Sheringham: St Peter

When we think about it, everything that’s alive is constantly moving and changing. This applies to us too: our bodies, minds and spirits are continuously communicating and interacting with each other. What affects one affects the others.

If we’re made in the image of God, as per Genesis (1:27), we can deduce that this applies to God too. And we’re aware of the one God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - the Holy Trinity, continuously communicating and interacting with each other. What affects one affects the others.

I put it to you that every new discovery we make gives us another insight into the nature of God the Creator, and everything we learn about the way we relate with ourselves and to each other can teach us something about God too. I believe that God is greater than we can ever imagine, and so we’ll never have a complete picture, but that’s necessary so that we’re always interested, we want to know more, and we keep in touch so that we continue to thrive in relationship with him. Faith remains alive within uncertainty.

Today is Father’s Day, the day when we celebrate our relationship with everyone who has been a father figure to us. We might think of a father figure as someone who sets boundaries for us to keep us safe, while hopefully allowing us freedom within those boundaries to be ourselves, and to make our own decisions. This is what God the Father does.

The boundaries change from generation to generation, according to the dangers of the age and speaking in to the cultural perceptions. There were boundaries for people with no fridges in the past which said don’t eat pork or shellfish, for good reason. Those for a people for whom children meant prosperity, while lack of them meant poverty and possibly starvation, focussed on fertility. While some of the earlier boundaries still apply to us, like murder and theft, others don’t. How do we know where our boundaries are? They’re laid upon our hearts, and they pass the test of love. We know when we’re doing and thinking what’s good and right. And we know when we’ve crossed the line.

I wonder how many of us pushed against the boundaries we were set - especially so when we were teenagers! Who wore the shortest mini skirts, the widest flares, the highest heels? Who stayed out later than the time set to be home? Who went to explore beyond the barriers? There’s a rebelliousness in our nature - what does that tell us about God? Could he be rebellious too?

It certainly says that God understands us. What does a loving father figure do? He constantly helps us to return to the safety and freedom of his boundaries. His wisdom calls to us, according to our Proverbs reading:

‘Does not Wisdom Call, does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: ‘To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.’ Everybody is called into God’s Kingdom. Everyone is welcome. We’ re all loved by our Heavenly Father.

Wisdom is eternal, as is love, peace, hope, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and patience. These are some of the fruits which are produced when we live in relationship with God, so that the Kingdom of God which is made up of all that is eternal grows and thrives, and so do we. We become eternal too.

Paul said in his letter to the Romans that ‘God’s love has been poured into our hearts’. (Romans 5:5). So when we say ‘yes’ to relationship with the Trinitarian God, we’re accepting these gifts in their season and growing them for God’s sake as well as our own, in an intimate loving relationship which remains alive for as long as we are interested enough to find out more, to try to keep within our Father’s boundaries, while creatively utilising our freedom, and being with God in prayer.

Andrew encouraged us last week. He said ‘There are times when we don’t need to even put our thoughts into words, because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we only need to offer our hearts and minds to God and then wait in silence.’ God’s Holy Spirit of truth guides us into all the truth. (John 16:13)

God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is eternal. What is eternal remains consistent in nature while also growing.

For all of us the body, mind and spirit continuously communicate and interact not only with each other but also with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the eternal Trinity made accessible to us as Christians in love by way of the Son. Our faith remains alive within this dynamic day by day relationship.

How wonderful is that!

Amen.

Julie Rubidge, Lay Minister

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