God doesn’t fit in a box!
James 2: 1-10 + 14-17 and Mark 7: 24-end
As we prepare to move we are packing things into boxes, but they also have to fit into the right box so they can be found when needed. Books for here, books for there; clothes for winter, clothes for summer, the system is great until you are trying to find something you didn’t mean to pack.
Dear friends,
As children we were encouraged to exceed our limits — aspiring to be bigger, better and faster. We must build bigger, do better and move faster and if the human body can’t do it we must create something that will!
As I was driving home from Holiday Forum at Swanwick last week i realised that building smaller and moving slower is better for the future. I have never understood the purpose of building bigger cars that can travel at 150 mph, making people feel better because they can drive so much faster. It must be that engrained aspiration to exceed our limits!
Dear Friends,
A question we often ask as we look to the future is how we can attract young people to give the Church new life. I also want to ask how we value and encourage the gifts of older people?
Church is a family of brothers and sisters in Christ and as such embraces all ages so young and old have equal value in the eyes of God. We ALL have our different gifts to contribute with the visions of the young, the dreams of the old and the prophesy of everyone giving life to the Church.
Dear Friends,
Silence won’t be so golden if we are silent!
It wasn’t so long ago that we could complain about the ’sound of silence’ concerning the abuse and pollution of the planet, but now some people want to ’silence the voices.’
It won’t be long before the ’sound of silence’ won’t be so golden as it will be the sign that nature has disappeared from the fields and trees so as a community we need to raise our voices and make sure we are not silenced.
Dear Friends,
The world has been mugged and stripped of her clothes!
Luke 10: 25-37
What we say can heal or hurt depending on how we say it! It’s the same with what we see or how we feel! How we see can help heal or continue to hurt the world that we share!
Don’t trust the robots — they have no heart!
Reading: Ephesians 4: 1-17
I am not always worthy of the calling I have received as a minister in the United Reformed Church because with some telephone calls my patience runs thin and I admit love is totally absent from the conversation. I certainly do not sound humble or gentle and I have given up trying to make peace with the robotic voice I must communicate with.
Dear Friends,
1 Corinthians 9: 24-end
Watching a family and friends dancing in a garden in the early hours of the morning reminded me of how WE can all be part of a winning team and not have a medal round our neck!
It was, of course, an Olympic medal winning celebration and YOU can be part of a winning team, but, probably, don’t know it. You won’t have the medal round your neck, but without your support and encouragement the runners in the race and fighters in the battle won’t qualify to compete in the “games.”
Dear Friends,
THE MASKED SINGER!
I never thought I would hear myself saying it, but I do sympathise with Boris. There will be people who think he can do no wrong and for others he can do no right.
I thought he got it wrong last week when he said that he wasn’t going to self isolate, but did he get it right when he changed his mind? Politics can be so ugly, but, as christians, we don’t play that game because we commend people who listen and try to right a wrong!
Too tired to taste the honey!
As we prepare to listen to the Word of God it is an absent story that inspires my message this week. I found myself reflecting on what is not said rather than what will we read as I followed the lectionary reading for the week — with a few verses added by myself.
Dear Friends,
I am often encouraged by Church leaders who see the urgent need for change, but continue to be disappointed when it doesn’t seem to happen. I wonder, why not?
Some will argue that church leaders — whether they be ministers, vicars, pastors or some other title — are frustrated by church members who want everything to remain as it has always been. Others will point to the hypocrisy of our leaders who say one thing and do another. There are also those who will say that we’ve got what God has given us and only God can change that! Children don’t always do as their Father tells them so are we stubbornly going our own way, doing our thing rather than God’s will? Lots of questions!