Divided

A reflection on the gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Only God can judge.
In our heads we know this to be true,
but most of us will have a go nonetheless.
So, in our harshness
are we prepared to ask ourselves:
Have we done all we could?
Did we set out the stall properly?
Did we challenge or cajole?
Did we love and love and love again?
When our neighbour falls
is our first question:
What more could I have done?
Or are we too busy condemning to admit culpability?
Can we share the riches of our table
with those who are used to the dregs
and keep the channels of grace
open to all
in the knowledge that God comes
in the strangest of garbs
and dines with the sinner
and with the saint,
inviting both to find a home
in the incredible welcoming arms of God?

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Skilful sharing

A reflection on the Parable of the dishonest manager (Luke 16:1-13)

The end justifies the means?
Well... not quite.
But we do not have to hang back, we do not have to reject what works,
we can redeem sharp practice
for the sake of the kingdom.
God requires our transferable skills and our cheek:
the things we use in our everyday to see us through.
It is not about rolling over but about stepping up
to clinch a deal for God.
And when folk see
that we are not so heavenly minded to be of earthly use,
when they understand
that we speak a common language then can we all
gather around the one table.

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I know you're busy...

A long, long, time ago, when I was training for ministry, an older minister advised us that we should never let folk know how busy we are. His concern was that if folk perceived us as being very busy, they wouldn't want to bother us with important pastoral issues and our relationship with our communities would be diminished. He maintained that we should be worried if folk approached us, saying:"I know you're busy, but..." That seemed like sound advice and I have tried always to play down the volume and scale of my work. But still, folk approach me saying"I know you're busy..."
And, all this time later, I have come to be suspicious of that advice. Firstly, because it never seems to stop folk lobbing more work my way, no matter how busy or otherwise they perceive me to be. Secondly, because it is more often than not, simply a turn of phrase that folk use as a means of respectful approach. And, thirdly, because it just is. I am busy. Bigger workloads are being placed on fewer people. That's the way it is. Me pretending that it is otherwise serves no good purpose. And I believe that folk often discern that there can be a competence in busyness (though not always). Of course, there is always the danger of becoming too busy. But the fact that others see that we are busy does not diminish our ability to offer effective pastoral support when invited to do so. Nor, in my experience, does it dissuade them form requesting the support that they desire.
So I am going to stop feeling bad when folk approach me, saying:"I know you're busy, but..." Their perception does not make me a bad pastor!

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Arise and dance

As the sun creeps over the hill
the mist dances
unfurling its tendrils
lazily coming to life
Yawning and stretching
then rising up
to magically disappear
making way for the new day
to begin
creating space
for energy to awaken
and join in the dance.
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Make a joyful noise

What a happy sanctuary this morning as we celebrated Jacob's baptism. It was filled with the buzz of children, young and old, at play. Jacob and his older brother, Jackson, were particularly interested in the water in the font. Grace was demonstrated in the playful, splashing water becoming a sacramental element. The love of God made real as promises were made and journeys honoured.
Even the preaching of the word was accompanied by a happy,gurgling, baby who brought a smile to this preacher's face. Reflections on the gospel, from Luke 15, challenged us to retrace our steps to find those elements of our faith that had been mislaid somewhere along the way.
Hopefully, many lost things were found this morning in worship, not least a warm welcome into the family of God, encouragement to continue the journey and the invitation to all to make a joyful noise to the Lord!
For of such is the kingdom of God...

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Chain of events

12 years ago, I'd just left the photocopy room at the hospital where I was serving as whole time chaplain. I was clutching in my hand copies of the order of service for a Presbytery Communion Celebration that I was conducting that evening as Moderator of the Presbytery. A white faced staff member stopped me in the corridor and asked: "Have you seen the news?"
For the next few hours, folk wandered from office to office, checking out the latest updates, not saying much, not doing much except seeking out companionship, unable to grasp the enormity of the events we witnessed in New York.
The Hospital Chapel was just a few doors down and people trickled in and out as the afternoon wore on looking for space to reflect and connect. It was the next day before we got some written prayers organised to help folk in their reflections.
The service so carefully planned for that evening went out of my head until the organist called and asked what changes I'd like to make to the choice of hymns in the light of the day's news. In particular, he was concerned about the first item of praise: Singing we gladly worship the Lord together. It seemed altogether too bright to sing in the light of carnage and death. I was about to agree. But then I looked at the words again:
Singing we gladly worship the Lord together
Singing we gladly worship the Lord
Those who are travelling the road of life
Sow seeds of peace and love

Come, bringing hope into a world of fear,
a world which is burdened down with dread,
a world which is yearning for a greater love
but needs to be shown the true way.

Come bringing joyfully in both your hands
some kindling to light the path to peace,
some hope that there is a more human world
where justice and truth will be born.

Whenever hatefulness and violence
are banished for ever from our hearts,
then will the world believe the day is near
when sadness and pain shall find their rest


Those words have been in my heart more than ever recently as we light candles and take time to reflect on the effects of chemical warfare in Syria. And, as once again, our collective breaths are held while we await the outcome of retaliation by nations that know first hand the devastating ripple effects of violent resolve.
Incidentally, the second song we sang that night was Bernadette Farrell'sChrist be our light
Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Refrain
Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow’r to save us.
Make us your living voice.

Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.

Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.

Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.

Two hymns, chosen before horrific events unfolded, with words that, to our shame, continue to be the words that we need to pray today. When will we deign to be involved alongside God in the work of answering our prayers for peace?


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Space saving communion

A communion liturgy based on the gospel: Luke 14:1,7-14
where Jesus rearranges the table.
Invitation
Come, honoured guest
Jesus invites you to this table
For each and all
Jesus saves a space
Meet Christ here
And prepare to be challenged, rebuked or cajoled
Prepare to be comforted, embraced and held high
The Christ who makes room for you
Knows your story
And makes room for you in love
( communion hymn For everyone born)
Institution
We gather around this table today
as Jesus did with his disciples in the Upper room
the night before he died.
Sharing fellowship with them,
knowing their stories,
He took bread, broke it and passed it among them saying:
This is my body broken for you
Do this to remember me.
He took the cup and shared it with them, saying:
A new relationship with God is possible because of my death
Drink this all of you to remember me.
And so we take bread and a cup today to remember him and to celebrate the new relationship that we have with God and with one another.
We share this sacrament in a place filled with stories, some shared, some held tight within.
Stories of our lives and of those who have shared in this space in years gone by.
This sacrament unites us all, past, present and future, in the one who holds all our stories and invites us all to places of honour at the table.
So let us give thanks for the feast.
Let us pray
God we thank you for inviting us to your table today
making space for each of us
treating us as honoured guests.
We thank you that you hold each of our stories gently
beaming at our joys
frowning at our concerns
full of compassion
and overflowing with love.
May we know your comfort stealing into the hurts that we carry
May we know your healing, soothing those pains that catch us unawares
And may we know your smile, lingering to light up all our dark corners.
Held so gently by you may we hold gently all whom you welcome to your table today.
God the way you make room for all is so at odds with the world in which we live.
Where we make distinctions-
Worthy or unworthy
Mighty or lowly
Valued or worthless
Prominent or invisible.
Forgive us for the distinctions we make and for the restrictions we place on your love and on your hospitality.
Help us to re- set the table, time and again until there truly is space for all.
We pray for our world in turmoil.
For Syria.
For all your children there whose sufferings become platforms from which Politicians can posture.
God of peace, when will we ever learn that violence will not bring resolution but only more suffering and death?
We pray too for all those places that have dropped out of the media spotlight because the circus has moved on.
For Egypt, for Iran and Iraq, for Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, for Haiti and Japan - and countless other places where your children continue to be affected by poverty, by war, by the ravages of nature, where loss is simply a fact of life in a world desensitised to suffering on such a scale.
God grant us perspective.
To know that we never have to compete for your love and acceptance.
And so we can afford to share your infinite love with those in our daily lives and with those we may never meet, all part of your family and so part of us too.
Renew our sense of connectedness and increase our resolve to widen our horizons globally and locally until all are truly welcome, until all are raised up and fed and until you are known in our sharing of bread.
Space making God may we make space for others.
Table setting God may we always be prepared to revise our table plans
Feast loving God may we feast with you and with all your saints in heaven and on earth.
For the sake of your Kingdom
So may we know your Spirit here transforming this bread and wine and transforming us this day.
Amen.
Fraction
Among friends, gathered round a table,
Jesus took bread, he broke it and shared it saying:
This is my body broken for you
Eat this bread to remember me
He took the cup, saying:
This is my blood shed for you
Drink this cup to remember me.
We remember Christ as honoured guests invited to a feast.
Gods gifts for all.
Prayer
God as we have shared table fellowship with you and with each other, may we be careful of the honour you give us, not in a way that holds it close but in a way that opens up your gifts and spreads your love throughout the world.
As we have feasted in joy with your saints in heaven may we dine in sorrow with your children on earth until we come to share in your kingdom of peace and justice and love.
Amen.
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