'Image and Impressions' - transcript of sermon 22/10/2017 St Werburgh Kingsley

Mid Churnet Benefice - St Werburgh Kingsley

The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Isaiah 45.1-7  1 Thessalonians 1.1-10  Matthew 22.15-22

Who have you noticed being talked about this week, perhaps in the news or on social media?

What kinds of things are being said about people?

For the most part, if they are in the news, it will be because they have been up to no good and been caught out.

Or maybe they have made some policy announcement that we either agree with or even disagree with.

Or fired off another tweet!

Are people talking about you?

Maybe not in the public sphere, but around and about, where you live, or work or perhaps play golf, running club, WI or whatever.

What do you think people are saying about you?

What do you hope they are saying about you?

Last week a great Christian man called Paul Griffiths died after a very short illness.

Having being diagnosed with gall stones they turned out to be cancer and he sadly died in a matter of days.

Paul set up the ‘Ugly Duckling Company’ that produced some fantastic resources for sharing the Christian Faith.  Table Talk was perhaps the best known, but also Puzzling Question for those who are asking about the Christian faith.

www.theuglyducklingcompany.com

On Facebook knowing he had only days his friends and colleagues were asked if they would put up ‘tributes’ to Paul – to encourage him (and his family) in his last days.

Some of them were deeply moving tributes to an amazing man of God who had a passion to make Jesus known and at least twenty good ideas before breakfast.

What would people say about you?

Have you ever thought about your epithet?

In the story we heard from the Gospel there is one person who is mentioned who most certainly wanted people to remember him, talk about him and indeed worship him – Caesar.

Which put the People of Israel in a tight spot as their commandments stated very clearly that there was only one God and only Yahweh should be worshiped.

The other person being talked about in this story is of course Jesus.

Here it is the Pharisee’s and the Herodian’s who are talking about Jesus.

It is not hard to imagine the type of conversation they had either.

And they think they have come up with an answer to Jesus and his increasing popularity and influence.

Then as now if you wanted to catch someone out you might frame a question that would put them on the horns of a dilemma. Whichever way they answer would make them declare their hand or say something controversial.  The actual answer isn’t what is being looked for – it is a mere ploy to try and entrap someone.

The Pharisee and Herodian’s think they have such a question. 

And of course it is also good to begin with a bit of flattery, to entice the victim into the trap.

‘Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God with truth. You are not swayed by men because you do not pay them any attention.’

If only that were true, that they really believed this theatrical flattery and flourish used to help set the trap.

Then the question – hurled like a spear with the intent of causing as much damage as possible.

Whichever way he answered they have him – he will either be dragged off to face Roman justice, perhaps why the Herodian’s are involved. Or he will capitulate to the Roman occupation and then his popularity would quickly wane and his following diminish – job done. 

But they should have known they needed to get up a lot earlier to catch Jesus out.

The key to Jesus’ answer is in his asking for a coin with which to pay the tax to Caesar.

And they produced one – not knowing that they have just scored one of the biggest home goals in history.

On that coin was an image of Caesar. On that coin were the words, Tiberius, High Priest, Son of God.

One of the ways a conquering nation demonstrated its rule was by introducing their own coinage.

That was one of the reasons why the UK did not want to accept the Euro – we wanted to retain a sovereign UK currency.

By carrying the Roman coin they are in effect demonstrating that they have accepted the Roman rule and authority.  Therefore, logic demands that if they have accepted Roman rule and benefits, that they should pay for them through taxes.

So, Jesus’ answer is, yes, if this stuff belongs to Caesar, then give it back to him.

And give to God what belongs to God.

They were amazed at his answer – and we know people kept talking about Jesus, even more.

Are people talking about you – and if so what do you think they might be saying?

Might they be saying that you are known as a man or woman of God? 

Might they be saying that you are known for demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit – even if they didn’t use that language?

Might they be saying that you are a person who is kind, long suffering, forgiving, and full of joy, peace and self-control?

I was talking to someone recently and mentioned that people are a bit like radiators or drains – once you have been around them you are either warmed up or worn out.

What do you think people might say about you?

And what about this Community of Faith, the People of God at St Werburgh?

What might people be saying about you, collectively?

Paul tells us something about the Church in Thessaloniki and what was being said about them.

 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.  For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

If I was to go out into this community and ask people what they thought about St Werburgh’s, what do you think their answers might be?

Are people talking about you as a Church?

One Bishop famously quipped, ‘when Paul turned up there were riots, when I turn up they give me a cup of tea.’

Today celebratory cult prevails. On average 17 million selfies are posted on social media every week across the world.

There is an unhealthy narcissistic cult of wanting to be known and noticed.  

What are people saying about you as an individual and what are people saying about you as a Community of Faith?

Because it is into this self-obsessed culture that we can speak and demonstrate that our true selves find their fullest and richest expression when they are found in Christ.

What are people saying about us as those who seek to reflect Christ in and through our lives?

A few weeks ago I attended a presentation of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services to Staffordshire Young Farmers Club.

The presentation was made by the Lord Lieutenant for Staffordshire.

He was the Queen’s representative and therefore was given all the honour and dignity that Her Majesty would also receive.

You and I are Christ’s Ambassadors – representatives of the King of Kings.

Do people know that and do we demonstrate that each and every day and in each and every moment?

The coin to pay the Roman tax had an image of Caesar on it.

What image do we carry and what image do people have of us, both as 

individual Christians and as the People of God, the Church.

Because there is only one image we should seek to portray and only one image we should carry.

Paul speaks about this writing to the Corinthians…

‘And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.’

If the image of God you carry has become dull I would like to pray with you and for you. Catch me at the end of the Service.

If you do not know the Christ whose image we are charged to carry, I would like to pray with you and for you so that you may accept Jesus into your life and be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Catch me at the end of the service.

Let us pray...

Finish then Thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav'n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before Thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

'Good Tenants' - sermon transcript St Anne's, Brown Edge

Sermon St Anne’s, Brown Edge 8^th October 2017

Isaiah 5.1-7 Psalm 80.9-17 Philippians 3.4b-14 Matthew 21.33-46

When we left Cornwall after living there for ten years, by a miracle of God’s provision we bought a house.  We thought it was our ‘potter’s field’ and that we would return from exile to retire in Cornwall.

That was in 2005 and over the subsequent years we have rented the property out to tenants.  This involves drawing up a contract, with the landlords and tenants having certain rights and responsibilities.

That is exactly what is going on in this parable Jesus tells. Only here, the landlord is Israel’s God, Yahweh, and the tenants are the People of God.

This would have instantly recognized as an allusion to Isaiah’s song of the vineyard. In the Isaiah passage it is the vine itself that is at fault.  

In the story Jesus tells, it is the tenants who are at fault.

Jesus invites his hearers to ‘search the Scriptures’ and he is giving them clues as to where to find what he is alluding and here quotes from Psalm 118.22 and references the rejected ‘capstone.’  

Related to this ‘capstone’ is Daniel 2.31-45

In this passage Daniel interprets a dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. The King had seen a huge statue with a head of gold, a chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze and it’s legs of iron and partly baked clay. 

All of these stood for various kingdoms that would rise and fall until they would all be destroyed by a rock not cut out by human hands.

Daniel 2.35 –

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold broke to pieces all at the same time. And all the pieces became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summertime. The wind blew them away, and there was nothing left. No one could tell that a statue had ever been there. Then the rock that hit the statue became a very large mountain and filled up the whole earth.

This ‘very large mountain’ is spoken of by Isaiah in a very familiar passage in chapter 2…

It shall come to pass in the latter days

that the mountain of the house of the Lord

shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills;

and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore.

That was the high call of Israel’s God towards His people.  They were called to display how to live as authentic humans in God’s world and to be a light to the Gentiles. However they failed to understand and failed to keep to this one true calling. They had not produced the fruit. And so God calls them back time after time by sending prophets, the landlords ‘servants’ in the parable, who were sorely treated and rejected. 

Then comes the son, the one true heir, the capstone, the rock, the messiah – if they get rid of him then they can continue to live as they please with their own interpretation of what it means to be God’s people.

And then we are back with the Daniel passage when Jesus says…

Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”… 

We know in hindsight that the tenants did kill the son and that tenants we evicted from Jerusalem and the Temple destroyed by the Romans in AD70.

This parable was a forceful message to the Pharisees and they knew it, but the time was not yet right for them to make their move against the son.

So, a powerful message to the Pharisee’s during Jesus’ earthy ministry – but is there a lesson for us to learn today, could this parable speak to us in some way?

Switching from grapes to olives this is what Paul writes in his letter to the Romans in Chapter 11…

'Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.'

 

There is always a danger that we fall into the same trap as the Pharisees. We can fail to show by our lives that as God’s people we are called to display how to live as authentic human beings and be in harmony with each other and with our world.

On Wednesday last the Church remembered the blessed St Francis. 

He saw with searing clarity that the Church at that time had done just such a thing.

He spoke and acted as a prophet of the New Covenant seeking to draw people back to faithfulness to God’s plans, purposes and intentions.

On a Facebook posting recently someone mentioned their displeasure that they had heard someone refer to their Church building as an icon.

One reply reminded them that an icon is a window or a door onto the sacred – therefore it is a good description.

My response was to affirm the Church building was an icon but I then went on to say that however it can very easily move from being an icon to become an idol.

I think St Francis would agree with me, or perhaps I am agreeing with St Francis!

Taking St Francis as his model, Pope Francis said, “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”

In his 2015 Lambeth Lecture ABC Justin Welby said, ‘I want to start by saying just two simple sentences about the church. First, the church exists to worship God in Jesus Christ. Second, the Church exists to make new disciples of Jesus Christ. Everything else is decoration. Some of it may be very necessary, useful, or wonderful decoration – but it’s decoration.’

Like me begin to draw to a close with some questions for you to ponder on.

Both as an individual and as a Church Community let me ask, ‘what do you think you are doing for God’s sake?’

Then, please here me right when I say this as I know of no plans, but supposing, just supposing, this building was to close or be used for another purpose, what effect might that have on your love of God and your faith and your faithful and ongoing witness to God in this community?

Is this building an icon or an idol?

Do you agree with Justin Welby that you have only two main tasks to perform – and if so, how are you going about fulfilling them?

Then finally let me commend a newly published book, ‘A Discipling Presence’ that comes out of the Germinate ARC stable. It has some great stories of what people in rural churches have done as they have sought to be faithful tenants and to produce a good harvest.

https://www.methodistpublishing.org.uk/books/9781858524429/a-discipling-presence

Remembering that Bishop Michael as asked us to deepen our discipleship, to discover our vocation and to engage in evangelism.

Let us pray…

O Saviour Christ, in whose way of love lays the secret of all life, and the hope of all people, we pray for quiet courage to match this hour. We did not choose to be born or to live in such an age; but let its problems challenge us, its discoveries exhilarate us, its injustices anger us, it possibilities inspire us, and its vigour renew us. Pour out upon us a fresh indwelling of the Holy Spirit; make us bold and courageous in sharing faith in both word and deed for your Kingdom’s sake we ask.

Amen

Captain's Log October 2017

Most of September was taken up in trying to clear the decks and prepare for our late summer holiday.

I did however have several ‘meetings’ of various kinds including our ‘Chew & Chat.’ We now have three regulars meeting and it is always great to catch up with each other.

We also had a Prayer Meeting with the Prison Fellowship (www.prisonfellowship.org.uk) and I would encourage anyone in this area to come and join us – we need more people!

First Aid Training Day as part of my involvement with RDA. (www.rda.org.uk) I normally find these training days difficult as you are asked to act out situations and do the compression and mouth to mouth thing. Our trainer was a former Paramedic and he was excellent and the day was lots of fun as well as very informative. In particular it was good to know about the Defibrillators that you see around. They talk you through what to do step by step. We had a short exam at the end and I am pleased to say that I passed!

‘Chewing the Cud’ and this time down near Derby.  I really enjoy these gatherings. We never know who is going to pitch up and how the conversation is going to flow. We also agree from gathering to gathering whether we want to meet again in six weeks’ time.    

Two Licensing’s this month – one for our former Rector, Adrian who is now Vicar of Trentham Parish Church. The other was for one of our folk from St John’s, Isobel, Licensed as Reader. This was splendid occasion in Lichfield Cathedral and alongside Readers we had a number of other Licensed Lay Posts, including a couple Licensed as Funeral Pastors!

Preaching at St Anne’s, Brown Edge, with everyone coming forward and sitting in the choir stalls or near to the front. The difference was palpable and was commented on. Let’s hope and pray they keep to it.

Same day and giving a helping hand over at Tixall Messy Church with a Harvest Theme. I covered the Bible story of the Parable of the Sower using some of the children to act out the part. This ‘sketch’ has been around for years and yet it still works and not having seen it before they were impressed.

Lichfield Church Army Cluster. Rather disappointing to have only five of us gathered. However, this did give an opportunity for us to share celebrations and challenges and to pray for each other. We also named and brought into the circle all the other Cluster Members. (www.churcharmy.org)
.
‘Love Stafford’ and a meeting of the Executive.  Interesting that since the beginning of my involvement and ministry with Church Army in 1978 I have been involved with Ecumenical Groups – it is a deep passion of mine and I take Psalm 133 and John 17 seriously.

Another ‘interesting’ engagement was attending the AGM of the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) Stafford Group.  Building relationships and making contacts. We had a fascinating talk from Mary Cope of Beaudesert Park Farm. They have been there for four generations and seek to work in harmony with nature as well as run a herd of White Park cattle alongside other stock.

The final engagement was a talk about Church Army to the Stone Deanery Chapter.  I was able to bring in the whole area of mission, evangelism, conversion and the Dioceses of Lichfield’s call for people to engage in evangelism, deepen their discipleship and discover their vocation.

Our special late summer holiday celebrating our 35th Wedding Anniversary and our last holiday with Tabitha Banks before she becomes Tabitha Warren in November was a real blast. We went to Orlando, Florida, and of course just before we went it all looked like it might not happen.  However by the time Irma hit Orlando it was a severe storm and although it did some damage it was nothing like further south.  We did the Park thing, the shows, getting character signatures for our two grandchildren (honestly, otherwise we would not have queued up to meet Mickie and Minnie and a host of other Princess - we just wouldn't have!!) We went to St John's, Kissimee where we have been before, five years ago being the last time. And one lady remembered us again as she did last time. It was great to have Tabitha fiancee with us for the first week, as he had to fly back for work. All in all a fantastic time with over 1,000 miles journey in the hire car and on average walking around 7 miles a day - plus the food, and yet more food.  And of course the soda and coffee has free refills!  The weather was a gorgeous 30 degrees most days and only one short rain shower. We laughed, and cheered and hardly every stopped grinning and being very, very silly - but that's the true magic and wonder of it all. It is a holiday like no other.

This link will take you through to just some of the photo's - there are more...

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP9yzAN0gzGPJgHGkhX0lfkOKbn1IcWniwwKHo75v5XhxOdsm80TrXypnUZbww0Mg?key=MVhBbXU1aE5uOXA4NFdUakozdmZUNVFNRlg1X3lB

Some October 2017 engagements 

Monday 2^nd

I know this has passed but please can you prayer for St John’s, Littleworth, Tixall and Ingestre as they continue in Vacancy. This is our home Church and so we are deeply involved in this, particularly Jane as PCC Secretary amongst numerous other ‘hats’ she wears in her involvement with St John’s.

Wednesday 4^th

Lunch time gathering for the Midlands Rural Officers Group at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

Thursday 6^th

Meeting with Martin Strang (local vicar) to talk about one of his parishes.  In the evening representing FCN (www.fcn.org.uk) at the YFC Harvest Service in Ashely.

Saturday 7^th

With my FCN Colleague, Steven at a Plough Match near Lichfield.  In the evening representing FCN at the Presentation of the Queen’s Award to the Staffordshire YFC. (Young Farmers Club)

Sunday 8^th

Preaching & Leading Service of the Word at St Anne’s, Brown Edge.

Monday 9^th

Meeting with JM as his Spiritual Companion.

‘Chew & Chat’ lunch time gathering. In the evening leading the Littleworth, Tixall & Ingestre Benefice Vacancy Prayer Meeting.

Tuesday 10^th

Stafford Clergy Chapter then in the afternoon meeting with my own Spiritual Companion

Wednesday 11^th

Personal Quiet Day

(Hospital Chaplaincy Cover 4.30pm – 8.30am)

Thursday 12^th

‘Love Stafford’ Leaders Prayer Gathering including a presentation from Roy Crowne, Hope 18.  Back with RDA (Riding for the Disabled) in the evening – not been for several weeks.

Saturday 14^th

Rural Ministries Training Day as Oswestry. Attending as a ‘guest.’ https://www.ruralministries.org.uk/events-1

Tuesday 17^th

Review meeting for the Rural Evangelism Course ‘Journey to Faith.’ (J2F) available on the Germinate ARC web site http://germinate.net/

Wednesday 18^th

Inaugural meeting of the Lichfield Community of Evangelist.  FCN Presentation to the AGM of the Stafford Branch of the RBST. (Rare Breeds Survival Trust) https://www.rbst.org.uk/

(Hospital Chaplaincy Cover 4.30pm – 8.30am)

Thursday 19^th

‘Chewing the Cud’ at Amerton Craft Farm.

Afternoon meeting to review the Church Tent at the Shrewsbury Flower Show.

Saturday 21^st

Rural Mission Solutions Webinar on Winter Missional Ideas www.ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk

Sunday 22^nd

Preaching at St Werburgh, Kingsley

Monday 23^rd

Rural Mission Solutions Trustees Meeting in Selly Oak (I am Chair of Trustee’s)

Tuesday 24^th

FCN Harvest and AGM at Knebworth

Wednesday 25^th

Staffordshire County Show Church Tent review meeting.

(Hospital Chaplaincy Cover 4.30pm – 8.30am)

Thursday 26^th

Day with the Kinglsey Benefice in preparation for offering support as they go into Vacancy.

Thursday 26^th – Saturday 28^th – trip to Cornwall. (Daniel’s birthday on the 28^th)

Sunday 29^th

Preaching at St Paul’s, Stafford, 8.30 & 10.00

Monday 30^th

Tixall Messy Church planning. In the afternoon Prison Fellowship Prayer Meeting.

Tuesday 31^st

Midlands Missioners Gathering in Birmingham.

Living in Harmony as God's People (transcript of sermon 10/09/2017)

St Anne’s Brown Edge 10^th September 2017

Ezekiel 33.7-11 Psalm 119.33-40 

Romans 13.8-14  Matthew 18.15-20

Shortly after my sixth birthday my father was killed in a road traffic accident. That left my mother to look after three young boys. My mother also suffered from a severe heart condition and so spent long periods in hospitals. Therefore my two older brothers and I would often spend some time during the summer at a Children’s Home. One of the Children’s Homes was in Lytham St Anne’s. One day when we were all playing another boy bit me. I was taken into a kitchen type area and the wound was dressed and I was consoled. Then the boy who had bit me was brought in and made to stand in front of me and his shirt sleeve was rolled up. I was then told to bite him back, which I couldn’t and didn’t.

The idea was a kind of tit for tat – or to use a Latin term – Lex Talionis.  

Or from Exodus 21.23-25 …

"But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise…”

The basic principle behind this was a good one – in effect it was saying, no more than an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

However Jesus often had a different take on things and offered another way to live as an authentic human being and to live together in community and in harmony.

And so we have this passage from Matthew’s Gospel talking about the conduct of the small communities of Jesus’s disciples that were emerging during his time as an itinerant preacher, teacher and healer.

In these new communities disputes were to be sorted out in a different kind of way.

This side of glory, human beings will have the occasional spat or dispute, often caused by a misunderstanding.

Jesus says that it is important how we handle such matters. In most cases it will be only a slight matter or issue and can be quickly dealt with by an apology and forgiveness.

However there will be issues that we simply cannot shrug our shoulders and say, o it doesn’t matter, because it does matter.

Bad behaviour, unkind words, deliberate denigration, all these and much more besides are poisonous and need to be faced, dealt with and forgiven with restoration of fellowship as the aim and goal.

Very sadly I could mention church fellowship after church fellowship where such disharmony and dis-ease has been allowed to creep in and poison the fellowship and harmony amongst brothers and sisters in Christ.

This is partly what lies behind the sharing of the Peace. 

‘…Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother or sister; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5.23-24

If you have fallen out with someone, or had some kind of dispute or spat, it would be perfectly right and proper as you came into Church this morning, to have a quiet word with me to hold the Service and for us to pray quietly while you make peace with the person whom you have offended or whom has offend you.

And the sequence of steps outlined in this passage demonstrates the seriousness of getting this right – of living in peace and harmony with each other.

It starts with an individual face to face.

Then moves on to involve others as witnesses.

And finally, if reconciliation cannot be reached, moves on to the point of putting that person out of the fellowship.

If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone, writes Paul in Romans 12:18

And in Romans chapter 13, which we heard today, Paul picks up a similar theme with instruction for the small and fragile Christian communities’ in Rome.

We must always bear in mind that society at that time was deeply stratified. 

One scandalous feature of the emerging Christian Communities was the mixing of classes – ‘for all are one in Christ Jesus.’

What this meant, what it looked like and how to make it real, is the subject of many of the Letter’s in the New Testament.

We are probably all familiar with Jesus summary of the Law and what we sometimes refer to as the Golden Commandments…

Mark 12:30-31

 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

This is picked up here by Paul when he writes about love being the fulfilling of the law.

‘Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.’

However ‘love’ here needs to be balanced with the passage from Matthew we have just been thinking about.

Love is tough and love occasionally has to say no.

It is never a matter of easy going compromise and perhaps saying, so what’s the harm, it does not really matter.

You might recall the story some years ago of a mother who son at the age of nine, if I remember correctly, weighed about 13 stone.

The authorities were threating to take the child into care if she didn’t sort things out. However she said, but he loves his food, crisps and burgers and chips. She thought she was being a loving mum, but in fact she was killing her own son by a misguided understanding of love.

Remember the Truth and Reconciliation Commission under Archbishop Desmond Tutu when the apartheid regime in South Africa was dismantled.

Truth about the horrors committed by all sides had to be brought into the open, spoken about and acknowledged. Only then could there be a move towards forgiveness and reconciliation.

You see, in the time of Jesus and of Paul, as now, we are supposed to be a light shining in the darkness.

We are called to demonstrate how to live as authentic human beings and how to live in love and harmony and community together as God’s people.

Jesus calls us to love each other in the Community of Faith

‘…A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

And it is from this Faith Community, with love, peace and reconciliation at its very heart and core that we open up our doors and invite others in so that they can see and taste that the Lord is good.

Sadly, many of our Churches are full of rancour and bitterness, of people complaining because we do not sing this hymn or that song any more, or because we do that or because we now do this.

Is it little wonder that people may look at us and say, I have enough stress and arguments in my life already; I do not want to add to them by becoming involved in Church if that is what they are like.

So here are a few questions by way of a conclusion.

What first attracted you to this Faith Community – to this Church – and that applies whether you are here for the first time today, or have been coming for years.

Then, what do you think would attract more people to come and join us?

Then, what might we do to make ourselves more attractive, available and accessible?

And if you are new here today then you are exactly the right kind of people to help answer this question.

This is why it is important to make the Gathering Alan has arranged for the 16^th September, a top priority with a wide invitation for everyone and anyone to come along. So that together we can discern the will of God for His Church, whether you have been labouring in the vineyard all day or just for one hour!

‘…A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

Now let us stand to share the Peace