Eternal Echoes

Love- sermon blogging Mark 12: 28-34

The word love appears more than any other word in this passage, we hear Jesus tell us to love God, with all of our heart and soul and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves. The Scribe then repeats Jesus commandments, recognising that Jesus has answered his question well he adds that to love God is more important than bringing offerings and making sacrifices.

 

Jesus then affirms the Scribe saying to him "you are not far from the kingdom of heaven."

 

What is going on in this passage, why all this talk of love?

 

Jesus is speaking towards the end of his time on earth, he has already ridden the donkey into Jerusalem and received the praise and adulation from the gathered crowd, a crowd he knows will turn on him and betray him in a very short time. For the last week he has been teaching in the temple courts; the scholars have brought him question after question, challenging his teachings and his authority to heal the sick, experts in the law they had been picking over the bones of everything that Jesus has to say hoping that he would incriminate himself.

 

But Jesus spoke well

 

And Jesus, when asked about the central and most important part of his teachings, the greatest commandment, spoke of love.

 

Love, a wonderful, terrible, powerful thing;

 

We see love reflected in so many places in this world, in the eyes of a mother watching over her newborn child, in the arms of a father as he lifts a little one from a fall. We see love in the glances of a young couple as they begin their lives together and in the knowing look of an older couple who have been together for more years than they care to count.

 

We see the love in the friend who would go the extra mile for us, and in the heart of an aid worker tirelessly serving those who need her help, we see love in the brother who has carried his sister for many miles just to find water.

 

When we see love, when we feel love, we recognise that it goes far beyond the slushy greetings card image that is so often sold to us. Love as a throw away emotion so often depicted in soap operas is not love at all, for love is powerful!

 

Love Jesus tells us is the greatest commandment; and first we are to love God.

 

But how do we love God, we can't see him or touch him, how can we love someone so unfathomable, so mysterious, so utterly beyond us?

 

The key is found through the Scriptures, sometimes described as God's love letter to us they begin to reveal to us the depths of love that God has for us…

 

They tell us that he knows all about us… and he still loves us that he imagined our beginnings, and watched us form in our mothers wombs…

They tell us that he cares for us, and that there is nothing on earth or in heaven that can separate us from his love.

 

They tell us that he has plans for us, plans for our good, plans to shield us from harm.

 

They tell us that we are loved by God.

 

And they tell us that we can love because he first loved us.

 

Now I understand that there are times and circumstances where the truth of God's love is brought into question, when we experience or watch others experience pain and injustice it is natural to question the love of God, even to ask whether he either cares or exists….

 

If God is a God of love why do pain and suffering have such a prominent place in the world?

 

I wish I had a pound for every time I have been asked that question, I'd be rich! And I wish that I could pull an easy and comfortable question out of the hat to answer it, but I can't. The complexities of human nature with its light and dark sides, and the wildness of the created order mean that suffering and pain are facts of life just as much as laughter and joy are…

 

But love is stronger.

 

Love is more than an emotion, it is a commitment, a commitment to be there through thick and thin, and God is committed to us, and he will give us the strength to be committed to him. Love is more important than offerings and sacrifices, because it is the ultimate offering and sacrifice….

 

And God loves us, so much that he revealed himself to us in Jesus, who left the glories of heaven for us, and became human. Jesus teaching provoked the scholars and the authorities of his day to question and challenge him, as much as they drew ordinary folk to follow him, for Jesus turned their understanding upside down by showing them a God of love.

 

Love for us took Jesus to the cross, where he suffered and died to overcome the ills of this world…

 

…and love, powerful and life giving love raised him from death to life. And love, for God is love, invites us to open our hearts to receive the powerful life giving, life bringing energy that true love is.

 

Love is a commitment.

 

God has kept his end of the bargain and will keep on keeping it. Jesus invites us to love God in return, and it is in that giving and receiving of love that we will find the strength to love ourselves (even with all of our faults and flaws) and our neighbours.

 

The truth is that God longs for a relationship with us….

The question is, dare we commit ourselves to the wonder and the mystery and the enormity of a relationship with him?

 

When we do, if we do, we might just find that love takes on a whole new depth and meaning!

 

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
       How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
       they would outnumber the grains of sand…

(Psalm 139)

 

Lifesaving/ giving moments...

Over at revgals Kathyrnjz is talking about life saving or life giving moments... she shares some thoughts and then challenges us to think about:

1) Your lifesaving food/beverage.

I have to say hot tea- I am horrible in the morning without at least two good mugs of tea, a dash of milk and no sugar... once I have had that I can cope with the day...until then, watch out!

2) Your lifesaving article of clothing.

My slippers, I HATE having cold feet, if my feet are cold I am cold, so I can't cope without a comfy pair of slippers!

3) Your lifesaving movie/book/tv show/music.

A prayer by Nicola Slee posted for me by my friend Mike a few years ago now at a time when I needed to be angry with God. It has been something I have returned to again and again.

Rage ricochets off the empty cloister walls,
anger erupts at the altar.
The silence palls.
My serene piety falters and crumbles.
My lips mouth the prayers
but my heart lurches and stumbles
on the edge of this gaping pit
into which my cries have fallen.

I will storm this silence
not with praise but with venom.
I will blast this emptiness
not with patience but with anger.
My mantra is not "mercy"
but a cacophony of curses
hurled headlong at your distance,
spat in the face of your absence.

Show yourself!
Answer me!

I am sick of your silence,
I have had my fill of you hiddenness,
I am faint with the worry of waiting
on your word which never comes.
Have you not seen my pain?
Have you not heard
the anguish of my heart?
How can you stand far off
and watch me writhing and straining for you
with my bleary, tear-filled eyes,
crying for you with my dry and weary throat?

Why do you gloat from afar?
Will you not come?
Will you not show yourself?
Answer me!

 

As for music, there is always Bach... and then there is this:

 

4) Your lifesaving friend.

There are so many, but my best and most consistent life saving friend is my husband Tim, he has saved me from myself again and again!

Tim at Flamborough Head where we walked for hours the weekend my mum died.

5) Your lifesaving moment.

A moment during a communion service where I was assisting. It happened during my training, on a morning when I was about to throw the whole thing in and walk away. I had forgotten that I was assisting until I got there, but as I served my friends from the chalice one of them looked me straight in the eyes, and I knew then that everything would be OK.

It was a life saving and life giving moment, a moment of grace that will always stay with me.

The Scribe ( pondering Mark 12: 28-34)

Hearing the good answer

he pressed for more,

and, drawing love

from love’s lips, he

was answered well again…

…who was this

anonymous scribe?

Was he for love

 or against him?

For although history often

describes him as an opponent,

I wonder

if he was drawn by love

to draw loves

answer….

…either way it was

love that he received.

It is to our shame

that love

is often

so misunderstood…

 

 

 

Intercede for me ( A prayer)

Intercede for me

Holy One,

for I am weak,

and even my

groans

are mis-directed….

.

Intercede for me

Holy One,

and do not

let me

separate myself

from your love…..

.

Intercede for me

Holy One,

that I may

be and become

all that you

have planned

for me…

.

In this moment,

this hour,

this day,

this life….

.

Only intercede

for me….

.

 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes^* with sighs too deep for words. ²⁷And God,^* who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit^* intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.^*

(Romans 6: 26-27)

The Blessed Trinity

by Lance McNeel

The importance of prayer

My good friend Lorna has written a challenging post on worship, she speaks about the longings of her heart, and of her distress at the way that Christian marriages are under pressure, and how ministries are destroyed as leaders succumb to temptation. She puts it passionately:

"Do you know what … I am tired of letting the enemy win -  I am tired of him breaking up marriages between Christian men and women, I’m fed up of Christian leaders taking their eyes off of Jesus and giving in to the lies that we are constantly bombarded with on tv and through music on the radio and all kinds of advertising …we are lost without his anointing and it’s time we – the people of God – stepped up in the power of God -and began praying for one another as if our lives depended on it – because hear me when I say this – our lives do depend on it."

I find myself challenged by her words, I know that I can be easily tempted, and that sometimes my focus on Christ is not what it should be... I ask myself what it might mean to pray as if my life depended on it...

This morning I read back through Mark 9 and 10, I was particularly struck by the healing of the demon possessed boy recorded in in Mark 9: 14-29. Jesus , Peter James and John have just descended the mountain to re-join the others; Peter, James and John are still reeling from what they have witnessed on the mountain ( the transfiguration), they find the other disciples utterly perplexed, a crowd has gathered as they try vainly to cast out the deaf and mute demon from the young man.... His desperate father appeals to Jesus, asking for help even in his unbelief. Jesus casts out the demon, returns the young man to his father and leaves with his disciples...

The disciples cannot hide their amazement; "what just happened ?"they ask, "Why could we not not cast it out?" Jesus answer is simple; "This kind can come out only through prayer."

Although the disciples had been following Jesus and learning from him, they had missed something vital, the need to trust in and rely upon God, and to seek him through prayer. Not too long ago over at The kneeler, Angela Shier Jones reminded Methodist Probationers that the inch and a half of plastic they wear round their necks is no substitute for prayer. Many of us rely upon apparent outward signs of strength or authority. But we must take note of our need for prayer if we are serious about following Jesus.

I wonder if the disciples had forgotten their own need to be reliant upon God, Jesus had commissioned them and invested his authority in them, but that commissioning required that they remembered that they were dependant upon him...in the same way I need to remember my dependence upon him. Some days it is easy to forget to pray, but it shouldn't be.

Lorna reminded us of our need for spiritual armour (Ephesians 6), she quoted The Message which reminds us to be prepared and to take all the help we can get, it goes on to remind us of the importance of prayer..
 

Pray in the Spirit, pray constantly, pray on all occasions, only through prayer are we able to remain firm in our faith, prayer is our strength and our shield, through prayer we are able to take our stand.

 

 

Pondering Bartimaeus; Mark 10: 46-52

I have enjoyed the journey through Mark 10 over the last few weeks, grappling with the disciples as they attempt to follow Jesus and so frequently miss the point. So often they have been blinded by their understandings of power and authority. They've struggled to see Jesus as the Lord who serves, and been perplexed by his call to come as little children and by his astonishing attitude to wealth...

...as I read the account of Bartimaeus sat at the roadside I am struck by how like him we are, or should I say we should be. Like the disciples we are often blind to the ways of God amongst us, like the disciples I suspect that we often struggle ( I certainly do) with the way that Jesus sweeps in and turns our world upside down...

...although I don't like to admit it I am as blind as Bartimaeus in so many ways, but I am perhaps not so bold, for I can hide my blindness and like to appear strong. ButI am not strong, and so often I need a fresh touch from Jesus, so I hope that as he passes by today that I will have the courage to join Bartimaeus at the side of the road, so that my cry will mingle with his;

"Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me..."

And I hope that I will hear Jesus reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"

My response is simple; "Lord, I want to see".

Rest....

I have the weekend off, I booked it in July before I began work in the Snaith and Selby Circuit, and although I have taken some compassionate leave over the last couple of weeks I resolved not to feel guilty and to take the holiday. So far it hbeen a lovely weekend. Yesterday Tim and I collected Chris from Cliff College, he has a bit of a cold and decided to come home for reading week. As Chris was OK we stopped at Ladybower Resevoir on the way home to enjoy the Autumn Colours.

Today has been relaxing, some friends from Norfolk visited and we chatted and walked together. It has been good knowing that I am not expected to preach tomorrow, and even better is the thought of a lovely lie in because of the change to GMT.  My eldest daughter Emma has now arrived as she is sailing with Tim tomorrow... as for me I am deciding whether I will simply chill out at home or go and watch the sailing... I have the choice and that is good.

Rest is part of God's plan for us... and that is good....

A feast for the eyes

All creation cries glory!!!

 
 
 

Friday Five, our favourite music....

Over at revgals Songbird says: "let's talk about music. Share with us five pieces of music that draw you closer to the Divine, that elevate your mood or take you to your happy place. They might be sung or instrumental, ancient or modern, sacred or popular...whatever touches you."

Like Songbird I love music, and different pieces for different occasions, it is hard to single out five pieces but I give it a shot...

Plenty of you-tube from now on!!!!

1. One piece that I have posted before is the Bach Double Violin Concerto. I love the way this music weaves a dance in my soul lifting me to a place where I feel that I can touch heaven. There is no other way of explaining it... I like the whole piece, but have chosen to post the third movement:
 

2. Music that stirs me was introduced to me by my friend Mike, when I first heard it my initial thought was that it was horrible, but it has grown on me... and now it I really enjoy the challenge it brings!

3. And now as they say for something completely different, Kate Rusbys "Underneath the stars"... I cannot put into words why, but I love it:

4. and this is truly music for my soul.... I always find myself closer to God at the beach....

5. And finally a hymn- Just as I am- and who better to sing it that Mahalia Jackson???

Thank you Songbird this did my heart good!

....on waiting...

Carrying on from yesterdays post on consumerism...

This morning I made a baptism visit, and then spent the afternoon working on a series of Advent and Christmas reflections. These will be used at the beginning of worship across the circuit every week during Advent, through Christmas and on to Epiphany. I began by focusing on the beauty and necessity of waiting. As I reflected on waiting I became conscious that we are very bad at doing so. The excitement of anticipation has been replaced by a rush from one thing to another. In the western world today we have become uncomfortable with waiting...

Just look at the shops, autumn fashions appeared in early summer and today the shops are decked with party wear for Christmas. I am already tired of Christmas adverts and the pressure to spend. All of the supermarkets are enticing us to buy now, we needn't wait because they are offering bargains..

Even in the green grocery section the seasons become blurred, we eat salads all year long, we don't wait for anything because everything is on sale all of the time with no thought to the carbon footprint...

We must change, we must learn to wait again, and through the waiting I wonder if we will learn to trust God (again).

Picture from the Morteza Katouzian Exhibition.

 

...watching and waiting,

she knew

that

there was

no quick

fix,

but she trusted,

keeping

faith

she waited,

and

watched,

watching

and waiting,

keeping faith,

and by

faith

she received

strength

to

wait...