Sabbath - Divine Gift to Humanity

Over the past couple of weeks we have been considering Sabbath, particularly in the context of rest or simply taking time out.  We thought about how we might consider our time and where we regularly lose it, and how we might put that time to better use.  I fully admit that this is easier said than done.  But I believe if we truly want to make a difference in our secular world, if we are to live gospel lives we need to embrace parts of our faith we readily ignore.  But like we looked at just a few weeks ago, knowledge without experience is lacking substance.

So let’s dig a bit deeper into Sabbath, and ponder how we might embrace this part of our faith (with thanks to Life:Balance by R Warren and S Mayfield).

Sabbath is about stillness.  The word ‘Sabbath’ comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat which means to pause, to cease and to be still.  It is an opportunity to get off the treadmill and reflect on our values and priorities.  Remember, if you don’t set your priorities, others will do it for you.  Sabbath gives us an opportunity to see where others have set them, and how far they have taken us from God, or faith, or integrity.

Sabbath is about rhythm, based as we heard last week from Deuteronomy, on the fact that God created the world in 6 days and on the 7th day he rested.  Whether you are building in Sabbath moments into each day, and into the week, indeed into the seasons of the year, rhythm brings structure and stability.

Sabbath is a gift, as we mentioned in the all-age message.  It is not intended as a burden.  We don’t so much practise Sabbath as receive it.

Sabbath is about refreshment – it isn’t just about doing no work, although that is important.  It is about restoration, creativity and play, things we often miss out on or feel guilty about.  Crashing in front of the television at the end of a busy day isn’t Sabbath rest.  Watching a programme that draws you in, and involves you is different.  What actually restores you?

Sabbath is about freedom – about liberation, wholeness and well-being.  We all know this from the mindfulness movement, or the ‘me-time’ movement or even new age or hippy type movements.  Schools now put a lot of focus on health and well-being, and studies are being done into resilience and well-being amongst ministers.

Sabbath is holy – like I keep saying, if it is good enough for God, it has to be good enough for us.

Both of our readings today pick up important aspects to the Sabbath.  In Nehemiah, we find that he has done a ton of work helping to rebuild Jerusalem.  He is a busy man, a righteous man, who has faced down bullies and saboteurs.  Now he deals with those who would break the Sabbath through work and trade.  I can believe that Nehemiah would have been heartbroken at our Sunday trading laws.  Nehemiah knew that the Sabbath was holy and therefore was to honour God.  He also knew that it was good for the people.  It is easy to slip into bad habits, especially when they look ok.  It was convenient to have trade all week long, and of course, for the traders with fresh stock they want it sold.  But what happens to the gift of the Sabbath?  And what happens to worship, restoration, freedom when others things crowd in?


Isaiah 58 puts it like this:
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in the Lord.

Nehemiah recognised this, but primarily in how the Sabbath keeps us centred on God.  The Sabbath reminded the Israelites that all things come from God – that he is the source of life and salvation, that life is a gift to be treasured and enjoyed.  Jesus reminds us of this in the other passage that we heard today.

He challenged the Pharisees’ hollow, hair splitting observance of the rules of the Sabbath, restoring the person-centredness and well-being that are at the heart of the true Sabbath keeping.  In Christ’s time there were 1,521 things that you were banned from doing on the Sabbath – including rescuing a drowning man.  For Nehemiah, it was closing the gates and stopping trade and work for people and animals alike.  For Jesus, he had to go further and remind the Jews that the Sabbath was a benefit for humankind, and an opportunity to bless and enrich others.

As you consider the Sabbath, what comes to mind for you?  Is it wasted time or well used time?  Do you praise someone for having time off or do you make a cheeky or derogatory comment?  Do you find yourself too exhausted to even enjoy a day off?  As you look at your own life, how might you incorporate some Sabbath rhythms – restoring mind, body and soul?  As you look at how you interact in the lives of others, how might you enable them to take Sabbath time?  And how might you help build rhythms of Sabbath rest into the life of the church, the community and the home?

Consider Sabbath days – a whole day to sabbath activities of resting, enjoying, receiving, sharing and celebrating.

Consider Sabbath moments – opportunities to be still, to receive, to appreciate, simply to enjoy.  Could you bring them into meetings at work?  Moments just to be still.

Consider Sabbath attitudes – sabbath moments bring about attitudes of thanksgiving to God, appreciation of others and the enjoyment of life, love and everything around us.

Consider Sabbath seasons – maybe 40 days in the wilderness is a bit much but extended resting, stopping, waiting, periods such as holidays, sabbaticals, between jobs, career breaks challenge us to enjoy what is for a season.

However we do it, practising and exploring Sabbath will have a profound effect on our well being, our spirituality and our approach to life.  I can guarantee that.

How might the Sabbath change your life?  Might you live more joyfully in yourself, in your relationships and in your calling.  And dare I suggest others might live more joyfully around you too…not just from your well-being, but through the modelling of Sabbath you bring to others.

How might Sabbath principles change the world?

To God be the glory now and forevermore.  Amen.

Encouraging All to take Sabbath Rest

Last week we spent a little bit of time thinking about how we rest, or how we encourage ourselves to rest.  We thought about we might claim back a little bit of time each day that we easily fritter away, in my case on my phone looking at nothing of real value. We read how Jesus got up early in the day and went off to pray – away from the hustle and bustle.  The hustle and bustle soon found him and life does that to us as well.  No matter how hard we try our slices of peace, of rest, of restoration can be small but I’d like to suggest they are not insignificant.  This week, I just want us to be sensitive to the fact that this isn’t just about ‘me time’.  Much of what we read nowadays suggests that we are about getting ‘me time’ whether it is a much needed weekend break, a pampering session, a drink in the pub with friends or a fireside hot chocolate and good book.

The story started today with the disciples returning from their mission trip.  Having spent time with Jesus they have gone out to do as he did.  They were told to take nothing with them but rather to go and rely on the hospitality of others.  Now the disciples had returned from their mission trip, and boy were they excited to share with Jesus everything that had happened.  Of course they wanted to – he was their rabbi, their teacher and they wanted to impress him as much as please him.  However, they are also exhausted.  Ministry is exhausting like any job that involves people and their complicated lives or their ability to complicate the lives of others.  But for the poor disciples, others kept getting in the way.  Like a child trying to get a word in edgewise in a room full of adults, the disciples are constantly being pushed by others.  Jesus decides that they need to get away and they clamber into the boat, and for a wee while, the calm of the waters soothes them.

But the Sea of Galilee was tiny, especially for a people for whom travelling on foot was not an issue.  Having been to Israel once, I can tell you it is a lot smaller a country than I realised.  In my head understanding of the Bible, I always imagined the place to be bigger, but it isn’t! The sea of Galilee is about 21km long and 13km wide.  So the people just figured out where they were going and headed off to meet them there.

So, for a moment I want you to put yourself in the disciples shoes…or in their boat if that helps.  How would you feel seeing all those people?

To recap – the disciples are tired, even exhausted.  The mission was exciting but also scary, they were casting out demons or impure spirits, and spreading the good news of the Kingdom.  They weren’t prophets like Elijah, leaders like Moses, or even Jesus – they were ordinary people, with ordinary jobs offered the opportunity to venture into the territory of the educated and religious.
Seeing all the people, and seeing Jesus having compassion on them – how might the disciples feel?  Think about it for yourself…


So they might feel disappointed, frustrated, awkward, tired,

For many in our culture today, where we live in a society of the immediate response, that is how they feel.  The instant messenger that when it first came out was exciting, now rules the lives of many.  Nowadays even email and Facebook are old hat and methods of communication include What’s App, Instagram, SnapChat, Messenger and more.  We have Zoom, Skype and others for video calls.  Our phones ping with increasing regularity and we are expected to answer almost immediately.  Facebook even rates us on our speed of response to messages.

Add to the pressure of our gadgets, the pressures of work where we left the office and returned for the next shift, now many are dealing with work emails over dinner, in bed and more.  No more can the average employee look forward to snow days because of broadband and the ability to sign into work even in 25ft snow drifts.  Even being off sick is almost impossible because people still message or email and the gadget pings.  Throw in family, in any of its varieties, older relations, children, friends who are in crisis, top off with community work such as the School Parent Council or helping at the Foodbank, and suddenly we are drowning…

This scenario isn’t just you.  This scenario is any number of women and men up and down the land.  The boss, the parent, the child, the teacher, the community, the church, the partner, all come seeking you and like the disciples seeing the crowd, the sinking reality that you aren’t getting that time away hits like a mallet. Many of you know this feeling.  And you are not alone.  Sometimes we can make the mistake that it is only ourselves that are caught in this busyness cycle.

So many in our world, and particularly in our westernised culture are looking for rest, but like the disciples they are seeing needs – the needs of others superseding their needs.

How can we, as a faith group, who believe in the Sabbath principle of rest, allow others to rest also?  The story ends with the disciples getting back into the boat, fed and with supplies, able to move away from the crowds.  Jesus stays behind to send the crowd on their way and the disciples find themselves back on the water.

Look at that passage from Exodus – the Sabbath wasn’t just for God’s chosen people.  It wasn’t just for those who laid claim to faith.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

It was for everyone.  Rest is not an optional extra for the human being.  It is a necessary part of being human.  So how might we live a life that incorporates and values rest?  How might we get rid of the guilt of not doing something?  How might we truly find that the Sabbath isn’t about doing nothing at all, but actually is a form of worship and re-orientation towards God.  When we are always on the go, we never truly reflect.  To be able to look back and see where we have been, means taking time in the presence of God to rest.  It need not be filled with religious texts or books, just an open heart and mind to God’s Spirit.  Though be prepared for it to be a life changing experience because I believe that the holy time we spend in quiet reflection, prayer, scripture, watching creation whether it be a rainbow or the waves on the water, or the colour changing in the trees, - that time of stillness, watching the clouds pass by or gather, is so valuable.  It is not time wasted.  We sleep because our bodies need it, we take Sabbath rest because our spirit needs it.

Encouraging others to rest means that we too must value it – not as an optional extra but as a way of life.  So can I encourage you to think about how you might help another value rest.   For example : I never go to a shop on Christmas Day or festival holidays because there is no need too.  I try to help out others so that many hands make light work letting people go home a bit earlier.  I clear my table where possible in a café so that it is less work for another.  These are all small things…but I’d like to think they make a difference.  And I actively encourage people to rest, to be gentle to themselves.    I’m sure you can think of other ways to interrupt the busy life of another to allow them to rest.

Rest is not for the few – it is for everybody.  That includes you and me.  How might we model a life of work and rest that helps others to embrace it?  After all, if it is good enough for God???

God drops the Mic...

Habakkuk 2:2-20

This is a passage considering the difference between relying on God or relying on ourselves, and our theme centred on the concept of living as a righteous person by faith. An edited version of our sermon, split in two sections in the service on July 22nd 2018.  

In the Old Testament righteousness always means ‘right with God’ and a person who lived righteously by faith was right with God.  It isn’t about human perfection versus human failure.  After all men who were counted righteous in the bible such as Abraham or Moses or King David had their flaws as well.  God is broken hearted by those and for those who can’t or won’t live righteously.  These people are motivated by their own internal systems that determine they don’t need anyone or anything else.

In verse 2:5 there is a more specific reference to the Babylonian king, and addiction to drink.  Before you think you have to give up the booze, the Babylonians were well known for their love of strong drink and the trouble it got them in.  Just go and read Daniel 5 - the story of King Belshazzar who, through drink, further desecrates temple items, and sees the hand writing on the wall.  Nevertheless the Babylonians were not only drunk on alcohol but drunk on power.  They were a powerful nation, with a powerful army, who destroyed nations and took the spoils of war.  They thought nothing or no one could overpower them, and the more success they had, the more vain they became. 

Yet that is not unique - it is simply reflective of the human need to conquer and control.  We might not wage war on nations, but we can wage war against a colleague in order to get the status we think we deserve more, we can be controlling in relationships in order to get our own way, we can manipulate relationships in organisations in order to get praise or pedestals, and so on.  Often we try and control God in a similar fashion - using him for our own ends, and dumping him when we don’t think we need him or when we don’t get our own way. 

Living a righteous life, that is led on the premise of God-sufficiency doesn’t feel the need to control or conquer.  As a loved child of God, allowing him to meet our needs we are blessed with a status that no one can top or take away.  We don’t need to find our status by being the best or top dog, although our God given potential will encourage us to strive to be the best. 

The concept of woe to him used in the passage is actually in the tone of deep sadness and lamentation, rather than doom and denunciation.  It isn’t the finger wagging of your Grannie. The first two woes refer to gain by violence, and the second two to rule by violence.  Although, fairly specific to the situation at the time, we can see reflections of current situations throughout the world reflected in them.  Then we have the bottom line - idols.  And boy, do we still like idols. Idols were a huge part of culture - we prefer our gods to be tangible and visible.  It is in an inbuilt part of human nature to worship (whether we like that or not).  We worship football players, musicians, iphones, playstations, George Clooney...  We put people on pedestals because we feel they are better than us somehow, or in order to sook up to them. We might not build our idols from wood or stone, but our idols still tell lies, claim our trust and give revelations that supplant God.  

We often make idols of our families or our children, putting their needs before all others.  Even Jesus warns us of this in the Gospels.  It is not about abandoning them, but if we let them supplant God then we have made them into idols.  Their needs, their desires, our expectations of what they should be doing all distract and steal our time and focus.  And often, if we have to give something up, it will be time with God in some shape or form.  

Habakkuk learns a very valuable lesson in this exchange - the Babylonians are no worse than Israelites in the sight of God.  Habakkuk determines that the Babylonians are worse, but to God, they are all the same.  God is a holy God, and sin is sin.  Whether it is believing we are self-sufficient arrogant taker of all, or supplanting God with idols - celebrity or family - we all fall under the judgement of God.  For Habakkuk that was a mind-blowing moment.  

And so we end with the verse: (Habakkuk 2:20)

The Lord is in his holy temple;

    let all the earth be silent before him.

This is a drop the mic moment - there is no verbal response, for God is on his throne, and still in charge, no matter what it looks like. 

Habakkuk 2:4 

Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail,

    but the righteous shall live by his faith. (RSV)

The key verse in this passage is this fourth verse.  It is the central truth upon which of the rest is vivid and dramatic commentary.  And it is this message that God wants made plain up and down the land.  Prior to social media and printed news, messages were found on community boards.  Similar then, wooden boards were up where community notices and messages were put.  Habakkuk was to make the message plain, large and legible, a message to be passed on for it wasn’t for a specific time or place or person.  Tablets hints of Moses and so the message looks back to the giving of the law and forward to the coming of the Gospel.  A message for all people.  

As we said last week, God’s time is not the same as our time, and in the waiting and watching we grow in faith.  As righteous people, we might have to wait for the turning around that will happen.  The text is quite subversive, showing that one day those who conquer and pillage, will find the tables turned.  If anything, this is what the incarnation of Christ did, and we can reflect on this through the eyes of the New Testament. 

The challenge we face is standing firm in the face of those who would crush us, or the circumstances that overwhelm us.  Remember how Habakkuk worried in the first chapter about the Babylonians swallowing up the Israelites.  God shows him how the righteous live by faith, and won’t be swallowed up but will flourish.  Faith strips us of arrogance and relies wholly on God.  The author of Hebrews reminds us that ‘faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.’. Jesus said to Thomas ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe’.  

When people look at you, at me, at those who stand professing the Christ as Saviour, do they see righteous people living by faith?  Or do they see self-sufficient people, who place God clearly in the backseat? Are we right with God?  

To be honest it is a big question and there is a quick answer, and then there is the truth.  There is no doubt that God loves you, that Jesus died for you, and that you are wanted as a child of God.  But this relationship is between you and a holy God, who can do so much in your life, and in your life to come.  

I suppose, are you like Habakkuk pushing to find out more, confident in your relationship with God to be honest with him, and in awe of him enough that when he speaks you are silenced in wonder and faith?

Often in the Christian faith we can try and put God as a priority - a priority is the most important thing in our lives.  God, however, is more than a priority, He is a way of life.  That is the key message of that verse.  This isn’t about how much time you spend reading the Bible, or studying the word, or in prayer, or even in Church.  God isn’t a task on a list, a good habit to have but actually our faith is a way of life.  Our faith impacts on how we live - how we prioritise our life around family, friends, work, health, learning, community involvement, global compassion, you name it.  When we make choices about what to do, where to live, how to act, behave, speak - all of these are influenced, if not ultimately determined by our faith. 

Many were taught as young people according to the Catechism, that ‘man’s chief aim is to glorify God and worship him forever’.  In order to do that we need to nurture a relationship with God, and that is what we need to prioritise until such time as it is simple second nature, or we join him in the heavenly realms.  Habakkuk knows this, and is what he is lamenting that the Jews have forgotten.  And that is the message to be shared - and that is the message of the Gospel.  The Christian faith is not primarily about the must do’s and don’ts - it is about our relationship with God.  And that is the priority until such time as it is a way of life.

See, the enemy is puffed up;

    his desires are not upright –

    but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.

Or to put it another way: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind.  And love your neighbour as you love yourself.  

Next week we look at just how this kind of living can actually impact positively on our perception of life, especially in troubled times, as we finish Habakkuk.  

Waiting on God’s Time is not Wasted Time

A slightly edited version of the talks given on Sunday 15th - reflecting on Habakkuk 2:1-3 and Matthew 26:36-46 (Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane).  Considering God’s timing and the hidden truths of watching and waiting on him.  (Habakkuk Commentary support from BST)

The majority of western human beings are not good at watching and waiting, and each generation gets worse because of the society in which we now live.  We are immediate people - everything is so readily available to us and waiting seems a waste somehow.  Ironically, the very immediacy we so craved has contributed to economic issues that we face.  Internet banking meant we didn’t need so much face to face, yet previously many of us were on a first name basis with our bank managers, whether we wanted to be or not.  Self-service tills means the need for less staff, online shopping affects the high street, supermarkets that sell everything under one roof does away with competition and community relationships with the butcher, the baker and candlestick maker. 

Habakkuk reminds us that watching and waiting are part of our faith.  God is not an internet system that we use as we please. We don’t place an order and wait for delivery, or use him to manage our emotional accounts with transfers of courage, strength, mercy, love.  God is not a self-service system, that we use for a quick getaway.  Yet how often we treat him like that.  Just like the frustration of the parcel not yet delivered, how quick we are to turn against him.  

Now there is nothing wrong with expressing our emotions with God.  This is not about being stoic, or having the British stiff upper lip.  Habakkuk is very honest with God, telling God what he thinks of his apparently crazy plan.  Remember Job - he shares openly with God, or Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane that we will read shortly.  Habakkuk had a strong relationship with God that allowed him to be honest, indeed blunt with God.  He knew that God wouldn’t stop loving him or turn away in disgust or anger.  However, the key here is that Habakkuk is willing to watch and wait, fully expecting an answer from God.  Habakkuk is in this for the long haul.  

The role of a watchman was crucial in Israel, watching and listening for enemies that may sneak up in the dark.  For a prophet, an essential part of their ministry was showing God’s people when they were going astray and reminding them of the cost of their actions.  Habakkuk, however, is not watching and waiting the people, he is watching and waiting to see what God will do.  Habakkuk wants to see if God will honour the covenant and deal with the Babylonians who are a threat to his people, and he must judge them.  

We might not understand God’s timing, and we might have to watch and wait but there is no one like our God. He is not ours to control or demand from, but he is willing to be in relationship with us, and all that entails.  And sometimes, that means watching and waiting.  Yet the time spent watching and waiting is not wasted time.  

Watching and waiting may seem like a perverse type of punishment, especially in a world where we are reluctant to ever delay gratification, or where we are already exhausted.   

The disciples who slept while Jesus prayed - they weren’t being selfish, they were tired.  Hanging out with Jesus was exhausting and the tension in Jerusalem must have been almost suffocating.  Jesus knew that the end of his time was near, that the moment of truth was upon him.  Could he really see it through?  Could he truly trust that God his Father knew what he was doing?  Jesus was fully human despite his divinity, and with his humanity came the full gamut of emotions, of suffering, stress, concern, even grief. He wanted his friends to watch and wait with him.  

There are times when we need to watch and wait, even if that means it looks like we are doing nothing.  Sometimes these periods are during particularly low points in our life - when we are grieving, dealing with a terrible diagnosis, facing redundancy or during major transitions like choosing a life partner or home.  The time when we are caught in no-man’s land is actually, during a period of watching and waiting, when much is happening, and can be life transforming.  Choice may be whether for good or ill. 

So what does this period of watching and waiting bring?  Well reflecting on Habakkuk and the Garden of Gethsemane story, let’s see. 

Watching and Waiting takes time.  Isaiah 40:31 says that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.  God cannot be rushed, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t heard.  God tells Habakkuk to be patient.  Jesus’ fulfilment of his calling comes generations after his Messiahship was promised. 

Watching and Waiting makes lonely work.  Often the sentry was alone for long periods of time, aware that there are other watchers but alone none the less.  Elisha believed that he was the last prophet standing, not realising God had thousands in the next county.  There are those who have watched and waited even here to see what God will do, and at times, have felt very alone, even ostracised.  Jesus felt so alone when he found his friends sleeping. 

Watching and Waiting offers an alternative plan.  Often, we try to rush the process or God.  We run ahead of ourselves, and hope that God will bail us out. If we just have more programmes, activities, the right kind of coffee machine, people will come back to Church.  We try to rationalise our way out, or perhaps even try to think outside the box.   Yet, sometimes, as we wait and watch we see reality in all its true colours, and then the answers present themselves.  Habakkuk hands it all over to God, having expressed his own thoughts and emotions.  Jesus says if it is possible take this cup yet not my will but yours be done.  ‘Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways seek the Lord and he will make your paths straight.’

Watching and Waiting calls for quietness.  Sentries listen at night, especially as vision is so limited.  To truly listen we need to be still, calm and at peace.  If our minds and hearts are racing, we cannot truly listen.  Each of us needs to find our own way to find the quiet time, especially those of us who never make time to be still.  Jesus went by himself, away from the worry of his friends, to pray.  

Watching and Waiting requires perseverance, resolve and determination.  How often we throw in the towel, thinking we will never get an answer.  Like a child frustrated that Christmas morn is still not here, we figure that God has  forgotten us.  Yet throughout Scripture we are reminded that we are to seek God, look for God in a whole hearted manner.  Three times Jesus prayed in the garden.  We are to be like guards on the tower, with immense self discipline and steely resolve not to fall asleep or lose concentration.  That is what Jesus called his disciples out on in the garden.  And something I believe he is calling his church out on - falling asleep instead of watching and waiting. 

Watching and waiting leaves us open to correction.  Just as Habakkuk was blunt with God, Habakkuk anticipates God being blunt with him.  If we expect God to respond, to hear our prayers for the future of ourselves, of Blantyre Old or indeed the Church, we need to be open to possibility that he will correct us.  He will call us out on our behaviour, and we need to respond to that.  We might not like, after all children don’t like being corrected either.  But with the right time, and the right correction they know we want the best for them and are helping them.  So it is with God - we have to trust in his sovereignty and plan.  Many people will stall at this point, and continue to wait, hoping for their answer to prayer, not God’s answer to prayer. 

Habakkuk’s prayer is answered and the Lord does respond.  And that we will look at in more detail next week.  Jesus is not freed from his responsibilities but he knows that he does not go into the lion’s den alone.  There are no time limits on how long we watch and wait, but it is only in doing this well that we will ever find our way forward.  If we pay this period of time no mind, and just go through the motions, we are not worshipping the living God.  If we continue as we have always done, then we are not honouring God.  To be angry, frustrated, emotional with God is not a problem.  The challenge is to wait, watch and then respond to what he brings to the table.  Never underestimate watching and waiting, for this time will yield a great harvest, greater than any we can do for ourselves. 

John 15 5 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

To God be all the glory and praise, now and always.  Amen.  

Holy People of our Holy God

This is a slightly edited version of the sermon given on Sunday 8th July 2018. The month of July sees us studying Habakkuk. 

Habakkuk is a man of prayer, and this book reflects the conversation between Habakkuk and God. It would appear that it is Habakkuk who takes the initiative, who comes to God in prayer, with those fateful words - How long, O Lord?

These are not unusual words in the Bible, and the sentiment behind them is reflected in many stories, even if the words themselves are not used.  How long with the Israelites walk in the desert, how long will they be exiles, how long before the Temple is restored?

The very sentiment behind the phrase ‘How long, O Lord?’ can perhaps be summed up best for us in the phrase children throughout the ages have shared - ‘are we nearly there yet?’ 

Psalm 13:1

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

Habakkuk wants to know how long God is going to allow the Jews to continue living in sin.  The Jews had sunk deeper into disobedience towards God and his requirements, so much so that the ten commandments were not just broken, but smashed to pieces.  Habakkuk knows this and he is moved to prayer, not for himself but for God.  How can God continue to gaze upon the actions of his people and do nothing.  God had been silent, and Habakkuk prays.  And this isn’t his first prayer.  The text suggests that Habakkuk has been praying for some time, and his heart is broken for the people and by the people.  How long, o Lord, must I call for you help? 

Habakkuk is determined to get an answer and get God to respond to his prayer.  He prays constantly, consistently, never doubting God’s ability to answer his prayer.  However, when God does finally answer, the response is not quite what he expected.  

God is aware of the sins of his people.  God misses nothing, not the cruel twists of our hearts when silently judge another, the selfish actions that make us blind and deaf to another’s needs or the blatant breaking of his commandments - particularly to love God, and love each other and ourselves.  Habakkuk wasn’t sharing with God something he didn’t know.  Yet he was sharing with God that the actions of his people was hurting him, because he knew the actions were hurting God. Habakkuk must have truly loved God for he could not sit back and say nothing.  He wanted to know why God was not getting involved. 

And then God responds, and Habakkuk is blown away by the response.  God takes another group of people - the Babylonians - and they will bring God’s judgement on the his people.  The Babylonians will trigger the faith of the Jews again, through exile, strife and suffering.  In what seems a never-ending cycle of war, exile and return the Israelites once again will be restored to God. The Babylonians are a powerful race and the imagery in the text helps us to build a picture of a violent, powerful, arrogant army. 

But Habakkuk can’t get his head around the Lord’s plan. 

Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

God, who is holy, who cannot bear to look upon evil, is willing to use a tribe of people who are more evil than the Jews themselves.  To fix a problem rather than send an army of angels, God appears to be sending an army of devils.  Habakkuk is genuinely concerned for his people, because he knows that the Babylonians are not people you want to encounter.  And if you want to find out more explore the book of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 6:22-23).

Sometimes, when we hit troubled times, people are heard to say that God can bring good out of evil, and that no times are wasted. That concept comes from Genesis, and is reflected in stories like Joseph or Esther, amongst others.  Even the death of Christ shows God using evil to bring about good. 

Every cloud has a silver lining, and the phrase we hear but isn’t in the Bible - God moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.  You might not find that in the Bible but certainly you could be forgiven it for thinking it as you reflect on this first chapter of Habakkuk.  

Is it possible that hidden in the darkest of times, there are lessons from God himself?    

Something I would like us to contemplate in the week ahead - the concept of the fact that we worship a Holy God, and therefore are holy people.  The events of recent weeks have brought home to many of us in the church, and indeed, outwith the Church the concept of holiness.  For many, who wouldn’t necessarily associate with a Church, felt that what happened was inappropriate because this is a holy place, indeed holy ground. 

If, therefore, that is true, then how much more, should we as holy people, then feel the burden of desecration?   I think, that as a holy people, in a holy place, we have been offered an opportunity to reflect on that which is really important.  We worship a holy God, and recent events, have hit the core of our spiritual selves in a way that no other single event possibly could.  The question is how do we deal with that? 

We could simply put the event behind us and pretend it never happened.  Or we could embrace it and move forward wiser and more aware of God himself.  Nothing, no matter, how bleak, needs to define us in a negative way, because God can turn all things for good.  It doesn’t make them easy, or stop the pain, or make us angelic. But we can be drawn closer into God through the events.  And God can take something awful and bring something good from it. 

God is holy, and he cannot bear to look upon evil.  And yet, he used the Babylonians to judge the Jews. Could it be, might it be, that the one thing we needed shook free from was our very complacency, our apathy, our lost focus?  That this very event that broke our hearts and reminded us that we are holy people because of our holy God might transform us?

 One way of considering this - If we were to be asked where we put most of our effort and energy as a church, what might be our answer? 

Are we like Habakkuk seeing the injustice, the cruelty, the selfishness of people and calling it out before the Lord?  Are we following the great commission to go and make disciples?   Are we nurturing our children and developing our faith as God’s holy in High Blantyre and surrounding?  Or are we looking inward and protecting our own? I invite you to answer these questions prayerfully and honestly.  

In 1 Peter 2 we read:

9-10 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (the message)

We worship a Holy God, and this is the work he has called us to - and perhaps, he has given a way to re-engage with our community and parish, if we are willing to accept his guidance, teaching and vision.  Even the darkest day of crucifixion couldn’t defeat our Holy God - so let’s trust him, and like Habakkuk pray for understanding. 

How deep are the wealth and the wisdom

and the knowledge of God!

How inscrutable his judgements, 

how unsearchable his ways!

From God and through God and for God

all things exist - 

to him be the glory for ever!  Amen 

Waiting: Fearful

Waiting: Fear
As we await the coming of Pentecost, we ponder the fear, the worry, the anxiety of the folks in the locked room.  This is a shortened version of the Sunday sermon, where we acknowledged the reality of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, and that I am not making light or comment on those conditions in any way when talking about facing our fear.  Our bible focus was Esther, chapter 4 and John 20 (Thomas).

The majority of human beings are wired to have some fear – fear is part of our risk management system – hence nervousness when we are balancing at the top of a ladder, sitting on an airplane, walking down the aisle. Fear activates our flight or fight response when required, potentially activating self-preservation mode.  To be completely without fear makes us reckless and dangerous.

And yet John tells us not to fear, because perfect love drives out fear.  Fear can cripple us and John writes against that fear.  Worry cripples us because worry is a waste of time.  Worry doesn’t change a situation, it is a passive emotion that is exhausting if we allow it carry us.  Fear that swallows our hope, that breaks our spirit, that makes us hide away, that puts us first – that fear is not biblical or of God.

Esther is afraid – understandably she is terrified.  Her heart is breaking for her people – they are about to be exterminated because one man doesn’t like a Jewish man.  And suddenly, she finds out that she might be the only one who has any power or influence, and she tells Mordecai that if she goes to see the king without an invitation she may be executed on the spot.

Her initial reaction to the situation is one of fear, found in self-preservation.  It is a human reaction, and we can’t judge her for it.  Mordecai pushes back and tells her that she doesn’t have a choice, and perhaps, the reason God put her there is for a time such as this.  It’s quite a thought really – the terrifying situation was exactly where she should be. Nor should she expect to avoid the extermination of the Jewish people just because she is Queen.  Kings really didn’t have issue killing their wives – just ask Henry the 8th.

In the Church there is fear – fear that we are about to be exterminated.  Fear that the secularist culture will win the war. And our first reaction is like Esther’s.  We can’t do anything – the prevailing culture is strong and if we just keep a low profile we will be fine.  However, there are plenty Mordecai’s in our church telling us that we can’t do that.  Mordecai believes that God will save his people and that Esther is the one, but if she doesn’t step up God will find another way.

And that folks gives the Mordecai’s of our Church today hope – because if the people of the Church now don’t step up, God will find another way.  However, it will not necessarily be us who see it.  We might end up like Moses, never entering the promised land, seeing it only from a distance.

What about the Gospel reading?
I love how in the Gospels there is so much human honesty. The disciples really had been through a lot and they had much to process.  The world they had known had been rearranged for them not once but twice, and arguably they were now in their third landscape.  For the majority of them, such as what we know about their normal existence, had some kind of settled path.  They were fishermen, tax collectors, political activists and so on.  Jesus comes along and suddenly they are on an adventure.  An adventure that includes finding out that God loves them, God does miracles, and Jesus is possibly, maybe the promised Messiah.  They travel around the countryside, meet fascinating people, are overwhelmed by people and generally a little mystified from time to time.  They are students yet sent out to try their hand at what Jesus seems able to do with his eyes closed.  And then Jesus is crucified on the cross – a violent, barbaric form of death and the adventure is suddenly anything but fun.

Now we find them huddled together, waiting for Jesus, who died but isn’t dead, who has come back to life not as a ghost, or as a zombie which this generation seems to have a real love for, but as flesh and blood, who eats and drinks and appears in rooms without using a door or indeed a window.

I’m sure we could explore many of the characters in the room but I want to remember Thomas because I think we all know Thomas rather well.  Some of us might be pioneers, able to see beyond the now into the future. Some might be the praying kind, gathering together, praying through the situation.  Others just need to companions in misery.  And others of us are like Thomas, and even if we aren’t we all know Thomas – we hear from Thomas all the time.  Thomas says that unless I know what kind of church we are going to have I can’t sign up.  Thomas says prove to me you know what you are doing?  Thomas says show me your experience in leading in new territory and I’ll follow.  Thomas follows us around and can, if left unchecked, become somewhat annoying. Thomas needs proof.  

What I love about this encounter is that Jesus doesn’t ignore Thomas, nor does he put him in the corner with a dunce hat.  Jesus engages with Thomas and says – come and put your finger in the nail holes and your hand in my side.  Thomas needed to see to believe, and for many in our church today, they need to see to believe.

We might have to face our fears and deal with them, and that will require prayer.  We will have to trust in God’s ultimate plan, and that he will find a way, even if we don’t quite see it yet.  And we are most certainly going to have to take risks.  Esther had to walk into that room and hope that the King would welcome her.  Other fears will be handled by the Lord himself.

Fear is real but it doesn’t have to have the last word.  We can use fear as a motivator, a trigger to move, to make changes, to take risks and when we face our fear we find courage, we find strength and we find peace.  Esther asked the people to pray and then she went to the King and she saved the Jewish people, and was instrumental in removing the man who was their aggressor. Thomas didn’t need the physical touch – seeing Jesus was enough. And we can trust in the ultimate faithfulness and powerfulness of our God to get us from death to life, whatever that may mean for us as individuals and as a church literally and metaphorically.

As we wait to see what will happen, perhaps we need to remember that we will see it only with hindsight.  We are not waiting for the church to change to meet the culture of our day and show them that Christ is risen from the dead.  We are the changing Church.  We are the ones who are being encouraged to leave the locked room, with the peace of Christ filling our souls.  We are the ones being enabled to step out in prayer and face the kings of consumerism, materialism and secularism, remembering that God is there ahead of us.

Is our fear motivating us or crippling us?  This week, pray for the Church – for Blantyre Old Church and for the Church worldwide.  Pray for our witness in this part of the world we have been given to care for and nurture in faith.  Pray that God would make his peace known to us that we might embrace the future with confidence and a brave face, trusting God to be there before us.

God bless you this week and thank you for reading!
Love Sarah

Next week – Waiting: Hope

No Jesus - No Point

Holidays are always a time where I catch up some much needed rest and generally stop chasing my tail for a week or two.  After some very enjoyable sun in Tenerife, it has been back to work, planning an outdoor Messy Church event as part of a Praise in the Park event, and an evening service around the Practice of Holy Listening.  However, in the midst of this, there has been those good intentions that once again rise up from a place of rest.  Time before the holidays became about ticking the next task off the list, meeting the varied demands and balancing family life, whilst engaging at different levels with Holy Week.  After the holidays, I live well again (for a time).

At our Sanctus service I will be focussing on John 21 - a post resurrection narrative that is one of my favourites and yet makes me uncomfortable (in a good way). I won’t be telling people what to take from it, that will be between them and God. But for me, as I journey through this time in my ministry, wondering where God is taking me, John 21 is a timely reminder that without Jesus there is no point. I can go through the motions, I can plan the programmes, I can beseech ‘my people’ to get onboard, I can be the life and soul of ministry (interpret that how you will) but without Jesus there is no point.

Like the disciples in the boat that night, ministry can feel like a pointless struggle.  The nets are in the water, the conditions are just so (after all in my parish 30% are undeclared or no faith) yet what worked before to fill the nets is not working.  We go through the motions but become more and more dispirited as nothing seems to be happening.  The disciples in the boat are confused, battered by recent events and missing the regular company of Jesus.

It is only when Jesus is included that fish are caught and suddenly there is plenty.  Enough to eat and sell, and in that moment, Peter leaps to his Master’s side.

However, after breakfast, Peter and Jesus have that conversation upon which many a sermon has been written, and I’m sure this reflection is nothing new.  But sometimes there is merit in saying it again - no Jesus, no point.  It is in loving Jesus that we find purpose and direction.  It is only in Peter’s declaration of love that he receives his call.  Loving Jesus has to come first, for only then will our call, my understanding of ministry, make any sense.  Without Jesus, without loving him, there is no point.

Just remember, Jesus showed his love first (in this story) by giving the catch of fish that led to breakfast and fellowship.  He didn’t need to do that, he could have just called them in or waited for them to land dejected and disappointed.  He didn’t - he gave them more than they needed, such is the generous love of our God.

Perhaps, it is when we are ready to throw in the towel that we are most open to the power, love and generosity of our God.  Rather than go through the motions, doing what we have always done, perhaps we need to listen for the call of Jesus and do what he tells us, knowing that love is the key.

Read John 21:1-19 for yourself.
God loves you! What is your response? What is my response?
God bless,
Love Sarah

Good Friday Reflection

This is the reflection I am using at Hamilton:St John's Church this afternoon as part of their three hour vigil.  If you are going, I suggest you wait til later to read this! 

 A word of distress:  ‘I thirst’.

^…So that the Scripture would come true, he said, “I am thirsty.” There was a jar full of vinegar there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ mouth.

We live in a world where we don’t like to be uncomfortable.  We moan about the weather being too cold or too hot, or too lukewarm.  We are never truly happy.  We complain about the children never playing outside, then moan about them hanging out in gangs or making too much noise in the park.  We complain about the shortcomings of the NHS or education or even the Church but when they are not available we miss them.  We seek compensation for potholes, where previously our parents would have told us off for not looking where we are going.  Our media constantly pushes us to seek compensation for everything from delayed trains and flights, to mis-sold PPIs to being a passenger in a car accident.  And yes, there are times when it is appropriate, but no one ever shares the statistics of businesses that fold because of living in such a compensation driven environment.  For everyone praying for a hot summer, there are those praying for rain for the crops.  Those who are seeking compensation for a delayed train, know nothing of the one who thanked God for the delay so they could make that interview, that meeting, that important moment in their life. 

Sometimes there is more than what we see or know.  The author of Hebrews reminds us…

Hebrews 5:7-9 NCV

While Jesus lived on earth, he prayed to God and asked God for help. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could save him from death, and his prayer was heard because he trusted God. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he learned obedience by what he suffered. And because his obedience was perfect, he was able to give eternal salvation to all who obey him.

 Good Friday is a day where, at face value, it seems to be a failure. Everything rests on a person, who currently is hanging, crucified on a cross. But sometimes not everything is what it seems…what seems to be failure isn’t.  There is, at times, purpose, even in distress and suffering, but only if we know why.  In Matthew we read Jesus’ understanding of what will be. 

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. Many times I wanted to gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you did not let me. ³⁸ Now your house will be left completely empty. ³⁹ I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord.’”^[b]

As Jesus left the Temple and was walking away, his followers came up to show him the Temple’s buildings. ² Jesus asked, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be thrown down to the ground.”

³ Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his followers came to be alone with him. They said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that it is time for you to come again and for this age to end?”

⁴ Jesus answered, “Be careful that no one fools you. ⁵ Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will fool many people. ⁶ You will hear about wars and stories of wars that are coming, but don’t be afraid. These things must happen before the end comes. ⁷ Nations will fight against other nations; kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there is no food for people to eat, and there will be earthquakes in different places. ⁸ These things are like the first pains when something new is about to be born.

⁹ “Then people will arrest you, hand you over to be hurt, and kill you. They will hate you because you believe in me. ¹⁰ At that time, many will lose their faith, and they will turn against each other and hate each other. ¹¹ Many false prophets will come and cause many people to believe lies. ¹² There will be more and more evil in the world, so most people will stop showing their love for each other. ¹³ But those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved. ¹⁴ The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.

We know that Jesus went to the cross willingly but it hurt. It was the hardest thing that Jesus ever did.  Jesus was fully human.  He needed rest, he needed sleep, he needed food, he needed friendship and he felt pain – pain of the heart as well as physical pain.  As we gaze upon the cross, we find in those words – I am thirsty – a painful reminder of his humanness and suffering.  His mouth dry, his lungs burning, his muscles aching from the pain of trying to lift himself to breathe.  Our hearts break at the pain of those words, as he draws strength to say his final words with his final breath.  Let us hold on to the cost and sacrifice, that we might value the purpose of his distress and allow it to change us for the better.

As we hang our heads in sorrow,

We come with heavy hearts,

Broken hope for the morrow

The beginning of the end.

As those words pass his lips

‘I am thirsty’  - we offer

Vinegar which he sips

Seeing the end beginning.

Can we ever truly know?

Can we truly understand?

Our regret and guilt we show

For ending the beginning.

Yet he gave his all that we might

have hope, faith and eternal life

That all may have the right  

To a new beginning that knows no end.