Dear friends,I do hope all is well with you this week? Welcome to this week’s newsletter, which I hope you will find useful. Do get in touch if there’s anything I can help you with.With blessings and all good wishes,Reverend AnthonymiddleESKmoorComing UpTomorrow (7th March) 10:30-3:00 Vi's Community Cafe in Grosmontincluding 1:30-2:30 Play SpaceMothering Sunday (10th March) 9:00 Holy Communion Service in Lealholmand 10:45 Holy Communion Service in Glaisdale"Mothering Sunday on a Monday" Service 9:15 (11th March) in EgtonOur SurveyThanks for all the replies to the survey. The response has been amazing so far! Please bear with me as I work through all the responses. If you haven't done so yet, I would be really grateful if you could complete the survey online by clicking this link. Alternatively, please email me back and I’ll email you a copy of the survey for you to print out and return, or give me a ring on 01947 899842 to arrange for me to discuss with you.Sermon: What gets you out of bed in the morning?Please follow this link for the Readings and Prayers. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts together be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock, and redeemer. Amen.I wonder what things you’re really passionate about? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What things drive and motivate you?I’ve certainly heard a lot of passion and enthusiasm over the last nine months that I’ve been here with you. I mentioned last week that a few of us were going on the first of our Learning Community days at Wydale Hall. We met up with another five groups of churches from across the Diocese. We had a strong sense of common purpose and ‘great expectations’ but, of course, that was set alongside the many common challenges we face. I think it would be fair to say that we came away from the day feeling quite positive. We sensed a real passion to see the church grow and flourish across this beautiful part of the world. And it’s wonderful to see all the different ways people are connecting with our church across Middle ESK Moor: our two Sunday services; our midweek service in Goathland; our two community cafes, in Goathland and Grosmont; Play Space, Fellowship Space, Sharing Space…All those wonderful opportunities, run by a host of dedicated and passionate people.And our four PCCs and advisory council leadership team, run by a host of dedicated and passionate people.I wonder what the passions are that motivate each of us? What drives us to get involved with church, community, and a range of other activities? I guess our passions arise, in part, by the experiences we’ve had in our lives. One of my passions drove me to train to be a Priest. Some of you will know that I was brought up as a Roman Catholic, but I married an Anglican and that caused quite a few problems in my family.Some people weren’t going to come to our wedding. But eventually they did, encouraged by my Grandma. She played the organ for decades at our local Roman Catholic church on Walney Island, where I grew up. My Grandma saw herself as a Christian in the Universal Church, serving God and her community. She didn’t like labels such as ‘Catholic’ or ‘Anglican.’ My Grandma was quite an inspiration. She helped nurture in me a real passion for Christian Unity.Over the last few months we’ve started a new monthly support group for Christian ministers across the Whitby and Esk Valley area. It’s been wonderful getting to know folk from other denominations and traditions, and to begin to see where we might be able to work together. The whole experience is really quite exciting. I find myself motivated and fired up ready to go along each month and see what opportunities are beginning to arise. And, I’ve been looking forward to preaching about this today, so that I can tell you all about my passion for Christian Unity, a passion that certainly got me out of bed this morning, just like the passions that get you motivated each day.In our Gospel reading we heard the story of Jesus turning the tables of the moneychangers and chasing the animals out of the Temple. What’s Jesus’ motivation here? What’s he passionate about? On the face of it, it seems like Jesus acts on impulse. Is he angry? Is he frustrated? Jesus got angry with Peter in our reading last Sunday, and we talked about that last week. Is Jesus’ response here similar? Well, I don’t think so. I think Jesus has carefully planned this intervention. He’s making a significant statement at the start of his ministry.Just prior to this story, in John’s Gospel, John tells us about turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Jesus miraculously and exuberantly makes more than enough of the best quality wine possible, so ordinary people can have an amazing party and celebration, one they wouldn’t have been able to have otherwise. And, throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus is intentionally and continuously announcing new ways of doing things. Jesus is turning the tables on the way the world works, turning everything upside down. Jesus Christ, fully human and fully God, is motivated by an all-encompassing and exuberant love for the world and the universe he’s created.Jesus is passionate about people. He wants to pour out his love on everyone, on people just like us! In the Temple, Jesus’ passion for ordinary people leads him to purposefully disrupt the way things worked. This is a symbolic action that temporarily brings a halt to the temple system; a powerful sign that the old ways of doing things are now obsolete. There’s a new temple. Our reading from John connects the Temple building with Jesus: crucified, resurrected and ascended. Jesus is our new Temple: the risen Jesus; the Body of Christ; the Universal Church. "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up," Jesus says.Through Jesus, an exuberance of love is poured directly into the hearts of ordinary people. The barriers of the moneychangers, the barriers to God’s love for all people: those barriers are removed through Jesus. The tables are turned. The world is turned upside down. The world is transformed. That’s Jesus’ passion; a passion to transform the world. That’s what motivated him. I wonder whether our passions can be channelled into transforming the world too? There are so many things that can motivate and drive us; so many passions we can follow. Some of those passions will have brought you to this place, to connect with our Church across Middle ESK Moor and the wider Universal Church in this place.I wonder what things you’re really passionate about? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What things drive and motivate you?My prayer for all of us today, is that God will guide us to work out what it is that really drives us.I pray that God will call us by name to follow him; that the exuberant love Jesus pours out will permeate our lives, now and always.I pray that Jesus’ passion for bringing the love of God to ordinary people, people just like you and me, will inspire us to make the right choices and help us to transform the world into the world God wants:a world where the tables are turned and the love of God is shared passionately amongst all people, everywhere, always.Amen.---The Reverend Anthony BennettInterim Minister – the Benefice of Middle ESK MoormiddleESKmoor.org---These two books, edited by Jane Williams, are continuing to be very helpful with planning my sermon writing:Williams, J (2009), Ed., ‘Lost for Words, A Sermon Resource for the Anglican Three Year Cycle,’ Redemptorist Publications, Chawton, UK.Williams, J (2011), Ed., ‘Lectionary Reflections, Years A, B and C.’ Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, UK.
Dear friends,Sorry for the delay to this week’s update, but here it is, including a copy of my sermon plus a link to the readings for the second week of Lent. There’s also a reminder about the survey we are currently undertaking.Please check out all the services and events coming up on our website at the usual link: middleESKmoor.orgIf you haven't done so yet, I would be really grateful if you’re able to spare 15 minutes or so to complete our survey. It’s been designed to draw people together with common interests into some exciting new groups, and to explore areas and roles needing more support or development. There are three ways to respond, one of which I hope works for you:- complete our survey online by clicking this link.- email me back and I’ll email you a copy of the survey for you to print out and return.- give me a ring on 01947 899842 to arrange for me to discuss with you.I do hope all is well with you. Do get in touch if there’s anything I can help you with.With blessings and all good wishes,Anthony---Sermon: It’s OK to get angry!Please follow this link for the Readings and Prayers. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts together be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock, and redeemer. Amen.Peter’s faith was especially recognised by Jesus, and Peter was given a new name:he was to be the rock, the source of strength and authority for a new community: the Church. Peter was to be the leader of the followers of the newly revealed Jesus, the Son of the living God. But in today’s Gospel reading, we have Jesus shouting at Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”Jesus is obviously just a little bit angry with Peter! But why, what’s happened? At the beginning of our reading, Jesus tells Peter that he will be killed very soon. He also says that he will be raised on the third day. But Peter doesn’t hear or understand that part. He just hears the bit where the man he loves very deeply says he will be killed. The man that Peter adores, the man that Peter has invested everything in, will be killed. Imagine yourself for a moment in Peter’s shoes. What would you say? How would Jesus respond?You say, “this must never happen to you, Lord!”Jesus shouts at you, “get behind me, Satan!”You’re confused. You love the Lord. You cannot bear to be separated from your Lord and Saviour. Jesus’ death is bad news. That bad news is too much for you to bear. Jesus tells you he’s going to die. But he wants you to know. There are no secrets. This is the plan, the plan God made long ago. Jesus has explained that to you too. But you still can’t bear to be parted.Well, I think I would react in the same way. I can understand Peter's response to Jesus when the bad news became too much to bear.By this stage of Jesus' ministry, it was clear to Peter and the other disciples that Jesus was their Messiah, but they had yet to understand that he wouldn’t be the conquering military king that would expel Israel’s enemies from the land given to them by God. They simply couldn’t grasp that part of the plan. Of course, we have the benefit of knowing the whole story. But when Jesus has a go at Peter so angrily, we see his human side and a very human frustration: Peter is still thinking in the old way and not in the radical new way of Jesus: his rule of love rather than the rule of power and vengeance.The amazing thing about Jesus is that he’s fully human and fully God, so he gets frustrated, he gets angry, he knows what life is like, he gets emotional. And we have two emotions clashing here: Peter’s sense of loss, of grief; Jesus’ sense of frustration, of anger.Peter's response would have been my response, I’m pretty sure of that. Would you have reacted in the same way? Maybe? We don’t want Jesus to suffer either, we don’t want him to die."God forbid it, Lord!" Peter says."God forbid it, Lord!" we say.But Jesus, fully man and fully God, will not forbid it, will not prevent it either; will not prevent the humiliation, torture, suffering and death. The horror of what man does to man must be put on display by God for all to see. And Jesus is as scared as any of us would be. He gets angry about it.We might imagine that Jesus calmly accepts all that’s to come. And the Gospels do, in part, paint that picture when the time does indeed come, and we arrive at Good Friday, at the end of our journey through Lent together. But today, in our Gospel reading, Jesus is angry, and he displays his full humanity. Jesus’ emotions are exacerbated by Peter's inability to understand and accept the full reality of what’s to come. Jesus didn’t really think Peter was Satan, of course, but I think he uses the title ‘Satan’ here to make a point.However we think of ‘Satan,’ I think we can say that Satan characterises everything which opposes truth in this world, everything that stops us seeking the Kingdom of God, everything that stops us putting God first. Jesus likens Peter to Satan because he doesn’t want natural anxiety and sorrow to result in pessimism and negativity. Anger needs to be channelled positively. And Jesus’ anger reinforces his message of hope. It’s OK to be angry if that helps people see the bigger picture!So, how does this speak to us today, in this place? Well, I can’t believe it’s just over a year since I had my interview for this post. My first anniversary on 21st May is rapidly approaching! And, over the last year, let’s be honest, we’ve uncovered together quite a lot of anger and frustration in the way resources and support have not quite reached Middle Esk Moor. My appointment here is a response to that, of course: I’m here to help us all to work together and chart a new path. That’s the calling I think I have that I was talking about last week. But we can only continue on the journey if we make the space, and devote the time, needed to acknowledge what has been wrong with the old way of doing things. Change can only happen amidst the reality of the world we live in. There will continue to be challenges. Things will not go according to plan!We’ve begun to try new things and develop better ways of working together. And I think we’re making some exciting progress in lots of different ways. We have things to celebrate. But, alongside the positives, we need to continue to acknowledge the restraining factors that persist within our churches and our church structures: the diocese; the deanery; the wider Church of England. We need to acknowledge the quite understandable anger and frustration church structures cause. We need to face the reality of our lived experience head on. And it’s OK to be angry!Jesus’ anger in today’s reading reinforces his message of hope.It’s OK to be angry if that helps people see the bigger picture. And the good thing about facing reality, seeing that bigger picture, is that it unlocks us from the fear of unknowing, it frees us to make change, it enables us to move forward and live more fully; to seek the Kingdom of God. Yes, change is difficult. And, as we start to change more of the ways we work together over the next year, we will face many challenges. But everything becomes possible when we have nothing to lose, when we can let go of the past, when we can fully re-imagine the future. Jesus knew this. Jesus was prepared to risk everything. Jesus didn’t need Peter's fussing, however well meant, or needy. Jesus wanted Peter to face the truth and then accept what must come, so that he could be free to pursue the next phase of his ministry.Jesus knew that Peter and the disciples would eventually find the strength to found and maintain the future Church: from his example, but also from within themselves. Facing reality, with hope, rarely disappoints when we undertake it with Jesus! So, let’s continue on the journey together, being honest with each other. Let’s celebrate! But let’s continue to channel, in a positive direction, our anger and frustrations too!Amen.---The Reverend Anthony BennettInterim Minister – the Benefice of Middle ESK MoormiddleESKmoor.org
Dear friends,Welcome to this week’s update, including a copy of my sermon as usual plus a link to the readings for the first week of Lent. My sermon is about our ‘calling’ and how we might be able to explore that over the next few weeks as we look forward towards Easter.Please check out all the services and events coming up on our website at the usual link: middleESKmoor.orgFollowing on from our Community Forum last month we’ve put together a survey that begins by asking what the church can do to help you, and has also been designed to find out what you might like to do or get involved with to help us build our communities across Middle ESK Moor. Are you able to contribute some of your time and talents in the year ahead to support us? Are there areas of our life and work that you might like to get involved with?If you’re able to spare 15 minutes or so to complete the survey I would be very grateful. It has been designed to draw people together with common interests into some new groups, and to explore areas and roles needing more support or development.You might already help in many ways, and your contribution is very much appreciated if you do, but please could you still complete the survey so we can gather up to date information on what people do or would like to do.There are quite a few questions, listed in alphabetical order. If you’ve got limited time, please just do what you can and skip past any questions that don’t seem relevant. There are three ways to respond, one of which I hope works for you:- complete our survey online by clicking this link.- email me back and I’ll email you a copy of the survey for you to print out and return if you would prefer to do that.- give me a ring on 01947 899842 to arrange for me to come round and discuss with you, or arrange for me to post a copy of the survey to you, and then to come and collect it.I do hope that you can have a look at the survey, that you find my latest sermon below useful, and that you will enjoy the week ahead.With blessings and all good wishes,Anthony---Sermon: What’s your calling?Please follow this link for the Readings and Prayers. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts together be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock, and redeemer. Amen.I wonder what you think God might be calling you to do in your life, in this place at this time?For me, I think my calling in the church, is about enabling people to work better together so that we can harness the talents, gifts and passions of each other, and orientate ourselves towards building God’s kingdom. This is all so that the church is better placed to serve the hidden corners of our communities. By doing all that I think we’ll be able to attract new people. And, fundamentally, that’s what we need to do if we’re going to build a long-term sustainable Church of England in this place. Maybe your calling is to help me and be part of that process? Or it could be something related, or something quite different.I’ve just been on a residential for priests new to the Diocese of York. We meet up every three months and this week we’ve been thinking about calling. We spent some time talking about the American spiritual writer, Frederick Buechner, who died in 2022, and suggested in one of his 39 books that:“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”Hold that thought.So, our calling from God is something that gives us a sense of deep gladness, a deep sense of purpose. We might call that happiness possibly, or maybe consolation, or wholeness.But we can only experience that wholeness when some aspect of ‘the world’s deep hunger’ is the focus of our attention. The focus of our lives. The world’s deep hunger has a myriad of interconnected aspects tied up with the misuse of power and the pursuit of selfishness and greed. And there’s a deep hunger in our world for meaning; for purpose; for hope; for justice; for fairness; for love; for compassion in people’s lives. We can nurture a deep gladness in our souls through helping to nurture that meaning, that purpose, that hope, that justice, that fairness, that love, that compassion. For me, that’s what serving our communities is about, and part of my calling has something to do with seeking out the hidden corners in our communities and telling people about the hope we have in Jesus Christ:Intimate Jesus; Infinite Christ; Fully Human; Fully God;The Person that chose to live amongst us.The Person that chose to die for us.The Person that was raised to new life, to show us quite clearly that death does not have the last word.That’s all to do with my calling as a priest. But I wonder what you think God might be calling you to do, at this time, in your life?As we gather on the First Sunday of Lent, we’re embarking on a sacred journey, a journey into the wilderness of our hearts. Rather than Lent being a time of giving things up, I think that Lent is more about taking stock and preparing ourselves for the journey ahead with God. Lent is a season of preparation. It helps to prepare us for the rest of our lives. Lent invites us to discern how God might be calling us. And, Lent is a time to work out how to meet God, a God that resides at that intersection where our deepest gladness meets the world’s most profound hunger.Imagine the scene in our Gospel reading: the waters of the River Jordan, the heavens opening, the Holy Spirit descending. Jesus, the Beloved, affirmed by the Father. His baptism reveals not only his identity but also ours. We, too, are beloved children of God. Our deepest gladness lies in knowing that truth. We are loved deeply by God: cherished, forgiven, and called into purpose.Our deepest gladness arises out of our inheritance as Children of God.But, in our Gospel reading, as soon as Jesus is affirmed, “…the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”The wilderness is a place of solitude, struggle, and revelation. Jesus faced temptation, hunger, and the wild beasts. But notice that the angels took care of him. In our own wilderness, we encounter our own hunger, the hunger for meaning, purpose and hope, but also the hunger for connection with others. And it’s amidst those connections, those relationships, that God calls us. Our deep gladness meets the world’s hunger when we respond to the cries around us. And the wilderness of Lent is the place where we learn compassion, humility, and dependence on God so we can respond to those cries.Our Gospel reading ends with these words, “…after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’”The good news echoes through the ages: the kingdom of God is near, and Lent beckons us to discern our role in God’s kingdom. Repentance - turning back towards God - is our compass. But this isn’t about sorrow; it’s a redirection and transformation of our lives. As we follow Jesus, we discover our deep gladness, a gladness fuelled by the unique talents, gifts, passions and desires that God has bestowed upon us. And there, at the crossroads of gladness and hunger, we find our purpose.Where and how is God calling you? What stirs your soul?Perhaps it’s comforting the broken-hearted? Or visiting the sick? Or doing a myriad of other acts of service? Our deep gladness aligns with God’s purpose when we listen to the cries of a hungry world.We Listen.In silence we listen to the Holy Spirit’s whisper. What brings us joy? What breaks our hearts?We Serve.In service we step into the wilderness; the places of need.We Persist.Like Jesus, we endure the wilderness. Temptations will come, but angels will sustain us.We Proclaim.In declaring the good news we proclaim that the kingdom of God is near! And, like our calling, the Kingdom of God is the place where our collective deep gladness meets the world’s collective deep hunger.As we journey through Lent, may we discern our meeting place with God at the intersection of gladness and hunger. Let us follow Jesus, because, in him, the kingdom draws near. May our lives echo the words spoken over Jesus: “You are my beloved.” And may our response be to listen; to serve, to persist; to proclaim.Amen.---The Reverend Anthony BennettInterim Minister – the Benefice of Middle ESK MoormiddleESKmoor.org
Please follow this link for the Readings and Prayers.May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts together be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock, and redeemer. Amen.I might have told some of you that I like to go hill walking, and I’ve been lucky enough to go up quite a few highish mountains, such as Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro, on trips to Kenya and Tanzania. And I guess if you ask any ‘mountain folk’ like me why they climb such heights, and take such risks up a mountain, you’ll get various responses:because it’s there,for the challenge, the rush of adrenalin, the sense of excitement and achievement. But some more ‘spiritual’ people might also tell you it’s because the journey to the top teaches you something about yourself. Mountains have always fascinated people. They symbolise stability and continuity. They provide unparalleled views, a new way of looking at Creation and our seemingly tiny place within it. Mountains have been places of refuge, and they’ve been regarded by many ancient peoples as being among the first created earthly things.So, many cultures see mountains as being closer to the Creator, closer to God, because of their age and majesty. Moses went up a mountain to confirm his relationship with God. And I guess that probably everyone who climbs a mountain discovers something about themselves.In our Gospel reading today we see Jesus taking his disciples up Mount Hermon to teach them something special about himself, and themselves. Mountains have great significance in the history and geography of Palestine and Israel. When it came to important prophecies or teaching, or when God needed to reveal something critically important for the good of his people, a mountain was often the chosen location.The amazing experience on the mountain, in our reading, had happened just eight days after Jesus had told his disciples to take up their cross. Any true follower of Jesus must take up their cross and follow him. But Jesus needed Peter, James and John to know exactly what that meant. On that mountain Jesus showed his friends exactly who he was. And, as they witnessed his transfiguration, Peter, James and John began to realise within themselves exactly who they were. Jesus, no longer just a special man, was confirmed beyond all doubt as being their Messiah. On that mountain, Peter, James and John became much more than friends of Jesus. They became true and complete disciples, fully informed about the extent of Jesus' role in relation to God. The transfiguration changed these three disciples into people that were utterly committed to Jesus as God.Just as Peter, James and John went up the mountain with Jesus, so must we. We must take up our cross and follow Jesus. We can read an almost identical account of the Transfiguration in Chapter 16 of Matthew's Gospel. Earlier in Matthew’s account, Jesus asks the disciples who they think Jesus is. Peter responds by saying that he knows Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God. That was an amazing leap of faith, because up until the Transfiguration, Peter’s understanding was inspired guesswork, based on the teaching and behaviour of Jesus.Peter's reward for that earlier act of faith was Jesus taking him up on the mountain where he could witness the amazing presence of Moses and Elijah in conversation with him. Peter could also hear the voice of the living God confirming Jesus to be exactly who Peter had concluded he was. Suddenly Peter discovers something about his own identity and destiny. He was no longer just the fisherman but now the follower of truth in the company of the Messiah and the whole company of heaven.And so it is for us: this story of Jesus on the mountain is our story too, not just Peter’s. We are transfigured. We are transformed. Jesus helps us to bear the strain and struggles of our lives, helps us to carry our crosses. But Jesus also helps us to reveal the good news to others around us, changing the world around us.Jesus helps us to do our part to recognise the kingdom of heaven breaking in around us. And, as I was saying last week, the kingdom of heaven becomes visible in a community of faith, a community of faith where we listen to each other and get to know one another as good friends, a community of faith where we bless one another, a community of faith where we reflect God’s glory, our community of faith here this morning.I might have already given you a placemat with the ancient blessing on it from Numbers, I handed a few out in August last year? I have some spare, if you would like one. Just get in touch.‘The Lord bless you and keep you;the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’Why not find some time during Lent to visit someone and give them your placemat, have a cup of tea or coffee with them, and bless each other? When you’re together take some time to notice the kingdom of heaven in your midst:through your listening and your blessings,through your mutual reflection of God’s glory.Take some time to listen to Jesus through the words the other person is saying to you.We might not have an opportunity to go up a mountain with Jesus in person, but the Gospel story we’ve read this morning takes us there. Maybe you could read it through again during the week ahead, and the other related readings in our new weekly sheet? It’s important for us to own today’s Gospel reading because what happened to the disciples on that mountain over 2050 years ago, is for our enlightenment and ownership now, here in this place in 2024!So, when you next see a majestic view of God’s wonderful Creation, and there’s plenty of scope around here to see such a view, remember Mount Hermon and God’s message! Because that message confirms our identities as followers of Jesus. That message opens our hearts to God’s blessings. That message sustains and grows our community of faith in this place.Amen.---The Reverend Anthony BennettInterim Minister – the Benefice of Middle ESK MoormiddleESKmoor.org---These two books, edited by Jane Williams, are continuing to be very helpful with planning my sermon writing:Williams, J (2009), Ed., ‘Lost for Words, A Sermon Resource for the Anglican Three Year Cycle,’ Redemptorist Publications, Chawton, UK.Williams, J (2011), Ed., ‘Lectionary Reflections, Years A, B and C.’ Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, UK.
