Incarnated life

It is with out doubt one of the worst years the world has lived through for a long while. In terms of both political upheaval and the following of our own wishes rather than those around us. We need to look at America, as in the USA and the dis-United Kingdom. In terms of Australia we need look no further than the pandering of those with monetary worth and power to see that the self is paramount in this world and by the looks of it the next. Do we need to go into depth with regards the poor political and personal landscape of modern Australia and the world, I do not think so. At this time of the year we re-live in our faith communities an alternate expression which we apparently refuse to live out in the world.

This alternate has been looked at over the period of Advent with the prophesies from Scripture and the generation of hope, peace, love and joy reflected in the readings for each Sunday. It is an alternate that is incarnated in the humbleness of a small country home surrounded by animals for warmth. We need only remind ourselves of the feelings we ourselves felt (for those that are old enough) when our first, second, third child was born. These feelings are recreated at every birth no matter the squalid circumstances. They are the feelings of humanity for its continuation in humble beginnings. Yes, we now have technology and cleanliness for the happy few but there are others who are still in the same boat as Mary on the day that she birthed her son. This is the incarnation that we have awaited for years, set before us in each moment of birth and yet spoilt by our own inward selfishness in the next moment or moments.

Is the manger empty of response?

We have or rather we automatically remove form our hearts the stillness of expectancy, the peace following labour, the joy of new life and the love that is eternal. We immediately begin the rush of our lives all over again to ensure the we (I) do not miss out on anything that will increase my power, my success, my wealth. We have a tendency to focus on one moment and lack the imagination to see beyond that moment in time. To begin to see the start of something new. What happens when in our expectancy and silence, our waiting our acceptance that moment arrives? What are we going to do? Are we going to marvel and then move on into something else or are we going to seize the moment and allow the momentum of God's presence build into a new way, a new life for all? Sometimes we need to dwell on the minutiae but sometimes we need to allow the flow of God's impending presence to push us into the parts of life that are our own bane and anathema. Just think of the shepherds who were out in the fields. All of sudden they were confronted and challenged, how many of us today would have responded? A baby, who cares, a saviour I have my Xbox thanks.

It is this outlook that has marred the celebration of life that is present in the incarnation. A life that is filled with joy as the new I spends time with the other and forms community. A community that is at peace with itself and knows the hope of God's ever present love. This the community of the incarnate God that celebrates with Hosannas and the angelic choir.

Acceptance of faith

In the second week of Advent we light the candle that is called the Bethlehem candle or the candle of faith. A light to all the world that is lit to glorify God and show that in the midst of darkness we can hold the flame that is faith to draw others to ourselves. Faith a tenuous yet sometimes strong connection that allows us to open our hearts to the community around and show others what it means to be a Christian. Paul in writing to the Romans details out at least one of the characteristics that we need to focus on with regards our Christian journey at this time. Paul writes "In a word, accept one another as Christ accepted us" (Rom 15.7).

This above all else takes an act of faith for us as much as the idea of God or Christ or any other aspect of our life together that involves our unseen spiritual relations. This is not a tangible although it does lead to something that is tangible within the world. We need an abundance of faith to undertake this simple act of acceptance for we act between ourselves as if we are each wolves to the others sheep. There is a barrier that we automatically erect when we have or form a community. The barrier is one of fear rather than faith. We fear the other, we are unable to accept the difference between them and us. In our fear we erect a barrier that must be broken down before we can come together as a community. Before the barrier we have erected comes down we must first build trust before opening ourselves up in acceptance. It is unfortunately a natural occurrence as we feel threatened and need the comfort of knowing we will be protected by those who are like us. This is the start of tribalism or community separation.

A thin string of faith allows us to build rather then separate

God's way is so different, it is not about building barriers but about understanding that we are all given life by God;s presence. In Isaiah we read that God's  will is for those that are opposites to come together in peace and harmony (Is 11.6). In the natural world the predator and the prey are extremely unlikely to do what is foretold. Being part of the natural world is this our fate not being able to come together in peace and harmony. Yet, God has given us a hope in this passage a hope that tells us that we can overcome the enmity that is generated by opposites. For us to live as a community of Christ means that we have to overcome this enmity that naturally occurs between two unknowns. We have to take a leap in our understanding of the other; a leap that allows us to accept each other in the faith of Christ knowing that we are each children of God. Only when we can come to accept in faith that the other is ourselves seeking out friendship and love despite our difference will we become one in Christ.

In the end the it is not because we live by the rules of religion that will allow us to live in harmony (Matt 3.9). We make the rules of religion to conform to what we want not what is required of us by God. Christ asks us to form our relationship in love not by rules that govern us. We need to have an acceptance of what our faith tells us so that we can overcome the barriers that we, ourselves, have put in place. Accepting our faith is accepting Christ's call for us to live in peace and acceptance of each other, so that we can each serve as Christ served. Our service is a step in faith to those around us accepting them as they are not as we suppose them to be. It matters not whether we are part of  our own select group that believes this or that but rather that we have sufficient faith to accept the other for who they are and live in harmony that each knows Christ in their lives. Yes, we have to act that out and not act what we think out and that is perhaps the harder part.

Born of Light

At the beginning of the Church year Paul's letter to the Romans reminds us of a few of the commandments (Rom 13.9). These laws that make for a better community. They are a backbone around which our community survives and is able to become a living thing. They are also something that we do not really pay attention to unless they become broken or unless they become a part of the disease process of society at which point we moan and make protest but do not really think about healing. We allow the continued presence of the dis-ease within society learning to cope with it much like a cancer patient who knows that the disease will eventually kill them and there is no cure. This is indeed a diagnoses of our current society world wide as well as ourselves as part of a community of faith.

In looking forward, as we do during Advent, to the coming of Christ and the incarnation we look forward to that time of God's presence that delivers mattocks rather than swords (Isa 2.4). On other words we are looking towards a peace that is beyond all understanding in the midst of war and atrocity the only thing perhaps that we do understand to our detriment. In a society that is governed by God's presence we enter into community acknowledging each as different and yet beloved by God. We appear to be asleep at the wheel of life as we accept as natural the burdens of atrocities that plague our society and communities. We do indeed need to wake up (Rom 13.11b) to the dangers that are present in our societies and communities as a result of complacency towards the precepts of our faith.

Hope appears in the midst of darkness

Not knowing when or where the Christ light will appear dulls our senses and encourages our weakness to re-surface. The weakness of thinking that it is our own efforts that make the difference and so we aggrandise our selves rather than allowing Christ in and humbling ourselves. Once we bein to allow the attitude that we know what is right and proper we begin to fail in our portrayal and reception of Christ in our lives. It becomes an issue of our own self rather than allowing ourselves to let go and allow God's presence to flow into our communities. We do not need the commandments when we are Christlike as everything we do is a surrender to God and an acceptance of God's presence in our lives. The unending need to instill our authority, out wishes and our wants upon those around us shows how little we are accepting of God's presence.

We begin again today in our journey towards the incarnation. In beginning again we need to allow ourselves to accept that we are born of light in Christ. The darkness that we see around us is a creation of our own apathy and need to control. We cannot and do not control anything. We just need to understand this. The kudos received from society is the kudos that promotes darkness within society. We seek a place where there are no guns and other warlike instruments. We seek a place of peace within ourselves and our communities to show God's presence in the acceptance of all who are made in God's image. This is not a place of hatred and division but a place of acceptance and revelation. The presence of God shines out in the most unexpected places to show us where God is not for us to chase but for us to emulate and find God's incarnation closer to us then we think. In starting our journey again we need to re-visit the cold to find the warmth of Christ's light in the hearts of the rejected rather than in the pews of the 'saved'. We look forward in hope to become children of light who have not forgotten and are prepared to ring light into darkness.

The end of a year

Here we are talking about the end of the year but I can hear people say but we have a month plus before year's end. However, for us as Christian our year ends today as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. Next week we begin a new cycle of prayer and scripture readings as we begin our new journey towards the incarnation and its celebration at Christmas and then on into the new secular year with all its joys and promises that are celebrated in an orgiastic outburst of old paganism when we see the new year in. So if today is for us our New Year's eve let us prepare for the next year by reflecting on some of the things that God has called us to this past year to help us celebrate God's Kingdom present in the world.

In looking around the world and indeed our communities over the last 12 months we need to consider what it is that we as Christians celebrate as Christians. Perhaps the writer to the Colossians puts it well  by reminding us what Christ has given to us and been to us (Col 1.11-20). In fact the writer goes on to indicate our separation from God before we came to Christ (Col 1.21-22). These are the things that the Church and our faith group are committed to and have received as we have turned to Christ. This is what should be our goal each year for our communities and our families. Not only should we be modelling this but actually putting it into practice not for ourselves but also for those around us and our extended community connections.  So the expectation is, if we are upholding the principle that guides us, that is love, we should be expecting a decreasing level of violence and an increasing level of cooperation within not only our church communities but also in the broader community.

Only by sacrificing our intentions and egos do we recognise Christ's kingship

Indeed that community support and pulling together that love and ability to care for those around us have indeed been on show. Not by a community that is based in faith although the members of the community have great faith (see this video). This community shows ideals that the faith community need to be expressing. In recent reading of Sci Fi/Fantasy a theme that comes up is the greater strength that is found as people cooperate and communicate with each other in acceptance of each individual and not their racial grouping or otherness. Another key mark of our experience as Christians living within our own communities.

The reality for the Christian faith group is not as pictured. Our year this last 12 months has not displayed in the public domain much of the Spirit of Christ so that we can truly celebrate Christ's lordship and rulership over us this day. I am sure that there are many who have achieved these goals and dare to celebrate this day with heads high as they celebrate their contribution to God's kingdom. Unfortunately, the public face is a devastation of the Christian love in action that should be expected. We have had continuing rejection of those who are different within our own faith community (Anglican) and within a country whose leader purports to hold to Christian values. In our smaller enclaves of religious fervour we undermine each other for the expectation of personal gains in power and authority not the meekness and love expected from those who follow Christ. Christ surrenders himself upon the cross whilst those around him exhibit the behaviours often seen within the Church today (Lk 23.35-36). In the coming year as we prepare ourselves towards the incarnation let us deeply reflect on our own attitudes as Christians in today's world and how we may sacrifice ourselves for our King.

An SEP attitude

One of the challenges that we all face within private and public lives is what Douglas Adams described as the SEP field. Those of you that have not read Douglas Adams may not know the acronym SEP or Someone Else's Problem and the field of unknowing that it casts on everyone. It is a particular problem within the church and the parish environment let alone in everyday life. The writer to the Thessalonians puts this in perspective for us as bearers of the faith (2 Thess. 3.6-12).There are a number of forms that this imaginary field takes, often it is a blindness in people but at other times it comes out in pettiness and lust to create division as I do not get my way.

In our lives as a community together, should things not go the way we want we tend towards inaction in pettiness. We will draw attention to the smallest detail and draw attention away or create division within our communal life over the smallest disruption. Once we have brought up the smallest detail it de-rails the possibility of following an action to completion and thus nothing gets done. We fall into pettiness and un-Christian behaviour allowing our mouths to denigrate others. Why? Simply because what we considered to be the best way was not adhered to and so we caused disruption within the community.

Even in an emergency we think it is an SEP

The alternative is even more prevalent in organisations. The understanding that decisions are to be made but take no responsibility over those decisions. It is someone else's responsibility and nothing to do with me. In a way, this is procrastination in its finest form. It means nothing ever gets undertaken as it is always out of our purview. In church life and within the community of faith it becomes the task of the leader, the bishop, the arch deacon, the priest, etc. In other words it is never the people of faith's responsibility it is always someone else. A person in authority, a person we have decided is on council, etc. In casting the responsibility upon someone else we try to avoid the consequences as there is always someone else to blame or fire or denigrate. This is not the way of Christ in either case.

God calls us to move towards a place where the lambs will lie down with the wolves, a place where responsibility is on those who strive for peace and are long lived in the presence of God (Is 65.20-25). This is not some fantasy world or some reality for in the future. We hold this reality within our own attitudes and how we respond to the world around us. In everything we do is the possibility of the hope for the future if we allow God to do the talking in our lives. We are too quick to jump on our own bandwagon and allow ourselves to be carried away into a world where everything is not my issue. This is a game that is played for high stakes at the national and international level. The larger the issue the more likely it becomes that we will hand it over to someone else. We only need to look at the rhetoric from politicians around the catastrophic fires in NSW. It is not our problem, somebody else will take care of it and we can get on with our juvenile attacks against each other. By understanding that it is God's desire for us to take the responsibility of looking after each other and the whole of creation we begin to form the world in the vision of Isaiah. The moment we allow God to speak through us (Lk 21.15) we begin the journey of taking responsibility into our hands and we begin to understand that it is our challenge and not some else's. We are the ones that begin to see what has been obscured and realise that it is in our hands to resolve.

Facing the worst

No matter at what stage of life we are in there is always something to challenge us. This is the same whether it be as an individual or as a community or even as a country. The challenge is not so much as what we should do, although this is of course important as it determines the eventual outcome, but rather what is our attitude as we approach these challenges. In both the prophet Haggai (2.5) and Thessalonians (2 Thess. 2.15) the recipients are given words of hope in advice with regards attitude towards adversity.

We often loose heart especially when things become extremely difficult for ourselves as a community or as individuals. In this loss we retreat away from others and introvert ourselves in such away that we become sheltered within ourselves. This is not a particularly good thing in these circumstances as we actually cut ourselves off from the assistance that is present. Our loss of heart is reminiscent of the Israelites at the time that Haggai speaks and reminds them that God is always with them and supporting them. Irrespective of the apparent situation we are still supported by God, yet we fear as we do not allow ourselves to rely on God's presence in our lives. The comfort of knowing God's presence during a time of crisis is perhaps the best assurance that we can have as we confront the worst. Even when we feel that we are in the depths of unknowing and question how we are going to proceed this line from Haggai keeps us mindful of the presence of God.

In failing to acknowledge or even to listen for / to the presence of God and God's comforting word we can see how our attitude can easily change our own perspective of the situation. In turning from God our actions and attitudes prepare us for failure. We deceive ourselves and others deceive us as we begin to believe those who draw the energy from us. The writer to the Thessalonians names this and reminds us that deception is the easy route away from God (2.3). We are chosen at baptism to be part of God's body in Christ and as such we hold fast to what is true giving thanks to God for the grace and love bestowed upon us. To give these up we give up life in God and Christ. This attitude of failure and deception drives us towards death not life and God is a God of life not death. This is perhaps an apt reminder given the fires and weather conditions effecting the country and the denial of governments regarding changing climatic conditions.

Deceit barricades us from life and seeing God's grace

Christ in Luke's Gospel reminds his listeners of this fact as he debates with the Sadduces (20.27 ff). Once we begin to worry about the trivialities of life then we are looking for our own deaths. Whether we are individuals or a community we only find death in the details that we tend to pick to death. We need to rise above this and despite the negative comments around us we need to strive towards the greater good of our neighbour and not ourselves. God wants us to live being a God of life. We can only live if we lift ourselves, with God's grace, to seek for others to love. What we do may be small compared to what appears to be an insurmountable issue. However, once we see over the barricades that we have created in trying to fight against the trauma we find the glimpses of hope that are offered by the presence of God's grace. The deceit and the attitude of failure are barricades to new life that God offers in the most obscure paths. We need to give of our lives to God in thanks and praise for the wonders he is doing in our lives even in the face of what we believe to be the worst.

A saintly view

Daniel's dream sequence of the kingdoms in chapter 7.1-18 looks to both the past and the future for Daniel. The kingdoms although for us may be past still instil for us need to look carefully at how we approach the building of our own communities whether local or national or international. The consequences of building on pride, rage and war cannot build communities that are based in love which is the order of the day for Christians. Indeed the communities that Chris asks us to build are communities that are accepting and fulfilling rather than those filled with hate and violence. The violent character of the dream kingdoms in Daniel can be seen in the way we "play" in politics and in the relationships we have with others around the world.

So from the saints point of view what is the community or kingdom that needs to be built and how do we encompass that in our day to day lives without resorting to well worn tracks of violence and intimidation? Luke's gospel and Matthew's gospel both give us the same answer, although Luke also provides the contrast (Lk 6.20-31). The Beatitudes as they are often referred to are simple instructions for simple people. Just as we often do in all biblical interpretation these instructions are over interpreted. Christ when giving these to those that surround him whether on the plain or mountain side is not talking to well educated philosophising listeners. He is speaking to rude country folk and must be or rather should be interpreted in the light of this understanding. He would not have any high highfalutin  philosophy behind these words but rather simple instructions for simple people. This being the case then can we read these instructions as that without any need to go into "deeper" understanding.

Walking past the poor we hoard the grace of God given to us

If we wish to have a saintly view point then we need to live our lives by these rules, it is that simple. We seem to have a difficulty with this because they seem so negative. However, if we think about what each is saying we come to the realisation that all that is being talked about is a life that is lived without expectation. Yes, if we are hungry now at some point in our day we will have sufficient to keep us going as we rely on God's providence to maintain our lives. It may be a struggle, it may well mean that at times we have to forgo in order to ensure that we love those around us. Yet, if we hoard that which we have and only care for ourselves how can we believe in God''s love and grace for we who are full. This does not only apply to our food but also to our knowledge. We ride roughshod over those who we believe do not know as much as ourselves. In doing so we often go hungry as we do not have the ears to hear what is being offered to us in terms of food.

The writer to the Ephesians states quite clearly that we have been given our share in the heritage (Eph 1.11) and just as we have been given so we need to share with those around us. Only then do we begin to live as a true community of Christ and as Christ's body. In this way we become one with community of Saints that is a celebration of all who are part of the body. Yet, so often we sit back and say to ourselves that we are not hungry, we have joy, we have happiness but are unwilling or not wishing to include others as we begin to build the borders that prevent people from joining in the body of Christ. If we are to have a viewpoint that reflects the saints then we must start with inclusivity and not denial of the other. We must join together and not divide forming our own little havens of understanding that exclude others unless they see the world from our point of view.

The problem with wealth

Luke's gospel brings into sharp focus the issue of wealth and faith (Lk 18.18-25). In this question the rich person is overwhelmed by what must be given up to such an extent that he turns away from the path that is presented by Christ. In turning away the commentary from Christ is the difficulty of the rich engaging with the path of Christ. This passage has often been seen as being a derogatory base from which the rich should be castigated and shamed. However, there is something that is much more meaningful to be engaged with here and in the passages that have been read alongside this particular one today.

Is it aimed at the rich? Have we actually missed the target when we talk about this in terms of rich and poor? If we break this passage down into this binary I believe we have totally missed the mark. The generalisation that is being used here is and can be used today and is not aimed at the binary rich and poor. Rather it is a generalisation that is aimed at the attitude not the wealth or the lack of wealth. Note that the passage quite clearly states that the man turns away following the comment that he was rich.Richness or wealth per se is not the issue but rather the attitude that we hold when we have riches and wealth. For the man in the story the implication is that the hold of riches and wealth are greater than the hold of the path that Chris offers. This is the point of the story for us. There is no injunction against the ownership or pursuit of wealth. We are quite capable of undertaking this pursuit so long as we do not deflect our trajectory away fro the pursuit of God's love in our lives.

It is not wealth but our attitude that is the issue

The prophet Joel puts this into perspective (Joel 2.23 ff) reminding us that creation belongs to God. Everything that comes to us comes to us through the grace of God and not through our own efforts. Yes, we have a hand in our own survival but God gives us the opportunity to further our own needs and desires so long as we remain cognisant of the other. In coming to understand our response to God we need to constantly remind ourselves of the requirement to do what God has asked of us. There is no harm in being wealthy so long as we put that wealth to the benefit of those around us and not to rely on it for our own gain. God gives to us what we require in our daily lives. Whilst it is good to have the support of those around us it is even better to be supported by the presence of God in our lives (2 Tim 4.17).

Our weakness is that we see wealth as the crutch that allows us to live the way we want to irrespective of the other. Once we begin this act of selfishness we become like the man who turned away. It is the sacrifice that needs to be made the sacrifice of everything that we hold dear whether it be time, money or service that makes following Christ so difficult for us. We are totally unprepared to undertake that sacrifice. It is easy for us to state that it is an SEP (Someone Else's Problem) which we can ignore. In ignoring our responsibilities we ultimately have to live with the consequences. The delivery of God's gospel is our responsibility if we have accepted Christ's presence and guidance in our lives. This is what it means to become a living sacrifice. We begin  not with ourselves but with the other, not with our wealth but with the other. Once we have enabled the community of God to come together in worship and praise by opening ourselves up to the other wealth and riches have no meaning. Let us accept our responsibility and give totally of our wealth (Service, finance, time, etc).

Written on our hearts

Over the last week there has been an enormous kickback within the Anglican Church of Australia to the pronouncement of the Archbishop of Sydney's address to their Synod, telling Anglicans who did not agree with his theology to remove themselves from the Anglican Church. In moving forward in our own ministry we need to look at what we ourselves proclaim and if we act in a similar prejudicial manner. In Jeremiah God is most direct and states "I shall be their God" just after suggesting that his laws will be written in their hearts (Jer. 31.33).This suggests to me that the laws of God are etched upon our hearts and not on a piece of paper. What does this mean in the reality of life and all of our prejudices?

The tales that Christ tells are tales of persistence and humbleness of heart (Lk 18.1-14). Tales that remind us of the two things that we require as we follow Christ in the world. Persistence because so often we will be disillusioned by the things that are happening around us. Things that will bring our faith journey into disrepute or vilify our stance on those that are marginalised in society. If we are strong in our love for God and for the body that is Christ in the world we will persist in all things that give life and love to those who are seeking sustenance and shelter. We are prone to wander from the path and to drop out not in a good way but because we have become so shell shocked by the society around us that we give up. Yet, God has inscribed his love on our hearts. A love that as we know passes all understanding. We so easily give in and say it is not worth it, we cannot continue and yet with time centred on God and in prayer we are able to persevere into the future that is made by God's continual presence.

We are so often lulled by our sense of superiority in our learning, interpretation and sense of knowledge that we forget that Christ taught with simplicity even though he had a greater knowledge than we can ever posses. In the practice of our faith we need to become as humble as the proverbial servant. Not the humbleness of the door mat but the humbleness of heart that allows us to be open to the other. This is the true understanding of the Gospel of love to be able to open oneself up to the least in the world and bring them into God's love through our action. It is totally irresponsible of us to think that we know what is in accordance with God's word or love as a n individual, as a community and as people who proclaim to be part of the body of Christ. We do not. We begin to turn away by responding to our own needs and our own perceived greatness. In the end we are devoured by our own prejudices.

We need to be as persistent and as humble as a person showing stock

Both the negatives from the forgoing are particularly relevant when we are faced with change. It does not matter what the change may be, whether in our lives or in our faith journey or even in the community. Our own tendency is to gravitate towards the negative. It is very hard to maintain the positivity of God's presence in our lives when we are surrounded by apparent failure. In 2 Timothy the author deliberately holds up the example of his own persecution and retention of a life based in Christ to enable Timothy in his work (2 Tim 3.10-17). If we hold to God's love we will be persecuted, if we hold to God's writing on our hearts then others will become jealous and seek to undermine. No matter who we are we belong to God first and foremost as members of the body of Christ. This means that we are humble enough to open our hearts and lives to those who are marginalised not solely to those who believe as we do; we are persistent in our proclamation of love no matter what the circumstances so that we can overcome the reluctance of others to see the truth of love in action. God's love is not based on how we perceive the human body or its sexuality only on how God perceives each individual created in God's image.

The True Gospel

In 2 Timothy the author makes reference to keeping strictly to the "true Gospel" (2 Tim 2.15). Earlier in the chapter, indeed in verse 14, the author states ""stop disputing about mere words". In dedicating ourselves as a sacrifice to God we are making a statement of faith that is filled with gratitude. A statement that can be so easily overwhelmed by our own perspectives and how we interpret words written to us through the ages. Perhaps one of the greatest mistakes that we make is looking to our scriptures and venerating them to the extent that we say that they are the Gospel. In doing this we immediately begin to wrangle about meaning and for some it becomes an issue between the absoluteness of the written word as being the Gospel as opposed to the Gospel that Christ proclaimed.

The simplest way of putting this is that the Gospel of Christ is based on the word and concept of love. This is the basis of all our faith journeys and is what sets us apart from all those who do not believe. No matter what we do and no matter what we think we need to understand that if we are proclaiming lives based on the Gospel then we are proclaiming lives based on love. This is difficult for us as we are more often then not only concerned for ourselves and not for the other. In proclaiming the "True Gospel" we need to ensure that everything we do is based on love. It is not based on what scripture says or does not say because with all works touched by humankind there is an opening for interpretation. Interpretation by humankind is based on the non-understanding of the presence of God, as we cannot fully know God. Just think a moment about the reaction of the ten lepers (Lk 17.11-19). In this scene we see the return of one to give thanks, one who is other, to give thanks to God for God's presence in his life. So one in ten only see the truth in the moment, not everyone. We must strive towards understanding and not misinterpret for our own privilege. The scriptures are not the true Gospel but signposts to the true Gospel.

During the Synod charge this year Archbishop Kay spoke of the enduring basis of the Gospel of Love and how the new mission plan of the diocese is built around this sense of love in Christ Jesus. It is not about how we interpret ourselves but how we build on the love that has been freely given to us. We commit ourselves to live as Christ in the world shining our lights by setting an example of peace, love and hope. Archbishop Kay referred to the Arch's (Archbishop Emeritus Tutu) words regarding what Anglicans do - We meet. This is a profound understanding of our role in faith; to bring together people in community by meeting and sharing the story of God's unfailing love and sacrifice for ourselves. This is our role, our sacrifice for the people who surround us, to meet with them and bring them into the love of God through our welcoming and sacrificial love of them irrespective of their views of us. Jeremiah's message to the exiles (Jer. 29.4-7) is one of being community in the midst of exile, bringing God's light to those who are not or do not know God's presence in their lives.

Do we actually shine as God's light in our community?

Only when we fully understand that the True Gospel that is spoken about in Timothy is a gospel based not on interpretation but on the action of love in our lives will we begin to understand our role as the light of Christ in the world. We too often hide ourselves away and consider only ourselves when we share with others. It is our calling to bring before the people of the world the love that is present in God. It is our goal as Anglicans to live in the community and to meet so that we can share with others the love of God. It is not our calling to meet to bicker but rather to meet and listen not only to those around us but also to God. In listening to God we can then input into our discussion God's love and understanding seeking a way forward in the light of Christ. It is not about denying a response to a plea but rather listening to the plea and responding with God's love.

Gratitude and duty

In the Lukan parables today we are taught about faith, duty and gratitude (Lk 17.5-10). The basis of these as the writer to Timothy states is love within a Christian community (1 Tim 1.5). However, when things go badly for us or when we perceive things going badly for us we tend to move away from our faith, our duty and our gratitude. It is in times of trouble that we should be delving deeper into these three things and understanding that at the base is our grounding in God's love.

It is this move away that is clearly demonstrated in the poetry of Lamentations (Lam 1). The sense of desolation that comes from our abandonment of God and our own faith journey. If the writer of Timothy is correct then we need to understand that love is the basis upon which everything else depends. Our own instability is a result of our misunderstanding the way of love as it is displayed within our own journey in faith and its call towards our duty and the gratitude we should feel in the presence of God's grace when we are at the lowest ebb. In looking at our own selves we need to be sure that we are standing on the ground of love as we form and continue in community - the community of God and the body of Christ.

Only by faith can we be truly grateful and undertake the burdens of duty

Our faith drives us when it is based on love to form community. In forming community we bind ourselves in love to fulfil our duty towards the maintenance of that community by giving with a generous heart all of our selves in thought word and deed. We often believe that it is beholden on others to maintain the community rather than ourselves. We lack means to commit towards any particular programme or effort that the community makes in love towards others. We believe that our contribution is of no consequence and therefore we do not give as much as God gives to us hoarding the benefits and not seeing the worth of maintaining the body. We are given everything by God for which we need to show our gratitude but we are also bound by our duty to God to show love. If this is the case then we need to offer not only ourselves but everything that we have to God's glory in gratitude to God's gifts to us. Our faith allows us to ensure that we follow Christ in love and portray God's presence with gratitude in our hearts.

The Church is not property but the hearts and minds of people. To ensure that we give everything we need in worship we need to ensure that we are able to worship. If we cannot give ourselves in sacrifice then we have not understood the enormous wealth of grace that has been given to us and we risk lamenting the loss of God's presence in  our hearts. It is not for us to make the excuses that we do in order to ameliorate our guilt. We do not need guilt to be thankful for God's mercies and grace in our lives, if we have the totality of love in our hearts then we can give everything to God's purposes in our lives. We do not need the excuse of golf, bridge or any other activity to refrain from giving our service, our love and our all to God's presence in the community. Only when we truly love will we be able to give of ourselves, our lives and our time to God's, this is what is asked of us not by an organisation but by God's presence in our hearts. We give in faith to the glory of God with a grateful heart and acknowledgement of our duty to God's community.

Heaven on Earth

Michael and all the angels battling to save humanity in the apocalyptic visions of John (Rev 12.7-) reminds us perhaps of recent films regarding the fate of the Earth and the Avengers. Perhaps each is an allegory of the other in some respects. In this allegorical vision what is the fight about and how does it concern us in the present day?

There have been an extraordinary number of interpretations of this particular book from the scriptures. Most find it so hard to understand that it is impossible while others treat it perhaps as a magic mushroom journey experienced by John on Crete. What if we can draw something that is beneficial for us today from the whole book? It is really far fetched and does as I have mentioned reflect shades of the Marvel universe. Yet, the general thrust is about the new Jerusalem, Heaven here on earth, the essentials of goodness surpassing the horrors of evil. So, if that is the case we need to delve into some rather obvious and deliberate definitions that apply for our world today. Things like "heaven" seem to be important to understand if we wish to bring heaven to earth or at least a semblance of heaven in the new Jerusalem. Do we still cling to a belief in heaven being somewhere up there or is there some other alternative vision that we can conceive of when we talk about heaven in this context? (What do we mean by heaven and how that connects with things like the creed are perhaps beyond this particular blog).

Destruction of community destroys the presence of God

The simplest explanation may be the best as we take a look at the phantasmagorical writings of Daniel (7.9-14) and Revelation. In these works the talk is about kingdoms and empires because that is what is known in the context. if we were perhaps to substitute Governments for these in the current era we would come closer to the points that are being made. Once we have authority, especially authority that displays sovereign power, we begin to understand the draw that such authority has to those that are corrupt in soul and body. Once such power is gained we begin to imagine and use our authority in ways that are detrimental to the majority as we attempt to uphold our own power. To realise this we just need to read the political reality in the books of Samuel (see Halbertal and Holmes' book). So what stands before such sovereign power and authority but the presence of heaven as suggested in the book of revelation. It is Michael and all the saints and angels that form the bulwark that fights for justice and peace. The understanding here is the closeness this group has formed with God and God's presence in their lives to form a community that brings God's presence to Earth.

Heaven is found in the presence of God. This being the case then perhaps heaven is found within the community of God that expresses God's love to those who are part of that community. We confirm our presence in Christ as we celebrate God's presence in ourselves only when we express God's love. The moment we begin to do those things that are detrimental to the formation of community, by concentrating on our own selfish needs, we deny the reality of God. Just as Michael and All the angels fight for the community of God so must we join in that fight by ensuring that we form community, a community that is based in God. Only when we are truly members of the body of Christ, contributing to our fullest extent do we begin to find God's presence in reality and heaven on earth. Just as Christ found community in the poorest of the world so we find community in those who are outcast from society. It is only when we begin to dialogue with the least in society will we begin to realise our own centredness in Christ's presence and so show God's love in the world.

Influence and hope for the future

One of the many things that the period of the enlightenment did was to raise up the idea of the individual. Cogito ergo sum in the words of Descartes, I think therefore I am, placed the individual above all else and has been a Western phenomena since then. Luke's gospel appears to back this claim with the rich man praising the efforts of his steward in looking after his own needs (Lk 16.1-9). The steward goes out of his way to falsify things in a manner that would aid his uncertain future to the detriment of the rich man. Is this really what we are being asked to do for ourselves, to go out of our way to commit fraud and enable our own days of retirement, or is there something here that such a simple reading misses?

I am fairly certain that the perpetuation of fraud is not what is being condoned here. In this passage it is not the act that is of importance it is the community that is being formed. Due to the persistence of the Descartian model we, perhaps, automatically read these passages as being promoters of self. This is understandable because we have been instilled within a cultural bias that leads us to move the individual above all others. We do this often in medicine as well as within our work place situations. The move is towards the building up and extending the viability of the self over a long period of time. Often when we come close to the top of our sphere of influence it is about retention of our power and authority. This often leads to mistrust and division as we try to compete for the perceived benefits of being at the top. This is, however, an extremely Western orientated view or as some might say a colonialist point of view.

Stewardship begins by fostering community

Looking at cultural norms which are considered to be foreign, and indeed ripe for colonisation by Western ideals, we find a very different outlook. Here in Australia, Indigenous groups are linked not by the power of the individual but rather by relationship and kinship; in America there is an inter-relational understanding of people and the land / natural waters, such inter-relationality is taken to include personhood for rivers as is also seen in New Zealand. In Africa, of course, there is an understanding of Ubuntu. In highlighting these cultures we begin to see the cultural norm of the Middle Eastern "indigenous" cultures at the time o Roman (Western) colonisation. It is a village perspective that sees as in Australian Indigenous culture, "One community, many eyes". Thus, it is a perspective that does not see from the individuals view point but rather from a community viewpoint.

In this we actually find meaning in the parable that Christ tells. It is not about individual survival against the odds. It is rather about the gathering of community around ourselves so that we can support each other in times of hardship. It is not about self but rather about the garnering of community around oneself. If it was solely about self it would have a dark undertone and no real approval. It would be about gaining self esteem and ensuring that I became rich not that others would gain. If we truly believe in Christ's presence then we must also believe in the community of Christ and God that is found in the body of Christ. Irrespective of how we garner that support, so long as it does not create dissonance within our own communities than we must pursue this as far as possible. Did the steward cheat the rich man, in one sense yes he did but in the end he actually created a more stable relationship with the rich man as the rich man did with his customers.

Seeking the lost

The parables in Luke 15 are all interconnected and culminate with the famous Prodigal Son story. However, the first two connect and are an integral part of the whole of this chapter and should not be overlooked. Indeed they are as expressive in their own way as the final story is of seeking the lost and celebrating when these are found. Often in the current era our perspective is not so much on the lost as it is on those who are non. Each parish or rather each faith community have large numbers of the lost with a portion who are non and yet our focus is often upon the non rather than the lost. The reason perhaps for this is that we think that they are part of the greater whole and do not require "saving".

The reality for us as a faith community is that we need to focus more on the lost then on those who are non. I have often been told that "We always had an enormous children's group"  or "the church was packed to the rafters. We would not be able to have so many in the church anymore because we do not have the seating". I am sure we have all heard stories of a glorious past. So perhaps the question is what happened? Was the teaching in the past so bad that disciples were not formed? No, the question is perhaps more pertinent then that: What changed and led people away from Christ? and how do we as disciples of Christ find and minister to those who are lost so that we can celebrate as a complete body of Christ? I have always been amazed at the number of Christians there are in the community but who have lost the understanding of the body of Christ and being part of a community in Christ.

The lost may be closer than we think

Quite a number of Christians say that they have not gone to church because they find peace and God in a nature walk, or a pastime or in some other dalliance. It often seems that we can find that place where God is present outside of the Church and indeed many of the mystics and spiritual giants of years gone by have found solace in solitude. However, when we look at such exemplars it is to be noted that they do this as a specific and concerted effort to come closer to God. It is not a whim or a fancy. The one thing that the Christian faith tells us is that we are the body of Christ not dispersed individuals. This imagery from Paul suggests that there is a gathering of people into a community to provide an accurate image. Whether we like it or not then Christian living demands a communal response, usually in worship that is often seen as the central motif of our faith. So what more important activity is there than the gathering of those who should be part of the community rather than outside it.

If we are to think in these terms as the parable that Christ speaks suggests, then we need to start looking at what prevents those who used to come from coming. We need to search diligently for the lost and when found we need to form a celebration that draws them back into the community from which they have withdrawn. One can almost see the current process as a never ending loop that calls us out to minister to those who have not heard, the non, who then stay for a season before leaving Christ behind because there is nothing that holds them to the community, Due to the fact that we are too involved in looking for those that have not heard rather than first gathering the lost and then bringing the non into faith. Perhaps when we learn to do both at the same time we will be doing God's will and fulfilling the call of Christ on our lives.

Foundations of continuance

Foundational experiences ensure that we have something to build on for the remainder of our lives. If we undertake the building of foundations we need to ensure that we are preparing the way for our building in an accurate and stable manner. If we begin something and then stop because we are ill prepared for the consequences of our actions then we create our own problems (Lk. 14.28-29). In the same manner we begin our faith journey at baptism or when we begin our intentional faith journey and need to ensure that the foundations and the journey ahead are understood or else we will find the challenge too much. It can be seen often that when we begin something and run out of 'puff' halfway through unable to continue the process.

In Jeremiah, the Lord takes Jeremiah to the potter to give him understanding (Jer. 18.1-11). Like the potter, we begin moulding ourselves into what we perceive as being that which is required. Yet, if we fail to be guided in our understanding of the process by others and by God then we produce goods that are damaged. It is often as a result of our underestimating the costs of what we are about to or are doing. For us as Christians we are asked to take up the cross and as we do so we commit ourselves to that undertaking. However, unless our underpinning and foundations are strong we will ultimately fail and turn away from Christ and from God. It is not an easy thing to do but one that can be done easily when we have placed the foundations down. So often when we begin something we ultimately rush and suddenly find that we are failing. Often it is because we are building on things that have been done before without realising that they ultimately failed as a result of sloppy beginnings.

Only when we get the foundations right do we begin to form the vessel of God

We are slaves to what we put down as a our foundation. Just as Paul lays the foundation for Onesimus to live free in Christ so to we must lay our foundations in Christ. We can not be lazy in how we lay our own foundations. Unfortunately, we tend to leave our foundations when we are quite young and never return to complete the building becoming like the man who stopped and walked away (Lk. 14.28-29). It is only when we find that in later years that we have missed out on something that we return to the forgotten projects. In doing so though we have to go through the pain of picking up our crosses the ones that have been gathering dust and weight over the years. We have to re-educate ourselves in terms of the building practices that we once had, we have to start once more.

Once again like the potter we have to throw the clay on the wheel and begin to reform our lives in Christ. Once again we have to have the perseverance to finish what we have started. Once again we find ourselves tempted to move away from the start of something great and move towards our own deaths. The disappointments we seem to gather around us weigh us down and the project of building becomes a drag and a chore that is dull. Yet, Christ is there for us even in the despair of our realisation that we seem not to progress. It is in these times that we must re-evaluate our progress with our foundations. Return to our base in scripture and in reason and in our tradition to find the way forward to build a lasting structure within our lives that harbours Christ's Spirit and allows us to grow into what Christ and God plans for us. Make the mix to sloppy and the jar will not form, make it to stiff and the jar will not form. The consistency of our effort and the material we use must be filled with Christ's love so that we can form the vessel that Christ wants.

Pride of place

I wonder on occasion as to how we sometimes think that we have or deserve the pinnacle of achievement. I am fairly certain that as we go through life we expect that our activities will provide for our eventual movement up the salary, social, community, politics, whatever scale it is we are wishing to achieve in. Through our merit we will achieve. In time we come to expect certain things as a result of our own expectations and the supposed level we believe we have attained. No matter whether this is in our work, social or faith lives there is a certain sense of "this is what I deserve and should have". In much the same way as those who have been invited to the wedding feast (Lk. 12.7-11) believe they deserve a seat near the top table.

The currying of favour is something that we could say is endemic in our society and buying into such a culture brings its own rewards in emotional toil when we find out precisely where we stand within the status frenzy of life. In Jeremiah a similar situation is lived out in the words of God to the people. In this case the faith community is the target, and perhaps should always be so, as their leaders a singled out as being full of supposed knowledge but having none (Jer. 2.8). How often do we discern something for ourselves rather than allowing the community and God's call make that decision? or we are pressured by authority to do the things that they discern to be good (for themselves or for those they wish to serve) rather than for the good of the community or the individual's call? In making decisions which are sent to try us we need to look more humbly upon our own assessment thus allowing room for God's Spirit to move in the manner that God would like not in the manner we would necessarily want.

Are we overwhelmed by the authority of position rather than God's leading?

This is the simple act of being faithful to an understanding of relationship in all that we do. Towards the end of Hebrews we see the author enunciating a way of living, a rule of life so to speak. It is a rule that understands that everything that we do is geared towards an encounter with God (Hebrews 13). This means that we must be prepared to make decisions that are towards the benefit of the other who may well be God or God's messengers. So part of our own decision making tree is to understand that the decision should be made to the benefit of the community around us and not for only my ownself. This is a direct repeat of last week in that every decision that is made needs to undertaken to the positive reinforcement of God's presence in our lives. We allow for God's ways to be shown to us and confirmed by the community. In trusting God in this way we entrust ourselves to the community in which we belong to guide and direct us. We do not allow a dictatorship to occur but a process that is filled with love and truth.

Does this sound as if it is even feasible or is it just some pipe dream for people to follow? The reality is that we are very unlikely to allow something to happen before we make a decision. If we are thinking like that then we have got ourselves on the wrong track. It is no that every decision is one made by God as there is free will and we are able to make up our own minds as to what, where, etc. It is more of an ability to understand and discern where God is leading us in our decision making and thus make the decisions appropriate to that path. We are not drones being told what to do at every junction in our lives. If we place God to the fore it is we who must make the decision but with God's presence and understanding. The other side of this is that we follow what God asks of us in terms of our own reactions and manner in which we live.

Obstructing God's call

In the last few weeks there has been a number of passages from the Hebrew Testament that show the beginning of ministry through the eyes of the prophets. In the latest reading we see Jeremiah's call by God (Jer. 1.4-10). We know that such a call has an effect on the lives of those called but also we understand from the material in the scriptures that such a call however powerful,  is not without its obstacles. During Jeremiah;s time as a prophet he was more likely to be prophesying from prison or in close captivity than not. A total surrendering of himself to God and yet, even he, at the end refuses to listen to God and ends his days in exile. What is it about listening and following God that leads us to obstruct or turn from God's voice?

The writer to the Hebrew's suggests that it is our propensity to turn towards those illicit things that the human heart fails to turn from, that is the cause of our unyielding obstruction of God's call for justice (Heb. 12.15-17). We seek to better ourselves within the confines of the community in which we serve. We do this by suggesting to ourselves that what we do is for the greater good and for the purposes of God. There are rules and regulations that we need to follow or else we are not good members of the group. The leaders are learned and are able to interpret what God wants and what is best for all. There is a certain tangibility about the desires and plans that are placed before us so that we are forever chasing after the eternal fires of Sinai (Heb. 12 18). We are unable to place ourselves outside this tangible sphere to seek after those things which are above are daily desires and wants. If we have a plan or a way to move that involves a strict rule then we are more likely to follow that then we are God's mutable Spirit. Laws and rules are easy to define and are even easier to comply with and so make the society in which we live 'better'. Yes, such things are required but the question eventually arises "who interprets the law and for whose benefit?".

Who are the judges of today? Are they the old of yesterday?

In the reading from Luke, Christ offers an example of going beyond the stated laws so that there is a definite improvement to the community (Lk. 13.10-17). God's purpose is to bring healing and integration to a community not division, even if such healing and integration brings about the appearance of negativity. Such negativity is often as a result of our own minimalist understanding of interpretation. We are narrow in how we see things as this is our coping mechanism. God on the other hand is insistent on a more open view such that it encompasses all not just a few. More often than not we interpret our responsibilities to the narrowest extent, rather than broadening our point of view. We can point to a number of our deepest theological debates to see this. How does our human sexuality in all of its rainbow perspectives debilitate our ability to worship and surrender to God? The only thing is how our perverseness may harm the other rather than bring them into life and God's presence. How does our gender disable our ability to minister in God's name, such that we have to bow to an other in obeisance rather than cooperate in love? This is perhaps a fear of loss of power or authority rather than a community revealing God's love.

We need to remind ourselves that we follow a call by God not by other humans. The Hebrew's writer once again writes with insight when they say that what is of God is unshakeable whilst human desires will wander with their eyes so that we once again put obstacles in the way of God's reign (Heb. 12.28). In looking at how we go about undertaking God's will and answering the call upon our lives we actually need to throw out the rule book that our forefathers have created to follow. Just as the Israelites needed to be reminded time and time again, it is not how we interpret God's law but how God wants us to behave and act. Our responsibility is to God not to the structures that we and the generations that have gone before have interpreted as being God's way. God's action is encompassing not confining, is for all not for some, is life giving not death dealing, is free not expensive. Our views and our attitudes need to see beyond blame and power to find balance and forgiveness. We need to come from a totally different perspective rather than from the one that has been generationally produced as the law.

Easy street...Is that really what God promises?

It often seems to me that when things are going right we all have the belief that this is what is meant for us. The moment things start to go wrong we then bring out our prayers and complaints or rather when we begin to go the wrong way we then bring out the.... We always have the tendency to believe that we deserve and should live on easy street. No matter what is going on in the world or the community around us it is our prerogative to live at ease and not have to worry. However, sometimes calamity occurs and occasionally whether we like it or not such calamities create the environment in which we grow. In the words of the prophet Isaiah we see God's prediction for the people of Israel if they do not change their ways (Is 5.1-7). It is told in parabolic form but the message is clear. The calamity that is present within their own complacency to the actions of the community should provide them with a clear understanding of the future.

In living in exile and within an apparent desert we are asked to survive and gain from the experience. It was through adversity that Israel obtained a strength in their faith that was to become legendary (Heb. 11). The scriptural record and the writings of many since show us that the way of faith is not something that grants us an easy street living. In fact it is more than likely that we will struggle to ensure that our faith is proclaimed. Christ tells his disciples this very thing when he speaks about the division created within families (Lk 12.52-53). This scenario plays out often within our own lives if we were to think a little about it (and if you are uncertain what this looks like, look around when you attend a service at your faith community). It is so often the case that the commitment to a faith ideal is the thing that causes familial and inter-generational rifts. It is not that generational change destroys faith but rather about how that faith is expressed in worship and service. Our ability to predict how things are going to play out within a political drama or within the physical world is quite accurate. Yet, we cannot predict how we are going to react within our own faith to any new scenario or warnings upon the horizon.

Often in brokenness we discover God's presence

In some respects the evangelical approach has merit in their focus.on Christ for this is where we do need to focus, unfortunately by taking the human approach some of this is lost. It is the divine that needs to be our focus as we attempt to overcome the challenges that are placed before us. In all of our activities it is often dissent amongst ourselves that causes the greatest grief to those things that come from God. In our divisions we create the seeds for our own destruction and for the desert into which we enter. Our resolve must first be focused on God and then secondarily upon the community that we make in God's presence. If we loose these foci then we tear down the walls of relationship that protect us from chaos and the descent into barbarity. Just as God tears down the protective wall of the vineyard in the Isaiah passage (5.5-7) so to we tear down the walls that form community rather than reaching out and strengthening the bonds by forgiveness and healing.

Once we acknowledge the struggle we can overcome the heartache and battle on in the war to bring love and laughter into human society. It is we and only we alone, as we seek God's grace and love, who can affect the changes to our own lives that will begin to bring about the change that makes the community one of God's. Love is never easy and is often faced in the depths of despair and difficulty. At the darkest time of our lives we often find the brightest light of human love and enduring witness to God's presence.

The stress of faith

It pains us to live by faith because it is as stressful as any workplace in the modern world. It was perhaps not quite so bad in the early church but just as society stresses us so to does faith. The reason that faith and living ones faith stresses us in this day and age is that it means giving up more than just time and finance. This is what is so problematic for modern people when it comes to talking and living a faith. Even for the disciples listening to Christ in Luke (12.32-34) you can see that some of them would have been stressing.

Faith is not a walk in the park, if we are to be true to our calling by Christ to live in the world as Christ. We may think that because we have faith we just live our normal lives. Not true. Because we have faith we should be living extraordinary lives in comparison to those around us. Normality for us should be a disruption of everything that is contrary to God's purposes and to the life of Christ. Our agendas in the world should be agendas of love that disrupt the norm of society. We just need to be reminded how extraordinary the lives of those that lived by faith are. The writer to the Hebrews has a whole section on those who lived by faith including Abraham and Sarah (Heb 11). In living up to Christ we naturally disrupt the mores and norms of society.It is not just a question of being out there demonstrating or drawing attention to wrongs. It is an active living out of Christ in our very lives. It is a total surrendering of all that we know and love to answer God's call on our lives. Being prepared to sustain the tiredness of waiting and yet being ready at the same time, like living in the trenches.

We can only throw ourselves into the unknown to find God' already there

Isaiah's words from God are as true today as they were when he first uttered them (Is.1.15-16). We are so easily led away from our formation of community by our own ideas and paths. We think we are doing the right thing but we forget to question whether the actions we take are God's or our own tremulous wishes for the world. It does not matter what the situation might be we consistently fail ourselves by not asking whether what we do is something that God is striving for. We make assumptions as to what our good works should be, or what our worship service should be. Just like those who bore the brunt of Isaiah's complaints, we assume that what we do is what God wants. Those that live by faith live according to God's purposes not according to what the individual believes is right. This means that we often have to step into the future blindly following God's call and being assured that God will be there to meet us.

A journey of faith is embodied by taking the path that God wishes for us and not the path that we would wish for ourselves. We give ourselves over to fulfill God's presence in our lives. The path may well be obscured, we may well be told that what we are doing is stupid, daft, etc. I am sure that when Abram set of he was also thought to be an idiot going into the unknown without any clue as to what would occur. Guiterrez puts it well by quoting, Luis Espinal, a fellow South American priest murdered in Bolivia:

Train us, Lord, to fling ourselves upon the impossible, for behind the impossible is your grace and your presence; we cannot fall into emptiness.  The future is an enigma, our road is covered by mist, but we want to go on giving ourselves, because you continue hoping amid the night and weeping tears through a thousand human eyes. (On Job 91-92)

Only when we are able to fling ourselves into the future will we truly know God's presence there already meeting us with Christ's presence and love. Yes, life is full of stress but the life of faith is not stress free, for we are automatically going against the grain and what we believe to be good for ourselves.

So you want to be rich?

Everyone does, don't they. I could certainly do with a few more dollars in the pocket. In reality it is not too bad to be want to be rich, that is not the issue at all certainly not when it comes to the parable in Luke's gospel (12.16-21). It, certainly appears that Christ is after the rich considering how he lays into the rich farmer who built extra barns to lay in the hay. In reality this is not the issue and if we are to focus on this aspect then we miss the point and the point of the previous question that also brings a somewhat scathing response (Lk. 12.13-15). The danger for us here is also not greed, although that element is ever present, it is more about our consideration of our actions and their consequences.

The purpose that the rich farmer has is to safe guard the grain from weather and thieves. This is all well and good however his problem is that he sees it as profit for himself. He has no conception of a community and thus no conception of the other. His big issue is the consequence of his action that leaves the community without while there is plenty locked away in the barns. His 'greed' if you will has put in jeopardy the idea of relationship and community. His sole concern is for his profit and his well being. I can retire and not have to struggle from now on. In our own circumstances this is also to an extent where we are at within society. Our struggle is to maintain ourselves and our future with very little care for the other who may be struggling around us. How often I wonder do we pass the person living on the street and say to ourselves "there but for the grace of God go I". In doing so we neglect our first Godly response which should be to reach out in compassion.

Build to create community not barns to house wealth

In the coming week we walk with those on the streets and remember that God's grace is with them as well during this year's reminder of the homeless during Homelessness Week. In our own fashion, just like the farmer in the parable, we look first to ourselves and for our needs. this has been conditioned into our lives from the outset. Countering this is the narrative that suggests we are indeed the first responders to the crisis of homelessness. God's love shown by ourselves in community would ensure that no person goes without shelter. It is a distinct response from society to say that there go the dregs who have only themselves to blame. Yet, if we had our priorities correct as followers of Christ our community would reach out to those who are without. Our first response is to bring shelter and yet throughout history the Church's first response is to build to the glory of God. How much of a greater glory if instead of building structures to house the grain stagnating in faith built structures to house the living.

This is where our treasure is found in the hearts and minds of those around us in the community. It is not in the wonders that come in the barns that we have built but in the compassion found in the relationships that have been formed. Our first response is often to deny the issue or ignore the plea from the other. Our needs must be ministered to first not the other. In reality we are unable to form the bonds of grace by turning away from the cries of the heart. Even God cannot deny his love for Ephraim (Hosea 11.8) but will call his offspring to himself. This is what it means to aspire to Christ to be as compassionate and as loving as God to the other who is ourselves. We put away difference and embrace the other in love even if they are figures of horror on our lives. The Colossian's writer reminds us that the borders of difference are made by our own hands and as such are overcome by our own faith in Christ (Col 3.11). We are the body of Christ which encompasses the whole of creation and most particularly the whole of the Human race despite the differences that are found. So at the end of the day it is out of our riches that we should be caring for the unloved and not ourselves.

Fake news

Today all we have to do to attract attention is to proclaim something is fake news. Then what happens is that everyone and I mean everyone follows what is happening. That really is all we have to do proclaim something is false or fake and we will have all sorts of people visiting us. However, as Christians we build on foundations of honesty and the truth. Of course there is the question of whose truth and what teaching is false. The Colossian's letter is quite specific regarding the fact that we must be constantly on our guard against 'hollow and delusive speculations, based on traditions of human teachings' (Col 2.8). So, how do we tell who is right and who is wrong in terms of how we speak of God.

There are those who will speak of biblical inerrancy and even those who will suggest that there is only one way to read the scriptures whether from the Hebrew original texts or from the New Testament as they are God inspired. Problem is that when we start to pick apart the scriptures and cherry pick what we believe then we are subject to our own interpretations of the text that is 'God inspired'. In looking at this we need to understand that all of our interpretations are 'fake' Good News as we are not God nor are we necessarily God inspired in the way that those who wrote the scriptures (as some would believe). So what is the criteria that distinguishes from fake news and its continual draw upon ourselves and the truth that we proclaim.

Do we prostitute the Gospel for our own purposes?

If we look at the prophet Hosea (1.2-ff) we can see that despite everything, his love or God, determines his course. It is a course that would have brought all sorts of stigma onto him and yet just as in the Gospel (Luke 11.5-10) there is a persistence in Hosea's living and loving arrangements. He is upright before God and is deep within his covenantal relationship. So when we come to determine between fake and Good news we need to look for that persistence in the covenantal relationship with God. In other words our whole character is based in Christ whom we have taken on in baptism. It is our foundational relationship that is of prime importance as this has to be grounded in Christ (Col. 2.7). This is the important understanding that it is in Christ who is Jesus and not the other way around. The importance of God is paramount when we come to speak of the Gospel. Once we start to place the humanity first we begin to lose our way and proclaim those things which are part of our misunderstanding and thus part of that which is Fake.

In the Lord's prayer, which is a reiteration in some respects of the shema, we re-insert ourselves into that covenantal relationship as we ask God for his presence in our daily undertakings. This is the covenantal persistence that we require to ground ourselves in Christ. In doing so we reiterate the relationship that is found in the Godhead. In undertaking this relational undertaking we become part of the body of Christ, not Jesus, and bring God's light into the world. In communion with each other we join the hospitality of the Godhead around the table and invite those that are external to ourselves into relationship with the community that is embedded in Christ. This community which may become the Church, is one that portrays the truth of Christic, covenantal love by accepting all no matter who they may be for it is not for us to bring judgement. Only when we are in as deep as Hosea can we understand the presence of God that is fully present.

Busy lives and God's presence

The Martha and Mary story brings division into the ranks of those who read it, decrying Christ's words or trying desperately to ensure Martha's place as being worthwhile (Lk 10.38-42). Perhaps we should just sit back and acknowledge the fact that busy lives do detract us from God's presence. Maybe we should acknowledge that the opportunity to sit at the feet of God is one that is good if we were only to discern it in our busyness. Or perhaps we should be angry because nobody is helping us put things together so that we can be a family. So that we can eat together and then have the opportunity to sit together in God's presence. The more hands on deck will get things done faster to give us more time. Then there are always only a few that actually get things done while everybody comes to celebrate not having lifted a finger to help. Yet, we know that we allow our busy selves the opportunity to create more concerns to worry about and be busy about, so we never actually stop to smell the roses.

We need to take time to smell the aroma of God in our lives

There is a small book that was written during the 1600s which perhaps tells us a different story. A story that all of us in our busyness need to understand and is something that readers of the Lukan text also miss in Martha's interaction with Christ. These writings were collected by an abbot and published after the death of the author in 1690. Brother Lawrence spent most of his spiritual life in a kitchen (somewhat like Martha). He cultivated what he called the presence of God. In the Lukan passage God is present in the form of Christ and this is what is at issue in terms of Martha. Martha can only see her busyness not the relationship that is present in Christ. Brother Lawrence determined that he had a low spirituality but developed the understanding that no matter where he was or what he was doing he was in the presence of God.

In our busyness we forget, like Martha, that God's presence is close if we were only but to discern it. We loose ourselves and say that what we are doing is important and cannot be not done. Yet, like Brother Lawrence we need to cultivate an understanding of God's presence in our lives at all times, even in the most busy time. In our busyness we think that we are honouring God, just as the Israelites did at the time of Amos (8.1-12). They could not wait until they had left the temple and the offerings to get back to what they thought was more important. They forgot that God was ever present in their lives, just as we do. In doing so they alienated themselves from God. They formed broken communities that were untrustworthy. They relied on guile rather than on love. It is when we begin to take in the fact that God is present at all times that we can show love to our neighbour. Brother Lawrence highlights our attitudes of busyness with his ability to find God in the present no matter what that present circumstance was. In opening ourselves up to a relationship we allow God to be close to us even in the midst of our own busyness. Only then will we understand the critique of Martha in Christ's presence, not for her work but for her lack of understanding that it is God's presence that is important nothing else.