An homily for Trinity Sunday

An Homily for Trinity Sunday

A little boy came home from church ( obviously his mother hadn’t been too!) and said that the Vicar told them God was everywhere.

This is indeed true, said his mother.

“Is he in the oven when it’s hot?” he asked

“Yes, indeed” came the reply.

“Is he in the cupboard with the cups in?”

“Certainly”

“Is he in the fridge when the door is closed and the light off?”

“Naturally”

The boy thought a moment, “ Is he in the tea-bag tin  with a sheep on the front?”

By now his mother was getting irritated with him  and snapped “ Of course!”

And the boy  slammed the tin shut and announced triumphantly “ Got him!”

Mother has a lot more explaining to do!

As humorous as this story may be, there is some truth in it when we reflect on how people view God. There has always been a tendency in Christian history to think that God is small enough to put into a tidy  package which we  are able to control and understand completely.

The Christian creeds evolved over the centuries after Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension. There had often been bitter squabbles amongst early Christian theologians about the nature of God.  Conflicting teachings arose about the nature of God and  his relationship to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The creeds were an attempt to draw a line under these disputes and made black and white statements about the nature of God which, in view of the tremendous number of conflicting opinions in the early years of the Christian faith, were arguably  very necessary .

Here is article one of the Church of England’s 39 articles written in 1553:

“ There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness, the Maker  and preserver of all things, visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity, the  Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Quite when  credal statements and Church doctrines become an  attempt to wrap God up into tiny packages is hard to say.  Is it fair to accuse these statements of trying to create God in our own image and make him a tame, sanitized God, reducable to a few sentences? Or are they helpful in helping us to understand the nature of a God who is three persons of one substance?

Whatever that might mean!

However we understand the doctrine of the Trinity, it  has to be said that it is the only doctrine in Christian belief which has A Feast Day  given over to it. All other Christian festivals observe a specific historical event. Pope XX11 in 1334 ordered the festival to be observed annually on the Sunday after Whitsunday, what we now call Pentecost Sunday. It has been universally observed in the Christian church ever since. Thus the custom of observing a special feast in honor of the Trinity became increasingly popular in the northern countries of Europe.³ Several synods prescribed it for their respective territories in France, Germany, England, and The Netherlands. In the thirteenth century the orders of the Benedictines and Cistercians adopted the annual celebration of the feast. It was kept on different Sundays in different places, until in 1334 Pope John XXII accepted the festival into the official calendar of the Western Church and ordered that henceforth it should be held everywhere on the Sunday after Pentecost.⁴

What can we make of the teaching of the Trinity?

I believe that when we speak of God as The Holy Trinity; when we refer to doctrines of the Trinity; when we worship God as Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit; when we bless and greet and baptize people in the name of the triune God; we should do all this with great humility, realizing  our God is so much more than all these words can ever express.

We shall never be able to capture God; to put God in neat package of our own making. God will  always remain more than out own words and  doctrines, our beliefs and expressions of worship.  God is the Holy Wholly other God. That means that there must always be a mystery about God which is tremendous in the sense that it is awesome and overwhelming. The mysterious, Holy God is light years greater than our capacities to explain or understand God.

The Theologian  Hans Kung, in his book “ Does God  Exist” makes this point quite well by relating this story: There was a Bavarian parish priest who announced to his congregation on the Feast of The Trinity that this was so great a mystery, of which he understood nothing, that there would unfortunately be no more sermon”

I’m not so humble as him! Just a few more thoughts.

Having affirmed the deep mystery of God – reflecting that great sense of awe which  Isaiah  had in the reading – is there anything we can say of God to bring Him nearer home to us?

Yes, of course there is – in the person of Jesus Christ. Christians  believe that God came close to us in the human person – Jesus of Nazareth. When we come to know Jesus, then we come to know of God. The Holy Spirit, working in Gods Holy Word, in the sacraments, in every day life, helps us to know and see Jesus, Gods Son.

How one plus one pus one equals one remains a mystery. The relationship that exists between the three persons, yet one Godhead, are not spelled out in detail in the bible. So, the triune God – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are known through a life of worship, and service rather than in very wordy doctrine. Although our  God language is important, all of our attempts to understand God with out minds remain partial and incomplete.

Once upon a time, so the story goes, there lived six blind men in a village.

One day the villagers told them: “ Hey, there is an elephant in the village today”

They had no idea what an elephant was. They decided that even though they could not se it, they would go and feel it anyway.

All of them went to where the elephant was. Each of them touched the elephant.

“ An elephant is like a pillar” said the first man as he felt the elephants leg.

Oh  no, “ said the second man, touching  the elephants tail, “ It is like a rope”

“ You are quite wrong, “ said the third man, “ touching the elephants trunk, “ An E is like the trunk of a tree”

“ Its like a fan” said the fourth man touching the E’s huge ear.

“ You are all wrong,” said the fifth man as he touched the belly of the elephant ,” Its id definitely like a huge wall.

“ No, it is a solid pipe “ said the sixth man, touching the E’s tusk.

So each had their own idea of what an elephant is like based on their own unique own experience.

It can be just like that with our own understanding of God.

Some of us may say God is like a Father – providing us with what we need, but maybe with elements of chastising us when we go wrong, keeping us on the straight  and narrow path.

Some of us may say God is our Mother – birthing us, nurturing us and caring for us.

How careful we have to be here of stereotypes of mother and father and how different people may have experienced their parents.

Some may say – God is like our brother, sister, friend, companion.

Some may say God is like the wind – we feel God without ever seeing what God is like but know the effect he has on our lives. Others may use images of a butterfly, a flower, a rainbow, a rock, a stone, a mountain, a thunder storm, the sea,  or fire.

For some it might be sensing God in an early morning sunrise or the quietness of a summers evening. In the smile of a young child or the tenderness of someone we are close to.  There may be many simple events that we translate as movements of God’s love.

Some may feel comfortable talking about God primarily in terms of Jesus – God’s Son. So strong may be their sense of companionship with Jesus that to them God is best expressed through Jesus language. Others may prefer Holy Spirit language, especially those deeply nurtured in the Pentecostal experience of God.

We cannot package God up into one description. There is always so much to discover about God, we must always keep exploring. Maybe this  Feast  of the Holy Trinity can help us to remember the tremendous breath and depth of God’s reality and prevent us from wrapping him up into a tidy package.

It reminds us there are many ways we can relate to and experience God – and that in Christian tradition these ways have for centuries focused on God as Father, Son and  Holy Spirit.

We are on a life-long journey of discovery of the God in whose image we are created. We are invited to share in the joy of the God who created us, who saves us, forgives  and makes us whole, who strengthens us and leads us into truth.

Let us ask God The Father, Son and Holy Sprit,  to draw close to us in the coming days and strengthen in his service. Amen.

No Holy Spirit??

I’ve just been peeping at my daughter Adele’s photo web-site and am fascinated by the series of pictures she has taken of the notice board outside the Coventry Christadelphian Church – how about this one?

It says ” Holy Spirit Gifts not available today”

I hope that isnt what most Christians have felt on this Pentecost Sunday 2010….

if you would like to see some more of the notice board proclamations, you can see them on:

http://www.adelemreed.co.uk

– along with a lot more of her pictures.

( Hope you dont mind the plug, Adele!)

PS – how about this one…

” Why we will not be voting in the election”

Adele writes:  EAch week the small Christadelphian Church opposite my house  will change  its bible address. With it slowly changes the seasons and my  choice of camera “

It really is worth taking a look at the pictures and the proclamations…

Blossom and History at Diddington

May 23rd – Pentecost Sunday 2010

A super new history display has been mounted at Diddington Church near St Neots and the good news is that it will be up for another two weeks for visitors to enjoy. Pam and Dave Dodman have put a look of work into mounting the show which includes pictures of the WW2 Polish Camp and the USA Military hospital.

It also has photos of surrounding villages in days gone past as well as fascinating snippets from newspapers articles and documents relating to the parish.

Here are some of our visitors to the exhibition on May 16th. On the left is Zen who was born at the Polish Camp behind the church in Diddington  during the war and  came  across my blog entry on the Diddington camp last year.  It was lovely to welcome him and his wife, along with his brother and wife.

There is no trace now of the Polish camp where Zen and many others were born – but we do have some photos of the buildings.

This is our new meeting area where folk chat and enjoy tea.

Lovely blossom on the trees leading up to the church

Pam Dodman surveying her  and Dave’s hard work

A week later and it was Pentecost Sunday – the pink blossom on this churchyard tree was tremendous this morning.

Diddington Church and surrounds are simply beautiful in the early summer – if you are in the area why not pop in off the A1 and enjoy – the church is always open.

Sermon for the sunday after Ascension Day

Sermon for The Sunday after The Ascension

The Epistle:  Acts 16:16-34

Our Acts reading this morning tells of a fascinating story.

Paul and Silas were on their way to pray in Philippi when they were met by a slave girl who had some spirit controlling her which gave her the ability to predict the future. I suppose we might say today that she had some sort of clairvoyant ability. There is another whole debate here about whether we would regard someone who has that ability today to be possessed by a spirit or whether we might see it as a gift. Certainly orthodox Christianity has no time for meddling with the occult and with the spirit world. Anyway, as some clairvoyants do today, she earned money by fortune-telling and her owners obviously had a great deal of vested interest in her. She was being exploited for her ability – wherever it came from.  We read that she was following Paul and Silas around for several days shouting out that they knew the way to be saved and were servants of the Most High God. Not an antagonist message by any means, and its interesting how Paul and Silas didn’t take action immediately. Maybe she was giving them some good publicity. Finally, though, they had had enough of her calling out – they discerned that a spirit was causing the trouble and they drove it from her in the name of Jesus.

Not surprisingly, the owners of the slave girl – there must have been a gang of them- were not happy bunnies – their source of income had gone and they seized  Paul and Silas and dragged them before the Roman magistrates, accusing them of acting unlawfully against Roman customs. The crowd got agitated and the magistrates ordered them to be beaten and stripped.

We read that the two men kept up their spirits by singing praises to God. Even such a disastrous set-back did not crush their sense of God’s purpose in sending them on their journey. Instead, imprisonment became an opportunity to proclaim their faith.

You will remember the story – an earthquake followed, the doors flew open, everyone’s chains became loose – an image taken by Charles Wesley in one of his hymns – How Can it be – and the jailor was so distraught that he was going to kill himself. But Paul stopped him and the jailor was converted – along with all his household – and he was filled with great joy.

What a story!

Not long before in Acts we read of how a woman, Lydia,  a  trader  of purple cloth had been converted by Paul. Now it was the turn of a Jailor – thus the first two people in Europe to be converted were hardly people who it would seem would add prestige to the Church.

But the story of Paul and Silas reminds us that Jesus so often was found spending time on the unimportant or the marginalized. Jesus placed a value on everyone equally, regardless of their wealth, status or gender.

Paul and Silas took up that challenge, and we have the same duty to proclaim the Lord in our own age. The era is different but the message of love, forgiveness and joy remains the same.

There is a story   that some of you might have heard before – it reminds us that we now are the body of Christ here on earth, people who have the guidance and the energy of the Holy Spirit within us, charged with sharing the same message that Paul and Silas acted out in their lives and words all those years again.

This is how the story goes how Jesus sent back to heaven after his time on earth. Even going to heaven He bore the marks of the cross. As the angels talked with him, Gabriel, always inquisitive, said to Jesus: “Master, you must have suffered terribly for those people down there.” ” I did,” Jesus said. “And”, said Gabriel, “do they all know about how you loved them and what you did for them?” “Oh no,” said Jesus, “not yet.” Just a few in Palestine know.” “What have you done,” said Gabriel, “to let everyone know about it?”

Jesus said, “I have asked Peter, James, and John and a few others to make it their business to tell others about me, and the others to tell others and others and others and others, until the farthest people on the widest circle know what I have done.” Gabriel was less than convinced that this would work.

He said to Jesus: “What if Peter, James, and John and the others get tired and forget and fail? What would happen if way down the years – say  in 2010 –  people just don’t tell others about you? Are there no other plans? …No back-up strategy?” Jesus replied: “I haven’t made other plans. I’m  counting on them!”

When Jesus ascended into heaven to be with his Father, he left the church with us. We are His body. He is counting on us! There is no alternate plan. It isn’t  always easy – and when we hit hard and troubled times, as Paul  and his friends often did – its good to remember  Charles Wesley’s words: “ Be of good cheer”  and to be patient in times of struggle and setbacks.

May this time of Ascension and approaching Pentecost be one of renewal for each of us.  May it be a time of breaking down any boundaries we may have erected between ourselves and God’s love and between ourselves and those who are searching for God’s love but have not yet found it within our church communities. Amen.

Sorry I havent got a source for the picture – how do you feel about it?

( Some wit said to me yesterday that it was fortunate there wasnt an ash cloud problem at the time of the Ascension!

Spring greens on my doorstep

simple gentle colours from forget-me-not and wild geraniums

if you click on the picture it will appear much bigger and brighter

Some time at Launde Abbey

I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time last week at Launde Abbey – the Diocese of Leicester Retreat House on the A47 between Pterborough and Leicester. It was the occasion of the annual Ely Rural Deans’  Residential  which runs for 24 hours usually in May each year.  As I arrived I realised that the major renovation work to the old house had begun in ernest so that it is well and truly out of bounds at the moment. The 16 or so of us who met therefore were billetted in the Stables which boosts very fine en suite rooms. I was in room 16 for a break when I heard on Radio 5 live that Gordon Brown was resigning and I found his  resignation speech very moving.

Here are a couple of  pictures  I took – one of the old house undergoing its make-over….

and one of the lovely pond in the front grounds

Could have done with the weather being a bit warmer, but must not complain.

I do miss the wide open spaces  and hills of the Leicestershire Countryside and its always refreshing to be out in them again if only for a few hours.

election update

Bet you didnt know this….

The leaders of the three main parties are today making themselves comfortable in No.10 Downing Street after no single party raised enough to pay the deposit in full. ‘It’s not quite the big society I had in mind,’ said David Cameron of the house-share, ‘but it’s only a temporary arrangement until the other two get a place of their own. Anyway, after a long campaign it’ll be fun to finally get the chance to bicker in the bath with Nick, even if it is a bit distracting having Nigel Farage crashing his plane into the roof.’

Reports say that Brown has taken the ground floor, Cameron the top floor, with Clegg somewhere between the two. Cameron’s promised ‘major re-decoration’ has turned out to involve a few minor changes, the exception being his new bedroom which he has kitted out in mirrors and fox fur, although it’s still not big enough to house his collection of Margaret Thatcher memorabilia and his vertical sunbed.

All key decisions in the house will be debated by the leaders, with each delivering a set-piece speech to the audience of wives and children, none of whom are allowed to applaud. Decisions will then be taken by a popular vote, with the 5-person Clegg family suddenly very supportive of the first-past-the-post system.

‘What we can’t afford to do is take money out of the kitty now when we need it most,’ said Brown in an impassioned exchange about the No.10 housekeeping. But Cameron hit back, claiming that ‘What Gordon wants to do is continue wasting our money when we could be making efficiency savings now’, with Nick Clegg saying Gordon couldn’t be trusted not to squander the money on Jaffa Cakes, Pot Noodles and missile defence systems.

By late afternoon, however, there were signs the house-share arrangement was already beginning to break down. Cameron’s latest video diary shows him rolling up his sleeves in the No.10 kitchen and getting on with the job of washing the dishes, but is marred by Brown and Clegg prancing about in the background and making  gestures. Meanwhile the other two leaders are annoyed that each time they persuade Brown to pop round to the palace and tender his resignation, he’s brought back five minutes later by his friend Mandy claiming that the Queen was out.

But despite trying to get on with everyone, it is the presence of Nick Clegg that has caused the most problems. ‘Like many others, I hadn’t really heard of him when the campaign began, and although I initially thought he was an attractive proposition, the appeal has begun to fade,’ said his wife Miriam today.

‘I agree,’ said Brown. ‘Neither David or I support Nick’s amnesty which would allow him to claim the position of Prime Minister if he stays here for 10 years, and we’ve both gone right off him since he upped the number of women he’s slept with to 32.’

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2010/05/07/brown-cameron-and-clegg-to-house-share-no-10/

ah, the good old days…..

May Day

Some thoughts on May, Rogationtide… and  the election…

May 2010 – I wonder what sort of month it has been for you so far?  It might have included a holiday or some time in spring sunshine ( well, there was some earlier in the month) It might have been a time of familiar routines and getting on with the  every day business of life.

The arrival of May in European countries in past centuries heralded jolly outdoors celebrations – maybe originating with the Romans who held their feast of flowers on May 1^st. We will all have heard of May Day celebrations in this country, not least dancing round the maypole and it was so good to see this custom still going strong in St Neots last Saturday evening in the market place with Sheila’s Dance Group.

One of the oldest customs in England was that of “ Bringing   home the May” – when everyone of high or low estate went out early on May Day morning to gather flowers and collect the May dew. The later was thought to possess strange powers of beautifying the complexion.

You may like to know that on May 2^nd 1791 the London Morning Post reported:

“ Yesterday, according to superstitious custom, a number of persons went into the fields and bathed their faces with the dew on the grass, under the idea that it would render them beautiful” .

Maybe some of our  jaded politicians,  who were frantically running round the country  trying to persuade us to vote for them on May 6^th should have tried that old custom  to see if it had made them more attractive to their electorate.

I will confess I stayed up all night to watch the results come in – though dozing off now and again as the hi-tec swingometers did their thing. I certainly could have done with some fresh dew in the morning – I don’t look good on no sleep!

May Day celebrations were at their height at the time of the Tudors and Stuarts. Henry 8^th, that well-known reveller, often went a-maying with whatever wife was with him at the time with her head intact. Catherine of Aragon especailly enjoyed the custom. Queen Elizabeth 1^st often had May Pole dancing at Greenwich. An eccentric clergyman from Hatton neat Warwick called Dr Parr took much delight in may-poling, dancing with his parishioners with great enthusiasm on May 1^st in the churchyard.

Most if not all villages will have had their May Day celebrations in the past and the custom of crowning the May Queen was a highlight of the year.

At the heart of all these May time festivities was the celebration of Gods renewal of the earth in spring. Maybe people in the past, so closely linked as they were with the land and the business of cultivating the soil, were far more aware of  the changing seasons than we are. The warmer weather, the longer days, all meant that the growing season was truly under way. The long, dark days of winter had truly passed, new life was breaking out all over the countryside. Why not celebrate with colourful customs which brought laughter and cheer into peoples hearts? I rather like the idea of a scarecrow festival around this time of year in a village – something earthy and simple about it reminds us we are very much part of the world of nature.

As you will also be aware, today in the Christian calendar is Rogation Sunday.

Rogation Sunday gained its name from the old Prayer Book gospel of the day which ran

“ You did not choose me, but I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask my father’s name, he may give it to you”  The Latin for ask is Rogare.

It is interesting that in the 1630’s Rev George Herbert commended the rogation themes of blessing fields and beating the bounds. He was a great believer in processions and felt they should be encouraged to:

• ask Gods blessing on the fruits of the fields
• to ensure that justice and fairness prevailed in the preservation of the bounds of a parish
• to encourage charity in loving, walking and neighbourly accompanying of one another with reconciling of differences at the time if there be any
• to encourage Mercie- in relieving the poor by a liberal distirbution of largesse at this time.

In Victorian times in England, the idea of beating the bounds  was introduced into the processions. People would gather at church and walk in procession led by priest and choir. People would make wands from willow trees, strip them of bark and decorate them with flowers. At certain places, stops were made for refreshments. Each time a boundary was reached, a tree, stone, bridge was beaten with wands. Prayers would be said for the preservation of crops from mildew and a good harvest at significant location. Beating the bounds did bind together the generations and the various village networks.

Some parishes still carry out the  custom of  walking round the parish –  for those of you who would like a stroll this afternoon, there will be a Rogation Walk with our archdeacon Hugh starting at Perry.

.At the heart of Rogation Sunday  for many years has been  praying – asking God to bless the newly sown crops for another year – and in the days when farming was precarious (more so than now) and bad weather  and crop disease could badly effect a whole community, praying for a healthy crop was vital.  Not least, our prayers this morning will include intercessions for our modern Day farming community and farmers overseas who often face such an up-hill battle for survival.

May then hopefully brings us warmer weather, new life in the gardens and fields, a reminder of some of the older customs associated with the rebirth of nature and Rogationtide with its ancient appeal to God to bless our  crops and protect our livlihoods.

It also tries in perfectly I think with Christian Aid week which often falls around Rogationtide – depending on the date of Easter. A big thank you to everyone who delivers and collects envelopes – good to remember that every penny helps Christian Aid to enable communities far less fortunate than ourselves to set up new and life giving projects to improve the quality of thousand of peoples lives.

Now and again – and mercifully usually only every five years or so May can bring us something else a General Election. The last one had been on May 5^th 2005 – and I found an old sermon where I wrote on May 1^st 2005         “The press seem to be significantly bored by the election this time round, complaining that few if any politicians are stirring us with any passion in a campaign dominated by accusations and  back-biting. Ah well, we can but hope that whoever emerges with a mandate to govern this country for the next few years does truly attempt to usher a new start for the UK, not least tackling inequalities in wealth”

Five years on – we are starting out again with a new government – a rather different looking one than before – lets hope all the things that have been promised bear fruit.

Driving around last week I saw a poster high up on a Baptist Church:

It featured a picture of a blown-up balot paper, it has a big cross in one of the voting squares and the words “ MAKE YOU CROSS COUNT”.

It had a double meaning, of course. For those who might have been tempted not to vote – it was an encouragement to do so…… ( interesting that 44 million were eligible to vote and  c 29,650,000 did so)

But the poster had a more subtle message of outreach – make your cross count – make sure that the faith we believe in really does make a difference to the way we live.

For the early Christians, following Jesus wasn’t just a matter of ascribing to some teaching and living out a way of life which measured up to Jesus’ command to love thy neighbour. It often meant enduring persecution and even being martyred. The early Christians persecuted under the Roman emperors gave everything in their determination to make the cross count.

And I often wonder how these brave early Christians coped with these intense pressures and dangers.  The answer is both profound and simple – they had constantly with them in their hearts and minds the words which Jesus had spoken before he died and which would have been kept alive in the daily memories they shared of his presence with them.  These words gave them courage and fortitude.  Jesus promised them in his words recorded in John’s gospel that he would leave Gods spirit , The Holy Spirit, the Counsellor to be with them at all times. With that Spirit came Gods peace  “ Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” he said to them.

And it matters so much how we make Jesus’ cross show in our lives. It can show in how we treat each other. In how we approach our work, our leisure, our home life. How we spend our money, how much interest we take in issues of social justice and poverty.

It can show in how we react to misfortune, illness and grief. It can show in how we treat people who many may regard as outcasts and not so good to know. In the tradition of Christianity that we have grown up in and adopted in this country, we do not have to tread the path of martyrdom like the early saints did, but living out a Christian lifer isn’t always easy  even in safe village communities where many perhaps don’t get church or  feel it has any relevance.

I guess most of us did put a cross on a ballot paper last Thursday – and as we remember doing that on May 6^th 2010 –  lets think how we can make the cross of Christ count in our lives in the days  to come. As we go home, maybe we could think of one thing to put in our own personal manifesto these May days so that people catch a glimpse of Christ’s love in their encounter with us.

Amen

Thought for the Day

While walking down the street one day a ‘Member of Parliament is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
>’Welcome to heaven,’ says St. Peter. ‘Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.’
‘No problem, just let me in,’ says the man.
‘Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.’
‘Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,’ says the MP.
‘I’m sorry, but we have our rules.’
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.
They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly & nice guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises…
The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him. ‘Now it’s time to visit heaven.’
So, 24 hours pass with the MP joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.
‘Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.’
The MP reflects for a minute, then he answers: ‘Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.’
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.
The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. ‘I don’t understand,’ stammers the MP. ‘Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?’
The devil looks at him, smiles and says, …..

‘Yesterday we were campaigning.. ..
Today you voted.’

Ive just cast my vote – it was very busy at the Little Paxton polling station and I thought how quick it all is – after all those TV and radio hours of politicians trying to persuade us to vote… it takes less than a second to register  decision on a piece of paper.

Well, it is certainly going to be an interesting evening into night time….

A prayer for the election tomorrow

A prayer for the General Election

So many policies, so much cynicism, just one vote. Loving God, thank you for caring about how our country is run, and that we have the right to vote for our politicians and government. But in the run-up to this general election there are so many policies to understand, and so many different points of view to consider – sometimes I wonder whether there’s any point in voting, whether anyone cares what I think.

As I choose who I am going to vote for, help me not to be cynical about politics and politicians, help me to remember that my vote can make a difference, and help me vote for those people who will protect the poor and vulnerable, and do all they can to make our nation a place of fairness and peace. Because you call us to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.

PS  UK people – Dont foget to vote…..