Gospel Reading  John 2: 1-11

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

I’ve written a little homily around the gospel reading and I will  post some of it, missing out the more topical references which I’ll keep for the parish at which I am a guest preacher in the morning. The rural dean cometh…..

I will start with a joke:

There was a young man who was besotten with two very pretty and eligible young ladies and he couldn’t make up his mind which one to propose to.  One was called Maria and one was called Christine. So he went into a church (probably of the more Anglo-catholic tradition) and knelt to pray, offering his dilemma to God and asking for a sign. Who should he marry….. Maria or Christine?

Through bleary eyes full of tears at such a struggle, he saw ahead of him a statue, a vision of a woman with a child in her arms. At the bottom of the statue it read “ Ave Maria”.

We all look for signs, for direction in our lives.  You as a church community are looking now for signs about your future. Who will come? What should you be doing in the meantime. What sort of person should you be seeking? How can you best use these interregnum months?

Sign posts are all around us in our daily lives. They tell us something important, something we need to take note of.

In the NT reading today from John’s gospel, we read about Jesus performing a miracle – his first miracle as recorded in John – a miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana.

At the end of the account we read:

“ This deed at Canaan in Galilee is the first of the signs by which Jesus revealed his Glory and led the disciples to believe in him”.

Jesus reveals His glory – God’s glory – not in a dazzling great light which cannot be looked at directly but in the simple act of caring- ensuring there is enough wine available for a wedding breakfast.

This wasn’t to be the only time he performs as Acts has it  “ mighty works, wonders and signs “ which reveal God’s glory shining through Jesus” .

Here was a breakthrough – ordinary people could directly experience God’s power and grace – his healing love – his light,  in Jesus and the signs he worked.

In his miracles Jesus was revealing – showing forth- the wonder of God’s saving love. Whether through  loaves and fishes so people were fed or healing those who were ill in body, mind or spirit. The almost unknowable God of the Old Testament was now being directly met in the person of Jesus.

At Cana he takes charge of what could have been a very embarrassing situation for the steward of the feast. He starts with what they have – water. With the minimum of fuss and no attention seeking he carries out the miracle. 6 jars are filled with water and he turns the water into wine. He demonstrates his power to transform and change. We read that his disciples  believed;deep down this miracle enabled them to see that Jesus  was acting in the power of God to change lives and situations.

Where can we look today for signs of God’s glory? Of God changing lives?  Of God transforming situations?

How can we talk with any integrity about God’s glory and his love  in a word full of injustice, where natural disasters claim thousands of lives. Where is God’s glory and his light to be seen where- to use traditional language of theology  – sin  seems to block its shining?

 This is where we draw on faith and hope.

I believe that God is intimately involved in the activity of humankind in this world – in the life of every individual which is and has been on earth.

The Good News is that God overcame human darkness and sin when Jesus broke into human darkness on the first Easter Day – bringing the ever present possibility of healing, new life out of every situation of darkness. I believe the promise of his glory is always there in every seemingly hopeless situation.

Through the eyes of faith, we can see God’s glory not necessarily in spectacular healings or in great crowds in evangelistic missions – but perhaps most importantly in every day stories of kindness, laughter, healing and courage and perseverance.

In the Gospel reading , God revealed his glory – his life changing presence – at a seemingly ordinary event like a wedding.  And it is in our homes, in our communities in the places where we work and worship that we may look for the signs of his glory.

I wonder what it would be like if Jesus walked through the door of this church now?

We believe his spirit is with us of course. The Lord is here: His spirit is with us we exclaim in our service of Holy Communion.

But if we actually saw the Jesus who walked this earth  now, walking through that door, what would he say to you and me?

What would he want to say about this church building, what would he say about the future of  your  parish?

Rather than attempt to answer that question, I’m going to finish with some words from the Jesuit priest and writer Gerard Hughes. They make me think. Hopefully they will do the same for you. The passage talks of Jesus coming to someone’s home and the effect he has on them. It describes what happens when he goes to a local church.

Gerard Hughes recommends that we use the following scenes for prayerful reflection.

(They are found in his book: ‘Oh God Why? A journey through Lent for bruised pilgrims’  1993 BRF. ISBN 0 7459 2525 1.)

“So imagine a ring at the doorbell one evening and on answering you discover the visitor is the risen Lord himself.  How do you react, what do you do and say? Presumably you welcome him in, summon everyone in the house, and find yourself saying to the Lord of all creation ‘Do make yourself at home and stay as long as you like. Everything is yours.’

Now take a fortnight’s leap ahead in your imagination. Jesus has accepted your invitation and is still with you. How are things at home now?

You remember that disturbing passage in the Gospel where Jesus says, ‘I have not come to bring peace, but the sword, to set daughter against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law, son against father.

Maybe there’s been a bit of friction over family meals in the last two weeks, some members leaving the table, possibly the front door never to return.

You invited Jesus to make himself at home, so he’s begun inviting friends to your house. You remember what people said of his friends in the Gospel, how he dined with sinners.

What kind of people do you now see coming to your house, what are the neighbours saying, and what’s happening to the local property values? Then you decide that you must not keep Jesus all to yourself, so you arrange for him to give a talk at the local church.

You remember that scene in the Gospel where he addresses the Pharisees and chief priests and assures them that criminals and prostitutes will get in to the kingdom of God before they do. He gives the same message to a gathering of men and women in the parish and there’s uproar, the parish losing its principal benefactors.

You return home with Jesus, your saviour, who has now become your problem. What are you to do? You cannot throw out the Lord of all creation. So you find a suitable cupboard, clear it out, decorate it, sparing no expense, get a good strong lock on it – and put Jesus inside. Outside you can have a lamp and flowers, and each time you pass, bow reverently, so you now have Jesus and he does not interfere any more.”

Gerard Hughes says that the Scriptures – and especially  Lenten readings – are full of warnings against what he calls ‘split spirituality’, or what we sometimes call ‘compartmentalizing our faith’ – and we all do it – like God is to be tamed and rendered harmless. How wrong, he asks, can we be?!

Take a leap of two years ahead in your imaginations. How would you like this church to be both in terms of what happens inside and in your connections with the world beyond its doors. What signs do you see of Jesus already transforming things here, what signs do you see  of his life giving power and love nudging you to be brave and explore new ventures and ways of being Christ’s body here in this place.

And so, as his disciples did all those years ago, may we begin to hear him teaching us now – gently, lovingly – that this adventure of living and being church is risky and can have a cost.

May we be open to the transforming power of his love in our lives as he moves us on to a deeper understanding of what he’s about and what he wants us to be about.

Amen.

* With thanks to the web-site of Rev Dr I.Davies at St Barnabas, Waunarlwydd

Swansea.

www.stbarnabaschurch.org.uk.

Its a super website and well worth a visit. The last few thoughts are based on one of his sermons.

Persons unknown decided to remove lead from Little Paxton Church roof last night and cause a lot of damage to slate tiles in the process. It appeared that in the persuit of their aims they were disturbed and ran off but left a screwdriver behind. So if anyone needs it back contact me through the blog and we can have a nice chat over a cuppa.
I wonder what it feels like damaging an ancient building whose sole purpose is to promote fellowship and goodwill and comfort? I wonder what it feels like to trample over a burial ground where people have been laid to rest? What does it feel like to steal maybe £30.00 worth of lead and yet cause many more hundreds of pounds of damage.
Id love to understand these peoples thinking…..and then maybe I’d give them back their screwdriver. But as I guess they probably dont think about the consequences of their actions I doubt if I would understand where they come from.
Be rest assured should you be reading this. The village is aware of your labours at church and probably elsewhere…..I dont advise coming back.

I have edited the opening paragraphs as theyreferred to more personal situations in the Benefice, but I hope you get the drift of my ” wanted” theme.

The gospel reading today was John 1 v 43-51. I left the Revelation passage well alone, preferring the intriguing meeting between Jesus and Nathaniel.

 Sermon on John 1 v 43.

Recently I have been  a member of  interview panels involved in selecting two new people to serve in different roles in our Benefice.

During the interviews  I found myself looking back to  April 2006 when I was interviewed for this post and am grateful that those involved were very kind to me!

So… why were the choices made that were made? If you have ever been involved in interviewing, I wonder what it is you look for in a person? We kept being reminded by one of the interviewers for one of the appointments that the  process wasnt a personality contest.

But that was very hard because inevitably when we meet someone we are either drawn to them or not. We perhaps immediately feel we could work with a person or feel luke warm about having them in our  lives. When it is a competitive interview and there are several candidates each with different strengths and weaknesses it can be very hard to reach a decision.

With both appointments, the interviewing panels were unanimous but we could see strengths in all the candidates and qualities that would contribute well to our organizations. It’s really sad to have to disappoint someone who has applied for a job but I always hope that unsuccessful candidates gain confidence and self insight from the experience. It might simply be of course that the person isn’t the right person for a particular organization at that time. The Paxton Benefice interview was the third one I had had in a few weeks  and looking back I wouldn’t have been right for the first two settings.

Usually the right candidate matches up to a person specification. Those interviewing hopefully know instinctively what sort of person their organization needs at that time.

Maybe someone who is a good manager or a good organizer. Maybe someone who can enthuse and encourage others to think outside the box and go for growth.

Maybe someone with good person skills is needed who will enable everyone in the organization to feel affirmed in the part they play.  They might simply need to be someone who will carry out important tasks efficiently and effectively. Whatever their role, I rate commitment very highly and when this comes across in a candidate I sit up and take note.

I’m sure we all wish those newly appointed well and it’s good to be mindful too of those who are without employment and who struggle with interview situations – or who indeed find it hard to get an interview at all in these days of high unemployment.

So, wanted: 12 highly committed,.motivated and loyal disciples.

Apply: To Jesus of Nazareth. Interviews to be held near to the Sea of Galillee.

Well, it wasn’t quite like that was it?  The creation of a group of 12 disciples  certainly goes back to the historical Jesus. We learn from a very ancient text, that of 1 Corinthians, that Jesus appeared after the resurrection to 12 disciples, the number symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus disciples were to be the new people of God, the new Israel.

Maybe the 12 had heard about him or even seen him before he called them. Here was this  enigmatic figure proclaiming the kingdom of God. Proclaiming  that God’s spirit had come among them, that people should turn their lives around and repent.

Maybe they had heard about him before, but what we do know is that so compelling was his call to them, so irresistible his invitation to follow and leave everything behind, that they just did it. No short listing or interviewing. No questioning of Jesus as to what he was about. Then and there they gave their total commitment.

It’s true all four gospels give a different account of their calling.

In Mark’s Gospel, Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John Sons of Zebedee, all four of whom were fishermen, were called first. Later, a full quota of 12 is given.

In John’s Gospel as we heard today, the first 4 were Simon Peter, his brother Andrew, Philip and Nathaniel.

But whatever order they were called in there seemed to be an instant response to the calling of Jesus.

Only with Nathaniel things were a bit different. We read how at first he was not at all sure about Jesus.

The call of Nathaniel

Priory Church St Mary Magdalene

St Clears, Carmarthenshire.

His friend Philip brings him to Jesus in the first instance. Philip has already caught the vision. He believes that Jesus was the one whom all scripture had pointed to. Maybe he was so enthusiastic about Jesus that he wanted his best friend to meet him too.

Now Jesus was  from Nazareth  and we read in Acts 24 v 5 that Nazareth was not a highly rated place at all. The folk from neighbouring village Cana thought very little of  Nazarenes. Nathaniel came from Cana, so he would have had fixed ideas about this man Jesus from the outset, rather as we might ( erroneously) have fixed ideas about people who come from certain areas.

True to form, we find that at first Nathaniel rejects Jesus. How could the Messiah ever come from a place like that?

But when he actually meets Jesus. When he encounters him face to face, a light switches on. Jesus speaks to him. We don’t know what he says exactly, but we do know he tells Nathaniel things about himself  in such a way that  he has a profound effect on the man from Cana and he responds with a confession of faith. Nathaniel is convinced he is the Messiah. Nathaniel is convinced this is the man he wants to follow

Jesus tells Nathanael that what he has seen of Jesus so far is only the beginning and Jesus uses the imagery of Genesis 28:12, the vision of Jacob’s ladder. It is important to remember the story of Jacob and what happened in order to appreciate why Jesus refers to this incident.

Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca  and he was very important.

His children were the ancestors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. You will remember that Isaac and Rebecca had  twin boys : Esau the eldest and Jacob the younger twin.

As the younger twin of Esau, Jacob tricked his brother out of his birthright and the blessing from his father which he should have received as the firstborn. It is appropriate that later in his life Jacob himself is tricked by his own sons who are jealous of their favoured brother Joseph.

Jacob had to flee from his brother, the hunter Esau, when his twin tried to kill him (Genesis 25-28). Destitute he goes to his uncle Laban, but on the way he has a dream at Bethel. He sees a ladder o which stretched up to the sky, with angels going up and down on it.  In the dream he receives a blessing from God and a promise that he would  return to the land and God would be with him. This eventually took place.

It is important to remember this story because Jesus clearly knew about its significance.

When he tells Nathanael that he will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’ Jesus is placing himself in the same position as Jacob.

Every Jew knew that Jacob was the father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel; now Jesus is assuming such importance onto himself.  Jesus is the new Israel !

God will no longer reveal himself at Bethel, God is present in the person of Jesus and it is Jesus who will link heaven and earth, not Jacob’s ladder.

Nathaniel must have engaged with Jesus on all levels in this encounter: with his mind and with his heart. Above all this man   Jesus inspired him as he inspired the other 11 disciples. From then on he was a wanted man.  Wanted by Jesus to fulfill a crucial mission.

Wanted: men and women and children in 2012  to continue to spread the infectious good news of Jesus Christ. Thank God there are no CVs s to write, interviews to attend and presentations to prepare. It’s simple.

We bring ourselves just as we are. We may or may not be good at a particular task. We might not have many skills but we might simply be kind and loving Christian people ready to lead others to Jesus just as Philip did. More people come to Christ through the invitation of a friend than by any other way.

Wanted: Christian communities to spread that infectious Good News that the risen Jesus Christ is out and about in our world, in our villages and in our hearts.  We don’t have to be in a church to be about the work of mission. We just have to be committed and often in the words of St Francis “ preach the gospel always, use words when absolutely necessary”

If you ever wonder if you are wanted… the answer is simply YES.

Some times the only way out is through…

Fallen tree in Great Paxton churchyard

January 12th 2012.

Shadows and sunshine.

Impossible to have one without the other.

Great Paxton Church January 12th 2012

Poplar tree trunk base in Church Lane Great Paxton.

Patterns in destruction.

New habitats in abundance.

January 12th 2012

]]> http://paxtonvic.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/4277/feed/ 0 paxtonvic Great Paxton Churchyard Jan 12th with tree fallen down Great Paxton Church Jan 12th 2012 GP tree trunk base 3 http://paxtonvic.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/thoughts-on-the-baptism-of-jesus/ http://paxtonvic.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/thoughts-on-the-baptism-of-jesus/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:41:57 +0000 paxtonvic http://paxtonvic.wordpress.com/?p=4268 ]]> Sunday January 8th recalls the Baptism of Jesus ( although many churches might be referring back to the Epiphany remembered on January 6th)

I shall base my sermon on it tomorrow as the church community at Little Paxton worship for the first time in Little Paxton School at 9.15am , the church now closed for major re-ordering. The magnificent new bells, however, will still be ringing out from 8.45am onwards.

The Baptism of Jesus

I am sure that all of us will have photographs which have been taken at an infant’s baptism – very likely it will be a posed shot with the Vicar holding the baby and the parents and godparents standing around the font after the event.

I wonder, though, if you may have a photograph taken actually at the moment of baptism?

I am ambivalent about pictures being taken at the point of baptism  as it can detract from the great significance of the moment although  such a photograph could be quite revealing.

The expression on the child’s face, and the faces of family and friends gathered around. Surprise, happiness, laughter, concern, indifference – all sorts of emotions would be picked up. People’s expressions, posture and body language would indicate, in some way, what they were thinking about and experiencing at that most special and precious moment of grace.

Imagine a photograph taken at the baptism of Jesus – of course we don’t have one – but who would you imagine in the scene and what do you imagine is happening?

We don’t have a photograph but we do have a written account. We have 3 in fact written by the evangelists Matthew, Mark & Luke.

I will just mention at this point John’s account of Jesus’ baptism. In truth he fails to mention the baptism at all. But he is deeply concerned with the signs which point towards Jesus as the divine one, so he reports the words of John the Baptist :

“ I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven and it remained upon him….he who sent me to baptize with water said to me “ The man on whom you see the spirit descend and remain is the one who is going to baptize with the Holy Spirit” .

But, strangely, no mention at all of John the Baptists part in baptizing Jesus.

The reason may have been that baptism was seen as a Jewish ritual for the washing away of sin – and as early Christians believed Jesus to be without sin, why would he have needed to be baptised? To avoid answering that difficult question, John may have left the actual moment of Jesus’ baptism out of his account, replacing it with John The Baptist’s words about the Holy Spirit anointing Jesus.

That mentioned, let us focus on the accounts of Matthew, Mark and  Luke  – and based on these written accounts we have many paintings which depict each particular artist’s imagination of the scene.

One very famous painting by Piero della Francesca dating from around 1445 forms part of an altar piece panel at the Priory of St. John the Baptist in Umbria, Italy.

An art critic describes the piece of work as possessing a “majestic stillness”. You know sometimes how something happens and for a brief moment it is as if time has stopped because a particular event or experience somehow has such great significance.

As you look at it you are drawn into the fact that something of tremendous importance is taking place here. As I look at it I  notice that the painting seems to be in two halves with Christ in the centre. Jesus stands with his hands together in an attitude of prayer. John the Baptist stands on his right with his arm lifted above Jesus’ head in the action of pouring the water of baptism. In the background we can see the pool of water and people gathered around watching.

There is even one person getting undressed preparing for his own baptism – his clothing over his head and completely oblivious to what is going on. This manifestation of the glory of God is taking place right in front of his nose yet he seems intent on his own business.  How true this to the reality of life – so often we fail to recognise the action of God  and are too preoccupied with our own thoughts and concerns.

This is, if you like, the earthly part of the scene. 

But on the left of Jesus we see three figures – if you look closely you will notice that they are not human but in fact angels – inhabitants of the heavenly realm but very much part of this profound spiritual act. They are sheltering (as is Jesus) under a huge tree –  reminding us of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden – symbolizing  the precious gift of life lived with God and  offered by Him to Adam and Eve which was rejected by their disobedience.

Yet  in the picture there is the hope of atonement, of human beings becoming “at one” again with God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus which will all be acted out in the next three years of Jesus’ public ministry: His baptism, his anointing by the Holy Spirit,  signals the beginning of that ministry.

The sign of this anointing of the Holy Spirit is the hovering of a dove with outspread wings above the head of Jesus. Here, in the person of Jesus Christ is the meeting of earth and heaven the two halves of the picture are seamlessly woven into one.

I am reminded here of the Transfiguration which we will consider in few weeks time on the Sunday before Lent. On the mountain top, Peter, James and John are immersed in an intense spiritual experience seeing Jesus in a completely new and glorious way – his clothes dazzling white and in conversation with Moses and Elijah.

The Baptism of Jesus too is such a timeless spiritual moment.

Within the majestic stillness of this painting there seems to be something missing. Where is the voice of God? How do you paint the sound of a voice? Well, of course, you can’t!

But the voice of God is recorded in the gospels:

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”

Here is the moment of truth. The stillness of the painting draws our attention to ponder upon the wonder of God’s glory being revealed in Christ – but the voice disturbs us from the comfort of dwelling for too long upon this moment of grace.

The voice acknowledges the truth of Christ’s anointing but it is also a commissioning for ministry – now get on with it!

In all of the 3 accounts we are not told that anyone else hears the “theophany” (voice) at the Baptism of Jesus – these words are personal to him – they mark the beginning of his ministry.

At the Transfiguration, however, we are told that the voice of God is heard by the disciples:

This is my beloved Son – listen to him!

In this event, it is his disciples who are being commissioned. Once again the voice marked the end of the timeless moment for these disciples who wanted to make tents and stay on the mountain to bask in the glory of Christ. The glimpse of glory was to be sufficient – it was time to move on. Time to return to the every day plains of life and grapple with the tough issues of life and death, of love and hate  and  joy and sorrow.

I wonder if you have experienced timeless moments of spiritual depth  in your own lives ? They may not happen very often and we may not recognize their significance when they do happen. Sometimes we only recognize their importance many years after the event. But they are experiences which are can shape our personal faith and mould us into the people God would have us be.

I’m still processing an experience I had on Friday night.  I was present at a Taize service in Hatley St George Church near to Gamlingay. There were only a handful of us there in a medieval church lit by candles flickering in the drafts of air. When we came to a period of silence, the sound of owls scurrying amongst the clouds outside pervaded the stillness. This strangely melodic screeching was unsought and to me evocative of the way God comes to us when we least expect it. We were only together for 30 minutes or so. The experience of the profound quietness has lingered on somewhere deep in my memory. It is something about God saying be prepared for the unexpected. Listen out for my voice.

Today you might like to reflect on moments in your life that have informed your understanding of Gods movement in your life and who you are called to be in his grace.

Moments which have given you a new impetus to try something new and adventurous in his name. Or even to stop, slow down and let God speak to you.

As we start out on a new year give let us give thanks for precious moments of anointing and strengthening through the power of the Holy Spirit.

May we recognize these moments as great gifts, moments when God touches our lives, affirms us and sends us out to be his hands and feet on earth.

May God give us all the wisdom, courage and energy to think broadly about how we use our time in the best possible way whilst we meet here at school and as we prepare to return to church in the summer months.

Prayer:

Blessed are you, Lord our God,

You have created the heavens and earth.

Blessed are you, Jesus Christ,

You came among us and were baptized of John.

Blessed are you, holy and life-giving Spirit,

You descend as the dove and you fill us with life.

Blessed are you, Holy Three.

In you we live and move and have our being. Amen.

Now, you might need a magnifying glass but he is there at the top of the picture. Click on it and it should appear bigger.

And he was also seen with an Elf Helper….. truly he was the real thing!

Again, click on the pic and you will see them a bit more clearly.

Thanks Santa and Elf for coming all this way and raising some money for CHUFT as well.

Thank you to Santa spotter for the pictures!

I have no idea who wrote the following reflection on the passing of time, but I like its sentiments. If anyone knows who wrote it please do let me know.

Though even thinking on the subject of time may prove disconcerting, it is not a bad idea- especially  at the beginning of a new year.

As we look into 2012 we look at a block of time.

We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days and 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes and finally 31,536,000 seconds. And all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.

The gift of time is not our alone. It is given equally to each person. Rich and poor, educated and ignorant, strong and weak- every man, woman and child has the same 24 hours every day.

Another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, tun it off or adjust it. Time marches on.

And you cannot bring back time. Once it has gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost for ever. If yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead to a full year’s block of time, but we really have no gaurantee that we will experience any of it.

Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest in  the Kingdom of God.

2012 is full of time. Asa the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out of the window, or will you be making every second count?

Prayers

Bless us, O Lord, and bless the times and seasons yet to come.

Teach us to number our days aright

That we may gain wisdom of heart

And full this new year with your kindness

That we may be glad and rejoice

All the days of our life.

Amen.

Grant, O Lord, that as the years change,

we may find rest in your unchangeableness.

May we meet this new year bravely,

sure in the faith that while men come and go

and life chnages around us

you are ever the same

guiding us with your wisdom

and protecting us with your love.

Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

The Programme ” After Life: The Strange Sceine of Decay” on BBC4 on December 29th 2011  was presented by George McGavin and not James Hood as first stated. Thank you to Mr McGavin for pointing this out to me!

I may have lost out at National Trust Monopoly but Im still smiling on Christmas Day.

Hope you have all enjoyed these Christmas Days even if life has been difficult for any reason.

I was so pleased to be well after my mid November op and thoroughly enjoyed the five Christmas Eve services across the Benefice. Somehow we managed to squeeze in 199 people into Little Paxton Church at 2.30pm… surely Alf our number counter with his ” clicker” could have added one more and made it 200! Great Paxton was full too for the 4pm carols and Im sure that churches all over the country will have had similarly large numbers.

Son and daughter cooked a wonderful Christmas Day meal which was  great news for me having been a bit busy for the previous few hours.

When we were on holiday in Norfolk last summer, we found a copy of the National Trust Monopoly game at Fellbrig Hall Shop and bought it to play this Christmas. I rather like it and quite fancied buying up a stately home or two…..though didnt really do very well due to my strong competitors.

Boxing Day at Huntingdon late in the afternoon was interesting…. kind of diserted with a few crowds trying their luck at the shops that were open. Back to Huntingdon on Tuesday with my daughter and a visit to the large Antque warehouse in St Mary’s Street. Its my idea of materialistic heaven. A drive to Coventry followed returning Adele to her Coventry home and it was nice to see the little house  looking so festive and clean!

Watched a bit of  TV but found the most fascinating programme to be broadcast last night ( December 29th) on BBC4 called ” After Life: The Strange Science of Decay” .

Presented by entomologist George McGavin  it explored the science of decay in an experiment at Edingburgh Zoo.

In the programme we saw  the average contents of a typical kitchen decaying over a period of time with time-lapsed cameras filming every messy moment. Nothing like watching magots, mould ( especially slime mould) and bacteria munching their way thorugh fruit and veg, meat and sandwiches.

The whole point was to show us that although to us decay might seem ( and smell) like bad news it is the necessary precursor to new life springing up in the face of  death.  It even demonstrated that atoms of nitrogen which were present in dying mustard plants turned up again in a new plant which the scientists engineered. So, decay  isnt the big bad thing we tend to think it is. Without it there wouldnt be the eternal cycle of life and death and rebirth that we are so used to. I might be a bit nicer to  maggots next time I see one… they are after all only larvae waiting to be born as a flies. And as for slime mould…. its soo clever.

Does maggot have one or two g’s ?

I’ve loved the Christmas tree kindly donated to a poor vicarage family by a well wisher and all the candles we put in the fireplace. Ive loved listening to carols on a CD I found at the Oxfam Shop. There was one that I hadn’t heard before “The Echo Carol” by Philip Wilby – ethereal and icily gentle. The poem  above “Behold I stand” is also a favourite  read at Christmas.

And now there is a delightful scent of hyacinth coming from my window ledge.

Next Sunday New Years Day we have a service at 10.30am at Little Paxton Church which will be the last act of worship for c 6 months whilst our re-ordering is underway. I wonder if we shall make 200 again?

by Gerrard Kelly.

When the night is deep

With the sense of Christmas

And expectancy hangs heavy

On every breath,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

When the floor is knee deep

In discarded wrapping paper

And the new books are open at page one

And the new toys are already broken,

Behold I stand at the door and knock.

When the family is squashed

Elbow to elbow

Around the table

And the furious rush for food is over

And the only word that can describe the feeling

Is full,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

And when Christmas is over

And the television is silent

For the first time in two days

And who sent which card to whom

Is forgotten until next year,

Behold, I stand at the door.

And when the nation has celebrating

Christmas without Christ

A birthday

Without a birth

The coming of a kingdom

Without a King

And when I am

Forgotten

Despised

Rejected

Crucified-

Behold, I stand.

]]> http://paxtonvic.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/behold-i-stand/feed/ 0 paxtonvic http://paxtonvic.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/a-sermon-for-christmas-2/ http://paxtonvic.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/a-sermon-for-christmas-2/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:48:06 +0000 paxtonvic http://paxtonvic.wordpress.com/?p=4214 ]]> A Happy and blessed Christmas to all Paxtonvic readers!

So far on this Christmas Eve Im sure in keeping with many other churches up and down the country we have had a large number of people at our carol services. 200 at Little Paxton ( how did we get you all in??) andc 150 at Great Paxton. Wonderful singing and atmosphere!

Now it time for Holy Communion at Diddington at 8.15am and then The First Communion at Little Paxton at 10.00am and then at Great Paxton at 11.30am.

Here is my Christmas sermon offering… I hope you find encouragement in its message.

Christmas Homily for 2011 at the Paxtons.

“ Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all people; for to you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, who is Christ The Lord”

How many of you have a mobile phone in your pocket or bag tonight? Hands up… be honest! Have you switched it off? Is it on silent or vibrate?  Anyone got it on just incase a message comes through?

Or even if you get bored five minutes into my sermon you might be tempted to see if anyone has tweeted you. Dare anyone to tweet a friend and say how much they are enjoying themselves here right now!

30 years ago when I first preached a Christmas sermon as a Lay Reader, I wouldn’t have had a clue as to what a mobile phone was, or indeed what a tweet was, what facebook meant or what sort of message was sent by messenger.  E-mail wasn’t the popular and easily accessible way of communicating that we know now and back in 1981 texting hadn’t been invented. If you wanted to get a message to someone, it was phone or letter or telegram  or maybe even going to see them and speaking directly to them. Our ability to send messages to one another has completely changed in a phenomenal way in 30 years… whether or not we actually take on board a fraction of the messages we hear and read day by day I’m not so sure.

If you take a walk out on the streets of our towns you will see a large number of people either on their phone texting or talking. That happens everywhere….and it isn’t  just something that younger people do either.

We like to be in touch. We like to be able to receive important messages from family and friends or from our workplace. We like to tell others where we are or what we are doing. We like to be connected.  They are all about communication and used well and wisely, and certainly not in a car, they remind us that we are social creatures, made to be in touch with each other , made to have relationships and to live in community. The poet John Donne wrote that no man is an island and in the bible we read how God created us for  a whole variety of relationships where love is given and received.

There is a good deal of communication going on tonight and that isn’t anything to do with mobile phones. Indeed, when Jesus was born 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem so much of the modern technology we take for granted was unheard of. The story of Jesus of course could only be transmitted by word of mouth, by people travelling and telling others of the good news of his life, death and resurrection. It was only c 50 years after his resurrection that letters and gospels began to be written.

But God had his ways and means. If you reread the Gospels of Luke and Matthew this Christmas in a quiet moment, especially the opening chapters, you will find God’s messengers were hard at work. Nothing to do with internet messaging either. These were angels… and angel literally means messenger. I wonder of you knew that? An angel was believed to bring the word of God to people and that certainly was what happened in the Nativity story.

The Archangel Gabriel comes to Mary with a message of overwhelming significance. She at first is filled with fear. It wasn’t something she could easily delete from her consciousness. She is only 12-13 years old but she is told that she is to give birth to Gods son, The Messiah, and that Gods Spirit would cause this to happen. This was not a good message for a young unmarried girl to receive at all. She could be stoned if pregnant out of wedlock. And yet we read she gives her assent and presses the reply button in her heart with little hesitation.  “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”

Joseph, to whom she is engaged needed a message as well for he was on the verge of divorcing her when he received a message from an angel in his sleep  “ do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”. He was convinced he must marry Mary.

We fast forward 9 months or so later. Mary and Joseph have made it to Bethlehem where they have been ordered to go for a census. It wasn’t possible in those days to book accommodation online and get a last minute deal. We get the impression that they just turned up hoping to find somewhere to rest. We know the story so well. There was no room at the Inn and they end up in a stable where Jesus was born. You would think that no one else would have known about this at all. Joseph couldn’t text their families to say they were grandparents. He couldn’t take an instant picture of the infant on his iphone and send it round the world. And yet, something very strange happens. They find they do have visitors, and unlikely ones at that.

For out in some Bethlehem fields  shepherds are suddenly confronted with an angel … another messenger from God and like Mary they were filled with fear.

“ Fear not, said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled minds” so runs the famous carol words. But the messenger brings tidings of great joy to them, he tells them not to be afraid for he brings good news of great joy….. for to you is born in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.”

As if to underline this amazing news, the messenger is joined with a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying  “Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth”.

Again, these shepherds have like Mary no hesitation in obeying the messenger and off they go in haste to find the Christ child.

Before we leave the nativity story, I must make mention of the wise men, The Magi who inevitably pop up in all the nativity plays even though it might have been some time later when they visited the holy family. Matthew records that they were guided by a star to the place where Jesus lay: God communicating with these astrologers in a way they would readily understand. Matthew also tells us that Joseph had more angelic messages keeping the holy family safe from the paranoid King Herod and taking them to Egypt until settling in Nazareth.

Tonight, no less than 2,000 years ago, I believe that God longs to communicate with us and be in relationship with us. I doubt of many of us see angels but God longs to communicate with us in all sorts of ways.

I truly hope that the Christian Community  here St James  faithfully communicates in its weekly life the Good News of Gods love for each and every one of us in Jesus Christ. That striving to proclaim the Gospel, The Good News, is called our mission and we would love a lot more of you to join us in that sometimes daunting job of being God’s messengers. We certainly aren’t angels and you don’t have to be one to be about the business of mission. Sometimes people think mission is all about bible bashing and indoctrination and believing a whole load of “thou shalt nots”. It’s true we have our ancient creed and we shall say that together shortly.  But maybe St Francis of Assisi got it right when he said “Preach the gospel always; when necessary use words.”

Caring for others, promoting activities which bring people together, giving hospitality, encouraging creativity and building up community life can all be a part of mission which has Gods loving heart beating at the centre. When our nave is reordered in 2012 we hope that this ancient building which has witnessed to Gods love for 900 years will truly come alive with messages from God. We hope it truly becomes community space, open and welcoming space where people draw closer to Him in whom we have our being and in whom we find meaning and purpose.

Our bells, our wonderful bells are ringing out again. They were an ancient means of communication across a parish when people didn’t have watches and phones and radios.  Bells would summons workers in from the fields to church prayers, they announced when someone had died and rang as the bread and wine were being blessed; and they had many other functions as well. I hope they inspire those who hear them to keep alive the “rumour of God” and think on things holy and wholesome as they go about their daily lives. And even come to church and enjoy being there! You might like to know that there is an old Ukranian legend that says every bell in the world rang in honour of Jesus on the night of his birth.

And what about you and me? What may God be wanting to say to us tonight? What might God have been trying to say to us this year? What things have happened to you which have perplexed you or made you sad? Perhaps the messages you have had have been baffling or confusing?  Christmas is a wonderful time to remember the constant  message of the angels “ Be not afraid; I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all people … for to you is born this day a saviour”

That message to the shepherds is for all of us for all time… to all people. “ Do not be afraid: I bring you good news”

Pray these Christmas Days. Pray that God will draw close to you. He longs to. May he draw close to all of us as we join together presently to receive bread and wine; bread and wine representing  Christ’s real spiritual presence with us now. May he be close to us as we open our presents tomorrow morning and share in all the fun, food and games of Christmas Day. May our prayers encompass too all those for whom a message from God seems a distant thing and where grief or sin or some barrier stops his light from entering in.

“ Be not afraid; I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all people … for to you is born this day a saviour”

May the peace, love and joy of the Christ Child be yours this Christmas time.  May we hear God speaking to us these coming days and may our reply be without hesitation  “message received… here I am Lord. I’m here to do your will” Amen.