, witnessing his words, his compassion, his miracles. Seeing it all happen around them.

Now, Jesus is no longer with them, yet because of him, they are now able to do what he did; in his name they discover they are able to perform their own miracles.

What a joy! What a Surprise! What a responsibility!!

What did they think? How did it make them feel?

When we begin a new job, a new project or a new course of action we begin all excited and enthused; it’s fun, it’s challenging – there is so much to learn, so many new things to try, new people to meet.

Then, as time passes, thing begin to be normal – routine – the task begins to feel heavier as the reality sinks in and the scope of what is required becomes known.

We settle down for the long haul; we need to find the rhythm, the pace needs to be set. Too fast and we will become exhausted; too slow and we will get bored or complacent.

Peter and John and all of the other apostles were beginning a new thing – even if they did not quite realise what this would mean. They all thought that Jesus would be returning soon; in their lifetimes. There was no sense of a long haul project – I wonder what they would have thought if they had known that 2000 years later the world was still waiting, still wondering when will be the time? What would be the signs and wonders?

It is hard for us, in this age of medical advancement and technology; in this age when miracles are explained away or denied, and seem to be so infrequent to be impossible.

We say – with God nothing is impossible; and yet, the thought of miracles – of praying for miraculous inexplicable healing seems almost absurd.

We pray instead for acceptance; for healing of the spirit or the strength to carry on through and with whatever it is that ails us. (and I’m not saying this is wrong – far from it!)

We no longer expect to be amazed and surprised by what God and Jesus will do when called on.

This can be a difficult issue for many people.

The sorrow when prayers feel unanswered; the disappointment when a miracle doesn’t come; the bitterness that can seep in to our hearts when the thing we wish for above all is continually denied.

So what can we do? How can we continue to pray; to love and serve God; to ask Jesus to intercede on our behalf, in this age of doubts and uncertainties?

I do not have an answer!

Sometimes asking the question is enough. We pray, we hope, we trust, we support each other and we share our burdens.

We may not always get the answer we were looking for – but we do get answers.

God’s Spirit is with us; of that I have no doubt; and when life is difficult and answers seem far away, it is enough to know that we are never alone.

That God’s Spirit is an ever constant presence.

The Spirit is there, whether we are aware or not; moving and prompting whether we are aware or not; pointing us in the right direction, sending others to cross our paths and move us on – whether we are aware or not.

Whether we are aware or not, God’s Spirit heals our deepest wounds; touches our inmost being; and guides and directs our actions. Whether we are aware, or not.

Holy Spirit – guide us, lead us, touch us, heal us.

Today and always

Amen. 

The City of Jerusalem 2012

Be Careful what you Ask For…

(Acts 3: 1-10 at the Beautiful Gate)

He had sat there for so long

people didn’t see him any more

Just another beggar, with his cup,

and his sadness, and his dirty cloak

wrapping him up against the

dust and the grime

kicked up by so many feet passing, passing,

always passing by.

Each day he cried out for alms,

for help, for someone to notice him;

each day the same meagre pickings,

pennies dropped to ease guilt

to assuage the sensibilities of the whole and hearty ones.

Each day, the same, the same,

the same until this day.

Until this day.

When it all changed;

“look at us” they respond.

“Look at us.”

So he looked - hope-filled, curious, what would they give him?

He looked.

He heard.

They saw.

They offered a hand and he.

Leapt!