God is…..for everyone!

Acts 11:1-18

Things are changing. The message of Jesus Christ is moving in different ways – reaching people who some might suggest shouldn’t hear the message.

But today’s reading from Acts is a key turning point in the growth of the church and the reach of the Good News.

Gentiles, for long kept at a distance by the detailed rules of Judaism, are now welcome as members of that new and growing Christian community.

It takes longer for any such change to become embedded within the life and self-identity of a community than the change itself takes. Think of the abolition of slavery, the end to apartheid, the ordination of women, equal rights for lgbt people, as examples. The laws may change, but it takes time for the whole community to accept the changes. However, all these long journeys towards inclusion being with a first step. By verse 18, the voices of doubt and disagreement around Peter have not only been silenced but have become voices of praise to God!

Change is often difficult but when change involves a shift in long held traditions, in long held views it can seem impossible and improbable.

For Jewish people – and the earliest followers of Jesus still saw themselves as Jews – the idea that the Good News of Christ was something to be shared with gentiles was a big shift. A difficult one – I mean the chosen people of God were no longer the only ones to be chosen? Word was spreading throughout the community that Gentiles were being accepted into the faith. It was being whispered that even the Apostle Peter, the most influential of the first Apostles was part of this movement.

So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those Christians who prided themselves on their Jewish backgrounds criticized him. They had heard reports about him. They heard that he had not only entered the houses of uncircumcised Gentiles, but he had actually eaten with them. “Tell us, Peter,” they cried, “that it’s not so!”

But it was so!

The passage from Acts is one of those that we could skip over tucked away as it is in the middle – seemingly innocuous. But this passage is import to us as people with a non Jewish background as it is the beginning of the change that accepted people like us into the fellowship of the church.

The inevitable has happened – God’s plan has been set in motion – there is no stopping it.

Some of us will remember watching the hilarious Roadrunner cartoons. These cartoons featured a character named Wile E. Coyote. Wile E. Coyote’s virtually endless quest in life was to capture his nemesis, the Roadrunner. The coyote was stubbornly persistent in this quest despite the fact that, not only did he fail time after time after time, but meanwhile he repeatedly plummeted from high cliffs, was blown up, and was continually getting flattened by numerous large, heavy falling objects. On one occasion the coyote pursued the roadrunner into a long, dark tunnel, so dark that all that was visible of him were his eyes, shining in the blackness. Unable to see the roadrunner, the coyote paused, uncertain. Then he would see a light at the end of the tunnel and head for it, only to discover at the last minute when it was too late that the light he faced belonged to an oncoming train. So the coyote got mowed down and flattened, again, and the object of his chase, yet again, eluded him.

Perhaps the Roadrunner cartoons gave us the humorous expression about realizing that the light at the end of the tunnel is an approaching locomotive.

Normally we might think of the coyote’s dilemma as an example of our lives when adversity strikes. There will be times in our lives when we feel like we have bit hit by a train – this week began like that for me when I was given the news that a close friend and colleague in the silver band had died by suicide. It’s been a week of picking up pieces – of prayer for her family and for all those who knew and loved her. And being there for and with them.

Picking up all the pieces will take time and I thank God for his love – not just for me but for everyone. 

And knowing that no-one is outside the scope of God’s love is such a wonderful comfort and blessing. Imagine of it were like it was before Jesus came and only the Jews of God’s chosen land and people were the only people allowed to have a relationship with God?

It couldn’t last though – God’s plan was bigger than that – God’s plan is bigger than that. It is bigger than any of us. Whether that be the individual – the church here or the church nationally or even the church catholic. God’s plan is bigger and better than any of that.

In the coming weeks as the General Assembly approaches – the press will get even more intense in its coverage of the debate that surrounds the church on the issue of whether ministers in same sex relationships should be allowed to be ordained or indeed hold the position of minister.

Some people are getting really worked up about this – some congregations and some ministers have already left the church as they don’t feel the church is heading in the right direction.

The report that will be debated at General Assembly is asking the church to decide one way or they other – for or against. But whatever decision the General Assembly makes it wont end there – as under church law the decision has to go to each presbytery for a vote under a mechanism called the Barrier Act. Then the result of that vote will go back to the General Assembly next year for a further vote and possible ratification. The scenario could be that the General Assembly votes to allow ministers in same sex relationships to minister in the church and then the presbyteries vote this down and then the next General Assembly turns that vote around and we get back to square one.

And while this is all going on we will continue as before being church here in our community.

What vexes me in all of this is that people are being hurt by some of the rhetoric coming from all sides of the argument and that we are losing sight of God’s message that his loves is for all and that Jesus commanded us to love one another as we love ourselves.

I have a view on this subject – and that is whilst I have no issue with LGBT people being ministers and indeed in relationships – I also respect and understand my colleagues who do not share that view. And I hope that a middle way can be found that allows individual congregations to choose for themselves whether or not they are comfortable with whoever they call to have as their minister.

And can we please focus on more urgent matters that the church should be focused on – remember that passage we studied earlier this year?

When Jesus quoted from Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free the oppressed

and announce that the time has come

when the Lord will save his people.”

Nowhere in that do I hear anything about people’s sexuality being the most  important issue for the church. The General Assembly will discuss and debate many many isues that to me are much more important than the issue of a ministers’ sexuality – for example how to ensure people in some of the poorest parts of the world have access to fresh water or that we support the If campaign in its efforts to share food around. Or even How as a church we work towards play our part in cutting greenhouse gases. Big issues affecting huge numbers of people. Things I personally think God is far More worried about.

What was it he said in today’s Gospel reading “love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

That’s more like it!

Love one another! – It is so simple.

I want to share with you now a video clip – of someone who puts this a bit better than me – you might just recognise him:

Video Clip of Desmond Tutu at The General Assembly

The standing ovation went on for some time. But Archbishop Tutu impassioned plea to love one another – to care about what needs to be cared about – to care for those who need to be cared for. That is what Jesus was saying when he commanded – not just simply asked us nicely – no commanded us to love one another.

Here is a lovely quote I read this morning “”Every time, without exception, we meet someone new we should start the process of falling in love with them. It doesn’t matter who that person is, or what others think about them, or what they have (or have not) done in their lives.

You see, by starting the process of falling in love with them, we invite them into our hearts, into our lives and we are open to them inviting us in their hearts and lives. But, even if they don’t invite us in to their lives, that doesn’t cancel out our call to fall in love with them. The idea is that we extend ourselves; we “push” ourselves if you will, past our comfort zone so we can invite others into our lives.” -  John c o’keefe an American preacher.

Love one another – that is the core of our faith – love and love for one another. When our debates go beyond showing that love, when words start to hurt, when people start to feel excluded from God’s love – then we have move away from what He wants – no commands.

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sermon: Outrageous Generosity

Are you a Mary or a Martha? Or a bit of both?

 If Jesus walked through that door – would you go make him a cup of tea or would you sit at his feet?

Or are you Judas – looking on – criticising, mumbling about the waste of money?

 Mary, Martha or Judas – none of the above or a wee bit of each?

 There is no doubt that what Mary did – pouring out that perfume was an extravagant, exuberant gesture – a beautiful moment of devotion. She was not being showy and trying to grab the limelight – all she doing was simply showing Jesus her love for him. In the midst of what might be seen as a grand gesture is an intimate moment of love – as she pours the nard onto his feet and rubs it in with her hair.

 I don’t know about you – but there are very few people who I would be prepared to do that for – and even fewer people I would be willing to let anywhere near my feet!

 But Mary gets on her knees and she would have had to have been almost prostrate to be able to use her hair to rub in the oil. She gets as low as she can before Jesus and shows her love and devotion to him – her way.

 In the meantime we have this image of Martha busying herself in the kitchen preparing the meal – keeping back, hiding a way. Not daring to get close.

 And yet showing her love for Jesus her way – in the practical action of preparing a meal. Preparing a meal with love – showing her love and devotion to him – her way.

 Let’s now take a step back from Mary and Martha for a moment and look at the bigger picture of what is happening in this scene.

 Where is Jesus? He is in the home of Lazarus. The home of his dear friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary.

Each of the Gospel writers includes this story – we know it as the anointing of Jesus. Each Gospel writer has their own twist on it. But each saw as significant enough an event to include it in their writing.

 In John’s gospel this anointing takes place at the conclusion of Jesus’ public ministry, just before he enters into Jerusalem for his final Passover celebration. Jesus’ last speeches, his private teachings to his disciples, follow this public meal that is described in this week’s text.

As Jesus approaches Jerusalem there is an increasing scent and sense of death. In chapter 11 John tells the extended story of Lazarus — his illness, his death, and his miraculous resurrection accomplished through the power of Jesus, the one who is “the resurrection and the life”.

 But it is also the restoration of life to Lazarus that leads the chief priests and Pharisees to begin actively plotting Jesus’ death.

Before entering into Jerusalem and the final phase of his earthly mission, Jesus pauses and takes a breather. Jesus lingers in what was one of his favourite places, Bethany. This small settlement, just two miles outside of Jerusalem.

Bethany is today a troubled place – with neither Israel nor the Palestinians taking full responsibility for it, although it predominantly a Palestinian town. It is a place strewn with litter and rather run down. And on the wall outside the church on the sire of where Lazarus’s tomb was – someone has painted on – Jesus still weeps. An ironic reference to the shortest verse in the Bible From John 11:35 – Jesus Wept.

When I visited the Holy Land last year it took just a short time to travel to Bethany from Jerusalem but as we travelled a wall under construction was pointed out to us. This wall when complete would cut the town off more or less completely from Jerusalem – and cut the people off from the services Jerusalem provides. For example hospitals and other emergency services. Life in Bethany is currently bad – it is going to get even tougher.

No wonder Jesus still weeps at Bethany.

Back to the Gospel.

Jesus is at the home of his friends – and there will have been an air of celebration – its only been a short time since Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead.

And there are important ties between both todays story and that of Lazarus’s resurrection. And one in particular that goes further – it looks forward to Jesus own death.

When Jesus went to Bethany after hearing his friend had died – as he approached the tomb Martha warned ‘There will be a bad smell Lord. He has been buried four days.’

A bad smell.

What we have in our reading is a beautiful smell – a smell very similar to the one now floating around this church. (nard oil in pots were opened earlier in the service)

Jesus was anointed by Mary in the place where once a bad smell was feared. Replacing death with life – the bad smell is banished and replaced by a sweet fragrance.

Jesus himself in our reading connects this moment of sweet scent to his own death. ‘leave her alone!’ he tells Judas, ‘Let her keep what she has for the day of my burial’.

The past, the present and the future tied together in one short Gospel passage. And through the sense of smell. The bad to the good to the even better.

What a wonderful way to think about what Jesus does to our lives. He takes the past – the bad and makes it through the present good and promises us an even better life to come.

What Mary does when Jesus comes to dinner is such a powerful thing to do. It is outrageously generous but with an understanding of the back story makes perfect sense. Why wouldn’t she want to show her love and gratitude in such a way?

I came across this story this week – another example of outrageous generosity.

It’s a story about a missionary surgeon.

He could be rather gruff and to the point. On one occasion the surgeon was speaking to a small group of university students about his work in the Gaza Strip. He was telling them that westerners – the “fat cats” knew nothing about gratitude. Nothing!

On one occasion he had stopped a peasant hovel to see a woman on whom he had performed surgery. She and her husband were dirt poor. Their livestock supply consisted of one Angora rabbit and two chickens. For income the woman combed the hair out of the rabbit, spun the hair into yarn and sold it. For food she and her husband ate the eggs from the chickens.

The woman insisted that the missionary surgeon stay for lunch. He accepted the invitation and said he would be back for lunch after he had gone down the road to see another postoperative patient.

An hour and a half later he was back. He peeked into the cooking pot to see what he was going to eat. He saw one rabbit and two chickens. The woman had given up her entire livestock supply–her income, her food, everything. He concluded his story by reminding us that we knew nothing of gratitude. He wept unashamedly as he concluded his story.

Outrageous generosity – giving without thinking of the cost. So grateful for what had been received, in this case lifesaving surgeries, in Mary’s case her brother’s resurrection.

What have you to be outrageously grateful for? What would cause you to be outrageously generous?

That’s a difficult question isn’t it? I remember an agreement Neil and I had about a treat I could have when I finished my degree. I like champagne. So the agreement we had was that I could buy a bottle of Dom Perignon and enjoy it all by myself – Neil doesn’t like champagne.

When I had finished my study Neil reminded me about my treat- but you know what? I couldn’t bring myself to do it! If I was going to enjoy a bottle of champagne all by myself – I just couldn’t bring myself to spending £100 on it. I couldn’t bring myself to be that extravagant on myself. Instead I enjoyed a bottle of Tesco’s finest and very nice it was too.

And that is the rub with today’s Gospel reading, isn’t it? Mary’s nard was worth a fortune and yet she pours it out over Jesus’ feet. And it takes Judas, Judas of all people, to point out the outrageousness of this. That nard could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Says the man who looks after the disciples cash but we are told helps himself whenever he wants some.

And there are probably a large portion of you thinking exactly the same. Especially today when we are having our Souper Soup Lunch – when we are going to have a small lunch and give money to Christian Aid and then spend the afternoon feeling just a bit peckish.

Maybe Judas – yes Judas is right. Maybe the nard should have been used to feed the poor.

So where does that leave us? With Martha’s domestic servant hood, with Mary’s outrageous generosity and with Judas timely reminder about the poor – however ill-intentioned his intervention.

Well Jesus interjects and reminds Judas rather pointedly – ‘you will always have the poor, but you will not always have me.’ Ouch! Knowing what we know about Judas that hurt!

And Jesus is right – sadly all too right. There will always be poor – however heart sinking that thought is.

But – and here is the BUT we can be outrageous in our gratitude to Jesus by being outrageous in our generosity to the poor.

We can be as outrageous as Mary in our response to the poor in our society and in doing so be outrageous in our gratitude to Jesus.

This last week a document was published and sent to every MSP and MP in our country. The report has been jointly published by the Church of Scotland, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Methodist and United Reformed Churches and it confronts the most common myths told about people who are in poverty or in receipt of benefits.

The churches have joined forces to protest that evidence and statistics have been misused, misrepresented and manipulated to create myths that blame and stigmatise the most vulnerable in society.

Statistics have been misused by politicians and the media to support a comfortable but dangerous story: that the poor somehow deserve their poverty and therefore deserve the cuts which they increasingly face.

The myths tackled in the document are these:

Myth 1: ‘They’ are lazy and just don’t want to work

Myth 2: ‘They’ are addicted to drink and drugs

Myth 3: ‘They’ are not really poor – they just don’t manage their money properly

Myth 4: ‘They’ are on the fiddle

Myth 5: ‘They’ have an easy life on benefits

Myth 6: ‘They’ caused the deficit

And this is not me making a political statement – these phrases are taken straight from the report – a Christian response to these myths and lies.

The introduction to the report concludes with these words:

As a coalition of major British Churches, we want to create a new story; one grounded in truth, compassion and hope. Part of our calling as Christians is to seek after truth, and that means facing up to our own blindness as well as calling others to account.

Collectively we have come to believe things about poverty in the UK which are not grounded in fact. We need to develop an understanding of the depth and breadth of UK poverty that is compatible with the evidence available. Just as importantly we need to match the language of public debate with the reality of people’s lives. It is a task we must approach with humility; one which puts the lived experience of poverty at its heart, and one which is committed to truthfulness – no matter how uncomfortable we find those truths to be.

Just a few weeks ago we heard from Jesus how we have to bring good news to the poor – a mantra for the church – Jesus manifesto. We can only hope and pray that our politicians will listen.

This coming week we have a budget statement to be given by our Chancellor. I wonder where Jesus would ask him to place his priorities.

 And as the first of April approaches what do you think Jesus would say about millionaires getting a tax cut whilst some of the most vulnerable in society will bear the brunt of a bedroom tax or as the government prefers to call it a cut in the spare room subsidy?

 There are some who think in times of cutbacks and austerity we should be cutting back on aid for overseas – if ever there was a time to not cut back on aid to the poorest in our world it is now! If the world economies are struggling – then the poorest in our world will be even more destitute!

 Like many of you I watched Comic Relief on Friday night – and there were stories of outrageous generosity. And there were those videos from Africa – they were difficult to watch – but we need to see them. If you think you have it bad – you have no understanding of extreme poverty.

 So we must be outrageous in our generosity.

 We can and should be outrageous in our generosity.

 And as we approach Holy Week and the outrageousness liberality of the Cross we are reminded of the love of God so generous – so lavish.

 We have so much, so much to be grateful for – to prostrate ourselves before Jesus for.

 And what a wonderful way to show our gratitude to Jesus if we can be outrageous in our generosity to the poorest in this world.

 Mary’s scent filled the air – percolating throughout the house. Can we help that scent of generosity percolate through society and beyond to our worldly neighbours in our own outrageous generosity?

 Her fragrance still fills our lives with the presence of Christ.

WE are Christ’s hand in the world – let’s spread the fragrance of love through what we do and what we give.

 Today we have an opportunity to give and support the work of Christian Aid in helping some of the very poorest in the world. Let our response be generous – no! Outrageously generous!

 Amen

(Footnote: After our service we are sharing in a Souper Soup Lunch for Christian Aid – a simple lunch of soup and bread – a reminder perhaps later in the afternoon of what being hungry is like)

 

 

Opening of the River Spey Fishing Season 2013

Today I carried out one of my more unusual duties as Parish Minister – the blessing of the River Spey as the salmon fishing season got underway.It is always a great occassion with a piper playing his bagpipes and whisky and shortbread to be enjoyed (which I did!). Here is the blessing I wrote for this morning’s ceremony:

A rivers flows
A river rushes
A river bubbles
A river meanders
A river brings life
A river hosts life
A river can take a life
A river is life
A life that commands respect.

As this new season begins
We ask your blessing on our River, The Spey.
May we not take it for granted
Nor abuse it.
May each fish caught be considered a blessing
May each fish caught be seen as your blessing God.
As we cast our first rods of this new season
We pray for tight lines and safe fishing for all who
come to fish this special river.
Amen

 

Happy New Year

Today is Epiphany – the day we think about the Wise men, Three Kings, Magi…whatever name we give them. Today also marks the end of our Christmas celebrations and the beginning of the new calendar year.

Of late I have been very lax about updating this page and posting any of my thoughts. I hope in 2013 to be better at this. But the blog is changing – some of what appears here will disappear. Although not altogether! We are looking forward to a new church website being built by one of our members, Lindsay. Once this is set up I hope to use this as a personal blog – one where I can focus on my thoughts and the things that touch me in someway that I think is worth sharing. Like today, for example. I was not In Aberlour or Craigellachie having left the more than capable folks here to lead worship. Instead I was away at Hopeman, where I have been Interim Moderator for the past 8 months. This was my last Sunday as IM as this coming week they will welcome a new minister and ministry. But it was nice to be there today to close my time with them as IM by celebrating the Lord’s Supper. As I spoke words I have used several times before I had a real and palpable sense of Jesus presence at the table – his table – where we are the guests. It was a special moment, as Holy Communion always is, but today somethings/someone moved me more than normal.

I wish the people of Duffus, Spynie and Hopeman a wonderful New Year and new ministry. I wish Jenny, their soon to be Minister, a truly blessed ministry in her first charge. May it be a long and fruitful one where she is cherished and nurtured. May it be a place where Jesus shares His table with His people for many many years to come. God’s blessing on you all.

 

Master I need to sit at your feet

Master I have been too much like Martha,
Too busy to sit at your feet like Mary.
Too tied up in the busyness of being your church.
Too focused in the doing rather than the being.
Too detached from you.
Too occupied with work.
Too outward looking.

I need to change all of that.
I need to make time to just be.
To be with you.
To reconnect with you.
To hear you.
To sense you.
To let you love me.

Because I know you do.
I know your love is what you want me to feel.
I know your love is too great to ignore.
I know your love is….
Your love…..
No words can describe your love….
Your love….

 

 

Blog update.

The last few months have been very hectic but that still doesn’t excuse the lack updates on here! I promise to try harder.

there may be news about a new website soon too, so bear with us!

Rev Shuna

 

Summer (or lack of it)

It’s been a driech summer, to use a good Scots word. But the area is full of visitors both of the staycation and foreign visitor variety. And they seem to like it here.

Too often I think we fail to see the beauty in our day to day and instead we seek out other places to find rest and respite. With the rain everything is lush and green and really, in between the showers, looks beautiful. So I think we should all learn to open our eyes, look up and down and around and see the beauty that surrounds us. 

God’s creation is stunning but we need to first open our eyes and LOOK!