God's Unfailing Love

Matt 6:33 Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness

John 3: 16 God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him, will not perish but have eternal life.

We had a very lively morning! It seemed that events were stacked against us, which included a 5 mile emergency dash to Hastings, to collect our beloved, but stranded musician. Still, we got back within 5 minutes before I was due to begin the service.

So what about the Kingdom? We looked at the nature of Kingdom, both in the ‘Now’ and the ‘Not Yet’. We split into discussion groups and discussed the fact that Jesus’ Kingdom is one of love and not power and status, bearing a Cross and thorns as throne and crown. We talked about what is authentic and false love. One mother decided that authentic love is a mother’s love when she copes with all things, bears all things and loves in spite of it all. One very young person (8 years) said that false love was saying that she would clear her room when asked, but had no intention of doing so. It’s always rewarding to see all ages involved and contributing. We moved on to think about how we can make God’s Kingdom real in our time, as we have a part in the building of it.

Our songs included many about love and incorporated all the aspects of our mornings worship and discussion; The love of God comes close, Let there be love shared among us, When the music fades and worship songs; Majesty, Come on and celebrate.

It was an exciting and rewarding morning. But here are two questions for you to think about this week

How do you see authentic and false love ?

How can you build God’s Kingdom in our time?

Every Blessing Deacon Olivia

Matthew 5: 38 - 48 - Left Cheeks, Cloaks & Second Miles

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

Thank you to all who contributed to our worship and discussion this morning. Much of what I said comes from Walter Wink's book Jesus & Nonviolence: A Third Way (Fortress Press, 2003) which is currently still available for under £ 5.00. I have copied the "script" for what I said below and you are invited to continue the discussion.

Peter

A couple of very important points as we begin:

Firstly, "Do not resist an evildoer" would probably be better translated "Do not resist by evil means" or "Do not resist violently" because Jesus himself was certainly not passive in face of the injustices of his time. Read in this way, the following three examples give examples of the sort of resistance to evil and injustice that Jesus is commending.

And so, secondly, the teaching of Jesus is not about being a doormat. It's not about passively accepting all that others throw at you, it's not about allowing others to violate or exploit or abuse you. If anyone tries to tell you that the Christian response to violence and evil is to grin and bear it they are wrong !

Instead, it's about resistance - but resistance in ways which refuse to let go of the fact of our common humanity.

"If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also"

It is likely that Jesus is addressing a very specific situation here. He's not talking about a fist-fight or fighting in general but a very specific scenario - one of a perceived superior admonishing one whom they consider an inferior. So in Jesus' time its about the way a Roman might deal with a Jew, a husband with their wife, a parent with their child, a master with their slave.

The only way that a right-handed person can strike another person on the right cheek is by using the back of their hand. And a backhanded slap was the normal way of asserting rank, power and status over another person. It is about rank, privilege and power.

So, what do I do ? How do I respond ? To hit back (using any hand) would be suicide and I would certainly end up the worse off. How then can I maintain my humanity in the face of the person who would dehumanise me in this way ? How do I resist ? I simply turn the other cheek and my opponent is thrown.

They can't hit my left cheek with the back of their right hand without considerable difficulty. But they can't use their left hand - as that was taboo (even against inferiors). If they use the palm of their right hand or just punch me then they have acknowledged that I am an equal. Even if they have me flogged or just walk away, the point is made - I am no longer an inferior and they have lost face.

So here we have an act of defiance, a refusal to let the other define me as an inferior, an act of resistance which reduces the other to impotence without my even lifting a finger against
them.

"If anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well" ?

The ordinary people of Jesus' time were massively in debt to the rich and powerful. Like the bankers of today the rich and powerful of Jesus' time made sure that indebtedness was the major social problem of their society. Think of the number of times debtors appear in Jesus' parables and stories - that's because there were a lot of them around in his world and many of his hearers would have been in debt.

The poorest of the poor in Jesus' time had only their outer garment (or in our terms, their coat) to give as collateral for a loan. Despite the fact that the Jewish law required that the coat be returned at sunset as it was all the poor had to sleep in, in this scenario they have been taken to court by their creditor in order to strip them of their coat in pament for the debt.

Again, our translations do not make it easy to understand what is going on here, but what Jesus is suggesting here is that the debtor also give their inner garment.

What you end up with is a debtor in court stripping naked to give even their last item of clothing (or as we might say "even the shirt off my back") to their creditor.

Why would they do this ? In Jewish society nakedness was taboo - and the shame fell not on the naked person themselves but on those who saw them naked. So again the oppressor is wrong-footed, and the injustice of the system and the inhumanity of the creditor, is quite literally unamasked as you leave the courtroom naked ...

And finally, the second mile - "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile"

A Roman soldier could require a civilian to carry his pack for just one mile - there were severe penalties for forcing them to go further. Helpfully there were milestones along the Roman roads which made this much easier to enforce. Nevertheless even to walk a mile (and then back to your home or land) was a considerable inconvenience if it meant that you lost valuable working and earning time.

Again, we have what appears to be a straightforward relationship of superior and inferior suddenly thrown into confusion when you offer to go the second mile. Much as it might be nice for the soldier to have his pack carried for another mile, he knows that to do so would put him in the wrong and quite likely get him into serious trouble.

So what does the soldier do ? Your unexpected response has yet again put you in charge of the situation. Perhaps he ends up asking, or even pleading with you to give him back this heavy pack that you are quite happily carrying for him ?

Again, by your creative response to an injustice, you have seized the initiative. You are in control of the situation.

These examples may seem very remote from our situation here in C21 Europe. And that's why this is clearly not a passage that demands to be taken literally. Turning the other cheek, giving our cloak, going the extra mile are not directly relevant to us.

But the principle behind them is.

Confronted with those who use violence against us, who treat us unjustly, Jesus calls us to creative responses, responses which preserve both our own humanity and that of our opponent. Responses which put us in control of the situation.

Like so many of Jesus' stories and parables, these three examples give us glimpses of a different way of living, a different way of confronting violence and injustice, a different way of dealing with those who are enemies toward us.

But what this means in practise for you and me is not set down in the Bible. It's for us to work out for ourselves.

I remember reading the story of a young woman (I don't think in a religious context) who woke up to find an intruder in her flat and who, in fear and trembling, decided to treat him as another human being and ended up offering him tea and biscuits and engaged in conversation with him long into the night before he quietly left.

This would seem to be very much in the spirit of what Jesus is commending here. I'm not sure I could do it, but I like the idea that if we begin to allow ourselves to be formed in small ways by this teaching of Jesus then if and when it ever comes to one of the bigger things we might - just - surprise ourselves by doing the unexpected and the creative.

Springtime - Let's Get Planting !

What a brilliant morning we had at our All Age Praise! Today we inaugurated our long-term plan, which is getting ready for Harvest when once again in September 2011, we shall be having an open day with a warm welcome for all.

And so this morning we looked at Creation and the gifts that God has showered upon us. We gave thanks and praise and during the service we made charts with our names, metallic coloured stars to begin with and then prepared pots with compost. We planted leeks and carrot seeds, some of which were suitable for growing in tubs, so no-one was left out, whether they have a house or a flat without a garden. The idea is that these will grow throughout the year and culminating in the making of leek and carrot soup at a Harvest workshop, ready for Harvest and Back to Church Sunday.

While the children were planting their seeds, the adults discussed the readings and what it meant by God saying we should have responsibility and a care for his Creation, rather than just using it for our own ends.

We had some very lively music supplied by our Mark, who gathered a band of the children together with their percussion instruments. We sang such songs as; All things bright and beautiful; If I were a butterfly; He’s got the whole wide world. As usual at AAP, we sang Happy Birthday, for our oldest member of 90 years and some our very young ones of 4 who even gave me some of her birthday cake – thank you Emily, it was delicious!

Of course, the song that caused the greatest chuckle was at one point when we sang “We plough the fields and scatter”. Well – we did scatter the seeds, didn’t we – and anyway, I’ve always thought it should be sung in the Spring as well as in the Autumn.

We had a truly blessèd morning – and it was great fun as well. So why not come and join us.

Deacon Olivia

For those of you who are very keen or (like me) have no idea about these things, there is help on the web here. Peter

Candlemas

This Sunday David Knight introduced us to Candlemas and suggested that the candle with its gentle light (compared with most other forms of artificial light) and self-giving light (a candle only gives off light as it is itself burned away) is actually a very appropriate image of Jesus.

So, next time you see a candle, remember God's call to us all to share gentle and self-giving love in the world.

Peter King

Meeting Jesus.... may have huge consequences

Matthew 4:12-23

We considered first that Jesus came to meet Peter, Andrew, James and John in the middle of their everyday lives and occupations. Does he still do this? Often through other people or situations?He said 'Follow me' – and still does to us. Perhaps that's all he says, doesn't give us rules and regulations to follow, but doing that is not easy, will probably take a lifetime with God's grace helping us to attempt it. The 4 fishermen left the security and safety of their jobs, and left immediately, reminding us of the great difference Jesus can make in our lives.

The consequences of this encounter – were tremendous. For the 4 men being with Jesus for 3 years, and then the certainly unexpected to them, event of Jesus' crucifixion and mind blowing Resurrection, and then to being leaders of the early church, and probable martyrdom. And after them, many great saints and ordinary people have had their lives changed by also trying to follow Jesus. Cf the recently released film 'Of Gods and Men'. Greatly acclaimed it beautifully represents the 9 French monks who lived happily alongside Muslim villagers in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria. When extremists threatened both them and the villagers the monks are then shown individually and collectively questioning their faith and calling. They all chose to remain rather than return to France and 7 were kidnapped and killed in 1996.

We agreed we wouldn't be at TFG but for the first disciples following Jesus and telling others. Unlike them or the monks we may not have to leave our present lives; do we always remember though that it's there we should be trying to follow Jesus everyday? Peter and the others got it wrong at times, the monks faced hard choices. Following Jesus doesn't mean following blindly leaving our free will behind. How will choose to follow Jesus so that others will hear of Jesus' love?

Judith Platt

John 1: 29 - 42

On 16 January at TFG we looked together at John 1 verses 29 to 42.

I commented that with the Fourth Gospel you almost need to be a detective to get to the heart of what John is saying, and even then of course because of the great cultural differences between first century Palestine and twenty-first century Britain some of the meaning may still escape us. That doesn't mean that we should give up, though! I wondered whether the mention of time – the next day, the next day, about four o'clock in the afternoon, was simply a passion for accurate recording on John's part, or whether, as so often in this gospel it's almost as if he's playing a little game with us – why am I writing this?

As to “the next day” is it John reminding us that time us short and that we too, like the people in this extract have to decide whether we want to “come and see” and then follow the Lamb of God? And four o'clock in the afternoon? An unimportant detail or a reminder that that's the end of daylight, and dark is coming and we have to decide whether to stay in the light of Christ, or like Judas, live in the dark?

The main themes of these verses are the titles applied to Jesus, e g Messiah, Rabbi, and above all Lamb of God – lambs having deep significance for the Jews (above all at Passover) and witnessing – John the Baptist, Andrew, all pointing to Jesus. Questions: what titles can we apply to Jesus that will resonate with our own generation, and how do we witness effectively to Jesus in a broken world that, though it refuses to recognise this, stands in desperate need of his message of reconciling love?

EDWARD BRYANT

Epiphany 2011

Epiphany – Christ shown to the World; all right then – manifested if you prefer. So how did we do it?

Well – I filled a gold gift bag with ‘silver’ coins, which we all ate!

I found some frankincense sticks and shared some olive body cream around the TFG congregation to symbolize the Wise Men’s gifts.

We talked about what the gifts symbolised and had lots of activities for all the age groups represented; we had lots of fun in doing all that was offered.

Using an acrostic G I F T S, we discussed what each letter could stand for, both in Jesus’ life, and in ours; our Christian life, journey and mission.

We also sang lots of songs including: Come & join the celebration, O come all ye faithful, Joy to the World, See Him lying on a bed of straw; together with sundry ‘wise men’ songs: We three kings (the sensible version not the playground one!), As with gladness, men of old..

Finally, we laid slips of paper marked ‘gold, frankincense and myrrh’ next to the Advent Candle ring as a sign of our New Year commitment to Christ.

It was an exciting start to 2011 – why not come and join us?

Deacon Olivia