On the displaying of flags

 Here's my sermon from this year's Remembrance Service at Broughton:

First Reading (Ephesians 6:10-17)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Second Reading (John 15:9-17)

Jesus said “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.    I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  This is my command: love each other.”

Sermon

This year we've celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Day – commemorating the end of the Second World War.  A common feature of these celebrations is the use of flags, often as bunting and also in parades and on promotional literature.  And today, as every year, we've paraded the Union Jack, and the flags of the Ex-Service Association and the Guiding and Scouting groups.

In recent years, flags have become more common on lamposts and cars and houses; and this use of flags has become the subject of much debate and heat in both the traditional media and on social media.  Much of the discussion being around what it means to fly these flags and if, where and when it is appropriate to do so. 

Flags and banners have always been used to communicate: we think of semaphore and naval flags being directly used to communicate messages.  Flags also signify belonging to a particular group, for example to indicate where a group is on a battlefield or to whom a property belongs.  Sometimes the group is one whose purpose is clear: think for example of the Nazi flag or a pirate flag.  People who display those flags are very clear in what they are communicating about themselves.  

Part of the problem with the contemporary flying of flags, particularly national flags, is that they are flown for many reasons, and the flag itself doesn't convey the motivation.  Therefore people make assumptions about the motive behind the display of the flag, and will often angrily defend or condemn it based on their assumption.  That is not to say that there aren't good and bad reasons to fly a flag, but merely to say that without other evidence it is impossible to know the reasons behind flying a flag.  

So let's think about what might be good and bad motives for flying a flag, without judging which of these motives lie behind any particular flag that's displayed.

Someone might fly a flag to show that they are proud to belong to that group or nation or region, and this is generally a good reason for displaying a flag, assuming, of course, that that the group is not an evil one!  For us, to be proud of being part of our nation is a good thing.  We are a nation grounded in Christian values, and although we are not perfect we are not irredeemably immoral.

Linked to this, the national flag is sometimes a desperate cry from those who are proud of their nation for their nation to take better care of them, and who fear that the values of the nation they love are being eroded.

However, when this spills into an attitude that their nation is far superior to others, the flag becomes a symbol of xenophobia and hatred of people of other nationalities.  Racism is, of course, a bad motivation.

So how should we respond?  Firstly, we need to remember that the motivation behind displaying flags is often unclear.  We need to go beyond what we perceive the message of the flags to be and to give a space to actively listen to the those who put them up.

But secondly, and more importantly, we need to look more closely at the flags themselves.  The Cubs and the Scouts came into church last Thursday and we were thinking about flags and we noted that the Union Jack is made up of three national flags that all have crosses on them: the cross of St George for England; St Andrew for Scotland and St Patrick for Ireland.  We also thought about why the cross is important; because it reminds us of the cross Jesus died on.

There are two aspects of the meaning of Jesus' death that are particularly relevant to the issues we're considering.  Firstly, the issues of national identity; interaction with other nationalities; and class division were all around in Jesus' day, but he didn't take sides on these issues because he knew the problem wasn't really a political one.  He knew, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian church:

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

The real battle is a spiritual battle: there are malevolent spiritual forces that love to stir up division, fear, anger, hatred and pride.  But, as Paul wrote to the Colossian church, Jesus disarmed those forces, triumphing over them on the cross (Colossians 2:15).  However, though Jesus has won the war, there are still battles for us to fight, so we need to stand firm with the armour of God.

On Thursday we also listened to a song we're going to be singing in a few minutes: “When a knight won his spurs”.  This song reminds us that we battle against the dragons of anger and the ogres of greed, which lie behind so much conflict, from personal to international.  But the song also reminds us of the characteristics we need in these spiritual battles: the shield of faith in the victory of Jesus to protect us, but we also need to be gentle and brave, and gallant and bold, with joy and setting free truth.  So to remind us of that the Cubs and Scouts made an English flag and chose four of those words to put one in each quarter of the flag (see the picture above for the results!).

But the second aspect of the cross is that it was the way Jesus showed his love for us (John 3:14-18).  He laid down his life, so our sins, which separate us from God, could be punished and therefore forgiven (Colossians 1:13-23).  If we want to accept his forgiveness we also need to accept his commands ("If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love") and the chief among them is this: “love each other as I have loved you.”  Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, while we were his enemies (Romans 5:6-10) and, in the same way, he calls us to love others, even our enemies – even those who fly flags for a reason we don't agree with.

So as we see those flags flying, let's not rush to a conclusion about why they are there.  Instead let's look at the cross on them, as the Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North, has written:

...each one pointing us to the saving work of Jesus Christ through which we are reconciled to the Father and so to each other.  We listen, we understand, but above all we hold the cross high, for in that symbol is the only true and lasting source of unity.

 

Lies, damned lies, statistics and the importance of truth

OIKOS is a fantastic ecumenical initiative in Brigg, that run a Christian shop, a Food Bank, a Community Pantry and more!  I was asked to write some short 'thoughts to start your week' for July 2024 for their Facebook page. This is an expanded version of the thought for 14th July.

Picture by Carolyn Dyk – Wycliffe Bible Translators

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics – so goes the famous proverbial saying; 

Mark Twain attributed it to Benjamin Disraeli, but it has not been found in his writings, and in any case the saying, or some form of it has been found earlier than Disraeli.  But it sprang to mind listening to the pre-election debates where all the parties made various statistical claims about their own policies and disputing the statistics of their opponents.  And even in the aftermath of the General Election statistics are still flying about, again utilised by various people to shore up their viewpoint. There are arguments over vote share, seats won, voter turnout and other issues, which all show that statistics, though often true, are not 'the whole truth and nothing but the truth.'

Even the church is not immune from this: the Church of England recently trumpeted that the most recent church attendance figures has gone up for the second year running – which is true; however, what they didn't say as loudly was that attendance still hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels.

It's easy to be cynical and despair at politicians and other public figures who use statistics, shall we say, 'creatively' or 'selectively' but we should perhaps consider their use of statistics and use it as a mirror to hold up to ourselves. Because all of us curate an image of ourselves that may be true, but is not the whole truth. Social media is probably the most obvious example of this, where we show the world our 'best' selves, and the 'best' parts of our life (and food!).  But we often do this too in the non-digital world: we tell the best stories about ourselves; we brag (in a humble way) about our achievements; and we impart our superior intelligence, knowledge and wisdom.  The way we look and dress; the things we put in our homes or gardens; the cars we drive (or don't drive); the places we go to and the people we are seen with all contribute to the way we present ourselves and project the image of ourselves that we want others to see.  These images and presentations are often true, though in being perhaps exaggerations of the truth, and only selective truths, they cannot be said to be the whole truth.

It seems to me that we do this because we are afraid that if people knew the whole truth about us, they would not want to be around us.  It is telling that in the Genesis account of the fall of humanity, after grasping for the 'knowledge of good and evil' (i.e. wanting the ability to decide for themselves what is right and wrong rather than trusting God), the first thing Adam and Eve do is cover themselves and hide (Genesis 3:7-8).  In wanting the power to judge they end up judging themselves and wanting to present a different version of themselves than the literal naked truth.  

But although we may be able to fool others, we cannot fool God: he is the one "to whom all hearts are open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden" (Prayer of Preparation from the Holy Communion service) and the BCP Morning Prayer Service says we should "acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father."  Psalm 139 reminds us that God knows everything about us, including our sins – and the amazing thing is that he still loves us!   Chris Tomlin has written a worship song called 'Indescribable' that ends with these great lyrics, addressed to God: "You see the depths of my hart and you love me the same, you are amazing God!"  He wants us to change and turn away from our sin, but our sin doesn't stop him loving us.  He sees the whole truth about us, but we don't need to hide, instead he says to us:

  ‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’

    says the Lord.

‘Though your sins are like scarlet,

    they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

    they shall be like wool.' (Isaiah 1:18)

 

Advent Reflections 2020: Isaiah's Titles for Jesus - 1: Wonderful Counsellor

 

For our Advent reflections this year we're going to look at the titles Jesus is given in Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The first title that Isaiah foretells for Jesus is 'Wonderful Counsellor'. Jesus is wonderful in the sense that he arouses in us a sense of wonder and awe and marvel. Unfortunately, we are so familiar with the events of Jesus' life that they lose something of that sense of wonder, but as we read the gospels we are constantly told how the reaction of the crowds to Jesus was one of amazement, not just at his miracles, but also at his teaching (e.g. Mark 1:27). It is the same as we approach Christmas; familiarity blind us to the amazing events surrounding Jesus' birth, like the angels, the star and the virgin birth itself. Similarly, we need to recover our wonder at the very coming of Jesus, how “...within a manger lies / he who built the starry skies” “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). The most wonderful thing about Jesus is that he came to earth from his glory in heaven so that he could die to redeem us from our sins.

The title 'Counsellor' helps us to see in greater detail what Jesus does. It firstly reminds us of Jesus' place in the Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are a communion of Persons in perfect unity. The idea of them taking counsel together is a really difficult one to comprehend because we humans take counsel in order to fill in gaps in our knowledge, but God has no such lack of knowledge. The Divine 'consultation' (which we see for example in Genesis 1:26) is more a reminder that each Person of the Trinity acts freely to fulfil the Divine will. So in the Philippians quote we saw that Jesus was obedient to the Father, and in John 16:13 Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit “will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears [from the Father and the Son]” - in both cases there is the inference that the Son and the Spirit choose to act in that way. This contradicts the argument of atheists like Richard Dawkins who say that the Father commits child-abuse by sending Jesus to die for our sins. The crucifixion was the eternal plan of the Trinity for the atonement of human sin – Jesus went to his death willingly because it was his plan from before Creation! This is reflected in another way the phrase 'Wonderful Counsellor' can be translated: “Wonder-working Planner”.

Jesus' rôle as Counsellor also tells us about his relationship to us – he imparts wisdom and truth to us. But he is not just one more voice among many, he is not someone whose teachings have the same value as any other speaker – only he has the words of eternal life (John 6:68), because only he is Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24) and Truth (John 14:6). Despite this, Jesus' words do not come to us as a divine diktat, but as an invitation to life in all its fullness and a sign that he is concerned with our welfare – whoever obeys his words will never see death (John 8:51). In these uncertain and frightening times, who better to turn to than our Wonderful Counsellor?

COVID reflections

From the start of lockdown with the suspension of public worship, alongside our online services (which you can find here) the interim Methodist minister, Rev. Enid, and I alternated to post reflections on Facebook each Sunday, and every day in Holy Week.

Sunday 29^th March 2020: Lent 5

It goes without saying that we are at a time of crisis – and I'm not just talking about the lack of toilet roll! A virus that can strike down anyone, including Prime Ministers and that has no cure as yet, can be a terrifying thing. And we see the scenes from other countries of rows and rows of coffins, with the ominous warning that we may only be four weeks or so from a similar situation. The result is a growing sense of fear.

The famous Psalm 23 (“The Lord's my Shepherd") speaks of confidence in a God who loves us and provides for us and was probably written when King David faced a time of crisis of his own. But rather than give in to fear he says “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (verse 4). Belief in God doesn't protect us from trouble, hardship or suffering but we can be confident that if we ask he will give us the spiritual and mental resources we need to get us through even the darkest of valleys.

As we start to think about the events of Holy Week and Easter, we're reminded that God doesn't look upon our suffering from afar, but came to us in Jesus to share our life and ultimately to die. But Easter also reminds us that that isn't the end of the story – Jesus was raised to life and death has been defeated – we have nothing to fear!! He now invites each of us to believe and trust in him so that we can dwell in his house for ever.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, our ever-present help in trouble, our fortress and our God: calm the anxious fears of all who turn to you; give strength and healing to those who are sick, and courage and skill to those who care for them; grant wisdom and clarity to those in authority; and humble us all to call upon you that we may be saved not only in this life, but also for that which is to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Monday 6th April 2020: Monday of Holy Week

On the Monday of Holy Week Jesus went back into Jerusalem (having stayed the night at Mary, Martha and Lazarus' house in the village of Bethany) and went into the Temple courts. The Temple had four basic parts: the outermost part was the Court of the Gentiles. Entry to the other parts of the Temple was restricted to certain people, but this was where anyone could come to pray, and this was also where people could buy animals to sacrifice in the Temple and exchange their money into the Temple Shekel.

It was this outer court that Jesus entered and he “began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.” (Mark 11:15-16). This is not the 'gentle Jesus meek and mild' of popular imagination. This is a Jesus who rails not just against the corrupt and exploitative practices there, but more importantly against those who stopped it being a 'house of prayer for all nations'.

In these days when our 'houses of prayer' are locked to all of us, it is good to remind ourselves of how important Jesus considered worship and prayer to be. But we can also rejoice that we no longer need Temple or Church to worship God (John 4:21) – not just because we can gather online – but because Jesus is the one in whom we worship and he is available to all of us wherever we are. It is important for us to gather together to worship, but it is essential that we continue to worship even when we cannot gather.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, on the Monday you overthrew the market tables in the Temple. Give us the courage to challenge situations of injustice, and to worship you at all times and in all places. Lord, by your cross and passion, save us and help us. Amen.

Wednesday 8th April 2020: Wednesday of Holy Week

The Bible doesn't tell us what Jesus did on the Wednesday of Holy Week, so it is generally assumed that he and the disciples spent time with his closest friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  He had had a busy couple of days full of drama, confrontation and noise, so perhaps he needed a day to rest amongst those he loved in preparation for what lay ahead – this was possibly his last night's sleep before his death.

So the message of Holy Wednesday would usually be: don't forget to take time out of your busy life to spend with family and friends and God.  However, at the moment the government is enforcing such rest on many of us!  Some people are longing to get back to the chaos and rush of normal life.  Others are longing to see loved ones who live at a distance.  Rather than being a time of rest and refreshment, to many this is a time of frustration and worry.  So what can Holy Wednesday say to us if that is how we are feeling?

The frustration comes from this rest being enforced and 'until further notice', however it should not stop us having a renewed appreciation of God's wisdom in commanding a Sabbath rest.  This doesn't necessarily need to be a Sunday (although that will leave you free to come to church!!) but we should all aim for an uninterrupted 24 hour rest period each week as far as possible.  Jesus knew he needed to rest if he was to be able to fulfil his mission the cross, and we need to rest otherwise we will be 'neither use nor ornament.' But this is also a time to reassess our priorities: in the rush to get back to normality we might want to think about what parts of normality are worth rushing back to.

To our key workers who would love to have this rest; thank you! To the rest of us, whether this time is a joy or an irritation, let us use it to listen to what God might be saying to us about the way we live our lives.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, on the Wednesday you spent time with your friends. We pray for our own families, friends and loved ones whether they are too close or too far away.  We pray for all who feel lonely and all those who need a rest. Lord, by your cross and passion, save us and help us. Amen.

Saturday 11th April 2020: Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday is another day that the Bible doesn't tell us about, but it is easy for us to imagine.  Jesus was dead and buried.  The religious leaders and the Roman authorities were breathing a sigh of relief that the troublemaker was gone.  The crowds looked for the next person they could hail as Messiah. But what about Jesus' disciples?

We know that on Easter Sunday they were in the upper room where they had celebrated Passover a couple of nights before, with the doors locked because they were afraid of the religious leaders (John 20:19).  And they had good reason to be afraid: Jesus was put to death partly because he had threatened the power and status of the  Jewish and Roman authorities, so it would be logical that his followers would be arrested for the same reason. But in addition to that fear, and probably overwhelming it, would be an immense sense of grief and loss; not just of a Master and a friend, but also of their hopes and dreams.  They had given up jobs and left behind families to follow Jesus three years earlier; they believed him when he said that he was the Messiah and that the kingdom of God was at hand; they thought that they would be significant players in the new kingdom.  But now all their hopes and dreams were shattered.  They had left everything and now they had lost everything.

COVID-19 has had a similar effect on people.  Some have lost loved ones.  Some have lost livelihoods.  Some have seen their plans for the future torn apart.  And everyone has seen their normal lives turned upside down, with little or no sense of when or if 'normality' will return.

In these circumstances it's easy to skip over Holy Saturday in a rush to get to Easter Sunday – and we do need to focus on hope for the future, as the Queen put it: “We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”  But perhaps we could take today to focus on the desolation the disciples felt and the desolation of many people in the face of this virus.

Maybe take some time to read through the Psalms – you'll be surprised at how honestly some of the despair is described, or perhaps read Lamentations 3.  The fact that God allowed these prayers of anguish into the Bible reminds us that we needn't fear telling God exactly how we feel.

Prayer: In the depths of our isolation we cry to you, Lord God: give light in our darkness and bring us out of the prison of our despair; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

Sunday 12th April 2020: Easter Sunday

As Jesus bursts from the tomb on Easter Sunday, so joy should burst from us as we celebrate his resurrection.  It is the greatest day in history: it changed the whole of creation forever.  Why? Because death has been defeated! We Christians sometimes say that too easily, and those who don't believe dismiss it too easily.  But think of the implications of that truth.  Death is defeated.  It is no longer a threat. It is no longer the end.  As the hymn says “Jesus lives; thy terrors now / can, O death, no more appal us.”

We live in a world that fears death: in normal times millions is spent on products that rejuvenate, or at least hide the effects of ageing. Diets and exercise plans are great when used for a healthy lifestyle, but too often are vain attempts to put off death.  And one thing that COVID-19 has shown us is that we still fear death.  Now I'm not suggesting that we ignore government advice, but I am encouraging you to think about how you personally feel about the possibility that you could die.  Not to think about how it would affect your loved ones but how you face your own death.

The most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, says that whoever believes and trusts in Jesus as their Saviour shall not perish, but have eternal life. That is why St Paul could write “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  He knew that neither death nor life could separate him from God's love that is in Jesus (Romans 8:38), and so he, like many Christian throughout the centuries, was willing to suffer and die for his faith.  For those who believe in him, Jesus' resurrection brings “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”

Without the resurrection, life is meaningless: we will be forgotten in just a few generations, and few of us will leave a legacy that lasts beyond that - ultimately the world will be destroyed and everything humanity has achieved will disappear.  But with the resurrection, we can spend eternity in the presence of the God who delights in us and all our achievements, however small.

Jesus lives! Death (and COVID-19) is defeated! And in the words of another hymn: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives!”

Prayer: Our God and Father, in whose great mercy we have been given new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: strengthen us with that solid hope and calm our anxious thoughts and fears in the midst of the dangers we now face, that we who often stagger in desperate times may rejoice and be satisfied with him whose painful anguish of soul brought us the light of life. For we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Thursday 23rd April 2020: St George's Day

Although this wasn't part of the pattern, I did a special reflection for St George's day.

St George, soldier and martyr – and that's pretty much all we know about him! According to tradition he was tortured and beheaded c.304 at Lydda, Palestine, and according to legend he killed a dragon. As a patron saint against plagues it is perhaps particularly appropriate that his feast day falls during a lockdown caused by a virus!

Although the story of George and the dragon is a legend, it perhaps reminds us that there is someone more powerful than those 'dragons' we face, whether they're viruses; uncertainty about the future; grief; broken relationships or anything else. In the legend George went into battle knowing God was with him, just like David did against the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17), and God invites us to trust him and let him face our dragons with us.

And by being a martyr, by being willing to be put to death for his faith in Jesus, George reminds us about what we have just celebrated at Easter: that death holds no fear for those who trust in Jesus: “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

Prayer: God of hosts, who so kindled the flame of love in the heart of your servant George that he bore witness to the risen Lord by his life and by his death: give us the same faith and power of love that we who rejoice in his triumphs may come to share with him the fullness of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Amen.

Sunday 26th April 2020: Easter 3

For this Sunday I shared a link to Bear Grylls' reflections on Easter: https://youtu.be/pJmAMlU-wNU

Sunday 10th May 2020: Easter 5

The Coronavirus is a global crisis; it reminds us of the interconnectedness of our world – a virus starts in Asia and spreads over the whole world in a matter of a few weeks.  We are also constantly looking at how other countries are responding to the crisis and comparing their statistics with ours.  But it also makes us suspicious of other countries and makes us look after ourselves first.

This week is Christian Aid Week, an annual chance to remember that no matter how bad things are for us, usually our problems are small compared with others throughout the world.  COVID-19 is spreading across the world’s poorest countries, putting people living in poverty at great risk.  These people are already facing a lack of water, food and healthcare.  Some are homeless or refugees.  Some are living with underlying health issues.  Some are also suffering from floods, famines, droughts, war and other disasters.

This week we have the chance to help not just our physical (but socially distanced!) neighbours but also our global neighbours.  If you'd like to help this week, or any time, go to https://www.christianaid.org.uk/

Prayer: God of heaven and earth, in these times of isolation, apart from loved ones, distant from friends, away from neighbours, thank you that there is nothing in all of creation, not even  coronavirus, that is able to separate us from your love. And may your love that never fails continue to be shared through the kindness of strangers looking out for each other, for neighbours near and far all recognising our shared vulnerability, each of us grateful for every breath, and willing everyone to know the gift of a full and healthy life. Keep us all in your care. Amen.

Sunday 24th May 2020: Easter 7

As we navigate when and how we ease out of lockdown there is a lot of anxiety about a second wave of COVID-19.  In the Church year today is the Sunday after Ascension Day, and in some way marks the second wave of grief for the disciples.

After Jesus' death the disciples were devastated and despairing, but their grief was short-lived as it turned through confusion to amazement to rejoicing as the news of Jesus' resurrection filtered through.  He then spent forty days with the disciples; eating with them, teaching them and commissioning them to go out and tell people about him.  Then, as we remembered last Thursday, he  was taken up to heaven, where he was made ruler of all things (Ephesians 1:20-23).  We are told that the disciples stayed in Jerusalem – what might they have felt? This second wave of grief would not have been as bad as the first wave because they knew that Jesus was alive, and more importantly why he had had to die.  But they still faced a separation from him, he would no longer be physically present with them as he had been before.  And now they had this commission to go out into all the world and tell people about Jesus.

They must have wondered how a dozen or so people could achieve this, particularly as they faced possible arrest and execution if they tried.  The answer was to be found in Jesus' cryptic promise that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them (more on that next week from Enid!).  However even before they received the Holy Spirit, they had the resources they needed.

The difference between the pre- and post-resurrection griefs is illustrated in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians: the church there had been rocked by the the deaths of some of their members, but Paul did not want them to “grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (4:13-14).  Before the resurrection the disciples grieved without hope, but after it they had confidence that death was no longer final; more than that, because they saw Jesus keeping his promise to come back to life, they could also be confident that he would keep his promise to be with them always.

So what keeps you going through this pandemic? Is it a vague, fingers-crossed hope that things will turn out OK, or is it a trust in the never-failing one who promises “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, our ever-present help in trouble, our fortress and our God: calm the anxious fears of all who turn to you; give strength and healing to those who are sick; and humble us all to call upon you that we may be saved not only in this life, but also for that which is to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Sunday 7th June 2020: Trinity Sunday

Today is Trinity Sunday, the day when we particularly remember that God has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; as the Athanasian Creed says: God is “one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the Persons nor dividing the divine Being...not three Gods but one God...all three Persons are co-eternal with each other and co-equal.”  Not the easiest concept to get our heads around, but that is who God tells us he is in the Bible.

And this helps us understand another easier-to-grasp definition God gives us of himself: “God is love” (1 John 4:8).  Love cannot exist alone, the one who loves has to have someone to love.  God existed before there was anything else so the only way he can be love is if he has always existed as a communion of co-eternal persons.

The Trinity is not an abstract theological concept, it is a description of how God reveals himself in the Bible and how he has been experienced by millions of people throughout history.  But it also has practical consequences for us humans too.

At the moment people all around the world are rightly concerned about racial justice, and the slogan 'Black Lives Matter' is all over the news and social media.  For many people it seems incredible that still in the 21st Century people from BAME communities face prejudice and discrimination from individuals and organisations because of their race.  The question is frequently asked “Why does racism still exist?”

The answer is that racism is rooted in the sin of pride – thinking of ourselves as better than others, and it will only be solved when all of us admit to our own sinfulness, repent and ask God to forgive us and fill us with his Holy Spirit so that we will be more like him.  And part of God's nature as Trinity is being one in essence yet three distinct Persons and “in this Trinity there is...no greater or less”.  Unity yet diversity; equality yet difference.  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit model for us the only way we as humanity can truly live in harmony, and the only way racism and other forms of discrimination will be no more.

Prayer: Almighty God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; you exist in a perfect communion of Persons, forgive us our pride in thinking of ourselves as better than others, and help us to live as you live, in a perfect unity of love in difference. Amen.

Sunday  June 2020: Trinity 2

In today's Gospel reading (Matthew 10:24–39) Jesus warns his disciples that being a Christian will not be easy, in fact it will be very dangerous.  And according to tradition, all but two of the original twelve were put to death for their faith in Jesus.  The early Christians were put to death in an attempt to silence the message about Jesus and we often think that such actions belong to the un-Enlightened past, but recent events have proved that wrong.

The pulling down or vandalising of statues of figures from the past, some actions of whose we now regard as wrong, is a symptom of what has become known as the 'cancel culture'.  People or views with which we disagree are no longer argued against, they are simply silenced and erased.  There is no room for reason or debate, suppression is the only answer to things we don't like.  Truth, context, logic and even science can all be set aside if someone shouts loud enough or can portray themselves as a victim.  And ironically this is usually justified by doing it the name of 'tolerance', 'equality' and 'diversity'!

The reality is that only some things are tolerated; some are more equal than others; and only certain types of diversity are welcome.  J. K. Rowling has recently found this out when she dared suggest that women's rights were being overlooked in favour of (some) trans rights, and received vitriol and hatred as a result.

The faults of a society, however, reflect the faults of us as individuals.  All of us would like to airbrush out those parts of our past that we regret, and all of us would prefer not to hear opinions that we disagree with or that make us uncomfortable.  It was this human tendency to silence inconvenient truths that led the authorities to crucify Jesus.  But ironically it was Jesus' death that makes it possible for our past mistakes and disturbing truths to be forgiven and forgotten, at least by God.

Prayer: Holy Lord Jesus, you know the depths of our hearts, yet you still love us.  Thank you for coming to take the punishment we deserve and for sending the Holy Spirit to make us more like you. Amen.

Sunday 5th July 2020: Trinity 4

Yesterday was 4th July when the USA celebrated being released from the shackles of British rule, and when England celebrated being released from (some of) the shackles of lockdown.  This easing of lockdown has caused great relief and rejoicing in some people, and renewed horror and fear in others.  Many businesses are able to resume trading; many employees are more confident about their financial future; and many people are able to be reunited with loved ones.  However, the new freedoms also increase the risk of a resurgence of the virus, as Leicester knows only too well.

A couple of weeks ago we thought about the dangers of trying to airbrush our history, and this week we're reminded again of the need to learn from the more recent past and not simply to carry on as if the virus never happened.  Our reading today from the gospel of Matthew (11:16-30) carries a similar warning about not learning from history.

Jesus criticized the people of some of the towns where he had performed miracles because they hadn't repented: they were more interested in being entertained than listening to the message Jesus was bringing.  The miracles were signs that God's kingdom was breaking into this world and bringing healing, renewal and restoration – and that included the restoration of the relationship between us and God which was broken because of our sin.  But people weren't listening.  So Jesus warns them that on the Day of Judgement notoriously evil places like Sodom would fare better because if they had seen those miracles they would have repented and not been destroyed!  This should make us think too.  We have the privilege of having the whole of God's word revealed to us in the Bible, so we will have not have the excuse on Judgement Day that we didn't get the chance to hear Jesus' message.

The point of this is not that we have a massive guilt-trip, but that we repent and are renewed.  So Jesus' invitation in verse 28 is for all who are weighed down with sin or worry or pain: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Prayer: Eternal God, comfort of the afflicted and healer of the broken, lead us to repent of our sins and to bring our worries and needs to you, that you may fill us with your peace that is beyond our understanding.  Amen.

The downside of never growing up

Here's my article for the July edition of the Scawby parish magazine:

This year, the Year 6s from both Scawby Academy and Hibaldstow will be performing Peter Pan.  As a boy, Peter Pan was one of my favourite stories and I would often read the Ladybird Children's Classics version of it.  I also have fond memories of watching Peter Pan performed on ice one Christmas.  I don't know whether it was the flying or the sword-fighting that excited me most about the story, but one of the reasons it's remained such a popular story throughout the world with people all ages, is that it is seen as a celebration of childhood innocence and a reflection of our desire for eternal youth.

When I had children of my own, I decided to read J. M. Barrie's original story so I could then read it to my children, but I was horrified at how sinister and disturbing his story actually is.  Far from being the playful and mischievous character of my memories, Peter is a controlling, egotistical bully.  The fantasy worlds we create as children are lived as if they were reality in Neverland.  In Chapter 6: The Little House, after Wendy is shot down, Peter calls for a doctor and one of the Lost Boys pretends to be a doctor.  Barrie writes

The difference between him [Peter] and the other boys at such a time was that they knew it was make-believe; while to him make-believe and true were exactly the same thing. This sometimes troubled them, as when they had to make-believe that they had had their dinners.  If they broke down in their make-believe he rapped them on their knuckles.

Most disturbing, however, is Peter's attitude to adults, and particularly mothers.  In Chapter 11: Wendy's Story it says that Peter

was so full of wrath against grown-ups, who, as usual, were spoiling everything, that as soon as he got inside his tree he breathed intentionally quick short breaths at the rate of about five to a second. He did this because there is a saying in the Neverland that, every time you breathe, a grown-up dies; and Peter was killing them off vindictively as fast as possible.

His experience of running away from his mother, and returning some time later only to find she has had another son, leads him to distrust others, particularly mothers.  Peter's refusal to grow up is less about the wonders of childhood and more to do with his fear of the uncontrollability of real life, especially in relationships with others.

We might see in Peter a reflection of our modern obsession with youth or a (not universally justified) criticism of 'young people nowadays' who want the enjoyment of life without any of its responsibilities.  However, Peter's blurring of fact and fantasy points to a more worrying aspect of society: where people can construct their own 'reality' which has no basis in fact or logic, and then require everyone else to 'play-along' with their make-believe.  Those that don't play along get rapped on the knuckles or worse.  Jesus calls us to follow him; the Way, the Truth and the Life.  And following him really is an awfully big adventure.

Christmas traditions and Christmas truths

Last year's December magazine article:

Lying next to me on my desk, waiting to be opened is my pre-Christmas reading for this year – Pope Benedict XVI's book on the Infancy Narratives of Jesus of Nazareth. In this book Pope Benedict goes back to the stories of Jesus' infancy in Matthew and Luke's gospels to re-examine what they say and what they mean for us today. So far, so uncontroversial. Or so you'd think. Some in the media took a different view. A Reuters report pointed out that several attention-grabbing media headlines tried to make it seem as if Pope Benedict was attacking Christmas; headlines such as"Killjoy pope crushes Christmas nativity traditions," "Pope sets out to debunk Christmas myths," "The pope's war on Christmas," and even "Pope bans Christmas."

All of these headlines owe more to journalistic sensationalism than anything that was actually in the book. Pope Benedict, in returning to the gospel accounts themselves, pointed out how some of our ideas about the Christmas story are not supported by the gospels. For example, he says that the gospels do not say that there were any animals present when Jesus was born, and that the angels said “Glory to God in the highest” rather than sang it. Filtered through hyperbole these became the Pope banning nativity cribs and carols, even though in the book Pope Benedict states "No representation of the crib is complete without the ox and the ass" and "Christianity has always understood that the speech of angels is actually song" so it is only natural that we “join in their carolling on the Holy Night".

But something else, apart from journalists getting carried away, lies behind these headlines, and that is the challenging of traditions. Christmas is a time full of traditions both old and new, most of which are dearly held, and sometimes these traditions compete. Arguments over whether your have Christmas pudding before or after the Queen's speech, or whether you see all of the family on Christmas Day or none of them, although trivial can take on epic proportions precisely because they are to do with some of our most cherished habits.

In his book Pope Benedict seeks to look beyond the various Christian traditions to the 'gospel truth' of the Christmas story, not to get rid of them but to enhance them by reminding us of the greater truth that lies at the heart of the story. This Christmas, why not pick up a Bible and read the first part of Matthew and Luke's gospels and hear the original story again (or come along to church to hear it!). To use Pope Benedict's words, I pray that the many Christmas traditions, but especially the gospel accounts themselves, will “help you on your path toward and alongside Jesus”. God bless you this Christmas.