God is not welcome (Feast of the Holy Family Sunday Dec. 30th 2016)

God-with-us (Emmanuel) has to flee from the terror of Herod’s brutal regime. Joseph, his protector, guides this Holy Family into exile. At the beginning of the Jesus story, as with the end, God is not welcome. Millions and millions of people are today caught up in the bitter experience of exile, fleeing war and insane violence in Syria and other parts of the world. Like Joseph, Mary and Jesus, they too are running for their lives. Their fate is at the mercy of the rest of the world, which keeps saying ‘never again’, but appears to not really mean it. We welcome Jesus into our world at Christmas; we must continue to welcome Him in the refugee. 

Lord, help us to remember those who tonight will go to sleep unfed and unwelcome, strangers in foreign lands, people who have fled for their lives and are far from their homes. We lift up to you millions in our world who are escaping persecution and conflict, who have fled death, torture or exploitation. So many have suffered so much. Lord Jesus, soften our hearts to their situation, and help us follow your lead in seeking justice and mercy. We pray for an end to the wars, poverty and human rights abuses that drive desperate people to become refugees in the first place. We thank You that you are Lord of all the earth and all its people are loved by you. We pray these things in the name of your son who was himself born into the troubled life of a refugee. Amen (Tearfund). 

Christmas Day (Lk 2:1-14)

If you were to put together a guest list for the birth of the Messiah 2000 years ago one might expect political leaders like Caesar Augustus, religious leaders such as the Chief Priests and the Pharisees to be included. Yet for Luke, the shepherds are some of the first to welcome Jesus into this world and are the first ‘preachers’ of the Good News. Many would find it completely shocking that Shepherds would be included. It was a disreputable trade and shepherds were considered ‘unclean’ because of their profession. At first they were terrified, but the angels reassured them: ‘do not be afraid’. The response of the shepherds was immediate: ‘let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing which has taken place’.

The poor, the marginalised, the outcast will be the first to experience the abundance of God’s hospitality through Jesus and the shepherds come in their name. We are told that people were amazed by the shepherds and their words. Their journey didn’t end in Bethlehem, for them it was perhaps only the beginning as they returned ‘glorifying and praising God’. We are invited to Bethlehem today, to open up our hearts to the One who has come to bring hope and joy. And we return, like the shepherds ‘glorifying and praising God for all they have seen and heard’. We must allow that Love to penetrate our hearts and celebrate with our family and friends the Joy that lives amongst us. And when we have finished celebrating we remember that the real work of Christmas begins once again: 

“When the song of the angels is stilled. When the star in the sky is gone. When the kings and princes are home. When the shepherds are back with their flocks. The work of Christmas begins; to find the lost; to heal the broken; to feed the hungry; to release the prisoner; to rebuild the nations; to bring peace among people; to make music in the heart.” Howard Thurman

4th Sunday of Advent: Matthew 1:18-24

Joseph

While Luke focuses on the birth of Jesus from Mary’s point of view, Matthew’s Gospel tells the story from Joseph’s. Joseph must have been extremely confused when he learns of Mary’s pregnancy. He plans to quietly ‘dismiss’ her so as not to put her in danger.  Mary’s options were bleak without Joseph; her fate is very much in his hands. He is immediately obedient and says yes to his call. Joseph welcomes Mary and gives this child the name he is instructed: Jesus.

We hear very little about Joseph in the Gospels and he is sometimes a forgotten figure in the Jesus story, yet his decision to follow God’s call is hugely important as he fulfills his promise to protect Mary from danger. Joseph’s ‘yes’ to God sets him on a dangerous path. He must protect his family and this will mean later leaving their homeland, becoming refugees fleeing the terror of Herod.

Each time God speaks to Joseph, it is through his dreams.  The Word of God which comes to Joseph gives him a new meaning and a new mission in life. Today can you reflect on how God speaks to you? In what ways do you hear God’s word? And when you hear God’s word, what is your response? When you have said ‘yes’, where has that led you? Today we can pray for those who are faced with tough decisions and who must chose the more difficult path. It requires strength and bravery.

3rd Sunday of Advent Matthew 11:2-11

 “What did you go out to see?”

Jesus asks the crowd in today’s Gospel why they ran to see John the Baptist? Sometimes when we go to hear a famous speaker or go to someone we admire we are looking for answers. Our expectations are often not grounded in reality. Jesus asks the people what did they expect when they went to see John? Were they looking for someone nicely dressed? No, they were looking for a prophet and John was the greatest of these. Jesus’s words are almost like a eulogy for John.

John announces and makes way for Jesus, marking the end of one era and the beginning of another. John announces a new time. John names the question we so often ask when a new exciting leader comes on the scene: Is this the one? Is this the person we’ve been waiting for? And if it is, how will we know? Our expectations can often be so great because we are constantly in need of renewal. Where in your life today do you need to experience fresh hope and newness?

The Gospel ends with a paradox: John is the greatest that has ever been born; yet the people who are considered the ‘lowest’ or the ‘least’ in this world are considered even greater than John by God. A statement that no doubt would have left a few people scratching their heads.

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, come forth from deep within me with Christmas luminous beauty. For my heart has become the sacred crib, the birthing place of God among us.” Edward Hays (Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim)

Feast of the Immaculate Conception December 8th 2016 Luke 1:26-38

For no word from God will ever fail

Mary must have been terrified at first. Pregnancy outside of marriage meant total exclusion from the community and possible death by stoning. Yet her trust in God is something quite remarkable. In the account of the Annunciation, Luke portrays Mary as the first disciple. As with all disciples, once they hear good news, the must proclaim it and Mary does so in her visit to Elizabeth. These two women, strong, courageous, listening to God’ s Word and proclaiming God’s Word.

The Gospel today is rich, spend some time with it. Perhaps you could focus on a time when you heard and responded to an invitation from God. Who was the messenger? Was there a tough decision involved? An authentic ‘yes’ often requires a struggle and plenty of reflection. We often, like Mary, have many questions and concerns. How did it feel to have this invitation from God? Or perhaps, you were the messenger! What was it like to affirm another and to invite another? What was the response: “I am the Lord’s servant”?

“If I, a little, stumbling faithful soul say “yes”, and others in so many other places do the same, then once again, all Heaven will stand on tiptoe, and all creation hold its breath, as in our day the way is opened up for God to come. I wonder, will God begin again with us this Christmas?” – Ruth Patterson 

Second Sunday of Advent 2016 Mt 3:1-12 'Make Straight Paths'

We hear in today’s Gospel that ‘people went out to him from all of Judea…’. John the Baptist was obviously someone who could gather a crowd. There must have been something very attractive about John and what he had to say. He was a man who lived simply; a man not clouded by the non-essentials. Who in our world today do people flock to hear? Who do we look to for guidance, for leadership, for hope? When the religious leaders arrive to the River Jordan, John does not greet them warmly. They have let the people down. He questions the fruit they have produced. It is a reminder of the responsibilities that come with positions of leadership.

This second Sunday of Advent we are called to make straight paths for the coming of our Lord. How we prepare is important. We are waiting, and yes waiting can be frustrating. But waiting can also be a time of growth, of inspiration, of dreaming big dreams and imagining the endless possibilities that might come. We should try not to let go of that hope and inspiration.

John appeals to the community who have gathered to open their eyes, to take the opportunity that is at hand and deal with the spiritual crisis which surrounds them. John is calling for a radical change of heart. The decisive moment is coming where people must take a new path. What can we do to help build communities where leaders produce good fruit? What can we do to respectfully challenge those who do not? Today we pray that God’s Spirit enlivens our heart, our work and our world. 

November 21st 2016 Matthew 24:37-44 Advent 1

You know that feeling of waiting for something or someone? It is a feeling of excitement or maybe anxiety. For most people waiting is not a very popular pastime, it can be seen as a waste of time. If we allow it to, waiting can be a creative time, a time of high alert, where we may even be more aware of ourselves. Our senses are heightened especially when we are waiting for important news or results or waiting on a loved one to call or to arrive. Waiting is not always seen as a good thing but it can be a time for growth. And so, we enter into the season of waiting: Advent. The Gospel reminds us to be alert and use this time to prepare. What will our preparations be like? God is with us in many different ways, trying to catch our attention in the midst of our busy days. As we fight our way through the queues in the coming weeks, can we use 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 20 mins… to stop, be still, to ask God to enter into our hearts and lives once more. 

November 20th 2016: Luke 23:32-43 ‘Christ the King’

This is the final Sunday of Year C and as we draw to a close our reading of Luke’s Gospel we hear the account of Jesus’ crucifixion. It is the Feast of Christ the King and this Gospel certainly gives us an opportunity to lay aside a lot of cultural baggage we may have about kings, leaders and kingdoms. Jesus’ kingdom is unlike the one that Pilate, or many other earthly leaders know. It is a kingdom built on love, service, justice, reconciliation and peace. Few ‘kings’ can measure up to this: responding to violence with forgiveness, giving those with no hope a reason to hope. Today’s Gospel gives a powerful image of Jesus as servant King, like a beacon light for society in today’s world. Who do you know in our world today who is the more living example of this type of kingship, making daily sacrifices in endless service to those around them?

 “The power of truth, of honesty, of forgiveness – with no frills! How different the world would be if it was governed by this kind of power.” Michel de Verteuil