9/11 Ten Year Anniversary

At TFG today we marked ‘9/11’ in a very powerful way and reflected on what we have lost or gained in the past 10 years as a result of 9/11.

We looked at a wide variety of messages of condolences to the USA from Nobel Peace Prize winners – (not all Christians or people of faith), but particularly we thought about the Dalai Lama’s message ‘I believe violence will only increase the cycle of violence … But how do we deal with hatred & anger which are often the root causes of such senseless violence?’, We then thought about Christ’s message of forgiveness in today’s gospel reading from Matthew 18.

However, we acknowledged that we could never speak for those who had lost someone in the Towers, as we could not place ourselves into the depths of their grief.

Our songs included traditional hymns about hope and forgiveness, and we also used the Litany of Prayers written by Rev. Eileen W. Lindner and Rev. Marcel A. Welty of the National Council of Churches in America and lit candles in remembrance. We closed with ‘Sing to God new songs of worship’ and were deeply moved by all we had considered.

Deacon Olivia

As part of our discussion we posed the question how today's reading (The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant) speaks to 9/11. There are no easy answers, and thank you to all who contributed to our discussion. However, the quote above from Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama invites us to reflect again on our own scriptures and the life of love to which they are calling us. If Matthew 18 has nothing to say to us on such occasions as this 9/11 anniversary then Christian faith falls silent faced with massive public suffering - which surely cannot be the case. Any further thoughts very welcome ...

Peter King

PS Further reflections on the passage and its coincidence with the 9/11 anniversary here The Dr Seuss story "The Butter Battle" mentioned in the discussion can be seen and heard read on youtube here

Mary the mother of Jesus - Mary's "Yes" and our "Yes"

The Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral

The theme of this week's service was of Mary the mother of Jesus and the way in which this ordinary girl was called a by God to extraordinary motherhood.

However, events overtook the service and we decided to focus in the talk on the unrest of the past week. Thank you to all of you who shared with us your reactions and responses. Here is an extract from what I said. Further reactions, responses, suggestions welcome.

In one of his letters, St Paul likens the church to a human body. The idea is that in the Christian community everyone has a part to play and everyone is important. So he writes:

If one member suffers, all suffer together with them;
if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with them.
1 Corinthians 12

Another famous figure, John Donne, poet and one-time Dean of St Paul's Cathedral wrote the poem:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

The idea of the "common good" is mentioned in one of the prayers used in church where we pray that all will "seek the common good". It is described by the RC Bishops of England and Wales in the following way:

Because we are interdependent, the common good is more like a multiplication sum, where if any one number is zero then the total is always zero. If anyone is left out and deprived of what is essential, then the common good has been betrayed.

English Catholic Bishops, Choosing the Common Good (2010)

What St Paul, and John Donne, and the idea of the common good are inviting us into is a society where everyone has a place and part to play, where everyone feels - and is - valued.

Hopefully this is the sort of community what we seek to be here in TFG - but it's also the sort of community we look for in our towns and cities and nations.

Just like Mary, the ordinary girl called to extraordinary motherhood, each one of us has a part to play in bringing about the common good. As French priest and poet Michel Quoist has God say in one of his poems: I need your 'yes' to continue saving the world.

Peter King

The Parable Of the Sower - Matthew 13

We agreed that there's a lot about soil in the traditional interpretation of this parable, - which reminds us of how the Word of God is received by different hearers – therefore presenting a challenge to us all. However it's likely that this was an interpretation of the early Christians (an example of the riches of scripture, which has many meanings), and so we considered what else this story could tell us. Jesus came to show us God and tell us more of his kingdom. What does this parable tell us of God and how he acts?

God is generous – the farmer scatters the seeds without concern for where they will fall. God gives generously to us all especially his love and he even gave his son to die on the cross for us all.

The seeds scattered by the farmer were tiny and would take time to germinate and grow – does God work in small, hidden ways? We considered some examples of this including the Mathare Valley project in Kenya founded by Christians anxious to show God's love in practical ways to the people living there, and how we support it at St Peter's motivated by the tireless efforts of Eleanor.

We also considered that the story told of 3 setbacks and failures of the farmer's crop which would have happened over a period of time – yet the harvest when it came was colossal, but only after a long time. Is God always at work in the world, and in the lives of individuals if we have eyes to see?

So does this interpretation of a familiar story challenge us to remember this – not to sit back and leave it all to God! But seeking to do his will, are we challenged above all to trust God?

Judith Platt

Sunday June 12 - Strangers & Sojourners

This week we reflected together on the plight of refugees and asylum seekers. Our Gospel Reading Matthew 2: 13 - 23 reminded us that the holy family were refugees in Egypt, and the story of "Y" an Eritrean asylum seeker reminded us of the hardships faced still in our own time by many vulnerable people when they arrive in the UK seeking safety.

We also had the opportunity to hear the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, tell us what he understands by the word "refuge" - somewhere people can get on with their ordinary human lives. Just like a home so too with a country he suggests - a home is never really a home unless it has some guests ... You can watch this clip (again) above.

There are no easy answers to the questions raised by our reflections but we can make a start, and I thought this from the Refugee Week website offered a way in which we could all make a start:

When a butterfly flaps its wings, it makes a tiny change in the atmosphere, which in turn can change the path of a tornado or a big wave. This is the so-called Chaos Theory, which describes how small events can influence big events.

Now, if we apply this theory to human beings it works like this:

You say a prayer for refugees. In prayer you use your imagination to put yourself in their place. This experience creates a tiny change in you, which in turn creates changes in those close to you, which in turn sets off a wave of change coming from within your community and affecting the way others perceive refugees.

http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/simple-acts/twentytwo-acts/Say-a-prayer.htm

If you did not have an opportunity to take away a copy of the booklet "Strangers & Sojourners" it can be downloaded from here. If you would like to (re)read the sketch "Jesus Was Once a Refugee" it can be accessed here.

Other sites which may be of interest:
Brighton Voices in Exile
Refugee Council

Peter King

Sunday May 29 - The Holy Spirit

Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc - www.reverendfun.com

We started to look at the coming of the Holy Spirit today, and explored some of the many facets of His work – creative, breath of life, fire, dove, wind, invisible – all accompanied by power point images; the funniest was of course when we stopped and looked at a blank screen – well it would be since the Spirit is Invisible!!

We talked about the work and the gifts of the Spirit and discovered just how dependent we are on Him – in strengthening, coping, guiding, enabling, healing, giving and forgiving and a whole host of others.

The continuity of the Spirit’s work since before the beginning of time was explored and so was the meaning of The Spirit of Truth; and we discussed what that means for ourselves and explored Truth about God, Ourselves and Life.

We also decided that the Spirit is not a gate-crasher – He’s a free gift and ours for the asking. Alleluia!

Among others, our songs included Jesus is Lord, Spirit of Holiness, The Spirit lives to set us free and altogether we had a wonderful morning!

Next week, as it’s All Age Praise, we’ll be making ‘golden’ Crowns, re-enacting the Pentecost story and blowing up balloons and bubbles to represent the coming of the Spirit.

A warm (and windy) welcome is waiting for you!

Deacon Olivia

John 10 vv. 1-10 Jesus the Gate and the Good Shepherd

We spoke about the story from last week (see below) in which Jesus explained to the two people on the road to Emmaus the Old Testament references to himself. We had a brief overview of the Old Testament including how the prophet Ezekiel had spoken of false shepherds of Israel at that time and how God would bring a new shepherd who would care for his people.

Our reading today is about Jesus fulfilling that roll. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who were encouraging people to follow the rules but Jesus was encouraging them to follow the shepherd (himself). Jesus protects us from those who would try to destroy our relationship with him and God. He also guides us to live the way he wants us to live.

In summary, Christians aren't perfect - just forgiven. Jesus the Good Shepherd, came to give

forgiveness

love

guidance

This is eternal, but starts immediately we respond to him.

Luke 24 - Recognising Jesus on the Emmaus Road

Quentin Bell, "The Supper at Emmaus" (Berwick Church mural)

TFG's service this week was based on this theme. It included images of the reading with extracts on our new big screen, accompanied by music. Much of the service was summed up in the opening reflection's challenging first question 'Risen Lord Jesus, what is it that keeps us from recognising you?'

The talk looked more closely at the account of the Emmaus Road, reminding us that Jesus approached the 2 disciples on their journey, a journey which was actually taking them away from Jerusalem where the Resurrection had taken place that very day. They were going in the wrong direction, but Jesus was there with them. The 2 friends had lost all hope since their idea of the Messiah was very different from that Jesus showed them was actually in the Scriptures.

On reaching their destination they did finally respond to his presence and invited him to stay with them, so that 'he was known to them in the breaking of bread' – a reference back to the Last Supper a few days before. Surely this also reflects the experience of the first Christians as they continued to meet together to follow his command. Is it ours?

That very same hour, quickly, they rushed to tell the other disciples the good news of their meeting with Jesus - a reminder of how the Christian faith has always been passed on. Is this a challenge to us?

Judith Platt