Thus spake the prohet

I recently posted on Facebook an extract of a speech given by Neil Kinnock in 1983 on the eve of the General Election. This is a fuller extract of that speech:

If Margaret Thatcher is re-elected as prime minister on Thursday, I warn you. I warn you that you will have pain – when healing and relief depend upon payment. I warn you that you will have ignorance – when talents are untended and wits are wasted, when learning is a privilege and not a right. I warn you that you will have poverty – when pensions slip and benefits are whittled away by a government that won’t pay in an economy that can't pay. I warn you that you will be cold – when fuel charges are used as a tax system that the rich don't notice and the poor can't afford.

I warn you that you must not expect work – when many cannot spend, more will not be able to earn. When they don't earn, they don't spend. When they don't spend, work dies. I warn you not to go into the streets alone after dark or into the streets in large crowds of protest in the light. I warn you that you will be quiet – when the curfew of fear and the gibbet of unemployment make you obedient. I warn you that you will have defence of a sort – with a risk and at a price that passes all understanding. I warn you that you will be home-bound – when fares and transport bills kill leisure and lock you up. I warn you that you will borrow less – when credit, loans, mortgages and easy payments are refused to people on your melting income.

If Margaret Thatcher wins on Thursday, I warn you not to be ordinary. I warn you not to be young. I warn you not to fall ill. I warn you not to get old.

Speech in Bridgend, Glamorgan, on Tuesday 7 June 1983. Thursday 9 June 1983 was polling day in the general election. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Neil_Kinnock

In response to my posting a friend added the comment “Are you sure that is not a quote from 'Revelations?'" And another friend added “Wow sounds like a Biblical prophet.”

And there is indeed something about an Old Testament prophet in Kinnock’s words. Maybe his time at Vale Terrace Methodist Church youth club in Tredegar (where he was a contemporary of my dad as it happens – *sound of name being dropped there*) had an influence even if Kinnock would now claim to be an atheist.

Were those words spoken 31 years ago prophetic? Was Kinnock a prophet?

My copy of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1973 edition given to me by my grandfather on my 18th birthday in 1981 and a treasured possession) gives several definitions of prophet

“One who speaks for God, or for any deity, as the inspired revealer or interpreter of God’s will … In a non religious sense the accredited spokesman, proclaimer or preacher of some principle, cause or movement. … One who foretells what is going to happen;”

Now applying those definitions there is something prophetic about Kinnock’s words. (Prophetic being – again according to my dictionary – “Pertaining or proper to a prophet; having the character or function of a prophet”) Kinnock would not have thought of himself as speaking for God. But he certainly foretold some things that would happen.

Last Sunday was the third Sunday in Advent and the Old Testament reading in the lectionary was from Isaiah 61. The passage contains these words:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

They are words Jesus uses (close on 500 years after Isaiah) in setting out his ministry. The words are clearly important then. They are a mission statement for how followers of Jesus Christ should seek to be and how we should seek to challenge the society we live in if those values are contrary to these words.

If there can be any doubt about the importance of these words, later on in chapter 61 Isaiah proclaims these words:

For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.

Years ago, a wise teacher of preachers advised prepare your sermons with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. His point was that sermons had to be relevant to the day-to-day lives of people, and the best way to ensure that would be to focus on what is going on in the world. That is good advice.

Our newspapers and televisions and radios and internet regularly contain stories of people being oppressed or poor or broken hearted or prisoners. I freely admit that it is a challenge for us to look at our world and see injustice, oppression and poverty and think “Wasn’t this supposed to change with Jesus?”

Well yes at one level it was supposed to change. God sent his son Jesus into the world to be a light. God sent his son into the world to save the world from sin and transform the world into the Kingdom of God. God sent his son into the world to show how we should live. To show that people should care for one another.

And Jesus did do all those things. But sinful people ignored his teaching and turned away once again – just as they had done in the time before Isaiah incidentally.

At Advent then we are reminded we are now living in an in between time. A time after Jesus came in to the world and a time when we wait for Christ to come again and restore this broken world. Advent is a time of waiting, and hoping and preparation for God to transform the world through Jesus Christ.

Which brings us back to Isaiah’s prophecy. For Isaiah’s words tell us that this transformation is not an empty hope but it is a sure promise. Christ will come again!

So what about the in between time? What about now in other words?

Transformation is happening now. Christ’s transformation is happening today. But where? Where is God’s transformation revealed today? What is God doing today in the lives of the people that offer hope and restoration to our broken world?

At this time of year there are signs of transformation all around us. But these are signs of the secular world being transformed as Christmas lights go up and Christmas music is played. Our schedules are transformed into tireless activities leading to near exhaustion and fatigue. Somehow in the secular world at this time of year many people are transformed into monsters who wish to consume everything. Monsters who want to buy everything.

Even amid the Christmas trees, Advent rings and crib scenes in our churches it is often difficult to see God’s transformation springing up. So Isaiah’s words come as a real challenge to those of us in church, let alone to those outside of church.
We do not need to look far to see the injustice of poverty, abuse, hunger, oppression and war. Yet our Christmas distractions often speak louder to us than Isaiah’s call for God’s transformation. Our eyes tend to stay focused on the pretty nativity scene rather than looking beyond it to what Jesus’ birth really means for this world.

But Isaiah’s words, as spoken once again by Jesus in Luke 4, remind us that God’s transformation will alter our personal lives and the world in which we live.

An important question for Advent to reflect on is this.

“What are God’s people doing in the world to bring God’s good news of transformation?”

In places where there is growth then it is easy to see how God is at work transforming lives. But what about here? With our churches in decline surely God must have given up on us?

Well he hasn’t. For just as Isaiah spoke his message to the people of Israel exiled in a strange land so he speaks to us, for in a sense we are now a remnant, exiles in a strange land. The words are a reassurance to us but they are a challenge to us too. For whilst God loves us and cares for us he still reminds us that we are to be the transformation around us. We are to be the prophets speaking truth to power. Shining the light into the dark world of greed and corruption and oppression.

So was Kinnock a prophet? Yes his words have proved to be prophetic I believe and the values he espoused in that speech seem very Biblical to me. God can use all manner of people to proclaim his word - including atheists!

Gabriel (Peter) brings an Advent message

Yesterday evening, I went to with friends to see Peter Gabriel play a concert in Cardiff. I’d agreed to go months ago but with no great enthusiasm. Although I have many of his albums clips I’ve seen of him in concert suggested he was a poser and a bit “up himself” (if you’ll excuse the colloquialism!)

I came away thinking how disappointed I’d have been to miss such a terrific concert. He played a 2 hour set which was in three parts, acoustic, electronic and performance. (The performance being the Album “So” played completely.) This was all accompanied by a brilliant light show.

Most of the music he played was well known to me but he did play one or two new pieces (to me anyway) one of which was called “Why don’t you show yourself?”

He has recorded "Why Don't You Show Yourself?" for a forthcoming film, Words With Gods. Words With Gods is an anthology of nine short films centred on religion and spirituality and set for release next year. The films directors include Mira Nair, Guillermo Arriaga and Hideo Nakata.

The song “Why don’t you show yourself?” contains a great deal of theology. It speaks about someone searching for God. Someone who is desperate to find God. Someone who wants God to come into the world now.

As I heard this song performed on the 2nd December, 3 days into Advent, it really struck a chord with me. For me, it is a song that perfectly picks up one of the themes of Advent – the longing for Christ to come again in to the world.

I found the words of the song on a fan’s Facebook page so I can’t guarantee their accuracy. https://www.facebook.com/Peter.Gabriel.Europe/posts/640488176002447

More about the Words without Gods project can be found here
http://www.wordswithgods.com/peter-gabriel/

The web site has an audio track of Peter Gabriel performing the track.


Why don't you show yourself

Why don't you show yourself
Why don't you show yourself
Was that something whispering in the leaves
I can smell your breath within a breeze
Something lying at your feet
Making you alive more complete
And we rely on
All that's forgotten
With the way that destiny
Can pull you down
So we are searching
Searching for you
And we go hunting
Hunting for you
And in this empty space
In this hollow place
Why don't you show yourself
Why don't you show yourself
Life and death
The strong and the weak
The only thing you think about
Is exactly what you seek
We look for footprints
We look for clear signs
Look for any presence
That we can find
And still we're searching
Searching for you
And we go hunting
Hunting for you
And in this flesh and bones
In this man's heart
Why don't you show yourself
Why don't you show yourself
Hard to find you
Harder to see
The way you're talking
And the way you ' re set to be
In you I find me
Why don't you show yourself
And we go hunting
Hunting for you
And we we're hunting
Hunting round this world
And in this wounded place
Why don't you show your face
Why don't you show yourself
Why don't you show yourself

Peter Gabriel
www.petergabriel.com

Look busy - Jesus is coming

It is the first Sunday of Advent and the lectionary Gospel reading is Mark 13: 24 – 37. (The Lectionary is a series of Bible readings for each Sunday of the year.) In this passage of scripture Jesus tells of a time when he will return to the world and full establish God’s kingdom.

The so called “second coming” is a difficult concept for Christians – let alone non-Christians – to grasp. And I suppose one of the most difficult of all concepts to accept is when this will happen. And part of this must be “How bad do things have to get before Jesus returns and sorts things out once and for all?”

It is a question Christians have wrestled with for 2,000 years. And it is a question non-believers must level at us.
And for those who are impatient I have some bad news. In the Bible passage I mentioned a moment ago Jesus says that even he doesn’t know when he will come again. It could be today tomorrow or another 2,000 years.
The Message translation of the Bible puts it this way

32-37 “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable. It’s like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his servants in charge, each assigned a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch. So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning. You don’t want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. I say it to you, and I’m saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch.”

After 2,000 years of watching and waiting we could be excused for being a bit bored. However, the watching has to be an expectant, active watchfulness because we never know when he will appear.

Some waiting is passive. For example a girl standing at a bus stop waiting for a bus is passive waiting. All she does is stand at the stop and wait.

But the same girl standing in the same place but knowing that the bus will take her to the railway station in order to catch a train to the airport so she can go on holiday will experience a different kind of waiting. It will be full of expectation, it will be active waiting.

Jesus clearly had active participation in mind when he instructed his followers

33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]! You do not know when that time will come.

Jesus clearly doesn’t want us to know when he will return. If we knew he was going to return on a specific date we’d put off doing anything about his return until just beforehand. To avoid this lethargy he urges us to live as if his return were just around the corner. So there is no time to nod off in the waiting room!

Prudence Phillipson uses this analogy. When her children were young the floor of their playroom often became messy with games and toys strewn everywhere. Prudence got her children to clean up their toys and games by telling them she was going round the corner to the shop. "When I come back," she warned, "everything should be in its place." She would then give each child a task before she left. The oldest child would be given more complicated tasks while the simpler ones would go to the younger children. Then she would leave. The children would either do as she told them or else disregard her instructions.

When she returned, sometimes she would come quietly up the stairs and see through the half-open door that they were quarrelling or fooling around or just absorbed in something. Then there were other times when she would see that her children were not quite finished with their task so she would creep away to give them more time. Sometimes she would shut the front door with a bang and hear sudden noises of bustle as they hurried to get the room straightened. At such times one of the children would call out, "Not just yet, Mummy. Give us a little longer."

In thinking about her children, Prudence writes, "Each Advent I recall this experience with my children and wonder how many times the Lord has been close at hand, seeing the chaos of our world and longing to come, but waiting, sparing us judgment a little longer." Perhaps we are given more time to get our lives in order.
(Source eSermons)

I’ve talked about passive and active waiting. I just want to clarify something about active waiting. The phrase “Active waiting” suggests we have to be busy during the waiting. And that’s true we can be doing things to prepare the way for the Lord and his Kingdom certainly. But active waiting isn’t about doing as such or being busy.

A few years ago I remember seeing a T shirt which had the slogan “Look busy Jesus is coming”. And that can be a tendency among many Christians – including myself. In the time we’re waiting for Jesus we get busy. But Active waiting isn’t about being busy or looking busy. Active waiting is about being prepared and anticipating. Not just clock watching.

It’s the season of waiting in queues, waiting for packages to come in the post, waiting for children to give you their Christmas lists, waiting in traffic, waiting for a parking space, waiting, waiting, waiting.

One thing we don’t do very well in our society is wait. We get impatient. We get nervous and some even get angry. That’s because we see waiting as wasted time. It’s boring to sit and wait. It’s "down" time or "dead" time. We equate waiting time with being non-productive.

Waiting does not have to be seen as a bad thing. Waiting is an opportunity to reflect or meditate. Nor do we have to fill our idle time with things to do. The more time we spend working the less time we have to spend with our families or attending to our souls. Our society has become so production focused that we have lost sight of the fact that we need time to think, relax or just wonder.

The passage from Mark’s gospel we’ve been thinking about today illustrates one of the most important puzzles of the Gospel. And that is the “Already here / Not yet” quality of Jesus.

The Already Here Jesus has established the means by which we are part of God’s family and have a relationship with God. But Not Yet do we live in complete relationship with God.

The Already Here Jesus has started to build the Kingdom of God and there is evidence of that Kingdom in the world if we look. But not yet as his Kingdom been fully established.

As that well known theologian Noddy Holder once said "Look to the future it’s only just begun."

In this passage from Mark’s Gospel Jesus is sending a message about living in the challenging between time. That is the time between the Already Here time and the Not Yet time. We are in that Between Time. Therefore, we are called to be alert and awake and called to live our lives in accordance with Jesus who has come, died, been raised from the dead. And by being alert, being prepared, being watchful, we may find that not only will be ready to live in the promised realm of God when it comes, but we may experience even now what life in the new realm will be like.

What should we be doing while we’re waiting? We should be worshiping him, praising him, serving him, loving him, and loving one another as he commanded us to do. When we do those things, we will be ready, no matter when he comes.

Let us look to the future – it’s only just begun.
 

Give peace in our time

There are many phrases in the English language that come from The Bible – “money is the root of all evil” for example, (By the way the exact quote is "The love of money is the root of all evil")

Or Shakespeare – “Cruel to be kind” “Murder most foul”


Or The Book of Common Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer has given us a phrase that has gone down in history. It is a phrase used by Neville Chamberlain in 1938 “peace in our time.”

Chamberlain – consciously or unconsciously – was quoting a prayer of intercession from the Book of Common Prayer “Give peace in our time O Lord.”

Chamberlain, returning from a meeting with Adolf Hitler, thought he had negotiated a peace agreement to prevent war. And Chamberlain no doubt sincerely believed that by obtaining Hitler’s signature on a peace agreement, he had prevented another generation of British men and women from being engulfed in war. Let’s not forget, the First World War had ended just 20 years before. Just under a year later Chamberlain’s dream of “peace in our time” was in tatters.

As we all know, this year marks 100 years since the beginning of the First World War. It also marked the 70th anniversary of D Day in the Second World War.

100 years seems so long ago in some respects. But in others it does not. In my life time I’ve met and known of men who served in the First World War. There was a real sense of touching history. Now they are all dead. So maybe for people today WW1 is now very much history.

And yet WW1 seems to cast a long shadow that even touches the lives of children today. Several years ago I visited the Belgian town of Ypres. For me it was a kind of pilgrimage as I had a grandfather who had fought in WW1 in Ypres. In fact he was severely wounded there whilst trying to rescue two comrades. For this he was mentioned in dispatches. My grandfather Ira Thomas was one of the fortunate men to survive the war, though he was left with physical and mental scars for the rest of his life.

When I visited Ypres I was surprised to see so many youngsters in the town visiting the large military cemetery at Tyne Cot and also attending the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. The Menin Gate is a memorial similar to Marble Arch in London. And inscribed on the gate are the names of over 54,000 British and Commonwealth men who were killed in fighting around the town and who have no known grave. 54,000!

Yet many of those 54,000, and many of the hundreds of thousands others of all nationalities including of course Germans who also died in WW1, believed they were fighting the war to end all wars. They died hoping that the world would never see war again.
And no doubt men like my grandfather came home from the battlefields of France and Belgium almost 100 years ago with the same hope. With the ending of war they may have thought that the prayer from the Book of Common Prayer - “Give peace in our time O Lord” - had been answered. That is why Neville Chamberlain – almost an object of ridicule now – was hailed by many as a great statesman when he came back from Munich.

Chamberlain firmly believed that his famous piece of paper ensured there would be peace. He firmly believed there would be no more war and the next generation would not spill their blood.

But the hopes of my grandfather’s generation were dashed in 1939. And their hopes and the hopes of us all have been dashed ever since in wars fought in places such as Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Wars between countries such as Israel and Egypt. Civil wars in the former Yugoslavia. War in Syria today. The list goes on and on and on.

All in all, over the last 100 years there has been a distinct lack of peace. There appears to be no likelihood of peace in our time. Though it must be said that apart from in the Balkans, Europe has been at peace. For the last 70 years there hasn’t been war in Europe. Europe has known a peace like never before.

“Give peace in our time O Lord”

The longing for peace is very Biblical.

Scripture makes peace a consistent theme throughout Jesus' life. When He was born in Bethlehem, the angels called Him the Prince of Peace. During his lifetime he preached peace and love constantly.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Jesus wanted nothing more for people to love one another and live in peace. But as we know only too well, no matter how much we may long for peace, it never seems to come about.

Why is that?

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr said

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

Real peace can only come about when underlying conditions of injustice and exploitation which fan the flames of resentment and which finally lead to War, are removed.

I'm fed up with politics

For as long as I can remember I’ve been interested in politics. Politics was always talked about at home by my parents. The news was always on. And the “A” level I excelled in (the others were ok but that was all) was “British Constitution” or Politics as it would be called today.

But now I’m fed up with politics. I’m fed up with the broken promises. I’m fed up with the lies. I’m fed up with the spin. But most of all I’m fed up with the way I’m not represented.

During the 2010 General Election I was living in the Swindon North parliamentary constituency. It had been a Labour seat for a number of years but in 2010 a Conservative – Justin Tomlinson - was elected. I wasn’t surprised. Having attended a hustings meeting organised by local churches, the Labour candidate came across as a robot parachuted in by Labour head office whereas Mr Tomlinson was a local man and spoke with passion.

Although our politics are different, I’ve thought of Justin Tomlinson as a good MP. And this blog isn’t about him. It is about the system.

The Electoral Commission web site shows the results from Swindon North as follows:

• Majority: 7,060
• Electorate: 78,384
• Total number of votes cast: 51,008
• Adjusted turnout: 64.16
• Number of postal votes cast: 9,065
• Number of proxy votes cast: 357
• Number of rejected votes: 170

In other words Justin Tomlinson had 7,060 votes more than the next candidate Labour’s V. Agarwal. So far so good. And if it had been a straight choice between them fair enough. But it wasn’t just between them. There were 4 other candidates. This meant that in terms of all the votes cast Justin Tomlinson was elected with 44.6% of the votes cast. Or in other words 55.4% of people who voted did not vote for him.

We’ve now moved to Chippenham and the story is similar here. The Liberal Democrat MP Duncan Hames was elected with a majority over the Conservative candidate of 2,470. Mr Hames attracted 45.8% of the vote. Or 54.2% of people didn’t vote for him.
I could go on with other examples. But there are many constituencies in this country where people did not vote for their particular MP and where more to the point most people voted for someone else.

I should add that there will be places where a Labour MP has been elected and most people voted for someone else. And there are some places where MPs do have a true majority of the votes cast (For example Geoffrey Clifton – Brown in the Cotswolds has 53% of the votes cast.) But overall it seems to me most people who vote don’t get a voice as their MP is for another party.

Our system is designed for a two party choice. You vote for one or the other. And in a straight choice there is nothing wrong with First Past the Post. In the Scottish Referendum there was a choice between “Yes” and “No” - simples. But when confronted with a ballot paper containing Conservative, Labour, LibDem, Green, UKIP, Monster Raving Loony Party etc. etc. etc. First Past the Post doesn’t work.

Most other countries now have some form of proportional representation. Why can’t we?

Going back to Swindon North for a moment. Only 64% of those entitled to vote did so. Mind you in Birmingham Ladywood only 48.66% of voters voted.

Perhaps low turnout is down to dissatisfaction with the process and maybe PR would help? Though equally the "can’t be bothereds” may come into play. I’d like to see voting as compulsory as it is in Australia.

Personally, I will always vote – though I am coming close nowadays to not bothering. (The closest I came to not voting was for the Police & Crime Commissioner election in 2012. I did vote but spoiled my ballot paper as I was so annoyed at the waste of money and the politicisation of policing.)

In the light of the Scottish Referendum it has been a long time since democracy has been talked about so openly. I hope politicians (of all parties) now take the opportunity to try and fix a broken system. As it stands if our Parliament is the “Mother of Parliaments” the kids must be pleased to have left home by now.

Data from the Electoral Commission web site http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/

In God's eyes, equality is not always justice

This is an abridged version of a sermon preached on 22nd September 2014 at Central Methodist Church on Matthew 20: 1 – 16 – the parable of the Labourers in the vineyard

You may be familiar with the story of the Israelites in the wilderness. But in case you were away that day, here’s a summary. The Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt. They have been released from their slavery and are now being led to the Promised Land – Israel – by Moses. The Bible tells us that they spent 40 years wandering around the wilderness before arriving at the Promised Land which suggests they needed a new Sat Nav or at the very least a better map! Given their endless meanderings, it’s very understandable that

2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodis 16: 2 - 3

Thankfully the Lord heard their grumbling and

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.

We may find this fanciful. But this story is a valuable insight into the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, which in itself is a valuable insight in to what God’s Kingdom is like.

Out in the wilderness, God is creating a new people. His new people will be different from the people who had been enslaved in Egypt and who had witnessed what it was like to live in Egypt. God’s people in Egypt had been used to the ways of domination and submission, rich and poor, powerful and powerless. In the wilderness God is showing and creating a new way. God is showing them that his way is different. And he wants his people to live by this new way in the Promised Land.

The manna they all receive is nothing fancy or luxurious. Manna provided basic sustenance. Manna was good old “daily bread”. But all had it and all had enough of it. With manna everyone had plenty but no one had too much.

17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Exodus 16: 17 - 18

The manna, this gift from God, cannot be hoarded. In fact when the people try to do what people always try to do – gather more than they need either to hoard for later or, who knows to sell on to someone - they found it had gone bad and was full of maggots.

God was showing his people that in his world, everyone has plenty but not too much. The leaders and the servants receive the same. The people who work all day and the people who have nothing to do, receive the same amount. The able and the disabled receive the same. The old and the young receive the same. The black and the white receive the same. The Scots and the English receive the same.

In God’s kingdom all receive plenty, but not too much. In God’s world there is equality and justice. And what God provides is a gift.

The story of the manna in the wilderness is the embodiment of what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer:

“Give us this day our daily bread”

Just as God was creating a new people in the wilderness, Jesus in his parable is showing that Jesus’ people are new people too, and Jesus’ kingdom has values that aren’t the values of the world but are the values of God.

Jesus relates the parable to the disciples as they struggle to understand the meaning of God’s Kingdom. As they struggle to relate how God’s reign will work within the framework of the world. In other words the disciples try to understand how God’s reign will apply in a world that sees rich and poor, superior and inferior.

The parable of the workers in the Vineyard builds on the passage in Matthew 19 where a man comes to Jesus and asks what he must do in order to gain eternal life. Jesus reminds the young man he needs to keep the commandments but that also

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21

And

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Matthew 19:22

Later in the same passage the disciples’ reaction is recorded. They are clearly shocked by what Jesus has said and no doubt feel uncomfortable that any wealth they might accumulate will be a stumbling block. The disciples were mostly poor people. Like many poor people then and now no doubt they felt that a way out of their situation was to become rich. But Jesus challenges that assumption.

So coming back to the parable of the Labourers in the vineyard. Jesus is challenging the old assumptions about wealth and power and privilege in order to create the possibility of something new. Jesus is even challenging what we might think of fairness. And through this strange story, Jesus gives a glimpse of what the new order of God will be like and reminds us what the old order, the values of the world, are like.

In the parable Jesus presents us with a vision of the newness of God’s Kingdom. As Warren Carter in his book “Matthew and the margins” puts it, Jesus offers a vision of the “alternative household of God’s empire”. In God’s household, as in the wilderness, everyone receives the necessary daily bread as much as they need. And that I think is key point - each person receives what they need. This isn’t always going to be the same as everyone else. Some may have more some may have less but it is according to their needs.

A very helpful book to help interpret the Gospels is one by Kenneth E. Bailey called “Jesus through Middle Eastern eyes”. In the book Mr Bailey gives us information about the culture in the Middle East at the time of Jesus and, in some instances now, and this is a big held in understanding some of the stories.

For example, for this parable, Bailey explains how this practice of workers gathering in the market place was common at the time of Jesus and happens today too. An employer comes wanting a certain number of people for the day and he picks how many he needs. Often those left might not be the fittest, they might be too old or too young. It is not a fair system. And the wages no doubt aren’t fair either. The basic rule of economics – supply and demand – dictates that if there are more workers than work, their wages will be lower.

The point Jesus is making then is that in God’s Kingdom, justice demands that each are treated and valued according to their needs and who they are. This may seem unfair and unequal to us, but God’s justice demands this is how it should be. In the parable, those who are left over in the market place are likely to be the ones who are sick, disabled or elderly for example. Their needs are greater than those who are healthy.

I think these pictures serve to illustrate what Jesus is saying.

The difference between Equality and Justice. In other words, what we may consider to be fair is not necessarily the values of the Kingdom. We may think fairness says that the workers in the Kingdom are paid an hourly rate for how long they work. But Jesus says those values don’t apply in the Kingdom. There justice applies.

The parable serves as a reminder that the values of this world – winner and loser, superior and inferior, insider and outsider, honoured and shamed – these values do not apply to the kingdom of God. Moreover, the parable reminds us that in the Kingdom of God the “Me” culture doesn’t exist. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray to “Our father” and to say “Give us this day our daily bread”

This parable is a real challenge to the world we live in and it’s a challenge to each of us, because it goes contrary to everything the world holds to be true and good – power, wealth and status. But God’s Kingdom built on his grace goes contrary to the world.

Knowing your ABC

I recently attended a prayer breakfast organised by Churches together in Swindon at which the Archbishop of Canterbury was the guest speaker. (The Archbishop was on a visit to the Diocese of Bristol for the weekend and this was part of his very full schedule.)

Firstly, what impressed me was Mr Welby’s ability to relate to people. There were over 50 clergy from all denominations present and he managed to talk to everyone beforehand I think. He certainly came and chatted to a Methodist colleague and me – about Street Pastors and the African Praise shirt I was wearing! ABC had gone out the night before with a Street Pastors patrol in Kingswood Bristol and had enjoyed the experience.

Our collective act of worship started with a reading from 1 Corinthians 3 and the Chair of Swindon Churches Together – Methodist Superintendent Rev Mark Barrett – referred to John Wesley’s sermon “The Catholic Spirit”. A sermon in which Wesley spoke of recognising that Christians have differences over worship, over how Baptism is conducted, over how communion is celebrated etc etc. But the key is if we all love God if we all believe that Jesus is our saviour then we are one. “Give me your hand my friend”

ABC Welby then spoke. And the thrust of his talk was how over the last few years we have seen the idols people have relied on and worshipped for so long – money and wealth – collapsing due to the banking crisis of 2007 / 2008. Many people have realised that what they worshipped for so long has collapsed and they have been hurt. However, there are still those who put their faith in this idol. He mentioned how in a conversation with a city banker he was told “We have changed Archbishop. We have greatly reduced our salaries. There are few now earning salaries of more than £4m a year”!!!

Churches have responded to the crisis in this country through the growth of Foodbanks. And what impressed him was the way Foodbanks for example have grown without the need for great committees or formal agreements between denominations. Christians in one place have recognised the need and got on and done the work of the Kingdom.

He used an image I found powerful. He reminded us how in the Book of Exodus the Israelites had fled Egypt having seen the gods and idols of Egypt destroyed. But as the Israelites fled they were pursued by Pharaoh’s armies. The Israelites reached the Red Sea. They were trapped. Moses raised his arm and the sea parted and the Israelites crossed over in safety.

The point ABC made was that this was an act of faith. There was no great discussion about the rights and wrongs of going forward in faith. These believers just went forward. We too in this age need to have that courage and faith. To show the true way to live.

When I was growing up, my grandmother had a friend called Hilda Adams. Mrs Adams was quite a character and I always liked when she came to visit. One on occasion she gave me a print of Kipling’s poem “If”. She said to me (I was maybe 7 at the time) “You won’t understand this poem now. But one day you will realise its importance.”

She was right. And yesterday having (briefly) met ABC Welby and heard him speak, Hilda Adams came back to mind as did “If” especially these words:

“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,”

They sum ABC Welby neatly.

God bless you ABC Welby. Thank you for your leadership and for your inspirati

Heart v Head Yes v No

It was an interesting two weeks to be in Scotland on holiday and it’s got even more interesting since we’ve come home.
During our time in Scotland (on Islay and in Oban) we had several conversations about the #IndyRef. The first one was with two couples who we met in a coffee shop on Islay. They were retired and probably in their 60s. They had heard us chatting and realised of course that we were from “Down South” and I was wearing a University of Gloucestershire hoody. They struck up a conversation with us and soon made clear they were firmly in the “No” camp. They just could not understand why Scotland would leave the union. They spoke eloquently and passionately.

A few days later we visited the beautiful fishing village of Portnahaven. The village church was open and they were offering tea and cake (sold to help the window fund.) We called in and two lovely ladies severed us. We got chatting and I made some quip about only having English money. And one of the ladies then turned serious and, almost in tears, said she was hoping and praying for a “No” vote. As we left (having established that I was a Methodist minister) she said to me “You will pray for us won’t you?”

The next day we called into the island’s Gaelic centre. (Anne wanted to make some enquiries about a possible Scottish link in her family tree.) Two of the ladies at reception chatted to us and as they looked into Anne’s query, the BBC’s Gavin Esler passed by. (He had come in to record an interview with “Yes” and “No” representatives from the island.) I then asked one of the ladies (probably in her 70s) what her voting intentions were. Her face lit up and she said “I’ll be voting ‘Yes’. The time has come!” We talked some more and she made it clear that her decisions were based as much on emotion as anything else.

On our final day we were in the café of the Kilchoman Distillery. As we drove in to the complex there was a prominent “Better together” banner. The aforementioned Gavin Esler was wandering around and he’d come to interview the owner of the distillery. The owner came into the café and one of the waitresses asked him how the interview went. “I expect you said you’d be voting ‘No’ as usual” she joked.

We then became party to a really interesting debate. Two of the waitresses were adamantly “Yes” but one was wavering. The owner asked her had she decided. “I think I’ll vote ‘Yes’ I may as well give it a go”

The owner got very animated. “It’s not just a case of ‘giving it a go’! Once Scotland goes that’s it. No way back.”

“Oh well if goes wrong I’ll just go to England” she said in all seriousness.

A few days later we were in Oban. As we drove along the Esplanade the lampposts were festooned with “Yes” posters. The next morning these had been joined by “No” posters. On the third morning the “No” posters had been torn down.

Most people we were introduced to at church on Sunday morning were “No” but this seemed to be against the feeling in the town.
Back home it strikes me that this huge decision for Scotland and the rest of the UK is Heart versus Head. The heart the passion is near the surface for most people. But the “Yes” people seemed to be more passionate with a lot of resentment at “that lot in Westminster”

I can understand the “heart” a bit. Being Welsh there is always part of me that feels angry toward “the establishment”.

Similarly many of the resentments the pro Yes Scots have I share e.g. privatisation of the NHS, not wanting Trident nuclear weapons, cuts to public services. And these things clearly drive the Scots who are pro-independence. And yet the head part of me kicks in and realises the consequences.

We lose the checks and balances Scotland brings .

Come the 19th September we’ll know.

Ernie's story

I conducted a funeral earlier today of a lady who was born in a small Cotswold town and then moved in her late teens to a small Wiltshire village along with her 4 sisters and her brother. She moved no further than 5 miles from the Wiltshire village and is now buried alongside her husband who came from the village.

After the service I struck up a conversation with her brother, a local preacher. He must be close to 90 but had a wonderful memory and he shared with me stories of his (and his family’s) early life in the Wiltshire village. Including a time after the Second World War (in which he served) when he worked as a deliveryman for the village baker. The baker refused to use a motor van and even in the 1950s all deliveries from the bakery were via a horse drawn cart. The brother (I’ll call him Ernie) remembered a time when he was delivering on Christmas Eve to other villages in the area and finished his final delivery at 1 minute to Midnight.

Ernie then told me about how he had served in the Second World War. He’d been with the Royal Army Medical Corps and was in France from late in 1939. He had been stationed on the outskirts of Paris (“I could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. And I said to my mate ‘Next leave we’ll go and see that.’ We never got there.”) He left France via Cherbourg in June 1940.

In due course he was stationed out to North Africa. There he developed hepatitis and was hospitalised. Once he was better he was put on a hospital ship and sent to Malta as a medical orderly in a hospital.

“There were only 4 of us going to the hospital. And a lorry came to collect us from the port. As we drove up through the Maltese countryside I saw a woman shepherding sheep. It was a very moving sight and I found myself reciting Psalm 23 ‘The Lord’s my shepherd’. I’ve never forgotten than.”

On returning to Britain he returned home to the village.

“I remember getting off at the little station in the next village. I knew the station master and he told me to leave my kit bag at the station. He’d arrange for it to be delivered to my home later.

As I walked up the hill to my village, I met a man who I didn’t know out walking his Collie dog. The man stopped and wished me good evening and the Colley came and fussed round me. And I found myself in tears. I’d not been home for 5 years. I carried on walking up the lane and a wood pigeon, a blackbird and a thrush started to sing. David, it was like evening vesper. And I said a prayer of thanks.”

I usually blog about things that have happened to me or things on my mind. But these were such gentle words from a gentleman I felt I had to share them.

Fleeing from a holy land

There are some books that stay with me and every so often I re-read them. Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus detective novels. (I have them all by the way.) Kenneth Graeme’s “Wind in the willows”. And William Dalrymple’s “From the holy mountain”

I first read “From the holy mountain” around 15 years ago. I bought it in one of the 3 for 2 offers bookshops have during the summer holidays encouraging people to buy books to take away with them. (I clearly though I would have plenty of time on my hands that particular holiday as I vaguely recall that I also bought Pat Barker’s “Birdsong”.)

“From the holy mountain” recounts William Dalrymple’s journey through the Middle East following the footsteps of a 6th century monk John Moschos who travelled through the Eastern Byzantium world, culminating at Constantinople, where Moschos wrote his book Pratum Spirituale or The Spiritual Meadow.

Dalrymple's journey in the footsteps of Moschos starts at Mount Athos, Greece, proceeds to Istanbul, and thence to Eastern Turkey. Here he crosses the border and enters Syria. The next stop is Lebanon which is just at the end of its civil war, after which he crosses into Israel, the West Bank and concludes his trip in Egypt at the monastery of Deir ul-Muharraq which had just been attacked by the Gemaat al-Islamiyya.

Along the way, Dalrymple encounters several communities where Christians and Muslims worship in the same places. And Dalrymple comments how in Syria (then being ruled by President Assad senior) the regime actively protected Christians (perhaps because the Christians were willing to support President Assad in return.) Dalrymple was aware that tensions were high in places. But nevertheless Christians and Muslims coexisted failry peaceably for the most part.

It was in Israel that Dalrymple felt that Christians were most under threat. I can’t put my hand on the book at present, (the joys of moving – though I know the book is in the house somewhere) but he mentioned how many Palestinian Christians were fleeing Israel as they felt they were being pushed out by the influx of Jewish settlers coming to Israel from elsewhere in the world – notably the USA. He commented (and this is from memory) that if the numbers continued to leave at the same rate, by the middle of 21st century, there would be virtually no Christians in Israel.

When I started the process of candidating for the ministry around 2003, we had to review a book and discuss the contents at interview. One of the suggested books was “From a holy mountain”. Even then, the Middle East was a different place from the when Dalrymple conducted his journey. The invasion of Iraq by Britain and the USA had seen to that.

10 years on things are different again. In Iraq ancient Christian communities such as those in Mosul are under threat.

Apparently they are being told by a hard line Muslim group called ISIS that they must either convert to Islam or pay a large fine or “face the sword.” ISIS are marking Christian houses with this symbol.

The Arabic equivalent of “N” and it stands for Nazrani i.e. Christian. Unlike the Passover in the time of Moses, when Jewish people marked their houses so that the Angel of Death would “pass over” this symbol could mean the Angel of Death pays a visit.

In The Independent newspaper today (28th July 2014) Robert Fisk has written an excellent article analysing the situation. The article notes how Muslims and Christians have coexisted throughout the Middle East for centuries, on the whole fairly peacefully. But, as I noted earlier, there is now a major change happening with the Islamic extremists in Iraq chiefly (but also in Syria) seeking to impose strict Islamic rule – a caliphate – across many of those countries. This will mean that Christians will be persecuted but also there is a threat to moderate Muslims too.

Fisk quotes the Lebanese Catholic Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rai asking “What are the moderate Muslims saying? We do not hear the voices of those who denounce this” A very fair point.

Fisk notes that Koran demands respect for minorities.

Meanwhile, in a separate report, in the same newspaper on the same day, Muslim Palestinians, who have been seening their homes destroyed by the current Israeli action to combat Hammas rocket attacks, have taken refuge in the church of St Porphyros in Zaytun.

I find it very concerning that the media is so silent on the fate of Christians in Iraq. But equaly I find it very concerning how Israelis are attacking Muslim (and Christian) Palestinians. That said Hammas should know better than to poke a stick in to the cage of the Lion of Israel.

You have to wonder what on earth George W Bush and Tony Blair thought they were doing going into Iraq as these two Christian men should now be hanging their heads in shame at what is happening to Christian and Muslim minorities in Iraq and Syria. And whilst recognising that Israel should not be subject to terror attacks from Hammas,why does the USA (on the face of it, a far more Christian country say than the UK) support Israel in the killing of Christians and Muslims in Gaza?

The wonderful singer song writer Beth Nielsen Chapman wrote a song on her 2007 album Prism, called “My religion”. It contains these words:

My religion
I am a Hindu-Buddhist-Jew-Islamic-Christian
Combining one soul, one vision~
Living peacefully where music is the only divinity
And sharing your art, the sacred creed~
My confession of faith is to struggle, go out of my way~
And find love to the end of my days

She has a point. Trouble is I can’t imagine she is listened to very much on Caliphate FM.

The power of prayer

On 30th June Pastor Christian Fuhrer died in in Leipzig aged 71. The name will mean nothing to many - it didn't to me if I’m honest . And yet Christian Fuhrer was a one of the great Christian leaders of the late 20th century. But until I stumbled cross his obituary in The Independent newspaper last week, I wasn’t aware of him – though I was well aware of his actions.

Mr Fuhrer was born during the Second World War in Nazi Germany. With the ending of the war he found himself in East Germany living under Communist rule.

He worked initially in a car factory and at other times had jobs as a telegram delivery boy and as a waiter on a train. But all the while he was being called to ministry and from 1968 to 1980 he was a pastor of several different churches. In 1980 he became pastor of the Church of St Nicholas in Leipzig.

It was at this church he started Monday evening prayers for peace. Gradually over several years these became the focal point for East Germans protesting against the regime led by Erich Honecker.

On Monday 9th October 1989 about 70,000 people took to the streets – in peace at Pastor Fuhrer’s urging – to protest, after 500 Honecker loyalists had occupied the seats of the church during the prayer session. Clutching candles and flowers the people peacefully protested. There were few arrests and no bloodshed. One police officer said afterwards “We were ready for anything except candles and prayer”

“What I saw that evening still gives me the shivers today,” Führer said in an interview in 2009. “And if anything deserves the word 'miracle’ at all, then this was a miracle of Biblical proportions. We succeeded in bringing about a revolution which achieved Germany’s unity... It was a peaceful revolution after so much violence and so many wars that we, the Germans, so often started. I will never forget that day.” (Quoted in his obituary in the Daily Telegraph 1st July 2014)

The following week 120,000 people turned up for the vigil. The week after that 320,000. On 9th November the Berlin Wall came down.

I am one of those Christians who really struggles with prayer. I know I should pray more than I do. I find it difficult to find the right words. I lead prayers week in week out for peace in the world and look at the state the world is in. I look at the divisions in this country and know I’ve prayed about that and things continue the same way. And I wonder what is the point?

But then I read Christian Fuhrer’s story and I have to think again. For this story shows me the power of prayer. Yes, I still wonder why if so many people are praying for transformation between Israel and Gaza say, why doesn’t God do something? But then maybe the secret lies in the story of Christian Fuhrer and the Leipzig protests. Not only were the people in his church praying for peace, they ensured peace was practiced not just preached as it were. (Surely though there must have been something miraculous in a protest of 70,000 not turning violent?)

"We experienced it together," he said of his role in toppling the old regime. "Thousands in the churches, hundreds of thousands on the street around the city centre. Not one broken shop window. The unbelievable experience of the power of non-violence." (Quoted in his obituary in The Independent 9th July 2014)

Maybe if we in our churches were more focused in our prayer things would be different? Or maybe Christians, powered by prayer, need to take to the streets on occasion?

Perhaps the obituary writers thought it would be tactless to comment on Christian Fuhrer's surname which is of course the same word as Hitler used to describe himself. But the word translates into English as leader and, I believe, guide. Pastor Fuhrer truly was a great spiritual leader and guide. (And for people who notice these things, I know the "U" in "Fuhrer" should have an umlaut, but I don't know how to create one of these on my computer)

Police under pressure

BBC 2 screened the first part of a documentatry series last night called "Police under pressure". It looked at what it is like to police Sheffield in South Yorkshire today when police budgets have been drastically cut by the current government.

The episode centred on neighbourhood policing in the Page Hall and Parsons Cross areas of the city. Both areas have high levels of unemployment and in Page Hall this is a potentially volatile mix of "communities" - White British, British Asian and, the most recent, 700 Roma families from Slovakia. (In one slight glimmer of hope in a dark picture the White British and British Asians seemed united - albeit over their condemnation of the Roma immigrants.)

The police were shown as constantly being pulled from pillar to post to deal with calls from people claiming there was crime taking place whereas in reality it was anti social behaviour. Interestingly, the gangs of youths didn't appear to be doing anything illegal as such. There were few arrests. In fact there was some discussion over what would constitute a crime. But to the Whites and Asians, gangs of Roma youth standing on street corners talking until the small hours was deemed anti social. And, in some instances, intimidating.

In an effort to get some control over the Page Hall area (the home of the Whites, Asians and Roma) the police applied a Section 30 order in order to disperse the gangs of youths hanging round.

(Under section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 it allows the police or local authority to impose a Local Child Curfew. A local authority or local police force can ban children under 16 from being in a public place during specified hours - between 9pm and 6am - unless under the control of a responsible adult. http://www.justice.gov.uk/youth-justice/courts-and-orders/disposals/local-child-curfew)

In order to make the Section 30 work, the local inspector had to deploy a very heavy police presence all the time. This included officers mounted on horseback but also meant he had to move officers from Parsons Cross to Page Hall. Parsons Cross had been the subject of a Section 30 and it had worked with the reports of anti social behaviour greatly reduced. But of course as soon as the Parsons Cross officers were moved, youths in that area started to cause trouble again.

Put simply, there just weren't enough officers to go round.

What saddened me watching the programme was how demoralised the officers were. They looked fed up and exasperated.

Last week, I attended the National Association of Chaplains to the Police conference. The theme of the conference was "The challenges of modern policing" and the speakers (all serving police officers of different ranks) told similar stories to that shown on the programme. It is clearly part of the role of police chaplains at present to listen to officers (and police staff) as they go through this time of feeling undervalued and despondent.

My experience in Wiltshire as a volunteer chaplain suggests the issues aren't as extreme here. Nevertheless there is a continuing sense among officers (and staff) that it wouldn't take much for things to get out of control. Meanwhile "efficiencies" such as changes to shift patterns and closure of local stations meaning officers now have further to travel to start shift, will take their toll. (All officers I've spoken to find the new shift patterns disruptive to their own sleep patterns but also disruptive to their family life.)

As we watched the programme last night my wife commented "This isn't what the police should be doing" and she had a point. What Page Hall and Parsons Cross needed was input from social workers, family workers, youth workers and so on to try and fix some of the problem families. And, of course the levels of policiing that will deal with crime. But in the absence of these (and facilities such as youth clubs) the police are left picking up the pieces and sticking plasters over the wounds. Meanwhile the causes such as high levels of unemployment go untreated.

I was reminded of something one of the officers at the conference said. He'd spoken of how the police now have to pick up things that previously would have been dealt with elsewhere. But "elsewhere" has been cut too. The officer remarked "Surely there must come a time when someone gives us the authority to say 'No! We're not dealing with that.'"

I'd like to think so but the way things are I can't see it happening soon.

PS

I emailed a fellow chaplain about the programme last night. And in her reply to me this morning she said this:

"I thought the issues came over really well and I hope people and ministers start to listen. Let those who have ears hear!"

The right medicine

On our various visits to the USA, we’ve often used a Walgreens store. Walgreens is (to British eyes) a cross between Boots the Chemist and Woolworth. We first encountered Walgreen in San Francisco but have realised since they are not just in California but many other parts of the USA too.

The company started in the early part of the 20th century with a pharmacy in Chicago founded by Charles Walgreen. Since then the company has expanded and expanded and now has stores in all 50 states as well as in Washington DC.

Last Sunday morning (8th June) I heard an interview with a director of Walgreens – Randy Lewis – on BBC Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday programme. Mr. Lewis was interviewed by Clare Balding.

In a very moving interview Mr. Lewis explained how his son Austin (now aged 26) has autism. And Mr Lewis mentioned that he was always worried about how Austin would cope without his parents. Like many others with autism (and I suppose other disabilities) Austin could not get a job. This in turn led to Mr Lewis to think about whether there was a way in which the company he worked for could find a way of employing a large number of people with disabilities.

The company was at the time taking on 1,000 people a year. So Mr. Lewis came up with an idea of employing people with disabilities specifically. In fact the ultimate vision was that 1/3 of employees would have disabilities.
The important thing was that in doing this there should not be an increase in costs.

The project was agreed and now the company employs a great many people with disabilities on the same terms as those without disabilities. And the project has had an enormous change of culture to the company as a whole.

In the interview Randy Lewis made clear that as well as being driven by the thought of his son, his Christian faith was also a factor. He said that he has always felt that Christians believe in a time of hope. A time of no tears when every wrong will be righted. Therefore his understanding is how do we build this world in anticipation of that time? Something I wholly believe too.
Therefore, through wanting to do something for people like his son and driven by his Christian faith, Walgreens have become an employer of thousands of people with disabilities. And many of those had never worked before.

In the interview Randy Lewis explained that Marks & Spencer in the UK have shown great interest in what has happened at Walgreens and the American electrical retail company Best Buy have also started to adopt the approach. As he said:

“Once you have decided to do something like this, there are others who want to join you”

Walgreens have a 45% stake in the company that owns Boots in the UK and in May there were reports that Walgreen was looking to take over the company as a whole. So who knows, if that happens maybe Boots will adopt similar employment practices to Walgreens?

I find it encouraging that some companies are prepared to do the right thing and act ethically or at least try and make a difference to the lives of others. All too often large companies just don’t seem to have a heart for people. Everything is driven by the bottom line. Walgreens shows that the bottom line can still be taken care of while at the same time people can be taken care of too.

Much of my dissertation for my degree in applied theology was taken up with looking at business ethics and I particularly focused on the work of Sir William Hartley. Hartley was a 19th century self-made multi-millionaire who made his fortune from jam. But his Christian faith (he was a Methodist) dictated that he was a philanthropist. His employees had exceptional working conditions and he ensured they had health care and schooling. And he tried to ensure that his suppliers were paid fairly.

There were other companies at the time who acted in the same way – such as Cadbury and Rowntree for example.

What a better place the world would be if companies sought ways of making profit certainly but also found ways of being good employers and ethical businesses. What a better world it would be if companies did more than just play lip service to corporate responsibility.

Mind you, before we get too misty eyed over Walgreen, it is apparently looking at basing its headquarters in Switzerland in a move that would mean the loss of $4billion in taxes to the US Treasury.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/11/walgreen-offshore-taxes_n_5481596.html

It's the blind man, can I come in

Last weekend we met a group of friends for lunch. One friend was reminded of a time when he was regaling the group with a story and when he came to the somewhat saucy story and the pub they were in went quiet at the precise moment he came to the punch line. This caused him much embarassment and gave the friends a huge laugh.

I was then reminded of the time something similar happened to me when I was retelling a joke from the end of an episode of the Vicar of Dibley which involved a nun and a blind man. I'm not going to relate the joke here. Google it. All I will say is that at the precise moment I came to the punchline, a waitress leaned over me.

In a strange coincidence, in the week I had a visit from a blind man. That is a man who came to measure up a window for some Venetian blinds.

He had been due to arrive about 4pm but had phoned just before to say he was struck in traffic. By the time he arrived he was close on an hour late. I was hoping he'd be quick as I needed to get on with cooking dinner before my wife came home and in order for me to get out to a meeting. But the blind man wanted to talk once he realised I was a minister.

It turned out he'd been brought up in a Christian home and had attended a baptist church for many years. But as an adult he'd drifted away. But clearly his grounding had had an effect.

He shared several things he'd experienced recently. These included a conversation he'd had with a client who was a primary school teacher who wanted an old style of blinds. "I said to her 'These went out with the ark'. And she said 'What's the ark?' And I said 'You know, Noah and the ark.' But she really didn't know anything about it. What's the world coming to?"

He shared a few other things too.

He went on to tell me about a good friend of his who had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease last autumn. And the man poured out his great sadness about his friend. And he said how he felt he wished there was some way that his friend would not have to go through the great suffering that will inevitably come about as the illness develops.

Close on an hour after he arrived he left. Having poured out his heart and leaving a quote for some new blinds.

Simple Gifts

The following is an abridged version of a sermon preached at Central Methodist Church Chippenham at the Folk Festival Service 25th May 2014

The hymn Lord of the dance – was written by English songwriter Sydney Carter in 1963.

From the moment he wrote it the hymn became popular, soon entering the standard Anglican collection Hymns Ancient and Modern and becoming a firm favourite of church congregations, folk camps and school assemblies.

According to Sydney Carter’s obituary in the Daily Telegraph in 2004:

“The hymn's success stems from two elements. It has a lively, catchy tune, adapted from an air of the American Shaker movement. But the optimistic lines "I danced in the morning when the world was begun/ and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun" also contain a hint of paganism which, mixed with Christianity, makes it attractive to those of ambiguous religious beliefs or none at all”

Carter himself admitted that in writing the hymn he had been partly inspired by the statue of Hindu god Shiva which sat on his desk; and, whenever he was asked to resolve the contradiction, between a Christian hymn and this Indian god he would declare that he had never tried to do so.

I am not going to get into a debate about the theology of “Lord of the dance” – though for many years the hymn was ignored by the Methodist Church. It wasn’t included in the 1981 book “Hymns & Psalms”. However, it has been include in our new book “Singing the faith”.

Personally, I’m not entirely convinced by what the hymn is trying to say. So why then have I included it this morning – apart from the reference to dance of course? I’ve included it because of the tune.

Again, according to Sydney Carter’s obituary, many who first heard the hymn “naively assumed that it must be several centuries old; but others detected a disturbing ambiguity beneath its Nonconformist inspiration.” But Carter wrote it in the 1960s and he used a tune written in America in the mid 19th century by Joseph Brackett a member of the Shaker Christian sect. The song was called “Simple Gifts”.

The song was largely unknown outside Shaker communities until Aaron Copland used its melody for the score of Martha Graham's ballet Appalachian Spring, first performed in 1944. Copland used "Simple Gifts" a second time in 1950 in his first set of Old American Songs for voice and piano, which was later orchestrated. Many people thought that the tune of "Simple Gifts" was a traditional Celtic one but both the music and original lyrics are actually the compositions of Brackett. "Simple Gifts" has been adapted or arranged many times since by folksingers and composers.

The song was composed in 1848 by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett as an easy-to-learn tune for Shaker worship. Shakers were as vigorous in their worship as they were in their work. They were Christians who believed that Jesus would return to judge the world, so they had better be ready. Men and women were separated in Shaker villages and agreed to lead celibate lives. They lived simply, with few personal possessions.

Their workshops, which supported their villages, were famous for their creativity. They were not shy about sharing their products or their songs with the public, because the survival of their celibate church depended on recruiting new members.
The one time each week when everyone stopped working and men and women mingled was during worship, which involved singing and dancing that sometimes got so wild that outsiders gave the group its common name, Shakers.

The original words to Joseph Brackett’s tune are:

Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

This song for Shaker worship is perhaps not in the same league as a Charles Wesley hymn for theology! And yet the words suggest to me anyway something really important to the Christian faith the need to turn our lives around from sin. And also to recognise the gifts we have been given by God. And how in recognising those gifts, and accepting them, and using them, we will feel right with God.

Perhaps the most famous passage in the Bible that mentions gifts is that in 1 Corinthians 12 we heard read a moment ago.
The church Paul founded in Corinth clearly gave him concerns. Across 1 Corinthians, it is clear that Paul is concerned that this group of believers is divided over so many things. The divisions are in part due to what the BBC reporter Robert Peston might call “socio economic grounds”. In other words, there was division because some people were rich and others poor. Some were Greeks former pagans and others were Jewish. Then there were divisions about the treatment of the Lord’s Supper.

But perhaps the biggest division was over what are termed “spiritual gifts”. Or more accurately, there were divisions over how the spiritual gifts should be used.

Now I think it is important to realise that Paul recognised that within the church in Corinth, just as in other churches, and indeed in all communities, there was diversity. That is fine in his eyes. Paul realises that people will be different and will have different gifts. It is when the diversity leads to divisions that Paul is concerned.

Paul sees the different gifts within the church at Corinth as having been inspired by the Holy Spirit and these diverse gifts enrich the community in a God given way. Paul realises that having people with different callings and different life circumstances is all evidence of people having been blessed by the Holy Spirit.

Now, I need to say that in the passage from 1 Corinthians we’ve heard read, Paul is focusing specifically on what are often termed “spiritual gifts”. And throughout his writings Paul lists many examples. But it’s fair to say that these are not a full list. And as the Christian writer Paul Sampley points out in his commentary on 1 Corinthians, although Paul is discussing spiritual gifts specifically, the same is true about all we are granted to do as believers. Whether that takes place as some service for others or some kind of ministry or whether in a work context.

So, when I’m talking about gifts, I’m not just thinking of the spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues or gifts of healing. I’m thinking much wider than that.

Paul recognises that there are apportionments of gifts, servings of gifts and of workings of gifts:

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, 1 Cor 12 NRSV

When we look at a diverse group of people, we begin to see what Paul means. In this congregation today there will be many, many gifts. Some will be gifts of musicianship in order perhaps to lead worship and sing of God’s love. Others will be more practical such as a gift of woodworking. And in this town over the folk festival we will see evidence of many gifts. Now it may be that some of the people with gifts do not recognise them as coming from God. But their gifts are given from God. And even if they do not realise that their gifts are God given, if the gifts have produced happiness, laughter, joy and pleasure, then how cannot that be a gift from God? These things can be thought of as fruits of the spirit.

It is no accident that people have certain gifts. Paul tells us:

11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 1 Cor 12 NRSV

The Holy Spirit is the source of all gifts and the Holy Spirit allocates such gifts as the Holy Spirit chooses.
Paul also makes the point that whilst accepting the diverse allocation of gifts, whatever gifts one has been given, the gift is not given in order to vaunt oneself but the gifts are designed to serve the common good of the community:

7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good

That is a quite a challenge. I’m sure we can all think of examples of people who have been given a talent but who then use that gift in an abusive way or in a way that isn’t for the common good.

And in any case as I said earlier Paul reminds us that:

11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

Therefore, no one should boast of having any particular gift, because the Spirit has doled gifts out as the Spirit sees fit.
Bringing this back to the Folk Festival. What strikes me is the sheer sense of fun and pleasure the performers had. I am sure there could be some Morris Dancers who have “diva” moments, but they are few and far between. What they do is for their enjoyment of course, but the gift they have for dancing and playing music serves no other purpose really but to bring pleasure to others. That is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Likewise those who have been singing or performing. Yes there is enjoyment for oneself, but there is the bringing of pleasure to others.

Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.


Post Script

After the service a church member told me how much "Lord of the dance" means to her. Firstly, she was at a student Christian conference in 1963 when Sydney Carter came and taught them his new hymn. And the lady met the man who would become her husband at the conference.

Then she said how on one occasion her four year old granddaughter had been with her in church and "Lord of the dance" was sung. Later that day Copland's "Appalacian Spring" was on Classic FM. The granddaughter said "Grandma it's the damp settee song" "What do you mean sweetheart?" "We sang it in church. I am the Lord of the damp settee"

Who'd be a school governor anyway?

In a bid to encourage more people to become school governors, schools minister Michael Gove has said

“The thing about being a governor is that it’s not just a touchy-feely, sherry-pouring, cake-slicing exercise in hugging each other and singing Kumbayah.

“The whole point about being as governor is that you ask tough questions. How are our children doing? Is money being spent wisely?"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/school-governors-must-be-tougher-insists-michael-gove-9379763.html

In my best Michael Rosen style, this is my letter to Mr Gove.

Dear Mr. Gove,

Having spent 6 years as a school Governor (latterly as Chair of Governors) I can assure you Mr. Gove, that the Board of Governors I was part of, took our role seriously and we all tried to be as professional as possible. The Governors' Support team from the local authority emphasised to us the need to challenge and question. (Due to cuts by your Government and implemented by the local Tory run council, the Governors Support team and training was greatly reduced, by the way.)

But Mr Gove, now for the reality check. If you are expecting that level of professionalism and the confidence to challenge, then you are expecting a certain calibre of person to become a governor. In fact that is a point made by Emma Knights, chief executive of the National Governors Association who notes that the majority of school governors all have a professional or management background.

And whilst I wouldn't want to discourage anyone who doesn't have that kind of background from becoming a governor, the reality is that given the kind of scrutiny that is expected, "ordinary" people may well be put off. (That was the experience I saw at the school where I was governor. Several parent governors stopped being governors as they were put off by the amount of paperwork they had to read and digest.)

It is hard to say how much time I had to give as a governor. Probably as a governor it amounted to something like 4 hours a month. But as chair I spent this amount of time each week. I would frequently be called in to the school to sign papers, or for special meetings over and above those scheduled. I had a fornightly meeting with the Headteacher. And during an OFSTED inspection, I had several meetings with the lead inpector as well as having to be part of the team that picked up the pieces afterwards.

And, by the way Mr. Gove as a volunteer I would have expected some politeness and courtesy from the Inspector. I didn't receive this and neither did the staff. The complaints I made about the inspector afterwards, were ignored. The complaint being dealt with by other inspectors who clearly were going to circle the wagons around their colleague.

Being a governor was rewarding certainly - especially during the times when I was able to interact with students at concerts, presentation evenings etc; but I wouldn't rush to become a governor again. The constant moving of goalposts by you Mr Gove means it is hard to keep up. And, quite frankly, it was demoralising to see the teachers wilting under the constant drip, drip of criticism.

Must go. Sherry to drink, Kumbayah to sing.

Open our gates - out of love for God

In John’s Gospel there are 7 sayings of Jesus that start with the “I am” These include “I am the way the truth and the life”, “I am the light of the world” “I am the bread of life” and “I am the Good shepherd” perhaps being the most famous. But one of them “I am the gate” is perhaps not so easily recalled.

A gate brings to mind something that separates those on the outside from those on the inside. It could be said that a gate is there for two purposes; For protection and / or privilege.

Last Bank Holiday Monday we went on a walk organised by the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. We walked from Chippenham to Lacock and back. And part of the route followed a public footpath that skirts the Duchess of Cornwall’s house at Ray Mill just outside Lacock. And there were definitely gatekeepers and gates there I can tell you. And although you can’t see the gates from the footpath, the gates are there for protection and also a sign of privilege.

We may get that idea of a gate and its purpose. But when we think of Jesus in that context, and indeed the idea of gates and gatekeepers for our churches, what message is that saying?

I suppose that for two thousand years the church’s proclamation that Jesus is the gate has served both ideas – the idea of Protection and of Privilege. And this thinking makes sense when we take perhaps the most famous of Jesus’s “I am” sayings in
John 14:6

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

What Jesus is saying is:

You come in to the Kingdom of God via the gate that is me Jesus Christ. I will offer you protection and by entering in to the Kingdom you are adopted into God’s family. So therefore you are privileged.

And it’s worth remembering that for those John was writing for, those who entered by the gate that was Christ had to then close the gate on the flock that remained in the Synagogues and in the Temple. They were turning their backs on the old way and they needed to put in place barriers - spiritual and physical - for their own protection. Jesus was the gate to a new way of life and the Kingdom of God.

However, from that time onwards such an understanding had led to concern. Questions of exclusion and inclusion have raged ever since. Who was in or out theologically, morally or ethnically? And since John’s time, a whole multitude of divisions have grown up in the Church haven’t they so that the flock is now in many different folds.

And it seems to me that we in the church have decided that having Jesus as the gate isn’t enough and so we have chosen to build our own gates inside his gate!

The Church of Christ has been putting up its own gates for centuries. There were the differences between the Celtic and Augustinian Christians. Then there have been splits between what would now be termed the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. And of course in the 15th and 16th century the Protestant Church split from the Catholic Church. And now within the Protestant Church are many denominations. And let’s not forget that at one time the Methodist Church in this country was split – chiefly between Wesleyan Methodists and Primitive Methodists.

Christians like to be within the fold but we then we seem to want to put up our own gates to keep others out.

It’s quite possible that some of you here remember a practice that was common in many Methodist Church certainly until the early 1970s. And that was what could be termed “A fenced table” or “A closed table." A fenced table or a closed table is the practise whereby communion is open only to accredited members of the Christian community. This practice meant that only members of the Methodist Church – and I mean the very specific definition of being a Member within Methodism – could receive communion. I certainly remember as a child that at the end of a Sunday service those who weren’t Members were asked to leave or at least it was made clear they would not be allowed to receive communion because they weren’t members.

Fencing the table is thus the opposite of open communion, where the invitation to the sacrament is extended to "all who love the Lord" and members of any denomination are welcome at their own discretion.

The phrase “Fencing the table” goes back to early Scottish Calvinism, where the communion table literally had a fence around it, with a gate at each end. The members of the congregation were allowed to pass the gate on showing their communion token, a specially minted coin which served as an admission ticket. And the token was given only to those who were in good standing with the local congregation and could pass a test of the catechism.

Of course in Methodism now it is the practice for all who love the Lord to receive communion if they wish. But what message were we in Methodism sending in the past with our practice?

St Augustine apparently described the church as “a hospital for sinners” which I think is a good description. But by putting in our own standards and restrictions, such as a closed table, it seems to me that the message is sent that if the Church is a hospital for sinners, some are more sinful than others. Which is not the case in Christ’s eyes.

My point is that as Christians those of us who are in the fold can seem too keen to impose rules to keep out those on the outside. We want to be the gate keepers rather than the gate openers. Why?

Is it because somehow we see ourselves as needing to be gatekeepers in order to protect the morally weak and vulnerable within the fold from the thieves and bandits who might come in and taint us?

Or is more about the fact we like to see ourselves as a privileged community of the ethically pure?

Or do we like to be gatekeepers in order to keep out the wrong sort of people?

Just before Easter I saw a story about a statue placed in front of a church in Davidson North Carolina USA. Now when I was in America last year I visited Davidson a number of times. It is a small pretty which is very affluent. It is home to Davidson College a very exclusive University.

The statue is of a homeless Jesus The statue, a work by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz, places Jesus on a park bench, sleeping in a thin shawl. The man is unidentifiable as Christ save for crucifixion wounds on his feet.

The statue depicts Jesus as a vagrant sleeping on a park bench. St. Alban's Episcopal Church installed the homeless Jesus statue on its property in the middle of an upscale neighbourhood filled with well-kept town homes.

"One woman from the neighbourhood actually called police the first time she drove by," says David Boraks, editor of DavidsonNews.net. "She thought it was an actual homeless person."

That's right. Somebody called the cops on Jesus.

"Another neighbour, who lives a couple of doors down from the church, wrote us a letter to the editor saying it creeps him out," Boraks added.

Some neighbours feel that it's an insulting depiction of the son of God, and that what appears to be a hobo curled up on a bench demeans the neighbourhood.

Some in the community disagree with the message the statue sends. "Jesus is not a vagrant, Jesus is not a helpless person who needs our help," Cindy Castano Swannack, who called police after seeing the statue, told WCNC. "We need someone who is capable of meeting our needs, not someone who is also needy."

Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/04/13/302019921/statue-of-a-homeless-jesus-startles-a-wealthy-community

Now this is the reaction to a statue of a homeless person. Imagine what the reaction would have been if a real homeless person turned up at that church? I suspect many would have wanted the gate keepers to keep that person out.

For years St. Anthony's Catholic Church in San Francisco has served meals to people in need. Over the doorway to its dining room the church has posted a sign bearing the inscription: Caritate Dei. One day a young man, just released from jail and new to St. Anthony's, entered the door and sat down for a meal. A woman was busy cleaning the adjoining table. "When do we get on our knees and do the chores, lady?" he asked.

"You don't," she replied. "Then when's the sermon comin'?" he inquired.

"Aren't any," she said. "How 'bout the lecture on life, huh?" "Not here," she said.

The man was suspicious. "Then what's the gimmick?" The woman pointed to the inscription over the door. He squinted at the sign. "What's it mean, lady?" "Out of love for God," she said with a smile, and moved on to another table.

Caritate Dei – Out of love for God. Maybe all churches should have that painted above our doorways to remind us to keep the gate open to those who want to come and know the Lord.