Third Sunday before Lent1 Corinthians 15.12–20 Luke 6.17–26Many will be familiar with the Sermon on the Mount. Here in Luke’s Gospel we have a similar passage called Sermon on the Plains. Again, Jesus is teaching, not just his disciples, but crowds who had gathered to hear him not only to be healed.The final verse of this passage “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets,” serves as a warning about what we say.In the days gone by prophets would proclaim the word of God in speeches to crowds. They would be held in awe. They would have been seen as great teachers. After they had finished speaking to the crowds, and after they had bathed in the responses and the adulation poured upon them then they would return to their home glowing with pride.However, there were those who also claimed to proclaim the word of God, but with them things were different. They were false prophets. They would speak, not God’s words, but utterances of their own devising. When they had finished they too would return home glowing with the praises heaped upon them, but in this they were praises falsely earned. These were false prophets, charlatans, preying on the people and of the desire of the people to hear from God. God’s word was not an everyday occurrence. When someone stood up claiming to speak in his name the people would stop to listen.They would hear what they wanted to hear. The false prophets would have known this. So, skilfully they framed their words into a speech, a speech which would claim the attention of the peoples and which would possibly have encouraged them to put generously into his ‘collecting hat or bowl’.Jesus was warning against doing things or speaking in a way that people would be speaking well of you. Do you deserve the good things that are being said? If you are speaking in public are you speaking from the heart, from what you are being given or led to say by God? It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gift of prophetic utterance is a gift to enlighten the hearers, to give them teaching coming direct from God. It will enrich them. It will bring them closer to God. Your words will bring reassurance for the word of God had not been heard for some while.To speak as a false prophet may address the immediate needs of a crowd but they will not be the worlds of God. Cleverly contrived they may be but they will not be food for the soul. The people may be clamouring to hear what you say. Your words may go and feed their wants. It is easy for someone to stand up and speak delivering what the listeners want to hear. A politician can stand and promise all manner of things, laws and policies. But without the correct backing to the words, they are just that, empty words without any meaning or promise.Speaking the word of God the prophet is being led by God. He is feeding the soul with God’s word. The listeners are hearing teaching which will enhance their lives.Recently I wrote about how important it is to speak correctly, to pronounce words as they should be spoken. Here is the reason why. When you stand up to read what is in front of you, you are to recall how it is the word of God that you are proclaiming. If you read well, the hearts of your listeners will be fed, they will be fed with God’s word. It will sink in becoming a part of them. You, as God’s spokesperson will be responsible for building up your listener.Collect for Third Sunday before Lent Almighty God,who alone can bring orderto the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity:give your people graceso to love what you commandand to desire what you promise,that, among the many changes of this world,our hearts may surely there be fixedwhere true joys are to be found;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
Fourth Sunday before Lent1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 Luke 5: 1-11As we travel around, churches dot the landscape. If we get the chance it is good to stop at some and look inside, assuming that the door isn’t locked. Some are quite splendid, giving a warm and spiritual feel, whilst others just seem cold and empty. Looking around inside an idea of the worship being held there may be found. Posters displaying some of the children’s work hang down, flags of organisations are unfurled, some displays may be seen, fund-raising activities showing progress, all these give some indication of the life of the church and its congregation. Visiting a cathedral and even more can be seen of the life and history of the place of worship.Jesus had been preaching in the synagogue. The people had listened to him amazed by his teaching. He will have spoken in the synagogue again but not for too long. The pharisees were building up a swell of ill-feeling towards him. His presence in the synagogue was becoming unwelcome. Where could he go now to worship God his Father?The answer is in the cathedral of nature. The blue skies above stretch over the heads with sunshine bearing down, or at least on some days. Trees surround you as grand natural pillars holding up, as it were, the sky above. The rustle of the breeze through the trees and the sound of sheep and cattle replaces the rumble of traffic passing by. Nature provides its own church. It is this church that becomes Jesus’ church.Some years ago, I took my congregation to an abbey on a visit. Whilst we were there, out in the grounds, I held a service of Holy Communion. The atmosphere was special. None of us had experienced a major act of worship in the open before. To experience nature all around us as we prayed to God, out in the open, without the fabric of a building between us was special.This is just what Jesus was experiencing, only this time he was calling to him fishermen. The crowds were there waiting to hear him teach yet this time they witnessed him calling to him his disciples, close companions who were to play a special part in his ministry whilst developing a ministry of their own.They came from the sea placing their trust in Jesus as they answered his call to them. Jesus calls us too. Are we ready to place our trust in him? We do not know how the call will be made or where we will be. Just what will the call to us ask us to do?So many uncertainties, so many imponderables. We could be called to step forward to do almost anything. We need to be ready and to be listening for his call. As the fishermen stepped forward before the crowd of people so too must be ready to step forward.Jesus will call us. It may be to read a lesson in church, or to arrange flowers. The call may be to play the organ or to help clean the church. The call may be more involved requiring us to serve as a missionary here or abroad. The call could be to offer oneself for ordination. Many and varied are the avenues open to Jesus.Collect for the Fourth Sunday before LentO God,you know us to be setin the midst of so many and great dangers,that by reason of the frailty of our naturewe cannot always stand upright:grant to us such strength and protectionas may support us in all dangersand carry us through all temptations;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
Third Sunday of Epiphany1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a Luke 4: 14-21Cast your minds back to the good old days of school or college. You sat in rows or behind desks for what seemed hours and hours, learning about a variety of subjects. Some of that information would have actually sunk in to be remembered for years to come.There was a potential hazard to this system. If the speaker had a boring, monotone voice, a static approach, or nothing to maintain your attention, then they were on a hiding for nothing. The knowledge they were imparting was meeting a blank wall.A teacher who is animated and with a varied speech tone is more likely get their message across. We heard of how Jesus was in the synagogue. As was the custom there were plenty of people present. It was the turn of Jesus to read. He stood up and as he did so a silence filled the synagogue. Everyone wanted to hear what he was going to say. He was obviously well known as a good speaker.It is so important that those who read in church do read well. All may be forgiven for tripping over the tongue trying to pronounce some of the names that appear before you in your reading. The people and places can be quite adventurous to pronounce, they are foreign after all. There are publications that show the true pronunciation, but the squiggles, loops, and lines used are almost a language in themselves. They are given to help us. It is important to pronounce correctly for it is the word of God that we are speaking.Standing up, in front of a congregation, can be daunting enough. If it is a small congregation, one that we know each member well, it is more comforting and homely. The threatening feeling is not so apparent. It is possible you settle down into your reading quite quickly. However, standing up in front of a large congregation can be quite different. A goodly number of them sat there, all looking at you, may be unknown to you. For all you know there may be a retired bishop sat there, or someone who is very familiar with the words of the Bible. It is when they come up to you after the service and say, “That was interesting”, that your mind goes into hyperdrive as you wonder what it was that you said.It is the word of God that you are speaking. It is so essential that its true meaning is imparted. For within those words can be found great comfort to the troubled soul, support when feeling weak, encouragement when uncertain. All of these sentiments can be found in the word of God. They help us through life.They act as pathways along which we may tread. The readings we hear, or if it is our turn, speak, are like signposts. Within them may be found answers to questions that have been on our lips for some time. With them answered we continue forward, head held up high.The Bible is a repository of information. It contains books of every nature. From history to law, from songs to dreams, even humour, all may be found within its covers. All of it the word of God handed down to us and recorded, written down, translated and printed.As Jesus stood up in the synagogue to read and impart the word of God to be heard by the assembled congregation, we too have that same privilege of standing up and proclaiming the word of God to the congregation sat in front and listening to our every word.Last week the gifts of the Holy Spirit were the subject. Prophetic utterance was one of the gifts of the Spirit. The ability to read in church, clearly and distinctly, is not for everyone. But for those who can they are using that gift of the Holy Spirit as intended. A gift given, not just for our own benefit, but for the good of all. We are proclaiming the love of God, a love given to everyone. A love which contains within it reassurance and hope, a light where there is darkness, the comfort of the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is at our side.Collect for the Third Sunday of EpiphanyAlmighty God,whose Son revealed in signs and miraclesthe wonder of your saving presence:renew your people with your heavenly grace,and in all our weaknesssustain us by your mighty power;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
Second Sunday of Epiphany 1 Corinthians 12.1–11 John 2.1–11Today the all the readings are about discovery. In the gospel reading we share in the wedding at Cana of Galilee with Jesus and his disciples. It's a well-known story of running out of wine and the miracle of changing wine into water. In the epistle reading we're looking at gifts of the Holy Spirit being given to us all at the wish of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift to be used for the good of all people.Back to Cana in Galilee. The wedding rights were longer affairs. All together much longer celebrations than we are used to in the church. They were also attended by many more guests than we are used to. To drink their way through the organised and purchased wine and then make a start of, potentially 20 or 30 gallons (160 to 180 pints of wine) is some drinking party. One can only assume that the alcohol content was not very large as it is quite probable that wine was the daily drink.This wedding was the launching point for Jesus as he performed the first of his signs revealing his glory. It was through this revelation that the disciples believed in him, believed his true nature.Turning to the epistle reading the actions of the Holy Spirit are being explained. We may go through life happy in the knowledge that we are particularly good, adept even, at playing the piano. How, if put in front of a piano, we can be the life and soul of a party as we bash out well known and loved tunes for people to sing to or dance along to.It is good to be able to look at how others are especially good in other ways. One may be especially gifted at public speaking whilst another may be skilled in predicting what will happen in the future. All of these are manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Given just as the Holy Spirit chooses. We cannot go through life and select a gift as if it were on a supermarket shelf. The gift is given to us. It is up to us to recognise that gift and to use it to the best advantage, not of ourselves, but to everyone. It is these gifts that strengthens the Church. We are all different, we have our own individual likes and dislikes. The Church is the Body of Christ. As members of the Church, we are also members of the Body of Christ. Each of us, in our own individual ways, brings that individuality into the Church. We lay ourselves down before God. In doing so we are bringing before God the gifts bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit. Together, all of these gifts are granted to us, not for our own glory, not for us to place ourselves upon some pedestal. But they are given to us for the good of the whole of mankind.As these gifts are given to us by God then it is only right that we should use them in his service. The list of gifts given in the epistle reading are all very admirable in their own way. But that list is not exhaustive. Many are the trades and skills of people the world over who become especially proficient in what they do. They have their special gift, given by God, which enables them to forge ahead, to display a mastery in their field.The gifts spread among us are for us to discern. We do not have them given to us with a label attached. When we have developed and recognised a particular skill then it is to be used to the glory of God. In using that skill to help and assist others is demonstrating that love of God.Collect for the Second Sunday of EpiphanyAlmighty God,in Christ you make all things new:transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,and in the renewal of our livesmake known your heavenly glory;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
