A revelation - but whose?

 Today, we celebrate Epiphany whilst it is, to a certain extent, about things like gold, frankincense and myrrh it really is not about these physical things. They just point towards an epiphany a realisation of some form. Yet the question must remain for us, as it does not appear to be clear from the text; Whose epiphany?

Epiphany means a revelation. If you have seen the Karate Kid film you will remember the epiphany that the boy had after his extreme frustration with Mr Miyagi. He had been told that he would learn karate and all that he had been doing up until this point was "wax on" and 'wax off" or "paint up" and 'paint down'. (Think of his actions). The kid then blows his top and wonders why Mr Miyagi had not fulfilled his part of the contract and taught him karate.  At which point Miyagi punches him saying "Wax on". The punch is of course blocked and there is an epiphanic moment as the kid realises that indeed he has been learning.

So whose Epiphany? Certainly not the wise men (or people) as they already knew who they were looking for - the King of the Jews. They ask after him at the court of Herod. So it can be no epiphany for them they already know. What about Herod? Well I suppose in a way but really he doesn't care except to ensure that there is no threat to him. Like all despots from Pol Pot to Idi Amin and others their only interest is in maintaining power by any means. Slaughter of the innocents is perhaps the best way to ensure that his power stays intact.

Paul had his epiphany on the road to Damascus when have you had yours recently? When have you who celebrate Epiphany in this place have seen God in the flesh incarnate in the people around you, the druggie, the thief, the down and out, the stranger, the migrant?

Who is this? Our Epiphany or an SEP?

God is incarnate in human flesh. Here he is in his mothers arms, he has already experienced the smell of domestic animals and shepherds, in a moment he will be a destitute child in hiding in Egypt, a refugee who will eventually run around barefoot in the village Nazareth, know the stink of the crowds in Jerusalem, and the clean air of a boat on the water. The whole gamut of human experience.

Are we able to see the incarnate Christ as the Magi did in a child. Just for once, maybe if we offered a cup of coffee or hospitality to the down and out person, they would be so relieved because they have nowhere to go and no friend. Perhaps if we offered something for the child to do to keep themselves occupied there would be no need for drugs or to break in to someone's home for something to sell to keep themselves in a place of safety.  Instead of looking at the 'expected' or for the 'assumption' we need to be looking for that epiphanic moment when we realise that this is God before us, incarnate in human flesh just waiting for our own interaction, just waiting for an outpouring of love in return for God's.

It is only our epiphany if we open our eyes to God's incarnate presence in the lives of those we shy away from. If we cannot or will not open our eyes to God's presence we will miss the Epiphany and our celebration will be empty of meaning. Only when we allow ourselves to be challenged by God in the face of the rejected and despised, to minister and bring God's love into the lives of others around us will we eventually awaken to the new dawn of Christ, incarnate and present to us. Can we as we go out from this building to form community with those we despise and have that moment of epiphany when we actually realise that God is present to us in the here and now.

The Incarnation - love in the time of need

 Isaiah's prophesy in chapter 9 is for a saviour who breaks the yoke of oppression releasing those who live in darkness that comes with such oppression, into joy and peace (Is 9.1-7). A time of continual growth and wise leadership through a child born (Is 9.6). This is indeed good news for us and for those in Israel who received such news. This is then entwined into the Gospel narrative from Luke that grants us a sanitised version of a child's birth in the region of Bethlehem with all our traditional festive images of shepherds and mangers and inns (Lk 2:1-14). Yet, for us in today's world that is overwhelmed with the terrors of war and violence, that sees environmental destruction as normal and zoonotic disease through viral pandemic with all its accompanying spiritual and social collapse as commonplace these images are not quite sustainable or even believable.

The celebration of the incarnation of Christ is for us or should be for us, not something about material or worldly changes. At least not in the immediacy of the present. For us it should not be concentrated on this thought of immediacy in the world but rather in the long term as the immediacy is a call within our own hearts and minds rather than in the outward display within the world. The epistle to Titus puts it well in its down to earth explanation to concentrate on our own being (Titus 2.11-12). The incarnation must surely mean to us an immediacy to the change of our hearts and lifestyle that pulls us towards the incarnated presence of God within our midst. In realising the truth of this understanding we realise that it is then our actions that bring about the fulness of the Isaiahan prophecy. What is it about the prophecy that can speak to us in a world that does not consider the other but would rather see the fulfilment of each person / country's selfish desire? The image of a child born into the muck and mire of a stable, which is the traditional image, is not something that brings about hope. However, if we think in terms of a more traditional setting in the ME at that time then we might begin to understand where that hope springs from.

To open our homes to those in need when it is warmed by the lowly

The presence of a new child in the midst of hardship and danger promotes for anyone a feeling of hope and a desire for a better future. Can you remember when your child was borne? Can you really express that feeling when you first laid yes on that child? This is what the incarnation promotes but not on a singular ephemeral level for an individual but rather on a community wide basis. The traditional stable is a false reality when considering the circumstances of the birth. Middle Eastern houses at the time were built to create a warm environment during the depths of winter by having the livestock cohabit to provide warmth to the house. We should also not forget the whole setting of travelling to the family home or birth district. It is unlikely that the family would require relations to stay in an "inn" if they even existed to our standards. Rather the "inn" was probably the guest accommodation and due to the census all the family were present hence the overcrowded house. Given these circumstance it is obvious that a new born was placed closest to the source of heat i.e. the animals sheltering within the house.

It is in reality this understanding that gives the promise of the incarnation. It is in the simple ability to share hospitality and to welcome everyone into a communal setting that cares for those who are in need. What is perhaps the best miracle of the season represented in Luke's story of the incarnation is the presence of the most uncouth and despicable members of society coming to wonder at a child born in the midst of the turmoil. The welcome by what one would presume is a very anxious, frightening and precious time for a mother and child, is perhaps the most extraordinary perception of love that we could find. These outcasts are welcomed into the chaos of birth. This is the birth not only of a child but the incipient solidarity of love within a community for all, irrespective of status and connection. If we are to take anything from the stories of the incarnation it is the improbability of love's blessing that opens our stubborn hearts to accept the other with a totality of acceptance that creates a new future.

Letting go to find peace

 In a year that is coming to an end that has been filled with hate, war and violence in all it's forms we wonder, what is peace? Is this concept ever going to be achievable within our lifetimes let alone the lifetime of the world? Our conceptions of a peace that effects all people in a grandiose idea of harmony amongst the peoples of the world is a dream beyond our abilities to attain. In saying this I realise I may be destroying a dream but in reality I am destroying an illusion that we have generated for ourselves in place of the reality that is beyond our understanding. It is only beyond our understanding because we over complicate things rather than simplifying our lives. If we are to understand we need to look at 2 Samuel and Luke linking them in our hearts and acting them out in our lives (2 Sam 7b.11; Luke 1.38).

The first realisation is that it is God's dream and God's will that brings the peace that we desire and that God seeks. In placing it within the realm of humanity's striving we denigrate God's presence and dream. It becomes all about us rather than all about God, no matter how we conceive of God. In doing this we will never achieve peace as we will always have separate views of who/what God is and who/what God wants etc. We cannot decide for ourselves how to worship God in our own denomination / faith let alone accept the other's view of God. How then can we achieve peace, if all our dreams of peace are fantasies dreamt up by ourselves that devolve into our own in-fighting as to how we actually go about starting to achieve that peace? Peace the concept is difficult to get our heads around in the first place as each person has a different notion of what peace is and here we are trying to reach out for God's peace. Who knows what that is? This is not for us to achieve, promote yes, achieve no as it requires God or at least Christ's presence in our midst. Not something that we have cultivated in our lives with great relish.

Only when we let go of ourselves do we begin the process of peace

So what is the realisation that we need to take on board at this crucial time of the year (one sleep to go).  Can we achieve God's peace the one that passes all understanding? Unlikely, as it passes all our understanding. We limit ourselves to our conceptions. Can we at least begin to comprehend or start the process that leads to God's peace; a peace that perhaps we yearn for but do not achieve as it is not possible through our own efforts. How hard is this beginning for us? It is both easy and hard a celebration and a sadness. Mary (Lk 1.38) gets it right, perhaps in her naivety or rather in her honesty before God, Mary lets go of her life. She lets go of control and she lets go of her wants, needs and desires. Simple. Straightforward. Easy. However in doing so she gave up everything that we hold dear, which is where the sorrow comes in for us. The unimaginable sadness of letting what we perceive to be right go without any doubts recriminations or hesitancy. Once again the ugly head of our own reticence and selfishness rears up as we determine what it is that God asks of us to achieve a peace beyond understanding. We want control; we want our peace; we want that which eases our souls not what eases the burden on others.

This is not the lesson to be learnt in these passages. God's peace comes with God, for us to be participants in that peace is to be like Mary. Mary accepts. Even in her youthful state she is more aware of the response that is required to attain God's peace. Even in the heartbreak of the death of her son she knows God's peace. Even in the knowledge that life is not going to be easy she finds peace by accepting the call of God. This is where we need to look for God's peace for it is only God who can give such peace it cannot be achieved by our own efforts, however much we strive for it. In letting go we find God, in letting go we find God's peace beyond all our understanding.

Fleeting or permanent Joy

 It may seem somewhat repetitive to hear about John the Baptist again when we have already done and dusted John last Sunday. Everything about this Sunday has its arising in the preparation that John takes to prepare for God. Bearing this in mind and the words from last Sunday there is nothing strange in hearing of John once more as a reminder of our preparation. Joy comes when we begin to do what God asks of us in the world. The passage from Isaiah (61.1-4) is quoted by Christ at the beginning of his ministry and is the start of our ministry in the world for this is what it means to bring joy into the world, for joy is not a fleeting feeling but a long lasting change in our outlook and lives.

At the depth of human depression we have no feeling for those around us and only look to our own needs and requirements. There is no joy in our outlook or in our needs for we are desperate for life and only life at the present time. Everything else when we are in the midst of despair is naught and not something to be sought after. It is only that which will get us to the end of the day that is foremost in our thoughts and anything beyond that is peripheral to that. It therefore does not matter as much as our own needs. In order to lift those who are in this situation out of their circumstances one has to bring joy into their lives. Not the ephemeral feeling but a deep rooted joy that changes their lives. In Isaiah mourning turns around into a very different scenario which suggests a total change in heart and lifestyle. The ruins of a previous life are repaired (Is. 61.4) to give way to something new that brings joy. It is this fundamental change that John calls for us to prepare for; a change that moves us beyond the ruins of our own lives into a new beginning and a new way of doing.

The Thessalonians passage directs us to the way in which this is achieved (1 Thess. 5.13-15). It is a way that is at present totally at odds with our day to day lives. There are many "instant karma" videos available on Facebook and other sites, whilst funny and sometimes hilarious, we need to ponder what is the point in the instant karma. It teaches nothing other than the fact that it is appropriate to do something nasty for what nastiness has been done to you or a fellow citizen. The more difficult thing to do is to attempt to change the attitude of those around us towards peace and harmony. It is more difficult because the modern world has not been brought up to respond to this type and style of admonishment. We are taught that it is appropriate to payback rather than to teach. We have become lazy in our response to those that look to do harm or abuse their authority. We are also guilty of doing that which the writer of 2 Thessalonians encourages us not to do (5:19). The normal translation of "do not quench the spirit" does not perhaps capture the tone as well as "Do not stifle inspiration".

Joy is not fleeting it is permanent

These are the things that are harbingers of joy. If we stifle people's aspirations we stifle their joy in the world but this is what we tend to do. We very rarely encourage others to express their spirit and their aspirations. There are too many stories of people being put down because this is the way we do not do it or else it is too much of a threat to my position, my power, etc. Joy comes with the expression of the Spirit that is deep within us and comes with Christ. Only when we follow the path that Christ opens for us do we fully understand the joy that is present in allowing others to succeed. To often we retain that we have been taught over time by the society around us. We allow ourselves to abuse others because what we see in social media tells us that this is the way to act. We stifle those around us because we are told what is classed as beauty, or intelligence or in fashion. We do not allow the bright sparks of God's presence to burgeon forth and be as they have been formed by God. To often we down play others because they do not conform to what the "pub test" tells us. But what if the "pub test" is incorrect what if we need to actually test to God's standards not ours? Are we able to prepare to change so much that we no longer judge by others standards and put down the Spirit that is contained in God's creation? In accepting the incarnation in our lives we also accept the fact that others are created in God's image not ours and celebrate their joy and their achievements. Allowing that joy to echo around the world and fill us with joy and love.

Preparing the way

 I will always remember the opening of Godspell and John the Baptist's cry from below the balcony seats at Bournemouth theatre.  A magnificent tenor voice resounded through the auditorium as if coming from no particular place "Prepare ye the way of the Lord".  The soul wrenching sound came out of nowhere and extended an invitation that was hard to deny.  It is a call that echos throughout the world at this time of year a constant and repeated reminder of our call extending through life from the moment of baptism to our mortal final hours on this planet.  A call that is reiterated in every injustice and war that we initiate, participate or allow through our inaction in response to Gods call.  Mark repeats the call of Isaiah "prepare the way of the Lord; clear a straight path for him" (Mk. 1.3; Isaiah 40.3) and the question in our hearts must be "How are we to respond?".

At baptism for anyone young or old, we re-affirm our response to the call that God places on us.  Parents and Godparents do this for the child and as older adults we undertake the response for ourselves.  A response that places the other in front of our own wants and desires.  A response that brings to the forefront of our lives the elusive concepts of justice, peace and love.  We straighten the paths of our lives by living to the truest form of God's call.  We place behind us the concerns that beset our everyday lives to which we surrender on a daily basis. We place to the fore a concern for the person least likely to draw our attention in the work place and the social havens we inhabit.  The social outcast the one who is alone at the bar.  It is our barriers that the baptist's call breaks so that we can respond with compassion and understanding.

Can we answer God's baptismal call and walk in an other's shoes?

The breaking into our lives of the baptist call reminds us to try to grapple with the elusive concepts that we label justice, peace and love.  The call is an irritant on our lives that is expecting something from us but we are not sure what. We strive for the elusiveness of the concepts when we see things that are abhorrent to what we find acceptable for our society.  The malfeasance of incarceration of those seeking peace and refuge.  The aberrant behaviour of a few in terms of their use of power over the innocent and how we are to grapple with the consequences.  It is at the time of failure that we see hear the insistent call of God but are unprepared to answer in truth.  We find it difficult not to dissemble and squirm our way out of blame.  The insistence of God's call from baptism onwards disarms are rational minds as everything we think of favours someone and disfavours another.  We want our lives to reflect the good but we want those who are less fortunate to obtain the privileges and rights of justice and peace.  Yet, we privilege ourselves in the battle for justice and not those who are different.

Baptism calls us to break the cycle of privilege and reiterate the call for justice.  A quiet insistent voice that calls us into acts of defiance to highlight the plight of the disadvantaged.  It is quaint to champion our own doubts and terrors but it is powerful when we fully engage in / with the plight of those caught in a cycle of deprivation and poverty. What is it in this community that calls to us from our baptism?  What is it in the world community that calls to us from our baptism?  As young people it should be the concerns expressed in the conversations of our parents and godparents that turn us to address the reality of life and find an answer to God's call on us.  It is when the future breaks in upon the older generation through the love and wonder expressed by the younger that we begin to create that which God calls us to do.  It is not generated by the old for the young but by the young for the experience of the old to craft.  So let us listen to the young who are closer to God's call as they have not privileged themselves by their prejudices and fears. In doing so we respond to the future that comes to us in Christ, incarnated and as judge.

King - a sacrificial leader or one who serves justice

 Christ as King. Perhaps an archaic form of celebration that brings forth all sorts of images that reveal our obsession in our own worth. If we look back through time we have images of a person who is willing and not so willing to die for "his" people. Prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, even to death and no I am not speaking about the Christ bit of the statement. Or at least that is what we would hope to see in a "King". Yet, the very term "King" is in itself archaic, as a ruler, being that we really have gone beyond kingship as a quality in this sense to aspire to. What other images could we go with in terms of a "King"? Perhaps, as Ezekiel (34.11-16, 20-24) thinks in terms of a shepherd who secures those that are in need with specific reference to David as king. In thinking about kingship and imagery it should lead us towards paths of formal authority perhaps a figure of justice to be the centre piece of what we are actually attempting to celebrate. Thus, our celebration should be around the call of God to undertake righteous judgement for justice and not the sacrifice that is made to achieve these. In Matthew's gospel we find the reading about the judgement of the sheep and the goats (Mtt. 25.31-46). A separation and judgement of each person's attitude rather than each person's actions.

This story is displayed in the Kellock window at All Saints, Kempsey. This triptych displays a central Christ on a throne with two sets of people on either side. It is the attitudes of the people in the two side windows that we need to focus on when we hear this story from the Gospel. From the description in the Guidebook:

Do we belong on the right or the left?

the southern panel represents the sheep, those on the Son of Man’s right. The figures robes and colouring are suggestive of a more humble approach to the truth of the judgement and an ability to point to the truth of Christ’s presence in their lives. As pointed out in the descriptions above the figures in the northern panel appear to have an attitude of “Who me!” and disbelieve. The colours are also mirrored but are subtly darker in hue suggestive that these figures are ones that perhaps paid lip service to God’s word but did not live their lives in light of Christ.

When we think about attitudes in our lives we are often unable to accurately assess our own. It requires an independent judge to see into our own hearts and minds. In assessing our corporate attitudes it becomes increasingly difficult as we are attempting to judge not only ourselves but those around us. We would all like to assess our attitudes as being on Christ's right. A humble  ability not to point to ourselves but to point to Christ. However, the moment we start making such a call we place ourselves on the left. The corporate body of Christ's church have pointed to themselves as the path to righteousness. At the end of our liturgical year it is perhaps a reasonable time to reflect on ourselves not as individuals but as the body of Christ, not only in our places of worship but also in our Dioceses and denominations as a whole. Are we getting it wrong by expecting people to follow us when we are not demonstrating that ability to point to Christ in our midst and say "Who me?".

In our own conceit we think others should follow but we ourselves are in need of salvation and instead of saying how good we are, we should be acknowledging our corporate faults and striving to do better in the coming year. Advent, which begins next week, reminds us that we need to prepare, not only for Christ's coming but for our judgement by Christ the King. A King not of power and sacrifice but a King of justice and judgement. If we think that we are on the right hand we are probably wrong and need to place ourselves on the left not knowing and not anticipating what God has in store for us.  Only when we begin to humble ourselves as the body of Christ both institutionally and corporately will we begin the transformation Christ requires of us. Only when we acknowledge that we do not know God's will and refuse to bow to our own wills do we begin to undertake the required penance.

Connecting organically to grow

In the space that is today, in the time that is now, it is true to say that the universe will end not in a blaze of glory but more likely in a wimp of darkness but it will end. The world will likely end in a blaze of glory as we are eaten by the sun. The heaven of the past is no longer up there as the astronauts can probably attest but our super dooper telescopes do so much better. If this is the case then what does this mean for readings that we have today speaking of a day of the Lord and preparedness for the coming of God (Zeph. 1:12-18; 1 Thess. 5:1-11; Matt. 25:14-30)? Perhaps we need to turn our thoughts to the very prosaic inhabitant of Judaea who in his insights proclaimed that the Reign (Basilea) of God was present to us in the here and now. Using this insight we may be able to disentangle the entanglement in our theology of Neoplatonism and a foreign world view. We need to understand that just as islands are not independent of the bedrock upon which they sit but in reality are connected to other landmasses around them, we too are not independent but are immutably connected to each other in community.

All good plans take time to mature and plenty of planning. Changing the world does take a bit of doing but as Christians that is our purpose to re-make the world to conform with God and live in love and peace and yes at the end of the day, when this eventually comes into being, there will be a lot of gnashing of teeth. The Gospel story has severe political overtones for the society in which the parable was told. It is all about political manoeuvring on a grand scale in Roman times but has much to say that is beyond the overt political message for us today. Quite honestly we are probably, 90% at least, in the category of the failed servant. Shock, horror and claims of "No we are not". Well I suppose that has to be an expected response to such an announcement and of course we would all put ourselves within the 10% that are not. Of course of those 10%  only 9% fall into category 2 and in reality only 1% are anywhere near category 1. All those statistics what does it mean in real life. 

We invest in relationships of love, organic connections that continue to grow

The reality of the current day is that most of us are lazy when it comes to our spiritual and faith responsibilities. We would much rather put things to the side and go on about our business and not about God's business or the business of faith. Don't get me wrong, those in religious institutions fall just as equally within the percentages as anyone else. It takes effort to do the work of God and prepare for the coming Kingdom but it is in the work that we see the beginnings of that kingdom here on Earth in the present. Our wandering Aramean was not putting philosophical spin into his words nor was he tangled up in the question of who is God / What is God / Why is God? and so forth. His stories and preaching were about the present, the end was now as we moved into a new understanding of how to relate to each other as we moved into the reign of God's presence reflected in our own interactions in the present. For Christ the time was now to move into the reign of God, which meant that the time was now to change how we relate to each other. In other words the time was now for the present day understandings of how we live to end. It is our investment in our community that God is looking for. For us to realise the coming of God's reign we must invest ourselves in our relationships to show the love which God represents to us.

It is our lives that are at stake. It is our communities lives that are at stake. It is our planet that is at stake. We cannot afford to park the investment of our lives and not do anything. If we do that we are literally banking on others whose interest may not be ours and quite honestly is usually for their own benefit rather than looking towards their neighbours. The stakes are high but we can visibly see the returns on our investments in love within the community. Unlike burying ourselves behind closed doors or watching the stock market investment fall when we invest in love it is always on the way up. The reign of God is just around the corner and it comes when we begin to invest in our communities with the love that God has given us. The longer we leave that love buried in our hearts while we wait for better times and God appearing at the end of creation the longer it will be before the reign of God comes. Christ said that the reign of God was here, now. It was at the end of this present age and until we understand that we are harbingers of the end of the present day when we allow God's love to enter into our communities we will not see God's reign. We will continue to be caught up in metaphysics and Greek philosophical views compounded by an out moded world view.

A commitment to our own promises

 We know that the essential part of living as a community of God is to live in love. Fundamentally, we are called to show love to those who are around us as friends and neighbours whilst at the same time glorifying and loving the Lord our God. In the final chapter of the book of Joshua the Israelites make a promise about their dedication to God (Josh. 24:19-24). This promise is made with them as witnesses against themselves. The prophet Amos in a round about manner reminds them of this promise by stating that God wants above all else justice, not worship services, not being in a temple or church but being in the community ensuring that justice flows (Amos 5:24). In these readings there is a message to us, not necessarily as a parish or a diocese but to us as the body of Christ joined across the world. A call to us and a reminder of the promises made before God just as the Israelites did at the end of Joshua.

Many may take this to mean that they do not have to come to church but can participate in the world showing the Christian attributes. Yes, but.. The significance here is not about God not wanting worship service the significance here is in showing the works of love. This is hard to undertake when you are on your own and participation in worship at a communal level allows us to become part of a significant whole rather than an insignificant cog doing nothing but turning in circles. God may not require incessant and unproductive worship but we do require it so that we can form around God's presence as a community that is engaged in love of God and love of neighbour. The Thessalonians are praised for their practice of love (1 Thess. 4:9-10) towards their fellow Christians and others throughout the province. In this respect the parable that Jesus tells in Matthew (Matt. 25:1-13) is an extremely good example of this community aspect of our lives centred as it is on God.

Let's not squander the lives that we have but show love to our neighbours

The group of young girls is perhaps typical of such a group in such a setting. Five are drawn out into a party frame of mind, it is after all a celebration of marriage and all the good things in life to come for them. The other five are more circumspect and have perhaps been drilled into sensibility by their parents. They acknowledge the festive occasion but are ever mindful of their responsibilities and the covenant that they have entered into with the community to fulfil the role of the welcomers at the bridegroom's house. In going of and doing things on our own we waste our energy, even if we are caught up in the fun and frivolity of society. In this we are like the foolish girls, we are wasting our time and when we are summoned to fulfil the requirements for what we are engaged in by God we find ourselves standing on the outside looking in. We have lost touch with God's presence because we have been caught up doing things our way. Due to the unexpected/expected delay in undertaking our responsibilities we have to go and seek a means to undertake that which we said we would do. We have lost our contact with the community and with God and so can no longer express that love which God has asked us to give to those around us. We spent that all on our own self indulgences.

Our covenant from baptism is to live as Christ and ensure that we are proponents of that love in the world. We have a limited life span and during that time we are asked to ensure that we live as Christ and live in the love of God. If we spend our lives away from God it is no wonder that we have issues in our lives at a later stage, when in our twilight years we complain about all the things that are missing. The grumpiness that we often see is a disruption of our living well in Christ. Only when we spend our lives in the presence of God will we know the presence of God throughout our lives. In age it is often when we find that we are missing something not only because our children have allowed others to take the burden of care but also because we have neglected our spiritual and faith lives during our life. We need to be constantly reminded that it is the presence of God in our lives that allows for our sustainable comfort into the future.

Outward persona as opposed to inward grace

In today's world we rely overly much on the perceptions of others to ensure that our status in life is good. We rely on our own perceptions of who people are and react accordingly. If they have a good rap on social media or in the popularity stakes then we acknowledge them as being models for our culture to emulate. Our public facing persona is often how we present to the world and as such is manipulated to demonstrate our best features as it were whilst secretly being somebody else internally. A Jekyll and Hyde situation in the reality of our own lives. We very rarely stop to consider a persons outward persona and compare it with their, to us, hidden persona so that when at some future time point a scandal arises we are shocked and horrified. I do not think that we have to delve far into the archives of any newspaper to find the truth in that. For us as Christians on our journey this is most appropriate for us to consider as we form ourselves into the image of Christ. Our outward persona should of course conform to that of Christ. However, the reality is that hypocrisy is not the purview of the outward facing persona but is in reality the inward persona of our hearts, which as Christians MUST, not should or any other modal verb or adverb display Christ to the world. If our inner persona does not conform to Christ we can easily manipulate the outer in a manner that it appears as if we are displaying Christ to the world. Once our inner persona is correct it is unlikely, though not impossible, for us to display Christ in our outward facing persona.

Our issue is clearly outlined in the gospel passage, (Matt 23.1-12), where the crowds are told to obey the scribes and Pharisees but do not do what they do. There is a clear referencing to the fact that whilst the scribes and the Pharisees are telling the people the correct behaviours it is their inward behaviours that are suspect as they apply those laws to the detriment of the public and to the benefit of themselves. They are seen and lauded for their own piousness but in reality act inappropriately. There are many stories of such hypocrisy from simple callousness to an integrated attitude where the person cannot see that their behaviour is innately wrong. In the modern context it is perhaps obvious, if we actually think about it, that the situation in the Middle East is a portrayal of hypocrisy on a grand scale as much to a certain extent was the recent results of the referendum. If we look at the prophet Micah this becomes abundantly clear that the behaviours being exhibited in the ME is precise to this passage. As Christians our understanding as Christ is to be peacemakers not warmongers. Irrespective of where we stand on a purely political basis our goal is to seek justice and demand peace rather than encourage this side or that.

Is your inner face that of Christ or only your outer persona?

We do not have to dig deep into the scriptures to understand that it is a humbleness of heart that is required as we seek justice and peace in our lives (Matt. 23.11-12). Our common societal outlook today is in line with those that surround the scribes and the Pharisees, we make big of those whose outward face is turned towards the apparent following of Christ but who ignore the greater understanding within their own lives. Our society is all about the outward persona the hype around personality and popularity abounds. For us as Christians we need to ensure that we can see their motivations and not what they portray. Is it to divide or to bring peace? Is it to demand righteousness or sit back and allow injustice? In answering these questions we answer where we stand in terms of Christ's presence in our hearts for if we only display outward presence we do not move towards Christ's heart or God's presence.

Taxes and tithes

 We all complain about the taxes that we are required to pay. We all complain about the amount of money that the local council demands from us in rates. After all even Christ suggests that we should give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar (Mtt. 22.17-22). We all give generously to the needs of our clubs and societies to which we belong whether it be the Embroider's Guild, the Art Appreciation Society, Rotary or some other group such as the Golf Club, etc. The difference being the fact that we want to do those things that we belong to and we moan about anything imposed on us by "authority". Let us just think about this in a different manner. What would happen if we did not pay our taxes as a collective, our rates and our club dues? What difference would it make to anything if we did not give?

In looking at the situation from this viewpoint we automatically see that things would start to become significantly problematical for us. Let's use the council rates as an example. If I was the Council and did not receive what was asked what would happen. Well perhaps, one could start by withdrawing services, no rubbish collection for that household. Any repairs to roadways outside the house be put off. Perhaps spend a little less on the upkeep of the local park, the local services (library, sport venue, etc). We soon see that there is an inconvenience placed on the householder that begins to affect the neighbour and then ultimately the community as resources keep on being diverted away from the area in which the house is situated. We can obviously take the implications of this on to the larger problematic of taxes to the Federal government with the resultant consequences. I am sure that Christ was equally aware of these same consequences in his era and the time. Our society and our community does not depend purely and simply on goodwill. At some point in the complexity of society there has to be a means of ensuring that essential works are undertaken. By choice we make this an issue of financial return.

Are we paying tax or tithing or both?

It can be seen that we would also be breaking the commandment of love of neighbour should we be so neglectful in our duties. The same applies at the lower level of clubs and social societies as these would inevitably fold should there be a lack of income to pay for their modest upkeep and continuance. This situation equally applies to the Church as without income there is a challenge in terms of material continuance in a specific place. In the absence of such income there would necessarily be a downgrading of services and structure in any locality. However, for the Christian church there is a further obligation (Mtt. 22.21b). Here, Christ is referencing the tithe that goes back to Abram's interaction with Melchizedek (Gen. 14.20) that amounts to 10 percent. A tithe that was to be made for the making of wholeness (Holy) in ones life (Deut. 12.5-6). This tithe was used for doing God's will making justice, righteousness and peace something that in times past was undertaken by the Church not the government. So what is our response. Usually towards those structures that move towards justice and relief of poverty which is not always the Church. It is towards making life holy and in conformance with God's love.

So we have two obligations as members of the faith community to which we belong the tithe that must go towards making our lives and the lives of our community. Restoring justice, alleviating poverty, care for the aged and the vulnerable and creating communities of peace. This can be through our faith community or through our actions. This is our obligation to God. Our second responsibility is towards our structures, our services and our faith home; this is the obligation to Caesar. We forget either and we forget that we are a community. We either forget our holiness or we forget our need to build community.

Accepting the invitation

 I remember when my daughter was younger, she had an invitation to go to a get together with "mates".  She was not sure whether they were going or had pulled out, did not want to bother her Dad if it was going to be a non-event, had no way of contacting the others (surprising in this day and age of instant comms) and all the other incipient anxieties that many of us have experienced one way or the other. Who hasn't? The invitation says 6.00 for 6.30 and no one is outside at 6.05. Do we dress or do we go casual? Anxieties that are so common place for some that they are really only irritants. We boldly go with what we think is the correct response. So what if we are early. Perhaps we can ask to look inside if our friends cannot be seen outside. These are easy response to soothe the troubled mind. What if the questions are of a bigger or rather greater nature? The Israelites were waiting for Moses and were filled with the same fears (Ex. 32.1-14) and in Isaiah there is a sense of this waiting and expectancy (Is. 25.6-9). The Israelites had an invitation from God but were waiting for him. Their fears were expressed in the form of an alternative to God, the golden calf, as God did not appear to be with them at the time.

Those that were invited in Christ's parable (Matt. 22.1-14) find themselves trying desperately to get out of going. If we worry about the minor details we are also prone to saying yes as a matter of politeness knowing that we will not turn up for the event in any case. We have no qualms about this. We want the person to know that we are friends but are really not wishing to be put out. It is we that matter not anything else. We are invited by Christ to form a relationship with Christ and with God and just like those other invitations we accept out of politeness. To be honest means that we have to change our lives and centre God above everything else. It is like changing our clothes to go out to that gathering to which we have been invited. Indeed, changing our clothes is perhaps easier than changing our lives for Christ.  Often we pretend, as its easier to wear an appearance than it is to make an inward change.

Is it an invitation you can refuse?

The invitation we accept but have no intention of going to. The social grace of the appearance of intentionality in attending rather than the actuality of attending. If we were to truly accept then our lives may actually be changed. The invitation that we actually accept and participate in is the one that changes our lives totally. Even when we have our last minute doubts outside the venue or whether our friends are actually going to be there. In loosing heart at the last minute we condemn ourselves just as much as when we chicken out with a polite acceptance that means nothing. We find other things to attract our attention and divert them away from God / Christ, just like the golden calf. If we are to be honest with ourselves our whole life should be different to the one we have accepted as we pretend to live as Christ has invited us to do. The abundant life that is Christ has been subverted by structure that is in place for our convenience. We have had innumerable opportunities through out the ages to make changes in how we live our lives in Christ. Each time we have been invited out of our own lives and out of the lives we have made for ourselves we become frightened. We are like those that sit outside the venue debating as to whether anyone else is going to turn up. If we do not see our friends we turn away.  We use any excuse to drive away and do it ourselves. We find any excuse, rules, regulations, societal pressures to not attend or accept the invitation honestly. Australia has refused the invitation to change itself and has allowed the fear to come in so that it can build its own golden calf of shame to worship.

We are invited into abundant life in Christ. We are invited to love God and our neighbours (the other whom we often fear) as our selves. At what point are we going to see that acceptance means change. It means a move away from our own self indulgences into a more permanent life that is filled with the abundance that comes with the grace of God. It means a move away from petty cruelty of lost invitations and moments to a life filled with God's presence and opportunities. It means a fulfilment of our desires without the worry and struggle that comes with the task of doing it ourselves. So when will you truly accept Christ's invitation?

Obedience to authority

 Promise keeping in today's world does not rate that highly. The old adage that you are as good as your word does not resonate well in business circles with its unending demand for contracts and legally binding clauses to keep everyone doing the things that they promise to do. Looking at Christ's parable of the two sons (Matt. 21.28-32) seems to indicate that this was the case even way back then. The Prophet Ezekiel brings this out when God promises a change in the way sin works (Ez. 18.1-4). What promises do we find hard to complete and what promises do we find easy? It really depends on our attitude as does everything we do in terms of our Christian walk. The attitude is brought out in Christ's parable supremely well. It is not just about doing but also about doing for the right reasons and in obeyance of God.

Our promise keeping is desultory at best non existent at worst. We require of ourselves written contracts to maintain the promises we keep. Even when we are considering our bond to a person for life we hesitate and hesitate until we become content in a less formal relationship. We are unable to make the commitment of a promise to a person we wish to live our lives with. Either because of legality or because we are too scared to make that commitment. We promise our children the earth but force them to undertake a style of education that is better suited to 100 years ago than to a world that has changed.  We make a commitment to our faith at baptism and again at confirmation only to find ourselves breaking those very promises each time we turn around. We are happy to make voluntary commitments if it does not inconvenience our life style or what we believe should be the manner in which we live.  The leaders of the temple were the same they had a viewpoint that was from a theological perspective, which was in keeping with how things were buried in the past and not a view of God's promise and future. Christ challenges them to have an alternative view of God and not being able to in their pride and ambition they condemn and judge. This seems to be a perennial problem for us as we pride ourselves on our own knowledge and have ambitions about surpassing others that means we look for opportunities to further ourselves. Our own self esteem is more important to us then any other thing. Education is about ensuring that others achieve knowledge so that they can assist and help others not to empower themselves. We enable others in their faith journey by opening their eyes not to our understanding but to the presence of God in their midst. It is not sufficient for us as Christians to be ambitious for ourselves but rather we need to be ambitious for our neighbours so that we can enable them in the path towards God.

Are we obedient and good at promise keeping?  Which dog are we?

We break our promise to God each and every time we fail to stand up for someone who is less fortunate then ourselves. Like the first son who promises to work the fields and then goes to his pleasures we often neglect that which God demands of us.  We place our own selfish desires before the obedience to a promise we have made in our baptism and confirmation. We often do this in small things, neglect of our community, for our own pride and vanity. Unlike more indigenous cultures who are brought up to place community first we who pride ourselves in following Christ place ourselves first.  It is the humbleness of heart that allows us to give to the other that which we want that sets us apart from everyone else.  Christ shows us the way by stating the position of the second son.  We can renege, if we are honest, but that very honesty allows us to turn around to find the grace and assist. In acknowledging Christ in our hearts we mirror his giving in our lives.

Part of our promise keeping and obedience to God is to be honest in all our undertakings in God's name.  Christ critiqued the institutional church much to their chagrin in many ways.  In doing so Christ enabled others to see the true face of a compassionate God in their lives.  Whilst we strive to do God's will within our structures it is often more important to be honest with our own obedience.  This means that we may be at odds with what is perceived to be unwarranted promise breaking within our own structures.  Yet, in order to fulfil God's commands we need to ensure that our own promises and our own commitments are true.  We need to be involved with and committed in our time, our giving and our obedience to God's will.

I want trumps I need or does it

 One of the quirks, if you will, about living in South Africa was the ability to hire labour on the street corner. You had to be careful as to who you obtained. If you were lucky or competent and fair in your negotiations the probability existed that you could come away with a good worker. To me this is very reminiscent of the parable that is told in Matthew's gospel (20:1-16). At the end of the day the process was about ascertaining the needs and wants of those looking for employment. Some may have needed to work and were not that fussed as to what they obtained. These were the first ones often to hop on board the tradies ute for the day knowing that they would obtain some money at the end of the day. Others wanted to find a more permanent arrangement and were content to sit back and wait for opportunity to come their way.

We are often to focused on our needs rather than on those things we think are beyond us but that which we want. Obviously, our needs often or should often come before those things we want. Yet when we look at Maslow's pyramid we can see that the next step is moving towards our wants because in reality what we want or desire is at the top of the hierarchy. In Jonah, the prophet wanted something but the needs of Ninevah's population were paramount in the Lord's eyes (Jonah 3.10-4.11). It can also be seen in better perspective in the Exodus story, set for today, as the Israelites move further and further into the wilderness. Their daily needs are being met but they yearn for what they had and therefore want more. God has given and fulfilled their basic desire that of being free but because they have been used to a certain level of comfort and fulfilment in Egypt they now complain that they are not getting the food. God overlooks their complaints and through grace God gifts them with manna and quails, bread and meat (Ex. 16:2-13). These are the basic staples of our initial needs when starting out from bigotry, persecution and slavery: freedom, food and shelter. These are the fundamentals of hospitality as we care for the other. In looking beyond our initial needs we move towards our desires and wants, hopefully with gratitude to those who have provided our initial requirements.

Is it just a question of our need or is it a result of the others need being fulfilled first?

However, our desire to get more than what we thought was adequate is an old part of human nature that sits at the pit of our hearts waiting to come forth. The first laborers were having their needs met with an ironclad contract to work for wages. This is often sufficient for most people as our daily need is being fulfilled. However, when we see others gaining from, in our view, benefits that we have also been contracted for we see that as unjust and wish to complain. In a similar way Jonah makes his complaints against God's actions rather than seeing beyond his own desires (Jonah 3.10-4.11). We then begin to want what the other has for it is the next step beyond our needs. The desire and jealous rage, which arises within our hearts, turns our thoughts away from what we have actually promised to undertake. We grasp for what we initially thought was beyond us but now find is unavailable. Often in the African situation the same thing occurred so that when you went back to pick up the contracted labourer you would find others trying desperately to displace him. It is only when we see that our wants can be catered for that we begin to loose what we have asked for. Yes, there is the sense of generosity from the landowner who hires the labourers in the first place but there is more then generosity here over and above the obvious needs and wants debate.

The landowner has seen something beyond the individual. We constantly see the individual here as the beneficiaries of the generosity of the landowner but what of the community? At the heart of the story is not the compassion and grace of the landowner for the individual but the understanding that these are the needy within the community who are receiving justly according to their needs. We do not see the backstory of each of those who are looking for work, we assume laziness rather than seeking alternative possibilities. In a rural community households who are just holding it together often have additional duties / chores that need to be undertaken that are more important than work for these are needs beyond finance. We forget that often other's needs come first such as the old and infirm, the sick and the desperate, the young and the widow. In our modern world we pack them of to institutions to look after so that we can forget them and cater for our own needs and wants. Who fulfilled these duties in an impoverished community other than the single wage owner or the healthy individual who then comes late looking for resources to care for the other. The landowner sees this and rewards them according to their deeds not just on the farm and in the harvest but in building the relationships of community.

Forgiveness - a process not an instant

We all know what forgiveness looks like, even if we do not wish to entertain it when things go against us. Peter asks how many times to forgive and Christ ripostes with a parable (Matt. 18.21-35). This hard response is what we consider to be forgiveness. The ability to give a person the benefit of the doubt and to ignore the hurt to ourselves. Or at least subsume it in a way that will not effect our own psyche. To reach out in a loving manner knowing that it hurts to embrace someone who has wronged us and is capable of re-offending, time and time and time again. What about the person who has done the wrong thing or voiced the wrong concerns or demeaned the other and thus requires forgiveness? Is there something here in this action of this person that requires us to rethink ourselves, for it is us we are referring to when we are in the wrong as much as the other? Forgiveness also has to rise within our own selves when we are that person who is acting so against Christ and not loving as we should.

We are so guilty, especially in the small things in life, let alone the greater. How many times I wonder do people complain about others, in a faith setting, when it comes to the contribution that they are making? or perhaps when things do not go quite the way we want them to and we lash out at authority simply to rid ourselves of our own frustrations? We are so judgemental of those around us that we forget to look closely at ourselves. Paul in his letter to the Romans makes this clear (Rom. 14.1-14) and yet we are still so dreadful at fulfilling our obedience in Christ that we blame everyone else. We are asked to give of ourselves. We are not asked to make a judgement on whether others are doing the right or wrong thing in the eyes of God. Yet, we so often do, we make judgement calls on what everyone around us should or should not be doing. We do not respect other's decisions with regard to what God has asked of them but wish to impose what we think they ought to do. Or more often what we think God wants them to do. We often make decisions for others because 'we know them' rather than allowing them to make their own decisions. We often assume a response rather than allowing others to express a response. Even a negative response is a response that needs to be taken seriously.

When we begin to forgive ourselves we shatter the chains that bind us

Once we begin to look closely at our actions we then need to actually begin the process of forgiveness by loving ourselves. In the acknowledgement of our judgementalism we begin to see our own interactions in the light of God's love. We begin to understand that God has called us out of our own slavery to the hubris, pride and sin of thinking that we are up there with God. In beginning to understand our own faults and loving ourselves we begin the process of redemption. Just as the Joseph's family had to trust in God fully and understand that Joseph did not desire retribution but understood God's purposes of forgiveness by seeing the long trajectory of God's plans (Gen. 50.15-21). Only when we truly surrender to what God requires of us we will be able to give to the extent that God requires. By giving way our judgements we allow God to judge. By allowing God to flow into our lives we are able to allow our love to flow into the things we give.

In asking how many times to forgive we forget that each time it means that we have to (for)give our selves. We also need to be strong enough to stand up and state the truth of our forgiveness / God's demands even if we are afraid of reprisal from those around us. We need to have the humility to accept God's wishes and give ourselves fully.  It is we who are so often on the wrong side of Christ that need to learn how to forgive our own selves before we begin to turn to others in hope of their forgiveness.

Sacrificing for God

 The passage from Romans (Rom 13.1-10) has Paul telling us to be submissive to the authority of governments and those who have a valid authority over us.  This is a fine sentiment but when it comes in a time when our authorities appear to have no sense of justice or enabling peace we doubt the wisdom of this course of action. Yet, for us this is a point that we need to ponder especially when that authority asks us to give taxes, financial support, etc to the rule of law. As Christians are we right to withhold such things if the financial offerings are not going towards the cause of justice and righteousness?  We may say yes and others would say but hang on we all live in this world and some of the money is being used correctly and so we should go with the benefit of the doubt. What pertains to the wider community also pertains to the smaller communities that make up our society. How can we ensure that justice and righteousness prevails within our faith community if we are not brave enough to stand up for what God wants?

In Matthew's gospel Christ speaks about going after the one rather than the many (Matt. 18.12-14). We have a greater tendency in our lives at both the societal level and the faith level to turn towards the majority rather than going out of our way for the minority or even the embattled singleton. Either that or we overlook the faults in one rather than looking to those who suffer as a result of power. In the one case we render to the will of a large group what may be undeserving and in the latter we submit in fear to the implied power of a minority, which is the reverse of what following Christ implies. Quite often our decision is based on fear which has been provoked by those with power who stoke that fear for their own purposes as we can see in the current dialogue around the Voice referendum. We are asked to render to those in need not to those who have or to a status quo.  Our sacrifice in terms of money, power, time, etc is for the benefit of those who are unworthy in our eyes but are worthy in the eyes of God. It means going out of our way to respond to those in need over and above our own.

Opening ourselves up to God allows a small ripple on the face of creation

In making our wants into the wants of God we are not submitting ourselves before God but rather placing ourselves on the pedestal to try and emulate God. We know best. In coming to render to Caesar within our parish or faith lives we surrender to those whom we believe have power and not to God. In submitting, we should submit to what God is asking of us not what others are asking. God takes our lives and asks us to reach out in compassion and justice to those around us. But it means submitting to God's asking.  In rendering our obligations both financial and service we render them to God and ask God to do with them as God wills not as we will. God asks us to lay our lives on the line and go out of our way to assist those who are weaker and more lost then ourselves. God does not ask us to look after the 99. We reach out our hands here today to receive the sacrament of God's flesh and blood to strengthen us so that we may give to God that which God asks for. So what obligations are placed upon us at this moment of receiving?

It means a burden that is more than we think we can bear. It means losing those things that we want and allowing those things that God wants. It means fulfilling the obligations that are laid upon us, through our faith in God and our belonging to a faith community. It means that the community of God comes before our own needs and it means sacrificing our ideals for the ideals of God. Only then can we truly say that we have fulfilled what Paul would have us do and what Christ commands us to do, so that there may be rejoicing in God's presence and here in our lives. At the end of the day it means that our small decision to reach across the divide has a ripple effect on our community and our society.

God - permanent and impermanent

 Jeremiah (15.15-21) laments his relationship to God and his ongoing suffering as part and parcel of this uncertain understanding of God's presence. In the Exodus reading set for today the classic interpretational issue which has been debated in both Jewish and Christian scripture, God's response to Moses, "I am / I shall be what / that I am / shall be" (Ex. 3:14). What does God's response in terms of name mean let alone the uncertainty of Jeremiah?  This interpretive conundrum is not really one that can be answered, I suspect, in any form of certainty as all responses have a validity when it comes to God. However, we can make our own interpretive guesses both as theologians and as ordinary people, depending on our interest and education. In the midrashes there are a number of interesting points that can be raised both psychological and spiritual that have an effect on the ongoing interpretation of the Exodus story. Perhaps the most important, at least of equal importance to other interpretations, is the underlying understanding of permanence that is created in the translation of the Hebrew words at this point.

It is important for us to remember that translation and interpretation are not one and the same. It is also important to note that these initial settings come at the start of a dialogue that frames both Jeremiah's ongoing relationship with God as a person who is sitting in suffering and Moses' ongoing relationship with God as a person. God's relationship with Moses, in some sources Moses is the writer/represented by, is deepened in the book of Job which in turn relates in a profounder way to Jeremiah's situation. Whilst there is an understanding of permanence to God's presence there is also an understanding that this is based on trial and not just peace. It is the constancy of God's presence in the face of an ongoing presence of slavery and imprisonment, disaster and exclusion implicit in the wording and the request. This is the burden we bear (Matt. 16:24) as it is often our own selves that creates the burden which is ours in these often uncertain times. Our self doubts prevent us from discovering God in the midst of adversity much like the Israelites and Moses and even Jeremiah. In taking up the cross we take up Christ's burden for the other and we look not at ourselves but at the other in community. In doing so we begin to feel God's presence with us easing the burdens that we have or are laying down. This enables us to do what Paul asks his recipients to do in the letter to the Romans (12:9-21).

In the impermanence of  life we see seeds of the permanence of love

The practicality of our ministry to others in times of adversity is often something we struggle with in our lives. We are assailed by our own uncertainties, which cause us to enable, rather than dis-able, the destruction of our communities through bias, hatred and our own prejudices of those who are different to our self understanding. Paul, at the start of the Romans' passage (12:10b), states the obvious but necessary way forward. The norm for society is to suggest that we are better than the other and to look down upon those who do not subscribe to our own pet desires and understandings. Whether we are the Shreveport shooter, Indigenous person or a regional farmer we each believe that we are better in our lives than those around us. The culture we live in brings us to this belief through our normal jokes, sly remarks and disparaging of those from outside the community. Whether those are age old Irish put downs or more recent remarks about Russians or Muslims. We need to remind ourselves that each person is created in the image of God. Speaking in terms of the legacy of formalised prejudice the "Arch" (Archbishop Tutu) suggests that in accepting someone for something they can do nothing about, being a woman, whilst at the same time not accepting someone for the same reason, skin colour, ethnicity, etc, then we are extreme hypocrites. If we cannot accept the other from outside the community than how can we accept the other because they have lived in the community. We love each person for who they are, even in the worst of circumstances, with respect and gratitude. 

Impermanence is often a constant in today's world as we are constantly evolving and changing but in our understanding of God we should see the permanence of the presence of love. We draw alongside those who are in difficulty and struggle just as God drew alongside the people of Israel in the midst of slavery and exile. This is not a temporary measure, something that is given away once they are free from their struggle, but a permanent understanding much as God's presence is permanent in our continued struggles. Too many times in recent years and months the Church has offered God's love with one hand but then turned its back on those that are in fear and suffering in the long term. If we are to mirror God's presence then we as a faith community in the impermanence of today's society with its constant call to go beyond that which we are comfortable with must remain consistent and permanent in the lives of our communities. Just as God is permanent and consistent in the life of the faith community. Treating everyone with a mind turned towards justice, love and acceptance rather than one dependant upon our own prejudices and ideas borne out of an earlier generations' fear.

Seeking justice in a time of doubt

 Today there is a remarkable number of injustices being perpetrated upon the world and its people.  From racist comments to the incarceration of those looking for new homes. From ideological maniacs seeking their own power to those who have rights blocked by bigotry and hatred, with a misplaced and unshakeable understanding that will fracture at the slightest push. In Isaiah God seems to indicate to us that his presence alone will give us the plenitude we long for even in the midst of desolation (Is. 51.1-6). Sometimes we need to assist the changes that God will bring by making a small protest to change the bigger realities. In the midst of trial and labour brought about by the rulers of the day the Israelites managed to assist life by a small protest (Ex. 1.17-20).  The world around them seemed to be falling apart for their people and yet by their simple act of defiance they allowed their people to have an opportunity at the start of a journey toward the realisation of becoming God's people. Their protest brought life not death and in doing so secured a new future for the world.

Our instinct is to protest against the injustices of the world, which is right and proper, but sometimes our instincts can lead us astray and we have to take care that we are not being led down the wrong path. However much good we think we are generating or however much we think God is leading we can and are led astray. This seems to be counter everything that we might think is right. It is often the smallest protest that sparks the road to life and not the major undertakings of change that bring about Christ's freedom in our lives by initiating God's swift deliverance rather than shouldering the issues ourselves (Is 51:5).  The midwives, in the Exodus story, did a small thing, they delayed their coming to the scene of birth and as a result allowed new life into the world contrary to the law.  In allowing life into the world they allowed the seed of hope that was Moses to become a moment of grace and change later in life.  The major protests of the world have been sparked by a small change in someone's attitude, a small protest against and injustice which has slowly built, sometimes over generations. I wonder how many people actually thought that protesting against the incarceration of refugees at off shore processing plants was a dumb idea at the time or get fed up with the protests of those wishing to see change in climate policy?

Are you a midwife of life and faith or selfishness and despair?

(https://www.stemfellowship.org/the-history-of-medicine-childbirth/)

Peter confesses Christ (Matt. 16.13-20) but just shortly after this he is rebuked by Christ as in his enthusiasm he reaches out to over protect Christ. For him a seemingly small protest but one that goes awry. Peter's protest was not a protest for righteousness but a protest for self preservation. He protested for himself and for the concern for his future not for the concerns of those who suffered. In comparison the protest of the midwifes was for a community.  In our individual lives we need to be careful about what we are protesting. Our protest, even if it is a small one, needs to be a protest for the wider oppressed community and not for our personal survival in the world. We need to be honest in our reflection of God's justice in the world.  We need to remind ourselves that at the beginning of creation God made humanity in his own image; a humanity that strives towards the life that God has given to us. The signboard outside the Gosford Anglican church is used a a small sign of protest for many things. It names for us those things that we feel ashamed of because we do not say anything. The midwives also named something because the rest were not. Each of us are capable of stepping onto the faith journey and naming the things that are detrimental to life. The moment we do this we invigorate those who are suffering and bring hope into the world and we bring God's righteousness into being. We become the midwives of new birth and new life in faith. In reflecting on the midwives and on Isaiah's message we need to ask for ourselves: In our protest are we protesting for ourselves or for the oppressed and for God's justice?

The politics of reconciliation

 In a world that is filled with hatred and violence religious and faith communities throughout the world use the language of reconciliation to try and foster peace. In the life of our faith journey it is not something that we often consider for ourselves or even practice. Embittered by division and inter-personal hatreds families, parishes and denominations splinter apart to find their own way in the world and the wounds that should have been healed before they even began fester. In the main reading set for today, from Genesis, the war between Joseph's human need to exact some form of punishment and his need to reconcile with family comes to an end when he reveals himself to his brothers (Gen. 45.1-15). In the Isaiah reading (Is 56:1-8) God's message is conveys the same meaning in terms of reconciliation of difference on a grander scale. In the Gospel there comes a turning point in our understanding of how to treat those who are different and heal the rifts of difference between race /gender / the other comes into focus with Christ's interaction with the Canaanite woman (Matt. 15.21-28). No matter who or what is the root cause of the division it is our response that matters. At the end of the day our response is a political decision, but we must be careful as the decision may be a aligned to human politics rather than God's politics.

Wait, God has politics? Yes, something we perhaps overlook is, as one author puts it, "There is no such thing as trust in a king [ruler] that is spiritually neutral or separated from one's trust in God. And there is no such thing as trust in God that is politically neutral" so no matter what we do we are political people. Choice is a matter of politics. How we choose to respond to our everyday decisions and our everyday dilemmas is a political decision. In belonging to the Church that calls God "creator" we automatically align with God as our ruler. Or we should, how can we not? If this is the case, and I for one would be hesitant to disagree, then our responses to our everyday and our human political challenges need to be responded to in a manner that is in alignment with the politics of God, that may not be Green, Labour or Liberal. Our concern must be with regards to the challenge of God's directives in our human interactions, hidden or open as the case may be.

Only by reaching across the gap of difference do we begin to be reconciled and loved.

God gave to Adam and Eve a mandate to rule over all and be a good steward to the Earth. We who are made in God's image have the same mandate but it is a mandate that is ruled by God. If we accept a triune God this means that our politics should be mirrored on this relationship of mutual understanding and interaction. Until we can meet our obligations of respecting each other as being made in the image of G-d how can we get our human politics correct on earth. The ongoing political discussion over the The Voice to Parliament shows the same either / or misunderstanding of each other and the other. The story of Joseph and his brothers and the interaction with the Canaanite woman show us how our interactions need to be not only at a local level but also at a national and an international level. Poor word choice and poor familial relationships are overcome by the judicious use of wisdom in our lives. An ability to see beyond the current debate to ascertain what is beneficial to all not just a few or rather not just me or my political cronies and our human aspirations.

Once we make the initial move towards a life of reconciliation we can move into a life of abundance. Both the Canaanite and Joseph's family come out with joy as they are prepared to embrace the fact that we can have our prejudices but see beyond to the benefit for the community and not the self is found. God offers this to all people who accept his leadership and political agenda (Is. 56.6-8). Consider some of the things that we proclaim as the Church on one hand  and yet on the other raise barriers to through our pre-judgements and our inability to see justice and righteousness. Forgiveness starts with understanding the process of reconciliation, it does not end in this process. Only by understanding that the two sides needed to be reconciled did Christ and Joseph begin to reconcile the gulf. That healing led to abundance as it followed the path of God's political agenda and not man's presumptive agenda.

Walking on troubled water

 Reliance on our own understanding often leads to issues and challenges in our lives that are frequently beyond our ability to cope. In doing so we may interpret situations and form our own interpretive story that fits with our view. Through our interpretation we form an understanding of the world around us and its impact upon our lives. Joseph's story starts, for many sources, a long and convoluted interpretation not of Joseph but of Jacob and his whole family (Gen 37.1-ff). It is a story of the loss of connection with God leading to a re-imagining of familial and community connections over time. For those interpreting in this manner it is not a simple story of betrayal and remorse but one that sees the actors as caught within God's plot rather their own individual autonomous tale. In seeing this story from this perspective our own interpretive perspective is altered as we in turn look at the story of our lives and our community.

These interpretations point to our own lack of imagination when it comes to our faith and how we engage with our communities. We are in a similar boat to Jacob in that to a large extent we seem to have lost our connection to God as a community. Not just as a parish community but as a community in the much wider sense both nationally and internationally. Peter's attempt to walk on water demonstrates that failure of the imaginative process in our own faith journey (Matt. 14:28-29). Peter is called out of the boat onto the water by Christ but is almost immediately side tracked away from the impossibility by the mundane. There is a certain amount of imagination that is needed when we encompass our own faith journey. An imagination that suggests we can do anything beyond the normal that Christ / God calls us into overcoming the mundane that pulls us away from God.

Only by our faith can we walk in our imagination

For most of us we are, like the brothers, unable to come to terms with the imaginative process so that we become caught up within the mundanity of our lives and concentrate solely on the ever increasing calls upon our time that is the world in which we live. Our response to the act of imagination that is the faith journey, is to hide it away in a hole or sell it of to become enslaved to situations that we are unable to comprehend or become involved in. The sleazy normality of the flux and flow of the ties that we have to the modern society prevents us from rising above the waves that overwhelm our lives. The very concept of retreating from the everyday into prayer or reflection or the imaginative process is abhorrent to modernity. The press of society around us is towards an evermore efficient lifestyle that is filled and, at the end of the day, exhausting of our life energy.

The retreat into the imagination to allow ourselves to take the step that enables our feet to walk upon the fluid surface of the water is an almost forgotten understanding. It s being retrieved into modern life by the more esoteric spiritual journeys of the Far East and alternative culture. The church appears to have lost itself within the fabric of modernity without realising that it has lost the imaginative process. This allows it to be divided by the self delusion that a reading of scripture is best interpreted by a literalist or someone embedded in a specific understanding and outlook. This dogmatic thinking is robust but static and does not allow for the breaking in of God's presence to lead us into the wonders that God's love brings to those who dedicate their lives in contemplation and reflection of that love. Our failure in our worship, in our lives and in our understanding of God's fluid and changing nature is re-lived in a lack of commitment to the belief that God can perform the imaginative miracle even while we shiver in the fear of overwhelming mundanity.

Transfiguring our perceptions

 The human being is under constant strain as each person changes on a daily basis in small and large ways.  These changes may be a simple as re-newing our skin each day or the more complex mental and social changes that come with the break up of a partnership.  So often at moments of stress with the implications of change to our perceptions narrow down and focus on anything we can think of to become an anchor (Mk 9.5).  Individuals and organisations all respond in similar ways by re-casting a new foundation that stops the change process and builds a new structure that can bring comfort and solace.

Yet, social change is inevitable as we continue to adapt to our burgeoning knowledge and competencies in new technologies.  This creates instability within our lives as can be seen for example by changes to the energy sector in Australia. Those who presumed that their livelihoods were in a sense guaranteed by the resource sectors burgeoning profit have become uncertain in the face of changing economic realities and the global impetus towards a sustainable energy future. There is now a vacuum in which people are existing attempting to find some solidity to their future and the future energy needs of a burgeoning society. The mountaintop experience drops into this vacuum announcing the possibilities of a new future and hope. In such circumstances the new vision / hope is subsumed into a twisted reality that falls back onto known ideals and systems that have served over decades becoming fixated in a manner that does not allow for the hope expressed to become realised.

The mountain top gives us a fleeting look at the way ahead

In the purview of religious and faith structures the same thing happens and we have a tendency to be like Peter grasping for the familiar in a new and changing landscape. In keeping with all moments of transfiguration or change the moment is fleeting and disruptive. The sudden understanding that this, whatever this is, is a momentous moment that has an lasting impact upon our lives. It leaves us drifting with no anchor and a need to find ourselves in a familiar haven. The mountain top experience is a liminal space and place that is unique in that it brings to the fore a glimpse of the hope for a future yet centering it in the uncertainty of the present. That hope is now our centre, a vision that needs to come into reality within our lives as we cement it into a new way of being / doing / thinking. Our challenge is to see the hope made reality rather than an anchor in the past to subsume the hope. The disciples are looking for an unchanged reality that they can cope with and are familiar with, rather than to formulate a new understanding based on the hope that they have seen.

The hope that appears in the mountain top experience is not necessarily something that manifests immediately. Just look at the disciples it was years before they realised that hope and only after the resurrection. The experience is but a signpost and something that invigorates us for the next part of the journey. Showing us that hope is present it is not something that needs to be grabbed but rather it is something that needs to be followed. It is a breaking into the present of an intimation of the future requiring us to acknowledge it and act upon that knowledge to bring about the hope that has been expressed. There are as many downs before the fulfilment of the hope as there are ups towards it. However, if we cling to the familiar we will never move into the future journey that brings us so much joy, laughter and love.