Sunday Service, 19 May 2013

MEDITATION
OUR TELEVISION SCREENS ARE OFTEN FILLED WITH SCENES OF HUMAN MISERY, AND TRAGIC STORIES JOSTLE FOR SPACE IN THE NEWSPAPER COLUMNS.
BAD NEWS CAPTURES THE HEADLINES, AND GOOD NEWS SELDOM GETS MORE THAN LUKE-WARM COVERAGE.
IF IT FEATURES AT ALL
CONSEQUENTLY, A KIND OF FATIGUE OR EVEN IMMUNITY BUILDS UP INSIDE US SO THAT WE CEASE TO BE MOVED BY THE EVIL IN THE WORLD. SOME TIMES WE HEAR SERMONS THAT STIR US DEEPLY.
CHALLENGING US ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE SOCIETY AROUND US, AND HOW WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
STORIES OF SUPER CHRISTIANS ( AND I USE THAT DESCRIPTION VERY RESERVEDLY) WHO GIVE UP EVERYTHING TO SERVE CHRIST IN DESPERATE SITUATIONS AROUND THE WORLD MIX A COCKTAIL OF FEELING SUCH AS GUILT, FEAR AND DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER THIS COULD EVER HAVE BEEN FOR US.
CARING PROJECTS RUN BY CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS OR EVEN OUR OWN CHURCHES REASSURE US THAT SOME ONE IS DOING SOMETHING IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
AND SO WE SIT BACK WITH RELIEF, AND THE CHALLENGE OF THOSE SERMONS OR OF WHAT WE HAVE HEARD ON THE NEWS FADES INTO THE BACKGROUND MAYBE THAT’S NOT US THOUGH PERHAPS WE HAVE HAD A GO AT GETTING INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH LIFE.
HOWEVER, PERHAPS IT ALL WENT WRONG; THEY EXPECTED FAR MORE OF US THAN WE FELT ABLE TO GIVE.
THEIR PROBLEM THREATENED TO DROWN US, AND WE JUST COULD NOT COPE. IT WAS ALL TOO MUCH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE PRESSURE AND DEMANDS OF OUR OWN LIVES.
ANYWAY THEY DID NOT SEEM INTERESTED IN WHAT WE TRIED TO TELL THEM.
SO WE PULLED OUT AND FROM NOW ON WE ARE GOING TO ENSURE THAT WE DON’T GET IN OVER OUR HEADS AGAIN.
AS I SEE IT BOTH OF THESE ACTIONS ARE UNDERSTANDABLE, THEY ARE ALSO AND NOT SURPRISINGLY, QUITE PREVALENT AMONG CHRISTIANS, ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT WANT TO ADMIT FOR OURSELVES.
ON THE OTHER HAND SOME OF YOU MAY BE SEEKING TO LIVE OUT IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIVES THE TRUTH OF GOD’S PASSION FOR PEOPLE.
LIFE HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS, ITS HEARTACHES AND JOYS.
BUT YOU’RE HANGING IN THERE.
FOR YOU A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT WOULD GO A LONG WAY.
WELL HERE IT COMES, YOURS CERTAINLY ON THE RIGHT TRACK
THE BIBLE IS PACKED WITH REFERENCES REGARDING GOD’S CONCERN FOR JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.
INDEED THERE ARE, I BELIEVE, OVER 800.
REPEATEDLY GOD SPEAKS OF HIS HEART FOR THOSE ON THE MARGINS OF SOCIETY, AND CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO BE INSTRUMENTS OF SUPPORT, HEALING, AND TRANSFORMATION.
OUR VOICES, FACES, HANDS AND LIVES
HIS LOVE TANGIBLE AND MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE WHO ARE HURTING IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER.
SO WHERE ARE WE?
OUR AVAILABILITY IS THE KEY.
AS WE GO ABOUT OUR DAILY LIVES WE ENCOUNTER PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, STANDING IN THE CHECK OUT QUEUE AT THE CO-OP, OR ON JOURNEYS TO WHERE EVER WE ARE GOING, EVEN JUST WALKING DOWN THE STREET WE INTERACT WITH PEOPLE.
NEIGHBOURS, RELATIVES, WORK COLLEAGUES OR FRIENDS AND PASSING ACQUAINTANCES, ARE SOME OF THE LABELS THEY CARRY IN OUR MINDS. EACH PERSON HAS A UNIQUE SET OF LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES AND EACH WHETHER HE OR SHE ACKNOWLEDGES
IT OR NOT HAS THE NEED OF A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOD WHO LOVES INDIVIDUALS MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPRESS.
AS WE ARE AVAILABLE AND INTERACT WITH PEOPLE THE POSSIBILITY OPENS UP FOR THEM TO ACCESS GOD’S LOVE FOR THEMSELVES.
EACH OF HAS A DISTINCT LIFE NEIGHBOURHOOD,
A SET OF RELATIONSHIPS, CIRCUMSTANCES AND GEOGRAPHY UNIQUE TO US. FOR SOME OF US IT MAY MEAN THE BULK OF OUR TIME IS SPENT IN THE WORK ZONE WHILE OTHERS SELDOM GO FURTHER THAN THE END OF THEIR ROAD. WHEREVER WE SPEND OUR TIME AND WHATEVER THE COLLECTION OF PEOPLE WE ENCOUNTER, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IN SOME FORM TO MAKE GOD’S LOVE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE AROUND US.
JESUS TALKED ABOUT THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM BEING THE SALT AND THE LIGHT IN THE WORLD.
SALT BRINGS FLAVOUR INTO THE LIVES OF THOSE FOR WHOM EVERYTHING HAS BECOME TASTELESS, GREY AND DEPRESSING.
IT’S ACTS TO PREVENT DECAY AND DESTRUCTION OF RELATIONSHIPS, IN FAMILIES.
IN COMMUNITIES
AND IS A PRESERVATIVE AFFIRMING THE WORKING FOR THAT WHICH IS WHOLESOME IN PEOPLES LIVES.
LIGHT BRINGS HOPE AND RELEIF INTO THE DARKNESS THAT THREATENS TO OVERWHELM BECAUSE OF POVERY AND MENTAL ILLNESS
LIGHT THAT POINTS THE WAY TO RECONCILIATION IN RELATIONSHIPS, AND TRUE HUMAN WORTH, WHETHER
DISABLED, OLD IN YEARS, AN EX PRISONER, OR A SINGLE PARENT
AND LIGHT ILLUMINATES THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD AND HIS PASSION FOR PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF OUR MESSED UP LIVES AND RESISTANCE TO HIM. CHRISTIANS IN THE WESTERN WORLD OFTEN TALK OF THE PRESSURE OF MODERN DAY LIVING.
IT CAN BE A STRUGGLE TO BALANCE LONG WORKING HOURS WITH FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE CHURCH.
EXHAUSTION FROM KEEPING IT ALL GOING IS COMMON, AND ALONG WITH THAT COMES WITHDRAWAL INTO A PRIVATE LIFE THAT LEAVES LITTLE SPACE FOR SOCIALISING OUTWITH THE IMMEDIATE CIRCLE.
EXHORTATIONS TO GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY CAN THEREFORE CREATE AN UNEASE, A SENSE OF GUILT, BUT NO ACTION.
SAVE THAT OF GIVING MONEY SO THAT OTHERS CAN RUN THE NECESSARY PROJECT.
TO STOP AT THIS IS TO SUCCUMB TO A PROJECT MENTALITY, A VIEW THAT SOMEHOW THE WAY IN WHICH WE LIVE OUR LIVES IS IRRELEVANT AS LONG AS SOMEONE IS DEMONSTRATING THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST ON OUR BEHALF.
THE THING IS, THE BIBLE IS QUITE CLEAR THAT ALL FOLLOWERS OF JESUS ARE TO BE SALT AND LIGHT.
NO OPT-OUTS AND NO TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOUR.
RATHER THAN GET OVERBURDENED BY GUILT WE CAN ASK GOD TO HELP US TO BE SALT AND LIGHT RIGHT WERE WE ARE.
IF WE WERE TO DO THIS I THINK SOME RADICAL, AND PROBABLY UNEXPECTED RESULTS WOULD FOLLOW.
THE BIBLE REPEATEDLY EMPHASISES WHOLE LIFE DISCIPLESHIP.
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPARTMENTALISED CHRISTIAN LIVING WHERE BEING A CHRISTIAN ONLY APPLIES TO OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND OUR CHURCH
THE PRESENCE OF JESUS IN US AND WITH US SHOULD SPILL OVER WHEREVER WE GO AND WHAT EVER WE DO
THIS DOES NOT MEAN USING HOLY LANGUAGE, OR STRESSING OUR DISTINCTIVENESS AS CHRISTIANS IN A WAY THAT MAKES US UNATTRACTIVE TO OTHERS, BUT CAN SIMPLY BE A SMILE OR A GENUINELY LISTENING EAR. SOMETIMES COSTLY COMMITTED ACTION WILL BE NEEDED, MOTIVATED BY LOVE FOR THE GOD WHO SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR LOST HUMAN KIND.
AMEN