Sermon, Sunday 19 March wk29: Prayer - just do it...WMRBW

READINGS: Ps 131; Matt. 6:1-18                                
SERMON
Let’s pray: May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

I was sitting in the rec. room at Bible College.
It was the 1980’s –
I confess to wearing what could only be described as a poodle perm.
But there I was, quietly sitting on a sofa reading for self-improvement.
In the background, the sound of a ping-pong ball
was...well, pinging and ponging across a table.
Two of the more energetic and rather competitive young chaps
were in a serious battle of wills, trying to out-do the other.
I turned my attention back to my self-improving book –
a book on prayer.

As I read, a feeling of despondency...and guilt... crept in.
As the writer described the hard work of a disciplined prayer life, and how one should pray,
I was realising that clearly, I just didn’t measure up to his standards.
At that moment, I’m sure the thought of heading off
to find something more agreeable to do, like eating some chocolate,
probably wandered through my head.
Whatever cheerfully distracting thought did pass through my head,
instead, I steeled my resolve, and attended to the wretched book once more.
But not for long.
A huge shout and a cheer from the ping pong match went up.
Game over, and the boys came across to join me.
They looked at the book.
‘Ahh great book!’ said one.
I smiled, ...in an unconvincing way.
‘Nothing like spending time with God,’ ventured the other. He continued:
‘It’s such a privilege and a joy, you know. I get up at 7 and then I’m at prayer by 7.30. 
That hour of prayer sets me up for the rest of the day.’
I smiled again.
...Unconvincingly.
Before I could reply, the first responded:
‘7.30? ...Really?  An hour...only an hour? 
I make a practice of getting up at 5, with the aim to be on my knees in prayer by 5.30. 
That three hours in prayer is precious, precious time with my heavenly Father. 
I can’t imagine spending any time less than that in prayer.’
They began a deep and meaningful conversation on prayer that was
as competitive in nature as their game of ping pong had been.
A serious battle of wills commenced, as both once again
were caught up in trying to out-do the other.
I watched this spiritual slugging match for all of about 5 minutes,
then slunk out, into the night, clearly a spiritual lightweight.
The self-improving prayer book was quietly put aside for the evening
in favour of listening to cheerful music with equally lightweight pals.

Over the two years at Bible College, there were many other self-improving books on prayer.
One advised, in a rather admonishing tone that if you only had one hour to spare for prayer,
the most efficient way of praying would be to break that hour into timed sections:
5 minutes for praising God;
15 minutes for confessing how much you really didn’t measure up;
5 minutes to thank God for His many blessings;
25 minutes to pray for the world, and for others;
5 minutes to bring to God your own prayer needs;
and then, to finish up,
5 minutes for a little more praise.

Each self-improving prayer book did it’s darnedest to instruct one in the art of prayer –
each with its own particular method,
each quite concerned about just how efficient your prayer should be.
It was the language of time management and getting results.
It was the language of business and sales targets.
It was a language I struggled with, as I tried so hard to fit myself
into the spiritual box and measure up, when it came to prayer.
I listened to other competitions, disguised as conversations, on the subject of prayer...
And continued to feel beaten down by it all, and filled with guilt.
Really, all I wanted to do was have a quiet chat with God...
but the books made it feel almost impossible just to settle for that,
and the conversations I’d heard just made me feel shame.

It’s a funny old thing, isn’t it:
that when the subject of prayer comes up, so often, there can be a feeling of guilt.
We know we should crack on with praying, some of us have even overheard
those odd spiritually competitive conversations on prayer.
And you know, I suspect, that these sorts of conversations, which are essentially
a form of boasting about how pious, how spiritual a person is, ...are nothing new.
In fact, we know this, because Jesus, in our passage from the gospel of Matthew
tells us that it’s happening and says to those listening to him
'Gonnae no do that.'
Why?
Especially when previously, in an earlier chunk of this very same section of teaching,
Jesus encourages his followers to let their
‘light shine before others, so they may see your good works 
and give glory to your Father in heaven.’
This in Matthew 5 verse 15.
So, what’s this   all about?
I wonder if it’s about motivation?
If Matthew 5 verse 15 is focused upon giving glory to God,
this later section in chapter 6 examines just where else the glory might be given.
Rather than shining a light on God, this very public, showy kind of prayer
has as it’s motivation a desire to place the focus squarely on
the person praying, ...or fasting, or almsgiving –
three particular forms of spiritual practice in Judaism at that time.
The aim was to play to an audience, and rather than put God at the centre,
it was – and still is – about putting the one doing the act of piety in the spotlight.

Jesus here, is critical of an approach to prayer and piety that is very much:
‘Look at me! Look at how fabulously spiritual I am!’
Jesus asks his followers:
Why?
Why are we are praying, or helping the needy, or fasting? What’s our motivation?
Is it to impress others?
If it’s to impress others, well, a big show is needed.
People should see...
and, being seen, for the person who is seemingly being very spiritual, becomes it's own reward.

There are several problems with this approach:
obviously, the motive is all messed up...
but there’s also this:
perhaps those looking on might be impressed,
but perhaps they might also be mightily discouraged,
might feel that they could never pray or be as spiritual as the one putting on such a show...
might feel that for whatever reason, they don’t seem to fit the right spiritual box...
and they might feel shame for being something –
being someone that they were not created to be in the first place.
It harms those who sincerely want to love God,
but just don’t feel they play spiritual ping pong very well...

Jesus asks his followers:
Why we are praying, or helping the needy, or fasting – what’s our motivation?
And shows a different way, with a different focus:
that prayer and any other ways of practising spirituality should come though
a desire to express one’s love of God...
and a desire to express a love of neighbour.

Jesus asks his followers just to be real, to be authentic,
and to look to, and focus upon God –
whose love is reward enough.
Jesus asks his followers to get on with loving God,
by spending time with God.
He offers a simple framework for prayer for followers who might get stuck...
but in the end, he teaches his followers – us –
in that strangely counter-intuitive way he seems to have,
that, the best way of shining one’s light so that people give glory to God,
comes, not from a competing in some public spiritual Olympics,
but rather, comes from a heart focused upon love and service to God,
where prayer is done quietly in whatever way encourages a relationship
with the One who loves, and is faithful to us.
We turn to God in the quietness of our hearts, in the way that is true to who we are.
If getting up at 5 and praying solid for 3 hours in the morning works for you – great.
Do it.
If you have the sort of personality that likes a more structured framework
to help you keep focused upon God, then by all means pray in timed sections.
But, if you find your natural way of being with God is done by rambling in the woods
or tramping up to the tops of hills... that’s fine too.
Make space to work out how best you pray – where, and when...
And then,
pray.

Oh, and in the end, my own wrestling with how to pray eventually resulted in an answer –
a way of praying that suited who I am, which was a relief.
And yes, I discovered that just wanting to have a chat with God
without any additional suggestions from some of those self-improving books, was just fine.
What I’ve also discovered over the years is that the matter of prayer is a lifetime’s work –
that we’re in it for the long haul...
but we’re in it with God
who knows all our thoughts,
all our prayers,
spoken and unspoken.
God understands the garbled mess of words we sometimes come out with,
and hears the cry from the heart that we may not even know we’ve uttered.
God is with us in this journey of prayer.

Jesus, teaching his disciples, encourages them to examine why they pray;
encourages them to pray.
So I say to you:
pray.
Pray in the way that is uniquely your way
of being with God –
pray without guilt,
and pray without feeling shame caused by those who want to turn prayer into a competition
or who claim prayer can only be done this or that way.
Crack on, and pray:
with God at the centre,
with God as your focus,
with love for God as your motive...
Pray to the One who loves you
and who hears you,
and who is with you.
And, as you do so, you might just find yourself bearing spiritual fruit
that helps bring in God’s kingdom
and also, find yourself transformed in the process. Amen.

40 Acts of Lent: Day 16 - Beyond

Jesus didn’t settle for ‘just enough’ or the wine at the wedding would have been drinkable rather than top quality. So today, scale it up! Don’t measure out the generosity – go large.

 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us; 

that we should be called children of God.” 

                                                                                                           1 John 3:1 (NIV) 

Your thought for today: 
When generosity goes ‘beyond’ it somehow stays with us, like an indelible mark. Like the time the girl standing behind me in the lunch queue covered the bill without hesitation when she saw that I hadn’t enough money to buy my lunch. Or the time I visited Thailand for 3 weeks and stayed with a lady who housed and discipled 16 teenage girls in a two-bedroom flat. This lady shared absolutely everything she owned with the girls. Her generosity went well beyond our expectation, hosting dinner each night for us when she barely had enough food for herself.
Just last summer I was having pancakes with a large group of young students and when it came to paying the bill, we learnt that one of the students had paid for the entire group’s drinks and meals with the very little money he had.

1 John 3:1 talks of our identity as Children of God; we are those who have been lavishly loved through Jesus. It also gives us reason to believe that our generosity should therefore be lavish. To be lavish with what you have is to give open-handedly and abundantly. Radical generosity is the surrender of our time, talents, and treasures as an act of love to others, without expecting anything in return.

I wonder what our culture would look like if we were lavish in our generosity, going beyond expectation simply because we love other people rather than as a response. It might look different in each individual’s life and context, but it would be an incredible witness of the Father’s love to our friends. I challenge you to bless someone unexpectedly this week. Wherever you are, go beyond their expectation, step out of your comfort zone and really surprise someone, or some group, with God’s overflowing love and grace.

Choose how you’ll complete today’s act: 

GREEN OPTION:
Has someone done you a good turn lately? Go out of your way to thank them with an extra twist of appreciation. Tell someone what a great job they’re doing – just because. Your turn for the washing up?             Do the drying up too.


YELLOW OPTION:
What today hold for you? Watch out for generous opportunities and then knock it out the park for good measure. Find a way to bless someone over and above.


RED OPTION:
What's the most extravagant present you've ever been given? If you went the whole hog, no expense spared, what similar thing could you do today for someone you know? This doesn’t have to be financial            – use your imagination to be extravagant – but think creatively with whatever resources you have.

40 Acts of Lent: Day 15 - Influence

Act fifteen - Influence by Alexandra Khan
We all have influence, even if we're not aware of it. It's not something reserved for limelight seekers. Influence is simply the impact we have on others that changes how they feel or act. Think about the areas of your life where you have a voice that's listened to. You might be naturally sociable and have a wide network of friends, or have a close group of those who trust you. Wherever your influence is, use it wisely and generously today.

"Do not despise these small beginnings…"  

                                                                                              Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

In late 2010 I sat in Café Rouge with the man who would become my line manager. "Where do you want to be in five years?" he asked.
I was 23; young enough to believe I could still change the world, old enough to know I couldn't just sit and wait for it to happen.
"In five years I want your job," I replied, without skipping a beat.

Fast forward nearly seven years. I still don't have my manager's job, nor do I have the kind of influence I thought I'd have at the age of 30. I've grown in unexpected ways. My knowledge and experience have opened up different spheres of influence. And actually, I'm alright with that.

Having influence isn't about the number of Instagram followers you have or the title on your business card. It's about using what's in your hand.
For me, that looked like this:

Taking traumatic life experiences and using them to help others with similar struggles
Using my love of digital media to help grow one of the most generous communities in the world (here's looking at you, 40activists)
Speaking out and then putting my money where my mouth is for causes that I'm passionate about, like domestic abuse, clean water and poverty relief

For others, that looks like using a skill in a selfless way every day, or being a dedicated parent, or climbing to CEO of a mega corporation, or being distinctly ordinary and yet still extraordinarily distinct because that is how each of us was created to be.

We all have influence, and it isn't linked to our job titles or our following (Jesus started out with just 12 followers). Your influence is limited only by what you are prepared to do with the gifts, experiences and passions you've been given.
Consider them, today. And be inspired to use them generously.

Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION:
Not sure you have much influence in other people's lives? Think about who you interact with on a daily or weekly basis. How do you behave around them or on social media?
           Are there things you need to change? Could you make more of a conscious effort to                                         engage with others more meaningfully?

YELLOW OPTION:
It's easy to feel powerless in the face of large scale injustice or to switch off when it comes to national or international events.
            But you have influence that reaches much further than just those in your day-to-day.
              Take stock of what you feel passionate about. Can you write a letter, add your name to a                               campaign, share something on social media? Don't file it away for later – do it now.

RED OPTION:
If you really want to go all out, publicise your cause/charity with an event. It may not happen today or this week, but you can get the ball rolling with inviting a speaker, and researching a venue.
           Make a big noise, and create some community memories to boot.

40 Acts of Lent: Act 14 - 'Boss'

Act fourteen - Boss  by Mark Greene
Your boss or leader tells you that you're doing a good job and praises you for your hard work and effort. It's just the way that relationship works – it's their job to tell you how you're doing, so you smile, nod, and get on with your day. But who's encouraging them? Generosity goes in all directions: not just to the people next to you, but to those who are in authority too.

"[Pray] for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives 

in all godliness and holiness." 

                                                                                                     1 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)

Power and authority. Lots of people have the power to affect our daily lives: traffic wardens, police, MPs, our kids' teachers, the doorman at the club I'm desperate to get into... and, for many of us, the boss. Yours may be good or bad: a paragon of virtue, wisdom and excellence or an ogre of vice, bile and incompetence; but whatever the case, two things are true.
 
1.  God loves them.
2.  We're meant to as well.

Right there is a challenge. Most of us, being human, don't really relish having someone in our lives who can tell us to do things we would rather not do, in a way that we might not agree with, and to a deadline that seems unreasonable. So, 'generous' working involves honouring the authority God has given your boss (Romans 13:1), praying for them, and doing our work in a servant-hearted way that shows we care about their goals, their success and them as a person (Titus 2: 9-10).
And generous working also involves showing appreciation – even to your boss. It's a potent gift.
 
Of course, praise can come across as sycophantic but as long as a compliment is tied to something specific it can be hugely encouraging – not least because they may not know that they did something well or realise that anyone notices anything. 'The firm way you handled the client today really turned the meeting round.' 'Thank you for pointing me to Anna – she had all the information I needed.' 'You were right about turquoise – so much better than the cerulean I was going with.' The occasional handwritten note has a similar power – after a big event, at Christmas, or just before going on holiday. In my case, a biscuit goes a long way.

Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION:
Lots of us are quick to fire off that complaint email or letter, but how often do we send one that's full of praise? It doesn't have to be long or mushy – just something generous. Bless your boss, your kid's head teacher or even the CEO of your local supermarket or council.

YELLOW OPTION:
How could you help the people in charge around you? Often, they'll be facing time pressures. So what can you do to help? Run an errand, make tea, or walk their dog?

RED OPTION:
Make a conscious decision to honour your leaders on a long-term basis – even in difficult times. This could be an ongoing commitment rather than a one-off gift.

40 Acts of Lent: Day 13 - Firstfruits

Act thirteen - First Fruits  by Francesca Day
Money can be difficult to talk about when it comes to generosity. But thinking about how to treat others first, rather than what you'd spend the money on yourself – that can just drastically change your whole perspective on money. So, today's act is about giving with our money. When money comes your way, what questions are you asking?

"Jesus told him, 'If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' 

But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions." 

                                                                                                                    Matthew 19: 21–22 (NLT)

I have read Jesus' instruction to the rich man countless times. Until recently, I never really applied it to myself. I'm a student – I'm not rich! I'm nothing like those bankers and footballers who fly around in private jets while people go hungry.

I couldn't get the rich man out of my head though. Praying on this verse, I realised just how rich I am. I always have enough to eat and a warm place to sleep. I have many more clothes than I need. I have money for the odd take away coffee. In fact, my PhD stipend puts me in the richest 10% of people in the world. It's time to admit that I am the rich man and I have much to give away.

The rich man walks sadly away from Jesus, because he does not want to give away his great wealth. Many times in my life, I have done the same. I don't want to give up my coffees and my shoes. Furthermore, we live in a culture where giving substantial amounts of money to charity is seen as incredibly odd – the social pressure to spend my money solely on myself and my friends is very strong. Serious financial giving is just one of the ways in which Jesus calls us to live radical lives, and I know this is a goal we can reach with God's help.

Today's world offers many more opportunities for giving than were available in Jesus' time – today, we can help people on the other side of the world without even getting dressed. So where should Christians give? This is a question that I believe merits serious thought – where will your charitable donations do the most good?

By giving generously, and by thinking humbly about where we give, we rich men and women can walk back towards Jesus.

Choose how to complete this act...

This isn't about the size of your gift – it's more about whether you prioritise money as a gift. We all have something we can give (even if for some it's not financial). Put a note in your purse or wallet reminding yourself that God's inviting you to offer your best.
           Or put a reminder in your phone for payday.

Who could you creatively gift today? Do you know someone who's struggling with money? Put their need first and treat them with what you have. That could be dropping off some supermarket vouchers, or taking them out for a meal/movie on you.

Take stock of your finances: how much are you actually giving away? Could you think about opening up a Stewardship giving account to set up a monthly direct debit?

40 Acts of Lent: Day 12 - Chocolate Tuesday

Huge apologies folks - unexpectedly bought a car today, so was a tad preoccupied!! Very belatedly, today's Lent Act...

Act 12: #ChocolateTuesday
Stress levels are high in this world. And we're sitting on a solution. The smell of chocolate alone increases theta brain waves, which then trigger relaxation.
So today we really are saying: give chocolate a chance.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

                                                                                                         Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Your thought for today: 
The average person in Great Britain eats 16.3 lb of chocolate a year. This is about the same weight as 169 chocolate bars, so it’s pretty safe to say that collectively we’re a nation of chocolate lovers. Chocolate is everywhere, yet in my experience, when used generously, it still has the ability to get a great reaction, sometimes even turning into incredible conversations.

This time last year I found myself walking around Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, handing out chocolate bars to the staff and crew of the musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. One attempt was met with the reply ‘No, I know you don’t get anything for free.’ There is such a lack of generosity in our society that many have forgotten what it looks like, thinking the worst of others rather than thinking intentions could be genuinely selfless.

With 40acts we’re challenged to do something each day, which is technically pretty easy but practically something which takes us out of our comfort zone and isn’t the norm.
It’s for this reason that it’s so important to live out a lifestyle of generosity – yes surprising others but blessing them in a culture where this isn’t something frequently played out.

In Joshua 1:9, we’re reminded that we’ve been called to play out this kind of lifestyle and that we shouldn’t let fear discourage us. Handing out a chocolate bar to a passer-by could have implications beyond anything we could think, or might simply result in a smile.

What if today we were radically generous with our nation’s favourite treat?
So embrace your inner Willy Wonka and remember that, no matter if you choose green, amber or red, God will be with you in each act of generosity you attempt


Choose how you’ll complete today’s act: 
Sling a bar of chocolate into someone’s bag with a note saying ‘#40acts’. Or leave a bar or two in your local library, on a park bench, or on the train.


Hit everyone in your department/road/toddler group with a chocolate bar – or wherever you happen to be going today.


Clear the Easter egg aisle in your local supermarket and get out onto the streets, handing them out early. Or, you could do what some challengers did a few years ago: stand up and announce 'free chocolate' on your commute home.

40 Acts of Lent: Day 11 - Talented

Act 11: Talented
Many of us are hiding talents up our sleeves, out of fear, vulnerability, or just not knowing how to use them. It's a massive shame and a missed opportunity. So treat today as a second chance, and bring your lamp out from under that bushel.

“Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don’t stare at the clouds. 

Get on with your life…you’ll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does.”  Ecclesiastes 11:4–5

Your thought for today: 
We have a saying at church: ‘All we need to reach the city is already in the house’. It’s another way of saying God gives us skills and talents to fulfill the purpose and vision he has for our lives.
We are diverse and so are our skills.

Nearly three years ago five friends got together with one idea: a bakery that, through workshops, would provide baking and employability skills to women who have experienced exploitation. We had no experience of running a business, a charity or working with women who have been through such a lot. All our team worked full-time, or had small children, which meant nothing happened quickly, yet we had the commitment and drive to make it happen. We each brought with us unique talents: finance, logistics, marketing, education, communication, leadership. I sometimes wonder whether those talents would have been unearthed through friendship alone. I’ve imagined God watching us meet as friends for the first time and thinking
‘Just you wait to see what adventure I will take you on’.

As we reached the end of this first season of Bramber Bakehouse I found myself reflecting on our journey. Despite too often focusing on the difficulties, meeting the ladies we support for the first time was incredibly overwhelming and a real high point. That’s when I realised that God had always seen this moment.

Whether God has given you a vast vision or a smaller one, He will bring together the right people with the perfect skills to fulfill his plans. It will take hard work and many hours of commitment, but God doesn’t just want you to just sit there and let someone else do it, or worse, let it not happen at all. In Ecclesiastes it says ‘Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don’t stare at the clouds. Get on with your life … you’ll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does.’ I truly believe God gave us our own work to get on with; it was clear he had brought together a group of people with extraordinary skills to make it happen, but the success of Bramber Bakehouse was each one of them playing their part.

Six months on from our first workshop (a huge triumph) I am so thankful to God that the drive and determination of our team meant we didn’t ‘sit on our hands’ but instead got on with it and didn’t worry about understanding the mystery of what was in front of us because quite simply ‘God does’.

Choose how you’ll complete today’s act: 

Think back to day one of 40acts. Search the list for any particular gifts or talents that you jotted down. Bring them to the front of your mind. Stick them on a Post-it note and leave them somewhere you'll notice early in the morning; then actively look for places to cultivate your gift.
 
Many of us start developing our talents, but never make full use of them. What gift do you have that could be used to serve others, but needs honing? Do you need some help from others to get it off the ground? Do you need to practise or research? Take the steps you need to own your talent and tell someone about it.

If you're already doing a solid job of looking after your gifts, could you pass them on? Could you offer your talents as a regular commitment to someone – or teach them and equip them to do the same?


Hollin Preston is the co-founder of Bramber Bakehouse, a charity set up to give exploited women second chances, by providing internships, training and support through baking to help them get back on their feet. Hollin is a full-time teacher, lives by the sea and has a Spanish cat called Pedro. 

Sermon Sun 12 March wk28: The Law and/of love

Lent 2/
1st READING: Ps 112
2nd READING: Matt. 5:17-48

SERMON
Let’s pray:
May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts,
be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

The great Dame Edna Everage – cultural icon of Australia –
and no stranger to British shores,
has been known to sing a song, when in concert that shares the reason for her success:
telling her audience just why she’s done so remarkably well in life.
The lyrics go a little like this:
‘Many people ask me my secret of success:
is it in the way I speak,
or the lovely way I dress?
Is it poise or personality –
what elusive little facet?
Let me help you put your finger on
my single greatest asset...
It’s my niceness –
I pride myself on my niceness;
it’s such a gift without price to be nice, 
even when you feel blue -
‘cos I really care, and I’ve come here to share
my wonderful, wonderful niceness with you...’

She goes on to share that, of all the creatures on the planet,
‘Dame Nature’s blessed us alone with the gift of being... nice.’

Niceness.
Sometimes it’s very easy to think that the Gospel –
essentially the message of the good news of God’s love to, and for, all people –
is a message about basically... just being ...nice.
I suspect you know what I’m going to say:
No.
It’s not.
Now don’t get me wrong:
it’s nice to be nice –
but there’s more to the Gospel and to being God’s people than mere niceness.

Last week, we began to explore that section of Jesus’ teaching known
as the Beatitudes – and we considered the people who Jesus called ‘blessed’.
This week, the beatitudes move on to consider God’s law –
of Jesus being the fulfilment of the Law, found in the Old Testament;
of Jesus talking about righteousness,
and of murder, adultery, divorce,
and of the making of oaths.
Along with this, he talks of a tradition of ‘an eye for an eye’ –
this, from the Book of Leviticus –
and he then talks of a different way:
instead of the way of retaliation through violence, he talks of the way of love.
Sounds...nice, doesn’t it?
But when you tease this out a little, it’s no light and fluffy nice thing at all:
it’s something that takes enormous courage, strength, and an inner core of integrity.
But before we do tease this passage out, first, a little bit of background.

‘You have heard it said ‘eye for eye, and tooth for tooth’ –
Jesus is referring to Leviticus chapter 24 verses 19 to 20 which states:
'If someone injures a fellow citizen, they will suffer the same injury they inflicted: 
broken bone for broken bone, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. 
The same injury the person inflicted on the other will be inflicted on them.'
Basically, the Law’s saying that if someone does something to you,
you have the full weight of the Law behind you to go and do
that same thing right back at them – to treat them as they’ve treated you.
A law of retaliation – to satisfy the damage that you’ve suffered.
And, on those days when someone’s done some mean thing to you,
this law sounds pretty darned appealing, right?
You can find yourself thinking:
‘They did this, well, I’m going to go and do even more...
They’ll really pay for what they did, and then some!’
Except, that’s not what the law is actually about.
It’s an attempt to stop an escalation of violence.
If someone’s taken your best tup, you don’t get to kill that chap's sons.
The most you get to do is to take their tup.
It’s a mirror image of the crime committed –
you don’t have free reign to do anything beyond this.
Similarly, if someone picks a fight with you and ends up knocking out your front tooth,
you can go no further than knocking out their front tooth –
the law is there as an attempt to stop things spiralling out of control.
The law is not about revenge – it’s about justice.
And justice is important.

We all know the sting of what suffering an injustice can feel like.
Earlier in the year, I met up with an old high school pal of mine from Australia.
She was on a quick trip over here with her hubby.
Hubby had been duly sent off to clamber about old ruined castles
while we two caught up after a small gap of ...
well, okay, quite a substantial gap of many years.
Within minutes, however, the years fell away, and the stories and memories flowed –
and we recalled a particular incident at school, where we,
two of the really annoyingly ‘good’ kids,
found ourselves utterly unjustly accused of something by the Headmistress.
Let’s just say that, even though we finished high school in the 80’s,
the sting of just how wrongly, how unfairly, we’d been treated
was as fresh as it had been so many years before.
Which also made us laugh a little later.

Injustice rankles.
Justice is there to take away the sting.
However, here in our text, Jesus points to something more:
‘You have heard it said...but, I say to you... 
don’t take their eye out, don’t knock out their tooth’...
Justice is important –
but Jesus is calling his followers to do even more than
just follow basic principles of retaliation:
he’s calling his followers beyond that –
to temper justice with mercy, love, and, with a desire to seek peace.
Andrew Young, friend of Martin Luther King, stated:
‘If we continue to practice an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, 
we’ll eventually end up with a land of people who are blind and toothless.’
But it’s hard, isn’t it, when all you really might want to do is strike back?
While it may be nice to be nice
it’s hard, so hard to love –
especially those who have done some unkindness to you;
those who’ve done harm to you, or, to those you love.
Perhaps we’d rather Jesus didn’t ask us to do this.
Perhaps we’d rather Jesus kept these lovely ideals to himself;
perhaps we’d rather he was a little bit more realistic, times, after all, have changed.
We look around and, via our 24/7 access to news media,
we see and hear a constant stream of stories featuring
a whole host of folk around the world,
around our neighbourhoods,
who’s seeming sole purpose in life is to harm us.
We are shown potential enemies everywhere –
nations and groups apparently wanting to take us over...
take away our freedoms,
our rights,
our way of life.
How could Jesus possibly talk of loving one’s enemies –
and, of praying for them?

While Jesus didn’t have access to modern media,
he did have 24 / 7 access to knowing what it was like to see enemies all around:
Jesus lived and ministered in a land that was a Roman province.
He lived knowing the reality of what it was to have a
foreign occupying power controlling everything:
that bit about ‘if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two’?
That’s a reference to Roman practice:
you could be quietly minding your spice stall in the market and a
Roman soldier was perfectly entitled to force you to carry his pack for him...
however, only for a mile, for that was also part of Roman law.
Still, that leaves your stall unattended while you carry a pack a mile up the road,
and then have to walk the mile back.
This could be demanded of you at any time, in any place –
it displayed public control over the population:
it was an act of power, of subjugation.
To this, Jesus says ‘practice the law of love’ to the Roman oppressor,
retaliate by overcoming evil with good.
Going the extra mile, while done in love, also had a knock on effect:
it shamed the one who had ordered the forced march.
The initial act of what was intended to be humiliation was changed –
the power dynamic shifted:
by freely offering to go that extra mile, you were refusing to accept the humiliation...
Jesus is not calling for niceness,
he’s calling for radical transformation;
he’s calling for a complete dismantling of justice based on retaliation,
replacing it instead with justice based on love.
Using love as quite a counter-intuitive way of protest.

The Gospel reading this morning formed the foundation for the
nonviolent resistance of Mahatma Ghandi’s strategy against British colonial rule,
and Martin Luther King Junior’s movement to dismantle racism.
‘Love your enemies’ is not an instruction to be passive toward cruelty,
rather it guides one to defiance,
to work against the system and cycle of violence or racism
or any other way people are demeaned and diminished by refusing to be part of it.[1]
King famously said:
'Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, 
adding a deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate,
only love can do that.’
Jesus’ instruction to turn the other cheek and not resist the evildoer
points to a different level of resistance, a non-cooperation in hate and violence.

Earlier, I said that walking the way of love took courage, strength, and an inner core of integrity.
In reference to the way of love, and especially with regard to loving one’s enemies,
the last verse in this section of the Beatitudes states:
‘Be perfect, therefore, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’
Wait. Hang on...
Jesus is asking us to be perfect?
But... only God is perfect.
What’s actually being implied here by Jesus is less a moral perfection,
it’s about reaching an intended outcome:
as God’s people, our aim ... our intended outcome...
is to grow in the grace and love of God -
created in God’s image and, called to be who he created us to be.
In essence, Jesus calls us to ‘be complete, as our Father in heaven is complete.’
It’s a process – we are God’s handiwork, still being fashioned.

Can we do what Jesus asks –
turn the other cheek, love our enemies,
pray for those who persecute us?
No, not perfectly.
On some days, maybe not at all.
But that’s not really the point.
Rather, it’s about having the courage, the strength, the inner core of integrity –
that is, knowing who and whose you are –
that keeps you walking in the way of love.
It takes courage, strength, and that inner core of integrity,
to keep you from falling in with the crowd who are crying out for an eye for an eye,
crying out for revenge and retaliation.
Jesus calls us to grow...
actually, Jesus calls us to grow up,
and to move to that place of completion –
to go beyond the need to strike back, and instead, to work to change the system
that would have everyone blind and toothless.

The Psalmist says:
‘even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate person.’
The way of love underpins God’s justice:
it is the way that, bit by bit, the world is changed for the better,
that the world becomes ... brighter.
And, we start with our own small corner of the world.
How might you start in this, your small corner?
Perhaps, a simple way of beginning is to try to pray for someone with whom you struggle.[2]
It’s a small step, but, as God’s beloved, it’s a step you can take with God beside you,
helping to give you the grace, and the love, so that you can continue to walk his way of love.
Remember:
it’s not the Law and love – it’s not an option -
it’s the law of love.   Amen

[1 and 2] via David Lose at Working Preacher

40 Acts of Lent: Day 10 - Shared spaces

Act 10 : Shared Spaces
God gave us the earth to cultivate for community. And in many places, we've done a solid job of it: parks, town centres, playgrounds. But whether it’s graffiti, litter, or just misuse, people often muck them up. The thing is though, if it’s true that Jesus will get glory from all things, then our actions to clean and fix up our community spaces can be profound. So today, take ownership of the shared spaces around you.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the 

Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” 

                                                                                                      Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
Your thought for today: 
When my wife and I arrived in Southall we soon realised what a multicultural and vibrant place it was, but we were saddened that so many green spaces in the area were neglected and left overgrown. We wanted to do something so, with very limited resources, we took on a small plot in one of the overgrown allotments and started a Community Gardens Project in 2010. It was daunting as this was the first community project in the area and we didn’t know how people would react – so we prayed a lot! To our surprise, the project was well-received by the local community and still continues today.

Next we wanted to create a green space for the community to socialise, sit and enjoy food, plant fruit trees, keep beehives, and enjoy nature. So, in 2013 we found a three-acre derelict site, called ‘Wolf Fields’. The site had been used for drug-taking and was littered with beer cans, old mattresses, syringes and all sorts of rubbish. Nearby residents avoided it but we’d fallen in love with it and wanted to transform it. The big question was ‘How do we go about it?’ Followed by ‘Where will the money come from?’ We prayed repeatedly: ‘Lord, if it’s Your will, show us the way. We want to transform this piece of land for your glory, so people and wildlife can thrive together.’

There were lots of obstacles on the way: dealing with the council, sourcing funding and cleaning up the area, but the site is now being transformed with an organic food growing plot, sensory garden, beehives and a story telling area for children. We are over the moon. Not only that, but antisocial behaviour has dropped in the local area, and although a lot is yet to happen, the local community are so pleased with the changes that they come to help maintain the site, have fun and enjoy nature!

Reflecting on the work we do, I see how generous and faithful our God is. He acknowledges our humble prayers and makes our work fruitful in more ways than we could imagine. So many people have flocked to these places since the start and they have become more than just gardens. They are places for sharing ideas, making friendships, growing food, learning and praying together. They are places where people find peace of mind and healing, and places where I myself find the bigger picture of Jesus.

Choose how you’ll complete today’s act: 
Go for a walk and take in your area's shared community spaces. Go with the planning bit of your mind switched on. What do you see to clear up, or to benefit the community? Share the idea with your church or home group.

Litter-pick. Either on your own, or grab a group of friends. You can mix this up: scrubbing graffiti and guerrilla gardening (if you've a green thumb) are options. Chat with your neighbours, your home group, the school-run/coffee mums, the guys on the rugby team, and see who you can gather together to help you out.

Do today's green task. Then see if you can get permission from your council to do something with a disused space, or a neglected area. Could you create a community allotment, or spruce up an area to put an event on, like a pop-up coffee stall? Cleaning up a known messy area for an event is a good way to grab people's attention.

40 Acts: Day 9 - 'Lean'

No one likes to admit to needing help but we wouldn't be human if we didn't need a helping hand from time-to-time. Whether our struggles are big or small, having someone to lean on can make all the difference. So, today, you're looking out to be someone's leaning post.

"If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. 

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV)

Picture the scene – two English girls in Peru, at the start of the Inca Trail.
Part of a large group, mostly made up of experienced, prepared and super fit walkers. If this was a TV reality show, the camera would zoom in and the voiceover would run, 'Sian and Emma haven't trained or prepared for this gruelling journey.'
We already know how this goes.Being sisters helped (as did the porters who shouldered 25 kg of baggage each) and for the first couple of days we laughed our way through the tough bits. Knowing my tendency to panic when pushed to my physical limit, Emma kept my thoughts upbeat – promising me amazing views once we reached the high point (and glossing over the fact it was called 'Dead Woman's Pass'). After five hours of straight climbing, pushing on through several bouts of heart palpitations with Emma's encouragement (no way was I being turned back on health grounds), even I had to admit it was worth it.
The views were spectacular.

Having peaked, it was then downhill for two more days: two days of testing drops and huge boulders which stretched Emma's legs to their limit.
All of a sudden the tables turned: it was Emma that needed encouraging.
We drifted back to the back in the group, eventually lagging an hour behind the others, and by nightfall Emma showed signs of altitude sickness.
We had yet to face the 'Gringo Killer' – a narrow set of stairs so steep it's like scrambling a wall – to reach the finish and a spectacular sunrise.
With each clamber and jolt, I realised that my strong-willed sister was starting to crumble.
Despite all this we kept going, and at sunrise there we were, at the sun gate looking down at Macchu Picchu.
And it was stunning.
We had done it; we had successfully completed the Inca Trail.
We walked down from the sun gate celebrating with slightly less enthusiasm than we had anticipated, and posed for the typical photo in front of the ancient ruin.
And then Emma passed out.

This was no place for panic – now it was my turn to be the strong one.
We had leaned on each other for different reasons and all under the watchful eyes of the porters who had probably seen it all before.

I’ve since told this story many times and I’m still learning spiritual lessons from it: how we can all imagine we can do things in our own strength;
how our own weakness is no barrier to helping others;
how Jesus carries the weight we can’t carry, much like the porters;
how sometimes we’re the one to give help and other times accept it from others.
So next time you see a chance to be someone’s leaning post, step up – because you could be the person God’s put on that spot.

Today's blog was written by Sian Davison

Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION: Go through your day as you would normally. But look out for someone going through a moment's trouble: offer to carry a heavy bag, unpack shopping, finish off chores.   YELLOW OPTION: Who do you know who would appreciate a hand this evening? Show you're shoulder-to-shoulder with them by promising an hour or two of your time. RED OPTION: Know someone who's flagging and needs some real 'get stuck in' kind of help? Put your shoulder to the proverbial wheel and do what it takes to give them a break/a hand/a day off. Or schedule a time this week, and let them know you'll be there to help them.

March Lunch Club

March Lunch Club

Come along for good company, and good food, all for an excellent price.
Please let Jenny Worthington know by Mon 13th, for catering purposes. 

See you there!

40 Acts: Day 8 - 'Pause'

40ACTS·THURSDAY, 9 MARCH 2017
Act 8 : Pause
It’s easy to let cutting words slip out. But the barbs can sting and the effects of our words can stay with other people a lot longer than we expect. The best way to stem the flow of put-downs is to replace them with life-giving words. These words also resonate, sometimes for entire lifetimes. 

“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, 

but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” 

                                                                                                            James 3:5

Your thought for today:  
Sometimes I’m hilarious. 
Intentionally hilarious as opposed to falling-smack-on-my-bum-on-the-top-deck-of-a-bus-on-a-first-date kind of hilarious. I have moments when the banter is flowing, my wit is at full pelt and I’m looking for every opportunity to chip in with my next perfectly crafted punchline. I can feel the words speeding off my tongue like a rollercoaster creating a rhythm to the conversation where each person is trying to outwit everyone else. But you know exactly the moment it happens. When It Goes Too Far. Suddenly people aren’t laughing but frowning, the sniggers become muffled and you realise you’ve Crossed The Line. 
Ouch. 
It’s happened so many times to me. 
My tone has been a little too sharp or patronising; I realise I’ve kicked someone exactly where it hurts the most. I’ve said something cruel, demeaning or even downright racist. 
Surely I’m not that kind of a person, am I? 
Those excruciating moments – when you just want to disappear behind anything you can get your hands on or get beamed up and away like they do in Star Trek – can teach us so much. It’s in those moments that my privilege, my status and the depths of my prejudice are exposed – in front of a whole crowd. They cause me to examine who exactly I have issues with, to question who I think I am to put others down quite so spectacularly and why my own insecurities lead me to do this. 
Equally there have been those times when a word of encouragement, solidarity or support has affected me so deeply that I have felt transformed even in the seconds in which it has been spoken. After all it was the ‘Word’ that came alive full of grace and truth to set us free. 
Our words have power. 
A gentle word can heal, a harsh word can destroy a relationship, a joke can stick for a lifetime. 
Words have the power to change how people feel about themselves, their view of the world and outlook on life. James describes the tongue as being like a fire (James 3:6). 
Today, let’s start a revolutionary spark, fuelling our words with grace and truth. .

Choose how you'll complete today's act: 


Begin your day with a decision to catch your words before blurting them out. Just five minutes of intentional decision-making can set you up for a day of generous, kind communication.


Think about those closest to you – the ones you’re prone to get shirty with when you’re stressed/tired/hungry. When was the last time you said something harsh to them. What was it? Are there particular words or phrases that you use repeatedly? Write them down if you can, so that you catch them before you're tempted to use them.

Ask a friend to evaluate your speaking voice. They could use these questions with you: am I too blunt? Too sharp? Slow to listen and quick to respond? Take their answers and see if you can turn them into action points – remember this is about taking on a whole new posture, not just methods to fix a few words.

40 Acts of Lent: Day 7 - 'Undivided'

ACT 7: UNDIVIDED  
When was the last time you spent time with someone of a different culture, religion, social background or age group to you? The UK is a mix of cultures and income brackets, but sometimes the divisions can feel stronger than the connections – communities bumping into each other but never really joining together. Break those barriers down today and cross a social divide.

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; 

male and female he created them."

                                                                                                     Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

After finishing school in 1990 I served an internship for a mining company in the rural north-west of my native South Africa. That area was a right-wing heartland and support for apartheid, still in force at the time, was strong there. On our first day, our training supervisor took us from Johannesburg to the company hostel which would be our home along with other junior employees (mostly mining engineers), two per room, for the duration of our assignment.

At check-in our training manager delivered the day’s first bombshell to the hostel manager. Tshepo, an IT intern like me, was to be the hostel’s first ever black resident. Unruffled, but resolute, the hostel manager refused until a call was placed to the group’s HR director.

I unwittingly delivered the second bombshell. I asked if I could share a room with Tshepo. The hostel manager was stunned. That she should be forced to accept a black guy into an all-white residence (with shared ablutions!) was one thing, but that a white guy would choose to room with him was altogether another.

I would love to say that my choice was purely principled but it wasn’t. My night-owl nature would not have fit a miner’s early nights and pre-dawn shifts so it suited me better to share with Tshepo. But I also knew the biblical truth that all of humanity shares the image of God and I did not need to swim with a current that said otherwise.

Thinking back to those days, I wish I had been more active in chipping at the walls of apartheid. But there are still opportunities today. Apartheid’s walls have gone, but walls between ages, races, income groups and cultures still exist all over the world. It’s worth breaking through them, or simply ignoring them, because as I learnt back then, some of our best friends can be people who aren’t like us.

Choose how to complete this act...


GREEN OPTION:What’s the cultural mix where you live? There might be a large Bangladeshi community in your neighbourhood, or a big Spanish group in your church. Could you read up online and learn a few quick greeting words to use when you meet them? Start with ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ – winners in any conversation.

YELLOW OPTION:
Look out for someone whose social background or culture or religion is different from yours – a neighbour, a parent at the school gates, your local shopkeeper. Spend longer in conversation with them today. Learn a few things about them that you didn't know: about their kids, their dreams, where they've travelled in the world.

RED OPTION:
How can you learn more about and come alongside those from different backgrounds in your community? Send a message of encouragement or thanks to other faith or culture groups in your area – a letter, an email, or face-to-face. Try a different style of church to your own – Anglican if you're Evangelical, Greek Orthodox if you're Baptist, that kind of thing. Start breaking down divisions today.