People get ready 10th December 2017

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Year B  December 10, 2017

Isaiah 40:1-11  •  Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13  •  2 Peter 3:8-15a   •  Mark 1:1-8

To set the scene for where we are at today I feel the need to sing…People Get READY

People get ready, there’s a train a comin’

You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board

All you need is faith, to hear the diesels hummin’

Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord

I wonder how many people have heard these words and sung them without knowing the extent of Gospel meaning it contains.  IN the same way many enter this season of Advent getting prepared for all the physical demands of Christmas and with little or no thought about why we celebrate each year.   And THAT reason is ……  there’s a train a comin’…

I want you to imagine yourself, as a child, playing outside in the hot sun… getting grubby, hot and bothered… and fun times turn into squabbles as you get tired.  Then mum calls you in for dinner and you grumble and complain about what was going on in the playground, expecting mum to intervene, but instead she says, “There, there – It’s all over now… go wash up and get ready for dinner”.

Same scenario happens as adults.  We get involved in our lives and we play in the dirt of the world… it can be hard and rewarding, but sometimes just hard.  As we get tired we get into more squabbles as we try to make sense of it and of course – no one wins.  We long for words of comfort and for someone with a bigger view of things to tell us that it is time to rest from our troubles… “go wash up and get ready for dinner”.

THANK you for being here…. In this space in this sacred place.

The first piece of Good News for us all today is that it is time for that rest from our work and for us to be comforted.  We are the people of God, and our readings begin with a request to comfort God’s people….  Not once but twice …. “Comfort, O comfort my people”.

God wishes you to be comforted and to know that he has seen your hard times.  He also declares that the penalty for sin has been paid.  Time to rest.  Let go of the hurt and the struggle.

Have you rested, or are you still trying to justify yourself or working hard at being good enough? 

I stop and ask this because sometimes we find the Good News that we are forgiven and accepted by God unconditionally, hard to really believe.  We hear the message that Jesus paid for our sins, but do we really know this deep in our soul?   This is the first part of the message in our readings and you can only really be truly comforted if you understand this.  The Song tells us, “you don’t need no baggage…..”  You can put all those ifs and buts aside because God declares that your sins have been doubly paid.   So drop that baggage… the other baggage that we often carry is the things we do to try and be good enough for God…. You don’t need that baggage either….  All you need is faith, and to get on board.

There is NOTHING keeping us from the love of God – It is time to come in from the “Play ground”, listen to the words of comfort and get washed up for dinner.

The key phrase in both our Old Testament reading and in the New Testament is; PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD  - Just as we prepare for dinner by washing up, we find something similar in our Gospel reading.

John was a man in Jesus time, who hung out in the wilderness, wore strange clothes and ate strange food, and proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  You’d think people would avoid him….. but no, people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Baptism was not foreign to these people, it was a ritual that was commonly used to signify a new path in life.  Baptism came from the practical practise of dipping fabrics in dye, permanently changing their colour, so the symbolic emersion in water for life changes made sense.  It makes sense for us too, if we recall the need to wash up in preparation for dinner.

John specifies that his baptism was one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  It is vital, that in our preparing the way of the Lord, we need to let go of the things that come between us and God.  We can’t say we have faith in the life and work of Jesus Christ, but then be thinking that we are sinners who need to earn God’s acceptance.  Acceptance and love has been gifted to us… it would be like being given a priceless gift and then insisting on paying for it, but there is no way that we can ever afford it.  We need to, as the song says, have faith in Jesus and thank him for the gift and then “Get on board”… that is all. 

Each advent, the church remembers the fulfilment of prophecy in the coming of the messiah, Jesus, but we also recall that Jesus said he would come back again.  The prophetic request, to prepare the way of the Lord was a message for the people in the time of Isaiah, but it was also informing the people about the messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah. 

 The New Testament Christians thought Jesus was a long time in returning, how much more so our current society?  Our second reading explains His delay by stating that, with God, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. Today, the prophetic request, to Prepare the Way of the Lord, is in no way diminished, but requested of us as we wait for the second coming of Christ.

As the people of God’s church there is also a challenge and warning in these readings.  We should ponder why it was that lone figure in the wilderness that declared, “Prepare the way of the Lord”, and not the “Church” of John and Jesus time?  And this should cause us to pause and ponder, “Are we, as the church, in danger of failing to proclaim the message “prepare the way of the Lord” for Jesus second coming”? 

It isn’t that the Jews were not reading the scriptures that declared the coming of a promised Messiah, they did do this.  So what was different about John and why was his ministry so effective in comparison?    Those in the church of that time, didn’t really know if John was harmless or a heretic, but certainly while many Pharisees were hearers and proclaimers of the word of God, John the Baptist was also a “doer”   - He answered God’s specific call for his life…. His actions followed through, and it is our actions that tell people what we really do believe.

You may or may not know that I’m involved in Street Chaplaincy.  With this ministry we have very specific boundaries.  We do not ever proselytize.  Some churches think that we are not doing what God calls us to do because of this, but I love the quote and always tell people that we Preach the Gospel at all times…. And if we have to we use words. 

People come up to us on Chaplaincy and say, “I know why you do this… you do it because you are a Christian.” 

People hear the message of God in our actions, and while we are out there being the face of God on the streets, I ask you to pray that we never misrepresent God. 

If we keep our Christianity for Sunday and for our church friends, we are burying the talent that God has given us.  It is a safe thing to do, because stepping out can be scary, but remember the parable of the talents….  The one who buried his talent was certainly not rewarded for his caution.

St. John baptised in water.  The people understood that baptism was a conversion of heart and mind.  In the year 2017, I believe we need reminding of who and what we are.  

We are called to be the voice in the wilderness of society’s confusion, declaring “Here is your God”, but we are also those who need to PREPARE the way of the Lord by comforting by making known the Good News of salvation.  BUT we need to know it by heart ourselves. 

Just like the mother who embraces and comforts the child all grubby and cranky from the dealings in the playground, God comforts us with redemption.  Jesus has paid completely for us.  It is time to let go and wash up in preparation for that heavenly banquet.   We are washed clean by the shed blood of Jesus.

Water reminds us to prepare – it reminds us that we are clean. 

Water is all around us, but next time you pour yourself a refreshing cup of H2O, or wash your hands, I challenge you to remember your own baptism and that you are already completely washed clean and are the precious chosen child of God, called and gifted with eternal life.

People, it is time to get ready, there’s a train a comin’ – in fact it is here already, but a bigger one is coming.  You don’t need no baggage,  - get rid of the guilt and doubt – the stuff that weighs you down…. Christ set you free….you just get on board – enjoy the ride.

All you need is faith, to hear the diesels hummin’ - Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord!

Care for a little stroll on the water ?

PROPER 14 (19) - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - Year A - August 13, 2017

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 and Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b  • Romans 10:5-15  • Matthew 14:22-33


Last week our Old Testament readings were about the story of Jacob wrestling for a blessing.  This week we have the story of Joseph, the favourite son, being sold by his brothers into slavery.  

After last week’s reflection, someone asked me, “Do you feel blessed? – Are you wrestling God for a blessing?”  A couple of things about this; Jacob didn’t know he was wrestling God, but the result of his wrestling was the realization that the blessing of God was what he valued most.  Also, Jacob was already blessed and chosen.  This did not mean that all would be easy and life would be “charmed”.

Anytime there is a recorded interaction between God and humans, there was a great significance involved, but I think we’d all be quiet surprised to find how often the purpose of the interaction was to comfort a person who was about to, or who had endured times of great stress.  Jacob had many interactions with God in his journey and this prepared him for all that was to come, assuring him of God’s favour, yet did that mean that his favourite son would always be by his side?

I’m guessing that no matter how sure Jacob was of God’s blessing, if someone had asked him, “Do you feel blessed?” He would probably have punched them out.

Life is a sometimes cruel interaction between the blessing of God, the consequence of living in a fallen world and the free will of evil people. At least this is how I make sense of the bad things that happen when we know that God loves us.

Jacob’s first born, Reuben, had in mind to rescue Joseph.  Reuben was the first born, yet obviously scared of his brothers, and so her sort to convince them of a better way rather than stand up to them.  These were the brothers who destroyed a whole town because its king slept with their sister – they were not men to be trifled with and they needed to learn a thing or two about being broken before God.  And that would happen later on – God had it under control, but it sure didn’t look like it.

These were the favoured and promised people of God who were incredibly fallible.  In our New Testament reading we have the story that follows from last week’s feeding of the multitude.  The disciples leave in a boat but Jesus needs some alone time and stays behind.  Then he comes out to them walking on the water.

Matthew 14: 26-31 “But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"”

I don’t believe anything that Jesus did was just because he could.  He had something to pass on to his disciples and to us.  The disciples declared him as the Son of God…. Just in case there was any doubt from the feeding of the multitude (insert sarcasm).

There is an important message from Jesus and it isn’t so much the “you of little faith,” part, But the “Do not be afraid,” part.
In all of this interaction there was good reason to be afraid and in the time to come there would be even more for the disciples to be afraid.

I can well imagine Jacob, on hearing of his son’s supposed death, calling out, “Lord, save me!”  I can imagine that he felt that God had deserted him and the blessing run dry.  I can imagine that Jacob felt he was sinking in sorrow and doubt.

But the good news about God is that His promise is greater than our failure and our doubt.

The reality of Peter’s situation suddenly presents itself with great force and he begins to sink.  He cries out to Jesus.  Jesus saves him.

We may be called to step out in faith, and walk on the waters of all kinds of trouble with our head held high and with unswerving faith in God – but even Saint Peter couldn’t keep that up for too long.  We might be brave for a while and then sink.  It is actually a reality of our humanity to be like this and to be overwhelmed by the actual reality of our situations.  We don’t necessarily feel the blessing of God that we know we should.  Will you condemn another Christian because they are honest about how they feel?

“Why do you doubt?”  - I don’t believe this was a scold, but more a question to reflect on.

When Jesus took Peter’s hand what he really did was that he physically and tangibly gave assistance.  That touch was the reminder that Peter had a friend in Jesus.  That physical touch brought him into a reality of comfort and assurance that was greater than the threat of the wind and waves around him.

When we see others in times of trouble, please don’t tell them that they need to have more faith.  That would be turning to focus on to judgment and failure…. In fact that would be to make those waves even bigger….

The author of the letter to the Romans was well acquainted with those who were judgemental and dealt with them by explaining the difference between the righteousness that comes from the law and from faith;

Romans 10:5-9 “Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that "the person who does these things will live by them."
But the righteousness that comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  But what does it say? "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

You can have all the faith you want in a broken, brittle chair and it will still break when you sit on it.  But faith in God is not like a brittle chair and His blessing is a product of His grace.

Many people have criticized Peter, but he was the only one who even got out of the boat.  He had enough faith in Jesus to take a few steps…  He was extraordinary!

We need to be honest and reflect on what it is that makes us doubt.  We can learn much about ourselves this way and even possibly defeat some monsters.

Now…. Peter could have had all of the laws of God all in place and lived his life perfectly, but this would never be enough to stop the wind and waves.  In fact, the wind and waves didn’t stop – but that cry to Jesus to save him was all that Peter needed.

Free will is that thing that God respects.  In many ways, all of us are sinking.  The Good News is that Jesus has declared the way to God and salvation is open.  We can walk above the waves, (spiritually speaking) and all it takes is the recognition of who Jesus is and to cry out for him to save us.

What would you do to obtain a blessing?

Proper 13A/Ordinary 18A/Pentecost +9
August 6, 2017 

Life is a struggle.

Not only is life a struggle, but it seems that we can do our very best for years without seeing a great deal of success.  Then, sometimes there is an element of success but not in the ways that matter most to us. 

Our scripture readings for this week follow the highs and lows of this struggle.

Genesis 32:22 “The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.  He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had.  Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.”

There is an important background information that isn’t read, but which we need to understand about the readings.  Jacob was travelling after finally breaking free from his deceitful father-in-law who had kept him emotionally manipulated into working for him for 14 years, and now he was about to encounter Esau.  Esau was Jacob’s twin brother who he had deceived, to the extent that Esau had wanted to kill Jacob.  Jacob was indeed having a major emotional and spiritual struggle.

Years of striving, knowing that he was the recipient of God’s promise to Abraham.  Years of injustice regardless of the promise.  Was he mistaken about the promise, or at least was he to be punished forever for his sins?  Was the promise of God to pass him by and go to his sons… or somehow by pass his lineage altogether???  These would surely have been some of his wrestling thoughts.

What happens next is a mysterious physical wrestle with an even more mysterious man.  This wrestle goes all through the night.  Jacob does not give in and the mysterious man “touches” Jacob’s hip so that it is hurt.  Still Jacob refuses to let the man go until the man blesses Jacob.  This is when Jacob realizes that he was wrestling God.

Jacob, in his early years, had been thinking that he had a plan to scheme and manipulate his life so that everything worked out according to his plans.  We all do this.  But I have to admit that nothing makes me more cranky than someone telling me about how I should have a 5 year plan, etc..  plan, organize, work and achieve.  Well guess what?  God seems often to “touch our hips”, and interrupt those plans.

Jacob was a man who was a master at manipulating life to make it work for himself.  Even with the knowledge that God had chosen him, he continued to aim at manipulating for his advantage, but in the meantime he was taught some hard lessons by being the recipient of deception and manipulation.  He needed to know that ultimately God was in control, and so his hip was hurt.  The place where Jacob found himself alone was the ford of Jabbok.  He had sent over all his family, servants and possessions. The mean of “Jabbok” is “to empty itself”.  Jacob had used all that he had, all his security in life and had emptied himself of it – sent it ahead where all was at the mercy of his brother.  At this point all that was left was himself.  He knew he was in the presence of God in that land as he had previous encounters with the spiritual realm in that land, and he came before God, no longer trusting in his wealth or even his health to save him.  He was broken, yet he persisted.  Perhaps most importantly he asked for a blessing.

When we read our Gospel we find that Jesus has gone to be alone.   His desire is not fulfilled, as his alone time is invaded by 5000 men and these are accompanied by an unnumbered amount of women and children.   Talk about extremes!  Can you imagine this for yourself?  Maybe if you are a celebrity being followed by the Media and crowds, but for most of us this is incomprehensible.  I can only imagine how overwhelming this would be.

Jesus has compassion on the crowd and spends time with them.  As the day draws on the disciples realize these people need to be fed, and all they have is a few fish and loaves.  Jesus blesses these and the crowds are miraculously fed.  This is the extent to which a blessing from God can effect a situation.

It seems to me that we humans are naturally inclined to think a bit like a computer… “if this - then that”.   In this thinking, we ultimately plan to manipulate life such that we get our desired outcome.  This is all good and logical it but can be a major stumbling block and we see this referred to in our 2^nd reading from Romans 9:4-5 “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”

In this reading the author laments that so many of God’s chosen people reject him.  Jesus was often in trouble with the “church” people because he seemed to break God’s laws.  These people were zealous to earn God’s favour and they disciplined their lives such that they followed God’s laws, because in our “if this, then that” mentality, it would have to follow that they had God’s favour.  But so often we find ourselves like Jacob, faced with the consequences of our mistakes and lost.

The law of God actually became a stumbling block to the “church” people of Jesus time.  They put their faith in the system of earning God’s acceptance, and therefore they needed to empty themselves of all these “bargaining chips” before they would be able to accept the amazing blessing of God’s grace.

There is one thing that Jacob desired for all of his life, and that is the blessing of God.  In his early life he manipulated to obtain it, and if we are like the Pharisees of Jesus time, we will manipulate to obtain it also.  We will reason that if we do certain things we will earn God’s blessing.  While the desire for God’s blessing is admirable, the manipulation is not and it will be a stumbling block to receiving the blessing.  However, in every situation, those who came before God empty of every justification, these were blessed.

I believe that if we are open with God about how we feel, whether happy or sad, hurt or angry, then we become Israel also… we struggle with God and with God we receive blessings.  It is possible that the greatest moment of honesty in Jacob’s life was this one that we read in his wrestling.  He had fully understood the gravity of his situation in angering his brother, and the full extent and consequence of his manipulation.  In this moment of honesty with God is when the blessing is truly given.

For those in the time of Jesus, the people desiring a relationship with God, followed Jesus out to a remote place.  They made their comfort and food a secondary need compared to the richness of his blessing. 

What does it mean to us to have God’s blessing?  Do we have enough comfort that we don’t really care?  Are we like the Pharisees who say, “I keep the Sabbath holy, and all the commandments, therefore I earn God’s blessing”? 

To truly receive the blessing of God we need to come before him with nothing.  None of our past good, none of our peer accolades, none of our wealth and good deeds – but come before him in desperate knowledge that all else is amounts to nothing. In the very least it means we need to be honest and realize our need for him.

If nothing else, these readings should show us that the blessing of God is not a mere kind sentiment after a sneeze, but an exorbitant, extreme overflow of the goodness that God delights to bestow on his people.

In this moment of blessing, Jacob is called “Israel”.  He is given, not only the assurance of his life being spared from his brother, but he is given an amazing promise of destiny and marked as a great nation.  From a couple of fish and a few loaves, multitudes are fed with baskets full left over.  The blessing of God is an exorbitant and extreme. 

How much regard do we have for the blessing of God?

Through flood and fire and other tough times.

REFLECTION:  July 30, 2017 - Proper 12 / Ordinary 17 / Pentecost +8

Romans 8:36-37 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered””.

So many that I know, have gone through and are going through, hardship and distress, some element of persecution and peril.  It is enormously testing to their faith and ours when we can seem to do nothing but watch helplessly.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I myself have had many an argument with God about the situations.  I don’t understand it and I don’t like it and I don’t want it.

The early followers of Jesus decided that the truth that was found in Jesus Christ and the message of salvation, was of such value that they suffered these things and kept firm to the faith even to death.  In many cases the suffering was a direct consequence of accepting the salvation of Christ and the early Christians realized this.  We, on the other hand, have become somewhat removed from the fact that there are powers and principalities that rage against the people of God and so we find it a rude shock.

When we understand, and have a clear vision of where we are going and what is happening around us, we can push through hardships.

The first reading tells us of the story of Jacob who worked for Laban for seven years so that he could earn the right to marry Laban’s daughter Rachel.  And further on in the story we discover that Laban was not an easy man to work.  Laban was so deceptive that he even swapped the girl that Jacob was working for and gave Jacob the older sister Leah instead.

When we read the story, we are only getting the short version.  Jacob was obviously upset that the girl he loved was not his after the agreed 7 years.   And I’m guessing, that distress that we read, is by far an understatement.  We read “7 years” and think nothing of it, but a lot can happen in 7 years and then Jacob finds he has to work another 7 years to earn the girl he loves!  In the meantime he is looking after two women, who become jealous of each other, and he is kept continually frustrated in keeping peace with his underhanded, snake in the grass of a father-in-law, as well as trying to make a life for himself and family.

Jacob only wanted Rachel for his wife.  What he got was a whole lot of trouble, 2 wives, 2 hand maids and his wages changed over and over again.  Then later in life, that wife that he loved was taken from him, as she died in childbirth.  Then the firstborn son of that loved one was sold into Egypt (although he thought he’d been killed by a beast).  So much sorrow and hardship for one man.

Jacob persisted because he had a vision and a promise.  He worked hard and willingly, and suffered the injustices because he loved Rachel.  He also had previously had a divine dream of the ladder connecting heaven and earth with God at the top who spoke of promises for him and his family:

Genesis 28:13-15 “… “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.  Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

The hardship and those things that Jacob may have seen as problems to his own plan were actually used to bless Jacob.  Through having not one wife, but two, Jacob had an empire – the sons who would become the famous 12 tribes of Israel.

So here is the message for us; When hardships come, are we aware that there is more at play than what we can see?  Romans 8: 28 tells us “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”   And it goes on in Romans 8: 30 to say that those who God foreknew, he predestined, those predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:31 “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

The problem for us is that we need to have the vision of God and the promises declared to us and we need to believe them.

We read in Matthew 13:44-46  “ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Both of these parables tell of giving ALL for the treasure that is hidden to most, but revealed to the person.  How can we know that there is a promise personally for us, so that we can hold unswerving to the faith?

I have two suggestions to leave you with;

The Gospel reading ends by saying that Jesus was like a prophet in his home town, rejected and we read in Matthew 13:58 “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”   I’d like to suggest that it isn’t that somehow Jesus' ability was linked to their faith, but that they didn’t have the faith to ask him and therefore, not to impose his will on theirs, he was limited.

The message for us is to have the faith to ask and to seek.

The last suggestion is connected to the first.  We need to put ourselves in places where we can hear from God.  God does visit us on our journey, without our promptings, but when we are in times of distress and hardship we need to be connected to those who can remind us of his promises and enable our vision.

Connect with people who encourage and comfort by declaring the promises of God, such as these (some of my personal favourites) found in Romans 8: 38, 39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

And this bring to mind one of my very favourite original songs  - which seems like a good way to punctuate this reflection, Please have a listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myf24t8cnsQ

Easter 5 A May 14th 2017 Things of stones and rocks.

I find the readings for this week to be so sad.  Firstly the Gospel reading is one that is so often read at funerals… and the first reading is the stoning of St. Stephen.  SO much darkness, and yet these stories are there to encourage us.

Speaking about darkness; I want to talk about St. Stephen.

From Acts 7:55 - 58 “But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him.

 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

Who were the people that stoned Stephen?  Who are the people who were so offended at a man filled with the Holy Spirit – a man with a vision of Heaven?

Stephen had just been speaking to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of Israel, made up of 70 men and the high priest. These were the respectable people and the religious people and they stoned a man of God, filled with the Holy Spirit.

I point this out as a warning to each of us who strive to be respectable people of God.  Have you ever stoned a person of God, filled with the Holy Spirit?

Do you have a position of authority or hold any power in a volunteer organization?  If you do, you are in danger of stoning people who God has ordained.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the power of encouragement and how it is so lacking in our organisations… maybe it is even an Australian weakness with our ‘Tall poppy’ syndrome and how we much prefer to hold each other down.  Encouragement is the opposite of stoning.

I saw a cartoon recently from www.lunarbaboon.com which showed a man and boy watching a superhero show and then the boy saying, “I wish I had super powers”.  Then the man obviously thought about this and pointed out a man wearing a very ugly hat.  He says to the boy, “watch this” and greets the man, “Hey! Your hat is awesome and you’re awesome for wearing it”   The man stutters a thank you and goes on his way with his whole demeanor changed to confident and happy.  The man then says to the boy, “We all have powers”.

In spite of everything, St. Stephen was not discouraged.  How is this possible?

St. Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit and he had a vision of Heaven.  These are two things we need to be able to persist through the hard times.

 There is a theme of Rocks and stones running through the readings and we read from the Psalm 31:1- 2 “In you, O LORD, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me.

Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.”

Jesus is described in the second reading as the cornerstone:

From 1 Peter 2:6-8 “For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”

If Jesus is the cornerstone, we are encouraged to join with him to be part of His building.  If we truly do join with him we, like him, become a refuge and a safe place for people’s hearts…. And we will encourage and not stone….  Encourage and not exclude.

In this we move from individual stones to whole buildings.  Then in the Gospel Jesus speaks about many dwelling places that there are in Heaven… John 14:1-6 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.  And you know the way to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The way to a place of safety and refuge is Jesus, and the ONLY way to the father is through Jesus.  THIS is the stumbling stone to those of the Sanhedrin and this will certainly be a stumbling stone to many in our generation.

While there are many good people, much excellent wisdom and philosophy, and amazing good works done apart from religion and Christianity, there is ONLY one way to the Father (GOD) and that is through the person of Jesus.

The Jews thought they could reach the Father through the law and rituals.  Many modern people think that you can get to the Father through being a “good person”, but this is not what Jesus says.  Reading the whole Bible in context however, we notice how God seeks out those who are earnestly seeking him and He reveals himself to them.  It is then still up to them however, to accept that Jesus is the way….    This is what happened with St. Paul, and others in the New Testament.

John 14:11 “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; ..”

The unity of Jesus the son with the Father is declared here, but still not always understood…. But in the same way, “what you do to the least of these, you do to me”. 

How we treat each other is so central to the Bible and so crucial to the message.  It is a message of Good News, because it declares that LOVE is the way of God. 

There is sadness in the world. There is darkness, exclusion and injustice, but these are not the way of God’s world.  This world will pass away, but God is eternal and has given us an eternal hope to cling to – no- Make that an eternal ROCK to stand firm upon.